Retired General Ibrahim Babangida, a former military president, has tasked Nigerian leaders to explore the gains of the 12 June 1993 presidential election, toward deepening democracy in the country.

Mr Babangida spoke in Minna with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Nigeria’s democracy and the journey so far.

“The gains of June 12, 1993, presidential election have not been exploited by political leaders in succeeding elections in Nigeria.

“It was adjudged the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, yet politicians have blatantly ignored that beauty; the beauty of credible elections.

“Remember, it was an election Nigerians came out en mass to choose their leaders, irrespective of their cultural/traditional and religious affiliations,” he said.

The former president who spoke through his media aide, Kassim Afegbua, said that although Nigeria’s democracy had recorded some growth, there were still many grounds to be covered.

“There is thuggery in politics in Nigeria, too many litigations in Nigeria, too many issues that transparent elections ought to have addressed,” he said.

Mr Babangida decried increasing voter apathy in Nigeria’s election, attributing it to insincerity by the leaders resulting in a lack of trust by the electorate.

“June 12 should naturally encourage more voters to endorse democracy and election, but the turnout during our election is gradually declining.

“Right now there is voter apathy, that’s the more reason why something must be done to ensure mass participation in election,” he said.

He said that the country’s democracy had gotten more advanced with some achievements, urging Nigerian politicians to work toward making it better.

“Nigeria’s democracy is getting more and more older. Democracy has come to stay but despite the imperfections, we can still get our arts together to correct some of the issues and continue on that trajectory.

“It is a learning curve and a work in progress. Our leaders must continue to invest their time, energy and resources to deepen democracy and sustain democratic ideals,” he said.
NAN reports that the Supreme Military Council under the leadership of Mr Babangida annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.

Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party ( NNPP) and former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has called the bluff of the immediate past Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje who said he would’ve slapped him at the Presidential Villa, describing Ganduje as a person who was confused while making the “slapping ” remarks.

” I heard that he ( Ganduje) said he would’ve slapped me, but I’m here. He was just confused. These are all my boys politically. They can’t even look at me straight on the face if we meet. He was in a confused state when he said that, these my political boys if they see me they lower their gaze,” Kwankwaso said.

He told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview monitored on Saturday morning, that he met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for about 2 hours at the Presidential Villa and was able to convinced him on the alleged land deals and other infractions of the erstwhile Ganduje administration in Kano state, adding that the President was so ” surprised with the revelations .”

He alleged that Ganduje had among others, allocated lands at the Kano Race Course to his friends and family members, a development that now made it hard for people who wanted to indulge in sporting activities and other exercises, to find a place.

According to him, even the Eid praying ground where Muslims converged to pray during Sallah, was not sparred by Ganduje who had allegedly allowed shops to be built round the holy place where the Emir and many other important dignitaries had prayed, thereby compromising the security of the Eid Prayer ground.

Kwankwaso disclosed that there were possibilities the Tinubu administration may engage some of them from the opposition in his government, and did not ruled out if he may eventually make it in the forthcoming ministerial list of the new administration.

Nigerian crude grades are failing to attract buyers from Europe, China and India as traders, to cut cost, shift to a blend of WTI (the main oil benchmark for North America) and Brazilian grades as a substitute for the country’s highly sought-after sweet crude.

Top crude grades of Africa’s biggest oil producer, Bonny Light, Forcados and Brass, have a reputation for being light in sulphur, a quality that has made them the darling of refineries in Europe and Asia.

But traders are flocking to the Urals crude blend because they see the Nigerian grades as relatively pricey, with traders reluctant to offload the country’s cargoes, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.

That had driven Nigeria’s premium grade Bonny Light to 50 cents per barrel discount to Dated Brent on 6 June.

“WAF (West Africa) is losing out to alternatives in Europe – WTI, Midland and Brazilian grades have been consistently undercutting differentials, and sellers of Nigerian barrels just cannot find demand in Europe,” the research house said, quoting a source.

The development adds more pain to the woes of Nigeria, where output hit a multi-decade low of below 1 million barrels a day last year. Already, the nation has struggled to contain incidents of oil theft on a grand scale in the far south which sapped as much as $1 billion from the government’s revenue in the first quarter of the year.

That production level is less than half of the country’s current daily capacity of 2.2 million barrels.

On account of a price ceiling placed on the crude oil from Russia following its war with Ukraine, which has made the grade cheaper, African crude graders are struggling to find patronage from refiners in Asia, outsold by the Urals crude.

“I don’t think Nigeria can sustain competition with WTI Midland mixed with Brazil, it’s been a long time now since we have seen Europe able to absorb Nigerian exports,” a source told S&P Global Commodity Insights.

It comes as an early blow to plans by newly-inaugurated President Bola Tinubu to bolster production and buck up oil earnings, at a time the government is spending nearly everything it earns to service debt.

President Tinubu had promised in his manifesto ahead of the February presidential election to scale up Nigeria’s daily output to 2.6 million barrels by 2027 and 4 million come 2030.

That compares to April’s production (condensate inclusive), which fell 17.8 per cent to 1.25 million bpd.

“Nigerian producers have to lower prices to compete,” said Uwadiae Osadiaye, a chartered financial analyst with Lagos-based FBNQuest.

Joe Biden got confused over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s title when the pair met in the White House, welcoming him as “Mr President.”

The U.S. President swiftly corrected himself, joking that he had “promoted” Sunak.

The 80-year-old, seated across from Sunak for the bilateral meeting, said: “Well, Mr President – Mr President, I just promoted you. Mr Prime Minister, it’s great to have you back.”

Sunak, who appeared to laugh off the error, has not been to the White House before as prime minister, only taking office last October.

Biden told him: “In the past few months we have met each other in San Diego and then we met in Belfast and we met in Hiroshima.

“And now we’re here we’re going to solve all the problems of the world in the next 20 minutes.”

This is not the first time the U.S. president has appeared to fumble his words recently.

In April, during his visit to the Republic of Ireland, Biden appeared to confuse the name of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans, a controversial War of Independence-era police force in Ireland.

And while he heaped praise on the strength of the UK-U.S. relationship on Thursday, saying it was in “real good shape”, he has not always been so diplomatic.

In May, he claimed that he visited the island of Ireland to ensure the “Brits didn’t screw around” amid ongoing concern over the peace process and the impact of Brexit.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday explained that it suspended its scheduled strike because recognised the willingness of the federal government for continuous engagement and to offer reasonable palliatives in due course to cushion the effect of the removal of subsidy on petrol.

The Congress said it also considered the mood of the socio-polity in the last elections and the need to pursue national stability before deciding to shelve its planned nationwide strike over fuel subsidy removal.

The labour centre, in a communique issued at the end of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC), signed by the national president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the general secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, said it also took into account the court injunction restraining the congress from proceeding with the proposed nationwide strike.

It further stated that even though it accepted the ruling of National Industrial Court (NIC), it disapproved of the ‘continuous weaponisation of the instrument of Exparte injunction’ by the court in favour of the government against the interests of Nigerian workers.

The labour centre described the ruling as flawed and called on the federal government to comply with the laws of the land, especially as it concerns obedience to the rulings of the courts and its brazen disregard to the 2023 Appropriation Act.

Part of the communique reads, “To, therefore, support and accept the decision of the leadership of Congress to suspend the proposed strike in compliance with the flawed rulings of the NIC and also allow negotiations to flow freely and enable final agreement during or after the 19th June, 2023 negotiation round with the federal government, all affiliates and state councils of Congress are hereby directed to suspend further action and mobilisation until the outcome of the final negotiations.”

Among the resolutions agreed between the federal government delegation led by the chief of staff to the president, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) include a proposal for wage increase and review of the $800 million World Bank financed cash transfer scheme and proposed inclusion of low-income earners in the programme.

Also, the proposal includes the implementation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion programme earlier agreed with labour centres in 2021 which would reduce vehicles dependence on fuel and save the federal government billions of naira.

In a related development, the House of Representatives has commended the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for shelving its earlier planned strike and accepting to continue to dialogue with the federal government over the removal of fuel subsidy.

The NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had on Monday cancelled the planned indefinite nationwide strike to protest last week’s withdrawal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.

The House’s resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Idem Unyime (PDP, Akwa Ibom).

Hon Unyime acknowledged the possible impact of the industrial action on the economy and livelihoods of the people, stating that the directive to shelve the planned strike was in the best interest of the nation.

The lawmaker agreed that the billions of dollars spent on subsidy from 2015 to date could be channeled to development projects in the country.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the federal government to ensure it implements the resolutions reached at its meeting with Labour.


Air Peace Slams N1.7bn Suit On NLC, TUC Over Flight Disruptions

Meanwhile, the management of Air Peace has slammed a N1.7 billion suit on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) over the alleged disruption of its operations by the unions and its officers.

The airline is asking the Federal High Court in Lagos to award it N1 billion as general damages, N450 million as special damages and N250 million as exemplary damages.

Also joined in the suit as defendants are the president of NLC, Joe Ajaero, his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifoh, Emmanuel Ugboaja and Nuhu Toro.

Air Peace asked the court to declare that given the compassionate nature of aviation ordinarily, and particularly in the current climate of pervasive fear of insecurity over long-distance travels within Nigeria by other modes of transportation, the defendants’ calculated precipitation of grounding all its flights throughout Nigeria for the reason that it is responsible for the majority of air-passenger and goods flights in the country to cause substantial nationwide paralysis, constitutes condemnable sabotage of the national economy and security.

The plaintiffs also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, their agents/servants/privies or otherwise, however, from repeating/continuing the acts of intimidation and coercion against it.

The airline, in an affidavit attached to the suit, averred that on May 3, 2023, its employees on duty were confronted by a noisy mob which invaded their offices, check-in counters and work areas at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, and the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal 1 (MM1) premises, essentially disrupting their work, disorganising and upturning tables, unplugging and pushing away desktops and personal computers used by the employees, some of whom sustained injuries in the commotion.

It also claimed that from the songs they sang and the instructions that the apparent leaders loudly issued during the disruption, it immediately became clear that the mob causing the disruptive scene were members of the NLC and TUC, some of whom got into violent altercations, injuring some of the airline’s customers and staff who voiced their frustrations at the disruption of their travel plans by the defendants’ antics.

The plaintiffs also stated that the defendants’ actions had inevitable ripple effects on its operations in other airports in the country, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, and Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, all of which the plaintiff’s scheduled flights could not take off from or land.

It added that the defendants, as the plaintiff was to learn later, had some grouse against the governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodimma, and to “punish him” decided upon a total shutdown of Imo State beginning from Wednesday, May 3, 2023, as was stated among other things in their joint communiqué of May 1, 2023.

Air Peace said Lagos is the operational hub and nerve centre of the airline operations, and that a direct consequence of the defendants’ unlawful invasion of its work areas/offices and forcible prevention of its functions, as detailed above, was the cancellation of its flights billed for different destinations.

Also, it said, several Air Peace members of staff suffered physical molestation and incurred bruises which led to psychological trauma and hospital visitations for treatments, with some having to miss work in order to recover.

In addition to the financial losses, the plaintiff said it had also suffered a grave injury to its business reputation, not only in the eyes of its flying customers but also in those of the general public and its investors.

It further stated that its lawyers wrote letters dated May 12, 2023 to the defendants, demanding that they promptly make amends for their unjustifiable, grievous and malicious injuries to it, but which demand they have disregarded and are instead threatening more disturbance and harm to its operations.

The plaintiff, therefore, submitted that the defendants’ conduct in the circumstances of this suit and leading to its significant losses are egregiously malicious, scandalous and most deserving of reproach by the award of exemplary damages.

By Tijani Labaran


A student of Physics in the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) in Kogi State, identified simply as Williams, was reportedly stabbed to death on Saturday by an SS3 student for allegedly toasting the secondary student’s elder sister.

City & Crime reports that before the incident in the late Williams’ father’s compound at the 200 Housing Estate (Old Poly Quarters) in Lokoja, the victim, it was gathered, was having issues bothering on love with the sister of the assailant.

A source explained that Williams’ assailant came to the compound in the Old Poly Quarters demanding to see him to assist him in a particular subject, feigning to be preparing for WAEC exams.

City & Crime gathered that the late Williams’ father who did not suspect the ulterior motive of the assailant pointed Williams’ room to him and that he went into the room and stabbed Williams in the stomach and rushed out of the house.

Williams was said to have died before his family could rush him to the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.

City & Crime further learnt that the suspect was later arrested by the police.

The spokesman of FUL, Mr Daniel Iyke, who confirmed the incident, said, “The police are on the matter. The thing is that the student lived with his parents. The stabbing happened in his house as alleged.”

The Kogi State Police Command’s spokesman, SP William Aya, did not respond to a call and an SMS on the incident.

Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of President Bola Tinibu, on Monday in Abuja, assumed office as Nigeria’s First Lady.

Mrs Tinubu who arrived at the First Lady’s wing was accompanied by her security aides.

The first lady on arrival, was received by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr Tijjani Umar and other Head of Units in the First Lady’s Office.

Mrs Tinubu was therefore guided on a tour of offices within the first lady’s wing, comprising the Administrative, ICT, Catering, Media and Protocol Units.

Mrs Tinubu was born on Sept. 21, 1960 to Itsekiri mother and Yoruba father.

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Ife, and has undertake several courses in some higher institutions.

She served as the wife of Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007 and thereafter was elected Senator representing Lagos Central in the Senate.

Mrs Tinubu executed many philanthropic activities to alleviate the plight of vulnerable people in her Constituency.

NAN

Following the hike in transport fare, occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, the Kwara State government has reduced the working days to three days per week.

The state’s Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole announced the palliative in a statement on Monday.

The statement signed by Oluwole’s press secretary, Murtala Atoyebi reads: “The Kwara State Government has taken temporary measures to ease the burden of public workers in the State following the astronomical hike in transport fare.

“The State Head of Service, Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole announced today that the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has directed that the work days be reduced from five days to three days per week for every worker.

“She explained that the measure was to relieve the state workers of the hardship being experienced as a result of the fuel subsidy removal announced by the Federal Government.

“Mrs Oluwole directed all Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the State to immediately work out a format indicating the alternating work days for each worker under them.

“The Head of Service however, warned the workers not to abuse the magnanimity of the Governor, stressing that the regular monitoring of MDAs by her office would be intensified to ensure strict compliance.”

NYSC in responses filed in the Abuja court, submitted documentary proofs that point to a possible case of forgery against the Enugu State governor.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has responded to the suit brought against it by the newly sworn-in Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, over his controversial NYSC discharge certificate.

NYSC in responses filed in the Abuja court, submitted documentary proofs that point to a possible case of forgery against the Enugu State governor.

A deposition at the Federal High Court, Abuja, taken from the Assistant Director in the Corps Certification Department, Mrs. Rhoda Dawa, revealed that the discharge certificate that Governor Mbah claimed was issued to him did not emanate from the NYSC.

Documents submitted to the court by the NYSC to prove that the Enugu State governor may have submitted a forged discharge certificate include the alleged forged certificate Mbah submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, a photocopy of the original copy of the certificate that was to be issued to Mbah, a date sheet showing where discharged corps members signed for their certificates, another data sheet with the names of unclaimed certificates, official circulars authorising the destruction of unclaimed certificates, photographs of the incineration of the unclaimed discharge certificates, samples of the NYSC discharge certificates during the period the governor was supposed to have performed his compulsory national service, Police and Department of State Services’ letters of investigation, among others.

SaharaReporters had reported that Governor Mbah, in his court filings, claimed that he duly completed his national youth service and was given a certificate of discharge.

The governor earlier sued the NYSC, claiming N20 billion in damages for what he described as conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts.

Mbah is also seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme for one calendar year via a call-up letter numbered FRN/2001/800351 with the Lagos code LA/01/1532.

He argued that the declaration must state that he was issued a certificate of national service numbered A808297 upon completing his service year in 2003.

But contrary to these claims, the NYSC, in its deposition, which SaharaReporters sighted on Sunday, insisted that the Enugu State governor did not complete his service year and that the certificate of discharge he parades was not issued by the body.

To prove its claim, the NYSC filed as evidence, the data sheet where Mbah was to have signed and collected his discharge certificate, saying that while the certificate presented by the Enugu governor bears the serial number - A808297, the one prepared for him, but which he did not collect, bore the serial number - 673517.

In what looks like forensic evidence, the NYSC made reference to the calligraphic writing on Mbah’s certificate and stated that the style of the writing on the governor’s certificate was quite different from the one on all other certificates issued to discharged corps members during his batch.

Stating that the corps directorate hired one person for the calligraphic writings on all certificates, it insisted that there was no way Mbah’s own could be different from those of other corps members that passed out during the same period.

“The 1" Respondent's (NYSC) National Directorate Headquarters issued the Certificates for the Members of the Service Corps in Lagos State, including the Certificate of the Applicant, using a Certificate Issuance Register.

“The register indicated the basic data of the Members of the Service Corps, including their State Code, name, Call-Up Number, and Certificate Number in serial form. A copy of the relevant page of the Certificate Issuance Register at the National Directorate Headquarters, showing the Applicant in asterisks with Certificate Number 673517, is attached herewith and marked as Exhibit ‘NYSC 5,’” the NYSC said in its deposition.

The NYSC also stated that contrary to Mbah’s claim that his probable date of discharge was September 15, 2002, his probable date of discharge upon completing his programme at the Nigerian Law School, was September 15, 2003.

It was further averred that Peter Mbah was not issued any discharge certificate by the NYSC because he did not complete his service year, even when he was mobilised for the same.

The NYSC further noted that the discharge certificate prepared for him was later returned to its headquarters, along with other unclaimed certificates, after which it was destroyed along with other unclaimed certificates, in the presence of security operatives.

“Following the 1" Respondent's Top Management's directive on 18th August 2021, all the outdated, unused, and cancelled Certificates of National Service and Certificates of Exemption, Certificates of absconded Members of the Service Corps, including the Applicant's Certificate Number A673517 which he was not available to collect, have been disposed of by incineration,” the NYSC further said in its deposition.

The reported drop in the price of cooking gas in the country has ignited heated reactions among Nigerians on Twitter.

On Sunday, Wale Adedayo, a freelance writer, took to the microblogging platform to share a receipt for cooking gas purchased on June 1.

The receipt showed that 12.5 kg of cooking gas — which reportedly ranged between N9,375 and N13,000 in May — now goes for N6,950.

“12.5kg of Cooking Gas in May – N9375, 12.5Kg of Cooking Gas in June – N6950. Maybe…just maybe…we should speak out when prices go down too. This feels good,” he wrote.

The receipt was also shared by many others on Twitter in different contexts.

The development comes on the heels of controversies trailing President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that “fuel subsidy is gone“.

Some users argued that the drop in the price of gas is an indication that the price of petrol will also crash with time, when the subsidy is finally removed.

Others also said the government deserves to be applauded for the current price of gas.


WHAT DETERMINES THE PRICE OF GAS?

Unlike petrol, cooking gas is not subsidised by the government. This means that the price of cooking gas is majorly determined by market forces.

Speaking on this, Leo Ukpong, a professor of Financial Economics at American University School of Business, Yola, Adamawa state, described the reported drop in price as a “supply-driven phenomenon”.

“The production of gas is very different from the refinery process of petrol. In the first place, gas was not subsidised, so it is not part of the whole subsidy issue. Petrol or PMS was subsidised but the price of cooking gas has always been determined by market forces,” he told TheCable.

“Cooking gas is basically demand and supply. The drop in price could be due to an increase in supply. If that is the case, it means the gas plants in the country are now more efficient. I think it is a supply-driven phenomenon.”

By Chinagorom Ugwu


A yet-to-be-identified woman has stabbed a baby girl to death in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.

The suspect was said to have walked into a compound and stabbed the baby.

The incident happened on 28 May at Works Layout, Owerri, the state capital, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

A video clip which has gone viral on social media showed the victim being interrogated by angry residents.

“Who be this girl? You carry knife kill person, kill small baby?” a voice yelled at the lady in pidgin English.

In the clip, the victim, about five-years-old, was seen being carried out of the compound by a woman believed to be her mother.

The mother of the victim, in tears, appeared to be taking the child to a hospital.


‘I was instructed by the Holy Spirit’

The angry residents descended on the suspect, a young lady in her late twenties — beating her up and dragging her violently.

She was clad in navy-blue jean trousers and a pink shirt with white stripes.

Asked why she committed the act, the light-skinned lady said she was sent by God to kill the child.

“It is God in Heaven that sent me. The Holy Spirit asked me to kill her,” she stated.

“Take me to the police station,” she said repeatedly.

“If I get there (police station), they should shoot me, do whatever they want with me.”

When contacted on Friday, the police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, but did not give the identity of the suspect.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the young lady had been arrested, saying she would face the law after investigation.

“The young lady was reported (to the police) by a public-spirited resident of Works Layout that she used a very sharp knife to stab the child repeatedly on her stomach, the young girl was rushed to the hospital but she was confirmed dead on arrival by doctors on duty,” the police spokesperson said.

Four years after the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, unveiled the name and logo of the proposed national carrier at the Farnborough International Airshow, London, Nigeria Air, was eventually unveiled last week to much controversy, outrage and ridicule.

In disobedience of a Federal High Court ruling which ordered the Federal Government to stay action on the setting up of Nigeria Air, a Boeing 737 800 Max with “Nigeria Air” inscribed on it, registration number, ET-APL, Mode S Q4005C and serial number 40965/4075, flew into the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on May 26, and was received with much flourish by Sirika and his team.

This launch was supposed to herald the much touted national carrier which has gulped billions in over seven years and the entire country’s media were present to witness the historic event. Hardly had the aircraft touched the runway when the registration number showed that it belonged to a foreign airline. It later emerged that the aircraft belongs to Ethiopian Airlines (ET) but was previously operated by Malawian Airlines, one of ET’s other subsidiaries. Apparently, Sirika had contacted ET and asked them to provide an aircraft which would be presented as Nigeria Air in order to beat the deadline he gave. The aircraft itself which became part of Malawi Airlines on 16th February 2014 was released to ET on August 12, 2015. It is about 11 years old and carried out its first flight with the ET logo on June 22, 2012. When the aircraft landed at the Abuja airport on Friday, May 26, 2023, it was greeted with a water salute, an action which is usually used to mark the first flight of an aircraft to an airport.

By Saturday evening, flight radar24 showed the aircraft had left Abuja airport and was enroute Addis Ababa from Central African Republic. On Sunday morning, the flight tracker showed the plane had landed at Ethiopia and on Wednesday, May 31, the aircraft was fully back with ET and had commenced its usual Addis Ababa –Mogadishu route.

The outrage that greeted this discovery was swift. A former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Roland Iyayi, described it as a monumental fraud.

“I think it is a monumental fraud to assume that by conniving with Ethiopian Airlines, having an aircraft that was on commercial flight for ET on May 21 or maybe a week ago, flying into Tel Aviv on an ET405 flight to fly into Abuja only for static display and then taken out, would mean to birth an airline. I can tell you that the deck house of Nigeria Air stuck on it has been removed and rebranded for ET to be put back in service. So, all that we saw a few days ago was a charade by the outgoing Minister of Aviation, possibly to sort of block out, considering the fact that in the last seven to eight years, we have had about N85.42bn in allocation to Nigeria Air, which is supposedly a private enterprise,” he said.


Where it went wrong

When Sirika came on board as minister seven years ago, one of the projects he promised to deliver is a national carrier which would be the envy of the African continent. To achieve this, he said the government would be seeking foreign investors to enter into a private partnership with the Federal Government. Industry stakeholders were optimistic about his ambitious plans while domestic airlines were cautious.

At a media event held on September 24, 2022, in Abuja, Sirika informed the public that after searching for investors, the Federal Government had selected 76-year-old ET Consortium as the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air. He told the gathering that ET scored 89 percent as regards the technical bid and 15 out of 20 in respect of the financial bid. The minister said the Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Public Private Partnership (Act), governed by Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) regarding Nigeria Air was not yet completed.

Saturday Sun gathered that former President Muhammadu Buhari gave the approval for the deal to be finalised after he was said to have been convinced by Sirika that the Federal Government would not be making any monetary investments. But there was strong pushback from industry stakeholders when Sirika announced some of the modalities for the deal: Carrier would be driven by the private sector and the Nigerian government would retain only 5 per cent stake in it, while ET will have a 49 per cent stake and 46 per cent of the airline would be owned by Nigerian investors (MRS and SACHOL). The government also said it would raise $250 million from the private sector and that 20 aircraft with petrol engines had been ordered for training purposes, nine of which had been delivered.

Reports show that at least N85.42 billion was budgeted for the national carrier project in seven years. The Federal Government had in 2019 budgeted N47 billion and between 2020 and 2022 an additional N14.6 billion was budgeted, while yet another N24 billion was captured in the 2023 budget for the carrier but with nothing to show for it.


Pushback

After it was revealed that ET will have 49 per cent stake, making it the largest shareholder, industry experts pushed back strongly, expressing their discontent with the model, saying that having a competitor as a major shareholder in the country’s national carrier would completely annihilate Nigerian airlines from the onset. They also argued that the partnership would only help ET achieve its target to dominate the African market as it had formed similar agreements in eight other African countries. Experts say the deal will create cabotage and destroy the industry, citing the case of Virgin Nigeria which had a similar model that eventually fizzled out.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) were the first to take a definitive action against Sirika, as eight domestic airlines dragged the Federal Government to court late last year, listing Nigerian Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Sirika, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, as defendants.

Among other prayers, the airlines asked the court to stop the national carrier deal and withdraw the Air Transport Licence already issued to Nigeria Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). AON also claimed that the firm which served as Transaction Adviser for the transaction, was incorporated in March last year and alleged that the company was linked to the aviation minister. On November 12, last year, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos granted an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from executing the proposed draft agreement establishing a national carrier between ET and Nigeria.

Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa who granted the order, ruled that an Order of Maintenance of Status Quo by all the parties in the suit from taking any further step(s) in relation to the subject matter of the suit pending when the determination of the Motion on Notice is granted. Sirika pushed back on the AON, insisting that nothing would stop the carrier from taking off before May 29. He lashed out at the domestic airlines, saying that he had approached them and asked them to invest in the project but that none of them obliged.


Unanswered questions

Industry stakeholders have privately wondered to Saturday Sun why Sirika was hell bent on unveiling a carrier and what personal interest he had in the project that he was ready to disobey court orders, which could cost the industry much reputational damage internationally. How much is ET bringing in? Why has the intricate details of the agreement not been made public? Other contentious issues, which experts say are unethical, is the opacity and lack of transparency in the deal. Questions have been raised as to why MRS and SAHCOL, listed as private investors, are yet to inform their shareholders via the capital market of their decision to invest in Nigeria Air. By law, the unveiling of the aircraft and the inaugural flight which took place on May 26 can be rightly said to be illegal as the carrier has not been issued with an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the NCAA, which is the authorised regulator. At the moment Nigeria Air is at stage one of the AOC procedure.

Granting an AOC to Nigeria Air without going through the five step legal procedure will be considered an infraction by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Not only would the NCAA be penalized, Nigeria could be blacklisted by aviation safety agencies like the US FAA and the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The spokesperson of AON and Chief Executive Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, said what happened on May 26 was a show of shame and a scam, insisting that Nigeria Air is dead on arrival.

“It is a joke taken too far because there is nothing Nigerian in Nigeria Air. We are in court and we have documents about this charade called Nigeria Air which would make anyone ashamed. They have talked about millions of dollars that would be raised. If it is an equity of ET, the money would have been deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria. So who paid the money? We have other partners in the business like MRS and these guys don’t know what is happening in the business, they are not interested. So something is happening somewhere. Besides, if after eight years of talking about Nigeria Air and all that we saw was an old Ethiopian airline aircraft, it is so absurd.

“The aircraft was decorated to confuse Nigerians. It is mandatory in ICAO law for any aircraft to be registered as a Nigerian aircraft, it must have 5N which is a Nigerian registration number and it can only be done if you bought it outright or you have a dry lease on it and not a wet lease. But none of this is the case because our investigations showed that none of the documents of this aircraft is in NCAA. It just took off in Ethiopia and landed in Abuja. For you to do this kind of show of shame, you have to have gotten to stage five of your AOC. The first stage is that you have to express your interest to get an AOC and the second stage is that the NCAA will review your application, evaluate it and if it is okay, you go and submit your manuals. The fifth and the final stage is the flight demonstration and operation. The AOC process of the so called Nigeria Air is still in stage one, the reason being that Sirika and his co-travellers didn’t want to go through the process.

“Part of our concern is that if the NCAA had not resisted and Sirika had succeeded, the international bodies would have questioned the credibility of our AOC. Ethiopian airline said they have 49 per cent stake in Nigeria and if we have to sell our airspace to anyone, it should sell for about $300 billion because of our population. Nigerian travellers constitute about 40 per cent of Ethiopian Airlines passengers worldwide, so as at today, we have not been told how much they invested.

“Another thing we found out from their business plan is that ET might be coming to kill the operators in Nigeria because Nigerians need only one airline. This document is in court. It is not our document, it is what they presented to the government and they were specific that they would use predatory price in the first six months of their operation. Predatory price means that for instance, if we are charging N50, 000 to Abuja, they would start with N15, 000. You know why they can do that? It is because Sirika had granted them 15 years tax break and they had indemnified all the loans they would take anywhere in the world.

“Thank God that NCAA refused to be cajoled and for that reason, some of the actors who stood their ground were removed from NCAA. The NCAA DG survived removal because there is a provision in the new civil aviation act that before the DG is removed, you must get the consent of the Senate, otherwise , many people have paid the price for standing their grounds. ICAO is coming to audit NCAA and if anything untoward is found, it would affect the entire industry,” Okonkwo said.

But Sirika defended the choice of ET, saying that he had held six meetings with Nigerian airlines on the need to buy shares in the new carrier but that his overtures were rebuffed. At the Aviation Breakfast Meeting with the theme, “Aviation in Nigeria: What Next?” he said: “I begged the airlines to own stakes in Nigeria Air but they declined. They were not interested, only for them to say things that we do not understand. The AON are scared that the new airline would lower fares. Any decrease or increase in fares would have to go through the NCAA and stakeholders. These fears are unfounded. I told them this airline would not be given preferential treatment. None of them can complain that I turned down their request. We are ever ready to support Nigerian airlines to Dubai, etc.”


More pushback

National president of Aircraft and Pilot Association of Nigeria, Alex Nwuba, said the launch is a fallout of a last minute push of the minister to bring about the dream he has had that he went against all modes of common sense

“Due to the darkness by which this process came about, it has led to a lot of conjecture. People don’t even understand how a government that serves its people will float a carrier and when it comes, we are all confused. Is it Nigeria Air or is it Ethiopia Airlines? It has the painting of Nigeria Air on it but it has the registration number of Ethiopia. This is just a fallout of a last minute push of the minister to bring about the dream he has had that he went against all modes of common sense. He would have said, “It is too late now as we have been doing this for seven years and what we couldn’t do in seven years, we can’t suddenly push it through the system in 24 hours and then still have something that we can be proud of. Nigeria wants a national carrier and an expanded air space. The question often asked is why we need many airlines but we don’t remember that the nature of domestic aviation in the future is not just about Nigeria. There is a Single Air Traffic Market and Nigeria must be prepared for that market space.

“Sirika said that he invited carriers from around the world to partner with Nigeria on the launch of a national carrier and then he came back and said that only one airline signified interest. How can that be? Suddenly we heard that the only airline that was interested was ET. They chose to come in and become the biggest shareholder in a non-competitive process which forestalls Nigeria’s possibility to be a leading aviation economy and it doesn’t solve the challenge of capital flight.

“We have been telling Sirika that his plan will not work. The entire domestic airlines took the Federal Government to court and the court stopped the process, yet, we saw an aircraft flying in defiance of the court order. What signal are we giving international aviation? We are decimating the industry because what Ethiopian is doing is to kill the domestic airlines. The minister said he scored 100 percent in all of his projects and the industry scored him zero except in the aspect of appointing good heads of agencies but he didn’t let them do their jobs. He didn’t let give them the independent structure to do their jobs very well even though they tried their best. Nigerian Air has a great CEO that can put together a great airline in the form Nigeria would want to have. But have you ever heard a word from him? Do you know who he is? Sirika wanted to bulldoze his way to get what he wanted simply because it satisfies his ego. The court says he should not proceed with it but Sirika went ahead with impunity and we saw the result.

“I am in many aviation organisations and forums and I can barely find anyone in support of the Nigeria Air though there are those around him who say yes to everything he does simply because they are benefiting from it. One cannot really say what encouraged the minister to go ahead in conflict with the entire industry. He can argue that the domestic airlines are doing this because they want to protect themselves but that is the right thing to do. Sirika failed to step up and support domestic airlines especially after COVID-19. The fact is that he went against common sense. We wanted someone who is an aviator at the ministerial level but the entire industry was shocked that the man we thought would be our saviour became the one that would lead us into a ditch. We want to have a national carrier to expand our reach to be competitive under the single air traffic market.

“The court ordered the government to stop action on Nigeria Air until we can determine whether what is being done is in the interest of Nigeria, and Sirika defied the order by throwing in our face, a new national carrier, a flagrant abuse of court process. No one knows the agreement reached with Ethiopian airlines and we don’t know if this is a situation where if stopped, Nigeria would have to pay penalties for default because no one knows the content of the contract signed,” Nwuba said.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are currently quizzing a former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, over misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4 billion.

Our correspondent learnt that Fayemi, also a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development during President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term, was still undergoing interrogation at about 4:15pm on Thursday at Ilorin zonal command of the anti-graft agency.

A crack detective of the commission at the EFCC headquarters told Daily Trust that the former governor honoured the invitation earlier extended to him.

“He’s only in our Ilorin zonal office basically to answer some questions that bordered on alleged fraud of N4 billion belonging to Ekiti State. He would likely be released tonight or tomorrow morning after explanations,” the detective said.

The spokesman of the anti-graft, Wilson Uwujaren, also confirmed Fayemi’s presence at the commission’s custody to our correspondent but declined further comment.

“Yes, it is true. He’s with us. He’s in Ilorin zonal office answering questions but I won’t make further comments on that,” Uwujaren told Daily Trust.

ABUJA- Strong indications, yesterday, suggested that senators, mainly from the South West, have called for a meeting for tomorrow, where they would take a decision to work towards reviewing their position on choice of leadership of the Senate.

This is coming amid speculations that the candidacy of former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, may have hit a brick wall, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is said to have withdrawn his support for him in the contest for the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.

Recall that the All Progressives Congress, APC, had announced the endorsement of Senator Godswill Akpabio and three others for the topmost positions in the National Assembly.

Senator Akpabio from South-South was endorsed for Senate president, Senator Jubrin Barau from North-West for Deputy Senate President, Tajudeen Abass, North-West for speaker, House of Representatives and Kanu, South-East, for deputy speaker.

This did not, however, go down well with some members of the party, especially those aspiring for the position of presiding offices in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, following the protests and condemnation that trailed the party’s endorsements.

According to a senator from one of the states in the South West, the meeting is for senators from the zone to know the outcome of a crucial meeting of the leading tendency among the senators-elect scheduled for Thursday which they have strategically asked some of their members to attend.

President Tinubu is said to have heeded the advice of his trusted political allies by tacitly withdrawing his support for Akpabio.

The President, sources said, was resolute in running a corruption-free government, with emphasis on strengthening all the existing policies and institutions concerned with anti-corruption towards achieving this goal.

In his inaugural speech, Tinubu declared pointedly that his government would take” proactive steps such as championing a credit culture to discourage corruption, while strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the various anti-corruption agencies.”

With this statement, the source said ”most of us have come to the full realization of the fact that President Bola Tinubu would not for anything support any senator with myriads of cases of corruption in the anti-graft agencies after declaring before the world that he would strengthen and make them more effective.”

A senator from one of the state in the S-West confided in Vanguard: “We have seen the follies in remaining in this camp, it will not work. We have fixed a meeting for Thursday where we are going to chart our next line of action.”

However, the Director General for the Akpabio/Barau Stability Group, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South, said in his reaction to the development yesterday: “It is not surprising that whenever a politically exposed person is contesting elections, some people would be sponsored to raise issues against him or her.

“Don’t forget that President Bola Tinubu was also severally accused when he was campaigning to be president.”

“We are not actually bothered about what the sponsored groups are saying about Akpabio, the anti-graft agencies know what to do. Why are they teaching them what to do?

“They are alleging that some corrupt activities took place under his watch at the NDDC but they did not say he misappropriated funds as governor or as minister.

“Akpabio was not the accounting officer of the NDDC, he only supervised the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

“They also accused him of not constituting the board of the NDDC but that also was not his job. The president of the country is saddled with such responsibility.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has vacated the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikoyi, Lagos in conformity with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the DSS who had on Tuesday morning barricaded the office of anti-corruption agency vacated the office on Tuesday night as directed by the president.

The president had on Tuesday evening ordered the DSS to vacate the office immediately, saying if there were issues between the, “two important agencies of government”, they would be resolved amicably.

As at the time of filing this report LEADERSHIP observed that normalcy seems to have been restored at the EFCC offices on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, as there were no signs of barriers or barricades around the building which had prevented the agency’s officials to access the building on Tuesday.

It would be recalled that the operatives of the DSS on early Tuesday morning stormed the Lagos office of the EFCC, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from gaining access to their office in Ikoyi.

The EFCC in a statement on its official Facebook page had described the siege as shocking, noting that it has wider implications for Nigeria’s fight against economic and financial crimes.

“The operatives of the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrived at their office on No. 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, this morning, May 30, 2023, to be denied entry by agents of the Department of State Services, DSS, who had barricaded the entrance with armoured personnel carriers.

“This development is strange to the Commission given that we have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident.

“By denying operatives access to their offices, the Commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.

“Cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.

“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates.

“All of these have wilder implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.

“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter,” the statement read.

As the drama unfolded, the DSS in a statement by its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, denied barricading the EFCC office and preventing EFCC officials from entering the building.

According to the DSS statement, “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to some media reports that it barricaded the EFCC from entering its Lagos office.

“It is not correct that the DSS barred EFCC from entering its office. No. It is not true. The Service is only occupying its own facility where it is carrying out its official and statutory responsibility.

“By the way, there is no controversy over No 15A Awolowo Road as being insinuated by the media. Did the EFCC tell you it is contesting the ownership of the building? I will be surprised if it is contesting the ownership.

“Awolowo Road was NSO headquarters. SSS/DSS started from there. It is common knowledge. It is a historical fact. Check it out.

Dozens of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government misused N3.8 trillion they received from the Service Wide Votes (SWV) in four years, according to a Senate report.

Service Wide Votes is the government’s contingency fund in the annual budget.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee had probed the disbursement of N5 trillion from the SWV to more than 200 government agencies between 2017 and 2021, when ex-President Muhammadu Buhari was in power.

The committee, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, invited 207 government agencies for the investigation, but only 119 agencies appeared.

The panel presented its report to the Senate during Wednesday’s plenary and its recommendations were adopted.

Urhoghide, while presenting the report, said his committee after investigation discovered that many agencies collected fund from SWV without recourse to the National Assembly committees that is mandated by law to oversight the agencies.

He said some of the MDAs did not make formal requests for the money that was sent to them by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He said where the approval of Mr. President was sought and obtained, some MDAs used the resources for unrelated expenditure purpose.

The senator said some MDAs collected the fund for projects that were already budgeted for in the Appropriation Acts over the years.

He said, “Hundreds of Billions of Naira were claimed to have been used for the purposes of paying salary shortfalls whereas such agencies had already collected appropriation for personnel emolument and were on the IPPIS platform.

“In some instances, huge sums Of money were thrown at agencies which they didn’t apply for/or are not in the know of where the money came from and for what purpose.

“The IPPIS intervention towards meeting insufficiencies or shortfalls in Personnel Costs has been bastardized and running into huge sums of money needing legislative scrutiny.

“Most of the MDAs involved in the period under review deliberately avoided the Committee’s invitation for appearance and refused to make submissions, perhaps for lack of satisfactory explanations on the utilization of the funds released to them.”

The senate, after adopting the committee’s recommendations, urged the Executive to use supplementary budget approach to meet emergencies instead of Service Wide Vote, which it said amounts to affront/erosion of the approval powers of the National Assembly.

The committee also recommended that the Auditor-General for the Federation should be given full access by the Accountant General and other MDAs to audit Service Wide Vote expenditures annually and report to the National Assembly.

It also called for in-depth investigation into the operations of IPPIS to stern the rising cases of irregularities in the system.

Some of the affected agencies are: Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Transportation, Health, Works and Housing, Information and Culture, Mines and Steal Development, Police Affairs, Defence, Youths and Sports, Petroleum and Aviation.

Others are: State House, Budget Office, Presidential Fleet, Nigerian Army, Navy, Airforce, NAFDAC, Civil Defence, Presidential Amnesty Programme, FERMA, NEMA, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Debt Management Office, INEC, North East Development Commission (NEDC), Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), National Examination Council (NECO), among others.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says it is ready to issue licences to companies interested in petrol importation.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer of NMDPRA, said the criteria for importing kerosene and diesel will be applicable for the importation of the product.

However, Ahmed said several conditions have to be met before the applicants are granted licences.

“There are a lot of conditions to be met before you are given a licence to import petrol,” he said.

“I cannot give you all the rundown now but I can tell you that just the way marketers import diesel or jet kero, there are conditions for all that and the same condition will apply to those who want to import premium motor spirit (PMS).”

Only companies that are lessees producing crude oil and/or condensates or who are holders of crude oil refining licences are eligible to supply wholesale petroleum liquids (including petrol importation), according to section 197 (2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

While the PIA empowers the NMDPRA to issue licences to refiners or producers of crude oil, the regulation, in sections 73 (3) and 111 (1), provides that the minister of petroleum must approve such licences.

Currently, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is the last-resort supplier, tasked with importing refined petrol to ensure adequate supply and distribution in the country.

Through the direct sale, direct purchase (DSDP) scheme, the country exports crude oil and exchanges it for refined petroleum products.

by Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare


Following her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in her immediate community, the Mayor of the City of Houston, Sylvester Turner, has honoured a Nigerian businesswoman, Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu by declaring May 2, 2023, as ‘Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu Day’ in Houston.

The Mayor in a statement urged all citizens to join in honouring and thanking Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu for her dedication and service to the community.

The declaration issued by the Mayor reads “Whereas, Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu is a remarkable businesswoman and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the community; and,

“Whereas, Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu is the owner of a property company that has served as inspiration for those in the community to realize that they can achieve their dreams, and one day own their own homes. With her passion for real estate and her dedication to helping others, she has truly made a difference in the lives of many; and,

“Whereas, Ms. Ifeoma Okengww’s property company has been instrumental in the development of affordable housing for low income families, in addition to the revitalisation of distressed neighbourhoods that improve the quality of life for all; and,

“Whereas, Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu’s tireless efforts to assist families with homeownership have not gone unnoticed. Her property company has received numerous awards and continues to receive recognition for its contributions to the community; and,

“Whereas, The City of Houston commends Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu for her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in the community. She is an inspiration to everyone she encounters and a testament to what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and a genuine desire to help others.

“Therefore, I, Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim May 2, 2023, as Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu Day in Houston, Texas and urge all citizens to join us in honouring and thanking Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu for her dedication and service to the community.”

In her acceptance, the honouree, Ms. Ifeoma Okengwu expressed gratitude for the honour adding that it filled her with immense pride and joy

She stated that “being acknowledged by the Mayor is a true honour and a testament to the hard work and passion that my team and I put into making a positive impact on our community. This proclamation serves as a reminder of the power of unity and the importance of collaboration. Together, we can achieve greatness!

“I am deeply grateful to the Mayor of Houston @sylvesterturner and the entire community for their unwavering support and belief in our mission. This recognition strengthens my resolve to work even harder and create more meaningful experiences for everyone.

“I also want to recognize our Congress woman @sheilajacksonlee @repjacksonlee for representing not only Texas congressional seat but women as a whole in United States of America, I appreciate you ma’am

“I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my amazing team members, partners, and followers who have been instrumental in this journey. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without your dedication and unwavering belief in our vision.

“As we celebrate this milestone, I am reminded of the responsibility we have to serve our community with greater dedication, innovation, and passion. Together, let’s continue to make Houston an extraordinary place to live, work, and thrive! God Bless USA, God bless Texas,” she said.

The Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has ordered the dissolution of the Disciplinary Committee, Park Management System (PMS) headed by Alhaji Mukaila Auxiliary.

The newly appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, May 29, 2023, said the dissolution was with immediate effect.

The terse statement reads, “I have the directive of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde to inform you of the dissolution of the Disciplinary Committee, Park Management System with immediate effect from today, Monday, 29th May, 2023”.

The man, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was dressed in Babariga. He was holding a brown envelope.

There was a mild drama towards the end of the 2023 Presidential Inauguration at Eagle Square in Abuja on Monday as a young man breached the protocol by climbing the podium in an attempt to hand over a letter to President Bola Tinubu.

The man, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was dressed in Babariga. He was holding a brown envelope.

SaharaReporters could not verify his motive and intention for making such a move.

The young man had during the event made a similar effort when he ran across the parade ground towards President Tinubu while he was inspecting the parade on the motorcade but he was quickly stopped by security operatives.

Surprisingly he again found his way close to the stage where he made an attempt to climb and rush towards the President but he was apprehended and whisked away by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Efforts by journalists covering the event to interview the suspect were rebuffed by the security agents.

President Bola Tinubu says no fewer than one million youth will be gainfully employed in the digital economy under his administration.

The president made the promise on Monday while delivering his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

“My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall honour our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy,” he said.

Mr Tinubu also said his administration would work with the National Assembly to facilitate a bill to empower his government to create more jobs.

“Our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill. This bill will give our administration the policy space to embark on labour-intensive infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry and provide improved social services for the poor, elderly and vulnerable,” the president said.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2015, when he came into power, promised to create 24 million jobs before he leaves office. He promised to create three million jobs every year, but available data showed that his government left more Nigerians poorer and unemployed than it met in 2015.

Deji Elumoye in Abuja


President Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday night, said he looked forward to flying back to his cows and sheep in Daura, which are much easier to control than Nigerians.

Speaking at the inauguration Dinner/Gala Night, organised by the Presidential Transition Council (PTC), at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, outgoing President Buhari said, “I congratulate fellow Nigerians who have realized their power that their votes count. I’m looking forward to tomorrow to fly to my base and go back to my cows and sheep, which are much easier to control than fellow Nigerians.”

Thanking the dignitaries who came to honour Nigeria at the event, Buhari seized the opportunity to say goodbye to his fellow presidents.

“Your Excellencies, Heads of States and Government, and their representatives that have come to share this day with us, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much and I say goodbye to you and wish us the best of luck”, he said.

Some of the leaders present at the colourful event included the Presidents of South Africa, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Burundi, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Central Africa Republic, Gabon, the Prime Minister of Morocco, and Vice President of Venezuela, among others..

Daniel Bwala, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo, of trying to ambush the President-elect, Bola Tinubu for a ministerial role.

Bwala was reacting to Keyamo’s remark that it was unconstitutional for President Muhammadu Buhari to have appointed a minister of state.

He said Keyamo’s desperation and scheming might kill his opportunity.

Recall that Keyamo had said the office of the Minister of State was an aberration and unconstitutional.

He lamented that most of his colleagues were redundant in the last eight years but many have not had the courage to speak up.

Keyamo read this in his speech at the valedictory session of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Buhari to mark the end of the administration.

Reacting, Bwala tweeted: “He wants to ambush Tinubu to give him a substantive ministerial role, hence his argument that Buhari appointing him as minister of state is unconstitutional.

“That’s exactly how he wanted the role of AGF and went to the NASS confirmation hearing and was answering in this manner “If I become AGF” It got PMB’s chief of staff mad and they gave him an inconsequential role first under Niger Delta, the substantive minister then allegedly complained and he was further re-assigned to labour as “under secretary’ aka minister of state. Sources close to Tinubu revealed.

“My take is that desperation and scheming are killers of opportunity.”

Although the office of the first lady has never been constitutionally defined, the occupant plays a prominent role in the political and social life of a nation as wife of the president or head of state. In Nigeria, the office which had been in existence since the country gained independence became distinct between 1985 and 1993, during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

It was the wife of the former military president, the late Maryam Babangida, who brought elegance, allure and flamboyance to the office. Since then every Nigerian first lady is closely watched for some hint of her husband’s thinking and for a clue to his future actions.

Even though she is not elected or paid, the prominence of the Nigerian first lady provides her a platform with which to influence behaviour and opinion, and popular first ladies have served as models for how Nigerian women should dress, speak, and make their hair.

They are also political partners to their husbands, from the campaign trail to Aso Rock presidential villa. While some first ladies support the presidency behind the scenes, others use their title to effect change in their own right, especially through their pet projects.

Completely inebriated by fecundity of the position of power defined as much by their own personalities and interests as by public perceptions and social expectations, some first ladies have even used their influence to affect legislation on important matters such as children and women’s rights.

But too much independence and the trappings of the exalted office had left some past Nigerian first ladies enamoured with the lure of power, sparking criticisms that some of them are arrogant and power-hungry.

With just about five days to the inauguration of the incoming government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, LEADERSHIP takes a look at the contributions of Nigerian first ladies to their husbands’ administrations since the return of democracy in 1999.


Aisha Buhari

In 2015 when her husband won his first term as president, many had hoped that the 44-year-old Aisha Buhari at the time would bring calm and harmony to the presidency. After eight years in the presidency, that perception is definitely not the same today, as later events would show.

The once humble and shy Aisha later turned out to be vocal, bloody bold and resolute. Throughout her husband’s eight-year tenure, she spoke up even when some people didn’t feel comfortable with her position.

She practically refused to be restricted to “the kitchen and the other room” where her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari, said she rightly belonged.

Aisha Buhari is not only known for her impeccable fashion sense but also for her strong political views and fearless challenges to government policies.

Her influential presence in the political arena and her commitment to societal change has made her a prominent figure in Nigeria.

One cannot discuss Aisha Buhari without acknowledging her elegant style and fashion choices. Her outfits consistently turn heads and set trends, showcasing a unique blend of traditional northern attire and contemporary fashion.

Aisha’s wardrobe is a reflection of her cultural heritage, often featuring vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and traditional embellishments. Her sartorial choices have garnered attention, both locally and internationally, earning her the reputation of a fashion icon.

However, Aisha Buhari’s impact extends far beyond her fashion sense. She has actively used her platform to advocate social change, even if it meant challenging government policies. Her courage and determination to speak out on sensitive issues have won her respect and admiration from many Nigerians.

One notable instance of Aisha Buhari challenging government policies was her public criticism of the ruling party’s primary election process in 2018. In a series of tweets, she expressed her dissatisfaction, stating that the process was undemocratic and lacking transparency. Her outspokenness sparked debates and discussions within the political landscape, drawing attention to the need for fair and accountable electoral process.

Aisha has been vocal about matters such as gender equality, women’s rights and education, emphasising their importance in national development.

She has consistently emphasised the significance of education for women, believing it to be a fundamental right that can uplift communities and societies as a whole. Through her Future Assured Initiative, she has initiated projects aimed at improving access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for women and children in Nigeria.

Furthermore, Aisha Buhari’s advocacy for women’s rights extends to the fight against gender-based violence. She has condemned acts of abuse and violence against women, encouraging the government and relevant stakeholders to take decisive action.

By lending her voice to such critical issues, she has helped raise awareness and push for policy changes that protect the rights and well-being of women across the nation.

It is important to note that Aisha Buhari’s challenges to government policies do not stem from a place of opposition but rather from a desire to see positive change and progress in the outgoing Buhari administration. Her actions demonstrate her commitment to the well-being of Nigerians and her determination to contribute to the nation’s development.

While some may perceive her as a non-conformist within the political establishment, others view her as a voice of reason and an advocate for the marginalised. Her actions have served as an inspiration for individuals, particularly women, to use their voices and platforms for the betterment of society.

As she exits the office of Nigeria’s first lady on May 29, 2023 alongside her husband, whose 8-year tenure expires the same day, she remains a prominent figure in the history of Nigeria’s first ladies.


Oluremi Tinubu

Meanwhile, the pretty and elegant wife of the president-elect, Senator Remi Tinubu, is known for making a fashion statement with her simple but gorgeous appearance. The incoming first lady is a female politician with a large heart, whose sterling qualities as astute administrator and philanthropist send jitters down the spine of her male counterparts.

Senator Tinubu represented Lagos Central senatorial district at the National Assembly from. Her legacies as first lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 when her husband was governor have remained indelible. Mrs Tinubu shows simplicity and modesty in choosing her dresses and fashion accessories. Despite being moderate, she never fails to make the ‘wow’ statement and always be the centre of attraction.

Lagosians describe Remi’s fashion sense as a reflection of class and glamour, while attributing her simplicity to her spirituality.

A broadcast journalist with Lagos Television, Kemi Muyi-Adeniyi, told LEADERSHIP that Mrs Remi Tinubu is a very simple but elegant woman.

She said, “I have had the opportunity of discussing with her on my show. She is a simple woman who is very brilliant. To show how simple she is, I was preparing for a wedding celebration and didn’t know what to wear. I wanted something simple and the only style that came to my mind was how Mrs Remi used to dress. So I just thought of one of the dresses she once wore to my show. It was simple but lovely.

“Mrs Remi does not dress expensive or put on expensive jewellery. She is always looking simple and you would hardly see her wearing foreign clothes. She wears our locally made dresses. That is why I respect her so much.”

Also, a renowned journalist, Busola Kukoyi, said one thing people don’t know about Mrs Remi Tinubu is that she is very compassionate.

According to Kukoyi, Remi hates to see people suffer, in pain or in sorrow, adding that the incoming Nigeria’s first lady does not care who you are before going out of her way to help you.

She told LEADERSHIP: “I remember a particular incident. I was at her place on a Saturday morning. There was this group of young boys who were going to London for a football tournament. They were between the ages of eight and 12 years. Their coach did not have money to buy their flight tickets and then they came to Mrs Remi Tinubu to assist them. I remembered her saying that the children would be so disappointed if they don’t go to the tournament, just because of no money for flight tickets.

“Though she didn’t have enough money at home to buy tickets for all of them, she decided to call her own traveling agent to get tickets for all the children and ensure they don’t miss their flight.

“While I was still there, she looked at the children and noticed they may need to eat. So, she told one of her staff to go to a place close to Falomo Bridge in Lagos to buy food for all of them. While they were eating, her agent bought the tickets, and she then called her pilot to lead them to the airport and ensure that they didn’t miss their flight.”

Kukoyi said she was amazed at her swift effort to assist the children, noting that is who Remi is, but most people don’t know about her.

On her expectations from her as a first lady, Kukoyi said, “I know she is going to be a great first lady of Nigeria.”


Stella Obasanjo

Stella Obasanjo’s tenure as first lady during her husband’s presidency was not particularly noteworthy, likely due to her husband’s dominant presence, leaving little room for her to take center stage. However, she managed to make her presence felt with her shiny afro hairstyle that accentuated her petite face.

One distinguishing factor that set Stella apart from other first ladies in Nigeria’s history since the return of democracy was the lack of controversy surrounding her character. Although her alleged tummy-tuck procedure that resulted in her death tarnished her image, she wielded political power with elegance that earned her the admiration of many.


Turai Yar’Adua

In contrast, Turai Yar’Adua’s time as first lady was more eventful, as she exerted significant state power despite her small stature. Even when her husband’s health condition became worse, she continued to carry out her duties as usual. Some accused her of leading a cabal that protected certain individuals from prosecution.


Patience Jonathan

Patience Jonathan arguably remains the most controversial first lady, owing to her perceived lack of sophistication and bluntness.

The former first lady was a highly visible and controversial figure who kept Nigerians entertained for many years with her grammatical blunders. She was the crooner of the popular catchphrase, “There is God o,” a clause that has become a household joke on social media.

Mama Peace, as she is fondly called by her admirers, wielded significant influence in the former PDP-led federal government. Her influence traversed the length and breadth of Aso Rock to her home state, Rivers.

One of the landmarks of her tenure as the first lady was on July 12, 2012, when she was appointed as a permanent secretary in Bayelsa State by former Governor Seriake Dickson.

Although the role of the first lady has no constitutional power and has been more ceremonial than anything else, Nigeria has witnessed first ladies who had wielded some power within the presidency.

Germany fell into a recession around the turn of the year, official figures published Thursday showed, as inflation and higher interest rates curbed demand in Europe’s largest economy.

Over the first three months of 2023, the economy shrank by 0.3 per cent, the federal statistics agency Destatis said, downgrading an initial estimate of zero per cent.

Following a 0.5-per cent contraction in the last three months of 2022, it was Germany’s second consecutive quarter of negative growth – the threshold for a “technical recession”.

The slump came as Germany battled a surge in energy prices in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has weighed on households and businesses.

The increased cost of energy has driven inflation, which sat at 7.2 per cent in Germany in April, down only slightly from its peak towards the end of 2022.

“The persistence of high price increases continued to be a burden on the German economy at the start of the year,” Destatis said in a statement.

The impact was felt particularly by consumers who reined in their spending on items such as food and clothing.

The negative revision to the growth figure was no surprise following a string of weak economic indicators, LBBW bank analyst Jens-Oliver Niklasch said.

“The early indicators suggest that things will continue to be similarly weak in the second quarter” of 2023, Niklasch said.

Industrial orders, which give a foretaste of factory output, plummeted in March when compared with the same month last year.


‘Danger zone’

Germany, which had long been heavily reliant on Russian energy imports, was left particularly exposed following the Russian invasion in February last year.

The curtailment of gas supplies in particular left Berlin scrambling to find new sources of energy and fill reserves ahead of what was anticipated to be a harsh winter at the end of 2022.

The slump was “not the worst-case scenario of a severe recession” predicted by some following the Russian invasion, said Carsten Brzeski, head of macro at the ING bank.

But mild temperatures, a rebound in key market China and the easing of supply chain problems following the coronavirus pandemic were “not enough to get the economy out of the recessionary danger zone”, Brzeski said.

“A drop in purchasing power, thinned-out industrial order books as well as the impact of the most aggressive monetary policy tightening in decades” were likely to drag on the economy further, he said, referring to the European Central Bank’s interest rate hikes against inflation.

An anticipated slowdown in the US economy and the continuation of the war in Ukraine would also weigh on output, he said.

The figures will trouble policymakers in Berlin who in April raised their forecast for economic growth in 2023 to 0.4 per cent, amid early year optimism.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously signalled confidence that Germany had done enough to fend off a painful economic contraction.

Germany’s last recession came as the coronavirus pandemic swept through Europe at the start of 2020, prompting governments to effectively shut down large swathes of the economy.

By John Chuks Azu


A counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), has informed the Presidential Election Petitions Court that no lawyer in their team is allowed to speak to the press over the ongoing proceedings.

Akintola was responding to an advice to all the petitioners by the presiding justice of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, to reduce the number of lawyers in their teams so as to give more room to members of the public.

Responding, Akintola said they barred lawyers in their team from granting the regular post-proceeding press conferences to the members of the press, adding that any lawyer who does that would be expelled from the team.

“My lord, if you observe none of our lawyers do that, anything said here remains here,” he said.

He also informed the court that their team made up of 38 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other lawyers have been streamlined and every lawyer knows the week they would attend the proceedings.

Earlier, lead counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar, Chris Uche (SAN), assured the court that the legal team would streamline their legal team in line with the request.

He, however, said the period of election petitions affords lawyers a great opportunity to learn the practice procedure in election petitions.

The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has revealed that some newly elected politicians will have issues with their predecessors in the next administration both at the state and national levels.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele noted that the next administration will have so much misunderstanding that will lead to division between the politicians. He noted that this will affect the country and some states because progress will be seriously affected by their misunderstanding.

‘’This next administration will feature several rancors both at the state and national levels. Some successors will fight their predecessors because it will not be rosy. Some will battle the issue of betrayal and disobedience, there will be so much crisis in the country as a result of division among those at the helm of affairs.’’

The cleric further mentioned some incumbent state governors and their successors that will have these face-offs among themselves. He noted that the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwoolu will have their issues, the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Sim Fubura, Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and his successor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and several others.

‘’The governor-elect of Akwa Ibom state, Umo Eno, and the incumbent, Emmanuel Udom will have a series of issues to battle in the next administration. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the incoming governor of Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori will suddenly become enemies of each other.

“Governor Wike and the incoming governor of Rivers, Sim Fubara, to the surprise of many, will also not have it easy in the next administration due to rancor that will happen between them.’’

Also, Primate Ayodele foresees division between the president-elect and the vice president-elect, while revealing that the southwest and northern cabals will not have it rosy till the end.

‘’Apart from these (aforementioned), President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima will have issues. There will be attempts to divide them. Also, the South-west cabal and Northern Cabals will not have it rosy till the end, there will be disagreements between them,’’ he said.

In yet another controversial move, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, minister of transportation, has launched a last-ditch effort to cancel the procurement process for service boat monitoring contract in the nation’s four pilotage districts which was started since 2019.

The pilotage districts are those of Lagos, Warri, Bonny/ Port-Harcourt and Calabar.

TheCable had reported how the minister pressured the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), ministry of justice and the presidency to terminate a procurement process and give the contract to July Seventh Ventures Limited, a company linked to a former governor of Ogun state.

Sambo, in his response, blamed the report on some persons whom he said were “intimidated” by his achievements and denied any involvement in a contract mess.

The new service boat monitoring contract contracting process was kicked off by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) following the expiration of the contract it entered with maritime giant, Intels, promoted by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Aside the expiration of the Intels’ tenured contract, the NPA management at the time cited the need to break the company’s monopoly in the sector and then opened up the process to interested bidders.

With the tenure of their contract about to lapse, Intels participated in the new procurement process but was disqualified after being judged to have flouted some criteria.

The process, however, became embroiled in administrative squabble between the NPA and former minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who also reportedly wanted the contract awarded to Intels despite the disqualification.

Intels went to court to challenge the disqualification.

Since then, the process remained frozen with the NPA management and transportation ministry sitting on the process despite selection of pre-qualified companies.

Moves to terminate the process were also opposed by both the pre-qualified companies and relevant government organs who pointed to the dangers of taking the extra-legal step.

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Following the stalling, President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2022 directed that the initiated procurement should be concluded within 60 days.

The presidential directive was reaffirmed in another letter from the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, dated June 14, 2022.

But the minister began a fresh move to void the procurement process and re-award the contract to Intels’s despite its disqualification.

Though Sambo’s move is facing resistance from BPP and the office of the attorney-general, the minister is reportedly pushing hard for his position to scale through within the remaining five days of the administration.


REVERSAL OF THE CLOCK

On December 14, 2022, the transport minister wrote to Buhari seeking approval to direct the BPP to cancel the ongoing procurement process started the and initiate a new one.

He also sought to void the open competitive bidding process and re-award the contract to Intels without following any procurement process.

Sambo, in his submission to the president, highlighted some technical flaws with the procurement process in what insiders said was an attempt to discredit the process.

But in its response, the BPP opposed the minister’s move, saying there was no basis to warrant or legitimise the outright cancellation of the procurement process.

Mamman Ahmadu, BPP’s director-general, in a letter dated March 7, 2023, explained that the process Sambo was seeking to cancel “substantially complied with the provisions of Public Procurement Act, 2007”.

Re-echoing the position expressed in Buhari’s two previous directives, the BPP DG said “considering the importance of the procurement to the operations of the NPA coupled with the revenue loss that it is meant to address there is the compelling need for the procurement process to be concluded within the shortest possible time”.

But Sambo, on May 8, 2023, wrote to Buhari to make fresh arguments for the cancellation of the stalled process. In the new correspondence, the minister asked for permission to return the contract to Intels in place of the new companies being engaged.

Sambo quoted a voided presidential directive dated January 22, 2021, where his predecessor was accused of misleading the president to approve the re-award of the contract to Intels, a position which the president has since receded based on submissions by BPP and office of the attorney-general upholding the validity of the suspended procurement process.

In both his letters of January 7, 2022 and June 14, 2022, Buhari maintained that the existing procurement process should be concluded to avert further revenue waste, among others.

The BPP has also stuck to its guns asking the transport ministry to not void the advance-staged process, saying the ministry had not given enough justification to warrant the proposed cancellation.

Insiders who have been monitoring the developments say Sambo is pushing on with the agenda with support from two of Buhari’s in-laws to “hurriedl”y actualise the reversal of the process and to award the contract to INTELS barely eight days to the end of the administration.

“This could also be viewed as an affront on the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the Presidency is trying to empower a company where his biggest opponent owns a significant interest,” said one of the sources familiar with the intrigues.

Some key persons around the President-elect view some of these last-minute deals being pushed by officials of the outgoing administration as setting up of landmines for the incoming administration.

The minister is yet to respond to TheCable’s request for his comments.

by Adeeko Olusegun


A) A wife fulfills our wishes as her dream. A girlfriend wants to fulfill her demands as a compulsory duty.

B) A wife loves us freely without being selfish. A girlfriend pretends to love us totally.


C) When a wife demands something and we forget to attend to it, she says, “Don’t worry. Next time, do it”; but a girlfriend will get mad at you.


D) When it is getting late and we haven’t arrived home, our wives get worried and want to know what is happening to us. But a girlfriend pretends to care, especially when we are in her presence.


E) A wife first asks about our welfare, but a girlfriend first asks about her gifts.


F) A wife makes God to be happy with us, but girlfriends make God to be unhappy with us.


G) A wife helps us, prays for us and saves us from many evils; but a girlfriend engages us in many evils.


H) A wife loves us even in the worst times of our life, but a girlfriend will leave us in the lurch.


I) A wife tries her best to understand our mistakes and problems, but a girlfriend doesn’t.


J) A wife is always ready to do anything for us, but not girlfriends.


K) A wife is our permanent lover, but girlfriends are temporary.


L) A wife helps us to make heaven, but girlfriends help us to get to hell fire!


So, dear husband, love your wife as she deserves it.

An audio in which Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Ibrahim Masari, former vice presidential placeholder candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), discussed the meeting between President-elect Bola Tinubu and Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), is currently trending.

Tinubu and Kwankwaso met for four hours in France, where they discussed a wide range of issues, including the possibility of the NNPP Presidential Candidate joining the incoming cabinet.

The audio of the conversation has generated different reactions across social media.

Ganduje, who expressed how unhappy he was with the development, said Tinubu had considered Kwankwaso as an alternative.

Below is the complete transcript of the conversation:

Ganduje: Hello

Ibrahim Masari: Your Excellency


Ganduje: How is work and everything? How is Abuja

Masari: Glory be to God, I just came into Abuja

Ganduje: Kano is all over with noise.

Masari: Your Excellency, I told you what is going on, but you denied it. What should I say? I told you what’s happening, but you denied it and expressed surprise over it. How would this be happening, and so on?

Ganduje: Even if I heard it, there is nothing I can do about it. Isn’t it?

Masari: But you can speak to him at that time, you can call him and talk to him.

Ganduje: To tell him what? I can’t do anything since Kwankwaso has become an alternative to us. There is no problem.

Masari: It hasn’t reached that stage. That’s impossible

Ganduje: Because we don’t have government?

Masari: Are you coming on Thursday?

Ganduje: It’s because of him that we lose reelection.

Masari: You should be patient. Even your enemies know that he wasn’t fair to you.

Ganduje: The right thing is that even if he will grant Kwankwaso audience, it should be in our presence. We should be invited. Did you understand? Even if it is symbolically.

Masari: Your Excellency, you should be patient. I wish you safe journey

Ganduje: Everything is in the hands of God

Masari: You’re right

Ganduje: All these calculations

Masari: They are very wrong. Everybody will be scared to work with him

Ganduje: This man did not end well with Jonathan. He gave him work but ended up painting the government as corrupt.

Masari: Yes, you’re right

Ganduje: Because he wasn’t allowed to partake in corruption, it’s not a matter that he was clean.

Masari: What brought the issue of he is clean? The truth of the matter is that they weren’t fair to you. You should just be patient but leave it until you arrive.

We’ve started the discussion, he called me and I told him that Mr. President, you’re wrong. He said, “What have I done again?” He started explaining it to me that it was SLS and Chagaury that led them and so on.. I asked him whether he had spoken to you, and he said no. Is he seeing these things. Leave it until you come, you know this conversation on the phone is unsafe.

I wish you a safe journey. You should just keep mute as you did, maintain your maturity by not speaking on the matter

Ganduje: What intelligence told me is that they want his intervention to scuttle the case at the tribunal

Masari: There is that game plan. It’s not his right. You have that right, Excellency.

Ganduje: He’s not showing interest over the matter.

Masari: Excellency, you should let this matter go, I don’t like these conversations on the phone. Allow it when you come tomorrow or next tomorrow, then we sit down and discuss. If the need arise,s we can call him.

Ganduje: When is he coming back?

Masari: Wallahi, I don’t know, we have spoken, not that good, and I even showed him my anger.

The National Security Adviser(NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, has appealed to Nigerians to use social media positively during the inauguration of Bola Tinubu on May 29.

Monguno made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja, at a World Press Conference organised to mark commencement of activities for the May 29 presidential inauguration.

He assured Nigerians of adequate security during the Presidential Inauguration ceremony.

The NSA, who heads the Security, Facilities and Intelligence Committee of the Presidential Transition Council(PTC), said necessary measures had been put in place to provide all-round security.

He said security would be beefed up at the Eagle Square, venue of the May 29 presidential inauguration and its environs.

Monguno also said there would be tight security in and around hotels to ensure safety of guests coming into the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) from within and outside Nigeria.

According to him, membership of the committee, which is drawn from various security agencies have been collaborating to ensure a seamless transition.

“It is perhaps the most critical of all the committees by virtue of the nature of its own task.

“That is why membership of the committee comprises of representatives or heads of agencies at the highest level.

“The Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the SSS.

“The Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency(NIA) and the Governor of Kebbi State, who sits in as representative of the incoming government,”he said.

Monguno further said, “our main function and primary concern is provision of both overt and covert security cover for all the venues where the programmes will take place.

“As well as hotels in which invited guests and dignitaries will be staying for the period up to the inauguration and immediately after.”

On restriction of movement, Monguno said there would be restriction of movement at a certain range around Eagle Square.

He also said there would be traffic diversion and provision of alternative routes for motorists and pedestrians.

While assuring Nigerians of a peaceful inauguration, he urged them to steer clear of anything that would threaten the peace of the nation.

“The committee has concluded arrangement for accreditation and issuance of tags, passes and identity documents for all security agents.

“If you have no business with security you need not be near the vicinity of the programme especially on the inauguration day.

“We do not envisage anything that will be negative on that day, so, I urge everybody to be calm.

“The people who use the social media, please understand this till our visitors, especially those who come from other countries disperse,” he said.

The sub-committees like Transportation Sub-Committee, Venue, Parade and Swearing-in Sub-Committee, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee also assured of adequate preparation.

Also, the Medical Sub-Committee, said adequate arrangement had been made for over 100 medical doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to be on ground within the period.

Sanni Onogu, Abuja


The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Samuel Ogbuku, and chairman of the board Lauretta Onochie, fought dirty on Friday when they accused one another of being corrupt.
Ogbuku and Onochie engaged in sordid exchanges during an investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on unauthoried spending of the 2021 and 2022 budget of the agency without National Assembly approval.

The Managing Director was represented at the session by the Executive Director in charge of Finance and Administration, Charles Airhiavere while Onochie appeared in person.

Airhiavere accused Onochie of over stepping her bounds by desperately seeking to be a signatory to NDDC’s accounts.

He alleged that Onochie even written a letter to the Accountant-General of the Federation seeking to be made a signatory to the agency’s accounts.

Onochie however said the decision for her to be a signatory to the accounts was taken by the board at one of its meetings, adding that it was not a personal decision.

She said the request for change of signatory was rejected because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed the Managing Director to ensure that her confirmation is sought in every financial transaction.

“The CBN said I should be the confirming authority but they didn’t come back to me. That is why they have been operating the way they like,” Onochie said.

Onochie however accused the Managing Director and the entire management of running the commission in breach of financial regulations.

She alleged that the NDDC’s management currently operates a total of 367 accounts against the dictates of the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) policy of the Federal Government.

According to Onochie, all these accounts are in foreign exchange (FOREX).

The Managing Director denied the existence of 367 accounts in the agency but admitted that it operates only four.

Onochie also informed the Senate that since the board assumed office in January 2023, it has not enjoyed the cooperation of the management of NDDC.

She alleged the Managing Director had been frustrating attempts to hold board meetings where necessary decisions ought to be taken.

This allegation was rejected by the Managing Director who said the main problem arose from what he called “trust deficit” between the board and the management.

Airhiavere also said that the board never gave sufficient notice of any board meeting as required by law.

Onochie further informed the Senate Committee that part of the abuse of financial regulations displayed by the Ogbuku-led management was the increase of the monthly impress for the Managing Director from N4 billion to N10 billion.

The Senate Committee led by Senator Yusuf Yusuf (APC, Taraba Central) expressed shock at the disclosures made by the board and the management of the NDDC.

He directed Onochie and Ogbuku to appear before it on Monday to substantiate their allegations.

The original reason for the investigation of how unauthorised spendings were made in the commission between 2021 and 2022 despite the absence of NDDC budget took the back stage when the two parties engaged one another in corruption allegations.