₦airaland Forum

Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities (ASUU) has hinted of a fresh crisis that would surpass all previous ones in the nation’s universities.

It therefore called on the stakeholders and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to pay its members across the country their withheld eight months salaries.

The Chairman of ASUU, University of Ilorin branch, Prof Moyosore Ajao, raised the alarm on Monday at a special congress of the local branch held at the university’s main auditorium, Ilorin.

Ajao’s speech was read by the secretary of the union, Dr AbdulGaniyu Olatunji.

The university lecturers had staged a solidarity rally within the university campus before retiring to the auditorium where they addressed journalists on: “Casualisation of Intellectual Workers In Nigeria: Prelude To Our Response”.

And in Ibadan, the Ibadan zone of the Union protested at the University of Ibadan (UI), alleging victimization and double standard on the part of the Federal Government against it with regard to the suspended eight-month-old strike and financial discrepancies meted out to its members.

In his speech delivered during the protest, Professor Ayoola Akinwole, Chairman of the UI-ASUU), said that the Federal Government and its agents forced the ASUU into the February 14, 2022 strike following its refusal to honour the Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Union on December 2020.

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Alleging victimization, Akinwole noted that rather than addressing the demands of the Union, the FG “embarked on playing politics with the lives of Nigerians and moved quickly to stop the payment of ASUU-members’ salaries for seven months, leading to starvation and death of some members of the Union”.

Aisha Shafiu, a woman who accused the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, of ordering her husband’s arrest because he (Shafiu) left the All Progressives Congress (APC), has lost her three-month pregnancy after torture by secret police, the Department of State Services.

Aisha who is 28 years old had accused DSS operatives of assaulting her with pregnancy along six others including children and an old woman during the raid in Trademore Estate, Lugbe last month.

SaharaReporters had reported that Shafiu, a loyalist of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial District, was identified as one of the persons allegedly abducted by gunmen at Trademore Estate, in Abuja.
In a video seen by SaharaReporters, on Friday, Aisha narrated how armed gunmen invaded their house in October and took away many gadgets and N350,000.

She said, “Good days Nigerians. My name is Mrs Shafiu Aisha; the wife of Ibrahim Fari Shafiu, the man that was abducted on the 24th of October at Lugbe Trade Mall Estate, Abuja. I’m here to plead with Nigerians to come to my rescue. Since 31 days now, I have not seen my husband and my junior brother.

“On the 24th of October, 2022, heavily armed men broke in to our house and started molesting us; we were shown self-identification claiming to be DSS, we are six in number when they came in, I and my mother-in-law, my kids and my junior brother alongside my neighbour’s children. They tied us down and started beating us. They scattered everywhere. They packed our phones and our laptop and the sum of N350,000 from the house.

“My children are just three years and six years old; for the past 31days, they have not seen their father, they have been crying and asking for their father. Kogi State government is behind my husband’s abduction because a day after Salah, my husband went home to launch a campaign saying “no to violence and political thuggery in Ebira land.”

“Ever since then, he has been receiving threats from Kogi State Governor, and Chief of Staff; also in early October, he defected from the APC to PDP and that was what led to his abduction. I’m pleading with the Nigerians to come to my rescue. President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice Presidents, and NGOs, please come to my rescue for the past 31 days I’ve not seen my husband; my children are crying.
"I’m currently pregnant and my brother that was abducted with my husband was supposed to be in school for his clearance, he’s a student of Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Business administration and I was supposed to be in Camp now for my NYSC.

“I have not been able to print out my colour printer because my code is in my e-mail; I can’t access my e-mail without my phone because of my password; I’ve been traumatised since then and I cannot remember my password; I’ve been in and out of the hospital because of the way they molested us.

"My mother-in-law is looking for treatment, since then, she has not been feeling too well too. I am pleading with Nigerians to come to my rescue, President Mohammed Buhari, Vice President, to help me plead with the Kogi state Governor to free my husband and my Junior brother. They are innocent, they have not done anything wrong,” she pleaded.

However, in a scan report obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday issued by Yabisam hospital at FHA Lugbe, in Abuja, it was confirmed that Aisha had lost her twelve weeks’ pregnancy.

The report signed by one Dr Yaqub Ibraheem also noted that Aisha may need further medical attention to prevent complications to her uterus.

Meanwhile, a unicornuate uterus is said to be a genetic condition that causes only half of the uterus to form. As a result, one may have a single fallopian tube instead of two and a uterus that’s usually smaller in size.
Some of the known side effects include: breech pregnancy, increased risk for a cesarean delivery, increased risk for placenta previa and placental abruption, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth and preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor, stated over the weekend that the official foreign exchange receipt from crude oil sales into Nigeria’s official reserves has depleted from over $3.0 billion monthly in 2014 to zero dollar today.

At the 57th annual bankers’ lecture sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos on Saturday, Mr Emefiele said there was a significant loss in foreign reserves due to the naira’s struggle and the rise in demand for forex.

He stated that a severe crisis in the Nigerian foreign exchange market is putting pressure on the country’s reserves and suppressing the value of the naira.

“The official foreign exchange receipt from crude oil sales into our official reserves has dried up steadily from above $3.0 billion monthly in 2014 to an absolute zero dollar today,” he said.

The apex bank governor lamented that “increasing instances of crude oil theft have hurt” Nigeria’s ability to export enough crude oil and “consequently, its foreign exchange reserves are falling.”

Mr Emefiele explained that the inflation rate would continue to be high and beyond the 12.5 per cent threshold that supports growth. But he said CBN would maintain the current tight monetary policy stance in the near term amid rising inflation expectations and exchange market pressures.

In the face of a declining supply of foreign currency, market demand for commodities and invisible transactions has continued to rise across various uses.

The CBN governor claimed that the number of student visas granted to Nigerians by the UK alone climbed from an average of approximately 8,000 per year in 2020 to almost 66,000 in 2022, indicating an eight-fold increase to an annual outflow of $2.5 billion in foreign exchange tied to the UK alone.

https://dailytrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Halilu-Rabiu-in-action-763x400.jpg
Halilu Rabiu in action

Rabiu, the Nigerien tea vendor, owns a tea stall a few meters from Gwagwalada’s main market in the heart of New Kutunku, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT. Over the years, the way people enjoy their breakfast has changed and to satisfy customers’ needs, tea vendors have transformed into fast food joints, operating in temporary shanties along busy road networks, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

“In this makeshift shop, I prepare noodles, pepper soup, tea and sell Dambun Nama (shredded meat), as well as soft drinks; and I accept their payments in cryptocurrency,” says Halilu Rabiu, a local tea vendor tucked in a corner of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

Unlike regular tea vendors, otherwise called Mai shayi, Rabiu also recently transformed his two-year-old tea business by introducing cryptocurrency; a new means of payment, mostly used by high-tech savvy individuals or investors.

This crypto tea vendor does not just sell tea and bread, he combines tea selling with other Nigerian delicacies such as noodles, goat head pepper soup, shredded meat and soft drinks to accommodate more customers. Based on this expansion, Rabiu was motivated by his friends who are into Pi network—a type of cryptocurrency, to introduce it into his business. While he keeps mining his crypto, he also accepts cash payments from his customers.

Speaking to Daily Trust Saturday, the father of two noted that the only form of education he enjoys to date is the Islamic education he was fortunate to receive at a young age. “The world is changing; one needs to adapt to these changes,” he said referring to his new found versatility in business. “When my friend introduced me to the Pi project four months ago, I decided to give it a try by adding it to my business since no one in the tea business around Gwagwalada is doing it,” he said.

“Honestly, I don’t have much knowledge about it but so far, accepting Pi has not affected my business negatively, it has been successful. The things I did before incorporating Pi to my business has not stopped or changed,” he added.

The tea-selling business, commonly popular in the northern part of Nigeria, has continued to evolve over time. Initially, tea sellers hawk their merchandise on trays, holding a locally made kettle around busy streets and markets. Today, Mai Shayi are around corners of almost every community, stationed in make-shift shanties that are characterised with large tables and benches for customers’ comfort. And always, there is a radio set to keep customers entertained and spark discussions about politics, world affairs and life in general, over cups of hot tea with bread and noodles.

Incidentally, Pi—the type of cryptocurrency the tea vendor accepts, is surrounded by lots of controversies. Most importantly, the project has not made a public launch and it is yet to be valued on crypto markets as well as credible crypto platforms, locally and internationally. However, interest in the Pi network continues to grow.

The Pi network was developed by two Stanford University academics—Nicolas Kokkalis and Chengdiao Fan. They commenced operation in 2018, with the aim of creating digital money for everyone. In March 2019, they launched the Pi Network app that allows people to mine using just an internet connection.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that unlike bitcoin and other digital currencies, Pi is the first digital currency for everyday people as it allows anyone interested in it to mine on their mobile phones using an internet connection.

Cryptocurrencies are decentralized digital currencies designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network. One of their key features is that they do not rely on any central authority, such as banks or government to own or maintain them. Bitcoin was the first to be created in 2009.

Despite the crackdown on crypto by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2021, its adoption is rapidly on the rise in Nigeria. The apex financial regulator warned that trading cryptocurrency poses significant risks including and not limited to investment loss, money laundering and terrorism financing. According to an April report by a cryptocurrency exchange platform, KuCoin, more than a third of Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 60 invest in cryptocurrencies.

Even after Nigeria became the first country in Africa to roll out a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), eNaira, in October 2021, the country was ranked sixth on the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index by a blockchain analytics organization, Chainalysis.

The tea brewer knows from the information he received from his friends that the Pi coin is an unlisted token that is practically worthless since it has not yet been launched on any cryptocurrency exchange, yet he still accepts it. “This is a global thing and almost everyone I know is doing it. If I prepare anything my customers want, I collect 1 Pi for each N500 combo. I believe it will be profitable for me in the future. Even if it does not, that is how God has ordained it to be,” he said.

Despite being mocked by some of his friends for accepting Pi as a means of payment, Halilu Rabiu says he is determined to continue on the path he has chosen. So far, the tea brewer has saved up to 95 Pi, all from payments received from his business.

“I get mocked sometimes. People say my business will crash and I’ll become bankrupt. But I believe God is the only one who can decide that. Every celebrated business person on earth took risks before they reached the position they are today, as a common Mai Shayi, I need to take risks too,” he said confidently.

“No matter the quantity of Pi, 50 or 100, I will accept it and give you anything you want from my shop without any fear. Though, I don’t know when Pi will be valued. Maybe this year, next or even longer. One thing I am certain is, if it does, dead or alive, my lineage would certainly benefit from it,” he said.

Contrary to the belief of the tea brewer, Malam Idris Tanko, the Chairman of Gwagwalada Pi mega mall, an umbrella body that Rabiu belongs to, said the digital currency is already valued in Gwagwalada and its value depends solely on the agreement between the buyer and seller.

“For us in Gwagwalada, the digital currency is already valued. This is because Rabiu already accepts it as legal tender, I accept it too and give shoes. As a group, we are already accepting it and giving valuables with it. Our only hope is that its value gets better.”

“On a global level, Pi is in an enclosed system and the value depends on the agreement between the buyer and the seller for now. However, based on the global consensus price, 1 pi would be worth $314,159 (N139,009,074.32) if it enters the main net,” Tanko said.

However, Adamu Abubakar, a cyber security and blockchain expert, said those mining Pi are putting unrealistic expectations on the digital currency even though there is a likelihood for the cryptocurrency to be launched by December. He however warned that they should be wary of their digital information.

“There are possibilities of launching Pi this December. However, we all know that even when bitcoin was launched, it started at 1 cent until it gradually reached where it is today. Equally, we cannot on our own predict that Pi would be higher or lesser than bitcoin even though we hope it goes high, what will determine that is its acceptability and scarcity,” he said.

According to the expert: “I am not saying it will fail, but putting too much expectation on it even before it is launched is not advisable. This is because we have seen how other altcoins like OneCoin, Electroneum and Billion coin were hyped and they all failed.”

As for the crypto tea seller Rabiu, who has carved a unique identity for himself and his business, he remains hopeful that the digital currency would be valued and widely accepted by other business-like minds and Nigerians at large.

Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the number of Nigerians seeking foreign education is to blame for the fall of the naira.

Emefiele said this at the 57th Annual Bankers Dinner, organised by the Chartered institute of Bankers Nigeria (CIBN), in Lagos.

The dinner had the theme, “Radical Responses to Abnormal Episodes: Time for Innovative decision-making” was appropriate and well timed.

According to Emefiele, there was tremendous increase in visa issuances to Nigerians by the United Kingdom in 2022 alone.

The apex bank governor noted that the number of student visas given to Nigerians by the United Kingdom spiked from a yearly average of about 8,000 visas in 2020 to almost 66,000 in 2022, implying an eight-fold increase amounting to $2.5 billion yearly in study-related forex outflow to the UK alone.

He stated that the move had immensely put pressure on Nigeria’s foreign reserves and the Naira.

According to him, due to this and the need to increase forex earnings, the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee started the RT200 scheme in February 2022.

He added that the steady increase in headline inflation from 15.60 per cent in January to 20.77 per cent in September was consistent with global trends.

“Food remains the major component of domestic consumer price basket. The annualised uptick in headline inflation mirrors the 6.21 percentage points upsurge in food inflation to 23.34 per cent in September.

“During this period, core inflation also resumed an upward movement from 13.87 per cent in January to 17.60 per cent.

“In addition to harsh global spill overs, exchange rate adjustments and imported inflation; inflation was also driven by local factors such as farmer herder clashes in parts of the food belt region,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dino Melaye, has mocked Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over his gaffe during his presidential campaign rally in Lagos on Saturday.

While addressing a crowd of supporters in his hometown on Saturday, the former Lagos governor asked them to get their “APV”.

Although the context showed he meant Permanent Voter Card (PVC), the presidential candidate adjusted by saying APC.

“Do you love me? Do you love me? Go and take your APV…APC and you must vote,” Tinubu charged the cheering crowd.

Reacting, Melaye in a Facebook post said, “Why are these people wicked to this man? He called PVC, APV and corrected himself by calling it APC. Advance Dementia leleyi oooo. Get well soon Tinubu. SDM”

In recent times, the APC presidential candidate has suffered a number of gaffes while addressing the public.

Earlier this month, while speaking at the flag-off of his campaign in Plateau state, he concluded his speech, “God bless PD…APC.”

Also in October, Tinubu said Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has a vision of turning a “rotten situation to a bad one.”

He was speaking at the seventh edition of KadInvest, an annual event organised by the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency.

“We’re not going to let you run away, your vision, creativity and resiliency in turning a rotten situation to a bad one is necessary at this critical time, that’s why we are here today,” Tinubu told El-Rufai.

Critics of the ruling party have alleged that Tinubu is suffering dementia, a condition which they claimed has made him avoid debates and interactive sessions.

On Friday, Tinubu’s campaign announced that he would not attend ARISE TV townhall for presidential candidates.

In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, a spokesman of the campaign, the APC said Tinubu had been interacting directly with Nigerians.

Tinubu’s team has also denied rumors of his alleged ill health, saying he is as fit as fiddle.

A female Argentinian reporter, Dominique Metzger has been robbed while on duty at the World Cup, with money and documents stolen from her handbag.

Metzger was broadcasting from the Corniche area of Doha in the build up to the first match of the tournament when she reported the items were stolen.

‘I had my small bag on me with all the things that one needs, my wallet, the keys to our hotel room, some napkins,’ Metzger told a TN network anchor.

‘And you were dancing, right?’ the anchor asked her.

‘Yes, I was dancing with the crowd and I’m convinced that it was at that moment when someone opened the bag zipper and took my wallet,’ she replied.

‘I didn’t realise at that moment, you know you’re live on air, with music and crowds around you, and I was focused on you talking to me too. So I wasn’t paying attention.

‘After I finish my live report, I wanted to take my wallet to buy a water bottle and then I realised I didn’t have it.’

Metzger confirmed that she reported the incident to the local police, and was surprised by their response.

She said that officials later assured that they will identify the suspect, adding that she was asked to choose the punishment for the criminal.

‘”Do you want us to sentence him to five years in prison, to be deported?” He asked me, to make the decision.’

‘I told them I just want my wallet back, I won’t be making the decision for the justice system,’ she said.

By Joe Chukindi

A young man whose identity is yet to be ascertained has allegedly committed suicide over a failed relationship.

A source said the incident happened on Friday at Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra.

It was gathered that the man who is a final Year student of the polytechnic was already doing his Industrial Attachment (IT), preparatory to graduation, when he was jilted by his lover.

A student of the institution, Iyke Orji who disclosed this described the deceased as one who was “full of energy and life, and an intelligent boy with close to distinction (First class)”.

Orji further said: “He’s currently in his IT days, a student of Public Administration. He decided to stay in Oko for his one year industrial training, (but) instead of focusing on his training, he decided to search for true love.”

The account said that his girlfriend recently broke up with him, and the news devastated him, and on Friday, when he couldn’t endure it, he drank sniper insecticide and died.

Public relations officer of the institution, Mr Chijioke Ibeziakor was not available to react to the incident, as calls to his mobile phone were not attended to.

The state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga was not available to confirm the incident as he could not be reached as at press time.

By Segun Ige


In a town hall meeting with private sector stakeholders on Thursday, the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima, was shamed as stakeholders walked away.

This was after the party’s Imo campaign rally in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on Wednesday.

In a video obtained by FIJ, the moderator could be heard pleading with some of the partners, particularly the guests.

“Please, can we be seated? One house, please. Our PIB guests in the front here. Please, we are still on live television. We are still on live TV, please,” he said.

While the state’s governor, Hope Uzodinma, said the stakeholders should sit as the meeting was not over, the moderator asked security men to man the gate properly.

Before now, Shettima was heard in a leaked audio describing the Igbo people as “useless and irrelevant” while conversing with a former Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun.

He claimed that the Igbo people had been the ones supplying Boko Haram with ammunition, and that they intentionally killed Major General Mohammed Shuwa in the civil war.

“Our prayer now is may God remove the influence of the southeast in our region. That is all we are praying for left and right now,” Shettima said.

“And I am telling you, after four years – at least we the north are liberal –but in the southeast, Kunle, after four years, Igbos can never be useful and relevant again in the southeast. Wait and see.”

There was a mild drama at the upper legislative chamber, the Senate when the Ministry of Defence through the minister, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd) and the Parmanent Secretary, Dr.Ibrahim Kana disowned over N11 billion allegedly inserted into the proposed 2023 budget of the ministry.

The drama began when the Senate Committee on Defence uncovered the alleged insertion during the defence of the proposal for spending estimates presented to it by the minister and other officials of the ministry.

The alleged insertion, which was detected by the vice chairman of the committee, Senator Itsifanus Gyang, comprises N8.6 billion earmarked for procurement of military hardwares/ equipment and N2.25billion for Safe School Initiatives. Commenting on the development, Gyang stated that “Hon Minister, in the proposed 2023 budget of your Ministry N8.6billion is discovered to have been allocated for purchase of military hardwares and N2.25billion for Safe School Initiatives.

“The two items, when critically viewed, were not supposed to be in the Ministry’s budget since hardware procurements are done by the Army, Navy and Air Force and Safe School Initiative by the Federal Ministry of Education. These to us are duplications of budgetary votes which require explanations from you.” Responding to the query, the Minister sought for permission of the Committee for the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, to respond.

Kana told the committee that the sums were inserted into the ministry’s budget by the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed. “The two budgetary votes were not initiative of the Ministry. The Ministry of Finance and National Planning put them there,” he said.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, told the Minister that both the N8.6 billion and N2.25 billion proposals for procurement of hardwares and Safe School Initiatives, would be expunged from the Ministry’s budget.

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja


There was a mild drama on the floor of the Senate yesterday when members of the ad – hoc committee on oil theft, disowned report presented by their Chairman, Senator Akpan Bassey for consideration and adoption.

The Senate had on April 14, 2022, constituted a 13 – member Ad – Hoc Committee on Oil Lifting , Theft and the impact on Petroleum Production and Oil Revenues under the Chairmanship of Bassey, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) .


Seven months after the assignment however, the committee presented its report for Senate’s consideration and adoption at Senate in plenary.

The Senate panel Chairman ran into trouble when some of its members disowned the report.

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo – Agege who presided had noted that only six out of the 13 members signed the report presented to him.

Omo – Agege ‘s observation triggered open confessions by some members of the committee who out rightly disowned the report .

Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East ), openly told the Senate that the six signatures attached to the report were taken from attendance list taken at the first sitting of the Committee in April .

He said, “Mr. President and Distinguished Colleagues, only three and not six members of the committee signed the report.

“As a member, I attended the first meeting along with five other Senators whose signatures were attached to the report.

“After the first meeting, I was not invited for any other meeting and I did not attend any, making this report before us today, a very strange one to me,” he said.

Another member of the Committee, Senator Kashim Shettima (APC Borno Central), said as a member of the committee, he was never invited for any meeting and cannot say anything on the report being presented to the Senate for consideration and approval.

The Deputy Senate President called Senator George Sekibo as a member of the committee to give the way out of the problem.

Sekibo suggested that the report should be withdrawn for consensus among committee members between now and Monday next week for re – presentation next Tuesday at plenary .

Omo – Agege consequently put the suggestion to voice votes with majority of the Senators concurring to it .

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate an alleged un-even disbursement of N500 billion loan by the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN).

The red chamber also urged the bank to ensure equitable disbursement of the loan in the six geo-political zones of the country.

It called on the bank to expand its loan facilities beyond the five sectors already captured by it.

He said the top five sectors considered for the loan were oil and gas (42 per cent, manufacturing (16 per cent), agriculture, forestry and fishery (7.2 per cent), trade and commerce (6.3 per cent) and transportation and storage (3.5 per cent).

The resolutions of the Senate followed its consideration of a motion titled: “Un-even disbursement of half a trillion Naira loan to six geo-political regions by Nigeria’s Development Bank.”

The motion was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Ndume (Borno South) and co-sponsored by Senator Mohammed Bomai (Yobe South).

Ndume in his lead debate, urged the Senate to note that there exists a huge disparity and un-even disbursement of N500 billion loan to the six geo-political regions of the country in 2021 by the Development Bank of Nigeria.

He claimed that Lagos State got 47 per cent of the loan which amounted to over N274.7 billion while all states in the North accessed only 11 per cent in the sum of over N53 billion.

He urged his colleagues to be worried that the South West accessed a lion share of 57 per cent of the loan amounting to N274.7 billion.

He said the South South accessed N81 billion (17 per cent), Federal Capital Territory and North Central region got N53 billion (11 per cent), South East – N43 million (9 per cent), North West – N24 billion (5 per cent) and the North East – N4.8 billion (one per cent).

He reminded the chamber that the DBN exists to alleviate financing constraints faced by Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country through, “providing finance, partial credit guarantees, and technical assistance to eligible financial intermediaries on a market conforming and fully financially sustainable.”

He insisted that it was regrettable that lack of awareness of the existence of the loan or the bank and religious belief that precludes Muslims from taking interests loans and lack of formalisation of business had aided the alleged un-even loan disbursement.

By Tope Omogbolagun


The Senate witnessed a rowdy session on Wednesday as senators deliberated a motion on the Naira Redesign Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, moved by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Uba Sani.

Sani, in the prayers to his motion, urged the Senate to provide legislative support for the policy.

He also wants the Senate to mandate his committee to embark on aggressive oversight on the matter.

He urged the Senate to support the CBN redesign policy, including the January 31 deadline for compliance.

Matters, however, became controversial when Senators Ali Ndume, Abiodun Olujimi, Betty Apiafi, Barau Jibrin, Chukwuka Utazi, and Orji Kalu, supported the CBN policy but suggested the extension of the deadline for compliance.

Kalu specifically wanted the Senate to invite the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, to throw more light on the policy, praying that he should be persuaded to extend the deadline to April 30, 2023.

But Senator Gabriel Suswam disagreed with Kalu and others, claiming that the CBN governor had always shunned the Senate invitations.

He urged his colleagues to ignore the CBN policy and let the country damn the consequences.

In his submission, Senator Bassey Akpan, stressed the need to support the CBN governor. He said there should be no discussion on the matter.

Suswam and Akpan’s submissions did not go down well with those seeking the extension to the deadline, which led to a rowdy session at plenary.

It took the persistent appeals by the presiding officer, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to bring calm to the floor after 10 minutes of intense arguments among the senators.

Senator Ndume had earlier said there were only five banks in the entire 27 local government areas of Borno State since the insurgency started in the state.

Senator Olujimi also said one and a half month was too short to withdraw all the money in circulation to avoid shutting down the economy.

She said the Senate should invite the CBN governor for further explanation on the issue.


Senator Apiafi said rural banking had been shut down, hence the January deadline should be extended.

She said counterfeiting was not enough reason to change the naira notes.

She added that the implications of the redesign should be criticality examined in view of the fact that bandits had said they would be collecting ransom in foreign currencies if the naira notes were redesigned.

Senator Barau Jibrin said naira redesign could not halt terrorism but could only reduce it.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi said, because of the rural nature of the country, the leadership of the Senate should interface with the CBN governor to explain the implications on the peculiarity of the country, adding that the CBN should visit all the rural communities to get first-hand information.

Senator Orji Kalu suggested the extension of the deadline from January 31 to April 30, adding that the Committee on Banking and Finance should meet with the CBN governor on the matter.

Deputy President of the Senate said it was the prerogative of the CBN to redesign the naira and put deadline for compliance.

The Senate, after the rowdy session, offered to provide legislative support for the policy.

It also mandated the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions to go on oversight to ensure that Nigerians were adequately protected from the CBN, banks and other agencies involved in the process.

It was another sad moment in the anals of Nigerian track and field after five athletes were convicted for money laundering in the United States of America.

In a judgement delivered on November 10 in the Southern District of Mississippi, the five collegiate athletes, Aniekeme Etim, Raymond Ekevwo, Toluwani Adebakin, Mercy Abire and Emmanuel Ineh, were convicted before U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson for transferring thousands of dollars to Nigeria as part of a complex fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Field Office.

In a statement on the website of the US Department of Justice website, the five athletes, including a Zimbabwean, Ugoni Chadyiwa, face up to a 10-year jail term expected to start in February 2023 after they all pleaded guilty to the charge.

“According to court documents, all the six individuals pleaded guilty to violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activities, collectively sending tens of thousands of illicitly obtained proceeds to fraudsters in Nigeria as part of a larger mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy,” the statement read.

“The scheme involved Track and Field athletes from multiple higher learning institutions in the United States, with part of the conspiracy being operated out of Hattiesburg while the Ineh and Adebakin were Track and Field teammates at William Carey University. William Carey University was cooperative throughout the investigation. “The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2023 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.” Speaking with our correspondent, a Nigerian coach based in the US, who craved anonymity said it was a shame that the athletes allowed themselves to be used for such a criminal activity. He added that the problem of most athletes is that they don’t speak out to people around them who would have been of help to them.

By Segun Ige


On Wednesday, November 10, President Muhammadu Buhari had a meeting with King Charles III in the Buckingham Palace in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s bilateral relations with the United Kingdom.

This was after the president traveled to the king’s country for his two-week routine medical check-up on October 31. In an after-meeting interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari stated that the 73-year-old monarch had asked him whether he ever owned a house in the UK.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSBiZmriJaI

“He (King Charles III) asked me whether I have a house here (in the UK). I said, ‘No. I live in Nigeria alone; the only house I have are those I had before I got into government and I am not very much interested in having houses all over the place. I feel much freer when I have nothing,'” Buhari said.

Why did it matter that Nigeria’s president had a house in the UK? Obviously, Buhari took King Charles’ question literally, as it would make a lot of sense if the point raised by the monarch was whether Buhari had any business or contract in the UK for him to have abandoned his duty of protecting lives and property as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
On October 21, ten days before Buhari’s departure to London for health reasons, King Charles sent a message of condolence to him, expressing how “deeply saddened” he was about Nigerians who had been “dreadfully affected” by “devastating floods”.

“I know that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Nigeria as you recover from these truly terrible events,” the king said. “I wanted you to know how deeply saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones and whose lives have been so dreadfully affected as a consequence of the devastating floods across Nigeria.”

“We remember with the greatest affection our visits to Nigeria and the kindness of the people we met.

“However inadequate this may be under such tragic circumstances, our most heartfelt sympathy is with all those who have suffered so much, and our thoughts are with those working to support the recovery efforts.

“I know that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Nigeria as you recover from these truly terrible events.”

At the time the letter was written, over 1,302,589 persons had been displaced, 2,504,095 affected, 2,407 persons injured and 82,053 houses completely damaged. But was Buhari saddened like King Charles? If he was, what did he do before travelling to London to take care of himself?

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs warned that states like Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa were still at risk of experiencing floods up till the end of November, while urging state and local governments to take responsibilities over their citizens.

Apart from the fact that millions of Nigerians have been displaced and devastated by floodwaters, Nigeria has become a lucrative business enterprise for kidnappers.

Not only has the president himself been threatened to be abducted by terrorists, but abduction has also spread like wildfire across the country.

“This is our message to the government of Nigeria: by God’s grace you will never see your leaders. Your senators and governors will come before us. These ones you are seeing here, we will keep as slaves and sell some of them off. By God’s grace El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here,” the Abuja-Kaduna train attackers said in a video obtained by FIJ.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vlFUEx_vgw

In the southwest, most especially along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, some Fulani bandits kidnapped five persons while injuring several others who tried to escape on Friday, October 28, at 5 pm.

An eyewitness FIJ spoke with on the phone said he saw a Mercedes Benz left open and a Sienna car with its passengers missing.

“I saw another commercial bus with passengers coming out of the bush. The gang of this kidnappers always strikes within Ogun State borders when operation OP-MESA security team would have left their spot,” the eyewitness said.

“It seems a coordinated attack because the OP-MESA security team is not ready to dislodge those deadly kidnappers from the bush.”


THE US EMBASSY TERROR ALERT

On October 27, the Us Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US Embassy employees and their family members from Abuja “due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks there”.

The Travel Advisory warned the entire country to “reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and maritime crime”.

On October 23, the US Embassy in Abuja gave emergency information to American citizens on the “elevated risk of terror attacks” in the Federal Capital Territory.

“There is an elevated risk of terror attacks in Nigeria, specifically in Abuja. Targets may include, but are not limited to, government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, athletic gatherings, transport terminals, law enforcement facilities, and international organizations,” the embassy said.

It was all this that Buhari left in Nigeria and jetted out to London again. So, if you were King Charles, would you not ask Buhari what he was always looking for in the UK?

A journalist who works for Arise TV, Mary Chinda, has narrated how she escaped death by a whisker alongside journalists from other media houses at the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential rally that took place in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

The convoy of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, reportedly came under attack by suspected thugs, as some party supporters were injured and several vehicles vandalised.

Chinda, who sustained muscular injuries during the attack, said she almost lost her life.

According to her, journalists were attacked despite being with the PDP presidential candidate’s convoy.

She said, “While on the way to the campaign ground, the PDP presidential candidate’s convoy was attacked as we made to leave the palace of the Shehu of Borno. In a bid to escape the aggressive and rowdy crowd, I hurried into a Marcopolo luxury bus that carried the National Woman Leader and other party officials. As we moved, stones and what sounded like dane guns were pelted at our bus. I lost balance and tripped over as the driver swerved the car to get us to safety.

“I went blank and lost consciousness for a split second, until I was lifted by Mr. Osaro and Mr. Mohammed of the presidential campaign council who provided first aid from the medical team.”

Meanwhile, one person has reportedly died following the attack.

The governorship candidate of the PDP in Borno State, Mohammed Jajari, who confirmed the incident during an interview on Channels TV, said over 100 injuries were recorded in the aftermath of the attack.

Multiple sources on Friday told SaharaReporters that the officer attached to the Federal Operations Unit Zone D in Adamawa State had been arrested and detained.

Owombo Segun John, an officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who raised the alarm on how refined petroleum products, especially the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, is being smuggled to Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic and other African countries has been detained.

Owombo, a Superintendent of Customs (SC) in a video had narrated how he arrested so many smugglers on Wednesday, November 2, at Malabo Checkpoint on Belel Road, Adamawa state.

He however said senior officials of the NCS called him to release the suspects.

Multiple sources on Friday told SaharaReporters that the officer attached to the Federal Operations Unit Zone D in Adamawa State had been arrested and detained.

“He has been detained by the Comptroller over the video,” a source told SaharaReporters.

Daily, at least 42 million litres of petrol are smuggled out of Nigeria at a resultant cost of about N2 billion, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

In November 2019, the NCS announced a directive that restricted petroleum products from being supplied to fuel stations within 20 kilometres of the borders.

Prior to that, the NNPC had raised the alarm about the increasing number of filling stations in border towns, saying they were funnels for fuel smuggling to neighbouring countries.

With millions of Nigerians grappling with periodic fuel shortages, the porous borders, spanning over 17,000 kilometres, make it possible for the product to be smuggled to these neighbouring countries easily.

According to a recent report by Deutsche Welle (DW), a German public state-owned international broadcaster, smugglers are having a field day selling Nigerian fuel at cheaper rates than the conventional petrol stations in Cameroon.

The Deutsche Welle (DW) reports that although the exact volume of smuggled Nigerian petrol to Cameroon is not known, local media reports in Cameroon put the ‘black market’ illegal trade at $5million (about N1.905 billion) every year.

According to a survey by the German media in Maroua, the capital city of the Far North region of Cameroon, stolen fuel from neighbouring Nigeria is readily available for sale.

Even when Nigerians are faced with shortages, it was learnt that the supply is constant in Cameroon.

Nigerian singer, Kizz Daniel, has been confirmed as one of the headline performing artistes at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The World Cup organisers, FIFA, made the confirmation on Friday as they listed the five official performing artistes for the event.

In FIFA’s list of headliners for the FIFA Fan Festival during the World Cup, Kizz Daniel is the only African artiste performing alongside five international award-winning singers.

For the lineup, American DJ and Music Producer, Diplo, will perform on November 22 while Kizz Daniel’s performance is slated for November 23.

Canadian crooner, Nora Fatehi, will perform on November 29; American singer, Trinidad Cardona, on December 1 and Scotland’s Calvin Harris on December 10.

FIFA shared the lineup on its official Instagram page on Friday.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to hold in Qatar from Sunday, 20 November to Sunday, 18 December, 2022.

This is a dream come true for the singer as he once tweeted in June about his wish to perform at the World Cup.

Kizz Daniel has earned his mark in the industry as a viral hit maker.

His single, “Buga”, which he features Tecno, garnered recognition from around the world as world leaders and celebrities joined in the viral Buga Challenge.

In October, Kizz Daniel released yet another hit track “Odo” (Cough) which is currently a sensation on the Internet.

Several customers of some online money lenders have complained of undignified ways the lenders often employ to recover loans from them. These illegal practices, according to the victims, include declaring the debtors dead, designing and circulating their obituary to family and friends or tagging them HIV positive, among others.

Some of the aggrieved customers narrated how their contacts received messages that they were HIV positive. A message sent to one of the contacts reads: This is to inform the general public that xxxxxx with phone number 09034056*** has tested positive to HIV/AIDS and escaped from the healthcare facility with the mindset of infecting the public. Kindly avoid her and contact the nearest police station or healthcare centre so that she can be apprehended and taken back to the health centre.

Findings by LEADERSHIP Data Mining Department revealed that there are thousands of similar cases involving online money lenders and their clients who force re-payment of loans by sending caveat SMS to the mobile contacts of their defaulters in such a way that damages their customers’ reputation by portraying them as people of questionable character.Loan Sharks Persist With Cruel Recovery Practices

This is happening despite clampdowns by regulators, especially the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which has led collaborative efforts to address the prevailing abusive and arm-twisting practices of the loan sharks, another name for fake loan apps in Nigeria.

How Fake Loan Sharks Carry Out Operations

Millions of Nigerians who lack bank accounts or security to borrow turn to these lenders for loans starting from as low as N2,000. In turn, they experience character assassination, cyberbullying, physical abuse, public shaming, and extortion among others from these loan sharks. Many have taken to social media to complain about harassment when they default and their contact details being shared with third parties without their approval. They are known for their aggressive recovery methods; the lenders charge interest as high as 45% per annum. Applicants download an app, fill a form and are asked to allow the lender access to their contacts for risk management purposes. They have strict terms of collection upon failure, including sending threatening, shaming and defamatory messages to the customer and their phone contact list and generally operating outside the law. In essence, loan sharks operate illegally and are thus usually referred to as illegal loan apps and platforms.

A loan App, 9Credit, has been accused of unethical and untoward practices which include charging customers dubious high interest, giving out loans for only seven days instead of a minimum of 60 days as stipulated in the law and for always defaming and threatening its customers and their contact list.

This person has CURRENTLY REFUSED to REPAY the company’s money (NC) and has refused pick our calls. Please contact us if you have any information about this person as soon as possible, else the company will be FORCED to take LEGAL ACTION to RECOVER THIS fund.

The FCCPC on August 18 said it had conducted search and seize operations against at least five lenders. One of those targeted was Lagos-based Soko Lending Limited, FCCPC chief executive Babatunde Irukera said.

Last year, Nigeria’s central IT agency, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), imposed a sanction of N10 million ($23,900) on Soko Lending Company Limited (Soko-loan), a Chinese-owned shark, for privacy invasion.

Soko was “one of the most prolific actors in violating consumer privacy, fair lending terms and ethical loan repayment/recovery practices,” Irukera said. On its website, Soko says it is a “simple, entirely online lending platform” and can process loan requests in five minutes.

Investigations also showed that Sokoloan had been accused of infractions of the scam lending which include: Giving loans for seven days as against the 91 to 360 days displayed in Google Play store; not giving loan up to N300,000 as it claimed; does not declare its real charges; failure to pay back when due will have their staffers harass the customers, threaten them and send messages to people on their contact list – that the customers should not be trusted and be told to pay back your debt.

Janet Henry, 41, a mother of six and a civil servant, needed urgent cash to sort out some expenses. She applied and got a loan from Soko-loan. “I saw the terms of Soko-loan on a Facebook ad but I was unaware that the service had been blacklisted by the federal government. Towards the last days of February (2022), I borrowed N18,000 ($43) from the Soko-loan app. During the application, the app displayed 92 days as the minimum loan tenure but after I had submitted my data, I saw an interest rate of (about) 45% for 14 days!” she said.

In Ibadan, one Ramota Ajayi also borrowed N18,000 from a loan lending App that took a few minutes to process. With over 500,000 subscribers that had already installed the app on their phone via Google Play Store, she thought their services would be top-notch. She was to pay back the loan in eight days. This action breaches Google Play Store updated rules for an App to be listed on its platform. According to Google Play Store rules, a financial app offering short term loans on its platform should give borrowers not fewer than 60 days from the date of issue to repay any loan. Two days before the payment deadline, Ajayi got abusive calls and WhatsApp voice notes from the company’s debt officer saying she would share her information with her contacts if she didn’t pay on time.

“I will send your names to all your contacts and destroy you if you want me to lose my job since you won’t pay on time,” the debt officer who identified herself as Florence said.

Ajayi paid N22,500, including interest, on the due date and wrote an email asking the company to sack the debt collection officer for being rude. They replied and promised to investigate but never did. But she continued to get abusive WhatsApp voice notes from the debt collection officer weeks after clearing her debts, and the firm did not intervene.

Regulators’ Clampdown

The executive vice chairman/chief executive officer of FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, said that the commission was working closely with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to end the menace.

“We have so far frozen 50 accounts. We have taken over 12 applications off the Google Play Store and we are in discussions with more than 10 companies right now. The rate of defamatory messages has dropped by at least 60 per cent. I am not saying they have stopped but they have dropped by at least 60 per cent. More than half of the companies that are currently before us have agreed that they will have to modify their behaviour, including sacking some employees who sent defamatory messages. We are developing a regulatory framework that will involve other regulators, and we are prosecuting at least one company right now,” he said.

Also, FCCPC had directed payment systems operators, telecommunication companies and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to stop providing services that enable the operations of illegal online lenders. It also said a Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending had been developed and adopted by the inter-agency Joint Regulatory and Enforcement Task Force to establish a clear regulatory framework for the sector.

Experts’ Views

Financial experts said that before 2016 there were loan apps in operation but cases of default and unethical repayment practices were very uncommon. However, according to them, gradually money sharks started to exploit the hardship faced by the masses by dangling mouth-watering quick loan options without collateral.

According to an IT expert, Andrew Ojo, the government should make a policy that enables easy loan collection from banks to the general public who do not have a salary account.

‘‘They should regulate the creation and operation of fintech startups to ensure human rights and privacy protection to their clients. The government should apprehend and prosecute any fintech company which does not comply with the rules and regulations provided by the government and/or engage in any crude means of recovery, hence causing their clients physical or psychological damage,’’ he said.

Another IT expert based in Lagos, John Ugochukwu, said the ease of securing a loan without leaving one’s comfort zone has added to people falling victim to loan sharks.

Key Findings

Checks by the LEADERSHIP Data Mining department revealed that in 2021, there were 144 fintech startups in Nigeria. McKinsey report puts the number of standalone fintech startups at over 200.

The Battle Against Loan Sharks Not Over

The battle against loan sharks in Nigeria by the FCCPC may be far from over as the lending apps continue their activities of blackmailing and invading the privacy of their customers. Also, many Nigerians have also formed the habit of taking loans from these platforms without an intention to pay back and the loan sharks are aggressively pushing for recovery by every means possible, including sending messages to all contacts of the borrowers.

By Gloria Nwafor


Employers of labour in the food and beverage sector have concluded plans to leave Nigeria and relocate their factories to neighbouring West African countries over alleged outrageous excise duty on carbonated drinks and multiple taxation by the Federal Government.

The employers, who called on the Federal Government to take urgent action to save the business environment from collapsing, said relocating their factories to neighbouring countries was the next line of action, where production cost is lesser and the finished products will be brought back to Nigeria to sell, making Nigeria to be at the receiving end.

This was disclosed by workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), revealing the employers’ plans in separate letters to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, titled, ‘Federal Government Save Our Soul, Food Sector is Dying because of Multiple Excise Duty /Taxation’.

The union said the introduction of the excise duty has crippled the business since January this year till date.

The letters signed by President of NUFBTE, Lateef Oyelekan, called on the Federal Government to save the sector from extinction as the 10 per cent excise duty placed on carbonated drinks and excess taxation has caused the sack of over 5,000 employees in the last eight months.

Oyelekan said all the facts given by the union could be verified from the Customs officers deployed to each food factory.

According to the NUFBTE president, finished products in companies are being discarded because of their expiration and lack of purchase from customers because of product price increase.

He said: “The life span of finished products (FCMG) is six month. Over billions of products have expired and will be discarded because of the price increase of the finished products.

“Billions of naira raw materials of the products will be expiring in December and January. The production of goods daily that was formerly 12 hours per day, six days a week (Monday to Saturday) has now reduced to eight hours per day and three times a week.

“Companies that have six production lines have shut three lines down and most companies are now left with three lines to produce due to the excess percentage on excise duty and taxation. Companies are struggling to produce.”

The letter read further, “Having said that, in the past years companies like Nigeria Bottling Company, Nigeria Breweries Limited, Nestle, Seven Up Bottling Company, International Breweries, Nigeria Flour Mills to mention a few engaged Technical school holders, GCE holders, OND holders, HND holders and train them in the company’s technical training college for a year, after which they were employed. This is not the case again in recent times.

“Furthermore, each of the aforementioned companies employed close to 1000 workers in the past years, but sadly this exercise has stopped in the past two years due to the outrageous excise duty and taxation affecting the sector.”

by Sunday Isuwa


The deputy spokesperson of the Tinubu presidential campaign council, Hannatu Musawa, has said the 2023 presidential election is a two horse race between the governing All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

According to her, it is constitutionally impossible for the Labour Party (LP) to win because of spread.

Hannatu noted that the race is mainly for Tinubu to win, adding that the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar will come a distant second.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday, Hannatu said it is clear that Tinubu would win the 2023 presidential election because of the spread of the APC and his plans for Nigerians which he has presented as a document.

She stared: “Tinubu will win the 2023 presidential election because it is a two horse race. Atiku will come a distant second because the Labour Party doesn’t have the constitutional spread to win. The Labour Party and others that are contesting in the election are just there to benefit the system.

“It is a two-horse race. The votes are about Tinubu and Atiku. The closest to Tinubu is the PDP. NNPP, Labour and others have their base but none of them have the kind of structure that is required. APC has the structure and Tinubu will win. Peter Obi’s momentum is an advantage for the APC because he is only taking the PDP votes,” she stated.

Hannatu said the APC campaign team will use the remaining four months to the election to convince and educate the people on Tinubu’s action plans, urging Nigerians to interrogate the candidates not only on their action plans but their past records.

“I think the chances of our presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu is second to none, he is clearly the front-runner. There’s no doubt about it. I think at this point it is not so much about whether he will win, it is how much of a gap he’s going to win. I think with all that is unraveling at the moment, it is becoming clearer, because I see Bola Ahmed Tinubu coasting into victory in this election even though we still have a long way to go.

“I think there are strong contenders in the different political parties but this particular election cycle is actually a benefit to the system itself and not to affect the chances of the APC.

“This is a two-horse race. I’m not one of those who are of the opinion that the votes are going to be divided, ” she said.

Insisting that the closest contender to even have a chance to win the 2023 election is PDP, adding that NNPP and it’s candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso, are still hoping to have their base.

“Yes, the Labour Party have their base but I think neither of them have the sort of political leverage or the platform or the structure. You know, we keep on talking about structure, but I think none of them have the kind of structure that is required to be able to really make a difference in terms of who’s going to win the election because of the sort of constitutional requirements that we have in the Constitution.

“Part of the requirement is that a person has to win not less than one quarter of the votes in two thirds of the country, right? That is 24 different states. So, in order for you to be able to win, you have to go beyond your base.

“For example, if your base is the Northwest toward the southeast or Southwest, you have to be able to transcend beyond that and neither the Labour party or the NNPP who are probably the closest contenders after PDP have the ability, or the capacity to be able to reach the sort of constitutional requirements.

“So, can I say that PDP is the closest contender. For the Labour party, it is constitutionally impossible for the party to win.

On whether five governors of the APC would be joining the PDP, Hannatu said it is just wishful thinking.

“I think that’s a little bit of what we call wishful thoughts. There’s no governor at this point that will want to leave the APC. There’s no reason for any governor to move over to PDP because all the governors are very much accommodated within the structure of the APC and at the same time, like I said, the trajectory is looking more as if APC is going to win. So, I think it may even be a little bit of a political suicide for any governor to do that.

“I don’t think there’s any governor that would want to leave. I go to a lot of the rallies, town hall meetings and engagements and I see all the governors being intact. And I think it is a tactic that the APC probably is trying to use in order to counter the fact that the PDP has G-5 governors within their own party that have even come out to express themselves that they’re not going to support the PDP,” Hannatu added.

by Anayo Onukwugha


The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has directed Multichoice to sublicense some of its channels to an indigenous digital broadcasting firm, Metro-Digital Limited, thereby putting an end to years of monopoly in the digital broadcasting industry.

The NBC, in a letter dated October 25, 2022, addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of Multichoice, which was sighted by our correspondent, said the directive was based on the provisions of the NBC Code as amended.

The letter, which was signed by the Commission’s Head of Legal, George Obi, on behalf of the NBC Director-General, reads in part: “You are hereby directed to comply with the 6th edition of the NBC Code as amended pursuant to Metro-Digital’s request for channel sublicensing as ordered by the Federal Court of Appeal.”

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday on the development, Managing Director of Metro-Digital, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwafor, expressed happiness that the NBC finally complied with the Court of Appeal judgement of July 13, 2022.

Nwafor also expressed appreciation to the federal government, especially the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the NBC, for the roles played towards repositioning the broadcast industry.

He said: “We are glad to announce today that NBC has complied with the order of the Court. The end of monopoly in Nigeria broadcasting industry will enhance competition, innovation and quality of service delivery.

“The industry will experience rapid growth and consumers will benefit from the competitive pricing that follows.

“We commend and appreciate the role played by the federal government, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and NBC for repositioning of the industry and end of monopolistic practices that have held the industry down for a long time.

“We also like to commend the Nigerian judiciary for the thorough and painstakingly job to ensure sanity and a level playing field in the Nigerian broadcasting industry.”

Nwafor, who stated that the company laid off over 50 workers within the three years it was in Court with Multichoice, said the firm intends to start operations by the third week of November.

He said: “We were in court for three years and we laid off over 50 workers in the process. We submitted 52 channels and that was granted by the Court.

“We hope to start operation by next week. We have written to them but they have not responded. So, we have not started receiving their signals.

“The NBC directive is binding based on the NBC code and if they fail to Multichoice fails to comply, the penalty is suspension of their license.”

By Abdulyassar Abdulhamid


The race to the 2023 elections is getting more interesting as the four leading presidential candidates unveiled their manifestoes to familiarise Nigerians with what they intend to do if elected president.

On Sunday the citizens also had the opportunity to listen to the candidates during a town hall meeting organized in Abuja by Arise TV in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development.

However, many Nigerians who were eager to interact directly with the candidates were disappointed, as two of the leading presidential standard bearers absented themselves from the event.

The political gathering was not the first in 2022. A week to the Osun governorship election Channels Television in partnership with Situation Room organized a debate which featured five governorship candidates in the state.

The candidates included the incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who was seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Lasun; Dr Oyegoke Omigbodun of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); and Dr Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party.

Political debates and town hall meetings give the electorate the opportunity to hear directly from candidates who are expected to discuss key issues prior to elections. However, some Nigerian politicians boycott such events, most times without giving genuine reasons.

Daily Trust takes a look at some notable politicians who at one time or another shunned debates and town hall meetings.


Tinubu

The APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, was absent from the town Hall meeting organised by ARISE TV on Sunday.

The presidential candidates of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and Labour Paty (LP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Peter Obi respectively were in attendance, while Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State stood in for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

On why Tinubu was absent, the spokesman for the campaign council, Festus Keyamo, Tinubu had earlier turned down similar invitations from other TV and radio stations, and therefore could not give preference to Arise TV.

He said, “The busy and hectic campaign schedules of Asiwaju Tinubu will not permit him to honour all such invitations by different radio and TV networks, hence our decision for him not to start with one TV station and later ignore others.”


Atiku Abubakar

In reaction to Buhari’s not attending a debate organised by the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria (BON) in the buildup to the 2019 general elections, Atiku, also the PDP presidential candidate then, pulled out of the exercise.

He said he did not believe in challenging an administration where President Muhammadu Buhari, the man at the helm of affairs of the nation, was not present to defend himself or his policies.

He said, “We came here for a Presidential debate, not a candidacy debate, and I, Atiku Abubakar cannot challenge or question an administration where the man at the helm of the affairs of the nation is not present to defend himself or his policies. After all you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence.

In a statement, the vice president said he was physically present at the venue of the debate but decided not to participate because Buhari refused to honour the invitation.

In a similar development, Atiku sent his running mate, Governor Okowa, to represent him during the town hall meeting organized by Arise TV on Sunday.


Mohammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is at the tail-end of his second tenure in office, absented himself from a presidential debate.

In 2015, Buhari, who was moving to unseat the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan refused to feature in the presidential debate organised by the BON.

The spokesperson for the directorate of media and publicity of the APC presidential campaign organisation then, Garba Shehu, said the boycott was due to the “unhidden bias and campaign of calumny by some key organisers of the programme, against the corporate political interest of the party (APC) and its candidates”.

Shehu alleged that the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG)-powered debate was fraught with fundamental errors from the outset, by wearing the toga of government control, especially being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the incumbent PDP administration.


Kwankwaso

In October 2022 the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, shunned the Arewa Joint Committee interactive session with presidential candidates.

The former Kano State governor further alleged that his team was in possession of credible information that some people behind the event had compromised, saying it would be used to “clandestinely endorse” another candidate from northern Nigeria.

Arewa Consultative Forum, Arewa House, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Northern Elders Forum and Arewa Research and Development Project, organized the presidential interactive session.

In a letter signed by the NNPP campaign spokesperson, Abdulmumin Jibrin, and addressed to the organisers of the joint session, Kwankwaso explained that he had already arranged campaign activities for the date and his technical team was still working on his policy document, on which the engagement was based.


Jonathan

In 2011 former President Goodluck Jonathan refused to attend the NN24 Presidential Debate.

Responding to comments the development generated then, the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation said that its principal could not attend the debate because he could not jettison the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) which has been organising several debates since 1999 in favour of another platform “on the eve of crucial national election.”

The organisation said the president who had not concluded his tour of the 36 states could not accommodate new appointments then.

The organization said, “The Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation has watched with utter consternation, efforts by some individuals and groups to feed the Nigerian Public with inaccurate and distorted information to suit their selfish ends.”

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, has finally, acceded to the demands of striking members of Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, JDWAN, over alleged extortion of its members.

In respect of this, leaders of JDWAN, has finally called off the strike action embarked on last week to allow for renewed understanding and cooperation between it and the Lagos State Government officials represented by the state Parks and Gardens Management, led by Oluomo.

The peace meeting was held on Monday, at the Secretariat of the state Parks and Gardens in Agege Local Government Are of the state. While MC Oluomo led the park management committee, Mr. Abioudun Akintade, led JDWAN union.

Other affiliated members of JDWAN are: Ibile Drivers Stakeholders Association of Nigeria, DSWAN, Mega City Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, MCDWA, Federal Assisted Mass Transit Incorporation, FAMTI, Owners, Drivers and Conductors Association, ODCA, Commercial Bus Drivers and Owners Operators of Lagos, CBDOP, Mini Bus Drivers Welfare Association, MNDWA.

The areas mainly affected by the strike action were: Ojo, Ikorodu and Badagry Local Government Areas o the state.


Background

As part of efforts to resolve the lingering crisis between members of JDWAN, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, and Lagos State Parks and Garages, Lagos State Government had earlier waded in holding three separate stakeholders’ meetings, with the last, held on Friday.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation Sola Giwa who presided over the meeting, held at the Ministry of Transportation’s conference room, Alausa Ikeja, said the warring parties have agreed to meet in the coming week to resolve the issue of alleged extortion and harassment leveled against the transport union members by the commercial drivers with a view to resolve their differences and foster unity among transport workers in the state.

Giwa, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr, Gbolahan Toriola, stressed that the state government would oversee the resolution process as it has done in the past in line with the White Paper on transport union activities of 2004, which recognizes the RTEAN and National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, now Parks and Garages Management in the state.

He added that the state government was working with the law enforcement agencies to dislodge miscreants’ disguising as union members on Lagos roads, advising JDWAN to officially write the Ministry of Transportation if the resolutions reached between the two parties are not resolved eventually.

However, MC Oluomo had denied involvement of his members in the extortion allegation while the state government.

Akintade, had reiterated the issue of extortion and harassment as well as maltreatment by the transport unions, noting that they had informed the unions of their grievances several times without positive feedback, adding that it was on the premise of the developments that they embarked on the strike action.

He said, “It is pertinent to note that there is an existing restraining court order granted by Justice P.O LIFU of the Federal High Court Ikoyi against the Lagos state government and all transport agencies, stopping them from ticketing, bus stop levies, motor park levies, dues and any form of extortion from commercial drivers with suit no: FHC/L/CS/224/2022 between applicant Barrister Olukoya Ogungbeje, Transport Union Society of Nigeria, TUSON, and respondents NURTW, RTEAN, National Association of Roar Transport Owners, N ARTO, Musiliu Akinsanya (Mc Oluomo), Mohammed Musa, Lawal Yusuf Othman, Lagos State Government, Attorney- General of Lagos State, Inspector General of Police, Director General of State Security Service as Respondents.

Abiodun, therefore, appealed to the state government to uphold the unified N800 levy, caution errant law enforcement agents and checkmate the excesses of the transport union members.


JDWAN’s Demands

The transporter’s leaders listed the demands of the drivers to include: Obeying the court order.

Kick against paying motor park thugs at every bus stop. All illegal money at garages and parks must stop

Harassment of law enforcement agencies & intimidation with guns, Cutlass, broken bottles by LASTMA, task force and Rapod Response Squad, RRS must end immediately.

Lagos State government should build and assign more bus stops for commercial use to avoid arrest by LASTMA for dropping off passengers at existing bus stops which are known to commuters as official bus stops.

No confrontation with Agberos of motor park management and caretaker committee

We are also giving the Lagos state government and the Parks and Garages Management a 7 day ultimatum to respond to our demands.

Speaking to Vanguard at the end of the meeting MC Oluomo, JDWAN leader, said that the Parks and Garages Management had met their demands, hence, the decision by the union to totally call-off the strike action in moving forward.

His words: “We are grateful to the state government for their prompt intervention. All our grievances have been attended to and met by the Parks and Garages management Committee led by MC Oluomo.

“After several hours of deliberations at the stakeholders meeting, called on the directive of the state government, MC Oluomo, agreed to ensure implementation of our demands.

“We have set a a Special Committee, headed by my humble self, Abiodun, with eight members from JDWAN and eight from the Parks and Gardens to ensure harmonious working relationship henceforth n the implementation of agreements hereby sealed.

“We have also secured the release of two of our members arrested and detained at Zone II of the Nigeria Police Command, Onikan. The two detained members are: Hassan Ibrahim and Eze Ise.

“We are satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and we believe we are moving forward from here henceforth.”

However, JDWAN leader, expressed gratitude when he confirmed that the state government has shifted enforcement on the ban of unpainted commercial buses as it affects JDWAN members till end of December, 2022 for compliance.

Recall that Lagos State Government had warned that all intra-state commercial bus operators to ensure their vehicles are painted in the state’s Red or Yellow with Black Stripes or be impounded.

The General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, who gave the warning at the weekend, added that the measure was in view of the need to comply with the laws and regulations guiding the operation of all commercial vehicle operators in the state.

Oreagba added that the agency will commence an enforcement exercise on all unpainted commercial vehicles from Monday, November 7, 2022 across the state.

He stressed that “The warning is to ensure that commercial bus operators, especially those on Intra-State services comply with the existing law of Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018 in order to restore sanity on our roads and protect the lives and property of Lagosians.”

SaharaReporters has also observed that some provisions have been inserted into the INEC guidelines for the 2023 elections to serve the purpose.



A plot to rig the results of the 2023 elections that rest largely on the credibility and fidelity of polling unit results has been uncovered by SaharaReporters.

Even though the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and polling unit results will be uploaded to the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), the plan is that Nigerians will not be allowed to the results until after the ward collation officers have collated and validated all the clusters of polling units that constitute a ward.

Multiple and reliable sources in the lCT department of INEC have revealed that a powerful politician has successfully compromised key lCT staff members of INEC not to allow polling units results to be viewed by the public on the INEC result view portal

SaharaReporters has also observed that some provisions have been inserted into the INEC guidelines for the 2023 elections to serve the purpose. The impending threat stands despite the reassurances offered by Professor Mahmood Yakubu to Nigerians and the whole world regarding the BVAS and IReV, the two most important technology inputs to the election, backed by the new Electoral Act.

They will be used but Nigerians will not be allowed to view the uploaded results of polling units until they are validated by collation officers and Registration Area Technical Support (RATECHS) that will be compromised to input fake data at ward collation centres.

SaharaReporters learnt that the new twist is at the instance of an influential politician who is bent on making sure that the polling unit results uploaded to the IReV (results view porter) should not be open to the public to view them until a group of RATECHs, who are to assist ward collation officers validated the polling unit results.

These RATECHs/collation officers, many of whom may be sponsored as ad hoc staff by political actors, have been compromised, hence if they are empowered to validate already declared polling unit results at collation centres before the public can view the results, it amounts to a return to the old way of keeping everyone in the dark while those who have leverage over INEC will fix the results to predetermined outcomes.

On the reason for the sudden change, sources in INEC revealed that it has to do with a compromise at the top level and the explanation to be used as justification is a flimsy claim that just in case there is a mistake on Form EC8A at the polling units, it could be corrected at ward levels that are to be manned by politically vulnerable RATECHs.

According to these sources, that reason is a deception. The source further revealed to SaharaReporters why Nigerians should not buy into the deceit for the following reasons: firstly, the possibility of error at a polling unit during the counting of votes where there are party agents, voters and election observers is highly unlikely and could be easily noted and corrected before all stakeholders than at ward collation centres with limited and reduced numbers of people present where manipulations are more likely?”

According to sources, secondly, ward collation centre is where RATECHs who are lCT experts work, and influential political actors can easily recruit them or their supervising officers to aggregate all polling unit results that could be easily altered. Thirdly, if polling unit results are not allowed to be viewed after they are uploaded at polling units, compromised RATECHs and collation officers at ward level could input additional figures at ward level to upturn the outcome of polling units election results.

Meanwhile, questions have been asked as to why the results from all polling units, the number of accredited voters and scanned (EC8A) can’t be viewed by Nigerians. Similarly, some people have asked why ward collated results and scanned (EC8B) are not uploaded to the public results view porter for transparency of the entire result collation value chain.

As part of the large-scale plan, SaharaReporters found some questionable provisions in INEC 2022 Regulations & Guidelines to be used by presiding officers for the 2023 election to create room for the court to determine the final outcome of the 2023 elections. Such questionable provisions are Rule 19. E(lV) which says a voter should “mark” on the Ballot paper instead of using “thumbprint”. According to the source, marking a ballot paper instead of a thumbprint is a recipe for rigging.

An individual recruited by political actors and given a ballot booklet can use a pen or pencil to mark as many ballot papers as possible.

Besides, if a pen or pencil rather than a thumbprint is allowed, can a forensic exercise be carried out to determine whether it was just an individual that marked a large number of ballots?

SaharaReporters learnt that it is unlikely to detect, unlike fingerprints that a forensic machine can examine on ballot papers and determine whether it was just an individual or a few individuals who put thumbprints on ballot papers.

The question is whether a thumbprint or any mark on the box of a party's logo also represents the intention of a voter insofar as the mark is clearly on the party's logo. Also, there is the additional provision of Rule 20, which provides for a voter that even failed to pass through the five methods of identification for accreditation to be ticked/marked on the same manual register with successful accredited voters.

For those who wonder why this additional leeway is provided by officials of INEC in the guidelines, it should be noted that it is a loophole created by influential politicians using their leverage in INEC to dilute the Electoral Act. This is a recipe to bypass BVAS and claim that it failed.

The more troubling fact also is that, if this is allowed, it will be used to claim votes not recorded or to impute over-voting into the actual votes, thereby creating room for rigging.

Based on SaharaReporters’ investigation, it is not for the “handgun” of compromised politicians, Festus Okoye to deceptively tell Nigerians that BVAS and IReV have come to stay and will be used in the 2023 elections; Nigerians have been very assured of their promised usage.

But according to sources, one of the pertinent and critical questions that INEC needs to publicly answer in light of the uncovered plot is: “Will Nigerians be allowed to view real-time uploaded polling units results and the accredited number of voters on Form EC8A on the portal on Election Day as provided by section 60 (4) and (5)?”

Another point noted by sources is if it is not after being subjected to possible manipulated inputs at ward collation centres that the public, including stakeholders, can access the information.

One of the sources also asked, “Will INEC allow Nigerians to view scanned collated ward results on Form EC8B on the portal? Why should a voter who failed both biometric, facial, and other verification processes be marked on the hard copy of the Election Day register, thereby creating room for many unnecessary manipulations of the accredited voters’ figures?”

by Bode Gbadebo


A pan-Yoruba Youth socio-economic group, the Southwest Renaissance Group (SRG), has berated the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the current crisis rocking the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere.

In a release signed by the Convener of the group, Hon. Olaitan Abdul Salam, at the weekend, the group referred to the APC candidate as a divider-in-chief, a chronic agent of division and destabilization, warning Yorubas to be wary about giving their support to Tinubu in next year’s presidential election.

“For a very long time, the Pan Yoruba socio cultural organization, Afenifere served as an umbrella and a rallying body for the Yoruba race.

“Unfortunately, Tinubu in his usual manner has come again to place his ambition above the peoples coexistence by tearing the once united body apart.

“It will be recalled that Afenifere leader, Pa. Ayo Fasoranti had hosted the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu and some eminent Yoruba bigwigs in his Akure home.

“This was after another Afenifere leader, Pa. Ayo Adebanjo had made open declaration that Afenifere group has adopted the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.

“We are not surprised by what is currently playing out, we know him too well as constant divider of brethren.

“In 2002, this same Bola Tinubu divided Afenifere to achieve his second term ambition as Lagos governor.

“He divided Yoruba Council of Elders in 2015 to control the Yoruba nation; and he has again divided Afenifere because of his 2023 presidential ambition,” the statement said.

The group further called on voters from the South-West region “to rise up and save our land. We must rescue our land from this perennial divider-in-chief and ensure that the Yoruba intreat in Nigeria’s politics should not be driven by ethnicity but the basic credential of electing a President who qualifies for an Omoluabi.”

The Nigerian Security Intelligence has arrested an Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) collaborator, Nasiru Mohammed.

The suspect is said to be providing liaising services to new arrival of terrorists into the North West of Kaduna State.

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency expert and security analyst disclosed this in a series of tweets on Saturday.

He said that the arrest was made recently through the aid of some local informants from the North-East.

“Sources disclosed that Nasiru who worked at the GSM Wing of Kaduna Central Market was coordinating activities of the ISWAP ranging from logistics supply, provision of temporary shelter for terrorists before their deployment to various camps.

“The sources said that the terrorists’ collaborator usually received BHT or ISWAP members fleeing from the North-East due to the aggressive Op by the troops of OPHK, and kept them in secret hideouts for them to stabilise before they eventually move to other camps in the NW/NC.

“The sources lamented that the real obstacle standing between the troops and the total and final obliteration of terrorists is the nefarious activities of local network of informants, collaborators and sponsors who are aiding and abating the crises.

“This network of informants has become a booming business enterprise for the unscrupulous locals and their recruiters. He was handed over to the troops of 1 Division, Nigerian Army, for further investigation.”

By Meluwa Kelvin

A suspected internet fraudster popularly referred to as “yahoo boy” has reportedly stabbed a commercial sex worker to death in a hotel along Nnebisi road in Asaba, Delta State capital.

Daily Trust gathered that the suspect, who is now at large, also set the hotel ablaze after killing the deceased.

The incident became known when thick smoke from the room enveloped the area.

A source said, “We don’t know the man, we don’t know what happened, but the girl is dead now. The man ran away after what he did. We need the police to help arrest the man so he can face the law.”

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, in a telephone chat with our correspondent, confirmed the report with a promise to provide more details later.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 100 children under the age of five die of malnutrition in Nigeria every hour.

Nemat Hajeebhoy, UNICEF’s chief nutrition officer, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting organised by the National Council on Nutrition (NCN).

Hajeebhoy said if urgent action is not taken, another 15 million children are at risk of “wasting” – a term used to describe children who get emaciated as a result of malnutrition.

“Every hour in Nigeria, almost a hundred children under the age of five die. So by the time we are done with this meeting, 300 children would have died in this country,” the nutrition officer said.

“If a child is malnourished, they are 12 times more likely to die. We know that today without urgent action, there would have been this year and next year close to 15 million children who will suffer from what we call wasting (thin children).

“This is an indicator that there is a crisis in the country and I would like to call it a nutrition emergency. There is a nutrition emergency in the country today. Nigeria is ranked number one in Africa and second in the world in the total of children malnourished.

“We have some good news, we have seen stunting come down over the years but that rate of decline is very slow. Moreover, this slow rate of decline is costing our economy 15 percent GDP loss to Nigeria.”

Also speaking, Abimbola Adesanmi, the senior special assistant to the president on nutrition, office of the vice-president, said the federal government has formulated policies to end hunger in the country.

“The NCN as the highest decision-making body for Nutrition in the country, in line with SDG 2 goal of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, have ensured that national indicators are aligned with global targets through national policies, strategies, and guidelines,” Adesanmi said.

“On the policy front, the National multi-sectoral plan of action for food and nutrition in Nigeria (2019-2023), National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria 2016-2025, and Agricultural Promotion Policy 2016-2020 among others have been developed by the government with technical and financial support from development partners and stakeholders in line with national development plans and the attainment of the SDGs.”

On his part, Rasaq Oyeleke, head of nutrition in the ministry of agriculture, said Nigeria would only be able to have a healthy population if the country is able to provide good nutrients.

WITH the general election just four months away, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has assured Nigerians that there would be no room for any cabal in his government if he is elected president. 

The former vice president, who made the commitment during an interview on the Hausa Service of the Voice of America (VOA) in Washington D.C., United States, promised to be fully in charge of his administration, rather than allowing any clique to hijack the machinery of government. 

The programme was anchored by the Head of the Hausa service of VOA, Aliyu Mustapha Sokoto. 

The promise by the PDP standard-bearer for the February 25 presidential election is coming against the backdrop of the belief in most quarters in the country that some powerful individuals tend to constitute themselves into clique that determine the policy and programmes of whoever becomes president, many times against the core promises to the electorate. 

Atiku, who served as the vice president to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was also the candidate of the PDP in 2019 general election. 

The Waziri Adamawa said he would not subject himself to any form of manipulation by any clique in running the affairs of the country if elected president. 

“You won’t find any cabal in my government. It is me: Waziri (Atiku) that will run the administration,” Atiku said during the interview. 

Many people, including the wife of the incumbent president, Aisha Buhari, have openly stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has ceded the control of state matters to a clique. 

The president, however, debunked the claim in an interview with the VOA in 2019. 

Atiku, according to the VOA, visited the United States to hold discussions with government officials on wide-ranging issues, including insecurity, economic crisis and the 2023 general election in Nigeria. 

Atiku used the opportunity of the interview to expatiate on his plan to rescue and rebuild Nigeria, stressing that it would be imperative to overhaul the 1999 Constitution in order to tackle the menace of insecurity. 

“We would confront this issue by convoking a constitutional review so that states and local governments, to whom we intend to give the imprimatur to run their security affairs, would be able to do so. But this requires amendment of constitution. 

“Before we embark on this, we intend to employ more boots on ground, especially in the area of policing and civil defence, all of which we want to equip properly,” Atiku said. 

He promised that his administration would work closely with the judiciary to ensure the speedy trial of offenders, just as he pledged to support the imposition of the death penalty for terrorism-related offences. 

According to the VOA Hausa Service, while Atiku did not talk elaborately on his current relationship with his former boss, Obasanjo, he, however, said his disagreements with the ex-Nigerian leader when they were in office was one of the factors that cost him victory in his bid for the presidency in 2011. On the ongoing plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign three denominations of the national currency (Naira), Atiku said he knows nothing about it. 

But on the issue of Nigerian oil refineries, the former vice president said: “My position on this is not new. I have told you some years ago that I will privatise them. The reason is simple. If you allow investors to own them, they’d be better managed.” 

The PDP candidate added that private investors had the capacity to overhaul the refineries and make them functional at all times. 

On his plan to fight corruption, he said the rule of law would be applied in making sure that those found guilty are not left off the hook. 

“This would demonstrate to Nigerians that our government means business,” Atiku said. 

The ex-vice president also spoke on the internal squabbles rocking the PDP, saying he concurred that there was no reconciliation in sight yet.

 “We are yet to resolve the matter. But we have moved ahead. Our train has moved..,” he explained. 

He further said he does not support the removal of the national chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, as it is not a clever move as the elections are approaching. 

“It is not proper, at this time, to contemplate a change of leadership of our party, whereas we are approaching the election season,” Atiku said while expressing confidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would preside over free and fair election in February 2023. 

“This is because we have seen how they conducted two elections in Ekiti and Osun. In both cases, we have praised them for good outings. In addition to this, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured us that he would allow a transparent, free and fair election to be conducted in 2023,” Atiku said.

By QueenEsther Iroanusi

As part of the 2023 budgetary allocation for the State House, N7.2 billion was earmarked for the maintenance of Villa facilities.

The amount is part of the total N21.1 billion allocated to the State House for the 2023 fiscal year. The State House also earmarked N1.96 billion for vehicle purchase and N644 million for maintenance of the State House Lagos Complex and guest houses.

And this, an official has said, is not enough.

Tijjani Umar, the State House permanent secretary, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character on Thursday, complained that the State House 2023 budget was cut by almost 50 per cent and the allocation is inadequate.

Mr Umar is one of many heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have lamented the budget cuts in the 2023 budget. The ministers of works and information, Babatunde Fashola and Lai Mohammed respectively, equally complained of budget cuts which they said could put a dent in their work.

Mr Umar told the Senate panel that the total budget size of N21.1 billion for the State House in 2023 is N19 billion less when compared to the N40 billion appropriated for it in the 2022 fiscal year.

He said the proposed N7.2 billion for the maintenance of Villa facilities formed the critical component of the capital expenditure segment of the proposed budget.

The “facilities”, he explained, include but are not limited to electrical/mechanical installations, buildings and infrastructures in the President’s and Vice President’s residences, offices, State House Auditorium, Presidential and Ministerial Airport Chalets

“These commitments usually take about 65% of the total appropriation of the State House. In order to keep the facilities in optimal working condition, the sum of N7.2 billion has been proposed for the year 2023 against the sum of N7.76 billion in 2022.”

Mr Umar also said being an election year, the sum of N1.96 billion earmarked for vehicle purchase was inadequate just as the provision of N59 million for maintenance of State House Lagos Complex and Guest Houses, “is grossly inadequate” requiring an estimated sum of N644 million for the upgrade of the facilities.

“It is also instructive to note that the provision of N1.96 billion in the 2023 proposal for vehicle purchase would still be inadequate to meet existing requirements. 2023 being an election year which entails frequent travels with associated costs as well as the replacement of vehicles by incoming administration,” he said.

On his part, chairman of the committee, Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), said the slash in the State House budget for the 2023 fiscal year was not unique as other MDAs were also affected.

His response is the same that other heads of committees have given to heads of MDAs who have complained about the budget cuts.

A South African independent online newspaper, IOL, has knocked Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, over his incessant foreign trips for medical treatments since he assumed office in 2015.

In a report written by its multimedia journalist, Chad Williams, titled “Why African leaders like Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari go overseas for medical treatment?” the paper faulted the fact that President Buhari is known for such frequent overseas trips for medical treatment while Nigeria’s health system suffers in many aspects.

According to IOL, President presided over an emergency meeting with security chiefs at the State House, [amid terror alert by the US, UK and Canada, yet, he jetted out to Seoul and from there, to London for medical treatment].

The paper, using President Buhari as a point of focus, berated leaders of the African continent for their outright negligence of their respective countries’ healthcare systems, while they keep running to various Western countries for medical attention.

Meanwhile, Buhari has spent over 200 days abroad seeking medical treatment since he assumed office in 2015.

The report said, “What is it about the healthcare system back home that these leaders would rather seek treatment outside their respective countries?

“Over the decades, we have witnessed several African leaders opt for medical treatment abroad, the leaders include, former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe who frequently took trip to Singapore for medical purposes, Angola’s Eduardo Dos Santos who was in Spain and Benin’s Patrice Talon’s Paris trips, to name but a few.

“The healthcare systems in many African countries including Zimbabwe, Angola and Benin leave much left to be desired.

“According to a report on Africa’s progress toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC) released in 2021, only half of Africa’s citizens (52%) – some 615 million people – have access to the healthcare they need.

“In 2016, Africans spent over USD$6 billion on outbound treatment. Nigeria was a major contributor. Its citizens spend over USD$1 billion annually on what’s become known as medical tourism, according to Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, Assistant Professor of Strategy, University of Bath.

“Liedong says that it can be argued that private citizens opting to seek medical help in other countries don’t owe the public any explanation, because it’s their own affair.

“But medical tourism among Africa’s political elite is cause for concern, because they are responsible for the development of proper health care for the citizens of their countries,” according to an article he wrote in the Conversation in 2017.”

“He argues that the reason for African leaders going abroad for medical attention, is their lack of confidence in the health systems they oversee, and they can afford the trips given that the expenses are paid for by taxpayers.

“The result is that they have little motivation to change the status quo. Medical tourism by African leaders and politicians could therefore be one of the salient but overlooked causes of Africa’s poor health systems and infrastructure,” part of the story further read.