Barely five weeks to the start of this year’s general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said about eight million would-be voters are yet to pick up their permanent voter card (PVC). One of INEC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Mohammed Lecky, disclosed this during an interview with THISDAY on Saturday while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to the prevention of electoral fraud.


Lecky also said the commission had no intention of re-introducing the controversial incidence forms in the February and March elections.

He said, “In fact, the use of the incidence form has been completely abrogated. It is no longer part of INEC’s regulations and guidelines. So, that is the position. There is no re-introduction of the incidence form, contrary to what the media had reported recently.

“First and foremost, INEC is a very responsive agency and once people raised the objection and following the review of the 2015 general election, a number of observers, like the CSOs, NGOs and international organisations, had made recommendations on how to improve and we have to respond to them. One of the things they recommended is that we have to do away with the incidence form because it could be susceptible to all manner of abuses and we don’t want to give chance to those abuses to either occur or give a perception to their occurrence.”

Regarding the number of PVCs yet to be collected, the INEC national commissioner said, “There is no state in the country where we have achieved 100 per cent distribution of PVC. The distribution of PVC is the biggest headache for us. We need the media to help us encourage the people to come and collect their PVCs. People are not coming forward to pick their PVCs. We have about eight million PVCs yet to be collected by Nigerians.”

The INEC commissioner stated further that in the absence of the incidence form, the electoral body had put measures in place to ensure rigorous authentication of the would-be voter in case the card reader failed to work.

He noted, “It is possible to have a situation whereby the card reader is malfunctioning and we have to resort to manual accreditation. A would-be presenter who presents himself to cast a vote but his fingerprint cannot be authenticated. In that case, his PVC will be sufficient – as it is verified that the card is issued by INEC and that it belongs to the would-be voter.”

Continuing, Lecky said, “We have a voter register at the point of voting in which we verify the name of the would-be voter, his photo and other details. So, if we don’t use incidence form you are removing a cloud of doubt. So we’re responding to that by removing the form.

“At the same time, we are also taking details of voters’ personal information. We have redesigned the register itself. The voter register now has provisions for us to take your details.

“We will take your name, again, we will take your phone number. If we are asking for those details the person may not go forward because he knows we can follow through to know exactly who he is and whether he has come to impersonate or something like that. Such a measure is a deterrent for any perpetration of electoral fraud.”

Lecky, however, expressed concern about the country’s media becoming a conveyor of fake news. He said, “We are very concerned when we saw that the media, particularly newspapers, carried a news that is not true on the front page – something that could have been easily verified on our website. We have been doing our best to ensure fake news does not impact on the forthcoming elections. We have been embarking on various voter education campaigns and advertisements and engagement with the media; as well using various social media platforms to counteract fake news.

“We are also using youth ambassadors to ensure the right information is passed to the public. We are also making ourselves available to be engaged – if you want to interview the chairman or any of the commissioners. We are also open to suggestions from the media on how to carry out our national responsibility.”

He dispelled a rumour that the electoral body would not post election results at each polling unit.

“This is not true. In our new regulation, that particular requirement is mandatory – it’s not optional. It’s mandatory that results must be posted at every polling unit. We are urging the media to remain nonpartisan in the coming elections. They should be circumspect in their reportage. INEC is ready to work with the media to ensure the elections are credible and fair,” Lecky added.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/2019-8-million-people-have-not.html

Chief Ndubuisi Chibueze-Agbo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi has promised aggressive infrastructure and institutional reforms in Ebonyi if elected in 2019.

Chibueze-Agbo, a former Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi, made this known on Saturday in Abakaliki.

He decried infrastructure and institutional decay in the state and gave the assurance that an SDP government would pursue aggressive reforms towards re-positioning various sectors of the economy.

He said his reforms would focus on five key areas of education, health, social empowerment, security and agriculture.

He said: “The development of a state or a people is not measured by the number of buildings, flyovers, concrete pavements, electric bulbs on the streets; neither is it measured by the number of painted walls, glass tunnels and vehicles.

“Development is also not measured by the number of motorcycles, number of individuals working as governor’s aides.

“Developed people are recognised by the sophistication of their democracy; obedience to rules and order, by the opportunities and awareness, by the peace they enjoy.

“People must be free to express their views on issues without fear of attack, intimidation, molestation and deprivation.

“SDP government will deepen democracy, free the oppressed masses of the state and make them happy if voted into power.

“Our government if given the opportunity will give Ebonyi people the passport to prosperity.

“The SDP government in Ebonyi under my watch will make available N120,000 to every Ebonyi adult.

“N20,000 will serve as a seed grant which is non refundable while the remaining N100,000 will serve as a soft loan payable within 6 months.

“N20,000 will serve to cushion the effects of the hardship of the past four years,” he said.

Chibueze-Ago, therefore, urged the electorate to vote his party so as to turn around the political, economic and social fortunes of the state.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/2019-sdp-promises-aggressive.html

At least 13 people are said to have been killed in a motor accident along the Darazo-Dukku road in Bauchi State.

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Bauchi, Abdulrazak Najume, confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Saturday.

He explained that the incident happened on Thursday when an 18-seater bus conveying passengers from Gombe to Kano State attempted to overtake a trailer and rammed into it.

Thirteen people died on the spot and four others were rushed immediately to Darazo General hospital in Bauchi.

He, however, said he had no knowledge of whether the injured rushed to the hospital made it alive.

Mr Najume added that no passenger in the trailer was hurt.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/at-least-13-killed-in-bauchi-road.html

Oil prices reversed course and turned sharply higher in mid-morning trade yesterday.

Brent crude rose $2.60, or 4.8 per cent, to $56.40 a barrel after trading as low as $52.51 earlier. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.22, or 4.9 per cent, to $47.63.

This came after earlier falling more than $1 a barrel as the world’s top producers pump at record highs and signs of economic slowdown unnerve the market.

Traders pointed to signs that Saudi Arabia is beginning to make good on vows to cut output. Saudi exports in December fell by about half a million barrels per day to stand at 7.253 million bpd, according to tanker-tracking data from Bloomberg.

Figures from ClipperData have shown that loadings of Saudi crude on ships bound for the United States have been falling in recent months. The Saudis have used the price-boosting strategy in the past to shrink U.S. stockpiles, the most transparent and closely-watched inventories in the world.

The “Saudis are trying to engineer a fall, if not plunge, in U.S. crude oil inventories to give the appearance of global tightness,” said John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital.

Oil prices rebounded shortly after WTI hit a session low at $44.35 a barrel and as the U.S. stock market reversed some of its earlier losses.

“Typically in the beginning of a new quarter or new year you get new fresh money coming in. I think that’s part of it,” said Kilduff.

Earlier in the day, oil prices had slumped against a bearish backdrop. Russia reported that it pumped 11.16 million bpd in 2018, marking a post-Soviet era record. This came just two days after the U.S. government figures showed the nation’s output hit another all-time high in October at 11.54 million bpd.

“The omens are far from encouraging,” said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM, citing rising non-OPEC supply and the likelihood of further increases in oil inventories.

“The current bearish bias will therefore continue in the near term and it stands to reason that oil will struggle to break out from its current trough,” he said.

Oil prices fell in 2018 for the first year since 2015 after buyers fled the market in the fourth quarter over growing worries about excess supply and the economic slowdown.

Adding to concern about economic slowdown, a series of purchasing managers’ indexes for December mostly showed declines or slowdowns in manufacturing activity across Asia — the main growth region for oil demand.



China issued its first batch of crude import quotas for 2019 yesterday at a lower volume than for the same batch a year ago, though expectations are for the volumes to climb later this year.

Independent market analyst Greg McKenna said in a note yesterday that it was “difficult for traders and investors to ignore what looks like a genuine global economic slowdown.”

The signs of rising production illustrate the challenge faced by OPEC and allies including Russia, which are returning to supply restraint in 2019, to support the market.

But OPEC is hopeful the supply-cutting deal will work. The energy minister for the United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday he remained optimistic about achieving a market balance in the first quarter.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/oil-prices-surge-5.html

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Wednesday dismissed as unfounded and amusing, allegations that he has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Action Alliance (AA).

The governor disclosed that those with stolen tickets are behind the blackmail.

He restated that he is still in APC and will continue to work for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election and the victory of other genuine APC candidates.

According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, “an amusing tale has been trending on the social media for days now. And those behind the balderdash said that the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has announced his defection from APC to AA to join his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu during the New Year Crossover Service in Government House.

“Now our response to the unfounded story; Imo people do not support stolen tickets and that is why all those who stole the guber tickets of their parties for the 2019 election cannot fly. They have become stranded and looking for who to blame for their woes or misfortune. They know this fact. Imo people do not support anything stolen. That was the reason they dealt with 419ers in 1997”.

The statement read further that, “it was out of frustration that those concerned came up with the story of Governor Okorocha leaving APC for AA, which is not true.

“With the ill-gotten ticket, they have also seen that the sound of bitter-kola in the mouth does not reflect its real taste. They used blackmail and what they know how to do best to get the ticket of the party and their challenge now is how to convince Imo people to vote for them.

“In their blackmail in Abuja they told their audience that they would win Imo without Rochas Okorocha. Then, if that is true why are they still bothered about Rochas and his politics. Rochas Okorocha, who defeated an incumbent governor of PDP extraction in 2011 with APGA ticket and with the APC ticket defeated a sitting Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of PDP extraction too, who had the backing of the Federal Government in 2015”.

It continued that, “they told lies to those who do not know them and got the ticket but Imo people know them and won’t entertain lies from them.

“It is very interesting that nobody has accused Rochas of non-performance and nobody has challenged him on his Constant Claim that he has achieved more than those before him put together. The only blackmail tool they have is the son-in-law issue. And nobody has gone to Court to say that a man from Nkwerre LGA cannot be governor because his in-law from Ideato South LGA is a governor.

“Rochas Okorocha does not play hide and seek game. He has assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would win overwhelmingly in the State and all the APC marketable Candidates, because you cannot force Imo people to vote for someone they know cannot govern them.

“Finally, Rochas Okorocha“full-ground” in APC. And he is working hard for the success of the party in the elections. Those entertaining serious fear are those with strange tickets. And they do not blame anybody but themselves. The day of reckoning is here with us. Gulakate has come and gone. Imo people will ensure, one man, one vote”.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/gov-rochas-okorocha-denies-dumping-apc.html

Nigeria’s external reserves increased by 11 per cent from the $38.912 billion it was as of January 2, 2018, to $43.195 billion as of December 28, 2018.
This represented an increase by $4.3 billion within the period. The reserves had dropped to about $41 billion in November last year.

Save for a total of $5.36 billion Eurobond issued by the federal government last year, which bolstered the country’s reserves position, it would have depreciated significantly considering the combined effects of interest rate normalisation in some advanced economies which has resulted to increased capital outflows as well as the slump in crude oil price.


After successfully raising $2.5 billion from the Eurobond market last February, the federal government in November last year raised $2.86 billion to fund its 2018 budget deficit.
At $54 a barrel, international benchmark Brent crude was down at about 20 per cent in 2018.

The decline was the first annual loss and the biggest yearly drop since 2015, when both contracts fell more than 30 per cent.
Crude oil prices look likely to trade below $70 per barrel in 2019 as surplus production, much of it from the United States, and slowing economic growth to undermine OPEC-led efforts to shore up the market, a Reuters poll had shown.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, recently pointed out that due to the ongoing interest rate normalisation in the United States, which has been predicted to extend to some other advanced economies in Europe, the central bank would focus on maintaining a stable exchange rate so that businesses can plan and to avoid a problem in the banking system assets.

“The choice for Nigeria is to maintain a stable exchange rate so that businesses can plan and we don’t create problem in the banking system assets,” he had explained.
According to him, practically, all emerging markets have suffered, not just by depreciation, but also loss of reserves since the interest rates normalisation commenced.

He also warned speculators in the forex market that they would lose their shirt, saying the central bank has enough war chest to sustain the stability in the forex market.
According to him, the central bank would continue to take measures to ensure stability in the forex market.

The President of the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, had on Monday said the strategic partnership between the central bank and ABCON has continued to ensure a stable exchange rate in the country.

“This sustained stability made the Bureaux De Change (BDCs) to continue to be the potent monetary policy tool of CBN exchange rate managements,” he said.
According to the ABCON boss, the market distortion by forex speculators, rent seekers, currency hoarders and frivolous demand that usually endangered naira stability have been successfully checkmated.

The buying/selling rates for dollar stood at N358/359.5; Pounds Sterling, N452/ N457 and Euro N404/N409.5 on Monday respectively.
In Port Harcourt, dollar buying/selling rates at the close of the year were at N359/361; Pounds Sterling, N457/N464 and Euro N405/N408 respectively.

In Abuja, dollar buying/selling rates closed last year at N359/360; Pounds Sterling, N464/N467 and Euro N407/ N410 respectively. In Kano, dollar buying/selling rates for last year were at N359/360; Pounds Sterling, N465/N472and Euro N407/N411 respectively.

more at https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/nigerias-external-reserves-hit-432bn.html

There appears to be no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as the party is yet to submit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the nomination forms submitted to it by Prof. Jerry Gana as a result of the Federal High Court ruling by Justice Yusuf on December 14, 2018, which declared Gana as the party’s authentic presidential candidate.

Akelicious checks reveals that the party is yet to submit Gana’s nomination form to INEC, asking the electoral body to drop Mr. Donald Duke’s name.


A top member of the party who optedtoremain anonymous said that only two members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), have been approved by the party to speak on the issue, saying that, “the party is law-abiding party and has appealed the High Court ruling, therefore the party cannot submit Gana’s nomination form to INEC.”

“After the court judgment the NEC met and agreed that only the national vice chairman, south, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and the national Secretary, Mr. Shehu Gaban that can speak on the issue to the public and I am not one of them.”

In another development the court of appeal bailiff has executed the court order by pasting the substituted service on the fence of Gana’s Abuja residence with pictures as evidence.

On the 29th of December when Gana launched his policy document code-named SWIFT most of the party big wigs were absent and many believed it was as a result of the letter from the national chairman, Chief Olu Falae which was leaked, warning party members to stay away as there was no division in the party.

More details at https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/sdp-yet-to-submit-ganas-as-court.html

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against taking sides in the general elections.

In its New Year message yesterday, the association urged government not to involve the military in the polls, to prevent voter intimidation.

It also tasked the police, the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps, and other security agencies not to compromise standards by working for desperate politicians.


The statement signed by Mr. Bayo Oladeji, media assistant to CAN President Samson Ayokunle, reads in part: “The year 2019 is a crucial one to all Nigerians because it is a year of general elections.

I therefore urge all Nigerians to make sure they abide in peace without getting involved in violence throughout the year, especially before, during and after the elections.

“We should all distance ourselves from electoral manipulations in whatever form. I urge politicians not to be too desperate to be voted into power or get themselves involved in using thugs to cause chaos or commit electoral fraud. Vote buying is evil; all stakeholders should shun it.

“The military should not be dragged into the electoral process. They should instead be allowed to face their primary responsibilities. Voters should not be intimidated, and election observers should not be harassed like we witnessed in recent polls.

“INEC and their personnel should maintain neutrality in their conduct throughout the elections. Let us remember that without a free, fair and credible exercise, which will bring credible leadership, the ‘dry bones’ of Nigeria will not rise again.”

This was as the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, expressed concern over reports that Boko Haram killed 700 Nigerian soldiers in Baga, Borno State.

She also frowned at recent killings in Zamfara State, saying the security situation in the country shows a lack of effective leadership by President Muhammadu Buhari.


“Although the military and the presidency have denied the reports but the serial credibility challenges of the Buhari administration and the security team he leads as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces have created public distrust of any rebuttal by government. And that is gravely worrisome,” Ezekwesili said in a statement yesterday.

She noted: “The only way to ensure accuracy of the casualty that Nigeria is suffering as a result of counter-terrorism at this stage is to inaugurate a citizens-led independent investigation panel. Such an initiative would go a long way to eliminate the opaqueness of the counter-terrorism war and restore public confidence, as the case may be, in how the Buhari administration is prosecuting it.

“This is demonstrated in the very troubling inertia to decisively confront and end the frequent killings of our citizens; especially our soldiers on the frontline of battle. The killings have tragically earned Nigeria the designation of the 16th most dangerous country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. Nigeria is also the 15th most fragile country in the 2018 Fragile States Index by the United States Fund for Peace.

“Tackling this will require commencing a security discourse and planning, away from a narrow focus on military responses, to a more collective and participative conversation of the structure of the Nigerian state and our security architecture.”

She promised: “Our ACPN administration would without fail prioritise this. We would be responsive to current and immediate challenges by revising the current containment measures to ensure efficiency and include effective public communication on security issues without compromising genuine national security concerns. We would also bring citizens in, as participants in their own security, through the establishment of local peace committees as part of the national security architecture.”


The presidential candidate added: “Within days of being inaugurated into office, our ACPN administration would move swiftly to launch a coordinated response to all acts of violence in regions that are vulnerable to attacks from armed groups and concurrently commence a strong security sector reform for professionalism, accountability and results-focus.”

The Nigerian Army meanwhile has warned against “concerted efforts by some unpatriotic elements” to politicise and derail the ongoing fight against terrorism and insurgency in the country.

It also condemned what it said were recycled Boko Haram propaganda video clips, old interviews with soldiers, and inaccurate news reports.

“They are determined to dampen troops’ morale especially in the northeast, so that the troops would become compromised against the war efforts and complicate the security situation in the country for selfish and cheap political gains and expediency,” said a statement yesterday by Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman.

It added: “We would like to reiterate that Nigeria is at war with Boko Haram terrorists, in any form or guise that they may manifest, and strongly warn these subversive elements to desist from these unwholesome efforts.

“We will continue to monitor subversive propaganda and take necessary action against perpetrators. The Nigerian Army will remain undaunted in the successful prosecution of this war against terrorism, insurgents, militants and bandits in the country.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/01/its-year-to-prove-neutrality-can-tells.html

The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has dissociated itself from the rumoured plan to attack Abia State Government Lodge in Aba and Umuobiakwa Ngwa, the village of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

In a statement yesterday by its leader, Uchenna Madu, MASSOB said it had maintained a non-violent posture in the struggle for the actualisation of Biafra and would not indulge in acts both now and in future.

The statement said: “The rumoured plan or intention to attack government of Abia State through the instrument of explosives and bombs by pro-Biafran agitators is handiwork of desperate politicians in Abia State whose intention is to grab power by violence means.

“As MASSOB remains apolitical and non-partisan in Nigeria’s political activities. We also wish to inform the government of Abia State that we shall never invade or disrupt any political gatherings, campaigns and rallies of political elements that still believe in Nigerian state. MASSOB warns other pro-Biafran groups to resist and avoid any activities that will endanger the lives of their members because hundreds of lives of gallant Biafra agitators have been lost unnecessarily.

“MASSOB also warns desperate politicians who are planning to use thugs and cultists in disguise as pro-Biafra agitators to cause mayhem in Igbo land, especially in Abia State, to desist from such destructive ambitions and plots as we shall resist any illegalities that will discredit our image.”

The group also alleged that the operations of the military in Biafra land, code-named Operation Python Dance Phase 3, was “for intensive political destabilisation of Igbo land from this festive seasons to general elections.”saying: “The primary aim of the phase 3 of Operation Python Dance is to assist Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC federal security agencies to intimidate, frustrate, rig and cause the presidential election to favour the incumbent President. The presence of Nigeria’s military personnel scattered in all the rural and urban areas of Igbo land and their intimidating and subjective actions against the peace-loving people of Biafra will never deter or discomfort our spirits, zeal and love for Biafra actualisation.

“MASSOB insists that no amount of cowardly acts of government security agencies against our people in Biafra land will ever achieve their aim.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/massob-denies-rumoured-plan-to-attack.html

-As plot to hijack Ezuruezu Mbaise fails

-Okey Ezeh, Amuchie, Nwulu call for caution

The plan by the governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha to drag the Mbaise Nation, through its apex socio-cultural platform, Ezuruezu Mbaise, into his political ambition has hit the rocks as the group on Friday, December 28, 2018 vehemently opposed and unanimously defeated the motion for his adoption as the preferred candidate of Mbaise for the 2019 Imo governorship election.

The motion for the adoption of Chief Ihedioha was moved by a PDP chieftain, Chief Nobert Obasi, which threw the gathering into unmitigated crisis. The atmosphere became more tensed when some ostensibly rented political loyalists of Chief Ihedioha invaded the Ezuruezu Mbaise Hall and tried to harangue the audience into adopting their principal. Their motion was roundly rejected, even as reputable opinion leaders warned desperate politicians to desist from plotting to hijack a non-partisan platform like Ezuruezu, which should be a free space for cordial brotherly interaction on behalf of the progress of the entire Mbaise Nation. To arrest the situation, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Mike Ahamba, hastily called for closing prayers, and everyone suddenly dispersed.

A source within the leadership of Ezuruezu who spoke to us on condition of anonymity fumed that it would be unreasonable of the Mbaise Nation to make one mistake twice.

"In the past, this same idea was sold to our people, that this particular candidate was adopted by Nde Mbaise. Nobody queried anyone. We all swallowed it hook, line and sinker. But now our people have become more discerning. They now ask some vital questions.

"Our people now want to know why Ihedioha should be adopted even when some other illustrious sons of Mbaise are also candidates in the same election. Does it mean Ihedioha is more Mbaise than the rest of them? In what areas can we say he is more qualified than the others. If anything, he is the least qualified. Why would someone who openly told us that when he was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives he collected N4 billion just to construct the roundabout at Ahiara Junction come back to us for endorsement? What we have realized is that our people have not occupied the place of pride we deserve in the scheme of things in Imo State because we have almost always allowed a few kingpins to lord their parochial interests over us and present same as our collective aspirations. We must put a stop to that," the source vowed.

Meanwhile, the three frontline governorship contenders from Mbaise, Sir Stanley Amuchie, Sir Okey Ezeh and Hon. Tony Nwulu, have condemned the desperate attempt by Ihedioha and his goons in strong terms. In a press statement jointly signed by them and made available to newsmen on Saturday, they regretted the attempts by a handful of chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of Mbaise extraction to hoodwink the entire Mbaise nation into an ill-conceived and spurious adoption of Chief Emeka Ihedioha as the preferred candidate of the Mbaise people in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo State.

According to them, "This ill-fated endorsement agenda emanated from and is premised on the charade of December 11, 2018 where Chief Ihedioha convened a meeting of his coordinators and supporters and named them "Owerri Reawakening", a gathering that eventually issued a communique purporting that "Owerri Zone" had endorsed Chief Ihedioha. This is a travesty. It was admittedly shocking when this same endorsement miasma was on December 28, 2018 introduced for consideration by PDP chieftains in Ezuruezu Mbaise."

They further highlighted that no leader of note in Owerri Zone had an inkling of the badly orchestrated plot. For them, "the various groups that traditionally articulate the political interests of Owerri Zone never at any time participated in the scheme, neither were they at any rate informed about any consensus-building and the modalities for its realization. It was entirely a desperate political machination devised to force an unsavory bile down the throats of Owerri people. For Chief Ihedioha and his goons to rely on such palpably absurd outing to now extrapolate that Ezuruezu Mbaise should get him endorsed for the 2019 Imo governorship is the height of self-deception," they insisted.

They also clarified that there has never been a time the Ezuruezu Mbaise or the other reputable groups within Owerri Zone gathered for the purpose of drawing up a template for choosing the preferred candidate to endorse, adding that there is no template anywhere on the basis of which anyone can lay claims of being endorsed by Owerri Zone or Ezuruezu Mbaise.

"We believe that credibility, competence, knowledgeability and acceptability should form the criteria for anointing, adopting or endorsing any candidate. The governorship of Imo State requires wide consultations across various Zones of the State, various strata of the citizenry, various social categories in the State and various political interests in the State, and, therefore, as Owerri Zone there must be a conscious effort to communicate with ourselves and negotiate with the other Zones in the State on the basis of that criteria in order not to eclipse the chances of the Zone. Those who stage-manage leprous endorsements are unhelpful to both themselves and the Zone at large."

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/imo-2019-end-of-road-for-emeka-ihedioha.html?m=1

National Vice Chairman, South South of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Emmanuel Ogidi, has insisted that only a court can indict its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar of corruption.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Warri, Delta State, Ogidi said Atiku is a man who loves the masses and is ready to transform the nation. He expressed concern that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused him of corruption, asking, has he been found guilty in Nigeria or anywhere?

He said since he has not been found guilty, Nigerians are already changing their perception about him. Ogidi disclosed that if Atiku is elected in the upcoming polls, he would revamp the economy, restructure Nigeria, provide qualitative education and provide fresh initiatives to end unemployment

He stressed that Atiku would also address the security challenges in the country, especially the Boko Haram and other violence in the country.The PDP chieftain expressed concern about the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), noting that it is not good for the nation’s educational system.He lamented the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the country, and called for an end to killing of innocent Nigerians.

According to him, the leadership gap in the country is due to the lack of godliness on the part of most of Nigerian leaders. He said the leaders have no compassion, contrary to the provisions of 2Samuel 23:3, where God advised that leaders are advised to rule with the fear of God.

Ogidi promised that PDP would embark on infrastructural development, including making the ports in Warri and Port Harcourt more competitive and attractive to investors.

He said the party’s slogan is ‘Making Nigeria work again’ and urged the people to shun political apathy and vote en masse for Atiku on February 14, 2019.He restated that the PDP has been rebranded, noting that “Nigeria is a great country, the country can work again, and we shall make it work.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/only-court-can-declare-atiku-guilty-of.html

The Senate Committee on Gas has again confirmed that no $1.05 billion NLNG dividend was missing.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Bassey Albert, had clarified that the ongoing investigation of the application of $1.05billion Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividend to support the importation of petroleum products into the country had nothing to do with any missing funds since no such money was missing in the first place.

Downstream operators who spoke on the controversy said the efforts of NNPC in ensuring that there was no scarcity of petrol during Christmas yielded positive results as Nigerians had a hitch-free celebrations.


“It was evident that the NNPC judiciously utilised available resources to ensure uninterrupted supply of petrol,” said a CEO of oil marketing company, who spoke on anonymity.

Senator Albert, who doubles as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Application of the NLNG Dividend, had clarified that the mandate of the Committee was to determine the instrument under which NNPC relied upon to affect the said withdrawal and subsequent application of the NLNG dividend to meet pressing national demand for fuel supply, noting that the Committee relies on NNPC to provide informed perspective on the issues.

The Senate Committee Chairman emphasised that the engagement with NNPC was to understand the rudiments of the account flow and also to discover how the Committee, working in harmony with NNPC, could make the NLNG dividend more effective and beneficial to the nation.

Responding, Mr. Isiaka Abdulrazaq, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NNPC, who represent the corporation’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, pledged the willingness of the corporation to support the Committee in its assignment, saying that relevant documents have been supplied to the panel to enable it determine the veracity or otherwise of NNPC’s perspective.

Read more at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/senate-committee-105bn-nlng-dividend.html

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) says its printing press, which is almost ready, will be commissioned in January 2019.

NOUN’s Director of Media and Publicity, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, in a statement in Abuja, said the university had acquired state of the art machines capable of handling the university’s printing needs.

He said it was an innovative move by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, targeted at cutting the high cost of outsourcing the production of students’ study materials and maximising internal efficiency.

Sheme revealed that NOUN had registered a commercial entity with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) so that it could handle other customers’ printing jobs.

He quoted the vice-chancellor as saying that one of the reasons the institution acquired the printing press was because commercial printer took advantage of NOUN.

“First, many commercial printers force us to print more copies of study materials than we need, all in the name of -the more, the cheaper.

“This is more so for courses with few students; yet we always end up with thousands of course materials as surplus, and eventually have to dispose of them at a loss.

“With our own press, we can print on demand for the exact number of students we have since our main focus is to serve the students and not to make exploitative profits that the outsourced commercial printers do.

“Secondly, we discovered that many Study Centres complain of lack of study materials, even though these are uploaded as PDF files on our website. But we do understand that many people would prefer to have the printed versions as they may not have access to internet at all times.’’



The vice-chancellor said further that the cumbersome process of outsourcing the printing of the study materials meant that students would have to wait for weeks or even months before the materials get to them.

“With the establishment of our own press, we have now eliminated the need for contracting the printing of any type of printed material – whether study materials, calendars, banners, posters, fliers, journals, magazines, academic books, or monographs.”

The vice chancellor added thirdly, that the institution could henceforth control the quality of the output – particularly the layout, design and graphics, thus enriching the content of the materials.

Adamu said that the press and the course developers and lecturers were all in the same place, NOUN Abuja headquarters.

“So it is easy to effect corrections, thus saving time, which is impossible with outsourced printers who print with many errors since they are not academics and therefore have no intellectual understanding of what they are printing.”

The vice-chancellor stated that the NOUN Press could compete with any printing press in the country, considering the vast array of modern printing machines it has acquired.

“We are happy, therefore, to state that we have completely stopped giving out contract for any type of printing in the National Open University of Nigeria,” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/noun-acquires-printing-press-to-stop.html

Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) says it loses over N200 million monthly in Zamfara due to illegal connections and customers’ refusal to settle their bills.

The Business Development and Relationship Officer of the company in the state, Sabo Abdul, disclosed this in Gusau on Thursday at the Customer Engagement Session organised to sensitize customers on the operations of the company.

Abdul said the company was generated about N100 million monthly as against N350 million from the state.

“This meeting was organised to draw the attention of our customers on the need to be prompt in settling their bills for effective service delivery and economic growth.

“Every month, after the state government pays its bills and followed by some of the promising companies and business owners, only about 40 per cent of our regular individual customers help to make us generate up to a hundred plus; so we always run at a deficit,” he said.

He said that very soon the management would be accompanying field officers to identify those involved in illegal connections for them to be removed from the grid.

The officer, who commended the participants for attending the forum, said it would be organised regularly to give customers the opportunity to raise issues concerning electricity supply to guarantee efficiency in service delivery and payments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that speakers at the meeting urged officials of KAEDCO to be more professional in their conduct and promised to partner with the company to disconnect illegal connections.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/kaedco-loses-n200m-monthly-in-zamfara.html

The lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye, has reacted to report that over 3,252 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the district.


Akelicious reported yesterday that those who dumped the PDP in the district included a former Kogi Commissioner of Water Resources, Tunji Oshanusi, and that of Agriculture, Femi Abolarinwa.

The decampees were received by the APC Zonal Chairman, Ropo Asagun at the township stadium in Kabba during the official flag-off of APC Zonal Rally.


In his reaction, Melaye said the defection never happened, adding that no one would wish to buy hunger with their money.

He tweeted, “The lies of 3000 imaginary people decamping from PDP in my constituency.

“Another Tramadol induced lie. Who will wish to buy hunger with his/her money?


“PDP all the way. My political wife remain my wife even after 2019.”

Read more at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/2019-election-dino-melaye-speaks-on.html

The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ) has called on members of the National Assembly to apologise to Nigerians for their unruly behaviour during President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 budget presentation .

The Public Relations Officer of NANS, Mr Azeez Adeyemi, made the call on Friday in Abeokuta.

Adeyemi condemned the lawmakers’ behaviour, saying that it had further tarnished the external image of the country.

He urged the lawmakers to always promote the integrity of the country, while according due respect to its leaders.

He stressed that the legislators should jettison personal and political interests while treating matters of national interest.

“Nigerian students believe that members of the National Assembly should be role models to Nigerian youths and students by displaying worthy and enviable character.

“It is important to place respect for the honour and integrity of our dear country above any personal or political interests.

“We, hereby, call on the leadership of the National Assembly to, as a matter of necessity, apologise to the entire people of Nigeria over the members’ unruly conduct during the president’s budget presentation,” he said.

The NANS spokesperson, nonetheless, urged the National Assembly members to scrutinise the 2019 appropriation bill before its passage so as to ensure the outcome was in the best interest of all Nigerians.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/budget-presentation-apologise-to.html

The organised labour has given the Federal Government up to Dec. 31 to send the tripartite committee report on N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly.

The decision was taken in Lagos on Thursday at a joint meeting of three labour centres—the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC).

The organiseed labour said the ultimatum followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to device ways of ensuring that the implementation of the new wage did not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.

Buhari spoke at the presentation of 2019 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday.

The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, who address newsmen after the meeting, said that setting up a technical committee could not be a condition for passing the minimum wage report to the National Assembly.

According to Wabba, the organised labour cannot guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the country if the wage report was not passed for implementation on or before Dec. 31.

“We reject in its entirety the plan to set up another `high powered technical committee’ on the minimum wage. It is diversionary and a delay tactics.

“The national minimum wage committee was both technical and all-encompassing in its compositions and plan to set up a technical committee is alien to the tripartite process.

“It is also alien to the International Labour Organisations’ conventions on national minimum wage setting mechanism,’’ he said.

The labour leader said that issues on payment of minimum wage was a law that was universal, citing that other African countries like, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa had increased their minimum wage this year.

“If you increase minimum wage, you are increasing the purchasing power of the economy which will help to reduce inflation rather than increase it,’’ Wabba said.

He urged workers to be vigilant and prepare to campaign and vote against candidates and politicians who are not willing to implement the new minimum wage.

Mr Joe Ajaero, President of ULC, who also spoke on the development said that all affiliate members of the organised labour had been put on alert ahead of the Dec. 31 notice if government failed to submit the report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that organised labour had been at loggerhead with the Federal and State governments on the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage

More at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/minimum-wage-organised-labour-issues.html

The Lagos State chapter of Accord Party has adopted the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jimi Agbaje, for the 2019 election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the party endorsed and adopted Agbaje on Thursday at a programme to flag off its campaign activities in Ikeja.

The endorsement followed the open pronouncement by the governorship candidate of the party, Mr Joseph Beckley, that he had agreed with the party to step down for Agbaje and support his ambition.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Accord, Rev. Adebayo Adeniji ,while presenting Agbaje to party men, said his adoption was strategic.

He said there was the need for well-meaning people to join forces to take the state from the All Progressives Congress(APC).

Adeniji said the party believed the adoption of Agbaje would help “rescue”the state and ensure residents enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“Today is a historic day because we have taken a step to give Lagos to the people.

“We have adopted Mr Jimi Agbaje so that together, we can take the mantle of leadership in 2019.

“Agbaje has the vision and capacity to win and even deliver.We believe it is better to join efforts with a candidate who will give the state to the people,” he said.

Adeniji explained that Accord was only supporting the PDP governorship for the election but would field candidates for other elections in the state.

He enjoined party members to give their best to ensure victory for Agbaje in the governorship election as well as Accord candidates vying for legislative seats in the state.

Beckley, in his brief speech, said he decided to step down for Agbaje because he had the capacity to govern Lagos and was better positioned to win the election .

He also urged party members to work hard to mobilise residents to vote for Agbaje in the 2019 election.

In his acceptance speech, Agbaje described his adoption by Accord as humbling.

He thanked the party and the governorship candidate for endorsing him.

Agbaje gave the assurance that he would reciprocate the gesture by winning the election and delivering real democratic dividends in the state.


He said his determination to dislodge APC and “free Lagos “ in 2019 was unwavering, urging all residents to support him to give them the state of their dream.

“My message to those who are still waiting on the other side is that the freedom train on the move.

“Let them join it before the momentum will move too much for them to catch up with. There is still room in the train and it is time to move in.

“And to the other people, the APC, my message is clear: their time is up. They will be defeated in 2019.

“Instead of delivering good governance to Lagosians, they are after my posters and campaign boards.

“I am telling them now that enough is enough. It is time for freedom. It is time for free Lagos from impunity, from imposition and from one-man rule”,he said.

NAN reports that Mr Wale Oluwo, who recently resigned from the cabinet of Gov.Akinwunmi Ambode as Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources to join PDP, was with Agbaje at the occasion.

The PDP deputy -governorship candidate, Mrs Haleemat Busari; the PDP state Chairman, Dr Adebola Dominic; and Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofeek Gani, also joined Agbaje at the programme.

NAN reports that Accord, at the ocassion, received many defectors from the APC and also presented flags to its candidates for Federal and state legislative seats.

Prince Sunday Ajayi, who led the APC defectors into Accord, said they left their former party owing to what they called the culture of impunuty and imposition.

He said the inability of Ambode and others to get tickets for re-election despite good performance was proof that APC in the state was only for some people and not for members.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/lagos-2019-accord-governorship.html

Access Bank Plc could raise up to $457 million or about N165.6 billion in new debt and equities capital to support ongoing business combination with Diamond Bank Plc. Access Bank will be the post-merger entity and its Group Managing Director, Mr Herbet Wigwe, will remain the chief executive of the enlarged bank.

At a joint media briefing in Lagos yesterday to outline key details of the business combination, Access Bank and Diamond Bank said the business combination was driven by value accretion and synergies, citing the potential to become Africa’s foremost financial institution.

Access Bank said it has received regulatory approvals to raise up to $457 million, equivalent to about N165.58 billion, in tier 11 capital and equity funds to ensure that the post-merger entity has robust capital buffer in line with national and international requirements.

The capital raising includes a $250 million tier 11 capital and a $207 million rights issue. Both capital raisings are expected to be concluded in the first half of 2019, in time for the completion of the business combination, which is also scheduled for the end of first half 2019.

In order to meet international standards of best practice and ensure a robust capital buffer, Access Bank and Diamond Bank have also jointly agreed a strategic capital management plan and expect to achieve a post-completion Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 20 per cent at the bank level and 22 per cent at the group level.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/diamond-banks-merger-access-bank.html

In spite of the political divide between the Executive and the legislature, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday received a rewarding welcome by lawmakers when he presented the 2019 appropriation bill to the joint session of NASS.

Full report at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/photos-from-president-buhari-as-he.html

The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, on Tuesday
presented the 2019 appropriation Bill of N188.4b to the State
House of Assembly.


He also assented to the National Health Insurance Scheme Bill.

Umahi, while presenting the appropriation Bill of N188, 401, 913, 868, said that the state executive Council has painstakingly went through the performance of the 2018 budget and expressed satisfaction with the


level of performance and implementation.

He. however disclosed that the 2018 budget witnessed a lot of

bottlenecks ranging and affecting every sector of the state economy
simultaneously citing global instability occasioned by persistent
incidence of terrorism and other challenges.


The Governor said the state pursued the implementation of the 2018 budget with resilience and determination to ensure the attainment of ambitious target even in the face of scarcity of funds.

“The 2019 budget entitled ‘Budget of Divine Fulfilment’ has expenditure

ratio between recurrent and capital expenditure of 22.1 percent to 77
percent with recurrent expenditure gulping N41.556b and capital of
N49.068b” he said

He said the 2019 budget, which is lower than last year budget is

expected to take care of recurrent expenditure and is expected to
address all ongoing capital projects across the State.

Earlier in the State Executive Council before the presentation of the
2019 appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly, Governor
Umahi assented to the National Health Insurance Scheme Bill to address health needs of the state civil servants.

Umahi noted that the assent to the bill followed the passing of the
bill by the State House of Assembly, adding that the law when fully
implemented is expected to address all health needs of the Civil
servants.

The Speaker of Ebonyi State House, Mr Francis Nwifuru, earlier in his
address, extolled the prudent management of all resources accruing to the State by Governor and maintained that it was the magic behind massive infrastructural development in the state.

He said the synergy between the executive and the legislature had

provided the state enabling environment to excel above her
contemporaries and had placed the state on a high pedestal of economic boom.

Nwifuru noted that despite the hard bite of economic challenges,
Ebonyi State has remained on the rise through robust and healthy
management of resources by the State governor and discouraging
profligacy in governance.

Full report at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/2019-umahi-presents-n1884b-budget-to.html

he federal government has submitted 39 names of alleged treasury looters to the Nigerian Immigration Service to prevent them from escaping investigation and prosecution for alleged criminal acts.

Chairman of the panel, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla disclosed this in a statement on Monday, and added that the action was in accordance with the provisions of the Executive Order No 6 of 2018.

Although details of the list were not made public, the panel said it contained those currently under its investigation including the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, former Senate President, David Mark, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and the Tumsah brothers, among others.

Obono-Obla confirmed “the presidential panel has requested the NIS to place a travel ban on some persons who were alleged to have abused their offices and looted our commonwealth.”

He further revealed that the panel, in partnership with the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, is investigating Nigerians allegedly implicated in the Paradise Panama Papers. He said the “findings would be made available to Nigerians; in due course.

“The panel is investigating the Tumsah brothers, Tijani Tumsah (vice chairman, Presidential Initiative on North East) and Ibrahim Tumsah (director, Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing), for alleged abuse of office, corruption and possession of unaccounted suspicious wealth beyond their legitimate earnings.

“The panel has recovered an assortment of 86 brand new luxury and sophisticated cars from the duo; 23 of these vehicles are bulletproof without the requisite permits.

“Also recovered from them are several choice properties, located in highbrow areas of Abuja and a quarry in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory.

“The panel has since obtained an interim order of forfeiture from an FCT High Court; in respect of these properties.

“In a counter move, typical of corruption fighting back, the duo recently approached the Court of Appeal which held that the panel does not have the power to obtain interim forfeiture from the FCT High court, pursuant to the EFCC Act but from the Federal High Court, pursuant to the recovery of public property (special provision) Act, 2004, which has mischievously been misinterpreted and deliberately propagated by the appellants to mean that this panel has no power to prosecute any matter in any court” he said.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/travel-ban-fg-submits-39-alleged.html

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday said all former presidential aspirants that contested for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and all the party’s governors have come together to push the campaign of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the nation’s presidency up for contest in 2019.


Speaking on the ‘Morning Show’ programme of Arise News, a broadcast arm of Akelicious Media, Okowa insisted that contrary to reports, the party has gone beyond the issues relating to the party’s primaries and is preoccupied with winning the 2019 elections.

He said, “There is no truth in the words that former presidential aspirants are not supporting Atiku. All of them are supporting him. I’m not aware of any aspirant that is not supporting Atiku. Even though I cannot mention all their names, we have people like Governor Aminu Tambuwal playing a significant role in the campaigns; you have Senator Kwankwaso also playing a prominent role in the campaign. The Governor of Gombe is playing prominent role in the campaign. These are all former aspirants playing prominent role. Even Aminu Turaki is playing a prominent role; a whole lot of them.

“For those you are not seeing visibly, they also have assignments they are undertaking in the background for the party because it is not possible to engage all of them in directorates, but because they are presidential aspirants does not mean that they are not party men.

“Each and every one of them is on board and each and every one of them has a special role to play. The fact is that you will begin to see Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, more because he is the arrow figure as the Director-General of the campaign. But all others are fully involved in the campaigns; there are no problems at all.”

Also responding to the speculations that the governors of the South-east and the South-south are not fully part of the Atiku project following the emergence of former governor, Mr. Peter Obi, as the vice presidential candidate, Okowa described the insinuations as untrue.
According to him, “That is not the reality on the ground.

“People are over hyping it. The South-south and the South-east caucus met on Friday in Port Harcourt. In that meeting, we took decisions on what next to do. We are indeed planning a South-south zonal rally. Committees are being put in place ahead of the elections under the leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike. A date is likely going to be taken for the rally in the early part of January.

“There are actually no problems within the South-south; I can confirm that to you. In the South-east, yes, there were some initial hiccups; there is no doubt about that because there were certain party procedures that was supposed to have been followed that were not followed. Some of us believe that we were not taken along before the announcement of the vice presidential candidate.

“We also understand that the candidate has the right of choice of who would be the vice presidential candidate. We have moved beyond that. We have had meetings where we have been able to talk over all the issues.

“The fact is: some leaders of the party including all the governors ought to have known before the announcement of the candidate; not because they want to change the choice but they just wanted to be briefed formally before the information was given to the press. But that has been pushed behind us and we are moving forward.

“The South-east is also meeting. It is a strong PDP zone. In politics, there are always issues and the issues have to be discussed. The South-east is fully on board; from the last meeting we had in Rivers State, so is the South-south. So, I don’t see any challenge in any of the zones at all, not right now.”

Okowa also spoke on the defection of his predecessor, former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the implication of this on the cohesion of the James Ibori political family, which they both belong.
This, he said, was not an issue.

According to him, “Actually, the Ibori family is still strong. Ibori remains our national leader. I want to assure you that that family is still intact.”
The governor, however, declined to speak on why Uduaghan left the PDP but said that it was the outcome of the election that would determine if it was a right decision.
He stressed that the defection of Uduaghan from the PDP has not had negative impact on the Ibori family and the party.

The governor was, however, frank that he met an empty treasury and a lot of debt when he took over as governor of the state.
He said, “Obviously, there was an empty treasury; no doubt about that. I do not want to look into all the factors, but we met a very challenging condition. Beyond the empty treasury, there was a lot of debt overhang and we had to do what we ought to do.

“I’m the kind of person that will not dissipate my energy looking into the past; and begin to sorry in it. What I needed to do was to assemble a smart team; and we were able to think out how best to get out of the problem that we had.

“Unfortunately, as we moved on, we had the issues of the crisis that came up in the Niger Delta and the blow up of the Forcados Export line, which also brought further challenges to our woes as at then.
“But we are able to work as a team to restructure our debts. We are able to prioritise the projects to undertake and we are able to move forward. Today, we have consolidated and moving on.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/all-pdp-governors-solidly-behind-atiku.html

Pressure from sell-off, which persisted at the end of last week’s transactions on the trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), sustained hold on the All-Share Index (ASI) and market capitalisation, as both depreciated by 0.63% and 0.58% to close the week at 30,672.79 points and N11.204 trillion respectively.



Analysts, however, said the current volatily is likely to be sustained, as bargain hunting and portfolio repositioning for year-end are expected to shape performance of the market ahead of Santa Claus rally.

According to them, the expectation is hinged on the fact that a number of companies hitting new 52-week low are on the increase, reflecting the undervalued state of the market.


Similarly, all other indices finished lower with the exception of the NSE ASeM, NSE Banking, NSE Insurance and NSE Industrial Goods that rose by 0.71 per cent, 0.18 per cent, 0.20 per cent and 0.81 per cent respectively.

Furthermore, NSE Corporate Governance Index dropped by 17.62 points to 1225.84 points; NSE ASeM Index dipps by 3.06 points to 2,147.20 points; The NSE Main Board index lost 14.56 points to 793.81 points; NSE 30 index declined by 13.56 basis points to 1383.81 points; and NSE Consumer Goods index down by 20.25 points to 719.05 points.

Also, NSE Oil and Gas index fell by 2.37 basis points to 279.12 points; NSE Lotus II fell by 43.16 points to 2164.26 points, while NSE Pension Index dropped by 2.91 basis points to 1160.22 points.

The Chief Research Officer of Investdata Consulting, Ambrose Omordion said: “The ongoing volatility will persist as Q3 numbers assist investors and fund managers to rebalance their portfolios, while watching the political space and ahead of full year company earnings and post-election market dynamics.

For Codros Capital Limited, the outlook for equities in the near-to-medium term is negative, and “we guide investors to trade cautiously, amidst absence of a near term positive catalyst and political jitters ahead of the upcoming 2019 elections.”

A turnover of 1.169 billion shares worth N14.762 billion was recorded in 14,554 deals by investors in contrast to a total of 1.107 billion shares valued at N11.192 billion that was exchanged in 14,430 deals during the preceding week.


The financial services industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 983.374 million shares valued at N9.358 billion traded in 8,484 deals; thus contributing 84.15 per cent to the total equity turnover volume.

The healthcare industry followed with 44.802 million shares worth N183.753 million in 253 deals, while the consumer goods industry trailed with a turnover of 42.758 million shares worth N3.553 billion in 2,227 deals.

Trading in the top three equities- Zenith Bank Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, and United Bank for Africa Plc (measured by volume), accounted for 438.938 million shares worth N 5.691 billion in 2,962 deals, contributing 37.56 per cent to the total equity turnover volume.

Also, 34 equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 30 in the previous week, while 37 equities depreciated in price, lower than 38 of the previous week and 98 equities remained unchanged, lower than 101 equities recorded in the preceding week.

Also traded during the week were 316 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N849,000, executed in five deals, compared with a total of 84,714 units valued at N1.219 million that was transacted last week in 10 deals.

A total of 10,934 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N10.746 million was traded last week in 31 deals compared with a total of 2,908 units valued at N2.516 million, transacted last week in 11 deals.

More at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/no-respite-for-stock-market-as-index.html

President Buhari has challenged state governors to redouble efforts in addressing infrastructure deficiencies in their respective states to revamp the nation’s economy.

The Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, said the president stated this at a closed door with the 36 State Governors of the federation in Abuja.

He said: “Mr President, as usual, responded by telling us that the economy is in a bad shape and we have to come together and think and rethink on way forward.

“So, Mr President talked to us in the manner that we have a task ahead of us. So, we should tighten our belts and see how we can put Nigerian economy in the right direction and how we can address the nation’s infrastructural decay.

“So, all of us as leaders especially those that are coming to the National Assembly and those coming back as governors and the president who will be re-elected by God grace we should not think that things are going to be easy.

”They are going to be harder than before, this was the message of Mr President,’’ he said.

On the meeting of the National Economic Council, the governor disclosed that the Council deliberated extensively on new ways state governments could generate additional revenues for speedy economic growth and development.

However, Yari declined to confirm on whether the meeting discussed the issue of the proposed N30,000 minimum wage.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/buhari-challenges-governors-on.html

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) rolled out 116,659.8 megawatts in November due to increase in electricity generation.

The daily statistics of TCN operations from Nigerian Electricity System Operator (SO), a section of the TCN, indicated that 116,659.8 mw was generated from Nov. 2 to Nov. 30.

This was against the 107, 864.8 megawatts generated in October.

The statistics indicated that power generation increased by 8,795 megawatts between October and November periods.

NAN also reports that the daily power generated from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 were: 3,681.7mw, 3,776.1mw, 3,703mw, 3652.5mw, 3,810.5mw, 4,204mw, 3,913.6mw, 3,762mw and 3,712.6mw.

Others are: 3,493.6mw, 3,903.50mw, 4,998.8mw, 4,229.7mw and 4271.8mw.

It also showed that daily power generated from Nov. 16 to Nov. 30 were: 4,168.2 mw, 4,125.5mw, 3,891.5mw, 4,067.5mw, 3,880mw, 4,523.4mw, 4,302mw and 4,089.2mw.

Others are: 3,883.6mw, 3,846.5mw, 4,137.7mw, 4,229.3mw, 4,043.8mw, 4,141.6mw and 4,216mw.

The energy generated was transmitted to 11 distribution companies (Discos).

The TCN said the national peak demand forecast stood at 19,100.00mw, while the installed available capacity was 11,165.40mw.

The current transmission capacity and network operational capacities were 7,000 mw and 5,500.00mw respectively.

The peak generation ever attained in Nigeria is 5,222.3mw, while the maximum energy ever attained stands at 109,372.01mwh.

More details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/power-generation-rises-in-november-tcn.html

About 3,250 members of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Obi Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa state have defected to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The defectors were received by the governorship candidate of the party, Labaran Maku at Obi LGA on Thursday, during his campaign visit, Tribune reports.

Speaking at the event, leaders of the defectors, Ubul Ukor and Elias Manasseh blamed “the failure of their former parties to address the security challenges in the state as the reason for their defection.”


“Apart from the insecurity problem, the present government of APC has not constructed roads and other social amenities in rural communities where we belong.

“Throughout our trying moments of insecurity and other problems confronting the state, Maku is the only person bold enough to speak in the defence of the masses.

“All other politicians and stakeholders of the state had abandoned us and only resurface now because they need our votes to win the election.


“We would stand with Maku no matter the blackmail or lies they spread against him because we know he is the only candidate that would ensure we go back to our farms and transform the state,” they said.

In his reaction, Maku expressed gratitude to the defectors for believing in him and his party.

He promised that if elected as the next governor of the state, he would restore security, develop the state, promote unity and generate employment.

“Under my leadership, any person or group instigating crisis and disunity would have the government to contain with irrespective of his or their status,” he added.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/mass-defection-as-3250-apc-pdp-members.html

President Muhammadu Buhari says that the will of the people must always drive the democratic architecture of the country.

He made this known in Abuja on Thursday at the opening of a two-day “Election Security Management Workshop’’ organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The President, therefore, promised to ensure that security agencies involved in the conduct of the 2019 general elections performed their duties professionally to enable the electorate exercise their franchise.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, the President said that the success of the forthcoming elections would partly depend on the professionalism demonstrated by security agencies.

Buhari added that positive changes had been implemented in the nation’s electoral laws to strengthen electoral processes.

He explained that the changes were to ensure that voters were not disenfranchised by actions or inactions of actors or institutions charged with the responsibility of driving the process.

He said “as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I am committed to upholding the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as this is sacred pathway toward our democracy.”

The President noted that “this had been demonstrated in the successes that INEC recorded in Ekiti, Anambra, Ondo and Edo governorship elections, as well as bye-elections in some other states.

“Therefore, the sanctity of the process must be upheld by all political parties and other stakeholders across political party divide if the country is to attain its full potential.’’

He recalled his acceptance speech in April 2015 where he affirmed commitment to promote credible elections devoid of interference in the work of INEC.

Buhari said that those assertions were informed by the conviction that no nation could advance its democratic culture under a security orientation that had no assurance for the safety of the electorate and their votes.

The President, therefore, reassured the international community that Nigeria would continue to advance its democratic credentials within the global space.

He added that “indeed, Nigeria’s commitment to democratic values underscores the leadership roles the country demonstrated in the enhancement of the democratic processes in Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Niger, The Gambia and Guinea Bissau.”

He reiterated confidence in INEC’s competence to conduct credible elections in 2019.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/2019-peoples-will-must-prevail-buhari.html

The Police in Borno said its men had successfully foiled a lone suicide bomb attack on Wednesday night in Maiduguri.

The Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone that the incident occurred at about 8:30 pm in the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Chukwu disclosed that a teenage female bomber attempted to infiltrate a security check point, before security men fired shot at her and the Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) vest strapped to her body exploded.

He said the explosion blew the girl into pieces, noting that there were no other casualties in the attack.

The commissioner added that men of the Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) were deployed and sanitise the area.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/police-foils-suicide-bomb-attack-in.html

The candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Uche Ekwunife has described the upcoming Anambra Central Senatorial election as a must win for PDP.

Ekwunife said this during her familiarization tour of the seven local governments in Anambra Central. During the tour, Senator Ekwunife interfaced with party men, stakeholders and leaders across the seven local governments of the zone preaching unity, commitment and togetherness in the party as the party goes into the upcoming elections.

Senator Ekwunife described the PDP as a formidable brand, she noted that Anambra central cannot continue on its current path of representation.

In one of her visits, Ekwunife stated that she wants to be Senator for Anambra Central whose impact will be felt majorly in the zone. She noted that during her seven months stay in the Senate, she ensured that her representation was felt in the zone.

"Within one month of my stay in the Senate I dragged a powerful delegation of Senators to visit the state to see firsthand how bad erosion menace in the state is, we visited the Nkpor - New parts section of Enugu-Onitsha expressway which was almost cut off by erosion, and within a while after the committee visited, the road was put back in shape", she said.

Ekwunife noted that there is a difference between lawmaking and noisemaking.

"Experience counts, I know the workings of the National Assembly more than any of my opponents. Within the short period I stayed in the Senate, I sponsored five bills, my bill on the Reenactment of Forestry Institute of Nigeria to enhance the activities of the institute in their defence of our environment was recently signed into law. I also sponsored a bill seeking for local government financial and political autonomy", she said.

"Anambra Central cannot continue to miss out on representative dividends simply because its representative does not know his way around the National Assembly. A representation that does not create meaningful impact on the lives of constituents is not an effective representation", she said.

She urged the people of Anambra Central to compare and contrast what is obtainable today and what was obtainable when she represented them.

According to Ekwunife, while she was Chairman Senate committee on Petroleum Downstream, the current occupant of the Senate is deputy Chairman committee on labour and productivity. While she attracted road projects in Nri and Enugwu-Agidi, the current Senator is celebrating awards and Chieftaincy title.

She urged the people of Anambra Central to ensure that effective and people-orientated representation is brought back to the zone come 2019 by voting PDP.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/i-want-to-be-senator-for-anambra.html?m=1

AN OPEN LETTER TO BIANCA OJUKWU

By Law Mefor



Since you walked the red carpets as a beauty queen, many of us have followed you. Though beauty contest is a mere competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants, most contests have evolved to also incorporate personality traits, intelligence, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria.

So, becoming the African queen of your time, and even now, was no mean feat. It comes with real beauty, brain and brawn, no doubt.

You really didn’t need any contest to prove you are one of the most beautiful women to walk the face of mother Africa. Ikemba, while still wooing you confirmed my position when he said in the book, Because I am Involved, “To say that Bianca Onoh is beautiful is like standing before the Eifel Tower and be shouting that the building is tall”.

You later became his wife and sadly, now his widow. And here lies the reason I am writing you. I am of a very considered view that Emeka Ojukwu’s widow does not need partisan politics. You do not have to agree with me. But the bruises you so easily suffered since you ventured into partisan politics were not a coincidence.



Politics is like that. It is adversarial in nature and takes no prisoners. Even being the widow of Emeka Ojukwu will not be armor strong enough to shield you from its vagaries. And that is why many people who may want to serve still shun it; certain persons occupying certain positions do not go into contests for political positions also. They don't need the heat, so they stay away from the kitchen.

Like observed already, partisan politics everywhere, not just in Nigeria, is deep murky waters. Nobody swims it and comes away clean. And because we are living in an imperfect world, there is always a nasty story to tell about someone, especially when they are determined to tell such a negative story. And to show how inescapable, these stories do not even have to be true to be believed. That is why, in politics especially, facts and truths are not exactly the same.

If you recall, when Femi Fani-Kayode made a reckless amorous claim against you, many of us rallied and fought him off. He apologized to you, and because his claim bellied your stay in UK or something like overseas studies, some of us insisted it shouldn’t count.



Many naturally gravitate to your rescue and defence in such hostile circumstance not so much for you as it is for Emeka Ojukwu and here is why. Let us face it: Ojukwu lived and died the symbol of the Igbo race and the struggle for the emancipation of Igbo people. He played certain inimitable roles culminating, ultimately, in leading the Biafra struggle and heading the Republic of Biafra for 30 solid months.

While the Biafra war lasted, it was so brutal that genocidal measures and actions were clamped on Biafrans. Otherwise, what was the intendment of hunger as war weapon used by the federal government against Biafrans during the war if not for their extermination?

In a deft response to the attendant starvation, many Biafra women took harrowing risks to keep the soldiers, their husbands and children alive (watch the documentary 'Afia Attack' produced by Ujuaku Akukwe and refresh on this).

Your late husband and arguably the greatest Igbo man ever lived, Emeka Ojukwu, bore all that on his then young shoulders, barely 33 at that time. The need for the survival of Ndigbo and Biafrans at large deprived him much of his youth and full settled life until you came to fill the vacuum and provide him the much needed succor. He was driven into exile and he stayed away for 13 years. Later he returned, having been pardoned by the Shagari government.



When Ikemba returned home, many of us also were of the opinion that he shouldn’t join politics and that if he must, he needed to join forces with NPP. Ikemba joined the ruling NPN instead and gave his reason as the need to lead Ndigbo back into the mainstream Nigeria polity and politics. He got thoroughly messed up and demystified, to the point that it was claimed that one nondescript Dr. Edwin Onwudiwe(no offence intended) defeated him in a mere senatorial election. Sometimes I wonder what image Ojukwu would have carried if he did not go into politics.

The rest, as they say, is now history. And that is politics for you and a further confirmation that certain persons for some circumstances should not join partisan politics. Or are you not aware that the Queen of England and her family do not vote let alone contest for offices?

Recall also that in the wake of the present democratic dispensation, 3 legacy political parties emerged – PDP, AD and APP (as it then was; it later became ANPP). Soon after, some Igbo leaders felt there was a need to raise a political party where Ndigbo could have unfettered access and expression. By then, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme of blessed memory had been manipulated out of the PDP presidential ticket (I will do a full piece on the emergence of APGA in due course).



I believe the reason APGA was formed, not necessarily as Igbo party, but one where Ndigbo can beat their chest and say it is one they inspired into existence, made Ikemba to accept to be the APGA presidential candidate. As at the time Ikemba joined APGA and became its flag bearer, his majestic and emphatic entry into the fray was such a welcome development and symbolic gesture. He came third in the first presidential poll. Not that Ndigbo deluded themselves that Ikemba would win.



As shown in the relatively paltry number of votes garnered by Ikemba, many Igbos who loved and revered him didn’t even vote for him. They followed their head or heart and entrenched interests in the PDP. Many more Ndigbo, as usual, did not even bother voting at all.



What am I saying? I am only drawing your attention, o our queen mother, to the rugged nature of the struggle, which you now symbolize. It is a role imposed upon you by both choice and destiny. The moment you accepted Ikemba’s hand in marriage, you equally accepted, wittingly, to share his fate. He didn’t co-opt you. And departing, he left the rest of the struggle, as it were, to you.

You can see why I cried when I heard you were contesting to go to the senate? If you were not the widow of Ikemba, may be. But you could see how the race abruptly ended for you, for the very reason I have tried to draw out here.

Whoever advised and goaded you into the risky senate race was unkind to you and demeaned your exulted position. A queen mother cannot bring herself so low as to contest with her subjects. Forget how young you are. It is beyond age. It is about the stool you sit on as Ojukwu’s widow. The more you contest (and lose or even win) you end up debasing your hallowed stool the more.

In APGA, your place ought to be assured. Anything short of chairman Board of Trustees is not for you. But do you really need additional position? I don’t think so! You are Bianca Ojukwu. No position is higher than that in the eye of the Igbo man and woman. Kindly regain this perspective and hold the dream and promise Ikemba left behind.



• Dr. Law Mefor is a concerned APGA member. +234-803-787-2893; e-mail:lawmefor@gmail.com.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/an-open-letter-to-bianca-ojukwu-by-law.html

Lagos State All Progressive Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu has called on his rival the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Jimi Agbaje not to break the peaceful co-existence between the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu was reacting to Agbaje’s tweet, where the PDP candidate quoted Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu of threatening the Igbos ahead of the 2015 election if they failed to vote for APC.

Sanwo-Olu said that the Yoruba do not hate the Igbos as been peddled in some quarters, adding that the longest serving officer of the APC in Lagos, Joe Igbokwe and the longest serving commissioner, Ben Akabueze are both Igbos.

Agbaje had reminded Sanwo-Olu that the statement of the monarch who is a member of the APC lingered in the minds of the Igbos in Lagos, adding that it is the APC that is threatening the Igbos not the Yorubas.

However, Sanwo-Olu had called on Agbaje to make his campaign an issue based rather than bringing sentiments among the various ethnic groups living in Lagos.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/12/lagos-2019-dont-create-tension-between.html