THE Federal Government, on Thursday, announced that the 11 power distribution companies in Nigeria have applied for the review of their various electricity tariffs in order to incorporate the changes in the macroeconomic parameters across the country.

It disclosed this through a notice published by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission. It added that the Discos also stated their reasons for the rate review were premised on factors affecting the quality of service, operations and sustainability of the companies.

In the notice, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, the NERC stated the application for rate review by the power firms was in line with the rules contained in the Electricity Act 2023.

Recall that some power distribution companies had announced in June that there would be a hike in tariff, projected to take effect from July 1, 2023.

The Discos, however, backtracked the next day after widespread criticisms, as they stated that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had yet to approve the hike.The development caused apprehension among power users at the time, as many prepaid consumers rushed to buy more electricity units in their meters, while anticipating a possible hike in tariff.

It was, however, observed on July 1, 2023, that the Discos did not raise the tariff, an indication that they had yet to get the approval of the power sector regulator.

But on Thursday, the NERC announced that the power firms had applied for a review of their respective tariffs, though it described it as an application for rate review.

In the notice from the regulator, it said, “Pursuant to Section 116 (1) and 2(a&b) of the Electricity Act 2023 and other extant rules, the 11 successor electricity distribution companies have filed an application for rate review with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The judicial systems of different countries vary in terms of structure and composition. One crucial aspect of any judicial system is the number of justices in its highest court. Let me briefly compare the Nigerian and the United States Supreme Courts, focusing on the number of justices in each of these courts.

By examining the similarities and differences between these two systems, one can gain a better understanding of how the composition of a supreme court can impact its functioning and decision-making processes.

The Nigerian Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court are both the highest judicial bodies in the two countries. However, they differ significantly in terms of the number of justices. While the Nigerian Supreme Court consists of a fixed number of justices, the United States Supreme Court has a variable number of justices. There are however reasons behind these differences which also have implications for the judicial systems of both countries.

First, the Nigerian Supreme Court is composed of a fixed number of justices, which is set not to exceed 21. But currently 13 justices including the Chief Justice of the Federation. This number has remained unchanged since the establishment of the court in 1963. The rationale behind this fixed number is to ensure a diverse range of perspectives and expertise among the justices. With 21 justices, the Nigerian Supreme Court expected to handle a significant caseload and provide a fair and balanced decision-making process. Additionally, a fixed number of justices ensures stability and consistency in the court's functioning. But the reality is the dearth of adequate resources to discharge their responsibilities. 

Secondly, the United States Supreme Court, in contrast to the Nigerian Supreme Court, does not have a fixed number of justices. The number of justices is determined by Congress and has varied throughout history. Currently, the United States Supreme Court consists of 9 justices. This number has remained constant since 1869. The variable number of justices in the United States Supreme Court allows for flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances and ensures that the court can effectively handle its caseload. Moreover, it allows for a balance of power among the justices, preventing any single justice from having excessive influence.

The fixed number in Nigeria ensures ethno-religious diversity, gender inclusion, stability, and consistency in decision-making, while the variable number in the United States allows for flexibility and a balance of power. Both systems have their merits, and the choice of the number of justices depends on the specific needs and circumstances of each country's judicial system. Understanding these differences provides valuable insights into the functioning and composition of supreme courts worldwide.

Based on available reports, it has been revealed that the caseloads of the Supreme Courts in the USA and Nigeria reflect the legal complexities and societal challenges faced by each nation. While the USA's Supreme Court handles a lower number of cases annually, Nigeria's Supreme Court grapples with a substantial caseload due to a number of reasons, ranging from abuses of the Court’s process to complexities associated with some of the cases that are escalated to it. Other factors contribute to these caseloads and their implications for the judicial systems of both nations.

The Supreme Court of the USA is renowned for its caseload, reflecting the nation's complex legal system and the court's role in interpreting the Constitution. Each year, the court receives thousands of petitions, but only a fraction of these are granted certiorari (a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court), resulting in a caseload of around 100-150 cases. The court's caseload is influenced by various factors, including the significance of the legal issues involved, the lower courts' conflicting decisions, and the court's discretionary power to select cases. Notable examples include landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, which have shaped American jurisprudence.

Whereas the Nigeria Supreme Court, equally the final appellate court, faces a substantial caseload due to the country's complex legal framework, and some lawyers penchant of seeking unnecessary injunctions and grossly abusing court’s process. The court receives appeals from lower courts across the country, dealing with a wide range of legal issues, including constitutional matters, criminal cases, and civil disputes. The caseload of the Nigeria Supreme Court has increased over the years, with the court handling around 1,000-1,500 cases annually. This high caseload poses challenges to the court's efficiency and timely delivery of justice.

The contrasting caseloads of the USA and Nigeria Supreme Courts have significant implications for their respective judicial systems. In the USA, the limited number of cases heard by the Supreme Court allows for thorough deliberation and detailed opinions, ensuring the court's decisions have a lasting impact on American law. However, the high caseload in Nigeria's Supreme Court poses challenges, including delays in the resolution of cases, potential backlogs, and the strain on judicial resources. These challenges can hinder access to justice and erode public confidence in the legal system.

From the foregoing, It is clear that the Nigerian Supreme Court justices are overworked. It is therefore crucial for judiciary reforms and for the country to evaluate and address the caseloads and other challenges confronting the courts’ system to ensure the fair and timely administration of justice.

Sonny Iroche is an Investment Banker of over 30 years experience and a 2022-2023 Senior Academic Visitor at the African Studies Centre. University of Oxford. 

Paris Saint-Germain are preparing to launch a second bid of €120m for Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen.

The French champions had their initial offer of €100m for Osimhen rejected in June. While the new bid falls short of Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis’ valuation, it still surpasses the offers put forth by other interested clubs.

Reports indicate that Napoli value Osimhen at €150 million, a price tag that no other club is currently willing to meet. De Laurentiis, believing PSG to be the only team capable of affording the talented striker, has dismissed other suitors such as Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid, all of whom have expressed interest in acquiring Osimhen’s services.

“The only club that could afford Victor Osimhen is Paris Saint-Germain,” De Laurentiis revealed to Mediaset.

“If (PSG president) Nasser Al Khelaifi wants to send in a bid around €200 million, we wait and see what happens. I personally think that Victor will stay here.”

Meanwhile, according to Calciomercato, the negotiations between Osimhen and Napoli for his contract extension are underway, with the club aiming to introduce a release clause that would only become valid in the summer of 2024 for a fee exceeding €100m.

De Laurentiis told Osimhen’s agent that he would only entertain offers close to €200m in this summer’s transfer window. Despite the gap in negotiations, Napoli remain determined to please their star player with a suitable contract.

Bayern Munich has shown considerable interest in Osimhen, but they consider Napoli’s economic demands outrageous and have chosen to halt negotiations. As of now, PSG pose the biggest obstacle for the Azzurri, as they have identified the Nigeria international as the ideal replacement for World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé.

French sources indicate that PSG are on the verge of submitting an offer of around €120m.

Osimhen netted 26 goals and provided five assists in 32 league appearances last season, which played a pivotal role in Napoli clinching the Serie A title after more than three decades.

Osimhen also became the first African player to secure the prestigious Capocannoniere award, given to the top scorer in Serie A.

The Nigerian forward is scheduled to resume pre-season training on July 19, as he eagerly awaits the developments surrounding his future.

Joseph Daudu, lawyer to the suspended and detained Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said his client’s case will test President Bola Tinubu’s respect for the rule of law.

The senior lawyer stated this on Thursday, shortly after the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja gave the Department of State Services (DSS) a seven-day ultimatum to either release Emefiele, who has been in detention since June 10, or arraign him in court if they have a case against him.

Justice Hamza Muazu gave the order while ruling on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Emefiele, through Daudu, to challenge his arrest and continued detention by the DSS.

The judge held the continued detention of Emefiele by the secret police without trial amounted to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.

Addressing journalists after the proceedings, Dauda lauded the court for its courageous pronouncement, adding that he expected the DSS to obey the order.

He also called on the President to demonstrate to Nigerians that under his watch, government agencies would not be disobedient to lawful court orders.

He said, “Seven days has been given to the DSS to either charge him (Emefiele) to court or release him on administrative bail.

“We expect him to be released on administrative bail today (Thursday) as we speak in obedience to the court order.

“I don’t think that the President would like to start his administration with organisations under him disobeying court orders.

“He was at the forefront to chastise the military government for disobeying court orders. Now, power is in his hands, we will see if he will obey court orders.”

Meanwhile, the DSS has said the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, had been charged to court.

Reacting in a statement by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, the DSS said it had in 2022 applied for a court order to detain Emefiele but he got another order stopping the DSS from arresting him.

Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Shehu Sani has reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s plan to pay N8,000 palliatives to 12 million Nigerian families.

Naija News recalls that in a letter read in the House of Representatives during plenary on Thursday, the Federal Government had announced that 12 million households will get N8,000 for six months to ameliorate the hardships faced by Nigerians as a result of subsidy removal.

Tinubu said the initiative was designed to enable indigent and vulnerable Nigerian people to cope with the cost of meeting basic needs.

The President explained that it would have a multiplier effect on about 60 million individuals.

He stated that to ascertain the credibility of the process, digital transfers would be made directly to beneficiaries accounts.

The President said, “Under the conditional cash transfer window of the programme, the Federal Government of Nigeria will transfer the sum of N8,000 a month to 12 million poor and low-income households for a period of six months with a multiplying effect on about 60 million beneficiaries”

Reacting to the development via a post on Twitter, Sani warned the proposed recipients of the N8,000 to pray before receiving it, as the 10,000 introduced by the previous administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari plunged people into deeper poverty.

According to him, “People who collected Buhari’s ‘jazzed’ 10k ended up in deeper poverty.Pray before you collect the next 8k.”

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration on Thursday declared a state of emergency on food security.

Naija News reports that this was made known during a media briefing by the President’s special adviser on special duties, communications and strategy, Dele Alake.

President Tinubu also identified measures to check food inflation and guarantee price stability.

The president’s plans were conveyed in a speech delivered by Dele Alake, his special adviser on special duties, communications and strategy.

Read the full text from the press briefing below:

TEXT OF MEDIA BRIEFING BY MR. DELE ALAKE, SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT ON SPECIAL DUTIES, COMMUNICATIONS AND STRATEGY ON THE DETAILS OF PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION ON FOOD SECURITY, FOOD PRICING & SUSTAINABILITY ON THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2023

Gentlemen of the press, I welcome you once again to this press conference to update the public on President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s immediate response to the current food inflation in the country.

As a hands-on- leader who follows developments across the country everyday, Mr. President is not unmindful of the rising cost of food and how it affects the citizens. While availability is not a problem, affordability has been a major issue to many Nigerians in all parts of the country. This has led a significant drop in demand thereby undermining the viability of the entire agriculture and food value chain.

Accordingly, in line with this administration’s position on ensuring that the most vulnerable are supported, Mr. President has declared, with immediate effect the following actions:

• That a state of emergency on food security be announced immediately, and

• That all matters pertaining to food & water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National Security Council.

As a direct and immediate response to this crisis, a number of initiatives will be deployed in the coming weeks to reverse this inflationary trend and guarantee future uninterrupted supplies of affordable foods to ordinary Nigerians.

As with most emergencies, there are immediate, medium- and long-term interventions and solutions.

In the immediate term, we intend to deploy some savings from the fuel subsidy removal into the Agricultural sector focusing on revamping the agricultural sector.

In an earlier meeting with Agriculture Stakeholders (today), we drafted a memorandum of partnership between the government and the individual stakeholder representatives that encompasses the decisions taken and actions proposed from our engagements.

The immediate intervention strategies are as follows:

1. We will immediately release fertilizers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.

2. There must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all-year round.

As a country, Mr. President has made it clear that we can no be comfortable with seasonal farming. We can no longer afford to have farming down times.

3. We shall create and support a National Commodity Board that will review and continuously assess food prices as well as maintain a strategic food reserve that will be used as a price stabilisation mechanism for critical grains and other food items.
Through this board, government will moderate spikes and dips in food prices.
To achieve this, we have the following stakeholders on board to support the intervention effort of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: The National Commodity Exchange (NCX), Seed Companies, National Seed Council and Research institutes, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, Food Processing/ Agric Processing associations, private sector holders & Prime Anchors, small holder farmers, crop associations and Fertilizer producers, blenders and suppliers associations to mention a few.

4. We will engage our security architecture to protect the farms and the farmers so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks.

5. The Central Bank will continue to play a major role of funding the agricultural value chain.

6. Activation of land banks. There is currently 500,000 hectares of already mapped land that will be used to increase availability of arable land for farming which will immediately impact food output.

– Mechanization and land clearing- The government will also collaborate with mechanization companies to clear more forests & make them available for farming

7. River basins- there are currently 11 rivers basins that will ensure planting of crops during the dry season with irrigation schemes that will guarantee continuous farming production all year round, to stem the seasonal glut and scarcity that we usually experience.

8. We will deploy concessionary capital/funding to the sector especially towards fertilizer, processing, mechanization, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, labour, etc.
The concessionary funds will ensure food is always available and affordable thereby having a direct impact on Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI). This administration is focused on ensuring the HCI numbers, which currently ranks as the 3rd lowest in the world, are improved for increased productivity.

9. Transportation and Storage: The cost of transporting Agricultural products has been a major challenge (due to permits, toll gates, and other associated costs). When the costs of moving farm produce is significantly impacted- it will immediately be passed to the consumers, which will affect the price of food- the government will explore other means of transportation including rail and water transport, to reduce freight costs and in turn impact the food prices.

As for storage, existing warehouses and tanks will be revamped to cut waste & ensure efficient preservation of food items.

10. We will Increase revenue from food and agricultural exports. As we ensure there is sufficient, affordable food for the populace, we will concurrently work on stimulating the export capacity of the Agric sector.

11. Trade Facilitation: Transportation, storage and export will be improved by working with the Nigerian Customs, who have assured us that the bottlenecks experienced in exporting and importing food items as well as intra-city transportation through tolling will be removed.

These are some of the immediate interventions this government will put in place to tackle this crisis.
Principally, one of the major positive outcomes of these interventions will be a massive boost in employment and job creation.

Indeed, agriculture already accounts for about 35.21 percent of employment in Nigeria (as at 2021), the target is to double this percentage to about 70% in the long term.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to create jobs for our teeming youth population will be achieved with between 5 to 10 million more jobs created within the value chain, working with the current 500,000 hectares of arable land and the several hundreds of thousands more farmlands to be developed in the medium term.

In closing, this administration understands that food and water are the bedrock of survival and therefore is calling on all Nigerians to partner us in ensuring the success of this strategic intervention. This administration is working assiduously to ensure that Nigerians do not struggle with their essential needs.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wishes to use this medium to continue to assure Nigerians that this administration will not relent in its efforts until all strategic interventions are deployed efficiently and effectively and until every household is positively impacted. Our president is the president of all Nigerians and the father of the nation. The renewed hope mandate remains alive and no one, absolutely no one, will be left behind.

I thank you all.

Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, firmly believes that the secondary school football teams of the 1980s would triumph over the present-day Super Eagles if they were to meet on the pitch, The PUNCH reports.

The Nigeria senior team has only won four of their nine games under new manager Jose Peseiro, losing the remaining five, with the side scoring 18 goals and conceding 15.

Perhaps, the recent results may have influenced Onyema’s assertion.

“Those days used to be very tough. In fact, secondary school games in those days used to be tough. I remember when I played for Government College, Ughelli, they even killed one of our school boys in Agbarho (Delta State). It used to be tough in those days,” Onyema told The PUNCH.

“Let me tell you, secondary school teams in the 70s will beat our national team of today. The present national team will be nowhere near the secondary school teams of yesteryear. I’m not talking about clubs, those days, secondary school teams were unlike these days,” he said.

“Today, secondary schools are now in two-storey buildings, no compound, no playground. Everybody is protective of their child, nobody allows the child to go out again to experience the street life,” Onyema added.

He advocated for the use of football as a means to generate employment opportunities and called on the government to prioritise sports.

“We should use football to create jobs. I call on this government to look into sports, if they can invest in it and make the place safe for people to go and recreate on weekends, we will bring back that followership. It will still happen again,” the entrepreneur said.

Contrary to a widespread belief, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has stated that its e-Naira was not introduced to compete with digital cash services of commercial banks.

Speaking yesterday at an e-Naira sensitization forum on the campus of the University of Abuja, Mr. Joseph Angaye, a Deputy Director of CBN stated: “e-Naira is not to replace the naira, it’s not to replace the existing payment system infrastructure we already have.

“It was introduced to deepen the financial system, especially the payment system, to address some challenges we saw in the payment system infrastructure and to complement what we already have.

“We are not introducing it to be a competitor to what the banks are doing or other service providers but to provide a platform they can leverage to provide more effective service am sure some of us have been experiencing some challenges from time to time using the payment system but e-Naira will help to promote financial inclusion, reduce congestion in the infrastructure so we are not brought down by downtime registering the number of interfaces that it takes to initiate and complete transaction and giving opportunity to provide additional services that are not even available in the Nigeria system like facilitating payment even when there’s no network.”

Meanwhile, Angaye informed that the apex bank was on the campus of the university as part of the bank’s efforts to promote the eNaira adoption in tertiary institutions across the nation and foster an environment where it would be the preferred option in transactions.

Mr. Angaye said, “Recently we have been engaging with number of universities, actually we should have started from Abuja we’ve been to virtually all the geo political zones of the country to talk to them about eNaira and to partner with them to ensure that eNaira is adopted as a means of financial transactions especially for revenues collection as we as payment”.

He added, “eNaira has really evolved from the inauguration of the eNaira by the former president almost two years ago, we’ve achieved a number of milestones, there have been further developments in terms of improving the functionality based on feedback we have been getting from various stakeholders”.

Prof. Aisha Maikudi, a Deputy Vice Chancellor of UniAbuja said that the university was ready to partner with the CBN to educate the students and other Nigerians on the initiative.

Former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will on Friday meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Naija News recalls that both men, former Lagos State Governors, met at the state reception organized for Tinubu by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on June 29.

Tinubu publicly acknowledged Ambode’s presence, saying,“ I’m glad to see Ambode. Thank you Akin!” during the meeting.

According to Western Post, the meeting at the Presidential Villa is believed to be the final reconciliation between both men after they reportedly fell out over Ambode’s inability to get a second-term ticket in 2019.

It was gathered that Tinubu is reportedly considering Ambode for an appointment in his government, with the Friday meeting believed to be an avenue to conclude discussions on that.

Ambode who was then Lagos governor lost the ticket of the All Progressives Congress to Sanwo-Olu in a direct primary election conducted across the state.

While Tinubu publicly insisted he had nothing against Ambode as the decision to remove him was that of the party members, many believed that the then governor’s failure to get the ticket of the APC was as a result of his falling out with his erstwhile mentor and political godfather.

Recall that Ambode’s reconciliation with Tinubu and return to mainstream politics was initiated by Governor Sanwo-Olu during a visit to the home of his predecessor.

A fine of N120 million has been slammed on Stanbic-IBTC Bank by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja over two failed transactions by the bank.

Naija News understands that a bank customer identified as Clement Osuya had dragged the bank to court over its failure to complete transactions from his IBTC account to that of his Access on two different occasions.

In his narration to the tribunal, the claimant, Osuye, said on two occasions, one on September 8, 2022, he filled out a form under the NIS Instant Payment option for a transfer of the sum of N500,000 to his Access Bank account, but on both instances, while the money was debited from his IBTC account, his Access account wasn’t credited.

According to him, in the first instance, the money was reversed back into his IBTC account within 24 hours, while on the second occasion, it was changed after 72 hours.

Osuye, however, holds that due to the failed transactions by the bank, of which the money was meant for his children’s school fees, he was traumatised, embarrassed, humiliated, and was forced to access a loan to offset the fees.

The tribunal’s judgment of two to one slammed a fine of N120 million on Stanbic-IBTC Bank—the money to be paid into the tribunal’s remitta account.

The lead judgment delivered by Hon. Sola Salako-Ajulo also ordered the bank to pay the claimant, Mr. Clement Osuya, the sum of N1 million as the cost of filing the action.

Reading out its judgment, the tribunal convicted the bank for contravening the provisions of Section 130(1)(a) of the FCCP Act, 2018 and Section 5(2)(8) and (9) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Regulation on Instant Interbank Electronic Transfers.

The tribunal said the fine was imposed due to the bank’s failure to comply with the 10 minutes or, at most, a one-hour mandatory timeline for failed transfers to be reversed as provided by Sections 154 and 155 of the FCCP Act, 2018.

Salako-Ajulo said, “The tribunal holds that in as much as the defendant (IBTC) failed to comply with the two instructions of the claimant to transfer the sums of N500,000 to another account in Access Bank, as no transfer took place at both times, defines that the defendant breached the banker-customer contractual relationship between the two parties.”

However, the tribunal refused to award the sum of N5 million to Osuya as compensation because he failed to prove any injury he suffered as a result of the failure of service delivery by the bank.

Meanwhile, while Hon. Ibrahim Yakubu agreed with the verdict of Salako-Ajulo, the tribunal’s presiding judge, Hon. Chuma Mbonu, disagreed and gave a minority judgment.

The presiding judge, in his minority judgment, held that the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the petition; instead, it has the powers of appellate jurisdiction and not of original jurisdiction. Therefore dismissed, the suit for lacking merit.

While counsel to the claimant, Ms. Deborah Solomon, applauded the tribunal for the well-served judgment, counsel to Stanbic-IBTC Bank, Marcel Osigbemhe, asked how his client could be convicted when no charges were brought against it.

Osigbemhe, who was not happy about the judgment, blamed the failure of the transaction on the third-party NIPS service.