A middle-aged man, Theophilius Obayan, has dragged his wife, Chibuzor Lillian Obayan, before a Customary Court sitting in Oke-Eda, Akure, seeking the dissolution of his 23-year-old marriage, over attempt to change the paternity of his four children.

Obayan alleged that his estranged wife deliberately changed his children’s name to her new husband’s name, and urged the court to dissolve the 23-year-old marriage with Chibuzor.

Obayan told the court that his marriage “from onset was characterised by crises, abuse, disobedience, misunderstanding, lies, manipulation, hate and rage.”

He said: “I married Lilian in the year 2000 and we have four children. I am Yoruba, while my wife is Igbo. I have suffered a lot in the hands of her family because they don’t love me, but I’ve been enduring.

“Lilian packed her belongings out of my house to another man’s house in 2019 and went to change her name, including my children’s surname to the name of the Igbo man she’s engaged to.”

He said that he never had access to any of his children after his wife moved out of his house and therefore asked the court to dissolve the marriage and grant him the custody of his children and revert to his name as their surname.

In her defence, Lilian told the court that her former husband, Obayan was “grossly irresponsible” She said: “My lord, life was not easy for me over the years we have been together.

“In fact, Obayan derived pleasure in always molesting and beating me to the extent that I got fractures. Obayan is not a good husband to me and a good father to his children, as he doesn’t pay their school fees nor care about how they are living.

“He didn’t pay my dowry. So, I finally found a man to marry me and my new love wants my children to bear his name instead of that of their irresponsible father.

“Our children are old enough to choose for themselves as they are no more babies. My first two girls, Mayomi and Damilola are 22 and 20 years old respectively, while the boys, Ariyo and Aduragbemi are 18 and 16 years old respectively.”

Lilian added that she was in court with witnesses to establish whether or not there was a traditional marriage between her and the petitioner, urging the court to dissolve the union since Obayan did not pay her dowry.

In his ruling, president of the court, Mr Olusegun Rotiba, urged the parties to allow peace to reign between them and adjourned the matter till September 28, 2023, for continuation and adoption of oral addresses or probably judgment.

Practice no longer new – Ex-NMA chair

Meanwhile, a consultant haematologist with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Dr Sani Abubakar, explained that harassment of male doctors by men when it concerns their wives was almost a daily occurrence, especially in northern Nigeria.

Abubakar, a former chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Sokoto State, described the actions of such men as overprotective and lacking in proper orientation and exposure.

He stated, “It is a natural thing for every man to protect their wives and children but we should realise that while protecting them, there ought to be a limit to what we do so as not to cause more harm than good to them.

“It is a known fact that all over the world, we have more of male doctors when compared with their female counterparts, even in a field like gynaecology, which deals with women, you still realise that more men are involved than even women.

“It is almost compulsory for a male doctor to attend to female patients. We should know that in the health sector, there is no gender limitation as to who can attend to who.”

The top medic dismissed attempts to link such behaviour to religion or culture, saying lack of proper education was responsible for such behaviour.

Abubakar added, “Even though people link the attitude of some men who went to the extent of attacking a health worker or their wives to religion or culture, I think it is more of a lack of education.

“When you look around here in the northern part of the country, you will find out that most people that are educated and exposed hardly do such a thing. Most times, it is the illiterates among us that do that, most of whom really don’t know what the religion said about such an issue.”

Sharing his personal experience with a patient’s husband, Abubakar stated, “There was a day a woman came for examination and while I was attending to her, I think when the husband was informed that she had gone to the hospital, he quickly rushed to the hospital and was asking about his wife at the ward. When they told him she was inside with the doctor, he forced his way in.

“Upon entering the consultation room, he met his wife lying down on the examination bed but fortunately for me, he met a female nurse standing by her while I was on the screen asking questions. That was what made him relax, otherwise he would have done something silly.”

Abubakar called on his colleagues to always be guided by the rules of the profession, adding, “It is wrong for a doctor to ask the husband to excuse them while attending to the wife. It is also part of our ethics for a doctor to have a chaperone or a third party. Such a person can be a relative of the patient or even a nurse, which would help to give more confidence to the patient or her family.

He said further, “On insinuations that male doctors take delivery of women in the labour room, we should note that the job of doctors in the labour room is limited unless there is a complication. That is why we always have midwives whose duty is to take delivery, and it is a female dominated profession.”

The haematologist, while condemning the action of men who went to the extent of divorcing their wives for allowing male doctors to attend them, observed that most of them only use that as an excuse as there might have been an underlying issue.

He also called on parents to allow their girl-child go to school so as to minimise the barrier, while reminding them not to deny anyone, especially their wives, health care which he said remained their constitutional rights.

In Katsina State, findings by Saturday PUNCH indicate that all eyes are on the state government for the implementation of the Child Protection Law, which aims to, among others, protect children in the state against all forms of abuse, including hawking, rape, denial of education and early marriage.

It was signed on December 29, 2020 by the immediate past governor, Aminu Masari, after its passage by the state House of Assembly on November 25, 2020.

Some individuals, members of civil society organisations in the state as well as international organisations, especially the Save the Children International, have engaged in extensive consultation and advocacy before the law came into being in the state.

Despite the passage of the law a middle-aged man, identified as Samaila, was arrested in Katsina following the discovery that he locked his two wives, Fatima Salisu and Hadiza Musa, in a room in his house, chained them and subjected them to inhuman treatment for 10 months.

Fatima is from MarkeMagaji Garin village while Hadiza is from Kalyarubandaba village, both in Katsina State. Both women were aged 20 years at the time and did not have children for Samaila.

Samaila, who was living with the two wives at Yannadabaiyye village in the Rimi Local Government Area of the state, was picked up by the police from the Rimi divisional police headquarters before he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department at the Katsina police headquarters for further interrogation.

Reprieve came for the two women when Hadiza’s mother paid her a surprise visit in the village.

It was learnt that the old woman pleaded with Samaila to allow her go away with a sewing machine she bought for Hadiza since she (Hadiza) was not using it there.

Samaila, it was learnt, refused to release the machine. Instead, he allegedly assaulted her physically.

The woman reported the incident at the Rimi divisional police headquarters, which prompted policemen to visit Samaila’s house, where the two women were found under terrible conditions.

Fatima and Hadiza, who spoke in Hausa, alleged that Samaila locked the two of them inside a room, shaved their pubic hair and cut their fingernails.

They alleged further that he prepared a concoction with the items and forced them to drink.

Hadiza further alleged, “Samaila never allowed us to leave the room. We did everything in the room; we bathed there; we answered the call of nature there. He chained us and only removed the chains whenever he wanted to have sex with us, and he would have sex with us inside the room and in the presence of the other person.”

Hadiza also showed one of our correspondents her back, which was riddled with scars, sores and injuries sustained from the beatings she allegedly received from Samaila whom he alleged, used to flog her and Fatima with cable.

Although their offences were not exactly stated, Fatima disclosed that she was the first to be locked in the room 10 months ago before he married Hadiza and also locked her up in the room 10 weeks after.

Fatima alleged that Samaila threatened to kill any of them found menstruating or with blood stains.

None of the two women could say what Samaila’s job or business was, although they said he always came home with wads of N500 notes.

A Katsina-based non-governmental organisation, Gender Associates and Social Inclusion, showed interest in the plight of the two women and ensured that Samaila faced the wrath of the law.

The spokesperson for the organisation, Hajiya Rabi Muhammed, told Saturday PUNCH that the association took the women to a hospital for medical checkup and bought some foodstuffs for them before they were returned to their respective villages.

She added, “We took the two women to a hospital in Katsina, we counselled them and worked on their badly damaged psyche. We also gave them some foodstuffs. Those were the interim arrangements we made for them pending the time the police would complete their investigation on Samaila. We shall definitely empower them to help them pick up again.”

While the NGO says it awaits the conclusion of police investigations, there are strong indications that the governors, concerned government officials, community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and well-meaning individuals, especially in northern Nigeria, would have to do more to put an end to the discrimination against women and children, not only to save their lives but accord them their constitutionally-guaranteed rights to life, dignity, education and others.

If it were not for the timely intervention of the elderly Islamic cleric at Kizara Village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Garba Umar would have ended his 15-year-old marriage to his wife, Halima.

Her offence was allowing a male doctor attend to her in the labour room.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that when efforts by other women in the compound failed to help when she went into labour, she was rushed to the Tsafe General Hospital following noticeable complications that often accompany childbirth.

On getting to the hospital, there were no female doctors or nurses on the ground to attend to her. Thus, they were constrained to allow a male doctor on duty attend to her, at which time her health seemed to be failing.

Reluctant to embrace the option, the women said they had no choice but to allow the doctor (names withheld for security reasons) attend to her.

After three days of being in a coma, Halima survived, but she lost the baby. However, her family and friends were consoled that she made it out alive.

But unknown to the distraught mother, the consequences of allowing a male doctor attend to her awaited her at home. Her husband, it was learnt, had become livid, hurled insults at her and even threatened a divorce for allowing a male doctor to attend to her.

Those privy to the drama said Halima was on her way out of the marriage, but for the swift intervention of the cleric, who counselled and cautioned her husband against such a move.

“The cleric told him it wasn’t prohibitive in Islam for a male doctor to attend to a female patient in the absence of female medical personnel,” one of the witnesses told Saturday PUNCH.

Sadly, such an experience is not new, neither is it exclusive to Halima.

The same fate befell Hafsat, a resident of Talata Mafara in Zamfara State, in which case her husband warned that on no account should she seek medical attention from a male doctor in his absence, no matter the gravity of the ailment.

The vicissitudes of life would, however, compel Hafsat to flout the instruction. Like Hafisat, she was delivered of a baby girl by a male doctor when the husband was unavailable. It took the intervention of family and friends that the marriage didn’t end in a divorce.


Double loss for Mukhtar

Unlike Halima and Hafsat, who were both lucky to have their marriages intact despite flouting the ‘golden rule’ set by their husbands, a 14-year-old mother in Zango Local Government Area of Katsina State, Aminat Mukhtar, wasn’t as lucky. Hers ended in a divorce despite aborting her education because of the marriage.

She said her husband divorced her for allowing a male doctor attend to her when she had complications during childbirth. Sadly, she had a stillbirth. Thus, she lost the baby and her marriage.

Mukhtar, who was a JSS 3 student at a government secondary school in 2022, said she was out of school for a year due to the development, noting that her suitor pressured her for the marriage, a situation that made her drop out of school for one year before the outcome of the short-lived marriage compelled her to return to school.

According to her, the school principal, Fatima Muhammed, was impressed with her courage and allowed her to return to the school. However, she could only return to JSS 3 instead of SS1 as her former classmates were already ahead of her academically.

Mukhtar revealed that her ambition in life was to become a school teacher.

She told one of our correspondents in an interview, “I am 14 years old and the eldest in my family. We are three in the family. The other two are a boy and a girl. I am in JSS3.

“‘I was initially attending school here (Government Girls Secondary School, Baure) when I met a man who said he wanted to marry me. He promised me several things and lured me to drop out of school. After I left school, I kept on seeing my schoolmates, and they told me that some programmes were being implemented at the school to assist students who were from poor homes like me. I made inquiries and confirmed that it was true.

“I subsequently called off the marriage proposal, and I returned to the school. Our school principal assisted me a lot, and up till now, she keeps on encouraging me. I have no regrets for my decision to return to school. My ambition is to become a schoolteacher and contribute to the development of my community.”

As heartbreaking as these are, such cases are prevalent in some northern states like Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, and others.

In some of the states, male doctors are reluctant to attend to female patients, especially in public hospitals, without their husbands present, for their own safety or the possible consequences for the woman.

A staff nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, Zamfara State, Mohammed Sani, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH said male doctors had stopped attending to female patients, except with the permission of the husband or the guardian, as the case might be.

Sani told one of our correspondents that over the years, there had been marital quarrels, which often led to separation or outright divorce over the issue of male doctors attending to female patients, especially pregnant women.

He stated, “We (male medical personnel) are no longer attending to pregnant women in labour unless we get the written agreement from their husbands or relations. There are so many incidents where pregnant women who are in labour were attended to by male doctors and the issue became unpleasant in the end.

“You know that we have shortage of female doctors, as such, male doctors must be assigned to attend to female patients, especially those in labour.”

On the religious implication, a renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Liman Musa-Kura, told Saturday PUNCH that in Islam, male doctors are not allowed to see the anatomy of a married woman except with the consent of her husband or blood relatives.

Kura warned that male doctors should stay off from attending to a woman during labour unless it became absolutely necessary.

The cleric stressed that in the absence of female medical personnel, it was only if the female patient was in grave danger that a male doctor could be called upon to save her life.

Musa-Kura stated, “In Islam, everything is fully explained. It is forbidden for a man to see a female private parts if he is neither her husband nor her blood relation.

“So, in case there is no female doctor around, a male doctor could be assigned to treat a woman in the presence of either her husband or her relatives.”

Meanwhile, Kura lamented the shortage of female doctors in the state, urging the authorities to do something in order to avert the “ugly trend”. He cited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “where only female health personnel can treat their fellow women.”

Interestingly, the opinion of the District Head of Gagi community in Sokoto State, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi, was different.

According to him, it was unconstitutional to ask housewives not to seek medical attention from male medical doctors, adding that it had nothing to do with religion.

He described as “heartless” the attitude of some men in the northern part of the country, who punish their wives or deny them the right to seek medical attention from the hospital because they do not want them to be attended to by male doctors.

As a way out, the monarch called for more protection for women, especially housewives whom he said deserved the same protection as the men in the society.

He stressed the need to invest in girl-child education, noting that “the consequence of not investing in girl-child education by our people in this part of the country is what causes men to dominate every strategic part, including the health sector.”

Umar Jabbi noted, “The problem with our men in the North is that they have conservative mindset for not supporting women’s education, and unless we provide the opportunity for girl-child education and their empowerment, we will continue to have a gap.

“We must henceforth realise that education of the female children too is part of human rights and should be given priority. The issue of health care is also a guaranteed right of everyone, irrespective of their gender or status.

“I pray we change our perspectives so that in future we can have more human resources to take care of those areas, such as nurses, doctors, gynaecologists, among others, so as to meet our demands.”

Indeed, like Umar Jabbi noted, while it is inexcusable for men to deprive their wives of medical care because of the absence of female doctors and nurses, the menace also highlights the consequences of depriving female children of education, a danger more common in northern Nigeria.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 2022, Nigeria had about 20 million out-of-school children, especially those aged between six and 18. Even though the Universal Basic Education Commission believed the real figure was about 10 million, Nigeria is said to have one of the highest figure in the world.

According to UBEC, the out-of-school children mainly comprise of the girl-child in northern Nigeria, boy-child in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones, internally-displaced children, and the Almajiri Qur’anic and itinerant children “who are predominantly found in Northern Nigeria”.

The Department of Special Programmes at UBEC was however mandated to coordinate and implement all special interventions to address the out-of-school children challenge.

Equally contributory to the travails of the girl child, especially in northern Nigeria, is the issue of child marriage. The United Nations Population Fund revealed late last year that no fewer than 20,000 girls were saved from child marriage.

The United Nations Children’s Fund also revealed in a 2021 report that 40 per cent of girls in the country were married before they clocked 18 years. The report said the act of forcing girls into marriage with creditors to offset a loan contributed to the rate of child marriage.

Also emphasising the importance of girl-child education, the Country Representative of UNFPA, Ms Ulla Mueller, said in 2022 at an event, “Education is crucial in realising the potential of women and children. As such, we must ensure that every girl has access to quality education that equips her with knowledge and skills.

“Quality education will also enable girls to have the confidence to pursue their ambitions. When women have equal access to education, they are better able to enhance their own lives and contribute to the growth of their communities. Achieving gender equality is not only essential for its social and economic benefits but also because it is the right thing to do.”

Thus, like Jabbi noted, there cannot be female doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to treat pregnant women, much to the desire of some men in northern Nigeria, when the girl-child is deprived of education.

The poor access to healthcare underscores Nigeria’s high rate of maternal mortality, which is said to be the second-highest in the world. India is said to have the highest. A report by the World Health Organisation revealed that in 2020 alone, 540 women and children died per thousand in Nigeria, while the country accounted for 12 per cent of global maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths in the world.

Findings revealed that apart from the low access to proper healthcare, practices like this deprive women of the medical care that could have saved their lives.

Narrating his subjects’ ordeal, the community leader narrated, “Sometimes here in Sokoto, there was this housewife who was about to go into labour and her mother-in-law prevented her from visiting the hospital.

“We did all kinds of advocacy, but the woman refused to allow her go to the hospital. We later took the expectant mother to the hospital after being in labour for about three weeks. After her delivery, unfortunately she needed blood transfusion and the same woman placed a curse on her son if he donated blood to his wife.

“It took several interventions, and it was not until we told her that if she (the pregnant woman) died, she would be held responsible before she allowed her son to donate blood to the wife. We have so many stories related to this but the most important thing is to continue to create awareness to our people on the importance of education to our girl-child.”

On the religious beliefs attached to this, the community leader noted that ignorance and not religion was responsible for the belief that only a female doctor should attend to women in need of medical attention.

He stated, “It is unfortunate that some ignorant persons among our people link their actions to teachings of Islam, which is a lie. Allah never told us to deny our wives what can make them happy or well.

“The ultimate goal of religion is to save lives. Every aspect of human endeavour is there in the Holy Quran, even that of women, from delivery up to adulthood, and how they should be treated. You cannot deny women the right to quality health. It is there in the Holy Quran. People should ask what they don’t know.”

Atiku is planning to contest again in 2027. Politicians are heartless and selfish, gosh! The selfishness of Atiku and Obi put Nigeria in this mess today. $1 is 960.

Atiku and Obi made everything easy for APC. They are to blame, not their supporters.

The people who voted for Tinubu are a constant problem we have to keep dealing with even beyond 2027.

by Oluwatoyin Malik


Top: The murdered teenager, Seyi Olayode and The suspect, Bidemi. Down: Mrs Oluwafemi Olayode and Mr Anthony Olayode


THE Monitoring Unit of the Oyo State Police Command has begun investigation to unravel the death of an 18-year-old girl, Seyi Olayode, whose decomposing remains were found in a bush at Olodo Community, Ibadan, Oyo State, nine days after she followed her brother, Bidemi, to get firewood but didn’t return home.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that on Sunday, July 23, on their return from church, Bidemi asked his sister, Seyi, to follow him to their farm to get firewood for cooking without their parents’ knowledge. Before then, their mother was said to have asked Bidemi to split the firewood they had at home into pieces for his younger siblings.

The parents reportedly got worried when they didn’t see their children returning home, making them to search nearby communities, to no avail.

To their surprise, Bidemi, aged 22, returned home without his sister at about 11pm same night, and when asked about the whereabouts of his sister, he reportedly told them that she would still come home, narrating an event that led to his sister missing.

According to the suspect’s father, Mr Anthony Olayode, his son told him of how he and his sister were abducted by four men on their way to farm, with him released at night while his sister was with the abductors.

Narrating how they came in contact with the abductors, he told his father that about 12.30 pm, on their way to the farm, he and his sister saw a silver Lexus vehicle, from which the four men emerged, asking for direction to Olodo community where they wanted to go to get firewood.

According to Bidemi, the men suddenly grabbed him and his sister and dragged them inside the vehicle. He said that they were blindfolded with their hands tied to their backs.

He explained further that they were taken inside the bush but at night, he was brought back without his sister to the spot where they were initially picked.

The case of a missing child, according to a credible source, was reported at Sanyo police station the following day, July 24, but the father, Mr Anthony Olayode, a Republic of Benin citizen living at Alapa community, did not allow his son to be held back in the police station and interrogated, saying that he would be with him at home and brought to the station whenever additional information was needed from him.

At a point, the father, who had become so worried about his missing daughter, reportedly consulted a diviner from his home country and was told that the matter involved someone sharing the same blood with the missing girl.

This, according to the father, prompted him to put an object on the floor and asked his son to stand on it. Trembling, the son was said to have confessed that the abductors asked him to strangulate his sister until she died before returning him to the spot where he was initially abducted.

“They pointed a gun at my head and asked me to strangulate my sister. After it was done, they said we should all hide in an uncompleted building. We were there till night before leaving for the spot where they dropped me,” Bidemi related to his father. He said that he was warned not to disclose any information to anyone or else he would die.

The father said: “I assured him that he would not die, but he did not tell me the spot where she was killed.” It was learnt that Bidemi refused to mention the four people that he said picked him and his sister.

His mother, Mrs Oluwafemi Olayode, in an interview, said: “I was not at home on that Sunday. I went to the church. There was heavy rain and I also wanted to go to the market. I told the children to cook and eat. When I returned home at about 6:30pm, I was told they had yet to return since they left to get firewood.

“We started combing the bushes around us but couldn’t find them. At about 11pm, Bidemi came back home. I was happy seeing him and asked of his sister. He told me she would come home; that she was with the four people who abducted the two of them. Since then, we did not see Seyi until her decomposing remains were found in Olodo bush.

According to the distraught mother, “at that time, I was going to churches to get revelation on where my daughter was. I asked Bidemi and he assured me that she would return. Bidemi later told us that he was given something to drink and warned not to reveal what they were going to do to anyone or else they would trail and kill him. He didn’t reveal their identities, he said that one of them had dreadlocks. He said when he was told to strangle his sister, he spoke in Cotonou’s language that she should pretend as if she was dead. But the abductors, after shaking his sister’s body, put a gun in his ear, asking him in anger why he pretended to have killed her.


“When he was taken to Amotekun, he told them that the abductors raped his sister in his presence and afterwards told him to do same which he rejected because of filial relationship. It was after that he said a gun was pointed at him as they ordered him to strangle his sister.”

The mother said she was still amazed about the happening because he had never brought a friend to our house. “I’ve never seen him with any friend,” she stated.

The revelation that made Mr Olayode to take his son to Amotekun office in Oluyole where he was detained to get words out of him also got him confessing to belonging to a cult and being a hemp smoker.

Meanwhile, the family started searching for the teenager’s body in the bushes around adjoining villages. One of the family members who went for the search with others on Tuesday, August 1, said: “We found an unoccupied building and passed by it. On getting to a spot in the bush at Olodo axis, we noticed sticks put across a pathway as if it had not been in use for a long time. The sticks were removed and we went through the pathway. Shortly after, we saw buzzing flies which made us to suspect that something must have attracted the flies. We moved on and perceived very foul odour. We went nearer and noticed leaves on a mound.

“We left the spot because of the fear that the perpetrators might be lurking somewhere. We asked one of us with a motorcycle to go back and bring the father. When he got to the spot, the father removed the leaves covering the mound and saw that the decomposing body was his daughter’s. We noticed that one of her breasts had been cut off and hair scraped clean from a side of her head. Her hands were tied behind her and maggots covered the decomposing body.”

Some family members also said that they were suspecting that probably, Bidemi, forcefully had sexual interaction with his sister but didn’t want to be reported to the family, hence his decision to strangulate her.

On Wednesday, it was learnt that the police from Sanyo Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer; Oluyole Security Surveillance Team (OSST), led by its commandant, Olusegun Idowu; and vigilante group members were also at site where the body of the deceased was.

From Amotekun’s Oluyole office, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the suspected teenager was transferred to the head office at Moniya, from where the case and the suspect were handed over to the Monitoring Unit of the state police command to carry out in-depth investigation to unravel the mystery behind the murder of the teenager.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has released the Consolidated Financial Statements for the last seven years, making it the first time since 2015 that the apex bank will be making its book available for public scrutiny.

The Consolidated Financial Statements, which were released by the CBN, are for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 financial periods.

The CBN declared a profit after tax of N103.8bn in 2022, up from N75.13bn reported a year earlier.

Also, the CBN owes JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs a combined sum of $7.5bn as of the financial year ended December 2022.

Included as part of its liabilities is another $6.3bn owned in foreign currency forwards.

The apex bank, however, stated it owes Goldman Sachs $500 million and JP Morgan $7 billion in what it classified as securities lending.

The 2022 financial statement read, “The Group entered into a securities lending agreement with Goldman Sachs and J. P. Morgan and as part of the agreement, the Group pledged its holdings on foreign securities in return for cash. The cash received from Goldman Sachs is N0.23tn ($500m), 2021: N0.22tn ($500m), and JP Morgan N3.23tn ($7bn), 2021: N3.05tn ($7bn) is recognised in other foreign securities.”

Securities lending forms part of the CBN’s total external reserves of about N14.3tn or $29bn using the official exchange rate of N494/$1 as of 2022.

However, the apex bank also owes another N3.15tn ($6.3bn) in foreign currency forward which are forex obligations it needs to make to foreign investors.

The financial statements uploaded on the CBN website is an indication that the apex bank, under the leadership of acting Governor Folashodun Shonubi, is ready to open its book to public scrutiny.

The suspended CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, had come under attack for not releasing the financial statements to the public.

The action of Emefiele is in gross violation of the CBN Act.

Since 2005 when it started publishing details of its annual report on its website, the CBN never failed to publish the report until 2016, when it stopped the publication of the crucial documents.

According to the CBN Act 2007, the apex bank is expected to publish its report within two months after the end of each financial year.

“The Bank shall, within two months after the close of each financial year, transmit to the National Assembly and the President a copy of its annual accounts certified by the Auditor.

“A report required to be submitted to the National Assembly and the President shall be published by the Bank in such a manner as the Governor may direct

“The Board shall ensure that accounts submitted pursuant to this section shall as soon as possible be published in the Gazette.

“The Bank shall as soon as may be practicable after the last day of each month makeup end publish a return of its assets and liabilities as at the close of business on that day, or if that day is a holiday, as at the close of business on the last preceding business day,” the Act reads.

Analysts are of the view that the failure of the CBN to publish the report could send wrong signals to investors and others interested in understanding the state of the economy.

President Bola Tinubu had appointed Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the activities of the CBN and other related entities.

In a letter dated July 28, Tinubu said the appointment of Obazee, relying on the fundamental objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian constitution, was in furtherance of his administration’s anti-corruption fight.

The appointment is with immediate effect, and Obazee is to report directly to the President.

According to the letter signed by the President, the full terms of Obazee’s engagement as a special investigator will be communicated to him in due course.

The President had directed Obazee to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent and capable team and to work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on the assignment.

By Aliyu Jalal


Former Militant leader and founder of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo has said that he has the manpower to defeat the military junta in Niger Republic.

Dokubo said his armed group could overrun Niger Republic if commissioned by the federal government.

In a viral video, Dokubo said he and his boys have the capacity to restore democracy in Niger.

He said, “If the government commissions me and my people to go to Niger Republic, we will go. We will defeat them and we will come back victorious. It is not a boast.

“If Benin Republic likes, let them go and bring anybody, they are human beings like us. We will go there, defeat them and restore democratic order.”

Negotiations and reconciliation efforts are still ongoing between the Niger junta and African leaders.

On Wednesday, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, 14th Emir of Kano, met with the coup leaders in Niger Republic.

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) met the military leadership after the junta had aborted meetings with representatives of African Union (AU), Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and a top US diplomat.

Sources told Daily Trust that Sanusi went there to open the door for negotiation with the junta, after which he went to the Villa in Abuja to brief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) yesterday raised the alarm over alleged plot by some persons and groups to stage a protest at the national secretariat of the union in Garki 2, Abuja.

The union disclosed this in a statement issued by the president, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa in Abuja.

He described the planned protest as a campaign of calumny against the leadership of the union aimed at causing confusion and foment trouble.

He said those sponsoring the protest are not members of the union but from Lagos, Osun and Ondo States Park Management Committees.

Baruwa said their plan is to infiltrate their ranks by wearing the union uniform and disguise as members to perpetrate their nefarious activities and attack the secretariat.

He said, “We have it on good authority that some disgruntled and unscrupulous elements have perfected a plan to mobilise some thugs and hoodlums from Lagos who are to put uniform of the Union as disguise to invade and stage a protest at our National Secretariat here in Abuja.

“I want to tell you that these people are not our members, they just want to cause violence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), we are using this medium to call on the security agencies to rise up to the occasion and prevent the breakdown of law and order.”

Baruwa called on the plotters to desist forthwith just as he called on all the security agencies to rise up to the occasion and prevent possible breakdown of law and order in the city.

He said the union has remained peaceful over the years without any rancour but wondered how some people would just wake up to cause violence and puncture the serene atmosphere in the nation’s capital.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as fuel would continue to increase as long as the US Dollar rose in the foreign exchange market.

Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of IPMAN, disclosed this to DAILY POST exclusively while reacting to speculation of further fuel pump hikes.

The IPMAN’s boss noted that fuel price will keep soaring if the dollar keeps rising in the forex market.

He said: “Nigerians should understand that with fuel subsidy removal, the government is no longer determining pump prices but the market forces. The product is bought in dollars. The dollar is around 890/$1 now. As the dollar climbs, fuel pump prices will continue to go up.

As a solution, he urged the government to double up efforts to make Compressed Natural Gas available for Nigerians.

“Government should make conscious efforts towards making CNG available for Nigerians”, he stated.

Naira dropped further to the dollar, exchanged at N782.38/$1 on Wednesday at the official market. But, at the parallel market dollar is enchanted at 910/$1.

Consequently, the pump price of the product is expected to exceed N617/per litre.

DAILY POST recalls that three weeks ago, fuel marketers increased the fuel pump price from N539/per litre to over N600/per litre.

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, has recommended that the Value Added Tax on Automotive Gas Oil, better known as diesel, be suspended.

According to Oyedele, the VAT suspension will soften the economic impact of President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidies.

Oyedele stated this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, 9th October 2023.

He said, “What the President wants us to do is that within the first 30 days, there are those low-hanging fruits that people have generally agreed that this is a problem, but nobody has done anything about it.

“Personally, for example, this is not promising that it would be done, but I think that we should suspend VAT on diesel because we removed fuel subsidy on petrol and prices are going up.”

Oyedele went further to say that the nation’s fiscal governance encompasses concerns ranging from the debt ceiling to the deficit-to-GDP ratio (as specified in the Fiscal Responsibility Act), revenue generation reporting, and spending quality.

Oyedele stated that many persons in the tax net, particularly the middle and upper classes, are not in compliance with tax legislation, adding that “some of them are in the tax net with one or two fingers.” In reality, our aim is to abolish many of the taxes that currently make doing business difficult while collecting more.”

He advised that, for the nation’s economy to benefit from revenue generation, the collection of revenue should be assigned primarily to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, while reducing the revenue generation burden on the Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

A Lagos-based cleric, Alhaji Afeez Imoleayo, has been arrested for allegedly charming his US-based friend and stealing N105 million from him after taking over the victim’s wife and children.



Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone-2, Mr Ali Mohammed, paraded the suspect alongside five other accomplices identified as Ramon Uthman, Saidi Ajayi, Alhaja Monsurat Salami and Kikelomo.

The AIG said the cleric also charmed his friend’s wife and three children and took them over as his own.

Mohammed said aside from the money and the friend’s family, the cleric and his wife also took over five vehicles and landed property belonging to the U.S.-based friend.

He told newsmen that that the suspect confessed using spiritual means to take over his friend’s family, more than N105 million and several landed properties in Lagos.

He said the cleric admitted to have bewitched the friend into changing his children’s names and land documents into his.

According to Mohammed, a complaint was lodged by the Nigerian identified as Animashaun, with the police on July 17, 2023, leading to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.

He added that other accomplices of the cleric and his wife were currently at large, but that five persons had been arrested over the crime.

He said also that one white Toyota Venza 2009 model, one Ashok Leyland Bus and various landed properties had been recovered from the suspects.

“The suspect abducted the petitioner’s wife and children for more than 10 years; subsequently changed their names to his through the help of his wife.

“He converted all the petitioner’s properties to his own, claiming that God directed him to do so.

“It was God that opened the petitioner’s eyes 10 years after when he realised what he was doing and returned to Nigeria to file his petition,’’ Mohammed said.

He added that the cleric’s wife confessed to the alteration of the birth documents of the complainant’s children to bear the cleric’s name.

He said that the cleric’s wife also admitted to have received more than 17,000 dollars (about to N11.8 million) from the complainant.

“Investigation showed that the suspect met the complainant at a religious place in Lagos after which they became friends.

“The complainant is based in the U.S.A and became close to the suspect about 16 years ago. While they were friends the complainant started to send the suspect money to execute a project.

“Instead, the suspect converted the complainant’s entire savings amounting to more than N105 million to his own,’’ Mohammed said.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission is investigating allegations of corruption and abuse of office against immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

This was revealed in a memo dated July 19, 2023, signed by the Petition Registrar, ICPC, H.S. Folaranmi, on behalf of the ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye

The memo was in response to a petition filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, accusing the former AGF of corruption and high-handedness.

“I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your petition on the above subject and to inform you that necessary action is being taken on the matter,” the memo read.

HEDA, writing the ICPC through its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, in its July 10, 2023 petition sighted by our correspondence, had said, referenced a number of allegations against Malami.

It said, “Below are but a few of several corruption allegations against Mr. Abubakar Malami: On the 2nd day of May 2022, it was widely reported by various news outlets that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Abubakar Malami SAN distributed 30 car gifts worth over N1,000,000,000 to his supporters in Kebbi State.

“The car gifts included 14 Mercedes Benz, eight Prado SUVs, four Toyota Hilux and four Lexus LX. Beneficiaries of the car gifts, as reported by PremiumTimes, were social media influencers, executive members of Mr Malami’s foundation and women support groups.

“Two, illegal auctioning of sea vessels holding crude oil seized by the Federal Government, violating Section 31(2) and (4) of the EFCC Act 2004 and assuming the role conferred on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as reported by TheCable Newspaper on the 13th July, 2020. The AGF also authorised the sale of these vessels by companies under EFCC prosecution for similar offence of illegal bunkering and this action was admitted by the AGF through his Media Assistant pleading presumption of innocence on the part of the accused, in a case being prosecuted by the Federal Government through the EFCC.”

The group also referenced “alleged duplicity of payment of $16.9m fees to two friends as new lawyers for the recovery of the loot traced to a former Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, after a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired and fully paid by the previous government, to help in the recovery had completed his brief as reported by PremiumTimes on the 10th of April, 2018.”

The management of Azman Air has sent all its staff on compulsory leave without pay after suspending its commercial operation.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the leave was as a result of the end of its Hajj operation and the unavailability of its Boeing 737 aircraft that has gone for C-check maintenance and yet to return.

However, in a circular sighted by our Correspondent, signed by the Human Resources Manager, Magaji Mohammed Misau, dated 3rd August, 2023, only eight senior staff are exempted from the compulsory leave.

The circular titled ‘Placement Of Leave Without Pay,’ read, “As you are aware that our domestic operations have been put on-hold for a while, due to the conveyance of our Aircraft for C-Checks and the MROS’ has given a longer time of completion.

In view of the above, management directed to write and communicate its decision that all staff have been placed on Leave Without Pay with effect from 1” August, 2023.

However, the under-listed staff and all Station Managers have been exempted from the above directive. They are as follows, Engr. Nuraddeen Aliyu; Engr. Zakaria Al-Najjar; Engr. Peter Abraham; Engr. Aliyu Suleiman Gambo; Engr. Thomas Foloronso; Usman Muhammad Sabo; Sabiu Sabo and Magaji Mohammed Misau

“Finally, you should be rest assured that you will be recalled to duty as soon as everything is put in place.”

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Azman Air, Nurudeen Aliyu, confirmed the report, saying all their aircraft are on maintenance.

According to him, the airline has suspended its domestic operation since April 18th 2023 but the airlines have been paying salaries since they stopped.

“We are out of domestic operation from 18th April, 2023. All our Boeing 737 aircraft are in for maintenance and we have not been able to complete the maintenance.”

“Two of our aircraft are in maintenance and 3 are due for C-check and that’s why we suspended our domestic operation. Our aircraft will be back in October.

“The overhead is heavy so the management decided to put the company on hold,” Aliyu stated.

Atedo Peterside, Nigerian entrepreneur, investment banker, and economist, has said Niger Republic airspace closure would bring further hardship to Nigerians, especially those who intend to travel to Europe.

Niger had shut its airspace indefinitely over the invasion threat from the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), which gave the military junta one month to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum.

But in a post on his social media page, Peterside noted that the case may be worsened if Burkina Faso or Mali join Niger in declining overflight rights to Nigerian-bound aircraft.

He wrote, “Closure of Niger Republic airspace will increase the cost of flights from Nigeria to Europe. If Burkina Faso and/ or Mali join Niger in declining overflight rights to Nigerian-bound aircraft, then inbound and outbound flights from Nigeria to Europe will become very expensive.”

Daily Trust correspondents who are now at the Nigerian borders with Niger in Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa and Borno states, said though there was no fight, millions of people are in dire straits due to fear of the unknown occasioned by high cost or shortage of basic necessities of life like food and drugs.

The residents, Nigerians and Nigeriens alike, said they detest war and called on ECOWAS to have a rethink in line with a clarion call by prominent groups and individuals.

ECOWAS has not yet announced what its next move will be after the expiration of the deadline given to the coupists.

The military regime in Niger, which declared their Commander General, Abdourahamane Tchiani the new head of state, has vowed not to bow to outside pressure.

The sudden disappearance of the remains of a 63-year-old woman, Olajumoke Julianah Ogunsuyi, meant to be buried today (Saturday) has created tension in Osi town, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the body of the late Mrs Ogunsuyi was deposited at the mortuary section of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Teaching hospital in the state by family members.

A source who spoke on Friday revealed that it was shocking when the family of the deceased returned to the hospital’s morgue to retrieve the body for burial but discovered that the corpse was missing.

“After waiting for several hours for the attendants to bring out the corpse of Mrs Ogunsuyi, it was to our surprise and disbelief that she was nowhere to be found,” the source said.

A police source who is currently privy to the incident told our reporter that the mortuary attendants and the hospital officials have been invited for interrogation, adding that the investigation revealed that the corpse of Mrs Ogunsuyi had been exchanged for another family for burial at Oba Ile town both in Akure North LGA of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, could not be reached for a reaction as the message forwarded to her official line by our correspondent to seek comments was yet to deliver as at press time.

ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE


A U.S.-based Nigerian businessman, Ted Iseghohi-Edwards, is initiating legal steps to seize Nigerian assets in America after the federal government reneged on its agreement to pay a $159 million debt, Peoples Gazette can report based on court filings.

Nigeria’s government, attorney-general and minister of justice, and Debt Management Office (DMO) were listed as the first, second and third defendants in the suit filed at the United District Court for the District of Columbia on April 24.

At issue was the failure of the federal government to honour the first tranche of $159 million promissory note due for payment on October 15, 2022.

Although the plaintiff said the debt was money owed him for “legal fees”, it is unclear what type of legal services he rendered to the federal government to have amassed such humongous debt of $159 million payable every October 15 from 2022 through to 2031.

On September 21, 2021, the debt management office issued 10 promissory notes to Mr Iseghohi-Edwards with a face value of $159 million each at six per cent interest rate, bringing the total debt to $164 million.

The first promissory note was due for maturity on October 15, 2022, according to a statement of claim made by the plaintiff.

“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by this Promissory Note, which is governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably promises to pay to the order of TED ISEGHOHI EDWARDS the sum of FIFTEEN MILLION. NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ONLY on the 15th day of October 20 (Maturity Date”),” reads the note signed by finance minister and referenced FGN/PN/JD/C.A/FX/2021/05A on September 21, 2021.

“This Promissory Note is backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government of Nigeria and charged upon the general assets of Nigeria,” the note added.

As it stands, the plaintiff has the right to go after Nigeria’s assets in the U.S. based on the clause that says the promissory note is “charged upon the general assets of Nigeria.”

In another letter signed by Oladele Afolabi, director, portfolio management department of the debt office, on October 5, 2022, Mr Iseghohi-Edwards was asked to tender the original copy of the promissory note for redemption and payment.

But despite submitting all the required documents nine months ago, the debt office has neither paid the debt nor given any explanation for the non-payment.

The plaintiff’s complaints run counter to the DMO’s boasts that it has built a solid reputation for upholding all of its financial commitments and isn’t known for backing out of its pledges after the debt office redeemed a $500 million Eurobond last month.

Chinenye Onu, DMO spokesperson, did not immediately respond to enquiry for comments on the matter.

FOLLOWING the reintroduction of the tenure policy in the Federal Civil Service, the Federal Government has ordered all of its directors of Grade Level 17, who have spent eight years on the post to tender their notices for immediate retirement

The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director of Administration of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mariya Rufai which was dated August 3, 2023, and was addressed to all directors and heads of units of the ministry.

She noted that this was in line with section 020909 of the revised Public Service Rules (PSR). The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on July 28, 2023, launched the newly revised Public Service Rules.

It was, however, gathered that the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, had directed all ministries to ensure immediate implementation of the PSR.

More than 512 directors in the civil service who have spent eight years on the directorate cadre would be forced out of the service with the implementation of the newly revised Public Service Rules, 2021, by the Federal Government.

The memo entitled: “Implementation of Tenure Policy” read: “I write to refer you to the “2021 Revised Edition” of the Public Service Rules which takes effect from 27th July 2023. Consequently, all Directors (SGL 17) who have spent eight years and above on the post are by this Internal Circular directed to submit their notice of retirement in line with Section 020909 of the revised PSR effective from the date stated thereof.

“Accordingly, all affected directors are advised to commence the process of documentation with the Administration Department for compulsory retirement by virtue of the section under reference.

“Furthermore, the Directors in question should formally hand over to the most senior officers in their respective Departments and surrender all official documents including Identification Cards as well as official vehicles (if any) before exiting.

“Please bring the content of this internal circular to the attention of all concerned for strict compliance.”

In the revised document, the Federal Government also introduced a tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries. Though the rule states that Permanent Secretaries will now spend four years, it further notes that their tenure is subject to renewal following evaluation of their performances. It also states that directors who spend eight years will compulsorily retire after the period.

Recall that the administration of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, introduced the tenure policy when the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, was in charge.

By a circular dated August 26, 2009, with reference number HCSF/061/S.1/III/68 titled: “Tenure of Office for Permanent Secretaries and Directors,” the tenure policy was introduced into the Federal Civil Service.

The circular provided the following: “As part of the continuing reforms in the Federal Civil Service, the government has found it necessary to develop a policy that will renew and reinvigorate the service, restore the morale of officers, and unlock the creative potential of hardworking officers.

“Accordingly, the government has approved that permanent secretaries shall hold office for a term of four years, renewable for a further term of four years, subject to satisfactory performance, and no more.

“In the case of directors, they shall compulsorily retire upon serving eight years on the post. This approval is without prejudice to the relevant provisions of the Public Service Rules, which prescribe 60 years of age and/or 35 years of service for mandatory retirement. Consequently, all serving permanent secretaries and directors who would have spent eight years on post by January 1, 2010, the effective date of this provision, are hereby notified for the purpose of commencing their pre-retirement activities, when due.”

By another circular with reference number HCSF/061/S.1/III/186 and dated October 21, 2009, the policy was made applicable to parastatals, agencies, and statutory corporations of the government, thereby widening its scope of application.

The special adviser on media and publicity to President Bola Tinubu, Ajuri Ngelale, has said that workers should expect nothing less than double of their current salary when the new minimum wage is implemented.

Ngelale stated this while discussing what the Tinubu administration is doing to cushion the effect of subsidy removal during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

He said, “I don’t want to preempt the president or the work of the minimum wage committee that is getting it down in those states, but what I would say is this: the president will want nothing less than a doubling. I mean doubling of the current minimum wage.

“As of June 36 states have received N300 billion more than they had received in any previous month in the last two years. They already have more money right now.

“The federal government on its part is making sure it brings down the cost food and energy by supporting transport companies and coming up with agriculture intervention as well as SMEs capitalization. States have all agreed during the last NEC meeting that they would support new minimum wage.”

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has deleted over 180 registered loan apps otherwise known as Digital Money Lenders (DMLs) from its website. The commission said they were removed for ‘clean-up.’ “The list is undergoing a clean-up and will be made available as soon as possible,” the message on the FCCPC website reads.

Recall that in July 2023, the executive vice-chairman, FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, while speaking on Arise News Channel, vowed to delete apps of operators of digital lending apps who defame and harass Nigerians in an attempt to recover loans. Irukera stated that once a loan app has been delisted due to consumer harassment, there would not be a second chance, adding that genuine people in need of the loans should not be made to suffer frustrations to get loans.

He said: “we would make sure that any app that is on google but defames consumers would not have the opportunity to do legal business in Nigeria anymore. You cannot, because there is a high rate of default, begin to engage inappropriate ways of recovering loans. People who truly have a problem and those who don’t fail to make a payment should not be subjected to the inconvenience of frustrations or harassment that accompanies these defamatory messages.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has disclosed that response of the government and not the use of force will determine the duration of the ongoing protest.

The NLC president Joe Ajaero disclosed this while speaking in an interview with Channels TV at Unity Fountain in the FCT on Wednesday.

The NLC kicked off its protest on Wednesday morning against ‘anti-people’ policies in different states of the federation, such as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, and other states of the federation.

He said, “It’s in the interest of the NLC to determine based on the response of the state whether the protest should be for today, tomorrow, or next, or till thy kingdom come.

“It is not by using forces to stop people from expressing their views.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu announced in his inaugural address as president to the nation on May 29 that “fuel subsidy is gone.”

The fuel price per liter has since increased from N185 to N617 in different parts of the country.

On the basis of the rising cost of living in the country, the union issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse its ‘anti-people’ policies.

The demands of the NLC include an increase to the current minimum wage, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers, and a reversal in the increase of public school fees.

Mr. Wale Edun, who is President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser in charge of Monetary Policies and one of his ministerial nominees, yesterday, said the fair value of the naira should be about N700/$, arguing that the over N860/$ it currently sells at the parallel market was not backed up by market fundamentals.

Edun, stated this while answering questions from Senators, when he appeared for screening as a ministerial nominee before the Senate.

Some others that appeared before the Senate yesterday, were former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; Senator David Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State;

Ahmed Musa Dangiwa from Katsina; Adebayo Adelabu; Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete from Delta State; Enugu State nominee – Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji; Hannatu Musawa from Katsina State, among others.

Edun, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance during the administration of Tinubu as governor of Lagos State, also stressed the need to create the office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government, different from that of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).

Responding to a question on the exchange rate, Edun said: “This is clearly uppermost in the minds of the monitoring authorities. For a country that has a revenue flows from oil revenue, from remittances, and from other exports and financing of over N100 billion a year, there is no reason that there should be no stable exchange rate, all other things been equal and provided that inflation is kept under control.

“The N860 to $1 we are seeing is not backed up by any fundamentals. The fact that these are as a result of the foreign exchange practice of the past with the inefficiency and the corruption involved, these are putting pressure on the exchange rate.

“Night and day, the monitoring authorities and the monitoring team of the president are trying to resolve the situation by raising revenue, other sources of investment funding and by attracting the investment funds, equity funds from those around the world that are interested in the Nigerian economy.

“Take for instance, Turkey has attracted $50 billion in investment funding from the United Arab Emirates. It is in such direction that the solution to the shortage of liquidity in the foreign exchange market is being sought including increased in oil production as a result of better security.

“It is difficult to predict because the capital markets take all the liquidity of their own. I want to say that the fundamental value of the naira should be somewhere around N700/$1.”

Furthermore, the nominee while answering questions posed to him by Senators, called for the split of the OAGF in order to create the OAGFG, which would be handling strictly the accounting records of the federal government.

He said, “I Support the idea that there should be a separation of power from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federal Government.

“This would reduce the frequent friction between the federal government and the government at the sub-national levels in terms of revenues sharing formula”

Edun, also recommended digital capturing of all beneficiaries of the cash transfer, ahead of the plan to share the $800 million World Bank loan to vulnerable Nigerians.

He said, “Statements have been made on derogatory terms. It is not good to throw the baby away with the bath water.

“The provisions and conditions surrounding the $800 million World Bank financing is that every beneficiary must have a biometric verification, otherwise they will not be eligible for the N8,000 cash.

“Clearly there is a register that have the biometric of Nigerians to some extent, but we need to do more to reach people outside the formal financial system and that is the goal of the government.

“On the N500 billion Supplementary Budget, I think that is an appropriated sum and it is part of the current budget.”

Edun maintained that Nigeria was blessed with human and natural resources and expressed optimism that the nation would come out of its current economic quagmire with Tinubu as president.

He said, “Lagos success story was as a result of heavy commitment and investment in technology which was used to generate resources.

“We relied on the private sector investments to generate resources. Lagos economy was well positioned to an enviable position where it could source for funds domestically to meet the basic needs of its residents.”

He lamented that the nation’s economy was being challenged by insecurity and inflation because no deliberate efforts were made to harness the contributions of the private and the informal sectors.

He expressed the hope that there would be an improvement in the nation’s economy if enough revenue could be generated to carry out government obligation and service debts.

He said the end of subsidy regime and multiple exchange rate window has positioned the country for the economic growth.

He urged Nigerians, especially those in the private sector to embrace the policies and programmes of the Tinubu’s administration because the government cannot do it alone.

Edun also said Nigerians would soon be experiencing an improvement in electricity supply.

During his screening, El-Rufai, spoke on how the federal government could ensure constant electricity supply to the citizenry.

El-Rufai said, “On power, 80 per cent of the power generation is by gas while 20 per cent is hydro. Power and gas should go together.

“Transmission infrastructure can only carry 6000 out of the 13,000 megawatts the nation is producing. We need to look at it.

“The distribution companies were designed to involve private individuals and major investors, but it is not the case.

“At the moment three out of 11 Discos are doing well, while the banks own six of them.”

“Subsidising electricity consumption with N1.6 trillion despite privatisation is unsustainable. It is unacceptable.”

He stressed the need for fresh capital and fresh investments in the sector.

He said, ” It is possible because six of them are under receivership.”

El-Rufai also said there was need to attract resources to the sector, adding that every house should have metre even as he said power should not be free.

However, there was a mild drama when the lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Sunday Karimi, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna.

Raising a brown envelope, Karimi said, “Mr. President, I have a petition written against the nominee over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna when he was governor.

“If I am permitted, I will like to read the petition.”

But Senator Sani Musa and two other senators asked the former Kaduna Governor to take a bow and go since he had appeared before the Senate, some 20 years ago.

There was another interesting scene when Umahi took a bow after he gave a brief introduction of himself.

The Senate President caused a stir when he asked Umahi to resume his seat after his appearance.

During his appearance, Dangiwa, who is a former Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, stressed the need to involved operators in the informal sector in mortgage financing.

“Informal sector has left behind but should be brought along. The federal government should ensure access to mortgage, cooperatives should be encouraged to access mortgage depending on the financial strength of their members.

“Affordable houses should be explored. We should review the laws of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the National Housing Authority. The Federal Housing Authority should collaborate with the FMBN to build house for non-civil servants.

“The N1 trillion to N5 trillion cash reserves in the CBN should be accessed under single digit interest loan.

“Government institution that could give single digit loans should also be encouraged to do so. We will collaborate with stakeholders to liberalise land use.

However, a female nominee from Delta State, Okotete, was asked to take a bow and go after her introductory remarks, giving details of her performance at Nexim Bank where she’s currently serving as executive director.

Nnaji, was also asked to take a bow after introducing himself and saying that he has special interest in agriculture.

A female nominee, Musawa from Katsina State, went emotional when she appeared for screening.

She said, ” I came from a poor family. My father sells goro (kolanut) to send me to school. My greatest regret is that my father is not here to witness her daughter’s screening for a ministerial position”

Nominees who would be screened today are Mr. Muhammad Idris (Niger); Prof. Ali Pate (Bauchi) Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo); Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara); Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom).

By Adeola Badru & Dickson Omobola, IBADAN


PROTESTING members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Oyo State, yesterday, stormed the state secretariat, on the second day of their protest, beating civil servants who refused to join the on-going protest in the state.

The protesting NLC members are drawn from various ministries, which include judiciary, parastatals and other agencies.

Civil servants were beaten up by the protesters, under the watch of some labour leaders, disrupting activities in government offices for several hours, locking some in their offices.

The ongoing protest by the NLC began on Monday, following their demands for payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for 2021 and 2022.

The aggrieved labour members blocked the entrance to the government secretariat in the state for the second time over the failure of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to meet and dialogue with them.

Their demands include payment of their deductions, and allowances, among other struggles, since the inauguration of the governor in 2019.

While some protesters stormed the entrance of the state secretariat, some male members of the union were assigned to sack offices within the secretariat, chasing out civil servants to join the protest by force.
The protesters, who carried sticks sang songs and disrupted official duties which also affected vehicular movement.


Civil servant beaten

A victim of the harassment, Dare Olaniyan, sustained injuries when he was manhandled by the protesters.

In a chat with Vanguard, Olaniyan, a staff of the Ministry of Information and Orientation, said he was beaten by some of the protesters, despite identifying himself with them.

He said: “I came inside the Secretariat premises to pick up my belongings, in the office. All attempts to explain this to the protesters fell on deaf ears, as they launched an attack on me, for no just cause.

“But rather than settling the issue amicably, the NLC members decided to go physical, engaging me and others with me in a fight.”

It took the intervention of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (retd) to stop them immediately.

Mr Odukoya, who frowned at the development, said: “Beating civil servants in the name of protest is against the law. You must desist from this act henceforth.”


Ensure protest is peaceful, CSOs tell Labour

Meanwhile, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in collaboration with the Labour Centre, yesterday, urged the NLC to ensure that it was peaceful.

Rising from its town hall meeting in Lagos, the groups said the protests must not degenerate into the destruction of private and public properties, stating that they wouldn’t want a repeat of the looting, vandalism and loss of lives experienced during the EndSARS protests of 2020.

In a communiqué signed by 21 CSOs, they insisted that removing fuel subsidy was vital to saving the economy from collapse.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Mr Razaq Olookoba said: “The economic inconvenience of fuel subsidy removal is affecting all strata of the Nigerian society.

“The gains of the removal of fuel subsidy have started manifesting in increased savings of an unprecedented one trillion naira within two months, thus government has more funds to deliver democratic dividends to the citizenry.

“Nigerians are enjoined to show understanding and patience on this matter with the optimism that the fuel subsidy removal aftermath is a temporary sacrifice to pay for a better and enduring future.

“The Nigerian people are determined to defend democracy with all legitimate means necessary for our collective good. Nigerians and groups are enjoined to ventilate their views on the fuel subsidy removal and other issues within the purview of the law and not allow themselves to be hoodwinked or provoked into anarchy by anti-democratic elements.

“We say no to the breakdown of law and order in the guise of exercise of fundamental rights of citizens and call on the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities.

“We wish to alert Nigerians to beware of the threat to national security by persons and groups using the fuel subsidy removal issue for political capital.

“Local government council administrations are enjoined to follow the paths of the federal and state governments in outlining their palliatives and measures to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on the citizenry.”

An Edo State Magistrate Court has struck out a charge against a Nigerian for riding a tricycle in a Government Reserved Area (GRA) and another charge against another person for videoing a police arrest.

The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, New Etete Division on July 26, 2022, arrested one Brighton Odion, a tricycle rider who was riding along Limit Road, off Sapele Road in Benin City, where the riding of tricycles has been barred.

The police accused him of violating the governor's order on riding in a restricted area and was subsequently charged to court when he refused to bribe them.

The police also arrested one Mr. Vision Nelson for taking pictures of Odion's arrest.

He was charged alongside Odion for being an unregistered photographer and unlicensed journalist and for using his Android phone to record the arrest.

But delivering judgment on Thursday, the court ruled in favour of the accused and consequently struck out the charges against the duo.

The Chief Magistrate in Evbuoriaria Magistrate Court 5, Sapele Road, Benin City, held in his ruling in the case between NPF and EDOCSO that "videoing or recording in a public place is not an offence, citizens have rights to do recordings anywhere, anytime."

The magistrate also held that there is no law in Edo State banning or restricting the movement of tricycles (keke) from major roads or streets. "Tricycles can move from one point to another without any form of restriction," the court said.

The court in striking out the charges, held that the case lacks merit, adding that the police were unable to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge, therefore, ruled that the case should be struck out for lack of merit before the law.

The Edo Civil Society Organisations were represented by Bar. Dele Igbinedion's chamber.

Reacting to the judgment in a statement issued on Friday, the Interim Public Relations Officer, EDOCSO, Leftist Aliyu Umweni, said justice can be delayed but can never be denied.

The group, however, called on the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that those with requisite knowledge of both the Police Act and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and other relevant laws are deployed to man divisions.

"We want to use this medium to charge the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to always do diligent work in putting only well-trained, educated and exposed personnel to head police formations in order to reduce similar embarrassment and ridicule to the force.

"It would appear the police just want to charge suspects to court for charging sake without minding the final implication of the outcome which are not limited to making a caricature of the force and emboldening criminals to challenge such charge in court and not to talk about the wastage of time, resources of the country for frivolous and unintelligent pursuit of a non-existent criminal case.

"If the institutions in Nigeria know what they are doing, the DPO or whoever charged this case to court would be reprimanded and possibly defaulted for dragging the police force into ridicule and shame.

"At any rate, the statement has been made loud and clear that the court is made for everyone to sue for justice and truth. We will continue to urge citizens to pursue matters in court. The day citizens will wake up and start suing intimidating and oppressive institutions in Nigeria, only then we will be on our way to total liberation from the internal feudal lords.

"Going forward, any more harassment of tricycle riders in Edo state by police officers would be seen as contempt of court and the appropriate steps will be taken on such officer(s).

"EDOCSO will ensure the full wrath of the law takes its course. Those that have heard this should inform those that have not."

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has told the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, that there is no order, be it interim, interlocutory or perpetual, from either the National Industrial Court or any other court restraining Nigerian workers from participating in peaceful rallies convened by it.

It also reminded the Federal Government, through the Solicitor-General, that there is a subsisting judgement that the right to demonstrate and protest on matters of public concern was in the public interest, which individuals must possess and exercise without impediment as long as no wrongful act was done.

The Labour Centre stated these via a letter from Falana chambers to the Permanent Secretary/Solicitor-General, with the title ”Re-NLC in contempt of court,” signed by Sam Ogala Esq.

The letter is coming on the heels of organised labour’s proposed protest for Wednesday, August 2, over the removal of subsidy on petrol, its attendant hardship on Nigerians and the inability of the government to roll out palliatives to cushion the harsh effect of the stoppage of subsidy payment.

The letter read: “In your reaction to the decision of Nigerian workers to participate in peaceful rallies to protest the worsening economic crisis in the country, you were reported to have accused the leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress of treating the order of the National Industrial Court with contempt.

“Contrary to your unwarranted allegation, the Nigeria Labour Congress does not intend to disobey the ex parte order of the National Industrial Court to the effect that ‘The defendants/Respondents are hereby restrained from embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice, dated June 5, 2023.’

“You will agree with us that the National Industrial Court or any other court has not granted an order of interim, interlocutory or perpetual injunction restraining Nigerian workers from participating in peaceful rallies convened by the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“Since the constitutional right of Nigerian workers to protest peacefully cannot by any stretch of imagination be classified as an industrial action or strike of any nature, you ought not to have threatened our client with contempt of court.

“It is pertinent to draw your attention to the case of Inspector-General of Police v All Nigeria Peoples Party (2008) 12 WRN 65 where the court upheld the fundamental right of Nigerians to protest without police permit. In the leading judgment of the court, Justice Adekeye said as follows:

“The right to demonstrate and the right to protest on matters of public concern are rights which are in the public interest and that which individuals must possess, and which they should exercise without impediment as long as no wrongful act is done.

“If as speculated by law enforcement agents that breach of the peace would occur, our criminal code has made adequate provisions for sanctions against breakdown of law and order so that the requirement of permit as a conditionality to holding meetings and rallies can no longer be justified in a democratic society.

”Finally, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are part of democratic rights of every citizen of the republic; our legislature must guard these rights jealously as they are part of the foundation upon which the government itself rests.

“Having advised the Nigeria Labour Congress and its allies to conduct the rallies peacefully, you may wish to advise the Nigeria Police Force to comply with section 83(4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020, which states that ‘where a person or organization notifies the police of his or its intention to hold a public meeting, rally or procession on a public highway or such meetings in a place where the public has access to, the police officer responsible for the area where the meeting rally or procession will take place shall mobilize personnel to provide security cover for the meeting, rally or procession.”

State governments are yet to allocate funds, set up structures and initiate the exercise of capturing poor and vulnerable citizens in state generated social registers to unable cash transfers as part of palliatives to cushion the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit by the federal government.

This is in spite of the fact that the governors in the July 20 National Economic Council meeting unanimously rejected to use National Social Register that was put together by the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) over several years with support from the World Bank

The Bola Tinubu government had planned to make cash transfers of N8000 each to 12 million vulnerable households from an $800 million World Bank loan and N500 billion approved by the National Assembly.

President Tinubu, however, later ordered for a review of the planned N8000 cash transfers after a public outcry over the meagerness of the budgeted amount. The presidency has however since remained silent both on the c ash transfer and efforts of the state governors to ditch the National Social Register.

Reports suggest that some states are relying on the federal government palliatives and have their own programmes to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal, like adding N10,000 to the salaries of civil servants.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP Sunday however show that not a single state has taken the necessary step to offer the Tinubu government a credible replacement for the National Social Register which the governors have discredited and waiting for the states to generate their own registers could mean poor Nigerian might have to wait till the end of the year to get benefits from subsidy palliatives.

The Anambra state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo describes the use of the proposed federal government social register as inappropriate.

He stated that the social register compiled federal government personnel is open to manipulation in a manner that those captured as the “poorest of the poor in our society” in the register might not be the real poor people targeted.

He rather stated that for the the actual people targeted under the programme to captured in the register, the compilation of the social register has to be done by the officials of the component local governments across the country, as according to him, they have access to the “formal and informal mechanisms” for communicating to their local populace, and, determining their poverty levels.

He, also, faulted the proposal to run the social register using digital mechanism as according to him, virtually all those targeted at the programme who he stated constituted about 25 percent of the country’s over 200million people do not have both bank accounts and telephones , therefore, it would be difficult to distribute any government poverty alleviation items to them either through digital means or the banks.

Besides, Professor Soludo insisted that the social register if compiled as being proposed by the federal government would lack “integrity test”.

Press secretary to the governor, Mr. Christian Aburime said Soludo has explained the position of governors during the briefing after the last national executive council meeting.

Soludo said, “The poorest of people, about 25 percent of Nigerians are totally compact, and, they don’t have access to telephones, these are the poorest of the poor of our society”.


Soludo argued, “We think that we should go back to the drawing board. And if you are delivering a such national or federal programme, it has to be generated via the constituent governments that are there at the grassroots; they will generate the social register using formal and informal mechanisms that are comprehensive, that meet creteria of the stress test; that you can call our people in the village, and, people will come and confirm that these are vulnerable people if you are targeting the vulnerable people.

But in a number of states, the only available structures for capturing poor citizens are those initiated by National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office

Niger State has a special coordinating unit in charge of Social support programmes and currently contains data from all the 25 Local Government Area, political wards.

It was however gathered that, not all the communities were covered due to security challenges in some parts of the states.

Data however obtained from the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) coordinating office signed by the acting Coordinator Abubakar Mohammed Kwatachi

Showed it comprises 308,407 households and 1,321,295 individuals.

The Social Register serves as a comprehensive database of Poor and Vulnerable Households (PVHHS) containing information about the socio – economic status of each household and their respective communities.

Consequently the data revealed that it plays a crucial role in identifying potential beneficiaries of policies and social programmes aimed at addressing poverty and vulnerability.

The Kwara State government on its part, says will soon announce the modalities for the building of social register for distribution of palliatives to the people to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal in the state. Meanwhile, large number of the poor are awaiting the palliatives.

The chief press secretary to governor of the state, Rafiu Ajakaye disclosed this while rolling out the government’s approved palliatives for the civil servants, artisans and other groups in the state.

“Modalities for occasional distribution of food to poor and most vulnerable households are to be activated in the next few days.

“This shall be nonpartisan, and would be coordinated by a government team to be supported by respected stakeholders who would get inputs from traditional rulers, religious bodies, market leaders, trade unionists, and community based organisations to generate the lists of beneficiaries and disburse accordingly,” Ajakaye stated.

LEADERSHIP Sunday, however, gathered that the State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) will be responsible for registering the petty traders and artisans that would benefit from the N500m worth of conditional support that the governor has approved as palliatives for the medium and small enterprises in the state.

In Katsina, the tate government is yet to assign responsibility for collecting names and data for its own social register, but the last government under Aminu Bello Masari, already has a compiled record of poor households in the State Empowerment and Social Intervention Agency.

Findings showed that the agency has over 27, 000 records of poor and vulnerable households from the 34 local government areas and 361 ward levels, and they often benefited from every intervention in the state.

Aside from this, there are also indications of the State Empowerment and Social Intervention agency has installed data, phone numbers, and account details including the BVN of all the beneficiaries, mostly women and youths across the state.

Efforts to get comments from the agency failed, as the Governor is yet to appoint the Senior Special Adviser to the office at the time of filling this report.

The Rivers State government is also yet to begin the building of social register as directed by the National Economic Council (NEC) during its last meeting.

An official of the state government, who pleaded for anonymity, told LEADERSHIP Weekend, that although Governor Siminalayi Fubara was represented at the NEC meeting by his deputy, Professor Ngozi Ordu, nothing has been done.

He said: “Our governor was represented by his deputy at the meeting. Although nothing’s has been done about the social register, we believe that very soon the state government will take action on that.”

In Bayelsa State, the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) which is an agency under the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is saddled with the responsibility of collecting and updating the social register in the state.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Wisdom Ebiye Sawyer, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday in his office in Yenagoa, the majority of the populace see social register as beneficial register.

He further explained that the social register gives some variables, some data about these households and members of the households from which one can harvest the beneficial register for a particular purpose that the government or any intervention agency want to use it for.

He said, “Social register is not only for the poor and vulnerable as we think. Beneficial register is the one that has the vulnerable and those people that have maybe challenges. So you harvest it from the social register. It has about 138 indicators; we are looking at both economic and non-economic.

“For example, we want to know if you are working or not working, how many members are in the house, how much do you earn and all the rest, that is if you are breaking down to economic. For non economic, you can look at other things, the household variables around the households whether you have some social amenities.

“Let’s say you have a particular programme, maybe you want to do cash transfer, you now know that among these people, there are people that are vulnerable having look at their socio-economic status, you then harvest those ones having looked at the data on the social register.

“So it gives us a guide among the people we have collated, which of the households that are poor and vulnerable, so we can give appreciate interventions if we want to assist them in terms of food and other interventions by different agencies

“In the process of doing this social register, the communities are involved. We do community sensitization, involve community members, so it is difficult for you to give us somebody that is rich and somebody that is poor and we go for authentication and verification”, he said.

While speaking on the current national social registry project like the poor and vulnerable registration, Sawyer said the state is currently carrying out an updating exercise that cuts across the 8 local government areas in the state, from the LGAs, down to the Wards which consists of communities, households and houses inside.

He said, “We have about 130,997 households, 503,756 members in 76 Wards that are updated as at yesterday. 26 political Wards are yet to be updated. It is an ongoing process because it requires funds for the team to go to those households to get all these things.

“If we have the funding which is what SOCU needed to complete the process, they would have completed the 26 Wards. There is an initial register before, now we are updating it. You know some people died, some people traveled and all that. So the process is still on. If we have the funds now as we speak which the governor is committed, in less than 3 weeks or one month, we can update the remaining 26 Wards.”

The Chairperson, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Muheeba Dankaka, says the commission was like a marketplace for selling job slots before she assumed office, stating that an attempt to stop the alleged corruption pitted her against some commissioners.

Dankaka made the revelation during the week while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged job racketeering and abuse of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) by Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs).

The House had directed the chairperson and all the 36 commissioners of the commission to appear on Wednesday after she failed to do so on Tuesday.

The chairperson who appeared with some of the commissioners was accused of alleged job racketeering and abuse of extant laws and the FCC establishment Act by some of the commissioners tagged ‘Integrity Group’.

Speaking before the committee, the commissioner representing Osun State in the commission, Abdulrazak Adewuyi and his counterpart representing Rivers State, Okwacha Augustine alleged that the chairperson had been running the commission in violation of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 2 of the FCC Act and other extant laws.

However, Dankaka denied the allegations and accused the commissioners from the ‘Integrity Group’ of mischief and blackmail.

She said that the commissioners making the allegations had been on her neck as a result of her refusal to compromise.

In a viral video of the panel session, Dankaka said her move to stop the sale of job slots at the commission on her assumption of office did not go down well with some of the commissioners.

She said, “Before I came here, I have made my name. I have made my money. Let me tell you a small story. Some of them (commissioners) have reasons why they are attacking me. When I first came in, most of them were my close people. All of them were always in my office, but what they wanted me to do I told them I cannot do it.

“I am a very quiet person and I keep certain secrets as executive chairman. I have to swallow certain things and leave everything in the hands of God. Before I came to this place, they were selling (job) slots. The place was like a market. And you can find out from the people living in Abuja if I am lying.

“When I came in, I met all the commissioners and told them I don’t want anything that will destroy me and my family. All of them can bear me witness.”

The chairperson alleged that a commissioner bought a landed property and promised the seller to pay for it with job slots, but she thwarted the plan.

The Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, consequently directed that the chairperson should submit her response to the allegations in writing as well as submit all documents required for the investigation and submit on Friday.

He added that the chairperson should appear with all the 36 commissioners on Monday for the resumed investigative hearing.

By Abdulyassar Abdulhamid


Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said it is not fair for him to return as minister at his current age.

El-Rufai stated this in an old video of him discussing with some unidentified people.

The former governor was the minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007 under the Obaanjo administration.

But his name is on the ministerial list President Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded to the National Assembly for screening.

Speaking in Hausa, he said, “You became a minister at forty-three and after twenty years then you become a minister at sixty-three? What of your children and younger brothers? Will they not become ministers? Is the position meant for you alone? I don’t like this. Let go of this topic.

“Thank God I was lucky that I became Minister of Abuja when I was forty-three-old. Next year I will clock sixty-three. Then I will go back. So, nobody among my younger brothers and children is capable of becoming a minister? You fail when you fail to train those to succeed you. I have trained a lot of people who are capable of succeeding in many areas.”

The video is currently trending on social media.

Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal is affecting refineries far away in Europe and threatening to squeeze European refiners, Reuters reports.

The average monthly West African (WAF) gasoline imports fell by 56 per cent in the second quarter compared with the first, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

North America and West Africa, with Nigeria at the top, historically have been the top two destinations for petrol exports from Europe (which produces more petrol than it uses), Reuters reported.

So far, benchmark profit margins for gasoline in northwestern Europe have hovered at around $27 a barrel, Reuters said, citing Refinitiv Eikon data.

“They have been supported by demand from North America, a shortage of high-quality blending materials, disruption caused by low water levels inland and local refinery outages,” the report reads.

“But analysts say the reduction of flows following the upheaval in Nigeria will increase pressure on European refiners, and any winners are likely to be newer Middle Eastern refineries.”

At the end of May, President Bola Tinubu announced that the petrol subsidy regime was over.

Petrol demand in response fell by 35 per cent, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

According to Jeremy Parker of the CITAC consultancy, which focuses on Africa’s downstream energy industry, onshore petrol reserves in Nigeria have increased to 960,000 tonnes from an average of 613,000 tonnes between January and June, signalling a decline in demand.

“Meanwhile, the black market for smuggled subsidised Nigerian fuel in Togo and neighbouring Benin and Cameroon has collapsed, further reducing demand for shipments via Nigeria,” Reuters said.

“There is no reliable data on how much fuel was smuggled out of Nigeria under the subsidy regime, but a comparison of estimates from official and independent sources indicate more than a third of petrol could have left state oil firm NNPC’s depots every day to be sold illegally abroad.

“Without the subsidy, the financial incentive for smuggling disappears.”

“The key point is that demand from West Africa is drying up,” Reuters quoted Raj Rajendran, Refinitiv lead oil analyst, as saying.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude oil producer, relies heavily on imports because of its inadequate domestic refining capacity.

“Imports, however, are increasingly unaffordable as Nigeria’s naira has weakened to record lows since the central bank removed currency restrictions in June. At the same time, inflation is near two-decade highs,” Reuters said.

“The huge, much-delayed Dangote refinery was designed to address the domestic supply shortfall, but full 650,000 barrel per day production is unlikely before the second quarter of 2025, CITAC estimates.”

Regardless, it is possible that the demand for petrol would not fully recover in the country, Analysts told Reuters.

Recall that the NMDPRA said the volume of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, consumed across the country in the first half of 2023 was 11.26 billion litres, with consumption reducing by an average of about 18.5 million litres daily in June, after the removal of subsidy on petrol, following the pronouncement by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

Data from the Authority showed that between January 1 and May 28, 2023, which was the pre-deregulation period, the total amount of petrol consumed nationwide was about 9.9 billion litres.

The average consumption for the 148-day period was put at 66.9 million litres, indicating the country consumed an average of 66.9 million litres of petrol daily during the five-month period when subsidy on petrol was still in place.

But figures from the NMDPRA indicated that between June 1 to June 28, 2023, which was described as the post-deregulation period, the total petrol consumption across the country was 1.36 billion litres, while the average daily consumption was put at 48.43 million litres.

An analysis of the data showed that the difference between the average monthly consumption figures during the pre-deregulation and post-deregulation periods was about 18.5 million litres.

This implies that the average daily consumption of petrol across the country reduced by about 18.5 million litres after subsidy on the commodity was stopped by the federal government.

It was, however, observed that petrol consumption rose above 100 million litres in some days, while it fell to below 10 million litres in a few other days.

A random pick of petrol consumption figures contained in the NMDPRA report, for instance, showed that on March 8, April 20, and May 16, Nigerians consumed 103.6 million litres, 105.02 million litres, and 101.9 million litres respectively.

These were during the ore-deregulation days, as figures from the post-deregulation period indicated that the country never consumed beyond 78.84 million litres all through the 28-day period captured in the document.

The 78.84 million litres was consumed on June 20, and it was the highest consumption figure during the post-deregulation period, while the lowest figure during the same period was the 470,000 litres that was consumed nationwide on June 11.

AUTHOR: Wasilat Azeez


Some commercial banks in the country have increased the salaries and allowances of their employees to help them cope with the rising cost of living.

Checks by TheCable showed that the banks include Wema Bank, Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Union Bank.

In a statement on Friday, UBA said its board of directors have announced the implementation of a cost of living adjustment for its staff effective immediately.

UBA said although it had previously implemented cost of living adjustment for staff on October 1, 2021 and more recently on April 1, 2023, the persistent economic challenges faced by employees and the broader society as a whole informed the unanimous decision to again implement another adjustment.

“We are aware of the impact of recent economic policy pronouncements on prices and your capacity to meet your financial commitments to family and personal needs,” Oliver Alawuba, the bank’s chief executive officer, said.

“As an organisation focused on the well-being of our people, I am pleased to inform you that the Board of UBA Plc has approved a Welfare Allowance for all employees.”

Alawuba explained that the decision to adjust the staff’s remuneration package once again demonstrates UBA’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the standard of living for its employees at a level that is commensurate with prevailing economic conditions.

“This move will serve to alleviate the financial burdens faced by our staff and their families, reinforcing the bank’s position as a responsible and caring employer,” he explained.

Earlier this week, Wema Bank announced a raise in the salaries of its workers to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal.

The bank said the current economic realities, which had witnessed recent spikes in fuel, electricity, and other prices, required employers to prioritise the welfare of their workers.

“Wema Bank’s vision extends beyond its bottom line; with this salary increase for its staff, the bank expects the ripple effect of positive change to extend to the wider industry and world of work,” Ololade Ogungbenro, the bank’s divisional head, people, brand & culture, said in a statement.

“Wema Bank’s unwavering support for its employees lies at the heart of this expected transformation.

“The impact of this salary increase bears more than mere numbers on a pay slip, employees are experiencing a renewed sense of motivation and dedication to their roles, knowing that their hard work is genuinely recognised and rewarded.”

Similarly, Zenith Bank announced an implementation of a company-wide salary increment for all its staff to address the prevailing economic challenges resulting from the removal of petrol subsidy.

GTBank also said it increased salaries of its junior and contract staff in line with rising inflation. The bank said the raise took effect from July 2023.

TheCable’s findings also revealed that Union Bank raised the salaries of all its workers due to the high cost of living and impact of subsidy removal on employees’ transportation costs.

“Other banks were increasing theirs so we had to to remain competitive. The salaries of old contract workers have been increased from about N89,000 to N140,000 plus. For new ones, it was increased to N120,000 plus,” a mid-level employee of Union Bank told TheCable.

Some Nigerians have taken to social media to berate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the 28-man ministerial nominees list he submitted to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation.

The ministerial list, which includes former governors Nyesom Wike and Nasir El-Rufai, along with 26 others, has continued to stir reactions on social media.

Some netizens, however, have condemned the list, describing it as the recycling of old politicians who, in the past, have wrecked the country.

Reacting to the list on Twitter, former senator and activist, Sheu Sani said, “The Ministerial list; The President embraced some Serpents with a known history of treachery and rewarded some vultures for playing the Judas. Appeasing a snake in a palace doesn’t spare the King.”

Another Twitter user, @Morris_Monye wrote, “Honestly that Ministerial list is like “You be my guy, come and use this one hold body” list. Does BAT genuinely believe in his heart that those people on the list have what it takes to turn the country around. A leader is as good as his team. Look at OBJ and GEJ’s team.”

“Ministerial position has become a compensation slot rather than being the list of technocrats who can make difference. List filled with Ex gov, Senators and Reps. Nothing for those who waited to be leaders of tomorrow.” @Mykoladoo opined.

@jessecarson007 tweeted, “I’m extremely disappointed at the list! Can’t believe how he is recruiting the same guys who wrecked the country.”

“So we have been waiting for His political compensation and thanks for helping me list for more than two months? Na this one wants to help Nigeria out of the mess?” @CEOchrysolite Tweeted.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has sued Governor Ademola Adeleke for appointing himself as the state’s Commissioner for Works.

In the suit filed at the Osun State High Court in Osogbo, the state capital, the APC also sued Mr Adeleke’s deputy, Kola Adewusi, over his appointment as the Commissioner for Sports and Special Needs.

Mr Adeleke disclosed his and his deputy’s commissioner portfolios while inaugurating 25 commissioners in Osogbo on 19 July.

But the APC, through its lawyer, Sherif Oluyombo, has urged the court to determine whether Mr Adeleke’s action of appointing himself and Mr Adewusi as commissioners is not a violation of Section 183 of the Nigerian constitution.

Specifically, the party is asking the court to determine whether “a state governor can… during the period when he holds office as governor, hold any other executive office.

Referencing Section 192(2) and (5) of the Nigerian constitution, the plaintiff prayed the court to determine whether “a person can be validly appointed a commissioner of the government of a state if his nomination is not forwarded to and received by the State’s House of Assembly for purposes of confirmation.”

Prayers

Aside from Messrs Adeleke and Adewusi, the plaintiff listed the Osun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the Osun State House of Assembly as defendants.

It urged the court to declare Messrs Adeleke and Adewusi’s appointments as commissioners “unconstitutional.”

The APC prayed the court for an order “nullifying” Mr Adeleke’s “appointment of himself as the commissioner for works for Osun State for being invalid, null and void contrary to sections 183 and 192(2) and (5) of the Constitution…”

The party is equally praying to the court for an order “nullifying” the appointment of Mr Adewusi as the State commissioner for sports and special needs for being “invalid and contrary” to the constitution.

Furthermore, the plaintiff urged the court to restrain Mr Adeleke from “parading himself and/or performing the functions of the office of the commissioner for works for Osun State while he holds the office of governor of the state.”

Similarly, the APC prayed the court to restrain Mr Adewusi from “parading himself as commissioner…until he is nominated as such by” by Mr Adeleke, and the former’s nomination goes through parliamentary screening for the “purposes of confirmation.”

The suit was filed on 21 July but has not been assigned to a judge for a hearing.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last Wednesday that Mr Adeleke appointed himself and his deputy as commissioners.

Mr Adeleke defeated former Governor Adegbyega Oyetola of the APC to emerge as governor last year.