₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu’s government has commenced the distribution of grains to states in order to cushion the hardship caused by the fuel subsidy removal and other economic policies.

The minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this on Tuesday while appearing before lawmakers at the National Assembly.

The minister was invited by the lawmakers, led by Senator Saliu Mustapha to brief Nigerians on Federal Government’s plan to curb rising food costs and plans to make it available to the poor and vulnerable in the country.

The minister told the lawmakers that the Federal Government had kicked-off the distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to some focal points in state capitals across the country.

He said: “We have received directive and approval from Mr. President to distribute for immediate impact 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains free of charge to the Nigerian population.

“This was received in mid-February, as we are speaking we have a record of the distribution being carried out, but I will want to plead with the Honorable House members and Distinguished senators that some of the movements can’t be made public but a lot of states have started receiving their grains.

“We are distributing to state capitals in the first instance as you all are aware the risk involved in the vandalism of foodstuff; so, we are working with the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other national security agencies.


“Furthermore, 58,500 metric tons of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation,” he said.

The minister said that the action of the government became important in order to cushion the hardship on Nigerians which he said, will soon become a thing of the past.

He told the lawmakers that his ministry was working with the ONSA and other national security outfits to address issues on vandalism of food warehouses.

Senator Mustapha told reporters after the session that he was satisfied with the steps being taken by the Federal Government to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

“From our interactive session, we are fully in the picture of what is happening. We are convinced that the steps being taken by the Federal Government is in the right direction,” the senator said.

“All we did again is to further emphasise the need for certain things to be done on time. I think from this collaborative approach by the grace of God, Nigerians will have a better feel of the government policy on food security.”

Ace comedian, public affairs commentator and media entrepreneur, Atunyota Akpobome (aka Alibaba), has said that some states created by the military regime should be local government areas.

Alibaba noted that some of the 36 states of the Federation were created by the military to appease some commanders who were later deployed to the states as administrators.

Alibaba said subregionals unable to generate enough revenue to sustain their operations but depend solely on monthly allocations from the Federal Government should be local government areas.

He said: “Some states were created just to appease some military officers. ‘Oh, this guy is a senior military officer, he comes from this area, we can’t give him a state now, let’s just create a state and take care of those people’.

“Or the issue of: We want to create four states in the north, let’s just balance it with some states in the south so that it will look deliberate because some of the states that were created needed to be local governments.


“Up till now, we have states that if they do not get federal allocations for three months, there will be problem in the state. Meanwhile, those same states have enough natural resources.”



He noted that Nigeria’s challenges started when the federal military government asked the regionals and the states to bring all their monies to the national purse and then began to give them whatever they think they should get through the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

He also faulted the 1999 Constitution bequeathed to the country by the military regime of ex-Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), during the country’s transition from military rule to democratic governance in May 1999.


Alibaba said: “Our constitution is the biggest problem we hve now; it’s an anomaly, it’s not actually a constitution; it’s something that some people drafted, got some lawyers to knock it together because the constitution doesn’t speak to the growth and national development of our country.

“The truth is if you want this country to grow, let each state generate its own revenue. The Federal Government can assist them if they want to but the funds and revenue that comes from certain states should not be shared to every other person.”

Nigerians trading on the Binance platform may soon be guests of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Binance Holdings Limited to provide the EFCC with detailed information on all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.

The move follows a motion filed by the anti-graft agency demanding details of Nigerians trading on Binance.

An EFCC operative, Hamma Bello, said that the EFCC’s Special Investigation Team received intelligence that money laundering and terrorism funding were carried out on Binance.

His words: “On receipt of the intelligence, the team began an investigation by conducting surveillance of the activities of the platform.

“The team uncovered users who have been using the platform for price discovery, confirmation and market manipulation which has caused tremendous distortions in the market, resulting in the naira losing its value against other currencies.”

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has officially announced his candidacy for the upcoming 2024 Ondo Gubernatorial Election.

Speaking at a rally in the state capital, Akure, Governor Aiyedatiwa said he is seeking to secure another term in office to continue his contributions to the development and progress of Ondo State.

He expressed commitment to bringing about positive change in Ondo State and outlined his vision for sustainable development, improved infrastructure, and enhanced social services.

The governor passionately declared that it is time for Ondo State to shine again, pledging to lead efforts that would elevate Ondo State to new heights of prosperity and prominence.

Governor Aiyedatiwa also appealed to the residents of Ondo State for their support in the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by the state and expressed confidence that, with the collective effort of the people, Ondo State could achieve remarkable progress.

Bandits who abducted 16 residents of Gonin Gora area of Kaduna metropolis have demanded for a ransom of N40 trillion for their release.

John Yusuf, a community leader of the area, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Monday in Kaduna.

Yusuf said the bandits called and demanded N40 trillion, 11 Hilux vans and 150 brand new motorcycles for the release of the victims.

“The bandits have contacted us. They are demanding for N40 trillion, 11 Hilux vans and 150 motorcycles for the release of 16 people they are holding captive.

“Where are we going to get this kind of money! Even if we sell the entire community, we cannot raise N40 trillion. Even Nigeria as a country has never made a budget of N40 trillion,” Yusuf said.

The community leader said, the bandits invaded the community two times within a week.

“The abductions happened twice within four days interval,” he said.

According to him, “During the first attack three people were kidnapped while in the second attack 13 people were abducted bringing the total number of people being held captive to 16.
He lamented the vast bushes bordring the community and Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state and called for the establishment of a military based in to check the activities of the criminals.

“We are pleading with the government to come to our aid by establishing a military base behind our community where the bandits take advantage of the bushes to invade our community.


“From our community down to Birnin Gwari which is over 150 kilometres is a stretch of bush.

“We also have another stretch of bushes from Gonin Gora down to Niger state.

“So when the criminals have free access through the bushes to our community. We are pleading with government to help us”, the community leaders pleaded.

Yusuf commended the Nigerian Army for their efforts in containing the bandits.

He said, “The army are really trying, despite the fact that they are seriously overstretched. Whenever we make distressed calls they come.

“But the problem is that before they reach the community, the bandits would have done what they wanted and left”.

The community leaders further called on the federal and state governments to take proactive action to stop the menace, “if not it is going to consume all of us.”

On Wednesday, February 28, bandits invaded Anguwan Auta, community in Gonin Gora, killed two people and abducted three others.

About four days after, the criminals were said to have returned to the area and abducted 13 people.

Hundreds of youths in the area, had protested against the first attack, blocking the busy Kaduna – Abuja highway which passes through Gonin Gora.

Many indigenes and residents of Edo North Senatorial District have expressed their displeasure over the planned impeachment of the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

Recall that Shaibu fell out with Governor Godwin in 2023 over plans to contest for governor of Edo State.

During the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary elect in February, Shaibu organized a parallel poll in his residence where he was declared winner. Asue Ighodalo was declared winner of the main PDP primary election in Edo State.

Last week, the Edo State House of Assembly issued Shaibu an impeachment notice.

But the protesters, who were seen chanting solidarity songs, urged Governor Obaseki to give peace a chance.

Some inscriptions on their placards read: “No to impeachment of Edo deputy governor”, “Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding”, “Give peace a chance”, “We choose peace against impeachment”, and “Edo people reject impeachment of the Deputy Governor”.

The protesters, who trooped out in their numbers, described the move to impeach Shaibu as a political vendatta.

The protesting women, men and youths, under the aegis of Edo North PDP Rescue Movement (ENREM), first converged on the popular Jattu junction in Etsako West Local Government. They later marched on major streets of the communities.

The leader of the protesters, Festus Owu, urged Edo lawmakers to focus on providing good legislation for residents and indigenes, instead of engaging in the fruitless venture of impeachment that would bring no food to the table of hungry citizens.

They urged Governor Obaseki to prevail on the House to discontinue any impeachment move against the deputy governor.

Comrade Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has strongly criticized the government led by President Bola Tinubu, stressing that Nigeria is retrogressing in various sectors under the current administration.

Abure called for action from opposition parties and the Nigerian masses to confront what he described as poor governance.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the country, citing challenges such as insecurity, economic deterioration, and political issues affecting innocent citizens.

Abure condemned the government’s inability to address security challenges, infrastructure, and the economy.

According to Abure, the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by Tinubu is a failure, and the Nigerian masses are enduring unprecedented hardship.

His words: “It is not capturing power that matters, but what you do with the power. It is not winning the election but what you do with the victory; how you transform lives and the people’s welfare.

“If you capture power and you cannot use it to address security challenges, the people are still being killed, you cannot use it to address infrastructure, you cannot use it to make the economy work, then what is the use of being in office?

“In all ramifications, the Tinubu-led APC government is a failure and the Nigerian masses have never had it as bad as this.

“At present, Nigerians are begging for food. Is it not a shame that Ukraine, which is at war, is sending us grains and all that?

“Nigeria has all it takes to build a great nation, but sadly, this APC government is presently taking us backward. Nigerians must unite to chase away this oligarchy in power.

Shyngle Wigwe, the biological father of billionaire business mogul and late former Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr Herbert Wigwe on Saturday slumped and was rushed to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment.

This was made known by a popular influencer on social media, Tony Ogbuagu who denied the purported death of the late billionaire’s father.

He wrote: “Herbert Wigwe’s father is not dead please. He only slumped and has been taken to the hospital. Make una slow down with all these bad news.”

Dignitaries, guests and hundreds of mourners arrived at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State for the funeral service of Wigwe, his wife, Doreen, and son, Chizzy.

SaharaReporters had reported that Wigwe who died in a helicopter crash in the United States alongside his wife and son were buried on March 9, 2024 after a combined funeral service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo.

Wigwe and his family members died when a chopper heading to Las Vegas crashed near a border city between Nevada and California in February.

SaharaReporters was told that Wigwe left Lagos State, Nigeria, on Wednesday to watch the Super Bowl 58, an American football competition.

The LVIII was held on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Over 50 jets expected as Wigwe goes home

His last hours; Isiokpo mounts Achian, symbolic flag

•Mourners from USA, France, UK for burial


•Isiokpo residents besiege airport to receive visitors


•Mothers in three-day prayers; Ikwere LG to immortalize him

•Massive Police Deployment

“T o everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;……….A time to weep, and a time laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”.

For the immediate family of Herbert Wigwe, loved ones, friends and colleagues nothing could underscore this verse in the bible than today’s (Saturday, march 9, 2024) gathering at Isiokpo in Ikwerre local government area of Rivers state.

After 58 years of earthly sojourn, Dr. Herbert Wigwe takes his final rest today.

“But death came too late”, according to the Ikwerre Council chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, because “he had achieved all that most people of his age could not achieve”.

To millions of his admirers, Wigwe died too young. This is premised on the fact that the Holy Book gives 70 years as the youngest period a devote Christian should live on earth. It is on this understanding that the world converges on Isiokpo to mourn one of its best in all human endeavours.

Corporate Nigeria shuts down Lagos for Wigwe
The signs were well pronounced as local mourners gathered in clusters discussing in low tones. Perhaps, on the death and today’s burial of their beloved son, Wigwe.

By Friday afternoon, every venue scheduled for this burial was set: the school, the church and the university premises. The roads are clean as pot holes have disappeared. Isiokpo is ready to host the world, though in sorrow.

Mothers Pray Against Untimely Death

For three days they gathered at the major roundabout which is their city center. They called themselves ‘Married Women Of Isiokpo”. They spotted red wrapper and white blouse. Some had white handkerchiefs on their heads as scarf while others made do with whatever was available.

Some of them sat on the green grass, others squatted and some more prostrated. They were praying fervently for God’s intervention in the affairs of the kingdom and for an end to untimely deaths in Isiokpo. Mrs. Beatrice Echeonwu, 68, said the prayer was necessary to end the scourge of untimely deaths in the area.

“We received a revelation from God to embark on a 3-day prayer to take away untimely deaths from our children. God has already answered us. Such disaster will never happen in isiokpo again. Our children will never die untimely again because God has assured us”.

For three days, the isiokpo mothers have assemble at the center of the city from 6am and prayed until 9am with a symbol of water sprinkling on members as a number of them fell under “anointing”. Mrs. Echeonwu said the prayer has been a monthly ritual which comes up on every first Wednesday of a new month.

“Our son’s (Wigwe’s) death forced us to engage the more in prayer until God revealed to us to undergo three days of intensive prayer for His divine intervention. That is the assurance we got that premature death will be a thing of the past in Isiokpo”, she assured.

“ACHIAN” Flag And Its Significant

One of the important symbols of today’s burial ceremony is the erection of a long flowing piece of cloth from the Isiokpo borderline to the private cemetery of Dr. Wigwe. Erected on both sides of the major road, the ACHIAN is a traditional way of honouring the passage of an important personality like the late toast of Rivers state.

Giving insight into the essence of ACHIAN, Chief Edmund Opurum, 72, revealed that “in our tradition when Achian is erected on the road, it signifies either the burial of an important personality like Dr. Wigwe or the coronation of a king.

“The ones you see erected on the road also help to give direction to the visitors to the venue of the event. The ones erected on the road sides may be removed on Monday after the burial. But those at the private cemetery may likely be there for two or three weeks depending on the decision of the bereaved family”, he said.

Chief Opurum regretted that it would take many years if not generations to have somebody like the late Herbert Wigwe again. “Every Christmas, he used to give each community 500 bags of rice with rams while the chiefs were always given N50,000. I benefitted from all of these. That is why I said it would take a long time to have somebody like him”, Opurum said as he was busy clearing the gutter to add some sense of decency to the burial arrangement.

Ikwerre LGA To Immortalize Wigwe

“The bible tells us that we don’t have the right to question the actions of God. But if I were allowed, I wiould ask why would Wigwe die now? He was a beckon of hope for the entire ikwerre local government area and beyond. If you were lucky to have him speak to you, your entire life was made.

“His vision was so big that it contained everybody. There was space in his life to accommodate everybody. My son called me from his school and asked me the same question: why should he die now? The death of Wigwe is such a big disaster to us and those who knew him in one way or another. Our candle, our light has dimmed. This is sad and I don’t know how to describe this”, said Dr. Nwanosike, Ikwerre Council boss.

He assured that the Ikwerre ethnic nationality would immortalize the late philanthropist extraordinaire. “Yes, we will immortalize him. This is not because I am the council chairman of his local government area. It has to do with the importance the Ikwerre ethnic nationality placed on him.

“I am happy that his business friends from all over the country and overseas have promised that the Wigwe International University will certainly go ahead with inaugural academic session in September which was his vision. I am happy for that. We will also do all within our reach to keep his dreams alive”.

Over 50 Jets Expected.

As envisaged, the Port Harcourt International Airport is expected to be busy, at least for today. A credible source at the airport confided in Saturday Vanguard that more than fifty private and commercial jets were expected to land at the airport for today’s burial.

The source disclosed further that if the capacity of the local wing could not contain the visiting jets, some of them would be directed to the international wing. “There is a standing instruction from the minister that everything should be done to avoid possible chaos throughout the burial. We expect more than 50 private and commercial jets tomorrow (today).

“We are expecting a massive crowd from within and outside the country to attend the burial. He was a popular man. That is why we are doing everything possible to ensure a smooth event devoid of stampede or any form of security risk”, the source said.

A Dose Of Politics

In the early hours of Friday, a crowd of sympathizers had gathered at the airport junction to receive the remains of their son, Dr. Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba and son. They all wore black T-Shirts with the description: “Dead or alive, don’t touch a lion”. On the reversed side of the shirt was “Elele Elders and Youths: On Wike’s Structure We stand”.

It presupposes that in a gathering of this magnitude, politicians would definitely want to leverage on such opportunities to showcase their political prowess and the stuff they are made of in their trade.

Rivers state, no doubt is a boiling political cauldron. A fight that has refused to simmer down for whatever reason despite several interventions by prominent Nigerians including the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

But there will be no room for politicking in today’s event. The world gathers here to mourn the passage of a great personality. The world is here to mourn. The world is here to weep. The world is here to grieve over the untimely death of a man who was too generous as a philanthropist. No room for local politics today. Not now.

Led by the ikwerre Council chairman, Dr. Nwanosike, a close ally of the Minister of federal capital territory, FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike, the group received the remains of the Wigwes straight from the airport at exactly 1:33pm and drove in a long motorcade to the deceased father’s compound at isiokpo.

One striking feature of today’s burial ceremony is the watertight security provided particularly by the Rivers State Police command. Saturday Vanguard was told that the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, is the chief security officer, COS, of this historic moment.

Massive security officers and men were deployed to Isiokpo to wade off anything that would constitute a nuisance to the security of life and property in the course of the burial.

The ceremony is billed to be streamed live by Team 33 Production, a reputable event expert based in Lagos. The company streams the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL for Startimes.

Isiokpo would be a melting pot for who is who in the business world from within and outside Nigeria. A credible source said Dr. Wigwe’s friends from America, England, France and other parts of the world have been in Nigeria since the burial program started a week ago.

No doubt, a federal government powerful delegation will also be at Isiokpo to pay its last respect to the deceased. Politicians of note, clerics of high repute and members of “One Love” family, University Dons among others are expected to be on ground to grace the burial. It will be a gathering of who is who in the real sense of it.

Dele Farotimi, a Nigerian human rights activist, has said that President Bola Tinubu cannot separate himself from the poor performance of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that some ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet have continued to blame the current economic hardship in the country on Buhari’s failures.

But an interview with ChannelsTV on Friday night, Farotimi maintained that Tinubu marketed Buhari to millions of Nigerians as the best man for the job in 2015 and 2019.

The activist said that as national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu actively positioned Buhari to Nigerians in the buildup to the 2015 general elections and cannot separate himself from the failures of the Buhari government.

The activist said nothing has changed since May 2015 when the APC took over from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The evidence of the last nine months is unimpeachable and cannot be denied. I know that the convenient excuse is that Buhari had damaged it (Nigeria) and he (Tinubu) is repairing it but who brought Buhari? Who was the chief marketer of Buhari in 2014/2015 when the ‘Change’ lie was sold to Nigerians?” he queried.

Farotimi lamented that nothing has been done by the Tinubu government to expect anything positive.

Instead, he said Nigerians should brace up for more challenges beyond the economic hardship occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal and unification of the foreign exchange windows.

Farotimi said the future of Nigeria appeared bleak saying, “I am going to be 56 years old this year and in my entire lifetime, we have never been far away from greatness than we are today. The future of Nigeria appears bleak than it has ever been in my entire lifetime.”

He blamed the rot in Nigeria to “each and every one of us” but “most importantly the “complete breakdown of the rule of law”.

According to him, Nigeria has copious laws in writing but there is no rule of law in our space as “the laws are observed more in breach”.

“Nigeria as it is today is not ruled by law but by impunity,” he said. “When you look beyond that, you begin to look at the institutions of state.”

Farotimi said for the nation to move forward, the principles of justice must be enthroned, starting with the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has set March 13 as the date for hearing the motion filed by Bello Bodejo, the detained President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, seeking his unconditional release from the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Bodejo was apprehended on January 23 at Miyetti Allah’s office in Karu LGA of Nasarawa state in connection with the unveiling of a vigilante group.

POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that on February 5, Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), submitted an ex parte motion requesting to detain Bodejo.

Following this, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted an order for Bodejo to be remanded for 15 days in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency. During the proceedings on February 22, the judge granted the Federal Government seven days to file charges against Bodejo.

However, during the recent court session, Bodejo was absent. The counsel for the AGF, Y. Imana, informed the court that the agency had not yet forwarded Bodejo’s file to her office due to ongoing complications encountered by the investigating agencies.

Imana stated, “This matter is slated for arraignment. Unfortunately, up till now, due to some problems the investigating agencies are encountering, they have not been able to send the file to us.”

In response, Mohammed Sheriff, Bodejo’s counsel, highlighted efforts made to secure his client’s release pending arraignment. He lamented that his client has stayed in Detention for 43 days without any filed charges.

Despite this, Justice Ekwo expressed dissatisfaction with the unpreparedness of the prosecution and assured Bodejo of a fair hearing. Consequently, the court adjourned the matter until March 13.

The parallel market exchange rate has experienced a substantial decline, reaching a low point of N2050 per Great Britain Pound (GBP), reflecting persistent demand pressures that have contributed to the erosion of the currency’s value.

This signifies a significant decrease of 7.32% or N150 compared to the rate of N1,900 recorded the previous day.

Simultaneously, as of 11:54 am on Tuesday, black-market exchange rates have continued to undergo devaluation of the Nigerian Naira.

Despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) concerted efforts to enhance foreign exchange (forex) supply through various policy interventions, challenges persist within the forex market.

Similarly, the Naira depreciated against dollar in the parallel forex market, where forex is unofficially traded, with the exchange rate quoted at N1,630/$1, reflecting a 1.84% decrease from the N1,600 rate it closed at the previous day.  

Additionally, the Naira weakened against the Euro by 0.57%, trading at N1750/EUR1 compared to N1740/EUR1 reported the previous day. 

Factors Influencing the Depreciation
Market analysts attribute the recent decline to a consistent surge in demand for dollars that has been evident since the commencement of January. The primary contributors to this heightened demand include: 

A substantial portion of the demand is attributed to businesses actively seeking to restock goods or acquire raw materials, necessitating a higher demand for foreign exchange. 

Individuals pursuing overseas studies have also played a significant role in driving the demand for dollars. This trend is likely connected to the need for tuition payments and related educational expenses. 

Nairametrics reported recently that financial analysts are advocating for a re-evaluation of policies to safeguard the Nigerian Naira amid escalating forex rates, despite efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stabilize its value.

The recent decline in the Naira’s value across official and parallel markets has prompted suggestions from financial experts to mitigate currency volatility and prevent further depreciation.

The CBN had announced a series of measures aimed at enhancing transparency and stability in the foreign exchange market while addressing malpractices.

However, while the analysts acknowledge the positive aspects of the CBN’s recent policies aimed at managing pressures in the foreign exchange market, they highlight that these measures fail to directly address the fundamental issue of limited supply.

Analysts interviewed by Nairametrics in response to the Naira’s sharp decline following exchange rate harmonization propose reassessing the government’s foreign exchange management strategy.

They advocate for shifting towards a managed float system to allow flexibility in implementing initiatives to bolster foreign exchange reserves, such as boosting oil production, enhancing agricultural exports, and incentivizing foreign remittances.

Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has described the recent protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against the rising cost of living was a mere distraction adding that it achieved no tangible result.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Kennedy-Ohanenye said the country needs “constructive ways” to tackle its challenges.

“Now that NLC has gone out to protest, what have they done? It’s just a mere distraction of the federal government but the kind of action that you people (Integrity Brigade) will take, you will see the effect,” the minister said.

“It will be loud and clear, that is why I said there is no need for that. If you do things without the end result, what is it for?

“Let’s focus on constructive ways of solving our problems by coming out bold and clear with what we want.”

The minister disclosed that later this week, President Bola Tinubu would unveil “PBAT cares for Nigerian women”, a programme seeking to empower women in the country.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she is establishing a body known as “Integrity Brigade” which would ensure that funds sourced by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for women and children would be used for that purpose.

“The president has endorsed a mobile court to address violence – minor issues of violence against women and children,” the minister said.

“The most important is the Integrity Brigade which all of you are joining and most Nigerians will volunteer to come in.

“Our royal fathers and religious leaders across the country, both Muslims and Christians, are equally coming and joining the Integrity Brigade.

“The Integrity Brigade will ensure that any decision made concerning Nigeria must be the one to benefit Nigerians. Even if you are an NGO, if you want to write for support for Nigerians, you must bring support that will bring sustainable empowerment,” she added

An Abuja-based businessman, Murtala Ibrahim Gusau, has reacted to the invasion of his warehouse by suspected hoodlums in the Karmo area of Abuja.

Politics Nigeria had reported that a private warehouse in the Karmo area of the capital city was attacked by hoodlums who looted hundreds of bagged grains and other commodities.

Gusau said that the hoodlums arrived at his store located at Sabuwar-Unguwa area in the community around 9am and forced their way in.

He noted that some of the hoodlums were from the community while others have arrived on motorcycles from Gwagwa town.

“On getting the information about the incident, I ran to the Karmo Police Division but only to learn that the police there had left for Gwagwa where the first incident took place,” Gusau said.

“Same information I got at the vigilante office around the market. So, I went back to the market and invited my fellow traders.

“On arrival, we discovered that the youth had already started looting the food items, and all efforts to stop them were not successful, as they used the arms in their possession, like sticks and machetes to attack us. I sustained some injuries from the attack,” he added.

Given the breakdown about the looted items, the trader disclosed that about 711 bags of rice were stolen along with 652 bags of beans, as well as 1,602 bags of sugar.

Gusau, however, added that he was able to recover some of the stolen food items through the efforts of Karmo policemen, who arrived around an hour later in company of other policemen from the Life Camp division, and the FCT Police Command.

“The police were able to recover about 363 bags of rice, 475 bags of beans, and also 1,255 bags of sugar. We recovered them from some household and also the vandal’s hideout,” he said.

The businessman revealed that the food items supplied were meant for Ramadan packages for the less privileged.

As the March 1 deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the linkage of bank accounts with either the Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identity Number (NIN) expires, approximately 91 million bank accounts face the risk of being frozen.

The CBN had directed commercial banks to restrict tier-1 accounts without proper BVN or NIN linkage.

The directive, issued on December 1, 2023, outlined the immediate placement of unfunded accounts on ‘Post No Debit or Credit,’ with funded accounts scheduled to face the same restriction effective March 1, 2024.

Banks intensified efforts over the weekend, sending final reminders to depositors to utilize digital platforms or visit branches for the necessary BVN/NIN linkage to avoid the potential freezing of their accounts.

The directive further stated that the BVN or NIN associated with all accounts must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024.

While the CBN has not officially clarified the consequences for customers failing to comply with the BVN/NIN linkage, banks have warned that non-compliance could result in the inability to carry out transactions.

Panic has ensued among depositors, leading to frequent bank visits as customers strive to update their account information before the March 1 deadline.

As of January 26, the Nigeria InterBank Settlement System (NIBSS) reported that BVN-linked accounts stood at 60,492,104 million.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has expressed his confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s capacity to transform Nigeria just like he did in Lagos State.

In a statement by his media assistant, Segun Tomori, Alake expressed the optimism that Nigeria would soon overcome its current economic hardship.

Alake said the hardship was because Nigeria is still going through what he described as a “gestation period” of economic restructuring and reforms.

Alake noted that President Bola Tinubu remains determined to revamp Nigeria’s economy and put it on a pedestal for sustainable growth through his Renewed Hope agenda.

According to him, the president has a track record of changing the economic tides of a region, just as he did when he was the governor of Lagos State.

“Going down memory lane to the experience in Lagos state, the then governor Tinubu in 1999, met a state that was almost insolvent, with a monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N600 million,” Alake said.

“And a wage bill of over N1.1 billion monthly, with little or no resources to cater to infrastructure and other sectors of the economy.

“President Tinubu took similar measures in Lagos as he is taking in Nigeria, to turn the tide and financially re-engineer the state. Today, the state is the fifth largest economy in Africa, bigger than most African countries.

“What we are going through is the gestation period of reforms and policies for economic restructuring and like the President will say, it is like throes of pregnancy, that a pregnant woman goes through. After delivery, she heaves a sigh of relief.”

The minister urged Nigerians to be patient with the government as the current economic situation would soon stabilise with positive results from ongoing reforms.

“For the first time, Nigeria has a president well-versed in public finance. I am confident in this administration’s capacity to diversify the economy, plug leakages, and redirect the economy to a path of sustainable growth,” he said.

“The future of this country is extremely very bright. What we need to do is to exude confidence in our ability and capacity to weather the storm of restructuring, economic and societal restructuring.

“As we restructure our economy, putting in physical infrastructure, we must also restructure our minds and mental capacity to be at par with physical development.

“ So that we can efficiently and judiciously enjoy the benefits of physical development. With the cooperation of Nigerians, the tide will turn very soon, and we all will be proud,” he added