₦airaland Forum

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tony Okocha, has declared that Rivers State governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike will be welcomed into the party if he decides to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Okocha, who made the declaration yesterday while addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, described Wike as one of those who helped in the enthronement of the president-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said, “Today, Governor Wike is one of those who is helping in the enthronement of our president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If Governor Wike wants to come to the All Progressives Congress, we will welcome him. But one thing is clear, I don’t think Nigeria wants to be a one-party country.”

The APC chieftain, who denied being an apologist of the Rivers State governor, described Wike as the best in physical infrastructure development in the history of the state.

Okocha said, “I am not an apologist of Governor Wike, but on physical infrastructure development in Rivers State, Governor Wike is the best.”

He insisted that the APC governorship candidate in the state, Pastor Tonye Cole, did not make any financial contributions towards the party’s presidential campaign rally in the state.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) will hold an induction ceremony for new and returning governors between Monday and Friday next week.

In a statement on Tuesday, Abdulrazaque Barkindo, NGF’s media director, said President Muhammadu Buhari will give the keynote address at the induction.

Barkindo said the event would accords the governors — including former ones — an opportunity to share experiences to further strengthen service delivery to the Nigerian people at the subnational level.

“Speakers are invited from all over the world from among heads of governments, members of the diplomatic corps, captains of industry and other categories of guests who have accomplished and distinguished history of service to their people to inspire the governors to hit the ground running,” he said.

“On this occasion, the current Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams and two former American governors, Terry McAuliffe of the State of Virginia and O’Malley Martin Joseph of Maryland are gracing the occasion.

“Perusing their performance resume, O’Malley became renowned for reducing crime while McAuliffe focused on healthcare provision and education.

“Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York City, which, if it were a country, would have the ninth-largest gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $1.66 trillion, is visiting Africa for the first time, and is known to have applied digital methods to fight crime in NYC.”

The media director said Peter Anyang Nyongo, governor of Kisumu County in Kenya “who transformed Kenya’s hospital fund to a national health insurance fund, reduced poverty” will speak at the event.

“Also invited to the NGF induction are Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mr Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, the Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa and President William Ruto of Kenya,” he added.

“Nearer home, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Director General of the World trade Organization, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Dr Akinwumi Adeshina of the African Development Bank, bring their experiences to bear on the occasion. They are all slated to speak to the event.

“Other speakers include the National Security Adviser, Major-General Mohammed Babagana Monguno, who will be speaking on managing security in the states, with Kaduna Governor, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai, Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the DG DSS among others, as panelists.

“The same Induction program will also deal with how to seamlessly ease the outgoing governors to a life after office. The last two days of the week will be occupied by activities of the First Ladies.”

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be in Lagos on May 22 to commission the Dangote Refinery.

Bashir Ahmad, special assistant to the president on digital communications, announced the development in a tweet on Sunday.

“Efforts by the Federal Government to make Nigeria self-sufficient in local refining of crude oil to save the scarce foreign exchange used in the importation of petroleum products have received a boost as the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery, is set for inauguration on May 22nd, 2023, by President Muhammadu Buhari,” the tweet reads.

The Dangote Refinery is a 650,000 barrels per day (BPD) integrated refinery project located in the Lekki free trade zone area of Lagos state.

The project, which cost an estimated $19 billion to build, is Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility.

The integrated refinery and petrochemical project is expected to generate 9,500 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs.

Its output is expected to be more than enough to meet Nigeria’s fuel demands and turn Africa’s largest crude producer into an exporter of refined crude.

Last year, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group and Africa’s richest person, said his oil refinery would be commissioned before the end of Buhari’s tenure.

In June 2021, Mele Kyari, group managing director, NNPC, confirmed that the federal government would acquire a 20 percent equity stake in the Dangote Refinery.

Two months later, the federal executive council (FEC) approved the sum of $2.76 billion for the acquisition of a 20 percent minority equity stake in the refinery.

Indications have emerged that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, will take tough decisions when he assumes duty in order to revive the ailing economy.

Some of the decisions he is likely to take include the implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye panel’s report on the reform of the civil service and the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy, which has become a drain on resources, job cuts, introduction of higher taxes, privatisation of public corporations and the sale of some government assets.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that Tinubu had been impressing on his loyalists the need to take certain decisions that might be considered unpleasant in the short run, but pay off for the nation later.

Before the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Tinubu, who was then the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, had vowed to remove the fuel subsidy if was elected as it had constituted a huge drain on the government’s revenue.

A highly placed source told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the incoming President would merge some ministries and agencies of the Federal Government as recommended by the Oronsaye panel and would take tough decisions on other issues going by meetings that had been held by Tinubu and his core loyalists.

It was gathered that Tinubu had been meeting with some of his trusted aides on steps to reposition the country and that one of them was to take a critical look at the Oronsaye report.

The source said, “The report has been gathering dust at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Nothing has been done to it.

“Even President Muhammadu Buhari, who promised to cut the cost of governance, couldn’t do anything about it. But the incoming government is likely to take a critical look at the report. You know he (Tinubu) is an accountant and he knows how to manage resources, increase revenue and so forth.

“His meetings with trusted allies and those who are familiar with the economy will bring out the best for the country. He is not a novice in managing people and resources.

“So, I can conveniently tell you that some ministries are going to be merged. Nigeria should expect tough but meaningful decisions from the President-elect.”

Another source said the President-elect would appoint Nigerians from the Diaspora into his cabinet, which would likely not be populated by politicians as experienced under the outgoing government.

He said Tinubu had discussions with some Nigerians living outside the country during his recent travels, adding that the incoming President would put square pegs in square holes.

“He (Tinubu) won’t give ministries to people to manage based on patronage alone. He must have recognised capacity and ability in you before you can be appointed into key positions. That is the hallmark of this man that Nigerians have given the leadership of the country,” the source added.

The Special Adviser to the President-elect, Mr Dele Alake, disclosed that it would not take Tinubu up to 60 days to assemble a team of competent hands.

He had said, “I told you in an earlier interview that it didn’t take Asiwaju more than three weeks to form his cabinet as governor. That was as at that time. I think 60 days is even too much. A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after the swearing-in.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies under the chairmanship of Oronsaye.

The committee submitted an 800-page report on April 16, 2012, in which it uncovered a high level of competition among several overlapping agencies, which not only created ill feelings among government agencies, but also brought about unnecessary wastage in expenditure.

It also recommended, among other things, the discontinuation of government funding of professional bodies and councils to free funds for capital projects.

The Oronsaye report established that there are 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies (statutory and non-statutory) and recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, while 38 agencies should be abolished and 52 should be merged

The panel also recommended that 14 of the agencies should revert to departments in ministries.

The government later set up a White Paper Drafting Committee headed by the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN, to study the recommendations and to produce a White Paper on the report.

When the White Paper was submitted, the government accepted about 10 per cent of the recommendations and rejected the others.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in November 2021 set up two committees to review the Oronsaye report and all new establishments set up after 2014. However, with less than a month to exit power, nothing has been done about it.


Implementation overdue – Economists

The Chairman, Foundation for Economic Research and Training and a former Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management, Prof Akpan Ekpo, said the Oronsaye panel’s report ought to have been implemented years ago.

He, however, added that the incoming administration should implement it systematically so as not to cause problems for the country.

This, according to Ekpo, is because it may render a lot of people, who work in the duplicated agencies and parastatals, unemployed.

He said, “Tinubu should implement the report but it has to be done systematically. This is because this is a report to reduce the cost of governance.

“He has to make sure that the workers that may end up losing their jobs are reassigned to other roles or agencies of government that are not to be collapsed together.

“There is a lot of duplication of agencies and parastatals in Nigeria. There is a revenue mobilisation commission and a fiscal commission. What are the differences?

“This will be one way of reducing the cost of governance and cutting down expenditure.

“The government has dilly dallied for too long and gone ahead to add more agencies to the already-existing ones. They should be closed down. They don’t make sense and the country does not have the money to fund them.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said the government was running a bloated structure, adding that the structure needed streamlining and restructuring.

Rewane stated, “The Oronsaye is not a new report. It has been there since 2012, and I don’t know why the government has refused to implement it.

“If it is finally implemented by Tinubu after many years, it is fine.”

He, however, noted that the circumstances when it was written and the ones the country had today were totally different.

Rewane added, “I don’t think it can just be implemented the way it is. It has to be updated, and I am not sure how that is going to take place. The (Tinubu) government has to look for a way to make sure that it suits today’s reality.

“We have a bloated government structure and this means that it needs a lot of streamlining and restructuring. This solely depends on the circumstances.

“The economic profile of today is not the same as that of 2012 when that report was submitted. The debt service profile is also completely different from what it was then.

“It makes sense that Tinubu implements it; however, he must take into consideration that the times have changed.

“The problem that the report moved to address then has become worse and needs much more drastic therapy.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said it was key for the incoming administration to implement the Oronsaye report, but advised that a committee should be set up to critically review the report to avoid social and political backlash

He said, “The incoming administration will have to set up a committee to critically look at the report to weigh its merits and strengths as well as its down sides; it needs to examine all the key aspects of the report because there are arguments for and against.

“Labour, for instance, is a critical part of the recommendations, majorly because of job losses. So, it is something that needs to be looked at critically within the whole context of reducing the cost of governance. It should also not be limited to the Oronsaye report; they should look beyond that to other areas like political appointees, budget processes and implementation of budgets, because there is a whole lot that needs to happen to reduce the cost of governance.”

He explained, “The whole idea of this report is that the civil service is bloated, there is duplication of agencies and functions. There are also issues about unnecessary expenditure, costs and of course, corruption. So, it is a cocktail of issues that need to be addressed but it has to be done in such a way that it will not trigger smuch backlash, either socially or politically.

“If the Oronsaye report is implemented, labour must definitely be engaged in the negotiation process and agreements have to be reached.

“There are so many ways they can handle job losses to minimise the impact. There are severance packages that can be arranged for anyone affected, so that we don’t have the same situation we had with Nigerian Airways and NITEL, where after disengaging people, several years after, they had not been paid their severance packages or terminal benefits.

“Also, they can freeze employment and ensure that as people retire, they don’t recruit new people. Another strategy is an attractive package for people who want to leave voluntarily. They can have a very good exit package for those who have spent so many years, but have not reached the retirement age. So, there are many strategies that can be adopted and negotiated by the incoming government.”


Tough decisions

The spokesman for the dissolved Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, said no serious government would come to power without thinking of how best to take some tough decisions.

He was reacting to posers raised concerning the May Day speech of Tinubu in which he promised to join forces with Nigerian workers to ensure better welfare and working conditions, vowing that “workers will have more than a minimum wage.”

“The days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly,” Tinubu had said.

Although his speech raised some hopes, the ‘tough and hard decisions’ aspect has seemingly unsettled some Nigerians and political observers.

Keyamo said it was too early for Nigerians to start raising fears concerning the tough decisions that Tinubu plans to take after he comes to power.

While stating that the people had agreed that fuel subsidy must go, he gave an assurance that the incoming administration would ameliorate the pains of Nigerians.

“I can assure you that petrol subsidy will not survive under the Asiwaju government. It will have to go. But the other details, I cannot immediately confirm. The details of what he said will be released not long after he takes the oath of office,” Keyamo stated.

He, however, said there would be palliative measures to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

He added, “That, of course, is certain. It will be worked out. There will be consideration for workers and certain decisions that will have to be taken to ameliorate the effect on them.

“If we remove subsidy and free up funds, we can easily reschedule our debts very well. It will also allow us to get very good debt repayment schedules,” he noted.

Three of the Senators-elect eyeing the presidency of the 10th Senate billed for inauguration in June, 2023, yesterday night stepped down for one of the strong contenders for the position, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The trio, who jettisoned their ambition after a two-hour close-door meeting with re-elected Senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Ebonyi State Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro, Abuja, are former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume; Chairman of Senate Appropriation Committee, Senator Jubrin Barau and outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi.

They told journalists after the meeting that a consensus candidate in the person of former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was agreed upon in the interest of peace and national interest.

According to Ndume, “We have all deferred to our brother to fly the flag of the APC as Senate President of the 10th National Assembly. We know he has the capacity to lead the Red Chamber of the federal legislature.”

They also told reporters that the meeting resolved to present Barau as the Deputy President of the next National Assembly.

In his speech, Akpabio thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him and assured that he would not let the legislators down in his bid to move the National Assembly to the next level.

Another meeting of Akpabio and his team with new APC Senators also held at Frazier Suites in Abuja.

At the time of filing in the story, the meeting was expected to be briefed by Akpabio about his candidature and the resolution of his colleagues to work with him.

President Muhammadu Buhari bid farewell to His Majesty, King Charles III, on Friday, saying his current trip to the UK would be his last official engagement with the monarch.

The President stated this while addressing his colleagues at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit as part of the major events leading to the coronation of the monarch as King of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Commonwealth.

At the event with the theme: “The Commonwealth as a body and the role of the Youth”, Buhari thanked other world leaders, expressing joy at shared aspirations and values within the period he related with them.

“As I come before you today, I am also mindful that this would be my last official engagement with His Majesty The King and some of you as I leave office on 29 May 2023. I, therefore, feel both humble and grateful for this extraordinary and significantly important moment.”

“Over the years, I have worked cordially with the leaders of Commonwealth to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth which are shared by its members – the aspirations of the Commonwealth family which include positioning it to be a strong and respected voice in the world and improving the lives of all its citizens are being vigorously pursued,” he said.

He said the country learnt lessons in the conduct of the 2023 general elections which would make subsequent polls even better.

Buhari expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria considering the turnout of voters and the generally peaceful atmosphere under which it took place.

According to the President, “these elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. Despite some pockets of violence, we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.

“Lessons have been learnt and moving forward, we hope to perform even better. Based on this, I am delighted to note that we have taken another step towards deepening our democracy with peaceful, transparent and credible outcomes. Though we are aware that challenges still exist, we are committed to working towards a greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora.”

While thanking the Commonwealth for sending a team to witness the conduct of the elections, he noted that the elections were generally free and fair, and the mood of the Nation after the announcement of the winners so far shows that democracy in Nigeria is maturing and can only get better.

President Buhari highlighted the key role Nigerian youths played during the elections as well as in support of national development, attributing a great part of this youth participation in the General Elections to the assent of ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill signed into law by his Administration in 2018.

He announced that Nigeria would also host the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region, with the theme, ‘Making Change Happen’ in Abuja from May 9-11, this year.

A divorce-seeking woman, Temilade Rasheed, on Wednesday told a Mapo Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Ibadan that her husband, Adeboye Rasheed hates her for giving birth to three girls.

Temilade in her testimony before the court, while seeking dissolution of her marriage, urged the court to grant her application for divorce.

”My in-laws are pushing my estranged husband to leave me for producing three girls and one boy.

“My lord, Rasheed no longer loves me because I gave birth to three girls. After my girls were born, he threw me like garbage and married another wife.

“The only one Rasheed caters for is my fourth child, who is a male,” Temilade said.

The petitioner further stated that her husband has turned her into a punching bag.

She told the court that he has been responsible for the welfare of the three children.

Temilade consequently prayed the court to grant her custody of all the children but to order Rasheed to be responsible for their upkeep.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Wednesday dissolved the State Executive Council.

Obaseki said the dissolution of the council was with immediate effect.

The governor announced the during the Weekly Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday.

Obaseki expressed appreciation to the outgone members of the council for their service to the government and people of the state.

A statement endorsed by Crusoe Osagie, Special Advisers, Media Projects, said that all Special Assistants (SAs) and Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) had been relieved of their appointments.

Passengers are currently stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, over the industrial action embarked upon by members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

In a travel advisory made available to travelers, a copy of which was obtained by LEADERSHIP, Air Peace airline informed passengers of disruption in their operations by the labour unions.

According to the airline, the disruption will affect travel plans of various passengers and thereby asked for understanding.

“We hereby notify the flying public that the industrial action being embarked upon by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NPC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) is currently disrupting our operations at the Lagos Airport, leading to flight disruptions across our network.

“While we monitor this unforeseen development and hope things return to normal soon, we regret the impact of the disruptions on the travel plans of our passengers and plead for their understanding,” the advisory stated.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared Wednesday as a public holiday to enable the people of Rivers State give the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a rousing welcome.

The President-elect, during his two-day official visit to Rivers State, is scheduled to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the ultra-modern Magistrates’ Court Complex, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wike, in a state broadcast on Tuesday, said during Tinubu’s presidential campaign visit to Rivers State, he had indicated intention to have him commission some strategic projects in the state after the general elections.

He said a formal invitation was sent to the President-elect after the general elections, which he graciously accepted.

Wike explained that the proposed visit to Rivers State is Tinibu’s first official visit to any state since he emerged as the President-elect of Nigeria.

According to him, by this visit, Tinubu will join the long list of distinguished Nigerians the state had hosted to either flag off or commission landmark projects.

“For us, it is an honour to the government and people of Rivers State to host the President-elect on this historic visit. Consequently, I urge all Rivers citizens to come out en mass to receive our President-elect, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and display the traditional Rivers hospitality as he commissions these legacy projects to God’s glory and the advancement of our development.

“Given this, I hereby declare Wednesday, 3rd May 2023, a public holiday to enable the people of Rivers State to receive our President-elect rousingly.

“Furthermore, all shops and business premises along Rumuola to Rumuokwuta roads in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State shall remain closed from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 3rd May 2023. I urge all labour unions and security agencies to comply with this closure order.”

Governor Wike has therefore, enjoined Rivers people to come out in great numbers and give, ”our amiable President-Elect a rousing welcome during his visit.”

Some staff of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) have reportedly been suspended for their alleged roles in salary “padding”.

Some other civil servants in an undisclosed institute were also reportedly suspended for same offence.

The suspended workers allegedly connived with some officials in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to pad their salaries by manipulating the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Currently, an Assistant Director whose identity was not disclosed that was deployed in the IPPIS unit of the RMAFC is undergoing probe over the salary padding.

A source familiar with the incident told The Nation that the assistant director, who is desk officer in charge of staff’ salary was alleged to have connived with the OAGF personnel to “pad” the salaries of unspecified number of lower cadre workers.

“The AD in connivance with some staff members are deep in the salary padding racket. The alarm blew recently when a Level 7 officer, whose salary should be in the range of N60, 000 was paid over N400, 000 – the salary package for a director.

“What happened was that another colleague on same salary scale saw the pay slip of a female colleague with a net pay of over N400,000. Surprised, he tried to get details of the excess payment but was rebuffed.
"Following the cold attitude from his colleague, the aggrieved staff raised the alarm and a committee was set up to investigate the matter."

Meanwhile, the salary padding racket according to the report, has been going on for a while among a small clique of civil servants in different MDAs with the IPPIS office in the OAGF as the epicenter of the activity.

Reacting to the development, the OAGF in a statement said it is “in receipt of enquiries over alleged “salary padding” on the IPPIS involving some unspecified MDA.

The OAGF noted that “there is no evidence of salary padding” before the OAGF at this time; however, the office is aware of reported breach of the IPPIS third party payment protocol at an Institute outside Abuja.

“The incident has since been reported to, and is being investigated by relevant anti-corruption, security and regulatory agencies.

“In the meantime, a staff suspected to be connected with the breach has been suspended to allow for thorough investigation.”

It added "all necessary steps are being taken to strengthen the controls around the IPPIS payment platform and an independent forensic audit of the entire payroll system is underway to ascertain if the reported breach is isolated or widespread."

However, the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu has confirmed the development, adding that some culprits had been identified and placed on suspension pending the investigation of the incidence.

He said some workers at the commission were found to have manipulated the IPPIS system to pad their salaries above what they were supposed to earn.

“If the indicted officials are found culpable of the salary padding allegations, they will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution,” Bello Shehu told the paper in a chat.

Although, declined to disclose the number or the identities of those involved, he however vowed that the commission will not condone such blatant disregard of the civil service rules.

“We will investigate to know how long this has been going on, how much has been illegally acquired and attempts made to recover the excess from those involved," he said.

29 days to the inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, efforts are being made to put a national security team in place and build a personal security lineup around the incoming president from the various security outfits, specifically from the Presidential Guards Brigade and the Department of State Security.

The entire country has, in recent years, been plagued by insecurity with terrorism in the northeast, banditry and kidnapping in the northwest and north central, economic sabotage in the south-south and talks of secession in the southeast and even the southwest.

Stakeholders in some states experiencing insecurity and in public institutions are urging the incoming president to build a security team that will be unbiased and unhindered by religious and tribal sentiments to secure the country within constitutional means.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP Sunday indicates that who Tinubu is likely to appoint as his National Security Adviser is a well-guarded secret, but one that will not only shape the character of his presidency, but also determine other key appointments.

Since 1999, the office of the NSA has been the most important cabinet appointment made by a president with powers stretching across all arms of government and agencies. In the government of Muhammadu Buhari for instance, the entire security vote of the president is managed by the office of the NSA.

And during Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, $1 could not be moved from the country’s foreign reserves by the Central Bank of Nigeria without the go ahead of the president or his NSA. Recently, the CBN has had more freedom to spend from the reserves. One consequence has been the trapped funds of foreign airlines.

A former staff at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru- Jos, has however advised the incoming president to stick to the established tradition of appointing an NSA from the ranks of military officers and those that retired from the military.

The ex-NIPSS official who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday on the condition of anonymity because he still works within government circles said that the Nigerian military may not respect a civilian appointed as NSA, which could cause unnecessary friction in the smooth running of government.

The former NIPSS directing officer, who retired in the Nigerian military as an Army General, said it is not out of place for a civilian to be appointed NSA, but added that it is more reliable to get a retired military general to man such an office.

“The whole military will report to the NSA. If you put a civilian in that office, they may not respect him.

“If it were before, not only the service chiefs, even commanders would not want to respect him because he or she is a civilian.

“The military may not want to respect a non-military man as NSA, but it is more convenient to have a military person as the NSA,” he said.

The retired military general said the US always appoints retired military men as their NSA even though he admits that there are some occasions where civilians are appointed into such an office.

“During our time, we only focused on the job and doing the right thing. Before, commanders didn’t even salute a governor. But now, they are saluting the Secretary to the State Government. So, if you appoint a civilian now, they can blend. But once the military can’t submit to such a person, there will be a problem.”

The Armed Forces, saddled with the responsibility of protecting the country, are also the backbone of any democratic government and for the eight years he has been in power, President Buhari rarely attended public functions related policy issues, whether on education or health, except military ceremonies where he was consistent.

Buhari, like previous presidents, upon coming into office, made early changes in the national security team and appointing service chiefs. The Chief of Defence, Lt. General Lucky E.O Irabor, the Chief of Naval Staff,

Admiral Zubairu Gambo and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao were all appointed in January 2021, while the Chief Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya was appointed in May 2021 after the death of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, in a plane crash.

The predecessors the present service chiefs were however in office for more than five years having been appointed by President Buhari in August 2015. The president mostly ignored the clamour by Nigerians change them and also the grumbling of junior office.

Their lengthy stay in office however built trust and confidence between the presidency and the top hierarchy of the military. Buhari also favoured officers from the northeast in the appointment of service chiefs because of the level of insecurity in the region.

In Borno State, where citizens have been the most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency with thousands of people displaced, the government sees an opportunity to further improve security and collaboration between the federal and state governments because a former governor of the state is about to become Vice President.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babagana Zulum on publicity, Hon. Lanre Obadiah said yesterday that what people naturally want is a situation where everyone can sleep with their eyes closed without any fear.

He said, “People can travel at anytime both day and night. With the renewal of the governor’s mandate, people will expect to see heightened security, a return to the glorious days of the past when Borno was known as home of peace, when peace and security was taken for granted because there was nothing to fear then.”

He said, “In the next dispensation, the people will want consolidation of the previous achievement of the governor. And with the emergence of Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president- elect, alongside Sen. Kashim Shettima who is his Vice President, Borno is indeed lucky. Collaboration between the federal and state government will boost the economy and security of Borno State,” Obadiah said.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that some heads of the security agencies have just had their tenures extended by the outgoing government and the new president may be hesitant to replace them immediately. Expectations are that the president-elect may likely retain the leadership of the Brigade of Guards for now.

President Muhammadu Buhari will on 29 May 2023 hand over power to President-elect Bola Tinubu during a colourful parade by the Guards Brigade.

This is despite criticism and controversies surrounding the conduct of February 25, 2023 presidential elections and the announcement of Tinubu as president-elect.

While there have been calls and counter arguments for an interim government, the military has declared support for President-elect Tinubu.

And the Presidential Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, saddled with the responsibility of protecting the President, has stepped up preparations for the inauguration day, with media reports saying Tinubu has been assigned an Aide De Camp (ADC), Lt. Col. Nurudeen Yusuf.

Yusuf, in 2017 served the Nigerian Army as Staff Officer Grade 1 for the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corp (NAIC).

From 2020 to 2022, Yusuf served at Nigerian Defence Section, in Paris, France as DDA Librarian, and until his name was linked to serving as Tinubu’s ADC.

In 2008, Yusuf completed the Tactical Intelligence Officers and Security Investigations courses to improve his capabilities as a military officer.

Between 2009 and 2018, the multilingual officer, who is fluent in Yoruba, Hausa, English and French, had several military trainings in Mali, Pakistan, China, Israel and the United Kingdom.

The trainings include Military Intelligence Basic Officers Course (Mali); Junior Staff Course (China); Officers Advanced Intelligence Course, SMI, (Pakistan) Advanced Command and Staff Course (Shrivenham UK).

He served as an officer in charge (Technical) for 119 Intelligence Group, Lagos. He was thereafter transferred to HQ 4 Brigade, Benin, where he served as Operations Officer.He also served as Officer Commanding at State House Military Intelligence Group and in 2015, he was promoted to Officer Commanding, Presidential Body Guard, State House, Abuja.

However, the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said he was not aware of such development. The Army spokesman said he has not been communicated as regards the appointment of an ADC for the president-elect.

The personal security of the president are those he those he trusts with his life and are the only aides who are with him 24 hours a day regardless of where in the world he is.

The Commander Guards Brigade Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Aminu Umar assumed command on January 20, 2023 and has pledged to be loyal and work towards achieving the vision of the Nigerian Army.

He took over from Major General Muhammed Takuti Usman who was been redeployed to 2 Division Nigerian Army as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) following the redeployment of senior officers across Nigerian Army formations.

As part of preparation for the swearing-in, the president-elect has moved to the Defence House under the protection of 7 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army.


DSS Directors For CSO Appointment

Also, investigations have revealed that Tinubu may likely appoint his chief security officer (CSO), from the Department of State Services with some directors being linked to the plump job.

Recall that late President Umaru Yar’Adua had assigned to him, the late Abdullahi Charanchi from the DSS as his CSO, briefly before he was replaced.

But Yar’Adua was more comfortable will Yusuf Tilde who was DSS director in Katsina when the late president was governor. And as fate would have it, Yar’Adua would develop health challenges that threatened his position as president and eventually cost him his life.

While the politicians were quick to dessert the late president, Tilde along with the then Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Danbazau would remain loyal until the president, commander in chief breathed his very last breath.

Also, late Godwin Obuah of the DSS was the chief security officer to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

President Muhammadu Buhari has also appointed three CSOs from the DSS.

Buhari had two months into his administration in July 2015 replaced his erstwhile CSO, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the SSS to redeploy him out of the presidential villa.

He later appointed Bashir Abubakar, who later proceeded on an immediate “strategic course” at a university in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He was promptly replaced by Idris Kassim Ahmed.

Among the names been mentioned to take over as the CSO to Tinubu include the director of the DSS, Lagos, the DSS Director, Sheikh Mohammed Waziri, who has had a good run and less controversies on the job.

Also, the DSS director in Ogun State, Femi Aaron has been listed as top favourite for the job.

Also, DSS director in Kaduna, Mr Abdul Enachie is also a front runner for the CSO job, while Enugu State director, DSS, Habu Maina Daluwa could also get the job if the odds favour him.

Nigeria could be thrown into darkness in the coming days as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), yesterday, said some distribution companies are at the verge of being disconnected over failure to comply with market rules.

Coming barely a few days after the generation companies threatened to down tools, the government-owned TCN, in a statement in Abuja, said guidelines governing the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), otherwise known as market rules, are being flouted by operators.

Last month, in an order (TCN/ISO/MO/2023/001), the Nigerian Electricity Market (NEM) – TCN’s arm, in charge of market operations – accused the DisCos of non-compliance with Conditions of Market Rules and Market Participation Agreements, which mostly border on remittances of payment for ancillary electricity services.

Privatised in 2013, the distribution companies are the revenue arms of the electricity industry in Nigeria. The intake from the firms funds the operations of TCN, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc, which in turn settles invoices from the GenCos and others, like gas suppliers and transporters.

In 2019, there was a similar situation, where TCN disconnected Port Harcourt, Kano and other DisCos over lack of compliance with market rules.

In the order issued, last month, the market operator named the defaulting Market Participants (MPs) as comprising nine DisCos, three GenCos and Ajaokuta Steel Company, a special electricity end-user/customer.

Head of Market Operation at TCN, Edmund Eje, said the rules governing the market are absolutely necessary for viability and sustainability of the sector.

He said: “These rules are sacrosanct and must be complied with by all existing or new players in the sector. Essentially, the players in the power sector are the generation, transmission and distribution companies. For all the players to interact effectively and create requisite harmony for growth, efficiency, profitability and of course, continued sustenance of the sector, the rules set for governance and regulation of relationship among all in the sector must be obeyed and upheld.

“NESI’s market indiscipline is one of the major factors dealing a disastrous blow to the scalability and growth of the market. All participants sign the market Participation Agreement. But to comply is usually an uphill task for many. If the rules of every game are observed, there would be no need for sanctions.”

He said TCN is embarking on sanctioning of erring market participants, having given them notices and time to comply with the rules.

Eje said one of the fallouts of the sanctions would be partial or complete disconnection of defaulters from their point of connection to the grid.

The National Association Of Nigerian Students (NANS), has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Multi Choice Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) to immediately implement the "Pay As You View tarrifs system.

NANS in statement issued on Wednesday by South West (Zone D) chapter, warned that if their warning was not adhered to, "we shall be left with no other option than to lock up all offices of DSTV until our demands are meant which is the mind of all Nigerians."

The statement was signed by the Coordinator, Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji, Deputy Coordinator, Alao John and Public Relations Officer, Opeoluwa Awoyinfa.

The students’ body said the ultimatum became imperative to put an end to the alleged hardship and extortionist policy of DSTV on Nigeria.

NANS said, “Today we are aware that Multi Choice Digital Satellite Television has increased their tariffs without considering the standard of living of Nigerians. We have also waited for long to see if this same company will dance to the music of Nigerians who has been clamouring for “Pay As You View Tariff” but reverse is the case.

"This is the time to call on National Broadcasting Commission to go back to the commission act to regulate the ownership, activities and operations of Direct Broadcast Satellite Service Providers.

"DSTV is one of the leading direct to home service providers in Nigeria since its inception of operation far back 1995 and has also made a lot of profit with over 25million subscribers which is the largest market for its operations.

"We want the Federal Government to stampede their proposed plan in tariffs increment and also force them to implement the Pay As You View system. Its obvious that users are being placed on a fixed monthly tariff plan unlike what is obtainable outside Nigeria."

NANS stated that despite record had shown that Nigeria constitute over 45 percent of DSTV global market share; yet over 50 percent of users were not enjoying what they were paying for due to series of engagement just to make a living and also due to lack of constant power supply.

"We are aware that DSTV operates a system of PAY AS YOU GO tariffs in other countries but chose to be inhumane and has hatred for Nigerians. As the Leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students in Southwest; we see this to be unfair and sardonic and also an act to keeps exploiting Nigerians."

The students’ body however, called on the Nigerian government to immediately commence enactment of a law to compel Multi Choice and others to introduce "Pay As You View billing system" which according to them will do good to Nigerians who are already fed up of the current economy hardship.

"We hereby give 7days ultimatum to Multi Choice Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) to reverse their plan of increasing their tariffs and also yield to the call of Nigerians and also implementing pay as you view tarrifs or else we shall be left with no other option than to lock up all offices of DSTV until our demands are meant which is the mind of all Nigerians."

Before the March 18, 2023 governorship elections, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed; his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde and the PDP governorship candidate in Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, were widely believed to be heading for defeat, but all three who had been penciled for ‘dead’ emerged victorious, Kamal Ibrahim (Bauchi), Adebayo Waheed (Ibadan) and Felix lgbekoyi (Asaba) report.

Bala Mohammed Defies Opposition ‘Powers’ To Win Re-election

Bauchi State governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed was re-elected for another tenure of four years in the recent governorship election in the state against the wish of aggrieved political kingmakers in the state.


Two Bauchi former governors – Isah Yuguda and Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu; a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Wazirin Bauchi, Alh Muhammadu Bello Kirfi and a host of other heavyweight political gladiators collapsed into a single united front to scuttle the re-election bid of the Duguri-born Bala Mohammed.

They supported Bauchi APC governorship candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (rtd) who came second at the end of the election with 432,272 votes.

However, following INEC’s declaration that Bala won his re-election without the clear support of those aggrieved Bauchi political heroes who are oftentimes seen to be capable of doing and undoing anything within the political spaces in Bauchi was shocking.

Governor Bala, in a write-up he personally signed and published on Thursday March 23, 2023 titled: “We will Not Be Distracted: Power Belongs to God” maintained that “I can understand the refusal of people who were never schooled in the tenets of democracy refusing to accept that the voters do not follow orders in choosing their leaders. I can sympathise with people whose over-bloated ego precludes them from accepting defeat. I can understand the disappointment of those whose pre-election utterances bothered on playing God but who have now been compelled to swallow the bitter reality that power belongs to God. But I cannot understand desperation and lies.

“We went into the elections without the security paraphernalia boasted or brandished by some of our opponents; we went into the elections without the resources, both internal and external that our opponents mustered, we went into the elections without any godfather, let alone an Armada of ‘kingmakers’ who arrogated to themselves the power to make and unmake leaders. Rather, we went into the elections trusting in Allah, who gives power to whom he chooses and takes it away from whom he chooses. It was in realisation of the omnipotence of Allah that I pledged, on the eve of the election, to accept the outcome of the exercise. Even now, I reiterate that position.”

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the governor’s motivation were the physical infrastructure that his administration delivered to the people of Bauchi State in his first tenure. The projects, cutting across towns and villages, speak volume for the robust political commitment and mindedness Bala has.

A Bauchi-based political analyst, Abdul Yahaya, explained that the projects that incumbent Bauchi State governor was able to provide to the citizens ‘campaigned’ for him.

He said the successes recorded by the PDP during the presidential and national assembly elections placed the party’s governorship candidate on a competitive stage more than any of his opponents.

“The PDP won presidential elections in Bauchi and about eight or seven members of the national assembly out of 11 that Bauchi State has. This is in addition to two senators elected under the party.

“This political setup covering all possible areas and places in Bauchi greatly favours the party,” he said.

He added that given the religious support that the governor enjoyed from both Christians and Muslims, regardless of sect, helps him in securing re-election.

“The governor, mindful of the secular nature of the state, constructed churches and mosques in the same proportion. He sponsored pilgrims from both faiths without prejudice,” he stated.


Makinde Snatched Victory From The Jaws Of Lion

Though the 2023 general election has come and gone and the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde returned as the re-elected governor, it is not without the reservation of some people in the state, which primarily bothers on security of lives and property. The operators of his Park Management System (PMS) are in focus and pundits have suggested that he finds a way of injecting sanity in the affairs of the agency in this new and last term in office.

However, against all odds, the incumbent governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged winner of the gubernatorial election conducted on March 18, 2023.

It was an election where all available permutations prior to the election pointed in the opposite direction of what the outcome was going to be.

The election, aside Makinde winning it, was unique as the gap with which he led the closest rival, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was so wide that it turned out to be no contest in the real sense of the word. In fact, in the cycles of elections under the present democratic dispensation, such a gap between the winner and the runner-up had never existed. It was a flat beating.

It would be recalled that at the presidential and national assembly elections held on February 25, exactly three weeks before the election under reference, the PDP, though a ruling party in the state, only struggled to win four of the 14 House of Representatives seats available for the state while the APC won the remaining 10 seats. The three senatorial seats were cleared by the APC in addition to the APC winning the presidential election in the state.

With these results, it was concluded that the ruling party and its gubernatorial candidate, not minding the power of incumbency, would be beaten at the election.

But the bookmakers were wrong after all. The question now is what was the magic wand waved by Makinde to trounce his opponents?

It must first of all be established that the sophistication of the electorate in the state was very much at play as the expected bandwagon effect had no place in the election.

Ordinarily, one would have thought that the people would fall for the notion that since the APC would form the central government, having won the presidential and national assembly elections in the state three weeks earlier, the natural thing was for the state to be won by the APC in order for it to ‘belong’. Such a notion had no bearing with the generality of the people of the state.

The governor, a product of coalition of some political parties in 2019 primarily to wrest power and the state from the grip of the then outgoing governor and a member of the APC, the late Sen Abiola Ajimobi had fallen out with the majority of those who were part of the coalition.

Even his political party, the PDP had an axe to grind with him and to worsen the matter was the governor’s open disagreement with the party’s choice of presidential candidate for the election in person of Alh Atiku Abubakar.

Makinde was one of the five governors from the middle belt and southern parts of the country commonly referred to as ‘G5’ who insisted that the choice of Abubakar was in breach of the party’s principle of rotational presidency between the north and the south and that it would run against the cause of natural justice to keep silent and allow the injustice to stand.

While the face-off between the presidential candidate and the opposing governors lasted, it was reported that the presidential candidate of the APC and now the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in talk with them.

The result of the presidential election proved that in the state and it empowered the traditional members of the PDP in the state to make a resolve to pay Makinde back in his own coins by voting the opposition.

In the meantime, the opposition party candidate, Sen Folarin was formerly of the PDP and to switch allegiance to him by his former friends and PDP members who were aggrieved with Makinde’s style was effortless.

To compound the matter for the governor was the open declaration of support for the opposition by the living ‘Oracle of Oyo politics,’ the former governor of the state and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Sen Rashidi Ladoja.

The former governor was the arrow-head of the coalition that produced Makinde in 2019.

Though the statesman had on several occasions announced his exit from partisan politics, he still commands a cult-like political followership in the state.

It was the supporters which cut across different political parties that fired the first salvo, announcing their allegiance to the opposition before his open endorsement of Folarin of the APC as the anointed gubernatorial candidate for the election. Equally of importance and significance was the Adebayo Adelabu (Penkelemesi) factor. Here is a man who was the APC gubernatorial candidate in 2019 and narrowly lost to Makinde, but was forced to cross to the Accord Party with the denial of the APC gubernatorial ticket won by Folarin. Adelabu did not leave the party just as an individual, he left with his supporters who detest Folarin’s candidacy seen as usurpation.

With the aggrieved members of the APC, who supported and followed him to Accord, he was seen as the albatross of Folarin in the contest up till the time of presidential election and there were insinuations that he would be persuaded to step down for Folarin.

Adelabu did not step down for Folarin or anybody for that matter, but a few days to the March 18 election, his party apparatchiks in the state rebelliously announced their adoption of Makinde as the preferred candidate. He had to run to Abuja for safety and it was from the party headquarters in Abuja that his candidacy and the party’s participation in the election was confirmed.

A caretaker committee was hurriedly put in place to direct the party affairs and midwife the election in the state. But the damage had been done as his (Adelabu) performance in the election was abysmally low and very degrading too or how can one explain a candidate in an election losing his polling booth to the opposition?

How Makinde was able to do it to decimate a very strong contender within days to the election would be a very good study for political scientists in the future.

He was accommodating enough to be one of the early callers to congratulate the governor on his re-election.

Any keen follower of the political development in the state would have seen far ahead the danger of Makinde’s politics, especially to the APC candidate.

With the governor’s membership of the opposition G-5 within the PDP, he’s not seen as opposition by the APC which manifested during the campaign for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the state.

As crowded as the APC presidential standard-bearer schedule was on that day, he still found time to visit Makinde in Government House where he was said to have told the governor that he’s doing well. In the relationship between Makinde and the APC, one other factor that must not be glossed over is the antecedents of Folarin. Prior to the APC presidential primary election, Folarin was in the camp of Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the incumbent vice president, whose decision to participate in the primary election was seen as betrayal of Tinubu, regarded as his political mentor.

A school of thought was of the view that if Tinubu had been so committed to Folarin’s cause, Adelabu, who is seen as a Tinubu protege would have been persuaded to drop his ambition for the former Senate leader. So, there was the tendency that not a few members of the APC worked for Makinde as a compensation for Tinubu’s victory in the state.

The governor, whatever may be his shortcomings, bonded very well with the generality of the people of the state by his seemingly populist ideology.

Immediately he was sworn-in in 2019, he announced the abolition of the annual payment of N3,000 education levy by secondary school students in the state which the previous regime put in place for the maintenance of the schools.

A very workers-friendly governor, he also bonded well with the pensioners.

The gang-up against him towards the election elicited sympathy for him among the electorate, some of whom were free-thinkers politically.

In addition to all these, the factor of money was also of high significance as the governor, who has the control of the state treasury, deployed funds adequately for the election and the result justified it.


How Gov Okowa’s Preferred Candidate, Sheriff, Bounced Back

The presidential election where Peter Obi won 18 of the 25 local government areas of the state with a total number of 342,866 votes to defeat the PDP vice presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa actually wrote off what was remaining in PDP in Delta State.

However, with the one week shift for the gubernatorial election, a lot of strategy was put in place and this time around, Okowa, also the speaker’s godfather, was not ready to lose out totally during the governorship election, so he did everything needed to to get victory for Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, the PDP guber candidate, for him to remain relevant politically and his choice eventually becomes the governor-elect of Delta State.

According to the state returning officer, Prof Abraham Georgewill Owunari, Sheriff Oborevwori won by polling 360,234 of the 687,121 total votes cast as against 240,229 secured by his major rival and the deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo Agege of the APC.

It is interesting to note that the governorship candidates of major political parties in the state were chosen from Delta Central, eminently populated by the Urhobos, a factor that truly influenced the election. This is because the PDP has always maintained a rotational method among the three senatorial zones in choosing its candidate since 1999.

After emerging victorious at the Supreme Court as the gubernatorial candidate of the party, other persistent legal battles against Oborevwori’s governorship candidate were described as an exercise in futility by the Federal High Court, sitting in Asaba a few days to the election.

The court in its resounding judgment in suit number FHC/ASB/CS/3/2023, filed by the opposition the APC, Chief Ikie Aghwarianovwe, aspirant against PDP, Oborevwori and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared that the plaintiff’s action was statute barred as it obviously violated constitutional provisions requiring action to be filed within 14 days from the date INEC published particulars of candidates in 2018.

Having survived the courts, as part of his campaign strategy, Oborevwori focused on the M.O.R.E agenda. It was so publicised as the most viable and bankable manifesto that genuinely sought to advance the socioeconomic, infrastructure and human capital development of the state and citizens.

In recognition of the important roles of traditional rulers in nation building, he paid a state-wide visit to royal fathers in the state where he pleaded with them to convince his subjects to support his ambition. Most of the monarchs actually keyed into the arrangements where they garnered support for him.

Apart from his clean political and public service records spanning over two decades, his visionary leadership style, unblemished integrity and uncommon humility and as the longest serving speaker since the creation of Delta State, he was able to get support from the electorate.

According to the executive assistant on Communication to Governor Okowa, Barr Latimore Oghenesivbe, “he is a respected political leader, a team player and an honest individual who peacefully and successfully managed the affairs of the Delta State House of Assembly in the past six years and counting, and therefore eminently qualified to govern Delta State as the right successor of the incumbent multiple award-winning governor and PDP vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.”

On the other hand, the speaker’s campaign team was able to sway the electorate that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege used his privileged position as deputy senate president to ensure the establishment of six federal projects, including the Nigerian Law School in his Urhomorhun village of Orogun town, obviously to the detriment of eight local governments in Delta central senatorial district.

The team also disclosed that two major projects, the Federal Polytechnic and the Nigerian Law School, as well as other projects were deliberately and mischievously smuggled to Orogun community by Senator Agege with nothing for other Ughelli North communities and seven local government areas that voted for him and his party in 2019.

The Zamfara State Government has approved the reinstatement of Aliyu Marafa, the suspended emir of Yandoto emirate who was asked to step aside following a public outcry after he appointed a notorious terrorist, Ado Aleru, the Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto.

PREMIUM TIMES last July exclusively reported the plan by the emirate to honour Mr Aleru, who leads hundreds of fighters to terrorize residents and motorists in Zamfara and other north-west states. The emirate council had said Mr Aleru would be turbaned as part of efforts to bring peace to the area.

He was eventually turbaned after which the state government, claiming it was not consulted, suspended the emir.

On Sunday, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, the government said it took the decision to reinstate the emir based on the recommendations of the panel constituted to investigate the circumstances leading to the event.

He said the committee gathered that what the emirate council did was to forestall attacks and other terror activities.

“The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit.

“Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace-building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town,” the SSG said in the statement.

Mr Balarabe said the reinstatement takes immediate effect.

Mr Aleru is one of the leaders of terror groups in north-west Nigeria.

He is known to operate in Tsafe local government of Zamfara and Faskari in neighbouring Katsina State.

His armed group is believed to be responsible for the recent abduction of 85 residents of the Wanzamai community.

Zamfara, like other states in north-west Nigeria, has witnessed several attacks by terror groups, locally called bandits.

Thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped by the groups in the past year.

A new app created by Twitter’s co-founder and ex-CEO as an alternative to the Elon Musk-owned platform has just launched a version for Android users.

Bluesky, created by Jack Dorsey, promises a future-thinking “social internet” that allows users more choices and frees people from platforms, according to its website.

The app, however, is still in development and only available to access through an invite code.

Dorsey began working on Bluesky as a side project in 2019 with funding from Twitter, and it was first rolled out to iOS users in late February.

Many users have said Bluesky’s current beta version is similar to a pared-down copy of Twitter, according to Tech Crunch.

Demand for the exclusive app has been growing, and the platform reportedly has about 20,000 users in its current form, the technology outlet reported.

Moving forward, the app developers hope to give users “algorithmic choice,” which would allow them to choose how content is fed onto their screens, instead of a one-fits-all algorithm controlled by the app developers.

Prophetess Silekunola Naomi, former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has described herself as a bride waiting to be dressed up.

She made this known in a recent interview with The PUNCH, following the celebration of her 30th birthday.

Daily Trust reports that Naomi and the monarch parted ways in 2021 after three years together.

In the interview, she said, “It’s a different thing to be single and it is a different thing to be ready to mingle. But what I can say for sure is that I am a bride waiting to be dressed up.

“I don’t know how God plans to do it because He is my event planner. But there is a big event waiting to happen (if you are) talking about that aspect of my life. Hmmm, you see this queen, it will take a strong king to get me; I am single.

“I love surprising people. I want it to come and let everybody just wow! The world should just wait; there is something huge and beautiful”

On whether there is a possibility of reconciliation with the Ooni, she said, “I am going to answer that question with a question. As I have been speaking to you for the past one hour, do I look like someone who can survive in the midst of six mature and strong women? No! She is but a soft, strong, gentle woman and I can’t be a square peg in a round hole.”

Since the February 25 presidential election, Nigerians have been waking up to one news or another concerning some of the most popular candidates.

One of such candidates is Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP.

It is no longer news that some of the presidential candidates have been accused of embezzling public funds, trading in narcotics and money laundering.

But Peter Obi who is dubbed “Mr Clean ”, is now facing myriads of controversies, especially from members of the opposition camps.

In 2021, a Pandora Paper investigation had alleged that Obi operated foreign bank accounts and operated shell companies incorporated in tax havens to launder public funds and dodge taxes.

The Pandora Papers is a leak of about 12 million documents that revealed hidden wealth and tax avoidance by some of the world’s rich and powerful men.

Obi said it was exhilarating that nowhere in the article was he accused of any form of corruption, whether in the form of diversion of public funds or in any other manner during and after his stewardship as the governor of Anambra State.

He explained that the allegation bordered more on tax avoidance and non-declaration of some jointly owned assets and it did not allege that he had been engaged in unlawful business ventures at any time.

However, these past months, there have been high-profile allegations about Peter Obi whose supporters tout the phrase, “go and verify.

DAILY POST highlights some of the allegations which some of his supporters have termed as ‘propaganda of calumny against Obi who came third in the presidential election.

Peter Obi’s alleged arrest

Professor Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Paul University Awka, and a confidant of Peter Obi, last week narrated how Peter Obi was detained in London by UK immigration officials.

Okunna said Obi was detained over alleged impersonation. He was stopped and questioned for a long time and handed a detention note, directing him to wait for further interrogation and investigation.

According to Okunna, Obi learnt about the shocking development through a revelation by the Immigration Officer who told him that his identity was duplicated.

She, however, did not highlight the necessary details of Mr Obi’s subsequent release before returning to the country.

Adamu Garba, a former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had in reaction to the development, claimed that the APC-led federal government facilitated the release of Peter Obi from the detention cell in the UK.

Alongside a photoshopped image of a UK Immigration Officer, Peter Obi and Abike Dabiri, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Adamu asserted that Peter Obi’s travel documents were fake and he was rescued by Abike, a claim which was debunked.

Peter Obi and Bishop Oyedepo audio

In the past week, a leaked audio between Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church has raised concern about the former Anambra Governor playing politics of ethnicity and religion.

In the audio clip, Mr Obi allegedly asked Bishop Oyedepo to help canvas for votes from Christians in the South-west and North-central parts of Nigeria.

Addressing him as “daddy”, the LP’s flag-bearer described the just concluded presidential election as a ‘religious war.

“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara. This is a religious war,” Peter Obi allegedly said.

The leaked audio sparked controversy but Obi denied it, saying it was fake.

He also asked critics to provide evidence and added that his legal team would take appropriate legal action on the matter.

Lai Mohammed treason accusation

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, accused Peter Obi of committing treason because he failed to correct a statement attributed to his running mate, Datti Baba Ahmed.

Datti had opined that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu did not deserve to be sworn in as Nigeria’s president because he wasn’t duly elected.

He insisted that Tinubu didn’t meet all the constitutional requirements for him to be declared the President-elect and that swearing him in would lead to an unconstitutional government.

Lai Mohammed reacted by saying that Datti’s statement was treason and it was inviting insurrection by inciting people to violence over the outcome of the elections.

Obi debunked his accusation, saying it was totally malicious and fictitious.

He stressed that he had never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state and had never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state.

Chimaroke Nnamani accuses Obi of Bigotry

Following his defeat at the Enugu East Senatorial election, former governor, Chimaroke Nnamani accused Obi of playing wicked and dangerous politics.

He said Peter Obi had “set the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back”.

But, the LP flag-bearer said he believes that Nnamani must have mistaken him for someone else because he ran an issue-based campaign.

Challenging Nnamani to prove he portrayed ethnic, or religious bigotry,

Obi said it’s on record that he has been the only one who insisted not to be voted for based on any ethnic or religious link, but to be considered based on character, capacity, and compassion.

Speaking on the allegations, Dr Tanko Yususa, the Labour Party Presidential Council spokesperson, accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of sponsoring a campaign of calumny on Peter Obi.

Tanko stressed that the attack is making Peter Obi more popular worldwide.

”Obi is more popular because of how they are raising issues about him. Whatever they are doing is making us more popular, people are seeing that it is a campaign of calumny, a negative campaign that does not hold water.

”For example, they started attacking his political party, trying to remove the Chairman from the party, trying to make sure there is a faction within the party, in an attempt to make sure that they weaken the structure, our candidate and the case we have in court.

”The APC is responsible for this. The other people in charge of the faction have been seen in pictures with Governor Abiodun of Ogun State, that is to show you that they are being sponsored. How did they get a SAN to represent them in a case? Do you know how much it is to get a SAN?

”Everything they are trying to do is to find a way of bringing down the popularity of Peter Obi but the more they try, the more he gets popular,” he told DAILY POST.

Also speaking, veteran Nigerian singer and activist, Charles Oputa, AKA Charlyboy told DAILY POST that the opposition APC will continue to fail in their bid to tarnish Peter Obi’s image.

”Na APC planted those people to take over the LP office. No matter the effort of APC to discredit or soil his integrity they cannot succeed. All these are propaganda and not the real truth.

”All these allegations about Obi have been debunked. We have people digging the truth, even the Oyedepo audio was cloned. They used AI to do it. People are aware that they used AI to manipulate the audio,” he stated.

A suspected informant of kidnappers, whose identity is yet to be known, has committed suicide in Kuje Area Council of Abuja.

It was also learnt that one other suspected kidnapper’s informant was arrested by the officers of the anti-kidnapping unit of the FCT police command.

City & Crime had reported that kidnappers on Sunday night invaded neighbouring Kasada village, a few kilometres away from Gaube, killing a man, Musa Abari, and abducting his pregnant wife, Huraira, along with five other villagers.

Confirming the suicide incident and the arrest to City & Crime on Tuesday, a member of the vigilante group in Gaube, said one of the informants was arrested at a football viewing centre in Gaube.

He said the deceased suspect, who upon sighting the anti-kidnap officers, and with no chance to escape, pulled out a knife from his body and stabbed himself in the stomach.

He said the officers later moved the suspect’s corpse into their pickup van and deposited it at Kuje General Hospital mortuary, while the other suspect was moved to the FCT police command.

City & Crime reliably gathered that the man, who was reportedly killed by kidnappers while trying to save his wife, was a school teacher at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Gaube.

Our reporter also learnt that the late teacher owned a football viewing centre in Gaube, where two of the kidnappers’ informants usually went to watch football matches.

There was no official response from the spokeswoman of the FCT police command, DSP Adeh Josephine, over the arrest of the suspects as at the time of filing the report.

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The 22-year old union between Pastor Joshua Ajagunigbala and his supposed wife, Rita Ajagunigbala, has collapsed in Ekiti State after a herbalist died on top of her during sex romp in a hotel.

P.M.EXPRESS reports as was disclosed by Pastor Joshua at the Ekiti State Customary Court after he filed a divorce suit seeking for the dissolution of the marriage with Rita on the grounds of adultery.

The petitioner, Pastor Ajagunigbala, during the hearing prayed the Court to dissolve the union on the ground of adultery and the custody of his children be given to him.

In evidence, he told the Court that he had not paid the dowry of the respondent and they had lived together for more than 22 years and had children.

He also informed the Court that it was the third time he had taken her to Court on the ground of adultery, stating that the respondent in 2017 started having an illicit affair with a herbalist called Ifidayomi a.k.a Ejiogbe, who is now late.

He narrated that the Herbalist died on top of the respondent while having sexual intercourse in a hotel at Ikere-Ekiti on 2nd January, 2023, which led to a commotion and made thugs to destroy his house and his church at Ikere.

He lamented that her action led to his suspension by his Church authority and because of this, he is no longer interested in the union and pleaded with the Court to dissolve the union and give him custody of his children.

Mrs. Ajagunigbala, in response, admitted having sexual relationship with the late herbalist. She stated that her relationship with the Herbalist was because of lack of care from the petitioner. She said that she had been the one responsible for the feeding of the children and their school fees. She claimed that she had incurred so much debt, which the late Ejiogbe helped her to offset.

During the hearing, the Court noted that their marriage was illegal because payment of dowry was not involved in the union as such there was no marriage to dissolve.

The President of the Court, Mr. Joseph Oyedele, while declaring judgment on the matter, held that there was no legal customary marriage between the two of them, adding that they are free to go their separate ways.

He said, “Having gone through all the oral evidence presented before this Court, it was discovered that there was no legal customary marriage between parties herein and there is no marriage available between parties to dissolve”.

“The Court hereby order that the parties are now free to go on their own without disturbing the peace of each other.”

The Court ordered, the petitioner, Mr. Ajagunigbala, to take full responsibility of the welfare and education of the last two children the union produced because they are still minors.

“On the issue of the custody of the children, the Court can only order on the last two children of the marriage because they are yet to reach the age of majority. The first two children are free to decide under whose care they can live between the two parties because they are no longer minors.”

“However, the Court order that the last two children of the association (Olarewaju and Victoria Ajagunigbala) are to be with the petitioner and the petitioner is to be responsible for their welfare and education[/b].

Preparatory to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June, the management of the nation’s legislative institution, has set machinery in motion for the induction of the 469 federal lawmakers-elect next month.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the sub-committee on Media and Publicity, Ali Barde Umoru, in Abuja on Thursday evening, the induction programs for the federal lawmakers will commence on Sunday, May 7, 2023, for batch A while those in batch B, will have theirs from May 14 to May 20, 2023.

The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambuwal, as disclosed in the statement, said it has put all the required machinery on ground in terms of central and sub-committees for seamless induction. programmes for all the federal lawmakers-elect.

The statement disclosed that the objective of the induction/ inauguration exercise is to expose Senators and members-elect to the functions of the National Assembly, its Practices and procedures as well as the services available to them.

The statement titled: NASS MGT READY FOR INDUCTION, INAUGURATION OF SENATORS,
MEMBERS-ELECT”, reads in part: “Following the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and the formal release of the authentic list of Senators and
Honourable Members-elect by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), the Management of the National Assembly, in conjunction with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) is now fully prepared for the induction of the MembersElect of the 10th Assembly ahead of the inauguration in June 2023.

“The Induction programme, which will be held in two batches, is scheduled to commence from the 7th to 13th of May 2023 with Batch A, while Batch ‘’B’’ will hold from May 14th to May 20th, 2023.

“The objectives of the Induction/Inauguration exercise is to expose members-elect to the functions of the National Assembly, its practices and procedures as well as the services available to them.

“As part of the efforts to ensure a very successful Induction/ Inauguration exercise, the Management led by the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alh. Sani Magaji Tambawal has constituted a Central
Planning Committee (CPC) is made up of all the Secretaries in the National Assembly Service. Membership was also drawn from the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) and the National Institute for
Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

“The CPC, which is at the helm of the planning and implementation of the induction program as well as the formal inauguration of the 10th Assembly, has the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly (DCNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana as Chairman.”

The Rivers State Government has agreed to an out-of-court settlement with the Federal Government on the backlog of stamp duty owed to the state.

The approval for the state to withdraw the case was granted by the state House of Assembly during plenary on Thursday.

This came as all 36 states of the federation are exploring out-of-court settlement over a case filed at the Supreme Court on the refund of funds collected as stamp duties from the state governments and the payment of five per cent consultancy fee.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ikuinyi Awani-Ibani, on Thursday, read a letter from Governor Nyesom Wike seeking the approval of the House for the payment of the consultancy fee which will be deducted from source.

The lawmakers said the approval for an out-of-court settlement would help to fast-track the refund of all funds collected as stamp duty.

The leader of the House, Martins Ameawhule, explained that the approval would be beneficial.

He stated, “We have looked into the merits and demerits of this. I think that if the consultants were engaged and they need to be paid, we can go ahead to pay the consultants; so that we can access our funds. They would have played certain roles that would make them be in a position to receive the percentage of the funds accruing to the state.

“Mr Speaker, I want to say that we proceed to grant approval for this request so that our state will be part of what other states have agreed to enable these funds get to Rivers State as quickly as possible.”

The political landscape is not bereft of high-powered drama. From one party to the other, the infractions have been intriguing and melodramatic. Two days ago, it was the Labour Party. Just as it happened some months ago with the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), cracks in the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, widened after a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Dr. Salihu Lukman, gave a one-week ultimatum to the national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, to render account on how he used over N30 billion of the party’s fund.

In September, last year, some NWC members of PDP had written to the party’s erstwhile chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, informing him of their decision to return the housing allowance paid into their accounts. The party’s crisis continued even after the general elections, culminating in Ayu’s removal from office last month in deference to a court order.

In similar vein, signs that the centre may no longer hold for long in the ruling party emerged yesterday when Lukman, who is the National Vice Chairman (Northwest), in an open letter to Adamu titled: ‘Restoring Constitutional Order in APC – Not Negotiable,’ claimed that mismanagement of over N30 billion were proceeds from the sale of nomination forms to aspirants that vied for various elective seats in the recently held general elections.

According to him, it was embarrassing that after one year in office, Adamu is yet to have a regular National Executive Council (NEC), National Caucus or National Advisory Council (NAC) meetings.

He further alleged that the functions of the aforementioned organs and the decisions expected from them based on the Constitution of the party had been usurped by Adamu, in consultation with the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, adding that the duo of Adamu and Omisore were running the APC NWC like their personal estate.

The Kaduna-born politician said he finds it very difficult to comprehend why APC is not holding meetings of party organs to facilitate smooth transition from the current government of President Muhammadu Buhari to the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He alleged: “As a member of NWC, we have never had any session where we were invited to consider any report of activity in the last one year. Yet, Article 13.4(ii) of our Constitution require that the NWC submit quarterly reports to NEC. We have never deliberated on any financial report even when Article 13.4(iv) require that we present quarterly financial reports to NEC. We have never deliberated on a national budget although Article 13.3A(xiv) require that we present one to NEC and get approval.

“Perhaps, inability to hold quarterly NEC meetings as provided under Article 25.2(i) of the party’s constitution may be the excuse for not having quarterly reports of activities, quarterly financial reports, and national budgets

“With respect to national budget, the closest we came to was when the April 8, 2022 NEC approved the cost for nomination forms for 2022 elections. No proposed expenditure of any kind was presented to any organ of the party apart from the budget for the June 2022 National Convention, which was presented to the NWC on the eve of the June 2022 National Convention.

“Similarly, no report has been rendered to any organ, including the NWC about any revenue received by the party. It is, however, speculated in the media that the party was able to generate over N30 billion from sales of nomination forms to aspiring candidates for the 2023 elections. Our state structures and other lower organs, which statutorily are entitled to shares of the party’s revenue were given very negligible amounts without allowing any organ of the party, including the NWC to make input into what was paid to the states.

“Large scale financial expenditure is being undertaken without any organ of the party, including the NWC not being allowed to perform any form of statutory due diligence. The National Secretariat has been undergoing large-scale renovation and both the costs and details of the contract are not provided to any organ of the party, including the NWC.

“Apart from very clearly unambiguous constitutional directives to the NWC with respect to our responsibilities to NEC and other superior organs, there are other functions such as requirement for electoral guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections for party offices at all levels as provided under Article 13.4(vi) of our constitution.

“This is a responsibility given to NEC, and given the outcome of the 2023 elections, which gave us majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, it is required that NWC develop proposals for the consideration and approval of NEC.”

With about six weeks to the inauguration of the new government, there is no indication that any proposal is being developed. In fact, no indication that a NEC meeting is being contemplated before May 29, 2023.

“Therefore, by this open letter, I am serving you notice of one week from today, being April 19, to take all the appropriate steps required to convene a NEC meeting before May 29, wherein all the issues bordering on the management of smooth transition between the outgoing government of President Buhari and the incoming government of Tinubu can be considered.

“If by the end of this one-week notice, no action is taken to convene a NEC meeting as the first step to restore constitutional order in APC, I will not hesitate to take further actions, including approaching our courts to enforce compliance with the provisions of our party’s Constitution under your leadership. This is not negotiable!”

Efforts to get the reaction of Adamu failed to yield any result. Also, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, was yesterday evasive and declined to comment on the leadership crisis rocking the party.

HOWEVER, the National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of APC, Isaac Kekemeke, said the position of Lukman does not indicate any form of crack in the party’s NWC. He also dismissed insinuations that the party is planning to remove the national chairman based on Lukman’s observations.

He said: “Let me say that Lukman is my very good friend, and he has contributed seriously to the growth of this party as a progressive institution. I also respect him as an activist politician and a defender of what he believes in. I do not agree that our internal challenges cannot be resolved internally.

“There is no crack in the NWC. The committee is composed of knowledgeable people, and we may not be thinking the same way. We are not supposed to be unanimous in our perspective in the way you imagine.

“Those who created the body did so with the aim to bring together people who will disagree to agree. It is normal for people to think differently just like Lukman did, but by the time we will meet, the majority will have their way.”

On the zoning of principal offices of the National Assembly, Kekemeke said: “The zoning of the National Assembly offices is something very technical and we need to pay attention to it because there are many critical stakeholders. We have the president-elect and vice president-elect, who are going to work with the lawmakers. We also have the National Assembly members themselves and we have the Progressives governors. The zoning of the principal officers of the National Assembly is not what the NWC alone can do or should do or will be allowed to do. I am aware that some background consultations are ongoing and in due course, a meeting will be called to address this.”

Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender, Achraf Hakimi’s mother, Saida Mouh has reacted to the rumours that her son’s fortune was transferred into her name, saying she was not aware of any arrangement.

The social media was agog last weekend as Hakimi’s wife Hiba Abouk, following their formal separation, discovered that she could not claim half of her ex-husband’s assets because they are in his mother’s name.

While the issue has attracted mixed reactions across the globe, Hakimi’s mother, Mouh broke the silence on Wednesday, as she told Moroccan media that her son did not inform her of such a transfer, according to Morocco World News.

Mouh said, “If he has taken any action to protect himself, I’m unaware of it. What’s the problem if the news is true? If my son does not do this, he will not be able to get rid of that woman [Hiba Abouk].”

According to recent reports, Abouk will not get any assets from Hakimi’s fortune because everything is registered under the Moroccan footballer’s mother’s name.

Spanish news outlet Marca reported last Friday, that Abouk was requesting half of Hakimi’s property and wealth but she discovered that he has nothing to his name.

According to the same source, Hakimi’s mother has been receiving his wages in her bank account for some time, and she is the sole beneficiary of his income and wealth.

The Moroccan international and the Spanish-Tunisian actress Hiba Abouk divorced last month.

Hakimi is one of the most expensive players in Africa and is regarded as one of the world’s best right-backs.

The management of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has announced plans to introduce train and electric bus services to tackle transportation challenges in the institution.

The vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), who announced this during an interactive session with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the electric bus will be home-grown.

He added that the institution will also introduce train services to ease the transportation challenges being faced by students and staff.

Egbewole, who broke his fast with the newsmen, said that the institution was determined to resolve the transportation challenge once and for all.

“Aside from the effort which the institution is making on the railway transportation, we are also looking at electric bus transportation. The good thing about it is that this is home grown as few of our colleagues in the Department of Electrical Engineering are already working on that model and because we just released the Senate research grant, we are hoping that part of the grant will be used to work on that model,” Egbewole stated.

He added that in the interim, more buses would be injected into the university transportation system, adding that discussions had been held with some of investors that intend to introduce more buses on the road.

“Transportation problem has reduced because we have created, at least, within our campus and the university gate, a smooth ride. We are also looking at the government of Kwara State concluding the ongoing Tanke bridge project which we hope would further reduce the transportation challenge,” he stated.

Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender’s ex-wife, Hiba Abouk has finally broken the silence over her divorce from the Moroccan footballer.

According to Abouk, she was calm despite the rape allegation leveled against Hakimi, adding that she needs time to digest the shock.

It would be recalled that the PSG player was accused of rape in February which eventually led to divorce.

However, Abouk was shocked when she filed for fifty per cent of Hakimi’s property, only for her lawyer to discover that his wealth was in his mother’s name.

Abouk and Hakimi have two children, Amín, 3, and Naim, 1, together after the pair married in 2020, two years after meeting in 2018.

Speaking to ELLE on Wednesday, Abouk said, “I am fine. There are days when it is like this, and others in which you’ve to know how to take blows and make decisions, sometimes complicated, and get used to new situations.

“Who would’ve imagined that in addition to facing the usual pain that separation entails and accepting the grief that the failure of a family project to which I had given myself body and soul entails, I would’ve to face this ignominy? I needed time to digest this shock.

She further said “When you separate, you restructure your life, but it’s not anything special either: you’ve to take iron out of the matter.

“It’s true that, with two children, it is emotionally complicated, but I’m not the first and I will not be the last. The important thing is that I have the peace of mind of having tried and done everything I had to do.

“There are decisions that cannot be made overnight. For me, it’s a premise not to rush in moments of crisis.”

SIMEON EBULU,


NIGERIA has failed to fully service its debt to China which has accumulated to N110.31 billion in the last two years.
According to a Debt Management Office (DMO) Report, the China debt stock included the principal and repayment charges.

The DMO put the principal fee from January 2021 to December 2022 at N69, 009,417,500 ($153.85 million). It said the interest charges amounted to N41, 311,455,000 ($92.1 million).

The Federal Government were incurred for the completion of the Idu-Kaduna section of the Nigeria Railway Modernisation Project; the Lagos-Ibadan section of Nigeria Railway Modernisation Project and the Abuja Light Rail Project.

A breakdown of the data showed that in 2021, the Idu-Kaduna section’s principal fee was $38.46 million (about N17.25 billion) with $9.5 million (about N4.26 billion) as its interest. The Lagos-Ibadan section’s principal was not indicated, but the interest stood at $ 24.07 million (about N10.80 billion).

During the period, the Abuja Light Rail Project had its principal fee at $38.46 million (N17.25 billion) with an accumulated interest at $11.45 million (N5.14billion).

As at last year, the principal on Idu-Kaduna section was $38.46 million (N17.25 billion). The interest fee stood at $8.52 million (N3.82 billion).

The interest fee on the Lagos-Ibadan section was the highest. It stood at $28.06 million (N12.59 billion) with the principal amount not indicated. The Abuja Light Rail Project principal was $38.46 million (N17.25billion), with accumulated interest charges of $10.48 million (N4.70 billion).


The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has been able to generate N11, 606,737,070 in two years, despite not being able to service its N41.31 billion debt.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the sector realised N5,570,998,908 as revenue, which fell by N464,739,254 compared to the N6,035,738,162 generated in 2021.

In 2021, railway services generated revenue of N5, 697,512,095 from passengers, with goods realizing the sum of N299, 805,884 and other income receipts earmarked N38,420,183.

However, last year’s revenue indicated that N4,546,342,056 came from passengers, N416,856,190 was realized from goods and N607,800,662 was generated from other income.

While revenue generated from passengers fell last year, the goods and other income increased in productivity. Earlier, the NRC had identified insecurity as major impediment to the growth of rail services.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says he has lived in a most law-abiding manner all his life.

His comment comes in the wake of his reported detention at Heathrow Airport in London by UK immigration.

On April 12, LP announced that Obi was harassed and detained by London immigration officials over alleged impersonation.

The party said Obi was questioned for a “long time” and that it took the intervention of Nigerians for him to be released.

“He was questioned for a long time, and it was very strange for a man who lived for over a decade in that country,” the party had said.

“The high implication of the offence is that the impersonator could be committing all kinds of weighty crimes and other dubious acts and it would be recorded in Obi’s name.”

UK immigration remained silent about the incident, and Obi did not make an official statement regarding the development for almost a week.

However, in a Twitter thread on Tuesday, the LP presidential candidate said although “humans make mistakes,” he has never “knowingly” contravened the law.

Obi added that he is “not afraid of the lies and propaganda against my person” and has always known that the “journey to a New Nigeria” would be tough.

He then reiterated the cause of “regaining my mandate” and “transforming Nigeria starting from the North to every part of the nation”.

“I never expected the journey to a New Nigeria to be an easy one. The forces, who had over the years, lived off the old order, are bound to fight back, as is being experienced now,” the tweet reads.

“If they come at us through land, air and sea, we will respond to them through land, air and sea but, we will remain law abiding and will never give up on the nation. We are on the right path and we will remain committed to the course.

“I reiterate my commitment to building a Nigeria that will be beneficial to every Nigerian. The struggle to reclaim this mandate is not about me as a person but, about millions of Nigerians who placed their trust in me through their votes.

“There may be more mud-slinging from those who are against the emergence of the New Nigeria but, I would never be deterred by the obstacles along the way to victory. I have always lived my life in the most law-abiding manner.

“Sometimes as humans, we make mistakes but, I will never knowingly break any law. I am therefore not afraid of the lies and propaganda against my person. They are part of the journey to a New Nigeria.”

Obi finished third in the February 25 presidential election and has disputed the poll’s results and tendered a petition to the election tribunal.

Two candidates who seek to hold the third and fourth-highest offices in Nigeria are rumoured to be planning to bribe their fellow lawmakers with as much as $1 million each to get elected, officials have said.

Governors elected on the platform of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this ‘rumour’ in a memo to the country’s newly elected president, Bola Tinubu.

The governors under the aegis of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) said they were aware of ‘rumours’ that two lawmakers, one aspiring for Senate President and another for Speaker of the House of Representatives, have expressed willingness to offer between $500,000 and $1 million per lawmaker in exchange for votes.

Although they did not name the two candidates allegedly involved in the bribery scheme, they suggested the two candidates are members of the APC.

“Indeed, it is being rumoured that one aspirant for the Senate Presidency and another for Speakership are willing to offer as much as $500,000 to $1 million per vote. Opposition party members of the National Assembly are being courted with the likelihood of the 2015 situation presenting itself if care is not taken.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that PGF had in a memo called for the intervention of Mr Tinubu on the zoning of the principal offices of the federal parliament. The governors recommended a zoning formula for the offices.

According to the memo which is the outcome of a meeting held on 8 April, the governors warned Mr Tinubu that the “over-investment” by the aspirants may make zoning impossible if action is not taken quickly.

The governors noted that aspirants are offering newly elected lawmakers thousands of dollars for support, and some are willing to take the offer to a million dollars per vote.

“It is imperative that the President-Elect and the Party wade into this situation and announce an acceptable zoning formula as soon as possible. This is necessary to prevent over-investment by candidates, which leads to acrimony and bitterness. New Senators-elect and members-elect are being offered thousands of dollars.

“Indeed, it is being rumoured that one aspirant for the Senate Presidency and another for Speakership are willing to offer as much as $500,000 to $1 million per vote. Opposition party members of the National Assembly are being courted with the likelihood of the 2015 situation presenting itself if care is not taken,” the memo reads in part.

Composition of National Assembly

The ruling APC had after the 25 February election, emerged as the party with the majority in the 109-member Senate with its 57 elected senators.

However, it has yet to form a comfortable majority in the 360-member House of Representatives as it currently has about 162 members-elect.

Seven other parties with membership in the 10th session of the House have about 163 members-elect.

The numbers are expected to increase after the supplementary elections held across the country on Saturday. The elections were held in 31 federal constituencies and five senatorial districts.

Both chambers of the National Assembly will be inaugurated in June during which the presiding officers will be elected.


History of vote buying in Nigeria

Nigeria’s electoral process has been marred by vote buying as politicians offer money to voters in exchange for votes.

Party primaries in Nigeria are also marred by allegations of vote buying, particularly if only delegates are allowed to vote in such primaries.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how a Peoples Democratic Party delegate, Tanko Sabo, gave millions of Naira to some people in his local government after serving as a delegate at the primaries.

Mr Sabo told reporters in Kaduna that he made so much money because he was a delegate to the state assembly, National Assembly, governorship and presidential primaries of his party.

A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, last year, also alleged that aspirants at the APC presidential primary in June 2022 offered money to delegates.

Hoodlums guided by suspected armed security men on Saturday disrupted and snatched the ballot box at Umuarusi Amandugba hall in the Isu local government area of Imo state.

Vanguard was at the scene when about five thugs invaded the polling units at about 09:19 Am.

The thugs invaded the area despite the heavy presence of security men.

However, voters have expressed fears over the security armored vehicle patrolling the area before the snatching of the box.

One of them, who introduced himself as Chibuike, said: “We are afraid.

“You saw how they snatched the ballot box with security people around and you will know it was planned.

“We are afraid and we are not safe. How can an election be conducted with an armoured vehicle? This is wrong.”