Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, says an aircraft belonging to Nigeria Air, the proposed national carrier, will arrive in the country on Friday ahead of the commencement of operations.

In an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, Sirika said the aircraft will be unveiled in Nigeria’s colours (green and white), in fulfilment of all the promises made by the administration in the aviation sector.

He said the actualisation of the vision was due to the unwavering resolve of the current administration.

“On Friday, in two days, the Nigeria Air airplane will land in Nigeria, as part of the processes to commence operations,” he said.


“We would, on that day, unveil the aircraft with delivery and everything in Nigeria colours, belonging to Nigeria Air and we will proceed to do the retrofit and bring back those airplanes.

“So, we have achieved a lot of what’s in the roadmap. The only item that is missing on (sic) my table is the aerotropolis. Even that, the groundwork has been done. All the airports (the four of them) are free zones. They are free zones to allow you to come in there and take advantage of what a free zone is.

“And that of course will enhance and boost the aerotropolis, which is the airport city. Abuja is sitting on 12,000 hectares of land, courtesy of Mr. President and that is why you would see this huge aerotropolis.”

News of the arrival of the aircraft comes amid disagreements by stakeholders over the ownership stake of the proposed national carrier.

Last year, a federal high court in Lagos prohibited the federal government from selling the shares of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines — a judgment that ultimately halted the commencement of operations.

But the minister, in recent months, had consistently insisted that the national carrier would fly before the end of the current administration.

Sirika, in March, April, and earlier this month, announced that Nigeria Air will commence operations before May 29 and “nothing would stop it.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says 98.5 percent of eNaira wallets have not been used even once.

In its recently released working paper titled ‘Nigeria’s eNaira, One Year After’, the Bretton Woods institution took stock of the first year of the eNaira —the first central bank digital currency (CBDC) in Africa.

President Muhammadu Buhari formally launched the digital currency at the state house in Abuja on October 25, 2021.

The IMF said despite the laudable undisrupted operation for the first full year, the CBDC project has not yet moved beyond the initial wave of limited adoption.


The fund said the take-up of the eNaira by households and merchants has been slow.

The IMF described the public adoption of the eNaira as “disappointingly low” due to the levels of wallet downloads and transactions.

The fund said as of end-November 2021, the total number of retail eNaira wallets amounted to about 860,000 — a figure equivalent to just 0.8 percent of Nigeria’s active bank accounts.

“The retail wallet downloads saw a few weeks of initial surge before tapering off. More specially, it only took 25 days for the number of downloaded wallets to reach 500,000 units—but going from there to 600,000 units took another 63 days; and to 700,000 units yet another 143 days,” the paper reads.

“As of end-November 2021, the total number of retails eNaira wallets amounted to about 860,000. This is just 0.8 per cent of Nigeria’s active bank accounts.

“Merchant wallet download has reached about 100,000 in end-June, which is about one eleventh of the number of merchants with Point-of-Sales (POS) terminals—which enables credit or debit card payments.”

On transactions, the IMF said most wallets appear to remain inactive except for a limited window of weeks of activity surge.

The institution said the average number of eNaira transactions weekly were carried out only by 1.5 percent of downloaded wallets.

“The average number of eNaira transactions since its inception amounts to about 14,000 per week—only 1.5 percent of the number of wallets out there. This means that 98.5 percent of wallets, for any given week, have not been used even once,” the paper further reads.

“The average value of eNaira transactions has been 923 million naira per week—0.0018 percent of the average amount of M3 during this period. The average value per one transaction has been 60,000 naira.”

The IMF said network effects suggest the initial low adoption spell would require a coordinated policy drive to break it.

“The eNaira’s potential in financial inclusion requires a strategy to set the right relationship with mobile money, given the former’s potential to either complement or substitute the latter,” the institution said.

“Cost savings from integrating CBDC—as a bridge vehicle—in the remittance process may also be substantial.”

Ibrahim Oloriegbe, chairman of the senate committee on health, says Nigeria needs a law that mandates employers to provide adequate nutrition for workers.

The senator spoke on Thursday in Lagos during the launch of a campaign promoting fortification compliance and workforce nutrition in Nigeria.

The advocacy campaign was sponsored by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and E-Health Africa.

Oloriegbe said the country lacks laws mandating companies to ensure their employees are nourished, adding that workplace nutrition should not be optional.

He added that the law is needed “if we want to have productive workers and a booming economy”.

“When we talk about advocacy, that means we target the government to institute policies that would promote food fortification and companies’ compliance with it. And we have companies adopting workforce nutrition,” he said.

“We do not have a law yet that says employers must provide good nutrition for their workers — it is just optional now. But we do need it if we want to have productive workers and a booming economy.

“There should be at least one meal per day for workers in the workplace. So, there should be a law which says that if you have a certain amount of workers part of the package should be food in the office.

Oloriegbe said Nigeria has two million acutely malnourished children and the deficiency can be food fortification with micronutrients.

“In Nigeria about 32 percent of under-five children — that is 32 out of 100 — have malnutrition. And we have about two million severe acute malnourished children in Nigeria. This is high because we have conflicts across the country,” the senator said.

“All these security challenges are one of the major reasons for malnourishment in Nigeria. Because of that, farmers are not able to farm and traders cannot trade. Those that suffer most are the children and women.”

‘NUTRITION CRISIS’

Auwal Rafsanjani, executive director of CISLAC, said Nigeria is “facing a serious nutrition crisis”.

He added that there is a need to spotlight the crisis and proffer lasting policies to effect necessary change.

“As you know, Nigeria is facing a serious nutrition crisis. Millions of Nigerians are undernourished, and many more are overweight or obese. This has a devastating impact on health, productivity, and economic development,” he said.

“Food fortification is a proven way to improve nutrition and health. It is a simple, cost-effective intervention that can be used to add essential nutrients to foods that are commonly consumed by large populations.

“Although adults spend more than half of their active hours of the day at work, the workforce is particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Workers who are not getting the nutrients they need are more likely to be sick, less productive, and more likely to have accidents. This can have a significant impact on the economy.”

Afolabi Wasiu, president of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and Gbenga Ogunmoyela, president of Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI), also spoke at the event.

Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian billionaire businessman, says the Dangote Refinery will supply its first tranche of petroleum products to the market by July.

The businessman spoke on Monday prior to the official commissioning of the 650,000 barrels per day (BPD) integrated refinery project located in the Lekki free trade zone area of Lagos state.

“Our first products will be in the market before the end of July, in the beginning of August this year,” he said

Olusosun community, to many residents of Lagos, is synonymous with an infamous landfill site that sprawled beside it. An eyesore that takes their waste but produces nothing than a belly-turning stench. An area so dim, its only brightness comes from the constant fire incinerating the mountain of rubbish dumped there.

At least, that was the popular narrative until the community coughed out a scrawny go-getter called Victor Osimhen.

On Thursday, his goal earned Napoli its first Serie A title in 33 years. The Mediterranean city of Naples sang Osimhen’s song in a tone of wonder, almost identical to that of Diego Maradona. As the city skyline bubbled and shimmered from fireworks above, thousands of fans below wore facemasks in honour of the Nigerian whizz-kid. A cold-blooded marksman at the peak of his unlimited power.

With 21 league goals already, all the African scoring records in Serie A lay dead behind. Yet, he still has five more games to go.


Osimhen scores as Napoli win first Serie A title in 33 years
Osimhen scores as Napoli wins first Serie A title in 33 years

A SCAVENGER’S PARADISE



Olusosun dumpsite

Olusosun community squats underneath the smelly shadow of the dump site like a subjugated younger sibling. The area lies just a few kilometres from Ojota, and its odour is the welcoming warmth that heralds travellers coming to Lagos through the Berger axis to the state.

The landfill is a rolling hill of dirt, decay and dung that receives at least 10,000 tons more daily; its stretch claims over 40 acres of land, offering daily feeds for scavengers, flies and vermins.

The Kudirat Abiola Way separates the behemoth of decomposition from the little portion of the neighbourhood where Osimhen was raised.

Crossing over the road, one walks gingerly into the sloppy, muddy road of Moshalashi lane, which snakes into an alley of nameless streets where houses meld into one another like cancerous cells.


The house Osimhen grew up in

After a few twists and turns and probably losing the sense of direction, the filthy road halts at the concrete flooring off Anisere Close. The plastered floor is divided by a tiny line of drainage which washes debris past the front of the house where Osimhen grew up.

A two-storey building crammed into a space for a house half its size. The house’s recent cream and brown coating fails to hide its age as cracks decorate the central pillar and damaged water pipes crisscross its surroundings.

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It is almost impossible to believe the crouching building is where one of the best footballers in the world at the moment once laid his head; with the alley, reeking of urine and the buzz of flies.

A STAR RAISED BY THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD


Baba Mosilimot (Aka Maintain): a former neighbour and street brother of Osimhen

Osimhen’s story has some chilling episodes, ranking it beyond the reach of the grass to grace cliche.

He lost his mother so early that he does not recall the year any more. Patrick, his father, lost his job too, and the children began to shoulder their own responsibilities. Osimhen was the last child, but he could hardly boast of the convenience generally bequeathed to the youngest one.

The family of eight surrendered one of their rented two rooms to manage cost. They squeezed themselves into the single-room apartment and hoped for better days.

His was a harsh childhood which taught him the value of labour, sweat and community. Without a mother, his neighbours stepped in and rendered their bits to his survival.

Risikat Bello, a former neighbour, said Osimhen was the son of all the mothers in the alley. He was diligent and willing to render help, and the women rewarded him with stipends.

“He was a good boy growing up. We all in the neighbourhood used to send him on errands. His elder brother was a newspaper vendor at Ojota and the whole family was working; People around here would send him on errands and reward him with cash,” she told TheCable.


Risikat Bello, a former neighbour of Osimhen

Bello added that one of the women was Mama Oshodi, her late mother-in-law. She said Osimhen was always available to help the woman in her old age and gladly ran errands regardless of the stress.

“I remember Mama Oshodi, my late mother-in-law, used to send him to buy kerosene. Even errands that I would not be willing to go for the woman. Victor would go at any time,” she said.

“He used to help another woman, Iya Chi-chi, who sold uncooked rice and beans. Victor used to help her carry the bags from her supplier. Sometimes, when he failed to run the errands on time, the woman would threaten to seize his football boots as punishment.”


Olusosun bus station

Baba Muslimot, another former neighbour and street brother popularly known as Maintain, said Osimhen’s perseverance and determination to eke his way out of penury with his power spurred him to become the footballer’s mentor at a very young age.

“I was coaching a team in Egbeda then. But I used to visit Osimhen’s team training at Olusosun Primary School. So, one day, I decided to bring my team over to face the team here. He performed really well in that game and even scored three goals,” Baba Muslimot said.

“From then, I often recruited him into whichever tournament my team would play in. He was very determined and showed a hunger for success. Even when he didn’t have money for transport, I’d tell my wife to give him, and he would come and join my guys in training. He used to keep his boots just on the roof of the house here before the building was renovated.”

A FIGHTER, HUSTLER AND DREAMER


Olusosun Primary School: The stadium where Osimhen started his football career

Amidst the struggle for survival, Osimhen found hope in football at a very young age. He and a couple of friends enrolled in a cadet football club in the neighbourhood called Peric Academy.

For kids groping through the darkness of poverty, sports remain the brightest lights on the other side of the tunnel. Osimhen was no exception. He knew the height football could elevate him beyond, even when only a few saw it.

Victor Abel, a former academy mate, said Osimhen’s grubby appearance while growing up made some people dismiss his talent and chance of success in life.

“One thing about destiny: you can not say never. No human being knows tomorrow,” Abel told TheCable.

“When Victor was growing up, he faced a lot of challenges. He could easily be written off based on his appearance — and say he would not amount to anything. But God works in miraculous ways.”


Abel, a former academy mate of Osimhen at Peric FC

Industrious Osimhen was juggling football with street hawking. He spent noons battering through defenders in training and the evening darting after speedy cars with sachets of cold water in Lagos traffic.

“It was hard for the family, but they were hustlers. They were all working, from the firstborn to the last. From selling sachets of water to construction work,” Baba Muslimot added.

However, stipends from menial jobs, although enough to put food on the table of the large family, were too lean to afford the luxury of sports. Football boots were expensive, at least for him, and Osimhen had to find another way around the lack of a good one. He and a host of friends would climb to the crest of the Olusosun landfill, scavenging for dishevelled shoes they could wear to play the game they love.

However, Osimhen’s determination and hunger for success wavered at a point, and it took the intervention of Baba Muslimot before it was refocused.

“There was one time he stopped playing football,” he said.

“He was running errands for a ‘Baba Ijebu’ agent, and the work took him off football for a bit.”

Shortly after, Osimhen was called up to the U17 national team camp headed by Emmanuel Amunike, former Super Eagles forward.


Where Osimhen used to hangout with friends. Now, a burial ground

With over 4,000 players from all over the country awaiting to show their talent on the pitch of the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja, Amunike gave each group of players 30 minutes to make an impression.

However, when Osimhen’s group filed out, the coach was tired and waved them off the pitch after just 15 minutes.

Between that minute and the next, a football career that would be the envy of many seemed to have been snuffed out.

But a room of darkness cannot arrest the brightness of a golden hub. An assistant coach had noticed the doggedness and street-sharpened litheness of Osimhen during the drab match. He informed Amunike of the boy’s hunger. Osimhen was called for another round of trials, and he proved good enough to make the Golden Eaglets’ team that won the U17 World Cup in 2015.

Osimhen was not just a squad member. He was a vital cog in the team’s steamrolling machine. He scored a record ten goals, claiming both the golden boot and silver ball for the competition held in Chile.

Olusosun was agog, and the community knew the boy it took under its wings a few years ago had matured and would set out to conquer the world.

But Osimhen had to battle another spell of hardship to adjust to the cut-throat world of professional football.

He rejected big European clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal, Juventus and the instant glamour and money they promised. He joined VfL Wolfsburg, a thoughtful decision focused on personal growth. However, his time at the Volkswagen Arena was anything but a misadventure.

In his first season, the Nigerian suffered an injury on his right knee, and it took three surgeries to amend. Shortly after, a shoulder problem also took him out of action.

The club became impatient and farmed him out to FC Charleroi in Belgium, and in the quietness of the Belgian Pro League, he scrapped together his baulking limbs.


The alley leading to the house where Osimhen grew up

Osimhen reconnected with the fighter of a child he was in the streets of Lagos, and before long, his reinvigoration attracted Lille to pay $12 million for him in 2019. He scored 18 goals and was awarded the season’s Prix Marc Vivien Foe, the prize awarded to the best African player in the French league.

The performance was enough to prompt Napoli to splurge a club-record fee of €70 million on Osimhen in 2020, making him the most expensive African footballer.

A few months into the biggest move of his career, Osimhen’s injury problem popped up: he dislocated his shoulder while playing for the Super Eagles in an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification game against Sierra Leone.

The injury sat him on the sidelines for two months. His problem compounded after he contracted COVID-19 following another visit to Nigeria. The season ended with a paltry ten goals, and questions were raised about the balance of his price tag and talent.

The following season, misfortune struck yet again. After scoring nine goals in the 14 games of the season, Osimhen suffered multiple facial fractures after a nasty clash of heads against Inter Milan in a Serie A match in November 2021.

From the impact, one of his eyes came out of its socket, according to the surgeons, and it required titanium plates and screws. Osimhen returned from the injury but was only able to add five goals to his total for the season.

Osimhen loudly sought an injury-free season and got just that in 2022 and 2023.

He formed an almost telepathic partnership with Georgia’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; they scythed through defences to the Serie A title and got Napoli to the quarter-final in the UEFA champions league.

A GIVING HAND


Osimhen with Baba Mosilimot and other former neighbours during his last visit to the community

Former neighbours sang the songs of Osimhen’s generosity since he struck stardom. The 24-year-old elevated his family and close friends away from the slum and constantly extended his generosity to former neighbours.

“He never forgot his root. If he were somebody else, with the level of hardship he faced while growing up, he would ignore everybody else after success. But he is not like that. He is generous and kind-hearted,” Baba Muslimot said.

Bello added that on each visit to Olusosun, Osimhen doled out money and aid to the community.

“After the stardom and all, he never belittled our little contributions to his life. Each time Victor returns to the community, he gives us money. He does not give us small money, huge figures,” she said.

A COMMUNITY EXCITED ABOUT ONE OF ITS OWN


A banner on Anisere street congratulating Osimhen on winning the Serie A league

In celebration of the Serie A win, banners and murals are flying over the walls of Olusosun in vicarious excitement for one of its very own.

“The entire people of Olusosun congratulate you on your Scudetto de Italia. God’s mercy will never depart from you. Congrats champion!!!” One banner read.

A giant-size mural of Osimhen in the Eagles regalia could be seen beside a placard of memorabilia made by the community elders. Above it sat an illustration of Osimhen’s boot with the tagline: “Olusosun to the world”.



Another banner reads: “Congratulations on your success. The golden boy of Olusosun. The Glory of Olusosun. More Wins, many more goals.”

INSPIRING THE NEXT OSIMHENS


Osimhen, the ‘Golden boy of Olusosun,’ Lagos, Nigeria

Osimhen’s success has been a source of inspiration for the younger generation of kids.

Baba Muslimot said the Napoli’s striker’s achievements have shown children from the neighbourhood that there is another way to succeed aside from crime. He added that parents are more willing to allow their wards to pursue their football dreams.

“The kids from here are on a new level of determination. Even parents are receptive to their kids choosing football. Victor has been a good reference point. He has shown them that there is another way out of this place beyond crime and all that. When you go there now, you’ll see ‘young Osimhens’ trying to emulate him,” Baba Muslimot said.

Abel said he is one of such younger boys in the community.

“Osimhen is an inspiration to me, although I am a defender and he’s a striker. His success motivates the younger ones,” he said.

In Osimhen, Olusosun, a community beside an eyesore that Lagos residents do not want to see, has produced the superstar that the whole world doesn’t ever want to stop seeing.

A lady, Olufunmilayo Brioluwa, has been arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly assaulting a police officer in the Ogombo area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the development in a post on Twitter, said following the arraignment, Brioluwa was remanded to the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.

The post read, “Somewhere in Ogombo yesterday, she (Brioluwa) assaulted a police officer. She was arraigned today and has been remanded to the Kirikiri correctional facility till June 6 when the case comes up again in court.”

Attached to the post include a picture showing Brioluwa firmly holding the uniform of the policeman.

An original copy of the court document was also attached to the post

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it is set to supply 300,000 barrels of crude oil to Dangote Refinery.

Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), NNPC, spoke on Thursday at the Nigeria oil and gas opportunity fair.

The event was held at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) conference centre in Bayelsa state.

The Dangote Refinery, a 650,000 barrels per day integrated refinery project, is scheduled to be inaugurated on May 22, 2023.

“The NNPC saw the strategic interest of doing business, and we will be supplying 300,000 barrels of Nigerian crude to Dangote Refinery from NNPC. That is a marketing opportunity,” Kyari said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC GCEO said Nigeria must focus on gas production, adding that the country must begin to expand its gas footprint.

With that, he noted, the country will begin to achieve the industrialisation it seeks.

“The only way this industry can become the catalyst and fuel for that is for us to build gas, and we are focused on domestic gas, as we are also looking for gas that can go to other countries. We are focused on domestic gas,” he said.

“Everyone is talking about domestic refining. We see what we are doing. We don’t talk about it. We will keep lamenting till we all will see.”

Kyari also the security situation in the Niger Delta is the industry’s main obstacle.

But he assured that the NNPC had risen to the challenge through its collaboration with government security agencies, which is paying off.

“Production last year was at 1.1 million barrel per day. In March, we hit 1.67 million bpd. We have suffered some operational issues in the last 23 weeks, but we know that we will achieve our objectives of recovering production,” he said.

“Then, if we can come back and put their money into new ventures because no one is putting in money now. This is very simple because no one is going to produce oil for someone who did not contribute unless it is guaranteed.

“This is the reality. That is why [I] took the front line and decided that we will contend with the security situation.

“We are glad with the progress we have made now. There is a clear connection between energy and poverty. We are talking about climate change and energy transition. So, we need to provide a cleaner source of energy.

“There is no country that is developed without energy. Industralisation is guaranteed with energy. No industry works without energy.”

Kyari added that industrialisation and prosperity can come to Nigeria when issues bordering energy are addressed.

Bola Tinubu, president-elect, says the death of Subomi Balogun, founder of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), would create a vacuum that would be difficult to fill in the banking industry.

Balogun passed away on Friday morning in London after an illness. He was 89 years old.

The president-elect, in a statement on Saturday, described Balogun as a giant among men for his trailblasing and pioneering role in investment banking in Nigeria.

Tinubu said the founder lived a life full of many accomplishments and achieved what many considered impossible when he pioneered investment banking in Nigeria.

He added that Balogun was a “giant among men who changed the course of history and lived life on his own terms as a reputable investment banker”

“The news of the death of Otunba Subomi Michael Balogun in London yesterday was indeed a sad one. Even though he lived to an advanced age of 89, we didn’t expect that he would leave us at this time,” Tinubu said.

“From a lawyer who joined the western region ministry of justice and later as parliamentary counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, he moved to Nigerian Industrial Development Bank to start a banking career that blossomed into pioneering merchant banking in our country. What started as First City Merchant Bank in 1979 transformed into First City Monument Bank, one of the most admired banks in Nigeria today.

“While we mourn the exit of this great man of purpose, we cherish and celebrate his great achievements, his philanthropy and the many lives he positively impacted. We appreciate and commend his huge contributions to the growth and development of our country.

“I commiserate with the immediate family of this illustrious son of Nigeria, Governor Dapo Abiodun, His Royal Majesty Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, the government and people of Ogun State and the entire christian community in Ijebuland. May God grant Otunba Subomi Balogun eternal rest.”

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), some outgoing ministers and governors have embarked on last-minute appointments, investigations by Saturday PUNCH have revealed.

Our correspondents also observed that Buhari and his ministers awarded contracts worth over N3.7tn in the dying embers of his regime.

The appointments and contracts were awarded between March 20, 2023 and May 14, 2023 after the conduct of the presidential and governorship elections, which produced Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress as President-elect and a total of 28 governors out of which 16 newly elected governors will take over from their predecessors, who will complete their constitutionally approved second term in office.

However, some of the outgoing governors made last-minute appointments in the period under review.

On May 17, 2023 Buhari appointed Paul Harris Ogbole (SAN), former member of the Board of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and ex-Chairman, Otukpo Local Government Council of Benue State, as a member of the Council for Legal Education for a period of four years.

On May 11, the President approved the appointment of a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Garba Baba-Umar, as a Senior Security Adviser on International Police Cooperation and Counter-terrorism in the Office of the Minister of Police Affairs. According to a statement issued by the Presidency, the appointment was made to enable “Umar complete his nationally beneficial tenure as an executive member of the INTERPOL.”

Two days after, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, announced the appointment of a Benue monarch as the Pro-chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa state.

Earlier on May 5, 2Buhari re-appointed the members of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.

On May 3, the President, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of 12 nominees of the governing board of the North East Development Commission.

The day before, Buhari re-appointed Abike Dabiri-Erewa as the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission. The President also asked the Senate for the confirmation of six federal commissioners for the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission on the same date.

The Minister of Environment, Muhammed Abdullahi, also announced the appointment of a new coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project on May 2.

A month earlier, Buhari through the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, appointed a new director for the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.

He also re-appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Bello Maigari, and the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Gambo Aliyu, on March 24, while a new DG for the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency was appointed on March 21.

In Kaduna State, the outgoing governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who will be succeeded by his party man, Uba Sani, appointed 15 new judges on April 25. The judges included seven state high court judges, five Sharia Court of Appeal judges and three Customary Court of Appeal judges.

In Benue State, the outgoing governor, Samuel Ortom of the Peoples Democratic Party, who will be succeeded by Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia of the APC, swore in a new Chief Judge for the state on April 11. The governor also appointed five new permanent secretaries.

In Sokoto State, the outgoing governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who lost to the APC, swore in 23 permanent secretaries and 15 director-generals for state-owned agencies on May 2.

Earlier on April 14, the governor had appointed 23 caretaker chairmen for the local government councils in the state.

In Cross River State, the outgoing governor, Ben Ayade who will be succeeded by his party man, Bassey Otu, appointed five new permanent secretaries into the state public service on May 4.

In Abia State, the outgoing governor, Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP, whose party man lost to the candidate of the Labour Party, Alex Otti, appointed a new rector for the Abia State College of Health on April 14.

The outgoing governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, approved the appointment of a provost for the state College of Health Technology on April 5, 2023.

In Kano State, the outgoing governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, appointed a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, as the pro-chancellor and the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Moshood Balogun, as the chancellor of the state-owned Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education. The Olubadan had earlier decorated Ganduje and his wife, Hafsat, with chieftaincy titles.

The appointments by Ganduje were announced on April 3, 2023.

In Katsina State, the outgoing governor, Aminu Masari of the APC, on May 8, appointed a new manager for the state-owned football club, Katsina United.

The governor also appointed a new vice-chancellor for the state-owned university on May 10, 2023.

The outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, appointed a total of 149 new village heads on April 30. According to him, the new village heads were appointed to work alongside the incoming administration for stability in the state.

In Taraba State, the outgoing governor, Darius Ishaku, appointed a new caretaker chairman for one of the local government areas in the state. The appointment took effect on April 11.

N3.7tn contracts awarded

Analyses by our correspondents revealed that over N3.7tn worth of contracts were awarded between March 20 and May 14, 2023.

During the Federal Executive Council meeting held on March 23, the sum of N453.90bn was approved for the acquisition of rolling stock, operation and maintenance equipment for the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail line under construction.

The FEC also approved N5,157,265,770 for the construction of 192 flats for officers and men of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and $984.7m for the procurement of maintenance equipment for the Nigerian Railway Corporation on the same date.

During the FEC meeting held on March 29, 2023, various contracts worth N210bn were approved for provisions of various infrastructure, including free Internet services at 20 of the nation’s airports, 43 higher institutions and 20 markets across the country. A breakdown of the contracts showed that N95.98bn was for various road projects, while N59. 78bn was approved for the continuation of the ongoing Ogoni clean-up.


The FEC also approved N41.4bn for the construction of a centre of excellence for environmental restoration in the Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The minister added that the council also approved N18.3bn for the construction of a specialist hospital for the people of Ogoni in Rivers State.

On April 5, two contracts worth N15.3bn for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components and digital assistance devices for the 2023 population census were approved. There was also the approval of N3.3bn to build a new training facility for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

An e-Customs modernisation project worth at least N142.24bn was awarded by the FEC on April 20 amid reports of an existing court order restraining it from proceeding with the project.

On the same date, it was revealed that a total of N11.93bn was okayed for Customs aircraft and zonal offices, while the Ministry of Education obtained the sum of N2.8bn for the construction of senate buildings and purchase of ambulances. The FEC also approved the sum of N1.86tn for the linkage of roads in 11 states of the federation.

Similarly on April 20, 2023, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning presented a couple of memos for which approvals were obtained. The first one was for the award of a contract for the procurement of a Cessna Caravan aircraft EX208B by the Nigeria Customs Service in the sum of N3.45bn inclusive of 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax with a delivery period of 12 months.

The ministry further disclosed that the sum of N45.9bn was approved as augmentation for the cost of contracts for the construction of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation’s head office buildings in Abuja and Lagos, including its training institute in Lagos.

On May 10, 2023, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu announced that the sum of N449.9m had been approved for the engagement of consultants for the development of master plans for 17 airports, while N3.4bn was approved for the construction of the Abuja airport’s runway.

The FEC also approved a fresh sum of N129.8bn for various projects in the Ministry of Niger Delta, particularly the mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme on the Ogoni clean-up on May 11.

On May 13, the sum of N647.7bn was announced by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission for two power plants in the country.

Similarly, the Minister of State for Transportation, Adewole Adegoroye, on May 18, 2023, noted that FEC approved three port development projects for Ondo, Lagos and Delta states.

Adegoroye, who spoke excitedly about the three memoranda approved for his ministry by council, said the approvals were for the expansion and development of the Snake Island Seaport in Lagos, Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, and the Burutu Seaport project in Burutu, Delta State.

According to him, the projects would be executed through concession to private investors for 45, 50 and 40 years, respectively, at no cost to the Federal Government.

He explained that while the investors would be investing $974,185,203.66 in the Snake Island Port project, those for Ondo Multipurpose Port project would be spending $1,480,465,253 and $1,285,005,818.40 on the Burutu Port.

CSOs, analysts speak

Speaking with our correspondents in Abuja, political analysts and civil society organisations flayed the move by outgoing executives to award last-minute contracts and make new appointments.

A political analyst, Dr Busari Dauda, noted that the approved amount would only add to the challenges to be faced by the incoming government, adding that it was wicked to allocate such amounts at this last minute.

He said, “I think the current government is deliberately building up obstacles for the government that is coming in. Remember that the Federal Government had promised to remove oil subsidy in June and implement an increment in the salaries for lecturers and medical doctors after it would have handed over to the incoming administration.

“Why are they putting all the challenges on the new government that is coming in? It is somewhat wicked to begin to approve projects for a government that is coming in with a lot of baggage.

“It is likely that those projects will be stalled because if you don’t have an idea of what you are doing and you call me to carry it on, I would have to rethink before doing anything, so it’s likely that the projects are stalled.”

The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, queried why the government waited till the last minute before approving the projects, noting that the analysis had proved the laziness and lack of seriousness in the current administration.

He stated, “This analysis has exposed the laziness and lack of seriousness of the Buhari administration.

“They had more than seven years in power to do innovative programmes and projects that can bring about growth and development, and alleviate poverty and secure the country, but that was not done and suddenly there is a rush to start projects and considering the way and manner Nigerians operate, the new administration will likely abandon some of the projects, which will lead to wastage.

“The Buhari administration is encouraging public waste. A sustainable project should not be done at the last minute and without a proper plan. I think the approval is just to fund the pockets of some people.”

However, another political analyst, Jide Ojo, did not see any wrong in the approvals, stating that projects would be completed if genuine since governance is a continuum.

Ojo said, “Foremost, governance is a continuum and if it is for approval of the budget, there are still about 35 days to the end of this administration and a lot can still be done.

“I believe that nothing is wrong with the projects and amount approved, but whether FEC is mandated to award contracts every Wednesday legally is what I think is debatable.

“If the contracts are not inflated or used to siphon public funds out of the government treasury and are going to be applied, nothing is wrong with that.”

Another analyst, Olaseni Shalom, described the appointments as “political compensation.”

He said, “Those appointments are nothing short of political compensation for loyalists and apparently had nothing to do with competence. This also shows that we run a big government where we have more than necessary offices just to put more pressure on the government and the cost of running the government despite the economic hardship in the country.

“I would have advised the incoming administration to reduce the cost of government, but it is most unlikely as political appointments and offices are mainly for rewards and compensation for political loyalists rather than for the effective management of the government.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the N21 billion presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre.

The facility spans a total floor area of 2,485 square meters and will serve as a specialised intensive care centre for president, vice-president, their immediate families and VIPs.

The hospital incorporates state-of-the-art medical technology and houses several specialised departments to be staffed by a team of medical professionals.

It features five consultation rooms dedicated to various specialties, including respiratory, cardiology, ophthalmology, and general consultation.

Speaking with journalists at the inauguration on Friday, Aisha Buhari, the first lady, said the facility will eliminate the need for the president and his family to travel overseas for medical care.

The first lady said she came up with the idea of the VIP wing six years ago after her husband’s protracted stay abroad for medical treatment.

She said with the facility in place, presidents and their family members may only fly in medical experts to assist their colleagues in the country.

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, says he regrets supporting the process that produced Aminu Tambuwal as speaker in 2011.

Gbajabiamila spoke on Wednesday at a meeting with reps-elect organised in Abuja.

The speaker said he supported the “house project” that “installed” Tambuwal at the time — but he now regrets his decision.
He told the members-elect not to go against the decision of the party on the zoning formula for the leadership of the house of representatives.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had nominated Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the preferred candidates for the position of speaker and deputy.

Gbajabiamila said the party is supreme and the lawmakers’ loyalty to the APC should not be in doubt.

“I stand before you here as a testament to what party loyalty and consistency can do in your life. I have a story to tell and I am sure everybody has one story or the other to tell. My story may not be unique. I came here on the platform of a party,” he said.

“We don’t have independent candidacy in Nigeria. It’s not in our constitution or laws. Perhaps, one day, we will get to that point. But my core belief is that if you come here on the platform of a party, there is a saying all over the world that your party is always supreme.

“You will disagree with your party just like people will disagree amongst family members, but at the end of the day, the party is an organised structure. Let no one kid you. I am here to offer advice. I have been the pioneer leader of what they call the house project at one time when we installed Tambuwal as the speaker. I regret it.”

In 2015, Yakubu Dogara was elected speaker of the house — a move that was against the preference of the APC.

Gbajabiamila was the preferred candidate of the ruling party at the time.

The party successfully got its way in 2019 when Gbajabiamila was elected to the number four position in the country.

The speaker said nominating a candidate to lead the house should not be seen as an imposition.

“Nobody is compromising the independence of the legislature. The last person that will do it is me. But the fact that your party says this is where we are going, it doesn’t mean you are compromising the independence of the legislature,” he said.

“Many of us are new here. People will talk to you. They will cajole you, and say all sorts of things in flowery and romantic language but at the end of the day, we have to be mindful of one thing. The party we represent has its leaders. The governors from the states, whether we like it or not, are very powerful. You can do your bidding today. I share these things just to advise from my own experience.

“In 2015, I ran for the speakership of the house of representatives. The party nominated me. The whole world was sure that I was going to win that race. We lost by about six votes. A few of our party members worked against me and combined with the PDP at the time. Four years later, I ran again and won that election with 284 votes, the highest in the history of the Nigerian parliament.”

The United States Government has said that no American citizen was affected in a Tuesday attack on its Consulate staff convoy along Atani, Osamale Road in Anambra State, Nigeria.

The US National Security Council Spokesperson, John Kirby said, “I just got informed about a whole lot before coming out here to talk to you all. Just looks like a US convoy vehicle was attacked.”

”What I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved and therefore there was no US citizens hurt. But we are aware of some casualties perhaps even some killed,” he said on his YouTube channel.

The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, Tobechukwu Ikenga also said no US citizen was in the convoy though four persons were killed in the attack.

“The Joint Security Forces have embarked on a rescue/recovery operation in Ogbaru LGA, following an attack on a convoy of staff of U S Consulate today 16/5/2023 by 3:30 pm along Atani, Osamale Road,” he said in a statement.

“The hoodlums murdered two of the PMF operatives, and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies and vehicles ablaze. Also, the arsonist/murderers on sighting the responding joint security forces abducted two Police operatives, the driver of the second vehicle and took to their heels. No U S citizen was in the convoy.”

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Anambra. In recent times, there have been targeted assaults on security and government facilities and high-profile people or organisations in the state.

A group known as Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) says it will hold “massive” peaceful protests across Europe against the “imposition” of leaders on the 10th national assembly.

The group says the protest will begin in London, the United Kingdom and spread to other major cities in Europe.

The APC had nominated Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker from Kaduna and Benjamin Kalu, a member from Abia, as its preferred candidates for the positions of speaker and deputy respectively for the 10th house of representatives.

The ruling party also picked Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) as well as Barau Jubrin (Kaduna) for the positions of senate president and deputy respectively.

However, the party’s resolution has been met with pushback from other hopefuls, while some stakeholders have called for a review of the decision.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Collins-Maxwell Abe, the group’s convener, said the APC’s decision is undemocratic.

Abe said Nigerians in diaspora have been left in shock by the party’s action which has sent a wrong signal about the incoming administration.

He said while the group believes in the leadership qualities of President-elect Bola Tinubu, the party’s zoning decision is an imposition and should be reviewed.

Abe said there is no democracy in the world where legislative leaders are handpicked by certain individuals or groups, adding that such rights are exclusive to parliamentarians.

“We have been left in shock with the latest happenings in the polity back home. Nigerians delivered a mandate to Bola Tinubu because they believed in his capacity, strength of character, and purposeful leadership,” the statement reads.

“For us in the diaspora, we saw the incoming leader as an upright man who will break away from the norm. However, the early signs have been the reverse.

“That is why we are joining other Nigerians to strongly reject the purported zoning of the national assembly leadership. It is not done. Even if a consensus is to be proposed, it is done after proper consultations.

“We are, therefore, using this medium to urge the president-elect to retrace his steps. It is too early for him to start committing blunders, especially with some Nigerians still having mixed feelings about his emergence.

“To show our displeasure at this brazen act, we have finalized plans to hold massive protests across Europe, starting from London, United Kingdom. We will do so to draw the attention of the international community.

“It is, however, not too late for Tinubu to make amends. Let the legislators pick their leaders. That is our plea.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the families of the four people killed by gunmen at Ogbaru LGA of Anambra.

TheCable reported on Tuesday that gunmen attacked a convoy conveying staff of the US consulate.

Ikenga Tochukwu, police spokesperson in Anambra, said the “hoodlums murdered two of the PMF operatives, and two staff of the consulate”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesperson, said Buhari is saddened by the killings of the police officers and the staff of the US embassy in Nigeria.

“I was very sad hearing about the killing of the embassy staff and our policemen accompanying them. In this difficult time for the families of those killed, the American embassy and the Nigeria Police force, NPF, I extend the nation’s condolences over the very sad incident,” he said.

He said the president is equally “pained about the gruesome deaths” of villagers in communities in Plateau and Benue states, adding that the security agencies are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“He is deeply pained to learn about these gruesome deaths and expresses sincere condolences to the families of the victims,” he said.

“He is equally been briefed about the tragic killing of several persons in the Bwoi District of Mangu Local government area of Plateau state, as well that of several villagers in Adaka village in Makurdi local government and in Ijaha community of Apa local government area of Benue state.

“We share the grief of the American embassy, the Nigeria Police force and our communities in Plateau and Benue and remain committed to fishing out the perpetrators of the attacks and bringing them to justice. May God give their families the strength to bear the unfortunate losses.”

Alfred Alabo, police spokesperson in the Plateau, confirmed the killing of more than 30 persons in an attack by gunmen on Tuesday.

Last month, gunmen invaded two communities in Benue, killing 14 residents and two soldiers.

The Presidential Election Petition Court, today (Wednesday), adjourned till Friday, May 19, the pre-hearing of the petition by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

Meanwhile, factions of Obi’s party clashed in court, just as a factional Chairman, Mr. Lamidi Apapa, was taken into protective custody by security operatives attached to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, venue of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Apapa was mobbed by youths that were at the court to witness proceedings in the petition that Mr. Obi filed to challenge the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25.

Shortly after the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel adjourned the petition till Friday for continuation of the pre-hearing session, Apapa, while stepping out of the courtroom, made attempt to address the media.

He positioned himself before the waiting cameras, after Peter Obi’s lead counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), finished speaking to newsmen on what transpired during the court session.

Just as Apapa was getting set for questions, a group of youths that identified themselves as “Obidients”, pushed him away from the cameras, insisting that he lacked the right to speak for the party.

In the commotion that ensued, with Apapa being pushed back and forth by the aggrieved youths, his ‘Agbada’ was torn even as someone snatched his cap from his head.

It took the intervention of armed security operatives to pull the factional LP, who appeared helpless, away from the mob.

He was subsequently taken into protective custody by policemen attached to the court.

As at 12:29pm when this report was filed in, Apapa was still with the security operatives.

Court drama

Earlier, a mild drama played out at the court after Apapa attempted to announce himself as a representative of the party.

He had, immediately the main door to the court room was opened, made his way to the line of chairs reserved for dignitaries and the petitioners.

Obi was already seated by the time Apapa attempted to take possession of one of the seats but was blocked by members of the party led by a man that was identified as the LP’s National Youth Leader.

When the factional LP Chairman noted that despite his spirited effort he would not be allowed to sit close to Obi, he relocated to the line of chairs reserved for members of the public.

It will be recalled that Apapa is currently entangled in a legal dispute with executives of the party that conducted the primary election which produced Obi as flag-bearer.

He had earlier directed all the lawyers representing Obi to report to him for briefing.

The President-elect Bola Tinubu has opposed the application by his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a live broadcast of the proceedings of the election petition.

In response to the application, Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, through the team of their lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun said the application is an “abuse of the processes of this honourable court.”

They implored the Presidential Election Petition Court to dismiss the application, arguing that the relief demanded by the applicants is not such that the court could grant it.

The respondents said, “With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court.”

They further said the request of Atiku and his party should not be thrown out because the court “is not a rostrum or a soapbox. It is not also a stadium or theatre. It is not an arena for ‘public’ entertainment.”

They stated, in the counter affidavit, that the application was linked to policy formulation of the court, which is outside the PEPC’s jurisdiction as constituted.

“The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain.

“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal.

“The application is aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.

“The said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court.

“It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” they said.

In an attached written address, the respondents criticised the applicants’ reference to the fact that virtual proceedings were allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They argued that Atiku and the PDP failed to highlight the fact that practice directions were made by the respective courts for the exercise.

“Another angle to this very curious application is the invitation it extends to the court to make an order that it cannot supervise.

“The position of the law remains, and we do submit that the court, like nature, does not make an order in vain, or an order which is incapable of enforcement,” the respondents stated.

They further said that “At the very best, this application is academic, very otiose, very unnecessary, very time-wasting, most unusual and most unexpected, particularly, from a set of petitioners, who should be praying for the expeditious trial of their petition.

“Petitioners have brought their application under Section 36(3) of the Constitution which provides that the proceedings of a court/tribunal shall be held in public.

“The word ‘public’ as applied under Section 36(3) of the Constitution has been defined in a plethora of judicial authorities to mean a place where members of the public have unhindered access, and the court itself, sitting behind open doors, not in the camera.

“Even in situations where a class action is presented, the particular people constituting the class being represented by the plaintiffs or petitioners are always defined in the originating process.

“Here, in this application, the public at whose behest this application has been presented is not defined, not known, not discernable.

“Beyond all these, it is our submission that the court of law must and should always remain what it is, what it should be and what it is expected to be: a serene, disciplined, hallowed, tranquil, honourable and decorous institution and place.

“It is not a rostrum or a soapbox. It is not also a stadium or theatre. It is not an arena for ‘public’ entertainment.

“With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court.”

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Attahiru Jega has called for the redesign of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a voluntary programme for Nigerian graduates.

He spoke at a commemoration of the NYSC’s 50th anniversary on Monday which had past and present director generals of the scheme in attendance.

The golden jubilee, which had the theme ‘Five Decades of Fostering Unity and Development’, was also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, represented by the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Fatima Abubakar; service chiefs; and corp members, among others.

Jega, who was a guest speaker at the event, argued that the Federal Government needed to make the scheme more favourable to the Nigerian youth, adding that it should adjust to global best practices, if it must be mandatory.

Delivering a lecture, he highlighted the successes of the scheme but called for appropriate repositioning to make it more relevant to the times.

However, not everyone agreed with Jega as some others were of the view that the NYSC in last five decades had lived up to the essence of its establishment, particularly regarding community development.

For Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Fatima Abubakar, the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari to the NYSC Trust Fund Bill would make a significant difference.

While acknowledging the remarkable contributions of the scheme to national development, there were also recommendations for the repositioning of the scheme to help it adjust to global best practices.

The celebration also afforded participants the opportunity to reflect on the essence of the scheme, namely national unity and integration.

Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom, says President-elect [b]Bola Tinubu is “God’s own choice” for the leadership of the country.

Akpabio spoke on Sunday when he was hosted by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos state governor.

The former Niger Delta affairs minister was nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of senate president while Barau Jibrin was recommended as deputy senate president.

Akpabio said senators-elect for the 10th assembly believe in the vision Tinubu has for the country and are willing to offer their support.

He said if elected as senate president, he will deploy a “national approach” to lawmaking in the red chamber.

Akpabio said the nation’s economy is in need of serious development, adding that the administration of Tinubu will replicate the development in Lagos at the federal level.

He said the senate will collaborate with the new administration to bring the dream to fruition.

“The stability group of the 10th senate is made up of men and women of integrity. We came today to show ourselves to the governor and also solicit his support,” he said.

“He (Sanwo-Olu) has not only thrown his support behind us, he has shown so much hospitality. Today, he stood before the cameras to endorse my humble self to become the president of the 10th senate and Senator Jibrin as deputy senate president-designate.

“We are not taking this support for granted. This team has senators elect from different political backgrounds and parties. We are determined to ensure collaboration and support for the incoming administration of Tinubu whose presidency is a nationalistic project that will bring positive development to Nigeria.

“We want him to replicate what has happened in Lagos in the last 24 years of democracy to cover the rest of the country.”

On his part, Sanwo-Olu described Akpabio as a Nigerian with an “outstanding profile and experience”, adding that he will set new standards and break legislative records in the 10th assembly.

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) says about 80 officers have gone on trial over the collection of illegal fees for the issuance and renewal of passports.

Speaking with NAN on Sunday, Tony Akuneme, NIS spokesperson, said eight officers have been dismissed in connection to the offence in the last year.

He said the disciplinary measures are part of the three-point reform agenda of Isah Jere, NIS comptroller general (CG).

Akuneme said the CG’s three-point agenda includes passport issuance reform, tightening border security and improving the welfare of NIS officers.

The NIS spokesman said the CG has vowed to discipline officers who try to sabotage the reform process.

“We have continued to punish NIS officers and men who try to assist people for a fee. You can assist people genuinely but not extorting from them,” he said.

“We are committed to curbing corruption and other illicit acts in the service. You will appreciate the fact that if nothing else, the level of awareness has increased in the last few months.

“Don’t patronise agents, fill your forms yourself. We have officers watching and these agents know they are being watched. When they take money from you, tell us. If we don’t take action, tell the world.”

He said employing the services of third-party agents in securing passports hinders the reform process.

“We have tried as much as possible to eliminate third parties so that if you really want, you can process the application of your passport from the comfort of your room on your laptop, android phones and you can pay online,” Akuneme said.

“You don’t really need anybody whether immigration officers or agents which we usually call louts. They have upgraded and become agents. They are still third parties.

“The problem we have is the use of third parties because no matter how much reform you put in, you will always see a learned and civilised person using a third party to process his or her application.

“And one thing they don’t understand is that third parties don’t have an idea of the information entered into your application. This can result in somebody having issues with his/her National Identification Number (NIN).”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested 218 suspects with 5,610 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in Kaduna.

Ibrahim Braji, NDLEA commandant in Kaduna, in an interview with NAN on Sunday, said the suspects were arrested between January and March.

Braji said the suspects comprised 206 males and 12 females, adding that the number represented both the drug sellers and consumers.

He added that seized drugs included cannabis sativa, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol and other psychotropic substances.

According to the NDLEA commandant, 25 offenders have been prosecuted and convicted.

“It is unfortunate that in spite of our various sensitisation and awareness programmes toward curbing trafficking and usage of illicit drugs, the situation persists,” he said.

“We counselled about 96 drug users as well as rehabilitated a number of persons within the period under review.

“Notwithstanding, the command will continue to fight against drug trafficking and illegal drug consumption in the state to a standstill for positive results.”

Media Personality and AAC Presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore has alleged that there are people who want Afrobeats singer Seun Kuti “executed” for slapping a police officer on Third Mainland Bridge.



Sowore who made the claim shortly after the Inspector-General of Police, Baba Usman Alkali ordered the arrest of Kuti, added that these people want the execution of the singer because he did not support Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi in the election.



He tweeted;



“There is nothing wrong if you admit that you want @realseunkuti summarily executed because he did not support @peterobi for President, during the 2023 presidential election. even the @PoliceNG agreed to investigate what led to the altercation between @policeng & @realseunkuti on 3rd Mainland bridge earlier today.

“@realseunkuti also accepted to cooperate with investigators, but because he was against @peterobi you want him executed summarily. Suddenly the @policeng that helped @officialABAT rig election in #Nigeriadecides2023, the police that unjustly executed young Nigerians during #endsars are now your heroes because @realseun kuti is not supporting@peterobi Gotcha moment! Republic of HYPOCRITES.#RevolutionNow”

President Muhammadu Buhari shares in the joy of the occasion as Gov. Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke of Osun State celebrates his 63rd birthday, May 13, 2023.

The President’s felicitation was contained in a statement his Special Adviser on Media and Publoicity, Femi Adesina.

President Buhari affirmed that the Senator, who represented Osun-West in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, solidified his base and gradually built a formidable network of friends and political allies that have helped his many victories, including leading one of the 36 states in the country.

READ ALSO: Buhari Appoints AIG Garba Baba Umar As Adviser On Security

According to the statement, the president said he believes that Adeleke’s easy going outlook on life has turned into an asset, with a huge following that cuts across all ages.

He urged the Osun State Governor, whose victory was recently validated by the Supreme Court, to place interest of the State and welfare of the people above all else, and seek God’s guidance to deliver on his mandate.

The President prayed that the Almighty God will grant Adeleke the strength, wisdom and courage to serve his people and the nation.

The Bank of England on Thursday lifted its key interest rate to the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, noting inflation remained stubbornly high but that the economy would now avoid recession this year.

The BoE hiked the rate by a quarter-point to 4.5 percent — its 12th increase in a row with UK annual inflation stuck above 10 percent, fuelling a cost-of-living crisis across Britain.

Global policymakers are battling elevated inflation caused largely by runaway energy bills following last year’s invasion of Ukraine by major oil and gas producer Russia.

Following a regular policy meeting, the BoE warned of “considerable uncertainties” on when UK inflation would return to its two-percent target, as soaring food prices offset sharp drops to energy costs.

At the same time, the central bank made a record upgrade to its British GDP forecast, adding there would be only a small impact from recent turmoil in the commercial banking sector.

“Six months ago, we were expecting a shallow but long recession,” BoE governor Andrew Bailey told a press conference.

“Since then, energy prices have fallen substantially and economic activity is holding up much better than expected.”

– ‘Modest but positive’ growth –

Bailey said the UK would this year experience “modest but positive economic growth and a much smaller increase in unemployment.

“We think inflation will fall quite sharply over the coming months,” he added.

Official data Friday is expected to show the UK economy grew during the first quarter of this year after narrowly avoiding recession in the last three months of 2022.

The rate decision comes one week after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government suffered a drubbing in local elections, as voters gave their verdict over rampant living costs despite government efforts to partly subsidise energy bills.

The nation has been plagued by strikes as high inflation erodes the value of wages. Train staff will walk out again on Friday following months of industrial action across the private and public sectors.

The latest BoE hike is set to deepen the crunch in living standards as retail banks pass on the increase, resulting in higher repayments on loans, including mortgages.

At the same time, those who can afford to save will benefit for increased fixed returns on investments.

“Although it is good news that the Bank of England is no longer forecasting recession, today’s interest rate rise will obviously be very disappointing for families with mortgages,” said British finance minister Jeremy Hunt.

– Highest inflation in G7 –

Thursday’s news took British borrowing costs to a level last seen in October 2008, before rates were slashed during the global financial crisis.

The BoE has ramped up borrowing costs from a record-low of 0.1 percent in December 2021.

Its latest hike came one week after the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve implemented quarter-point rate increases as inflationary pressures ease only slightly in the eurozone and the United States.

UK annual inflation stood at 10.1 percent in March, the highest level in the Group of Seven richest nations.

Sunak and the BoE blame the high level in part on rises to pay and have urged employers to show restraint.

BoE chief economist Huw Pill recently stated that Britons need “to accept that they’re worse off and stop trying to maintain their real spending power by bidding up prices via higher wages”.

The Federal Government on Thursday revealed that Nigeria will spend N22.4 billion feeding inmates in correctional centres nationwide.

This is according to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, who disclosed this at a two-day High Conference on Decongestion and Corrections Management in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Belgore stated that the fund is budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Act.

He said that there has been a steady rise in the population of the custodial centres with at least 80% of the inmates awaiting trial.

According to him, there are 244 custodial centres nationwide, with a 75,507-inmate population, thereby leading to 82 of them being overcrowded.

The total number of male inmates is 73,821 and female 1,686 female inmates, he noted.
Out of the 75,507 inmates, 52,436 are awaiting trial while 23,071 are convicted persons, with 3,322 as condemned inmates on death row.

The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has initiated extradition proceedings at the Federal High Court, Abuja judicial division, against three suspects, Samson Ogoshi, his brother, Samuel, and Ezekiel Ejemeh, over exploitation of a minor and production of child pornography.

The Ogoshis and Ejemeh were indicted in a United States Federal Court on December 1, 2022, on charges of exploitation of minors and production of child pornography resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute child pornography and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet.

According to investigations, the suspects conspired to conduct sex-based extortion of minors and adults in the United States of America.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed in a Monday night statement obtained by our correspondent.
Uwujaren said, “The trio, investigations also revealed, hacked some social media accounts, posing to be young attractive women to entice unsuspecting victims to send their sexually explicit photographs.

“These pictures were then used in blackmailing the victims, thereby forcing them into making huge financial payments.
“Consequently, Samuel Ogoshi is charged with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of minors that resulted in the death of one Jordan DeMay, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a statutory mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.”

The trio is charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors by causing them to produce child pornographic images that they used to blackmail them.
Uwujaren added, “They are further charged with conspiracy to distribute child pornography, which borders on sending images to minors, their families and friends, as well as conspiracy to commit stalking through the Internet. Both offences carry a minimum of five years and maximum 20 years imprisonment.

“While the Ogoshis were arrested sometime in February 2023 around the Ojo axis of Lagos, Ezekiel was picked up in Nasarawa by operatives of the EFCC.”

Mrs Jane Nnamani, the wife of Nigeria’s former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani has passed on.

According to sources, she died in her early 60s after a minor surgery in Enugu.

News of her demise spread in the State on Monday, a development that has thrown her entire Amaechi country home into mourning.

Mrs Nnamani passed on at a time her husband, the former Senate President is reportedly out of the country. He is said to have travelled to the United States.

Senator Nnamani is yet to make an official announcement on the development.

The presidential election petition tribunal has adjourned for further pre-hearing, the case filed by the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi.

Obi and the LP filed a petition challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the election.

In the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, Livy Ozoukwu, lead counsel to LP and Obi, said Tinubu “was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Amongst other allegations, they claimed that Kashim Shettima, vice-president-elect, had a double nomination in contravention of the electoral act.

The petitioners are asking the tribunal to declare Obi winner of the presidential poll or alternatively, order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election.

At the pre-hearing session on Monday, Livy Uzoukwu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), announced an appearance for the petitioners.

Lawyers to the APC, Tinubu, and INEC informed the tribunal that they had filed separate responses to the questions raised by the petitioners in their processes.

Afterwards, the five-member panel led by Haruna Tsammani, adjourned till Wednesday for further pre-hearing.

The court directed parties in the petition to identify all the witness statements and documents they would rely on or object to during the hearing of the petitions.

While Lateef Fagbemi is the lawyer for the APC, Wole Olanipekun is representing Tinubu. Abubakar Mahmoud is the counsel to INEC.

The tribunal also adjourned the petition of the Action Peoples Party (APP) to Wednesday for further pre-hearing.

However, pre-hearing session for Atiku Abubakar’s petition and Allied People’s Movement (APM) is expected to hold on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, earlier at the court session, Action Alliance (AA) withdrew its petition against the victory of Tinubu.

Since there was no opposition from respondents in the petition, the panel dismissed the petition.

The supreme court in Abuja has fixed Tuesday to deliver judgment on the disputed July 16 governorship poll in Osun state.

A five-member panel of justices led by John Okoro fixed the date on Monday after all the parties involved adopted their written briefs in the matter.

The Osun governorship election tribunal, in January, held that Gboyega Oyetola was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

Consequently, the majority judgment of the tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ademola Adeleke and issue a fresh one to Oyetola as the duly elected governor of Osun.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ademola Adeleke appealed the judgment.

On March 24, TheCable reported how a court of appeal sitting in Abuja reinstated Adeleke as the duly elected governor of the state.

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Adeleke, a three-member panel of justices held that the election tribunal erred when it ruled that the 1st and 2nd respondents (Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress) proved their allegation of over-voting.

In his appeal, Adeleke argued that there was no majority judgment as the second judge on the panel, Rabi Bashir, failed to write her opinion as required by section 294(2) of the constitution.

He also challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to preside over the petition on the grounds that it failed to consider the preliminary objection he filed against the petitioners.

The Federal Government says the agitation for more wages by workers is not peculiar to Nigeria, noting that it is a global issue.

Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said this on Saturday after receiving the Business Day “Excellence in Public Service Award” in Abuja.

“The other day that I passed through Bailey, they said airport workers were on strike, only for four days. When I passed through London, the railway workers were on strike, only for three days. They are all demanding for more pay,” the ministry’s spokesman Olajide Oshundun quoted him as saying in a statement on Saturday.

“Workers’ demand for more pay is not peculiar to Nigeria but the problem everywhere in the world today as a result of global economic crunch, occasioned by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and other things that make it look like everybody will die today.

“We will not die today. We only have to adjust both as individuals and as a country in order to survive the crunch,” he said.


But to tackle the tide of strikes in Nigeria, the minister recommended social dialogue, as recognised by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

This for him, will handle several labour issues whether it is the demand for more wages or better conditions of service.

But he described that in Nigeria, certain people disobey the law instead of doing the right thing.

“In Nigeria, the man who implements the law is a very wicked and stingy man. He is seen as a man who does not understand what the law says. It is even worse in government,” Ngige added.

He warned that if Nigeria must make progress, people should not be made to look odd because they obey the laws of the land.

A Max Air aircraft reportedly crash-landed on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The aircraft was said to be arriving from Yola, Adamawa state when the incident occurred.

Faithful Hope-Ivbaz, spokesperson of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), confirmed the incident to TheCable but declined to give further details.

According to Daily Trust, the incident occurred after the plane’s tyre burst into flames.

The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service (ARFFS) at the airport reportedly put out the fire while the passengers were safely disembarked from the plane.

The runway has been temporarily shut until the evacuation of the aircraft.

Mike Ogirima, former president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who witnessed the incident, said the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport.

“We thank God. We are still on the runway and pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall,” Ogirima was quoted as saying.

“We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God.”

The airline is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

In August 2022, an Owerri-bound plane belonging to Air Peace made an emergency landing in Lagos due to a bird strike.

The plane, which was en route to Owerri, could not land due to the impact of the bird strike, and as such, returned to Lagos for an emergency landing.

‘WE’LL CARRY OUT FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ON PLANE’

The airline in a statement confirming the incident, said there were 143 passengers and one infant on board the plane which was to land in Abuja from Yola at 3 pm.

Max Air said the aircraft, experienced two tire bursts on landing in Abuja and the emergency team immediately responded to it.

“We are pleased to report that all passengers and crew on board the aircraft are safe and sound. The airline has taken all necessary steps to ensure that the passengers are comfortable and are being taken care of during this time,” the statement reads.

“They have been conveyed to the arrival terminal with their luggage and belongings.

“The aircraft tires are being replaced and the aircraft will taxi to the ramp for further investigations before being released for future flights.”

Kenyan President Williams Ruto has congratulated Bola Tinubu, president-elect, on his electoral victory.

Ruto congratulatory message was contained in a letter brought to Nigeria by Felix Koskei, head of Kenyan civil service and special envoy, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, an aide to Tinubu, said in a statement on Sunday.

Tinubu is expected to be inaugurated as Nigeria’s president on May 29.

Ruto said he looked forward to working with Tinubu to champion the cause of the African continent.

“On behalf of the government and people of the republic of Kenya, and on my own behalf, I convey greetings and congratulations to you on your victory, and to the people of the federal republic of Nigeria for their fortitude and maturity in ensuring the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections,” Ruto’s letter reads.

“I wish to applaud the close friendship which exists between our two countries.

“Kenya and Nigeria share values and aspirations in various sectors including political, socio-economic, cultural, diplomatic exchange and indeed hold commonality of views on many continental and international issues.

“I look forward to working with you to champion the cause of our continent, and to strengthen further the historical bonds and friendship that happily exist between our two countries and the people.”

Upon receipt of the letter, Tinubu said he intended on maintaining the relationship between Nigeria and Kenya.

“I intend to maintain that long, cordial relationship between our two countries and continue to pursue the aspiration of our forefathers towards building a stronger and more economically stable Africa,” the president-elect was quoted as saying

“If we exchange ideas and inter-relate, it will help our continent. Economic opportunities would be explored for Africa’s growth and security.”