By Demola Akinyemi,Ilorin.


The Management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin has said that the two students alleged to have been involved in the murder of a Hotel manager in the state capital had long been rusticated from the institution over poor academic performance.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer Halimat Garba made this known in a press statement released to journalists in Ilorin Thursday afternoon.

The statement titled,”Re: How we killed Club owner in Hotel – Female Student.”reads:

“The attention of the Polytechnic Authority has been drawn to a trending story and a video clip in which two ladies (Joseph Joy Adama and Vandora Davies Oreoluwa) named in the alleged murder of a hotelier in Ilorin were erroneously identified as students of the Kwara State Polytechnic.

“Our database checks showed that the two ladies had since been withdrawn from the school after their first years on account of poor academic performances. They have therefore ceased being students of our great institution.

“The Polytechnic Management states categorically that its students are good ambassadors of the institution, the state, and Nigeria at large, and will not be involved in shameful or criminal acts of any kind.

“We urge our media friends to always check with us anything that concerns our great institution.” concluded the statement.

Recall that men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arrested a gang of two females – Joseph Joy Adama and Vandora Davies Oreoluwa Favour – for robbery and murder of a prominent Kwara socialite and Managing Director of Water View Hotel, Ilorin, Mr Adeniyi Ojo.

The Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, while parading the suspects in Abuja, said on October 6, 2023, Police operatives apprehended the two suspects, Adama and Favour, who are both students of Kwara State Polytechnic for their involvement in the robbery and murder of Mr. Adeniyi Ojo, the son of Chief Emmanuel Ojo, a prominent figure in Ilorin, Kwara State.

“Through meticulous investigative work, our officers were able to track and apprehend these suspects in Mowe Ibafo, Ogun State.

“In a tragic incident, the duo tied the deceased under the guise of having a sex rump and demanded money from him. But when he was not forthcoming, they resorted to drugging and suffocating him, leading to his untimely demise,” the Force PRO stated.

While speaking to journalists, one of the suspects, Adama said she had been in sexual relationship with the deceased and on that day, they went with the intention to steal from him but when he wasn’t succumbing, they drugged him and left with his phone and other valuables only to discover that he had died.

Microblogging site, X (formerly Twitter, said it has removed “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taken down thousands of posts since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group.

The social media platform was given 24 hours by the European Union (EU) earlier this week to address illegal content and disinformation regarding the conflict or face penalties under the bloc’s recently enacted Digital Services Act.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to EU official Thierry Breton in a letter dated Wednesday that she posted to X.

She said the company had “redistributed resources and refocused internal teams who are working around the clock to address this rapidly evolving situation.

“There is no place on X for terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups and we continue to remove such accounts in real time,” Yaccarino wrote.

“X is… addressing identified fake and manipulated content during this constantly evolving and shifting crisis,” she added.

The platform had “assembled a leadership group to assess the situation” shortly after news broke about the attack, Yaccarino said.

A slew of mischaracterised videos and other posts went viral on X over the weekend, alarming experts who track the spread of misinformation and offering the latest example of social media platforms’ struggle to deal with a flood of falsehoods during a major geopolitical event.

Since the attack on Israel, Yaccarino said X had acted to “remove or label tens of thousands of pieces of content” that break its rules on violent speech, manipulated media and graphic media. It had also responded to more than 80 “take down requests” from EU authorities to remove content.

“Community Notes” — which allow X users to fact check false posts — are visible on “thousands of posts, generating millions of impressions,” she wrote.

According to Yaccarino, notes related to the conflict take about five hours on average to show up after a post is created, a revelation that could fuel concerns that fake or manipulated content is being seen by thousands — or in some cases millions — of people before being moderated.

Acknowledging receipt of Yaccarino’s letter Thursday, Breton said on X that the Digital Services Act enforcement team “will analyse the reply and decide on next steps.”

The law is one of the most ambitious efforts by policymakers anywhere to regulate tech giants and companies face billions in fines for violating the Act.

Two female students of Kwara State Polytechnic, Joseph Joy Adanma and Vandora Oreoluwa Favour, have disclosed how they killed a nightclub owner, Adeniyi Ojo, in a hotel.

Speaking when the police paraded them at Force Headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday, Adanma revealed that they deceived the man to allow them tie him ahead of the romp and he consented.

She said they had the plan to steal from him since he had refused to render help each time they needed assistance.

She said she worked for the deceased in his nightclub for about three months until the club was shut down by the government.

The suspect said she got her friend involved and the initial idea was to lure him to have sex with them in his car.

She however said they eventually ended up in a room where they tied the deceased on the pretense of having a sex romp, adding that when the deceased attempted to shout, they covered his mouth with a pillow.

Speaking during their parade, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “On October 6, police operatives apprehended the two suspects, Adanma and Favour, who are both students of Kwara State Polytechnic for their involvement in the robbery and murder of Mr. Ojo.

“Through meticulous investigative work, our officers were able to track and apprehend these suspects in Mowe-Ibafo, Ogun State.

“In the tragic incident, the duo tied the deceased under the guise of having a sex rump and demanded money from him. But when he was not forthcoming, they resorted to drugging and suffocating him, leading to his untimely demise. They have been processed and will be charged to court shortly.”

Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has tasked the troops of the Nigerian Army to find and kill Boko Haram terrorists before they attack Nigerians.

Musa gave the order to troops of Operation Hadin Kai at the Maimalari cantonment, Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The CDS further said a soldier who comes to the theatre without killing at least one Boko Haram fighter is not complete

He urged the troops to take the battle to the insurgents, saying “Don’t just come and sleep in the theatre, make sure you look for Boko Haram and kill. Anybody who comes to the theatre and finishes without killing one Boko Haram is not complete.

“So you must make sure before you go, look for them, that’s the only way we can finish them completely.

“They should not be looking for us, we should be looking for them. Do not go and sit down until they attack and we repel, there is nothing like repel, go and find and kill them.”

He further let the troops know that President Bola Tinubu recognises and appreciates their sacrifices and commitment in their fight against insurgency in the country.

“The president said he is happy with us and wishes us all the very best,” he added. “He also reminds us that it is not yet over but that we are moving on the right track. If we continue the way we are going, very soon Boko Haram will come to an end.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said in a statement that Hamas’ economy minister and another senior political bureau member were killed by Israeli forces on Monday evening.

Their deaths were reported shortly after the IDF launched more than 100 airstrikes on Gaza, RT reports.

Hamas later confirmed the deaths of both men on its official website, saying that they had been “martyred as a result of the Zionist occupation’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.”

Jawad Abu Shamala served as economy minister in Hamas’ political wing, while Zakaria Abu Ma’amr was described by the IDF as a close associate of the group’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

Abu Shamala was responsible for “financing and directing terrorism,” while Abu Ma’amr “was involved in the organization’s decision-making and planning many actions against the security of the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement on Tuesday.

Israeli warplanes have been bombarding densely-populated Gaza since Saturday, with 250 targets struck in the al-Furkan neighborhood of Gaza City between Monday and Tuesday.

The IDF described this neighbourhood as a “nest of terror,” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the airstrikes will “continue with full strength.”

Civilian casualties are reportedly high, with the Palestinian Health Ministry stating on Tuesday that 770 people have been killed and 4,000 others wounded in the strikes. There are 140 children among the dead, the ministry added.

The bombing campaign was launched in response to a full-scale assault on Israel by Hamas. Barrages of rockets were fired into the country from Gaza beginning on Saturday morning, with some hitting targets as far away as Tel Aviv.

As air raid sirens blared across southern Israel, Hamas fighters poured across the border and stormed Jewish settlements near Gaza.

As of Tuesday, at least 800 Israelis have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded. Hamas is believed to be holding at least 150 Israelis as hostages and has threatened to execute these captives on live television if Israel continues launching no-warning airstrikes on Gaza.

Israeli officials have shown no signs of backing down. “Human animals must be treated as such,” Israeli Major General Ghassan Alian said on Tuesday, referring to residents of the Palestinian enclave.

“There will be no electricity and no water [in Gaza], there will only be destruction. You wanted hell, you will get hell,” he warned in a video message.

The Federal Government has stated that it will soon issue an order, compelling airline operators to commence payment of compensation to passengers for delayed and cancelled flights not ‘caused’ by natural occurrences.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said this during a meeting with airline operators in Abuja on Monday.

His words: “On delayed flights, I want to speak for ordinary Nigerians who complain every day [about] delayed, cancelled flights. I know you have said all your reasons. You have blamed the government and a few things we do. But I also want to say that it is not all the time that it is government.

“At times, you say you were waiting for passengers to finish passing through the screening machine. At times, they have finished passing through screening machines. They are waiting in the lounge for five hours and you cancel your flight.

“So, you see, after some time, we will start implementing the provisions of the NCAA Act. You know, Nigerians don’t know there is compensation for delay. If it is an act of God, you cannot pay.

“But if it is human fault, the NCAA Act says you will pay. So, for all airline operators, while I have praised and supported you, I will also support Nigerians. You will pay them. After some time, I will put my feet on the ground. Pay them when you delay, cancel their flight.”

Keyamo also asked airline operators to establish reliable communication channels so that passengers can receive cancellation notices.

By Obas Esiedesa


MARKETERS have faulted the process followed by President Bola Tinubu in the removal of subsidies on petrol, saying measures that ought to have been in place before the removal were not taken.

The marketers insisted that the nation’s refineries ought to have been operational and issues around foreign exchange resolved before the petrol subsidy was removed.

It comes on the day fuel queues began to emerge in Abuja with most independent and indigenous major outlets shut down. Check by Vanguard around the city showed that outlets owned by A.A. Rano, AY Shafa, and Shema Petrol were shut. However stations owned by TotalEnergies, Mobil, and Conoil were opened but their pump had increased to N619 per litre from N617.

Speaking during the National Executive Council meeting of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, NOGASA, in Abuja, the marketers questioned the Federal Government’s inability to end the illicit trading of dollars in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, Mr. Billy Gillis-Harry noted that while the marketers support the decision of the government to end subsidy on petrol, the implementation was faulty.

Mr. Gillis-Harry, who was not impressed by the government push for Compressed Natural Gas as an alternative to petrol, observed that it costs about $350,000 to set one CNG station.

“Where is that money going to come from in an environment that is not stable and viable? The government needs to do more. The refineries need to work and importation needs to end”, he added.

Speaking at the meeting, NOGASA President, Mr. Benneth Korie warned that the downstream in the country was under serious pressure as stations were shutting down due harsh operational conditions.

Mr. Korie pointed out that “depot owners are so terribly affected by the increasing cost of the crude and exchange rate to the extent that many depots are practically deserted as their owners are unable to secure bank loans to fund their business due to high interest rates.

“Banks are not willing to guarantee funds release to stakeholders as a result of the difficulty, instability and galloping rates of foreign exchange and high cost of the dollar. Many depots are presently dried up or out of stock, and this is no gainsaying as it is evidently verifiable.

“Worst hit are filling stations whose owners find it extremely difficult to secure funds to procure products for their retail outlets and both the independent and major marketers are so terribly affected that as at today, filling stations are shutting down in great numbers on a daily basis and dealers are going out of business with many more on the verge of bankruptcy because of their inability to secure funds to facilitate orders for their stations.

“Government must therefore urgently come to the aid of the industry as quickly as possible to save it from an impending colossal collapse which will in turn result in a more devastating blow to the economy at large. Indeed, the success of this government highly depends on the survival of the oil industry, whose critical stakeholders are presently most negatively affected”, he added.

Blessing Olaifa,


The federal government has begun probes into the activities of Meta formerly known as Facebook, a haulage company, DHL, and online payment platform OPay for alleged data breaches.

The companies, if found liable, would forfeit two percent of their annual gross revenue to the government.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that there have been a barrage of complaints against the companies by Nigerians over the violation of data subjects’ rights.

It was learnt that the Nigeria Data Protection Commission has opened investigations into the data processing activities of the affected data controllers.

This is the second time the NDPC would open probes into the activities of some companies, banks and universities in the country over alleged data infractions.

Our correspondent gathered that the National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, had warned during the Commission’s presentation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 to the public that infractions would attract penalties in accordance with the letter and spirit of law.

Olatunji said the commission would not hesitate in “safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria data economy ecosystem.”

He warned data controllers and processors against all forms of data processing which are not in tandem with the Act, insisting that the Chief Executive Officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government would be held liable for infractions.

The Nation learnt that complaints against Meta touch on behavioural advertising without explicit consent of data subjects. Approximately 40 million Facebook accounts in Nigeria might have been affected by the data processing under investigation. This also has significant implication for the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

DHL on the other hand is facing investigation for allegedly violating the lawful basis and principles of data protection, it was discovered.

Sources privy to the investigations said DHL’s data processing falls short of the confidentiality standard prescribed under the Nigeria Data Protection Act. The Act in section 24(2) (2) notes that “A data controller and data processor shall use appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data.”

On its part, Opay might be called upon to answer for allegations that it opens bank accounts for data subjects without their consent. If this is true, it would amount to a grave violation of data privacy rights of affected data subjects, our Correspondent gathered.

A report attributed to Opay says the platform has about 40 million data subjects.

Finding by our Correspondent shows that Nigeria Data Protection Commission has served each of the data controllers with Notice of Investigation. The companies, it was learnt, have ample opportunities to defend themselves against the law of the country.

Public universities may be in for tough times as lecturers continue to leave the system in droves for greener pastures abroad, thereby putting the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education in jeopardy.

The looming crisis, if not checked, would not only lead to acute shortage of teaching staff, but also affect quality of teaching in the institutions.

Already, about 50 per cent of lecturers have resigned from the various universities, while others who are yet to leave are also warming up. Factors fuelling the exodus, according to investigation, include the desire for better working conditions, career fulfillment, insecurity, poor salaries, inadequate funding, non-payment of outstanding salaries of university teachers, which accumulated during the period of strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as well as harsh economy, among others.

Recent data gathered showed that as much as 80 per cent of the remaining workers are preparing to leave if the current situation persists.

Although President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved the implementation of 35 per cent and 23 per cent of salary increment for staff of all federal tertiary institutions, the increment does not appear to dissuade many from considering alternatives.

This is as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described the government’s gesture as a far cry from what the university lecturers were negotiating for.

In a letter dated September 14, and addressed to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, the Chief Executive Officer of the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo U. Nta, said the federal government had issued a circular on the implementation of the adjusted salary structure.

After the eight-month strike by ASUU and government’s refusal to pay them for the period they were on strike, many lecturers relocated abroad, either to seek lecturing jobs or other vocations in foreign countries.

Investigations by The Guardian showed that the institutions, particularly University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Benin (UNIBEN), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba- Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State; University of Uyo, Federal University, Otuoke; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE); Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma; and Kaduna State University (KASU), among others, have lost several lecturers, while those remaining are planning to leave as well in search of greener pastures abroad.

A lecturer in UNILAG, who pleaded anonymity, said about 70 per cent of the institution’s best lecturers have resigned from their jobs, following the government’s failure to tackle the numerous challenges confronting the sub-sector.

“Currently, more than 70 per cent of bright and promising young academics retained by the university through mentorship have all left the country for greener pastures due to the poor conditions of service in Nigeria. Those remaining are on the verge of leaving. This is unfortunate and a shame,’’ he said.

Last month, UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof Folashade Ogunsola, said five lecturers resigned from the university, and warned that the situation may worsen if issues affecting university education are not addressed.

The situation is the same at UI, as up to 75 per cent of teaching staff have resigned and gone abroad. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, at the induction ceremony for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), cited the case of a particular department, where out of 13 lecturers, nine resigned and left the country.

According to him, these lecturers were not going abroad to come back, but to stay. Adebowale, admitted that the massive exodus of professionals in Nigeria has left a great vacuum in the sub sector, describing it as one of the headaches of the Nigerian university system.

He said in time past, the VC could employ lecturers citing his appointment as lecturer, which happened within 24 hours, but the situation has changed for the worse.

“To employ a single lecturer and put the lecturer on the payroll, you have to go through seven MDAs, moving from one place to another,” he stated.

An official of the university who spoke in similar vein, said to make up for those who have left, non-teaching staff who are done with their doctoral programmes are being converted to academic cadre.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The situation on campus is worrisome, lecturers are resigning everyday, all those sent abroad for their PhDs are not coming back. The morale is low; the job is no longer attractive to lecturers. The facilities are not there, salaries are being owed and living conditions of both teaching and non-teaching staff is very poor.”

At AAUA, it was learnt that about 45 per cent of lecturers, drawn from the various departments, had already left for overseas, while many others are planning to leave.

At the University of Ilorin, an official, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that about 40 per cent of lecturers and some non-teaching staff have left the country for greener pastures.

The nine oil producing states shared N544.9 billion from the federation account, through the 13 percent derivation formula, in the first half of 2023.

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed that Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers were states that received the funds.

The 13 percent derivation fund comes from the federation revenue to oil producing communities through the state governments, as enshrined in section 162, sub-section 2 of the constitution.

Analysis of the report by TheCable Index showed that Delta state received the highest allocation totalling N180.1 billion, representing 33 percent of the total revenue from the derivation account.

Delta is followed closely by Akwa Ibom, having received N130.8 billion, representing 24 percent of the total disbursement.

Other states include Bayelsa (N92.9 billion), Rivers (N92.7 billion), Edo (N17.5 billion), Ondo (N16.9 billion), Imo (N6.2 billion), Abia (N2.4 billion), and Anambra (N5.4 billion).

The 13 percent derivation fund differs from the three percent provided for host communities in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), from the oil companies operating expenses (OPEX).


OIL STATES BATTLE DEBT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DECAY DESPITE DERIVATION

In 2022, Delta and Akwa Ibom were the oil producing states that received the highest amounts from the federation account, with Delta receiving N296.63 billion and Akwa Ibom receiving N222.52 billion.

In a controversial comment last year, Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers, said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the payment of funds owed to states in the Niger Delta since 1999.

According to Wike, the money approved by Buhari were funds owed from the 13 percent derivation, which he said had significantly aided his infrastructural strides in the state.

Although oil producing states receive 13 percent of the revenue from oil production, they still have a lot of debt and their infrastructure is in poor condition.

For example, as of Q2 2023, Delta state has a domestic debt of N465.4 billion, Rivers has a debt of N225.5 billion, Imo has a debt of N220.8 billion, and Akwa Ibom has a debt of N199.6 billion.

In February, Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader and convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), asked Ifeanyi Okowa, the immediate past governor of Delta, to spend more of the 13 percent derivation funds on oil producing communities.

Clark, in a statement on Thursday, alleged that the 13 percent derivation funds received by the state government were mismanaged.

He described Okowa’s administration as a “reign of unaccountability”.

Clark said the state government has not spent the derivation funds on foremost areas and projects but on “favoured areas”.

The elder statesman argued that the funds ought to be spent on oil producing communities’ schools and projects in the state.

He also asked that records of the funds be released to the public.


‘OIL DERIVATION FUNDS WON’T SOLVE INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS’

“The slow pace of development in oil producing states is largely due to institutional problems, as it is in other non-oil producing states,” said Chimere Iheonu, a senior associate and economist at Kwakol Market.

“If non-oil producing states were given such derivation funds, similar issues would persist. Nigeria has an institutional problem, which is the major factor why we have a very slow pace in development.”

Iheonu also faulted the tax system in Nigeria as one of the reasons why states are not generating enough internally generated revenue (IGR). According to him, no state in Nigeria is optimising IGR generation.

“Tax systems are not efficient in Nigeria and these states. The informal nature of many businesses makes it difficult to boost IGR. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the states are lazy towards improving their IGR,” he said.

“Every government want more money in their coffers, so I cannot say it is a laziness problem. I would rather say it is a tax inefficiency problem.

“I personally do not think that there is any state doing exceptionally well in optimising IGR generation, both oil and non-oil.”

Joe Nwakwue, former chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, told TheCable that oil-producing states see the derivation funds as additional revenue they can spend anyhow.

“Quite a lot of money has gone into the oil producing states via derivation with little or no impact. It’s a classic agency problem,” he said.

“The federation hands derivation which rightly belongs to the oil-producing communities to them through the states. The state is the agent of the federation.

“The problem is that the state is an imperfect agent and for the most part, sees these funds as additional state revenue that it spends on whatever catches its fancy.

“Also note that for the most, the oil producing communities are political minorities in those states and therefore have practically no voice.

“The PIA has also created a framework that hopefully will ensure that the funds and resultant projects get to the producing communities.

“We simply have to faithfully implement the provisions of the PIA.”

Ibe Kachikwu, a former minister of state for petroleum resources, has been mentioned in the criminal charges levelled against Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Alison-Madueke, who was Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015, is charged with receiving bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, flights on private jets and the use of high-end properties in Britain in return for awarding oil contracts.

In the court process seen by TheCable, Kachikwu was mentioned alongside Benedict Peters, Aiteo chief executive officer (CEO) and Haruna Momoh, a former managing director of pipelines and product marketing company (PPMC).

Other Nigerians mentioned in the court process are Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde and Doye Agama.

According to the court process, Kachikwu was bribed in August 2015 “with the intention of influencing his capacity as a foreign public official”.

The document added that the act was contrary to sections 6 and 11 of the Bribery Act 2010.

Alison-Madueke appeared before a Westminster magistrates’ court on Monday but did not take her plea.

Michael Snow, the district judge, granted her bail in the sum of £70,000.

Snow, however, imposed other conditions on the former minister after deeming her “a flight risk”.

The conditions include an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn at all times and a £70,000 surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.

Meanwhile, the former minister is also being investigated over allegations of bribery and money laundering in Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had alleged that Alison-Madueke stole $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers when she was a minister.

She has denied all allegations levelled against her.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, said the commission has obtained a warrant of arrest and initiated extradition proceedings against the former minister.

The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday dedicated his new office ahead of his resumption after surviving a cold war with his principal, Godwin Obaseki.

Obaseki had accused Shaibu of orchestrating a plan to kick him out of office.

The governor further said his deputy had become desperate to succeed him.

Over the past few weeks, Obaseki and Shaibu had been at loggerheads over issues pertaining to the alleged impeachment plot against the deputy governor until the latter tendered apology to Obaseki.

SaharaReporters reported on September 18 that the deputy governor was denied access to his office at the Government House in Benin.

Shaibu had arrived at the Government House but met the gate leading to his office under lock and key.

Two weeks ago, a letter said to be from the office of the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, was reported to have been sent to the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor directing Shuaibu to relocate to a new office.

The building used to be the office of the Edo State Public Procurement Office commissioned by a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, on December 16, 2014.

In fact, the plaque stating the commissioning date is etched by the entrance of the building.

A sign board with the inscription ‘Office of the Deputy Governor’ was placed at the entrance.

Workers were seen renovating the building and the compound, while renovation was yet to commence at the security post.

However, a video of the dedication of the new office seen by SaharaReporters, showed six priests praying, blessing and spraying holy water inside and outside the premises as other voices could be heard singing hymns and other songs.

The deputy governor is also seen in the video released by TVC News kneeling down in his office table while the priest prayed and sprinkled holy water on his office table.

After back and forth, the Chicago State University (CSU) released the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to his political opponent, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, had requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of CSU certificate against Tinubu.

The allegation of forgery was one of those dismissed by the presidential election court in the suit Atiku filed to challenge the election of Tinubu. Despite the court’s ruling, Atiku continued his case at the US court, hoping to get official documents to back his claim and possibly include them in his appeal at the Supreme Court.

Through his lawyers, Atiku sought these key things – an example of a CSU diploma issued in 1979; Tinubu’s diploma issued in 1979; example of a CSU diploma that “contains the same font, seal, signatures and wording” as Tinubu’s diploma issued in June 1979 and CSU documents certified and produced by Jamar Orr, an associate general counsel at CSU at the time.

Tinubu had done all within his power not to have the record released, saying they would cause him severe harm because they were private to him but a United States District Court in Northern Illinois ordered CSU to release the academic records.

No sooner had CSU released the records than the social media literarily caught fire as supporters of the two top politicians took time to share materials that they considered favourable to them.

However, a deeper analysis of the documents pointed out some issues.


AUTHENTICITY OF GRADUATION

The documents contained Tinubu’s admission records, and a letter dated 27 June 2022 confirming that he attended the university from August 1977 to June 1979 majoring in accounting. The letter said Tinubu was awarded Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Honours on 22 June 1979.


DIPLOMA ISSUE

A careful look at the documents showed that the certificate which Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is different from the certificates CSU issued in 1979. Tinubu, who had previously claimed to have lost his original certificates, presented a replacement of his CSU diploma to INEC.




Sample of diploma issued in 1979 by the university which is slightly different from the replacement it says it issued to Tinubu 18 years later


Sample of diploma issued in 1999 as released by CSU


Sample of diploma issued in 2003 with a new crest


What Tinubu submitted to INEC in 2023


GENDER ERROR

A copy of his Southwest College transcript with which he gained admission into CSU identified him as female, but CSU has attributed this to a clerical error. However, there were errors on the date and social security number. Also, the space for birthday was left blank in the Southwest College transcript Tinubu submitted to CSU.


GAPS IN COLLEGE CERTIFICATE

Tinubu who applied to Southwest College for an associate degree in 1975 claimed to have attended Government College, Lagos, and presented a 1970 GCE A-level result. Whereas, Government College, Lagos, was established in 1974 by the administration of Brig. General Mobolaji Johnson.


BIRTHDAY MISMATCH

In his documents to INEC, Tinubu said he was born on March 29, 1952. This is his known date of birth, at least from the yearly colloquium he organised consistently until he got elected into the highest office in the land. However, in the record released by CSU, Tinubu was said to have been born on March 29, 1954, a clear gap of two years.

Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Professor, who analysed the documents said while some were authentic, he believed part of it was forged.
In a piece entitled, ‘6 Major Findings about Tinubu from the CSU Documents’, Kperogi wrote, “Tinubu obviously identified as a man throughout the two years he studied at the school. A Nigerian CSU graduate and classmate of Tinubu’s swore under oath that Tinubu ran for and won election as president of CSU’s accounting students’ association. His yearbook photo from 1979 also clearly showed a younger version of Tinubu.

“The Bola A. Tinubu who applied to Southwest College for an associate degree in 1975 claimed to have attended Government College, Lagos, and presented a 1970 GCE A-level result with grades E in Chemistry and Biology and an F in Physics. The problem is that Government College, Lagos, was established in 1974. So, there’s a chronological conundrum there, which signposts forgery.

“It’s not clear at the moment if the GCE A-level result is fake or authentic—or if it belongs to the man we know today as President Bola A. Tinubu. My hunch is that it doesn’t belong to him. But this will become clear in the coming days.”

Tweeting via @AreaFada1, musician Charly Boy, wrote: “My People, Chicago University don release all Tinubu’s manuscripts to Atiku. Una don dey see as everywhere dey smell for dis we country now. Dem say, when the Head of a fish is rotten the rest of the body will be in a state of rottenness.”

Another Twitter user, Oluwole Jagaban, said, “Master strategist wey no fit handle ordinary certificate forgery, haba. Wetin the CEO of APC cannot do doesn’t exist.😳 Ladies and gents, exposing the first transgender from Nigeria.
Yeye dey smell. My people make una make sure dis man vomit our mandate, from henceforth na vawulence pro max i dey.”

But Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who was Tinubu’s campaign spokesman, asked Atiku to apologise to Nigerians.

“From the responses by Chicago State University, ATIKU’s journey to Chicago and back has been a journey to nowhere, a fruitless exercise and an odyssey in self-humiliation. President Tinubu and Nigerians deserve an unreserved apology from him.”

Reno Omokri, former Presidential aide who campaigned for Atiku but has been issuing pro-Tinubu comment lately, wrote: “Chicago State University released documents validating Bola Tinubu’s academic records. They did that under the penalty of perjury. It is now established beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was right. I am never for Bola Tinubu, but I will not lie and say that he did not attend a university I know he attended.”

Samuel Oamen


President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent three additional ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

Those he picked include Dr Jamila Bio, Balarebe Abbas and Olawale Olawande.

The Senate Committee on Gas has urged the executive arm of government to present a 2023 supplementary budget to the National Assembly to kick start his Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project.

The panel, which commended President Tinubu for the CNG initiative, however cautioned against extra budgetary spending.

The committee chairman, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, in a statement, said it would be illegal to spend tax payers money on any project without the approval by the National Assembly.

He also emphasised the need for the President to come up with a supplementary budget to enable the government fund the gas value chain, including the provision for CNG infrastructure and CNG vehicles.

Jarigbe said the National Assembly was poised to support the lofty programmes of Tinubu’s administration, adding that a 2023 supplementary budget would be most appropriate, instead of resorting to extra-budgetary spending.

Following the removal of fuel subsidy, the Tinubu administration plans to roll out CNG-run vehicles to ease public transportation.

In his Independence speech, the President had said that, “We have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer CNG buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.

“New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process.”

He said his administration was also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.

By Olaniyi Apanpa


President Bola Tinubu on Sunday delivered his second nationwide broadcast since his inauguration. This time, it was in commemoration of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.

Tinubu in the broadcast reinstated his pledge to “reshape and modernise our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people”.

The President also highlighted the various policies his government has put in place so far including the removal of fuel subsidy, which he said was important for the country’s growth.

Here are other key takeaways from Tinubu’s speech.


1. Painful reforms undertaken by the government, (subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification) must be endured by all as it is temporary.

2. Government is doing all it can to ease the load by;

3. The introduction of N25,000 provisional wage increment to “average low-grade” workers for the next six months.

4. Provision of fund states to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices.

5. To ease transport costs, new Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits are expected to arrive soon while the government is also setting up training facilities across the country for transport operators.

6. While the special investigator instituted to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria under the past leadership will be presenting its report soon, the bank’s new leadership will provide monetary policy to benefit all.

7. The tax reform embarked upon will improve the efficiency of tax administration and address impediments to the country’s economic growth.

8. In addressing unemployment and poverty, the government is increasing its investment in MSMEs. This is in addition to the 15 million vulnerable households that will be added to the extended social safety net.

9. Priority will be given to the safety of citizens.

10. The military will be equipped to function optimally while the service chiefs have also been tasked to rebuild the capacity of the country’s security services.

A fresh revelation from the investigative committee set up by President Bola Tinubu has revealed that former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele stole N3 trillion from two projects alone.

Top sources privy to the findings made by the committee told SaharaReporters that the whopping amount was made from COVID loans and the Anchor Borrowers' Programme Fund alone.

In July, Tinubu appointed a special investigator to probe the apex bank.

In a letter dated July 28, 2023, the president named the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, as the special investigator.

The President asked Obazee to investigate CBN and key Government Business Entities. The committee only reports to the President.

The appointment of Obazee came over a month after Tinubu suspended Emefiele as the CBN governor.

Shortly after his suspension in June, Emefiele was arrested and taken into custody by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS).

Sources told SaharaReporters that Obazee’s investigative committee found out that Emefiele stole N3 trillion from the two projects, among other atrocities committed as the head of the apex bank.

“A fresh revelation from the committee set up by Tinubu to look into how Emefiele mismanaged the CBN shows that he practically stole N3 trillion from those two projects alone,” one of the sources said.

In addition, SaharaReporters also exclusively learnt that Obazee’s committee was pushing to have an interim report submitted to President Tinubu soon so that he would understand how grave and massive corruption at the CBN under Emefiele.

“Obazee’s committee is pushing to have an interim report submitted to Tinubu as a way of letting him understand the gravity of Emefiele’s financial crimes and how bad it set Nigeria’s finances back.

“The committee is asking that they should be allowed to submit an interim report so as to stop any attempt by Emefiele and the Attorney General of the Federation’s office to settle his case on the basis of N50 billion refund plea bargain as earlier exposed by SaharaReporters,” one of the sources said.

In his nationwide broadcast on Sunday morning as part of the programme of events to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence anniversary celebration, President Tinubu confirmed that findings on past lapses in the apex bank would soon be out.

In his address, Tinubu said, “I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway.”

“A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted. Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences,” he added.

On Friday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Emefiele was set to be released from detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) after his plea bargain with President Tinubu’s administration had been concluded.

However, the AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Sunday denied reaching any non-prosecution bargain with Emefiele.

Emefile and some of his associates were expected to be arraigned over N6.9 billion procurement fraud at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in August but the arraignment had stalled.

SaharaReporters had gathered that the non-prosecution plea bargain for Emefiele was being premised upon the former governor’s willingness to return N50 billion which he had corruptly amassed.

SaharaReporters learnt that Fagbemi had signed the non-prosecution plea bargain and it was waiting for Tinubu’s approval.

SaharaReporters in August reported that Emefiele faced 20 counts of conspiracy and procurement fraud levelled against him by the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian government through the DSS earlier filed two counts bordering on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against Emefiele but that was later withdrawn.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how the DSS accused Emefiele of sabotaging the economy, financing terrorism and committing other economic crimes.

Top government sources shared with SaharaReporters how the investigation linked Emefiele to a well-known terror financier, whom the apex bank governor had sent funds for onward transfer to controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

Gumi is known for hobnobbing with terrorists and bandits and advocating that amnesty should be granted to them.

In 2022, one of Gumi’s associates, Tukur Mamu, was arrested and detained by Interpol at Cairo International Airport in Egypt while awaiting a connecting flight to Saudi Arabia. Upon his return to Nigeria, he was arrested by the DSS over allegations that he was heading to Saudi Arabia to meet with some international terrorists.

Meanwhile, the secret police said their preliminary investigation revealed various acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities perpetrated by Emefiele and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension including mismanaging the CBN subsidiary, NISRAL, and the apex bank’s Anchor Borrowers Programme.

The secret police also accused Emefiele of “fraud, money laundering, round tripping and conferment of financial benefit to self and others.”

Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis and Abdulrahman Zakariyau


The legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is planning to file a motion to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s plea for Chicago State University not to release privileged documents in his academic records.

The Special Adviser to Atiku on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, disclosing to The PUNCH that the legal team had up to 48 hours to respond to the motion in the US court.

Atiku had earlier secured an order for CSU to make the president’s academic records available to his legal team.

A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had last week ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant within two days.

Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.

The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honors attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.

But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

The request for a review and delay of the order till Monday was eventually granted by the US district judge.

Tinubu’s application, filed by his lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Charmichael, advanced two reasons.

First was that his academic records in issue are not useful in Nigerian courts as claimed by Atiku because the Nigerian election proceedings and the Nigerian courts have explicitly been unreceptive to the discovery.

The second reason given was that Atiku’s request is unduly intrusive because it allows Applicant (Atiku) to conduct a fishing expedition into intervenor’s private, confidential, and protected educational records.

When asked on Wednesday to confirm if Atiku has filed the suit as he earlier threatened in Monday, Shaibu reassured our correspondent that the former vice president would submit the motion before midnight.

He said, “I am sure you have seen his application. We are working on our response. We have up till midnight today (Wednesday) to respond to them. And we will.”

On when they expect the court to rule over the matter, Shaibu stated that “It is after we have responded to the court, that it will fix the date and inform the parties.”

When contacted for reaction, Coordinator of Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala, who spoke via phone from his base in the United States told, The PUNCH he would rather not speak on the development.

“As I told you earlier, I am still on vacation,” he said.

The United States President, Joe Biden, has appointed two professionals who are of Nigerian descent as special advisers.

Both Osagie Imasogie and Chineye Ogwumike were part of the 12 members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.

The appointment was contained in a statement released by the State House on Wednesday.

The members include Silvester Scott Beaman who will chair the council, Mimi E. Alemayehou, Rosalind Brewer, Viola Davis, Helene D. Gayle, Patrick Hubert Gaspard, C.D. Glin, Osagie Imasogie, Almaz Negash, Chinenye Joy Ogwumike, Ham K. Serunjogi, and Kevin Young.

The members of the council will serve for the 2023-2025 term.

According to the statement, the establishment of the council was aimed at enhancing dialogue between United States officials and the African Diaspora.

“The Council’s members include individuals who have distinguished themselves in government, sports, creative industries, business, academia, social work, and faith-based activities.

“They will provide invaluable guidance to reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the U.S. and Africa, and promote trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the United States and Africa,” the statement read in part.

Below are the profiles of both Imasogie and Ogwumike


Osagie Imasogie

Osagie Imasogie is Chairman of the Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer, Quoin Capital and Quoin Advisors. In addition, Osagie is a co-founder of PIPV Capital, a private equity firm that is focused on the life sciences vertical and has invested over $1 billion into that industry. Prior to co-founding PIPV Capital, he established GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and was its founding Vice President. Osagie has held senior commercial and R& positions within pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, SmithKline Beecham, and DuPont Merck.

He has also been a Price Waterhouse Corporate Finance Partner as well as a practicing attorney with leading U.S. law firm, Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis. Osagie is a serial entrepreneur and investor who serves on the board of a number of financial institutions such as FS-KKR Capital Corp and Haverford Trust, institutions that cumulatively manage over $28 billion. He is an adviser to Brown Advisory, a firm that manages in excess of $140 billion. Osagie is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center.

In addition, Osagie is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Executive Committee of the University, and is also the Chairman of the Board of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property. Osagie holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a member of the New York State Bar in addition to being admitted to practice in other jurisdictions.


Chinenye Ogwumike

Chinenye “Chiney” Ogwumike is a 2-Time WNBA All-Star for the Los Angeles Sparks and a full-time, multi-platform ESPN host and NBA analyst. Chiney stars on ESPN daily on ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown, and also stars on the court as a forward for the Sparks. Chiney is a proud first generation Nigerian-American, born in Cypress, Texas. The 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, she graduated from Stanford University with an International Relations degree under the mentorship of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Chiney led Stanford to three Final Fours while distinguishing herself in academics, earning multiple honors for her academic success, including being named the 2014 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year and the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Chiney Ogwumike was the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a 2-Time WNBA All-Star (2014, 2018). She served as the vice president of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) from 2018 to 2022, instrumentally helping negotiate the groundbreaking 2020 collective bargaining agreement.

In August 2020, Chiney became the first Black woman to host a national, daily sports-talk radio show. The 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree also holds the title of Executive Producer, producing an ESPN Films documentary “144” on the 2020 WNBA season. In 2018, Chiney became a full-time multi-platform ESPN NBA Analyst, becoming one of the youngest national sports studio analysts and one of the only full-time professional athletes to currently hold a regular national sports media position. She has made numerous trips to Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa with NBA Africa and other nonprofits to help launch youth empowerment and education initiatives, using basketball as a tool for development.

Nigeria has lost the joint bid with the Benin Republic to host the African Cup of Nations in 2027, as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are named joint hosts of the 2027 tournament, AFP reports.

This comes after the Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh arrived in Egypt on Tuesday with representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation to bid to host AFCON in 2027.

PUNCH Online reports that Nigeria’s only hosting of the AFCON was in 1980 when Christian Chukwu led the team to victory in front of enthusiastic home fans, including former President Shehu Shagari.

The joint hosting with Ghana ended in disappointment as Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions claimed the trophy at the National Stadium in Lagos.

By Faruk Shuaibu


The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, says none of the ongoing road projects in the country can last for seven years.

He said this in Abuja Tuesday while meeting with contractors handling federal road projects.

He alleged that contractors cheated Nigerians with the materials used to construct roads.

He said: “There is no project being constructed right now in Nigeria that is going to last for seven years. The question is: are we going to be maintaining or reconstructing our roads after every 10 years? That is what we’ve been doing.

“I traveled from Abuja to Benin City through Lokoja, all the stretches of the road are on contract, ongoing. This is through the policy of the last administration, but how many of the roads are motorable? I travelled through the roads myself and I shed tears for the kind of pains our people are going through.

“I spent 14 hours on the road having started my journey from 10am and got to Benin City at 2pm the next day and I was very happy I experienced the pains. President Tinubu said I must travel through all the projects so that I’ll brief him on my experience and tell him the truth.”

He described the claims that cement price would hit N9,000 per bag if the government does concrete roads as false and a big campaign of blackmail against him by the cabals in the construction industry.

“I travelled to the South West, I’m not totally unhappy with the project there and supervision as I gave them 80 marks. I’m happy that the directors are doing their work. I went to the part of the North Central, I’m very dissatisfied with the quality work and supervision. I went to Kaduna and I disagree with the design of the Abuja-Kaduna- Zaria-Kano Road.”

He said the blood of road accident victims was on the ministry workers who failed to supervise contracts as expected.

“Unless Mr President does something about it, his lofty intention to help this country may not totally be achieved. Documents will be sent to the Bureau of Public Procurement for no objection certificate and it’ll stay for six months. How will the contractors do the additional job you directed them to do without a backup authorisation.”

The implementation of Rule 021210 which provides for a new tenure system is generating rumpus in the nation’s civil service.

Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Dr Folasade Femi-Esan, had on July 27, 2023, reportedly instructed some permanent secretaries, as well as the accountant-general of the Federation (AGF) and the Auditor-General of the Federation (AoGF), to implement the rule without further delay.

But a wide spectrum of workers in the civil service are insisting that at no time did former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approve the compulsory retirement of permanent secretaries and directors who have put in eight years in the civil service.

Already, workers in the medical profession have embarked on a week-long warning strike to protest what they described as an obnoxious unilateral policy by the HoSF.

At the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), tongues are wagging, with a majority of the affected and serving directors already drafting petitions to Dr Esan, asking her to review the tenure policy which they insist is without foundation.

They cited the non-availability of circular to back up such a policy in proof that she acted unilaterally.

Investigations have shown that the civil servants may be correct that neither former President Buhari nor the FEC gave approval to any tenure policy in the approval obtained for the Revised Public Service Rules and Duty Tour Allowance, the major gravamen of the discontent in the system.

For instance, on August 27, 2021, a four-page memo with reference number EC (2021)238 sent to FEC by the president titled, “Approval for the Revised Public Service Rules, 2021 and Duty Tour Allowance”, indicate that only the issue as stated in the title was presented at FEC, and there was no mention of the tenure of permanent secretaries or directors mentioned anywhere in the memo.

Similarly, the nine-page EC Conclusion spread across 507 paragraphs discussed only the two aforementioned matters.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the revised PSR contains 17 chapters, spanning across appointment and leaving the service, prescribed examination for confirmation (virtual exams), emoluments and increments, performance management system, reward for outstanding work, virtual meetings and engagements, petitions, and appeals, allowances, compensation, inventions, compensation and insurance, among others.

The highlight of the differences with the 2018 Public Service Rules included the Performance Management System which replaced the old Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER); Reward for Outstanding Work to Institutionalise Reward Recognitions Scheme (R&RE) in the Federal Public Service; Training and Capacity Development to provide more opportunities for continuous training and capacity development for enhanced service delivery, among other.

It further contained recommendations by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), sent to the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (MFB&NP) and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for “a no-objection”.

Consequently, FEC approved new DTA ranging from N10,000 up from N5,000 for salary grade levels 01 to 04; N25,000 up from N12,000 (N16,000) for salary grade levels 14 to 15, ending at N80,000 up from N35,000 for Ministers, SGF, HSF and equivalent.

An innovation of the approved 2021 PSR is the introduction of Paternity Leave, to allow male workers to bond with their newborn children or adopted children of no more than four months old. This particular leave was solely enjoyed by the female workforce, which the approved PSF introduced.

These were the key highlights of the HSF memo presented by the President to the FEC and approved in 2021, which now has the eight-year tenure issue surreptitiously inserted, thereby raising some hairs.

However, the director of Information in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Mohammad Ahmed, explained that the rules have always been there and that only some provisions were revised and sent to the former president, Muhammad Buhari for approval.

“The tenure of permanent secretaries and directors has always been there and has been brought back, which was reported before in the media. So, there is no confusion about it. The rules were revised and sent to the former President, Muhammad Buhari and he approved it,” he said.

Oil marketers are increasingly worried they can’t import petrol due to the dollar shortage in the country. Despite the deregulation of the downstream sector, concerns have been raised about the potential comeback of the country’s persistent fuel scarcity, OPEOLUWANI AKINTAYO writes

Expectations were high when oil marketers canvassed for the removal of fuel subsidies, and deregulation of the downstream sector. Many were optimistic that the deregulation of the downstream sector would break the monopoly of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in petrol importation and bring an end to the country’s perennial scarcity of the product.

However, months after President Bola Tinubu pronounced an end to fuel subsidies on May 29, the country has not been able to end NNPCL’s monopoly in petrol importation.

After the first batch of 27 million litres of petrol imported by Emadeb Energy in July, independent oil marketers have not been able to bring in a single drop of petrol. The national oil firm has remained the sole importer of petrol.

The monopoly in the downstream sector has made a mess of the deregulation of the sector, giving NNPCL the power to continue to fix prices and putting the country at risk of fuel scarcity.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and NNPCL had argued that other marketers were free to import petrol, as those who had applied for importation licenses had been given.

The National Controller Operations of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mike Osatuyi, told The PUNCH that marketers were not importing petrol because of forex scarcity and the increasing price of crude oil at the international market.

“Marketers are not importing because of the price. But the pro forma invoice still exists, and marketers can still pick it up from the NNPCL since it is still the only one importing,” he said.

Oil price rose to $94.95 per barrel on Thursday and a dollar was exchanged for N770 at the Investors’& Exporters’ forex window and 985/$ at the alternative market.

Emadeb Energy’s Chief Executive, Adebowale Olujimi, during the arrival of the product vessel in June, said petrol importation was not “sustainable”.

“Petrol importation is not a sustainable way for a country to run. From what we saw when PMS price rose to over N600 per litre, it is an indication that the dynamics of the business is a tough one. It requires huge US dollars to bring in this. The way forward is for local refineries to be revived,” he said.

A source in the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria told our correspondent that the market was deregulated so that other independent marketers could also bring in their products. He explained that it was supposed to give rise to healthy competition, which would eventually bring down prices. That dream, he said, was now a “mirage”, as marketers had not been able to access forex.

“NNPCL has reduced importation. And the whole idea was for private individuals to also import petrol to augment what NNPCL brings in. But marketers are not importing. So, NNPCL still remains the only importer,” he added.

The NNPCL’s spokesperson, Garba-Deen Muhammad, told our correspondent in June that the company would cut down its fuel imports programme in August when the Dangote Refinery commences operations.


NNPCL owns a 20 per cent stake in Dangote Refinery.

Corroborating Muhammed, while speaking to journalists after a meeting with oil marketers in Abuja in June, the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said NNPCL had cut down on importation.

Since the end of subsidies, which cost the country about N12tr, prices of petrol have risen from between N180 and N200 per litre to between N614 and N700 per litre. There were fears that the price could go as high as N720 per litre due to the rising exchange rate and the rising price of crude at the international market, but the NNPCL has since allayed the fear.

“Nobody wants to run at a loss. So, we are all watching to see what happens. The foreign exchange is the problem because the naira keeps weakening against the dollar. No bank is willing to even stick out its neck to bankroll a deal. Now, depots are running out of stock, and may soon be forced to fall back to NNPCL for supplies,” another source told The PUNCH on Thursday.

The controversy surrounding products supplies got even messier when the IPMAN Mosinmi Depot recently threatened to institute a legal case against the NNPCL over failure to supply its members with products eight months after payment.

According to IPMAN Mosinmi Depot in a statement, each member had paid N25 million per 45,000 litres of petrol truck, but it had not been supplied.

A source close to the situation, told The PUNCH that the affected marketers were up to four thousand.

The spokesperson of NNPCL, Garba Mohammad, did not respond to inquiries on the allegation.

But a source at the NNPCL, who begged not to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said that NNPCL should not blamed for issues relating to petrol because it was not the only importer of the product.

“Why is everybody blaming NNPC for fuel scarcity? NNPC is no longer the sole importer because the sector is now deregulated. Other marketers should also go and import because they have been given licenses. Why are they still dependent on NNPCL for products?” the source queried.

The country has witnessed two incidents of fuel scarcity since the government announced the deregulation of the downstream sector and the removal petrol subsidy.

The Chairman of Satellite Depot of IPMAN, Akin Akinrinade, blamed one of the incidents on stock shortage.

“Nobody is saying anything to us yet. And as we speak, we are still not loading products here. In fact, the situation is worsening because the queues continue. Even some of NNPCL Retail stations also don’t have products for sale. I believe it is a stock issue, and the NMDPRA should be able to tell us what is really happening. I know they won’t want to say the truth,” he said.

However, the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Festus Osifo, debunked the claim that NNPCL was out of stock of petrol.

“I can assure you that there are enough products in the country,” he declared.

The IPMAN national controller of operations also said there was no cause for alarm.

“NNPCL has assured us that there is no cause for alarm. So, let us take them for their words,” he remarked.

A source at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, who wanted to be anonymous, told The PUNCH that there was more than enough stock in-country.

According to him, a total of 200,000 metric tonnes, equivalent to 450 million litres, were in shore tanks at various depots in Lagos as of early September.


Dangote refinery misses production deadline

With marketers unable to import petrol, they are now bagging on Dangote’s 650,000 barrels per day refinery, which had been scheduled to commence operations in October.

It was earlier planned to start operations in August, but it missed the target.

The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, during the opening of the refinery by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May, said the ceremony was the “beginning of a great journey, a milestone in a new and exciting trajectory for the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

“It is our firm commitment that we will replicate in this sector what we have achieved in the cement and fertiliser markets, where Nigeria transited from being the largest importer of these products to a net exporter.

“Your excellencies, distinguished guests, our first product will be in the market before the end of July or beginning of August this year,” Dangote said.

However, findings revealed that the management of the facility was unsure of when the refinery would begin production.

A source from Dangote Refinery, who spoke on condition of anonymity, informed The PUNCH that there have been numerous negative reports on the refinery ever since it was launched.

“Some said it would be in 2025. There was even a report that the refinery was issued a license to import petrol as a cover-up for the commissioning that was done in May. The management will institute legal suits against the paper that wrote that report, and the reporter would be the first to be picked up.

“For now, the management has not come out with any official date.

“But I wonder why people are so interested in someone else’s business. It is a private refinery and not government-owned, and the management is also eager for it to start production. Billions of dollars have gone into that place, and they also want to start making a profit,” the source noted.

According to the source, nobody is busy probing why NNPCL refineries are yet to start refining despite billions of allocations that have gone into revamping them.

The source wondered why everyone was busy probing a private refinery.

Another source told The PUNCH that the volatility in the country’s forex market had stalled the importation of some equipment needed in the Dangote Refinery.

The $20bn project was conceived in 2013 and planned for completion by 2016, but construction did not start till 2017.


Experts’ advice

The president of PENGASSAN advised the Federal Government to focus on completing the Port Harcourt Refinery instead of waiting for the Dangote Refinery.

“We should rather focus on making other refineries work because it would cut down on freight rates from importation, and reduce prices. Dangote is a private businessman and can decide tomorrow that he will not refine again, although the government has a 20 per cent stake in the refinery. We should rather push for our own refineries, and ask the government when the Port Harcourt refinery is going to start refining petrol,” he stated.

On his part, IPMAN’s Osatuyi said there was no cause for alarm as far as petrol supply was concerned as the NNPCL was still importing.

According to him, management of the Dangote refinery may have delayed production at the facility due to some internal challenges.

“There is nothing to worry about because Dangote refinery is a private business, and he may have one or two issues that did not make the refinery commence production. It is better to be sure and then commence production at the right time than start now and then start facing challenges. Let’s be patient with them,” he said.

He also advised the Federal Government to ensure that other local refineries come on stream rather than depend on the Dangote Refinery.

The embattled deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has begged his principal, Governor Godwin Obakeki, for forgiveness over their political differences.

Shaibu, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists currently ongoing in his Benin City residence on Thursday, asked Governor Obaseki to forgive and forget.

The Trade Union Congress has urged the Federal Government to hasten its plan to provide palliatives for Federal Government workers following the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit.

The TUC Also noted that workers were getting more impatient due to hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy.

The TUC president, Comrade Festus Osifo, stated this during a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong on Tuesday, September 19, in Abuja.

The meeting was a follow-up to the September 4 meeting called on the instance of the minister to address the demands of organised labour.

Osifo said workers were facing enormous pressures that are making life very difficult, which makes the leadership of TUC have sleepless nights.

The TUC president said, “Congress was hopeful that between the next two weeks, President Bola Tinubu would have done everything possible to arrive at a conclusion which the workers are eager to hear in order to douse the tension and threat for withdrawal of services.”

Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun said this in a statement before the meeting went into a closed-door session.

“After the meeting, the TUC said it held fruitful discussions and hoped that the government will live up to its promises and responsibility for ensuring the welfare of workers and Nigerians in general,” the statement said.

Lalong said he called the meeting to brief the leadership of the TUC on the efforts made by the federal government to address their grievances.

The minister, in the company of the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, told the TUC that after their last meeting, he met with President Bola Tinubu to highlight some of the issues raised by organised labour.

He appealed to the TUC to exercise more patience, explaining that before the President left for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he was fully briefed and gave further directives on the implementation of issues put before him, particularly when he met with the labour leaders.

Before the meeting went into a closed-door session, the Minister thanked the TUC for accepting to come for the briefing, noting that it showed that they are committed to the Nigerian project and are open to dialogue for greater industrial harmony,” the statement said.

Some of the demands of Labour are wage awards, tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, provision of Compressed Natural Gas buses, the release of modalities for the N70bn for Small and Medium Enterprises, release of officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers by the police among others.

Also speaking via his official X handle, the minister said, “I had the privilege of meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress once again, marking the second time in as many weeks. My purpose was to personally update them on the efforts that the Federal Government has been making to address their concerns since our last meeting,” he tweeted.

“In the company of Minister of State Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, I spoke to the TUC members, explaining that following our previous meeting, I had a conversation with the President. During this discussion, I emphasised the critical issues raised by the labor union.

“I implored the TUC to exercise patience, sharing that, before the President’s departure for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he was fully briefed on the matters at hand. Furthermore, he provided clear directives on how to proceed with the issues, especially after his personal interaction with labour leaders.”

The Nigeria Police Force has commenced moves to recover unlicensed firearms from politicians and Very Important Persons across the country.

This followed the directive of the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who ordered the various state police commands to recover arms in the hands of uncertified bearers.

Egbetokun had last week set up an ad hoc committee tasked with the comprehensive review of firearms licensing and regulations by the NPF in line with the Firearms Act and other extant laws.

The police high command revealed that the committee’s mandate would encompass a thorough assessment of current firearms licensing procedures and regulations to enhance their effectiveness, transparency, and accountability.

Accordingly, the Delta State Police Command has assured that no one would be spared, including politicians, cultists and other bearers of illegal arms in the state.

The command spokesman, Bright Edafe stated this in an interview with The PUNCH in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Our correspondent had asked the command’s spokesman if the illegal firearms seizure would be extended to cultists and VIPs, including politicians.

He said, “We have been doing that even before the directive. They (illegal arms bearers) are part of those we have been parading.

“Nobody has a licence to bear arms apart from the vigilante whom the police had approved.

“Remember that the last time, following Commissioner of Police Abass’ directive, we mopped up some illegal arms in the Ekpan area of the state and the command will continue in that direction to ensure all illegal arms are mopped up.”

Also speaking, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said the command would enforce the IG’s directive to the letter and ensure that illegal arms were retrieved across the state.

She said, “Since IGP has given the directive, no one with illegal arms in the state will be spared. We will do our work and spare no one.”

The Gombe State Police Commissioner, Oqua Etim, pledged the readiness of the command to enlighten the public before a clampdown exercise would begin.

Etim disclosed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to the IG’s order to police commands nationwide.

He urged the public to provide relevant information that would help his men in tracking those possessing arms illegally.

He said, “You know it’s a directive; we will do our part. It’s a civic responsibility. We will work based on information from public-spirited people like you. If you know two or three people who have acquired arms illegally, let us know.

“You can also help us sensitise others because it’s for our common good. That’s exactly how we intend to go about it. We will sensitise people.

“I can’t clampdown on anybody I don’t have information on; It’s only when someone sees someone carrying arms or I see you knowing that you were not given an official permit to carry it.”

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Police Command said it was awaiting further guidelines from the appropriate authority to know how to go about the exercise.

The spokesman for the state command, Ahmad Rufa’i, explained that “the directive was yet to reach the command.”

“I cannot comment for now. I’m sure you know the IGP only set up the committee recently and the committee will have to come up with their guidelines.


“The issue of arms is a very sensitive matter, so when it gets to the command, we can comment on the modalities,” he said.

But a security expert, Timothy Avele, argued that mopping up arms with the spate of insecurity in the country would achieve little or no result.

He said, “What method do they intend to implement this time around that’s different from others before now? Increasing insecurity is pushing citizens into acquiring more arms all over the country.

“Therefore, the move will yield very little positive results, if any, and not until such a time when the citizens’ security can be guaranteed. People will continue to source for illegal arms which are readily available in the country if they have money to buy. “

He advised the police to engage in intelligence-led policing in order to contain the pockets of insecurity across the country.

“I would rather advise the security agencies, especially the police, to re-strategize into intelligence-led policing than the current reactive policing being practised,” he added.

An analyst, Oladele Fajana said, “I do not know the approach they want to deploy to mop up arms. Will it be voluntary or the application of force? It will be beneficial if it can be done because the proliferation of arms is one of the reasons insecurity is on the rise in the country.

“Also, would the politicians and VIPs be willing to release theirs? How do they intend to carry it out is my issue.”

Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Femi Falana and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, have waded into the dispute between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe.

The senior lawyers noted that the FCT minister in terms of execution of duties was not answerable to Kingibe or the National Assembly.

The FCT lawmaker had warned Wike to desist from working without the supervision of the National Assembly.

Kingibe also noted that the FCT minister does not have executive powers but must operate within the constitutional frameworks of the country’s legislative arm.

Kingibe said, “You also have to remember that the minister of the FCT – I’m not sure we have had a former governor as a minister, I think we have had one. Some [former] governors may think that as an FCT minister, the minister does not have executive powers. He works hand-in-hand with the National Assembly and the president to administer the FCT.”

However, interpreting the constitution, Falana stated that Kingibe was wrong to have said that the minister was answerable to the National Assembly in the discharge of his duties.

He said, “The distinguished senator is wrong. The power of the executive with respect to the FCT lies with the President. Making laws and passing laws for the FCT are the business of the National Assembly.

“Section 299(a) of the constitution provides: The provisions of this constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the states of the Federation; and accordingly

“(a) all the legislative powers, the executive powers and the judicial powers vested in the House of Assembly, the governor of a state and in the courts of a state shall, respectively, vest in the National Assembly, the President of the Federation and in the courts which by virtue of the foregoing provisions are courts established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

He further explained that since the executive powers of the FCT are vested in the President who then delegates them to the minister as he pleases, the minister can act in the capacity of the President who is the governor of the FCT.

Falana said, “The executive powers of the FCT are vested in the President, the legislative powers are vested in the National Assembly, while the judicial powers are vested in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

“To that extent, it is very wrong to say that since there is no governor in the FCT, the executive powers are vested in the National Assembly; those powers are vested in the President.

“So, whenever the president appoints a minister, the minister is performing in the powers delegated to him or her by the President.”

He added, “If you are dissatisfied with the decision taken by anyone in the FCT, you go to the FCT High Court.”

Corroborating his colleague, Adegboruwa said that the minister was answerable to the President and not the National Assembly as posited by Kingibe.

The SAN explained, “The ministers are all appointed by the President, and they owe their duties solely to the President who has the power to remove them or have their decisions overturned.

“Among the ministers, only the Attorney General has specific responsibilities that are recognised by law as stated in Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution.”

Adegboruwa further explained, “The rest of the ministers have no specific statutory duties unless assigned to them by the President.

“So, to that extent, the ministers of the FCT, like other ministers, report to the President for his day-to-day activities. He is not responsible to the National Assembly or members of the legislature except with respect to defending the expenditure or budgeted estimate or whenever he is summoned to appear before the National Assembly when they are carrying out their oversight functions or they are passing a law that requires some investigations or contributions.”

The senior lawyer further clarified that other than that, the minister is not answerable to the National Assembly for his day-to-day execution of functions as long as it aligns constitutionally and it’s in line with the mandate of the President that appointed him.

He added, “As it pertains to the FCT generally, I think that it is important to recognise that it is a no man’s land by the law of our land, although the constitution also recognises the natives and the indigenous people.

“By designation, anybody could be appointed to hold any position in the FCT. Just like in the case of the FCT, you’d see that all FCT High Court judges are occupied by people all over the country.


“So, it is not correct to say that appointment into the FCT must be limited to the indigenes, though I believe they should be carried along. But that cannot be a validation to discredit the minister.”

Meanwhile, the senior lawyers kicked against the demolition of structures stating that proper procedures must be followed for such activities to be carried out.

Falana said that neither the President, the minister nor the governor of a state had the power to demolish the property of any citizen in Nigeria without following the proper process.

Falana said, “The President, governor, or minister cannot decide that a house has been built without approved plans and then proceed to demolish without a court order.”

He stated that in each of the states and the FCT, the relevant law is the Physical Planning Act, under that the relevant law is the Urban and Regional Planning law and under these laws, there is a provision for demolishing a house or property.

He expressed, “Without complying with such a law, nobody has the power to demolish a house. In fact, under any of such laws, there is usually an agency set up to investigate whether somebody has violated the urban and regional planning law.

“If you’re dissatisfied with the decision of that agency, there is an appellate committee. In other words, if a demolition notice is pasted on my building or structure, I have the right to disagree with you.

“So, an agency in the Ministry of Physical Planning would examine my complaint and make a decision and if I also disagree with that decision, there is an appellate committee to review the decision of the agency.”

Falana added, “In the case of Lagos State, if you’re dissatisfied with the decision of the appellate committee, there is a provision to go to the High Court which shall within a specified period of time decide the case.

“Just as a private person cannot demolish someone else’s property, the government cannot also demolish the property of a citizen.

“So, you cannot come out to say these structures were not on the building plan. Who are you? Because you’re a governor or a minister? So, you have now constituted yourself as the complaint witness.

“Since the government operates under the Rule of Law, the government is under a duty to conduct its duties under the relevant laws.”

He explained that if the government was going to demolish any building, there was a procedure, and the government could not just wake up and surround a person’s house with bulldozers and raze the building to the ground without a court order.

“That is the position of the law,” he posited.

Falana further added that a lot of demolitions in Nigeria were politically motivated.

He said, “Most of the demolishment is targeted at the poor. The rich are often allowed to regularise illegal and defective structures, but it is the poor whose properties are demolished.

“Most times, except for political reasons, you don’t demolish the house of the rich.”

Similarly, Adegboruwa said that it was wrong for the government to destroy the properties of its citizens except for violation of environmental laws.

Adegboruwa said, “On the issue of the demolition, I think it is generally wrong for the government to demolish properties of citizens except for challenges such as environmental issues such as flooding.

“If people build houses without complying with relevant approval, they can be invited to regularise it. They are Nigerians and we are in an economy that is challenging.

“I’m generally opposed to government demolishing people’s houses. There should always be an option of correcting whatever was done wrongly.”

Written by Maryam Rabiu


The spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has has been appointed as the Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Hakeem, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, is the older brother of Datti Baba-Ahmed, the running mate of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the February 25 election.

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the announcement of his new appointment via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, said he can no longer sit on the fence when he can be part of the system to contribute his quota to national development.

He expressed his eagerness to contribute to the nation’s development in his capacity as Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Vice President.

He wrote: “It is time to make it public that I have accepted the call to serve as Special Adviser (Political) to the VP.

“This is not the time for fence-sitting or criticism when you can be useful in turning the country round. I am honored and humbled. Please pray for me & Nigeria.”

LEADERSHIP reports that prior to his latest appointment, Baba-Ahmed held the position of Chief of Staff to former Senate President Bukola Saraki from 2017 to 2019.

No fewer than 20 persons with links to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its immediate past governor, Godwin Emefiele, have so far been questioned by the special investigators appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the apex bank, The Nation can now confirm.

Among those interrogated were the four deputy governors of the apex bank, some directors and some drivers including Emefiele’s, sources said yesterday.

According to one of the sources, the drivers were interviewed because “they were the ones who carried the big men around.”

The sources added: “Many directors, especially the ones directly under the deputy governors, were interviewed.

“They have also invited officials of the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) and those in charge of all those intervention programmes were also invited.”

Some officials of NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), were similarly summoned.

The special investigators paid a quiet visit to the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) on Friday in furtherance of their assignment.

But no arrest was made on that occasion, it was gathered.

Sources also said Shuaib Ahmed, the Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), and his deputy, Iheanyi Anyahara, were invited to appear before the panel in connection with the preparation of the CBN audited financial statements from 2016 to 2022.

One source said: “Some of those summoned are detained till the following day if their interrogation takes longer than anticipated or if they need some documents from their office and they did not bring them along. They will be detained while they send for the documents.

“Also if they are interrogating someone and he is being linked with someone else, the person is kept there till they invite the other person, and they will be interrogated separately.

“We can’t put a number to those invited yet. Let’s just say close to 20 have been invited.

The special investigator’s invitation may also be extended to retired directors.

“Any director who has retired and has anything to do with the case will be invited. Even board members who have retired can be invited,” the source added.

A parallel investigation of the CBN is being carried out by the Department of State Services (DSS) under the inter-agency committee.

It was the inter-agency committee that detained deputy governors Aisha Ahmad and Kingsley Obiora.

Continuing, the source said: “The DSS investigative team is different from Obaze’s team.

“What I don’t understand is where they submit their own report. Or do they just want to keep it for their own (inter agency) information since it is not stated anywhere who ordered them to do that.

“Everybody knows Obaze’s team gets its directives from the President.”

President Tinubu, in a July 28, 2023 letter, appointed Obaze, the founding Executive Secretary of the FRC, to probe the activities of the apex bank and its related entities.

He is looking into the books of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and other government business entities, which the President, in the letter he personally signed, said was in continuation of government’s anti-corruption fight.

The letter reads: “In accordance with the fundamental objectives set forth in section 15(5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this administration is, today, continuing the fight against corruption by appointing you as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and related entities.

“This appointment shall be with immediate effect and you are to report directly to my office.”

By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik


The Oyo Mesi, a group of kingmakers, selected a new Alaafin of Oyo last year to replace the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who passed away in April 2022, according to documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

Nearly 18 months since the throne became vacant, there has not been an official announcement of a new monarch by the Oyo State Government, with many blaming the kingmakers for delaying the selection process.

However, a proclamation document and a court judgment seen by this newspaper have now shown that the Oyo Mesi selected Lukman Gbadegesin and forwarded the name of the prince from the Agunloye Ruling House to the government since last year.

“We hereby proclaim Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin the new Alaafin,” the proclamation reads, signed by the five living Oyo Mesi members and two warrant chiefs selected by the government to replace deceased Oyo Mesi members.

The kingmakers said they received a list of 82 aspiring princes from the Baba Iyaji of Oyo, the head of all princes, Mukaila Afonja. By Oyo tradition and the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration, Baba Iyaji is empowered to collect the names of aspiring princes from the next ruling house and transmit them to the Bashorun, the head of Oyo Mesi.

The Bashorun would then convene a meeting of the kingmakers to take a vote and the prince with simple majority is to be proclaimed Alaafin.

As the proclamation shows, all the kingmakers signed for Mr Gbadegesin, whose grandfather, Alaafin Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II, was the predecessor of the immediate past Alaafin Adeyemi III.

The proclamation was signed on September 30, 2022. According to the law, an aspirant or the ruling house has 21 days to petition the government to challenge the selection. But no such petition was written.

However, after the expiration of the 21-day window, a prince, Hakeem Ladigbolu, approached the court to set aside the selection process. But in a judgment given on December 19, 2023, an Oyo State High Court in Oyo Town, upheld the process leading to the selection of Mr Gbadegesin, court papers show.

However, despite the proclamation by the Oyo Mesi and the court judgment upholding the process, the government has yet to make a formal announcement, giving rise to concern that political interests might want to undermine the Oyo Mesi and foist another person on the ancient Yoruba town.

When contacted, the Bashorun of Oyo, Yusuf Akinade, confirmed the process has been concluded.

He, however, refused to disclose the name of the prince selected. Instead, he said, “we have submitted everything to the government, direct all other questions to the government, but we have completed the process.”

No fewer than 35 lecturers in the nation’s tertiary institutions have been indicted and dismissed over sexual misconduct in the past five years, analysis of media reports by Sunday PUNCH has revealed.

Sexual harassment has been recurring in Nigerian higher educational institutions with a survey conducted in 2018 by the World Bank Group’s Women revealing that 70 per cent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in the country were sexually harassed in school, with the main perpetrators being classmates and lecturers.

Although the Senate had in 2021 passed a bill that randy lecturers be subjected to 21 years imprisonment, Sunday PUNCH reports that most of the lecturers indicted and found guilty after the bill was passed were simply sacked.

According to the reports compiled by our correspondent, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, topped the list of institutions with the highest number of lecturers indicted for sexual misconduct.

In April 2018, the OAU announced the indefinite suspension of a Professor of Accounting, Richard Oladele, over sexual harassment.

In 2021, the university also dismissed three lecturers from the Departments of English Language, International Relations and Accounting over sexual harassment.

In February 2020, the institution also announced the suspension of a lecturer at the Centre for Distance Learning, Monday Omo-Etan, for sexually molesting a 19-year-old female student.

In 2019, Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, announced the suspension of an associate professor, Monday Igbafen, over allegations bordering on sexual harassment of female students.

Igbafen, who was the AAU branch chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at the time, had accused the vice-chancellor of the institution of trying to frame him up.

The senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the university in a letter written to the school by his lawyers, Osahon Irebhude & Co, demanded a written apology from the school.

In September 2020, the management of the Imo State University announced the suspension of two lecturers, who were alleged to have been involved in sexual misconduct with female students.

In February 2021, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced the suspension of a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Tourism, Dr Chigozie Odum, over allegations bordering on sexual misconduct.

The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, similarly suspended a lecturer in the Department of Media and Theatre Arts in June 2021 for sexual misconduct.

In the same month, the management of the University of Lagos announced the dismissal of two lecturers over similar offences.

In August of that year, the University of Port Harcourt announced the dismissal of a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature for sexual misconduct.

In October 2021, the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, also announced the dismissal of two lecturers from the departments of Nutrition/Dietetics and General Studies over sexual misconduct.

A lecturer from the Department of Sociology, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education was dismissed for impregnating a female student.

In December 2021, the Kwara State University, Malete, announced the dismissal of a lecturer for harassing a student in the Department of Pure and Applied Sciences.

In January 2022, the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rivers State, announced the dismissal of a lecturer for harassing a female student.

In April 2022, OAU again launched a probe into allegations of sexual harassment against a professor in the Department of Linguistics and African Studies. So far, two professors have been affected in the institution.

In June 2022, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Abdul-Raheed Na’allah, announced the dismissal of two lecturers for sexual misconduct. Both of them are professors.

Earlier in 2023, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission arraigned Dr. Balogun Olaniran of the Tai Solarin University of Education who was said to have demanded sexual gratification from a female student to alter her results in 2021.

In March 2023, a lecturer at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Abutu Thompson, was dismissed on account of sexual harassment and victimisation of a female student in the Department of Computer Science.

In May, the management of the Ambrose Alli University in Edo State reportedly dismissed an unnamed lecturer over allegations bordering sexual harassment.

Reports noted that the lecturer was dismissed on the recommendations of the institution’s Staff Disciplinary Committee, which found him guilty of the offence.

According to AAU’s vice chancellor, Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, the dismissed lecturer had claimed to only make advances, yet he went to the girl’s church to plead for forgiveness.

In July 2023, the VC of UNIABUJA, Na’allah, said two lecturers were dismissed following allegations of sexual harassment.

In August, the management of the University of Calabar suspended the embattled Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, over allegations of sexual harassment.

On September 7, 2023, the University of Lagos suspended a lecturer, Kadri Babalola, who was accused of raping a 21-year-old student.


ASUU reacts

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, urged students to report cases of sexual harassment to the school authorities and the student union.

He added that the union had an Ethics and Grievances Committee that looked into such cases, stating that boxes where students can anonymously report such cases were placed on campuses.

The ASUU president said, “In the cases that happened in OAU and UNILAG, the lecturers were jailed and in the case of UNICAL, the university has taken action and suspended him.

“If students have any issues, they should be reported to the Student Union as they did in Calabar and if they have become notorious, what was done in UNICAL should be done and the university should take it up from them.

“The system follows the process but the student has to report if there is a case. We are in a country where a criminal case must be proven beyond reasonable doubt but as a union, in all our campuses, we have an Ethics and Grievances Committee that anyone can go to report any case.

“In many universities, we have boxes where students can write about the problem without having to put their names and drop them in the box. These boxes help to serve as checks but many students are not willing to do so.”

Osodeke further noted that some universities had established dress codes for students while on campus as measures to reduce such cases.

“But they also arouse lecturers so it also works in two ways. A student coming to school scantily dressed. There has to be some dress code and many universities have now established dress codes to ensure students, both male and female dress decently and to also remove this temptation from the system.

“In the good old days, it could be controlled because all students lived on campus but today, 90 per cent of students live off-campus so one does not know what is happening,” the ASUU president stated.


Stakeholders speak

Speaking with one of our correspondents on the matter, the Director of Programmes, Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, urged President Bola Tinubu to sign the sexual harassment bill into law.

Oluwatoyin said, “The President signing the bill will be a game changer. We need to make schools safe for our students. The most unfortunate part of the issue is that some of these students even when harassed, are scared to come out in the open for fear of victimisation and other issues.

“However, if there is a concrete law in place and these lecturers see that their colleagues are being made to pay the price for their unbecoming attitude, they will stop. So we are using this opportunity to call on the President to sign this bill into law.”

The Programme Manager- Gender Justice at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, Nafisa Atiku-Adejuwon, urged institutions to prevent survivors from being further victimised into silence and provide safe anonymous pathways for them to report such incidents.

Atiku-Adejuwon also called for the building of a system of trust between university management and the student population.

“The response system has to be survivour-centred and holistic: mental and physical health concerns must be taken seriously. The response system shouldn’t be created to make the university look good; it should be to take care of the survivors,” she added.

Similarly, a gender and child rights activist, Omolola Pedro, said, “Generally, the lack of punishment for an offence is one of the factors that may further encourage. Most of the time, in institutions where this happens, the highest form of punishment we see is suspension of erring lecturers.

“When attention is no longer on the matter, institutions reinstate the lecturers and they move on to do it over and over again because they are aware that there’s no serious consequence for their actions.”

Pedro added, “Formation of anti-sexual harassment committees which would include representatives of school authorities and the Students Union Government is one of the ways management and students can work together to curb this behaviour.

“Also, leaving the committees to carry out their duties without any form of interference would make meaningful differences. We see situations where erring lecturers are shielded from facing their crimes because they’re popular, or are in close relationships with university heads.”

The lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Senator Ishaku Abbo, has asserted that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, along with his associates, were the ones who disseminated the story about his rumored intention to impeach him.

Abbo further added that the narrative was purportedly orchestrated by the Senate President to create discord between President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and northern politicians.

The PUNCH reports that Akpabio has strongly denied allegations of an impending impeachment against him. He labelled these reports as both malicious and untrue.

There were media reports on Saturday stating that plans were underway to unseat Akpabio as the president of the 10th Senate when the Senate reconvenes on September 26, 2023.

The report also noted that two prominent senators from the North West and other senators across the national assembly are already meeting and mapping out plans to carry out the daring move.

The reports also alleged that the senators believed that the Senate President was a rubber stamp for the presidency and may be unable to carry out his duty effectively.

He stated, “I woke up today to find over 10 mainstream Nigerian newspapers all carrying news of a plan to impeach Senator Akpabio by senators from Northern Nigeria. The Whistler Newspaper even went on to name Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, and Senator Ogoshi Onawo, among others, as the senators behind the move.”

Abbo added, “As a Northern senator and an official of the Northern Senators Forum, I boldly affirm that this news is intentionally disseminated and propagated by the ‘camp’ of Senator Akpabio solely to pit President Bola Tinubu against the North. I call on Senator Akpabio to rein in his camp, as the seeds of discord and deep ethno-religious division they are sowing will not bode well for the country. Why the North? Why in Saudi Arabia?”

He remarked, “If Akpabio and his camp wanted a united Senate, much like Ahmed Lawan, they would have known exactly what to do during Senate Standing Committees allocation and supplementary budget resources allocation. But the camp of the SP continued to treat the senate as a conquered territory where the winner walks away with the spoils of war. A classic case of the winner takes all.”

Expressing his frustration, the Adamawa lawmaker said, “How do you justify a situation where out of Category A Committees, only two were granted to his perceived rivals? How will you explain a senate where 83.1% of those appointed Chairmen of Category A Committees also serve as Vice Chairmen of Category A?

“How do you explain a third-term Senator being denied the Chairmanship of a Committee? How do you justify the leadership of the Senate, all being Vice Chairmen of Category A Committees? You cannot treat us as conquered people and then return to manipulate us with planted and paid newspaper reports to set us against the President.”

Abbo also claimed that the 10th Senate was the most condescending parliament. He further referred to the screening of ministerial nominees, where the Senate President sought clearance for certain nominees at the Villa. He added that the Senate was not given the opportunity to decide on the fate of rejected nominees.

Before embarking on its annual recess, the Senate screened 48 ministerial nominees sent by the president, with 45 receiving approval and three being rejected. Among the rejected three was former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Reflecting on the screening, Abbo queried, “Let me pose this question: During the ministerial screening, when three ministerial nominees were denied clearance by the senate, which committee examined the petitions against them? Was it Ethics and Privileges, an ad-hoc committee, or the committee of the whole? Was the report deliberated and debated during plenary? Was there any voting, either AYE or NAY?

“The Senate President simply absented himself during plenary, leaving the Senate waiting in the Chamber for over three hours while he was at the Villa. This is something that has never occurred in the history of the Senate. Then he returned and read out the names of those cleared and ‘waved’ papers in his hand, citing security reports from NSA or DSS as the reason for not clearing some ministers.”

Abbo added, “In my opinion, this is the lowest the Senate has ever descended. Who granted NSA, DSS DG, or IGP the authority to correspond with the Senate? What kind of communication is that? Executive communication or reckless communication?

“Are we telling Nigerians that the Presidency and the Security agencies did not conduct due diligence before sending the list to the Senate, or is the Senate being used as a pawn in the power play of Presidential aides?”

He went on to assert that Akpabio knows what it takes to maintain a peaceful Senate, akin to Ahmed Lawan, and “not blackmailing Senators from Northern region and using newspaper report to hoodwink the President.

“President Bola Tinubu worked hard to make Senator Akpabio the Senate President, but it is only Senator Akpabio who can effectively manage his colleagues, not Tinubu managing them on his behalf.”