₦airaland Forum

Abdulaziz Abdulaziz




Nigeria revenue agency decries multi-billion Naira loss through import waivers
A crisis is brewing in Nigeria’s agency responsible for sourcing and coordinating foreign investment, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).

A frosty relationship between the executive secretary of the commission Yewande Sadiku, and the governing council of the commission led by Babangida Nguroje, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, has blown open.

Investigations reveal that the relationship between the council and the executive secretary had gone sour leading to a confrontation between the two sides.

Earlier this year, a member of the governing council, Ali Sani, wrote to the executive secretary questioning the payment of millions of naira each year to herself ”in the name of foreign leave allowance”.

Documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show that the executive secretary collected over N40 million for 2017 and 2018. She hinged her action on past practice and a ministerial approval for increment obtained in 2013.

“I understand that since 2005 when the remuneration package took effect, the foreign leave allowance has been paid to the ES holding office every year,” she wrote in a January 11 response to Mr Sani.

“The payment of the allowances to me in November 2017 and August 2018, following my resumption in November 2016 are therefore not usual.”


Combative relationship

The awry relationship between the two sides, however, got to a head earlier this month after a video recording surfaced in which the executive secretary criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s approach of securing foreign direct investment.

In the address, which PREMIUM TIMES established took place at a meeting with directors and deputy directors of the commission, Mrs Sadiku gave the example of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who, she said, ”led the way in investment promotion”.

She said the agency’s role of advancing investment in Nigeria was more effective in the past.

“You know why? Mr President Olusegun ‘Aremu’ Obasanjo was the one going to tell companies by himself to come and invest in Nigeria,” she said.

Mrs Sadiku explained that aside wooing the investors, ”Mr Obasanjo was giving them assurances to protect them and their investments.”

“It was him himself that will say ‘Obinna, Shettima come and invest in Nigeria and any mosquito that bites you, tell NIPC, they will come and tell me’. And when you tell NIPC mosquito is biting Shettima, you go and tell the president, president will kill the mosquito.”

In contrast, the executive secretary said ”President Muhammadu Buhari is a different person all together”.

“The presidency we have now, the president we have now is a different person,” she said.


Another ‘sin’

Not long after the recorded comments at the staff meeting, a broadcast in a popular radio programme, Brekete Family, on Human Rights Radio in Abuja, further drew the ire of the governing council and staff of the commission.

In the November 6 radio programme, Mrs Sadiku was praised as a ”reform champion who was facing resistance from her staff that were used to crooked old ways.”

The council saw the broadcast as image laundering stunt for the embattled executive secretary which also portrayed staff and members of the National Assembly in bad light.


Provoked council, staff

The comments both from Mrs Sadiku and from the radio programme have obviously angered the governing council of the commission.

In a press statement on Monday, Mr Nguroje tongue-lashed Mrs Sadiku without actually calling her out.

He alleged that some appointees of government ”were teaming up with opposition in discrediting the government, rather than deliver on the mandates given them”.

Contrary to Mrs Sadiku’s scepticism, Mr Nguroje painted a picture of optimism and achievement in Nigeria’s foreign investment drive, saying the NIPC is up to the task.

The staff union, also, wrote a letter to the CEO of the radio station, who also anchored the programme, condemning what they described as unfair and malicious pronouncements on staff of the agency in the radio programme.

The protest letter was signed by Yusuf Mustapha, chairperson of the union and Emeka Nwachukwu, its secretary.

“We are therefore saying collectively and categorically that we are not crooks, we are not criminals and we are not corrupt. We are a group of patriotic Nigerians who have committed everything to this service without commensurate material benefit to our persons.”

They demanded an apology and retraction from the broadcaster, threatening legal action.

In a message to staff on Wednesday echoing some of the points made by the governing council, the chairman of the union urged the staff to remain steadfast.

“No amount of witchhunt and intimidation can deter the resolve of this great union,” he wrote.

On December 12, 2013, I woke up to Olusegun Obasanjo’s ‘Before it is too late’; a caustic letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan. In the 18-page missive, Ebora Owu diced Jonathan like a sushi chef.

Obasanjo delineated 10 reasons he chose to drag Jonathan before the public square for some good spanking. He said the former president ‘’must move away from advertently or inadvertently dividing the country along weak seams of north-south and Christian-Muslim’’, and that ‘’nothing should be done to allow the country to degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression’’.

He also said, ‘’some of our international friends and development partners are genuinely worried about signs and signals that are coming out of Nigeria’’.

Really, Obasanjo said something profound in the letter – profound for its appositeness in the current administration.

He said: ‘’Those who advise you to go hard on those who oppose you are your worst enemies.

Democratic politics admits and is permissive of supporters and opponents. When the consequences come, those who have wrongly advised you will not be there to help carry the can. Egypt must teach some lesson.’’

Arguably, that mordant letter to Jonathan sealed the coffin of the administration nail by nail for it handed the opposition the mortar for combat and mobilised mass consciences against the government.

However, I have observed that Ebora Owu may be losing prolificacy, or perhaps, he has cowered to intimidation by the Buhari administration. Could this Orisa be afraid?

Although he wrote a less virulent open letter to President Buhari on the parlous state of security in the past and did not dither in bellowing the president’s incompetence, he suspended the pastime, and even stopped making critical comments on the administration after agents of the regime went for Atiku Abubakar’s in-law.

Obasanjo supported Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the last election.

In August, the EFCC arraigned Abdullahi Babalele, Atiku’s son-in-law, for allegedly laundering $140,000 in the build-up to the election.

Obviously, Obasanjo is the target of this case.
Now, here is the story.

On November 12, Bashir Mohammed, an associate of Babalele, told a federal high court in Lagos that Atiku’s son-in-law gave Obasanjo the naira equivalent of $140,000.

Mohammed, who was the first witness of the EFCC, described himself as a “close friend” of the accused.

While being led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC prosecutor, Mohammed detailed how he delivered the money to the former president at his residence in Ogun state.

He said Babalele called him sometime in February, asking him to deliver a message to “an elder statesman”.

He said on Babalele’s request he supplied two bank accounts, which were credited with the said sum.

“When I got to the gate, somebody came and took me inside where I met former President Olusegun Obasanjo and delivered the message.”

If my hunch is right, this case and other devices of the regime are what is obstructing the voice of the Orisa from rebuking the evil in the land.

I believe, Obasanjo now has an assuring experience of how lethal and ruthless the Buhari administration can be. In fact, Buhari once vowed to investigate the ‘’$16 billion’’ Obasanjo allegedly spent on power.

He said: “The previous government mentioned on their own that they spent $16bn on power but you are better witnesses than myself. Where is the power? Where is the money? We will follow them; eventually God willing, we will catch them and get our money back.”

The government was reported to have spent $16 billion on power projects between 1999 and 2007 when Obasanjo was president.

The Buhari administration brooks no opposition. It employs scare artifices and threats to win submission, and most times, it dispatches violence to coerce surrender.

Strong critics of the government are either held in DSS custody against an order of the court or they are threatened, scandalised and harassed. More vigorous voices are needed in the face of this relentless assault on the collective hull.

But really, it now appears the ‘’wailing’’ days of Obasanjo are over; the few comments he has made on the Buhari administration recently are complimentary.

In Yoruba cosmology, the Orisas are a fount of power, justice, order and balance. I do not think Sango will run away from a fight. Obasanjo should not be an Orisa that whimpers.

Police in Anambra state have discovered the dead and decomposing body of a 65-year-old medical doctor in his hospital, months after he died.

The medical doctor, Dr Gilbert Afam Gini is said to be occupying two flats, which he uses to run his hospital, Santa Cruz clinic at No 9 Eze Crescent Ezinifite Okpuno, near Awka.

A press statement by the Police PRO in Anambra, SP Haruna Mohammed stated that one Barr Duke Onyebuchi Ezeonwuka discovered the body on Tuesday when he visited the property which he manages and found it locked, and a strong stench emanating from it.

Haruna said, “He was however taken aback by an unusual odour oozing out from one of the rooms on the upper floor, which prompted him to call on neighbours who assisted to open the window, whereupon they saw the decomposed body in the room.

“Police detectives from ‘B’ Division Awka led by the DPO visited the scene and confirmed the incident.

“Victim’s Gionee cell phone, which was plugged for charging was recovered. Photographs taken. No implement of violence seen or observed and no foul play suspected from a critical analysis of the crime scene

“The relatives have been contacted and arrangements ongoing to evacuate the remains for autopsy and prevent disease outbreak in the vicinity.”

He added that Ezeonwuka had said that the deceased usually travelled to Brazil regularly, shutting down the hospital, and was presumed to have travelled in September, not knowing he had died in the room.

The Pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, on Tuesday asked Nigerians to be vigilant and ready to thwart any attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to take the country for a ride on the purported third term agenda.

Rising from its General Meeting held in Akure, the country home of its national leader, Reuben Fasoranti, the group advised the President to perish the thought of a third term in office.

The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin, who read the group’s communiqué, said “we have seen this fire before for this smoke not to be strange to us. “Afenifere, therefore, calls on Nigerians to be vigilant and thwart any attempt to take the country for a ride once again.

“The meeting also observed that the reason given for the President for not thinking of a third term is the constitutional limit of two terms without talking about what he would do if that hindrance was removed.

“We advise the President to use his last term in office to create legacies that will place him on the good pages of history, including setting Nigeria on a federal path that will allow the constituent units of Nigeria to develop and maximise path instead of pursuing any ruinous agenda.

” The meeting took serious note of the rumoured plans to subvert the Constitution of Nigeria to allow President Buhari to have a third term in office which started with an APC senatorial candidate in Bauchi last year during a bye-election declaring that he was coming to the Senate to work for a third term for Buhari.

“This was followed by the President who has a maximum of possible eight years in the office telling the country he was going to lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“To douse the tension the rumoured plot is generating, the President made a denial a few days ago which we took with a pinch of salt because it is not the first time politicians would pursue what they are denying in Nigeria swearing with Allah/God. “We have not forgotten that Gen.

Buhari told this country in 2011 that he would do only one term if he became President. He is now on a second term. “He also promised Nigerians in 2015 that he would not have the office of the First Lady as President.

He was mute when the wife issued an order that she must be addressed as First Lady and he has gone ahead to appoint six aides for the office.”

Bola Bamigbola, Osogbo

One Labake Olowokere has reportedly stabbed her lover, Seun Komolafe, to death with a fork after she caught him with another woman.

Labake, it was learnt, had visited the residence of Seun at Okeopo area of Ilesha around 8.00 p.m. on Monday to pick her cooking gas when she met another lady in the house.

After recovering from the initial shock, Labake was said to have picked a quarrel with Seun and the lady, whose name could not be immediately ascertained.

A fight followed and it was gathered that Labake picked a fork and stabbed Seun in the stomach, which led to his death.

Acting Police Public Relations Officer for Osun State Command, Mustafa Katayeyanjue, confirmed the incident and added that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Ige, had directed an investigation into the matter.

He said, “At about 10.30 p.m. on Monday, one Adeyemi Ojo of Araromi Street reported to the police that one Labake Olowokere of Ido Ijesa, a lover of Seun Komolafe of Okeopo area of Ilesha stabbed him in the stomach with a fork and killed him on the spot.

“From preliminary findings, Labake went to the resident of his lover to pick her cooking gas. On getting to the house, she met another lady there, and a fight ensued.

“It was during the misunderstanding that she reportedly took a fork and stabbed Seun in the stomach. He died on the spot. The corpse of the deceased had been deposited at Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha.”

Friday Olokor, Seme



The Federal Government on Monday said seizures made by security agents at the country’s land borders indicated that the republics of Benin and Niger were not addressing issues that led to the border closure.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this when he led a government delegation to the Seme border on Monday.

He explained that from the magnitude seizures made and the number of illegal immigrants apprehended in the last two weeks, it was obvious that “nothing is being done yet by both countries – Benin and Niger – to address the challenges.”

Nigeria had in August closed its land borders, saying smuggling of goods from its neighbouring countries was hurting its economy.

On November 4, the Federal Government listed five conditions for reopening of the country’s land borders.

As one of the conditions, the Federal Government said Nigeria would not accept imported goods that were repackaged by neigbouring countries and brought to Nigeria.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, during a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Temporary Partial Closure of Land Borders in Abuja, also said that the only travel document allowed for anybody coming into the country through the land borders is the passport, stressing that the country would not accept any other documents such as the identity card.

Mohammad said that since the border closure, “local consumption of fuel had dropped by 30 per cent apparently due to the reduction in smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

“The partial closure has so far curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, in addition to other prohibited items. Our series of interactions and engagements with the Rice Miller Association of Nigeria since the commencement of this exercise, has shown that the border closure has enhanced more production and milling of Nigerian rice.

“Patronage of Nigerian rice has increased and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands. Furthermore, the border closure has impacted positively on revenue generation of the Federal Government which in turn will be used to build more infrastructure and develop critical sectors of the nation’s economy.

“The border exercise has also curbed diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries”, he explained.

Among those in the government team were the foreign affairs minister, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of State (Finance, Budget and National Planning), Clement Agba; National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede.


N3.5bn goods seized

Mohammed also put the estimated value of all the seized items at about N3.5bn billion. He said, “As we speak, we have ships loaded with rice waiting to be discharged (in Benin) and the target market is Nigeria (for Christmas). We have MV Africana Jacana with 40,000 metric tons of rice, MV Zilos with 20,000 mts and MV Sam Jarguar with 45,000 MTS and others.


Benin, Niger not addressing our complaints – FG

“The magnitude of seizures and the number of illegal immigrants recorded in the last two weeks alone indicate that nothing is being done yet by both countries, the Benin and Niger, to address the challenges.


Benin’s $30m rice import will end up in Nigeria – Minister

“In addition, Benin (Republic) has concluded arrangements to get rice to the tune of $30m. This is a country with just 12 million people, it is clear that this rice will end up in Nigeria.

“In the area of security, the ongoing exercise has recorded a number of seizures and arrests that would have had grave security consequences. So far, 296 illegal immigrants have been arrested. Also, some items seized include; 38,743-50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 514 vehicles; 1,012 drums filled with PMS; 5,400 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 346 motorcycles; 10, 553 jerrycans of PMS and 136 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives. The estimated value of the apprehended items is about N3.5 billion.

“Over time, Nigeria has been confronted with numerous trans-border economic and security challenges. These challenges range from banditry, kidnapping, smuggling, illegal migrants to proliferation of light weapons, amongst others.

“Meanwhile, the preference for foreign goods, especially food items like rice, has continuously impoverished our farmers and adversely affected domestic government policies supporting the agricultural sector to enhance food security.


W’African countries violate ECOWAS protocol

“It is, however, disturbing that some neighbouring countries circumvent the ECOWAS protocol on transit. For clarity, the ECOWAS protocol on transit demands that when a transit container berths at a seaport, the receiving country is mandated to escort same without tampering with the seal to the border of the destination country.

“Unfortunately, experience has shown that our neighbours do not comply with this protocol. Rather, they break the seals of containers at their ports and trans-load goods destined for Nigeria.”


95% illicit drugs, weapons come through land borders

“It is important to note that 95 per cent of illicit drugs and weapons that are being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria today come in through our porous borders. However, since this partial closure, the acts have been drastically reduced. Our conclusion is that, the arms and ammunition these terrorists and criminal elements were using no longer gain access into the country. In addition, the drugs which affect the health and the wellbeing of Nigerians have equally been reduced.”

The government also explained that it would continue to use diplomatic channels to continue engaging its neighbours to agree to comply with the ECOWAS protocol on transit.

Mohammed said, “Goods that are on the prohibition list to Nigeria, such as rice, used clothing, poultry products and vegetable oil should not be exported to the country. As a result of this closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria.

“In addition, the National Assembly has supported the executive directive on the border closure and the efforts of security agencies in executing the task.”


Fishermen protest, lose N5bn to border closure

Meanwhile, a group of businessmen, under the aegis of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents and Coconut/ Fish Farmers Union, on Monday at Seme border protested the closure of the nation’s borders by the Federal Government, saying it had impacted negatively on their business.

The protest occurred during the visit by the Federal Government delegation to the area.

While protesting the seizure of their goods, which had been paid for before the border closure, they said it was wrong of government agencies to seize coconuts and fishes harvested in Nigeria with the notion that they were not got from Nigeria.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria is a signatory to ECOWAS trade liberation. Why closing the border for importing legitimate goods?”; “Mr. President, we borrowed money from banks, our goods are perishing. We are in debt”, “Mr. President, our duty-paid coconuts from Ghana are trapped and destroyed. Locally produced ones not allowed into our market”, and “The land borders are places of livelihoods. Closing it amounts to creating unemployment and killing people’s businesses.”

The Chairman of ANLCA Tax Force, Samuel Igbowu, told journalists that they had lost an estimate of over N5 billion since the closure of the border.

He said, “We are here to show our displeasure over what is happening, if you look back, you will see a lot of trucks parked; they are carrying imported goods and those goods have been paid for, duties have been paid. We have lost an estimate of over N5billion since the closure of the borders.

“They have been trapped here for over three months now, they did not allow them to go in. Most of us got loans from the bank to import and up till now, the goods are not allowed to go in, we cannot sell and we cannot return the money we borrowed.

“So, we are here to show our displeasure and plead with the government to allow those that have already paid duty on to go in. We have paid the normal customs duty and we have all the documents processed.

“A single truck here paid over N4 million as customs duty and we have over 900 trucks. We are pleading to the government to please allow those that have paid duty to go in and deliver to our warehouses. We are losing money day in day out. Bank loan was there and interest is accumulating on a daily basis.”

Okechukwu Nnodim



Global construction giant, Julius Berger, has put the percentage of construction works so far completed on the Second Niger Bridge at approximately 28 per cent .

It also released pictures showing how far work has progressed on the bridge that connects Delta and Anambra states.

In a report dated November 15 , 2019 , on progress made at the project site , which was obtained on Friday in Abuja , the firm stated that the scope of works comprise of 1 . 6 km long River Niger Bridge and 10 .3 km highway inclusive Owerri interchange and toll station.

The report stated that the letter of award for the project was issued on July 25 , 2018 , and the contract was signed on August 14 , 2018.

Work commenced on the project site on September 1 , 2018 , while the contract period was captured in the report as 42 months .

It was also learnt that the total manpower on the site was 1 , 201, as the firm stated that work was going on at the site .

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja




Reprieve has come the way of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, after he got vote of confidence during the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and survived the impeachment threat hanging over his head.

Although, unconfirmed report claimed that President Buhari walked out of the meeting when it became rowdy, the meeting, which was the shortest ever, appeared tensed on Friday, when anti and pro-Oshiomhole protesters grounded the activities along the road leading to the party’s national secretariat, resulting in security agents firing teargas to disperse the protesters.

Although, Oshiomhole’s arch-rival and governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, was present at the meeting, every effort to stop the Edo State chairman, Anslem Ojezua, from entering the meeting venue was thwarted by other chairmen that complained and threatened to walk out of the meeting.

Interestingly, no decision was taken on the suspended members of the party like the immediate past governors of Imo and Ogun states, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun among others who were incidentally absent at the meeting.

It was also revealed during the meeting that the shortfall in the funds generated to finance the 2019 presidential election almost denied President Muhammadu Buhari re-election.

Speaking at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the party’s national secretariat on Friday, the national chairman disclosed that they had to frantically source for funds a few days to the election to prosecute the poll.

He boasted that the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, would next weekend, join the other 15 National Assembly members that rebelled against the party, noting that Nigerians punished the Bukola Saraki-led rebels by retiring them.

He, however, lamented that in-fighting and internal wrangling denied the party re-election in Bauchi and Adamawa states, even as he assured that APC will reclaim its stolen mandate in Sokoto state.

“The electorate also elected more members of House of Representatives on the APC platform.
“Mr President, I also believe, it is significant to point out that those who rebel against this party, who sought to bring us down, who decamped at a critical moment, believing that their defection would destabilise us and we would have no enough time to make up as led by Senator Saraki – he and 15 others, 16 of them (would have regretted their action).

“By the special grace of God, Nigerian electorate have chosen to punish them with their PVCs and their ballot papers. They were all voted out, and APC senators were voted in to replace them. The electorate also elected more members of House of Representatives on the APC platform.

“There is one that he’s still struggling but as it is, he is at 20,000 feet below ground level and he’s hoping that there would be a miracle that would bring him to ground level and climb the tree to the Senate but by the special grace of God, under your leadership, that deficit, there will be no miracles in the election, particularly when they are free and fair.

“God willing, by the end of the month, when the re-run in Kogi State would be done, the 16 stubborn one will go the way of the other 15.

That for me is remarkable because the message is clear that gradually but steadily when anyone who went to UAE… in this case, those who rode on the back of Mr President to win election and turned round to monetise it and use that same power to attack not only the Presidency but to attack the institution of our party. I think those lessons will linger for us.

“Mr President, I have chosen to amplify where we lost but we also made some gains that is quite understanding. I am sure it is gladdening the heart of every APC member and even APC well-wishers that the man who led the rebellion against our party, former Senate President that people of Kwara state did not only denied him return to the Senate, they also voted out every element in PDP and today from the governorship we won, Senate we won and of course the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly.

“I think our victory in Kwara State for me was most outstanding. I think we now generally refer to Kwara with pride as the Otooge revolution. We also won in Gombe State. I’m sure for our brothers in the North-East, Gombe with an incumbent PDP governor – our people only armed with their bare hands, but obviously with Mr President’s good will, we defeated PDP in Gombe State and today Gombe is governed by APC governor.

“So, Mr President, I believe that until these issues are finally resolved particularly those of them that are likely to go up to the Supreme Court level, I believe heavenly that life is sustained by hope; I believe that by the time we are done, we will have a chance of winning some of these cases that are going to the Supreme Court where we have lost at the level of the Court of Appeal,” he said.

“We have also got through a rather stressful process including the fact that the opposition chose to challenge your election. They even wanted to take in to school as to whether there is different between Muhammadu and Muhammad and all…here is one that he’s still struggling but as it is, he is at 20,000 feet below ground level and he’s hoping that there would be miracle that would bring him to ground level and climb the tree to the Senate but by the special grace of God, under your leadership, that deficit, there will be no miracles in the election, particularly when they are free and fair.

Rasaq Ibrahim,

A 30-year-old housewife, Mrs Janet Jegede has been arrested by the Ekiti Police Command for allegedly stabbing her husband, Jegede, to death at their house on Alafiatayo, zone 1, Bamgboye area of Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

The Nation gathered that the wife who was said to be a professional nurse stabbed her husband in the chest, after the duo, had a disagreement at their home on Sunday over an unknown issue.

A source who crave anonymity said she learnt that the woman allegedly stabbed her husband in the chest with a knife.

” We were in church last Sunday when somebody called that the old man has been stabbed to death by his wife. We have never heard of any issue between them.

“The woman has two kids for the man, the older one is around nine years old but she must be a second wife to the man that should be over sixty years old, who has a medical doctor as a son”.

Another source close to the area said the woman must have been suffering from a psychological problem.

“We attended the same church. She had sent the two kid to church on Sunday for a special programme before the incident occurred.

” When we heard about the incident. The people at her house who met the policemen there said she was holding a knife and telling everybody to come in and eat, which suggested that she is psychologically disturbed”.

A police source at Ologede Police station said psychiatric evaluation has been carried out on the suspect and she had since been transferred to the State headquarters of the police.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu who confirmed the incident, said investigation is ongoing to unravel circumstances surrounding the matter.

The police spokesman said, ” We are presently questioning few people at the homicide department of the command.

“Autopsy will be carried out after investigation.”

A Kano High Court presided by Justice Usman Na’Abba has dissolved four additional emirates and first class emirs created by Kano State Government.

On May 8, Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on assented to a controversial law establishing four additional emirates with first class emirs in Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya.
Inside sources told DAILY NIGERIAN that the law was initiated by the governor but presented to the House by proxy.

Delivering the judgement on Thursday, the court said the Kano State House of Assembly had violated the provision of Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which allows the assembly to make laws.

He then declared the law creating the emirates null and void, saying the petition for the creation of the emirate was faulty.

According to the Amended Originating Summons, the Plaintiff Rabiu Gwarzo, who was a member of Kano State House of Assembly, sought the following reliefs:
A declaration that having regards to the provision of section 101 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), Kano State House of Assembly rules, 2019 pursuant thereto has acquired a constitutional status or favour.

A declaration that having regard for the previous of section 101 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as altered) and Order 1 Rule 14(b) of the Kano State House of Assembly, Rules 2019, the reconvening and sitting of the Kano State house of Assembly on 6 May 2019, having earlier on 30 April 2019 adjourned the sitting of the House to 3 June 2019 without the requisition, consent and/or concurrence of both the majority and minority leaders of the House first had and obtained is improper, illegal and unconstitutional, null and void”.

A declaration that the non compliance or violation of Order I Rule 14(b) of the Kano State House of Assembly, Rules 2019 which provides for the procedure for reconvening the House, particularly the existence of a requisition and concurrence of the majority and minority leaders of the House of amounts to illegality which vitiate the proceedings and decisions of the Kano State House of Assembly conducted on 6 , 7 and 8 of May 2019 thereby rendering same null and void.

A declaration that upon the construction of Order II Rule3 of the Kano State House of Assembly Rules, 2019, a person other than member of the House cannot properly present a petition to the House of Assembly.

A declaration that the petition titled ‘Appointment and Upgrading of Some Traditional Rulers to the Status of 1 Class Emirs (Head Chiefs) dated 6 May 2019 written by Mallam Ibrahim Salisu Chambers was not properly taken by the House on 6 May 2019.

Ted Odogwu , Kano


A High Court, sitting in Kano State , on Thursday , nullified the four newly created Emirate Council, created by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje .

In his judgment, Justice Usman Na ’abba , said the creation of the Emirates and appointment of four Emirs , is illegal.

However, sources close to the State Government circles told the Punch , moments after the ruling that the State Government , will appeal the ruling.

Chuks Okocha



The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) wednesday rejected the proposed death penalty for hate speech in the bill at the National Assembly.

The governors also resolved to conclude negotiations with labour unions on the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage before the December 31 deadline.

The governors spoke to journalists last night at the end of their seventh meeting in Abuja, which was presided over by the Vice Chiarman of the NGF and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.

Tambuwal urged the National Assembly to conduct a public hearing on the hate speech bill to aggregate the views of Nigerians.

“I’m not sure I have heard any governor come out to say he is in support of the death penalty for hate speech.

“I believe that the National Assembly should hold a public hearing on that bill, so that due process of lawmaking is followed.

“This is so that the views of Nigerians, not just the governors, will be well captured on that bill and they (National Assembly) should respect the views of Nigerians in whatever may be the direction of debate and the eventual passage or otherwise of that bill.”

Tambuwal pledged the commitment of states to the implementation of the minimum wage and improved welfare of workers.

“Before December, all the states must have finished working out the details on the issue of the minimum wage across the federation.

At the meeting, the governors committed to working with the Independent Verification Agent to ensure that the APA process did not experience delay.

The forum, among other resolutions, also expressed commitment to the initiative to advance value added activities in agriculture, access to finance and women economic development.

Tony Akowe, Abuja




LAWMAKERS are in jitters over their constituents’ demands for explanation over President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that there is nothing to show for the N1 trillion voted for the National Assembly’s constituency projects in the last 10 years.

House of Representatives Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) told his colleagues at plenary on Wednesday that his constituents had been calling him to know what happened to the money.

He said he was finding it difficult explaining to them that while N1 trillion was budgeted in the last 10 years for the projects, the amount released was below 50 percent.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the President’s statement emanated from a report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The Speaker said the ICPC failed to distinguish between budgeted fund and actual releases, asking the commission and other related agencies to be diligent in their investigations and not put the people’s welfare at stake.

He said “I think it is a breach of our collective privilege as a House and not one person. My concern is the unintended consequences of words spoken. These are words emanating from a report by ICPC.

“There could be unintended consequences that could come out of it. You put people ‘s wellbeing at risk. I feel it is okay to use the National Assembly as the whipping boy. The fact is that there is the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

“The ICPC could easily invoke their power of investigation and look at releases as compared to what was budgeted. The ICPC that made the report. I don’t think they will appreciate if the House, in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, did an oversight on ICPC based on what was budgeted as opposed to what was released to them.

“When you break an egg, it is going to be difficult to put it together. I will use this medium to send this message across to ICPC and other agencies to do their work of investigation well. There is a difference between money budgeted and money released. It is as simple as ABC.”

Presenting the matter under order 6 rules 3 and 4, which deals with privileges, Elumelu said: “I saw a statement in the newspapers all dated 20th November 2019 and one thing is very consistent in them and that is the comment credited to our amiable President saying that N1 trillion was made available in the last 10 years to the National Assembly for constituency projects and that there was no value for the money spent.
“Yes, in the last 10 years, N1 trillion was actually made available by way of budgeting N100 billion annually for constituency projects. Truly, our constituents do not have value for such provisions.

“But one thing I am worried about is that words have meanings. My constituents called to ask me to give account of the money that came to my constituency. I had so many calls and it was difficult for me to explain.

“My worry and why I am bringing this up is that, yes N100 billion was budgeted annually, but actual releases were not up to 50 percent. In actual sense and even this year, we have not gotten releases of more than 40 percent. I can conveniently tell you that only about 30 percent has been released”.

The lawmaker noted that section 4 of the 1999 Constitution as amended says: “we should make budgets and if we pass budget in this house, the onus is now on the executive to implement and award contract.

“We don’t award contracts. I don’t know of any member who is a member of the Tenders Board. In effect, the National Assembly has nothing to do with the execution of any contract.

“It is painful that the agency that generated that information failed to state that while it is true that N1 trillion was budgeted in the last 10 years, this money has not been released.

“I am not happy because the information is capable of giving me a bad name before my community. The ICPC that wrote this report failed to tell the truth of how much was actually released.

“When you say N1 trillion is budgeted like the President said, if that money was released completely, there will be value commensurate to the money. I wonder why the ICPC man failed to look at what was released. Why should ours be a subject of debate that they will tell Nigerians we received N1 trillion when that was budgeted, but not released.

“My message is that we should let them know that while N1 trillion was budgeted for constituency projects, by way of releases, we did not receive that because what was released was less that 40 percent.”

Tobi Okechukwu (PDP, Anambra) said when you say N1 trillion was made available for constituency projects, it presupposes that you will expect to see a worth of such amount.

He insisted that in the last 10 years, the House had appropriated an average of N70 trillion budget for the country, stressing that it also presupposes that there should be commensurate performance.

He said: “The issue is very important because words have meanings. In all the papers, the President said N1 trillion was wasted on constituency projects in 10 years.

“Of course, Mr. President would have been responding to information given to him. I am a student of public policy analysis. I understand that projects and policies of government go through interrogation.

“When you say N1 trillion is released, it presupposes that the equivalent value of that money should be on the ground. There is also a presupposition that this money is given to members. Our responsibility is to make laws and pass budget and once that is done, it goes to the executive and the execution is the responsibility of the executive.

“On the average, we have about 50 percent of that money that has been released in the last 10 years. The reason why we have so many abandoned projects in our communities is because of lack of releases.

“You award contract and you pay 50 percent. What happens to the remaining 50 percent. How can you complete them? I know that in the last 10 years, this House has appropriated an average of N70 trillion and that presupposes that you spent N70 trillion and there should be commensurate performance.

“In the 2019 budget about N220 billion was budgeted for roads and what was released was N45 billion. If you are expecting the value of N220 billion when you give N45 billion, I don’t know what you will see.”

The President has asked the ICPC to go after contractors who failed to execute the constituency projects awarded to them.

Fred Itua, Abuja




The Senate has initiated moves to impose criminal sanctions on any person who threatens or coerces an electoral officer into declaring results of an election.

Under the proposed law, presidents, governors, senators and others seeking political offices would be jailed for three years if found guilty of forcing electoral officers to declare results under duress. The law also proposes a fine of up to N1 million for offenders.

The Bill comes amid allegations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that its officials are often forced by candidates of political parties to declare them winners.

Senator Uche Ekwunife who represents Anambra Central is the sponsor of the Bill.

The move is part of an Amendment Bill of the 2010 Electoral Act. It is tagged: “A Bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act (2010) to impose criminal sanctions on any person who coerces am electoral officer to declare results under duress, and other matters related thereto.

The Bill which has already passed its first reading states: “Section 131 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (d) by deleting the phrase “commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 3 years.”

“Section 13 of the Principal Act is further amended by introducing a new subsection as follows- assaults, threatens, intimidates or coerces an Electoral Officer into declaring the results of an election under duress, or against his will, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years.

Meanwhile, the Senate has directed its Committees on Special Duties, Ecology and Climate Change and Environment to investigate the effectiveness of the National Emergency Management Agency over disaster response in 2019.

It has also directed NEMA to implement a response programme for flood disaster affecting communities in Demsa, Numa, Guyuk and Lamurde local governments of Adamawa State.

These were resolutions reached on Tuesday sequel to the consideration of a motion sponsored by Senator Binos Yaroe (APC, Adamawa South).

The lawmaker who lamented the flooding which occurred in October 2019 as a result of release of excess water by the authorities of Lagbo dam in Cameroon, accused NEMA of being selective in its disaster response interventions.

“NEMA performed a disaster response action by distributing relief materials to communities in Furore, Yola South, Yola North and Girei local governments of Adamawa affected by the floods.

“This intervention by NEMA was not extended to other local governments along the River Benue valley equally affected by the flood disaster.

“Although the attention of the Director-General of NEMA was drawn to the need to provide relief materials to communities of the four local governments in Adamawa severely affected by the October floods, nothing has been done; NEMA would appear to be selective in its disaster response interventions,” Yaroe said.

The Senate, yesterday, also considered a Bill for an Act to amend the National Council on Public Procurement and Bureau of Public Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007.

Ibrahim Oyewale



Fresh indications have emerged that apart from the violence unleashed on voters and the opposition parties in Kogi State during last Saturday’s gubernatorial election, internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the possibility of power rotating to Kogi West Senatorial zone in 2023 also contributed to the re-election of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Yahaya Bello.

This is coming as a PDP Woman Leader for Wada Aro Campaign Council, Ochadamu Ward, in Ofu Local Government Area, Mrs Acheju Abuh, has been burnt to death in her home by suspected political thugs.

THISDAY gathered that the seed of discord was sowed in the PDP on September 3, after Musa Wada, a younger brother of a former Governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada, emerged the winner of the party’s governorship primaries in the state.

Wada had polled a total of 748 votes to defeat his main opponent, Abubakar Ibrahim, the son of another former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Idris (popularly called Ibro) who polled 710 votes.

Wada’s elder brother, Idris came third with 345 votes while Dino Melaye polled 70 votes to emerge fourth.

The governorship primary election had initially ended abruptly when gunmen invaded the Lokoja Confluence Stadium venue of the election.

Investigation revealed that Ibrahim Idris who was the main financier of PDP in the state felt that his son was cheated out of the governorship ticket.

To worsen the crisis, Abubakar, the second runner up in the PDP primaries, also went to court, asking the court to declare him the winner of the September 3 primaries.

The former governor, it was gathered, was also said to have withdrawn his huge financial support for the main opposition party.

“The former governor felt that despite all his contributions to the party, his son was cheated out of the race. Not only that his son went to court, he also withdrew his financial support and PDP went to the main election to face Yahaya Bello with virtually empty pocket,” a source within Kogi PDP told THISDAY.

THISDAY gathered that though the former governor delivered his local government area, Omola, to the PDP, he did not deploy his enormous resources and contact to ensure the victory of his party in the other parts of the state.

It was also gathered that the victory of Wada in the PDP primaries did not go down well with his brother, Idris Wada.

Investigation revealed that despite the efforts of other family members to reconcile them before the governorship poll, the former governor did not support the aspiration of his younger brother with enough commitment to guarantee victory at the polls.

Also an aggrieved Melaye showed his disaffection with the outcome of the primaries when he rejected his appointment by the PDP as the Director-General of the Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council.

“Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of Director-General of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council. I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty there is chaos. Senator Dino Melaye,” Melaye had tweeted.

THISDAY gathered that apart from the crisis in the PDP, the hope of Kogi West Senatorial zone to possibly have one of its people emerge as governor in 2023 also fuelled support in favour of Bello who has just won a final term of four years.

Investigation showed that the people of Kogi West believed that supporting Wada means waiting for another eight years before it would get to their turn to produce the governor.

Bello defeated Wada in Kogi West with a margin of 33,578 votes.

In the seven local government areas that make up Kogi West – Kogi LGA; Lokoja LGA; Yagba West LGA; Ijumu LGA; Kabba/ Bunu LGA; Yagba East LGA; and Mopamuro LGA, APC polled 89,699 votes, while PDP scored 56, 121 votes.

A source within the Kogi PDP told THISDAY that the people of the senatorial district did not want to wait for another eight years for it would be their turn.

“Kogi West did not want another candidate that will come and rule for another eight years before it will be their turn. If Musa Wada wins, he will stay for eight years but Yahaya Bello has only four years. So, they opted to go with Bello,” he explained.



PDP women Leader Set Ablaze in Kogi

Meanwhile, THISDAY learnt that trouble began for the PDP chief when thugs started shooting when they arrived at her house and surrounded it, blocking every escape route.

It was gathered that the suspected hoodlums sprayed the building with petrol and set it ablaze as terriffied villagers watched from far away.

The woman was said to have attempted to escape through a window but was prevented by the metal burglar proof while dodging gunshots fired in her direction.

A source in the village said that “the blood thirsty thugs waited, shooting and watching with relish while Mrs Abuh cried from inside the inferno until her voice died out.”

It was gathered that the hoodlums left only when the entire house and Mrs Abuh had been razed down.

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident through a statement by the Public Relations Officer, William Aya, a Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP).


Aya, in the statement entitled “culpable homicide/mischief by fire,” said: “On 18/11/2019 at about 1630hrs, one Musa Ety of Ochadamu, Ofu LGA reported at the station that, at about 1030 of same date, there was a misunderstanding between one Awolu Zekeri aged 35 years member of APC and one Gowon Simeon, a member of PDP both of Ochadamu, in the process Gowon Simeon stabbed Awolu Zekeri with a knife on his lap, he died on his way to the Hospital.

“As a result, angry youths in the area mobilised to the house of one Simeon Abuh of same address who is an uncle to the suspect, set it ablaze, thereby burnt one Salome Abuh, aged 60 years.”

He said three other houses were equally burnt, adding that the body of the deceased has been moved to the University Teaching Hospital Mortuary Anyigba for autopsy.

According to him, the police have drafted personnel to the area to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipreye Sylva has `thanked’ Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa for making it much easier for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), David Lyon, to win the Nov. 16 election.

He disclosed this after presenting the Bayelsa Governor-elect, David Lyon, to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.

Sylva attributed the electoral victory of the APC candidate to what he described as “poor performance by the Bayelsa State government”.
He said: “It’s been a very hectic week but I will like to bring in this Eritrean proverb, that if you marry a wife very well, you will be blessed with another wife.

“Gov. Dickson, unfortunately made our job very easy because he married the wife very badly. Of course this proverb pre-supposes that if you marry a wife badly, you will not get another wife. So he did not marry the state very well, so the state roundly rejected him.

“Like it’s been said earlier, we had a good candidate and when you have a good product, it’s very easy to sell it. So, we went round and sold this good to Bayelsans and the result was an overwhelming success.

“We are happy with this victory because for us it is very significant. This gives our party a footprint in the Niger Delta, which is very key to us. It gives us more of a national outlook, we have always been a national party but this gives us even a bigger national outlook.’’

Gov. Atiku Abubakar of Kebbi, who alongside his Jigawa counterpart Badaru Abubakar, presented Lyon to the president, commended Buhari for his consistent preaching of fair and transparent elections in the country.

“Many people worked hard in making this happen, most importantly, Mr President, who has always shown the party that win or lose we should aim for free, transparent and fair elections.

“Because, that is what will guarantee peace, confer legitimacy and support for elected persons to proudly execute the mandate that they are given. And in Bayelsa we have seen a demonstration of that.

“Everyone is talking about how free, transparent and fair the elections were.

Abubakar, who is the chairman of All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, said the APC victory in Bayelsa was well received by almost all citizens of the state.

He said: “We were in Bayelsa for over 72 hours, we didn’t see a tyre burning, we didn’t see people running, we didn’t hear a gunshot, everyone was celebrating in all the areas we passed, which shows the acceptance of our candidate, our party and the process itself.

“It is equally noteworthy that Bayelsa is a home of a former president of Nigeria and this election won by a party different from the one he belongs, has been accepted by all including people around him.

“And so far, from what we hear, he is also happy with the outcome irrespective of the difference in the party, which is an indication of the transparency of the process.’’

The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, who also spoke at the event, said apart from presenting the Gov-elect to the president, they also thanked him for insisting that the elections must be conducted in a peaceful and transparent atmosphere.

“As the President and our father, he has a brand new baby boy who will be sworn- in on Valentine Day February 14, 2020, as governor of Bayelsa State.

“We thanked the president for his fatherly role and he insisted that we must ensure that while we are determined to win the election that we must play by the rule and ensure that the process is transparent.

“Above all the president has always been concerned about peaceful election and we were proud to inform him that besides very isolated cases of ballot box snatching, the election in Bayelsa can be described as the most peaceful.

“I believe since 1999, you as very seasoned journalists who have covered elections in Bayelsa in the past, you will agree that this is the only time we can say the election is truly transparent and peaceful.

“Again, our candidate attracted supports across the political divide when you see territories and communities where his victory was being celebrated you will agree that not only did he had the support of the APC family, he had support beyond the APC family,’’ he added.

By Sulaimon Salau



As the nation’s land borders remain closed by the Federal Government to curtail illicit trade, some clearing agents have resorted to taking advantage of the high volume of cargoes passing through the seaports to shortchange government in terms of duty payable.

Essentially, the fraudulent clearing agents, who now have more cargoes to clear for their clients, shortchange the government through underpayment and false declaration of consignments with a view to reducing duty payable.

The Guardian’s investigations revealed that many importers are being found guilty of the sharp practices by their agents, causing them huge losses in investment when their consignments are eventually seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). It was also revealed that some customs officers are conniving with the clearing agents to manipulate the duty payable on imported items.

Some importers, who spoke to The Guardian on the illegality, urged the customs to impose strict sanctions on the erring agents and officers. A case between Tonason Evergreen Limited (importer) and Arisiki Nigeria Limited (clearing agent) is reflective of the current situation.

Tonason, through its solicitor, had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged underpayment by its agent (Arisiki) who allegedly paid a duty of N500,000 on a Toyota Highlander 2013 model instead of the original duty estimated at N1,200,000, thereby cheating the government by N700,000.

The Managing Director of Tonason Evergreen Limited, Ikwuka Tochukwu Jude, in an interview with The Guardian, bemoaned the fraudulent act, stating that all efforts to get the agent tracked by the EFCC and customs had yielded no positive results.

In the petition obtained by The Guardian, Tonason stated: “Our client, upon the purchase of a Toyota Highlander 2013 model, engaged the respondent, Mr. Idemili Innocent of Arisiki Nigeria Limited to clear the vehicle by paying the required customs duty. Our client later paid N1.8 million to Innocent as duty fee which he duly acknowledged.

“Our client was travelling to Nnewi in Anambra State when he was accosted by customs officers who confirmed that the original duty payable on the vehicle was N1.2 million, instead of the paltry N500, 000 paid by the agent.

“In that circumstance, our client swiftly put a call across to the respondent (Innocent) who actually admitted not paying full duty on the vehicle, consequent upon which the respondent quickly made a transfer of N70,000 to our client for onward payment to the customs officers and latter got the vehicle released.” Efforts to get the clearing agent for comments were unfruitful, as he ignored calls and messages to his telephone.

In a similar scenario, Masters Energy Commodity Trading Limited (importer) forfeited 30 containers of rice to customs three years ago owing to the sharp practices by its clearing agent. The agent made a false declaration detailing yeast instead of rice.

In a letter to the House of Representatives Committee on Customs Excise and Tariff, a copy of which was obtained by The Guardian, the company alleged that its agent made a false declaration in order to cut tariff for the 30 containers of rice.

The letter by the then Managing Director, Chukwudi Otigba, reads in part: “Sometime in May 2016, we entered into a business transaction with a Thailand company known as Asia Inter Trade Rice Export Co Ltd for the importation of 30 containers of Thai Parboiled Rice to be delivered at the TinCan Island Port, Apapa, Lagos as contained in the bill of laden.

“We contracted Destiny Impex Limited, a clearing company registered and licensed by customs as our agent to clear the 30 containers of rice in accordance with customs tariff and classifications.“All our importing documents such as bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) fumigation certificate and health certificate clearly disclosed the consignment as rice and not yeast as declared by the agent.”

Another importer, Mrs. Grace Ifeayinwa, expressed the fear that her clearing agent might have shortchanged government in the duty payment for her Toyota Highlander imported through the Apapa port.Ifeayinwa, who said she could not trust any agent due to allegations of fraud, revealed that she was trying to verify the original duty payable on the vehicle upon allegation that the clearing agent paid N700,000 instead of N1.2 million estimated by the customs.

“When I confronted him, he started avoiding me. Then I contacted another agent who also claimed that I have to pay a penalty fee of N400,000 with a processing fee of N120,000. I have made my findings and discovered that they are both fraudulent, but I am confused now, because I cannot drive the car.

“The customs should simplify the duty calculations and payment so that the importers would be able to know the exact duty payable and possibly effect payment by themselves. The existing method is encouraging fraud and it’s not good for our economy,” she said.The President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents, (NCMDCLA), Lucky Amiwero, told The Guardian that the association was doing a lot to ensure that the agents comply with the ethical practice in the job.

Amiwero said the importers should report fraudulent agents to the appropriate quarters such as the customs management, which is authorized to sanction any erring practitioner.

“Such an agent could be dragged to court which will declare him as guilty and mete out necessary punishment. If a court has not declared him guilty, it would be difficult for anyone to call him a fraudster. Besides, the NCS also has the authority to sanction any erring agent by way of withdrawing the operating certificate, and the agency has been doing that when it is convinced beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer, Customs Tin Can Island Command, Uche Ejesieme, told The Guardian that the agency did not tolerate fraudulent agents.“We ensure strict compliance with duty rules and sanction the erring agents after a diligent profiling has proved him to be fraudulent.

“We have sanctions that we apply to those that are circumventing the process. We have blocked a lot of licences. Once we do system profiling and discover infraction in documentation or any manner, we have a way of blocking the license. I can assure you that we follow due process before anybody can block the license. We go through all manner of processes before you can ascertain fraudulent agents. If you don’t engage in such checks and balances, they will let the system off. We have many of them that have been blocked,” he said.He alleged that some of the fraudulent agents used other people’s licences, but at the end of the day, the owner of the licence would be the one to suffer.

Ejesieme enjoined vehicle owners who feel defrauded to visit the customs zonal office to regularise their duty, saying the NCS had opened a window for such an opportunity.“The CG has opened a window in all zonal offices of customs. We have a platform there whereby anybody who wants to regulate his duty payment can stroll in and do so without stress,” he said.

By James Azania, Lokoja



Even before final announcement of the results of Saturday’s governership election in Kogi State, the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Musa Wada has rejected the likely outcome.

Addressing a press conference, in Lokoja on Sunday, which coincided with the collation of results from the 21 LGAs of the state at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in capital, Wada alleged that the results were all false.

He said that what happened in the state over the weekend was neither democracy nor a reflection of the wishes of the electorate.

He said that the wishes of the people did not prevail at the polls.

He lamented that the police colluded with INEC to undermine the will of the people of the state.

He said there is no need allowing for election, “if Okene that had forty thousand accredited voters, now came up with a hundred and twelve thousand.”

He described it as a sad day for Kogi people, who he said are in mourning mood.

“Do you see anybody rejoicing? Is this how it is the day after a true victory? It is not about me here. It is about the long suffering people of the state who have been under bondage in the last four years.

“I won this election free and fair. Just imagine that they leave out the rigged election of Okene, Okehi and the several cases of brutality meted on our supporters, and the widely reported cases of ballot snatching, I would have won neatly,” he declared.

Seated by his running mate, Hon. Sam Aro, Wada said that as the party’s flagbearer together with the party, will seek redress at the tribunal.

According to him, the APC has taken Nigerians back to the dark days.

“The governorship election is not about me, but about another four years of misgovernance that would be midwifed by the APC. The results were already written, and is not a reflection of the people’s wishes,” he asserted.

By Omeiza Ajayi




The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has found 30 of its staff who were declared unaccounted for, following violent attacks on their duty posts in Saturday’s Governorship election in Kogi state.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement Sunday in Abuja, said the staff were safe and sound while they had also concluded their election day assignments.

“We can now confirm that all the 30 ad-hoc staff engaged for the 2019 Kogi Governorship election and posted to Polling Units 002, 006 and 013 at Olamaboro III; and Polling Units 006, 012, 015, 016, 022 at Imani 1 all in Olamaboro Local Government Area have been accounted for. They are safe, sound and back in their respective homes. The Chairman of the Commission has personally spoken with some of them and they confirmed that they are hale and hearty”, he said.

Oyekanmi said none of the staff was harmed or killed.

“These election-day duty staff could not be accounted for initially following the violent attacks by some armed thugs at their respective duty posts after the close of polls. The Commission has established that none of them was either injured or killed. They were able to successfully conclude the result collation process before the commotion started,” he added.

Magnus Eze, Enugu




The leadership crisis that erupted among a group of pastors in Ebonyi State operating under the aegis of Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum shortly after the election of Chief David Umahi as governor in 2015 is gradually taking a distasteful dimension.

Although the matter was allegedly laid to rest sometime in 2017 in a controversial way; a development which paved way for the emergence of Pastor Eunice Oyeyemi of Christ Embassy, Abakaliki as the new leader of the group, at the moment, the forum has been polarised again.

The two camps appear to have drawn a battle line with fists tightly clinching on each other’s jugular. And if remedial measures are not taken as quickly as possible, the subtle mudslinging which has recently taken a centre stage might degenerate to a more absurd state.

In fact, apart from an eight-page media material endorsed by the Chairman and Secretary of one of the groups, Rev. Ifeanyi Igwe, and Pastor Ernest Anayo respectively, which gave a sketchy account of the infighting among the clerics since four years ago, tongues have continued to wag among the pastors in ways that are unfriendly.

Sunday Sun gathered that the genesis of the imbroglio is not unconnected to the sharing formula of the monthly allocation of N5 million reportedly released to the pastors’ forum by the state government to assist them in carrying out their activities.

Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum is a branch of the Divine Mandate Campaign Organization of Governor Umahi; a platform through which he campaigned and won the governorship election of the state in 2015.

The forum, it was gathered, was “saddled with the responsibility of praying, canvassing, and mobilizing men of God and their churches across the state to support Chief Umahi” who was at the time, the deputy governor of Ebonyi State.

Such support, without doubts, was needed by Umahi as he was slugging it out with his principal at the time, Chief Martin Elechi, who did not want Umahi to succeed him.

So, considering the strong force standing against his aspiration, the then deputy governor needed all hands on deck to win the electoral battle. That was how many support groups were raised including the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum.
In fact, Umahi’s pastor, Oyeyemi, reportedly floated a campaign group called ‘Light up your world’ for her church member, in the same 2015 but the group reportedly phased out shortly after the election.

As soon as the governorship victory was secured, it did not take too long before crisis erupted among members of the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum.

Secretary of one of the factions, Pastor Anayo, told Sunday Sun that crisis erupted when their former leader, a notable evangelist in Abakaliki, returned to take over the leadership of the organization after he saw that the forum which he dumped and pronounced ‘dead and buried’ had been resuscitated by Rev. Ifeanyi Igwe.

According to Anayo, himself and Igwe worked very hard for about one year and six months to resuscitate and reorganize the then comatose Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum when the former leader abandoned it; and because of that refused to hand over to him when he returned.

The Igwe faction stated that the crisis which erupted afterwards drew the attention of Governor Umahi, who set up a three-man peace committee with Pastor Oyeyemi as a member.

“During the crisis, a three-man peace committee was set up by the governor to look into the matter and produce report and recommendations which Pastor Eunice was a member; Rev. Fr. Dr Abraham Nwali, and the deputy governor.

“But that committee committed suicide and died a natural death consequent upon the interest of Pastor Eunice on Divine Mandate. It was an unfortunate committee because it was frustrated by interest.

“Instead of producing a report as a committee, Pastor Eunice rather declared herself as the leader of the group”, they said.

The aggrieved pastors led by Rev. Igwe, in this latest feud, accused Pastor Oyeyemi of capitalizing on the fact that the governor is a member of her church to hijack the organization since 2017.

They also accused her of leadership imposition, side-lining pastors who are not loyal to her, abusing them, bringing some of her pastors from Christ Embassy and some members of the forum who reportedly supported her to take over the forum’s leadership and thereafter allegedly ordained them as state working committee members and zonal coordinators.

Their statement read: “Our ordeals as Divine Mandate Pastors started in 2017 when Pastor Eunice Oyeyemi came to highjack the group by force.

“After she succeeded to highjack Divine Mandate, she brought her pastors from Christ Embassy and some members of Divine Mandate Pastors who supported her to come in and ordained them as state working committee and zonal coordinators and charged them to defend and to sing her praise and to make sure that nobody talks no matter what happens.”

The aggrieved pastors also alleged that some of the largesse including Christmas gifts usually given to them by the governor only got to the few of the members. They alleged that Pastor Oyeyemi did not curtail the excesses of some of her ‘errand boys’; hence, making them to carry themselves as demigods.

The pastors further alleged that a recent N250 million empowerment package given to the clergy by the state governor, which was supposed to get to all the members numbering about 2,500 did not get to all of them as only few members got “the unfortunate N100,000 empowerment.”

“The truth is that the so-called empowerment is a sham because it was marred with corruption. 2,500 persons are supposed to be beneficiaries of the empowerment but unfortunately those who benefitted are not up to 1,500 persons.

“The empowerment was not exclusively for Divine Mandate Pastors because members of Christ Embassy are majority in the list”, it added.
The aggrieved pastors further alleged that they had been abused and treated very poorly by Pastor Oyeyemi.

“The Divine Mandate Pastors are given N5 million allocation on monthly basis, but it is unfortunate that the money does not come as at when due, even when it is certain that it has been released by the government.

“Sometimes, it takes two to three months before it will come after government has released it. But we are not surprised because the money is the reason Pastor Eunice came to highjack Divine Mandate.

“From the time she came to Divine Mandate, she introduced a policy making it compulsory that members of Divine Mandate Pastors must gather every week to pray in the 64 Development Centres and the 13 local government areas to qualify you to have a share of N2,000 from the monthly allocation.

“Imagine somebody paying transport (fare) not less than N2,000 from places like Ivo, Afikpo South, and Onicha to Abakaliki just to come and collect N2,000 and spend the whole day for that matter.

“That is a slave master because she does not attend any, even the one at Government House except the day she wants to share only N2 million out of N5 million to the pastors. She has so much abused the pastors and turned them to less privileged pastors.”

When contacted, Pastor Oyeyemi told Sunday Sun that she would not comment on the matter because it was already being handled by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Oyeyemi said: “The matter is already on the DSS table. So, if you are publishing anything that you have not done interrogative and investigative journalism, you better get hands off it because everything that guy is doing is illegal and it is against my fundamental human right. So, the DSS is already on the matter.”

Told that the call was part of the investigation into the root of the matter; and ensure that every party involved got fair hearing, Oyeyemi said: “I don’t have anything to say because the DSS has advised me not to say anything.

“Everything that young man is saying is against the law; and the law has a redress for such matters. So, just save your paper from impending litigations”.

However, some members of the State Working Committee of the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum, its coordinators in the three senatorial districts and the local government coordinators in the 13 council areas of the state, rose to Pastor Oyeyemi’s defence.

At a press conference held in Abakaliki, the state capital, the pastors absolved her of all the allegations by the other group of pastors in the forum.

A press material signed by two members of the state working committee, Rev. Odu Paul, and Pastor Eluu Ifeanyichukwu; three zonal coordinators, and the 13 local government coordinators of the forum, said that they were shocked to see “a malicious publication by some impostors who termed themselves as Concerned Divine Mandate Pastors.”

“Our leader is well known in this state as a woman of God with integrity, tested and trusted for over two decades by the ministry she represents and the good people of Ebonyi State including Chief David Umahi who happened to be her member and a deacon in her church upon which these fellows were not afraid to malign his pastor to this extent.

“People must be careful not to fight a man that has found favour with God otherwise they will be fighting God. Our esteemed leader, Pastor Eunice is an example of grace following her antecedents in the ministry; and the whole body of Divine Mandate Pastors are happy with her matchless leadership prowess.

“On the other hand, we are aware that these mischief makers (Ifeanyi Igwe and his accomplice, Mr Ernest Anayo) are being sponsored by the enemies of Engr. Dave Umahi and the church in general to misrepresent the Divine Mandate Pastors.

“Being that the spiritual covering around him is high and their darts are not getting at him, they have devised a new plan to uncover him but it will remain a vain voyage”, the statement read.
Continuing, they said the allegations were baseless, saying that Rev. Ifeanyi Igwe was never an ordained minister of the gospel and did not have a church that he could be traced to.

“His accomplice, Mr Ernest was suspended from the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum because he was found not to be a pastor in Salvation Ministry as claimed by him; which the evidence of exemption was sent to the body via the state pastor of Salvation Ministry in the state.

“The ministry was shocked to see that Mr Anayo had impersonated them for over three years in the name that he, Mr Anayo, was the person that brought Salvation Ministry to Ebonyi State whereas he is not even a leader in the said church.

“These and others constitute the character of the duo spreading all these lies to tarnish the image of the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum and our leader, highly esteemed Pastor Eunice Oyeyemi.
“Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum is not in crisis and we are more than ever committed to the vision of His Excellency for setting up the forum.

“We address this press conference just for record purposes and to let the public know that the said Ifeanyi Igwe and his accomplice, Mr Ernest Anayo Usulor are inconsequential as far as this movement is concerned and they should, henceforth, stop parading themselves as pastors deceiving the gullible ones”, the statement added.

Regardless, the allegation of not being pastors was dismissed by Pastor Anayo as laughable. He said that he and Rev. Ifeanyi Igwe are pastors.
“I am in Salvation Ministries and I am a pastor. And I have been a pastor. Salvation Ministries Church came into Ebonyi in 2017 which already, I have been a pastor before that time.

“I have been a pastor in some churches. So, when the church came, we were the people that started it here. When two pastors were sent from the headquarters of the church in Port Harcourt to come and start the church here, I joined the church.

“I have not been employed as a pastor in the place because the pastor that is there now whom I work with is a pastor that was sent from the church’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“So, I am not employed to work as a pastor there even though I have been asked to take up a branch of the church but I said no because I also have a plan for my own ministry. So, I am not employed there as a pastor in the Salvation Ministries”, he explained.

Meanwhile, in a suspension letter dated February 19, 2018 which was signed by Pastors Odu Paul, Ifeanyi Eluu, the three zonal coordinators, and the coordinators of the 13 local governments of the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum, the group gave reasons for suspending Pastor Ifeanyi Igwe whom they described as a member of the state working committee.

“This letter constitutes official notice of your indefinite suspension because of your gross misconduct which is inimical and detrimental to the progress of the Divine Mandate Pastors’ Forum and election bid of Dr Deacon Dave Nweze Umahi.

“You have been passionately warned time without numbers to cease from this misconduct but you insist in publicly insulting our state coordinator without remorse”, the suspension letter partly read.

Rev. Igwe could not be reached to react to the allegations over which he was purportedly suspended. His phone was not reachable even as his colleague, Pastor Anayo, absolved him of all wrong doings.

“That man, the kind of treatment he was getting from there was not palatable because she (Pastor Eunice) was now using others to do exactly what that man was supposed to be doing.

“He was not doing anything. They were side-lining him. So, he was not comfortable with that. They began to see the presence of that man as a threat to them because the man was always speaking for the interest of the people which they were not comfortable with”, he stated.

Pastor Anayo, however, listed conditions for peace in the pastors’ forum to include: “She (Oyeyemi) should account for the N250 million empowerment and the N5 million monthly allocations since 2017.

“Those who used fake names in the empowerment like (names withheld) should be fished out to pay back; the Local Government Coordinators that were removed for not supporting the corruption in the system should be restored.

“Those who were denied the empowerment should be paid because the money is there. Pastor Eunice should honourably handover to the right person. She should go and do her Light up your world campaign organization which is a support group she formed in 2015 for the governor which died after the election. These are the things that will bring peace”.

By Muideen Olaniyi


The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have bowed to the threats by APC governors to convene the party’s national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.

The national leadership of the APC is to hold separate meetings of its national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) this week, Daily Trust on Sunday learnt yesterday.

Reliable party sources said while the national caucus would hold at the Presidential Villa on the night of Thursday, November 21, the NEC would meet on Friday, November 22 in the morning at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

When contacted yesterday, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who confirmed the development, however, did not speak on the agenda of the meetings.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who returned to the country on Friday night, is expected to be part of the meetings.

Last Wednesday, the APC governors asked Oshiomhole to either resign or convene a meeting of NEC to resolve all challenges.

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that critical matters would be sorted out at the national caucus meeting to be presided over by the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and attended by the leadership of National Assembly, including the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The issues discussed at caucus, sources said, would be ratified at the NEC meeting expected to be brief because of the Jum’aat prayers on Friday.

Part of the issues expected to be ironed out is the need to fill the existing vacant positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) and the ongoing political battle between the party’s national chairman, Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial poll in the state.

The outcome of the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states is another matter expected to be reviewed together with the state of the party in various states.

The governors, under the aegis of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), said in the current circumstance, nothing short of a NEC or national caucus meeting of the party could resolve all increasing organisational challenges as a party.

The position was contained in a statement issued by the NGF Director General, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

The governors said the party’s national leaders must rise to the challenge facing the APC as a party and take all necessary measures to convene superior organ meetings to begin to resolve all challenges, stressing that “the current public disgrace must end.”

They expressed concern over the current feud between Oshiomhole and Obaseki and the disqualification of its deputy governorship candidate in Bayelsa State.

The governors, who said the efforts should have been made towards vacating the court order disqualifying its candidate, warned against the repeat of its misfortunes in Adamawa, Zamfara, Rivers and Bauchi in Bayelsa, Anambra, Edo and Ondo states with the current development.

They expressed belief that the vacant positions in the NWC should have been filled.

In Edo, factions loyal to Oshiomhole and Obaseki had suspended the two leaders after passing votes of no confidence on them at separate press conferences.

IT has been revealed that the SMS war between the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as reported by this column last Saturday, was provoked by the manner the members of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were picked.

An impeccable Presidency source told Sentry that contrary to popular belief, Senator Akpabio actually made an input into the appointment of the board members but was irked that the member he nominated was not made the chairman or managing director of the commission, hence his decision to constitute a three-man interim management committee to manage the board’s affairs.

As the story goes, President Muhammadu Buhari had told Senator Omo-Agege, who is said to be very close to the Villa, that he needed upright and competent people to run the affairs of NDDC because he believed that the huge sums hitherto pumped into the commission had not been well utilised by its managers. This was the basis upon which Buhari told some Niger Delta leaders who visited him in Aso Rock recently that a forensic audit would be carried out on the commission.

Omo-Agege, however, felt that it would not be fair for him to nominate the commission’s members without inputs from other Niger Delta leaders. He therefore contacted the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Silver as well as Akpabio and some other Niger Delta leaders who nominated a name each. But it was Oshiomhole’s nominee, Dr. Pius Odubu, who became the commission’s new chairman, while Omo-Agege’s nominee, Bernard Okumagba, became the managing director.

Irked by the development, Akpabio constituted an interim management committee, even though he knew that the board would be cleared and there was even somebody already acting as MD.

Few days ago, the House of Representatives ordered Akpabio’s interim management to quit because there is a board in place and the MD is part of it. Everybody is now awaiting President Buhari’s arrival from his trip abroad to inaugurate the new board.

Akpabio’s bid to take charge because he did not choose the chairman or the MD of NDDC led to the angry text he exchanged with Omo-Agege which SENTRY reported last week.

By Collins Nnabuif ...



The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami has issued a broad policy directive to the sector regulator Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to immediately ensure that issues regarding automatic voicemails are addressed on all existing phone lines and the subscribers, given the option of accessing the service via an activation code.

According to a statement issued by the Spokesperson to the Minister, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, it described it as financial exploitation by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country, through the automatic activation of the Voicemail Service on their platforms.

The statement said the Voicemail service should be accessed at the discretion of the subscriber and not by default.

It noted that the Minister finds it worrisome and totally unacceptable, that telecoms subscribers incur financial charges, for a service they are compelled to use by default.

“Voicemail is not a popular service among mobile phone users in Nigeria, coupled with the language challenge among rural dwellers, who mostly do not understand the language deployed by these networks”, the statement added.

“It is apparent, that the recent clampdown on the exploitative activities of some Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country, has beamed the searchlight on the sector properly, and some unpatriotic elements in the system are devising subtle, ingenious methods of defrauding Nigerians,” the statement said.

Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) have threatened to boycott the rerun ordered by the Court of Appeal in Essien Udim local government area.

The rerun is to determine the actual winner of the Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district between Akpabio and the incumbent, Senator Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Akpabio and his party have insisted that they won’t participate in the rerun if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not remove the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, from the state.

The appellate court last Saturday ruled that Ekpenyong did not win in Essien Udim, Akpabio’s council area and therefore ordered a rerun in 90 days.

But the Director-General of Godswill Akpabio Campaign Organisation, Dr. Chris Akpan, in Uyo yesterday gave the indication that his principal may back out of the election.

Akpan said there was no guarantee that INEC in the state under Igini would be unbiased in the conduct of the rerun, insisting that a new electoral umpire must be assigned to carry out the exercise.

“What will be the need for Akpabio to participate in the rerun with Igini as the State INEC REC? Of course he (Igini) is going to repeat the fraud he committed in the last election.

“We insist that there must be a level playing ground for everybody. With Igini the ground will not be level so we won’t participate.

“That is the position of my party and also my position as the DG of Akpabio’s campaign organisation.

“Why shouldn’t INEC do away with him (Igini)? We had complained about this man but they allowed him work against the APC and its candidates in the last election,” he said.

By Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia



The southeast geo-political zone has a national Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevalence rate of 1.9, which is above the national average of 1.4.

At the commissioning of the southeast Zonal Office of the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) in Umuahia, Abia State, yesterday, it was disclosed that out of about 10,000 persons living with the virus, less than 2,000 avails themselves of the retroviral drugs that are said to be available and affordable.

Director-General of NACA, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, who stated this at the ceremony, decried the scenario and urged the victims to avail themselves of the anti-retroviral therapy (ART), adding that taking the drugs would make the sufferers live healthy lives and carry on their normal activities.

He stressed the need for people to go for a test to know their HIV status and thus begin early to do the needful if tested positive, to make them live normal lives.


The DG also advised against stigmatising HIV/AIDS victims.

“Why should HIV/AIDS patients be stigmatised and avoided while those of hypertension, malaria and other deadly diseases are not sigmatized the same way,” he queried.

According to him, if the victims don’t go for tests or anti-retroviral therapy, there would be no need for NACA.

There is the political will to control the scourge in the country, he noted, urging the South East to face the challenges posed by the scourge and do the needful to reduce the prevalence rate.

He, however, commended Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who, according to him, has set aside 0.5 per cent of the state’s annual budget to fight HIV/AIDS.

Commissioning the zonal office on behalf of the governor, the deputy governor, Ude Chukwu, commended NACA for siting the office in Abia, pledging to ensure it’s smooth running.

While urging the zone to intensify efforts to control the scourge, he advised victims to avail selves of the ART that would sustain their lives.

NACA coordinator for the South East, Dr. Miriam Ezekwe, expressed confidence that the new office would effectively coordinate the agency’s activities in the zone and improve the interface of the states’ agencies, thereby making the national response more robust.

Adeyinka Aderibigbe



The Lagos State Government will be closing down Yaba and Jibowu/Ogunmorin axis on the 16th and 23rd of November respectively, from 8:00pm to 6:00am the next day for the level Cross construction of the rail tracks.

On the 16th of November the Jibowu axis will be closed down, while the Yaba axis of the rail will be shut down on the 23rd of November.
The routes will be closed at night to ensure smooth and uninterrupted flow of work on the rail tracks.

The routes will also be used interchangeably as alternative routes for motorists to get to their various destinations so that when one axis is under construction, the other axis will be opened for motorists.

The Lagos State Government appealed to road users to bear with the government as it takes steps to create proper road infrastructure that will ultimately improve the traffic situation of the state.

By Seun Opejobi


Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the United States, US, have alleged that cabals in the presidency are attempting to use a Governor from the South West to depose Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President.

They claimed that the cabals are using Fayemi to thwart moves towards ensuring that a competent “Yoruba man” succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.


Reacting to some of the news making the rounds, they insisted that the major achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration would have been impossible without the Vice President.

A renowned judge in the United States, US, and leader of the APC, Dele Alade, said politicians should leave the President and his Vice out of their games, so they can focus on governance.

He said: “Any humiliation of the VP or Asiwaju Tinubu or other leaders will not be acceptable. All these shenanigans are because of 2023.


“Kayode Fayemi has to be very careful. VP Osinbajo has done a great job. We know it. Nigerians know it. Rather than helping Buhari/Osinbajo concentrate on delivering better governance to our people, some crazy elements and enemies of progress are bent on destroying the gains made so far and paralyzing governance.

“Tens of millions of Nigerians are suffering because of this. Only those lazy government officials who live on government and/or on government welfare (and not on their ingenuity) are unconcerned. We’re watching and we will hold them accountable.”

Another chieftain of APC said: “What a proverbial “Hammer throwing at the head.” This cabal is a basket case, a prodigal son.


“Thanks for exposing the scum bag, a fraud. No wonder the Cabals are using him to depose VP Osinbajo, so rather than having a competent Yoruba man as the next President, the coup plotters are already entrenched in diversionary and overt shenanigans with the help of the likes of Fayemi.”

Also, a leader of the party in the US, Baba Adam, said the contributions of the Vice President should be applauded.

Adam, who was a former US leader of Pro National Conference Organisations, PRONACO said: “This is just a reminder that the clock cannot be turned back. The very best of this administration’s initiatives be it Homegrown School Feeding Program, N-Power, GEEP Programs, Niger-Delta Peace initiatives, Energizing Education and Market Initiatives, etc came out of the Office of the Vice President and not at the President’s Office or the Ministries, Department and Agencies.”



The Borno state citizen who is a former chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) also waded into the decision by the US government to deny Fayemi entry visa.

He said Fayemi was denied the USA visa like hundreds of thousands of other Nigerians, adding that what happened to the governor was just the beginning.

“So you want to be the next Nigerian Vice President? He quizzed. “You as a person from the South West – through your in-action you may have endorsed the ongoing insults by the Cabal on VP Pst. Prof. Osinbajo, SAN, GCON… and remember he is highly regarded at the White House – so they are sending you and others ‘clear shot across the bow.



“If you do not heed this warning – next – worldwide freezing of you and your friend’s assets,” he said.

He stated that the ‘body bag’ comments by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has not gone unnoticed by the US and United Kingdom, UK governments.

“Again by association, remember your associates ‘Body Bags’ rantings,” he added.

by Mayowa Tijani



A few days after his 57th birthday, Femi Otedola, Nigerian multibillionaire and businessman, made history by donating N5 billion for the care of children facing extreme challenges as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.

According to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, this is the largest donation to charity by a single individual in the nation’s history.

The donation was made to Save the Children, the 100-year United Kingdom-based charity, to support its intervention in about 16 states of the federation where the Charity organisation operates in Nigeria, reaching over 23 million children across the country.

Without running a foundation, Otedola is making a strong statement as one of the country’s biggest donors to worthy causes.

His second-biggest donation is his commitment to building and donating a faculty of engineering valued at N2 billion to the Augustine University in his hometown, Epe, Lagos state.

TheCable takes a look at what Otedola could have done with his N5 billion donation — if he was following in the footsteps of an average billionaire.



A LIFETIME OF CHAMPAGNE
How many bottles of Hennessy do you need to buy in a lifetime? 250,000? At one Hennessy per day, Otedola could have used the same money to by at least 684 years of champagne. 684 years is how many lifetimes?

While donating $50,000 to former Super Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu, Otedola said: “In my circle of friends, many people spend up to N50 million to drink champagne and generally ‘enjoy’ life, but at the end of it all what happens? It passes out of their body as waste. For me therefore (and I also tell my friends) it is important to use such money to benefit others and put a smile on the faces of as many people as we can.”


https://f5p3e9e4.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WhatsApp-Image-2019-11-11-at-1.11.18-PM.jpeg


If Otedola was to follow his friends, he would still need to host at least 100 lavish parties to spend N5billion on champagne. Therefore, this donation can also be seen as forfeiting 100 lavish parties.


7 VINTAGE YACHTS

According to Boat Internationational, it cost about N255,000,000 to buy a 1976 Ocean Romance Yacht off its vintage collection. With N5 billion, Otedola could have easily bought about 19 of these yachts. But most vintage yachts do not come in as many pairs. So most billionaires have to diversify their collections by buying different brands.

With N5 billion, the Nigerian businessman can buy at least seven of some of the finest yachts in the collection.


92 MERCEDES G-WAGON (2019 EDITION)

The 2019 Mercedes G-Class is the rave in town by some of the richest in Nigeria. It cost between $125,000 to $150,000. With N5 billion at your disposal, you can buy 92 units of this luxury vehicle, and perhaps have some change — depending on the model you settle for.

Think of this as a luxurious car business in a Benz-crazed Nigeria, but Otedola will decide that it was better to use these billions for the struggling in society, than serve to the orders of his class of rich businessmen in Nigeria.


7 PRIVATE JETS AND OTHER LUXURIES

In 2017, a famous bank chairman in Nigeria quit his active role in the bank to start a private jet business, which he considered his next challenge. Despite the initial clampdown under President Muhammadu Buhari on some of these luxury items, the business is expected to boast of a good number of jets and so heavy cash flow.

To attempt this business with N5 billion is also a possible way for Otedola to spend his money. Brand new Cirrus Vision Jet costs about N723 million. With N5 billion, Otedola could easily buy seven of these jets.

As a businessman in real estate, the former Forte Oil chairman could easily buy luxury apartments in any part of world, including one of the world’s most expensive cities, New York.

The same money could also buy 39 units of 2019 Rolls Royce, regarded as some of the most expensive luxury cars in the world today. It would be easy to become friends with Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO, by simply buying 395 units of fully electric 2019 Tesla Model 3, which costs a little over N12 million per unit.

Philanthropy makes up two percent of the United States gross democratic product (GDP). According to Bill Gates, this covers for what the government cannot do, and what the private sector is also not doing. He says philanthropy is important to the US economy.

For Nigeria, it remains unknown, how much of the GDP is made up of charitable donations, but with the likes of Otedola in the space, the numbers are definitely growing, and may soon be well-studied and measured in GDP reports.

Olufemi Atoyebi , Ihuoma Chiedozie and Ifeanyi Onuba



Harsh business environment in Nigeria forced about 322 organised private companies to close shop between 2009 and 2014 , a report by the World Bank Enterprise Survey has shown .

The report also said out of 5 , 833 firms sampled in the country within the period, at least 1 , 136 were reported to be at the risk of closing down .
A firm is considered to have closed down or exited if it is confirmed as ceasing operation .

The World Bank Enterprise Survey , which focused on emerging markets and developing economies, covered small, medium and large- scale enterprises in the non- agricultural formal private sector.

The study looked at the effects of factors such as trade , finance , labour , infrastructure , innovation , regulations , taxes and business licensing, crime , informality and corruption on business growth .

Results of the survey , which was published in a report by the African Development Bank , entitled ‘ Creating Decent Jobs : Strategies , Policies and Instruments’ , identified political environment and corruption as major obstacles to the survival of businesses in Nigeria and other African countries .

Stifling business regulations were also identified as a major constraint to doing business, according to the study.

Issues relating to tax rates , access to land , trade registration , tax administration , business licencing and permits are among the constraints relating to business regulations .

Inadequacy of infrastructure , particularly transportation , electricity and telecommunication facilities affected the survival of the businesses as well as access to finance .

The study also found that competition from operators in the informal sector was another factor that undermined the survival of businesses in the review period .

In the same vein , the AfDB report noted that conflict along ethnic and regional lines had stalled economic growth in Nigeria.

“ In Nigeria, conflicts along ethnic , and by extension , regional lines , have contributed to Nigeria’ s politically turbulent past and stalled its economic growth ,” the report said.

The report further observed that the conflicts had had negative impact on the labour market .
It identified human capital challenges as one of the reasons for the decline in the country ’s manufacturing sector .

“ Nigeria ’s manufacturing sector has declined because of a human capital issue : manufacturing firms use low skill , low -wage labour not because higher skill labour is unavailable , but because they cannot afford the wages demanded by higher skill labour, ” the report said.

Nigeria ’s unemployment rate , estimated at 37 per cent , was ranked as among the highest in Africa , with youths mostly affected .


Cost of production too high – Expert

The Registrar, Chartered Institute of Finance and Control of Nigeria , Mr Godwin Eohoi, said the harsh operating environment was responsible for the closure of many businesses in the country .

He said the two major challenges that companies in Nigeria faced currently were the bad conditions of road and poor power supply .
He argued that if the government could address these twin problems, there would not be any need for companies to relocate to other countries .

Eohoi said, “ We just came out of recession and government can encourage companies to grow by giving them tax holidays . Government should also provide infrastructure development .

“ The cost of production is high and many companies can ’t cope with high overhead cost . Government should provide good roads because without good roads, you can ’ t take what is produced to the market . Without electricity you can ’ t manufacture goods . Tax holidays should also be given to some categories of companies .”

The President of Trade Union Congress, Qadri Olaleye , said millions of Nigerians had lost their jobs in various sectors due to economic problem.

He said it was more prevalent in the textile and food industries where companies such as Atlantic Textile Nigeria , Jaybee , Bhojsons, Westex and Specomill textiles had closed shop with thousands of workers rendered jobless .

Quoting a report from the National Bureau of Statistics , Olaleye said between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the third quarter of 2018 , the number of unemployed Nigerians increased from 17 . 6 million to 20 .9 million .

He said, “ Nigerian tertiary institutions of learning produce up to 500 ,000 graduates every year with only a fraction able to secure employment .

“ Financial intervention to manufacturing companies will aid the diversification of the nation ’ s economy from import -driven economy to manufacturing reliance economy.”

Olaleye also said, “ We need to do close monitoring of the disbursed intervention funds in order to discourage corruption and diversion of funds. Good policy formulation and palliative measures to cushion the effects are equally important to guide against the present situation , where closure of boarders has skyrocketed prices of rice .”

Claims by the Presidency that presidential aides sacked in the Vice President’s Wing of the Buhari Presidency were disengaged to cut down on government’s expenses simply stands logic on its head. That is another view from Presidency sources

Totally at variance with the altruistic reason advanced by the Presidency, is the fact that more than half of the affected aides are donor-funded, including donors from well-known international development agencies from the United States and the United Kingdom, a source added.

Sources maintained that “what is happening in Aso Villa is an attempt by the President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari to grab power, and tussle with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is seen as a trusted and reliable supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, and whose influence is causing the cabal sleepless nights especially, because of his rising profile ahead of 2023.”

Besides, the claim that VP’s office is too large, with the number of aides put at over 80 in some reports, has also been debunked by officials of some of the donor agencies.

The argument according to top sources is that the quantum and weight of the programmes being implemented in the office demands quite an even larger staff strength if that were possible.

One of the sources put it this way: “Take the Social Investment Programmes (SIP) for instance, the budget is N500b, covering NPower job Programmes with half a million graduates involved, and the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme with about 10m pupils in 33 states, and others. What kind of staff strength do you need to run such Programmes with half a trillion Naira budget?

The source added that there are other functions that the VP performs statutorily and constitutionally, like the National Economic Council (NEC) that comprises all state governors and the Central Bank Governor, the only constitutional venue where states and the Federal Government interact on a whole lot of issues.

“What about supervising the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, with at least 10 power plants across the country? The source asked rhetorically, adding that it is also the VP’s office that supervises the Federal Government’s interests and shares in all the DisCos in and several other agencies like NEMA, DMO, NIPSS, the border communities’ agency, as well as the National Boundary Commission etc.


Continuing the source said the few people in the VP’s office that are executing the SIPs and other reform programmes like PEBEC, have actually been attracting continental and global recognitions for the Buhari Presidency, including from the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and many local awards.

Informed sources explained that while the aides were all approved by President Buhari, in August this year, he also approved the number of those who will work in the Presidential Villa as different from those deployed to work in other ministries outside the Villa.

“There is the talk of some re-organisation going on in the Presidency. For instance, all presidential staff working on the SIPs were transferred to the new ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. But at the same time, there are also other presidential aides, who were moved to various ministries from the OVP on the approval of the President recently. It was not about disengagement.”

The source continued: “It was therefore intriguing that the same set of presidential aides so transferred in September, after their appointments were approved by the President are now to be disengaged altogether, without any kind of wrongdoings on their part.”

As at last night, it was believed in government circles that the cabal has its own agenda working with the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustafa, who reports said was pressured to write disengagement letters for all the presidential aides that the President had approved to relocate outside the villa to ministries relevant to their portfolios.

One of the sources explained that this was done so as to forestall a reversal, which the President was expected to do later in the month when back in Abuja. “This explains why some of the names of the aides were leaked and then Kyari asked one of the Presidential spokespersons to issue a statement on Friday confirming the sacking of aides in VP offices, who were meant only to be relocated outside the Villa,” said the source.

Another source added that the VP was nearly schemed out of last week’s ECOWAS trip to neighbouring Niamey, Niger Republic. It was alleged that President Buhari had instructed the VP to attend on his behalf, but attempts were made by the Cabal to send the Foreign Affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, but the plot failed.

Apart from the 2023 Presidency, the main reason Osinbajo is loathed, the source again alleged, is because he has information regarding shady deals that are taking place. “They see him as a real threat and hate the fact that the President trusts him,” the source added.

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja



Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos State, has the lowest number of births at 3.4 children per woman.

Conversely, Katsina State in the North-West has the highest birth rate at 7.3 births per woman.

The information is contained in the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey key findings launched on Tuesday.

The report states that the birth rate in urban areas is much lower than that of rural areas.

According to the survey, the total birth rate in Nigeria is 5.3 children per woman.

The second lowest birth rate in Nigeria is Akwa Ibom which is 3.6 births per woman followed by Cross River which is 3.7 births per woman.

Other states with high birth rates include Bauchi and Jigawa which have a birth rate of 7.2 and 7.1 respectively.

The troubled North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe also have high birth rates at 6.1, 5.2 and 5.9 children per woman.

The report states in part, “Currently, women in Nigeria have an average of 5.3 children. Since 1990, fertility has decreased from 6.0 children per woman to the current level.

“Fertility varies by residence and state. Women in rural areas have an average of 5.9 children compared to 4.5 children among urban women. By state, fertility ranges from 3.4 children per woman in Lagos to 7.3 children per woman in Katsina.

“Fertility also varies with education and household wealth. Women with no education have twice as many children as women with more than secondary education. Fertility decreases as the wealth of the respondent’s household increases.”

The report adds that women living in the poorest households have an average of 6.7 children, compared to 3.8 children among women living in the wealthiest households.

The survey further shows that Lagos has the lowest rate of teenage pregnancy at just one per cent while Bauchi has the highest at 41 per cent.

It states that 44 per cent of teenage girls with no education have begun childbearing compared to one per cent of teenage girls with more than secondary education.

The NDHS report was conducted by the National Population Commission in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health.

Other partners involved in the survey which was launched in Abuja on Tuesday include- the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organisation, United States Agency for International Development, Global Fund and UNFPA.