A senior lecturer at the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, was, on Friday, stripped following accusations of making sexual advances towards a female student, The Nation reports.

The lecturer, whose full name remains unknown, reportedly angered female undergraduates from the institution’s English Department, where he teaches, upon learning of his alleged misconduct.

They insisted on his public humiliation, declaring that “his actions have caught up with him.”

Stripped down to his boxers, the lecturer was spared further embarrassment by the collective efforts of the school’s security unit at the Adankolo mini campus.

During questioning, the lecturer implicated his colleagues, suggesting that they provided him with names of students to “pass or fail” based on their relationships with such female students.

When contacted, the university’s spokesperson, Mr. Daniel Iyke, confirmed that the management was aware of the incident and had initiated an investigation.

Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State.
Iyke said: “The thing is that the university has its own internal mechanism for taking care of it.

“The report has been brought to the attention of the Vice-Chancellor, and he has set up a body to look into it.

“This was done immediately and the report or the outcome will be made known as soon as it comes out.

“At this point, this is all I can volunteer.”

Efforts to reach the alleged victim or her father, reportedly a serving policeman, were unsuccessful as they were shielded from interacting with reporters.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday posted a cryptic message on social media which appears to be directed at Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

On April 18, the anti-graft agency declared the former governor wanted over alleged financial crimes.

The EFCC asked anyone with useful information on Bello’s whereabouts to contact the commission or the nearest police station.


BACKGROUND

On March 14, the EFCC named the former Kogi governor in an amended charge filed against Alli Bello.

Bello, chief of staff to Usman Ododo, the incumbent governor of the state, and one Daudu Suleiman, are the two defendants in the 17-count amended charge.

The EFCC alleged that the suspects diverted about N100 billion belonging to the Kogi state government in September 2015 – about four months before Bello assumed office as governor.

On April 17, the anti-graft agency barricaded the Abuja residence of the former governor of Kogi to arrest him.

Some hours later, Ododo arrived at Bello’s residence and was said to have left with the former governor in his vehicle.


THE CRYPTIC MESSAGE

The EFCC in its “Eagle Series” posted on social media, wrote that “once the eagle is on your case, you cannot hide — you can only run”, adding that “it will smoke you out in a matter of time”.
“Reason: The Eagle will smoke you out. It’s just a matter of time,” the anti-graft agency added.

“The world may be very big and Wide Only a coward thinks he can run and Hide But the Eagle will locate where you Reside In due time, you will bring yourself Outside The option now is left for you to Decide.”

Earlier on Friday, Abdulwahab Mohammed, lead counsel for Yahaya Bello, former Kogi governor, asked a federal high court in Abuja to give him four weeks to search for his client.

Mohammed added that the ex-governor’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The court has also refused to vacate a warrant of arrest issued against Bello.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, criticised Bello for filing applications despite his refusal to show up in court.

He described the actions of the former governor as an attempt to truncate the case preferred against him by the EFCC.

Benin has blocked China’s first shipment of crude oil from Niger amid an ongoing border dispute between the two West African nations arising from a coup that has put a military junta in Niger in power which caused strained relations with other African nations[.

China’s first imports of crude oil from Niger’s military junta arrived in Benin in three vessels but were prevented by the authorities from docking at the port.

Benin’s President, Patrice Talon, justified the action in a statement, arguing that Niger could not view his country as an enemy and still expects the country’s oil to cross Benin territory.

“If you want to load your oil in our waters, you can’t view Benin as an enemy and at the same time expect your oil to cross our territory. We’re open to working with Niger. They’re the ones that refused to allow trucks to cross,” Talon stated in the statement, according to Oilprice.com.

The oil bound for China was part of a $400-million commodity-backed loan from China National Petroleum Corp, which Niger’s military junta agreed to at a seven interest rate and repayment in oil for a period of 12 months, as reported by Bloomberg.

Additionally, CNPC has invested some $4.6 billion in Niger’s oil industry, including the construction of a 1,200-mile pipeline transporting crude oil from Niger to Benin. The pipeline was set to begin shipping 90,000 bpd in May and up to 110,000 bpd at full capacity.

The deal has been disrupted by the coup in Niger last July, in which the military junta seized power and closed its land border with Benin, which in turn slapped sanctions on Niger.

Those sanctions have been lifted; however, Niger has kept the land border with Benin closed, and the latest oil shipment bound for China is now a bargaining chip. As of the time of writing, Niger’s junta has not responded to Benin’s statements, according to the Oilprice.com

A mild drama unfolded yesterday at the state secretariat of the Labour Party in Edo State as the youth leader of the party, Ken Omusi, dismissed the Kelly Ogbaloi-led State Working Committee.

The party has been embroiled in crisis following the primary election and the subsequent suspension of members ahead of the September 21 governorship election in the state.

Addressing journalists at the party’s state secretariat in Benin City, Omusi declared himself the acting chairman and appointed Stanley Orobosa as secretary and one other person as a member of the three-man interim executive of the party in the state.

“The change in the leadership of the State Working Committee was necessitated by the draconian and tyrannical leadership style of the dismissed state executive,” Omusi alleged.

He further claimed that over the last three months, not less than 350 members had been suspended on the WhatsApp platform of the party by the state chairman without the backing of the party.

While announcing the dissolution of the executives of the party, Omusi called on the national leadership of the party in Abuja to ratify their actions and resolutions.

“I, Ken Omusi, am the acting chairman, along with Comrade Stanley Orobosa and other members of the committee. We have a three-man committee in the state, a three-man committee in each of the 18 local government areas, and a three-man committee in each of the 192 wards,” he added.

In response, Kelly Ogbaloi insisted that he remained the substantive party chairman in the state and that Omusi and his cohorts had no legal right to remove any state working committee member.

“The only body with the power to remove any state working committee member is the national working committee,” Ogbaloi emphasized.

“I remain the substantive chairman of the Labour Party in Edo State. No part of the party has been dissolved. The group you mentioned has no legal right or backing to dissolve any executive of a state council,” he added.

Ogbaloi assured that the situation in Benin City would be addressed as soon as he returned from Abuja.

At least five of the achievements listed by Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo to commemorate his first 100 days in office are seen as absurd by Nigerians.

These include a meeting with Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), which has got people talking.

Yahaya Bello passed the baton of state leadership to Ododo on January 27. On Wednesday, the governor marked his first 100 days in office, highlighting what he considered his achievements within the period.

The digital flyers posted on Ododo’s official social media handle on Wednesday contained 31 items across five major areas, such as governance, agriculture, education, health and general information.

As seen on one of the flyers, five seemingly absurd items under the governance section are:

Announcement of the first set of appointments on the first day in office; screening/swearing in of new commissioners and senior aides to the governor

First courtesy visit of Ife-Olukotun Community in Yagba East Local Government Area

Home coming of His Excellency to a Grand Reception in Okene

Participation in the meeting of the Progressive Governors’ Forum in Abuja

Joint meeting of the governors of Kogi, Ondo, Taraba with the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari

REACTIONS VIA QUOTES

Quoting the post, @hauwauthman said, “My thoughts and prayers are with my dear people of kogi State. God, I see what you’re doing for other people’s state, please whatever sin the people of Kogi state have committed, whatever witchcraft is over the state and it’s people, please lift it up and destroy it oh God.”

Another social user, @Jaheim007, wrote, “Meeting NSA is an achievement❗ what manner of shamelessness is this🤦🏽🤦🏽 you may as well as included whisking away the declared WANTED @OfficialGYBKogi from @officialEFCC thereby evading the law as an achievement. Ododo Olodo.”

@IGONO said the governor was “truly God-sent”. “Your Excellency, you are truly God sent! Within just 100 days and you have recorded these achievements that even PDP and their Igala Agenda people could attain with their 16 years in office,” he said.

“No checks. You people just type whatever comes to your head and feed the public to undermine your Governor and Kogi. Tell me how these are achievements:- Homecoming of the governor – First courtesy visit by Ife-Olukotun community – Meeting with the NSA,” @AlexAdeiza wrote in a tweet.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says it will begin the process of blocking loan apps that harass their customers.

Many Nigerians have complained about the harassment they are subjected to by these loan sharks

However, the commission’s acting chairman, Adamu Abdullahi, said the agency has begun to address the issue.

”It would soon be history in the country that online platforms that many people know as loan sharks, where some Nigerians access money quickly to solve urgent issues,” Abdullahi told the BBC

Recall that in March, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission said it was investigating over 400 cases of privacy breaches involving online loan apps.

It noted that investigations have revealed that “loan apps are overly intrusive.”

NDPC is also seeking a ban or restriction on mobile numbers found to have been used by lenders to breach the privacy of their customers.

“They generally violate the principles of data protection and privacy because they have access to contacts, pictures, messages, etc. of data subjects,” the commission stated.

By Joseph Adeiye


Ọpẹ George, the commissioner for economic planning and budget in Lagos State, has told journalists that Lagos has the 7th-ranked GDP in Africa after growing its gross domestic product (GDP) from N27 trillion in 2019 to N41 trillion. This is, however, far from the truth, according to credible data.

Geaorge said this while marking the first year of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office on Thursday.

“Over the last couple of years, Lagos has faced numerous challenges particularly when COVID-19 and #EndSARS struck. And so, we have had a lot of shocks within our system over the last couple of years and with everything going on around the world,” multiple sources quoted George as saying.

“We are currently riding the curve and we are coming out on a better side. You hear sometimes when they say Lagos is one of the largest economies in Africa and truly, it’s not static, we will continue to move based on what’s going on in the world.

“As we speak now, I believe that we are currently ranked 7th in terms of GDP in Africa. We contribute at least a minimum of over 20 percent of Nigeria’s GDP and you will find that over a period of review, during the first term of Mr Governor, we are moving in the right direction.

“Our GDP has moved from about N27 trillion to N41 trillion; everything shows that our indices are climbing in the right direction despite all the shocks and all the problems we have witnessed in the past.”

Lagos is not in the top 10 African economies ranked by GDP.

George failed to state the source used to compare Lagos to other economies on the continent, but based on more recent and reliable estimates, the commissioner’s claim was an ambitious one.

Lagos’s GDP, according to George, stands at N41 trillion. This means that the state’s GDP is $34.17 billion (converting ₦ to $ at N1,200 per dollar).

An International Monetary Fund report in April shows that Africa’s top ten economies (not counting Nigeria) all had GDPs exceeding $40 billion.

These economies are South Africa ($373bn), Egypt ($347bn), Algeria ($266bn), Ethiopia ($205bn), Morrocco ($152bn), Kenya ($104bn), Angola ($92bn), Ivory Coast ($86.9bn), Tanzania ($79.6bn) and Ghana ($75bn).

GDP rankings for African cities are a work in progress. Lagos is often ranked behind South Africa’s Johannesburg, Captown and Egypt’s Cairo as the African cities with the largest economy by GDP.

Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former chief executive of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, has been sentenced to four months in jail after he pleaded guilty to a money-laundering violation.

He was sentenced in U.S District Court in Seattle, as all the efforts of his lawyers to put him on probation without any prison time crashed.

Judge Richard A. Jones, who oversaw the case, said “Your conduct does not warrant a 36-month sentence.”

He called Mr. Zhao “a dedicated family man and a giving person” and praised his “staggering accomplishment” in building Binance.

Mr. Zhao, 47, in a brief remark to the court said “I failed here,” “I deeply regret my failure, and I’m sorry.”

David Yaffe-Bellany’s report from the court on April 30, 2024 stated that “Mr. Zhao pleaded guilty to only a single criminal count.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria awaits the extradition of Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Africa regional manager for Binance.

Recall that on March 22, 2024, Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager and his colleague Tigran Gambaryan, escaped from a guest house in Abuja, he reportedly fled Nigeria with a passport from the East African country. He was led by the guards to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the Ramadan fast.

Vice president of the Interpol (Africa) executive committee, Garba Umar has assured that he will be extradited.

Nigerians are holding onto cash at an unprecedented rate with a staggering 94 percent of the currency outside the banking system.

This Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stated this in its March 2024 Money and Statistics data.

The figures paints a concerning picture of declining trust in the banking system and potential risks to the nation’s economic growth.

According to the data on the CBN website, the amount of physical money M1 in circulation has skyrocketed compared to the previous year.

In January 2024, it stood at N3.65 trillion, more than double the N1.39 trillion recorded in January 2023.

This trend continued throughout the quarter, with March 2024 reaching N3.87 trillion, a 130 percent increase from the previous year.

This significant rise suggests the CBN has pumped more cash into the system, likely in response to the scarcity issues plaguing 2023.

While the CBN injects more cash, the amount held outside banks is growing even faster.

January 2024 saw N3.28 trillion outside the banking system compared to N792.18 billion just a year prior.

By March 2024, this figure had ballooned to a concerning N3.63 trillion, a 150 percent increase year-on-year.

This indicates Nigerians are hoarding cash at a rate exceeding the CBN’s efforts to increase circulation.

This behavior can be traced back to the severe cash scarcity crisis experienced in 2023.

The CBN’s flawed implementation of a naira redesign policy, intended to promote a cashless economy and combat crime, resulted in widespread disruption and a loss of trust in banks.

Fear surrounding the validity of old notes and difficulty accessing cash fueled a hoarding mentality that continues to this day.

The CBN has previously acknowledged the issue, citing “high volume withdrawals” from banks and “panic withdrawals” by customers.

It also warned banks and merchants against hoarding cash. However, despite these efforts and the suspension of fees on large cash deposits, Nigerians remain hesitant to return their money to the banking system.

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Thursday stated that some individuals don’t want the power sector to work because of their selfish gains.

He lamented that despite the number of Ministers the sector has churned, the power sector has continued to face challenges.

He spoke in Lagos at the commissioning of the 63 MVA, 132/33kV mobile station at Ajah, Lagos State.

He said, “We have had over 40 ministers in the past and we are still here, we know there will be resistance and distractions but Nigerians will start seeing our overwhelming impact the moment we complete the TCN projects.”

Daily Trust reports that this is coming amidst the recent increment in tariff which is generating anger and misgivings from Nigerians.

Currently, Nigerians classified in Band A are paying as much as N225/ kilowatts even as some of them have complained about not getting adequate supply.

The minister however admonished Nigerians to endure temporary pains to enjoy permanent pains, saying the government is very concerned about the welfare of its citizenry.

“Nigerians should not be cheated and that is why I don’t call this new tariff cost-reflective but service reflective,” he added.

He reiterated that all discos must provide 20-24 hours electricity before they charge N225/ kwh, saying, “if not they will be fined heavily.”

The Minister stated that the Ajah Mobile Substation represents a strategic deployment aimed at improving the transmission capacity constraints by over 1300MW across the nation.

According to the Minister, the Ajah mobile substation was aimed at enhancing transmission capacity, energy access and overall advancements towards the 4000MW to 6000MW improvement targets.

He said, “Its strategic placement at key sites such as Okene, Amukpe, Potiskum, Apo, Ajah, Birnin Kebbi and others underscores our dedication to enhancing transmission efficiency and reliability nationwide.

“The versatility of this Mobile Substation cannot be overstated. From addressing major load centers to serving as a stopgap measure during maintenance and emergencies, its flexibility ensures swift responses to fluctuating power demands, thereby contributing to uninterrupted service delivery.”

The 36 state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) have disclosed that they were reviewing their individual fiscal space as state governments and the consequential impact of various recommendations, geared towards arriving at an improved minimum wage that they can pay sustainably.

The governors said that they celebrate with workers across the country for their dedication to service and patience, as all have worked with the Federal Government, labour, the organised private sector, and relevant stakeholders in arriving at an implementable national minimum wage.

According to the governors, while they acknowledge various initiatives adopted recently by way of wage awards and partial wage adjustments, it was imperative to state that the 37-member tripartite committee inaugurated on the National Minimum Wage was still in consultation and yet to conclude its work, just as they said that they would remain committed to the process and promise that better wages would be the invariable outcome of their ongoing negotiations.

In a statement signed yesterday by the NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the end of the virtual meeting held Wednesday night, the state executives disclosed that they were committed to looking into issues bordering on the remuneration of state judicial officers and the infrastructure of the courts.


The statement read, “We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our meeting held today, deliberated on various issues of national importance.

“The Forum celebrates with workers across the country their dedication to service and patience as we work with the Federal Government, labour, organized private sector, and relevant stakeholders to arrive at an implementable national minimum wage.

“While we acknowledge various initiatives adopted recently by way of wage awards and partial wage adjustments, it is imperative to state that the 37-member tripartite committee inaugurated on the National Minimum Wage is still in consultation and yet to conclude its work. As members of the committee, we are reviewing our individual fiscal space as state governments and the consequential impact of various recommendations to arrive at an improved minimum wage we can pay sustainably. We remain committed to the process and promise that better wages will be the invariable outcome of ongoing negotiations.

“Members received the outgoing Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chadhuri, and the incoming Country Director, Mr. Ndiame Diop, of the World Bank, to discuss the Bank’s vision for transitioning. Mr. Chadhuri appreciated the Forum for the strategic role it continues to play in coordinating collective action for developmental change.

“He applauded the non-partisan character of the Forum, the professionalism of its Secretariat, and state governments’ commitment to mutual accountability mechanisms such as performance-based financing interventions by the Bank. Members expressed confidence in the choice of Mr. Diop to lead the collaboration going forward and look forward to a sustained and deepened relationship.


“The Forum discussed the revised National Policy on Justice (2024–2028) from the just concluded National Summit on Justice on 24th & 25th April 2024. Members agreed to consider the submissions from the summit as may concern their individual states, including recommended legal amendments, administrative improvements, and policies to strengthen the justice sector. Also, the Forum committed to looking into issues bordering on remuneration of state judicial officers and the infrastructure of the courts.

[b]“The Forum received a presentation from the National Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme—Core Working Group Secretariat, led by Ms. Rukaiya El-Rufai and Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab. Both highlighted the marginal progress made by states and its contribution to Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI), especially across health, nutrition, education, and labour force participation. Having reviewed the previous program design and national strategy, a revised governance and implementation roadmap was proposed to scale up impact and ensure sustainability. Members pledged to support the effective domestication of proposed revisions to the national HCD strategy.

“Members received a briefing from Mrs. Oyinda Adedokun, Program Manager, State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Federal Ministry of Finance Programmeme Coordination Unit. The briefing highlighted states’ performance in implementing advocated reforms relating to land administration; regulatory framework for private investment in fiber optic infrastructure, services provided by investment promotion agencies and public-private partnership units; efficiency and transparency of government-to-business services, under the World Bank financed program.[/b]

“The Forum commiserated with the Governors of Rivers State, H.E. Siminalayi Fubara, and Ogun State, H.E. Prince Dapo Abiodun, over the petrol tanker explosion and gas explosion that occurred on April 26th and 27th, 2024, respectively. Members called for proper maintenance of trucks, especially those fitted to convey Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and recommended appropriate training for truck drivers.

“On enforcement of regulations, members resolved to engage relevant Ministries, Departments, & Agencies (MDAs) in order to align the activities of federal regulators with the operations of officials at the sub-national level.”

This he said while appealing to the United States of America to repatriate more illicit funds transferred from Nigerian officials through its banking system.

The Nigerian government has promised that repatriated illicit funds would be allocated to infrastructure development, focusing on projects in vital sectors requiring substantial investment.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made this known at the 6th Session of the Nigeria-US bi-national commission in Abuja on Monday.

This he said while appealing to the United States of America to repatriate more illicit funds transferred from Nigerian officials through its banking system.

Ambassador Tuggar, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adamu Lamuwa reiterated the Nigerian government’s commitment to utilising the funds for the collective benefit of its citizens, in line with agreements with development partners.

He emphasised the need for increased support from the US, citing $308million as insufficient compared to Nigeria’s losses from illegal fund transfers over the years.

He added that the funds would be allocated to infrastructure development, focusing on projects such as roads, schools, education, and other vital sectors requiring substantial investment.

He said, “I would like to appreciate the fallout of the Democratic National Convention held in February 2020 in Washington, DC. The governments of Nigeria, the United States, and Jersey signed a tripartite agreement to return to Nigeria the sum of over $308 million of funds stolen from the country.

“I would also urge the U.S. to do more because $308million is a meagre amount when you look at the resources that Nigeria has lost over the years due to illegal transfers of funds from the country.

“The Nigerian government has committed to using these funds for the benefit of all Nigerians, as agreed with development partners. These funds are aimed at developing infrastructure, particularly projects in roads, schools, education, and other sectors of the economy that require this substantial return.”

Lamuwa emphasised that the theme for this year, “Partnership for Mutual Benefit and Development,” held particular relevance and timeliness given the pressing need for such collaboration.

He added that as two major democracies, bolstering ties between the countries would hold promise for an even more robust partnership, fostering peace, prosperity, and advancement in Africa.

President Bola Tinubu was forced to travel to Saudi Arabia on a charter flight at the weekend for the ongoing World Economic Forum in Riyadh from the Netherlands, according to the Peoples Gazette.

It was learnt that his main private jet was undergoing rehabilitation and a second aircraft he was travelling on developed a fault in the Netherlands, sources told the newspaper.

The Nigerian leader arrived in The Hague on April 23 from Nigeria for a series of economic and diplomatic engagements at the instance of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Peoples Gazette reports that the Nigerian President learnt shortly before he was scheduled to depart the Netherlands on Friday that his plane had suffered unspecified problems, one of which an official identified as including an oxygen leak.

The president and his delegation left the presidential aircraft behind and opted for a charter jet company to take them to Saudi Arabia for the forum, arriving on Friday night.

The Gazette reported that Tinubu and some of his aides left Rotterdam on a Falcon 8X 9H-GRC private jet for the summit, which is scheduled for April 28-29. The rest, including several ministers and other high-ranking administration officials, made the trip on separate support aircraft and commercial airlines.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream G550 class, was originally dedicated to Vice-President Kashim Shettima. SaharaReporters learnt that it was the aircraft also used by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

However, according to Peoples Gazette, the president used it on his foreign trip because his dedicated carrier, the Boeing 737 business jet class operated by the Nigerian Air Force 001, has been under maintenance for several weeks.

On March 25, the plane was taken to a maintenance facility at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, a commercial administrative region jointly controlled by France, Germany, and Switzerland. As of Saturday night, it had not been returned to Nigeria.

The Gulfstream jet was later fixed and sent to Saudi Arabia, where it is now waiting to return the president to Nigeria after his official trip on April 29, The Gazette reported.

Checks by SaharaReporters also revealed that the Gulfstream G550 marked 5N-FGW was parked at Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia at the time of filing this report.

While President Tinubu according to a video posted by Channels Television got to the oil-rich country around 7 pm on Friday, April 26, 2024, the presidential jet left Rotterdam around the same time and got to Riyadh airport at about 2 am on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

This suggests that the aircraft was later fixed and sent to Saudi Arabia to return the President to Nigeria.

Also, further checks revealed that the Nigerian Air Force 1, a Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) marked 5N-FGT has been parked at Euro Airport in Germany since March 25, 2024.

This means by Saturday, April 27, the Tinubu-led government had paid €165,000 as a parking fee for the aircraft.

The amount accounts for the aircraft’s parking charges for 33 days, at the rate of €5,000 per day.

The presidential jet was moved from Zaria to Germany for repairs.

Another jet in the presidential fleet, a Falcon 7X jet (5N-FGV) is also in France.

The aircraft arrived in Paris on April 22 from Istanbul, Turkey.

However, SaharaReporters could not ascertain why the presidential jet was taken to France, at the time of filing this report.

In the last one year, President Tinubu visited the country multiple times for medical attention and to see his doctors.

A few months after appointment as acting director-general of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo is enmeshed in alleged financial recklessness, violations of government procurement regulations, and gross abuse of office.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the top aviation regulator had proposed to spend N3,000,000,000 on purchase of vehicles; N4,317,070,233 on “international transport”; N3,310,009,756 on “local transport and travels for training” and; N8,342,547,767 on “travels and transport”.

But soon after his appointment as acting DG on December 13, 2023, Mr Najomo went on spending spree, purchasing a 2022 Toyota Landcruiser (70th Anniversary Edition) worth over N250m, which was not even captured in the budget.

An insider told this newspaper that there is no appropriation approval by the National Assembly in NCAA budget for the purchase of this particular vehicle.

DAILY NIGERIAN investigations also revealed that the SUV was procured without the statutory approvals of the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council.

“The NCAA took delivery of the vehicle towards the end of February this year. The vehicle has full option specifications. The DG has been using it with the DG’s official custom number plate “01”.

“The DG’s extra-budgetary expenditure is a gross violation of government procurement and financial regulations, which stipulates 5-year jail term without option of fine.

“A government policy provides that no motor vehicle, no matter how inconsequential the price, shall be purchased by MDAs without the approval of the Federal Executive Council,” the source added.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the acting director general also approved foreign trainings for 109 staff at a cost of over N1 billion within the week he assumed duty as acting DG.

It was gathered that staff are yet to embark on the trip months after the payment.

“This mismanagement is in addition to several actions by the acting DG that has raised eyebrows within the industry, which include non-compliance with government directives to open new TSA accounts for deduction of 50% income and attempt to circumvent the directives by attempting to convert $13 million to naira without equivalent naira expenses,” said the source.

The source noted that the infractions have led to the freezing of the authority’s TSA account domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“This red a red flag that led to a subsequent freezing of the authority’s TSA accounts with CBN. Also, the acting DG approved foreign training for over 100 staff at a cost of over N1 billion within the week he assumed office as the DG. It is observed that the staff are from the Directorate of Air Transport Regulation, the erstwhile Directorate he was heading. The foreign training is yet to commence several months after approval.

“In estacode alone, the DG approved the payment of 129,000 dollars, while over N350m approved for air tickets. Don’t even talk about the cost of the training and other expenses,” the source added.

But when contacted to respond to the allegations, Vivien Okeyia of the Public Affairs Department of the NCAA denied the allegations, saying the figures quoted for the purchase of the DG’s vehicle were inconcorrect.

“First, there is the need to purchase the vehicles because the acting DG and other directors don’t have official vehicles. The former director general left with vehicles,” she said.

Although insiders had confirmed that the acting DG had been using the vehicle for over one month, Ms Okeyia said the vehicle had not been purchased yet.

She added that it is one of the several other vehicles to be purchased for the top management officials of the NCAA.

“On the issue of N1 billion for staff training, I can tell you authoritatively that there is still some training even from the 2023 budget that are yet to be done, which I can attest to. I think they should have carried out a proper investigation before bringing this up,” Ms Okeyia said.

She also denied claims of non-compliance with the Treasury Single Account, TSA, and non-remittance of statutory deductions to the CBN.

“I don’t even know where that is coming from. But it is not true. Just recently, the aviation union workers threatened to downtool over the 50 % remittance of aviation IGR to the government. So that already cancels the argument and tells you that the DG is not withholding anything,” she said.

The NCAA spokesperson, however, didn’t comment on the alleged freezing of the agency’s account by the CBN over attempts to convert $13 million into naira.

In his reaction to allegations of retaining the official vehicle of the director-general, the suspended DG, Capt. Musa Nuhu, said he is still the substantive director-general of the NCAA.

“Let me correct you that I was not sacked as DG of NCAA. I was only suspended to pave the way for investigation. By law, I’m still the director-general. The official vehicles have been in my use for some years, and I am entitled to offer of first refusal at the vehicle’s salvage value at the end of my tenure,” he said.

There are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not relenting in its determination to investigate allegations of corruption against some ministers and other officials, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Only last week, former Minister of Aviation under Buhari, Hadi Sirika, was invited by the anti-graft agency to answer questions on allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and contract inflation. It was alleged that the former Minister awarded aviation contracts amounting to over N8 billion to his brother, who is also a civil servant.

Sirika is billed to be arraigned anytime this week. Commenting on the former minister’s arrest and President Bola Tinubu’s government’s fight against corruption, a source in the presidency, who craved anonymity, because he had no mandate to speak, said: “Like I said before, this government has zero tolerance for corruption. The government is investigating past officials and is ready to recover stolen funds from whoever is found culpable. Some of those who consider themselves untouchables would soon find out that there are no sacred cows in the President’s determination to recover stolen funds.”

Another source said: “You will soon begin to see similar cases. The EFCC is working on many of them but will only invite the targets after concluding their investigations. The former President, who is an anti corruption champion, has washed off his hands and would not lift a finger to save any of his officials found wanting. By now, there would have been so many cases but I learnt that many of them were doing secret plea bargaining and returning stolen funds into government coffers. Whoever is found culpable, and refuses to plea bargain, will have a court date.”

The outgoing Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, says he is now going fully into business and he is ready to give Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, a run for his money.

Adeoye stated this on Saturday during his ceremonial pull out parade from the Nigeria Police Force at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, Anambra State capital.

According to him, he had been at various police units and formations in Anambra state and performed very well, noting that during those years, he served many police commissioners who recorded outstanding performances.

He said that his long sevice to the state before becoming a commissioner made him a better commissioner, who was prepared for the position.

He also stated that he had been to various dangerous places without a scare to the glory of God.

“I have been through militancy in Niger Delta, Boko Haram in North East, fought IPOB militancy in the South East, and I’m glad that I’m alive today. Despite face-to-face gunfire and bombs we encountered, to the glory of God I did not have any scare on me.

“The opportunity of being made Commission of Police in Anambra State was my crowning glory of my career in the police. I came in prepared as the CP of the State,” he said.

Adeoye, while commending the Nigeria Police and Nigerians said he had also prepared himself for retirement days.

“I thank NPF for the opportunity to serve and Nigeria for investing in me through training at home and abroad. I have been privileged to be trained in Ghana, England, Israel, California and more.

“I have served abroad in the United Nations, and this career gave me opportunities for self development, and these have prepared me for retirement. It’s been a unique privilege serving Anambra.

“I’m proud of my men at Anambra State Police Command. You are gallant, heroic and never giving up. We didn’t achieve anything through individual efforts but with other sister agencies,” he stated.

He said that he founded Alpha Trust Investment Club (ATIC) Limited in 2018 and they started it with a modest sum of N54 million, but the investment was now worth over N20 billion.

He said the club currently has investments worth over N20billion, and that as he retired, he would go into business full time, ready to give Dangote a run for his money.

“That will be my full time business from Wednesday, May 1 when I fully disengage. We have been investing and now we want to go into full time business and we will in the next 10 years give Dangote a run for his money,” Adeoye said.

He also described Anambra State as a good place with good people, saying that he cannot say any evil against the state and the people.

Earlier, the Anambra State Governor, represented by Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim, praised Adeoye for his efforts in helping Soludo fight insecurity in the state.

He said, “There’s a time to start and a time to begin and a time to end everything. We knew today would come. The CP came to Anambra and has played his role meritoriously. He came when Soludo was tackling insecurity and people were in the bush fighting lawful citizens.

“Adeoye came in at the same time with his own style and dedication, sincerity of purpose and doggedness and within a short space, Anambra is now calm.
It is not over until it is over and the fight is still sustained.

“If it were in our hands, we will say let this good man continue because we are happy with his works. A street has been named after him and many awards too. I’m happy to proclaim that you are now a citizen of Anambra. We wish you well in your future endeavours.”

Popular singer Davido has boastfully stated that his family is responsible for the distribution of electricity to major parts of Nigeria.

According to him, his family owns four power plants, which significantly contribute to Nigeria’s energy needs.

Appearing on an American podcast, ‘Business Untitled,’ Davido spoke on his family business and personal investments.

He said: “I once tried to go into cryptocurrency because Nigeria is big on crypto. Apart from that, me and my family have like four power plants worth a lot of money. We distribute energy to most of Nigeria.

“My wife is into culinary. We are trying to start a restaurant for her. But my main business is what I love; my music.”

By Clement A. Oloyede (Abuja) & Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt)


A former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has remained uncharacteristically quiet in the political scene of Rivers State even as the rift between his successor, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara enters the phase where political leaders in the state take positions behind the two, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

Amaechi, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as the Minister for Transport (2015–2023) and governed the oil-rich state between 2007 and 2015, is not a stranger to the predecessor-successor bickerings in the state, as there was no love lost between him and Wike, who succeeded him as governor of the state between 2015 and 2023.

Many observers had noted that Amaechi, who had been the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State since the party’s formation, gradually became withdrawn from the party’s affairs from the time he lost his bid for the presidential ticket of the party to incumbent President Bola Tinubu and after the general elections, when his preferred candidate, Tonye Cole, was defeated by Fubara, who had the backing of Wike.

But after the fallout between Wike and Fubara, many had expected Amaechi and his supporters to take the side of Fubara, owing to the well-reported animosity between him (Amaechi) and Wike. This, however, did not happen as the former minister maintained a deafening silence even as the APC National Working Committee (NWC) dissolved the Rivers APC state executive council, which was loyal to Amaechi, and installed a caretaker committee with members loyal to Wike, who is serving in the federal cabinet of the APC-led government as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Eze Chukwuemeka, a chieftain of the APC in Rivers and an ally of Amaechi, had said at that time that the dissolution of the party’s leadership in the state was “part of the ongoing efforts in a series to wane and totally demolish the political influence and legacies of Amaechi in Rivers State. The public should expect more in the coming months as the stage is set for the cabal to publicly display what has been strategically agreed upon behind closed doors.”

He said this was a grand ploy to demean Amaechi. “Things have fallen apart in the party. Some people from the party recently went to meet Wike to pledge their loyalty to him as their leader, although Wike is not a member of the APC,” he said, adding that the entire scenario was meant to spite Amaechi.

This ridicule, many observers noted, emanated from two sides: first, they suggested that it could have been a sort of payback against Amaechi for refusing to withdraw his ambition and support President Tinubu during the APC presidential primary election, where he came in second with 316 votes against President Tinubu’s 1,271 votes. The second reason, which they believe is closely related to the first, was the decision of Wike to work for the success of Tinubu during the general election against Atiku Abubakar, his own party’s (PDP) candidate. Those close to the president believed that Wike unilaterally delivered the 231,591 votes the president got from the 23 local government areas of the state. As such, it was not surprising when the president appointed Wike as a member of his cabinet from the state, contrary to the traditional way of the president’s party producing the cabinet member.

Observers have thus expected Amaechi to take full advantage of Wike’s rift with his estranged political godson and current governor, Fubara, to get back at his former Chief of Staff-turned-political foe.

This is even as Wike’s former ally and former governor of the state, Peter Odili, decided to identify with Fubara in the ongoing fight. Aside from Odili, other political leaders in the state have also taken the side of Fubara in the fight. They include: former national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus; a former Minister of Transport and the Director General of the PDP-PCC in Rivers State, Dr Abiye Sekibo; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Austin Opera; a former governor of the state, Sir Celestine Omehia; a former deputy governor of the state, Tele Ikuru; Senator Lee Maeba; and former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Gabriel Pidomson, among others.

Surprisingly, however, Amaechi has not publicly commented on the ongoing rift or taken sides. After the 2023 general election, the former minister went back to school, completed his law programme, and was admitted into the Nigerian Bar alongside 4,411 other successful candidates in March.

Like Amaechi, several other leaders of the APC in Rivers State have also refused to comment on the rift between Wike and Fubara, making observers believe the Amaechi faction of the APC in the state may be biding their time. The APC gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election in the state, Tonye Cole, an ally of Amaechi, has also maintained a stoic attitude towards the development of the state, but Senator Magnus Abe, who earlier left the APC to contest the governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in January announced his decision to return to the APC and said it was only proper to support Tinubu’s administration. He has, however, also refused to comment on the Rivers political crisis.


Amaechi wants Rivers people to be the judge of character – Aide

Speaking with Daily Trust Saturday, however, a media aide to Amaechi, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said that the former governor of Rivers State is not keeping quiet or silent about the political development in Rivers State.

Eze, who spoke with Daily Trust Saturday in Port Harcourt, said that it was wrong to assume that the Wike or his loyalists have taken over APC in Rivers State. He added that it’s an elusive dream to assume that Ameachi has lost out in Rivers State politics.

“That is nothing but an elusive dream, as they lack what it takes to take over the structure of the party in the state. Forget about the so-called APC; they know that they have lost the battle for the soul of the party in the state as all their plans are falling down like the cards.

“In answer to your question on what Amaechi is doing, to the best of my understanding, it is to bring to light the statement that ‘silence most of the time is golden and that silence at times is louder than much noise’.

“For a clearer picture, Amaechi has played his politics in Rivers State for over 24 years, and in the same vein, Wike has also played his own politics for 24 years in Rivers State. What Amaechi is doing is allowing the people of Rivers State and the entire Nigerian population to compare the politics and personalities of these two characters and then determine who is a better leader to lead the state in 2027.

“I will suggest that we just be calm and watch out for the scenario. Wike can’t take over APC when he is the greatest enemy of APC in the state; he never knew how it was formed, so what he is currently doing is the type of politics he is well known for, which will come to nothing in a few years.

“In conclusion, Amaechi is the soul of Rivers State politics, and neither Wike nor anybody born by a woman can dislodge him, no matter the evil machinations or plots. Those who have followed Wike sheepishly have come to understand the political blunder they have committed and are in the process of retracing their steps. It is also not in doubt that Fubara is the current governor of Rivers State, and nobody will deny him that. Amaechi, as a peaceful and patriotic fellow, can’t work against the state or her governor.”

Another associate of the former minister, who pleaded anonymity, said Ameachi is a man of high principle and does not give in to flippant talks.

He said Amaechi was busy all this time with his law programme and was just called to the bar.

“He is fully aware of all the political activities in the state and will talk at an appropriate time,” he said.

The immediate past Publicity Secretary of APC in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, said Amaechi has always been wary of taking on issues pertaining to his former staff and will always maintain that disposition.

“He supported someone else against Wike in 2015 and 2019 for reasons Rivers people and Nigerians are now beginning to ask his (Amaechi’s) opinions. What else will he say that he didn’t say before? Asking where he is in the current fight for the soul of Rivers State will be most unfair to him.

“As per the talk of Wike’s loyalists taking over the APC in Rivers State, we leave that to the courts to decide,” he added.

At Least 85 terrorists were killed in another series of clashes between the Islamic State of the West African Province, ISWAP, and Boko Haram in Borno State.

In a post on his X handle on Friday, Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in Lake Chad, said the nonstop intensified clashes of supremacy happened between April 24 and 25, 2024.

Makama added that the development has led to the dislodgement of the Boko Haram rival faction from several Islands previously seized from the ISWAP groups.

“Impeccable sources told Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region that shortly after the terrorists encounter in Kukawa axis, on April 24, 2024, ISWAP mobilized to reinforce its fighters stationed at Tumbum Allura, recaptured recently from JAS elements who desire to carry out reprisals to recover the island.

“The sources said ISWAP fighters were also moved from Sabon Tumbu and Kirta Wulgo towards Tumbum Allura, Daban Wanzam, Abuja Ruwa with over 30 boxes of suspected ammunition and weapons,” he wrote.

Makama also disclosed that clashes resumed when ISWAP launched another attack on Boko Haram at Tudun ShawakkiI, Tumbum Bakwarram, Mallam Basiru and Kwaleram killing several Boko Haram fighters.

“On April 25, ISWAP lunched another attack on the position of Boko Haram at Kandahar and Tumbum Ali Island in Marte LGA. The gunfight ensued from 1am to 5am Friday April 26, 2024,” he said.

The security expert explained that ISWAP subsequently gained upper hand against the Boko Haram killing over 70 of them and capturing several others alive with their weapons.

In his analysis, Makama suggested that the incessant, and ever worsening, clashes between ISWAP and Boko Haram has continued to provide ampler opportunities for government security forces to seize in order to exterminate the two rival groups and stamp out the terror scorching the Lake Chad Basin.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State said the state government will continue to support the Nigerian Navy to achieve its mandate of fighting criminalities in the waterways, and oil theft.

Governor Fubara said this in a meeting with the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, and other top naval officers at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Thursday.

This is contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Nelson Chukwudi, the chief press secretary to Governor Fubara.

The governor told the visiting delegation that the country was facing myriads of challenges, including insecurity and criminal activities that threaten the national economy, which should not be overlooked.

“The success of the Nigerian Navy in our State, in the areas of oil theft, is because the State Government has given you all the necessary support.

“We have also maintained good relationships with the communities to make sure that whatever it is that is required for these operations to be successful were granted. I am happy to be associated with these very laudable achievements.”

“So, I have to say that I am happy that the Chief of Naval Staff, today, is commending the success of the exercise. He is commending the doggedness of the men in fighting oil theft, not just in the Niger Delta, but particularly in our State.

“I want to assure you that we will continue to give them the support, and discourage any act that would be a sabotage to the economy of our State,” Mr Fubara said.


Arrest of 14 crude oil vessel

In his remarks during the meeting, the Chief of Naval Staff, Mr Ogalla, acknowledged the support of the Rivers State Government and informed Governor Fubara of the achievements recorded by the Nigerian Navy in the area.

Mr Ogalla thanked the state government for donating two model schools in the state for the Navy for training of personnel. He also told Mr Fubara that a set of former civilians will be graduating on Saturday at the Navy Basic Training School in Onne.

Speaking further, Mr Ogalla said the Navy is relocating its training command headquarters to the state.

Reeling out its achievements in the state, the chief of naval staff said over 14 vessels carrying crude oil have been arrested in the state in four months.

“We are happy to report, today, that the erstwhile location of Headquarters of Naval Training Command, Lagos, is moving to that particular school location in Eleme, tomorrow.

“Over 14 large crude carrying vessels have been arrested within that period. Most of them are at various levels of investigation. We have also arrested several barges and other companies and organisations that are involved in oil theft.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) yesterday signed a contract with African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited (ARPHL) to build a 100,000bpd refinery within the Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Rivers state. The national oil company disclosed the deal on its social media handle, indicating that the Executive Director, Downstream of the NNPC, Dapo Segun signed on its behalf. On its website, ARPHL described itself as the special purpose vehicle incorporated for the specific purpose of co-locating the 100,000bpd crude oil refinery in Nigeria.

It stated that in line with the strategic plan of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the NNPC in 2016 advertised a Request for Proposal (RFP) , seeking bids for private investors to transfer brownfield crude oil refineries to the existing refinery sites in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri. According to the firm, this was aimed at increasing Nigeria’s national refining capacity in the shortest possible time frame. ARPHL said it submitted a comprehensive proposal and solution to NNPC by the deadline and applied for the Port Harcourt collocation opportunity along with 11 other investors.

It stated that by virtue of having the “most complete package”, it was declared the winning bidder for the Port Harcourt co-location project. However, the value of the contract was not stated.“Under the aforementioned MoU, we entered into an agreement with NNPC, whereby ARPHL will own and operate the 100,000 bpd refinery on 46 hectares of vacant land adjacent the PHRC ’s refinery complex, where we will benefit from direct crude supply from NNPC and access to other shared services, e.g. security, electricity, water, storage, jetty,” it added.

However, a source told THISDAY that it did not make sense that the Port Harcourt refinery, which had been under rehabilitation for years had yet to begin operation and another deal was being signed to build an additional one.Recall that part of the $1.5 billion facility to repair the Port Harcourt plant was taken from Afreximbank at the time, a debt which the NNPC is supposed to be servicing.In December last year, the company announced the ‘mechanical completion’ of phase 1 of the 210,000bpd Port Harcourt refinery. Since then, it has not started refining crude oil.

“NNPC Ltd.’s move to boost local refining capacity witnessed a boost today with the signing of share subscription agreement between NNPC Limited and African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited for the co-location of a 100,000bpd capacity refinery within the PHRC complex.“The signing of the agreement is a significant step towards setting in motion the process of building a new refinery which, when fully operational, will supply Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and other petroleum products to the local and international markets and provide employment opportunities for Nigerians,” the NNPC said in the announcement.

Meanwhile, several filling stations remained shut in Abuja and its environs yesterday as the petrol supply crisis which began a few days ago, worsened.Aside Abuja, Nasarawa, Niger, other states close to the federal capital were impacted by the supply challenge, leaving commuters stranded.Motorists besieged the few filling stations, including NNPC, resulting in long queues on Obasanjo Way, Zone 1, Conoil as well as Total filling stations opposite the NNPC headquarters in Abuja.

It was the same story at in Zuba, Niger State at AYM Shafa, NNPC outlet on Arab Road, Kubwa, Nyanya, Nasarawa State, among others. The situation was the same at stations owned by AA Rano, Mobil, NIPCO and Ardova Plc.While the few open filling stations were selling for as high as N680 per litre and N700, at the roadside black market, the product sold for up to N1,000 per litre.But in a reaction, the NNPC stated that the problem arose from logistics issues, assuring that it had been resolved.

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) wishes to clarify that the tightness in the supply of PMS currently being experienced in some areas across the country is as a result of logistics issues and that they have been resolved.“It also wishes to reiterate that the prices of petroleum products are not changing. It urges Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficiency of products in the country,” Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said in a statement.

Nigeria’s external reserves shed $2.16 billion in the past month, falling to a seven-year low of $32.29 billion on April 15, 2024, from $34.45 billion on March 18, 2024, according to CBN data.

A recent Bloomberg report suggested that Nigeria is burning through its foreign exchange reserves at a rate not seen in four years, raising concerns that the central bank is depleting its dollar holdings to support the naira after pledging it would allow the currency to float more freely.

Liquid reserves declined 5.6% since March 18, when the naira started its rebound from record-low levels against the dollar to $31.7 billion as of April 12, according to Bloomberg’s calculations based on the latest available data from the CBN, that’s the biggest decline in a similar period since April 2020, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.


How naira has performed since January

At the beginning of the year, the naira went down to about N1,900 to a dollar. However, the naira has been gaining strength lately and has gone up to about N1,100 to a dollar.

The central bank said last month that it had cleared a backlog of overdue dollar purchase agreements estimated at $7 billion since the beginning of the year.

Nigeria still has a sizable cushion of foreign exchange reserves, buoyed by a rally in oil prices and inflows from multi-lateral loans. Gross reserves of around $32.6 billion cover about six months’ worth of imports, according to the International Monetary Fund.


What the FMDQ data revealed

Data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange, which tracks trading activity at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), showed that the central bank has only sold $581 million in the official market.

That leaves the CBN’s sales accounting for only 3.2 per cent of the total market turnover of $17.9 billion in the same period.

The data also showed that the CBN bought dollars from the banks on two occasions within the period. One was a $50 million transaction on March 28 and the other $30 million on March 27, bringing it to a total of $80 million.

When the apex bank’s $80 million sales to Bureau de Change operators this year (since lifting a three-year-old ban) is factored in alongside the $581 million sold at the official market, the total CBN interventions come to $661 million.

In comparison, Nigeria’s external reserves shed $2.16 billion in the past month. That figure is, however, more than double the combined interventions of the CBN in the market

The data from NAFEM shows the reserve drop did not flow into FX sales.

According to data from the CBN, out of the $6.11 billion in total outflows made during this period, $3.07 billion was spent on servicing external debt.


Cardoso explains depletion

Speaking on the sideline of the just concluded Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank in Washington DC, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso said the depleting external reserve is mostly due to factors such as debt repayments, other obligations and also due to the ordinary course of business.

He said: ‘What is important to us is that there is sufficient liquidity in the market. $1 billion is out now, sometimes it is $600, $700 million as the case may be, and that will continue.

“What you see with respect to the shifts in our reserves, is a shift that you will find in any country’s reserves situation, where for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made: they are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility intact.”

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has redeployed two commissioners in his cabinet in a major shake-up since he took the mantle of leadership of the state.

Tammy Danagogo, secretary to the state government (SSG), announced the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Fubara redeployed Zacchaeus Adangor, attorney-general and commissioner for justice, to the ministry of special duties.

The governor also deployed Isaac Kamalu, commissioner for finance, to the ministry of employment generation and economic empowerment.

Danagogo said the commissioners are to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their outgoing ministries, adding that deployment is with immediate effect.

Both commissioners are loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the immediate former governor of Rivers and incumbent minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Last year, the commissioners resigned from their positions following the political feud between Wike and Fubara.

They were later reinstated after Wike and Fubara signed a peace accord facilitated by President Bola Tinubu.

Wike and Fubara are locked in a struggle for control of Rivers’ political structure.

The political crisis led to the defection of 27 state house of assembly members, who are loyal to Wike, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers have been threatening the govenor with impeachment.

The lawmakers have vetoed the governor in at least three bills after he refused his assent.

The Lagos State government on Tuesday hinted that it has commenced moves to introduce about 2, 000 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses into the state before the end of 2024.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi disclosed this at the commencement of the 2024 ministerial briefing on the activities of the ministry in the administration of Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

Osiyemi also said the state government is set to launch about 231 electric vehicles by the end of June, 2024.

According to Osiyemi, the state government is already engaging a private company on the acquisition of the CNG buses which will be distributed in two phases of 1,000, scheduled to be introduced by the end of 2024.

He explained that measure was part of efforts to alleviate the effects of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government on the residents.

“We are also looking at introducing about 231 electric vehicles on our road to complement the existing fleet of vehicles, using diesel and petrol,” Osiyemi stated.

The Commissioner added that the initiative was targeted at delivering cheaper, safer and more climate-friendly energy to residents and Nigerians in general.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja


S&P Global Commodity Insights has projected that when the 650,000 Dangote refinery finally ramps up refining activities, it could massively reduce West Africa’s reliance on import of petrol from Europe by as much as 290,000 bpd, thereby becoming a dominant supplier in the sub-region.S&P analysts, who spoke during a panel discussion themed: “Exploring West Africa’s Oil Product Flows in a Changing Refining Landscape”, agreed that although delayed, the $19 billion facility in Lagos will before 2026, significantly change the fuels supply landscape in West Africa.

The panel featured Joel Hanley, Matthew Tracey-Cook, Kelly Norways and Elza Turner, all analysts and contributors at S&P Global.Also, S&P said that Nigeria has recently cut the maximum sulphur content for gas oil imports from 3,000 parts per million to below 500ppm, thereby significantly stifling import of the product from Europe to Nigeria.

“Once Nigeria sees Dangote reach a steady state capacity, that could mean some 327,000 barrels per day gasoline (petrol) supply and 244,000 barrels per day of diesel or gas oil. In practice, how that splits between the domestic market and the export market remains to be seen.

“There’s a significant amount of pressure from the Nigerian government for significant volumes of that supply to flow to the domestic market to try and solve this cost of living crisis and prevent significant pay-outs that need to be made onto importing those large volumes.“ But in reality, when we see that start to scale up is still subject to debate. Dangote have been espousing some pretty punchy timelines.

“They’ve most recently been saying that they’re looking to produce gasoline by May latest, but in reality, our analysts expect that that would be something like the fourth quarter of this year and in a more realistic timeline.

“Once we see the refinery ramp up, that could mean that West African gasoline imports or the import reliance that they have at the moment could drop by as much as 290,000 barrels per day between 2023 and 2026. So really, this could become quite a dominant supplier in the West African market, subject to when we start to see those barrels hit the market in Nigeria and the local region,” said Norways, Downstream Sector Oil analyst at S&P.S&P described the ongoing level of downstream activities in the downstream as a ‘flux’, stressing that the Dangote refinery may also reduce the amount of cargo that often sit off the coast of West Africa.

“ If you’ve ever been to Lagos, you see these enormous queues of refined products tankers waiting there. Now, one thing that I think people thought might relieve some of the pressure and, as I said, redress the imbalance somewhat would be the Dangote refinery
“And it’s finally got going, not fully up to speed perhaps, but we started to see a cargo coming out, which is exciting,” stated Hanley, a Director at S&P.Hanley stated that while the ramp-up is important, it was also important for the firm to look at ‘where the money is.’

“ As you said, there’s pressure from the Nigerian government because, of course, they would like this much-vaunted, long-awaited, Waiting for Godot kind of refinery to supply the local market and take some of the pressure off.“But if the international markets are prepared to pay up for that product, then it’s going to be tricky. It’s a very tricky balance to decide where that flow will go,” Hanley added.

With the upcoming Port Harcourt and the Warri refineries, about four major refineries in South Africa, the new refinery in Ghana and Angola’s ongoing three plants, Turner, a Contributor at S&P, stated that the sub-region was undergoing quite a massive change in the refinery landscape. “They (Angola) ‘re building three new refineries. There are all sorts of other projects in Africa. Over the years, there have been indications of Russian companies interested in building some of these refineries. There has been hardly any update in the recent years about those.“

But we have a lot of upgrade programmes in Africa, and quite a few refineries are involved in building new secondary units,” Turner said.Another analyst at the firm, Tracey-Cook, noted that: “Russia has completely cut off exports to West Africa, which saw some other regions that we haven’t previously seen exporting take some space in the total export pool”.“So the Mediterranean, specifically Spain, has been taking a larger role in Europe, exporting gasoline into Nigeria in particular,” Tracey-Cook said.The much-awaited Dangote refinery last week announced a price reduction of diesel to N1,000 per litre from N1,200 previously and has refuted insinuations that the slash in price was attributable to the high sulphur content of its products.

A leading and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa, has countered the Minister of State for Defence, Mr Bello Matawalle, stating that Northern elders are neither a burden nor paperweights whatsoever.

Matawalle had, in a statement with the title, ‘Tinubu Presidency: Northern Elders Forum, a political burden to the North, said they do not speak for the region, and described the Northern Elders as ‘paperweights and a burden’.

In a statement, he issued on Sunday, Marafa said rather than negatively portraying the Northern elders, Matawalle should have listed the achievements, programmes and policies, projects of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the North and the country as a whole in the first 10 months of the administration.

He said calling the elders of the region, which has and gave the highest number of votes to ensure victory for the Tinubu presidency, was counterproductive and a great disservice to the president, who is working tirelessly towards addressing the numerous challenges facing all segments and sectors of the country, among them terrorism, insurgency, economic and financial malfeasance and infrastructural decay, to list a few.

At the moment, Marafa insists that what President Tinubu needs from his appointees is support, loyalty and hard work to actualise the Renewed Hope Agenda conceived to return the country to the path of progress and prosperity, not sycophancy and unguarded statements.

Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central Senatorial District (2011 -2019), called on the minister to withdraw the offensive statement and tender, without delay, an unreserved apology to the Northern elders and Northerners in general.

“In the last one week, I have been inundated with calls from well-meaning and prominent stakeholders in our region and party, the APC, who know my relationship with the President.

“They are worried and disturbed that the unfortunate statement by the Minister of State for Defence, if not addressed, could affect the president’s electoral fortunes in our region because it will be seen as if the minister spoke the mind of the president or the Presidency.

“The crux of the matter is that; whether you like them or not these people are called Northern Elders, so, unless they are stripped of that title by the people of the region, insulting them is tantamount to insulting the entire people of the region.

“It’s not in our culture and upbringing to insult elders. No descent society will refer to its elders as a burden and paperweights. The North is not an exception.

” As one of the senators who worked very closely with Asiwaju as party leader (as he was then called) from the formation of APC through the primaries that led to the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as APC presidential candidate in Lagos, the politics of the National Assembly leadership in 2015 and 2019 and the processes and intrigues that characterised the 2023 Presidential Primaries, I can say without mincing words that President Tinubu holds the North, the Northerners, and their leaders in high esteem.

“Although, I’m not the mouthpiece of either the president or the Presidency, as a Northerner and an elder in the region, as an APC stakeholder and one that has worked closely with both the president and the Vice President, I want to state categorically that this view expressed by Mr Matawalle is his personal opinion and not in any way that of Mr President or the Presidency, and should, therefore, be disregarded.

“I know for sure that the North, Northerners and the Northern elders are neither a burden nor a paperweight in the scheme of things in the region and the country as a whole. The president shares this view, and therefore he is with me on this,” Senator Marafa concluded.

There are strong indications that the sudden resignation of former Managing Director and CEO of First Bank, Dr Adesola Adeduntan was triggered by directives from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

LEADERSHIP gathered that news of his resignation broke in Nigeria while Adeduntan was still attending the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC.

The former CEO suddenly notified the board of his intention to leave with effect from April 20, eight full months to the expiration of the third term of three years which he won as a reprieve by former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.

Announcing his retirement, the MD said: “As you are aware, my contract would be expiring on 31 December 2024 after which I would no longer be eligible for employment within the Bank having served as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank for a record time of nine years.

“During this period the Bank and its subsidiaries has undergone significant changes and broken new grounds. We have repositioned the institution as an enviable financial giant in Africa. I have however decided to proceed on retirement with effect from 20 April 2024 to pursue other interests.

“I am eternally grateful to the board of directors of FirstBank and FBN Holdings Plc for the support that I received from them during my stewardship. I wish our iconic institution continued success and progress as we move into the next phase of its evolution.”

Messages sent to the Bank were not replied as at the time of writing this report.
According to one inside source, “there are several moving parts in the unfolding drama.
There is the matter of an unresolved issue flagged by the regulator years ago and how this has not been fully resolved to the satisfaction of the apex bank and there is also the issue of mismanagement of relationships and added to this is the question of ego.”

One source said following the questions raised by the central bank, the initial target had been the entire board of the bank itself and there is a suggestion the apex bank dialled back once it realised that the current board of the bank was appointed by the CBN itself.

Recall that FBN Holdings Plc also cancelled its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled for April 30th, 2024 to get shareholders’ approval on the raising of N300 billion capital.

Before this sudden resignation there had been expectation that Adeduntan would take up the position of managing director at the HoldCo level but it is unclear if this plan was abandoned because the regulator withheld its approval of the request from the bank. There is what is called a two-year “cooling off period” imposed by the regulator between directorship tenures in banks in Nigeria and this may have counted against the plot for Adeduntan to move up.

On April 28, 2021 former directors at a board meeting of the bank had voted for Adeduntan to be retired as his second term was to expire but he regained his position after the board was sacked by CBN Governor Emefiele.

It is unclear why the bank CEO is leaving now but First Bank has had a policy by which Managing Directors of the bank were allowed only two terms of three years each. Adeduntan would have been the first CEO to last three full terms on the job.

“As you are aware, my contract would be expiring on 31 December 2024 after which I would no longer be eligible for employment within the Bank having served as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank for a record time of nine years,” Adeduntan said in his letter resigning.

According to the letter, “during this period the Bank and its subsidiaries have undergone significant changes and broken new grounds. We have repositioned the institution as an enviable financial giant in Africa. “I have however decided to proceed on retirement with effect from 20 April 2024 to pursue other interests.”

Furthermore, he expressed gratitude towards the board of directors of First Bank and FBN Holdings for the support he received from them during his tenure.

Adeduntan was appointed as CEO of First Bank in 2016. Prior to his appointment, he served as the bank’s executive director and chief financial officer (CFO). Before joining First Bank in July 2014, he was a director and the pioneer CFO/business manager of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). Adeduntan formerly worked as a senior vice-president and CFO at Citibank Nigeria Limited, as a senior manager in the financial services group of KPMG Professional Services, and as a manager at Arthur Andersen Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) appeared to have finally subdued arguably one of the most grueling and the multi-faceted attacks on the Naira in recent times.

This is just as data compiled by THISDAY on the daily turnover on the official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange (NAFEM) between January 18 and April 18, 2024, revealed the market has recorded total turnover of $12.66 billion over three months.

The trend in the daily turnover data showed fluctuations in value, with some days recording relatively low turnovers and others recording higher amount.

But findings showed that in February, there was a significant increase in turnover, with some days experiencing exceptionally high turnovers, particularly towards the end of the month.

Following a bouquet of reforms launched by the apex bank to sanitise the foreign exchange (FX) market at the inception of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the local currency had received direct hits from attackers who were mostly currency speculators.

The official exchange rate of the Naira to a dollar stood at about N465.07/$ at the time Tinubu took over the helm of affairs in June last year, promising to achieve a unified exchange rate in contrast to the multiple exchange system, which he had inherited.

The president, who had blamed the country’s economic woes and currency challenges on faulty policies of the central bank, immediately approved new measures aimed at stabilising the FX segment.

One of the major reforms introduced by the apex bank was the floating of the Naira, which immediately opened up a floodgate of vulnerabilities against the local currency.

Before the eventual liberalisation of the FX market, the past leadership of the central bank had been under severe pressure to float the local currency and allow it to find its real value. But the central bank, rather chose to adopt a managed-float regime, intervening in the market whenever the situation demanded.

The reluctance of the apex bank to float the currency was largely because the country remained heavily import -reliant and given that the move would create a likely liquidity crisis.

However, following the liberalisation of the exchange rate market, where forces of demand and supply determined the value of the currency, and amid series of devaluations, the Naira shed significant value.

As of June 21, 2023, the local currency had lost 38.7 per cent to trade at N763/$ on the official window– at par with the parallel market rate.

Among other things, the resulting confidence crisis as a result of a backlog of unsettled FX liabilities amid the expected liquidity challenges also limited the local currency’s chances of survival.

As of February this year, the Naira depreciated to about N1,800 to the dollar on the parallel FX market as its woes continued, amid a high inflationary environment and attendant impact on prices of goods and services.

At some point, analysts had called for the reverse of monetary policies to address the economic hardship resulting from the policy choices.

However, the CBN apparently achieved a breakthrough when it started to clear genuine FX backlogs, initially estimated at about N7 billion but reduced to about $4.5 billion as over $2 billion requests turned out to be fraudulent. It also commenced the sale of the greenback to Bureau De Change operators who hitherto were banned as well as lifted ban on 43 items that were prohibited from accessing FX from the official market.

The settlement of the outstanding FX indebtedness boosted confidence of local and international investors, particularly portfolio investors who had since injected significant liquidity in the market to help strengthen the ailing Naira.

The local currency has since returned to winning ways and currently trade at about N1,100/$, with the Naira’s positive performance expected to have salutary effects on the economy.

Only recently, Goldman Sachs, in a report, predicted Nigeria to rank as the world’s 5th largest economy by 2075. The report had also projected the country to emerge as world’s 15th largest economy by 2050.

The top global investment banker had further predicted the country’s GDP to reach $13.1 trillion by 2075, further solidifying its position as Africa’s largest economy.

The projection puts Nigeria ahead of Pakistan at 6th position, Egypt (7th), Brazil (8th), Germany (9th), UK (10th) Mexico (11th), Japan (12th), Russia (13th), Philippines (14th), and France (15th).

Analysts believed the feat was achieved through liquidity boosts and the aggressive monetary tightening regime implemented by the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, who have raised the Monetary Policy rate (MPR) by 600 basis points since assumption of office in a bid to achieve price stability.

The Naira’s major comeback has continued to attract accolades from analysts who have hailed the recent monetary policy direction of the apex bank.

But they have also expressed concerns that the present gains may become unsustainable in the long-run without a commensurate policy action by the fiscal authority.

Analysts who spoke with THISDAY emphasised the critical need to boost oil output, which has been dwindling, and underscored the significance of diversifying the economy and stimulating non-oil exports to enhance foreign exchange earnings.

They also hoped that the recent interest rate hike and current banking industry recapitalisation drive could further attract foreign exchange inflows.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management, Johnson Chukwu, emphasised the need to improve oil production to sustain the Naira’s current gains.

He told THISDAY that, “It is going to be tough one to sustain the current gains we have in Naira without improving oil production. The gains we have in Naira are driven by withdrawals from the central bank and DMO who have collectively withdrawn about N12.7 trillion and in addition, you have foreign portfolio investors who are enjoying the benefits coming in at low exchange rates and high interest rates.

“So, these are not sustainable measures. What is sustainable that will make the naira remain strong or improve further will be if we have improved our operating cash flow or operating foreign currency cash flow. And current cashflow for Nigeria for now remains oil production.”

He said, “We have witnessed a consistent decline in oil production in the past three months from a high of 1.64 million barrels per day in January to about 1.4 million barrels in march.

“The assured route to having stability in the naira will be to have significant improvement in oil production otherwise it would be difficult to sustain.”

On his part, the Head of Financial Institutions Ratings at Agusto & Co, Mr. Ayokunle Olubunmi, also harped on the need to diversify the economy, and bolster foreign exchange (FX) earnings.

He said, “The moves now for the CBN to handle the gains in the exchange rate. We have seen them raising the rates, settling the outstanding obligation actively engaging the international investment community to improve their confidence in Nigeria.

“All those are good, But the truth is that if we are going to maintain this appreciation, in summary, what we need to do is to increase our FX earnings and a bulk has to do on the fiscal side.

“What we have seen thus far that has helped us is actually foreign portfolio investments, and those are short-term funds, the next year they may take their funds out.

“So, things that can promote export, improve our non-oil exports because oil sentiment is going down and in the long-term, non-oil export would be critical while also looking at our oil export because that is the low hanging fruit.”

Olubunmi said, “As a country, we have a lot of non-oil exports that we can export out. Also, trying to reduce the bureaucracy and the challenge of exporting goods would help. Also, there should be reforms at the ports to enhance exports.

“Also, there is a need to increase the consumer purchasing power of Nigeria because when the economy is booming, that is when you’ll see those foreign direct investors start coming into the country.

He said the planned bank recapitalisation exercise would attract foreign investors and further support the Naira’s appreciation.

According to him, “The amounts that the banks need to recapitalise. The expectation is that a lot of them will also reach out to foreign investors. And with GT bank saying the amount that it wants to raise is denominated in dollars. So now we also, in the medium term, support the naira appreciation because more funds would come in based on the recapitalisation process.”

On his part, Head, Global Markets, Parthian Partners, Ronke Akinyemi, acknowledged the positive impact of recent monetary policies on the Naira.

She also emphasised the importance of encouraging exports, and managing imports effectively, as well as enhancing trade balance to ensure long-term currency stability.

She said, “The recent strengthening of the Naira is a positive development, although the anticipated reduction in prices has been slower than expected. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has played a vital role in managing the Naira’s value through foreign reserve management, interest rate adjustments, and various policy reforms.

“To further bolster the Naira, it is imperative to encourage exports, manage imports effectively, and enhance our trade balance. This will contribute to currency stability in the long term.

“Additionally, ensuring stability and instilling confidence in the financial market can be achieved through strengthening regulatory frameworks and enhancing transparency. The recent announcement of bank recapitalisation by the CBN, scheduled for 2026, is a step in the right direction.

“Another essential aspect is improving government spending efficiency and refining taxation policies, which will help sustain the Naira’s strength.”

All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders have stressed the need for the party to give the governorship ticket to former governor of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, saying he has the midas touch to transform the state.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders in Lagos, a stalwart of the APC, Oluwaseyi Bamigbade, said Ambode’s four-year tenure in the state witnessed massive development in infrastructure.

This came on the heels of Muslims in Lagos State yearning for one of their own as governor in 2027 as disclosed by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

He said many groups are on a daily basis yearning for the return of Ambode in 2027 to continue his midas touch in Lagos development agenda, saying they believe he should be given the opportunity to have a second shot in the Government House as the constitution permits.

Bamigbede said, ‘’Within four years in office, he remodelled Lagos, making it an investment destination for big businesses from within and outside the country. He massively touched the lives of millions of Lagosians in every sphere such that it would appear as if he had been in office for a far longer period.

‘’He caused a paradigm shift, taking the government from the urban centre to the suburbs and opening up their narrow roads, giving them modern streets with lights that also link the arterial highways. It’s been a seamless arrangement that has prevented traffic glut on the expressways.

‘’Ambode’s health and education initiatives equally penetrated across suburbs in Lagos, giving opportunities to the son of a nobody to have access to free and decent education that would prepare them for the future. Understanding the place of science in the current educational system, during his tenure in office, Ambode established templates suggesting a progressive look into the future where science and tech will lead.’’

He added that the Ambode administration established the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Agency saddled with the responsibility of collaborating with the Federal Police and other security outfits to ensure a safe Lagos State.

‘’The Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps is a model for community policing and other state governments are now replicating it in view of the prevalent security challenges,’’ he said.

A former Chief of Defence Staff, General Theophilus Y. Danjuma, (rtd), says that Nigeria’s security challenges have made the country become a laughing stock and a disgrace to the world.

General Danjuma, while speaking at the annual Nwonyo Fishing and Cultural Festival in Ibbi Local Government Area of Taraba State on Friday, advised that urgent steps must be taken to address the security challenges facing the country.

“Nigerian authority must take urgent measures to redeem the battered image of the country by addressing the security challenges confronting the nation,” he said.

The retired General maintained that no person, especially foreigners, would be willing to come to the country to invest or visit tourist sites when their security was not guaranteed.

“No person or group of persons will want to come to our state or country if we continue to kill and butcher ourselves,” he noted.

The retired general further lamented the security challenges across Nigeria, adding that the ugly situation required immediate attention of the government.

He urged that all hands must be on deck in order to put “the right pegs in the right holes.”

He said, “Those in position of authority must work hard to make the country safe for all Nigerians including foreigners before we could attract more and more investors into the country

“If we continue to make our roads unsafe for people to move around, our dreams of making Nwonyo fishing and cultural festival an international festival, can not be achieved.

“It is sad that Nigeria as a nation has become a laughing stock following the security challenges.

“As the country is currently, we are a disgrace to the whole world and therefore we must redeem our image and put our house in order because right now we have become a laughing stock to the whole world.” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, pledged that his administration would work round the clock to foster mutual cooperation between his state and Taraba State Government.

Two Commissioners in the present administration in Ebonyi State, were said to have publicly fought each other in a public gathering at Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The two Commissioners who are said to be stakeholders in their various communities had a field day as they reportedly exchanged blows, not minding those that were watching them.

Speaking with newsmen, an eye witnessed said: “Nobody told me anything about it. I saw everything myself. I don’t know the cause of their fight but they fought and this is the 5th fight between them.

“As a leader of thought in my place, this is embarrassing to me, our people and the people of Ebonyi State. It happened during the defection of some people into APC at Ezza North. “It was a very big fight and it was not hidden.”