The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has failed with his prediction.

The cleric had predicted the Premier League clash between Luton and Liverpool.

Shockingly, his prediction failed.

In a video that went viral on Saturday, a day before the game, the cleric said the Reds would claim a routine win at Kenilworth Road.

“Liverpool will beat Luton very well. Liverpool will beat them with more than two goals,” he said.

However, Liverpool needed a last-gasp equaliser to draw 1-1 with Luton.

Chong had given the hosts a lead late in the game before Luis Diaz came off the bench to rescue a point for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Video:

Novak Djokovic had a really good week at the 2023 Paris Masters, winning the trophy, and he referred to a stomach virus as his biggest opposition when it came to himself on the court.

It was a brilliant week for Djokovic in Paris, but it was not a week without problems. He faced tough opposition in a lot of his matches and dealt with some stomach issues on top of all of that.

In the end, none of that matters as he leaves the French capital with the trophy after beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final. A particularly striking thing was his physical resilience despite all of these problems.

At 36, Djokovic isn't the youngest anymore, but he worked hard to be physically ready, and it worked out well for him as he outlasted all of them.

Yeah, it could be the case. I really put a lot of effort into preparing myself for this last stretch of the season. Spent three, four weeks of really working on the tennis court and of course on my fitness. You know, I'm feeling great in terms of my body.

Things went so well for Djokovic that he jokingly referred to a stomach virus as his biggest problem this entire week, and he's not entirely wrong. He knows how to win tennis matches; however, beating a stomach virus isn't that easy.

you know, it was this virus that was really the biggest opposition, so to say, this week in terms of me feeling well on the court. That was something that is kind of outstanding, you know, that is not something that I'm normally encountering.

He will need some of that Paris magic for Turin. The event is about a week away, which is good enough to recover from this and get ready for the event. He went undefeated at the event last year, so the expectations are high. They always are with Djokovic, though.

[ATP]

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced plans to redeploy the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mohammed Barde.

The IGP announced the development at Channels Television’s People’s Townhall on Election Security on Sunday in Abuja.

This is coming a few days before the off-season governorship polls in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states on November 11, 2023.

“I am aware that there have been allegations on social media against the Commissioner of Police in Imo State but for this election, we are changing the commissioner of police in Imo,” the IGP said.

According to Egbetokun, the purpose of changing the Imo CP is to maintain impartiality, and not because he was found guilty of the charges brought against him.

Recall that the Labour Party had also backed demands for the CP and other officials who were allegedly involved in the recent attack on Ajaero in the state to be immediately redeployed.

On Wednesday, Ajaero was attacked and brutalized while mobilizing workers for a protest over unpaid wages.

The attack on Ajaero has sparked outrage among the Labour Party and its supporters, who are calling for swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

[OpinionNigeria]

Let’s begin with the profound words of Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller, a German theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime during the late 1930s and for his widely quoted 1946 poem:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist.

“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist.

“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

“Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

It signposts, indeed confirms, the poem serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up against injustice and the dangers of remaining silent in the face of discrimination or persecution. It has been used to emphasize the significance of defending the rights and freedoms of all, regardless of one’s own immediate circumstances. Therefore, the need for de-escalation is key to actualization of unity, stability and peace.

Having written extensively on issues of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and discrimination which includes public enlightenment and reorientation of the citizens on religious tolerance. Tolerance is a powerful word. It represents a set of values that we as a society hope to follow, conveying inclusion, openness and respect, and encouraging acceptance of others. It is a virtue that many aspire to as it creates a world where discrimination is obsolete.

Of course, it is unrealistic to imagine a world that fully embraces diversity and tolerance, but that shouldn’t stop us from working towards it and making as much of a difference as we can. Nonetheless, the way forward is by educating ourselves and future generations about tolerance, empathy and the value of diversity.

Consequently, this contribution interrogates the dialectic of the theory and praxis of tolerance, which resonate from the question of tolerance and the concept of tolerance. In this case, it is important for us to understand tolerance and why it is also usually being recommended as a sure way from violence that results from intolerance.

Considering the aforementioned perspectives, it is important to apply the key of peaceful coexistence. In so doing, it is argued that tolerance is not enough because of the inherent problematique. Thus a focused, and modicum of dialogue is advocated, which in itself should be able to overcome the consequences of dialogueritis, but one that calls for greater frank and candid involvement in a pluralist society.

In conclusion, I daresay, that, our world and immediate environment will be great if we could reconsider and reconnect with love and peaceful cohabitation. Finally, permit me to share with us the profound words of encouragement of Bernard C. Meltzer, a United States radio host for several decades. Bernard posited: “Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.”

Finally, like the adopted Four-way Test of the Rotary International: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? It is called “The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do.”

• More than N300b worth of structures may still go down
• Demolition, a huge economic waste, say experts
• Obey physical planning laws, govt tells developers, residents
 
Official corruption, lax enforcement of extant building regulations, and poor monitoring by government officials contributed heavily to the over N1 trillion worth of property investment loss, which investors in Lagos State are suffering presently.

  
An investigation by The Guardian revealed that property worth more than N800 billion alleged to have been erected without due authorisation have so far been brought down by the government in the last 14 months.
  
While the ruins of these buildings are strewn across parts of the state, fears are palpable that more buildings worth about N300 billion may still go down in the next phase of the demolition exercise. 
  
Many of such structures that have contravened building and town planning laws in Lekki, as well as, those on setbacks in Jankara, LSDPC compounds, and Bombata among other locations have been marked for demolition. 
  
Lagos is home to some of the most expensive property on the continent. This much was confirmed not long ago by a leading expert and Director of Turner & Townsend, Austria, Bruce Haswell, who ranked Lagos State as the most expensive city on the continent for the development of real estate. 
  
Townsend explained that Lagos is the most expensive place to build in Africa at $2,056 per m2, compared to Kampala, where it costs less than half of this per square metre.
   
Checks showed that the average price of land in Lekki, which boasts over 100 housing estates, is about N86 million per plot, with the cheapest being within the range of N50 million to N60 million, while the most expensive starts from N120 million or thereabouts. 
  
At one of the popular estates in Ikota, blocks of terrace comprising about 20 buildings (each worth N85 million) were demolished recently by the government.
  
Conservatively speaking, over 8,000 structures comprising those owned by high, middle, and low-income earners have been pulled down within the last one and a half years.
 
Last September, residents of the Oluwa community in Ibeju-Lekki staged a protest after officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development marked their houses for demolition.
  
The structures worth over N400 billion were subsequently demolished by the Lagos State Environmental Task Force and Special Offences Unit. The residents, who claimed to have a court judgment over the 358 hectares of land, said that they were in shock when policemen and task force officers, including street urchins, stormed the area with four excavators and destroyed over 50 uncompleted buildings in the community. 
  
The Baale of the community, Olawale Oluwa, who lamented the rate of destruction, said that the losses incurred amounted to billions of Naira.
In Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local Council, about 7,000 homes were destroyed last August, by the state government, which claimed that the communities illegally converted the wetland into their residence. Over 40,000 households in the area were affected by the demolition, which took place after the Ministry of Environment issued an enforcement notice on July 18, 2023, to residents of Lekan Oyebade Street, Oworo, and others, for disobeying the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017.

 
The most recent demolition exercise, which started on October 9, 2023, impacted many locations, including Nigeria’s most expensive residential estate- Banana Island, and Lagos Island. It also featured the partial removal of blocks of unapproved buildings in Odunlami, Upper-Campos, Tokunbo, Oshodi, Ita-Faaji, and Pasi Square. 
  
Other locations where properties were demolished include Ikota in Eti-Osa; Victoria Garden City (VGC) Lekki; Gedegede Community; Venux Homes Phase 1, Ikota Government Reserved Area (GRA), Megamound Estate, Lekki Phase II; Lekki Phase II –Mobil Road and others.
   
Several semi-detached and one-storey buildings, including duplexes, terraces, and bungalows within the price range of N85 million to N150 million were demolished in Ikota Villa Estate, where a single property owner in the area lost about three buildings worth N200 million.
  
With the current surge in the cost of property triggered by inflation-induced cost of building materials and volatility of exchange rate, the huge investments lost constitute a dampener. 
  
Additionally, the cost of development has doubled within the last year as the price of materials rose by almost 100 percent.  The state government has been consistent in its argument that many state-of-the-art structures pulled down in Ikota, Eti-Osa, Victoria Garden City (VGC) Lekki, Ikoyi, Gedegede community, and Lekki Phase II –Mobil road were built on the canal path, failed to adhere to the required building setback, lacked planning permits, blocked water canal thereby worsening flooding in the location.

  
The state government has also insisted that the enforcement of environmental laws via demolition exercises was for the public good, and without any form of compensation for affected persons for engaging in illegality and flagrant disregard for the state’s planning laws and regulations.
  
A drone picture published by the state government, which The Guardian also obtained, revealed the extent to which developers have abused the six-metre rule in property development around canals. Some of these breaches by developers are committed in sync with government officials.
  
While some affected homeowners whose property in Lekki were leveled by the state government told The Guardian that they don’t know the whereabouts of their developers since the demolition started, the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said that the demolition exercise underscored the government’s resolve to restore law and order. 
    
Wahab, who spoke through the Director of Drainage Enforcement and Compliance, Mahmood Adegbite, said that the state started serving contravention notices on defaulting property owners in the year 2000 when all the structures were at foundation levels.
  
According to him, they proved recalcitrant and rebuffed all measures suggested by the state government to prevent flooding, and went ahead to sand-fill setbacks of the channel preparatory to constructing more structures.
   
He said: “We cannot write the story of Lagos without the unfortunate incident of a flash flood. We are all aware that flooding is caused by natural forces as well as anthropogenic factors, one of which is building on flood plains and right of way of drainages.”
   
However, the President of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Adebisi Adedire, is worried by the huge amount of investment lost to the demolition considering the high cost of land acquisition, preparation of plans, cost of construction, and others.
  
While further deploring the huge “economic waste” occasioned by the collateral damage, he advised developers to play by the rules to avoid waste of resources.
  
“By the time a building is demolished, your time, money, and other things are lost. So, why invest in a white elephant venture? There is nothing bad in investing in Lagos, but the only thing is to take caution and ensure that the acquired land is free from government acquisition, has adequate planning information, and the uses have been designated. Regrettably, developers are in a hurry to develop the moment they see a vacant land, even though they may later face unpleasant consequences,” he said.
    
He continued: “We know that the population in Lagos is growing every day, but at the same time, people who are saddled with various responsibilities through government agencies must carry out their duties diligently. Somebody will sit down somewhere and give a developer the confidence to build even without the developer having the necessary papers. Why must you embark on such development? To avoid being a victim of circumstance, we developers and property buyers need to seek information.”
   
He appealed to the state government to make planning permit rates reasonable for developers and prospective homeowners as the economy is in a poor state.

“I think there is a need for the government to embark on regular information dissemination and awareness creation exercises. Buildings are not completed in a day; it is a gradual process. So, those agencies that are in charge of monitoring should be able to stop projects even before they are completed and occupied… Some government officials even lie to developers by claiming that plots of land that fall under government acquisition are from acquisition,’’ he said.
   
A past chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Lagos Chapter, Mr. Jide Oke, argued that the government must come clean by ensuring that its officials discharge their assignments diligently through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, which has all powers to ensure compliance with building laws.
  
“Government officials must do their jobs as expected instead of destroying property that has been erected. If I must ask, what were government officials looking at before those buildings were erected? They should look inward to see if some officials are compromising. All the affected structures were not built in one day. So, did the people get approval to build? If they didn’t, what was the government doing when the buildings were erected? If the buildings were marked, they should have been marked. If they were marked, why was the construction work not stopped? He asked.
   
Oke said what is happening in the state is a caution to would-be genuine property investors in Lagos never to invest their money without getting the state government building approval. 
Also, a past chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Adedotun Bamigbola, said there is a need for planning officers who are approving development projects to regularly check ongoing developments to avoid a situation where people continue to lose their investments.
   
“It is very sad that some developers are claiming to even have approvals for their demolished structures. I wish the government had other options than demolition. But if they say that is the only option; there is hardly anything anyone can do as long the government is not embarking on a vendetta, or out to witch-hunt anybody. The whole thing points to the fact that if you want to invest in Lagos, don’t ever try to cut corners, but do your investigations thoroughly before putting your money down,” he said.
   
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, who said that there are no laws that allow the government to demolish buildings without due process, including the issuance of notices to whoever has defaulted or trespassed, cautioned residents to follow the law strictly before and during building developments.
  
He stressed the need for stakeholders to unite and stamp out violations of building laws and codes. Also speaking on the development, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, insisted that the government adheres strictly to due process before any demolition exercise is carried out in the state. He expressed worries that people disregard warnings despite serving contravention notices.
   
Pedro said: “The governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has given a go-ahead on enforcement of our laws. But people will go and break laws on sites and rush to court to get injunctions. For now, it is rigorous enforcement of our laws; the building regulations, environmental laws, transportation law, and others.” 

[Guardian]

Statistics should help settle arguments, in theory. We assume they provide stable reference points that everyone – no matter what their opinion, persuasion, belief, or politics is– can agree on. However, there has been a global trend in recent years showcasing that divergent levels of trust in statistics have become one of the fundamental schisms that have opened up in both developed and developing democracies. Instead of diffusing controversy and polarisation, statistics seem to be stoking them. Apathy for statistics has become one of the hallmarks of the populists’ movements, with statisticians and statistics viewed by many as untrustworthy and almost insulting. Some people’s sense of political decency is violated by reducing social and economic issues to numerical aggregates and averages, especially when these aggregates are perceived as the basis for political gain or otherwise.  

The politics of statistics in Nigeria has been a topic of concern for quite some time, with several issues affecting the credibility and reliability of data in the country. The first significant issue is instances of data manipulation and politicisation of statistics to serve particular political agendas. This has led to the distortion of essential data, hindering accurate policy formulation and decision-making. The second is that in Nigeria, statistical agencies often face challenges due to inadequate funding, which impacts the quality and scope of data collection. Limited resources lead to insufficient sampling sizes and compromised data quality. The result often does not reflect reality. Third, political interference in statistical processes and institutions can compromise the independence and neutrality of statistical data. This leads to a lack of trust in the data provided by both government and non-governmental agencies. 

Fourth, Nigeria, like many other developing countries, needs help with accurate population figures. The inability to accurately capture the population hinders effective planning and resource allocation, leading to significant challenges in implementing policies and programmes. Fifth, limited public access to data and a lack of transparency in the statistical process have raised concerns about the credibility of data published by government agencies. This lack of clarity can lead to doubts about the accuracy and reliability of the data. And finally, Nigeria’s vast and diverse population, along with its geographic challenges, poses difficulties in accurately collecting data across all regions. This can lead to disparities and inaccuracies in national statistics, making it challenging to develop effective policies that cater to the needs of the entire population.

Nigeria and Nigerians like controversy when it comes to numbers and statistics. There is controversy about our actual population, deaths and births, number of unemployed persons, those living below the poverty line, number of votes cast in an election, cars, volume of oil produced, even number of civil servants, up to fuel consumption and number of persons who got palliatives from the government. All can be traced to two issues – Nigeria’s poor statistics collection and analysis system and the politicisation of all statistical information. This explains my excitement and interest in participating in the workshop organised by National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS) on a national strategy for the development of statistics, and it was indeed an eye-opener. The organisers, NBS, paper presenters, panellists and participants did well. It was a robust and thought-stimulating engagement. After the workshop, I took away five main lessons about Nigeria, Nigerians, and statistics.

The first lesson is that most political leaders are indifferent to statistics. They make bland and blind promises during campaigns and even when they are in government. There are many examples: Politicians promise “Education for all” without quantifying this promise based on available data – the questions they fail to consider are: how many pupils? How much per kid? How many teachers per school? At what salary? How many classrooms are needed, and at what price? Another example is the promise of “Housing for all.” The questions that merit consideration are: How many units? At how much? With what facilities? How much per unit? In how many years? Their programmes are not based on concrete figures or data. Because of this lack of respect for data, there is no basis for accountability at the end of their tenure. There is no concrete basis to compare and measure the variance that shows progress or lack thereof.

The second lesson is that there needs to be more uptake and use of statistics for Policy Planning and decision-making in Nigeria, which accounts for why we have poor outcomes for money spent by the government at all levels. The principal value of statistics should be to guide policy and decision-making. Here, on the supply side by NBS and the States Bureau of Statistics (SBS), the focus is on the production of statistics and not usage. On the demand side, most policymakers and civil servants have little or no understanding of the use of statistics to make policy or for planning. Though we have only anecdotal data to support this position, having been in government for a considerable period, I know this to be true. Policies and decisions of leaders are based on sentiments and personal interests.

The third lesson is the problem of fragmentation of statistics. This has caused us so much harm and has continued to harm our quest for development than we know. Different unreliable statistics from various sources have eroded the public confidence in data and diminished the value of statistics. The average Nigerian does not believe in whatever statistics is churned out, and it is, therefore, not a basis in real terms to solve problems or measure progress. Our statistics are not harmonised, and sometimes, they are scattered around the country, and the data are in formats that do not lend themselves to easy usage. Where different bodies are collecting and collating these data, sometimes there are significant differences among them that make it challenging to pontificate using any of the databases. 

The fourth lesson is that without a unified data/statistics repository that serves as a one-stop-shop for warehousing statistics across national and subnational, planning is groping in the dark in Nigeria. Policymakers and development planners often work in the dark because of a lack of reliable data. It is, therefore, understandable why it is so challenging to say policy efforts are truly making a difference. This partially explains why planning has not produced the desired outcome and we as a people do not take national development plans seriously. Our politicians, policymakers, and project and programme planners need high statistical literacy. CEOs of MDAs and principal officers need to be stronger in analysing data. They need more capacity to decipher relevant facts out of data. They prefer fiction to facts. They fear facts and data. There is a natural tendency to cover up leakages in the system, especially in the flow of funds. Statistics and corruption are incompatible.

The fifth lesson is that, as a nation, we are not investing in statistics because we cannot see the link between statistics and the knowledge economy. Statistics is an intangible, non-kinetic and invisible item/product compared to goods, construction, machinery, and equipment. Politicians and civil servants prefer brick-and-mortar to non-tangible accomplishments. It is an anomaly that some government agencies are developing little, or no data needed for economic planning and execution. Even when some create this information, they delay the publication and distribution of such information to relevant agencies and the public. I posit with authority that most government agencies have not provided the statutory Annual Reports of activities, achievements, and financial dealings for the year. Some organisations have yet to do so for over five years. Meanwhile , I discovered that NBS has incredible load of data and statistics useful to almost all aspects of national life . A lot of work is going on in NBS that Policy makers and citizens who need it are not taking advantage of . The current leadership seems very focused and deserves support. 

There are many ways in which statistics can help the quest for authentic leadership. Statistics can be used as a basis for planning and projections, a show of mastery of constituency needs, a basis for budgeting, a framework for policy design and planning, and a foundation for mapping implementation timelines and evaluation of programme implementation. 

We have noted that one important tool to fight corruption is using statistics because statistics and corruption are incompatible. To address these issues, Nigeria must prioritise the independence of statistical agencies, ensure adequate funding, improve data collection methodologies, enhance transparency, and promote data-driven policies. Additionally, fostering a culture of accountability and integrity within the statistical system is essential to building trust in the accuracy and reliability of data in Nigeria.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will take his aggressive push for more investments to Saudi Arabia where he will attend two bilateral summits.

On the table will be how Nigeria can take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Tinubu will participate in the Saudi-African Summit and the Araba-African, both in Riyadh, on November 10 and 11.

The Saudi-African Summit will explore economic ties between Africa and Saudi Arabia, including counter-terrorism, agriculture and environment. 

The Arab-African Summit will focus on expanding infrastructure between both regions, especially a new high-speed train network between the Arab League of Nations and the African Union countries.

Ngelale referred to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s prediction that by the year 2050, the African market would have surpassed $29 trillion.

“We believe that action toward that begins now. So, the President is going to be very active and leading that effort from the forefront,” he said.

Read Also: Yaya Toure named Saudi Arabiaassistant coach

On what Nigeria stands to gain from the outings, Ngelale expects stronger economic connections and increased commerce and trade relations.

“Mr. President is passionate about any areas in which we can leverage the massive population and market that not just Africa presents, but that Nigeria itself.

“We are expecting that the outcomes of this summit will lead to very tangible results concerning an increase in trade between not just the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but all Arab nations, and especially the leading economies in Africa, of which Nigeria is now number one.

“Mr. President is going to be very aggressive, as always, in his promotion and pursuit of new foreign direct investment.

“It’s no secret what he’s been doing around the world since he assumed office that will continue in Riyadh.

“We will be meeting with investors across sectors; we will be pushing very proactively for new inflows of foreign exchange into the Nigerian economy through investments in really growth-enabling and labour-intensive sectors of the economy.

“The President is going to do everything he can to reinvigorate the economy through his leading participation in these two important summits.”

[TheNation]

With days to the November 11, 2023 off-season governorship polls in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that polling unit results will be uploaded real-time on the Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

INEC’s Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mary Nkem, said all the glitches experienced during the general elections earlier in the year had been fixed.

She said INEC has put a lot of plans in place to guarantee early deployment of sensitive materials to polling units and ad hoc officers camping near polling units a day before the exercise.

“Rather than people moving from the local government headquarters to the various polling units, they are moved closer to the PUs (polling units) where they are going to work. So, I can assure you that God willing, we will deploy early,” Nkem said.

[NaijaTimes]