The Nigerian naira recorded a mixed performance against the US dollar on Thursday, appreciating at the parallel market but depreciating at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window.

Data from the black market shows the naira gained ground, trading at N997 to the dollar compared to N1,000 on Wednesday.

However, at the I&E window, the domestic currency depreciated to N775.2 per dollar from N756.21 previously.

This indicates a N18.99 loss in value for the naira at the official market segment.

Consequently, the spread between the parallel and I&E exchange rates narrowed to N221.8 on Thursday, down from N243.79 earlier in the week.

Analysts attribute the naira’s marginal recovery at the parallel market to increased dollar supply following the resumption of international flights by some foreign airlines.

But demand pressures continued weighing on the local currency at the I&E window. Experts project the exchange rate volatility to persist in the near term amid uncertainties over oil earnings and foreign capital flows.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) maintains it will continue to manage both the official and unofficial forex markets while implementing policies to unify exchange rates and stabilize

The Federal Government says sending people to the gallows for corruption cannot become a norm in Nigeria.

The Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo, made this known on Thursday in Abuja.

He opined that Nigeria has not reached the stage where the death penalty would be applied to cases of corrupt practices.

He spoke at the sidelines of the Validation of Curriculum on ‘Institutionalizing Behavior-Change Approaches to Reducing Corruption in the Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria’ organised by the institute.

He said corruption has levels and dynamism, noting that killing someone for minor infraction and misdeeds was extreme and unfair.

“Corruption has levels. If a policeman takes a bribe of N100 from you that is a corrupt practice, would you then execute someone for taking N100 from you? So corruption has levels.

“So killing people for corrupt practices is not something that we would want to encourage. We are at a level where we believe that we need behavioral change and we believe that if we can eradicate corruption events to a 50 percent level, our society will be okay.

The DG said the easiest way to change the attitude of a society is through education hence, the need for the curriculum.

Presenting the curriculum, Prof. Plangsat Dayil of the University of Jos said the curriculum has seven modules, which include Theories and Practices for Behavior Change Initiatives in Nigeria; Social Norms Approach to Reducing Corruption in the Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria; and Behavioral Approaches to Reducing Corruption in the Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria.

Also, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Yusuf Sani, said that all the modules in the curriculum were relevant to political parties

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar said he would only drop his fight with President Bola Tinubu if the Supreme Court rules in the President’s favour.

Atiku stated this at a press conference to address the issue of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records released by the Chicago State University (CSU) in Abuja on Thursday.

When asked if he would ever step down the legal battle against President Tinubu, Atiku replied, “The case is still in court. I’ll only drop this fight if the court rules. If the court rules that I’m right, fine, if the court rules that Tinubu is right, fine. There’s no other court higher than the Supreme Court. That is where it all ends.”

I didn’t betray Tinubu 

Meanwhile, Atiku also disproved allegations that he betrayed Tinubu, who many see as his former political ally.

His words, “I disagree with Tinubu, yes it’s true that we came together in 2007. In Lagos, at the convention, I emerged winner and got the party’s ticket. After I got the ticket, he sent me about five or six senior party men, and they met me and said Bola (Tinubu) wanted to be my running mate.

“I said, gentlemen, you are all old enough, and asked, what would be your reaction to having a Muslim-Muslim ticket?

“They all answered that they objected to it, I then told them they should have told him and that was the end of the political relationship; he (Tinubu) broke away, and supported Umaru Yar’Adua. So what is the ground for him to say I betrayed him?

“In 2003, the PDP took over all the southwestern states with the exception of Lagos. I stood between Obasanjo and Tinubu and told Obasanjo to leave Lagos, and he left it. I vehemently deny that I stabbed Tinubu in the back.

“Till today, I won’t do a Muslim-Muslim ticket; I don’t have to be president; we are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious people, and our government must reflect our diversity, and our composition must reflect the same.”

Background – Tinubu-Atiku’s legal feud on CSU academic record

Recall Atiku had secured the release of Tinubu’s education records from the CSU through a court subpoena, against the disclosure by the President.

The released records, which came first on October 3 and a deposition on Tuesday, showed that Tinubu’s 1979 CSU certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was different from samples of the certificates the University issued to students that same year.

Under oath, CSU Registrar said he could not authenticate the certificate Tinubu presented to INEC.

The federal government has begun probes into the activities of Meta formerly known as Facebook, a haulage company, DHL, and online payment platform OPay for alleged data breaches.

The companies, if found liable, would forfeit two percent of their annual gross revenue to the government.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that there have been a barrage of complaints against the companies by Nigerians over the violation of data subjects’ rights.

It was learnt that the Nigeria Data Protection Commission has opened investigations into the data processing activities of the affected data controllers.

This is the second time the NDPC would open probes into the activities of some companies, banks and universities in the country over alleged data infractions.

Our correspondent gathered that the National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, had warned during the Commission’s presentation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 to the public that infractions would attract penalties in accordance with the letter and spirit of law.

Olatunji said the commission would not hesitate in “safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria data economy ecosystem.”

He warned data controllers and processors against all forms of data processing which are not in tandem with the Act, insisting that the Chief Executive Officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government would be held liable for infractions.

The Nation learnt that complaints against Meta touch on behavioural advertising without explicit consent of data subjects. Approximately 40 million Facebook accounts in Nigeria might have been affected by the data processing under investigation. This also has significant implication for the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

DHL on the other hand is facing investigation for allegedly violating the lawful basis and principles of data protection, it was discovered.

Sources privy to the investigations said DHL’s data processing falls short of the confidentiality standard prescribed under the Nigeria Data Protection Act. The Act in section 24(2) (2) notes that “A data controller and data processor shall use appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data.”

On its part, Opay might be called upon to answer for allegations that it opens bank accounts for data subjects without their consent. If this is true, it would amount to a grave violation of data privacy rights of affected data subjects, our Correspondent gathered.

A report attributed to Opay says the platform has about 40 million data subjects.

Finding by our Correspondent shows that Nigeria Data Protection Commission has served each of the data controllers with Notice of Investigation. The companies, it was learnt, have ample opportunities to defend themselves against the law of the country.

Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State, has reaffirmed that his administration has vowed never to borrow money from any financial institution.

Additionally, Governor Adeleke disclosed that he has developed more effective internal revenue generation strategies to support his ongoing efforts in the state.

The Governor announced this on Thursday at the inaugural “Ipade Imole” interactive public engagement session in Osogbo.

While listing the achievements of his government, Adeleke also disclosed that he has resolved to spend the N2bn palliative fund from the federal government on major projects among which are: renovation and procurement of more buses for easy and affordable transportation, as well as rehabilitation of health facilities.

“Development of Osun is paramount to me and hence I decided to take huge sacrifice by adding my security vote to fund the project in the state rather keep it to myself like others before me”, he said.

The Governor also disclosed his administration has prioritised projects it intends to finance with the Infrastructure Support Fund of the Federal Government, which include a flyover in the state capital.

“We intend use the N2billion to fund some projects, including dualisation of roads at two per senatorial districts; flyover bridges at Osogbo and some other towns; street lights for newly constructed roads; second stream of 332 boreholes across wards; commencement of Imole transport service; and Imole Housing Estate at 500 units per federal constituency,” he said.

A Coalition of Pro-Democracy Organisations in Nigeria, an amalgamation of groups committed to ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in the electoral process, have vehemently rejected the proposal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to abandon electronic transmission of results in the forthcoming Bayelsa State governorship elections.

Rising from a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the group said the planned manual transmission of results being proposed in the forthcoming governorship election, is an attempt at allowing desperate politicians to manipulate the will of the Bayelsa electorate, during the election.

The INEC, had on Wednesday, stated its plans to transmit results of the November 11 Bayelsa governorship election manually.

This was made known through the State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Obo Effanga.

Olufemi, National Secretary, Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Atani John, Niger Delta Democratic Vanguard, who signed the communique, said: “We believe that the integrity and credibility of any election depend on the transparency of the electoral process, including the accurate and timely transmission of results.

“Electronic transmission of results is a vital component of ensuring the authenticity and fairness of elections, and its abandonment would undermine the trust of the electorate, Nigerians and the international community in the electoral process.

“The use of technology in the transmission of election results has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing electoral fraud, promoting accountability, and delivering more accurate and timely results to the public. It enhances the transparency of the electoral process and minimises the potential for manipulation or tampering with results at various stages.

“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider its proposal and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election.

“We call on INEC to ensure that the electronic transmission of results is not only maintained but also improved upon to guarantee the credibility of the electoral process.”

Founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has accused governors of misapplying financial allocations to local governments in their domains.

He said the “inactions” of the governors were stunting development at the grassroots as well as depriving the people of the benefits that they should ordinarily access without stress.

Babalola spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, while declaring open the eighth edition of the Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo (ABAEX).

The eminent lawyer expressed dissatisfaction with the way governors run the third tier of government.

He said the governors have made the local governments the appendages of the state government, thereby rendering them ineffective.

Babalola urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the nation’s 774 local government areas get their allocations directly from the Federation Account to ensure grassroots development and engender transparency.

The ABUAD founder explained that releasing funds to the local governments would enable their chairmen to contribute to the socio-economic development in the communities, especially in the support for farmers.

According to him, the country has over the years abandoned agriculture, which was responsible for increasing food insecurity.

Babalola stressed the need for government at all levels to invest massively in agriculture.

He said: “I am suggesting that local governments should be empowered. Each local government should set up farming equipment for farmers to hire. They should also earmark large hectares of land for the farmers to farm.

“When I was a councillor in those days, local government funds used to come directly to them. We all know what has been happening to their money.

“I think the current President (Bola Tinubu) should do all he can to ensure that local government allocations get to them directly and not through the governors because they (governors) steal a lot.

“There is no parent that will send their children to school – some to Master’s and Ph.D levels – only to come back and be asked to use cutlass to farm.

“The best the government can do now to revive agriculture is to buy modern implements to encourage people to farm. If local government funds get to them, they will be able to buy tractors for the people to rent.”

The chairman of the expo’s Local Organising Committee (LOC), Prof. Abiodun Ojo, said the vision of ABAEX is to encourage excellence and sustainable performance among farmers in Ekiti State.

The LOC chairman said it is also meant to increase value addition across all agricultural products.

“To prosecute this ABAEX 2023 successfully, including logistics and the award for five winners from each local governments and te overall winner from all the local governments in Ekiti, plus the empowerment programme for youths and girls, a total of N32,478,400 has been expended,” he said.

Says I’ll Change Edo Narrative, Give Power Back To People.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olumide Akpata, formally declared his intention to vie for the Edo State governorship seat in the September 21, 2024, elections under the banner of the Labour Party (LP).

Akpata, who was at the Edo State secretariat of the party on Ogbelaka Street, Benin City, late Thursday evening, said that he decided to join the gubernatorial race using LP as the platform because the party remained the only “people-oriented” party in the country.

Accompanied by a mammoth crowd of supporters and LP members across the 18 local government areas of the state, the former NBA President noted that with the formal declaration, all speculations about his governorship ambition and the vehicle he would use to actualize it had been permanently laid to rest.

Addressing the crowd after a closed-door meeting with the state executive council members of the party, Akpata said that his interest in the people of the state informed his choice of the LP as the only means through which the people could liberate themselves from the shackles of politicians who had held them down and retarded the progress of the state.

Lamenting that the people had been taken out of the equation in governance and politics, Akpata said that if given the opportunity to fly the flag of LP in the forthcoming election, he would change the narrative and give the people a new lease on life.

“My interest is for the people of Edo State. And what I find out about politics and governance in Nigeria today is that the people have been taken out of the equation. Nobody cares about the people.

“So, when I look around, the only party I find to be people-oriented and interested in lots of our people is the Labour Party. So I have come here to express my interest and to carry the people along,” he declared.

Akpata promised to take the Labour Party to greater heights in the event that he emerged as the party’s candidate in the primary.

Receiving the aspirant, the Edo State Chairman of the party, Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, said the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party had accepted to allow Akpata to run, just as he promised a level playing field for all aspirants who would be desirous to run under the platform of the party.

Public universities may be in for tough times as lecturers continue to leave the system in droves for greener pastures abroad, thereby putting the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education in jeopardy.

The looming crisis, if not checked, would not only lead to acute shortage of teaching staff, but also affect quality of teaching in the institutions.

An official of the university who spoke in similar vein, said to make up for those who have left, non-teaching staff who are done with their doctoral programmes are being converted to academic cadre.
 
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The situation on campus is worrisome, lecturers are resigning everyday, all those sent abroad for their PhDs are not coming back. The morale is low; the job is no longer attractive to lecturers.  The facilities are not there, salaries are being owed and living conditions of both teaching and non-teaching staff is very poor.”
  
At AAUA, it was learnt that about 45 per cent of lecturers, drawn from the various departments, had already left for overseas, while many others are planning to leave.
  
At the University of Ilorin, an official, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that about 40 per cent of lecturers and some non-teaching staff have left the country for greener pastures.

It was also learnt that about 50 per cent of lecturers at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), and the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, had similarly resigned and relocated abroad.
  
An official of ASUU at the University of Uyo, Dr Happiness Uduk, confirmed that many of her colleagues had left the system.  Though she did not mention the number of lecturers and professors that have left the institution, she noted that “professors and other lecturers in UniUyo who had opportunities outside have left and more are leaving the country for greener pastures.”
  
According to her, more than 70 per cent of bright and promising young academics retained by the university through mentorship have all left the country for greener pastures due to the poor conditions of service in Nigeria.
  
‘’Those remaining are on the verge of leaving. No government in the history of Nigeria has been so insensitive, brash and disrespectful of the best brains in the country than the past administration. This is unfortunate and a shame,’’ the don lamented.
  
An official of Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure, said considering the sorry state of Nigerian universities and non-payment of eight months outstanding salaries to lecturers, many had to look for alternatives.
 
 “It is true that lecturers are leaving the country, at FUTA, I can say about 40 per cent, if not more, have left and many are still planning to leave. These are tough times, no salary, no tools for teaching, no funding for research and the atmosphere is not even conducive for teaching or learning. If you were in their shoes and you found a better opportunity, what would you do?”
  
Findings at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and the Kaduna State University (KASU) are not different. A staff at KASU disclosed that resignation or mass exodus of lecturers seeking greener pastures outside the country or elsewhere has become a common phenomenon among the workforce.
   
“The issue is not really about those that have left, but those that want to leave,” the sources said, stressing that the majority of the workers are not happy with the situation.
  
“The issue of brain drain is a serious development, there are so many lecturers that have moved abroad because of the way our education sector is presently,” they said.

   
A lecturer at the Federal University, Otuoke, Dr Socrates Ebo, admitted that some of his colleagues had left the university for overseas, “where things work.”
    
“Being a lecturer in recent times is like signing a pact with poverty. The salary is nothing to write home about,” he lamented, adding that the deductions as well as lack of infrastructural facilities are also discouraging.
   
In the same vein, a lecturer in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education at Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr. Garshagu Atovigba, confirmed that about 35 percent of lecturers had relocated from the institution.  
  
He said” “If you look at the trends of salary increment from 2009 till date, it showed civil servants have been paid up to 250 per cent of their salaries, while lecturers have been the same since 2009. The government has deliberately impoverished the Nigerian lecturers, hence, there is no option left for many of us than to pursue greener pastures in other climes.”  
  
He recalled how a Professor of Language Education left the university five years ago, and the school has not been able to get another lecturer with PhD in English/Education to replace him.
  
Atovigba expressed regrets that as lecturers are leaving in droves; there would be a challenge to get replacements in a long time, thus leaving the institutions without lecturers.
  
The development has raised concerns among stakeholders, who have expressed worry over the fate of public universities.  They lamented that the mass exodus of lecturers abroad would put the future of the nation’s universities in jeopardy.
   
A university don, Prof Olu Ademoye, noted that despite the mass resignation of experienced and young lecturers, universities could not employ new hands to replace them because of an embargo of government policy. He said losing any of the experienced hands to foreign universities would naturally spell an unquantifiable setback for the nation’s universities.
   
“No one should blame whoever decides to relocate to a more conducive and friendly environment, countries where they are better welcomed, with ample opportunities to realise their potential as university lecturers and researchers.

Director, Centre for Open, Distance and e-Learning, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Musa Aibinu, described intellectual flight as “one of the greatest challenges” of the Nigerian education sector and Africa in general. He said about 23, 000 lecturers emigrate from Africa to other climes on yearly basis.
  
“Some go for further studies and end up not coming back; some go for greener pastures; others run away from the unfavourable conditions we have here.
   
“Lecturing has three components-lecturing, research and community service; the funding of research here is very low though Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is trying, but we are still far below. Again, the decay in infrastructure does not favour basic and applied research- all these factors push our lecturers abroad.’’
    
On his part, Professor of Adult Education, John Odu, said to retain quality professionals, the working conditions of lecturers must be improved upon.
  
“The university system needs help, not only because of today but also because of tomorrow.

 “May I plead with the Committees of Pro-Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, Nigerian Academy of Science, other academies in the country, and every other stakeholder in Nigeria to kindly rise to the occasion so as to minimise or stop this “academic bleeding” that we are experiencing.”
  
“We are in trouble in Nigeria, and the Federal Government is not helping us. The younger ones who are brilliant have relocated abroad. As soon as they complete the first degree, they relocate abroad, they do well there, and they are not coming back to this country,” Odu stated.

[Guardian]

The United States Consul General in Nigeria, Will Stevens, said the growing trend of military takeover of government in Africa was because some leaders in the continent refused to relinquish power after their tenure in office.

Stevens expressed concern that Africa is facing challenges like climate change and food insecurity, saying only democratic stability could help in resolving the problems.

The Consul General spoke on Wednesday at the launch of the ‘Recycling Waste to Wealth Challenge’ competition for secondary school students at Abeokuta Window on America, located at the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

DAILY POST reports that the programme is a US Government supported enterprise competition for students in vocational and technical colleges in Ogun State.

In his words, Stevens said leaders of Africa must embrace the real tenets of democracy by ensuring peaceful transition of power.

According to him, Nigeria has enjoyed 25 years of uninterrupted peaceful democratic transition, urging other African nations to learn from Nigeria.

He said, “(Olusegun) Obasanjo served two terms and left power, he set the precedent in Nigeria of you serve and then you step aside for your successor.

“Nigeria has enjoyed 25 years of presidential succession. President Buhari just did the same thing.

“There are Presidents of neighbouring countries that have been there for a very, very long time, 20, 30, 40 years, this leads to democratic instability, it leads to coup.”

[DailyPost]