A prominent Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has again criticized the decision of President Bola Tinubu to impose a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly.

Sara-Igbe, in an interview with Vanguard, said that the action of President Tinubu is a violation of the country’s constitution.

The former spokesperson of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), argued that Tinubu could carry out the action because the National Assembly has failed in its responsibility of checking the excesses of the executive and is no longer an independent arm of government.

He added that with what has been done in Rivers State, Nigeria is tilting towards civilian dictatorship and inviting military intervention.

Speaking against the backdrop of recent submissions by former President Oluesegun Obasanjo and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that democracy is dead in Nigeria, Sara-Igbe agreed that when leaders refuse to abide by the provisions of the constitution, it is clear that democracy is indeed threatened.

In his words, “Nigeria is tilting towards dictatorship. Civilian dictatorship is inviting the military brothers to come. It is like the inside rat in the house inviting the outside rat.

“So, democracy is threatened, the leaders no longer obey the constitution, and there is a breakdown of law and order.”

Sara-Igbe argued that all arms of government – the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary violated the constitution and failed to play their expected role in events around the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

“They have violated the constitution. The president has violated the Constitution. If you look at Sections 188 and 189, you will see that Mr President has violated the constitution as regards Rivers State.

“Even if you go to sections 183, 188, 189, the sections that deal with the removal or illegibility of the governor, there is no provision that empowers the president to suspend or sack a governor.

“And now, they are even thinking of suspending him forever; it means democracy is dead. I agree with them. We are fast sliding into a dictatorship.

“We see that all the arms of the government—the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary—have all violated the law.

“The legislature did not apply the constitutional provision in Section 305 that says a 2/3 majority of the members must vote on issues of state of emergency. They did a voice vote, so we did not know how many people voted, how many were absent, or even present.

“All these happened without following the due process of law. The rule of law is no longer in place. Mr President should be careful; that is my advice.

“He should turn back; he cannot destroy the country because of one man. He should not damage his reputation and the entire democratic system.”

It’s Not Too Late

The Ijaw leader, however, appealed to President Tinubu to beat a retreat before the country is plunged further into constitutional errors.

“What is happening today is against the law and a slap on the Nigerian constitution. So, Mr. President, the head of the government can make amends.

“Again, Mr President violated the law by overriding the Supreme Court judgment. The Supreme Court said don’t release money to the government in Rivers State until the budget is presented.

“Without a budget, Mr. President overrode the Supreme Court and released money. These are all breaches of the Constitution. The president is doing all these things because he knows that the National Assembly has also breached the constitution and is compromised. The judiciary, on its own, has lost shape to the executive,” he submitted.

Veteran gospel singer Dr. Panam Percy Paul has revealed that he once turned down a lucrative international record deal because it required him to compromise his faith.

Speaking with Pastor Emmanuel Iren, the renowned musician recounted how, in 1995, he was offered a three-year contract worth £24 million, which was approximately ₦7 billion at the time.

However, the offer came with a condition—he was asked to reduce the number of times he mentioned “Jesus” in his songs.

“The catch was ‘can you reduce the number of times you call the name Jesus in your songs?’ And there is more where this came from. One of them said to me, ‘You actually don’t need to mention the name Jesus. You can call Him other names like Righteous One, Greatest Lover,’” he recalled.

Shocked by the proposal, Paul immediately rejected the deal, stating that no amount of money could make him alter his message.

“I was at the peak of ministry and success in the industry. I was offered £24 million for a three-year contract. 1995, £24 million was equivalent to ₦7 billion. I told them, you can keep the money, while I keep the name.”

The gospel icon also lamented how the music industry has shifted away from ministry, with marketers and record labels now dictating how artists create their music.

“Today, the extreme is that music ministry has now become music industry, where the industry now dictates to the ministers what to do, how to sing, and when to sing. For example, it was the marketers in Alaba that encouraged the musicians to add tongues to their songs,” he noted.

The last lap of traditional rites (Oro Ipebi) for the Alaafin-elect, Oba Akeem Owoade 1, holds tonight at the Sango shrine at Koso in Oyo town.

According to a release by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday.

The statement said Oba Owoade would be accompanied by members of the traditional council, the Oyo mesi, Princes and Princesses from all the royal families, traditional religion priests, the Baales (village heads), and a section of residents.

Durojaiye said, “The royal father would sleep over at the shrine where he will be worn with the Sango crown by Baba Mogba in the early morning of Saturday, as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo.

“Immediately after the wearing of Sango crown, everybody present at the historical event, including the Oyo mesi members,, will prostrate and say Kabiyesi to the Alaafin.”

The activity is a prelude to the official coronation ceremony that will take place on April 5, 2025, at the open field of Oliveth Heights, Oyo.

The International Monetary Fund has called on the Federal Government to expedite the completion of its cash transfer programme to support vulnerable households, describing it as a crucial priority in the face of ongoing economic reforms.

The Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, Julie Kozack, made the call during a press briefing on Thursday.

She stated that while the Fund welcomed Nigeria’s recent efforts to stabilise its economy and boost growth, it was important that these policies were supported by measures that protect the country’s poorest citizens.

He said, “We do recognise the extremely difficult situation that many Nigerians face.

Kozack confirmed that the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath, who had visited Nigeria earlier in March and met with key officials, including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso.

Gopinath also engaged with civil society groups, private sector stakeholders, and students at the University of Lagos during her two-day visit to Abuja and Lagos.

She added that IMF staff would return to Nigeria next week in preparation for the 2025 Article IV Consultation, a periodic assessment of the country’s economic and financial policies.

She noted that further updates on Nigeria are expected after the team concludes its mission.

Last year, the IMF advised Nigeria to extend its cash transfer programme to rural areas in light of rising poverty and food insecurity.

The Fund has consistently urged the government to scale up the initiative as a means of helping poor Nigerians navigate the worsening cost of living crisis.

The World Bank recently stated that cash transfer programmes are essential in helping Nigerians escape intergenerational poverty, especially at a time when inflation and weak economic growth are hitting the poorest the hardest.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on Muslims across the country to look out for the new moon of Shawwal 1446AH on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Friday by the Waziri of Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu, who also serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs at the Sultanate Council, the sighting of the new moon will determine the end of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid el-Fitr.

According to the statement, “March 29 marks the 29th day of Ramadan 1446AH, making it the first possible day for moon sighting.

“The Sultan has urged anyone who sights the moon to report their observations through the designated phone numbers provided in the release.

The numbers listed for reporting moon sightings are: 08037157100, 08066303077, 08035965322, 08035945903 amd 07067146900.

Muslims are encouraged to participate in the moon sighting exercise as it plays a crucial role in determining the official date for Eid celebrations. If the new moon is confirmed, it will signal the beginning of Shawwal and mark the end of the month-long Ramadan fast.

The statement said the Sultanate Council would announce the final decision on Eid based on verified moon sightings.

Yoruba Fuji musician, Alhaji Taye Adebisi, popularly known as Taye Currency, has declared that his popular Fuji colleague, Wasiu Alabi aka Pasuma, is his boss, while referring to his counterpart, Saheed Osupa, as his colleague.

Taye Currency made this known in an interview last week Thursday with Akede Ariya, during which he explained his relationship and how he met Pasuma.

According to him, he had never learned the art of Fuji music from Pasuma, but his love for him was unmatched, stressing the protege’s humility as one of the things that struck him.

He noted that he wasn’t in any altercation with Pasuma, alluding that it was just a mere misunderstanding.

“I met Pasuma in 1993, and since then we have been together. I didn’t learn Fuji music from him, I just love him because he is a humble person. It is not that I’m disrespecting him or anything. I wasn’t his drummer or backup singer. He was in Lagos, and I was in Ibadan. So, the controversy between us was caused by fan reactions. We are not fighting. Those who are insulting us are berating and disrespecting us.

“Anybody who has known each other for 30 years, even as a boss and a worker, is liable to have misunderstandings. We are not the first to have a misunderstanding, but it is our fans who are prolonging it. Pasuma is not a troublesome person, nor am I. So I have asked people the questions repeatedly; how did I insult Pasuma, what did I insult Pasuma with?

“Obesere, who is now a leader for us in Fuji music, is my brother. Saheed Osupa, on the other hand, is my colleague; I know him just as a singer. But Pasuma is my boss because I admit it,” he added.

Recall that in October 2024, the Ibadan-born singer disapproved of fans referring to Pasuma as his ‘father’ in the music industry.

He clarified that Pasuma was more like an elder brother to him and emphasised that he can’t father him.

These remarks ignited a flurry of online discussions, with Pasuma’s fans criticising him for the comments.

However, in a new plot twist, when Taye Currency met Pasuma in Mecca on Wednesday, during the ongoing Umrah 2025, he said his words were misinterpreted and expressed regret for any offence caused by his remarks.

In the viral video, he apologised to Pasuma and anyone hurt by his statements regarding the 56-year-old artist.

He acknowledged the ‘Recognition’ hitmaker as his superior, emphasising that he never insulted him.

He affirmed respect for Pasuma and his commitment to him.

Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1tn economy by 2031 faces risks due to gaps in digital infrastructure, including broadband connectivity and data centres, telecom executives said on Thursday.

Shortly after assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced the $1tn target, setting an eight-year timeline to achieve the goal by 2031.

Nigeria and other African nations, except South Africa, account for less than one per cent of global data centre capacity, with South Africa holding around 50 per cent of Africa’s total.

This shortfall, the industry leaders said, limits digital services and discourages foreign investment. However, they called for increased investment in broadband expansion, data centres, and cybersecurity to drive economic growth.

“The future of our digital economy depends on the seamless integration of connectivity, power, and data centers,” the Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centre, Dr Ayotunde Coker, said at the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum in Lagos.

The executive, who played a key role in Rack Centre before joining OADC, called for greater collaboration between private and public stakeholders.

Nigeria plans to deploy 90,000km of fibre optic cables nationwide, starting in late 2025.

The $2bn project, backed by the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank, will be executed through a Public-Private Partnership, with the government holding a 25-49 per cent stake in a Special Purpose Vehicle.

Coker emphasised the direct economic impact of broadband penetration, stating that a 10 per cent increase could contribute to 2.5 per cent GDP growth.

As of January 2025, Nigeria’s broadband penetration stood at 45.61 per cent according to the Nigerian Communications Commission.

He pointed out that connectivity, data centres, and power must be aligned to ensure digital resilience.

The Chief Executive Officer of Rack Centre, Lars Johannisson, said strong asset protection policies were essential to attracting foreign investment.

Johannisson said each megawatt of data centre capacity required an investment of about €12-15m, with 70 megawatts in the pipeline.

He called for the decentralisation of data centres beyond Lagos to improve access and affordability, citing the need for edge infrastructure across the country.

“If inefficiencies drive up costs, digital services will remain out of reach for large segments of the population,” he said.

He said maintaining cost-effective infrastructure investments would be critical to achieving Nigeria’s target of 80 per cent broadband penetration by 2030.

“Ireland is a prime example of how a stable regulatory and power supply environment can attract foreign direct investment,” the Director of Legal (Global and Regional Business Affairs) at Equinix, Abayomi Adebanjo, noted, urging Nigerian policymakers to adopt similar strategies.

Adebanjo also identified major gaps in Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure framework, urging the government to take a more active role in enforcing protection programmes.

He cited persistent issues such as fibre cable theft and legal obstacles in prosecuting offenders as deterrents to investment.

The United States has paused contributions to the World Trade Organization, WTO, as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up efforts to cut government spending.

The Trump administration is said to be retreating from global institutions it sees as at odds with his “America First” economic policies.

The administration plans to quit some, such as the World Health Organization, and has cut contributions to others as part of a broad review of federal spending.

It was gathered that the WTO has already been hobbled by a US move in 2019 during Trump’s first term to block new judge appointments to its top appeals court, which left its key dispute settlement system only partially functional.

Also, the US had accused the WTO Appellate Body of judicial overreach in trade disputes.

DAILY POST reports that the Geneva-based trade watchdog had an annual budget of 205 million Swiss francs ($232.06 million) in 2024.

According to public WTO documents, the United States was due to contribute about 11% of that based on a fees system that is proportionate to its share of global trade.

On March 4, a US delegate told WTO budget meeting that its payments to the 2024 and 2025 budgets were on hold pending a review of contributions to international organisations and that it would inform the WTO of the outcome at an unspecified date.

At the time of filing this report, The White House is yet to comment on the development.

According to a State Department spokesperson, Trump last month signed an executive order directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review within 180 days all international organizations the US is a member of to determine if they are contrary to US interests

The Kano State Police Command has returned the sum of N4,850,000 recovered ransom paid in a recent kidnapping incident to its rightful owner.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa said the victim, a resident of Zakirai Town in Gabasawa local government area, was abducted on March 8, 2025.

Kiyawa said the kidnappers demanded N15 million as ransom for the release of the victim.

However, through a technical-based operation and intelligence-driven investigation, officers of the Police Command apprehended five suspects and rescued the victim on March 17, 2025.

“The recovered funds were handed over to the owner through the Local Government Chairman of Gabasawa LGA, Hon. Pharm Sagir Usman Abubakar.

“The Chairman expressed his appreciation to the Kano Police for their swift response and professionalism in handling the case,” the statement said.

Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori reiterated the commitment of the Command to protecting lives and property.

He further urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information to help combat crime.

The House of Representatives has passed through second reading, a bill seeking to return the country to a parliamentary system of government and replace the present presidential system being practised.

The proposed legislation is titled; “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of President as Head of State and to Provide for a Framework for the Mode of Election to the Said Offices and for Related Matters (HB.1115).”

Sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others, the bill was amongst the 31 Constitution alterations pieces of legislations were read for the second time at the plenary on Thursday.

The proposed legislations seeks to replace the President with a Prime Minister to serve as the Head of Government and establish the office of the President as a ceremonial leader with the elective offices chosen from the elected members of the legislature.

It also intends to shift the process of electing Governors and Chairmen of Local Governments from general elections to voting within their respective legislative bodies, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and foster closer collaboration between the executive and legislative branches.

Another key bill which passed second reading is the one seeking to alter Sections 134 (1)(a), 2(a), (4)(a) and 179 (2)(a) and (3)(a) of the 1999 Constitution by changing the system of the simple majority of electing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State Governors where there are more than two candidates to ensure the winner scores more than half of the total votes cast.

Sponsored by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante(PDP, Rivers) the bill seeks to correct the lacunae in the present system of the election where a run-off election would be conducted to ensure that the winners in the Presidential and Governorship elections score more than half of the total votes cast.

This is to ensure: ”a more legitimate outcome of election; more legitimate outcome of election; more popular candidates emerges; the majority wish prevails, and Consensus building.

Relatedly, the bill for an act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 to review the requirements that qualifies a persons to be elected as President and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governors and Deputy Governors.

Sponsored by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere(PDP, Imo) the bills seeks to make Bachelor’s Degree mandatory qualification for the offices and barred those above 60 years from seeking election into these positions.

Equally passed is bill for an act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Set Time within which civil and criminal cases and matters are heard and determined at trial and appellate courts in order to eliminate unnecessary delay in justice administration and delivery.

Sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and other lawmakers, the bill seeks to provide for the alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Altered) to set time within which the matters are heard and determined at trial and appellate courts in order to eliminate unnecessary delays in justice administration and delivery.

According to the bill’s draft, “In any civil or criminal matter except in election petition, a trial superior court of record shall deliver its judgement in writing within 270 days from the date of the filing of civil or criminal matter. In any civil or criminal matter except in election petition, a trial inferior court of record or tribunal shall deliver its judgement in writing within 210 days from the date of the filing of the civil or criminal matter.

Other bills which scaled second reading include those for: the creation of Wan state in North-central and Gobir state in Northwest; Bende North Local Government Area Out of the Present Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, to Rename Bende Local Government Area as Bende South Local Government Area of Abia State, Ughievwen Local Government Area in Delta State, Additional Local Government Areas in Enugu State,

additional Local Government Area in Imo State to be known as Ideato West Local Government Area, Moriki Local Government Area from the present Zurmi Local Government, Zamfara State.