₦airaland Forum

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, approved the promotion of all civil and public servants whose promotions were due in 2022.

The PUNCH reports that the Makinde administration conducted the 2017-2022 promotion exercises; and for 2022, the governor had also given approval for the conduct of the promotion of 7, 276 civil servants.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital, said the approval was taken during the Executive Council meeting.

He stressed further that the development was consistent with the government’s policy on workers’ welfare in the past four years.

Oyelade said, “The state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Musbau Babatunde, said the Exco approved the realignment of the 2023 supplementary budget, to be presented to the state House of Assembly for approval.

“He said the decision was necessitated by the twin economic policy of subsidy removal and the unification of exchange rate has led to some shifts in macro-economic fundamentals in the state, with respect to inflation, exchange and interest rates. The government took into decision certain projects that are going on, overridden by costs. The requests by Ministries, Departments and Agencies on the need to situate their current budget performance in the context of the shift in macroeconomic fundamentals.

“The increment in the 2023 budget size is from N310,432,500,000.00 to the sum of N352,382,500,000.00. The idle funds in some MDAs have been realigned in line with the current economic realities. He said the government is currently negotiating with the Nigeria Labour Congress, and decisions taken from the meeting will be included in the realigned supplementary budget.

“The Medium Term Expenditure Framework (2024-2026) on which the 2024 budget will be premised has been approved by the Exco. The approved figure for this is N424,410,611,938.00. This is an increase of the sum of N69,237,658,025.00 which represents 19.49 per cent over the 2023 pre-empted figure of N355,172,953,913.00.

“He said the current realigned budget of N352,382,500,000.00 mirrors the Oyo State Government’s projection perfectly, for the year 2023. We expect the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to be a good guide for the fiscal balance of the year 2024 budget,” he explained.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has warned Lagosians that the Blue Rail Line tracks are not a marketplace.

Sanwo-Olu said this on Monday while announcing the resumption of the Blue Line Rail which was earlier suspended at the weekend.

“I am happy to announce that the LRMT Blue Line is back on track energised with an increase in trips from 12 trips to 54 trips per day and this will rise to 74 trips by the end of November, thanks to the hard work of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.

“The first trip starts at 6:30 am and your daily commute has now become even smoother with a schedule you can plan around as well as with the Cowry Card and discounts to help you plan your expenses better.

“We temporarily paused the Blue Line this weekend for your safety, and now we have fully energised the line for a brighter future,” Sanwo-OLu wrote on X via @jidesanwoolu.

Warning against nefarious activities around the rail tracks, the governor stated: “Please do not attempt to access the rail tracks for any nefarious or otherwise activities and it bears repeating that the train tracks are not a marketplace.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government, on Monday, ordered the reopening of Mile 12 International Market after it was sealed on Friday.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the market was reopened after a thorough assessment, covering various aspects of environmental compliance, waste management practices and general cleanliness within the market.

He noted that issues critical to the environment, public health and safety were not negotiable as the government would not watch helplessly as those values were compromised and eroded by the conduct of a few people.

“We cannot continue to be nonchalant about our environment. Our negative attitude towards the environment must stop.

“The way we treat the environment is the way the environment treats us. We cannot fold our arms and allow the nonchalance of a few to affect the generality of the people.

“Following full compliance with environmental standards and safety measures earlier listed as a precondition for reopening shut markets, the Lagos State Government has ordered immediate reopening of Mile 12 International Market.”

He urged the traders to play by the rules of acceptable standards, by putting a premium on hygiene for their health and that of the public, stressing that the government would not shy away from shutting down any market that returns to the old filthy ways.

Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the president on policy coordination, says each minister would sign a performance bond with President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking during an interview with TVC News on Tuesday, Bala Usman said the bond will contain key performance indicators (KPIs) that would be reviewed quarterly.

She added that the bond will also come with a consequence management framework for appointees who fall short.

“The role of my office is to ensure that there is coordination across ministries, departments and agencies. We have effectively commenced our work,” she said.

“We have also looked to see that while there are policy deployments across MDAs, there is also understanding of the respective deliverables expected of the MDAs of government.

“We are looking to commence an assessment of the respective ministers in January 2024. We are going to have quarterly assessments of performance which will culminate in an annual score card.

“In addition to that, we are going to have a cabinet retreat in November with Mr. President. At the end, this would culminate in the performance bond that will be signed by each ministry.

“Every minister and the permanent secretary would sign a performance bond with the president which would detail what they are expected to do within the one year 2024 budget cycle.

“And that performance bond is what we are going to use to track the performance of that minister.

“One of the things that we are keen to ensure, and Mr. President has clearly given us that directive is that performance is a very important thing.

“He has made a commitment to Nigerians and that commitment is what he is going to ensure is delivered by his respective appointees.

“And it is not only for the ministries, but also largely for the whole governance structure for all of us to know that we are hitting the ground running and we are ensuring that we deliver on our respective mandates.”

Bala Usman added that Nigerians would see a difference in governance from the way the president manages his team.

“You are going to see a huge difference in President Tinubu’s approach towards ensuring his appointees adhere to the key performance indicators that he is giving them,” she said.

“As we know him, he is somebody that is very strong in delivering on his promises to citizens and I believe we are all going to witness that in how he is able to ensure that ministers are delivering.

“And we can see within the short period we have had a very clear economic direction that he has given and he is very strong in ensuring that all hands are on deck and also every appointee is clear on delivering on their mandate.”

SECURITY A TOP PRIORITY FOR TINUBU

Bala Usman added that security is top priority for Tinubu.

“Security is a top priority of President Bola Tinubu, and he has ensured that all resources are prioritised for security deployment,” she said.

“We can see within our supplementary budget; within areas that the president has made pronouncements.

“He has prioritised our security and we can see a lot of key achievements have been done within the shortest period by the agencies in the security architecture of the country.”

Bala Usman served as chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2016.

She was also managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from 2016 to 2021.

She was appointed into her current role by President Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

The Federal Government plans to spend 61.63 per cent of its planned 2024 on personnel and debt service costs, The PUNCH has learnt.

The personnel and pension costs of N7.78tn and the debt service cost of N8.25tn make up N16.03tn out of the N26.01tn 2024 budget.

The PUNCH also observed that the government would spend more on debt servicing than it would spend on paying the salaries and pensions of its workers.

Also, the amount budgeted for personnel and pension costs is expected to increase from N5.87tn in 2023 to N7.78tn in the 2024 budget.

This showed an increase of N1.91tn or 32.54 per cent amid concerns for a reduction in the cost of governance.

The PUNCH also observed a 30.74 per cent increase in debt service cost from N6.31tn in 2023 to N8.25tn by 2023.

The World Bank in June 2023 stated that the Federal Government’s spending on personnel costs and debt servicing exceeded total revenues in 2022.

According to the Washington-based bank, this was the first time the Federal Government’s personnel costs and debt servicing surpassed its total revenue.

The bank added that due to this, spending on capital expenditures weakened.

According to the bank, personnel costs and interest payments on loans comprised 59 per cent of the government’s 2022 total expenditures.

The Federal Government also spent 102 per cent of its revenues on personnel costs and interest payments during the period under review.

Increasing budget spending

Also, the Federal Government on Monday said it was projecting N26.01tn as expenses for the 2024 fiscal year.

This was an increase of 19.15 per cent from the N21.83tn approved in 2023.

This is as it approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework for 2024 – 2026.

The FG affirmed that the administration would maintain the January – December budget implementation cycle as President Bola Tinubu would soon present the 2024 appropriation bill to the National Assembly to ensure its ratification before December 31, 2023.

“The aggregate expenditure is estimated at N26.01tn for the 2024 budget, which includes statutory transfers of N1.3tn non-debt recurrent expenditure of N10.26tn. Debt service estimated at N8.25tn as well as N7.78tn being provided for personnel pension cost,” the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, told State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Bagudu clarified the increased debt service, saying it was “because N22.7tn Ways and Means was securitised, meaning it became a Federal Government debt at nine per cent.”

Equally, personnel costs rose significantly due to transfers from the agreement between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the Federal Government might incur an additional N315bn in wage bills in the next six months for the newly introduced allowance for federal workers.

This came as the Organised Labour agreed to suspend its proposed nationwide strike for 30 days, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government after a marathon meeting.

The PUNCH also reported that the total spending by the Federal Government on palliatives and loans to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal may hit N3.27tn.

These palliatives included N100bn to acquire 3,000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses, N200bn to boost agriculture production, N75bn for manufacturers, N125bn for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the informal sector, N185bn as palliatives for states, N1tn on student loans and other programmes.

Others included N315bn to pay federal workers’ N35,000 allowance for six months, N1.13tn to 15 million households at N25,000 per month for three months from October to December 2023, N70bn earmarked as palliative measures for lawmakers, and N75bn loan facility to 1.5m market women.

Supplementary budget

The FG also said it would present a supplementary budget given its growing obligations since the removal of petroleum subsidy.

“Yes, there would be a supplementary budget because there are continuing obligations and responses to security which can be immediate,” Bagudu affirmed.

He explained that the perceived delays would not truncate the January – December implementation cycle because the President engaged with the National Assembly long before presentation day.

“Mr President is mindful of those and is assessing them. But he is also committed to the budget process and its integrity. He wants to ensure that monies that are appropriated will be spent in the period for which they are appropriated.

“And then in terms of presentation of the budget, Mr President has been engaging with the National Assembly leadership, even ahead of the presentation, to say, ‘these are our assumptions, these are our thought processes,’ so that it can reduce the lead time for which the budget has to go through such considerations.

“We believe that this budget will be presented in good time, particularly the 2024 budget will be passed and signed before December 31, 2023,” explained the Minister.

Through the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Federal Government had earlier said it commenced the preparation of the 2024 budget, which it planned to submit in October 2023.

FG targets N700/$

Reading the details of the discussion of the Council on the 2024 budget, the former Kebbi State Governor said the Federal Government made informed assumptions about the reference price for crude oil, pegging it at $73.96 per barrel, an exchange rate of $700/N1, oil production of 1.78 million barrels per day, and debt service of N8.25tn.

The Federal Government assumed an inflation rate of 21 per cent and an annual GDP growth rate of 3.76 per cent.

Bagudu said, “The council members acknowledge the medium-term expenditure framework and agreed that we can proceed to the next step of consultation and presentation to the National Assembly.

“The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework is a requirement of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This Fiscal Responsibility Act is for the years 2024 to 2026. The several hundred-dollar reference price assumes optimism that investment flows will continue. Given all the engagements, given all the positive tractions.

“We are seeing from investors from the engagement led by Mr President personally, two different countries, in particular India, UAE and France, the engagements led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the trade and investment minister and other ministers. We believe that these inflows will help us to clear the backlog, and the exchange rate will begin to reflect a stronger value than the current weakness.

“The assumptions include the oil price benchmark, which I said for 2024 we are assuming $73.96 per barrel, oil production of 1.78 million barrels a day, the exchange rate of $700. Then, the inflation of 21 per cent and GDP growth rate of 3.76 per cent. The aggregate expenditure is estimated at N26.01tn for the 2024 budget, which includes statutory transfers of N1.3tn, non-debt recurrent expenditure of N10.26tn, debt service estimated at N8.25tn and as well as N7.78tn being provided for personnel and pension cost.”

Meanwhile, FEC meetings will now be held on Mondays, a shift from Wednesdays as was held in the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari and before. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, who disclosed this to journalists after Monday’s FEC meeting, also noted that the meetings would be held when necessary and not every week.

Idris explained, “The President has approved that Federal Executive Council meetings will now be happening on Mondays as against the traditional Wednesdays that we are used to.

“So FEC meetings have been moved to Mondays. Of course, that does not mean that it has to happen every week. If there are no issues to discuss, it will be shifted to the following week.”

Reacting to the 2024 budget proposal, an economist and the Foundation for Economic Research and Training Chairman, Professor Akpan Ekpo, expressed worry that the country was getting more indebted.

“My own is that I hope they have the resources to manage that type of expenditure. Because we were told that we were still looking for over $1bn World Bank loan for project support, we are getting more indebted. That is my worry. And the medium-term expenditure framework is about time we abandoned it because there is an economic development plan.” He added.

He said, “And once the House approves that plan, the medium-term expenditure plan would stop because that is a measure that was designed when there was no planning. So, since we have a development plan, which the minister said we would adopt, the medium-term plans become super flawed. I have not checked whether the capital component of the medium-term development plans is consistent with the budget.

“Because normally the capital component of the budget is derived from the medium-term expenditure framework. Otherwise, if we say we have revenue challenges, we have to be careful of the resources we need for the budget. I think one way of solving the problem is that it is not a revenue problem; it is an expenditure problem; we need to cut down the expenditure. They need to cut down drastically on the cost of governance. That is the way I see it.”

Also, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said, “It is in order, it is not too much, and the budget is not too much for the size of our economy. Even the steps they are already taking to improve our economy, I don’t think it is too ambitious; I think it is realistic. I also hope there won’t be too much of a deficit.”

Meanwhile, a professor of economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sheriffdeen Tella, said, “They have to explain where they are going to be getting the money from because if it is from that loan, it’s unfortunate because I think that what the government should be doing is to cut its coat according to the size of its cloth rather than be looking for loans here and there.

“I want to believe that the projection will be an adjustment for inflation rather than just getting an additional loan because a loan that they have put forward that they want to collect, I must confess that I’m against it, but if they are going to get a loan again to finance that budget, it’s unrealistic and not good for the economy. They have to project whether we will have more income from our output or if it is expected from our output growth but if it is because they are relying on loans, it is not tidy enough.”

Monica Dongban-Mensem, president of the court of appeal, has directed that all appeals arising from election petition cases across the country be transferred to the Abuja and Lagos divisions.

The order affects gubernatorial, national and state assemblies’ elections, which held between February and March 2023.

Although the appeals from the various state tribunals are supposed to be heard across the 20 appellate courts in the country, only two divisions of the court would preside over the election appeals.

The Abuja division will handle appeals from 19 northern states while 17 southern states’ cases would be heard in Lagos.

The directive was issued following allegations and petitions against state tribunal judges.

Some political parties and their candidates had alleged that the judges at the state tribunals had been compromised by governors.

The aggrieved parties also expressed concerns that they may suffer the same fate if the appeals are to be determined in the various states.

The transfer of the appeals is aimed at guaranteeing the independence, integrity and impartiality of the appellate court.

The appeal court president said having fewer divisions handle all cases will enable her effectively oversee the judges.

Parties and their counsels are said to be complying with the fresh directive and moving their files to the two cities despite the huge costs.

The federal government Monday is proposing N26 trillion as the 2024 budget which will be submitted to the national assembly before December 31.

Atiku Bagudu, minister of planning and budget, announced the budget proposal at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting held on Monday, at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Bagudu said the council has approved the 2024-2025 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) and fiscal strategy papers (FSP).

He added that the executive is required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act to present to the national assembly ahead of a budget presentation, a document which will provide the medium-term economic outlook for the economy.

He said FEC made assumptions about the reference price for crude oil which is at $73.96 per barrel as well as an exchange rate of N700.

“Now, it was presented on the background of the commendable measures that have been taken since June in order to restore macroeconomic stability particularly the deregulation of petroleum prices, which we maintained that subsidies are gone and indeed the regulation of the foreign exchange market,” the minister said.

“So Council deliberated, as well as the implication of this and all measures promised in the renewed hope agenda consumer credits, mortgages, reversed or dismissed institution as well as funding the newly aligned institutional changes particularly ministries with specific functions that are able to generate growth so that would be better for our country.

“The council members acknowledge the medium-term expenditure framework, and it is agreed that we can go ahead to the next step of consultation and presentation to the National Assembly.”

The Police Service Commission (PSC) in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has invited interested Nigerians to apply as constables.

The PSC also invited applications for enlistment as artisans into specialised fields.

The fields include medical assistant, veterinary assistant, band section, communications or info-tech specialist, driver or mechanic, marine, plumbers, masons, painters, tilers, electricians, welders and carpenters.

In a statement issued on Friday, the PSC said the online application portal will be opened for six weeks from October 15 to November 26, 2023.

It said applicants must be of Nigerian origin by birth, must possess the national identification number (NIN) and must possess a minimum of five credits in not more than two sittings in WAEC/NECO or its equivalent with credit passes in English and Mathematics.

“Applicants must be aged between 18-25 years, Applicants must be medically, physically, and psychologically fit and must not be less than 1.67m tall for male and 1.64m tall for female,” the statement reads.

“Applicants must not have less than 86cm (34 inches) expanded chest measurement for male only. Female Applicants must not be pregnant at the time of entry.

“SSCE statements of result or certificates relating to examinations taken before 2015 will not be accepted. Applicants must be free from any financial embarrassment and not convicted of any criminal offence.”

For applications into the specialised fields, applicants must possess a minimum of four credits in not more than two sittings in WASSCE/SSCE or its equivalent with credit passes in English and Mathematics.

“Medical/Veterinary Assistants must possess a minimum of 5 credits in not more than 2 sittings in WASSCE/SSCE or its equivalent with credit passes in English and Mathematics while any Certificate in relevant fields will be added advantage,” the statement reads.

“Applicants must be aged between 18-28 years.”

Interested applicants should visit www.apply.policerecruitment.gov.ng to fill the online application form.

The Lagos State Government has stated that allottees of unoccupied home units in all government-owned estates have been given a 3-month notice to occupy their apartment or forfeit their allocation.

The Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, gave this ultimatum during a facility tour on Friday, to assess the level of completion on site at Sheridan Garden Estate, Urban Shelter, and LagosHOMS Sangotedo Phase II, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “Allottees of unoccupied home units in all Government Owned Estates have been given 3 months’ notice to occupy their apartment or forfeit their allocation, a more robust plan has been developed to ensure a high level of maintenance culture in our estates and stringent guidelines have been reeled out for Facility managers and allottees who default.

“Mr. Governor has directed that low-income earners be targeted and that is why the Ministry is working with companies that can optimally make use of technology so as to deliver more affordable homes as the State Government is not out to make a profit but rather make most Lagosians homeowners.”

Akinderu-Fatai further disclosed that not less than 3,500 ongoing home units scattered all over the 5 divisions of the State would be ready for a flag-off by the end of the first year of the Sano-Olu’s administration.

He added, “The tour will afford the Ministry the opportunity to meet with contractors while on the field, discuss their challenges, give a first-hand assessment of work done so far, and proffer possible solutions to the challenges at hand.

“All hands are on deck to ensure that the vision of Mr. Governor Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu towards the realization of affordable and decent mass housing for Lagosians is actualized in no time.”

The commissioner expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace of work by some contractors while urging them to be professional in the execution of their contracts adding that contractors who are not going by the terms and conditions of their contract will have it terminated.

Thereafter, the Special Adviser to the Governor on housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, advised real estate developers to be duly registered with the agency and shun quackery.

She further urged Lagosians to patronise only registered real estate developers and forward complaints to the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Abdulhafiz Toriola, during the tour advised residents of the credibility of ‘Government Owned Schemes’ urging interested homeowners to approach the Ministry of Housing to signify interest and gather all information needed rather than going through unverifiable sources.

The West African Examinations Council has denied any association with a publication that declared Abia State as the top-performing state in the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for Nigerian school candidates.

In a disclaimer issued and signed on Thursday, by the Ag. Head Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, WAEC asserted that the claim was entirely false. WAEC also cautioned against giving any credibility to media outlets spreading this inaccurate information.

The statement added that certain platforms, driven by a desire for controversy, were attempting without success to involve the council in political matters and tarnish its reputation.

The statement read: “The attention of the West African Examinations Council has been drawn to a social media post stating that Abia State, has been rated as the best-performing State in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2023, in Nigeria.

“This is far from the truth. The Council completely and totally disassociates itself from the publication.

“For the avoidance of doubt, The West African Examinations Council DOES NOT RANK the PERFORMANCE of States in its examination. This we have always stated.

“Thus, any media circulating this wrong information should be disregarded. They are mischievous platforms that trend on controversies, and their intention is purely political. They are trying unsuccessfully to drag the Council into the political arena and bring its good name to disrepute with the intention to cause disharmony among the states competing for superiority!

“Furthermore, the Council has not decided on the best candidate(s) for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2023. Any report to the contrary should be disregarded.

“The general public should please take note.”

The Lagos State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, said it was renewing its interest in the case of the late Bamise Ayanwola, the 22-year-old fashion designer who was murdered after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit in the state.

The House, therefore, said it would invite “the family of the deceased, the related government agency and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights for an update on the case which has been in the court,” a statement said on Tuesday.

The statement quoted the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, as saying that the issue, which was brought up by a member of the House, Steve Ogundipe, under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, was worthy of deliberation.

“The issue of Bamise was brought to this House when it happened and I received the protesters, but at that point, the case was before the police and the court of law.

“Unfortunately, the judiciary is an institution on its own and we do not have the power to dabble in their activities. We cannot compel the judiciary but can only lend our voice by saying the people of the state are eager to know about the case.

“We need to invite the family, the civil society group and the agency of the government that has a role to play so that they can let us know how far they have gone.

“If we are encouraging people to make use of public transportation, then we must build that confidence that they are safe. All the buses on our roads must have CCTV cameras. Our new trains and terminals should also have. The essence of this is to prevent crime. Security is very crucial,” the Speaker was quoted to have said.

Obasa noted that, if in six months, the family of Bolanle Raheem, the lawyer who was murdered by a policeman, could get justice, there should also be justice for Bamise.

Bringing the issue to the notice of the House, Ogundipe said the incident happened in February 2022 and had continued to linger.

The Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, recalled that the CDHR and the family of Bamise recently protested to the House, adding that about 500 protesters were promised that the House would act on their concern.

The United States President, Joe Biden on Tuesday, condemned the Hamas militant group’s bloody attacks on Israel that took place over the weekend.

Biden said the attack was an ‘act of sheer evil’, forcefully declaring that “we stand with Israel.” AFP reports

In remarks delivered from the White House alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the president said the people of Israel experienced “pure, unadulterated evil” at the “bloody hands” of Hamas, which has long been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.

“This was an act of sheer evil,” he said.

He revealed that at least 14 Americans are among the more than 900 people killed in Israel, and American citizens are also among those being held captive by Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

On his part, the National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said while he could not confirm the precise number of U.S. citizens who are hostages, there are 20 or more Americans missing.

“We will work hour-by-hour both to determine whether we can account for any of those Americans, or to confirm exactly the number of Americans held hostage. We do not know the number of hostages we have at this time,” Sullivan said.

Biden emphasized that “in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel.”

“And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, to defend itself and to respond to this attack,” Mr. Biden said. “There’s no justification for terrorism. There’s no excuse.”

Biden compared the assault on Israel by Hamas to the “worst rampages” of the Islamic State and denounced the “brutality” and “blood-thirstiness” of the group.

“This is terrorism,” he said.

The remarks from the president came after Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, launched its surprise assault on Israel early Saturday morning, which the Israel Defense Forces has since said left at least 900 dead and roughly 2,700 wounded. Israeli authorities said dozens of people are being held captive by the group.

The death toll in Hamas-run Gaza is at least 900, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, though it is expected to rise as Israel continues to launch airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. Another 4,500 are wounded.

Biden has repeatedly expressed unwavering support for the Jewish state since the terrorist attack, and reiterated in his latest remarks that the U.S. will “stand united, supporting the people of Israel who are suffering unspeakable losses and opposing the hatred and violence of terrorism.”

“Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond, indeed has a duty to respond, to these vicious attacks,” he said.

The White House on Monday night was lit in blue and white, the colors of the Israeli flag, as a symbol of “the ironclad support and solidarity of the American people with the people of Israel in the wake of the barbaric terrorist attacks committed by Hamas,” according to the White House.

The president, along with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, also issued a joint statement condemning Hamas and “its appalling acts of terrorism.”

“Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities,” the leaders said Monday. “We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage.”

They added, “All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed.”

Ahead of his remarks, Biden met with his national security team to receive an update on the situation in Israel. He and Harris also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss U.S. support for Israel, the White House said.

The U.S. has already moved to provide the Israeli military with additional equipment and resources, including munitions, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday. He also ordered a carrier strike group to move to the Eastern Mediterranean to strengthen regional deterrence efforts.

The munitions being sent to Israel include small diameter bombs and artillery rounds, according to U.S. officials.

In addition to surging military assistance to Israel, including ammunitions and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome, Biden said he has directed his administration to share intelligence with the Israelis and deploy government experts to consult with and advise on hostage recovery.

The president said he will also ask Congress to take “urgent action” to fund the national security requirements of U.S. partners. The House has been in recess since Tuesday following the unprecedented removal of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the Senate is set to return to Washington next week.

AFP

The European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday, urged Israel not to cut “water, food, or electricity” to Gaza.

The EU also called for humanitarian corridors for those trying to flee the territory, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said.

The representatives of the 27 EU countries held emergency talks after the surprise attack by Hamas and as Israel unleashed a reprisal bombing campaign of Gaza.

Fears of a regional conflagration have surged amid expectations of a looming Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, the crowded enclave from where Hamas launched its land, air and sea attack on Saturday.

The death toll in Israel has surged above 900 from the worst attack in the country’s 75-year history, while Gaza officials have reported 765 people killed so far, and Israel’s army said the bodies of roughly 1,500 militants had been found.

The European ministers insisted on the need for “respect of international humanitarian law and it means no blockage of water, food or electricity to the civil population in Gaza”, top diplomat Josep Borrell said, as quoted by AFP.

“Israel has the right to defend but it has to be done accordingly with international law, humanitarian law, and some decisions are contrary to this international law,” Borrell told journalists in Oman’s capital Muscat.

He said the EU meeting called for “humanitarian corridors to facilitate people who have to escape the bombing of Gaza” across the border to Egypt.

After mixed signals from Brussels over the future of its financial support, Borrell said an “overwhelming majority” of EU states oppose suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority.

“Not all the Palestinian people are terrorists,” he said.

“A collective punishment against all Palestinians will be unfair, and unproductive. It will be against our interest and against the interest of peace.”

Borrell said that there will no be an increased need for humanitarian assistance for the Gaza.

“The fact is that at the moment the casualties in Gaza are also increasing, 150,000 people are internally displaced and the humanitarian situation is dire,” Borrell said.

“So we will have to support more, not less, more.”

Brussels had earlier rowed back comments from EU neighbourhood commissioner Oliver Varhelyi that the bloc was immediately suspending “all payments” to the Palestinians.

But the EU’s executive arm has launched an “urgent review” to see if any of the funds have indirectly gone towards funding Hamas.

Borrell said that neither the Israeli foreign minister nor his Palestinian counterpart took up an invitation to address the EU meeting.

The police on Tuesday arraigned a 43-year-old teacher, David Yusuf, in a Wuse Zone II Magistrates’ Court in Abuja for allegedly flogging a student of the Government Girls College, Kuje, FCT.

The defendant, who is said to be a casual staff of the college is charged with two counts of causing grievous harm without provocation and assault.

He pleaded not guilty.

The police prosecutor, Mr Edwin Inegbenoise, told the court that the case was transferred from the Kuje Divisional Police Headquarters to the Criminal Investigation Department, FCT, for further investigation.

Inegbenoise alleged that the nominal complainant, Henry Iortim, of Union Homes Estate, Kuje, reported the case at the police station.

The prosecutor said the complainant alleged that his 16-year-old daughter who is a student of the college was assaulted by the defendant on June 2.

He added that the defendant during night prep flogged the victim with an iron rod and inflicted injuries on her palm and other parts of her body.

He further said that the offences charged with contravened the provision of sections 241 and 326 of the Penal Code.

Magistrate Abdulmajid Oniyangi admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in likes sum that must be residing within the jurisdiction of the court.

He ordered that the addresses of the sureties should be verified by the court’s registrar before the defendant would be released.

He adjourned the case until November 6 for a hearing and presentation of witnesses by the prosecuting counsel.

(NAN)

A Nigerian US-based lawyer, Mr Chris Okobah, on Tuesday, charged the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve the nation’s electoral system to stop the judiciary from deciding the fate of election results.

Okobah, speaking in Asaba, said the court has become a refuge for the political elite who manipulate the electoral system to achieve their desired outcomes.

He said, “The court is becoming a guff, bleeding ground for electoral frauds which is causing more harm than good to the country’s democracy, and as such, it is no longer the last hope of the common man.

“The uncertainty and confusion in the air following the recent court Judgements show that the court is now “the last hope of the corrupt Politicians because they get what they want, after all”.

“It is nonsense when we say that the court is the last hope of the common man. The court is now the last hope of corrupt Politicians because they use it to get what they want. So, why must we leave our electoral system to court to decide, it only happens though, because of the manipulations in the system”.

On the palliative offered by the presidency to cushion the effects of subsidy removal, Okobah said it is just like Greek gifts, or rather drinking panadol for cancer which certainly will not stand the test of time.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to create jobs to make people engage in meaningful livelihoods.

The Rescue Team of the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development has rescued and rehabilitated a female American citizen found wandering in the Ijegun area of the state.

The team rescued the woman recently while responding to a distress call to the emergency toll-free line of the state government by a reporter who found the American wandering around the area, a statement said on Monday.

Speaking on the incident, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, said the rescued woman was found in a “depressed state of mind and incoherent as a result of which she was immediately transferred to the Lagos State Rehabilitation Home, Majidun, for necessary treatment and rehabilitation.”

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, also said, “We were deeply touched by the plight of the woman and as the ministry is saddled with the responsibility of giving support to the vulnerable and the needy, we wasted no time in rising to the occasion. For us, every life is very important because social welfare is at the heart of our statutory responsibilities.”

Meanwhile, John Simmon and Charles Adeyemi of the Supervisory Consular Services, United States Embassy in Lagos, visited Oke-Osanyintolu at Alausa on Monday to formally request the release of the woman who would be repatriated to America for reconciliation with her family, the statement said.

Simmon commended the ministry for the rescue, saying, “Who knows what would have become of her if the ministry had not swung into action on receiving the information? Once again, all the efforts put into this rescue mission must be commended. It shows you value every life in the state regardless of the nationality.”

The news of President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi, flying a presidential jet to attend polo games in Kano State has sparked mixed reactions on X (formerly Twitter).



The discussion started when a journalist, Jaafar Jaafar, on Monday, criticised Seyi’s use of a presidential jet for non-official purposes, citing a similar instance when President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, travelled in a presidential jet for a photo tour.



Sharing photos on his X (formally Twitter), Jaafar wrote, “Here’s Tinubu’s golden child, Seyi, travelling in a presidential jet to watch polo in Kano. But this trend did not start today. Buhari set the bad example when he allowed his daughter, Hanan, to travel in a presidential jet for a photo tour in Bauchi. Even if our laws are vague on this, one thing is clear. This is an offence to the moral code of leadership.”



Reacting to the post, an X user HGBashar, said, “Buhari merely sought the title of ‘President’ without understanding or respecting the sanctity of the office. The audacity to let his daughter, Hanan, use a presidential jet for a mere photo tour in Bauchi was the beginning of this mockery.



“Now we see Tinubu’s protege, Seyi, hopping on the same jet for a polo match in Kano. It’s not just about the laws, it’s about ethics, morals, and respect for the position. Our leaders must do more than just occupy an office; they must uphold its dignity.”



Another user, belloinuwa, said, “What about the misuse of a special forces unit as his body guards? See them in the pictures. The other day he went skate boarding in Abuja with them running by his side. This is just a continuation of the culture of impunity from the previous government, perhaps on an even grander scale this time.”



“This is just a snapshot of what is to come under BAT. Wait until Folashade starts her own gig. This is what you get when self-serving folks make their way to power and those who should know better align with them just to foster ethno-religious sentiments,” buzuzu7 added.



Chiding the journalist, X user, GoziconC, said, “Thank you for showcasing your frustration. When your father becomes the most powerful man in Nigeria, please don’t near the Presidential Jet. Feel free to use wheelbarrow as your means of transport, but until then, continue crying!!”



Aiesmerh tweeted, “So what do you expect them to fly public flight as a first family? Jaafar this your story won’t sell abeg. It’s so globally. Get another story to sell.”



“These guys were rich before entering the villa, stop this hating please. The nation is grappling with many issues and families are struggling too. PJ or No PJ, the boy will still find a way to watch his favourite sport,” Masiobi added.

The Federal Government has approved the appointment of doctors, nurses, and other clinical healthcare workers as contract staff after attaining their compulsory retirement age or years.

The government, however, said the appointed contract staff would be on the same salary scale level that they retired on if they desire and deserve it.

A circular obtained by our correspondent, dated October 5, 2023, by the Federal Ministry of Health, directed the Chief Executive Agencies, Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors, and Heads of Regulatory Bodies and Schools to ensure compliance with the circular earlier issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to all staff in their institutions.

The office of the OHCSF had in a circular dated August 30, 2023, rejected the upward review of the current retirement age of Medical/Dental Consultants and other health professionals from 60 to 70 and 75 respectively.

The circular titled ‘Re: Review of retirement age to 65 and 70 years for health professionals and medical/dental consultants,’ with reference number HCSF/SPSO/ODD/CND/100/S./145, was addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the FMoH.

The circular signed by the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Olufemi Oloruntoba, for the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation read partly, “I am directed to refer to the above-mentioned memorandum presented at the 44th National Council on Establishment held from 5th-9th December 2022, in Yola, Adamawa State requesting a review of the current retirement age of Medical/Dental Consultants and other health professionals from 60 to 70 and 75 respectively.

“After careful consideration of the memorandum, the council rejected the request based on the following: Professionals in the health sector were leaving the country because of pecuniary consideration and unfavourable conditions of service and not as a result of retirement age.

“Some state government had already increased the retirement age of medical doctors and other health workers and this has not addressed the spate of brain drain.”

It also said it was dissatisfied with health workers’ attitude to work, noting that in spite of efforts by the government to encourage health workers, the exodus of health workers had not abated.

“Council, however, approved that clinical health workers who have attained the compulsory retirement age/years may be given contract appointment on the same salary scale level that they retired on if desired and deserved.

“Government should engage the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Medical Association to extract some level of commitment from medical doctors.

“To address the observed dissatisfaction with the attitude of health workers to work, there is a need to institutionalise an effective performance management system in the public service in order to improve the work ethics of the medical officers and consultant, and medical doctors should show more patriotism in the discharge of their duties and avoid holding the system to ransom,” it added.

Consequently, the FMoH in its circular urged all executives of agencies, Chief Medical Directors, Medical Directors, and Heads of Regulatory Bodies and Schools to ensure strict compliance with the directive from the OHCSF.

The circular signed by the Deputy of Appointment, Promotion and Discipline, Daloba Paul Edward for the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, was referenced C.4007/T.2/37.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner Idowu Owohunwa on Friday said there are several of evidence linking Naira Marley and Sam Larry with cyberbullying, physical abuse, a threat to life, and assault against the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba also known as Mohbad.

The commissioner disclosed this in a briefing on Friday in Lagos.

Mohbad died in September under questionable circumstances with videos of the singer being bullied and assaulted resurfacing after his demise.

His former label boss, Naira Marley (Abdulazeez Fashola), and his associate, Sam Larry (Samson Balogun) have been fingered for being accomplices.

The commissioner disclosed, “While Abdulazeez Fashola (Naira Marley) and Samson Balogun (Sam Larry) denied allegations of criminal liability in the death of Mohbad and pleaded an alibi to justify their non-being complicit in the incident that occurred between 10-12 September 2023, there are ample electronic and credible witness pieces of evidence linking them to cyberbullying, a threat to life, assault occasioning harm, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace against the deceased in his lifetime”

Owohunwa also named an auxiliary nurse Ms Feyisayo Ogedengbe as the prime suspect in Mohbad’s death.

The CP disclosed that Ogedengbe who was invited by Mohbad’s friend, Ayobami Sodiq aka Spending, to inject the singer at his residence, administered three injections believed to have led to the chain of reactions that eventually led to the singer’s

According to him, Ogedengbe administered “multiple and highly potent” injections on Mohbad that led to him vomiting and developing goosebumps.

The commissioner said Ogedengbe was unqualified to perform the role of a home nurse and did so in a non-clinical environment way.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it has no intention to increase the pump price of petrol, also known as premium motor spirit (PMS), at its retail outlets.

There have been speculations on social media that the company plans to raise the petrol pump price to over N700 a litre.

In a statement on Thursday, NNPC’s retail subsidiary said it values the patronage of its customers.

“Dear esteemed customers, we at NNPC Retail value your patronage, and we do not have the intention to increase our PMS pump prices as widely speculated,” the statement reads.

“Please buy the best-quality products at the most affordable prices at our NNPC Retail Stations nationwide.”

The national oil company had adjusted the petrol price in May 2023, following a pronouncement by President Bola Tinubu that the subsidy regime was over.

In July, the price of the commodity rose further to N617 per litre in the federal capital territory (FCT) and N568 in Lagos.

Speaking on the issue, Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the NNPC, blamed market forces for the price increase.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) have signed a deal to provide access to a dual currency credit line of $50 million and €50 million to West African agricultural businesses.

In the Nigerian currency, the combined value of the credit line is estimated at N79.36 billion using the investors’ and exporters’ (I&E) window dollar rate of N775.20 on Thursday and the euro rate of N812 posted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the same day.

Through the deal, the ECOWAS bank will directly fund member states’ commercial banks and local businesses operating in the agriculture and soft commodity sector.

The AfDB, in a statement on Thursday, said an additional $30 million fund will be provided by the Chinese-backed Africa Growing Together Fund — which is under its management.

The deal, a three-and-a-half-year facility agreement, was signed by George Donkor, the president and chairman of EBID’s board of directors, and Solomon Quaynor, AfDB’s vice-president for private sector, infrastructure, and industrialisation, in AfDB’s Abidjan headquarters.

Speaking about the credit line, Donkor, said: “This credit facility illustrates EBID’s continued efforts to mobilise adequate resources to honour its commitment to the region’s transformation agenda through supporting and investing in key sectors, in this case, the agribusiness industry.”

The AfDB said the agreement aligns with EBID’s strategic aim to support local businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local business cooperatives, and farmers in West Africa.

With the credit lines, AfDB assured that food security, economic growth, and employment generation would be strengthened.

The organisation also said the gap in trade finance would be bridged as African development finance institutions improve their collaboration.

“This agreement underscores our strong commitment to harness the continent’s limited resources to deliver, with speed and at scale, quality investments to help address the ever increasing trade finance gap in Africa while working with strategic regional partners like EBID and – through you – local commercial banks,” Quaynor said.

The AfDB further intimated that the direct and much-needed funds to economically challenged countries and sectors will be aided by increased cooperation.

In Nigeria, owning a car is regarded as a luxury that is often out of reach for the average citizen. The cost of new cars is exorbitant, and the local automotive industry is unable to meet the demand. As a result, buyers increasingly turn to imported and used vehicles — known locally as ‘tokunbo’, which loosely means ‘from overseas’ in the Yoruba language.

Tokunbo cars are mostly imported from Europe, and the United States and are often cheaper than new cars, serving as a good option for people looking for affordable vehicles.

Nigeria is said to be the third-highest importer of used vehicles from the US, behind the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and China.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that the nation’s used vehicle market boomed in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023, with the value of imports reaching N728 billion — up by 708 percent from the same period in 2022.

Analysis by TheCable Index shows that the country imported 99 percent of its used vehicles from the US valued at N721.79 billion, followed by the UAE at N2.12 billion, and Belgium at N1.52 billion.

Imports from Italy and Canada were valued at N1.41 billion and N1.18 billion, respectively.
NBS DATA ‘MISREPRESENTED REALITY’
But the spike in importation as reported by the NBS does not reflect the reality, according to several stakeholders.

John Kalu, a car importer in Apapa port, said the prevailing economic situation is rendering the business largely unprofitable, adding that vehicle importers have been struggling in the past few years.

Kalu said the high level of volatility in the foreign exchange market (FX) “has grossly affected” imports — in spite of the NBS data.

“It is now much more expensive to import cars than before, and this has made them less affordable for Nigerians. As a result, the car import business has declined significantly,” he said.

“In addition to the FX issue, there is also the problem of smuggling. Many people are now smuggling cars into Nigeria from neighbouring countries, where they are cheaper. This is having a negative impact on legitimate car importers like.”

Also faulting the report, Obinna Okechukwu, another car dealer, said it is surprising that the NBS data indicate that more people bought cars in Q2 2023.
Okechukwu said the importation and sales of cars have “been dragging so far” in the country.

This, according to the dealer, explains why the vehicles available are “more expensive”.

“It is better you say more money was made by the government from the importation of cars than to say more people bought cars,” he said.

Another stakeholder identified as Chuks said some of his colleagues sold cars at lower prices to enable them to clear their cargoes at the port due to the changes in FX rate.

“It has been difficult to clear cars at the port because the initial clearing cost has been increased and they now have to be selling old cars at distressed prices so as to clear the ones at the port,” he said.

‘NON-COMPLIANCE WITH POLICIES CAUSING DELAYS IN CLEARING VEHICLES’

Speaking on the concerns of the dealers, Abdullahi Maiwada, national public relations officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the service only implements and aligns with the fiscal policies of the government.

Maiwada accused importers of circumventing the government’s import regulations and the use of the vehicle identification number (VIN) valuation system.

The NCS spokesperson described the VIN protocol as an automated system that defines a vehicle using its identification number to “generate the history of the vehicle and arrive at its capital value”.

“Those who might experience delays in clearing their vehicle, in some cases have to do with issues of undervaluation,” Maiwada said.

“Recently, we issued a system that all vehicles that are trimmed must pass through an examination and manual valuation process. What necessitated that was that people import vehicles that are trimmed with different values and give them a base value.

“For example, if you bought a vehicle for N10 and when you want to declare it, you declare the vehicle as N5, invariably it will affect the duty that will be collected and that is commercial fraud and we regard that as a false declaration.

“That is one factor that contributes to delays in clearing your vehicles at the port. Most of these delays are caused by non-compliance.

“What we expect people to do is to be genuine and declare their vehicle according to what they bought. If you reduce the value of the vehicle, definitely you are going to reduce the revenue that will be collected for the government.”

‘IMPORTERS BEING PUSHED TO THE WALL’

On his part, Jonathan Nicol, president of the Shippers Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, said the unification of the FX windows and the floating of the naira by the federal government is making it difficult for importers and exporters to operate.

Responding to the argument of the NCS, he said nobody would violate the customs policies or regulations if they were working with a fair import and export duty rate.

“Nobody will violate customs duty for a reasonable duty assessment,” he said.

“If you buy a vehicle of $1000, which is approximately N600,000 to 700, 000. Normally they used the depreciation effect in vehicle valuation and that is no longer there. That’s why people will want to bring the value down.

“We are of the view that the government should put their economic policy right and nobody will break their laws. If the economic policy is not in place, you don’t push them to the wall and use the term ‘survival of the fittest’, that’s where importers are at the moment.”

FX RATE ‘FUELLING ILLUSION OF MORE PEOPLE BUYING CARS’

Commenting on the NBS data, Nicol said he does not believe that the increase in car imports is due to an increase in demand. He rather linked it to the depreciation of the naira against the dollar.

This, according to Nicol, makes imported cars more expensive in naira terms, even if the number of cars imported remains the same.

He said this can also give the impression that more cars are being bought, even though this is not the case.

“That’s one point. The second point is that we are contributing as much as we can to support the government in the collection of duties, and fines,” he said.

“We agree that the economic policy is not favourable to importers and we also agree that it is even cheaper to import cars from other neighbouring countries like Togo, Cotognu, Ghana etc. But there is nothing wrong if we patronised our port but the exchange rate is now in a free fall.

“When you buy a car of N400,000 and you come to your country and you pay about N3 million to clear it from the port.

“When they bring in these cars we have a lot of problems in this country. Accident vehicles that are brought in go through the free fall market of FX and the rate will be converted and paid in the value of the FX.

“They will even value the cars with the VIN since we don’t have second-hand value and depreciation any more. That will push the volume of the naira up and that’s why you are seeing over 700% increase in importation of used vehicles.

“The FX has not been favourable and people don’t have that kind of money.”

Nicol said the shippers were not considered by the federal government for palliative to cushion the effect of the petrol subsidy removal, adding that the income of Nigerians has been bastardised with many layers of taxation.

In a trove of newly declassified documents, it has emerged that the Israeli government supported both sides in the Nigeria-Biafra war from 1967 to 1970.

The Israeli position, according to the diplomatic cables reported by Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, was based to promote its business and political interests and divert attention from its own activities in Palestine.

Israel provided assistance to Biafra via third parties while maintaining an official line that it never happened, according to the declassified documents showing internal discussions within the government.

The country also helped Nigeria move soldiers and weapons to the frontline, proposing that the use of an Israeli merchant vessel should be officially treated as a hijack by the federal military government.

Advertisement
This was despite Israel being informed of the atrocities allegedly committed by the Nigerian military on Biafran civilians.

IN SUPPORT OF BIAFRA…

Although Israel consistently denied supporting Biafra while the war raged, it recently opened about 40,000 pages of cables to the public, shedding light on its activities as contained in the files of the foreign ministry.

For instance, Israel gave $200,000 in two instalments to Biafra’s representatives to help them buy weapons from private sources.



Federal Nigerian police push back crowds of demonstrators outside the French embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, on September 16, 1968. An estimated 2,000 protesters presented the French ambassador with a letter deploring French assistance to Biafra. (AP Photo/Dennis Lee Royle)

A Biafran representative informed Yehoshua Almog, the advisor at the Israeli embassy in Paris who handed him $100,000 in cash, that Israel was overseeing a campaign to explain to the world that what was happening in Biafra was tantamount to “genocide”.

Several cables showed that the campaign included discreet “outreach” by Israeli diplomats and pro-Israel organisations around the world and also the “placement” of op-ed pieces in the Western media.

A memo dated July 18, 1968 revealed that Michael Okpara, former premier of the Eastern region, had secretly visited Israel to meet senior government officials and it was agreed that weapons captured by the country in its own wars should be transferred to Biafra.

But Israeli planes delivering the weapons needed a stopover somewhere in Africa because they could not fly directly to Nigeria.

Tanzania was to be the conduit, but there was a problem: President Julius Nyerere did not approve of it, despite recognising Biafra.

President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d’Ivoire, a strong supporter of Biafra and an ally of Israel, had also pressured the country to assist Biafra with weapons, offering that they could be transferred through his country if not directly.

Israeli support for Biafra was to divert attention from its own activities in Palestine, the cables revealed.

In a March 23, 1969 telegram, Yael Vered, director of the Middle East department at the foreign ministry, informed the Israeli embassy in London of the intention to “initiate and assist a large-scale propaganda campaign for Biafra in order to divert some of the sympathy for the Palestinians to this oppressed people and to simultaneously denounce the murderous role of the Arabs in the case of Biafra”.

This was in reference to the use of Egyptian pilots to fly the Nigerian planes that were used for bombing missions in Biafra.

Israel repeatedly denied supporting Biafra, but the foreign ministry was in the know of the “private” campaign of weapons sales and was coordinating it with some of the Israelis who were acting “privately”, as seen in the declassified cables.

Indeed, shortly before the war broke out, Israel had connected the government of Eastern Nigeria with arms dealers in Europe.

In an August 15, 1966 cable, Moshe Bitan, deputy director-general of the foreign ministry, told Ram Nirgad, the ambassador to Nigeria, that a Biafran delegation was in Israel on a secret mission.

With £1.5 million (approximately $4.2 million then) in the bag, the Biafrans wanted to buy 2,000 rifles, 500 machine guns, 100 pistols, 1,000 hand grenades as well as ammunition, and requested Israel’s assistance.

Bitan said he and his superior, Aryeh Levavi, decided to help by providing contact details for an arms agent in Europe who would be able to sell them both Israeli and non-Israeli weapons.

In a telegram dated February 27, 1967, Moshe Leshem, head of the Africa department, wrote to Nirgad on the allegations of arms shipments from Israel to Biafra.

He said “only the allegation about the activity of private Israeli dealers is true. However, this cannot be repeated nor admitted”.

…AND IN SUPPORT OF NIGERIA

While supporting Biafra through back channels, Israel openly allowed Nigeria to use a merchant vessel to ferry 750 soldiers, barrels of fuel, bombs, explosives, weapons, light ammunition, trucks and 150 cows to the war front in November 1967.

Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey, the chief of naval staff and second-in-command to Yakubu Gowon, had requested Israel’s approval to use the Israeli vessel for the delivery of weapons and soldiers to the war zone.

He, however, warned that if the request was not granted, the vessel would be confiscated by the Nigerian government.


Nigrad, the Israeli ambassador to Nigeria during the civil war, was in the know of the double game.

Leshem told Nirgad on November 10 that “it is more convenient for us to have them confiscate the ship than to volunteer it. You can tell the commander of the navy that we will accept the confiscation and won’t resist”.

In his response, dated November 12, Nirgad said part of the Israeli crew refused to sail to the war zone and the Nigerian foreign minister had asked him to personally speak with them.

He was also worried that the ship flying an Israeli flag could shock “our friends in Biafra”.

Nirgad boarded the ship and addressed the crew as requested by Nigeria, but he described the experience as “a difficult conversation that lasted about two and a half hours. I faced a barrage of questions on conscientious, humanitarian and national grounds and simply about their fears of danger… I did not force the crew, but still out of safeguarding the company that owns the ship’s interests and in order not to be accused by the Nigerian authorities of a failure bordering on sabotage, I led the crew in the conversation so that almost all of them were convinced to remain on the ship”.

In further support, a shipment of 81-mm mortars from Israel arrived in Lagos on an Israeli ship in July 1968.

After Nirgad reported the development to Yohanan Bein, chief assistant in the ministry’s Africa department, the Israeli foreign ministry released a statement denouncing “the unimaginable human suffering that afflicts parts of the population in eastern Nigeria, and that arouses deep feelings of shock among all human beings, and in particular among our people who have experienced inhuman suffering over the years”.

Israel also sold jeeps and communication equipment to both sides, as revealed in the cables.

Gowon would later complain to Nirgad that despite his country’s denials, “certain things were still discovered, such as Israeli communications equipment that the federal forces found in the territories they had liberated from Biafra”.

Nirgad maintained Israel’s “unconditional” support for the federal government and reminded Gowon of Israel’s “ongoing assistance” — but Leshem confirmed to Nirgad in a January 18, 1968 telegram that indeed, communications equipment was sent from Israel to Biafra.

Warning: This section contains graphic details that some readers might find upsetting.

REPORTS OF WAR CRIMES

In December of the same year, while Nigeria was negotiating the purchase of communications equipment with Israel, some disturbing reports came from the war front.

The Israeli foreign ministry received a report from Yoram London, a medical doctor who headed a team of Israeli medics that was helping Biafran civilians.

London reported that “the Nigerian army destroyed the entire Igbo population including women and children… we know of acts of abuse against pregnant women”.

He described a case in which federal soldiers cut open the abdomen of a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy without killing her, “and took out the living fetus, shot it and then played football with it”.

He also said there were places “where federal soldiers cut off the legs of little children and babies and left them alive”.

On October 19, 1968, the hospital where the Israeli medical team was staying was targeted from the air with three bombs, which resulted in 32 casualties.

The International Red Cross suggested that the hospital was bombed because the federal government pilots were from Egypt and they knew about the presence of the Israeli medical team there.

THE IGBOS AND JEWS LINKS

Although Igbos branded themselves as the “Jews of Nigeria” in their interaction with Israel, government officials did not like the comparison of “genocide” with “the Holocaust” in which millions of Jews were killed in a campaign by Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jewish race in the 1940s.

In a telegram sent to Jerusalem on July 30, 1968, Nirgad expressed indignation at the comparisons made by Biafran leaders between the fate of the Jews and that of the Igbo people.

He said the goal of the Nigerian government was not to exterminate the Igbo but rather, as Gowon claimed, to “suppress a rebellion and give the Igbo people their full rights in their Nigerian homeland”.

On Gowon, Nirgad wrote: “I tend to believe in his personal honesty.”

Dozens of declassified telegrams showed that there were senior officials in the Israeli foreign ministry who wanted to stop Israeli food aid, arguing that the Biafran leadership would not prefer food to weapons in any case.


Gowon told Israelis that Nigerian troops discovered evidence of their support for Biafra despite denials.

They warned against damage to Israel’s relations with the federal government, noting that the physical transfer of food to the war zone in Biafra was, in itself, a complicated operation.

However, it would appear the Israelis had a bond with the Igbo, or Eastern Nigeria, before the January 1966 coup.

The leaders of the Eastern region were warm towards Israel because of the “Jewish” claims, coupled with the fact that they saw Israel as the country that “contributed and contributes to the development of eastern Nigeria more than any other country in the world, relative to the size of its population”.

Before the coup, Israeli companies had complained to the Israeli foreign ministry that the authorities in Nigeria, both at federal and regional levels, were demanding 10 percent of contract sums for the needs of their political parties and the heads of government.

They said these actions were carried out “with the full knowledge of the Israeli Embassy in Lagos”.

The January 1966 coup was seen by Israeli officials as an opportunity to strengthen relations between the two countries, although there was no suggestion that Israel played a part in it.

Still, they preferred the new head of state, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Igbo general and a Christian, who was believed to be more disposed to Israel than the government led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a northern Muslim.

But Aguiyi-Ironsi had barely settled down when the counter-coup was launched in July of the same year and Israel decided to toe a “moderate” line as the civil war ensued.

THE ROAD TO CIVIL WAR

The Nigeria-Biafra war was sparked off by a chain of events starting with the January 1966 coup that ousted the democratically elected government headed by Tafawa Balewa as prime minister.

Led by Kaduna Nzeogwu, then a major in the Nigerian Army, the coup leaders complained about corruption in the federal government, such as the collection of 10 percent bribes on contracts.

They killed a number of northern politicians as well as their allies in the south.


Jubilant Nigerians in the capital city of Lagos cheer as they read of the surrender of the rebel Biafran forces on Jan. 12, 1970. Nigerian leader Maj. Gen. Yakubu Gowon accepted the Biafran surrender and asked all Nigerians to greet the former rebels as brothers. (AP Photo/Dennis Lee Royle)

They also killed senior military officers mostly of northern origin, leading to resentment in the north that the coup was targeted at them — with most of the coup plotters being Igbo or associated with Igbo identity.

No Igbo politician was killed while only one Igbo army officer was among the 22 causalities.

The coup attempt eventually failed and the most senior military officer, Aguiyi-Ironsi, assumed power amid tensions in northern Nigeria over the killing of their leaders.

Northern officers regrouped and, in July 1966, launched the so-called counter-coup in which Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed.

Igbo civilians in several northern cities were killed by mobs in retalition over the January coup.

The mass killing and displacement of Igbo civilians in the north, which was not actively discouraged by the new military government led by Gowon, led to threats of secession by the Eastern region, led by Odumegwu Ojukwu, then a colonel.

In May 1967, Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra consisting of present-day south-east and south-south states (minus Edo and Delta) after a series of failed negotiations with the federal military government.

Biafra was formally recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Zambia, and supported significantly by France through military and diplomatic means.

The civil war ended in January 1970 with the surrender of Biafra after millions of casualties.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has described fuel subsidy as an organised crime.

Obi, on Monday, said this while speaking on Arise TV ‘The Morning Show’ on what approach he would have taken differently in resolving the looming strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.

“Fuel subsidy is organised crime. I said it repeatedly that it should be removed. For me, the approach would have been, is to remove the corruption and criminal side of it and remove the excess demand.

“By doing this, you would have reduced it by 50 per cent. The remaining 50 per cent is what we would have been able to, after consultation with various stakeholders in order to find a way in an organised manner, remove and show the proceed of the gains of the removal to be invested in critical development areas.”

The former Anambra State governor added that he felt positive about Nigeria’s future.

Three Nigerian women, Adejoke Opeyemi-Ogungbire, Aderonke Sakpere, and Ebenezer Chris-Ajah, have made it to the TechWomen 2023 programme.

TechWomen is an initiative of the United States towards advancing the rights and participation of women and girls around the world by enabling them to reach their full potential in the tech industry.

The trio was celebrated on the official Instagram account of the United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria on Thursday.

The US Consulate General in Nigeria, Will Stevens, congratulated them on their achievement and encouraged them to make the most of their exchange experience.

During the five-week TechWomen program, emerging female leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics engage in project-based mentorships at leading tech companies in Chicago, as well as professional development workshops and networking events.

Credit: Instagram| usinnigeria

Beg Tinubu to act fast, say Buhari didn’t fulfil freedom promise
Parents of Leah Sharibu on Thursday broke their silence on the insinuations concerning the marital status and whereabouts of their daughter describing such thoughts as both confusing and disheartening.

They wondered why they should believe unsubstantiated rumors and scant information that “local security sources made this revelation in a report.”

The spokesperson for the parents and President of Leah Foundation, Dr Gloria Puldu, made the clarification in a statement she sent to The PUNCH, following insinuations that Sharibu already had two children and had married another man after reportedly divorcing her first husband.

While calling on President Bola Tinubu to act fast, they recalled that till he left office on May 29 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari did not act on the promise he made to free Leah Sharibu two years after her abduction, adding that the international community had abandoned Leah and others still being held captive.

“The global community seems to have forgotten Leah’s plight (and other girls like her) and allowed Nigeria to devolve into the chaos that it is currently in. No one is demanding accountability or transparency from Nigeria, but continues to give billions of dollars in aid and relief. Leah remains a captive to a militant religious group within Nigeria without any apparent knowledge of her whereabouts”, they said.

Leah Sharibu was one of the 110 female students of the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, who were abducted on February 19, 2018, by Boko Haram terrorists.

While others were released by the terrorists following negotiations, Leah, then 14 year-old, is still being held captive because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

The PUNCH reported that there were insinuations that Leah Sharibu held by members of Islamic State West Africa Province has “remarried” another terrorists’ commander, after purportedly securing a divorce from the first ‘husband’ forced on her.

Leah, after the purported divorce from one Abdulrahman, it was alleged, was remarried to another ISWAP commander in the Lake Chad area named Ali Abdallah.

But her parents described the allegations as confusing and disheartening.

The statement by Puldu reads, “Recent reports on Leah Sharibu, the young girl taken captive by ISWAP terrorists over five years ago, is both confusing and disheartening. It’s confusing because there have been unsubstantiated rumours and scant information regarding the whereabouts of Leah. There were a few reports by those who were released or had escaped claiming that she might have been married off and given birth to two children. No pictures, audio or video has ever surfaced and, If anything, these were assumptions based on her age and condition of captivity.

“Why should we believe, “Local security sources made this revelation in a report”? If they have intelligence on Leah’s whereabouts and any information, then where are the Nigerian armed forces? Why isn’t the government involved in securing her release?

“It’s disheartening because only so often do we hear anything on Leah Sharibu. On the two-year anniversary of Leah’s capture, President Buhari said that, “…we redouble our efforts for Leah’s return, we can never allow the terrorists to divide us…”. Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu are asking what happened to that promise? Buhari left office without fulfilling that promise of rescuing our daughter, Leah. Our family remains grief-stricken by our daughter’s capture and ongoing imprisonment, even as the Nigerian government has been unsuccessful in securing her release.

“In March 2020, Leah’s father, Nathan Sharibu pleaded, ‘I have not heard anything from federal, state and local governments since my daughter was abducted. I am even confused now. I need your assistance to put pressure on the Federal Government to do something about the release of my daughter.’

Puldu said it had been so sad that abductions of students were still ongoing even in the new administration of President Bola Tinubu.

She said, “About a week ago we woke up to the news of students abducted from Zamfara. This is very shameful and disheartening to Nigerian parents. Despite the terrible economic hardship, parents still have to grapple with the safety of their children in school. We are calling again with a very strong and loud voice on the current government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to please wake up to its very primary responsibility of safety and protection of the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens.

“We demand the rescue of Leah Sharibu and all others who had in captivity in the hands of terrorists.”

Taoreed Lagbaja, the chief of army staff, says President Bola Tinubu has approved the procurement of 12 attack helicopters for the Nigerian army.

Lagbaja disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of the maiden Nigerian army aviation seminar in Abuja.

The army chief said the 12 MD 530F Cayuse attack helicopters would operationalise the Nigerian army aviation unit, which was set up to improve ground troops’ agility, responsiveness, and efficacy during operations.

He added that it would also contribute to the overall operational success of joint and coalition troops.

Lagbaja explained that the army’s aviation unit– as separate from a nation’s dedicated air force– is usually equipped with helicopters and light support fixed-wing aircraft.

“The army aviation arms of these countries have shown effectiveness in countering contemporary security threats and providing vital support to ground forces,” NAN quoted Lagbaja as saying.

“In view of the need to realize this, and in its bid to appropriately respond to contemporary and emerging security threats, the Nigerian army resuscitated its aviation aspiration in 2014.

“I am happy to inform this gathering that the Nigerian army is willing to learn from the army aviation journeys of the countries mentioned earlier.

“Our willingness to learn from them is to adapt their best practices to suit our unique operational environment and avoid their mistakes.

“I can proudly report that since 2014, the Nigerian army has made commendable progress in training pilots, aircraft engineers, technicians, and other ground support crew.”

Lagbaja said the army had submitted the aviation outfit to the Nigerian air force for proper mentoring.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has stated that Nigeria is endowed with enough resources and sufficient enough to provide free education at all levels for its citizenry.

Falana made this known on Saturday at a public programme organised by the Revolutionary Socialist Movement and the Save Public Education Campaign in Abuja.

He added that free education and other social amenities were possible if resources were democratically managed and controlled.

The topic of the programme was; “Nigeria at 63: Any hope for the working masses under Bola Ahmed Tinubu Government.” The subtopic is; Public education crisis: What can be done?

Falana noted that the resources available to Nigerian universities must be monitored and also the revenue shared to different state and local governments.
He added that the piecemeal palliative provided by the government must be rejected by the people, because the federal government could afford billions of naira for National Assembly members for cars, allowances, renovation, and consistency projects.

He further lamented that the Nigerian constitution did not permit consistency projects for legislators, adding that the executives are to implement concrete projects.

“Today, legislators are earning millions in the name of consistency projects without any tangible projects. Nigerian constitution guarantees free education at all levels,” he said.

Falana urged the students to return to the tradition of fighting and reject the new regime of fees increment even as he condemned fees increment across Nigerian universities.

On his part, the Federal Capital Territory chairman of the Africa Action Congress, Bob Agnes, said police brutality had continued nationwide, even as the police moved around with POS machines and carry out arbitrary arrests of innocent youths across the country.

He urged Nigerians to stand up to defend their rights.

Dammy Owot, the secretary of Workers and Youth Solidarity Network, said, "The new fees regime will send many students from poor and working class families out of school and we call on Nigerian students to fight back. Because the claim by government that there are no resources to fund education isn't tenable."

The National Emergency Management Agency, on Saturday, confirmed that there was no casualty in a three-Storey building that collapsed at Ikpoh Street, Surulere, Lagos State.

NEMA territorial coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the incident to journalists in Lagos.

The building came down at about 10pm on Friday night at No. 14 Ikpoh Street, Surulere.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, an occupant of the building, Gervase Anyanwu, a businessman, said that all the other occupants were able to run out of the building before it came down completely.

Anyanwu said that before the building came down, there was a large sound at one of its wings.

“Immediately we heard the sound, all the occupants of the building gathered at the mustard point, before evacuating for safety.

“No casualty was recorded,” Anyanwu said.

Anyanwu said the immediate evacuation of the occupants was “simply by the grace of God”.

However, it was gathered from another resident of the street that the building had shown serious signs of distress before it came down.

As at the time of this report, excavation of the rubbles from the building was yet to commence, but all the relevant government agencies in charge of emergency had shown their presence at the site.

The West African Examinations Council says plans to introduce the Computer Based Test mode in the administration of its examinations are at an advanced stage.

The Head of National Office, Mr Patrick Areghan, gave the hint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos.

Areghan was speaking against the backdrop of notable achievements and advancements of the council under his watch, as he prepared to bow out of office on Oct. 1.

He would be bowing out after completing his three-year tenure.

Areghan said that introducing the CBT mode of administrating some of the council’s examinations had been part of his vision for the body.

”We have already started something in terms of CBT examination. We have gone far with our planning and all of that, even in the sub-region, the registrar to the council is also doing something.

“But this is not as easy as some people will think. This is because we ask ourselves, how do we conduct CBT for practicals and essay papers?

“We can only readily do that in the case of objective questions. But so many people will not see it from that angle. They argue that some others are doing it, so why can’t WAEC do the same?

“Now, no one even talks about energy; how many schools are exposed to computer literacy? How many have computer facilities and how many have electricity to run these things?

“Even where you have all these things on the ground, how do you handle the issue of theory and practical papers? So, these are the issues, but that is what I want the council to do very shortly.

“We should be able to conduct CBT examinations, even if it means starting with the objective questions,” he said.

The outgoing WAEC boss noted that already, the council had concluded introducing the administration of its examination using the CBT platform under his watch, in no distant time, starting with the objective questions and later theory and practicals.

“But you can still be sure that not all schools will be ready. Maybe we can have a segregated market. Those who cannot afford the CBT will go for the pencil and paper mode.

“So, I would like to see WAEC in that light,” he said.

Areghan said aside from the introduction of the CBT, he would also like to see all the operations of the council fully digitalised shortly.

He noted that almost every section of the council had been digitalised under his watch.

“I have almost digitalised everywhere now. Talk of certificate, checking of results verification of results and more.

“I will live to see more massive deployment of technology so that the vision of the council can change from just being a world-class examination body to a technology-driven examination body.

“I also want WAEC to be more visible on the international stage. I want to see, through the cooperation of the sub-region, how we can take WAEC overseas, that is, how Nigerian children in the diaspora can sit for WASSCE overseas.

“That, again, is what I want WAEC to do very shortly. That is one thing I wanted to do under my watch, but, again like I said, it needs the cooperation of the sub-region, not just Nigeria, to take WASSCE overseas.

“I also want to see its digital certificate that we have successfully launched in Nigeria replicated in the entire sub-region, so that any candidate that has taken WASSCE, can be in any part of the world to access the digital certificate; that is a legacy.

“For instance, if your certificate gets missing, soaked, destroyed by fire and so on, with one touch on the bottom, it appears.

“For me, this is a great legacy,” the WAEC boss stated.

He also stated that the council’s Digital Security Printing Press is another milestone achievement under his watch.

According to him, after 71 years of the council’s existence, the introduction of the digital security printing press is a worthy legacy.

This is alongside other internal ones, such as the Staff Bus scheme, meant to cushion the effect of high transportation fares, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal, he said.

“We are going to do more to motivate staff. I am counting on my successor to follow suit, being a very committed and intelligent person. It is my prayer that he achieves more than me,” he stated.

Speaking on his greatest achievement, Areghan highlighted the successful conduct of examinations, release of results within stipulated time and printing and release of certificates to deserving candidates as key.

“That is my greatest achievement. That is because when you work in the council and you fail to conduct any examination, no matter the other levels of achievements, you have failed.

“So, I give God all the glory that I have been able to conduct all the examinations, even in the COVID-19 years, from 2020 to 2023,” the outgoing council boss told NAN.

NAN

President Bola Tinubu says he is determined to follow through on his promise of reforming Nigeria, even if it earns him an infamous reputation.

Tinubu spoke while meeting with António Guterres, United Nations (UN) secretary-general, in his office at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, according to a statement issued on Thursday by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson.

The president said his drive to ensure that democracy stands in the country was met with arrests in the past but added that it did not deter him.

“I fought for democracy. I was detained for democracy. I am now President and I am determined to prove that democracy can provide the development that our nation and our continent so urgently demands,” Ngelale quoted his principal as saying.

Tinubu added that the country has focused too much on talks instead of actions to curtail the high levels of poverty.

The president said he is committed to taking decisions that would change the narrative.

“Trace those of us here to our foundations and you will find that we have ties and links with poverty,” he said.

“We must not be ashamed of that history, but poverty is unacceptable. I am one of the lucky survivors of gripping poverty.

“Nigeria is truly a giant, 240 million people and counting with a massive youth population.

“We are done saying too much. We seek much action. We have arisen out of poverty as individuals, but until our people have arisen out of that, we will not rest, even if it requires decisions at home that make me temporarily unpopular.”

Since his assumption of office on May 29, some of his economic decisions, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and unifying foreign exchange rates, have attracted criticism.

But many analysts have applauded the president’s policies, which they said were long overdue reforms despite the rising inflation and high cost of living in the country.

Tinubu has repeatedly assured that it is only a temporary phase that would birth a new Nigeria.

Guterres said the president’s reforms have raised “high expectations” from the UN, adding that the global organisation would continue to offer support.

“Nigeria is an indispensable voice in the sub-region. We will give you every support needed for your success to be achieved. Your success is Africa’s success and we wish you well,” the UN secretary-general added.

President Bola Tinubu has encouraged Nigerians in the U.S. to rise above failure by having a change of mindset for success in all their endeavours in life.

Tinubu who gave the advice at the Presidential Townhall Meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora on Wednesday in New York noted that Nigerians had no reason to be poor.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Townhall Meeting was organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

Tinubu, who commended the efforts on out-of-school children, the healthcare programme and the need to eradicate poverty, said Nigeria was a blessed country.

“Sincerely, we don’t have any reason to be poor, we are just poor in some leadership areas.

“That is what I harped on during my campaign. It was a very gruesome campaign but I won the election but if I didn’t thrown myself into it with strong determination and result, I wouldn’t have won.

“There were so many hurdles on my way that would have stopped me. I refused to be stopped, you can do the same as many of you here that are contesting elections”, the President said.

Speaking further, he said, “I want to give you a measure that will resonate with you. I was once a diaspora. What you have been through, I have been through it. A change of mindset is necessary.

“Take it this night that Nigeria is home for business opportunities.

“Also, anywhere you stay, there is always going to be an opportunity in, and in everything you do, there is always going to be an opportunity, if you know how to search and put your mind into it,’’ he said.

The president, however, expressed delight in the conduct of Nigerians who have continued to excel in their chosen fields in their host country.

“You are lucky to be among those who are celebrated for good manners and behavior and are operating in an acceptable manner.

“I’m very proud of you; I have also been beneficial of inspiration, determination, commitment and perseverance and that is all you need to get to pull through.

“But, we need you back home, Nigeria has arrived; forget the frustration of the previous year’s leadership,’’ he said.

In addition, he urged the Nigerians to embrace one another, urging that there should not be no sentiment and discrimination among them.

Tinubu said: “You ought to embrace one another. No labeling, no identity, you should remove ethnic identify that tend to differentiate us.

“We are one single family, living in the same house but living in different rooms,.”

Earlier, the Chairperson of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, introduced some Nigerians excelling in their chosen fields in in the U.S. to the president.

Some of them who spoke expressed their delight in the leadership courage of the president, pledging to continue to support him in his efforts to reform Nigeria.

They promised that they would continue to make Nigeria proud in their host country and also contribute their quotas to the development of the home country.

In his remarks, the first Nigerian-American elected into the United States Congress, Oye Owolewa, said 25 per cent of business orders in the U,S. were black and 1.7 per cent got federal contracts.

Owolewa, who represents Washington DC, said they have been supporting people to take advantage ot such opportunities for their economic empowerment.

“Those are the opportunities to make investors biggest in New York.

“In my office, we do the talk, we teach our people how to get contract, we teach our people how to get grants.,’’ he said.

Also speaking, a Nigerian-American, Olufunmilola Obe, an Inspector working in the New York Police Department, briefed the president on her efforts to make Africa, especially Nigeria proud in her office.

She told Tinubu that she was the coordinator of an African Law Enforcement Organisation, an association within the NYPD, as Vice President.

Obe is the first African ever to be promoted to the rank of an Inspector in the history of NYPD.

NAN reports that the Town Hall Meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign of Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb.Tijjani Muhammad-Bande

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Uzoma Emenike; Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija; and Consul General in Atlanta, Amb. Amina Samaila were also in attendance.

Others were: Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State and Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, among others.

NAN

The Minister, Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked 165 lands in Abuja, some of which belonged to notable Nigerians.

A document signed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Olushade Adeshola, which was obtained by The PUNCH, reveals that the revocation was due to the violation and contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy.

The document reads, “The Federal Capital Territory Administration hereby informs the general public that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28 (5) (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act, 1978, revoked the underlisted plots with names and titles as reflected in our records for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development.”

Some notable Nigerians affected by the revocation order are former Senate Chief Whip, Udoma Udoma, former Cross River Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, the first Minister of Niger Delta, Ufot Ekaette and late publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah.

Wike, on his first day as the Minister of FCT vowed to revoke any land contravening the Abuja Land Use Act no matter those involved.