In the last couple of years, nothing has elicited as much consensus among Nigerians as to remove our famous fuel subsidy. It was officially scheduled to go by June 30, 2023, that is, exactly one month after the inauguration of a new administration.

A few people might have imagined that because of the huge implications of fuel subsidy removal, its implementation might stretch a little later than the end of June 2023. It was also obvious that except a well-thought-out modality for handling the subject was first put in place, the confusion that would follow a half-baked procedure would be too much to contain.

Consequently, no one expected that the removal could be fast-forwarded through the instrumentality of a short sentence until it was suddenly done some 30 days ahead of schedule. The simultaneous clumsy communication of ‘subsidy is gone’ and that it is not with immediate effect while a circular on increase in prices was already in the public domain disorganized all and sundry.

In Nigeria, fuel subsidy removal could rear many contentious issues. First, of the many subsidies in different sectors of the country; is it the one on fuel that is the most problematic? Second, Nigeria is a poor country, will fuel subsidy removal halt the nation’s poverty?

Third, will the removal of fuel subsidy bring to an end, oil theft which has remained a major challenge to Nigeria’s economic growth? If these questions are appropriately interrogated, our fixation on fuel subsidy removal may pro- duce a moderated perspective that would enable us to observe that as negative as fuel subsidy has become, many people especially the poor are convinced that it is not necessarily the first and the most urgent to go. One obvious reason why it has been difficult to convince such people about the desirability of fuel subsidy removal is that statements on the subject by successive governments had been largely sincere.

Indeed, messages on fuel subsidy removal had been allowed to create a stereo-type of new singers who are permanently singing an old chorus. It has always been a cat and rat game between government and the organized labour in which government was always reneging on virtually all its promises on palliatives and in- vestments on infrastructure. In 2004 for example, it was agreed that every state would receive a grant of N100million from the federal government, to which each state was to add N200 million to flood all our cities with buses. It didn’t happen despite the aggressiveness of the labour leaders of those days who usual- ly shunned court orders stopping them from strikes. As a result, government assurances were never believed. In view of this trust deficit, it was difficult to convince the average Nige- rian that the removal of subsidy was not ‘a 419’ arrangement. The situation of lack of faith in government has not changed notwithstanding that there is hardly any option now that there is no budget to fund subsidy.

In addition, Nigerians seem to believe that the much-talked-about fuel subsidy does not really exist more so as the supposed recipients have always remained anonymous thereby reverberating the public perception that the subsidy narrative was a scam. There is in fact the story that apart from the version of officials of the foreign oil companies, Nigerians do not really know how much oil is produced and how much is lifted daily in their country. It is generally believed that after several years of oil business, oil monitoring equipment and allied facilities in the country were not and are still not controlled by Nigerians. So, why should people trust government?

Another reason why many people particularly the masses will still be hard to persuade that fuel subsidy, perhaps the only privilege of the masses should go is the failure of the proponents of the diagnosis to lead by example. Nothing in Nige- ria’s reported economic challenges shows that our leaders are denying themselves any of their own humungous privileges. The big man still maintains at public expense, a visibly unrealistic retinue of vehicles in his convoy. How is his previous budget able to cover the new reality of huge cost of fuelling official cars? We are hearing nothing about a cut in office entertainment, and other flamboyant expenditures like foreign trips. The Mur- tala/Obasanjo military government acted differently in the 70s by limiting their own official cars to Peugeot 504 to prepare everyone for pruning down official expenditures dictated by the challenges of their time.

Today’s top office holders in Nigeria especially federal legislators still earn millions of naira (they always deny) along with allowances attached to every item such as newspaper allowance that is higher than the salary of a Director in the public service. A typical former state governor earns at retirement, remuneration higher than he got while in office. Yet, many states al- ways claimed they didn’t have enough resources to pay the scanty minimum wage of the poor.

Of course, the narrative is not only irrational, it is wicked to argue that a rise in the prices of petroleum products which would necessarily raise the cost of transportation should be tolerated in the interest of the nation. Certainly, for charity to begin at home, it makes more sense to first remove the numerous privileges of our leaders. If government is pretending to be unaware of such subsidies of the rich that should be removed without hesitation, they should listen to the irrepressible Femi Falana who the other day listed 21 of such elite subsidies.

The point being made is that at this juncture of Nigeria’s development, the mismanagement of our re- sources has brought us to a level where subsidies that can crumble the nation must go. One of such subsidies is the one on fuel; so, it is time for it to go. But the subsidies of the rich must not be retained because it is only that group that benefits from them unlike the one on fuel which benefits all.

Bearing in mind that many poor citizens may not survive an end to subsidy, visible and tangible efforts ought to be made to assist the poor to withstand the resultant harsh realities. The old narrative of merely politicizing the subject must end. In this regard, different segments in society have roles to play which some are already commendably performing.

A few examples would suffice here. First, in the face of the uproar over the removal of fuel subsidy, a group of bus drivers at a meeting in Lagos quickly resolved to ensure that passengers would not witness astronomical increases in bus fares in their areas of operations. Second, the University of Jos, immediately approved the deployment of shuttle buses to transport staff and students to and from the University campuses. Third, two state governments, Kwara and Edo decided to reduce workdays for the workforce in their states to lessen the impact of the subsidy re- moval on their earnings. While ensuring that reduced hours of work do not adversely affect productivity, the federal government should emulate these gestures and improve the welfare of workers by deploying the gains of the fuel subsidy removal policy to investment in infrastructure and mass transportation to show that the aim of removing the subsidy was not to hurt workers and citizens. Government must bend backward to convince the people that the policy would better position her to ensure greater development of society.

To this end, public communication organs such as the National Orientation Agency should be equipped to sensitize the public on the gains of fuel subsidy removal. For instance, one of the hidden truths of the removal is that it is the best way of cutting off the invisible cartels that corrupt the system to siphon public funds into private pockets.

History has shown that it is such massive public enlightenment programmes that persuasively convert citizens into advocates of zero fuel subsidy for huge development of society. The only monster that remains to be tackled headlong is oil theft. The reality is that the mere fact that our oil would no long- er be cheap as before would not on its own stop oil theft. If that issue is not ad- dressed, greedy citizens with the collusion of law enforcement agencies could still quite often have a free day.

On several occasions, I had cautioned then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria GODWIN EMEFIELE at the peak of his glory when he started seeing himself as a politician and even attempted a misadventure by clandestinely making a Presidential bid. I knew he was heading to Golgotha. Now, as I envisaged, the cookies have crumbled.

Unlike those gloating over his tragic fall from grace, I will urge that he must not be treated like a victim of political vendetta. His rights must be fully respected and guaranteed under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On this special day of the 30th anniversary of June 12, no attempt should be made to install a civilian dictatorship in our beloved country. EMEFIELE has served his country in good and bad times. Like all mortals, he must have displayed his foibles and egocentricities at some point but that cannot be enough reason to treat him summarily like a certified criminal when he's not been tried...

He should not be humiliated ahead of any intended probe or trial...

With just three days to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that President Bola Tinubu and the NWC of APC are in support of the emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President in order to engender diversity, unity and stability of the polity. Speaking at a dinner organized by the Stability Group, the campaign platform of Senator Akpabio, Saturday evening at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, the VP stated that by zoning the Senate Presidency to the South-South zone, the party wanted to ensure that the top echelon of the government of the federation was diverse and inclusive, without compromising competence and capacity. ‘’Senator Akpabio is very competent and he has the capacity to lead the 10th National Assembly. At the same time, he is from a very important zone and he is also a man of Christian faith. So, in line with the Constitution of our country, and in conformity with the plurality of our union, the party and in deed, the President, thought it fit to support him’’, the VP said, emphasizing that these were the same sentiments he expressed earlier in the day at the valedictory session of the 9th Senate.

The dinner was organized in appreciation of all the senators who have shown support for Senator Akpabio and Senator Jibrin Barau. The two have been endorsed by President Tinubu as the next Senate President and Deputy Senate President. The Vice President, who was the special guest of honour at the dinner, said that since the President and the Vice President are Muslims, APC is careful not to present itself as a one-religion party, and that is why the party is supporting Akpabio. At a personal level, Senator Shettima noted that he had taken steps to promote diversity. ‘’My CSO is an Igbo man who had worked with me when I was governor. He has been a dedicated and loyal officer, even in the heat of the Boko Haram attacks in Borno’’, the VP said, adding that his ADC is a Northern Christian. Senator Shettima also announced, to the pleasant surprise of the guests at the dinner, that he had been campaigning privately for Akpabio and Barau and that he was leaving the dinner early to visit with some senators who are yet to register their support.  

Other dignitaries at the dinner were Senator-elect Adams Oshiomhole; Senator-elect Dave Umahi; Senator Jibrin Barau and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. In his brief remarks, Oshiomhole, who is the Vice Chairman of the Stability Group, said the essence of politics is to promote collective interest, and that the Akpabio-Barau candidacy signifies the need for diversity of the government and stability of the federation. Engr Dave Umahi, the Chairman of the Group, said the three Senators from Ebonyi and most of the senators from the South East are in support of Akpabio and Barau. He reiterated the point that Akpabio has the capacity, competence and energy to lead the National Assembly. He noted that the dinner was organized to appreciate the over 67 senators who have written down and signed their names as supporters of Akpabio and Barau. Umahi thanked the party and the government for supporting the Akpabio-Barau ticket and promised that the duo will work to stabilize the country. ‘’Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, and so the character of our government must reflect this diversity’’, said Umahi.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in his own remarks said that even before he was appointed SGF, he had already identified with the ambition of Akpabio to be Senate President. He noted that his experience in the executive and legislative branches of government (he was governor for 8 years and senator for 12 years) has made him to appreciate the need to build a virile country where every part belongs.

Senator Akpabio himself was full of thanks to the party, the President, Vice President and all his colleagues for their support. He said that he is sure of the support of 80 senators when the vote is taken on Tuesday.

Human life is sacred. That is why society sets boundaries. That’s also why, no matter how great a hunter is, he cannot compare himself to the government, the ultimate hunter, which exercises the power of life and death on behalf of the people.

For centuries, humanity has wrestled with the question: at what stage can the life of a fellow human being be terminated? The question has always been resolved in favour of a system of checks and balances where every angle of the matter in question is rigorously considered. That was the understanding of earthlings like us until ‘outer space’ societies like the USA invented the right to execute a fellow citizen privately under the guise of self-defence.

In Florida, it is called the Stand Your Ground law.

How many dirges shall we chant for our 35-year-old daughter, Ajike AJ Shantrell Owens, the African American mother of four shot through a closed front door by her white neighbour while she was trying to recover an iPad taken from her child in front of their home in a housing complex, in Ocala, Florida, USA? AJ was killed in the presence of her 9-year-old son by her 58-year-old female neighbour who had complained several times about Owens’ children playing outdoors and had allegedly been hurling racial abuses at them. Neighbours say that the white woman had a history of harassing children.

Will this end up as just another statistic?

One distraught commentator says Christians of the evangelical hue are now being called upon to speak up whether the God they serve excludes black people from his reassurance in the Psalms which they quote with relish:

“For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. “(Ps. 39:13-16)

It took the whole of four days and massive outcry from the public for the authorities to arrest the killer, 58-year-old Susan Louise Lorincz.  Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace”. They carried signs saying: “Say her name Ajike Owens” and “It’s about us.”

As usual in America, the NRA gun lobby see nothing wrong in what Susan Lorincz has done. Although many of them describe themselves as Christians, they serve a white god who discriminates among his creatures. Their racist attitude is a carryover from the slavery days. Conservative whites felt they needed to be protected against their former slaves and therefore campaigned for the enactment of laws that permitted shooting under the guise of self defence. They owned the gun industry anyway; the more guns sold the better the business.

The Stand Your Ground Law has no greater defender than the NRA and conservative politicians.

The Florida Stand Your Ground Law is based on the “castle doctrine.” The idea is that an individual who is legally occupying a place—their home or car, for instance—has the right to use force if faced by an intruder or a threat in order to protect themselves. It’s an old idea that has been around for over 2000 years. When the early settlers crossed the Atlantic, they brought the idea with them.

In Florida, the Stand Your Ground law was enacted in 2005. State legislators felt that Florida’s self-defense laws weren’t doing enough to shield citizens who shoot others in self defence from prosecution. The law aims to protect individuals who discharge a firearm or otherwise harm another individual in their attempt to protect themselves when they believe they are under threat. Under the law, there is no duty to retreat.

Before the law was enacted, when a person was under threat and even afraid for their life, they had to take reasonable measures to remove themselves from the situation. This is called a “duty to retreat.” If the threat didn’t abate after that, then they could use force if necessary to protect themselves. It is claimed by protagonists that, by removing the duty to retreat, the Florida Stand Your Ground law would make it easier for Florida residents to protect themselves and their families. More than 30 states have now joined Florida in enacting their own version of Stand Your Ground law.

Some knowledgeable people had spoken out against the law even when it was in its formative stage. “It turns 250 years of jurisprudence on its head,” said Andrew Warren, a Florida State attorney. “The preliminary hearing already gave this additional protection to defendants claiming ‘stand your ground.’ Now we’re going several steps past that. It’s going to be much harder. There will be cases where the state cannot make the initial burden.”

The law has been linked to increases in homicide and violent behaviour. Notably, it has negatively impacted the ability to successfully prosecute cases in Florida. In 2012, a Tampa Bay Times investigation revealed that almost 70 percent of defendants who invoked the statute went free. A law professor at the University of Miami, Mary Anne Franks, described the law as “essentially stacking the deck repeatedly in favour of people shooting other people”.

The cold blooded murder of AJ brought to national recollection the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin  in Miami at the hands of a zealous neighbourhood watchman. The killing ignited a national outcry on issues of race and justice, inspiring social activism that paved the way for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Trayvon Benjamin Martin was a 17-year-old African-American from Miami Gardens, Florida. He was fatally shot in Sanford, Florida, by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old Hispanic American. Martin had accompanied his father to visit his father’s fiancée at her townhouse in Sanford. On the evening of February 26, Martin was walking back to the fiancée’s house from a nearby convenience store when Zimmerman, a member of the community watch, reported him to the Sanford Police as suspicious. An altercation ensued and Zimmerman fatally shot Martin in the chest.

Zimmerman was injured during the altercation. He said he shot Martin in self-defense. The police said there was no evidence to refute his claim of self-defense, and Florida’s stand-your-ground law prohibited them from arresting or charging him. After national media focused on the incident, Zimmerman was eventually charged and tried, but a jury acquitted him of second-degree murder and manslaughter in July 2013.

Rallies, marches, and protests were held across the United States to protest Martin’s murder. An online petition calling for a full investigation and prosecution of Zimmerman garnered 2.2 million signatures. The media coverage surrounding Martin’s death became the first story of 2012 to be featured more than the presidential race, which was underway at the time. A national debate about racial profiling and stand-your-ground laws ensued. The governor of Florida appointed a task force to examine the state’s self-defense laws. The name Trayvon was tweeted more than two million times in the 30 days following the shooting. He was buried in Dade-Memorial Park (North), in Miami. A memorial was dedicated to him at the Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum, a Black history museum in Sanford, in July 2013.

Trayvon’s death cast national scrutiny on Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law which has since become more robust and expanded by Republican lawmakers with support from gun rights advocates who argue that it makes the streets safer and over the objections of critics who say it only encourages “shoot first” vigilantism.

Many of us Africans viewing the American tragedy from thousands of miles away tend to agree with Democratic lawmakers  and gun control activists who have spoken out against the Stand Your Ground Law (understandably because our children are the usual victims). The lives of African Americans shouldn’t be reduced to two-a-cent.

“Shoot-first laws”, argues Shannon Watts, the founder of a gun-control advocacy group, “aren’t about standing your ground when threatened.” In her view, “They are about making murder legal, empowering people with racist or vigilante views to shoot first and ask questions later.” In terms of homicide rate per state, Florida with 2,087 deaths (9.7, per 100k) ranks number 19 in the US.

I pray for you, America. May the Nigerian-American, Ajike AJ Shantrell Owens, find peace in paradise where the colour of her skin will not make her legit game in the cross hairs of a racist’s target shooting.

Barely 48 hours to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, top contenders for principal offices of the federal legislature have intensified campaigns against the preferred candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) .

This is in utter disdain to the appeal by President Bola Tinubu to the APC aspirants in the leadership race of both chambers to support the candidates endorsed by the governing party.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered yesterday that the opposing camps in both chambers continued their push for the top seats, setting the stage for an intense race for the position.

The Senate, it was learnt, remained divided between the Democratic and Stability groups who are still pushing to ensure one in their camps emerges chairman of the National Assembly.

In the House of Representatives, the aggrieved G-6 aspirants are poised to unveil their consensus candidate in opposition to the APC’s preferred candidate.

But intrigues surrounding the contest for the top legislative seats took a twist yesterday as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged plot to arrest members who are opposed to the APC’s zoning arrangement.

This comes as Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the lawmakers-elect to place the interest of the nation above personal interests, as they choose their National Assembly leadership, stressing that the nation’s stability should be utmost on their minds as they convene on Tuesday.

It would be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had zoned the Senate president position to the South-South, specifically endorsing former Niger Delta minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as its candidate for Senate president position, with Senator Barau Jibrin from the North West as his anointed deputy.

In the House of Representatives, the Speaker position was zoned to the North West, with Hon Tajudeen Abbas as the preferred candidate, and Hon Benjamin Kalu from the South East as his deputy.

In the Senate former Zamfara governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; former Abia State governor, Orji Uzo Kalu, and Senator Osita Izunaso are strongly opposed the party’s choice, while the G-6 aggrieved aspirants have also disagreed with the party in the House of Representatives.

There has been a raging opposition to the party’s zoning arrangement with particular emphasis that two presiding officers in the National Assembly cannot emerge from one geopolitical zone.

Tinubu had on Thursday night at a meeting with National Assembly members-elect insisted that the choice of Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin for Senate president and deputy Senate president, as well as Abbas and Kalu for Speaker and deputy Speaker stands.

But as the Tuesday June 13 inauguration of the 10th Assembly inches closer, the G-6 members have remained adamant.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the group which comprises the out gone deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, Muktar Betara (Borno), Aminu Sani Jaji (Zamfara),Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Plateau), Miriam Onuoha (Imo) and Sada Soli (Katsina) were to meet Saturday night in Abuja to field one of them for the race.

A source told our correspondent yesterday that one of the plans on the staple of the power cabals is to change the venue of the inauguration at the last minute, thereby causing chaos and confusion.

“The reason they have perfected giving to the public is that the NASS complex is under renovation and that it will be dangerous to allow a huge crowd in there. We are already aware too that the likely venues being proposed secretly are the State House Banquet or the International Conference Centre.

“We are aware of all these, including the fact that Yari, Kalu, Betara and Wase have been placed on surveillance for over three weeks by the DSS and even the EFCC. Anything can happen, including that they’d be denied access to wherever the power cabals finally agree to use as an alternative venue,” the source who did not want his name in print said.

Another source close to the G-6 told this paper that the group is meeting this night in Abuja to decide on who will contest with Abbas on Tuesday.

“They have made up their minds. Even if any of them decides to back the anointed candidate, others will still feature some who will challenge that decision on the floor. The outcome of the meeting will be made public and a consensus candidate from G-6 will be unveiled,” the source said.

Wase and Betara were absent at President Tinubu’s meeting with the lawmakers from all political parties, while Jaji boycotted the parley with APC members-elect.

The deputy Speaker of the 9th House had said he would go ahead to contest for the speakership seat because it has been prophesied that he would become Speaker.

Meanwhile, a frontline member of the G-6 said he will soon make an official statement about his decision on the race for the Speaker of the 10th House.

The Plateau lawmaker, in a tweet on his official Twitter handle on yesterday said he was in talks with other aspirants on the way forward and will make an announcement as soon as consultations are concluded.

“Within the last 72 hours, have visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu three (3) times at the Presidential villa on one on one meetings that all together lasted for more than one hour.

“The discussions have to do with my ambition of becoming the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives and the Leadership issue of the 10th Assembly.

“I thank Mr. President for this honour and unique show of love to me and to the good people of Pankshin/Kanake/Kanam Federal Constituency.  I appeal to my supporters, Honorable Colleagues in particular to remain calm as I am in deep discussions and consultations with my fellow aspirants and some national leaders.  After all deliberations, an official statement will be issued in this regard. Thank you my father and Mr. President,” he said.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, said the outcome of power-play in the Senate would ultimately influence the result of the 10th Assembly Speakership race.

Ogene who is also spokesperson of the ‘Greater Majority’, a group comprising all opposition members- elect in the House maintained that they shelved their speakership ambition to prevent the APC from having a ready-made excuse for poor performance.

The lawmaker who stated this while speaking with select journalists in Abuja at the Weekend added that the endorsement of Hon Abass and Hon Kalu by the APC for Speaker and deputy was already a ‘fait accompli’.

Ogene said: “The outcome of the power-play in the Senate may ultimately influence, one way or another, the final outcome of the race.”

On why the Greater Majority dropped its speakership aspiration, he said, “Although the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria unambiguously directed, in Section 50(1)(b) that ‘Members of the House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among themselves,’ I suspect that most members of the Greater Majority simply decided to adorn the toga of statesmen and women by deciding not to put forward candidates for the Speaker and deputy Speaker positions.

“This stance, I envisage, was taken to prevent the ruling APC from having a ready-made excuse in the event where the administration does not leave up to expectations.

“So, essentially, it wasn’t a case of abandoning an opportunity to present a Speaker, but rather a patriotic decision by the Greater Majority to allow the incoming government to take off on a smooth sail.

“For an Abass who in one legislative cycle of four years sponsored a total of 74 bills – 22 of which received presidential assent – and Kalu, with over 40 Bills, both men, I dare say, appear to have fulfilled the conditions precedent for their emergence as Speaker and deputy Speaker.

“Indeed, for the Abass/Kalu, the inclusion of the South East in the equation is a major master stroke. Till date, no other speakership aspirant has offered the zone anything.

PDP Alleges Plot To Arrest Lawmakers-Elect Who Oppose Zoning

Meanwhile, the PDP yesterday raised the alarm over plots to arrest members-elect who are opposed to the preferred candidates of the APC.

The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, who accused some elements within the APC of being behind the plot, said the move is aimed at intimidating and harassing lawmakers-elect to choose the party’s candidate.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the PDP spokesman who decried attempts to undermine the independence of the legislature insisted that the members-elect in both houses must be allowed to elect their leadership.

Ologunagba urged the lawmaker-elect to remain steadfast in asserting their independence in the election of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He said, “Since the PDP made its position known, feelers from public discourse indicated that some elements in the APC have become agitated and resorted to plots to influence the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly outside the floor.

“Information at our disposal reveals attempts by such APC elements to intimidate, harass and threaten lawmakers-elect with the view to influencing the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly.

“Reports in the public space indicate plots to arrest individuals who are considered to be strong proponents of the independence of the legislature and the right of members-elect to elect their leadership.

“The PDP notes that the independence of the legislature is a prerequisite for a virile democracy and therefore insists that the members-elect in both houses must be allowed to elect their leadership.”

Meanwhile, as the campaign on who emerged as the next Senate President continue, South South Solidarity group has called on Nigerians especially the newly elected Senators to ensure that Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin are elected as the next Senate President and deputy.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, the Convener of the group, Peter Ikpen Ilefa, said the unity of Nigeria should be paramount.

“We, the critical stakeholders within the political space of the South-Southern Nigeria under the aegis of the South-South Solidarity Group have found it necessary to call on all Nigerians on the need to build a rock-solid foundation for the purposeful administration of our country under the new dawn in our body polity.

“We are here to inundate the nation on the imperatives of the emergence of the new leadership of the 10th national assembly and the focus here today as usual is to demonstrate our solidarity for the emergence of  distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio’s as the next Senate President of Nigeria and Sen Jibrin Barau as Deputy Senate President.”

Allow Senators To Elect Their Leaders, Northern Elders Insists

Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on all Nigerians to allow Senators-elect to elect who will lead them in the 10th assembly.

Chairman of the forum and former vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria, Prof Ango Abdullahi, advised that members-elect of the National Assembly should be left alone to elect its own leaders.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Abdullahi emphasised that the National Assembly is an independent body and no external force should meddle into its affairs.

He stated:  “Now we are at a point where the National Assembly is supposed to have leaders. Each chamber of the National Assembly is independent to decide how this should be done.

“But the basic foundation is the constitution of the country which stipulates very clearly that there would be such an institution and how it will be formed. As far as we know the Constitution should be strictly adhered to, by all concerned. All concerned here is the National Assembly, on deciding who would be the Senate President, the Speaker and other positions.

“The National Assembly is an autonomous body and decides its own leadership and mode of operation as long as it is within the context of the Constitution of this country. If we should advise people who care for this nation, the National Assembly members-elect should be left entirely alone to decide who their leaders would be.

“We like to appeal to our leaders, friends and associates in parties and government that this is honest advice and that the National Assembly should be free. This is the kind of democracy we require.

“The ruling party is not in charge of the National Assembly, the NASS is an independent body. The ruling party only has members in the National Assembly and they may direct them to do their biddings but they should also allow those who do not belong to the ruling party to also exercise their rights. Their rights include demand for the leadership of the NASS. I think this should be respected.”

He further warned against religious extremism, saying that there is no religious party in Nigeria and that every Nigerian has free will to interact in whatever part of society.

S’West Media Stakeholders Back S’East For Senate President

Meanwhile, a group of seasoned journalists, concerned media managers and veteran journalists under the aegis of the South West media stakeholders has advised the APC and other stakeholders to zone the Senate president to South West.

The group noted the need for a Southeasterner to become the Senate president is necessary to heal the wounds of the past.

They added that this will help to accommodate the interests and yearnings of the Igbo nation.

The group made these disclosures during a press conference held on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital and addressed by Mr. Kolawole Ilori, Founding Editor of Tell Magazine.

Ilori who was flanked with former Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo state council, Victor Oluwadamilare and Mrs Bose Oyewole, a former NAWOJ Chairperson in Oyo state, noted that as media practitioners, it is their duty to enjoin members of the 10th National Assembly to choose the right Senate President for the sake of Nigeria and democracy.

He added that for equity and fairness, the choice of a South Easterner is sine qua non.

He said that for good governance to endure in the country, the media must have a voice of its own in the scheme of things.

Ilori further explained that the leadership of the Senate has to be anchored by a sound Senator who has a high pedigree with an unblemished record.

Stressing that the best man for the job of Senate President at this time is Senator Osita Bonaventure Izunazo from Imo state, he added that the senator remains the most consistent and reliable party faithful over the years.

“For equity and fairness, the choice of a South Easterner, is sine qua non to healing the wounds of the past and genuinely accommodate the interests and yearnings of the Igbo nation. Izunaso’s choice will be the much-needed ‘Balm of Gilead’, to douse the general tension in the South East,” he noted.

Akpabio, Kalu Fail APC Integrity Test, Says APC Media Outfit

Meanwhile, a media outfit of the APC, the APC NewsOnline, has said two of the leading aspirants for the position of Senate president didn’t pass an Integrity Test conducted on them by the media organisation.

The APC NewsOnline, in a statement issued and released to the media in Abuja at the weekend, revealed that the duo of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu did not pass its integrity test.

The statement signed by the publisher of the multimedia outfit, Dr. Tom Ohikere, said the two senators “are unsuitable” for the esteemed position of Senate president.

Ohikere, a former two term commissioner of Information and Culture in Kogi State said the APC NewsOnline conducted the Integrity Test on only the aspirants from the South where it said, the media organization believed the Senate President should come from.

APC NewsOnline, which Dr Ohikere said was officially registered by the party and has been at the forefront of promoting the political activities and achievements of the party, consequently conducted the integrity test on the trio of Senator Godwilll Akpabio, Senator Orju Uzor Kalu, and Senator Osita Izunaso out of whom the online platform passed Senator Izunaso.

Out of the three contenders from the southern part of Nigeria, Ohikere, said only Senator Izunaso passed the APC Integrity Test.

Nation’s Stability Should Be Superior – Shetimma

Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the memories of what they have accomplished will not fade away.

He spoke during the valedictory session of the 9th Assembly at the National Assembly.

According to Shettima, the 9th Senate was not the end of the road for their members, adding that the Senators should ensure that no voice was inferior.

“Let us remember that our journey has just begun,” Kashim said, stating that they should continue to serve humanity.

“The stability of the nation is superior to the stability of your pockets on Tuesday,” Kashim Shettima told the lawmakers-elect, urging them to abide by the decision of the APC leadership.

On her part, wife of the president, Remi Tinubu, said she never knew she would get to the Senate even when a journalist had asked her why she can’t start from the House of Representatives.

“But in the end, I served three terms in the Senate. I contemplated retiring to serve my family because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifice.

“But over the years, we made a lot of friends. Nigeria is represented here and we came together, with the kind of people we had here, we have moved the country forward.

“Number 10 will give us double grace. This administration needs the support of the 10 assembly,” Remi said, urging the new Senators to ensure that they elect leaders that will help the present administration.

Also, the Senate chief whip, Orji Kalu, who is also vying for the office of the Senate president, has said that Nigeria has not been fair to him despite his contribution to nation building.

Kalu who shed tears during the valedictory session of the 9th Assembly at the National Assembly said people he gave transport fare to travel to Lagos are now living in wealth, while calling him a thief.

Kalu thanked the 9th Senate for standing by him during his difficult times, insisting that Nigeria has not been fair to him.

“When I had a problem, most of the Senators stood by me.  We went through a difficult period. Before I went into politics, I could buy anything I wanted. I am not a thief. People I gave transport money to Victoria Island (VI) are now in wealth and living as saints while I am being called a thief. This country is not fair to some of us. People who cannot explain their source of wealth are not thieves.

“I have factories in Lagos, Aba and Ota in Ogun State. They call me a thief,” Kalu said, as he broke down in tears during the valedictory session of the 9th assembly.

Even though the only order of the day in the order paper was the valedictory session, it marks the end of the 9th Senate.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that certificate of service, copies of legacy report and video clips were also shared to all the Senators

The rules of the Senate were suspended to invite some of their colleagues who were supposed to be part of the session, including Vice President Kashim Shettima; Uba Sani; APC deputy chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari; deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State; former deputy governor of Zamfara State, Mohammed Hassan, and first lady, Remi Tinubu.

In the Senate sitting arraignment, only principal officers are allowed to sit in the front row but the rules were suspended.

Speaking during the session, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege said he was chosen not because he was the most qualified to be the deputy Senate president, adding that it was a great privilege.

He said the finance Act, PIA and Electoral Act were landmark laws, even as he urged Senators-elect to give the present administration the maximum support.

[Leadership]

There will be an election for our bi-cameral National Assembly leadership on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. The two critical positions that seek to alter the balance of power in Nigeria are number three and four positions according to the National Order of Precedence – the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The President of the Senate is number three citizen because he will lawfully be the Chairman of the Joint Session of the National Assembly while the Speaker, number four citizen, will be the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Session of the National Assembly. So, who ever heads the Senate as its president is the presiding officer of the Legislature in Nigeria. And instead of building inter-party consensus on how to get the best chairman and deputy chairman of the joint session of the 10th Assembly, at the moment, Nigerian political leaders and the members-elect have to deal with an ancient grudge inherent in our ticklish national question. Where the president of the Senate and Speaker of the house come from have become the issue.

As I was saying here the other day, the president’s controversial Muslim-Muslim Ticket has hauled into the fray the same national question the federal character provision in the 1999 constitution is supposed to deal with. In other words, if the core North’s (north-west) candidate sails through for the senate president and speakership, the first five citizens of Nigeria would be Muslims since the first two (president and VP) and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) are Muslims, in this regard. And that will be deplored by a section of the faithful in the country just as it will be celebrated by another section that will regard the development as a conquest as a former governor from the same North West has been heard to have noted in a trending video evidence.

Ordinarily, that shouldn’t have been a subject of commentary for this kind of column in a significant country. We should be celebrating the dividends of an unbroken 24 years of democracy and democratisation and the change it has brought to Africa’s most populous nation and hope of the black race. Here we are, debating why particular sections of the country should produce even nincompoops as presiding officers of the National Assembly that will shape the destiny of Africa’s most significant country.

Anyway, today is another opportunity to join the groundswell of opinions to remind all members-elect and all the stakeholders who are involved in politicking and jostling for the National Assembly positions that federal characterisation of positions isn’t an excuse for recourse to election and selection of mediocrities and scoundrels for our National Assembly. Yes, it is our, not their National Assembly. Enough is enough, the world has been waiting for Nigeria to make democracy deliver development for its people. Indeed, the black people of the world have been waiting for Nigeria to allow democracy to blossom for the country to be a source of pride and confidence. The people of Nigeria have been waiting for Nigerian politicians and political leaders to nurture democracy and its processes to deliver some common good. And so because the Legislature is doubtless, the most important institution that can set the tone for processes that will trigger development through reform agenda to fight corruption, check executive and even judicial excesses and rascality, manage waste in the economy, according to our constitution, that body should not be led by mere men, who are just prominent but not significant in the country. Yes, Rick Warren, an iconic author and cleric, I have often quoted here says some people can be prominent but not significant just as some people can be significant without being prominent in the polity.

On October 17, 2021, I wrote here in an article titled, ‘2023: Let Good Aspirants Prepare For National Assembly.’ I had then noted the expediency of getting most of the presidential aspirants to leave the presidential race for National Assembly where they could also serve the country significantly. Here is an excerpt from the article:

‘…This power-to-the-people law (electoral law) has enabled me to call on all the good people who would like to contest presidential election to look before they leap this time. This is the executive summary of my submission here: let most of the presidential aspirants including governors, ministers, professionals and technocrats who think they are capable of serving Nigeria consider their strategy and platforms for the service of their country that is at the moment in a state of anomie. I would like all the powerful faces being listed by even the media not to be carried away by the prominence they freely get or procure from the media. They should consider first the feasibility and risks of their campaigns. Can those who have the resources or war chest to campaign mobilise enough votes to be president? They should note that oratory nurtured by intellectual power alone cannot give you presidential tickets on the platforms that can win presidential elections here. Let’s not speak in tongues to good people here:

Why can’t Professors Pat Utomi, Kingsley Moghalu, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, Mr. Peter Obi, Mr. Femi Falana, Fela Durotoye, Babagana Kingibe, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Professor Attahiru Jega, Abdullahi Ganduje, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd); Ibrahim Dankwabo, Chief Nyesom Wike, Abubakar Malami, Babatunde Fashola, and a host of other aspirants get set to be in National Assembly?

I think we should not lose these prominent people to the vagaries of presidential election aspiration alone. After all, only one of them will be elected president. Why can’t we take advantage of the new electoral law to serve Nigeria at the powerhouse of democracy? I mean here that the National Assembly is the most critical arm of government. It is the most significant training ground for leadership – just like president Joe Biden. Look at the significant impact of just one Senator from Abia State, Enyinnaya Abaribe whose legislative artistry exposed the shenanigan and peccadillo of the Senators who either voted against electronic transmission of results provisions or were deliberately absent when the vote was taken. The former deputy governor of Abia State has been one-man squad from the time he was elected to the Senate. If we have at least 40 strong voices such as Abaribe’s at the 109-member Senate, there would have been more robust legislative service and representation at the Senate. In the same vein, if we have even 50 hardworking, resourceful and research-oriented members of the 360-member House of Representatives, there would have been better service delivery even at the executive arm. The National Assembly has enormous powers to check executive excesses, fight corruption, curtail senseless borrowing for consumption if their membership foundation is strong and if they can elect their leaders freely at the inauguration of their session. Look at what the leadership of the current session of our bicameral legislature is delivering. Where in the world would presiding officers of the National Assembly proclaim to the people who elected them that they would accept without question whatever the president brings to them because they would be good for the nation?

My suggestion that most of our significant politicians and leaders who would like to serve the nation should begin from the National Assembly should not be seen an attempt to cast aspersion on their stature and knowledge power. The parliament is a citadel of representative democracy where policies through laws are made to serve common good. It is a place where appropriations or budgetary details are constructed in the language and data of development plans. If any democracy is on the brink as a result of executive excesses or mediocrity, the representatives of the people can rise up to the occasion to call the tyrannical executives to order. The U.S Congress saved their country from threat of tyranny in a bi-partisan mode early this year.

That is why most learned constitutional scholars agree that legislative power is, “the distinctive mark of a country’s sovereignty and the index of its status as an independent state…” And so if significant citizens begin to announce their readiness to get elected to the National Assembly, that will have a positive bandwagon effect as even skilled younger people with some political skills and ambition will begin to follow such footsteps and aspire to serve at State Assemblies and even Local Governments. Why should we continue to allow charlatans and never-do-wells to be in the National and State Assemblies where the majesty of democracy is supposed to be celebrated? Let’s, therefore, call on all who would like to serve the country in any capacity to begin to renew their minds: that you don’t have to be president or governor to serve your country. You can also serve significantly from your State or National Assembly…’ As I have also noted here before in another treatise on ‘Deconstructing our chaotic National Assembly,’ our 469 National Assembly members hardly care a hoot about their image before the people.

They would like to be addressed as Honourable Members and Distinguished Senators. They hardly reflect on the weight of their responsibility to the more than 200 million people they represent. From the way they carry on and speak, they don’t research on the needs of their constituents who perceive and call them ‘legislooters’ and lap dogs to the executive arm of government. They don’t know the implications of their tag as the First Estate of the Realm. They don’t believe that members of the public they serve have the right to know how much they earn. They have worked out a strange remuneration package that the economy of the country can’t cope with.  They are the most comfortable yet they receive ‘hardship allowances.’ What is worse, in their cocoon, the representatives of the people in Abuja hardly know that the people they represent know that they are not serious about the state of the nation at any time.

This is a reflection of poor leadership recruitment processes at the National Assembly at all times. This is a time to tell our representatives and leaders in Abuja and 36 state capitals that we the people are quite desperate to see development in our country. In our country, where we still grapple with basic needs, we continue to celebrate mediocrity and frivolities of our leaders.
Sixty-two years after independence, our elected leaders are still building classrooms, providing school chairs, boreholes, school uniforms and commission them with fanfare.

History shows us that tumultuous times bring change, but we have heard for too long that our change variant is a gradual process. Even as we wait for the dividends, we can interrogate some of the institutions that are designed by law to help the change process. Certainly, one institution that actually symbolises functional democracy is the legislature. That is why the election of National Assembly leaders in Abuja on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 should not be sold to bigots and sycophants who will condone executive inertia, laziness, and recklessness again. Doubtless, the leadership of the National and State Assemblies should be strong enough to protect the power, independence and relevance of that remarkable institution of democracy.

For 12 years, insecurity has been the bane of Nigeria. Since the symbolic bombing of the police headquarters in June 2011 and the UN building a few weeks later by Boko Haram insurgents, the problem has degenerated into an existential threat that has swept across the North East, turning the region into killing fields and displacing millions of people.

Despite the government’s effort to curb the problem, there has not been a respite, as other non-state actors such as ISWAP, killer herdsmen, cultists, unknown gunmen and bandits joined the fray, unleashing bloodletting on the country.

As of today, no part of the country is safe from kidnapping, and no day will pass without the sad news of killing. The South-East region, which had previously enjoyed relative security, is ravaged by the so-called “unknown gunmen” that continually unleash mayhem sporadically across states.

There is no further evidence that Nigeria is at war with itself than the disturbing fact that various military operations are going on across the country.

The failure to tame insecurity has become an albatross hanging on the necks of successive governments. In retrospect, it was what led to the electoral defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan, whose opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, campaigned vigorously on ending the insecurity siege.

Sadly, as he bowed out of office on May 29, 2023, life turned full circle, and Buhari’s biggest failure was still insecurity, despite spending over N5 trillion on defence.

The day he handed over the reins of power and returned to his hometown of Daura, the country was not any safer than it was eight years ago.

Therefore, the biggest expectation of Nigerians from the new administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the assurance of safety and security for the citizenry.

However, the first 12 days of the new government were fraught with the same old problem of insecurity, with no less than 170 Nigerians killed in various attacks and more than 160 kidnapped.

At least 50 people died in Sokoto, 49 in Zamfara, 40 in Benue, 17 in Rivers, six in Katsina, three in Plateau, two each in Kaduna, Ogun, Delta, and Oyo, while Ondo and Lagos states recorded one death each.

Some of the worst killings were recorded in Zamfara State, where over 31 villagers were slain in Janbako and Sakida villages of Maradun Local Government Area on June 3 by armed men suspected to be bandits.

Benue also recorded heavy casualties on the same day, when over 25 people were reportedly killed in an attack by unknown gunmen at Imande Mbakange and other neighbouring communities in Mbacher Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.

Sokoto State was also among the worst-hit states of the week, with 50 people reported killed in cold blood across two local governments by gunmen suspected to be bandits.

The spate of killings has become worrisome for Nigerians, leading to pessimism that the problem will not end anytime soon.

Speaking with DAILY POST, the President of the Eagle Crime Awareness Prevention Initiative, ECAPI, Samuel Eniola Adam, said the solution to the problem requires that citizens work in concert with the government to fight crimes.

He ascribed the failure to curb the problem thus far to the lack of credible intelligence, which in turn, he avowed, is due to the poor relationships between Nigerians and law enforcement agencies.

According to him: “Security is everybody’s business. What is the strength of the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria? We can’t put the blame entirely on security agents. We have to be part of the security―ourselves and our families have to be part of the security. Curbing crime in our society is a collective job. Many people fail to have a good understanding of law enforcement, and this is why we are having challenges.”

He avowed that security operatives are not magicians, stressing that “we in society know these bad guys, but we compromise with the criminals all because we are scared of being arrested if we report crimes to law enforcement agencies.”

He said further: “We don’t have good rapport with the security agents. I’m calling on Nigerians to be open to security operatives. You and your family members should be close to law enforcement, and then we will have a very peaceful society.

“If you ask those residents what their DPO’s number is, they cannot provide it; they don’t have contact with the police commissioner. This is where we are having issues. It is not about the law enforcement agencies.”

He summed up his position thus: “It is not the government’s problem; it is our problem, and we are the ones that can solve it.”

Security columnist Ben Okezie, in his contribution, dismissed the insinuation that the recent spate of killings across the country was orchestrated to frustrate the current administration.

“It is the same attack that has been going on; nothing is new,” he affirmed.

According to Okezie: “President Bola Tinubu needs to rejig the security system. And I think that is what he is already doing because he has already called the security chiefs and told them what he expects to see soon.

“I believe he is currently watching their performances before making some changes to bring in more vibrant and capable people that can handle the situation.”

He, on the other hand, argued that curbing the menace is in the hands of security agencies.

“I have always been advocating that whenever attacks happen, hold the security chief in that jurisdiction responsible. For instance, if there is an attack in Kubwa, the government should go straight to those in charge of security in that area; the security personnel in charge of the area should know when bad people are coming in and what is going on in that immediate community. They should be held responsible for any incident,” he stated.

Okezie expatiated further: “For instance, when you hold a Commissioner of Police responsible for an attack, he will also hold the Area Commander responsible, and he will [in turn] also hold the DPO responsible.

“By the time you are not satisfied with their efforts, you can sack them. By doing that, you will see that many of them will sit up. But in a situation where you are not punishing anybody despite whatever attack that occurs, people will keep dying.”

In the meantime, Nigerians have been watching every move of the new president, and many are optimistic that he will solve the problem.

In his inauguration speech, the president declared that “security shall be a top priority of our administration.”

Another encouraging gesture from him was his recent meeting with the security chiefs, during which he tasked them with coming up with a new template for the country’s security architecture.

Many, however, believed he has not matched rhetoric with action because of his failure to appoint the National Security Adviser (NSA), which they believed should be among his first few appointments.

Presently, there are speculations that former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, is favoured for the position, but Nigerians from all walks of life have faulted it, with various theories advanced as to why he will be a square peg in a round hole.

While most Nigerians are not mentioning names, they prefer the President to appoint someone with a military background who could bring experience and the required acumen to coordinate the fight against insecurity and put an end to the nightmare.

Other names being mentioned as candidates for the NSA include retired generals AbdulRahman Dambazau, a former Minister of Interior, and Mohamed Buba Marwa, the present Chairman and CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

For now, the killing of Nigerians by various criminal elements goes on unabated, and the new government has yet to show any seriousness in tackling the problem beyond rhetoric.

[DailyPost]

New details have emerged about how President Bola Tinubu endorsed the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for the senate presidency.

Close sources that spoke with Punch revealed that this agreement was settled a day before the All Progressives Congress’s presidential primary.

In the meeting leading up to the primary, which took place in Abuja from June 6 to 8, 2022, Tinubu reportedly asked Akpabio to step down in his favour.

“Tinubu said if the former governor would agree, it would send a positive signal to the audience and other aspirants since he (Akpabio) would be the first aspirant to be invited to the podium to speak,” said one source.

Responding to Akpabio’s concern about his future prospects, Tinubu assured him that he would be supported in becoming the President of the Senate.

The source added, “Asiwaju (Tinubu) assured him that he would be supported to emerge as the President of the Senate. As they were speaking, an influential woman (name withheld) also came in. That was how the deal was sealed.”

Outgoing Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who sought Akpabio’s support during the primary, was allegedly turned down by the latter, with Akpabio citing his commitment to Tinubu.

It’s rumoured that this incident has strained the relationship between Akpabio and Lawan, leading to accusations of misconduct against Akpabio during his time as Minister of Niger Delta.

The tension is exacerbated by Akpabio’s controversial revelation in July 2020 that some contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission were given to federal legislators, a statement he was reportedly asked not to disclose by the chairman of the probe panel.

The Department of State Services is likely to approach the court on Tuesday to obtain an order to keep the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in its custody for as long as his interrogation will last.

A source in the DSS confided in one of our correspondents that the secret police would likely approach the court to obtain an order to detain the suspended CBN boss for an indefinite period to allow for unfettered interrogation.

President Bola Tinubu had on Friday suspended Emefiele from office with immediate effect.

This was sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy, according to a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey.

According to the statement, Emefiele was directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Mr Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, who will act as the CBN governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms.

 The suspended apex bank boss was arrested in Lagos on Saturday by DSS operatives and flown to Abuja in a private jet.

A viral video showed the suspended apex bank boss driven to the tarmac in an unmarked Hilux van accompanied by security agents. After disembarking from the vehicle, he was escorted into a waiting plane where security operatives were waiting to receive him. One of the operatives, who closely followed Emefiele, had in his hands a pair of handcuffs.

The source stated, “He (Emefiele) is going to be with us for some time. We may obtain a court order to further detain him. The previous charges against him are there and further investigations may add to that. You know that he is a big man, and we have to make sure that the loose ends are tightened before we take him to court.

“Recall that we were looking for him before his suspension. Now that we have him, we will hear from him; hear what he has to say on those issues we have highlighted before.”

The source added that the DSS had assembled a team of crack interrogators to quiz Emefiele on wide ranging issues, including alleged terrorism financing and mismanagement of the economy and the apex bank.

“We have a team of interrogators, who are going to quiz and obtain statements from him. We won’t bungle our case. But honestly, Nigerians need to know what happened and why we were looking for him the other time,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Emefiele’s arrest is a precursor to the imminent purge of the top echelon of the apex bank, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.

It was gathered on Saturday that other top directors of the CBN would be interrogated in the coming weeks as part of a comprehensive probe of Emefiele’s administration as directed by the President.

Dependable sources said the secret police would likely go after senior officials in the procurement department of the CBN as well as special advisers to the embattled governor.

A source stated, “One of those under the radar of the DSS is a special adviser to the CBN governor.

“He retired from the CBN in 2021 as a director but was retained by Emefiele as a special adviser. He is believed to have an inside knowledge of all the actions taken by Emefiele.

“Other subjects of interest are senior officials and directors in the procurement department. The fact is that many top directors will be invited or arrested for questioning in the weeks ahead.”

One of our correspondents learnt that Emefiele, his aides and other top directors would be grilled on a number of issues relating to loans worth billions of naira given to farmers under the Fadama scheme, which were believed to have been marred by fraud; the controversial sale of Polaris Bank, which was also allegedly fraught with irregularities; alleged financing of the Indigenous People of Biafra by the suspended CBN boss, and other allegations bordering on forex fraud.

The CBN chiefs are also expected to answer tough questions on the apex bank’s fiscal policies, including the handling of the naira redesign policy, which led to the scarcity of naira notes and caused a nationwide economic crisis, resulting in riots, attacks on banks and death of some citizens.

“Their level of complicity will determine if they will retain their jobs or face prosecution at the end of investigation,” another source stated.

Earlier on Saturday, the spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunaya, confirmed that the suspended CBN governor was in the custody of the agency and would undergo interrogation.

He said in a statement, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons.

“The public, particularly the media, is enjoined to apply utmost caution in the reportage and narratives concerning this.”

This was a follow-up to an earlier statement by Afunaya in which he said Emefiele was not yet in the custody of the secret police.

Home, office deserted

Indications also emerged on Saturday that the DSS might conduct a search on the residence and office of the suspended apex bank governor as part of its investigation.

Another source in the secret police said, “He (Emefiele) has been on the watch list of the service for long, now that he has been arrested, he will be spending the night in custody at our headquarters and may not be released anytime soon. There is also the likelihood of his residence and office being searched in furtherance of the service’s investigation.”

Sunday PUNCH reports that the DSS had been on the trail of the suspended CBN governor and had even approached a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to arrest him.

But Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.

Among allegations levied against the embattled CBN governor by the DSS are terrorism financing, mismanagement of Nigeria’s social investment programme and the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme, among others.

Meanwhile, the residence of the suspended CBN boss in the Maitama area of the FCT was deserted on Saturday.

Our correspondents, who were there from noon till around 3pm, did not observe the presence of security operatives around his residence. Also, no movement of persons or vehicles was observed in the compound.

At the CBN headquarters, our correspondents only observed the presence of the apex bank’s security men.

This was contrary to what happened earlier in the year when a team of policemen was seen at his home.  Also, his office was not spared as there were reports of operatives of the Department of State Services invasion of the CBN.

Naira loses 76% value under Emefiele

The naira has lost about 76.17 per cent of its value since June 2014 when the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, took office, according to findings by Sunday PUNCH.

It was observed that the naira official rate compared to the US dollar had fallen from N164 to N462.4 (or 64.53 per cent) since June 2014.

Within the same timeframe, the naira has weakened from $1/N183 to $1/N768 in the parallel market.

This also indicates the currency has suffered 76.17 per cent depreciation since 2014 under Emefiele.

Although he was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2014 after the suspension of Lamido Sanusi, his predecessor, Emefiele officially assumed duty in June of that year.

He was re-appointed for a second term of five years in 2022 by the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Sunday PUNCH further observed that the naira lost significant value under Emefiele than most CBN governors since 1999.

In July last year, the Senate resolved to summon the CBN governor to educate and inform senators in a closed-session on the reasons for the rapid depreciation in the value of the naira against foreign currencies.

It also mandated its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions to assess the impact of the CBN intervention funds meant to support critical sectors of the economy

The resolutions were reached by lawmakers after the upper chamber considered a motion sponsored by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi.

A breakdown of how the currency moved under each CBN governor showed that under Joseph Sanusi, the naira-to-dollar exchange rate moved from N99 to N132. Joseph Sanusi spent five years at the helm of the apex bank between 1999 and 2004.

Under Chukwuma Soludo (2004-2009), the dollar exchange rate moved from N133 to N147, while under Lamido Sanusi (June 2009-February 2014), the dollar exchange rate moved from N148 to N157.

Under Emefiele, the value of the naira to the dollar weakened significantly despite efforts to ensure stability by the CBN.

In a bid to manage the value of the naira, the CBN introduced a number of policies, such as stopping forex supply to importers of 41 items that could be produced locally, offering N5 for every $1 remitted to Nigeria through Internal Money Transfer Organisations, and banning the supply of forex to Bureaux De Change, among others.

Specifically, in March 2021, the bank introduced the ‘Naira 4 Dollar Scheme’, intended to boost the inflow of Diaspora remittances into the country. This programme works by paying Diaspora remittance recipients an incentive of N5 for every $1 received through a licensed IMT operator.

In May 2021, the CBN adopted the NAFEX rate as the benchmark rate. This initiative simply meant that rather than having multiple official rates (e.g. CBN rate at N379/$ vs. IEFX rate of N410/$ at the time), the bank simply decided to reduce the number of official rates.

In July 2021, the CBN announced the discontinuation of foreign exchange sales to BDC operators. Emefiele alleged that some BDCs’ actions contravened the agreement with the apex bank by seeking to maximise profits, which he deemed excessive.

In February 2022, the CBN extended the naira for dollar scheme from the IMTOs to the IEFX window.

Specifically, the CBN released instructions that outline that it would facilitate the payment of N65 for every US dollar repatriated and sold at the Investors and Exporters’ Window.

However, these policies have not been able to maintain naira stability.

The World Bank disagreed with the CBN on how it tried to achieve price stabilisation of the naira, adding that the currency should be allowed to respond to real pressures and not be bottled up by the apex bank.

It added that the country’s exchange rate strategy was discouraging investors and increasing inflation.

A Global Finance Report also said that the CBN had failed to curb rising inflation and stop the naira from sliding against the US dollar.

The World Bank in its Africa’s Pulse report for April 2023 noted that the naira lost 10.2 per cent of its value in 2022.

This came as rising food and fuel prices spiked high inflation in the country in 2022.

Economists give opinions

A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Prof Sheriffdeen Tella, said there were certain political and economic issues triggering naira devaluation.

On the economic issue, he said the increase in imports over exports and illicit capital flow were major reasons for naira depreciation.

He said, “The devaluation is caused by both political and economic issues. The economic issue is that we continue to import goods and we are not exporting much beyond oil. Also, the non-oil sector is not doing very well, and we are still importing more.

“There is also the issue of illicit capital flow. That is, people taking foreign currencies without caution. The coronavirus pandemic has also affected output.”

On the political issue, he explained that the CBN had been intentionally devaluing the naira in order to increase the funds given to state governments.

Tella added, “On political grounds, the CBN, probably with collusion from the Ministry of Finance, has been devaluing the value of the naira officially to increase the amount of naira given to state governments.

“The official devaluation of the naira has taken place twice, and that is a political thing. They are doing it to satisfy fiscal expenditures.”

He urged the government to address these issues to achieve naira appreciation.

A professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo and Chairman, Foundation for Economic Research and Training, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, condemned the intentional devaluation of the naira by the CBN.

“When you devalue, you are hoping that the goods you export will be cheaper; you can export more and earn more revenue. However, our major export is crude petroleum, and we don’t control the price or output. So, we don’t get anything from the government’s outright devaluation,” he said.

Ekpo urged the government to boost production and ensure that the country had a strong and productive economy.

He stated, “The only way we can stop the devaluation of currency is production. We need to produce more goods and services, and export them to earn foreign exchange. That is our basic problem in Nigeria; we consume what we don’t produce.

“The government needs to build an economy that is strong and doesn’t rely on one commodity.”

A former President of the World Bank Group, David Malpass, recently warned that Nigeria’s parallel exchange rate was harmful as it would worsen future debt service payments and increase the risk of debt distress.

Malpass said this in a blog post titled, ‘Parallel Exchange Rates: The World Bank’s Approach to Helping People in Developing Countries’, published on the bank’s website.

According to Malpass, about 24 emerging and developing economies, including Nigeria, have an active parallel currency market.

“In at least 14 of them, the exchange rate premium—the difference between the official and the parallel rate— is a material problem, exceeding 10 per cent,” he added.

In the blog post, it was disclosed that Nigeria had an exchange rate premium of 61.7 per cent as of March 2023.

The World Bank chief noted that parallel exchange rates were expensive and could drive corruption.

[Punch]

The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to interrogate others alongside the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

In the move to investigate Emefiele also a little longer, the DSS on Tuesday is expected to obtain an order to keep him in their custody for as long as his interrogation will last.

A source that spoke with Punch on the development said the DSS would likely approach the court to obtain an order to detain Emefiele for an indefinite period.

Naija News recalls that President Bola Tinubu on Friday suspended Emefiele from office with immediate effect.

Emefiele was suspended with a move to reform the financial sector of the economy.

This was stated in a statement released by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey.

Emefiele was directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as the acting CBN Governor.

Thereafter, Emefiele was arrested in Lagos on Saturday by DSS operatives and flown to Abuja in a private jet.

The source speaking on the interrogation move stated, “He (Emefiele) is going to be with us for some time. We may obtain a court order to further detain him. The previous charges against him are there and further investigations may add to that. You know that he is a big man, and we have to make sure that the loose ends are tightened before we take him to court.

“Recall that we were looking for him before his suspension. Now that we have him, we will hear from him; hear what he has to say on those issues we have highlighted before.”

The source added that the DSS had assembled a team of crack interrogators to quiz Emefiele on wide-ranging issues, including alleged terrorism financing and mismanagement of the economy and the apex bank.

“We have a team of interrogators, who are going to quiz and obtain statements from him. We won’t bungle our case. But honestly, Nigerians need to know what happened and why we were looking for him the other time,” the source added.

Sources that spoke with the platform also stated that other top directors of the CBN would be interrogated in the coming weeks as part of a comprehensive probe of Emefiele’s administration as directed by the President.

According to the source, DSS would likely go after senior officials in the procurement department of the CBN as well as special advisers to the embattled governor.

A source stated, “One of those under the radar of the DSS is a special adviser to the CBN governor.

“He retired from the CBN in 2021 as a director but was retained by Emefiele as a special adviser. He is believed to have an inside knowledge of all the actions taken by Emefiele.

“Other subjects of interest are senior officials and directors in the procurement department. The fact is that many top directors will be invited or arrested for questioning in the weeks ahead.”

It was noted that Emefiele, his aides and other top directors would be grilled on a number of issues relating to loans worth billions of naira given to farmers under the Fadama scheme, which were believed to have been marred by fraud; the controversial sale of Polaris Bank, which was also allegedly fraught with irregularities; alleged financing of the Indigenous People of Biafra by the suspended CBN boss, and other allegations bordering on forex fraud.

The CBN chiefs are also expected to answer tough questions on the apex bank’s fiscal policies, including the handling of the naira redesign policy, which led to the scarcity of naira notes and caused a nationwide economic crisis, resulting in riots, attacks on banks and death of some citizens.

Another source stated, “Their level of complicity will determine if they will retain their jobs or face prosecution at the end of the investigation.”