
FEATURES
Popular Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus has disclosed that her family’s name was initially Ojukwu before the Nigerian civil war.
She said this during an interview with popular media personality, Ebuka Obi Uchendu.
While reacting to the mistake people make with her name, ‘Damasus’, she explained that her grandfather’s name ‘Ojukwu’ was changed during the civil war to avoid being attacked.
The actress stated that her family’s name was assumed to be related to the late Biafran war general, Ojukwu.
Ebuka said; ” It was interesting that so many people didn’t even understand that your surname was not what it was. So many people were shocked at the revelation, are you as shocked as a lot of people were?”
Stella responded; “Damasus is my granddaughter’s first name. It’s a Greek name. My original surname was Ojukwu but that changed during the Biafran war when my people were attacked in Asaba because they thought it was the same Ojukwu.
“I was born into Damasus, and when I asked why, that was the reason they gave me.”
Parents of a 13-year-old student of Etoi Secondary School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State have cried out for justice in the case of their son who was gang-raped for three years after being hypnotised by a syndicate of six gay men.
However, operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command who launched investigations following a tip-off, swooped on the syndicate of ritualists specialising in the illicit gay practice with young male children within the age bracket of 10 and 13 years.
The gang, noted for their involvement in Sodomy and other unnatural sexual acts were successfully tracked with six of them arrested.
The suspects were paraded at the state Police Command along with others for sundry crimes of kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, vandalisation of public assets and utilities.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Baba Azare vowed to rid the state of crimes and perpetrators brought to justice.
“Based on information received from concerned journalists, a 13-year-old child reported being raped repeatedly for about three years by different men in sodomy practice.
“The operatives of the Command swung into action immediately and arrested, the following suspects: Okwudili Levi Okeke, a.k.a, Eze, aged 34 years; Idara Itam Daniel, aged 23 years; David Udoh James, aged 23 years; Udofia Edem Udosen; aged 29 years; David Bassey Bassey; aged 26 years; and Daniel Jacob Edet, aged 30 years.
“Investigation revealed that Okwudili Okeke, was recruited into sodomy and has had anal sex with several men in the state.
“This is a crime against humanity and will not be condoned. Suspects will soon be prosecuted after the completion of investigation,” the CP vowed.
CP Azare who took over the command late last month has assured of his commitment to addressing the security challenges facing the state especially the perennial farmers/herders’ crises, communal and boundary skirmishes.
“We are aware of issues such as Fulani herdsmen encroaching on farms and destroying crops, as well as senseless attacks on Fulani cows by troubleshooters.
“Let it be clear that the Police will not fold their arms and allow miscreants to unleash terror on law-abiding residents,” stressing effective enforcement of the anti-grazing law.
Following rising cases of vandalisation of public transformers and infrastructural facility across the state, the CP assured efforts have been stepped up to nip the crime and arrest the perpetrators.
Consequently, some suspects including one Prosper Brownson Jim, and his accomplice, Uduak Sunday Benson we’re apprehended for vandalisation of a transformer belonging to Sure Foundation Polytechnic at Ikot Akai, in Ukanafun LGA.
Police also recovery the transformer, transformer oil, armoured cables and charms from the suspects.
Other items recovered included four fire service trucks stolen by the agency’s officials and taken to the neighbouring Port Harcourt, Rivers state, with flour suspects arrested.
“The Command moved to recover the said trucks and further investigation revealed that the fire trucks were leased out to some multinational companies at the rate of N140,000 per truck per day for initial period of 3 years,” the CP explaine
A tragic accident in the Kwanan Maciji area of Pankshin local government area of Plateau State over the weekend claimed the lives of 19 persons and left 11 others injured.
The victims, who had travelled from Kano State to attend a wedding ceremony in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State, were returning home when the accident occurred on Saturday.
Chairman of the Pankshin Local Government Area Emergency Management Committee, John Dasar, confirmed the incident, describing it as devastating. According to him, the victims opted for a shorter route through Gindiri to Bauchi State when their vehicle was involved in an accident.
“In the aftermath of the crash, bystanders were helping to evacuate passengers from the vehicle when it suddenly caught fire,” Dasar said. “Unfortunately, 19 of the occupants were trapped and burnt beyond recognition. The driver and a few others managed to survive.”
The 11 survivors, some with serious injuries, were rushed to the Pankshin General Hospital for treatment.
Operatives of the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue over alleged diversion of N1,294,337,676.53.
The funds, which belong to the Katsina State Government, were allegedly misappropriated by the officials.
The suspects, identified as Rabiu Abdullahi, Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro, Ibrahim Aliyu, and Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri, were apprehended following a petition from the Katsina State Government.
The petition accused the officials of colluding to divert revenue accruing from international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA).
Preliminary investigations by the EFCC revealed that Rabiu Abdullahi, the former Director of Collections and current Permanent Secretary of the Board, authorised the opening of a bank account at Sterling Bank in the name of “BOIRS.” Sanusi Mohammed Yaro, Director of Revenue Account, and Ibrahim M. Kofar Soro, were allegedly designated as sole signatories to the account.
The EFCC further disclosed that the account became a primary channel for diverting funds to NADIKKO General Suppliers, a company owned by Nura Lawal Kofar Sauri, an Assistant Director of Career Skills and Staff Welfare at the Board.
The company reportedly served as the conduit pipe through which the stolen funds were laundered. Investigators traced the diverted funds to various bank accounts belonging to the suspects.
The suspects are currently in custody at the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC and were expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The EFCC has reiterated its commitment to combating corruption and recovering public funds, urging citizens to report any suspected cases of financial misconduct.
Elder statesman, Chief Arthur Eze, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for establishing the South-East Development Commission and funding it to be key development driver in the region.
The philanthropist made the commendation yesterday in Enugu while fielding questions from newsmen on the importance of the official working visit of President Tinubu to Enugu recently.
He stated that the commission is a key initiative that he believes would bring meaningful change to the region and greatly supports what the South-East governors are currently doing in terms of development.
”We have to thank Tinubu for the South-East Development Commission. That commission can solve our problem. They have more than N100 billion to create jobs here.
“Tinubu released the money. He doesn’t care. Other governments neglected us.
“That Commission will change the lives of Ndigbo. Very soon, people will start getting jobs,” he said.
Eze described Tinubu’s visit to Enugu as a moment of celebration and unity for the entire South-East.
“Tinubu’s visit reminded us of Sir Obafemi Awolowo, who fought for independence with Chief Michael Okpara, yet he was jailed for seven years in Calabar.
“Tinubu has continued on that path. When he was speaking, he was dishing out words of wisdom. God sent him here last weekend to address the issues concerning Ndigbo,” he said.
The elder statesman lauded efforts of Gov. Peter Mbah, in partnership with the Federal Government, in driving development and putting in place security in Enugu State.
He noted that Mbah’s use of technology in tackling insecurity, particularly the installation of security cameras across the state, had allowed residents to move around without fear during this yuletide.
Eze urged other governors in the South-East to follow Mbah’s example in addressing security challenges using technology.
“Mbah provided security. You can see the massive urban development where he has spent a lot of money.
“He is making visible efforts to take us back to Old Eastern Nigeria. Those good old days of Chief Michael Okpara, Sir Obafemi Awolowo and Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe,” he added.
A 46-year-old Uber driver, Muftau Abiodun Musa, has reportedly committed suicide in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
Sources revealed that his actions may not be unconnected to pressure from family members to get married.
The deceased, who left a note directing whosoever found his remains to check further details, indicated on his phone that his people could be contacted without hindrance, adding that nobody should cry over his demise.
It was gathered that the man had no wife or kids and had been battling depression for the past five years.
The source revealed that in December 2023, he attempted to hang himself but was stopped by his neighbours.
He noted that Musa also made another attempt by drinking insecticide and pesticide, which led to his admittance in hospital for two months.
Consequent to this attempt, the deceased had to relocate to his mother’s place for close monitoring.
The source also revealed that after he was discharged from the hospital, his family continued to mount pressure on him to get married and have kids, which led him to leave the house.
According to the source: “In his quest for a new house, someone sublet one of the rooms in her home to him. He has been in that house since May 2024.
“The house rent expired in December, but he was given until the end of January to vacate, as the house owner wanted to renovate the house.
“The person who sublet the house told him three days ago to find another house, as the owner had told them to leave. He became depressed and hanged himself.”
The source revealed that the Osun State Police Command has taken over the matter.
Ahead of the Saturday local government election in Ondo State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that the party will win in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
The party boasted that, given the performance of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration, the state’s people would come out in force to cast their votes for the party’s candidates on Saturday.
Addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, hinted that the party had constituted a five-man committee led by the party’s state Organizing Secretary, Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate the party’s campaigns ahead of the poll.
Kalejaye said, “Likewise, the party has constituted a Reconciliation Committee led by state Vice Chairman Atili Agabra to settle all misunderstandings and disagreements among party members ahead of the Saturday poll.”
On preparing the party ahead of the poll, Kalejaye further stated that the party had met all the conditions the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission(ODIEC) reeled out, and all their candidates across the 18 local government areas are sellable.
Kalejaye said, “You are all aware that it’s no longer fashionable to appoint a caretaker committee for local government. That’s why the state electoral commission must conduct the local government election in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
“We are fully prepared. We have started the campaign by meeting with all stakeholders across all the 18 local government areas of the state. We have constituted campaign committees at local government, ward, and unit levels to mobilise the people sensibly ahead of the Saturday poll.
“We have also constituted another committee led by the state Organizing Secretary of our party, Hon. Charles Fagbohunka, to coordinate all the campaign committees across the 18 local government areas.”
United States President, Joe Biden, has announced a federal aid of $770 one-time payment to California wildfire victims as the Los Angeles County battles one of the worst sets of fires in state history.
Biden, whose tenure in the White House is drawing to a close, made the announcement on Monday.
According to Hollywoodunclocked, the wildfire, which had claimed 29 lives, is a growing concern among Americans.
However, Biden, in a meeting, vowed to offer a one-time payment of $770 to the victims of the deadly Los Angeles County fires and that the government would be covering 100% of the disaster response costs for the next six months.
He said, “I want to be clear: we are not waiting until the fires are over to help victims. We are helping them all right now. People impacted by these fires are going to receive a one-time payment of $770. So they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions. So far, nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that, and $5.1 million has gone out.”
For those who the Los Angeles County fires have impacted, President Joe Biden said victims can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362. As mentioned, the federal government will be covering all fire-related and firefighting costs for the next 180 days.
Nearly $5.1 million in immediate aid has already been distributed, with victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles being given a one-time payment of $770.
Additionally, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has reported that about 33,000 residents have already registered for disaster assistance.
In a briefing with Vice President Kamala Harris and emergency officials, Biden stressed, “It’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles to what it was. We are going to need Congress to step up with the funding.”
According to AccuWeather, the total damage and economic loss from the fires is now estimated to be between $250 billion and $275 billion.
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter claims the preliminary estimate has surpassed the total damage and loss accrued during the 2020 wildfire season.
The damage and economic loss has also surpassed Hurricane Helene in 2024, which cost between $225 billion to $250 billion, and has surpassed the deadly Maui, Hawaii fires in 2023, which cost an estimated $13 billion to $16 billion.
[Punch]
The University of Calabar (UniCal), says beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund for the 2023/2024 session, who could not access the fund, will be given concession in the new session.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Tony Eyang revealed this in a statement in Calabar on Tuesday.
Eyang said that the concession would be for the beneficiaries who were yet to graduate, as they would be given access to register for the 2024/2025 academic Session.
He explained that the release of the 2023/2024 loan would be used to settle the 2024/2025 tuition fees for the beneficiaries.
He added that the 2024/2025 loan when released would also be refunded to beneficiaries due to graduate within the session after their Bursary clearance.
According to him, beneficiaries who paid their full fees in both 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 sessions will be refunded the fees paid for 2023/2024 Session, pending the release of 2024/2025 Loan.
“Beneficiaries who graduated in the 2023/2024 session will be refunded the fee paid to the University after Bursary Clearance.
“Beneficiaries and other students alike are therefore urged to register for the 2024/2025 loan, as the verification of applicants is ongoing.”
He also said that beneficiaries who made part payment in the 2023/2024 and have not settled the balance will have to pay it in 2024/2025.
He explained that while the university’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre was the hub for NELFUND registration, the dashboard of beneficiaries on the fee portal was to be configured to reflect NELFUND disbursement.
He also used the opportunity to advise students to take advantage of the unique opportunity and register for the fund now.
NELFUND is an initiative of the Federal Government aimed at providing financial assistance to students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
NAN
On Monday, January 13, 2025, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly hurrriedly impeached their Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa over alleged financial misappropriation and replaced him immediately with his erstwhile deputy, Mojisola Meranda.
The development ended Obasa’s nearly 10 years reign as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and made Meranda the first substantive female Speaker in Lagos history.
The lawmakers also removed the Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, who was said to have been singlehandedly brought to the assembly by Obasa, making him a close confidant and ally.
The impeached speaker and Onafeko were reportedly behind the ban on journalists covering the activities of the assembly over two years ago.
However, while Obasa’s impeachment came as a surprise to Lagosians, political watchers and critics saw it coming, with some saying the Agege representative has committed many ‘sins’ against the powers that be in the state.
Political missteps
Obasa’s longstanding feud with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his contemptuous treatment of the governor during the 2025 budget presentation in November 2024, marked the beginning of his political predicament.
In what appeared like a show of power, Obasa reportedly delayed the budget presentation with a trivial discussion about celebration of 2024 Men’s Day. And rather than taking a moment to acknowledge the governor when he eventually entered the legislative chamber for the presentation, he ordered the session to proceed uninterrupted.
To worsen the matter, his unapologetic declarations about his 2027 ambition overshadowed the session as his feud with the governor became more pronounced.
In the views of political observers, Obasa’s outburst was interpreted to mean a direct response to the purported endorsement of Seyi Tinubu by some groups for the foremost political office in the state.
According to reports, following the show of power, President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), invited him to a meeting where he was sternly warned and chastised for disrespecting Sanwo-Olu and mismanaging the politics of the state because of his ambition.
It is believed that Obasa’s fate was decided at the meeting, as the President reportedly said he knew what to do on the matter.
Financial misappropriation allegations
Obasa has recently been accused of spending N17 billion to fix the assembly complex gate.
In his reaction to claims by a group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, accusing the Assembly of spending the alleged amount on a gate, Obasa described the allegation as “fake news, spurious and funny.”
He said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over the 2027 polls which is still more than two years away.
The speaker further debunked the claim that the Assembly spent N200 million on its recently organised thanksgiving service for staff.
Reacting, Obasa said, “It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended N200 million on Thanksgiving which did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.”
Obasa has also been accused of financial mismanagement involving ₦44 billion allocated for vehicles and capital projects for over two years.
The allegation generated concerns and questions about transparency and accountability in the Assembly’s financial operations from critics, including lawmakers and residents.
According to available official records on the Lagos House of Assembly Budget Performance, in 2023, ₦30.19 billion was allocated for vehicles, including official cars, utility buses, and backup vehicles.
Another ₦13.33 billion was earmarked for vehicles in 2024.
However, investigations revealed that no vehicles were purchased in 2023, and only a small fraction of the 2024 allocation has been accounted for.
Questionable capital projects
Critics have also raised questions over alleged financial irregularities about how funds are allocated for projects.
Critics argued the ₦1.1 billion allocated for properties in 2023 was excessive, particularly when essential sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure are underfunded.
The ₦126 million allocated for properties in Abuja in the 2024 budget equally raised eyebrows, with critics questioning why the state’s funds are being spent outside its jurisdiction.
According to critics, these expenditures suggest a troubling pattern of fiscal mismanagement and misplaced priorities, fueling public anger.
Therefore, when the lawmakers suddenly moved for impeachment of Obasa yesterday, the smoothness and speed of the process suggest that there was a master plan, and not coincidence or on-the-spot decision.
More...
Fouad Oki, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Mudashiru Obasa’s impeachment as speaker of the Lagos house of assembly was necessary to hold him accountable for his actions.
Oki spoke on Monday when he appeared on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, in the aftermath of Obasa’s impeachment.
Earlier on Monday, Obasa was removed as the house speaker over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
The 52-year-old lawmaker, who represents Agege state constituency I, became speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly in 2015. He was serving his third term as speaker.
Mojisola Meranda, the deputy speaker, was subsequently elected to lead the house.
Oki said anyone familiar with Lagos politics could have envisaged Obasa’s impeachment, noting that he had begun to see himself as an “emperor”.
The APC chieftain said events of the last three months had also suggested that Obasa’s days were numbered.
“He saw himself as an emperor. It became very obvious that there was a need for a change in the leadership of the parliament in Lagos,” Oki said.
“If you cast your mind back, you must have seen this coming in the last 18 months.
“Recall the events on the day when the governor presented the 2025 appropriation bill and the leadership of the party was invited to the convention.
“Not only was the governor kept waiting for over four hours, but the leadership of the party and all invited dignitaries were also kept waiting with no apologies or excuses. And when he came into the chambers, courtesies, too, were not extended to anyone.
“Rather, it was a situation or an event of letting people know that I am the emperor here. One of the ways to check such an irresponsible attitude is by calling his excesses to order.”
Oki added that the impeachment was done in President Bola Tinubu’s best interest to see that Lagos continued to remain pivotal in terms of his political leadership.
“Before the president came home, this issue had been lingering. In the wisdom of members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the president’s attention was called,” he said.
“The president, as father and leader, called a meeting wherein he tried to make sense out of the observations raised by elders of the party.
“Unfortunately, the president saw by himself a recalcitrant. I think that is what broke the camel’s back.”
[TheCable]
President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Enugu State on the heels of Governor Peter Mbah’s performance marks a paradigm shift in All Progressives Congress-led government at the centre’s disposition to opposition and South East in particular.
Addressing the nation on the eve of the 1936 presidential election in which he was seeking a second term in the White House, having won the previous election in 1932, America’s 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, expressed his indignation at a form of campaign he considered bitter. But the statesman, nevertheless, reaffirmed his belief that anyone worthy to be called the President of USA, should be able to rise above partisanship and adopt a wider worldview to build America.
In that important address at Madison Square, New York City, Roosevelt said, “I prefer to remember this campaign not as bitter, but only as hard-fought. There should be no bitterness or hate where the sole thought is the welfare of the United States of America. No man can occupy the office of President without realising that he is President of all the people.”
Regrettably, the dearth of this statesmanly disposition has been the bane of Nigerian politics and development, as leaders often see those who did not vote for them as nothing less than sworn enemies.
For instance, many easily point at the statements and actions following the 2015 presidential election as the lowest.
However, with his recent visit to Enugu state and other overtures, President Bola Tinubu appears determined to change the narrative, showing a much-needed capacity to differentiate and rise above an election and its bitter rhetoric and the leadership demanded of him as a president.
For various reasons, the South East has consistently given the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the least support since 2015. Former President Muhammadu Buhari polled 198,248 in the South East in 2015 and 403,968 in 2019, his highest ever. Tinubu got 127,370 votes. So, Buhari got more votes than Tinubu is his first term.
Asked how he intended to unite the country and give every tendency a sense of belonging after a bitterly fought 2015 election, Buhari responded, “Constituencies that gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated equally, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me five per cent, I think these are political realities…. I see this as really fair.”
Conversely, hear President Tinubu in Enugu: “Election is over and we have to move the nation forward and you have demonstrated that commitment, an irrevocable commitment towards human development. I don’t care which party you come from. You are my friend. You are doing well and very focused. We must build this house called Nigeria to not just satisfy our immediate need, but our tomorrow too.
“It’s not about difference in languages and place of birth. No one of us has control of the mother tongue. You are created by God and you found yourself in Enugu or Onitsha or you find yourself in Lagos. We are all a member of one big huge family called Nigeria, but living in different rooms in the same house. This house, we must build it. We must build it to satisfy our immediate needs, which is not going to be enough yet, but our tomorrow too.”
Nothing can be more presidential and statesmanly. Facts show that Tinubu has treated the South East better. For instance, Tinubu appointed Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla from Enugu State as Chief of the Naval Staff, while Senator David Umahi from Ebonyi State was appointed the Minister of Works and Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite as Minister of State, Finance.
Only recently, Nwakuche Ndidi Sylvester, who hails from Imo State, was appointed the Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
But beyond appointments, the President has made commitments to lifting the South East in terms of infrastructure and optimising its natural blessings like gas for the good of the region and the nation. It is recalled that while ex-President Buhari embarked on an ambitious $1.9bn 248km Chinese loan-funded project from Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic, the Eastern Rail Line, which traverses major towns and cities like Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Otupko, Igumale, Makurdi, Kafanchan, Kuru, Bauchi, Gombe and all the way to Maiduguri, was neglected. This was a very sore point in the relationship between Buhari and the South East. Deputy President of the Senate and leader of the opposition at the time, Senator Ike Ekweremadu as well as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe were among those who led the opposition against the exclusion both in and outside the parliament.
In one of his interventions on the matter, an angry Ekweremadu told told the Senate, “All the loans for railway projects by the current administration, totally excluded this vital corridor. But the questions are: Why would loans taken on behalf of Nigerians and to be repaid by all Nigerians exclude more than a half of the country from the benefits of such loans? Why should the South East, South South, North Central, and North East pay for what they were inexplicably excluded from enjoying? Fairness and equity demand that every part of the country should be carried along”.
It was on account of such protests that Buhari’s subsequent loan request for railway projects was thrown out by the Senator Bukola-Saraki-led Senate in 2018. But the $30bn external loan request was returned by Buhari, again to the exclusion of the South East, but was approved by the Senator Ahmad Lawan-led Senate amid uproar.
It was, therefore, not surprising that those nagging matters resurfaced at the president’s roundtable with the people of South East during the visit. In his presentation, former Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, while applauding the Tinubu Administration for completing the Port Harcourt – Aba Section of the Eastern Rail Line, appealed for the prioritisation of the remaining portions of the rail line to boost the region’s and nation’s economy.
On his part, the Secretary, Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Onyemuche Nnamani who presented the zone’s requests, conveyed the region’s complaints about the many checkpoints and roadblocks that have negatively affected the economy of the people and increased security risk and traffic congestions. Also, Chris Ugo called for the development of the Anambra Basin to unlock the oil and gas reserves of about 30 billion cubic feet lying waste in the area.
Again, Tinubu’s reassuring words were a soothing balm to the hurting nerves of the region. “The question on the rail line is a work in progress. I inherited some of these critical problems and I am going to do it. On the gas infrastructure, sure, gas is an alternative fuel and there’s no wasting of time but to invest more in it. We will do it together,” he said.
Following the Enugu visit, which has been variously described as a masterstroke in building Southern solidarity and national cohesion, it is expected that the region’s dispositions to his person will improve as 2027 approaches, especially if he is able to fulfil his promises.
Even President Tinubu, could not help but confess to the palpable warm reception and affection he got from Enugu residents, starting from the airport and through the streets and event venues. He confessed the solidarity and kinship saying “it is a great turn-up for me to be in Enugu. It is a joy and I feel relaxed and at home with you. It is a homecoming for me. This is a serious demonstration of what we can do together and what we can build together.”
But noteworthy is the president’s wisdom in anchoring his South East rapprochement on Governor Peter Mbah. The President was clear that the Enugu visit would be his first official function in 2025. He was also aware that it would be his first official visit to any of the 36 states of the federation since his inauguration on May 29, 2023. But he was convinced that the trip was worth it. Mbah has no doubt distinguished himself in less than two years as governor and is nationally acknowledged as one of the shining lights and beacons of hope in the present dispensation.
On that visit alone, the President symbolically inaugurated from GTC, Enugu the 30 completed and equipped Enugu Smart Green Schools out of 260 under construction across the 260 wards in the state.
At New Haven Junction by Bisalla Road, he symbolically inaugurated 90 completed urban roads in Enugu City. He equally inaugurated the 5,000 combined multi-auditorium and multi-functional Enugu International Conference Centre after 17 years of abandonment by previous administrations. Tinubu further inaugurated the most ambitious and sophisticated state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre for the surveillance of the entire state as well as a matching 150 smart patrol vehicles with AI-embedded cameras for the Distress Response Squad, which is a special police unit. This unit, according to the government, will wear body cams and work with hi-tech communication equipment to prevent and fight crime. Instructively, these are a tip off the iceberg of Mbah’s efforts.
It is also against this backdrop and the fact that he accomplished all these in 18 months that Tinubu’s stamp on his government can best be appreciated. Among other paundits, the President announced, “He (Mbah) is doing a fantastic job. I am glad that Enugu got a very good tomorrow, today. I salute Peter Mbah for his commitment to development. You are a good leader and you are my friend. We can go places together, in harmony, building Nigeria, building the future. You are a private sector person; we must encourage more private sector people to come into politics.”
Impeachment: ‘Obasa Ignored President, Disrespected Governor, Party Leaders, Scored An Own Goal’
AFOLABIA political analyst, Jide Ojo, has suggested that snide remarks against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and disrespect for party leaders contributed to the impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The political analyst who described the entire saga as an own goal inflicted by Obasa on himself, said most allusions suggest Obasa was disrespectful to Governor Sanwo-Olu during the presentation of the 2025 budget figures.
He also claimed the impeached Speaker kept the Governor and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) waiting for several hours during the budget presentation and failed to apologize.
Ojo added that despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Obasa remained stubborn.
He spoke on Monday as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said, “On the social media, most allusions were that he (Obasa) was disrespectful to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the way he carried out during the budget presentation exercise, particularly when he made that snide remark that I am not too young or inexperienced to be the governor of the state and I am more qualified than some of those people who are there.
“So, it’s presumed to be a snide remark at a sitting governor. Incidentally, as a speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Assembly you do not have immunity, you are just there at the grace of your members.
“I don’t know what might have prompted Obasa to behave the way he did because if what he is alleged to have done has been revealed which is politics behind the scene of keeping the governor waiting for several hours, keeping the party elders waiting and no apologies and then the President weighing in and you are showing some stubbornness and recalcitrant, well those the gods want to destroy they first make whatever.
“So, I believe this may have been a self-inflicted own goal if I want to call it own goal.”
Recalls Obasa was, on Monday, impeached as Speaker by his colleagues in the Lagos State House of Assembly over allegations of financial mismanagement and abuse of office.
He was subsequently replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda
The Nigerian Communications Commission will this week publicly release the names of 18 banks that have failed to settle their outstanding debts for using Mobile Network Operators’ Unstructured Supplementary Service Data platforms.
These banks collectively owe a total of N200bn, and the telecom regulator is preparing to take action, including suspending USSD services for the defaulters.
Impeccable industry sources told The PUNCH on Monday that only four banks have met the payment requirements outlined in a joint directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the NCC in December 2023.
The directive stipulated that 60 per cent of pre-API (Application Programming Interfaces) invoices must be settled by January 2, 2025, with payment plans to be agreed upon by the banks and MNOs. However, the other banks have yet to fulfill their payment obligations.
Pre-API invoices are the outstanding payments for USSD services that were incurred before the implementation of Application Programming Interfaces in February 2022.
Before the adoption of APIs, USSD transactions were often managed using older or less standardised methods, which sometimes led to disputes over billing and reconciliation between banks and telcos.
The service suspension, which is expected to take effect in two weeks, could significantly impact Nigerians who rely on USSD services for banking transactions, particularly those without internet access.
In the public statement that the NCC will release, subscribers to these services will be given directives on how to switch to other banks, ensuring they can continue accessing banking services without disruption.
The NCC’s move to expose the defaulters is part of an ongoing effort to resolve the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecom companies, which has been a point of contention for several years.
Telecom operators have expressed concerns about the impact of the unpaid debt on the sustainability of USSD services and also threatened to withdraw the service.
Sources said that while banks have been reluctant to prioritise payments, MNOs have refrained from carrying out their threats of suspending the service due to the service’s critical role in the economy.
Electronic payment statistics data from the CBN have shown that, between January and June 2024, 252.06 million transactions, which amounted to N2.19tn, were carried out via USSD.
This is a significant increase compared to the full-year data for 2023, which showed that N4.84tn was transacted via USSD codes across 630.6 million transactions.
Initially developed by telcos for providing airtime and subscription services, the USSD service has been widely adopted in the banking sector because it does not require an Internet connection.
In November, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told The PUNCH that operators were seeing some progress in the repayment of the debt, with smaller banks beginning to settle their obligations.
However, tier-one lenders, which are responsible for the bulk of the debt, have yet to make significant payments.
“We are seeing payments from smaller players, but the big banks, which owe the most, have not been forthcoming,” Adebayo said in a call.
“We are now waiting for intervention from regulators, including the CBN and NCC, to resolve the issue,” he added.
In October, the Director at Adaba Consult, Ejike Onyeaso, told The PUNCH that telecom companies are upset with banks over inadequate payments for leased lines used for services like USSD.
He stressed that since banks generate revenue through these services, they should compensate telecom firms. Onyeaso also warned that if telecom providers act on their threats to suspend services, it could disrupt banking operations.