TUESDAY 27TH DECEMBER 2022

Data show country barely drilled 60% of 1.88 million bpd budget benchmark $30bn Brass, Olokola LNG projects suffer 19 years delay despite lucrative gas market IOCs spent over $1bn on projects without FID, says NCDMB

in the 2022 federal budget, Nigeria under-produced to the tune of 263 million barrels of the commodity between January and November, a THISDAY analysis of industry

data has shown. Also, Nigeria's inability to deliver two major Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects -the $20 billion and $9.8 billion

Brass and Olokola LNG projects, respectively, after about 19 years of their initiation has resulted to the country now counting its losses from the failed projects despite gas

TRUTH & REASON

becoming increasingly lucrative at the moment.

expected daily output for 2022 at 1.88 million barrels per day, pegging it at a price of $57 per

In the last quarter of 2021, the Senate and House of Representatives agreed to fix the country's Continued on page 31

Tuesday 27 December, 2022 Vol 27. No 10121. Price: N250

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos

THISDAY 2023 Election Centre: Why Presidential Run off is Increasingly Likely

Atiku has 23 states sure of 25%, Tinubu has 20 states he’s sure of 25%

With the changing realities in next year’s electoral permutations, there is an increasing likelihood that the first ballot at the February 25 presidential election may not produce a clear winner.

By implication, there may be a run-off in the presidential bout before a clear winner is returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Although, with their current standing, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, can still boast 23 states, where he is likely to get 25 per cent, while his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Bola Tinubu, is confident of 20 states, where he can also pull his weight.

The candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, follow as third and fourth in that order with fall far short in many states to satisfy the constitutional requirement of 25 per cent of votes cast in 24 states.

This latest developments follow a recent THISDAY poll – The Explainer – released by the THISDAY 2023 Election Centre projections, where a breakdown of the new realities is advanced, with implications for each candidate.

Some of the factors responsible for the new realities include the presence of the candidates in each of the states, their structures and support base, capacity to mobilise, the contents of their respective manifestos, ethnic sentiments, their popularity and name recognition, as well as financial war chest.

While the factors function differently from zone to zone, those responsible for the state-by-state analysis also differ in many respects, with the political parties playing defining roles as well.

NORTH-CENTRAL

In the North-central, there is a mixed bag of factors responsible for candidates’ stand, which is almost defying the previous extrapolation.

Plateau State:

A traditional PDP state currently under the control of the ruling APC, there is a battle to take back the state from APC, even though the ruling party is leaving nothing to chance. Yet, LP is encroaching and making a significant inroad. Here, according to The Explainer, Tinubu is at the moment on 20 per cent, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi 35 per cent, Kwankwaso five per cent, and the others/undecided, five per cent each.

Benue State:

Benue’s situation is close to Plateau, but the candidates stand differently. While Tinubu is struggling with 20 per cent, Atiku is slightly with an edge at 25 per cent, but Obi pushes up to 30 per cent, while Kwankwaso is at 10 and the others/undecided stands at 15 per cent each. The LP advantage may not be unconnected with the position of the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who has publicly declared support for Obi.

Nasarawa State:

Although an APC state, the current realities do not show such advantage. Here, Tinubu is at 30 per cent, Atiku 25 per cent, but Obi is also 25 per cent, Kwankwaso 10 per cent, while the others/undecided 10 percent.

Niger State:

This is one North-central state that has remained largely unpredictable in terms of its behaviour ahead of 2023, even though it is at the

moment controlled by APC. Tinubu and Atiku are at 35 per cent each, while Obi, Kwankwaso and others/ undecided stay at 10 per cent each.

Kogi State:

For the ruling APC, Kogi is one of those unreliable states as far as 2023 is concerned. Nonetheless, Tinubu and Atiku are at 35 per cent each, Obi boasts 15 per cent, Kwankwaso is at five per cent, and the others/ undecided are at 10 per cent.

Kwara State:

Since the journey to 2023 began, Kwara is one North-central state that has remained consistent with PDP and where the party can hedge its bet. With the incumbency factor at play, Tinubu is at 35 per cent, while Atiku is at 40 per cent. But Obi and Kwankwaso are at 10 per cent each, while the others/undecided are at five per cent.

NORTH-EAST

Though, bogged down by insecurity, the North-east comes to the 2023 race with huge strength.

The presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku, is from the zone, while the vice-presidential candidate of APC, Kashim Shettima, is also from the same area. This interesting situation also makes the zone somewhat impenetrable for the others.

Borno State:

With the Shettima factor and home zone advantage, Tinubu is at 40 per cent here, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi's score is infinitesimal, Kwankwaso 15 per cent, while the others/undecided are on five per cent.

Yobe State:

Yobe offers a serious struggle between APC and PDP, with an insignificant impact of the others. Tinubu is at 40 per cent here, Atiku is on 35 per cent, Obi five per cent, Kwankwaso 15 per cent, and the others/undecided are 15 per cent.

Adamawa State:

More than any other time and in addition to the incumbency factor in the state, coupled with the home advantage, Atiku’s influence continues to be on the rise here.

Thus, while Tinubu is struggling with 20 per cent, Atiku boasts a comfortable 60 per cent, Obi is at 10 per cent, Kwankwaso five per cent and, the others/undecided share five per cent.

Taraba State

With an extended influence of the PDP candidate to Taraba, Tinubu is taking with him 10 per cent, Atiku has 40 per cent, Obi 20 per cent, Kwankwaso 20 per cent, and the others/undecided make do with 10 per cent.

Gombe State:

The zone advantage is still at play for the PDP candidate, where the people would rather choose their son for the number one position than their other son, who is number two. Tinubu has 20 per cent here, Atiku has 40 per cent, Obi 15 per cent, Kwankwaso five per cent, and the others/undecided have 20 per cent.

Bauchi State:

A PDP state, Bauchi is putting its all into the election and giving its candidate his best chance possible. Tinubu is at 20 per cent here, Atiku has 40 per cent, Obi five per cent, Kwankwaso 15 per cent, and the others/undecided are at 20 per cent.

NORTH-WEST

The North-west is about the most important in the equation in terms of votes return. Unfortunately, Tinubu is losing steam here while Atiku and Kwankwaso are gaining ground. This is because APC has put its campaign on the back of governors in the zone, whereas the governors themselves are not that strong, with the planning of their retirement. Importantly, too, the governors are afraid of what happened to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who had 23 governors and eight of the governors lost their states. Above all, the North-west governors are not happy with Tinubu, as he promised a majority of them the ticket to pair with him, but chose Shettima, a Kanuri, instead. That even looks like the most important factor.

Kano State:

With the interplay of interests as the north headquarters, Tinubu is doing 30 per cent here, despite the fact that it is an APC state. Atiku is at 20 per cent, Obi five per cent, while Kwankwaso is at 40 per cent. The others/undecided share five per cent.

Kaduna State:

In Kaduna, Tinubu is doing 30 per cent, Atiku 25 per cent, Obi 20 per cent, Kwankwaso 20 per cent, and the others/undecided five per cent.

Katsina State:

The home state of President Muhammadu Buhari with an APC governor is showing a rather interesting result. In spite of the many advantages, Tinubu is at 30 per cent, Atiku 40 per cent, Obi is not in play, Kwankwaso is 25 per cent and the others/undecided are five per cent.

Jigawa State:

This is an APC state, but PDP is doing well here. Tinubu is at 25 per cent, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi does not seem visible here, Kwankwaso is at 25 per cent, while the others/ undecided have 10 per cent.

Sokoto State:

Sokoto promises a close race, with Tinubu doing 35 per cent and Atiku 40 per cent. Not unexpectedly, Obi is also not in play here, but Kwankwaso is at 15 per cent while the others/ undecided are at 10 per cent.

Kebbi State:

The race here is similar to Sokoto’s, albeit propelled by dissimilar factors. Tinubu boasts 35 per cent here, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi is non-existent, Kwankwaso is at 20 per cent, while the others/undecided are 10 per cent.

Zamfara State:

Tinubu is doing well here because of Governor Bello Matawalle, who is campaigning seriously for him. In addition, APC has tried to use the court to hold down and remove the PDP candidate, Dauda LawanDare. However, if Lawan-Dare, a former First Bank Executive Director, survives the court battle, Atiku might win Zamfara, with Gen. Aliyu Gasau also fighting for him. But Tinubu is currently doing 40 per cent, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi is out of equation, Kwankwaso is at 20 per cent and the others/undecided, five per cent.

SOUTH-EAST

The South-east is a zone of interest in the 2023 general election. This is because in spite of the multi-faceted security situation in the place, it is looking like a clean sweep for Obi, while the other candidates struggle to get some paltry recognition.

Anambra State:

As a South-east state, Anambra is solidly behind Obi and this is in spite of a recent comment by Governor Chukwuma Soludo. Obi is pitching for a landslide. This is because the average Igbo man just wants to make a statement with Obi’s candidacy. For many here, it is not about Obi winning or not winning. Here, Tinubu is on five per cent, Atiku 10 per cent, Obi 70 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in play, while the others/undecided are at 15 per cent.

Abia State:

The ethnic sentiment is also prevalent here and this sees Tinubu doing 10 per cent, Atiku doing 15 per cent, Obi comfortably on 60 per cent, Kwankwaso is non-existent, and the others/undecided are 15 per cent.

Ebonyi State:

Tinubu and Atiku are at 15 per cent each, Obi is at 60 per cent, Kwankwaso is not visible here, while the others/undecided are 10 per cent.

Enugu State:

In Enugu, Tinubu is doing 10 per cent, Atiku 15 per cent, Obi 60 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in play but the others/undecided are 15 per cent.

Imo State:

The permutations in Imo are slightly different, combined with its peculiar security situation and in spite of the incumbency factor. Nevertheless, Tinubu is at 15 per cent, Atiku 20 per cent, Obi 60 per cent, Kwankwaso is not reckoned, and the others/undecided are five per cent.

SOUTH-SOUTH

Delta State:

The PDP presidential running mate and incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has upped the PDP chances in the state. But the opposition still gives a good fight. In Delta Central where Omo Agege comes from, it's divided between Omo Agege, Ogboru and Ibori, while Delta South and Delta North are essentially PDP strong hold, but very recently, Peter Obi has been making inroads into the north. Here, Tinubu is doing 15 per cent, Atiku is on 40 per cent, Obi 35 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in play, and the others/undecided are 10 per cent.

Edo State:

Although the PDP has always done well in its presidential postings in the state, the game this time is slightly different. Tinubu is on 15 per cent, Atiku and Obi are doing 35 per cent each, Kwankwaso is not in play, while the others/undecided are 15 per cent.

Akwa Ibom State:

A PDP terrain, the governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel, is the chairman of the presidential campaign council. The party looks comfortable here. Tinubu is on 15 per cent, Atiku 40 per cent, Obi 35 per cent, Kwankwaso is not reckoned, and the others/undecided, 10 per cent.

Bayelsa State:

A traditional PDP stronghold, Bayelsa remains loyal to the opposition party, but with strong contest by the others. Tinubu is at 20 per cent, Atiku 40 per cent, Obi 30 per cent, Kwankwaso is out of the equation, and the others/ undecided are 10 per cent.

Cross River:

Cross River has a different play, which has defied many guesses and extrapolations. Tinubu is at 25 per cent, Atiku is playing at 20 per cent, Obi 35 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in the equation and the others/ undecided are 15 per cent.

Rivers State:

Rivers is going to be one of the most interesting states to watch. There is the possibility that the Wike factor will work against PDP. Wike has not decided yet. He said he would decide in the coming days and he is likely to support Obi, taking after Ortom. So far, Tinubu is on 10 per cent, Atiku 15 per cent, Obi 35 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in contention, and the others/undecided are at 40 per cent.

SOUTH-WEST

Of all the zones, South-west is about the most cosmopolitan with electoral choices, and also tolerant of others, irrespective of their ethnic leanings. This is evident in their pattern of voting.

Lagos State:

This is Tinubu’s base, where he is like a “god” over everything that breathes and non-living. Yet, the threat posed by the opposition is real. With the incumbency factor and home advantage, Tinubu is comfortably doing 45 per cent, Atiku 20 per cent, Obi 25 per cent, Kwankwaso five per cent and the others/undecided are five per cent.

Ogun State:

In Ogun, despite the incumbency factor and fractionalisation in the party, Tinubu is still doing 45 per cent, Atiku 20 per cent, Obi 10 per cent, Kwankwaso 15 per cent, and the others/undecided are at 15 per cent.

Ondo State:

PDP has always done well in the presidential elections in Ondo, the sentiment that Tinubu is Yoruba might have tainted the pattern. Therefore, Tinubu is at 45 per cent, Atiku is at 20 per cent, Obi is 10 per cent, Kwankwaso 10 per cent, and the others/undecided are15 per cent.

Ekiti State:

Recent developments have shown that PDP in Ekiti State has begun to close ranks and work for the success of its candidate. But the newly elected government of APC also has relative control in the state. So far, Tinubu is doing 45 per cent, Atiku is on 20 per cent, Obi 15 per cent, Kwankwaso is not in play, and the others/undecided are 15 per cent.

Oyo State:

The capital of South-west politics, Oyo is also looking in the way of Tinubu and this much the governor, Makinde, hinted at during a radio interview some time ago. Tinubu is on 40 per cent, Atiku 20 per cent, Obi 15 per cent, Kwankwaso 15 per cent, and the others/undecided are also 15 per cent.

Osun State:

Of all the states in the South-west zone, Osun chose to differ a bit by not weighing too much on Tinubu’s side, unlike the others. With a PDP governor, who is not revolting against the party leadership, it is no wonder that the party is comfortable in the state. Yet, there is a Yoruba movement that wants Tinubu. Here, Tinubu is at 35 per cent, Atiku 35 per cent, Obi is at 5 per cent, Kwankwaso is 5 per cent, while the others/ undecided are 20 per cent.

57TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE & FUND RAISING...

MPC Member Laments ‘Problematic’ Fiscal Policy in Economic Management

Says reliance on monetary accommodation to enhance fiscal

operations is costly to the economy both in the medium and long term.

A member of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has lamented the failure of the fiscal authority to measure up to expectations in complementing the monetary side to address macroeconomic challenges confronting the country, particularly inflation.

According to Dr. Adenikinju Adeola Festus, the, “fiscal side remained problematic” in achieving price and monetary stability.

Festus, in his personal statement during the 145th meeting of the committee in November, said from January to September 2022, three months to the end of the year, revenue actualisation remained 35.8 per cent of the budget projections for 2022, while expenditure actualisation was 59.99 per cent of the expenditure projection for the year.

He further noted the budget deficit was 0.78 per cent above the budget estimate of N6.38 trillion for 2022, adding that total public debt also rose by 2.98 per cent to N42.85 trillion at end-June 2022.

As a result, he said the apex bank should moderate further financing of the federal government and conclude on the securitisation of the FGN exposure to the CBN.

He said, “The worsening fiscal balances should also be addressed. Most indicators of fiscal balances are in red. The reliance on monetary accommodation to enhance fiscal

“The revenue challenges of the government should be confronted headlong. The bank (CBN) should moderate further financing of the federal government and conclude on the securitisation of the FGN exposure to the CBN. In addition, the issue of oil theft and vandalization of pipelines and other government assets must be urgently addressed.”

Also, in his statement, another member of the MPC, Mr. Adamu Lametek, said fiscal activities were expected to gather momentum in the next few months as the present political administrations at the federal level and in many states try to complete ongoing projects before May 2023, when they would be handing over to succeeding administrations.

This, he said, “further complicates the outlook for system liquidity and deserves to be a part of the policy calculations from the monetary side of economic management.”

Also, commenting on the inefficiencies of the fiscal side towards better management of the economy, another member of the MPC, Asogwa Robert Chikwendu, lamented the increases in the government’s spending amid low revenue.

Chikwendu said, “The domestic fiscal risk remains elevated on the back of an unapproving government revenue position, which is similar to the situation during the last MPC meeting. With considerable increases

in government expenditure in the midst of low revenue as at September 2022, the overall debt stock keeps ballooning.

“As at September 2022, the country’s total debt as reported by the Debt Management Office had reached over N44 trillion with debt servicing costs also at alarming levels. Clearly, attempts at limiting the size of the fiscal deficit through some expenditure wisdom will certainly rebalance the risk.”

operations costly

On his part, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, in his personal statement noted that while the Nigerian economy had remained resilient, its prospects were susceptible to global shocks and domestic imbalances.

He pointed out that though short-term growth output is positive, inflation expectations remain unacceptably high.

Emefiele, in his submission, said, “It is thus imperative to maintain

to

economy Urges CBN to moderate further financing of FG, conclude on securitisation of govt’s exposure to apex bank

coordinated and decisive policies to tackle inflation and inflation expectations. I note that the current trajectory of inflation seems to be flattening reflecting the dampening effect of recent monetary tightening and other supply-side actions of the CBN.

“Yet, the current level of inflation is not conducive to growth. Failure to adequately tackle inflation threats now will entrench it at high levels and detrimentally

normalise expectations. This will harm economic growth in the long run and depress potential output while concurrently blunting the efficacy of macroeconomic policies.

“Accordingly, I support strong disinflation measures, at this time, in order to attain price stability conducive to growth. I reiterate that current inflation is higher-thandesired and needs to be curbed decisively, even as I acknowledge the attendant GDP loss.”

Obaseki: We’re Partnering New BEDC Management to Improve Power Supply in Edo

Seeks to partner India on technical education, manpower devt, technology, others

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration is working closely with the new management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to improve electricity supply across the state.

In a statement, Obaseki, said the state had the capacity to generate about 1,000 megawatts of electricity daily, expressing confidence that with the partnership with BEDC, Edo State would witness increased power supply by next year.

The governor said, “We are very optimistic that by this time next year, electricity supply would have improved across Edo State. We

are very blessed in Edo State, as we have the capacity of generating about 1,000 megawatts of electricity every day in Edo State. We don't need that amount of electricity to power every house and industry in the state.

“Edo State has the largest kilometers of fiber optic cable. It has 1,200km of fiber optic cable in the state. With electricity and fibers, people don't need to leave their villages and come to Benin City to do businesses, as they will be able to grow the economy of our state wherever they are.

“We have made investment in poultry, oil palm, cassava and other

One of the Separated Conjoined Twins at UITH is Dead, Surgeon Reveals

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The leader of 66-man surgeon team that successfully carried out the separation of conjoined twins at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH) in January 2021, Prof. Lukman Olajide Abdur- Raheem has disclosed that one of the separated conjoined twins died due to adhesive intestinal obstruction barely two weeks to her second birthday.

Abdur- Raheem made the disclosure in Ilorin, while delivering his 222nd Inaugural lecture of the University of Ilorin over the weekend.

The theme of the lecture was,

“Shades of Joy and Cry: Intricacies of Children’s Surgery for Restoring Smile and Hope for the Future.”

The twin sister according to the inaugural lecturer, "is hale and hearty and is among the mammoth crowd with her mother, as audience at the university auditorium, venue of the lecture."

The management of UITH had on January 14, 2021, presented the set of female twins, alive, to the public after doctors successfully separated them.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UITH, Prof. Abdullah Dasilva Yussuf, who briefed the press on the occasion had attributed the accomplishment to the com-

mitment and determination of the team.

However, the leader of the team who performed the feat explained that, "the conjoined twins are rare anomalies resulting from an abnormal division of fertilised ovum during the process of twinning."

Conjoined twins, he said, have intricate parts that are shared in unique manner from the head to the toes and require thorough investigations to determine anatomic and physiologic implications of separation of the shared parts.

He added that, "About 19 pairs of conjoined twins were reported to have been born alive or dead in

Nigeria in the last nine decades, from which the UITH, Ilorin had managed three pairs between 2005 to 2015, even under fragile conditions.

“In our setting, we adopted adult investigative and therapeutic equipment for optimal outcomes since many children equipment are not available."

The success with the celebrated first successful separation of conjoined twins in llorin in January 2021, according to him, resulted from the cohesive 66-man multidisciplinary collaborative team under his leadership.

agricultural products in the state to make Edo the agricultural hub of Nigeria.”

The governor also stated, “As a government, we are continuing to rebuild our infrastructure as the raining season was extraordinarily long this year. It still rained last week and is still raining in December, posing a problem and challenge and not letting us pick up the pace of construction and repair of roads destroyed by the rain.

“It's better now and as a government, we have made enough and adequate provisions to make people move their goods and services across the state.

“Unfortunately, the federal government is not doing what we are doing in terms of ensuring motorable roads for citizens as we still have challenges with federal roads in Edo State.”

Meanwhile, Obaseki said his government was exploring investment opportunities with the Indian government to sustain gains recorded in boosting Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) as well as human capacity development, among others.

Obaseki said the government was finalising plans with the government of India to train more teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, boost the capacity of civil and public servants, and groom more youths on technical and vocational skills.

The governor said this when he received the Consul General of India,

Mr.

He said, “We want to start with programmes that already exist so that we can quickly key into it and start our relationship from there. We are a subnational and we have seen opportunities in working with Indian sub-nationals.

“We are looking at seeing how we can get to some states or sub-nationals who have their own programmes because it is faster rather than wait for the federal government of India and the federal government of Nigeria to agree in terms of some bilateral arrangements before we can move ahead.

“One of the quickest challenges we have to industrialisation is that our education system, unlike India, has not emphasised technical training enough but still has the English prep school arrangement whereas many of the Asian countries have emphasized more technical training at the secondary level, giving kids a lot of options to use their hands.”

The governor told the Indian delegation, “We want to explore and talk with you to quickly bridge the gap in sourcing teachers to train students in technical subjects in our schools. We would like to seek specific opportunities in STEM and technical education, looking at the iLearn scheme which you have.

James Emejo in Abuja

Chandramouli Kern, who led other top Indian government officials on a courtesy visit at Government House in Benin City.

L-R: National President IEDPU, Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman; Sariki Salama, Alhaji Ayuba Gabari; Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; and Permanent secretary Federal Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore, during 57th Annual National Conference & Fund Raising for the completion of Ilorin Emirate Skills Acquisition Centre, in Ilorin Kwara State… on Sunday.

YORUBA TENNIS CLUB CHRISTMAS

EVE DANCE...

State Governors Key in Nation's Insecurity Solution, Security Experts

A group of security experts yesterday said the 36 state governors in the country remained major key to insecurity solution in the country. Speaking as a group of panelists at the fourth annual colloquium of the Galaxy Clique Offa with the theme, "Emerging Trends and Insecurity in our Communities: Challenges and Solutions," the

security experts also called on state governors to give adequate support and assistance to security agencies to tackle "worrisome" security challenges.

The team of panelists at the colloquium included a former director of National Military Strategy at the National Defence College, Abuja, Air Vice Marshal Ishaq Balogun (Rtd), Assistant Inspector General of Police, Remi Opadokun (Rtd), Oyo

state commandant of Amotekun, Colonel Olayinka Olayanju (Rtd) and the executive chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Mrs. Shade Omoniyi, as well as other traditional security operatives.

Balogun who urged state governors to improve relationship with security agencies and organise regular show of force, said the only language understood by terrorists

was show of force.

"If all the security outfits were supported to do what they're supposed to do, we wouldn't have gotten to this level.

"The military forces owe governors military assistance to constituted authorities and military assistance to civil authorities.

"With this, I wonder why some state governors will feel that they can't issue directives to chief

COREN Seeks Signatory to Washington Accord for Smooth Mobility of Nigerian Engineers

in Abuja

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has disclosed that it was pushing to ensure that Nigerian engineers are able to ply their trade in any part of the world which are signatories to the Washington accord.

President and Chairman of Council of COREN, Mr. Ali Rabiu, in a statement in Abuja, explained that meetings were already being held to allow Nigerians practice in signatory countries.

The Washington Accord was first signed in 1989 and recognises that professional engineering education programmes accredited by the signatories deliver outcomes that are substantially equivalent to the Washington Accord Graduate Attributes.

“For now, also being pursued vigorously by COREN is the process of applying for Provisional Signatory Status of the Washington Accord (WA) under the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) seeking mobility for Nigerian engineers such that they can practice in signatory countries.

“In the course of this, COREN team had held series of meetings with Emeritus Prof. Elizabeth Taylor, Washington Accord Executive Committee Chair and her team and the Engineering Council of South Africa, ECSA.

“Equally, COREN has been effectively put on the engineering world map by ensuring its adequate visibility and participation in activities of World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO),

such as the World Engineering Summit of March, 2022 at Costa Rica.

“It also participated at the 30th Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) General Assembly, the 6th FEIAP Convention of July, 2022, which held in the Philippines and also the 8th Edition of African Engineering Week/6th African Engineering Conference in Ethiopia,” Rabiu noted.

Additionally, COREN stated that in championing mobility of Nigerian engineers within the African region, it recently hosted delegations from Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers and Ghana Institution of Engineers.

In compliance with the provisions of the Engineers, CAP E11 2004 Act as amended and in line with its commitment to the uplift of COREN as a formidable engineering regulatory organisation in Nigeria, the council stressed that it ensured the deployment of more effective strategies for guaranteeing best practice among the various professionals in engineering through the review of curricula.

The body explained that this is critical as Nigerian engineering programmes are transiting from the traditional input based to outcome-based education, with the aim of raising the competency level of the Nigerian engineering practitioners.

COREN noted that the successful investigation and reprimanding as well as prosecution of erring engineering practitioners as it relates to collapse of buildings

and sundry offences associated with the built industry in Nigeria were also embarked upon in the outgoing year.

It highlighted the introduction of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points as part requirement for the procurement of practice licence as a quality control mechanism to ensure that only competent practitioners are issued with practice license, with effective implementation date from January, 2023.

“This is in pursuance of the COREN amended Act which has made practice licence compulsory for all engineering practitioners and firms.

“In order to ensure operational excellence in engineering, some critical indigenous engineering regulations, codes and standards have been developed, some of which have been recently gazetted to regulate engineering practice in Nigeria,” it pointed out.

Rabiu stressed that the organisation has also introduced the COREN Engineering Practitioners’ Code of Conduct, Regulations on Accreditation of Engineering Programmes in Nigeria, Regulations on Structural Engineering Practice in Nigeria as well as the Regulations for Establishment of Engineering Practitioners Examination Committee.

In addition, the COREN president said there are now regulations for marine engineering, naval architecture and marine surveying practice in Nigeria.

He explained that work has commenced on developing

National Construction Safety Standards for Nigeria in the area of building/civil infrastructure, amongst others.

“The establishment of the Engineering Practitioners’ Examination Committee for the immediate implementation of a harmonised professional registration scheme that will be beneficial to all stakeholders in engineering.

“As a result of the incessant incidences of collapse of structures, particularly buildings in various parts of the country, posing serious safety and economic challenges to the populace, COREN called presidents and registrars of some regulatory and professional bodies in the built environment together to a crucial meeting of the professionals in the built environment to proffer sustainable and efficient solutions to the ugly menace,” the statement added.

It also listed the establishment of Engineering Accreditation Committee to among other terms of reference, implement COREN accreditation policy and formulate guidelines and procedures for accreditation and the launch of new engineering programmes as part of the council’s achievements.

“COREN is implementing the Engineering Regulations Monitoring Programme by establishing State Technical Committees and State Expatriate Monitoring Committees in all the States of the Federation. At present, 20 have been inaugurated. The most recent ones were in Abeokuta, Ogun and Lagos States last week respectively,” Rabiu stressed.

command of military or Police in emergencies.

Please, let's know that anywhere military or Police is sited, they should assist to serve the interest of that area. We are supposed to relate with military in our areas to help prevent insecurity", he said.

The security experts, who identified drivers of insecurity to include unemployment and poverty, said that extreme poverty could lead to crime. Others, they said were drug abuse, proliferation of small arms, get-rich-quick syndrome, rising population figure, as well as actions and inactions of members of each community.

They also suggested quality leadership, rule of law, development of the nation's security architecture, improved community policing, restructuring the Nigeria state, technical career education, resuscitation of moribund industries and value/moral education as some of the key solutions to the prevalent insecurity in the country.

"The effective formulation and implementation of guidelines and programmes that can address the basic causes of uncertainties in Nigeria is essential, particularly with regard to poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, injustice, corruption, porous borders,

and proliferation of light and small arms.

"Efforts to combat insecurity can only be effective if there is a solid combination of legislative and judiciary interference with Government reforms that address some serious human security challenges facing a large majority of the population.

"Hence, dealing with insecurity requires political will or sincerity of purpose and undivided commitment on the part of the leadership of the country," they added.

In her speech, the chairman of the occasion, the executive chairman of the KWIRS, Mrs. Shade Omoniyi, who said insecurity portends a dangerous threat to the unity of the country, added that, "it takes teamwork to find a way out of the prevalent security situation we have found ourselves in."

"We have to ponder on all our differences, and use all our collective creativity to carefully pursue the common saying that security begins with you and me, to save our community from this quagmire.

"Perhaps, a good starting point to addressing these myriad of security issues is to build an 'elite consensus' on Nigeria's security, unity, incomprehensibility and peaceful existence".

Buhari Rejoices with Senator Akume at 69

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has joined family, friends and associates to celebrate the Minister of Special Duties, Senator George Akume as he marks his 69th birthday anniversary today.

In a tribute, the president in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, affirmed Akume as a leader who means and counts a lot to his community, nation and humanity in general.

“Akume is a servant of God in his Catholic Christian belief and practices. As a politician and the third civilian governor of Benue State, he served his people with remarkable excellence and com-

mitment to duty. When elected as a Senator after the successful completion of his two terms, Akume served with distinction.

"He brought home critical constituency projects, sponsored noteworthy bills and laws and stood against the subversion of the constitution through tenure elongation and as Minister of Special Duties, he continues to serve the nation with a high sense of commitment.

“In politics, his current leadership of the campaign to elect the Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia as the next governor of his state is worthy of emulation,’’ the president said.

Buhari prayed for his continued good health and success as he marks his birthday.

L-R: Vice Chairman, Yoruba Tennis Club, Bro Olakunle Agbebi; the Club’s Chairman, Chief Babajide Damazio; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Vice Patron and Trustee of the club; Dr Abayomi Finnih; Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Bro Bolaji Cole and Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola during the Club’s Christmas Eve Dance at Lagos Island...Saturday

Emmanuel Addeh

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION...

Flood: Maigari Advocates Dry Season Farming as Alternative

The Director General of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Dr. Manzo Maigari has advocated for irrigation farming as an alternative to raining season farming to avoid massive destruction of farms by flood.

He, however, said farmers could take insurance against possible flooding if they chose to farm during raining season, so that they would be compensated in the event of such flooding.

Speaking at the weekend in Kaduna, at a two-day workshop for women and young farmers and agri-entrepreneurs in the north -west zone, Maigari also said farmers needed to be enlightened about climate change so as to stop the practices that exacerbate its effect on the environment and agriculture.

“What we need to do is to begin to look at alternatives to raining season farming. If you know there will be flood that you have no control over, why do you plant around that time?

“You should wait until when the flood is over and then you

can do irrigation. If you have the insurance that covers the possibility of flooding, when you lose your crop, you will get compensated,” he said.

Maigari, a former commissioner for Agriculture in Kaduna state, stressed the need for research development on how to handle flooding.

He said, “We need to focus on research and development to determine whether there are rice or crop varieties that can survive flood and stay under water for one or two months and does not die. Farmers need to understand all these.

“But what is more important is that it is our practices as human beings that are increasing the impact of climate change and even bringing about the climate change itself”.

He said, unsustainable farm practices like bush burning that generate a lot of carbon dioxide and goes to affect the atmosphere, allowing a lot of farm produce to rot, eg oranges, fruits and the rest of them must stop.

Maigari added, “workshops like this served to provide farmers with

this information and understanding that the path which we are now, is a path to self-destruction. We can retrace our steps and begin to do new things.

“I was speaking to the chairman of climate action trust and they are looking at the possibility of planting 10 million trees or supporting small holder farmers to plant 10 million trees across all the states in Northern Nigeria.

“These are practices are practices that will help us restore our environment and even our livelihood”.

He said the workshop was aimed at bringing youths, farmers and players in the agric sector to sensitise and educate them on the challenges of climate change which is the most important and critical challenge that farmers face across Africa.

“Most importantly also it is to sensitise them on commodity standard, best practices in farming which will give them competitive advantage when it comes to marketing their products,” he added.

According to him, “Most of the times we just farm, we don’t care

about standards, grading and that makes our farmers lose a lot of money.

“Basically the thrust for this is to first achieve inclusion that is why it is particularly targeted at youths and women.”

He said participants were drawn from the seven north-west states.

Maigari said the programme was the initiative that was 100 per cent funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with the Nigeria AgriBusiness Group as implementer while the federal

ministry of agriculture and the Kaduna state ministry of agriculture are partners.

Also in a presentation, Emeka Oruonye, a professor of Geography from Taraba State University, Jalingo, noted that climate volatility, frequent extreme weather events and temperature changes are the greatest threat to farming and viability of food crop production.

Oruonye said farmers must be educated to understand climate change to address the challenges it poses in the agriculture sector.

UBEC Allegations: Saraki Issues Ultimatum to Kwara Governor to Retract Comment

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday asked Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to within seven days withdraw the allegation that he embezzled

funds for the state Universal Basic Education Fund(UBEC) fund and also that he allegedly used his position as 8th Senate President to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating the case while in office, or face the legal

action.

AbdulRazaq had at the inauguration of the campaign council of the Kwara Central senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Mallam Saliu Mustapha in Ilorin, had while talking about Saraki, alleged that:

2023: Sanwo-Olu Seeks Continuous Support of Lagosians

Says Buhari will inaugurate five projects in January

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the weekend urged residents of the state to continue to support his administration in her quest to deliver more dividends of democracy in line with the THEMES developmental agenda for Greater Lagos to Lagosians.

He said his administration in the last three and half years had delivered several iconic and laudable projects in different parts of the State in line with his government’s Greater Lagos agenda, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari would commission five projects in Lagos State in January 2023.

Buhari, according to Sanwo-Olu would commission the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Imota Rice Mill, 18 kilometres Phase I of the Lekki -Epe Expressway, and J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Lagos Island.

The president would also commission the first phase of the Blue Line Rail from Marina to Mile 2 and do the groundbreaking of the

second phase of the project from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.

A statement quoted Sanwo-Olu to have said these on Sunday, during the Christmas Eve social events of the Yoruba Tennis Club and Island Club, held at the clubs’ secretariats in Lagos Island respectively.

During the events which were attended by hundreds of club executives and members as well as visitors, the President of Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Babajide Damazio, and his Island Club counterpart, Prince Rabiu Oluwa, promised continuous support for Sanwo-Olu.

They declared that they are solidly in support of Sanwo-Olu's re-election and urged all the club members to vote and work for the governor's victory in the March 11, 2023, governorship poll.

Sanwo-Olu while speaking at the two events thanked members of the foremost social clubs in Nigeria for standing by and supporting his

administration in the past three and half years.

Sanwo-Olu, who is a member of the Yoruba Tennis Club and Island Club, also used the occasions to highlight some of the achievements of the administration along the THEMES development agenda.

He referenced the newly completed and test-run Blue Line rail project as a testament to the can-do spirit of Lagos, urging members to continue to support the government in her quest to deliver more dividends in the years ahead.

"We want to assure you that where all of these things (administration’s achievements) have come from, a lot more are still going to be delivered. Therefore, next year, tell your neighbours, friends, children, employer, employees, and spouses that APC in Lagos is a party that will lead and continue the Greater Lagos that we see right now.

"We will continue on a Lagos that will take you to the next level,

on a Lagos that will provide succor for all of us; that will bring about a better tomorrow for you and for your children," he said.

Sanwo-Olu also appealed to Lagosians, especially members of the two clubs to vote and work for the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in next year's presidential election.

He said if elected, Tinubu would replicate and implement at the national level what he did in Lagos State during his eight years two terms tenure as the first Governor in the present Fourth Republic.

"While we are talking about Lagos, it is good for us to also know that we can translate and transform the success we have recorded in Lagos into federal with ‘Renewed Hope.’ Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is on the ballot as APC presidential candidate. We have seen what he has done in Lagos and we believe he can replicate it at the national level.

“We believe with him (Tinubu) working in Abuja, we can transform and translate a renewed hope that we talk about. And that is why I want all of us to look and see the development that has happened in Lagos and say to ourselves that the Lagos model can be transformed, implemented, and replicated in our country Nigeria. That is what we are asking for.

"We ask you to make the right choice, the right decision. I want to let you know that the best is yet to come. Lagos is rising and your Lagos is becoming bigger, better, and brighter."

Speaking at the Yoruba Tennis Club and Island Club Christmas Eve events, Damazio and Oluwa said they are satisfied with the laudable achievements of Governor Sanwo-Olu in Lagos State in the last three and half years, especially the fulfillment of the administration’s promise to deliver Blue Line Rail project to Lagosians by the fourth quarter of 2022.

"But for their boss being the Senate President at the time, most of these characters would have been in jail for the UBEC money they stole".

According to him, "for seven years, the state was blacklisted by UBEC over alleged fraudulent diversion of its funds meant for Kwara schools by previous administration under PDP."

The governor, asking UBEC officials why the matter wasn't reported to relevant security agency, had said he was told that the fear of PDP leader at the time being the Senate President made the commission back out of taking such action.

But in a statement issued in Ilorin, signed by the Press Officer on Local Matters to Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office, Mr. Abdul Abdul, and made available to journalists described, "the claims by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on the case as an outright lie which the governor must retract immediately."

Saraki noted that, "the governor has only seven days to retract the statement or he will meet him in court to prove his false claims.

“I have ignored all his lies all this while as I believe he was resorting to that cheap escape measure to mask his failure in governance.

"Now, I will have to take strong measures by challenging him in court since he will not desist from fabricating lies against me.

“I have told my lawyers to write him to retract the statement or be ready to prove it in court”, Saraki stated.

John Shiklam in Kaduna

L-R: Member, Organising Committee, Chichi Nwoko; Mrs. Yewande Zacchaeus; celebrant, Ibukun Awosika; Archbishop of Lagos Mainland, Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Rev. Obafemi Adeleye, and member, organising committee, Mrs. Bolanle Martel Okoh, during the inauguration of the newly built Sports Center at the Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, by friends, family and mentees in honour of Awosika to celebrate her 60th birthday in Lagos…recently

POLITICS

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE

Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY )

Constitution Amendment: Another Exercise in Futility?

With less than six months to the end of tenure of the Ninth National Assembly, it appears that the constitution amendment process may not be concluded as the presiding officers are lamenting delay by their counterparts in the States to consider and vote on the amendment bills sent to them since March, 2022.

The 1999 Constitution has been described as fundamentally flawed and military imposed, with many Nigerians desperately clamouring for a truly federal people’s constitution.

Over the years, several attempts by the past assemblies to amend the constitution have failed with huge sums voted for the exercise wasted.

Before the 9th Assembly, another attempt was made by the 8th Assembly. The then Senate President,Dr Bukola Saraki, promised that he will rigorously work with his colleagues for the betterment of all Nigerians.

Available records showed that about 33 bills for constitutional review were available for review by the 8th Assembly, with 28 of them passed by the House. Out of this number, 17 got concurrence from the Senate, while four were passed with differences.

Nevertheless, 17 bills were sent to the State Houses of Assembly for concurrence, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. But 12 of these came back to the House ratified, while five, including the bill on local government autonomy, were rejected, having failed to receive the approval of two-thirds of the state assemblies.

Assuming office in June, 2019, just like the past assemblies, the ninth assembly lawmakers in their legislative agenda promised to repeal the offending provisions encumbering the country’s democracy by reworking and giving Nigerians a progressive document.

While most Nigerians were sceptical about the possibility of the Ninth National Assembly breaking the jinx, the process finally commenced and eventually in March this year, both the Senate and House of Representatives voted on the 68 proposals as recommended by its ad-hoc committees on the review of the 1999 Constitution, and 44 bills were adopted.

The adopted proposals were thereafter transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly to get concurrence of at least two-thirds which is 24 states, as stipulated in sections 9(2) and (3) of the 1999 constitution.

However as at October, only 11 states have voted on the constitution amendment bills. The states whose houses of assembly have voted on the bills are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states.

The remaining 25 states that are yet to consider the bills have threatened to take no action on the bills unless four more constitutional amendment bills are considered and passed by the National Assembly.

The four are bills for establishment of State Police; State Judicial Council; Streamline the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly and institutionalize Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution.

Their demands were contained in a letter from the Conference of Speakers to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitutional Review.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who disclosed the States position while addressing journalists recently, accused state governors in the country of trying to stall the process of further amendment to the nation’s constitution.

Omo-Agege who’s also the Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review, described the refusal of the state assemblies to vote on the bills as disheartening and worrisome.

While he said the National Assembly is not averse to acting on any proposed bill appropriately tabled before it, the lawmaker said it is legally inappropriate for the Conference of Speakers to use the four bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 bills.

He also accused some state governors of interfering in the affairs of State Houses of Assembly and turning some of its lawmakers to puppets

for their selfish gains.

“It is clear that this letter is not in keeping with the obligation of the Constitution,” he said. “We are aware of the undue interference with legislative processes and the political capture of some State Houses of Assembly by some state governors.

“No doubt, some state governors have worked tirelessly to turn the Conference of Speakers and some State Assemblies into political puppets, thereby undermining and delegitimising the legislative institution at the state level. This interference has been ramped up, especially in opposition to the Bills granting financial and administrative autonomy to Local Governments,” Omo-Agege said Reacting, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures declared that its members will not be intimidated or blackmailed by anyone irrespective of their position.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Speakers’ Forum, Hon Abubakar Suleiman, said a rejoinder to the claims made by the Deputy Senate President would have been unnecessary.

He, however, said it became necessary to react to it in view of the fact that it was with the intention of blackmailing and undermining the State Houses of Assembly with the aim of misleading the public.

Recent Accusation

Also recently, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, accused the state Houses of Assembly of obstructing the process of amendment to the 1999 Constitution.

Gbajabiamila who spoke in Abuja at the second edition of the distinguished parliamentarian lecture series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), said the ninth National Assembly might not be able to complete the on-going amendment process before the expiration of its term.

Gbajabiamila, in his paper, entitled, “Delivering on our contract with Nigeria: Implementing the Legislative Agenda of the ninth House of Representatives

The adopted proposals were thereafter transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly to get concurrence of at least two-thirds which is 24 states, as stipulated in sections 9(2) and (3) of the 1999 constitution. However as at October, only 11 states have voted on the constitution amendment bills. The states whose houses of assembly have voted on the bills are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states.

– Progress, Challenges and Way Forward,” highlighted major challenges to the constitution amendment.

He lamented that many state assemblies had yet to legislate on the 44 bills aimed at amending critical aspects of the 1999 Constitution, which was sent to them by the National Assembly since March.

The Speaker regretted that the Houses of Assembly were frustrating the efforts of the federal lawmakers to pass the amendments to the constitution before the Ninth Assembly ends its tenure in the second week of June next year.

His words, “That process now seems to have stalled in the state assemblies. As it is today, it is doubtful that the current constitutional amendment effort will conclude before the expiration of this legislative term. Despite broad national agreement on the need for reform, the potential for achievement can rise or fall, based on differences in expectations of the context, pace, and direction of the specific proposals.

“The success or failure of every significant governance initiative depends on the extent to which the objective is a shared priority of the different arms of government and, in some cases, of the state governments. Several of the commitments in the legislative agenda require amendments to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to achieve them. If you took a poll in this room now about the importance and need for substantive reforms to our nation’s constitution, I am sure the poll would return an overwhelming majority in favour. The National Assembly has passed a draft of amendments to the constitution and advanced them to the states as required.”

Speaking in the same vein, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, while declaring open the lecture urged Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state to prevail on his colleagues to encourage their state Houses of Assembly to transmit back to the National Assembly their responses on the constitution amendment bills sent to them.

Lawan said, “We will task you to lobby for us. We have sent (to the states) the outcome of our constitution review and we are yet to receive all from the states. So, we should be able to wind up this process by getting responses from the state Houses of Assembly. Even if it is one month left, we have the capacity, working together, to ensure that we pass some of the legislations that are required in a very expeditious manner..Lobby your governor colleagues, because I can see that you do that very well.”

But, the Kaduna State governor, who was the chairman of the occasion, urged the National Assembly to work on pieces of legislation that would lead to the creation of state police, among others.

Udora Orizu writes that the 9th National Assembly’s attempt to amend the 1999 constitution may be another exercise in futility following recent accusations by the presiding officers of both Chambers that State Assemblies are stalling the process

Lawan

Omo-Agege

Gbajabiamila

El-Rufai

Big Tent Coalition Deepens Obi-Datti Grassroots Engagement

The Big Tent coalition of political parties, social movements, civil society organizations and candidate support groups make up the Third Force for reclaiming Nigeria by electing Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti BabaAhmed as President and Vice President in the 2023 general elections.

The Big-Tent for Peter Obi Campaign led by Professor Pat Utomi was created to harness the Obidient Movement’s Support Groups, NCF/ Third Force coalitions, other political parties, individuals and Professionals in creating commitment and ownership of the Peter Obi project by those who don’t belong to Labour Party or any party; and harmonize, organize, support and coordinate Support Groups at the Polling Units, Wards and LGA levels (foisting an organic bottom-up body) to complement the Labour Party and Presidential Campaign Council efforts in canvassing, getting out the votes and protection/delivery of the votes whilst also supporting the Obi-Datti candidacy with key Professional Advisory in Policy Strategy Formulations for an effective issues based campaign.

The Big-Tent also has policy strategy Think Tank group, and most importantly a complementary campaign structure.

From its “Listening Clinics” on various sectors of the economy in a bottom-up policy articulation; to novel cause-related engagements for the productive and collaborative engagement of “Obidients” and other Nigerians on social issues, such as the Clean-Up Nigeria project; to constitution of the Coalition’s Policy team to drive an issues based campaign to liberate Nigeria in 2023; and now the inauguration of the Big Tent ObiDatti Independent Campaign Council, the coalition is deepening the Obi-Datti engagement with voters nationwide.

At the formal inauguration of the Big Tent Obi-Datti Independent Campaign Council in Lagos recently, Chairman of Big Tent, Professor Pat Utomi disclosed that the Independent Campaign Council is designed to overcome environmental challenges in the execution of campaign goals to reach the grassroots of the country, re-orientate politics and take back the country for the good of the many.

Director of Media and Communications for the Big Tent Independent Campaign Council, Charles Odibo, quoted Professor Utomi as stating that this “emanates from the fact that the Big Tent is a coalition of political parties, social movements, Peter Obi support groups, and civil society that constitute the Third Force for national retrieval and transformation.”

Members of the Big-Tent Obi-Datti Independent Campaign Council who have been chosen primarily because of their competence, passion and commitment to the unity and security of Nigeria and advancing the wellbeing of the people, will support the drive for an issues based campaign to liberate Nigeria in 2023, Utomi emphasized.

Utomi who also leads the Collegial Leadership Council which consists of the heads of the founding political & social movement

groups that consist of the Big-Tent reiterated that given the troubling state of governance in the country “at a time when there are large areas of ungoverned spaces, ways and means money creation are repeatedly violating the law and setting the country on the course of surging inflation; oil theft and the production of oil at close to half of our OPEC quota has driven up the misery index from an already negative pole position of the poverty capital of world, an issues based campaign is imperative and must commence immediately because a new Nigeria is possible.”

Chairman of The Big-Tent ObiDatti Independent Campaign Council (BCC), Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, a foremost Accountant and past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) added that the Campaign Council consists of “several workgroups designed to deliver both issue-based campaign and grassroots mobilization of the Obidient Movements into a harnessed polling units formation to guarantee that Labour Party wins the 2023 Presidential Elections.”

In his brief remarks at the inauguration, Director General of the Big-Tent Campaign Management Team (CMT), Ibrahim Huseni Abdukarim, promised to expand the support base of the Labour party presidential ticket to the nation’s rural areas by adopting door to door, hamlet to hamlet campaigns, visitations, voter sensitization, outreach meetings, among others.

Among the key leaders of the Big-Tent Obi-Datti Independent Campaign Council is a former Secretary-General of the Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Saidu Dansadau, who will serve as Vice Chairman of the Campaign Management Team (CMT); former

Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Promise Adewusi, as CMT Secretary; and Salvation Alibor as the Deputy Director General/ General Liaison of the CMT.

Leading the various Directorates of the Campaign Management Team are Dr. Austin Kemie, Head of Secretariat; Boma Alabi, SAN, Legal; Charles Odibo, Media and Communications; Ogbuefi Tony Nnacheta, Polling Unit Operations; Rufai Ahmed Khalil, Contacts & Mobilization; Modupe Adelaja, Women Mobilization; and Kolade Ademola Craig, Youths Mobilization.

Other Directors are Okey Onusoro, Security; Nuhu Yakubu, Intelligence & Strategy; Ngozi Joseph Odumuko, Tech & Vote Protection ; Dr. Peter Agada, Support Groups Council; Dr. Chidi Okpaluba, Situation Room; Princess Nana Modupe Onwodi, Rapid Reaction Team; Comrade Fatima Ibrahim, Civil Society Liaison; Dr. David Solomon, Chief Diaspora Liaison Officer; and Prof. Chris Nwokobia, Jnr, Public Affairs.

As part of the Campaign Management Team, Utomi also inaugurated a college of spokespersons from every state of the Federation to deepen the Peter Obi campaign communication to the grassroots, as the ObiDatti campaign engages the voting public with alternative but superior solutions that will result in a shift from revenue bating and conspicuous consumption emphasis to a production culture that will lift up the quality of life of Nigerians.

These spokespersons will also effectively communicate the efforts of the Big Tent for Peter Obi Campaign, as the Labour Party candidate leads the college of leaders working together to win the 2023 election.

Through Big Tent’s cause-related activities like the Clean-Up Nigeria project, which Utomi flagged off recently, it is designed to mop up and properly channel the energies of the growing Obi-dient youth population through various socially impactful Speak Up & Clean Up activities to promote sustainably organized youth led support rallies for Obi’s emergence as President.

At the event flag off which was also being done simultaneously across the country, Utomi said “it’s time to invite everyone to

From its ‘Listening Clinics’ on various sectors of the economy in a bottom-up policy articulation; to novel causerelated engagements for the productive and collaborative engagement of “Obidients” and other Nigerians on social issues, such as the Clean-Up Nigeria project; to constitution of the Coalition’s Policy team to drive an issues based campaign to liberate Nigeria in 2023; and now the inauguration of the Big Tent ObiDatti Independent Campaign Council, the coalition is deepening the Obi-Datti engagement with voters nationwide

look at where our country is, to look at how much it needs cleaning. That cleaning begins from the physical, we need to clean up our environment because climate change is real, we need to clean up our consciences, because to serve the people is a central demand of our citizenship, we need to clean up our ways so that our country can prosper.”

Utomi encouraged Nigerians to ensure that the activity is sustained every other weekend until February, 2023 to clean up the environment and that in cleaning the environment, “we set our minds to clean up corruption, to clean up nepotism, to clean up state capture, to clean up the desire to dominate others because truly it is fascism and it is creeping into our politics.”

Through Clean-Up Nigeria, the Big Tent coalition is creating a rallying point for the productive engagement of youths; it will serve as channel to support youth Speak-Up (Soro-Soke).

Above all, it will enable clean up of cities, de-clog the drainages in support of the world climate months and beyond, and rid our environments of plastics waste. Clean-Up Nigeria shows that the Obi presidency will be all about doing good and solving societal problems.

Already, various support groups are being vetted and endorsed to independently continue with the Clean-Up project across the country on a periodic basis (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc) in their respective localities.

There is also another project called Doctors and Medics For Peter Obi which is part of the numerous support groups that are daily volunteering to work for the Obi-Datti movement. It is a grassroots outreach initiative of doctors and allied professionals who freely volunteered to support the presidential campaign of Obi.

It is a non-profit, non-religious and nonethnic initiative. It is open to all doctors who are of good character and standing in the community, and are known to be interested in the aims and aspirations of the initiative.

So far, the group has over 7,000 doctors and about 3,500 Allied Professionals, totaling over 10,000 in the movement at home, in over 20 states, and in the diaspora.

In August and September, the UK chapter of Doctors For Peter Obi concluded a 30-day fully funded medical outreach/ sensitization campaign across the 16 LGAs of Taraba State in collaboration with the Taraba Doctors For Peter Obi. They have done similar activities in many more states across the country.

According to Director of Media and Communications for the Big Tent, Charles Odibo, “the mindset, and therefore the message of the Big Tent Coalition for Obi-Datti is a clarion call that today’s politics should not be about the candidates but about Nigerians, their dreams, aspirations, beliefs and hopes. It is an understanding of the need to collaborate to make things happen and birth a New Nigeria that is truly POssible.”

The Professor Pat Utomi-led Big Tent Coalition of political parties and civil society organisations has created layers of independent structures, and introduced novel cause-related engagements for the productive and collaborative engagement of “Obidients.” These structures engage the grassroots with a view to re-orientating the nation’s politics, writes Deji Elumoye.

Obi Datti

Utomi

www.thisdaylive.com

opinion@thisdaylive.com

CHURCH, STATE AND 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS

ABIODUN KOMOLAFE

DEMO-CRAZY AFRICANA AGAINST THE PEOPLE

The transition from violent governance to that based on the consent of the people is difficult, contends OKELLO OCULI

Qatar represents progress in increments, if not in quantum leaps, argues CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU

QATAR 2022 AND MATTERS MISCELLANEOUS

On 2 July, 2005, Argentina and Nigeria

Youth (Under-20) Championships at the Galgenwaard Stadion in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Both teams had navigated a

tournament, which began on 10 June. Argentina emerged second, behind the

Spain, and Brazil in the knockout stages. Like Argentina, Nigeria also emerged second

survived an interminable penalty shootout

John Mikel Obi. His counterpart on the Argentina team was a beguiling artist with a

captain.

goal scorer in the tournament. Messi was also voted the best player at the event, a worthy successor to his much decorated compatriot, Diego Maradona, who won the same prize 26 years earlier in 1979.

Mikel later reminisced that Messi may have in 2005. Messi and Mikel would meet many more times subsequently as their playing careers evolved. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Messi again stood between Nigeria

stepped in, sending money to resolve this matches involving the national team had

not on outscoring the other teams but on ensuring that they conceded the least goals, management, it worked a treat.

At over $220 billion spent over 12 years, it was together. Going into the tournament, the impression, the country committed a crime by coming and the United States. The region whose as Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, could not be relied on, however, to host the world. A pot-pourri

On 17 December, 2022, Messi crowned a him. By then, however, Mikel’s career had to-head with Messi 17 years earlier, leaving the world unsure who was better. Journalist, remains a lingering doubt he never dazzled have done.”

management, something Nigeria has never been good at. Perhaps the only country that competes with Nigeria here is Cameroon and its credentials in this department are not in doubt.

Cameroon were almost unquestionably the a management proposition that proved, and Switzerland, but, with a loss against Switzerland and a draw against Serbia, they needed a good win against Brazil to stand a bit as competitive as Brazil’s Merengue. Their best player, Vincent Aboubakar, scored to play but rather than press home their advantage, Cameroon rather literally lost ever in the game, and lost the plot.

prejudice against the country and its region. Despite the controversies over sex controversy that preceded it has rightly been exists nor has anything approaching it come around the world. the Olympics as his opening promenade

Argentina’s military junta was orchestrating

owed much to inspired disorganization, on superb organization, and a resolute team

quantum leaps.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu

ABIODUN KOMOLAFE writes that the interest of the state is to have a legitimate government in place

CHURCH, STATE AND 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Originally, in the secular world, the State comes before the Church, because, by its institutional characteristics, it is the custodian of all other institutions. In other words, the State is the behemoth institution; co-existing, but superior to other social institutions. And that has been established since 1648! Thenceforward, the marriage between the Church and the State has been at the mercy of the State. The only exception is Rome, where a State exists within a State because the papacy is a state on its own.

In the United Kingdom, the Church

irrespective of creed or race. What’s more?

to be secular. That’s what Article 10 of the Constitution says! Yes, the atheists may not have the population with which to push through their wishes, but, within the context of liberality, even the Boko Haram insurgents have a reason to make a demand in a democracy!

elections, there’s a lot of confusion in the it is deliberate! Take, for instance, the case of Peter Obi. As governor of Anambra State, it’s being alleged that he never gave Occupancy to build their churches in the state. Added to Obi’s purported sins was that he almost chased everybody, who wanted to build a mosque in the State, away. As a matter of fact, these allegations have been appropriately documented and any Nigerian with disagreeing opinions has been asked to come forward and open up. Now, Obi as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) is a regular face at Pentecostal churches and congregations. As Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:23, doesn’t being a Christian go beyond being a churchgoer?

The transition from violent governance to that based on the consent of the people is difficult, contends OKELLO OCULI

DEMO-CRAZY AFRICANA AGAINST THE PEOPLE

At a celebration of Professor Adele Jinadu in Abuja, Professor Okwodiba Nnoli spoke with rage about the lack of talk about struggles by Nigeria’s majority population in villages against poverty and negligence by thieving politicians and administrators.

Academics and journalists are conspiring to

Anikulapo Kuti for governance anchored on brutal and greedy contempt for ‘’the people’’. They cynically wave Abraham Lincoln’s ‘’Government of the People by the People and

a British journalist that he would create an ‘’ARISTOCRACY’’ in Kenya.

He dismissed from his cabinet Bildad Kaggia and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga because they insisted on redistributing land to those who had fought in the MAU MAU war. He degraded the citizenship of landless Kikuyu, and other majorities. His legacy of corruption for creating DEMOCRAZY ‘’aristocrats’’ exploded into a horrendous violence after post-December 2007 election fraud.

In Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah wrestled with applying American examples of other European plots intent on wrecking her newly won independence; ensuring security by the use of war on the American landmass to expand the country into a united territorial power, and combating local allies of foreign interests.

Unable to wage war to expand territorial space as the Americans had done, Nkrumah turned to diplomacy and ‘’rhetorical radicalism’’. By 1963, a total of 33 African leaders established the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

legitimizes the State. Succinctly put, the Church is the legitimacy booster for the State. That is why, while the powers of the State protect the King or the Queen, the Church legitimizes the State. The more reason the King or the Queen can do no wrong! Again, that’s why, immediately a Prime Minister is elected, he or she goes to Buckingham Palace for the blessing of the King or the Queen. And the King or the Queen will normally approve the appointment of the Prime Minister, because it is both symbolic and a symbiotic thing!

Basically, though the State is always there to protect the interests of the Church, the unfortunate thing is that, in the Nigerian circumstance, the Church is now representing a sectorial capacity of the faith is as formidable as the Church. As it is, the Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima same faith joint presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has so made the powers of the two main religions in Nigeria become so antagonistic to each other that it is now the test of religious

It is also interesting to note that former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State did add the reality of ‘Isese’ (traditional worship) to the mix, which, of course, is still within the purview of religion. Gboyega Oyetola, the immediate past governor of the state, did not betray the trust! In Osun, for instance, ‘Isese’ now has a recognized annual holiday attached to it. Impliedly, the indigenous religion is also

While the Christians may put forward an advice, the Islamic world will be willing to add its voice. Ultimately, the ‘Isese’ adherents, who also have the recognition of the State, will also want to be heard! So, it’s no longer the Church, solely.

Where also lies the place of the atheists and others whose interests are not captured in the present picture? After all, Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians,

Those who still doubt the relevance of, democratic journey had better ask Atiku Abubakar why he hurriedly deleted his tweets, condemning the gruesome murder of Deborah Samuel by religious extremists in Sokoto, on his Twitter handle. Obviously, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate did it to appease the hoodlums. Otherwise, he would lose

It has also been argued that Nigeria is currently not a State. Well, those who hold this notion may not be wrong after truly been a State, the Ademola Adelekeled government in Osun would not have deliberately refused to pay the salaries of certain public workers. That’s not possible in a true democracy! No! In a thriving democracy, public administration cannot come down to the handlers’ personal feelings or idiosyncrasies.

All said, the immediate major interest of the Nigerian State, so to speak, is to have successful elections in 2023. Without doubt, the point opined about the or, relevance to, governance is so critical to social cohesion. The State will want the cooperation of the Church, while the Church, though will want to appear neutral, will be very sensitive to its interests. So, the State must be extremely careful not to be seen as being religiously biased or partial. If it does, it could lose its legitimacy; and it will have legitimacy crises. Take for instance the Nigerian situation: the current president is a Muslim; so also are most of the key position holders in its bureaucracy and public service. Coincidentally too, the ruling party has also presented a MuslimMuslim presidential ticket for the election. Under this condition, should the handlers of the State spew words that are perceived as being against the Christian world, it can bring the country to its knees.

Komolafe writes from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State

for the People’’. Lincoln was against recent African immigrants from across the Atlantic Africans and indigenous Mayas and Aztecs were excluded from politics in the same way that Greek elites had done to slaves in their society.

This virus of ‘’DEMO-CRAZY’’ has had widespread manifestation across Africa. nurtured it by segregating education and military structures along southern and northern ethnic groups. Examples of this format were in Uganda, Nigeria, Togo and Libya.

In Uganda educated southern elites shared the mistaken view held by British and from the north, IDI AMIN was an idiot who would easily fall in a counter-coup. An impending 1971 elections would return Milton Obote’s to democratic legitimacy; entrench his abolition of domination of ethnic groups by monarchies in Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Buganda, and, more importantly, enable him demolish a racial commercial monopoly by INDIANS. Britain had imported INDIANS to prevent the growth of a Ugandan capitalist class likely to challenge British economic exploitation.

Obote had protected a civil service of

southern groups. Nevertheless, a Muganda governor of Uganda’s Central Bank smashed Obote’s portrait on the street to show his passionate welcome for Idi Amin. He was soon murdered by Amin’s security operatives.

Likewise, AMIN later claimed a DIVINE command to expel all ‘’INDIANS’’ from Uganda within 90 days. Obote’s delayed political and economic democratization were aborted by foreign propagators of democracy.

In Kenya, President Jomo Kenyatta, a graduate in Anthropology from London University, lied when he proclaimed the doctrine of ‘‘HARAAMBEE’’ (all Kenyans

Nkrumah’s anti-colonial nationalism combated a hostile diplomacy (including the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo and Silvanus Olympio in Togo), Belgian and other allies, and failed to

and a military coup impeded the growth of internal Ghanaian democratic politics.

In Senegal, Leopold Sedar Senghor in groundnuts by local religious autocrats; protecting monopolies of import and depositing 85 per cent of foreign earning

His rhetorical commitment to building ‘’African Socialism’’ was too impoverished developed the welfare of the people.

In Nigeria, a pattern of violence-based ancient slave economies, ranging from: militarized Ibadan, Benin, Arochukwu, Saifawa Bornu to Hausa states (over which the Sokoto Caliphate was grafted), remain as opposed to welfare-based democratic politics.

Doctoral thesis on Muri Emirate and Kanem Bornu emphasize rulers combining violence and intensive economic exploitation of dominated communities.

Chief Awolowo’s strategy of giving small grants to market women was eroded by

returns from their personal welfare. The struggle between power and people’s welfare has many routes.

The transition from violent governance to that based on the consent of, and

Politicians resort to bribing election votes’’ at polling stations. Aluta continua; CHANGE CRAWLS ON.

Prof Oculi writes from Abuja

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

INADEQUATE

EDITORIAL

FUNDING FOR

JUDICIARY

The judicial arm of government should be well provided for

While defending the 2023 budget proposal before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Judiciary, the National Judicial Council (NJC) Secretary, Ahmed Gambo Saleh raised a pertinent problem that plagues the administration of justice in Nigeria. He lamented that though the NJC has been

Despite the challenges facing the NJC, according to Saleh, the budget proposal submitted to the Ministry of Finance was N338 billion but was given N150 billion envelope.

of the judiciary in the maintenance of law and order, a primary condition for the peace and stability, is too obvious for any elaboration here. Anything that will hamper its work must attract the attention of every citizen who, in any case, would be the victim of the injustice that such a situation would cause. The task of administering justice has been placed in the hands of the judiciary by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. Yet the function of law as an instrument of social

government is not adequately funded. We therefore lasting solution to this problem that has been with us for a long time with serious implications for the rule of law.

taken a serious toll on the institution. About eight years ago, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, told a visiting Senate committee that the judicial arm of government was picture and how it impacted negatively on justice

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 MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI 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, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, 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

delivery in a nation already bogged down by rising wave of violent crimes and social strife. “Our judges sometimes not paid on time,” Justice Mohammed told the senators. “Our judges face privation that would ordinarily lead lesser men to unscrupulous acts”.

The problems are legion. Infrastructural facilities, including physical structures and equipment are largely obsolete and weak. In this age and time, many thanks to the perennial power outages. Legal aides judges’ chambers and libraries are bereft of law books and reports needed for the constant update of their knowledge of the law. No wonder cases take years to conclude. Yet when cases take so long to determine, the

the people in the legal process are eroded, and thus encouraging recourse to self-help.

More serious is the overall implication of the neglect of the welfare of judges. A poorly remunerated and hungry judge is most likely to be incapable of rendering justice as he or she would be susceptible to inducement and compromise. In many instances,

who were found to have abused and compromised basis for temptation is removed so that the judicial incidence of corrupt practice and its punishment is a black spot on the image of the judiciary.

All of these stand a good chance of reversal if the funding situation of the judiciary is greatly improved upon. It should be remembered that the preservation of law and order not only engenders peace, stability, and security, it encourages both domestic and direct foreign investment in the economy.

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

Sometime 2012, Nnamdi Kanu founded the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with the claim to advocate and actualize the republic of Biafra. The organization further projected the cardinal plans to liberate the Igbo extraction from the subjugation of other indigenous ethnic extractions particularly the Fulani ethnic group dominance over the Igbo in Nigeria.

Since the formation of Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB organization, the group had been civil in respect to their agitation till the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. The Buhari-led government drastic and bloody military action against IPOB at the early stage of his administration had changed the turn of events. The incessant killings of defenseless IPOB adherents and the destruction of their property by the security operatives had prompted a selected few amongst the group to take up arms against the state as self-defense. Moreover, the grave silence of the administration on the allegations of land grabbing, vandalism, arson, killings and kidnappings being masterminded by the Fulani across Southern states also contributed to the resort to arms.

President Buhari’s iron-hand approach against IPOB at the inception of his administration was a step in the wrong direction. It portrays Buhari’s insensitivity to Nigeria’s longstanding frag-

ile unity and complex ethnic dimension. It also clearly indicates his “winner-takes-all” mentality and his unreadiness to run an all-inclusive government.

States Institute of Peace in July 22, 2015, he made it crystal clear that the regions that overwhelmingly voted for him should exregions that gave him lower votes. At Jim Yong Kim 2017 pressident Buhari instructed the World Bank to focus and prioritize its developmental programmes across the northern parts of Nigeria.

Buhari’s unequivocal assertion on non-negotiability of Nigeria’s sovereignty amidst the heat of national question ravaging the country and “a dot in a circle” descriptive jab of IPOB gave credence to hook or by crook option Buhari had chosen in administering the country rather than fostering the spirit of communalism in building the nation. For national interest’s sake, Buhari ought to have been magnanimous in victory by running an inclusive government particularly by extending the hand of friendship to Nnamdi Kanu and his separatist collaborators.

negotiate and seal agreements with the Niger Delta militants to

guarantee smooth running of oil and gas exploration and production, and to forestall the destruction of pipelines’ installations in the region. Numerous factions of militants and government

monthly pipeline surveillance contract to a militant, Mr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo). But the same government found it dishonorable to have a roundtable discussion with the people clamouring for self determination; an inalienable right universally enshrined and recognized.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is a perfect aphorism to describe the current unintended negative consequences the Biafran struggle has caused. Many IPOB agitators, collaborators and sympathizers are in support of self determination. They are just unsupportive of the current indiscriminate killings, wanton destruction of public and private property and running people’s business aground as measure to actualize Biafra Republic.

Azeez, Newworth LLP (Legal Practitioners), Onikan, Lagos

A poorly remunerated and hungry judge is most likely to be incapable of rendering justice as he or she would be susceptible to inducement and compromise

Binzak

QUOTABLES

‘Some of the electoral offenders may know officials of the Commission, regular or ad-hoc. How do we prosecute ourselves?…..Recommended that there should be an Electoral Offences Commission & Tribunal, to which all violators of the Electoral Commission will be subjected’ - Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, INEC

‘Our politics need not normalise lies, treachery, deceit and its likes. We need more men and women of honour, in our political space’ - Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, Immediate Past Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State

Were APC, PDP to be Judged on Performance

Government’s Poor Scorecard

From time to time, since I became Editor of this esteemed publication in 2016, at the end of the year and the beginning of a new year, I have given Government my own WAEC (West African Examination Council) scorecard based on its performance, and my expectations for the coming year. Since the inception of this outgoing APC administration, we have not had one “Annus Mirabilis” (Wonderful Year). Why does 2022 seem to be another “Annus Horribilis” (Horrible Year), a photocopy or even worse than 2016 and 2017 which I had previously described in the same way? Isn’t it uncanny that in 2017, one of Government’s Christmas presents to Nigerians was also a fuel shortage, just not as terrible as this one we are experiencing this Christmas, which has lingered for quite a while? 2022 has been quite a nightmarish year, also because of the financial crisis and hardship Nigerians are facing, in addition to all the other problems.

In its 22/12/2020 publication, the Financial Times of London (FT) had stated that Nigeria was teetering on the brink of becoming a Failed State, a point I had previously made in my own Editorial of 4/9/2018 titled "Still Far from a Country". The reasons I gave for my assertion then, remain the same. I quote - "weak and failing institutions, poor infrastructure, insecurity and internal violence (Boko Haram, Robbers and Herdsmen), poverty, hunger and suffering of majority of Nigerians, greedy elite, political shenanigans, high level of corruption and its siblings - tribalism, nepotism etc".

Today, nothing really has changed. In terms of infrastructure, we can only point to the improvement in the road network, the railway (which has been seriously threatened by the Kaduna train attack of March 2022), and the Lagos Blue Line which is now conveniently being test run as the 2023 elections are round the corner, obviously in order to curry votes.

At the end of 2018, I had given the then Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, SAN an A3 for the constancy in the electricity supply of the estate in which I reside, and a C6 generally for the rest of the country. With a new Minister of Power in 2019, and by the end of 2020, the A3 in my estate had fallen to a C4, and the C6 generally around the country, a P7. Today, that C4 has further declined to a C5, while that of the rest of the country is hovering between a P8 and an F9! How many times did the National Grid collapse or fail this year, plunging the nation into darkness?

Security which scored F9 or even F10 (with WAEC, the worst score is F9) at the end of 2020, has improved slightly, and is hovering between a P8 and an F9. And, today, it is the economy that has taken the last position (F10). There has also been some noticeable brain drain, with professionals in the medical field etc, checking out to greener pastures. I personally know more than 20 people, all professionals who have checked out in recent times, at least half of that number in the medical sector.

The fight against corruption which was hovering between a C6 and P7 in 2020, has not only dropped to an F9, but has more or less faded into oblivion. At best, it is clearly selective and partial, as we had already suspected. For example, I’m wondering why Governors who were convicted for misappropriation of funds were pardoned; Dr Doyin Okupe was convicted recently for receiving N5 million or whatever from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, when Dasuki’s case seems to have been stalled and going nowhere. After all, Sambo Dasuki is the lead actor who allegedly gave out monies unlawfully, upon which some of the other cases are offshoots. While I’m not saying that the law shouldn’t take its course in Dr Okupe’s or any other case, I’m wondering why it hasn’t taken its course in that of Colonel Dasuki, the main player’s

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE

onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.com onikepob@yahoo.com Twitter: @TheAdvocate

The Advocate

case. Is this not selective or witch-hunting, having regard to the fact that Dr Okupe, a former member of the main opposition Party, PDP, moved to another opposition party, Labour Party, to spearhead their Presidential campaign which has emerged as a healthy contender against the ruling APC, despite all odds? See Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) on discrimination. Also see the case of Lafia Local Govt v Governor, Nasarawa State & Ors (2012) LPELR-20602(SC) Page 18-19 per Rhodes-Vivour JSC. Education remains at F9 (especially with the prolonged ASUU Strike) and Health at P8 (not really because of Government, but I would say as a result of private initiatives in the sector).

The sum and substance of this administration’s scorecard is that, not only has it failed to deliver on its three main campaign promises, vanquishing insecurity and corruption (see Sections 14(2)(b) & 15(5) of the Constitution), revamping the economy (see Section 16 of the Constitution), and a fourth one, restructuring the country, Nigeria has never been as far away as it is today, from achieving the goals set out in Chapter II of the Constitution, that is, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. In over seven and a half

administration’s

ment exercise being peddled by successive Legislatures from 1999 to date is indeed, as you have rightly stated, a farce.

When I was in the House earlier in the Fourth Republic (and I was there for more than one cycle), it was just another fruitless, money guzzling exercise. There was a healthy budget allocated to Constitution Amendment, and members only looked forward to ways in which they could benefit from the largesse. What struck me was the insincerity and hypocrisy, as there were areas which had already been tagged as ‘no-go’ areas that must not be touched in the extant Constitution! What would be the essence of any Constitution amendment exercise, if areas which may actually be the key areas that need to be addressed, are out of bounds? In those days, State creation and State Police were no-go areas. I don’t know if that has changed.

Will it make a difference that a number of the old brigade are not returning to the National Assembly, and maybe there may be hope that the new Legislators in the 10th National Assembly will make a difference, and actually make the much needed adjustments to the 1999 Constitution? I’m not so sure, since most of them have got their tickets by the grace of their Governors, their positions may depend on their Governors’ stand on issues. Therefore, going forward, I won’t hold my breath that there will be any meaningful constitutional amendment.

years of this administration, Nigerians have become worse off.

Improving Nigeria

The FT and I had made some recommendations, on how to improve things in Nigeria. While the FT recommended that “the Government of Mr Buhari redouble efforts to get a grip on security” - and I must admit that, we seem to be seeing some traction in this regard, though there has been an increase in the attacks on INEC installations in recent times (which can only be taken to be an attempt to destabilise the forthcoming elections); I suggested inter alia, that Nigeria required leadership that would make good choices on behalf of the whole country and not just a part of it, and more importantly, a new Constitution which is equitable and more desirable for majority of Nigerians - a solid foundation on which Nigeria can stand upon, is urgently required. Unfortunately, here is one of the reactions that my editorial of last week, “APC and the Farce Called Constitution Amendment” elicited.

Dear Editor,

I am a former Member of the House of Representatives, and I want to confirm the fact that any Constitution Amend-

Former HOR Member South African Example

What then is the way out of this conundrum? I have a Nigerian friend, who maintains that Black people do not make good leaders. Even when we are smart enough to see the solutions to our problems staring us right in the face, we choose to ignore them and rather, choose that wide, reckless and wrong path that leads to destruction instead. We are self-centred, unpatriotic and live for the moment; we do not plan, we are greedy and corrupt. Take for example South Africa, why didn’t they have issues with electricity supply like they do today, when the whites were in charge (though one can never subscribe to ‘Apartheid’, the evil style of segregation against non-white South African citizens, discriminating against them)? For at least a decade, the signs were there that steps needed to be taken, in order to avoid the problem of power outages that they are experiencing today. Corruption etc held them back. This is not to say that white people are not corrupt, but obviously not to the extent that they destroy all their institutions and infrastructure, and stunt the progress of their societies just for some individual interests and personal gain.

Conclusion

It used to be the practice that if a student failed a class the first time, he/she would be allowed to repeat the class. If they failed the second time, they were expelled from the school. With this poor report card, after having ‘a second bite of the cherry’ by virtue of their second term (repeat), APC still wants to return. Similarly, PDP had four bites, and also didn’t do so well. For one, instead of strengthening our institutions and solidifying our democracy, PDP institutionalised corruption which APC has strengthened with gusto and aplomb. Can we successfully exclude from Nigeria’s failures, those aspirants who had previously been members of APC and PDP, and part of their dereliction which they have now distanced themselves from, and have reinvented themselves as innocent Messiahs? Luckily they are politicians and political parties, not students, and getting elected or re-elected in Nigeria has nothing to do with past performance, or whether or not those seeking elective office have shown that they have the capacity to lead Nigeria to the promised land.

Happy New Year in advance, my dear readers. See you in 2023 God willing. Amen.

“The sum and substance of this

scorecard is that, not only has it failed to deliver on its three main campaign promises, vanquishing insecurity and corruption…. revamping the economy…. and a fourth one, restructuring the country, Nigeria has never been as far away as it is today, from achieving the goals set out in Chapter II of the Constitution…..”

Exceptions to the Non-Justiciability of Pre-Election Matters

Facts

Further to the provisions of Section 84(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, the 1st Appellant issued Guidelines and Directives for the selection of its candidates for the upcoming 2023 General Election vide the conduct of indirect primary elections. On 30th April, 2022, the 1st Appellant conducted ward congresses in Ogun State whereby ad-hoc delegates were elected, with a view to participating in the indirect elections of the 1st Appellant’s gubernatorial candidates in Ogun State. For the purpose of the gubernatorial exercise, the 2nd Appellant and 1st Respondent were cleared and screened by the 1st Appellant to contest the indirect primary election in Ogun State, in a bid to consequently emerge as the 1st Appellant’s candidate for the 2023 general elections.

At the conclusion of the said indirect primary election, the 2nd Appellant emerged with 714 votes. The other aspirants had zero vote, which meant on paper, that the 2nd Appellant would be presented by the 1st Appellant to the 2nd Respondent, as the 1st Appellant’s gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State for the 2023 Governorship election.

It is the 1st Respondent’s contention that the 1st Appellant did not use the Register/ List of democratically elected delegates, rather the 1st Appellant used a different Register/ List. This grievance led to the 1st Respondent commencing an action via Originating Summons against the 1st and 2nd Appellant at the Federal High Court, where the 1st Respondent prayed the court for a determination of three fundamental questions, inter alia: Whether upon the construction of Section 84(1), (2), (5) (b) & (8) of the EA, Article 25(1)(L) & (2)(c) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party 2012 (as amended), and its Directive of 20th May, 2022, the Peoples Democratic Party was not bound to nominate its Ogun State gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general elections by conducting its indirect primary election on the basis of voting by ad-hoc delegates who were democratically elected at the ward congress of the party, for the purpose of the Governorship primaries. The 1st Respondent also questioned the use of statutory delegates in lieu of the ad-hoc delegates democratically elected at the ward congress of the party, and whether the party can validly nominate and/or forward the name of the 2nd Appellant to the 2nd Respondent herein, for the 2023 general elections. Several declaratory reliefs and orders were sought in this regard, among which is an order setting aside the indirect primary election of the 1st Appellant conducted on 25th May, 2022, and the nomination of the 2nd Appellant as the Ogun State Governorship candidate of the 1st Appellant.

Reacting to the Originating Summons, the Appellants, by way of Notice of Preliminary Objection, urged the trial court to dismiss the Originating Summons on several legal grounds, among which are that the issue is a pre-election matter which is an internal affair of the political party, and therefore, not justiciable; and that the action was statute barred.

The trial court upheld the Preliminary Objection, and accordingly, dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction. The merit of the suit was not considered by the trial court. The 1st Respondent’s appeal to the Court of Appeal was adjudged meritorious. The appellate court allowed the appeal, and remitted the suit to the trial court for trial on the merits. The decision informed the appeal to the Supreme Court by the Appellants, who seek to upturn the decision of the Court of Appeal on nine grounds.

Issue for Determination

The Supreme Court adopted the sole issue of the Appellants in its determination of the appeal, thus:

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Monday, the 21st day of November, 2022 Before

or involves the violation of a contractual right, or the commission of a tort - ONUOHA v OKAFOR (1983) 2 SCNLR 244 at 254. The exceptions are provided for under Section 285(14) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Further, relying on Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act which provides that: Notwithstanding, the provisions of this Act or rules of a political party, an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of this 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, may apply to the Federal High Court for redress, the Supreme Court held that compliance with all the principles, processes and procedures prescribed in the Constitution and electoral guidelines of a political party for the selection or nomination of its candidate for an election, becomes part of the internal affairs of a political party that a court has jurisdiction to consider in a pending suit by an aspirant complaining against such selection or nomination to determine if it is in accordance with its constitution and guidelines - HON. MONDAY IYORE OSAGIE & 5 ORS v VICTOR ENOGHAMA

CHARLES EGBON & 9 ORS APPEAL NO. SC/CV/980/2022, judgement delivered on 30th September, 2022, per AGIM, JSC at 15, lines 8-19.

His

Lordships Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa Adamu Jauro Emmanuel Akomaye Agim Justices, Supreme Court SC/CV/1347/2022 Between 1. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Mr Oladipupo Adebutu … … … … Appellants And

Mr Jimi Adebisi Lawal

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Respondents (Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa, JSC)

Whether the court of Appeal was right when they held that the Federal High Court has the jurisdictional competence to determine the suit of the 1st Respondent under Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Section 285(14) of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), when the substance of the 1st Respondent’s suit was actually which list of ad-hoc delegates should have been sent (sic) to conduct the 1st Appellant’s Ogun State Governorship Primary/election of 25th May, 2022 which was not justiciable being an internal affair of the 1st Appellant? (Ground 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8 of the Notice of Appeal).

Arguments

Arguing the appeal, counsel for the Appellants contended that the claims of the 1st Respondent were outright allegations of a pre-election matter, and regarding the internal affairs of the political party; hence, not justiciable.

The 1st Respondent placed heavy reliance on the provisions of Section 285(14) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of

“The exception comes into play where the National Constitution or Statute expressly confers upon a court such jurisdiction, or the dispute is about commission of a crime, or involves the violation of a contractual right, or the commission of a tort”

Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act. The closure offered in the above-mentioned provisions, were exceptions to the principle that the courts cannot hear and determine domestic or internal affairs of a political party, especially with regard to complaints by an aspirant challenging a political party’s alleged compliance with the principles, processes and procedures prescribed in the Constitution and the election guidelines of a political party.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale

In determining the appeal, the Apex Court resolved to hear and determine the canvassed issue of lack of jurisdiction of the trial court. Their Lordships relied on several case laws, among which is DARIYE v FRN (2015) LPELR-24398 (SC), where the court decided on the issue of jurisdiction and explained that the term “inherent jurisdiction” denotes the legal authority or power vested in a court or tribunal to entertain, bear and determine any matter or issue before it, unless a statute or rule limits that authority or power.

The Supreme Court held that political parties being voluntary associations, disputes regarding the internal affairs thereof, especially between the political party and any of its members thereof, are not justiciable, thereby not within the jurisdiction of the courts. However, there is an exception to that general rule. The exception comes into play where the National Constitution or Statute expressly confers upon a court such jurisdiction, or the dispute is about commission of a crime,

To take advantage of the provisions above, a Plaintiff must show that he is an aspirant who participated in the primary election sought to be challenged, and he must establish that his grievance falls within the narrow provisions of Section 285(14) of the Constitution and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act. The twin conditions must be satisfied, for the action to be justiciable.

The Apex Court, in its regret on how the trial court went about the determination of the Preliminary Objection, faulted the discretion exercised by the trial court. The Apex Court held that by virtue of the unambiguous provision of Section 258(8) of the Electoral Act, the trial court had a duty to suspend the delivery of its ruling on the Preliminary Objection until at the final stage of the judgement. Thus, the whole essence of Section 258(8) is to avoid any unnecessary waste of time, bearing in the mind the timeline in the Constitution for hearing and conclusion of an election matter. As a matter of law and practice, the Apex Court was inclined to hold that a combined reading of Section 285(8) and (II) of the Electoral Act, shows that an appeal against an interlocutory decision in a pre-election matter could only be instituted at the appellate courts AFTER the delivery of the final judgement in the case EMEKA IHEDIOHA v PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY & 2 ORS, APPEAL NO. CA/OW/556/2018, delivered on 29/12/2018, per AGIM, JCA (as the learned Lord then was) at page 15.

Further to the above, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal, that the Appellants’ appeal is unmeritorious and deserves a dismissal. The consequential order remitting the case to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another Judge other than the trial Judge, to be heard expeditiously within the remaining part of the 180 days as prescribed by the law for the hearing and determination of pre-election matters, was also affirmed.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation

Chief Chris Uche, SAN, FCArb; Gordy Uche, SAN, FCArb; with James Odiba, Esq.; Olumuyiwa Obanewa, Esq; Ehi Uwaifor, Esq. and James Odiba, Esq. for the Appellants.

Kanu G. Agabi, CON, SAN; Olaolanipekun, SAN; with Uchenna Ede, Esq.; Olajide Salami, Esq.; Maryfrances Orji, Esq.; A.U.S. Oguajamma, Esq.; Emmanuel Afo Agabi, Esq.; Aniebiet-Abasi O.Akpan, Esq. and Ossai C. Solomon, Esq. for the 1st Respondent.

S.M. Dambaba, Esq. for the 2nd Respondent.

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

Honourable Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa, JSC

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

as engaging. As the year comes an end, Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi take a kaleidoscopic view of the leading issues, events and personalities that made THIS DAY LAWYER cover for the year 2022.

The year opened with a candid, no holds bared interview with the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (now immediate past), Olawale Fapohunda, SAN in our very first edition on January 4. ‘Judicial Salaries and Allowances are Unacceptable and Unjustifiable’ Ekiti State, undoubtedly, is one of the most economically disadvantaged States in the country; but, the State is blessed with a progressive Governor and a highly cerebral, innovative, reform-minded Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the person of Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, a two-term Attorney-General. He is undeniably, one of Nigeria’s leading experts in justice sector reform. He played a lead role in the drafting of several Nigerian laws, including the Correctional Services Act and the recently enacted Police Act. On New Year’s Eve, he explained and enumerated his achievements in office, and his plans for the remaining part of his tenure to Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi.

January 11 edition focused on Women in Governance: Kwara Leads the Pack

The quiet, peaceful State of Kwara recently attracted national attention, when the forwardlooking Governor, His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in a bold and courageous move, appointed a good number of women into his cabinet as Commissioners and Heads of important Government Agencies. The peoplecentric Governor is the very first to deliberately set up a gender parity cabinet. He further ‘put his money where his mouth is’, by facilitating the enactment of the Political Offices (Gender Composition) Bill 2021, into law.

The Law which prescribes the appointment of at least 35% of either sex into political appointive positions to enhance gender inclusivity, was the focus of this Special Edition, with

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s speech, commendation from the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Ms Amina J. Mohammed and the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, SAN; and a discourse with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, Ossai Ojigho, and Uju Peace Okeke on the provisions of the law, and why it is necessary for all other State Executives to replicate this Law in their various States.

The unfortunate death of the Dowen College student was the subject of our January 18 edition headlined ‘Sylvester Oromoni’s Death: Is there a Cover-up?’

The sad and horrible death of the 12 year old Dowen College Student, Sylvester Oromoni, under questionable circumstances, is one that Nigerians may not allow to be swept under the carpet. Many were in shock, when the Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice declared that Oromoni’s death resulted from natural causes, even though thorough investigations do not seem to have been carried out, and the Coroner’s Inquest was yet to be conducted. Furthermore, well documented events, videos, audio recordings, and text messages, if anything, all seem to raise more questions begging for answers. Is there a cover up, regarding the cause of Sylvester Oromoni’s death? Was there a dying declaration by Sylvester Oromoni? Were the conclusions of the Police and DPP too hasty, in such a very sensitive case? Norrison I. Quakers, SAN, Major Ben Aburime (Rtd), Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, Victor Anazonwu, Solomon Oluwaseun Olukoya, and Afolabi Abiodun examine a multitude of legal

Sylvester Oromoni’s Death: Is there a Coverup?

and ethical issues in this matter, and reach conclusions that could possibly aid the authorities, if they are concerned in so doing, to unravel what really occurred that resulted in the premature death of the Deceased.

January 25 had the fiery Niger-Delta Activist speak on crucial issues affecting the region and the nation: ‘Despite Our Oil, the Niger-Delta is Underdeveloped’ At 94, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark CON, a Lawyer by training, remains sharp, witty, and fearless, with undying patriotism for Nigeria. One cannot encounter this elder statesman, former Information Minister and Leader of the Ijaw nation, without being inspired and enlightened about Nigeria and its myriad of complexities.

Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi spent quality time with Chief Clark at his Abuja residence, and left in awe at his sagacity, clear recall of events, dates, names and places. He went down memory lane and reminisced on his glowing career as a Lawyer, Activist and Nationalist. He also discussed several issues, including the grievances of the Nigeria-Delta people, underdevelopment and pollution of the region, restructuring of Nigeria and the 2023 elections.

NBA Pushes Justice Sector Reform to the Front Burner was our focus on February 1.

The previous week had been a very busy one for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as it held its Justice Sector Reform Summit at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in the Nation’s Capital. The retinue of activities included special working sessions with Bar leaders, Lawyers, Judges and other stakeholders. The NBA President, Olumide Akpata, and the Speaker of the House of

Representatives,

Onikepo

February 8 was ‘My Utopia is Online Courts and ADR’ After his tour of duty as Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, SAN has returned firmly to active legal practice, doing what he knows how to do best. As his law firm, Adeniji Kazeem & Co. clocked 25 years recently, Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi engaged him on a wide range of professional issues, including reminiscences of his tenure as A-G of Nigeria’s largest and most cosmopolitan State. He also spoke about his optimism for the future of the legal profession, in Nigeria.

For February 15, it was NBAWF: Building a

Solid Structure to Support Nigerian Female Lawyers

The Inner Bar is peopled with a negligible number of female Lawyers, and even fewer from the Academic category. As a matter of fact, Professor Oluyemisi Adefunke Bamgbose, SAN has the rare privilege of being the very first female Academic to be conferred with the exalted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2018. In addition to her many accolades, the NBA called upon her to take up the herculean task of reviving the erstwhile moribund Nigerian Bar Association Women’s Forum (NBAWF), a task she has been handling with stoical diligence. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi engaged Professor Bamgbose, not just on the resuscitation of the NBAWF, the journey so far and the lasting legacies being built, but on some critical professional and

Olufemi Gbajabiamila, also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the NBA and the House of Representatives. The two-day programme, culminated in the inauguration of the Electoral Committee of the NBA for its upcoming 2022 elections.

Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi who attended the event in Abuja, reported.

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

cont'd from page V

academic issues.

We featured the 20th anniversary of the passage of and tributes to Bankole Olumide Aluko, SAN on February 22: An Irreplaceable Icon 20 years ago, the Nigeria legal community lost one of its most brilliant icons, Mr Bankole Olumide Aluko, SAN. His colleagues at the law firm he co-founded, Aluko & Oyebode, paid him a special tribute to commemorate the two decades of his passing. As they say, legacies never die.

The intractable quest for appropriate wages for judicial officers was our focus for on March 1: ‘Put Judicial Officers’ Salaries on Par with that of Legislators’ The climb to the pinnacle of a judicial career can be quite tortuous and demanding, especially given the challenges and the many hurdles one has to surmount. Honourable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC (Rtd) rose from being a fearless Prosecutor in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to the Director of Public Prosecutions, to a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, and finally to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, from where he stepped down with pomp last year, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70. As he stepped down as Chairman of the esteemed Body of Benchers, Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi sought him out. He went down memory lane as he reminisced on his glowing career on the Bench, and bore his mind on several other issues pertaining to the legal profession in Nigeria.

World powers at war came up on March 8, with the title Russia v Ukraine: Nuts, Bolts and Consequences

Earlier this year, the world experienced it’s closest to a world war in recent times, with the sudden invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the debate as to whether Russia would unleash its nuclear power during the hostilities, which could have far reaching effects. What started as a seemingly minor dispute between two former Eastern Bloc countries, has gradually escalated into a war, which has put the world on Red Alert with potentially disastrous consequences, including a major humanitarian crisis. Tolu Aderemi, Gboyega Okunniga and Felix Sugabs examined the complex issues from diverse perspectives, including how the crisis could be beneficial to Nigeria, if Government is able to take advantage of the opportunities open to it.

March 15: ‘I Will Now Focus on Justice Sector Reform’

Can Nigeria progress, if it is not restructured politically and economically? Mrs Funke Adekoya, SAN is empathic in her response, that it cannot. The legal amazon who was called to the Bar in 1974, turned 70 earlier this year. In an encounter with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi she explained that her stepping aside from the law firm of Aelex which she co-founded almost two decades ago, is not a total retirement from active legal practice, but rather allows her to have a closer embrace with what may have become her passion, arbitration. She is also rolling up her sleeves to contribute her efforts to justice sector reforms, and promoting better care for underprivileged street children.

March 22 was the special edition on #JusticeForBamise

The murder of a young lady, Oluwabamise Ayanwole in a BRT vehicle in Lagos metropolis, left many in deep shock and fright over the safety of the BRT transport system. It also elicited widespread calls demanding justice for the slain Bamise, who is alleged to have been raped and murdered for rituals, as her corpse is said to have been found with her genitals purportedly missing. In this Discourse, Norrison Quakers, SAN, George Oguntade, SAN, Professor Hope Eghagha and Major Ben Aburime (Rtd) all called for a thorough

investigation into Bamise’s untimely death, and that the culprit(s) be brought to justice swiftly. We at This Day, express our heartfelt condolences to Bamise’s family on their irreplaceable loss. “Those who walk uprightly, enter into peace” - Isaiah 57:2.

March 29, Y.C. Maikyau SAN spoke to THIS DAY LAWYER earlier this year, stating unequivocally that ‘NBA ‘I Stand for One Strong and United NBA’

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is not only the largest professional body in Africa, but also the most cohesive in terms of its broad-based programmes which impact its over 200,000 members. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi took out time to speak with the Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee, Mr Yakubu C. Maikyau, SAN. The first Senior Advocate from Kebbi State spoke extensively on crucial issues, including the recent outright rejection of the gender-based bills by the National Assembly; the bid by the Senate to build six new Law School Campuses when the existing ones are not in the best of conditions due to a paucity of funds, what would be the resultant effect of following through with such a ridiculous decision; and why he thinks Nigeria doesn’t have enough Lawyers.

April 5 ‘Reintroduction of a National Shipping Line is Overdue’

The Maritime Sector is a goldmine on the global scene, and Nigeria shouldn’t be an exemption or exception with regard to enjoying the benefits that can be accrued therefrom. But, the Nigerian Maritime Industry does appear to have huge but surmountable challenges, including local capacity to own and crew ships, implementation of the Cabotage Law, and the inexplicable absence of a National Shipping Line since the liquidation of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) in 1995. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi encountered a Maritime Law Practitioner, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, SAN who provided clues as to how the seemingly humongous challenges in the sector can be overcome.

For April 12, national security grabbed our headlines with ‘Who Will Secure Our Nation?’

Every passing day sees Nigeria’s insecurity attain worsening dimensions. The March 2022 Kaduna train attack which resulted in several deaths, many injuries and the kidnap of numerous commuters who remain unaccounted for over two weeks after the dastardly incident, yet again brought to the fore, the very urgent need to rethink the nation’s security architecture. With insecurity flashpoints all over the country, North-East, North Central, parts of the South-East and this time the North-West, Nigeria is undoubtedly involved in a low-grade war. Some suggestions as to a lasting panacea for these enormous security challenges, was the topic of this Discourse by Jide Ojo, Dr Kayode Ajulo, and Major Ben Aburime (Rtd)

On April 19 the Transport Minister’s Interview was headlined .‘Poverty Didn’t Start With Buhari’s Government’

For many years, the Nigerian rail transport system which was vibrant and highly reliable in the 1960s and 1970s, gradually decayed and became comatose. At best, it offered epileptic and skeletal services on very few routes. The coming into office of Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State 2007-2015, as Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, changed that old discouraging narrative. Today, for the first time in decades, Nigeria has standard gauge rail lines, better moving, air-conditioned trains which now ply several major routes, with plans to add on more routes in the foreseeable future.

However, the euphoria of having train services recently dampened, raising questions about the security of passengers on the trains, when on the extremely popular Abuja-Kaduna route, a Kaduna bound train was attacked by bandits/terrorists. Precious lives were lost,

LAWYER

‘Despite Our Oil, the Niger-Delta is Underdeveloped’

NBA Pushes Justice Sector Reform to the Front Burner

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

cont'd from page VI

many were injured, while even more were kidnapped; an unfortunate incident which the Minister confessed saddened him greatly. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi sought Minister Amaechi out, to discuss Government’s plans to secure the trains, the strides which have so far been made in the Nigerian railway sector since his assumption of office, while touching briefly on his declaration to run for Nigeria’s Presidency should he secure the APC Presidential ticket.

April 26 - Domestic Violence: Nigerian Women at Risk

The recent death of one of Nigeria’s leading gospel music artistes, Osinachi Nwachukwu, who was allegedly battered to death by her husband, elicited nationwide outcry. Christian leaders rose in outright condemnation of the dastardly act, with many calling for her husband to face the hangman. Her death however, revealed the scary statistics of women who are subjected to inhumane and violent treatment in the hands of their spouses. Gender Rights Activists, Osai Ojigho, Amanda Demechi-Asagba and Uju Peace Okeke discussed Gender-Based and Domestic Violence, suggesting ways in which escalating spousal abuse can be reduced, and how victims can find respite.

May 3, Chrisland Sex Scandal: Abdication of Duty by Parents and Schools

The wide outrage that trailed the sex video of some students of the upscale, Chrisland School while on a Sports trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, awoke in many Nigerian parents the pent-up frustrations of parenting and disciplining teenage and even younger wards. Who is to blame, Parents, Schools or Government?

All three, it seems. Zainab Suleiman Okino and Edoamaowo Udeme discuss the matters arising in respect of the Chrisland matter, especially as such deviant behaviour seems to be prevalent in many schools. They x-rayed the undeniable rot that currently pervades our secondary educational institutions, while Onyekachi Umah examined the age of culpability of young Nigerian offenders, vis-à-vis the various criminal laws across the country.

May 10, ‘We Need an In-Depth Review of Judicial Salaries’

The nation’s forthcoming general elections is one that many have said is a make or mar one, given the complexities in the polity and the urgent need to reengineer the entire architecture of governance for the nation. As more Presidential aspirants expressed interest in running, one of the nation’s leading intellectuals in governance declared his interest to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. Thoroughbred and internationally recognised development Economist with a doctorate in War Studies, Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi made his declaration to run for the office of the President of Nigeria in the upcoming elections at a ceremony in Abuja last Wednesday, May 4, 2023. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi engaged the Presidential aspirant in a conversation and discussed many issues ranging from why he desires to succeed Buhari as President at this critical time in Nigeria’s history where the country seems to be at one of its lowest ebbs, to his achievements in Justice Sector Reform in Ekiti State and his plans to expatiate on these achievements across our nation should he be elected as President, to the strides made in his time as Chairman of the Governors’ Forum.

May 17 - Peter-Odili JSC: An Amazon Bows Out at 70

Having served the nation with great candour and dedication for 44 years, Honourable Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili CFR bowed out as a Justice of the Supreme Court on Thursday, May 12, 2022 on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi who attended the colourful and very well-attended valedictory court session at the Supreme Court, spoke with a cross-section of

senior Lawyers who attested to the her humility, integrity, intelligence and hard work. In this Special Edition, Chief Solomon Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, also pays glowing tribute to her.

May 24 - ‘6th ICC Arbitration Conference Will be a High-Powered Event’ Nigeria has no doubt come into a clear lead, in the Arbitration community in Africa. In the quest to deepen arbitration practice in Nigeria and make the country the arbitration hub in Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria (ICCN) Arbitration & ADR Commission held its 6th ICC Africa Arbitration Conference at the Civic Centre and Eko Hotel, both in Victoria Island, Lagos on 1st - 3rd June, 2022. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi talked to the Chairman of the ICCN Arbitration & ADR Commission, Mrs Dorothy Ufot, SAN, on the preparations for the Conference at which the first female President of the institution, Ms Claudia Salomon, and the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are expected to speak. Mrs Ufot, SAN, the current holder of the prestigious African Arbitrator of the Year Award, also expressed her views about other burning national issues, including the new law to criminalise payment of ransom for kidnap victims.

May 31 - ‘Restrict Right of Appeal to Apex Court’

In a jurisdiction where partnerships do not seem to thrive much, its good to see a partnership that has thrived for several decades. The upscale law firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore (SOOB Law) established in 1989 by the name Partners, has weathered the storm for over 30 years and is still going strong. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi spoke to the firm’s four Partners, Ebun Sofunde, SAN, Jide Ogundipe, Dele Belgore, SAN and their new Partner, former Nigerian Bar Association Lagos Branch Chairman, Yemi Akangbe, who came on board when one of the founding Partners, Gabriel Osakwe voluntarily retired from active legal practice. The Partners spoke about their areas of expertise, and shared their views on some topical issues, while Mr Akangbe spoke about his experience and some of his achievements as Chairman of the largest Branch of the NBA.

June 7 ‘The Rising Scourge of Mob Action in Nigeria’

In the past few years, irate mobs have unleashed jungle justice on hapless citizens, claiming many lives in the various zones of the country. From 2019 to date, it was reported by SBM Intel that there have been 279 cases of mob justice in Nigeria, resulting in the death of 391 people, 223 of them occurring in the South. So far, the South West is leading the pack with 100 incidents, South South 64, North Central 39, South East 33, North West 30 and North East 13. What could be responsible for this rising inhumane trend, where citizens take the law into their own hands, resorting to self-help and becoming the Prosecutor, Judge, Jury and Executioner? Is the nation’s criminal justice system failing? Is it caused by a combination of factors like unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and religion? What is the panacea? Professor Earnest Ojukwu, SAN, Professor Andrew Chukwumerie, SAN and Chukwu Emeka Eze examine the worrisome trend and proffer solutions.

June 14 - Nigeria: A Cash and Carry Democracy

In what may go down in the nation’s political history as the most monetised Presidential election primaries, both the ruling party, APC, and the main opposition party, PDP, conducted primaries which produced their Presidential flag bearers. The question on the lips of many is, who outspent who? PDP or APC? What does the law say about political spending? Should there be a more reasonable ceiling in the amount spent on primaries and campaigns, as

Chrisland Sex Scandal: Abdication of Duty by Parents and Schools

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

it is done in other climes? Norrison Quakers, SAN, Uju Peace Okeke, Jide Ojo and Dr Sam Amadi in this discourse, examined the issues which flowed from the recently concluded party primaries of the political parties, preparatory to the 2023 general elections.

June 21 - ‘ECNBA Will Deliver a Credible Election for Nigerian Lawyers’ Again, Nigerian Lawyers geared up for the biennial elections, to usher in a new Exco of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The previous elections had come with peculiar challenges, especially with hitches and glitches associated with e-voting. The Chairman of the 2023 Election Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), Ayodele Akintunde, SAN assured Nigerian Lawyers that his Committee would deliver a free, fair, credible and controversy-free election in July, when they go polls to elect new their leaders. He also told Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi in a down-to-earth chat, that his Committee won’t hesitate to wield the big-stick, if any of the contestants break the rules.

June 28 - ‘2023 Transition Will be Pivotal for a Better Nigeria’

Roland Ewubare is one Nigerian Lawyer who can be described as a Jack of all trades and a Master of all! He has traversed the global legal sphere as an academic, human rights practitioner, oil and gas expert, and innately, a philanthropist. In a down-to-earth chat, he shared his interesting journey with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi right through till his resignation as a Chief Operating Officer at NNPC in July 2020 for personal reasons which he explained. He answered several questions which have agitated the minds of Nigerians on gas flaring, the recently enacted Petroleum Industry Act, the impact that the Dangote Refinery will have on Nigeria and our oil industry, and what we can do to optimise our mineral resources.

July 5 – Overhauling the Judiciary: Acting

CJN Ariwoola’s

LAWYER

LAWYER

AYODELE AKINTUNDE, SAN

LAWYER

Tasks Ahead

In a most unexpected twist, the erstwhile Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad GCON unceremoniously resigned as head of the nation’s Judiciary on Monday, June 27, 2022. In the tradition of the Bench of not allowing a vacuum, the next in rank, the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola was sworn in the same day by President Muhammadu Buhari, as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria. As his confirmation as substantive Heas of the Apex Court is being awaited, senior Nigerian Lawyers express their expectations of the new CJN in this special edition.

July 12 - Gadzama, Maikyau,Taidi: Nigerian Lawyers Decide

Once again, Nigerian Lawyers were set to elect their national officers to run the affairs of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the next two years. Since the NBA adopted the electronic voting method by universal suffrage, the exercise has witnessed its fair share of challenges, which the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA, Ayo Akintunde, SAN, in a recent interview with THIS DAY LAWYER, gave assurance would be surmounted. In this year’s election, three eminently qualified candidates were in the race, namely Chief J-K Gadzama, SAN, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN and Jonathan Gunu Taidi. Who will Nigerian Lawyers select as their next President? Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi asked each of the contestants a set of probing questions, as to why they think Nigerian Lawyers should entrust them with the affairs of the Association for the next two years, and the highlights of their manifestos.

July 19 - APC and the Insensitivity of a Muslim-Muslim Ticket

To the chagrin of many, the ruling Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) made a move that perplexed many, when its Presidential flag

LAWYER R O A WEEKLY PULLOUT Gadzama, Maikyau, Taidi: Nigerian Lawyers Decide LAWYER O A WEEKLY PULLOUT TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2022 APC and the Insensitivity of a Muslim-Muslim Ticket LAWYER O A WEEKLY PULLOUT TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2022 Mrs Nella Andem-Ewa Rabana, SAN, FCI Arb ‘FG was Complicit in Ceding Bakassi to Cameroon’ LAWYER T A N A WEEKLY PULLOUT TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 ‘2022 AGC Will be an Unforgettable Experience for Lawyers’ 2022 AGC TCCP CHAIRMAN, LAWYER O A WEEKLY PULLOUT ‘We have taken Arbitration to Other African Countries’ LAWYER A WEEKLY PULLOUT ASUU Strike: Any End in Sight?

July 26 - ‘FG was Complicit in Ceding Bakassi to Cameroon’

The story of how Nigeria ceded the Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroon, is yet to be fully told. It was a legal battle which took both countries to the International Court of Justice at The Hague (ICJ), and one which Nigeria sadly lost, as a result of which a full local government area in Nigeria was excised to Cameroon. Mrs Nella Andem-Ewa Rabana, SAN, FCI Arb who as the then Attorney-General of Cross River State was a member of the Nigerian legal team that went before the ICJ, narrated to Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi the challenges and obstacles, that mitigated against Nigeria at the ICJ.

She also shared her views on the advancement of Arbitration in Nigeria, why women empowerment is a fundamental right, and the raging national debate on APC’s Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket.

August 2 – ‘2022 AGC Will be an Unforgettable Experience for Lawyers’

Africa’s largest professional body, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) hosted its 62nd Annual General Conference (AGC) in Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos from 19th to 26th of August, 2022. With over 30,000 Conferees expected to attend both physically and virtually, this year’s Conference promised to surpass the previous ones. In a chat with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi, the 2022 Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Tobenna Erojikwe explains why this year’s Conference is a must attend for Nigerian Lawyers. He went further to explain the choice of world acclaimed award-winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie as Keynote Speaker, the highlights of the Conference including the entertainment lined up for Lawyers to relax, and why the NBA partnered with Meta (owners of Facebook) to power the Conference.

August

9

– ‘We have taken Arbitration to Other African Countries’

For Alternative Dispute Resolution, Nigeria is fast becoming a hub in Africa; and as Arbitration continues to deepen, Nigeria has actually exported ADR to other African countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and others. Mr Olatunde Busari, SAN is one of those who pioneered Arbitration practice in Nigeria in the early 1990s. In a chat with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi, he spoke on a wide range of issues from Arbitration to Corporate Governance, the NBA, the recent NICN judgement with regard to salaries of judicial officers, why Nigeria doesn’t require a separate court for election matters and insecurity.

August 16 - ASUU Strike: Any End in Sight?

Overhauling the Judiciary: Acting CJN Ariwoola’s Tasks Ahead

bearer, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after the initial prevarication selected Senator Kashim Shettima, former Governor of Borno State and a fellow Muslim, as his running mate. While some bemoaned the insensitivity of the APC in featuring a Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket, some others consider it political suicide, as they believe it will dampen the chances of the Party at the polls. Some APC stalwarts have registered their disapproval of this development, by resigning from the Party in protest. Dr Daniel Hassan Bwala, Inibehe Effiong and Ogedi Ogu, express their views on this rather controversial choice of APC.

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

spending a longer period of time to complete their studies because of the interruptions caused by the strikes, foreign universities and countries are said to be eyeing degrees obtained from Nigerian public universities with suspicion, unlike before. This may be due to the fall in the standard of education which is inevitable, due to numerous breaks occasioned by the strikes, and subsequent rush to complete the syllabus on resumption. What options are left for students and parents? Not too many. Private universities are too expensive. The prevailing foreign exchange rates, have also priced foreign universities out of the reach of majority of Nigerians. Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, Norrison Quakers, SAN, Jefferson Uwoghiren and Kede Aihie delve into the issues and proffered possible solutions for ending the ASUU Strike, and and putting measures in place to prevent any future reoccurrences.

August 23 - ‘NBA Under Our Watch, Wasn’t Any Government’s Appendage’

Just before the conclusion 2022 NBA AGC, the Olumide Akpata-led administration of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) would be handing over to the incoming Y.C. Maikyau, SAN’s team of new national officers of the NBA. Over the past 24 months, Olumide Akpata took bold steps to ensure that the Association reclaims its pride of place, particularly as the watchdog of the society. How well did he fulfil the campaign promises, which he made to NBA Members in 2020? As the Annual General Conference of the Association kicked off in Lagos on Sunday, August 21, Olumide Akpata took time out to speak with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi on the highlights of his tenure, some of the achievements of his administration and many other issues which are of interest to Nigerian Lawyers. We congratulated Mr Akpata on a successful tenure, and going forward, we wished him all the best.

August 30 - 2022 NBA Conference: Bold Transitions

For Africa’s largest professional body, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the aphorism that promises are easy to make, but hard to deliver, didn't come true at the Annual General Conference which held at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos in the month of August. The Conference, the 62nd in the Association’s history, which saw over 13,000 physical attendees and an additional 5,000 Lawyers attending virtually, was a huge success despite the challenges, including the inability of all Conferees to get their conference materials and the looting of same, which took place during the Conference. Onikepo Braithwaite, Jude Igbanoi and Steve Aya reported on the proceedings of the 7-day event, at the end of which a new Executive of the Association led by Yakubu Maikyau, SAN was sworn into office.

September 6 – ‘I Was Tortured in Prison’ Activist Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, was in two of Nigeria’s pitiable, inhumane and dehumanising correctional centres. Inibehe Effiong went to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, to defend a client before the Chief Judge’s Court, in a case of defamation allegedly against the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, but instead, he began a nightmarish journey to the dungeons of Ikot Ekpene and Uyo Correctional Centres for purported contempt of court. He narrated his harrowing ordeal to Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi.

LAWYER

LAWYER

2022 NBA Conference: Bold Transitions

years, this maximum number has not been reached for reasons ranging from their Lordships retiring in quick succession on attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 70, or death, and the last two Chief Justices stepping down before the end of their tenures. Presently, there exist eight vacancies at the Supreme Court, but the modalities of filling those vacancies and the quality of appointees have been a source of contention amongst legal pundits. While some believe that it is only fair that the Supreme Court Justices should be selected from the crop of Court of Appeal Justices who have served on the Bench possibly for decades, hoping to reach the helm of their career as judicial officers, others believe Senior Advocates of Nigeria and Academics should also be considered for the position of Supreme Court Justice. Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Professor Paul Oboh Idornigie, SAN and Joseph Otteh proffered solutions to addressing these perennial concerns.

October 4 – What Nigerians Expect From the Next President

Several weeks ago, Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on political campaigns. As this administration’s tenure draws to an end, the nation is in search of a new President, and come May 29, 2023, a new one shall be sworn in. Given the complexities and present realities of the country, it will not be a tea party for the next President of the Federation. But what do Nigerians expect from their next President? Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi spoke to a cross-section of senior Lawyers on their expectations of the incoming President.

October 11 – The Peoples Democratic Party v Mai Mala Buni: Implications for the Polity The recent judgement of the Federal High Court in PDP v Mai Mala Buni, in which the candidature of Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his Deputy for the 2023 Gubernatorial election was nullified, on the ground that Governor Buni was ineligible to sponsor them as acting Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), being a sitting Governor who is prohibited from holding these two positions concurrently. It seems that sometime in 2021, Festus Keyamo, SAN, had privately warned the APC about what could be the dangers of allowing the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni remain as the Acting Chairman of the Party. The judgement raised quite a number of concerns, especially the far-reaching implications for other Parties, and consequently, the larger Nigerian polity. What lessons are there for other political parties? Is there any respite for the beleaguered ruling APC? Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN dissected the landmark precedent- setting judgement, and teased out the issues and the implications for the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party and the nation.

October 18 - ‘I See God’s Finger in My CON Award’

September 13

– ‘Is the Lagos State Parking Levy Legal?’

A few weeks ago, the inhabitants of Lagos State awoke to yet another levy, in addition to the multiple taxes already foisted on them by the State Government. This time, it is the Lagos State Parking Levy which stands at N80,000 per vehicle, and a non-refundable Administrative/ Processing fee which applies based on the location. Humans Rights Lawyer and Activist, Femi Falana, SAN tackled Haroun Adebayo of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, on what he described as unconscionable multiple taxation

and illegal levies. It was Crossfire!

September 20 - ‘There is a Total Feeling of Unease in Nigeria Now’

For most Nigerian Female Lawyers, it is a tortuous journey to the peak of the legal profession. In spite of these challenges, Mrs Olabisi Soyebo surmounted all to become the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria from the North in 2008. She told Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi in chats, about her journey to the peak of her career as a legal

practitioner, her deep seated concerns over the worsening economic situation in Nigeria, and the unprecedented mass exodus of Nigerian youths and professionals to greener pastures.

September 27 – Filling Supreme Court Vacancies: Issues for Consideration

The last port of call on the Nigerian Judicial ladder, is the Supreme Court. All appeals terminate at the Apex Court; they can go no further. The Constitution provides for a total of 21 Justices of the Court, but in the past few

The story of Nigeria’s march to post-military democracy, cannot be told without an ample mention of the role of human rights defenders like Chief Dr Mike Ozekhome, CON, SAN. The fearless Constitutional Lawyer who turned 65 on October 15, 2022, had the privilege of being awarded the coveted office of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, by President Muhammadu Buhari whom he had constructively criticised on a number of occasions, last week. He went down memory lane with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi on his various battles in the trenches, and shared his opinion on several issues including restructuring and ransom payments to kidnappers.

October 25 – Illegality of Nnamdi Kanu’s Rendition from Kenya

Since June 2021, the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a British citizen, having been forcibly brought back to Nigeria from Kenya by the Nigerian Government, has been in the custody

‘NBA Under Our Watch, Wasn’t Any Government’s Appendage’

2022: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

cont'd from page IX

of the SSS since then. But, a glimmer of hope for Kanu’s release came about a fortnight ago, when the Court of Appeal in its judgement in his case dropped the rest of the amended charges which the lower court retained against him, ruled that his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria was unlawful, and discharged him. But, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN maintains that ‘Kanu was only discharged, and not acquitted.’ Two of Nigeria’s foremost human rights Lawyers, Femi Falana, SAN and Kanu’s lead Counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome CON, SAN dissect the issues in this matter, and explain why Kanu’s continued detention amounts to impunity and a total disregard for the rule of law.

November 1 - ‘Remuneration of Nigerian Judicial Officers is Appalling’

Nigeria, without any iota of doubt, has some of the brightest legal minds in the world. Both at home and in the diaspora, Nigerian Lawyers have distinguished themselves with expertise in diverse areas of law. Dr Charles Adeogun-Phillips is one such shining stars; a former Prosecutor/Senior Counsel at the United Nations’ International Criminal Court who recently received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Warwick, has done outstanding work in international criminal prosecutions, chasing ‘bad guys’ all over the world, with a view to bringing them to justice, whether for crimes against humanity and war crimes, or financial misdeeds. He has done so, with a good measure of success. He told Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi in a chat, how most of his prosecutorial work has helped to set the much-needed precedents where they didn’t exist. He also demonstrated his willingness to help in the home front, while firmly advocating that Nigeria needs more Judges and better conditions of service for them.

November 8 – Naira Redesign: Economic or Political Expediency?

By December 15, 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the new redesigned Naira notes in denominations of 200, 500 and 1,000. Amidst speculations over what the real intent of Government is, there is the ongoing bickering between the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and the Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed. Dr Sam Amadi, Jide Ojo, Jefferson Uwoghiren and Emeka Ejikonye interrogate the issues surrounding the exercise, including its import and the cost of printing the new notes.

November 15 – ‘LSN? Why Now? For What Purpose?’

For over six decades, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has served as the sole umbrella body for Lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar by the Supreme Court, as Barristers and Solicitors. This crucial role of the NBA hasn’t been without its fair share of challenges, including an imperfect electoral system, but the body has managed to surmount its challenges to play its statutory role over the years. The sudden recent emergence of a body christened the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN) was received with mixed feelings and questions, including why now? Has it come to threaten the peace that the NBA has enjoyed, since the 1992 Port Harcourt Debacle which saw it in limbo for six years? Does the emergence of such a body enjoy legal backing? The LSN whose abrupt appearance is raising eyebrows as to its intent and purposes, was the subject-matter of this Discourse by Dr Richard Ahuonaruogho, SAN, Abdulrasheed Ibrahim and Sylvester Udemezue.

November 22 – Rising Suicide Cases in Nigeria: Causes and Solutions National statistics, have shown a noticeable

increase in the cases of suicide across Nigeria.

People continue to jump off the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge into the Lagoon, or ingest ‘Sniper’, a disinfectant and all purpose cleaner, turned into a popular and easily available poison, to commit suicide.

In a country where suicide is erroneously associated with spiritual causes, plus a paucity of psychiatric experts, curbing the malaise is undoubtedly challenging. Leading Psychiatric expert,Dr Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, Onikepo Braithwaite, Kede Aihie and Abdul Ed Malik examined why both the young and the old are taking their lives, and possible solutions to curb the scourge.

November 29 - ‘Our Top Priority is, Digitalising Lagos’ Judiciary’

At a population of slightly over 20 million, Lagos State is unarguably the most populous city and the third largest economy in Africa, in addition to being quite cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse. The challenges of administering justice in such a State, are undoubtedly humongous. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, the Lagos State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, is the one who currently carries this responsibility. How has he fared in this herculean task of administering justice to citizens of the State, through the over 400 Lawyers under his supervision? Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi tracked him down to discuss his eventful three and a half years in office, including some of his innovations, and achievements so far.

December 6 – ‘There’s Gender Inequality at the Inner Bar’

The journey to the apex of the legal profession can be quite tortuous, and for female Lawyers, it is doubly challenging.

Professor Kathleen Ebelechukwu Okafor, SAN is a quintessential Academic with a very rich background in corporate practice, having transversed litigation, arbitration, oil & gas, and finally settling in the ivory tower as the Dean of the Law Faculty of Baze University, Abuja, where many budding Lawyers went through her tutelage.

In a chat with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi, she shared her thoughts on a number of issues, including how female Lawyers can rise on the ladder in the profession.

December 13 - December 2022 Call to Bar Ceremony

December 6 and 7, over 4,500 New Wigs were admitted to the Nigerian Bar with pomp and pageantry at the newly commissioned ultramodern Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja. As the yearly intake into the legal profession increases by the year, some have raised concerns that Nigeria may be producing too many Lawyers, while others argue that with an average of one Lawyer to about 37,000 people, Nigeria may not have enough Lawyers yet. Onikepo Braithwaite, whose daughter was one of those called to the Bar was present at the occasion, with additional reports by Alex Enumah, This Day Judicial Correspondent in Abuja.

December 20 – ‘What Does Christmas Mean to Lawyers?’

All work and no play, makes the Nigerian Lawyer a dull one. Nigerian Lawyers work in a very strenuous and tough environment, with humongous challenges and crazy work schedules, nightmarish traffic, epileptic power supply, insecurity and an infuriatingly slow paced justice delivery system. The yuletide therefore, provides one rare opportunity to unwind, with some making trips to their hometowns or holiday spots within the country and abroad. In this Special Christmas Edition, THIS DAY LAWYER asked a crosssection of Lawyers what Christmas means to them, and how they would spend this festive season which will usher in the new year. Merry Christmas everyone.

LAWYER

‘I See God’s Finger in My CON Award’

Illegality of Nnamdi Kanu’s Rendition from Kenya

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Russia Claims Shooting Down Ukrainian Drone at Southern Russia Airfield

Russian news agencies quoted the country’s defence ministry as saying Russian troops shot down a Ukrainian drone Monday, with the debris from the aircraft killing three people as it fell on a base in southern Russia.

The ministry said the drone was flying at a low altitude early Monday as it approached the Engels military airfield in Russia’s Saratov region and that the three dead were Russian servicemen at the airfield.

The base is hundreds of kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine, where Russian forces invaded in February.

Russia said Ukrainian drones attacked the same base on December 5.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave thanks Sunday to all those “doing everything so that we can live” as he offered Christmas wishes Sunday in his nightly video address.

Among those he thanked were the military personnel holding the front and trying to push it farther; repairmen, utility workers, volunteers, nurses and all medical personnel, educators and IT specialists, and everyone helping Ukraine remain resilient.

Savage US Blizzard Kills Dozens, Causes Power Outages

The death toll from a pre-Christmas blizzard that paralysed the Buffalo area and much of the country has risen to 27 in western New York, authorities said Monday as the region dug out from one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history.

The dead have been found in their cars, homes and snowbanks. Some died while shovelling snow. The storm that walloped much of the country is now blamed for at least 48 deaths nationwide, with rescue and recovery efforts continuing Monday.

The blizzard roared through western New York Friday and Saturday, stranding motorists, knocking out power and preventing emergency crews from reaching residents in frigid homes and stuck cars.

Huge snowdrifts nearly covered cars Monday, and there were thousands of houses, some adorned in unlit holiday displays, that have been dark from a lack of power.

The massive storm is expected to claim more lives because it trapped some residents inside houses and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

North Korea Sends Drones into South Korea in Brazen Incursion

North Korea sent several small drones into South Korean airspace Monday, Seoul officials said, prompting South Korea’s military to fly its own unmanned surveillance aircraft north of the sensitive border.

South Korea also scrambled fighter jets and attack helicopters to respond to the North Korean incursion but failed to bring down any of the drones, according to South Korean military officials.

While one of the drones returned to North Korea, the status of four others is not known, said South Korean military officials who spoke to reporters on background late Monday.

It’s not clear if the North Korean drones were armed, though South Korean officials say they were small – with a wingspan of only about 2 meters.

North Korea has sent tiny, crudely built UAVs into South Korea for apparent surveillance missions at least four other times since 2014, though this is the first reported incursion in more than five years.

Monday’s incident appeared particularly brazen, as the North Korean drones were reported to have flown around populated areas of South Korea for much of the day.

The first North Korean UAV crossed the border near South Korea’s northeast island of Ganghwa at 10:25 am local time and was quickly followed by the others, according to South Korean military officials.

Officials added that four of the drones flew near Ganghwa, while the other flew as far as the northern part of the Seoul metropolitan area, which is approximately 50 kilometres away.

As of 8:00 pm local time, there was no indication that any drones had been captured. There were no reports of damage in South Korea.

Islamic State Attacks Former Stronghold in Syria, Killing Six

The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for an attack Monday that killed six fighters affiliated with US-backed security forces in northeast Syria.

Local officials said the attack targeted a security headquarters in the city of Raqqa, which was the de facto capital of IS until 2017 when US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) removed the militant group.

The incident, in which one of two IS attackers were killed, prompted local authorities to declare an emergency and a citywide curfew as security forces started a sweeping campaign to search for potential sleeper cells belonging to IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh.

The other attacker, who was reportedly wearing an explosive belt, was detained by the SDF, according to a statement by Ali Hajo, co-chair of the department of the interior at the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria.

Mazloum Abdi, the general commander of the SDF, said Monday that his forces have received intelligence about “dangerous preparations by Daesh cells in Raqqa.”

IS militants ruled large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq until 2019 when US-backed forces declared the military defeat of the terror group. However, IS has remained active in many parts of both countries, relying on surprise guerrilla attacks on civilians and security forces.

Netanyahu Looks to Vote in New Israeli Government on Thursday

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu called a vote in parliament on his new government for Thursday, the speaker of the Knesset said on Monday, after almost two months of coalition wrangling.

Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties won a clear victory in parliamentary elections last month. But the veteran leader has had a harder time than expected in finalizing deals with his partners.

Despite campaigning together, Netanyahu has struggled to meet the demands of his allies, who have demanded a significant slice of power in exchange for their support.

Ahead of the vote in parliament and a formal swearing-in of the new government, Netanyahu will have to present the members of his cabinet officially.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister has vowed to govern for all Israelis, but he will head one of the most right-wing governments in the country’s history with key ministries in the hands of hardliners.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the Jewish Power party, will have authority for police as security minister. While Bezalel Smotrich’s

Religious Zionism party will have broad authority to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Both oppose Palestinian statehood and support extending Israeli sovereignty into the West Bank, adding another obstacle to a two-state solution, the resolution backed by Palestinian leaders, the United States and European governments.

Ethiopian Government Officials in First Post-War Visit to Tigray

Ethiopian officials have for the first time in nearly two years arrived in Tigray’s capital Mekelle to join in overseeing implementation of a November peace deal.

The speaker of Ethiopia’s parliament Tagesse Chaffo Dullo arrived in Tigray’s capital Mekelle on Monday as leader of the first federal delegation to the region since war broke out in November 2020.

The delegation, which state media says includes members of Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Commission, is in Tigray to work on implementing an African-Union-brokered peace deal to end the deadly two-year conflict.

The November deal signed in South Africa saw Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front agree to cease fighting, for foreign fighters to leave, for the TPLF to disarm, and for blocked aid and services to be restored.

The visit will be seen as a sign that the peace deal is holding, despite TPLF allegations and reports of continued killings, looting and rape by Amhara region militias and Eritrean forces.

Eritrea and the regional militias were not party to the peace deal.

Eritrea and Ethiopia have denied Asmara’s involvement in Tigray, though last year Eritrea acknowledged its troops’ presence and said they would be withdrawn.

Protest-Backing Football Star’s Family Kept from Leaving Iran

A prominent former football player in Iran who has expressed support for antigovernment protests says his wife and daughter were prevented from leaving the country Monday after their plane made an unannounced stopover en route to Dubai.

Ali Daei, who had his passport briefly confiscated after returning to the country earlier this year, said his wife and daughter departed from the capital, Tehran, legally before the flight made an unannounced stop on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, where authorities questioned them.

He said his daughter was released, but the doors to the flight were closed by then. He said his family had planned to travel to Dubai and return next week.

The flight-tracking website Flightradar24

showed Mahan Air Flight W563 being diverted to Kish Island before travelling onward to Dubai a couple of hours later.

There was no comment from the airline or Iranian authorities.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the Revolutionary Guard, said a travel ban was imposed on Daei’s wife earlier this month because she supported the protests. It said she tried to illegally bypass the ban without elaborating and that her final destination was the U.S. The reports did not name his wife or daughter, who are not public figures.

Daei is one of several Iranian celebrities who have come out to support the protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September. The Kurdish woman died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police in Tehran for violating the country’s strict dress code.

Taiwan Reports China’s Largest Incursion to Air Defence Zone

Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date.

Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the defence zone, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a report, as Beijing continues military activities close to the Chinese-claimed island.

The White House said the United States was concerned by China’s military activity near Taiwan, which it called “provocative” and “destabilizing,” adding that it risked miscalculations and undermined regional stability.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency said it was the largest Chinese air force incursion to date, although there was no sense of alarm on the island, which has witnessed a steady increase in Chinese pressure in recent years.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, said it had conducted “strike drills” in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Sunday in response to what it said was provocation from the democratically governed island and the United States.

DR Congo President under Attack over Regional Security Force

Three prominent Congolese figures, including Nobel winner Denis Mukwege, on Monday, accused President Felix Tshisekedi of pushing the country towards breakup by bringing in outside nations to tackle its security crisis.

In a sign of mounting pressures on Tshisekedi over DR Congo’s deeply troubled east, the trio said sub-Saharan Africa’s largest country faced “fragmentation” and “Balkanisation.”

This is “the result of a blatant lack of leadership and governance by an irresponsible and repressive regime,” they said in a communique.

In addition to Mukwege, a gynaecologist who co-won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping women victims of sexual violence, the statement was signed by politician Martin Fayulu, whom Tshisekedi defeated in controversial elections in 2018, and former prime minister Augustin Matata Ponyo.

Scores of armed groups roam eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, many of them a legacy of two regional wars that raged at the end of the last century.

The latest emergency is over a resurgent armed group called the M23, which has seized swathes of territory in North Kivu province since emerging from dormancy last year.

With the DRC’s armed forces floundering, Tshisekedi has called in a seven-nation body, the African Community (EAC), to deploy troops.

The EAC’s members include Rwanda and Uganda, which critics have long accused of stirring up friction in the east.

L-R: Head of Public Relations, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Anambra State, Mrs. Anuli Molokwu; Director, Press and Public Relations, NYSC, Mr. Eddy Megwa; Director, Special Duties, NYSC, Alhaji Musa Abubakar; acting Director-General of NYSC, Mrs. Christy lfeyinwa Uba; Traditional Ruler, Eze-Udo II of Umuawulu, His Royal Majesty Joel Egwuonwu; and Anambra State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Blessing Iruma, during Uba’s visit to the state NYSC Orientation Camp in Mbaukwu/Umuawulu…recently

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke (centre), cutting the tape to declare the Blue Crescent Limited in Ede open, supported by Timi of Edeland, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal (left); and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Crescent Limited, Ede, Mr. Oladokun Kolapo (right), in Ede, Osun State...recently

L-R: Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed Bala; Brewery Manager (Aba), Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, Abiodun Ajayi; Corporate Affairs Manager (South), NB Plc, Chukwuemeka Aniukwu; and Brewery Security Manager, NB Plc, Whyte Amadi, during the presentation of vans to Abia State Police Command, donated by NB Plc in Umuahia...recently

L-R: Head of Department, Randle General Hospital, Dr. Lara Agbaje; Managing Director, Pharma-Deko Plc, Mr. Kayode Ishola; non-Executive Director, Pharma-Deko Plc, Prof. H.A.B Coker; Managing Director, Raychoice Investment, Chief Raymond Ukpaka; and Head of Consumer Business Unit, Worldwide Health Care Limited, Mr. Rakesh Roshan, during the launch of Hexedene Active in Lagos…recently

L-R: Executive Director, Treasury and Business Growth, Abbey Mortgage Bank, Dipo Adeoye; General Manager/Group Head, IT and Operations of the bank, Lolita Ejiofor; awardees, George Uwaezuoke and Hilary Dumkwu; Managing Director of the bank, Mobolaji Adewumi; and Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of the bank, Geoffrey Amaghereonu, during Abbey Mortgage Bank’s 30th anniversary and 30 years of service award presentation, held in Lagos...recently

L-R: Chairman, Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Organising Committee, Mr. Meka Olowola; Associate Professor of Strategy, Corporate Governance and Risk Management, Lagos Business School, Dr. Franklin Ngwu; Group Head, ESG and Other Non-Financial Risks, Bank of Industry (BoI), Ifeoma Uz’Okpala; ESG Strategy and Risk Management Consultant, Heirs Oil and Gas, Mr. Bolarinwa Onaolapo; Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geo-scientists, Prof. Zacheus Opafunso; and Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action and Convener, SITEI Conference, Bekeme Masade-Olowola, at the 11th SITEI Conference held in Lagos…recently

PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Why No Love Lost Between African-Americans and Nigerians

Recently, a video of a Nigerian woman making claims about Nigerian émigrés in the United States trended on social media and since it will almost certainly fall into the hands of those who may have no scruples about using it for propaganda, I have chosen to address it with a rejoinder. And it seems Mr. Tope Fasua, a long-standing buddy of mine, also found her claims well, interesting, To summarise what she said (which was also featured on television), she claims that before migrating to America, Nigerians are brainwashed by their parents and society against associating with African Americans, and that in addition to this, we are consciously servile to the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant establishment in America. Basically, what she claims is that Nigerians are snobbish with their African-American cousins.

The woman herself may not be very knowledgeable about the experience of Nigerians in America. And she betrays a behaviour common with many Black Africans: eagerness to talk down to their countries and their people, and being in a mad rush to jump to the worst conclusion, rather than giving the benefit of the doubt to their own.

Anyone who followed the global reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement that exploded after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a police officer, would testify that at least Southern Nigeria was one of the geographical locations where the movement took strong root. There was a lot of public sympathy for the late Mr. Floyd in Nigeria, and we even had our own offshoot of the anti-police protest that erupted in America, which we tagged EndSARS.

So, it is difficult to understand how anyone would suggest that a people who were so empathetic to a largely African-American cause as Black Lives Matter, would have mass prejudice against the classes of people they showed solidarity with.

I first became resident in California in 1983, at the age of 9. From my wide travels within America, I am of the considered view, which I concede may be wrong, that what she says is not the typical experience of Nigerians living in America.

Before moving to America, many Nigerians and Black African immigrants are in awe of African-Americans, and want to be like them, talk like them, and walk like them. But when you land in America and speak and act as an African to some of our African-American brethren, the reception you get may be very cold.

Nigerians generally don’t get along with African-Americans and one of the reasons behind this is the deep-seated colour-based hierarchy in African-American communities, where darker skinned blacks are looked down on. It is so deep-seated that sometimes, African-Americans are unconscious of it. Many of them may not even know how it originated.

In many historically Black universities in America, they had fraternities and sororities which practice the Brown Paper Bag Test, whereby if your complexion is darker than the brown paper bag used in packaging groceries, you can’t join.

If this shocks you into disbelief, then research it. Google it even. Do not take my word for it. It is still going on in America as you read this, but not in a way as obvious as it used to be. Nowadays, the test is carried out using the eye to gauge complexion.

Sadly, in Black America, privilege is often, but not always, tied to skin tone. And this has done a lot of damage to a lot of people’s psyche.

Now, Nigerian immigrants come from a background where everybody in authority was Black and probably very dark skinned, from the President to their school principal, to police officers. So, they generally tend not to have any inferiority complex as regards their dark complexion. They are not even aware that it is being used to classify where they belong in society by some people.

And ignorance is bliss.

Now, some African-Americans unconsciously expect that due to their usually having a darker complexion, and an accent, Nigerians and other Black Africans should know their place. This sadly is not their fault, and when you notice it, as a Black African, you ought to be more understanding, rather than resent them. It comes from the categorisation of darker skinned Blacks as field Negroes, while their lighter skinned relatives were considered house Negroes. It used

to be a thing of pride in the African-American community to be a house Negro.

For instance, a lot of people are unaware that the real woman who suffered for refusing to give up her seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, was Claudette Colvin. She was arrested in March 1955, seven months before Rosa Parks.

However, members of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People did not feel that Ms. Claudette Colvin would be a good test case to attract public sympathy. So, they staged the same situation with Rosa Parks, and when she was arrested, they used her as the test case for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement.

To understand why some people believe that Rosa Parks became the face of the boycott over Claudette Colvin, you may want to Google their photos and observe their complexions.

And since Nigerians especially are oblivious of this complexion obsession, they just go about their activities and treat Whites in authority with the same respect that they would treat Blacks in authority back home. And this can create tension between them and African Americans, who may see their confidence as too much swagger or arrogance, and their relationship with White authorities as bootlicking.

And it is a false stereotype to say Nigerians in America suck up to White Americans. Not true at all.

A lot of African-Americans, due to their history, are somewhat aggressive when dealing with White Americans. And some expect that Black immigrants would behave likewise.

But Nigerians generally tend to relate with White authority figures with courtesy, while steadily making their way up the food chain, and they themselves eventually become authority figures.

This is why Amy Chua, an Asian-American of Chinese descent, recommended Nigerian child rearing practices to American families who want to produce successful children.

For example, though Blacks of Nigerian descent make up less than 1% of the US population, more than 50% of all Black doctors in America are of Nigerian descent.

Nigerian parents tend to be domineering. And that is not such a bad thing for children. Children need structure. Especially in a place like America, where there are many shiny things to distract children, especially males. And where, if you are not careful, the public school system will push your Black child towards athletics or entertainment, while you are oblivious to what they are doing.

Every year, millions of black males in America are chasing after less than a 100 slots in the American NBA to be professional basketball players. The odds of failure are just too great.

Millions more black youths in America are chasing the dream of becoming the next Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Less than 20 will succeed at that level in music and Hollywood each year. The odds are even greater.

Nigerian parents have proved, with empirical evidence, that Black youths stand a better chance at succeeding through STEM education. And as Nigerian-Americans rise up the social ladder, of course some people are going to resent them. Some will see them as uppity. Others will feel that they do not know their places.

But by succeeding, Nigerian-Americans are creating a new paradigm for Blacks in America. They are changing the way Blacks see themselves and how other races perceive us.

And their successful children are not nepo babies, which makes their success even more noteworthy.

Though I may be wrong, I would classify what this lady said as anecdotes she may have picked up from beer parlour talk. They are not reflective of the actual experiences of Nigerians in America, and do not appear to come from her own personal experiences.

And another thing that makes it hard for African-Americans to classify and deal with Black African immigrants is that while they have by and large one identity, Black African immigrants have multiple identities.

Other than exposed African-Americans, most domestic Blacks view every Black African as just an African. The nuances of being Nigerian, Ghanaian, Tanzanian, Rwandan, South African, Cameroonian and what have you, is lost on many of our brothers in the United States.

So, they may have dealt with a Ghanaian, and Ghanaians could sometimes be anodyne in nature, and then they deal with a Nigerian, and expect the same type of interaction. But then, Nigerians tend to be more assertive.

In other words, while it is easier to stereotype the African-American, it is harder to do the same with Black African immigrants.

And then again, some African-Americans retain very strong grudges against Black Africans for selling them as slaves. Of course this comes from a place of ignorance about how the slave trade actually worked (a lot of the people who did the actual slave raiding where Arabs and Arabised Blacks). For example, Bishop Ajayi Crowther was slave raided by the Fulani, not his fellow Oyo Yoruba).

The unfortunate thing is that whereas Jews in America fight for Jews in Israel, and ItalianAmericans fight for the interest of the Italian nation, and Irish-Americans fight to give the Republic of Ireland a sound footing, African-Americans and Black Africans find themselves fighting each other.

It is easy to blame African-Americans, but when

you travel to South Africa and see that almost the same thing exists, to a different degree there, you begin to understand that this is a Black problem that we must address as a race.

Other Blacks, including those whose nations paid with sweat, blood, and dollars, for the liberation of South Africa are looked down on as Makwerekwere, and some of these our South African brothers and sisters prefer to deal with their former White oppressors to their own Black African kith and kin who fought alongside them for their liberation. Imagine the irony!

Even in America, there was a time when African-Americans from the East coast of the United States did not like their fellow AfricanAmericans from the West Coast.

If there was that schism amongst them, then why would any Black African resent them for any perceived coldness from them?

Rather than resentment, we have to be the ones who break the ice, and foster a bond between us and them, so that we talk in terms of ‘we the people’.

And videos, like that done by the woman I referenced in the first paragraph of this piece, and which has since gone viral on TikTok, do not help. At all.

The Black Race is the most fractured on planet Earth. And to heal that fracture, we need to foster understanding of each other’s situation, rather than serve the divide-and-rule purposes of those who either brought about or exacerbated the fracture, by feeding false stereotypes, which only serve to widen the gulf between our people.

Reno’s Nuggets

Dear husbands,

After God, NOBODY on Earth has the capacity to love you completely unconditionally, like your mother. It is a spiritual umbilical cord relationship. That is why men who allow their wives to turn them against their own mothers, hardly end well. Your wife has good relations with her own mother, but wants you to cut yours off? In the wild, when a predator wants to kill a young animal, it must first separate it from its mother. Any wife that is poisoning you against your mother is a predator wanting to kill you. No exception to this rule. Absolutely none. Your mother is evil, yet she was civil enough to care for you until you became the man your wife admired and married? Even you as a father, no matter what your wife or ex-wife does to you, refuse to turn your children against her!

#RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu

Rosa Parks on the right with the mug shot, and Claudette Calvin on the left.

Bleak Christmas for Lagos Commuters

As Nigerians commemorate the Christmas season amidst inflation, fuel scarcity and high cost of transportation, Sunday Ehigiator writes that for commuters in Lagos State, things are currently bleak with hike in transportation fares

“G

ood morning sir, I don’t know if you are going towards Surulere area so I can join you. I have been standing here for over 2-hours with no hope of getting transportation to work.”

The above request for a lift was from a stranded neighbour going to work in the early hours of Monday, December 19, 2022, whom, unfortunately, I was unable to help as I was headed in the opposite direction.

My neighbour, simply identified as Stephen (pseudo name), is a factory worker in the Costain area of Lagos State. He provides for his wife and two children on a N60,000 monthly salary, yet he gets surcharged if he gets to work an hour later than his 8 am resumption time.

It was already past 9 am when Stephen asked for a lift at the bus stop without getting help. He may probably decide to trek to work or cancel the plans of going to work for that day and get a higher surcharge.

That isn't the only impact the fuel scarcity issue is having on Stephen. Before the scarcity, he spends an average of N5,000 on transportation to work weekly, with the scarcity, under strict money management, he now spends between N8,000 and N10,000 weekly.

This is because the cost of transportation has tripled due to the lingering fuel scarcity and booming black market business which most transporters had to resort to remaining on the road.

You can only now imagine how the several Stephens out there are catering for their homes if they had to spend N10,000 on just transportation every week on a N60,000 monthly salary that could also be surcharged.

The resultant effect is the sight of stranded passengers you see at every bus stops in Lagos state, as most of them can't afford the current hike in transportation and have to keep waiting for a cheaper bus or beg every stranger driving towards their destination for a lift, not minding the risk of being robbed or kidnapped.

Cause and Blames

In its reaction, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, blamed some ongoing road projects in Lagos state as responsible for the fuel scarcity, as it has limited access to petrol tankers plying the Lagos route.

Also reacting, DAPPMAN’s Chairman, Dame Williams Akpani, noted that the fuel crises persisted due to logistics challenges. She said bad roads, resulting in petrol trucks taking one week instead of three days to arrive in Abuja from Lagos, were also responsible.

On the other hand, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) blamed the scarcity on the depot, the increasing difficulty in accessing petroleum products, and the increasing cost of the product.

According to the National Controller, Operations, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, “members of the association could not get sufficient products at the depots.

“No fuel. Even when we were able to get a

small quantity, Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) sold it to us at N200/N202 per litre. By the time we transport it to our stations, the cost would be around N210/ litre,” he said.

He added that getting petrol to members’ filling stations from the depots now costs as much as N200 per litre in some instances.

The Overlooked Cause

The real problem, of course, is not just the access to roads or hike in lifting cost, it is the cost of importing petrol which has risen due to factors like inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Nigeria’s foreign currency challenges.

While the government wants to keep prices low, perhaps due to the general elections in February, someone has to pay the difference between the real cost and the political one.

The Subsidy Factor

The subsidy is also another factor

affecting the product. In 2022, Nigeria paid over N2 trillion to subsidise petrol, a scheme riddled with corruption.

In its 2023 budget, the Federal Government has allocated N3.6 trillion to fund fuel subsidies for six months. But all that money appears insufficient to keep prices where the government wants or make the product readily available without having to queue up.

Booming Black Market

As the scarcity of petrol bites harder across Lagos state, so is the black market booming in the country's economic capital.

The development arose after marketers decried the cost of lifting products from depots, saying it was no longer sustainable to sell petrol at N165 per litre, as some are now selling the product as high as N320 per litre.

As the fuel queues at many filling stations grew longer, THISDAY observed that the scarcity had led to a boom in black-market sales, as motorists opted to patronise the easy channel of getting the product irrespective of the cost implication.

Taking advantage to make brisk sales, black marketers in the Gbagada, Owode Onirin, Festac, and Oshodi areas of the Lagos metropolis sold five litres of petrol for N4,000, representing about

N800 per litre, while 10 litres were sold for N6,500 in the neighbouring area.

Commuters as Scapegoat

Regardless of where transporters get the product either the black market or petrol stations or at what cost, they end up factoring the cost of fueling their buses into the cost of transportation, as commuters remain their scapegoat.

Commuters are left with no choice in the sequence of things. Because of the need to get to their place of work or other equally important destinations at all costs, they end up paying an exorbitant amount, a far outcry from what they would normally pay, just to commute.

Scapegoating commuters is not only limited to commercial bus drivers, digital cab-hailing companies such as Bolt and Uber are not left out, after all, they also need fuel to run their businesses and are affected by the current hike and scarcity.

A trip from the 7up bus stop to Alausa Secretariat which usually cost between N800 and N1200 on Bolt and Uber now costs between N3500 and N4000 on both apps.

In all of these increases, commuters have no say. They are expected to accept any changes as they see them without recourse to how the hike is affecting other financial needs they have to cater for.

Bleak Christmas

As usual, during the festivities, many activities are piled up to celebrate the season. But with the hike in fares which is most likely not to deflate even when the scarcity is abated, it's easy to foretell it's going to be a bleak Christmas experience for commuters.

Imagine the fate of commuters travelling inter-state and how bleak Christmas is already looking for them.

Transportation to Abeokuta or Ibadan from the Ketu bus stop in Lagos state which used to be N1,500 now costs N2,500, while transportation from the same park in Lagos to Ondo State which was formerly N3,500 now costs N5,000.

These, therefore, call for an urgent need for fare regulation in the transportation sector.

Need for Regulation

One cannot help but think that since there is a National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which serves the interests of transport workers in the road transport sector, there should also be a body that serves the interest of the commuters, including security, point-to-point transport fare regulation among others.

Irrespective of the propelling factors, a driver should not just decide on their own to raise the cost of transportation which would affect the pockets of every commuter they pick up.

The role of a commuters protection body strictly controlled by the state government is highly necessary for regulating the cost of transportation with a win-and-win model for both commuters and drivers, only then can Lagosians have ‘A Merry Christmas’

Stranded Commuters at a Bus Stop in Lagos State

Since there is a National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which serves the interests of transport workers in the road transport sector, there should also be a body that serves the interest of the commuters, including security, point-to-point transport fare regulation among others

Commuters struggling to board a bus

Pragmatic Roadmap to Credible Election

It was a tripartite arrangement courtesy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The training was centred on conflict sensitive reporting on the forthcoming 2023 general elections and countering fake news. In other words, it was meant to build capacity on factual reportage for the media and CSOs within the South-south region of Nigeria; as well as issues on conflict sensitive reporting and how to counter fake news.

The tone of the workshop was set by the NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, who spoke on the topic: "Role of Media in the Conduct of Peaceful Election." He urged media practitioners to help politicians disabuse their minds from the way they see elections as a do or die issue.

This he said, necessitated the need for media professionals to brainstorm ahead of the election this year so as to prepare ourselves very well for the onerous task ahead.

According to him, "The 2023 Nigerian elections will be held, in large part, on February 25 and March 11, 2023. The President and Vice President will be elected on 25 February...there will also be elections on the same day for the Senate and the House of Representatives. On March 11, some gubernatorial elections will be held alongside elections to state houses of assembly in all the 36 states of the Federation.

"Peace Journalism/Conflict Sensitive and Election Reporting is key in whatever we do as Journalists. It is very necessary to take the issue of peace as a cardinal point and take into consideration the need to be careful so that areas that are already fragile do not explode or implode. Peace is a basic requirement in a democracy. No democracy can flourish in the absence of peace."

Nonetheless, he frowned at the prevalence of hate speech and fake news in society which he informed must be cut down as this will assist immeasurably in dousing tension in the polity.

In his welcome, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), for INEC, Rivers State, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem who just assumed office as REC, said the series of trainings by INEC are, "Pragmatic road maps towards ensuring deliverance of free, fair, credible and acceptable elections for sustenance of democracy in Nigeria."

The Director, Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Mr. Idayat Hassan, who was represented by Mr. Damian Ihekoronye, mentioned the issue of fake news and the need to ensure participants are sensitive to the environment in their reportage so as not to build layers of discord in society.

The Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Stanley Job Stanley observed that, "For someone to come out to say that they will sweep the poll before elections and it happens casts doubt hence the need for INEC to deliver on its mandate while journalists should avoid sensationalism."

The two day workshop which aims to boost reportorial skills on conflicts sensitive reportage, 2023 general election and countering fake news, witnessed the robust cross fertilization of ideas by participants which helped to pinpoint

possible setbacks on the use of technology, 109 days to the 2023.

For instance, during one of the interactive sessions, challenges were highlighted on the efficiency the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine. The doubt was centred on the malfunction of the smart card reader which the electoral umpire earlier gave a pass mark only for it to disappoint on Election Day.

However, the INEC said with the introduction of other devices such as INEC Voter Environment Device (IVED), INEC Result Viewing (IReV) and other devices put in place to checkmate any infraction, it is good to go in its quest to conduct free, fair and credible election in 2023.

A resource person from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mr. Chibuike Utaka who mentored participants on, "Conflict sensitive reporting in elections," cautioned against stereotyping people, use of inflammatory/foul descriptive language which display ethnic, religious, cultural beliefs or biases and the act of sending out unverified inflammatory information that can incite, cause fear or conflict in society.

He harped on the need to scrutinize and tone down on use/choice of language to deescalate conflicts, eradicate misinformation, educate, sensitize and pinpoint solutions, alongside speaking the truth while on the field of duty, covering activities of the electoral process.

Journalists were reminded of the need to remain apolitical, fact check before publishing reports for accuracy, keep a low profile while gathering news, keep safe to avoid becoming

soft targets and casualties of the electoral process despite the pressure to turn in exclusive reports or breaking news from their establishments.

The resource person further reminded journalists to be safety conscious at all times due to the obvious fact that the Nigerian society was yet to celebrate its media heroes and heroines who died on the field of duty. He sued for vigilance.

The training programme which was highly interactive in nature encouraged the dissemination of information through the use of mainstream and new media for societal good.

At the end of the workshop, a communique was drafted which highlighted participants commendation of the 2022 Electoral Act; involvement by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) by provision of funding for the programme to make for a seamless electoral process in Nigeria.

Participants called for more voter/ Civic education for the electorate by CSOs to sensitise and inform them of their civic rights and obligations.

Other issues raised include the need by INEC to be eagle eyed in order to ensure their servers do not get hacked into or slowed down while announcing results as well as ensuring that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) addresses challenges that may arise which could lead to disenfranchisement of registered electorate as a result of the loss of their PVCs.

It was pinpointed to media practitioners and CSOs to double check and fact check information to counter incidents of fake news.

Some of the participants who spoke said the training has helped to broaden their knowledge of peace reportage/peace journalism and pledged to put deliberate efforts into their reportorial to highlight issues which foster peace.

They also pledged to be sensitive with their choice and use of language especially those which stereotype people and their regions while urging the Nigerian populace to cut out inflammatory words that promote crisis in society during the 2023 electoral process and beyond.

Journalists were reminded of the need to remain apolitical, fact check before publishing reports for accuracy, keep a low profile while gathering news, keep safe to avoid becoming soft targets and casualties of the electoral process despite the pressure to turn in exclusive reports or breaking news for their establishments

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, The Centre for Democratic Development, CDD, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recently organised a two-day capacity building training on factual reporting for journalists and Civil Society Organisations in the South-south geopolitical zone. Adibe Emenyonu who was there, writes on lessons learnt at the workshop

Participants at the workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

& ENVIRONMENT

Sanwo-Olu Inaugurates 3 Roads, Ishefun Jetty to link Lagos to Ogun

Bennett Oghifo

The Lagos State government is deliberately building road and water transportation infrastructure to ease movement in and out of the state by residents of the state’s border towns.

Presently, the exit points in Lagos are the Lagos-Ibadan expressway; Lagos-Badagry; Ikorodu-Sagamu/Ijebu Ode; Lagos-Epe-Ijebu Ode; and the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta axis.

Last week, the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurated three more roads and a jetty to ease the movement of residents in Ishefun community in Ipaja-Ayobo Local Council Development

Area to Ogun State. Travellers in this area can now get to Ogun State through the waterways in seven minutes.

Governor Sanwo-Olu commissioned the newlyrehabilitated Isuti Road in Igando, Ishefun-Camp Davies Road and Ijon-Liasu Ojo-Ijo Road, relieving the residents of traffic burden. The road infrastructure has improved connectivity and solved traffic congestion in the area.

The governor also commissioned a newly built T-shaped jetty in Ishefun riverine community to facilitate seamless ferry services to other boundary towns along the river channel.

A ferry journey takes seven minutes to Igbesa, an Ogun State town.

Sanwo-Olu led members of the State cabinet to Alimosho for the formal inauguration of the projects, constructed by Visible Construction company.

The Ishuti Road project is 3800m length with 10m width ending at the jetty connecting to the famous totoro food market in Ogun State, Hence accelerating growth in trade and commerce around igando.

The Ishefun - Camp Davies - Ijon Road segment which has a length of 7,639 meters and a width of 16.2meter while Laisu Ojo-Ijo Road segment of the project is 1,190 metres and 8 meters in width respectively.

The Jetty component consists of the Ticketing office, Canteen, Waiting Area, Car Park and Pontoon.

Pertinence Co-founders Launch Book on Partnership

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The co-founders of renowned real estate firm, Pertinence Group, Dr. Sunday Olorunsheyi and Mr. Wisdom Ezekiel, recently authored a book on how they have thrived in business partnership after successfully growing the company, currently worth billions of naira in 10 years.

The book titled ‘The Perti-

nence Way - Our Partnership Story’, was recently unveiled at the company’s corporate head office in Akowonjo, Lagos.

The authors stated that the book chronicles how they went from local land sellers to global business leaders within a decade. They added that they have generously shared their lessons, pitfalls, and victories recorded within the period under review.

“It’s a ten-chapter book that covers everything you need to know about Pertinence, as well as the backbone of the business which is our business partnership,” said Olorunsheyi.

He added that, “the book is about how we went from local land sellers in 2012 to becoming directors of a group of companies, with subsidiaries blazing the trail in various sectors

Okpebholo Commits to Developing Esanland Infrastructure

Infrastructure deficits have become a major direction in the drive for democracy in Africa. In the face of high corruption, the electorate just wants the government and politicians to provide infrastructure like roads, water, security, etc. The people have taken their destiny in their hands for too long. They provide a borehole water system when building their homes, buy and fuel generators for electricity, and so on. Elections have become electrifying in rural areas ahead of 2023 general elections. The politicians are

mostly at home campaigning in their units and wards. Ironically, villagers and poor people feel the hurt of bad governance more, therefore the race to the general election has become a matter of attention across the country.

In Nigeria today, pipe borne water seldomly runs in the villages. Electricity, security, roads and other infrastructure are mostly concentrated in the metropolis while many rural communities live in these denials. It is against this backdrop that many contestants have lined up to interface with their constituents. In Edo state, Monday Okpebholo is contesting for the Senate seat to represent Edo Central Senatorial district on the platform of the All Peoples Congress (APC). Born on 29th August in 1970 to popular Okpebholo family of Udomi - Irrua in Esan Central local government, Okpebholo, who was popularly called Akpakomisa as a child, attended Udomi Primary School and Ujabhole

Secondary School, both in Uwesan in Irrua. He said the death of his younger sister cut short his dream of finishing secondary school in the village as he was relocated to Jos, Plateau state, to live with his elder brother apparently because of the trauma. Having lost both parents at a tender age, Okpebholo after his secondary education in Jos, could not continue with his dream of going to university immediately. He got a job as marketing officer with a company that deals in books and computers in Jos. His smartness in salesmanship quickly endeared him to many big individuals, corporate organizations, government agencies and missionaries in Jos and beyond. He became successful in the computer business and in 2000 established his own brand called Chapman Computers. In 2002, he also set up Interweb Satcom in Abuja, which today is a leading internet service provider and broadband merchant in Africa.

SEC Grants First Crowdfunding Intermediary License to Propcrowdy

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria has granted its first crowdfunding intermediary (CFI) license to Propcrowdy Limited. With this approval, Propcrowdy becomes the only platform in Nigeria today authorised to perform crowdfunding business under the rules and guidelines of SEC.

Propcrowdy is an inclusionary crowdfunding investment platform that is set up to make it possible for individuals who earn minimum wage to access and climb up the real estate investment ladder in Africa. “Doing this also enable us to raise project finance for small construction and development companies” stated the Founder/ CEO, Dr Roland Igbinoba.

The startup is focusing on two main target audience which are the population of Nigerians who earn between $80 to $1,000 per month - Over 127 million Nigerians fall in this category and Small and Medium Enterprise Real Estate Developers whose annual turnover are less than $5m – there are over 3,600 of these SMEs

of the Nigerian economy such as: real estate, finance, automobile and technology.

“An interesting thing about the book is that we didn’t just write principles, we told stories of how we scaled through. You will also not just read about the success stories, but also about the failures and lessons we learnt especially when we began diversification of our business

operations.

“There might have been certain things you saw us do and thought of as successes, but in this book, you’d be surprised to find us recording them as failures,” he said.

Olorunsheyi explained that since meeting Ezekiel, they have shared similar personal values and a credible vision to establish a good legacy in the coming

years. He noted that the aim of the company was to reach the centenary status in partnership and business, as there are not many partnerships with such a history in Nigeria.

On his part, Ezekiel said they decided to write the book about their entrepreneurial journey because documentation was necessary for processes to be replicated.

Oloyede Urges Quality, Excellence in Business Venture

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The Founder and CEO, Rolad Properties and Allied Services Limited, as well as First Fountain Homes, Oladotun Oloyede has reiterated the importance of quality and excellent delivery as components of any upwardly mobile business.

Oloyede stated this at the companies’ joint end-of-theyear party which was held on Tuesday, 20th September, 2022. He appreciated staff members and stakeholders for their trust in the brand and tireless commitment to making sure that the core values are upheld.

He noted that 2023 will come bearing a greater level of standard Real Estate delivery and

plans are already in motion to make business processes more efficient.

The Chief Operating Officer, First Fountain Homes, Ayodeji Oloruntoba expressed gratitude to staff members and clients for believing in the vision of First Fountain Homes in delivering Smart Homes to smart Lagosians. While talking about the completion of the first phase of the project, he announced that the second phase, which is the construction of 3-bedroom Terrace Duplexes will commence in the coming year.

Head of Operations, Rolad Properties and Allied Services Limited, Yemisi Okunlade stated that 2023 will be a great year for investors and land buyers

because more high-value and affordable products will be launched, accompanied with top-notch service delivery.

Highlight of the event was the award presentation to outstanding staff members and stakeholders. Awardees also won gifts like cars, Gadgets, Home appliances and Holiday trips among others.

Microsoft Invests in Nigerian Skills with Jobs Programme Launch

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Microsoft has said it is building on the success of its Global Skills Initiative, known as Skills for Jobs Programme through which Nigerian youth and government employees have been trained in digital, role-based foundational and technical training.

The Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways will provide learners with access to 350 new courses and easy-to-follow learning paths, according to a statement issued by company officials.

These new learning paths represent an expansion and increased investment to the initial global skills initiative

29 November 2022, Lagos, Nigeria Building on the success of its Global Skills Initiative, Microsoft has launched the next step in its skilling work, introducing the Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways. Since the Global Skills Initiative was launched in June 2020, Microsoft has helped over 80 million people access digital and foundational skills.

“In Nigeria, 507,000 youth and government employees have been impacted through the global skills programme, while 372,000 Nigerian youth and government employees have been trained in digital, role-based foundational and technical training.”

However, what Microsoft

has learned is that skills alone aren’t enough for people to get the jobs they want – especially in the most in-demand jobs. People – especially those changing careers – need to be able to show hiring managers that they have these skills.

Digital transformation has accelerated across all industries, creating new tech and tech-enabled roles and powering economic growth.

The Microsoft Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways program is focused on ensuring that economic opportunity is inclusive – so job seekers around the world have access to the skills, technology, and opportunity they need to succeed in a changing economy.

Okpebholo

L-R: Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu; Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye; and Onigando of Igando Land; Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi, during the unveiling and commissioning of Isuti road in Alimosho Local Government… recently

Oloyede

RATES

With petrol scarcity biting hard and aviation fuel prices skyrocketing, Nigerians paid as much as 97 per cent more to fly locally, while the fare paid by citizens for bus transport increased by as much as 45 per cent between November 2021 and November 2022.

Data obtained from the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that year-on-year, the price of refilling a 5 kilogramme of gas cylinder rose by 37.34 per cent as of last month. Essentially, the report covered the cost of bus journey within the city per drop on a constant route; bus journey intercity charge per

person; air fare charge for specified routes for a single journey; journey by motorcycle (Okada) per drop and waterway passenger transport.

For the better part of the year, Abuja and surroundings experienced unprecedented fuel scarcity, starting from around February this year, spreading intermittently to other parts of the country like Lagos.

At the time of putting this report together, many filling stations were selling for as much as N250 per litre, despite the controlled price of N180, while black market sellers sold the product for N4,000 for 10 litres.

While the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the sole importer of the product has said that it has enough

stock in the depots, it has explained that distribution remains the major problem.

The NBS report stated that the average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased by 0.12 per cent in November 2022 on a month-onmonth from N636.30 in October 2022 to N637.10.

However, on a year-on-year basis, the average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop rose by 42.69 per cent from N446.50 in November 2021.

In another category, the average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop, the body stated, rose to N3,848.48 in November 2022, indicating

an increase of 0.07 per cent on a month-on-month compared to the value of N3,845.81 in October 2022.

“On a year-on-year, the fare prices rose by 45.53 per cent from N2,644.50 in November 2021,” the NBS report added.

As for air travels, the statistics organisation stressed that the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey, increased by 0.09 per cent on a month-on-month from N73,198.65 in October 2022 to N73,267.57 in November 2022.

But on a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 97.90 per cent from N37,022.97 in November 2021, the NBS document added.

Aside the scarcity of aviation

fuel, prices of the product has also increased markedly in the last few months, from roughly N300 per litre to over N600 in recent times.

Also, average transport fare paid on motorcycle (Okada) transportation was N459.02 in November 2022, which was 0.12 per cent higher than the rate recorded in October 2022, that is N458.05, on a monthon-month basis.

On a year-on-year analysis, the fare rose by 45.13 per cent when compared with November 2021 (N316.29).

As for water transport, the average fare paid for waterway passenger transportation in November 2022 increased to N1,006.33, showing a rise of 16.66 per cent on a year-on-year

basis from N862.60 in November 2021 and 0.21 per cent on a monthon-month from N1,006.22 in October 2022.

Similarly, the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) increased by 1.46 per cent on a month-on-month basis from N4,483.75 recorded in October 2022 to N4,549.14 in November 2022. On a year-on-year basis, this rose by 37.34 per cent from N3,312.42 in November 2021.

On state profile analysis, Niger state recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas, with N4,983.33, followed

Africa has the potential to produce €1 trillion worth of green hydrogen a year by 2035, allowing it to export the fuel and boost local industry, a study backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) has revealed.

According to the study carried

out in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the International Solar Alliance, by harnessing the world’s best solar energy resource, a number of countries on the continent could produce the much-needed fuel. The product is made by splitting water using renewable energy, at a cost of less than €2 a kilogramme by

2030, the EIB and its partners said.

Demand for the clean-burning fuel is surging as the world looks for alternatives to climate-warming fossil fuels and as Europe seeks to lessen its dependence on Russian natural gas.

Supplies of natural have proved unreliable due to the political tension

created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The researchers listed Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania, Namibia and South Africa as major production hubs, but said that Nigeria also has huge potential.

It stated that while plans to produce the fuel are most advanced

in those nations, a number of other countries ranging from Algeria to Nigeria and Mozambique have the capacity to start production.

Egypt would be the biggest producer at 20 million tonnes per annum, second would be the Southern African hub with 17.5 million tonnes while Morocco and

Mauritania could together produce 12.5 million tonnes.

About half of that, equivalent to 15 per cent of Europe’s gas needs, could be available for export, the researchers said.

“Harnessing Africa’s solar energy

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

NCDMB: How Local Content Act Boosted Investment in 15 Oil, Gas Projects in 10 Years

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

At least 15 critical gas projects in the country’s oil and gas industry have been promoted over the last 10 years on the back of the enforcement of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD).

General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ginah Ginah, who made the disclosure, said that 70 per cent of the investments were on midstream and downstream gas-based projects, covering

modular refining, gas processing, gas distribution, power generation, manufacturing and others.

He spoke in Abuja at a Nigerian content capacity-building workshop for the media, with the theme: “Enhancing Media Competencies to Support Nigerian Content in a Gas Economy’’.

Ginah said the board took advantage of the provisions of Section 70(h) of the NOGICD Act to partner with 15 firms and investors to develop critical gas projects in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

According to him, the provision of the Act empowers the NCDMB to assist local contractors and

Nigerian companies to develop their capacities for the attainment of developing Nigerian content in the industry.

He listed some of the gas-based initiatives as the 1.2 million standard cubic feet per annum Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) composite cylinders plants in Bayelsa and Lagos states by Rungas Limited.

Also included are the 80 million standard cubic feet per day (SCFPD) gas processing plant and a 300 million SCFPD gas gathering hub by NEDO Gas Processing Company in Kwale, Delta State.

Other initiatives, Ginah noted, included the Brass Fertiliser plant by the Nigerian National Petroleum

Company Limited (NNPC) Limited and a 5,000 metric tonnes per day Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and loading terminal facility in Koko, Delta State, in partnership with Triansel Gas Limited.

Ginah added that similar partnerships by the board, led to the establishment of the LPG Bottling Plants and Depots in Abuja and 10 northern states by Butane Energy Limited.

The facility, he said, would include investment with the MOB Integrated Services on a 500 MT Inland LPG terminal construction in Dikko, Niger State.

Also speaking, General Manager, Research, Statistics

and Development Division of the Board, Abdulmalik Halilu, said the NCDMB has ensured the 10-year R&D roadmap was anchored on eight success pillars for systematic development.

According to him, this underscored the need for competitive and well-structured research and development systems to guide its operations.

Halilu pointed out that the it was aimed at developing and maintaining healthy pipelines of competent researchers and translating research results into products and services that would be deployed for industry application.

“There is a need for research and documentation dialogue providing a networking platform for project promoters, researchers, and regulators to dialogue on imperatives of enabling R&D ecosystem to National

development,” he stated.

He listed five R&D centres of excellence sponsored by the board to include the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola.

Also speaking, a resource person at the event, Chido Nwakanma, stressed that to report the oil and gas sector effectively, the media need to delve more into the new era of data-driven journalism.

“It means to use databases, spreadsheets and other forms of structured or fielded data in news coverage and story development. It means breaking assignments into data points and organising them for customised manipulation,” he noted.

‘Cash Policy is Aimed at Driving Financial Security, Transparency’

Ugo Aliogo

Following the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s latest over-the-counter cash policy for individuals and corporate entities, a cross section of Nigerians especially economic analysts have supported the policy.

While some have stressed that the move by the apex bank is not abnormal and is in the right direction, others have expressed their concerns, stating that this would have a negative impact on informal players in the sector.

Speaking at the Accion Microfinance Bank 5thannual inclusion seminar in Lagos, the former Managing Director/Regional Executive Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan, expressed confidence that this would improve financial security and transparency.

“If you look at the level of theft when people go to buy things in the market, when they finish their

REPORT: AFRICA HAS POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE €1TRN WORTH OF GREEN HYDROGEN BY 2035

to produce 50 million tons of green hydrogen a year by 2035 can help secure global energy supply, create jobs, decarbonise heavy industry, enhance global competitiveness and transform access to clean water and sustainable energy,” the added.

The “Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential” report represents the first detailed research of the feasible development of green

hydrogen across the continent.

“Africa has the best solar energy in the world and transforming solar power into green hydrogen can strengthen energy security, cut emissions and pollution and decarbonise industry and transport.

“Africa has the best renewable energy in the world and scaling up production of green hydrogen can transform access to low-cost

electricity and clean water. Unlocking Africa’s green hydrogen potential will require close cooperation between public, private and financial partners.

“The new Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential study outlines what can be achieved and what needs to be done. The EIB is pleased to work with African and international partners to enable large scale green hydrogen to

become a reality,” said the Vice President of the EIB, Ambroise Fayolle.

According to the Director General, International Solar Alliance, Dr Ajay Mathur, solar technology has provided the cheapest electricity.

He added that it will cost below €2 per kg in several African countries by 2030, much lower than

the current mass assumption of €5 and a stark contrast to the $60-70 paid for an oil barrel.

“Thanks to this low-cost electricity and decreasing electrolyser costs, the next step is providing access to a clean fuel, cheaper than all the current fossil fuels. It will enable us to decarbonise the power sector and most hard-to-abate sectors

AS FUEL SCARCITY BITES, AIR FARES JUMP 97%, BUS PRICES RISE 45% IN ONE YEAR

by Kwara with N4,963.33, and Adamawa with N4,960.00.

On the other hand, Abia recorded the lowest price with N4,125.00, followed by Delta and Anambra with N4,202.78 and N4,204.17 respectively.

In addition, analysis by zone of the data, showed that the North-central recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas, with N4,852.74, followed by the North-east with N4,606.80, while the South-east recorded the

lowest with N4,357.18.

Furthermore, the average retail price per litre of kerosene paid by consumers in November 2022 on a month-on-month basis was N1,083.57, indicating an increase of 4.08 per cent compared to N1,041.05

recorded in October 2022.

According to the information, on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of the product rose by 145.68 per cent from N441.06 in November 2021.

In the same vein, on state

profile analysis, the highest average price per litre in November 2022 was recorded in Akwa Ibom with N1,416.67, followed by Cross River with N1,366.67 and Abuja with N1,306.67.

On the other hand, the lowest

shop, most robbery, cash robbery happens when people are coming from the shops, when they are coming from their farms on a Sunday, they believe that there is money with you. But with this policy, the average Nigerian will know well, maybe this person will not be holding up to N100,000,” Akinwuntan said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Accion Microfinance Bank, Taiwo Joda, said the customer remains a major determinant of their success, as a result all efforts must be made to improve his experience in order to utilize the inherent benefits.

He also noted that customer experience also known as CX involves the interactions and experiences, “your customer has with your business throughout the entire customer journey, from first contact to becoming a happy and loyal customer.”

- fertilisers, steel manufacturing, and refineries,” the group noted.

The comprehensive analysis carried out in recent weeks by international consultancy CVA suggests that large scale green hydrogen investment can accelerate decarbonisation by enabling large scale African energy users, such as fertiliser and steel producers, to use green hydrogen.

price was recorded in Borno with N875.83, followed by Rivers with N910.00 and Nasarawa with N913.56.

As it is, Nigeria does not refine a litre of the fuels needed by its citizens, following years of neglect of the country’s crude oil refineries.

L-R; Managing Director, African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited(ARPHL), Tosin Adebajo; Head of Business Development, West / Central Africa, Honeywell UOP, Tomi Osho and Company Secretary/Head of strategy, ARPHL, Tola Ayo Adeyemi,during the signing of agreement between ARPHL and Honeywell UOP in Lagos...recently

PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA

Experts Commend FG for Suspending Proposed Excise Duty Increase

Gilbert Ekwugbe

Leading experts in Tax, Fiscal Policy, and Economics have commended the federal fovernment on its recent indication to suspend the proposed increases in excise duty rates on tobacco, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as part of the 2023 Fiscal Policy Measures and Tariff Amendments.

A leading Tax & Fiscal Policy expert and Head, Tax and Fiscal Policy at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele lauded the federal government for engaging with and listening to the legitimate concerns raised by industry players and suspending the proposed increases in excise duty rates, which has generated a lot of interest among key stakeholders and the organised private sector groups.

“Glad to hear that the government is no longer going ahead with the proposed increases, it is great that the government, through the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Fiscal Policy Reform Committee (FPRC),

is yielding to the clamour of experts and industry stakeholders. I recommend a more collaborative and evidence-driven approach going forward for future changes,” he said.

Oyedele, noted that given that the government had earlier in 2022 approved excise duty rates for 2022 to 2024, with various increases up to 95% in some instances, further increasing the rates outside the established roadmap would have adverse effects not only on the manufacturing sector but impact the economy negatively.

Speaking on the same issue during an interview on Arise Xchange, a business programme on Arise TV, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, Oyedele stated that FG could not afford to implement an excise rate hike as doing so would not only worsen the current ailing condition of the manufacturing sector but inflict more economic hardship on the people.

A development economist, Kunle Oshobi, advised the federal

government against the proposed increases in excise duty rates for 2023-2024 as the measure could amount to policy inconsistency capable of causing distrust in the economy, investors’ wariness, and upend planned private investment. He specifically cited the fragile outlook of the beer sector in Nigeria despite the longstanding investments in the value chain as a cause for great concern.

Oshobi stated that it was wrong for the government to add additional pain to a burdened sector striving for a rebound. According to him, the proposal, if implemented on assumptions without recourse to data, could precipitate further challenges in an already volatile business environment.

Another economist and policy analyst, Mr. Osas Akinbo, in the same train of thought, said increasing excise duty on beverages in this prevailing economic condition would undoubtedly put severe strain on consumers and manufacturers of beverages.

How PenCom Advanced Nigeria’s Pension Industry in 2022

The Managing Director, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), Mr. Du Ruogang, has announced that the $1.5 billion newly completed Lekki Deep Sea Port is ready for official commissioning and commencement of commercial operations in the first quarter of 2023.

The port is expected to boost the growth of the Nigerian economy, creating about 170,000 direct and indirect jobs, generating approximately $361 billion during the period of the concession, and generating over $201 billion in revenue for both Lagos State and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to Ruogang, at the end of the year media parley held in Lagos, assured that all necessary arrangements are being put in place for the official commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari, after which the port will be fully set for the start of commercial operations.

He noted that the terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal (LFT), is putting everything in place to give a world-class port experience, adding that all the relevant agencies have been sensitised to undertake their roles in the new port.

He applauded the media, noting that the media is an important stakeholder in the port’s success.

He also requested that the media extend the same support to the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, as they prepare to commence operations.

During the parley, it was noted that while Lagos State Government commenced work on the construction of access roads leading to the port, there was an appeal for more support in the area of infrastructural development to ensure easy cargo movement out of the port.

He also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation and other relevant agencies, including the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their contribution to making the port a reality.

In his remarks, the Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL), Laurence Smith, revealed that full commercial operation will commence at the end of the first quarter of 2023 while the terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal, will be carrying out trial operations once they complete the installation of all necessary port equipment and infrastructure.

Smith hinted that Lekki Port has

already opened up discussions with potential operators of the Liquid berth terminals, which is critical to the commencement of the construction of Phase 2 of the port.

The Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (LPLEL) is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that was awarded the Concession Agreement for the development and operations of the Lekki Deep Sea Port by the Nigerian Ports Authority. LPLEL is required to develop, build and operate a common user multipurpose port. The company sub-concessioned the container terminal operations to Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT), a subsidiary of CMA/CGM, the world’s largest container shipping company.

LPLEL is a joint venture enterprise owned by foreign promoters, Lekki Port Investment Holdings Inc (comprising China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. and Tolaram), the Lagos State Government, and the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

LPLEL is incorporated under the Companies & Allied Matters Act regime and licensed by the Lagos Free Zone to operate in the Free Zone under the NEPZ Act. This opens a host of benefits for Lekki Port regarding taxes, duties, and other incentives.

Skipper Eye-Q Expands Lagos Facility, Promises Affordable Service

Specialist eye hospital, Skipper Eye-Q Nigeria, has added an operating theatre equipped with various facilities to its Ilupeju centre in Lagos State for affordable cataract and glaucoma operations, and to save cost for patients who would have gone for foreign treatment.

Commissioning the expanded facility, the Founder and Chief Medical Director of Eye-Q Group, Dr. Ajay Sharma, said the equipment are high class and comparable to what obtains anywhere in the world.

“What we have done today is an expansion of our organisation and there will be further expansion in seven or eight months. We are looking out for more space for more investments because we know that there is a high population in need of our services.

“We also made the services in Ilupeju more affordable to the people compared to the charges in Victoria Island (the first centre) because we want everyone to patronise our services,” Ajay said.

For easier access to treatment, he disclosed that the hospital was

working out instalment system as well as membership card, which will attract discount, among several other strategies being explored.

He disclosed that in addition to the first branch on Victoria Island and the third, which was recently opened in Abuja, “we have added superb facilities, including operation centres (to the pre-existing Ilupeju centre). We have theatres and do surgeries for cataract and glaucoma.

“We also intend to commence surgeries for retina at this facility soon. We have treatment procedures and facilities for retina, which, is a very important part of the eye. There can be changes in the retina following diabetes and other illnesses which can eventually lead to blindness.”

He decried medical tourism, insisting that facilities at Eye-Q will reduce foreign medical trips and end the capital flight and wastages on Forex. According to him, “20 years back, Indians thought the best treatments were only available in other nations, but today India has become a medical hub globally.

“With what we have achieved in all three centres in Nigeria, there is a transition because these facilities can compete with the best in India. There is only one eye bank in Nigeria and that’s a difficult situation. We have done over 30 eye transplants in our facilities.

“So, for people who think that going out of the country is the only way to get the best eye care, we can authoritatively tell them that they can get the best service in Nigeria. They will also be spending less because there will be no need for the travel expenses.

“We are also stopping capital flight because the money which goes to other countries for the service is now retained in Nigeria to grow the nation’s economy.”

Also, the Medical Director, Dr. Temitope Omowunmi Tijani, noted that the airfare to hospitals abroad is enough to get anyone quality eye care in the country, while regretting that several people go blind with glaucoma while gathering money to travel abroad for treatment.

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is the apex regulator of the pension industry in Nigeria. In executing its mandate, PenCom is responsible for effectively regulating and supervising all Licensed Pension Fund Operators (LPFOs) and developing guidelines that facilitate achieving the objectives of the Pension Reform Act 2014.

The year 2022 will be recorded as one of the most eventful years in Nigeria’s pension regulation and administration history. This year, PenCom accomplished some significant initiatives that have positively impacted the pension landscape in Nigeria. Some of the initiatives include an upward review of the Minimum Regulatory Capital (Shareholders’ Fund) of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) from N1 billion to N5 billion, the issuance of the Revised Regulation on Retirement and Terminal Benefits and the release of the Guidelines on Accessing Retirement Savings Account (RSA) Balance towards Payment of Equity Contribution for Residential Mortgage by RSA Holders. In addition, PenCom issued the Operational Framework for Co-Investment of Pension Funds by PFAs. Below are highlights of the important achievements of PenCom in 2022:

N5 BILLION PFAS’ MINIMUM SHARE CAPITAL

All PFAs increased their Minimum Regulatory Capital (Shareholders’ Fund) from N1 billion to N5 billion as of 27 April 2022. PenCom had approved the recapitalisation exercise for the PFAs with a 12-month transition period from 27 April 2021 to 27 April 2022. The exercise became expedient as the value of pension fund assets under management and custody had grown exponentially by 244 percent, from N3 trillion in 2012 (when the previous recapitalisation was done) to N12.29 trillion (as of 31 December 2020). The sustained growth in assets implies greater fiduciary responsibilities that require more operational capacity by the PFAs. The urgent need to ramp up PFAs’ ability to manage the increasing number of registered contributors and the value of pension fund assets under management led to the recapitalisation exercise.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

In 2022, PenCom approved the acquisition of Investment One Pension Managers, First Guarantee Pension Limited, Sigma Pension Limited, IEI-Anchor Pension Managers Limited and AIICO Pension Managers Limited. The merger between Tangerine Pensions Limited and APT Pension Funds Managers Limited and the subsequent change of name of the merged entity to Tangerine APT Pensions Limited was also approved.

REVISED REGULATION ON RETIREMENT AND TERMINAL BENEFITS

To improve benefits payouts, PenCom issued the Revised Regulation on Retirement and Terminal Benefits to PFAs for immediate implementation by PFAs. The Revised Regulation was the maiden comprehensive review of the regulation since its initial issuance in 2007. The regulation guides the process of accessing retirement and terminal benefits by pension contributors and retirees under the CPS. In line with its consultative approach, PenCom obtained input from critical stakeholders to ensure a more efficient retirement benefits administration. The Revised Regulation contains several new provisions on Pension Enhancement, Voluntary Contributions, Temporary Access to RSA due to loss of job, Payment under the Micro Pension Plan, and Administrative Sanctions for violations by PFAs,

amongst others. Furthermore, the regulation introduces salient amendments to several existing provisions while providing clarity on others.

OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK ON COINVESTMENT OF PENSION FUNDS

PenCom issued the Framework on co-Investment to PFAs to further enhance the diversification of pension fund assets and to improve returns on pension fund investments. Nigeria’s pension fund assets have remained concentrated in Federal Government Securities as the rapid growth of pension funds has not been matched by a corresponding increase in domestic investment outlets. PenCom noted that the concentration of pension assets in government securities could lead to distortions in asset prices within the domestic market as Pension Funds continue to chase the same limited asset classes available within the domestic market. One of the asset classes with the lowest asset allocation by pension funds is Private Equity (PE). Consequently, PenCom identified investing in specific transactions under a Co-Investment arrangement as a viable option to improve pension funds’ allocation to this asset class. Co-Investing alongside the General Partner of a PE Fund is expected to provide PFAs flexibility and greater choice in the type of projects and companies to invest in, further enhancing returns and increasing exposure to PE.

GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF PENSION SAVINGS FOR RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE

The Guidelines on Accessing Retirement Savings Account (RSA) Balance towards Payment of Equity Contribution for Residential Mortgage by RSA Holders actualised the provisions of Section 89 (2) of the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014). Section 89 (2) allows Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders to apply a percentage of their pension savings towards payment of equity contribution for a residential mortgage. The Guidelines set eligibility criteria for RSA holders and established documentation standards and implementation modalities for PFAs.

ONLINE ENROLMENT/REGISTRATION

Like the previous year, PenCom conducted the 2022 online Verification and Enrolment Exercise for retirees and prospective retirees of treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The nationwide exercise started on 20 June 2022 and ended on 31 August 2022. To ease the process for prospective retirees and retirees, PenCom provided two registration options for the enrolment: the Self-Assisted option and the Pension Desk Officer (PDO)/PFA-Assisted option.

PENSION CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES

The Public Procurement Act requires the Pension Clearance Certificate (PCC) to be submitted as evidence of compliance with the PRA 2014 by all suppliers, contractors or consultants soliciting any contract or business from Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Consequently, from January to December 2022, PenCom issued 559 Pension Clearance Certificates (PCCs) to private organisations that applied and fully complied with the set requirements

As the pension industry continues to evolve to meet the needs of stakeholders, PenCom assures all of its commitment to the effective regulation and supervision of the Nigerian Pension Industry to ensure that retirement benefits are paid as and when due.

Gilbert Ekugbe

PENCOM DG, Aisha Dahir-Umar

2022: Year of Shocks, Threats, Risks for Manufacturers

Right from the outset, the operators of the Nigerian manufacturing sector knew that 2022 would be a bumpy ride. In the first quarter of the year, the President of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, told THISDAY that he perceived that navigating through the Nigerian economy during the year would be turbulent.

Adeniyi stated that “in the first half of this year, we are going to drive the economy and almost drive it ‘crazy’ in the sense that there will be so many unusual things happening and we are beginning to see them.”

Among the things he saw that were happening was the commencement of warfare between Russia and Ukraine that was dislocating global supply chain and spiraling energy prices, especially the price of diesel in the Nigerian domestic market from N280 in January to N750. Currently, it hovers around N1,000 in some part of the country.

He added: “And a lot of this will happen within the first six months of the year. You are going to see a lot of things happening with lots of dramatic changes and people will be ruffled. But I can assure you that the second half of this year will be likened to a stiff abandoned engine that has been lubricated. I can assure that by the second half of this year … there will be a change. And it will drive us till a new administration comes in in 2023.”

CHALLENGES

But the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, in his review of the economy on December 1, 2022, simply described 2022 as a very eventful and challenging year that was characterised significantly by trends of shocks and disruptions from the Russian-Ukraine war, climate change impacts, and the lingering threats from the COVID-19.

Olawale-Cole said: “All through the year, the world economy, including Nigeria, continued the battle with record high inflation rates, high energy costs, and supply chain disruptions.”

The resultant effect of the shocks and disruptions AS the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown was that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.25 per cent year-on-year in real terms in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022. This represented a 1.78 per cent decline compared to the 4.03 per cent growth recorded in Q3 2021.

The Q3 figures that reflected the slowdown in economic growth were attributed to the impacts of challenging economic conditions. “It is expected that the annual GDP growth will close on a positive note for 2022. However, it should be noted that emerging shocks, threats, and risks have created fears of slowing growth and even recession in the coming quarters going into the New Year 2023,” Olawale-Cole said.

He added that growth might shrink as production bases came under siege due to the worsening security challenges in some parts of the country, forex scarcity, and high energy costs during the year under review.

NEED FOR CONFIDENCEBUILDING POLICIES

The president of the LCCI, therefore called on the fiscal and monetary sides of the economy to promote growth-enhancing and confidencebuilding policies that would encourage private capital flows into the economy.

According to him, “fiscal and monetary authorities must develop a medium-term growth plan anchored on boosting local production, supporting ease of doing business, attracting private investment, developing physical and soft infrastructure, business-friendly regulatory policies, economic diversification, and employment generation among others.”

Commenting on the economic environment in 2022 and its effects on the manufacturing sector, the Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stated that despite the higher oil prices as well as the improvement in terms of trade, the expansion of the growth of the Nigerian economy remains sluggishly above the population growth rate.

ECONOMIC TURBULENCE

The economic turbulence experienced in 2022 forced the manufacturing to record negative growth of -1.91 per cent in the Q3 of the year. The contribution of the manufacturing sector to the GDP also declined from 8.96 per cent in Q3 2021 to 8.59 per cent of real GDP in the third quarter of 2022.

“On a year-on-year basis, the sector grew by -1.91 percent in the third quarter of 2022 compared to 4.29 percent in the third quarter of 2021 and 3 percent recorded in the second quarter of 2022. This represented a -6.2-percentage point and -4.91 percent point decline from the growth witnessed in 2021 Q3 and 2022 Q2 respectively.

“The overall decline in both aggregate and sectoral performances could have far-reaching adverse effects on the manufacturers.”

Dominant among these is lower manufacturing turnover. The GDP growth slowdown will most likely result in higher unemployment rate. Coupled with high inflation rate, the economy is likely to face higher misery index that worsens the poverty level and further shifts consumers away from elastic manufactured goods. This will eventually result in drastic reduction of patronage and lower sales turnover.

In addition, the forex crisis bedeviling the sector is not likely to be resolved anytime soon, which would impact negatively on the drive to diversify the local economy through improve manufacturing activities

Ajayi-Kdri said: “The negative growth of the sector’s GDP sends a strong signal to potential investors in the sector. The impending result is negative investors’ sentiments and pessimism against provision of critical raw materials, technology and technical know-how required to promote the industry.”

He pointed out that Nigeria’s path to economic growth, industrialisation and sustainable development has been compromised by inadequate attention to the numerous pressing challenges of the manufacturers who are meant to be the propellers of its long-term economic agenda.

Therefore, achieving a stable rapidlygrowing economy would require taking head-on the daily bottlenecks confronted by business owners within the manufacturing sector, considering its active inter-linkages with other key sectoral drivers of the economy.

The director general of MAN also listed forex scarcity, multiple taxation, and exorbitant interest rate, high-cost business operating environment, smuggling, insecurity, energy crisis and epileptic power supply among the leading challenges facing manufacturers in the country.

NEED TO REDUCE IMPORTATION

He called on the government to promote measures that would reduce the country’s reliance on imported products and raw materials by encouraging local sourcing through a comprehensive and integrated incentivised system since Nigeria is largely bearing the brunt of imported inflation.

A report by MAN that reviewed the fortunes of the manufacturing sector in the first half of 2022 showed a decline in the utilisation of local raw materials by Nigerian manufacturers from 53 per cent in 2021 to 52 per cent (year-on-year) in the first half of 2022, thus, indicating 1.0 percentage point decline over the period.

This was attributed to limited investment in domestic production of raw materials for utilisation in most of the sub-sectors, which is as result of limited funding and policy incentives in the country.

The basic industrial chemical sub-sector, according to MAN, “faced severe inactivity in the first six months of 2022 due to lack of domestic production of basic chemicals. This, therefore, demands for the need to resuscitate the local refineries to encourage investment in petrochemical development in the country.”

Yet, the manufacturing sector was able to generate 8543 new jobs in the first half of 2022, higher than 8508 jobs achieved in the second half of 2021. The marginal increase in jobs created in the sector in the period under review was due to positive and continuous adjustments in manufacturing activities to accommodate the current economic hardship and sustain production by manufacturers.

“In the line with the outcomes of surveys conducted by the Association since 2013, the total cumulative direct jobs created in the manufacturing sector was estimated at 1,679,984 as at the end of the first half of 2022. Specifically, eight thousand, five hundred and forty three (8543) jobs were created in the first half of 2022 as against 7602 jobs recorded in the corresponding half of 2021 and 8508 in the second half of 2021,” the MAN said.

For the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, it was shocking that the Food and Beverage sub-sector were among the sectors that posted negative GDP growth Q3’22 by contracting by 4.05 per cent.

Yusuf said: “A striking feature of the GDP Q3 report was the contraction of the manufacturing sector which shrunk by 1.91 per cent. This is the first quarterly contraction of the manufacturing sector since 2020 when the economy slipped into recession. Of greater concern was the slump in the food and beverage sector which contracted by 4.05 per cent. This is the first contraction of the sector since the recession of the second quarter of 2020.

“This development is a reflection of a major setback for the Nigerian manufacturing sector, which called for an emergency response by the government. The plunge in the manufacturing sector performance has profound implications for food inflation, food security and employment. The food processing sector has the biggest impact on jobs because of the strong backward integration content and high multiplier effect in the agriculture value chain.”

NECA’S VIEW

These might have accounted for the reason the Director General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, described 2022 as a very challenging year for the organised private sector of the Nigerian economy.

Oyerinde said: “Year 2022 remained one of the most challenging years for organised businesses. The pandemic-inflicted leadership and sustainability challenges forced organisations to take extraordinary measures in real time, with zero planning” as things changed drastically and dramatically, leaving no industry across the world unaffected.

He said that Nigerian enterprises were forced to operate under excruciating circumstances, made worse by inherent systemic contradictions during the year.

“As organisations faced sustainability issues, they, at the same time, had to deal with rising energy cost, regulatory gangsterism, inconsistencies and contradictions in the fiscal and monetary policies, which has made doing business unattractive and created clogs in the wheel of attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), rising inflation and increasing cost of doing business, which invariably reduced the capacity utilisation of industries,” he said.

While noting that some of these challenges were not peculiar to Nigeria alone, Oyerinde stated that “government’s approach to solving them has remained suspect and does not inspire confidence.”

He, therefore, argued that the incoming government in 2023 must reform the tax system to create incentives for payers and expand the tax net rather than the current over-burdening of legitimate businesses.

He said: “Consistency in the tax policy will improve stakeholders’ confidence rather than the short-sighted attempt to sabotage the established roadmap set out in the 2022 Fiscal Policy Measures and Tariffs Amendments (FPM 2022), which covers 2022-2024.

“While it was gladdening to hear that government had jettisoned the proposed increases in excise tax, a more collaborative and evidence driven approach should be adopted for future changes.”.

Oyerinde stated that “it is no gainsaying that the country faces enormous challenges, mostly self-inflicted. We, therefore, urge the current and incoming Government to explore policy options as suggested and adopt a more robust, all-inclusive strategy, focusing not only on the diversification of the economy but also on the imperative to urgently reform the current fiscal structure to reflect fiscal federalism, promote healthy competition and drive productivity.

“Government also should address short term appropriation for long term infrastructure to avoid white elephant projects and create a template for assessing and evaluating the performance of regulatory agencies to national and business sustainability, among others.”

Traders Seek Urgent FG Intervention on Road Infrastructure

Oluchi Chibuzor

The Association of Progressive Traders (APT) of Nigeria, has called on the federal government to urgently intervene on the state of the road infrastructure around the trade fair complex and gridlock caused by trucks and articulated vehicles parked along Badagry expressway.

This, according to them, is causing them low business turnover, high demurrage of goods and imminent business collapse occasioned by the traffic gridlock between Alakija and Barracks bus stops thereby hindering free movement of goods in a timely manner. They equally lamented as this has caused them daily pain, anguish, frustration as they spend six hours on a five minutes journey on moving out of the complex.

Speaking at a press conference held in Lagos, the Chairman, Trade Fair Stakeholders Forum and the

President, APT, Eric Ilechukwu, said they remain a viable partner to the federal government in the fight to curb employment.

He said we want the federal government and relevant stakeholders to save our business from immediate collapse.

He urged the government to address the issues of traffic gridlock along Badagry expressway especially between Alakija and Barracks bus stops and also the opening of alternative routes in and out of the Trade Fair complex.

According to him, “The minister of Trade and Commerce was here some time ago and he promised that the federal government would look into our complaints but we are yet to witness any concrete steps towards addressing the traffic challenges here.”

For the Assistant Public Relation Officer of the association, Mr. Chidum Great-Stanley, their markets is peculiar because most of them have gone through apprenticeship

and were able to build on little money given to them after serving their masters.

“We are an informal sector that does not have formal education on how to grow business. But the majority of us here are now employers of labour.”

Commenting, the Assistant Secretary, APT, Mr. Oraeki Chidozie, who said they are law abiding citizens that follow all the necessary laws that control their business, added that a lot of extortions from outside the port to the gate of the complex are scaring a lot of them out of business.

According to him, “It baffles us that at Mile 2 to Alakija to the extent that Customs still chases container trailers to the points of coming to shops and this is affecting the economy of the markets and the country at large. This situation scares most of the importers and all these costs we incur are factored into the amount customers buy goods.

Massilia Motors Rewards 6 Entrepreneurs with Funding, Mentoring Sessions

Gilbert Ekwugbe

Massilia Motors, the sole distributor of Mitsubishi Motors in Nigeria in partnership with Under40CEOs, a platform dedicated to inspiring and motivating Africa’s next crop of business leaders has announced the winners of the Drive Your Ambition-Meet Your Mentor Challenge.

The social media challenge, which is a part of the second season of the Drive Your Ambition campaign, was launched on Friday, September 30, 2022, with a call for entries on Instagram. After a rigorous process that saw over 166 entries whittled down to seventy participants, six winners emerged including; Angel George, Fatima Yusuf, Rita Roberts, Japhet AlKrumeh, Vera Uzorwulu and Joshua Eragbie. These budding entrepreneurs got a free mentoring session with various Under 40 African business moguls and technocrats in several industries and with the sum of 200,000 naira each.

Head of Marketing and Communications at CFAO Mobility, Funmi Abiola, commented on the initiative: “The Drive Your Ambition Campaign has strived to empower the Nigerian youth since its inception.” “Because we believe in the importance of knowledge and experience sharing, we worked with the Under 40 CEOs network to select professionals from various sectors to mentor these young

entrepreneurs. We look forward to hearing about the success stories of these winners, who we hope will eventually become our customers as their businesses grow, as impact is one of the finest ways to promote brand advocacy.”

“MSMEs in Africa have come to stay, and I daresay that emerging businesses in Africa have played a significant role in the African economy and undoubtedly, will continue to play such roles across various sectors,” said Familusi

A. Babajide, Executive Director, Under 40 CEOs while commenting on the campaign. “The private sector has expanded into a robust and lucrative sector for every entrepreneur, and at Under40CEOs, we recognise the growing potentials of entrepreneurs Africa, and the need for guidance from established business icons. We created such a platform, our partners at Mitsubishi bought the vision, and a lucrative opportunity was birthed for young African business leaders.”

Max-Migold Graduates 83 Students, Gets ISO Certificate

Kayode Tokede

Max-Migold Limited, a physical facility management, inspection, and technology advisory firm in Lagos recently graduated 83 students and obtained International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9001: 2015 from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The firm joined the class of quality management systemcertified organisations in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists, the Managing Director,Max-Migold, Paul Erubami, said the firm in the last five years has graduated 500 students, stressing that “the certificate is the best for us, people outside think that SON doesn’t

know how to rate organisation but we recognize them as best in doing this.”

According to him, “Max-Migold went through some rigorous process before we can reach the level of the certificate and our company is fully set up to maintain the quality management system perpetually because the system of documenting our customers’ requirement, a system for documenting how we deliver to our customers’ requirements, for managing our risks and getting feedback are now regulated and documented in day to day basis and been audited because we will have to maintain this certification.”

The Director-General of SON,

L-R: Chairperson, Women in Advertising, Joke Adu; Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd, Ms. Temitope Jemerigbe;. and Group Managing Director, Mediaseal, Mr.Ayo Oluwatosin, at the presentation of the award for the Most Outstanding Financial Product Launch of the year to Standard Chartered representatives at the 2022 edition of the Brandcom Awards held in Lagos recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

2022: Underwhelming Year for Nigeria’s Oil, Gas Industry

Not even in 2020, regarded as the Covid-19 year, did the Nigerian oil and gas sector experience what will turn out be defining series of developments, mostly in the negative, like it did in 2022.

A critical industry, it failed to live up to the expectation of being Nigeria’s key revenue earner, floundering in its capacity to take advantage of rising international oil prices and back home, falling short in making important fuels available for consumers.

It was a year in which scarcity of petrol nationwide, especially in Abuja and surroundings, became the norm rather than the exception; in which the availability of aviation fuel became as unpredictable as the weather and diesel prices skyrocketed to the heavens, literally making it unaffordable.

The year saw the deferment of the implementation of key parts of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), especially the part which codified the deregulation of the petroleum downstream. The year also witnessed the embarrassing confusion which heralded President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval/disapproval of the Seplat/ExxonMobil acquisition deal.

In retrospect, 2022 saw the payment of high amounts of fuel subsidies never before seen in the history of Nigeria, hitting over N4 trillion in all, curtailing investment in critical sectors and deepening Nigeria’s debt crisis.

The year saw the massive theft of Nigeria’s crude oil, which practically crumbled the activities of operators in the country’s oil and gas industry, subsequently almost bringing the economy to its knees.

As if those were not enough troubles for a single year, in 2022 , the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) halted payments to the Federation Account, a joint pool from where the federal, state and local governments draw revenues at the end of every month.

In the first quarter of 2022, Nigeria witnessed the importation of adulterated petrol, causing an unprecedented disruption to product supply, damaging private and commercial vehicles and leading to the usual blame game. The authorities vowed to punish defaulters.

“ All defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC will work with the authority to take further necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations,” a statement from the NNPC stated.

Buhari followed the NNPC’s avowal with his own. According to the president, the persons involved must “be held accountable for substandard services and or products sold by them”.

Like many Nigerians predicted , till today, there’s no public record that those who were clearly responsible for the negligence were punished or even reprimanded. In the same vein , Nigerians whose vehicles were impacted by the bad fuel have been left to lick their wounds.

MASSIVE OPEC PRODUCTION DEFICIT

In the outgoing year, Nigeria produced its lowest Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota in decades, failing to take advantage of the high crude oil prices induced majorly by the Russia-Ukraine war.

While OPEC’s production share for the most of 2022 averaged 1.8 million bpd for Nigeria, the country fell short in meeting its quota during the year, mostly hovering between 900,000 bpd and 1.2 million barrels per day for the greater part of the year. The federal government and its agencies blame oil theft for the prolonged challenge.

The country largely failed to meet its allocation,

which declined steadily from 1.39 million bpd in January of this year to a low of 937,000 barrels in September before rising above 1 million bpd in October and November.

Due to the country’s failure to optimally produce crude oil, it lost its position as Africa’s top crude oil producer for months, indeed coming behind Angola, Algeria and Libya.

The NNPC admitted that a conservative monthly figure of 700,000 bpd losses per day were being recorded, hitting over 21 million barrels per month. A THISDAY review showed that in the first 11 months of this year, the nation may have lost approximately 240 million barrels to oil theft and sabotage, leading to shut-ins.

With oil selling between $80 and $100, this year, that figure remains a huge loss to the country’s economy.

SCARCITY OF FUELS

From the unavailability of petrol to the shortage of jet A1 or even the near absence of kerosene , regarded as the fuel of the poor anywhere in the country, 2022 will pass one of the most difficult in terms of disruption in the supply of products to consumers.

The scarcity of the fuels was closely followed by the rising diesel prices which sold for over N800, in a country that cannot believe boast of anything close to reliable power supply.

This has forced businesses to close shop and for those who decided to stay in business, it hugely increased the cost of operations. Inevitably, this cost was pushed to final consumers whose revenues were wiped out by the surging inflation.

The sole fuel importer , the NNPC during the year gave several excuses, including the imported adulterated fuel in February, disruption caused by the Sallah festivities sometime during the year, the flooding which cut Abuja and the north from the rest of the country and recently bad roads in Lagos for the deficit supply.

As for the recurring aviation fuel scarcity, domestic airlines under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) last week warned Nigerians of impending disruptions in scheduled flight operations due to the scarcity of the fuel.

“While we do our utmost best to manage the situation and ensure safe flight operations, we plead for the understanding of the travelling public in the circumstance.

“We also call on the concerned authorities including product importers and marketers to do their best to resolve this ugly situation so as to ease the stress it brings on the travelling public,” Prof Obiora Okonkwo, spokesman of the group said.

But earlier in the year, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said the current aviation fuel scarcity in the country with its attendant high cost was not peculiar to Nigeria.

UNENDING PETROL SUBSIDY

The management of petrol subsidy or the lack of it remained very problematic during the year, resulting in over N4 trillion or roughly 25 per cent of Nigeria’s total budget being spent on a single product.

While the PIA stipulates the removal of fuel subsidy, the implementation of that part of the law has been suspended until around June next year when the Muhammadu Buhari administration must have exited the leadership of the country and effectively pushing the decision to the next government.

The current administration has predicted that

retaining petrol subsidy in the current form will cost Nigeria nearly N7 trillion in 2023, further widening deficit spending.

The World Bank had advised Nigeria to phase out petrol subsidy and redirect the fiscal resources to investments in infrastructure, education, and health services, arguing that Nigeria basically subsidises the rich, rather than the much trumpeted poor and vulnerable.

SEPLAT/EXXONMOBIL/NNPC IMBROGLIO

The drama surrounding the botched Seplat Energy’s acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from Exxon Mobil Corporation, basically exposed how seemingly uncoordinated the petroleum sector is and how players can work at cross-purposes.

The back-and-forth which heralded Buhari’s approval of the acquisition and then the disapproval by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) hours later sent shock waves to the industry and apparently projected the wrong signals, as it were to foreign investors.

Forty eight hours after the president, who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, sanctioned the deal, he had withdrawn his consent, blaming the lack of coordination among the concerned agencies for the confusion. He explained that he had weighed the likely ramifications of the earlier decision.

The N1.283 billion sales and purchase deal which the presidency earlier hailed as being able to draw foreign investment into the oil sector, would have overridden the long-drawn attempt by the NNPC to block the deal.

Being a global industry, the aftermath of the president’s back-and-forth, experts argued, was capable of scaring serious minded investors in the sector in Nigeria.

GAS EVERYWHERE, NONE TO USE

Nigeria has an almost inexhaustible volume of untapped gas resources, even as much as 208 TCF. But it’s rarely available for deployment when needed because of lack of investment in the subsector and subsequently an almost inexistent infrastructure.

Despite the large gas reserves , the country is not able to satisfy local consumption, let alone ship enough for export.

During the year, on the back of the RussiaUkraine war, pressure from Europe for Nigeria to increase supply to the continent as it attempted to wean itself off Russian gas, basically failed to yield fruits.

In spite of the much-talked-about ‘Decade of Gas’, nothing remarkably groundbreaking took place in 2022 to push the envelope towards a gas-powered economy. For the little that was produced in-country, prices skyrocketed, returning many Nigerians to the use of firewood for cooking.

Nigeria’s electricity supply also continued to suffer intermittent failure, due partly to deficit supply of gas to meet their obligations to the power Generation Companies (Gencos).

SOME HOPE

In 2022, NNPC signed various Memoranda of Association (MoU) with many countries, including the national oil companies of Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone in furtherance of the planned Nigeria-Morocco

Gas pipeline project.

The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project has been in the works for years and is an initiative of the federal government and the Kingdom of Morocco.

It is a 5,600 kilometres gas pipeline project traversing 13 African countries namely: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco.

Once completed, the project will supply about 3 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (3bscf/d) from Nigeria to the Kingdom of Morocco and subsequently to Europe.

The year also saw the NNPC Limited, according to the national oil company, sealing a $1.4 billion external project finance agreement for hydrocarbon projects in the Niger Delta.

The agreement, codenamed Project Panther (under the NNPC Limited/Chevron Nigeria Limited joint venture), was sealed at the signing ceremony held in London.

Also, after a prolonged dispute that hobbled oil production of Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 123, 124, 126 and 137, operated by Addax Petroleum Nigeria Limited, the company reached a close-out and signing ceremony of an asset transfer, settlement and exit agreement with the NNPC.

Although long overdue, Nigeria has also begun the repair of its refineries, which the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, says will help stop the importation of petroleum products before or around the third quarter of 2023. It’s unclear how feasible this projection is.

Sylva said the refurbished refinery in the city of Port Harcourt in the oil-producing Niger Delta would be delivering 60,000 barrels per day of refined crude by the end of this December. The year has roughly four days to end.

It’s also the year the federal government and all concerned agencies moved to stop the embarrassing oil theft which had hobbled drilling in the country, hiring local security groups, literally putting the feet of the security agencies to fire. In 2022, the NNPC said it has acquired equipment to monitor its oil and gas assets in real time.

That wasn’t all. The NNPC in 2022, transformed from a government funded organisation to a ‘commercial’, ‘profit-oriented’ organisation, which it said will see it operate in the mould of Saudi Aramco.

During the outgoing year, the national oil company also acquired the assets of OVH Energy Marketing (OVHEM), owner and operator of the Oando downstream assets.

This, it said, was in line with its vision to maintain a leading position in the Nigerian petroleum downstream sector.

Though quite slow, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas project continued in 2022, raising hope that in years to come, Nigeria could ramp up production despite the current dearth of infrastructure.

During the year, the NNPC posted its second consecutive year of ‘profit’ , announcing N674.1 billion in the 2021 financial period and growing it from N287 billion in 2020. The figure represented an increase of N387 billion or 134.8 per cent when compared to the previous N287 billion recorded in 2020.

Maybe not entirely a bad year for the sector, but in the end, Nigerians judged the results, not the seeming activities. In that respect, in 2022 , the sector failed to give Nigerians reliable petrol supply, failed to produce enough crude for sale and failed to yield revenue to government coffers, compounding the country’s economic crisis.

Marked by huge challenges, the outgoing year was one in which the oil and gas industry in Nigeria failed to impress on all fronts...well, almost, writes Emmanuel Addeh

PERSPECTIVE

Memories Of Christmas

It used to be fun trekking with friends along the streets - Mayne Avenue, Atu, Goldie, Orok Orok, Target, White House, Chamley, Bedwell, Hewett, Garden Streets 'spooting' red, gold, white or green new Christmas clothes with 'googles' in the eyes. Some would trek from Atamunu, Yellow Duke, and Afokang while others would troop from Mbukpa, Ekpo Abasi, Marian, Akim, Etta Agbor or Big Qua. All traffic, vehicular or by foot led towards Calabar road, the city centre, where all Masquerades would converge in a festival of Masquerades. Those who trekked often broke into runs whenever they heard that the menacing matchet clutching 'Ekpo' (Ghost) masquerade, especially the legendary wild ones from 'Uwanse, Mount Zion or Abasi Obori part of the town were nearby. Spectators walked, and sometimes walked and ran at the same time, often tripping and falling over one another along the crowded streets when Nnabo from Efio Ene, Edibe-Edibe, Hawkins or Nsa Ewa streets were on sight.

Initially named Calabaros by Portuguese merchants who were the first Europeans to berth there, the name was later anglicized to Calabar. It also has an endearing alias, Canaan - the legendary city flowing with milk and honey. There's even a tune to it - Oh Ediye Obio Canaan. This city of

high culture had an allure. It always had the carnival, at Christmas. Nnabo with it's deadly, ghostly 'mkpokporo' was usually guided with a leash. That was my favorite. I loved their chants like 'enyene eyen eka ada ediooooo, mmada okim mmong nkok ibok.. (imagine that)! I loved the occasional wild clanging and crossing of swords which sometimes turned bloody between Nnabo from Edibe Edibe, Esighi, Nsidung and opposing ones from Atakpa, Palm street or Mount Zion.

The maidens who danced to the rhythms of Bang (Calabash), Samba and Moninkim were always a spectacle to watch with their sexy twists and turns. That reminded people of the Brazilian and Portuguese heritage in Calabar. Dance styles like Etighi, Konkoma or the trending twerking fad didn't start today! Grandmothers who were voluptuous maidens years back could ask contemporary slay queens to fall behind and watch them lead the way.

How about "Korikori nniong nniong ' - the masquerade that would shorten into a dwarf in one moment, and in an instance, would grow in height, becoming tall enough to kiss the clouds in the sky?

Okpo ntaha ekpad - (the Masquerade of torn sacks) - aptly named so because they used old and torn sacks for costume

were the clowns who wielded short brooms like nightsoil men (Obiom) of that era.

I still remember 'Ekong ikong ukom' (the one dressed with dry brown plantain leaves) reputed as the "King' of all Efik masquerades. Would the initiates of the more popular Ekpe Masquerades contest this. After all, Ekpe is more colourful. All other masquerades had to bow to Ekong Ikong Ukom whenever their paths crossed otherwise they would resort to 'Nsibidi' to test one another's knowledge of the extra mundane and esoteric communication known only to initiate masquerades. That was the ultimate test of superiority.

I used to like "Akaba" - another wild specie! And "Nnuk" (Horns)! It's weapon was the horn which it used in pursuit.

Itiat Abasi Orok was where they all gathered to pay homage to that effigy of one of the heroes of Efik folklore, Abasi Orok!

Have I mentioned 'Tinkoriko' ayadia mboro? Or "Udotod"?

Other masquerades which made people to sing and dance about Calabar as the place to be at Christmas included Ekporoko' (Stockfish), "Iboor", "Okukim", "Akaba", 'Mkpokporo' (The skull) - very menacing in it's floor sweeping - all black mazi - like attire from head to

toe with human skull on its head. Some turned out in red. These were the real ghosts and were always on a leash held by adepts who understood their ways. Sometimes they walked and sometimes they broke into a run, which scared the people around.

I also remember the other one called "Ofiom Inyang" (the crocodile)! Obio Okpo - this long - legged masquerade was a spectacle usually accompanied by 'utu ekpe' (the spider masquerade) - the masquerade that would ride a bicycle or a motorcycle on a rope tied between poles ! Their stunts were magical, stunning and breathtaking all at once.

Christmas was so much fun in Calabar, the city of my youthful years.

The town drew cultural festivities like moths to light or as hedonistic men to women of easy virtue. It was a melting pot for masquerades from different places.

Calabar always had the Carnival. At Christmas. During Easter. Long before Governor Donald Duke, a son of the soil thought about Tinapa, there was already a song sung by the late high - life music maestro, Rex Lawson, titled "Uwem do ke Tinapa". It's the spectacle of Masquerades that gave life to the slogan - Ukabade isua enem k'obio Efik. Childhood can never be enjoyed a second time.

Dr. Udeme Nana is the Founder of Uyo Book Club.

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Udeme Nana

However, while the total expected production in the first eleven months of the year was about 641 million barrels, a computation derived from the figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that only 378 million barrels were realised during the period under review.

In essence, this meant that the country was unable to produce as much as a whopping 263 million barrels of crude oil during the period spanning between January and November this year.

It further indicated that Nigeria was barely able to produce 60 per cent of the total production forecast, losing roughly 40 per cent to oil theft and sabotage, leading to incessant shut-in of planned output for the period.

While the planned production for each of the months in 2022 was 58.2 million barrels, going by the budgeted data, Nigeria only managed to drill 43.3 million barrels in January, turning out to be the highest output for the year so far; 35.2 million barrels in February; 38.3 million barrels in March and 36.5 million barrels in April.

It deteriorated to 31.7 million barrels in May; rose marginally to 34.7 million barrels in June, before falling to 33.6 million barrels in July this year.

August saw the production of 30.1 million barrels, against the 58.2 million projection; followed by September in which Nigeria's output fell to a multi-decade low of 28.1 million barrels while in October and November, the country drilled 31.4 million barrels and 35.5 million barrels respectively.

The figures exclude condensates which are not included in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) calculation.

A further analysis of the NUPRC data, revealed that while the Bonny terminal produced 3.8 million barrels in January, that figure declined to 1.5 million

in the matter.

Two of the presidential candidates in the 2023 general election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu, called for reform of the Nigeria Police to guard against similar incidents in future.

A civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the killing.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, warned the police against attempts to shield the culprit.

The murderous act was also condemned by a civil society group, the Rule of Law and Advocate Center (RULAAC), which called for a mental health check of police personnel.

Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr Okechukwu Nwangwuma, described the fatal shooting as "the height of inhumanity".

The deceased, alongside four children, were said to be returning from an outing in their car about 11am on Christmas Day when the ASP tried to stop them.

According to a source, Raheem was trying to make a U-turn under Ajah Bridge when the ASP, allegedly, shot at her vehicle and the bullet hit her. It was gathered that she was rushed to a hospital, but was later confirmed dead.

Another source quoted the late lawyer’s younger sister to have said the policemen flagged down Bolanle’s vehicle and her husband slowed to allow the car in front of him to move so he could park, when the policeman opened fire and killed her instantly.

The state police spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Benjamin Hundeyin, said two other police officers, who were with the ASP, had also been arrested for interrogation.

Hundeyin added, “Unfortunate and avoidable incident that was. The ASP that shot and two others with him have since been taken into custody.

barrels in November.

Similarly, Brass' output of 1.36 million barrels in January fell to 404,726 barrels last month, even as Qua Iboe which yielded 5.3 million barrels in January, produced 4.4 million barrels last month.

Whereas the newly repaired Forcados' output was 7.5 million in January, as of November it produced 6.2 million barrels while Escravos blazed the trail, increasing production from 3.7 million barrels in the first month of this year, to 4.6 million barrels in the eleventh month.

In the meantime, with a modest improvement in its November OPEC production performance, the country has returned to the top as Africa’s highest oil producer.

This is a relief from previous months when Angola, Algeria and Libya pushed Nigeria to the fourth position as the country struggled with sundry issues which have hobbled its capacity to meet the OPEC oil quota.

While in October, Algeria drilled 1.060 million barrels per day, Angola produced 1.051 million bpd, Libya’s output was 1.163 million barrels per day while Nigeria’s oil production stood at 1.024 million bpd.

Although Nigeria added 77,000 in that month, it wasn’t enough to return the country to the top of the table as Africa’s biggest producer, even though Algeria gained a paltry 2,000 bpd, Angola lost 40,000 bpd and Libya gained 6,000bpd, according to OPEC’s secondary sources.

Production in Angola saw the second-steepest drop in OPEC producers in October, but it wasn’t the result of a conscious reduction since the African producer has been lagging behind its quota for many months.

The OPEC figures released in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), indicated that Nigeria’s roughly 1 million bpd was also a far cry from its average of 1.493 million bpd in 2020, a covid year, and 1.323 million bpd in 2021. But with the recent concerted effort to end oil theft in the country,

“They are to be moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, for further investigations."

He said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, had been in touch with the family of the deceased and with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Hundeyin added that the police commissioner assured the family that justice would prevail.

Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Usman Baba, yesterday condemned the shooting and killing of Raheem.

Baba described the incident as "unfortunate and sad,” and ordered speedy investigation and prosecution of the officers responsible for what he called an ugly and unprofessional act, which did not portray the Nigeria Police Standard Operating Procedure and core values.

The IG commiserated with the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased and prayed for the repose of her soul.

A statement issued by Force Headquarters, Abuja, said the IG further assured the public of justice in the case and warned officers and men of the force to be professional and people-oriented in the discharge of their duties and operate within the ambit of the law.

He said the police high command "will not condone any inappropriate or unprofessional acts."

Sanwo-Olu, condemned the killing of female lawyer. The governor expressed shock and sadness at the mindless shooting and sympathised with the family, friends and associates of the late Bolanle.

Sanwo-Olu further pledged the state government’s "full support and cooperation with the police authorities" in their investigation to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the shooting that led to the untimely death of the innocent citizen, to ensure that justice was served.

The governor stated, “I have studied preliminary reports on the matter and have instructed the

this month, OPEC which released its data for November activities in the sector, stating that Nigeria came tops with 1.158 million barrels per day in November, followed by Libya with 1.133 million bpd and Angola with 1.102 million bpd.

Earlier this month, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, said Nigeria was working towards meeting its OPEC crude oil production quota of 1.8 million bpd by the end of May 2023.

Consequently, the minister explained that the federal government would continue to improve security along the tracks of the major crude oil pipelines and block every leakage through which crude oil is stolen by oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

Sylva added that the inability of Nigeria to meet the current OPEC quota was not due to lack of production capacity on the part of crude oil producers, but because a lot of producers decided not to inject into the pipelines because they were losing a lot of their production when they inject crude.

Although Nigeria was likely to surpass its November production of 1.158 million bpd since a number of terminals are now back on stream, it’s still unclear by how much since there are currently conflicting figures from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the NUPRC.

While the NNPC put December production data at 1.59 million barrels per day so far, the NUPRC pegged it at 1.4 million bpd. Traditionally, OPEC and NUPRC release the production information every month.

Nigeria Counts Losses as $30bn Brass, Olokola LNG Projects Suffer 19 Years Delay Despite Current Lucrative Gas Market

Meanwhile, Nigeria's inability to deliver two major Liquefied

appropriate government officers to immediately get on it.

"We must ensure speedy justice for the late Bolanle. Our government cannot sit back and watch our citizens killed by the same law enforcers that should ordinarily protect them."

While acknowledging the arrest, disarming, and detention of the police officers involved in the shooting incident, the governor vowed that the accused persons would have their day in court.

He promised, "Nothing will be spared under the Laws of Lagos State until justice is served adequately. We will ensure that it is done speedily because justice delayed is justice denied."

In a related development, two of the presidential candidates in the 2023 general election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu, called for the reform of the Nigeria Police.

Atiku said the shooting called to attention the urgent need for police reforms that would sanitise the Force and bring it in line with best policing practices.

Atiku in a Tweet on the matter, wrote, “The shooting of Bolanle Raheem by a police officer is heartbreaking and stands condemned. This latest shooting calls to attention the urgent need for police reforms that will sanitise the Force and bring it in line with best policing practices.

“I call on the police authorities and the justice system to expedite action on the matter, as justice delayed is justice denied. This will serve as a deterrent to the incidents of irresponsible shooting of innocent citizens by law enforcement agents.

“I express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and the Nigeria Bar Association, in particular its Lagos chapter. May her soul rest in peace. –AA.”

On his part, Tinubu said the tragedy underscored, yet again, the crucial importance and urgency of reforming the Nigeria Police.

The former Lagos State governor

Natural Gas (LNG) projects -the $20 billion and $9.8 billion Brass and Olokola LNG projects, respectively, after about 19 years of their initiation has resulted to the country now counting its losses from the failed projects despite gas becoming increasingly lucrative at the moment.

Some of the economic losses arising from the stalled projects, according to industry sources and data ranged from massive revenue and job losses, flight of Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) to other neighbouring countries, delayed industrialisation as well as persistent energy poverty in the country.

However, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) said the international oil companies (IOCs) involved in the projects have lost over $1 billion without getting to Final Investment Decision (FID).

Globally, gas is now a muchsought-after energy source, driven by the double whammy of the Russia-Ukraine War and the world's acceptance of gas as the transition fuel owing to the current pressure to ditch fossil fuel and enthrone cleaner and sustainable energy. Consequently, countries that have sizeable number of LNG plants that push huge volumes of gas to both the domestic and export markets are currently smiling to the banks with huge revenues being raked in.

With only the Nigeria LNG Limited operating in the country with its 22 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) Bonny Island plant, which is even operating under capacity at the moment, the failure to execute the Brass and Olokola LNG projects has kept Nigeria out of the nations now cashing out from their LNG revenues.

According to the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, NCDMB, Dr. Ginah O Ginah, the opportunities lost in the failed two LNG projects were enormous.

The Brass LNG sited in Brass, Bayelsa State and the Olokola LNG

tweeted, “The avoidable tragedy, which cost a family a beloved member and our country a diligent legal professional, underscores, yet again, the crucial importance and urgency of reforming the Nigeria Police Force.”

HURIWA, National Coordinator, Onwubiko, in a statement, warned the police not to cover up the identity of the culprit, who is said to be an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

While demanding the immediate prosecution of the principal “murderer”, HURIWA insisted that the police must make public his name and photograph.

Onwubiko stated, “It is very unfortunate that trigger-happy policemen continue to send young innocent Nigerians to early graves and the authorities continue to look the other way.

“The killing of Raheem is particularly painful because officers from the same Ajiwe police station in Ajah on December 6, 2022 also shot dead Gafaru Buraimoh, a resident of Happy Land Estate in Ajah.

“HURIWA condemns these heinous assassinations and demand the immediate prosecution of the murderers involved. It is still unthinkable how that a family was served the killing of their daughter as a Christmas Day and Boxing Day gift. This is the height of callousness and inhumanity of police officers despite the October 2020 nationwide protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.”

The killing also drew condemnation from RULAAC, which called for a mental health check of police personnel.

Executive Director of RULAAC, Nwangwuma, said regarding the killing, "It is the height of inhumanity to shoot at an unarmed innocent citizen unprovoked. This underscores the urgent need to look into the mental health of the men we entrust with our arms and ammunition.

"This is a crime, one too many, and the police must ensure that justice is done."

located in Ondo State were initiated in 2003 and 2005, respectively, by the administration of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help the country monetise part of its vast natural gas reserves and meet the growing global demand for clean energy.

The Brass LNG estimated to cost about $20 billion was incorporated in 2003 with shareholders that included, the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (49 per cent), Eni International (17 per), ConocoPhillips) (17 per cent) and then Total (17 per cent).

The company was formed to construct and operate a LNG plant to be sited on Brass Island, in Bayelsa State. The Front End Engineering Design (FEED) was for two LNG trains of five million metric tons per year each and the facility was targeted to be in operation by 2011.

But the withdrawal of the IOCs from the project, beginning with Conoco Phillips and later, others, led to the abandoning of the Brass LNG project.

On the other hand, the $9.8 billion Olokola LNG was expected to have a total capacity of 12.6 mtpa, with start-up originally scheduled for 2011.

Its shareholders included NNPC, 49.5 per cent, Shell and Chevron each had 18.5 per cent and the UK’s BG Group, which Shell later bought in 2016 had 13.5 per cent.

However, in 2009, BG Group also pulled out of the project, and in August 2013, Shell and Chevron followed suit, leaving the NNPC as the sole shareholder

The IOCs had attributed their withdrawal from the two projects to perceived Nigeria's unfavourable business climate and sundry conditions.

Ginah, who spoke in Lagos during a recent capability building workshop for media stakeholders organised by the NCDMB, said lack of political will by successive administrations contributed to the failure to take projects further.

He lamented that at a time gas nations were benefitting from the current global demand for gas and the attendant opportunities for revenue growth, Nigeria was missing out because it could not deliver those two important LNG projects that would enable it pump more gas to the expert market.

With a gas reserves of 208 trillion cubic feet (tcf), Nigeria ranks as the ninth most gas rich country in the world and the number one in Africa.

"Nigeria has missed a lot of opportunities in the gas sector when we should be reaping the benefits of our huge gas resources. We had two major LNG projects: the Brass and Olokola LNG projects that we would use to grow our economy but we couldn't progress with them and now we're losing

in those projects.

"IOCs have spent over $1 billion in the Brass, Olokola LNG projects without getting to FID and they pulled out due to some issues they were not comfortable with. So the opportunities we lost in Brass LNG and Olokola LNG are enormous", Ginah said.

He noted that the government was now trying to see how it could ramp up gas production as quickly as possible, adding, "I think, in that light, I'm aware that the Minister of State for Petroleum is taking initiatives to see how investors can come together to revive this Brass LNG and Olokola LNG.

"So what I cannot tell you is exactly where that initiative has reached as at this point. But I know that efforts are being made because gas is going to be there for a very long time and this projects will help a lot."

According to him, NLNG's production was not enough as the market was much bigger than the company's production capacity because the whole world has accepted gas as transition fuel.

"So that means the shortage is much bigger than what NLNG is producing. So there is going to be a huge market that can take from Brass LNG and Olokola LNG. In realisation of that, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva is making moves to bring together investors for the realisation of those LNG facilities", he stated.

The NCDMB official, who decried the waning investments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry over the past decade, pointed out that about $20 billion worth of investments in oil and gas industry used to come to Nigeria annually but that that has dropped.

He attributed this to the unfavourable and rough business environment in the country, adding that a lot of the investments have gone to other African countries.

Ginah further said, "So why is it that smaller countries like Ghana will be having more foreign investments in the oil and gas industry?

"The population of Lagos alone is about 15 million. If you add the next two most populous cities in Africa -Egypt and one other city, it's not up to the population of Lagos. That's how huge the internal market is. So this is where the foreign investments should be coming to because of the internal market alone.

"Why is foreign investment running away from Nigeria and what can we do about it? If you (the media) can sensitise the public for us, and of course, including the critical stakeholders, I think we will begin to see some changes that will happen that will enable us to change the narrative about this foreign investment leaving the country".

2022 Calabar Cultural Parade, Potpourri of Nigerian Culture, Says Ayade

The 2022 edition of the Calabar Cultural Parade, a major component of Carnival Calabar has been described as a potpourri of Nigerian culture.

Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade represented by his Deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu, made the remark while flagging off the four kilometer-long cultural parade at the popular Millennium Park in Calabar, the capital city.

He expressed delight that the Carnival Calabar brand has continued to grow in leaps and bounds despite the two years COVID-19 setback.

According to Ayade, "I especially welcome the states that have come to participate with us in this year's cultural carnival. This is the last carnival we will be hosting as an administration and we are delighted to have continued with this flagship event.

"In the past, we have had more states than there are today. But, to have 14 states today shows that indeed Cross River State has become a brand, which other states chose to come and celebrate peacefully the end of year."

The governor was full of praises for the participating local govern-

ment areas saying, "I welcome the contingents from the 18 local government areas that have come to showcase the multifarious cultures of our people in Cross River. In fact, no matter where you come from as a Nigerian, you are bound to identify with one form of culture or the other. So, it is a potpourri of all that we need in Calabar for this annual event"

Ayade expressed gratitude to God for helping his administration keep faith with the people and the annual carnival fiesta.

He was optimistic that the tourism event would continue its steady growth on the international tourism scene.

Also speaking, the chairman of the Calabar Festival Committee, Hon. Ken Aklah described the cultural parade as, "a fusion of cultures" depicting Nigeria's unity.”

Aklah added: "It is to say to the world that today you are going to see a fusion of culture. What we do through this festival of culture is to see how Nigeria can speak in unity through culture and we the contingents here, we will show Nigeria to the world."

LAGOS POLICE ARREST OFFICER FOR KILLING PREGNANT LAWYER ON CHRISTMAS DAY

NIGERIA UNDERPRODUCED 2022 CRUDE OIL PROJECTION BY 263 MILLION BARRELS IN 11 MONTHS barrel.

EXPLORING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN EDO...

Confusion in Wike's Camp over Choice of Presidential Candidate

There appears to be crisis in the camps of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his four other colleagues over the choice of the presidential candidate they would support in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

This is as stakeholders in the five states, who are also contesting elections have gradually begun to disagree with their self-styled Integrity Group members, who had made known their intention to announce their preferred candidate

by January.

Wike and other members of the Integrity Group like Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, however, seemed confused as their followers have declined supporting any other candidate outside of Atiku Abubakar.

This dilemma and apparent despondency was due a recent comment by the Wike that he would decide, who to vote for in the presidential election later in January 2023.

There’s a swirling belief that Makinde was in deal with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate , Bola Tinubu, for support swap.

Yet, in the Southwest zone, the party has not been seen to be pushing the agenda of the G-5 governors as the publicity secretaries of the PDP in Ogun, Ondo, Lagos and Ekiti, said recently that there was no justification for the resignation of the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

The PDP spokesmen, who met included Hakeem Amode, Lagos;

Kennedy Peretei, Ondo; Hon. Raphael ‘Wumi Adeyanju, Ekiti and Asiwaju Bankole Akinloye, Ogun.

By this, it is further believed that Makinde might as well be on his own, as the party’s spokespersons might have stated the position of the party in the Southwest.

THISDAY reported that the party had been polarised following call in some quarters for the resignation of Ayu.

Makinde, one of the two PDP governors in the South-West, had called for the removal of Ayu, ditto

Again, G-5 Governors Jet off to London for Strategic Meeting

May endorse Obi for president

The group of five governors (G5) elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in what could be described as another jamboree, have travelled to the United Kingdom for another strategic meeting.

The group led by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has in continuation of its endless foreign trips, left the country for London in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The group which includes Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) had mobilised other party leaders including Chief Bode George, Prof Jerry Gana, etc. to form the ‘Integrity Group’ against Atiku.

While THISDAY could not independently confirm if all five governors made the trip to London, a source close to Government House, Port Harcourt, however said all the governors made the trip.

The source noted that the governors would be back in Nigeria on December 30, for Wike to attend his scheduled meeting with Ogoni Council of Chiefs on December 31.

The Rivers State governor had ordered all traditional rulers in Ogoni, whether dead or alive, to attend the meeting, and that he would not tolerate any reason to

be absent from the meeting.

The group of governors it was gathered jetted off from the Port Harcourt International Airport.

A top party chieftain in the state who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the trip yesterday.

“Yes, they left for UK early yesterday morning, but I can’t say the reason for the trip,” the source said.

The G-5 governors have been calling for the resignation of the PDP’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as their minimum condition for peace in the party and to join the presidential campaign council of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Wike, the leader of the quartet, has refused to accept his defeat at the party’s presidential primary in good faith.

Since he lost the primary and even the vice presidential slot, Wike has utilised the enormous resources at his disposal to mobilise four other governors to fabricate crisis in the party.

The aggrieved governors have insisted that it was unfair for the party to have the national chairman and presidential candidate from the north.

They had maintained that they would not go back on their call for Ayu to step down to pave the way for a Southerner to succeed him as the party’s chairman.

Wike had specifically boasted that Atiku would not win the election if he and his allies do not support his presidential ambition.

A source said Wike and his team would use the opportunity of the London trip discuss the way forward on the crisis rocking the party while in London.

The source added that from London, the group of governors would also visit Madrid, Spain.

Top on the agenda for the meeting is who they would support for president in the 2023 election.

It was gathered baring any last minute change in political permutations, the group may have concluded plans to endorse Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

Obi with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and four of the G5 governors met in London last August.

Last week, Wike said he would reveal the presidential candidate to mobilise votes for in the forthcoming 2023 general elections in January.

Speaking at the inauguration of Rumuokwurusi-Elimgbu Flyover in Rumuokwurusi town in Obio-Akpor on December 22, Wike had said he would undertake a nationwide campaign tour to tell Nigerians the most preferred presidential candidate to cast their votes for in the forthcoming election.

According to him, Nigerians need a reliable candidate they can trust to deliver the needed national transformation.

“So, from January next year, I will campaign to my people on whom to vote for. All of you, who have been in suspense, wait, January is coming. Not only will I tell them where they will vote, I will move from state to state and tell them why they should vote for the people I think they should vote for,” he added.

THISDAY reliably gathered that the group may have finally settled for Obi.

A source privy to the discussions said the decision to endorse Obi came after long and exhaustive deliberations.

“One thing is certain. The group will never endorse Atiku. Their differences are irreconcilable. Atiku knows that and has moved on,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.

“It has taken them (G5 governors) this long because there was initially no consensus other than their anti-Atiku stance. Governor Seyi Makinde was walking a tight rope considering the fact that he is only a first term governor who is seeking re-election and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is Yoruba.

a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George, who argued that both Atiku and Ayu could not come from the same zone.

But this is yet to sit well with members of the G-5 group. Thus, while the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has yet to decide between the Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, stakeholders in the PDP were still yearning for Atiku.

Ortom had said at different times that he had no grudge against Atiku, but Ayu, who hails from the same senatorial district with him.

In Benue State, out of the three senatorial districts, Senators Abba Morro and Gabriel Suswam were said to be supporting Atiku, while Emmanuel Yisa Orker-Jev was not contesting and Ortom has indicated interest to replace him. But he has to contend with Ayu, who is from the same senatorial district.

Ortom has since embarked on his campaigns for the office of the senate, but he was not asking the party faithful not to vote Atiku or told them he was yet to reach a decision on the presidential candidate to be voted for as Wike did recently.

Last week, he was in Uyo to see the chairman of the PDP presidential campaign council, but silent on whom, he would urge his people to vote for.

Curiously, the former two times Senate President, David Mark ware pushing for Atiku and indirectly alienating Ortom from the voters.

The situation is dicey in Abia as THISDAY gathered that the state governorship candidate, Prof Uche Ikonne, has defied his governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and paid a courtesy visit to Atiku, during which he pledged loyalty.

A member of the delegation told THISDAY that the structures in the state was in firm control of the former governor of the state, Senator Theodore Orji, who is leading the Atiku campaign in the state.

The vice chairman of PDP in Abia, Abraham Amah, announced before the state PDP flag-off campaigns that the party would not fail to speak truth to issues, because of its support for Atiku’s presidential bid.

In Enugu, the stakeholders like a former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo and his cult-like supporters have continued to mount pressure on Ugwunanyi to support Atiku.

Ugwuanyi has been struggling to ensure that his choice governorship candidate won the March governorship election, hence, sources believed that it would be suicidal for him to allow Chijioke Edeogar of the Labour Party to win.

Unlike Wike, he is contesting to replace Senator Utazi in the Senate, coming up same day with the presidential election.

Also, the like of a former governor of Enugu State, and former national chairman of the PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, and other stakeholders have been campaigning for Atiku and PDP in the state.

Former Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, who was the campaign director general of Wike’s presidential campaign, has joined the Atiku campaign.

Others, who have also joined Atiku included a former national chairman, Uche Secondus, Senator Lee Maeba, former deputy speaker of the House of the Representatives, Austin Opara, Lt General Kenneth Minima, among others.

Meanwhile, Atiku, yesterday, said never before have Nigerians been pushed into multi-dimensional poverty as in the era of the administration of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government.

Similarly, one of the PDP presidential spokesmen, Dino Melaye, said the high cost of prices of food stuff during the Yuletides, showed how Nigerians have been pushed to see extreme poverty.

In a statement, Atiku said, "This is one Christmas like none other. The times are hard and no thanks to the ruling APC that has run our economy to a malfunction.

"And that is where the message of Christ becomes relevant as always. The despondency of this time, and the uncertainties that come with it, requires of us to organise ourselves, establish the truth and advocate for what is right.

"The APC has made more Nigerians to live in multi-dimensional poverty – that’s the truth. Nigerians must make sure that the APC is never allowed to return to power in 2023. That is a just cause.

"To defeat the APC and Recover Nigeria will require that we organise ourselves under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party. The election next year is a contest between truth and falsehood. I cannot thank you enough for your choice to stand at the right side.

Stakeholders Pledge Support for PDP standard bearer Benue, Enugu, Oyo in dilemma as key players favour ex-VP Atiku: APC has left Nigerians in multi-dimensional poverty

L-R: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; the Consul General of India, Mr. Chandramouli Kern, and Head of Chancery, Mr Ajay Sharma, during a courtesy visit, at the Government House in Benin City, ...recently

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

MARRIAGE THANKSGIVING SERVICE...

100 Terrorist Commanders, Fighters Killed in Northeast as Military Service Chiefs Arrive Maiduguri

Military authorities said yesterday that 100 notorious commanders and fighters of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, were killed by joint military operations involving air and ground components.

Some of the top commanders included Khalid Tukur, Maimusari and Bakura Jega, the military said.

The operations came as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, and his counterpart, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, arrived Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, weekend, to celebrate the Yuletide with frontline troops.

The insurgents were eliminated at Mantari in Gezuwa area of Bama Local Government Area of Borno State alongside 75 other terrorists.

A military update issued by the spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the operations, which resulted in the killing of the terrorists, were conducted jointly.

Gabkwet stated, "The airstrikes by our NAF aircraft was authorised after it was revealed that a Boko Haram terror commander, simply known as Ikirima, had stationed his fighters and gun trucks at Mantari village alongside other terrorists from other locations, who had converged at the same location, on motorcycles and bicycles.

“Subsequently, the authorisation for an air strike was given, leading to the elimination of several of the terrorists and structures in the area.”

Gabkwet said after the first wave of the airstrikes, some surviving

G-5 GOVERNORS JET OFF TO LONDON FOR STRATEGIC MEETING

“But the other four governors don’t have the same worries and taking a decision was not difficult for them.”

The source also said the coming on board of other leaders of the party like George, Gana, former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, amongst others contributed a lot.

“Beyond the immediate grievance of the G5 governors, some of these other party leaders still hold Atiku and the breakaway faction for the party’s loss of power in 2015. They have still not forgiving him because they believe that his victory will be a reward for treachery and brazen anti-party activities.

“So with people like Bode George who will never support Tinubu still nursing deep grievance against Atiku, the only choice is Obi. That is why he has become the beautiful bride.”

Another reason that may have favoured Obi, THISDAY learnt was the tacit endorsement of Obi by some influential past leaders.

“It is no longer a secret that some of the country’s past leaders including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan have signed onto the Obi presidential project.

“There are also indications that others like Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Theophilus Danjuma are sympathetic.

“The thinking is that Nigeria is in a deep hole and they don’t want people who will continue digging to succeed President Muhammadu

Buhari. So, there is a near consensus that Obi approximates the kind of leadership that Nigeria needs at the moment.

“Even those that are not talking are working seriously behind the scene, mobilising and reaching out to others who are yet to be fully convinced.

“Most of the G5 governors and even the other party leaders were mentored by these former presidents and they are watching their body language,” our source further said.

On Sunday, Ortom let the cat out of the bag, literally, when he urged Nigerians to vote for Peter Obi in 2023.

According to him, Obi has the capacity to deliver Nigeria from its challenges adding that he would have canvassed for the LP flagbearer if he was not in the PDP.

He disclosed this during a courtesy visit by Obi to the State Capital, Makurdi, where he spent his Christmas with Internally Displaced Persons (PWDs) in the State.

“Several presidential candidates have come here, and none of them has chosen to visit those IDPs camps and look at their plight to see how they are doing and give them hope that when they win, they will bring them succour, help, and hope.

“For you to have chosen to visit the IDPs on a Christmas day that you should be celebrating with your family, for me as a Christian, I say God will bless you and your aspirations. My prayer is that God will bless your aspiration to be the president of this country.

terrorists found their way back to the same location to evacuate the bodies of neutralised terrorists.

“This, thus, provided an opportunity for a follow-up strike on the same location, which has been confirmed very successful, as over 100 terrorists were neutralised with dozens said to be in critical condition,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram elements have, reportedly, perfected plans to resume active hostilities in the wake of the Yuletide and forthcoming general elections, according to sources.

“The timely intelligence received on their plans, especially their

attempt to attack soft targets in Bama LGA, thus, helped in the successful airstrike, which has reduced their will to regroup and attack innocent citizens,” a security source said.

Yahaya and Amao commended the efforts of the air and ground troops as well as other security agencies under Operation Hadin

Kai for the achievements recorded in the theatre.

The duo affirmed that there was significant improvement in the security situation in the region due to the ongoing operation and urged the troops to continue to give their best towards ensuring that terrorism in the North-east was contained.

NSCDC Arrests 262 Suspects Over Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Rivers State Command said it arrested 262 suspects allegedly connected to oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, advance fee fraud, cultism and other offences against the law.

The NSCDC State Commandant, Ogar Micheal disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt, while recounting the achievements of the command in 2022.

The Commandant said between January till December, 2022, it arrested the number of suspects, convicted 38 in 21 convictions in the court.

Ogar explained: "As we round up the year, it behooves the Command to retrospect and outline the

various achievements and successes recorded so far. This would enable the public to access and evaluate our performance knowing fully well that there is always room for improvement.

"From the commencement of this year till date, the Command has made an estimate of 148 arrests with 262 suspects apprehended for oil theft, Illegal dealings in petroleum products, vandalism of oil pipelines and electrical power installations, advance free fraud, cultism and other offences against the law.

"There were also 38 convicts and 21 convictions secured at the court of competent jurisdiction in the state. The Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit also made remarkable success by settling 54 cases through mediations between aggrieved parties and suspects in

Civil related matters."

Ogar further stated that the Command would continue to maintain stronger synergy with all security agencies in the state to forestall any criminal tendencies during and after the festive period.

"It is pertinent to reiterate our unwavering commitment to protection of oil pipelines, telecommunication equipment, electrical power installations, schools, churches, all government buildings, INEC offices and materials most especially as criminal minded persons are noted for taking advantage of festive seasons to carry out their nefarious activities.

"The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi has directed that our operatives be deployed massively to protect the lives and property of Rivers State

people and enhance her Security architecture at this crucial period of time.

"Specific marching order has been given to the Divisional Officers across the 23 Local Governments in Rivers State; Our undercover operatives are to be on surveillance across churches, mosques, recreation centers, shopping malls, motor parks and all public gatherings while our uniform personnel are to constantly carry out patrols and quick response during emergencies."

Reiterating their continuous collaborations with relevant Sister agencies to combat all criminalities in the areas already identified as flash points, Ogar added that, “illegal oil bunkering activities have reduced drastically to almost 90 per cent as a result of the synergy between the security agencies in Rivers State."

NCAA Alerts Pilots, Airlines of Hazardous Weather

Chinedu Eze

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has advised pilots and airline operators to exercise caution over the hazardous weather condition in dry season, just as the Harmattan haze has forced cancellation and delay of flights since December 20, 2022.

The advisory was contained in a circular with reference no AC: NCAA-AEROMET – 34, initiated by the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) and addressed to all pilots and airline Operators and signed by the Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

The advisory circular was sequel to the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) issued by the Nigerian

Meteorological Agency (NIMET), which reported that cessation of rainfall and weather associated with dry season in Nigeria from late December 2022 to March/ April 2023.

The Authority said the circular was intended to alert pilots about the nature of weather associated with dry season in Nigeria, ranging from light/moderate to severe dust haze and sometimes early morning fog which can sometimes reduce the horizontal visibility to below the aerodrome operating minima.

“The NCAA identified the effects of the hazardous weather on flight operations, which include air-to-ground visibility reduction due to haze dust or fog; aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed operating minima and in

severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers and airfield lightings over wide areas making visuals navigation extremely difficult or impossible and flights are bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima,” the regulatory body said.

It also stated that in view of the above, all pilots, operators and air traffic controllers were obliged to abide by the safety requirements and were expected to carry out the following measures: closure of the airspace by Air Traffic Controllers when any of these conditions in are observed or forecast by NIMET; strict adherence to published aerodrome weather minima by Flight Crews/Operators and Air

Traffic Controllers (ATC); and pilots/ flight crew members “shall obtain adequate departure, en-route and destination weather information and briefing from NIMET Aerodrome Meteorological Offices and stations prior to flight operations and exercise maximum restraint whenever an adverse weather is observed.

In addition, operators were expected to ensure that all necessary measures are put in place to cushion the effects of delay or cancellations on their passengers.

“While the Authority urges all passengers to exercise patience and understanding during this period as their safety is of utmost importance, stakeholders should ensure strict compliance to this advisory circular as violations would be viewed seriously,” NCAA emphasised.

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

L-R: Son of Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, former Managing Director of Daily Times, Dami Ogunbiyi; his heartthrob, Anu; Governor Dapo Abiodun and former Governor of the state and the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, during the marriage thanksgiving service for the couples at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ipara, Ogun State... yesterday

AGAIN,

CHIEF HARVESTER OF THE DAY...

Igini: Nigeria Will Forgive Buhari’s Failings If He Delivers Credible Elections

Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, has said President Muhammadu Buhari has one last opportunity to redeem his image before leaving power.

Igini, said this yesterday when he featured on a discussion on AIT’s

morning programme, Kakaaki.

In the programme, Igini said there had been some myriad of failings in the administration of Buhari, but him delivering a credible general election would redeem his image and make Nigerians forgive the lapses.

Igini noted that though not

comparing, but it was the last grand act by President Goodluck Jonathan to willingly relinquish power even through an election that was still disputed, that lifted him to a glowing status as a respected leader all over the world.

Igini praised the efforts of the INEC under Buhari and challenged

him to sustain that tempo to the end.

He argued also that the present INEC staying strong on the legal provisions that would curtail election rigging and vote buying was commendable.

He said the provisions for electronic transmission of election results and the use of only bimodal

Lejja, Igbo-Etiti, Other Communities Back Ugwuanyi, Mbah, PDP Candidates

It was wild jubilation in Ukehe, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area and in Lejja, Nsukka Local Government Area, yesterday, when the Governor of Enugu State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Enugu North Senatorial District, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi visited the two communities to witness the presentation of Christmas gifts to widows and the less privileged by his Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh and a member of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta, Patrick Onyema Omeke, respectively.

Ugwuanyi, who received loud ovation from the people of the communities on arrival, got their endorsements to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly in 2023 in recognition of his commitment to peace and good governance as well as his passion for charity, almsgiving and the wellbeing of the less privileged in the society, according to a statement yesterday.

At Ukehe, the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Aroh, disclosed that Ugwuanyi had been supporting the widows’ empowerment programme even before he became governor, adding that the event was in line with the governor’s long-held policy of sharing with the needy and the less privileged.

Aroh revealed that the provision of Christmas gift items comprising 2,000 bags of 50kg rice, 2,000 bags of 25kg rice, 2000 bags of 10kg rice, 1,400 pieces of wrappers, 200 cartons of tomatoes, and 200 bags of salt, for the widows, was made possible because of the support that Ugwuanyi had been giving him and his entire family.

Speaking in an emotion-laden voice, the Commissioner on behalf of his father, Igwe Chijioke Aroh

and the entire family members expressed gratitude to the governor for his love and kindness, stressing that, “it is only God that can pay you back.”

Aroh informed Ugwuanyi that the women of Ukehe, who came out en masse, asked him not to bother to come and campaign in the community as they had resolved to deliver him for senate, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for governor, Dr. Martins Oke for House of Representatives and other candidates of the PDP in the state.

“Your Excellency, the women permitted me to say to you that they don’t want you to come for campaign here. I have told you this in private that they said that. I am also repeating it before them. They said you shouldn’t bother coming here for campaign. We will compete with your ward in Orba as to where you will get more votes.

“The promise we are giving you is that not only you; every PDP candidate in the state that is on the ballot paper is Gburuguru’s (Ugwuanyi’s) candidate. None of the candidates including you will lose an election in our place. We will deliver you; we will deliver Dr. Peter Mbah; we will deliver Dr. Martins Oke, Hon. Ezenta and others.

“Our votes will speak of what we think about you and our votes will also speak of what we think about all the PDP candidates in the state. The women have spoken to you from their hearts,” he was quoted to have said.

In Lejja, where leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP), Hon. Kingsley Ugwuanyi and Uchenna Okpe respectively, led their teeming supporters to formally decamp to the PDP in full support of Ugwuanyi’s senatorial bid in 2023

and that of other candidates of the PDP in the state, the elated people of the community reiterated their endorsement of the governor to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

The people of Lejja expressed delight at the commencement of construction work on Lejja-Aku road by Ugwuanyi’s administration, stressing that the intervention is unprecedented as past governments only gave lip service to the construction of the road during campaigns.

The Lejja people who came out in their numbers to receive Ugwuanyi at the presentation of Christmas gifts to the women and the less privileged by Omeke at his country home, reassured the governor of their overwhelming votes for him and other PDP candidates at the polls.

In their separate speeches, leaders of the decampees from APC and LP in Lejja, Ugwuanyi and Okpe respectively, said they joined PDP because of their conviction in the laudable efforts of Ugwuanyi’s administration in providing dividends of democracy in the community.

They pointed out that the governor remembered Lejja in road construction and appointments, disclosing that one of their illustrious sons is the State Coordinator of International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Enugu State in the person of Dr. Edward Ishiwu, while their daughter, Mrs. Favour Ugwuanyi, is the Chairman of Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB), among others.

The leaders informed Ugwuanyi that they collapsed their structures in the opposition political parties for the PDP and would consequently mobilise all their teeming supporters to campaign and vote massively for the governor during the senatorial

election and also give maximum support to other PDP candidates in the state.

Okpe, a former Labour Party leader in Lejja was quoted to have said: “All the people who accompanied me to this place are members of Labour Party but as things are today in Lejja and with the commencement of the construction of our road by your administration, we have decided to return to the PDP.

“I am very grateful that work has started on this road. We are going to work with you and support you to win your senatorial election on the platform of the PDP.”

In his words, Ugwuanyi, a former leader of the APC in Lejja said: “We are grateful that you remembered Lejja in road construction, and appointed our Mommy, Mrs. Favour Ugwuanyi as the Chairman of PPSMP. You also appointed Chijioke Ugwuoke as Administrator, Nsukka South Development Centre, Dr. Edward Ishiwu as State Coordinator of IFDA in Enugu State, among other people from our community whom you gave appointments.

“These people you gave appointments have been contributing to the progress of Lejja, and I decided to move all my supporters in APC to join the PDP family to move our community forward and deliver you (Ugwuanyi) at the poll to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, because you are a good product. So, we have joined the PDP family.”

Welcoming Governor Ugwuanyi to his country home, Lejja, Omeke told the governor that the visit offered their people an opportunity to appreciate him for the commencement of construction work on the long-neglected Lejja-Aku road and inclusion of the project in the 2023 budget estimates.

voters accreditation system (BVAS) were wonderful provisions to turn Nigerian electoral system to something credible.

Igini, mocked politicians who were still running around and allegedly buying up PVCs from voters.

He asked them to do more and buy more, but with the assurance that the cards would be worthless because they would not use them.

“The only place I have my concern is my constituency, the judiciary. I wish they comply and allow this system prosper. Do you know that the lawyer that filed an application in Owerri to get an order to frustrate electronic transmission of results and the BVAS system is

under investigation by the NBA?

“That is the system we dream to have because the rise or fall of Nigeria rests on political leadership.”

However, Igini expressed his disappointment with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for yielding to the pressure of the politicians to adjust the new cash withdrawal limit.

He regretted that rather than CBN holding fast, it increased the limit and still empowering the politicians to get much money and use it to buy poor voters.

Although he was not happy with the CBN, he still sounded sure that vote buying would not do them much good to win the election with the new system.

RCCG Young Ministers’ Retreat Commences Today

Young Ministers Retreat (YMR), one of the biggest annual youth conventions in Nigeria would be holding at the Redemption Camp, Lagos/Ibadan expressway from today.

The 4-day event is set to start today and end on December 30, 2022.

According to a statement, with the goal of building youths hungry for God and breaking grounds in global impact, “the YMR started in 2017 by Pastor Daniel Olawande fondly called PDaniel.

“In the past four years of YMR being in existence, it has witnessed testimonies of people all around the world. With over hundreds of thousands of people in attendance, there have been testimonies of healing, spiritual growth, financial breakthroughs and many more miracles of faith.

“Although started with a retreat strictly for ministers, the Young Ministers Retreat has evolved over the years and this year, the organizers are taking things even further by seeking to impact people beyond their spiritual growth.

“The 2022 retreat is being spiced up with other activities such as Specialized sessions which have free classes on life and career growth.

“The retreat promises to cover free sessions around government, politics, cyber security, financial growth, and many more areas many youths are passionate about.”

It added: “Scheduled for this session along PDaniel, is the Former governor of Ondo

state, Olusegun Mimiko, Real Estate Billionaire, Dr. Stephen Akintayo and many other experts in Education, entrepreneurship, block chain etc all for free.

“Considering it is a Christian retreat meant for youths hungry for God, YMR would also have Encounter/revival hours where the participants would pray and seek God deeply and passionately.

Ministering at the retreat is the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Adeboye, Pastor Jerry Eze, Prophet Tomi Aroyomi, Nathaniel Bassey, Pastor Daniel and Nifemi Olawande, among other powerful men and women of God.”

The convener of the Young Ministers Retreat, PDaniel - when speaking about his expectation for the conference said, “I trust God to raise many giants, witnesses who will be bold enough to stand for God anywhere, people who are going to carry the full dimension of God’s power and God’s presence.

“I trust God for this year to see a multitude, minimum of 200,000 young persons, 100,000 salvations, 50,000 Holy Ghost baptism, 30,000 healings and miracles. It’s going to be a lot this year and I believe God that he will do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.”

According to the convener, “if you are young and looking for a retreat to get yourself spiritually and career-ready to launch into 2023, then the Young Ministers Conference happening at Redemption Camp and starting on the 27th December, 2022 is for you.”

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, harvests a bunch of plantain as the Chief Harvester at the Youth Harvest held at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Uzuh, Omuma... on Sunday

APC, Labour party supporters allegedly decamped to PDP

PROMOTING CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY...

US Supports NDLEA with Forensic, Intelligence, Prosecution Tools

The United States government has announced a project that would strengthen the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as well as its intelligence gathering and prosecution capabilities.

The latest support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) comes on the heels of an award of N500 million grant to fund selected projects in the agency by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa).

According to an official letter announcing the US project grant to the NDLEA, the award followed requests by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) during a series of meetings with top U.S. officials both in Abuja and in Washington DC.

The letter noted that the project would be implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.

The US government said aside from the support for the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the agency, the project will further support NDLEA efforts to conduct intelligence-led investigations

Remain Non-partisan, Diri Tells PANDEF

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged the PanNiger Delta Forum (PANDEF) not to dabble into partisan politics but remain focused on protecting the collective interest of the Niger Delta region.

Diri stated this when the PANDEF executive led by its chairman, Senator Emmanuel IbokEssien, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa, at the weekend.

He saluted the efforts of leaders and other stakeholders of PANDEF, particularly Elder Statesman Edwin Clark for showing leadership over the years on issues concerning the region.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the governor acknowledged that PANDEF had made commendable effort towards the growth and development of the region.

His words: “PANDEF is an apolitical body. I advise that it remains so in order for its integrity to be intact.

“PANDEF is a voice in the Niger Delta and in Nigeria and it is contributing to the growth and development of our region. We appreciate the leaders because of the role they play in stabilising the Niger Delta and the Nigerian

state.

“We also appreciate our elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, who has given leadership to PANDEF.

"Our leaders have been at the forefront of our struggles and agitations, raising the issues from time to time. So far, we have not achieved our desired goals but we must continue to agitate for what rightly belongs to us."

Diri also assured PANDEF of his administration's continued support and directed the Ministry of Lands and Housing to provide a befitting accommodation for the body’s headquarters in Bayelsa.

"The Niger Delta should have a voice working for us at the national level. The forum needs to have synergy with governors. We used to have the BRACED (Bayelsa Rivers Akwa Ibom Cross River Edo and Delta) Commission, which is comatose but God willing we will bring it back on stream."

Earlier, the PANDEF national chairman, Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, commended Diri on his administration's infrastructure development strides and for supporting Bayelsans particularly during the floods.

Senator Ibok-Essien, who said a 16-point agenda was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, also highlighted a number of issues bedeviling the Niger Delta region.

through diverse resources as well as legal books and an e-library for prosecution and other legal needs of the agency.

“Through all this, the NDLEA will be better equipped to prosecute cases with reliable evidence, using improved col-

lection, handling, and custodial procedures. We appreciate our strong and continued working relationship and believe this

project will be an important step in advancing our shared goal of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria”, the letter added.

Kwara Governor, Alade Express Concern over Brain Drain in Medical Sector

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Finance and Economy, Mrs. Serah Alade at the weekend decried the exodus of medical professionals out of country.

Also, the state governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq at the event lamented that no fewer than 170 medical professionals left the state civil service in the last three months for greener pastures.

Speaking at Offa town in Kwara state at the official inauguration of a N350 million medical center financed by the Offa Metropolitan Club (OMC), Alade who is also the president of the club said: "It is a health facility through which we seek to broaden access to world-class healthcare service delivery to Offa and Kwara state residents."

She however said: "The indispensability of positive and proactive healthcare and the categorical indication that prioritisation of an efficient healthcare system is no longer optional."

Alade, a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) added: "Nigeria's health sector consistently loses its personnel to foreign lands because of a more conducive atmosphere and service conditions."

While government must set the pace and bear the touch, Alade explained that, "the fiscal reality may continue to limit speedy transformation in the near term.

"The disappearing public fiscal buffer in developing countries like ours may constrain progress in public spending.

"It follows, therefore, that the mobilization of community participation in crucial growth enablers can no longer be neglected."

According to her, "The edifice we have gathered to commission today is a landmark statement on the

evolving new phase of collaborative development. It is a new regime of growth to which we are committed to stimulating community and overall development.

"OMC Medical Centre is today joining the ranks of successful community-led infrastructure in Kwara state and Nigeria, and its innovative management will hopefully become a model.

"To achieve our aspiration for the provision of quality world-class care and long-term viability, OMC shall partner with Clina Lancet Africa, who shall work with Lily Hospitals.

"Our partners are established and reputable organisations that share our objective, passion, and commitment. They will commence operations in phases, starting with a reference laboratory, and then expanding to other areas of care.

"OMC Medical Centre in partnership with Clina Lancet Africa will bring immense benefit to our people, town and State. The residents of Offa and environ shall access the best medical service using the facility on an inclusive basis.

"The facility management, as we envisage, shall adopt an innovative approach riding on quality government and community collaboration to isolate existing challenges in healthcare service delivery.

"We anticipate providing qualitative and competitive health insurance to boost and foster affordability and non-discriminatory use."

Also speaking at the event, AbdulRazaq lamented that no fewer than 170 medical professionals left the state civil service in the last three months for greener pastures.

The govenror said, "Over the last three months, we have lost 170 doctors in the state service. That is one of the challenges you have getting qualified doctors and pay them right. The rate we are losing doctors and

midwives is hemorrhaging. Most of those medical doctors that are still behind is mostly for family ties.

"The issue of patriotism has gone off the wind. It's not just Kwara losing doctors. So many states are losing doctors.

"For us in Kwara, we are losing to the federal institutions, teaching hospitals, while others are losing to Lagos, Abuja and Lagos is losing to UK, America, Europe and so on. It's a huge brain drain. That is one of the key major challenges that you have. Two major challenges here: one, the personnel, two, the equipment," he said.

The governor, who was visibly excited over the project by the community, said that the state government would support the initiative for benefits of the people.

He also said the project would put pressure on the government facility sort of, saying that, "As government, we cannot come in and see institution like this and see our own dilapidated. It puts pressure on us to also make sure we do well on the government side."

Meanwhile, AbdulRazaq, at the weekend called for public- private collaboration in order to enhance the socio economic development of Ilorin and other communities in the state.

Speaking at the 57th Annual National Conference of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), the governor said: "It is a challenge for all of us. We are all members of the IEDPU and we should support them to achieve the set goals.

“I was in Kwara South yesterday(Saturday) to launch a hospital project by Offa Metropolitan Club.

"Let's also make Ilorin greater; we should take the lead. By this time next year, IEDPU should be

launching another project. It is a challenge for all of us.

"We need to commend the focus of the IEDPU. We used to come annually for the launch of calendar. But this year has changed and we are proud of that.

"The main focus for this year is the ICT centre. I dare say that we must support the IEDPU to make sure that by this time next year the ICT project is completed."

He narrated how the capital city, Ilorin, was wearing new looks following government’s delivery of new roads and execution of many giant projects that the public could easily relate with.

The governor also commended the traditional ruler and the IEDPU for keeping the flag flying and said a lot needs to be done to make the capital city the number one positive reference point in Nigeria.

"Our administration remains committed to inclusive growth. Our goal is to make Ilorin one of the most celebrated capital cities in Nigeria and beyond. This is what informs the focus of our projects.

“I especially commend the Emir and the leadership of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union for keeping the flag flying every year. We thank you for keeping the legacy of Sheikh Alimi evergreen

"By now we should be pointing to numerous community-sponsored projects in Ilorin. I am glad this has started already.

"On our part, we are trying to change the face of Ilorin. You can see interlocking pavements taking place all over the town under our urban renewal programme.

"We are dualising the Yebumot/ Oloje road; we are fixing Adeta/ Pakata road; and Pakata/Oja-Oba road project; Old and New Yidi road. We will keep doing our best to make

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

sure we transform Ilorin,” he added.

L-R: Partner, PwC Nigeria, Seun Adu; Regional Head Clients & Markets Development, Delia Asuzu; Chief Executive Officer of Grace Smile Foundation, Yoleme Itivie; Head of Corporate Comm & Partnerships Slum2School Africa, Ms. Omoye Oriaghoan; Country Senior Partner, PwC Nigeria, Uyi Akpata; CEO CrimsonBow Sickle Cell Initiative, Ms. Timi Edwin; Chief Executive Officer of Children Living with Cancer Foundation, Dr. Nneka Nwobbi; Founder Bethesda Home for the Blind, Chioma Ohakwe; Corporate Social Responsibility Partner, Obioma Ubah, and Partner, PwC Nigeria, Uloma Ojinmah, during cheque presentations to charities under the 5for5 donations to charities in Lagos…recently

Inaugurates N350m medical centre at Offa State seeks PPP to develop rural communities

FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA HONOURED…

Bandits Attack Community, Kill One, Abduct 45 in Kaduna

John Shiklam in Kaduna

One person was reportedly killed while 45 others were said to have been abducted in an attack by bandits on Angwan Aku community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A resident of the community, who spoke on telephone, said the incident occurred at about 10am on Christmas Day when the villagers were preparing for church service.

He said initially 52 people were abducted, but seven of

them escaped and while the bandits went with 45 people.

He said the bandits, who were well armed came in large numbers and surrounded the village.

“They came around 10am on Sunday when people were preparing to go to church. They were many and they parked their motorcycles on a bush path before they entered the village, shooting sporadically.

“They went from house to house, kidnapping people. They killed one person and

Bauchi Gov Restates Commitment to Constitutional Responsibilities

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammmed, has reassured people of the state that he would never abdicate his constitutional responsibility or place one religion above the other as long as he remained the chief executive of the state.

Mohammed also declared that he would rather be just, fair, equitable and open to all the segments of the state in line with the oath of office he in 2019.

He made these comments on Sunday when he hosted the Christian community under the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on

Christmas’ visit at the Government House.

The governor commended Christians in the state for their fervent prayers, which has kept his administration going since 2019 when it was inaugurated.

He stressed that the doors of his administration is wide open to constructive criticisms, adding that his administration would not be biased against anyone not to talk about religious bodies in the state.

He said that it was in order to demonstrate its neutrality that he ensured that his wife and he yearly host the Christian community on Christmas visit.

The Nwaogbos Celebrate Matriarch at 80

The Nwaogbo family will tomorrow , December 28, 2022 celebrate the life and time of their matriarch, Mrs Margaret Chizubelu Nwaogbo as she turns 80.

The celebration will take place in Ogurube Government Layout, Umuahia, the Abia state capital.

The newest octogenarian is an education administrator and has held the position of principal in many schools in and outside Abia state.

According to a statement from the family, born on the 9th of December 1942 to the family of late Rev. Canon Theophilus and Margaret Okonkwo of Ojoto, in Idemili South LGA of Anambra State, the late Mrs Nwaogbo is a community leader, a philanthropist and a devout Christian.

A retired Permanent Secretary in Abia state, Mrs Nwaogbo has highly successful children including: Dr. Elekwachi

Nwaogbo; Dr. Chizubelu Nwaogbo; Mrs Ezinne Ononeze; Dr. Amuche Nwaogbo, and Mrs. Chidinma Ofoma.

The matriarch of the Nwaogbo family was married to the former Secretary to Abia State Government, the late Dr Elekwachi James Nwaogbo. Both had met at the University of Ibadan and got married in January 1968 in the heat of the Nigerian Civil war.

went with 53 people but seven people escaped and came back. So 45 people are with them,” he said on telephone.

Asked whether security agencies were alerted, he said

even if security agencies were alerted , the bandits would have finished their operations and left as the community is very far from Mararaban Kajuru where soldiers are stationed.

Spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, Mohammed Jalige, could not confirm the incident, but he promised to find out and get back.

“I will find out and get back to you please”, he said on telephone.

He was yet to get back at the time of this filing this report.

Okowa: ASUU Strike Didn’t Affect Delta Varsities

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Academic activities in Delta State-owned universities were not affected by the eight-month long strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Nigeria because the state government had provided adequately for its universities.

Delta State Governor and Vice-presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, stated this yesterday in Asaba at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Day celebration.

According to him, the four Delta universities did not down tools with other

federal and state public universities simply because his administration had provided what the striking ASUU members were agitating for and demanding from the owners of those institutions.

Okowa noted that the state government paid the same development-oriented attention to all other sectors

as it does the universities and the education sector.

At least 2,000 kilometers of roads and nearly as many kilometers of drainages have been constructed across the state, the governor stated. The governor said that the roads were constructed in the riverside communities hitherto described as hard-to-reach or even as no-go areas.

Kwara NNPP Guber Candidate Promises LG Autonomy

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Governorship Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kwara State for 2023 election, Professor Oba Shuaib Abdulraheem, at the weekend promised to ensure local government

autonomy in all the 16 local government councils of the state so as to accelerate the rural development if given mandate to lead the state.

Abdulraheem, a former vice chancellor of University of Ilorin, made the promise during a courtesy visit to

the palace of the Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Dr. Idris Abubakar.

The canddiate was on the campaign tour of Baruten Local Government Area of the state to flag-off his gubernatorial campaigns and to solicit support of the

people of the area for his election as the next governor of the state during the next year general elections.

He lamented the poor state of local government system as a major hindrance to the development of the people at the grassroots.

Convoy of PDP Deputy Gov Candidate Kills Couple in A’Ibom

Okon Bassey inUyo

Angry youths of Akon-Itam community in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state have protested the killing of a couple along the Calabar-Itu Highway by a convoy of the Senator representing Eket Senatorial District (Akwa Ibom South), Mrs. Akon Iyakenyi.

The incident reportedly happened when the convoy was returning to Uyo, the state capital from political campaign.

Senator Iyakenyi, is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate to Pastor Umo Eno, the party’s flag-bearer in the 2023 polls.

One of the youths, who witnessed the incident, Comrade Utibe Inyang,

told journalists that the convoy rammed into the couple on a motorcycle, while trying to navigate the busy highway connecting the neighbouring Calabar, Cross River state with Akwa Ibom State.

He maintained that what exacerbated the anger of the people stemmed from the poor handling of the compensation package of a paltry N2 million the Senator gave

to the family to quell the case.

“The husband and wife killed by her convoy died and left behind three young children, so the pains we are still feeling now is because of the disdainful attitude demonstrated by the deputy governorship candidate without considering how these young orphans would be trained and developed without their parents,” he said.

President Buhari to Inaugurate Projects in Kogi Dec 29

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to visit Kogi State on December 29, 2022 to inaugurate legacy projects across the state.

This is just as Senator Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West

at the National Assembly has promised to distribute over 100 vehicles to support the campaigns of the All Progressive Congress’ (APC) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kassim Shettima.

This was contained in a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and

Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo in Lokoja.

Fanwo stated that in view of this and need to ensure a hitch free reception of Mr. President, the Government of Kogi State under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello, has declared Thursday, December 29 a public holiday.

“The decision is to enable the people of the state to receive our

President. We urge all our labour unions and security agencies to ensure full compliance.

“Government wishes to call on the people of the State to come out in mass to receive Mr. President and display the hospitality we are known for as he will be commissioning life-touching legacy projects across the state,” he stressed.

Thugs Attack SDP’s Secretariat in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Suspected thugs yesterday attacked the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

THISDAY gathered that while the members of the party were expecting to receive their governorship candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, the thugs invaded the venue and attacked them with different harmful weapons, insisting that there no activities

will hold in the secretariat.

Confirming the incident, Mr arry Benson, spokesperson to Senator Magnus Abe, said no amount of attack on the party would stop the party candidates from campaigning in the state.

Benson said: “The SDP

Secretariat in Nonwa Tai, Tai Local Government Area in Rivers state due for inauguration today by the gubernatorial candidate, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, was attacked and destroyed in the early hours of Monday by suspected political thugs.

L-L-R:ExecutiveSecretary,FC4S,Mr.EmmanuelEtaderhi;ChiefExecutiveOfficer,AfricanBusinessCoalitionforHealth,Dr.MoriesAtoki;CorporateSocialResponsibilityManager,FlourMillsofNigeriaPlc(FMN),Mrs. Sarumi Bisola;Company Secretary/Group Director, Legal Services, FMN, Mr. Joseph Umolu; Extension Service and Knowledge Management Manager, FMN, Olasubomi Sofowora;Head of Sustainability, FMN, Mr.Chukwudi Iwuozor; and Sustainability Manager, FMN, Mr. Oluwaseun Agbebi,at the Sera award presentation to FMN in Lagos… recently : ETOP UKUTT

Nwaogbo

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS ...

Anxiety Grips Benue PDP Over Peter Obi’s Frequent Visits

George Okoh in Makurdi

Members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State have continued to express worries over political development in the state following

frequent visits to the state by the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State and the body language of the Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom. A cross section of the party

Sokoto NUJ Lauds Chief of Army Staff’s Stewardship

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Sokoto State Council, has commended pragmatic and exemplary leadership of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, ensuring professionalism in Nigeria Army and nation building.

A statement signed by the State Chairman of NUJ, Mr. Dalhatu Abdullahi SafiyalMagori, commended the efforts of Yahaya over the successful conduct of the 2022 COAS Annual Conference and various community development projects inaugurated across

Sokoto State. Safiyal-Magori said that the conference has proved the integrity of Yahaya towards promoting professionalism in Nigerian Army that would set agenda for future generations in safeguarding territorial boundaries as well as internal security.

He said that the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari; Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, ministers, former and present Service Chiefs, traditional institutions and other dignitaries at the concluded occasion have demonstrated Nigerian Army’s acceptance in the society.

‘APGA Has National Structure’

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Financial Secretary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Carefor, has stated that the party is a national party and not a regional entity as some people erroneously think.

He expressed delight with efforts and achievements made to reposition the party by the National Chairman, Chief Victor Ike Oye.

In a statement issued after a meeting of the party members and stakeholders in Katsina

State last weekend, the party chieftain said the party is “a united and indivisible entity with Chief Victor Ike Oye as its national chairman.”

He also commended the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for his developmental strides in state, which he said has imparted on the popularity of APGA.

Carefor said: “We resolved that our party remains united and indivisible family under the able leadership of Dr. Victor Ike Oye.

Seven Feared Dead as Cultists Clash during Christmas Celebrations in Delta

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

At least seven youths have been reported dead in bloody cult clashes in Sapele and Ekpan in Sapele and Uvwie local governments areas of Delta State.

THISDAY gathered that while the killings amongst rival cult groups started on Christmas even with security agents making frantic efforts to quell the incidents in different areas of Sapele, that of Ekpan began on Sunday throwing the restive community into a state of confusion.

Security sources disclosed tat violent rival groups used various dangerous weapons including AK 49 rifles in engaging themselves in street fights in the two affected communities.

It was learnt that five youths ere mauled down in Sapele within three days while two were killed in Ekpan, near Warri on Christmas day.

As at the time of filing this report, security agents, including the military, have taken over the affected communities to ensure normalcy return to the areas.

that spoke under anonymity said that Obi’s recent visitation to the state showed that some powerful members of the party are in support of Obi’s candidacy for the presidential election.

Obi has been to Benue for not less than five times in six months. On each occasions he is well received by the state This has led to speculations that the Benue State’s governor is quietly working for the electoral

fortunes of the Labour Party.

Even though the governor revealed last week that there are top reconciliatory move to resolve the rift in the party and reconcile both the Governor Nyesom Wike groups and the Atiku group, many pundits were of the belief that it is too late in the day for any genuine reconciliation.

Ortom was quoted to have said that Benue people would

vote according to the elections, which was interpreted to mean that the party supporters might vote any candidate of their choice in the upcoming five elections.

On Sunday (Christmas day)

Obi was in Benue State where he condemned the continuous stay of Nigerians in Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camp, saying that Nigerians should not be living like refugees in their own country.

Obi stated this at the IDP camp in Abagana, Makurdi Local Government Area, when he visited Benue State to celebrate Christmas with the displaced people.

He also donated N3 million to the IDPs. He said: “I decided that today, I will be in Kogi and Benue to celebrate with people in IDP camps. Nigerians should not be living in the camps in their country.

Followers of Condemned Islamic Cleric Rejects Death Sentence

Segun AwofadejiinBauchi

Members of a religious organisation, As’habul Kahfi Warraqeem, Bauchi State Chapter who are followers of the Kano State Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, have condemned the death judgment passed on the cleric as a miscarriage of justice by the Upper Sharia Court.

Briefing journalists in Bauchi yesterday, the group through its PRO, Mr. Abdullahi Musa, read a text titled “The Satanic Gangup and the Kano State Sharia Court Judgment on Our Spiritual Leader, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara.” Musa stated that “we, the members of the above named organisation are followers of the Kano State Islamic Cleric, Sheikh

(Dr.) Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara. We are here to inform the world through you the journalists, our stand on the recent judgment on our leader Sheikh Abduljabbar by a Kano Shari’ah Court that passed death sentence on the Cleric. “We have resolved to appeal against the judgment in a higher court of law to quash this unsatisfactory judgment and impose his fundamental human

rights, especially of freedom of religion and thought as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.”

According to the group, “first of all, we are not satisfied with the judgment, because we believe it was influenced by the Kano State Governor, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje and some clerics in the state who are known to be at logger heads with him for a long time.

Group Demands Political Will on Environmental Justice

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A non-governmental organisation, Natural Justice, said until there is a political will, the issue of environmental justice would remain a mirage.

This was an observation by Prof Ibibia Worika, at a two-day review and validation workshop organised by the group in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

In his remarks, Prof Ibibia noted that the government has not seriously tackled the menace of environmental challenges in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.

He said: “Nigerians are going through tremendous hardship at the moment, and I don’t think anybody can deny that. The government is all about ensuring that the welfare of the people and security become priority

at any point in time and that also include the basis upon which they survive which is the environment.

“Here in the Niger Delta and indeed other parts of the country, the environment is the basis of the people livelihood. So if we don’t think that the environment is worth protecting because we are exploiting oil and gas, and we think that is all about the money that we get

from that resource that matters for government rather than the people, that is absolutely antithetical to what governance is all about.

“I feel very strongly that because of the rentier nature of the economic system wherein there is such dependency on oil, you have a system where there is just a lack of political will and commitment to ensure that the right things are done.

Family of AAU Graduate Petitions IG over Death of Son from Police Gunshots

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The family of 28 year-old Godsent Obhafuoso have called on the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba to prevail on the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Benin, to investigate the alleged murder of their son from a gunshots by a policeman.

Godsent was killed one month after his graduation

from Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma where he studied Business Administration.

The family said that the policeman who fired the shots that killed their son on August 13, 2022 was not on duty but merely escorted a prominent man to Uromi, Esan North East local government area where he fired shots in the cause of a ceremony that hit their son and killed him.

The deceased’s family in a petition to the IG, through their Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, alleged that the Zone 5 in Benin was foot dragging in the investigation of the matter.

According to the family, on the 13th day of August, 2022, Godsent Obhafuoso accompanied his master identified as Mr. Augustine Iyoha to Uromi for the burial of his mother-in-law and in the process one Mr Sunday Obhanogho

arrived with a policeman from the Area Command in Uromi, Inspector S. O. Ayemere, adding that while he was doing video recording of the party and also assisting his master to collect money being sprayed on him, the policemen released gunshots that hit a cameraman and also hit the ribs of Godsent who was pronounced dead when he was rushed to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.

2023: Lawmaker Tasks Youths on Criteria to Elect Best Candidates

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency in Oyo State, Hon. Shina Peller, has urged youths in the country to identify criteria to select the best candidates in the forthcoming general election.

Peller, who is the Oyo North

senatorial candidate of the Accord Party (AP), made the call at the weekend during a mega empowerment programme held for the people of the 13 local government areas in the district in Iseyin.

He said what the country needs at a time like this is a working system and not a messiah, stating that a system is the combination of people

working together to achieve a desired goal, urging the youths to vote for problem solvers who have shown capacity and capability.

Also, the lawmaker, who is the Aare Gbobaniyi of Iseyinland, disclosed that the youths are over 70 per cent of the population in the country, noting that with this large number, they should be

able to elect the best among the candidates in 2023.

He emphasised that he believes so much in solution coalition, merged strategy and any process that will make Nigeria better, urging the youths to change the usual narrative and mandate by believing in themselves as election is won by the majority.

L-R: Special Guest, Mrs. Alice Da Silva; President/ Co-founder, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru; Her Twin Sister, Mrs. Lucy Lawrence, and a Guest, Mrs. Gloria Lawson, at the Ibru’s 2022 Christmas Get-together in Lagos…recently

Group

Aribo, Iwobi Fire Blanks as Saints, Everton Slump in Boxing Day EPL Restart

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigerian internationals, Joseph Ayodele Aribo and Alex Iwobi, restarted their English Premier League after the World Cup break yesterday on the losing side of Boxing Day fixtures.

Aribo’s Southampton slumped 1-3 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion while Iwobi and his Everton teammates were also beaten 2-1 at home in Goodison Park by Wolves.

Before this first fixture after Qatar 2022 Mundial, Southampton were beaten in their last four Premier League matches (three defeats and one draw).

The former Glasgow Rangers midfielder Aribo was introduced into the game as sub for Mali’s Moussa Djenepo before the start of the second half.

However, it the was the visitors to the Saints that opened scoring on 14 minutes as Adam Lallana

guided his header into the far corner from a Solly March’s cross from the flank.

Brighton doubled their advantage in the 35th minute after Romain Perraud turned into his own net, trying to clear a cross from the left-hand side.

Bright then went 3-0 ahead in the 56th minute after March cut in from the right-hand flank and unleashed a thunderous volley into the top corner.

Southampton pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute as James Ward-Prowse nodded in a rebound after his penalty was initially saved by Robert Sanchez.

At Goodison Park, Iwobi played all 90 minutes yet could not prevent Everton from dropping all three points to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A 95th minute goal from Rayan Ait-Nouri saw Wolves come from a goal down to beat Everton 2-1.

Akanbi Targets Third Title as Molade Okoya-Thomas Championship Kicks off

Two-time men’s singles champion, Rilwan Akanbi, has boasted of his intention to retain the title as the 54the Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championships kick off today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Akanbi who guided Lagos to third place finish in the men’s team event at the last National Sports Festival in Delta said nothing can stop him from holding on to the laurel he had won in 2016 and 2021.

“The Molade Okoya-Thomas Cup brought me to limelight and I think the tournament has also enchanted my chances of making the national team. To ensure I remain relevant I must do everything possible to retain my title this year. In this tournament you don’t look down on any player because everyone is capable of beating any top player so I think the pressure will be on me and I am ready to withstand it and make it the third title this year,” Akanbi said.

The former West Africa champion said winning the tournament this year would surely put him in vantage position to be included in the national team for the African Games in Ghana next year. “I want to play at the next African Games and I need this title to show that I am capable of being part of the team because past champions of this tournament have moved on into the national team,” he added.

The annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Cup has been rechristened Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championship from this year being the longest sports tournament in Africa.

According to Deji OkoyaThomas said the decision to rename

the tournament after the initiator was based on family decision.

“The family decided to name the tournament after the initiator of the tournament because the former name was a title given to him while he was alive and since his demise, the title has been given to someone else, so it is pertinent that the family use his name for the tournament which has remained the longest sports competition in Nigeria,” he said.

Listing some of the players that had come through the tournament,

Okoya-Thomas said: “We cannot but acknowledge the impact the tournament has had on the fortune of the sport in the country. Some of its products have become global stars.

An obvious example is Olajide Omotayo who has become an integral part of the national team and 2019 African Games champion.

“Of recent is the exploits of teenage sensation Matthew Kuti who was impressive in his maiden outing at the African Youth Championship in Tunisia while his

performance at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender in Cairo, Egypt where he claimed the U-11 and U-13 titles are confirmation of the impact the tournament has had on the players.”

The tournament is organised by Lagos State Table Tennis Association with support from the Lagos State Sports Commission and it ends on Friday December 30 with finals in the men and women singles at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Gbajabiamila, Tejuosho, Others Grace Akinwunmi’s Charity Event

Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Senate member, Lanre Tejuosho, were top on the list of dignitaries that graced the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Foundation at the weekend in Lagos.

A former House of Representatives member and former member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, former FIFA Executive member, Dr. Amos Adamu, Former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, NFF member, Aisha Falode, CEO, Brila FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje, President Nigeria Referees Association, Otunba Tade Azeez, Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, former LSSC boss, Kwesu Tandor and popular Pastor, Ituah Igholado were all present.

Five Chairmen of State Football Association were also in attendance. They are Adamawa,

Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun and Kwara FA chairmen.

Over 1000 kids took part playing different roles as two quality age grade male and female games were played.

Senator Tejuosho took the kick-off of the main match of the day between Remo Stars and Shooting Stars while Hon. Gbajabiamila took pictures with the age grade male teams after handshake with the players. Remo defeated 3SC 1-0 in the exhibition match.

The major highlight of the day was the presentation of cash gifts to 60 students as part of the SACF philanthropic gestures and also in celebration of Barrister Akinwunmi who will be 60 years on December 29.

Speaking on the event, Alhaja Omidiran commended Akinwunmi’s love for football

and his kind heart of giving hope to the less-privileged.

“The Foundation has been wonderful in the past years because we hear testimonies of some of the beneficiaries. They deserve our support,” she said.

Ogun FA Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, also stated that SACF was a noble idea.

“I commend Barrister Akinwunmi for his consistency with the foundation. It is not easy at a time like this to maintain such project in Nigeria,” Majekodunmi said.

Over 40 children between 12 and 15 years have in the past eight years remained in school courtesy of the foundation which has also supported more than 200 indigent students in collaboration with the Courage Education Foundation which was also conceived and co-founded by Seyi Akinwunmi over 17 years ago.

Liverpool made a winning return to Premier League action after the World Cup break early last month as they restarted their bid to force their way into the top four with an entertaining 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic ensured the Reds recorded a third successive league win for the first time this season and reduced the gap to the Champions League places to five points.

While Liverpool's first fixture after the World Cup break resulted in a Carabao Cup fourth round defeatby Manchester City on Thursday, Salah's fifth-minute opener - created by a couple of sublime passes from full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson - gave them

the perfect start on their league return.

Darwin Nunez's wastefulness prevented the visitors from extending their lead but they were able to add a second before half-time when Van Dijk's shot deflected in off Ezri Konsa following a corner.

Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey had both squandered a couple of fine opportunities for Villa in a hugely entertaining first half but Unai Emery's side were rewarded for their persistence after the restart when Watkins headed in Douglas Luiz's cross.

However, Spanish teenager Bajcetic's first senior Liverpool goal nine minutes from time, which followed great work by Nunez to recover the ball at the byeline, ended home hopes of a dramatic fightback at Villa Park.

Salah, Van Dijk on Target as Liverpool Reopen Bid for Top Four IMC Plans Glamorous Draw Ceremony to Usher New NPFL Abridged Season

Plans have been concluded to stage a glamorous 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Draw event to usher in the new season which starts on January 8 even as some of the teams in the topflight are against an abridged format.

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) said yesterday that it plans to usher the new NPFL season with glamour as the Draw Ceremony is meant to “integral to it's strategic plans to add value to the NPFL and attract more followership and Corporate Sponsorship.”

Chairman of the IMC, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, hinted that at the heart of the plans is the invitation of former International and NPFL players to the event scheduled to hold tomorrow, Wednesday, December 28at Sandralia Hotel in Abuja.

Further to this, the IMC also disclosed through a memo to the 20 clubs that it has secured the approval of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to hold the draw for an abridged format of the season.

In the memo, the IMC wrote, "Recall the meeting of IMC with Clubs Owners on the 21st December 2022 at Sandralia Hotel, where it was decided that the IMC will inform the NFF on the decision to organize the draws for the 2022/2023 league on the 28th December , 2022and that the league will commence on the 8th of January 2023on Abridged League Format.

"The purpose of this letter is to convey the approval of the NFF to organize the draws on the 28th December 2022 and the League will commence on the 8th January 2023on an Abridged League Format", the memo stated.

Alex Iwobi (right) battled in vain as Everton lost at home to Wolves in Boxing Day fixtures...yesterday

Arsenal Beat West Ham to Go Seven Points Clear at the Top

Arsenal underlined their title credentials by producing a secondhalf fightback to beat West Ham and move seven points clear at the top as the Premier League returned after the World Cup.

West Ham took the lead against the run of play when Jarrod Bowen was judged to have been clipped in the box by William Saliba, allowing Said Benrahma to smash a confident penalty down the middle.

There was a mood of frustration among the home fans until Bukayo Saka converted from close range after collecting Martin Odegaard's mis-hit shot.

The equaliser gave increased impetus to the Gunners and another home goal looked increasingly likely.

Five minutes later, it duly arrived. Gabriel Martinelli put the hosts ahead, catching out West Ham's former Gunners keeper Lukasz Fabianski by tucking inside the near post from a tight angle when he looked more likely to cross.

The points were sealed when Eddie Nketiah - starting in place of the injured Gabriel Jesus - spun sharply in the box before firing into the opposite bottom corner.

Arsenal extended their lead at the top over Newcastle, who moved second by beating Leicester earlier on Monday.

Reigning champions Manchester City - who go to Leeds United on Wednesday - are now eight points behind the Gunners.

West Ham are 16th and just a point above the relegation zone after their fourth league defeat in a row.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira called his side's defeat by Fulham at Selhurst Park "one of his worst days" in charge of the club.

Bobby Decordova-Reid, Tim Ream and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored, with Palace overpowered

PREMIER LEAGUE

by their London rivals as they ended the game with nine men.

Tyrick Mitchell was shown a red card for a foul on Kenny Tete

just three minutes after his side went behind, and James Tomkins followed him before the hour.

"It was one of the worst days since I've been at the club, not just because we lost the game. It was the way we did it, without

competing," Vieira told BBC Match of the Day.

"Fulham prepared their game really well and we weren't brave enough to play forward. I believe we had the best chance before they scored their goal, but we didn't

do enough to deserve something from the game.

"We have to give them credit, analyse ourselves and try to bounce back as soon as possible."

Dominant throughout, Marco Silva's side were helped by Palace's

indiscipline, which put a stop to their hopes of a fourth straight home win.

The result strengthens the visitors' unlikely European push, as they sit in eighth, just two points off the top six.

Internal Crisis Hit Morocco’s World Cup Squad

Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) hit back at Moroccan media for attacking Moroccan footballer Zakaria Aboukhlal and accusing him of religious fundamentalism.

News outlet Achkayen sparked controversy after publishing a report accusing Aboukhlal of religious fundamentalism. The disturbing news report included a misleading title that reads: “Aboukhlal, a ‘Salafi’ in the National Football team.”

The adjective Salafi refers to belonging to a reformist sect of Sunni Islam, but in Morocco, the word is almost synonymous with Islamist fundamentalism and ideological extremism.

In a statement on Sunday, the football federation reacted to an outrageous news report, saying that it “denies the accuracy of the information included in the news report,” explaining that Aboukhlal’s “behavior, much like all his teammates, had been exemplary, all towards achieving honorary results.”

In addition to slamming the report for attacking the football player and the image of the national football team, the federation said that it would take legal action to “protect members of the national football team” and “refute all false claims that extends to

their behavior or their personal lives while they are fulfilling their national duties.”

The statement comes two days after Arabic-speaking news outlet “Achkayen” published the said report.

Further down in the report, the news outlet explicitly accuses Aboukhalal of taking advantage of the team’s World Cup achievement to “attract more followers” to adopt “his religious views that he had received from Salafi religious scholars in Europe.”

Recalling the famous incident of a German media broadcasting a segment associating Moroccan football players with the Islamic State, the article claims that Aboukhlal’s behavior “pushed German media to accuse the entire team of belonging to the terrorist group.”

The German report, however, did not directly accuse the national team of being affiliated with the ISIS group, rather they had claimed that Morocco’s football players display the Shahada sign – a raise of the index finger – when posing for pictures, adding that the sign is “appropriate by ISIS.”

The channel apologized for the report later on, adding that it was not their “intention to offend Islamic religious feelings.”

Kane Scores as Spurs Fightback to Hold Brentford

Newcastle hammer Leicester 3-0 to climb to second on the log

England captain Harry Kane scored in the first Premier League match since the World Cup ended nine days ago in Qatar as Tottenham fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Brentford.

The Bees were on course for their first win over Spurs since 1948 after goals from Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney, before Spurs netted twice within six minutes.

Kane, who scored one penalty and missed another in England's 2-1 quarter-final loss to France,pulled one back in the 65th minute with an excellent header from Clement Lenglet's cross.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made it 2-2 with a curling finish - and neither side was able to find a winner, with Kane heading a chance against the crossbar.

The hosts had taken a 15thminute lead through Janelt's close-range effort after goalkeeper Fraser Forster, in his first league start for Spurs, could only block the ball into his path following Mathias Jensen's volley.

Brentford doubled their advantage as Toney grabbed his 11th league goal of the season, reacting quickest to tap in after Christian Norgaard had headed on a corner, but it was not enough.

Toney, 26, was appearing in his first game since being charged by the Football Association with 262

alleged betting breaches.He has until 4 January to respond to the charges.

The result leaves Spurs fourth in the table while Brentford are 10th.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United cruised past Leicester City with three first-half goals to claim a sixth consecutive Premier League win

and move up to second in the table.

Chris Wood kickstarted a dominant performance by smashing the opener from the penalty spot before Miguel Almiron glided past the Leicester defence to tuck away the second.

Joelinton headed the third from a Kieran Trippier corner for his

second

Scotland’s Goalkeeper, Gordon, Suffers Double Broken Legs

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has suffered a double leg break and will miss the rest of the season, Heart of Midlothian have confirmed.

The 39-year-old club captain has already had an operation and "will be released from hospital in due course".

Gordon was taken off on a stretcher after 76 minutes of Saturday's 2-2 drawwith Dundee United, having come into collision with striker Steven Fletcher.

Manager Craig Neilson described itexternal-linkas a "massive blow" for the top-flight club.

It is the third serious injury of the goalkeeper's lengthy career

and Neilson backed him to return to football despite turning 40 on 31 December.

“I've known Craig for a long, long time and he's a warrior," the manager told the Scottish Premiership club's website. "He's faced injury adversity before and come back stronger, so I've no doubt that he'll approach this in the same manner."

Zander Clark made his Hearts debut as Gordon's replacement at Tannadice and the 30-yearold is likely to make his first start against former club St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday evening.

As well as his club commitments, Gordon will

miss Scotland's opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain in March.

"Our thoughts first and foremost are with Craig and his young family," Neilson added.

"It's been an incredibly distressing time for them, especially at Christmas, and everyone at the club is here to offer them our full support."

Gordon suffered a broken arm in 2009 and it fractured again on his return to action the following year.

He underwent knee surgery in 2011 to repair a tendon and a cruciate ligament injury and did not play again until signing for Celtic three years later.

Eddie Nketiah (right) celebrating his opening goal in Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat of West Ham ....yesterday

goal of the season as the Magpies demonstrated the clinical edge that the hosts were missing. With England midfielder James Maddison out of the Leicester squad, as he continues to recover from a knee issue sustained before the World Cup, Brendan Rodgers' side were toothless in attack.

--CatholicBishop,AbeokutaDiocese,Rev. PeterOdetoyinbo,challengingNigeriansforattitudinalchangenextyear.

TUESDAY WITH REUBEN ABATI

abati1990@gmail.com

2022: A Year In Review

By this time next week, the year 2022 would have ended, and across the world people will speak of a new year with fresh expectations but when we look back on the year that is about to pass, in terms of achievements, high points, successes, failures and experiences, it would be recalled that the year 2022 was indeed more than ordinary. It was the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic which up-ended our lives, exposing us all to an international public health crisis, countless deaths, compulsory stay at homes, a redefinition of the world of work, and the depths of human resilience. The year began on a cautious note, as many countries while opening up their borders still insisted on proof of vaccination against COVID. The importance attached to this was most vividly demonstrated when Novak Djokovic, the tennis maestro was denied participation at the January 2022 Australian Open because of his blunt refusal to take the vaccine. He was slammed with a three-year ban from the Australian Open.

As the year progressed, the world opened up further, and whereas in 2022, China still reported cases of COVID in its major cities, and insisted on the zero COVID policy, by year-end, that zero-COVID policy had been significantly revised. It is a much more open world today than it was two years ago. Many international meetings including The African Development Bank (AfDB) conference in Mauritius, in May 2022, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda, June 2022, the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in October 2022, Conference of Parties (COP 27) in Sharm El Sheik in Egypt in November 2022 as well as other international events were held in-person or through a hybrid of physical attendance and virtual participation. Airlines took to the skies again in large numbers, the world of tourism bounced back. In October 2022, Hong Kong promised to give away 500, 000 free flight tickets to attract tourists back to the city. In November 2022, one million foreign tourists visited Japan, one month after it fully re-opened. Hitherto, Hong Kong, the Chinese Special Administrative Region and Japan had some of the strictest COVID rules, forcing airlines- Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and American Airlines to suspend flights to the city-state. Wedding parties and events that were suspended in the full swing of COVID are now being held. In 2022, our world began to re-connect. Djokovic has now had his three-year ban from the Australian Open lifted, and hence, in January 2023, the nine-time Australian Open Champion has serious guarantee, without fear of ambiguity, that he will be welcomed back to Melbourne.

The world’s gradual recovery was however abbreviated, very early in the year, when Russia and its President Vladimir Putin declared a fullscale invasion of Ukraine in February. It was not enough for Putin that he had annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and supported the seizure of territory by separatists in the Donbas region, the 2022 invasion was a direct assault on Ukraine’s right to exist. More than 300 days since the war began, over 14 million people have fled Ukraine as refugees, the largest refugee crisis since World War II, more than 300,000 Russians have also fled their country, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged, a fifth of Ukraine’s territory is in Russian hands, thousands of people have died. The international community has imposed sanctions on Russia including putting a price cap on Russian oil, the mass exodus of Western companies from Russia including Volkswagen, Toyota, Pepsi, Daimler, LG, Adidas, Burger King, Sony, Siemens Visa, MasterCard Xerox, and many others that have either suspended operations in Russia or have left completely. Russia has also been kicked out of SWIFT, the international payment system, thus disconnecting its financial institutions from the global network. A US-backed global task force

But it is also a war of attrition that has inflicted much pain on the world. Russia supplies about 40% of the gas used in Europe. Russia decided to weaponize energy supply by shutting down the Nord stream 1, the biggest gas pipeline from Russia to Europe which has the capacity to deliver 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year, thus creating an energy crisis across Europe. Before then, Gazprom, the Russian energy giant had insisted on payment for supplies in rouble -the Russian currency - until Russia eventually shut down supplies, compelling European countries to seek alternative sources of supply and adopt the rationing of power. The cost of energy of course went up, throwing many households into panic. Power cuts is something developing countries in Africa are familiar with, but it is becoming a pattern in Europe due to the war in Ukraine.

The spot price of oil also spiked soon after the Russian invasion of. Ukraine, up to about $92.81, resulting in higher revenues for oil producing companies which made huge profits, and also, the oil exporting countries. Sadly Nigeria, a member of OPEC could not take advantage of this, it could not even meet its OPEC production quota due to crude oil theft, collapse of infrastructure and general decay in the country’s oil and gas ecosystem. Russia in comparison profited from the war it started: within 100 days, it had earned about 93 billion Euros from exports of oil, gas and coal. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has continuously asked the world to stop trade completely with Russia. China, India and United Arab Emirates continue to buy from Russia. The bigger blow was the disruption of the global supply chain. Between them, Russia and Ukraine control about a third of the world’s supply of wheat, 19% of the world’s supply of corn and 80% of the world’s trade in sunflower. Russia is also the third largest supplier of nickel, copper and platinum. In the course of the war this year, Russia blocked ships

from carrying grain exports across the Black Sea. Over 300 ships were stopped from moving, and the effect was seen in terms of food supply crisis and food price inflation. The impact was felt all over the world, even more so in Africa where most of the countries including Nigeria and Ghana and 23 others that depend on wheat imports from Russia, lack spare capacity - the cost of basic items like bread skyrocketed. The IMF warned about a looming food crisis. The pandemic had made things bad enough, the Russo-Ukraine war worsened the people’s plight. In Europe, people complained about the cost of food, petrol, gas and the high cost of living.

Inflation was the big dilemma that many countries had to deal with resulting in hawkish i=tightening of rates in many countries with perhaps the notable exceptions of Japan with its insistence on negative interest rates, and Turkey’s unorthodox approach of cutting interest rates even with the country’s soaring inflation at 80%. In contrast, most countries followed the lead of the US Central bank. In the year 2022, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates seven times, pushing borrowing costs to a 15-year high in order to stabilize and stimulate the economy, and yet US inflation is at a 40-year high. In the UK, the Bank of England raised interest rates eight consecutive times in the face of rising unemployment, high energy prices, fiscal crisis, high mortgage rates and CPI inflation at 11%. Many people around the world found the cost of living so high that they simply took to the streets. In Ghana street protests have been witnessed, in the UK at the moment, nurses, border officials, paramedics, rail unions and paramedics have decided to stage walk-outs. In Sri Lanka where inflation is around 70%, the hardship can be best measured in the depth of the people’s suffering. Leaders are quick to blame the situation on the war in Ukraine but part of the problem is self-inflicted, especially in a country like Nigeria where inflation is at 21.47% (probably higher than that), fuel scarcity has added to the people’s woes, the cost of travel is not just expensive, the cost of living is high. It is Christmas season but many Nigerians don’t know it is Christmas.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died after 70 years and 214 days on the throne, the longest reigning British monarch ever (February 1952 – September 2022). She was one of the most influential figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. The majesty, pomp and pageantry of her burial, and the outpouring of love for her by the British and across the world was an indication of the force of her impact and the dignity and decency in public life which she represented throughout her reign. Her departure was one of the most striking highlights of the year 2022, and the fact that this became an occasion for the reinvention of attitudes and perspectives about the legacy of the Empire which she inherited and which her throne symbolized was not entirely surprising. The baton has since passed in line with tradition to her son, the then Prince Charles II, Prince of Wales, who is now King Charles III.

This was also the year when Argentina won the World Cup a third time, after 36 years, and the star of the team’s sterling performance at the Doha FIFA World Cup 2022 was Lionel Messi. Marvellous Messi in the course of an 18-year glittering career had won 7 Ballon d’Or, 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, 14 Argentina’s Footballer of the Year awards, 6 European Golden Shoe, 2 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, and in Qatar, he won the trophy that had seemingly eluded him: the World Cup to put a seal to his all-round accomplishment as one of the greatest footballers in history. His story was a positive confirmation of his legend and personal triumph. This was indeed one World Cup in which history was made on all fronts, with Morocco finishing in the Fourth place, the first African country to go as far as the semi-final

in the history of the World Cup. Nigeria did not qualify. We were spectators. The only saving grace was the appearance of Davido, the musician as part of the troika that sang the tournament’s theme song, “Haya Haya.” Many Nigerians would have loved to see the Super Eagles in action representing Nigeria and Africa. The country’s national team has since been downgraded from 32 to 35 in the latest FIFA rankings list, a reflection of the team’s indolence. The last match they played in 2022: they lost 0 -4 to Portugal.

At the beginning of the year, there was so much excitement about cryptocurrency, with the price of the leading tokens – Bitcoin and Ethereum hovering around $69, 000, but as the year ends, many cryptocurrencies have either collapsed or declared bankruptcy. Once touted as the future of money, the year 2022 turned out to be a really bad year for crypto with skeptics pointing to the fact that they had raised concerns about its volatility. Bitcoin is legal tender in El Salvador and the Central African Republic, but it has lost three-quarters of its value, that is more than 50% and there have been calls in many countries for strict regulation of the crypto market. This has been made more urgent with the scam perpetrated by Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX, once hailed the younger version of Warren Buffet but has now been unmasked as “the king of fraud.” The epic collapse of FTX sent shock waves through the crypto sector, and affected exchanges like BlockFi and others which have similarly filed for bankruptcy.

It was in general a year of agony: floods in Pakistan, US and Nigeria, protests in Iran following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, following her arrest by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. This ignited demonstrations in solidarity from Tehran to Stockholm, Washington DC, to Athens.

Nigeria had its own share of bad stories. On March 28 2022, Nigerians were shocked when an Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked by bandits in Katari, Kaduna State. Eight persons were killed, several were injured, 62 passengers were kidnapped. The kidnapped persons including the elderly, women, the sick, and infants were subjected to untold hardship by the bandits. The victims were eventually released in batches, the last batch on Thursday, September 6. In May 2022, David Imoh, a sound engineer who had gone to work at a social hub in Lekki was set ablaze by a group of commercial motorcyclists He had tried to intervene in a disagreement between a friend of his and an Okada rider over a sum of N100. He ended up being set ablaze. Also in May, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a Christian student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was killed in a gruesome manner by her fellow students who accused her of insulting their religion.

In June, St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo was attacked while a Sunday service was going on. The attack led to the death of 40 people while 80 other persons sustained injuries. There have been many other cases of mindless killings and violence across the country – in the East, Southern Kaduna and elsewhere, accentuating the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria and the increasing contempt with which human lives are treated. In the various cases that were reported during the year, the most recent as the year ends being the murder of Mrs. Bolanle Raheem by a trigger-happy policeman in Lagos, on Christmas Day, Nigerians are used to expressing shock but the perpetrators of evil are never brought to book. All the persons who died or were abducted have one thing in common: “Nigeria happened to them”, which is so sad.

Many Nigerians will remember 2022 as the year of scarcity: the scarcity of money, petrol, aviation fuel, civility, and unity. In the course of the year, university teachers were on strike from February to October! The CBN redesigned the high currency denominations of N200, N500, and N1, 000. Even the new notes are scarce.

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“Imagine how kidnapping, bribery, vote-buying, ballot box snatching, robbery and other related vices would become a thing of the past if everyone of us decides to embrace a change of attitude as we approach the New Year. Let us reject vote selling and incentives by politicians who have turned our willpower to merchandise! Do not sell your vote for pecuniary gains!”

Catholic Bishop to Nigerians

has frozen more than $330 billion of assets from Russian oligarchs and the country’s Central Bank. Members of the task force include Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and The European Commission. Affected Russian oligarchs include Suleiman Kerimov whose yacht was seized. Roman Abramovich, the former Russian owner of English football club, Chelsea FC was forced to sell it off without any direct profit. No other event has connected the world together more than the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin