TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2023

Ribadu: Buhari's Administration Bankrupted Nigeria Says country paying back what was taken Insists security situation has improved, 600 kidnap victims in captivity for two years rescued quietly Crude output rose to 1.7 barrels per day from 900,000 last year Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,

yesterday, declared that former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration bankrupted Nigeria.

In the first official pronouncement

of the federal government on the state of finances of the government after Buhari's eight years administration, the nation's top security man,

affirmed that the President Bola Tinubu-led government inherited a "bankrupted country".

Ribadu, who spoke at the Chief

of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference themed: "Leveraging Defence Diplomacy and Regional Collaboration for Enhanced National

Security", said the federal government was "paying back what was taken" Continued on page 10

Wabote Calls for Increased Crude Oil, Gas Production to Avert Importation for Refineries... Page 6 Tuesday 14 November, 2023 Vol 28. No 10443. Price: N250

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NLC, TUC Begin Indefinite Nationwide Strike Today Over Alleged Police Brutalisation of Ajaero

Presidency: It's unacceptable abuse of privilege, illegal, immoral, irresponsible AGF to Labour: Respect subsisting court order against industrial action

Deji Elumoye, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Alex Enumah in Abuja Following the expiration of the

deadline issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the federal government over the alleged

brutalisation of the NLC president Joe Ajaero, the two labour centres have resolved to begin an indefinite nationwide industrial action from

today.

But reacting to the planned nationwide strike, the Presidency in a statement by the Special Adviser

to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, expressed concern over the decision by the NLC and TUC to call out

workers to commence a strike action despite a restraining order issued last Continued on page 10

Jubilation as Diri Wins Bayelsa Poll, Says He’ll Be Governor for All

Situation room, others fault off-cycle elections HURIWA warns voter apathy may soar in future if INEC isn’t unbundled or reformed Tinubu, Buhari, APC, PDP governors congratulate winners PDP, LP candidates insist Imo poll must be cancelled

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Adedayo Akinwale, Folalumi Alaran in Abuja, Sylvester Idowu in Warri, Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja and Tony Icheku in Owerri There was spontaneous and widespread jubilation in Bayelsa State, yesterday, after the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returned Governor Douye Diri as the duly elected governor of the state for another term of four years.

The INEC returning officer for the gubernatorial election in the state, Professor Farouk Kuta, said Diri scored the highest number of lawful votes in the poll The governor, in his first reaction to his re-election, expressed gratitude to God and the people of the state for the honour of returning him for another term. He said the victory Continued on page 10

CIVIC RECEPTION FOR THE AVIATION MINISTER...

L-R: Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, His Royal Majesty, Abe 1 the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, and his wife, during a civic reception for the minister held by His Majesty in Effurun, Delta State...recently

Herbert Wigwe Invests $500m in New University in Nigeria... Page 25

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NEWS

Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

Danish Minister Visits Vice President Shettima...

L-R: Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Sune Krogstrup; Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen; Vice President Kashim Shettima; Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Nebeolisa Anako, during the Danish minister's visit to the Vice PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja... yesterday

Shettima: We'll Prioritise Digital Technology, Clean Energy, Other Sectors to Diversify Economy

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has stressed that Nigeria’s huge potential in digital technology, the outsourcing industry and the clean energy sector would continue to incentivize investments in its energy transition plan and agenda to diversify the economy.

Shettima spoke yesterday, when he received in audience Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Mr. Dan Jorgensen, at the State House, Abuja.

Shedding light on Nigeria’s climate objectives under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, the Vice President noted that investments in digital technology, clean energy and other sectors had become a priority as a result of the dwindling fortunes of the oil economy.

According to him: “We are facing challenges but where there is a will, there is a way. The President is a man imbued with passion, intellect and capacity to lead the nation on the path of prosperity and progress.

He really wants to bring a new lease of life to the Nigerian nation because if Nigeria works, Africa works.

“Oil will still be relevant because of its other derivatives for the next decades but as the primary driver of the economy, the role of oil will diminish in the coming years. This is why it is a priority for us to think out of the box to find alternatives. This is why we are looking for investments in digital technology, clean energy and other sectors. We have a lot of opportunities for partnership and

collaboration.”

Shettima identified the strength of Nigeria’s population as a huge resource for the transformation of Africa, noting that the continent’s transformation could be fast-tracked by green and sustainable energy.

Canvassing for the support of the Danish Government and the Global Centre on Adaptation for Africa and Nigeria’s Climate Action, the Vice President maintained that once there is sustainable energy, the people of the continent will key into Africa’s development aspirations.

"So, I will solicit your understanding and support to save Africa,” he added, stating that the support of the Centre is necessary to accelerate climate action and fast-track adaptation to solutions, focusing on the most vulnerable people in Africa.

Shettima commended Denmark for its leading role in global climate action, while soliciting the support of the government of that country.

He said: "With our shared humanity, we are facing real existential threats but we are very proud of Denmark because of its climate consciousness. You are doing well.

There is room for us to have a mutually beneficial partnership".

The VP further delved into the political instability in parts of West Africa, saying Nigeria had taken a firm position against military coups and to defend the cause of democracy and human rights, noting that “Nigeria is actually the beacon of hope and stability in a turbulent region.”

Speaking earlier, the Danish Minister for Development Coop-

eration and Global Climate Policy, Jorgensen, expressed his admiration for Nigeria's leadership and commitment to climate sustainability.

He noted that Nigeria's leadership role in addressing regional stability and its commitment to a just energy transition present significant opportunities for further collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria.

"We cherish the relationship between Denmark and Nigeria very highly. We are extremely impressed with the agenda of the new administration. You are definitely showing leadership in the way you are facing the challenges of your country," Jorgensen said.

Emphasising the shared understanding between Denmark and

Nigeria on the importance of climate action, the Minister said, "we also share a common understanding that common understanding and climate sustainability is a political question that is not only noble but also working.”

He commended Nigeria's stability and positive influence in a region often facing challenges. "I also want to commend Nigeria for being a stable country doing a lot of positive difference in a region that is sometimes challenging," he stated.

Jorgensen drew a stark contrast between Nigeria's stability and the recent coup experienced in neighbouring Niger Republic, saying, "Just six months ago, I visited Niger Republic and we signed a

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), operator and implementer of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) has highlighted a raft of measures it was taking to evacuate over 2000 megawatts (mw) electricity languishing at the plants as stranded power amid millions of homes and businesses living without electricity.

The company, however, disclosed that the debts owed it by the electricity market through the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among other agencies of government was now

between N150 billion to N180 since the declaration of the Transitional Electricity Market (TEM) in 2015.

The Managing Director of NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos, at a media parley to create awareness for the Light-up Nigeria Programme, being promoted by the company in full support of the Vice President and Chairman of NDPHC, Mr. Kashim Shettima.

Ugbo, said despite the humongous debts, the Light UP programme was waxing stronger as the company was determined to explore all options aimed at taking electricity to all homes and businesses to enable every Nigerian resident in any part of the country

"At the core of this is the question of how do we make this a just transition; how do we make sure that the people that are dependent on oil and gas don’t lose their jobs there?".

To ensure a just transition, Jorgensen advocated a regular assessment of the needs of vulnerable groups, stressing that "the needs of poor, vulnerable and marginalized groups must be assessed regularly to ensure reliable access to clean energy at affordable prices".

He implored the Vice President to ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding is signed to serve as a framework for future collaboration between Norway and Nigeria on energy transition.

FRC Urges FG, States to Set Debt Ceiling, Stop Borrowing for Recurrent Expenditure Ndubuisi Francis and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has urged the federal and state governments to set a debt ceiling in tandem with Section 42 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, as well as stop borrowing for recurrent expenditure.

The Commission argued that such a ceiling should be defined vis-a-vis debt-to-revenue.

These were part of the recommendations contained in a paper presented in Abuja, yesterday, by the

FRC Director, Legal, Investigation and Enforcement, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr. Charles Abana, at a media-civil society roundtable, organised by OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative and the Growth Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT).

In the paper titled, "Borrowing, Debt and Indebtedness in Nigeria's 2024-2026 MTEF: A Guide from the FR.Act, 2027,", Abana stated that the fiscal policy framework envisaged by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 was the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

NDPHC Intensifies Measures to Evacuate over 2000mw Stranded Electricity amid N180bn Debt by NBET, CBN, Others

Peter Uzoho

memorandum of understanding with the President; only for a few weeks later, the country experienced a coup."

Hailing Nigeria's role in advocating for the restoration of civilian rule in Niger, he said, "We definitely commend Nigeria’s role in trying to put pressure on the coup leaders with regards to reinstating the civilian government".

He expressed optimism about the future of collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria on energy transition, citing the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the two countries, just as he emphasised the importance of ensuring a just transition in the shift towards renewable energy sources.

enjoy good life.

The NDPHC boss said he has initiated bilateral electricity sales contracts with Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to supply Ota Industrial Clusters, in Ogun while many other projects were also on with other Distribution companies including Eko Disco.

He said the company had also launched a business case to businesses in Agbara Industrial Clusters in the same Ogun State where it is working with its financial and technical partners to provide stable, secured and affordable electricity to them under the eligible customer arrangement.

He said the NDPHC was facing under-capacity allocation from the

Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) despite its huge available generation capacity which he said was between 2500mw to 3500mw.

He complained that the System Operator, which is a section of the TCN, allocates NDPHC a maximum dispatch space of 975mw at peak transmission capacity and minimum of 756mw at off-peak despite the NIPP operator being often substantially mechanically available.

To address the evacuation challenge, Ugbo said his organisation was now refocusing on intervening and investing in transmission and distribution, noting that there was urgent need for capital intervention in the Nigerian power industry.

According to him, Section 12 of the Act posits that government at all levels shall only borrow for capital expenditure and human development.

He prescribed a reduction in overhead capital and the cost of governance so as to free more resources for developmental capital.

He also recommended that more public assets should be slated for privatisation while advocating a moratorium on new debts, especially foreign ones.

The FRC chieftain advised the federal government to restructure its debts and limit the expenditures of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to reduce the percentage of retained revenue committed to debt service.

He also urged the authorities to consider state-contingent debt instruments where repayment obligations are tied to the capacity

to repay, adding that should include revenue bonds and payments linked to the price of oil.

At the event, FRC, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, and the Growth Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT) called for amendments to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 to confer enforcement powers on the FRC to check corruption, instill prudence, transparency and accountability in the management of public finance in Nigeria.

“We believe that if the Act is strengthened and its provisions complied with, the Nigerian economy will continue to experience a reasonable degree of growth and stability which can be sustained and improved upon,” Abana said, adding that, “states and LGs in the Federation should be made to be part of the Fiscal Responsibility regime by way of a carrot and stick approach since the economy of Nigeria is one.”

Naira Appreciates Marginally to N1,130/$ on Parallel Market

Nume Ekeghe

The naira appreciated marginally against the dollar on the parallel market yesterday, as it closed at N1,130/$, slightly lower than the N1,150/$ it closed last Friday.

However, on the official Investors and Exporters (I&E) window, the naira closed at N795.41/$ depreciating marginally from the N780/$ it

closed last Friday. However, intraday trade data from the FMDQ revealed the highest spot rate recorded on the I& E window was N1,099/$ and the lowest at N701/$.

The I&E window reported a daily volume turnover of $123.25 million, which indicates a notable 46.61 per cent increase in turnover compared to the $84.02 million recorded on Friday.

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Saudi-Africa Investment Summit...

L-R: Minister of Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction, Dr. Beta Edu; businessman Rabiu Isyaka Rabiu; Minister of Trade & Investment, Mrs. Doris Uzoka; President Bola Tinubu; Group Managing Director of Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu, and Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, during the Saudi-Africa Investment Summit held in Saudi Arabia…recently

Wabote Calls for Increased Crude Oil, Gas Production to Avert Importation for Refineries Kyari: High cost of renewable energy solutions may hamper Nigeria's target

Peter Uzoho and Gilbert Ekugbe The Executive Secretary Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Kesiye Wabote, yesterday, warned that Nigeria might resort to importing crude oil for its upcoming and existing refineries if concerted efforts were not made to increase the current low production numbers.

This was just as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian

National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, stated that the cost of renewable energy might hamper the adoption of clean energy in Nigeria and other countries in Africa where majority of the populations are grappling with limited economic resources.

They both made their separate remarks in Lagos State, yesterday, while their addresses at the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationist's (NAPE's) 41st annual international

conference and exhibition, with the theme: "Repositioning the Oil and Gas Industry for Future Energy Dynamics."

Speaking further, Wabote bemoaned Nigeria’s low production of crude oil and gas despite the abundant reserves and challenged members of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and other industry stakeholders to initiate efforts to reverse the situation.

“It will be a sad outcome if we

stop the importation of refined petroleum products only to replace it with the importation of crude oil for use in our local refineries,” he explained.

He emphasised that the nation’s 37 billion barrels of oil reserves needed close attention bearing in mind the various efforts at revamping the refineries and commissioning of greenfield refineries.

According to Wabote, “it will be a sad outcome if we stop the

Housing: Dangiwa Seeks Removal of Barriers to Land Access to Unlock $300bn ‘Dead’ Capital Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has underscored the need to streamline the land administration process in Nigeria to ensure that land is available and accessible for housing purposes in the country.

Speaking during a meeting with members of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms (PTCLR), chaired by Prof. Peter Adeniyi, the minister said that the ministry will review and incorporate essential aspects of their work into its reform strategy for implementation.

A statement in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Media to the minister, Mark Chiese, said the PTCLR, comprising renowned experts on land reforms, was established 14 years ago in 2009 to address land governance challenges.

“It has produced comprehensive recommendations and blueprints aimed at transforming land administration in the country.

“These recommendations, once implemented, have the potential to significantly enhance land access and drive economic growth by unlocking an estimated $300 billion in dead capital,” the statement added.

Dangiwa, in expressing support for the committee's work despite challenges, assured Adeniyi and other committee members of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu, to implement the recommendations made by the group.

To expedite this process, he added that an internal ministerial committee has been established to meticulously study the committee's submissions.

“As a ministry, we will review and incorporate relevant aspects of

their inputs into our land reform strategy towards implementing them for the good of the country.

I have set up an internal ministerial committee to study the committee’s submissions and we will be meeting with them in the next two weeks,” he said.

The minister underscored the ministry's determination to dismantle barriers hindering the growth of the housing sector and national development, notably the ineffective land administration system in the country.

Earlier in his presentation, Adeniyi highlighted the immense progress made by the committee over the

years, including the production of a draft Land Use Act as well as draft regulations to cater to all aspects of the sector.

“We have over time tried to get the attention of critical stakeholders, government and policy leaders in the past to see that these regulations get the necessary backing, but unfortunately, nothing has come out of it.

"So, you could imagine our excitement when we got the invitation from the minister. We've not had such an opportunity before.

Knowing the minister and all that he did as Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria

(FMBN), I know that he has great passion for this country and has the will to pursue any policy he puts his mind to.

“This is an opportunity for us to finally get the much-needed land reforms for the development of our country.

"The reason our Systematic Land Titling and Administration (SLTA) framework, which has been adopted by states like Kaduna and Kano, is simply the lack of legal backing.

So, you find that the system is only valid within the parameters of the state but is not binding outside of the state. With a commission, that can be resolved," he added.

importation of refined petroleum products only to replace it with the importation of crude oil for use in our local refineries.”

He praised the important role of petroleum explorationists in the energy mix, especially in discovering, evaluating, and establishing the reliability and sustainability of the size of oil and gas reserves.

The NCDMB Executive Secretary receiving an award as a token of appreciation after delivering a goodwill message at the 41st Annual International Conference and Exhibition.

The NCDMB Executive Secretary receiving an award as a token of appreciation after delivering a goodwill message at the 41st Annual International Conference and Exhibition.

Dwelling on gas, the Executive Secretary hinted that Nigeria has about 208 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proven gas reserves and about 600TCF unproven reserves. He subsequently charged petroleum explorationists to apply their skills and technology toward confirming the recoverable volumes from these unproven reserves and developing the proven reserves.

He hinted that the focus on gas is important because gas is no longer Nigeria’s transition fuel but the destination fuel.

He assured that NCDMB is committed to providing all the necessary support to realise the gas business

agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Commenting on the conference’s theme which is “Repositioning the oil and gas industry for future energy dynamics, ”the NCDMB boss noted that the world stands at a key point where adequate consideration must be made to address the Energy Trilemma, which is, achieving an appropriate balance between energy security, sustainability, and affordability.

He added that the oil and gas industry was a key pillar of global energy as it has powered and continues to power industrial and economic developments across the world.

He indicated that repositioning the Nigerian oil and gas industry for national development required collaboration and partnerships with key players and agencies across the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors and its entire value chain.

He added that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act (2010) provided the compass to enable the development and growth of local capacities and capabilities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Wabote commended the federal government’s determination to sustain the gains realised in the oil and gas industry and the eagerness to consolidate them rather than reverse the gains of Nigerian content.

Continued on page 8

Concerns over Disruption of National Identity Scheme as Workers’ Debts Mount NIMC says no threat to programme

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

There were indications yesterday that the continuation of the federal government’s national identity programme may be under threat, following mounting debts owed Front End Partners (FEP), running into about 24 months.

THISDAY learnt that the challenge arose over the failure by the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) to pay the outstanding debts owed its partners that were recruited in January 2020 to make the process seamless nationwide.

Some of the workers who were deployed to complement the NIMC, said they were engaged when the federal government discovered that the NIMC outlets could not meet the target of enrolment of over 200 million Nigerians.

A number of them who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear they could be victimised, said many of them borrowed money from banks to procure machines for the job, but said that the banks are now on their necks for debt settlement.

According to the disgruntled partners, despite the deal wherein they were meant to be paid monthly, only six months were offset in 2021, after which the NIMC stopped paying.

According to a leader of the group, since January 2022, whereas the front-end workers had been working, not a kobo had been paid to them.

The NIMC partner said the idea of engaging them came because the offices of NIMC scattered across the country weren't getting reasonable results, while the cost of enrolment

in the centres were prohibitive.

"Some people were paying N5,000, some were paying N10,000, whereas officially enrolment should cost nothing. So, in the wisdom of the previous management, they asked the partners to start to do it and that nobody was expected to charge any money. They were supposed to pay them on a monthly basis.

"This is November that we are speaking, which could dovetail into December to make it exactly two years that the government refused to pay one dime to the front-end workers.

"The implication of this is that many people have invested, they took loans from small-scale finance banks to buy the equipment and machines and they were doing enrolment, " the angry partner stressed.

However, an employee of the

NIMC national head office in Abuja said that there was an understanding to pay the partners by the immediate past Director General of the agency, Aliyu Azeez, who had given his commitment to offset the outstanding payment.

But the employer stressed that the new Director General, Abisoye-Coker Odusote stopped the payment in order to carry out what she termed a ‘revalidation process’.

"Nothing is working, it is only our NIMC offices that are doing enrolment and we have gone back to that problematic period of people queueing and rushing because there are limited locations for them.

“We thought that was resolved but we have come back to that era.

Well, the management is saying that they want to revalidate some people," the source added, saying that the

implication of shutting down the front end partners is that NIMC officials are now overwhelmed.

"We want to believe that when they finish this revalidation process, the job will continue because two months is a long time. This shutdown has been on since October, we are in November now. So, if they don't open by December, we have lost three months of enrolment.

"When you don't enrol, people that want to get their international passports can't do it because they need NIN. They will be the ones that will be rushing to the outlets of NIMC and most of our outlets aren't really doing much," it added.

In a reaction, the Special Adviser on Media to the CEO of NIMC, Mr. Ayodele Babalola, dismissed insinuations that there were threats to the enrolment programme.

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Somalia Female Parliamentarians Came Calling...

L-R: Senator Natasha Apoti-Uduaghan; President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio; Leader of the Somalia Female Parliamentarians and Chief Whip of the Somalia Senate, Zamzam Ibrahim Ali; Senator Ireti Kingibe, and Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule

FG Commences Investigation into Cancellation of 264 Air Peace Passengers’Visa by Saudi Govt 177 passengers returned to Nigeria

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Chinedu Eze in Lagos The federal government yesterday, said it was investigating the cancellation by the Saudi Arabian Authorities of visas of all the 264 Air Peace passengers, who were airlifted to Jeddah from Lagos and Kano on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia has cancelled the visa of all the 264 passengers airlifted

by Air Peace on arrival in Jeddah from Kano, insisting that the airline

should return them back to Nigeria.

However, 87 passengers were later allowed entry into the country and the country’s airport officials insisted 177 should follow the Air Peace flight back to Nigeria.

The flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos via the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Sunday night and arrived Saudi Arabia’s major city, Jeddah yesterday morning without issues. But on landing, the Saudi Arabia authorities

Wabote Call for Increased Crude Oil, Gas Production to Avert Importation for Refineries

He conveyed the Board’s readiness to support various oil and gas initiatives that would ensure patronage of local investments, boost investors’ confidence, and create jobs to sustain the relative peace in the oil and gas sector.

Also, the NNPCL boss who was represented by the Executive Vice President (Upstream), NNPC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, explained that a huge energy space that was clean and not affordable cannot be sustainable and threatened by Nigeria's energy poverty.

He warned that if the affordability challenge was not addressed, it could potentially impede the adoption of clean energy in Nigeria.

"Cost is therefore another limitation of renewable energy and the financial barrier, saying that if not addressed, it would impede the adoption of clean energy, especially in this part of the world with very limited economic resources," he said.

He acknowledged the role of renewables to help mitigate the adverse effect of climate change and reduce dependency on finite resources.

Kyari, added that technologies of renewables were still struggling with many limitations that were yet to be addressed.

He listed some of the challenges to include the challenge of intermittency, reliability and predictability due to geological constraints and limited control of man and nature.

Kyari added: "While battery storage technology has addressed some of the intermittency challenges of renewable energy, the storage technology itself has challenges."

He stated that the petroleum industry which has fueled the progress of mankind for over a century was also confronted with its own inherent challenges and constraints associated with its continued production and usage.

He noted that fossil fuel continues to be a finite resource of energy which

means that the world's reliance on it was unsustainable.

He expressed worry that the process of extraction and consumption of fossil fuels continued to leave a significant adverse carbon footprint on the environment especially if not done responsibly.

"As explorationists, we play a vital role in shaping the future of the oil industry. It is through your dedication, expertise and relentless pursuit of knowledge that will continue to unlock new frontiers, discover reserves and push the boundaries of what is technologically and economically feasible," Kyari charged.

He expressed concern that the struggles for control over oil reserves continued to drive conflicts as geopolitical tensions continue to put global stability at risk.

He predicted that the world's energy needs would continue to increase, positing that not one energy source alone could meet all the energy demand of mankind.

He also projected that the priorities of customers would also continue to vary, depending on energy requirements geographically, technology, purchasing power, pricing systems, government policies and various other dynamics.

"The future will belong to companies that recognise this reality and position themselves to develop a balanced complementary energy portfolio that leverages innovation and technology to harness the strength of various energy sources and tailor them to meet the requirements of an ever changing demand," he stressed.

He added that innovation and emerging technologies would drive unprecedented advancement in the energy sector from digitisation and artificial intelligence to robotics, data analytics.

He noted that these technologies were reshaping how the world explores, produces and manages its resources.

announced that all the passengers’ visas were cancelled.

Informed source told THISDAY that all the passengers and the airline personnel were shocked over the cancellation of the visas because during check in of the passengers, they went through Advanced Passengers Prescreening System (APPS), which were also monitored by the Saudi Arabia authorities before the flight left Nigeria.

The source wondered whether what happened was a strategy to discourage the airline from operating to the destination because since it started the operation it has been recording high load factor and even the flight expected to leave on Tuesday to Jeddah was already fully booked.

A statement yesterday, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was investigating the matter to see if any consular or aviation rules were flouted.

The statement signed by the media aide to Ambassador Yusuf

Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir read: “Nigeria has just participated in the Saudi-Africa Summit where bilateral discussions covering several sectors of the economy and mutually beneficial commitments were made.

“The Ministry will ensure such actions that impact the welfare of Nigerian citizens are mitigated in the future in line with the 4 Ds strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

THISDAY learnt that the Nigerian embassy waded into the matter, prompting Saudi authorities to reduce the number of passengers that would be returned to 177 from 264.

THISDAY also learnt that Saudi Air has been operating directly from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia and since Air Peace started flight service to the Middle East nation at relatively lower fares, it has been receiving high patronage and as a Nigerian carrier, it helps to conserve foreign exchange for the country.

A source at the Nigerian embassy in Jeddah disclosed that even the Saudi Immigrations personnel said they didn't know who cancelled the visas but that the action was taken when the airline’s flight was already airborne to Jeddah.

The source said, “The airline was exonerated in all this as the Advanced Passenger Prescreening System which is live between both countries would have screened out any invalid visa and its passenger.

The system accepted all affected passengers and passed them on.

“Those deported were 177 passengers and Air Peace has already left with them back to Nigeria.

“They are on their way to Nigeria now,” the source said.

When contacted, spokesman of Air Peace, Stanley Olisa confirmed the incident. He said the airline would issue a statement after getting full details of what happened.

Industry observers attributed this to aeropolitics, noting that it was a way to force the Nigerian

operator out of the route. They urged Nigeria’s federal government to intervene and possibly adopt the principle of reciprocity.

In his reaction to the incident, industry expert and the CEO of Centurion Aviation Security and Safety Consult, Nigeria, Group Captain John Ojikutu attributed the action of the Saudis to aero politics and diplomacy and urged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should step in immediately and intervene in the case.

He said what happened showed why it was important for the Nigerian government to stand strongly with any Nigerian carrier designated to operate international destinations.

Ojikutu, said Nigeria should designate Nigerian airlines approved to operate out of the country as flag carrier, noting that the United States has no national carrier but all the airlines are supported by the government and are designated as flag carriers.

FG May Go Tough on Owners of Unoccupied Buildings in Abuja, Environs Houses unoccupied after three months to pay triple ground rent Govt asks BUA to rebrand new, cheaper stock to beat profiteers

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja In the coming days, the federal government may take tough decisions to curb the problem of massive unoccupied buildings in Abuja, especially those that have been uninhabited for over three months.

The Minister of Housing, Ahmed Dangiwa, who spoke when he toured several government housing construction sites in Abuja and Niger, disclosed that henceforth, those who insist on neither living in nor giving out their houses will have their ground rents tripled.

The locations visited by Dangiwa included the Mega City Project at Jibi Village, by Kubwa Express being developed by Brains & Hammers and financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). It has 1,250 housing units, including 600 two-bedroom terrace bungalows and 650 three-bedroom terrace bungalows, with commensurate infrastructure.

Also visited were the Apo-Guzape Housing Project financed by the

Federal Housing Authority (FHA), with 102 units; the Public-Private Partnership between FHA & ENL of 764 units as well as FHA & Bauhaus.

Also visited was the Prototype Housing Scheme, Suleja, Niger State, with 232 units, National Housing Project (NHP) in Gwagwalada , with 216 units and Gwagwalada Housing Project, comprising over 200 units already developed by FMBN. The minister also inspected the 108 units being developed for the NHP and 100 units being developed by the Head of Service (HoS) through the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme.

Dangiwa, on the sidelines of the two-day tour, argued that when the ground rent of the several houses and estates in Abuja is tripled, owners would be compelled to give them out to tenants.

The minister stated that the government was about commencing a census of the estates that are not occupied in the capital city as many residents do not even have houses

to live in.

“There are lots of abandoned estates, especially in Abuja and the vicinity. I think, in some other states, we do have a few of them. What’s important is that now we want to take stock of all those abandoned houses. Then, we interface with the owners of the abandoned houses.

“We ask them what do you want? Do you want to keep these houses? If you want to keep them unoccupied, the government will charge you triple ground rent instead of the single ground rent that we charge.

“That will force them to put it on rent for whatever amount or sell them off because you can’t keep saying that we have housing deficit and empty houses when we have a lot of empty houses that are being completed and left unoccupied. “ So, we have told the department of lands and urban and regional planning in our ministry to take stock of those estates and give us the names of the proprietors so that the owners of those estates will be

informed of our plans,” he stressed.

According to him, it doesn’t make sense that Nigeria has an enormous amount of housing deficit and yet has plenty empty estates and houses unoccupied.

“Any estate that has stayed more than three months unoccupied, we’ll start charging them triple ground rent. That’s what we intend to do,” he explained.

On the recent announcement by BUA cement that it was slashing the price of the product and reports that the impact was not being felt by the consumers, the minister blamed the middlemen for selling at high cost even when BUA sells to them at reduced prices.

To ensure that profiteering by the middlemen is stopped, the government advised BUA to rebrand the new stock which comes at cheaper prices.

“It shows that the profit they (middlemen) are getting is exorbitant. This is what we can do to ensure that Nigerians get better prices for what they buy.

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Tinubu Orders Withdrawal of Policemen from VIP Security Duties

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, directed the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties.

Speaking at a two-day retreat for the directorate cadre of the Ministry of Police Affairs themed: "Re: Envisioning the Ministry of Police Affairs for Effective Internal Security: Strengthening Administration and Management Functions for Resilience and Efficiency", Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia SulaimanIbrahim, said President Tinubu gave the directive in furtherance of the implementation of the police reform report.

She said the key mandates of the ministry included "developing and implementing a harmonised

police reform report, amending the Police Act, executing Mr President's directive on the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP security duties, and developing a community policing strategy."

The minister asserted that the mandates were not mere tasks but transformative initiatives that could enhance internal security in Nigeria.

She said the management retreat would inspire a collective commitment to align efforts of the ministerial mandate to contribute to the realisation of President Tinubu's vision for a renewed, highly effective Nigeria Police.

She recalled that the Nigeria Police found itself at a critical juncture, and presently struggling with the consequences of decades of neglect

that hindered its ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

"The Ministry of Police Affairs has also not been spared. However, given Mr President's commitment to reforming the Nigeria Police Force, the ministry is now positioned at the forefront of the police transformation agenda and it must rise to the challenge.

"The ministry must bear this weighty responsibility of ensuring coordination and creating the enabling frameworks to steer the Nigeria Police Force towards improved technical and operational effectiveness,” she said.

The minister further stated that management staff must demonstrate unwavering commitment and the will required to yield tangible results

adding that the Police Inspectorate Department, in particular, should evolve its operations to focus on robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning.

“Reports must be factual, practical, evidence-based and serve as critical tools for enhancing police performance.

"It must champion the review of the curriculum of the training institutions to ensure they are reflective of the evolving landscape of law enforcement, incorporating contemporary practices and international standards,” she said.

The minister charged the police service and planning, research, and statistics department to ensure administrative optimisation and relevant policies as well as procedures

Jubilati o n as D i r i Wins B ay e lsa P o ll , Says H e ’ ll B e G ov e r n o r f o r A ll

was for the whole Bayelsa, stressing that he would be governor for the entire people of the state, irrespective of political affiliation.

In the results announced in Yenagoa, Diri polled a total of 175,196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 115,262 votes. He won in six of the eight local government areas of the state, while Sylva clinched Brass and Nembe local government areas.

But the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said it was deeply disappointed with the conduct of last Saturday's off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa,

stressing that the exercises "fell far below the threshold of credible elections".

Centre for Democracy and Development’s Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), in its analysis of the elections, released a damning report, which highlighted a disconcerting array of abuses and irregularities during the exercise.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) said the outcome of last weekend’s off-cycle elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi could trigger mass boycott of subsequent elections unless the electoral management body, INEC, was unbundled and reformed.

Nevertheless, President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the governors of both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congratulated winners in the elections.

Relatedly, the governorship candidate of PDP in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Senator Athan Achonu, yesterday, reiterated their calls for the cancellation of the November 11 governorship election in the state, describing it as charade and rape of democracy Addressing the media in Yenagoa,

Diri expressed appreciation to PDP at all levels and members of his campaign team for working diligently to spread his message of progress and unity throughout the campaigns.

However, the governor urged his party faithful and well-meaning Bayelsans to celebrate with temperance, saying the victory is for the entire state, and even those who voted for other parties helped to enrich the democratic culture.

Diri assured people of the state that he would continue to operate an all-inclusive government, insisting that he would be governor for all, irrespective of political divides, while serving with dedication, integrity

NLC, TUC Begin Indefinite Nationwide Strike Today Over Alleged Police Brutalisation of Ajaero week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court.

Also, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, yesterday, reminded the organised labour of the need to respect a subsisting court order which restrained it from embarking on the nationwide indefinite strike.

However, the NLC has said it was unaware of any subsisting court order restraining it from embarking on the nationwide strike.

Addressing a press conference at Labour House in Abuja, yesterday, President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, said the strike was necessitated by lack of response by the federal government to the demands of organised labour to bring to justice all those involved in the molestation and brutalisation of the NLC president and workers during the ill-fated protest in Imo state.

Speaking on the unfulfilled demands by labour, Osifo said: "We want the government to meet some key demands regarding the brutalisation of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress. So we set some conditions and those conditions were very clear without ambiguity whatsoever.

"We said, those people that brutalised our President must be arrested, and they must be prosecuted. We also stated that the Area Commandant of Police that led his men to carry out the brutalisation should be relieved of his duty and he should be prosecuted.

"Then, one Chinasa, who everybody knew, that led the thugs should also be arrested and prosecuted and so for and so on "So, the two Labour centers have resolved to stand firmly by the decision of the joint NEC that was held last week Tuesday. That effective, 00:1 hours, on the 14th November we shall declare a nationwide strike.

“So, effective tomorrow, or midnight today, a nationwide strike is going to commence. All affiliates of TUC, all affiliates of NLC, all state councils of the two labour centers have been mobilised adequately and this is going to be indefinite until governments at all levels wake up to their responsibilities.

"This is the decision of the joint NEC of NLC and TUC and we are going to carry out to the latter."

Labour had earlier declared trade dispute with the Imo state government, accusing the state government of violating workers’ rights by illegally sacking over 600 workers.

The labour union also accused

the state government of owing workers and pensioners over 42 months arrears; declaring thousands of workers/pensioners ghost workers/pensioners; not properly implementinh the national minimum wage.

He also accused state government of trying to use the courts to stifle a lawful protest and attempting to the break the ranks of the unions in the State; It said the authorities were undermining the NLC in the state by foisting on the state council a leadership not constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Congress constitution.

Other allegations include interfering in the affairs of the state council; hiring thugs to vandalise congress state secretariat and observing in breach agreements government voluntarily entered into with Congress as far back as 2021.

The latest nationwide strike was precipitated by the labour dispute in Imo state which snowballed into a fracas during a protest rally called by the NLC national leadership in Owerri.

While narrating his ordeal at a press conference in Abuja last Friday, Ajaero who wore a neck collar said policemen arrested and hit him with all manner of objects at the NLC Secretariat in Imo state.

He said, "The policeman that arrested me, came with all manner of documents and they were asking me why I was challenging Hope, that I should say my last prayer, and that they were taking me to where they called Nja-aba River, and that's where they will throw me.

"That was in the process, i don't know how the same people carried me to police headquarters, to talk with their boss, and brought me down there. And the police people were standing outside as if they were waiting for a common criminal."

Presidency: NLC/TUC Nation-wide Strike Not in National Interest

According to the Presidency, the decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego tripping move was clearly unacceptable, unwarranted and an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC. It also described the move by the labour unions as abuse of privilege, illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible.

The Presidency, in the release stated, inter alia: "We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country

of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike.

"While the federal government does not condone any form of violence and assault on any citizen of Nigeria regardless of his or her social and economic status, it is on record that the Inspector General of Police has ordered investigation into what happened to Mr. Ajaero while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened has been transferred out of the state.

"Calling out workers on a national strike over a personal issue of a labour leader despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege.

Power at any level should never be used to settle personal scores.

Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance national interest.

"Our national economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interest of any labour leader.

"This flagrant disobedience to court order and lack of respect for the judiciary should not be what the organised Labour would champion.

"The labour movement has always been a champion of rule of law and respect for the judiciary.

It is a sad irony that the current labour leaders have shown disdain and utter disregard for court order.

"We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. What the strike notice

issued Monday night after official hours suggests is it's designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and cause civil disturbance in our country. This is unacceptable."

AGF to Labour: Respect Subsisting Court Order against Strike

The AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, reminded the organiSed labour of the need to respect a subsisting court order which restrained it from embarking on a nationwide indefinite strike.

Fagbemi in a statement issued to journalists, insisted that the unions had been served the court order and, therefore, must surrender themselves to the authority of the court which is already seized with the facts of the case.

President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip had in a ruling, last Friday, issued a temporary order restraining labour from proceeding with the proposed strike from today.

The AGF through his Special Assistant on Communication & Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, warned that any action taken contrary to the order would be tantamount to contempt of court.

"We wish to remind the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress that there is a subsisting court order stopping the unions and their affiliates from embarking on the strike.

"The interim order was granted on November 10 by the President Continued on page 27

for the police to be up to date, adoption of cutting-edge technology, intelligence-led, technology-driven, inclusive, and community-based police force in Nigeria.

“Fostering partnerships with renowned research institutions and staying current with global trends, this department will play a vital role in shaping evidence-based strategies for the Nigeria Police Force," she said.

In his goodwill message, the representative of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, who is also the Head of the Conflict and Security Programme (Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin), Mr. Annup Vyas, said the United Kingdom was committed to Nigeria's police reforms and ready to do more in the spirit of partnership.

and transparency.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for creating the enabling environment for free, fair and credible poll in the state, and appreciated the security agencies and INEC for their display of professionalism during the election.

The governor also expressed appreciation to former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Governor Seriake Dickson, as well as party leaders and governors that were present during the election. He equally appreciated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta State) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers) for their invaluable support; as well as Governors Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Situation Room, Others Fault Off-cycle Elections

However, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said following what it observed during the last general election, which were repeated in the off-cycle elections, INEC, as presently constituted, seemed overwhelmed and incapable of organising a credible and transparent election.

Situation Room is a group made up of over 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country.

Presenting the final report of the observer group on the elections at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, Co-Convener of the Situation Room, Yunusa Ya'u, said the off-cycle elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states were riddled with lapses and electoral malpractices, which INEC ignored and went ahead to declare the results.

It demanded an independent audit of the elections, including the last general election, to find out the extent of damage the lapses and malpractices might have done to the country’s democracy.

Stated, "Situation Room is deeply disappointed with the conduct of the governorship elections that held in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states and worries that the elections fell far below the threshold of credible elections.

“These represent a major setback in Nigeria's democratic development.

Situation Room calls on INEC to fully review the elections in Kogi and Imo states to identify the incidents of malpractices that took place and reflect the genuine will of the people

Ribadu: Buhari's Administration Bankrupted Nigeria or stolen.

In a no-holds-barred remark, Ribadu stopped short of saying that the nation was stolen blind by the last administration, rendering the treasury empty.

"We are facing very serious budgetary constraints. It is okay for me to tell you. It is fine for you to know. We have a very serious situation.

"We have inherited a very difficult country, a bankrupt country to the extent that we are paying back what was taken. It is serious.

"But this administration is doing its best to meet our requirements including that of the armed forces," he lamented.

Speaking at the occasion attended by the Ministers of Defence, Mohammed Badaru and Bello Matawalle, Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS), Gen

Christopher Musa, service chiefs and former service chiefs, on the security situation in the country, he praised the Armed Forces of Nigerian (AFN) for their exemplary performance that kept the peace of the nation.

"You have done well and you are doing well. You are the reason why we are a nation today. This country is grateful. You are the reason why we have peace. We have a very solid security team, the service chiefs", he said.

Ribadu noted that in spite of the constraints, the security situation in the country had improved significantly.

"Things have changed. Things are changing. You may not be reading it but things have changed. You have given live back to the office of the NSA", he said.

He commended the defence attaches for the wonderful job they were engaged in and urged them to do more.

He said the defence attachee system was a way to ensure good relationship between Nigeria and host countries.

The NSA said the improved security situation has led to reduction from 1,200 violent deaths to 100.

"We used to have 1,200 violent deaths before in the country. Now we have less than 100 deaths", he said.

Ribadu maintained that following the improved security situation in the country, not a single death was recorded in Borno State, an erstwhile battleground for insurgents.

He disclosed that security forces quietly rescued 600 kidnap victims, who were in captivity for two years.

"We have not witnessed one

President Bola Tinubu He added that they were interested in the plan for the future, how to adapt and identify new opportunities that would help the needs of the Nigerian system.

“Situation Room is reiterating its earlier call for an independent audit of elections administration in Nigeria and compliance with electoral law

by INEC." Ya'u said Situation Room received reports of falsification and mutilation of polling unit level results in the three states, adding that INEC also acknowledged incidents of pre-filled result sheets before the commencement of polls in five local government areas in Kogi State.

"Yet, INEC has gone ahead to collate results from these LGAs without conducting any thorough investigation and making its findings public. This is condemnable," he said.

With respect to Imo State, Ya'u, alleged that INEC transmitted result for polling unit where the election was not held, and that politicians attempted to exploit INEC's weakness to tamper with results, especially in Brass, Sagbema, Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas..

In addition, Situation Room said the commercialisation of the election appeared to have reached unprecedented heights, with parties and their agents offering amounts ranging from N1, 000 to N30, 000 along with cooked and uncooked items, to voters.

On its part, Centre for Democracy and Development’s Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) shed light on key challenges that cast a shadow over the electoral process. CDD-EAC made the observation when its Chairman, Professor Adele Jinadu, presented a report of the centre at a briefing in Abuja.

Jinadu said the report underscored the urgent need for electoral reforms, and emphasised the urgency for political parties to assume more responsible roles. He called for collective effort to strengthen and safeguard the democratic process.

CDD-EAC chairman stated, “The report highlighted ‘Abuse of Incumbency’ as a major concern, with governing parties wielding power to gain unfair advantages. Tactics, such as unequal access to state electronic media, misuse of state resources for electioneering, and manipulation of party primaries, diminished the credibility of the off-cycle elections.

“Identity politics played a pivotal role in the nomination process, taking forms, such as ethnic configurations and geographical zoning. The danger lies in the potential for such politics Continued on page 29

single death in Borno state since the coming of this administration.

"We rescued 600 kidnap victims who have been in captivity for two years without making any noise about it", he said.

The security chief further maintained that the improving security situation in the country had led to increased output in the production of crude oil when placed against last year's figures.

"Crude output has risen to 1.7 million barrels per day from 900,000 barrels per day since last year," he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj Gen EAP Undiandeye, said the conference was organised to enable the agency to respond to present and future threats and to prepare defence attaches to be able to identify threats.

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politics

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY)

Ododo’s Emergence As Kogi Governor-Elect Amid Stiff Opposition

Ibrahim Oyewale writes on the various hurdles faced by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Usman Ahmed Ododo, before emerging victorious in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll in Kogi State.

I

t was indeed a tortuous journey for the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ododo Ahmed Usman, to Lugard House in Lokoja, the State capital.

Whatever God has destined, no human being can change it. If someone had earlier predicted or saw it coming, it would have been a different thing but “no one’, including himself had an inkling of what the Almighty God has for him today as Kogi State Governor- elect.

His trajectory into political foray started like a play among other numerous Kogi state government officials who signified interest to contest for the exalted position in the Confluence State.

But as fate would have it, Ododo Ahmed Usman, became a preferred aspirant who eventually won the party’s ticket after the APC’s party primary held in April, 2023.

Until this time, Ododo, a chartered accountant and MSc degree holder in Accounting was just the Auditor General of Kogi State Local government Service and has been part and parcel of the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration in the state.

Following his emergence as the APC candidate in the state, Ododo promised to continue to build, sustain the legacy and continuity of the work done by Governor Bello.

Ododo a charismatic leader began to woo the opposition from the day he was declared winner of APC ticket visiting all his co -contestants and asking them to join hands within him in a bid to move Kogi to next level.

As part of efforts to unite the people of Kogi State, Ododo also visited all the past leaders and stakeholders both at home and in diaspora. The candidate did not mince words to convince them in his bid to take the state to a higher pedestal. He also along with the party hierarchy and critical stakeholders transversed the three senatorial districts of the state for intensive campaigns.

Shortly after his emergence as the gubernatorial flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress in Kogi State, some of the aggrieved aspirants approached the court, claiming there was no APC primary election in the State. But some later withdrew their cases at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Among those who withdrew the cases were the former Executive Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Sanusi Ohiare, and Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, who later left the party for the Social Democratic Party where he ran for the gubernatorial contest against Ododo.

However, another aspirant, Senator Smart Adeyemi, pursued his case to both the appellate and Supreme Court respectively. This, it was gathered, created a lot of tension within the party. This was sequel to long adjournment, but while the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the candidature of Ododo as the flag bearer, Senator Adeyemi still went on appeal to the Apex Court of the land, the Supreme Court.

While the case lasted it was a tension soaked period because it was the peak period for the electioneering campaigns and the election date was drawing nearer.

The Supreme Court finally nailed the coffin of the legal tussle on the 23rd of October 2023 when it affirmed that there was an APC primary election which duly produced Ododo Ahmed Usman as the party’s candidate.

Before this time, the electioneering campaign had begun in earnest with opposition being mounted by the day to ensure that Ododo didn’t not win the election. There is no doubt that the support by the State governor, Yahaya Bello became more intense and opposition parties engaged in fierce social media war and Campaign of calumny against the governor, claiming that a vote for Ododo was for Bello’s third term agenda.

Despite all the propaganda, the governor, party’s hierarchy and all supporters of the All Progressive Congress remained undaunted vowing to retain the number one exalted seat at Lugard House in Lokoja, the state capital.

As a dogged fighter, Governor Bello took the party’s candidate to meet with all traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders in Kogi State. More so, Governor Bello was proud to introduce Ododo to everyone because of the litany of achievements of his over seven year-old administration in the State.

Ododo The political sagacity of Bello, the Star Governor as fondly called by his admirers, played excellent role in winning last Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

Towards the tail end of the electioneering campaign, Governor Bello warned all the supporters of APC to refrain from any act capable of undermining the peace and tranquillity of the State. He noted emphatically that his administration had done enough in the areas of infrastructural development, Education, Health, Security, Economy and other critical sectors in the state economy to win the governorship poll.

Even in the face of provocation during the electioneering campaigns, the governor was busy preaching peace and appealing to the traditional chiefs to appeal to their various community to ensure peace reigns.

Political pundits had argued that the out going governor would do everything humanly possible to win the election, stressing that the contest is between APC and APC, that those battling to oust the present administration were once members of the All Progressive Congress who left the party because they were aggrieved at one time or the other.

They added that sensing the danger of losing the election to the opposition within, Governor Bello intensified efforts towards ensuring that the APC governorship candidate is delivered

as his successor t give room for continuity.

One of the biggest factors that aided the Ododo /APC to win the gubernatorial poll has to do with the APC being well rooted in Kogi Central senatorial district and since 2015 governorship election that produced the governor, the people in the senatorial district have followed APC religiously and have been supporting APC which accounted for the reasons why the electorate came out en masse to vote for their own son Ododo.

Secondly, the Kogi West factor - political observers in the confluence State are of the opinion that since the some cross section of Igala extractions had moved to SDP to reclaim seat of power, they described the Western senatorial as beautiful bride that will determine where the pendulum swings.

Yes, the electorate in Kogi West came out to give APC candidate, Ododo Ahmed Usman maximum support to deliver him against the backdrop of the three candidates coming from the zone namely the PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye , ADC candidate, Leke Abejide and that of Action Alliance, Olayinka Braimoh.

But November 11, 2023, was the most significant day because many observers regarded the gubernatorial poll as the most keenly contested election by the ethnic nationalities in the State and most peaceful when compared with the previous elections in the State. Thanks to the security operatives who ensured security of lives and property.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Monday declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives

Despite all the propaganda, the governor, party’s hierarchy and all supporters of the All Progressive Congress remained undaunted vowing to retain the number one exalted seat at Lugard House in Lokoja, the state capital. As a dogged fighter, Governor Bello took the party’s candidate to meet with all traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders in Kogi State. More so, Governor Bello was proud to introduce Ododo to everyone because of the litany of achievements of his over seven year-old administration in the State. The political sagacity of Bello, the Star Governor as fondly called by his admirers, played excellent role in winning last Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

Congress (APC), Usman Ahmed Ododo, as winner of the last Saturday’s governorship election, held in Kogi state.

According to the INEC’s returning officer, Prof. Johnson Urame, said the candidate of the APC got a total of 446,237 votes.

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, who came second in the exercise, polled a total votes of SDP 259, 052 while the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, came third with the total number of 46, 362 votes.

According to Johnson: “Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress having satisfied the mandate of the law is declared the winner of Kogi state governorship election and returned elected”.

It was jubilation galore for the supporters of the All Progressive Congress across the state.

The State governor, Yahaya Bello, assured the people of the State that the governor -elect Ododo Ahmed Usman, will not disappoint them, stressing that he will continue from where his administration stops.

With the conclusion of the governorship election in Kogi State, expectations are high and there are enormous tasks ahead of the in coming governor, Ododo.

The 2023 governorship election has come and gone. The winner has emerged while the loser is groaning in pain as a result of scars which may take a long time to heal.

But the events and attendant consequences on the Individual contestants and Kogi State body politics would remain fresh in the memory of the people of the State.

The outcome of the governorship election and voting pattern has pointed to the fact that there is an urgent need for political gladiators across the three senatorial districts to build bridges to move the State to the next pedestal where ethnicity which hitherto has been the bane of development would become a thing of the past.

Although the historical background of the people of the God endowed mineral resources state is very paramount, but building of strong synergy by the emerging generations would be a great thing to happen and harness the potentialities of the State.

Before last Saturday’s governorship election in the State, the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had supervised political parties’ primaries, published the names of the candidates and their running mates, set out rules for the electioneering campaigns which ended on 8th of November, fixed date for the real election and trained both staff and ad-hoc staff.

Barely a week to the election, the electoral umpire had distributed non-sensitive materials across the 21 local government areas in preparation for the election, organised meetings with the critical stakeholders and assured them of a level playing ground and its commitment to conduct the most free,fair and credible election.

The National Chairman of INEC, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, who was represented by the National Commmissioner in charge of Kogi, Kwara and Niger States, Sanni Muhammed Adam, explained that INEC can not do it alone without the support of the stakeholders. He noted that for free, fair and credible governorship election in the State everybody must play by the rule, stressing that if this is done by all, there is no need for violence and crises.

As part of efforts to ensure that Kogi State 2023 Governorship election is violence free election, the National Peace Committee (NPC) in partnership with Father Matthew Kukah, European Union and Federal Department of Foreign Affairs ensured the signing of Kogi State Peace Accord by political parties and the Governorship candidates ahead of 2023 off cycle election. Cardinal John Oniaiyekan who represented the Chairman of NPC, General Abubakar Abdulsalam (rtd) lamented the the awkward attitude of the the politicians despite signing of the Peace Accord in Nigeria.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2023

EDITORIAL

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

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APPOINTMENT TO THE BENCH Only the best should make it to the bench

t a recent valedictory session to mark his retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice Adamu Dattijo spoke to how unwholesome practices have compromised the judiciary in Nigeria.

Specifically, he drew attention to the factors that now influence critical appointments to the bench. “A couple of years ago, appointment to the bench was strictly on merit. Sound knowledge of the law, integrity, honour, and hard work distinguished those who were elevated,” he said while also highlighting what is going on today. “It is asserted that the process of appointment to judicial positions is deliberately conducted to give undue advantage to the ‘children, spouses, and mistresses’ of serving and retired judges and managers of judicial offices.”

Justice Dattijo did not say anything new. But coming from someone of his status, authorities in the sector must pay attention. Long before members of the public took notice, appointment of judges had been politicised. Victims of this politics were not courageous enough to speak out. They feared that if they did, they would be punished. Today, many are speaking through unconventional means, using bar associations, socio-cultural groups and social media. Some of the revelations are shocking. It shows that ethnic and religious considerations as well as political affiliations and family ties are now being used to determine suitability for appointment into the bench. This bodes ill for the rule of law in Nigeria.

From Customary to the Supreme Court, appointment of Judges is now fraught with controversies and allegations of impropriety. In October 2020, then Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, joined the list of those advocating reform at a webinar themed ‘Selection and appointment of judges: Lessons for Nigeria,’ organised by Justice Research Institute (JRI). “If we leave it to the system that is going on at the moment; we are clearly headed in the wrong direction because interest whether the private, political or group

influences how judges are appointed”, he said. “We must agree to an objective process to rigorously examine, test and interview all of those who want to come forward as judges.” Osinbajo’s words have been reechoed by Justice Dattijo who stated that “Appointments should not be polluted by political, selfish, and sectional interests. The place of merit, it must be urged, cannot be over-emphasized.”

Unfortunately, the bigger tragedy is that the present leadership seems to lack the courage to institutionalise the necessary reforms to free the judiciary from this disgraceful level it has descended to. This is perhaps because those in leadership positions are themselves beneficiaries of the same skewed appointment process and cannot afford to rock the boat. Besides, the expectation that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who also doubles as the chairman of the National Judicial Commission (NJC), that is statutorily saddled with the responsibility for appointment, promotion and discipline of judges, will initiate the necessary reforms seems misplaced.

The current CJN appears disinterested even when there are reports with which he can institute the reform. A conference jointly organised by in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association, Access to Justice and NJC had already dealt with the issue.

For more than two decades, especially since the current democratic dispensation in 1999, critical stakeholders in the justice sector have been calling for transparency and merit in the appointment of judges. The last efforts were made under the only female CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar. It is worth reminding the leadership of the judiciary of the opening remarks of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative at that session: “Public confidence in a free, fair and impartial judiciary is enhanced when the public is aware of the process by which judges and magistrates are selected.”

There can be no better time to act than now!

Public confidence in a free, fair and impartial judiciary is enhanced when the public is aware of the process by which judges and magistrates are selected T H I S D AY

EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS A SCANDAL FROM THE GRAVE

The Abacha loot readily reminds increasingly poor Nigerians of their past, but especially of the relentless avarice of those who have led them at different times.

In many respects, Nigeria appears to be a plundered country.

Whether it is money, historical artifacts or the intangibles that ground proper and dignified human existence, many things have been taken away from Nigerians.

If foreigners are to blame for the priceless cultural artifacts taken to Europe during the colonial era, Nigerians themselves are to blame for the dizzying amount of public funds stolen from the country and stashed away in other countries. Indeed, in that case, the enemy has been very much within.

After more than two decades, France has returned about 150 million dollars stolen by late dictator Sani Abacha to Nigeria.

Catherine Colonna, France Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, disclosed this in Abuja when she visited President Bola Tinubu.

It is not astounding that some of the loot was in France too?

Previous ones were discovered in Switzerland, the UK, Jersey, Liechtenstein, and a handful of other countries. Where else did the late dictator from Kano State stash away money he stole from Nigeria?

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly at what point Nigeria started to drift south. But there is something resembling a consensus that a country that showed prodigious promise at independence in 1960 started to retrogress when the military began to intervene in government.

The coup of 1966 was particularly jarring because it opened the floodgates of military intervention in Nigeria, casting the country backwards, and driving its institutions to distraction.

Between 1966 and 1999, when Nigeria returned to democracy, the military spent about 28 years in office.

The recent military coups in neighbouring countries of Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon sought to present the military as saviours of their country. While history holds that military interventions have proven salubrious for some countries, this has been exceptionally rare.

Nigeria, the fallen giant of Africa, has had nothing good to recount or recall about the khaki-clad men who have held the reins of power in the country. Many of them have been little more than thieves and plunderers whose avaricious interests lay in the Nigerian treasury and the weakening of Nigerian institutions.

But, somehow, in a country that saw iron-fisted despots like Ibrahim Bababangida and Muhammadu Buhari enjoy unconsti-

tutional incursions into government, Abacha takes the cake. The outrageous amount of money that he stole and stashed away in Nigerian banks continue to be recovered and will continue to be recovered because the truth is that no one is really sure how much he put away and where he put them away.

That the brutal dictator whose regime was steeped in blood continues to enjoy cult followership across sections of Nigerians speaks to the deadened consciences many carry about. Some of those who helped Abacha steal and stash away money have gone on to occupy high-profile offices in the country since his providential demise in 1998.

Corruption in Nigeria has a long and painful history. If Nigerians are ever to point to one source of their multifaceted problems, it will be at what has proven a hydra- headed monster.

One thing that makes stealing public funds in Nigeria so relentless is that it is so rewarding. Those who do it only ever get a slap on the wrist if they do. They use stolen public funds to buy elections, buy court judgments, evade law enforcement and have at their leash irredeemable criminals who will do their bidding in a country where the law packs a lot of puff but little punch.

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

LAWYER TUeSday, NOVEMber 14, 2023

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NLC PRESIDENT, JOE AJAERO

Uzodinma v NLC: Nigeria’s Human Rights on Trial

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Political Party’s Locus to Challenge Candidate’s Nomination Under Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act

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Page IV

Avocats Sans Frontières, France, Trains More Lawyers on Digital Rights

a’s i r e g i N : C L N v a Uzodinm al i r T n o s t h g i R Human

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Quotables ‘And, that is why we established the Result Delivery Unit. At the end of this retreat, we are going to sign a Bond of Understanding between You the Ministers, the Permanent Secretaries and Myself. If you miss the objectives, we will review. If no performance, you leave us..’- HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

CMSA Elects New Exco at AGM Page V

‘Nobody understands why people who left the Supreme Court three years ago, have not been replaced….You now have a situation where you appoint 11 Justices in one day, and those 11 do not have the opportunity of understudying, before they become Heads of the Panels.’ - Ikeazor Akaraiwe, SAN

columnist PROF MIKE OZEKHOME, CON, SAN, FCIArb,, PH.D. LLD Constitutional Democracy, means a system of government, in which political and governmental power, is defined, limited and shared by a grundnorm called the Constitution, which provides inbuilt checks and balances.

This column seeks to fiercely discuss constitutional, legal and political issues, with a view to strengthening, deepening and widening the plenitude and amplitude of democracy and good governance, without fear or favour.

The writer of this column, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is a Constitutional Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Pro-Democracy Campaigner, Notary Public and Motivational Speaker. He co-founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria’s pioneer human rights league, on October 15, 1987, the Universal defenders of Democracy (UDD), in 1992, and with Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others in 1998, the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), to push out the military. In his early days, he lectured at the University of Ife. Prof Ozekhome is an author of many books. He is also a Special Counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.

lawyer

‘Someone Wants Me Dead’, Mohbad’s Wife Page V

onikepo braithwaite: editor, jude igbanoI: deputy editor, peter taiwo, steve aya: reporters

III The advocate

T H I S D AY • TueSday, NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Ajaero, Imo Govt, and Police Brutality

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really didn’t see the need to discuss #EndSARS during the third anniversary of this unfortunate event towards the end of October, because in terms of positives, the Protest didn’t yield much results. All it did, was bring to global knowledge what we already know concerning the brutality of our law enforcement agents, with a special focus on SARS and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Apart from the change of Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) between 2020 and 2023, that is, from Mohammed Adamu to Usman Alkali Baba and now, Kayode Egbetokun, there have been no real institutional reforms in the NPF which we can point to. If there had been, a Police Officer at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police would not have shot and killed our learned colleague, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, who was pregnant and unarmed, I might add, on Christmas Day 2022, for absolutely no justifiable reason. Let me go further to say that, I dare the IGP to invite my team before the end of the first quarter of 2024, on a thorough inspection of Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, to show us how he has upgraded the place to be fit for human habitation, as a part of Police reforms. We look forward to the visit.

In my piece of 26/10/21 to mark its first anniversary, “#EndSARS Protest: Picking the Pieces”, I stand by what I said then, as it still remains valid today: “The disbandment of SARS in favour of SWAT, is simply a change in nomenclature, and nothing more. The Police are still poorly paid, their mode of selection suspect, conditions of service abysmal, and the “I will kill you, and nothing will happen” narrative which Police Personnel are infamous for, is still very much at play today, despite the #EndSARS Protest. Isn't it ironical, tragicomic really, that the body whose constitutional mandate is to maintain law and order and protect the people, is one of the worst lawbreakers in our society? See Section 4 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020. Also see the case of Fawehinmi v IGP 2002 7 N.W.L.R. Part 767 Page 602 per Uwaifo JSC on the duties of the Police.

“Their slogan, "Police Is Your Friend", which features prominently at Police Stations around the country is a sham - meaningless, worthless, and mostly, the opposite of what actually obtains in reality. On the contrary, Nigerians are scared of the Police, because they are largely trigger-happy, corrupt to the highest levels of criminality, vicious and bloodthirsty.

The fear of the Nigeria Police Force and all weapon-bearing security agencies in Nigeria, is the beginning of wisdom! I would venture to declare that, ‘Au contraire, Police Is Your Enemy’!”

Brutalisation of Joe Ajaero, NLC President Even though I might not necessarily agree with the NLC (Nigeria Labour Congress) and some of their ‘strike’ tactics (because I believe that, ultimately, it is the innocent Nigerians who suffer most during these strikes, and not the Federal Government that they are targeting), the brutalisation of Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, is reprehensible, backward (reminiscent of the draconian military era), savage and condemnable; and the fact that accusing fingers have been pointed at the Imo State Police Command as being the culprits responsible for orchestrating the beating of Mr Ajaero, in cahoots with the Imo State Government is even worse, and totally unacceptable.

In any civilised country, heads would have been on the way to being rolled, if they hadn’t already rolled. But, in our case, not only has the Federal Government remained silent, the Imo State Government which was also fingered as the main instigator and active participant in this unfortunate incident, with Governor Uzodinma as the spokesperson, made a highly unsatisfactory statement that Mr Ajaero is an indigene of Imo State and alleged that his actions had political undertones. So what, if Mr Ajaero is anti-APC and anti-Governor Uzodinma? The pertinent issue here, is whether Imo State is owing workers salaries and pensions, and whether the reasons for the rally were justifiable. Furthermore, I’m not aware that Mr Ajaero is exempted from the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association, and movement, guaranteed for all Nigerians in Sections 39(1), 40 & 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) respectively, because he is the President of the NLC! See the case of Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti & 3 Ors v AGF, Chief of Army Staff & 7 Ors 1985 2 N.W.L.R. Part 6 Page 211 on the uniqueness and importance of fundamental rights. Also see the case of IGP v Nigeria People’s Party 2008

onikepo braithwaite onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The

Advocate “While the assault of Mr Ajaero cannot be condoned under any circumstances, the question as to whether retaliation forms one of the lawful reasons that NLC can go on strike, arises” 12 WRN 65, where the Court upheld the right of Nigerians to protest without Police Permit. In fact, Section 84 of the Police Act 2020 (PA) mandates the Police to provide security where there will be such a meeting.

If the Police took Joe Ajaero into protective custody, how come he emerged therefrom battered and injured, not in the condition that he was taken in? That means the Police failed in their duty to protect him. In Egheghe v State (2020) LPELR-50552(SC) per Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, JSC, the Supreme Court held inter alia about the Police thus: “The weapons they carry are not for the settlement of personal scores with individual citizens”. It certainly seems as if this was exactly what transpired in Mr Ajaero’s case - brutalisation by the authorities in order to settle a personal score against him, for his opposition and seeming attempt to thwart the chances of the incumbent in the Gubernatorial election with NLC’s activities. In Dikko v State (2022) LPELR-57098(CA) per Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole, JCA, the Court of Appeal held that the role of the Police does not include the summary execution of suspected criminals, no matter how clear the investigation evidence has proved. In the same vein, even if Mr Ajaero allegedly committed a crime by being an indigene of Imo State, or not supporting Governor Uzodinma, or flouting the NICN ex-parte order, the Police also has no right to brutalise him.

The Ex-Parte Order The flimsy excuse given by Imo State was that there was an ex-parte order issued by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) which was renewed, preventing the NLC from holding any rally. In the case of flouting the court order, what ever happened to committal proceedings for contempt of court, that is, if it

NLC President, Joe Ajaero

is even applicable in this case? Order 22 Rules 1(2) & (3) of the NICN (Civil Procedure) Rules 2017 provides for motion ex-parte for urgent relief, granted on the terms that the court deems fit.

Be that as it may, it is trite law that while filing an ex-parte application for some urgent cogent reason, it is accompanied by a motion for interlocutory injunction so that the other party is aware of the application and given the right to fair hearing on why such an application should be refused (see Section 36(1) of the Constitution). See the case of Azuh v Union Bank (2014) LPELR-22913(SC) per Mahmud Mohammed, JSC (later CJN). However, at the NICN, it appears that an ex-parte application not only doesn’t have to be accompanied by a motion on notice, the originating process in the matter can be issued after the ex-parte order has been granted, forming part of the said ex-parte order of the court .

However, an ex-parte order is just a temporary measure that is not meant to last more than a few days, or until the Respondent is put on notice - see the case of Kotoye v CBN & Ors 1989 1 N.W.L.R. Part 98 Page 419 at 450 per Adolphus Godwin Karibi-Whyte, JSC; Unibiz (Nig) Ltd v Commercial Bank Credit Lyonnais Ltd (2003) LPELR-3380(SC) per Akintola Olufemi Ejiwunmi, JSC. The court may order that the ex-parte order stay in place, until the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction - this happened in the Supreme Court Naira Redesign case of AGF Kaduna & Ors v FGN. In that case, the ex-parte order was granted to protect the interest of the Nigerian people, and somewhat alleviate our suffering caused by a thoughtless CBN policy (public interest). But, the Federal Government was

still given an opportunity to be heard within a few days, as they were served with a motion for interlocutory injunction.

Using Lagos as an example, Order 43 Rule 3(3) of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 provides that an injunction granted on an ex-parte order abates after seven days, unless such order is extended (Order 43 Rule 3(4)). If the order isn’t extended, it appears that there is no need for a specific application that such ex-parte order be vacated, as seems to be the practice, because it automatically abates by effluxion of time.

But, in this latter scenario, why should an ex-parte order be extended as the one against the NLC was said to have been, without giving the opposing party the opportunity to be heard in the interest of justice? This is unfair, and possibly unconstitutional.

But, one complaint against the courts, especially at State level has always been that, once the State Governor or State Government is involved in a matter, the court is automatically biased in his or its favour (lack of judicial independence); the court somehow descends into the arena, and enjoys a consensus ad idem with the Governor or the State!

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right The threat by NLC and other Workers’ Unions to go on strike if their demands are not met, will only inflict more hardship on Nigerians who are already passing through untold hardship. While the assault of Mr Ajaero cannot be condoned under any circumstances, the question as to whether retaliation forms one of the lawful reasons that NLC can go on strike, arises. The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) cutting off electricity supply in Imo State, is unlawful. The provision of electricity is an essential service (see Paragraph 2(a) First Schedule to Section 48 of the Trade Disputes Act (TDA)). Section 41(1) of the TDA prohibits essential services workers inter alia from not performing their work without giving 15 days notice. Additionally, cutting off electricity supply amounts to sabotaging the Imo State economy, and in some instances, an act of terrorism under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 (TPA), and erring workers can face up to 20 years imprisonment if found guilty of some of the offences in this law, like destabilisation of Imo State (or Nigeria, if they attempt to cut off the electricity nationwide like was done last year for a period of 12 hours) and attempt to influence the Government by coercion. As painful as it may be, NLC must seek sound legal advice so that it’s subsequent actions fall within the ambits of the law. Retaliating to Imo State Government and the Police Command for their own wrongs with another wrong, is not advisable.

Conclusion Contrary to his promise of ‘Uhuru’, the Buhari administration gave Nigerians a ‘Change’ for the worse and the ‘Next Level’ of suffering. Nigerians therefore, voted for President Bola Tinubu because of the ‘Renewed Hope’ he promised us, and not renewed hopelessness. Borrowing for consumption and Police brutality were some of the hallmarks of the immediate past administration, and they still seem to be going on strong. The optics are bad, for the Nigerian Government to seem to condone State Sponsored/Police Brutality. President Tinubu has held himself out as, and is considered to be a committed democrat whose goal is to turn the fortunes of Nigeria around, and it is therefore, shocking that what transpired with the NLC President in Imo State not only happened under his watch, but the perpetrators are set to get away with their oppressive and criminal behaviour. This must not be allowed to happen. Governor Uzodinma must be called to order, while the perpetrators of the violence against Mr Ajaero, since they do not enjoy immunity from legal proceedings like Governor Uzodinma does for now, brought to justice.

The story circulating on social media, which I hope is nothing more than a rumour, that the Federal Government is seeking a N1.7 trillion Ways and Means loan to fund the 2023 Supplementary Budget which is comprised of a considerable amount of needless expenditure, is distressing. The fact that the Buhari administration has already breached the provisions of Section 38 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 (CBN Act) with regard to non-adherence to the conditions related to this type of advancement by exceeding it and being indebted to the tune of about N22 trillion, if it is true that this loan is also being sought, appears that, just like its predecessor, this administration may not have too much regard for the rule of law. I hope that I am wrong, and it will not be business as usual. At this point, one can only say that, God willing, the hopes of Nigerians will not be dashed. But, then again, I guess it may still be early days, and too soon to judge?

IV law report

TueSday, NOVEMber 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

Political Party’s Locus to Challenge Candidate’s Nomination Under Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act Facts On 28th July, 2022, the Appellant filed an Originating Summons before Federal High Court seeking inter alia, the determination of whether by virtue of Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2022, the 4th Respondent is not disqualified from contesting the Presidential election scheduled to hold on 25th February, 2023, having allowed himself to be nominated by the 2nd Respondent to contest for the position of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after having also been nominated as the 2nd Respondent’s candidate to the office of the Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District. It alleged that the 4th Respondent was still the 2nd Respondent’s candidate for Borno Central Senatorial District as at 14th July, 2022 when he accepted his nomination as the party’s candidate for the position of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Appellant sought inter alia, a declaration that the nomination of the 4th Respondent is void, on the ground of multiple nominations. It also sought an order disqualifying the 2nd to 3rd Respondent from contesting the Presidential election, and an order nullifying the nomination of the 3rd and 4th Respondents to participate as the 2nd Respondent’s candidates for the 2023 Presidential election.

The claim was denied by the 2nd to 4th Respondent, who asserted that the 4th Respondent had withdrawn his candidacy as the 2nd Respondent’s Senatorial candidate by a letter dated 6th July, 2022, prior to his nomination as the 2nd Respondent’s candidate for the position of Vice President.

All the Respondents filed Notices of Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court on the basis that the suit was statute barred, that the Appellant lacked locus standi; and that the suit was an abuse of court process. The objections were heard together with the substantive Originating Summons.

In its judgement, the trial court held that Section 285(14)(c) of the 1999 Constitution does not permit a political party to interfere in the internal affairs of another party, and since the Appellant was neither a member of the 2nd Respondent nor an aspirant in its primary election, it lacked the locus standi to institute the action. The trial court upheld the objections of the Respondents, and struck out the suit.

Dissatisfied, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal which dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the trial court. The Appellant, thus, filed a further appeal to the Supreme Court.

Honourable Adamu Jauro, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 26th day of May, 2023 Before Their Lordships John Inyang Okoro Amina Adamu Augie Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Adamu Jauro Emmanuel Akomaye Agim Justices, Supreme Court

Issue for Determination The Supreme Court considered the following issue in its determination of the appeal:Whether the lower courts were right to hold that by virtue of Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Appellant has no locus standi to challenge the internal affairs of the 2nd Respondent.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant argued that the Appellant’s case is that, the provisions of the Electoral Act have not been complied with in respect of the 4th Respondent’s acceptance of his nomination as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the 2nd Respondent while still being the2nd Respondent’s Senatorial candidate. He submitted that Section 284(14)(c) of the Constitution, confers him with the locus standi to challenge the 1st Respondent’s non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the nomination of candidates of political parties. Responding, Counsel for the 1st Respondent argued that the role of the 1st Respondent is that of an unbiased umpire, and it cannot dictate to the 2nd Respondent how to conduct its internal affairs. He submitted that the Appellant lacks locus standi, as it cannot meddle in the internal affairs of the 2nd Respondent.

The 2nd Respondent argued that contrary to the Appellant’s position, the suit before the trial court was not against INEC, but against the nomination of its candidate. Reference was made to the reliefs sought in the Appellant’s Originating Summons.

It was submitted further that it is only an aspirant who participated in the primaries of a political party that can challenge the nomination of the party’s candidate and a political party cannot hide under Section 284(14)(c) of the Constitution to interfere in the internal affairs of another political party. The

SC/CV/501/2023 Between PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP)

APPELLANT

And

1. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) 2. ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) 3. BOLA TINUBU 4. SHETTIMA KASSIM

RESPONDENTS

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Adamu Jauro, JSC) 2nd Respondent maintained that the Appellant lacked the locus standi as its suits constituted an interference in its internal affairs The arguments of the 3rd and 4th Respondent, are similar to those canvassed by the 2nd Respondent. However, the 3rd Respondent submitted additionally that a political party can only institute an action pursuant to Section 284(14)(c) of the Constitution, if the action of INEC complained of is against the interest of that political party itself, and not in respect of the affairs of another political party.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale The court, in resolving the issue, reiterated the time long principle that a Plaintiff’s locus standi

“….Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022 clearly vests locus standi only on an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of the Electoral Act and the guidelines of a political party, have not been complied with in the selection or nomination of a candidate of a political party for election”

is inextricably linked with the jurisdiction of the court, as once a Plaintiff lacks locus the court is also bereft of jurisdiction. Relying on its decisions in AKANDE v JEGEDE (2022) 14 NWLR (PT. 1849) 125 and AJAYI v ADEBIYI (2012) 11 NWLR (PT. 1310) 137, the Apex Court held that in order to have locus standi to sue in an action, a Plaintiff must show to the satisfaction of the court, that his civil rights have been or are in danger of being infringed. He must show that there is a nexus between his suit, and the conduct of the Defendant(s).

In determining whether the Appellant had been able to show sufficient nexus between itself and the purported actions of the Respondents, and whether the Appellant had been able to show that the said actions have harmed it or stand to potentially harm it, the court referred to the depositions in the affidavit in support of the Appellant’s Originating Summons and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022. The Supreme Court held that Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022 clearly vests locus standi only on an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of the Electoral Act and the guidelines of a political party, have not been complied with in the selection or nomination of a candidate of a political party for election.

The court held further that the subsection and its predecessor in Section 87(9) Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) have been subject of interpretation

by the Apex Court at various times, and the court has been firm and consistent in holding that only an aspirant who participated in the primary election of a political party can institute an action pursuant to Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act. The court referred to its decision interpreting Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) in AL-HASSAN v ISHAKU (2016) 10 NWLR (PT. 1520) 230.

Their Lordships also held that for a Plaintiff to have locus standi to challenge the nomination of a candidate of a political party under Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, he must be an aspirant who actually participated in the primary election leading to the nomination of the party’s candidate. Reference was made to the decisions in WAZIRI v PDP (2023) 7 NWLR (PT. 1882) 57 and ODUAH v OKADIGBO (2019) 3 NWLR (PT. 1660) 433). It follows therefore, that the Appellant, not being a member of the 2nd Respondent or a person who participated in the nomination process leading to the emergence of the 4th Respondent, lacks locus under Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act. On the Appellant’s argument that Section 284(14)(c) of the Constitution clothes it with locus standi to institute the action, the court held that indeed paragraph c of the Section is the only provision that empowered a political party to institute a pre-election matter, however, it restricted such matters to complaints against the actions of INEC. Even at that, its applicability does not extend to the actions of INEC in relation to another political party.

Section 284(14)(c) of the Constitution only allows a political party to file pre-election matters, when the actions of INEC affect its own candidates. When the actions of INEC relate to the activities of a political party, no court has the jurisdiction to entertain a suit brought by another political party in that regard.

Relying on its decision in PDP v NGBOR & ORS. (2023) LPELR -59930 (SC), the Supreme Court held that a political party that files a suit to challenge the nomination of the candidate of another party will be a nosy busybody a meddlesome interloper, peeping into the affairs of his neighbour without any backing in law.

The court found that the Appellant by its Originating Summons and affidavit in support failed to disclose any nexus between the actions of the Respondents and its suit, and also failed to show which harm it has suffered or stands to potentially suffer from the actions complained of.

Regarding the submissions on the issue of multiple nomination of a candidate of a political party and the applicability of Section 35 of the Electoral Act to the instant case, the court went ahead to make comments thereon, owing to the overwhelming public interest it had generated. The court held that it is glaring from the express wordings of Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2022, that the legislative intention is that the withdrawal of a nominated candidate of a political party shall take effect from when the nominated candidate personally delivers his/her written notice of withdrawal to the political party that nominated him. The court held that although the provision gives the party not later than 90 days to the election to convey the withdrawal of its candidate to INEC, the date of the conveyance to INEC within the prescribed period has no effect on the withdrawal that had already been done.

Their Lordships held that the 4th Respondent withdrew as the 2nd Respondent’s Senatorial candidate on 6th July, 2022 when his written letter of withdrawal was received by his party on that same day. Therefore, as at 14th July, 2022, when the 4th Respondent accepted his nomination as the 2nd Respondent’s VicePresidential candidate, he was no longer the party’s Senatorial candidate for Borno Senatorial District, and his nomination as Vice-Presidential candidate was not a multiple nomination.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation Mr Joe Agi, SAN; Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN with others for the Appellant.

Adebiyi Adetosoye Esq. for the 1st Respondent.

Mr Babatunde Ogala, SAN with others for the 2nd Respondent.

Omosanya Popoola Esq., for the 3rd Respondent.

Oluronle Adeyemi, Esq. for the 4th Respondent.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR) An Affiliate of Babalakin & Co

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NEWS

L-R: Lawyer, Paris Bar and Co-trainer, Camille Leflour; Vice President, Avocats Sans Frontieres (ASF) France, Former Chairman, CMSA Chike Obianwu (left) and newly elected Chairman, Mohbad's wife, Cynthia Omowumi Aloba Ivan Paneff and Country Director, ASF, and Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu ENOCK REUBEN Odiaka Vincent Iweze

Avocats Sans Frontières, France, Trains More Lawyers on Digital Rights Enock Reuben in Abuja

To further improve digital rights in Nigeria, a project formally known as the E-Rights Project is being implemented by Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), France which began a two-day training for Lawyers on digital rights in Abuja tagged ‘Training for Judges and Lawyers on Digital Rights’. The essence of the training, is to promote respect for digital and judicial rights of persons in the sector,

to have a key role to play in terms of interpretation of policy legislations around digital rights.

The training which was organised by ASF, was specifically for Lawyers and Judges from Kano State, to enhance digital rights in their domain and Nigeria as a whole. The project is on e-rights project, being implemented by Lawyers Without Borders, France, with the support of the European Union in Nigeria.

CMSA Elects New Exco at AGM Stories by Steve Aya

The Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA) held its 22nd Annual General Meeting last Friday, at the Lagos Continental Hotel.

The AGM brought together the Trustees, the Executive Committee, and member firms of the CMSA. At the AGM, Mr Chike Obianwu, the Chairman of the CMSA, gave his report on the activities of CMSA within the year.

He highlighted that the CMSA had continued to look after the interest of Lawyers in the Capital Market space, promoting awareness as regards rules and regulations within the Nigerian capital market, engaged in continuous legal education activities through various training sessions, and organised a successful business summit.

The AGM also witnessed the election of the New Executive Committee in elections conducted by Trustees of the CMSA, led

by Mr Zik C. Obi III. Mr Odiaka Vincent Iweze, a Partner at Pentagon Partners Legal Practitioners, emerged unopposed as the 9th Chairman of the CMSA. Mr Iweze, a former Secretary and Immediate past Vice Chairman took over from Mr Chike Obianwu of

#upjudicialsalaries

Templars. Other newly elected members of the CMSA Executive Committee, are Simisola Eyisanmi of Duale, Ovie & Alex-Adedipe as Vice-Chairperson, Mabel Okereke of Babalakin & Co. as Secretary, and Comfort Agboola of Olaniwun Ajayi LP as Assistant Secretary.

Also elected are Temidayo Ajayi Bello of Detail Commercial Solicitors as Financial Secretary, Ekundayo Onajobi of Udo Udoma & Bello Osagie as Treasurer, Victoria Ezekiel Anuri of Templars as Publicity Secretary and Isioma Idigbe of Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors as Social and Welfare Secretary. Apart from the positions of the Vice Chairman and Secretary, which were keenly contested for at the AGM, all other positions were unopposed.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Iweze promised to serve with integrity, passion and relentless pursuit of excellence. He also assured CMSA members present, that he was ready to take on the challenges, embrace the opportunities, and lead the CMSA with integrity, passion, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. He also expressed his excitement about the calibre of people who make up the Board of Trustees, ably led by Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN.

The well-attended workshop was, according to the organisers, geared towards addressing human rights, respect for digital rights, and to provide legal assistance to the victims of digital rights violation in the country.

The e-rights project is to provide a safe platform, for human rights defenders to report and monitor issues of digital rights breaches.

At the occasion, was the Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, OFR. FCiArb (UK). He stated that the training comes at a pivotal moment in our history, when the fusion of law and technology is altering

the legal system.

That Nigeria Judiciary needs to move with the times, to make sure that Judges and Justices are not only technologically savvy, but also unbiased. That it is needless to exaggerate the significance of this training Justice Tsoho said, "It is fundamental to foster a legal community and Judiciary that comprehend the nuances of digital rights, the difficulties of the online realm, and the constantly changing field of the cyber law. It is imperative that we underscore the significance of continuous learning and flexibility, within the legal profession. Ensuring that our Judges and legal practitioners are prepared to successfully

administered justice in the digital era, is contingent upon this training".

Furthermore, the Vice President, ASF, France, Ian Paneff, in his speech, also acknowledged the importance of inheritance in propagation digital rights in any county.

Paneff said, “This kind of projects concerning e-rights and digital law, is currently being advanced in all the countries around the world. The digital rights law has been in the phase of revolution for about 10 years, around the world. E-rights is one of the most important laws in the European Union currently, which began two years ago”.

ASF, France, Country Director, Nigeria, Angela

Iwuchukwu, while stressing the importance of the training and other involvement of ASF, said: "We are delighted to convey a capacity building session, for Lawyers and Judges from Kano State.

We are providing training for digital rights, interfacing on issues around freedom of expression, Online, Data Privacy, Data to promote respect for digital and judicial actors protection, issues around fake news and Artificial Intelligence.

"The essence of this programme is to promote respect for digital and judicial actors, to have a key role to play in terms of interpretation of policy legislations around digital rights.

'Someone Wants Me Dead’, Mohbad’s Wife' Cynthia Omowumi Aloba, wife of late Ilerioluwa Aloba a.ka. Mohbad, has informed the Lagos Coroner sitting in Ikorodu that her life is being threatened. She said the death threats started coming after her husband's death.

The wife of the deceased who was brought to Candide-Johnson Court House, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu under Police escort, told the Coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, that she gets death

threats every day including on social media.

"A lot of people are defaming me on 'Tik Tok'.

"I left my husband's house, because I am not safe there", she said.

Under cross-examination

by David Fadile, Counsel to the father of the deceased, Omowunmi said she had a good relationship with her father-in-law whom she described as her best friend. She denied obtaining a Canadian visa.

Explaining further, she said “On Monday, September 11’’, her late husband told her he wanted them to move to Canada, because he had too many opponents. She said they were gisting, and she had asked him why he didn’t post her on social media, and the deceased told her it was to protect her and their baby. She also said he told her, "if they don't get me, they might get to you or our baby”. That he has family overseas. That he

doesn't want anything to happen to me or his boy.

She said she had been with her late husband for over a decade, since her secondary school days.

Led in evidence by her Counsel, Taiwo Olawanle from Falana and Falana Chambers, Omowumi further narrated to the Coroner, the events that led to the death of her husband.

She told the court that she had no fight with her husband, before his death.

NBA President Flays Assault on Gombe Judge The recent assault of an Area Government Area. that the perpetrators of this Court Judge in Gombe State, Reacting, the NBA criminal contempt of court has been condemned by the President condemned such are apprehended and made President of the Nigerian an attack and called on the to face the full weight of the Bar Association (NBA), Mr NBA Gombe Branch to work law”, he said.

Yakubu Maikyau, OON, in collaboration with the NBA The NBA President also SAN, while also calling for Security Agencies Relations called on the Commissioner prompt investigation of the Committee (NBA SARC) and of Police in Gombe State, to case. This was contained in a the Police, to get to the root get to the root of this incident statement issued by the NBA of the matter. as soon as possible.

National Publicity Secretary, “The NBA has confirmed Recall that the victims, an Mr Habeeb Lawal, on Friday. an attack on a Judge of the Upper Area Court III Judge, Three judicial officials Upper Area Court in Balanga Ayuba Buba-Dalas, Lawyer, including a Judge were Local Government Area of Usman Yahya, and a court allegedly assaulted by Gombe State, who was staff member, had gone to ”unknown” villagers on visiting a locus in quo.

Degri village to assess a November 5, while inspecting “The NBA condemns disputed property when a contested land site in this attack in unequivocal they were suddenly set upon Gombe State’s Balanga Local terms, and pledges to ensure by local residents wielding Chairman, NBA-SBL, Ayuli Jemide (left) and Olasupo Shasore, SAN

weapons, eyewitnesses claim.

Police authorities say an investigation is underway, to apprehend the perpetrators who attacked the judicial officers.

The NBA also called for heightened security to protect Judges, Lawyers, and court staff undertaking legitimate duties nationwide.

In the aftermath, legal experts are advising Judges and Lawyers to arrange sturdier security details when visiting disputed properties, to avert attacks. Even routine tasks like levying executions, may require extra safeguards.

"The Committee notes the need to review the existing package of benefits and allowances currently available to judicial officers, in recognition of the peculiar demands of the judicial office. The current official allowances are inadequate, in view of the status and work schedule of a judicial office.” - NBA Working Committee on Judicial Remuneration and Conditions of Service

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NLC President, Joe Ajaero

Uzodinma v NLC: Nigeria’s Human Rights on Trial

While the Buhari administration didn’t rate high on the Human Rights index, the Tinubu administration doesn’t seem set to improve on this record either. Across the country, there have been complaints about human rights violations, gagging the media and impunity by some State Executives. The recent brutal attack on the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero by State- sponsored security operatives in Imo State, is confirmation of the fact that indeed, SARS, which many were not convinced had been disbanded as a result of the nationwide #EndSARS Protests in 2020, is still alive and kicking. As at the time of going to press, plans were said to be afoot to fly Comrade Ajaero abroad for medical attention. Dr Sam Amadi, Emmanuel Onwubiko and Okechukwu Nwanguma raise some pertinent issues about the Imo State imbroglio, Governor Uzodinma’s highhandedness and the overall human rights records of this administration Joe Ajaero: Lawless Policing and Democracy Failure Dr Sam Amadi

T

he President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was brutalised in Owerri by agents of the State Government, led by officers of the Nigeria Police. He was beaten up at the NLC office, while preparing for a planned protest. He narrates that the assailants were led by Ola, a Police Officer attached to the Tiger Base Unit of the Government House, Owerri, and Mr Chinasa Nwaneri, Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor on Special Duties.

Because of the brutality, the NLC leadership announced a nation-wide strike action unless the Government fishes out the alleged assailants, prosecutes them according to law and redeploys the Imo State Commissioner of Police under whose watch and endorsement the assault occurred. As a response to the assault against its leader, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) cut off electricity supply to the State. Aviation workers also responded by cutting off air travel from and into Owerri, the State capital. The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) jointly announced the commencement of a national strike from Tuesday, November 14, 2023, if the demands are not met. To demonstrate its determination to carry out the proposed actions, the NLC and the TUC carried out a protest to the International Airport in Abuja, an action that delayed air travel to the displeasure of air travellers.

Expectedly, many people are angry that a localised crisis in Imo State is snowballing into a national crisis. To these consternated Nigerians, it is not a responsible behaviour

“There are similar examples in other States, where the Police franchises itself to the Governor of the State to use as he deems fit.This is not an aberration.

This is the logic of policing, in the context of Nigeria’s historical development”

for union leaders to punish the entire country with protests and strikes, because of an assault against its leader by the Imo State Government.

These people make light of the implication of the assault on the NLC President. They consider it a mere assault, that should not be a basis for a national labour action. Whereas, I do not justify or castigate the response of organised labour to the assault of Mr Ajaero, I consider the assault a clear indication of the way policing in Nigeria has become the major challenge to democracy. I argue that the assault on Ajaero should be mapped on the canvas of the #EndSARS protest, to understand its wider implications for democracy and freedom in Nigeria.

Policing and Democratic Accountability Oftentimes, we do not appreciate the importance of policing to democracy. Democracy is not possible or feasible, without fair and effective policing. This is the reason some of the stable and vibrant democracies, boast of fair and efficient policing. There is a conceptual and historical relationship, between democracy and fair and effective policing. At the conceptual level, democracy is a theory of limited government. The central idea of democracy is self-determination. The people determine themselves, through expressing their freedom and dignity. Self-determination does not mean that we are not constrained in any way. It means that in the things that matter for our lives, we are free to make the necessary decisions.

Self-determination imposes a limited government, in the sense that the government is restrained by law from doing some things. It cannot take away our liberties, except through due process. The due process is such that ensures

that none of us is deprived his or her rights, to make the other person happy or comfortable. This due process is now entrenched in constitutional texts, that guarantee every person his or her personal liberty. The guarantee of personal liberty and dignity of person prohibits any act by a person or the government to detain us, invade our privacy or manhandle our bodies.

The whole edifice of the Magna Carta that presaged and influenced the development of fundamental human rights, is an effort to protect the person from undue assault and interference by the government.

The court is authorised by the Magna Carta and all the legal instruments it has influenced, including the Constitution, to uphold the parameter separating appropriate and inappropriate interference with the person, dignity, and privacy of human beings.

In the context of protection of fundamental human rights, the Police play the most important role. The chief work of policing, is not arresting and prosecuting criminals. It is to prevent the violation of the freedom and dignity of the person, either as a citizen or a resident of a political community, and to prosecute those guilty of such violations. By so doing, that is, by restraining the government and the powerful from violating the democratic rights of citizens, the Police further the entrenchment and sustenance of democracy. So, the Police are the chief protector of democracy, to the extent that they restrain the powerful and the rich from expending the liberties and freedoms of the people for their convenience.

The historical association of policing and democracy, goes this way. Historically, society was brutish and violent. The strong ruled over the weak and used them as they liked without any constraint, except those articulated by whatever morality they acknowledged. This is a state some economists called ‘banditry’. Thomas Hobbes called it ‘state

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coVER Uzodinma v NLC: Nigeria’s Human Rights on Trial of nature’. To exit the state of nature requires the concentration of the coercive power (violence) in one person (according to Hobbes), or in a government (according to John Locke). The Nobel winning Economist, Mancur Olson, in his book, Power and Prosperity: Outgrowing Communist and Capitalist Dictatorships (2000) argues that, the exit from banditry in society occurred because of some balance of power that may have arisen accidentally in history. As he puts it, “autocracy is prevented and democracy is permitted by the accidents of history that leave a balance of power amongst a small number of leaders, groups or families - that is, by a broadly equal dispersion of power that makes it imprudent for any leader or any group to attempt to overpower the other”.

Banditry ended, because powerful people could no longer have their way. Power was dispersed and therefore, no longer within any person’s or group’s absolute control.

In the theory of democracy, the leading western political scientist of the modern times, Ronald Dahl, in his attempt to explain the conditions necessary for democracy to thrive, argues that democracy requires competitive elections. The transition from autocracy to democracy requires that the power of violence in the society be removed from the hands of those who control political power to use as they wish, and be put in the hands of a professionalised group that will not pander to the whims and caprices of men and women of power. Competitive elections are only possible, if there is a level playing field for contentious politics.

Where a group mobilises violence through capture of policing power, democracy will be difficult to attain or sustain.

The difficulty of institutionalising fair policing, is one reason we have struggled with free and fair elections. It is also one reason we have executive recklessness that undermines constitutional governance. If the policing power in a country is highjacked to serve the interest of those in power, the result will be the destruction of democratic rights of citizens and residents. Once democratic rights are eroded, even if periodic elections subsist, democracy is dead.

The Failure of Rule of Law through Unfair Policing Unfair policing is all forms of policing that violate the rights of citizens, and predate rather protect citizens. The #EndSARS protest was a campaign against unfair policing. The Nigerian youths who revolted against the Police in that protest, were crying against how Police brutalise and kill them on the pretext of fighting fraud. #Blacklivesmatter movement is a response to unfair policing that targets black people unfairly. Whenever there is unfair policing, there is gross violation of the rule of law. The fundamental proposition of the rule of law is that citizens are protected in their equality, freedom, and liberty. The guarantor of that protection is the police that commits itself to fairness in applying coercive force. This is a fundamental norm of democratic policing. The police are not an instrument of terror, not an instrument of protection for those in power.

But ,unfortunately, the Nigeria Police has a history of abuse that relates to its DNA. The Nigeria Police was conceived as a colonial force, to repress the ‘natives’ and protect the colonists. It has faithfully retained that configuration, and enhanced its brutish unfairness. Every terror that emanates daily from the Nigeria Police, is an expression of this historical and conceptual pathology. The Police are a regime protector. They are an instrument to maintain status quo. Someone may argue that there is nothing unusual about this, considering that the Police are the coercive component of what Foucault called ‘governmentality’. But, the fact is that even if the Police maintain the status quo, it should not make it an instrument of a ruling class. Otherwise, democracy as defined by Joseph Schumpeter as the possibility of removing those in power, will be impossible. Protecting the status quo should amount to protecting those in power, and victimising those not in power.

What is evident in the history of policing, is that the Nigeria Police is lent to the ruling elites to use to brutalise those who are not part of that elite. Even amongst leading politicians, the Police serve those who have attained access to formal political power, and disserve those who do not exercise political power. This institutional logic is the reason the Police would create a special unit in the Government House, Owerri, tag it ‘Tiger Base’, and authorise its commander to allow it to be used at the whims and caprices of the Governor and those he authorises. There are similar examples in

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NLC President, Joe Ajaero other States, where the Police franchises itself to the Governor of the State to use as he deems fit. This is not an aberration.

This is the logic of policing, in the context of Nigeria’s historical development.

The assault on Ajaero by Governor Uzodinma’s aides and thugs, enabled by Police officers from the Tiger Base at the Government House, Owerri, is one expression of the daily operation of Nigeria Police when there is a disagreement or conflict between the government and a citizen. Before Ajaero, many citizens have been brutalised and allegedly killed by the same unit in similar circumstance. These officers consider it their responsibility to protect the Governor and such other designated government officials from any harm, even to their reputation.

They do not serve the people. They serve those who rule over the people. By this logic, they reverse the liberal democratic notion of policing, which in essence, is to protect the freedoms of the people from attack by fellow citizens, including those in political offices. The reason citizens in true democracies can harshly criticise those in political offices, is that they trust the policing in their countries to protect democracy and the rule of law by protecting their exercise of their democratic rights.

Democracy is built on democratic rights.

If these rights are abrogated or made inaccessible to citizens, then the edifice of democracy has collapsed. What is clear is that Nigeria is no longer a true democracy, because of the erosion of democratic rights.

Democratic rights are not just about shambolic periodic elections. Even if elections are free and fair, as they are not in Nigeria, they are not enough to become a democracy.

Beyond free and fair elections, democracy requires that the people enjoy democratic rights. And the chief of them, includes the right to personal liberty. When the Police cannot guarantee such right, or when it enables its violation as in the case of the NLC President, then democracy has failed. This may be the reason the authoritative review of democracy in the world, the Verities of Democracy (V-DEM) rates Nigeria as an ‘electoral autocracy’.

Conclusion The assault on the NLC President, raises concern on how the Police undermines democracy and the rule of law. It is not an

“When the Police cannot guarantee such right, or when it enables its violation as in the case of the NLC President, then democracy has failed. This may be the reason the authoritative review of democracy in the world, the Verities of Democracy (V-DEM) rates Nigeria as an ‘electoral autocracy”

isolated problem. It is definitive of the philosophy of policing in Nigeria. We are yet to democratise policing in Nigeria. That is why Police officers follow every VIP around, and there are no Police officers to protect the cities. That is the reason there are many unresolved high-profile crimes, because proper investigation will implicate the men and women of power. That is the reason we cannot have free and fair elections, because the Police will aid incumbents to remain in power through all forms of manipulation. And, that is the reason we do not prosecute electoral offences, because they are either committed by men and women of power or at their behest.

With the current character and nature of policing, Nigeria has little hope of being a true democracy. And, the Ajaero saga merely illustrates the relationship between lawless policing and Nigeria’s failing democracy.

Dr Sam Amadi, Harvard trained Human Rights Lawyer, former Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission

Attack on NLC President is an Intolerable Crime Against the People Emmanuel Onwubiko Background On November 1, 2023, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, who was on a tour of duty to Imo State, was brutalised by armed thugs sent by the Imo State Government, with the objective to frustrate a planned solidarity peaceful protest by members of the NLC in that State.

Subsequently, he was further battered by the unruly and well armed Police operatives from the Imo State command who arrested him in the most notorious and life threatening of fashions, and then whisked him away into Police torture facility somewhere near the State Government House in Owerri, the Imo State capital. The incident is just a true representation of what is said in a section of the Holy Bible, that a prophet has no honour in his own home.

The National President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero is from Owerri, Imo State. Unfortunately, the Government of his State is said to have masterminded such a dastardly and brutal attack on the person of the well distinguished national figure who ironically, hails from Imo State.

Imo State: Now a Place of Unrestrained Violence The truth is that Imo State has in the last four years of the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma become a place of unrestrained blood

cuddling violence, to an extent that not less than 300 citizens are alleged to have been killed by members of the armed forces and Police, and also the Department of State Services (DSS). Similarly, many people have disappeared after being captured by security operatives. Also, many Police stations in Imo State have been set ablaze by suspected arsonists. The Police blame renegades, such as members of IPOB for such attacks. However, Emma Powerful, the media spokesman of the Nnamdi Kanu-headed IPOB have often distanced IPOB from these attacks, and blamed forces working for the Imo State Governor for instigating the destruction, so as to find justification for the massive killings of young Igbo youths that has gone on for four years.

The are many reports done by Amnesty International, on the orgies of killings that have happened under the watch of Hope Uzodinma as the Governor of Imo State. However, not a single killer has been arrested, charged and prosecuted.

The Police in Imo State claims that it has over 200 members of IPOB in detention, but not a single conviction has been made all these years.

So, the violent incident involving the President of the NLC is not an isolated incident, because it has become a pattern that opposition figures are constantly attacked and brutalised in Imo State, therefore, making the entire Imo State look like a place whereby the administration practices fascism.

This is antithetical to constitutional democracy. The member representing the good people of Ideato North/South Mr Ugochinyere was once attacked, his father's complex in Akokwa razed to the ground, over 100 of his buses procured for his campaign for the Federal House of Representatives then, were burnt. He blamed Governor Hope Uzodinma for the attacks against him, and said the Governor wanted him dead because he belongs to the opposition PDP. The Governor through his Information Commissioner, denied the allegations.

The misconduct of the members of the armed forces and Police, particularly, their penchant for extrajudicial killings of citizens and the infliction of torture on suspects, go contrary to the Nigerian Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and all other global human rights laws which Nigeria is a signatory to.

Indeed, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a key component of the Nigerian Constitution.

What is particularly worrying, is that the Central and Imo State governments have failed to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to trial, and therefore, what is in place in Imo State is official impunity and lawlessness.

Asari Dokubo, a former Niger Delta militant recently stated that his private army operates in Imo State, and there are widespread allegations that he may be behind the phenomenon of unknown gunmen who are responsible for so much of the instability and killings in Imo State. Dokubo has yet to be arrested, and probed for the bloodshed in Imo State. Many stakeholders, including law experts and civil rights practitioners, have severally advocated the arrest and prosecution of Asari Dokubo over the killings in Imo State. So, the attack on the President of the NLC is just one of the series of a well targeted campaign of violence against any presumed opponent of the Imo State Governor, whose desperation to win the re-election is overbearing Cont'd on page VIII

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Cont'd from page VII

and frightening.

Travails of Comrade Ajaero Comrade Ajaero was picked up from the NLC State Council Secretariat by heavily armed Policemen in Owerri, and taken to an unknown destination. The Head of Media at the NLC Headquarters, Benson Uper, stated this via a WhatsApp message which most media outlets immediately picked up and circulated around the World.

The NLC was reportedly leading a statewide protest and strike in Owerri over what it described as lack of respect for workers, unpaid salaries and pensions, amongst others.

According to reliable information at the disposal of this writer, the labour leader was arrested at the Secretariat of the NLC in Imo while he was about to lead an ‘Occupy Imo’ protest slated for that same day being the beginning of the day and a clear eleven days before the off-cycle Governorship poll in Imo alongside Bayelsa and Kogi States. It must be noted that the visit of the NLC leader, has absolutely nothing to do with the politics of the Governorship poll. However, the Imo State Governor who is known to be so desperate to win his re-election bid by all means, resorted to allegedly arming political thugs to invade the vicinity of the NLC, to interrupt their long scheduled Industrial dispute related activity. Imo State is a flashpoint of several politically motivated killings and violence, blamed by some analysts on supporters of the Imo State Governor, and a series of other amorphous well- armed non-State actors clamouring for several demands.

The source who confided in this writer, said the Police arrested Ajaero giving reasons that the labour leader has disobeyed an existing court order by the National Industrial Court restraining the NLC and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) from carrying out any protest in the State.

When the media reporters contacted the Police spokesperson in Imo, Henry Okoye, he said he had no information on the arrest of the NLC leader, yet, he stated that he would make the information available as soon as he got a clear picture of the situation. However, as the day neared evening, it was then made known belatedly by the Police that Comrade Joe Ajaero was in a so-called Protective Custody - a term used by the Police to try to dodge responsibility for the brutality and physical torture the NLC President suffered in the hands if the lawless Police operatives. Besides, the Police took over six hours before it could come up with their lie concerning what they did to Comrade Joe Ajaero openly, before the full glare of the media and members of the NLC. Persisting in the dissemination of the falsehood, a statement by the Police Command’s spokesperson, Okoye Henry, the Police said, “In the course of their (labour’s) planning, it was reported that suggestions arose for the lockdown of some essential facilities particularly the airport, which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process leading to scuffles and heated arguments and an eventual attack on the person of the NLC President by a mob.

“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command swiftly deployed Police operatives to the scene, where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters, to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed.

“The Commissioner of Police thereafter, directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack. He has therefore, been accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day.

“It is however, necessary to emphasise the existence of a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria holden in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023 dated 27th October, 2023, barring the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.”

Organised Labour Fingers Imo Government In a statement on Wednesday, the NLC and TUC national leaderships in Abuja, accused the Imo State Government of intimidation against trade unions in the State. However, the Imo State Government said it had no hand in Ajaero’s arrest.

The State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, wondered what Ajaero was doing in Owerri in defiance of the order of the court, which warned of severe consequences against disobedience. He said information at the disposal

NLC President, Joe Ajaero of Government indicated that there might have been a fiasco between lawful workers of Imo State and “lawless invaders” from Abuja, which led to Police intervention to maintain the peace. Developments around the personal safety and the whereabouts of Comrade Joe Ajaero, took a frenetic dimension.

The entire scenario of brazen Police brutality and physical torture of Comrade Joe Ajaero, culminated in him been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owerri with his right eye completely shut.

The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.

He said that “contact has been made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero this afternoon around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention”.

“Thoroughly brutalised, his right eye at the time of contact, was completely shut.”

He further said, “Ajaero, who said little, stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.

“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him, and have not been returned to him.” On the 3rd of November, 2023, the NLC and sister unions vowed to take action against the Imo State Government of Governor Hope Uzodinma, following the brutalisation of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Wednesday.

This was as Uzodinma, while reacting to the Wednesday crisis and had accused the NLC President, who is an indigene of Imo State, of meddling in the State’s politics.

Uzodinma said Ajaero must learn to draw a line between his role as a NLC leader, and being a partisan Imo State indigene. The Governor accused the leader of trying to blackmail his Government over non-payment of salaries, insisting that all Imo workers have been paid their due wages. The truth is that Comrade Ajaero was brutalised by Policemen in Owerri, when he went to mobilise workers for a strike, which is clearly a legitimate duty.

The NLC President, Mr Ajaero had, during a press briefing on Sunday, prior to the November 1st attack, accused the Imo State Government of “violating the

“The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder”

rights of the Nigerian workers in the State” and therefore, vowed to mobilise members of the Union in the State for a strike.

The Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, said Ajaero was picked up at the State Secretariat of the NLC in Owerri and taken to an unknown location, after which he reappeared hours later, brutalised.

The NLC accused the State Government of masterminding the attack on Ajaero, who was injured and hospitalised. But, Uzodinma attempted to refute the claim while speaking to State House Correspondents in Abuja after meeting with President Bola Tinubu to receive the APC flag as the ruling party’s Governorship candidate for Imo State.

Uzodinma said, “What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress is from Imo State, and has not been able to demarcate the difference between being a national leader of an organisation and then an interested party in local politics “I understand the sensitivity of this event (protest). But, I want you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics, or an attempt to blackmail my Government.

“I can tell you that my people are already aware; that was why the NLC Imo State chapter addressed a world press conference that what their national leadership is doing is not correct, and that they are not going to join any strikes or protests.

“And in the process, they decided to dissolve them to put in a caretaker. Of course, I’m the chief security officer and I have a responsibility to intervene. I encourage the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure had not expired, and that was what they did.”

The Governor, who said he does not interfere with labour matters. Uzodinma argued that, his administration did not owe workers’ salaries.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, on Thursday, said that those accusing the State Government of having hands in Ajaero’s travails, were mischief makers.

A statement by the Government said, “Imo State Government has washed its hands clean concerning the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero”.

As aforementioned, the brutality and bloody attacks on the person of the NLC President who is still hospitalised, is an egregious attempted murder and a serious violation of his constitutional rights to personal liberty, right to life and his right to the dignity of his human person, which are core human rights that citizens are entitled to and the government is obliged to observe, protect and promote. The Imo State Government, therefore, failed to protect Citizen Ajaero, only because the Imo State Governor presumed that, as a Labour activist, he, the official of the NLC may have sympathy for the candidate of the Labour Party in the Governorship poll, Senator Athan Achonu. The NLC and TUC have however, denied the allegations, and have proceeded with their preparations for strike which has began, to protest the attack on Ajaero in Imo State blamed on the Imo State Governor. The attacks offend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and several global human rights laws.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December, 1948 (General Assembly Resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected, and it has been translated into over 500 languages. The UDHR is widely recognised as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more than seventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels (all containing references to it in their preambles).

The Preamble goes thus: Whereas, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas, disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas, it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas, it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas, the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas, Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas, a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realisation of this pledge, Now, therefore, The General Assembly, Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

The first three articles of this Universal Declaration of Human Rights are key to our discussion today, because these are the basic rights of Comrade Ajaero that were violated in the Imo State attacks on him and the Labour Centre.

Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without Cont'd on page IX

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coVER Uzodinma v NLC: Nigeria’s Human Rights on Trial Cont'd from page VIII

distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Then, importantly, Article 3 states thus: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Conclusion To conclude, I hereby on behalf of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) calling on the relevant authorities at the Federal Government level, to arrest, prosecute and sanction severely, all the armed thugs, and armed Police including the then Police Commissioner who led the assault on the person of Comrade Joe Ajaero.

There must be no cover up, of this dastardly crime against humanity. Enough of this official impunity.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, Head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria; former National Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria

Attack on NLC President: A Red Flag for the International Community Okechukwu Nwanguma State-Sponsored violence and Imo State Governorship Election on November 11, 2023: A predictable outcome that will further damage Nigeria's depreciating image.

Eye Witness Accounts On Wednesday November 1, 2023, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero was accosted on his way to the NLC State Secretariat, Owerri, Imo State. He was, according to reports and eye-witness accounts, dragged and attacked by thugs accompanied by armed Police officers. The assailants also descended on other NLC leaders, attacking them with various weapons.

Witnesses further revealed that they blind-folded and continued to brutalise Ajaero, and dragged him away to the Tiger Base where he was subjected to further brutality in Police custody. He was left with bruises and a swollen face, leaving him nearly blinded and having to be hospitalised.

Media reports, quoting a statement jointly signed

by General Secretary of NLC, Ugboaja, and his TUC counterpart, Mr Nuhu Toro, alleged that Ajaero was arrested by the Police, accompanied by thugs led by Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Special Duties, Mr Chinasa Nwaneri, and others, like Tapey and Madoka.

“They inflicted heavy injuries and blows to his head and body and kicking him in the process, while dragging him on the ground, while the Polic supervised the mayhem.

“They eventually bundled the NLC President into their waiting van, and whisked him away to unknown destination...”

During a television interview, an official of the TUC said that the Area Commander, Owerri Area Command participated in the assault on Ajaero, which led to the serious injury to his eyes and has put his life in danger. I recall that the Area Commander Owerri was recently in the news for allegedly ordering the assault, detention and torture of an Owerri-based Lawyer who had gone to the Area Command to secure bail for his client. No known action has been taken, in response to public outrage and demand for the Area Commander to be accordingly disciplined.

On the day of the incident, Ajaero was driving, along with other Labour leaders, to the NLC Secretariat in Owerri Imo State from where he was to lead a planned Imo State workers' protest against

Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun the maltreatment of workers in Imo State by the State Government.

Workers’ Grievances The Imo State workers have been at loggerheads with the State Government over many issues: they say the State owes workers and pensioners over 42 months’ salary arrears; the State has declared thousands of workers and pensioners as ghost workers; and not properly implementing the national minimum wage.

The workers also accused the State Government of trying to use the courts to stifle a lawful protest, and attempting to break the ranks of the unions in the State; interference in the affairs of the State NLC and repression of workers rights to speak up or protest against their deprivation, neglect and oppression.

Sometime in 2020, pensioners who were peacefully protesting several months of non-payment of their pensions and gratuities by the State Government were flogged and brutalised by hoodlums whom the pensioners described as agents of the Uzodinma Government, among other issues, have lingered necessitating the intervention of the National leadership of the NLC. There have been interfaces between the national leadership of the NLC and the State Government, which led to agreements that the State Government has refused to honour. .

A Journalist who was covering the pensioners' protest in 2020, was also brutalised and bloodied. Therefore, Ajaero's experience is not new. Many political opponents, critics and civic actors have suffered violence, in the hands of agents of Uzodinma's repressive Government. What is rather new, is the fact that no one expected that the Governor and his agents would have the effrontery to attack the leader of the national workers union. It is unprecedented in the current 'democratic' era. An attack on Ajaero, is an attack on workers and on workers' rights and freedoms. It should be challenged, and the perpetrators should not get away with their impunity.

Uzodinma’s Legitimacy Crisis I locate the brutal and barbaric attack on Ajaero by agents of Governor Hope Uzodinma, within the context of the

“…. they say the State owes workers and pensioners over 42 months’ salary arrears; the State has declared thousands of workers and pensioners as ghost workers; and not properly implementing the national minimum wage. The workers also accused the State Government of trying to use the courts to stifle a lawful protest….”

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma

Governor’s legitimacy crisis. On account of the route through which he came to office, and unable to enjoy public acceptance, Uzodinma resorts to violently asserting his authority, imposing his will on the people through the diabolical scheme of intimidation and violence, silencing all voices of opposition and dissent. This is why all acts of State terror in Imo State have been carried out by thugs operating from the Government House, working in concert with Police operatives from particular units under the Imo State Police Command, who are part of the terror architecture of the State.

In a Report 'Pre-Election Assessment of the 2023 Imo State Governorship Election', the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room captures the point about 'Uzodinma’s Legitimacy Crisis'.

The report noted: “The emergence of Hope Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State in January 2020 following a Supreme Court ruling was upsetting to many, considering that he secured a distant 4th position in the result declared by INEC and that the basis for the Supreme Court decision is perceived to be unconvincing”.

“The judicial route through which Governor Uzodinma emerged, poses a serious question to the legitimacy of his administration”.

“For many, Governor Hope Uzodinma's rise to power, was not on account of the popular mandate handed to him by the people of Imo State. Rather, he is seen to have been imposed on the people of the State by the Supreme Court.

Consequently, in the forthcoming election, Governor Hope Uzodinma will be under immense pressure to demonstrate that he actually enjoys popular support, and that he rightly won the 2019 election”.

“On the contrary, the opposition parties will strive to show that they have stronger control of the State, and that the emergence of Uzodinma was a legal 'mishap’ that should not have occurred in the first place. The effort by the incumbent and the opposition to exert political control in the State, has the potential to negatively affect the process and outcome of the election”.

Alleged Criminal Activities of Imo Police Command Hope Uzodinma's desperation, propensity for violence and his determined use of the instrumentality of terror to achieve his objectives, raised serious doubts about the possibility of having a credible Governorship election in Imo on November 11.

Although Mohammed Barde's removal as CP is welcome, there remain other mindless, unscrupulous and partisan- minded Police operatives in the State whose roles, in addition to that of Prof Sylvia Agu as the State REC, will undermine the electoral process and its outcome.

The activities of operatives at Tiger Base, speak more of rogue policing than professional policing. Their activities are directed by the Imo State Government House, who are the direct beneficiary of most of their unprofessional conducts and excesses.

During the last House of Assembly elections in Imo State, the Police deployed Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) for the purpose of compromising election in favour of Governor Uzodinma. The videos abound online, of Policemen hijacking electoral materials with APCs.

The Police under Barde, also deployed an APC to a private individual who was also a candidate in the election on election day.

It has been a pattern with the Imo Police Command to try to frame opponents of the Governor with criminal charges, to put them out of circulation.

Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, Emeka Ihedioha, Gerald Irona, and even Uche Nwosu, have all been victims of this Police brigandage.

Allegations of Compromise on the Part of the Imo REC Prof Sylvia Agu is roundly compromised, and has unsuccessfully tried to hide that in her usual excuses of being "helpless" or blaming electoral fraud on INEC adhoc officials in the field. She supervised the worst election in the 2023 election cycle, and was not ashamed to direct the declaration of many atrocious results and candidates.

Everyone in Imo knows places where no elections held, but Madam Agu shamelessly allowed her adhoc staff, all of whom were answerable to her, to manufacture results for those volatile areas.

Parts of Orsu, Orlu, Okigwe, Oguta, Ohaji Egbema and other hot spots where no elections held, were declared in favour of the Governor’s party. Even Ohaji-Egbema where some Adhoc staff even did videos from their locations and on arrival that there were no elections due to heightened fear of insecurity, all got results manufactured to favour the Governor's party.

So, beyond the alleged relationship between Madam Sylvia and the APC Deputy National Chairman for the SouthEast, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the antics of the REC in the past election has given valid grounds for concern and will be difficult, if not impossible to convince Imo people that she will deliver a credible election on November 11.

The integrity and impartiality of virtually all other INEC officials assigned and deployed to Imo State for the purpose of the November 11 Governorship election, have been questioned. The same for the security personnel, except for just a few who may be unable to prevent anything.

Considering that President Tinubu is a member of the APC and will favour his party's candidate in Imo; and considering his own legitimacy crisis, the similar moral attribute that he shares with Hope Uzodinma, it will be wishful thinking to expect him to do anything to ensure that the Imo election is free, fair and credible.

In all of this, my fears are no more about the process and outcome of the Imo election than they are about the future of Nigeria, the image of the country in the international community and the discriminatory and humiliating experiences that Nigerians suffer abroad on account of the character of leadership we have in Nigeria, and the way they have continued to conduct the affairs of the country.

The Police continue to undermine, rather than support, democracy. They continue to serve as tools of repression and oppression, brutalising, torturing and impeding the work of civic actors and opponents of the ruling powers and shrinking the civic space.

If after #EndSARS, our Police have not learned any lessons, then we are preparing for yet another people's rebellion which may be more cataclysmic than the former.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, Human Rights Defender; Executive Director, RULAAC, Lagos

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Law as a Vehicle for Good Governance and National Integration in Nigeria (Part 6)

R

Introduction ecently, we discussed the key themes which benchmark good governance, namely, nation-building, citizenship, leadership and national disintegration.

In this week's outing, we shall continue our discussion through the eyes of notable scholars. We shall then move on to the challenges of national integration and good governance in Nigeria and mechanisms for achieving same, such as amalgamation, federalism, indigenisation and Nigerianisation. Read on.

The Odyssey of Good Governance and National Integration in Nigeria (continues) Kola Olufemi captured the enigma thus: "While the geo-political divide and mutual suspicion between the North and the South have been resilient factors in Nigeria’s political life, at no other time had the structural contradictions in the polity degenerated into multiple fratricidal and seemingly irreconcilable conflicts, than in the period of the Fourth Republic since 1999. The depth and dimension of this development are reflected in the rise and popularity of ethnic militias such as the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Arewa Peoples Congress (APC), Egbesu Boys, Ijaw Youths Congress, Bakassi Boys and sundry militant organisations canvassing competing ethnic claims. It goes without saying that this spectre of ethnic militias, is a poignant indicator of the level of discontent with the governing formula that many perceive to have worked to their disadvantage".

There's no national identity and trust; no inherent attachment in Nigeria; no submissive loyalty to the motherland.

Onyeoziri, (2002:17), pontificated: loyalty to the Nigerian State remains at best, reluctant, while stability has continued to elude the system. Intercommunal or ethnic hostility and even open violence have increased, while the constant complaint of marginalisation tells its own story of the declining sense of belonging that exists in the land. These are eloquent symptoms, that the policy of federal character is not producing the desired effect. And, it is easy to think of many reasons why.

We are, at best, different people sharing only the green-white-green as an artificial umbrella. Little wonder, Biafran leader, late Emeka OdumegwuOjukwu, noted thus: “The true problem with Nigeria is that she is fully embroiled in an identity crisis.

The Nigerian of today is a sociopath, in search of a national programme. We live in a country, in search of a common character." (Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Emeka 1989).

One of the major issues and factors, affecting Good Governance and National Integration is the failure of federalism to overshadow and reign over ethnic cleavages, religion, underdevelopment, corruption etc. This is more so, as the idea of federalism is made nonsense of, due to domination by one or two constituent units.

According to Tarlton (1965), “integrative elements of a federal system must, if that system is to function at an optimum level of harmony, predominate over existing elements of diversity…” (Tarlton, Charles (1965). “Symmetry as Elements of Federalism: A Theoretical Speculation.” Publius: The Journal of Federalism.

Vol. 27. No. 4).

Rotimi Suberu (1990), reported thus: federal experiments in the Third World are not only endangered by deep sectional loyalties and largely unavoidable but politically explosive inter-segmental inequalities, but also by the intensely conflictual nature of Third world politics (Suberu, Rotimi T.

(1990). “Federalism and Political Instability in Nigeria”. Plural Societies. Vol. 19. No. 23. This was Suberu on inequalities practicing the federal system).

The issues of inequality, misgovernance, zero commitment to federalism, and unsatisfactory allocation of revenue in various regions of the nation, makes a mockery of federalism as a whole. It means, the practice of federalism is not good enough. Olufemi (2005), noted thus: “The feeling of deprivation and alienation runs deep in the region and this is responsible for the simmering and widespread insurgency in the area. In fact, the major youth’s organisations had called for a boycott of the 1998-99 transition exercise, insisting on political restructuring through a Sovereign National Conference”.

From the standpoint of the ethnic nationality groups, federalism has not worked in Nigeria as evidenced in the complains of over centralisation of power, ethnic domination, marginalisation and repression. Amoda (2001), captures this contention in the following words: The immediate cause of discontent has been the transformation of the government of Nigeria, from a federally to a unitarily administered authority. With this transformation, control of the economy has shifted from regional governments to the central government. This change in the balance of power between the regions and the centre, has been institutionalised by the balkanisation of the First Republic regions into States. Every military government since Gowon has concluded

“Given the self- evident truth that no panacea or prescription can be legitimate unless it has the backing of the law, what role can law play, in addressing the twin malaise which we have identified as bedevilling Nigeria?”

its tenure with further balkanisation of the founding regions, the North, the West, the East and the Mid-West.

The "gbegiri" and "Amala" or "comeand-chop" or "stomach infrastructure" politics the leaders engaged in through the decades, has resulted to the frenzied clamour for restructuring, secession and bad governance - engendering National Disintegration.

Challenges of National Integration National integration is a complex process that involves the unification of diverse ethnic, religious, linguistic, and cultural groups within a nation. Nigeria, as a multiethnic and multicultural country, has faced several challenges in achieving National Integration.

Some Challenges of Nigeria Ethnic and Regional Differences: Nigeria is home to about 374 ethnic groups, speaking over 500 languages (Prof Onigu Otite). Each of these has its own unique cultural and linguistic heritage. These differences often lead to conflicts, rivalries, and a sense of exclusion among different ethnic groups. The unequal distribution of political power, economic resources, and development opportunities among different regions exacerbates these tensions.

Religious Divide: Nigeria is divided between Islam and Christianity, with a significant Muslim population in the North and a Christian majority in the South. This religious divide has, at times, fuelled conflicts, particularly between Muslim and Christian communities. Religious extremism and intolerance, further strain the process of national integration.

Political Instability: Nigeria has experienced periods of political instability, including military coups, corrupt governance, and weak institutions.

These factors have contributed to a lack of alienation among different groups.

Economic Disparities: Economic disparities between different regions and social groups, contribute to feelings of marginalisation and exclusion. The Northern regions of Nigeria, for instance, generally lag behind in terms of economic development, compared to the

Southern regions. This economic imbalance can breed resentment, and hinder national integration.

Language Barrier: Nigeria has over 500 languages, with English being the lingual franca (official language. However, not all Nigerians are proficient in English, and language barriers often times hinder effective communication and understanding between different ethnic groups.

This has also led to misinterpretation, mistrust, and hinder the integration process.

Resource Control and Allocation: The control and allocation of natural resources, particularly oil, have been contentious issues in Nigeria. Disputes over resource control often lead to conflicts and tensions between different regions, exacerbating ethnic and regional divisions.

Lack of Trust and Unity: A lack of trust and unity among different ethnic, religious, and regional groups poses a significant challenge to national integration. Historical grievances, perceived injustices, and unresolved conflicts, contribute to this lack of trust and unity.

Poor State-run political institutions in Nigeria are yet another barrier to national unification: Nigeria is closer to the cliff due to the State institutions' weak, embryonic, sterile, insensitive, and immoral traits. Also, lack of fairness, justice, and equity in the nation undermines national cohesion, by preventing the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, resource allocation, and power sharing, as well as the punishment of criminals who hide from the law in political havens or bunkers built by the ruling classes (Daniel Aondofa Mailumo (PhD), Discourse on Democratic Governance And National Integration in Nigeria, International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Reviews Vol.9 No.2, August 2019; p.198 – 204, (ISSN: 2276-8645) at 202).

Addressing these challenges, requires sustained efforts and proactive measures. Some possible solutions include promoting inter-ethnic dialogue, fostering inclusive governance, addressing economic disparities through equitable development, investing in education and cultural awareness programmes, promoting interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance, and creating a sense of shared national identity through symbols, institutions, and policies that embrace the diversity of Nigeria.

Challenges of Good Governance in Nigeria Since independence, the pre-eminent issue in Nigeria has been how to achieve and sustain good governance at all levels. This has been a ready excuse in the hands of civilian politicians and military adventurists alike. In both cases, it’s been used as a pretext for regime change. So persistent has it been, that it has elicited a plethora of literature - some scholarly and others not so scholarly. In the former class is the classic work by the late Prof Chinua Achebe titled “The Problem With Nigeria’’, where he squarely located the issue as one of leadership - in other words good governance. In his opinion, get that right and everything will be well with Nigeria. More than 40 years after it was written, that view largely holds true. Successive election cycles and military coups have proved to be little more than a game of musical chairs, and each time a new regime seemingly tries to out-do the others incompetence, graft, nepotism and ineptitude.

Allied to the above, a cocktail of centripetal and centrifugal forces have conspired to tug at the seams of the country, threatening to tear it apart. These include non-State actors such as armed bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, religious fundamentalists and separatists. Indeed, the failure of leadership (or absence of good governance), is arguably directly implicated in our struggle to achieve national integration. So, what do we do? What are our options? Are there any still left, or have we run out them? What do we need to do that has not been done before - or that needs to be done differently? Do we need to re-invent the wheel, or to think out of the box - or both? The former is clearly out of the question. The latter is more apposite. In that regard, the question is: What ‘box’ is there to start with? What is the status quo? How can we make a great leap out of its restrictions? Does it involve a leap of faith?

What are the guarantees of a successful outcome of its efficiency? Given the self- evident truth that no panacea or prescription can be legitimate unless it has the backing of the law, what role can law play, in addressing the twin malaise which we have identified as bedevilling Nigeria? Does the law already contain such prescriptions, and how have they fared? What are those prescriptions? It is better to think without the box. (To be continued).

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XIII Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Superintendent Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Olabisi Sonusi; Corps Commander, FRSC, Babatunde Farinloye; Head of Engagement, BSG, Joshua Nwachukwu; and Deputy Corps Commander, FRSC, Lucas Oguntade, during the ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ campaign rally at the FRSC office, Ojodu Berger in Lagos…recently

L-R: Director, Bloomy Berries Nursery and Primary School, Mrs. Oliver; Lead, Retail Banking and Customer Acquisition,9 Payment Service Bank, Oladimeji Saka; Head of Human Resources, 9 Payment Service Bank, Alex Nneka Ohai; and some pupils during the ‘World Savings Day’ mentorship programme at Bloomy Berries Primary School in Lagos…recently

L-R: Mrs. Toyin Idowu, Mrs. Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya, Mrs. Funke Smith; and other members of the Methodist Girl’s High School Old Girls Association (MGHSOGA) during the 40th anniversary of the Old Girls Association held at the Methodist Girl’s High School, Yaba, Lagos…recently

L-R: Editor of Our Moment Newspaper, David Olalekan Olanrewaju; Property Consultant, Ringrazio Wacks Properties Limited, Joy Ekele; award recipient and Business Advisor and Property Development Manager, Wacks Properties Limited and Ringrazio Limited, Mrs. Akinjo Adewunmi; Engineer and Property Developer, Ringrazio Limited, Ugbor Ndidi; and Nollywood Actress and Brand Ambassador of Wacks Properties Limited and Ringrazio Limited, Bukola Abiola, during the presentation of ‘Our Moment Newspaper Realtor of The Year Award’ to Mrs. Akinjo Adewunmi in Maryland, Lagos...recently

L-R: Regional Sales Manager, Spectranet Nigeria, Jibril Nasiru; Marketing Lead, Spectranet Nigeria, Prem Kumar; Territory Sales Manager, Spectranet, Salako Kazeem; Managing Director, Newrain Services, Idris Adedokun; Sales Lead, Spectranet, Raja Ramaswamy; and Manager, Tadcorptel Limited, Matthew Lemboye, during the presentation of prizes to dealers in Lagos…recently

L-R: Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi; Woman Leader, Southwest PDP, Mrs. Bose Adedibu; Osun State Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; state Governor, Ademola Adeleke; and acting Chairman, PDP Southwest, Hon. Ramon Owokoniran, during the South-west meeting of the PDP in Abere, Osogbo…recently

XIV

FEatures

T H I S D AY • TUESday NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email: chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430

Building Layers of Critical Infrastructure for a Wealthier Lagos

With bold optimism and audacious investments in critical infrastructure, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is gradually building the final layers of the foundation for a wealthier Lagos, Israel Opayemi submits

L

et me make a confession. The title of this piece has drawn inspiration from James Carville’s popular campaign theme for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential election bid. In 1992, the United States was experiencing headwinds under President George W. Bush, who was seen by a section of the American electorate as out of touch with the needs of the average Americans.

Carville then told a meeting of Bill Clinton’s campaign staff, that, “It’s the Economy. Stupid!” to emphasise the primacy of economic issues in that election cycle. The result? Bill Clinton gave prominence to economic issues touching the lives of average American throughout that campaign season and he won impressively.

As a close associate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a Policy Communications Specialist, each time I reflect on the momentous efforts he is making towards giving Lagos State some fitting infrastructure or some of the social intervention initiatives being carefully executed by his government, one is forced to reach just the same conclusion. I often quipped when summarising the strategic goal in view of all that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is leading his team to do, “It’s the Economy.

Period!”

Discerning citizens can indeed see the geometric economic progression the state is currently making. Through years of meticulous planning under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and years of surgical implementation of the plans under Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) down to the incumbent, Lagos has indeed attained her full status as ‘Nigeria’s Economic Capital’.

The state has in fact exceeded just that local adulation to the place of her rating as Africa’s fifth largest economy. It would seem the duo of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, are conscious of their roles in the history of Lagos. They must build the final layers of the foundation for the emergence of a truly prosperous Lagos in a few short years.

They seem to be approaching the task with some sense of urgency and admirable focus.

As at the time this writer was putting the thoughts of chronicling the timelines of the multiple investment roadshows the Governor and his Deputy were running with, they had crisscrossed Dubai, Morocco, and United Kingdom all within days and hours.

The goal for them is simple. Stimulate the growth of the economy, put more wealth in the hands of citizens and lift more Lagosians out of poverty.

Poverty is a clear and present danger to society. But there is a method to treating this madness called poverty. Build critical infrastructure. They are keys to opening the inherent wealth in a City. It is, therefore, not surprising that the duo Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, know exactly what to do. Keeping marketing our problems as opportunities.

On Wednesday 1, November, the Chief Marketing Officer of Lagos was in faraway Georgetown, Guyana, to attend the AfriCaribbean Trade Forum and to discuss the imperatives of investing in food security, agricultural productivity and expanding agribusiness opportunities in Lagos. His message was clean and clear. “It is only by doing so that that we can address food security concerns but also stimulate employment, create opportunities for export and uplift rural income.”

Perhaps, thinking in line with the Yoruba adage that ‘once hunger is excluded from poverty, the misery of poverty has been vanquished’, Governor Sanwo-Olu has therefore set his face like a flint on the goal of food security by 2024. He hopes to complete the Lagos Food System and Logistics Hub, Africa’s biggest food and logistics hub in Ketu-Ejirin, Epe as part of a strategic initiative to put more wealth in the hands of farmers, ensure food security and sufficiency.

While the annual value of food transactions is estimated at about USD 10 billion, farmers

Sanwo-Olu are losing over 40 percent of their incomes due to a lack of adequate postharvest storage facilities. The Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is building a storage facility on a 1.2 million square metre site in Ketu-Ejinrin. The facility is expected to boost the economy by reducing waste that arise as a result of inadequate storage facilities. It is expected to ensure food security and increase internally generated revenue.

When completed, the hub is expected to provide direct income to more than 5 million traders in the value chain, while ensuring uninterrupted food supply to more than 10 million Lagosians for at least ninety days in times of scarcity.

The central food hub will encourage more investment in farming and food production, and open farmers up to modern-day storage facilities. Again, it’s the economy. Period!

But that is not all. It was during this round of investment marketing roadshow, precisely on Tuesday 31, October 2023 that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu secured and signed the partnership with the African ExportImport Bank and Access Bank for a massive investment of $1.352 billion dollars in Lagos.

This is part of the funding needed for the realisation of the Fourth Mainland Bridge, the Omu Creek Project and the Second Phase of the LRMT Blue Line from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko amongst others. It was also at this investment marketing event the Governor declared with absolute confidence: “Our vision for Lagos is becoming a reality with the Lekki-Epe International Airport and the Lagos Food Systems and Logistics Hub in Epe. These projects will further boost our economy and serve generations to come.”

On Friday 3, November 2023, to the delight of the local and global

investment community, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced a plan to build a new Lagos International Financial Centre while inaugurating the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede-led Council entrusted with brining the dream to life.

Worthy of note is the exhibition of the mastery of the art of governance by partnership with the organised private sector and multilateral institutions. This is because most of the ground breaking infrastructure funding feats being recorded by the Sanwo-Olu administration to the admiration of other States in Nigeria are actually based on strategic partnership and collaboration with players in the private sector and other development agencies. An example is this partnership with Enterprise NGR, a member-led group that specialises in strengthening financial and professional services in the state.

The partnership between the Lagos Government and Enterprise NGR to build the new Lagos International Financial Centre is aimed at making the state a global financial hub that will direct investment flows from places like New York, London, and Paris amongst others.

With the signing of the pact with Enterprise NGR, Sanwo-Olu aims to captivate global investors, unveil the potentials of Destination Lagos as an investment destination of choice, and pave the way for a transformative era of economic prosperity.

Think of it. The new Lagos International Financial Centre is a bespoke destination where major global financial institutions can set up their African presence. It is an initiative to turn Lagos into a global financial powerhouse.

Think of it again. Who will they employ during the massive construction phase? Our people.

Think of the lanyard of economic activities tied to construction sites. From crane rentals, diesel supply, sand supply, gravel supply, food vending to craftmanship. Just imagine the ripple effects of this phase on hotels and hospitality sector in Lagos alone. It is a place where wealth will be placed in the hands of artisans and professionals.

By showing uncommon knowledge of how to unlock an economy through bold investment in infrastructure transformation, the Sanwo-Olu administration has become an exemplar for other states in Nigeria in terms of bold vision and the audacity to do

As of Thursday 9, November 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu was at the high level African Mayoral, the Africa Investment Forum 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco organised by the Africa Development Bank, AFDB. The goal was also the economy. It was aimed at rallying the partnership with AFDB, AFC, Africa50, Afrexim Bank, Development Bank of South Africa, European Investment Bank, Trade and Development Bank amongst other development partners to invest in infrastructure development in Lagos.

Like a brilliant salesman that he is, Governor Sanwo-Olu always shows the numbers. He spoke on a Panel on Thursday. By Friday, he has led his economic team to London, United Kingdom again where, together with the Enterprise NRG will be meeting with select British and International business leaders from across different continents to also market Lagos as a destination for investment.

A close look at Governor Babajide SanwoOlu's T.H.E.M.E.S agenda easily highlights how Lagos has been able to synergise its resources and redirect them towards rapid improvement of the economy of the state during his first term. Upon his re-election and assumption of office for the second term, Sanwo-Olu again expanded the focus of the agenda and rechristened it, 'THE T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS AGENDA,’ to signify some vital additions like the Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth in the next four years.

Even for all of these additions, the strategic goal remains the same, the economy! Be it for the women and the youth as well as other disadvantaged citizens across the gender and age isles, the goal has remained to ensure more citizens of Lagos State become empowered through access to productive economic activities.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes that infrastructure is the key to unlock the wealth that lies untold in every human community across our state.

He is in the same developmental school with American Vice President, Kamala Harris who earlier this year while speaking at Chicago, Illinois said, “when we invest in our infrastructure, we invest in our economy, we invest in America’s future – a better future for workers, businesses, families and communities.”

Some of the critical road projects at different stages of completion in Lagos State such as the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway from four lanes to ten lanes is road of economic significance to link Nigeria to a vital part of the West African Sub-region thereby improving the pace of trade and commerce between Lagos State and her West African neighbours. This and other projects like it are being carefully delivered to bring about rapid economic development in that corridor. Again, economy is the goal.

The fact that the contract for the historic Fourth Mainland Bridge was eventually awarded to a giant construction consortium of CCECCCRCCIG of China in a deal worth US$2.5 billion, is good news to discerning Lagosians. It is to further open up some sections of Lagos to accelerated economic development. Designed to be a 38km long bridge, the Fourth Mainland Bridge will further open up Lekki, Langbasa, Baiyeku and Itamaga in Ikorodu to accelerated economic development. This is another infrastructure with economic significance as it will open the real estate corridors of Lekki and Ikorodu for unprecedented boom.

The delivery of intra-state train systems will undoubtedly remain one of the biggest achievements of the Sanwo-Olu government and another key to unlocking economic development. The Lagos Blue Line project is an electric rapid transit line that forms part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system run by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), which was opened for commercial use on September 4, 2023, with five functional stations.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

XV

T H I S D AY • TUESday NOVEMBER 14, 2023

features

Exploring Nexus of Culture, Security and Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, CBAAC, recently held its annual public lecture in Ibadan. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the key derivative was to explore the complex relationship between culture, security, and democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hon. Oluwabunmi Amao, DG, CBAAC (middle); Dr. Seunfunmi Olutayo, Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan (right) and Princess Fadekemi Fadojutimi, Operations Manager, Ife Grand Resort at Industrial Park during the event

Hon. Amao

W

hen the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) was established by Decree 69 of 1979, following the successful epoch-making hosting of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC'77), its statutory responsibility was to be a storehouse of all the materials, which constitute the core collections and those artefacts and rare cultural items that were exhibited during FESTAC'77.

The decision to handover these materials to Nigeria was to reinforce and build on the gains of the historic festival, hence the centre was established in fulfillment of Nigeria's pledge to keep the materials in trust for the 59 black and African countries and communities that participated in the festival.

Thus, to effectively discharge this mandate, CBAAC holds arts exhibitions, cultural festivals, performances, conferences, public lectures, workshops, youth programmes and other activities that promote Black and African Culture in its totality both locally and internationally.

Beyond this, it also has a library, archival collections and audio/visual library, an art gallery, a studio, and a Hall of Fame with varied collections of significance to Black and African Peoples all over the world.

The centre also engages in other activities, which project the overall image of Black and African Peoples and enable their cultures to be appreciated globally. Statutorily, the centre is charged with the responsibility of preserving, promoting and propagating Black and African Cultural Heritage in its totality.

Through its numerous programmes, the centre has continued to contribute to the pool of universal knowledge on Black and African Peoples. The centre has a strategic mandate and plays a key role in making Nigeria the arrowhead in the preservation, promotion and propagation of African Cultural Heritage.

Public Lecture It was as part of the mandate to preserve culture and open up discussions around heritage that CBAAC recently held its 2023 public lecture held at the KAAF Auditorium, University of Ibadan where the platform was provided for experts, scholars, and leaders to share insights and ideas on these pressing issues.

Themed "Culture, Security and the Future of Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa", the lecture set the stage for a crucial discussion on the interplay between culture, security, and democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the hope of finding solutions to the challenges that threaten the future of democracy in the region.

Director-General of CBAAC, Hon. Oluwabunmi Ayobami Amao, during her welcome address urged a deeper understanding of these critical factors in the region's future. Expressing her gratitude for the productive partnership between CBAAC and the university, particularly through the Institute of African Studies, she emphasised the commitment of CBAAC under

of nations and their people.

Prof Adebowale, who was represented by Dr. Seunfunmi Olutayo, hoped that these insights would stimulate meaningful and constructive dialogue among the attendees, recognising that it is through the exchange of ideas and knowledge that a brighter future for Sub-Saharan Africa can be collectively envisioned.

He further harped that the University of Ibadan is known for its role as a center of knowledge and enlightenment, pledged its commitment to fostering critical thinking, encouraging research, and promoting a deeper understanding of the interplay between culture, security, and democracy. It was reaffirmed as a hub of knowledge and a catalyst for positive change.

Cross section of dignitaries and participants her leadership to strengthen and expand this cooperation for mutual goals and objectives.

Highlighting the significance of this event, she mentioned that it marked the second program hosted by CBAAC at the University of Ibadan in 2023.

The previous event, the Black History Month celebrations themed "Cultural Imperialism, Black Resistance, and Development in the 21st Century," showcased their dedication to this partnership and the warm reception they have received from the university.

The DG further explained that the annual public lecture is a vital part of CBAAC's mission, serving to stimulate public interest in topics of general concern to Nigerians, Black and African communities worldwide, adding that the theme, "Culture, Security, and the Future of Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa," holds particular contemporary relevance.

While highlighting the challenging democratic journey in Africa, emphasising that despite notable progress in the past, democratic gains are now being threatened by insecurity, she described Africa's democratic path as marred by conflicts and insecurity, a sad departure from the African Union's aspiration for

peace on the continent.

She noted that despite the AU's "silencing the Guns" initiative in 2020, violent conflicts, genocide, gender-based violence, and civil wars continue to plague the region, while pointing out that the fallout from these issues has led to a growing disillusionment with democracy and democratic governance among Africans.

"This disillusionment has been reflected in the celebrations following recent coups in various African countries, especially in the West African region," she added.

The DG concluded by emphasising the need to examine the future of democracy in Africa, especially in the face of heightened insecurity.

She raised important questions, such as the role of African culture and traditional systems of government in contemporary democratic practices on the continent.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale underscored the timeliness and urgency of the topic at hand, emphasising the dynamic nature of Sub-Saharan Africa.

As the region undergoes significant transformations, Prof Adebowale highlighted its rich cultural diversity and historical heritage, as well as its resilience, optimism, and untapped potential.

He stressed the vital significance of exploring the intricate relationship between culture, security, and democracy in shaping the destiny

Africans must learn to confront their challenges and proffer solutions to them independently without western influence or aid. Thus making African solutions to Africa's problems

Key Derivatives At the public lecture, it was harped that Africans must learn to confront their challenges and proffer solutions to them independently without western influence or aid. Thus making African solutions to Africa's problems.

The lecturers also posited that Africa's greatest problem is neo-colonialism, thus Africans must be conscious of the fact that democracy cannot triumph where there's neo-colonialism, injustice and bad governance.

Also, African Governments were charged to note that insecurity issues cannot be curbed when the masses are hungry and that to achieve full democracy, democratic studies should be inculcated into schools' curriculum in order to acculturate Africans to its dictates.

To tackle the problem of insecurity in Africa, they posited that the African culture of selflessness, honesty and taking responsibility must be displayed by all Africans, adding that we must go back to the status-quo as Africans and begin to bridge the gap between ethnic loyalty and national unity, as well as desist from covering up crimes and at the same time, be one another's neighbour.

Africans were also charged to take cognisance of indigenous language to achieve continental development, while harping that Sub-Saharan Africa is not just a region of challenges, it is also a region of boundless potentials.

Summarily, by understanding the role of culture, addressing security concerns and nurturing democracy, the consensus was that we can work towards a future where the people of sub-saharan Africa enjoy peace, prosperity and the full realisation of their democratic aspirations.

Essentially, the importance of recognising SubSaharan Africa's boundless potential was stressed; understanding the role of culture, addressing security concerns, and nurturing democracy were identified as key steps toward a future where the people of Sub-Saharan Africa can enjoy peace, prosperity, and the full realisation of their democratic aspirations.

Thus, the event served as a crucial platform for advancing these discussions and ideas to chart a positive course for the region's future.

XVI

tuesday, NOVEMBER 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

Compiled by Bayo Akinloye

Ex-Prime Minister Cameron Makes Shock Return to UK Government as Foreign Secretary had established contact with the trapped individuals.

The collapse occurred Sunday in Uttarakhand, a mountainous state dotted with Hindu temples that attract many pilgrims and tourists.

Massive construction of buildings and roadways has taken place in recent years in Uttarakhand. The trapped workers were building part of the Chardham all-weather road, a flagship federal government project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

The number of workers trapped was confirmed Monday by Rajesh Pawar, the project manager at the Navyug Construction Company, overseeing tunnel construction.

Rescue efforts began Sunday, with authorities pumping oxygen through a pipe into the collapsed section of the tunnel to help workers breathe.

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron made an unexpected return to high office Monday, becoming foreign secretary in a major shakeup of the Conservative government that also saw the firing of divisive Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Cameron, who led the UK government between 2010 and 2016 and triggered the country’s exit from the European Union, was appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a Cabinet shuffle in which he sacked Braverman, a law-and-order hardliner who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters.

She was replaced by James Cleverly, who had been foreign secretary. Sunak was making further changes to the government throughout the day, with Environment Secretary Therese Coffey saying she would be leaving her job.

The bold changes are an attempt by Sunak to reset his faltering government.

The Conservatives have been in power for 13 years, but opinion polls for months have put them 15 to 20 points behind the opposition Labour Party amid a stagnating economy, persistently high inflation, an overstretched health care system and a wave of public sector strikes.

Cameron’s appointment came as a surprise to seasoned politics watchers. It’s rare for a non-lawmaker to take a senior government post, and it has been decades since a former prime minister held a Cabinet job.

The government said Cameron had been appointed to Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords.

Iranian-backed Militants Launch More Attacks on US Forces in Syria, Iraq

Iranian-backed militants have attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria at least four times in the past 24 hours, raising the number of attacks to 52 in less than a month, US defence officials tell VOA. “These attacks must stop, and if they don’t stop, then we won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary, again, to protect the troops,” Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at a news conference in Seoul on Monday.

The four attacks occurred after US forces carried out strikes against two Iran-linked sites in Syria late Sunday in response to attacks on American personnel. The strikes hit a training facility near Abu Kamal and a safe house near Mayadin, according to the military.

It was the third round of US strikes against targets associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in as many weeks. US fighter jets targeted a weapons storage site in Syria last week and hit two facilities in Syria in the early morning hours of October 27 (local Syria time) that it said were used by Iran and Iranian proxy forces.

In the latest attack against US forces on Monday, multiple one-way drones were launched at Rumalyn Landing Zone in Syria.

China Holds Naval Drills With Pakistan in Arabian Sea

Pakistan is hosting a weeklong naval exercise with China in the Arabian Sea that officials said Monday would further enhance their “joint operational capabilities in dealing with maritime security threats and safeguarding peace.”

The two neighbouring countries began the drills Saturday at a naval base in Karachi in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea and will conclude them on November 17.

China’s defence ministry said Monday the two navies would also conduct joint anti-submarine warfare, noting that “China and Pakistan will conduct their first joint maritime patrol.”

The ministry said several warships and submarines, including the guided-missile destroyer Zibo, guided-missile frigates Jingzhou and Linyi, and a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Marine Corps unit, are participating in the Sea Guardian-3 exercise.

The Pakistan Navy said after the opening ceremony that participants would jointly conduct “advanced level drills and naval manoeuvres” during the exercise.

“The aim… is to share professional experiences on contemporary traditional and non-traditional threats in (the) Indian Ocean region as well as to enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability between the two navies,” the statement said.

Chinese state media quoted Liang Yang, commander at a PLA Navy base and the general director of the exercise, telling

Largest Muslim Majority Country Appeals to Biden to Stop Atrocities in Gaza

Saturday’s opening ceremony that it aims to enhance “the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and boosting defence cooperation” with Pakistan.

EU Condemns Hamas for Using Civilians at Gaza Hospitals as Human

Shields The European Union has jointly condemned Hamas for using hospitals and civilians as “human shields” in the Israel-Hamas war, while EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell urged Israel “for maximum restraint in targeting in order to avoid human casualties.”

In a show of unity, all 27 members of the bloc issued a statement that “the EU condemns the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas.”

At a meeting of the bloc’s foreign affairs ministers, Borrell presented the statement he issued after weeks of often contrasting statements on how the group should address the Israel-Hamas war.

“You know how difficult it has been the last times, after the vote in the United Nations, where countries were voted in different ways, to present a completely united approach,” Borrell said.

Only hours after EU leaders professed unity over the Israel-Hamas war on October 28, the member states were split in a vote on a General Assembly resolution calling for humanitarian truces in Gaza, leading to a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

Now, the EU nations joined in “calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that humanitarian aid can safely reach the population of Gaza.”

Thousands of Palestinians Fleeing Last Northern Gaza Shelters

Thousands of Palestinians fled Monday from some of the last shelters in northern Gaza even as Israel’s war against Hamas militants left the territory’s largest hospital all but inoperable.

World Health Organisation DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Shifa medical centre in Gaza “is not functioning as a hospital anymore,” and the situation at Gaza’s largest hospital is “dire and perilous.”

The WHO chief said, “The constant gunfire and bombings” around the hospital have “exacerbated the already critical circumstances.”

Al-Quds, another Gaza hospital, shut down Sunday because it ran out of fuel.

The Palestinian Red Crescent, which operates the facility, said preparations are being made for Israeli forces to evacuate about 6,000 patients, medics

and displaced people.

Doctors running low on supplies at Shifa are reported to be performing surgery there on war-wounded patients, including children, without anaesthesia.

One medic shared a photo showing nine premature babies in a shared crib.

Israel claims that Hamas, a USdesignated terror group, is shielding itself among civilians at the hospital and has a command centre in and beneath the medical compound.

Ethiopia’s Oromo Rebels in Tanzania for Peace Talks

Rebels from Ethiopia’s Oromiya region said Monday they were in Tanzania for a second round of talks with the Ethiopian government to try to end decades of fighting.

The negotiations come more than six months after a first round of discussions between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Ethiopia’s government ended without an agreement.

The conflict in recent years has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands in Ethiopia’s most populous region.

“We remain committed to finding a peaceful political settlement,” the OLA said in its statement.

The OLA said it had delayed announcing the negotiations to make sure its team could get safely from what it called the front lines in Oromiya to the venue.

An official close to the mediators, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the talks started last week in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and is being facilitated by the regional Africa group IGAD. Ethiopia’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The OLA is an outlawed splinter group of the Oromo Liberation Front, a formerly banned opposition party that returned from exile after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed — himself an Oromo — took office in 2018.

Oromiya, which surrounds Addis Ababa, the capital, is home to Ethiopia’s largest ethnic Oromo group and more than a third of the country’s 110 million people.

Rescuers Dig to Reach 40 Workers Trapped in India Tunnel

On Monday, rescuers were digging through dirt and parts of a collapsed road tunnel to reach 40 workers trapped by a landslide at a construction project in northern India.

All of the construction workers are safe, police officer Prashant Kumar said, adding that they have been supplied with oxygen and water. He said the rescuers

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the largest Muslim majority country, appealed to US President Joe Biden to do more to stop atrocities against Palestinian civilians in Gaza while meeting Monday at the White House. Widodo is in Washington to elevate diplomatic ties to the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the highest in the country’s diplomatic rankings.

Indonesia wishes the partnership will “contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity,” Widodo said in remarks ahead of his meeting with Biden in the Oval Office.

“So, Indonesia appeals to the U.S. to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza,” he said. “Ceasefire is a must for the sake of humanity.”

It’s a softer tone compared to the statement Widodo made to the press virtually from Washington Sunday evening, where he declared, “Israel must take responsibility for the atrocities it has committed.”

Biden named a list of common interests, including maritime security cooperation, building a resilient supply chain, and clean energy transition to combat the climate crisis. He did not mention the war in Gaza.

The leaders are far apart on their views of the conflict, with Biden’s unwavering support of Israel and Widodo demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and supporting a United Nations commission that has been collecting evidence of war crimes allegedly committed by both sides since the October 7 attack

by Hamas.

Nepal Bans TikTok, Says It Disrupts Social Harmony

Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok, saying Monday it was disrupting “social harmony” in the country.

The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately.

“The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials,” Saud said.

He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations.

It wasn’t clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal’s requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in several countries because of concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest user data or advance its interests. Countries including the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned the app on government phones despite TikTok repeatedly denying that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked. Nepal has banned all pornographic sites in 2018. ...

19

THI S DAY • Tuesday, November 14, 2023

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

N o V e m b er

S & P INDEX

1 3 , 2 0 2 3

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

19.12%

INDEX LEVEL

611.31%

1/4 to daTE

-0.07%

N795.28/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

16.25%

1-DAY

0.03%

YEAR TO DATE

0.48%

*AS AT Monday, July 24, 2023

3-MONTH

15.75%

MONTH-TO-DATE

-0.7%

Nigeria Raises Oil Output by 1.47m Barrels, Still 25% Short of Meeting OPEC Quota

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria raised its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC oil production quota by 1.47 million barrels in the whole of October, but still came short of the cartel’s expectation by a whopping 12.1 million barrels during the month.

A THISDAY analysis of the crude output data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), indicated that despite the marginal increase, the

country was still under-producing OPEC’s 1.742 million bpd by more than 25 per cent.

In all, during the month of October, the total volume of crude oil produced by Nigeria was 41,867,775 barrels as against 40,396, 863 drilled in the preceding month of September.

At the given OPEC production figure, Nigeria should have drilled over 52 million barrels per day to meet the expectation of the 13-member oil producers’ group.

The Nigerian authorities have at various times shifted the deadline for meeting the OPEC quota of 1.742 million barrels per day, which had earlier been slashed from over 1.8 million bpd following the country’s inability to ramp up production.

OPEC has recently further reduced the quota for next year to 1.38 million bpd, raising concerns over the country’s ability to fund its budget for 2024.

Among other government decision makers in the sector

that have given assurances, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Gabriel Aduda, had in July this year in Vienna, Austria, said that by November 2023, Nigeria would be producing up to 1.7 million barrels per day of crude oil.

However, a review of the latest NUPRC data for the month showed that Nigeria produced 1.35 million bpd in October, recording a deficit of up to 392,000 bpd during the month under consideration.

Also, the Minister of State, Petroleum (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, in October stated that Nigeria’s target was to produce as much as 2 million bpd by the end of 2023. It’s unclear how the government intends to achieve the target, especially with the slow rate of recovery in production.

Earlier in the year, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, maintained that Nigeria could hit

2.2 million bpd in 2023, without OPEC restriction.

But Nigeria is continuing to undershoot its target, the NUPRC data showed, even though October’s production figure remained the highest since at least since January 2022. It grew from about 1.34 million bpd in September, the information indicated, to 1.35 million bpd in the month under review.

NOTE: The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

DFIs Unveil $3bn Investment to Bridge Africa’s Agric Value Addition Finance Gaps Gilbert Ekugbe The African Development Bank (AfDB), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), private sector and development-oriented technical partners have unveiled $3 billion investment facility in their bid to bridge critical financing gaps and enhance agricultural value addition in Africa.

According to the founding members of a new private-sector

focused Alliance for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), the move would transform Africa’s underdeveloped rural areas into agro-industrial corridors of prosperity and help to streamline the development and delivery of SAPZ projects.

The alliance was launched at the 2023 Africa Investment Forum Market Days in Marrakech, Morocco.

The new commitments

consisted of $1.1 billion by the AfDB; $1 billion by Afreximbank; $300 million by the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) and $600 million from Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) and its partners.

The President of the AfDB, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, said that the alliance would raise funds through various investment windows for project preparation, project development and construction,

Food

and financing for tenant companies.

“The beauty of this alliance is that it brings together a lot of different, diverse players — is just a start and others will join us,” said AfDB’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford.

The AfDB boss stated that the SAPZ stimulate structural transformation in agriculture by connecting rural and urban development through the zone’s

Commodities

name of commodity

Size

State

Price

name of commodity

Rice

100kg

Abuja

N35,000 – N45,000

Sorghum

50kg

oyo

50kg

Plateau (Jos)

Price

ecosystem, stressing that these zones integrate smallholder farmers into value chains through logistics and infrastructure, linking them to agro-industrial processors and consumer markets.

On his part, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, welcomed the emergence of the alliance and suggested that to attract the private sector, the creation of continental regulatory bodies that

countries could respect should be considered. “Projects of this nature are very visible,” he explained.

The members of the alliance said that meeting this financing goal would deliver an additional 15 to 20 SAPZ projects in various countries across the continent and improve administrative, policy and investment incentives.

NOTE: The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

T o d ay

State

Price

name of commodity

Size

State

Price

100kg JIGAWA

N30,000

B EAN S

N35,000 – N45,000

Benue

N32,000

Maidu guri

N22,000 – N30,000

100kg

50kg bag

N32,500 – N42,000

100kg

Kaduna

N32,000

100kg Lagos

N36,000

50kg

kwara N24,000–N27,000

50kg

Enugu

N24,000

100kg

Kano

N35,000

50kg

Lagos

N35,000 – N45,000

50kg

Lagos

N26,000

50kg

rivers N36,500 – N46,500

Delta

N36,000

Delta

N35,000

100kg

100kg

50kg

sokoto

N60,000 – N70,000

100kg

Abia

N36,000

100kg

Abia

N35,700

Size

20

Tuesday, November 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

News

L–R: Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo; Chairman, Alaghodaro Economic Summit Limited/Gte and Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Dr. Asue Ighodalo; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano De Leo, and Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., at the 2023 Alaghodaro Investment Summit held as part of the celebration of the 7th year anniversary of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration, in Benin City… recently

‘With over 140% Economic Growth in 7-years, Edo Set to Become First World Economy’ Gilbert Ekwugbe TThe Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Chairman of

the Board of Trustees, Alaghodaro Economic Summit Limited/Gte, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the

Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and other guests at the 2023 Alaghodaro Investment Summit have posited that Edo State has the potential to

become a first world economy on account of its growth trajectory in the past seven years.

They noted that on the back of

Nigeria’s Gas Infrastructure Fund Shrouded in Secrecy Amid Low Appetite by Players Peter Uzoho

More than a year after Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) was established, the status of the fund as per the amount accumulated so far has been shrouded in secrecy due to non-disclosure by the custodian and manager of the fund, THISDAY can authoritatively report.

Also, the level of access to the fund or disbursement for projects are still not made open for public awareness and scrutiny. The situation has started generating concerns from operators and players in the Nigerian oil and gas downstream sector who are supposed to draw from the fund.

In line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which

provided for the establishment of the MDGIF, the federal government had in August 2022 floated its governing council, which signalled the commencement of the fund.

The initiative was expected to help bridge the huge infrastructure deficit which has been a major hindrance towards gas distribution and utilisation in the country, especially in the wake of the ‘Decade of Gas’

and energy transition policies of the nation.

The MDGIF was to be generated from a pool of a certain 0.5 per cent or so, paid by each of the oil marketing companies on every litre of petroleum products imported into the country either through private finance initiative (PFI) or through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

FG Unveils Initiative to Drive Agric Extension Services in Nigeria Gilbert Ekugbe The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has unveiled the Harmonised Extension Manual and National Extension Policy that would provide pragmatic, effective, efficient demand driven and market oriented extension services to all stakeholders in agricultural sector.

The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, stated that the move would eradicate poverty, foster Nigeria’s attainment of food and nutrition security, economic growth, inclusivity, as well as diversification of the economy from over reliance on hydrocarbon resources.

Speaking at the opening of the 6th Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week (AAEW), with the theme, “Harnessing Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services in scaling regenerative Agriculture and Nature-based Solutions for Food System Transformation in Africa,” Tinubu pointed out that agricultural extension would play a critical role in bringing about relevant and improved technologies developed by National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs), inputs suppliers and marketers to farmers, as well as to strengthen

agricultural extension delivery services in Nigeria.

The president, who was represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and

Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, noted that the ministry has put together the first ever Harmonized Extension Manual in Nigeria and National

Palm oiL

the past seven years, Edo State has grown 140 percent from an economy of $10.6 billion to $25.8bn today, while Nigeria’s economy grew at 4 per cent. Edo State can become a first world economy regardless of the challenges of Nigeria. The new investments attracted from new investors is put at $4 billion sourced from Nigeria and from joint partnerships as the State has the capacity and will.”

On his part, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said Edo State has comparative advantage over every other State in the area of agriculture and agro-processing as well as culture and tourism, noting that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration has repositioned the State, leveraging its comparative advantage to drive growth and development across all sectors.

Aliko, who was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Alaghodaro Investment Summit, commended the governor for his government’s business-friendly reforms that have continued to spur the influx of investors into the State.

NNPC Foundation Targets 200,000 Corps OCP Africa Signs Five Members for Financial Literacy Training IITA, Year Agreement to Combat Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Foundation has unveiled a programme with its partner, Kudimata Nigeria Limited, a financial education outfit, for the

training of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on basic financial literacy skills.

The training, a statement from the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the organisation, Femi Soneye, said, aligned with the objectives of the Skills Acquisition

and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) scheme of the NYSC. “So far over 118,000 youth corps members have been trained in financial literacy, while about 70,000 are being trained across the 37 NYSC orientation camps in the country,” the statement added.

Wabote: Bad Corporate Governance Biggest Drawback for Indigenous Oil Coys Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, has identified the lack of good corporate governance as a major impediment to the growth of indigenous oil and gas companies in Nigeria.

Wabote spoke when the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), Mr. Ado Oseragbaje, and other key officials of the firm visited him at the board’s liaison office in Abuja.

A statement by the organisation quoted the executive secretary as therefore advising local oil firms to

Food name of commodity

Agricultural Extension Policy to effectively disseminate and deploy agricultural innovations/ technologies to end-users using appropriate extension methods.

nuanced reforms by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration over the period to attract investments and grow the State’s economy, the State has witnessed an economic boom of over 140 percent from $10.6bn to $25.8bn.

Ighodalo, who is also the Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, in his address at the summit, disclosed that the investments attracted through the Alaghodaro Summit alone in the past seven years is put at $4 billion, noting that the State can drag Nigeria out of its untapped potential, re-directing the nation to a point of development.

The Alaghodaro Summit is organised annually by the Edo State Government, in partnership with the private sector, to mark the anniversary of Governor Godwin Obaseki in office and showcase the progress being recorded in transforming the State into an investment haven.

This year’s summit has the theme, “The Edo Story: Creating Shared Opportunities into the Future.”

According to Ighodalo, “Over

adopt strict corporate governance guidelines in their operations if they want their firms to grow sustainably.

The companies were equally encouraged to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and to consult regularly with the NCDMB.

C o m m o diti e s

State

Price

name of commodity

Size

Location

Price

100KG Kano

N20,500

ONIONS

100kg

Ibadan

N60,000

MAIZE

100kg

Oyo

N10,000

N24,000 – N35,000

100KG Benue

N27,000

100kg KANO

N30,000

100kg Enugu

N16,500

25cl Ibadan N22,000 — N35,000

100KG Lagos

N32,000

100kg BENUE

N65,000

100kg delta

N14,000

100kg Plateau

N45,000

100kg

Abia

N11,000

100kg DELTA

N50,000

50kg

Lagos

N9,000

25cl Lagos N20,000-N35000 25cl

PH

Groundnut

T o day

Size

Price

State

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has signed a five year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OCP Africa to deliver improved farm productivity from soil health and fertility to combat malnutrition, poverty, and hunger in Africa.

According to a statement obtained from its website, the move would contribute to the sustainable development of African agriculture.

The IITA said: “We are working with OCP Africa, a multicultural African company, working handin-hand with farmers and partners

across the continent, sharing a common goal to boost nutrition and food security in Africa.

“OCP Africa develops fertilizer solutions customised to local conditions and crop needs. They work with governments, public and private enterprises, and other partners to connect farmers to knowledge, resources, fertilizers, and other agricultural services.”

It stated that the partnership would develop digital soil health and fertility maps, build unified databases for best soil health and fertility agronomic practices, carry out extensive site-specific soil health research, and provide improved productivity and fertility solutions based on soil, climate, and cropping systems.

Price

State

Size

P r ic e

Gilbert Ekugbe

name of commodity

Size

name of commodity

Malnutrition, Poverty in Africa

25cl

IMO

N24,000 – N36,500

100KG Delta

N34,000

25cl

Edo

N20,000 – N35,000

100KG

Abia

N27,000

100kg LAGOS

N60,000

100kg Kano

N9,400

100KG Enugu

N23 000

100kg ENUGU

N45,000

50kg

N6,000

25cl Abuja N25,500 – N35,000

Benue

21

T H I S D AY • Tuesday, November 14, 2023

BUSINESSWORLD

Interview

Irukera: FCCPC Fully Self-funded, Delivering 40% Generated Revenue to FG The Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera in this interview with Onyebuchi Ezigbo said that apart of its mandate to promote market competition, protect consumers and secure remedies when consumer rights are violated, the commission is advocating for the patient’s bill of rights. Irukera also spoke on varied issues and ongoing transformation in the commission How would you compare the former CPC and the FCCPC as it is now? t’s mutated and transmitted organization.

First, the CPC has quite some parts in the law, but the FCCPC is far more elaborate.

The CPC was a struggling agency that we wanted full Treasury funded and at the same time, completely underfunded.

The FCCPC is now completely autonomous, not funded by the Treasury, unable to afford the work it needs to do so that’s a very big, difference.

The agency has also moved through the years in developing capacity internally, developing its credibility externally, and its respect. I suspect out there, people knew the FCCPC more than the CPC was known and I’m pretty certain that businesses are more concerned with violating the FCCPA than they were violating the CPC as it were, because they understand that the consequence management system is far more robust and far more accountable than what CPC could do.

I

Your mandate seems to cover every sector of the economy. How are you able to do that?

We allocate our resources based on the challenges in each of the sector. We don’t have that much and that’s why we are allocating based on prioritization. We do not the deprioritize and foster any specific symptoms but when you look at what national priorities are, for instance, things that affect people that’s key, education, for instance, you’ll see us getting involved in investigations about things happening in school environment. Recently, Premier Academy took us to court in trying to prevent us from conducting an investigation.

So if people are going to entrust their children to you, you must be concerned about the quality of care. We were engaged in also doing college investigation in Lagos and the outcome of the cases in court with respect to Premier Academy, the court decided that the FCCPA not only just provide the FCCPA with power but actually mandated as a matter of duty to engage and investigate those cases. In healthcare, you would see that we’ve had a bunch of investigations; it was a premier hospital, Medical Center. Just one of the many food value chains; agricultural, lots of investigation in all kinds of other cases in the healthcare space. Beyond that, we have promoted a patient’s bill of rights and we were going from place to place in domesticating it and trying to strengthen the responsiveness and sensitivity framework of medical facilities for patients.

How has the lapses in the judicial system affected your cases?

It takes a lot of time for cases to be resolved and the amount of time it takes for judiciary outcome is excessive. But it is what it is and what we have done is to do our work the best way we know to avoid litigation but to address litigation when it does occur. Our cases are resolved quite quickly not really from the standpoint of how we will prefer them to be resolved but comparatively to other cases that are in court. So to some extent, the amount of attention focus on the intensity you dedicate to resolving cases in court are also factors in how quickly the cases resolve. Also, we provide the evidence significantly and when we are defending a case, we don’t go there to find all kinds of unnecessary preliminary objectives, we embrace the challenges and do what we can to advance the case.

Would you say you are quite satisfied with the Act itself?

I think where we started is a pretty good point.

But from day one, you can see things we would have wanted in it but beyond that, we have operated something for almost five years. You will see gaps in it anyway. You will see things and operational maturity is where the law needs to be strengthened.

Then thirdly is the evolution of society by itself.

Changing dynamics in society also necessarily requires legislation to be able to cope. For instance, digital markets. What’s happening with digital markets, post COVID learnings across the world?

We’ve discovered that there many things that we also need to include in a competition framework and legislative framework. And so I would say that we have a very good piece of legislation.

We have a very good piece of legislation but also admit that there are things that need to be taught and things need to be corrected and then there are new things that need to be added into a proposal of possible future amendment.

How do you avoid overlap functions with other sister agencies?

Irukera Absolutely! There are overlaps and those overlap, sometimes it is natural. Those overlaps are not legislative failures. They’re not regulatory failures. They are model. Everywhere in the world, you can tell what a country prioritizes by the nature of the regulatory framework and so in areas where you find overlap, you choose the most important things. And so for instance, in food, look at the United States, for instance, consumer protection authorities, you’ve got US FDA, all kinds of other people to make sure that these things are safe. And so those overlaps are not confusion or failure list. What is required is for the regulators in the space to figure out how to bring their own competencies and leverage on what their expertise is, to make sure that things are done as best as possible because we’re young, and we’ve experienced pushback from other regulators.

I’d say that in the period that I’ve been here, engaging other regulators and working with them hasn’t been as problematic as history of what it was prior to when I got here. But understandably, and this is the case globally also, that sometimes, there seems to be lack of alignment between the sector regulator, and the overall regulator like the FCCPC. We work on it on a daily basis to address these overlaps. There are strategic instruments also for instance, the FCCPAC mandates regulators to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the FCCPC. In which particular area have you recorded more success?

It depends on what you consider the colour of success. For instance, one of the things people consider failure in a manner of speaking is actually a success. The biggest criticism we have is that there are many complaints that are unresolved. But you know why?

Because people are now complaining and people are complaining because now people have confidence in the rights enforcement mechanism that exists and in any case, there is no consumer protection authority that’s going to succeed by resolving consumer complaints. And I’m going to get a pass mark on that because the better you do, the more complaints and just like you said, just look under the scope, we are everywhere. Just to take banking for instance. Think about how many banks in banking or Telecom, see how many countries, and then take food, how many carbonated soft drink companies alone, not to mention biscuits, sausages, and all of that. So there is no way you can have one composite complete regulatory authority down to a system that works for businesses to resolve the complaints themselves. In each company is the result. It is only the complaints associated with their own customers in far more manageable number and processes.

Until we either encourage or push companies into investing and dedicating resources to a stand-alone complete resolution mechanism that allows them to focus on the satisfaction of their customers, we will continue to struggle with what is really the best complaint resolution mechanism. We’re moving there. We are

engaging in that direction. Companies are becoming more sensitive to be responsive.

But we would ultimately get to a point where as a matter of regulation, most are easily accessible and responsive.

I understand you are self-funded. So, have you been able to sustain it?

What we’ve done is to do the work, you know, broadly, deeper and what we’ve also done is to completely reject levying other

consumers, so that we can develop a complete resolution portal where there is a USSD fee, the consumer space, tokens. We do not charge consumers for complaint. We also do not license companies. We don’t approve any products. We don’t want to take any monies from companies in the name of registration or licence so that we would not have any conflicts. We’ll be able to go against them and so our revenue is not really from them. The only fees we charge is merger notification fees. This is customary globally. Two companies want to merge and as a service in analyzing that, there’s a cost reflective charge to that service. That’s it. But the vast majority of the revenue comes from penalizing infractions.

And that is restating the approach that we’re going to let you do your business. But if there’s something wrong, we would engage and if it’s very grievous, we will deepen the investigation. And we would conduct a very elaborate investigation and you will be confronted with what has gone wrong. The penalty is proportion to the real conduct. So it’s really about trying to work. Sometimes, investigation cost us money, sometimes, hundreds of millions to conduct an investigation. Sometimes, many years we’ve got an investigation that has been opened for this year and a half years and is not close, but just because the investigation was opened at least two years.

So at the end of the day, when we penalize a company, almost always the companies themselves see exactly what the problem is. I think all investigations that have closed only in one instance that the company file an appeal against our final order to the tribunal to reduce our decision and even at some point we withdrew the appeal of the tribunal.

NOTE: The story continues online on

www.thisdaylive.com

22

TUESDay, NOVEMBER 14, 2023, 2023 T H I S D AY

business/MOnEYGUIDE

NNPC Settles Unions,TotalEnergies’ Rift, Production of 275,000bpd Resumes Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has announced that it brokered a peace deal between the management of Total Energies, operator of the NNPC/Total JV, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

Following the development, a statement signed by the NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr Olufemi Soneye, noted that the unions agreed to suspend the industrial action, a situation that led to the immediate restoration of 275, 000 barrels of oil per day production from the asset. THISDAY gathered that the unions had accused the

management of TotalEnergies of promoting unfair labour practices against its members.

It was further learnt that PENGASSAN, TotalEnergies branch, had stormed the premises of the oil and gas firm in Port Harcourt on Wednesday in a peaceful protest over alleged anti-labour practices. They downed tools thereafter. Also, PENGASSAN members of Fedoz staged a similar protest at the company premises in Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt over alleged disengagement of some workers without due process.

“Total has decided to continue championing anti-labour practices. Total has decided to remain on the path of unfair labour practices that are not known in any book.

“Comrades for 2023, Total budgeted our salaries and their

operations activities especially for our salaries, they budgeted naira and held it in dollars,” the leader of the protesters told newsman at the time.

Stating that the workers were entitled to collective bargaining agreement that outlines the conditions, the processes and the procedure to follow when an employer decides to do away with some employees, the workers had insisted that they will not back down until the development was reversed.

However, in a communique issued at the end of what the NNPC described as a marathon negotiation session chaired by Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC said all parties committed to resolving all the issues within an agreed framework.

L – R: Head, Public Affairs and Communications, Chivita Hollandia (CHI Limited), Zainab Obagun; Marketing Director, Toyin Nnodi; Managing Director, Eelco Weber; Category Manager, Dairy, Gloria Nwabuike; Sales Director, Bola Arotiowa and Human Resources Director, Temitope Adedayo-Ojo during the unveiling of new pack designs for Hollandia in Lagos…recently

MARKET INDICATORS

Japan Seeks Increased Trade Relations with Nigeria Gilbert Ekugbe The Japanese government has announced plans to increase the volume of trade between Nigeria and Japan, noting that there is still a lot both of grey areas both countries can explore in terms of trade.

The Managing Director and Trade Commissioner, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Takashi Oku, at the just concluded Lagos International Trade Fair acknowledged the low trade volume, maintaining that plans are ongoing to increase the volume of trade.

According to him, Nigeria and Japan have continued to enjoy smooth bilateral trade relationships, calling on the Nigerian government to address issues of foreign exchange and high inflation rate to attract more

Foreign and Direct Investments (FDIs) into the country.

“Foreign companies and Nigerian companies are struggling to get foreign currencies.

Investors need to be guaranteed easy access to forex as this would help Nigeria’s economy grow, while also encouraging foreign direct investments,” he said.

Speaking on the level of patronage it received at the fair, he said over 50,000 visitors visited its pavilion while also saying that the number of Japanese companies at this year’s fair almost doubled from 19 in 2022 to 33 in 2023.

“The turn out of Japan participants at the fair has been a gradual recovery since COVID 19 and this year, participants at this year’s fair are almost double of what we had last year and this for us is an achievement,”

he said.

“We will try to introduce more Japanese products and services to Nigerian people and we also have some companies in collaboration with Nigerian companies, so we are seeking more cooperation and partnerships with Nigerian companies. We will also be looking at investing into Nigeria’s food and machinery industry,” he averred.

Also speaking, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, said Nigeria has an enormous economy, population, natural resources, growing human resources and rich culture, adding that the international community is now paying close attention to the potential of Nigeria more than ever.

He added that trade and investment play an indispensable role to truly achieve economic growth in Nigeria.

CAC Reiterates Revenue Drive, Enhanced Operations James Emejo in Abuja The Registrar-General/Chief Executive, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr. Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, has reaffirmed his commitment to fully implement his four-point agenda to improve revenue and overall operations of the commission.

He said under his watch, priority focus would be accorded to human capital

development, institution building, staff welfare, and improving the commission’s revenue.

Speaking during an interactive session with staff during a working visit to the CAC Kano office, Magaji also stressed the need for company owners to ensure adequate filing of annual returns with the commission to avoid being sanctioned.

He said hardworking officers would not only be commended

but also handsomely rewarded.

In a statement, he, therefore, called on the staff to join him in building a stronger commission in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The registrar general also inspected the new office project in Kano. He was conducted round by the site engineer alongside the commission’s Head, General Services Department, Ado Ali Birninkudu.

Chivita Hollandia Unveils New Hollandia Pack Designs Chivita Hollandia (CHI Limited), one of the top ten Fast Moving Consumer Goods Players in Nigeria recently unveiled new pack designs for its Hollandia range of Products.

The new pack designs reflect the premium image and high quality of the Hollandia brand, which offers a range of ValueAdded Dairy Products across multiple segments – Evaporated Milk, Drinking Yoghurt, UHT Milk and Lactose Free Milk.

The company also launched a new flavour into its Hollandia Yoghurt portfolio, Vanilla.

The new Hollandia pack design features the new Hollandia logo, which is enclosed in a seal signifying the stamp of high quality that the Hollandia

brand is very well known for.

The new pack also displays the company’s new heritage as “A Product of the Coca-Cola Family” since the full acquisition of Chivita Hollandia (CHI Limited) by The Coca-Cola Company in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested over $125 million to further upgrade the quality and sustainability of its facilities.

Managing Director, Chivita Hollandia (CHI Limited), Mr. Eelco Weber remarked, “We are currently the largest beverage carton packaging manufacturing site in Sub-Saharan Africa. Next month we will install Lines 49 and 50. We have more than 4,500 employees responsible for making sure that only the best products reach our consumers daily. As

we head towards producing two billion packs yearly, we remain committed to ensuring that our consumers receive nothing but the best.”

Speaking on the new Hollandia pack design, Marketing Director, Chivita Hollandia (CHI Limited), Mrs. Toyin Nnodi, highlighted the newly introduced Dairy Power stamp on the packaging. She stated that, “The new design reinforces the brand’s promise to provide dairy power to its consumers. The stamp validates that Hollandia products contain the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from dairy, which gives consumers the Dairy Power they need to stay ahead in their daily activities.”

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) August, 2023

Money Supply (M3)

65,445,154.2

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

552,553.58

Money Supply (M2)

64,892,600.61

-- Quasi Money

40,870,301.28

-- Narrow Money (M1)

24,022,299.33

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,295,309.10

---- Demand Deposits

21,726,990.23

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,144,158.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

58,300,995.27

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

87,273,966.81

---- Credit to Government (Net)

32,511,333.17

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

54,762,633.63

--Other Assets Net

13,347,376.27

Reserve Money (Base Money

19,429,603.25

--Currency in Circulation

2,660,138.92

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

16,769,464.34 428,519.21

• Source - CBN

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

August 2023

Inter-Bank Call Rate

3.89

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

18.75

Treasury Bill Rate

5.13

Savings Deposit Rate

5.26

1 Month Deposit Rate

7.31

3 Months Deposit Rate

7.55

6 Months Deposit Rate

8.30

12 Months Deposit Rate

8.13

Prime Lending rate

13.99

Maximum Lending Rate

27.59

• Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE As At 29th September , 2023

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $97.48 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $97.08 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

T H I S D AY •TUESday, NOVEMBER 14, 2023

23

mARKET NEWS

Shareholders Commend Sterling HoldCo Mgt’s Performance, Leadership Amid Transition KayodeTokede Shareholders of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc have commended the board and management of the company for its performance in its operations and earnings, and the diversification of the group’s business lines since completing the transition to a holding company structure.

This commendation was shared at the recently held statutory meeting in Lagos. The hybrid statutory

meeting, which was held with online and physical attendance, saw the unanimous passing of the singular motion of the day; the adoption of the statutory report for the meeting, presented by the shareholders of the holding company. Addressing the shareholders of the company, Chairman of the board, Yemi Adeola, thanked the company’s shareholders for their support during the journey to the successful transition to a financial holding company, highlighting the

P R I C E S MaiN Board

F O R DEALS

launch of The Alternative Bank; Sterling HoldCo’s ethical banking subsidiary, in increasing shareholder value. Also in attendance at the meeting, Group CEO of Sterling Financial Holdings Company, Yemi Odubiyi, addressed the opportunities the transformation presents with the potential diversification into other business lines along with the commercial and ethical banking licenses operated by the company.

During the meeting, President of Association for the Advancement of

S E C U R I T I E S Market Price

quantity traded

the Rights of Shareholders (AARNS), Dr. Faruk Umar commended the company for its transition into a Holdco structure. He added that the change would enable Sterling to diversify its operations into other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

He praised the group for the successful launch of The Alternative Bank (TAB) in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, highlighting the potential profitability of the initiative as well as an appreciation of the board and management of the group for the

T R A D E D

value traded ( N )

A S O F

MaiN Board

appointment of Yemi Adeola as board chairman. He also noted Adeola’s significant contributions to the growth and development of Sterling Bank during his tenure as CEO, expressing confidence in the group’s continued growth trajectory under his leadership.

Umar also commended the Company Secretary, Mrs. Temitayo Adegoke, and the Chairman of the Statutory Audit Committee, Alhaji Mustapha Jinadu, for effectively communicating with shareholders

about developments in the group during the transition from inception till completion.

He concluded by expressing the shareholders’ contentment with the board’s composition, and expressed hope that they would receive support in advancing the institution, pointing out that the transition has already yielded positive results with a rise in the HoldCo’s share prices on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

N OV E M B E R / 1 3 DEALS

Market Price

/ 2 3 quantity traded

value traded ( N)

24

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 10Nov-2023, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 285.62 289.36 51.52% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 9.33% Nigeria International Debt Fund 341.87 341.87 13.93% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 109.33 109.33 5.64% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AIICO Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 0.02% Anchoria Equity Fund 181.65 184.00 25.32% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.23 1.23 0.02% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com info@anchoriaam.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 29.32 30.20 33.59% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 644.84 664.29 23.72% ARM Ethical Fund 53.35 54.95 18.25% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.17 1.17 3.63% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.15 1.15 3.65% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.19% ARM Short Term Bond Fund 1.06 1.06 2.04% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 99.79 99.79 9.85% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,120.58 1,120.58 4.64% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/A N/A N/A CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.00% Paramount Equity Fund 23.91 24.39 42.10% Women's Investment Fund 187.89 190.74 41.01% CHD Nigeria Bond Fund 101.03 101.03 12.45% CHD Nigeria Dollar Income Fund 1.03 1.03 11.08% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.66% Cordros Milestone Fund 159.84 160.90 24.52% Cordros Fixed Income Fund 106.06 106.06 10.07% Cordros Halal Fixed Income Fund 108.31 108.31 11.41% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 113.51 113.51 6.18% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 1.00 9.61% Coronation Money Market Fund 1.44 1.45 26.10% Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.08% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.09 1.09 9.80% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.25 1.25 26.12% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 106.50 106.50 5.66% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1,523.15 1,523.15 11.54% FBN Balanced Fund 255.40 257.57 38.59% FBN Halal Fund 131.41 131.41 12.90% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.37% FBN Dollar Fund 122.72 122.72 7.49% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 230.82 233.75 52.97% FBN Specialized Dollar Fund 110.34 110.34 9.47% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.03% Legacy Debt Fund 3.55 3.55 -0.56% Legacy Equity Fund 2.62 2.67 30.96% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.32 1.32 4.51% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Balanced Fund 5,366.97 5,407.26 32.02% Coral Income Fund 3,952.29 3,952.29 7.52% Coral Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.16% FSDH Dollar Fund 1.19 1.19 0.00%

GUARANTY TRUST FUND MANAGERS LIMITED enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.gtcoplc.bank; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Guaranty Trust Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Guaranty Trust Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Guaranty Trust Equity Income Fund (VEIF) N/A N/A N/A Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End N/A N/A N/A LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.76 1.79 14.56% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,195.92 1,195.92 9.32% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: www.meristemwealth.com/funds/; Tel: +2348028496012 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 16.81 16.95 44.02% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.58% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 103.01 103.01 11.86% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 11.58% Norrenberger Dollar Fund (NDF) ($) 102.55 102.55 11.19% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 2.14 2.17 35.49% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.92 12.11 7.38% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.73% PACAM Equity Fund 2.17 2.19 52.63% PACAM EuroBond Fund 128.50 131.43 15.29% SCM CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital The Frontier Fund 147.47 152.08 17.31% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.10 10.04% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 4,688.08 4,725.58 38.29% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 255.23 255.23 8.35% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.93 1.96 54.37% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 348.92 349.05 11.45% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 365.93 370.31 56.66% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.05% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 17,295.32 17,509.25 58.43% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.45 1.45 12.26% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 127.18 127.18 8.78% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 124.44 124.44 16.98% Stanbic IBTC Absolute Fund 4,943.59 4,943.59 16.21% Stanbic IBTC Aggressive Fund 5,047.96 5,110.76 81.56% Stanbic IBTC Conservative Fund 5,146.35 5,160.53 35.11% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 1.26 1.27 37.84% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.74 1.75 34.26% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.35 1.36 25.31% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.16 1.16 11.05% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.93 1.93 6.83% United Capital Eurobond Fund 123.41 123.41 5.58% United Capital Global Fixed Income Fund 1.07 1.07 8.32% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.87% Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 18.03 18.24 30.16% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 21.54 21.77 36.34% Zenith Income Fund 25.18 25.18 6.89% Zenith Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 7.20 7.30 78.54% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund 11.45 11.55 95.15% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund 25.44 25.64 43.62% Vetiva Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.12% Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund 28.38 28.58 41.81% Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund 147.83 149.83 -6.26%

REITS

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

127.59 55.79 101.33 9.88

12.12% 5.22% -13.49%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

20.05 436.00 528.00 22.06 30.62

22.16 436.00 528.00 22.16 30.72

35.97% 238.72% 423.55% 51.23% 83.01%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.40

0.00%

Fund Name

SFS REIT Union Homes REIT Nigeria Real Estate Investment Trust UPDC REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

I N F R AST R U CT U R E F U N D

Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

25

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023

NEWS

on the sidelines of ongoing third Intra-African Trade Fair...

L-R: Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; President & Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Dr. Benedict Okey Oramah and President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, at the sidelines of the ongoing third Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Cairo, Egypt.

Herbert Wigwe Invests $500m in New University in Nigeria

Access Holdings’ chief to lure Dangote, others to mentor students University targets to enroll 10,000 students in five years

The Group Managing Director of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, is channeling a $500 million investment into a new university strategically focused on cultivating skills essential for the finance and technology sectors in Nigeria.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Wigwe, revealed that the Wigwe University was set to commence admitting students for undergraduate programs in the coming year.

The curriculum would include disciplines such as management, science, engineering, information technology, and creative arts.

To realise its ambitions, the institution anticipates requiring up to $500 million for scaling within a five-year timeframe.

Wigwe, 57, emphasised the university’s hybrid nature, underscoring the role of technology in attaining educational standards on par with prestigious institutions in the US and UK. He dismissed the notion of requiring centuries or vast financial resources, drawing parallels with India’s successful production of developers through a singular facility.

Nigeria grapples with a severe

skills crisis, as reported by the United Nations Children’s Fund, with one in five out-of-school children globally residing in the nation.

Additionally, a mere 11.8 per cent of Nigeria’s working-age population earns a wage. The country allocated a staggering 96 per cent of its revenue to debt servicing last year, leaving limited funds for education.

The funding gap in education had piqued investor interest, resulting in the establishment of 147 private universities since 1999, outnumbering state-run institutions. However, despite this surge, affluent Nigerians

continue to send their children abroad for higher education, with over 44,000 residents studying in UK universities in 2022.

Wigwe, recognising this trend, plans to recruit 30 per cent of the teaching staff from the UK and the US. Despite the contrasting economic landscapes, tuition fees at Wigwe University are projected at approximately $12,500, along with N3.5 million naira ($4,171) annually.

This stands in stark contrast to the public universities charging about $500. Wigwe himself would play an

Fuel Subsidy Removal: Obaseki Extends Free Bus Service by Three Months

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the extension of the free bus scheme implemented by the state government for three months.

The free transport scheme was introduced on September 11, 2023, for an initial two-month period to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government on the people of the State.

Over 1.5 million residents benefitted from the first phase of the scheme which covers all intra and intercity routes operated by the State-owned Edo City Transport Services (ECTS).

While the intercity routes include Auchi – Igarra – Ibillo–Ososo; Uzebba–Ikhin – Otuo, and AbuduUbiaja, Abudu-Urhonigbe and

Ewohimi to Ewatto, the intra-city routes are Ramat–Kingsquare; New Benin–Kingsquare; Kingsquare – Ekenwan Road; Kingsquare–Airport Road; Kingsquare–Sapele Road and Kingsquare – Adesuwa, Kingsquare– Ogida; New Benin – Upper Mission; Kingsquare–Ugbowo; Kingsquare– Agbor Road; Kingsquare–Upper Sokponba; New Benin – Ugbowo and New Benin–Aduwawa.

In a statement, the Managing Director of Edo State Transport Authority (ESTA), Mrs. Edugie Agbonlahor, said the extension was in furtherance of the government’s commitment to the welfare of Edo people, noting that the free bus scheme would now run till February 2024.

She said, “In a continued effort to cushion the impact of the federal government's fuel subsidy removal on the people of Edo State, His Excellency, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has graciously approved the extension of the free bus service by three months.

“With the extension, the free transport scheme will now end in February 2024, ensuring sustained support for the Edo residents amid the economic realities occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.”

According to her, “The State government is pleased with the success and positive feedback garnered during the two-month initial period for the scheme which 1,536,904 residents benefitted from,

including 33,480 commuters from the inter-city routed and 1,503,424 from the intra-city routes.”

She noted that the extension would benefit persons embarking on travels to their home town during the yuletide season, noting that the gesture was intended to ease pressure on transportation costs for residents in the State.

She added: “The extended three-month period will further ease the mobility concerns of Edo State residents and enhance their overall welfare, in line with the government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of the people.”

active role in teaching and mentoring, engaging prominent entrepreneurs like billionaire Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man.

The university aims to enroll 1,400 students in its inaugural year, with a projected increase to 10,000 within the next five years.

Wigwe, reflecting from his office in the Access Bank headquarters, emphasised the transformative impact of education, asserting that it goes beyond financial considerations, influencing individuals and nations alike.

Wigwe University is the culmination of the foremost banker’s lifelong ambition to build an exceptional, world-class, innovative, yet uniquely African institution to grow the next generation of leaders who will change the face of the African continent.

“It is the African gateway to the world of entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, and impact.

Herbert Wigwe’s mission, through Wigwe University, is to change the course of Nigeria’s future through committed and world-class faculty and globally relevant and locally impactful curricula taught through novel methods to rival the globe’s most respected universities.

Wigwe wrote on the University’s website: “I cannot change the world overnight. But if I can empower even one youth today, tomorrow, they could join me in empowering others. With time, we could change the world. The truth is that the end to the good we can achieve is nowhere in sight. There’s so much more to conquer. There are more lives to

impact and generations to uplift to achieve their full potential. History will favour the brave, those who knew their limitations only because they had to defy them. History will favour the fearless.”

On June 9, 2023, the National Universities Commission approved and issued an operational licence to Wigwe University in Isiokpo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Wigwe University stated that it embodies Nigeria’s resilience, fearless culture, values, and entrepreneurial spirit. The university believes that the world and Africa mostly especially, is in need of problem solvers, torchbearers and game-changers who would form part of its community of learning to create sustainable solutions for the world.

They would have the most conducive environment to do this and to attain their highest potential.

“We are the African spirit of strength in numbers, teamwork, and collaboration. We symbolise and express the irrepressible human spirit of design thinking. We strive for sustainability and a shared prosperous future for all,” it added.

Wigwe University’s vision is, “to ignite Africa’s potential for prosperity, nurture thoughtful, fearless leaders, and become the leading university in Africa,” with a mission “to set a new standard of educational distinction for our continent, students and educators, and nurture the next generation of African leaders as guiding lights for positive impact in a rapidly changing world.”

UBA Secures $150million Trade Group Raises Awareness on Breast Cancer Finance Facility from Afreximbank Dike Onwuamaeze

Funding to cushion effect of Ukraine war on customers

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has received a trade finance facility worth $150 million from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

The facility forms part of Afreximbank’s Ukraine Crisis Adjustment Trade Financing Programme for Africa (AKAFPA).

A statement which revealed this yesterday, stated that the signing ceremony for the trade finance was concluded by both institutions, on the sidelines of the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair, organised by Afreximbank in Cairo.

The terms of the agreement states that the facility would be utilised to finance trade and trade-related transactions in support of UBA’s Clients.

In addition, the facility would aid increased financing of trade businesses in various sectors of the Nigerian economy thereby mitigating the adverse effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Executive VicePresident of Afreximbank, Denys Denya, said “The funding is driven by an increased demand for trade finance support to UBA’s clients

which will enhance confidence in the settlement of international trade transactions for strategic imports.

“This is pivotal to Afreximbank’s mandate for supporting SMEs particularly those in the manufacturing sector to be able to increase production thereby supporting economic growth and development in Nigeria.”

UBA's Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba said, “This facility will further boost our quest to deepen intra-Africa trade which has been severely constrained by the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Women have been advised to know their breast so well such that whenever anything goes wrong they would quickly deal with it.

The advice was given by medical personnel of the Health Kinect Limited, Dr. Olaide Omotosho-Ikuru, during the recent Lagos Women Fitness Fair, which was organised by the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN).

Omotosho-Ikuru, told women, both young and old, to know their, “breasts so well so that if anything is wrong you quickly go out and deal with it because cancer does not happen overnight. It happens over a long time.

“Know your breast to the extent that when something is wrong you can say ‘this is not my breast.”

She advised women to be, “looking up on the texture on the skin of the breast to notice some changes on the skin like those little dots we see on oranges sometimes.

You will be checking the nipples and the armpit for lumps.

“The most important thing is that no woman should leave a lump in her breast. Breast cancer has nothing to do with age, so even children should be watchful about lumps in the breasts.

“We used to say check your breast when your period is over, which is once a month. But you do not need to wait for that long because anything can happen in between the periods. Early detection saves life and that is what we preach because prevention is better than cure.”

In his welcome remarks, the

Chief Executive Officer of Curves Nigeria, Mr. Emma Esinnah, harped on the need for vigorous physical activities because experts agreed that unfit and obese people risk many illnesses, including cancers, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis etc., adding that “breast cancer is essentially a female illness which can be controlled through appropriate lifestyle.

Esinnah, explained that the objectives of the fair was, to “sensitise women on the benefits of fitness in fighting common illness and to encourage women to make necessary lifestyle changes for their health and happiness.”

According to the United States of America Commercial Counselor to Nigeria, Ms. Julie LeBlanc, breast cancer is an important health because it “touches all of our lives.”

26

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

Marking Birthday of King Charles III...

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Montgomery (right), welcoming the Publisher of The Abuja INQUIRER Newspaper, Dan Akpovwa, to his residence, during a celebrations to mark the Birthday of King Charles III in Abuja...yesterday

Wike Approves Draft Proposal on Property Tax Regulation in Abuja

FCT begins full implementation of capital gains tax Expects 50% revenue rise Minister seeks UAE’s partnership in transforming Abuja into tourism hub

Ndubuisi Francis and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the draft proposal on property tax regulation, designed to significantly boost internally generated revenue (IGR) in the nation's capital.

This was just as Wike called for collaboration with the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) towards developing the tourism potential of Abuja. He tabled the proposal yesterday, at a meeting in his office with the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shami ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the UAE for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Cahnge (COP28) from November 30- December 12, 2023, at Expo City, Dubai.

THISDAY gathered that the approved draft proposal for the FCT was prepared and submitted to the minister by the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT--IRS) barely a week ago, who promptly approved it and returned to the revenue authority.

The FCT-IRS Act empowers the minister to come up with a property tax regulation for the Territory.

In an interview, the FCT-IRS Executive Chairman, Mr. Haruna Abdullahi who confirmed the development at the weekend, disclosed that following the ministerial approval, an inter-agency stakeholder committee had been constituted to finetune the draft regulation after which it would be returned to the minister to sign into

law and subsequently gazetted.

Abdullahi, who applauded Wike's determination to turn around the fortunes of the FCT, noted that the Service had also inaugurated a committee for the full implementation of the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) law in the FCT. A capital gains tax derived from the sale of any capital asset where the sale price exceeds the purchase price of the investment.

It is a 10 per cent chargeable tax on the capital gains arising from the disposal of capital assets, including stocks, bonds, and real estate, among others.

The FCT-IRS chief executive said: "Just yesterday, we submitted a draft proposal to the Honorable Minister for the FCT property tax regulation. The FCT-IRS Act empowers the minister to come up with a property tax regulation for the FCT. So we had a long conversation and we suggested to the Honourable Minister and he asked us to come up with a draft regulation which we did.

"And yesterday, an approval came back; he has approved the initiative. We now have an interagency collaboration whereby we will review-- because the draft was just done by the FCT IRS. But that's not enough. You need other stakeholders. So he approved the initiative to go ahead, to review the draft and come back.

"Subsequently, at the end of the day, he will sign the regulation and it is gazetted and it is implemented.

So that alone should tell you there is a huge positive impact on the

bottomline of the IGR in the city. " Abdullahi, noted that his agency had inaugurated a committee for the full implementation of the capital gains tax law, adding that previously, there was very little compliance in terms of capital gains tax, adding that having briefed the minister and an inter-agency collaboration in place, the FCT-IRS would now begin to implement the capital gains tax fully.

The FCT-IRS Executive Chairman who was upbeat, noted that with the Property Tax, law in the offing, CGT already on the verge of full implementation, Section 85 of Personal Income Tax Act (PITA)

and Section 31 of the FCT Internal Revenue Service Act, 2015 fully implemented, the revenue profile of can only get better by about 50 per cent.

Acknowledging that the FCT faces significant challenges from many stakeholders, which his agency tries to address as much as possible, he explained that with Wike as minister, "who has come and now showing that revenue issues are in the forefront for him," the nation's capital would make giant strides.

While applauding Wike's unwavering resolve to turn the FCT around in all facets, Abdullahi

Transcorp Power Limited (TPL), one of the power subsidiaries of Nigeria’s leading conglomerate, Transnational Corporation Plc (TRANSCORP), has been appointed member of the Executive Board of the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

Transcorp Power's appointment was announced at the 18th Session of the WAPP General Assembly, held on November 10, 2023 in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

TPL, according to a statement obtained by THISDAY, yesterday,

was admitted as a member of WAPP in 2019 and has since then been an active member of the body.

The WAPP Executive Board is responsible for implementing the decisions of the WAPP General Assembly, the organisation's highest decision body, composed of all the member utilities. The Executive Board is the most empowered to ensure the realisation of WAPP mission and objectives.

TPL is a single cycle 972 megawatts (MW) installed capacity power generating plant located in Ughelli, Delta State.

Commenting on the ap-

there was a circular. I'm sure some of you might have seen it, where he has approved the implementation of Section 85 of the Personal Income Tax Act and Section 31 of the FCT IRS Act. "For me, when I came two years ago, in my first meeting, I told them, look, we cannot do much if we don't implement Section 85. But that is a huge section that needs the political support.

"So, of course, Governor Wike came and he endorsed that. The impact of that is going to be huge.

So, what that means is all of us now must have a tax clearance certificate (TCC).

Moghalu: Africa Needs Private Sector Bill of Rights to Complement AfCFTA, Eradicate Poverty Dike Onwuamaeze

The Chairman, Board of Directors and Advisory Board of the Africa Private Sector Summit (APSS), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has called for the adoption of a charter on the Private Sector Bill of Rights (PSBoR) by all African governments to help the continent achieve an enabling environment for business and increased prosperity.

Moghalu made this call yesterday in Cairo, Egypt, when he delivered the keynote speech at the AfCFTA Joint Private Sector Session during the 2023 Afreximbank Intra-African

Trade Fair.

The speech was titled, “The Africa We Want: The Private Sector Bill of Rights as a Companion Instrument to Regional Economic Communities and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.”

He argued that that trade, business and economies in general in Africa could not grow sustainably, create wealth and lift millions from poverty without strong, predictable enabling business environments that the PSBoR would engender in the continent.

“This is the value proposition of the Africa Private Sector Summit's

West African Power Pool Appoints Elumelu's Transcorp Power Member of Executive Board

Peter Uzoho

stated: " I am sure you have read that we have been taken out of the TSA (Treasury Single Account) strictly for revenue issues. So all stakeholders (I believe now in the city) see that the political will is there.

And even internal stakeholders, our colleagues and all that have seen that, look; this is the direction of the bureaucracy of the administration.

"And certainly you would not joke with it. As we go along in the last three weeks, the Honorable Minister has approved some initiatives, which are huge in terms of which will certainly change the dynamics.

"And then, about a month ago,

pointment, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Power Limited, Peter Ikenga, expressed TPL's commitment towards advancing the subregional electricity body's goals and objectives of improving lives and transforming Africa.

"As a member of the WAPP Executive Board, Transcorp Power Limited is committed to our core purpose of improving lives and transforming Africa and to actively contribute to the realisation of WAPP's mission and objectives.

“We believe that collaboration within the WAPP community is

crucial for achieving sustainable progress in the power sector, and we are excited to play a key role in shaping the future of energy in the ECOWAS sub-region," Ikenga said.

In May 2023, TPL became the first power company to receive its certificate of discharge from the National Council of Privatisation, reflecting the company’s sustained corporate transformation since 2013, when Transcorp acquired it under the Power Sector Transformation.

The company, which recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary is a key player in the Nigerian and West African power sector.

(APSS) proposed Charter on the Private Sector Bill of Rights. As I hope that I have demonstrated, the PSBoR is an indispensable compliment to Africa's Regional Economic Communities and the potentially transformative AfCFTA Treaty.

“The PSBoR, when adopted, will provide many practical benefits to varied stakeholders including governments, stock exchanges, African businesses, development partners, and the continental and global publics.

“Thriving businesses pay taxes to the government, increasing revenues. Similarly, a thriving private sector generates listings and sustainability of capital markets.

Productive economies with skilled, well-educated labour forces will position Africa to join the 4th Industrial Revolution.

“In short, the complementarity of the PSBoR rivate Sector Bill of Rights to the RECS and the AfCFTA equals an Africa that is truly open for business!” he said.

Moghalu, a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, postulated that the envisaged quantum leaps from the impact of AfCFTA simply could not be achieved without a vibrant and thriving private sector.

“While governments have signed and ratified the AfCFTA, it is companies and business enterprises that trade across Africa, far more than governments. This means that the African private sector must be strengthened to leverage the

provisions and protocols of the AfCFTA to expand intra-African trade to create prosperity.

“This means that enabling business environments for trade and investment must be created to actualise the protocols of the RECs and the AfCFTA,” he said.

Moghalu, explained that the mission of the APSS was to promote trade and investment across Africa through an enabling business environment, adding that the APSS’ methodology was to work through an ecosystem approach in which it collaborate with other entities such as the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PACCI), the African Business Council (ABC), and the Africa Education Trust Fund (AETF) to leverage the private sector’s ability to drive trade and investment in the continent.

Therefore, “APSS is engaging with African governments and other relevant parties for the adoption by all African countries of PSBoR for an Enabling Business Environment.

“The PSBoR contains 24 specific rights. These rights include the rights to easy establishment of businesses, a conducive legal framework for business, infrastructure, peace and security, and consultative relationships between governments and businesses in the making of regulations that govern or affect business,” he said.

He also pointed out that the adoption of the PSBoR would fast-track the actualisation of the key framework protocols of the AfCFTA.

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NEWS

NDIC Special Day at the 2023 Lagos International Trade fair...

L-R: President, Lagos Chamber of commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Abimbola Olashore; Deputy Director Bank Examination Department, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Emeka Udechukwu; Vice President/Trade promotion Board (LCCI), Engr Leye Kupoluyi; President (LCCI), Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole; MD/CEO, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Bello Hassan; and PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN Deputy President (LCCI), Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, during the NDIC Special Day at the 2023 Lagos International Trade fair in Lagos…. Yesterday

Coronation Group Seeks Investment Partners at Lord Mayor’s Show in London Coronation Group, Africa’s investment management powerhouse, which has Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as Chairman is proudly taking the centre stage as lead sponsors of Lord Mayor's Show taking place in London, underscoring its commitment to supporting platforms that bridge cultures and foster global collaboration.

In a dazzling display of cultural splendour and international camaraderie, the grand procession of the Lord Mayor's Show unfolded on the streets of London, marking a historic

moment with the participation of Africa for the first time in 805 years.

The magnificent occasion marked the induction of the newly-appointed Lord Mayor, Michael Mainelli, through a spectacular parade.

In a strategic move to foster global exchange, the procession welcomed the participation of countries outside the United Kingdom(UK), including China, Italy, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Nigeria represented by Lagos State.

According to a statement, the joint delegation from the state &

EnterpriseNGR was led by the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide SanwoOlu, and co-chaired by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who serves as the Chairman of EnterpriseNGR and Coronation Group Limited.

The Managing Director of Coronation Asset Management and President of the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), AigbovbioiseAigImoukhuede, who joined the parade, said:"Coronation Group is honoured to be woven into a rich tapestry of cultures that reflect centuries of collective effort to develop commerce,

communities, and charities. Through our collaboration with Lagos State and EnterpriseNGR, we are proud to showcase our vibrant Nigerian culture that exudes intellectual depth, passion, ambition, and the strength of enterprise.”

The grand procession, a twomile-long spectacle unfolded in two stages – the outward journey to the Royal Courts of Justice, followed by a short break, and the return procession to Mansion House. Joining this year’s parade, were over 2,000 participants from livery companies

which are the heart of the City of London, celebrating their respective trades, crafts, and professions, embodying the dignity of work and the significance of London's financial district.

The Lagos team stole the spotlight on the streets of London with their iconic Eyo masquerades, captivating afro beats music, and a parade float that displayed Lagos’ remarkable strides in the transportation sector, shaping the present and charting the future. A fusion of the Lagos Blue Line, ‘Danfo’ buses, ‘Kekes,’ and

Irish Ambassador: Diasporans Are Important in Any Nation

Senate to deliberate on diaspora voting this week, Bamidele hints

Michael Olugbode and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Ambassador of Republic of Ireland to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ryan, has appraised the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), and said the country’s diasporans were important partner in any nation’s national initiatives.

However, as though giving force to his position, Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed that the red chamber would consider the diaspora voting rights this week.

Speaking at the sixth edition of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit, which kicked off in Abuja yesterday, with pitching sessions for upcoming and start-up businesses, the envoy said he was not surprised about the abundant talents in Nigeria, adding that he was ready to do anything to encourage and support in this direction.

“It's a really inspirational morning.

Any time the diasporans come to gather to connect with one another,

I think it is worthwhile and really interesting time for Nigerians in diaspora. I am very impressed with what I have seen and impressed with what I have heard.

“Not surprise at all. I learnt from Nigerians in Diaspora in Ireland that there are so many talented and motivated people ready to work with partners at home and also with partners around the world.

"Anything we can do to support and encourage that and we know from our own diaspora, the important role that they can play as a partner in national initiatives and I am delighted to be part of this, this morning. I've learned a lot already.

"I have learned also about pitching and about some of the sectoral and entrepreneurship taking place in Nigeria," Ryan said.

Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged Nigerians in Diaspora to put their money in businesses back home.

She stated that there were

NLC, TUC Begin Indefinite Nationwide Strike Today Over Alleged Police Brutalisation of Ajaero of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice B. B. Kanyip.

"We use this medium to urge the unions to respect the court order and adhere to the principle of the rule of law. There is no need to resort to self-help.

"We urge workers to report for duties and not to entertain any fear as their safety is guaranteed and will be protected within the ambit of law", he stated.

We're Not Aware of Suit Against Us in Court, Says Labour

Meanwhile, the NLC has said that

it was unaware of any subsisting court order restraining it from embarking on the nationwide strike.

A highly placed source at the NLC told THISDAY last night that as far the labour movement was concerned, it had not been properly notified of any court case file against it by the federal government or any other party. " We are not aware of any case in court yet not to talk of injunction and if the government want to drag us to court, it should duly notify us. For us, we believe in social dialogue not court adjudication for trade dispute.

So we are ready for such dialogue if invited," the source added.

abundant opportunities in Nigeria, which could earn them money, without necessarily being present.

While pointing out that the NDIS was all about wealth creation by the Diasporans, Dabiri-Erewa also applauded the pitching session of the summit which she said would open doors for upcoming and existing small businesses to connect with investors abroad.

Summit Coordinator and Chair, Planning Committee, Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, said the summit which would officially kick off today, "Is about human capital development, building humanity, empowering the micro, small and medium enterprises and the ordinary market woman."

Meanwhile, Bamidele, who

hinted that the red chamber would consider the diaspora voting rights this week, said it was part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.

He stated this at a virtual diaspora dialogue, according to a statement by his media office, reiterating the resolve of the National Assembly to reconsider the diaspora voting rights and other related issues affecting Nigeria in the diaspora.

The dialogue was organised by the Directorate of Diaspora and International Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader in collaboration with Engage Diaspora Foundation and Nigeria Diaspora Foundation.

A fortnight ago, the senate leader sponsored a motion aimed at reviewing the Constitution of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

At the dialogue, Bamidele justified the resolve of the National Assembly to review the 1999 Constitution, saying the diaspora voting rights would form part of the ongoing constitution review.

“Let me tell you some good news.

Not that we are trying to bring the bill back, the bill is already on the floor of the 10th Senate. Exactly two weeks ago, we had the first reading of the bill. It has already been scheduled for second reading.

“Definitely, as the Leader of the Senate, I can assure you that we will consider the second reading of the bill this week. After this stage, it will be referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

iconic sites like the Lekki bridge, the parade float was an ode to these accomplishments.

“In a remarkable continuation of festivities, the Visiting Cities’ Banquet, organised by the City of Zurich, Switzerland, unfolded after the parade. This Swiss-influenced livery-style dinner brought together participating cities, including Lagos, celebrating their strategic significance to the City of London and fostering friendships. The evening's toasts and ceremonies affirmed enduring bonds in the spirit of trade, goodwill, and diplomacy,” the statement noted.

Speaking during the banquet, the Lord Mayor, Michael Mainelli echoed the global theme of the event and emphasised the importance of building global partnerships for success.

“The Lord Mayor's Show stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering lasting bonds across borders. Together, we embark on a journey of shared success, embracing diversity and building a future where collaboration knows no bounds," remarked the Lord Mayor.

Yesterday’s festivities include the Governor of Lagos State and Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede attending a high-profile banquet with distinguished UK VVIP guests, including the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Additionally, the InvestLagos dinner will see Lagos State and EnterpriseNGR hosting stakeholders from Nigeria and the Diaspora, promoting business opportunities, and fostering bilateral relationships under the theme "Lagos is Open for Business."

Kano: Police Beef Up Security Ahead Guber Appeal Judgment Sule calls for restraint in Nasarawa’s case

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano and Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia The Kano State Police Command, has deployed its personnel to strategic locations to forestall any attempt to cause disturbance or breakdown of law and order ahead of the appeal judgment of the state governorship election petition appeal in Abuja.

This was as the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, yesterday, called on his supporters, as well as people of the state, to exercise some measures of restraint ahead of the Court of Appeal hearing fixed for Wednesday, November15.

In a statement, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said adequate personnel and equipment were deployed to different locations

in the state.

The statement reiterated that the Police Command in conjunction with other security agencies in the state would not give room for any unscrupulous person(s) trying to jeopardise the security arrangements and as such residents were encouraged to go about their daily activities.

"The Police and security agencies in the state are assuring the good people of the state of adequate security before, during, and after the declaration of the appeal judgment.

"Residents of Kano State are also expected to play their part in avoiding to be involved in the breakdown of law and order.

Because of this, the following advisories are issued: "Politically motivated clustering people at location under whatever

guise will not be allowed. Engaging in mass actions, suggesting preparation for violent processions, protests or celebrations that may trigger reactions should be avoided.

"Unguarded statements from politicians likely to increase unnecessary tension or undermine the security arrangements and the sanctity of the judicial system should be avoided," the statement added.

Meanwhile, presiding over an expanded security meeting in the Government House, Lafia, Governor Sule commended people of the state and the tolerance shown by some politicians during and after the tribunal judgement, urging for more of such restraint ahead of the Appeal Court hearing.

Sule said, "Let me also use the opportunity to commend the good people of Nasarawa State and the

tolerance of several politicians, especially during and after the tribunal judgement. I want to thank you sincerely for the maturity some have shown during that period.

"I want to also use the opportunity to call on the good people of Nasarawa State and also our leaders in particular, security agencies to continue to show that wisdom, especially with the hearing that is coming on the 15th and the subsequent judgement that would follow at the Appeal Court."

The governor stated that part of the reason for convening the expanded security meeting was to deliberate on the unfolding regular attacks on farmers by suspected herders, with such attacks recorded in six Local Government Areas of Nasarawa, Doma, Akwanga, Keana, Obi and Awe.

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NEWS

Food and Feed Safety Expertise Coordination Workshop...

L-R: Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ,Mr. Christopher Bielecki; Programme Manager, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA, Kelly Scavella; Director, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety, Sugra Mahmood; Representative of the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. David Atuwo; Head, Food and Nutrition Division, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Chito Nelson; Executive Director, Food and Agriculture Export Alliance (FAEA),Mr. Kent Sisson; and CEO-Designate, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr Tayo Aduloju, at the ‘Food and Feed Safety Expertise Coordination Workshop’ held in Abuja… recently

Delta Guber Election: Appeal Court Reserves Judgment in Omo-Agege, Pela, Gbagi's Appeals Wale Igbintade The State and National Assembly Appeal Court sitting in Lagos has reserved judgement in three separate appeals filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Kenneth Gbagi and the Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Kennedy Pela challenging the election of Sheriff Oborevwori as Governor of Delta State.

The three-member panel presided over by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka reserved the three appeals after taking arguments from counsel to all the parties.

Other members of the panel are Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole and Justice Hadiza Shagari.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, as the winner of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Delta State.

Oborevwori polled 360234 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress APC Candidate Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who scored 240229.

Dissatisfied, the appellants challenged Oborevwori election as Delta State Governor However, the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, upheld the election of Sheriff Oborevwori as the governor of the state.

In its judgment, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu, dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress

(APC) candidate, Omo-Agege, for lack of merit.

The tribunal also dismissed the petitions by Pela and Gbagi of the SDP for their inability to prove their allegations of over voting, amongst others.

It held that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and over voting beyond reasonable doubt.

On the issue of over voting, as alleged by Omo-Agege, the tribunal held that to prove the allegation, BVAS report must be produced.

“Leave was granted to the

petitioner to inspect BVAS but no BVAS report was provided.

“Tribunal wonders why the petitioners failed to produce the BVAS report. Tribunal agrees with the respondent’s argument. By Supreme Court judgment, BVAS is mandatory to prove over-voting.

“BVAS was not produced but they tried to use other documents.

Petitioner cannot circumvent the BVAS, as the report of examination of the back end server cannot replace the BVAS. “This report is held to be irrelevant. Flowing from above,

the report is inadmissible to prove over-voting,” the tribunal ruled.

The tribunal held that the fulcrum of proof of over-voting was the BVAS, stating that the petitioner did not plead extract from BVAS and so could not tender the same.

“Any evidence given by anyone that was not at the polling units is mere hearsay. Tribunal wonders why their agents at the polling units were not called.”

On the issue of non-compliance, the tribunal said the petitioner jettisoned the provisions of the law to prove non-compliance in

The Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, yesterday, in Abuja, said a no visa policy in all African countries would boost air transport in the continent.

Nuhu, said this at the 24th Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) Week under the theme, “African Wants to Fly.” He said only five out of 54 African countries of Rwanda, Kenya, Seychelles, Benin, and the Gambia had implemented visa-free travel for all Africans. "This is anti-connectivity," he added.

Nuhu, who represented the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development at the event, explained that the event, a four-day programme witnessed participants across the

“The petitioner led no evidence as to the votes that are unlawful and should be reduced. They complained of an unascertained number of votes.

“Pleadings where no evidence is led amounts to no issue. They abandoned the case and sought to rely on the tribunal. This approach lacks credibility. Issue resolved in favour of respondents.

“The case of petitioner based essentially on hearsay evidence that is legally inadmissible. They have led no credible and indubitable evidence.

Expats' Employment: FG Moves to Secure Jobs for Nigerians Targets construction, oil and gas, telecoms, manufacturing, hospitality, other sectors

Wale Igbintade The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is rolling out and implementing a new policy on expatriate quota that will largely ensure that Nigerians have better employment opportunities in the country.

Companies that will be focused on, to consummate the better employment deal, are wholly foreign, joint ventures, or indigenous companies, which engage the services of expatriates (expats).

These companies, as gathered, straddle such sectors as construction, oil and gas, telecoms, manufacturing, and hospitality, among others.

Nigerian professionals are expected to be absorbed into the companies to take jobs for which

they are qualified in line with terms and conditions of the expatriate quota-enabled employment opportunities.

The policy, which details would be made known to the public in about a fortnight from now, will be implemented by the Ministry of Interior, in concert with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

There is, according to credible information, a robust private partnership component that will ensure the seamless execution of the policy.

The process leading to the takeoff of the policy and the processes thereafter, as learnt, would not cost the federal government a kobo.

An official of the ministry said that the policy was specifically targeted at the over 150,000

expatriates working in the country at the moment, adding that “as the number grows over time, they will be accommodated in the revenue-generation net.”

While keeping close to his chest, specific details of the forthcoming policy, he said that the projection was that Nigeria, in the next twenty years, would have been well positioned to consistently attract into her revenue kitty about $1.5 billion annually from the expatriates working in the country.

This revenue inflow is apart from the Personal Income Tax prescribed by the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) cap P8 LFN, 2007, as amended, which forms the legal basis for taxation of employment income, including those earned by expatriates working in Nigeria.

AU Urged to Adopt No Visa Policy for All African Countries Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

every unit.

On corrupt practices, the tribunal said no evidence was led as to who committed the crime and no evidence led as to how the allegations affected the outcome of the election.

The tribunal held that petitioners gave particulars of inflated figures but failed to show how it affected the result.

“The tribunal finds that the inflation is of no consequence and will not affect the result if removed. Issue resolved in favour of respondents.

African continent.

According to him, "A couple of African countries have removed visa requirements for Africans. I enjoy other Africans to do that. That will certainly stimulate air transport in Africa. "This will lead to more direct flights, improved frequency, improve routs and make the movement of passengers and cargo easier with minimal transit points at competitive prices.

He also strongly advocated for a single regulatory agency and a single policy for Africa as being experienced in Europe for more seamless operations.

"Fifty-four different policies won’t work for SAATM, not even 50 years from now. Nigeria’s commitment to the full liberalisation of YD/SAATM. “While Nigeria recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) with AFCAC for tracking and monitoring the full implementation of YD/SAATM, she is also in the process of setting up a National Implementation Committee that would include various relevant stakeholders to enable further discussion that would facilitate the full implementation of YD/SAATM in Nigeria.”

Nuhu, maintained that this year’s Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) Week would afford States in identifying the status of implementation of the YD/ SAATM while encouraging Member States and all partner to join hands in the implementation of SAATM. "The YD Week will also encourage African Airlines to take full advantage of the benefits of SAATM and expand their operations across Africa.

“Air connectivity is an asset, which improves the global competitiveness

of cities, States and regions.

"Increased air connectivity brings concrete value by making trips shorter with optimal user satisfaction at minimum prices.

“We know that YD/SAATM would enhance connectivity by removing barriers and restrictions on air travel between African countries,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Secretary General, Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, said despite the believe in some quarters that the YD/SAATM implementation across the continent had not been standardised and had not yielded the expected results, there was significant progress being made especially with the introduction of the noble initiative of SAATM Pilot Implementation Project (PIP).

The source further volunteered that the revenue could be more in the event that the companies failed to absorb qualified Nigerians into the particular jobs allotted to them (citizens). Such defaulting companies would be required to pay some prescribed levy in penalties.

The move by government to secure Nigerian workers’ slots in the applicable companies is to discourage expatriates from doing jobs for which Nigerians are qualified and thus help to stem the tide of brain or talent drain,

which has in recent times, partly manifested in the lingering exodus of Nigerians to foreign countries, a situation which is popularly referred to as “Japa”, meaning “take off”.

The other justification for the policy measure is the economic imperative to open more revenue streams and expand the revenue base of the country from which funding could be provided to develop the nation’s infrastructure projects which could have competed for the nation’s otherwise meagre resources.

NIS Investigates Deaths of Officers in Road Accident

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of road accident that killed four personnel of the Service on Sunday.

Four members of the NIS band were reportedly killed on Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway while returning from Kano, where they had gone to entertain at an official function.

Briefing the press on the incident in Abuja, the Service Public Relations Officer, Dr Dotun Aridegbe, confirmed the death of four personnel of the Service in the accident, saying it involved 11 personnel.

“An immediate investigation has been ordered by the Acting CGI to ascertain the remote cause of the accident. We are committed to understanding the circumstances that led to this tragic event and will take appropriate measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

According to him, the 11 personnel were returning to Abuja from an official assignment in Kano, in an eighteen-seater official bus when they were involved in the ghastly accident a few kilometres from Kano.

He lamented that, “As a result, four of our personnel lost their lives. Seven of our colleagues who sustained various degrees of injuries are currently receiving treatment at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano.”

Aridegbe said arrangements for the burials of the dead personnel were being organised with utmost care and respect.

He said the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Caroline Adepoju, has “directed all Commands and Formation Heads to fly our flag at half-mast for the next seven days.

“We will observe a three-day mourning period in honour and memory of our fallen colleagues,” he said.

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NEWS

CONSECRATION AND INVESTITURE OF NEWLY ELECTED BISHOPS ...

L-R: Bishop, Diocese of Enone South,The Right Rev Godwin Idoko Ali, Bishop, Diocese of Zonkwa, The Right Rev Jackson Eriba Agi, Secretary of Conference, Right Rev. Babatunde Taiwo, Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr Oliver Ali Aba, Bishop, Diocese of Idanre, The Right Rev Mathew Falade and Bishop, Diocese of Kogi East, The Right Rev Sule Joseph Ayegba, during the consecration and investiture of newly elected Bishops held at Methodist Cathedral of Peace and Excellence, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos... on Sunday

Jubilation as Diri Wins Bayelsa Poll, Says He’ll Be Governor for All to escalate into ethnic profiling and violent conflicts, further jeopardising the democratic process.

“Voter inducement was prevalent, including instances of vote-buying in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi. Alleged distribution of goods and cash, as well as financial transactions involving INEC ad-hoc staff, raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

“Information disorder added complexity to the challenging electoral landscape, with disinformation circulating, creating confusion with false claims of candidate withdrawals and disqualifications.”

Jinadu also stated, “Insecurity and violence were witnessed amid political conflicts, cultism, and insurgencies. Incidents of violence, including alleged ballot snatchings and violent altercations at collation centres, heightened fears around the security of the electoral process.

“Institutional challenges were noted, as INEC faced delays, technical glitches, and result sheet issues. While security agencies appeared effective on election day, the failure of political parties to manage disputes emerged as a significant threat to electoral democracy.”

Equally addressing some of the failings of the elections, HURIWA said part of the reform process needed to reposition the electoral management body was a wholesome overhaul of the legal frameworks on the constitution of the management of INEC to isolate and free it totally from the stranglehold of the executive arm of government.

HURIWA said such overhaul should include making the appointment of the INEC chairman and commissioners to go through public scrutiny, while appointments should be done by an independent body of patriots to be drawn from the public and private sectors.

HURIWA also said the speed with which election results in Imo State were collated and announced, even when no elections took place in about four local government areas in Orlu and Okigwe senatorial zones, showed that INEC had persisted in electoral crimes because of past impunity.

In a statement by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA cited a report by YIAGA Africa, which monitored the election in Imo State and reported that cases of unverified results uploaded by INEC were prevalent in Orsu, Okigwe, Oru East, and Orlu local government areas.

Onwubiko stated, "Yiaga said it monitored the upload of results on the IReV, especially those from polling units where elections did not hold. For Orsu LGA in Imo, Yiaga Africa’s WTV observers reported that the election did not take place in nine sampled polling units in the LGA. There were speculations that INEC may have relocated all polling units to the LGA headquarters on election day."

HURIWA recalled that Yiaga Africa also said voters in Orsu local government area were not informed of the change in polling unit location and INEC failed to issue an official statement on the

supposed temporary relocation of polling units.

In Okigwe, Yiaga Africa observers reported that elections did not occur in eight sampled polling units, HURIWA stated.

It said, “In Oru East LGA, the election was not held in eight of Yiaga Africa’s sampled polling units. In addition, elections were not held in seven of our sampled polling units in Orlu LGA and in one (1) of our sampled polling units each in Ideato North, Ikeduru, Oru West and Owerri West LGAs.” HURIWA then affirmed, “INEC is populated by far too many electoral robbers, so much so that it will take clinical overhauling of the personnel and the injection of incorruptible and patriotic electoral managers, for prospective voters not to boycott en masse any other election to be conducted by the present INEC that is severely ethically challenged and corrupt. INEC, as presently constituted, is deeply infested by the bug and virus of corruption and inefficiency."

Tinubu, Buhari, APC, PDP Govs Greet Winners

Tinubu, Buhari, and governors of both the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP congratulated winners in the elections.

Tinubu, who specifically congratulated Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, his Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, and the governor-elect of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, also commended INEC for a good job.

According to a release by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu affirmed the resilience of democratic institutions and the power of the people in shaping the country's political landscape. He said the outcome of the elections reflected the wishes of the people, emphasising that democracy thrives when voters reward competence, transparency, and good governance.

While expressing gratitude to INEC for creating a level playing ground for all contestants and the security agencies for maintaining law and order during the highlyanticipated off-season elections, the president further affirmed the need for a sustained commitment to all efforts aimed at sanitising the electoral system and enhancing the credibility of future elections.

With the election process concluded, Tinubu anticipated a renewed sense of hope for the people of the three states, as well as consolidation on the progress that would position the states as hubs of peace, commerce, entrepreneurship, and prosperity in Nigeria.

To try to foster the spirit of harmonious and inclusive governance in the states, the president asked the winners to prioritise the common good of the people over partisan interests.

He added, "May your tenure in office be defined by close collaboration with all of your counterparts across party lines in the attainment of pan-Nigerian developmental achievements that benefit everyone, and may you lead

at all times with compassion and a deepened commitment to our nation's unity."

Buhari Congratulates APC

Former President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated APC on winning the governorship elections in Imo and Kogi states. He thanked the people of the two states for reaffirming their confidence in the country’s biggest political party.

The ex-president, in a release by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, thanked particularly the party leaders and the workers, who laboured tirelessly to ensure the re-election of Senator Hope Uzodinma for a second term in Imo State, and Alhaji Usman Ododo as the new governor of Kogi State.

“My best wishes to them for their next tenure," Buhari stated.

Ododo Thanks Kogi People, Says He’d Prioritise Unity, Shared Prosperity

Kogi State Governor-elect, Ododo Usman, expressed his gratitude to the people of the state for entrusting his team with the responsibility of leading the state.

In a statement in Lokoja, Ododo told the people of Kogi State, "Your unwavering support has been the driving force behind our efforts to uplift Kogi to greater heights.

"Together, we embark on a historic journey to build a united and prosperous community of people with a common destiny.

Your trust is a compass guiding us in our commitment to enthroning a transparent, accountable and inclusive governance.

"As we sail the ship to new frontiers, I am confident that our collective determination will yield positive outcomes for every citizen of our dear state.

"I appreciate the diverse perspectives and contributions from stakeholders, who played a crucial role in shaping our policies and decisions. Your dedication reinforces the collaborative spirit that defines our vision for Kogi State.

"Special appreciation to the national leader of our party and President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for creating an atmosphere of peace and a level playing ground for all the contestants.”

The governor-elect stated regarding Tinubu, “From the moment you handed me the flag, I knew I would be successful. You remain a platform of success for millions around our nation and our administration will work closely with the federal government under your leadership, just like our leader, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is currently doing to bring development to our dear state.”

PDP Governors Say Good Stewardship Won Diri Victory

The PDP Governors’ Forum, yesterday, congratulated Senator Douye Diri on his re-election as

Governor of Bayelsa State. The PDP governors believed that good stewardship by the governor in his first term won him the people’s votes.

In a statement by Director General of the forum, Cyril Maduabum, the party said the victory was well-deserved one.

The PDP governors said it was victory and validation for hard work, good governance engendered by enthroning a culture of peaceful coexistence, unity, progressive and people-oriented, and people-driven agenda. They commended Diri for his fair-mindedness and even spread of infrastructure projects to all sections and segments of the state in his first term.

PDP governors acknowledged Diri’s peace initiatives across the state and party immediately on assumption of office in 2019, which created the enabling environment for his development projects and programmes to thrive.

Sanwo-Olu: APC Victories Testament to Good Governance

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, congratulated the Kogi State APC candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo, on his victory at Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, who was a member of the APC National Campaign Council for the Kogi State governorship election, described Ododo’s landslide victory as a testament to the good work the Governor Yahaha Bello APC administration had done in the state.

In a congratulatory message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Sanwo-Olu said Ododo’s victory was well-deserved and a clear manifestation that APC remained the party of choice for Nigerians at the local, state and federal levels.

Sanwo-Olu commended the people of Kogi State, particularly the electorate, for coming out to perform their civic responsibility and for defying all odds to vote for the APC governorship candidate.

He stated, “Ododo’s victory is a clear indication that the APC and its government under the able leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello have delivered beyond expectations of the people of Kogi State. I, therefore, believe it was only natural for the citizens to reciprocate by voting for our party.”

Akeredolu: Peaceful Poll Reflects Political Maturity

Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), described last Saturday's off-season gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states as a triumph for democracy and focused leadership. Akeredolu stated this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde.

The governor congratulated Governor-elect Usman Ododo (Kogi) and the re-elected incumbent,

Sen. Hope Uzodinma (Imo), all of APC. He said their victories signified the people's endorsement of their leadership, and entrusted them with the responsibility of steering their respective states towards prosperity.

Akeredolu said the elections underscored the increasing trust in Nigeria's electoral process, and added that the process affirmed the democratic gains and highlighted the ongoing improvements in the electoral system.

He stated, "The peaceful conduct of the elections reflects our political maturity and determination to eliminate violence throughout the electoral process. Acknowledging the complexities of our democratic journey, it is gratifying to note that, despite isolated disturbances, these elections uphold the core tenets of our democratic values.

"In applauding the winners, I commend the diligent efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC's unwavering commitment to improvement was evident in the commendable performance during the Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa elections. We anticipate the commission sustaining this impressive trajectory as we strive to meet the aspirations of our people for enhanced progress.”

Oborevwori: Victory Reward for Diri’s Humility

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori congratulated his Bayelsa State counterpart, Senator Douye Diri, on his re-election in last Saturday's governorship election.

Oborevwori, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, yesterday, described the re-election as “the reward for Diri’s humility, hard work and good governance”. He commended the people of Bayelsa State for standing by their governor when it mattered most.

He stated that the electorate across the eight local government areas of the state spoke loudly and very clearly in their affirmation of their choice of Diri as governor of the state.

Oborevwori noted that the re-election of Diri signposted the reality of PDP's determination to entrench prosperity in the oil-rich state, saying, "Better days await Bayelsans.”

Obaseki: Diri Re-election a Win for Democracy

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, congratulated Diri on his re-election in Saturday’s governorship election.

Obaseki said, in a statement, that the victory was well-deserved on account of Diri’s outstanding performance in the last four years.

He stated that the people’s power, as expressed during the poll, remained the most potent force in any democracy.

The governor stated, “I heartily congratulate my brother and friend, Senator Douye Diri, on his re-election as the governor of Bayelsa State.

“Your well-deserved victory

is a testament to your excellent performance in office in the last four years. It is a win for democracy, the people of Bayelsa State, and our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and also validates that truly, power belongs to the people.”

IYC Celebrates Diri's Victory

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide described Diri’s victory as a testament to his wide acceptance and his developmental strides, which endeared him to the people.

President of IYC Worldwide, Dr. Alaye Theophilus, in a statement, urged the governor to continue with his lofty ideas and policies in bringing the needed development to Bayelsa State.

The statement said, "Your Excellency, your victory has demonstrated the unwavering love by the people, which, no doubt, was evident at the poll.

"Your victory at the poll was a testament of his wide acceptance and your developmental strides, which has endeared you to the people.

Your dedication and leadership style have earned you the trust of the people."

IYC also commended INEC for conducting one of the most credible, free and fair elections in Bayelsa State and for maintaining their professionalism as an unbiased umpire.

PDP, LP Insist Imo Election Must Be Cancelled

The governorship candidate of PDP in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and that of LP, Athan Achonu, yesterday, reiterated their calls for the cancellation of Saturday’s governorship election in the state, describing it as charade and rape of democracy At a joint press conference in Owerri, Anyanwu and Achonu rejected the declaration of Uzodimma of AP)as winner of the poll, arguing that "the result does not reflect the will of the people and should be reviewed in the overall interest of the people and the Nigerian democracy."

The LP and PDP gubernatorial candidates also accused APC, INEC staff and the security agencies of conniving to manipulate the process, "thereby subverting mandate of the people for their preferred choice."

They urged INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, to review the result or cancel outright the election to allow the people elect the governor of their choice.

Achonu said, "Aside the obvious malpractices, the election results were preloaded around 10am even when voting was still ongoing at the various polling units.

"From all that we know, we have written to the INEC chairman for a total review of that election, so that whoever is the victor will be announced.

"What happened last Saturday in Imo State is not an election. It was a war against the people. It is a rape on democracy. So shameful and undemocratic."

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NEWS

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING DAY...

L-R: Council Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr.Tajudeen Olayinka; Vice President, ICAN, Chief David Alaribe; ICAN President, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa; Chairman Body of past President, ICAN, Sir Ike Nwokolo; Council Member, Mr. Oladipupo Oladele, and Ag. Registrar/Chief Executive, ICAN, Mr. Mukaila Lawal, during the celebration of International Accounting Day in Lagos…recently SUNDAYADIGUN

House Minority Caucus Condemns Appeal Court Judgements in Plateau, Kaduna AdedayoAkinwaleinAbuja The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the judgement of the justices of Appeal Court in both Kaduna and Plateau states, describing it as unfortunate and unacceptable.

Its Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda,

in a statement issued yesterday maintained that the recent judgments of the Appeal Court which removed opposition lawmakers from Plateau and Kaduna states in the House eroded public interest and called to question the impartiality of the judiciary.

He said: “We were shocked that

Again, Boat Mishap Claims 20 Lives inTaraba

Wole Ayodele inJalingo

No fewer than 20 fishermen lost their lives in the early hours of yesterday when the boat in which they were travelling capsised in the River Benue.

The tragic incident, according to the Chairman of Taraba State Water Transportation, Jidda Suleiman, who broke the news to Journalists in Jalingo, occurred between Chinkai and Anyeci area of Wukari local government area of Taraba State.

This is coming barely two weeks after 70 people lost their lives

when a boat conveying traders from Mayo Renawo fish market in Ardo Kola local government area capsised at Karim Lamido in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of the state.

Suleiman told newsmen that the fishermen, who were mostly from Wukari and Ibi local government areas of the state were on their way to Kwara in search of greener pasture before the unfortunate incident occurred.

He said: “The boat was conveying fishermen, comprising people from Ibi, and Wukari local government areas of Taraba.”

the Justices of the Appeal Court delivered judgements that are not only conflicting but negates proven and established legal precedence.

“With due respect to the justices, the

Police operatives in Benue Command have arrested a woman identified as Sughshater Ushahemba for allegedly killing her 11-month-old baby.

According to an eyewitness, the incident happened last Saturday at Mbadyur council ward in Logo Local Government Area of the State.

The young woman was said to have poisoned the baby in the early hours of Saturday and decided to bury her before she was caught by the villagers.

The young woman was said to

have told the villagers that her baby developed high fever in the wee hours of Saturday and later died.

But after thorough probe, it was learned that the woman confessed to having poisoned the baby because the man that impregnated her abandoned her and the baby.

The Information Officer of Logo LGA, Paul Pevikyaa, who spoke to newsmen yesterday said that the woman had earlier told people that the baby had taken ill in the night at about 12:31 am with high fever and died after two hours.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) has been denying its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the opportunity to receive visitors while being

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has reiterated commitment to good governance in the state.

He said he would continue to uphold the standard of infrastructural development inherited from the immediate past administration particularly, stressing that it will foster economic growth.

Governor Fubara made the assertion yesterday during an

Refinery Road project.

He said: “I can assure you and the world that no matter what the situation is, we are not going to lower the standard that we have come to meet.”

Fubara explained that the Woji-Aleto-Refinery road is one of the projects inherited from the immediate past administration that he considered important to create an alternative route while awaiting the reconstruction of the East-West road.

pre-election matters, “the justices decided to side-track, neglect, and jettison established precedents clearly and explicitly delivered by the Supreme Court.

detained in their facility.

The group, which had earlier stated that the health of its leader was fast deteriorating and that they feared for his life, also added that the recent denial by DSS was suspicious.

In a statement issued by the

group’s spokesperson, Mr. Emma Powerful, the group raised the alarm over the denial, saying Kanu’s visitors face harassment

by DSS officials in Abuja.

The statement read: “On November 9, 2023, DSS refused to allow Mazi Nnamdi Kanu access

to his visitors on a flimsy excuse.

“Our leader, Kanu, must not be taken for granted. His health and welfare must be given the utmost attention. He must be given unfettered access to his choice guests and visitors weekly not selectively, in line with court orders.

Ekiti Varsity VC Blames Nigeria Challenges on Insincerity of Citizenry Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Professor Edward Olanipekun, has blamed Nigeria challenges on insincerity of its people whose actions were against the

development of the country.

Olanipekun said this has adversely affected various sectors and the economy of the country.

He spoke at the 81st inaugural lecture of the institution delivered by a Professor of Science Education, Samuel Akingbade

Jegede entitled, “Science Education In Nigeria: Asphyxiating But Undulating.”

The VC, who described the lecture as well delivered, challenged scholars, intellectuals and eggheads, including himself to always come up with findings

that would impact positively on the society.

He said: “The question that is begging for answer is that, which way do way go in Nigeria? To say we are at a crossroad is an understatement. The economy is something that is worrisome.”

UNICEF: Over 186,000 Children Lack Access to Immunisation in Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

vaccine in the Routine National

Immunisation Schedule as at December 2022, referring to them as zero-dose children.

The UNICEF also said that lack of immunisation is responsible for the outbreak of diphtheria that the North-west has the highest record of its outbreak in Nigeria.

It further disclosed that Nigeria makes up 2.2 million zero doses of the 48 million children around the globe who did not receive a single regular dose.

A Health Specialist of UNICEF’S Sokoto Field Office, Dr. Danjuma Nehemiah, made these disclosures

in Sokoto at a two-day Media Dialogue on Routine Immunisation and the Zero-Dose Campaign.

The dialogue was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Primary Healthcare Development Agencies of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

Bauchi Lawmaker Constructs 1,000 Toilets to Tackle Open Defecation

SegunAwofadejiinBauchi

that Bauchi Local Government Area attained the open defecation-free (OPF) status.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony yesterday held in his constituency office, Garu said the provision of toilets to the people of his constituents would reduce the incidence of diseases.

Garu also said when completed, the people would have access to the toilets which will reduce the practice of open defecation among the people.

He added that the construction of the toilets is part of his plans to fight against environmental issues that might negatively affect the good living conditions of the people of

his constituency.

The state Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Danlami Ahmed Kawule, who was the special guest of honor at the ceremony, commended the federal lawmaker for the gesture, saying it will go a long way in complementing what his ministry is doing.

candidates.

WAEC, in a statement issued by its Public Affairs Department

and signed by the Ag. Head Public Affairs WAEC, Moyosola F. Adesina, Yaba, Lagos, said that the registration for the examination would commence on Monday, December 18, 2023.

The statement reads: “In line with global best practices, the Nigerian national office of the West African Examinations

Council (WAEC) wishes to inform the general public, and all its stakeholders, that it has concluded plans to migrate its WASSCE for private candidate’s examination diets from paper and pencil test to Computer Based Examination (CBE).

“The innovation will commence with WASSCE for private

candidates, 2024 first series, which is slated to hold in February 2024.

“While the objective tests will be fully computer based, the essay and test of practical papers will be hybrid, in which the examination questions will be delivered on screen and candidates are required to write answers on the answer booklets given to them.

PHD Media, one of the fastest growing media and communication agency networks, and part of the Omnicom Media Group has unveiled Ocular, an innovative proprietary cloud-based media

place recently in Lagos.

Ocular, according to the company, is a result of two years of continuous research aimed at closing some of the gaps that exist within the current industry tool, with unparalleled features that surpass what already exists

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of PHD Media, Mr. Dozie Okafor, said: “With Ocular, powered by 2,800 active respondents surveyed daily, businesses can glean insights into consumer habits and lots more to help

marketing activities. Ocular is designed to be a seamless tool such that it is accessible on devices and smartphones, with the ability to collect responses from respondents using Short Message Service (SMS), Mobile web and APP.”

The member representing Bauchi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Aliyu Aminu Garu, has flagged off the construction of over 1,000 toilets at strategic locations across the constituency as part of his commitment towards ensuring

WAEC to Conduct Computer-Based WASSCE for Private Candidates KuniTyessi in AbujaandFunmi Ogundare

Fubara Reiterates Commitment The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), yesterday, said that it would conduct computerto Good Governance inspection visit to the Woji-Aleto- based WASSCE for private Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

characterised the judgments falls short of our constitutional and electoral jurisprudence.”

Chinda said despite the well established jurisprudence on

DSS Denying Nnamdi Kanu from Receiving Visitors, IPOB Alleges

David-Chyddy ElekeinAwka

United Nation Children’s Police Arrest Woman for The Fund (UNICEF) has declared 186,452 children in Sokoto, Killing Own Baby in Benue that Zamfara and Kebbi States did not receive a single dose of any George Okoh InMakurdi

grounds in which the Justices reached their unfortunate and regrettable judgments are totally unacceptable, ludicrous, capricious and out rightly unlawful. The obvious illogic which

Media Buying Firm Unveils Research Tool for Data Analysis data tool. The unveiling took within the sector. make better decisions for their Raheem Akingbolu

31

T H I S D AY • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023

TUESdaysports

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

B’Insurance’s Obasogie Replaces Okoye as Omeruo, Umar, Collins Are Early Eagles in Camp Duro Ikhazuagbe

Bendel Insurance’s goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie, has joined Enyimba’s safe hands, Olorunleke Ojo as the only two players from the domestic Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in the list of 23 players invited by Super Eagles Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, to prosecute the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

The 23-year-old Obasogie who has distinguished himself as one of the best goalkeepers from the domestic league replaced Maduka Okoye in Super Eagles’ squad for the double header starting first with the clash with Lesotho on Thursday in Uyo. He was instrumental to Bendel

2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Insurance’s Federation Cup success last season.

Obasogie also cut eye after saving two spot kicks in the Benin Arsenals’ CAF Confederation Cup win against ASO Chlef of Algeria in August.

He is expected to arrive the Super Eagles Four Points Hotel camp today from Benin City.

Meanwhile, Spain-based striker Sadiq Umar, Kenneth Omeruo from Turkish club Kasimpasa as well as Jamilu Collins of Cardiff City are among the early birds to reach the Super Eagles training camp in Uyo. All the others players are expected to troop into camp

today minus the likes of Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi, Bruno Onyemaechi and now Maduka Okoye.

While speaking with NFF Media inside the team’s camp, Omeruo enthused the resolve of the players not to drop points in this qualifiers starting on Thursday.

“We’ve played Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the past but the important thing is to stick to our game plan and take the game very serious because we have to win both games,” Omeruo said in the interview with NFF TV. “We are looking forward to it, it’s an important one for us, we missed out at the last World Cup

so this is a serious matter for us.

“We are here to do what we have to do to get the ticket for the next World Cup,” observed Omeruo who is the last from the 2013 AFCON winning Eagles. He has represented Nigeria at two World Cups in 2014 and 2018.

Eagles are expected to step up their preparations tomorrow with media restricted access because of the short build-up to these qualifiers.

The Eagles will begin their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, when they welcome Lesotho, before they fly out to Rwanda to battle Zimbabwe in continuation of the qualifying campaign.

Thursday’s match will kick off by 5pm at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Amas Obasogie...replaces Maduka Okoye.

Photo: Courtesy MODZERO

Inyama Heads NPFL’s Youth League Organising Committee Determined to invigorate organised youth football league, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Board has set up a sevenmember Youth League Committee to organise the 2023/24 NPFL Youth League.

Former Chairman of Abia Warriors and a one time member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Pastor Emeka Inyama heads the Committee as Chairman.

Chairman of the NPFL, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, announced the composition of the Committee, Monday morning and remarked that "we want to ensure that every NPFL Club has a competitive youth team".

He further noted that the Club Licensing Regulations makes it compulsory for every licensed club to have a youth team that will participate in the Youth League.

"The Youth League will serve as the growth centre to develop the

next generation of NPFL Players as some gets older and others move abroad. This way, we would have a transition structure and also provide the country with options in youth development football at the U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels", Elegbeleye announced yesterday.

Other members of the Committee include; the Chairman of Benue State Football Association, Barrister Paul Ede, ex-international, Patrick Paschal, Sabo Abdullahi Eka, Nicholas Morris Kemeghde and the Lagos State FA Vice Chairman, Gafar Liameed who is also the proprietor of NNL Side, 36 Lions. NPFL Head of Competitions, Dr. Sunday Obaseki will serve as Secretary.

According to the NPFL Chairman, the NPFL Youth League will hold during the one week mid-season break to determine the qualifiers for a national championship playoff.

Kenneth Omeruo, Sadiq Umar and Jamilu Collins are amongst the early birds in Super Eagles camp in Uyo

Osimhen Admits He Chose Career Ahead of Saudi’s Petro-dollars Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen was on the brink of switching from Napoli to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

According to Napoli news outlet, Tutto Napoli, the striker made the disclosure while speaking to ‘Obi One Podcast’, the podcast of former Nigerian footballer John Obi Mikel.

He confirmed that he was

almost switching to Al Hilal, the former club of Odion Ighalo.

Osimhen valued by Napoli at £173m - was almost was almost convinced to join Al-Hilal, who had already signed Wolves captain Ruben Neves and Neymar.

“What has been said is true. I have to be honest, I never thought about leaving last summer because Napoli wanted to keep me, but

when the offer came from Saudi Arabia, a huge offer, it was hard to refuse. I spoke to Napoli and decided to stay”, Osimhen remarked.

“It was crazy… The more I said no, the more the economic supply increased. It would have changed my life; they never gave up. But I said: no guys, I’m staying.

Do I want to continue playing in

1XBET Cup: S’finalists in Battle Royale for Tickets to Final Bariga FC vs De Elites, Young Strikers vs Ighalo FC

The 1XBET Community Football Championship is on the home stretch as the four semi-finals battle for final tickets at the LASU Stadium.

Today’s semi-final matches would see Bariga FC tackling De Elites in the first game of the game of the day, while Young Strikers FC would face Ighalo FC in the second semi final gaffe..

In yesterday’s semi-final matches, it was Bariga FC who defeated Edunz FC 2-1 in the first quarter-final match, as Young Strikers who came back from a goal down to beat Fakson 2-1, also qualified for the semi-finals.

The third game was also a 2-1 win for De Elites over Glory Boys. The last game was between

Joint FC and Ighalo FC, and it was game aptly described as 'final before the final'.

Joint FC drew first blood in the first half courtesy of a penalty kick converted by Kehinde Suleiman in the 35th minute.

However, the Ighalo boys came back stronger in the second half, as Fawaz Yusuf who

was fouled in the box, dusted himself up and converted the kick to level terms in the 50th minute, for his seventh goal of the championship in as many games. After regulation time, it was straight to penalty kicks and Ighalo FC won by 4-2, to hit the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Coach Ambrose Duru of Ighalo FC , who spoke

with journalists after his team's qualification boasted gleefully that his boys would go on to to play in the grand finale.

Barrister Ayo Julius, who is coach of Bariga FC, was equally bullish, stating that his Ramba-Samba style would see his team play in final slated for November 23, at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos.

Europe now? Of course.

“I had talks in August, it was a huge decision for me. I spoke to Napoli and we decided together to refuse.

“I didn’t want people to think I wanted to leave. It was a positive decision for my career. As much as football is played for money, there is also so much more.”

Osimhen said he doesn’t have a favourite team in the English Premiership.

“But I had two shirts: Chelsea and Manchester United. A lot of my friends support Chelsea, a little less Manchester United.

The Premier League is a league that is very popular with African footballers.”

Osimhen finished last season as fifth-highest scorer in Europe, which also attracted interest from Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.

The striker fired Napoli to a first league title since Diego Maradona's side in 1990, with the Italian club also reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Soyinka to Muhammadu Buhari

“So, while we talk about regulation, I want us to be very careful there. I don’t want some dictator like this last one (immediate former President Muhammadu Buhari who banned Twitter) attempted to do; who woke up and said I’m banning Facebook (Twitter), idiot! You just woke up and say you are banning Facebook, that is nonsense!

Do something constructive, methodical, structured about it...” --Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka, castigates Buhari for banning the social media in 2021.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Off-Cycle Elections: Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa O ff-cycle elections in Nigeria are elections that are held outside the usual timetable for general elections. When Nigeria returned to democratic, civilian rule in 1999, the expectation was that elections would be held regularly across the federation in a four-year-cycle, but after the 1999 elections, many candidates went to court to protest the outcome of the elections in many states. The result was that the election petition tribunals removed some Governors and ordered re-elections. After the 1999 elections, off-cycle elections were held in eight states of the Federation. Thus, the decision of the courts which usually comes months after a Governor or a legislator may have been sworn in is the reason for the off-cycle elections. In 2003, in Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige had been sworn in as the Governor, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but Peter Obi of the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) objected to the results all the way to the Court of Appeal which ruled in his favour in March 2006. Ngige v. Obi went from the Tribunal to the Court of Appeal for over 34 months! It was possible given the position of the law at the time that the process could have gone on four years, and justice would not have been done.

Obi had to begin a fresh four-year term of four years, automatically pushing Anambra State out of the regular 4-year cycle. For this reason, Anambra’s next Gubernatorial election, going by the four-year cycle, would be in 2025 whereas Nigeria is due to hold general elections in 2027. Bayelsa is yet another example. Other examples include Edo State, Ekiti State, Kogi, Ondo, Osun, and Imo states. In Rauf Aregbesola and 2 ors v. Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ors, in the 2007 elections, the petitioner did not get justice until three years later in 2010. There was hence a felt need for the review of the 2010 Electoral Act, especially with regard to the time frame for determining election petitions. Off-cycle elections have their roots in this regard.

President Goodluck Jonathan, after voting in Bayelsa state during the current off-cycle elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states has been quoted as having now expressed the view that the National Assembly should consider an amendment of the Constitution to put an end to off-cycle elections in Nigeria. With the off-cycle pattern already in place, post-1999, and the decisions of the courts on various election petitions, it would be difficult to see how that can be done without violating sections of the Constitution which obligatorily state the tenure for elected officers as four years, renewable every four years for the President and Governors, with a limit of two terms, and open-ended for legislators.

The extension of that tenure by a day would be a gross violation of Section 135 (2) for the Presidential position, and Section 180 with regard to Governors.

Besides, it was the case previously that election petition cases used to be heard in some cases, for three years as already indicated, creating room for grave injustices and limited access to justice. The 2002 Electoral Act and the 2006 Electoral Act did not specify time limitations for election petitions.

This was the mischief that the amendment of Section 285(6) of the 1999 Constitution (by the First Amendment Act No 1 of 2010) sought to correct by limiting the hearing and disposal of petitions to 180 days, and 60 days for the appeals arising therefrom. These amendments arose from petitions to the 6th National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

The merit in President Jonathan’s statement is not that off-cycle elections would end, they have come to stay, but that there is indeed a need for amendments of the Constitution and the reform of the Electoral Act to deepen our electoral system.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu There are two arguments on the table: by those who argue that the time limitation in Section 285(6) of the 1999 Constitution often limits the intendment of Section 36 on fair hearing, and hence should be further extended, and the second by those who argue that in fact the time limitation should be reviewed to ensure that all election petitions should be determined within a shorter period and before anyone is sworn into office. In other words, it would amount to a miscarriage of justice for a person to enjoy the benefits of an undeserved victory only to be removed months later as in again Ngige vs Obi, or for the court to have its hands tied by the limitation of time as in Senator Adeleke v. Gov. Oyetola (2019). The prevalent opinion is that election petitions should be determined before anyone assumes office as is done in Kenya. Perhaps when this happens, the number of off-cycle elections would be reduced considerably. After every general election many issues are thrown up for further consideration and reform, and there are many that have been thrown up in such manner in recent times after the 2023 General election including time limits for election petitions, electronic transmission of results, the burden of proof, and whether or not our courts in determining election cases, should rely less on technicalities and lean more towards judicial activism as in Marbury vs. Madison, and Adegbenro vs. Akintola.

However, with regard to off-cycle elections, I recall that after the 1999 and 2003 elections, the dominant impression at the time was that such elections were necessarily good for the country’s “fledgling” (once upon a time, a famous phrase) electoral system. It was thought that they would provide the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders in the process an opportunity to correct whatever mistakes that they may have made in the main elections and respond also to omissions identified by the courts and the general public. Unfortunately, this has never been the case. Every off-cycle election is as bad as the main election, in many cases worse. Nigerian politicians and the various stakeholders are obsessed with their own greed, ambition and limitations.

Nobody shows any capacity to learn any lessons, making every election the same of the same: the same incredulous pattern of criminality, conflict and capture. This is what the current off-season elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states have

demonstrated. As usual, the various stakeholders observed the established pattern, elections having become hollow rituals in Nigeria.

Ahead of the elections, the National Peace Committee chaired by General Abdusalami Abubakar invited the gubernatorial candidates in the three states to a peace accord signing event. Out of the 16 candidates in Bayelsa State, 15 showed up, the only one who was absent, Udengs Eradiri of the Labour Party (LP) said his own party people hid the invitation away from him, so he did not know about the event and that in any case, even if he was invited, he was not interested in signing any peace accord in the company of the same perpetrators of violence, attending accord signing ceremonies they do not believe in. Indeed, in Bayelsa state, shortly after the signing of the peace accord, Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri (PDP), and his APC counterpart, Chief Timipre Sylva engaged in a war of words blaming each other for promoting violence.

In Imo State, 17 political parties signed the accord, but conspicuously absent were the candidates of the APC, the incumbent Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Labour Party candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who by the way, arrived the venue and not sighting the candidates of the other two major parties decided to leave. He obviously considered voting for peace a matter of ego and status. Also absent were the candidates of the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Tony Ejiogu, and Ben Odunze of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). The running mates to the Gubernatorial candidates (APC, LP, and PDP) who were sent to represent their principals were not allowed to sign the accord.

Party Chairmen were allowed to do so though.

In Kogi State, 18 Gubernatorial candidates signed the peace accord, with John Cardinal Onaiyekan appealing to the conscience of the political parties and their candidates, urging them to play according to the rules of the game.

Apart from the signing of the peace accord, other stakeholders in the process assured Nigerians that they were ready. This was going to be an election in three senatorial zones (South South, South East and North Central) with a total of 5.169, 992 voters, in 10, 470 polling units across 649 wards in 56 Local Government Areas. INEC deployed 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners, 2 National Commissioners and 46, 084 regular and ad hoc staff. The police mobilized a total of 92, 565 personnel, including 27, 000 in Bayelsa, 25, 565 in Imo and 40, 000 in Kogi, with a Deputy Inspector General of Police leading the operation in each state assisted by AIGs and CPs, helicopters and 15 gunboats in Bayelsa. The political parties on their part deployed 137, 934 agents to cover the polling and collation centres. An off-cycle election in three states, limited only to Gubernatorial elections, would seem to be easier to manage than a general election in 33 states of the Federation. Everything also seemed set on the eve of the November 11 elections, but what happened?

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), one of the many Civil Society Organizations that covered the election drew attention to the spate of violence, armed thuggery, and electoral fraud in the three states. HURIWA went further to advise losers not to bother to go to the courts to challenge the outcome of the polls in the three states because the judiciary cannot guarantee justice.

HURIWA is wrong on that score. The judiciary is still the best forum for aggrieved persons in the electoral process, no matter how flawed to seek redress. Petitioners must always be encouraged to address their concerns through a recourse to due process and the rule of law, never through self-help.

But as for violence, this was widespread in Imo

where party Chairman of the Labour Party and an agent of the party were beaten up, in Bayelsa there were reports of shootings and killings before and during the election in Nembe, Basambiri, Brass, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma-Opokuma.

In Brass LG, INEC officials were held hostage; in Yenagoa, there were street protests over results from APC strongholds in Nembe. The more astonishing report was the revelation that in Kogi state that certain persons were found with pre-filled election results forms even before the election commenced in five Local Government Areas, resulting in INEC’s decision to cancel the election in some polling units in the affected LGAs and to reschedule the elections for Saturday November 18 as follows: Ogoro-Magongo (9 wards), Adavi (5), Ajaokuta (5) Okehi (7) and Okene (5). The Civil Society Situation Room has asked that this should be investigated

by INEC – how did sensitive election results forms get into the hands of unauthorized persons ahead of the election? Who did it? My fear is that the investigations may lead to nowhere.

Other election observers including Watching the Vote Initiative - YIAGA Africa, EU-sponsored TAF Africa and the Centre for Democracy and Development Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) have all reported logistics challenges, vote-buying, and collusion between state government officials, security agents and electoral officials. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 14 vote buyers in all three states. Udengs Eradiri in Bayelsa and Dino Melayein Kogi both further protested that indeed the level of vote buying was so overwhelming but they were not part of it. In many places, voting materials arrived late and the BVAS did not work as Senator Achonu claims.

There were reports of discrepancies between the results at polling units and the data posted on the IREV portal. Even more bewildering is the report

by YIAGA that INEC uploaded results for polling units where elections did not take place. How? In all the three states, incumbency was a major factor, with Hope Uzodinma of Imo State winning by a wide margin of 540, 308 votes, his closest challenger, Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP- 71, 503 votes. Uzodinma has claimed this as a vindication of the fact that he truly won in 2019, and has won again leading in all the state’s 27 Local Governments. In Bayelsa state, incumbent Governor Douye Diri was declared winner with 175, 196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sylva of the APC who polled 110, 108 votes (not so wide a margin in this case). In Kogi State, Usman Ododo, the anointed candidate of the incumbent and outgoing Governor, got 446, 237 votes to beat Muri Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who scored 259, 052 votes. But there is something even more noteworthy in the Kogi election. The people voted strictly along ethnic lines, with the people of Kogi West (the Okun people) playing the beautiful bride by pitching their tent with Kogi Central (the Ebira) to prevent the Igala (Kogi East), who had ruled the state for so long, and to prove to this dominant group that they do not have the advantage of the numerical strength that they claim. Usman Ododo is not necessarily a product of any grand strategy, but the Okun and the Ebira conspiring against the Igala, in the hope that if the Ebira end up spending 16 years in power as the Igalas did, they too, the Okun people will in the future be supported by the Ebira. This ethnic sub-text to Nigerian politics which rears its head at every cycle portends danger for the polity.

On the whole, there isn’t much to cheer about the conduct of the just-concluded off-season elections. The various stakeholders seem not to have learnt the right lessons. In all the three states, the opposition parties have called for the cancellation of the elections. Nigeria remains a work in progress.

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