₦airaland Forum

In the wake of escalating tensions surrounding allegations of budget padding within the National Assembly, the Save Nigeria Forum (SNF), a prominent Civil Society Organization (CSO) dedicated to promoting good governance and accountability, has issued a stern rebuke against what it perceives as attempts by certain opposition groups to undermine the critical oversight role of the legislative arm of government.

The SNF expressed deep concern over the surge of unfounded accusations and efforts to tarnish the integrity of the National Assembly, particularly concerning alleged instances of budget padding. Such actions, according to the SNF, not only jeopardize the credibility of the legislative institution but also pose a threat to the foundational principles of democracy upon which Nigeria is built.

The position of the CSO was contained in a press statement it issued in Abuja and jointly signed by its Convener, Abdul Ahmed and Executive Director, Mansur Adegbite.

Reaffirming the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to scrutinize executive proposals and ensure transparency in the allocation of public funds, the SNF underscored the indispensability of robust oversight mechanisms in fostering governmental accountability and nurturing public trust.

The organization lamented the exploitation of genuine concerns surrounding budgetary processes by certain opposition factions for political gain, cautioning against the dissemination of baseless accusations and the propagation of divisive narratives that risk eroding public confidence in democratic institutions.

In a resolute stance against attempts to undermine the credibility of the National Assembly, the SNF urged all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organizations, and the media, to uphold the sanctity of democratic principles and refrain from engaging in actions detrimental to national unity and cohesion.

Moreover, the SNF called upon the leadership of the National Assembly to remain steadfast in their dedication to serving the interests of the Nigerian populace and safeguarding democratic norms.

Emphasizing the imperative of unity and collaboration in confronting the nation's challenges, the organization reiterated its support for efforts aimed at promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance within the country.

In a final declaration, the SNF extended a vote of confidence in the leadership of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, and Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissing calls for their resignation as baseless and politically motivated.

The organization affirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria's democracy and advancing the collective interests of its citizens.

The House of Representatives at the plenary on Wednesday, passed through second reading, a Bill seeking to establish a National Tax Crimes and oversight Commission, to address revenue leakages in the payment of taxes in the country.

Titled "A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Tax Crimes and Oversight Commission to Address Revenue Leakages Emanating from Non-payment and Under Payment of Taxes, Irregularities in the Assessment, Reporting and Remittances of Taxes to Prevent and Combat Tax Related Crimes, to Ensure the Protection of Tax Payers Rights and for Related Matters"; the proposed piece of legislation was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and 8 other lawmakers.

Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors, Hon. Felix Uche Nweke stated that the commission, when established, will check irregularities in the assessment, reporting, and remittances of taxes, prevent and combat tax-related crimes, and plug all leakages in the tax administration system in the country.

He noted that leakages occur where unscrupulous staff and agents of tax authorities collude with citizens to under assess the tax-payer thereby resulting in underpayment.

He added that leakages also occur in the form of tax evasion, especially such that is encouraged and condoned by the tax collector and more especially among multinational corporations operating within the country.

The lawmaker further said that leakages also occur where there are non-remittances of collected taxes, that is to say where government does not get the total amount of taxes collected as a result of revenue diversion by fraudulent staff of tax authorities.

Nweke said there is need to establish an Independent Tax Crimes and Oversight Commission, which will have the capacity to investigate, audit, prevent and combat tax related crimes.

This, he said, will effectively prevent international tax evasion and other transnational organized crimes and abuses of the nation's public finance system.

He stressed that the bill seeks to promote economic efficiency and effective tax administration system, detect and deter evasion, fraud and abuse in Nigeria's tax administration system and to protect taxpayer's rights.

According to him, the establishment of the National Tax Crimes and Oversight Commission is a strategic move to enhance fiscal resilience and not about increasing taxation.

He said "This Bill was read the first time on Thursday, 12th October, 2023. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Colleagues, the amount of revenue available to any government determines the extent to which such Government may be able to provide public goods and services. It is a pointer to how far a nation can ensure her growth and development. While taxation is considered the most important means of generating public revenue, it is worthy of note that nations that strive to develop aim at putting in place a fair, just, efficient and simplified tax administration system which builds confidence amongst the citizens and as well motivate and encourage citizens to pay their taxes.

"While it is one thing to fix the amount of taxes to be paid, it is another for tax collection authorities and assessors to determine the right amount of taxes to be paid in accordance with the provisions of extant tax laws. This will definitely contribute to our national security through prevention of
tax related crimes, prevention of illicit financial flow derived from tax evasion, international tax schemes, cybercrime, etc. The Tax Crimes and Oversight Commission will not function as a law court, it will not duplicate the functions of the Tax Appeal Tribunals established in accordance with section 59(1) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2007 and ti will not be saddled with any form of quasi-judicial functions.

"The Commission will primarily focus on the Oversight of the Tax Administration System, Ensuring that the Tax Authorities Discharge their Duties within the ambit of the laws: protecting, promoting and guaranteeing taxpayer's rights, where necessary ensuring the prosecution of corrupt and fraudulent tax officials, ensuring the complete remittances of all public revenues, ensuring the increase of public Revenue not through introduction or increment of taxes but through friendly and appropriate taxation, among other things.

"The Commission will ultimately ensure that the five basic qualities of a good tax system, which include fairness, adequacy, simplicity, transparency and administrative ease, are entrenched as part of global best practice. Similarly independent tax auditing and investigating organizations exist in other countries; such as the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) of the United States and the Inspector- General of Taxation and Ombudsman (IGT/0) of Australia. Similar Organizations exist in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, etc. There is need to put in place an effective system which oversights tax administration in Nigeria, a system which can address taxpayers' grievances and complaints promptly and without hassles, a system which will be so friendly and that can encourage and raise people's willingness to pay their taxes."

By Peter Awunah, PhD

Yesterday, the 5th of March, 2024, I was sitting somewhere in Maitama, Abuja with my friend of many years, Johnson Anosike, a development economist from Anambra State when a news item popped on his phone and he turned to show me. The news said “Leadership Newspaper honours Alia with governor of the year award”.

Johnson looked at me with a wry smile and said “Peter, how much did the award cost Benue State?” Before I could manage to utter a word, my friend continued, “Why is your governor so desperate for power and attention?” I was still trying to figure out what exactly to tell Johnson when he added, “Do those guys at Leadership newspaper care to find out what other governors in the country like Umar Bago of Niger State, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Alex Otti of Abia and others are doing in their states? What is wrong with these people?”
At that point, I could only nod my head and agree with Johnson. I couldn’t counter his statement of facts.

The point that hit me harder was the first one “Peter, how much did the award cost Benue State?” I knew that the award must have cost my state a fortune of its resources. Governor Hyacinth Alia is not close to being the best performing governor in Nigeria even by an inch. Whoever made that choice must no doubt be smiling to the bank by now.

When I returned home yesterday evening, I was still pondering over Anosike’s posers and decided to revisit the Leadership award to Governor Alia. I went to the newspaper’s website and read the story of the award in detail to know why the medium arrived at their choice, and I found nothing tangible to write home about.

One of the paragraphs justifying the choice of Governor Alia read thus: “By these unprecedented approaches in empowerment of Benue farmers, Alia’s declaration that his administration would ensure food security, increased yields, and a thriving agricultural sector has properly kicked off.”

When I saw the words “food security” in the above portion of the Leadership story, I felt a sting of shame. So Governor Alia whose people are predominantly farmers and who have been chased away from their ancestral lands and farms with many of them being killed daily by herders had gone to Abuja to receive an award for “ensuring food security”?

Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula was quoted in one of the paragraphs as saying hat his boss has done pretty well in area of security when he said “…ease of doing business, and reforms in the health sector, transportation sector, and Security during his short time in office, were indices considered for the governor to be selected for the award”.

At that point, I concluded that indeed Alia is not a sincere person. If his spokesman could look the traumatized Benue people in the faces and say that his principal is doing very well in securing them, I suggest that the governor should be considered for the award of “Most Dishonest Governor of the Year”.

In the same report on Alia’s award, I read the newspaper say he was adjudged the best “For demonstrating leadership, ensuring prudence, blocking waste and fighting corruption to a standstill since he assumed office as the helmsman of Benue State”.

Really! A governor who is running the government like his private company with zero transparency and accountability? How has Alia blocked wastages in government when he is reported to be buying mansions in Abuja and other parts of the country? His fleet of convoy vehicles is rated as one of the most expensive among the present crop of governors.

How is Governor Alia fighting corruption when his officials are being investigated by anti-corruption agencies and even the National Assembly? The other day the bureau of local government affairs under him was accused of diverting N20 billion belonging to the 23 local governments of the state. A few days later, another report indicated that Alia’s government misappropriated N46 billion in just four months in office.

Alia boasts of paying salaries of workers and pensions but he has been mute on how much his administration has received from the federation’s account since he became governor and oil subsidy has been removed. He has not said anything about the arrears of salaries that he promised to clear within the first 100 days in office.

Governor Alia snubs due process in governance. He awards white elephant projects unilaterally and the contract costs are inflated above the known standards of construction. He increased his approval limit from N50 million to N250 million and since then has been spending the state resources without questions from any quarter. The trending deception on display in the state now is that he is constructing flyovers in Makurdi and Gboko. That is a misplaced priority which Alia himself knows he is only playing to the gallery. Township roads in Makurdi are in a terrible condition and the town is littered with refuse in all its corners, but the governor is more interested in a flyover.

The States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) law otherwise known as Due Process Law is in existence in Benue State, but Governor Alia is not obeying the law in the award of contracts.

I do not know anyone on the board of Leadership newspaper but I believe that members of the board will read this article of mine. Their choice for the best performing governor is not only a poor one but has once again exposed corruption in every facet of our national life as a country. Awards of performance in governance should not be for the highest bidder! The media is the fourth estate of the realm and must at all times base its decisions and choices upon facts which, as they say, are sacred.

That award to Governor Alia of Benue State is unmerited and lacks every glimmer of credibility!


(Awunah writes from Durumi, Abuja).

A pro-democracy group known as Defenders of Democracy (DoD), has told Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia to resign if he has no answer to the spate of insecurity ravaging the state following the influx of thousands of herdsmen into the state with cattle and the resultant attacks and killing of the people.

DoD in a statement signed by its President, Amos Uchiv and made available to journalists in Makurdi Friday, condemned Governor Alia’s recent ban on political gatherings, describing it as a diversionary decision aimed at covering up his lack of capacity in addressing the security situation in the state.

The group criticized the Benue State Governor for collecting huge security votes every month but failing to apply the funds to end the wave of attacks against the people.

The statement read:


“Two days ago, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia announced a ban on all political gatherings in the state citing high insecurity as reason for the ban.
The governor who made the announcement in a statement by his Chief of Staff, Paul Biam, said the prohibition of political gatherings was because “the security atmosphere in the state is charged following the unprecedented influx of armed herdsmen in the state”.

“Governor Alia’s statement is crass admittance of failure and an invitation for State of Emergency to be declared in Benue State. Alia has clearly demonstrated his ineptitude and incompetence in running the state.

“How does stopping political gatherings translate to addressing the security situation in the state? Is politics done on people’s farms where armed herders have been destroying crops? What have the children, women and other vulnerable people who are being killed in the communities got to do with political gatherings?

“Governor Alia has by his pronouncement, admitted that the security situation in his state has overwhelmed him. He doesn’t have answers to the Fulani invasion. He is talking about peaceful coexistence with Fulani and at the same time asking them to vacate the state within two weeks. What a contradiction!

“When Alia became governor, he promised to return the internally displaced people to their ancestral homes within the first 100 days, but he failed to do that. Herders have moved into Benue State with hundreds of thousands of cattle but Governor Alia is saying nothing and doing nothing. He is more interested in political battles, probes and white elephant projects like flyovers.

“Governor Alia has exposed his lack of leadership capacity in tackling insecurity in the state as rampaging Fulani militia have continued to kill more people in parts of the state. He cannot escape responsibility for the escalating insecurity which has led to the loss of many lives and destruction of property worth billions of naira in Benue State.

“Alia has failed us on all fronts. He is not only clueless and inept but also does not seem to bother even if half of the people are massacred by the marauding Fulani militia.

“The other day, we read in the papers that Governor Alia was one of those who recently endorsed what is called Pulaku and made sure that Benue State was included in the list of states where the Federal Government plans to establish cattle colonies, and we were wondering if the man is out of his mind. Which part of the state does he hope to cede for the construction of the Fulani settlements known as Pulaku?

“The Fulanis were very happy to hear that governor of Benue State is ready to give them lands to own and occupy. If this is part of the agreement he was said to have with the Fulani before they supported his election, someone should make governor Alia understand that his plan is against the interest of Benue people.

“Alia has made Benue people to miss the former governor Samuel Ortom in a very short time. Ortom was a strong voice against the Fulani agenda in his state and the country at large. He was always the first to rally other Nigerians to reject any attempt by the Federal Government to help the Fulani to take over parts of Nigeria as their own. Some of us did not agree with all of Ortom’s polices and actions but on the Fulani issue, he was outstanding. What we have now as governor is a total failure!

“We must remind governor Alia that Benue people voted for him to protect them, not to be flying in private jets across the world and spending their money on wasteful personal luxuries like buying expensive cars, buying houses in choice locations in Makurdi, Abuja, Lagos, the United States etc. He promised us that he would provide good governance, but what we have so far seen is a misfit in power.

“He has increased his approval limit from N50 million to a whopping N250 million and has increased the security votes astronomically, yet, the security of the state is getting worse under him.

“Lastly, our stand is, since it is now apparent that Governor Hyacinth Alia is overwhelmed and has lost control of security in state, he is free to honorably resign and allow his Deputy or the Speaker of the House of Assembly to take over. He is toying with the lives of over 7 million people by making unreasonable decisions. The security of lives and property is such an important part of governance that any government that has no capacity to provide security should vacate power immediately.

“We condemn the ban on political gatherings by the governor and urge him to rescind the decision to avoid heating the polity unnecessarily. We are in a democracy, not dictatorship!”

By Law Mefor

The National Assembly just passed the Bill to increase the retirement age of National Assembly civil servants to 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first. The existing law prescribes 60 years of age or 35 years of service for retirement. This happened despite the stiff opposition mounted by some lawmakers who kicked against the bill, saying that special treatment should not be given to national assembly staff.

Specifically, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia South, and Senator Ali Ndume said there is no difference between a civil servant in the national assembly and a federal ministry. They both did not see why the civil servants in the National Assembly should be equated to university lecturers and judicial officials whose retirement age was extended by the National Assembly recently.

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) is asking the same questions and has taken a step further to challenge the abnormality in court. The simple question is: What is the difference between the person who is working in the national assembly and the person working in the ministries? The truth is that nothing separates the person who works inside the two categories of workers. So, ALDRAP believes nobody stays in the National Assembly beyond the rules of the public service of Nigeria on retirement year.

Thus the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has decided to sue the National Assembly regarding the extension of the retirement age to 65 years. The association sees the extension as an affront to, and desecration of, the 1999 Constitution.

Some staff of the National Assembly who are members of a professional Association named the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) have instructed their lawyer to file a lawsuit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

Amongst other Reliefs being sought, the Association-ALDRAP is asking the Court to determine whether the National Assembly ought not to have applied the procedure for alteration of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as provided under section 9 instead of the ordinary law-making process specified in section 58 of the said Constitution.

According to the Association-ALDRAP, considering that the Clerk to the National Assembly and staff of the National Assembly are listed in section 318 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, the procedure for enacting any law for extension of the age of retirement, ought to be by way of alteration of the said Constitution.

The Association-ALDRAP argues that the method ought to be similar to the method applied for the increase of the retirement age of judges as set out in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No. 37) Act, 2023. Which provides that “a judicial officer appointed to any of the superior courts of record specified in section 6 (5) of the Constitution may retire when he attains the age of sixty-five years and he shall cease to hold office when he attains the age of seventy years”.

In the alternative, the Association-ALDRAP argues and seeks the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to make an Order that 60 years or 35 years of service (whichever comes earlier) as stipulated in the National Assembly Pensions Board Act, 2023 remains the valid age of retirement for all staff of the National Assembly until it is expressly repealed.

More importantly, the Association-ALDRAP seeks an Order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria to restrain the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from assenting to the said Bill for the increase of the age of retirement of staff of the National Assembly. The reason for this is because the said Bill is in contravention to the recent pronouncement and towards reduction of the cost of governance through implementation of the 2011 Stephen Orasonye Committee Report by the Federal Government of Nigerian, wherein the National Intelligence Agency Pensions Board was subsumed under the Pensions Commission (PenCom). The Association-ALDRAP argues that the National Assembly Pensions Board Act, 2023 should be subsumed under the Pensions Commission and the said Act repealed as its enactment process did not comply with Sections 58 and 60 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution since the Authentication page states that both Chambers of the National Assembly concurred to the Bill on the same day, 23rd May 2023. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has held (Attorney-General of Bendel State vs. Attorney-General of the Federation (1981) that any legislation would be declared unconstitutional and therefore void if it is proven that the process of its enactment fails to comply strictly with the law-making process as specified in the Constitution.

ALDRAP members believe the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the grund norm, should not be violated by the National Assembly, and courts should act to protect the constitution by striking down the Bill as unconstitutional and therefore null and void.

·Dr. Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts; drlawmefor@gmail.com; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor

By Our Reporter


A Cross-River born politician who contested for Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) primaries for the House of Representatives in Cross River State, Ericbona Eliom Ushie is currently facing criminal charges before a lagos High Court in Ikeja, the state capital.

Ushie was being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for stealing and fraud among other sundry charges before Honourable Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.

EFCC is pressing thirteen, (13) counts charges bordering on obtaining under false pretense, contrary to section1(1a) and 1 (3) of the advance fee fraud and other related offenses Act, (2006) as amended.

Ushie was accused of stealing contrary to section 280 (1) (b) and punishable under section 287 of Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015.

Count two of the charge sheet reads, “Ericbona Eliom Ushie, sometime in 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud the aggregate sum of N35.397 million property of calibration and non-destructive Services Limited under the pretense that the said Sun was for the purpose of securing award of contract from Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).

The accused who was alleged to have contested the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) House of Representatives’ Primaries in 2023, however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Responding to his plea of not being guilty to the charges brought against him, the prosecutor, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari told the court that the prosecution was going to produce thirteen, (13) witnesses to testify during the actual trial of the case.

The defence counsel Ms C. Orji in her own submission informed the judge that she had filed application for bail and that she had also served the prosecution which the prosecutor confirmed.

Orji pleaded that her client be granted bail since he was presumed innocent until proven guilty adding that he was not a flight risk and would not jump bail.

Justice Abike-Fadipe however turned down the defence counsel’s request for the defendant to be granted bail on self recognition and declared that Ushie be remanded in prison custody till February 22, when the bail application would be ruled on.

*Group wants NNPCL Mgt suspended

*Laments lack of proper investigation to previous probe


A group known as, Nigeria Transparency Council (NTC) has dragged the Mele Kyari led Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Mgt and NNPCL retail group to the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream Petroleum over alleged shoddy acquisition deal between the company, Nueoil and OVH energy which is alleged to have cost hundreds of billions of Naira caused by alleged over bloated assets with the merger of the acquired company not yet formalised.

The NNPC announced in October 2022 that it had acquired OVH Energy Marketing, owner and operator of the Oando downstream assets, but did not disclose the price at which it bought it and the company that sold it.

The House of Representatives last year set up an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the alleged fraudulent acquisition of OVH by the National oil coy.

But Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, appearing before the committee of the House before its dissolution in September, 2023 for an investigative hearing on the allegation, said the acquisition of OVH Energy was properly done, adding that it gave the NNPC over 30 percent control of the downstream sector with a profit of N18.4 billion in the first quarter of 2023, a position which have been disputed by industry players as not backed by any documentary evidence.

Recently, it was disclosed that the National oil coy paid cash amounting to over $325.09 million (N140.559 billion) for the acquisition of Oando-branded retail stations and a reception jetty in Apapa, among other facilities with allegation trailing the acquisition that some of the acquired assets are alleged not to have belonged fully to ovh or licensed.

In a petition submitted to the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, Hon.Barr. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere who represents Ideato Federal Constituency, the group's secretary general Dr. Ayo Olubunmi urged the lawmakers to convene a powerful meeting of their committee to look into the acquisition agreement, alleged assets said to have been bought, the promoters of the nueoil and why nueoil bought OVH within 8 months of incorporation before nnpcl bought OVH from nueoil within weeks with some official of Nueoil working as alleged officials of nnpcl.

The group also urged the lawmakers to look into the evidence of financial transactions plus the valuation reports and the circumstances that led to the emergence of the official of the acquired company emerging as Head of state owned oil company arm( NNPCL RETAIL)

They lamented lack of proper investigation in the previous probe and complained of non-observance of due process in the investigation procedure beacuse the earlier panel didn't investigate the beneficial owners of the Nueoil, the emergence of Mr Stoks as RETAIL Md, didn't see any evidence of financial transactions between all the parties, didn't invite the staff of nnpcl retail Ltd to hear their own side etc

In the 3 page petition made available to journalists in Abuja, the NTC group urged the committee to recommend to President Bola Tinubu for suspension of the NNPCL leadership led by Mele kyari, the NNPC Retail leadership and the foreigner who is NNPCL MD to enable unbiased investigation of the deal which was done in alleged unclear terms plus detailed investigation of why the merger process years after have been deliberately left uncompleted with OVH still taking NNPCL retail allocation and operating a separate accounting system while nnpcl retail still pays salaries to ovh staff.

The group also raised alarm that until now NNPCL retail and OVH have not formalised the acquisition agreement thereby raising more suspicion on the reals things happening post acquisition.

They wondered why OVH is still trading in its name and receiving products in their names and using revenue from NNPCL retail to pay OVH staff.

The group wants the committee to exercise its powers of oversight and uncover the ongoing shoddy activities going on in NNPCL retail which is a national downstream assets that is key to energy stability and security.

They further urged the committee to investigate all products given to NNPCL retail and OVH and where the payments and revenue went to and also investigate the legal business relationship between both entities.

The group threatened to proceed to court if the committee does not commence public investigation of the acquisition of OVH within the next 10 days while asking the Speaker Abass led leadership to use the house committee on monitoring and evaluation to investigate why the adhoc committee refused to do detailed investigation of this shocking transaction including refusal to see relevant documents of the transaction and closed their eyes to all issues uphill now .

The Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, NDSF, has called for the probe of former Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola (rtd) for allegedly aiding oil thieves during his years in service.

The forum said "illegal crude mining thrived, expanded and even grew in leaps and bound" under Rear Admiral Babalola's watch as the Commanding Officer of NNS Delta, Warri Naval Base, and Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy.

NDSF stated this while reacting to the former military chief's appearance on Arise TV Morning Show of Dr. Reuben Abatti and his team, where he accused the operators of Tantita Security Services Limited, of being "double-faced repented crude oil thieves."

The Forum, in a statement released by its President, Julius Daukoru on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, described Babalola's comment as "reckless," stressing that he made the TV appearance at the behest of "the criminal cartel of oil robbers and economic saboteurs, who were his collaborators in crude theft while he held sway in the Navy."

Daukoru maintained that the operators of Tantita Security Services Limited are "people of integrity and impeccable character, unblemished by crime," while noting that some of them were involved in "the Niger Delta uprising of the late 1990s and early 2000s, purely agitating for the development of the region," but the late President Musa Yar'Adua saw the need for inclusion and gave them amnesty.

He said Babalola's allegations were shameful because he has "no proof nor evidence."

He questioned that, if Babalola was "that sure of his facts, why did he not arrest and parade them before the authority for prosecution when he served as Commanding Officer and FOC?"

Daukoru said, "it is no secret that he provided cover and protection for local and international criminals on the high sea, while they siphoned oil into ocean going vessels."

He said Babalola's multi million dollar properties in Abuja, Lagos, his native Ondo Town in Ondo state, America, United kingdom and offshore havens were bought from "proceeds of illegal crude bunkering, in connivance with criminals," pointing out that all the earnings from his 35 years of service in the Nigerian Navy can't buy him an apartment in London or elsewhere.

He said Babalola's TV appearance was to throw off Tantita Security Services Limited and other security agencies from the trail of the oil thieving syndicate he is in bed with.

Daukoru insisted that the former Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy should be charged for "betraying the nation's security and sabotage of the economy."

The statement in full:

"ARISE TV MORNING SHOW APPEARANCE: ADMIRAL HENRY BABALOLA'S MORAL BURDEN, SPOKE FOR CARTEL OF OIL THIEVES

"For anyone to rise to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Nigerian Navy, he must have shown, dedication, discipline and brilliance.

"So, when an officer of that cadre, who is seen as a gentleman in the order of military traditions, speaks only the truth is expected.

"That established tradition was thrown to the dust, when Rear Admiral Henry Babalola rtd, former Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, appeared on the Arise TV Network, on the programme, The Arise Morning Show, of Dr. Reuben Abatti and his formidable team.

"Under barrage of questions, the old sailor became incoherent, contradicting himself on several issues.

"Informed viewers of the programme came off with the impression that he was economical with the truth as he addressed questions. Considering the doubts he showed and his many gaffes, to which even Dr. Abatti diplomatically interjected, when he rounded off the programme.

"The erudite columnist and TV anchor, Dr. Abatti, opined that Tantita may not agree with Babalola's narrative on many issues.

"That was satisfying enough to hear, and made it needless of us to interrogate the old sailor.

"But keeping quiet would mean our people in the Niger Delta appreciated the roles that Tantita plays, acquiescenced to everything he said.

"There is an old saying that no sculptor can carve a fine image from a rotten piece of wood. And so it is with salvaging the character and integrity of Admiral Henry Babalola.

"Even the most pungent of Arabian perfumes cannot mask the stench of his criminal involvements while in office.

"Certainly, the old soldier made the TV appearance at the behest of the criminal cartel of oil robbers and economic saboteurs, who were his collaborators in crude theft while he held sway in the Navy.

"The barons are the same syndicates that Tantita and other security agencies are on their trail.

"Admiral Babalola was on programme to throw off investigators from the trail of these criminals.

"He did poor a job of it, as he was a sore spot throughout the programme.

"He must have forgotten that while he was the Commanding Officer of NNS Delta, Warri Naval Base, the area he superintendent became the point of convergence for crude oil thieves and beehive for illegal crude bunkering.

"On the programme, he pontificated as an uninvolved bystander, while the illegal crude mining thrived, expanded and even grew in leaps and bound in the areas under his command as Commanding Officer of NNS, Delta.

"It is no secret that he provided cover and protection for local and international criminals on the high sea, while they siphoned oil into ocean going vessels.

"He was infact, the problem until his retirement.

"Admiral Babalola in the same breathe pointed accusing fingers at the operators of Tantita Security Services Limited, as double-faced repented crude oil thieves. It was a reckless comment to make. If he was that sure of his facts, why did he not arrest and parade them before the authority for prosecution when he served as
Commanding Officer and FOC?

"He should hide his head in shame for making allegations he has no proof nor evidence.

"The operators of Tantita Security Services Limited are people of integrity and impeccable character, unblemished by crime.

"Some of them were involved in the Niger Delta uprising of the late 1990s and early 2000s, purely agitating for the development of the region.

"The late President Musa Yar'Adua saw the need for inclusion and gave them amnesty. It is still in place till date.

"Alluding to that as evidence of wrong doing, is an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of gullible people. It is a figment of the imagination of the Admiral, which should be ignored.

"Considering his rank and the years Admiral Babalola spent attending courses, both home and abroad, he exhibited no intellectual depth. He was shallow and flat, and merely blabbered throughout the programme.

"Those who sponsored his TV appearance, his partners in crime and notorious oil barons must be very disappointed in his poor performance.

"As stated in a paragraph above, Rear Admiral Babalola blazed the trail in oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, others followed later.

"Today, he is filthy rich from the proceeds of oil theft.

"He should explain how he acquired all the choice properties and numerous assets he owns in Abuja, Lagos, his native Ondo Town in Ondo state. He also bought multi million dollar properties in America, United kingdom and offshore havens.

"With his rank as Rear a Admiral, all the earnings from his 35 years of service in the Nigerian Navy can't buy him an apartment in London or elsewhere.

"Admiral Babalola bought all the properties from proceeds of illegal crude bunkering in connivance with criminals.

"He should be charged for betraying the nation's security and sabotage of the economy.

"Admiral Babalola should quietly go home to enjoy his loot in retirement than make a fool of himself on public television.

"He was all platitudes, and couldn't give good reason to defend his many years of poor leadership and inability to perform while in the Navy.

"His complaints of the Navy being under equipped for its role is mere balderdash.

"The rightful place for him is a correctional centre and not on TV screen."

Oil Pipelines Surveillance: Olu of Warri, PINL Accused of Portraying Half Truths


The Niger Delta Forum for Truth and Justice (NDJTF), has accused the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase 111 and Pipelines Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) of averse to the whole truth , stating that a public defence of Mrs oritsemeyiwa Eyesan Vice President, Upstream sector of NNPCL would have been exonerating.

A statement released to media men on Sunday by the President, Ejiroghene Marierie challenged the duos and his accomplices of been economical with the truths, stating that the Vanguard newspaper publication of 26th, January on page 23 was face saving.

The President of the body maintained that security reports along with envisaged patronage had overridden the sense of reasoning which feigned his underperforming company that lacks capacity to carry out security surveillance job, hence Eyesan's recommendation to an under perfoming and undeserved company belonging to the monarch.

He further confronted the NNPCL top shot as a tribal and clanish czar, who is soaked in ethnic coloration, while describing PINL as unfit, unqualified and operating against public procurement acts.

He described the PINL as an inefficient company and unqualified with evidences of it's malfeasance and inefficiency , stating that under olu firm about 112 incidences was recorded in a week of oil thefts, with many vandalism as reported by the officials of NNPCL.

He also questioned the integrity of PINL rather than compromising with oil vandals and collaborators, while challenging him to come to truth about the arrest of any oil thefts in his area of security surveillance , that deserve more larger commitment from NNPCL particularly in Rivers and Imo.

While the group President maintained that they would have been no need for the high profile monarch moving from one personalty or the other for contract renewal and review upwards in the nation's city with a qualified company, stating that this was evidence that Olu is still on the board of PINL.

While touting the half baked media handlers and publication of the vanguard newspaper as diversionary and side taking, he wants media houses to remain unbiased, so as to sustain the corporate existence and transparency in the activities of both individuals and corporate entities in the country.

He reiterated that the action of the Vanguard newspaper known for its efficient and effective media coverage, balance journalism over the years had eroded the good intentions of the founding fathers, having reduced it's activities to clanish and sectional stance.

He said the group was not questioning the award of the security surveillance contract to PINL by an ijaw man, Engineer Adokie Tomboamieye , but against reawarding on the basis of inefficient and effective as well as compromise with oil thefts already displayed in it's activities.

"Eyesan is blinded on the cocoon of ethnic agenda were the itsekiris will continue to hold swat against other tribes like the urhobos of patronage, asking them to display the CAC certificate of registration for PINL, if the Olu of Warri will not be culpable."

He also made reference to Trans forcados earlier awarded to PINL that turned to haven of oil thefts, crippled activities but when rewarded to another company, Industrial wide security, normalcy returned the Delta area.

Ejiroghene assured that the only way transparent and non translucent activities could take place is to remove Eyesan from the entire process , as she is self serving, ethnic bigot and monarchical underdog operating under the whims and caprices of olu of Warri's PINL, as she deliberately refused to incorporate other tribes of Urhobo, except the exclusive preserve of the itsekiris.



The release further states...



NIGER DELTA FORUM FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE (NDFTJ)
80, CHINDA ROAD, OFF ADA GEORGE ROAD, PORT-HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.


OIL PIPELINES SURVEILLANCE CONTRACT IMPROPRIETIES: THE WISHY- WASHY RESPONSE BY OLU OF WARRI, OGIAME ATUWATSE III AND PIPELINES INFRASTRUCTURES NIGERIA LIMITED (PINL).

"The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, could have done a better job in the public defence of one of his subjects, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the Vice President, Upstream Operations, NNPCL."

"To conceal the truth and avoid thorough public scrutiny of the matter, the high flown Warri monarch threw her under the bus with a tacky, wishy washy publication in the Vanguard Newspapers of 26th January 2024, page 23."

"Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan had stuck out her neck and probably put her job on the line, when she endorsed the Itsekiri Royal father's under performing company, Pipelines Infrastructures Nigeria Limited (PINL), for a bigger contract in the provision of surveillance and protection for the nation's oil assets in the Niger Delta."

"With regular updated security reports on crude oil exploration available to her high office, Mrs. Eyesan can't feigned ignorance of the monarch's security outfit lacking capacity to effectively carry out pipelines protection."

"Despite the knowledge, she went ahead to recommend that the undeserving company should be awarded a beefed up contract."

"In our publication of 23rd January 2024, to which they made a rejoinder, we had addressed the contract renewal, and why Mrs. Eyesan should be removed from office as Vice President, Upstream Operations, in the NNPCL. "

"We accused her of being clanish, and for ethnic loyalty had endorsed PINL for a job, it is unfit. "

That based on the company's history of inefficiency, it should rather have been suspended from vying for pipelines security contracts."

"We anchored our publication on the many failures of the company and its inability to live up its duties."

"There are hard evidence to substantiate allegations of inefficiency against the Olu's firm."

"In a period of a week, under PINL supervision, over 112 incidents of oil theft were recorded in its area of operation, with a legion of vandalism cases, as revealed by the management of NNPCL."

"If the aforesaid are facts, on what basis does, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, find PINL good enough for a bigger contract? "

"Another question to ponder, is if PINL has at any time apprehended or arrested a single oil thief or vessel, despite the unending crude theft in territories under its control? "

"These are the areas we had wanted the Olu of Warri, or his affiliates to address, but the half -baked proxies he hired to respond for him, went on a rigmarole that led to no where."

"The Olu and his PINL are desirous that their shoddy performance be swept under the carpet and remains uncovered."

"In normal situations, PINL would be struck off the list of companies to be considered for contracts."

"Apart from the denial that the Olu of Warri is not in the board of PINL, the palace sponsored rebuttal never addressed the accusation of PINL's dereliction of duties and competence. Nor the involvement of Mrs. Eyesan scooping a larger contract for her monarch."

"We want to quash their lies from another angle. If the Olu is not in the board of directors of PINL as stated, on what basis is he moving from one office and hotel room to the other in Abuja, soliciting for re-award and expansion of the pipelines protection contract for PINL?"

"It is no secret that while in the FCT he mounts a ceaseless pressure to speedily facilitate the award."

"The harebrained hirelings of the Olu Palace just driblled and beat around the bush, as they were bereft of ideas on the matter."

"It's more disappointing to note that with the stupendous wealth at his disposal, the Olu of Warri could only mobilise a few hollow heads, lacking intellectual sophistication, as media handlers."

"Hence, they had no good fulcrum to leverage a defence, either for PINL or Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan."

"They flew of the cuff unrestrained with umbrage and insults on those they consider their paymaster's enemies but failed to cover up the monarch's shenanigans. "

"No matter whose horse is gored, our take remains the national interest."

"The Vanguard Newspaper has lost its national appeal that was rooted in balanced journalism ethos. The publication has gradually fallen from its Olympian heights, to a mere ethnic propagandist tool of the Olu of Warri. In a manner of speaking, and sadly enough too, the Vanguard flagship has now assumed the notoriety of Itsekiri megaphone."

"It unwittingly rejected our publication on flimsy excuses, other media houses, however, differed and accepted it. "

"But in a volte face, the paper accepted abinitio to publish the Olu and PINL's rejoinder."

"We posit that Vanguard's action is unprofessional and ethnically parochial.
We hope that its Publisher, the great Uncle Sam Amuka, muster courage to salvage the newspaper, which is gradually losing its national appeal."

"The Itsekiri and Olu of Warri interest influenced the paper's decision."

"PINL should bury its head in shame, the company nor its board members were not bold enough to respond directly to the issues canvassed in our publication. We had expected a direct civilized reply, but they chose to use clueless, ill mannered irritants to bell their cat. Which depicts a desire to gloss over the facts."

"PINL has no defence. Its reply posed more questions than answers. It neither addressed any issue, nor shield the Olu of Warri from public scrutiny he is trying hard to evade. "

"In the end, it exposed Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to opprobrium and the guillotine. She must at this point have regretted her involvement in the saga. She stuck her neck out for those who won't cross a puddle for her."

"Why mentioning Engineer Adokie Tombomieye, a supposed Ijaw man in the matter under reference?"

"Has he done anything wrong in being part of the team that awarded the contract to PINL abinitio? How does the award of the contracts to PINL and other surveillance contract companies by an Ijaw man made it difficult for PINL to deliver and perform? Did we question the award of the contracts to PINL and other companies abinitio?"

"We expected a succinct response to allegations of poor performance, aiding and abetting crude oil theft and desperation by Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to reward a non-performing contactor for ethnic hegemony."

" We spoke about non-performance of PINL, a germane issue the errand hands failed to address in the rebuttal.
Dropping Adokie Tombomieye's name can't wish the issues away."

"The signatories didn't explain why oil bunkering, theft and assets vandalism are prevalent in the areas under the supervision of the monarch's PINL, that is, Rivers and Imo States. Nor did they say anything on the 112 oil theft cases within 7 days in December 2023, majority of which occurred in the areas under the watch of PINL. Or these infractions were caused by the award of the contracts to PINL and other companies by Adokie Tombomieye, an Ijaw man?"

"They also skipped to comment on the incessant attacks and pillage in Trans-Forcados Pipelines in Delta state. Oil production in the area was completely crippled when PINL held the surveillance contract. Reports has it that it was due to connivance with criminal elements."

"The PINL contract in the area was terminated and re-awarded to Industrial - Wide Security."

"Today, the Trans-Forcados Pipelines is at peace. And why were some PINL's contracts terminated and re-awarded to Industrial-Wide Security?"

" They also have explanations to why their area of surveillance became a haven for criminal gangs and oil theft."

"Silence is said to be golden, but it is also an acquiescence to guilt."

"It is a shame that the Olu of Warri could not find credible people in the employ of PINL to speak for him and defend Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan."

"The hired nitwits made a poor showing. It is the company that should have shown its CAC registration documents and proffered statement to whether the Olu is a board member or not."

" Everything done so far on behalf of the Olu and PINL shows there is more than meets the eyes."

"Our position remains that PINL and Olu have under performed and should not be given additional contracts, nor their scope of operation expanded."

"It becomes a scam when people are rewarded for failure."

"Ethnic favouritism and loyalty blinded Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan to the needs of other natives in the Niger Delta. It is an ethnic agenda of Itsekiri to deny Urhobo of patronage, if the privilege rest on them, and that is what Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan is doing at the NNPCL."

"She deliberately refused to incorporate Urhobo in the pipelines surveillance jobs while she wants her monarch to cart away everything. "

"To restore credibility and neutrality to the NNPCL, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, must be relieved of her position without delay."


Signed:
EJIROGHENE MARIERE
PRESIDENT

By Fredrick Adebayo

After one year, the Nigerian Air Force has taken responsibility for the January 23, 2023 airstrike in Akpanaja community of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State which claimed 37 lives.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, who led senior officials of the Air Force on Friday, to pay a courtesy call on Governor Abdullahi Sule in Lafia, accepted responsibility over the incident on behalf of the Force.

The service Chief said “Sometime in January last year, airstrikes were conducted in the state after intelligence revealed the sighting of suspected terrorists on motorcycles transiting near Rukubi in the Doma local government area of the state. The entire area was well known for its heightened insecurity occasioned by killings, kidnapping, and terrorism perpetrated by terrorist elements in the state. Because of this, the need for an airstrike became imperative but unfortunately however the airstrike killed some civilians at the location and the outcries by several locals as well as Nigerians necessitated a review of the reports of strikes, which later revealed that civilians were indeed killed during the airstrike. The need to make amends became expedient.”

It will be recalled that shortly after that incident, the deposed Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, in an interview with BBC Hausa, bluntly accused the then Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom of masterminding the bomb attack. He stated:

“The air strike that took place in Nasarawa was masterminded from Makurdi. We must hold him (Ortom) responsible since we know his position against Fulani. It’s only an investigation that will avail him of the allegations. Why won’t t there be an investigation to reveal who masterminded the bombardment? And who gives orders to the Air force to always launch these airstrikes?”

Sanusi went as far as making a rallying call asking Benue people especially his Fulani kinsmen to work against the Senate bid of Governor Ortom. He made a video which went viral campaigning vigorously against Ortom. He and 51 other elites mainly of Fulani descent, wrote a petition to the then President Muhammadu Buhari against Governor Ortom in connection with the Akpanaja airstrike.
Unconfirmed reports said Sanusi and the other anti-Ortom elites pooled resources together and sponsored the 2023 election against Ortom to ensure that he was defeated during the National Assembly election.

But the former Benue governor is not one to go down without a fight, so Ortom indeed hit back at Sanusi and his cohorts. In a statement, he stated that some personalities led by Sanusi had made some allegations against him in an attempt to set him up for hatred, vilification and elimination. Governor Ortom wondered why as educated and exposed as the dethroned Emir was, he would resort to telling lies about an elected personality like himself just to suit his purpose. He added that neither himself nor the Benue State Government had the capacity to deploy a drone or any military equipment in any part of the country.

On 3rd February 2023, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union SOKAPU, in a statement, also carpeted the deposed Emir of Kano, following his comment on Ortom over the bombing in Nasarawa State

According to SOKAPU, it was preposterous and unfortunate for the former Emir of Kano and top Fulani elites to try to rope Ortom into the incident. The group described as curious and very surprising that Sanusi who had portrayed himself as a nationalist of some kind, “has reduced himself to a narrow champion of his tribesmen” in his desperate move to profile Ortom as evil before his Fulani kinsmen.

The group warned that nothing must happen to Ortom whom it described as “a great son of the Middle Belt”.

Now, a whole year has passed. The Akpanaja incident seems to have been forgotten, but families of the victims whom Sanusi and others succeeded in convincing that Ortom was the mastermind might not have forgiven the former Benue State Governor. Today, God, in His own supreme way, has prompted the Nigerian Airforce to visit Nasarawa and take responsibility for the Akpanaja attack. What is however still missing in the picture is the man who was unfortunately and wrongly accused of being behind the attack - Samuel Ortom.

I urge all men of good conscience to ask Lamido Sanusi and his group of 52 to tender an unreserved apology to Ortom for attempting to set him up against the Fulani race. Though the statement of responsibility by the military has vindicated Ortom and it is a welcome development, an apology from those who fingered the former Benue Governor in the attack is paramount. Such individuals must be made to eat the humble pie and tell him “We are deeply Sorry”.

Samuel Ortom is a voice of conscience and reason. He stood firmly for his people, was betrayed by some of them who were aided by enemies of Benue State but he never waivered. He paid the price of patriotism and lost his Senate bid. But today, those who betrayed him are worse for it. I understand that security is getting worse in that state by the day.

Let it be known that posterity will be fair to those who braved the odds to sustain the state of our national sovereignty and spoke as well as acted in defence of citizens of this great country. Samuel Ortom has already secured a place in the annals of Nigeria for his bold, firm and courageous stand towards ensuring that the country works to protect the interests of all citizens, irrespective of their backgrounds.


Adebayo wrote from Lagos.

By Our Reporter


Leaders of various communities, women groups and associations in northern Nigeria, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider reinstating the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu to her position.

The women, under the aegis of Arewa Women Leaders Forum ( AWLF) in a communique issued at the end of one-day northern women retreat in Abuja on Monday, said Dr. Edu "meant well for the Ministry and Nigerians at large", adding that "she was just a victim of circumstances".

Hajia Salamatu Jibrin and Dr. Naomi Ari, President and Secretary General of AWLF respectively, signed the Communique on behalf of the women leaders, made up of non-partisan women across the 19 northern states of the country.

The women expressed sadness over the unfortunate events which eventually culminated in the suspension of the Honourable Minister.

They, however, alluded that Dr. Edu may have carried out her actions for the sake of smooth running of the programmes lined up for execution in some states, saying, "her good intentions were however, misconstrued; and now, they want to throw away the baby with the bath".

"Beyond what you read on the pages of newspapers and the arrays of media trials here and there, a careful forensics into the matter and the feelers we get from all the panels handling the investigations, including the anti-graft agencies are pointing to the fact that she meant well for the Ministry and Nigerians at large.

"All preliminary investigations have revealed that Beta has done nothing wrong while carrying out her constitutionally guaranteed duties. She was just a victim of circumstances.

"The testimonials from the officials of the Ministry and other seasoned Civil Servants we interacted with, said Madam Minister did not violate any notable administrative procedures", the communique reads in part.

The women leaders recalled the laudable achievements of Dr. Edu as Commissioner for Health in Cross River State and Chairperson of Forum of Commissioners for Health.

"Even at short service as the National Women Leader of APC, we watched and admired her leadership qualities from afar. We always thrilled for the passion with which she mobilised the members of that party across the country and we could only imagine what she could have achieved for the ministry if given an opportunity.

"We call on our father, the father of our dear nation, Nigeria and our dear President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to kindly restore Madam Betta Edu to her position. We believe that, if given a second chance, she would turn the fortunes in the ministry for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden Nigerians", they added.

Dr. Edu, the embattled Humanitarian Minister was suspended penultimate Monday by President Tinubu, over an allegation that she moved the sum of N585m from the ministry's account to the private account of an assistant director in the same Ministry.

The money, according to findings, was meant for humanitarian interventions in Lagos, Ogun, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States.

Gbaja: That Cat With Nine Lives

By Okanga Agila

Since the advent of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, one name has been in the news. In some quarters, it has been speculated that he is the defacto president. Some have also postulated that he has his hands in all government deals. Some have also said that most government appointees hold their allegiance to him. Consequently, I wondered about this individual that has become a recurring decimal in this administration. 

It got to a point where the president publicly stated that he had 100% confidence in his ability and loyalty to his administration. This individual is Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff. He is that cat with nine lives because he has continued to weather the storm daily. 

There must be something about the Chief of Staff. He is such a character who exudes confidence daily. And he is not new to controversies, even from his days as speaker of the House of Representatives. In all of these, one thing stands out. He understands the game of politics, and being a lawyer helps him in no small measure. 

The plot against him has thickened again recently—this time, its momentum is strong. But guess what? Those behind the move need to be made aware that the chief of staff to the president tested the murky water of politics very early. And he is always ahead of his game. 

I must state here that I don't hold brief for him; my analysis is based on his trajectory in politics, and I am not convinced that such an individual who at some point rose to the number four leadership position in the country would be careless in his actions. That is a no-brainer. 

Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila means different things to different people. But only a few have taken the time to understand what makes him unique. They only scratch the surface, leaving the depth. And that is his joker. The more you see, the less you understand. And why he has continually weathered the storm. This is not lucky. It is strategy. You can only survive the terrain if you watch your back without getting your hands messy. This has been his stronghold, but only a few know this attribute in him. And why the public space is inundated with allegations against him and why he always comes out clean. 

Given the stories that ensued, I will assume the chief of staff adjusted his belt upon his appointment. And he hasn't stopped doing his best to discharge his responsibilities. Interestingly, his work ethic is not appraised by public opinion. The president and commander-in-chief appraise it. This says it all. 

The chief of staff is a man of great intellect. His ability to make political projections is second to none. He keeps his books clean and leaves no traces behind. Only when this is realized will those agitating for his downfall continue chasing shadows? 

You can link all the scandals to him; he takes such in good stride. You can also ascribe greed to his personality; that is an opinion, not a statement of fact. In all, what you can't ignore is his passion and loyalty to his boss. What else matters in this circumstance? 

When you are nobody, nobody talks about you. But when you are somebody, everybody talks about you. This is the case and why some of us are not surprised by the avalanche of diatribes that have become synonymous with his name. Whichever way you want to look at it, one thing stands sacrosanct. He is a strategist and the master of the game. 

The president didn't err in his choice of Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as his chief of staff. That position is not meant for politically naive individuals because it serves as the engine house in the country's governance. I am tempted to say that the chief of staff position should be reserved for lawyers. This is my opinion because of the technicalities of the position. The ability to argue for and against and err on the side of caution must be emphasized. 

Remember that one of the responsibilities of the Chief of Staff is to protect the president's political interests. It meant that the chief of staff was not to be loved but despised because he always acted to protect the president's political interest. Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila can't work otherwise. That is why he is paid his wages.

I often laugh when I read negative stories about him in the media. The irony is that people have a way of blaming others for their misfortunes. They always find a scapegoat. But this is proving a herculean task in this dispensation. And the chief of staff has trudged without hindrance. 

The cat with nine lives aptly describes the chief of staff. It doesn't seem like he has exhausted his first life. The implication is that the plot against him might end up a wild goose chase—my two cents.

Okanga wrote this piece from Agila, Benue State.

***elects Godwin Ali pioneer Bishop


By Sunny Green

Methodist Church Nigeria is set to inaugurate a new diocese, to be known as Diocese of Enone South, in Benue State.

The new Diocese, which comprises Circuits in the Orokam and Owukpa districts of Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, was extracted from the already existing Diocese of Enone, leaving Circuits from Otukpa to stand as Enone Diocese.

This is, even as, RT. Rev. Dr. Godwin Idoko Ali has been elected as the Bishop of the newly created Methodist Diocese of Enone South.

Bishop Ali, until his elevation, was a Presbyter of MCN Maraba Circuit in Abuja. He was elected at the Biennial Conference in Umuahia, Abia State in August 2023. He had since been consecrated at a well-attended Conference in Lagos, in November 2023.

According to the Chairman, Media & Publicity subcommittee of the ordination ceremony of Bishop Godwin Idoko Ali and the inauguration of the Methodist Diocese of Enone South, Prince Yemi Itodo, the event is scheduled for Sunday, 28th January 2024, at Orokam, Benue State.

Itodo noted that, "Bishop Ali, an indigene of Ai-Oodo, is the second Bishop of Otukpa extraction, after the first Methodist Bishop, now Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Oliver Ali Abah was consecrated from Olaochagbaha Otukpa in the year 2002."

He urged the Methodist faithful, indigenes of Ogbadibo and friends of the land to support the epoch occasion in whichever way they could.


Itodo added that, the inauguration ceremony is expected to be honoured by dignitaries across the country, while urging Methodist faithful and body of Christ generally to pray and support the event.

Reprieve has come for majority Members of the National Assembly who came under public opprobrium over the controversial Federal Government's palliatives given to lawmakers for distribution to their respective constituencies and the constituents who became agitated since the plan was divulged.

This is as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has started issuing bill of quantity to successful contractors who are going to carry out the procurement for onward distribution to the federal constituencies.

The bill of quantity was sighted by reporters and it showed that the palliative consists of: "62 parboiled long grain rice with golden standard Enriched with vitamins - and minerals, free from fat; Stone free, not contaminated in any way and in Poly propylene Laminated Bag

It all started when a Member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Hon. Dekeri Anamer had in a viral video on social media, told his supporters to demand from their Representatives and Senators, the whereabouts of the bags of rice as approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for each of the 360 House Members and 109 Senators.

The delay in conclusion of the procurement process have created crisis which saw lawmakers both and in the Senate and House been accused wrongly of not distributing the items which majority of the Constituents have been waiting for the Ministry of Agriculture to conclude the process and empower the contractors to distribute.

Some of the contractors who spoke to our reporters said the move by the Ministry will help douse tension, correct ongoing misinformation and ensure that the long wait by many constituencies who have not received their palliatives are addressed.

Most Federal Constituencies whose contractors decided to supply the palliative after the award letters have helped in seeing some few constituencies receive their palliative while a greater majority was waiting for their own hence, creating the conflicting information and misinformation that led to some lawmakers been accused wrongly.

The N300 million worth palliatives since being made public by the Edo lawmaker has generated intense controversy and confusion in the polity.

The Senate had debunked claims that each of its Members had taken stock of FG’s palliative items for their constituents.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said he had yet to receive any palliative items from the federal government.

Similarly, the House of Representatives Spokesperson, Hon. Akin Rotimi had debunked the claims and said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

However, Olusegun Dada, the Special Assistant on Social Media to President Bola Tinubu on his official X handle on Thursday, confirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to Senators and palliative items worth N100 million to House of Representatives Members.

Again, the House said the rice palliative released by President Tinubu to Members for distribution to their constituents is not missing.

Deputy Spokesperson for the House, Hon. Philip Agbese had in a chat with newsmen blamed bureaucratic bottlenecks from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for the delay being experienced by target beneficiaries of the President’s palliative.

He said: “Indeed, the President released palliatives to lawmakers through the Ministry of Agriculture. Lawmakers have accepted that they are expecting the rice. Some have received; some are yet to receive the rice because of the bureaucratic process ongoing in the ministry.

“I think the Ministry of Agriculture has their own contractors and because of the various distances from one state or constituency to the other, not everybody has received, but some lawmakers have received.”

A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu has hailed Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters, and Mozambique government over breakthrough on Mazenga gas block, the largest onshore gas reserve in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Recall that Aiteo Group, a Nigerian conglomerate owned by Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters, secured a major stake in a potentially gas-rich exploration licence onshore Mozambique.

Ugochinyere in a statement lauded Aiteo Group, saying that expansion of its portfolio by securing a significant stake in Mozambique’s Mazenga gas block, Africa will witness clean energy transition with indigenous companies.

He noted that Peter's decision to go into Mozambique's energy sector is highly commendable as exploration and production is one of many industrial pies that the Lagos-based company has its fingers in.

He commended Peter for his consistent growth and diversification as an entrepreneur, adding that he took all foundational knowledge about Nigeria and Africa’s energy sectors and made it his own.

He said, "I commend my brother, Benedict Peters, and Mozambique government over breakthrough on Mazenga gas block, the largest onshore gas reserve in Sub-Saharan Africa. With this significant stake in Mozambique’s Mazenga gas block secured, Africa will witness clean energy transition with indigenous companies.

"I also commend Aiteo for swiftly launching an intensive development programme, includes aeromagnetic and gravitational geological studies, thorough field inspections, and the reinterpretation and processing of existing data. This emphasises the company’s commitment to a robust investment in gas development initiatives.

"Peters has played an outstanding role in the development of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Aiteo is a large indigenous group that has become one of the most successful energy providers in Nigeria and a major player in the international market. Peters commands a wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry and has earned much credit for empowering Nigeria to develop its energy infrastructure towards assuming control of its natural resources. Under his leadership, the company has recorded consistent growth with diversified holdings that have given it considerable influence across the energy marketplace."

*Edu wants culprits prosecuted


A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu has said that the refusal of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu to compromise on her principles has helped in exposing the N44 billion alleged National Social Investment Programme Agency’s (NSIPA) fraud.

On Tuesday the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), flooded the Maitama office of the National Social Investment Programme Agency, (NSIPA), shortly after reports of the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO), and National Coordinator, NSIPA, Halima Shehu on allege financial malfeasance.

The EFCC is currently investigating ₦44 billion allegedly suspiciously moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to persons serving as fronts.

Ugochinyere in a statement, hailed the Antigraft agency's ongoing efforts in ensuring that the culprits were caught, tasking them to ensure that those found guilty are prosecuted.

The federal lawmaker also commended the Minister, Betta Edu for leading reforms in the ministry within a short span of time.

He described as spurious allegations of involvement of the minister in the alleged N3 billion NSIPA fraud, saying that it was her stance not to compromise on her principles that helped in exposing the N44 billion alleged National Social Investment Programme Agency’s (NSIPA) fraud.

*says raid capable of eroding efforts to stabilise economy


A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu has expressed concerns over the raid of headquarters of the Dangote Group by operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

EFCC on Thursday reportedly raided the headquarters of the Dangote Group in connection with ongoing investigation into forex allocations in the country. It was reported that on arrival at the headquarters of one of Africa’s largest conglomerates in Lagos, the EFCC operatives demanded documents relating to allocation of foreign exchange to the group in the last ten years.

They then scrutinised the documents provided by officials of the Group for hours, carting some of them away.

Reacting to the development, Ugochinyere who's the Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream said the raid on Dangote Group is very suspicious and capable of worsening the economic situation and scaring investors.

According to him, raiding the company of one of the largest conglomerates in Africa at a time when the nation is grappling to save its fragile economy is a wrong move which will further erode efforts to stabilise the economy.

Ugochinyere said, "This evening, I read about the raid of the headquarters of the Dangote Group in connection with ongoing investigation into forex allocations in the country. The EFCC was reported to be investigating forex allocations to some companies during the tenure of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

"I'm of the view that the timing of the raid on Dangote Group is not only very suspicious, but most importantly capable of worsening the economic situation and scaring investors. In the last few months, our nation has lost so many foreign investors. While some of the foreign companies operating in the country are leaving, potential investors are also sidelining us. Now you have the EFCC despite the word the nation is currently facing, raiding the headquarters of the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.

"The Dangote Group, with investments in several sectors and across 14 countries in Africa. This is not good look for us internationally. What will the international community think of Nigeria when they read about news like this? Dangote Group’s impact for decades has been felt through various facets of Nigeria’s economy.

"The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote. has helped transform our economy from heavy import dependence to a net exporter in some critical industries, including cement and Fertiliser. And given our current fragile economic situation, I believe this move by the EFCC will worsen things, now is not time for this, it's time for the nation to focus on integration of African economies and expansion of trade and investments across the continent to stimulate growth and create employment opportunities, not carrying out raids on its largest conglomerate."

*solicits more local, foreign humanitarian interventions

Plateau Humanitarian Vanguard (PHV), a social-cultural group in the North Central zone of Nigeria, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, for swiftly coming to the aide of the affected communities in the recent attacks in Plateau State.

The Vanguard, in a press statement Wednesday night, said, such humanitarian interventions, in the face of hunger and displeasure caused by the attacks, may though not compensate for the lost lives, but "can give the people the sense of belonging and ameliorate the momentous pains occasioned by the unfortunate attacks".

No fewer than 200 people were killed by marauding gunmen in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of Plateau State on Christmas eve.

At least two persons were also killed in a renewed attack by assailants in Durbi village of Shere district, Jos East local government area, late Saturday night, barely one week after the first attack.

Dr. Edu, had in a condolence message to the people of Plateau after the attack, said government would mobilize immediate support to affected communities.

A statement by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, on the 28th December, 2023, also quoted the President as directing the "Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and other relevant agencies to work with the Plateau State Government to deliver immediate humanitarian relief to the affected communities".

Consequently, Dr. Edu caused distributions of food and non-food relief materials to the victims of the attacks in Plateau State yesterday.

The Minister who also visited affected communities for an on-the-spot assessment of the affected area with her counterpart from the Ministry of Defence and Service Chiefs was on the ground to coordinate Hummanitarian Responses as directed by President Tinubu.

Reacting to the development through a statement on Wednesday, Comrade Jonah Pam, President of Plateau Humanitarian Vanguard, said the timely response of the federal government through the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, has given the people hope in the Asiwaju administration.

"This quick humanitarian interventions mean a lot to the people. Alot is already happening to the displaced people already and we definitely believe that any little support from government, individuals and organisations would go a long way to cushion the pains.

"We believe that no amount of humanitarian interventions can bring back our loved ones; but we also know this is not the first of such attacks in the past. What we normally get from the government at the central is a well crafted and rehearsed press statement, condemning the attack. And it ends there.

"At least, the coming of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as President of Nigeria has shown them how things should be done in this situation.

"We also pray that it does not end in providing humanitarian interventions. The security agencies, especially the military, should live above board and get the perpetrators to pay for the heinous crime. It is a genocide against our people and we would not like it to sleep, as usual", Comrade Pam said.

The statement also called on international Humanitarian organisations, local organisations and well spirited individulas not to leave the welfare and wellbeing of displaced persons in the aftermath of the killings to the Federal Government alone.

*Calls for end to sit-at-home

*Says Tinubu interested in South East Devt


Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has given a ray of hope on the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

It will be that the Supreme Court recently ordered the retrial of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) who has been in detention for a long while now.

Consequently, his incarceration has generated a lot of agitatons including the Sit-at-Home observed on Mondays in the south east region.

But speaking virtually on the "South East political Roundtable", a current affairs radio programme on FLO FM in Umuahia on Tuesday, Kalu said that talks were ongoing to free Kanu.

He however advised the youth of the south east to ensure that the observance of sit-at-home must stop, emphasizing that it was scarying many investors who want to contribute to the development of the region.

Kalu who also spoke on the gains of the recently unveiled Peace In South East Project (PISE-P) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State asked those carrying arms to lay down their weapons and join in the non kinetic approach being canvassed by the initiative to end the security challenges and other agitations of the people.

Kalu called for support to enable the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver optimally, saying that the President is interested in the development of the south east.

He said: "We can’t put all our programs and plans on social media. He’s my brother. Is he in the mix of what we are trying to do? Yes! It’s one of our agendas to ensure he’s released. Who wants their brother to be in jail?

"We are working underground. There’s a detailed strategy. It’s not by violence, you can’t coerce the government through violence. It has never worked and won’t work. Let’s be wiser. The wisdom is in peace. Let’s quench the violence.

"If it’s chaotic, it won’t work. Let’s cool down. Let the man see that you’ve recognised he didn’t contribute to locking him up and that he has not done anything to the south east. We should support him and his government and not attack him. I’m standing firmly against the voice of violence, preaching peace. That is what I’m here for, this voice of peace will echo through the Villa and he will come out. Mr President was happy with what happened in Bende. That the whole country can gather together and support this project.

"Our strength does not lie in how many guns we carry, on how many people we threaten not to come out on Monday, that is not the display of the strength of an Igbo man. Igbo men are not lazy people who like sitting at home from Saturday to Sunday to Monday and go to work only Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, that is not us; we are hard working, we are rebuilders, we are never down and when we are down, we find a way to stand on our feet and raise our shoulders and rebuild again, that is my call to our people.

"We can bring you in to the rebuilding that we are doing. We can bring you in to the reconciliation. We can bring you in for rehabilitation and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is interested in the Igbos. Look at what he has done by giving us the Chief of Naval Staff which we never got in the last eight years. Did I just mentioned the Naval Chief, what about the minister of works, Senator Dave Umahi, my good friend?

"Mr President gave the minister of works to an Igbo son that proves himself in Ebonyi and he said, come and build what you did in Ebonyi in the entire Nigeria starting from the five states of the South East and the only way we pay the president back is to say there will be no work on Monday?

"Look at what happened for the very first time, 15 billionaires of Igbo extraction gathered in Bende. That is to tell you that they are ready to bring their industry here, they are ready to build factories that will employ you, so why do you scare them away? Government cannot do everything for you. Our brothers who have money want to bring it back home. Some of them want to do it but you are scaring them away. How long are we going to sell fear to our people?

"This is a new year. This is a new era. This is a new dawn and I urge you come and join hands with us. We will make you the leaders of this project. Don’t lead those carrying guns, come and lead those who will call the peace marshals, let’s give you responsibility, let’s give you a task.

"And I call on all of you who are support of the sit at home on Monday, it is time to stop. It is time to stop the sit at home on Mondays.

"If your agitation is about the release of Nnamdi Kanu; we love our Igbo land and we love our brother and he is my brother. That he is locked up does not make him less of my brother and that you are agitating does not make you less of my brother. But I am saying that there is a better way to get it done. There are many ways to kill a rat. Let us look for the other ways that we can kill this rat without destroying our home.

"Let us come together and unite and I can assure you that once we unite, there is nothing we ask this government that we cannot get including the one you are asking for our brother, it is also achievable."

Kalu also appreciated the governors of the 5 eastern states for the support they are giving to PISE-P.

The deputy speaker said that there is nothing political about the project, stressing that it was all about community service.

"The Governors of the various states of the south east, you can’t do without them. I can assure you they all want peace for the south east. None of them is against this. They are in full support.

"You don’t leave the job only for the governors. Let them play from the top, we play from the bottom, then we meet halfway. Then, solve our problems.

"The peace in southeast project is not politics, it’s about community project anchored on peace. That’s why members of the PISE-P are from different political parties.

"I can assure you, through this project the southeast will not remain the same. All the boys who are carrying guns, there’s hope for them, because We will get them gainfully employed, they won’t wasted".

Kalu also stated that there is no clash of interest between PISE-P and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo.

According to him, the idea of the project was first communicated to the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, adding that he is in full support of the project.

"Which clash of interest? He’s in full support of this project. He’s passionate about the peace and unity of Igbo land. We are partnering with him", Kalu said.

A former member of the House of Representative, Robinson Uwak has described Governor Mohammed Bago as a liberal, non-extremist who does not hate people of other faiths.

Robinson Uwak stated this on Sunday in reaction to criticism of a directive purportedly made by the state government to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.

The media have been awash with reports that the Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board had announced plans to implement a total ban in Suleja Local Government Area of the state and its environs by January 1, 2024 and the relocation of the joints in Minna, the state capital.

The state government, however, denied the announcement and explained that the board was non-existent in the state.

Reacting, Uwak said the governor is a pan-Nigerian who believes in the country's diversity devoid of any extremist agenda.

He said Bago is cosmopolitan and nationalist; he does not discriminate against anybody on the basis of ethnicity or religion.

"I know His Excellency Bago to be a very devout Muslim who studies the Koran daily and prays feverntly but I must add that I have accompanied him to honour invitations in several churches. He is known by many to have knowledge of Bible verses and many Christian hymns and songs.

"Governor Bago is a widely traveled man whom I can describe as an “International mind” embracing diverse perspectives,cultures and ethnicity.

"I am aware he speaks a little bit many languages like Ishan, Ibibio, Yoruba, tiv, idoma and many more.

"For a man who has turned the entirety of Niger State into a construction site with multiple people-oriented projects, alcohol ban is definitely not a priority for his government.

"Currently Bago stands tall in terms of performance and attracting several foreign investments into Niger State."

By Peter Awunah, PhD

The people of Benue State who voted for Hyacinth Alia as governor of the state in last year’s election must be ashamed of themselves for making such a mistake. Since he came to power, no one can tell the direction that the man who boasts of being the ship that ferried all APC candidates to victory is heading. There is evident confusion even within his cabinet. There is no clear focus, no coordination and no leadership.

Anyone who has visited Makurdi, the Benue State capital in the last seven months must have seen the potholes on all major roads in the town. Makurdi has become dusty, and even the street sweepers are no longer seen in the early hours of the day cleaning the city.

The worst situation is in the state ministries, departments and agencies of government. No activity goes on in any of the MDAs. Government House is not left out. According to those who have been there since June last year, the place stinks with no water running in the taps for flushing of toilets.

Alia says he is paying salaries of the workers and as far as he is concerned, that’s all that is needed. He doesn’t release overheads and other logistic support to the ministries and agencies for their operations. But the civil servants love it of course, because if they can sit at home all week and still receive their salaries at the end of the month, how is that bad? Productivity is relegated to the background.

Governor Alia operates like a parish priest who cannot be questioned. All that the people have to say is “Yes Father”. He gave them that response during the campaigns but they thought he was joking. Now they know better.

The man has elevated nepotism to heights never before seen in the history of Benue State. As a former priest, one would expect him to practice what he preached about unity and equality, but no, Alia is a preacher who would tell the people “do as I say, not as I do”.
There is no tangible project to show since his administration came on board other than failed promises, lopsided appointments, and marginalisation.

Alia is sitting on huge money which has come in from Abuja. Benue State has received fat allocations but the Governor is silent on what has come in. As far as he pays the workers, his government is doing nothing else to develop the state.

No project is going on anywhere. He awarded contracts for the construction of 16 short streets of 15 kilometers and took out N9 billion for the projects but no construction is taking place on the roads.

Alia is not Prepared to govern Benue State. He came ill prepared and is acting exactly in that manner. His first seven months in office are the worst in the state since the return of democracy in 1999. The priest-turned-politician is the most lackluster of all the Benue governors in the last 25 years.

Governor Alia has failed to live up to expectations and instead of delivering on his campaign promises, he has taken up unnecessary battles against perceived critics, stakeholders, and his party members. His arrogance, ineptitude, pride, and all-knowing attitude have taken Benue State backward by over two decades.

The group of people who are worst hit and must be feeling ashamed are those who campaigned for him and mobilized voters in support of the Yes Father movement.

At first, many thought the governor was on a steep learning curve and the ship of the state would be righted and put on the course being an unfamiliar terrain for him. But unfortunately, Alia is not ready to learn or accept his mistakes.

The governor has become so power-drunk that he is now inaccessible to the electorate, stakeholders, and even his party members. Shame! Effective governance is about feedback and criticism. No one knows it all.

Should we talk about his controversial contracts? According to Sahara Reporters, Alia spent whopping amounts in just four months in office awarding fictitious contracts. Between May 29 and September 30th, he was reported to have received and spent more than N46 billion of state resources, prominent among which was the duplication of contracts for the procurement of Hummer buses as palliative measures.

Alia is truly a bad market for Benue. The people of the state made the wrong choice this time!


Awunah writes from Durumi, Abuja

In spite of the many distractions of the Member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, which also includes post election litigations; an independent report of the National Assembly has rated him amongst the top 10 Lawmakers.

The rating, which was an official information released at the weekend to mark the end of 2023 legislative business, was based on quality of motions and Bills sponsored or co-sponsored by the 360 Members of the 10th House of Representatives, in the period under review.

The 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on the 13th June, 2023, with Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as the Speaker and RT. Hon. Benjamin Kalu as his deputy.

According to information by parliamentary monitoring organisation, Order Paper, which was widely published on its official website and other adjoining platforms, a motion on the 'Arbitrary increase in Petroleum Price' sponsored by Hon. Ugochinyere on July 19, 2023, was rated as being the highest human interest motion, barely one month into the journey of the 10th House of Representatives.

Aside the motion on the arbitrary hike in price of petroleum products which has caused serious hardship to the Nigeria's populace, the Chieftain of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) is also reputable for sponsoring over 6 motions which have direct bearings on his constituents and Nigerians at large.

Some of the motions reportedly sponsored by Hon. Ugochinyere, within 6 months include, 'Urgent Need To Proffer A Lasting Solution To The Devastating Gully Erosion/Total Road Collapse In Isiekenesi, Urualla, Obodukwu, Umueshi, Amanator, Arondizuogu, Akokwa And Other Villages And Communities In Ideato North/South Federal Constituency Of Imo State'; 'Urgent Need To Carry Out Reconstruction Works On The Failed Portions Of The Oba-Nnewi-Uga-Akokwa-Arondizuogu-Okigwe Federal Road In Idemili North/South, Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo, Aguata And Ideato North/South Federal Constituencies Of Anambra And Imo States Of Nigeria'.

Ugochinyere, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), was also said to have sponsored a: 'Motion For Urgent Need To Rebuild The Collapsed Akokwa-Umuchima-Mgbe-Orlu Federal Road And To Reconstruct The Collapsed Mgbe-Umuezeala-Ogboko Bridge In Ideato South Local Government Area Of Imo State'; 'Motion On The Need For The House To Receive The 2021 OIl And Gas Industry Report Of The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) In Line With Section 4(3) Of The NEITI Act'; among others.

The Lawmaker was also reported to have sponsored well over 11 Bills, some of which have passed second reading with some at the final stage of passage, in a space of 6 months.

Notable amongst the Bills are, the 'Joint Admissions And Matriculations Board Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (HB, 198)'; 'The Interpretation Act (Amendment) Bill 2023 (HB. 27), which he Co-sponsored with the Deputy Speaker of the House, RT. Hon. Kalu and 5 other Members; amongst others.

It would be recalled that, aside having stiff oppositions from his Imo State in the buildup to the 2023 general elections; Hon. Ugochinyere also had litany of litigations, both pre and post election.

The Imo State National Assembly and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal had also sacked Ugochinyere in September, 2023, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh poll in Ideato North/South Federal Constituency within 90 days.

But the Appeal Court panel led by Justice Abubakar Babandi Gumel of the Lagos Division of Court of Appeal, in November, set aside the ruling of the Tribunal which had sacked Ugochinyere, thereby giving him a sigh of relief to settle down for legislative business in the National Assembly.

By Our Reporter


The Arewa Consultative Youths Movement (ACYM) has said that the Special Investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Related Entities, Jim Obazee, in his report submitted to President Bola Tinubu has succeeded in vindicating a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Godwin Emefiele.
 
The youths stated this in a statement issued by their President, Kabiru Yusuf, in Abuja on Friday.
 
They said a critical analysis of the report showed that no evidence of personal corruption was pinned against Emefiele.
 
The statement read in part, “As youths interested in the development of our country, we have read the snippets of the report being reproduced in the media.
 
“We make bold to say that if the plan is to indict Emefiele with the report, the author and his sponsors have failed woefully because as far as we are concerned, nothing in the report indicted him.
 
“We urge the Federal Government to stay away from this report and avoid falling into the temptation of fishing for offences to nail the former CBN Governor by all means.”

*says CBN investigator pursuing satanic agenda with false report


Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele has described the allegations brought against him by Jim Obazee, the presidential-appointed investigator tasked with probing his CBN management, as false.

Following his release from Kuje prison, where he was held for over six months after meeting his bail conditions, Emefiele issued a press release on Sunday. He strongly maintained that the widely circulated accusations against him were false.

Responding to a publication titled “Re: EMEFIELE, OTHERS STOLE BILLIONS, ILLEGALLY KEPT NIGERIA’S FUNDS IN FOREIGN BANKS,” the embattled former CBN governor strongly contested the allegations.

He stressed that the accusations were “false, misleading, and calculated to disparage my person, injure my character, and serve the selfish interest of the private investigator.”

He said he has instructed his lawyers to immediately commence legal process to clear my name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the publication

The statement reads:

"After my release on bail from the correctional centre, Kuje, my attention was drawn to publications released by the Punch Newspaper and Premium Times online news platforms. The sources of the information published by both media houses were credited to a certain report prepared by a Mr. Jim Obazee, who was appointed by the President as a private investigator.

"I have gone through the publications, and I say boldly that the contents of the said publications are false, misleading and calculated to disparage my person, injure my character and to serve the selfish interest of the private investigator.

"Because of my present situation, I have been advised by my lawyers not to say anything in respect of the matters which have been submitted to the court for adjudication. However, I need to addressed some of the issues raised in the publication which are barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda

"First, it was reported that, contrary to the provision of the CBN Act 2007, there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign. I wish to state unequivocally that there was indeed a presidential approval, and the said approval was handed over to the same Jim Obazee during the process of his investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his own investigative team.

"Moreover, the former President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has stated on a number of occasions that he authorised and approved the Naira redesign. I am therefore at a loss as to why Mr. Jim Obazee will mislead Nigerians that there was no presidential approval.

"The report also claimed that the sum of 6.23 million dollars was withdrawn from the CBN vault based on a false presidential directive bearing the signature of the former president Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and that of the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.

"About two weeks ago, Jim Obazee in company of a certain Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force CID came to Kuje to ask me questions in respect of the said document in the presence of my lawyers.

"I stated verbally and in writing that I have no knowledge of such directive from the former president and the former SGF. Infact, I told them that that was the first time I would be seeing the documents.

"On this, I challenge Jim Obazee to publish the said documents and also the statements that I made to them.

"The final issue that I will like to respond to is the issue of the 593 accounts which were purportedly opened in different parts of the world. I state categorically that I am not involved in the opening of these accounts and I do not have knowledge of their openings. The fixed deposits in those foreign accounts are definitely outside my knowledge.

"However, let me state clearly, that the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the CBN.

"I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken on this matter and have demanded a thorough and transparent investigation of all these alleged frauds. Meanwhile, I have instructed my lawyers to immediately commence legal process to clear my name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the publications".

*Say it's mountain of cooked story
 
Members of the Middle Belt Youths Forum (MBYF) have taken a swipe at the Special Investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Related Entities, Jim Obazee, for submitting what they described as empty and cooked up to President Bola Tinubu.
 
The middle belt youths made their position known in a statement made available to journalists by their leader, Meliga, on Friday.
 
They were responding to the report leaked to the press in which the investigator raised sundry issues that they believe are not worthwhile.
 
The statement read, “Middle belt youths are not aware that this country has gone this low that a committee set up by a sitting President can come up with this thrash and empty.
 
“To put it nicely, this report is a collection of cooked up stories only suitable for a comedy series or at best a collection of children stories to be ready in the moonlight.
 
“We call on the President and his handlers not to fall into the temptation of acting on this report which will only prove that the government only set up the committee for the purpose of siphoning money.
 
“If this is a strategy to keep Emefiele perpetually behind bars, we say no to it.
 
“We also call on the President to thread with caution on Emefiele’s matter and caution his men against courting unnecessary controversy."

*describes it as glorified village union audit report 
 
Youths from the South Eastern part of the country, under the auspices of the Ohanaeze Youths Movement (OYM), on Frday came down hard on the Special Investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria and Related Entities, Jim Obazee, for his report which was leaked to some media houses in Abuja on Thursday.
 
In the report, the investigator had among other allegations accused a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Godwin Emefiele, of allegedly operating 593 illegal United State, United Kingdom and China accounts without the approval of the apex bank’s board.
 
The investigator also claimed that N26trillion Ways and Means fraud was uncovered.
 
But the Ohanaeze youths, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja described the allegations contained in the said report as laughable.
 
They described the report as the handwork of hatchet men who are desperate for something to hold on to hang Emefiele.
 
The statement read, “As youths of Nigeria, we are appalled that this report that appears more like a village union’s audit report can be shamelessly tagged ‘Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable Offences).’
 
“We believe strongly that no serious government will take anything about this laughable report seriously except if key stakeholders in such government have personal axe to grind with the subject of investigation.
 
“We urge President Bola Tinubu to confine this report, which does not worth the paper on which it was written, to the dustbin where it rightly belongs.
 
“Our movement are indeed ashamed of Obazee is this is the best he can come up with. It is clear that he only willingly work towards a prepared answer.
 
“We warn him to remember that the evils men do live with them and after them, the more reason why he should know that it is dangerous for him to offer himself as a tool to be used to nail an innocent man.”

***urge Tinubu to call him to order


Lawmakers elected into the National Assembly under the umbrella of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, came hard on the Governor of Benue State, Fr. Hyacinth Alia, describing him as “a dictator” who is running the state government like his personal business.

Rising from a one-day retreat organised in National Assembly on Thursday, the Lawmakers, under the aegis of Benue APC National Assembly Caucus, also called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to quickly prevail on the Governor, before he runs the state aground, saying, Alia’s tendencies could cost the party a defeat in subsequent elections in the state, if he is not quiuckly called to order.

“We the undersigned are members of the National Assembly Caucus elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform from Benue State. Having watched with apprehension the absence of democratic leadership in Benue State in the last six (6) months exemplified by the arrogant and egocentric conduct of Governor Hyacinth I Alia, we have decided to draw the attention of Mr President and other leaders of APC in Nigeria to seek their immediate intervention before the fortunes of APC in Benue State are totally destroyed”, the text of press statement after the retreat, reads.

Reading further, Leader of the Caucus and Senator representing Benue North West, Senator Titus Zam, said, the matter had been reported severally to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who has been mediating to see that things were normalised.

“It is necessary to state from the onset that, we have collectively and individually drawn the attention of the leader of the APC in Benue, Sen. Dr. George Akume Secretary to the Government of the Federation who has on several occasions pleaded for patience from us in the anticipation of a possible change of attitude from His Excellency Governor Hyacinth Alia, rather than change for the better.

“Governor Alia has become more emboldened and has continued to treat us and the party in general in the most disgusting, disrespectful and disingenuous manner”, he said.

In retrospect, the APC Lawmakers said, “Fr. Alia only came to reap where he did not sow. In any case, you are well aware of the rejection his candidacy received from older members of the party including litigations in several courts of Law up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, it took the strident support of Sen. Dr. George Akume to extricate his candidacy from the destructive grip of his co-aspirants and eventual victory at the polls.

“Today, the ungrateful Fr. Alia, who had barely joined APC two months before the Governorship primaries assumes a messianic posture and tend to appropriate the victory of APC in Benue State as a product of his so-called popularity; without regard to the painstaking and systematic efforts of the subsisting formidable political structure which has enthroned all the governors in the State before him.

“The question begging for answers is; why did the self-acclaimed popular priest not contest on the platform of either APGA, PDP or other smaller political parties in Benue State?

“For clarity's sake, let us contextualize some of the dictatorial and egocentric tendencies of Governor Alia and his poor treatment of Benue APC in the last six (6) months of his administration in Benue State.

“The election of the speaker of Benue House of Assembly. The position of the speaker was zoned to the Jembagh bloc of Benue North West Senatorial District, coincidentally the birthplace of the SGF, Sen. Dr. George Akume, whereas APC has 22 members out of a total of 32 members of the Assembly. Governor Alia connived with former Governor Gabriel Suswam of PDP to produce a speaker different from the candidate preferred by APC. In the contest for the position of the Speaker, Governor Alia held midnight meetings at the Residence of Sen. Gabriel Suswam and got Ten (10) PDP members to align with 7 recalcitrant APC members to beat the APC preferred candidate by the margin of 2 votes; thus began his unholy alliance with PDP to undermine and maltreat the legitimate members of APC in Benue State.

“After the Speakership debacle, the party again nominated and made a spread of principal officers of the assembly, comprising; Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip. Surprisingly, the speaker joyfully agreed with the opposition party on all nominations from the Peoples Democratic Party as endorsed by the State Chairman of the PDP and Secretary but jettisoned the list submitted by APC and rather accepted the list that was unilaterally submitted by the Governor through his Chief of Staff.

“It was an embarrassing experience for the Party having to face the dejection in the hands of an administration it labored hard to install. However, the party submitted and sustained their faith in the Governor and his government even when they felt aggrieved and resorted to stand by the advice of the leader of the party Sen. Dr. George Akume whose counsel has always been for the party to keep praying for Fr. Alia to succeed.

“in the first meeting of the stakeholders that was held in government house the chairman of the party Comrade Austine Agada publicly went on his knees took all the blames even though there was no blame and apologized to the governor and party members requesting they put behind the State Assembly imbroglio and come together to save the party, in the meeting, the governor praised the leader of the party with promise to always work together so that Benue and the party will enjoy democratic dividends. He also pledged that going forward he was going to involve the party and other critical stakeholders in sensitive decisions particularly in the nomination of commissioners and local government caretaker committees, a promise he unfortunately kept in breach.

“In appointing his commissioners, His Excellency again exercised a sole discretion without recourse to the normal tradition of requesting for nominations from the local governments and disregarded the zoning arrangements and permutations and went ahead to make his independent choices as he deemed soothing, again the party did not oppose him but rather gave him support since it was his own State Executive and Security Council and needed people he could vouch for.

“The nomination of caretaker committees to man the various local governments was when the party received the most humiliation, governor Alia had thrown back to party members during the Stakeholders meeting by demanding an immediate nomination of 3 candidates each for the position of Caretaker Chairman, Deputy and Secretary as well Supervisory Councilors across the twenty three local government demanding for two slots of supervisory councilors from each of the local governments, this was first time a governor will demand such from the caretaker council formation against the usual one slot per local government. The party jubilantly agreed and followed the directive by holding meetings, and painstakingly submitting their various lists with the sigh of relief and sense of belonging.

“But surprisingly, when the nominations were finally announced the party was amazed that ninety percent of the names were outside the nominees that were sent to the governor at his directive. In all these misgivings and disaffection the announcement of the caretaker committee marked the pinnacle of a noticeably bad relationship between governor Alia and APC in Benue State and this has angered a lot of party men and women in the State which can be justified by all standards.

“Disrespect and disregard to members of NASS: Governor Hyacinth Alia since assumption of duty has not held any meeting with NASS members of Benue State who were elected on the same APC platform with him neither does he pick or return their telephone calls not to talk about consulting them on political matters in the State. He has assumed the posture of a conqueror who does not care about the welfare, nor status of National Assembly Members in his leadership of Benue State. In every State of the federation members of NASS are working in synergy with their governors to attract development from the center to their State of origin.

“Governor Alia has no single known developmental blueprint for Benue State. As at the moment, nobody in Benue State is aware of the direction of his administration, what he practices is personal rule and this is replicated by the lopsided appointment he has made in the State so far, with his immediate community of Kunav cornering all the strategic positions in government.

“Implications of his undemocratic rule in Benue State; the grave consequences of Governor Alia personal rule is that, the generality of APC members who are excluded and abandoned are beginning to lose faith in the APC led administration in Benue State. Therefore, care must be taken to safeguard APC from the tyrannical leadership of Governor Alia so as to prepare the party for subsequent electoral victories in the future. Governor Alia's street showmanship of non-existent huge support base is not predicated on a substantive love of a massive street followers, does not translate to the real political support which only leaders can guarantee”.

In addition, the Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Hon. Philip Agbese accused the Governor of nepotism, saying he appointed over 30 key political officers from his immediate clan in Vandeikya LGA, whereas, the Idoma speaking people from Benue South were grossly shortchanged in the scheme of things.

The Lawmakers, comprising of Senators and House of Representatives Members elected under APC from Benue State, also used the occasion to pledge loyalty to President Tinubu, the National Chairman of APC, Umar Ganduje, Sen. Akume, the State Chairman of APC, Comrade Austine Agada and his state led executive.

By Our Correspondent


The House of Representatives Committee on Hydrological Services has rejected the Nigeria Hydrological Agency's 2024 Budget and called for a re-presentation of same on Monday December 18, 2023 at 10:00am unfailingly.

The Committee chaired by Hon.Pascal Agbodike who gave the ruling at the National Assembly said that the agency failed to abide by the provision of the 2023 Appropriation Act and had exceeded its approval limit in its last budget as regards implementation.

He said that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) had expressly given the apex legislative institution-the National Assembly the powers to critically scrutinize and approve or reject the ministries, departments and agencies annual budgets

The Anambra born lawmaker further stated that the House would not pass into law anything that comes from the executive arm of government as budget.

He said: "Sincerely, I noted the observation raised by members at this budget session.

"I look at it as not a deliberate act but may be a mistake from the staff. I 'll give you Monday morning to re-appear.

"The Committee will give you a list of items requested of you in this budget".

At the budget session, a member of the House Committee Hon.Ahmed Jaha had raised many issues on the line by line items of the budget and stated that there are many unjustified expenditures on the agency's 2023 budget.


The lawmaker had pointed out that the details of the overhead and capital sub-heads in the previous years budget is not very clear adding that there must be justification for payment of contactors while projects are still on-going.

He added that the state of projects being executed by contractors, the date of award of contract and specific amount of money paid to contractor ought to 've been reflected in the previous budget of the agency.

Earlier in his presentation of the 2024 budget estimates before the lawmakers, the Director-General of the agency Engr.Clement Nze told the Committee that a total of N1,266,140,944.00 and N118,410,914.00 was earmarked for the office as capital and recurrent expenditures respectively.

He also said that the agency's approved budget for 2023 was N453,962,977.00 while the same amount of money was released and also utilized 100% by the agency.

He added that the budget is to help the agency in monitoring of floodings as well as whatever happens at the two major rivers in Nigeria Viz: River Niger and Benue and sundry issues.

By Yemi Itodo


Billionaire businessman, Prince Arthur Eze has endorsed the adoption of a non-kinetic approach and other initiatives being implemented towards tackling insecurity in the South East region of the country.

The philanthropist gave his support when he received on a courtesy visit to his House in Abuja, a delegation led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

The delegation under the auspices of Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) visited the oil mogul to inform him about the initiative and invite him for the official launch of the project, holding in Bende Local Government in Abia State on 29 December.

The PISE-P, a comprehensive five-year peace-building and development initiative designed to address the complex socioeconomic challenges and security issues facing the South East region of Nigeria, was developed in response to the growing impact of agitations, economic decline, and security threat.

The non-kinetic approach is built on eight pillars for sustainable development. They include education, agriculture, commerce and industry, infrastructural development, culture and tourism, sports and entertainment, as well as governance and leadership.

Addressing the delegation, Eze stated that the project is timely, urging all stakeholders to embrace it to find a lasting solution to the problem of insecurity in the Southeast.

He applauded the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu for the laudable initiative, assuring him of his support and presence on the official unveiling.

The businessman commended President Bola Tinubu for all the appointments given to the Igbo, describing him as a good man.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu told Arthur Eze that the project is essentially to the benefit of Ndi Igbo.

He appreciated Eze for his philanthropic gestures.

By Our Correspondent

The Ministry of Works has proposed the sum of N657,228,251,596 billion appropriation bill for the 2024 fiscal year.

This is also as the Minister, Engineer Dave Umahi has urged the lawmakers to get back to the ministry, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF); Federal School of Surveying, Oyo (FSS); Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN); and Surveyors’ Council of Nigeria (SURCON)

Engr. Umahi, who made the demand while addressing the joint committee on works in Abuja on Monday, explained that Capital Budget Proposal for the Ministry of Works itself will engulf N 566,466,977,361, while it’s parastatals; Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). N51, 282,456,911; African Regional Institute for Geo-Special Information Science and Technology AFRIGIST (RECTAS) goes for N104,039,920 amounting to N617,853,474,192.

He explained further that the Overhead Budget Proposal for Ministry stands at N668,116,856.00 while its Parastatals: FERMA will require N22,027,209,696. and RECTAS/AFRIGIST has zero proposal amounting to a total sum of N22,695,326,552.

While Personnel Cost Proposal for the Ministry is N12,598,351,319 and it’s parastatals will engulf N4,081,099.

The Minister noted that 693 new projects have been proposed in the 2024 Budget which are critical to improving road network connectivity and thus enhancing traffic circulation on the Federal Road network, which is necessary for boosting socio-economic activities in the country.

According to him, “The primary objective is enabling the Ministry achieve its mandate in providing a quality Federal Road network that serves as an environment to aid socio-economic growth of the country.

“The main challenge to highways development in the country remains inadequate funding. As at date, government is committed to highway contractors to the tune of about N13.835 trillion with a total of about N1,507,873,365,516.02 unpaid certificates for executed works.

“Secondly, the dearth of younger Engineers/Technical Officers in the Ministry as a result of embargo on employment is affecting effective project supervision at the sites. It is expected that more sources of funding of highway projects be explored as well as lifting the embargo on employment of needed Engineers/Technical officers at middle level to enhance supervision of projects.

“Our Ministry has set up six committees to review all debts, approved and unapproved variations on prices of basic rates, and all augmentations that occurred before May 29th 2023 and from May 30th 2023 till date.

According to Umahi, “The provision of an Emergency Fund of about 30% of the Budget Provision will cater for unforeseen emergencies that regularly occur on the road network especially during the rainy seasons;

“An increase of the Ministry’s present budgetary allocation to about N1.5trillion to complete at least 10 selected critical roads and bridges in each of the six geo-political zones of the country;

“Urgent review of all certified debts to contractors and if possible, convert same to Promissory Notes to contractors so that we can get properly focused in using any fund appropriated to us to pursue the Ministry’s set objectives;

“Inflation- Many contractors are presently out of sites because they have exhausted their contract VoPs and needed the projects unit rates to be reviewed. It will be good that all VoPs and augmentations of all the projects are reviewed and those that are owed be converted to Promissory Notes, while unit rates regime will take effect on contractors in line with the current realities of the construction industry.

“More eligible companies should be encouraged to key into the Road Tax Credit Scheme to increase the number of private sector interventions. This means front-loading their tax liabilities to solve our present challenges;

“Raising of Bonds from the Capital Market to finance road development in the country;

“Creation of an enabling environment by fixing the roads so that the deployment of the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) can be effective.

“That appropriations for projects be such that no projects when started should last for more than four years,” he said.

By Yemi Itodo


The House of Representatives is monitoring a trending topic across multiple traditional and online media, concerning the allocation of vehicles to honourable members, and because this issue has understandably generated significant public interest, we believe Nigerians deserve feedback from their elected representatives.

While many versions of this story carry varying exaggerations, we can confirm that the National Assembly bureaucracy is in the phased process of procuring and distributing operational vehicles to honourable members over the coming weeks and months.

This development is in accordance with extant procurement laws and has been the practice in previous assemblies. It is also not peculiar to the Legislature, as unelected government officials in the Executive arm of government from Director level and above, in most cases, have official vehicles attached to their offices.

It is important to make a few clarifications. The vehicles to be allocated to the offices of honourable members are utility operational vehicles tied to their oversight functions in the discharge of their duties in the standing committees. They are not personal vehicles gifted to honourable members.

For the duration of the 10th assembly (2023 - 2027), the vehicles shall remain the property of the National Assembly. At the expiration of the tenure of the 10th Assembly in 2027, should the extant assets deboarding policy of government still be in place, honourable members may have the option of making payment for the outstanding value of the vehicles to government coffers before they can become theirs, otherwise it remains the property of the National Assembly.

The public is invited to note that as part of the 10th Assembly's objective to ensure our integrity and independence, honourable members of the Green Chamber have resolved to maintain a respectable distance from the Executive arm of government, especially in issues relating to logistical aspects of oversight functions, including reaching difficult terrains in the country.

No matter how remote the location is, as long as there are Nigerian citizens living there, they deserve highly mobile representatives who can see first-hand what they are going through, and ensure government interventions, programmes, and policies are carried out effectively. This can only be possible with functional and reliable off-road vehicles.

Also, the House would like to inform the public that we remain committed to reducing the cost of governance in line with present realities. Those willing to research further would find a significant body of work with evidence that the percentage of the component of the Legislature's budget as part of our national budget has been on a downward trend over the past decade, despite inflation and the expanding role and relevance of honourable members in the lives of citizens. It currently stands at 0.5% of the Federal budget.

Accordingly, as all stakeholders continue to advance the conversation about reducing the cost of governance, we encourage looking in the right direction, and not cause disaffection for honourable members who want to discharge their duties effectively and above board, without being susceptible to inducement when the enablement to function is impaired.

The vehicles are work tools, and not status symbols - Honourable Members are diligent and patriotic elected representatives and not entitled. The anticipated allocation of vehicles will contribute to improved representation, constituency outreach and oversight functions.


Akin Rotimi, Jr., MHR
House Spokesman
Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

A pro democracy and rule of law group, Defenders of Democracy (DoD) has called on Benue State Governor, Rev. Hyacinth Alia, to as a matter of urgency, tender an open apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over what it described as project theft of the Federal Government.

The group, through a press statement signed by the President, Comrade Amos Uchiv Saturday morning, also challenged Governor Alia to address the people on how much he has received as federal allocations and how much the state has generated as internal revenue since the beginning of June, 2023.

Recall that, Governor Alia, through his Commissioner for Cooperatives, Urban and Rural Development, Ms. Joy Luga, on Friday, announced the training for officials of associations and cooperatives in the state, who she said applied for the “Alia Care” Programme.

According to the announcement, the training will hold across the Federal Constituencies of the state.

The group while reacting, accused the Governor of renaming a Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer programme as to mean “Alia Care”, adding that, the move, has made "gullible folks in the rural communities to believe that he is the one arranging to give them money".

The statement reads in part: "While we do not have any problems with the government giving money to the people, we are concerned about the name and origin of the programme. We have it on good authority that “Alia Care” is a forged name for Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer Programme. Alia wants to be the Obama of Benue State. Recall the ‘ObamaCare’ initiative in the United States under President Barrack Obama. The current Benue Governor lacks originality.

"Governor Alia has renamed the initiative as his own so as to deceive the public that he is working. The state government has not added a penny to the funds coming from the federal government. Even at that, he is not ready to give anyone the actual amount meant for the people from the programme. Another condition is that only APC members are to benefit from the paltry amount.

"Already, thugs of the party are the ones given the responsibility to screen the beneficiaries in each of the designated areas.

"The government of Hyacinth Alia is not known for any form of transparency. Everything around it is shrouded in secrecy and no one is allowed to ask questions.

"President Tinubu graciously approved and released N5 billion with other packages for each state as palliatives.

"The money got to Benue State and since then, nothing has been heard of the palliatives. When the pressure from concerned people began to mount on him, Governor Alia hastily arranged for the purchase of a few refurbished buses and took pictures which were posted on social media as palliatives vehicles.

"Since he came to power, Alia has not bothered to disclose how much his government has so far received as allocations from the federation account. No one knows how much the state is generating as internal revenue. He is running Benue State like a church parish".

The group therefore, demanded that Governor Alia immediately address the people of Benue State and explain the source of the funds he is calling “Alia Care”.

"Is the money contained in the supplementary budget that he recently sent to the Benue State House of Assembly? If the answer is no, he should cancel the name “Alia Care” and revert to the original name ‘Conditional Cash Transfer’ of the Federal Government.

"Governor Alia should publicly apologize to President Tinubu for trying to snatch an initiative of the Federal Government to take personal credit and glory.

"Governor Alia should also address the people on his handling of the palliatives sent to the state by the Federal Government. What did he do with the N5 billion? It is our right as a people to know!

"The Governor should similarly address the people on how much he has received as federal allocations and how much the state has generated as internal revenue since the beginning of June, 2023.

"We expect that Governor Alia will do the honourable thing and clear the air on the above issues quickly.

"The people didn’t elect a dictator to rule over them and run the state like a church mission. We are in a democracy and we hold the legitimacy and right to know how our resources are being spent", the statement added.