₦airaland Forum

Some All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants in Ondo state have passed a vote of no confidence in the primary election being superintended by Gov. Usman Ododo of Kogi state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the APC primary election in the 203 wards in the state is to elect the party’s flag bearer for the Nov. 16 governorship election.


Addressing newsmen on Saturday in Akure, even as the election was ongoing, the aspirants said that Gov. Ododo did not follow the due process laid down by the national leadership of the party.


Mr Gbenga Edema, one of the aspirants, frowned at the delay in the release of electoral materials meant for the primary.


According to Edema, as at 10: 00 a.m., electoral materials had not been released contrary to the reolution made during a stakeholders’ meeting on Friday.

“ As I’m speaking to you at past 10:00 am, no electoral materials have been distributed.

“We have been here with others before 7;00 a.m. because the secretary of the committee, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, told us during the stakeholders’ meeting that the materials would be distributed to the electoral officers at the BON Hotel, Akure.

“ He told us that the accreditation would start between 10:00:am and 1:00 pm and that voting would commence by 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.


“ But what we are hearing now is that the election has been concluded and the result announced.

“We asked the chairman, but he had no answer to our questions.

“ We are not people that could be manipulated by godfathers. So, we are asking our national leadership that if they are not ready, they should postpone it until the right thing is done,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Sola Ajisafe, who represented Mr Wale Akinterinwa, one of the aspirants, said that there was no election held in the state.


“ My people have been calling me that no single material has been distributed in their wards.

“What is playing out here is connivance and agreement by Gov. Ododo to short-change the people of the state and reduce our capacity to choose our leader.

“We are saying that they should reschedule another election because this election did not even hold.


“This is another form of failure. Ododo has not performed his responsibility concerning this election. This is anti democratic process,” he said.


Also, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, who represented Mr Olusola Oke, an aspirant, asked the committee to follow due process, adding that a lot had been spent to build the party.

Ogunleye, who said he had a right to protest, called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

“ I want to inform President Bola Tinubu, because he is our leader, that the men sent to conduct this election are not following the guidelines,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Paul Oniyemofe, who represented Prof. Dayo Faduyile, another aspirant, described the election as a day light robbery and asked for a rescheduled primary.

In a swift reaction, Ododo said that electoral materials had been distributed to Ondo North and Ondo South Senatorial Districts.

He added that materials had also been delivered at Ondo Central District, promising that all grievances would be looked into.

The correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN), who visited Ward 10 in Akure South Local Government Area, observed that the election had been concluded there.

Speaking to NAN, Mr Ifedayo Aanuoluwapo, said that it was peaceful and orderly.

Aanuoluwapo, who is a youth leader of the party in the ward, however, said that the voters did not follow the timeline of accreditation.

Similarly, Mr Ademola Salami, a voter, said that there was a premonition that there could be violence in the ward, hence the early accreditation and voting.

However, at Obanla /Ijomu Ward 4, Akure South Local Government Area, accreditation was yet to be done.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr Yinka Akosile, an electorate, said that the the people were still awaiting electoral materials as at noon.


© 2024 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria

By Rex Akindele

Politics, they say is a game of interest. No permanent friend, no permanent enemy but permanent interest. But in every sphere of life, there’s morality and a man is best respected by his principles and the values he stand for.
There’s this school of thought that says “if you don’t stand for anything, you fall for everything”. This is the crossroad where the former governor of Rivers State and incumbent Minister of the FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike stands.

Loud, brutish and loquacious with a touch of arrogance, the APC as a political Party was always the butt of his not so funny jokes while he held sway as governor of Rivers State.
Wike rose from the ashes of the crisis that engulfed Rivers State in 2007 after the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in the State which the then president, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo described as having a K-leg. The winner of that primaries, Rotimi Amaechi with a natural K-leg was not the preferred candidate of the powers that be and he was unceremoniously substituted with Sir Celestine Omeiha to fly the flag of the Party. What ensued after was a pre-election legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. After the general elections which Omeiha won and was inaugurated as governor, the heat became unbearable for Amaechi and he escaped to Ghana on a self-imposed exile. It was Barr. Wike, a former Council Chairman of Obior/Akpor Local Government and close ally of Amaechi that stayed behind to coordinate the legal team and supporters of Amaechi until the case was decided by the Apex Court.

In appreciation of the job Wike did while he was away, Gov. Amaechi appointed him as his Chief of Staff during his first term in office. The Chief of Staff in the current system we practice wields a lot of powers and Amaechi, seeing how powerful and ambitious Wike was becoming, decided to cut him to size by not re-appointing him when he won his second term in 2011. Amaechi in one of his interviews, confessed that Wike was getting depressed and when an opportunity came to nominate a Minister from the State, a mutual friend of theirs pleaded with him to consider Wike in order to save him from a mental crisis. That was when Wike was nominated, and appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as Minister of State for Education in his government.
When Governor Amaechi and President Jonathan fell apart, Wike took advantage of the crisis to build a parallel structure for Jonathan in Rivers and when Amaechi joined forces with 4 other PDP governors to create a faction within the PDP known as the New PDP, which later joined the APC, Wike, a cabinet Minister, took charge of PDP in Rivers State as the leader being the highest political office holder from the State. With the entire Party structure in his kitty and as the right hand man of President Jonathan who was contesting for a second term in office, the Governorship ticket of the PDP was an easy pick for Wike and despite the opposition from the then incumbent and his estranged friend, Rotimi Amaechi, Wike rode on the South-South sentiment and the popularity of President Jonathan in the region to clinch the governorship seat. This was Wike’s journey to limelight.

I have taken time to explain this to let you see that Wike is a crisispreneur and among active politicians in the country today, he has benefited from crisis the most. That’s why he rejoices whenever he sense a crisis anywhere as crisis to him is like the green grass to the green snake. His involvement with the APC during the last general election was as a result of the crisis that engulfed the PDP after their presidential primaries of 2022 in which he was an aspirant. His role in President Tinubu winning Rivers in 2023 can never be overemphasized but while he presented himself as someone fighting for the interest of Southern Nigeria, he lost what could have been a tremendous goodwill from such act by accepting a ministerial appointment from the president and the Party he had bad-mouthed for 8 years. It means it was all about his personal interest all along, which on its own is not bad if only he can swallow his pride and show some respect for others.

Mr Wike’s brazing use of his vantage position as a cabinet Minister in an opposition government to interfere with the governance of his home State of Rivers without reservation is becoming a moral burden for the Tinubu administration. Crisis of mistrust and disloyalty is common between successive governors and their predecessors in Nigeria since the inception of this democratic dispensation and on all occasions, the sitting governor always have the sympathy of the people.
At present, like Rivers, there’s a cold war in other States between governors and their benefactors, particularly in Benue State where Senator George Akume, a former governor of the State and incumbent Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and his anointed governor, a Catholic Priest turned politician, Fr. Hyacinth Alia are fighting for supremacy. Senator Akume has maintained a dignified silence and conducted himself in a manner befitting of a high profile government appointee while allowing his men to battle it out with the governor. In the case of Mr Wike, he talks at every given opportunity in a demeaning language directing his missiles not only to his State governor but also to any elder that dare to associate with the governor. Some of those words are not even good enough to be used on an opponent not to talk of members of the same political Party. His supporters continue to abandon him on daily basis as it seems the communities are now turning against those fighting the governor.

Rivers State is a very delicate State. One of the oil producing States in the country that has the privilege of serving as the operational base of most oil companies in the region. It used to be the hotbed of militant activities until the intervention of late President Umaru Yar’Adua who introduced an amnesty programme to appease aggrieved youths fighting many years of neglect and insensitivity to the plight of their people. Today, anything that threatens the peace of Rivers State is a threat to national security and it’s becoming obvious from the tone of Elders, traditional leaders and stakeholders of the region that the Minister of the FCT is seen more as a threat to peace in the State, a character unbecoming of someone who served as Chief Security Officer of the State for 8 years.

On the political side, Wike is lost between the devil and the deep blue sea. After the 2023 general election where the PDP failed woefully due to some decisions and miscalculations of her presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Wike was supposed to be the rallying point of aggrieved stakeholders and frustrated supporters of the Party. He was being looked upon, along side members of his G-5, to become the new face of the opposition in the country and give the Party new direction until he tumbled from his Olympia height. He had Governor Ortom, the former governor of Benue State who was a torn in the flesh of the Buhari led APC administration with him. But by choosing to serve as minister in an opposition government, he lost the trust of his fellow ‘comrades’ and the first to abandon him was the only remaining governor among them, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. His appointment as Minister from Rivers, with Mr President not giving extra consideration to the State in order to accommodate someone from the original APC family, threw the APC into confusion. Today, while the national secretariat of the APC dissolved the State Working Committee and installed Wike’s loyalists in a caretaker capacity, Wike remained a PDP member in the day and APC at night thereby allowing both Parties to suffer in the State as he continue to play the double game. Lovers of multi-Party democracy will definitely question President Tinubu’s democratic credentials on the account of this. A virile democracy strives on the foundation of a strong and healthy opposition and the President will do his image in the international community a lot of good if he concentrate on strengthening his Party rather than being seen as destroying the opposition.

Regardless the number of State Assembly members standing with the minister, it’s a near impossibility to impeach the governor as the State will go up in flames. Seen as the first person to emerge as governor of the State from the riverine communities since the return of democracy in 1999, Gov Fubara has played the ethnic card very well to his advantage. He has also succeeded in harvesting all the other former governors who were also at the receiving end of Wike’s arrogance, vindictiveness and winner-takes-all approach to politics.
It has now come to the public that with all the noise from Rivers during his time as governor, Local Government workers were denied the statutory minimum wage of ₦30,000 and for 8 years, their promotion was stagnated. The national leadership of NULGE had to send a powerful delegation to governor Fubara to commend him for righting the wrongs of the past by implementing minimum wage for local government employees in the State and effecting their backlog of promotions. If these and more is been done to ingratiate himself to the people, Fubara has succeeded to a great extent as it continue to eat into any godwill left of Mr Wike as his former trusted allies throng the government house in Port Harcourt on daily basis to pay homage to the governor and pledge their allegiance.

If an election were to be conducted in Rivers State today, can Wike still be able to deliver for Mr President? The answer is a big NO and the situation will get worse with time.
It is therefore high time President Tinubu begin to see Wike as a political liability and social disaster by reaching out to other stakeholders and making new friends in Rivers State in order to safeguard his political future in the Niger Delta.

Akindele wrote this piece from Kubwa, FCT and can be reached at rexakindele2000@gmail.com

Okuama: Army releases Delta monarch arrested over soldiers’ killings
The Army has released the traditional ruler of Ewu Kingdom, HRM Clement Ikolo, after holding him in custody for three weeks over the killing of 17 military personnel at Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, on March 14.

The monarch was detained following the killing of 17 soldiers at Okuama in Delta State.

Vanguard gathered that Senator Thomas Joel Onowakpo, on Wednesday, appealed for the release of the detained traditional ruler when he met with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, in Abuja.


It would be recalled that the detained monarch was among the eight persons declared wanted by the military authorities. This was following their alleged involvement in the March 14 tragic incident at Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area.

The monarch surrendered himself to the security authorities in Delta State before he was handed over to the military in Abuja.

Worried over his continued detention, some senators appealed for the release of the traditional ruler, saying “his continued detention risks exacerbating tensions within Delta.”

Senator Nwoko, who led the delegation, said he was deeply concerned about the Okuama tragedy and called for calm and cooperation from all quarters in unraveling and addressing the remote and immediate causes.

He noted that there were fruitful deliberations on other issues, such as the Onicha-Olona community incident in Aniocha North Local Government Area, where an illegal arms factory was discovered.

He requested further support as well as bringing attention to the underlying issues highlighted by this discovery.

Nwoko said there is a need to grow indigenous technologists and our technology sector, as well as the construction of new headquarters for the 63 Brigade in Delta State.

As a result of the Okuama tragedy, the military has not only occupied the community to recover missing weapons and arms, but they have also constituted a panel of inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing of the officers and soldiers, allegedly by some irate youths of the Okuama community.

© 2024 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria
Exit mobile version

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has placed former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on its watchlist.

This came following his absence from court during his arraignment over an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn.

Tribune Online reports on Thursday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared the former Kogi State Governor wanted after unsuccessful efforts to arrest him at his Abuja residence on Wednesday. The commission urged the public to assist it with necessary information that could lead to his arrest.

However, in an internal circular sighted by our correspondent, which has the name and passport number (B50083321) of the former Governor Yahaya Bello, the NIS directed all its zonal headquarters and Commands to arrest him if seen.


The circular, dated April 18, 2024 was signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, DS Umar, for the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap.

“I am directed to request you to place the above named subject on watch list.

“Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/ TE/Vide/1/279 dated April 18, 2024.

“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action,” the circular reads.




© 2023 Tribune Online

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned that it will no longer tolerate obstruction of its operations.

This comes after the anti-graft agency failed in its attempt to arrest former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday.

But for the arrival of the incumbent governor of Kogi, Usman Ododo, security operatives were planning to forcefully arrest Bello.

Daily Trust had reported how the anti-graft agency laid siege to the residence of Bello in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

The operatives, who stormed Bello’s residence in dozens, cordoned off Benghazi Street, where the residence of Bello is.

After waiting for hours without being able to arrest Bello, the anti-graft agency reinforced in its bid to forcefully arrest the ex-governor the way a former governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, was arrested a few years ago.

They were planning to forcefully arrest him before the arrival of Ododo.

Ododo, who drove into Bello’s compound, departed after a while.

However, as he was leaving, reports filtered in that Bello was in his vehicle, forcing security operatives who had been on standby for hours to open fire.

Reacting to the drama that played out, the EFCC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, warned that it is a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.

“Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.

“This warning becomes necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.

“On several occasions, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order. Regrettably, such disposition is being construed as a sign of weakness.

“The commission, therefore, warns that it will henceforth not tolerate any attempt by any person or organisation to obstruct its operation as such will be met with appropriate punitive actions,” the Commission said.


info@dailytrust.com
1998 - 2024 Media Trust Limited.

Nigerian Observer

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday, asked that socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, otherwise known as Cubana Chief Priest submit his international passport as part of conditions for bail.

Okechukwu was then granted N10m bail with two sureties in like sum, on charges of tampering with and abusing Nigeria’s currency, the naira.

Okechukwu had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Okechukwu who is a celebrated social media icon was arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on three counts of abuse of naira by spraying and tampering with the currency at a social event, which runs contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

The offence was alleged to have been committed by Okechukwu, while he was dancing at an event on February 13, 2024, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, a popular recreational centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.

He was said to have sprayed currency notes of the N500 denomination at the said event.

Following his plea of not guilty, the court granted Cubana Chief Priest bail in the sum of ₦10 million. This bail requires two responsible sureties each in like sum who must be gainfully employed with either the federal or state government, holding positions not below grade level 16.

Additionally, the sureties are required to possess landed property, the documentation of which must be verified by the court.

As part of the bail conditions, Cubana Chief Priest must surrender his travel passport to the custody of the court.

These bail conditions are to be fulfilled within seven days. In the interim, he has been released into the custody of his lawyer, who must provide an undertaking to ensure Cubana Chief Priest’s appearance in court at the designated times. Failure to do so may result in his remand in a correctional facility.


© 2024 Nigerian Observer

The late Senator, who served as the representative for Kwara South Senatorial District in the eighth National Assembly, breathed his last on Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of dedication, service, and profound impact, as stated by his family.

“We kindly request your prayers and support during this difficult time. His burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.

“We pray Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Al-jannah Firdaus. Ameen,” the statement concluded.

The Delta State Government has prohibited journeys on its water bodies for actors carrying out their creative talents without putting on life jackets and ensuring other safety measures.

This is contained in a condolence message by the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Nnamdi Ijeh, to the families of those who lost their lives in the ill-fated boat mishap on the River Niger last week, in Asaba.

According to the letter, dated April 11, 2024, the commissioner conveyed the sympathies of the State Government and the creative family in the state in the unfortunate incident of April 10, 2024.

‘’On behalf of the State Government, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the entire creative family in the State, I sympathise with the families of those who lost their lives in the process of expressing their creative talent on their way from the location of shooting a movie on April 10, 2024, and the entire Nollywood family.

‘’It is with a heavy heart that I want you to know that we share in your pain. At the time the news got to us, we arrived at the scene and discovered that the few ones who were saved from the boat mishap were on life jackets. ’It is therefore very expedient that, at this time of grief, to say that henceforth, such journeys should not be embarked upon without life jackets, expert divers and other safety precautions,” he said.

Ijeh also added, ”the Delta Government takes the life of every citizen as a priority and therefore warns against water journeys without the required safety gadgets, especially those within the entertainment industry.

In the letter, copied to the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Dr Emeka Rollas, the commissioner also prayed for the repose of the departed souls.



© 2024 Nigerian Current News.

Hennessypope:
Long one

But you got the message

Four of the tier-1 banks in the country, FBN Holdings, Access Holdings, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc have indicated plans to raise about over $3.03bn (N3.46tn) in fresh capital.

This came barely one month after the Central Bank of Nigeria directed Deposit Money Banks to recapitalise.

According to The PUNCH findings on Sunday, the four tier-1 banks announced plans to raise funds from both the international capital market and the local market.

At least two of the financial institutions, FBN Holdings and GTCO announced their plans to raise fresh capital last week, while Access Holdings said it would raise capital in both naira and US dollars.

FBN Holdings in a notice of its Extraordinary General Meeting filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited disclosed that it would be seeking shareholders’ approval to raise N300bn additional capital.

According to the notice, shareholders will consider and vote on the special business “that the company be and is hereby authorised to undertake a capital raise of up to N300,000,000,000.00 (three hundred billion naira)”

The financial institution is seeking to raise the funds via a public offering, private placement, or rights issue in the Nigerian or international capital markets.


In a notice on the capital raising, GTCO said the fund would be raised “through the issuance of securities comprising ordinary shares, preference shares, convertible and/or non-convertible notes, bonds or any other instruments, in the Nigerian and/or international capital markets, either as a standalone issue(s) or by the establishment of capital raising programme(s), whether by way of public offerings, private placements, rights issues and/or other transaction modes, at price(s), coupon or interest rates determined through book building or any other acceptable valuation method or combination of methods, in such tranches, series or proportions, within such maturity periods and at such dates and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the board of directors of the Company (the Board), subject to obtaining the requisite approvals of the relevant regulatory authorities.”


In a statutory notice filed with the NGX, Access Holdings said that it was looking at raising $1.5bn via a share sale or bond offering. The parent company of Access Bank, said it would also ask existing shareholders for permission to raise N365bn through a rights issue at its next Annual General Meeting scheduled to be held this month.

The United Bank for Africa also revealed plans to raise fresh capital to meet the new regulatory benchmark.

In a statement issued late Sunday, the banking group said it is actively exploring a well-defined strategy to boost its capital base and ensure compliance within the regulatory time frame.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, in the statement, said, “This strategy may include a combination of options such as Rights Issue or Private Placement. The fact remains that we are confident in our ability to meet the CBN’s capital adequacy requirements and will keep investors informed as we progress.”

The PUNCH gathered that the banking group is looking at raising about $200m from the international capital market and raising another round of funding from the local market for an amount yet to be specified. The bank is expected to release a statement in this regard this week.

Wema Bank

As of the time of this report, tier-2 bank, Wema Bank said it had raised N40bn during its rights issue and is waiting for regulatory approval.

The bank’s MD, Moruf Oseni, said that it would “Accelerate its capital management plans and ensure we embark on the journey to raise the required capital as quickly as possible.”

Sterling Bank Limited recently raised N21bn through the Sterling Investment Management SPV Plc under its N30bn Debt Issuance Programme.

On Friday, Zenith Bank said it would be asking shareholders for approval to increase its issued share capital from N15,698,246,893.50 divided into 31,396,493,787 ordinary shares of N0.50 Kobo each to N31,396,493,787 through the creation of new shares.

It has yet to state the value of the additional capital it intends to raise via the creation of fresh shares. However, it was stated, that the capital raising programme is being proposed to happen on both the Nigerian and international capital markets.


According to the issuing house, Afrinvest Capital Limited, the offer opened on March 27th, 2024, and closed on Monday, April 8, 2024. The proceeds will be used to purchase 10 Year Notes issued by Sterling Bank Limited.

The CBN had in a circular in late March to commercial, merchant and non-interest banks and promoters of new banks announced the review of the capital requirements for the operations of the affected categories of banks in the country.

Citing both domestic and global shocks, the apex bank in a statement signed by its Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali, said it had become necessary to raise the capital base of the banks.

Thus, the CBN directed commercial banks with international authorisation to increase their capital base to N500bn and national banks to N200bn while those with regional authorisation are expected to achieve a N50bn capital floor. Similarly, non-interest banks with national and regional authorisations will need to increase their capital to N20bn and N10bn, respectively.

According to the CBN circular, only the share capital and share premium items on the Shareholder Fund portion of the balance sheet will be recognised in this particular round of recapitalisation.

The apex bank circular said, “For Existing Banks a. The minimum capital specified above shall comprise paid-up capital and share premium only. For the avoidance of doubt, the new capital requirement shall NOT be based on the Shareholders’ Fund. b. Additional Tier 1 Capital shall not be eligible for the purpose of meeting the new requirement. c. All banks are required to meet the minimum capital requirement within a period of 24 months commencing from April 1, 2024 and terminating on March 31, 2026. d. Notwithstanding the capital increase, banks are to ensure strict compliance with the minimum capital adequacy ratio requirement applicable to their license authorization. e. In line with extant regulations, banks that breach the CAR requirement shall be required to inject fresh capital to regularize their position.”

For proposed banks, the CBN said that their minimum capital requirement shall be paid-up capital and applicable to all new applications for banking licences submitted after April 1. 2024.

Meanwhile, an analysis by The PUNCH put the fresh capital to be raised by 26 banks including commercial banks, merchant banks and non-interest banks at about N4tn in the next 24 months.

Although analysis showed that 12 financial institutions, including Access Holdings, FBN Holdings, FCMB Group, Fidelity Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa, Sterling Financial Holdings, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Wema Bank, Polaris Bank and non-interest bank, Jaiz Bank have about N4.8tn in retained earnings, they are not allowed to add this to the capital base due to the CBN directive.

Analysts react

Meanwhile, the capital raising efforts by the financial institutions, according to a capital market analyst, Ambrose Omorodion, could lead to dilution of the shareholding structures and earnings of the firms.

He added that they would create more shares to accommodate the new investors.

To tackle this situation, Omorodion, said that the financial institution would have to improve on their performance to be able to deliver value to stakeholders.

He said, “The capital raising is going to dilute the shareholding structure and earnings of the banks unless they double their performance in order to justify their price to shareholders. In all, there are opportunities to make money from this process.”


Thus far, talks of mergers and acquisitions have not been pronounced in the current recapitalisation exercises as Omorodion said that small banks were the most likely to consider that option.

“Mergers will be for tier-2 banks. The bigger banks will likely go for the small banks to increase their operational base across the country and beyond,” he said.

Investment banker and stockbroker, Tajudeen Olayinka, echoed the same sentiments saying, “I think most of them may opt for mergers but the big ones would be able to find their way or even acquire some of the small ones.

“They (smaller banks) can also merge with the big ones and a few of them can come together to merge. That is likely to happen. We might even see some investors outside of the banking space come in to also acquire them. Some big-time investors are interested in coming into the space and giving the banks the required capital, just to make sure that they meet the required capital but that would be dependent on the leaning of the core investors in those banks.”

However, in an April 10 report on its website, Fitch Ratings also stated that small banks might struggle to meet the new threshold.

“Some small and medium-sized banks may struggle to raise the necessary capital, leading to increased M&A. This would result in a more concentrated banking sector, with higher barriers to entry, greater economies of scale and stronger long-term profitability,” FitchRatings said.

It added that “No Fitch-rated banks currently meet the new requirements. The combined paid-in capital shortfall for Fitch-rated banks is about NGN2.6tn ($2.1bn). We expect a marked increase in equity issuance over the next two years.”

Fitch Ratings maintained that “Some small and medium-sized banks may struggle to raise the necessary capital, and could be acquired by larger banks. Certain domestic systemically important banks have particularly high capital ratios but are significantly below the new paid-in capital requirements, and may prefer to consider acquisitions over seeking fresh capital injections.”

It, however, said, “We do not expect licence authorisation downgrades to play a major role in meeting the new requirements as they would necessitate divesting foreign subsidiaries or disentangling regional branch networks.”

CBN had given banks three ways to meet the new threshold. They include injection of fresh equity capital through private placements, rights issues and/or offers for subscription; Mergers and Acquisitions; and/or upgrade or downgrade of license authorisation.

Banking stocks sell-offs

Sell-offs in banking stocks on the Nigerian Exchange during the two days of trading in the past week led to a loss of about N633bn despite strong earnings performance reports by the top banks.

This marked the first consecutive weekly loss on the equity market as the All-Share Index depreciated by 1.08 per cent to 102,312.56 points, with market capitalisation declining by 1.59 per cent to N57.864tn.

Some analysts blamed the market’s pullback on economic headwinds compounded by anticipation surrounding the publication of consumer price inflation data for March.


Similarly, investors continued their portfolio rebalancing activities amid the outcome of Friday’s NT-Bills auction, which offered attractive yields.

Trading activity was downbeat in the past week, as 1.132 billion shares worth N28.650bn were exchanged in 21,921 deals, lower than the 3.680 billion shares valued at N57.892bn that were traded in 40,726 deals in the previous week.

On the sectoral performance, it was a market-wide bearish performance as the banking index led the laggards by 7.22 per cent week-on-week, driven by adverse price movements in Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Holding Company, Access Holdings and FBN Holdings.

Trailing were the insurance (2.45 per cent), consumer goods (1.33 per cent), oil & gas (0.28 per cent), and industrial goods index (0.23 per cent), which got dragged by southward movement in Flourmills, Sunu Assurances, Dangote Sugar, Eterna Plc, Lafarge and Abbey Mortgage Bank, respectively.

At the close of the week, the best-performed stocks included Morison Industries, Oando, Transcorp, DEAPCap, and Omatek as their share prices trended upward by 21 per cent, 11 per cent, 10 per cent, 10 per cent, and nine per cent, in that order.

Furthermore, the top traded stocks by volume were United Bank for Africa (455.7m units), Zenith Bank (423.5m units), and GTCO (329.7m units), while Zenith Bank (N17.1bn), GTCO (N13.9bn), and UBA (N12.3bn) led in terms of value.

Looking ahead, analysts at Cowry Research said, “The current trend of corrections is expected to persist as market fundamentals change increasing volatility, portfolio rebalancing, and sector rotation by investors and fund managers. We think investors will closely monitor expected earnings numbers, published macroeconomic data and government policy direction for guidance.”

Afrinvest analysts in their weekly market update projected, “We expect the selloffs in the bourse to linger in the absence of positive catalysts. Our bearish prognosis is mainly influenced by the lacklustre projection for banking stocks. Precisely, jitters around share dilution effect of the industry recapitalisation exercise and investor uncertainty around earnings potential have heightened as CBN toughens regulations.”

Contact: theeditor@punchng.com

On April 10, 2024, the Nollywood industry mourned the loss of John Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope. This piece delves into the life, career, and untimely passing of the Nigerian actor, tracing his journey from vibrant stages to the somber announcement.

Background

Born on May 7, 1984, in Bamenda, Cameroon, Pope Obumneme Odonwodo, widely recognized as Junior Pope, is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Odonwodo, belong to the Ukehe tribe of Enugu State, situated in southeastern Nigeria. After spending his formative years in Cameroon, Junior Pope completed his primary and secondary education before later relocating to Nigeria.

Junior Pope’s upbringing in Cameroon provided him with a diverse cultural background and experiences that have influenced his personal and professional life.

After completing his education in Cameroon, he made the transition to Nigeria, where he embarked on his journey in the entertainment industry. His multicultural upbringing serves as a significant aspect of his identity and has contributed to shaping his perspective as an actor and public figure.

Throughout his career, Junior Pope has garnered acclaim for his performances in various film and television productions, earning him recognition and a dedicated fan base. His journey from Cameroon to Nigeria reflects his determination and resilience in pursuing his passion for acting while embracing his cultural heritage. Junior Pope’s story serves as an inspiration to many aspiring artists, highlighting the importance of perseverance and staying true to one’s roots in the pursuit of success.

Education

After completing his college education, Junior Pope attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka in Enugu State, where he graduated with a degree in Accountancy.

Early Beginnings

In 2006, Junior Pope’s journey in the acting world began as he made his debut on the Nollywood scene. His talent and dedication to his craft became evident through his portrayal of diverse characters, ranging from villains to romantic leads. With each role, Junior Pope demonstrated his adaptability and unwavering commitment to delivering compelling performances, earning him recognition and acclaim within the industry.

Throughout his career, Junior Pope’s impressive body of work includes standout performances in notable films such as “Wrong Initiation,” “We Meet Again,” and “Eye of the Eagle.” These movies served as platforms for him to showcase his acting prowess and solidify his position as a rising star in Nollywood.

His ability to bring depth and authenticity to his characters captivated audiences and further propelled his career forward.

Junior Pope’s contributions to the Nigerian film industry have not only earned him a loyal fan base but also established him as a respected and sought-after actor. His journey from his debut in 2006 to his notable performances in acclaimed movies highlights his growth, versatility, and enduring impact on the Nollywood stage.

Rising Stardom

Junior Pope’s talent garnered widespread recognition in 2010 when he was honored with the title of Nollywood’s Most Promising Actor in Nigeria at the prestigious Entertainment Factory Awards. This accolade served as a testament to his exceptional abilities and marked a significant milestone in his burgeoning career.

Following this achievement, Junior Pope’s rise to stardom was swift as he continued to captivate audiences with his performances, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in the Nigerian film industry.

Since his debut in Nollywood, Junior Pope has showcased his versatility and dedication to his craft by portraying a diverse range of characters across over 100 film roles. His ability to immerse himself into various roles and bring authenticity to his performances has earned him widespread acclaim and admiration from fans and critics alike. With each project, Junior Pope’s talent shines through, further establishing him as a seasoned actor with a promising future in the entertainment industry.

Junior Pope’s journey from earning the title of Nollywood’s Most Promising Actor to his prolific career spanning numerous film roles underscores his passion for storytelling and commitment to excellence. As he continues to make his mark on the Nigerian film landscape, Junior Pope’s talent and dedication serve as an inspiration to aspiring actors and a testament to the boundless opportunities within Nollywood.

Family Life

At home, away from the glare of screens and the demands of his career, Junior Pope discovers profound solace within the embrace of his family. Within this intimate sanctuary, he is surrounded by the unwavering love and support of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Odonwodo. Their presence provides him with a sense of belonging and stability, grounding him amidst the whirlwind of the entertainment world.


Junior Pope and his family
Moreover, Junior Pope’s life finds even greater fulfillment through his marriage to Jennifer Awele Okpuno. Their union, solemnized on July 26, 2014, transcends the confines of fame and fortune, enriching his existence in ways that surpass the silver screen.

Together, they navigate the journey of life, cherishing each moment and building a legacy that transcends mere celebrity status.

Their love is further cemented by the joy of parenthood, as Junior Pope and Jennifer are blessed with three sons. Through the gift of children, they forge a bond that extends far beyond the boundaries of the entertainment industry. Together, they nurture the next generation, instilling values of love, compassion, and resilience, thus ensuring that their legacy endures for years to come.

Notable Performances

Throughout his career, Junior Pope has delivered memorable performances across a diverse range of roles, each showcasing his versatility and talent as an actor. In “Secret Adventure,” he captivated audiences with his adept portrayal of action-packed sequences, demonstrating his mastery of the craft in bringing dynamic characters to life.

Through this role, Junior Pope not only entertained but also left a lasting impression with his impressive action skills, earning acclaim from fans and critics alike.

In “Nkwocha,” Junior Pope tackled poignant societal issues with depth and sensitivity, using his platform as an actor to shed light on important themes.

Through his nuanced performance, he highlighted the complexities of social dynamics, sparking conversations and prompting reflection among viewers. By delving into the heart of these issues, Junior Pope showcased his commitment to using his artistry to provoke thought and evoke change, cementing his reputation as a socially conscious performer.

Additionally, in “Bachelor Eve,” Junior Pope demonstrated his comedic prowess, eliciting laughter with impeccable timing and delivery. Through his portrayal of comedic situations and characters, he showcased a different facet of his talent, proving his ability to excel in diverse genres. Furthermore, in “Labister,” Junior Pope once again delved into societal issues, this time focusing on the dynamics within campus life. Through his performance, he brought attention to pertinent issues affecting young people, contributing to a broader conversation on the challenges they face.

Net Worth

He is considered one of the richest and most influential actors in Nigeria, with an estimated net worth of $350,000.

Awards

His awards, including the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, are a testament to his talent and hard work.

Philanthropy And Influence

Beyond his role as an actor, Junior Pope’s impact reverberates as a dedicated philanthropist, leaving a tangible mark on society. His philanthropic endeavors transcend the confines of the silver screen, reflecting a deep commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Through his generosity and compassion, he has touched the hearts of many, embodying the true spirit of giving back to the community.

Moreover, Junior Pope’s influence extends far beyond his on-screen performances, as he actively engages with fans through social media platforms. By sharing glimpses into his personal and professional journey, he fosters a sense of connection and authenticity with his audience. Through these interactions, he not only entertains but also inspires, imparting valuable insights and fostering meaningful dialogue.

In essence, Junior Pope’s philanthropic efforts and social media presence serve as testaments to his multifaceted impact on society. Through his generosity, compassion, and willingness to connect with others, he embodies the ideals of empathy and solidarity, enriching the lives of those around him both on and off the screen.

Cause Of Death

The Nollywood actor and three fellow colleagues were announced to have died when their boat overturned on the Anam River in Anambra State as they were returning from a film set. He died at the age of 39.

Paraman:
The price of petrol, gas and diesel will become more expensive in the USA.

how will that affect the election

Paraman:
If the price of oil shoots up, it will have an effect on Biden in the presidential election

how

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has supported the United States' position that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries may disrupt global markets for petroleum products.

That's according to Bloomberg, Ukrinform reports.

About 500,000 to 600,000 barrels a day of the country's crude processing capacity could be offline this quarter on a gross basis, before offsets, according to the IEA's monthly report.

The shutdown of these refineries or units for between four to eight weeks for repairs "could mean a significant loss" of Russian petroleum product exports, the agency said on Friday. International markets rely on Russian exports of diesel, naphtha and jet fuel, the IEA said.

The IEA effectively echoed a statement by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who warned that Ukrainian attacks "could have a knock-on effect" on the global energy market.

So far, the actual decline in oil refinery output has been much less. The IEA data shows that official weekly data on Russian refineries through the end of March matched crude oil production volumes of 5.0 to 5.2 million barrels per day, not the 4.6 million barrels per day indicated by an upper estimate of refinery outages.

Russian refiners processed an average of 5.25 million barrels per day in the first three days of April. Bloomberg calculations based on historical data show that despite the recovery since mid-March, daily refining volumes remain significantly below the 5.78 million barrels of crude processed in the first few days of April last year.




© 2015-2024 Ukrinform. All rights reserved.

Russia has delivered military equipment to Niger that will provide the African country with the “latest generation of anti-aircraft defense systems,” Nigerien state broadcaster RTN said Thursday.

The equipment arrived in Niamey on Wednesday along with 100 Russian military instructors who will install the system and train Nigerien soldiers to use it, RTN added.

Russian state media RIA Novosti said early Friday that Russian military instructors arrived in Niger “to train local forces in the fight against terrorism.”

“This means that Russia is returning to Africa,” an RIA Novosti correspondent reported from the scene, adding that NATO troops have also been arriving in Niamey to further catch a transfer flight to Agadez where “right now about 1,100 American soldiers are located.”

Supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) hold up Niger's national flag and the national flag of Russia at the General Seyni Kountche stadium in Niamey on Agust 26, 2023. - AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) hold up Niger's national flag and the national flag of Russia at the General Seyni Kountche stadium in Niamey on Agust 26, 2023. - AFP/Getty Images
The arrival of Russian instructors followed a recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Nigerien General Abdourahamane Tiani on March 26 when the two leaders discussed “ensuring security and combating terrorism.”

Since seizing power in a coup last year, Niger’s junta has been strengthening military ties with Russia while turning away from the US and France.

Last month, the junta said it was ending an accord with the US that allowed military personnel and civilian staff from the US Department of Defense to operate in Niger.

France, Niger’s former colonial ruler, withdrew its troops from the African nation at the end of 2023.

Niger’s junta-controlled neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso have also turned to Russia for military support, deepening Western concerns about Russia’s expanding influence in Africa’s troubled Sahel region that has battled a spate of coups and Islamist insurgents for years.



“Russia is trying to show that it can outpace the US in Africa. The Russians see countries that are in crisis, and they come in to help. Once it’s done, they have a stronghold there and they try to have a base and try to get out the former forces, whether the US or European forces or even those who are under the flag of the United Nations.”

Hundreds of Wagner contractors, a private Russian military group, are in Mali, at the invitation of the country’s military junta, to assist in its fight against insurgents.

Earlier this year, a group of Russian soldiers arrived in Burkina Faso months after the junta-led nation expelled French troops from its soil.

Wagner mercenaries had previously operated in the Central African Republic (another former French colony) since at least 2018, training the local army and combating rebels in the nation’s civil conflict.

Security consultant Mamadou Adje told CNN that Russia’s support for Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso will be more profitable to their junta leaders who will not be pressured by the Russians into ensuring a swift return to democracy.

“The fact that they will have the support and the protection of the Russians who will not question the democratic setting of their military governments … made them decide to be with the Russians and not the Americans,” said Adje, a retired Senegalese colonel who previously served in Mali and Burkina Faso under West African regional bloc ECOWAS.

Supporters of Niger’s junta have mobilized for protests on Saturday to rail against the presence of US military personnel still stationed in the country. There are approximately 648 US military personnel still deployed in Niger, according to the White House.

“Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are already in the pocket of the Russians,” Adje said.

VANGUARD NEWS


PORT Harcourt: The Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta yesterday raised alarm over the invasion of the homes of prominent Ijaw leaders and sons, and the arrest of some without proper explanation by the Nigerian Army.


An Ijaw leader, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, and the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, who screamed on the development, said things were getting out of hand, citing how the Army invaded the home of a former governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, in Rivers State, Sobomoba Jackrich, popularly known as Egberipapa.


Calling for his immediate release, they said soldiers whisked him away after killing two of his aides in the early hours of Monday, when they stormed his Usukon country home in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State,

Chief Sara-Igbe, said: “We have not got any details but the police confirmed that he is with one of the security agencies. We do not know which security agency they referred to.

“We do not want to assume anything. The police stated that a security agency had arrested him. We do not know which security agency. We do not also know what crime he committed. If he committed any crime, hand him over for prosecution or release him.”

Sara-Igbe, a former spokesperson of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, warned: “If anything happens to Egberipapa, we will hold the police accountable.”

Similarly, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, vowing that Ijaw would not play second fiddle in the country, said: “We have sacrificed a lot towards the growth and development of this country and need not be treated as a conquered people.
”In the last few months, Ijaw lands and her prominent leaders have been invaded, harassed, arrested and embarrassed for whatever strange reasons by the military that the Ijaw people are yet to know.”

Spokesperson of IYC, Binebai Yerin Princewill, said the group received distress calls on how military men in vans and armored personnel carriers stormed the Osokun residence of Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, wherein they killed two people, Jackrich was arrested and taken to an unknown destination.

“Nigeria is not a banana republic, Nigeria is a country governed by laws; whatever we do must be within the ambit of the law, and those meant to protect the law must not be seen breaking the law.


“Too many Ijaw leaders and critical stakeholders have been killed, harassed, and humiliated in the past few weeks that we are yet to know the reasons behind such attacks and invasions.’


“While the Ijaw Youth Council will continue to champion peace movements in Nigeria and Niger Delta. we will not forget to draw our attention to certain events similar to the Okuama attack on the military in the north and the perceived response from the military.

“While we are not against fighting crime in Nigeria, we want this to be done within the ambit of the law.”

Jonathan Lokpobiri, President of IYC, wondered why the military had taken a penchant for invading and arresting Ijaw people at the slightest provocation and refused to replicate the same treatment in other parts of the country where people killed military men in droves.


According to the IYC, the news is everywhere about “36 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush by bandits. Nasarawa, 18/08/2023 (Punch); Bandits kill 10 soldiers in NDA attack in Kaduna -5/04/2022 (Al Jazeera); 17 soldiers feared dead as bandits attacked Zamfara community: 25/07/23 (Channels)”

“At least 30 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush after mine attack in Shiroro Niger state – 3/07/2022 (Reuters); and at least 50 Nigerian soldiers killed in a deadly ambush by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in Yobe State – 24/03/2020 (Premium Times).”

Recalling that a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army and five soldiers lost their lives in an ambush by the Boko Haram terrorists along Biu-Buni Yadi Road, Borno State, April 6, 2024, according to the Daily Trust, IYC said, “The Nigerian military cannot only be powerful in the South, and Niger Delta but not seen displaying such might in the north that far bigger crime is committed by insurgents and other criminal elements.”

The group, therefore, demanded to know the whereabouts of Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich, who is a former Rivers State governorship candidate of National Rescue Movement, NRM, in the last Governorship election in Rivers State and a critical stakeholder and leader in Ijaw nation.

“Council has also watched the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government of on how the military recently went to negotiate with bandits for the release of the 137 Kaduna students and in the process also had a handshake with the bandits, instead of enforcement of their rights. Only God knows what would have happened if it were to be in the Niger Delta.
“With the way things are going, the Ijaw people will not be surprised to wake up one day to see that the military has invaded former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s house. This attack by the Nigerian state on Ijaw leaders is becoming worrisome.

“We demand to know the whereabouts and offence of Sobomabo Jackrich. What is the offence of the Ijaw people in the Nigerian state,” the group queried.

Contacted, spokesperson of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt Col. Danjuma Jonah, said he was unaware of what happened to Egberipapa.

“I am not aware. Seriously, I am not aware,” he said.
© 2024 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria mobile version

Philip Shaibu has been impeached as the deputy governor of Edo State and replaced by 38-year- old Omobayo Godwin. He has declared his impeachment illegal, but until a court of law follows suit, such a declaration would remain beyond his fiat as an erstwhile deputy governor.

In Nigerian politics, the heads that are reared up too soon are swiftly cut off and served in salomenic style as the prize for ambition in a gathering of power. Whenever deputy governors have replaced governors, it has been a case of restraint, and sometimes helplessness. Otherwise, it is only hostility that is displayed. That hostility now haunts Shaibu.

Since he indicated his intention to become governor, he has become the number one enemy to power in the state. Godwin Obaseki, the governor, has been open in his opposition to Shaibu’s bid. Obaseki’s grouse that Shaibu did not tell him has quickly become fierce opposition to his bid in all respects. It is a strange case of a governor being in the opposition together with the legislature, all arrayed in battle against one man.

As the theatre has unfolded in Edo State, turning theatrics to weapons in one of Nigeria’s most politically conscious states, the impossible fate of a deputy governor who aspires to be more than a figurehead has been laid bare.

Snippets from Shaibu’s side of the story which have come more out of compulsion than actual consternation or contempt betray feelings of betrayal. Having sunk his resources into a joint ticket, he feels he should now be the first name on what is a testament to its success story. But that is not how things work. In the cut-throat world of Nigerian politics, loyalty is often a knife sharpened for one’s back.

In his bid to become governor, Shaibu has evoked the homeboy trope. A career activist and unionist who rose to fame during the heady days of student unionism in Unijos, he considers himself the quintessential homebred politician who not only knows where the pulse is in Edo State but feels it first-hand. In this wise, Shaibu favorably compares himself to a certain favourite for the son of the Edo State governorship who needed a translator to commune with his kinsmen and spirits when he visited his community.

What iniquitous offence did Shaibu commit to impel his impeachment? What has changed to make a pariah out of a man who has claimed to have bankrolled elections in 2016 and has not been challenged?

Obaseki and his stooges in the state legislature sure have no coherent answer. Shaibu’s fate sealed from the moment private disaffection over the next governor of Edo State spilled into public disagreement is a remaking of the impossible remit of the Nigerian deputy governor. An office hamstrung by the Constitution itself is often made impossible by the clownish tendencies of governors who act like emperors, and crave control of everything.

What is happening in Edo State is history repeating itself. In 2010, as President Musa Yar’Adua dangled between life and death from the threads of a terminal illness, his closest aides and family members cared less for the president’s survival than to check his inevitable replacement by the Vice President to the office. This was until death checked them all.

·Ondo State also required death to ultimately disarm the bomb that was about to detonate in the state. Since 1999, deputy governors in Zamfara, Oyo, Kogi, Ekiti, Imo, Lagos, Osun, Akwa Ibom and Bauchi have all been impeached for farcical offences. It is a battle that is never far away from government with the prudent question being where next.

It Is disruptive that a governor should spend his last days in office orchestrating the impeachment of his deputy rather than consolidating his legacy.

The clearest lesson for Shaibu and other deputy governors, may yet be that in a duel of big dogs, it is impolitic to show sharp teeth.

THISDAY is published by THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LTD., 35 Creek Road Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria

Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria


The Federal Government has secured a $750 million loan from the World Bank to provide subsidy to developers and operators of solar mini-grids in the country.

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, signed the loan agreement on March 31 and February 19 respectively.


The loan, according to a document made available to journalists on Thursday, is aimed at augmenting the supply of electricity to both households and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through a surge in private sector-led distributed renewable energy initiatives.


It read: “The loan will be partly used to provide support to the development and operation of privately owned and operated solar hybrid mini grids in unserved and underserved areas through: 1.1. Minimum Subsidy Tender Carrying out of Minimum Subsidy Tender processes and provision of Minimum Capital Cost Subsidies to selected developers/operators of (a) Isolated mini- grids; (b) Interconnected mini-grids; or (c) Solar rooftop solutions in Participating States.”



Aside from providing the subsidy, the federal government plans to also provide performance-based grants.


“There will be a provision of Performance-Based Grants to eligible mini-grid operators based on new customer connections for isolated mini-grids and percentage of capital expenditures for interconnected mini-grid projects.

“The grant will also cover Standalone Solar (SAS) Systems for Households, MSMEs, and Agribusinesses. This grant will provide “Support to the expansion of SAS systems for households, MSMEs, and agribusinesses in rural areas through: 2.1. Performance Based Grants for Standalone Solar Provision of Performance Based Grants (“PBGs”) to eligible companies to rapidly deploy SAS solutions in rural and underserved areas, through supply and demand side support and based on independently verified outputs, and to support deployment of solar productive use of electricity (PUE) equipment to MSMEs, agribusinesses and commercial customers.”


Copyright © 2021 Ripples Nigeria. All rights reserved.

Naija News

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said the Minister of Works, Works, Dave Umahi, lied about the cost of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election also faulted the minister for his statement that the coastal highway project will tentatively cost N15.6 trillion.

Naija News reports that Umahi, during an appearance on some Television stations on Thursday, said the project would cost N15.6 trillion ($13bn at an exchange rate of N1,200/$1) while the rail, which will pass through the road will be cost separately.

The former Governor of Ebonyi State also said the project would not be a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), but the federal government would provide 15%- 30% counterpart financing.

Responding to Umahi’s comments in a statement on Friday by his media office, Atiku said the tentative cost of the project would be more than N15.6 trillion, and the cost was the equivalent of the total budget of all 36 states of the federation combined.

The former vice president noted that the project was included in the 2024 budget as the Lagos-Port Harcourt coastal highway and cost N500m, adding that the amount announced by Umahi did not include the cost of the railway component.

Atiku wondered how much the project would cost if the railway component was included. He also blamed Umahi for altering the project’s initial plan after Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech was awarded the contract without any competitive bidding.

He said: “If N15.6 trillion is for the road component alone, then the total cost could be far higher when the railway is included. We want to know the cost of the railway.

“The total budget of all 36 states of the federation for 2024 stands at about N14 trillion. If you add that of the FCT, the entire budget of all subnationals is N15.91 trillion. This is scandalous. Worse still, they have already awarded the contract but are still not sure of the level of the federal government’s counterpart funding component!

“Umahi had said in September 2023 that Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech had the money to construct the highway and that it would be PPP. Hitech was to build, operate, and transfer it back to the Nigerian government after years of tolling.

“It was reported by every media organization, including those owned by Tinubu. It was on the basis of this proposal that Hitech was picked. Why did Umahi then turn around to claim that it was not to be a PPP but that the government would pay 15%-30%?

“Although the National Assembly approved N500m for the project this year, the Tinubu administration has released N1.06tn. That is more than 200 times what is in the Appropriation Act. This is what happens when the National Assembly fails in its duties.”

The former vice president also lambasted Umahi for admitting that the project was given to Hitech construction company without competitive bidding.

Atiku asked Umahi to stop trying to deceive Nigerians with the claim that only Hitech was competent enough to do the project, wondering if it is the same that has been grappling with the execution of its projects in Lagos.

He stated, “The essence of competitive bidding is so that Nigerians can get the best value for money. It is so that you can compare prices and pick the company that can afford the project. It is wrong for him to have concluded that only Hitech could handle this project when such a project has been done by other reputable firms in the United States, China and South Africa.

“He claims he didn’t know there was a business relationship between Gilbert Chagoury and Tinubu, but this is another lie because Tinubu has publicly acknowledged this fact.”

Atiku also accused the works minister of attempting to deceive Nigerians as regards the appropriation for the project and called on members of the National Assembly to be alive to their responsibilities instead of acting like an annexe of the presidency.

He said, “Until I exposed the dubious nature of this project, no member of the National Assembly thought it wise to investigate. The total cost was never made known until now. The fact that there was no bidding was never made known until I blew the whistle.”

The former vice president also criticized Umahi for claiming that no money had been released to Hitech yet, which he described as another lie.

“On March 31, 2024, Umahi came on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme where he pointedly said that money that the sum of N1.06tn was released to Hitech. Only for him to say on TVC on April 11 that the same money had not been released. Which one is true, and which one is false?” he queried.


Copyright © 2021 Naija News. All rights reserved.

Troops of the Nigerian army have uncovered an armoury housing a cache of arms and ammunition at the residence of a suspected gun runner in Delta State, South-south Nigeria.

The army, in a statement which was posted on its Facebook page on Thursday, said its troops recovered arms and ammunition from the armoury in Olota and other locations in neighbouring communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

It said troops had raided the secret armoury in response to a tip-off. The armoury, according to the Nigerian Army, was concealed in the residence of the suspected gun runner identified simply as Mr Kenneth.

The army said one G3 rifle, 853 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, and 19 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered from the armoury.

“The operation further extended to other adjoining locations within the community, resulting in the discovery of four G3 rifles and magazines, one pump action semi-automatic gun, three sub-machine guns (SMG) and magazines, as well as 476 live cartridges,” the army said in the statement.

It added that three suspects were arrested during the operation, but did not reveal their identities.

The army expmained that the operation was part of the ongoing efforts to eradicate illegal weapons in the South- south region.

“Additionally, the troops recovered five locally fabricated guns, a large plastic bag containing substance suspected to be cannabis sativa, and two speed boats with 75 horsepower outboard engines,” the army statement said.

It also said the Nigerian army remains resolute in “sanitising and mopping up illicit munitions in possession of criminals” in the region as part of its efforts to ensure peace and security for residents of the region.

The latest development came days after the Nigerian military announced an operation in Delta State to recover arms and ammunition carted away from 17 soldiers who were murdered in the state last month.

This newspaper earlier reported that suspected residents of the Okuama community had, on 14 March, ambushed and murdered the Commanding Officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain and 13 soldiers.

The troops were ambushed and killed while responding to a distress call arising from a clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities in the South-southern state.


// © Naijapals 2024.

You are not rich in life until you have
something that money can't buy.

School is not education. True education is self education.

No friend/girl friend will stay up all night to replace wet napkins on your forehead, when you have fever. Only mom's can and will do that, she should be no. 1 priority.

Everyone loves you until you became competition.

Never put your happiness in someone else's hand.

No one ever became big in life by showing how small someone else is.

Always act like you trust the ones you don't.

We can complain rose bushes have thorns or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have rose. So it's always our choice to be positive or negative.

Nothing is free in the world.

Beware of person who has nothing to lose.

Don't cheat on anyone. Ever. It's the most cheap and disgusting thing to do in life.

Don't make promises if you have no intention to fulfill them. It might not mean anything to you but it could mean a whole world to someone else.

Respect everyone. I repeat “everyone”.

The embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has been linked to no fewer than five firms.
Naija News understands that Emefiele was linked to the five firms in the 26-count charge of alleged fraud and corruption filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Four of the five firms, located in Lagos, are NIPCO Plc, Source Computer Ltd, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd, and COMEC Support Services Ltd.

While the fifth company is Adswin Resources Solution Ltd.


Recall that the EFCC arraigned Emefiele on Monday before the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, where he pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The former CBN boss has a pending prosecution at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja over his alleged corrupt activities as the apex bank governor, which terminated in June last year.

The fresh charges against him in Lagos include abuse of office and irregular allocation of cumulative $4.5 billion and £2.8 billion while he was in office as CBN governor.


The anti-graft agency also accused him of corruptly receiving funds, conferring advantages on associates, and allocating forex without a bid.

According to the EFCC, Emefiele corruptly received funds from NIPCO Plc and conferred corrupt advantage on his associates, including Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd, and COMEC Support Services Ltd.

The prosecution disclosed that details of the 18 fresh count charges against the former CBN Governor include “Allocating forex of $2,136,391,737.33 without bid; allocating forex of $291,945,785.59 without bid; Abuse of office by special allocating of forex of $1,769,254,793.16; Abuse of office by special allocating of forex of $370,872,893.01; Corruptly received $26,552,000 from NIPCO Plc; Corruptly received $740,000 from NIPCO Plc.”


Emefiele allegedly “corruptly received $400,000 from Source Computer Ltd as a kickback for contract award.”

Others include that he “Corruptly received $200,000 from Source Computer Ltd as kickback for contract award; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd to the tune of N900,216,324.21; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd to the tune of N1,060,030,249.42; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Comec Support Services Ltd to the tune of N149,001,009.7″

Also, the fresh charges filed include that Emefiele “Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Comec Support Services Ltd to the tune of N151,168,458.73; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd to the tune of N398,031,732.32; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd to the tune of N204,992,739.51.”


When the 26-count charge was read to Emefiele and his co-defendant Henry Omoile, both pleaded not guilty to all counts.

However, the trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, ordered that Emefiele be remanded in the EFCC’s custody till the next adjourned date, Thursday, April 11, when the court will give its ruling on his bail application.


© 2024 Naija News, a division of Polance Media Inc.

Dogalmighty17:
English. Imagine the kind of error filled article a journalist posted without proofreading.

please pick out the errors

A tragedy occurred on the newly-rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge on Wednesday, when a fully-loaded 20-seater commercial bus hit the railings, sending two passengers into the Lagoon.

This occurred on a day Nigeria’s Muslim faithful joined the rest of the world in celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Eid-el-Fitri.

According to an eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Akinola Adeniyi, the tragedy occured at around 11.30 am, when the commercial bus with passengers, enroute Iyana-Oworo to Island, suddenly hit the railing guiding the bridge.

Adeniyi, attributed the cause of the accident to excessive speeding on the part of the driver of the ill-fated vehicle.

Rescue team, including men of the Lagos State Emergency Management LASEMA, the Police, among others raced to the scene for rescue mission.

The incident had led to traffic gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward the Island.

Director, Public Affairs of Lagos State Traffic Management Authourity, LASTMA, Taofik Adebayo, confirmed the incident saying LASTMA men, in collaboration with other rescue team, particularly, Marine Police, are currently carrying out rescue mission.

According to Adebayo, the seriously injured and rescued 18 passengers were immediately taken to hospital for treatment.

According to reports, preliminary investigations revealed that a 20 full loaded LT Commercial Bus, with registration FKJ 872 YA) while on a high speed lost control as a result of a brake failure and was about to fell inside lagoon before it was stopped by tha rail of 3rd Mainland Bridge.


Adebayo added that while the truck driver ran away after the accident, Police men from Adeniji Adele Police Station provided security backup during the rescue of 18 seriously injured passengers by LASTMA.officials.

One LASTMA Alpha, Zone 1 Lagos Island, Ojo-Oniyun Olamide, who led the recovery operations confirmed that his team immediately evacuated the LT Commercial bus off the road for an unhindered free vehicular movement inward Adeniji Adele area of Lagos Island.

“Meanwhile, the Marine rescue team already inside lagoon on search and rescue mission to see if any of those passengers fell inside the lagoon could be rescued.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki however, warned mortoring public to stop over speeding and ensure their vehicles are properly checked including the braking system before embarking on any journey within or outside the State.

Vanguard News
© 2024 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed its regrets that the region voted for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 general elections.

Of the three leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled the highest votes from the region.

In an interview with Guardian on Tuesday, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, spokesman of the forum, said going forward, the region would prioritise unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land.

When asked about the recent visit and donations by Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, to communities in northern states, Suleiman said the region would prioritise someone who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial, and more aligned with the interests of all regions of the country.

“The North made a mistake in voting Bola Tinubu to the presidency in 2023, and it is unlikely that they will repeat the same error in the future.”

“They have learned from their past misstep and will strive to select a candidate who can unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians.

“Moving forward, the North will be more cautious in selecting a candidate for the presidency. They will prioritise someone who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial, and more aligned with the interests of all regions of the country.

“The mistake of supporting Tinubu in 2023 has taught them the importance of unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land,” he was quoted as saying.

Tinubu has been widely criticised over some policies of his administration, which have been tagged as anti-masses.

Earlier in the week, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu’s main challenger in last year’s election, said the president’s policies lack human face.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said this in reaction to the hike in electricity tarriff.

However, the president has consistently assured Nigerians that the worse days are over, saying his government has things under control.

After signing the Student Loan bill into law last week, Tinubu said the future of Nigerian children will be brighter as the path to take them out of poverty has been cleared.

He also said the economy was taking shape and step were being taken to tackle inflation.

Copyright © 2006–2024 Sahara Reporters, Inc. All rights reserved.

Despite the pressure, the Super Falcons held on to secure a historic qualification that will see them challenging for honours in Paris

The Nigerian women’s national team, the Super Falcons, have booked their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics after a tense goalless draw against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in Pretoria on Tuesday.

This result, following a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Abuja, sees the Super Falcons return to the Olympic stage for the first time in 16 years. The last time the Falcons were at the Olympics was in Beijing 2008.

The South Africans threw everything at the Nigerians in a desperate attempt to overturn the deficit.


From the opening whistle, they employed a high press, forcing the Super Falcons to defend deep.


However, Nigeria’s defence remained resolute, marshalled by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie who made several crucial saves.

Nnadozie was particularly impressive in the second half, denying Banyana Banyana on multiple occasions.

In the 70th minute, she made a spectacular save to palm away a powerful shot from Cesane, and moments later, she thwarted Magaia’s effort.

Nigeria, on the other hand, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in the second half.

They had a few chances in the first half, with Uchenna Kanu missing a golden opportunity to put them ahead.

Overall, though, they were largely restricted to defensive duties.

Despite the pressure, the Super Falcons held on to secure a historic qualification that will see them challenging for honours in Paris after a brilliant outing at the recent Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.


© 2024 The Premium Times

Prime Minister Netanyahu responds to the world leaders who pressure Israel to stop:

"To our friends in the international community I say: Is your memory so short? So quickly did you forget October 7, the most terrible massacre committed against Jews since the Holocaust?

So quickly are you ready to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the monsters of Hamas? Did you lose your moral conscience so quickly?

Instead of putting pressure on Israel, which is fighting an unjust war, against an enemy that cannot be more cruel, direct your pressure against Hamas and its patron - Iran. They are the ones who pose a danger to the region and the entire world.

We, in any case, will face all the pressures, and with God's help, we will continue to fight together until complete victory."

1. Take risks in your life. If you win, you can lead; if you lose, you can guide.

2. People are not what they say but what they do; so judge them not from their words but from their actions.

3. When someone hurts you, don't feel bad because it's a law of nature that the tree that bears the sweetest fruits gets maximum number of stones.

4. Take whatever you can from your life because when life starts taking from you, it takes even your last breath.

5. In this world, people will always throw stones on the path of your success. It depends on what you make from them - a wall or a bridge.

6. Challenges make life interesting; overcoming them make life meaningful.

7. There is no joy in victory without running the risk of defeat.

8. A path without obstacles leads nowhere.

9. Past is a nice place to visit but certainly not a good place to stay.

10. You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.

11. If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, then you haven't done much today.

12. If you don't build your dreams, someone else will hire you to build theirs.

13. If you don't climb the mountain; you can't view the plain.

14. Don't leave it idle - use your brain.

15. You are not paid for having brain, you are only rewarded for using it intelligently.

16. It is not what you don't have that limits you; it is what you have but don't know how to use.

17. What you fail to learn might teach you a lesson.

18. The difference between a corrupt person and an honest person is: The corrupt person has a price while the honest person has a value.

19. If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool...... Realize that the person trusted you much more than you deserved.

20. Honesty is an expensive gift; don't expect it from cheap people.

The naira has recovered below the N1,300 mark against the US dollar in the official forex market The naira traded at N1,278.58 per dollar in the official market on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from the N1,309 traded on the last trading day in March The naira made its most significant gains in the parallel market end of the FX market, trading at N1,250 per dollar

. The official exchange rate is trading below the N1,300 per dollar mark for the first time since January 2024, when the Nigerian currency hit its lowest at N1,600 per dollar. The naira rallied in the official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) to trade at N1,278.58 on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, as against the N1,309 traded on Thursday, March 29, 2024, before the Easter holidays.

CBN's policies propelling the naira Analysts believe that a series of forex policies by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has led to a 21% recovery of the Nigerian currency since March, when the naira hit its lowest.

The forex market recorded a daily turnover of $111.8 million, a drop from the average daily turnover of N857 million on Thursday, March 29, 2024. The Naira makes its most significant gains The exchange rate disparity closed to N130 in the official market, the slimmest in days. The naira made its most significant gains in the parallel end of the foreign exchange market, trading at N250 per dollar on Monday, April 1, 2024.

The naira recovered from N1,915 per dollar in February at the Bureau de Change segment to N1,255. The Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has said the naira gained over N600 per dollar since they were readmitted into the FX market by the CBN. The apex bank recently sold $10,000 to each BDC operator at N1,251 per dollar, asking them not to sell above a certain threshold.

The naira is making gains against other currencies Analysts believe that CBN’s policies of maintaining forex liquidity are working. Chinenye Ijeh, a forex dealer and broker, said the CBN policies have boosted the naira’s performance against major currencies. She said Nigeria’s forex liquidity is at its buoyant best due to the policies put in place by the CBN. “Remember that the naira is not just recovering against the US dollar but against major currencies. This shows that the policies are not cosmetics but intentional and well-thought-out. READ

Naira crashes during intraday trading in official market as daily forex turnover jumps to $857m “Also, Nigeria has experienced strong diaspora remittances, boosting inflows to about $1.5 billion in March. The reason is that the huge disparity between the official and parallel markets has closed, making FX remittance via the black market, making it unattractive to speculators,” she said. The dollar sells cheaper in the parallel market Legit.ng earlier reported that the naira appreciated in the parallel market on Friday, March 29, 2024, to trade at N1,280 per dollar. The development means the Nigerian currency appreciated by 5.19% from the N1,350 per dollar traded on March 27, 2024. Bureau de Change (BDC) operators quoted the buying rate of the dollar as N1,260 per dollar and the selling rate as N1,280, making a profit of N20

Phttps://www.legit.ng/business-economy/economy/1586278-naira-biggest-gain-months-official-window-trades-stronger-black-market/

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it has arrested eight suspects in connection with the murder of its officers who were on a fact-finding mission in the Ughelli area of Delta state.

In January, gunmen abducted three mobile police officers who were responding to a distress call, at the Ohoro community in the Ughelli north LGA of the state.

A few weeks after the incident, some police officers mobilised to rescue their abducted colleagues, were ambushed and killed around the Ohoro forest in Ughelli LGA.

In a statement on March 23, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, confirmed that six police officers were slain in the incident, adding that the bodies had been recovered while the search for another six was ongoing.

Giving an update on the development on Saturday, Adejobi said police operatives have arrested eight suspected criminals involved in the murder of the officers.

He said five of the suspected murderers were initially apprehended, while another three were arrested later at different locations.

Adejobi said the suspects are currently in police custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation, and would be charged to court once investigations are concluded.

“The arrested suspects are currently in custody and are assisting with the ongoing investigation,” Adejobi said.

“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to ensuring that all those responsible for this reprehensible act, and many alike, are brought to justice swiftly and decisively.

“The police assure that the suspects will soon have their day in court, with credible evidence, once investigations are concluded.

“The Nigerian police is deeply saddened by the heinous act of violence against our officers who were diligently performing their duty to protect and serve the community.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers during this difficult time.

“We wish to reiterate that killers of our officers in this extant case, and many others, have murdered peace, and none of them will go unpunished.”

VANGUARD NEWS

Nigerians, from the number one citizen to the grassroots, mourned on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 as the 17 soldiers slain by suspected militants at Okuama in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja. They met their tragic end ostensibly on a “peace mission” amidst an intractable communal conflict between Okuama and its neighbour, Okoloba.

Once again, President Bola Tinubu vowed to ensure the culprits are brought to book, while conferring national honours on the departed patriots and unfolding welfare packages for the families.

Okuama was definitely not the first place where civilians waylaid and massacred our soldiers and policemen. We have seen it in Odi, Bayelsa State; Zaki-Biam in Benue State, and several other places. On the other hand, we have also seen the military laying heavily and mercilessly into defenceless civilians at the orders of presidents and governors. We saw it at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos State; Sheikh Ibrahim el Zakzaky’s commune in Zaria, Kaduna State and in Aba, Abia State when unarmed pro-Biafra activists were mown down and buried in mass graves.


We must pause and ask ourselves: in which other civilised countries do civilians kill their policemen and soldiers except those wracked by terrorism? Definitely, the deliberate killing of soldiers and policemen is an act of terrorism targeting the state and its apparatuses of defence and law enforcement. It is totally unacceptable.

Beyond giving the departed befitting burials and making templated speeches, how do we ensure that the people and their defenders/law enforcement agencies work together in the nation’s interest, rather than target each other? The continuation of the anomaly is another sign of system failure, and must be addressed holistically, not one-sidedly.

The leadership of this country down the ages must take the primary blame for this cat-and-mouse relationship between the people and their agents of order and public safety. Leaders manipulate and deploy these armed agencies to feather their political nests in the same manner that the departed British colonial masters did.

More than 60 years after independence, we have not created a Nigerian, people-centred police or military. These agencies have often been deployed in manners that have stoked sectional hatred, bitterness, alienation, domination, marginalisation and exploitation of the resources of the people.

We want a new dispensation whereby Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, regional or political backgrounds will see our police and military forces as our valuable social assets rather than oppressors. After all, they were recruited from among the people, and they will eventually retire back to the people.


© 2024 Vanguard Media Limited, Nigeria