Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said those antagonising his administration are envious and frustrated, saying he is currently building a psychiatric hospital for the benefit of his detractors.

He said his opponents and detractors were pained because he had achieved within one year what they did in eight years.

This came 24 hours after the former governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, at a reception on Saturday in his honour by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress, mocked Fubara for resorting to joining the Action Peoples Party, saying he would teach the governor how to play politics.

At the event, the Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Boma Iyaye, apologised to Wike for Fubara’s alleged misdeeds.

Reacting, however, on Sunday, Fubara said he had always stood on the path of truth and would not need anybody to apologise on his behalf for doing the right things for the good of the state.

He said his administration stood firm to secure Rivers commonwealth from the grip of those who were determined to lay hold on its soul.

The reply came as the Rivers Ijaw Foundation lampooned Wike over his utterances against the Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark.

The group said the recent attacks on two prominent Ijaw sons were crude, divisive and disrespectful to them, the Ijaw and an incitement of hate against the tribe.

Fubara, speaking at the inter-denominational church thanksgiving service organised as part of activities marking the 64th Independence Day celebration of Nigeria, held at St. Paul’s Cathedral of the Anglican Communion at Garrison Junction in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, said he would continue to do his best without fear.

He said, “They even say, they don’t know what we are doing. Let me remind them that it is Fubara who signed the paper to borrow from Zenith Bank the N200bn for the construction of the Port Harcourt Ring Road. So, it is my project.

“It is Fubara that awarded the Trans-Kalabari Road that they couldn’t do. They only did a bridge from Krakrama, but I am the one doing it: the complete span, and it is N22bn. I didn’t borrow.

“It is this same Fubara that is building a General Hospital, which I also included a psychiatric hospital because they will need it very soon. So, tell them that what I did in one year is what they did in eight years.

“It is only empty containers that make noise. If God has given you an opportunity, eat your plantain and keep quiet. God will continue to give us the strength to do the best for our people, without fear.”

Fubara insisted that if his political enemies continued to deride the grace of God in his life, they would continue to struggle for needless public recognition that depicted how much they had fallen out of grace.”

He said his policy was not to embark on a mere jamboree of groundbreaking for projects as he assured that any project he started would be inaugurated and put to public use.

“Very soon, you will see what we are doing. It is not about doing roads for your business interest. I don’t have any business interests. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it for the people of Rivers State.

“We will not take any decision that we cannot defend. We won’t be part of anything that will bring any form of disgrace to our dear state. This state is important to us. It is the only thing that we have.

“It is a beautiful pride. That is why they are struggling, coupled with the improvement in internally generated revenue we have done. That is why they are struggling, we know. But, do it with modesty, you don’t need to destroy the house.”

He said God had not taken away some of the people disturbing the peace of the state because He wanted them to repent, adding that if they refused, God would come heavily.

“The frustration you are seeing in their faces today is about this point we have gotten. So, please, be strong. All the Babylonians that we are seeing today, you will not see them again.

“God has a reason for allowing the devil or the evil one to stay long. It is not that He can’t take him or take them away but He gives them time to repent.

“And when they continue, He will come heavily, and then, they would say, it would have been better that they had left when they had time. That will be our story in this state.

“But, you see, anybody that is making noise for recognition, it is a sign that he has lost it. By the special grace of God, I don’t need an introduction. I have the name, and I am the one standing here.”

He reiterated that he remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, as he assured the people that the most difficult stage of the political crisis in the state was over.

“I will beg every one of you, God has given us this opportunity, we must safeguard it. They are the ones looking for a way to destroy it.

“They didn’t believe we would get to this point, and I can tell you I had a reason for inviting all the candidates for the local government election for this service.

“I am a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, but I know that there will be an election that I am conducting. So, I have to invite you to come and receive prayers. And little did I know, the Bishop gave you the prayers.

“For those of you participating in the election, please, I want the election to be peaceful, very important. When you emerge, our major concern is the people. Care for the people. We have taken Rivers State into a different driveway,” he said.

The governor said most of the decisions taken by his administration may not have been popular but added that they were necessary if the state must be protected from detractors.

He urged everyone to join hands with his administration to tackle the big task of securing the soul of the state and making it a proud place for all Rivers people.

He added, “And I tell you, with due respect my Dean, when you said our National Anthem was changed, for me, I like this new one, more especially where it says – ‘a nation built, where no man is oppressed’ – it is so unique.

“And if that is where I stand, you should understand, I can’t be a party to oppressing anybody. And for the fact that I can’t be a party to oppress anybody, by the special grace of God, nobody can oppress me. Please, we need to join hands together to sustain and develop our state.”

He lamented the issue of oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the state, as he called for such an act of economic sabotage should not continue.

“The security agencies are doing their best. As a government, we are also planning to have a special committee to tackle this problem.

“We need to improve the level of our production. That is the only way that we can get out of this situation. The situation is bad. There are no two ways about it. But we must come together as one to support what the centre is doing, so our lives can change,” he said.

The governor added, “As a matter of fact, I belong to that school of thought that if I am the only person that needs to stand on that side of right, I will stand there. I don’t need anybody to stand with me.

“I cannot give my kidney or liver to anybody, I won’t. If that is the only reason for me to be loyal, I will not be. But, I will not do the wrong thing. I will stand for the side of the right.

“I make bold to say it, there is no security agency in this state that I have called any day to go and do something wrong. I have never. I don’t need it. But I know what they do, and they keep failing because God has left them.”

In his sermon at the service, the Archbishop of Niger Delta Province, Most Reverend Blessing Enyindah, bemoaned Nigeria at its 64th Independence anniversary, saying it seemed like a country under siege, wherein its citizens were held up as captives with no hope brighter than noonday to expect.

Enyindah, who is the Bishop of the Diocese of Ikwerre, and Dean of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, blamed leaders across sectors, particularly political leaders for the nation’s woes.

He said instead of liberating the people from social, economic and political imprisonment, the political leaders accentuated poverty, economic hardship and soaring prices of goods.

He asked them to stop enacting irrelevant policies and resist the temptation of perpetuating themselves in office for Nigeria to become the country it should truly be. 

He also asked judicial officers to break away from issuing conflicting judgments that could promote a miscarriage of justice.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the Director of Publicity, Sotonye Ijuye-Dagogo and sent to newsmen, the Rivers Ijaw Foundation said, “Wike repeatedly disrespected the revered national leader and father of the Ijaw nation, Chief E.K. Clark, on national television. He maligned former Governor Rufus Ada-George and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He incited hatred against Ijaws in Rivers State.

 “In the same manner, the communique of the so-called Ogoni, Oyigbo People’s Assembly contained disrespect for the Ijaw national leader, Chief E.K. Clark and the people of Opobo-Ijaw.

“After an extensive review of the utterances made by former Governor Nyesom Wike and his cohorts, the Rivers Ijaw Foundation considers it a duty to put the records straight as follows:

“The Rivers Ijaw Foundation considers the utterances of former Governor Nyesom Wike and the so-called Ogoni, Oyigbo People’s Assembly as crude, rude, cultureless, insensitive and divisive.

“We condemn in the strongest terms, the disrespect to our highly revered national leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark and former Governor Ada-George by Nyesom Wike and his political cronies. We are utterly disgusted by the attack on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the unwarranted incitement of hate against the Rivers Ijaw people by Nyesom Wike and his cohorts.”

The group requested President Bola Tinubu to call Wike to order, adding that the President must not give the impression that he prioritised political exigencies above the peace, happiness and prosperity of Rivers people and Ijaw.

The foundation said former President Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw son, never had ministers who publicly disrespected elder statesmen like Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Chief Olu Falae and Pa Ayo Adebanjo, though his greatest critics were from the South West.

“President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike to order or risk being asked to choose between Wike and the entire Ijaw nation,” the statement said.

Dangote Group has said that it plans to transport refined petroleum products by sea.

This announcement was made in a statement on Sunday by the Senior Adviser to the Group President on Special Projects and Strategic Relations, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman.

She noted the construction of a jetty in the Lekki Free Zone to handle bulk cargoes during the refinery’s development.

“Today, we are exporting our products to many African countries through the seaport. We also plan to ease the pressure on the roads from the refinery by transporting finished petroleum products to other ports along the Nigerian coast by sea, for further distribution to the hinterland,” she said.

According to the group, this initiative aims to alleviate pressure on road networks while facilitating exports to other African countries.

The statement also stated that the Dangote Group, a major sponsor of the trade fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted a large crowd eager to learn about its state-of-the-art oil refinery, which recently commenced discharging petroleum products.

The statement added that many attendees explored the company’s various business units, including Dangote Fertiliser, Dangote Sugar, NASCON (Dangote Salt), and Dangote Cement.

Wali-Abdurrahman said participants were keen to discover opportunities within the company.

The statement quoted a participant, Peter Ibrahim, as saying, “I am here at the Dangote booth to find out what business and job opportunities are available at the Dangote Refinery. We know the company must have created several opportunities.”

Similarly, cement dealer Sale Sagir, remarked, “Let me be honest. I came to this trade fair because of the Dangote Group. I sell cement, but now I have come to find out what it takes to be a distributor of other products, especially the Dangote Petroleum products.”

Wali-Abdurrahman also highlighted the company’s investment in Compressed Natural Gas, stating, “To reduce our carbon footprint and costs, over the past decade, we have converted about a third of our fleet. This is an ongoing process, till we convert the entire fleet.”

The ACCI President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, commended the Dangote Group for its significant role in Nigeria’s industrialisation.

Represented by Vice President Legal, Aisha Abdullahi, he remarked on the company’s “unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s development, adding, “The taxes paid by the group have contributed significantly to national revenue, funding infrastructure projects and social programmes that benefit millions of Nigerians.”

The Technical Sub-Committee on Domestic Sales of Crude Oil in Local Currency, on Sunday, confirmed that the supply of crude in naira by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is to begin on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

On September 13, 2024, the committee announced that the Federal Executive Council under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu approved the sale of crude to local refineries in naira and the corresponding purchase of petroleum products in naira.

“From October 1, NNPC will commence the supply of about 385kbpd (385,000 barrels per day) of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid for in naira,” the committee had declared.

The Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee is Zacch Adedeji, who doubles as Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

When contacted on Sunday and asked if the plan for the crude oil supply to the $20bn Lekki-based plant is still intact, the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, Mr Dare Adekanmbi, responded in the affirmative.

He said, “I can confirm to you that the Chairman, Sub-Technical Committee, Zacch Adedeji, is working day and night to ensure that things go according to plans. He knows how important it is to have the agreement implemented as has been planned for the benefit of Nigerians.”

This implies that NNPC is to supply about 11.5 million barrels of crude oil to the Dantote refinery monthly, and based on the deal, the plant will release equivalent volumes of refined diesel and petrol to the domestic market also in naira.

The panel explained in September that this initiative would help reduce pressure on the naira, eliminate unnecessary transaction costs, and improve the availability of petroleum products across the country.

“Since then, the implementation committee chaired by the Minister of Finance and we, the technical committee, have worked intensely with NNPC and Dangote refinery to fashion out the details of the modalities for the implementation of the FEC approval,” Adedeji had stated.

While stating that crude would be sold to Dangote in naira from October 1, the committee chairman and FIRS boss said, “In return, the Dangote refinery will supply PMS (petrol) and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid in naira.

“Diesel will be sold in naira by the Dangote refinery to any interested off-taker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now. All associated regulatory costs (NPA, NIMASA, etc.) will also be paid in naira. We are also setting up a one-stop shop that will coordinate service provision from all regulatory agencies, security agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this initiative.”

Adedeji explained that the technical committee that worked to flesh out the initiative would transition to an implementation execution and monitoring committee that would be working out of Lagos for the next three to six months.

The committee, which includes the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Jafiya; the FIRS boss, as well as representatives from NNPC, Central Bank of Nigeria, AfreximBank, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, was set up to craft a robust template that will ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.

Meanwhile, modular refineries have called on the government to work out modalities for the supply of crude to their plants as well.

About 24 hours before the commencement deal, the modular refiners told one of our correspondents that they were not involved in the scheme of things.

The Publicity Secretary of the Crude Oil Refinery-owners Association of Nigeria, Eche Idoko, said, “The committee is only discussing with Dangote at the moment.”

According to Idoko, the committee, at its inaugural meeting, said it would start the naira sale of crude with refineries producing petrol, noting that at the moment, only the Dangote refinery is producing the commodity.

He said the association made a case that the committee should extend the sale to other refineries to avoid discrimination, “but they haven’t given us any feedback”.

Idoko stated, “Perhaps, during the October date, they will disclose more in terms of the modus they want to adopt. But at the moment, we have not received any clear communications as to how the naira sale will be administered other than the fact that they said they will start with PMS-producing refineries.”

The CORAN spokesman disclosed that many of the modular refineries have been facing serious crude challenges, preventing them from producing fuel.

He noted that some refineries with 10,000 capacity currently produce a little above 3,000 barrels per day due to the unavailability of crude oil.

“A 6,000-capacity refinery now produces 1,000 barrels, but productions are off and on because of erratic crude supply,” he stated.

He added, “Our modular refineries are facing a serious crude crisis. Nothing has changed for modular refineries. There are talks with the government but there hasn’t been any definite arrangement for supplies.”

Nigerians are hopeful that the naira crude sale scheduled to start on October 1 will bring down the price of petrol.

Since it commenced the sale of petroleum on September 15, the Dangote refinery has refused to announce the price of the product.

The company denied selling at N898 per litre to the NNPC, saying the claim by the NNPC was misleading and mischievous, deliberately aimed at undermining the milestone achievement recorded.

The Dangote refinery urged Nigerians to await a formal announcement from the presidential committee.

“We urge Nigerians to disregard this malicious statement and await a formal announcement on the pricing, by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by President Bola Tinubu, which will commence on October 1, 2024, bearing in mind that our current stock of crude was procured in dollars,” the Dangote Group stated.

However, the Federal Government has said it would not interfere in the price controversy between the NNPC and Dangote, saying the petroleum sector had been deregulated.

The Ministry of Education has said it is working to prevent another strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The Director of Press in the ministry, Folasade Biriowo, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.

“I can assure you that everything is being done to prevent the strike from happening. The minister has teams working already so I can give you that assurance,” Birjowo said.

ASUU had last week given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues, failing which it would proceed on another strike.

Among other things, the varsity lecturers are seeking the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021, as well as the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike action.

Additionally, ASUU is demanding the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, and the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions.

The union is also seeking funding for the revitalisation of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget.

Other issues include the proliferation of universities by Federal and State Governments, implementation of the reports of visitation panels to universities, reversal of the illegal dissolution of Governing Councils, and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as a replacements by the for IPPIS.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke in a statement issued last Wednesday, expressed frustration with the government’s lack of commitment and delay tactics, stating that these actions were fuelling a crisis in the public university system.

“In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, 23rd September 2024 during which all the lingering issues must have been concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union. The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from government’s failure to seize the new opportunity,” Osodeke said.

The Adamawa State Police Command on Saturday night rescued and arrested a young man who climbed a 33kv high tension pole in the Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area headquarters insisting that President Bola Tinubu must resign before he would come down.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguruje, told PUNCH Metro exclusively on Sunday evening that the man, who police kept his name secret, was rescued on Saturday night, and is in custody in the state capital.

“The command is going to parade the man today (Monday) for attempting a suicide, You know attempting to commit a suicide is a criminal offence under our constitution, so we are going to charge him to court, “ he said.

Nguruje told our correspondent that it is the constitutional duty of the police to protect lives and property and that when any individual wants to take his life, he will face the full wrath of the law.

Our correspondent made several calls to the PPRO to disclose the name of the man, but he promised to do so without releasing the name at the time this report was filed.

On Friday morning, the market day of Mayo Belwa, the young man climbed the 33kv high tension along the Yola-Jalingo highway, insisting that he would not come down until the President vacated the presidential villa.

PUNCH Metro investigations revealed that the Adamawa State Police Command engaged the services of the locals in the area who finally convinced the man to come down on Saturday night.

When our correspondent visited the police headquarters on Sunday evening, it gathered that the young man was in protective custody in the Criminal Investigating Department of the Adamawa Police Command.

The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, said on Sunday that more than 40 percent of Nigerians now enjoy 20 hours of power supply daily across the country.

Adelabu, in a statement in Abuja, said the feat was achieved through revolutionary measures taken by the Ministry of Power, with the support of President Bola Tinubu, as part of his renewed hope agenda to galvanise the economy.

He credited the achievements in the power sector to radical and bold steps taken by his administration, with President Tinubu’s consistent advocacy for a stable and consistent power supply as a means to achieve a breakthrough in industrialisation.

Adelabu said the generation of more than 5,500 megawatts of power was one of the ministry’s significant achievements in the last year, with plans to improve further by the end of the year.

“Most developed nations achieved reliable, functional, and affordable electricity as a fundamental step.

“This is crucial for industries, businesses, institutions, and households. That’s why we must prioritise this for Nigeria to drive economic growth and industrial development.

“President Bola Tinubu emphasised this in his New Year’s speech on January 1, stressing the need for stable electricity to power critical sectors.

“This is the only way to achieve requisite economic growth and industrial development, as none of these sectors can function without it.”

Adelabu outlined the administration’s vision to provide stable electricity supply to households, businesses, and institutions, including educational and health institutions, as well as industries.

According to him, this initiative aims to empower these entities to power their infrastructure, enhance their capacity, and create additional job opportunities. 

He said that the ministry works with agencies, 27 power generating companies, and 11 Electricity Distribution Companies to achieve its goals.

He added that with the support of President Tinubu, the ministry was committed to providing Nigerians with stable and regular electricity supply.

As Senators Nwoko, Izunaso push for additional States

WITH the commencement of another phase of review of the 1999 Constitution by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Senators are presently on the same page on the issue of Local government autonomy, but sharply divided over the establishment of State Police across the thirty- six states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Recall that the Senate had in May this year during a plenary session concluded that the 774 local governments across the country are dead, accusing state governors of misappropriating funds allocated to Local Government Councils in Nigeria.

According to the Senate, the dream of achieving the objectives of the local government system has encountered harsh realities as successive governments have often eroded local autonomy, limiting their financial resources and control over decision-making, and adding that corruption scandals and mismanagement have often tarnished the image of some local governments, thereby fueling public cynicism.

Also, recall that the Supreme Court had on 11th July barred the 36 governors of the federation from further retaining or utilizing funds that are meant for the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in the country.

The apex court had ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive and seize funds allocated to LGAs in their states.

Move by the Senators to save the third tier of government from total collapse following the abuse of their roles by the state governors, may not be unconnected to the recent Supreme Court verdict and the pledge by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, that the National Assembly would tinker with the constitution to legalise their full autonomy.

As members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review rounded off its two-day retreat on the amendments to the 1999 constitution on Saturday night in Kano, they unanimously agreed to include full autonomy for local governments in the nation’s legal document, but they however expressed divergent views on the issue of state police.

Senators from the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones at the forum, advocated for the creation of additional states.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South; Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, APC, Niger East; Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, APC, Oyo North; Osita Izunaso, APC, Imo West and Ned Nwoko, PDP, Delta North in their various submissions insisted that full autonomy for local governments was long overdue.

The Senators spoke at the sidelines of the Retreat which was organised jointly organised by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC.

Speaking on the issue, Bamidele who noted that the current constitution has put the administration of local government in the hands of the state government, said that the exigencies of the current situation have made it necessary to make the third tier of government, completely independent.

The Senate leader said, “The independence of the autonomy of our local governments cannot be taken away. The debate is raging as to whether or not local government should be considered as a tier of government.

“Law is made for men and not men for law. Regardless of what is in our constitution, what is important is that certain realities have come to terms with us.

“So, if we’re talking about local government autonomy, the way some of us have looked at it, in the Senate and the National Assembly, is that we need to complement what the Supreme Court has said.

“The Supreme Court didn’t say anything that is not in our constitution. The Supreme Court only gave it some further clarity. Arising from that, it’s also important that as much as possible, we also ensure that the fear that governors will not allow local governments to function can also be addressed through further tinkering with our constitution.

“For instance, a lot of stakeholders are concerned that for as long as local governments elections are conducted through state independent federal commissions, there could be a highway to nowhere.”

On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatriation, Senator Ned Nwoko who noted that local government autonomy, was very critical, said, “The local government has almost but died, there is nothing happening there, it is just as a mere third tier of government.

“So any reforms that support what the Supreme Court had already done, will help to reintroduce the ideals of having a local government.

“If we have an independent local government where elections are conducted by INEC for instance and they have their own money and they are able to take care of local securities and deal with hospitals and the rest of them, a lot will happen for good.”

In his contributions, Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa who noted that the process of restructuring had started with the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy, said, “When you are talking about restructuring, we should be able to give the local governments, the autonomous power to be able to run their administration from the grassroots level so that the impact of governance can reach the grassroots.”

In his submission, Osita Izunaso who stressed that arguments about the possibility of local government chairmen becoming too powerful to the extent of impeaching governors if granted full autonomy does not hold water, said, “When we started in this country, local governments had full autonomy then and they were developing their areas. I believe in the full autonomy of the local government.

“I am sure it is going to work. I don’t believe that LG autonomy would empower council chairmen to impeach the governors. The fear does not arise and I don’t even believe in it.

“The governors have immense constitutional powers. Only the state assembly can move against the governor. The council chairmen don’t have the power. Governors and council chairmen should face their work.”

Senator Abdulfatai Buhari who threw his weight behind the position of the Senate Leader who postulated that the election of council chairmen and the councillors should be conducted by an independent body not constituted by state governments, said, “Local government autonomy could only be achieved if their elections are conducted by an independent body. If that is not done, states will continue to siphon their money, through threats, through blackmail.

“If I just put you there as local government chairman, as the governor, definitely you will be answerable to me, but if am contesting my election people’s eyes will be on me and when I can perform, you can’t force me to take the money to the governor.

“If we want that Supreme Court judgement to hold water, we should expunge from the Constitution, that aspect of Joint Account.

On the issue of state police, the Senators were divided, just as those in support are of the view that insecurity would be tacked effected with state police while others said political opponents would be targeted by state governors.

Supporting State Police, Senator Sani Musa said, “This retreat, we are going to deal with the issue of State Police, Local Government autonomy. But when you are talking about restructuring, in the context of it, we are doing a restructuring. We are already doing the restructuring. By my understanding of what restructuring should be, we should be able to give the LG the autonomous power to be able to run their administration from the grassroots level so that the impact of governance can reach the grassroots.

“When we are talking about State Police, every state in this country is facing one insecurity or the other and I believe that if we look at the issue of State Police, and we look at it: is it good for us? What are the advantages and disadvantages, that may have in the interest of this country, I think, we will come out with an outcome that Nigerians will want. So, I think this is the reason why we are here.”

However, Senator Ali Ndume said, Personally, I don’t support state police. Right now, we have less than 400,000 Police nationwide, and you are clamouring for the creation of state police, why don’t you increase the number and Train, Equip, Armed and Motivate them, what I call TEAM. And also adopt the United Nation recommendation on policing. We are about 230 million Nigerians, and we have less than 400,000 police, less than 200,000 armed forces and all our security agencies and paramilitary are barely 1 million or more. We don’t have an army or police reserve and you are saying we should have a state police.”

Both Senators Nwoko and Osita Izunaso, maintained that the creation of additional states in their geopolitical zones was long overdue.

Nwoko said, “The Anioma state creation for me is something that has to be done, if that is the only state that is created in this period, I will not be surprised.

“Agitation for Anioma state had been going on for almost 50 years, it is the oldest agitation for a state.”

On his part, Izunaso said, “The most important agenda the South East Caucus in the National Assembly has is to push for equity and justice.

“We need an additional state in the South East so that we come to terms with other zones in the country that all have six each.

“A situation where the South East have five states when others have six, does not go well for balancing. I believe that our colleagues from other zone will see the reason why we need the state support us.

“There are bills in that regard. For instance, I have my own Bill for the creation of Orlu State. There are two other bills from our colleague for the creation of two other states. We are going to sit back as a zone harmonise our positions.”

Senator representing Southern Borno, Ali Ndume has raised concerns about the electoral process in Nigeria, stating that it is deliberately complicated to facilitate manipulation.

Ndume, a former Senate Majority Leader, made the remarks on Sunday during an interactive session with journalists in Kano after attending the Senate retreat on constitutional review. 

“I support local government autonomy and the idea of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducting local government polls. One issue being discussed in the National Assembly is the creation of a National Local Government Electoral Commission, and I am not in support of it,” Ndume said.

He questioned the need to create a new body solely for conducting elections every four years, arguing that the existing INEC is underutilized and could handle these responsibilities. He also expressed frustration with the complexity of Nigeria’s electoral process, which he believes is designed to encourage manipulation.

“The elections in Nigeria are deliberately complicated to allow for manipulation. Why don’t we make laws that ensure the votes count? Why not enable citizens to elect someone from their phones? Why not allow INEC to monitor elections through technology and create a situation room? Google can tell you your location in real time, so why can’t we leverage technology for our elections?” he asked.

Ndume added that the underlying problem with Nigeria’s electoral system is a lack of sincerity, honesty, and fear of God among political leaders.

Beyond the issue of elections, Ndume also addressed the rampant corruption in Nigeria, lamenting that those who steal public funds often move freely and are celebrated. He shared his experience attempting to pass a law on unexplained wealth in the National Assembly, a proposal that has repeatedly failed to gain traction.

“Our major challenge in this country is corruption. We have no proactive law to address it. In Nigeria, if someone who was poor last week suddenly buys ten cars and a jet, they are celebrated, and people say, ‘God has blessed our son.’ In developed countries, they ask how, when, and where the money came from,” Ndume stated.

He explained that he had tried multiple times to push for a law addressing unexplained wealth but was unsuccessful. “I even approached a former Head of State, hoping he could sign an executive bill on the issue. But to this day, there is no Unexplained Wealth Act or executive order addressing it in Nigeria,” Ndume concluded

Controversial social media personality, VeryDarkMan, has issued a legal counterattack against Bobrisky, threatening a N1 billion countersuit following an earlier defamation claim.

Bobrisky’s legal team had previously demanded an apology from VeryDarkMan for allegedly posting an AI-generated audio to damage the crossdresser’s reputation.

In response, VeryDarkMan took to Instagram, claiming that he stands by the recording in question while threatening to countersue the crossdresser for N1,000,000,020.

His words, “Bobrisky, did you not say you wanted to ‘Kpai’ yourself? Are you not doing it again? Anyway, in this case, they will exchange their credibility for my publicity again as usual. I will suffer them. The integrity of a lot of people will go down. You will hate why you take this case like this. I promise you that. From now, Bobrisky now has the strength to sue me and gave me 24 hours. That means they are working together. I am thinking what I have exposed is bigger than what it is,” he said.

“Did Bobrisky later pay someone N3 million when he did not get it from Falz? I can stand for myself anywhere. Bobrisky has sued me N1 billion but I will caricature it more with N1,000,000,020 billion and N20 gain. I will make all of you stupid in this country.

Background:

In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Bobrisky on six counts of money laundering and Naira mutilation.

During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced the social media personality to six months in prison for Naira abuse.

However, a little over a month after his release, VeryDarkMan, posted a leaked audio recording on Instagram, in which Bobrisky narrated the events that transpired during his prison term.

In the audio, Bobrisky can be heard discussing with a friend how EFCC officials allegedly extorted N15 million from him to drop the money laundering charges.

VeryDarkMan explained that he released the audio after Bobrisky refused to repay N4 million borrowed from one of the people he approached to raise the N15 million.

The ongoing dispute between the two influencers has captivated social media, while investigations by relevant authorities continue.