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One of the 12 All Progressives Congress governorship aspirants in Edo State, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, on Thursday, announced his withdrawal from the race.

Agbonayinma, a former member of the House of Representatives, announced his withdrawal from the governorship race following the news of his son’s death.

Agbonayinma’s 23-year-old son, Osazuwa Agbonayinma, was said to have been killed by a gunman in Houston, Texas, USA.

It would be recalled that Agbonayinma was the first aspirant to officially inform the leadership of the APC that he would be contesting the election when he visited the state secretariat in October 2023.

Addressing his supporters and members of the party in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area on Thursday, Agbonanyinma thanked his supporters and urged them to stay united and back whoever emerges at the party’s flagbearer in Saturday’s primary election.

He said, “Over a year ago, I decided to give serious consideration to the calls from well-meaning Edolites at home, and in the Diaspora, on the dire need to change the political narrative in Edo State, while expressing confidence in my ability to champion the cause of moving Edo State forward.

“So, I began consultations with my family, friends, close allies, leaders of our great party, traditional rulers, religious leaders, opinion leaders, and media influencers across Edo State and the nation on my interest to contest in the 2024 Edo governorship race.

“To the glory of God, the positive reception has been overwhelming. I am eternally grateful for the individual and collective efforts for this success.

“At the height of this success, my family suffered a very tragic development. My 23-year-old and very promising son, Osazuwa Michael Agbonayinma (Zuwa), was fatally shot and killed in Houston, Texas, USA. I have just returned from the United States after my son was buried. This is a very bitter experience that cannot be wished even upon an enemy.

“Presently, my family and I are highly devastated. And I am not in the right frame of mind to continue any serious political campaign at this time. After due consultations and consideration, I am suspending my gubernatorial campaign at this time. We need some quiet time to grieve and heal.”

He thanked his supporters for their “overwhelming moral, financial, and spiritual support in my journey so far.”

Agbonayinma expressed the hope that the Edo APC governorship primary holding this Saturday will offer aspirants “a level playing field, where every aspirant is accorded a free, fair and equal chance and opportunity to participate in the APC governorship primary.”

“As a loyal party man, I call on all leaders and supporters of our great party, APC, to fall behind the party flag-bearer that would eventually emerge from a free, fair and credible process such that APC will go into the governorship election as a united party,” he said.

With Agbonayinma out, 11 aspirants are left to slug it out in the Saturday governorship APC primary of the Edo APC.

They are Clem Agba, Monday Okpebholo, Lucky Imasuen, Anamero Dekeri, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine Col David Imuse (retd), Gen Charles Airhiavbere, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, Blessing Agbomhere, Dennis Idahosa and Ernest Umakhihe.

The House of Representatives has resolved to stop sports betting in the country and urged the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to comply with the Lottery Regulatory Commission Act, 2005.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Kelechi Nwogu (PDP-Rivers) at plenary in Abuja on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had earlier reported that approximately 60 million Nigerians aged between 18 and 40 engage in sports betting.

According to him, weak or neglected regulations of sports betting have given rise to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.

Nwogu added that it had also led to strain or broken relationships due to lying or stealing from friends and family, financial problems, legal issues, and job loss due to excessive loss or debt.

“Betting has given rise to an increased crime rate and eventual suicide,” he said.

He harped on the need for campaigns to prevent the negative social impact of lottery and underage participation.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to conduct a comprehensive nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the negative impact of youth participation in sports betting.

The House also mandated the Committee on Inter-governmental Affairs to conduct a public hearing on the dangerous effects of sports betting in Nigeria.

It urged the committee to report back to it within four weeks for further legislative action.

NAN reports that data from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has revealed that over 65 million Nigerians actively engage in betting, spending an average of 15 dollars daily.

NAN reports that Nigerians spend an estimated 975 million dollars daily on online sports betting, which amounts to about 356 billion dollars annually. (NAN)

The federal government, on Wednesday, announced that it is making efforts to modify farmers’ databases to get rid of “political farmers” as it plans to kick off the second phase of dry season farming.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in a maiden press briefing organised by the Minister of Information and National Orientation to regain public confidence.

According to him, only genuine farmers will benefit from government-subsidised interventions.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Bola Tinubu administration earlier announced that a lot of agricultural policies meant for farmers were enjoyed by ‘political farmers’: persons linked to politicians but who were not real farmers.

Last year, the ministry launched the first phase of dry season farming under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project. The first phase focused on 15 wheat-growing states.


I50,000 hectares of rice to be cultivated in second phase

Mr Kyari said following a key evaluation of the first phase of dry season farming, measures have been taken to ensure the success of the subsequent phase.

He said 150,000 hectares of rice would be cultivated during the second phase, noting that 300,000 genuine farmers are targeted for this. The farmers, he said, would benefit from the government’s subsidised interventions such as fertilisers, herbicides and micronutrients among others.

According to him, the farmers would get three bags of these agro-inputs for free after purchasing half bags.

In addition, he said, 30,000 hectares of maize would be cultivated across the 36 states of the federation. The minister expressed optimism, noting that some state governors have shown interest in the scheme.

Mr Kyari also clarified that 42,000 metric tonnes of grains earmarked for distribution to vulnerable households would be at no cost.

“The 42,000 metric tonnes of food from the national food reserves is free,” he clarified. “We’re trying to crash down the prices of food and make it available.”

“So these 42,000 metric tonnes of food will be given to the needy free of charge. It would go directly to the needy at no cost at all.

“We’ve met with the DSS and NEMA to give us the index. This is to gather intelligence on where it is needed the most, and we are going to look at those indices,” Mr Kyari added.


Idris unveils five-pillar agenda to regain public confidence

In his remarks, the information minister, Muhammed Idris, said his ministry has developed a five-pillar agenda in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision.

Mr Idris said the agenda is targeted at restoring trust, amplifying policies and programmes, reorienting national values, modernizing technology and talent, and creating an enabling environment for the media.

“The Ministerial Press Briefing Series (MPBS) that we are kicking off today, are in line with our ‘Restore Trust’ and ‘Amplify Policies and Programmes’ pillars. This is a chance for you, the distinguished members of the press, to engage with senior officials of the federal government, on behalf of the good people of Nigeria,” the minister told journalists.

“You will hear first-hand about what the federal government is doing, policies, programmes, targets and objectives, and you will be able to ask questions and receive relevant clarifications. We have also made efforts to ensure that this Briefing Series receives the widest possible coverage, through traditional and digital platforms,” the minister explained.

Mr Idris said the ministry is “determined to restore trust, confidence and credibility to public communications, by engaging in a timely, proactive and consistent fashion with all our stakeholders, across government, the media, private sector and international community, deploying all available platforms and media.”

He noted that the press briefing will subsequently feature other ministers who will be brought before the press to highlight the government’s efforts in stabilising the country.

The leadership of the organised labour has maintained that major actions it is planning to carry out after a 14-day ultimatum it gave expired would go on as planned if the federal government does not resolve all the issues it raised.

This is just the federal government, begging the two labour centres to withdraw their notice of strike issued last week Thursday over what it described as non-implementation of 16-point agreement it reached during October last year negotiation meeting.

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who made this plea at a meeting with the two leaderships of both Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), promised again that the government would resume payment of N35,000 wage award to workers.

Daily Trust reports that the federal government has only paid N35,000 wage award to workers twice since September 2023 when the payment was initiated as agreed by both parties – the development many workers had described as “unfair”.

Speaking before the meeting went into a closed-door, Onyejeocha explained that the government had stepped up efforts to complete the implementation of those agreements, adding that she convened the meeting in order to brief the two Labour centres on the progress of the implementation.

“It is true we entered into an agreement, but the government has shown good faith, and considering the urgency of the issue at hand, I called this meeting because dialogue has always been the best way out, and we are all for the well-being of our people.

“I am here to show good cause on why some agreement has not been met,” the minister told the gathering led by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his counterpart from TUC, Festus Osifo at the headquarters of ministry of Labour and Employment.

She noted that while the reaction of the labour organisations was not unwarranted in the face of government’s non-completion of the agreement, bearing in mind that some items in the agreement could only be achieved in stages.

She assured them of President Bola’s sincerity of purpose and unflinching dedication to the implementation of that agreement, adding that he would leave no stone unturned to satisfy the demands of the labour organisations.

But the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, enjoined the Federal Government to be committed to beating the deadline of the 14-day ultimatum, which started on 9th February 2024, by ensuring the implementation of that agreement.

Ajaero, who declared that the organised labour had resolved to stand by their ultimatum, and that every party to the agreement should endeavour to live up to expectation for the interest of Nigerians and the government, stressed that the Congress would always fulfil its part of the bargain, so long as the federal government would do same.

Nigeria lost of its brightest minds in the banking and financial sector on Friday when the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings died in a helicopter crash in California United States.

Wigwe was in a chopper with his wife, son and three other passengers, including former Nigeria Stock Exchange chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, when the incident happened.

They were reportedly heading for Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl, the annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States.

Here are some notable Nigerians who have died in plane and helicopter crashes.


Patrick Yakowa

The former Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, died in a naval helicopter that crashed and burst into flames in the forest of Okoroba, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, shortly after take-off. Yakowa was a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Kaduna State from 2010 to 2012.


Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Abubakar III

The 19th Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido Abubakar III, also died in a plane crash on ADC Airlines Flight 53 on October 29, 2006, while returning to Sokoto after meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo. Maccido died along with his son, Badamasi Maccido and both were buried in Sokoto.


Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, lost his life in the ill-fated aircraft that killed 11 military officers on board, on May 21, 2021.

The aircraft crashed near Kaduna International Airport while the military officers were on their way to the passing out parade of regular recruits slated for the next day.


General Andrew Owoye Azazi

Former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoye Azazi, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, also died in a crash alongside the late Governor Yakowa in December 2012. He was Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Nigeria, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo North Senatorial District and two-time governor of Edo State, has demonstrated a penchant for blaming Nigeria’s woes on the previous administration or leader at every point in time.

Barely after two months former President Goodluck Jonathan handed over government to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015, the country was plunged into economic crisis. Oshiomhole, then as sitting Edo governor, without mincing words blamed the challenges on what he labelled “recklessness” of Jonathan’s government.

Featuring on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, in July 2015, Oshiomhole had said, “The crisis we have at the moment is not a flash; it’s going to be here for some time. I feel what has happened is that at the peak of the oil boom, prices were high and people made projections and budgets were drawn up on the basis of those numbers and along the line there was a sharp drop.

“So, if the federal government had been stopped from borrowing, the federal government would have defaulted much earlier than the states and the number of months that the federal government would have been worse than the worst state in the federation. The federal government allowed itself to borrow recklessly, quite reckless in the sense that no serious manager goes month after month to borrow for the payment of salaries.”

He added that revelations of the excesses of Jonathan’s administration have been coming into the fore, noting that Buhari had made practical efforts to correct his predecessor’s anomalies.

Oshiomhole not only attacked Jonathan, but he also called for the heads of some of his appointees.

At some point, the former labour leader alleged that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, immediate past minister of finance, expended $1 billion on the re-election bid of Jonathan.

Oshiomhole, in blistering attacks on the former minister, described her as a “pathological liar”, re-emphasising the point of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that revelations of the rot of Jonathan’s government would be released in the coming weeks.

“You will soon begin to hear when all the numbers are published,” he said.


After Jonathan Comes Buhari

The former Governor now Senator has again latched on to the current growing hardship in the country and passed the blame on Buhari, who left the government about eight months ago.

Many Nigerians and most especially experts have criticised some of the policies introduced by the President Bola Tinubu-led government that have led to hardship, especially the removal of petrol subsidy, which tripled the pump price of fuel.

But Oshiomhole said President Tinubu should not be held responsible for the right or wrong decisions taken by the previous administration.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV, Oshiomhole specifically said he always places national interest above partisan interests.

The senator said he criticized Buhari’s government for some of its policies. Oshiomhole was removed as the national chairman of APC in 2020 under the watch of Buhari.

“My first loyalty is to Nigeria. At some point, before the last president left office, I lamented loudly what I saw as reckless policies that were designed to dehumanize the population that was already in pain.

“I felt that it is not what the then president promised. I dissociated myself from those policies and I’m happy that I was not the only one.

“There were governors who approached the court to denounce some of those policies. It is the long term consequences of those policies that we are still grappling with now,” he said.

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https://biographyinsight.com.ng/challenges-of-n100000-minimum-wage/

Justina Asishana, Minna


A 20-year-old girl, Aisha Aliyu, who got married in December 2023, has allegedly killed her husband, Idris Ahmadu in the Nasarawa community in the Lapai local government area of Niger State.

Aisha was said to have stabbed the husband in his chest and slit his throat.

According to witnesses, the bride disagreed on Sunday evening with her husband and was seen to have resolved their disagreement.

Neighbours said they heard screams of Idris in the middle of the night and ran into the house with his mother, meeting him trying to leave the room while holding his neck before he fell and died.

The wife was said to have fled from the scene before others came into the house.

The Niger Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident saying that effort was on to arrest the fleeing suspect.

“Today 12/02/2024 (Monday), at about 1200hrs, information was received that in the early hours, one Idris Ahmadu of Nasarawa village, via Lapai was stabbed to death by his wife, Aisha Aliyu 19/20 years of the same address.

“Before the arrival of the police at the scene, the suspect had fled to an unknown destination, while effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspect. The case under investigation please,” he said.

The State Security Service, SSS, has quizzed a prominent Zaria-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Auwal Shariff, for criticizing the administration of President Bola Tinubu over economic hardship in the country.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the cleric, who is a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu, was quizzed on Friday and released the same day.

In one of the videos of his sermons obtained by our correspondent, Mr Shariff had likened the power transition between former President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Tinubu to that of Pharaoh and Haman.

He also lambasted the president for the hasty decision to remove petrol subsidy.

“Tinubu and Buhari are like Pharaoh and Haman; there is no difference between them. If not for Tinubu’s lack of respect and dignity for Nigerians, how can you announce the removal of subsidy in your inaugural speech?

“After announcing the removal on the inauguration stage, the petrol price jumped from around N200 to over N600 before the president left the venue.

“And people just laughed it off, as though nothing happened. What kind of people are we?

“Ideally, he should have consulted his economic team before making such a hasty decision; even the military, which rules by decree, don’t make that kind of pronouncement,” Mr Sharif said.

An insider source told DAILY NIGERIAN that the cleric was quizzed for some hours before he was asked to go home.

“Some operatives of the SSS stormed the residence of Malam on Friday before Jumuat prayers, but he wasn’t at home.

“They came back again after the Jumuat prayer, but could not meet him. So they left behind a letter and a phone number for him to call.

“Upon his arrival from the mosque, Malam reached out to them, confirming the receipt of their letter.

“He offered to go to their office immediately, but we advised him against it. Even the SSS asked him to wait until Monday, but he insisted on going to know the reason for the invitation, and prove his innocence.

“He went and had a discussion with them, and after hours of grilling, he was allowed to go home.

“From what we gathered, the order to arrest Malam was from Abuja, but somehow the matter was handled by the Kaduna State Command,” he said.

The source said the secret police expressed security concern about some of his sermons and the kind of engagement they received from people of all faith.

“He was advised to be less critical due to the fragile nature of the polity,” the source added.

The source said his ordeal might not be unconnected to his recent criticisms of the economic hardship and some top politicians in the country.

When contacted, the SSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, didn’t respond to an SMS sent to his known phone number as at the time of filing this report.

Several bandits, two soldiers and a mobile police officer were killed on Monday during a fight that ensued after the outlaws attacked a security camp in Zamfara State.

The terrorists had attacked security personnel stationed at the Government Day Secondary School, Dauran in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.

Multiple sources from Dauran and Zurmi towns told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack, which began around 9:30 a.m., was launched by the terrorists to avenge the arrest of one of them by the soldiers on Sunday after being identified by locals.

“Some residents who were once kidnapped spotted a bandit in the market on Sunday and alerted the soldiers that were stationed in the community. The soldiers came and arrested the suspect and took him away,” a community leader in Dauran, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told PREMIUM TIMES Monday evening. “That was what caused the attack.”

Two groups of terrorists were said to have stormed the camp, a government secondary school now being used by the soldiers.

“Most of the soldiers were inside the classrooms that now serve as their rooms when they started hearing gunshots,” a youth leader in Zurmi, Abubakar (surname withheld), said. “The two soldiers killed and the mobile policeman were the ones on duty outside so they fired back. They exchanged fire for some time before the other soldiers joined.”

He said several terrorists were killed by the soldiers but only two bodies were recovered as the bandits retrieved and withdrew with the others.

“Terrorists don’t leave behind dead bodies of their friends. They try as much as possible to take away all dead bodies. Yesterday, they left behind two dead bodies and went away with others. Several of them also got bullet wounds. I believe if the soldiers had more numbers, they would have killed all the terrorists,” Mr Abubakar said.

Another resident of Dauran, Ahmad Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the terrorists entered through Marakkai forest.

“The soldiers are trying but they are not enough honestly. We are happy that there are soldiers and mobile policemen here but they need to bring more security agents,” he said.

He said even before the attack on Monday, the terrorists abducted a local trader, Shafiu Musa, his wife and a friend.

Ibrahim Yahaya, the spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, 1 Bridge Nigerian Army in Zamfara State, and the police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to them by this reporter over the attack.

Most of the communities in local government areas sharing a border with the Niger Republic like Zurmi (Zamfara), Jibia and Batsari (Katsina), Gada, Sabon Birni and Isa (Sokoto) have in recent weeks witnessed the resurgence of terrorist activities.

US President Joe Biden confused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron with France’s long-dead former leader Francois Mitterrand, in a campaign speech shared on social media.

Addressing a campaign event in Las Vegas on Sunday, the 81-year-old US leader included an anecdote about Macron’s reaction to a speech at a G7 meeting in 2020.

“And Mitterrand from Germany — I mean, from France — looked at me and said, ‘You know, what — why — how long you back for?'” Biden said.

A later White House transcript inserted the correct name, Macron, in brackets.

Mitterrand was French president from 1981 to 1995, and died in 1996.

Video of the mix-up has been widely viewed and shared on social media, and shared hundreds of times.

Biden has made similar public mistakes in the past, notably in September 2022 when he called on a deceased congresswoman at a conference she helped organize.

“Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? I think she was going to be here,” he said, referring to Indiana representative Jackie Walorski, who had died a month earlier.

And in April last year, a White House transcript corrected Biden when he confused New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans, a British military force notorious for its involvement in the Irish War of Independence.

The transcript of his speech, given in a pub in Ireland, crossed out “Black and Tans” and inserted “All Blacks”.

Biden’s predecessor and probable opponent in the November presidential election, Donald Trump, made a similar gaffe last month, confusing his party rival Nikki Haley with former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Biden, Trump come under age scrutiny
Trump, 77, had falsely said Haley was in charge of security during the violent assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, prompting her to question his mental fitness during a campaign speech.

Following Trump’s gaffe, Biden also took the opportunity to make a dig at his potential presidential rival.

“I don’t agree with Nikki Haley on everything, but we agree on this much: She is not Nancy Pelosi,” he had written in a post.

A Nigerian soldier stationed in Maiduguri, Borno State who expressed his frustration at being unable to visit his family due to the transport fare has been detained by the army, military sources told SaharaReporters.

The soldier had in a trending video lamented how he spent one year in the bush in Borno and was given a pass to visit his family but could not go because of his N50,000 salary.

He said he was told at the motor park that the transport fare to his town was N35,000, meaning that the trip would cost him N70,000 to and fro.

Speaking in pidgin English, the soldier said, "See wahala oo, the Nigerian Army gave me a pass as I spent one year in Maiduguri today, they gave me a pass to go and see my family.

"As I left the bush, I reached the park and they (transporters) told me that from here to my town is N35,000. I calculated it and going and coming back is N70,000 and N50,000 is my salary that I was paid this month.

“I don't have any option again; I'm going back to the bush.”

Multiple sources on Tuesday told SaharaReporters that the soldier had been locked up in the ‘guardroom’ for days over the video, considered embarrassing by the army authorities.

“Our colleague who complained about the transport fare more than his salary has been locked up in the guardroom,” one of the sources said.

SaharaReporters had reported how the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, said that soldiers and military officers earn less than N50,000 as monthly salaries while Generals and soldiers on operations get N1,200 for feeding daily.

The CDS disclosed this during an interview where he said that Nigerian soldiers and military officers were doing well and therefore should be paid salaries that were worth the jobs to encourage them to do more.

SaharaReporters has done several reports on soldiers lamenting poor feeding, poor salaries, poor medical treatment and poor welfare packages in general despite abandoning their families, putting their lives on the line with massive promises by the Nigerian government.

On December 11, SaharaReporters reported how troops attached to 145 Taskforce Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Damasak, Borno State for Operation Hadi Kai lamented the alleged misuse of power against their rights by their Commanding Officer.

The soldiers who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of victimization also lamented acute hunger.

The soldiers who lamented that they were not being properly fed, called for the immediate intervention of President Bola Tinubu and military chiefs to address the issue of poor treatment of soldiers on the front lines, sacrificing their lives daily.

Apart from not being given good food, the soldiers lamented that many of their colleagues had been killed by terrorists because the military lacked adequate firepower and equipment to combat the insurgents.

In what seems to be the affirmation of the claims made by the soldiers, the Chief of Defence Staff said, “The issue of ration cash allowance where we feed, any time we are on operations, I, as a General I’m being fed on N1,200 per day with my soldiers, from the first General to the last soldier, the same amount. That is what we manage with.

“My soldiers collect less than N50,000 for a salary a month. We all know the situation on ground. My appeal is for them to have salaries that are worth the work they are doing. We deserve to have that so that it will encourage them to do more.

“We have a lot of them that have been injured, families separated for a very long time. These are the morale aspect of it that we check to actually ginger the troops to want to do more.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said that the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as fuel and long queues being experienced in some filling stations in some Nigerian cities, particularly in Lagos is caused by distribution issues.

It had been reported on Monday that there were long queues in some filling stations in Lagos while residents of the city expressed fears that there might be a fresh scarcity of the product.

The long queues were noticeable at filling stations along the Ikorodu Road and Total Filling Station located at the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way where the queues had led to traffic jams around the Ikeja axis of the state.

The PUNCH reports that many of the filling stations along the Ikeja axis, through Obafemi Awolowo Road in Ikeja, Lagos state capital were shut down, and that all the filling stations along Ogunnusi Road, inbound Berger, did not sell petrol to customers.

It was gathered that NNPCL mega filling stations along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway did not dispense fuel as of Monday evening.

On Tuesday morning, the NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, dismissed insinuations of fresh fuel scarcity, saying that the NNPCL did not have supply issues and that its products remained readily available.

Soneye, who added that the distribution issue in some areas had been resolved, was quoted as saying, “We are pleased to confirm that there are no supply issues, and our products remain readily available.

“The recent tightness experienced in certain areas was due to a brief distribution issue in Lagos, which has since been resolved.”

Also, the National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said he was aware of the queues in some filling stations in

Lagos, but said the queues might be due to panic-buying on the part of customers.

Fashola said, “I am not in Lagos as we speak. But I heard about it too that there are queues in Lagos. It may just be panic buying. I am not sure there is fuel scarcity. People are just panicking. However, I will find out what the problem is.”

However, the Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, said he was not aware of the situation as he was not in Lagos at the time of filing this report.

Amid the rising wave of insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some police officers have been arrested for forcefully collecting N29.9m from a resident of Abuja.

The incident, according to Harrison Gwamnishu, a candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, happened in January.

Gwamnishu had in a video via his X account alleged that the businessman was kidnapped in Abuja by the police officers who detained him until he transferred all the money in his bank account to them.

They thereafter insisted he should call all his relatives and friends to keep sending money before he could be freed.

He also alleged that the man was taken away from his site without any proper complaint against him, adding that he was not asked to write a formal statement by the police officers.

Receipts of the transactions were shared alongside the video.

Quoting the post on Tuesday, the Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, while confirming the arrest of some of the culprits, disclosed that the force had made progressive steps towards ensuring justice was served in the case.

“We are making a headway on this matter, and justice will be served, as some suspects have been arrested. Hakuna matata,” he wrote.

The development comes after the Anambra State Police Command declared one of the officers in its command, Inspector Audu Omadefu, wanted over alleged murder.

Ikenga Tochukwu, the command’s public relations officer disclosed this in a press release on Tuesday.

The police spokesperson said the fleeing operative Omadefu can be recognised by his service number AP No. 362178.

According to Tochukwu, the inspector disappeared into thin air following the accusation of murder against him.

The police called upon the public to assist in locating Omadefu, assuring that any information provided will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality.

The Nigerian government has said it will clamp down on loan apps involved in illegal debt recovery and exploitation of consumers.

The crackdown comes amidst an upsurge in violations of the Interagency Joint Task Force’s Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending 2022.

While some digital money lenders (DMLs) have offered financial access to many individuals, the industry’s dark side looms large, with some loan sharks employing unethical and illegal tactics to collect debts. These illegal debt recoveries include forgery, impersonations, and privacy breaches, which are causing fear and distress among borrowers.

Still, many Nigerians turn to loan apps to meet financial needs as inflation bites harder, with the rates reaching a staggering 28.92% in December 2023 from 28.20 percent in November, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The current inflation surge is significantly impacting Nigerians’ ability to maintain their standard of living, leading to difficult adjustments like reduced spending and potentially increasing the risk of loan defaults.

FCCPC’s boss, Adamu Abdullahi, noted in a statement on Monday that the commission understands the increased demand for loans during this period, leading to a higher risk of default due to large numbers and typical cash flow challenges.

“However, the solution cannot be to violate law or utilise unethical recovery methods,” Abdullahi said .He said that the commission is “intensifying enforcement efforts and adopting a zero-tolerance stance towards any exploitation of consumers or abusive conduct, whether in balance calculations, loan default enforcement, or recovery processes.”

Abdullahi added that, in the coming days, the commission will be engaging approved loan apps to a stricter compliance framework, including any additional requirements where applicable and possible mechanisms for otherwise blacklisted apps.

“The Commission will welcome demonstrated and timely compliance by all legitimate operators in order to promote and enhance fairness to consumers and fairness among competitors,” he said.

“With respect to operators that do not possess the Commission’s approval, the scrutiny process will include law enforcement action against such, in addition to regulatory prohibition and consequences.”

Emmanuel Brown, the 23-year-old son of female soldier, Philomena Nnamoko, attached to Ilese Sappers Barracks, Division 2, Ogun State, has been allegedly detained by the Nigerian Army.

Our correspondent gathered that Brown was locked up in a guardroom by a female lieutenant colonel in the army for granting an interview to The PUNCH shortly after his mother was sent to a psychiatric hospital in Yaba.

In the interview with our correspondent, Brown explained how soldiers beat his mother and sent her to the psychiatric hospital under the guise that she had a mental illness.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Nnamoko accused her superiors of sexual harassment and maltreatment and claimed to have written 10 discharge letters without her superiors approving any.

However, in a recorded voice note that was made available to Sunday PUNCH by Nnamoko’s lawyer, Kayode Oshiyemi, our correspondent heard her lamenting that her child had been locked up in a guardroom.

She was heard saying, “They are unwilling to release me from here and have locked up my child in the guardroom because he spoke to PUNCH Newspaper. Civilian workers on this premise concluded that I would be here (psychiatric hospital) for a month, alleging that I had attempted suicide, which I never attempted to do.

“The most painful part is my child who had been detained in the guardroom by a female lieutenant colonel.”

Efforts to speak with the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu Onyema, proved abortive as his number was unreachable, and he had not replied to messages sent to him via SMS and WhatsApp as of the time of filing this report.

But the spokesperson of the 35 Artillery Brigade, Lt. Mohammed Goni, said, “The whole concept of your story is not correct and you didn’t contact me at that point to clarify issues to you.”

“I can’t give you fictitious information to work with. Come let’s go for investigative journalism so you can see for yourself; you can’t write such a sensitive report without having factual proof,” Goni said.

Reacting to the incident, the lawyer described Brown’s arrest as unlawful.

Oshiyemi, “The boy went to see his mother and they locked up the boy, he is now in the cell of the Nigerian army because he went to make a publication about his mother.

“Because they don’t want us to go to court because of the ill-treatment that they had done to the woman (Philomena), they are now locking up her son in the guardroom. Meanwhile, the boy has done nothing wrong, just because he was granted an interview to PUNCH Newspaper; that is an unlawful detention of a civilian.

The lawyer told Sunday PUNCH that the soldier’s son had been unreachable when he tried to contact him.

He said, “When I tried calling the boy’s phone, I discovered that someone else was using it to chat with me on WhatsApp. Later, I found out that the boy was in the guardroom and the person I was communicating with was not him.

“Unsure of their identity, I messaged them, explaining that I knew the boy was unlawfully detained according to his mother, and that I would take action because he is a civilian, not an army officer, and should not be detained.

“Around 30 minutes later, the son called me and informed me that he had been released. I asked him why he had been detained, and he explained that a lieutenant colonel claimed he had published the issue in a newspaper, and that was what led to his arrest.”

The management of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has failed to disclose the identities of the board members of Orlean Investment Africa Limited, the real owners of INTELS Nigeria.

LEADERSHIP recalls that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had said he sold his shares in INTELS in 2019, but when LEADERSHIP wrote to the CAC under the Freedom of Information Act on December 5 and December 18, 2023, respectively, and after much back and forth, the commission simply frustrated efforts of our reporter and ignored LEADERSHIP inquiry completely.

For weeks, LEADERSHIP was given assurances that our FOI request was being processed and that we would be contacted. At first, we were told that the details of Orlean Investment Africa Limited had not been updated electronically on the CAC website.

The officer in charge asked for time to call for the company’s file, but at the end of the day, it was all a ploy to frustrate our efforts.

The failure of the CAC to disclose the information requested by LEADERSHIP is a clear violation of the Freedom of Information Act which mandates public institutions to provide access to information requested by citizens.

The CAC’s action is even more concerning given the importance of transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors.

LEADERSHIP calls on the CAC to immediately disclose the identities of the board members of Orlean Investment Africa Limited, the real owners of INTELS Nigeria.

We also urge the commission to respect the Freedom of Information Act and provide access to information requested by citizens and the media.

The failure of the CAC to disclose this information raises questions about the transparency and accountability of corporate entities in Nigeria. It is essential that we know who owns and controls the companies that operate in our country, especially those with significant economic and political influence.

LEADERSHIP will continue to pursue this matter until the identities of the board members of Orlean Investment Africa Limited, the real owners of INTELS Nigeria, are disclosed. We will not be deterred in our efforts to promote transparency and accountability in Nigeria.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, has said about $2.4 billion out of the reported $7 billion outstanding foreign exchange liabilities of the federal government are not valid for settlement.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Arise Television, the broadcast arm of THISDAY, Cardoso disclosed that the bank had settled verified FX requests, which amounted to $2.3 billion. He added that current total outstanding FX obligations stood at $2.2 billion.

Cardoso further indicated that part of the headline $7 billion outstanding FX claims were fraudulent, citing the outcome of a forensic audit by Deloitte Management Consultant, which was commissioned by the apex bank.

The central bank governor said he was confident that the outstanding FX liabilities would be addressed shortly. He maintained that CBN would not pay for FX requests that were not validly constituted, adding that the bank has written to authorised dealers to explain the disparities identified.
“And sadly, quite frankly, I think much of those have not been disputed to our satisfaction,” Cardoso said.

Moreover, contrary to speculations, Cardoso stated that he had nothing against the central bank’s interventions in the economy, pointing out that this remains a standard practice globally, especially in times of crisis.

However, he said such interventions needed to be well thought out in order not to destabilise the economy. He added that too much liquidity had been injected into the economy in a relatively short space of time, which he said was particularly detrimental to monetary policy.

Cardoso explained that loans and advances in the economy were about N40 trillion of which CBN interventions accounted for about 25 per cent. He said such liquidity injections were responsible for the current distortions, including inflation in the economy because they were not properly managed.
He pointed out that CBN currently lacked the capacity for direct interventions, and would rather focus on its primary mandate to control inflation, stabilise prices, and ensure a stable economic environment.

Cardoso stated that the apex bank would partner with those with the capacity to manage such interventions in a way that they will not mismanage the funds but also get the desired outcomes.

He denied claims that the federal government planned to convert domiciliary accounts of Nigerians to naira accounts as part of the reforms to stabilise the local currency.

Commenting on the outstanding FX obligations, the central bank governor said, “We contracted Deloitte Management Consultant to do a forensic of all these obligations and to actually tell us what was valid and what was not. Of course, we were committed to ensuring that we would pay all valid transactions.

“The result that came out of this was startling in a great respect; it was quite startling. We discovered that of the roughly $7 billion, about $2.4 had issues, which we believed had no business being there – and the infractions from that range from so many things. For example, not having valid import documents and in some cases, even entities that did not exist and in some cases, beneficiaries and account parties that asked for FX and got more than they asked for. And those who didn’t even ask for any and got. So, there were a whole load of infractions there, which I said amounted to about $2.4 billion out of the $7 billion headline figure.”

The CBN governor added, “We are not paying if you don’t qualify; they are not validly constituted requests. And of the validly constituted ones, we have settled about $2.3 billion and that applies to the airlines and a whole load of different entities spread throughout our economy – we’ve settled that already.

“And now what remains is about $2.2 billion to be settled and I am confident that we will shortly be addressing those and be able to move on and make progress.

“Now, how are we dealing with those that are not valid? As they were identified, we wrote to the authorised dealers to come in and explain what the situation was and where the numbers differed. And sadly, quite frankly, I think much of those have not been disputed to our satisfaction.”

Reiterating the bank’s commitment to resolving outstanding liabilities, Cardoso said, “Yes, as I said, I think that would be what would be done very shortly. Now, you can imagine that having $2.2 billion outstanding and $7 billion outstanding are not the same figure.

“I think we are at the end of this, to be honest, I will put it that way – we will clear all that very shortly and will move on to the next line of action. I am not concerned that the backlog would continue to be on overhang and I think we’ve come to the end of that road.”

On why CBN resolved to reduce direct intervention in the economy, Cardoso said, “By way of background, it is important for me to state clearly and unequivocally that I have nothing against interventions. It is done all over the world; in times of crisis, intervention does take place, and so, I am not saying it is necessarily a bad thing.

“I am just saying that it needs to be done in a well thought out manner and in a manner that does not destabilise the economy.
“If you push in too much liquidity in a relatively short space of time and it is not managed properly, then the distortions that we’ve had are bound to happen; it’s just as simple as that and nobody should be surprised that they are happening.”

Cardoso also said, “We all saw the issues of direct interventions from the central bank and quite a bit of those funds really may have not necessarily had the impact that they were hoping to accomplish and as we have come into government, we’ve had a lot of opportunity to look at the model and test the model.

“And there was a concern that an inordinate amount was put in in a relatively short space of time, and especially when you compare this statistics about loans and advances in the economy, which is about N40 trillion, and interventions alone was about 25 per cent of that and that is a huge amount of money in a relatively short space of time, especially when you consider that the loans and advances had been there before independence and gradually grew up to the level it is now.

“So, that has grave implications for the monetary policy and for the exchange rate and, of course, inflation.

“Our view basically is that we don’t have the capacity to direct interventions and we would rather focus our efforts on doing what we, as a central bank, are meant to do; which is to control inflation, stabilise prices, and ensure that we have a stable economic environment.

“And then, where we are able to find those who can do these things, we are happy to partner with them on the understanding, of course, that as I have said earlier, it’s done in a reasoned manner and that they themselves can deliver in a way that whatever interventions you put into the economy are not mismanaged.

And that they get to where they are meant to get to because that, to me, is really a concern, that handling such huge sums of money without having the capacity as a central bank to do that directly can create serious distortions in the environment and I think that’s part of the problems we are having today.”

Suspected vandals have destroyed a High Tension Transmission Line using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Unguwar Kanawa, a suburb of the Bauchi metropolis.

Our correspondent reports that the power transmission, which passes through Bauchi State, supplies electricity to other northeastern states.

Residents of the community reported overhearing a huge sound in the backyard and later discovered that the High Tension Mast had been brought down.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said the command had received a report about the incident from the Chief Security Officer of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi.

“On 01/02/2024 at about 22:00 hrs, the Bauchi State Police Command received a report from the Chief Security Officer of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi indicating that on the quoted date, a loud sound was heard around an electric High Tension Transmission Line situated at the Anguwan Kanawa area, a suburb of the Bauchi metropolis.

“Upon receiving the report, a team of police operatives, including specialized personnel from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemicals Biological Radioactive and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit, was drafted and deployed to the scene immediately.

“Consequently, a preliminary investigation revealed that a High Tension pole had collapsed and was damaged as a result of explosives used by suspected economic vandals. Furthermore, the vicinity was cordoned off and swept by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Chemicals Biological Radioactive and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Operatives,” he said.

Wakil added that some remnant components of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were recovered from the scene.

He said a discreet, full-scale investigation into the incident is underway to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and brought to justice.

The Belgian government has said Nigerians have the highest number of people in forced prostitution in the European country.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mr Freddy Roosemont, the Director-General of the Belgian Office for Foreigners, said most Nigerians were deceived into the country with the promise of job placements.
He said most of them are however being forced into prostitution by traffickers once they arrived in the country.

“The dream is not real, it’s not easy to survive in Europe without a decent job. The dream is fake.

“Belgium is not land of milk and honey, nor is Europe. This was not the case before, but is even less so now, in a world with many crisis hotspots with severe economic consequences”, Roosemont said.

He lamented that more Nigerians were currently seeking asylum in Belgium, adding that it makes little sense.

“Asylum is determined on the basis of the Geneva Convention and economic motives are not included. Therefore the recognition rate for asylum is very low and the chances of obtaining a residence permit are almost non-existent,” the Belgian official said.
He said no fewer than 362 Nigerian migrants sought asylum in 2022 while 380 of them applied in 2023, adding that only a few of them got their application granted.

“As a consequence, people are forced to live in irregular stay, without a social safety net, in precarious conditions. They risk economic exploitation and women risk ending up in prostitution”, he said.

He charged Nigerians to ignore those trying to deceive them into embarking on the journey to Europe without admission to a university, a job offer from a Belgian company or an invitation from a family member to relocate.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has written a letter of complaint to the State Security Securitt (SSS) over what he called “false allegations and sustained campaign of calumny” against him.

The letter, addressed to the Director General of the SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, which was sighted by our PREMIUM TIMES, indicated that other security agencies may have been directed to launch investigations as well.

Mr Gbajabiamila served in the House of Representatives for over 20 years, during which he was minority whip, minority leader (for eight years) and majority leader before becoming Speaker in 2019. He was appointed chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu days after the president was sworn into office on May 29, 2023.

In his letter to the SSS, the chief of staff lamented a sustained regime of smear campaigns against him. He therefore requested the security agency to investigate and fish out those spreading falsehood about him.

The letter was titled “Request for Investigation of False Allegations and Sustained Campaign of Calumny Against my Person by Unknown Elements.”

In the letter dated 9 January, 2023, Mr Gbajabiamila said: “Over the past six months, unknown individuals or groups have made a sustained effort using social media to spread unfounded allegations of corruption, malfeasance, and abuse of office against my person. This campaign of calumny has gotten progressively more aggressive in tone and content over the last month, thus necessitating this letter.

“I have served in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the past two decades, first in the legislature, where I rose to the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and now in the executive as Chief of Staff to the President. In that time, my efforts to ensure probity in the management of public resources are well documented. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I presided over the national budget for all ministries, departments and agencies for four years without blemish.

“While it is my inclination to ignore these attacks as part of the usual mischief of politics, my position as Chief of Staff to the President compels me to act because falsehoods left unchallenged soon take on the toga of truth. Furthermore, the aggressive escalation of these attacks suggests that the perpetrators of these attacks will continue until they are held to account. For these reasons, the stoic silence I have maintained on this matter thus far will no longer suffice.

“I am satisfied that I have not acted in any way to warrant or justify these attacks. Therefore, I am requesting your office to investigate the sources and substance of these false allegations. Rather than hide behind the anonymity of the internet, let my accusers be unmasked to substantiate their claims or face the consequences of their libel against me.”

The chief of staff to the president, therefore, requested “prompt intervention” of security agencies in the matter.

The letter indicated that “a selection of some of the more egregious attacks of the past few months” were attached to aid security agencies in their investigations.

By Fatoye Bisola David


Owning a private jet in Nigeria isn’t just for convenience, but also a display of wealth and affluence as many Nigerians ranging from politicians, to artists and also pastors have been known to acquire private jets.

AMB Reports that on an average, the maintenance of a private jet costs about $500,000 to $1 million (approx. N290 million – N580 million) per year yet people still pay this huge sum.

There are also general checks that should be done on a private jet which include ‘C’ checks, software checks, fuel level, preflight, post-flight and weekly inspections etc. All of which are extremely important.

The types of private jets include Very Light Jets, Light Jets, Mid-Size Jets, Super Mid-Size Jets, Heavy Business Jets, Ultra-Long Range Jets, and Executive Airliners.

Here are Nigerians who own private jets along with their net worth:

1. Aliko Dangote – Founder of Dangote group – $19.6 billion
2. Mike Adenuga – CEO of Globacom Ltd – $7 billion
3. Allen Onyema – CEO of Airpeace – $3.1 billion
4. Arthur Eze – CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum – $5.8 billion
5. Igho Sanomi – Business man – $1 billion
6. Adedeji Adeleke -President of Adeleke university – $700 million
7. Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto – CEO of The Ibeto Group – $3.8 billion
8. Apostle Johnson Suleman – General overseer of Omega Fire Ministries – $10.5 million
9. Dr. Bryant (ABC) Orjiako – Chairman and co-founder of SEPLAT – $1.2 billion
10. Femi Otedola – Businessman and Philantropist – $1.2 billion

11. Orji Uzor Kalu – Politician and businessman – $1.1 billion
12. President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu – Politician – $8.4 billion
13. Bishop David Oyedepo – General overseer of Living Faith Church – $200 million
14. Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide – Founder of Arik Air – $3 billion
15. Theophilus Danjuma – Nigerian politician – $1.1 billion
16. Pastor Adeboye – General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God – $65 million
17. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor – Former president of Christian Association of Nigeria – $32 million
18. Folorunsho Alakija – Businesswoman – $1.53 billion
19. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida – Nigerian retired general – $5 billion
20. Atiku Abubakar – Politician- $1.8 billion

21. Olusegun Obasanjo – Politician – $1.6 billion
22. Rochas Okorocha – Politician – $1.4 billion
23. Rotimi Amaechi – Politician – $780 million
24. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff – Politician – $1 million – $5 million (Speculated)
25. Godswill Akpabio – Politician – $20 million
26. Obi Cubana – Business man – $96 million
27. Tiwa Savage – Musician – $17 billion
28. Phyno – Musician – $12 million
29. Ned Nwoko – Politician and business man – $1.2 billion
30. Jide Omokore – Unavailable

31. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome – General Overseer of Christ Embassy – $50 million
32. Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Funfeyin – Founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry – $35 million
33. Wizkid – Musician – $30 million
34. Don Jazzy – Musician – $10 million
35. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah – Politician – $1.7 billion
36. Jimoh Ibrahim – Business man – $1.1 billion
37. DJ Cuppy – Nigerian DJ – $3 million
38. Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi – Business man – $900 million
39. Olamide – Musician – $12 million
40. P-Square – Musician – $100 million (Speculated)
41. Late Prophet TB Joshua – General overseer SCOAN – $15 million

There are indications that the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, will be invited for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as his tenure ended on January 27, 2024, having lost his power of immunity.

On Saturday, Bello’s tenure ended as the then youngest governor in Kogi State at least for now.

Yahaya Adoza Bello, climbed to power after providence gave power him on a platter of gold in 2015, following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu.

Sunday Times sources say EFCC and other security agencies are set to pick Yahaya Bello, to account for his eight years of administration as the executive Governor of the Confluence State.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, filed an appeal, challenging the Wednesday, April 26, 2023 ruling of Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos that struck out its suit seeking the forfeiture of 14 properties as well as the sum of N400m linked to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, citing his immunity from prosecution under the 1999 constitution.

In the notice of appea filed by the Commission, it averred that Justice Oweibo erred in law when he struck out the suit as the immunity conferred on the Respondent against any civil or criminal proceedings during his incumbency as a governor of Kogi State does not extend to properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime traced to him

Also it stated that the court erred and occasioned a miscarriage of justice when it refused to bind itself with the decision of the Court of Appeal in EFCC V Fayose (2018) LPELR 44131 CA and the decision of the Supreme Court in Fawehinmi V IGP (2002)7 NWLR (PT767)606, on the proper interpretation of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.

The EFCC also stated that the learned trial court erred in law when it struck out a preservation order of properties reasonably suspected to have been derived from proceeds of unlawful activities notwithstanding its findings that the Respondent failed to show the genuine origin of funds used to acquire the properties under the preservation order.

Justice Oweibo had, on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, granted an interim forfeiture of the properties in Lagos, Abuja and the United Arab Emirates and also ordered the preservation of the sum of N400, 000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira) recovered from one Aminu Falala, which “is reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island Lagos.”

Moving the application, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had stated that the properties, including “Hotel Apartment Community, Burj Khalifa lying, being and situate at, Plot 160 Municipality NO 345-7562, Sky View Building No 1, Property No 401, Floor 4, Dubai U.A.E.”, were reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity.

In his ruling, Justice Oweibo had granted the application, as prayed, and also directed the Commission to publish the interim order within 14 days in any national newspaper and also adjourned to March 28, 2023.

During the proceedings on March 28, 2023, Oyedepo had informed the court that the Commission received a notice of intention to oppose the making of the preservation order, which it had equally responded to.

Responding, Bello, in an application through his counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed SAN, had sought to vacate the order of the court on the grounds that most of the properties sought to be forfeited were acquired by Bello before he became the Governor of the state.

Oyedepo, in opposition to the application, drew the attention of the court to the fact that the applicant failed to respond to the depositions in the counter-affidavit.

According to him, “In Usman against Garke, it was reported in 2003, LPLR 3431, Supreme Court and our submission is that failure to reply to the counter-affidavit has a single legal consequence that the despondent are agreeing to the application. We urge your lordship to hold that the failure to respond is deemed admitted.

“It is our submission that, where a statute describes a mode of doing a thing, it is that mode that must be followed.

“We have cited authorities to this effect, one of which is Patience Jonathan and the FGN, in paragraph 1.08 of our submission. The Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 prescribes the mode of challenging the preservation order of the court and the steps to be taken by the party challenging the making of the preservation order.”

Oyedepo had also submitted that one of the requirements that the application challenging a preservation order must contain is that the applicant must show his interest in the property concerned.

In his further submissions, he had said: “Apart from Paragraph 4H and I of the affidavit in support of the notice of intention, there is nothing before this Honourable court showing, by way of credible evidence, how the properties were acquired.

“In our counter-affidavit, we have established how the properties were acquired and there is nothing challenging how the properties were acquired.

“What was deposed is that most of the properties were got before he became Governor of Kogi State and the properties were not acquired through illegal means.

‘”Without establishing the interest of the applicant, the application is bound to fail. And having failed to show how the properties were acquired, the next thing the applicant sought to do was to tell the court that the prosecution had failed several court orders.”

In response to the immunity clause as contained in Section 308, Oyedepo had said: “the Provision of Section 308 will not and cannot be construed to a ridiculous extent of preventing the state from investigating the beneficiary of the section.

“As far back as 2002, in the case of Fawehinmi and IGP, the court mentioned that a person protected under Section 308 can be investigated; and the fact that someone is under immunity does not prevent the state from investigating.

“Where a state’s governor is reasonably suspected to have committed a financial crime, the state can investigate for evidence that will be used in prosecution when he no longer enjoys the immunity.”

Yesterday, Saturday 27, 2024, Bello lost his immunity after the expiration of his tenure and era as the executive Governor of the Kogi State. Now, without immunity, Bello may be picked up by the commission for the alleged money laundering and financial infractions as the ex governor of Kogi State.

The Federal Government has announced a 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with a mandate to recommend a new National Minimum Wage for the country.

Director, Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen disclosed this in a statement issued Sunday night in Abuja.

He said; “The planned inauguration of the Committee is sequel to the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The inauguration is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 30th January, 2024 by 12:00 noon at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, State House, Abuja.

“The Committee under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation which cut across Federal Government, State Government, Private Sector and the Organised Labour are as follows:

“From the Federal Government, the members include Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Hon. Minister of State, Labour and Employment (Representing Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment); Mr. Wale Edun, Hon. Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, Hon. Minister of Budget Economic Planning; Dr. (Mrs) Yemi Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Dr. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary, GSO. OSGF and Ekpo Nta, Esq, Chairman/CEO, NSIWC – Member/Secretary.

“Also from the State Government, Alh. Mohammed Umar Bago, Governor, Niger State- representative from North Central; Sen. Bala Mohammed, Governor Bauchi State- representative from North East; Alh. Umar Dikko Radda, Governor Katsina State- representative from North West; Prof. Charles Soludo, Governor, Anambra State- representative from the South East; Sen. Ademola Adeleke, Governor, Osun State- representative from South West; Mr. Otu Bassey Edet, Governor, Cross River State- representative from South West.

“From the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA)- Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director-General, NECA; Mr. Chuma Nwankwo; Mr. Thompson Akpabio with also members from the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) include Asiwaju (Dr) Michael Olawale-Cole, National President; Hon. (Dr) Ahmed Rabiu, National Vice President and Chief Humphrey Ngonadi (NPOM), National Life President.

“The membership from the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprise (NASME) are Dr. Abdulrashid Yerima, President & Chairman of Council; Hon. Theophilus Nnorom Okwuchukwu, Private Sector representative; Dr. Muhammed Nura Bello, Zonal Vice President, North West and also from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) are Mrs. Grace Omo-Lamai, Human Resource Director, Nigerian Breweries; Segun Ajayi-Kadir, mni, Director-General, MAN; Lady Ada Chukwudozie, Managing Director, Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited.

“From the organised labour, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero, President, NLC; Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, mni; Comrade Prince Adeyanju Adewale; Comrade Ambali Akeem Olatunji; Comrade Benjamin Anthony and Prof. Theophilius Ndukuba.

“Also, membership from the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) include Comrade (Engr) Festus Osifo, President, TUC; Comrade Tommy Etim Okon, PhD, Deputy President I, TUC; Comrade Kayode Surajudeen Alakija, Deputy President II; Comrade Jimoh Oyibo, Deputy President. III; Comrade Nuhu A. Toro, Secretary-General and Comrade Hafusatu Shuaib, Chairperson Women Comm.

“Accordingly, members are advised to be early to process their clearance at the Security Gate and should be seated at the Council Chamber by 11.30 am. In addition, a shuttle bus will be available at the Pilot Gate to convey members to the venue.

In addition, members of the Committee are to contact the Head of the Secretariat, Mr. Chiadi Adighiogu, Director (Compensation) in the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for information”.

By Seun Adeuyi


The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service has called on Abuja-based Nigerian businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, to fulfill her tax duties to the country by filing her annual returns.

Annual returns are a formal record of financial activities and operations over the past year, which are submitted to relevant government authorities. Filing annual returns is not only a legal requirement but also an essential part of maintaining transparency and good corporate practice.

While responding to a post on the seven-day party Achimugu organised to celebrate her 50th birthday, Abuja Revenue Service asked her to file her returns.

Recall that her birthday recently hit social media following the visit of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to the Nigerian entrepreneur cum socialite’s party.

Reports revealed that Sanwo-Olu travelled to Grenada, a Caribbean island country, to celebrate the extravagant birthday seven-party events with Achimugu.

However, the governor in his reaction said he was in Grenada to discuss developmental projects of Lagos with the country’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, but also attended some social events.

Sanwo-Olu said, “Last weekend in St. George’s, Grenada, I presented Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell with a miniature of the Blue Line Rail, and we engaged in extensive discussions on various aspects of our bilateral relations, focusing mainly on tourism, agriculture, and other economic interests that could benefit both our regions.

“Prime Minister Mitchell also shared exciting plans for Grenada’s upcoming 50th-anniversary celebrations in February. It was a productive and enriching exchange, setting the stage for deeper collaboration between our regions.

“Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend some social events, further strengthening the ties between our two nations.”

Meanwhile, while reacting to the extravagant Achimugu’s golden jubilee anniversary on Thursday via X, FCT-IRS sent wishes to her and urged to fulfill her tax duties as a Nigerian citizen.

“”The FCT-Internal Revenue Service extends our warmest birthday wishes to you! May this special day be filled with joy and blessings. Remember to fulfill your tax obligations by filing your annual tax returns,” the revenue agency wrote.

While the news of her birthday events have become the subject of controversies among netizens, the 50-year-old celebrated herself for being most popular recently after Israel-Hamas war.

Achimugu said, “Good evening, everyone, lovers of mine. This is not an official thank you for being there for me and coming to Grenada. It is a very tough time. It was a moment for me to thank everyone whom I should be concerned over the pleasant media help about this famous Aisha.

“And I want to congratulate myself for being the most popular person in the entire world, apart from the Gaza and Israeli fight, I guess something that’s most popular on the news globally. I give God the glory, and I thank God for my life. And for those who have genuinely shown concern over the media, I want to assure you that I’m well, I’m in a high spirit,

“I really don’t give a hoot. I’m doing me; I’ve always done me, a happy soul, doing what makes me happy.

“And again, celebrating people who love me, genuinely love me, who have always been there for me in the last 50 years and even less, but feels like they’ve known me all my life.”

“I thank you all. Thank you to everyone who has called me privately, those who have shown concern on the platform, and even those who have been quiet about it and praying in their own time. I want to say I’m extremely, extremely very grateful,” she added.

The year 2023 had come and gone with many downturns and hiccups that retarded economic growth. Experts said to reposition the economy, Nigeria must oil its industrial sector and propel a production-driven economy to strengthen the naira, reduce heavy reliance on foreign exchange and boost liquidity in the forex market.

As 2024 kicks off, Nigeria and Nigerians look forward to many corporate companies and individuals to drive the economic transformation of the country through local production in order to reduce inflation, which has reached the ceiling in recent times, as well as reduce the current multidimensional poverty through reduction in the cost of living.

Chronicled below are 10 companies whose business exploits are projected to make a huge difference in Nigeria’s economic landscape in the new near.


Dangote Refinery

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Excitement has greeted the commencement of operation at the $19billion Dangote Refinery. This is understandably so because of the hardship Nigerians have been enduring since the removal of petrol subsidy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Dangote recently revealed that Agbami crude oil was delivered to his company via MT ALMI SUN, thus enabling the refinery to meet the stocks required to test-run its operations.

The refinery has started receiving its first one million barrels of Agbami crude grade from Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO).

Dangote Oil Refining Company, where the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has 20 per cent stake, has started preparing for the test running of the plant.

The managing director of Dangote Ports Operations, Mr Akin Omole, had said:

“Once the 6million barrels are fully delivered, it will facilitate the initial run of the refinery, as well as kick-start the production of diesel, aviation fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) before subsequently progressing to the production of a premium motor spirit (PMS),”

Dangote Refinery is expected to producea 650,000 barrels of oil per day (BPD). It is an integrated refinery project under construction in the Lekki Free Zone near Lagos, Nigeria. It is expected to be Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility.

Speaking on the development, the executive chairman, African Energy Chamber, NJ Ayuk said, “We were excited about the delivery of millions of barrels to Dangote Refinery. This is a significant milestone, both for the country and the West African region. With a capacity to produce 350,000 barrels per day, the refinery holds a particular significance for the country, where reliance on fuel imports has been a defining feature for decades despite its over 37billion barrels of proven reserves.”

Oil marketers are already planning to meet the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in order to ensure the seamless supply and distribution of refined petroleum products to be produced from the $20bn facility.


BUA

BUA’s additional 6m tonnes of cement capacity is being seen as a game changer. 2024 is especially a year that would hopefully ignite pleasant expectations because BUA Cement intends to bring an additional six million tonnes a year (t/y), of cement capacity online by the first quarter through the commissioning of new lines at its Obu and Sokoto factories. This, in addition, would increase the company’s total installed production capacity to 17million t/y.

The chairman of BUA Cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said the additional capacity would help to alleviate the pressure on cement prices and availability in Nigeria.

“The completion of lines 3 and 5 in Obu and Sokoto respectively will empower us to offer better prices and more significant quantities of cement to the domestic market, thus strengthening our market share across Nigeria and Africa. I am confident in BUA Cement’s ability to play a role in reducing cement prices in Nigeria,” he said during the presentation of BUA Cement’s 2022 financial results on August 31.

The firm recorded a 40.3 per cent increase in revenue in 2022 to the tune of N361.9billion. Profit after tax grew by 12.1 per cent (N101.0bn).

In June, BUA Cement secured a $500million financing package from the IFC to fund the expansion of its Sokoto plant in northern Nigeria.

A pharmaceutical manufacturing company, May & Baker Nigeria, is one of the companies to look out for in 2024 because of the crucial gaps that need to be filled in the pharmaceutical sub-sector of the economy following the exit of GSK in 2023.

Prices of drugs have been reported to have hit the rooftop as a result of the exit, which has left the vacuum to importers, forcing prices out of the roof.

However, the managing director of May & Baker Nigeria, Patrick Ajah, disclosed that the company was making investments towards new product development across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

He sought the intervention of the federal government to make the importation of drug manufacturing machines duty-free, as well as the removal of customs tariff on some medical products so as to import them at a lower cost.

Ajah said the measures would encourage pharmaceutical companies operating in the country.

“I mentioned that we were going to launch seven. We actually have in our pipeline, over 20 products, but it is not easy to register all of them with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). We already have like seven that are concluded, which we can launch next year; and a whole lot of other things,” he said.


Seplat ANOH Gas

This company is expected to reduce Nigeria’s carbon intensity and increase energy supply to domestic market.

ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), an incorporated joint venture between Seplat Energy and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) Ltd, is delivering the ANOH gas plant with a phase one processing capacity of 300mmscfd.

Upon commencement of operation, the plant will deliver dry gas, condensate and LPG to customers. It is envisaged that AGPC would sell the gas and LPG domestically, and the condensates to the international market.

ANOH is one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas projects. It will help Nigeria to accelerate its transition away from small-scale diesel generators to cleaner, less expensive fuel, such as natural gas for power generation.

Other key steps to first gas as outlined in the company’s interim results announcement were the drilling and hook-up of the upstream wells and completion of essential third-party infrastructure: the OB3 pipeline river crossing and Spur Line connecting OB3 to the gas plant.

The completion of the third well (ASSN-05) was previously announced. The fourth and final well (ASSN-06) planned ahead of the first gas has also been completed by the upstream unit operator, SPDC.

Nigerians are now looking forward to the completion of the necessary plant pre-commissioning activities and essential third-party infrastructure, which will enable the commissioning of the gas plant and commencement of operations.

The chief executive officer of Seplat Energy, Roger Brown said, “ANOH is an important strategic project for Seplat. It will roughly double our gas production. And we are focused on the path to the first gas.

“ANOH’s gas will further reduce Seplat’s and Nigeria’s carbon intensity and increase the energy supplied to the Nigerian domestic market.”


NNPC to restart Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna refineries

Nigeria expects its four oil refineries to be operational by the end of 2024, with Port Harcourt plant starting as early as January.

In 2022, the government said the Port Harcourt refinery would start processing crude at the end of that year. However, successive oil ministers and NNPC Ltd executives had announced a series of unsuccessful plans to restart, revamp or expand the refineries.

The four state-owned refineries with a combined 450,000 barrels per day, 110,000 barrels Kaduna plant in the North and three units in the oil-rich Niger Delta, including the 125,000 barrels Warri refinery, have been shut down for years.

The Port Harcourt refinery is undergoing a $1.5billion upgrade after Italy’s Tecnimont was awarded the contract to carry out the work in 2021.

The country is now pinning its hopes of ending fuel imports on the combined efforts of a 650,000 barrels per day refinery by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the 450,000 four state-owned refineries.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, in December 2023, inspected the ongoing refurbishment at the two-unit 210,000 Port Harcourt refinery.

Lokpobiri said, “From what we have seen here today, Port Harcourt refinery will come on board by the end of the year. Our objective is to ensure that in the next few years, Nigeria stops fuel importation,” Lokpobiri said, adding that two other facilities in Warri and Kaduna would start processing crude between the first quarter and the end of 2024.

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, imports almost all its refined fuel needs due to inadequate capacity and poor maintenance.


APMT

APMT Terminals, Apapa, the biggest logistics terminal in Nigeria, specializes in handling containerised cargoes.

The terminal is part of AP Moller-Maersk and operates one of the world’s most comprehensive port networks that are unique and positioned to help both shipping and landside customers grow their businesses.

APM Terminals took on the concession for the Apapa container terminals in Nigeria about 17 years ago and has invested over $438million in facility upgrade in the country’s port system.

In June 2023, APMT received the largest container ship to ever call at the Lagos port complex, Apapa, the Singapore-flagged Kota Contik, a 6,606 TEU container ship.

It has also invested in both frontline and office-based employees, providing growth and career opportunities in and outside Nigeria.


Lekki Deep Seaport

The Lekki Deep Seaport is a multi-purpose deep port in the Lagos Free Zone and is the only currently operating deep seaport in the country, having started full commercial operation in April 2023. It is the largest seaport in Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa.

Lekki Port is to be expanded to have a capacity of handling around 6million TEUs of containers and a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk uncontainerised cargoes. The port is to be equipped with ships able to transport over 14,500 containers.

The port, referred to by many as the game changer, is financed by private investors and a consortium of banks that have funded the project with $1.5billion as at March 2021. The seaport is to occupy up to 90 hectares of land.The port started commercial operation in April 2023.

It mainstreamed in 2023, during which the Lagos State governor, Sanwo-Olu, promised to expand the roads to the port to six-lane highways to ensure seamless evacuation of cargoes.

The economic impact of the project would translate to revenue from duties, royalties and taxes at $201billion and also a direct/indirect business impact of $158bn, according to the ICRC.

The Nigerian government owns 5 per cent shares, while the Lagos owns 20 per cent and the Lekki Port Investment Holding Inc owns 75 per cent through the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV- Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited).

The project is built in a strategic location in Lagos. Its flexible and optimised layout and modern facilities give Lekki Port a competitive edge over any other port facility in the West African region.


Air Peace

Air Peace, which is currently the largest airline in West and Central Africa, is one of the companies to look up to in 2024, going by its ongoing expansion drive, which would see London coming on stream this year.

It has a network of 21 domestic routes, eight regional and six international destinations, with an increasing modern fleet of over 30 aircraft, including five brand new Embraer 195-E2s and a latest firm order for five brand new Embraer 175s.

The plan to expand into London is expected to be a big deal in the air transportation market in Nigeria as it would be the only Nigerian flight on the highly lucrative London route. Despite the busy nature of that route, Nigerians have been complaining about the high fares charged by the British carriers and other foreign airlines flying to London.

However, Air Peace’s entry into the route is expected to crash fares, while deepening competition.


Norrenberger Financial Group

Norrenberger is an industry-leading integrated financial services group that provides individuals and institutions with a wide range of financial products, including asset management, private equity, development finance, investment banking, pensions, security trading, insurance, digital banking, among others.

The financial group has eight subsidiaries – Norrenberger Securities Ltd; Norrenberger Pensions; Transkredit Finance Company Ltd; IEI Insurance Ltd; Fadeth Microfinance Bank; Norrenberger Investment and Capital Management Ltd; The Infrastructure Bank, and Norrenberger Advisory Partners Ltd.

The company, last year, launched its entrepreneurship fund, targeting 5,000 youths with a N500m start-up grant and intends to implement it in 2024 and expand the grant to N5bn in the coming years.

Also, the company launched the Turbo Fund as an open-ended collective investment scheme registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 2024, the fund is targeted toward investors with the capacity to stay invested for a long period, institutional investors, including pension fund administrators, insurance companies, corporate entities, public sector agencies, and other asset managers who seek to diversify their portfolio holdings and earn attractive returns.


AA Rano

AA Rano is an oil and gas company in Nigeria known for retail distribution of PMS, DPK, AGO, LPG and lubricants.

The oil conglomerate was founded by a Kano-born businessman, Alhaji Awwalu Rano.

He built his first retail outlets in Kano State in 1996 and incorporated AA Rano Nigeria Limited in 2002.

The company has over 600 trucks servicing its over 115 retail outlets across the country.

The company has acquired a vessel, constructed a 56-million-litre tank farm facility and is also constructing a 20,000-metric-ton LPG plant in Lagos.

AA Rano has a broad plan of building its own 45,000 BPD crude oil refinery in the New Lekki Free Trade Zone Area of Lagos State.

The company has been experiencing an unprecedented growth in recent years, which is evident in the construction of its 60million litres tank farm in Lagos, Nigeria and commissioning of its newly acquired vessel (Mt. Hajara).

One of the subsidiaries of AA Rano is Rano Air, founded in 2019. It is one of the fastest growing airlines in Nigeria.

The airline acquired five of EMB 145 aircraft, with its operation base in Abuja; and it is intended to operate into different locations in Nigeria: Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Yola and Asaba.

Other subsidiaries of the company are Rano Gaz (LPG), Rano Lube and Rano Commodity.

BY CLAIRE MOM


Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, handed over the mantle of leadership to Usman Ododo on Saturday — and some grammatical errors to boot.

Ododo was sworn in after taking the oath of office at the inauguration ceremony in Lokoja, the state capital.

As is expected in a democratic setting, outgoing governors are expected to issue a handover note to their successors to ensure a smooth and uncontentious transition of power.

Although Bello fulfilled the requirements, his grammatical constructions fell short of being smooth.

In the handover note he posted on his X account, errors such as the misspelling of “tenure” and “constitutional” stood out.

“I, Yahaya Bello CON, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, hereby handover the Governance and Administration of Kogi State to you, Alh Ahmad Usman Ododo, after the Successful Completion of my Constitution 2nd Tenor in office, Today the 27th Day of January 2024,” the certificate reads.


“CONGRATULATIONS!!!”

“It is settled,” Bello captioned the post.


SPOT THE ERROR

To win the Kogi governorship election, Ododo polled 446, 237 votes to defeat Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who placed second with 259,052 votes.

Dino Melaye, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was in third position with 46,362 votes.

The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations has called for the removal of the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cadoso, over the planned relocation of agencies they superintend.

A communiqué issued by the group on Thursday signed by its convener, Murtala Abubakar; Director of public Communication & Strategy, Hashim Tom Maiyashi; and Director, Gender Mobilization, Latifa Abdussalam, praised the Northern caucus of the Senate but urged the lawmakers to seek the sack of the two appointees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group, however, advised against the move to sue the president to rescind the decision but stated that the lawmakers should rather give the president a deadline to stop the relocation.

“Given the magnitude of the decisions by the CBN and FAAN that demonstrate the unsuitability of their chief executives to preside over federal institutions, we urge our representatives to demand the immediate removal of the Governor of the CBN and the Minister of Aviation from their positions.

“This is not a punitive measure but an urgent step to restore public trust, ensure accountability, and uphold the constitutional integrity of key institutions that significantly influence our nation’s economic and administrative landscape.”

They added that the decisions that impact on the country’s economic and administrative landscape must be made with competence, transparency and adherence to constitutional principles.

“We call on our representatives in the National Assembly to exercise their full legislative oversight functions. We urge them to set a definite deadline for the executive to rescind the decisions related to the relocation of CBN departments and FAAN headquarters as well as to take proactive corrective measures.

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has asked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to abandon the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) for the (APC).

Addressing newsmen after a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano, Ganduje said the meeting resolved to open APC doors to others who want to join the ruling party.

“We are appealing to those who want join APC to come. In particular, we are inviting the Governor of Kano and his NNPP to join APC,” Ganduje said.

The national chairman asked party members not to get discourage over the loss of the governorship election case at the supreme court.

He said as true democrats, members should thank God.

Some senators and members of the house of representatives, Ganduje said, have joined APC, assuring that very soon, some governors would defect to the ruling party,

He said Tinubu loves Kano and insisted that the state should produce the Deputy Senate president despite enormous pressure.

All former Commissioners and Chief executive of parastatals that served under Ganduje attended the meeting.

The National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Dr Tommy Etim Okon has hinted that in the coming weeks, there will be serious agitation by the organised labour over delay in the announcement and implementation of new national minimum wage for workers by the Federal Government.

According to him, there would also be a lot of clamour by workers, most especially for the payment of N35,000 peculiar allowance, in all in view of the current harsh economic condition being faced by workers.

The Federal Government, however, called for continued partnership and synergy between government and the labour unions in Ministries, extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for optimal performance and effective delivery of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

Director Overseeing, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare (SWO), in the Office of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Dr. Comfort Adeosun made the call at the 4th Permanent Secretary’s Quarterly Forum with leaders of the Joint Union across MDAs in Abuja.

ASCSN National President, Dr Tommy Etim Okon, who doubles the Vice President, Joint Council, speaking at the event, said the meeting was timely as workers would soon begin agitation and clamour for the new national minimum wage and the N35,000 peculiar allowance.

He said information is key and that where “you congregate union leaders from MDAs, you are creating a way to ensuring that there is industrial peace and harmony”.

“Without industrial peace and harmony, there will be no progress. No policy thrives without it,” he said.

Okon also noted that the Head of Civil of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan was very strategic in her engagement with the union leaders.

While appreciating her dexterity and leadership style, he added that the Forum is the way to go, especially taking into cognizance that for “the next few months the issue of a new National Minimum Wage against the backdrop of present economic conditions, will be a reoccurring one”.

“There will be a lot of clamour by workers, most especially for the payment of N35,000 peculiar allowance,” he said.

He noted that the fora provides an opportunity to inform and enlighten union leaders about Government policies towards its workforce.

“This is 21st century strategy to ensure that workers are adequately informed and by so doing it will also encourage them to be more productive,” he added.

On her part, the Director Overseeing, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare (SWO), Dr. Comfort Adeosun, harped on the need for synergy and industrial harmony for enhanced service delivery in the country.

Director, Communications, Mr Mohammed Ahmed, in a statement on Thursday, quoted Adeosun, as explaining that the Forum was established to improve synergy that would stimulate a harmonious working relationship between the unions and Government for enhanced service delivery.

“It is equally to enlighten them on various initiatives of Government on issues relating to the general welfare of Public Servants and to create an enabling environment for easy implementation of staff-friendly policies that will improve the wellbeing and welfare of workers in the Service,” she added.

She also disclosed that the quarterly event has stalled since 2019 due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the Office.

She, however, hinted that the importance of resuscitating the meeting could not be overemphasised, given the significant role it plays in the resolution of conflict with regard to labour-related matters, anchored on a collective bargaining process through constant dialogue between the two parties.

Adeosun further said that the success of previous meetings had gone a long way in restoring the confidence of the organized labour in Government’s determination to improve the welfare of workers, birthing industrial peace and harmony.

She appreciated the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSF) for her dogged commitment to the welfare and well-being of the Service.

“This commitment is expressed in the approval to resuscitate the Forum with a directive to ensure its sustenance, in order to consolidate on the existing harmonious working relationship between the Government and Labour in MDAS,” she stated.

The Director Overseeing the office of the Permanent Secretary, disclosed that the OHCSF is committed to ensuring the continuity of the Forum for improvement of synergy and cohesion.

“It is an impetus for the progress of the Public Service, leveraging on conflict resolution mechanism to nip in the bud labour contentious issues, thereby forestalling the escalation of industrial unrest, which hinders national growth,” she said.

She assured the union members that Government would continue to do everything possible to improve the welfare of workers, as well as strengthen their capacities to deliver on their mandates. “It is important for us to be well informed on Government plans, policies, and programmes to guarantee healthy communication,” she added.

Speaking earlier, the Acting Director, Employee and Industrial Relations, Mr Dominic Chibueze Nwachuckwu stated that Government could not function as a critical component of nation-building without the cooperation of labour. “Government cannot deliver on its core mandates if a conducive environment for Civil Servants is not guaranteed and one element, which assures that is the workforce,” he added.

The Deputy Director, Employee Relations, Mr. Dangana Adamu Tende, further explained that the programme will foster synergy between government and labour.

The President of the Joint Union Negotiating Council/Chairman, ASCSN, OHCSF Chapter, Comrade Ameh Sylvester agreed that the meeting will go a long way in sensitizing workers about the policies of the OHCSF, which aims to enhance workflow and to secure buy-in from them concerning the innovative approach to work processes, as enshrined in FCSSIP-25.

He promised that they would disseminate the information gathered and decisions reached to the workers.

The eight ( Unions represented at the Forum are: Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processing and Allied Workers (NUPSTRAW), Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and Nigeria Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees (NUAAE).

Others were Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Nigeria Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW).

Legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, has revealed some of the big legal fees he has charged from clients, saying on one occasion, he got $30million for helping the government recover $300m from banks.

In another instance, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State, said he charged Mobile $5m in an appeal case he handled for the company in the 80s.

Babalola, who revealed this in a recent interview with a radio talk show host, Ifedayo Olarinde aka Daddy Freeze, said Mobile initially rejected his asking fee and engaged another SAN in Lagos who charged them N500,000, but lost the case.

“Yes,” Babalola confirmed when Daddy Freeze said he learnt that he charged Mobile $5m.

He said, “….The client has a right to pay in dollars or (its naira) equivalent. This time I was in my office then a message came from Lagos that Mobile people from Netherlands, Scotland and America wanted to see me. I went there and met some directors there. They had a big case and I charged them $5m. They decided to negotiate but I said no; that was what I would charge for the case. They said, ‘Ok, you would hear from us.’ I went back to Ibadan. They never came back.

“About two years after, the same Mobile sent for me and I went. They told me that the last time we referred a case to you and you charged us $5m, but when you left, one of us said there was a senior advocate in Lagos who demanded less than N500,000 so we paid him. Now we have lost.

“From the way you addressed us and the confidence we want you to handle the appeal for us. Can you handle it for us? Why not, but my fee remains the same amount. They said don’t worry, we will pay this time. Not only did I collect the money, I also won the case for them. So they remain my client; I became the special adviser to the company.”

Asked about other bigger legal fees he had charged, he recalled striking a deal with the government to get a 10% commission upon recovery of the sum of $300m from some banks.

“I can remember one case where there was a syndicate of banks fighting the government over a certain matter. I said you would pay me 10% of what I collect from them. At the end of the day, I collected $300m for them and of course 10% for me,” he said.

By Samuel Bolaji


The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, said the construction of the long-awaited Fourth Mainland Bridge would begin in the first quarter of this year, “by the end of March or April.”

The governor disclosed this in his keynote address during the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge will be constructed in phases while promising that landlords and tenants of structures demolished during the construction will be duly compensated.

“We’ve done extensive work on the bridge. But we are at the crossroads of where to get the real financing for that kind of project. We’ll need to be very very creative,” he said.

“Our commitment is that within this first quarter, meaning that by the end of March or April, we should break grounds to start the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge,” Sanwo-Olu added.