Dangote: NNPC Made Huge Mistake By Reducing Stake in Our Refinery from
Reveals he has two oil blocks, but won’t invest heavily in upstream segment NNPC has pledged to give us 390,000 bpd in October, says Africa’s richest man Insists selling crude in local currency will reduce pressure on Naira by 40% Maintains imported fuel 15 to 20% more expensive than his Group, owners of the new 650,000 barrels per day crude oil refinery in Lagos, yesterday argued that the decision by the Nigerian National
mistake.
during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, monitored by THISDAY, Dangote further disclosed that although he
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Ganduje Greets Okpebholo, Says APC Will Recover More States
National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, yesterday, congratulated the Edo State governor-elect, Senator Monday
Okpebholo, on his victory at the September 21 governorship election. Ganduje pledged to use lessons learnt in Edo State to recover more
states for the party. He spoke while closing the situation room set up at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja to monitor the
just concluded Edo State governorship election.
Some APC governors and other party stakeholders also sent warm
CSOs: Edo Guber Results Altered, Lack Legitimacy, PDP Heads to Court
Calls mount for INEC to review result Ighodalo: It’s one of our darkest moments Obi: Election a mockery of democracy Exercise marred by vote buying, falsification of results, apathy, Akpata declares
in Lagos and Fidelis David in Akure
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), which monitored the Edo State governorship election on Saturday, have issued a damning review of the exercise, declaring that the results from several polling units were altered at coalition centres. The civil society coalition, the Situation Room, said the conduct of the election lacked credibility. Similarly, Yiaga Africa, which said it deployed the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology for the Edo election, involving 300 stationary and 25 roving observers, covering a representative sample of polling units (PUs) across all 18 local government areas of the state, faulted the conduct of the poll and the declared results as lacking integrity.
Mammoth crowd on Sunday thronged the palace of the Emir of Ilorin Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari (CFR) in Ilorin, capital of Kwara State, to celebrate the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC)'s candidates in the local government election across the 16 local government areas of the state...on Saturday. Continued on page 10
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person and the President of the Dangote
Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Adedayo Akinwale, James Emejo in Abuja, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City, Funmi Ogundare
greetings to the winner of the election. Ganduje, in a statement by his Chief
Segun James in Lagos, James Sowole in Abeokuta, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
FEC MEDIA BRIEFING...
L-R: Minister of Works and Housing, Dave Umahi;
Flooding: FG Constitutes Committee to Re-assess Alau, Other Dams Nationwide
Sets up disaster relief fund Okays construction of 40 quarters for judges in FCT Establishes national citizens value brigade in schools
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Sequel to the recent flood disaster in Maiduguri, Borno State, and some other parts of the country, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its meeting yesterday and constituted a committee to re-assess the Alau Dam and others across the country to prevent reoccurrence.
FEC headed by President Bola Tinubu, mandated the Committee to develop detailed designs and recommendations for the overall reconstruction of the Alau Dam for future use.
Addressing newsmen after the FEC meeting, Minister of Water Resources, Prof Joseph Utsey, disclosed that the Council extensively deliberated on the flood situation across the country with emphasis on Maiduguri flooding.
He recalled that in 2022, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation had requested increased allocation from the National Assembly and support from the government of Borno State to address the bad component of the Alau Dam to enable the rehabilitation and specific repair of the 38-year-old dam.
Utsev said: “In 2022, there was a problem with one of the components of the dam. The Minister of Water Resources wrote to the National Assembly for allocation of more funds and the government of Maiduguri for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the 38-year dam to further facilitate
water supply, purposes of irrigation and flood controls.
“We are now re-assessing the true integrity of the dam to come up with a detailed design for overall reconstruction. We also had a discussion with the management of Lagdo Dam on the release of 100 cubic meters of water that can be released within seven days and the Ministry sent a warning to those living along the river valley Membersareas." of the constituted committee on the review of Alau dam and others were, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev; Minister of Agriculture, Food and Security, Abubakar Kyari and few others.
Also speaking, Edun, told newsmen that the Council established a Disaster Relief Fund.
He explained that the Fund would focus on financing and bringing together funding from the three tiers of the government, the private sector and the international philanthropic organisations to build a resilient response to climate disaster occurrences across the country.
Acknowledging existing relief funds domiciled with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Flood Relief Funds set up in 2012, the Minister said that the President directed the set-up of the Fund to mitigate the climate challenges.
His words: "We agreed with the decision of Mr. President to start today's FEC meeting with the devastating situation of flooding in Maiduguri in Borno State.
“At the end of that discussion which we started the meeting with, Mr President did direct that a disaster Relief Fund be set up. We know that there is NEMA, the Flood Relief Fund.
"The President feels that in this era of climate change and events from time to time, no matter the
prevention measures there will be disasters that will occur. We need to build greater resilience in the form of a substantial Disaster Relief Fund separate from the agencies that intervene in disasters. This will focus on the financing.
"From the federal, subnational, local level, private sector, and even the international organisations. It will be led by top corporate governance including leadership by the private sector at an appropriate level to build for Nigeria a resilient response that is
adequate in size, skill, and quality and able to respond to such occurrences as we have had in Borno and elsewhere.
"We know no matter how we pray against it; we know this will happen from time to time so we need to be ready.
“Now we know we do have the NEMA Relief Fund; we even have the Flood Relief Funds set up around 2012 but Mr President feels we need in this in this era of climate change.
“We need to build greater resilience in the form of substantial disaster relief
funds, separate from agencies that actually intervene physically. This will focus on the financing and bringing together the funding from across the spectrum of the federal, sub-national levels, and the local levels and the private sectors and international philanthropic organisations". He emphasised the importance of pooling funds from various sectors and being prepared when disasters strike.
National Assembly to Inaugurate Joint Oil Sabotage Probe Panel Today
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Joint National Assembly ad-hoc committee on the sabotage in the oil and gas sector of the nation's economy, would be formally inaugurated at both chambers of the federal parliament during plenary today.
The Chairman of the joint panel who is also the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
THISDAY had exclusively reported on Monday that the joint
National Assembly panel probe was being delayed to comply with the Rules of the House of Representatives.
THISDAY findings revealed that the inability of the two chambers to begin the four-day public hearing on the probe from Monday, September 9 to Thursday, September 12, was due to the need to properly constitute the panel in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
But the joint panel chairman said yesterday that the probe had not been suspended but delayed
CIoD President: Good Governance Must Guide FG’s Economic Recovery Efforts
Says Tinubu’s reforms painful, but necessary
Dike Onwuamaeze
The President of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria, Mr. Tijjani Borodo, has advised that sound governance must be the guiding principle behind the federal government’s efforts to achieve economic recovery.
Borodo, stated this yesterday during a press conference to announce the institute’s upcoming 2024 Annual Directors Conference with the theme, "Good Governance as a Catalyst for Economic Recovery, Growth, and Development," which would take
place from Wednesday, October 30 to Thursday, October 31, 2024, in Lagos.
He said: “The theme for this year's conference underscores the critical role that corporate governance plays in advancing economic transformation and national development.
“In the face of ongoing economic challenges, it is essential that we recognise how sound governance practices foster accountability, sustainability, and innovation within our organisations in particular and our nation in general.”
He added: “Good corporate governance must be a guiding principle as we navigate the complex landscape
of economic recovery.
“It facilitates the identification of opportunities, supports talent retention, and ensures that vital sectors such as agriculture, energy, and technology can effectively contribute to a diversified economy.
“By championing good governance, we unlock the potential for sustainable development that benefits all citizens.”
Borodo, also attributed the collapse of federal government-owned refineries to a lack of governance in their operations.
He said: “Let us be very honest. We are supposed to have about four
refineries in the country. But none of them is working. And I will tell you that it is a question of governance.
“If there had been true governance in running these refineries we would not be where we are now.
According to him, “governance is everything. Good governance is good business. Whatever you do as an industry, business or government, you need to have good governance. The moment you have good governance, believe me, the chances of success are there.
to allow for the proper constitution of the panels.
Bamidele explained, “Contrary to some media reports, the Senate never suspended its Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry.
“Rather, it postponed its public hearing due to the need to address issues that border on the Rules of the National Assembly.
“Today, (Tuesday) both chambers of the National Assembly will resolve the issues and possibly constitute a joint committee that will continue with the investigation from where the ad-hoc committee stopped.
“We are committed to unearthing the roots of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry in the national interest and developing institutional mechanisms that will make the industry more efficient and functional.
“As we return fully to the parliamentary sessions on Tuesday this week, the National Assembly will, without ambiguity, revisit its decision to decisively address challenges in the petroleum industry.
"The industry is not optimal in its performance. This may not be unconnected to crude oil theft, endless turn around maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products, and disruption of fuel supply, among others.”
He added that both chambers were expecting a new Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and
Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), from the Executive which are integral part of yearly budget preparation, consideration, and approval.
"The consideration of MTEF occupies a prime place on the rung of our legislative agenda.
"This is simply because MTEF must be ready before the 2025 Appropriation Bill can be laid before the National Assembly.
"We are equally preoccupied with the review of the 1999 Constitution. In the Senate, the Constitution Review Committee is chaired by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin.
"In the coming weeks, the Committee will hold retreats and strategy sessions; call for memoranda and organise zonal meetings on some sections of our constitution that should be amended.
"Given the pedigrees of all its members, this exercise no doubt promises a truly federative approach that will redefine and reinvent public governance in this country', he added.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, had in July appointed seven members to the Joint Senate/ House Committee tasked with investigating alleged economic sabotage within the petroleum industry.
Prof. Julius Inhovbere, was named as the Co-Chairman, while members included Iduma Ighariwey; Gboyega Isiaka; Sada Soli; Fatima Talba; Tunji Raheem; and Patrick Umoh.
Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utse; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari, addressing State House Press Corps shortly after the Federal Executive held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ... yesterday
PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI
Head of tHe Civil ServiCe of tHe federation, WalSon-JaCk, viSitS fubara...
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack
Government House in Port
FEC Okays Economic Stabilisation Bill to Boost Liquidity, Employment
Approves
deji
elumoye in Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), yesterday approved the Economic Stabilization Bill, aimed at enhancing Nigeria's economic stability and growth.
The bill, which will soon be transmitted to the National Assembly, contains key provisions to amend the Foreign Exchange Act, encouraging electronic transactions over cash to increase liquidity.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale
major road projects, allocates billions of
Edun, who disclosed this to reporters at the State House, Abuja, after the FEC meeting, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu, the bill empowers the Central Bank to attract international funds, facilitating foreign exchange transactions and remittances to Nigeria.
Additionally, the bill proposes reforms to the Companies Income Tax Act, enabling Nigerians to provide services to foreign companies without requiring them to register in Nigeria. This move is expected to create new employment, income,
and entrepreneurship opportunities.
According to Edun: “The Federal Executive Council did pass for onward transmission to National Assembly, Economic Stabilization Bill. It contains, for example, items that change the Foreign Exchange Act to give greater liquidity and encourage the use of electronic rather than cash means, for example.
“It gives the Central Bank even greater ability to bring in and attract funds such as the money from international money transfer organizations and others that want
to transact foreign exchange business and in fact, remit funds to Nigeria.
“There's also a proposal to amend the Companies Income Tax Act basically to allow Nigerians with the skills, the expertise and the relevant relationships to be able to stay in Nigeria, and provide services to foreign companies at home, without those companies having to come and register in Nigeria, thereby opening up a whole vista of employment opportunities, income opportunities, and entrepreneurship opportunities. So those are the types of measures
We Inherited Dead Civil Service, Fubara Declares
blessing ibunge in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara yesterday, said his administration inherited a near dead civil service with no promotion and human capacity development.
Fubara, disclosed this while addressing the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack and her team on a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor noted that following the situation, his government initiated the promotion of civil servants that were stagnated for over 11 years and engaged consultants for the retraining of the workforce in line with contemporary service delivery for effectiveness and efficiency.
"When we came on board, we inherited a near dead civil service, a service that there was no promotion for 11 years, we came in and it wasn't easy, but we had to give the civil servants hope by ensuring that they were promoted.
“We did not end there, when the Institute of Management visited us earlier, we assured them that we are going to get a consultant to commence retraining of the civil servants which is key.
“I can't remember the year that any of these civil servants in our State have gone for any training. The last time we did training should be in 2010. That was the last time the civil service was involved in anything training.
"I know what it means because that is my primary constituency. Training is the only thing that can build the service that will give us that level of result for transparency, efficiency
and accountability, and assurance that there's hope.
“It is only when you start building their capacity that they will feel secured and also understand that something is at stake."
He commended Walson -Jack for her new position and assured her of the willingness of his administration to collaborate with her office to improve the State civil service, adding that as a worthy ambassador of the State she should protect the interest of Rivers State and also help the people to progress.
"I can say it here without fear that you symbolise peace and we are very proud to associate with you. We will by the special grace of God in any way we can to support you because we know what you stand for."
Fubara assured that with the commendable efforts of the Head of Service of the Federation his government was going to join hands with her to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu to succeed, stressing that when the heads fail, it will also affect the bottom.
He reiterated his commitment to restoring the glory of civil service in the State and the policy of diligence that was the condition to recommend individuals to the federal civil service in the past, which the Head of Service of the Federation who started her career in Rivers State civil service is a product of that system.
In her response, Walson-Jack applauded Fubara's leadership vision and dedication to good governance which she said was critical to the success of the efforts at the federal level.
She expressed confidence that they can jointly advocate for policies that would unlock Rivers State's full potential and ensure its citizens access to the resources and opportunities needed for sustainable growth and development.
Walson-Jack said she was in the State to represent Tinubu at the ongoing 2024 annual management conference of the Nigeria Institute of Management holding in the State.
"The discussions at that event underscores the importance of collaboration between federal and state
governments in ensuring effective governance. This principle resonates strongly with the purpose of my visit here today, which is to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to this collaborative approach.
"My visit, your excellency is not just a ceremonial gesture, it is a genuine opportunity to strengthen our partnership and explore new avenues for collaboration.
“With a shared commitment to innovation and progress, I am confident that we can achieve great things for Rivers State and Nigeria."
naira for construction
that are contained in bill”.
Edun also revealed that the Fiscal Responsibility Act will be overhauled, guiding government-owned enterprises in sharing surpluses and building reserve funds from their revenues.
“There are changes to Fiscal Responsibility Act as well that affect in particular government-owned enterprises and how they are to share their surpluses and how they are to put in place reserve funds for building surpluses from their revenues”, the Minister said.
FEC also approved the construction of toad projects across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike told newsmen listed the approved road projects to include construction of an access road from Artillery Road N11 from Mabuchi to the judges' quarters. Development of all internal roads within the judges' quarters.
Others, he said, are construction of an access road from Ring Road 1-N16 Shehu Shagari Way to the judges' quarters and development of roads connecting to the Court of Appeal Abuja division.
He said these approvals are part of a larger infrastructure push in the FCT, which includes the development of over 75 kilometers of roads in satellite towns across Kwali, Gwagwalada,
and Bwari area councils. The Minister said the government aims to complete these projects by December, 2024.
Wike also announced the termination of a previous contract for the development of Maitama 2, citing delays and lack of progress.
He said a new procurement process will be initiated to ensure the area's development, potentially addressing housing deficits in the capital.
FEC also approved several major road projects across the country, allocating billions of naira for construction.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, announced that the Abuja/Kano Road project, handled by Julius Berger, received approval for N740 billion. The project, initially valued at N155 billion, was revised to N797 billion by the previous administration and further increased to N1.5 trillion.
Other approved projects include the rehabilitation of Maraban-Kankara/ Funtua Road in Katsina State, construction of the Sokoto/Badagry Super-highway Section 2, Phase 2A in Kebbi State, and dualization of Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states.
Additionally, FEC approved N80 billion to complete the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State, bringing the total cost to N280 billion.
NOVA Bank Appoints New Executive Directors
NOVA Bank has announced the appointment of Dr. David Isiavwe as Executive Director, Operations and Information Technology, and Chinwe Iloghalu as Executive Director, Institutional and Commercial Banking.
These appointments, according to a statement yesterday, were part of NOVA Bank’s plan to strengthen its leadership team as the Bank continues its innovative journey, following its recent transition to a national commercial bank.
Isiavwe, has over 30 years of banking experience in domestic and international banks.
With a Ph.D. in Accounting, Isiavwe is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and Fellow Compliance Institute of Nigeria (FCIN) in addition to other professional certifications such as Certified Information Systems
Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) amongst others.
He has attended leadership programs in some major global institutions such as Harvard Business School, MIT and Oxford University. He currently serves as the President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Information Security Society of Africa, Nigeria (ISSAN), and holds a position on the Governing Council of the Fintech Association of Nigeria. Additionally, he chairs the Statutory Audit Committee of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
“His appointment underscores NOVA’s focus on digital transformation, with his vast experience playing
a crucial role in advancing the Bank’s technology-driven phygital model,” the statement added.
For her part, Iloghalu, with close to 30 years of experience in the banking industry, joins as Executive Director for Corporate and Commercial Banking, the key business and relationship management engine of the bank.
Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions in business and corporate banking, with expertise spanning sectors such as energy, corporate, commercial and digital banking, where she has consistently created sustainable value and returns for key stakeholders.
Holding an MSc in Media and Communications, along with an MBA, Chinwe is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA). She has attended leadership and executive programs in key
institutions such as Said Business School Oxford, Harvard Business School, Wharton amongst others. Her role will be central to enhancing NOVA’s commercial banking rollout across all key business development segments.
Commenting on the appointment, Chairman of NOVA Bank, Phillips Oduoza said: “The addition of Dr. Isiavwe and Mrs. Iloghalu marks a critical point in constituting the management team that will lead NOVA into its next phase of growth. David’s expertise in technology will be key in enhancing our phygital model, while Chinwe’s strong business drive and relationship management coupled with the retail and product engine of the bank will be instrumental in driving the Bank’s strategic intent to become a formidable player in the banking industry.
(left), receiving a plaque from the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, during a courtesy visit to the Governor at the
Harcourt... yesterday
swEAriNg-iN cErEmONy OF NEw ElEctEd KwArA lg chAirmEN...
Government House, Ilorin... yesterday
DMO Offers Three Bonds Worth N150bn for Subscription
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has offered three bonds valued at N150 billion for subscrip-
tion at N1,000 per unit on behalf of the federal government.
In a statement issued yesterday, the debt management agency disclosed that the first offer was
an April 2029 FGN bond valued at N70 billion at an interest rate of 19.30 percent per annum (five-year) re-opening.
The second offer, it said, was a
February 2031 FGN bond valued at N50 billion, at an interest rate of 18.50 per cent per annum (seven-year re-opening).
The May 2033 FGN bond valued
Biodiversity: NNPC, First E&P, NCF Launch 500,000 Tree Planting Initiative
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
In a move towards environmental sustainability and community empowerment, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and First E&P Joint Venture (JV) have announced the launch of the Afforestation, Livelihood Enhancement, and Carbon Sequestration (ALEC) initiative.
Done in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the promoters, in a statement stressed that the initiative will work to combat critical issues of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change in 11 littoral communities of Bayelsa state.
According to the partners, the signing of the initiative which was carried out in Lagos will also simultaneously enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of the local population in the state.
“In Nigeria, the situation calls for immediate action, with an estimated 70-80 per cent of the nation’s original forests already lost due to unsustainable logging and agricultural expansion, as reported by Global Forest Watch and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“Moreover, Nigeria harbours 309 species that are currently listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Without immediate and decisive action, Nigeria is on track to lose its remaining mangrove forests by 2050, according to projections by the NCF.
“This is a loss that would not only exacerbate the effects of climate change but also further endanger the country’s rich biodiversity,” the statement added.
In response to the pressing issues, the ALEC initiative, according to the release, will plant half a million trees over a span of five years and work towards rehabilitating and conserving critical ecosystems in the host communities for the NNPC Ltd/ FIRST E&P JV.
In addition to contributing to global climate mitigation efforts through enhanced carbon sequestration, the initiative will help restore some critical mangrove and tropical forest habitats for these communities in a bid to create greener, more sustainable ecosystems that benefit both people and wildlife.
Commenting on the partnership signing, Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Bala
Wunti, said: “This initiative reflects our dedication to environmental stewardship and social responsibility as well as a clear understanding that sustainable business success is inherently tied to the wellbeing of the communities we serve and the ecosystems we rely on.
Besides, the Executive Director, Corporate Services at FIRST E&P, Mr. Emmanuel Etomi, said during the signing event that the ALEC project marked a pivotal step in the company’s journey towards a sustainable future.
“By restoring the vital ecosystems of our host communities, we are not only addressing a critical environmental need but also empowering local communities with new economic opportunities.
“ This project exemplifies the powerful synergy between environmental stewardship and community development, underscoring our deep commitment to leaving a lasting legacy of positive impact,” he added.
Also speaking at the partnership signing, the Director General of the NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, remarked: “We are very excited about this project
because it aligns with our strategic pillars, such as habitat restoration, tackling the climate crisis, and species conservation.
at N30 billion, at 19.89 interest rate per annum (nine-year re-opening) is also on offer
The bonds are offered at N1,000 per unit subject to a minimum subscription of N50 million and in multiples N1,000 thereafter.
Officially launched with a signing event at the Lekki Conservation Centre, the project marked the beginning of an ambitious journey toward environmental renewal and community resilience, the sponsors stated.
“This project will help us achieve some of the key goals we have set and ensure that people in the beneficiary communities, as well as Nigerians as a whole, enjoy a better quality of life while safeguarding the environment."
For re-openings of previously issued bonds, successful bidders will pay a price corresponding to the yield-to-maturity bid that clears the volume being auctioned plus any accrued interest on the instrument, the DMO stated, adding that, “auction date is September 23, while the settlement date is September 25."
It further disclosed that interest is payable semi-annually and bullet
repayment (principal sum) is done at maturity. According to the statement, the bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government of Nigeria and are charged upon the general assets of Nigeria. It said: “They qualify as securities in which trustees can invest under the Trustee Investment Act. “Qualify as government securities within the meaning of Company Income Tax Act and Personal Income Tax Act for tax exemption for pension funds amongst other investors.
“They are listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited and FMDQ OTC Securities Limited.”
NBS: Rivers, Cross River, Abia Lead as Cooking Gas Prices Rise 70% in
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Nigeria’s high inflation rate which was 32.15 per cent in August has continued to impact the prices of energy, with the rates paid by Nigerians for cooking gas rising by as much as 70 per cent year-on-year.
Specifically,data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that the amount that Nigerians spent on filling their cooking gas tubes
rose by 69.15 per cent during the period under review.
But the three states with the highest prices of the commodity during the period were those with some level of oil and gas production, including Rivers, Cross Rivers and Abia.
However, the lowest average price was recorded in Bauchi with N13,425.00, followed by Nassarawa and Adamawa with N13,640.94 and
N13,725.00 respectively.
“The average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) increased by 9.05 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N14,261.57 in July 2024 to N15,552.56 in August 2024. On a year-on-year basis, this rose by 69.15 per cent from N9,194.41 in August 2023.
“On state profile analysis, Rivers recorded the highest average retail
2.1m Children Currently Unvaccinated in Nigeria, Says WHO
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja World Health Organization (WHO) said that Nigeria still has over 2.1 million zero-dose children who are yet to receive any form of vaccination. It said that 70 cases of circulating Variant Polio Virus type 2 (cVPV2) have been reported in Nigeria. In addition, the organisation said that the country still faces the issue of many pregnant women not delivering at the health facilities.
In his speech at the 2-day engagement meeting with religious leaders from Northern Nigeria in Abuja by the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development with support from National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), on Monday, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, urged the federal government to ensure that its collaboration with the traditional institution continues to be nurtured and sustained.
His words: "Your continued advocacy is crucial in reducing immunity gaps, support in crashing the maternal and under-five mortality rate, decreasing disease occurrence, and improving overall well-being, in line with the Government’s renewed commitment through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (HSRII).
"We still face the issue of many pregnant women not delivering at the health facilities, zero-dose children, with 2.1 million children currently unvaccinated in Nigeria, according to the WUNEIC 2024 report.” .
Molumbo also urged the traditional and religious leaders to continue to promote increase on antenatal services uptake and health facility deliveries, as well as the ongoing zero-dose mapping and immunization recovery efforts through the planned Big Catch-Up Campaign.
He said: "The response to the
circulating Variant Polio Virus type 2 (cVPV2) outbreak is progressing steadily with 70 cases reported as of 13 September 2024 in 14 states.
"The Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) Surveillance system has remained sensitive (NP-AFP rate 11.8/100000U15 and Stool 98%) through the implementation of enhanced surveillance improvement plans.
"The quality of vaccination activities improved from 87% in March to 95% in April 2024. Amidst constraints of global vaccine supply, the program continues implementing innovative interventions including Identify Enumerate and Vaccinate (IEV), Targeted Local Response, and In-between Rounds activities to reach chronically missed and under-vaccinated populations".
In his remarks, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina lamented the avoidable deaths
being suffered by the country as a result of poor vaccination.
He said: "Every day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under five years old children and 145 women of child bearing age. Most of these deaths are occurring in northern Nigeria.
"Also, Nigeria is currently witnessing intense transmission of the circulating variant poliovirus type 2(cVPV2), with a total of 70 cVPV2 from 46 LGAs across 14 Northern states.
"This is an indication of continuous transmission of the virus due to low routine immunization, and refusal of vaccines during polio campaigns.
"This must change. We must ensure that every woman has access to antenatal care, that every pregnancy is delivered by trained and skilled midwives, and that every child completes their routine Immunization according to the National schedule and get vaccinated every
One Year
price for the refilling of a 12.5kg Cylinder of LPG with N17,086.36 followed by Cross River with N17,050.00 and Abia with N17,012.52,” the NBS data for August showed. Conversely, the lowest average price was recorded in Bauchi with N13,425.00, followed by Nassarawa and Adamawa with N13,640.94 and N13,725.00 respectively.
Despite the federal government announcing the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from the commodity since October last year, the prices of cooking gas have failed to drop considerably.
Nigeria has about 209 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) of gas under the ground, but the country is unable to fully explore the natural resource due to low investment in the sector.
Besides, the analysis by zone showed that the South-South recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas with N16,524.00, followed by the South-East with N16,495.78 while the North-Central recorded the lowest price with N14,767.41. In addition, the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 7.62 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N5,974.55 recorded in July 2024 to N6,430.02 in August 2024. But on a year-on-year basis, this increased by 56.25 per cent from N4,115.32 in August 2023.
“On state profile analysis, Benue and Sokoto recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg of cooking gas with N7,000.00, followed by Rivers with N6,954.55, and Borno with N6,914.29.
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
L-R: Chairman Asa LGA Alhaji Yahaya Shehu Amasa; Ekiti LGA Chairman Hon. Awelewa Olawale Gabriel; Chairman Baruten LGA Issa Jibril; Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON); Chairman Irepodun LGA AbdulAzeez Yakub; and Chairman Moro LGA Hajia Mariam Abdulwasiu; during the swearing-in ceremony of the new elected local government chairmen and vice chairmen at
After Contributing to 41 Peacekeeping Missions, Deploying over 200,000 Troops, Nigeria Seeks UN Security Council's Permanent Seat
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has addressed the 79th United Nations General Assembly, emphasising Nigeria's longstanding commitment to international peace and security.
Speaking in New York, the United States at the Summit of the Future interactive dialogue on: “Enhancing Multilateralism for International Peace and Security," the Minister said, “Since our first deployment in the Congo in 1960, Nigeria has contributed to 41 peacekeeping missions globally," While also highlighting the deployment of over 200,000 Nigerian troops in UN operations.
He canvassed for reform of the UN Security Council to ensure Africa was represented with permanent seats, arguing that this would enhance global stability.
His words: “Nigeria has remained
Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited observers of Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election, discredited the election on account of widespread irregularities that included alteration of results by the collation officers.
The CSOs called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the results based on what was uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, within the time stipulated by section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022.
The calls for review came as the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, hinted that the party would go to court to challenge the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the poll and governor-elect of Edo State.
National Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, gave the hint while addressing a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Damagum expressed confidence
Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, said the triumph was a testament to the confidence the people of Edo State had in the progressive vision and leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the victory reflected the trust and hope placed in his leadership, as well as the hard work and resilience of other party members and supporters, who ensured a free, fair, and peaceful election.
Ganduje expressed confidence that with Okpebholo’s leadership, Edo State was poised to witness unprecedented growth, peace, and development that would transform the lives of its citizens.
He promised that Okpebholo would continue to uphold the values of good governance, transparency, and service to the people, saying these are the bedrock of APC’s vision for Nigeria.
Ganduje added that APC remained committed to supporting Okpebholo’s administration and working together to ensure that the vision of a greater Edo State was achieved for the benefit of all.
He assured that the ruling party would replicate the victory recorded in Edo State in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
Ganduje pointed out that APC was fired up to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in Saturday’s election following the incendiary comment by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
According to Ganduje, "This exercise (Edo governorship election) was a difficult one because we competed with several obstacles. We had a governor (Obaseki) who was one of our own before. We are children of the same father, but with different mothers, all engaged in the contests.
“So, we didn't part well. We parted in pieces, and then he left our party for the PDP, where the fight continued until yesterday (Sunday) when we were able to reclaim power.
"Even before the election, one side is already overheating the polity. He
unequivocal in its commitment to international peacebuilding and security, since the first engagement of its troops in the Congo in 1960.
“To date, Nigeria has contributed to 41 peacekeeping operations worldwide, with over two hundred thousand Nigerian troops serving in UN peacekeeping missions.
“Under the regional and subregional cooperation, Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping operations in field missions in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Sudan and Sierra Leone, among others, and has contributed a lot in terms of finance, logistics, troops, and civilian experts, making her one of the most significant African troops and police contributors to the United Nations missions.
“It is on this basis that Nigeria continues to call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council
in the judiciary, saying the integrity of the third arm of government would be put to test before Nigerians. He insisted that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the election.
The national chairman said he doubted if there was a country called Nigeria.
Ighodalo described Saturday, September 21 as one of the darkest moments in Nigeria’s history.
The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, said what happened in Edo State could not be described as election.
The governorship candidate of LP in the election, Mr. Olumide Akpata, spoke in a similar vein. Akpata declared that the outcome of the poll lacked integrity because the process was characterised by vote buying and other transactional methods that were antithetical to democratic norms.
Sharing a similar thought, the governorship candidate of Accord Party (AP), Dr. Bright Enabulele,
(Obaseki) said it is a do-or-die election.
But we said 'No; our own would be do-and-succeed’. This is because if you die, who will introduce your successor? So we are here to thank all the stakeholders.
"From what happened, we are going to use the result, the pattern of voting, successes and failures in different units to the APC institution, which is driven by knowledge.
“The South-east has five states. But two of them belong to our big party, the APC.
“So, we will see how we can recover many states in our favour. I now formally close (the Edo election situation room)."
More members of APC, especially governors, continued to send congratulatory messages to the winner of the Edo State election.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, congratulated Okpebholo on his victory at Saturday’s election.
Sanwo-Olu, in his message, described the outcome of the election as a landslide victory for APC.
He said Okpebholo’s victory was well-deserved and a clear manifestation that APC remained the party of choice for Nigerians at the local, state and federal levels.
Sanwo-Olu saluted the people of Edo State, particularly the electorate, for rejecting the ruling PDP in the state, and defying all odds to vote for APC and its candidate during the governorship poll. He stated, “The landslide victory of Senator Okpebholo and the ruling party showed that Edo people know what is right, and they have done what is right by sacking the PDP and voting for the APC.
“Senator Okpebholo’s victory is a clear indication that the people of Edo State want a breath of fresh air in the state, and I believe, strongly that the APC government will surpass their expectations."
Hope Uzodimma Chairman of Progressives Gov-
to give just representation to Africa on a permanent basis for inclusivity and deepening of global peace and security.”
Badaru emphasised the importance of building professional African armies to combat terrorism and called for operationalising the African Standby Force.
He also highlighted the need for comprehensive strategies to tackle transnational crime and illegal arms trafficking, particularly in the Sahel region.
According to him: "We recognise the need for Africa to build strong and professional armies, to, among other things, defeat terrorism.
“Nigeria, calls for the operationalisation of the African Standby Force (ASF), and the provision of requisite support and resources to ensure the upgrade, take off, and effectiveness of a centre of excellence in Africa on issues of counter-terrorism.
alleged compromise on the side of INEC, describing it as the most corrupt in Nigeria's history.
Addressing a press conference at the national secretariat of PDP, Damagum said the Edo State governorship election was massively rigged, as the results released were different from the ones on the IReV portal.
Damagum said, "The PDP, therefore, unequivocally rejects the final result of the Edo State governorship election as declared by INEC, as it did not meet the minimum standard for democracy, having not reflected the expressed will and aspiration of the people in line with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC Guidelines for Edo State Governorship Election.
"The PDP demands that INEC, within the time stipulated by Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022 review the Edo State governorship election and announce results only as obtained from the genuine votes cast at the polling units."
ernors' Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, congratulated Okpebholo, describing his victory as resounding.
Uzodimma also lauded the people of Edo State for turning out in their numbers to cast their ballot for Okpebholo.
Taking to his social media handle, Uzodimma congratulated both the governor-elect and the people of Edo State for affirming their belief in the vision of APC and its commitment to delivering sustainable development and progress in Edo State, in particular, and Nigeria, at large.
Uzodimma stated, "On behalf of
to supply the refinery 390,000 bpd barrels in October, stressing that the expected settlement of transactions in Naira would reduce pressure on the local currency by as much as 40 per cent.
But on the reduction of its interest in the refinery, the NNPC had defended the decision, stressing that it planned to invest more in cleaner energy sources like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Dangote stated that there was no room for further negotiation on the matter, pointing out that although it was a good deal, the NNPC bungled it.
“We gave them (NNPC) a good deal. We said, okay, fine, we structured an agreement. The first agreement was that they were going to pay us a billion dollars. The deal was about $2.79 billion. And then the balance of the money, $1 billion, which they paid us over a year and a half ago, and then the balance of the money was split into two.
“One portion was that every crude they supply to us, 300,000 barrels per day, we'll deduct $2 and then up to the time they finish paying that, one third. The other one third will come out of their own profit. So, why NNPC opted out is a little bit confusing.
“They wanted this agreement to be changed where they wanted to pay
“We reiterate the call to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation, build capacities of Member States, promote cooperation and understanding, as well as defuse tensions, and seek a peaceful settlement of disputes to resolve conflicts, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine."
The Minister while reiterating Nigeria's commitment to combating transnational organised crime emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive strategies that include prevention, early detection, protection, and law enforcement to address the rising alliances between bandits and terrorists.
“We must scale up our efforts," he stated, highlighting the alarming trend of kidnappings for ransom and acts of piracy.
Badaru, called on the international community to intensify efforts to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in conflict
The PDP national chairman called on Nigerians and lovers of democracy all over the world to stand up in solidarity with the people of Edo State in rejecting "this assault on the democratic rights of the people as witnessed in the Edo State Governorship election".
He insisted, "The people of Edo State clearly chose Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the next governor of their state and only their will as expressed at the polling units must be allowed to stand."
Damagum charged the people of Edo State to remain resolute and undeterred, saying PDP would take sure and firm steps to retrieve the mandate with every means legal and available in a democracy.
He stated, "From unfolding political events in the country, the latest, being the brazen rigging of the Saturday, September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in connivance with government-controlled
our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Progressive Governors' Forum, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Senator Monday Okpebholo on his resounding victory as the governor-elect of Edo State.
"I also want to express our profound gratitude and appreciation to the good people of Edo State for this overwhelming show of love and confidence in our party. By giving their mandate to the APC, they have reaffirmed their belief in our vision and commitment to delivering sustainable development and progress.”
cash, not in any other way. So, we said, okay, fine. We signed another agreement, you know, cancelling the other one. The new agreement that we signed was for them to pay us after one year, no interest, after one year, they'll pay us the balance of $1.8 billion.
“The month for them to pay was June. And by June they came back to us and said, no, they've changed their minds and they want to remain at 7.2 per cent. So, okay, fine. So, we left it and we own now the rest of the shares, they own 7.2 per cent. And that's what it is. But I think they made a big mistake.
“But no, there's no negotiation. The agreement is finished, dead, completed. It's 7.2 per cent,” he stated.
Dangote stressed that 90 per cent of the world did not really give the refinery the chance to survive, noting that he felt satisfied personally for the progress made so far.
He explained that the company already had loans of about $2.4 billion while the refinery was still trying to get a suitable location because of the complex issues involved, reiterating that everything was built from the scratch.
On recent calls for him to invest in the upstream segment so as not to be held hostage by oil producers, Dangote stated that although he has two oil
zones, particularly in the Sahel region. He warned that unrestricted access to illicit arms by non-state actors exacerbates insecurity and instability.
"The time for action is now," he urged, as Nigeria grapples with the complexities of organised crime that threaten regional stability and safety.
He added: “We must scale up efforts in addressing transnational organised crime and related illegal financial flows through comprehensive strategies, including prevention, early detection, protection, and law enforcement, especially in the wake of the emerging alliance between bandits and terrorists, including kidnapping for ransom and acts of piracy.
“We seize this opportunity to urge the international community to renew efforts to stem the tide of small arms and light weapons in conflict, especially within the Sahel
agencies, it is clear that our democracy is under threat.
"As you know and widely reported in all segments of the media, the 2024 Edo State governorship election was barefacedly compromised by the APC in collusion with unpatriotic security operatives and heavily procured officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who viciously trampled on the votes of the people in defiance of the law and total disregard to the Sovereign Will of the people of Edo State."
Damagum said PDP had on several occasions alerted about the sinister plot by APC to subvert the election, the roles allegedly played by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 7, Benneth Igwe, and Edo State Commissioner of Police, Nemo Edwin-Iwo, as well as the appointment of a known APC apologist and supporter, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, as Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
According to the PDP national chairman, “Several demands by our party for the redeployment of these officials as well as the release of all arrested PDP members and supporters fell on deaf ears and tend to validate PDP’s suspicion of a top-level conspiracy to rig the Edo State governorship election.
"Nigerians and the world watched in horror as the APC-compromised security operatives and thugs unleashed terror, harassed, arrested and detained PDP members and supporters, foisted siege mentality on the people and paved the way for APC agents and procured INEC officials to manipulate the ballot process, substitute genuine results from the polling units with fictitious figures and transferred the victory clearly won by our candidate, Asue Ighodalo, to the defeated APC
blocks that will begin production this October, he doesn’t intend to invest heavily in that segment.
“Well, our upstream, you know, is not big. We have two oil blocks which we have and we are starting production this October,” Dangote added.
Dangote affirmed that it remains the sole decision of the federal government to end a decades-long subsidy on fuel, but noted that in the coming days the government will come up with a robust agreement with the refinery on how to move on with product supply, going forward.
“Subsidy is a very sensitive issue. Once you are subsidising something then people will bloat the price and then government will end up paying what they are not supposed to be paying,” the tycoon said. “Removal of subsidy is totally dependent on the government, not on us,” he stressed.
With the recent directive by President Bola Tinubu to NNPC to sell crude oil in naira and for Dangote refinery to sell petrol in the local currency, Dangote stated that the naira will soon begin to stabilise.
“Petroleum products consume about 40 per cent of our foreign exchange,” Dangote said, adding that fuel from his refinery, which started
region where unfettered access by non-state actors to illicit arms and light weapons continues to foster insecurity and instability.”
Badaru, concluded by reaffirming Nigeria's dedication to supporting UN efforts in combating terrorism and promoting global peace.
candidate, Monday Okpebholo.
"As Nigerians already know, despite the violence, intimidation and manipulations by the APC, results obtained from the polling units show that our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election before the figures were altered at the state collation exercise in favour of the defeated APC candidate."
When asked if PDP still had confidence in the judiciary, Damagum said, "In this election, we shall still put to test once again the level of the preparedness of the judiciary to do justice where it is required.
"So, we cannot overrule a situation whereby justice will be dispensed, but the most important thing is that we shall put them to more scrutiny before the eyes of Nigerians because they say that when the judicial system does now work, then you don't have a country. I don't know if we will still have a country.”
Ondo State chapter of PDP said the results of Saturday’s election represented another rape on democracy. PDP in the state, whose governorship poll is scheduled for November 16, said Nigerians were not fooled by the officially declared results by INEC. It insisted that PDP won.
The Ondo State PDP governorship campaign organisation, in a statement by its Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Ayo Fadaka, said it was disappointing that INEC could disregard the electoral law by shifting the collation of votes in the designated local government collation centres to its state headquarters in Benin City.
The statement said, “The Edo State governorship election results represent another rape on democracy
supplying petrol on September 15 to the state-owned oil company for domestic sale, “can actually stabilise the naira.”
According to him, with the commencement of petrol refining in Nigeria, the real consumption of the product, which he characterised as 'guesswork' will soon be unravelled.
“We are going to actually put a tracker on them (trucks) to be sure they are going to take the oil within Nigeria. And that, I think, can help the government save quite a lot of money,” he added.
He stated that negotiations were still on with government on pricing, expressing confidence in the ability of the minister of finance and the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) boss, Zaach Adedeji to thrash out all pending issues.
He noted that from October the NNPC will supply about 12 million barrels, broken down into 390,000 barrels per day.
“Already we have agreed, like, for example, in October, they (NNPC) are going to give us 12 million barrels, which is averagely about 390,000 barrels a day, which we'll refine. We'll sell both gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel, and if there's any excess, we'll export,” he observed.
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BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER VISITS UNILEVER...
L-R: British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC), Mr. Jonny Baxter; Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc., Tim Kleinebenne; National Finance Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Folake Ogundipe and British High Commissioner in Nigeria, H.E Mr Richard Montgomery during the visit of the British High Commissioner in Nigeria to Unilever Nigeria Plc Head office, Oregun, Lagos... recently
Sanwo-Olu: Lagos Appointed 38 Judges Within 2 Years to Enhance Justice Delivery
Wale Igbintade
Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State yesterday disclosed that 38 judges were appointed between 2023 and 2024, to enhance speedy
dispensation of justice in the state. Sanwo-Olu stated this at the special thanksgiving service for opening of the 2024/2025, new legal year of the Lagos State Judiciary held at the Cathedral Church of
Christ Marina.
Represented by his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the governor stated that his administration will continue to support the judiciary. He reaffirmed the government’s
dedication to ensuring that the judiciary remains independent, well-resourced, and capable of delivering impartial justice.
Sanwo-Olu commended the judiciary for its efforts in enhancing
Council of Legal Education Sanctions Nine Universities over Admission Quota Violation
Imposes five years ban on Lead City University
Wale Igbintade
The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has suspended admission of students into the Faculties of Law of nine universities across the country that willfully admitted and graduated students before obtaining the accreditation of the Council.
A statement issued by the Acting Secretary to the Council/Director of Administration, Ms. A.O. Osho said the council approved different sanctions on the affected universities.
According to the statement this was part of the resolutions reached by the council at its second quarterly meeting for the year 2024, held virtually on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 under the chairmanship of Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN.
State University, Malete, and Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State.
Similarly, the council imposed a moratorium of five years on Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State in view of the observed inadequate infrastructural facilities in its Faculty of Law, coupled with its reckless violation of its admission quota of 50 students per academic session and other sundry issues its Faculty of Law.
The council however, pledged to accommodate within available space the over 1000 students unlawfully admitted by the university through its persistent violation of its admission quota.
According to the council, 50 students per academic session was the approved quota for new faculties of law to the Nigerian Law School, but it observed that some universities have graduated students in violation of the policy.
The council also approved the constitution of an ad-hoc committee to look into the recent judgment delivered against the Council of Legal
Education, Attorney-General of the Federation and two other parties in Suit No SC/1097/2019, over a property at Igbosere Road Lagos, which was the first building that housed the pioneer students of the Nigerian Law School.
Consequently, the council set up an ad-hoc committee headed by Mr. Kehinde K. Eleja, SAN to look into the judgment to fashioning out modalities of complying with the terms of the said judgment as well as taking other lawful steps towards securing the monumental property acquired by the council in 1962.
Other members of the committee are: the Attorney General of Lagos State, Lawal Pedro, SAN, Sebastine T. Hon, SAN, Funmi A. Roberts, Mr. Chukwuma Ezeala, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, Dr. Gbemisola Odusote, an d Dr. Nasiru Tijani.
The committee was also charged to interface with the Attorney General of the Federation on the implications of the judgment on the council. The Committee may need to also interface
Gender Bias Limiting Career Advancement of Women Engineers
Bassey Inyang in Calabar
President, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, Engr. Dr. Adebisi Osim, has complained about the existence of gender bias in the workplace against women in the engineering profession.
The APWEN president who made the complaint on Monday in Calabar, Cross River State, during the opening ceremony of a 5-day 2024 International Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), said the bias against women has led to instances of limitations of career advancement opportunities for professional women engineers. Osim lamented that the biases
create barriers to entry, and success in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) fields for women.
She said that due to the negative trend of gender bias, the APWEN has faced several challenges in promoting women in STEM fields in the current year.
Speaking on the theme: "Engineering Innovations and Energy Security for Sustainable Future, she said that “insufficient funding is hindering women-led researches.” Osim, appealed that all hands should be on deck to support women engineers.
"We also faced insufficient funding for women-led research as without
adequate resources, women engineers struggle to advance their work and make meaningful contributions to the field," Osim said
The APWEN president also mentioned migration of female engineers to Europe and America in search of the proverbial greener pastures as another challenge that has reduced the number of practices women engineers in Nigeria.
She also called for efforts to be made at providing, and ensuring the availability of STEM education in rural communities.
Osim said provision of access to STEM education would bridge the gap, and increase the number of women in the engineering profession.
with the Judgment Creditors in order to arrive at a harmonious resolution of the matter.
The council approved the establishment of a Legal Unit in the Office of the Director- General of the Nigerian Law School for this purpose considering the need for an active legal unit to monitor cases in court involving the council and for the council to be kept regularly informed.
The council also granted provisional accreditation status with an admission quota of 50 to 2 (two) private universities namely: El-Amin University, Minna, Niger State and Newgate University, Minna, Niger State.
The statement added that the council also resolved to revisit the Faculty of Law of Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja and Kola Daisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State at a later date to cross-check their compliance with the findings of the Accreditation Team.
justice delivery through reforms and infrastructural improvements.
Specifically, he highlighted key achievements, including the digitalisation of court processes, judicial appointments, and training programmes for judges.
“The construction of new court complexes and the renovation of existing judicial infrastructure have created a more conducive environment for the dispensation of justice,” the governor stated.
He particularly lauded the success of the judiciary’s e-filing systems, noting that these digital reforms have helped to reduce delays in case filings, ensuring quicker and more efficient justice delivery.
“I am particularly proud of the digitalisation of the judiciary’s filing processes, which has significantly reduced delays in filing cases,” Sanwo-Olu added.
He stressed that these reforms are part of a broader effort to make the Lagos judiciary a model of efficiency and a beacon of hope for all citizens.
“Our judicial officers have fully embraced these innovations while remaining firmly committed to the timeless values of fairness, equity, and justice,” he remarked.
In line with the commitment to improving the efficiency of the judiciary, Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the steady increase in the number of judges within the state.
He pointed out that, in 2023, Lagos State appointed 25 new judges, with an additional 13 judges added in May 2024.
“To maintain efficiency in the swift administration of justice, the
judiciary has steadily increased the number of judges. In 2023, 25 judges were appointed, followed by an additional 13 in May 2024.
“As we move forward into the new legal year, I extend my warmest wishes for a successful 2024 and 2025 of continued progress, reform, and justice for all.
"The vital role you play in interpreting our law, adjudicating civil and criminal matters, and providing Mechanisms for alternative dispute resolution are immensely instrumental in achieving an effective justice delivery,” he said.
Earlier in his sermon, the Diocesan Bishop of the cathedral, Rt. Revd. Ifedola Okupevi, urged judges to refrain from being partial, or bribery in order to pervert the cause of justice.
The bishop said: " The judiciary is the hope of the citizens in Nigeria, both rich and poor because justice delayed is justice denied.
"We have come here today to rejoice and thank God for the new legal year but if you take bribe and do not treat people fairly, it will distort the prosperity of our land because the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
“Bribery will not allow one to see the truth. The point is that one cannot take a bribe and be impartial.
“As you give judgment, those that are right, give them the right judgment and those that are wrong, tell them that they are wrong.
"As Christian judge, lawyers, do not pervert justice because the children of Eli did so and died on the same day,” he warned.
FAME Foundation Calls for Stiffer Penalties to Curb Rising Femicide in Nigeria
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Executive Director, FAME Foundation, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, has called for stiffer penalties against perpetrators of femicide in the country.
Briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, she said this would curb the high rate of activities of perpetrators of femicide against women and girls. Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because they are female, is a serious crime that is on the rise in Nigeria. It often stems from ongoing patterns of violence against women, driven by deep-rooted beliefs that men should have control over women.
Globally, femicide is seen as a violation of human rights, with the United Nations reporting that more
than 89,000 women and girls were killed in 2022 and 2023.
According to Atoyebi, change of attitude of the enforcers of the laws would also encourage victims and relatives to speak out on the crime.
She said: "The girlchild, young women, young female adults are endangered in Nigeria. Femicide has become a pandemic and a state of emergency needs to be declared on this often-overlooked issue. Victim blaming must end.
"Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because they are female, is a serious crime that is on the rise in Nigeria. It often stems from ongoing patterns of violence against women, driven by deep-rooted beliefs that men should have control over women.
"In Nigeria, femicide is often
concealed due to societal stigma, fear of retaliation, or shame experienced by the victims’ families. Many cases go unreported, leaving families devastated and perpetuating a culture of silence.
“The imbalance of power between men and women fuels this violence, with men feeling entitled to control women, even if it means taking their lives."
On ways forward, she said: "We need to strengthen existing laws that address SGBV and ensure its enforcement. Perpetrators of femicide must face swift and adequate punishment to deter future crimes.
"It is critical to break the silence surrounding femicide. Public education programs that dismantle harmful gender stereotypes and promote gender equality can help reduce this culture of violence.
Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com
LG Autonomy, Minimum Wage Implementation Top Agenda as N’Assembly Resumes Plenary
Sunday Aborisade and Juliet Akoje take a look at the legislative agenda awaiting the attention of federal legislators as the National assembly Resumes Plenary today after a seven-week annual recess.
The two chambers of the National Assembly would attend to some pressing national issues upon resumption from annual vacation today.
Attention of the lawmakers upon resumption will, among others, focus on further work on the ongoing constitution review process.
The federal legislators, according to THISDAY checks, will embark on steps to ensure that the local government councils in the country enjoy full autonomy and permanent freedom from the grips of state governors in compliance with the verdict of the Supreme Court.
The federal parliament would also ensure full implementation of the minimum wage already approved by the Federal Government.
Both chambers would also start work on the 2025 Appropriation Bill which would likely be transmitted to it possibly by October by President Bola Tinubu.
Senate spokesperson, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu told THISDAY that the red chamber would devote considerable legislative hours to working to ensure the overall welfare of Nigerians.
According to him, the Senate would ensure intervention in areas to help mitigate the effect of the devastation occasioned by flooding in Borno State and potentially in parts of other states along the Rivers Niger and Benue.
He noted that federal lawmakers would make sure that necessary resolution are passed to make sure that state governments already put on alert on possible flooding are alive to their responsibilities.
The Senate had last week donated N54million to assist victims of flooding in Borno State while the House of Representatives donated N100 million. Individual Senators had also donated various sums running into millions to the Borno State Government.
Adaramodu said, “The Senate would on resumption, through legislation and oversight processes, see to the welfare of Nigerians.
The Senate would hold the bull by the horns to engender a revived economy and work on electoral reforms.
“The Senate would ensure that the workers’ national minimum wage is realistically implemented. The Senate shall equally deal robustly with the 2025 Appropriations Bill, to ensure that Nigerians get the best for an assured life more abundant.”
The Adhoc committee on the Review of the 1999 constitution is expected to hold a two-day retreat in Kano State this weekend in furtherance of its assignment.
Chairman of the National Assembly who is also the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio hinted last week that the Senate would “tinker with the constitution” to give further legal verve to the autonomy granted local councils in the country by the Supreme Court.
Akpabio, spoke when he received members of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, said to be loyal to the erstwhile Interim National Secretary of the party, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, in Uyo.
His Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying: “I thank President Bola Tinubu, for looking for a way to bring the all needed autonomy to the local governments through the intervention of the Supreme Court.
“The Senate, under my leadership will tinker with the constitution to ensure that the judgment is fully implemented without any loopholes for manipulation by the practitioners.”
Already, a Bill seeking the establishment of a federal agency for the conduct of local government elections in Nigeria was passed for first reading in late July, 2024 shortly before the red chamber commenced its annual vacation.
The Bill titled: “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 531)”
was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC - Niger East).
The body when established will be saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections into the chairmanship and counselorship positions in the 774 local governments in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the proposed Bill, the agency when established, shall consist of a Chairperson and six commissioners, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The chairperson and commissioners shall serve for a renewable term of five years.
According to the bill, the NILGEC shall operate independently, free from external influence and interference, and the Commission shall have its budget, approved by the National Assembly, to ensure financial independence.
Part of the provisions of the Bill states that, “NILGEC shall operate independently, free from external influence and interference. The Commission shall have its budget, approved by the National Assembly, to ensure financial independence.”
It was gathered that the Bill would be given accelerated consideration by both chambers just like it did the on the New National Anthem Act and the Minimum Wage Act in line with President Tinubu’s desire to ensure a completely autonomous, stable and functional local government administration in accordance with his restructuring agenda for the country.
A source said, “The bill is aimed at creating a national local government election body which will be separate from the Independent National
The bill is aimed at creating a national local government election body which will be separate from the Independent National Electoral Commission which is believed to be overburdened with the task of conducting federal elections already. So the parliament wants to create a parallel electoral body for local governments as contained in a Bill before the Senate and later reflect the relevant provisions in the constitution which is presently being reviewed by both chambers and with that they will completely take away the local government administration from the governors.
Electoral Commission which is believed to be overburdened with the task of conducting federal elections already.
“So the parliament wants to create a parallel electoral body for local governments as contained in a Bill before the Senate and later reflect the relevant provisions in the constitution which is presently being reviewed by both chambers and with that they will completely take away the local government administration from the governors.
“If the governor still controls the electoral process at the level, there will be no true autonomy as they will still be in charge of managing their funds. So that’s one of the angles they want to pursue the autonomy which is based on a Supreme Court judgement.”
The source further stated that if the local governments can get their allocations directly instead of the states getting it and spending it for them, “sincerely, all this poverty we are talking about will be reduced.”
On his part, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon Akin Rotimi, Jr, in a statement on Monday confirmed that the green chamber would resume today following the annual recess, which began in late July in line with parliamentary tradition.
According to him, it was expected that the Speaker and presiding officer, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, will deliver an agenda setting speech.
He said, “Before the recess, the House presented its Performance Report for the First Session (June 13, 2023 - June 13, 2024), outlining key achievements and milestones since the 10th Assembly’s inauguration.
“According to the report, 679 motions were moved, 89 bills were passed, and 306 petitions were received from distressed Nigerians during the first session.
“Additionally, members of the Green Chamber conducted oversight visits to 107 MDAs, averaging 0.9 visits per committee as of June 13, 2024.
“The annual recess in the legislative calendar serves as a vital opportunity for federal lawmakers to engage in extensive constituency outreach across the country.
“It also enhances the oversight of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as outlined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). During this time, Standing and AdHoc Committees conducted important hearings to address critical concerns.
Akpabio
Bamidele Abbas
AT 79TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY...
Troops Kill 8 Terrorists, Recover Arms, Rescue Victims of Abduction
Sharme, notorious bandits’ leader killed in fratricidal clash As MNJTF Kill 5 B/Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Borno
The High Command of the Nigerian Army yesterday said its troops deployed to the JTF Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, killed no fewer than eight notorious terrorist fighters and recovered a haul of firearms in a swift move to crush the remaining terrorists and insurgents in the Northeast theatre of operations.
In another development, Kachalla Tukur Sharme, a notorious bandits' leader, has been reported killed in a clash with another bandits group. Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna State Overseeing Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Samuel Aruwan said Sharme was the mastermind of the kidnapping of 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, on 5th July, 2021.
In yet another related development, troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), operating under sector 3, yesterday killed no fewer than five Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), terrorist fighters and forced others to flee the scene with gunshot wounds.
A statement by Nigerian Army on JTF Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, Monday, also disclosed that a network involved in kidnapping for ransom was smashed with victims freed and a notorious gunrunner captured in the recent round of operations.
The statement read in part: "On 22 September 2024, troops stationed in Borno State thwarted an attempt by terrorists to raid villages for sup-
plies and logistics. After an intense firefight, three of the assailants were taken out.
“The troops recovered one light machine gun, one AK-47 rifle, two hand grenades, five AK-47 rifle magazines, 200 linked Rounds of light Machine Gun and other materials, including fifteen thousand Naira and a Techno phone seized at the scene.
"In another clash, while acting on credible intelligence, troops cornered terrorists escorting abducted victims through Uvaha Village in Gwoza Local Government Area.
“Despite heavy rain, the troops went after the terrorists and eliminated one of them, forcing the others to flee, leaving behind 16 hostages. Among the freed victims were 10 men and six women."
The Service noted that a follow-up search of the area uncovered two grenades, a bag of fish and sundry items.
"Meanwhile, in Yobe State, troops set up a well-planned ambush while acting on intelligence about a group of terrorists receiving supplies from their collaborators.
“This led to the neutralization of four terrorists in Madza and Azare villages of Gujba Local Government Area. The soldiers also captured two AK-47 rifles and two empty Ak-47 rifle magazines, as well as other sundry items," the service said.
The Nigerian Army further said that troops deployed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, acted on credible intelligence about the movement of a terrorists’ collaborator who specialised in supplying arms and ammunition to terrorists, activated a stop and search operation on suspected vehicles, in synergy
with other security agencies, leading to the arrest of a suspect at Kugbo general area in FCT.
Meanwhile, troops of MNJTF, killed these terrorists while repelling a vicious attack by the terrorist groups in Mallam Fatori, as part of its display of unwavering courage and determination.
A statement by Chief Military Information Officer MNJTF, Lt Col Olaniyi Osoba, said the fierce gun battle with the terrorists ensued after the they attacked the troops' location in the area. He said the well-coordinated counter attack operation resulted in a resounding victory for the MNJTF forces.
According to him, "The MNJTF troops demonstrated their superior firepower and combat skills,
neutralizing five Boko Haram terrorists and forcing the remaining insurgents to flee the scene with gunshot wounds. In a relentless hot pursuit, the troops chased down the fleeing terrorists, causing them to abandon a significant cache of arms and ammunition".
The recovered arms from the terrorists he said, "include one PKM Machine Gun with 200 link belt rounds, two AK-47 Rifles, two Hand Grenades, five Magazines, three empty PKM links, a Techno mobile phone, and a sum of fifteen thousand Naira (N15,000) in cash.
“The successful operation not only dealt a significant blow to the terrorist group but also prevented further attacks on innocent civilians in the region".
MNJTF Force Commander Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Ali has applauded the troops for their bravery and unwavering commitment in the fight against terrorism in the Lake ChadOsobaRegion. said the resolute actions of the MNJTF forces serve as a testament to their dedication to restoring peace and security in the area, sending a clear message to all terrorist elements that their reign of terror will not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, according to the Kaduna State Overseeing Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, two other bandits from the rival group were also killed when the criminal groups engaged each other in a fierce gun duel.
According to him, the fight between the two groups provided an opportunity for the abducted victims to escape from captivity.
Quoting intelligence sources, Aruwan said, "five bandits were injured in the clash and are presently lurking in the area, seeking paramedics to manage their wounds". According to him, Sharme, a notorious bandit who had butchered many citizens, kidnapped hundreds and rustled many herds of cattle, met his end in a battle between his group and an opposing gang. Aruwan said, the clash occurred at the weekend, around a location referred to as 'Hambakko', in the Rijana and Kaso forests, which spans Kachia and parts of Chikun and Kajuru LGAs of Kaduna State.
SDGs 2030: Nigeria Canvasses Measures to Address Challenges of Development
Michael
Nigeria has called for adoption of measures to address challenges impending development of especially global South countries.
Speaking at the Summit of the Future at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar said: “With most of the global South significantly behind in the implementation of the SDGs 2030 Agenda, it is imperative we adopt measures to address challenges
impeding development.
“This is especially important in Africa, where economies are most vulnerable due to historical imbalances in the international multilateral system.”
He noted that: “The SDG Index estimates that only about 16 percent of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved. We must, therefore, ensure that today’s adoption of the Pact for the Future is backed by a real willingness to fulfil outstanding commitments.
“With the remaining 84% of the SDG targets for 2030 yet to be
Editors Take 2024 Annual Conference to Bayelsa
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has stated that its annual conference this year will be held from November 7 to 9, 2024, in Yeanagoa, Bayelsa State. The professional body of the editors/media executives in Nigeria, in a statement yesterday, by its President, Mr. Eze Anaba and the General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, stated that the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC), which would be chaired by the Chairman/Editor-In-Chief of THISDAY/Arise Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, would be declared open by the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.
With Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State as Chief Host,
the NGE added that the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba and the Founder/ Publisher of Vanguard Media Group, Uncle Sam Amuka, would be the Fathers of the Day.
Giving background to the conference, the editors stated that since the present government came on board, in May 2023, its agents had consistently insisted that the federal government had been pursuing audacious reforms to reconstruct macroeconomic situations, it met on the ground, for stability and development.
They argued that the petrol subsidy policy was moderately jettisoned, and foreign exchange (FX) reforms had led to the unification of the markets and a
market-reflective exchange rate.
“To assuage the inflationary effects of these reforms on the most vulnerable, the government said that it had been implementing temporary cash transfers to reach 15 million households, with efforts also being made to tighten monetary policy and refocus the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its core mandate of maintaining price stability.
“However, despite these efforts by the federal government and having the largest economy and population in Africa, experts say that Nigeria offers limited opportunities to most of its citizens, especially as Nigeria is ranked the 7th lowest human capital index in the world, and weak job creation.
“Meanwhile, many workers and professionals are increasingly choosing to emigrate in search of better opportunities,” the NGE added.
The professional body argued that while the poverty rate in the country was put at about 40 percent with an estimated 88 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, the exchange rate, inflation and spiraling energy prices, remain huge concerns to many Nigerians.
According to the NGE, “To address these economic challenges and achieve development, there is a near consensus among all stakeholders that the country needs to push for a wide-ranging and comprehensible set of policies and strategies that will address both the short-term and long-term issues.
achieved, countries in the global North must do more to support sustainable development in the global South. We are optimistic that these targets can be met, if commitments are backed by action.
“However, in the event we fall short of achieving the SDG targets by 2030, we strongly believe that the deadline should be extended.”
The Minister added that: “The collective resolve and support of the international community could help Africa to address regional challenges, particularly with regard to sustainable financing for the SDG implementation.” He advised that: “We must, therefore, take action-oriented measures to engender the following: Reform of the UN Security Council to ensure a permanent seat for Africa; Reform of the international financial architecture to promote an inclusive, non-discriminatory and transparent international trading system, as well as to implement comprehensive debt relief measures; “Fulfillment of all commitments under the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, particularly to facilitate sustainable financing for development; Support for local indigenous production and export from Africa; Strengthening of measures to ensure timely repatriation of illicit financial flows and assets;
“Adoption of a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation to ensure African economies are no longer shortchanged through tax evasion and exclusion in global
tax decision making; Support for the actualisation and implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s SDG stimulus proposal, which includes a provision of US$500 billion per year for the Global South; “Commitment to fossil fuel energy transition, while giving due consideration to the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), as well as Articles 4 and 9 of the Paris Climate Agreement (2015), which call on the global North to provide the global South with the requisite support to achieve the net-zero ambition;
“Access to the climate loss and damage funds for the global South; and Bridging the digital divide between the global North and South through technology sharing and capacity building, including in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure no one is left behind.” Tuggar said: “It is also imperative the international community develops measures to enhance a common understanding on Cryptocurrency, given its significant impact on the global economy, as well as links to transnational crime and money laundering.”
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, stressing that: “Our collective resolve to accelerate the SDGs through the Pact for the Future should result in concrete measures and solutions to the challenges of the global South, most especially Africa.”
John Shiklam in Kaduna and Linus Aleke in Abuja
Olugbode in Abuja
L-R: Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Founder, Kingsley Obiukwu Foundation, Mr. Kingsley C. Obiukwu and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York ... recently.
LAWYER
PReSIdeNT BOLa aHMed TINUBU, GCFR
N70kMinimumWage:Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
Quotable
‘Definitely, in any country in the world, resources are limited, so, it’s about prioritising…. I will say that a lot of our agencies, are not properly funded…..Come 2025, we are not just budgeting in a vacuum; we are budgeting based on our needs assessment.’ - Rt. Hon. Olufemi Gbajabiamila, CFR, Lawyer, Speaker of the House of Representatives 2019-2023; Chief of Staff to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Page IV
Page V
Onnoghen to Reach Out-of-Court Settlement
Page V Justices Faji, Amobeda, Ogala, SAN, Others, to Speak at BRIPAN Conference
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PReSIdeNT BOLa aHMed TINUBU, GCFR NLC PReSIdeNT, JOe aJaeRO
Making the Anti-Graft Fight Real
Empathy: Buhari vs Tinubu
Does President Bola Tinubu read my page? Last week, I mentioned that Nigeria requires a Government that has compassion, as empathy had been sadly lacking during the eight-year Buhari administration, and that President Tinubu’s first port of call on arrival from the UK should be Maiduguri, Borno State, on account of the devastating flood that occurred there recently. Indeed, immediately upon his arrival, President Tinubu wasted no time in visiting Maiduguri; he went to an IDP Camp and did a tour of the devastated areas, which is extremely important, because the places he visited would have given him a personal, first-hand feel of the hardship the people of Maiduguri are experiencing. If you have never observed a fast, how do you know how terrible and weak people feel when they go for long periods hungry without food? The President also met with high ranking stakeholders, like the Shehu of Borno and the Governor of the State. It is a matter of urgency, that the people of Maiduguri be given the much needed succour they require. I remember when the Benue State Massacre occurred on January 1, 2018 - a calamitous New Year’s Day, where over 70 people were killed by suspected Herdsmen. President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t visit Benue State till March (about 10 weeks later), despite the clamour for him to do so; I don’t think he visited any of the IDP Camps when he eventually got to Benue, and he also claimed to be ‘unaware’ that the then IGP, Idris Kpotum, whom he had instructed to relocate to Benue State to arrest the deteriorating security situation there, only paid Benue a flying visit and ‘popped in’ for one night! However, Nigerians want to see President Tinubu’s compassion, particularly as the Minister of Petroleum, extend to our general living conditions. The price of fuel is simply outrageous for the average Nigerian, and its inflationary multiplier effect is devastating. People are starving. Last week, at a forum for former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, President Tinubu stated that he didn’t seek office for personal gain and to look for money, but to serve the Nigerian nation. If this is so, why is he allowing NNPCL to create so much controversy, and what’s the secrecy about the price Government sold crude oil to Dangote Refinery (DR) and how much fuel was purchased from DR for resale to Nigerians? One doesn’t have to be Einstein to know that, there is a group who do not want DR to succeed and supply Nigerians with cheaper fuel, as the source of their wealth is fuel importation and they certainly don’t want it to dry up. If President Tinubu is sincere about serving Nigerians, he must put a stop to the gravy train of these unpatriotic economic saboteurs.
Security and Welfare
I think that, if anything, every Nigerian President must memorise Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2023)(the Constitution), that is, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, so that they understand that without achieving both of these elements, they fail in governance. Security speaks to the safety of the people, citizens being free from danger, without which its almost impossible to thrive; while welfare is about health, happiness and prosperity. At the end of the day, Chapter II of the Constitution, that is, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, are all geared at achieving the security and welfare of Nigerians. And, this is why, be it Boko Haram Insurgency, Banditry, Herdsmen/Farmer attacks, Kidnapping and all forms of crime that endanger the safety of the people, they must be taken seriously. I also emphasise corruption rather regularly, as it is just as bad as insecurity, if not worse, because it is a more friendly and deadly destroyer of the welfare of the people and society as a whole. Therefore, these two keys elements, security and welfare, must be treated with the utmost seriousness they demand. In 2021, a Virginia, USA University Assistant Professor was forced to resign after stating that it wasn’t necessarily immoral for adults to be sexually attracted to children. In Hungary, the President and Justice Minister resigned, after a public outcry over the President’s decision to pardon a Deputy Director of a Children’s Home who was involved in covering up the abuse of underaged boys. But, in Nigeria, can we say security is taken seriously, when the Minister of State of Defence is someone who has allegedly been linked to bandit leaders like Bello Turji? Even if the purported link to bandit leaders are unfounded, can we ignore the weighty allegations against him, made by even his successor? No. And, yet, he still remains in such a sensitive security position. Stranger than fiction! Agreed, Nigerians don’t have a culture of resignation, even when it is the honourable thing to do; and assuming that
“Or what should we call the nonsense,Yahaya Bello (Twiddle Dim), the former Governor of Kogi State, and his successor, Usman Ododo (Twiddle Dumb) did by showing up at the EFCC parking lot last week without entering the actual offices, if not making a mockery of the administration of justice system/rule of law, daring the Nigerian State, as if shouting ‘YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO ME’? And, instead of taking up the challenge, the EFCC did nothing”
as Zamfara Governor, Mr Maitawalle couldn’t easily be removed from office, as he would have had to be impeached by the State House of Assembly (see Section 188 of the Constitution), there are no such constraints when it comes to a Minister who is appointed by the President and can be removed by him without much ado. This whole situation, is worrisome.
The Adventures of Tweedle Dim and Tweedle Dumb
Unfortunately, as these key elements of security, especially welfare, appear to remain out of the reach of the majority, instead Nigerians are thrilled by Government and its agencies, with a never-ending movie stage, whatever the genre may be; be it reality, drama, crime, thriller and what have you. And, what makes this even more discouraging, is that extremely serious issues that affect the nation like crime/ corruption, are treated with levity, and end up being nothing more than blockbuster movies that are watched for an extremely short season and are soon forgotten.
Or what should we call the nonsense, Yahaya Bello (Twiddle Dim), the former Governor of Kogi State, and his successor, Usman Ododo (Twiddle Dumb) did by showing up at the EFCC parking lot last week without entering the actual offices, if not making a mockery of the administration of justice system/rule of law, daring the Nigerian State, as if shouting ‘YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO ME’? And, instead of taking up the challenge, the EFCC did nothing. No one is impressed by the subsequent weak attempt to arrest Yahaya Bello at the Kogi Governor’s Lodge later in the day. And, if people then voice their opinion that the security agencies/State appear be compromised because of their failure to take the necessary action against Yahaya Bello, they will be accused of hate speech!
Twiddle Dim has about 19 healthy criminal charges filed against him in excess of N80 billion, and yet, the Nigerian Government has failed or neglected to take the proper steps to bring him to book. Why? The security agencies, the EFCC, Police or whichever agency is responsible for effecting such an arrest, have not done their duty; if not, why are they purportedly failing at every given opportunity to arrest Yahaya Bello? Somebody that should have been rounded up months ago! After all, Section 35(1)(b) & (c) of the Constitution restricts an individual’s right to personal liberty, if such person fails to comply with a court order, or is reasonably suspected to have committed a crime. Also see Section 3 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (ACJA). In Fawehinmi v IGP & Ors (2002) LPELR-1258 (SC), the Apex Court held inter alia that “…it is unlawful to arrest, until there is sufficient evidence upon which to charge and caution a suspect” I submit that, not only is Yahaya Bello a suspect, there is sufficient evidence to have charged him before a court of competent jurisdiction, and therefore, it is lawful to arrest him. It is trite that he can then apply for bail, because the financial crimes that he is charged for are bailable offences; and though the courts have the discretion as to whether or not to grant bail, this discretion must be applied judiciously and judicially. In Dokubo-Askari v FRN (2007) LPELR-958(SC) per Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, JSC (later CJN), the Supreme Court listed the factors that would be considered in granting or refusing a bail application, one of which is the probability that the accused may not surrender himself for trial. The fact that Yahaya Bello has evaded the law for many months, certainly makes him look like a flight risk. As for Ododo, he cannot be charged
with any offence presently, because, as the sitting Governor of Kogi State, by virtue of Section 308 of the Constitution, he is immune from suit and legal process while he remains in office. But, if Nigeria develops a culture of keeping accurate records and following up, Twiddle Dumb can be prosecuted for the offences he has committed when he leaves office. Some people have even argued that Section 308 of the Constitution should be amended and restricted, so that in situations like Ododo’s where the individual is openly committing crimes totally unrelated to their official duties, they should be prosecuted, and upon conviction, punishment can be reserved for when they complete their tenure. Ododo has committed several offences, in his bid to shield Yahaya Bello from arrest, and as a Governor of a State, he has brought much shame and indignity, not only to his office, but to Nigeria - the world is watching. His offences range from Perverting Justice contrary to Section 126 of the Criminal Code (CC) to Obstructing Officers of Courts of Justice contrary to Section 145 of the CC, to Concealment of an Offence, to Abuse of Office (see Section 15(5) & Fifth Schedule to the Constitution Part 1 Code of Conduct for Public Officers Paragraph 9; Section 104 of the CC) to Contempt of Court (see Section 133 of the CC) and Harbouring a Fugitive, to mention but a few. Section 126 of the CC provides that an individual who conspires with another to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice perverts justice, and is guilty of a felony which upon conviction, carries a punishment of seven years imprisonment - it is a fairly serious offence. Not just Nigeria, but the whole world has seen Ododo committing all the above offences with gusto and aplomb (relish too), in his bid to protect Yahaya Bello. It is also not looking good for EFCC and whichever Agency has purportedly attempted and failed to arrest Yahaya Bello on several occasions. In MFA & Anor v Inongha (2014) LPELR-22010(SC) per Sylvester Ngwuta, JSC, the Supreme Court held that the absence of Counsel in a case he’s handling is obstruction of the cause of justice. We should be able to apply this principle to a Defendant who is absent from court and has become a fugitive from the law, and those who aid and abet him to this end - they are causing obstruction to the cause of justice.
Conclusion
Why has Government not done the needful with Yahaya Bello, so that the legal process can proceed the way it should? Why has Ododo not been read the riot act by the President, particularly as his actions are not just an affront to the rule of law in Nigeria, but constitute criminal offences? The sad truth is that, Yahaya Bello, Ododo and their ilk, believe that they can actually get away with their crimes, because others have got away with theirs in the past.
Where did “Once Upon a Time With Dino” Part 1 & Part 2 end? What about “The Rochas Connection”? Nowhere! Nigerians were simply entertained by their antics, Dino Melaye jumping out of a moving vehicle, and security agencies laying siege to the residences of Senators Melaye and Rochas Okorocha. Beyond that, so far, nothing has come out of all those crime dramas/thrillers. “Orji Kalu: Attempting to Get Away With Money Laundering”, will soon be released. For Nigerians to believe President Tinubu’s declaration that he came to serve Nigeria and make a positive difference, or give him the benefit of the doubt, not only must his administration display more transparency and accountability in governance, the key elements of security and welfare of Nigerians must be made a priority. The fight against corruption, must be real.
Former kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello kogi State Governor, ahmed Usman ododo
Exceptions to Presumption of Regularity of Official Acts
Facts
The 1st Respondent alleged that he, as the title holder of Obajemu of Erinmope-Ekiti from Ijewu quarters is the 4th in rank to the 1st Appellant (Obaleo, the Oba of Erinmope Ekiti) among the nine High Chiefs in Erinmope Ekiti while the 2nd Appellant comes after him as the 5th in rank. The 1st Respondent further alleges that this arrangement has been in existence from time immemorial and has been religiously followed by the people of Erinmope Ekiti. The arrangement has been recognised by the Government via Intelligence Report - Exhibits P5, Western States Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957- Exhibit P10, as well as Morgan Report and Government Views on it - Exhibit P9. Decades ago, a dispute arose between the 2nd Appellant and 1st Respondent over the sharing of traditional meat and other items meant for the High Chiefs in Erinmope - Ekiti when the 2nd Appellant (i.e. by his predecessor in office in person of Late Chief J.O. Oyebola) on the instigation of the 1st Appellant, after the sharing of all other items in order of seniority without protest, got up from his seat and seized the portion of meat belonging to the 1st Respondent. The 1st Respondent immediately resisted the 2nd Appellant from attempting to usurp his position which resulted in the manhandling and tearing of the 1st Respondent’s clothes by the 2nd Appellant. The dispute between parties could not be resolved; this led the 1st Respondent to institute an action at the trial court seeking amongst others, a declaration that the Appellants herein, as Defendants in the suit, cannot in collusion usurp his rightful position or change the order of seniority of hierarchy as contained in the Morgan Commission Report and accepted by government and which position represents the custom and tradition of Erinmope Ekiti. At the trial court, the Appellants and Respondents called two witnesses respectively with several exhibits tendered. At the end of the trial, the court found that the 1st Respondent proved his claims through credible evidence and as such, granted the reliefs sought. Dissatisfied with the judgement of the trial court, the Appellants appealed to the lower court, which court dismissed the appeal. This is a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
Issues for Determination
The Supreme Court adopted two issues for determination:-
1. Whether the lower court was right in not considering the points canvassed under issues two and three in the Appellants brief before the lower court?
2. Whether having regard to the oral and documentary evidence on record and the entire circumstances of this case, the lower court was right in affirming the judgement of the trial court?
Arguments
Counsel argued for the Appellants, that though the Appellants distilled three issues for determination of their appeal before the Court of Appeal and each of the issues is complaint against different errors in the judgement of the trial court, the lower court which decided to adopt only one issue to resolve the appeal ended up addressing only one complaint, and failed to pronounce on the complaints in the remaining two issues as it promised to do. The two complaints not addressed by the lower court were the Appellants’ complaint against the decision of the trial court to expunge Exhibits P11, P12 and D3. Counsel contended that there was no legal basis for the trial court’s decision to expunge the said exhibits and if the trial court had not wrongfully expunged the said exhibits, the court would have dismissed the claim of the 1st Respondent. Counsel relied on IYAGBA v SEKIBO (2010) ALL FWLR (PT. 518) 949 at 964, amongst others, and urged the Supreme Court to invoke its power under Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to step in and resolve the issues. In response, counsel for the 1st Respondent submitted that the lower court has the power to adopt issues distilled by either of the parties or formulate issues on its own to resolve an appeal and that where a court adopts issues distilled by either of the parties, the lower court is not bound to address and render a decision on every issue that counsel formulated but can decide to restrict itself to issues that raise recognisable complaint or grievance of the parties not issues that amount to mere academic or wasteful exercise.
Arguing issue two, counsel for the Appellant posited that evidence from parties indicate the Intelligence Report Exhibits P5 which the trial court relied upon to give judgement in favour of the 1st Respondent contained certain facts that were not correct and that
Honourable Abubakar Sadiq Umar, JSC
In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at abuja
On Friday, the 21st day of June, 2024
Before their lordships
uwani Musa abba aji Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Chidiebere Nwaoma uwa Stephen Jonah adah abubakar Sadiq umar Justices, Supreme Court SC.971/2017
Between
1. OBa J.O. aINa
2. CHIeF MICHaeL aWOyeMI aPPeLLaNTS (The edemorun of erinmope-ekiti)
And
1. CHIeF ISRaeL adeBayO dada
2. MOBaL LOCaL GOVeRNMeNT
ReSPONdeNTS
(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Abubakar Sadiq Umar, JSC)
being the case, the presumption of validity of the said Exhibit P5 is deemed in law to have been rebutted. He submitted that since the presumption of regularity of Exhibit P5 is not irrebuttable, the lower court was wrong to have rejected the oral evidence adduced at the trial to rebut the presumption in favour of the Intelligence Report on the premise that the content of a document cannot be varied or altered by oral evidence. In addition, counsel contended that the oral and documentary evidence adduced at the trial show that the 2nd Appellant’s Chieftaincy title of Edemorun is senior and enjoys more pre-eminent status in the Erinmope-Ekiti custom and tradition than the 1st Respondent’s Obajemu title, contrary to the finding of the trial court affirmed by the lower court. He submitted that the 1st Respondent also admitted that the arrangement on Exhibits P6, P7, P9, P10 and D4 were not in order of seniority and urged the Apex Court to hold that the concurrent findings of the trial and the
“…. the presumption of regularity of these documents are rebuttable and could be set aside, as the court is cloaked with the power or competence to set aside a Chieftaincy Declaration such as Exhibit P10, if it is not truly reflective of the existing customary law of the people…. is in breach of the right to fair hearing, or where it offends any Constitutional provision or Act of the National Assembly or Law of a State”
of resolving the lone issue it adopted. It is only when that is done that the lower court can say that the other two issues were subsumed under the first one. Their Lordships noted that the lower court did not consider the points canvassed by the Appellants under issues two and three, and that there could be no meaningful resolution of the lone issue it adopted for the resolution of the appeal without addressing the Appellants’ complaints canvassed under issues two and three placed before it. Consequently, the Apex Court invoked its powers under Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act and considered the complaints that the lower court neglected.
The complaints of the Appellants which were not considered by the lower court bordered on the assertion by the Appellants that (i) a comment made by the trial court in its judgement was not supported by the evidence on record and it therefore, amounted to speculation and (ii) the trial court wrongfully expunged Exhibits P11, P12 and D3 on the grounds that Exhibit P11 had been withdrawn in a former suit before Agbelusi J, and Exhibit D3 on the basis that the findings in it are neither tenable nor valid in law.
On the former, the Supreme Court held that what the trial court comment complained about was just an obiter, and it is elementary law that a mere obiter cannot form a valid ground of appeal. Regarding the latter, their Lordships held that the grounds relied on by the trial court above were not grounds of law which could justify the rejection of a document when it is being tendered, not to talk of justifying the expurgation of documents that are already admitted and marked as exhibits. The law is firmly settled that the only basis upon which a piece of evidence already admitted can be expunged at the stage of writing judgement or on appeal, is where the evidence is in no circumstances admissible in law and not even where the evidence is admissible under certain conditions. The Supreme Court therefore, set aside the trial’s court order expunging Exhibits P11, P12 and D3, and held them to be admissible.
Resolving the second issue, the Supreme Court highlighted that the concurrent decision of the trial and the lower court in favour of the 1st Respondent, were hinged on the weight attached to Exhibits P5, P9, and P10, all of which mentioned the Chieftaincy title of Obajemu before Edemorun in the list of High Chiefs in Erinmope-Ekiti. Their Lordships noted that the Appellants’s adverse oral evidence on Exhibits P5, P9, and P10 appeared cogent, but they could not dislodge the binding effect of the exhibits.
lower court were against the weight of evidence. The 1st Respondent countered the submissions above. On the exhibits admitted and relied on by the trial court, his counsel argued that page 17 of the said Intelligence Report, which was specifically admitted as Exhibit P2A, with the heading “Village Erinmope Order of Seniority” listed the 1st Respondent as the 4th in rank above the 2nd Appellant. Counsel contended that the said document had been in existence since 1933 and had been used by the people of Otun District since then without any objection from any quarters because the document is presumed to represent unbiased information from a personality that had no attachment to any quarter, village or town in Otun District and same was based on vivid historical facts, custom and tradition of the people of Otun District. He concluded by stating that the 1st Respondent’s oral and documentary evidence adduced in proof of that claim outweighs that of the Appellants. He argued that the 1st Respondent’s claim is on seniority and the claim is supported by Exhibits P2, P5, P6, P7, P9, P10 and D4 all of which listed the 1st Respondent’s Obajemu Chieftaincy title as No 4 and the 2nd Appellant’s Chieftaincy title of Edemorun as No. 5 among the High Chiefs in Erinmope-Ekiti.
Court’s Judgement and Rationale Resolving the first issue, the Supreme Court held that the only issue decided by the Court of Appeal was comprehensive enough to subsume the other two issues raised and it was within the lower court’s prerogative to choose the issues to adopt for the resolution of the appeal before it. However, having chosen only one issue out of three issues, the lower court was obligated to consider all points canvassed under the remaining two issues in the course
The court held that Exhibits P5, P9 and P10 were official documents endowed with presumption of regularity and validity pursuant to Section 168(1) of the Evidence Act 2011, and that the law is firmly settled that when a declaration is approved by the appropriate authority as regulating a major chieftaincy title, the document is not only presumed to be a correct declaration of the custom and practice on the chieftaincy matter it regulates to the exclusion of any other custom, but also becomes a subsidiary legislation on the Chieftaincy matter. Their Lordships clarified that the presumption of regularity of these documents are rebuttable and could be set aside, as the court is cloaked with the power or competence to set aside a Chieftaincy Declaration such as Exhibit P10, if it is not truly reflective of the existing customary law of the people. Another instance where the court will invalidate a registered Chieftaincy Declaration, is where the process of making that declaration is in breach of the right to fair hearing, or where it offends any Constitutional provision or Act of the National Assembly or Law of a State. As such, the right of 4th position of the 1st Respondent secured under the said Exhibits P5, P9 and P10, remains alive and kicking until the Appellants succeed in setting aside the said exhibits in a proceeding where the jurisdiction of the court is invoked for that purpose and all necessary parties are before the court.
Also, though Exhibit D3 resolved the issue of seniority in favour of the 2nd Appellant, there is no evidence that the report of the Chieftaincy Committee of Mobal Local Government was accepted by the then Ondo State Government. The law is that recommendations contained in the reports of a Committee or a body set up by Government has neither the force of law nor can it confer a right or benefit on any person until the recommendation is accepted in a white paper or enacted into law. Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that the appeal was without merit, and affirmed the judgement of the lower court.
Appeal Dismissed.
Representation
K.B.A. Badmus, for the Appellants. Rotimi Bunmi Adabembe, for the Respondents.
by
Idornigie, Onyema, Maikyau and Roberts Appointed into Permanent Court of Arbitration
Stories by Steve Aya
Four eminent Nigerian Lawyers, have been appointed into the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Permanent Court of Arbitration, established by treaty in 1899, is an intergovernmental organisation providing a variety of dispute resolution services to the international community.
The four include Professor Paul Idornigie, SAN. He was former Acting Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, presently Professor of Commercial Law at Veritas University, Abuja. He holds a doctorate degree in
International Commercial Arbitration. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (London); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK); Chartered Arbitrator and member of several professional bodies/institutions including London Court of International Arbitration, African Arbitration Association, Lagos Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Lagos Court of Arbitration and many others.
Professor Emilia Onyema is an independent Arbitrator with experience as presiding, co and sole Arbitrator, and acts as a
FG, Onnoghen to Reach Out-of-Court Settlement
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has approved the request from the Federal Government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, to settle an appeal regarding his removal from office, out of court.
This decision was reached after both parties intensified efforts to amicably resolve the ongoing dispute which started in 2019, after former President Muhammadu Buhari dismissed Onnoghen, while he faced charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Dr Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Counsel for Onnoghen, informed the three-member panel that discussions aimed at a peaceful resolution were ongoing. He noted that engagements had taken place as recently as Wednesday, and expressed confidence in a positive outcome.
Onoja requested a one-month adjournment
to finalise the settlement.
Tijani Gazali, representing the Federal Government, supported this request, affirming their intention to resolve the matter amicably.
Presiding Justice, J. O. Oyewole, JCA, directed the parties to prepare a documented settlement for the court’s approval once an agreement is reached. He emphasised that the terms must be filed, before the next hearing.
The court has adjourned the case until November 4, for both parties to return with their proposed terms.
In 2019, Onnoghen was convicted by the Federal Government for false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, resulting in his removal from office and the forfeiture of undeclared assets. Dissatisfied with the Tribunal’s ruling, Onnoghen is appealing the decision that led to his ousting and the forfeiture of his bank accounts.
legal expert witness in international arbitration. She is a Professor of International Commercial Law at SOAS, University of London, where she teaches and publishes on international commercial arbitration, international investment law and commercial law in a global context. She is qualified to practice law in Nigeria, a Solicitor of England & Wales, and Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is listed on several Arbitrator Panels.
Yakubu Maikyau, OON, SAN is the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.
Mrs Funmi Roberts, a Solicitor and Advocate
of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and founder of one of the largest female-owned law firms in Nigeria, is a Chartered Arbitrator of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and Member of the Global Panel of Mediators of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). She serves as African Regional Mediator for the World Bank Group, and is on the
Global Panel of the United Nations Development Programme Ombudsman. She is a member of ICC International Court of Arbitration (1st July, 2024 to date) and the ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission. Mrs Roberts was the Chairman of the National Committee on the Repeal and Reenactment of Nigeria's Arbitration and-Mediation Act, 2023.
Justices Faji, Amobeda, Ogala, SAN, Others, to Speak at BRIPAN Conference
The Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN)! held a press conference last Thursday, to reveal the details of their upcoming Conference. The Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee and Vice President of the Association, Mr Albert Folorunsho, said ‘BRIPAN is an Association of professionals who help underperforming businesses get back to profitability, using the tools of restructuring and insolvency. Every year, BRIPAN through its Conference, gathers leading experts, thought leaders, industry practitioners, regulators,
judicial officers and stakeholders for practical discussions and takeaways on its Conference theme. We want to intimate you about this year’s Conference programme and activities. This is the 10th edition of the BRIPAN Annual International Conference, and the theme is ‘Restructuring and Insolvency in Times of Economic Challenges’ A most timely theme, considering the economic challenging times we are in. The Conference will hold at the MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos on the 26th and 27th of September, 2024 at 9 am. In today’s challenging economic landscape,
many businesses are facing unprecedented hurdles that can threaten and does threaten their sustainability, growth and existence. Many have gone out of business.
The role of the Insolvency Practitioner has become a most crucial one, and BRIPAN through its annual Conference, offers the opportunity for the Insolvency Practitioner to retool and deliver value across board. In the light of the current economic challenging climate, it may seem counter intuitive to discuss Insolvency and restructuring as potential tools for business regeneration and growth.
However, we believe
that understanding and strategically leveraging on the tools of insolvency and restructuring can lead to significant opportunities for businesses, as insolvency allows underperforming businesses to restructure.
The BRIPAN Annual International Conference 2024 will consist of four sessions that cater to businesses, Insolvency Practitioners, developments in the Nigerian Insolvency regime, and global trends and best practices in economic challenging times.
The Conference Speakers have proven their mettle, in their respective fields.
Emefiele: Court Adjourns Trial to October 2
The ongoing trial of former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was stalled on Thursday due to his absence. Emefiele, who is being prosecuted before Justice Maryanne Anenih by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge in which he is among others, accused
of unlawfully printing new Naira notes.
The EFCC alleged that Emefiele had without authorisation from former President Muhammadu Buhari, printed N684 million notes with a total sum of N18.96billion.
The anti-graft agency also accused the former CBN boss of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of about N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
However, at the mention of the case on Thursday, neither Emefiele nor his Lawyers were in court.
Prosecuting Counsel, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, told the court that he tried, but could not reach the lead defence Lawyer, Mahmud Magaji, SAN on the phone. Oyedepo said he later called another Lawyer in the defence team, who told him that they omitted
Thursday’s date in their diary.
He then asked for an adjournment to October 2, which is one of the dates earlier fixed for the case.
Justice Anenih, in the ruling, said she was granting the request for an adjournment in the interest of justice, and at the instance of the defence. She then adjourned the matter till October 2, 9, and 17, for continuation of trial.
L-R: General Secretary, Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN), Efosa Ewere; Vice President, Folorunsho Albert; and Chair, Media Subcommittee, Maduneme Chikaodili
Professor Paul Idornigie, SAN Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, CJN (Rtd)
N70k Minimum Wage: Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
The agitation by Nigerian workers over minimum wage dates as far back as Nigeria’s independence when the fiery labour leader, Pa Michael Imoudu, led Nigerian workers against the then repressive Colonial Government for higher wages and better welfare. It is therefore, disconcerting that almost seven decades after, the narrative hasn’t changed much. Labour leaders are still being hounded, intimidated and arrested on flimsy allegations. The recent agreement by the Government to pay Nigerian workers a N70k minimum wage, doesn’t seem to have resonated with State Governors who appear either unwilling or unable to implement the agreement. In this discourse, Dr Emeka Ejikonye; Jide Ojo; Ayoade Oluwasanmi and Babajide Idowu approach the issues from different perspectives, with a view to proffering solutions to the imbroglio
On the N70k Minimum Wage
Dr Emeka Ejikonye
What is someone who has lost every sense of optimism, motivation, encouragement and excitement in the Nigerian p expected to write about the payment of this N70k minimum wage by the governments? A political elite whose daily actions portray a bunch who are highly incorrigible, utterly bereft of empathy and stoutly fixated on deepening the impoverishment of a languishing citizenry. What am I supposed to write?
Erosion of Wage Increment by PMS Price
For starters, where is the optimism when, apparently, whatever iota of purchasing power that is supposed to derive from the wage increment, has already been eroded by the inhumane and
“….. whatever iota of purchasing power that is supposed to derive from the wage increment, has already been eroded by the inhumane and unfathomable increase in the pump price of petrol to an average price of N1,000 per litre?”
unfathomable increase in the pump price of petrol to an average price of N1,000 per litre? Has the resultant inflationary trend, not already eliminated whatsoever benefits that would derive from the supposed largesse?
The more bewildering aspect is the utterly irrational back and forth between the NNPCL and Dangote Refinery, over the prices of petroleum products produced by a wholly-owned private enterprise company. This is so disheartening, to say the least. As a young Master’s Degree student at the University of Calabar, way back in 1993, I still recall the several interviews late Chief MKO Abiola granted to the BBC en route the aborted Presidential election of that year. One of his several electoral promises was to ensure that NNPC tells Nigerians how much it costs to refine a barrel of crude oil, so that the Government will set the selling prices of petroleum products at realistic levels that are affordable to the citizenry. Is it not utterly shameful and disdainful that from that time to this date, no one in our oil industry has been able to provide an answer to this poser by the great MKO? Today, I hear the ‘experts’ tell us that Dangote must sell at “international
competitive prices”. Yes, I totally agree. However, the questions arise, who set these prices ab initio? Or did they fall from the blue? Were they not set by another human company after due very careful and painstaking calibration of its costs of production and addition of an acceptable percentage as profit margins, to determine the selling prices? Mind you, nothing is wasted in this single barrel of crude oil. From therein, we derive diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, engine oil, and allied raw materials for producing Vaseline, candles, etc., in addition to the almighty PMS. Who says Dangote Refinery cannot also independently calibrate its own costs of production and profit margins, to arrive at and set its own selling prices? Undeniably, Dangote is a private enterprise company that is set out to make profits. No one can argue against this. However, it is also undeniable that Dangote is an independent player in the global oil marketplace. Who says the company does not have the right to equally set a global standard, for others to follow? Or, come to think of it, maybe NNPCL donated the crude oil to Dangote Refinery free-of-charge. If not, why should NNPCL be fixing selling prices for the company?
The more I think of this whole scenario, the more I get confused. For goodness
N70k Minimum Wage: Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
sake, where is the basic law of comparative advantage that we were taught in elementary economics of secondary school? Why are our experts evading this imperative, this fundamental natural endowment of our polity? What sort of mental servitude is this?
To make the matter worse, we now hear of the rumoured intention to increase the value added tax (VAT) to 10%. Widen the tax net! Tax them to death! Paradise for the few! Hell for the mass majority! We must rake in all the money from the commonwealth into our privileged private pockets, and deliberately avoid putting in place safeguards for guaranteeing that public funds are used for uplifting the living standard of the mass of the citizenry! Is this not a deliberate ploy at depopulation? In Asia and the Americas, natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes/ typhoons, landslides, etc, are the major means of depopulation, but, in Africa, the way to go is inhuman government policies. Wipe out the citizenry through impoverishment! Oh yeah!
In Nigeria today, we have bastardised the very noble concept called “governance”. Certainly, it does not function as “the activity-process through which elected officials use the resources of a citizenry in delivering services for improving the quality of livelihood of that citizenry”. On the contrary, this glorious lever of social advancement operates as a scourge for vanquishing the citizenry through mass pauperisation. Wipe out the middle class! It is not deserving of existence! We, the privileged tiny minority, must live in disgusting opulence, while they, the vast majority, must languish in abject squalor! Just lubricate their urge with palliatives! Oh yeah!
In the face of these utterly disgusting crass insensibilities, you ask we to write about the N70k minimum wage? What am I supposed to write? What? Just tell me! As it is, whatever benefits that should derive from the wage increment are comatose, if not dead, before arrival. I am highly discouraged! I am downright pessimistic! I am not excited! For me, there is no glimmer of light at the end of that tunnel.
Labour Leaders, ‘Gear Up’ The likelihood of any of the governments in Nigeria paying the N70k minimum wage, is next to zero. This is my modest opinion. The Labour leaders had better gear up, if they are really and seriously sincere to their followers. In this country, I have developed a thick skin to surprises from any quarter, even from the leaders of the Labour Unions. ‘Compromise’, ‘sell-outs’ are all part of the game; the cards on the table. I am not deceived.
Conclusion
You ask why my high sense of gloom? Precisely because, the very people who are supposed to pay the wage increment, are fixated on cornering every kobo from the public purse towards the 2027 agenda. The objective is clear; “deepen the weaponisation of poverty to eliminate every form of formidable opposition towards ‘victory’ during the general elections”! After all, if 2023 did not teach me anything, it jolted me to the stark reality that electioneering can be cash-and-carry. The electorate can go about laughably and stupidly groping in the illusion of “free, fair and credible” polls. On our part, the game-plan has gone beyond outright purchase of the
umpire and arbitrator. Una never see anything yet. Make una just remain ‘resilient’ and continue to ‘adjust’ to hardship. “Suffer-head” na una middle name. Mtcheeeewww!!! God! I earnestly wish and fervently pray to be proved wrong. Please, touch their hearts to appreciate the real meaning and essence of “Love”, “Selflessness” and “Legacy to Posterity”. We just cannot continue to be in penury, in the midst of plenty. Nature! Existence! Being! Intervene! Salvage our situation!
Dr Emeka Ejikonye, Specialist in Public Budgeting, Abuja
Ruckus Over N70,000 New National Minimum Wage
Jide Ojo
Introduction
President Bola Tinubu signed into law
N70,000 as the new national minimum wage on Monday, July 29, 2024, after the bill was expeditiously passed into law by the National Assembly. Hitherto, the minimum wage was N30,000. It was also agreed that due to inflationary trends, the new national minimum wage will be reviewed every three years, rather than the statutory five years. This was no mean achievement for the Nigerian Labour unions. They had hitherto asked for N250,000, but had to settle
“They had hitherto asked for N250,000, but had to settle for N70,000 when Government said that is the only condition that will make it not to increase the price of petrol. Unfortunately, despite this gentleman agreement, the Federal Government recently jerked up the price of petrol to above N800 per litre”
for N70,000 when Government said that is the only condition that will make it not to increase the price of petrol. Unfortunately, despite this gentleman agreement, the Federal Government recently jerked up the price of petrol to above N800 per litre.
Recall that on January 30, 2024 a 37-man Tripartite Committee to negotiate the new national minimum wage was inaugurated. It was headed by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji. The Committee submitted its report, on June 10, 2024. It’s almost two months since the new minimum wage was signed into law, but no Federal or State worker has yet to enjoy the payment of the new wage. In fact, just last week the Federal Government inaugurated a 16-man Committee on the consequential adjustments in salaries, in line with provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2024, of N70,000 approved by President Bola Tinubu. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, inaugurated the Committee in Abuja.
State Governments Kick Against N70,000 New Minimum Wage
While some States have also set up an Implementation Committee for the N70,000 new minimum wage, most States have expressed inability to pay the new wage. Recall that while the Labour unions were asking for N250,000, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) issued a statement that they cannot pay even N60,000.
The Ag. Director Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, June 7, 2024.
The statement read in part: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum is in agreement that a new minimum wage is due. The Forum also sympathises with Labour unions, in their push for higher wages. However, the Forum urges all parties to consider the fact that the minimum wage negotiations also involve consequential adjustments across all cadres, including pensioners”.
“The NGF cautions parties in this important discussion to look beyond just signing a document for the sake of it; any agreement to be signed should be sustainable and realistic. All things considered, the NGF holds that
the N60,000 minimum wage proposal is not sustainable, and cannot fly. It will simply mean that many States will spend all their FAAC allocations on just paying salaries, with nothing left for development purposes. In fact, a few States will end up borrowing to pay workers every month. We do not think this will be in the collective interest of the country, including workers. We appeal that all parties involved, especially the Labour unions, consider all the socioeconomic variables and settle for an agreement that is sustainable, durable, and fair to all other segments of the society who have legitimate claim to public resources.” If the Nigerian Governors kicked against N60,000 minimum wage, they are simply inconsolable about the signed N70,000. However, it is noteworthy that States have always resisted minimum wage. Recall that, the Governors did not support the N30,000 minimum wage. They were initially rooting for N22,500. Later, they agreed to N27, 000. The N30,000 negotiated and approved in 2019 was spurned by many States. Noteworthy is that, in 2019, the Governors asked and did get from ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, bailout funds to enable them to pay the minimum wage.
Governors have never minced words, about the need to decentralise the negotiation of a new minimum wage. They argued that States are not equally endowed, and should be allowed to negotiate with their workers’ unions at the State level, a fair, affordable and sustainable minimum wage. They claim that a national minimum wage will leave them with no choice but to owe workers or retrench them, due to a high wage bill. They said they are not elected to only pay salaries, and that the State civil servants are just a fraction of the State population. They said they have to provide infrastructure and other essential services, including security. What many State Governments are angling for now, is financial support from the Federal Government to enable them to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage. It is unclear if President Tinubu will be willing to offer the financial succour, and for how long?
Organised Private Sector Coping Strategy
It is noteworthy, that the organised private sector (OPS), though has not uttered any opposition to paying the new minimum wage, however, many of them are unwilling. Save for the buoyant
N70k Minimum Wage: Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
corporate organisations in the OPS, many of them are complaining of high cost of doing business, multiple taxation, and unfriendly business environment. What many of them usually do is to resort to staff casualisation, in which case their workers are not allowed to unionise and are not offered full staff benefits such as housing, transport, health, allowances, leave bonus as well as pension and gratuity at disengagement. Truth be told, many private companies have been embarking on staff rationalisation, downsizing and retrenchment, in order to stay afloat in business. Those that are not taking these draconian measures are placing their staff on half salary, or owing them a backlog of wages and emoluments.
Current Economic Realities
Truth be told, while the positions of the Governors and OPS are genuine, the economic realities every worker in Nigeria faces, is that the N70,000 new minimum wage is too paltry to improve the living standard of workers. This is because the depreciation of the Naira, has weakened the purchasing power parity of the currency. The cost of living and the dependency ratio of the average worker, has made mincemeat of the new minimum wage they are even yet to enjoy. As the price of energy such as petrol and electricity increased and food inflation stands at over 40%, while rent, school fees and cost of goods and services have skyrocketed, the new national minimum wage pales into insignificance.
What to do?
The Federal Government of Nigeria will need to subsidise energy cost, as leaving it to vagaries of demand and supply will be counter-productive. Petrol is now being sold at over a N1,000 per litre in Abuja, and many other cities across the country. This has exponentially increased the cost of transportation. The FGN therefore, will have to continue to subsidise petrol and electricity. Nigerians are still waiting for the full implementation of the Compressed Natural Gas initiative which the FGN said is a game changer that will bring down transportation cost by about 60%, and save the country N2 trillion being spent on fuel importation every month. There should be roll out of these CNG Powered buses, so that commuters can have access to cheap transportation. Additionally, the Federal Government needs to stop the floatation of the Naira which has led to a situation where a Dollar currently exchanges for about N1,600. If our national currency continues to be floated against international currencies such as Pound Sterling, Euro and Dollar, so will the price of commodities in Nigeria continue to soar. This is because Nigeria is import dependent, and importers of raw materials or finished products will have to charge cost-recovery prices, since they are in business to make profit. Lastly, President Tinubu should consider giving bailout to States that are incapable of paying this new national minimum wage. This should be soft loan, repayable over a period of time. It is also important for States and the FGN to weed out ghost workers, and reduce the size of the workforce where absolutely necessary. There is no point keeping bloated bureaucracy, in the face of dwindling resources and lack of productivity.
Jide Ojo, Development Consultant, Author, Columnist and Public Affairs Analyst
Non-Payment of New Minimum
Wage by Governors: Can’t or Won’t?
Ayoade Oluwasanmi
Introduction
On July 29, 2024, President Bola
Ahmed Tinubu signed the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act into law, setting N70, 000.00 as the minimum monthly wage for Nigerian workers, and made it illegal for any employer of labour (with certain exceptions set out in the Act) to pay their employees anything below. The minimum wage seemed to have been arrived at arbitrarily by the Federal Government, after the failure of the Tripartite Committee for the setting of a minimum wage made of representatives of the Labour Union, Organised Private Sector (“OPS”) and the Federal Government failed to agree on an amount for the new minimum wage. Almost two months after President Tinubu signed the Minimum Wage Act into law, less than a third of the Governors of the 36 States of the Federation are paying, or have committed to paying the new minimum wage.
According to the August 22, 2024 online edition of The Nation newspaper, only the Governors of Lagos, Osun, Edo, Benue, Borno, Oyo, Nasarawa, Ondo and Adamawa had either started paying the new minimum wage, or had verbally
“Almost two months after President Tinubu signed the Minimum Wage Act into law, less than a third of the Governors of the 36 States of the Federation are paying, or have committed to paying the new minimum wage”
committed to paying it. However, according to the online version of Tribune newspaper dated August 26, 2024 the Governors of Adamawa, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Benue, Gombe, Borno and Oyo had verbally committed, or were paying the new minimum wage. According to news reports, Lagos State started paying the new minimum wage as far back as January, 2024; Edo State began paying the new minimum wage in May of 2024. I’m quite surprised that the Governors of the oil producing States, are not among those who have already committed to paying the new minimum wage. It raises the question, why are more Governors not committing to paying the new minimum wage? If certain States are able to pay the new minimum wage, why can’t others?
According to a report issued in July, 2024 by the National Bureau of Statistics, in June the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N2.32 trillion among the three tiers of Government. Collectively, the States received the sum of N388.42 billion. Delta State which is an oil producing State, received the sum of N43.7 billion as its allocation for the month of June, 2024, which was the highest amount. In contrast, Ogun State received the sum of N6.3 billion as its allocation which was the lowest. Neither of these States are listed, as being among those who have committed to paying the minimum wage to their workers. These amounts are the sums received as their share from the Statutory Account, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and Value Added Tax (VAT). This is excluding money generated by the State Government’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Prior to the passage of the Minimum Wage Act, the majority of the Governors had voiced their concerns about their inability to pay a then rumoured wage of N60, 000. Reports even suggested that the Governors wanted to pay N22,500 as minimum wage. Prior to the recent increase, the minimum wage had previously been increased from N18,000 to N30, 000 some years back, and quite a number of States were not even paying the N30,000. It therefore, would be impracticable or unreasonable to expect that States that couldn’t pay N30, 000 as minimum wage, to now pay N70, 000. While several Governors are saying they are unable to pay because they don’t have the financial capacity to pay, some are of the opinion that there is a lack of political will on the
part of the Governors to pay the new minimum wage. The question is, which is the reason for the non-payment?
Lack of Political Will or Inability to Pay?
The phrase “lack of political will” is an interesting one. A few years ago during the Muhammadu Buhari regime, I remember reading the account of investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, about how he and others went about securing the release of a friend who had been kidnapped in Ekiti State. He hired someone to track the kidnappers, and the person located where the kidnap victim was being held in a forest within the State. However, in spite of repeated visits to the then Governor, the Commissioner of Police and other officials, nothing was done to secure the release of his friend by those who swore an oath of office that the safety and security of the citizenry would be their highest priority. In the end, people had to rally round to raise money, in order to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers to secure the friend’s release. According to Fisayo, there was no political will to secure the release of a Nigerian citizen whose liberty had been curtailed by enemies of the State.
To put it bluntly, lack of political will is simply a euphemism about the refusal of officials of the State to do what is right, to do their jobs. The reasons for the lack of political will may vary, but it simply boils down to the refusal of the elected to do what they were elected to do.
Nigerians might be meek (some would say too meek), but they are not deaf or blind. They see the convoys Government officials move in. They hear of the obscenely large amounts of money, Government officials receive as salaries and allowances. They hear of the huge amounts Government officials spend on launchings and Christmas parties, or to fuel vehicles. They hear of Government officials going to the United States, Britain and Dubai, to attend parties. They hear about the schools abroad where the children of Government officials go to, while our public schools are failing due to lack of funding and they can’t afford to send their children to the private ones. While Governments try to keep governance as opaque as possible, once
N70k Minimum Wage: Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
in a while someone leaks a document showing how Government wastes money. Therefore, Nigerians might readily arrive at the conclusion that the failure of the Governors to pay the new minimum wage, is simply down to the lack of political will. There are those who see the lifestyle of Government officials and the sums they believe are either being misappropriated and stolen, and believe Nigeria is a rich country and the Governors can afford to pay the new minimum wage. One can hardly find any accurate data, as to the staff strength of the civil service of each State. Even if one did find any data, the question then would be, how many of these people are ghost workers. In an article written by one Japhet Alakam in the online edition of the Vanguard newspapers dated May, 8, 2017, he reviewed a book titled “Delta State Civil Service: A Sense of Gratitude” written by Onose Wilson Odafe, a civil servant who was employed by the Delta Broadcasting Service. According to the book, as at 2013, the Delta State Civil Service was 60,000 workers strong. If the numerical strength of the Delta State Civil Service remained basically the same in 2024 and the Government of Delta State decided to pay the minimum wage, and the average salary of the entire workforce of 60,000 people was N150,0000 then the wage bill for the State would come to N9 trillion per month. This sum far exceeds the N43.7 billion the State received, for the month of June, 2024. And, we haven’t factored in the amounts the Government is paying for capital expenditure or recurring expenditure, like the servicing and repayments of loan facilities to local and foreign banks and foreign multilateral organisations like the IMF and the World Bank.
Using another example, if you typed in the words “number of civil servants in Ogun State” into the Google search engine, the first page you would see at the top is https://www.sftas.org. ng/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ OGUN-STATE_DraftReport_SFTAS2018-APA_24March2020.pdf. However, if you clicked on the link to open it, you would get the message that the domain name has been suspended. However, a summary of the content of the suspended page before clicking the link shows that it makes reference to the State Salary Director making a report available, which shows that the State had a total staff strength of 28,707 as at December, 2018. Again, if the staff strength remained the same as at September, 2024 and the 20,000 staff were paid an average of N150,000, then the State’s wage bill would be over N3 trillion. This is far above the N5 billion the State received as allocation, for the month of June.
A caveat I would like to issue here, is that I am not privy to the accounts of any of the States in the Federation. Neither am I privy to their monthly wage bills, or the amounts generated as IGR. These details are usually kept hidden, so all one can do is conjecture and play the guessing game. However, the simple maths I have done, probably answers the question of why the majority of Governors are not committing to paying the new minimum wage now or in the future. Any increase in the minimum wage they are already paying would have to be followed by the down-sizing or right-sizing of the work force, in order for them to be able to afford it. In States where the State civil service is the largest employer of
labour, that would be disastrous. However, I am not so ready to give any Governor a pass on this issue. The inability of any State to pay its workers a living wage is a problem, and leaders are supposed to find solutions to problems.
According to United Nations criteria, anyone living on less than $2 a day, is living in poverty. With the attendant loss of value of the Naira due to inflation and other governmental policies such as the removal of subsidy on electricity and petrol, even the sum of N70,000 a month comes to less that $2 a day (about 43 cents). The question for me therefore, is not why are Governors unwilling to pay the minimum wage, but why are they not taking steps to ensure they can pay at some future date? I have identified three reasons for this.
Understanding of Purpose
The first is the issue of the understanding of purpose. The late Myles Munroe said “Where the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.” What is purpose? To put it simply, purpose is the “why” of anything, what it is meant to do. Why do we have governments?
According to people like John Locke, the English philosopher and physician who postulated the Social Contract theory of government, people are born free but they give up certain rights to the government and take up certain obligations like the payment of taxes, in order to better ensure the stable, comfortable enjoyment of their lives, liberty, and property. To put is in simple terms, the aim of government is to ensure the benefit, safety and security of the governed.
The sad fact is that the majority of our elected and appointed officials do not know why they are in office,
“According to United Nations criteria, anyone living on less than $2 a day, is living in poverty. With the attendant loss of value of the Naira due to inflation and other governmental policies such as the removal of subsidy on electricity and petrol, even the sum of N70,000 a month comes to less that $2 a day (about 43 cents)”
or what they need to do in the position they find themselves in. Every time elections come up in Nigeria, politicians promise heaven and earth to get people to vote for them. However, because we are a largely illiterate population that do not have an understanding of governance, we are easily hoodwinked by politicians. We also have to add the fact that we can be tribalistic, and exhibit a high level of religious bigotry. If that wasn’t the case, how then can you explain a candidate for Governor claiming that he will “create jobs” and people clap for him, or a candidate for a legislative position promising to build infrastructure and people take him seriously? Generally, when someone tells you he or she is going to create jobs, what they are actually saying is that they are going to ensure the employment of people in the civil service or employ people as part of some other government programme, which is usually temporary like the SURE P programme. It is not the business of government to create jobs. Government is not built for it. The aim of government, is to create the enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs. The government helps the private sector to do this, by putting in place the appropriate fiscal and monetary policies. Also, the purpose of a Legislator is not to develop “constituency projects”, but to study society and identify the issues bedevilling it and seek legislative solutions to those problems in collaboration with other Legislators. This is achieved by seeking to pass laws, that will help remove or reduce the issues they have identified. Until political office holders truly understand that they were elected to ensure the happiness, safety, security and happiness of those who put them in office rather than the benefit of a powerful and connected few, the country cannot move forward.
The second issue that follows on from the first, is a lack of vision by Nigerian office holders. As a result of not fully understanding why they are in the positions they occupy, Nigerian leaders are not able to envision a better future for the people they govern. The dictionary defines vision as “the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.” I have a former secondary school classmate and friend by the name of Gbire Boyo, who swears that Nigeria’s problem is not corruption but rather incompetence. According to him, we are saddled with leaders who do not know what to do,
and are incapable of seizing the opportunities presented to them to bake a bigger national cake. I do agree with him that incompetence is one of the issues we face as a nation, but I do not think it is our greatest problem. I might be wrong.
While I would be the first to admit that economic policy is initiated and driven by the Federal Government for economic growth, States in Nigeria do have a role to play. They also have the ability to generate their own revenue, and create prosperity for their people. When government officials hear the phrase “internally generated revenue”, it seems all they can think of is creating some new tax or levy to increase the burden on the general populace. An example of this, was when the Federal Government increased the amount people that had to pay for insurance for their vehicles, the same Federal Government then came up with the idea to allow the Nigeria Police generate revenue on the same vehicle particulars under the guise of an electronic registry. However, this approach will not work. According to the late Winston Churchill, a former British Prime Minister, “... For a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity, is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle....”. Every State has resources that it can develop that will eventually aid in the generation of additional revenue that does not involve increasing the tax burden on the people; but, sadly, they lack visionary leaders who are willing invest in technology and human resources to bring about the desired results. Governors would rather grade roads and build Conference Centres, than think of what can radically transform the State’s economy.
The third issue, is similar to the second one. Governors would rather surround themselves with ‘yes men’, than those who can help them envision and bring to pass a better future for the citizenry. There is the saying that when men are put under pressure, what they have inside of them will come out. Most people in government seem to be there to earn a salary, and not make a difference. The other day, I was surprised to read about someone who resigned from the Kwara State government. Why? He was simply earning a salary, without any duties. I don’t know if the story is true, but, if it is, then I wonder how many more
President Bola Tinubu
NLc Protesters
N70k Minimum Wage: Have Workers Been Left in the Lurch?
cont'd from page IX
like him are there, collecting a salary but doing nothing to earn it? In the local parlance, they have been called “to come and eat”, and they will not let something as small as a conscience or the consideration of right or wrong get in their way.
While there is the likelihood that the Governors who are refusing to pay the new minimum wage can truly not do so at this time, I believe it is not enough for them to say so and fold their hands. They need to come up with a plan whereby, in the near future, they or their successors can, because of the foundation they have laid today.
Ayoade Oluwasanmi, Author; Partner & Head of Labour Department, Gbenga Biobaku & Co
Minimum Wage: States Lack Political Will to Implement
Babajide Idowu
Introduction
The Nigerian economy has been grappling with severe challenges recently, including rapid inflation, a declining exchange rate, and widespread unemployment. The deteriorating economic conditions have made life increasingly difficult for Nigerians, with the rising costs of goods and services exacerbating the struggle for many households. Amidst this financial turmoil, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and other workers' bodies have strongly advocated for an upward review of the national minimum wage.
Background on Minimum Wage
The previous monthly minimum wage of N30,000, established by the Minimum Wage Act of 2019, was initially considered vital to enhance workers' livelihoods. However, due to soaring inflation and economic mismanagement, this amount has proven insufficient to cover basic living expenses. Moreover, the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 expired on April 18, 2024, highlighting the urgent need to increase workers' earnings.
The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 raised the monthly minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 (less than USD 45) to address this issue. This legislation was passed into law on July 29, 2024. The new minimum wage will be reviewed every three years, a change from the previous five-year cycle, indicating a commitment to evaluate the country's economic conditions regularly. As per the new law, employers across Nigeria (except establishments in which workers are employed or paid on a part-time basis and commission or piece rate; an establishment employing less than 25 persons; workers in seasonal employment like agriculture; and any person engaged in a vessel or aircraft to which the laws regulating merchant shipping or civil aviation apply) must pay their employees at least the new minimum wage starting from July 2024.
Non-compliance with this mandate, is punishable by fines and potential imprisonment.
State Government's Reluctance to Implement
The Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has yet to implement the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage for Federal workers. This delay raises questions about the willingness of State Governments to adopt the new wage, especially since many States have not established the necessary committees for implementation. Only Lagos and Edo State claim to have begun paying their workers this new rate, while States like Kwara and Kano are setting up committees to address implementation.
Economists, financial advisors, and Governors, have voiced concerns about the ability of certain States to afford the new minimum wage. Although the wage increase is a significant advancement for Nigerian workers, several Governors are hesitant to implement it due to various challenges. These include a lack of political will, and perceived inadequate resources to meet the new wage requirements.
For many State Governments, the issue is not a lack of funds but a lack of commitment and political will. Generally, some Governors have shown reluctance to prioritise workers' welfare, despite pressure from Labour unions and civil society. This reluctance often stems from mismanagement of State resources, or a preference for funding other projects over addressing workers' needs.
In contrast, some Governors view their workforce as integral to their economic development strategies. They are exploring ways to increase IGR or cut unnecessary expenditures,
“Wealthier States like Lagos, are often called the country's commercial hub. Rivers can absorb the costs associated with the new minimum wage more easily than poorer States, especially in the North. For these less affluent States, paying N70,000 per worker could lead to fiscal strain…..”
to accommodate the new wage.
However, many State Governments argue that their resources must be improved for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage. States with low IGR will struggle to pay this wage, without additional Federal support or increased allocations.
There is also an economic disparity among Nigeria's States, complicating matters further. Wealthier States like Lagos, are often called the country's commercial hub. Rivers can absorb the costs associated with the new minimum wage more easily than poorer States, especially in the North. For these less affluent States, paying N70,000 per worker could lead to fiscal strain, resulting in delayed salary payments and cuts to essential services, as they attempt to balance their budgets.
The Way Forward Governors need to prioritise the welfare of their workers, and consider how to adjust their fiscal budgets to accommodate the newly approved minimum wage. This can be accomplished by reallocating funds from non-essential projects, and reducing wasteful government expenditures.
In addition, State Governments should focus on increasing their IGR. To enhance State revenue, they can tap into agriculture, real estate, and tourism sectors. By doing so, States will diversify their revenue streams, and lessen their reliance on Federal allocations. Furthermore, implementing more effective tax collection mechanisms, especially within the informal sector, will significantly boost IGR.
This concern brings discussions around fiscal federalism to the fore.
The National Assembly, by the 1999 Constitution, under Item 34 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution, has the power to “prescribe a national minimum wage for the Federation and States”, and this is what has been the case in Nigeria, This is against the tenets and principles of fiscal federalism, which is supposed to give States more autonomy. It offers many sub-nationals easy excuses not to want to comply with the Minimum Wage Act, as they find the easy reason that the prescribed minimum rates do not reflect their realities. These realities usually centre on disparities in revenue and cost of living. The rhetorical question is, why a low revenue-generating
State with a lower cost of living, would pay the same as a State with a higher cost of living and generating capacity. In its bid or journey to restructuring, Nigeria needs to take a cue from what is obtainable in more advanced federalisms like the United States of America and Canada, where minimum wage uniformity exists. What the Federal Government pays differs from what sub-nationals pay, and each sub-national determines its minimum wage. This invariably helps ensure that each State is competitive, and can raise as much revenue as desired.
Conclusion
One way of ensuring a successful implementation, is to deploy the machinery and instruments of Labour unions. Labour unions are vital, in putting State Governments in check. They should be more assertive and proactive, to stop government profligacy. It has been argued that, if State Governments were more prudent and disciplined, the payment of salaries would not be an issue.
This is another area where the courts could act as the “last hope of the common worker”. Workers, emphasising the ones with the Government, should be enlightened about their rights regarding prompt salary payment, as prescribed by extant laws such as the National Minimum Wage Act. In light of this discussion, I must highlight the need to review perhaps, Section 84 of the Sheriff and Civil Procedure Act, which requires the fiat of the Attorney-General before order-nisi is obtained for money in custody or control of a public officer. The need to highlight this is because, I believe it would be painful if, after going through the rigours of a court to obtain a judgement for what should be a right, the worker still has to go through the administrative bureaucracy of getting the approval of the Attorney-General to get the attention of a contemptuous government.
For now, the successful implementation of the N70,000 monthly national wage across all States hinges on the political will of State Governors, and the availability of resources. Governors must be willing to prioritise worker welfare and explore avenues to enhance their State’s financial capacity, if the new wage is to be effectively implemented
Babajide Idowu, Partner, Ayodeji, Babajide and Lekan Partners
$3.5bn Business Deals Consummated at 2024 Indonesia-Africa Forum
Dike Onwuamaeze
Thirty-Two business partnerships worth over $3.5 billion were brokered during the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum, which was held this month in Bali, Indonesia.
This was disclosed by the Director for Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Abdul Kadir Jailani.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented at the forum by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris Malagi, at the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum that witnessed the signing of 16 business agreements between Indonesian MSMEs and African companies in a two-day exhibition.
The Indonesian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pahala Mansury, used the event to hold forums on industry specific topics such as mining, agriculture, renewable energy, health and food security with Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, etc. business communities.
The Chief Marketing Officer for Oxytane International Limited, Ricky Rahardja, used the occasion to showcase the milestones achieved by the Oxytane brand and expressed willingness to partner with interested distributors and representatives from Nigeria.
Also at the event was the Chief Financial Officer of Signature Global Real Estate, Mr. Abdulazeez Salawudeen, who showcased the opportunities in investment in Dubai Real Estate and the step by step guide in
achieving the dream home ownership.
This was followed by a presentation from the CEO of AfroKana Ltd, “the No. 1 African Restaurant in Bali”, Mr. Felix Ezejiogu, who narrated the journey of his humble beginnings in entrepreneurship to establishing “the best African Restaurant in Bali till date”.
Also at the Bali events were the CEO of Seune Integrated Concepts Limited, Oluwaseun Ayoade, and the CEO of Vutomi Energy (PTY) Limited, South Africa, Mr. Timothy Simon.
Ayoade narrated the methodologies needed to avoid the several bottlenecks associated with logistical operations in Nigeria while Simon spoke on solutions through gas-fired plants, solar PV plants and hydro power plants, etc.
Stockbrokers have commended the management of Ellah Lakes Plc for its strategic investment in palm plantation and livestock, following a recent visit to the company’s facilities in Iguelaba Community, Edo State.
A delegation of stockbrokers, led by the Managing Director, Atlas Portfolio, Muyiwa Adeyemi, visited Ellah Lakes Plc’s plantation in Edo State last week and were impressed by the company’s commitment to diversification and sustainable growth. The securities dealers, observed significant investments in palm plantation and piggery facility, which are expected to contribute substantially to the company’s revenue streams.
According to him. the visit has reinforced stockbrokers’ confidence in Ellah Lakes PLC’s management and its ability to deliver value to shareholders.
“We are pleased to see Ellah
Lakes Plc’s proactive approach to diversifying its operations and positioning itself for long-term success. The investments in the palm plantation and livestock demonstrate the company’s focus on sustainable growth and its potential to enhance shareholder value,” says Adeyemi.
Ellah Lakes’ Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Chuka Mordi, explained that the Company placed a premium on becoming a diversified Agribusiness over the next five years. According to him, the initial palm trees planted on 200 hectares of land three years ago are at the fruiting stage while additional ones are being planted on another 200 hectares.
Mordi noted that upon completion of its piggery’s phase one project, the Company shall produce 5000 tones of meat, every year, and thus become a strong primary source of Pork
products for Edo, Sapele and Warri axis.
“Ellah Lakes Plc’s strategy is to be a successful diversified Agribusiness over the next 5 years, eventually going all the way along the value chain, to consumer goods. Liquidity has increased greatly throughout the year, and we are very happy with this. We are trading at a huge discount to Net Asset Value (NAV), but we are comfortable that our shareholders will see significant upside, going forward. As a defensive sector, our sector is probably the most resilient on the market, and we expect this to be demonstrated to the market, as we continue on our growth trajectory,” said Mordi.
The Stockbrokers also expressed optimism that Ellah Lakes’ investments would soon begin to reflect positively on its bottom line, driven by increasing demand for palm oil and livestock products.
‘Japan Tobacco Nigeria Remains Committed to Environmental Conservation’
As part of its unwavering commitment to environmental preservation, Japan Tobacco International Nigeria, a member of Japan Tobacco International, celebrates this year’s World Cleanup Day, observed annually on 20th September.
The company restates its support for a greener environment as it believes the activities of corporate entities depend on the sustainability of the environment and societies in which they operate.
The company which has attained recognition for its leader-
ship in corporate sustainability for climate change and water security, ensures it contributes to the sustainability of the environment and society in line with the 2024 World Clean-up Day slogan, ‘Make Room For Life.’
The leading tobacco company which has invested over $42 million to make communities more inclusive and resilient, pledges $600 million to Community Investment programmes by 2030, as part of its sustainability scheme, globally.
Headed by Mr. Thomas Ad-
15 SMEs Receive N13m GET’s Funding
Oluchi Chibuzor
With the need to support local entrepreneurs across the country, Grooming Endowment Trust (GET), has empowered 15 small and medium-sized enterprises with a total of 13 million naira grants to upscale their businesses.
However, aside from funding, the businesses participated in two weeks of business workshops and advisory sessions facilitated by the Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM) across all sectors on business growth and sustainability.
Speaking at the GET Compass award ceremony, held in Lagos recently, a member of the Board of Trustees, GET, Mr. Nnaemeka Nwachukwu, stated that, “besides the provision of grants, the Trust also provides an enabling ecosystem where businesses can collaborate and be nurtured to thrive and upscale.”
Also at the event, the Operations Manager of the GET Compass, Michael Adoghe said that the GET Compass programme is one of several initiatives embarked on by the Trust to fulfill their vision.
According to Adoghe, “Trust offers opportunities
ams, JTI Nigeria champions and advocates a culture of excellence in its eco-friendly schemes committed to a cleaner and healthier environment.
The company has been recognised by Top Employer Institute as a Global Top Employer of choice in 2024 and for ten consecutive years.
With Adams as JTI Nigeria’s head, the company has achieved a high management standard with Commitment to Excellence, Innovation, and Equity, as enshrined in its principles as a Global Top Employer of Choice.
for Startups and Teachers through the GET Accelerated program, Teacher’s Appreciation program respectively and we have funded 26 SMEs since the initiative started.
“With the top five who received two million naira each, the other 10 SMEs will receive N300,000. This grant will help them to support their businesses along their value chains. This year marked the 3rd edition of the GET Compass program and GET looks forward to supporting and empowering more SMEs in the future.
The winning businesses span numerous sectors from education to clean living.”
The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $87.33 a barrel on Monday, compared with $86.00 the previous Thursday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference
Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
L-R: Head of Commercial, APM Terminals Apapa, Kayode Olufemi Daniel; Assistant Logistics Manager, Armajaro Nigeria Limited, Joshua Oladimeji; Chief Commercial Officer, APM Terminals Nigeria, Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi; President, Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), Olabunmi Olumekun; Head of Operations, APM Terminals Apapa, Riyaz Melekolangath, and Temitope Daniel of Peredon Global Concepts, at the second Exporters Forum organised by APM Terminals Apapa in Lagos...recently
Onyishi: C & I Leasing Remains Focused on Driving Growth, Profitability
Kayode Tokede
The Chairman, C & I Leasing, Samuel Onyishi, yesterday stated that the company remains focused on driving sustainable growth, enhancing operational efficiency, and creating long term value for its shareholders.
Speaking at the company’s 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) , he said that the management of the company believed that its strategic priorities and robust business model would enable them to navigate
macroeconomy challenges and opportunities effectively.
The shareholders of the company approved a dividend payout of 5kobo per ordinary share among others recommended by the board of directors at the AGM. In the 2023 financial year, the group’s gross earnings moved to N22.41 billion, about 25 per cent increase from N17.94 billion in 2022, largely driven by growth in net lease income.
Also operating profit of the group stood at N5.69 billion in
2023, representing 14 per cent increase from N4.99 billion in 2022, while profit before tax closed 2023 at N1.55 billion, 52 per cent increase from N1.02 billion reported in 2022.
The Group Capital Adequacy Ratio remains strong at 31 per cent in 2023 financial year.
Onyishi stated that despite challenges and uncertainties, C & I Leasing remains resolute to harness the potential opportunities that these challenges represent and thus enhance
the group’s profitability and shareholder returns.
“Our strength remains our resilience and adaptability. We will continue to navigate the challenges by proactively embracing change, exploring new diversification initiatives, implementing cost optimisation strategies and leveraging technology to offer innovative solutions for our clients.
“The Group continues to unearth and drive new solutions by leveraging technology
to improve the efficiency of operations and business growth,” he said. On dividend payout to shareholders, he said, “By next year, the dividend will do better. We are working to make sure more of our vehicles are on the road. Our target is to make sure this company looks up.”
The Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, C & I Leasing, Mr. Ugoji Lehin Ugoji who acknowledged the recent challenges noted that they also came with opportunities and positive policies.
He stated that the present President Bola Tinubu-led government policies are clearly towards increasing oil production because Nigeria has revenue problems, stressing that the C & I Leasing has potential to explore these opportunities to return to sustainable dividend payout to shareholders. “Based on that, the increase in production will require the use of auxiliary services like the marine services where we provide services. We think there is a positive outlook for us 2024 and 2025,” he added.
FOCUS
Yemi Cardoso’s First Year of Bold Moves at CBN
Emmanuel Effiong
As Mr. Yemi Cardoso marks his first anniversary as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a key question looms large: has Cardoso’s tenure so far been a success, or has it merely scratched the surface of Nigeria’s deep-rooted economic challenges?
From the outset, Cardoso faced an uphill battle. Rising inflation, a rapidly depreciating currency, a $6 billion backlog of unfulfilled commitments, diversion of remittance flows and systemic banking sector challenges all awaited his intervention. Now, a year into his leadership, we find a series of policy strides helping to resolve the earlier mentioned challenges.
Cardoso’s most visible struggle has been the battle against inflation. Under the previous leadership, the CBN went beyond its price stability mandate by directly intervening in various sectors of the economy with limited success.
From the early days of his tenure, Cardoso made price stability his foremost objective, deploying a series of interest rate hikes to rein in surging inflation, which stood at over 33.95 per cent in May 2024. In July 2024, the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), the rate CBN lends to banks, rose to 26.75 percent, marking the fourth increase in just seven months. Critics argued that the rate hikes could stifle productive activity and burden borrowers, but Cardoso stood firm, emphasising the need to prioritise slowing down inflation.
In his opinion, inflation is a tax on the income of poor Nigerians and should be the number one priority of the CBN. Over the past eight years, the money supply has grown in double digits despite GDP growth averaging less than two per cent over the same period.
This growth in money supply was a key factor fueling the surge in inflation. In response to this challenge, Cardoso has worked to curb the growth in money supply, and so far, it seems his efforts to contain inflation are yielding fruit. Headline inflation eased to 32.15 percent in August, the second consecutive month of decline, suggesting that Cardoso’s hawkish stance may be tempering inflationary pressures.
Another area of interest has been Nigeria’s banking sector. Exposure to volatilities in oil prices along with a depreciating currency had significantly eroded the capital base of many banks in Nigeria. With these weak buffers, their ability to finance significant ticket transactions and withstand any potential crisis in the financial market was weak.
In response to this challenge, the CBN announced
a new recapitalisation program, resulting in most banks’ capital-raising exercises. When concluded, this exercise will help reposition Nigeria’s banks to provide much-needed capital to support the country’s investment needs or, as some may say, our desire to create a $1 trillion economy.
A major area of concern for many Nigerians has been the rapid depreciation of the naira over the past nine years. The naira’s decline, exacerbated by efforts to fix the rate of the naira under the previous CBN leadership, had led to a crippling of
forex supply across all formal channels, along with a growing backlog of unfulfilled forex obligations.
A case in point was foreign airlines struggling to obtain forex, which led to the withdrawal of a major airline, Emirates, from providing its services in Nigeria. In addition, efforts to fix the rate amidst low supply encouraged round-tripping by those who had access to it while simultaneously depleting Nigeria’s external reserves and widening the margin between the official and parallel market rates. Cardoso initiated a wave of reforms to restore
order in response to this challenge. The naira was floated to find its true value, a bold move aimed at eliminating speculative arbitrage and narrowing the margin between official and parallel market rates. Cardoso also removed the eight-year ban on 43 items, a policy that had rendered many transactions invisible and driven importers into the parallel market.
Removing these restrictions was critical to fostering a more transparent market and alleviating demand pressure. In addition, the CBN has fulfilled all its debt obligations to businesses, and no airline has complained about its inability to source FX from the market.
Part of the reasons CBN met these obligations was the growth in FX flows due to the bank’s policies under Cardoso.
The rate hike and the move towards greater transparency in the official market resulted in significant foreign capital inflows into the country. It is estimated that close to $4 billion came into Nigeria in the first quarter of 2024, which was a 200 percent increase in flows relative to the same period in 2023. In addition, remittance flows doubled over the same period, driven by renewed attempts by the CBN to foster greater competition by permitting more IMTOs to operate, along with other steps towards enabling greater transparency and faster settlement of remittance obligations. These steps include the willing buyer-willing seller model and the bank’s liquidity support program, which has quickly improved IMTOs’ access to naira to settle obligations to those in the Diaspora. The surge in capital and remittance flows helped to support the appreciation of the naira from N2000 in March to N1585 in August 2024. Yet, the FX conundrum is far from resolved. Mr. Cardoso himself admitted that stabilising the naira requires efforts beyond the CBN. Factors such as the need to increase oil production, fiscal discipline, growth of non-oil exports, and more foreign direct investments are crucial factors that will shape the stability of Nigeria’s FX market and, indeed, Nigeria’s economy.
Nigerians are understandably impatient, with the cost of living and economic uncertainties weighing heavily on their daily lives. However, if Cardoso’s first year is any indication, he is a governor willing to confront hard truths and pursue difficult yet necessary reforms.
Will his efforts ultimately lead to a more stable naira, controlled inflation, and a resilient economy? Only time will tell, but Cardoso’s tenure so far reflects a central bank governor striving to restore order in an economy beset by headwinds. •Effiong is a senior policy analyst based in Abuja.
A Cowardly Assault On Honour: Exposing The Lies Against Dr. Bello Matawalle
The recent article titled “A Bandit in the Ministry: The Case Against Bello Matawalle,” penned by Professor Abdussamad Umar Jibia, is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle MON. It is filled with baseless allegations, malicious innuendos, and outright fabrications that seek to undermine the honour and integrity of a man who has dedicated his life to public service.
A Reckless Attack Wrapped in Falsehood
Professor Jibia’s piece is a textbook case of character assassination—thinly veiled as an opinion piece—meant to deceive and misinform the public. The allegations, from the alleged involvement with bandits to the supposed defense of criminals, are nothing short of preposterous innuendos. Let’s dissect these lies for what they are: desperate attempts to twist the narrative against Dr. Matawalle for political reasons.
The professor’s account is filled with inconsistencies, misinformation, and lacks any shred of evidence. His narrative about the turbaning of Ado Aleru and the other sensationalized stories of bandits supposedly receiving Hilux trucks and personal support from Dr. Matawalle is not only false but insulting to the intelligence of the Nigerian
people. At no point in his article does Jibia provide credible sources or hard evidence to back up his wild accusations. It is nothing but a hodgepodge of hearsay and rumours recycled to attack a man who has served the country with dignity.
The Devious Role of Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada
In this cowardly attempt to besmirch the good name of Dr. Matawalle, Professor Jibia has found an equally unreliable partner in the form of Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada.
Asada, a supposed religious figure, has made a habit of spewing baseless accusations and incendiary comments in public forums. His slanderous claims about Dr. Matawalle’s alleged association with criminals like Turji and Haruna Dole are nothing more than fabrications concocted to incite public outrage. These accusations lack any real basis in fact, and Sheikh Asada’s so-called “evidence” is nothing but the rantings of an opportunist desperate for attention.
Asada’s challenge to Dr. Matawalle to take him to court is laughable, given the complete lack of credibility in his claims. It is high time that figures like Asada are held accountable for the damage they seek to cause by fanning the flames of discord with their unfounded allegations.
Matawalle: A Beacon of Service and Sacrifice
Dr. Bello Matawalle has categorically denied these ridiculous allegations, stating
unequivocally, “I have never supported nor fraternized with criminals or bandits in any capacity. My commitment to peace, security, and the welfare of the Nigerian people is unwavering.” His actions as the Governor of Zamfara and now as Minister of State for Defence have been centered around improving security, not undermining it.
As a man who has faced the complex challenges of security in Zamfara State, Dr. Matawalle worked tirelessly to create initiatives aimed at reducing violence and fostering peace. His efforts, while difficult, were borne out of a genuine desire to see an end to the suffering of his people. Those who have closely followed his career know that he has always advocated for a strategic, multifaceted approach to combat insecurity—an approach that prioritizes dialogue, security reinforcement, and community engagement.
It is important to remember that as the Governor of Zamfara, Matawalle inherited a state ravaged by years of neglect and systemic insecurity. To suggest that he, of all people, would align himself with the very criminals wreaking havoc on his people is not only illogical but deeply offensive. Professor Jibia’s attempt to twist this reality is a sad commentary on the lengths some individuals will go to pursue their own agenda.
An Academic in Disgrace Professor Jibia’s article is not just a
reflection of his own desperation but a disgrace to the principles of responsible journalism and academic integrity. Instead of presenting a well-reasoned argument backed by facts, he resorts to tabloid-style sensationalism, effectively turning his platform into a megaphone for baseless conspiracy theories. Such behavior is unbecoming of a man who claims to be a professor. Rather than educate and inform, Jibia has chosen to deceive and mislead, abandoning the ethics of truth and fairness.
What’s even more appalling is the professor’s call for Dr. Matawalle to be removed from the Ministry of Defence on the basis of unsubstantiated claims. Jibia’s suggestions are as reckless as they are unfounded. His eagerness to cast aside due process and throw around accusations without any legal backing exposes his true intentions: to sow confusion and chaos.
The Truth Must Prevail
In times like these, it is essential that we, as Nigerians, remain vigilant against the forces of misinformation and slander.
Dr. Matawalle has shown himself to be a man of integrity, focused on the safety and security of the nation. The Honourable Minister is fully committed to his duties in the Ministry of Defence and will continue to work with the Armed Forces to eradicate banditry and terrorism in all its forms.
To Professor Jibia and his fellow conspirators, we say this: your lies will
not stand the test of time. The Nigerian people are smarter than you think. They will see through your desperate attempts to discredit a man who has served his country with honour and still serving and dazzling in his assignments. As for Sheikh Asada, his theatrics may earn him a few moments of attention, but truth and justice will ultimately prevail.
Dr. Matawalle remains focused on his mission, undistracted by the baseless accusations thrown his way. As the Minister has said, “My conscience is clear, my hands are clean, and I will not be deterred by those who seek to distract us from the urgent work of securing our nation.”
A Call for Unity and Account- ability
As a nation, we must rise above these cheap attacks and rally behind leaders like Dr. Bello Matawalle who are working day and night to ensure the safety and prosperity of Nigeria. We must demand accountability from those who seek to poison the public discourse with lies, and we must hold individuals like Professor Jibia and Sheikh Asada responsible for the damage their falsehoods attempt to inflict on our national unity.
Dr. Matawalle’s service to Nigeria is far from over, and his commitment to the cause of security will continue to inspire hope for a brighter, safer future for all Nigerians.
•Malam Muniz Usman is a Public Analyst/ Opinion Perceptionist.
Malam Muniz Usman
Addeh
Amid a painfully slow access rate, a THISDAY analysis of recent data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), spanning four months, has shown that only 115,767 electricity customers in Nigeria got metering devices between April and July.
Of the 13,293,739 registered electricity customers in the country, the data stated that as of July, just 6,053,497 homes and offices had been metered.
This therefore implies that over 7.24 million Nigerian electricity consumers still do not have the metering devices in their homes and workplaces, with the attendant opaque estimated billing practices by the electricity Distribution
Companies (Discos).
The latest information released by NERC, the power sector regulator indicated that despite the huge number of Nigerians that have no access to meters, only 23,724 power users in Nigeria were supplied meters in April.
In May, 8,733 got meters; in June, only 12,854 were supplied the metering devices, while in July the figure rose markedly to 70,456, according to the data.
To underscore the enormity of the metering challenge in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), the NERC data further showed the highest number of customer complaints for the four months under consideration were meter-related.
Nigeria has had a prolonged inadequate metering challenge
despite several but inconsistent efforts by the federal government to address the issue through some funding regulatory measures.
In recent times, some of the metering schemes include: the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP); the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme; the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) and most recently the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI).
Although under the law, Discos have the responsibility to install, maintain, and accurately read meters for billing end-use customers, but the electricity distributors have consistently complained of financing constraints.
Before now, the commission required that the installation by Discos after payment should not exceed 10 working days. But the rule is usually
observed in the breach, with a number of Nigerians waiting for years to have their devices installed.
Metering all end-use customers by the Discos is expected not only to phase out estimated billing, but is expected to improve the accuracy of energy billing and revenue collection, which will have a positive ripple effect on the electricity value chain in Nigeria.
It will further inject much-needed liquidity into the sector to support infrastructure development.
“No matter what level of bypass you have from metering, in the end, metering is a key enabler to curb collection losses. Once you have metered, you can also invest in the intelligence to reduce infractions,” a former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, who is now Aba Power
Chairman, said
meeting with investors/owners of Discos in Abuja.
But according to the NERC factsheets for the four months, in April the metering rate remained abysmally low at 44.67 per cent; it was 45.39 per cent in May; 45.43 per cent in June and 45.54 per cent in July.
During the period under review, Ikeja Disco consistently led the metering rate table with 73.13 per cent in April; 76.25 per cent in May; 76.64 per cent in June and 76.64 per cent in July.
Ikeja was followed by Abuja Disco, which had 61.19 per cent in April; 70.02 per cent in May; 70.17 per cent in June and 70.48 per cent in July.
In August, the federal government disclosed that to close the metering
gap, along with the sub-nationals it had raised N100 billion for the procurement of prepaid electricity meters.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said this was under the Presidential Meter Initiative (PMI) programme, hinting that many customers were not paying their bills because they believed they were being cheated by the power distribution companies through estimated billing.
Explaining that metering would ensure transparency, Adelabu described the problem as selfinflicted, stressing that investment in metering will help solve a lot of the issues in the sector.
Dike Onwuamaeze
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has commended the federal government for the inauguration of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Regulators’ Forum in a bid to address regulatory bottlenecks and create a more conducive environment for businesses in Nigeria.
The NECA said that the recent inauguration of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Regulators’ Forum is a significant step towards eliminating the operational and regulatory challenges that have long beleaguered the private sector.
The Director General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, commended the government’s commitment to improving the nation’s business climate.
Oyerinde expressed appreciation for the leadership demonstrated by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is the chairman of PEBEC, and the comprehensive participation of priority Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the forum.
He said: “By tackling the bottlenecks and inefficiencies that have stifled business operations for years, the federal government is paving the way for a more dynamic and resilient private sector.
“We are optimistic that this renewed focus on coordination, transparency, and efficiency will translate into tangible benefits for businesses and the economy at large.”
Oyerinde also lauded the forum’s focus on the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) framework, which promised to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of businesses operating within Nigeria.
He affirmed that NECA would continue to support and collaborate with the PEBEC to ensure that key decisions made during the forum are swiftly implemented. He said: “As Nigeria continues to pursue economic reforms under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NECA reiterates its commitment to working with the government and regulatory agencies to ensure that the private sector thrives in a business environment free from unnecessary hindrances.”
Emmanuel
in Abuja
this month during a NERC
Nigeria, Others to Get $90bn World Bank Electricity Fund
Stories by Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A plan to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030, backed by an initial pledge of $30 billion from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) has begun to be implemented with an assessment of the first potential beneficiaries.
Some of the world’s most prominent climate organisations — the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Alliance for People and Planet and Sustainable Energy For All at the weekend announced the formation of a technical assistance facility to examine projects and help secure funding for those that qualify for the program known as Mission 300.
The aim is to ultimately raise $90 billion or more from a range of sources, Bloomberg reported.
“Every project starts with a single payment,” President of the Rockefeller Foundation,
Rajiv Shah, said in a response to questions.
“The technical assistance facility is designed to help the World Bank and African Development Bank jump start their ambitious electrification plans throughout sub-Saharan Africa,” Shah added.
The plan, if successful, would bring power to half of the 600 million Africans who don’t have access to electricity.
The continent accounts for about three quarters of those without power globally with South Sudan, Burundi and Chad having electrification rates of less than 12 per cent of their populations.
That limits productivity and hampers economic growth in some of the poorest nations on earth.
“We’ve seen, frankly, stagnation” in getting electricity to more Africans over the last 15 years, Ashvin Dayal, who heads the Rockefeller Foundation’s power and climate programme, told Bloomberg
StartupSouth Set to Inspire Next Generation of Innovators
Emma Okonji
StartupSouth, the premier Technology and Business Innovation Conference in the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria, is set to inspire and enable the next generation of dexterous founders and innovators.
The organisers of StartupSouth has announced its 9th Edition Conference Scheduled October 3-4, 2024 in Port Harcourt.
Announcing this in a recent media parley, Convener and Cofounder of StartupSouth, Uche Aniche, said this year’s theme: ‘Deep & Broad: Extending Frontiers of Technology and Economic Development’, would be a reflection of the organisation’s ongoing mission to drive innovation and deepen economic growth in Nigeria’s frontier regions, nothing that the event promises to be the largest and most impactful edition yet, showcasing the latest trends in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship across Africa and the region in particular.
“StartupSouth started in 2015 as an ambitious initiative
with the goal of inspiring and enabling the next generation of dexterous founders and innovators. Today, nine years later, I am proud to say that we have grown into the foremost community of founders, policy makers and investors as well as a premier platform for technology, business innovation, and networking through our events and programming. We’ve not only expanded in terms of scale and reach but also in the impact we’ve made on Nigeria’s startup ecosystem,” Aniche said.
This year’s conference is designed to offer a rich and immersive experience for participants with over 50 sessions, and over 70 speakers in six tracks. The tracks cover areas such as Policy Innovation, Technology and Business Innovation, EdTech and Talent Development, Climate Resilience, Creative Economy and Creative Enterprise Support.
TV’s Jennifer Zabasajja. “This is for us the defining climate and development challenge for the continent over the next 20 years,” he stressed.
The Rockefeller Foundation and GEAPP, which it founded together with the Bezos Earth Fund and the Ikea Foundation in 2021, is using an initial $10
million to help 15 projects across 11 African countries, ranging from Burkina Faso to Mozambique, get off the ground, the groups
said in a statement. The programme will focus on clean-energy provision through technologies such as mini-grids.
OPEC: High Taxes, Not Crude Oil Rates Raising Fuel Pump Price
The Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais, has argued that taxes collected by several governments and not necessarily crude oil prices were the cause of rising fuel pump prices.
In an article, the OPEC scribe insisted that the world would not function without crude oil and its associated products, explaining that for consumers, it delivers petrol, diesel and a host of other transportation fuels, and enables the development of plastics, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and much more.
For producers, the revenues derived from the natural
resource, he said, are vital for their economies and populations.
“The narrative we often hear is that every increase in price raises fuel costs, bringing increasing revenue for oil producers, to the detriment of consumers. This narrative can lead to finger pointing and pit consumers against producers, rather than acknowledge that all are stakeholders in the energy industry, with legitimate needs and concerns. Furthermore, this narrative does not tally with the facts.
“It is important to recognise that the price paid by consumers at the pump is determined by a number factors: the price of
crude oil, refining, transportation and marketing costs, oil company margins and taxes. Breaking this down provides some enlightening insights and figures. Revenues can indeed be generated, but analysis shows that they are earned primarily by major oil consuming countries via taxation,” he maintained.
For example, he stressed that rich economies earn far more revenue from the retail sale of petroleum products than OPEC countries make from the original sale of their oil.
“From 2019 to 2023, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) economies earned on
average about $1.915 trillion/ year more (based on weighted average prices) from retail sales of petroleum products than OPEC member countries made from oil revenues. A significant amount of the final retail prices of petroleum products is attributed to taxation.
“In fact, during 2023, the OECD average share of total tax on the final retail price increased year-on-year and amounted to approximately 44 per cent, and for some countries it was even more. Across the year, in several European countries, taxes represented more than 50 per cent of the final retail price,” he pointed out.
Dangote Partners Abuja Chamber of Commerce to Lift 2024 Trade Fair
The Dangote Group has announced that it is partnering the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) to boost trade and investment in the country as the major sponsor of the 19th edition of the trade fair which officially opened yesterday.
Group Business Editor
Eromosele Abiodun
Deputy Business Editor
Chinedu Eze
Comms/e-Business Editor
Emma Okonji
Asst. Editor, Energy
Emmanuel Addeh
Asst. Editor, Money Market
Nume Ekeghe
Correspondents
KayodeTokede(CapitalMarkets)
James Emejo (Finance)
Ebere Nwoji (Insurance)
Reporter
Peter Uzoho (Energy)
The guidelines released by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prior to the banking recapitalisation exercise has been described as one of the steps that has made the process more transparent and easily accessible for Nigerians to participate in.
Director General of the SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama stated this at the Commission’s head office in Abuja.
Agama said the present management of the commission is interested in integrity and transparency of processes, and that is why it provided clarity before the recapitalization exercise commenced, which is a major ingredient in a transparent capital market.
According to him, “That clarity came out of the regulations that the SEC brought up to support the banking recapitalization. The banking capitalization is a very important step by the government to strengthen the banks and indeed provide capacity for the banks to lend to the real sector for us to
“We share a commitment to driving economic development and fostering innovation in key sectors of the economy.”
A statement from Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) quoted
Director General of ACCI, Agabaidu Jideani said the chamber’s relationship with the Dangote Group was collaborative and focused on mutual growth, stressing that:
him as saying that his year’s trade fair offers an excellent platform for networking and showcasing products.
He said this can strengthen the partnership as it promotes visibility and collaboration, helping to identify new opportunities for investment, product innovation and promotion.
“This year’s strategic focus revolves around enhancing mobility options for transportation, trade finance, and taxation”, he said, noting that by prioritising efficient logistics and sustainable transport solutions, operators can reduce costs and improve supply chain reliability.
NERC: Nigerians Tampering with Electricity Facilities Risk Three-year Jail Terms
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that Nigerian power users who tamper with electricity facilities are liable to a three-year jail term.
In a message on its X handle, the power sector regulator stressed that its position was based on the provisions of the new 2023 Electricity Act.
“As electricity customers, it is illegal to do certain things under
the 2023 Electricity Act? One, it is illegal to carry out unauthorised connections or meter tampering. If you do this, you may get a jail term for up to three years or a fine of up to N500,000 plus 10,000 for each continuing day.
“Number two, fighting or attacking electricity workers is illegal. Offenders can get a penalty of up to N1 million or six months in prison or both. Number
three, if you commit electricity crimes such as meter bypassing or damaging electrical materials, it can result in a three-year jail term, a fine of N300,000 plus repair costs or both.
“Number four, if you engage in unauthorised electricity business, it can result in a fine 10 times the license fees or up to five years in prison or both. Your compliance ensures a safe and reliable electricity supply,” the NERC message stated. NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba, who received the Lafarge team, welcomed the dignitaries, noting the commission’s willingness to provide support to Lafarge. Also, NERC Vice Chairman, Dr Musiliu Oseni called for the constitution of a technical team of NERC and Lafarge to further discuss energy scale-up requests.
Agama: SEC Guidelines Ensured Stability in Recapitalization Process
drive the economy, as provided for by the Renewed Hope Agenda Initiative and the design of the President to turn out a $1 trillion economy.
“And so it was important that all institutions that are concerned
with this activity, come together and provide a needed guidance for the banks to be able to run the programme. This is about the second time that the SEC will be tested in its capacity to be able to handle this. The first was in 2004 as
you are aware, during the Soludo recapitalization exercise, the SEC was tested, and we came out of the test positive, this time around, it will not be different”.
The SEC Boss said the processes could only get better as the
Commission has learnt a few lessons from the previous exercise, adding those lessons have led to creating an environment that makes it seamless, including the introduction of the guidelines, and the needed technology to help deal with it.
Kayode Tokede
GOVERNMENT COLLEGE LAGOS 5OTH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE...
L-R: Chairman of the Anniversary Committee, Government College Lagos, Mr. Adedeji Lawal; Chairman of the Academic Committee, Mr. Osagie Odiasie; National President of Government College Lagos, Mr. Leye Jaiyeola; and Pioneer, Mr. Bayo Oluwale at the 50th Anniversary Press Conference of Government College Lagos, held on Sunday
Lokpobiri, Ekpo, Adelabu,
Nigeria's
Peter Uzoho
As Nigeria struggles with low investment and other teething challenges in its energy sector, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri; his counterpart in Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo; and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu would lead industry stakeholders
Energy
in a solution-finding discussion at the 2024 NAEC Annual Strategic International Conference.
Kyari Lead Discussion on
Challenges at NAEC Conference
In a statement issued yesterday, signed by the National Chairman of NAEC, Mr. Ugo Amadi, the association described the conference as a flagship event of the body that brings together stakeholders in the Nigerian energy sector including operators, policymakers, local and
The conference being organised by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) would hold in Lagos on Thursday next week, with the theme, "Gas As Energy Transition Fuel: Navigating Nigeria's Trilemma of Finance, Energy Security, and International Politics."
international investors, service providers and analysts to discuss critical developments in the oil and gas, power, and renewable energy sectors, to identify and celebrate key successes, highlighting the challenges and proffering viable solutions for future growth.
While the three energy ministers would deliver special ministerial
Sokoto LG Elections: APC Sweeps all 23 Chairmen, 244 Councillorships
Innocent in Sokoto
addresses at the one-day event, the statement noted that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari will present the industry keynote address to set the tone for discussions.
It explained that the choice of the theme of this year's conference was underpinned by the growing need to secure a sustainable, cleaner and affordable energy for Nigeria's current and future generation by leveraging the country's abundant natural gas resources yet to be unlocked and harnessed.
"Just like the previous editions, this year's conference will feature keynote addresses by top government officials, special industry presentations, and goodwill messages from chief executives of oil majors, independent producers, downstream operators and power industry players amongst others," it added.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all the seats contested in the local government election conducted in Sokoto State last Saturday. This was disclosed by the Chairman, State Independent Electoral Commission, Alhaji Aliyu Sulaiman, at the commission's office in Sokoto.
political parties had fielded candidates for both the chairmanship and councillorship seats, at the end of which APC won all the seats.
According to him, the election was keenly contested by fifteen political parties in the state. He added that all the fifteen
PCRC Pledges to Give Police 1m Volunteers
The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), yesterday said that its members were ready to take up the assignment of the rested constabulary without salary as their contribution to national security, especially in this critical period of national development.
National Chairman of PCRC, Mogaji Olaniyan, noted that the committee have lawyers, doctors, engineers, et cetera, and are ready to give the police one million volunteers for crowd control. He also explained that the one million volunteers will help the police to handle some other challenging assignments.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), in Abuja, Olaniyan said the committee is ready to support the federal government as community policing officers.
A statement by Head, Press and Public Relations PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, said the visiting delegation was received by the PSC Chairman and the management of the commission.
The Chairman of the Commis-
sion, DIG Hashimu Argungu, rtd, observed that the public is the police, adding that without their support and cooperation the police will not make a success of their duty to maintain law and order and ensure security across the nation.
Argungu said it is the public that will give the police information for their work. He stressed that without this information, it will be difficult for the police to fight crime and criminality in the country.
According to him "it is the absence of crime that shows or confirms that the security agencies are working and not the number of bandits arrested".
He said the commission will continue to partner the committee and advised that they should not relent in assisting the police from the divisional level, through the state and national level. "You need to continue to assist the DPOs, Area Commanders, Commissioners of Police Zonal AIGs and the Inspector General of Police " he noted.
The PSC Chairman declared that the Committee has rendered sacrificial services to the nation and urged that they should not be discouraged.
The chairman further said the election was conducted in a free, fair and a peaceful atmosphere.
Aliyu commended the electorate for the way and manner they conducted themselves during the election.
He also praised Gov Ahmed
Dapo Abiodun
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, while congratulating Okpebholo, said the peaceful conduct of the election reaffirmed that Nigeria's democracy was maturing and evolving.
Abiodun, in a congratulatory message to Okpebholo, APC, and President Bola Tinubu, conveyed by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its commendable efforts in ensuring a free and fair electoral process. He highlighted the transparency and credibility of the elections.
Abiodun, in the statement, described the election as free and fair.
"Such a commitment to democratic principles is a testament to INEC's dedication to upholding the rule of law and fostering trust in the electoral system," he said.
The governor commended Edo people for their active participation in the electoral process, saying their voices have been heard loud and clear.
"This election not only reflects their wishes but also signifies a collective stride towards more vibrant and accountable governance," Abiodun
Aliyu for his invaluable support to the commission, which he said, led to the successful conduct of the election as well his non-interference in the commission's activities.
The local government election was conducted peacefully, with a large turnout of voters recorded across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Winners were later presented with certificates of return.
added.
Usman Ododo
Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, praised the Edo State governor-elect and the leadership of APC for the resilience and determination that led to the return of the party to power in Edo State.
Ododo was in Akoko-Edo to ensure victory for APC in the area with 34,847 votes, which was the highest return by the party in any local government area in the state.
He commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the people of the state during the polls and for matching their words with action by electing the APC candidate.
The governor also commended INEC and the law enforcement agencies for displaying a high level of professionalism and for ensuring that law and order prevailed during the Edo State governorship election.
Ogun APC
In a statement in Abeokuta by Ogun State APC Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, described Okphebolo’s victory as, “A testimony to the popularity of the party in the state and also to the fact that the
More so, NAEC revealed that other industry bigwigs that would be speaking at the occasion included the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Felix Ogbe; Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed; and the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji.
The association added that the conference would be chaired by the Group Managing Director of Rainoil Limited, Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie, whose company has become a dominant player in the Nigerian oil and gas downstream space.
winner” had given a good account of himself while he served his people in the National Assembly.
APC said the victory was also a culmination of the hard work put in by the leaders of the party at the state and national levels.
Oladunjoye stated, “It is, indeed, a sweet victory that Edo State is now back to the progressives’ fold, where it has always been before the hijack by the now defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Our party rejoices with the good people of Edo and urge the winner to form an inclusive government. We also commend the people of Edo State for their peaceful conduct during the election.”
Southern Senators
Nigerian Southern Senators Forum, in their congratulatory message by their Chairman, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, Lagos East, commended Okpebholo for his exemplary leadership qualities and dedication to the service of his people.
They said Okpebholo’s victory was a testament to the trust and confidence the people of Edo State had in his vision, capabilities, and commitment to good governance.
The forum expressed optimism
The statement further disclosed that some of the special presentations at the conference would be delivered by the Coordinator of the Decade of Gas Initiative, Mr. Ed Ubong; Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin; Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr Philip Mshelbila; and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Oil & Gas Limited, Mr. Robert Dickerman, amongst others.
that Okpebholo’s tenure as governor would usher in a new era of progress and development for Edo State, given his track record of service in the senate and his understanding of the challenges facing the state. They also pledged their support and cooperation, urging the newly elected governor to continue working for the betterment of Edo State and Nigeria, at large.
Earnest Umakhihe
A former APC governorship aspirant, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, expressed confidence in the emergence of Okpebholo and Rt Hon Dennis Idahosa as Edo State governorelect and deputy governor-elect, respectively. Umakhihe, a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, described the election as a good omen to usher in a greater and better Edo State, where citizens' wellness and preferences will be given utmost priority.
In a congratulatory message to the duo, and personally signed by him, Umakhihe expressed joy that a new vista of renewed hope had arrived for Edo indigenes and all others that inhabit the state.
PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN
Onuminya
Linus Aleke in Abuja
Courtesy visit to Governor Abiodun...
rogue officials of INEC for blame over the manipulations.
the collation process.
CSO S : E DO Gub E r rES ulTS AlTE r ED , lAC k lEGITI m ACY, PDP H EADS TO C O ur T in Nigeria and for the umpteenth time, we declare that this is absolutely condemnable, as it betrays a total disregard for the electoral desires of the people as validly expressed through the ballot.
“Nigerians are not fooled by the officially declared result by INEC, they know that PDP won that election and this is a shame on those who sit atop our affairs.”
Ighodalo: It’s One of our Darkest Moments
Asue Ighodalo, in a statement personally signed, wrote, “First, in all things, we must give thanks to God. We give thanks to God for the gift of life, of health, and for the love you all have shown me. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has stood by us on this incredible journey.
“I would like to particularly thank the good people of Edo State who defied the rains, intimidation, threats of violence, harassment, arrests and financial inducements to cast their votes for us, overwhelmingly, last Saturday, 21st September 2024. You are the true heroes of our democracy, and your sacrifices for a better Edo State will never be forgotten.
“My aspiration was not borne out of the love for power but a genuine desire to serve the people and create a Pathway to Prosperity for All in Edo State. I travelled through every ward and every local government area, sharing this message and engaging in meaningful conversations with you.
“To all our beloved supporters, thank you for believing in this vision, for your countless hours of dedication, and for every conversation you had with people about this cause.
“Together, we ran a great campaign, and your overwhelming support was evident in the ballots before our progress was unjustly halted on September 21st, 2024 by people who do not mean well for you or for our state.”
Ighodalo said, “That day will forever be etched in our history as one of our darkest moments, marked by the brazen theft of our mandate and the shameful subversion of the will of the people.
“Yet, in the face of this challenge, we must not be discouraged. The illusory triumph of evil over good is only temporary. Our journey towards a prosperous Edo State does not end here; it is just beginning.
“Let us remain engaged, committed, and united in our collective resolve to create a Pathway to Prosperity for All in Edo State. You did not abandon me during our campaign; and I promise you that as we face a daunting and uncertain future together, I will not abandon you.”
YIAGA Africa: Results Were Altered
YIAGA Africa, in a joint statement
co-signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, particularly called out
The group particularly mentioned Ikpboa Okha, Egor, Oredo and Etsako West as among the most prominent local government areas where collation officers altered the figures.
Yiaga Africa said it deployed the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology for the Edo election, which involved 300 stationary and 25 roving observers, covering a representative sample of polling units (PUs) across all 18 local government areas of the state. It faulted the conduct of the election and the declared results as lacking integrity.
The statement said, “The PRVT enables Yiaga Africa to independently assess the quality of Election Day processes and verify the accuracy of the official election results as announced by INEC.
“Yiaga Africa observers also deployed to the State and LGA results collation centres to observe the process, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of the election process.“Yiaga Africa has successfully deployed this methodology in two presidential elections and 16 off-cycle governorship elections…
“While there were some level of compliance in areas of material deployment and other processes, however, the incidents of results manipulation and disruptions during ward and local government collation in Ikpoba/Okha, Etsako West, Egor and Oredo LGAs, including intimidation of INEC officials, observers and party agents and the collation of results contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, severely undermine the credibility of the election results.
“Based on reports received from the sampled PUs, Yiaga Africa can project the expected vote shares for each party within a narrow margin. However, Yiaga Africa is only able to verify the election outcome if it falls within its estimated margins. If the official results do not fall within Yiaga Africa’s estimated ranges, then the results may have been manipulated.
“According to INEC, the APC received 51.1 per cent of the votes, PDP 43.3 per cent of the votes, and the LP garnered 4.0 per cent of the votes. Based on reports from 287 of 300 (96 per cent) sampled PUs, Yiaga Africa’s statistical analysis shows inconsistencies in the official results announced by INEC.
“For instance, the official results announced by INEC for APC in Oredo and Egor, LGAs fall outside the PRVT estimate. In Esan West LGA, the official results for PDP fall outside the PRVT estimates. Also, in Oredo LGA, the official results as announced for LP fall outside the PRVT estimates.
“These inconsistencies with Yiaga Africa’s PRVT estimates indicate that the results were altered at the level of collation. The disparities between the official results released by INEC and Yiaga Africa’s PRVT estimates indicate manipulation of results during
“Yiaga Africa condemns the actions of some biased INEC officials, who altered figures during collation, including the actions of some security officials, who interfered with the collation process.
“Yiaga Africa notes that the cases of disruption in Ikpoba/Okha, Etsako West, Egor, and Oredo LGAs in the course of collation created opportunities for election manipulation, raising significant concerns about the credibility and integrity of the results collation process.”
The report condemned the acts of violence and disruption of voting and results collation process by political thugs and hoodlums, particularly violence directed at voters and election officials. It said the development undermined the integrity of the elections.
Yiaga Africa also said the turnout for the election did not meet the resilience test, as voter turnout plummeted, despite high PVC collection rates recorded for the election. It said only 22.4 per cent of voters turned out, lower than the 27 per cent turnout observed in 2020.
But an INEC official, who preferred anonymity, said Yiaga Africa’s statement could not be used a basis to judge the election as there were mechanisms for aggrieved parties and other legal channels to explore.
Situation Room: Poll
Failed Credibility Test
Civil society coalition, the Situation Room, said the conduct of the Edo State election lacked credibility. It said result collation as carried out by INEC did not adhere to guidelines set out for the exercise.
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mimidoo Achakpa, who presented the organisation's report at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, said the electoral body should explain to Nigerians what really went wrong during the result collation in Edo.
Achakpa stated, "While the voting process was concluded in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, the results collation process in some LGAs were not peaceful and did not meet the electoral integrity standards for results managements.”
The statement recalled that on Sunday, September 22, it issued a statement expressing concerns over the transparency of the collation of the election results.
The statement, it claimed, had highlighted reports of disruptions at ward and local government collation centres in Ikpoba/Okha, Etsako West, Egor and Oredo local government areas and reports of intimidation of INEC officials and attempts to collate results contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
The statement called on INEC to invoke its powers under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 to review any declarations and returns where results were not declared voluntarily or violated the provisions of the electoral act and INEC regulations
and guidelines.
Achakpa said, "These were significant concerns about the credibility of the results collation process. Following the collation and declaration of results of the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday, 21st September 2024, we make the following observations.
“On the collation process, Situation Room said they were concerned that the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on collation process appeared to have been compromised in the Edo State governorship election 2024.
"As with previous elections, the collation process in this election is again a weak link. Our observation of the collation process shows that it was not transparent nor opened to representatives of the various candidates in some cases.
"In addition, it lacks transparency in the application of the provision of the Electoral Act and the INEC guidelines on over-voting and cancellation of results from polling units.
“This raised major question on the lack of clarity and uniformity in the application of rule on cancellation of ballots across different LGAs.
Indeed, the report of many collation venues operating in darkness is also questionable.
"Reports of Situation Room member organisations, including from Yiaga Africa’s Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) and KDI’s Ballot Integrity Project (BIP), reveal contradictions between the final results declared and the results declared at the polling unit level in some LGAs. This occurrence was particularly observed in Egor, Ikpoba Okha, Oredo, Esan West and Ovia South-West LGAs."
The election observer also said there were several reports of over-voting, as revealed by findings from the various observation hubs, including the CDD-West Africa’s Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC).
Obi: Edo Election Mockery of Democracy
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, said what happened in Edo State last Saturday could not be called an election.
In a statement on his X account, Obi said, “What happened over the weekend in the name of election in Edo State does not in any way represent the democratic process we chose as a method of electing our political leadership.
“Instead, it was a blatant example of 'state capture' and continued gross undermining of our democratic process and values. Any nation whose leadership recruitment process is so fatally flawed is doomed, and we are all seeing the effect in our country."
Obi urged those in authority not to allow the situation to stand, or depend on it to remain in power.
He stated, "As a country, we have invested significantly in IReV and BVAS, and they must be allowed to function and used properly in order
to free our electoral process from the massive falsification that has plagued it and worsening.
"To the agencies and individuals being used to undermine our democracy simply because they hold positions of authority, please, remember that your time in office is not eternal. The society that you are helping to destroy today will eventually take her revenge on you tomorrow.
"To the lecturers and others complicit in perpetuating this charade, you must reflect deeply on the roles you are playing in damaging the very foundation of our democracy. The damage you are causing today will inevitably take revenge on you tomorrow and affect your children in the future.
"This kind of action has no place in a true democracy. That is why I have always maintained that today’s politics is not about capturing power, but about saving the country and making it work for everyone, regardless of their background.”
Shaibu Mocks Obaseki
Meanwhile, the deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, derided Governor Godwin Obaseki over the loss of PDP in the election.
Shaibu, while mocking his erstwhile principal, said they had dealt with him according to how he once told them to do if he turned into a political godfather.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV on the outcome of the election, Shaibu expressed satisfaction with the results, which favoured his new party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said, “I feel vindicated against those who said I couldn’t win elections.”
Shaibu said he did not see Obaseki as an enemy but was pleased that the election result proved Obaseki could not win without help.
He said the outgoing governor had always relied on others to secure victories in previous elections.
Shaibu mocked Obaseki for not only losing the election but also failing to secure victory for PDP in his own local government area.
He said, “I feel vindicated, even the governor couldn’t win his local government. I won my unit, ward, and local government. Where are the governor’s results? He has never won.
“We always assisted him. What is left now is for him to go back and start begging and apologising to the people of Edo State, and he has a lot of them that he needs to go and apologise to.”
Akpata Declares Election Marred by Vote Buying, Result Falsification, Apathy
The governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Olumide Akpata, declared that the outcome of the election lacked integrity because the process was characterised by vote buying and other transactional methods antithetical to democratic norms.
Addressing journalists at a press
conference, Akpata emphasised that what transpired on September 21 was not an election but a transaction enabled by those who chose to stay away, making it easier for the two dominant parties to afford a significant majority of the few votes on offer, and by those who came out and willingly sold their votes. He said although the election was largely free from historical forms of election day malpractice, such as ballot box snatching and stuffing, it was, nevertheless, marred by voter intimidation and the falsification of results.
More insidiously, he said the election witnessed one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent years, a testament to the apathy that had gripped the populace and ultimately contributed to the worst case scenario now being faced.
Akpata stated, "Let us be clear: To those who sold their votes, we extend our understanding, not condemnation. We acknowledge the crushing economic hardships that many of you face daily – hardships that make the immediate relief of vote selling seem like a lifeline.
“Yet, this short-term gain comes at an immense long term cost. We implored you to reflect deeply on the consequences of your actions, to recognise that your vote is the legacy you bequeath to future generations," More worrisome, Akpata said, was the fact that among those involved in the transactions iwere some LP faithful and agents, who willingly sold their future for peanuts to the very political parties whose actions and policies had impoverished them. He picked holes on the unwitting institution of a collegiate system of government comprising godfathers, surrogate governors, and other forces within and outside the state who hope to puppet the governor-elect. According to him, the implications of this for Edo State is dire as the state will continue to face the prospect of underdevelopment, misallocation of resources and governance that serves the interests of a few rather than the needs of the many, the consequences the people must now live with for years to come.
On whether he and his party would take a legal action, Akpata said the results of the election had been submitted to his lawyer, same with the LP lawyer, adding that their legal team would make a forensic analysis and make a determination on what to do next.
Accord Party Candidate, Enabulele, Accuses INEC of Compromise, Corruption
The governorship candidate of Accord Party (AP), Dr. Bright Enabulele, alleged compromise on the side of INEC.
Enabulele stated that the results were manipulated, pointing to his own experience at Ward 5, St Saviour Ivbiyeneva Primary School unit 1, in the Ikpoba/Okha Local Government Area, where he voted on live TV but officially received zero votes.
L-R: Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Brig. Gen. Tajudeen Aminu; GOC, 81 Division, Nigeria Army, Maj. Gen. Farouk Mijinyawa; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, during a courtesy visit to the Governor's Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta... recently
The BaTT le o f e do sT aT e 2024: a Review
election observers had reported that Nigerian politicians had devised many methods of election rigging, which some analysts identified in a well-publicized list. This led to talks about electoral reform and the need to clean up Nigeria’s elections to promote the common good. In 2003, and 2007, analysts had observed greater sophistication in the corrupt manipulation of election results across the country. It was so bad in 2007 that the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration that came to power openly admitted that the elections were flawed, and insisted that the most urgent task before Nigeria was electoral reform. In 2015, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was a victim of his own insistence on the values of transparency, integrity and accountability in elections. The APC leaders who succeeded him could not care less. In 2021, it was a tough battle to get the amended Electoral Reform Bill of 2010 signed by President Buhari. In fact, it was not signed for flimsy reasons. In 2022, the National Assembly finally managed to smuggle in an Electoral Act 2022, under which the 2023 general elections were conducted. But in real terms, nothing has changed since 1999. Civil society groups are still arguing for an Electoral Framework with the same old argument that the extant Electoral Act is defective. The first lesson of Edo Election 2024 is that nothing has changed in Nigerian politics. The political parties, the institutions, the politicians and the people have learnt nothing. The people quotient of Nigerian democracy is weak, poor, disconnected. Edo State has just confirmed our worst fears. There has been open, front-face evidence of vote-trading. On Saturday, September 21, politicians and agents offered to buy votes, with the cost now as high as N20, 000. It used to be cheaper to buy a vote, but we are made to understand that the high inflation in the land and economic hardship have both marked up asking prices. In Edo, they were selling votes as if they were trading bags of tomatoes. Ballots were snatched. Ballot papers were burnt. There were sporadic shootings if not an outright breakout of violence. Yiaga Africa, one of the many civil society observer groups that formed the Nigerian Situation Room observing the Edo election has reported that the biggest problem was the failure of integrity. The stakes were high. Edo 2024 was a revenge operation among the Godfathers and the political actors. It has been said that the loser in the election is not Asue Ighodalo (PDP) but Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent Governor, seen to be the main supporter of Ighodalo, and who had acquired a very powerful team of former allies turned “enemies”. These enemies were determined to teach him a lesson for alienating them. Asue Ighodalo probably chose the wrong party for as we see, there was nothing he could have done to please the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, the Godfather whom Obaseki turned against and embarrassed thoroughly and Philip Shuaibu, the Deputy Governor whom Obaseki despised and humiliated. There were other anti-Obaseki political actors: Dan Orbih, Anselm Ojezua, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Kabiru Adjoto. Obaseki was also considered unfriendly to the exalted throne of the Omo N’Oba. In Edo state, anyone considered rude to the palace loses favour, even among the people. The Oba once had cause to admonish Obaseki publicly to remember that one day he would no longer be Governor and he should be guided accordingly. That
moment has arrived! It is Ighodalo who has now paid the price of this undercurrent. Philip Shuaibu was on television yesterday boasting that he won his polling unit, his ward and his LGA for Monday Okpebholo, the best record in Edo State. He boasted that Obaseki was a non-politician that was brought from Lagos and made a Governor. Obaseki in this last election did not win his ward and LGA. He was outboxed, outthought, and bulldozed as Daniel Dubois did to Anthony Joshua at the IBF boxing match at the Wembley Stadium the very same day! In 2020, Obaseki boasted, while seeking a second term, that “Edo No Be Lagos” in a subtle reference to Tinubu’s promise that he would return Edo State to the APC. Over the weekend, the point would seem to have been made that “Edo is now Lagos” and we saw the APC chieftains dancing. Shuaibu says Obaseki has to come and beg the victors. That may not be an idle threat.
The security agencies have been praised for overseeing
a peaceful election in Edo State. But was it free and fair? Is the outcome fair to all parties concerned? It would have been scandalous for the security agencies to deploy a total of 43, 000 men, who could have been put to better use to fight banditry and terrorism, to an off-cycle election and we would have a breakdown of law and order. The architects of violence in Edo State had to moderate their madness perhaps because the security presence was intimidating, and oppressive. Edo State was like a war zone. Two days earlier, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa was on the ground to address his troops and the people, noting that he had express instructions from the President, Commander in Chief to enforce peace in Edo State. Elections should not be held with the gun pointed at the people’s heads. It should be a peaceful, civil event where the people make informed choices freely and without fear and pressure. Not surprisingly, voter turn-out in the Edo election was low, despite the people’s obvious enthusiasm. Election
This Time Too s hall Pass a way
away.
These geo-political dynamics, likewise, escalated the prices of crude oil in the international market. For us, as one of the world’s oil producers, this increase should ordinarily be a blessing rather than a headache. Again, the failure to significantly and strategically invest in the development of the midstream petroleum infrastructure turned us to a victim of the geo-political conflicts. And we were faced with the realities of either returning to a vicious subsidy regime or bracing up for the escalating fuel pump prices that eventually constrained people’s living standard. We are now gradually navigating through this thorny path that our fear to decisively act constricted us.
This was the indisputable geo-political context that an import-dependent Nigeria found herself, even before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly. These challenges became more excruciating and grievous within the first year of our four-year tenure. These are the grim and disturbing realities from which we cannot run away. As public servants, we took up the gauntlets and began addressing our heinous national challenges from the very foundation.
Fellow countrymen, we have been responding to these challenges, considering creative and innovative parliamentary initiatives. As legislators, we firmly share a conviction that the initiatives will, in no small measure, add value to the lives of over 133 millions, whom the World Bank Group classified to be multidimensionally poor. And we are committed to this vital national mission for which we were elected to undertake.
But Nigerians must trust us with the power they had already entrusted to us. This is not the time to play politics with all these issues of national significance, all in the name of strategising to win the 2027 contest. We must remember that there must be 2025 before 2026 and 2026 before 2027. What Nigerians are demanding from us is the demonstration of patriotic spirit and not the display of parochial political agenda that will never improve the lives of our people, whether in the North or South. We must not miss this period of national challenge. It is the best time to act collectively, decisively and reasonably.
How has the National Assembly been responding to all these national challenges? This is a vital question that deserves a detailed response. But I will point out a few areas that we have, independently or interdependently, addressing all these challenges. First, we have a clear understanding with all federal agencies we are oversighting that we will not tax citizens, who are multidimensionally poor. We are committed to this promise because we are in government for the people and not against the people.
This truly explains why we introduced windfall tax under the 2023 Finance Act. This legislation, specifically, imposes a one-year tax on the realised foreign exchange profits derived by commercial banks in the 2023 fiscal year. This practice is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Countries going through turbulent economic times have embraced it in Europe and beyond, though with the sole purpose of resolving their fiscal challenges. In 2022, for instance, the Parliament of the United Kingdom introduced a 25% Energy Profits Levy, which it imposed on its oil multinationals.
The levy was increased to 35% in 2023 when the UK effectively slid into another meltdown. Within this time, this tax was introduced in 25 member-states of the European Union. In Greece, it was as high as 60%; 70% in Slovakia; 75% in Ireland; 90% in France; 90% in Austria and 100% in Belgium, each of which purely targeted electricity and oil giants that made super profits. If these countries could go this far, why can we not do the same in the national interest? It is a progressive tax aimed at taking from the wealthy to fund pro-people projects and programmes. Consistent with our mandate under Section 59 of the 1999 Constitution, we also reviewed highly fundamental sections of the 2024 Appropriation Act to address thorny issues that could have created funding gaps and further compound our socio-economic challenges. This review enabled the Parliament to mandate the Executive to significantly scale up its social support to the poorest of the poor due to acute food inflation that the nation witnessed for 12 consecutive months. In addition, the Executive further suspended import duty on food products, also with a view to making food more accessible,
observers put the voter turn-out rate at 22.4% with a margin of error of +/- 1.6%, much lower than the 27% turn-out in the 2020 Edo Gubernatorial election. If this is a case of apathy, then it means the people in Edo as elsewhere, are beginning to lose faith in Nigeria’s electoral process. INEC, the electoral umpire has featured prominently in the various reports. The electoral umpire did well with BVAS and accreditation but voting processes did not start early. As at 8:30 am only about 17% of the voters had been accredited, by 11:51 am, about 64%. For an off-cycle election in just one state, this was not good enough. There were inconsistencies in the officially announced results, on IREV, the INEC portal. At some point, the political parties and their agents felt obliged to take over the collation process. Governor Adamu Fintiri of Adamawa state who was in Benin, as Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council for the Edo election, had to do his own collation and advise INEC not to delay the announcement of results in outstanding three LGAs. Fintiri had to explain that he had not broken any law – he merely announced what he found on the IREV portal. Nonetheless, INEC is the only body empowered by law to announce any results. But Fintiri insists that the Edo election was a rape of democracy and that the PDP candidate won. He says he weeps for Nigeria because “democracy is under attack”. The desperation of the various political personae casts doubts on the effectiveness of INEC in the Edo election. There is no denying it: there is still the urgent need to strengthen electoral institutions and address the challenge of reforms. Obviously, no amount of law can transform Nigeria’s elections unless the people themselves agree to change and the institutions function differently.
The Edo Gubernatorial election 2024 has taken place against the background of the fact that many Nigerians have been complaining about poor governance and hunger in Nigeria. In August, this class of Nigerians openly expressed their anger and they are threatening to do so again in October. In other climes, when people face economic hardship in the hands of a sitting government, they express themselves through the polls when they have the opportunity to do so. Nigeria is a strange country where a political party’s performance in power does not really matter, and hence, politicians get rewarded, regardless of how the people think or feel. It is therefore not for nothing that an APC chieftain has remarked that the outcome of the Edo election is an affirmation of the people’s confidence in President Tinubu’s economic reforms. It is possible in Nigerian politics to say anything when your party has won and has been declared winner. The standard rule in Nigerian politics is for you to work on your strategy so well, whether in a crooked manner or not, win and let the other party complain. Both PDP/Ighodalo and LP/Akpata may be talking to their lawyers right now but while they are spending more money paying lawyers, Monday Okpebholo would be sworn in on November 11, 2024. With the Federal Might behind him, and powerful Godfathers like Adams Oshiomhole, Nyesom Wike, Philip Shuaibu and the APC demolition machinery involved, it would be difficult to upturn the results announced on September 22. It is called realpolitik.
available and affordable.
At the time of the national labour dispute, also, the Parliament meaningfully engaged the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC). The engagement was designed and structured to assure the labour leaders of our unflinching support; promise them our unbiased interventions and persuade them from shutting the economy that we are all working together to strengthen. Even when they did not, in entirety, trust our resolve, we proved them wrong; honoured their agreement with the Executive and sped up the enactment of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act.
We truly committed our energy, intellect and time to make all these initiatives happen. Our drive is nothing, but mirrors our allegiance to all our constituents nationwide and undying passion to ease vicious fiscal challenges under which our nation is reeling. We made critical interventions in the interest of all our countrymen regardless of their socio-economic status. We are still committed to more creative legislative interventions that will positively impact our economy and polity in future.
As we return fully to the parliamentary sessions, the National Assembly will, without ambiguity, revisit its decision to decisively address challenges in the petroleum industry. The industry is not optimal in its performance. This may not be unconnected to crude oil theft, endless turn around maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products and disruption of fuel supply, among others. Before we went on annual recess, the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, constituted an ad-hoc committee to beam searchlights on all these issues. The Senate later expanded the scope of the committee to deal with diverse allegations of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry.
Contrary to some media reports, the Senate never suspended its Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, but postponed its public hearing due to the need to address issues that border on the Rules of the National Assembly. Today, both chambers of the National Assembly
will resolve the issues and possibly constitute a joint committee that will continue with the investigation from where the ad-hoc committee stopped. We are committed to unearthing the roots of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry in the national interest and developing institutional mechanisms that will make the industry more efficient and functional.
We are expecting a new medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) from the Executive. MTEF is an integral part of our budget culture that emphasises a multi-year public expenditure planning exercise; sets out the future budget requirements for existing services and assess the resource implications of future policy changes. The consideration of MTEF occupies a prime place on the rung of our legislative agenda. This is simply because MTEF must be ready before the 2025 Appropriation Bill can be laid before the National Assembly.
We are equally preoccupied with the review of the 1999 Constitution. In the Senate, the Constitution Review Committee is chaired by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, CON. In the coming weeks, the Committee will hold retreats and strategy sessions; call for memoranda and organise zonal meetings on some sections of our grundnorm that should be amended. Given the pedigrees of all its members, this exercise no doubt promises a truly federative approach that will redefine and reinvent public governance in this country.
We have all these legislative initiatives before the Parliament for consideration in coming weeks. Each of the initiatives is designed to develop an efficient and functional political system that works for all and not for the few. We therefore plead for more cooperation and understanding to act in the best interest of all Nigerians. As a people, we must all share the conviction that the task of nation-building is not individualistic or unilateral in nature. But it must be collectively driven at building one indivisible, resilient and united nation. We must rise above parochialism and sectionalism to reposition Nigeria for a global role for this time too shall soon pass away.
•Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, CON, Leader of the 10th Senate, writes from Abuja
Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo
TUESDAY
abati1990@gmail.com
Aliko Dangote to Nigeria
“I went to two places...and I was a bit angry. I wanted to eat snacks and all the biscuits that I was given...were made in China, which is wrong. If we are consuming made in China biscuits, it means that we are actually creating jobs in China and creating poverty here. So we need to have proper support for domestic industries. We must give the SMEs all the support to survive against all these dumping” --PresidentofDangoteGroup,Aliko Dangote,advisesthegovernmenttotrulysupportlocalmanufacturinginthecountry.
WITH REUBEN ABATI
The Battle Of Edo State 2024: A Review
Abattle on the electoral turf has just been won and lost in Edo state, Nigeria. Governor Godwin Obaseki was elected as Governor in 2016 on the platform of the All-Progressive Congress (APC) in that state. By 2019, he had fallen out of favour with the Godfather that brought him to power, former Nigerian Labour Congress President, and former Governor of Edo State for eight years (2008 – 2016), now Senator Adams Oshiomhole. In due course, Oshiomhole left the PDP and pitched his tent with the APC where he would later rise to the position of the National Chairman of the Party. In 2020, Obaseki crossed over to the Peoples’ Democratic Party and successfully upstaged his Godfather to get a second term in office. His tenure in office ends on November 11, 2024. Hence, there has been a lead up to Gubernatorial elections in Edo State to mark the effective end of Obaseki’s tenure, the Nigerian Constitution providing for only two terms in office for Governors and the President. The Gubernatorial election to see Obaseki out of office and to determine the next occupant of the Osadebey Government House in Benin was held on Saturday, September 21, with 17 candidates and political parties on the ballot.
We were eventually confronted with a three horseway race involving boardroom guru and lawyer, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) as the leading contenders. The voting took place in 4, 519 polling units, in the state’s three Senatorial districts, with 35, 000 policemen in attendance along with 8, 000 other security agents – military, EFCC and the Civil Defence Corps. Total number of registered voters in the election was 2, 629, 025. Total number of 2, 249, 780 voters’ cards were collected. It was a high stakes election as seen in the febrile
drama that led to the election, with the incumbent Governor saying it was a do-or-die election in which the Federal Government was determined to rig in favour of the APC candidate, creating a Federal Might vs. The People’s might encounter. The PDP further alleged that the state police command and the state resident INEC commissioner were known associates of former Governor of Rivers State, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun pledged that the police were impartial and unbiased. Wike did not help matters by boasting openly on live television that no Jupiter could change the police
commissioner in Edo state and the INEC resident commissioner and that he, Wike would not endorse either Ighodalo or the PDP in Edo State. This is the same Wike who claims to be the political leader of the PDP in Rivers State, but he is currently an unabashed agent of the APC in deed and in words! No individual should be so brazen. Instructively, Obaseki, the PDP and their candidate refused to sign the Peace Accord that had been brokered by the National Peace Committee, a respectable body of eminent men and women led by Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah and others. A Governorship debate that was organized for the candidates was boycotted by the PDP and APC. Only the candidate of the LP showed up to complain bitterly about the effrontery of the APC that offered to send Senator Adams Oshiomhole who was clearly not the candidate to stand in for Okpebholo. Similarly, Akpata condemned Ighodalo. There were fears about the possible outbreak of violence and the breakdown of law and order.
Poll watchers and analysts pointed to a number of factors that could determine the September 21 election as follows: climate of fear and voter apathy, which could affect voter turn-out, manipulation of votes, violence and ballot snatching, vote buying or stomach infrastructure; voter suppression, current economic hardship, neutrality of otherwise of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies, the influence of key political actors especially Godfathers, Federal might and power of incumbency at both Federal and state levels. When the battle was won and determined on September 21, against the background of a slew of allegations and mixed reactions, INEC on September 22, announced the results to the effect that Monday Okepbholo of the APC had been validly elected, with 291, 667 votes, winning in 11 Local Government Areas, Asue
OpEYEmIBAmIDELE
Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, with 247, 274 votes with majority in 7 LGAs, and Olumide Akpata, of the LP with 22, 763 votes, without any majority in any LGA, not even in his own polling unit. APC leaders have been singing and dancing since then, claiming that God has blessed the words of their mouth, that the APC would triumph. The PDP leaders believe that they have been robbed. Gov. Obaseki calls this “a travesty and a tragedy”, a display of brute force and a violation of the people’s right to choose. He has however asked that the aggrieved should be calm and seek redress by following due process in expressing their grievances. Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate alleges that the Edo Election 2024, might be the worst ever in the history of this country. Akpata says the votes went to the highest bidder. Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the LP has said this was a case of “state capture”.
My quick observation is that whatever happens hereafter, perhaps at the election petition tribunal and the courts, both Ighodalo and Akpata have put up a gallant and spirited challenge and there are more people in and out of Edo State who consider them the better candidates in the race. If the beauty of television advertisements alone could win elections, the tally would have gone to Olumide Akpata. If the ability to speak English grammar and a person’s pedigree mattered for anything in Nigerian politics, Ighodalo would have won. What we have just been confronted with in Edo state is the reality of Nigerian politics - where ideas, pedigree, brilliance - in the context of a webbed transactional politics that compromise and overwhelm every single factor in the process, do not matter.
In 1999, shortly after the election that brought President Obasanjo and the PDP to power in Nigeria,
This Time Too Shall Pass Away
Let me most sincerely welcome all my colleagues back from our annual recess, a period we, as a tradition, suspend plenaries for dispassionate field engagements. It was no doubt a period of wider consultations in preparation for the tasks ahead. It was also a period of intense engagement with critical stakeholders nationwide with a view to getting feedback from our constituents; identifying issues of public interests and presenting the feedback for policy consideration in the 2025 fiscal year.
A lot of events indeed happened between the period we went on annual recess and now. The events obviously ranged from the nationwide protests to the return of long queues to our filling stations; festering instability in the foreign exchange market and flood disaster that escalated humanitarian crises in some states of the federation. Each of these public concerns, again, reminded us about the complexity of our socio-economic challenges; people’s desperation for multi-pronged antidotes and the crucial tasks of transforming Nigeria to a federation we shall all be proud of someday.
At the National Assembly, we clearly
understand all these public concerns and the rights of the people to demand explanations, especially at the time of national crises. We also understand that governments at all levels are under obligation to listen to public grievances
and work out strategies to address them. But are these challenges peculiar to us as a people? Is Nigeria the only country facing hard times worldwide?
Of course, countries - developed, emerging and underdeveloped - are going through turbulent times, economically and politically, across the globe. For example, Ghana and Kenya in East Africa, Argentina and Venezuela in South America, Japan and Pakistan in the Pacific, Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East as well as Greece and Spain, among others, are all neck-deep either into intractable crises that their governments are working hard to reverse or considerably address.
These countries are, like Nigeria, methodically and painstakingly responding to their challenges not just to meet public expectations, but also to create enabling environments for real growth and sustainable development. This is not, in any way, to make an excuse for the governments. Rather, it is to show that the world has entered into another era of turbulence, first started with the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020; followed by the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 and compounded by the renewed hostility
between Israel and Palestine in 2023.
Each of these geo-political dynamics has grave implications for import-dependent economies like Nigeria and their internal stability. As we are all aware, the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted the importation of grains to Africa. Consequently, it triggered chronic food inflation in most African economies because most of them sourced 50% of their grain needs and 70% of their wheat requirements from Russia and Ukraine. They could not because the war disrupted grain shipment.
Nigeria was not exempted from this grain supply distortion. Her grain supply constraint was compounded by internal instability that further decapitated her food production capacity long before the current administration office.That explained why food inflation was as high as 40.87% in June 2024 before it dropped to 39.53% in July 2024 and further to 37.52% in August 2024. What does this decline truly suggest? It simply suggests that the multi-pronged responses of all government arms have started yielding positive outcomes. This time shall surely pass
