₦airaland Forum

The member representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Jude Idimogu, talks to ALEXANDER OKERE about his recent disagreement with the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources, Mr Joe Igbokwe, over the leadership of the Igbo in the state

Why do you think the Igbo in Lagos State chose you, instead of Igbokwe, to be their leader?

The reason is that they felt Joe Igbokwe was not doing what they expected from him. That was why they thought they wanted a change and that was why I came onboard.

What were the things they expected from him that he hadn’t done?

The majority of the Igbo in Lagos State have been talking like the opposition to the government. Most of them are not close to the government and would say they don’t like the APC. But for me, I didn’t see it that way. It is just a communication gap between, let’s say, Joe Igbokwe and his own group who have not been carrying the Igbo voters along by meeting them at the point of their need or even appealing to them to join the APC. Some of them complain that he doesn’t care. At several fora, he has also said he is not an Igbo man and stuff like that. So, there are a lot of issues, including not on the same page with traditional rulers of Igbo extraction in Lagos State.

What was his response when you informed him that the Igbo had chosen you as their leader?

He didn’t accept. That was why he started fighting me.

Did he tell you why he kicked against it?

He said he was a senior member of the party, that he had been with the party for over 20 years and I joined the party three or four years ago. He said I should queue behind him and work with him.

Do you think that was a justifiable reason?

No, it is not a factor at all. The matter is still not fully settled. But I am a loyal party man. My people are also exploring other ways to reach the hierarchy of the party and ensure that the right thing is done. For me, what matters most is that it is an ethnic group that decides its own leadership and pushes it to the government to accept, not the other way round.

Is it true he reported you to the leadership of the party?

Yes, I think so. But what the leadership of the party did was to calm us down and plead with us to work together in the interest of our people.

One of the grievances of the Igbo in Lagos State is that many of them have not benefited from the APC-led state government. What have you and Igbokwe done to address this?

I came to serve as the only Igbo man in the Lagos State House of Assembly. I try as much as possible to balance what I do by carrying the Igbo and my constituency along. Igbo is a factor as far as I am concerned. I also help in resolving any problem they have with Lagos State Government. I cannot deny where I am coming from. But my appeal to them is to join our party. I don’t want them to play opposition as if they are anti-APC. I know they are not anti-APC, but they are in a situation that they need someone to talk to them, appeal to their conscience and let them understand that joining the APC could be the best thing that could happen to all of us here because this state is where we live and have our properties. It is the government that can protect us better than any other party. That is what we have been working together to achieve, and I think they are listening to me and with time, I think we will get it right.

But I think the major factor is that there has not been a drive, which is something I was doing and will still continue to do – a drive of meeting Igbo people wherever they are and talking to them. After all, politics has to do with interest, no permanent enemy, no permanent friend. Even the Peoples Democratic Party which they (Igbo) say they love, what better things has it done for them? Today, you talk about the Second Niger Bridge. The Second Niger Bridge is being done by the APC. When (former president Goodluck) Jonathan was there, with due respect to him, it was just stories we heard. Based on where the Igbo man is coming from, he loves the PDP but the issue is that it is not their party. In Lagos State, as far as I am concerned, it will be difficult for any other party to win in the state except the APC. That is how it is. So, they need a brother, somebody like me, who is from their place that understands and will use their language to talk to them and appeal to them that the more you work for the APC in Lagos State, the better for all of us and their businesses. That is a decision I have taken and will continue to take, irrespective of anything.

You said you decided to allow Igbokwe to be the Igbo APC leader in Lagos. Have you informed those you said made you their leader?

No, the issue is that the party has appealed to us. He is not the only leader. Both of us are leaders. It’s just that I am supporting him. We are working together. However, most of those in my own group are not happy with the development.

What is the name of the group that made you its leader?

The Igbo community in Lagos State and the Ezes. They are not happy. They are also trying to tell the party their position and how we can work in tandem for the interest of the Igbo. For me, he (Igbokwe) is my elder brother. I don’t have a problem with that, but we must work together in the interest of Ndigbo in Lagos State.

How best can you two work together?

The best way to do that is to respect each other. If I have an idea, I will pass it to him and I believe that we will come together and agree on anything we want to do. Mutually, we are leaders and Igbo. We must agree before things are done. I think communication is key for us to work together in the interest of our people.

A new gazette by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which supposedly weakens the powers of the Nigerian Bar Association has caused division among some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and lawyers in the country.

Malami had amended the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007, removing the requirement for the NBA stamp and seal on court processes.

Before now, membership of the NBA was compulsory for all lawyers and the stamps and seals were sold at N4,000 for 72 pieces and were given upon payment of NBA dues.

Without the stamp, a lawyer could not submit any document or letter to the court and the sale of the stamp and seal was one of the major sources of NBA’s revenue.

However, with the amendment of the process by Malami, the use of the stamps is no longer necessary. This also implies that persons who are not members of the NBA, including non-lawyers, are allowed to submit court processes.

The development occurred less than a week after a splinter group known as the New NBA, wrote a petition to Malami asking to be recognised by the Federal Government.

The gazette – marked S.I N0.15 of 2020 issued by AGF and dated September 3, 2020, which was obtained by Sunday PUNCH – reads in part, “In exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 12(4) of the Legal Practitioners Act Cap L11, LFN 2004 and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and President, General Council of the Bar, make the following rules:

“The Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2007 is amended by deleting the following rules, namely: 9(2), 10, 11, 12 and 13.

“These rules may be cited as the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Rules, 2020.”

The NBA had become factionalised last month following the decision of the association to withdraw its invitation to Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who had been billed to speak at its Annual General Conference.

Thousands of persons, mostly lawyers, had called on the NBA to rescind its invitation to El-Rufai, who was accused of several cases of human rights abuse and being unable to address the killings in southern Kaduna.

Following the decision of the NBA to rescind its invitation to the governor, several northern branches of the NBA boycotted the conference and interpreted the act as one based on religious and tribal considerations.

A group of mostly northern lawyers led by Nuhu Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Suleiman subsequently set up the New NBA, otherwise known as the NNBA, and wrote a letter to the AGF asking the nation’s chief law officer to recognise the splinter group as a new association.

However, while some senior advocates and lawyers described Malami’s action as illegal, others disagreed.

The NBA spokesperson, Dr Rapulu Nduka, told one of our correspondents that the development was surprising, adding that the association was not carried along.

“We were not carried along and we will definitely ensure that it is reversed. We just woke up to the news of the amendment like every other person. We are consulting with stakeholders and we will make a decision on the next step,” he said.


A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), said Malami ought to have consulted widely before making the move, which he said would greatly affect the revenues of the NBA. He, however, said it was unlikely that the AGF had taken sides with the splinter NBA group.

Adegboruwa also said once the seal and stamp were no longer used, the development could lead to an increase in the number of fake lawyers in the country.

He said, “The issue of stamp and seal has helped in removing fake lawyers from our midst and I think it will serve as a setback if you go back to that regime when you cannot identify a lawyer through his processes. As we speak, other professionals like engineers, surveyors are embracing stamp and seal as a way of identifying their members.

“The stamp, which is a means of generating funds, helps in making the NBA self-sufficient so that it will not be running to politicians and non-lawyers to raise funds. Even though I agree that the AGF as the President of the General Council of the Bar has powers to make regulations, but he ought to consult with those who are affected, namely the NBA, the Body of Senior Advocates and even judges because we are all in the same profession.”

Also, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, described the AGF’s action as illegal.

In a series of tweets, Odinkalu said he was not surprised that Malami, “who has a penchant for disobeying court orders,” would not take such illegal action.

He said, “The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, claims to have amended Rules of Professional Conduct in the legal profession under powers conferred by S.12(4l) of Legal Practitioners Act. We have a HAGF who can’t do basic due diligence.

“The only way to go is to totally disregard and ignore this alleged amendment by Malami. It does not exist and did not happen. It seems clear that Malami decided to go rogue on this – as on other things as he has on the disobedience of court orders – because he knows that he can’t get his proposal through the bar council. Few tragedies are as awful as an attorney general with no regard for the law.”

Also, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said the AGF’s action was “blatantly” illegal because the power to amend the rules was the exclusive preserve of the general council of the bar and not of one person.

“For him to unilaterally do this is outrageous. In any event, it seems no consultation was done. Leaders of the NBA were not properly consulted. For the AGF to do this just shortly after some renegade members of the bar petitioned him smacks of ill-motive and conspiracy. He is the worst AGF in history,” he said.

Effiong said, indeed, the NBA ought not to have commercialised the stamp and seal as it was exploitative. He, however, said the AGF should stop acting as if he was above the law.


Another lawyer, Oliver Omoredia, said in an article published on barristerng.com that the move by the AGF could spell doom for the NBA.

“In the wake of the controversies rocking the NBA, with a splinter group and strong attempts to divide the NBA, the amendments of the RPC to remove what is perhaps the most significant influence of the NBA in the affairs of all legal practitioners, is perhaps the last straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said.

However, a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), said although he agreed that the AGF’s action was illegal, “it is good riddance to bad rubbish.”

He said, “The NBA is a victim of impunity it nurtured to grow and develop. I have always opposed the stamp and seal because it was meant to restrict access to the temple of justice. Why must every court process be stamped by a lawyer when litigants have the constitutional rights to either appear for themselves or be defended by legal practitioners of their choice? In the Second Republic, the late Professor Ayodele Awojobi, a mechanical engineer, was the leading public litigator in the country. As a layman, he prepared and argued his own cases from the High Court up to the Supreme Court.

“However, I agree with some of my colleagues who have argued that the amendment is illegal as it was not enacted by the General Council of the Bar. With respect, the argument is rather contradictory because the NBA was very happy when the 2007 Rules of Professional Conduct were enacted by the then AGF on behalf of the General Council of the Bar without any meeting. That was how every lawyer was compelled to affix the stamp and seal to all processes signed by lawyers. It had nothing to do with enhancing the quality of justice but designed to enrich the NBA.”

Falana added that “our colleagues must stop playing the ethnic card of the reactionary elite.”

Also, Mr Jubrin Okutepa (SAN) said both the manner of introduction of the stamp and seal through the amendment of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners by the then AGF in 2007 and the removal of the same provisions via another amendment by the incumbent AGF in 2020 followed the due process of law.

“If in 2007, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation issued the Rules of Professional Conduct without passing through the General Council of the Bar, which is the body that is statutorily empowered to make rules, and lawyers opened their eyes wide and accepted it, because the rules benefitted the Nigerian Bar Association, because of the money that was to be paid for stamp and seal, how do they now wake up to condemn an amendment by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation removing the payment of money and say it is illegal?” he asked.

On his part, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) said there were consultations leading to the amendment carried out by the AGF.

He said, “There were consultations. I know that there were consultations. But whether the consultations were wide enough is what I don’t know.

“He (the AGF) is the Chairman of the General Council of the Bar and I am a member. If you are a member and you don’t attend meetings, can you blame the other members who take decisions? You can consult members of the General Council of the Bar.

“It (removal of stamp and seal) was a good intention but it was making too much money available to the national and branch officers. Because of the money, some lawyers have stopped going to court. If there is anything that will stem this tide, at least it should be welcomed.”

Meanwhile, Malami’s spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, had yet to respond to an inquiry from this newspaper as of press time.


We may go to court over removal of stamp and seal – NBA

The Nigerian Bar Association said on Saturday that the removal of the stamp-and-seal from the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners by the Attorney-General of the Federation did not follow due process.

The National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Dr Rapuluchukwu Nduka, said the leadership of the association had no fore-knowledge of the amendment of the RPC carried out by the AGF and only read about it like every other person.

Faulting the amendment as illegal, Nduka said there was no evidence that the amendment had the approval of the bar council.

He said the NBA would take any step within the ambit of the law including going to court to ensure the reversal.

Nduka said, “Concerning the publication about the amendment of the RPC (Rules of Professional Conduct), we saw it the way every other person saw it. I woke up this morning to see the publication. We want to believe that some things are not right. One of the things that is that it cannot be amended just that way. The law gives the power to the Bar Council to do the amendment. From what we hear, no member of the Bar Council who is a member of the NBA was aware. There was no meeting of the Bar Council when such decision was made.

“Up till now we also don’t have any official communication to that effect.

“We will be asking that some clarifications be made. Once we have the clarification I can tell you that any other steps including going to court to ensure the right thing is done will be taken. We are a law-abiding institutional body, we can’t just do anything outside the ambit of the law. We will take every step within the ambit of the law to ensure that the proper things are done. Even if it means going to court, we won’t be constrained to do that.”

By Dayo Johnson


NATIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus has warned the ruling All Progressive Congress against rigging the Edo and Ondo state elections fixed for September 19 and October 10 this year to avoid the wrath of God.

Secondus gave the warning when he led other chieftains of the party to Akure, the Ondo state capital for the flag-off of the campaign of its candidate Eyitayo Jegede.

He pointedly declared that if the ruling party dare rigged the elections in both states they would face the wrath of God

The chairman charged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states are free, fair and credible.

” The elections in Edo and Ondo cannot be rigged. If the ruling party rigged these elections they should expect the wrath of God.

” The only legacy the APC can leave is to conduct free, fair and credible elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Secondus called on the electorate in the state to vote out Rotimi Akeredolu who had personalised government and turned it into family business.

The Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde and his counterpart in Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal called on the electorate of Ondo State to elect Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) so that Ondo State could join other PDP states for the restructuring of Nigeria.


They said that the Ondo governorship election “is about the restructuring of Nigeria and not about 2023 presidency election as said by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) during their governorship campaign flag-off last weekend.

While Makinde said Eyitayo Jegede is a man of impeccable character who has been tested and trusted and must be given a chance for the betterment of the state, Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State berated the APC led government in areas of infrastructure, security, agriculture among others, noting that “APC is not a choice for Ondo State”.

Jegede in his address said ” We serve notice on the APC, an end has come to their reign of hardship

He promised ” to run a government with human face, a government that will prioritise growing our local economy and was prepared to take Ondo State to an enviable height

Present at the ceremony include former Ekiti state governor, Segun Oni; former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Ekiti state deputy governor Kolapo Elena and former deputy governor of Sokoto Mukhtar Shagari and other national assembly members.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives have sued the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the National Broadcasting Commission over the 6th National Broadcast Code recently released by the National Broadcasting Commission.

Chairman of the PDP caucus, Mr Kingsley Chinda, told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the lawmakers would also sue the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Sen Chris Ngige; Minister of State, Festus Keyamo, SAN; and the National Directorate of Employment over the recruitment of 774,000 for the Federal Government’s Public Works Scheme.

Chinda said, “We cautioned that we shall litigate on the amended code released by the Ministry of Information and the 774,000 jobs by Labour (ministry). We are going ahead to litigate on both the amended code and the 774 jobs, unless the amended code and the programme are stepped down or rejigged in line with the law and the right thing done. We have filed the suit against the Ministry of Information.”

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, in a statement on July 7, condemned the new broadcasting code, saying it amounted to a declaration of war on arts producers by the Federal Government.

The PDP also on August 7, 2020, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, faulted the reviewed code especially where violators are liable to a fine of N5m as against the previous fine of N500,000.

A former Director-General, Nigerian Television Authority Tonnie Iredia, who is also a professor of Broadcast Management and Media Law, had in an interview with PUNCH published on August 23, 2020, condemned the new code as politicised and lacking the input of professional bodies and stakeholders.

Mohammed had, however, insisted that the sixth edition of code was part of ongoing reforms in the sector, which he said was in the best interest of the country.

At the NBC’s 28th anniversary and sixth annual lecture in Abuja, the minister said government’s expectation was that the ongoing reforms, including the amendment of the code, would revolutionise the nation’s broadcasting industry.

Mohammed noted that the Buhari-led Federal Executive Council supported the amendments after a review of the 2019 general elections.

But the PDP caucus dragged Malami, Mohammed and the NBC before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to void the code.

The originating summons, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Thursday, showed that the plaintiffs – Chinda; Deputy Caucus Leader, Chukwuma Onyema; Caucus Deputy Whip, Ajibola Muraina; and Messrs Mark Gbillah, Tyough Robert, Bulus Solomon, Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum, Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen and Onyema Chukwuka – filed the suit in their individual capacities and as representatives of the caucus.

The suit, with number FHC/ABJ/CS/1136/2020, was filed on September 9, 2020. One Francis U. Obalim deposed to a 15-paragraph affidavit and a written address on behalf of the lawmakers.

The lawmakers, through their lawyers, Segun M. Fiki and Barrister Johnmary Chukwuasi Jideobi of Johnmarry C. Jideobi and Co., in their written address, argued that the amended 6th National Broadcasting Code enacted/issued by the 1st defendant (Mohammed) is in “flagrant breach of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), particularly as it seeks to surreptitiously and unlawfully create the offences of ‘hate speech’ and ‘fake news’ and to prescribe penalties therefore, whereas the said offences are not prescribed by any written law in force, as well as sundry provisions of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act Cap N11. LFN 2004.”

They asked the court to determine whether, by the provisions of Section 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the amended 6th broadcasting code enacted/issued by the 1st defendant (Mohammed), which created the purported offences of “hate speech” and “fake news” and correspondingly purported to have imposed penalties, is not unconstitutional, null and void.

The lawmakers further asked the court to determine whether or not, having regard to the extant provisions of Sections 6 and 23 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act Cap. N11 LFN 2004, the 1st defendant has the statutory power to issue broadcasting code and whether the 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code purportedly issued is not a nullity and therefore void.

By Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja



A former governorship aspirant in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, yesterday warned stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be wary of alleged plot to install a serving governor as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023.

He said the plot by some members of the Governors’ Forum to hijack the APC machinery to install the serving governor to succeed President Buhari will crumble like a pack of cards.

Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the Eighth Senate, spoke in Abuja while charting the way forward for the party’s reconciliation committee.

He said: “There are good people in the committee who mean well for the party, and I advise them to wake up and do what they are asked to do and leave the politics of 2023.

“Nobody can bring the position of national chairman to the North now. The moves by some within the Governors’ Forum to hijack the party and install a serving governor and an expired one to succeed President Buhari will crash the way former Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s selfish agenda crashed totally.”

On the statement credited to Yari that APC in Zamfara is intact and that Governor Mai Mala Buni’s reconciliation committee should go to sleep, Marafa noted that though he is not bothered, the committee should be mindful of people who speak from both sides of their mouths.

On the allegation that he is romancing with the PDP government in the state, having produced the SSG and some commissioners, Marafa said: “Well, I am equally not bothered by whether someone wants to reconcile with me or not. Politically speaking, I am comfortable and at peace with myself.


“I am still in the APC because I choose to, not because of fear of prosecution. I am part and parcel of the efforts that produced APC. The party did nothing to me; I did everything for it. All the political troubles I faced are traceable to my support for APC.

“Remember the 8th National Assembly leadership crisis? Remember how Yari scuttled the APC plan?

“I was a senator of the Federal Republic when APC was formed. I contributed immensely to its success.

“I listened to Yari’s press briefing after his visit to the APC secretariat; he cowardly tried to say something like he sent some people to the National Assembly, but the moment they were there, they forgot how they got in there.

“Let me put the record straight: in 2011 when Yari was desperate to become governor, he came to my house in my village the night PDP fraudulently denied me ticket in favour of the then incumbent senator.

“Yari begged me to accept their (ANPP) ticket, which at that time meant nothing, looking at the fact that the federal, state and local governments were all under the firm control of the PDP.

“He didn’t bring the ticket to my house because he loved me; ANPP offered me the ticket because they were desperate to win the election.

“He pleaded with me to contest because he knew I have people behind me. They love me and the people of Zamfara Central demonstrated their love for me by giving me 100,000 votes over and above the incumbent senator.

“The incumbent Senator got 93,000 votes and I got 203,000 votes.

“Senator Yarima, who came from the same zone with Yari, won marginally with less than 7,000 votes. PDP’s Senator Sahabi Ya’u won the other zone with a margin of about 10,000 votes. So, I brought the winning votes.

“The records are there, and the situation is still the same. It was after he spent eight years as governor that he thought he was strong enough to uproot me, but God taught him the lesson of his life.

“Or do you think it is easy for a poor senator to challenge a sitting governor, Chairman Governors’ Forum with unlimited resources from his state, Paris Club and all other clubs you can think of?

“He could not as a sitting governor, for instance, match my rally. He in fact could not organise one. My rally was played live on NTA; go and find out. I defeated him hands-down.

“Look, I am used to taking risk. I took risk with him (Yari) in 2011. I can still take risk today. I challenge him to come out and take risk.

“What is he doing in APC? He is only afraid of EFCC. Let me and him pick two different political parties other than the ruling party, contest election and see who will win.

“He should stop this hypocrisy and face reality. He is the one that is desperately looking for reconciliation because he caused the problem, not me. He used state resources and incumbency power to get undue advantage. He is now down and out, so he should stop deceiving himself.”

Facts have emerged on how a jilted lady, Miss Linda Majekodunmi, slumped by the road side in Lagos after her lover, Fabian, informed her that he will no longer get married to her.

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P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Oja Bus Stop, Ikotun Old Garage, Ikotun area of Lagos.

The reason for Fabian’s decision was not known yet but both were said to have been into a serious relationship over a period.
Miss Linda was said to be in a state of shock as she had hoped to get married to Fabian as they had agreed after several years of courtship and promises.

It was gathered that the two young lovers had been together for a long time with marriage in view before Fabian had a change of mind and informed Linda that he was no longer interested in the marriage.

Linda was said to have pleaded with Fabian and created scene which attracted onlookers as many people found the scenario funny and pitiable; she begged the guy and held his Jeans trousers.

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However, Fabian was not moved by her pleas and tried to loose himself off her grip as she threatened to kill herself. But when Linda noticed that Fabian was adamant, she slumped on the ground and became unconscious.

Those who were around and saw what happened rushed her to an undisclosed hospital where she was being revived while the estranged lover, Fabian, ran for safety having realised that he might be arrested over the incident.

There were different reactions over the incident as some residents of Ikotun slammed her for acting in such a childish and irresponsible manner no matter how heartbroken she might have felt over the failed marriage plan. Other people blamed Fabian for treating the Linda in such a manner by breaking her heart which led to her slumping and being rushed to the hospital.

The Nigerian Army is pushing for the payment of the N50 million bounty placed on wanted terrorist gang leader Terwase Agwaza (a.k.a Gana) by Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.

The request came barely 72 hours after Agwaza was killed by troops during an operation by Special Forces Command in Doma, Nasarawa State.

It also came on a day the governor resolved to push ahead with a planned amnesty programme designed by his administration for repentant criminals, despite Agwaza’s death.

A top source in the military, who spoke in confidence with The Nation, said the Army is waiting to see whether or not the governor will fulfill his promise.

The source said the fulfillment of the pledge will determine the extent of the backing from political authority for the military.

The source said: “Our Special Forces have eliminated a notorious criminal/terrorist gang leader, Terwase Agwaza, who has been terrorizing Benue State and environs for too long. He had been on the wanted list of security agencies.

“The Nigerian Army Special Forces Command in Doma Nasarawa State conducted a special operation that helped in destroying notorious camps of criminals and terrorists terrorizing Nigerians along Nasarawa and Kogi States recently.

“The fugitive criminal Gana has been on the wanted listed of security agencies for long. The Benue State governor in the year declared him wanted and placed a N10 million bounty on anyone who can lead to the arrest of Gana.

“Despite the ransom (bounty), Gana still remained elusive, forcing the state government to raise it to N50 million bounty for his arrest. Yet, he was elusive, not until he was gunned down by the Special Forces on 8 September, 2020.

“In the midst of this situation, the Nigerian Army deserves to be paid the N50 million ransom, having killed Gana. The assignment has been completed, the Army should be paid.

“It is not the cash that is important, but the need for political authority to set good precedent by giving backing to the military.

“It is a symbolic reward which the Nigerian Army is ready to take from the governor. It is time to walk the talk. We are already pushing for the bounty.”

Gana was declared wanted after he allegedly killed Ortom’s Special Assistant on Special Security Denen Igbana.

The governor had thrice announced different rewards for anyone with information on Gana, ranging from N5 million and N10 million in 2017 and N50 million in 2020

On July 15, Ortom said: “I want to reiterate that the N50m the government promised as reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of the wanted man, Gana (Terwase Akwaza), still stands.”

But, the governor said he would not be distracted by the Terwase’s killing on his way to surrender for amnesty programme.

Ortom told reporters after the State Security meeting in Government House, Makurdi, that his administration decided to proceed with the amnesty programme, despite the temporary setback occasion by Akwaza’s death.

The governor said the State Security Council will today meet with stakeholders from Sankera to review the situation and the way forward.

He said the Council has resolved to continue with the amnesty programme to cover those who retreated, allaying the fears of the repentant youths who may be intending to be part of the programme.

According to Ortom, 42 youths from Logo have been successfully profiled and allowed to return home, pointing out that a committee, headed by his Security Adviser Col. Paul Hembah (rtd), was constituted to work out rehabilitation plans for the repentant youths.

He said his Special Advisers on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Jerome Torshimbe, and that of Special Duties, Joseph Odaudu, have also been drafted as members of the committee.

Other members are: chairmen of Katsina-Ala, Logo and Ukum local government areas. The committee has a mandate to identify skills of the repentant youths for necessary intervention.

The governor said security had been beefed up in Sankera to prevent breakdown of law and order.

He acknowledged the peaceful disposition of the people of Sankera and urged them to sustain it as everything was being done to guarantee the security of lives and property.

Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Tuesday, said all Nigerians complicit in the award of the gas supply and processing contract with Process & Industrial Development would not go scot-free.

He said the contract was signed because some Nigerians were compromised.

He said: “From the investigation, it became clear that there were local compromises,” he said.

“The questions we asked was who are the characters involved in Nigeria?

“It is only logical that when you are committing a nation to a contract that has economic implications, that due diligence must be done.

“We have institutions like NIA, DSS, the police and Interpol that can conduct the due diligence.

“But because the intention from the beginning was never for the contract to be executed, all these processes were not carried out.

“From the report that came our way, we took the decision to ensure that there are consequences for wrongdoing and those elements that were involved in the act of wrongdoing were investigated, charged, arraigned and convicted.

The investigation is ongoing and some facts are still emerging.

“As far as heads rolling, I can certainly state that there is a possibility of multiple and uncountable heads rolling is there.”

Neighbouring Niger Republic, which started commercial oil production in 2011, now exports petroleum products to Nigeria, as Egypt and Algeria lead African operations with 13 refineries. Both countries (Egypt and Algeria) have combined capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day.

For decades, Nigeria’s three major refineries have been grounded to near-zero capacity utilisation with all of its refined fuel imported from other countries. Data exclusively obtained from the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARA) revealed that strong refinery performance in Niger meets local fuel demand, and excess production exported to Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The continental body also raised concern over importation of dirty fuel into Africa and predicted health and environmental challenges, unless refineries upgrade to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enable export of ‘white’ products.

While the total budgeted oil revenue for 2019 was N3.73tn, statistics from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) showed that Nigeria spent N3trillion on 18 billion-litre imports of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Government was said to have paid as much as N1 trillion every year to subsidise consumption, a serious foreign exchange challenge to the country.

AS the country struggles to get its refineries working and to attract foreign investment to the downstream sector of the oil industry, Niger has built a single 20,000-barrel per day refinery with configuration for local market. The facility is currently turning out liquefied petroleum gas, 7 per cent; gasoline, 32 per cent; and diesel, 61 per cent, to enable it optimise stranded crude supply.

At a time politics has continued to becloud Nigeria’s turnaround maintenance in refineries, with billions of dollars going down the drain, Niger built its refineries in less than three years, pushing utilisation from zero to about 90 per cent in 2019.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had boasted that Nigeria’s four refineries had combined capacity of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd) and had gulped more than N148 billion in the last 13 months processing less than 40,000 metric tons of crude oil. As of 2013, Nigeria’s refineries were producing 113,524 tonnes of gasoline, 217,222 tonnes of diesel and more than 20,000 tonnes of bottled liquified natural gas for domestic use per year, a report quoted by Wikipedia noted. But the refineries, in 2018 alone, made a total loss of N132.5 billion, a 39 per cent increase from the N95.09b loss incurred in 2017.

But for Algeria, which comes third in terms of crude oil production in Africa after Nigeria and Angola with output of about 1.1 million daily production, ARA, in a document presented by its Executive Secretary, Anibor Kragha, showed that five refineries had remained operational with combined capacity of 623,000 bpd and a condensate splitter of 107,000 bpd.

AGAINST the argument that government is a poor manager of business, the refineries in Algeria are fully owned and operated by the national state-owned oil company of Algeria, Sonatrach.

Already, the country is currently planning to expand cracking and reforming capacity to produce higher value fuels as it optimises local crude supply with plans to expand Hassi Messaoud refinery from 26,413 bpd to 110,000 bpd by 2024 and construction of diesel desulphurisation units for all refineries to commence planned AFRI clean fuel specifications.

While Sonatrach owns more than 75 per cent of total hydrocarbon production in Algeria, and International Oil Companies (IOCs) account for the remaining 25 per cent, utilisation of the refineries (Algiers, Arzew, Has Messaoud and Skikda) stand at 90 per cent at over 600, 000 barrel daily.

AT a time Nigerians are facing impact of government’s deregulation policy with continual increase in pump prices, Kragha revealed that eight refineries (with combined capacity of 782,000 bpd) and five processing plants had placed Egypt as Africa’s largest refining hub. Against the poor management of Nigerian own refineries, the refineries in Egypt are state oil as total national capacity utilisation stood at around 71 per cent in 2019.

While Africa’s SDGs encompass transitioning to cleaner fuels by upgrading refineries and infrastructure and driving industrialisation and innovation, Kragha stated that goals would remain elusive unless the continent maximised high-value products that address local and export markets.

African Union had made move to adopt AFRI Clean Fuels Roadmap being championed by ARA to harmonise cleaner fuel specifications thereby reducing sulphur in fuels from about 150 ppm to 10 ppm by 2030.

WHILE the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), in its Benchmark Exercise Report (BER), revealed that Nigeria had made N83 trillion from oil and gas in the last 37 years, over N10.7 trillion was spent on petrol subsidy between 2006 and 2019.

Decrying continuous dependency on importation amid dismal performance of refineries, industry players have insisted that Nigeria had no alternative than to rehabilitate its refineries.
They backed the move for the NNPC to revive the Port Harcourt Refinery, stating that it was the only solution, especially as its assets could become scraps should other private refineries come on board.

Former management staff at the NNPC, Diran Fawibe, noted the burden of subsidy and importation of fuels despite Nigeria’s leading position in crude oil production as shameful.

According to him, rehabilitating the refineries remained in the best interest of Nigeria, adding that the assets could be as good as scrap if other private come begin operation.

The mineral/energy resource economist and former president of the Nigerian Association for Energy Economists (NAEE), Wunmi Iledare, said the country had necessary human financial resources to make the oil sector work instead of depending on other countries.

“There is no alternative in my opinion to rehabilitation,” he said, stating, “Nigeria has what it takes to turn the sector around.”
According to him, there was need to use capable hands in running the refineries.

Iledare added that, while the refineries remained NNPC assets, what the Corporation does with them must be an apolitical board decision.

He also stressed the need to overhaul the assets in a cost-effective manner before the refineries become “nothing but a scrap.”

“I bet that, if Dangote Refinery becomes operational before the revamp, those four refineries might become nothing more than the Nigeria Airways’ assets of old. God forbid and that is why NNPC is scrambling to do what needs to be done,” Iledare stated.

A former Director-General, West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), and professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Uyo, Akpan Ekpo, had also told The Guardian that the nation’s refineries must be commercialised, stressing that the poor performance of the assets was a national disgrace, and setback to Nigeria’s development.

According to him, the Buhari administration must call for a deep discussion to ensure immediate blockage of all leakages coming from the facilities.

“So much money has gone into the refineries, and this has been a long-standing problem. The entire oil sector has to be revamped.

The losses are real. So, we should commercialise all the refineries, as we cannot continue this way,” Ekpo said.

Chief Executive Officer, Mudiame International Limited, and Mudiame Welding Institute Limited, Sunny Eromosele, also argued that leaving the assets in private hands remained a viable solution for the refineries.

Eromosele, who noted that the lingering challenge was surmountable, added that keeping the assets in government’s care would limit the need to diversify the economy from oil. He alleged that NNPC’s perpetual interest in the refineries was an indication that the Corporation was using them to divert public funds into private pockets.

“We need to privatise the refineries. Those refineries are only a way of funneling money into private pockets. We need to channel the money into economic diversification,” he said.

Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku has again punctured the recent deregulation in petroleum that has led to an increase in fuel price, asking “If we truly deregulated, shouldn’t fuel price drop?”

Atiku, in rhetorics on his verified Twitter handle Tuesday morning, tweeted that as a businessman, he is more concern with the economic perspective of things.

He pointed out that in the US and Europe, fuel prices are far lower than they were in 2019.

Then he asked in a ponderously, “If we truly deregulated, shouldn’t fuel price have dropped?”

Atiku had, four days ago, rejected the increase in electricity tariff describing the move as “ill-timed and ill-advised.”

He also described the move as an “impetuous disregard for the challenges.

“I reject the increased electricity tariffs. Coming out of the lockdown, Nigerians need a stimulus, not an impetuous disregard for the challenges they face.

“Many Nigerians have not earned an income for months, due to no fault of theirs. This increase is ill-timed and ill-advised,” he said.

Nigerians have however been reacting to the development on the increment in petrol and electricity tariffs, stating their displeasure considering the economic status of the average Nigerian.

The Federal Government may have fallen into a booby trap over the award of Customs modernisation project, with a risk of paying $2.5b as litigation fees. MUYIWA LUCAS examines a report by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Finance, Customs and Excise and Public Petitions.

The Federal Government is facing the risk of paying $2.5b as litigation fees if it goes ahead to implement the $3.1m Customs Modernisation contract .

The Federal Government may have ignored a piece of advice by “the Solicitor General of the Federation to the Minister of Finance urging it to consider the strength and weakness as well as litigation fees of $2.5billion and lengthy time frame of embarking on this case and how that may affect the ultimate goal of government for revenue generation.

“On the other hand, the Presidency through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President issued a letter dated 17th September, 2019 engaging the consortium titled Presidential Initiative on Customs Modernisation to carry out the same project awarded to Messrs Adani Mega Systems Limited/ Webb Fontaine seven months after they were engaged by CBN- CISS

“It is the opinion of the Committee that the Presidency was not duly informed of the existing contract agreement and litigations filed by Messrs Adani Mega Systems Limited/ Webb Fontaine.”

The report revealed that Federal Government acted in breach of an earlier contract award terms with Messrs Adani Mega Systems Limited/ Webb Fontaine consortium that must have responded to a June 20, 2016 advert.

Also revealed in the report is the ongoing litigation instituted by the consortium earlier given the job in a suit challenging the cancellation. The suit which was filed in December 2018 at the Federal High Court Abuja with suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/850/2017 will likely stall the recent award of the contract to another consortium.

The House of Representatives Joint Committee report which was jointly signed by James Abiodun Faleke, Chairman Finance; Jerry Aguigbo, Chairman Public Petitions; Yuguda Hassan Kila, Chairman Customs; Lawali Ibrahim, Clerk to Committee on Finance and Aliyu Maccido, Clerk to Committee on Customs revealed that the controversial cancellation and re-award of the contract took place during the time of the late Chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba-Kyari

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently announced the approval of $3.1 billion for the ‘complete’ automation of the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS).

“The main objective of this project is to completely automate every aspect of the customs business and to institutionalise the use of smart and emerging technologies that will enhanced the statutory function of the Nigerian Customs Service in the areas of revenue generation as well as trade facilitation and enhancement of security,” Minister of Finance and Budget Planning Zainab Ahmed told journalists shortly after FEC meeting in Abuja.



Ms Ahmed said the project, to be delivered by Messrs E. Customs HC Project Limited, would be financed by sponsors “who will in return look over the investment in the concessionary period of 20 years” while it has the potentials to generate up to $176 billion for the country.

“So this investment of $3.1 billion is broken down into capital investment of $1.2 million which will be done in three phases over 36 months by these investors and $1.1 million is our projection of the operational cost over the 20-year period of the implementation of this project.

Maritime lawyer Emeka Akabogu faulted the award as lacking in legal backing and transparency.

He said: “When the Federal Executive Council of the country has given its seal to a project such as this, I would assume that it has been given a 360-degree consideration, particularly relating to viability and value for money.

“There is no doubt that the country needs end-to-end customs modernisation, but it must be guided by the very reason for which it is needed, which is transparency and trade facilitation.

“Transparency will determine if the scope of the project justifies the investment. I certainly feel that the stated cost is not just high, it is mind-boggling. Automation will certainly involve new technology and innovation, but it is not rocket science. The project being contemplated will probably incorporate complete automation of data submission and verification processes for cargo clearance in a formalities single window.

“For increased assurance, it may be carried on block chain technology and even involve deployment of smart contracts. I absolutely subscribe to it as it will resolve the current issues which bedevil import clearance efficiency, including extortion by customs and under-declaration by importers. But it will not cost $3.1bn and does not need a 20-year concession.”


He noted that the more important element, which no reference was made to, is ensuring that the legal framework to drive the initiative is in place.

“Even though Nigeria is signatory to the Trade Facilitation Agreement, it is not implementing most of its highlight provisions which could greatly alleviate the challenges in the immediate term and which don’t need expenditure of ridiculous sums to achieve.

“One of the reasons is that the TFA provisions have not been given legal recognition in the CEMA. A draft of a new CEMA incorporating provision to facilitate compliance with the TFA was developed some years ago, but was not conclusively taken through to enactment.

“Any investment in customs modernisation without starting from the legal framework and policy quick-wins will be cosmetic and self-defeating. I advise we start from that point and from there define the technology requirements to facilitate compliance which will be the basis for a procurement such as has been done. We have put the cart before the horse,” he added.

On October 10, last year, House Committee on Public Petitions Chairman Jerry Alagbaoso moved a motion that the deal be investigated. He had submitted that there are some foreign companies who are very eager to sponsor, finance and provide technical services to what they call the modernisation of Customs, albeit, without recourse to the National Assembly.

“My motion is on the need to investigate the curious concession proposed arrangement between the consortium Bionica Technologies West Africa Limited, who are the sponsors; Bergan Security Consultants and Suppliers, who are co-sponsors, African Finance Corporation, who are lead financiers and Nigeria Customs Service and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for the customs modernisation project.”

The African Finance Corporation (AFC), which is to be the financier of the project, according to Alagbaoso, will result in a 20-year concession and frittering away of funds in the CISS account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN).

Alagbaoso added that in the 1990s there were efforts to modernise the customs by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which pioneered the process of Automated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), leading to the installation of ASYCUDA++ and training of customs officers for three years. Besides, he said the House was aware of various customs modernisation projects in the past.

“The House is also aware that the Federal Government agreed to engage former pre-shipment companies for valuation and classification of goods, hence some service providers namely Webbfontaine, Cotecna, SGS and Globalscan were engaged for that purpose.

“This contract was to last for seven years, from 2005 to 2012 when the service providers handed over to Nigeria Customs Service. By 2011, one could say the positive effects of this included a competent and committed workforce for Nigeria Customs Service, personnel understanding of the new process and benefits to stakeholders.

“It resulted in the collection of proper revenue due, elimination of corruption and other benefits. The House notes that with these put in place, there exists a one-stop-shop which allows all trade transactions to be conducted through a single system domiciled with the customs

“For example, all other government agencies like NAFDAC, SON and the rest have dissolved into a single platform with the Nigeria Customs Service.

“In 2011 there was an illegal concession between the Federal Ministry of Finance and a company with inadequate capital base called Single Window System and Technologies, signed in secrecy during the government transition period and this responsible house of representatives had a public hearing and stopped it to save Nigeria billions of Naira Vide the votes of Wednesday, 13 July 2011.

“In 2017 another move for customs modernisation was made by the Technical Committee on the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, purported to be acting on behalf of the Federal Government called Adani Systems Nigeria Limited to modernise, maintain, develop the scanning of goods in the country in line with the pre-shipment inspection act for a period of 25 years.

“Again the attention of Controller General of Nigeria Customs Service was drawn to this and the concession was stopped.

“Curious that in September 2019, another concession, which will last for 20 years is being suggested to Nigeria Customs Service, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, Federal Ministry of Justice and this agreement is for pro-rata sharing of one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme and a $300m investment.

“Worried that billions of Naira will be frittered away from the account of the one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme with the Central Bank of Nigeria, regarding the cost of this latest customs modernisation by different parties involved.

“Further worried that there is no difference in substance, scope and the structure between the failed concession attempts of 2011, 2017 and this 2019.

“There is already a national single window platform in the Nigeria Customs Service and officers of the service is performing beyond expectations, collecting duties in billions of the naira on a daily basis.

“The Federal Government is being misled by advice on this one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, which has accumulated in billions of naira in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“A motion for CBN to account for this money was moved in the 8th Assembly, the House, therefore, resolved to mandate the committee on finance, customs, public petitions, committee on agreements to expose the foreign and local collaborators involved in this project either as sponsors, co-sponsors, financiers and others.

“Mandate the CBN to account for the funds between 2012 and now and urge all parties involved to maintain status quo until the outcome of the public hearing and report back in three weeks

“Three or four foreign companies are bringing their selfishness into our national agenda. The fact that it failed in 2011, 2017 there is no way it cannot fail in 2019,” Alagbaoso said.

ALTHOUGH this seems a difficult period for Nigerians, Sunday Tribune investigations have, however, revealed that it could actually be a signal to the beginning of more unbearable pains in the form of economic policies as the Federal Government continues to implement the stringent conditions of its international creditors.

Sunday Tribune had in May reported that tougher times awaited Nigerians following the commitment of the Federal Government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank over loan facilities secured from the Breton Wood institutions and other foreign creditors, which appear to be calling the tunes on the economy.

The Executive Board of IMF on April 28 approved Nigeria’s request for emergency financial assistance of $3.4billion under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) which must be fully repaid by 2025, with the Federal Government irreversibly committing itself to full removal of electricity subsidy by 2021, removal of petroleum subsidy as well as the further increase of value-added tax (VAT).

Apart from implementing full market price regime in the electricity and petroleum sector, the Federal Government must also increase taxes as a way of shoring up revenues to offset the short to medium term debts.

The first two working days of last week, which incidentally were September 1 and 2, were days of anguish for the majority of Nigerians. On Monday, electricity distribution companies affected more than 100 per cent increase in electricity prices. In some cases, the increase was up to 150 per cent.

In the afternoon of Tuesday, a notice by Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) management at the Ibadan depot issued a circular, informing marketers of an increase in the price of petrol to N151 per litre.

Filling stations immediately adjusted their dispensing metres to between N158 and N160 per litre. Incidentally, the incidents happened in a week President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged that food prices were skyrocketing but blamed so-called middlemen for it.

Meanwhile, most businesses have shut down since federal government locked down most parts of the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in March and sizeable numbers of workers in banking, entertainment aviation and media industry have been laid off.

In April, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, announced that government had applied to borrow over $6.9bn from international lenders, including the World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank (AfDB) and Islamic Development Bank to help counteract the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

Since then, the government has taken $3.4bn from the IMF and $288 million from AfDB. While not much has been said about the proposed loan from Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank has refused to process the $2.5bn loan as it insisted that it was not satisfied that Nigeria has the capacity to use it wisely and repay.

The World Bank would seem unconvinced that Nigeria was fully committed to the promises it pledged to IMF by refusing to submit Nigeria’s request to its board for considerations because it alleged that the Federal Government was yet to demonstrate enough commitment to its promises.

Its president, David Malpass, said Nigeria would no longer get concessional loans because it was already heavily indebted. The International Development Association, an arm of the World Bank on July 1, began implementing a new set of lending rules as it unlocks a new round of funding expected to make some $85 billion in loans and grants available.

These rules will expectedly set new standards for transparency and require coordination with other multilateral lenders working with the same country. There are speculations that the World Bank may not approve the loan until October when it believes that Nigeria would have fully implemented some reforms including further devaluation of the naira; further increase in pump prices of petrol (a litre is currently sold at an equivalent of over N300 in the Benin Republic and Ghana) and the government is desperate to obtain the loan.

The government also last week began implementing the Steve Oronsanye Report by merging Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) with Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF). In addition, the Federal Government has also committed to some other loans relating to electricity and also dictated by its agreement with Siemens of Germany.

The Federal Government is currently tied to a deal with Azura-Edo Power to pay at least $30 million monthly whether or not it takes the the power generated by the plant. It is also into another $10 million a month “take or pay” deal with Accugas Limited to supply gas to the Calabar Generation Company limited.

There are also talks about another impending $30 million a month “take or pay” deal with Qua Iboe Power Plant (QIPP), a private generating company currently under construction. Ahmed said, “First and foremost, we will revert to our government’s planned medium-term fiscal consolidation path—which includes increasing revenue to 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through further VAT reforms, rise in excises, and removal of tax exemptions— once the crisis passes.

“The recent introduction and implementation of an automatic fuel price formula will ensure fuel subsidies, which we have eliminated, do not re-emerge. “The existing stock of overdrafts held at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will also be securitised.

“We will move towards full exchange rate unification and greater exchange rate flexibility, which would help preserve foreign exchange reserves and avoid economic dislocation. “In 2020, the Federal Government will reduce its electricity subsidy to a maximum of N380 billion and remove it completely in 2021. “We do not intend to introduce measures or policies that would exacerbate the current balance of payments difficulties.

“We do not intend to impose new or intensify existing restrictions on the making of payments and transfers for current international transactions, trade restrictions for balance-of-payments purposes or multiple currencies practices, or to enter into bilateral payment agreements which are inconsistent with Article VIII of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement.”

In the first half of 2020, the Federal Government spent close to 90 per cent of its revenue on servicing debts. With mounting debts, it must source additional revenue at all cost to meet the mounting obligations.

The money laundering and asset recovery section of the United States department of justice has begun proceedings to seize a mansion owned by Kola Aluko.

The DoJ has initiated proceedings at the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas to seize the mansion which is valued at $25 million and located in Los Angeles.

According to Africa Intelligence, the US government told the court that the mansion was bought to “launder ill-gotten gains” from Nigeria.

Aluko, an ally of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, has been the subject of various investigations in Nigeria and abroad for allegedly taking part in shady oil contracts.

Properties, including a yacht used by Beyonce and Jay Z for vacation, and a New York penthouse, have been seized from him.

The US government, represented by Joshua Lee Sohn, said the Los Angeles mansion was acquired through “specified illegal activity” that justifies its confiscation.

The property, which was acquired in 2012, is a luxurious mansion of 1,400 square metres of land and comes with an infinity pool.

Apart from the application to seize the mansion, the DoJ is also on a hunt for assets acquired on American soil by Aluko and Jide Omokore, another Diezani ally.

The duo, Aluko and Omokore, reportedly won major service contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) through their company, Atlantic Energy Oil.

The DoJ said the duo received multiple shipments of crude at knock-down prices, resold to trading giants at comfortable profits and invested the proceeds in high-end real estate.

The department said Aluko also bought three other mansions in the US through shell companies, one in Beverly Hills worth $15 million and two in Santa Barbara valued at $33 million.

However, these properties have not yet been involved in seizure proceedings.

Following the increase in the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMS), some fuel depots and retail marketers have raked in over N4.2 billion from profiteering in the first three days of September, selling old stocks of petrol to Nigerians at a new price, Saturday Telegraph investigation has revealed. With an average daily profit of N1.4 billion daily the two major stakeholders in the value chain, checks by Saturday Telegraph showed, took advantage of the controversial announcement of price advisory for September to surge their profit margin.

Depot owners who, according to an exclusive report by Saturday Telegraph embargoed payment on petrol loaded by marketers on September 1, made an average of N1.287 billion in two days loading an avarage of 1,500 trucks of 33,000 litres of PMS daily.

Out of these, installations in Lagos Apapa axis alone loaded close 1200 trucks while depots in Ejigbo, Mosimi, Ibadan and across the country loaded an averahe of 300 trucks. The depots, checks by this newspaper showed, sold their old stocks of N138.56 per/litre at N151.56 and N147.67 per litre raking in an average extra profit of N13 on every litre of petrol loaded.

The retail marketers made the larger volume of the extra profit by selling their old stocks of N148 per litres at N160 per litre for an average of three days, making N12 extra profit on eaxh litre of PMS sold to customers. It was gathered that N2.914 billion of the total profiteering was made by these marketers at the retail end of the business as some of them with old stocks of N148 per litre lasting for an avarge of three days immediately adjusted their pumps to N160 per litre raking in N12 on every litre of the product in their tanks.

Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Tunji Oyebanji, however, told Saturday Telegraph that while MOMAN welcomes the government’s decision to henceforth allow the market forces to determine the price of petrol, his group does not dictate the price to members.

Oyebanji, in a statement sent to this newspaper, said: “Prices at the pump will have to be adjusted to reflect realities of the increase of ex-depot prices by PPMC, however the magnitude of the increase, timing and location is a decision left to each company.” Consistent with global best practices, MOMAN, Oyebanji continued: “Does not dictate prices to it’s members as this would be anti-competition in a fully deregulated market. “We welcome governments action in allowing the market to determine prices as we believe it will prevent the return of subsidies while allowing operators the opportunity to recover their costs. This will in the long run encourage investment and create jobs. “We all must remember the country is broke and can no longer afford subsidy. There is no provision for it in the budget.

“With this the incentive for smuggling will be reduced. More funds will be available to the government for investment in infrastructure, roads, health, education and power. Deregulation means that prices will go up and down.” Speaking further, he said: “They went down in April now they will go up as we are entering the European winter season and demand for refined crude goes up. Already there are indications of more investments in local refining in Nigeria which will moderate the cost.

“Fierce competition will also moderate the price. As you can see, not everyone is selling at the same price. So, as things stand we are into full deregulation. Confusion had earlier rocked the downstream sub-sector of Nigeria’s oil industry on Wednesday, as the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol soared to as high as N161 per litre. Saturday Telegraph had earlier, in an exclusive report, revealed the imminent hike in ex-depot price of the product, which led depot owners to embargo payment for all the products loaded on Tuesday.

Confirming the report, the PPMS had on Wednesday, fixed petrol ex-depot price at N151.56 per litre for the month of September. According to the statutes,the right to announce the adjustment in prices of the product is reserved for the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), but PPMC had, from August, started announcing the exdepot pricing, causing confusion in the polity.

The latest announcement, which was conveyed through an internal memo signed by D.O Abalaka and sent to all depot owners, stated that the new price was “effective September 2, 2020.” The memo with ref. number PPMC/IB/LS/020 reads: “Please be informed that a new product price adjustment has been effected on our payment platform.

“To this end, the price of PMS is now N151.56k per litre. This is effective 2nd September, 2020.” Most of the private depots visited yesterday sold at two different ex-depot prices within one hour. While most of them adjusted their prices from N138.56 per litre to N151.56 per litre in the morning, they re-adjusted the price to N148 per litre before the end of transactions on Wednesday. While this was on-going, the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) ordered its members to sell the product at N161 per litre at the retail stations.

Many filling stations in Lagos and Ogun states a survey by Saturday Telegraph showed, immediately adjusted their pumps to the new price of N160 per litre while others rationed the product to their customers. Stations like Fowobi, Faith and Marvelous,m and Rakaab, all along Itele- Ayobo road, sold the product at N160 per litre. Others like Olawale filling station, Iswat filling station, off Lagos-Abeokuta road, shut their gates, while Enyo filling station at Oju- Oore, Ota, was dispensing the product from just two of the eight pumps/nozzle points. In Ibadan, marketers sold the product for between N160 and N161 per litre.

Fuel marketers had, according to a report by this newspaper on Wednesday, heightened expectation of a marginal increase of up to N150 per litre in price of PMS for the month of September as they began to profiteer over delay in official price advisory for the month. All the depots loading the product in Apapa, Lagos, Saturday Telegraph gathered on Tuesday, also stopped marketers from paying N138.62 per litre for petrol loaded on the first day of the month.

The ex-depot price of N138.62 per litre was in place for the month of August. Before the latest announcement of N151.56 ex-depot price, depots like MRS, Nipco, Sahara, AA Rano, Rahamaniyya and Aiteo had sent memos to all the third party marketers registered with them to stop payment forthwith.

A picture being circulated on social media shows Frank Ayade, brother of the governor of Cross River state, posing with bowls of chicken.

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Some social media users who shared the picture, described Frank as “assistant governor” and “co-governor”.

In a Facebook post, one Faruk Adejoh-Audu said: “Frank Ayade, the very powerful younger brother of Gov Ben Ayade known as the “Assistant Governor” in Cross River State is having his lunch!”

Agba Jalingo, a journalist detained in 2019 for allegedly criticising the Ayade, also taunted the governor’s younger brother.

“The co-governor of Cross River state, Frank Ayade is flexing. Let’s clap for him,” Jalingo wrote.

Silas Rimdans, another Facebook user, said: “This lunch is for how many days sir?”

While Ukpong Immaculata, also a Facebook user, said: “Dr Frank,life is meant to be enjoyed,no body will feed your grave,i for make arrangements for up palm wine and bush meat too.Chop,nice up and sleep cool. Remain bless”

It’s unclear where the picture was taken but some of those who commented said it was during the birthday of Frank’s wife on August 18.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide yesterday, took a swipe at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged plot to zone its vice presidential slot to the South-East geo-political zone.

The organisation, which described the plot as an insult to the sensibility of every Igbo, warned Igbo politicians to henceforth, desist from making frantic effort for the position of vice president under the platform of the party.

In a statement signed by the National President of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the Secretary General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, and made available to Leadership in Abakaliki said, “PDP must not insult the intelligence of the Igbo.

“If the PDP thinks the Igbo will wait till 2031 before it gets a chance at the presidential ticket of the party then the PDP isn’t just treacherous, it is delusional. Perhaps the PDP doesn’t need Igbo votes.

“The youths of Igbo land will not sit astride and watch the PDP field a candidate from the North and come to Igbo land to hoodwink people with sweetened gibberish.

“If the PDP tramples on equity and commonsense, and opts for a Northern candidate in 2023, then the PDP should forget about coming to Igbo land to seek votes in the 2023 presidential elections.”

The Federal Government has cut the number of directorates in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to six from nine. This is coming as three directors have been relieved of their duties in what the aviation regulatory body termed restructuring.

Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, in a statement yesterday, disclosed that the directorates which are the major organs of the authority had been reduced from nine to six. Nuhu listed the new and retained directorates as Airworthiness Standards (DAWS), Operations, Licensing and Training (DOLT), Air Transport Regulations (DATR, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), Finance and Accounts (DFA) and the Directorate of Human Resources and Administration (DHR&A). The directorates of Consumer Protection and General Aviation have been phased out.

While the former is merged with DATR, the latter is subsumed under the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards; Similarly, two new directors have been appointed by the Federal Government to take charge of the Directorates of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) and Operations, Licensing and Training (DOLT).

The newly appointed directors, who are aviation professionals with several decades of industry experience in their areas of expertise in the aviation industry, are Engr. Kayode Ajiboye for DAWS and Captain Elisha Bahago for DOLT. Nuhu said: “The approved restructuring is aimed at repositioning the NCAA for effective and efficient service delivery and also to entrench a robust Safety Oversight System in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices, while enabling the regulatory body resolve current and emerging challenges facing the industry.”

The Federal Government had carried out restructuring of virtually all the agencies in aviation industry since 2016. The restructuring started with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) with the demotion of some directors and 10 General Managers of the agency. Few months after the restructuring in FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) followed suit by removing two directors.

The two were former Director of Administration Ibrahim Saleh and Human Resources Director, Uwem Akangson. Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika had, few months ago, complained about the huge number of general managers and over-bloating of many of the agencies with the creation of more directorates and departments; thus leading to duplication of duties. Meanwhile, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, yesterday disclosed that plans are underway for the merger of some directorates and agencies in the ministry for cost cutting and efficiency.

He said, as a matter of policy and road map approved by the President long ago, “the merger will make all of our agencies very efficient, reduce bureaucracy, streamline and narrow them in accordance with international best practice.” He said: “Some of the directors that don’t fall in the approved road map will certainly have to go. It’s just a matter of policy and it is going to cut across almost every single agency there.”

Fuel marketers across the country adjusted their pump prices on Thursday to between N158 and N162 per litre of petrol, saying a further increase in global crude oil prices would push the pump price of petrol higher.

Petrol prices have increased for three straight months, rising from N121.50–N123.50 per litre in June to N140.80-N143.80 in July, N148-N150 in August and N158-N162 in September.

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had, on Wednesday, increased the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to N151.56 per litre from N138.62 per litre but later reduced it to N147.67.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold to marketers at the depots.

When the collapse of global crude oil prices triggered the reduction of the pump price of petrol from N145 per litre to N125 in March, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency said it would advise the NNPC and oil marketing companies on the monthly “guiding retail price” at which the product shall be sold across the country.

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in a statement on May 15, said deregulation was approved on March 19 this year.

“But as you all know, PMS and other petroleum products are very strategic commodities, so you cannot allow the prices of these commodities to be determined wholly by the marketers,” he added.

In June, the Executive Secretary, PPPRA, Abdulkadir Saidu, said, “For the avoidance of doubt, it is instructive to state that no private individual or group has the mandate to fix prices of petroleum products, however, the statutory regulatory body is saddled with the responsibility of advising guiding prices.”

But the PPPRA failed to issue any guiding prices in August and September and has remained silent since then, despite repeated calls and messages sent to the agency by one of our correspondents on the issue.

The spokesperson of the agency, Kimchi Apollo, however, told our correspondent on Thursday that he would get information on the development and revert. He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

The National Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Mike Osatuyi, told one of our correspondents that the increase in petrol pump prices was a reflection of the global oil prices.

“In July, the crude oil price was around $43 per barrel. But rose to about $44-$45 in August. Last Monday, it increased to $46. If the crude oil price falls to $40, petrol prices will come down. But if it goes up to $50, we should be expecting petrol price to rise to about N163 per litre if the exchange rate remains the same,” he said.

Osatuyi stressed the need for government to create a level playing field by allowing marketers to also have access to foreign exchange at the official rate like the NNPC to enable them to import products.

The Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Adetunji Oyebanji, said earlier on Thursday that pump prices would have to be adjusted to reflect realities of the increase of ex-depot prices by PPMC.

“However, the magnitude of the increase, timing and location is a decision left to each company. Consistent with global best practices, MOMAN does not dictate prices to its members as this would be anti-competition in a fully deregulated market.

“We welcome government’s action in allowing the market to determine prices, as we believe it will prevent the return of subsidies, while allowing operators the opportunity to recover their costs. This will, in the long run, encourage investment and create jobs,” he added.

But a groundswell of public opposition across the country have greeted the hike in petrol prices.

TUC says government action wicked, demands immediate reversal

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria condemned the increase in petrol price and electricity tariff in the country.

In a statement titled, ‘Killing the dead,’ and signed by its president, Quadri Olaleye, and Secretary-General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, the TUC said, “Like the book by George Orwell, titled ‘1884’, the government and its agencies have resorted to doing the opposite of what they were set up to do.

“Government, instead of providing welfare, is killing the people systematically.”

It said increasing petrol prices and electricity tariffs, among others, “at a time people are losing jobs, businesses are not moving in the light of COVID-19, is, to say the least, wicked.”

The union said, “In droves, Nigerians flee the shores of this country. Just two days ago, we protested the hike in electricity tariff and sadly, yesterday, they slammed us with fuel [price] hike at a time countries like Ghana and Canada are giving out palliatives to cushion the effects of coronavirus pandemic. It is difficult to cope in this circumstance.

“Do we still wonder why unemployment and insecurity have increased? This is disgustingly shameful. We urge the government to listen to the voice of reason and reverse the [petrol] price immediately.

“Stop pushing Nigerians to the wall. This is too daring. The congress is calling a meeting of its organs to take decisions on this obnoxious move. The dead are dying again; stop killing the dead!”

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has expressed shock at how it is seemingly impossible to reconcile the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, Daily Times gathered.

The monarch recalled the good relationship that existed between Obaseki and Oshiomhole.

Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, spoke at a peace meeting Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu at his palace in Edo State on Wednesday.

The royal father said he had known the incumbent Governor since he (the Oba) was serving as an ambassador.

Oba Ewuare II said he cannot tell what went wrong that led to the intense spat and enemity between the two politicians.

Ewuare II said, “I was very sad, shocked; what I thought was going to be a smooth ride for everybody, tranquillity in the state, tranquillity in the kingdom, turned to unprecedented conflict.

“I could not believe it that I tried to intervene several times; I even went to the President about their matter.”

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja

The Police Service Commission has begun issuing letters of appointment to about 10,000 constables recruited into the Nigeria Police Force last year.

The exercise, which commenced last month, is to enable the enrolment of the recruits into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System for the payment of their salaries and other entitlements by the Federal Government.

The enrolment began two weeks ago and would conclude in the next few days.

However, 925 persons will not get the appointment letters as their names were said to have been illegally added to the final list of successful candidates.

Sources told our correspondent on Wednesday that the PSC had weeded out the names of the affected candidates who were allegedly added to the list.

The commission had initiated the recruitment on its portal but the police took over the exercise, stating that it was their constitutional mandate to recruit the constables.

The PSC subsequently challenged the move at the Federal High Court in Abuja, but the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, ruled in favour of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

The commission, however, appealed the ruling, which is expected to be determined this month.

Confirming the removal of 925 recruits from the final list, a senior official stated, “We discovered that Akwanga Local Government, which is in Nasarawa State was placed under Cross River State; Awe LGA also in Nasarawa, was also placed on the list of local governments in Cross River state.”

Meanwhile, the commission has failed to participate in the ongoing screening of a new batch of 10,000 constables which commenced from August 24 and to end on September 16, 2020.

When contacted about the failure of the agency to monitor the screening, the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, simply said, “We will carry out our oversight in due course.

Alex Bamgbola, chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), says Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, will become Nigeria’s president.

Bamgbola made the proclamation while praying for Fani-Kayode during the celebration of Isaac Idahosa, general overseer of God First Ministry, 31st year in the ministry.

In a video captured by Legit, Bamgbola said: “If you do not compromise yourself, God said I should tell you, you will one day rule this nation.”

Speaking after the church service, Fani-Kayode condemned the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 7.

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The law stipulates that religious bodies and charity organisations will be regulated by the registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and a minister

But Fani-Kayode said any law that seeks to regulate the affairs of the church is evil.

“My position is simple. You cannot regulate the affairs of the church. The church of years has stood for many years; hundreds of thousands of years ever since it was established,” Fani-Kayode said.

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“And great powers have come and gone that tried to destroy it; it’s never worked and it can never work. And any law that seeks to regulate the affairs of churches is absolutely evil and I consider that section of that act to be evil.

“And those that proposed it are evil and it’s unacceptable. And we will not take it, and it will never stand in Jesus’ name, that’s my position.”

Froshloaded:
Icons my source said, we are not voting at all. Tricky T and Nengi are leading the polls..

Please vote our boy!!

wisdomremz:
Send out airtime to some icons,Don’t quote me again

next week we go harder.

Hopefully he wins HOH.


#aniconliving
#iconforever

Desmondum:
.

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

Nine directors in the federal civil service have failed to scale through the first stage of re-sit examination conducted with a view to appointing new permanent secretaries, The PUNCH reports.

Out of the 23 directors that participated in the examination that took place on Monday, only 14 were shortlisted for the next round.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on August 14, 2020 that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), approved that re-sit examination be conducted for 23 directors in the federal civil service with a view to appointing four among them as permanent secretaries.

The directors were among those who took part in the last exercise that led to the emergence of 12 permanent secretaries on June 16, 2020.

The 12 permanent secretaries were appointed out of the 16 approved by the President, therefore leaving four vacancies.

They had emerged from the list of 91 directors who participated in the second stage of the qualification examination and the 41 that took part in the final stage.

According to a circular by the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, the President approved re-sit examination for directors who did not make the final list in June, but are from Kaduna, Kebbi, Rivers and Zamfara states.

In another circular dated August 31, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday, Yemi-Esan disclosed that 14 of the 23 directors were successful and would be taking part in Information Communication Technology Test fixed for Wednesday (today).

It is from them that four new permanent secretaries, one each from Kaduna, Kebbi, Rivers and Zamfara states, will emerge.

The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) has said that passengers that come into the country, who refused to do the in-country coronavirus tests as stipulated in the guidelines for the reopening of international flights, will be allowed 14 days to have the test done.
Coordinator of PTF, Dr. Sani Aliyu, who disclosed this at a briefing yesterday in Abuja, said that all travelers coming into the country needed a negative COVID-19 PCR test to be conducted at a certified laboratory, and done very close to the departure date, preferably within 72 hours, or not longer than seven days.


He also said that all passengers coming into the country must register on Nigeria international travel portal, pay for a PCR test to be done in-country and fill an online health declaration form which they must submit.

According to Aliyu, persons with COVID-19 symptoms will no be allowed to board even if they have a negative PCR test results, and on arrival to the country, passengers must self isolate for seven days and present themselves at the sample collection centre on the seventh day.

“We appeal to all international travelers to take the protocols seriously and adhere to them. Positive cases will be managed in line with the guidelines. There will be sanctions for failure to comply, and airlines that allow passengers without the PCR test result to board will be sanctioned on arrival in Nigeria. It is important that we get this right, we don’t have the infrastructure to start testing at the airports at the moment but in the coming months, we will be able to make arrangements in order to have real time information”.


The coordinator hinted that in preparation for the commencement of international flights on September 5, the PTF had been working with agencies to develop protocols that would safeguard the well-being of international travelers, prevent importation of new infections and contain the spread of COVID-19.

The PTF chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, revealed that the last three weeks had shown a slow down in the number of confirmed cases.

“The PTF still urges caution and vigilance on the declining numbers because the virus is still potent and very dangerous. This position is informed by the fact that in spite of our enhanced testing capacity, the number of samples collected for testing has not been encouraging. While we intensify our targeted testing strategy, we still urge the states to expand the scope of their sample collection.”

Godwin Obaseki, Edo State Governor on Monday escaped robbery attack by whiskers as security operatives repelled a group of armed robbers who attempted to block his convoy in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the State.

The incident which occured in the early hours of Monday at Erua Village near the Jehovah’s Witness international headquarters, adjacent Ehor town, headquarters of Uhunmwode local government area of the State, brought the convoy to a halt temporarily.

The Governor’s convoy was said to be moving slowly without blaring a syren, according to a security source attached to the Governor, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for the September 19, 2020 Governorship election.

The hoodlums who laid siege few metres away from a police checkpoint, was said to have mistook the convoy for a prominent personality, allegedly fell a tree to block the road apparently to rob motorists and commuters on the road, thereby causing pandemonium.

Upon sighting the Governor’s convoy, the hoodlums fired a gunshot, but the security operatives attached to the Governor and his deputy, Hon. Philip Shaibu, repelled the robbers who fled into nearby bush.

About 10 minutes before the PDP campaign train proceeded to a meeting with Council of Dukes (Enigie) in Uhunmwode Local Government Area before the commencement of the Ward-to-Ward campaign in the Local Government Area.

According to the security source who witnessed the incident, but, declined to mention his name, said, “They (the armed robbers) thought it was just a VIP that was coming.

“The Govenor’s convoy was not blaring siren and was moving slowly when the attempt was made.

“Immediately, the Convoy approached where they laid siege, they fell a tree.

“While we were thinking of what to do, they fired a gunshot. We have to jump out and repelled those miscreants”, he said.

The Chairman of Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council, Chief Dan Orbih, has called on Edo people to hold Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), responsible for the liquidation of Edo Line and Bendel Brewery.

Orbih who spoke to party supporters on Monday, during the reelection campaign rally of the PDP candidate and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in Ehor, Uhunmwode Local Government Area, urged the people to reject the opposition APC and its candidate in the forthcoming election.

The PDP also received more defectors in the LGA, including Chairman of Edo Advanced Allied Party (AAP) Gabriel Erhahon, and APC Chairman in Ehor Ward, Solomon Orumwense, among other ward chairmen who led thousands of their party members to the PDP, declaring their support for Governor Obaseki.


The decampees cited the governor’s developmental strides in the areas of education, healthcare and environment, among others, as their reasons for backing Obaseki’s reelection.

According to Orbih, “Oshiomhole told us that Ize-Iyamu was responsible for the liquidation of Edo Line and Bendel Brewery. He said Ize-Iyamu is a fake pastor. So what has changed?

“Remember that a fruit factory was established in this local government and yet that fruit factory never worked. The APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu, played a key role in the establishment of that fruit factory that never worked. He owes Edo people an explanation on why the fruit factory failed to work.


“We can’t go back to our past because Edo people must move forward and Obaseki is that man that will move the state forward. We will never allow them to come back as their role in the past doesn’t deserve any recognition.”

“How are they going to explain millions of taxpayers’ money used to establish that fruit factory that never produced any fruit juice for Edo people? Obaseki has shown character and the will to move the state forward,” he added.


Addressing party supporters in Ehor, Irhue, Uhi and Igieduma, Obaseki said: “Our second term is to consolidate on what we have started. We have done 27 roads in Uhunmwode LGA and we will be able to do 50 more roads if re-elected. Our Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme is managed by a woman in Uhunmwode and we have many more of you in our government.

“Uhunmwode is the richest in terms of land and agriculture. Any politics that doesn’t bring prosperity to the people and move the state forward must be rejected as the system has been designed to bring prosperity to the people. We have come to change the system so that no one man will hold the people down.


“The role of government is to provide infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity. Come out on September 19, 2020 to cast your vote for the PDP to protect our state from the overbearing influence of the godfather and create room for massive development.”