April 1st, 2024 Publication

Nigeria’s equities investors gained a whopping N18.2 trillion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, amidst double-digit inflation, rising insecurity and

from N40.918 trillion at which it opened for trading activities on January 2, 2024.

The N18.2 trillion gain in market capitalisation, is coming on the backdrop of rising insecurity, double-digit inflation, other

TLagbaja gave the assurance in his Easter Message to troops and families of personnel of the Nigerian Army on Sunday in Abuja.

He urged all officers and sol-

he Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has reiterated the commitment and determination of the Nigerian Army to ensure the total defeat of insurgents, marauding bandits, and all other forms of external and internal aggression disturbing the peace of the country.

diers to use the season to pray for continued operational successes and continue to espouse the values and virtues of love, peace, and sacrifice in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

The COAS said he had ensured

the implementation of quality training and equipment towards combating the myriads of security threats confronting the nation.

He said the Nigerian army under his leadership had continued to record tremendous successes

refining site laden with stolen crude oil at Agogboro Community, Warri North, Delta State. Photo: Nigerian Navy.

Army will ensure total defeat of insurgents, others –Lagbaja

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 wards the final onslaught on the adversaries troubling our nation, I assure you that the welfare of officers and soldiers, including training and provision of the needed equipment, will always be prioritised to enable us to discharge our constitutional responsibilities effectively.

“Let me use this opportunity to acknowledge and thank you, my officers and soldiers, for your doggedness in tackling the numerous security challenges bedeviling us as a nation.

“You have displayed much commitment, courage, resilience, and professionalism. For this, I say well done and charge you not to rest on your oars until we have eliminated all forms of threat to our country.

“While still grieving the recent unwarranted and gruesome murder of our colleagues in Okuama Community of Delta, which occurred on March 14, I urge you all to remain steadfast, diligent, and committed to the discharge of our constitutional responsibilities.

“I encourage you to continue to pray for the repose

of the souls of our departed colleagues who paid the supreme price for the noble cause of keeping our beloved country safe.

“I will continue to prioritise the welfare of our officers, soldiers, and families, including those of our departed colleagues,” he said.

Lagbaja also charged personnel to use the Easter celebration to offer prayers against all forms of negative forces militating against the peace and progress of the nation.

He also expressed hope that the spiritual exercise of the Lenten Season and the lessons learnt would imbue them with greater zeal and dedication to their constitutional duties.

The Army chief commended President Bola Tinubu for his continuous support to the Nigerian army and the confidence reposed in him to lead the nation’s army at this period in its history.

“I wish to reaffirm our unalloyed loyalty in the defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our fatherland,” he added.

NDLEA intercepts Qatar-bound illicit drugs concealed in cassava cuts, shuns N5m bribe

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 35-year-old Qatar-based lady who attempted to smuggle Indian hemp to the Arabian country.

Spokesman of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the lady was caught at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

He explained that she hid 20 parcels of the weed in “African salad’’ (cassava cuts and vegetables), but was intercepted at the airport on Thursday in collaboration with men of the Department of State Services.Babafemi stated that preliminary investigation showed that the lady returned to Nigeria in December 2023 for end-ofyear celebrations.

“She said that preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arabian country,’’ he stated.

In another development, NDLEA also arrested two men at Iwaya, Yaba and Agege areas of Lagos on March 26.

Babafemi stated that that the agency recovered 842,560 psychoactive pills, particularly tramadol, in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596gms of Molly from the duo.

“NDLEA operatives rebuffed an offer of N5 million bribe from one of them and the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects,’’ he added.

Tinubu’s promise to transform Abuja turning out successful –Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has expressed joy that President Bola Tinubu’s promise to transform Abuja is turning out successful.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Saturday, after inspecting six ongoing projects across the territory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project sites included the Southern Parkway, from Christian Centre to Ring Road I, being handled by Setraco and Vice President’s Resident being handled by Julius Berger.

Other projects visited were B6 and B12, Independence Avenue, also handled by Julius Berger, Wuye Engineering Infrastructure, being handled by Arab Contractors and N-20 Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway in Jahi District, being handled by Gilmor.

The minister also inspected the Outer Southern Expressway from Villa Roundabout to Ring Road I, being handled by CGC.

“So, for us we are happy with what we have seen, and we thanked God that the “Renewed Hope” agenda is working.

“Nigerians can see that the President has done well and the promise he has made to transform Abuja is turning out successful and there is no need to doubt,” he said.

The minister identified nonfulfillment of promises by politicians as a major problem, adding that such actions make the electorate lose confidence.He, however, said that when politicians make promises and fulfill them, it gives people hope and makes them happy.

He commended Tinubu for the support, adding that the contractors have attested to the fact that funding was not a problem.

“We went to Southern

Parkway being handled by Setraco and the contractor has reaffirmed that the project would be handed over to us in the first week of May.

“Then we went to VP’s Resident, being handled by Julius Berger and they said they have done not less than 90 per cent. That also, by the grace of God, will be handed over to us by May.

“We went to B6 and B12, Independence Avenue in Central Area, also being handled by Julius Berger, and they are quite confident that they are going to hand over the project in May,” he said.

The minister said the inspection tour took them to Wuye District Engineering Infrastructure, being handled by Arab Contractors, adding that they were 95 per cent ready and they made a

commitment that it would soon be handed over.

“Then we went to N-20 Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway in Jahi District, which is being done by Gilmore. I can see the level of work and I believe that by the second week of May, God willing, they will also hand over the project.

“We are here now at Outer Southern Expressway, which is being done by CGC, and we have seen the level of work,” the minister said.

Wike said that the essence of going to project sites was to see whether the contractors were delivering the project according to design and according to contract terms.

He reiterated his promise that no project would be abandoned, adding that no

project would be awarded without the money to fund it.

The minister disclosed that he would meet all the contractors on Tuesday to finalise the readiness to complete ongoing projects.

He added that he would continue the project inspection on Wednesday to see the level of preparation for handing over of the projects in May.

On why he decided to inspect the project during Easter break, the minister said: “Easter does not mean that you will not work; Easter does not mean that you will not eat.

“What Easter portrays is the unity for which Christ stands for all of us, and the need to preach for peace among we Nigerians,” he noted.

Why there is blackout in UCH –Management

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

Authorities of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State have clarified that the uncompromising stance of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is responsible for the current blackout in the tertiary health institution.

They, however, added that talks were ongoing to end the impasse.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, featured on a radio station programme in Ibadan on Sunday, explaining the circumference surrounding the development.

Represented by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of UCH, Mrs. Adetunmbi Obafunmilayo Enitan, and the instruction's Director of Finance, Juliana Oluyemisi, the don expressed that IBEDC was asking for a pay-

ment of N250 million that UCH couldn't afford at the moment.

"It is true that there is no light. The consultant to IBEDC came to disconnect the light.

"I must also say that the current CMD, Professor Otegbayi, inherited a light debt of over N300 Millon. That debt is a too much of an outstanding.

"We have written a lot of letters to those who matter to help us out. We wrote the governor, the government and well-meaning people like Chief Femi Otedola.

"But IBEDC wrote that we had to pay N200 million in on fell swoop. Later, they wrote another letter and said it is N250 Millon we should pay before they reconnect us."Mind you, the debt is not owed only by UCH; College of Medicine, which is owned by University of Ibadan (UI), has on it. The hostels have in it. We need help.

"But it is a lie that patients bring in generators to use at

UCH. Nobody uses candles in our hospital. As we speak, we have solar lights in parts of the premises that serve as stopgaps," the PRO said.

Also speaking, Mrs Oluyemisi explained that the institution was begging IBEDC that every monthly bill, henceforth, would be paid with additional N20 million monthly to defray the outstanding gradually.

"Since the emergence of Professor Abiodun Otegbayo, they have given us a total bill of N2.5 billion.

And if you calculate what we have been paying periodically, we have paid up to N3 billion.

"There are some months they bring up to N70 million as bill. This year alone, we have paid up to N151 million; that is in three months; and the government gives us about N14 million monthly for electricity.

"We pay over N40 million monthly. UCH needs help," she said.

Femi Babafemi

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari (left) and Managing Director of Olam Agri in Nigeria, Anil Nair during the tour of Olam Agri Nigeria's Integrated Rice Farm and Mill in Nasarawa State.

Bishop Kukah to FG: Provide template that will put Nigeria on path of national healing

lSays the path must include deliberate policy of

TOM OKPE, ABUJA

The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rt. Revd Bishop Hassan Mathew Kukah, has admonished the Federal Government to come up with a robust template on how it wishes to reverse and put Nigeria on the path of national healing.

He stated this in his Easter Message titled: 'Nigeria: Time to heal,' made available to the Daily Times on Sunday,

According to him, the path to national healing "must include a deliberate policy of inclusion that will drastically end the immoral culture of nepotism.

"The Government must design a more comprehensive and wide-ranging method of recruitment that is transparent as a means of generating patriotism and reversing the ugly face of feudalism and prebendalism.

"There is need for a clear communications strategy that will serve to inspire and create time-lines of expectations of results from policies.

"There is need for clarity over questions of the Who, What, When, and How national set goals are to be attained and who can be held accountable.

"This will take us away from the current Communications-by-announcement-of-appointments policies as if this is all that Government is doing,” he added.

On rejigging the nation’s security architecture, the Catholic Bishop said: "The notion of rejigging the security architecture is a hackneyed cliché that is now at best, an oxymoron. It is difficult to fathom our current situation regarding the ubiquity of the military in our national life.

"It is impossible to explain how we can say we are in a civilian Democracy with the military, literally looking like an army of occupation with an octopussean spread across all the 36 States and Abuja.

"This has very serious consequences both for its professionalism, its integrity and perceived role in protecting society.

"No other person than the immediate past Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor who, recently referred to the military as facing the dilemma of what he called, see finish.

"It is now difficult to say whether the persistence of insecurity is a cause or a consequence of military ubiquity.

"Trillions of Naira continue to go into bottomless pits with little measurable benefits. Our military’s

professionalism cannot be diluted by the recruitment of hunters, vigilante groups and other unprofessional and untrained groups.

"This is not sustainable because it leaves the military open to ridicule and perceptions of surrender. Fighting insecurity is now an enterprise. I believe our security men and women can defeat these criminals in a matter of months.

“All we hear and see are fingers pointing to the top. No, this must end. The alternative is too frightening to contemplate. The time was yesterday, but today is still possible.

"It's cheering to hear that the President has announced that kidnapping and banditry are now to be treated as acts of terrorism. If so, we need to see a relentless and implacable plan to end this menace with a definite date line for bringing these terrorists to their knees, no matter what it will take. Without a timeline for eliminating these evil, despicable, malevolent and execrable demons from among us, our future as a people will be imperiled. I commend the government over its promise to stop paying ransom to bandits and kidnappers.

"However, merely going to the forest and returning with victims leaves the government open to suspicion from citizens. The government needs to show results of a well-coordinated plan and time lines to bring back all citizens in captivity and give us back our country.

On cutting the cost of governance, Bishop Kukah commended steps taken so far by President Bola Tinubu and encouraged him to “continue on the path of probity, and to take further steps to cut down the overbearing costs of governance and to put in place more comprehensive plans towards achieving both food and physical security across our nation”.

“Merely distributing money through already corruption riddled structures is not enough and diminishes the dignity of our citizens. No one needs to line up to receive aid when we are not in a war. Give our people back their farms and develop a comprehensive agricultural plan to put our country back on the path of honour and human dignity," he added.

While noting that Easter is a time to reflect on the road not taken, Bishop Kukah added that it is also a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of the Resurrection.

"Easter is a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of

the Resurrection.

"Nigeria can, and will be great again. Let us ride this tide together in hope."

He further stressed: "Many Nigerians are wondering and asking questions such as, what time of day is it? Where are we? How did we get here? Where is here? Where are we going? How long do we still have to travel and are there any map readers to tell us if we are on the right path?

"Neither I nor anyone can answer all these questions, but together, we can think through them. Let us not all pretend to be ignorant. It is not so much who knows what. It is rather a matter of accepting the challenges,

inclusion that will end immoral culture of nepotism

having the honesty to ask the most difficult questions, and holding each other accountable.

"In this way, the road may be long, but it will be easier to travel together in faith and confidence,' he said.

The Bishop noted that today, things are hard, really very hard in Nigeria. "I see it on the faces of our people every day. We are in one of the most difficult phases of our national life. But we are not alone. However, I am optimistic that our country will heal from the scars of hunger and destitution that the wounds of physical and psychological violence will heal.

"But first, we Christians must wake up to our duties and responsibilities of what it is to be Christian as an individual, family, community or in public life.

"There are tough times ahead. Politics alone will not change the fate of our country, neither will all the right economic policies or positive ratings by the world’s agencies.

"We need to do more. Nigeria has lost its soul and the evidence lies before us all. The mindless corruption and debauchery in high places is merely a symptom of a deeper rot.

"The evil that we see around us is a consequence not a cause. We have relied

on tools of social sciences to create all kinds of doomsday scenarios about the impending end of Nigeria.

"In the 90s, the pessimists told us that we were on the road to Rwanda. Time passed and we never got to Rwanda. Then the experts wrote so many opinion and editorial articles claiming that rather than Rwanda, we were heading for Somalia.

"We have arrived at none of these destinations not due to poor map reading but due to superficial and scaremongering reading of history and analysis of social dynamics of society," Bishop Kukah added.

Prove Matawalle gave palliatives to bandits or face prosecution, APC North-West tells PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC), NorthWest Zone, has asked the members of the opposition party in Zamfara State, accusing the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle of giving palliatives to bandits, to come forward with their evidence or risk prosecution.

Musa Mada, Zonal Publicity Secretary of the party, disclosed this while addressing a press briefing in Kaduna on Sunday.

Mada said that the party welcomed positive criticisms from the oppositions, but such criticisms should not violate the provisions of the freedom of speech.

He accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), opposition government in Zamfara of persistent slandering of the immediate past Governor of the State, Matawalle.

Mada stated that the grievous allegation against

Matawalle can never be overlooked.

He said that the sponsors of the fake news against the minister must provide proof of the alleged foodstuffs’ distribution.

In the alternative, they must tender an apology to the minister on the pages of at least two national dailies within two weeks from Sunday.

Mada said, “if no action is taken from the side of the sponsors of this fake news on expiration of the ultimatum, on 14th April 2024, a legal action will be instituted against them.

“It has come to our notice that some unscrupulous elements in this geopolitical zone, particularly Zamfara, made it their daily habit of using instruments of mainstream and the new media in tarnishing the image of our party leaders.

“Similarly, it is well known fact that the PDP opposition government in Zamfara

made name for itself in slandering Matawalle

” As a party, we concede that slandering any of our members with ulterior motives is as good as attacking the structural foundation of our great party.

”Which is intolerable, let alone defaming the character and questioning the integrity of our leaders who earned their reputation

through selfless service to the greater good of the entire nation.’

According to Mada, APC welcomes positive criticism from the oppositions that do not violate the provisions of freedom of speech,adding, ”we will not condone any form of vituperation that overstepped boundaries of the provisions of the laws of the land.’

Stephen Olusa, Head, Workplace Banking, Personal Banking, FirstBank; Chukwuka Okonkwo, Head, Other Asset & Liability Products, Personal Banking, FirstBank; Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, eBusiness & Retail Products, FirstBank; Daniel Precious Odunola with Nnaji Alphonsus Chukwudi, both N100,000.00 winners of the FirstBank Win Big promo; Ini Ebong, Executive Director, Treasury and International Banking, FirstBank; Ikemefula Nwachukwu, Head, Personal Banking, FirstBank and Olayinka Ijabiyi, Head Brand and Stakeholder Management, FirstBank during the recently held fourth and final raffle draw of the FirstBank Win Big promo at the FirstBank Head Office.

Bello Matawalle

Power system collapse: Experts tasks FG on investment in modern power infrastructure

Some experts in the power industry have urged the Federal Government to prioritise investment in modern power infrastructure to mitigate frequent system collapses.

The experts made the urge in seperate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

NAN reports that on March 28, the national electricity transmission network, otherwise known as the grid, collapsed and plunged millions of homes and businesses into darkness.

This marks the fourth collapse of the grid in the first three months of the year.

Commenting on the development, Mr Chinedu Bosah, National Coordinator, Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity (CARE), said system collapse could

be stopped by reversing the power privatisation and invest more in modern power infrastructure.

Bosah said that such investment must be carried out transparently, and under the democratic control of workers and consumers.

This, he said, would forestall the usual corruption and inefficiency linked to public investment.

He said that if transmission infrastructure had to be upgraded, and it requires massive investment, but had to be pursued to achieve public interest.

“If the ruling elite continues to see investment from the point of personal enrichment, very little will be achieved.

“Hence, all subsequent investments must not be determined and handled by the corrupt bureaucracy.

NILDS D-G tasks Nigerians on inclusivity, dialogue, cooperation @ Easter transparency, and service to humanity.

Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, the Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has urged Nigerians to use the spirit of Easter to foster inclusivity, dialogue, and cooperation among all segments of the society.

Sulaiman said this in his Easter message on Sunday in Abuja and urged all Nigerians to recommit themselves to the values of accountability, transparency, and service to humanity.

He said that Easter was a time of reflection, renewal, and hope.

“We are reminded of the importance of unity and collaboration. As we work towards our common goal of promoting democratic ideals and effective governance, let us harness the spirit of Easter to foster inclusivity, dialogue, and cooperation across all sectors of society.

“In this season of hope and possibility, let us recommit ourselves to the values of accountability,

“Together, let us build a Nigeria where the principles of democracy thrive and the aspirations of our citizens are realised,” he said.

The DG said that at NILDS, there was a resonance between the essence of Easter and the institute’s mandate of fostering legislative excellence, democratic governance, and sustainable development.

He said that just as the period representd a time of rebirth and renewal and the institute was committed to continuously revitalising efforts toward advancing legislative research, capacity building, and policy advocacy.

“Through our programs and initiatives, we strive to empower lawmakers, policymakers, and stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of governance and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.

According to him, it has to be people-oriented, transparent and managed by workers and consumers if it had to achieve its set goals.

The expert said: “System collapses have come to stay, it is now part of the electricity value chain and it is multifaceted.

“It is also system collapse when the distribution companies reject load electricity and plunge communities into darkness or distribute electricity through poor facilities and infrastructure.

“It is system collapse when the GenCos fail to generate more electricity for Nigerians.”

Bosah said that apart from the plan to increase power generation from 3,500 MW to 6,500 MW, the minister of power should also have told Nigerians how to achieve it.

“We expect the generation companies to make such a promise and show

the plan to achieve this, not the minister.

“In other words, 6,500 MW for a population of over 200 million people can not be celebrated. It is a feat that endorses our backwardness and underdevelopment.

“The generation of 6,500 MW will still leave many Nigerians in darkness,” he said.

Bosah condemned the clamour for the privatisation of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), saying, ” they have not learnt anything from the failure of the privatisation of the generation and distribution aspect of the power sector”.

“It would have made sense if the GenCos and DisCos are doing very well,m. But in fact, the GenCos have not added 1 MW since privatisation while the DisCos are distributing darkness in most cases,” he added.

He said that the problem with GenCos, DisCos, and TCN were major companies, put together, to actualise

profits for the owners and the managers.

Mr Akinrolabu Olukayode, the Chairman of the Customer Consultative Forum of Festac/Satellite Town, called for a thorough audit of past investments.

He alleged that there had been diversion of funds into private pockets and therefore advocated for a change in management.

He suggested an injection of fresh talent to combat corruption and inefficiency.

“There is no way that you will obtain a different result when you keep adopting the same approach.

“It is when you change the approach that you can visibly obtain a different result.

“It is crystal clear that the huge investment in the energy sector is diverted into a private purse for personal gains,” he added.

He said that the accumulated effects of consistent

failure to utilise budgeted funds for the maintenance of the national grid were responsible for the collapses.

“The projected increase from 3,500MW to 6,500MW in the next six months is doable and feasible.

“The power generating plants in Nigeria have 11,165MW capacity.

“There are 23-26 power generating plants, out of which Jebba and Shiroro are hydro plants, suffering water management presently.

“The largest power plant (Egbin) is having a shortfall of 514MW and Geregu, 230MW, and many others.

“If the management of gas and water supply is adequately tracked and maintained with 11,165MW capacity, the realisation of 6,500MW will be a walkover for the minister without any further ado, ” Olukayode noted.

He said that the privatisation of TCN might be an option but not necessarily the most appropriate pan-

Obi celebrates Easter with inmates in Onitsha, urges them not to lose hope

Labour Party Presiden-

tial Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has urged correctional centre inmates not to feel isolated and finished but to seek the face of God for freedom and redemption.

Obi stated this while celebrating the Easter Mass with

the inmates at the Correctional Centre in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra. on Sunday.

He told the inmates that Mary Magdalene, who was the first to discover the resurrected Christ, was once unholy but became reformed and privileged to discover the rising of Christ,

even before the apostles.

According to him, being in prison is not the end of life, as they can get corrected and enjoy salvation, even before the free people.

In a homily inside the correctional centre, the Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, Valerie Okeke, thanked Obi for being one

of the charity pillars for the centre.

Okeke said that if Mary Magdalene could be transformed to be among the early beneficiaries of Christ’s resurrection, those in the centre too could turn out to be great in the society and before God.

Abubakar Sulaiman

Former Nigerian football player and coach, Christian Chukwu (left) and former Nigerian football goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala, both on the football pitch in commemoration of Chukwu's 50th anniversary as Rangers player/captain.

Kebbi Govt accepts resignation of Chief Imam of oldest Mosque

The Kebbi State Government says it has ratified the resignation of the Chief Imam of the oldest Jumu’at Mosque in Birnin Kebbi called “Wala Mosque”, Sheikh Rufa’i Ibrahim.

The Commissioner, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Aliyu, made this known while briefing Newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday.

He requested the Gwandu Emirate Council to put machinery in motion for the appointment of a substantive Chief Imam for the Wala Jumu’at Mosque.

Sani-Aliyu also endorsed the appointment of the Na’ibul Imam (Deputy Imam), Mallam Mammam Nata’ala to takeover the leadership of the mosque in acting capacity as directed by Birnin Kebbi Local Government Ciuncil.

He said that the former chief imam resigned from the position on personal basis which was accepted by the Birnin Kebbi local government council and approved by the state government.

The commissioner debunked insinuations that

Catholic archbishop charges Nigerians to shun vices and embrace true brotherhood

Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin on Sunday urged Nigerians to shun corruption, tribalism, nepotism, terrorism, kidnapping, warmongering, greed and injustice.

In his Easter message, he enjoined Nigerians to embrace integrity, true brotherhood, love, peaceful co-existence, contentment, equity and fairness, instead.

“We have seen how shamelessness, scandals, powerlessness and weaknesses were suddenly transformed into glory and honour and given pre-eminence, laudation and applause.

“We must allow the power of Christ to bring about transformation in our country and allow it to permeate every aspect of our lives.

“Easter is a season of

hope; let’s cling to hope in Christ’s resurrection for revival,’’ he stated.

Abegunrin stated that Easter calls humans to a renewed understanding of the sanctity of life and the need to promote it with vigour.

“No-one should be prevented from enjoying the gift of life from God; both natural and supernatural life.

“We must stand together to shun all anti-life practices, eradicate the culture of death, and shun the promotion of abortion or use of contraceptives.

“It is our earnest prayer that the life, love and peace of Christ will reign supreme in our lives,’’ Abegunrin also stated.

The archbishop enjoined Christians to reciprocate Jesus’ love at Easter by loving one another and by preaching the gospel and message of joy all over the world.

Easter: Pray for Nigeria to overcome present challenges, Ajadi admonishes Christians

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

Achieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has admonished Christians to use the period of Easter to pray for the country to overcome the current challenges.

Ajadi, who was the gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP in Ogun State in the 2023 general election, made the call on Sunday.

In a message issued to felicitate Christians over the Easter celebration, Ajadi called for peace, love and tolerance among Nigerians.

Ajadi, who acknowledged the fact that Nigeria as a country was facing issues of insecurity and poverty, maintained that the problems did not only affect the economy and the progress of the nation, but also threatened its

Sheikh Ibrahim left his position on monetary issues of being short changed by his subordinates.

“Gov. Nasir Idris in his compassionate disposition gave financial support to Imam (leaders) of Jumu’at Mosques in the state to assist them cushion the effect of present economic hard-

ship in the country and help those around them.

“Government has never received any report of sharp practice in the sharing of the money; therefore, the allegation of short changing the former chief imam by his aides, is untrue,” he said.

In his contribution, the Commissioner for Infor-

mation and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmad-Birnin-Kebbi, ruled out political undertones in the entire saga.

“We are in a democratic setting, Imam can profess political ideology different from the ruling administration without molestation or harassment. Our governor is all accommodating, every

indigene of Kebbi is dear to him.

“Those peddling rumour of political differences as a reason for the resignation of the chief imam are wrong. Sheikh Ibrahim relinquished his position on personal volition”, the commissioner explained.

Q1 2024: Nigerian equities market surges by N18.2trn despite economic headwinds

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 services, consumer, and industrial goods sub-sector, which has continued to trigger massive bargain hunting in large company shares. This has pushed the key performance indices and stimulated activities in the market, a development that has led to the rating of the stock market as the bestperforming in the world.

existence.

He called on Christians to use the occasion to pray for peace and security during the Easter celebration.

According to him, “I urge all Nigerians to pray for peace and security amidst seemingly intractable insecurity around Nigeria and an end to all kind of criminal activities in the land.

"We should also not forget the present economic hardship facing the Nigeria and her citizens.

“Easter, which is the season of the remembrance of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, marks the trial, sacrifice, victory and completion of the divine mandate of the author of the Christian faith.

“Our nation is faced with rampant insecurity from insurgents, bandits’ attacks, kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes that are not only affecting the economy and the

The monthly breakdown of market capitalisation revealed that the equities market in January 2024 gained N14.44 trillion in market capitalisation, while in February, the equities market dropped by N650.5 billion in February 2024 amid corporate earnings by listed companies, as investors divested into the Treasury Bills (T-bills) market.

In addition, the market capitalisation in March added N4.41 trillion amid mixed corporate earnings by listed companies.

Capital market analysts stated that the stock market performance in Q1, 2024 is on the backdrop of mixed corporate earnings by listed companies, the federal government’s reforms in the foreign exchange market and fuel subsidy removal.

Responding to market performance in Q1, 2024, the Vice President, of

Highcap Securities Limited, Mr David Adnori stated that investors are trading based on sentiment.

He stated that the emergence of President Bola Tinubu further energised the stock market since market participants had hope in his ability to rebuild the economy and implement economyfriendly policies.

Adnori, however, was optimistic that the stock may maintain its positive momentum in the second quarter of 2024, on the backdrop of banking sector recapitalisation and expected 22023 corporate earnings by most especially the banks and first quarter result and accounts for March 31, 2024.

Amid the hike in the Monetary Policy Rate to 24.75 per cent, capital market experts stated that its impact has created sentiment trading among investors who see the fixed-income market as an alternative investment opportunity to hedge against double-digit inflation.

The CEO of Wyoming Capital and Partners, Tajudeen Olayinka, said the equities market is now in a repricing mode because of interest rate hikes and

continued issuances of oneyear Treasury bills at a high effective yield of over 20 per cent.

“So, we may be witnessing a shift to the fixed income market in the second quarter of 2024,” he added.

Also, the chief operating officer of InvestData Consulting Limited, Mr. Ambrose Omordion said, “The stock market action continues to range, remaining in its distribution phase and a bottom reversal chart pattern that signals recovery and uptrend. Although, we see government and its economic team trying to return the nation’s economy to the path of recovery, even with the continued mismatch of policies and implementation style that reflects a disconnection between the fiscal and monetary perspectives.”

On market outlook, Omordion said: “We expect a mixed sentiment and position taking to continue as players digest the TB rates outcome and corporate earnings inflow with dividend announcements while taking advantage of low valuation to position and rebalancing portfolio.

“This is amid the volatility and pullbacks that add more

strength to upside potential.

As such, investors should take advantage of price correction. Also looking at the trends and events across the globe and domestically.”

Afrinvest Limited pointed out that, “we anticipate that the positive sentiment would linger in April spurred by increased corporate activities following banks recapitalisation announcement and growing Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) traction into equities.”

Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno (right), with renowned Akwa Ibom born Gospel Artiste, Moses Enang aka Moses Bliss and his wife, Marie Wiseborn at All Nations Christian Ministry Int'l. to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ as part of activities winding down the Easter celebration...on Sunday.

But what really is Nigeria’s problem?

ABIODUN KOMOLAFE

When, in 1814, Europe’s leading statesman, Count Metternich, said that Italy “is only a geographical expression”, the former Deputy of the Kingdom of Italy and the Father of Modern Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi, didn’t take it as an offence. Instead, the only question on his mind was how to create Italians.

Take the recent detention escape of one of the Binance Executives held in Nigeria for tax evasion, Nadeem Anjarwalla, as a case study! Anjarwalla’s escape from protective custody didn’t tell us anything other than the statelessness of the Nigerian state. In some countries, there would by now have been a gale of resignations. But in Nigeria, that has never happened; and may never happen! Instead, the country moves on, until the fire next time!

Apart from the run-of-the-mill criminals, a jailbreak or detention escape does not portend anything other than a weak state, that those who aided and abetted it knew what they were doing, and that nothing would happen to them ultimately. Mayer Amschel Rothschild once asked that he be given control of a nation’s money supply and he cared not who wrote the laws. That the Binance Executive who was trying to undermine the control of the Nigerian currency could escape from custody at all was a national disgrace! It’s a telltale sign of failure of intelligence and it’s sad! It’s tantamount to America informing a stunned world that Osama Bin

Laden had escaped from custody. For America, it’s not possible!

The raging insecurity in Nigeria also says something about a broken-down state where lack of internal security mechanisms has become the norm. Take, for instance, Nigeria has 371,800 police officers serving a population of 213.4 million Nigerians. Regrettably however, half of them are already fanned out to political bigwigs. So, what do we expect? That’s all the more reason to devolve power to the states if Nigeria wants to stop terrorism and associated criminalities. Matter-of-factly, the vigilantes involved in the war against terrorism and banditry deserve national awards because of the risks involved in fighting with Dane guns against men with AK 47 and other sophisticated weapons and networks. Added to this is that Nigeria is currently ‘blessed’ with loads of ungoverned spaces. For example, Sambisa Forest alone is reportedly the size of Belgium. Niger State is also almost thrice the size of the Netherlands. However, while the Netherlands maintains her position as the world’s 2nd largest exporter of food and agricultural products, what’s Niger State exporting?

Nigeria is the world’s 9th largest crude petroleum exporting country. Still, she is deep in the sea of palliative miasma. Dishearteningly, that’s emblematic of a dehumanized society and lack of transparency on the part of the organizers and it’s disheartening! Nigeria’s problem isn’t a question of not producing enough food. Rather,

it’s that the country does not have the infrastructure to have stable prices. The truth is that Nigeria has antediluvian agriculture. It is primitive and rain-fed! She doesn’t have Commodities Exchange and Boards and/or storage facilities. In my considered opinion, the drivers involved in the movement of goods and services from the hinterland to the cities are risking their lives. So, how much are they going to be paid to compensate for the risks? Unfortunately, instead of building rural roads, our governors are busy building flyovers and embarking on other vanity projects.

On the whole, Nigeria’s problem is a defective constitution. If we go back to what was the cost-benefit analysis and general wellbeing under the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, what has happened subsequently is that Nigeria now has more than 133 million Nigerians battling multidimensional poverty. Under the 1963 Constitution, that’s not possible! For those who care to know, India, Australia, Canada and Brazil have been operating under the same kind of Constitution. Look at where they are, compared to where Nigeria is hibernating!

While we cannot build a country without production, we cannot also build production on a defective constitution in which every state goes to Abuja every month, cap-in-hand, for handouts. The way out is for power to be devolved to the states, including powers to raise their own finances. It should be like the 1963 revenue sharing formula, which favoured 50% to the state

and 50% to the centre. How can Nigeria have more than 68 items on the Exclusive List? For God’s sake, they shouldn’t be more than 8 or 9 items; and they must have a revenue allocation formula that allows each state to carry out its responsibilities as a real subnational.

The key point here is that Nigeria is presently running on a very defective foundation and, until a Nigerian leader – and we hope that President Bola Tinubu would be the game-changer – is able to say what Massimo d’Azeglio said about Italy in 1861, Nigeria will remain captured. But the day a Nigerian leader possesses the interminable refinement and the presence of mind to emphasize that “we have made a geographical expression called Nigeria; now we must make Nigerians”, and he develops the capacity to do the needful, Nigeria will be free! And the only way to create Nigeria is to revisit her foundational defects, not by piecemeal constitution amendments but by writing a brand new Constitution that’s based largely on the spirit and letter of the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions and have it passed by plebiscite. There and then, everything will change because the states can now have control over their resources. If California in the United States of America was a sovereign state, it would be the 6th largest economy in the world as of today. Apart from having a fantastic, innovative income, California is a major contributor to the federal budget. In 2022, California had a record oper-

ating surplus of $97.5 billion, to which a special legislative session was called to debate the spending formula. Of course, that has gone to show the real essence of True Federalism. Until Nigeria develops that kind of framework, Nigerians will only be moving in circles, fantasizing and gambling about the naira-to-dollar exchange nonsense. After all, bandits were not born as bandits. They are bandits because they are produced from a factory!

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

Komolafe wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

Easter 2024 and the pilgrimage site which Nigeria is becoming

"

Many a cross we bear is of our own manufacture; we made it by our sins. But the cross which the Savior carried was not His, but ours. One beam in contradiction to another beam was the symbol of our will in contradiction to His own. If Innocence itself took a Cross, then how shall we who are guilty complain against it?" — Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

It has been six weeks of preparation for the solemn feast of the Lord's resurrection popularly called Easter. It is all climaxing this week. Yet, the country's atmosphere is not looking 'Easterish' partly because of the prevailing unfriendly economic reality and partly due to bemired sociopolitical cloud that hovers around us.

APC government which Nigerians brought upon themselves has become a cross of their own making.

The Government has made Nigerians have less need to visit Holy Lands on pilgrimage, especially this lent and Easter seasons. How can one desire pilgrimage trips again when our country is gradually becoming Golgotha - a place of skull itself (Mk.15:22). Replicas of agonizing faces, mirroring that of a suffering Messiah is common sight in every street and home (Is. 53:7). Harrowing spate of extrajudicial killings and traumatizing cases of abductions dot our newlines.

This year's lent pointed to a Good Friday in which everything around us paints gory imagery of

Calvary pains of Christ.

For instance, the vacant purses readily made us experience the poverty of Christ who had no place to lay his head, and had to 'borrow' everything including the donkey he rode on, into Jerusalem and even the tomb he was buried in (Matt. 8:20, Mk. 11:11, Jn. 19:41-42).

Secondly the perpetual power failure brings to mind the total eclipse that dusked on the world for three hours when the Lord gave up the ghost (Lk. 23:44-46). It replays in our psyche and awakens in our memory the nightly darkness under which cover, so many evils were perpetrated in the build-up to the Lord's Passion.(Jn. 13:30). In our time and clime, kidnapping is perpetuated in daylight and ransom demanded at twilight.

Thirdly, the prevailing empty stomachs tell us how the Lord felt after fasting for forty days; and more still the cry of "I am thirsty" from the height of the cross (Jn. 19:28).

With recurrent power outage, under the present global warming, we are subjected to helish heat and sweating, which is becoming a foretaste of the Getsemany heat in which Christ excreted blood (Lk. 22:44).

The harsh economic atmosphere in the country parallels the unstable state of the ancient Jewish polity under Pontius Pilate, influenced by the tyranny of their Roman colonial authority, headed by Caesar.

But shall we allow these man-

made hardships weigh us down from appreciating the light of the Lord's resurrection and celebrating the grace of Easter?

The answer is No!

Remember the darkest part of the night is just before the dawn. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning. However, we should be tenacious in our resolve to engender the new dawn despite the tragedy of the forlorn 2023 election miasma. Much as we recite the ejaculatory "Prayer For Nigeria In Distress," we must be resolute in our demands for a better leadership in the country by holding our leaders (especially those imposed on us by subversion of laws) to account.

My fellow Concoursites, never you despair. Raise your head and see that your salvation, is near. Your upliftment is by the corner. The day of your breakthrough is at hand. Remember, the God of Good Friday is also the Lord of Easter Sunday. He exhorted us to be still and know that He is God (Ps. 46:10). From here, if you listen carefully, you can hear the voice of the Man of Calvary crying "it is finished!" "it is finished," your ugly condition is finished in Jesus Name! (Jn. 19:30).

Meanwhile, don't take your mind off the ladder that leads to the good news. Many blessings are hanging on a silken cord, and only the sharp edges of repentance, prayer and patience can cut them. Let's hold fast to these virtues.This is how

Christ redeemed us: Suppose a golden chalice is stolen from an altar and beaten into a large ash tray. Before that gold can be returned to the altar, it must be thrown into a fire, where the dross is burned away; then the chalice must be recast, and finally blessed and restored to its holy use.

Sinful man is like that chalice which was delivered over to profane uses. He lost his Godlike resemblance and his high destiny as a child of God. So our blessed Lord took unto Himself a human nature, making it stand for all of us, plunged it into the fires of Calvary to have the dross of sin burned and purged away. Then, by rising from the dead, He became the new head of the new humanity, according to which we are all to be patterned.

The cross reveals that unless there is a Good Friday in our lives, there will never be an Easter Sunday. Unless there is a crown of thorns, there will never be the halo of light. Unless there is the scourged body, there will never be a glorified one. Death to the lower self is the condition for resurrection to the higher self.

So be steadfast in your faith. Be ready to sing the victory song.

God's mercy endureth forever. He condescended so low to those whose debts He have pardoned to become a debtor Himself by His promises.

Now, the only debt we owe is

to ourselves. The only price left is for us to try like Apostle Paul, "to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, to associate with His suffering and participate in His death" (Phil 3:10).

The Master Himself has set the pace and opened the fountain, as it where, of salvation. Ours is only to follow His footsteps till we bath in that fountain which washes off stains, even of the least venial sin and makes us eschatologically clean for beatific visions, imperfectly here at Easter feasts and perfectly hereafter in the Heavenly feast of resurrection (Rev. 19:9).

Happy Easter.

Abiodun Komolafe

FG to speed up work on Ekiti roads – Umahi

The Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, says the Federal Government will speed up the construction and rehabilitation of federal roads in Ekiti.

Umahi stated this when he led the ministry’s team, in company with the Ekiti governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on inspection tour of some federal roads in the state.

The minister commended Oyebanji for his commitment to infrastructure upgrade in Ekiti.

He disclosed that Oyebanji had made case for the roads as part of the prosperity agenda of his administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister was earlier received by Oyebanji at the Akure Airport and they inspected the Akure- Ikere Ekiti -Ado Ekiti dualised road.

The team also inspected the Ado Ekiti– Ijan Ekiti road which was recently awarded as well as the Afe

Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) Industrial Park Road, a model of concrete road construction.

Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti shortly after the inspections, Umahi said the purpose of the visit was to assess the level of works done on some of the on-going road projects.

He acknowledged that the roads were major corridors to other parts of the country, and assured that his ministry would ensure timely completion of the projects for the benefit of citizens and economic development of the state.

On his assessment of the works done on the roads, the minister said he was not satisfied with the level of work done on the AkureIkere- Ado road, revealing that the contractor had been invited for further instruction.

He assured the people of the state that the Federal Government remained committed to improving the

Police raid IPOB/ ESN hideout in Enugu, neutralise 2, recover firearm, ammunition

The Police Command in Enugu State says it has raided an Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) criminal hideouts in Akwuke axis of Enugu metropolis.

The police operatives, however, met with resistance from the renegades, who opened fire upon sighting them, but they were subdued by the superior firepower of the police, leading to the neutralisation of two of the renegades.

The Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Sunday that the Police conducted the raid on Saturday at about 2:30 a.m.

Ndukwe said that other members of the outlawed group escaped with various gunshot wounds.

He said that one AK47 rifle, one Sub-Machine Gun (SMG), one stainless Pump-Action Gun (PAG), 27 live and 23 expended rounds of 7.62 mm calibre ammunition were recovered after the raid and gun duel.

According to him, police also recovered five live cartridges and a small blue-coloured Gideon New Testament Bible probably used to conceal objects suspected to be charms.

“In pursuance of the proactive/crime prevention strategies devised by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Kanayo Uzuegbu, police operatives

road infrastructure across the country and would continue to intensify efforts to ensure the projects were completed within stipulated timeline.

“We came to look at some of the ongoing projects in Ekiti. These roads are major corridors to evacuate a lot of commercial produce from Benin to Lokoja and the southern part of the country.

“We have looked at the roads and we are coming back. My team will give it all the desired attention, that’s what the governor and Chief Afe Babalola want, the minister stated.

Oyebanji, who appreciated the minister for his visit, said the inspection was a testament to the fact that the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government remained committed to development at the sub-national level.

The governor underscored the significance of accessible and well maintained roads in facilitating transportation, commerce, and the overall socio-economic progress of the state.

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its continued support in addressing infrastructure challenges confronting the state.

of Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad carried out an intelligence-guided raid of a suspected IPOB/ESN hideout in Akwuke community in Enugu metropolis.

“A preliminary investigation reveals that the breech number of the recovered AK-47 was wiped off.

“The criminal elements are responsible for several attacks and carting away of police officers rifles, as the rifle’s magazine bore the Nigeria Police Force colour. Further discreet investigations are ongoing,” he said.

The spokesperson noted that the CP, while commending the operatives for the feat, reaffirmed the command’s unwavering commitment to rid Enugu State of unrepentant criminals.

He said that the commissioner solicited the continued support of the citizenry, while urging them and owners of medical facilities, in particular, to report persons found with gunshot wounds to the nearest police operative or station.

“This shows the level of commitment of the President’s administration to the development of the sub-na-

tional,” the governor said. NAN reports that the minister’s visit was sequel to the two working visits

by the governor to the ministry of works in Abuja on account of federal roads in the state.

NDLEA burns over 3 tonnes of cannabis in Edo forests

lSeizes consignment of psychoactive substances hidden in noodles in Bayelsa

Not less than 3,065.255kg of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) substances were razed on two farms at Amahor waterside forest in Igueben area of Edo state, says the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesman, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that three suspects: James Thankgod; Wisdom James and Akpa Festus were arrested on Thursday, March 28, in connection with the farms.

Meanwhile, 278kg of same substance going to Idoani in Ondo state was recovered during a raid on Oloma-Okpe forest, AkokoEdo Local Government Area (LGA), Edo State.

Oyebanji assured that his administration would continue to collaborate with the federal government to ensure that federal roads were brought to satisfactory standard that would enhance the quality of life for citizens.

“Well, this speaks to alignment of vision between the state and the federal government, like the minister said, it is one government and we believe in the development of our people.

“This visit is in response to the request from Ekiti people to come and look at the state of things here and it is so exciting and I must commend the minister for this swift response.

The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu, has urged Nigerians to use the Easter period to pray for President Bola Tinubu and other Nigerian leaders as they discharge their duties.

Audu made the call in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, on Sunday in Abuja, to felicitate with Christians as they celebrate Easter.

”Pray for the peace, unity, progress, and development of Nigeria as well as for Mr. President and all other leaders.

”Remain hopeful in the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu, who is already delivering on the dividends of democracy,” he said.

Also, at least, 127.5kg of cannabis, loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked, NTT 215 AA, was recovered along Isua/Kabba road, Idoani area of Ose LGA, Ondo State.

In another development, Babafemi said that a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher, was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano.

Babafemi said that the owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano road, Bakura Goni, was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday, March 26.

He said that Goni, caught during a follow up operation, had been flown to Kano to face charges.

“The consignment, consisting of cannabis and tramadol, weighing 73.8kg, was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to

Femi

Kano,“ he said.

In another development, the NDLEA says it has arrested three men aged between 27 years and 44 years in Bayelsa for trafficking in psychoactive substances hidden in noodles.

Mr Femi Babafemi, spokesman of the agency, who stated in Abuja on Sunday, said that two of the three men were arrested at Swali Jetty, Yenagoa, on March 27.

He added that psychoactive drugs recovered from them were 73.425kg of codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam.

“The third suspect was nabbed at Amasoma, Yenagoa in a follow up operation. The drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to Swali Jetty in a tricycle,’’ he stated.

The NDLEA also arrested

two suspects at Orile Imo, Ogun, on March, 29 and they were in possession of 137 blocks of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp weighing 71kg.

Babafemi stated also that in Taraba, NDLEA recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a 33-year-old suspect in Lankaviri village, while its operatives arrested a 29-year-old man in Wukari on March 28 with 131kg of Indian hemp.

“In Abia, NDLEA operatives arrested a 28-year-old man on Friday, March 29 at Akara Ahuba, in Isikwuato Local Government Area.

“Recovered from him were 46.65kg of Indian hemp and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and Rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit,’’ Babafemi added.

Easter: Minister seeks prayers for Tinubu, other Nigerian leaders

He said that Nigeria in the past week has seen visible economic progression, with its naira strengthening and other economic indicators improving.

He said that the development was an indication that the country’s economy was stabilising under the leadership of President Tinubu, and that better days were ahead.

”Again, I want to urge Nigerians to reflect on the essence of Easter and show love for one another, especially the vulnerable and those in need, live in peace and harmony, and continue to be our brothers’ keepers.

” I want to urge Nigerians to reflect on the essence of Easter, which brings hope to mankind, and is also a time for sacrifice and prayers to God,” he said.

According to the minister, the Easter period coinciding with the Ramadan season was a demonstration that God loved Nigeria and its inhabitants.

He said it also presented a divine opportunity for Nigerians, irrespective of their faith, to offer prayers to God for the betterment of their country.

The minister also said he had just distributed bags of rice, cartons of groundnut

oil and salt to religious, traditional and political leaders and the indigents across the 21 local government areas of Kogi State. According to him, the gesture was in commemoration of President Tinubu’s 72nd birthday as well as to provide succour to Nigerians in the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Daniel Ndukwe

Tinubu

Obaseki receives Obasanjo, as ex-president charges politicians on sacrifice, selflessness

TITUS AKHIGBE, BENIN

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the weekend, played host to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with the ex-president charging political leaders on sacrifice and selflessness.

Obaseki received Obasanjo who was on a courtesy visit at the Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Commending the governor for the warm reception, the former President charged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country. He noted: “The situation in Nigeria is hard, but no

bad situation can't be made good. The question is, when and how? All we should be saying to those who have the opportunity now is to do their best. It is indeed an opportunity for you to run the affairs of your country and look after your people. It is an opportunity.

“It should not be me but we; not mine but ours; not my tomorrow but our tomorrow, and not my generation but all generations including the generation coming. This is what sustainable development is all about. You don’t eat today and not remember the generation coming that they too have to eat, that is all it is.”

On the developmental

strides of Governor Obaseki in the last seven and half years, Obasanjo said: “The governor used this opportunity to brief me of what is going on in Edo State. Seeing is believing as when you are in a place you learn more by your visit than just hearing and that is what has just happened to me. I have learnt a lot and am better educated now about things in Edo State, recent and immediate future.”

On the secret of his good health and agility, the former President said, “The secret of good health is the grace of God. You must learn to grow and old gracefully with the grace of God. I used the acronym ‘DREAMSC’ which

Niger governor congratulates Christians on Easter

...tasks them to sustain prayers for peace in Nigeria

SAKA BOLAJI, MINNA

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has congratulated Christians in the state and beyond on the Easter celebration.

The Governor in a mes-

ISAAC JOB, UYO

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Force CID Annex Enugu, AIG Kwazhi B.Y. Dali, has sent a message of felicitation to Christian faithful resident within the south east and south-south regions of Nigeria as they join others worldwide to commemorate the death

sage noted that Easter is a significant celebration observed by Christians to commemorate the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the hallmark of the Christian faith.

He observed that the season depicts love, sacrifice and forgiveness as epitomised by Jesus Christ.

and resurrection of Christ.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) for the zone, CSP Chika Elon and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Sunday, he enjoined all Christians to observe Easter in line with the principles of sacrifice, love, forgiveness and humanity as enunciated in the teaching and character of Jesus Christ.

He said Jesus took time

While felicitating with the Christians, the Governor called on them to use the Easter season to solemnly reflect and imbibe all the virtues of Jesus Christ.

He also urged them to take advantage of the period to sustain their prayers to God for an end to insecurity in the state in particular and

to teach the world about sacrifice, love, forgiveness and humanity which are the core values of the society.

He therefore urged Christians living in South East and South-South Nigeria to emulate the above virtues for a better society.

Dali also advised members of the public living in the regions to be law abiding and partner with

Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), has unveiled ambitious plans to elevate the institute into a global leader in public health.

With a distinguished background in epidemiology and infectious diseases, Idris, speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, expressed commitment to advancing public health initiatives in the country.

Highlighting the importance of health security, Idris emphasised the need for governments to prioritise protecting citizens from health issues.

“Our mandate as an agency is health security; it is the fourth pillar of the Minister for Health’s 4-point agenda,” he stated.

Idris identified gaps in disease prevention, detection, surveillance, and emergency preparedness, noting the need to enhance efficiency and performance.

means, Diet, Rest, Exercise, Medicals, Social Interaction and Contentment.

“Exercise is important no matter how old you are. Your medical is important. You should interact with people and not be alone or dejected and depressed. Be content with what God has done for you and if not, you will run in circles.”

Obaseki

the nation at large. Governor Bago therefore restated his administration's unwavering resolve to confront the security challenges bedevilling the state and also assured that he is not resting on his oars to ensure that his policy thrusts for the "New Niger" are achieved.

police by providing information about crime and criminality to the nearest police station.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police further urged members of the public to remain law-abiding as well as cooperate and partner with the police by providing prompt relevant information regarding crime and criminality to the nearest police station.

NCDC aims to become worldrenowned public health institute, says DG

said. Currently, he said, the agency had an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), for Lassa fever and Cerebrospinal meningitis.

“We have recently deployed national rapid response teams to support states for both Lassa fever and Meningitis in addition to medical supplies capacity building provided to the states.

“The best way we feel is to prevent these diseases from happening, rather than waiting for them to occur,” he added.

NCDC has structured a roadmap from 2024 to 2026, focusing on disease prevention, detection, surveillance, and emergency preparedness and response to safeguard health security in the country.

He stressed the importance of partnerships at international, Federal, and sub-national levels, including collaborations with Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, academia, research personnel, and the media.

“It is incumbent on NCDC to form these partnerships,” he affirmed.

The aim of the roadmap, according to him, is “to make NCDC a world-renowned health institute.

“With strategic planning and collaboration, NCDC, under my leadership, aims to significantly impact global health outcomes.”

Speaking of response to a surge in disease outbreaks across the country, he said the agency had activated emergency measures to combat meningitis, diphtheria, and cholera.

He said that with 2,173 cases and 202 deaths reported in 22 states and 96 local government areas for meningitis, the situation was dire.

“At this period in our country, we are responding to the following disease outbreaks, including meningitis (2,173 cases and 202 deaths in 22 states and 96 local government areas –LGAs).

“Diphtheria 16,518 cases; 22 states; 160 LGAs, Total confirmed death: 839, CFR5.0 per cent, and cholera( 410 cases and 5 deaths in 17 states and 38 LGAs,” he

“We will continue to support the states as they lead in the response. We are also collaborating with our sister agency, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in meningitis vaccination campaign efforts.

“We urge Nigerians to report in health facilities nearest to them when they become ill for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.”

Additionally, he said, cases of diphtheria and cholera had been reported in multiple states, prompting swift action from the agency.

“The NCDC has deployed national rapid response teams to support affected states, providing medical supplies and capacity building to aid in the response efforts.

“Collaboration with the NPHCDA has been initiated for meningitis vaccination campaigns.

“Nigerians are urged to seek medical attention at the first sign of illness and report to the nearest health facility for early diagnosis and treatment,” he said.

The NCDC boss said that Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever, posed a significant threat, with the virus primarily spreading through contact with infected rats and their droppings.

He emphasised the importance of maintaining a clean environment, blocking entry points for rodents, and practicing good personal hygiene to prevent spread of the disease.

In the light of the meningitis outbreak, he highlighted the transmission and symptoms of the disease, urging healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and report suspected cases promptly.

“Prevention measures such as hand washing, vaccination, and early detection are key in reducing the impact of the outbreak,” he said.

Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma (middle) with others at the Easter Service at Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Parish Ozuh Omuma, Oru-East, Imo State...on Sunday.

Pope Francis calls for ceasefire in Gaza and Ukraine in Easter message

Pope Francis has used his traditional Easter message to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The 87-year-old pontiff led Easter Mass at the Vatican in front of thousands, despite concerns over his health.

Referring to conflicts around the world, the Pope pleaded not to "yield to the logic of weapons and rearming".

"Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts," he said.

Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered in St Peter's Square to hear the Pope.

As fresh truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas were due to begin, Pope Francis said: "I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October and for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip.

Referring to the impact of the war on civilians, beginning with children, he said:

"How much suffering we see in their eyes! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity and a defeat."

Pope Francis also warned countries against re-arming themselves and spoke about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine just over two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

"In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine," the Pope said.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas's unprecedented attack in southern Israel during which about 1,200 people were killed and some 253 taken hostage.

Israel launched a retaliatory operation, saying it was aimed at destroying Hamas. Since then, 32,782 Palestinians have been killed and 75,298 injured, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Easter Sunday marks a major part of the Catholic calendar and is followed by 1.3 billion people around

Syria: Seven dead after car bomb tears through market in Azaz

At least seven people have been killed in a car bombing which targeted a busy market in northern Syria.

Several more were injured in the attack in the town of Azaz in Aleppo province, near the Turkish border.

It is unclear who carried out the attack in the town which is run by pro-Turkish militias fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkish forces and their proxies control large areas of Syria along the border the two countries share.

When the bomb went off the market was busy with shoppers buying new clothes for their children ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan next month.

The White Helmets, a volunteer rescue group which operates in Syria, said two children were among the dead.

Footage of the aftermath showed bodies lying on the

the globe.

On Sunday, Pope Francis was helped into a wheelchair as he greeted cardinals celebrating Easter Mass.

He then travelled around St Peter's Square in the popemobile waving to large crowds.

Two days ago, Pope Fran-

The bodies of eight Chinese nationals have been found on a beach in the Mexican state of Oaxaca after their boat capsized, officials say.

The bodies were found on Friday along a route used by illegal migrants trying to reach the United States.

The seven women and a man were on board a boat operated by a Mexican that set off from Chiapas state, on the border with Guatemala, on Thursday.

One other person survived. It was not clear what

ground, damaged buildings and the remnants of a car on fire. No group has admitted carrying out the attack.

Businesses and homes were damaged by the blast

Azaz is home to the Syrian Interim Government, an opposition group which stakes a claim to being the country's legitimate authority.

The town has been described by analysts as strategically important in the context of the civil war because of its proximity to the Turkish border and value as a supply route.

Bombs targeting crowded civilian areas are not uncommon in Syria's north-west border region, including in Azaz.

In 2017, more than 40 people were killed when a car bomb was detonated outside the town's courthouse.

The Islamic State groupwhich captured the town in 2013 and briefly held it - said it had carried out the attack.

cis presided over the Good Friday service in Saint Peter's Basilica - but he skipped the traditional Way of the Cross ceremony and procession at Rome's Colosseum to protect his health, the Vatican said. A statement from the Vatican said the Pope had

decided to rest as a precautionary measure.

But, on Saturday, he took part in a two-hour Easter vigil during which he read a lengthy homily.

In the last year Pope Francis has had a number of health issues. In March 2023 he was admitted to hospital

with bronchitis - months later he underwent abdominal surgery on a hernia.

The Vatican said in November the Pope cancelled a planned trip to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai due to influenza and lung inflammation.

Mexico: Eight Chinese migrants found dead on beach

happened the boat's driver.

The prosecutor's office in Oaxaca said the bodies were found near a beach in the town of Playa Vicente.

It said it was investigating the cause of the accident and working with the Chinese embassy in Mexico to identify the victims.

The number of migrants attempting to enter the US from Mexico has been increasing in recent years.

More than 6.3 million migrants have entered

the US illegally since 2021. The number began to rise in 2018, largely driven by Central Americans fleeing a series of complex crises including gang violence, poverty, political repression and natural disasters.

Of migrants from outside the Americas, the greatest increase comes from China, with a growing number looking to escape a faltering economy and political repression at home.

More than 37,000 Chinese

nationals were detained at the US-Mexico border last year, about 50 times the figure from two years ago.

Mexico's immigration facilities and shelters have been overwhelmed by the rising number of migrants.

The country's government has come under increased pressure from the US to fight the flow as illegal immigration takes centre stage in the upcoming US presidential election campaign.

Almost 5,000 Channel migrant crossings so far in 2024

Seven small boats carrying 349 people crossed the English Channel on Saturday, the Home Office has said.

It brought the total for 2024 so far to 4,993 people, according to provisional government data.

It follows three days without any new arrivals.

Rishi Sunak's Conservative government has promised to "stop the boats" but shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said the pledge had been "left in tatters".

The government said it continued to work with French police "to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys".

On Tuesday the total for the year so far topped the record for arrivals between January and March, when 338 people were brought ashore at Dover.

In January five people drowned in French waters while trying to cross the En-

glish Channel.

The total for the whole of 2023, according to Home Office figures, was 29,437.

Nearly 5,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in the first three months of 2024

A key plank of the government's strategy is the plan to send small boat arrivals to Rwanda but legislation was not passed before Easter after peers inflicted a series of defeats on the flagship bill.

The bill will now return to the Commons when parliament resumes on 15 April.

2024 had seen "one unwanted record after another for the number of arrivals".

He said: "We can also see from these figures that there is a major tragedy waiting to happen in the Channel.

"Poor quality, overcrowded dinghies are putting to sea and getting into trouble early in their journeys, while the smuggling

gangs responsible are left to count their profits.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "The unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.

"We continue to work closely with French police who are facing increasing violence and disruption on

their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys.

“We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.”

Equities investors lose N248bn in one week

At the close of last week’s trading activities, the equities investors lose a total sum of N248 billion

Although, the market, opened for four trading days last week, as the federal government declared Friday, March 29, 2024, and Monday, April 1, 2024, as Public Holidays to commemorate Easter celebrations.

Specifically, the All-Share Index closed lower by 0.08 per cent week-on-week (W-o-W) to close at 104,562.06 points. Similarly, the market capitalisation shed N248 billion to close at N59.121 trillion.

Sectoral performance for the week was mostly positive, except for the NGX Consumer Goods index, which recorded a modest loss of 0.37 per cent week-on-week.

Conversely, the NGX Banking, NGX Insurance, and NGX Industrial Goods sectors experienced gains of 1.93 per cent, 3.19 per cent, and 0.21 per cent respectively, while the

NGX Oil & Gas index closed flat for the week.

The market breadth for the week was positive as 40 equities appreciated, 31 equities depreciated, while 83 equities remained unchanged. CWG led the gainers table by 26.05 per cent to close at N7.50, per share. Morison Industries followed with a gain of 24.82 per cent to close at N1.76, while Juli went up by 20.74 per cent to close to N9.49, per share.

On the other hand, International Breweries led the decliners table by 14.26 per cent to close at N4.45, per share. Dangote Sugar Refinery followed with a loss of 11.86 per cent to close at N52.00, while Guinea Insurance declined by 10.26 per cent to close at 35 kobo, per share.

Overall, a total turnover of 1.804 billion shares worth N52.040 billion in 38,550 deals was traded last week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 1.735 billion shares valued at N48.755 billion that exchanged hands the prior week in 45,237

deals. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.329 billion shares valued at N32.924 billion traded in 20,897 deals; contributing 73.65 per cent and 63.27 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 106.728 million shares worth N1.467 billion in 2,368 deals, while the Consumer Goods Industry pulled a turnover of 87.708 million shares worth N4.220 billion in 4,731 deals.

Trading in the top three equities; Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Zenith Bank and Access Holdings (measured by volume) accounted for 589.939 million shares worth N23.276 billion in 8,166 deals, contributing 32.70 per cent and 44.73 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

Meanwhile, capital market analysts expect a mixed outing in the equities market this week as trading activities commence for April.

Ramadan: Insurance professionals champion national unity for societal harmony

Motolani Oseni

Insurance professionals and other experts have advocated national unity among people of different religions, ethnicities and races as enshrined in the doctrine of Islam and exemplified in the current month of Ramadan.

The professionals who spoke at the 2024 Chattered Institute of Insurance of Nigeria (CIIN) Ramadan lecture on the theme; Ramadan: an epitome of spirituality, self-discipline & interpersonal relationship, agreed that Ramadan is another rare opportunity for every living thing to witness another blessed month, advising Islamic faithful to use the month to correct their wrongs and have the interests of other fellow human beings at heart, thereby, fostering national unity.

Ramadan is annually observed by Muslims globally, who are to abstain from eating, drinking, sexual intercourse and other atrocities from dawn till sunset.

Speaking at the gathering, the president, of CIIN, Edwin Igbiti noted that the discourse brought

to the fore the role of spiritual and interpersonal relationships in building a better society, bearing in mind the societal issues and challenges confronting Muslims today across the globe, be it terrorism assault, stereotype and bigotry.

“We are in a season when we reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with the Islam faith, and the responsibility that we have to one another and to God. It is also a time of intense devotion to Allah. For these reasons, I urge us all here today to continue to use the Holy Month of Ramadhan to stay close to Allah by seeking for forgiveness of our sins, and praying for our country, family and humanity in general,” he stressed.

Stating that it is sad that human beings and government are divided even as lands are partitioned and separated by artificially created religious/ethnic/financial borders, adding that, to achieve a better and secure nation, individuals as patriotic citizens and followers should embrace the Islamic injunction of unity; be our brother’s keeper in all doings and practice the faith with all sincerity and soberness.

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has approved negotiated and reviewed haulage rates from Eastern ports to various destinations in the country.

The rates approved were in consideration of cost moderation and cargo transport issues. The negotiations were harmonious and the rates agreed upon were acceptable to all parties, including freight forwarders and truck owners.

Addressing the meeting in Lagos, the executive secretary and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah, commended the stakeholders for their conceited effort towards negotiating haulage rates from Eastern Ports to other destinations.

Barr. Akutah lauded the stakeholders for their commitment to moving the country forward despite the challenges they are facing in their haulage business.

He assured the stakeholders that the federal government is committed to making their haulage business strive in the country.

Akutah used the occasion to call on the stakeholders to support the Federal Government’s aspiration to transform the maritime sector.

The NSC boss said the sector remains a gold mine for the

MOTOLANI OSENI

Access Holdings Plc, Coronation Group, Safaricom Plc and M-PESA Africa have partnered to broaden access to remittances across Africa as well as propel financial inclusion and economic prosperity for millions across the continent.

nation’s economy with the current efforts of the government to ensure its development.

Among the stakeholders present at the meeting were the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); the National Council of Managing Directors Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (ARFFN), Truck Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) General Goods Transporters Association of Nigeria (GGTAN).

It would be recalled that, as at the time of the 2022 review, the cost of AGO ( Diesel oil) was N300 Litre, the $1 exchange rate to N400. After, the 2022 exercise, the price of AGO/ Litre started soaring and it is currently hovering between N1,500 and N1,700.

Consequently, truck owners started agitating for the review of the haulage rates, after a series of meetings with the stakeholders negotiating haulage rates, the issue eventually concluded the intervention by the Ports Economic Regulator.

Similarly, Chief Imam of Falomo Police Station Mosque and Voice of Nigeria (VoN), Dr Tajudeen Adebayo, while delivering his lecture noted that Ramadan is another rare opportunity for every living thing to witness another blessed month.

Particularly, he said, it is an opportunity for all Muslims to scale up their spirituality and improve their self-discipline as well as to enhance their interpersonal relationship with others.

“Taqwa; Piety, spiritual enhancement, improved consciousness of Allah, the creator of the Universe is the main essence of our fasting. It is relevant to this topic to note that Allah created different creatures with different peculiarities. The human soul gets succour from spiritual exercises such as Solat, Dhikr, Fasting, and kindness to fellow humans. Etc. Like the body, the soul can also fall sick and will require spiritual attention to get well,” he pointed out.

Saying Muslims need to be more friendly with the Qur’an in Ramadan, he stressed that, ‘reading the Qur’an and studying it should be a daily routine for every Muslim, but that should increase in the month of Ramadan.’

A statement by the parties said the collaboration is targeted at exploring solutions that will provide a remittance corridor between East and West Africa, connecting some of the continent’s largest economies.

The collaboration will see the convergence of Access Holdings’ robust Pan-African banking infrastructure, spanning 14 African countries, with Coronation Group's comprehensive array of technology-infused financial services offerings in West Africa, coupled with M-PESA and Safaricom.

M-PESA is the continent’s leading mobile money and digital payments service, connecting more than 60 million customers and 5 million businesses across 8 countries and processing more than $1 billion a day in transaction value. Safaricom is Kenya’s leading telecommunications, ICT and financial services provider with more than 32 million of its customers using M-PESA services every month.

Chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, emphasised the ethos of

empowerment that forms the foundation of this collaboration. “We stand at the threshold of an extraordinary journey, one poised to shape the financial landscape of Africa. This partnership encompasses more than a convergence of capabilities; it signifies the fusion of collective expertise, resources, and an unwavering commitment to drive financial inclusion, empowering millions throughout Africa.

“Through collaborative innovation, shared vision, and resolute determination, we are primed to unlock unprecedented opportunities, transform lives, and make an indelible imprint on Africa's trajectory,” he noted.

Speaking on the collaboration, acting Group chief executive officer of Access Holdings Plc, Bolaji Agbede, said: “Our conviction remains steadfast – this collaboration has the power to recalibrate the trajectory of financial services in Africa. By combining our strengths with those of Coronation Group, Safaricom and M-Pesa Africa, we will deliver on our promise of sustainably impacting our stakeholders, empowering individuals, and significantly contributing to the continent's economic ascension.”

“African countries trade more with nations outside the continent than within themselves. Initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) seek to address the lack of intra-continental trade. This partnership with Safaricom, Coronation Group and Access Holdings seeks to explore remittance corridors between East and West Africa bringing alive the AfCFTA spirit,” said MD – M-PESA Africa, Sitoyo Lopokoiyit.

TEMITOPE ADEBAYO

Forex: Naira strengthens against dollar by 21.8% in March

The Nigerian currency, Naira, strengthened significantly against the US dollar by 21.8 per cent in March 2024.

Official figures indicate that the Naira closed the month at N1309/$1 on the last trading day, up from N1595.11/$1 at the end of February 2024.

This 21.8 per cent gain points to the success of several forex policies, strategies and interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) all aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the national currency.

In the parallel market, the Naira saw an even more pronounced recovery. The exchange rate improved from N1600/$1 in February to N1250/$1 in March, representing a 28% gain in one month highlighting the effectiveness of the measures taken to bridge the gap between the official and unofficial currency markets.

The gains in the official and

parallel market are the largest seen in over 5 years. Before now, the exchange rate was fixed at about N450/$1 for almost two years and around N380/$1 between 2020 and early 2021.

It, is, however, worthy of note that on the official end of the market, the apex bank started by addressing suspected cases of excessive foreign currency speculation and hoarding from Nigerian banks.

In a circular titled “Harmonisation of Reporting Requirements on Foreign Currency Exposures of Banks,” the CBN stated that banks’ Net Open Position (NOP) must not exceed 20% short (owning more than owed) or 0% long (owning no more than the bank’s shareholder funds not reduced by losses) of the bank’s shareholders’ funds.

Experts suggest this removed a huge area of speculation from the market, ensuring that only genuine demand for forex was being seen.

The apex bank also announced the complete clearance of the valid

foreign exchange backlog. They stated that they concluded the payment of $1.5 billion to settle obligations to bank customers, effectively settling the residual balance of the FX backlog.

On the retail end of the market, policies such as allocating $20,000 to each Bureau De Change (BDC) at a competitive rate and removing the exchange rate cap for International Money Transfer Operators have been pivotal in strengthening the exchange rate on the retail end.

This follows a new guideline that increased the share capital of Bureau De Change (BDC) operators to N2 billion and N500 million for Tier 1 and Tier 2 licenses, respectively.

The apex bank followed this up with the revocation of over 4,000 licenses of BDC operators.

Also, as part of measures to manage demand in the retail end of the market, the apex bank stated there will be a cap on foreign currency purchases for school fees at $10,000 per customer annually.

Shareholders of Geregu Power approve N20bn dividend payout

MOTOLANI OSENI

Shareholders of Geregu Power Plc have unanimously approved the dividend payout of N20 billion for the 2023 financial year.

The dividend, which amounts to N8.00 per share, was approved at the 12th Annual General Meeting of the company held yesterday in Lagos.

The shareholders commended the N20 billion dividend payout to shareholders, stressing that Geregu Power as the first listed power-generating company to list on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has attracted another power-generating company to list on the bourse.Speaking to shareholders, the chairman of Geregu Power, Mr. Femi Otedola said: “In light of our strong financial performance in 2023, the Board propose a dividend distribution that reflects our commitment to rewarding our shareholders.”

“the dividend declaration is not just a distribution of profits; it is a signal of our confidence in the company’s future and our commitment to sharing our success with

those who have invested in us.”

Otedola stated that, 2023 was a year of solid financial performance for Geregu Power Pic, underpinned by strong commercial momentum and strategic operational efficiencies, saying that, “we experienced growth in our financial metrics, a testament to our robust business model and the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives.

“Our revenue saw an increase of 58 per cent, reaching N82.9 billion. This growth was driven by a combination of factors, including increased FX rates in the tariff components, energy rate & capacity charges and operational efficiencies.

“The operating profit for the year stood at N42.6 billion, showcasing our ability to manage costs effectively while scaling our operations. Profit before tax amounted to N24.3 billion, and we achieved a profit after tax of N16 billion.”

On the Company vision for 2024 and beyond, Otedola said, “We will continue to align our operations with global energy trends, focusing on sustainable, efficient, and renewable energy solutions.”

The chief executive officer of Geregu Power, Mr Akin Akinfemi-

Guinea Insurance Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and collaboration through a successful partnership with the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) Evening in Port Harcourt, SouthSouth Area Committee.

During the event, Guinea Insurance received commendations for its exemplary service and prompt claims processing from industry leaders and stakeholders, reinforcing its position as a trusted insurance provider.

Notable attendees included Ademola Abidogun, Managing Director/CEO, Pius Edobor, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Oluyinka Adebiyi, Group Lead, Marketing, Ogonna Offor-Orabueze, Group Lead. Technical, and other key figures from the insurance sector.

Ademola Abidogun, the Managing Director of Guinea Insurance PLC, emphasized that the event underscored Guinea Insurance's dedication to excellence and cooperation within the industry.

He expressed confidence that the enhanced partnership with NCRIB's South-South Area Committee would result in mutually advantageous

The newly elected president of the Pension fund Operators Association of Nigeria(PenOp), Umar Mairami has promised to embark on laudable initiatives to deepen pension penetration and awareness in the country.

Mairami, who is also the managing director/chief executive officer of Premium Pension Limited, said, he recognises the need to increase pension acceptance both in public and private sectors through enhanced awareness and partnership with relevant stakeholders, saying, his administration will continue from where his predecessors left it.

wa said that “despite economic and operational disruptions in 2023, our unwavering commitment to value creation has enabled us to navigate these challenges effectively and deliver a robust performance with record financial metrics by optimising our existing assets to unlock value for our stakeholders.”

He noted that “at the start of the year, we focused on strategic imperatives: optimizing plant utilization by securing alternative gas sources, conducting routine inspections and maintenance to minimize downtime, and ensuring efficient operations.”

He added that “our resilient business model generated a total of 1.738 million Mwh. The transmitted energy to the national grid stood at 1.713 million Mwh.

“On the cost side, we continued to adhere to strict budget discipline, internal process realignment and operational efficiencies to minimise the impact of external domestic exigencies on overall operating expenses.”

In 2024, the CEO said, “We shall launch a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering the growth and development of young engineers through a specialized young engineering scheme.”

He takes over from Olumide Oyetan, whose tenure as President ended on March 31, 2024, after he was voted by his colleagues.

Olumide had been the president of the industry association for 2 years, having been elected in 2022. In an online ceremony held recently, the new President, alongside the newly elected executives took their oath of office, pledging to carry on the ideals of the association and work to ensure harmonious relationships within the industry and to continue to maintain high standards of ethics and integrity within the industry.

In addition to the election of Umar Mairami as president of the association, there were other executives that were either newly elected or re-elected to serve a two-year term as members of the executive committee of PenOp.

Joy Ojokovo was re-elected as the vice president, who is also the general manager of Progress Trust Closed Pension Fund Administrator. The head of Legal and Regulatory was

outcomes, solidifying Guinea Insurance's position as the preferred insurance provider in the region.

Guinea Insurance's strategic investment in fostering strong industry relationships underscores its dedication to growth and innovation, positioning the company for continued success in the dynamic insurance market.

also re-elected in person of Godson Ukpevo, who is the MD/CEO of Veritas Glanvills Pensions Limited. A new treasurer of the association was also elected Peters Eledu who is the MD/CEO of Zenith Pensions Limited.

A new head of Media, branding and communication is Donald Onuoha, who is also the MD/CEO of Fidelity Pensions Managers Limited. The executive team will be in place for the next two years and they are to work alongside the current CEO of PenOp to steer the affairs of the association.

Speaking on the elections and handover, the chief executive officer of PenOp, Oguche Agudah said, that times of transitions and elections can be challenging within the life of an association if not handled well, “but we have put in place mechanisms to ensure that it’s smooth, seamless and the strategic direction of the industry is preserved based on a shared commitment.”

Pius Edobor

Umar Mairami

TEMITOPE ADEBAYO

Monday, January 8, 2024

Monday, April 1, 2024

Impeachment: Obaseki/Shaibu feud deepens

E do Gub er: I am the b e st for the j ob - Igho dalo

Aleading candidate in the Edo State gover-

TITUS AKHIGBE, BENIN

n o r s h i p e l e c t i o n , Asue Ighodalo, has said he is the best man for the job compared to other candidates

The bitter succession struggle between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his embattled deputy, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, is worsening by the day, owing to the looming impeachment of the latter.

Mr Ighodalo is the flag b e a r e r o f t h e P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP).

H e i s a n i n v e s t m e n t b a n k e r, a l a w y e r, a n d a n economist of note. He sits on the board of several companies and recently resigned as the Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Breweries

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the crisis of confidence between the warring duo came to a head when 19 out of 24 lawmakers signed a petition for the removal of Shaibu from office over alleged perjury and leaking of government secrets.

I n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h members of the Correspondents Chapel in Benin City, Mr Ighodalo who is from Edo C e n t r a l S e n a t o r i a l d i st r i c t also spoke on several issues affecting the state. Akhigbe was there for the Daily Times

Excerpts:

Can you explain why you b elieve you're the most suitable c an didate for this j ob?

Going further, on March 19 during plenary, the Edo Assembly lawmakers passed a resolution directing the Chief judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa to raise a panel to investigate the allegations the deputy governor.

I understand the economic and social landscape of t h e st a t e b e c a u s e I was a m e m b e r o f t h e E d o S t a t e E c o n o m i c M a n a g e m e n t Te a m b e t w e e n 2 0 0 8 a n d

The House of Assembly resolution followed a motion moved by the majority leader,Hon. CharityAiguobarueghian , noting that the motion was in line with section 188,subsection 3 and 4 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The impeachment moves against the embittered deputy governor assumed a worrisome dimension after he lost the bid to restrain the House of Assembly, the Chief judge and other parties in the court case instituted at the federal high court in Abuja .

2016 when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was governor In 2016, I served as Chairman of Governor Obaseki’s Alaghodaro economic summit which is a group of economic advis e r s t o t h e g o v e r n o r I understand where the shoe p i n c h e s. I k n ow w h a t t h e issues are and I know what to do S e c o n d l y , I a m a thoroughbred Edo man, my f a t h e r , t h e l a t e C h i e f Je re m i a h A g h e d o Ig h o d a l o was born in Ewohimi, Esan South East local government area, he grew up there till he was nine years old and then we n t t o B e n i n My f a t h e r s c h o o l e d a t B e n i n ; t h e n c o n t i n u e d a t t h e B a p t i s t

Aca demy Lagos

He worked as the first a cc ou nt staf f at Ma nd il la s, Lagos

Meanwhile, the sevenman panel set up by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Okungbowa, to investigate the impeachment allegations levelled on the Deputy Governor will commence sitting on Wednesday, 3rd of April.

Justice Okungbowa had constituted the panel, headed by retired Justice S. A. Omonua, in compliance with the directive of the State House of Assembly, to investigate allegations of gross misconduct brought against Shaibu, in line with section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)

Other members of the panel are Prof. (Mrs.) Theresa Akpoghome, Mr. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Dr. Andrew Oliha, Mr. Idris Abdulkareen, Barr. President Aigbokhian and Barr. (Mrs.) Mariam Erakhoba Ilavbare.

The Administrative Secretary of the panel, George Odidi, Esq; announced this in a statement The two-paragraph statement disclosed that the panel will be sitting at the Judges’ Conference room, New High Court Complex, in

He l a t e r we n t t o t h e Un i t e d K i n g d o m t o s t u d y ac cou ntan cy where he met my mother, a princess of Ife K i n g d o m , F o l a y e g b e A k i n t u n d e I g h o d a l o M y parents got married in 1950 and came back to Nigeria. My father started working with t h e N i g e r i a n B r ewe r i e s a s Chief Acc ountant in the Aba Brewery branch. And that was when I was born. I spent my first few years in Aba and with my parents before I left with my mother for Ibadan. My mother was a civil servant in the Western Region at the time. My mother was the first w o m a n t o b e a p p o i n t e d P e r m a n e n t S e c r e t a r y i n Nigeria on the 4th of April 1968. My father left Aba to w o r k w i t h t h e We s t e r n N i g e r i a D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n a s C h i e f A c c o u n t a n t f r o m 1 9 6 1 t o 1 9 6 2 a n d w h e n t h e

M i d w e s t e r n R e g i o n w a s

Benin, the State capital.

c r e a t e d i n 1 9 6 3 , h e transferred his services to the M i d w e s t e r n N i g e r i a D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n and he lived in Benin from 1963 to 1971. I stayed with my m u m i n I b a d a n b u t e ve r y Christmas I go to spend it in Ewohimi with my father, my uncle, and Grandpa.

“Take notice that consequent upon the inauguration of the above panel by His Lordship the Hon. Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice D.I. Okungbowa in line with section 188 subsection 5 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the said Panel shall commence sitting at Judges Conference room, New High Court Complex, Benin City on Wednesday 3rd day of April, 2024 at 10:00 am prompt.

Wa t e r a n d e l e c t r i c i t y w i l l b e my p r i o r i t y a r e a s. S e c u r i t y h a s i m p r o v e d g re a t ly i n t h e st a t e I w i l l continue ensuring, working

governor of Edo State I can positively impact the life of 5 2 m i l l i o n n o c o m p a n y affects people directly So I can do many things for many

e c o n o my Nu m b e r t wo, we will create an Edo State that attracts even more investment sources to strengthen the base o f o u r e c o n o my a n d b r i n g

..... Orbih faction of Edo PDP set to defect to APC

“Parties and/or their counsel are expected to be present on that day while the complainant is expected to be ready to present its case on that day,” the statement said.Curiously, reasons were not given for the sudden replacement of Prof. Violet Aigbokhaevbo from faculty of Law, University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Prof. Boniface Onomion Edegbai of Dept.of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, UNIBEN,who hitherto made the earlier list.

However,the embattled Deputy governor, who had been out of the state for weeks

I know that the power in public office could be used to change the lives of the people for good and that is why I have offered myself to serve the peopl e of Edo State I am convinced that working on the foundation that has already been laid by my predecessors, especially Governor Obaseki, there are so many things that we can do to move Edo State into the first world economy We can create an Edo State t h a t i s a g l o b a l o a s i s regardless of where Nigeria is b e c a u s e w e h a v e t h e r e s o u r c e s , w e h a v e t h e c a p a c i t y , w e h a v e t h e manpower and I think that we have the resolve, where we don’t have the resolve, I will work to ensure that we create it. There are many aspects of our economy that we can deal with, there are many aspects of our economy that we can use to serve the people of Edo State. It is clear in my mind that we can take our people ou t of pover ty by wor ki ng b o t t o m u p ; r u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t , a g r i c u l t u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t , a g r i c u l t u r a l processing, and I believe that what is required is focused and dedicated leadership

What are as woul d you focu s on if you were ele cte d?

Sstate. At this moment I am w o r k i n g o n a s t u d y o n economic and social study on the comparative advantage of each local government and w e w i l l e n h a n c e t h a t comparative advantage and be sure that the appropriate economies, and appropriate c o r p o r a t e a n d a p p r o p r i a t e busine sses and appropri ate agric industries from those comparative advantages are there to enhance them.

How prepare d are you to tackle the murky waters of politics?

suddenly appeared to join the Christian community to observe this year’s “washing of feet”ritual observed by Roman Catholic church on Thursday, March 28 in Benin city.He reportedly took to social media afterwards saying “I joined the Christian world to observe this year’s washing of feet at the St.Agnes Catholic church”. Maundy Thursday is a yearly ritual that proceeds Easter celebration by the Catholic church in line with

Who plays politics? Are they not men and women like you and me? Do they bleed if you scratch them? Are they human beings or spirits?

the Christian calendar to mark Christ’s death and resurrection.

Interestingly, it was reliably gathered that the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) faction led by Dan Osi Orbih and known as Legacy Group in the state has concluded arrangements to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with thousands of supporters following the emergence of Obaseki’s preferred governorship aspirant,Dr.Asue Ighodalo as

A’Ibom PDP tightens support base, counts gains of A-R-I-S-E agenda

takeholders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State have continued count their gains of A-R-I-S-E agenda championed by the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, in the state within the last nine months.

Last week, the National Secretariat of the party had directed that meetings should be held in all the wards to select members of the Care Taker Committee to lead the party in the next 3 months as tenure of the present party officers have expired.

In line with the directive , Akwa Ibom PDP held ward meetings across the 368 wards in the state last Saturday

Speaking in Uyo on Sunday, the State Publicity Secretary PDP in Akwa Ibom Mr Borono Bassey said the ward meetings deliberated on issues of party affair at the grassroots, seeking more ways to further deepen the roots of PDP in all electoral wards in the state.

Borono explained that Leaders and Government appointees of the party at grassroot took time to brief the people on the policies, intervention, programmes and early gains of the PDP administration in the State as led by Governor Umo Eno

My priority will be those policies of this government and of previous governments that worked well. I will focus o n c i v i l s e r v i c e r e f o r m s , agric ulture , and investment attraction. I will continue to ensure that those things they ar e do in g th at ma de th em work well continue. I will also fo cu s on th os e th in g s th at don’t appear to have worked w e l l - i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y r o a d s , t h e problem with roads in Edo State is very peculiar and to an extent unfortunate. We have a lot of ba d federal roads, many heavy vehicles are using the state roads and so they put pressure on the state roads We s h a l l d e v i s e w a y s t o ensure that our federal roads get effectively repaired so that we will reduce the pressure on state roads I will also pay attention and continue the work of the p r e s e n t g o v e r n m e n t i n ind ustri ali zin g and ope nin g up the economy digitally. One thing that has worried me is t h e f a c t t h a t t h e l e v e l o f poverty in the state is high. We will look at those things we need to do to drive our people out of poverty, with a special f o c u s o n a g r i c u l t u r e , a n d s m a l l a n d m e d i u m - s c a l e enterprises

Borono disclosed that Umo Eno held the meeting in his ward at IbiakpanObotim Ward 2, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area and explained that the purpose of the ward meetings was to afford the party leadership the opportunity to receive the mass of defectors who have returned to the party lately.

He said Eno told the people that the meeting was also aimed to reinforce the party’s support base to confirm that Akwa Ibom is proudly PDP as the people have been better off with successive governments in the state led by the party.

Honestly, I think in a way, our politicians have been slightly misunderstood. What I think we all need to do is put a lot more focus. What we all need to do, and I tell people at the party level, we need to force our politicians to choose the best among them. So if we have four or five parties, each p a r t y c h o o s e s t h e b e st , i t doesn't matter who we are, then select, the person who will be good for us But what we have seen over time, is that, for some reasons or the other, we don't choose the most capable. So it is not the fault of the politicians alone, it is also the fault of us the citizens who have not worked on our politicians to choose the most capable.

What motivate d you to run for government?

“It’s been a good outing. We intend to continue to build up the party, to continue to work for our state and to continue to support our President at the centre.

“We have finished elections and people want to come back. I believe they have seen that the government is responsible, has capacity and the are convince and are coming back out of their own volition, without being pushed.

“As a good father and a responsible party, we have to open our door and everyone together, because Akwa Ibom is a PDP state and from time it has always been. So we need to build up our membership, continue to show capacity and strength in developing our state.”

I won't lie to you, it was a tough decision. Not because o f t h e c e r t a i n t y a n d uncertainty but coming from a comfort zone that puts you in the forefront of corporate leadership and looking at that c o m f o r t z o n e a n d t h e corporate strength and the corporate foresight and you put all of that down to say you wan t t o d o g o o d f o r yo u r people, it is a tough decision b u t i f y o u r l ov e f o r y o u r p e o p l e s u p e r s e d e s y o u r interest, and it is not a cliche, there's no company in which I sit on the board that employs 5.2 million people. Edo State h a s 5. 2 m i l l i o n s o a s t h e

doing some of the things we needed to do but you know, if you loo k at Gov Oba se ki’s value for money, things he achieved in fairness to him, r e g a r d l e s s w h a t o t h e r cr it ic is ms th ey have ab ou t him and the administration, you will see value for money and that goes to show how he h a s b e e n a b l e t o u s e h i s economic and financial mind to stretch small money into big projects I don't have any p r o b l e m w i t h s t r e t c h i n g money or borrowing money, the issue is what you use the borrowed money for If you b o r r ow m o n e y f o r c a p i t a l ex p e n d i t u r e , t h a t i s n ot a problem. If you use borrowed m o n e y f o r w a s t e f u l a n d recurrent expenditure, that is th e pro bl em Th e pro bl em we've had as a country is that a lot of times we use earned money, borrowed money on w a s t e f u l r e c u r r e n t expenditure. So I am clear in m i n d t h a t we w i l l b o r row mo ney an d Ed o St at e ca n borrow money but for proper c a p i t a l e x p e n d i t u r e t h a t builds value and creates an economy as the first world

party candidate.

He said Umo Eno further told the people that the A-R-I-S-E Agenda is on course and soon enough, full implementation of his blueprint will be seen which he pointed are directed at uplifting the people and meeting the needs and aspirations of Akwa Ibom people.

On his part, the Speaker Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Elder Udeme Otong, while listing gains of the current administration appreciated the people for staying true to the party and urged them to do more at repositioning the area to draw massive benefits from the A-RI-S-E Agenda.

At the Northern Ukanafun Ward 4 venue of the Ward Meeting, , he said the State Chairman of PDP, Rt Hon (Elder) Aniekan Akpan hailed his people and the entire Ukanafun for the support to the party, charging them to consolidate on the party’s dominance to gain more democratic dividend.

The Akwa Ibom State PDP chairman described Governor Umo Eno as a leader sent by God to Akwa Ibom people at a critical time like this adding that the governor was already demonstrating results-oriented commitment in actualising the well-laid out A-R-I-S-E agenda for the benefit of the people.

The party crisis worsened when Obaseki against all odds chose to ignore the Legacy Group,fondly called the old PDP during search for a running mate.Barr.Osarodion Ogie, Secretary to State Government(SSG),who is also from the Governor’s faction was made the running mate to Ighodalo.

According to a party official,who is obviously disturbed by the winner

Three, , base, will ble y wider earning, is , One w es will committed will n d money for family upkeep but t h e y w i l l s e n d m o n e y investments so that they can d i v e r s i f y t h e i r i n v e s t m e n t pool. I see light, shining light, I see prospects, I see glory Let's just take palm products, if we c on ti nu e wor ki ng on research which we're working on, in the next few years Edo will top palm production in Africa and six to seven years, w e ' l l b e c o m p e t i n g f o r number one in the world and that's just one so if we look at e v e r y a r e a o f i n v e s t m e n t , where we have a comparative a d v a n t a g e , w e w i l l b u i l d something.

Are you not worrie d ab out the deep ening crisis in E do PDP?

DI truly see myself as the unifier for the PDP and I can put myself in a position where everybody should be able to trust me, I know there are people who are carrying so much rumour that he is this person’s candidate, he is that person’s candidate but by the grace of God almighty, I am nobody ’s candidat e but I'm not going to be shouting and arguing it with anybody, I will a l l o w m y p e r s o n , m y

takes all stance of governor Obaseki,”Am worried because the governor has finally nailed the coffin of PDP in the state by also picking a running mate from his faction.He has completely left out the old PDP and I don’t see them working for us during the governorship election.”

On the planned defection of Orbih group to APC,the party official, who passionately pleaded for anonymity did not only confirm the looming defection, but said it will be massive.

However,a reliable Government House source confided in this reporter that Obaseki had concluded arrangements to make Barr. Paschal Ugbome,a former member of Edo House of Assembly and a known political ally of Orbih the deputy governor,once Shaibu is impeached.Ugbome is also from Etsako West,like Shaibu.The question is,will the Ugbome arrangement placate the angry Orbih group? Only time will tell.

Oborevwori pledges completion of Udu Harbour market

elta State governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on Saturday, assured the people of Udu Local Government Area of the state that the Udu Harbour market would be completed within his first tenure in office.

Governor Oborevwori disclosed this during the wedding ceremony of Nancy and Aghogho which held at Church of God Mission (Potters House), Orhuwhorun Road, Udu Local Government Area.

He reiterated that his administration would do everything possible to ensure that the market was delivered in his first tenure in office so that women in the area could tap from the economic potentials of the market to better their lives.

The governor, also, reiterated his administration’s resolve to complete all ongoing projects initiated by the previous administration in the state, stressing that no part of the state would be left out in the implementation of his MORE Agenda for Deltans.

He expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Church for the gift of a copy each of the holy Bible to his wife and himself, describing the gesture as the best because. According to him, the words of God in the Bible has

c h a r a c t e r a n d t h e w a y I approach and the way I speak to work for me. In my work so far, I've tried to interact with every political leader in the PDP in Edo State and I'm going to see a few that I haven’t seen. My story to them is this, we cannot allow ourselves to c o n t i n u e m a k i n g t h e s a m e mistakes, a divided PDP lost the national election in 2023 and lost the national election in 2015 If we love the people of Edo State and we want the PDP to provide continuous s e r v i c e a n d c o n t i n u o u s development of Edo State, the only way the PDP can win is to come together as one party My focus is to unify the party W h e r e t h e r e a r e d i s a g r e ements, we are all sisters or brothers, if we love the people of Edo state, there should be no ego We should be able to forgive each other and forget w h a t h a s g o n e p a s t l o o k f o r wa r d t o t h e f u t u r e a n d work for the future and work for the people of Edo state. That is the message that I am bringing. We cannot afford to continue to make the same mistakes because of ego The PDP loves the people, it is the vocal, strong party, it is a party of the people and so we always m a ke t h a t c o u n t S o I a m working at making sure we come together as one people, as one party for the betterment of the people of the state, I think we just need to bridge a f e w g a p s a n d c r o s s a f e w distrust points and it's not that difficult. If there's a sense of p u r p o s e , t h e r e i s a t r u s tw o r t h y p e r s p e c t i v e a n d i f people can forgive and everybody needs to give and take, there must never be a win-win, there must be give and take, and people must be ready to respect each other’s views If we come from that perspective, I don't see a problem. We'll keep working on it.

sustained him and his family. While congratulating the couple Mr. and Mrs. Aghogho for their successful marriage, Governor Oborevwori implored them to continue to love each other and be prayerfully committed to their marriage.

“The Udu market will be completed in my first tenure by the grace of God because the market is very key to women in this area.

“The words of God in this Holy Bible has sustained me and l believe that God has been with us as a state,” the governor said.

Earlier in his sermon, the National Presbyter, Orhuwhorun Province, Revd. Michael Ogbeh, said marriage was a covenant instituted by God, adding that it was far from partnership.

Revd. Ogbeh said the covenant as it relates to the marriage institution was both horizontal and vertical.

According to the cleric, God instituted marriage as a covenant for companionship, procreation and for redemption, adding that God was a witness in the marriage covenant.

The marriage ceremony between Nancy and Aghogho was conducted by the Zonal Co-ordinator, Warri Zone 3 of Church of God Mission, Udu province, Revd. Prof. Jonathan Idialu who presided over the ceremony.

ISAAC JOB, UYO

NOSA ÀKENZUA, ASABA

Easter: Ike assure journalists of better times

TOM OKPE, ABUJA

Deputy Speaker of the House o f R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , R e p

Easter: Pray for Nigeria, leaders, Abbas urges Christians

not get there on my own. It was you who elected me. And this is why Abia State honored me.

D ep Sp e aker s ays Tinubu happy with the Igb o s

ABenjamin Okezie Kalu has informed that President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is happy with the Igbo people over their stand on peace.

TOM OKPE, ABUJA

This was as the people gathered t o g e t h e r f o r P I S E - P, a p e a c e initiative in the zone, initiated by the Deputy Speaker, Kalu.

SR e c a l l t h a t P I S E - P w a s recently launched in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, the Deputy Speakers constituency

midst prevailing hardship and austerity facing our nation and journalists alike, the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Comrade Grace Ike, has offered a message of hope and resilience.

She urged journalists not to lose faith, assuring them of brighter days on the horizon.

Speaking during an interactive s e s s i o n w i t h m e m b e r s o f B e n d e Traditional Rulers Council and Ndi Ugoeze, Bende weekend in Bende, Kalu, in a press statement, signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker said T i n u b u i s i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e development of the southeast, urging them to support the administration of the day, to reap more of its benefits

In her message on the significance of Easter to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Ike who is also the Vice Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel FCT NUJ, extended warm greetings to journalists in Abuja and beyond.

He said: "President Tinubu is happy to see Ndi Igbo gather together for the noble cause of stamping out i n s e c u r i t y a n d r e s o l v i n g o t h e r sociological challenges, through the Peace In South East Project, (PISEP). " W h e r e v e r N d i I g b o s e e themselves, they encourage peace and harmony

peaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Tajudeen Abbas, has felicitated with Christians as they celebrate Easter to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Speaker Abbas, in his Easter message signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publication on. Saturday, urged Christians and Nigerians in general to be selfless and sacrifice for one another, as exemplified by Jesus Christ.

"A few days ago, Dr. Alex Otti, who is not a member of my party decided to honour me with a high title in Abia. He told the Abia State traditional rulers council to confer on me 'Enyi Abia" (Strengt h of A b i a ) H e m u s t h a v e s e e n something in your son.

"A day after, you saw what happened in Bende. It has never happened before. President Tinubu r e p r e s e n t e d b y Vi c e P r e s i d e n t K a s h i m S h e t t i m a , t h e S e n a t e P r e s i d e n t , r e p r e s e n t e d b y h i s Deputy, my boss, the Speaker of the H o u s e o f R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , t h e Governor of the State, Dr Alex Otti, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo S t a t e , O t h e r G o v e r n o r s w h o couldn't make it in person came through their Deputies

The Speaker noted that it is only when the lead ers and the followers alike, shun self gratification and collectively, work toward a common goal that the nation would be stronger and better, and the world would also, be a better place.

"The President also handed over the issue of Infrastructure into the hands of an Igbo son, Senator David Umahi, my friend, the former G o v e r n o r o f E b o n y i S t a t e , t o replicate what he did in Ebonyi in Nigeria. There are others too A President who does Igbo will not do these.”

Kalu also called rulers to support the administration of Dr Otti to develop the

"We will assist the take care of you. The truth has a good heart. He is getting the job done and support him to be successful. come together and support him. us support him to succeed good of the State," he said.

are the stakeholders in Bende. You c a m e t o s h o w t h a t I a m y o u r treasured son. I will not disappoint you.

"We need to reflect the actual needs of Ndi Bende. What I want to do for you, should be a consensus

"T he Oo ni of If e, Em ir of Kano, Emir of Bichi, Obi of Onitsha, over 15 Igbo billionaires were in Bende. I can go on and on.

"In this position, we are just starting work. The President called to say I am very happy that the Igbo p e o p l e , c a m e t o g e t h e r f o r t h i s.

He, therefore, called for prayers for Nigeria to overcome her current socioeconomic and security challenges, stating that Easter is one of the best seasons to do so as patriotic citizens.

Truly, there is hope for the Igbo man. It does appear that this hand shake ac ross the Nig er has started.

Kalu who was meeting traditional rulers for s i n c e h i s e l e c t i o n Speaker, appreciated the rulers for their support, t o a t t r a c t m o r e d d e m o c r a c y , p r o m i disappoint them.

"I said that it wouldn't be nice if I left for Abuja after all we did without interacting with you. So, I decided to call you to honor you. No position will make me forget you.

“I urge Christian faithful and Nigerians, to emulate the life of Jesus Christ and imbibe his teachings,

" L e t ' s a l s o , s u p p o r t t h e President. Some were afraid that he w o u l d n o t r e m e m b e r t h e I g b o

We thank you for holding these values I am your representative the House of Representatives I did

She emphasized that, Easter, is a time symbolizing renewal, hope, and triumph of light over darkness.

Acknowledging challenges journalists face, including dwindling resources and threats against press freedom, Ike encouraged perseverance in the face of adversity.

ADrawing inspiration from the Easter story, Ike underscored the importance of unity and commitment to truth and integrity in overcoming obstacles.

She particularly, acknowledged the vital role of female journalists, expressing gratitude for their contributions and highlighting their significance in the Easter narrative.

She said: “As the first witnesses to Jesus resurrection, women exemplify the message of hope and salvation, embodying faithfulness and devotion, despite challenges,” she noted.

Ike therefore called on journalists to remain steadfast in their dedication to informing the public and holding power to account.

While emphasizing the enduring message of faith, perseverance, and unity embodied by Easter, the union leader urged all to look ahead with hope and determination.

saying, let us try another way of resolving our issues Non-kinetic is the way Soon, you will see what peace in the South East Project will achieve.

Commission bill in the House of Representatives

including obedience to law and authorities, charity, and holiness.

"I am tired of the blood of my brothers flowing on the streets I am

Southern Senators’ Forum commends Tinubu, Akpabio’s efforts on national development

"I will never disrespect you. You are our traditional rulers, I respect you all, and it will continue that way

"It is my ritual to interact with you on the needs of the people. If you

“It’s in this spirit that Nigerians should pray for their leaders, starting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration, as well as others in the other arms and tiers of the government,” he said.

Gover no r Si mi na layi Fub ara is a testament to their commitment to regional stability and progress It sets a positive precedent for collaborative governance.”

The group called on all stakeholders involved to prioritize open dialogue and peaceful resolutions, f o s t e r i

TT h e I I P F r e c o g n i z e d t h e i n t r i c a t e n a t u r e o f t h e c u r r e n t political landscape, particularly the ongoing tensions between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nysemo Wike, the minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

he lawmaker representing Ose State constituency in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon.Olatunji Oshati (Maxima), has congratulated Christians all over the world, especially in Ose Constituency on the occasion of this year’s Easter celebrations.

Hon. Oshati specifically

conducive to the overall progress and well-being of the Niger Delta region.

In the spirit of the New Year, the IIPF extended warm wishes to G

appreciated “the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, laying his life for humanity.”

region.

He urge all Christians to reflect on and emulate the lessons of selflessness, perseverance and charity which are hallmark of the season.

The group expressed optimism that the combined efforts of these esteemed leaders will significantly contribute to the resolution of the current political challenges, ultimately paving the way for

The gesture was meant to show appreciation to the party officials a n d l

wa Federal Constituency for supporting h i m d u

elections

TUNDE OPALANA, ABUJA

T" I t i s h i g h t i m e t h e I g b o people, joined the mainstream of political leadership of the country Please, continue to pray for us Be part of the South East Development Commission. Please, be a part of PISE -P You have a role to play", he said. Making a donation of some bags of rice and a token for their ew Year celebrations, Kalu also pledged to provide them with a bus assist them in discharging their responsibilities

he Nigerian Southern Senators’ Forum, led by Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, FCA, has felicitated with all Nigerians on this year’s celebration of Easter.

The Forum, in a goodwill message jointly signed by its Chairman, Senator Abiru and the Publicity Secretary, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, stated that Easter is a time of reflection, renewal, and rejoicing.

According to the Forum, “In the spirit of this joyous occasion, let us embrace the values of unity, compassion, sacrifice and solidarity. Let us reach out to our fellow citizens with kindness, understanding, and empathy, especially during these challenging times, while we await the gains of the government’s bold reforms and initiatives. Let us renew our patriotism and our commitment to building a stronger, more prosperous, and more united Nigeria.

B auchi rep memb er urge s supp ort for Mohamme d

n t i o n e d t h e b e n e f i c i a r i e s t o include local government and ward party executives, stakeholders, and campaign team members in Darazo d G a n j u w a l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t areas O t h e r s a r e l e a d e r s o f t h e omen and youths wings of the PDP all levels as well as Campaign Coordinators of Mansur Manu Soro M S ) 2 0 2 3 e l e c t i o n e e r i n g campaign.

“May this Easter bring us all abundant blessings, peace, and happiness. May it inspire us to strive for excellence and to foster harmony in our communities”.

The statement stated that 23 Coord ina tor s got N30 0,000 ea ch a l i n g t h e s u m o f N 6,9 0 0,0 0 0 while 23 women leaders also got N300,000 each amounting to the sum of N6,900,000 whereas, other party officials smiled home with the sum of N19.1m.

The federal lawmaker vowed to u r e t h a t h e m a d e t h e P D P s t r o n g e r u n t i l h i s c o n s t i t u e n c y turned into a stronghold of the party in Bauchi State.

Lawmaker, Maxima, congratulates Christians on Easter celebration

While expressing delight over the party leaders' continued support a n d p raye r s f o r h i s s u c c e s s, t h e lawmaker pledged more democracy dividends in his constituency T h e p r e s s s t a t e m e n t

Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa in Nigeria and Ondo State, respectively to succeed.

more prosperous and

future for the people of the Niger Delta.

“Christians should allow lovaae to lead in all their considerations. He further solicited continuous support and prayers for the administrations of President Bola

He remarked tha t the successes of these two leaders nationally and in the state would be the success for every citizenry.

Furthermore, the IIPF encouraged a sustained commitment to inclusivity and participatory governance.

The group also advocated for

Hon. Oshati called for sobriety and deep reflection on “our journey to greatness and the roles of religious organizations.”

Noting that tolerance,

love,understanding and mutual respect were all ingredients for a desired egalitarian Nigerian society all craved for, the lawmaker prayed that the joy of Easter should fill “our hearts with love, everlasting peace and happiness as we imbibe the good lessons behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The Forum also commended the courage of the President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and also the leadership of the National Assembly, led by His Excellency, Senator (Dr.) Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, for their efforts in national development.

O u r C o r r e s p o n d e n t r e p o r t s that sometime in April 2023, the lawmaker also donated the sum of N7.5 million to all PDP leadership a n d s t a k e h o l d e r s i n t h e Fe d e r a l C o n s t i t u e n c y s h o r t l y a f t e r t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t o f t h e e l e c t i o n results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He there after admonished all Christians to celebrate modestly and responsibly.

“The Southern Senators Forum, commends His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the President of the Senate, His Excellency, Senator (Dr) Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, for their unwavering dedication and leadership in advancing our nation’s development agenda. The collaborative efforts between the Executive and legislature and the visionary initiatives have significantly contributed to the progress and prosperity of our country.We wish all Nigerians a blessed and joyfilled Easter celebration”, the statement added.

Hon. Benj amin Kalu

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

The Minister of Works Engr. Nweze David Umahi and the Senate and house of Representatives’ joint committee on Works during inspection on Third Mainland bridge and Carter bridge in Lagos on 29th March, 2023.

g r a n t i n g s c h o l a r s h i p s t o s e v e r a l s t u d e n t s o f t h e Polytechnic.

TMonday, January 8, 2024

Monday, April 1, 2024

Bello b oasts of gub er achievements as p oly confers fellowsh ip awa rd

repositioned it for the future.

New Olubadan may not emerge soon, lawyer cautions Ibadan high chiefs

he ou tg oi ng Govern o r o f K o g i S t a t e , Alhaji Yahaya Bello,

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

stated that his administration has improved the quality of life for citizens and infrastructure.

TBello said he would be leaving the state better than how he met it.

He made the claim on Saturday at the State Polyt e c h n i c , L o k o j a , w h e n t h e Rector of the institution, Dr Salisu Ogbo Usman conferre d h i m w i t h a f e l l ows h i p award for outstanding performance on infrastructure and human capital development.

he current imbroglio over the appearance and non-appearance of the Olubadandesignate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, may rob Ibadanland of a new traditional ruler soon, if the high chiefs of the land do not tread softly and tow the path of the law.

Al ha ji Isa Oz i Sa la mi and six other distinguished N i g e r i a n s a l s o b a g g e d fellowship of the institution for sinking boreholes and for

Similarly, Barr Umoru Jimoh of IHS, Prof. Idris M. Bugaji of National Board for T e c h n i c a l E d u c a t i o n ( N B T E ) , a n d B a r r Mo s e s A z u b u i ke O k a f o r was a l s o conferred with a Fellowship at the institution.

The governor who is the v i s i t o r o f t h e st a t e - ow n e d Polytechnic while speaking at the 4th combined convocation ceremony for 2013/2014 - 2 0 2 2 / 2 0 2 3 s e t s o f t h e institution, said part of his chievements is evidenced in the repositioning of the State Polytechnic to meet up with 21st-century challenges.

Senator Rashid Ladoja, if they were genuinely interested in the seamless emergence of the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

According to the legal icon, a price of Ibadan himself, the law of the Ibadan chieftaincy declaration ought to be followed meticulously for the next Olubadan to succeed the late Oba Lekan Balogun who died two weeks ago to emerge.

"We have taken time to look into the education sector o f o u r p e o p l e We m a d e education a top priority in our thematic agenda.

A lawyer and an indigene of the town, Mr. Michael Lana, made the remark on a radio programme of Fresh FM in Ibadan on Sunday.

"My achievements can be attested to where the state p o l y t e c h n i c w a s b e f o r e I assumed office, where it is n o w , a n d w h a t w e h a v e

"We not only improved o n l e a i n e x i n children seek years said. people m o v o A h successor i n c A h c o a c administration to move to the

next level. He thanked the Chairman of the Governing Council, staff, and students of the Polytechnic for the cooperat i o n h i s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n enjoyed.

going to stand when it gets to court.

APC chieftain lau ds Tinubu’s a nti-graft wa r

Achieftain of the All P r o g r e s s i v e s

Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has tagg ed President Bola Tinubu’s antigraft war as Hope Renewal a n d i d e n t i f i c a t i o n w i t h Nigerian masses nationwide.

The lawyer, in the interview monitored by our correspondent, said members of the Olubadan Advisory Council had been strongly advised to rally round themselves and end the perceived rift they had with one of them, former governor of Oyo State,

O k e c h u k w u , f o r m e r Director General of Voice of Ni g er ia ( VON ), ma de th is sta te me nt at Ak an u Ib ia m International Airport, Enugu on Sunday while reacting to t h e E c o n o m i c F i n a n c i a l Crimes Commission (EFCC) r e c e n t i n t e r r o g a t i o n o f u t i l i s a t i o n o f F o r e i g n E x c h a n g e a l l o c a t e d f o r industrialisation.

c i t i z e n s o u t f r o m t h e stranglehold of the one per cent Class, noted that the one p e r c e n t C l a s s h a d b e e n f e e d i n g f a t o n t h e s o rd i dforex market.

Acc ording to him, "it is c o u r a g e o u s f o r P r e s i d e n t

“All laws and guidelines relating to how the new Olubadan will emerge must be obeyed and followed. Senator Rashidi Ladoja is the high chief that must be allowed to preside over the Olubadan-inCouncil meeting that will authenticate the decision on the new Olubadan.

Tinubu whom I rank among the rich class, to evoke the ageless Amilcar Cabral thesis of Class Suicide, albeit being a member The President is w e l l - h e e l e d t o w a g e t h i s Herculean Anti- Graft-War".

“That they said they held a meeting last week appointing High Chief Eddy Oyewole is not

APC celebrates with Christian’s, Nigerians on Easter

TT h i s , h e s a i d , w o u l d amount to identification with t h e c o l l e c t i v e i n t e r e s t o f masses nationwide; as most of us hold the earnest view that we need to recover more monies, as is not only Gen. Sani Abacha that stashed our monies abroad.

“The meeting that Senator Ladoja called and they shunned is the meeting recognised by law.

“ S e n R e m i T i n u b u clearly said that - Nigeria’s wealth is the Commonwealth of all, it belongs to everyone.

“By shunning it, they are saying, in legal terms, that they are not ready for a new Olubadan.

“G o d h a s b l e s s e d m y f a m i l y, we d o n ’t n e e d t h e wealth of Nigeria to survive but to do the right thing and I promis e you on this Altar, that with your help (and) with the help of God, we will set this nation on the right path,” he said.

“I know there is a rift and I am using this opportunity to call on all well-meaning sons and

The APC Chieftain said that one prays that President Tinubu combs all corners in consortia with Femi Falana’s red dossier, to reduce our debt b u r d e n a n d r e v a m p o u r economy

Us m a n , h a d c o n g r a t u l a t e d B e l l o f o r e n s u r i n g O d o d o e m e r g e d v i c t o r i o u s a t t h e polls, point ing out that his emergenc e is for the unity and development of the State.

daughters of Ibadanland to prevail on our fathers to allow peace to reign.

H e d e s c r i b e d h i s appointment by Bello as an u n c o m m o n p r i v i l e g e , a n d thanked him for finding him worthy to the institution and

I am personally begging them taao make peace with one another so that the new Olubadan can emerge.

“Senator Ladoja is the rightful person to lead and recommend who the new Olubadan will be to the governor. If this is not done, I will be one of those who will advise Governor Seyi

Alawmaker in Taraba

the state. D r Us m a n d i s c l o s e d that his three-point agenda of Reform, Restore, and Repair, has returned the lost glory of t h e Po l y t e c h n i c t o o n e o f envy Acc ording to the Rector the Kogi Stat e Polytec hnic n o w p r i d e s i t s e l f a s a n i n s t i t u t i o n c o m m i t t e d t o graduating students who are employers of labour in the country

Okuama Killings: Gov Oborevwori on top of the matter - Aide

Makinde not to sign, if Baba Ladoja is not allowed to play his legal and traditional role.

“This is not politics. I am talking about what the law of the land says,” he said.

P r o f Y a k u b u I s a , C h a i r m a n G o v e r n i n g

In the meantime, it still unclear when the Olubadandesignate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin will make a public appearance and this is also fueling the crisis raging in the traditional council in the ancient town. a

From what we gathered, the council has up till April 5, when the mandatory 21 days’ grace for the new Olubadan to emerge will lapse.

Council in his remarks, said the Polytechnic will continue to prioritize the academic and p e r s o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t o f students, and promised that the institution will strive to provide the needed tools and r e s o u r c e s f o r s t u d e n t s t o continue to succeed.

EThe Governing Council Chairman praised the State Government and the Tertiary E d u c a t i o n T r u s t F u n d ( T ET F U N D ) f o r e n s u r i n g r a p i d d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e Polytechnic.

xecutive Assistant on Orientation and Communication to Delta State Governor, Barrister Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has assured Nigerians that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will continue to work with the military high command and major stakeholders until total peace is restored to Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

He gave the assurance while speaking as Mid-News guest of NewsCentral Television via DSTV channel 422, saying that the recent visit to President Bola Tinubu by governor Oborevwori, was to express government displeasure over the unfortunate incident, and to also commiserate with the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces over the killing of some officers and men of the armed forces on peacekeeping mission.

Malle wins APC ticket for Fe deral Constituency bye-ele ction in Ta raba

There have been rumours o. The health status of the 84-year-old Olubadan-designate and members of the public are of the opinion that he has to make a public appearance to give an assurance of capability to hold the throne.

Gov Mohammed approves 50% subsidy on Hajj fare for Bauchi pilgrims

State, Hon. Aminu Ibrahim Malle has won the A

APC for Jalingo, Yorro, Zing Fe d e r a l C o n st i t u e n c y e l e ction slated for February this year", he said.

A l h A b d u l l a h i a l s o called on the other aspirants to join hands with the winner for the success of APC during the election.

H e u r g e d P r e s i d e n t Tinubu to “ bail-us-out” from the economic stranglehold of one per cent Class of deep pockets who over the years m a n g l e d t h e p e t r o - d o l l a r s a l l o c a t e d t o t h e m f o r i n d u s t r i a l d e v e l o p m e n t , hence failed to lift millions out of poverty O k e c h u k w u , w h o agreed that the nation was in d i r e n e e d o f b a i l i n g t h e

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has celebrated with their Christian compatriots on this joyous occasion of Easter.

In a press statement in Abuja on Sunday, National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Barr Felix Morka said Easter, otherwise, known as Resurrection Sunday, is core to the Christian faith as it commemorates the resurrection of the crucified Jesus Christ, symbolizing His victory over death, typifying the triumph of light over darkness.

“On this important occasion, we are reminded of God’s infinite capacity to turn dark clouds to silver linings, and hopelessness to great hope and fortunes.

“We urge Nigerians

“ When one learnt that the Ola Olukoyede-led EFCC r a i d e d t h e D a n g o t e Headquarters and other big wig firms, it is with nostalgia that one recalled the famous p l e d g e a t I n d e p e n d e n c e T h a n k s g i v i n g S e r v i c e , N a t i o n a l E c u m e n i c a l C h r i s t i a n C e n t e r A b u j a , made by our dear First Lady, Sen. Remi Tinubu.

to stay confident and hopeful for a brighter and more prosperous future for our country, as President Bola Tinubu continues to tackle, with great vigor, economic and security challenges confronting us at this time.

“Essentially, Jesus Christ died and resurrected to unite and reconcile humanity back to God, our Maker. As we celebrate this rare act of supreme sacrifice, we must strive to follow His lead and embrace those things that unite us as Nigerians than those that divide us.

“We urge that we use the occasion of Easter to celebrate with families, friends, neighbours and the less-privileged with selfless love, kindness, compassion, charity and forgiveness; some of the enduring virtues immanent in the death and resurrection of Christ.”

“ T h i s r e n e w e d a n t igraft-war is the surest way and means of avoiding more g r u e s o m e e c o n o m i c r e c e s s i o n , e x o d u s o f o u r d o c t o r s a n d n u r s e s a n d e r a s i n g t h e p a r a d o x t h a t N i g e r i a , t h e c o u n t r y t h a t produced the Richest African is the World Poverty Capital,” he said.

Governor Bala

Mohammed of Bauchi State has announced the approval of 50 percent subsidy on this year’s Hajj fare for intending Muslim Pilgrims from the state.

O k e c h u k w u n o t e d emphatically that if President Tinubu maintains this antig r a f t - w a r m o m e n t u m , i t would be pure Hope Renewal and Nigeria will be one of those histories will record as n a t i o n s w h e r e c h a n g e emana ted from unexpected quarters

The gesture, according to the governor was aimed at facilitating religious obligations and enhancing the welfare of the citizens.

The approval of the subsidy on Hajj fare was made available to newsmen Saturday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Comrade Mukhtar Gidado.

He, therefore, appealed t o N i g e r i a n s t o g i v e t h e President the much needed support to pull through the a n t i - g r a f t - w a r a n d implement Section 16(2)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of t h e Fe d e r a l R e p u b l i c o f Nigeria.

H e n o t e d t h a t t h i s section cautioned that, “The e c o n o m i c s y s t e m i s n o t operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of groups ”

The release explained that the decision followed the recent announcement made by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCOM) on the adjustment of the 2024 Hajj Fare where intending pilgrims are now required to pay an additional N1,918,050 only.

(APC) primary election for the February 3rd House of Representatives bye election for Jalingo, Yorro, and Zing Federal Constituency of the state.

Announcing the results

delegates' election held late Saturday at the Gymnastics

It said that the state government under Bala Mohammed decided to subsidize the fare with the sum of N959,025.00 for each of the intending Pilgrims which represents 50% of the additional amount.

Under the subsidy initiative, each of the 2,290 intending pilgrims from Bauchi State will enjoy the gesture.

Ibrahim Aminu Malle polled a total number

votes to emerge victorious

The press release explained that the Governor has directed for the immediate release of Two Billion, One Hundred and NinetySix Thousand, One Hundred and Ten Naira for payment of the Hajj fare subsidy.

Comrade Gidado described the development as unprecedented, which according to him, underscores his Principal’s commitment to ensuring that Muslim faithfuls in the State get the opportunity to fulfill their sacred duty

Abdullahi further said Bilyaminu Umar scored 29 votes, Abdulmumuni Hamza got 26 votes, Engr Mohammed Alkali, 13 votes while Kasimu Maigari got no vote. He dis clo se d tha t the t ot a l n u m b e r o f d e l e g a t e s from the three local governments of Jalingo, Yorro, and Zing was One Hundred and Fifty Five (155), accredited vot e r s wer e O n e H u n d re d and Nine (109) the total number of votes cast was also One Hundred and Nine (109).

"Based on the powers conferred on me by our Party at the Natio nal Headqua rt e r s , a s e n s h r i n e d i n t h e G u i d e l i n e s , I d e c l a r e a s follows, "Th at Ibrah im Ami nu Ma ll e, havin g sat is fie d th e requirements of the Law and scored the highest number of Votes cast is hereby declared t h e Wi n n e r a n d r e t u r n e d elected as the Candidate of

of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam. He said that the subsidy of the Hajj fare is a demonstration of the Governor’s dedication to promoting religious harmony and supporting the religious aspirations of the people of Bauchi State.

“It reflects the government’s recognition of the importance of the Hajj in the lives of Muslims and its significance as a spiritual journey of self-discovery and devotion”, the press release added.

It further noted that the subsidy will alleviate the financial burden on intending pilgrims, thereby enabling more citizens to participate in the revered religious obligation.

The press release advised the intending pilgrims to liaise with the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board for details and other necessary information.

Fielding questions from j o u r n a l i s t s s h o r t l y, M a l l e appreciated the media for the resilience in monitoring the election from the beginning to the end, APC's National and S t a t e Wo r k i n g Co m m i tt e e s for doing a good job, and the d e l e g a t e s f o r f i n d i n g h i m worthy M a l l e , w h o s a i d t h e p e a c e f u l a n d t r a n s p a r e n t na tu re of th e exer ci s e was o w i n g t o t h e c a l i b e r o f personnel that came from the pa rt y' s Nat io na l Hea dq ua rt e r s, Ab u j a a d d e d t h a t h i s other contestants had congratulated him and pledged to work for the success of t h e p a r t y i n t h e g e n e r a l election.

Oghenesivbe said the governor’s visit to Aso Rock Villa is already yielding positive results, adding that the military adopted professional strategies in the investigation process because of the magnitude of the barbaric killings of the officers and men on peacekeeping mission in Okuama community. He commended the traditional ruler of Ewu kingdom, HRM Clement Ikolo, for presenting himself for interrogation by the military in the ongoing investigation, describing the steps taken by the royal father as patriotic, responsible and excellent conduct of a ruler who is determined that justice must be served in the matter.

Oghenesivbe, who is also the Head of Delta State Orientation Bureau, DSOB, appealed to the military not to punish innocent people in Okuama community and environ for the crime committed by the fleeing culprits, while commending governor Oborevwori of Delta State, for his proactive and result oriented efforts to ensure that peace is restored to the deserted Urhobo community of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

Two of the contestants, Engr Mohammed Alkali and B i lya m i n u Um a r, w h o t o l d re p o r t e r s t h a t t h e e l e c t i o n was free, fair, and transparent al s o pl ed g ed to li ai s e wi th Malle to make sure APC wins the election.

Daily Times reports that t h e I n d e p e n d e n t Na t i o n a l E l e c t o r a l C o m m i s s i o n (INEC) fixed a bye-election in the State following the demise o f H o n I s m a i l a Y u s h a u Maihanci of PDP who represented the Federal Constituency at the National Assembly

“Government of Delta State and the governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori condemned the killings and he is on top of the matter, working with the military high command to ensure that justice is served, and normal activities restored to Okuama community.a

“The traditional ruler of Ewu kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Clement Ikolo, did well by presenting himself to the military for interrogation in the ongoing investigation. His conduct, actions and inactions is commendable.

OKERAFOR ATHANASIUS

Jalingo Hon.

Alhaji Yahaya Bello

NOSA ÀKENZUA, ASABA

SAMUEL LUKA, BAUCHI

TOM OKPE, ABUJA

Monday, January 8, 2024

Ob orevwor i ' ll win again at Supreme Cour t - O ghene sivb e

and former Chairman of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

Executive Assistant on Orientation and Communication to

Terrorism: American expert warns FG not to rely on US

TOM GARBA, YOLA

D e l t a S t a t e G ov e r n o r, D r Wilfred Oghenesivbe, has expressed c o n fi d e n c e t h a t G ove r n o r S h e r i f f Oborevwori will be victorious at the Supreme Court in the appeal against h i s v i c t o r y b y t h e g o v e r n o r s h i p candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi.

He said that Gbagi sounded like a broken record, a confused individual and a sinking litigant who wrote his own warped judgment and delivered same to the press ahead of his foreseeable collosal misfortunes at the Supreme Court.

Awhich gave Governor Oborevwori and PDP victory at the Tribunal and Court of Appeal, shall resonate at the Apex Court, to the Glory of God, while the ongoing good governance strides of the governor will no doubt continue till May 29, 2031.

Merger Talks: Difference is clear, between 2015 and 2024 - Okechukwu

inconsistent statements of the

Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi.

"

n American citizen who is an expert in reporting crises, Douglas Burton, has called on the Nigerian Government to stop depending on the United States of America for the country’s human and territorial security.

country has ever win the battle with the support of the US government.

O g h e n e s i v b e a v e r r e d t h a t

T h i s w a s i n r e a c t i o n t o a s t a t e m e n t c r e d i t e d t o t h e S D P c a n d i d a t e w h e r e i n h e a l l e g e d l y disparaged the judiciary, and branded tribu nal judg es and Appea l Court j u s t i c e s a s " c o r r u p t a n d irresponsible".

Oghenesivbe in a statement at the weekend and made available to newsmen in Asaba, said Gbagi being a lawyer ought to know that in criminal jurisprudence, he who alleges must prove beyond reasonable doubt, and as such it behoves on him, not the a c c u s e d p e r s o n s , t o a d e q u a t e l y support his claims and allegations w i t h v e r i f i a b l e a n d s u b s t a n t i a l evidence, which he failed to do at the G o v e r n o r s h i p E l e c t i o n Pe t i t i o n Tribunal and affirmed by the Court of Appeal

Douglas said this during a Webinar conference organised by an online News platform, The General News, on a topic:”Navigating the Crisis: “Understanding the Epidemic of Kidnapping in Nigeria and Mitigating High Ransom Demands”.

Douglas who has been writing articles on issues relating to Nigerian insecurity, good governance, the unheard and abandoned communities and gave strong advise to the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stand firm by shaming the culprits of what crime under whichever guise going on unabated in many parts of the country.

G b a g i ' s d a m a g i n g a n d o f f e n s i ve allegations against the Bench and t h e e n t i r e j u d i c i a r y c o n t a i n e d weighty criminal ingredients, and can be sued either now or shortly, a d d i n g t h a t t h e f o r m e r S D P g o v e r n o r s h i p c a n d i d a t e h a s sufficiently demonstrated that he l a c k e d d e c o r u m , v i s i o n a r y leadership and moral decency to lead any responsible organisation, and certainly cannot be trusted with s t a t e p o w e r s , w h i c h w a s w h y Deltans rejected him at the polls on March 18, 2023, without winning one local government area in the state.

in 2009, responsible for Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014, Dapchi school kidnap in 2018 and smaller mass kidnappings since then have remained a major challenge that Tinubu must stand firm to fight.

"Gbagi can't be serious, and it is obvious that he's sounding like a b r o k e n r e c o r d , j u d g i n g f r o m h i s p e r ver s e d st a t e m e n t s a n d p o o r ly attended press briefing in Warri on Saturday

He proffered solutions that the freedom of reporting accurately and cogently who are those behind any kind of crime.

"As a lawyer, Gbagi ought to k n ow t h a t h e a r say a n d c o m m o n sense is not Law He that alleges m u s t p r o v e b e y o n d r e a s o n a b l e doubt, not the accused persons The fa ct s have be en la id ba re at th e Tribunal and affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

TOM GARBA, YOLA

Fd v i s e d t o disregard Gbagi's vituperations and politics of bitterness because his statements and wishful thinking go to no issue," Oghenesivbe said.

reforms, won the confidence of the international community. All he needs is to domesticate his economic programme, to benefit the greatest number of Nigerians.”

“Change laws on gun ownership to allow all citizens to carry arms. Many terrorist invasions of towns in the Middle belt involve targeted kidnapping of selected persons. or groups such as schools or churches. Armed guards are needed

Douglas revealed that Americans are also suffering from their own share of insecurity challenges and no

Douglas is currently the Chief editor of Truth Nigeria, an online newspaper giving indepth reporting and analysis of many of the heinous crimes of kidnapping, bandits, Boko Haram and ISWAP in recent times.

He noted that Gbagi's recent press briefing in Warri, wherein he b e r a t e d s o m e m e m b e r s o f t h e est ee me d B en ch , ca ll in g th em al l sorts of unprintable names, amounts t o g r o s s m i s c o n d u c t t h a t i s unbecoming of a legal practitioner

He said the Islamist insurgencies beginning

He said Governor Oborevwori, is very busy, working round the clock t o d e l i v e r q u a l i t y d i v i d e n d s o f democracy to the people who voted him into power, and cannot now take G b a g i s e r i o u s l y, s ay i n g t h a t t h e Courts are not father Christmas as Gbagi may think, while noting that t has become crystal clear that the former SDP governorship candidate in the state, has lost out completely, a n d r e l eg a t e d t o t h e d u st b i n o f political history Oghenesivbe assured, without prejudice, that the sound judgments

He worried that the permanent outlaw class of “bandits” emerging into prominence in 2011 and swelling to 2015 due to government complicity is the root reason of the prolonged fight against the criminals in the country.

" T h e P e o p l e s D e m o c r a t i c Par ty, PD P, an d th e g overn or of Del ta Sta te, Rt Hon She rif f F O Oborevwori won convincingly at the polls, and very soon victory sounds shall rent the air at the Supreme Court.

He revealed that many kidnaps are sectarian in nature and not purely for profit as high percentage of priests and pastors kidnapped, very few Fulani people are kidnapped and all kidnap gangs in Northwest are selfidentified Fulani men

"Gbagi 's crimi nal allegati ons a g a i n s t s o m e m e m b e r s o f t h e esteemed Bench is very unfortunate. H i s u n s u b s t a n t i a t e d c r i m i n a l allegations and gross misconduct is c e r t a i n l y u n b e c o m i n g o f a l e g a l Practitioner and former Chairman of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria. He could be sued shortly

"Without prejudice, I dare to say that Gbagi already knew that he sh al l cr as h mo nu me nt al ly at th e Apex Court, hence he resorted to a press briefing and addressing press

“Religious leaders should pivot from religious quietism toward civic and social activism to expose and remove corrupt elected leaders at all federali offices and to subvert corruption at the local level. Religious leaders who accepted bribes from officials should be forced to step down,” he said.

TEaster celebration: Senator Dafinone calls for peace, sober reflection

Ob orevwori comm itte d to l ink ing D elta rural communitie s - Aniagwu

ÀKENZUA, ASABA

TDoundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has dismissed the recent calls for merger to oust the APC, which was hyped recently, by Dr Pat Utomi and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who commented on the recent presidential election in Senegal as lacking in proper contextual foundation.

Recall that there has been strident calls for merger, by Dr Pat Utomi and host of others which was hyped by the former vice president, while congratulating Bassirou Faye, Senegalese Presidentelect, noting that last Saturday’s election in Senegal follows the trend of that in Nigeria in 2015 that the opposition can indeed be victorious in an election conducted by the ruling party.

he member of the House of Representatives, represen-

t i n g E s a n We s t , E s a n

C e n t r a l , a n d I g u e b e n Fe d e r a l

C o n s t i t u e n c y a n d l e a d i n g g o v e r n o r s h i p a s p i r a n t o f t h e

Speaking with some journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Okechukwu said for the opposition parties, the lessons are in agreement with persistent call for our opposition parties to forge a coalition that is formidable enough to oust the ruling party, if the salvaging of Nigeria is to stand any chance.

On the possibility that the persistent calls for merger hyped by Atiku for opposition political parties to forge a formidable coalition to oust the APC like the PDP was defeated in 2015, the former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, (VoN) said circumstances on the ground make that a hectic tall order.

He noted that although as a political scientist, he believes that formidable opposition coalition is healthy tonic for Nigeria’s democracy, however it is incumbent on Atiku, Utomi and co-travellers to convince Nigerians on which economic philosophy the coalition would be anchored upon.

“Nigerians know that all the leading presidential candidates in 2023 were all neo-liberals. For instance, like Tinubu, Atiku and Obi agreed to remove fuel subsidy and to harmonise the foreign exchange rate.

was conveyed in a letter personally signed by him following his inability to attend the screening of aspirants of Esan extraction as a result of the funeral ceremony of his grandfather, Pa Iregbeyen Onobun.

e l t a S t a t e Co m m i s s i o n e r f o r Wo r k s ( R u r a l a n d

R i v e r i n e R o a d s ) M r

C h a r l e s A n i a g w u s ay s G ove r n o r

Sheriff Oborevwori is committed to l i n k i n g r u r a l c o m m u n i t i durable roads to boost the e c o n o m i c w e l l - b e i n g o dwellers A n i a g w u st a t e d t h i s a f t e r a n i n s p e c t i o n c o n s t r u c t i o n o f Jo l l y Ave Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North Government Area of the state.

he Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Ede Dafinone, has called for peace and prayers for the victims of Okuama crisis, particularly the families of the dead 17 officers and men of the Nigerian Army and other civilians including women and children, as the nation marks this year’s Easter celebration.

The Delta Central lawmaker in his Easter Message to constituents and Nigerians said; “peace is a priceless gift,” and appealed for restraint from all actors in the crisis to prevent any further escalation of the violence, he advised that government should allow for an independent and unbiased panel of investigators to probe the incident and bring all the perpetrators to book. He also called on government at all levels and the Nigerian people to use this period of Easter to engage in soul searching as a nation on the events leading to this tragic and avoidable loss of lives in order to prevent further reoccurrence.

His statement reads: “As we commemorate the Easter season, marked by the spirit of hope, renewal, and reconciliation, I extend my heartfelt prayers and condolences to the victims of the tragic events in Okuama. This senseless violence has left us all deeply saddened and calls for urgent reflection and action as a nation.

“The loss of precious lives in the Okuama crisis is a stark reminder of the fragility of peace and the need for all stakeholders to prioritize dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect. As we mourn the victims and stand in solidarity with their families, I urge restraint from all parties involved, particularly the military authorities, to prevent further escalation of violence and bloodshed, and furthermore to allow an independent probe to unearth the truth surrounding despicable act and bring the perpetrators to book.

“This Easter, let us use this period of solemn reflection to come together as a nation and engage in introspection on the events leading to this tragic and avoidable loss of lives. It is imperative that we examine our collective conscience and

G

rededicate ourselves to the principles of justice, equity, and peaceful coexistence.

once the people are connected with qual ity road s it will improve the socio-economic development of the people.

are yet unknown.

Peo pl es De mo cr at ic Par ty (P DP ), R t H o n M a r c u s O n o b u n h a s s t e p p e d d o w n f r o m t h e r a c e , declaring his total support for Dr Asue Ighodalo, former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc. endorsement joins the list eral other endorsements by p i r a n t s a n d g r o u p s f o r who appears to be the e f e r r e d f o r t h e p a r t y ’s ernorship ticket.

But, Okechukwu, who was a member of the merger committee that midwifed APC into a formidable opposition, said there are many reasons to outrightly, dismiss these calls and the erroneous premises on which they were anchored.

leading aspirants of the Fr i d a y I t u l a h a n d H o n Ahbulimen, had during the e p p e d d o w n , d e c l a r i n g f o r g o v e r n o r G o d w i n

“The Urhobo people are very peaceful, hospitable and enterprising. They have contributed greatly over the years to the development of this country in all spheres of the national development, therefore, the incident of Okuama does not in any way define our people, hence efforts should be made by the Nigerian state and its institutions not to punish innocent Urhobos on account of the actions of a few criminals whose true identity

"As a state government we are taking advantage of the dry season to deliver on several roads across the st a t e a n d i n t h a t r eg a r d we a r e targeting no fewer than 130km of roads to be delivered and ready for i n a u g u r a t i o

office.

"I have told the contractor and t h e s u p e r v i s i n g e n g i n e e r s i n t h e m i n i s t r y t o e n s

“As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of new life, I extend warm Easter greetings to the Urhobo Nation, the residents of Delta Central Senatorial District, and indeed all Nigerians. May this Easter season bring healing, reconciliation, and renewed hope to our hearts and communities.

“As a people, let us fervently pray that the incident of Okuama never happens again and that peace and harmony prevail in our beloved nation.

He said: “On the possibility that the persistent call for opposition political parties to forge a formidable coalition to oust the APC like the PDP was defeated in 2015, Okechukwu said circumstances on the ground differ remarkably.

Obaseki's anointed aspirant, citing patriotism and the interest of Esan people for their decisions endorsement by Onobun

Acc ording to him, his decision t o s t e p d o w n a n d c o l l a p s e h i s st r u c t u r e f o r D r A s u e Ig h o d a l o followed due consultation and in the Spirit of Sportsmanship and respect for leaders of Esan land.

“Since they all belong to the neo-liberal school of thought and are capitalists, they better support Mr President, because the success of Tinubu’s economic reforms is better for such students more than those of us who subscribe to the belief that Government has business in our welfare.”

Noting that Ighodalo was a credible, competent, and qualified c a n d i d a t e , O n o b u n h o w e v e r pledged to work tirelessly to ensure the emergenc e of an Esan man as the next governor of Edo State H e s a i d , “ I h a v e d o n e consultation across the State, and in t h e S p i r i t o f s p o r t s m a n s h i p a n d respect for our leaders, I wish to s u s p e n d my A s p i r a t i o n f o r E d o Governorship 2024 and support my brother, Barr Asue Ighodalo

“Dethroning an incumbent President should not be a political pastime, but as a practical political consciousness to remove an underperforming administration. Tinubu sure, steady and more allocations to State Governments,” Okechukwu stated.

Okechukwu however, contended that in the face of the current excruciating economic hardship driving majority of Nigerians into abject poverty, even Mr President, appreciates the suffering, but assured that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“I desire to see an Esan man become Edo Governor in 2024. And I pledge my Commitment to take a front seat in this Struggle. God bless my l e a d e r a n d t h e E d o C e n t r a l Special Committee.”.

He explained that the difference in socio-economic situation of Nigeria between 2015 and 2024 is clear, stressing that while in 2015, Nigeria lost focus, today, in spite of the socio-economic hardship, both the international and local communities agree that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has courage, vision and focus.

“Yes, my understanding is that, Atiku was referring to the current socio-economic hardship, but the truth is that, whether you like it or not, President Tinubu has focus.

“In 2015, under President Goodluck Jonathan, there was little or no hope. Luckily, Mr President has with his economic

He remarked further: “There are two things going positively for President Tinubu. One is that the buy-in of the International Community is high, which means that, foreign direct investment which propels prosperity is guaranteed in the course of time.

“Unlike President Muhammadu Buhari, whose rising tide of expectations was high at inception economic empowerment, that of Tinubu is starkly low.

“This is to say that not much was expected from President Tinubu from the onset. The bottom-line is that, he will garner local buy-in with time, instead of declining expectations.”

He reminded merger canvassers to study the largehearted political engineering that enabled opposition to take over in Senegal, recalling how in 2014, Ousmane Sonko invited his friend and fellow tax collector, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and other emergent political actors to form a political party, PASTEF (African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity).

Gov

NOSA

China's economic stagnation weakens Emerging Markets

GODWIN ANYEBE

How data will boost investment in Emerging markets-World Bank Group

Emerging-market assets

STORIES BY GODWIN ANYEBE

The World Bank Group (WBG) recently made good its promise to publish more of its proprietary data, including those on debt defaults as part of a push to attract more private sector investment to developing countries.

The global bank which made the promise, published sought-after proprietary statistics that reveal the credit risk profile of private and public sector investments in emerging markets.

started the new year on a w e a k e r n o t e o v e r China’s economic stagnation. An MS CI Inc.’s gauge for developing-nation stocks fell f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e i n s e v e n trading sessions recently, while the currency index slumped the m o st s i n c e Fe b r u a r y C re d i t d e f a u l t s w a p s p r o t e c t i n g against payment risks among 22 sovereign issuers widened f o r a t h i rd d ay, t h e l o n g e st streak since late November C h i n e s e s t o c k s r e c o r d e d

Making this data publicly available is the latest in a concerted effort to drive more private sector investment to emerging and developing economies.Two separate reports are being provided for the first time ever. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a member of the World Bank Group is sharing sovereign default and recovery rate statistics dating back to 1985.

This information will help credit rating agencies and private investors gain a deeper understanding of IBRD’s credit risk.At the same time, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is providing private sector default statistics broken down by internal credit rating.The report provides insights that could help private sector investors feel more confident about investing in emerging markets.In his remarks, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, said: “We believe our proprietary information should be a global public good and sharing it will provide transparency and inspire investor confidence.

their worst start to a year since 2019 The yuan slid after weak manufacturing a n d h o m e s a l e s d a t a s i g n a l e d t h e g r o w t h deceleration in the world’s s e c is far X i s s i e c o during f u r inv m a i n d China’ ery the

managing partner at SPI Asset Management, wrote i n a n o t e T h i s w i l l “ p r e s s u r e f i s c a l a n d monetary policymakers to take urgent action. China

a combined resource for public use.The consortium releases sovereign and private sector default statistics annually. Earlier this week, the consortium expanded the materials they publish to include private sector recovery rates disaggregated by country income, regions, and sectors.

after being down almost 5 % a t o n e p o i n t T h e currency gauge posted an annual gain of 4.8%, while a Bloomberg measure of s o v e r e i g n d o l l a r d e b t rallied 11%.

cent during the period between 2017 and 2023, indicating that even investments considered higher risk can perform better than could be expected.

R e c e n t m ove s, h owever, i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e b r o a d e r c o n c e r n s o f investors that led to wide

Di v e r s i f i e d e m e r g i n g -

“The publication of this data is aimed at one goal: getting more private sector capital into developing economies to drive impact and create jobs.”The WBG President had early Sunday revealed that the World Bank Group had mobilised $41 billion of private capital for emerging markets and raised another $42 billion from the private sector for bond issuance last year, with both totals to be eclipsed this year.

markets funds had a solid rather than an e x c e p t i o n a l y e a r i n 2 0 2 3 W h i l e t h e M S C I W o r l d Index—which focuses on the U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d o t h e r d e v e l o p e d m a r k e t s g a i n e d 2 3 8 p e r c e n t l a st ye a r, t h e

M S C I E m e r g i n g M a r k e t s

Index returned 9.8 per cent.

The World Bank Group analyses complement statistics produced by the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database Consortium (GEMs), a group of 25 multilateral development banks and development finance institutions that pools similar data and publishes them as

selection to result in big s e c t o r a n d c o u n t r y ove r we i g h t i n g s i n c l u d i n g h e f t y s t a k e s i n t h e U.S.—as he pursues highquality fi rms with g ood business models and other strengths

To ensure the quality of the information, IBRD staff spent more than a year recovering and cleaning sovereign default data covering the period 1985 to 2023. These statistics are unique to IBRD due to its global portfolio and long historical record.Similarly, IFC’s private sector default statistics have been compiled over nearly 40 years and published as a standalone report to respond to the urgent need of investors for emerging market insights. In time, these statistics might also be combined with other data from development institutions and published through the GEMS Consortium.

For sovereign borrowers, defaults are rare, averaging just 0.7 per cent annually, and the World Bank typically recovers more than 90 per cent of the amount owed, including both principal and interest. This underscores the World Bank’s preferred creditor status and its ability to effectively manage sovereign credit risk.

fluctuations last year were c o n t i n u i n g B e s i d e s China’s patchy economic r e c o v e r y, t h e d i s p a r i t y b e t w e e n m a r k e t e x p e ctations of Federal Reserve cuts and the projections keep assets difficulty now is markets had last year,” senior emergo v e r e i g n C Bluebay ement, said in w w i t h T V “ I n market bought 2024 in late things are erbought, if tapped global on Tuesday, sales from eloping-nation governas traders expansion y e a r o f President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's administration. I n v e s t o r s a r e a l s o keeping an eye on tensions in the Middle East. Even as I s r a e l w i t h d r e w s o m e t ro o p s f ro m G a z a , I r a n sent a warship to the Red Sea in a potential escalation.

Hot Emerging-Markets funds that might cool off

Sovereign default losses range from 0.01 per cent to 58.5 per cent, reflecting the effect of interest rates and length of time in default.

The World Bank Group’s comprehensive data can inform more nuanced risk assessments, leading to better investment decisions and improved access to capital for emerging markets.

The IFC’s private sector portfolio had a low default rate of 4.1 per cent from 1986 to 2023, suggesting the untapped potential and resilience of private sector investments in emerging markets.For investments rated as “weak” by IFC’s internal rating system, the default rate was only 2.6 per

These traits paid off in 2 0 2 3 a s t o p - 1 0 n a m e s A i r b n b A B N B , N v i d i a N V D A , C r o w d S t r i k e CRWD, and several other U.S holdings soared, and this fund gained 29 5%

But the bold aspects of K a u f m a n ’ s a p p r o a c h b a c k f i r e d a n d l e d t o ove r s i z e l o s s e s i n b o t h 2021 and 2022. This fund lost 41.4 per c e n t i n t h e l a tt e r ye a r, which was roughly twice as much as its average peer and the MS CI Emerging Markets Index. Kaufman i s t a l e n t e d a n d e a r n e d great results over his first 5.5 years at the helm, so t h i s f u n d h a s p o s t e d

Monday November 7, 2024

Monday, April 1, 2024

Emerging markets brace for wave of elections with fiscal discipline at stake

Emerging Market debt still primed to deliver alpha in 2024

Em e r g i n g m a r k e t s

While emerging markets are intrinsically linked to overall global macro conditions, the direction of which remain difficult to predict, EM sovereign debt as an asset class is still primed to deliver strong performance –and therefore alpha – for 2024. This is particularly the case for those investors who are willing to be both nimble in their approach and long-term in their investment time horizon.

are gearing up for t h e i r b i g g e s t e l e c t i o n ye a r i n d e c a d e s, with investors focused on f i s c a l d i s c i p l i n e a n d populist shifts that could stir markets and blur the o u t l o o k f o r s o m e k e y economies

for example, India, Mexico, o r I n d o n e s i a ; a n d t h o s e w h e r e t h e r e i s g e n u i n e uncertainty, like in South Africa.

strong returns, especially with carry still close to 13-year highs.

C o u n t r i e s , h o m e t o more than half the world's population and accounting for more than 60% of global economic output go to the polls in 2024.

The calendar is bookended by votes in Taiwan in Ja n u a r y - a h i g h - s t a k e s geopolitical event - and in sovereign defaulter Ghana in December, as the country strives to emerg e from a debt crunch.

After a few rocky years, 2023 proved to be an exceptional year for EM debt, yielding doubledigit gains across both sovereign credit and local debt. And while 2024 may hold some surprises in store, both in terms of monetary and fiscal policy dispersions and the volume of elections taking place across the globe, we believe the asset class offers numerous opportunities.

The first, and arguably most important, relates to improving fundamentals. Fuelled by a prolonged period of high commodity prices, particularly during the pandemic, many EMs have managed to reduce their fiscal and current account deficits. Meanwhile, global tourism has picked up, helping countries such as Turkey and the Caribbean to bring in additional revenue and taxes.

superior returns over five years and since its 2015 inception, albeit with lots of volatility along the way

T h e 2 0 2 3 p o l l s i n Argentina and Poland also s e r ve d a s re m i n d e r s t h a t g ove r n m e n t s d u e t o f a c e their electorates are more o f t e n t h a n n o t p r o n e t o loosening the purse stringsa trend that can leave those who take over struggling to roll back the handouts

According to analysis, the probability of the asset class producing a positive total return on a one-year forward looking basis is quite strong. In nine scenarios of spread and 10-year Treasury levels, only three out of these 81 symmetrically simulated scenarios showed negative total return at the index level (assuming no further unexpected defaults, as is our base case for this asset class).

"This is an election year l i k e we h ave n e ve r s e e n b e f o r e I t i s a n e x t r aordinary year," said David L ubin, associate fellow at think tank Chatham House and Citi's former head of e m e r g i n g m a r k e t e c o n omics " R e c e n t e l e c t i o n s i n Argentina and Poland have reminded us that elections d o p r o d u c e s u r p r i s e s , " L ubin added.

T h e e l e c t i o n s f r e n z y comes against a backdrop of s h a r p l y h i g h e r g l o b a l b o r r o w i n g r a t e s - p i l i n g p re s s u re o n m o re f r a g i l e economies, even though the prospect of interest rate cuts from the world's big central b a n k s i s f i r m l y o n t h e horizon.

On top of that, EMs are displaying positive signs of growth, helping metrics like debt-to-GDP ratios to fall slightly. According to both our projections and of the IMF, EM countries will continue to see significantly higher-thanexpected growth rates than advanced economies.

Even when Argentina's previous government ramped up spending between the first and second rounds o f v o t i n g , r a d i c a l Ja v i e r Milei swept to power and e m b a r k e d o n a r a d i c a l r e f o r m p r o g r a m m e I n P o l a n d , t h e s u r p r i s e election win of the liberal, pro-EU Donald Tusk got the thumbs up from investors Fiscal discipline is seen as key, especially following a s e r i e s o f ext e r n a l s h o c k s ranging from COVID -19 to Russia's war in Ukraine and a rise in global yields that has highlighted the need for countries to keep spending t i g h t l y c o n t r o l l e d , s a i d Yv e t t e B a b b, a p o r t f o l i o manager at asset manager

Therefore, even though forecasting total return can be a perilous proposition, experts think investors should be comfortable with the fact that high carry offers the potential to offset quite a bit of volatility, should it transpire. This is a material difference compared to other core investment grade asset classes, which provide far lower levels of carry.

That said, the investment outlook somewhat hinges on the ultimate trajectory of US Treasuries, which are notoriously difficult to predict. Experts do, however, observe that US fixed mortgage rates are the highest they have been in the last 23 years, a period in which the US has experienced at least two pronounced recessions. The yield curve, too, appears to indicate economic softness through pronounced inversion.

William Blair

Thus, it’s not surprising that t h e a v e r a g e d i v e r s i f i e d e m e r g i n g - m a r k e t s f u n d returned 12.4 per cent in 2023 versus 18.2 per cent for the typical global large-stock blend fund (and 22.4% for the average large-blend fund).

This new reporting will support private investment in developing economies –by increasing transparency on historical performance, helping investors gauge risk-reward premiums, and bolstering confidence on the state of emerging markets.

Global smartphone market to rebound in 2024 with Apple, Huawei leading-Report

H o w e v e r , s e v e r a l p r ominent diversified emergingmarkets funds gained 20% or m o r e l a s t y e a r , i n c l u d i n g

GA r t i s a n D e v e l o p i n g Wo r l d

A R T Y X , C u l l e n E m e r g i n g

M a r k e t s H i g h D i v i d e n d

C E M D X , a n d L a z a r d

E m e r g i n g M a r k e t s E q u i t y

lobal smartphone shipments are expected to rebound by 3 per cent in 2024 as easing inflation aids a demand recovery in emerging markets and the integration of generative AI attracts buyers to premium devices, latest report by Counterpoint Research has revealed.

The budget segment, expected to grow 11 percent in 2024 after shrinking in 2023, will also see increasing demand in the Caribbean and Latin American regions.

of much-coveted generative AI technology and the popularity of foldables will stimulate demand for this segment, the report said.

T h i s t e a m ' s f u n d f o c u s e s o n c h e a p, h i g hyielding stocks with solid f u n d a m e n t a l s T h e s e biases paid off in 2023 as val u e a n d h i g h - d iv i d e n d stocks outperformed in the d e v e l o p i n g w o r l d ; t h e team’s stock selection was h e l p f u l , a n d t h i s f u n d gained 26.1 per cent last year Its biases often paid off in selloffs in the past, w h i l e t h e t e a m h a s regularly executed well, so i t s l o n g - t e r m r e c o r d i s good.

For investors, elections a r e d i v i d e d i n t o t h r e e categories: Those where the outcome is rather obvious, such as Russia or Venezuela; those where it seems clear but the ballot is contested,

Global

Concurrently, inflationary trends continue to show improvement across the EM universe (with certain exceptions). Unlike their counterparts, many EM central banks have been running a mostly orthodox set of monetary policies since 2020, raising their interest rates long before their counterparts in advanced economies. This puts them ahead of the curve, instead of lagging behind.

With roughly half of the world’s population heading to the polls this year, there are several key elections that could impact both regional and global outlooks and, in turn, present significant geopolitical risk in EMs over the course of the year.

Yvette Babb

economy is not out of the wood

The global economy

The most impactful will likely be the US presidential election when the return of Trump is looking increasingly probable. Indeed, history would suggest that a Trump presidency may very well inject further uncertainty and spike global market volatility, whether it be through tough rhetoric on China or agitating the world’s economic institutions. Yet despite the volatility ahead, EMs still present a compelling case for investors looking to add exposure to the asset class.

Apple and Chinese rival Huawei are likely to emerge as winners in the premium market, it said.

Global shipments had declined by more than 4 percent in 2023, earlier data from the research firm showed, as consumers tightened their purse strings in an uncertain economy.

L Z O E X A l l t h r e e h a v e Morningstar Medalist Ratings o f B r o n z e a n d a r e s o l i d emerging-markets vehicles for the long haul, but it’s crucial to understand that they come with r e a l r i s k s a s we l l a s a m p l e upside potential.

M a n a g e r L ew i s Ka u f m a n focuses on 30 to 50 names and r e g u l a r l y a l l o w s h i s s t o c k

Emerging markets such as India, the Middle East and Africa are seen to be major growth drivers for the smartphone market, especially the budget-economy segment.

The segment, consisting of phones priced between $150 and $249, is set to benefit from easing inflation in regions such as Africa and stabilization of local currencies, Counterpoint said. Increased competition between Chinese companies such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, along with a recovery in demand for IT devices, also aided growth in the segment.

Lewis Kaufman

The premium segment, with phones priced between $600 and $799, is expected to grow 17 percent. The introduction

Steady demand for iPhones, particularly in emerging markets, is set to benefit Apple, while Huawei is expected to retain its strong presence in China, especially with the release of its new Kirin chipset, the report stated.

Competition from Huawei led to a 24 percent decline in iPhone sales in China in the first six weeks of 2024, Counterpoint estimated.

T h a t sa i d , e m e r g i n gmarkets value and highd i v i d e n d s t o c k s a l s o outperformed in 2021 and 2022, and the fund has b e n e fi t e d f ro m a st ro n g m u l t i y e a r t a i l w i n d I t s limited exposure to growth st o c k s w i l l n o r m a l ly b e b u r d e n s o m e w h e n s u c h names lead the way in the developing world, as was the case most recently in 2 0 2 0 w h e n t h e f u n d l a g g e d f a r b e h i n d i t s a v e r a g e p e e r a n d t h e MS CI Emerging Markets Index.

From the perspective of rating cycles, there were no sovereign defaults in 2023 and the risk of defaults remains concentrated in smaller countries. For these reasons, we believe the asset class is now past its default rate peak – a sentiment reflected by the strong investor appetite for those bonds already issued in 2024 and the subsequent rally in the market.

was full of surprises in 2023 Despite the sharp rise in interest rates, t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s s u c c essfully avoided a recession, a n d m a j o r e m e r g i n g markets did not spiral into a d e bt c r i s i s. Eve n Ja p a n ’ s geriatric economy exhibited s t u n n i n g v i t a l i t y B y c o n t r a s t , t h e E u r o p e a n Un i o n f e l l b e h i n d , a s i t s G e r m a n g r o w t h e n g i n e sputtered after China’s fourdecade era of hypergrowth abruptly ended.

Against this backdrop, our view is that many distressed assets in EM are trading at a discount and should produce

Clearly, there are exciting opportunities within EM sovereign debt for investors seeking diversification and growth potential. However, the political and economic challenges have not disappeared and so tapping into this asset class requires selectivity, in-depth knowledge, and extreme agility.

Lastly, what will be the n e x t m a j o r s o u r c e o f g e o p o l i t i c a l i n s t a b i l i t y ?

W i l l i t b e a C h i n e s e blockade of Taiwan, former P r e s i d e n t D o n a l d Tr u m p w i n n i n g N o v e m b e r ’ s U S presidential election, or an unforeseen event?

Looking ahead to 2024, s e v e r a l q u e s t i o n s l o o m large. What will happen to l o n g - t e r m i n f l a t i o nadjusted interest rates? Can C h i n a a v o i d a m o r e dramatic slowdown, given the turmoil in its real-estate s e c t o r a n d h i g h l eve l s o f l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t d e b t ? H av i n g m a i n t a i n e d n e a rzero interest rates for two decades, can the Bank of Ja p a n ( B O J ) n o r m a l i z e r a t e s w i t h o u t t r i g g e r i n g systemic financial and debt c r i s e s ? W i l l t h e d e l a y e d e f f e c t s o f t h e F e d e r a l Reserve’s interest-rate hikes eventually push the US into a recession? Can emerging markets maintain stability for another year?

Investors would, therefore, do well to take an active approach, combining top-down macro analysis and bottomup fundamental assessment, to enhance returns and reduce risk.

Drones will be commercialised in Nigeria soon-Idu

Wyou know. It’s advancing in almost all aspects of life. It’s not just about the aircraft itself, but what is important is the application of this miniature aircraft. And sometimes, not miniature, and sometimes even full-blown, big, sized aircra bft systems can, at this point of our technological development, be controlled from a remote station. And it comes with a high level of sophistication to do a lot of things.

Drone applications have been found in areas of mapping, survey, has been found in area of medical delivery, humanitarian purposes, search and rescue, search and rescue in marine areas, search and rescue in earthquake areas, disaster areas, and even search and rescue in where you have aircraft accidents, you still can deploy a drone to do an initial mapping of those disaster areas and carrying out a first-hand risk assessment of what the area is, what are the nature of the incident, the size of incident, and also assess the hazardous nature of the environment before you can deploy human beings.

With the increasing awareness of the use of drones in the country, the technology will soon be used to ferry passengers. Mr Fortune Idu, coordinator of dronetecx in the country, in this interview with CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO, revealed that with the reports on drones submitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the creation of the drone department, the technology has come to stay with full legal backing. Enjoy the Excerpts.

the same airspace for drones to be easily applicable. If you find a drone within the airport environment or the territory of a normal manned aircraft, it becomes either an obstacle or a security or safety hindrance. And ICAO is trying to find a commonality between these operations. So, for that reason, the global universal application of drones as you can have in unmanned aircraft systems is not fully harmonized and is not fully operational.

has been the major cost of flying. And then you are removing that, then you are making it more accessible. You are also reducing the number of people who can be in an aircraft at a particular time. If you deploy, if there is, because Dubai will soon come up with a policy for drone taxes.

So, if you have that, it means that people can hop in and out of a place and in a small number of sizes. So the risk of multiple, I mean, accidents that we’ve seen as multiple deaths still can be reduced. Of course, now you have the technology for sensors that is trying to make the drone’s application. The drones know when they are getting, their battery is getting weak. They can come down. Then the drones know when they are approaching an obstacle. They can avoid it. So there’s a lot that is coming with technology, artificial intelligence, cheaper batteries available and very efficient batteries, I should say. Not really cheap, but very efficient battery. All those are making this unmanned aircraft system future, a possibility.

We also have drones being used in firefighting. We have drones, of course, in medical delivery. So, you’ve got drones almost applicable everywhere, including agricultural areas. You have a drone carrying out spraying. In the agricultural areas, where you used to have human beings spraying the field for about four days, a drone can do it in just a few hours. So, these are those benefits that have come with the application of a remotely piloted aircraft system, which is another name for drones, which is Repas or Aeropas.

Okay, while you have UAS, which is a Unmanned Aircraft System, is it all the same?

SThey are all drones.

takeholders on gen-der

However, using of drones in countries, from country to country, is limited to the regulations of the countries. And so, they are still being developed in terms of acceptable universal regulation. And this is what ICAO is doing. So that is the constraint that we also have in Nigeria. CAP 21. That is the drone regulation for Nigeria has just come out. It was launched sometime last year. And we are still trying to understand and appreciate it. However, a lot of activities are going on in the country as it relates to the usage of drones in medical supplies. You have things, companies like Zipline that are doing in Kaduna. And then you have also drone applications by youths, by younger people in areas where you have photography, wedding pictures, and recreational drone applications. These are applications within what they call, for those youths, within what they call visual line of sight applications. But for a greater, longer application where you cannot see the aircraft, which is beyond visual line of sight, there is a lot of regulation that needs to be put in place. So that is what we don’t have.

It is still seriously guided by NCAA and of course the Office of the National Security Advisorbecause of the fear of what can be used in terms of security issues.

Over the past three years that you have been organizing drone conferences, what would you say you have been able to bring out or expose to the generality of the public?

Okay, it’s interesting to know that we started it quite rough. The fact is that we came out at a time when everybody says you cannot do it because it’s banned. And we have people who own drones who will call us and say, I’m sorry, we can’t even come to your conference because we have been told that as we’re leaving that conference, we’ll be arrested. So we have that issue. And that then suddenly it was compounded by we getting a letter telling us not to, more like not to hold the conference. And the letter was circulated to all the armed forces, you know, that we cannot hold this conference. And then, of course, that was the beginning. And I found it challenging and interesting. And we did respond to the office. And of course, this time copied NSA. And we now clearly stated it, that, you know, you may come and arrest us, but I can assure you there are over hundreds of youths who have this same thing all over Lagos. And I’m sure that one of you who has written this letter has been to parties where the drone is used to take your pictures.

and since the regulation has just come out, it is not fully in scale. And the NCAA has not come out publicly to announce the criteria for importation for full operations and everything.

Now, sir, this technology is not new to the developed world, but it is new to us here. In Africa, also in Nigeria. But in Nigeria, what is the level of awareness of the benefits of this vehicle?

h ave c a l l e d f o r m o re inclusive commitments to secure and safeguard the p r o g r e s s o f t h e E u r o p e a n Union- United Nations (EUUN) Spotlight Initiative on e n d i n g G e n d e r - B a s e d Violence (GBV ).

The call was made at the n a t i o n a l c l o s e - o u t a n d h a n d ove r c e r e m o n y o f t h e EU - UN Spotlight Initiativ e project organised by the UN t o e n d v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t women and girls in Nigeria.

T h e U N R e s i d e n t a n d H u m a n i t a r i a n C o o rd i n a t o r Mr Mathias Schmale, said the initiative focuses on GBV in relation to collec-tive efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda in the SDGs, reports the Voice of Nigeria ( VON).

In the first place, I just want to make it clear. It is still an imagined technology, so it is still relatively new globally. But the fact is that it’s not new in the sense that as a matter of fact, the first picture of the far side of the moon was taken by a remotely piloted aircraft system. So, such a system is now very new to the scientific world. But the common application is what is new and imagined, which means common application in almost all these fields that I have mentioned. Yes, and all that is still what is new and still imagined. And other new areas are coming. So, it is now being developed. But what made, what I call, acceptability or common, that is being common to people difficult was the fact that there are risk factors associated with the use of unmanned systems. You have risks of it being flown within a crowded area, risk of it dropping from the skies, risk of, that is safety risk. You have security risks.

“Since the beginning of the Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria i n 2 0 1 9 , w e h a v e m a d e tangible difference in the lives of many in Nig eria. It has enabled more than 60,500 w o m e n a n d g i r l s r e c e i v e worth y services It made allies of traditional leaders, enhanced data collection and galvanization in changing mindsets and changing lives,” he said.

Mr Schmale added: “ With today ’ s handover ceremony,

the sustainability of actions l i e s i n t h e h a n d s o f t h e Nigerian people, the Government, and the partners The momentum must be built on. The progress must be safeguarded. The spotlight must stay on gen-der-based violence. The United Nations System in Nigeria will continue its close coope-ration with the Feder-al Government.'’

Nig eria,” Ambassador Isopi added.

Now, do we have people building drones in the country and if am to bring a drone into the country, who is the person or the office that will grant me the approval to bring them in?

O n h i s p a r t , At t o r n e yG e n e r a l o f t h e Fe d e r a t i o n

( A G F ) a n d M i n i s t e r o

A l s o s p e a k i n g , E U Ambassador to Nigeria and E C O W A S , A m b a s s a d o r

Samuela Isopi, noted that the initiative is the world’s largest e f f o r t a n d i n ve s t - m e n t s t o fight against GBV “EU launched it in 2018 together with the UN It is f u n d e d w i t h t h e g l o b a l investment of €500 million, because we are convinced that this is what is necessary to make transformative change. Out of this €500 million, 25 has been allocated to support fights against GBV in Nigeria; in Nig eria the programme has tasted new holistic app-roach t h a t b r o u g h t a l l a c t o r s together This has allowed us achieve resounding results, a record number of 35 States of the Federation have passed t h e V A P P A c t i n t o L a w making it fastest Bill passed in

Then, of course, you have privacy issues. So, for that, those are the constraints that have held the fast development of these vehicles. In this country. In the whole world. But ICAO is moving very fast and closing the gaps in these areas to find a common regulatory framework, robust regulatory framework that will guide the utilization and operations of this vehicle. So that it does not interfere with all these areas. And don’t also forget that there is also a very big interference which has to be managed, which is the drones. This is an aircraft system being found in places where you have manned aircraft systems. The manned aircraft system has not fully integrated the application or

The first question is about if you have drones are being developed, and used in the country. Of course, because it’s a miniaturized technology the technology has come in different levels of applications. You have things like CKDs, Completed Knockdown Equipment parts and these Completed Knockdown parts can easily be reassembled here in Nigeria and it is relatively easy to assemble. You know, sometimes we have difficulty in separating those who call themselves manufacturers and those who are assembling or reassembling. So, assembling, yes, a lot of people are coupling back their drones here.

Then, of course, you have the communication link, which is what connects the drone with the operator. So these three things are the major things which the regulator the manufacturers and those who use operators must understand very well how they interplay. And so, this manufacturer who we’re showcasing here, of course, can tell the drones to do whatever they want to do because it’s a software designer. And that is one of the most critical parts. And don’t forget that in this era of artificial intelligence, you can find that drones in some areas of the world can have the capacity to begin to talk to each other. And this is where we are tending to.

In a related develop-ment, the Emir of Shonga, Deputy C o n v e n o r - G e n e r a l o f t h e Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTL A), Dr H a l i r u Nd a n u sa , d e s c r i b e d t h e i n i t i a t i v e a s t h e m o s t substantial commitment by EU/UN in tackling SexualGBV (S GBV ).

beneficiary of numerous programmes under the EU/UN S p o t

UNICEF, UNDP These are p r o g r a m m e s c e n t e r e d o

You have the blueprints and the paperwork, you can put that together. But still, in terms of manufacturing, some people have come to us. We, the drone tech people, being the formal promoter of drone technology in Nigeria, drone businesses and all that, have come to us to claim that they can manufacture.

criminal justice actions at the Federal and spotlight States

Once we’re able to get to the level where the drones can talk to each other, then we will now be able to carry out full-scale monitoring through sensors that the drones do not collide with each other and the drones do not collide with manned aircraft and the drones do not collide with structures in the sky. So we are trying to be, the world is tending to us, optimizing the technology of censoring and monitoring and giving the drones that capacity. Once the drones have that capacity, then I can assure you, you are likely to find flying aircraft, I mean flying taxis, which means drones that will carry people on board to different locations.

The ministry will be launching the SoP for prosecution of GBV which is funded b y U N E S C O u n d e r t h e EU/UN Spotlight Initiative; t h e S o P i s t a r g e t e d a t determining and respond-ing to GVB when it occurs in our s c h o o l s T h i s i n i t i a t i v e propels further collaboration with key Ministries of Women Affairs and Justice, to give rise to more robust-real-time and readily available pattern for solution room.'’

I haven’t been to any of their facilities, but I know of one of our participants in the drone tech, which is Aerie, who from what they displayed at the previous exhibitions, showed that those things were manufactured here in Nigeria. You can see the materials that were used, you can see the coupling and all that. It shows that they were manufactured in Nigeria. But one of the parts, the drone itself, features is in three sections. You have the hardware, which is the rigid body. You have the software, which is the language that the drone understands and how it can behave and what it can do.

That is what we are ultimately going to see in the next 10 years. You’ll find the capacity for drones to uplift people and take them completely unmanned. All they need to be told where it’s going and when it gets there, it brings the person down and then moves to the next point of location of where they are meant to reside. So that world is coming. Okay, then the second question. Bringing in drones. Well, the agency that is fully in charge of regulation of every drone activity in Nigeria is the NCAA. However, other agencies of government are in charge of collecting revenues for imports, which is customs. So unfortunately, there is a shadow around everything, around all this, which is Nigeria’s national security advisor of this country, who is presently in charge of the security usage of drones. So for that reason,

“S GBV remains the most w i d e s p r e a d h u m a n r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s i m p a c t i n g o u r society ’ s socioeconomic development and conflicting the values of human dignity and sanctity in our commun-ities ' ' I n re c og n i z i n g t h e s ociocultural harms of S GBV, we as custodians of culture and traditions have ethical-ly worked to transform practices related to violence. We expres s i m m e n s e sa t i s

There is nothing clear. So we still have that shadow of fear around. And so because of that shadow of fear, you can find the police catching people on the road and saying you are carrying a drone. You can find customs not clear with what the tariff is and say we are seizing the drone. They won’t even say give me the option of fine. They can seize it and say it is banned. So this is what DroneTex intends to do. This year’s conference, we’re going to look into all this and then we’re going to go into the promotion for the national policy framework. The question is what do we want to do with a drone in this country? How far do we want to go? Where is the world going? How do we want to catch up? What are the things we need to put in place to be like any other part of the world? Are we worried about us being a dumping ground? How can it create jobs? And what kind of job can it create? What is the potential of drones? And how can it fill space? Will it become our answer to the quest of Nigeria not being able to own their national carriers, airlines and all that? Because it is possible. It is possible because we’re not talking about technology that is bringing flying to almost a fraction of what it will take to fly a normal aircraft. So we’re talking about that. The technology is beginning to be very, very affordable. The materials for making the aircraft is beginning to be so much available. It is the technology in making aircraft of reusable batteries and highly durable batteries is making it possible for us to have drones to do almost everything. Then the technology of photocells, where you have to use the sunlight for energy, yes, is also making it possible for drones to fly using photocells. So that is possible. So gradually, you are eliminating almost the greatest cost of flying is being taken out, which is fuel. Fuel

SGBV remains the most widespread human rights violations impacting our society’s socioeconomic development and conflicting the values of human dignity and sanctity in our communities “ ”

So, you know, all I’m just doing is trying to open up the discussion space so that people can come out from the closet. You cannot regulate what does not exist. So you need to know and agree to yourself that it does exist. And you can bring them out from the closet and then you can regulate them. We need also to have a database for people to be able to say, okay, these are those who use it. We are part of an organization called NUSA, which is an unmanned aircraft and remote robotics association. And we all joined hands together to continue to campaign. And of course, we did letters requesting the NCAA to give us a letter of no objection. That this is a civil drone application and Nigeria has had the first UAS or repass conference by IKO. Nigeria was among the first to hold it. And so why should we host such an important event? And then find ourselves locked up in the bedroom while others have started developing very fast.

It was that letter that the NCAA sent to us, a letter of no objection. And of course, we now went into hosting the event. Years later, we had the Office of the National Security Advisor also joining us in one of those programs. And then, since then, all reports of the events that we have done, we used as part of our contribution to national development, to make sure that all reports of the event were sent to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities, Office of the Security Advisor to the country. And while other agencies may be in the pipeline for this. And of course that has also helped that I can tell you today categorically that one of the reports that we did on this drone and the essence has received a commendation, acceptance from the Civil Aviation Authority. Because we requested that we need to have a clear department or unit that sees this development. Though it is an aircraft unmanned, but there is a lot of applications that is related to this part of the aircraft system that is not in the other aircraft systems. One of them is that majority over, close to 50% of the activities that relate to drone are away from the normal aviation confines.

on 14th January, the Super Eagles will confront the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire on 18th January, before a f i n a l g ro u p p h a s e c l a s h w i t h t h e Wi l d D o g s o f G u i n e a B i s sa u o n 2 2 n d

Man City and Arsenal draw to hand Liverpool advantage

Manchester City and Arsenal handed Liverpool the advantage in the Premier League title race as they played out a bitterly disappointing goalless stalemate at Etihad Stadium.

rivals cancelling each other out.

Monday, April 1, 2024

UKPONO UKPONG

President Bola Tin-

Celtic back on top after beating Livingston

u b u h a s c o n d o l e d w i t h t h e w i t h t h e

Celtic returned to top spot in the Scottish Premiership after a strong secondhalf showing overpowered stubborn Livingston.

Imasuen family, the football c o m m u n i t y, t h e g o v e r nment of Edo State, over the death of one of Nigeria's finest football coaches, Mr S e b a s t i a n B r o d e r i c k sImasuen.

This was contained in a s t a t e m e n t s i g n e d b y h i s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The breakthrough came from a fortuitous Jamie Brandon own goal and home goalkeeper Shamal George was kept busy before Paulo Bernardo crashed in a splendid strike.

T h e s t a t e m e n t n o t e d that President Bola Tinubu received the news of the p a s s i n g o f B r o d e r i c k sI m a s u e n , w i t h a h e a v y heart.

The defending champions lead Rangers by a point again having played a game more, with the Old Firm rivals ready to meet at Ibrox next Sunday.

"Brodericks-Imasuen, a f o o t b a l l e r - t u r n e d - c o a c h , l e d N i g e r i a ' s G o l d e n E a g l et s t o v i c t o r y a t t h e inaugural FIFA U-16 World Championship in China in

Follow the latest at Celtic

Bottom club Livingston remain 10 points adrift of Ross County with seven games to go.

KThis was a game that made a nonsense of its billing as a potential classic, as Arsenal’s containing tactics snuffed out City while the Gunners had only limited chances of their own in a desperately poor affair.

occasional threat, just failing to connect with Bukayo Saka’s cross inches from goal after the break.

‘Stern and steely Arsenal not going away in title race’

action and reaction

How did you rate Manchester City’s performance? Have your say here

Liverpool are now top of the table, two points clear of Arsenal and three ahead of City, after they came from behind to beat Brighton at Anfield, their delight increased by their two closest

Ja v e L i v e r p o o l victory over Arsenal in the FA C u p t h i r d - r o u n d t i e a t Emirates Stadium.

Nathan Ake had an early closerange header saved by Arsenal keeper David Raya before going off injured while former City striker Gabriel Jesus posed an

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be happier than City counterpart Pep Guardiola with this outcome - but the real winners were Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.

January Their first two matches will hold at the brand-new Stade Alassane Ouattara, while the date with the Wild Dogs will be at the Stade HouphouetBoigny – where the Eagles t a c k l e d C a m e r o o n ’ s Indomitable Lions in the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations

Liverpool's defeat send Arsenal packing from FA Cup

Relive Man City v Arsenal and all of Sunday’s Premier League

Guardiola’s side were under greater pressure to win this match but their usual fluent passing game was rarely in evidence, stifled by the visitors’ organisation and infuriated by referee Anthony Taylor’s reluctance to punish the Gunners for a succession of infringements.

Boxing: I’m going to beat everyone – Joshua

Anthony

Joshua could get a shot at the undisputed heavyweight title fight this year after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk signed a megamoney deal in Saudi Arabia.

Despite Fury and Oleksandr Usyk having a big-money deal for two heavyweight title showdowns in Saudi Arabia, the fight has been delayed due to an injury to Fury’s eye.It was supposed to happen next week but has now been pushed back to May

Colombia winger Diaz t h e n m a d e s u r e o f t h e

Arsenal paid the price for missing a host of opportunities and were punished as Liverpool g r e w i n c r e a s i n g l y dang erous, the deadlock b r o k e n w h e n T r e n t Alexander-Arnold's freek i c k g l a n c e d i n o f f Kiwior's head with seven minutes left.

18. Both fighters have a rematch clause in their contracts, which means they are scheduled to fight twice this year. However, Joshua could disrupt these plans if he continues his winning streak.

Joshua is currently leading the pack to face the winner of the Fury-Usyk fight after securing three victories in 2023, including a notable win over Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia last December. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, thinks that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh may step in if Joshua keeps winning.

R e d s ' p r o g r e s s w i t h a breakaway goal in the last minute of added time.

M i k e l A r t e t a ' s s i d e dominated the first half, with Martin Odegaard hitting the bar while Reis Nelson and Kai Havertz also had chances to g ive A r s e n a l rewa rd f o r their pressure.

But Liverpool, despite missing captain Virgil van Dijk through illness and with Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, held firm.

Alexander-Arnold also hit the bar in the first half and as they started to exert c o n t ro l a f t e r t h e b re a k , h o m e g o a l k e e p e r A a ro n Ramsdale had to save well f r o m D i a z w h i l e D i o g o Jota headed against the bar

Just as the replay that n e i t h e r A r s e n a l n o r Liverpool would have p a r t i c u l a r l y w a n t e d loomed, the unfortunate K i w i o r h e a d e d p a s t Ramsdale to put one foot i n t h e f o u r t h ro u n d f o r Jurgen Klopp's side.

W i t h t h e G u n n e r s push-ing for an equaliser, Darwin Nunez and Jota combined to set Diaz free and he lashed the ball into t h e t o p c o r n e r t o s e a l victory for the visitors

Tinubu mourns Nigeria's global trophy-winning coach, Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen

wasn’t there or things got blocked.

1985

“But we showed that calmness, which is important at this time of year.

" P r e s i d e n t T i n u b u celebrates the football icon, w h o b r o u g h t h o p e a n d inspired national pride by his industry, devotion, and d i l i g e n c e o n a n d o f f t h e pitch, describing him as a true Nigerian hero

" T h e P r e s i d e n t s y mpathizes with the Imasuen f a m i l y , t h e f o o t b a l l community, the government of Edo State, and all those who mourn this agonizing loss while praying for the repose of the soul of the d e a r l y d e p a r t e d " T h e statement reads in parts

“It’s easy to get dragged into panic mode and think that you need to go chasing a win, but we stayed with our performance, stayed with doing the same things. We were relentless and eventually it breaks for you. That’s what happened and we came out convincing winners.”

Reo Hatate was making just his fifth league start of the season following a series of injuries and the Japan midfielder curled a strike wide from 20 yards during a drab first half.

De Bruyne returns as Man City thrashes Huddersfield

e v i n d e B r u y n e

“The boys were very good, very professional,” said Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy. “We didn’t give Livingston very much at all in terms of territory or getting into our box, which is always important here.

Despite having 76% possession, the visitors’ first shot on target only came in stoppage time before the interval, with George at full stretch to push away a sharp effort from Kyogo Furuhashi.

“And in our attacking play, we stuck at it. In the first half we could have scored. We got into some great areas and maybe the final ball

made his return to c o m p e t i t i ve f o o tball for the first time since August as Manchester City began their defence of the FA v i s f Stadium.

b e hams the fr strikes Je Jackson G fourth the a n s e a s o n a n d f e w g a v e

Huddersfield - 21st in the C h a m p i o n s h i p - m u c h chance of causing an upset.

hosts' fifth when he swept h o m e w i t h H u d d e r s f i e l d g o a l k e e p e r L e e N i c h o l l s stranded.

There were chants of "we want 10" from some home

The striker had earlier been the subject of a brief VAR check for a possible penalty when Nicky Devlin appeared to catch his heel with a challenge from behind.

Enyimba partners Norwegian side on player development

NT h e v i s i t o r s k e p t o u t t h e i r o p p o n e n t s f o r 3 3 m i n u t e s w i t h s o m e determined defending but City always looked capable of going through the gears and they opened the scoring w h e n Fo d e n d rove h o m e from inside the box after Alvarez's shot was blocked.

igeria Premier Football League champions Enyimba

FC are on the verge of sealing a partnership deal with Norwegian side, Hamkam FC, BSNSports. com.ng reports.

Alvarez then got on the scoresheet after the hosts carved open the Hudders fi e l d d e f e n c e w i t h s o m e intricate passing before the A r g e n t i n a f o r wa r d ' s d e f t finish rolled into the net.

A dinked pass intended f o r D e B r u y n e f r o m t h e impressive Oscar Bobb then deflected off Jackson and looped into the net early in the second half before F o d e n s m a s h e d i n h i s second.

Disclosing the news to Enyimba Media in Aba, the club’s Sporting Director, Ifeanyi Ekwueme said the partnership will be of immense benefit to the youth team.

According to him, “This is one of the numerous benefits of having a sound Chairman in the person of Kanu Papilo Nwankwo “FIFA Ambassador” and we are indeed grateful to His

Doku, also making his return from injury, got the

they determined to enjoy success again this year They took the first step towards defending the FA C u p w i t h t h i s u l t i m a t e l y routine victory - but perhaps just as important as avoiding an early upset was the return of De Bruyne.

Excellency, the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti for puting a round peg in a round hole.”

Guardiola knows he is going to need his best players fit if they are to fight on multiple fronts and there is no doubt they have missed De Bruyne in the first half of the season.

He revealed that the People’s Elephant youth team will be trained by the European club’s official with a plan of selecting the best to further their career abroad.

“It’s a partnership deal between Enyimba and a team in Norway.

“Hamkam will be sending their Sporting Director, Team Manager and club officials to train our youth team as well as watch our main team also during a seven day programme and at the end the lucky players will join the team.”

Super Eagles of Nigeria

Monday, April 1, 2024

Gauff defends Au���and tit�e as ��ba�ina

Sabalenka.

The match was a repeat of l a s t y e a r ' s A u s t r a l i a n O p e n final, in which Sabalenka fought back from a set down to win her first major title, but on this occasion Rybakina swept the Belarusian aside 6-0 6-3

the Australian Open but her form approaching this y e a r ' s o p e n i n g m a j o r suggests she is ready to i m p r ov e t h a t r e c o r d i n 2024.

she would come through w i t h a d m i r a b l e composure.

was able to do that today," Gauff said.

y to hold West Ham eplay

s i d e earned d r a w m a t ce an eplay a st e d v i n g against opposcoring minutes on o n t iform by of the d i n g e a r y b a l l under the body of defender Cameron Pring on the line.

Antetokounmpo shines as Bucks see off Hawks

showing bravery on the ball and unity in defence to find a foothold in the tie.

GSam Bell and Rob Dickie both had opportunities to l e v e l f o r t h e R o b i n s b u t L ukasz Fabianski stood firm on both occasions to keep West Ham's lead intact.

iannis

Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and made 16 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 122-113 in the NBA.

Antetokounmpo has posted at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in 34 games this season - more than any other player.

The two-time Most Valuable Player also provided eight assists in Atlanta.

Raphinha winner helps Barca cut Real Madrid’s lead

The Robins returned for t h e s e c o n d p e r i o d w i t h intent, playing the majority o f t h e i r f o ot b a l l i n We st Ham's half of the field, and their willingness to commit to the attack paid dividends w h e n a c a d e m y g r a d u a t e To m m y C o n w a y f o u n d space behind the Hammers' b a c k l i n e b e f o r e d r i l l i n g beyond Fabianski.

A n e m o t i o n a l G r i g o r

Dimitrov clinched his first title for six years by beating Danish top seed Holger Rune 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in the men's final.

Barcelona kept the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid by reducing the gap to five points after ending the resistance of visitors Las Palmas.

In the men's doubles final, B r i t o n L l oy d G l a s s p o o l a n d Dutch team-mate Jean-Julien Rojer won a match tie-break to p r e v a i l 7- 6 ( 7- 3 ) 5 -7 1 2 -1 0 against German top seeds Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz.

With Las Palmas keeper Alvaro Valles sent off after 26 minutes, Barca eventually made their numerical advantage count through Raphinha.

Elsewhere, Russian world n u m b e r f i ve A n d r e y R u b l e v continued his Australian Open p r e p a r a t i o n s b y b e a t i n g Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 6 - 4 t o w i n t h e Ho n g Ko n g Open.

Valles has been one of the most impressive and reliable goalkeepers in La Liga this season, but a moment of madness - when he raced

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, s t a r t s i n M e l b o u r n e o n 1 4 January

The teenager fulfilled the Grand Slam-winning potential she had shown since bursting on to the

The Ukrainian, ranked 25th in the world just nine m o n t h s a f t e r r e t u r n i n g f r o m m a t e r n i t y l e a v e , clinched the tie-break at the end of an opening set i n w h i c h G a u f f s q u a n -

out of his area and cleaned out Raphinha - made his side’s task even harder.

Las Palmas, who are 12th in their first season back in the top flight and seemingly safe from relegation, continued to dig in after the restart.

Barcelona sent on substitute Joao Felix and he unlocked the visitors’ defence within moments.

The Portuguese attacker made an instant impact by picking out former Leeds winger Raphinha with a delicious lofted

" I ' d l i k e t o c o n g r atulate Elina and your team on an incredible week.

What you do, being a mum, coming back so fast and at such a high level, is inspiring.”

J o k i n g , s h e a d d e d :

pass, allowing the Brazil international to steer a header into the top corner.

Joao Felix later squandered a chance to made the points safe when he scooped against the bar from close range.

And the Catalan giants were almost punished late on when Alberto Moleiro nearly snatched a draw for Las Palmas, using trickery to create space and hit a shot which Barca were relieved to see crash into the sidenetting.

Real Madrid will try to

B u t B r i st o l C i t y, w h o boast the joint-fourth best d e f e n s i v e r e c o r d i n t h e Championship , refused to allow that early setback to define the manner in which t h e g a m e w o u l d u n f o l d ,

The Hawks remain second in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics, while defeat ended Atlanta’s four-game winning streak and left them 10th.

C l e a r - c u t c h a n c e s f o r the visitors were few and far b e t w e e n a f t e r t h e y d r e w level and they had to hang on i n t h e c l o s i n g s t a g e s a s D a n n y I n g s a n d D i v i n Mubama both went close.

Forest escapes upset in draw against Blackpool

regain their eight-point lead when they host fourthplaced Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

PCarlo Ancelotti’s side are trying to regain the Spanish title after Barcelona won it last season with four games to spare.

Khris Middleton scored 21 points for the Bucks, with 18 from Patrick Beverly, who started because Damian Lillard missed the game for personal reasons.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Hawks with 38 points and 10 rebounds.

r e m i e r L e a g u e

Nott i n g h a m Fo re st face a replay against L e a g u e O n e B l a c k - p o o l after coming from behind to avoid defeat in the FA Cup third round.

Madrid have been similarly dominant this year and, with eight rounds of games left after this weekend, look to be in a strong position.

Barcelona are continuing to chase their arch-rivals, with the pair meeting at the Bernabeu on 21 April.

F o r e s t a c a d e m y graduate Jordan LawrenceGabriel gave Blackpool an u n l i ke ly l e a d a t t h e C i t y G r o u n d w i t h a p ow e r f u l diving header before Albie M o r g a n d o u b l e d t h e i r advantage just two minutes later

Toone can be Man Utd ‘legend’, says boss Skinner

Qualifying for the tournament begins on Sunday, with

Ella Toone has been tipped to become a Manchester United “legend” by boss Marc Skinner after becoming the first female player to reach 50 goals for the club.

victory with a low strike late on for United’s fourth.

Australian Open following hip injury

y h a v e a l r e a d y his last Australian a tournament he on twice.

w h i l e h i s l a t e s t

The 24-year-old England midfielder scored twice as United came from behind to comfortably beat Everton 4-1 in the Women’s Super League on Sunday.

injury felt in a similar place to that which led to "one of the toug-hest years" of his illustrious career, crucially i t a p p e a r s i t i s n o t a s significant as he initially feared.

“It’s a really special day for me,” said Toone, who grabbed her 50th and then 51st goal for United.

“It’s so nice to score for your club but to score 50 is a dream come true.”

United fell behind after only 10 minutes with a goal from Everton’s Katja Snoeijs, but the hosts scored four second-half goals to move fourth and keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Millie Turner headed in the first from a right-wing corner, before Toone netted twice in a fiveminute spell. She fired low into the net from 20 yards for her first and then finished off following Lisa Naalsund’s bright run, before substitute Leah Galton sealed the

Toone has played 46 times for England, with 19 goals, and scored in the Lionesses’ 2-1 win over Germany in the European Championship final at Wembley in July 2022.

" I h ave wo r k e d ve r y hard during the year for this comeback and as I always mentioned my goal is to be at my best level in t h r e e m o n t h s, " 2 2 - t i m e G r a n d S l a m c h a m p i o n Nadal said on social media.

too slow We conceded very easily "The issue was not what we couldn't do, but what we conceded.”

The Celtics, who had lost their previous two games, won 104-92 at the New Orleans Pelicans.

B l a c k p o o l , w h o a r e e i g h t h i n t h e t h i r d t i e r, s t r u g g l e d t o m a k e a n i m p re s s i o n i n t h e s e c o n d half They had just three shots to Forest's 17 across t h e g a m e a n d o n l y h a d 28 6% of the possession.

Jayson Tatum recorded 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Kristaps Porzingis 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics.

Seven Orlando Magic players posted doublefigure scores as they beat the Memphis Grizzlies 11888.

Fo re st m a n a g e r N u n o E s p i r i t o S a n t o s a i d c o n c e d i n g t h e t w o e a r l y goals was "not the way we want to do things".

Blackpool manager Neil Critchley said his side were "delighted" to come away with a draw

Wendell Carter Jr finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs scored 15 apiece in Orlando.

N i c o l a s D o m i n g u e reduced the deficit befor the break as he headed home a Gonzalo Montiel cross

The hosts pressed for an equaliser after the restart and Morgan Gibbs-White t h u n d e r e d a n e x c e l l e n finish into the top corner from the edge of the box restore parity

She joined United in 2018, helping them win promotion to the Women’s Super League in her first season, and her 51 goals have included 25 in the WSL, 14 in the Championship, five in the FA Cup and seven in the League Cup.

Nuno's side ramped up t h e p re s s u re i n t h e f i n third but could not find winning goal.

“I actually forgot if I scored another goal it was my 50th because I’ve been on 49 for that long,” added Toone.

"Within the sad news for me for not being able to play in front of the amazing Melbour-ne crowds, this is not very bad news and we all remain positive with the evolution for the season.

“It’s really nice to be the first Man Utd women’s player to reach 50 goals, but for me it’s not about that, it’s about winning games week in, week out.

“It’s been quite a while without getting a goal and that’s what I pride myself on, goals and assists. I’m really happy with today, especially going into the international break.”

"I really wanted to play in Australia and I have had the chance to play a few m a t c h e s t h a t m a d e m e very happy and positive.

Ryan Yates came closes to finding a breakthrough but his header was saved c l o s e r a n g e b y D a n i G r i m s h a w , w h i l e C h r Wood could not meet a late Callum Hudson- Odoi cutback at the far post.

Skinner feels Toone is getting reward for her hard work.

" We a r e d i s a p p o i n t e with the way we started the g a m e , " N u n o t o l d B B Sport. "It's not the way w want to do things We wer

He said: "I thought our players were excellent. They caused so many problems but I thought we defended

Coco Gauff

Rafael Nadal

Jordan Lawrence

The Parliamentary System Debate

Man City and Arsenal draw to hand Liverp;ool advantage

DAKUKU PETERSIDE

The debate over which system of government is most appropriate for a multi-ethnic and geographically diverse Nigeria has suddenly resurfaced. This time, it is pushing the fundamental issues of good governance, bread and butter, security, and inclusiveness that Nigeria is grappling with to the back burner. At the centre of the debate is the agitation for a return to the parliamentary system of government as the structural panacea to Nigeria's myriads of problems, although Nigeria has long consigned this system of government to history. Agitating the minds of critical observers of Nigerian politics is whether this renewed debate is political or systemic or is just a symptom of frustration with poor governance outcomes. Will a change from a presidential system of government to a parliamentary system put Nigeria on a trajectory of growth and development? Is there solid evidence that our many woes come from the practice of the presidential system of government, that a change to parliamentary will help us overcome?

The first to fire the salvo was a group of 60 members of the National Assembly that proposed a bill to take the country back to the parliamentary system. Support came from diverse and far-flung quarters in rapid succession, including Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba political platform. We are not alone here. In late March this year, our neighbour, Togo, adopted a new constitution introduced by members of the ruling party, which transitions the West African nation from a presidential to a parliamentary system. Senegal also witnessed a significant generational shift in electing a new president. Developments in Togo and Senegal would increase the intensity of debate and agitations in Nigeria.

In retrospect, we have tried both the parliamentary and presidential systems at different times. Between 1960 and 1966, referred to as the first republic, Nigeria, like most African countries that just got independence from their British colonial masters, adopted a parliamentary system of government. It had its challenges and strengths. At the breakdown of the first republic, the popular verdict was that the system was not the most appropriate for us or that the Nigerian political elite could not operate it. The military government of 1976-1978 led by General Olusegun Obasanjo, and the growing political elites considered the pros and cons of the parliamentary system, which was still fresh in Nigeria's minds, and decided that the cons outweighed the pros. Just before the 1979 military-civilian transition, they chose the presidential system for us. The justifications for this choice were to improve issues of management of geographical diversity, representation of various groups, repu-

with STETHOSCOPE

Dakuku Peterside

diating strong ethnic sentiments against national sentiment, and eliminating corruption. However, like the parliamentary system, the presidential system has merits and demerits.

The most significant challenges of the presidential system as practised in Nigeria are fourfold. The first is the tendency of the executive arm to pocket the legislative arm, which has made nonsense of the principle of separation of power, and checks and balances.

The US-type presidential system is predicated upon a system of checks and balances. This vital principle does not allow for the rascality of any arm of government that may jeopardise the system. Since the return of democracy in 1999, and it is particularly evident at the sub-national level, this principle has been rendered impotent. Second, the enormous powers exercised by the president and governors tend to be abused and often breed dictatorship. Third, the winner-takesall- mentality, which leads to the abuse of power of patronage that fuels corruption and exclusion of the majority from mainstream government activities, saps the government's access to quality leadership potentials within the country. Fourth, the high cost of governance and low accountability have created a government system that is corrupt and overbearing. Our common patrimony is bastardised by a few privileged to be part of the government.

The attempt to revisit the parliamentary system is not unconnected to our current economic challenges, ethnic tensions or separatist agitations, and corruption that has defied solution and gross incompetence of a good number of our political leaders. As a participant-observer, I believe Nigeria's current governance crisis is less a problem of the system of government and more of political culture, incompetence of operatives and political actors,lack of leadership capacity and moral depravity. Each system has its pros and cons. Any system can be designed,considering local peculiarities and made to work if run by competent persons who subscribe to a common vision and shared core values and are ready to respect the rule of law.

Nigeria's problems of disunity, lack of patriotism, stunted growth, corruption, and leadership incompetence are neither a product of the parliamentary nor presidential system. It is simply a lack of commitment by the elite to democracy, democratic tenets and the common good. Democracy is not just about representative election, which we practice, though with a massive caveat regarding its credibility. It is more about practising its principles , such as the rule of law, upholding fundamental freedoms of the people, accountability of government to the people, security of life and property, and responsible governance that gives dividends of democracy to the people.

Whether Nigeria should transition to a parliamentary system of government is a complex question that involves weighing various factors, including the country's political culture, multi ethnic setting , historical context, governance challenges, and aspirations for democratic development. Proponents of a parliamentary system argue that it can promote political stability by ensuring a closer alignment between the executive and legislative branches of government. In a parliamentary system, the government is typically formed by the majority party or coalition in the legislature, leading to smoother governance than the potential for gridlock in a presidential system. Also, they argue that parliamentary systems often feature a more transparent chain of accountability, as the executive is directly accountable to the legislature. This can enhance transparency and responsiveness to the electorate's needs. They further argue that parliamentary systems are more flexible in responding to crises or changing circumstances. If the government loses the legislature's confidence, it can be replaced swiftly through a vote of no confidence or early elections, allowing quicker course corrections. Lastly, a parliamentary system could better accommodate the representation of various groups by fostering coalition-building and power-sharing among different factions.

Achieving this transition to a parliamentary system requires significant constitutional reforms, which can be lengthy and contentious. It would also necessitate changes to the electoral system and the functioning of government institutions. Nigeria has a long history of presidential governance since gaining independence in 1960. Transitioning to a parliamentary system would represent a departure from this tradition and may encounter resistance from those vested in the current system. Implementing a parliamentary system would require building institutional capacity, training legislators and administrators, and fostering a political culture conducive to coalition-building and consensus-driven decision- making.

A marked difference between the two systems is the cost of governance versus development, which weighs heavily in favour of the parliamentary system. This may be an attraction for proponents of a parliamentary system. However, it would help if you juxtaposed this with which system is more appropriate for governing a diverse multi- ethnic federation and what system has worked best for the most successful federations in the world. Opponents of a transition to a Westminster-style parliamentary system have also argued that switching could aggravate the challenges of governability because of our political parties' high level of indiscipline, poor political culture, ethnic cleavages, and the multi-ethnic nature of our society.

Ultimately, the decision to transition to a parliamentary system should be guided by careful consideration of the preceding factors and a broadbased consultation and consensus-building among stakeholders. It is essential to assess whether such a change would address Nigeria's governance's underlying challenges and contribute to its long-term political stability and development. The inference to draw is that the current agitation is a demand for a new political culture, protest against the high cost of governance, incompetence of the political leadership, bloated bureaucracy, and poor governance outcomes. There is no definite study to show a relationship between a system of government, thriving democracy, and a high standard of living. Nigeria's problem is not necessarily the system of government we practice but the leadership deficit among the political operatives and actors. No matter which system is in place, we will have the same results as we are seeing now if the same morally jaundiced and intellectually bankrupt political actors hijack power and rule in their narrow, selfish interests. That is our bane. That is what we must change to survive.