THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to review his economic policies, noting that they have pauperised Nigerians.

Afenifere, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, urged President Tinubu to alleviate the plight of Nigerians.

Reviewing Tinubu’s first year in office, the Yoruba body said: “The economy has experienced severe turbulence in the one-year administration of President Bola Tinubu, worsening the previous administration’s economic legacy.

“Afenifere, hereby, calls for a better understanding of the economy to stop the al
arming rate of inflation, devaluation, increasing unemployment, homelessness and poverty.

“Firstly, it is an illogical economic belief that the subsidy removals and tax increases that remove money from the economy will stimulate economic growth.

“Therefore, the adoption of flawed neo-liberal theories of subsidy removal and unbridled tax increases must be stopped since they always contract the economy and ours is no exception as companies are folding up and leaving due to fuel and electricity costs skyrocketing, fuelling galloping inflation and fall of real incomes.

“These policies are crowding out the productive sectors of the economy from much-needed loans. The hikes in interest rates are not effective in curbing inflation for the twin reasons that whatever loans are withheld from the private sector by the restrictive policies are flowing to the government which is spending recklessly and pumping the same funds right back into the markets.

“The policy of floating the Naira without moderating the excesses of the free market speculators and hoarders, and a nation addicted to capital flight, is questionable economic logic. With 90 percent of our foreign exchange derived from oil and Gas, stopping government funding of the forex market was bound to lead to massive devaluation as witnessed. Our collective patrimony is not only meant to fund the political class but to stimulate the economy and abundance of life to the greatest number of citizens. This is the Afenifere standard of governance.

“The problems inherited from the Buhari administration have been compounded by the inept management of the economy by the Tinubu administration, following the example of their predecessor by spending recklessly while looking for loans and additional taxes to fund the profligacy.

“Tinubu’s administration in Lagos State is credited for a hyped increasing Internally Generated Revenue that never translated into the development of the kind of infrastructure built by the Jakande administration.

“Unfortunately it appears that President Tinubu is still possessed by this mindset of taxing the poor to transfer to the privileged especially cronies. We are being inundated with all sorts of hare-brained tax schemes like communication, cyber security taxes etc and even once toyed with mandating grossly underfunded universities to remit to the Government purse a percent of their earnings.

“At the end of the first year of Tinubu’s administration, the question is whether our continued arrested economic development is due to corruption or incompetence.

“From failure to mine and refine crude oil to unjustified loans, and excessive cost of governance, it is the people that are made to suffer the tragic consequences.”

This economic dispensation of Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop must be halted before the sociopolitical fabric of Nigeria is destroyed beyond repair.”

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says plans have been concluded for the inauguration of its compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion, filling, reverse engineering, and training centre, in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Khalil Halilu, executive vice-chairman of NASENI, said President Bola Tinubu will inaugurate the facility on May 31.

He said NASENI is dedicated to supporting the federal government’s ‘renewed hope’ agenda, specifically regarding sustainable energy alternatives and a clean energy ecosystem.

Halilu said the NASENI-Portland CNG conversion and training centre was established in partnership with Portland Gas Limited.

“It is a state-of-the-art facility for the conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG, a cleaner and more cost-effective alternative,” Halilu said.

Halilu said the centre, equipped with the latest technology and staffed by highly skilled professionals, would ensure efficient and safe conversions that would enhance local capacity in CNG technology.

He said the facility would also offer thorough training programmes for technicians, engineers, and other stakeholders — fostering the domestication of expertise in CNG systems and promoting the adoption of green energy solutions across the nation.

The executive vice-chairman said the establishment of the centre would mark a transformative moment for Nigeria’s energy sector.

He said the CNG centre demonstrates NASENI’s unwavering commitment to sustainable innovation and the development of home-grown technological and manufacturing capacity.

“At NASENI, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and providing affordable, eco-friendly fuel alternatives to Nigerians,” Halilu said.

“The initiative is expected to significantly reduce vehicular emissions, contributing to cleaner air and a healthier environment.”

He said the adoption of CNG would boost economic benefits by lowering fuel costs for consumers and creating new job opportunities in Nigeria’s green energy sector.

…Presents First Year’s Scorecard

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has revealed that his administration inherited 34 uncompleted projects, valued at over N225.279billion spread across 13 local government areas of the State.

The Governor also disclosed that under his watch, the Rivers State Government has awarded nine new road projects, valued at N534.332billion.

This is even as he described as vicious and existential in nature, the political crisis that was waged against his administration, barely three months after take off on May 29, 2023.

The Governor, however, said that the worst was over because his administration has successfully defended the rights and privileges to govern the State and advance its progress in liberty and freedom without compromise.

Governor Fubara said these while presenting an Account of Stewardship and Scorecard to mark One Year Anniversary of his administration at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

The Governor said: “We started this journey with a bang. We were focused. We were determined to make the change we promised with a sense of urgency.

“But then, somehow, we suddenly found ourselves in the cesspit of crisis barely three months into our tenure. It was not just an ordinary political crisis. It was a vicious existential crisis.

“But thank goodness, the worst is over. We have successfully defended our rights and opportunity to govern our State and advance its progress in freedom, and we will continue to prevail.”

Governor Fubara stated that since then, a lot has changed in the political landscape, adding that he remains committed to the covenant taken a year ago to put Rivers State first, defend her interest, and ensure that the people get the dividends of democracy and good governance.

He said, “For us, any government worth its name must be accountable, responsive, and responsible for the security and well-being of the people.

“Having managed the affairs of our State for one year, including dispensing public resources, it is only proper that we render account with a public presentation of our performance record.

“I am, therefore, pleased to stand before you to present our Scorecard for the first year we have been in office as the Executive arm of the Government of Rivers State.”

Governor Fubara reflected on his promise to deliver on the core priorities of economic growth, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and agriculture, as contained in his Blueprint as a resolve to building a virile, resilient, and progressive State that caters to the needs of the people.

The Governor said, he was proud to report that, despite the unprecedented challenges, his first one year in office has witnessed significant achievements visible to everybody.

Governor Fubara particularly said that he inherited a State, whose economy was on a declining trajectory despite its growth potentials, but within one year of his administration, the negative narrative has changed for the better.

The Governor revealed that he set up an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)/Investment Advisory Committee that he chairs to coordinate activities in the sector that has increased inflow of economic investments to the State.

He said: “We also needed to attract investments into the State and increase our internally generated revenue base as too much reliance on federal allocations was a challenge to the realisation of our development goals.

“We, therefore, set up an IGR/Investment Advisory Committee, which is helping us to navigate our course for increased economic investments and internally generated revenue to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and advance the welfare and well-being of our people.”

Governor Fubara emphasised: “Our liberalised business-friendly economic policies and programmes are boosting confidence and attracting local and international investors and investments into the State, judging by the expression of interest offers we receive every month.

The Federal Government has disbursed a total sum of N20.11bn to 402,283 beneficiaries of the N50,000 Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme.

The beneficiaries selected from the 774 local government areas received a direct payment to their bank accounts via their Bank Verification Number.

This information was disclosed in a document exclusively obtained from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment by our correspondent on Wednesday.

The scheme domiciled under the Ministry of Trade and Investment commenced on March 9, 2024, with financial grants of N50,000 without repayment obligations to eligible small business owners operating in various sectors such as trading, food services, ICT, transportation, creatives, and artisans in the 774 local government areas of the country. 

It targeted 70 per cent of women and youths, 10 per cent of people with disabilities, and 5 per cent of senior citizens, with the remaining 15 per cent distributed to other demographics.

It also said only one million out of the 3.6 million applicants for the conditional grant will be selected as recipients.

President Bola Tinubu, on October 17, 2023, launched the renewed hope conditional cash transfer to 15 million households.

The scheme was only to benefit people with nano businesses seeking to expand and be willing to formally register their businesses and hire at least one additional person as their turnover increases.

The ministry, in a Frequently Asked Questions and Answers said “Disbursements aren’t based on any specific criteria, but in the order, applications are verified. The goal is to reach an estimated 1,290 beneficiaries per LGA across the country, totalling one million.

“Disbursement is also subject to verification of NIN, which became mandatory after the initial application phase and required only BVN. The selection is random, without human intervention, from those who have passed their NIN and BVN verification.”

The trade minister, Doris Aniete, also stated that the objective is to distribute funds to an estimated 1,290 beneficiaries per local government area across the country.

However, a list containing the number of recipients showed that individuals in all LGAs received the funds but not in equal numbers.

The list didn’t contain personal details and contacts of individuals who benefitted from the programme and is as of May 29, 2024.

A breakdown of the document showed that Katsina LGA in Katsina State got the highest allocation with 1,048 beneficiaries while Omuma LGA got the lowest with 85 recipients.

A summary of the top ten receiving LGAs includes Gusau LGA in Zamfara State (977), Omala in Kogi State with 921 recipients, Shiroro LGA in Niger State (911), Owerri North in Imo State (897), Konshisha LGA in Benue State (890), Calabar South in Cross Rivers State (881), Anka LGA in Zamfara State (876), Balanga LGA in Gombe State (873) and Kaltungo LGA in Gombe State (862).

While the lowest 10 receiving LGAs include Olorunsogo LGA in Oyo State (85), Etsako Central in Edo State (86), Ogu/Bolo in Rivers State (98), Opobo/Nkoro in Rivers State (103), Owen West in Edo State (104), Ovia South-West in Edo State (110), Jere in Borno State with 116 recipients, Degema in Rivers State (146), Ogun Waterside in Ogun State (159), Ogo Oluwa in Oyo state (160).

Recall that the minister had earlier indicated that disbursement was going to be staggered and in phase till completion.

Meanwhile, the trade minister confirmed that the ministry had begun examination and sorting of applications received from asset managers to establish the diaspora fund.

She said hundreds of applications were received and currently undergoing a vetting process.

The minister, speaking through her aide, Terfa Gyado, said, “On diaspora Fund, the deadline for Expressions of Interest has closed and applications are currently being vetted.

“We received applications in hundreds and from all over the world.”

When asked to confirm the specific figure, the minister said it would be announced after the sorting process, she said, “They are still sorting but it was an overwhelming response.”

The $10 billion Diaspora Fund is a government-enabled, private-sector-led initiative of the ministry to attract investment from citizens living abroad.

The fund, which would be established by private sector Fund Managers selected through a competitive bidding process, is a way of encouraging remittances, attracting investments, and facilitating philanthropic endeavours aimed at supporting various sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

The government had extended the date for the submission of an Expression of Interest for the fund to May 13, 2024.

The naira appreciated to N1,490 against the dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market on Wednesday.

The current FX rate signifies an increase of 2 percent relative to the N1,520 reported on May 27.

Currency traders in Lagos, also known bureau de change operators, quoted the buying price of the greenback at N1,460, and the selling rate at N1,490 — leaving a profit margin of N30.

At the official window, the local currency depreciated by 13.26 percent against the dollar from N1,173.88/$ on May 28 to close at N1,329.65 on Wednesday.

During trading hours, the exchange rate recorded a high of N1,506 and a low of N1,010, according to FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees the official FX trading in Nigeria.

The daily foreign exchange market turnover stood at $336.54 million.

On May 22, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released the approved guidelines for BDC operations in the country.

The apex bank raised the capital requirement for tier-1 BDC operators from N35 million to N2 billion, while tier-2 operators were mandated to have a capital base of N500 million.

On May 28, the Association of Bureau De Change Operators (ABCON) urged the CBN to review the minimum capital base for tier-1 operators to N500 million and tier-2 operators to N100 million.

Aminu Gwadabe, president of ABCON, said the capital requirement should be reviewed to allow for easy mergers among BDCs.

“For the N2 billion capital base — for those that want to have branches or franchise — we told them (CBN) we are proposing between N500 million and N1 billion,” he said.

Gwadabe also urged the apex bank to allow BDCs to recapitalise instead of reapplying for licences.

The management of the National Medical Services Laboratories in Pennsylvania, United States of America, has refuted the claim by the Lagos State Government that a toxicology test to ascertain the cause of the death of singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, was conducted at its facility.

The claim by the NMS Labs was in response to inquiries made by our correspondent, who embarked on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the musician’s cause of death.

Before embarking on the fact-finding mission, some concerned members of the public reportedly protested against the claim made by a pathologist, who appeared before the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, May 15, and said an autopsy could not ascertain Mohbad’s cause of death because his corpse had decomposed.

PUNCH Metro had reported that the counsel for the state government, O. Akinde, told the Coroner’s Court sitting in the Ikorodu area of the state sometime in November 2023 that a toxicology test, which is an aspect of an autopsy seeking to determine the cause of Mohbad’s death, was conducted in the United States.

Buttressing this claim, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, while responding to inquiries via a live telephone call with Ahmad Isah, the anchor of an Abuja-based online programme, Brekete Family, sometime in February 2024, said the toxicology test was being conducted at the NMS Labs in Pennsylvania, USA.

“The matter is being handled by the state DNA and Forensic Centre, but they are doing skeletal services, and they have affiliate centres which are three.

“So, if there is an emergency like this one that we have, they will not say they cannot handle it. So, there are three of them in the US and the one handling this particular one is the NMS in Pennsylvania, USA,” Omotoso said during the live programme.

The result of the test reportedly arrived in Nigeria sometime in April 2024 and was passed on to a pathologist for interpretation.

Appearing before the coroner’s court, the pathologist disclosed that the autopsy could not ascertain the cause of Mohbad’s death because the corpse had decomposed.

However, during the fact-finding mission, our correspondent independently verified the location of the NMS Labs on 3701 Welsh Road Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and that of two NMS crime labs on Stratford Avenue, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and another at Grand Prairie in Texas.

The single e-mail address that these labs had been using for correspondence was also discovered on the NMS Labs’ website and our correspondent sent an inquiry to confirm if a toxicology test to ascertain Mohbad’s death was conducted at their facility.

The inquiry read in part, “I am a journalist from Punch Newspaper in Nigeria, currently working on a story involving the death of Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

“Following the Lagos State Government’s active interest in the case, the state Commissioner for Information revealed that the government conducted a toxicology test on the late artiste at your facility. Here is the link where he said so at 32:21 (https://youtu.be/SW59DTJZV3I?si=ty0OaXJSTvfuC4Oz).

“However, conflicting reports have emerged, casting doubt on whether or not the toxicology test indeed took place at your facility. As a journalist committed to factual reporting, I am independently reaching out to your facility to verify the authenticity of this claim. Clarification on this matter will contribute significantly to resolving the discrepancies surrounding the artist’s demise.”

Responding to PUNCH Metro on May 17, the Client Services Associate, Forensics Division, NMS Labs, Esther Dede, refuted the claim by the state government that Mohbad’s toxicology test was conducted at any of their laboratories.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a case for that patient,” Dede said.

Dede, however, noted, “To maintain our compliance with HIPAA privacy regulations, we would need authorisation from the submitting agency.”

When contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Omotoso, said that was the name of the lab given to him by the state DNA and Forensic Centre.

“This was what I was told by the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre officials who took the sample there. We are dealing with the officials of the centre, they have three other labs that they have affiliations with. If they have an emergency, they can go to any of the three labs. I asked which particular one did they go to and they answered it was that one. That means I will have to go and check again because that was what I was told.”

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.

The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

President Bola Tinubu made a notable appearance in the green chamber of the House of Representatives today, arriving at 12:31 pm for a joint session with the National Assembly to address the lawmakers and unveil plans for an upcoming 2024 Supplementary bill.

The session was attended by high-profile figures, including Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress; Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, the governor of Borno State; former deputy Speaker Patricia Etteh, and other dignitaries. 

In his speech, President Tinubu urged Nigerians to focus on building a nation for future generations, highlighting the responsibility of the current administration to lay a solid foundation for prosperity and stability.

According to Vanguard, the President also said in his address that he would soon introduce the 2024 Supplemental Bill.

In addition to discussing future legislation, the session also served as a platform for the official flag-off of the new National Anthem, following President Tinubu’s assent to the bill.

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio mentioned that the President’s visit was to address the lawmakers and commission the National Assembly Library.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas clarified earlier misconceptions about the purpose of President Tinubu’s visit.

He apologized for the misinformation that was initially circulated, explaining that the President’s engagement was primarily to inaugurate the new National Anthem.

Briefing the lawmakers, he thanked them for their efforts in sustaining the nation’s democracy for over two decades.

He said, “Out of respect, I want to say thank you very much. This is the institution building the country. 

“Our friends, old and new, to every Nigerian, I say congratulations on 25 years of unbroken democracy.”

According to the President, the new National Assembly represent the diversity in the country.

He also commended the federal lawmakers for collaborating with the executive in building the nation, saying no foreign aid will be enough, and All Nigerians must work to make the nation for generations yet unborn.

Significant discussions and speeches were postponed to June 12, which is recognized as Democracy Day in Nigeria.

Joseph Aloba, Mohbad's father, stated that he will disclose the identity of the individual purportedly responsible for Mohbad's death after a DNA test has been performed on Liam, the deceased singer's son.

Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, and was buried the following day. On September 21, his body was exhumed by police for an autopsy.

Eight months later, the autopsy failed to determine the cause of death as the singer’s body had decomposed when tests were conducted.

Mohbad’s demise has continued to elicit discussions on social media, including questions about his son’s paternity.

Aloba also refused to rebury his son until a DNA test confirmed Liam’s biological father.

He recently suggested that a potential DNA test on Liam could have been a factor in the singer’s death.

But in another interview with Oyinmomo TV, Aloba accused Omowunmi, Mohbad’s wife, of infidelity while claiming he knew who killed the singer.

Aloba alleged that Omowunmi also influenced Mohbad against the management of Marlian Records, his former label.

“Cynthia (Omowunmi) is supposed to be called a liar. There is no single truth that comes out from her. She says ‘because I did not give daddy placenta since then he has been…’. Liam has bowed legs. People started calling my attention to the physical traits of Liam, saying “We do not have curved legs in our family. So where did Liam get his curved legs,” he said.

“I wanted to name the boy Victor. I did not know where they got the name Liam from. But they told me there was no more name. Liam is an Islamic name and we do not have Islamic in my lineage.

“We are talking about DNA they did not do it and they want us to bury Mohbad. We must know if the child is ours. If he belongs to our bloodline.

“Mohbad has always been talking to me about one king. If people want to look for who killed Mohbad, they should wait after the DNA test.”

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has stated that she will not revert to the old national anthem newly signed by President Bola Tinubu.

Ezekwesili who disclosed this in her X handle on Wednesday, stated that no one will suppress her right to dissent an obnoxious ‘law’ that is repugnant to all.

In the post which she tagged ‘Public Service Announcement’, she wrote, “Let it be known to all and sundry that I, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili shall whenever asked to sing the Nigerian National Anthem sing:

“1. Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.

“2. Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leader’s right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace and justice reign.

“This is my own National Anthem and let it be known that no one can suppress my right to dissent an obnoxious “law” that is repugnant to all that is of good conscience in Nigeria.
“Whatever else is #NotMyNationalAnthem.”
In another post, the former Minister, stated that she actually thought the revert to the Old Anthem was a joke and wondered why it was a priority for the government.

“I frankly thought it was a joke and gave it no attention. With all the horrible indicators on the state of governance? So, it is a new National Anthem that is their priority?
“I frankly thought it was a joke and gave it no attention.

“What an egregious case of “Majoring in the Minor” this is! Wow!.”

She urged Nigerians to rise up and fight for themselves as none of their leaders will fight for them.

“Again, no one is coming to save us, Citizens of Nigeria. We’re all we have.

“We all must someday decide to collectively save ourselves and this country from these overpaid, unethical, incompetent and incapable “Lawbreakers” in the @nassnigeria and their similarly characterized collaborators in the Executive and Judicial branches of Government across this Land.

“The Citizens of this country must understand this absolute truth by now that the Political Class is the biggest curse on this country,” she posted.