President Bola Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to confirm the newly appointed Service Chiefs.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter sent to the lower legislative chamber,

The letter was read on the floor of House by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during Thursday’s plenary.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker and read at Plenary, the President asked the lawmakers to consider swift confirmation of the Service Chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff in accordance with extant laws.

The service chiefs to be confirmed are Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff and AVM H.B Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.

The president in the letter said that the request was in compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. Cap A20 Laws the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Tinubu had appointed the service chiefs while the National Assembly was on break.

The letter read in part, “In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004, I am pleased to present, for confirmation by the Senate, the four nominees listed below as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The House of Representatives is invited to note the current security situation of our country which requires concerted efforts of both the legislature and the executive to ensure a well-protected Nation.”

The letter added, “: Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff and AVM H.B Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.

“This informed the review of our Defence Architecture and appointment of new leaders to work in synergy with one another to achieve the level of optimal performance expected of the Military.

“While I hope that the request will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the House of Representatives, Please accept, R.t Hon. Speaker, the assurances of my highest consideration

The Federal Government has given the mandate to National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to find solutions to the current climate change and other related issues that could bring growth and development to the country.

The Team Leaders and Director of Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, professor Oluwofunmilayo Para-Mallam stated this while donating some books to the Institute For Governance Studies, at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

According to her, Government is determined to find solutions and create awereness in various learning institute as way of tackling climate change and curtail the effects of the climate change in the country.

"Indeed, the Ogun State is among the climate change compliance in the country as far as the NIPSS members is concerned, we are so impressed with the facilities and machineries put in place to mitigate the effect of the climate change.

"These structures and facilities with that of Tai Solarin College of Education is a pointer to the fact that Ogu. State is totally ready to fight the effect of the climate change in the country", Prof. Para-Mallam said

She explained that the persistent in climate change and weather conditions has given the Institute the mandate to do research technology incubation and come up with a framework to cushion or mitigate the effect of climate change for overall development of the country. 

The Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Ayodeji Agboola said the University has been contributing more on research technology in climate change which is key to the development of the social economic growth of the country.

He used the opportunity to seek for more support from various stakeholders in the educational sector for the development of the institution, saying the government alone could not shoulder the educational responsibilities of the country.

Meanwhile, The Paramount Ruler and Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, appreciated the NIPSS for the doantion of books to the institution, saying it was out of passion for education that he built the structure, named after him.

Oba Adetona promised to support NIPSS members and other stakeholders ready to partner the state government in developing educational sector of the State, saying it is better to educate the society, so as to be freed of crime society.

He gave the assurance when the members of NIPSS, Senior Executive Course 45, 2023, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Ijebu-Ode.

The Monarch also said that national security is an issue that affects every one and as such, all Nigerians must take it more seriously especially now that the country is facing challenges.

He commended tthe NIPPS or its regular Study tour of the state, urging it not to relent in its duty of keeping the citizenry updated on climate change, emergency situations, security and other related issues that could foster growth and development of the country.

HUMAN Rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has lamented that “plutocracy has replaced democracy in Nigeria,” the effect of which is that “people have lost confidence in the democratic process.”

Falana stated this in a keynote address, titled: ‘General Elections in Nigeria 2023: A Review of the Nation’s Political Culture and Electoral Integrity’, and delivered at the 2023 Law Week Programme of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Benin branch, held in Benin City, Edo State.

Falana urged the NBA to put pressure on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to “address the problems of the late arrival of INEC officials and ballot materials at the polling stations, malfunctioning BVAS machines, and limited or non-transmission of the results from the polling units to Results Viewing Portal, IReV.”

According to him, “out of the 93 million voters that were registered; only 22 million voted in the presidential election.”

The paper reads: “INEC must also address insecurity at some polling units, including violent attacks on voters and officials, voter intimidation, snatching and destruction of voting materials, significant cases of vote-buying, and limited access facilities for persons living with disabilities.

“The Benin branch of the NBA should prevail on the national body of lawyers to convoke a national summit to review the 2023 general elections as soon as the curtain is drawn on the election petitions by the various election petition tribunals, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

“The NBA should ensure that the summit is attended by the representatives of all relevant stakeholders. At the end of the programme, the NBA should collaborate with the judiciary committees of both houses of the national assembly in drafting amendments to the Constitution and the Electoral Act to institutionalise credible elections in Nigeria.

“All mass-based organisations must mobilise the Nigerian people to take their political destiny into their hands by participating in the democratic process.”

The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has told the immediate-past governor of the State, Dr. AAbdullahi Umar Ganduje, not to honour the invitation extended to him by the State’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) over the alleged dollar videos saga.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the State chairman and secretary of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas and Alhaji Zakari Sarina, respectively.

The party said it has realised that the reenactment of the politically motivated issue of the Dollar videos by the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which is before a court of law, was part of a sinister ploy to dent the image of the former governor.

It noted that similar scenario was played out to scuttle the former governor’s chance of securing reelection ticket for the party’s gubernatorial election in 2019.

The statement added that this time, the detractors were engaged in the campaign of calumny to draw a wedge between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ganduje, whom they described as one of the president’s strongest allies in the North.

The Kano APC stated that while Ganduje’s contributions to the Tinubu political project right from the conduct of the primary election, was widely appreciated, his relationship with the President remains cordial.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has appealed to “those jumping ship” from the party to “calm down,” saying the party must not go down.

Chief George stated this in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday.

George urged aggrieved members of the PDP to stay put and resolve the party’s problems.

Recall that the G5 — an aggrieved faction of the party — met with President Bola Tinubu at the state house in Abuja a few weeks ago.

Similarly, former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, and foremost member of the G5, had also met with the President several times.

The meetings have left the public with speculations that the members of the G5 were considering a defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on the issue, George said PDP members “must never allow this party to crack up.”

He said, “We are still in court, and everyone still thinks they can win. Until the court decides who actually won the election, it will be a futile exercise trying to bring all sides together.

“In fact, I want to advise those who are jumping ship now to calm down because you can hear the APC leadership complain about the crack in the leaders of the party in the senate.

‘When you have a problem in your house, it is better to stay in that house and resolve the problem. There is nothing impossible to do if you have a fear of God.

“I want to appeal to all sides. Let us not allow this party to go down. We must never allow this party to crack up.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a warning to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) in the country to exercise caution when conducting transactions with businesses and individuals in certain countries. The countries specified by the CBN are the Russian Federation, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, and Cameroon.

The cautionary message from the CBN is in response to these countries being placed on the high-risk jurisdictions list by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body responsible for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

The CBN’s warning was communicated through a circular, with reference number FPR/AML/PUB/BOF/001/029, issued by CBN director of financial policy and regulation, Mr. Chibuzo Efobi.

The FATF sets global standards aimed at preventing illegal financial activities and the associated societal harm. Apart from the aforementioned countries, other nations on the list include the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Croatia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

The CBN’s decision to issue this warning is based on the resolutions reached at a recent plenary session of the FATF, held last month.

The circular states, “Banks and other Financial Institutions should take note of the outcomes of the Financial Action Task Force Plenary conducted from June 21-23, 3023, and the subsequent addition of Cameroon, Croatia, and Vietnam to the list of jurisdictions under ‘Increased Monitoring.”

It further emphasised that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, and Myanmar remain on the high-risk jurisdictions list and are subject to a ‘Call for Action.’

In light of these developments, the CBN directs financial institutions to implement enhanced due diligence measures and, in severe cases, consider implementing countermeasures to protect the international financial system.

The circular also reminds financial institutions that the suspension of the Russian Federation from the FATF remains in effect.

Financial institutions are urged to stay vigilant and alert to potential emerging risks resulting from attempts to bypass measures designed to safeguard the international financial system.

Given these new developments, financial institutions are instructed to take note of all additions to jurisdictions under ‘Increased Monitoring’ and high-risk jurisdictions subject to a ‘Call-for-Action’ and take necessary steps to effectively mitigate these risks.

Twitter has reacted to newly launched rival social media app, Threads, by Meta on Thursday, threatening to sue the latter’s parent company.

According to a report by Semafor, citing a letter delivered to Mark Zuckerberg, a lawyer for Twitter said the company “has serious concerns that Meta Platforms (Meta) has engaged in systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”

“Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information,” Alex Spiro wrote in the letter.

Representatives for Twitter and Meta are yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit.

LEADERSHIP reports that Meta launched its competitor to Twitter in 100 countries. The new app had garnered 30 million sign-ups less than 24 hours after launch.

The Senate on Thursday condemned the administration of Muhammadu Buhari for “secret” concessions of some airports across the country.

It passed a legislation and ordered a thorough probe.

The upper house took the decision following a motion by Senator Sumaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), who queried the manner in which Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Nnamdidi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; and other international Airports were concessioned.

He recalled in his motion that the Federal Executive Council, on 17th May 2023, approved the concession of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano for 30 years, to Messrs Corporación America Airports Consortium.

He argued that the Federal Ministry of Aviation (and Aerospace) does not own or run any airport in Nigeria, rather, that power is vested on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, based on the governing Act.

“The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission procedure document states, with respect to the agency that wishes to concession a facility that, ‘The public entity should have enabling authority to transfer its responsibility enabling legislative and policy framework or an Administrative Order to that effect;

“This reflects that the combined import of the FAAN Act and the ICRC procedures manual is an evident manifestation that the entire airports’ concession is based on an incurably faulty foundation.

“There is no doubt that it is the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, not the Ministry of Aviation, that has the power to transfer its responsibility’ to a would-be concessionaire,” the lawmaker argued.

He chastised the Ministry of Aviation for usurping the ‘legislative and policy framework.’

“I am convinced that if the claim that the FEC has approved the concession of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport has any substance, then the FEC has indeed been misguided in its decision, and that action cannot amount to anything than a nullity;

“I am worried about the rationale in borrowing and spending public money to upgrade the airport only to hand it over to foreign businesses for a period of 30 years in the name of a concession.”

He lamented in his motion that “Nigeria is receiving a concession fees or upfront of $1.5m while the total amount of money that the Kano airport is accruing to the government is $97.4m.

“Disturbed that this concession is clearly dubious and raises questions on the process and what the actors stand to gain.”

While noting that the unions had embarked on strike during the commissioning process as FAAN was sidelined, he said “the concession by the Buhari-led administration raises a fundamental question of injustice on why an elephant project with huge public investment would take place just at the end of the administration.

“It is also observed that there are faulty gaps inherent in the concession that would lead to an array of lawsuits and thereby embarrass the current administration.”

The red chamber, in a decision said, “the committee on Aviation when constituted should investigate the ministry and agencies concerned to report back to the Senate.

“Condemned in strong terms the concessions of Aminu Kano Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and other airports that were conceded in the same way as they were not conceded in public interest

“Urged the federal government to review the entire exercise and give a level playing field to all stakeholders.”

Speaking before the ruling, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, said Hadi Sirika carried out certain policies in secrecy hence the need for thorough investigation.

“Concession is what is in vogue all over the world because the government is a bad manager of business, even the Heathrow airport was conceded to a Nigerian. And the airport is doing really well.

“Although these things must be investigated, I would still vote for concession, but it must be done in a transparent manner,” he said.

Months after banks restricted withdrawals on automated teller machines (ATMs), commercial banks in the country are beginning to increase the maximum amount of cash customers can withdraw on a daily basis to N200,000.

In an emailed notice to customers yesterday, Zenith Bank said customers can now ‘perform cash withdrawals of up to N200,000 per day’ at its ATM terminals across the country.

This, it said, is irrespective of the bank that issued the card.

The bank, however, stated that the N500,000 weekly cashless policy withdrawal limit for individuals still stands.

There are insinuations that other banks in the country may follow this path, by allowing their customers to withdraw, through ATM terminals, large amounts in the region of N200,000, even though they have not made it public.

Before now, most banks had put a limit of N20,000 daily withdrawal on their ATM terminals mainly for cards issued by other banks. The limit had been put in place during the naira redesign policy.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had, last December, limited weekly cash withdrawals over the counter to N100,000 for individuals and N500,000 for organisations. It also set daily cash withdrawals at point of sale (POS) and ATM terminals at N20,000 per day, with the directive taking effect from January 9, 2023.

Customers had resorted to seeking out their bank ATMs where they could make more withdrawals, or making cash withdrawals over the counter.

A circular issued by the apex bank during the period stated that “the maximum cash withdrawal per week via ATM shall be N100,000 subject to a maximum of N20,000 cash withdrawal per day.

“Only denominations of N200 and below shall be loaded into the ATMs. The maximum cash withdrawal via point of sale (POS) terminal shall be N20,000 daily.”

The limits on POS as well as denomination part of the statement have, however, not held ground as cash withdrawals limit through POS has since been in excess of N20,000 while all ATMs are dispensing only N1,000 and N500 notes.

Although a Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail in the sum of N50 million, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, will not be released, Daily Trust can report.

Kyari, who is facing charges of failure to declare assets alongside his siblings, was granted bail on Thursday.

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had filed a 24-count charges against DCP Kyari, his brothers Mohammed Baba and Ali before the court over his failure to declare properties allegedly linked to him in the asset form.

The judge had earlier granted bail to the Kyari brothers who were accused of receiving funds from an international scam syndicate linked to Ramoni Abbas a.ka. Hushpuppi.

In his ruling on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho granted Kyari bail in the sum of N50m and two sureties in like sum.

Justice Omotosho added that the sureties must have property worth N25m within the court’s jurisdiction.