DESPITE the intervention of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Ondo State House of Assembly, yesterday, again asked the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the embattled Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, following the expiration of the interim injunction of the Federal High Court, in Abuja.

It will be recalled that the APC NWC constituted a reconciliation committee, chaired by former governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, to not only intervene but also see to the peaceful reconciliation of all parties involved.

But the Assembly Speaker, Mr Olamide Oladiji, in a letter to the Chief Judge of the state, said that the interim injunction of the Federal High Court, in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023, has expired by operation of the law.

Oladiji said: “The Ondo State House of Assembly had on October 3, 2023, requested your lordship to constitute a seven-man Panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled by the House against the Deputy-Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, in line with Section 188 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“Your lordship, however, opined that until the Ex-parte Order made on September 26, 2023, by the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court restraining you from setting up the Panel was either vacated or set aside, your hands would be tied.

”However, from the facts and legal advice at the disposal of the House, the said Order has now elapsed and/or become extinguished by the operation of the law, given the clear provisions of Order 26 Rule 10 (2) and (3) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

“Your lordship would recall that the ex-parte order was made on September 26, 2023, after which the case was adjourned to October 9, 2023.

“The 3rd Defendant in the case filed a motion on October 4, 2023, to discharge the Order and/or strike out the case for want of jurisdiction.

“14 days from October 4, 2023, when the motion was filed, terminated on or about October 18, 2023.

”The Court has not taken the application or renewed the Order, as evident in the Certified True Copy of the Court’s record of proceedings for October 9, 2023 and October 16, 2023, respectively.

“Given the above facts, your lordship would agree that the said Order has elapsed by the operation of the law, and no longer constitutes an encumbrance for your lordship to discharge the sacred constitutional obligation placed on your office by Section 188 (5) of the Constitution to set up the Seven-man Panel.

”Consequently, the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly, hereby, calls on your lordship to kindly constitute the Panel without any further delay.”

“Recall that the leadership of the party at a joint meeting with the assembly members last week agreed that the impeachment process be suspended to allow peace reign in the party.”

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has suspended foreign trip for top government officials on a bid to direct expenditure towards achieving critical infrastructure development.

He also directed that application virtual meetings for attendance and participation at international business and investment events, except in emergency situation authorised by the governor.

A statement issued on Monday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed disclosed that the Governor while addressing the State Executive Council on Thursday, called for due diligence on the budget preparation process, reading out key policy directives on the governance of the state.

The meeting attended by all members of the executive council deliberated on 2024 budget proposals from the Ministries, departments and agencies as a prelude to the submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to the State House of Assembly.

Governor Adeleke further instructed that state expenditure should henceforth be focused on implementation of critical projects across the sectors, stressing the need for personal sacrifices by top officials of the administration to meet public expectations.

“Foreign trips for top officials for the rest of the year is hereby suspended unless there is a direct emergency to be authorized by the Governor.

“We must sustain the momentum of our service delivery by avoiding excessive spending on recurrent and overheads. Our needs from office to accommodation are much but our resources are limited. So we have to devise a coping mechanism pending the time our funding situation will improve” , he said.

In a bid to enforce efficiency in governance, the State Governor also directed the Head of Service to prepare a memo to streamline the relationship between the Commissioners and Special Advisers.

“While memos by Special Advisers must pass through the Permanent Secretary to the Commissioners, the Commissioners must ensure fair play and accommodating spirit. This is necessary to to pre-empt possible rivalry among top appointees.

“Members of the Council are to also note that I will be unveiling the administration’s N100 billion Infrastructure Plan by Thursday. The plan covers roads, health, water, housing among others.

“I invite us all to note that this treasury board deliberations are critical to the achievement of our governance goals. We must take it with all seriousness”, the statement further reads.

As part of the activities scheduled for the Inter Formation Combat Platoon Obstacle Crossing Competition 2023,

From Tuesday, October 24, to Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Army Headquarters Garrison will conduct a battle simulation exercise at 7 Guards Battalion Obstacle Course Lungi Barracks, Maitama, Abuja.

The exercise will involve real-time battle field simulations and activities.

Accordingly, there would be large battle sounds that would be heard during the exercise, which are in line with the training exercise.
Consequently, members of the general public who reside around Maitama, Asokoro, AYA, and the environs are not to panic but to go about their normal respective businesses, as the battle sounds would not raise any security concern.

Furthermore, all necessary safety measures have been put in place.

You are kindly requested to disseminate this information to the general public. Thank you for your usual cooperation.

NJIDE CLARA AGWU

Lieutenant Colonel

Ag Deputy Director Army Public Relations

To tackle insecurity in Katsina State, the government has resolved to pay a monthly allowance to Friday Mosques clerics, their deputies, Mua’dhins (callers of prayer), and Ward Heads.

The allowance, according to the Katsina government, is to encourage them to join in the fight against insecurity at the local level.

The State Governor,  Dikko Radda, disclosed the development after inaugurating the Steering Committees for the Katsina Community Watch Corps (KCSWC).

The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Ibrahim Kaula-Mohammed, said the committee’s mandate is to collaborate with other security personnel to seek out bandits across the state.

Radda also mentioned that the committee would monitor and evaluate the operation of the KCSWC in their areas and present monthly reports to the Commissioner for Internal Security

He said the steering committee members for the 34 Local Government Areas included the Council Chairman, District Head, Divisional Police Officer, and representatives of various security agencies.

Other members include two representatives of the business community and representatives of religious sects.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Mu’azu-Danmusa, had earlier said that insecurity was gradually waning across the state since the creation of the KCSWC.

A man identified as Mallam Umar Tasiu has been beaten to death by his former in-laws in Minna, Niger State.

The incident happened when Umar Tasiu went to see his two kids who were staying with his former wife in her father’s house.

A source who spoke with the Daily Post on the incident said, “He went to see them and his former in-laws who didn’t want him to come to their house tied and flogged him until he died in their house.”

The source explained that the man’s corpse was brought back to his house on Saturday night and buried on Sunday at about 10 a.m.

The State Police spokesman, DSP Wasiu Abiodun said the victim died after he was taken to the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, due to injuries he sustained from whipping by hoodlums.

He said, “On 22nd October 2023, at about 0800hrs a case of suspected culpable homicide was reported at the GRA Division, that on 21st October 2023, at about 2300hrs, one Umar Tasiu of Angwan Daji was attacked by hoodlums in Minna and he was inflicted with severe injuries.”

He said the victim was rushed to the IBB Hospital, Minna, where he gave up the ghost, adding that the case is under investigation and effort is ongoing to arrest the suspects.

Workers across the 36 state and the national assemblies say they have concluded all arrangements to lock up their respective workplaces pending when their demands for financial autonomy of the legislative arm of the government would be granted.

Daily Trust reports that the workers, under the auspices of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) are demanding that state governors should commence immediate implementation of financial autonomy for state assemblies in line with the 1999 Constitution.

Recall that parliamentary workers had on several occasions embarked on a series of street protests to press home their demands.

In separate letters sent to the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum; Chairman, Forum of Speakers and the Department of State Services (DSS), copies of which were obtained by our correspondent, the workers explained that they had earlier issued a 21-day strike notice.

The letters, signed by acting Secretary General of PASAN, Agugbue Ugochi Happiness, argued that their decision to shut down legislative arms of government became imperative due to the governors’ failure to implement the financial autonomy as provided in the constitution.

After submitting the letters, Happiness told journalists on Monday that the union had since September 18, 2023 issued the ultimatum and the governors ignored the ultimatum till it expired.

“We refer to our letters dated 18th September, 2023 and 7th of October, 2023 on 21 days ultimatum to embark on industrial action if financial autonomy is not implemented in the State Houses of Assembly nationwide by Wednesday October 18th 2023 and hereby inform you that the leadership of our great union has further extended the ultimatum by one week.

“We, therefore, hope that the extension would further avail ample opportunity to meet the demands of the union and avert the available industrial action.

“We hereby reiterate the union’s preparedness to direct the members to embark on the proposed strike action if its demands are not yielded to,” the letter partly read.

[DailyTrust]

There are mounting concerns as Nigeria’s power decade privatisation process is expected to elapse on October 31, 2023.

It has become more problematic following the decades-long crisis within Nigeria’s power sector.

For over 62 years, the country’s electricity value chain, from distribution to generation and transmission, has been bedevilled with challenges.

Meanwhile, the government attempted to break the jinx in the country’s ailing power sector, first with the establishment of the defunct 2005 Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, then on November 1, 2013, the commencement of the privatisation process.

DAILY POST recalls that the government commenced the privatisation of the Nigerian electricity distribution and generation companies in November 2013, benchmarked on a 10-year moratorium of operational licensees with the hope that the decision would halt the age-long power crisis.

However, a decade later, the problems of the power industry have remained unsolved, becoming a persistent clog in the wheel of progress for Nigeria’s economy.

The electricity distribution companies are battling with liquidity issues and low remittance compounded by the metering gap; still, the generation companies struggle with poor investment and transmission inadequacies, leading to incessant grid collapses.

For years, the country has struggled with 5,000 megawatts of electricity daily for a population of over 200 million people.

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, report for the second Quarter of 2023, the 26 power plants’ generation capacity dropped to 4,387.91MW.

Also, regarding the annual capacity payment loss in the sector, the report indicated that in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, the industry’s losses were N214.93bn, N273.32bn, N236.47bn and N264.08bn, respectively. In 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 (January – August), the sector’s annual capacity payment losses were N256.97 billion, N266.10 billion, N159.86 billion and N88.13 billion, respectively.

The challenges have lingered despite the government’s intervention at different times.

Recall that on September 30, 2014, the Federal Government announced a loan of N213 billion to the privatised power firms.

Similarly, on March 1, 2017, the Federal Government approved the sum of N701 billion as a power assurance guarantee fund for the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc to pay for the electricity produced by the generation companies for two years.

The government also provided another N600 billion payment assurance facility to the sector in 2019; the nation’s power industry has continued to bleed despite these interventions.

The ripple effect of the power sector challenges is the underperforming economy.

For instance, in June, the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria disclosed that its members lose N10.1 trillion annually to the power sector crisis.

However, with the signing of the 2023 Electricity Bill on June 9 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stakeholders postulated that this could bring about the much-desired change in the sector provided it is implemented across the sector.

Here, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, would need to give the sector the needed policy direction beyond statements.

Wumi Iledare, Professor Emeritus and Executive Director, Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation told DAILY POST on Monday that the 2023 Electricity Act presents a new horizon for the country’s power sector.

He noted that the way forward is to invoke proper implementation of the Electricity Act.

“My advice remains the same— decentralisation of the power sector with proper regulatory institutions at the state and the federal levels.

“The Electricity Act, as amended, is forward-looking. Of course, one thing is to have a good law, and another is to follow the law’s intent.

“I remain convinced that at the level of development in Nigeria, vertical integration in the power value chain remains a valid market option for value optimization.

“NERC must step up to the plate as a regulatory institution. The Ministry of Power is not a regulatory but a policy institution; of course, it cannot be a commercial institution.

“I believe the adopted market structure for power privatisation has been faulty since its inception. Look at the turnover of the executives in Disco. Restructuring the power market for economic efficiency is critical as the licences expire. The Disco market jurisdiction is too big not to experience diseconomies of scale.

“The idea of owning a share in Discos reminds me of the Joint Ventures in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. For what purpose, one may ask? Revenue enhancement for FG or energy security mantra?

“If investors can come from every corner of the globe and invest in the telecom industry, why not open up the power industry for global investors?

“Finally, the economy of Nigeria is moribund because of low energy consumption precipitated by energy availability, accessibility, affordability and adaptability. The way forward is to invoke proper implementation of the Electric Power Act to reform the power industry and restructure the electricity distribution markets under state institutional control.

Also, Kunle Olubiyo, the President of Nigeria Consumer Protection Network faulted the power sector privatisation framework.

According to him, the Performance Agreement and Licensee Moratorium expiration would allow the government to rejig the sector.

“The Performance Agreement & Licensees Moratorium was not given to last forever or in perpetuity.

“It was originally designed to last for five years (2013 – 2018).

“Surprisingly, it was extended by an additional five years, bringing it to 10 years (2013-2023).

“In all this, no meaningful regulatory efforts were made to appraise the licensees on the grounds of Key Performance Indicators, Service Agreement, Performance Agreement or vesting Contracts.

“Key Performance Indicators are primarily based on Timeline, Actionables, Deliverables, etc.

“It is obvious that all is not well, and the beneficiaries in and out of government and the licensees will stop at nothing to ensure that nothing is done to do the needful.

“Our efforts in the prevailing circumstances aim to arouse public conscience and consciousness.

“If you set out a rule for a football game, you don’t implement it at will or convenience. The rules of the game are sacrosanct. The Regulatory Ecosystem has suffered unprecedented inducements and weaknesses in the power sector privatisation exercise.

“It is therefore reasonable for the government to explore this window of expiration of the 10-year moratorium of the Power Sector Privatisation Exercise so that the economy and Nigerians can breathe.

“In the final analysis, the depth of the findings of the regulatory review of the power sector privatisation exercise will determine the next line of action of the Nigerian Government”, he stated.

On his part, Adetayo Adegbemle, Convener and Executive Director, PowerUp Nigeria, said the review of the power sector privatisation agreement is pivotal to repositioning the industry.

“Things were unclear pre-privatization, and many didn’t even know what to expect. So, it’s been a decade of learning for us all.

“The interesting thing about asking for reviews is that even without a ‘particular review’, the sector has been evolving.

“There are some low-hanging fruits like Metering of Consumers and all interfaces in the power sector, like Customer Enumeration and classification, like balancing the mismatch between Generation, Transmission and Distribution.

“All these are low-hanging fruits that should be addressed immediately and would affect the sector”, he said.

[DailyPost]

• $5bn annual revenue planned  for fund
• $700m for adolescent girls’ education

A Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund is to be established by the Federal Government for the purpose of providing relief to disaster victims and the vulnerable.   

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) which yesterday approved the idea projects a $5bn annual revenue for the fund.

Besides, FEC, the highest decision-making organ of the government, set aside $700m for adolescent girls’ education in the country.

Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister  Betta Edu and her  Education counterpart Tahir   Mamman made these known to reporters after yesterday’s council meeting in Abuja.

Edu explained that a governing board to supervise the implementation of the fund would be carefully worked out by a committee made up of relevant ministers that are relevant to the process. 

She said: “This is a flexible form of financing that is supposed to help Nigeria adequately respond to humanitarian crises and challenges as well as adequately address the issue of poverty in Nigeria.

“This of course is a victory for the poor and indeed, would bring help and succor which the Renewed Hope Agenda stands for.

  ”We are therefore grateful to President Bola Tinubu today for the approval given for the creation of the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust  Fund. 

“This is a flexible form of financing that can help us get contributions from different sectors. So we’re going to have contributions from government, from the private sector, development partners, individuals, philanthropic individuals, and other innovative forms of crowd-funding and pooling of funds together.

“This to allow for an emergency response to humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. Every other day we hear about crisis, the floods and the rest of it. We need to be able to respond adequately as a country. Beyond this, the issue of poverty alleviation is one of the agendas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his eight-point agenda and we want to be able to tackle it headlong.

  ”Every year we hope to be able to raise at least $5 billion within this fund and this is from the various sources that I’ve mentioned and even more. We are hopeful that with the creation of this funding, we can sit down with all the key stakeholders, including other ministries, and actually work out the full modality of implementation in Nigeria.”

The minister said that FEC also approved the ratification of the Protocol on the protection of the rights of older persons in Nigeria.

“We have signed up to the African charter and this has made us one of the countries within Africa that has approved that older people be protected and should not be discriminated against at any level and this gives them a lot of protection and the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is interested in their welfare and protecting their rights”, she said.

 ”With the mindset of driving away the local population and moving in to explore, it’s technology that is helping us decipher these. We are working with the National Security Adviser (Nuhu Ribadu) the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun),” Edu added.

 Education Minister  Mamman spoke on President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s poise to reduce or eradicate out-of-school children menace in the country. 

Mamman said:   ”Initially, from seven participating states, we now have about 11 additional states participating in this project, which will lead to the empowerment of girls between 10 to 20 years right across the participating states.

 ”This is a very major escalation of this programme that is meant to empower our girls, our teachers and the provision for additional schools in the country.” 

[Nation]

FORMER Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, has denied describing the 2023 elections as compromised.

Jega was allegedly reported to have said this at a two-day retreat organized by the Senate in Ikot Ipene, Akwa Ibom State, last week.

The professor of political science at Bayero University, Kano, presented a paper titled, “Electoral Reform and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria: Review of 2022 Electoral Act (areas for further legislative actions), in which he was quoted to have said, “We have seen in 2023 elections, the damaging effect of how people in the corridors of power get their client/partisan nominees appointed, without being thoroughly screened, and then they are influenced to compromise the integrity of elections.”

However, his Senior Research Assistant, Hamman-Obels, in a statement today, said the report was not an accurate reflection of his position.

Hamman-Obels, who is also the Director of the Electoral Hub, an Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development said, “The attention of Prof. Attahiru Jega has been drawn to a misleading report published in a number of online newspapers quoting him to have commented that the 2023 elections were compromised.

“The report making the rounds is incorrect and not an accurate reflection of the presenter’s position. Professor Jega categorically denies making this particular comment about the 2023 polls.

“As would be seen in his presentation he made at the Senate Retreat held in Ikot Ipene, Akwa Ibom State, nowhere did he make such a statement that the 2023 elections were compromised. Professor Jega hopes this rebuttal will correct the incorrect and inaccurate reporting currently making the rounds.”

[NaijaTimes]

Gen. Yakubu Gowon has never really been given to flamboyances, and so, when he turned 89 last week the celebrations were typically modest and subdued. There were however warm greetings from across the land. Perhaps, next year’s would be a bigger and more ostentatious event; and I hope that is when he would publish his long-awaited memoire. His autobiography is a story he owes this nation – a country he loves so dearly - and because he has been so closely involved in, and linked with important parts of Nigeria’s history, Gowon’s memoire will be largely Nigeria’s story. Gen. Gowon governed Nigeria from 1966 to 1975, the single longest span for any of our leaders. Obasanjo ruled cumulatively for 11 years, three as a military leader and eight as a democratically elected president. Obasanjo has written two accounts of his life: My Command (1980) and My Watch (2014). We however need Gowon’s book to complete the story of Nigeria, fill the gaps in other accounts and documents for current generation of leaders and posterity his experiences and ideas on nation building. At a time the country seems to be suffering from severe leadership deficiency syndrome, Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s autobiography would provide the single most invaluable guides and guidance.

I like to think of Gowon as our own Eisenhower. Both share some common similarities, not just because they were both born in middle October. Edward David Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th President of United States from 1953 to 1961. During the Second World War, he served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and achieved the five-star rank of as General. Eisenhower planned and supervised two of the most consequential military campaigns of the war: Operation Torch in North Africa and the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Gowon led our country during a vicious 30-month civil war and succeeded in foiling its breakup. But it was his leadership after the war that brought out the humanity in him. By ensuring that the people of Eastern Nigeria did not suffer official discrimination and persecution due to their participation in the rebellion, Gowon endeared himself to me and millions of others as an authentic Nigerian hero despite whatever frailties he may have. We all do, anyway. After the war, Gowon launched a programme of three Rs (Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reintegration) as an act of compassion and healing to help in managing the traumas of the internecine conflict and set the country on the path of recovery and remediation. If only his successors have continued on that trajectory.

From Gowon’s memoire, we will learn more about the war; how he ran a war economy and the thinking behind the Three Rs. It was during his nine years as Head of State that the country built many of the road and bridge infrastructures, universities, airports and power plants that we have today. Gowon was and continues to be obsessed with the ideals of Nigerian unity. He introduced Unity Schools (formerly known as Federal Government Colleges), students exchange programmes and the NYSC scheme to promote national harmony, and initiated the construction of several interstate roads to interconnect this vast land.

I am eager to read about the leadership challenges Gowon faced during and after the war. The failure of the Aburi Accord; roles of the super perm secs and the civil service in designing his economic blueprints, especially the National Development Plans; managing a war economy; the prosecution and imprisonment of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his subsequent pardon and role in his government; the war-time diplomacy and international relations; state creation of 1967; his overthrow as he was attending OAU (now AU) summit in Kampala; his life and studies in the UK; the Dimka coup and his ‘’implication’’ in it; the 1973 census; the introduction of the Naira and all other eventful dramas and events that have been part of his long life. In 1973, the Yom Kippur war broke out in the Middle East and it led to astronomical rise in crude oil prices. Nigeria witnessed its first oil boom which funded Gowon’s massive construction and reconstruction projects across the country.

Is it not a wonder that despite all that oil wealth, Gowon, his military governors and all the others who served in his government did not retire into stupendous wealth? Compared to the time of IBB and Abacha, and considering what the politicians have been doing with our resources, Gowon is a puritan, or an angel, if you like. I have never heard that he has acquired private jets, big mansions and assets. In 1972, his government enacted the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree (amended in 1977) which was meant to effect changes in the ownership structure of businesses in Nigeria and provide opportunity for indigenous capital to have assertive control of the economy. In other words, the law mandated foreign companies in the country to sell portions of their shares to Nigerians and further restricted foreigners from investing in certain sectors of the economy.

Most of the people who bought those shares were Yoruba. The Igbos were too badly impoverished by the war to invest and Northerners were more interested in their farms to bother. The minorities did not even know what was happening. Many therefore believe that this law is responsible for the disproportionate dominance of Yoruba people in Corporate Nigeria. But amazingly, Gowon did not acquire any of those assets for himself. His uprightness throws some light on the absence of morality and probity in governance in today’s Nigeria. It is my conviction – and I have shared this with a few – that a decadent, corrupt and inept leadership as we have will never birth development, no matter how hard it tries. Development is a product of cumulative years of hard work, self-sacrifice, creative thinking and long-term planning. A political class that revels in election rigging; vote buying and forgeries is incapable of doing the heavy lift that drives development.

So many books have been written by Biafran Generals and others who fought on the side of the seceding side, and I have read almost all of them. I saw the conflict as a toddler and I still remember the day my parents and siblings fled our home when rampaging soldiers invaded our village. Immediately, we became internally displaced persons in another village from 1968 to the end of the war in 1970. Homes were completely razed down. Gowon’s memoire will therefore provide a balance to the different accounts that have been published so far, and explain many developments in Nigerian history that we know nothing about.

Both Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo have had the most positive impacts and footprints on the geography and politics of this country. Gowon’s book will therefore fill a yawning space in our library, history, cultures and politics. I have neither met nor spoken to General Gowon. The closest I came to seeing him was last May when some writers and I jointly presented a book we wrote on Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. It was a virtual event and I was pleased to see the retired general pop up when it was time for him to make his remarks. He looked well and healthy. I wish him the very best in the remaining years of his life.