FEATURES
The Sokoto State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off its planned strike regarding the implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage.
Speaking at a press briefing over the weekend, the state NLC chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Jungle, confirmed that the new minimum wage would take effect in January 2024 and would benefit verified council workers and teachers across the state.
“The state branch of the NLC support the implementation of ₦70,000 announced by the state government effective January 2025.
“We will also assist the state government in the process of implementing the minimum wage even it means conducting screening and verification to ensure only genuinely employed workers benefit from the new minimum wage of ₦70,000,” he stated.
Jungle urged workers to remain patient, expressing confidence in the government’s dedication to introducing additional welfare measures for the state’s workforce.
“We are optimistic that more welfare packages will be rolled out for workers in the state,” he added.
It is worth recalling that Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, during the presentation of the proposed 2024 state budget to the State Assembly, announced January 2024 as the commencement date for implementing the ₦70,000 minimum wage.
One of Nigeria's most popular singers, Dare Art-Alade and his wife, Deola, are celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary today, November 30.
In a post shared on her Instagram page today, Deola listed the reasons they have remained marriage after all these years.
She wrote; ‘’18 Years of Love, Lessons, and Growth.
Today, we celebrate 18 incredible years of marriage. 18 years of laughter, tears, joy, trials, victories, and everything in between. Standing here together, we know this truth: love isn’t perfect, and neither are we. But that’s what makes it so beautiful.
Marriage is a journey, not a destination. There were days we laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe, and there were days we weren’t sure we’d make it through. There were seasons of sunshine, and there were storms that tested the strength of our foundation. But through it all, we chose each other. Over and over again.
This milestone reminds us that real love is work. It’s showing up for your partner even when it’s hard. It’s forgiving when you’re hurt, learning when you’re wrong, and celebrating when you’re right. It’s praying, growing, and holding on—especially in moments when letting go seems easier.
To anyone out there struggling in their relationship or doubting if love can endure, let us tell you: IT CAN. Love requires effort, patience, grace, and the willingness to fight for what matters. There’s no perfect blueprint for marriage, but there is power in choosing to stay and build together.
We are living proof that you can overcome obstacles, rebuild when life feels broken, and find a love that not only survives but thrives. And trust me, it’s worth it.
To my partner, my love, my best friend, thank you for walking this road with me, for believing in us, for every sacrifice, and for the memories we’ve created. Here’s to the next chapter and the many more years we’ll share.
18 years and counting, baby. We did it—and we’re just getting started.
Yours in love
@deolaartalade & @dareynow
(aka Mr & Mrs Dee)''
‘From Secular To Sacred’ - Filmmaker, Mike Bamiloye Reflects On Transformation To Gospel Drama
AFOLABI
Renowned Nigerian Christian filmmaker and founder of Mount Zion Faith Ministries, Pastor Mike Bamiloye, has opened up about a lesser-known struggle in his early years—an addiction, not to substances, but to secular writing.
He recounted the transformative power of surrendering one’s talents to God and embracing the call to Kingdom service.
In a Saturday post on his Facebook page, Bamiloye detailed how his journey to becoming a pioneer in Christian drama was marked by resistance, relapse, and ultimately, total surrender of his talents to God.
According to him, in 1982, a 22-year-old Bamiloye stood outside a crowded church hall during a convention, listening to the powerful ministration of a renowned gospel singer.
He described the experience as life-changing.
He said, “The anointing that morning was so heavy upon the congregation as the voice of that woman rent the hallowed chamber of the large hall.
“I couldn’t hold back my tears. I fell into deep prayer, crying out to God, ‘LORD, You are using a woman; use me too. I want to serve You. Use me too.'”
He said it was during this emotional plea that he heard a voice within him, urging him to surrender his writing gift for Kingdom purposes.
“I will use you if you surrender your gift at my feet,” the voice told him.
Transition struggles
Meanwhile, Bamiloye stated that at that time, he was already an accomplished writer of drama scripts and novels.
However, his works were secular, focusing on themes devoid of spiritual significance. The divine call to abandon his secular pursuits was daunting.
“I didn’t want to stop writing those theatrical dramatic pieces; I didn’t want to stop writing those adventurous and investigative novels that profited the Heavens nothing,” he admitted.
Despite his initial willingness to submit, Bamiloye soon found himself slipping back into his old habits. Writing had become more than a hobby—it was an obsession.
“It was like I was drugged. It was like I was addicted to writing those plays, poems, and novels. I was like a drunkard addicted to drinking. I was like a smoker addicted to smoking,” he asserted.
Divine call?
Several years later, already a few years into ministry, he revealed that he received a sobering warning through a dream.
According to him, in the dream, God made it clear that if he did not withdraw his secular scripts from the publishers, those works would be used by the enemy to undermine his ministry in the future.
“Unless you obey and urgently withdraw those scripts from the publishing companies, the devil will use the published books to rubbish your ministry later in life,” the dream warned.
He noted that the urgency of the message left him with no choice but to act immediately.
The pastor disclosed that he informed his wife of his decision and embarked on a mission to retrieve his manuscripts from various publishing houses.
One of the publishing directors, a Christian herself, he stated, tried to persuade him to reconsider, arguing that the scripts were harmless.
“I had come to withdraw my script from publishing. I never wanted it to be published again,” he recounted.
Consequently, he said that after signing the necessary documents, the manuscripts were returned to him.
“I hereby submit all my gifts at Your feet,” he declared.
Meanwhile, he admitted that his obedience, today, has yielded an abundant harvest.
Mount Zion Faith Ministries has produced countless gospel films and stage productions that have impacted lives across Nigeria and beyond, he noted.
“Have I not produced better drama scripts for the Lord? Have I not turned many drama scripts into great movies for the Kingdom of God?” he reflected.
Gifts, talents divine deposits
Furthermore, Bamiloye believed that his testimony was a challenge to everyone blessed with a talent.
He emphasised that gifts and talents are divine deposits, entrusted to men for the expansion of God’s kingdom.
“Every gift is deposited in a person’s life by God for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. It is not meant to serve your pleasures, nor was it given to you to do whatever you like with it,” the revered drama minister wrote.
Citing the parable of the talents from Matthew 25, he reminded believers that each of us is a servant entrusted with gifts by a Master who will one day return for an account.
To him, our talents are not our own. They are Kingdom assets, meant to serve a higher purpose.
He concluded, “Everyone possessing one talent or the other has been called to be a servant of God.
“It is a Kingdom issue. It is not a joke matter; it has to do with the matter of eternal life. Gift and talent is a kingdom issue.”
Ningi, speaking exclusively to Sunday Vanguard, accused the Federal Government of pushing an agenda that undermines national inclusiveness.
He warned President Bola Tinubu against exploiting people’s silence or fear to impose policies against their will.
According to Ningi, the tax reform bills are skewed in favour of Lagos State and two other states, to the detriment of others.
The senator argued that the lack of inclusiveness in the bills makes them fundamentally flawed and urged lawmakers to reject them outright.
Ningi likened the current situation to the Third Term agenda under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when federal lawmakers rejected a constitution review despite its numerous benefits because of the overarching agenda to extend Obasanjo’s tenure.
Ningi said, “First of all, I’m against the tax bills for two fundamental reasons. One, it is discriminatory in nature because it gives some states more advantage over others.
“And there is no logic, no explanation as to why some states will benefit more than others and that is the crux of the bills.
“Secondly, I thought the National Economic Council, chaired by the Vice President of the country, is constitutional, strategic enough to be able to guide the President or the executive in running the country from economic perspective.
“You will recall that the National Economic Council unanimously rejected the tax reform bills and I find it really strange that the only person who is elected and he insists in flexing muscle with the bills is the President because the National Economic Council is headed by the Vice President and elected governors and as such these people represent Nigerians and I cannot see how Mr President will love this country more than the amalgam of those elected at the executive level.
“I find it really strange that after his failure to convince the National Economic Council to accede to his demand, he is now trying to flex muscles and put it in the parliament.
“I find it strikingly disturbing that he is bringing this thing to the National Assembly thinking he can have his way because he had his way all through from the beginning to this time.”
Ningi, who noted that there are aspects of the bills that are good for the country, said, “Yes I admit that there are some aspects of the bills that look positive in my opinion, but remember the Third Term constitutional amendment; just because of the Third Term, there were numerous clauses that were fantastic at that time, but because of the controversy surrounding the bill, the National Assembly threw it away.”
Calling on lawmakers to stand in unison in the interest of the country, the ranking lawmaker said, “I call on the members of the National Assembly to stand united, this is not about North and South.
“There is no difference in the pains of Bauchi and the pains of Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo or Cross River or Benue or Katsina, the pain just runs across.
“These bills are substantively made to benefit Lagos in particular and then two other states. It goes to show the kind of…
“So I think it is important that the President should recognise the pains, it is important that the President recognises that we are a very complex country and he should not try to take advantage of people’s view or people’s silence or people’s fear to impose something against the will of the people.
“We represent our people and we are going to stand with then, we are going to stand united, we are going to make sure that these bills do not see the light of day.
[NaijaNews]
Activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has disclosed that Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of Rivers State is responsible for the fight between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara.
Adeyanju said while Wike declared N11 billion when he was governor of Rivers State, Fubara is currently declaring N27 billion, hence the fight.
He disclosed this while featuring on a podcast by Glitch Africa Studio, The Honest Bunch.
The activist lawyer also described the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as a political party and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to Adeyanju: “If you give INEC water, they will turn it into wine, there is nothing INEC can’t do; what INEC can’t do does not exist.
“INEC is a political party and the current INEC is APC.
“Wike is fighting Fubara because about a year ago, he was declaring N11 billion as IGR. The same Fubara is declaring N27 billion and you say they should not fight?”
[DailyPost]
The just released audit report on Federal Government’s Consolidated Financial Statement for the year ended 31st December 2021 has indicted the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Downstream, Midstream Regulatory Authority for huge financial infractions and non-remittance of revenue to the federation account during the year under review.
The report, prepared by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and submitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly ,cited cases of unauthorised deduction from the federation revenue, irregular deduction from domestic crude sale, warehousing of the federation’s miscellaneous income, unsubstantiated payment of shortfall from the sale of MT Cargo of PMS, outstanding royalties due from NNPC-COMD/MCA/PSC, and unjustified deductions from Joint venture royalty by NNPC before remitting to DPR.
Also mentioned as financial irregularities in the report are outstanding royalties on oil concession rentals and gas flaring payable by operators to the federation’s account, outstanding bridging allowance from NNPC Retail, outstanding bridging claims from other major oil marketers, irregular balance in marketers’ indebtedness and non-payment of indebtedness by some DAPPMAN marketers.
The Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor China, who signed the report said the actions of the three state owned agencies were in violation of paragraph 213(ii) of the Financial Regulations (FR) and paragraph 217 of the FR 2009.
While Paragraph 213 (ii) precludes withdrawal from the revenue account other than for the purpose of transfer to the consolidated account, Paragraph 217 stipulates that it is the duty of the Accounting Officer responsible for the collection of revenue or other monies due to government are correctly and promptly brought to account, whether such collections are payable direct to him or to a Sub-Accounting Officer or through any other channel.
In the case of NNPCL, the report said the company’s payment records for the period 2020 and 2021 revealed that N82,951,595,510.47 was deducted by it from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas (Federation Revenue) for “purported Refineries Rehabilitation”
It said there was no evidence of authorization and approvals before the deductions were made. The Auditor General attributed this kind of action to weaknesses in the internal control system at NNPC which could leave room for possible misappropriation of funds, diversion of revenue meant for the Federation or loss of Revenue.
It also reported that the management of the agency did not respond to audit query, adding that “since the Management failed to respond to the issue raised, the findings remain valid until the Management implements the recommendations.”
It recommended that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL be requested to provide reasons to the National Assembly for the deductions being proceeds from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas.
Besides, it said that henceforth, the management of the NNPCL should avoid making any deduction from monies due to go into the federation account and violation should attract punishment as specified in paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009.
It also cited the deduction of N343,642,598,726.51 from the gross domestic crude sales in the name of NNPC Value shortfall, Strategic Stock Holding Cost, Crude Oil and Products Pipeline Losses, as well as the pipelines maintenance and management costs.
The report said since details of each of the cost components deducted were not provided for audit review, the Auditor General could not understand the justification for the deduction.
The OAuGF also said that N83,659,813,739.99 being miscellaneous income from the NNPC joint venture operations from year 2016 to 2020 went into the CBN/NNPC sinking fund account instead of the Federation Account, adding that warehousing of the miscellaneous income of 2016 to 2020 meant for the Federation Account in the CBN/NNPC Sinking Fund Account led the government to resort to borrowing to fund public activities
It said the shortfall should be recovered and remitted to government treasury and evidence forwarded to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.
In another instance, a sum of N3,748,581,281.27 was said to have been paid to a company as shortfall on the sale of MT cargo of PMS, adding that details of the transaction between the NNPC, PPMC and the company were not provided for audit.
It said whereas the sum of US$1,655,352,328.14 was supposed to have been paid by NNPC to the CBN account of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in respect of Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), Repayment Agreement (RA) and Modified Carry Arrangement (MCA) liftings as at 31st December, 2021, the DPR received only US$1,401,399,635.07, leaving a shortfall of US$253,952,693.07.
It said further that records obtained from NNPC JV schedules and other documents showed that the NNPC deducted N204,853,744,047.39 from the Oil Royalty assessed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for 2021 for alleged priority project, strategic holding cost, crude oil and product losses without any justifiable reasons.
It quoted the NUPRC as saying “the NNPC makes deductions for Government priority projects at source before remittance of royalty to NUPRC with the latter having no control over this. Thus, NNPC is in better position to provide necessary approvals to justify these deductions.
“The office of the Accountant General of the Federation has been duly written on the payment of 4% Cost of Revenue Collection to NUPRC for money deducted at source by NNPC for Government priority projects.”
The Auditor General said the Management failed to address the issue raised and therefore should provide reasons why the sum of N204,853,744,047.39 was deducted by NNPC from Federation Account revenue proceeds, while recovering the said amount and remit same into the Federation Account.
It said that a review of revenue ledgers for 2021 revealed that oil royalty amounting to US$1,742,280,008.32 remained unpaid by some oil companies as at the end of December, 2021, while an additional US$13,805,135.46 for revenue relating to Royalty on Gas Sales (Foreign) remained unsettled as at 31% December, 2021 in addition to N48,218,163, 192.67 for Gas Royalty (Local) for the same period.
[TheNation]
The North’s resentment of the proposed Tax Reform Bills currently at the National Assembly,NASS, has expanded as northern youths attacked Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin yesterday, accusing him of being insensitive to the region.
They described the bills as anti-North, saying it would further relegate the region economically.
The youths, representing 19 northern states, said the lawmaker representing Kano North Senatorial District knows the bills would not serve the region’s interest.
Ever since the proposed laws were sent by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly, lawmakers of northern extraction have been expressing worries.
The executive arm of government had said the bills would ensure uniformity in tax revenue administration across Nigeria, eliminate double taxation, use taxation to encourage private sector investment in critical industries and boost disposable incomes through targeted tax exemptions.
The four bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583, The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584, The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585, and The Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
Last week, the bills passed Second Reading in the Senate despite notable objections from some lawmakers.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described the proposed fiscal laws as “a significant move to overhaul the country’s tax system.”
However, the North is united in its opposition as all sections of its leadership consider the bills as being against the region’s socio-economic development.
The latest in the opposition by the North is the attack on Senate number two man, Senator Jibrin, by Northern Youth Assembly.
They were particularly angry over the fact that the Deputy Senate President presided over the sitting where the bills passed Second Reading.
The plenary was disrupted by anger and a shouting match over the bills, which came up for debate despite not being listed as an item for the day’s business.
Interest
In an open letter signed by Ali Mohammed Idris and Abdulhafiz Garba, President and Secretary respectively of Northern Youth Assembly, the youths said, yesterday, that Jibrin’s position on the bills doesn’t represent the interest of the North.
The letter reads: “The Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), on behalf of the 19 northern states leadership of the assembly, wishes to express our unequivocal disappointment and dismay in you, following your action towards the scaling for the second reading, of an evil tax reform bill, which would certainly undermine the North, and further relegate the region economically and commercially.
‘’Your support for the passage of the proposed evil tax reform bill put forth by the Tinubu administration is the highest order of your insensitivity to the economic and commercial plight of your constituency, Kano State and the entire Northern Nigeria.
“As representatives of the Northern Nigerian youths, we believe the proposed tax reform bill, in its current form, would surely disproportionately affect the economic livelihoods and aspirations of our people, and it is of course without taking into cognizance of the current economic reality in the country.
“Our disappointment is more on your attitude at the Senate plenary to impose your opinion and interest. Even though you are quite aware that this bill is anti-North and has the tendency of further impoverishing the people in the North, and would further cripple economic and commercial activities in the region, and yet you are hell-bent on making it a reality. While it is obvious that the proposed tax reform is of so much interest to the people at the centre, however, your unwavering enthusiasm to champion the bill, which is anti-North, exposes your misguided commitment to the course of protecting the interest of those you represent. Practically, the North faces a barrage of critical issues such as shortage of electricity supply, rampant insecurity across the region, naked poverty, unemployment and a dismal state of infrastructure, to name just a few, but you have yet resolved to lead the war of further destroying the little prospects left of the North.
“Let us remind you that the purpose of your election was to fundamentally champion the course to address the development challenges facing your region, through effective legislative engagement, rather than dedicating your energy to serve an anti-northern Nigeria agenda, which would further marginalize the Northern Nigerian people, the region where you come from. It would be wiser and more beneficial for you to prioritize your focus towards championing the course of alleviating the pressing socio-economic challenges ravaging the people in the North.
“This tax reform, in its current form, threatens to exacerbate the burdens of businesses and families in Northern Nigeria—that are already struggling to survive due to inconsistent power supply and un-friendly government policies which have been crippling the economy and growth of Northern Nigeria.
Lobbyists
“Northern Nigeria requires only the leaders who could speak in the interest of the region, not hired lobbyists and agents of destruction, who would do everything to misguide and deceive their people for some cheap political gains.
“We wish to inform you that the Northern Youth Assembly is highly disappointed in you and your cohorts for accepting to be engaged to destroy the north and its future.
“We are committed to fighting this course with our last drop of blood and to expose you and your likes, who are ready to auction the North and its future, as we could no longer trust and surrender our destiny into the hands of political merchants, betrayers and political hypocrites.
“The proposed Tinubu Tax Reform Bill is evil and that was the reason the National Economic Advisory Council and Northern governors rejected the bill in the first place, while people like you are trying to justify what is wrong in its totality to cash on the situation for some cheap political gain.
“We wish to finally advise you to change your ways before the entire people in the North, old and young, children and women are mobilised to place their curse on you.’’
[Vanguard]
Workers, senior lawyers and the civil society organisations (CSOs) have knocked the federal and state governments for failing to implement the Supreme Court judgement granting financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.
Nigeria cultural tours
At the instance of a suit filed by the federal government against the 36 states of the federation, the country’s apex court on July 11, 2024, ordered that funds accruing to the councils from the federation account should be paid directly to the accounts of the third-tier of government.
But five months after the celebrated judgement, its implementation is still shrouded in secrecy.
Earlier media reports that the federal and state governments had set October 2024 deadline for the implementation of the ruling have been refuted by the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The reports claimed that at the expiration of the deadline, any state without elected leaders at the grassroots government would have the LG funds withheld by the federal government.
This made the governors to rush to conduct LG elections that were far from being credible
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the issue, Mr Kehinde Eleja (SAN), said any further delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy would not portend any good for governance at the third-tier of government and would be a great disservice to the country.
Eleja who spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State said a period of five months after the delivery of the judgment was more than enough for necessary action to be taken by the government.
He said, “It would be recalled that the Supreme Court, in appreciation of the constitutional importance of the case to the nation, gave the case accelerated hearing and promptly delivered its verdict. With that the Supreme had discharged its responsibility leaving the executive with the implementation of the borders made in the judgment.
“As for the delay in implementation of the judgment, it must be appreciated that certain mechanisms would have to be put in place for effective implementation of the judgment. However, a period of five months after the delivery of the judgment is more than enough for necessary action to be taken by the government. Any further delay does not portend any good for governance at the third tier of government and will be a great disservice to the nation.”
In Zamfara State, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and some lawyers condemned the delay in the implementation of the judgement, arguing that the delay had undermined the rule of law and the authority of the judiciary.
Nigeria cultural tours
The state chairman of NULGE, Ahmed Isah, said the delay by the state governors was deliberate and accused them of selfishness.
A lawyer, Bello Galadi and former chairman of Zamfara State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), condemned governors’ non-implementation of the autonomy granted the councils.
Galadi queried the delay despite the Supreme Court order that was made since July 11, 2024 which gave a landmark judgement affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local governments in the country and ruled that governors could no longer control funds meant for the councils.
A legal expert based in Bauchi, Safiyanu Idris, blamed the federal government for the non-compliance with the judgement.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Bauchi, Idris said it was apparent that joint accounts became the medium for the governors to siphon funds meant for the local governments in their jurisdiction.
“The federal government failed to implement punitive measures on states that tamper with local government funds. It is not supposed to be so. Overzealous governors unlawfully use local government funds and sometimes go the extra mile to deal with council chairmen who, in their assessment, are against their greed,” he said
Idris advocated for the scrapping of state independent electoral commissions, arguing that governors use them to impose their loyalists as chairmen.
A Kaduna-based legal practitioner, Hiifan Abuul, said the joint local government account with the state government should be scrapped immediately following the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.
Abuul however expressed reservation over effective management of local government funds by their chairmen, saying they were rather selected by their respective governors and not voted as witnessed during the local government polls across the country.
In Kebbi State, the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Abubakar Nayaya Ambursa, said they would speak on the matter after the assembly concludes its deliberations on it.
Nigeria cultural tours
Similarly, the chairman of the state chapter of NULGE, Comrade Abubakar Umar, said the union was waiting for the outcome of the state Assembly’s resolution on the matter.
The chairman of the Gombe State Network of Civil Society Organisations (GONET), Ibrahim Yusuf, said the main obstacle to the implementation of the ruling was the pervasive influence of godfatherism in Nigerian politics.
“The governors installed people as local government chairmen. We don’t call it an election because they appoint them. 99 percent of those installed were their political stooges or godsons who cannot do without their masters,” he said.
Also, Bachama Yusuf, secretary of the Association of NGOs (ANGO) in the state, corroborated the GONET’s stance, warning that the failure to implement the ruling would erode trust in the justice system and undermine democracy.
The North Central coordinator of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Steve Aluko, said it was an affront on the judiciary because the highest court of the land had ruled.
According to him, the National Assembly had also made their input, but the executive had subverted the process.
Also, an Abuja-based lawyer, Francis Adejoh, said the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and for the executive to have refused to implement the judgement was unfortunate.
He said, “It is very disappointing and embarrassing that the executive arm of government has refused to implement the judgement of the highest court in the land.”
The chairman of NULGE in Plateau State, Comrade Yohana Macquine, said the judgement was a welcome development.
When asked about his expectation from state governors on the judgement, he said he would not want to join issues with them, but said NULGE expected total compliance with the ruling.
The chairman, Cross River State Civil Society Network, Ben Usang, said the failure to implement the verdict portended danger because it would prompt people not to respect court judgments.
A legal practitioner and former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, said it was illegal and unconstitutional for a judgment of a court not to be obeyed immediately after the court made the pronouncement.
He said, “It is equally unconstitutional for the executive branch of government to be dancing “Ajasco” or rigmarolling or playing crass politics while obeying the judgment of the apex court in the country.
“This is a violent infraction of section 287 subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides that the decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.
“It is simply outrageous, unacceptable, and scandalous, to say the least. It is a stain on the justice delivery system and goes to the root of the whole essence of adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria.
“It is also anathema to the principle of good governance, which is hinged on respect for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic tenets. In other words, it is a recipe for bad governance.” Obla stated.
Meanwhile, councils in Jigawa State have been enjoying financial autonomy even before the recent court verdict in respect of the matter.
The state chairman of NULGE, Comrade Abubakar Garba Shittu stated this when contacted on the status of the local government financial autonomy in the state.
“We don’t have problems with regards to local government autonomy, even though the court verdict allowed states to continue to have much say on local government administration.
“In Jigawa State, local governments have been receiving their allocations but they pay back all the statutory deduction according to the state law,” he said.
Stakeholders have unanimously supported the delay in the enforcement of Supreme Court Judgement in Osun State.
While hoping that the judgement would be enforced to the latter in due course for good governance, they called for restraints in its immediate enforcement to avoid subjecting workers to hardship especially with the prevailing economic situation.
A local government staff at Obokun local government area of Osun State, Kunle Adeniyi, expressed the fear that if the judgement was enforced, it would be difficult for workers to receive their salaries.
A legal luminary, Bola Hammed, said due process of law should be taken in electing political officeholders at local government levels.
[Leadership]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) urges bank customers to report ATM and branch cash withdrawal difficulties starting December 1, 2024, through designated state-specific phone numbers and email addresses.
The CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso announced this directive during the 2024 Annual Bankers Dinner organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos.
Cardoso acknowledges cash availability issues at ATMs, which impact ordinary Nigerians. To address this, the apex bank will conduct spot checks on Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and penalize underperforming institutions
“We recognize the ongoing challenges with cash availability at ATMs, which disproportionately affect ordinary Nigerians.
“To address this, we are conducting spot checks across Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and will impose penalties on underperforming institutions.
“Effective December 1, 2024, customers are encouraged to report any difficulties withdrawing cash from bank branches or ATMs directly to the CBN through designated phone numbers and email addresses for their respective states,” he stated
He assured that guidelines with reporting procedures will be widely distributed to raise public awareness.
Regulatory compliance and penalties
Cardoso emphasized the need for compliance from all stakeholders, including Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Mobile Money Operators, and PoS agents, to enhance service delivery.
“I repeat, financial institutions found engaging in malpractices or deliberate sabotage will face stringent penalties,” he warned
The governor added that the apex bank would maintain a robust cash buffer to meet demand during high-pressure periods like the festive season.
To foster digital transactions and trust, Cardoso reiterated CBN’s commitment to addressing payment delays, particularly for vulnerable populations.
He explained that trust is fundamental to fostering digital transactions, and the CBN must take every necessary step to preserve that trust in payment systems.
Cardoso assured that Payment gateways for financial transactions will become better in 2025. Key initiatives under the Payment System Vision 2025 include:
- Implementing an open banking framework.
- Advancing contactless payment systems.
- Expanding the regulatory sandbox.
- Issuing revised guidelines for agency banking.
“Additionally, we will issue revised guidelines for agency banking and continue to strengthen electronic payment channels,” he stated
Anti-money laundering and financial system reforms
- Cardoso disclosed that Nigeria aims to exit the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list by Q2 2025.
- He outlined plans to combat money laundering, cybercrime, fraud, and corruption, ensuring a sound financial ecosystem.
- Prof. Pius Deji Olanrewaju, President/Chairman of CIBN, praised the resilience of Nigeria’s economy and banking sector despite macroeconomic challenges. He highlighted steady GDP growth from Q1 to Q3 of 2024, attributing it to government policies and CBN initiatives.
“For example, the Nigerian economy continues to be more resilient and agile as shown in the steady growth from 2.98 per cent in Q1 to 3.19 per cent in Q2 and now 3.46 per cent in Q3 of 2024.
“The bank recapitalization exercise also attests to the fact that we are well on our way towards not only strengthening the financial sector but also supporting a $1 trillion economy envisaged by 2030,” he said.
Olanrewaju noted that the Nigerian banking industry has demonstrated resilience this year despite macroeconomic challenges, including rising inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
[Nairametrics]
Okpebholo, APC Jittery Over Exposure Of Systemic Rigging In Edo, Lies To Cover Fraud – Obaseki
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Former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has claimed that the independent analysis by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership of the Edo State governorship election has thrown Governor Monday Okpebholo into a frenzy.
Recall that Osita Chidoka, the founder of the Centre, had claimed that the governorship election results shouldn’t have stood.
Chidoka, who presented the Athena Centre’s findings on the Edo State election on Channels Television’s Politics Today, stated that there was substantial evidence of systemic rigging.
But in a statement to Naija News on Saturday, Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said in a well-orchestrated plot hatched by the PDP, in connivance with Chidoka, tried to bully and blackmail the judiciary into circumventing the will of Edo people.
He said the shameful display on Channels Television’s Politics Today reeled out numbers purchased from ‘Oluwole market,’ and impetuously concluded that the 21st September governorship election in Edo State was rigged.
In a swift reaction to Okpebholo’s comments, Obaseki’s Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement to Naija News, said the program on Channels TV showed overwhelming evidence and data exposing the systemic rigging and brazen subversion of the people’s will during the September 21 governorship election.
According to the former governor’s aide, the show must have been a difficult 30 minutes for even the most vile criminal.
He said the analysis revealed a widespread manipulation and substantial interference in the electoral process by the umpire, noting that the APC who is party to the robbery would rather the findings be dismissed, distorted, or buried under a barrage of propaganda and baseless accusations.
His statement read: “The independent analysis by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, a non-partisan research institute, of the sham of an election that installed Monday Okpebholo as governor of Edo State clearly threw the governor-select and his godfathers into a frenzy yesterday.
“Channels TV, in their show, Politics Today, had the mindless and unprecedented transgressions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and their conspirators, the Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) laid bare. The show must have been a difficult 30 minutes for even the most vile criminal.
“Taunted by overwhelming evidence and data exposing the systemic rigging and brazen subversion of the people’s will during the September 21 governorship election, the APC, rather than covering their faces in shame, resorted to smear campaign, lies and propaganda, in a last-ditch effort to distract from the daylight robbery, and undermine the integrity of revered institutions advocating for the judiciary to right the wrong of the electoral umpire and their conspirators.
“The independent analysis broadcast yesterday is the outcome of a forensic examination of data and documents made available to the research institute by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It revealed a widespread manipulation and substantial interference in the electoral process by the umpire. But the APC who is party to the robbery would rather the findings be dismissed, distorted, or buried under a barrage of propaganda and baseless accusations.
“Among other things, the centre uncovered shocking discrepancies in the election results, showing that INEC inflated the number of accredited voters by over 100,000 in 798 polling units. They also discovered that polling officers recorded 580,000 accredited voters, yet INEC’s backend mysteriously produced 687,000, which further buttressed the evidence that it deliberately tampered with the election.
“There were also glaring inconsistencies between INEC’s certified results and the data uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Specifically, the forensic analysis revealed that results of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were slashed by 11,665 votes during collation, while 32,284 votes were illegally added to APC’s tally, showing the brazen manipulation and fraud perpetrated against the people of Edo State during the last governorship election.
“Unsurprisingly, as a party of electoral fraudsters, the APC would prefer that this fraud on a massive scale is upheld and normalized, seeking desperately to silence voices of dissent and attacking any institution or individual who dares to speak out against this barefaced theft of the people’s mandate.
“In their desperate quest for power at all costs, the APC has continued to undermine democratic processes, distort the truth, and manipulate the system to have a grip on power. This shows what the APC really represents – a party that values personal and political gain over the interest and will of the people, willing to subvert justice and erode the very foundations of democracy to achieve their selfish objectives.
“While we sympathize with the APC over their trauma from the public exposure of their electoral fraud in Edo State by the Athena Centre, we want to restate that we will not be distracted in our resolve to reclaim the mandate duly given by the good people of Edo State. We trust in the impartiality of the judiciary and are confident that they will rise above the distractions and intimidation tactics of the APC, ensuring that justice is served and the will of the people prevails.”
[NaijaNews]
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Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele was at the House of Representatives to brief federal lawmakers on the need to pass the bills on tax reforms arguing that majority of Nigerians stand to gain from the proposed new system of tax administration.
Mr President set up the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee in August, 2023 with three very clear mandates. The first one is on fiscal governance.
For this committee to look at our nation’s finances, revenue, how we spend our money, our borrowing, the terms of those borrowing, and how we coordinate policies amongst fiscal, monetary, and trade, not only at the federal government level alone, but also across sub-nationals so that one level of government is not pulling to the right and another one is pulling to the left, bearing in mind that at the end of the day, governance at all levels is about our people.
The second mandate is revenue transformation. How do we change the narrative for our country? And that includes taxation. That includes government assets. That includes government-owned enterprises. We want NFPs to give us tens of billions of dollars in profit, dividend every year, as well as natural resources, oil and gas, and solid minerals.
The last mandate is economic growth and competitiveness. We are given the mandate to look very closely at why is it that our businesses are struggling? Why is it that Nigeria today does not have like 50 multinational companies that are headquartered in Nigeria? That even when you are not selling crude oil, they are bringing money back home. We have a company in the world today, one of the largest companies, that their turnover alone is more than Nigeria’s GDP multiplied by two.
That’s one company. So why is it difficult for our small businesses to survive beyond five years? Why are they not growing? So those issues, why is it difficult for exporters to export? We spoke to people exporting and they said they have to go through more than 22 permits, approvals, clearance. That takes about two months and they have to pay for every single one of that.
By the time you are done, if you are lucky, your product is still fit for export. In putting the committee together, we’re very, very deliberate in ensuring that the committee is representative. We have over 80 members of eminent, qualified, experienced and patriotic Nigerians from all the geopolitical zones.
We have good representation of women and youths. We had 45 undergraduates from 22 universities across Nigeria working with us at the secretariat and they attend our meetings because we also want to get the views of the young people. We have over 20 government institutions represented.
Level of consultation
We have the organised private sector represented including trade associations, manufacturers, chambers of commerce, small businesses, professional bodies, large and small accounting firms and the civil society. In doing our work, we were very clear that it has to be national interest first, national interest next, national interest at all times. We said to ourselves that if we have a Nigeria that is working, everybody will find a space within a Nigeria that is working.
We were very, very particular about using data. Every single recommendation we have in those four views are driven by data. There was nothing we’re recommending that is emotional.
When we have meetings with our stakeholders, we say to them, give us data because it’s by using data that we can look back many years from now and say we did the best for our country. We also ensure that we have a clear philosophy for our tax system, which is that our tax system must be modern, it must be simple and it must be dynamic. It must enable growth and make Nigeria competitive.
If it cannot grow, it doesn’t matter what you want to do with revenue. Revenue cannot come because people cannot give what they don’t have. We came up with what we call the socioeconomic equation that says revenue and taxes are the consequences of economic activities.
Without economic activities, there can be no revenue. And where revenues have been collected, why are they collected? So that they can improve the lives, livelihood and the well-being of the people. That is the equation.
In our view, any policy we have, whether it’s tax policy, fiscal policy, trade policy, monetary policy, if they distort economic activities, those policies are not good enough. If they undermine the well-being of our people, those policies are also not good enough because we exist as a society for the interests of our people. So, with this background in mind, we did a lot of consultations and engagements.
Private sector: We had more than 40 sector groups. We met with them, individual sector per time. From farmers to small business owners to Nigerians with disabilities, to Nigerians in the Diaspora, to large businesses, to professional associations, FinTech, and the list goes on and on.
We also had public engagements with sub-nationals, finance commissioners, head of Internal Revenue Services under the Joint Task Force platform. We had meetings with the Governor’s Forum. We had meetings with the National Economic Council. We had meetings also with the National Assembly. We were privileged to be invited by the People’s House.
Even though it was a short interaction, but we had the opportunity to engage. We had a more elaborate engagement with the Senate. We had a two-day retreat as part of these processes.We’ve had meetings with many ministries and agencies that I cannot count. We’ve also had a lot of interactions with the international community, trying to learn from other countries, trying to learn from the books. We are trying to learn from ourselves.
Why past efforts failed
What is it that we have tried in the past that hasn’t worked? Why did it not work? What is it that we tried that worked? Because sometimes we don’t celebrate ourselves when we have done the right thing, we lose sight of them. We receive a lot of support from the international community, including the United Nations Development Program, African Development Bank, and so on and so forth.
We conducted surveys, and we asked for submissions from Nigerians. We were pleasantly surprised that we received submissions from every single state in Nigeria. We were not even expecting it.
There was no state in Nigeria where we did not get submissions from people. For this, we are grateful to the Nigerian people for the trust that they have in the work of the committee. Of course, we have a dedicated website, social media accounts, and we engage through the press, radio, TV, and other platforms.
But we know these engagements are never enough, so we are always very happy for the opportunity for further engagement. So, what did we find out from the work that we’re doing? Like Mr Speaker said, and also the Deputy Speaker, what are the mischief we are trying to correct? You don’t need to fix something if it’s not broken. In doing our work, we did a lot of findings.
The first one, I’ll just put it bluntly, Nigeria is running on a low budget. For 2024, the budget of the federal government including the amendment to the Appropriation Act that added about 6.2 trillion, it came up to about 35 trillion Naira. (21:59) For all the states combined, it was 15.9 trillion.
When you add up the entire budget for Nigeria, it comes to 51.1 trillion if you convert it to US dollars. It was only $32 billion for 2024. These $32 billion is the equivalent of the budget of Kenya.
Kenya has 54 million people, plenty of poor people as well. It is less than one quarter of the budget of South Africa. South Africa’s budget for 2024 is the equivalent of $130 billion.
South Africa has a little over 60 million people. How is it that Nigeria with all the potentials we have, with all the knowledge and the experience and human capital that God has blessed us with, how is it that we’re over 200 million people and our budget is barely the size of Kenya? That budget, if you dedicate it to just transportation infrastructure alone, roads, rail, flying, it will not be enough. If you do nothing else, that budget will not be enough.
The narrative for our country cannot be changed by increasing that amount by 5% or 10%. The base is just too small. It cannot fund our development.
The next slide shows our major revenue sources as a country, and there are eight of them. The eight major revenue sources for us as a country is personal income tax. The second one is property tax. The third one is stamp duties. The next one is value-added tax. And the next one is land.
These first five are mostly controlled by the states. And then now you have three that are shared amongst federal, state, and local governments. It’s corporate income tax, custom duties, and petroleum and solid minerals revenues. These are the eight major sources of revenue for our country. The sad news, or the bad news is that every single one of those eight is significantly underperforming. The good news is that every single one of those eight presents an opportunity for our country to change the narrative.
I just told you that our budget is small. What is even smaller is our revenue. On this next slide, the entire revenue that we generated from tax in 2023, because 2024 has not ended, so we are not done with the numbers yet, so we decided to use 2023 and it was only about N17.9 trillion.
Comparison with other countries
If you convert this to dollar, it’s less than $20 billion, so which means that our small budget is even financed by borrowing. We can’t even raise enough revenue to finance a small budget. If you look at the breakdown of our major taxes, let me start with personal income tax.
In 2023, Nigeria, the whole 36 states, plus the FCT, collected 1.5 trillion Naira in personal income tax. In that same year, South Africa collected about 50.5 trillion naira equivalent in personal income tax alone. What South Africa collected from personal income tax alone is more than our entire revenue as a federation multiplied by two.
Even Kenya, that is a very small country compared to Nigeria, with a lot of poor people, I will continue to repeat that, they collected 5.8 trillion naira equivalent from personal income tax alone, almost four times what Nigeria collected, even though our population is four times their own population. I will not bore you with the other details because of our time, but I’ll just mention one more, and that’s to do with customs. In 2023, Nigeria collected 3.2 trillion naira from Customs.
In that same year, Kenya collected 8.9 trillion naira equivalent, almost three times. When we looked at the value of what Nigeria imported and the value of what Kenya imported, Kenya imported $23 billion worth of items. Nigeria imported $66 billion worth of items.
We imported almost three times what Kenya imported and collected about one-third of what Kenya collected. Something is not adding up, and those problems, we must fix them if we must make progress as a country. We know that the Nigeria Customs Service is doing its best.
We can do better
We are just seeing that we can do more and we can do better. Some of these issues are not isolated to any agencies. They are issues to do with the system and how the system can work. One other very important study I need to share with you, Your Excellencies, is we conducted a study about national tax perception and tax morale, and this was done by the Nigeria Economy Summit Group. I had the privilege to lead the round table that did the study. We were asking Nigerians whether they would like to pay their taxes and whether they think those who don’t pay their taxes should be punished.
We were alarmed at the result that we got. Only 17% of Nigerian adults, believed that they should pay their taxes and that evasion is wrong and punishable. 83% of Nigerians would do anything but pay their taxes.
When we asked them why, they said, number one, that they do not trust governments. Number two, they said even the little that they have paid, what are they getting in return? Many of them said after paying the taxes, they have to take care of everything government is supposed to take care of. Number three reason they gave is that even when they want to pay the tax, the process is complex and is corrupt.
Two in three adults said they were asked to pay a bribe in the process of wanting to pay their taxes. Bear in mind that this study covers all levels of government, so we’re not pointing fingers at anyone. We’re just being honest with ourselves because recognising the problems we have and acknowledging them is 50% of finding the solutions.
When we ask these Nigerian people, what can government do to make you change your mind and start paying your taxes. They want transparency so they can trust governments. And they said in terms of what government should spend money on, that the government should prioritise spending on number one, education; number two, health; number three, electricity; number four, security. Look at what Nigerians told us, four things.
Those four things align perfectly with the multidimensional poverty index. So, there’s perfect consistency as to what is putting our people into poverty and where they want government to spend money. Our view is that if government at any level, local, state, federal, is not prioritising spending in these four areas, then we have the wrong priorities. If we place our people first, these must be our priorities.
[DailyTrust]
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin has explained why the upper legislative chamber allowed the controversial tax reform bills to pass for second reading.
Jibrin, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said it was to allow experts and all Nigerians to provide their input on the bills.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration last month.
The move generated controversy with the northern governors and other stakeholders kicking against the tax reforms.
However, the Red Chamber on Thursday passed the four tax bills for second reading through voice votes.
Speaking to BBC Hausa Service on Friday, the Deputy Senate President said the senators passed the tax reform bills to give room for contributions from experts and Nigerians.
[DailyPost]
Nigeria has raised alarm over Africa’s rising debt refinancing needs, costly access to liquidity, and limited access to global capital markets for emerging economies.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who was represented by Mrs Aisha Omar, Director Special Projects at the Federal Ministry of Finance, raised the alarm during the 5th African Union Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning, and Integration held in Abuja on Saturday.
Edun stated that Africa’s public debt profile has significantly worsened over the years, becoming increasingly short-term and less consensual.
“The debt service burden has escalated, increasing financing risks. Since 2011, the average maturity of Africa’s external debt has declined from nearly 23 years to around 17 years in 2022,” he said.
The minister called on African countries to collaborate in reshaping their economies to reduce dependence on foreign aid.
“It is important for Africans to work collectively in a more coordinated manner to shape our economies so that we will not rely on aid from international partners. Only through collective endeavours can we navigate the challenging times ahead,” he stated.
Edun praised the work of African experts in harmonizing divergent interests to create a unified resolution.
He urged ministers and central bank governors to encourage political leaders to adopt these resolutions during the February 2025 African Union Heads of State Assembly.
“Nigeria remains eternally grateful to our experts for their efforts. I urge all ministers and governors to invite our political leaders to endorse these resolutions at the next Heads of Government Assembly,” he added.
Edun reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to host the African Monetary Institute, a precursor to the operationalization of the African Central Bank.
He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s role in advancing Agenda 2063, the African Union’s strategic framework for socio-economic transformation.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Olayemi Cardoso echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Nigeria’s fiscal and economic reforms.
“The removal of fuel subsidies has created fiscal space for strategic investments. Targeted policies to enhance diaspora remittances have also improved our external reserves,” Cardoso noted.
He expressed optimism that the outcomes of the session would guide the February 2025 Assembly towards aligning regional aspirations with the Abuja Treaty and Agenda 2063.
Prof. Kevin Urama of the African Development Bank (AfDB) pointed out the dire implications of Africa’s rising debt.
“Africa’s public debt has surged by 170 percent since 2010, exacerbated by structural global debt architecture issues, recent global shocks, and weaknesses in our macroeconomic fundamentals,” Urama said.
He noted that the shift towards privately owned debt, which is projected to account for 54 percent of Africa’s total debt by the end of 2024, has increased borrowing costs.
“Africa pays 500 percent more in interest costs when borrowing from international capital markets compared to borrowing from multilateral development banks like the AfDB,” he explained.
Urama also revealed the paradox of debt and development financing in Africa.
“While debt sustainability risks are growing, high-cost, short-term debt options are creating sustainability challenges. This year alone, Africa is expected to spend $74 billion on debt refinancing, with annual costs projected at $10 billion from 2025 onwards,” he said.
He added that Africa’s financing challenges are compounded by declining foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio flows.
Urama stated that FDI fell by 44 percent in 2022, while net portfolio flows dropped by 17 percent.
“Only remittances remained resilient, rising by 2 percent in 2022. These trends underline the paradox of debt and development financing in Africa,” he said.
Urama warned that without urgent interventions, Africa risks further distress.
“In February 2024, 20 African countries were already in or at high risk of debt distress. The rising cost of debt is diverting resources away from critical development needs,” he concluded.
As African finance ministers and central bank governors deliberate on these pressing issues, the call for collective action resonates strongly.
The resolutions adopted at the session are expected to set a transformative agenda for Africa’s economic future.
[TheNation]
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed concern over the messages politicians send to him expressing worries over his reelection in 2026.
Oyebanji, who stressed that he would not lose sleep over the election said that he was not worried over agitations ahead of the 2026 governorship election in the state, and advised politicians to stop sending him such text messages as he was committed to good governance and fulfilling his electoral promises.
Oyebanji spoke in Ado Ekiti on Friday night at the monthly Evening of Praise and Worship at the Jibowu Hall, Government House Ground.
The governor said, “My belief is that God’s plan supersedes any human agenda. I will not lose sleep over the development as God is in control,” adding that his political future is in the hands of God who has never failed him.
“What God does not give a man, he cannot have it and when God makes up his mind, nobody can stop him. So, I am just saying this so that you can stop sending me text messages expressing anxieties about 2026″, Oyebanji added.
He expressed confidence in God’s ability to work out things in his favour, maintaining that God who did it for him in 2022, would do it again in 2026.
Oyebanji, who attributed the significant progress that his administration recorded across critical sectors in the state to divine intervention despite the economic realities, said, “My focus remains on delivering good governance and fulfilling the promises I made to Ekiti people.
“God is in charge of everything including the 2026 that many people are anxious about. He will take care of everything. For now, let us concentrate on the work that has been given to us and let us do it very well.
“For those that are worried about 2026, sending me text messages every day, don’t bother yourselves. God that did the last one will do it again. Don’t bother yourselves. Some complain that I am not a politician and that I don’t understand politics. I am not bothered about this, nothing is going to stop my peace because I serve the God of peace,” the governor said.
[Punch]