The federal government says it would sell off five electricity distribution companies (DisCos) under the management of banks and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in the next three months to technical power operators.

Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, spoke in  Abuja on Monday when the members of the senate committee on power visited the ministry.

The five DisCos include  Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), currently under the management of the United Bank for Africa (UBA); Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, and Kano Electricity Distribution Company, managed by Fidelity Bank, while Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company is under AMCON management.

The DisCos are under the management of the banks and AMCON due to their debt burden.

Adelabu said the energy distribution assets are technical and as such, they should be under the management of technical experts.

He also said the tough decision on the DisCos has become necessary because the entire Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) fails when they refuse to perform.

According to Adebayo, the ministry will prevail on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to revoke underperforming licenses and also change the management board of the DisCos if it becomes the solution.

“On distribution, very soon you will see that tough decisions will be taken on the DisCos. They are the last lap of the sector. If they don’t perform, the entire sector is not performing,” Adebayo said.

”The entire ministry is not performing. We have put pressure on NERC, which is their regulator to make sure they raise the bar on regulation activities.

”If they have to withdraw licenses for non-performance, why not? If they have to change the board of management, why not?

“And all the DisCos that are still under AMCON and Banks, within the next three months, must be sold to technical power operators with good reputations in utility management.

“We can no longer afford AMCON to run our DisCos. We can no longer afford the banks to run our DisCos. This is a technical industry and it must be run by technical experts.”

The minister further said it has become necessary to reorganise the DisCos for efficiency.

He stressed that Ibadan DisCo is too large for one company to manage.

FG TO REVOKE METRE CONTRACT FROM FIRM

Adelabu also dropped the hint that the federal government mobilised a company named Messr Zigglass with $200 million (N32 billion) to supply three million meters that were yet to be supplied to date.

“If you held N32 billion for these years, where is the interest,” he asked.

According to Adelabu, President Bola Tinubu directed that the contract be revoked.

He said the government will bridge the current eight million metering gap in the next four to five years.

The minister said the funding for the metre is coming from a seed capital of N100 billion and N75 billion.

He added that the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NISA) is coming to the aid of the ministry with the fund.

President Bola Tinubu has called for the establishment of a regional counter-terrorism centre that will serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building throughout Africa.

Speaking at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja on Monday, the President said Africa must take a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism, not only through might, but by addressing the root causes of the scourge, which include poverty, inequality, and social injustice.

President Tinubu emphasized that while seeking to address the root causes of terrorism, Africa must also attack the roots that feed this evil branch -- ransom and illegal mining -- as terrorism evolves and perfects ways to continuously finance, re-equip, and re-supply itself for its sinister mission.

"Not only does it kidnap people, it kidnaps precious resources. Billions upon billions of dollars that legitimate governments should be using to sculpt better societies by providing education, healthcare, and food for its people now go to pay for weapons and response to mayhem.

"Look at the illegal mining that plagues so many of our nations today. Those who think illegal mining has no connection with financing terrorism are sorely mistaken. The international community has both the moral and legal obligation to help in this cause because it is external finance, not African money, that fuels these illegal operations. We shall be knocking on this door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace, and fair play.

"Key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre," the President stated.

The President, however, added that the African region must strengthen existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers, and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Addis Ababa.

He underscored the importance of a regional standby force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate, declaring: "It must not be abandoned."

"I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force. However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with the international law and respects national sovereignty, such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region.

"Such a force can stand as a strong deterrent to large scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation or disruption of strategic land and resources. We must continue to make careful yet meaningful progress toward this goal.

"Establishing an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter Terrorism is also a high priority as envisaged in the Declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly two years ago in May 2022. This would ensure that a forum of high-level government officials meets regularly to assess our counter-terrorism efforts and provide guidance on how to further improve," the President said.

Speaking on the efforts of Nigeria in beating the menace, President Tinubu said the nation's counter-terrorism capabilities have been enhanced through the enactment of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, establishing the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

"We have and will continue to take bold steps forward in safeguarding our nation and the wider region. Dedicated to coordinating and implementing counter-terrorism strategies, the NCTC significantly enhances our capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorist threats. The Centre has become a platform; fostering greater collaboration among stakeholders and promoting synergy in our approach to fighting terrorism.

"Similarly, our security forces continue to demonstrate courage and dedication in the fight against terrorism, often at great personal risk. I am grateful to the selfless work and sacrifice of these patriotic men and women. They are the best of the best.

"I must also mention the ongoing need to halt the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on the continent. No one state can solve this problem for itself. It requires continuous and concerted action by all of us. We need to reposition our regional organizations and build the capacity of our national institutions to effectively address this element of terrorism and violent extremism," the President stated.

The President affirmed that Nigeria is committed to working with regional partners to strengthen arms control measures, enhance border security, and disrupt the illicit trafficking networks that fuel terrorism and organized crime, while urging firm and expeditious actions against prevailing insecurity on the continent.

"As leaders, let us show our people that their safety and welfare are paramount. May this conference be succinct and to the point. Let us keep rhetoric to a minimum. Let us be focused and dedicated to pinpointing solutions and embarking on the meaningful and strong action needed to win the day and free our continent of violent extremists.

"May we do everything that is required of us to defeat this challenge so that five, ten or twenty years from now, it is historians who will be meeting to discuss how today became a major turning point in the African continent’s defeat of the terrorist scourge," President Tinubu concluded.

In his welcome remarks, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu stated that terrorism in Africa is driven by a number of factors, including organized crime, foreign terrorist financing and training, poverty, inequality, prolonged conflicts, among others.

He said Nigeria is dealing decisively with all drivers of violent extremism, including economic and social enablers, while enhancing intelligence gathering through enhanced inter-agency collaboration and confidence building with citizens.

He also said Nigeria is strengthening its judiciary to effectively deal with cases of terrorism and has earmarked a fund to boost counter-terrorism efforts.

"We have resumed the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects across the country," the National Security Adviser said.

In her remarks, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina Mohammed suggested that one of the ways to remove the engenderers of terrorism on the continent is for Africa to work to rebuild its social contract with its citizens, and deliver good governance.

"Rebuilding the social contract is necessary for recovery.

"We must pay attention to women and girls who are greatly impacted by terrorism, including the youth. Providing support and healing for those impacted by terrorism is important," the UN Deputy Secretary-General said.

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Mr. Vladimir Voronkov commended Nigeria for its leadership in counter-terrorism in Africa and for hosting the meeting.

"Terrorism is a threat to peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impact is mostly felt. The success of UNOCT in Africa hinges on its support for Africa-led programmes and solutions," the UNOCT Under-Secretary-General said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, erstwhile Governor of Abia State, has challenged his successor, Dr Alex Otti to make the allegations of corrupt practices against him public, after he had claimed that a forensic audit report from a reputable company had indicted Ikpeazu.

Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka, the spokesman to Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, explains that when forensic auditors are appointed and when they complete their task, the reasonable thing to do is to make the Forensic Audit Report public and allow the document speak for itself. 

Otti in a viral video said, “I’ve set up forensic audit as soon as I took over as Governor. So that there will be no argument, I called in one of the top three audit firms in the world and not too long ago they turned in their reports and some of the things in their reports in frightening. 

“N79.3 billion naira was paid to seven Contractors for contracts that were not executed at all. Another 15.9 billion almost 16 billion was paid to 63 contractors with no supporting documents anywhere. Another 13 billion naira was paid to two contractors for contracts that do not exist out of these figures, 10 billion naira was on September 25, 2020 paid to some contractor for the construction of Abia State Airport. 

“We’ve spent time trying to locate the airport and up till now, we’ve failed. One of my aides told me the other day that maybe we’re using native intelligence to look for the airport and that we should seek artificial intelligence. We’ve also involved security agents to help us find the airport. 

“That’s just an example of what happened. When you juxtapose that with pensions that were lying unpaid for about ten years and salary arrears, 10 billion that was used to build a non-existent airport was exactly the same amount of money our government used to take off the pension arrears.”

Ememanka said that ever since leaving office as Governor of Abia State for two consecutive terms, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has carried himself with the dignity his present situation in life demands and has, as a matter of personal policy, avoided any confrontation with the present Governor and his administration. 

He said that at best, what Dr. Ikpeazu has authorized are clarifications whenever the Otti’s administration seeks to misinform the public about what transpired during the last administration. 

Ememanka said that what Otti said at the forum abroad is a tissue of lies, intricately woven by a spin doctor to deceive his audience and internationalize his known deep aversion for his predecessor. 

“For starters, we welcome the fact that the Governor has chosen to bring in a reputable firm of auditors who conducted a forensic audit. According to him, the firm “is one of the top three in the world”, therefore it must be Deloitte, Ernst and Young or PriceWaterhouseCoopers. These are firms whose professionalism and global repute are not in doubt. 

“Forensic Audits are no voodoo schemes. They are acceptable means of investigating the finances of organizations and governments. They are carried out by top accounting professionals who are disinterested in politics and internal shenanigans in the organization they are auditing.

“They are not even conclusive evidence of any guilt on the part of any person. They are at best, pointers to financial malfeasance. When they are to be used in a criminal trial, lawyers will subject them to cross-examination and the people involved will be afforded the opportunity to defend themselves.

“Governor Alex Otti should, as a matter of public policy, name the Accounting Firm that did the audit and release the audit report. Abia State has a functional website. The audit report should be posted there immediately. Going to a foreign land to make comments about a document that is not in the public domain portrays the Governor as an administrative comedian,” he said. 

Speaking on the issues raised by Otti further, Ememanka said that Ikpeazu never built any airport and never claimed to have built one, stressing that facts are sacred. 

“At some point in our administration, the idea of building an airport came up. It was an ambitious idea that the Governor wanted to pursue and one of the schemes that were considered then for funding the project was a Public Private Partnership. 

“The State Government announced their plan to invest the sum of 10 Billion Naira into the project. Some private investors showed interest and the Government through the Ministry of Lands, commenced the acquisition of a large expanse of land at a location between Ikwuano and Isiala-Ngwa North Local Government Areas. 

“There were interfaces between the Ministry and the representatives of the land-owning communities, and some investors actually came to Abia to hold preliminary discussions with representatives of the State Government on the project. 

“While these talks went on, a section of the Abia public felt that the airport idea was ill-timed. Indeed, the State Traditional Rulers Council led by their then Chairman, Hrm Eze Joseph Nwabeke visited the Governor and advised him to shelve airport plans and channel such funds, if they were available, into the completion of some critical road projects then. 

“This was exactly what the Governor did. Indeed at a hangout with some selected journalists in Lagos, then Governor Ikpeazu, after speaking on the advantages of having an airport, told the journalists that he had decided to backtrack on the project based on the yearnings of our people. The video wherein the Governor made that statement is available and will be made public after this release.”

Ikpeazu’s spokesperson further explained that the only money the Ikpeazu’s administration committed to the airport project was 10 Million Naira, released to the Ministry of Lands during the process of acquiring the land and managing the interface with the local communities. 

“Not a Kobo more was spent! The Honorable Commissioner for Lands then, is still alive. There was never any design for the airport. There was never a contractor selected and there was never any contract signed between the State Government and any person for this job. 

“Neither Governor Ikpeazu nor the State Executive Council at the time approved the payment of any money to any contractor for any airport. It is only God in heaven and Governor Otti who knows where he found records of 10 Billion Naira paid to any person to build an airport.”

Ememanka said that it is disturbing that people actually believe what he termed ‘trash’, querying the possibility of any State Government in Nigeria paying 10 Billion Naira for any project at all and not making it a press event. 

“At least, there will be a flag off for such a project that the Government paid 10 Billion! In Abia, ceremonies are held for the flag-off of road projects, let alone an airport. 

“We hereby throw a Public Challenge to Dr Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, to make public any documentary evidence or any kind of evidence at all that shows that the sum of 10 Billion Naira, or any other amount at all, apart from the initial 10 million Naira mentioned above was paid to anyone for an airport.

“What is the name of the Contractor who received the money? Who authorized the payment? Was it a one-off payment or was it paid in different tranches? Which bank handled the payment? Or was it paid in cash? 

“Is it possible at all for any State Government to make such payment in the absence of a design and even a contract document? So Abia State, under our watch, that was struggling with poor finances, will pay 10 Billion Naira to someone, just like that.”

Speaking further, Ememanka said that the Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General of the State then who should be in the know of such transactions are still alive. 

He stressed that if Governor Otti fails to provide answers to the questions above, the Ikpeazu team will leave the public to draw their conclusions about the character of the man who occupies the office of Governor of Abia State. 

Ememanka said that is not enough for Otti to just claim that 79.3 Billion was paid to seven contractors for contracts that were not executed at all up till today and challenge Otti to immediately release the names of the seven contractors and evidence of monies paid to them together with the contract papers.

“We demand to know the dates the monies were paid and the banks that handled the payments. Otti is a banker. He still runs Signature Bank. This information shouldn’t be difficult to get. No one should take 79.3 Billion of Abia’s money and walk away just like that! 

“At this point, it is important to note that the total budget for Abia State under the watch of Ikpeazu never got to 170 Billion Naira for any year throughout the 8 years he held sway as Governor. This included both recurrent and capital expenditures. Indeed, capital expenditures in any particular year hovered between 70 and 80 Million Naira. 

“Having said that, the public should note the assertions made by the Governor on this point are false and malicious. Just like the airport issue, we challenge him to make public the audit report.”

Ememanka explained that Otti also made a laughable claim when he said 16 Billion Naira was paid to 63 contractors with no supporting documents anywhere. 

“Since there are no supporting documents anywhere, how did Otti know that they are contractors? Contractors are defined in contract documents which also define in clear detail what job they will do. 

“Governor Otti should immediately provide the names of the 63 contractors for the public to know. Under the Ikpeazu administration, no money was paid to any contractor without supporting documents. That is not even possible and no proper Accountant will effect such nebulous payment. 

“No Accounting department will allow such malfeasance. Since there were no supporting documents, on what basis were the payments made? Yet the people who allegedly authorized the payments are still walking free? 

“We went on…”Another 12 Billion Naira was paid to 2 contractors for contracts that do not exist”. These contractors, don’t they have names? It was here that he said that out of the 12 Billion, 10 Billion was paid to a contractor for the airport. Our response to the airport nonsense is already stated. 

“While we await the release of the audit report with the names of the contractors who were paid, we wish to remind the public that this is not the first time Governor Otti will lie in public about issues of the State finances. 

“Upon taking over in May last year, he told the world that his predecessor incurred a debt of about 190 Billion. He “wondered” where the money went to. What he didn’t tell the public is that the amount he mentioned represented the aggregate total of all the debts incurred by the State since its creation, including loans that were carried over from the old Imo State. 

“He also didn’t tell the public that since these foreign loans are dollar-denominated, their current value is affected by forex differentials. For example, if there was a loan of 50 Million Dollars taken 20 years ago when the dollar exchanged at say, 100 Naira, the current value of that loan will be calculated at the current exchange value of the dollar. 

“So if you calculate the current debt of the State, it would have gone far far beyond what Otti inherited, solely on accounting of foreign exchange differentials. 

“Secondly, Otti came on National TV to deny with a straight face that the Ikpeazu administration didn’t pay any money for the acquisition of equity in the Geometric Power Project. 

“Professor Barth Nnaji had also made that statement that Ikpeazu didn’t pay. But when we produced documents evidencing the acknowledgement of receipt of the sum of 1.4 Billion Naira by Geometric, Professor Nnaji quickly beat a retreat and came clean.”

He said that Governor Otti to date has refused to acknowledge that any money was paid, adding that if not for the sustained media pressure from them, Abia people and the general public would have stuck with the false impression that no money was paid to Geometric Power by the Ikpeazu administration.

He said that because of their persistence, the government and people of Abia State proudly own 3.5% shares in a company, Geometric that is valued at 800 Million Dollars. 

He explained further that another area where Otti has been economical with the truth is in the area of payment of pensions, adding that a few weeks ago, Otti went to town with the news that he has cleared all pensions arrears in the State. 

“But that was another lie. What he did was to pay the arrears of the 60% he owed the pensioners since his tenure started. Upon assumption of office, Otti started paying pensioners 40% of their pensions. 

“This continued for 9 months when he now paid off the aggregate of the 60% plus a random selection of some arrears. He now informed the pensioners that what he paid them was full and final. 

“His Commissioner for Finance, Mike Akpara confirmed this on a Radio show in Umuahia. They forced the leadership of the Union of Pensioners to forgo their other arrears. Yes, pensioners were owed during our time, but they were paid some of their dues too. 

“Otti is less than one year in office and this is not the first time pensioners are getting bulk payments in Abia State. Ikpeazu also made such bulk payments in his first tenure, during the Paris Club refunds and bail-out funds era but never forced anyone to forgo their arrears. Otti’s administration is much more buoyant. More money is available to them.”

Ememanka said that Petroleum subsidies were removed by the federal government during his time as Governor making states get much more, but he is paying far less in salaries on account of the sack of thousands of workers, the 8-year limit for Directors and the endless verification of workers which has proven to be a technique to yank workers off the payroll. 

According to Ememanka, “As of today, hundreds of workers in Ministries who had completed the so-called verification have not been paid for several months. These are workers whose salaries used to be sacrosanct. 

“When Otti sent an Executive Bill to repeal the Law that prescribed pensions for former Governors of the State, the Majority Leader of the State Assembly whose duty it is to introduce such Bills to the Assembly stated on the floor of the Assembly that the State has been “spending Billions of Naira every year to pay these former Governors. 

“Meanwhile, none of the former Governors in the State from Orji Uzor-Kalu under whose tenure the Bill was passed to Ikpeazu was paid a penny. Yet the impression created was that these former Governors have been receiving Billions. Otti is in love with mentioning Billions, real or imagined. A real Banker.”

Ememanka said that Otti’s aversion for his predecessor is well known and has been elevated to a tool of State policy implementation. 

“Anything that has to do with Ikpeazu that is positive must either be suppressed or poisoned. The negatives must be blown out of proportion. Ikpeazu must be rubbished at all costs. 

“Ikpeazu built a brand new Multi Specialist Hospital at the premises of the Aba General Hospital and got it fully equipped with modern hospital equipment.

“There is no state-owned hospital that can match it in terms of equipment. It was duly commissioned for use by the people. Otti came in and locked up the place for no reason at all. 

“He simply doesn’t want any form of positive mention for Ikpeazu. He prefers to deny our people the use of such a solid health facility just to water his aversion for Ikpeazu. 

“The only reason why the Osisioma Flyover, Ikpeazu’s signature project is standing today is because it will be difficult to pull it down. Instead, what they have done is to allow the environment to decay and rot. 

“The areas around the flyover have become a signpost for chaos and confusion. A motor park of sorts. Otti has simply not forgiven Ikpeazu for defeating him in the 2015 and  2019 elections. 

“We understand that but these are facts of history and no attempt at historical revisionism can change that. Never in the history of Nigerian politics has a sitting Governor displayed such a naked show of aggression towards his successor. 

“For Otti, Abia was created in 2015 and every Kobo Abia has earned since creation was stolen under Ikpeazu.”

[DailyTrust]

The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has said the number of deaths related to terrorism in Nigeria has dropped from 2,600 per month to less than 200.

Ribadu disclosed this while noting that AK-47 now sells for over five million naira due to the effort of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in curbing insecurity.

Addressing journalists at the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja, Ribadu said AK-47 being mopped up are destroyed.

He said: “We are working and I think we have done fairly well. One of the things that we have seen as an indication that things are beginning to look different for example, is AK 47 that used to be sold for less than N500,000 last year but now goes for N5 million.

“This means it is not available and we are mopping them up, we are taking them out, we are destroying them. We do not just take but we destroy,”

“A lot of this work is ongoing, but people don’t really see; we salute our armed forces, our security forces, our governors who are doing extremely well.

“A lot of difference is taking place in Nigeria and that is the reason why I can assure you that in the last one year, we have reduced deaths as a result of violent crimes and use of arms.

“We used to record 2,600 or so a month but now we do have less than 200 on the average.

“It is an indication that we are getting results for the work being done.”

[DailyPost]

Controversial cross-dresser and socialite, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has filed a notice of appeal challenging his conviction on a four-count charge of Naira abuse.

The Nation reports Okuneye was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts bordering on naira abuse.

He pleaded guilty before Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Justice Awogboro, on 12 April, sentenced Okuneye to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

On Monday, in his notice of appeal, Counsel to Okuneye, Bimbo Kusanu, filed a notice of appeal, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the maximum sentence.

Kusanu is asking the court to replace the sentence with an option of a N50,000 fine on each of the counts.

The counsel stated in the notice of appeal that the trial court imposed the maximum sentence on the appellant, who had no previous criminal record of conviction.

He stated that there were options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against the appellant was punitive and contrary to the mandatory provisions of the ACJA.

The appellant stated that the trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty to the charge.

He stated that the appellant honoured the invitation of the respondent on the first invitation.

He said that the trial court failed to exercise its discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the appellant.

He explained that such an act had occasioned a miscarriage of justice against the appellant.

“The sentence of the Lower Court that imposed maximum penalty of six-months imprisonment without option of fine on the Appellant who is a first time convict without previous record of criminal conviction.

“The Learned trial Judge erred in Law and in facts by his imposition of the maximum sentence of 6 Months imprisonment terms against the Appellant without option of fine contrary to the provisions of Section 416(2) d of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 (“ACJA”) that prescribed the mandatory guidelines on the trial Court on imposition of sentencing after criminal conviction of a first time offender as the Appellant.

“The trial Court imposed the maximum sentence on the Appellant who has no previous record criminal of conviction when there are options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the ACJA.

“The Sentence imposed by the trial Court against the Appellant is punitive contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Law (ACJA) on sentencing.

“The Appellant has suffered miscarriage of Justice by the maximum sentence imposed by the learned trial Court.

“The reasons adduced by the learned trial Court for the imposition of maximum punishment on the Appellant which is essentially on what foreigners think of abuse of Naira,is perverse and is out of tune with the reality of what the trial Court should have been considered to impose maximum punishment on the Appellant.

“The intendment of the provisions of the Central Bank Act 2007 that the Appellant was charged with is for Nigerians not to tamper with Naira and not what nationals of foreign countries view about tampering with Naira.

“The trial Court did not consider the positive antecedent of the Appellant who did not waste the precious Judicial resources of the trial Court when he pleaded guilty to the Charge. The Appellant honoured the invitation of the Respondent-Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the first invitation during the investigation leading to the charge”.

“The trial Court failed to exercise his discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the Appellant. which has occasioned miscarriage of justice against the Appellant.”

[TheNation]

A Lagos State-based businessman, Suraj Oyewale, has organised a football match among his X (formerly Twitter) followers after bants about his football club being a team of electricians and carpenters.

Oyewale, on Saturday, featured in a football match which was organised by a marketing agency, Dynasty Africa, between Instagram and X influencers that ended 5-4 in favour of the X side.

Oyewale, popularly known as Sir J (J9), a football enthusiast and player, who took to his verified handle on Monday, noted that his decision to organise the Saturday game was to prove to everybody that he is still a good footballer despite his age and that a team cannot be set up in a hurry without appropriate training to defeat his side.

He further stressed that the team that will play against him should not consist of professional footballers but carefully selected players and individuals who are his mutuals on X platform.

The football enthusiast wrote, “For those who mock my football videos and say my players are carpenters and electricians, I have a challenge. 1. Form a team from Twitter (all players must be my followers or have commented on my football video in the past – no go import mercenaries wey no dey Twitter before). 2. Pick a date and a field (preferably Campos or Union Bank).

“3. Play against my boys and me. 4. I will transfer N5m to a Twitter person of high standing a day before the match. 5. If you beat my “carpenters and electricians” team, take the N5m. Let’s decide who the real football farmers are once and for all.

“If you beat my team, take N5million as prize. If you can’t beat my team, money gets returned to me 5. If you see a draw, go with a N1m prize. N4m gets returned to me. Players must be my followers or those who have doubted my football abilities. You have to show evidence.

“Jarus Plumbers FC vs Jarus Twitter Mutuals FC Announcements: 1. The recognised coordinator of Twitter Team is Michael Oyiga. 2. Match holds 3 pm, Saturday, 27 April. 3. Campos Stadium, Lagos Island, has been booked for the match. We welcome spectators.

Meanwhile, confirming the N5m winner-take-all prize to our correspondent, Oyewale said, “Yes, I am serious about it. I have sent the money to the ‘boardman’ and I’m only awaiting the team they will come up with but it must be made up of professional footballers.”

However, sharing information about his team, he said they had been defeated twice on their home ground before and were very beatable.

“My team has been beaten two times even on our home ground. So we are very beatable. But I seriously doubt that a quickly arranged team without training can beat us. This is where my confidence is coming from,” he added.

Oyewale is a First-Class Economics graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University. He is the founder of Jarus Homes, Jarus FC, and has authored four books on careers, networking, policy, and politics.

He is also a recreational footballer who plays regularly and is always queried by his followers for goal count and scoring abilities.

[Punch]

THE Tinubu administration picked up the courage to implement the Oronsaye Report on restructuring the federal public service and cutting cost of governance. It was a courage lacking in his two immediate predecessors.

The Report recommends the merger of 220 of the 541 agencies, reducing agencies from 263 to 161. In all, 31 agencies are to be abolished, 54 merged, and 14 reversed to their previous status in the ministries. It is not clear yet how much of the Report will be implemented, but it is off to a good start.

The architect of the reforms is Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye, a rather conservative public servant who was appointed Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in June 2009 and left office on retirement on November 16, 2009. As Head of Service, he had pushed through a new policy limiting terms of permanent secretaries and directors to eight years. Armed with this, he forced nine permanent secretaries and some directors to retire from service.

Impressed by this unprecedented reform in the service, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appointed him to head a team that would reform the public service. His team turned out an 800-page document that became known as the Oronsaye Report. But Jonathan found it too hot to handle and dropped it like hot potato.

 President Muhammadu Buhari came into power singing an anthem of change. After a number of declarations and vows to implement the report, he dropped it.

Oronsaye, himself, might not be too happy with the country. He supported an Executive Bill presented to the National Assembly in 2013 for the creation of an Independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit outside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. A visibly angry EFCC opposed the bill. Shortly after, it accused Oronsaye of carrying out a N190 million pension fraud back in 2010-2011. Two years later, he was hauled before the courts and, for the next eight years, dragged before two different judges before a third, Justice Iyang Ekwo discharged and acquitted him.

The judge ruled that the entire investigation and subsequent arraignment of the reformer, was a witch-hunt. He had wondered how, over the years, Oronsaye was not even availed a copy of the petition against him, so he had no way of responding or defending himself against the charges.

In a sense, the commencement of the implementation of his 12-year Report is a further vindication of the 74-year-old Oronsaye.

There have been some controversy about the decision to implement the Report with some accusing Tinubu of seeking to divert attention from the punishing economic crises Nigerians are going through. However, for me, the issues of reform, change and effective service delivery to the populace, should not be wished away or thrown out purely on such basis. I also do not buy the argument that rather than implement Oronsaye, the administration should concentrate on creation of more jobs. I do not see both as being mutually exclusive. Again, those who argue that we need more, not less agencies, have missed the point because the multiplication of bureaucracy does not translate to more government.

If anything, so long as the implementation does not result in job loses, I think it is not even going far enough. For instance, I do not see the reason for the existence of the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as two distinct civil security bodies.

It makes a lot of sense to me that the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corps are merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission also brought under the Ministry. Why should the National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute be different agencies or, the Nigeria Army build a university separate from the Nigeria Defence Academy?

I think those who claim that with the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, the Tinubu administration has begun the much- needed restructuring and cutting cost of governance, are widely off the mark. It is like claiming that because the domestic cat and the lion share a common ancestry and belong to the same feline family, they can be interchanged. In comparison, the Oronsaye Report Implementation is cosmetic.

To begin with, the Presidency is so ubiquitous, with so many officials and aides, that they can in themselves constitute a country. A supposed Federal Government has 68 items on the exclusive list, including fishing in local waters, police, marriage and divorce!

Despite being the economic capital of the country and housing a mega city, Lagos State is not allowed to create local governments that can service its populace. To be able to do so, is what true restructuring means.

Cutting cost of governance includes states being allowed to run only the local governments they need and not maintain the number imposed on them by military fiat.

Cutting the cost of governance includes making the legislative houses part-time. It should also include paying them basic allowances and total emoluments not higher than those of an assistant director in the ministry. To pay a senator N14 million monthly is the equivalent of the wages of 466 workers on the monthly National Minimum Wage of N30,000.

In a country like Cuba, senators receive no payments at all, and if they need to research, they approach the tertiary institutions to assist.

No serious country gives a single senator N21 billion as ‘constituency projects’ for which there are no competitive biddings, no specific projects approved and no proper accounting system. If we were to be serious with cutting cost, the Bicameral Legislature would give way by the scrapping of the 360-Member House of Representatives. Its duplicated functions can be carried out by the Senate.

An agency of massive wastage is the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. In some Third World countries like Venezuela, all the voter has to do is show up with his national identity card at any voting centre, cast his vote by touching the symbol of his preferred party as provided on the secluded screen. His vote is automatically counted.

In contrast, INEC developed temporary voters card which is then replaced by permanent voters card, display of voters list for every polling station, printing of voters cards, movement of non-sensitive electoral materials, followed by the sensitive materials which are escorted by armed security men. At the voting centre itself, it has deployed card readers, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS,and the INEC Result Viewing, IREV, portal. All these rigmarole, only to produce inconclusive or hotly disputed results.

To be serious about restructuring and cutting the cost of governance, we need to retrieve the Report of the 2014 National Conference just as the Oronsaye Report was dusted up.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has sealed the Chinese supermarket located within the China General Chamber of Commerce in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Officials of the FCCPC stormed the premises and shut the supermarket on Monday.

The commission’s officials sealed up the place following the interrogation of Nigerian workers at the supermarket.

Recall that Nigerians had expressed outrage over a discriminatory policy implemented by the Chinese Supermarket for barring Nigerians.

The supermarket only granted exclusive entry to Chinese nationals in the country.

According to the facility manager of the complex, Shaibu Sanusi, Nigerians from outside the complex do not shop but Nigerians within can access it.

This was as facilities workers at the store disclosed that the owner of the supermarket had fled the premises.

The workers, who were largely Nigerians, disclosed that the owner of the supermarket had fled when the officials of the Commission stormed the supermarket on Monday.

The workers said that the owner of the supermarket, a Chinese lady, Cindy Liu Bei, fled on Monday at 8:26 am with her family as confirmed on the Closed-Circuit Television camera.

The FCCPC officials subsequently shut down the supermarket.

[Vanguard]

There is no disputation that Naira abuse or more specifically the act of spraying money at social events has become an acceptable norm or cultural practice in Nigeria. Nigerians have a cultural affinity for lavish social gatherings. Many people regard these occasions as a means of displaying social status and wealth. Spraying Naira notes, and other currency notes, at events progressively appears to be the ultimate way to flaunt your social standing.

Even burials that are supposed to be sober moments have been turned into considerable fanfare. This has created a new industry of mint note trading and events management. All of these constitute the social infrastructure of Naira abuse. A new dimension of the social infrastructure of Naira abuse is the arrival to the scene of the nouveau rich. Society has labelled them with all sorts of terminology: Yahoo Boys, Yahoo Plus, and 419.

Nigeria has since recognised the dangers of Naira abuse but that is not the focus of this piece. The government has made rules and laws to check it and provided enlightenment campaigns to educate people. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) gave Naira abuse as one of the reasons why it is pushing for digital-based financial transactions. Naira abuse, like its ancestor-mother social epidemic of corruption, has remained stubborn and refused to go away.

There is ambiguity about what constitutes Naira abuse. Section 21 of the CBN Act 2007 clearly defines Naira abuse and prescribes various punishments to deter citizens from abusing the Naira. They include – spraying banknotes at events; writing on banknotes; stapling banknotes; tearing banknotes; dancing or stamping on Naira; defacing the bank notes with substances or ink, oil; selling currency banknotes; mutilation of the Naira note; money bouquets. However, law enforcement has been lax. It is commonly believed that the laws against Naira abuse are either symbolic or desuetude because no one is held accountable, everyone gets away with it, and things have normalised.

The social phenomena of Naira abuse, especially the spraying of money, have become an epidemic in Nigeria. Lately, it is of significant concern. We have exported this to many parts of the world, and social media is replete with evidence of this in weddings and other social events attended by Nigerians in different parts of the world.

Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” explores the idea that social phenomena, like trends and epidemics, often reach a tipping point where they suddenly become widespread. He identifies three key factors that contribute to this tipping point: the Law of the Few (the idea that a small number of people have a disproportionate influence), the Stickiness Factor (how messages or ideas stick in the minds of people), and the Power of Context (how the environment influences behaviour).

Through engaging anecdotes and research, Gladwell illustrates how understanding these factors can help individuals and organisations create or manipulate trends and epidemics. The book emphasises the importance of attention to small details and understanding the social dynamics behind spreading ideas and behaviours. The fundamental concepts of the book about Naira Abuse are twofold. First, the cultural context or external environment provides the soil for bad or good behaviour to grow and spread. Second, key people with remarkable personalities can cause or stop social epidemics because of their social profile or social network.

There is a link between the recommendation of Malcolm Gladwell and the arrest and prosecution of Idris Okuneye better known as Bobrisky, a cross-dresser and social influencer, for Naira abuse, and the arrest and ongoing prosecution of Cubana Chief priest Pascal Okechukwu in connection with Naira abuse. Why selectively arrest the duo when everybody is involved in some form of Naira abuse either by trampling, spraying, mutilation or rumpling? It is nearly impossible for any law enforcement organisation to find and apprehend every perpetrator. Resources exist in limited supply. It is simple wisdom to begin with people who have disproportionate influence. This is perhaps what EFCC has done.

The first common ground is that both of them enjoy considerable social media influence whether for positive or negative reasons depending on your value system. These two cases, though similar, are following different paths. Bobrisky, in court, pleaded guilty and has since been handed six months imprisonment. Cubana Chief Priest did not plead guilty, so his case will go to full trial, putting the law to the test. This court case will assist us in providing answers to some critical questions: what are the societal ramifications of Naira spraying, and how can Naira misuse be proven? Is there a need to amend the existing law and make it more relevant to the challenge? Will this fresh wave of enforcement stop the epidemic of Naira abuse? Regardless of how the legal proceedings turn out, they have highlighted how important it is to take the triplet societal plague of poor social behaviour, Naira abuse, and their ancestor-mother corruption very seriously.

I have identified six pillars to control or stop Naira abuse: Fight corruption because it is an enabler for abuse of the Naira. The incestuous relationship between corruption, illicit financial transactions and Naira abuse is well established. Second, the government should deepen knowledge and change people’s orientation by embarking on mass enlightenment, people must understand clearly what constitutes Naira abuse and what the punishment is for such offence. Third, address cultural issues relating to Naira abuse through community engagement. People gifting money to celebrants on occasions is no crime but the manner of gifting is the issue. Fourth, the government should renew the push for digital transactions. Fifth, the government must strengthen the structures of law enforcement. It is not just a police and EFCC matter. The judiciary must upend its knowledge of the subject matter. Sixth, the government must be impartial and objectively enforce the law to change cultural norms and public behaviour that defaces the Naira. This may entail revisiting and improving the law.

The CBN, Police and the EFCC should study different models of changing public behaviour in the past and draw up a model and strategy to deal with the issue of Naira abuse, especially since it has become embedded in some cultures. Good examples abound abroad and in Nigeria. The British government employed various strategies to change public behaviour regarding spitting and other personal vices. Spitting in public places was prohibited by local bylaws or municipal regulations but it is social persuasion that gave the result. These laws serve as deterrents and can result in fines or other penalties for offenders. They launched public awareness campaigns, collaborated with community stakeholders, and monitored and enforced the law. However, most of all, they leveraged social norms and peer pressure to influence behaviour and encourage individuals to conform to accepted standards of behaviour by highlighting the societal consensus against spitting and certain destructive behaviours and showcasing positive role models who embody desirable conduct. Today, the practice of spitting publicly, urinating on the road corners, and other public nuisances are controlled to the barest minimum.
In Nigeria, good examples of efforts to change public behaviour can be seen around us. Most were successful to a greater degree. The government should revisit some of these campaigns and learn from them.

A model that seems to be working in Akwa Ibom State is the State Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation initiative. Before 1999, the Akwa Ibom people experienced a severe social epidemic, “The Pervasive and prevalent House help Syndrome,” which gained widespread notoriety and led to the dubbed moniker “Ekaette” for nearly every female domestic helper. The administration of Obong Attah took up the task of reorienting the Akwa Ibom people’s mindset. He established the Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission (EARCOM) in Akwa Ibom and gave them the responsibility of raising public awareness about the importance of “minoring” vices and “majoring” in moral principles.

The struggle has persisted throughout the regimes, and Pastor Umo Eno’s present administration appears to be taking it to newer, more profound heights by hiring assistants for each ward and unit and charging them to carry out the commission’s work of value reorientation in remote areas. As bait, he is using the incentivisation and social support model, drawing on the country’s current food and hunger crisis to reach out with the message of value reorientation. Today, a negligible number of Akwa Ibom daughters are house helpers, and the majority are highflyers in the professions and business.

The success story of Akwa Ibom is a model that the federal government can replicate. Changing public behaviour requires a multifaceted approach that combines legislation, education, community engagement, social support and enforcement efforts. By addressing the underlying factors contributing to undesirable behaviours and promoting positive alternatives, governments can effectively shape public attitudes and foster a more socially responsible society.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has revoked the certificates of incorporation of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) subsidiaries over improper procurement.

The subsidiaries include NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Limited and NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Company Ltd

In a statement on Monday, CAC said the properties were improperly procured, hence the revocation of certificates.

The development is coming three months after the discovery of an illegal transfer of N10 billion in restructuring funds released by the federal ministry of finance to the agency’s subsidiaries.

“The general public is hereby informed that the Commission, sequel to its powers contained in Section 41 (7) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 3 of 2020, revoked the Certificates of incorporation of the below-mentioned companies because the same was improperly procured,” CAC said.

“These companies are NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Company Ltd RC 1673881 and 2. NIPOST Properties & Development Company Ltd RC 1673971.

“By virtue of these revocations, the Companies are deemed to be dissolved and their assets and liabilities transferred to the Nigeria Postal Services established under the Nigerian Postal Services Act Cap N127 LFN 2004.”

On November 21, 2023, the house of representatives approved the winding up and deregistration of the subsidiaries of NIPOST, deeming their establishment irregular and illegal.

The house also directed an investigation into the N10 billion released by the ministry of finance for the proposed NIPOST restructuring and recapitalisation.

According to the lawmakers, if the funds were found to be misappropriated, it must be fully recovered.

This decision was part of the lower chamber’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in the public sector.