₦airaland Forum

LAGOS – The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the second half of the year, 2020, may thinker with the idea of devaluing the naira between 5 and 10 percent, a report has stated. The report, ‘The CBN’s Gamble,’ coordinated by Mohammed Abu Basha, Director – Head of Macroeconomic Analysis – EFG Hermes, focused on steps the apex bank may likely take to cushion the effect of steps taken so far to aid economic growth.

The report focused on some of CBN’s recent policies, especially its decision to stop OMO sales to local investors as well as its imposition of loan to deposit ratio of 65 percent on Nigerian banks. The report suggests these policies are piling pressure on Nigeria’s external reserves, which dropped to a two-year low of $38 billion at the end of 2019.

“When connecting the dots and considering this seeming shift in the CBN’s policy priorities, one can only start to ask whether the CBN is indeed willing to rock the naira’s boat slightly in order to keep it sailing; i.e. push for some currency weakness to get growth going; we reckon a 5-10 percent move in 2H20 in case it happens,” it stated.

It added that, while this line of analysis clearly points to naira weakness sooner rather than later if these policies are sustained, one wonders whether the CBN is really willing to push for a self-driven devaluation that it can avoid for now, considering the bank has defended the currency for years and still has enough reserves to shore it up.

“A self-driven devaluation would be clearly a precedent in Frontier markets, as usually central banks are forced to devalue rather than seek it. We also note that such a move is coming at a time when inflationary pressure has been building up – thanks mainly to the border closure – and is set to gain more pace following VAT implementation. So, is the CBN willing to add further inflationary pressure by devaluing the naira?”

The report highlighted two scenarios for the year. It stated that the first is that 2020 could indeed be the year when the naira finally weakens with the CBN taking a positive step by devaluing the currency to enable the economy to effectively grow. “This scenario could create some short-term uncertainty, but is a positive one in the medium and long terms as it finally provides room for the economy to grow (although we argue that a devaluation alone is not sufficient to turnaround Nigeria’s economic fortune).

The second scenario, according to the report, “Would be what we know best about the CBN: it acts at the 11th hour and pulls back the liquidity breaks by re-tightening monetary policy to maintain foreign exchange stability. This is what the bank did back in mid-2018 once the external monetary environment tightened.

“We think the 50/50 chance between these two scenarios is still a significant development, as until a few months ago we would have assigned a near 0% probability for devaluation in the short term. We will be keeping a close eye on: i) next MPC meeting; ii) foreign reserves; iii) Naira’s parallel rate; and iv) OMO issuances, to determine which scenario is the most likely”. On the stability in the foreign exchange market, the report stressed that this has “for long been the overarching target for the monetary policy, leading the CBN to tighten its monetary policy, mainly by reducing money supply in the system, to shield the currency from pressure”.

Adding that, “The shift in recent months towards a much more accommodative monetary policy through a number of regulatory changes, most importantly LDR floor and restrictions on OMO purchases, means that credit has expanded robustly and so has money supply.

“The move in itself is not surprising, considering the immense pressure on authorities to stimulate a stalling economy. The surprising part though is the pace of the push for stronger credit impulse and liquidity growth given this path in the Nigerian context leads only to one destination, namely naira weakness. Liquidity will look for avenues to realise returns, increasing inflation and pressuring the currency”, it stated.

IMF Lowers Nigeria’s 2020 Growth Forecast To 2.5% Meanwhile, from an earlier projection of 2.6 percent growth for 2020 in October 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday lowered its growth forecast for the Nigerian economy in 2020 and 2021 to 2.5 percent. This was contained in the World Economic Outlook: January 2020 released by the IMF on Monday, titled ‘Tentative Stabilisation, Sluggish Recovery?’ The report, however, indicated that global growth will endure sluggish growth as it is projected to rise from an estimated 2.9 percent in 2019 to 3.3 percent in 2020 and 3.4 percent for 2021—a downward revision of 0.1 percentage point for 2019 and 2020 and 0.2 for 2021 compared to those in the October World Economic Outlook (WEO).

“The downward revision primarily reflects negative surprises to economic activity in a few emerging market economies, notably India, which led to a reassessment of growth prospects over the next two years. In a few cases, this reassessment also reflects the impact of increased social unrest. “On the positive side, market sentiment has been boosted by tentative signs that manufacturing activity and global trade are bottoming out, a broad-based shift toward accommodative monetary policy, intermittent favourable news on US-China trade negotiations, and diminished fears of a no-deal Brexit, leading to some retreat from the risk-off environment that had set in at the time of the October WEO.

However, few signs of turning points are yet visible in global macroeconomic data. “While the baseline growth projection is weaker, developments since the fall of 2019 point to a set of risks to global activity that is less tilted to the downside compared to the October 2019 WEO. These early signs of stabilisation could persist and eventually reinforce the link between still-resilient consumer spending and improved business spending.

Additional support could come from fading idiosyncratic drags in key emerging markets coupled with the effects of monetary easing”, the report stated. Downside risks, however, remain prominent, including rising geopolitical tensions, notably between the United States and Iran, intensifying social unrest, further worsening of relations between the United States and its trading partners, and deepening economic frictions between other countries.

A materialisation of these risks could lead to rapidly deteriorating sentiment, causing global growth to fall below the projected baseline. Significantly, analysts at United Capital had two weeks ago said the 2020 outlook for the Nigerian economy hangs on a framework of a well-intended but slightly uncoordinated policy outline.

They said the, “GDP growth is expected to sustain a gradual uptick in 2020, anticipated to expand above 2.3 percent, faster than 2019 but below 3.0 percent”. It added that “inflationary pressure will persist due to supply shortages and the shutdown of the border, given the direct impact on food prices. Again, increased money supply by the CBN may keep the core inflation sub-index elevated due to pressure on foreign exchange. In sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF said the “growth is expected to strengthen to 3.5 percent in 2020–21 (from 3.3 percent in 2019).

The projection is 0.1 percentage point lower than in the October WEO for 2020 and 0.2 percentage point weaker for 2021”. This reflects downward revisions for South Africa, where structural constraints and deteriorating public finances are holding back business confidence and private investment and for Ethiopia, where public sector consolidation, needed to contain debt vulnerabilities, is expected to weigh on growth.

For the emerging market and developing economy group, growth is expected to increase to 4.4 percent in 2020 and 4.6 percent in 2021 (0.2 percentage point lower for both years than in the October WEO) from an estimated 3.7 percent in 2019.

The growth profile for the group reflects a combination of projected recovery from deep downturns for stressed and underperforming emerging market economies and an ongoing structural slowdown in China.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state has urged the federal government and security agencies to investigate the nationwide rally by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to protest the Supreme Court’s verdict, which ousted Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of the state.

He accused sponsors of the nationwide protest of attempting to overthrow the government of President Muhamadu Buhari.

The governor disclosed this on Monday when hundreds of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state staged a solidarity rally for him over his victory at the Supreme Court.

“Why are they organising a nationwide protest on an event that happened in Imo? If they didn’t have ulterior motive to bring down the government, they could have held the rally in Imo state where the Supreme Court passed a judgement”, he queried.

He added: “We are one united and indivisible country. We did not go to court to challenge the election on the grounds of violence or over-voting, but we asked the court to add our votes which INEC did not include. It was on the basis of our argument that the Supreme Court declared me as the winner of the election.”

The governor urged the people of the state to go about their normal businesses because he’s in charge, adding that “It is by the grace of God that I’m your governor.”

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ihedioha wrongly as the governor, stressing that the Supreme Court restored the confidence of the electorate in the judicial process.

Also speaking, the state’s APC deputy chairman, Ugochukwu Nzekwe, said the party members were on a solidarity rally to show that the people of the state were happy with Senator Hope Uzodinma as their new governor.

The state’s APC Secretary, Dr. Love Ineh, berated women who participated in the PDP organised rally, describing them as “hired town criers.”
She alleged that the women were given N500 each to participate in the protest, stressing that the state had passed that stage.

Our reporter gathered that the pro-Uzodinma protesters marched from the Hero’s Square to the Government House where the converged, just as traffic was disrupted along major highways as motorists were stranded for hours.

Also, traffic and regular policemen had hectic time controlling the crowd while the rally lasted.

Breaking: Supreme Court Upholds Bala Mohammed’s Governorship Election
ABUJA- The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state.

The apex court made the pronouncement while delivering judgement in an appeal filed by Mohammed Abubakar, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Bauchi state governorship election held on March 9 and 23, 2019, challenging the election of Bala Mohammed.

The Bauchi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had dismissed Mohammed Abubakar’s petition for failure to prove substantial non compliance of the election in accordance with provisions of the Electoral Act, INEC guidelines and the Constitution.

Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma has raised the alarm over a secret plan by the opposition’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to incite the members of the House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

The Governor warned PDP members in the state to desist from false propaganda, mischief-making and malice against him or face the wrath of the law.

Uzodinma’s alarm and warning followed some media reports that the Federal Government has failed to make any comment on his alleged $ 12 m (N 4.3 bn) fraud case as well as the travel ban on him.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to him, Oguike Nwachukwu, Uzodinma accused the PDP of sponsoring the media report to incite the publuc and members of the state House of Assembly to impeach him.

“We know the game plan of the PDP because we are aware that they have been secretly inciting Imo State House of Assembly members to think of how to impeach the governor. So they are trying to rake up anything they can, even falsehood, to incite the public,” the statement reads.

The governor disclosed that he had already briefed his lawyers, who he said were studying the publication for appropriate legal action.
He said the media publication, which tried to raise dust about him on old allegations, had been long settled and dismissed as non issues.

The publication had claimed that the Presidency was keeping mum over allegations of non assets declaration, dud cheque and travel ban against the governor.

The statement accused the PDP members in the state of sponsoring the publication “even when they are aware that there is no iota of truth in the allegations”.

The statement added that the allegation was a sheer mischief and malice borne out of frustration because “they know very well that the assets declaration allegation was fallaciously contrived by the disgraced former Chairman of the Presidential Panel on Recovery of Public Properties, Mr. Okoi Obon-Obia which has been thrown out by the court”.

On the issue of the so-called travel ban on him, Uzodimma, clarified that he had travelled twice out of the country and had no impediment according to the demands of his office.

On the so-called dud cheque allegation, the statement added that it was a non issue which had long been dismissed by the courts and had nothing to do with the governor.

Junaid Mohammed, a second republic lawmaker, says Muhammadu Sanusi II, emir of Kano, lobbied for the position of vice-president when President Muhammadu Buhari was hospitalised in London.

Osinbajo presided over the country when Buhari treated an undisclosed ailment in London in 2017.

Speaking with TheInterview, Mohammed said the emir asked Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to consider him for the nation’s number two position in the event that the president dies.

The former lawmaker also alleged that Sanusi met with some south-west leaders to canvass support for a presidential candidate aside Buhari.

“Once Buhari was sick, very sick in England, he went to Osinbajo, this current Emir Sanusi; he was sure that Buhari was going to die. And if Buhari dies, he would like Osinbajo to consider him as a vice president, even though on the surface, he belonged to no party,” he said.

SANUSI WANTED TO BE VICE PRESIDENT

“He wanted Osinbajo to consider him as vice president! Now, anybody with any sense of logic, any sanity would not countenance this kind of thing. If for whatever reason, this issue was reported to Buhari, if Buhari were another leader, he would have got rid of him in a jiffy.

“I know for a fact, and I am glad there people involved who will now confirm. The Emir of Kano, when he was governor of Central Bank went to see my friend Bola Tinubu and went to see the current Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu telling them that a certain presidential candidate was actually the choice of Kano and the choice of the north. So, he would want them to support that person.

“The Oba was diplomatic. But Tinubu told him in no uncertain terms that we are supporting Buhari; not because we like his face. We are supporting Buhari because, consistently, he has scored 12 million votes since he came into politics in 2002.

“This is not the first time. I am now 70 years old. I am older than the Emir of Kano, who I have known since childhood. And I knew his father and mother.”

On the crisis between Sanusi and Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, Mohammed said there is no need to set up a committee to reconcile the duo.

TheCable had reported how Ganduje launched moves to remove the emir, who was reported to have opposed his reelection bid.

The governor broke the emirates into five shortly after the report, stripping Sanusi of the control of 34 local government areas of the state.

NOTHING WRONG IN REDUCING SANUSI’S POWERS

Commenting on the action of the governor, Mohammed said: ‘Now you are telling me that if the emir of Kano is somehow muzzled or his power is reduced or his presence on the national stage or his reckless political statements are curbed, Kano will not be the same? Or the north will not be the same? So what?

“The emirs are what they are because some people accept the emirate or the institution. I don’t. But even if I were the governor of Kano State, I would not want to demolish the emirate because apparently there are some people who respect the institution. I don’t. But that is another matter completely. But you have to be very careful about warning these emirs to keep away from politics.

“And as far as I am concerned, there is no problem to solve in Kano. If there is a personal quarrel between the governor and the Emir, okay, let them go and sort it out themselves. In trying to get involved in this matter, some people are being deliberately mischievous and they are fighting their own personal fights.

“There was an attempt to reconcile this matter within Kano people. I was in the United Kingdom before Christmas. I traveled with a one time Vice President of this country and we got to discuss this issue.

“The first question he asked is what is the locus of those so called northern elders? Who are they representing? How many of them have ever won elections in their lives? And how many people are from Kano? Of the three people sent to go and have a discussion with Ganduje, none of them is a Kano man.

“In fact, one is a known enemy of Kano State and he has spent the whole of his life abusing and insulting Kano and Kano people. Now you make him among the three people to go and see Ganduje in an issue that, strictly speaking is a Kano issue.

“As far as I am concerned, this issue is not a Federal Government or Buhari issue. It is a Kano issue. And the law that was passed was not a Federal law, which Buhari would have had the responsibility to implement the provisions of that law.

“It was a Kano law. And when the law was quashed on a technicality, they went back and rewrote the law. So what’s the problem? You cannot tell me that because the governor of Kano has taken a decision to split the emirate and create more, the heavens will fall. This is not new, not new in the north, not new in Nigeria.”

When asked for reaction, a palace source told TheCable that Mohammed is a distraction that the emirate would not want to join issues with.

He said the rumour out initially was that the monarch lobbied Osinbajo to make Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, Osinbajo’s vice-president.

On his part, Laolu Akande, spokesman of the vice-president, said: “I don’t react to speculations; it’s baseless.”

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has said that governors of the People Democratic Party (PDP) are the major problem of opposition party in the country.

He alleged that some of them were lobbying to travel with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Frank said aside governor Wike of Rivers State, so many of other opposition party governors were daily lobbying to be in the good books of President Buhari, hence they don’t talk on national issues affecting Nigerians negatively.

Reacting to a media report that the PDP was planning to stage a nationwide protest against the Supreme Court ruling in Imo, Frank said the move is belated.

“PDP’s planned protest is medicine after death. Why didn’t they protest when the former CJN Onnogen was forcefully removed from office? Why didn’t they protest when Supreme Court threw out presidential election appeal? Today Nigerians are seeing the result of the forceful removal of Onnogen from office; it’s a bit late for PDP to protest.”

The Bayelsa born activist specifically condemned in strong term the Abia state governor, who was seen on Friday travelling to London with President Buhari at a time his colleague in Imo (Emeka) was removed as governor.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday, Frank said it is shameful that PDP has 16 governors and only one or two is committed to the cause of the party.

He said: “Some PDP governors are the problem of Nigeria. Some of them go to the extent of lobbying the cabal to travel out with the President so as to be on his good books, they are selfish, corrupt, over ambitious and shameless.

“Some of them betrayed the PDP during the last presidential election, and gave the APC 25% in their states in return for not being prosecuted after they leave office and to win their 2nd term.”

According to Frank, “a sitting PDP governor said ‘If you say you dey there (APC), know I am already there. If you go to APC, I am an APC member. If you go to PDP, I am there’, what did the PDP as a party say or do? The PDP as a party could not caution or penalize him and now they want to protest?

“Apart from the governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike and sometimes, the Benue state governor Samuel Ortom, other PDP governors are PDP by the day and APC by night; they fraternize with the APC thereby, rendering PDP incapacitated and unable to function properly and cannot play the role of an effective opposition.

“To show you how incompetent some of the PDP governors are, the Abia state PDP governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, flew to London with Buhari and some APC members in the presidential jet, barely 3 days after a PDP governor colleague of his from the same South-east was robbed through the Supreme Court and his seat given to APC. He was seen smiling and grinning from ear to ear like a child that just tasted chocolate for the first time in his life.

“Instead of telling APC the truth, Ikpeazu is fraternizing with them the same day the PDP was having its NEC meeting, He abandoned the meeting and flew with Buhari to London, as that is more important to him than attending PDP meeting, the party that gave him a platform to become governor.

“Nigerians are helpless today at the hands of APC because some PDP governors have compromised for their selfish interest,” Timi Frank said.

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, may have stirred the hornet’s nest if reactions within and outside Kwara State to the state government’s demolition of Ile Arugbo, the totem of the late strongman of Kwara Politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki, are anything to go by.

The demolition of the building that served as a home for the aged has been greeted with outrage from members and sympathisers of the Saraki political dynasty and other neutral individuals and groups who saw the move as a political vendetta against the dynasty.

This is in spite of the state government’s explanation that the acquisition of the land on which the said building was erected did not follow the proper channel.

In a furious reaction to the exercise, the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki, berated Governor Abdulrazzaq for demolishing her father’s property, accusing the governor who assumed office on May 29 last year of rushing into settling perceived old generational family political scores.

“Revenge cannot be a policy thrust of governance,” she said in a statement that was choked full with venom.

Feelers from Abuja also indicate that the demolition exercise might have created a strain in the relationship between the Presidency and Governor Abdulrazak.

It was gathered that the power brokers in Abuja were angry that the governor went beyond the bounds in his avowed mission to checkmate Saraki’s hold on Kwara State.

When the news of the demolition exercise got to the Presidency, an influential source in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was sighted saying: “Who does this boy listen to? This is really embarrassing.”

Thereafter, the Presidency waste no time in calling the governor to order, asking him to be more “temperate” in his actions.

Cephas Iorhemen



The hope of civil servants in Benue State to smile home with the new national minimum wage yesterday hit the rocks as talks between government officials and union leaders on the matter failed to reach a truce.

The committee on implementation of the minimum wage headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Anthony Ijohor and the organised labour met yesterday to fine tune ways to commence implementation but fallouts from meeting had it that the impending governorship judgement case at the Supreme Court forced a shift of the meeting to a later date.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting which lasted for hours, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Chief Ode Enyi, however said Governor Samuel Ortom had approved the sum of N30, 009.99 as minimum wage for workers in the state.

No month was stated when the government would implement the new wage package for the workforce.

“We (the government) was supposed to have concluded the negotiation within one week starting from last week, but unfortunately, the Supreme Court case came and then the meeting had to be postponed till today (yesterday).

“The governor has approved N30,009.99 as minimum wage for workers in the state. He had set up a committee headed by the SSG, Prof. Anthony Ijohor and the committee had been working jointly with labour leaders since November 2019.”

“We had series of meetings but no agreement had been reached on the matter. It was presented to labour leaders along with the proposal for the consequential adjustments and every party agreed that it was a momentous decision and a milestone in the negotiation of salary increase to the state”.

The State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Godwin Anya, also linked recent hiccups in implementation of the new package to the ongoing Apex Court case.
“We were supposed to sit on the matter but because of the Supreme Court ruling, none of these big men were in town…”

“We sat today (yesterday) and because the judgement is still there, they asked for time to go back and finish at the Supreme Court before coming back to formalize negotiations”.

Anya said based on discussions at the meeting, only workers on grade levels 1 to 6 are expected to benefit from the new package.

The NLC chairman, who said negotiations would be sealed with a formal agreement backed up by implementation, emphasized that government will have to make certain sacrifices on issues bothering on the welfare of workers.

“We have technocrats that are going to engage them to also work out the structure for us; government will bring a structure in the form of give and take.”

Nariman Gharib said: “They have arrested the WRONG person regarding the #Flight752 In Iran.
“The person who is a source of the video is SAFE and I can assure you [the Revolutionary Guards] are orchestrating another lie.

Former Minister of Power and Steel, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, on Wednesday, told FCT High Court that he lost a whopping N68.9 million to an alleged fraudster.

The former minister testified as a prosecution witness in a case filed by the EFCC against a businessman, Imeh Akpan, charged with two counts bordering on Criminal Breach of Trust.

Dalhatu explained that he was introduced to the accused person sometime in 2004 through his friends late Alhaji Aliyu Alkali and one Haruna Ningi. He alleged that the accused person told him to invest in the Aviation industry by buying shares in the airline he was floating.

”He informed me that the business was profitable at that time. He said the business was a win-win. At the end of the presentation, I accepted to buy shares to the tune of N1. 8 million representing 34 percent of the company share capital. He (the accused person) told me that he was in the process of negotiating with First Atlantic Bank to obtain a loan facility for his company ”Commodore Aviation Services,’’ he said.

The former minister said the accused told him that the loan facility was to enable the accused person to buy aircraft to be used in the country by the Commodore Aviation Services.

Dalhatu told the court that the accused met him again and request to assist him with N50 million to facilitate the loan.

”I agreed to provide the N50 million security deposit on two conditions; one of the conditions was to open an interest saving account in the name of Commodore Aviation Services and keep the money there. The second condition I gave him was that the interest that accrued from the account would be his own and it should be reverted back to him at the end of six months,” he said.

Dalhatu explained that the six months period was the time within which he and the bank agreed to disburse the funds to the company.
The former minister said that it was also agreed that neither he nor the accused person would remove any amount from the security deposit account, adding that on this understanding, an account was agreed to be open with two signatories.

Dalhatu said on May 28, 2004, a cheque of N58 million representing the shares and security deposit was delivered to Commodore Aviation Services and acknowledged by Haruna Ningi on behalf of the company.

He said the accused person also approached him to provide further funding of N10. 7 million to kick-off the operation of a National Airline in the Niger Republic which he also obliged him.

‘’After a while, it occurred to me that the business was not as good as he said. The accused person frustrated my request for an audit exercise in spite of my persistence. I, therefore, asked the accused person for the return of my money and whatever interest that might have accrued on the money that also becomes impossible.

‘’I later discovered that the cheques for the security deposit were credited to an existing account of Commodore Aviation Services an identical to the suggested name given to me where he was a sole signatory,’’ he said.

He said in Jan 2013, he went to EFCC with a petition enumerating the frictions between him and the accused person and urged the commission to investigate and prosecute him if they found adequate grounds to do so.

After his testimony, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Steve Imoke, prayed for an adjournment to cross-examine the minister.

The EFCC Counsel. Mrs. Fatima Ado-Gwaram did not object to the application.

Justice A.O.Ebong adjourned the matter until March 2 for cross-examination.

The vice chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Francis Fadahunsi, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, over alleged fraud and incompetence in the service.

Speaking in an interview with the Punch on Sunday, Mr Fadahunsi, the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, alleged that Mr Ali’s sheer incompetence and poor border control had resulted in the proliferation of small arms was now threatening the nation’s existence.

According to him, Customs boss allowed traders to smuggle contraband goods and items into the country, despite a ban by the Federal Government.

Mr Fadahunsi further said: “I told the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd.), that his border management is poor.

“You don’t need to carry guns and start running after those people who have settled your boys. It is wrong, they paid bribes to the boys at the border and they are still running after them now.

“The border management is poor and it has failed. The same failure is seen at the ports, and that is the cause of port congestion.”

The senator said a competent professional should be in charge of Customs.
“Soldiers are not trained to generate revenue.

They are trained to buy ammunition and to kill.
“This man met more than 30,000 personnel in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and today they are not more than 15,000 left, he has sacked all of them.

“If you see the fraud in the Customs now, you will be shocked, but nobody must talk. They make noise to cover this up, but if you go into their books, you will be surprised.

“Customs headquarters was awarded for N2.7 billion then, but today the project is going to about N30 billion.

“The project has not been completed but the furniture contract for the uncompleted building has been awarded.

“Who is fooling who? If Mr. President sees what the man is doing, he will run out of the country.
“That is why I am saying that Mr. President should put a technical person from Customs there; if not, the man will run the place aground.

“The CG wants to recruit 3,200 persons and he paid N1.6 billion to a consultant to recruit 3,200 persons. The money is not for training but to just recruit them.

“I asked him if the Nigerian army ever used consultants to recruit personnel and he said no. He said Customs officers are corrupt and he is bringing in a consultant to recruit 3,200 persons and he will pay the firm N1.6 billion.

“Are you recruiting five million people? The N1.6 billion is even in the budget and that is one of the reasons the budget was being queried by the leadership of the Senate,” Mr Fadahunsi said.

Despite scoring an impressive 300 at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) last year, Firdaouz Yusuff-Awari was unable to gain admission into the University of Ilorin where she had hoped to study Common Law, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Ms Yusuff-Awari, 17, also performed excellently at the UniIlorin’s post-UTME test where she scored 76 per cent; in the 2019 West African Examination Council (WASSCE), she emerged with seven distinctions and two credits.

The university’s cut-off marks for Common Law are 260 and 50 per cent for UTME and post-UTME respectively.

“Presently, my daughter is at home depressed and very disappointed in the educational system,” said Olaitan Yusuff-Awari, Firdaouz’s father.

Firdaouz’s plight came amidst an outrage across Nigeria after it emerged that a student, Goodness Shekwobyalo Thomas, was unable to gain admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to study Medicine and Surgery despite scoring 302 in the UTME.

In their response, the JAMB blamed Ms Thomas for her inability to gain admission into ABU.

A closed portal

The UTME is a computer-based standardized examination administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) for prospective undergraduates in Nigeria.

According to Mr Yusuff-Awari, his daughter was unable to include Mathematics among the subjects she uploaded to the University of Ilorin portal because the West African Examinations Council delayed its release.

She uploaded eight subjects to the university portal while awaiting the release of her Mathematics.

Mathematics (at least a credit pass) is a requirement to study Law at the university.

“The WASSCE result was released on July 25 and the Mathematics was later released on August 31,” said Mr Yusuff-Awari, an indigene of Ojoku in Kwara State.

The university shut its portal on August 20.

“We uploaded the (full) result on JAMB portal and they sent us a copy that they’ve received it. When we tried sending it to University of Ilorin, their portal was closed,” he said.

Mr Yusuff-Awari said he went to the Computer Services and Information Technology Centre (COMSIT) at the university in September to inquire about the closure of the portal. The COMSIT is the ICT department of the university that uploads admission list and is in charge of opening and closure of the portal.

He said he was told that too many candidates applied to study at the institution and the number of candidates that had uploaded their results on the portal was more than the school could take.

“The people there advised me to change my daughter’s course to another that does not require Mathematics, but I said no.”

“The closure of the portal made eligible students unable to upload their results, no single candidate was able to use NECO result for Unilorin because NECO results were not yet out,” he said.

“When I went to the institution in December to inquire about the matter, they requested that the students should start attending lectures.”

“How would someone attend lectures when the person has not been given admission? Who will account for all the time wasted?”, Mr Olaitan asked.

“The school said they should start receiving lectures in case they open the portal so that they will not miss much,” he said.

Mr Olaitan said all attempts to seek clarification from JAMB and the University of Ilorin did not yield any result.

University reacts

The spokesperson of JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ requests for comments.

But Kunle Akogun, the UniIlorin Public Relations Officer, said the university is not to blame for the candidate’s failure to gain admission because her results were not uploaded before the portal was closed.

“If a candidate scored 400 and is unable to upload results at the regulated time, there is nothing anyone can do.

“Closing the portal was school regulation and students were required to upload their results before the closure of the portal.”

Mr Akogun declined to state if the university issued a notice to applicants about the closure of the portal.

Dr. Mohammed Bello Magaji is a Nigerian lawyer based in Uganda where he lectures at Kampala International University, Uganda, East Africa.

Magaji told Saturday Sun in a telephone interview that lecturers sent to Uganda by Nigerian government under the auspices of Technical Aid Corps (TAC) every two years are mostly enjoyed by private universities in the East African country instead of public institutions as stipulated by law.

He said the proprietors of those private universities, “smile to the bank as their core staff are being paid by a father Christmas called Nigeria.” NOAH EBIJE conducted the interview.

He also noted that there are cases of sex for marks in higher institutions in Uganda, but very minimal compared to Nigeria where some lecturers had been caught, arrested, prosecuted and sent to jail.

Magaji said, having served the federal government of Nigeria for over 35 years in various capacities and retired, he has the ambition to go round Africa on a teaching tour, which he is doing presently. The University Don said his last place of lecturing job in Nigeria was at the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano, after venturing into politics as the Kaduna State chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

He said, after obtaining his PhD in Law from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he felt he has no limit to his desire and aspirations to achieve the highest level in the teaching of law outside the country, hence his sojourn in Uganda.

You have been in Uganda for some years as a lecturer. How are you coping with the academic environment there?

I’m glad to say that I am coping very well with the academic situation. This is principally due to the certainty in the academic calendar, target and time bound, relative peace and security and above all, students that are willing to learn. This is not to say there are no disruptions in the academic circle due to strike etc going by what is happening in Makererre University, but it is minimal and infrequent.

How do you rate Uganda educational development compared to Nigeria’s?

Uganda educational development is growing at a very fast rate. I have observed for four years; it has been tremendous growth both at the secondary and tertiary levels under the watchful eye of the National Council for Higher Education which is the regulatory body similar to our National Universities Commission in Nigeria.

Is there a similar almajiri system of education in Uganda as we have in Nigeria?

Education seems to be given some good priority and pride of place here in Uganda. An average Ugandan can read and write.The problem of school dropout or the almajiri phenomenon as we have in Nigeria does not exist here. Perhaps due to the priority given to education here at all levels and the community interest in education and also the fact that the country is smaller in size compared to Nigeria makes it easier to monitor the schooling system. But one thing I must say is that the educational system is commendable.

Back in Nigeria, there are cases of sex for mark in higher institutions where some lecturers are arrested, prosecuted and sent to jail. Is it the same situation in Uganda?

The menace of sex for grades as recently reported in Ghana and Nigeria is a general malaise in the educational system of most countries, Uganda not an exception. There is an ongoing case of a Professor in Makerere University caught in similar untoward menace.

However as I have earlier mentioned due to the size of the country, their university population, the incidents here are minimal compared to a giant country like Nigeria. However one commendable fact here is that at the secondary level the government takes a very serious stand on the abuse of the girl child with serious penalties which has had a deterrent impact from a study my post graduate student of criminology conducted under my supervision.

What is the percentage of Nigerian lecturers in Uganda?

I cannot give the percentage offhand, but there are a good number of Nigerian lecturers in Uganda. Apart from those in the diaspora like me, there are very many lecturers sent by the Nigerian government under the auspices of Technical Aid Corps (TAC) every two years.

These form the majority of the academic lecturers in Uganda universities and they are doing a great job in the educational growth of Uganda.

However, the Nigerian government should revisit the laws and the entire programme as these professionals are sent to mostly private institutions as against government institutions at great expense of the Federal Government of Nigeria while the proprietors of these universities smile to the bank as their core staff are being paid by a father Christmas called Nigeria.

Assisting Ugandan government under this programme, to my mind, should be in close liaison with the government, which will identify the need areas and take some percentage of the financial burden.

What is your view about the brain drain syndrome considering the percentage of Nigerian lecturers in Uganda?

On the issue of brain drain, I must confess that it is real. This is because I can see a very brilliant crop of academicians here. Very hardworking and dedicated and sadly young and vibrant professionals who if they are to give half of the hard work they put here in Uganda into Nigeria, it will really be a giant of the world not only Africa.

But behold, due to leadership, security and policy issues they left Nigeria for Uganda. I think if better policies and leadership issues are put in proper place, they may be encouraged to return home to Nigeria.

Don’t you think Nigerian government can pay you better than Ugandan university?

As for me, having served the federal government of Nigeria for over 35 years in various capacities and retired but not tired, I have had the ambition to go round Africa on a teaching tour, which I am presently doing.


On a lighter mood, when are you retiring to Nigeria, the land of your birth?

I hope to settle down back in Nigeria after a tour of some common law jurisdictions in African countries, teaching law. Don’t forget that my extended family is still in Nigeria and I am daily in touch with them. Overall ,Uganda is a very peaceful place with an accommodating and friendly people. I have never regretted making Uganda my first port of call in my ambition to share my legal knowledge around Africa.

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin I. Emefiele risks being committed to prison for failing to honour a Garnishee Order Absolute to pay the balance of $53m due and payable under the said Order to Mr. Joe Agi (SAN) and team of lawyers that facilitated the Paris Club fund matter for the Federal Government.

Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on November 20, 2019 under form 15, issued the judgment summon to Emefiele in a case with suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/1193/2017 instituted against Central Bank Of Nigeria as Garnishee/Respondent, Linas International Limited and the Hon. Minister Of Finance as Judgment Debtors Garnishees by Mr. Joe Agi Judgment as Creditor/Applicant on behalf of a team of benefitting lawyers.

This order is coming barely 48 hours after an Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Jude Okeke, sentenced the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Olusegun Runsewe, to prison in a ruling on a motion drawn from a suit filed by Ummakalif Limited against Minister of the FCT, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), DG of NCAC, and the Minister for Culture and Tourism, as the first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively.

This judgment summon, which was issued by Justice Ekwo and made available in Calabar at the weekend said: “the plaintiff/judgment creditor obtained Garnishee Order Absolute against the Central Bank of Nigeria in this matter on the 5th day of July 2019, for the sum of $70,000,000.00 (Seventy million US dollars) and the same sum remains partially unsatisfied till date to the tune of $53m.

“The Judgment Creditor has filed an affidavit in this Court, a copy whereof in hereunto annexed, wherein it is alleged that you the above-named Godwin Emefiele are liable (as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Garnishee) to pay the sum payable under the said Garnishee Order Absolute…”

It would be recalled that there is a judgment on Paris Club fund, where the Federal Government approved the payment of money, and the court ordered that they should pay 20 percent of the fee to be paid to a team of lawyers, led by Agi. But the CBN governor ignored the order and paid less to all the lawyers out of the total sum of $70m.

Dangote Group has concluded plans to purchase 10,000 Indonesian-made light pickup trucks. The trucks, called the rural multipurpose mechanical tool, are expected to be marketed in Nigeria.

Indonesian Industry Ministry’s Director of Maritime Industry, Transportation Equipment and Defense Equipment, Putu Juli Ardika, said that the vehicles would be purchased by Dangote through his company, Dangote Group.

Putu explained that Dangote Group was very interested in importing the trucks, also known as the AMMdes to provide more affordable means of transportation to rural people in Nigeria.

The director explained that the company was interested in the multipurpose vehicles to carry water and cassava and seed processors.

Putu said: “Dangote’s team will check three units as a sample to be brought to Africa at the end of January. The trucks are set to be exported over five years, with 1,000 units to be exported this year and next year.”

Dangote Group is a Nigerian-based enterprise that operates in fields such as cement, sugar and flour production. The company operates in Nigeria and other African countries such as Benin, Cameroon, Togo, Ghana, South Africa and Zambia.

With a net worth of $4.3 billion, Dangote is Africa’s richest man and one of the word’s 100 richest men according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

It would be recalled that the group had in the past partnered with China’s heavy duty truck group, Sinotruck, to set up a $100 million plant to assemble trucks and cars in the country for local use and export.

The truck assembly plant, which is located in Ikeja, has a capacity to produce 10,000 trucks annually and is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs when fully operational.

Its Chief Corporate Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina, had said that the company owned 60 per cent stake in the assembly plant while Sinotruck holds 40 per cent, in a partnership that was formed in 2014 to assemble components and knocked down parts in Lagos.

The company aims to meet an expected increased demand for transport in the country as the government focuses on boosting agriculture and farmers need to move goods across the vast country.

The plant has the capacity to assemble 16 trucks a day and will export to West Africa
Also, Chiejina said that the new plant could save Nigeria huge foreign exchange used to import heavy duty vehicles.

Furthermore, he noted that the plant would explore the exportation of trucks to other neighbouring countries, helping to generate FX for Nigeria.

Founded in 1956, Sinotruk is the largest exporter of trucks in China, accounting for 19 per cent of the total trucks exported out of the Asian country in 2014.

The company’s revenue from overseas sales was nine billion yuan ($1.45 billion), accounting for about 13 per cent of the total sales.

A grandma from hell has been arrested by police in Nigeria’s southern state of Rivers following reports she gave two grand children a peppered water bath and thereafter chained them, stripped.

She then locked up the female kids, aged 7 and 8 up like a jailor.

According to the police, the 52 year-old woman, simply called Mama Vera, gave the kids the horrendous punishment because they ate garri, a popular staple made from cassava and mixed it with sugar, as a meal without her consent.

The incident happened at Mgbuoba in Obio/Akpor Local Government area of Rivers State.

Witnesses said concerned neighbours had to break into the house when they heard the wailing children calling for help.

The police who arrested the woman are also accusing her of denying the children their rights to go to school.

A lawyer, Precious Johnmark,who also witnessed the incident is calling on the Rivers State Police Command and the International Federation of Women Lawyers,FIDA,to follow the case and ensure the prosecution of Mama Vera for allegedly violating the rights of the girls.

Some indigenes of Keimoes and Upington areas of northern cape province in South Africa, on Thursday morning, gave Nigerians and other foreign national a 12-hour ultimatum to vacate their communities.

Adetola Olubajo, president of Nigeria Union in South Africa, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Olubajo said the development was as a result of an “ugly incident” that took place between a police officer and a Nigerian on Wednesday.

He said the Nigerian, an indigene of Abakaliki in Ebonyi state, allegedly stabbed to death the police officer, Nico Visagie, during a disagreement.

Olubajo said the details of the disagreement were still not very clear as the “major witness” was also stabbed multiple times and was still in critical condition at the hospital.

“After the horrific incident, the community members of Keimoes and environs went on rampage burning and destroying properties belonging to foreign nationals, Nigerians in particular,” he said.

“These attacks spread to Upington and Nigerians and other foreign nationals were also expelled from Upington.

“Prompt Police intervention this morning brought about calm but the situation is still tensed. Some locals were arrested by the police for public disturbance and malicious damage to properties.

“They appeared in a magistrates’ court this morning for bail hearing.”

He added that the suspect who stabbed the police officer had been arrested and would appear in court on or before Monday.

“We commend the swift intervention of the members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the arrest of the suspect is a welcome development,” he said.

“We hope the police will continue to maintain law and order in the area.”

There was tension in August following xenophobic attacks in South Africa and reprisals in Nigeria.

Many Nigerians were forced to leave the country while a diplomatic face-off was prevented between Nigeria and South Africa.

President Muhammadu Buhari had visited the country in October and both nations renewed their diplomatic ties while President Cyril Ramaphosa apologised to Nigerians.

The clash of interests between herders and crop farmers may soon become a thing of the past, as the umbrella organisation of Fulani cattle herders has banned its members from grazing at night.

According to Channels TV, this decision was taken on Wednesday at the annual general meeting of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, as a measure to curb incessant clashes with farmers.

National secretary of the association, Baba Uthman, after the meeting told journalists that the decision would become an instruction that would be communicated to every member of the group, including those at the grassroots.

“This is a decision that has been taken by the highest decision-making body of the association. As it is taken here, it will go down the ladder down to our members at the grassroots. They will be informed and sensitised concerning it,” Uthman said.

MACBAN also announced that a ban had been placed on grazing by minors and hawking of milk by teenage girls, which, according to the group, are the causes of cultural abuse that poses dangers to the underage children.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, Abubakar Sahabu, has affirmed that measures have been put in place to avert further clashes, adding that the police would apprehend any herdsman found grazing at night.

geraldinai:
Nairalanders, this is a long post but please read till the end.

My bf just broke up with me over what he termed incompatibility. This guy and I have been together for two years and we both loved each other. It was a long-distance relationship, he stays in Lagos while I schooled in another town in the west. I had no problem with the distance because I'm not the attention-craving type and I like my space.

He's a complete extrovert, while I'm an introvert(not to the extreme though) and this has been an issue most of the time. He complains that I'm too quiet and not on the same social level as him. I don't do social media like that while he's uploading new pictures every minute. I also didn't like the fact that he relates too well with girls; he had a lot of female friends and easily socializes with new ones. Well, I blended with that so well as I didn't see any trace of unfaithfulness in him.

Fast forward to late last year, there was a breakdown in our communication, he stopped calling and chatting as he used to, I asked him what the matter was but he said there's nothing. I was a bit scared if something went wrong with him and I asked again after some days, that was when he said he would tell me when the time comes, so I stopped asking. With all the signs he showed me, my mind was telling me he wanted a breakup but I didn't ask him further as I was preparing for my final exam and him breaking up with me that period would leave me devastated so I focused on my exam with the hope that after then, we would talk about it.

After my exam, I sent him a text apologizing and asked us to continue as we were but he didn't reply. He invited me over to his place and that was when he told me he's no longer interested in the relationship, that he has no feelings for me again. He gave one thousand and one reasons for us not to be together anymore. He said I'm less expressive, I agree with anything he says and does and that during the break in our communication, I didn't make efforts to find out why he did so and challenge him. Funnily enough, I didn't react when he told me, I just said it's all right as I envisaged it earlier. With the reasons he gave me, my heart was broken and felt there was no need to push further. He was surprised with how calm I was when he told me, personally, I don't believe in forcing someone to love me.

I moved on well but after a week when I was alone and reflecting, the feeling of guilt overwhelmed me that I probably pushed him away with my seemingly “not too caring” attitude. I see myself with him and I never thought we could separate. I showed love and care in my how way and in the best way, I know-how. I did love him wholeheartedly and he knew it but he seemed unable to cope with my private/ less emotional lifestyle.
Nairalanders, did I actually push him away?

Bishop Mathew Kukah has accused the Nigerian government of using different methods to achieve the same goal of Islamic dominance like Boko Haram.

He said this while reacting to the recent beheading of 10 persons suspected to be Christians by extremists in Nigeria.

The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, in his disgust with the Nigerian authorities, further compared the government with Boko Haram, saying the only difference is that the later makes use of a bomb to achieve their aims.

He condemned the Christmas Day attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province, and that of Boko Haram on Christmas Eve.

A press statement from the Bishop’s media team on Tuesday evening quoted him as speaking in the United Kingdom with Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need.

He said, “The only difference between the government and Boko Haram is (that) Boko Haram is holding a bomb.

“They are using the levers of power to secure the supremacy of Islam, which then gives more weight to the idea that it can be achieved by violence. With the situation in Nigeria, it is hard to see the moral basis they have to defeat Boko Haram.

“They have created the conditions to make it possible for Boko Haram to behave the way they are behaving,” he added.

Bishop Kukah said the Nigerian government, by packing key government positions with hardline Muslims, gave tacit approval to such groups.

“If the people in power don’t do enough to integrate Christians then they give oxygen to Islamism.

“If they have countries where everybody is Muslim in power then you give vent to the idea that Islam should be supreme.”

He, however, hit out against western nations, who, he said, are happy to mine the resources of Africa but not ready to defend its people.

He said, “Western nations are not doing enough. They have shown that the resources of Africa are more important than ordinary people.

“Clearly, the Western nations could have reduced the influence of Boko Haram by 80 or 90 percent but they have deliberately not done enough.”

Bishop Kukah said the only thing preventing Nigeria from being engulfed in a civil war was the peaceful tenets of Christianity.

“Christians have every reason to feel insecure, also there is a general feeling of their marginalisation from the political process. If the principles of our religion were different, there would be a civil war by now.

“It is the glory of our religion that this hasn’t happened. It is difficult to preach peace in this context. Any resolution depends on how Christians decide to react. They won’t use violence but what will they do?”

Iraq says Iran notified it of an overnight attack that targeted US troops in the country.

“We got an official verbal message from the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Iranian response to the assassination of martyr Qassem Soleimani has started or will start shortly after and that the strike will be limited to sites where the US Army is in Iraq without specifying the sites,” a military spokesman for Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Abdel-Mahdi adds.

So far, there have been no reports about casualties among the Iraqi forces or the coalition troops stationed in Iraq, according to the official.

Abdel-Mahdi, who is also Iraq’s general army commander, has been holding talks aimed at de-escalation and avoiding an “open war” that would “primarily” harm Iraq and the region, the spokesman said in a statement, carried by Iraq’s state news agency INA.

“We call on everyone to exercise self-restraint, give precedence to the language of logic, abide by international charters and respect the state of Iraq,” he added.

Recall that Iran carried out a ballistic missile attack on airbases housing US forces in Iraq early on Tuesday, in retaliation for the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani.

More than a dozen missiles launched from Iran struck two air bases in Irbil and Al Asad, west of Baghdad.

It is unclear if there have been any casualties.

The initial response from Washington has been muted.

President Trump tweeted that all was well and said that casualties and damage were being assessed.

Two Iraqi bases housing US and coalition troops were targeted, one at Al Asad and one in Irbil, at about 02:00 local time on Wednesday (22:30 GMT on Tuesday).

It came just hours after the burial of Soleimani, who controlled Iran’s proxy forces across the Middle East.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the attack was “a slap in the face” for the U.S.
Echoing him, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran’s “final answer” to Soleimani’s assassination would be to “kick all U.S. forces out of the region”.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said Iran warned him that an attack was imminent and only areas with U.S. troops would be targeted.

There were no reports of Iraqi casualties, he said.

Just hours after the missile strikes a Ukrainian airliner crashed in Iran shortly after take-off.

There is no evidence that the two incidents are linked.

Several airlines have announced they are avoiding both Iranian and Iraqi airspace amid the rising tension.

Arimero Transport Services Ltd., operator of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos State, says it is planning an upward review of transport fares across all routes in the state to meet up with current realities.

Managing Director of the firm, Fola Tinubu, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday. Tinubu said the current fares were grossly inadequate if the firm was to provide better services for the people of Lagos.

According to him, cost of operating the buses have increased so much that the firm is finding it difficult to survive and sustain operations. He said: “Primero is planning to approach the regulator for an increase in fares. The last increase we got was done three years ago and our cost of operations has really increased.

“The company is not in a good financial standing now to run and foot cost of maintenance and operation of buses. We understand the need to provide services to the people; I think the increase has become necessary in order to serve the people of Lagos better. With the increase, we will be able to roll out enough buses to meet the need of the state’s teeming commuters.’’Tinubu said the firm was already concluding plans to engage the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the regulator of BRT, and push for the review.

A three-man Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from the United States of America has arrived in Nigeria to commence a security assessment of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said that the delegation would commence their duties immediately.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, the General Manager, Public Relations of the agency, made this known on Monday in Lagos in a document posted on the NCAA’s website.

The agency said the team, comprising Transportation Security Specialists, was received by Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, the acting Director-General of NCAA, at the Aviation House.

Adurogboye said the assessment, which was expected to cover critical areas of the airport, would last 10 days.

While thanking the team for the routine visit, Sidi assured them of the authority’s readiness to ensure success of the assessment.

He said that the agency would collaborate more closely with the TSA to promote security in and around the nation’s airports.

Mr Okplefu Akoja, Head, NCAA Aviation Security; Mr Peter Amasa, Head, NCAA AVSEC Training & Certification; Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations and Mr Mahmud Yakubu, Technical Assistant to the Director-General, were present at the brief meeting.

Some bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have commenced underground politicking to prepare grounds in order to contest the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Top sources in the party told our correspondent yesterday in Abuja that the majority of those who contested the ticket prior to the 2019 elections were also warming up to re-contest in spite of the fact that the party was yet to reach any resolution on 2023 zoning formula.

The 2019 contenders who slugged it out at the presidential primary in Port Harcourt were; Atiku Abubakar (North East), 1,532 votes; Governor Aminu Tambuwal (North West), 693 votes; Senator Bukola Saraki (North Central), 317 votes; Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (North West), 158 votes; former governor of Gombe state, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (North East), 111 votes; former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido (North West), 96 votes.

Others were Senator Ahmed Makarfi (North West), 74 votes; former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (North West), 65 votes; former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa (North West), 48 votes; former Senate President, David Mark (North Central), 35 votes; former governor of Plateau state, Jonah Jang (North Central), 19 votes and Datti Ahmed (North West), 5 votes.

Daily Trust reports that already the social media space is awash with posters of a former governor of Kano state, Senator Kwankwaso who came fourth in the previous race, indicating he would re-contest the party’s apex ticket.

Some of the posters sighted by our reporter on Facebook, yesterday carried the inscriptions such as, ‘Our Mission and Vision 2023; Kwankwaso for President, Federal Republic of Nigeria’, ‘Best Choice 2023; Kwankwaso for President Federal Republic of Nigeria.’

The posters were adorned with the picture of the former governor, the PDP colours of red, white, green, and its umbrella logo.

Some PDP stalwarts confirmed that some youths were, however, threatening some top leaders of the party to either again zone the party’s 2023 apex ticket to the North East or face a massive protest in the event their request was not heeded to.

A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the second highest decision-making organ of the party, told our correspondent in confidence that the PDP considered the threat a move to cause chaos and disaffection within its rank and file and had written to the Department of State Service (DSS) and the police top echelons to investigate the issue.

“They should not forget the party has a Constitution and guidelines. We have not even discussed zoning. So, why are some people so concerned about the presidential ticket being zoned to a particular region?

“We have to make a lot of consultations. The National Working Committee (NWC) has to make a lot of consultations. Our governors have to make a lot of consultations. Then, the NEC will take a decision,” he said.

However, it was learnt that some PDP stalwarts in the South such as a former Deputy National Chairman (South) and former national chairmanship contender, Chief Bode George, were perfecting plans to officially join the race.
George’s political associates confirmed to Daily Trust that he was activating his structures in the party to challenge other contenders.

By Murtala Adewale, Kano



Aviation security at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano Monday detained the official vehicle of Director General, Kano Hisbah Board Mohammad Harun Ibn-Sina after beating up two officials of the Sharia police.

The incident occurred after a heated argument between the security organ of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Ibn-Sina’s personal aides over the wrong parking of the DG’s official vehicle.

The Guardian gathered that two personal security aides to the Hisbah boss were overpowered by the aviation security and molested in their official uniforms. They were later dragged into the airport detention.

An eyewitness said Ibn-Sina’s aides were being instructed by the FAAN officials to relocate their vehicle to a commercial location where vehicle park attract charges which they refused.

The source disclosed that the unresolved argument and outright refusal of the Hisbah men to relocate their vehicle led to physical combat between men of both agencies.

The Guardian learnt that the Hisbah officials were awaiting the arrival of the DG whose flight is scheduled to land 2:00 pm.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak to the authorities of the aviation security were declined.

Spokesperson of Hisbah board Lawan Ibrahim, who confirmed the incident, promised to provide more information on the matter.

The recent decision by Chad to withdraw its troops assisting Nigerian Soldiers in the fight against Boko Haram under the aegis of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) may not be unconnected with the closure of borders by the Federal Government, The Nation has learnt.
Although highly placed Military source claimed the Chadian troops were withdrawn because it has accomplished the task for which it was drafted.

But a reliable source within the military cycle, who doesn’t want his name mentioned, told our correspondent in an exclusive chat that the Chadian troops and those of other countries participating in the Joint Taskforce were supposed to be deployed along the borders of their respective countries and can only deploy troops in the country when requested to so do.
According to the source, the modus operandi is for the troops to patrol the borders and ensure that Boko Haram fighters do not escape into their countries.

He said that with the closure of the border, there was no need for the troops to continue to remain, “I think Chad pulled out their troops as a result of the closure of the Nigerian border because they cannot just remain without doing anything”.

However, the position was countered by another senior Military Officer who pleaded anonymity.
He insisted that the withdrawal of the Chadian troops has nothing to do with the closure of the border but was as a result of the fact that the Boko Haram insurgency has been decimated.

The Chadian authority said that it was withdrawing their troops in Nigeria because they have completed their mission.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has kept mute about the development. The Acting Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, when contacted did not pick his calls or reply to the text sent to his phone.

But speaking briefly on the development, the Spokesperson of the Multinational Joint Taskforce, Colonel Timothy Antigha, said that Chad has not pulled out from the Joint Taskforce but has only withdrawn its troop deployed to Nigeria.

He said: “The issues should not be mixed up. Chad has not pulled out of the MJTF but has only withdrawn its troop deployed to Nigeria”.

Antigha also stated that the withdrawal of the Chadian troops has not affected the operations of the Taskforce in Northeast.

By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin
Committee on the Review of the Kwara state Government Properties from 1999 to 2019 on Sunday said more properties and houses will soon be revoked and others demolished based on its recommendations to the state government.

The committee added that the late Dr Olusola Saraki’s house is one of those properties (Ile Arugbo) illegally acquired and recommended to the state government for acquisition.
The committee said it submitted its report in July last year.

The committee chair Senator Suleiman Ajadi said his committee also recommended to government to acquire some properties and pay compensation to their owners where required.

He described as false the claims that the government demolished a building belonging to the late politician Senator Olusola Saraki.

The committee wondered how a place bordering a hospital could be used for political meetings where noise and commotion were rife.

Senator Ajadi said that the controversy over the reclamation of the land bordering the civil service clinic.

He added that the furore was needless because the the state government has only recovered a property that originally belonged to it but was unlawfully diverted for private use.

Flanked by some members of the committee, Ajadi told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital.

He added that many of the publications on the land were either erroneous or mischievous as there are no proofs anywhere that the land ever belongs to Asa Investment Limited.

Said he: “The issue of the land in question came under the terms of reference of this committee which considered several other properties of government and submitted its recommendations in July 2019.

“As was the case with all the properties looked into by the committee, the committee’s recommendations were based on strictly available records from the archives of government.

And based on the available records, the Committee did not see proof of any payments nor an approved Right of Occupancy even though there was a letter of allocation in principle.

“In reaching its conclusions, the Committee noted foundation work with erected columns at varying areas of the larger segment of the land.
The committee also noted that the land in question was also a part of a larger parcel of land, part of which has been developed into the Civil Service Clinic and Secretariat complex now housing the State Ministry of Finance, among others.

“Finally, based on the existing convention that land acquired by Government in overriding public interest cannot be converted to private use, unless under extraneous circumstances which requires the express approval of the Governor of the State, the Committee did not see a case made for this land and neither was there any approval from the Governor of the state to convert it to private use.

In view of the above reasons, therefore, the committee was compelled to recommend that the land be repossessed and put to the original use it was meant for.

He added: “let me draw the attention of Nigerians to the use of “ile arugbo” to describe the land in question. Usage of that phrase leads to many people erroneously thinking of a structured building where old people were catered for.

This is not so. What was on the ground up until the physical reclamation by the government was a garage-like structure (a shed) used by the older Saraki to keep people waiting to see him or to hold political meetings.

“In addition, it is important to discuss the issue of ownership which should be central to the whole debate. With emphasis, from all records available, there is no “Right of Occupancy” or “Certificate of Occupancy” available to the private firm to which the land was allocated in principle.

There also no receipt of payments for the land. Where, therefore, is the right to a claim to this land?
“Another issue of note is the absurdity of putting a political gathering place beside a (medical) clinic. An hospital is supposed to be a serene environment for medical welfare of patients; it is definitely not a political war centre where people make the loudest noise, fight, or find themselves enmeshed in commotion and fatal stampede etc which was the lot of that place.

“I, therefore, on behalf of all of my committee members, some of whom are present here today, believe it was necessary and prudent to make this public clarification on an issue that has generated needless controversy.”

Gboyega Akinsanmi



The Serving Overseer, Citadel Global Community Church (formerly Latter Rain Assembly), Pastor Tunde Bakare has warned that Nigeria is close to the rage of the poor citing the number of young people, who have taken to crimes.

Bakare, founder of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), has called for the review of the 1999 Constitution with a view to devolving more powers from the central government to the sub-national units, warning that any constitution that cannot bend will eventually break.

Besides call for true federalism, the priest dismissed claims that he was contacted to replace Vice President Yemi Osinbajo amid the crisis of confidence that some powerful forces in the presidency against the vice president between October and November.

He expressed concern about leadership failure in the country and its attendant consequences in an exclusive interview with THISDAY recently, saying if Nigeria “gets to the tipping point when people can no more endure, it will be difficult to escape the rage of the people.”

With the population of over 200 million people, Nigeria is neck-deep into socio-economic crisis with unemployment measuring 23.1 percent, underemployment 20.21 percent and youth unemployment 54.4 percent as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals.

In 2019, the World Poverty Clock, the United Nations poverty monitor, revealed that 91,885,874 people in Nigeria lived in extreme poverty, representing about 46.4 percent of its population.

Also, according to the World Bank, a person can be said to be living in extreme poverty if they live below the poverty line of $1.90.

Contingent upon worsening socio-economic indicators, Nigeria has been plagued with insecurity with the prevalence of armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, cyber fraud, ritual killing, piracy and oil theft nationwide.

Concerned with the spiraling socio-economic crisis, Bakare said: “I pray our country will not become an asylum of the mad. You can blame politicians if you want to. If they beat the drum and we do not dance, the party will stop. But they have a way of injecting money into the system.

“We are always clamouring for somebody else to fight our battle. That is the problem of Israel until the likes of David and Daniel rose up. The things going on in this country can be stopped. By the time they call us into a room and they drop bags of dollars in your booth when you are going, you sing a new song. “There are praise singers of every government from inception to today because they are beneficiaries of the loots. A time will come by the auspices of God Almighty Himself that the people will say enough is enough. We are getting there,” the cleric said.

Asked what gave him such assurance, Bakare simply retorted: “We are close to the rage of the poor. Look at the number of young people, who benefit now from the proceeds of crime instead of hard work. Kidnappers are Nigerians, though they may have external collaborators.

“But what else will you give them to do? An idle man’s hand is devil’s workshop. They have to survive. Now, if we get to the tipping point when the people say they cannot endure it anymore, it will be difficult to escape their rage. Look at Hong Kong. Look at how it was sustained. There is no government that can survive that.”

The cleric said because the government “has the monopoly of violence, a lot of Nigerians are chicken-hearted. They do not want any hardship or inconvenience. But this will continue forever.

When you have some daredevil human rights advocates like Gani Fawehinmi and Beko Ransome-Kuti, these young people will follow them.”

He, specifically, said it was not difficult to bring those oppressing Nigerians down, lamenting that what “is helping them is the philosophy that if you cannot beat them, join them. But the day you join, you cannot beat anymore. But God will still have a remnant. Look at the history of the nations on earth. Ours is not peculiar.”

On Osinbajo’s travail, Bakare dismissed reports that he was penciled down to replace the vice president following attempts by some powerful forces to edge him out.

He said: “I know nothing about it. Nobody discussed such thing with me. I stood publicly that he should not be disgraced from office except he has violated his oath of office.

“I will not be dragged into such controversies. I have not held meeting with anybody to be anything. Do not forget. If they pencil down your name in Nigeria, the person, who has the pencil, has the eraser,” he said.

Besides his concern about the leadership failure, Bakare gravely lamented the country’s lopsided federal structure, noting that the structure “is not only lopsided. It is not federalism.”

Comparing the present federal structure with the pre-1966 order, the priest stated that a destructive means “cannot bring about constructive ends. What we have is destructive.”

With the promulgation of Unification Decree 34 in 1966, Bakare said Nigeria had since ceased to be a federal state, though acknowledged that there had always been cosmetic changes.

He said: “We created some states that have brought the nation to death. Many of these states are not viable. And we cannot think, if we cannot go forward, we should go backward and reset the country on the right track. This country is not working.

“And you know what? Any constitution that will not bend will eventually break. Where is Soviet Union? It was held together by force. Where is it? Those who do not learn from history will definitely repeat the blunder of history. They will become history themselves.”

He, therefore, called for a geo-economic restructuring, which according to him, should begin with devolution of powers because the centre is too crowded and too loaded.

He rhetorically asked: “What is the federal government doing with agriculture? Why should the federal government have the ministry of agriculture when it does not have land? The land is vested with the state. It is the state governor that has the power to issue certificate of occupancy. A local government chairman hardly has anything to do.

“You call a governor the chief security officer of his state, but he cannot give instruction to the commissioner of police and he obeys. That is the problem that we find ourselves. From Sokoto, you deploy a police officer in a terrain he does not understand in Abeokuta.

“It does not make common sense. Let us begin with the devolution of powers. Let us make the centre less attractive, not weak, strong state and strong centre. And states that have commonalities in culture, ethnicity, language and proximity can come together and form geo-political zones without disrupting the structure.

“But let them put their resources together to develop their own area. Nothing stops us from having six Dubais in Nigeria if we have the right thinking people and if we really love this country and want it to progress,” the pastor observed.

He, also, faulted an all-comer visa policy, which President Muhammadu Buhari announced at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, held in Cairo, Egypt.

He said: “I just know no nation should be an all-comer territory because the good, the bad and the ugly will enter. And they do not need visa to come in. Criminals will enter. They might escape from somewhere and enter Nigeria. And without visa, they can enter.

“At a time, you do need visa to go to Britain from Nigeria. In the 1980s, I went to Britain without visa. But the British authorities changed the policy when they saw the characters that were coming from Nigeria. The federal government needs to put checks and balances.

“Yes, you can come to Nigeria. But in the final analysis, everyone has to go through a system and we can refuse you entry if we think you are not the person we want in our country.”

Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos


Civil society organisation Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the 36 state governors a seven-day ultimatum to make public their assets or face legal action.

SERAP made the threat in a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request dated 3 January 2020 and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The organisation wants the political office holders to “provide information on the summary of the assets, specifically property and income, contained in your asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) since your assumption of office.”

SERAP is also asking them to: “clarify within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter if you have had any reason to review and update the asset declarations submitted to the CCB and to provide the summary of any such review.

According to SERAP, the summary of assets to be disclosed include, where applicable, the following: savings and other liquid assets, all immovable property and shares and actions in any private and public companies; property purchased by way of tender from any public-law entities and information about businesses owned.

The organisation said: “The Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the FOI Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is part of our laws, read together, impose transparency obligations on all public officials to publicly disclose information concerning their asset declarations submitted to the CCB, and to clarify any updated review of such assets.

“The non-public disclosure by public officials of their summary of assets seriously undermines the effectiveness and integrity of the constitutional and statutory obligations to submit asset declarations, especially given that declarations are designed to curb grand corruption.

“The non-disclosure of assets also undermines the authority of the CCB and weakens the public trust in the asset declaration regimes.”

In the specific FOI request to President Buhari, SERAP noted his “public promise to make specific details of your assets public, and urge you to consider this FOI request as a unique opportunity to fulfil the promise made to the Nigerian people.”

The various FOI requests read in part:
“Our FOI request does not clash with the rights to privacy and data protection.

“Both rights are not absolute and can be restricted provided there is a basis in law and a legitimate public interest justifies the restriction.
“Prevention of grand corruption and exposing the unexplained wealth of officials are serious and legitimate public interests.

“We would also like you to clarify if you have encouraged members of your cabinet to also submit their asset declarations to the CCB and to make such declarations public.

“If so, we would like you to provide information on the details of those that have made submissions.

“We would also like you to clarify whether a declaration has been submitted as constitutionally and statutorily required, the date of any such submission and if you have received any confirmation of the verification of your asset declaration by the CCB.

“The general public has a legitimate interest in ascertaining and scrutinising the veracity, exactitude and honesty of information contained in asset declarations submitted by public officials to the CCB.

“Without public disclosure of a summary of assets, this would have no practical importance.
“Public disclosure of a summary of assets submitted to the CCB would help uncover any irregularities and trigger formal verification of declarations by the CCB and other anti-corruption agencies.

“The information requested is the summary of assets submitted to the CCB pursuant to constitutional and statutory provisions.

“Providing the information will meet the constitutional objective of giving the public a reasonable picture of your detailed asset declaration lodged with the CCB as well as serve the purpose of providing a safeguard against abuse of the asset declaration process.

“This would, in turn, serve as an incentive to public officials to provide exact information when filing and submitting their asset declarations.

“The advantages that the general public would gain from being informed about the summary of assets declaration submitted to the CCB outweigh any inconvenience that may occur if the information is disclosed, pursuant to our FOI request.

“We believe that the Nigerian Constitution, the FOI Act and the African Charter grant the right to obtain information on the summary of assets of all public officials occupying a position of trust and discharging public functions.

“Any perceived claim of interference with the right to privacy is sufficiently foreseeable for the purposes of the legal requirements for asset declarations by public officials, given that public-disclosure of summary of assets would undoubtedly contribute to the legitimate aim of asset declaration regimes to prevent corruption, as it would ensure transparency regarding the details of those assets.

“SERAP notes that a decision to run for public office is an occasion when people knowingly or intentionally involve themselves in activities which are or may be recorded or reported in a public manner.

“It is in the nature of the democratic political process that Nigerians may legitimately be interested in the conduct of public officials. The issue of the asset declarations of persons holding public offices is one of legitimate public interest and concern and serves the purpose of ensuring transparency in the exercise of public functions.

“By Section 1 (1) of the FOI Act, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on the summary of the asset declaration submitted to the CCB.

“By Section 4 (a) of the FOI Act when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution or agency, the public official, institution or urgency to whom the application is directed is under a binding legal obligation to provide the applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received,” SERAP stated.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is moving closer to administering the lie detector test on detained Senator Shehu Sani and the Chairman/ CEO of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda over the alleged $24,000 bribe allegation against the human rights activist.

Dauda is accusing Sani of extorting the money from him.

The lie detector test may be carried out after the planned interrogation of the businessman’s wife tomorrow.

Mrs Dauda is said to be central to what her husband went through and why the family opted to report the Senator to the anti-graft agency.

Also, the businessman is yet to accept alleged overtures to withdraw his petition against the Senator.

Sani’s alleged offence attracts a two-three-year jail term.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the EFCC is considering polygraph option because both the Senator and the businessman maintained parallel positions during their interrogations by detectives.

It was gathered that while the businessman insisted that. Sani extorted $24,000 from him, the embattled Senator said he only had car purchase transactions with ASD Motors.

According to a top source in the anti-graft commission, the most viable way to resolve the controversy is to subject the complainant and the accused person to polygraph.

The source said: “Our investigators are interacting with Mrs. Dauda on Monday because she was said to be in the picture of certain things.

“The woman knew about how and when her husband decided to report Sen. Sani to the EFCC after the Senator became incommunicado.

“If after the session, Sen. Shehu Sani still denies collecting $24,000 from the businessman, they will undergo a lie detector test which will expose who is peddling falsehood.

“We may go to this length because we know this case is of public interest. Ordinarily, the EFCC has a petition from Dauda it has been working on and all the parties have made statements to warrant arraignment in court.

“We however want to make it a water-tight case and ensure equity with polygraph. It is a criminal offence for either of the two parties to lie on oath. Any of them will face a separate trial for falsehood.”

According to Wikipedia, “a polygraph, popularly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked and answers a series of questions.”

Meanwhile, there were indications last night that Sen. Sani may earn a two or three-year jail term if found guilty of the allegation of extortion.
Another source said Section 18 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004 is explicit on the jail term.

Section 18: (1) and (2) says: “A person who, without lawful authority (a) engages in the acquisition, possession or use of property knowing at the time of its acquisition, possession or use that such property was derived from any offence under this Act; or
(b) engages in the management, organization or financing of any of the offences under this Act; or
(c) engages in the conversion or transfer of property knowing that such property is derived from any offence under this Act; or
(d) engages in the concealment or disguise of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement, rights, with respect to or ownership of property knowing such property is derived from any offence referred under this Act commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to the penalties provided in Subsection (2) of this section.

(2) “The penalties provided for offences under subsection (1) of this section shall be imprisonment for a term not less than two years and not exceeding three years.”

Asked why the EFCC is not handing over Sen. Sani to the Nigeria Police, the source added: “This is a financial crime, it is within our mandate.

“The Commission is also charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of – (a) the Money Laundering Act 2004; 2003 No.7 1995 N0. 13 (b) the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 1995; (c) the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act 1994, as amended; (d) The Banks and other Financial Institutions Act 1991, as amended; and (e) Miscellaneous Offences Act (f) Any other law or regulations relating to economic and financial crimes, including the Criminal code or Penal Code.”