There are indications that the Federal Government may, in the coming weeks, take punitive measure over the operating licences of some power distribution (DisCos) and generation (GenCos) companies. The Guardian gathered this may not be unconnected with the poor performance by some critical stakeholders in the value chain.
While President Muhammadu Buhari had recently terminated the appointment of the minister in charge of power, appointing Abubakar Aliyu to act as the new minister, Nigeria’s power sector has failed to perform years after privatisation, as level of power supply to homes and industries stagnates at about 4,000 megawatts.
Aliyu, yesterday, in a document made available to journalists in Abuja, said plans are underway to decide on the fate of the sector.
“The Ministry is intensifying performance monitoring of the licensees and the licensing regime, especially their revised Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) to have a better understanding of why some critical stakeholders are performing below expectation.
“We shall be taking a careful and detailed look at issues of policy, capacity and the technical requirement, among other things. One very critical concern that we must address in this performance monitoring process is to find out if the terms for granting the licenses were onerous,” he noted.
While the Federal Government has spent over N1.7 trillion on the sector with plans to spend additional $3 billion, Aliyu said government would now work on the full implementation of extant laws and design new ones in a bid to “match up with the huge sums invested by this administration.”
Coming at a time the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, blamed the nation’s energy sector for the sorry state of industrial development, Aliyu said, specific areas of conflict and tensions within the power industry value chain are being harmonised for greater synergy, which would bring about a wholesome alignment of responsibilities within the governance system of the power sector.
Adesina had, on Tuesday, said the lack of reliable power supply was affecting the growth of industries in the country, while speaking at the 49th annual general meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Abuja.
Quoting a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said the country loses $29 billion yearly, which is about 5.8 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to a lack of reliable power supply, adding that Nigerians spend $14 billion yearly on generating sets and fuel.
“Today, no business can survive in Nigeria without generators. Consequently, the abnormal has become normal,” Adesina said. “To be a manufacturer in Nigeria is not an easy business. You succeed not because of the ease of doing business, but by surmounting several constraints that limit industrial manufacturing.
“Today, the major challenge facing Nigeria’s manufacturing is the very high cost and unreliability of electricity supplies. Load shedding and the inconsistent availability of electrical power have resulted in high and uncompetitive manufacturing costs.”
The AfDB president further said that unless Nigeria decisively tackles its energy deficiency and reliability, its industries would always remain uncompetitive.
TO this, the Power Minister said there are ongoing conversations within the power value chain. “Stakeholders are talking and cooperating with one another and in so doing, bridging the observed disconnect within the sector.
“It must be clearly stated that within this value chain, some responsibilities are by virtue of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) performed by our private sector partners and other agencies of Government. These partners are being more closely monitored and sometimes given the needed nudge in the right direction to achieve our objectives.
“Hopefully, we will soon begin to experience the imminent turn around in the power sector. We are determined to deal with some policy issues, the legal and regulatory bottlenecks, and the human factors involved in the implementation and coordination of the power sector’s road map,” Aliyu said 50 days after resuming duties as acting minister.
While government had increased tariff in electricity on the backdrop of improved supply and service, Aliyu admitted that the quality of service in terms of hours of supply, voltage, disputed/estimated bills, or having no access to electricity, remained poor.
He said there is also sector illegality, noting that the “payments the DisCos are able to collect from consumers do not cover the full investment and costs of the GenCos, who produce and sell the power, and Transmission Company of Nigeria, which wheels the power to the DisCos.”
He said the ministry would focus on addressing liquidity, improving services in terms of hours of supply, billing transparency and accuracy, and wider access to electricity while bringing consumer, operator and investor confidence back to the sector to attract foreign and local investment.
“Kashimbilla 40MW power station has already started generating power into the national grid. Gurara phase 2 being developed in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources will soon be ready to deliver 30MW to the grid. Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Project is progressing towards completion next year to deliver another 700MW of renewable power. Katsina Wind farm, with a full capacity of 10MW, is already generating part of its full capacity to the grid. Dadin Kowa 40MW power station started generating power into the national grid under a concession arrangement with the private investor.
“The remaining regulatory and power purchase agreement issues are being resolved. Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project was contracted in 2017. Discussions are being intensified so that all encumbrances preventing full take off of the project are resolved soon. TCN’s Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme funded by various multilateral financial institutions to ensure adequacy and stability of the national grid are part of systematic implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) of this administration,” he said.
The leadership of the Boko Haram sect loyal to the Bakoura Buduma camps have relocated their bomb fabricators to a forest in Southern Kaduna State, according to PRNigeria report.
The bomb makers, known as Amaliyyahs in the terrorist circle, were recently deployed to Rijana, Igabi, and Chikun town in the Southern Province of Kaduna.
Internal sources say the two Boko Haram groups may take advantage of the mountainous forest as hideouts.
In a related development, the ISIS Shura Council has planned to visit the West African Wilaya of the Islamic State of the West African Province, ISWAP, PRNigeria gathered from credible intelligence sources.
The visit, it was learnt, was on the instruction of ISIS leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi as part of the group’s effort of reorganizing its global structure.
The source told PRNigeria that the purpose of the ISIS trip was also to provide training, funding as well as to deploy more mercenaries to fight in sub-Saharan Africa after losing a lot of it terrorist fighters.
“They are also to join forces with ISWAP to eliminate terrorists of the Bakoura Faction of Boko Haram,” the source added.
Aides of former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, have accused him of embezzlement in a leaked audio.
The 13-minute conversation between former chief of staff to Shema, Husseini Dambo and a former caretaker committee chairman of Kankara local government area, Hadi Audu, claimed that Shema converted billions of naira of the state government and 34 council areas into his personal use.
In the audio conversation, Dambo alleged that Shema is worth a trillion of naira having allegedly diverted funds belonging to the state government.
Part of the conversation read, “We just suffer for nothing. Even an ordinary plot of land I do not have. I am ready for a showdown,” Dambo said even as he accused Shema of being selfish.
Dambo said he knew some of the governor’s companies in Lagos, which he claimed, were established through monies diverted from the state.
Dambo and Hadi were also heard complaining about the alleged overbearing influence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in the state, Salisu Majigiri.
They accused Majigiri, who served as chief of staff to Shema, of shielding the former governor and making him inaccessible, noting that the chairman’s attitude was driving prospective members away from the party.
When contacted, Shema, who spoke through his spokesman, Olawale Oluwabusola, described the audio conversation as baseless, insisting that “there is no substance in what they are saying.”
However, Majigiri (PDP chairman) who laughed off the leaked conversation said it was part of the gambit for 2023 polls.
Meanwhile, the audio has renewed calls on the anti-graft agencies to intensify probe and hasten the prosecution of Shema, as some residents of Katsina state have reacted to the conversation, insisting that it underscored the need for a holistic probe of Shema’s eight-year tenure, including all those that served as commissioners and close aides.
Shema, who governed Katsina State from 2007 to 2015, is currently undergoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly embezzling the state’s funds to the tune of N5.7 billion.
The commission arraigned Shema on a 26-count charge of conspiracy and laundering of N5.7 billion allegedly stolen from the account of state SURE-P. However, Shema pleaded not guilty to the charges and the trial is ongoing.
Less than 48 hours after its official launch by President Muhammadu Buhari, the individual wallet for eNaira has recorded more than 100,000 thousand downloads on Google Playstore alone.
Apple’s App Store does not readily show an estimate of downloads.
The Nigerian official Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) was initially scheduled for launch on October 1 but was shifted till later in the month.
eNaira is the first of its kind in Africa. According to the Atlantic Council CBDC tracker, Naira debut made Nigeria one of the five countries in the world that have their own CBDC as the popularity of digital and cryptocurrencies continue to soar despite clampdowns in several countries.
There are two versions of the eNaira wallet – one for individuals (Speed Wallet) and another for merchants (Merchant Wallet).
“e-Naira will make a significant positive difference to Nigeria and Nigerians including supporting a resilience-payment system ecosystem, encouraging rapid financial inclusion, reducing the cost of processing cash, enabling direct and transparent welfare interventions for our citizens, increasing revenue and tax collection, facilitating diaspora remittances into Nigeria, reducing the cost of financial transactions and improving the efficiency of payment in Nigeria,” the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefuele said on Monday.
However, many people that have downloaded either of the eNaira apps on Playstore are having a tough time using them.
“An app with so many flaws. Can’t go past the registration stage because the app happens to send a confirmation message to an email it never requested for. So, I didn’t get any message and couldn’t register on the platform,” one user, Mark Samuel, said in his review of Speed Wallet on Playstore.
Another person who identified himself as Colorado Akpan said: “The interface is okay, But keeps telling me Incorrect account number even after trying 3times they told me to contact support because my BVN has been used too many times.”
CBN said for people who are faced with a similar problem as Akpan, the “system will unlock you after 30 minutes.”
Another person who has downloaded the app told The Guardian he was only able to register after trying nine times. But his problem did not stop there.
“I was lucky to get a confirmation email sent to me even though it was delayed. It was shocking, however, that the confirmation email that was supposed to expire after an hour, expired in less than five minutes,” he said.
One Fajuyi Michael faulted the insistent on confirming registration on the app using the link sent to an email attached to an individual’s bank verification number (BVN).
Fajuyi said the “email address shouldn’t be a stumbling block. What if one has changed the email attached to BVN if any?”
Similar negative comments are trailing the Merchant Wallet version of the app on Play Store.
One Queen Sly, in her review of Speed Wallet on App Store, described the app as “fantastic”.
Her experience contrasted that of Kanny Ekong, who said the app rejected his account number “even when I’m sure it is correct.”
Currently, Speed has a two-star rating on Playstore with more than 2000 reviews, most of them are negative. It has 190 reviews on App Store as at 3:00am Wednesday and it is positive with a 3.3-star rating with more positive reviews.
Tech experts, however, said it is not uncommon for tech products, especially applications like the eNaira wallets, to be buggy. But it is expected that the CBN will update the apps to improve the ease of registration and use.
The police have arrested a woman who allegedly “faked her own kidnap and used the ransom money paid by her husband to play bingo.
The woman allegedly faked her own kidnap and used part of the £5,000 ransom money paid by her terrified husband to play bingo.
The unnamed 47-year-old woman made up the bogus abduction whilst her husband was in hospital, thinking his wife was in mortal danger.
He frantically called the police to report what he thought was his wife’s kidnapping.
He had received messages from her saying she had been kidnapped and explaining what he must do to secure her freedom.
In response, an elite kidnap unit was mobilised to save her, but quite quickly found her claims were false, in part thanks to footage the Mossos d’Esquadra police force obtained.
Catalan police had footage which they show the woman withdrawing the ransom money before heading to a bingo hall to start spending it.
The footage showed her washing her hands with gel at the entrance to the premises before heading past the slot machines, to the bingo hall.
She was found in a casino in Badalona, near Barcelona and arrested in the middle of a bingo game on suspicion of fake a crime and extortion.
A judge released her on bail pending an ongoing criminal probe following a behind-closed-doors hearing.
The Economist in the report had described the Buhari government as inept and high-handed, adding that he had also failed to tackle corruption.
The Presidency has stated that it agrees with a London-based news magazine, The Economist, which reported that Nigeria’s insecurity worsened since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, but noted that the administration has not folded its arms either.
The Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, stated this in a reaction to the London magazine’s publication.
The Economist in the report had described the Buhari government as inept and high-handed, adding that he had also failed to tackle corruption.
The 178-year-old magazine said these in an editorial titled, “The Crime Scene at the Heart of Africa,” which was published in its October 23, 2021, issue.
It said due to the Buhari’s mismanagement of the economy, food prices had soared while life had become more difficult for Nigerians.
According to People’s Gazette, Shehu, in a reaction, said, “The Economist is also accurate to state that they (insecurity challenges) have come to a head under President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.”
While admitting that insecurity has taken a deep plunge, spiralling out of control, Shehu defended the Nigerian leader as more purposeful and pragmatic than previous administrations.
“Yet they do so, because for so long, under previous administrations, whether military or democratic, tough decisions have been ducked, and challenges never fully met – with the effect of abetting these dangers and allowing them all to fester and grow,” the presidential spokesman claimed.
“It is only the Buhari leadership which has sought – ever, in over one hundred years – to identify the root causes of the herder-farmer clashes and find durable solutions.”
In July, the bandits shut down a Nigerian Air Force jet in Zamfara and invaded the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna the following month.
Although Buhari acknowledged bandits have been terrorising the country, his administration has been reluctant to declare bandits as terrorists because they have yet to declare a political or religious goal, a key requisite in designating a movement as terrorists under international regulations.
Some members of the Coalition of Northern Groups have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the National Assembly to hasten the exit of the South East from Nigeria before concluding the ongoing constitutional amendment.
The plaintiffs, led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam, in a supporting affidavit, said their action was informed by the need to contain violence and destruction being allegedly occasioned by the agitation for secession championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
They said they did not want a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that cost the country millions of lives and property worth billions of naira.
The Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate president, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Asembly were listed as defendants in the suit.
In their reaction, lawyers from the South East, led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chuks Muoma, Ukpai Ukairo, Ebere Uzoatu and Obi Emuka, have applied to the court to join them as defendants in the suit.
They are asking for order of the court to allow them join in the suit as representatives of the people of the south eastern region.
In their application for joinder filed by Victor Onweremadu in Abuja Monday, they said the case of the Northern elders seeking the exit of South East from Nigeria had the capability to shape the life of the generation of Igbo people.
The motion on notice for the joinder request was brought pursuant to order 9 rule 5 and order 26 rule 2 of the federal high court civil procedure rule 2019.
The Igbo lawyers said they had interest to protect in the suit, hence, their request to be made defendants.
In their 12-paragraph affidavit in support of their application, the lawyers said the northern groups, in their suit, did not think it necessary to join the people of South East or their representatives to enable the court hear from them.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has regretted the detention of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, in Benin Republic.
In an interview with BBC, the monarch said the agitator rejected advice offered him by monarchs sent to dialogue with him.
Ooni narrated that he met the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over Sunday Igboho.
During the meeting, Buhari was informed of the reasons for Igboho’s agitation, according to the monarch.
In his reaction, Buhari was said to have said Igboho needs to be “calm and patient”.
The president also asked monarchs in the South-West advise Igboho against moves that are lawless.
The monarch, who said Igboho has a just cause to fight, said he should have been more diplomatic.
He alleged that Igboho was misled by politicians, insisting that the activist deserved the support of monarchs in the region.
On his part, Ooni said he had forgiven Igboho and already working to get him freed from detention in Benin Republic.
He urged other Yoruba Nation agitators to consider dialogue.
He said, “I have always told the government to call the agitators for a dialogue. Sunday Igboho grew up in Ife. All that he has become today, started from Ife. He fought the Ife and Modakeke war and both lands belong to Ife. He is a son of the soil.
“He wanted to fight for his kinsmen. He stood up and fought for those killed in Oke Ogun. We thank God for preserving his life. He tried his best but he was overwhelmed by different advice from people.
“Many people advised him wrongly. He listened to them.
“I visited President Buhari on his case and we discussed it. I told him that Igboho is our son, he told me that he (Igboho) should stay calm and exercise patience. The president told me that monarchs should warn him to be calm.
“After I left Buhari’s place, I called on monarchs and elders of Yoruba land for a meeting to advise Igboho to exercise patience but Igboho did not listen. He started abusing everyone, including the monarchs I sent to him.
“He hurled so many bad words but he is still our son. God owns forgiveness. We’ve forgiven him. If he had listened, he wouldn’t have found himself in his current travail.
“We are trying our best to secure his release.
“It is better to fight together. We can only achieve our goal if we are united.
“No one can fight with the government alone? You’ve to be diplomatic.”
The PUNCH had reported that Igboho is currently in a detention facility in Benin Republic after he was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on July 16, 2021, with his wife, while travelling to Germany.
This is after Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State home of the pro-Yoruba self-determination activist was invaded by men from DSS around 1:30 am on July 1, 2021, leading to the arrest of 12 of his aides, while Igboho managed to escape arrest.
Following the raid, Igboho sued the Federal Government and demanded damages.
Igboho asked the court to order the respondents to jointly pay him the sum ₦500 million as special damages for the damage done to his house and his car and another ₦500 billion as exemplary and aggravated damages for beaching his fundamental rights with the malicious invasion of his house as well as an order directing the Federal Government and the other respondents to tender a public apology in two national dailies.
Igboho also sought an order of the court directing the respondents to return all the items seized from the house.
He listed the items to include, N2 million cash, one thousand Euros, travel documents including international passports belonging to him and his family members, gold jewelry and wristwatches, 2 mobile phones, and other items yet unknown but which were allegedly carted away by the SSS.
The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has pleaded with the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values not to cut the ministry’s budget proposal.
Mr Mohammed, along with some heads of agencies under the ministry, had appeared before the committee on Monday to defend the propaganda budget.
“My prayer is that please don’t reduce from what is presented. Don’t touch my budget because you will have no moral justification for accusing the executive of giving me small,” he said.
According to him, when he met his counterpart in China and asked how much their budget for information was, the Chinese said it was national security.
Members of the committee also expressed concerns over underfunding of the ministry.
“I don’t know why the Ministry of Information is being underfunded. And I see some state ministries being funded more than a whole federal ministry.
“We need to make an official report on this matter to the House. If we don’t need the services of the ministry of information again we should close it,” the chairman of the committee, Olusegun Odebunmi, said.
Mr Odebunmi said the budget of the monitoring unit of the Ministry of Sports alone was more than the information ministry and pledged to confront the executive arm on the matter.
He urged Nigerians, hard hit by the effect of Mr Mohammed’s propaganda over the years, to rally support for the ministry, pledging that rather than remove a penny from the budget proposal, the House will add to it.
In the FCT, despite the allocation of N1.245 billion for the implementation of 17 constituency projects, only one was tracked complete, while 15 projects worth N1.195 billion were untraceable as a result of lack of access to information and project data.
By Mariam Ileyemi
An investigative report on the implementation of the 2019 and 2020 constituency projects in Ondo State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has revealed how most of the projects are untraceable.
The investigation was carried out through an initiative tagged; “Follow the Projects,” a social accountability movement and advocacy established by Technocrat Media Nigeria for the tracking of projects as provided for in the budgets of the government.
According to the findings, a sum of N3.905 billion was budgeted in 2019 and 2020 for the implementation of 86 zonal intervention projects (ZIPs) also known as “constituency projects” in nine federal constituencies and three Senatorial districts in Ondo State.
However, the investigators said only 30 out of these 86 projects were found trackable, while the rest were untraceable with no locations or actual descriptions.
In the FCT, N1.245 billion was allocated for the implementation of 17 constituency projects, in two federal constituencies and the FCT Senatorial District but that only one out of the 17 projects was found to have been completed.
The report
According to the director of the initiative, Daisi Omokungbe, the implementation of 2019 and 2020 zonal intervention projects in the FCT and Ondo State is a mix of abandoned, non-existing and untraceable projects.
He disclosed this at a press conference held in Abuja to mark the launch of the report, saying the projects were categorised into abandoned, completed, due process, ongoing, tracked and untraceable.
He said the initiative was supported by MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) through HEDA Resource Centre.
Mr Omokungbe said: “The report of the three months investigation was published, submitted to our partners, and handed to Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chairman House Committee on NDDC at the House of Representatives at a meeting of a coalition of stakeholders from Ondo State in February this year.”
He also noted that the lawmaker had promised that he was going to ensure NDDC contractors come back to sites to complete their abandoned projects across the state.
The findings
Despite the money released for the 86 projects in Ondo State, only 30 were found trackable, while the rest were untraceable with no locations or actual descriptions.
The findings further revealed that six projects were abandoned, 14 were completed, four under due process, seven are ongoing, 31 were trackable, and fifty-two were untraceable.
Similarly, in the FCT, despite the allocation of N1.245 billion for the implementation of 17 constituency projects, only one was tracked complete, while 15 projects worth N1.195 billion were untraceable as a result of lack of access to information and project data.
The untraceable projects
Mr Omokungbe said the untraceable projects raised red flags for encouraging opacity, corruption and diversion of public funds for personal uses.
“In our moving round, tracking projects and engaging local stakeholders, they lamented the pains they go through on a daily basis which if some of the projects awarded were completed, the sufferings and pains would have reduced, and dividends of democracy would have been delivered to the people,” he said.
He added that issues of basic social amenities such as provision of water, health centres, local roads, school buildings and erosion control formed the major demands of communities.
He noted that in the course of the investigation, they issued over 20 Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) to federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), but that only a few responded to the information and data being sought.
Mixed reactions have trailed Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s message to his predecessor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, on his 65th birthday anniversary.
In an advertisement in the Daily Trust of Thursday, Ganduje eulogised Kwankwaso, saying he cherishes what he termed their long-standing personal, official and political relationship.
The duo were political allies for years. The relationship, however, turned sour shortly after Ganduje succeeded him as Kano State governor in 2015.
However, many political analysts and stakeholders in the state viewed the governor’s birthday message differently.
For an APC chieftain and leader of the APC faction in the state, Alhaji Abdulmajid Dan Bilki Commander, the governor’s message was a sign of his desperation for a soft-landing in the political arena.
He said the governor is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea politically and was therefore in desperate need of a soft landing.
The Coordinator Kwankwaso Media Centre Malam Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa said the birthday message clearly shows that Ganduje is losing the battle in his party APC and he is looking for a way to reconcile with his former boss.
Another PDP stalwart in the state, Malam Yusuf Sharada, said the massage showed that Ganduje is drowning politically and losing grip of his party.
But the commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammed Garba, said there was nothing new in Ganduje’s birthday message to Kwankwaso.
According to him, it showed the governor’s gentleman’s attitude and his forgiving nature as well as his commitment to the state’s positive development.
A sharp crack has been created in the APC in Kano State with a former governor, Ibrahim Shekarau and Senator Jibrin Barau forming G-7 with their parallel executives being led by Ahmadu Haruna Danzago.
Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho: Malami playing politics to divide Yoruba, Igbo people – HURIWA
By Seun Opejobi
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has rejected what it called the persistent double standards in federal government policies and initiatives.
HURIWA said the Federal Government through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was trying to cause separation between the Yoruba and Igbo nations.
The group was responding to Malami’s claims that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) was responsible for some disturbances during last year’s End SARS protests in Lagos State.
Malami had said IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu hijacked the EndSARS protest and ordered his followers to kill security operatives.
However, HURIWA said Malami was playing a politics of divide and rule aimed at segregating the Igbos and Yorubas.
In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA said: “It is possible that the Minister of Justice who is a politician is playing politics of EAST/WEST DIVIDE so as to precipitate political division between Igbo people and the Yoruba and then open up the possibility of retaining power in the North.
“There is a clear evidence of double standards in the area of public prosecution of politically exposed individuals from either north or south. The government, particularly the Ministry of Justice has consistently manifested aversion or lack of enthusiasm towards bringing suspected terrorists from the Northern part of Nigeria to justice but he is always overzealous to charge other persons from the south with certain phantom allegation of of terrorism and the Justice ministry is busy conjuring up half baked allegations to hang it on the necks of either Nnamdi Kanu or Sunday Igboho.
“A good example will suffice; Nnamdi Kanu versus Certain elements and Divisive leaders of Miyetti Allah that have been quoted in the media for supporting the activities of the armed Fulani herdsmen who are terrorists.”
HURIWA also condemned Malami’s claim about Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Igboho.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Kano has alerted the Federal Government over the imminent fuel crisis in the country following the decision by some private depot owners to unilaterally raise the prices of the product.
The IPMAN chairman Kano chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmallam, stated this in a statement issued in Kano on Friday.
He said some of the private depot owners had increased the price of the commodity from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre since Friday last week.
He said the association found it necessary to alert the government in order not to blame its members if they increase the price of the commodity as they would not operate at loss.
“Some private depot owners are trying to sabotage the Federal Government by unilaterally increasing their prices even though the government has not raised the fuel pump price.
“We are equally calling on the Management of the NNPC to investigate the issue as some of the private depot owners have since Friday last week increased the price from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre. We know it’s only the Federal Government that imports fuel into the country.
“As I am talking to you private depot owners in Warri, Calabar Lagos and Oghara in Delta State have increased their prices. We hope the management of the NNPC will investigate and intervene,” Danmalam said.
He also accused the private depot owners of trying to cause a fuel crisis in the country by closing the depots as the end of the year is fast approaching to maximize profit.
He said the association would not fold its arms and allow such unpatriotic private depot owners to engage in unnecessary price increase while the public is always accusing their members of flagrant increase in fuel prices.
Lawless Nigeria’s Secret Police, DSS Operatives Harass Electoral Commissioner In Anambra For Refusing To Favour Buhari's APC Party
Electoral Commissioner In Anambra For Refusing To Favour Buhari's APC Party SaharaReporters learnt that the DSS operatives also picked up the INEC data entry workers over what they called a petition against the commission.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have harassed the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State, Dr Nwachukwu Orji, ahead of the state governorship election on November 6.
SaharaReporters learnt that the DSS operatives also picked up the INEC data entry workers over what they called a petition against the commission.
SaharaReporters gathered that the petition followed the refusal of the INEC REC to recruit all the Supervisory Polling Officers for the elections from Imo and Ebonyi states.
INEC, it was further learnt, rejected all 72 Supervisory Polling Officers because it had not used its staff members for such roles since 2010.
SaharaReporters was told that the governor of Imo, Hope Uzodinma, and his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, mobilised the officers to take up the roles.
A top source said, “The DSS said the petition came from the refusal of INEC REC to accept 72 supervisory polling officers. They harassed the REC and picked up the data entry staff. INEC rejected the supervisors because they have not used their staff members for such roles since 2010.
"They wanted the REC to recruit all the Supervisory Polling Officers for the elections from Imo and Ebonyi but INEC rejected the 72.
“But the Imo and Ebonyi governors mobilised them to take up those roles. Also, an attempt to bring ad hoc staff members from Rivers is an issue; hence, the attempt to change the recruited staff members.
“Anambra has over 5,274 polling units and it is becoming hard for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig. INEC Chairman is meeting the DSS Director-General, as we speak, over the issue.”
INEC had earlier on Thursday stated that the level of preparation ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State was commendable.
This was disclosed by INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye, who stressed that only two out of 14 activities on the election timetable had yet to be implemented.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held its regular weekly meeting today Thursday 21st October 2021 and deliberated on the Anambra State Governorship Election holding on Saturday 6th November 2021,” a statement by INEC read.
“So far, the Commission has successfully implemented 12 out of 14 activities in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities.
“The Commission has today published the Notice of Poll at its State and all the Local Government offices in Anambra State. By Section 46 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Commission shall, not later than 14 days before the day of the election, cause to be published, a notice specifying the date and hours fixed for the poll; the persons entitled to vote, and the location of the polling units.”
“In the same vein, today is the last day for the submission of names of Polling Agents by political parties. By Section 45 of the Electoral Act, each political party may by notice in writing addressed to the Electoral Officer of the Local Government, appoint a polling agent for each polling unit and collation centre,” INEC said.
“The notice shall set out the name and address of the polling agent, accompanied by two passport photographs of each polling agent, and sample signature of the agent at least 14 days before the date fixed for the election.
“Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to the law and the guidelines for the deployment of polling agents. Only duly accredited polling agents will be allowed to operate at the polling units and collation centres.
“The Commission is satisfied with the current level of preparations. Virtually all non-sensitive materials have been delivered in readiness for the election. The training of ad-hoc staff is also going on as scheduled.”
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, alluded to Disc Jockey Obianuju Catherine Udeh, better known as DJ Switch, at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
The minister had addressed the media on the occasion of the first anniversary of the EndSARS protest.
The protest, which was against police brutality ended on a violent note after it was hijacked by hoodlums.
In the aftermath, security operatives were killed, government properties were torched while detainees were freed in some parts of the country.
Popularly known as DJ Switch, Udeh was one of the leading figures at the protest.
She was constantly at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, where the protest held for weeks.
On the night when soldiers forcefully dispersed protesters, DJ Switch was on ground to live-stream the protest on Instagram.
Many, who were not at the scene, including foreign and local journalists, relied on her account.
In subsequent interviews she granted after the incident, DJ Switch said soldiers fired live bullets at protesters on October 20, 2020.
There were reports that the authorities were after her, forcing her to flee abroad.
But recently, DJ Switch denied going abroad, saying she only went into hiding but did not leave the country.
At his press briefing, the minister accused DJ Switch of joining those who lied against security operatives.
Although he did not mention her name specifically, it was clear that he was referring to her.
The minister insisted that no one was killed by security operatives, accusing Amnesty International, CNN, and “a runaway DJ” of spreading falsehood.
“The testimony of ballistic experts before the Judicial Panel of Inquiry in Lagos contradicts the tales by the moonlight by Amnesty International, CNN, a runaway DJ and their ilk.”
“With the preponderance of evidence against any massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th 2020, we are once again reiterating what we said one year ago, that: The military did not shoot at protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th 2020, and there was no massacre at the toll gate.
“The only ‘massacre’ recorded was in the social media, hence there were neither bodies nor blood. Amnesty International, CNN, a runaway DJ and others like them should apologize for misleading the world that there was a massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate and for portraying the Nigerian military, police and other security agencies in bad light.”
More facts have emerged on why the Armed Forces have yet to deploy their full arsenal against bandits who have dominated the North-West and parts of the North-Central geopolitical zones.
The PUNCH reliably learnt on Monday that the Armed Forces told the National Assembly, through its committees, that the agreement signed with the Government of the United States was that the A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets procured from the country would be deployed against terrorists and insurgents, and not bandits.
Several sources in the National Assembly, who are in the know of the development, said the complaints by the service chiefs led to the recent demand by the Senate and the House of Representatives that bandits should be designated as terrorists.
The PUNCH had reported that the Federal Government in February 2018 placed an order for 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft at a cost of $496m.
The Nigerian Air Force had on July 22, 2021, taken delivery of the first batch of six aircraft from the United States. The second batch of the planes arrived in Nigeria in September.
A total of 64 pilots and maintainers from the Nigerian Air Force were trained to the US standards with the US Air Force’s 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Base in Georgia, United States.
The training also emphasised the Law of Armed Conflict and civilian casualty mitigation, which are fundamental principles of the Nigerian military’s professional education and training.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Monday, a top source in one of the security committees in the National Assembly said the Armed Forces, especially the Nigerian Air Force, had not been able to decimate the bandits due to the conditions attached to deployment of the fighter jets.
The lawmaker said, “Let me tell you the truth. We once asked the Armed Forces why they had not deployed the Tucano in the fight the bandits and one of the service chiefs (name withheld) told us that their hands are tied due to the human rights regulations regarding to the aircraft. He told us that the equipment is meant for the war against terrorists and insurgents and since these are bandits, they cannot be deployed.
Bandits not different from B’Haram, Buhari should implement N’Assembly resolutions – Lawmaker
“He actually told us that once the bandits have been designated as terrorists, they would be wiped out. Don’t forget that the bandits today are not different from Boko Haram, looking at their activities and the gravity of attacks by them. Now that both chambers of the National Assembly have called for the declaration, we urge the President to implement our resolutions.”
Another reliable source in the security committees, who was asked to confirm the information from the first source, said it was true. “We have done what we ought to do, so the ball is no longer in our court,” he stated.
The House of Representatives had on September 30, 2021, asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to designate bandits and their sponsors as terrorists.
The Senate had made the demand the previous day.
Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, who moved a motion of urgent public importance, urged the chamber to back the Senate.
The motion was titled, ‘Declaration of Bandits and their Sponsors as Terrorists.’
Moving the motion, Benson said, “The Senate, on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, adopted a motion asking President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits ravaging the northern part of the country terrorists and wage a total war on them. They also asked that the president declare all known leaders of bandits wanted and arrest them wherever they were found for speedy prosecution. Such declaration to be done through a Proscription Order can be done pursuant to Section 2 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011 (As Amended).
“I will like to echo the same sentiment and ask honourable colleagues to join the Senate in urging Mr President to declare bandits and their sponsors as terrorists. This will underline the determination of government to combat the wave of criminality and murders conducted by bandits all over the country.”
He noted that declaring bandits as terrorists could be done through a proscription order.
Benson listed more benefits of declaring the bandits terrorists, noting that such an order will officially bring the activities of bandits and their sponsors within the purview of the Terrorism Prevention Act, while any persons associated with such groups can then be legally prosecuted and sentenced to penalties specified in the Act.
He said, “Declaration of all bandits as terrorist may also encourage other countries to do same and help create a global consensus around dealing with transnational factors that feeds the domestic activities of such proscribed organisations and individuals.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Army, Abdulrazak Namdas, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Monday, stated that the bandits had ticked all the boxes on the indices of terrorism. He, however, denied knowledge of any complaints relating to deployment of the Tucano jets.
Namdas said, “Now that the government has started getting the Tucanos and we have another batch coming, and the morale of the troops at the moment is high; though we had one or two casualties but this is part of a war and there is nowhere in the world that when there is a war, you expect no casualties – it should only be seriously minimised; when you strengthen the security forces and we agree that these bandits are terrorists, then it would give us the opportunity to deal with them, with all the full force.”
Also speaking The PUNCH, Benson said the resolutions by the Senate and the House should have been transmitted to Buhari for consideration and sanction.
He said, “The truth of the matter is that I don’t know if it has been transmitted but I am sure that when the two sides of the National Assembly pass a resolution, it should be given a thorough consideration. And I doubt if the bureaucracy people (National Assembly management) have transmitted it, to reach the attention of Mr President.”
The US had said the A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets would assist Nigeria’s anti-terrorism fight, especially in the north-eastern part of the West African country.
The US Department of Defence leaders had attended the induction ceremony of the Super Tucano jets on August 31.
An inquiry sent to the United States Embassy in Nigeria on whether the Super Tucano should be used only in fighting terrorists had yet to be responded to on Tuesday.
However, in an earlier chat with The PUNCH, acting Public Affairs Counselor, Jeanne Clark, explained that the use of the weapons would be subject to the Leahy vetting, a law which is an American rights law that prohibit the US government from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity.
Clark stated Nigeria is a strategic partner of the US. She added that the US would ensure monitoring to ensure that the weapons are used for their intended purpose.
She said, “We have direct and open communication with the Government of Nigeria regarding our expectation that all security forces be held accountable for protecting civilians and respecting human rights. All Nigerian military personnel trained by the United States are subject to Leahy vetting.
“All potential US defence sales are carefully assessed under the US government’s Conventional Arms Transfer Policy to examine issues, including human rights, regional security, and non-proliferation concerns, to determine whether a sale is in the best foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.
“Review and monitoring are integral components of the process for any US-origin defence articles delivered to any recipient nation. This helps ensure that those articles are used by the intended recipient in the manner intended and consistent with the provisions of the agreement for the foreign military sale.”
When contacted on Tuesday to confirm transmission of the resolution to Buhari, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Reps), Mr Umar el-Yakub, noted that the Clerk to the National Assembly transmits resolutions by the lawmakers directly to the President.
El-Yakub also noted that the liaison officers only convey communications from the President to the National Assembly and are only copied documents transmitted by the parliament on special occasions.
When contacted, the Director of Information, National Assembly’s management, Mr Rawlings Agada, advised The PUNCH correspondent to cross check with him on Wednesday as he did not have any information on the issue yet.
He said, “I don’t have any information yet on what you are asking me but you can crosscheck again tomorrow so that I can make some enquiries for you.”
A Spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, told The PUNCH to direct inquiries to the Ministry of Defence when he was asked if the refusal of the President to designate bandits as terrorists was preventing the full deployment of the Super Tucano weapons in the North-West.
“Please contact the ministry of defence. They will be the best to answer this. Thank you,” Shehu stated.
In his reaction, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence on Media and Publicity, Mohammed Abdulkadri, directed one of our correspondents to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
Also, calls put across to the Spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, didn’t connect while a response to a text message sent to him was being awaited as of the time of filing this report.
A former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, on Monday, said he has not received any invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in connection with the Pandora paper leak.
He also denied having reacted to an invitation from the EFCC to him, saying what is being circulated on different social media platforms was not from him.
Obi said he only read letters circulating on the internet, just like everyone else.
The former governor, in a press release by his media Office, Valentine Obienyem, said a reaction which quoted him as requesting the EFCC to make their investigations public, among other remarks did not emanate from him.
He said: “Obi is yet to receive the letter from the EFCC, which he read on social media like others.
“From what is circulating, the letter appears to have been sent to an office he is no longer part of and is yet to reach him.”
The statement assured that Obi, being a law-abiding Nigerian, would honour all legitimate invitations from government agencies at all times.
.........Self-sufficiency in rice production not realistic in 2022
Following scarcity of containers, a total of N290 billion ($579.75 million) will be paid to shipping lines as freight rates by rice importers before the end of the year. The affected rice importers, who have their rice trapped in Thailand and other Asian countries, are from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Republic of Benin.
Findings revealed that in the first week of October, 2021, the shipping lines imposed $150 on a tonne of parboiled rice valued at $405 because of scarcity of containers. Of the total amount, it was revealed by Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) that Nigerian rice merchants, who have ordered two million tonnes of the grain would pay $300 millon; Benin, $81 million for 540,000 tonnes; Togo, $56.25 million for 375,000 tonnes and Ghana, $142.5 million for 950,000 tonnes.
Also, it was gathered that the shift from container to bulk shipments had affected the cost of foreign rice importation into Nigeria and other West Africa countries from Thailand, Singapore India and other Asian countries in the last quarter of 2021.
Presently, a bag of foreign rice sells for between N29,000 and N30,000 for the long grain and small grain variety in Nigerian market respectively, while a bag of the local grain is sold between N22,000 and N25,000 depending on the quality.
Statistics by a global trade portal, Index Mundi, revealed that the country imported 1.8 million tonnes or 28 per cent of local consumption last year despite stringent measures by government as local production of the milled rice dropped from 5.04 million tonnes to 4.7 million tonnes in the period.
The Thailand exporters have complained that container freight costs from Asian origins such as Thailand and India were almost twice the levels break bulk ships loaded with rice arrived in West Africa amid clogged ports.
Thailand rice exporters have already cut the price of the grain from $507 to $405 in October, 2021, in order to enable them supply their cargoes to the West African buyers.
The development is coming as plan to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by the Federal Government in 2022 becomes doubtful as the country still depends on 1.8 million tonnes of smuggled rice from neighbouring Benin to meet local consumption despite the agreement entered into by the Federal Government and the Republic of Benin, in Abuja, to end rice smuggling.
Government has been making substantial efforts for a decade to encourage rice cultivation in order to eliminate imports through subsidised loans, cheap fertiliser, free farmland and tax rebates, but it was gathered that some farmers refused to pay back their loans to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RFAAN), Niger State chapter, some farmers have been dragged to court for defaulting in repayment of loans taken from CBN.
The association noted that farmers, who benefitted from the CBN special intervention project for rice farming were expected to return a certain amount of their harvests as loan repayment.
But the state coordinator of the project, Idris Makaranta, complained that they had refused to redeem the return expected from them from their last season harvest as agreed.
Makaranta explained at the inauguration of the centre coordinators of the state RIFAN/CBN Special Project in Bida that “from the 40,000 farmers, who participated in last season’s rice farming, we were supposed to recover between 300,000 and 400,000 bags of paddy rice, but we have only recovered about 100,000 bags.
“We have handed the defaulters over to court to recover our return for us, while anyone who has brought more than 60 per cent of the returns would be considered for dry season farming.”
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had made moves to attract N250 billion investments in rice production following plans to establish an additional 14 rice mills in the country. However, efforts to boost domestic production have been curtailed by smuggling through the porous borders.
Between January and April, 2021, the Federal Operation Unit, zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos seized 41,652 bags of 50 kilogrammes smuggled parboiled rice from Idiroko and Ipokia in Ogun State and Lagos. Also in Ogun State, 20,538 bags of rice were intercepted by the Service between March and April, 2021.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Maifata, had said that smuggling of foreign rice would soon come down to zero level, while the local rice would fill the gap conveniently if farmers received necessary support from government.
The chairman urged all stakeholders to join in the campaign against the activities of smugglers through advocacy and sensitisation to ensure attitudinal change on the part of the outlaws.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the last seven months spent over N816billion in subsidising the cost of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) for Nigerians, a report has shown.
Despite this, within the period, the country lost another N182billion to product losses, which is about 22.3percent of the total cost spent on subsidy.
According to the industry’s report obtained from the Corporation’s website, the NNPC started recording what it described in its books as “value shortfall” from February.
As a result, the Corporation’s statutory remittance to FAAC had at a point, dwindled within the period.
A breakdown of the figures showed that within the period under review, the shortfall steadily rose from N25.3billion in January to N164.3billion recorded in May.
But in June, the total shortfall according to the document dropped to N143.3billion and again rose by about N30billion, that is, N173billion in July.
However, from the accrued shortfall within the period, the NNPC said it was only able to deduct a total of N715billion from its net sales proceeds to cover the difference between the landing cost and the ex-coastal price of PMS.
It said the differential outstanding would be deducted from its sales proceed in subsequent months.
The NNPC stated that this became imperative in order to make funds available for Joint Venture JV cost recovery, so as to sustain the existing production level.
Meanwhile, the NNPC had previously stressed that the shortfalls had affected the revenues accruable to the Federation even as it awaits the outcome of engagements between the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders.
Earlier in July 2021, the former NNPC’s Spokesperson, Dr. Kennie Obateru, had noted that there was no subsidy, as such was not provided for in the budget.
However, he stated that the Corporation currently is faced with under-recovery which was still been carried as part of its operational cost.
His words: “We can only talk about undercover. There was no budgetary provision for a subsidy even when we know that Nigerians are buying products, that is; PMS is less than what it should be.
“But NNPC has been carrying that on behalf of Nigerians for now and it is part of our operational cost which is why we call it under-recovery. The account is done monthly and in arrears.”
However, with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in place, the era of subsidy would soon be phased out as stated in the provisions of the act.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has replied to some aggrieved university lecturers who are complaining about a shortage in their salaries.
The AGF office was responding to series of complaints from university lecturers, especially the University of Maiduguri, saying they submitted their data late and most of the data were wrong.
The lectures claimed they are being short paid as some receive as low as N6000 per month after they migrated to the IPPIS platform.
But in a swift reaction, the Director IPPIS, OAGF, DR Nsikak Ben, said the lecturers’ claims were largely misplaced as they were the architect of their travails.
In a text message, he said: “The issue of non payment of the salaries of some ASUU members is because they did not participate in the biometric exercise and even when FG gave a directive for the Universities to furnish IPPIS with data of ASUU members, some Universities populated incomplete and wrong data on our platform.”
He noted that: “Universities of Maiduguri and Umudike refused to submit their data in March 2020 and only did so later part of the year with wrong data,” he claimed.
Thus he said; “given the decentralisation of IPPIS, desk officers of IPPIS have been given access to make updates on their payroll so omission of ASUU members can be corrected at the back end.
“During the last FG/ASUU meeting held on 14th October, measures were taken to solve this problem with IPPIS, NUC and ASUU. “Out of over 700 MDAs on our platform, it is only ASUU that is complaining of non payment of their members. Your guess is as good as mine,” he stated.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari, urging the court to “declare illegal and unconstitutional the plan by the present administration to track, intercept and monitor WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and text messages of Nigerians and other people.”
According to SERAP, it severely threatens and violates the right to the preservation of privacy.
The suit followed the proposal in the Supplementary Appropriation Act signed in July 2021 to spend N4.87 billions to monitor private calls and messages.
The amount was part of the N895.8billion supplementary budget approved by the National Assembly.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1240/2021 filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday, SERAP is seeking: “an order of perpetual injunction restraining President Buhari and any other authority, persons or group of persons from unlawfully monitoring the WhatsApp messages, phone calls and text messages of Nigerians and other people.”
The suit was filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Kehinde Oyewumi and Kolawole Oluwadare.
The suit partly read, “The Buhari administration has legal obligations to protect Nigerians and other people against arbitrary interference and violations of their human rights. Monitoring of WhatsApp messages, phone calls and text messages would grant free rein to government agencies to conduct mass surveillance of communications of people.”
Joined in the suit as Respondents are Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
However, the date for the hearing of the suit has not been fixed yet.
A couple is currently seeking the dissolution of their 10-year-old marriage before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos. This is on account of a bottle of ‘holy water’ the wife brought into the house without her husband’s approval.
The aggrieved husband, Olaniyi Oluwaseun Oladepo, is asking Justice Christopher Balogun to dissolve his marriage with his wife, Adeyinka, claiming that he was provoked to violence over the strange prayer-water, which the wife brought into her matrimonial home without his knowledge.
Oladepo has since left his matrimonial home, maintaining that his life is under threat and as he was being provoked, he would not want to do something he might later regret.
The petitioner, Oladepo, in his explanation on why he wanted the court to dissolve the marriage, narrated to Justice Balogun that he left his home because he was incited to aggression. He accused his wife of being fetish.
He said: “I feel threatened. I was being provoked to violence, but I left the house. I saw a liquid content in the house.”
Responding to the allegation, Mrs. Oladepo said they got married in October 15, 2011. “We have two children who are five and seven years old.”
She explained that her husband told her in 2015 that they were no longer compatible. “My mother brought holy water she collected at a Catholic Church programme. And I only collected the water; I have not used it for anything. I travelled from work and upon returning home, I discovered that my husband had absconded. He left our matrimonial home.”
The judge adjourned further hearing of the matter.
The exercise, which commenced in 2020, was halted due to the disagreement with the Police Service Commission on the matter.
By Nasir Ayitogo
The Nigerian Police Force has said its portal would be open on Monday for the resumption of the recruitment of personnel which began in 2020.
Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
The Force says it is planning to recruit 10,000 Constables.
The exercise which commenced in 2020 had already passed through various stages with the last one conducted in August of the same year.
The exercise was halted during the administration of the former IGP, Mohammed Adamu, due to disagreement with the Police Service Commission.
In the statement, Mr Mba said the portal would be closed on 26 October while the exams will be held on 29 and 30 of the same month.
Read full statement:
PRESS RELEASE
NPF, PSC SET TO CONCLUDE 2020 RECRUITMENT EXERCISE
•As Portal Opens 18th – 26th October, 2021, Exams set for 29th and 30th October, 2021
The Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the Police Service Commission will be concluding the ongoing 2020 recruitment exercise of Ten Thousand (10,000) Police Constables into the service of the Nigeria Police Force.
Consequently, candidates are required to check their recruitment status on the recruitment portal, www.policerecruitment.gov.ng which will be opened from Monday, 18th through to Tuesday, 26th October, 2021.
Candidates who are qualified for the next stage of the recruitment exercise are to print out their examination slip which must be presented on the Examination Date scheduled for Friday, 29th and Saturday, 30th October, 2021 at designated centres across the country. Candidates are equally advised to check their email and phone numbers for notifications.
The Force, while reiterating that the recruitment exercise is absolutely free of charge and without any pecuniary obligation, enjoins candidates to call 08100004507 for further enquiries about the recruitment exercise.
CP FRANK MBA FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER FORCE HEADQUARTERS ABUJA
Ex-President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu has emerged as consensus candidate for the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Zoning Committee had zoned the position to the North ahead of the opposition party’s convention on October 30-31. Ayu, ex-Minister of Internal Affairs from Benue State, was chosen on Thursday after a second meeting of a northern caucus at Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. The three Northern zones presented a candidate each for screening for a consensus candidate.
Ayu was chosen as North Central’s candidate while former Katisna State governor Ibrahim Shema and PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) Senator Suleiman NaIf emerged from North-West and North-East, respectively. Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Finitiri, who briefed journalists at the end of the meeting, said other candidates agreed to step down for Ayu.
He said: “There is no vanquish (and) there is no victor in this meeting; we all came out united. “Out of the three Northern candidates the three zones produced, the candidates themselves in the spirit of unity and togetherness, in the spirit of ensuring that the PDP emerges and benefits from our efforts, so that we can win together for a Nigerians the 2023 general elections, Senator Iyorchia Ayu has emerged as a consensus candidate for the North.
“All of them are immensely qualified but through discussions and reconciliation we have emerged with consensus list that was endorsed by the candidates themselves. There was no election and there was no selection.” Ayu will be presented to the Southern caucus who also met in Benin on Thursday. The Southern caucus meeting is expected to come up with National Secretary candidate and other offices zoned to them. Finitiri, who is Chairman of the 20-man Northern Screening Committee, said the zone will reach out to their colleagues from the South for support at the convention.
New Telegraph learnt that it was not easy arriving at Ayu as consensus candidate. A source at the meeting said he was made to sign an undertaken that his emergence will not preclude anybody from any of the three zones from contesting the 2023 presidency.
Part of the agreement is that if the emergence of a presidential candidate tilts the scale in favour of any zone in the North, he will resign and work for the candidate. Ayu in his acceptance speech promised to take the PDP back to its winning ways, adding that after the convention they will work to “rebuild the party to take over power to rebuild the country”. The ex-minister added: “We intend to work together with all the leaders, not only in the North but across the country to reposition this country for the next generation of Nigerians.”
He promised to run an all-inclusive administration as he decried the situation in the country. Ayu said: “We shall work as team. And I believe with the support of Nigerians who have suffered at the hands of a party that does not exist, a party that does not care for the youths, a party that doesn’t care for anybody but themselves, victory we shall achieve and administer to this country to the greater glory of God. “Today, our currency is the weakest in the world. Even the Somalis are better than us in Africa.”
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says the resources expended on security by state governors can be used to fund state police.
In recent years, governors and key stakeholders have been at the forefront of the increasingly vocal clamour for state policing.
In March, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had argued that a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria needs state police to address its security challenges.
On this backdrop, Sanwo-Olu said state policing will help subnationals ensure that businesses and investments are secure.
The governor spoke on Thursday at the Fountain Summit held in Ekiti state.
“One point that we should not drop is the issue around state police, we have talked about it,” he said.
“We believe the amount of resource each subnational is spending on security is enough for them to have state police. We believe that after this Ekiti summit, the federal government will support the creation of state police.”
Sanwo-Olu said the security of Lagos is crucial to the economic development of other states.
The governor said Lagos hosts over 65 percent of international travel into the country.
“In any environment where you want investors to come, they must not only feel safe, they must know that you’re doing everything to protect their businesses and ensure that their investments are safe and secure,” he said.
“For us in Lagos, it is something that we cannot even play with. Lagos continues to be host to over 65 percent of international travels into the country.
“Deliberately as a policy, security becomes something that if we fail or if we don’t get it well, then we are actually even making it difficult for others in the hinterland.”
REVEALED: In June 2021, FG quietly made new tax rules that could kill your business in six months
In 2016, three university students discussed the idea of a fintech. They built together and ran pilots in school, getting 500 students to use the product they were bringing to the market. By 2018, 14 months after graduation, they hit one million subscribers. With a little media coverage and a lot of networking, they get a US company to invest $50 million for them to scale. In six months, this unicorn-in-the-making is burnt to debts by new tax rules quietly introduced by the federal government. This is avoidable.
In June 2021, Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, budget and national planning, approved the Tax Appeal Tribunal (Procedure) rules, 2021. This replaces the 2010 TAT rules, which had a few shortcomings and had become obsolete in some sense.
For the most part, the new rules are good for businesses; both KPMG and PwC agree that the rules are a reflection of the country’s most recent realities.
“The implementation of the new Rules emphasizes the Federal Government’s commitment to improving Nigeria’s tax landscape,” KPMG’s Wole Obayomi wrote.
For PwC, the rules “are intended to make the TAT more efficient in the dispensation of justice. They are also a reflection of the current realities given the wide adoption of technology in the administration of justice”.
The new rules now recognise service of documents by email or such other electronic means as the Tribunal may permit. It also gives room for virtual or remote hearing of applications and delivery of rulings by the tribunal.
In addition to all these, it also introduces a six-month timeframe from the date of commencement of trial for the tribunal to conclude and provide a decision on an appeal.
THE BUSINESS KILLER IN THE RULES
In the midst of all that good rules is also a potential business killer. According to order 3 rule 6 of the Tax Appeal Tribunal (Procedure) rules, 2021, “for an appeal against the tax authority, the aggrieved person will pay 50% of the disputed amount into designated account by the Tribunal before hearing as security for prosecuting the appeal”.
In simpler terms, this means FIRS could simply claim that a company valued at $50 million owes $100 million in unpaid taxes. The company could appeal the decision of the tax authority at the Tax Appeal Tribunal but would need to pay $50 million — 50% of the disputed amount — as security before the appeal can be heard.
This also means that if the company does not pay the $50 million, the tribunal will not begin hearing. If the hearing cannot start, there will be no justice, and the tax authority may effectively shut down the business to recover the “tax claim”.
This would discourage companies from approaching the tribunal for justice, it would encourage them to disobey tax authorities, and would ultimately lead to more damage in the tax landscape.
In its advisory about the tax rules, PwC said “there are concerns that the provision is a bar to access to justice which is contrary to the constitutional rights of fair hearing and a fair trial”.
The advisory said, “it is inconsistent with similar provisions in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007 which gives the TAT discretion to order payment as security where a taxpayer failed to file returns”.
That discretion has been taken away from the tribunal as a fixed price has been set to somewhat favour the tax authority — all the time. KPMG agrees.
“The introduction of a blanket requirement for taxpayers to make a 50% deposit of disputed amounts to the TAT may act as a clog in the wheels of justice and discourage taxpayers from pursuing recourse from the TAT,” Obayomi said.
This new tax rule takes the tribunal “away from the less formal dispute resolution framework” it was designed to be.
KPMG asked the minister of finance to consider making the “TAT Rules less litigious or court-like to ensure the TAT maintains its edge as a speedy and non-litigious tax dispute resolution forum”.
The deceased was found with multiple stab wounds with her throat slit.
A young woman, Bazunu Michelle was allegedly murdered on Wednesday in her apartment at Bazunu Street in Warri, Delta State.
It was gathered that the deceased was found with multiple stab wounds while her throat slit.
The deceased, said to be a graduate of Edo State University, Ekpoma, was a businesswoman.
One Moses Darah took to his Facebook page to mourn the deceased, writing,
"Another Painful Exit I read with a rude shock that my Facebook friend, Michelle Bazunu was gruesomely murdered in her residence at No1 Bazunu Street, Warri in the early hours of yesterday (Wednesday). The report says that she was stabbed multiple times and her throat slit open.
"The insecurity situation in Nigeria is taking a dangerous twist at a time the focus of the political elites is only on the 2023 general elections. From the North to the South, it has always been a sad story of one day, one trouble. One can hardly sleep with two eyes closed for the fear of kidnappers, bandits, armed robbers, assassins, thugs, Boko Haram, herdsmen and ISWAP.
"I did not meet Michelle in person, but we interacted on a few occasions. There was a time I asked her if she was related to my colleague, Dr Bazunu of Fine and Applied Arts Department in DELSU, Abraka but she said he could just be a namesake. She was an easygoing fellow. So I wondered her crime to be killed at her prime. May her soul torment her killers! Amen."
Atori Favour Urhievwe, who confirmed her death, wrote: "Oh death where is thy sting? As fro those killers may peace run away from you and your generations. Michelle Buzunu, a lady I never met but she had been encouraging me through all my crises and troubles. Even at the verge of committing suicide, she was there with calls. We met on Facebook, she never stopped patronising my coconut oil biz. Oh my God, why her? Rest on, God mother as I call you, rest on big sister. I'm so heartbroken and pained this morning rest on, rest on, rest on."
Kaduna State University, KASU, has suspended some of its students who fought cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, during the varsity’s matriculation of new students on October 12.
The university’s spokesman, Adamu Bargo, stated on Wednesday in Kaduna that the students beat up the cadets and damaged their car for making advances at a student’s female friend.
“The incident happened at the convocation ground where the cadets saw a female student hanging out with her male friend and one of them tried to collect her phone number, but she refused.
“When the cadets persisted, the male friend intervened and one of the cadets slapped him.
“The assaulted varsity student drew the attention of other students who descended on the cadets with stones and sticks.
“The cadets tried to escape in their Toyota (Matrix) car, but the students locked the school gates and pelted the vehicle with broken pieces of interlock bricks.
“One of the cadets who couldn’t get into the car in good time was severely beaten,’’ Mr Bargo explained.
He stated that the incident was being investigated and further disciplinary actions would be meted to forestall recurrence.
“Management will not tolerate any act of indiscipline as the university is a place where character and learning are taught,’’ he added.
The Zamfara state House of Assembly has suspended two lawmakers over their alleged ties to bandits.
The lawmakers – Yusuf Muhammad, Anka representing Anka Constituency, and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura, representing Bakura constituency – were suspended for three months.
According to the Director General Press Affairs and Public Relations of the Assembly, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, the lawmakers will stay off the assembly pending the conclusion of investigations on the allegation leveled against them.
“They are also to appear before the House Committee on ethics and privileges in conjunction with security agencies that are assigned by law to investigate them.”
“These are part of the resolutions reached just now at the House plenary presided over the speaker of the House Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya under matters of urgent public importance,” Kaura said.
Leading the debate on the matter shortly after each and every member swore an oath, member representing Maru North, Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, drew the attention of his colleagues to the “burning issue” in the House.
He said the house should not fold its arms over the serious allegations leveled against the two members.
Kanoma further alleged that during the kidnap saga of the father of speaker late Alhaji Mu’azu Abubakar Magarya in particular Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim T Tukur Bakura were said to have been jubilating over the issue.
More allegations against suspended lawmakers
He also alleged that the two lawmakers were behind the killing of late Hon Muhammad G. Ahmad ( Walin Jangeru), a former member who represented Shinkafi constituency in the state House of Assembly.
He claimed they leaked information through which bandits tracked the deceased.
He asked security agencies to fully track all their telephone lines and listen to all their conversations.
Also contributing, member representing Birnin Magaji constituency, Hon Nura Dahiru Sabon birnin Dan Ali, concurred with his colleague, saying efforts to negotiate with notorious bandit, Bello Turji, on so many occasions to secure the release of late speaker’s father, should not go in vain.
In his ruling on the matter, the speaker, Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, approved the outright suspension of the two members.
Speaker Magarya also directed chairman House Committee on ethics and privileges, Hon Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau, to fully investigate these members and report its findings back to the plenary.
While expressing his dismay over their alleged involvement in banditry activities, the state chief lawmaker also stripped them of the chairmanship of the House standing committees.
The suspended lawmakers could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has sacked Taliban-friendly Muazu Magaji, chairman of the NNPC/AKK Gas pipeline project and gas industrialisation committee, for poor performance and insubordination.
A statement, signed by the Commissioner for Information, Muhammed Garba, disclosed this on Monday evening.
The governor accused Mr Magaji of not measuring “up with the challenging job, poor performance and insubordination.”
Mr Magaji became notorious for his Facebook post celebrating the Taliban’s overthrow of the Afghan government in August.
Mr Magaji, who was first sacked for celebrating the death of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and later reappointed to the NNPC/AKK project, described unfolding developments in Afghanistan as a win-win.
He later deleted the post.
According to the statement, the Kano governor had hoped Mr Magaji, appointed in April 2020, would work “diligently to supervising the effective execution of the NNPC/AKK project.”
The Kano government accused Mr Magaji of failing to live up to expectations in carrying out the responsibility assigned to him, “to which the government had attached great premium.”
“His leadership of the committee, amongst which is to coordinate, in close partnership with the NNPC on timely implementation of the project, has not been forthcoming to achieve the desired objective,” added the statement.
Mr Ganduje directed the sacked NNPC/AKK chairman to hand over the committee’s affairs to the deputy chairman, Aminu Babba-Dan‘Agundi, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba.
There is the likelihood that President Muhammadu Buhari will sack more ministers when the ongoing performance appraisal is completed…...
By Muideen Olaniyi Abbas Jimoh
There is the likelihood that President Muhammadu Buhari will sack more ministers when the ongoing performance appraisal is completed.
The president alluded to this on Monday at the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat organised to assess the achievements of the nine key priorities of the administration and the performances of top government functionaries.
The retreat is being attended by ministers, permanent secretaries and other top government officials.
Buhari said that he will sit through all the sessions to listen to the cumulative assessment of the administration’s performance over the last 2 years.
Daily Trust recalled that during the past reviews, the president only participated in the opening sessions and allowed the assessors to preside over the remaining days.
In his speech yesterday, the president warned all ministers and permanent secretaries to take issues relating to the implementation of their mandates towards the attainment of the objectives of his administration seriously.
The president had in September fired the Ministers of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Power, Saleh Mamman over poor performance.
They were the first ministers to be sacked by the president since he assumed office in 2015.
In a statement, Buhari through his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the removal of Nanono and Mamman was sequel to the “Tradition of subjecting our projects and programmes implementation to independent and critical self-review” through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.
Buhari’s statement, insiders told the Daily Trust, was an indirect reference to a cabinet office review he commissioned with the mandate to ascertain the performance of all ministries.
There were expectations that the president would sack more ministers on October 1, but he did not.
What the president said during the retreat
President Buhari Monday participated in the discussions on the best approach and strategies to implement planned policies, programmes and projects that could diversify the economy away from its dependence on oil revenue while sustaining the current economic growth trajectory.
President Buhari said the idea of the assessment was to identify weak areas to strengthen the ability of the government to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programmes implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats,” he said.
The president said the retreat had been designed to review the performance of each minister in delivering the ministerial mandates, including programmes and projects assigned to them upon their appointment in 2019; identify key impediments to implementation; and re-strategise on how to accelerate delivery of results, given the current economic situation.
He said it also provided the opportunity to effectively evaluate the activities of the ministries over the last two years in delivering the promises made to Nigerians.
President Buhari, at the retreat, unveiled the presidential priorities performance management system.
He said the performance management system and dashboard, which had been in effect since January this year, had provided him with the opportunity to track projects in real-time with live data.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, while speaking, said the 878 contracts approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) mostly targeted the provision of infrastructure geared towards enabling faster economic growth and development.
Mustapha said the key focus of this mid-term ministerial retreat was to review the status of progress towards the delivery of the nine priority areas.
He said annual targets had been split into quarterly intermediate targets at the output and outcome levels to create an Early Warning System (EWS) and to address the issue of lack of intermediate targets.
The SGF said his office will be submitting quarterly progress reports on the implementation of the ministerial mandates to the president to keep him apprised of the level of achievement of the deliverables against set targets.
“The outcome of the retreat is expected to pave the way to accelerate the delivery of government policies, programmes, and projects over the remaining 19 months.
“Therefore, much is expected of us as ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of strategic government agencies if we must deliver on the president’s legacy projects,” he said.
Anxiety heightens
Our correspondents report that the retreat had heightened tension over fears that the president might soon relieve more ministers of their jobs.
President Buhari, it was gathered, was not satisfied with the performance of some of the ministers whose names were said to have been compiled for necessary action.
Presidency sources said the president might have delayed the submission of names of new personalities to replace Nanono and Mamman to accommodate those who will equally take over from more ministers that failed to meet up with performance targets after the retreat.
Speaking on the development, a retired Permanent Secretary, Mr Olaniyi Ayodele Afolayan, said that one of the ways to manage performance was to use relevant tools that would ensure everybody got their roles by giving them their key performance indicators.
“To balance it, if you give people performance indicators, you must give them the tools and the resources to work with it. That is the expectation. If this is done, Nigerians should expect better service delivery,” Afolayan said.
Another retired permanent secretary who does not want to be named said the president was in a race against time.
“He has less than two years to deliver his legacy projects; to prove to Nigerians that he did well during his eight years as president.
“I wish he showed this kind of optimism from the first year of his administration by assessing his ministers and other people in the position of trust and sacked those who performed below expectation. It will have served as deterrence. Sadly, the president gave the impression that once you are appointed you will not be removed and therefore, many of them went to sleep on duty,” he said.
•Stakeholders raise concerns over Bala Mohammed committee report
•Zoning of party’s chairmanship to North final, says Fintiri
A fresh crisis is brewing within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the decision of the leadership of the party to zone the National Chairman position to the North without clarifying whether the 2023 presidential ticket of the party would be zoned to the South or thrown open.
At its 94th NEC meeting held in Abuja during the week, the party adopted the zoning of its national chairman position to the North, upholding the recommendations of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led zoning committee.
However, it did not foreclose that the much-coveted 2023 presidency would be zoned to the South as the party announced that a separate National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will be convened at a later date to discuss the report of the Governor Bala Mohammed-led committee which had earlier recommended that the Presidency be thrown open to all the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The Nation gathered that leaders and chieftains of the PDP in the southern zones are now at loggerheads over the developments.
Highly placed sources confided in our correspondent that aside from a serious struggle among leaders of the party in the south over which zone should get what from the National Working Committee (NWC) positions ceded to the region in the zoning arrangement adopted by the NEC, there is a sharp disagreement amongst stakeholders of the party in the south over whether the region should go to the convention that will elect new party leaders without the topical issue of zoning the presidential ticket being addressed the same way the matter of where the next national chairman should come from was laid to rest.
With the National Chairman position going to the North, all other NWC positions currently in the South will also be ceded to the North while all the positions currently occupied by northerners can only be contested for by southerners at the next convention.
Thus, 11 NWC positions will be coming to the South. They are Deputy National Chairman (South), National Secretary, Woman Leader, Publicity Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Financial Secretary, Auditor, Deputy Treasurer, Deputy Legal Adviser, Deputy Youth Leader and Deputy Organising Secretary.
Another source, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said there is currently a tussle among leaders of the three zones in the region on how the positions of Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary should be zoned.
The Nation also gathered that interest groups within the party in the South are also scheming to corner some of the positions for themselves ahead of the national convention.
“It would have been quite easy to micro-zone the positions, but I can tell you that with zonal interests and group interests currently clashing across the south, tension is in the air and a crisis appears imminent over the positions,” our source said.
It was gathered that while a group of Southwest PDP stakeholders loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State are angling for the zone to get the National Secretary position along with a couple of other positions, another group within the zone, said to be working to ensure that Elder Yemi Akinwonmi retains his place in the NWC, are negotiating for the position of Deputy National Chairman and any other positions as may be deemed fit for the Southwest.
This group reportedly enjoys the support of ex-governor Ayo Fayose and Hon. Ladi Adebutu. By convention, the Southwest can only get one of the two positions.
Similarly, checks by The Nation revealed that Governor Nyesom Wike and other leaders of the PDP in the South-South have their eyes on the position of the National Secretary and have told other leaders of the party from the two other zones in the region to cede the position to the South-South.
But it was gathered that a group of powerful chieftains of the party from within and outside the South are backing former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, for the same position. Oyinlola is from the Southwest.
“The South-South wants the National Secretary post, and many stakeholders in the South feel it is not a bad idea owing to the fact that the zone will be losing the national chairmanship position.
“But with another powerful bloc within the party backing Oyinlola for the position, it has become difficult for leaders of the party in the South to agree on where the position should go.
“As at last Friday, not much progress had been made on the micro-zoning of the positions largely because agreements could not be reached on the two topical positions of Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary,” a source added.
It was gathered that the Makinde group may have Eyitayo Jegede from Ondo State in mind for the position of National Secretary, while some sources claimed that Governors Wike and Governor Godwin Obaseki are allegedly not on the same page over the former’s choice of candidate for the position of National Secretary. Details of their disagreement were still sketchy at press time.
The Nation also gathered that leaders of the three zones of Southwest, South-South and Southeast are at loggerheads on how to share the two positions.
“Given the strategic places of the two positions in the NWC, all the three zones are claiming entitlement to one of Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary. And since it is impossible for three people to stand in twos, the disagreement may linger.
“And some party leaders like Governor Makinde are saying the PDP’s silence on where the presidential ticket will go is contributing to the difficulty in deciding how the positions should be micro-zoned.
“If there is a categorical position on the presidential ticket, the zone getting it can easily be asked to forget any of the two key positions in contention.
“But with everybody scared that the recommendation of the Governor Bala Mohammed committee may still be adopted by the NEC, it is difficult to persuade any of the zones to let go anything as the south attempts to micro-zone the NWC positions in its kitty.
“Recall that the NEC specifically concluded to convene at a later date to discuss the report of the Governor Bala Mohammed-led committee that had earlier recommended that the Presidency be thrown open to all the six geopolitical zones of the country,” our source explained.
Our correspondent also learnt during the week that a group of southern governors and party leaders may have also resolved to push for a resolution of the presidential ticket zoning controversy before the PDP national convention.
According to feelers from the Southern PDP Governors’ Forum, the party leaders are worried about the possibility of the ticket being thrown open for all contenders after the North would have pocketed the national chairmanship position.
This possibility is fueled by the resuscitation of the Bala Mohammed committee report during the last NEC meeting of the party, our correspondent gathered.
“It may not be right to say the issues surrounding the zoning of the NWC positions have been concluded. This is because following the importance accorded the Bala Mohammed committee report during our NEC meeting, leaders of the PDP in the South are asking questions about what the future holds for the region in the party.
“What happens if the North gets the national chairmanship of the party now and the presidential ticket is thrown open for all comers? What happens if a northerner wins the presidential ticket again? What effect will that have on the party’s chances at the 2023 elections?
“These are questions we want answers for before the convention,” a source said.
But a former governor from the South dismissed calls that the zoning of the presidential ticket must be resolved before the convention, urging members of the party to allow for genuine healing going forward.
According to the governor, “there are many issues to be addressed and we cannot address them all at once. With the National Chairman zoned to the north, we all know the conventions in our party.
“If we start sounding like we are forcing other zones to agree with us, we may create more problems. But I will want us all to refrain from talking too much about our challenges.
“We must give hope to those following us. I think our governors understand this and will not heat up the polity unnecessarily.”
Zoning of PDP chair to North final, says Gov Fintiri
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State declared yesterday that the decision to zone the chairmanship seat of the PDP to the North is final.
Fintiri, who stated this at the Abuja PDP national secretariat, said with last Thursday’s approval of the zoning arrangement by the NEC, the decision is binding on all stakeholders.
“The highest decision making organ of the party, which is the NEC, has taken a decision, and I think that decision is final. It is binding on all of us members, and we will abide by it. And that is what we are working on”, the governor said.
Fintiri, who is the chairman of the PDP National Convention Committee, added that the sale of nomination forms and screening of chairmanship aspirants would commence anytime soon, stressing that the October 30-31 convention date remained sacrosanct.
Continuing, the governor said: “The zoning committee has completed their job. We have revised our timetable, and we will start selling of (nomination) forms on Monday.
“The screening and appeal is expected to end on or before next week, by the revised timetable. They (aspirants) will be free to start campaigning across the country for us to have a convention on the 30th of October.
“The Electoral Committee has been sensitised. They will be trained at the most appropriate time for them to be abreast of their job, so that we can have the best convention that every Nigerian is waiting for, which will be the most democratic.
“We have come with all our members to brainstorm and for us to strategise and take better decision as to the preparation and arrangement that we need to deliver on the expectations of our teeming supporters and members across the country who have given us this assignment for the best way out.
“And we have put them at speed, also as to what is expected of them as their own assignments so that we can have the convention of our dreams, for us to prepare and get the All Progressives Congress (APC) out of government in 2023.
“The date of the convention still remains, which is the 30th and 31st of October. That has not changed and we don’t think there is any reason for it to be changed despite the fact that the Zoning Committee just concluded their job, which was only approved by NEC on Thursday.
“The venue has been secured; that is the Eagle Square. We have equally secured the Area 10 Parade Ground, which will serve the purpose of accreditation, and our delegates across the country are being sensitised.
“We expect that sale of forms will commence on Monday and we also expect that the screening committee should also commence and conclude their work on or before the end of next week, so that those who are vying will go about and do their campaign.
“We have received budgets from all the subcommittees and we are in the process of streamlining the budgets because there are areas that submissions are conflicting.
“We are all working to achieve one convention, which is the 2021 convention.
“As soon as we finished this meeting we shall approve the budgets based on the availability of funds. And early next week, precisely between Monday and Tuesday, some of the committees will start receiving their budget support so that they can start their work in earnest for us to have a successful convention.”
Corroborating Fintiri’s position on zoning, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, in a separate interview, said the PDP had moved beyond zoning of party offices and that any issues arising there from would be resolved amicably.
Bala said: “We have resolved the issue of zoning. The PDP is a mature party. We have always done our things with the experience we have garnered over the years and what we have been able to do for this country.
“We have learnt our mistakes. We are not going to play to the gallery the way and manner our detractors or our competitors want us to. We will always resolve our issues. So zoning is over. We have really gone over this issue. What we are looking forward to is the emergence of a National Chairman from the North, who will give us a leadership that we require to form a government in 2023”.
Asked if the party would consider consensus options, especially for the chairmanship position, Fintiri and Mohammed did not rule out the option, provided all the aspirants in the race agree on it.
Fintiri said: “I think it is too early for us to discus consensus at this stage, because this is a democratic party. It is open for contest, and if the issue of consensus arises, it is captured in our constitution.”
Bala Mohammed also said: “Consensus is normally a process of democratic consultation, because democracy is about consensus. Certainly, the electoral process can be reduced by having a converging point on an individual and that would have reduced the desperation issues within the party.
“I would say we should have a consensus candidate, but where we do not, we will not practice imposition.”
Northern coalition kicks against PDP’s zoning arrangement
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) yesterday frowned at the resolution taken at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) zoning the national chairman position to the North, describing it as a contradictory threat to the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
Spokesperson of CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, while responding to reporters’ questions in Kaduna, said it is contradictory and deceptive for the PDP NEC to leave the contest for the party’s presidential ticket open to all while restricting the national championship position to the North.
According to him, “it is as much an abuse of acceptable democratic process as it is contradictory, deceptive, ultra vires and alien to political party traditions everywhere.
“One fails to understand why the PDP would rather exclude the entire Southern Nigeria and deny them the right to vote and be voted for in a free and fair process for the highest position in the party and at the same time, allow open contest for the presidential ticket.
“This is only a veiled tactic to deceive the North into ultimately ceding the presidential slot, which must be rejected by insisting on an inclusive process for all party and offices in all the parties.
“It is unfortunate that the PDP after the humiliation of 2015 has still not learnt from lessons of history and is still bent on enforcing arbitrary, undemocratic practices that are harmful to internal party democracy and potentially threaten the consolidation of democracy in the country.
“We at the CNG are insisting on the emergence of a purposeful, credible, capable, and result-oriented leadership that would be achieved through a free, fair and inclusive process and not by deceit, blackmail, threat or grandstanding.
“We therefore reiterate our call for all the political parties to internal democratic processes to prevail in the selection of both party and elective positions freely and fairly without the need to disenfranchise any group of people or tribe for whatever intent and purpose.
“We therefore warm that any party that attempts to disenfranchise any group or section of the country stands to be roundly rejected by the North.”
Politics › FG To Review Licences Of Discos, Gencos Over Poor Performance by Islie(op): 8:10am On Oct 28, 2021
