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The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has expressed deep concern over the significant developmental gaps in Northern Nigeria, particularly in education and agriculture.
He highlighted that these deficiencies have hindered the region’s progress and exacerbated its challenges.
Sanusi made these remarks on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, during an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the visit of Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass, founder of Faidha Tijjaniyya in West Africa.
In his address, the former Emir noted that despite its large population, the North has failed to harness its potential, particularly in agriculture, where most residents remain subsistence farmers lacking access to modern agricultural practices.
He called on leaders and stakeholders in the region to prioritize investments in education and agricultural development, emphasizing that these sectors are critical for uplifting the region’s economy and overall quality of life.
“The North must wake up. Our future depends on our ability to invest in education and adopt modern agricultural techniques to better the lives of our people,” Sanusi stated.
Sanusi also delivered a lecture on harmonious coexistence in multiethnic and religious communities. Reflecting on Sheikh Nyass’s historic visit 50 years ago, he lauded the Senegalese cleric’s role in fostering peace among Muslims and non-Muslims in the former Benue-Plateau State.
He recalled that Sheikh Nyass’s visit was facilitated by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, and supported by his grandfather, Muhammadu Sanusi I, with permission from the state governor at the time, J. D. Gomwalk.
While commending the current administration in Plateau State for supporting the Muslim community, Sanusi urged Muslims to collaborate with the government to promote peace and development actively.
“Peace and cooperation are essential for sustainable growth and unity in our society,” he added.
Nigerian rapper Panshak Zamani, popularly known as Ice Prince, has opened up about the challenges he faced growing up without parents and how those experiences shaped his life and career.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Listen podcast, the Aboki hitmaker revealed that he lost his father at the age of 11 and his mother when he was 21.
These losses forced him to take on menial jobs to support himself through school, but financial hardships ultimately prevented him from pursuing higher education.
“I don’t have a mother or father. I’m an only son. That’s quite tough,” he said.
“I was eleven years old when I lost my dad. I was about 21 or 22 when my mum passed away. And I have a huge family that depends on me.”
Ice Prince explained that he had no financial support system growing up, saying, “I don’t have no uncle, aunty, godfather, or godmother that I depend on. It has been nothing but God in my life.”
Reflecting on his journey, the rapper shared his hope to inspire others with his story.
“I want people to look at my life and say if I can succeed, then no one has an excuse to fail,” he said.
He also recounted his struggles with education, noting how he missed out on a university admission due to financial constraints.
“I was the guy that spent at least three weeks at home every term because of school fees,” he said.
“I didn’t go to the University because of N20,000. I had about two weeks to pay that money but I couldn’t raise it on time. That was how I lost the admission.”
Nigeria exported N181.62bn worth of electricity from January to September of 2024, analysis of data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown.
A breakdown showed that N58.65bn was exported to Togo, Benin and Niger Republic in the first quarter of 2024 followed by N63.28bn in the second quarter and N59.69bn in the third quarter.
This is despite the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) putting a cap on the electricity exportation to these countries in May in a bid to boost domestic markets.
In the order, the regulatory agency directed that power delivery to Nigeria’s neighbours must not exceed six per cent of total grid electricity at any point in time, stating that since the implementation of the April 2024 Supplementary Order, the commission had observed sub-optimal grid dispatch operation practices.
In a document tagged: ‘Interim Order on Transmission System Dispatch Operations, Cross-border Supply and Related Matters’, it stated that the directive will last for six months in the first instance before review.
NERC’s order dated April 29, 2024, and which became effective from May 1, 2024, was signed by the commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni.
It argued that this has compromised the Distribution Companies’ (Discos’) ability to deliver on its Service Based Tariff (SBT) committed service levels to end-use customers with a significant impact on market revenues.
NERC said the system operator’s sole reliance on limiting Discos’ load off-take/allocation in managing recurring grid imbalances while prioritising international off-takers and Eligible Customers (ECs) is neither efficient nor equitable.
The practice so far adopted by the operator in managing generation availability, it said, has caused significant hardship to Discos’ customers, comprising industrial, commercial, and residential, especially during peak demands while prioritising delivery to other bilateral contracts, including exports to international customers.
The commission noted that the current international and bilateral contracts with Generation Companies (Gencos) were based on best-endeavour and with loose terms that are often below the minimum contract standards currently operated in the industry.
Police arrest suspected fraudsters who forge certificates of different int’l and African universities in Lagos
AFOLABI
Two suspected international fraudsters who specialise in forging certificates of different international and African universities have been arrested by the police at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.
The suspects, Elvis Osakpolo Edokpain, 23, and Kelly Osas Endgieen, 24, also specialise in defrauding their unsuspecting victims on the internet and have succeeded in acquiring exotic cars and erecting mansions in different parts of the country with the proceeds of their loot.
Police sources at Zone 2 said table turned against the suspects after detectives at the Anti-Corruption Unit of the zone received credible information from outside Nigerians concerning a group of boys that specialises in forging foreign certificates.
It was learned that on getting the information, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the zone, Adegoke Fayoude, detailed anti-corruption unit to investigate it. He reportedly gave marching orders that they must be rounded up without delay.
Based on his directives, according to police sources, detectives stormed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and as soon as the suspects arrived, they trailed them to a five-star hotel at Osapa-London in Lekki and later accosted them at the bus stop while they were about escaping from the hotel.
It was gathered that on searching their luggage, one certificate of Blue Crest College, Ghana, belonging to Elvis Osakpolo Edokpiain, was recovered and a student identity card of Academic City College was also recovered from Kenny Osas.
Further search revealed a transcript of an academic record from Blue Crest University belonging to Elvis Osapolo. Going through the search again, detectives discovered a letter of English proficiency from the said college and a letter of recommendation from the same Blue Crest College.
Reports said upon interrogation, the suspects made useful statements to the police and confessed that they never got any admission into the school but procured the degree certificate through the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana.
The suspects further stated that the major aim of doing that is to enable them get Ghana resident permit, which they got and the resident permit. and the resident permits also show the suspects as students of Academic City University. But none of them has ever been admitted in the school.
Police sources further disclosed that the suspects confessed that they were made to pay 15,000 Ghana cedis for the certificate and 5,000 Ghana cedis which is equivalent to N1.5 million and 5,000 Ghana cedis for the resident permit which is equivalent to 500,000 dollars.
They reportedly paid a total of 26,000 Ghana cedis to procure the documents. On further interrogation, they said that they are doing it to evade arrest in Ghana since they don’t have any means of livelihood.
According to the suspects in their confessional statements, whenever police intercept us, we will show the passport that we are students because we don’t have any means of livelihood in Ghana. On further interrogation, they confessed that they do fraudulent activities, such as online romance scam and the provision of foreign bank accounts for fraudulent transactions on internet through what they called ‘ Facebook bombing’.
The suspects said; “we meet people online and present ourselves as an American soldier by name Captain Donald Rowe, whom we are impersonating on Instagram. He is a captain of the United States of America and currently on peacekeeping mission in Syria. While we are engaging our victims, we will tell them that there are goods in Syria that if they are interested to buy, they should pay money and we will send the goods to you. We will show them pictures of good materials in Syria.
The suspects also said,” After they make the payment, we use our block chain wallets to collect the money or foreign bank accounts which at last are being credited in our Nigerian accounts. We have our partners in UK, South Africa and other countries and most of our victims are from Japan, Denmark, China and other countries.”
Vanguard learned that while detectives were making frantic efforts to get more credible information from the arrested suspects, a mild drama ensured when the two suspects started negotiating to bribe the police for them to be set free. Police sources said at that stage, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Adegoke Fayoude who recently exposed another suspected fraudsters for offering his men a whooping sum of N174m as bribe was contacted and he directed his men to play along and recover the money as an exhibit. Subsequently, the detectives played along and the suspects paid them a sum of N66m which they collected and kept as an exhibit.
Police sources said that already, police authorities have written to Ghana embassy to get more information about the result and their suspected partners in Ghana said to be spearheading the fraud while they have also spread their dragnets through the International Police, Interpol, to round up their foreign accomplices.
The suspects who claimed they were only able to attend secondary schools in Benin City lamented the fate that befell them stating that it was poverty and the need to make ends meet that drove them into fraud. They advised youths in the country to work hard in order to achieve success and stop looking for the easy way out.
A trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, who was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly slaughtering his 41-day-old son in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta, the state capital, has disclosed that he carried out the act under a spell.
PUNCH Metro reported on Wednesday that the incident occurred last Monday after the baby’s mother, Raimat Wasilat, laid him on a bed while washing clothes outside their home.
Wasilat was said to have returned to the room and met his son with a slit throat, prompting her to raise the alarm, which attracted their neighbours and the police.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, disclosed that the wife had fingered her husband in his son’s death which prompted the police to take him into custody for further investigation.
Meanwhile, in an interrogation video obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the suspect narrated how he used a knife to slit the throat of the infant.
He, however, blamed his action on the influence of a spell, stressing that he was not conscious of what he did until he had perpetrated the act.
According to Taiwo, on the day of the incident, he gave his wife a feeding allowance while going out to the place of his apprenticeship as she was washing some clothes outside.
He added that upon getting to his workplace, he realised that he had forgotten some charms, which he often used for protection at home and decided to return to pick them up.
He continued that while he was returning home, he realised that he was feeling uneasy and restless and that he felt like committing a crime.
Taiwo narrated in Yoruba (now translated), “I didn’t go home on Sunday due to engagements at work. I went home on Monday, and when I got home, I took my bath, gave my wife a feeding allowance, and left the house.
“It was when I got to work that I realised I had left the charms I used for self-protection at home. So, I went home to pick them up. After I picked them up, I returned to work.
“About an hour after I had returned to work, I just felt a breeze blow at me, and I began to feel uneasy. It was like something was circulating in my body, and I felt like committing a crime.”
He noted that upon returning home, he did not meet his wife outside at the spot where she was washing clothes, and he went inside, picked a knife, and slit the throat of his 41-day-old son.
“When I got home, I did not meet my wife at the spot where she was washing clothes. I went inside, and I continued feeling that I should commit a crime.
“I went into my mum’s room and picked a knife we had purchased in the Kuto market some time ago. I took the knife and went to where my son was laid, and that was what I remembered last before I came back to consciousness.
“When I realised that my son had been killed, I was wondering what had happened, and I was surprised. I had to flee through the back door of our house,” Taiwo said in the video.
When asked if he had allegedly killed his son in an attempt to divorce his wife, Taiwo replied, “I love my wife, and I did not plan to divorce her. I don’t know how it happened. I have done it before I realised what I did.”
“I fled after doing it because I didn’t know what to do. I am sorry about what I did.”
He appealed to the government to show him mercy.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, said it was not threatened by the weekend visit of ex-presidential flag-bearer of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, to the Abeokuta, Ogun State home of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo “to discuss the political future of Nigeria.”
In the past few weeks, there have been increasing debates about the 2027 generation elections after the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, canvassed for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu for second term.
According to Akume, there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock until 2031, when Tinubu would have completed a second term.
But the opposition would have none of it, insisting that the ruling APC would be removed from power come 2027.
At the weekend, Kwankwaso and Duke, a 2007 presidential aspirant, visited ex-President Obasanjo in Abeokuta and held a closed-door meeting.
While the details of their discussions remain undisclosed, sources close to the leaders suggested that the meeting was part of a larger effort to strategise for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Obasanjo, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, has been actively engaging various stakeholders to explore alternatives to the ruling APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The ex-President has recently been very critical of Tinubu’s government, decrying alleged corruption and increasing debt burden.
Kwankwaso, a pivotal figure in Kano State politics, brings substantial influence and followership, while Duke, a former governor from the southern region, is expected to contribute his unique perspective on governance and national unity.
Though specifics of their conversation remain under wraps, Kwankwaso’s statement after the meeting hinted at a collective intention to challenge the existing political structure and foster a new direction for Nigeria’s political landscape.
Confirming the meeting via his verified Facebook page, Kwankwaso stated, “I was pleased to be in the company of my friend, His Excellency Donald Duke, and other associates to pay a courtesy call on former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta.”
He added, “Deliberations on significant national issues, including the future of politics and governance in Nigeria, defined the conversation. We are grateful to Baba for his warm reception, support, and hospitality.”
However, reacting to the development in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, the National Publicity Director of the ruling APC, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the meeting as a potential to the APC continuity.
Ibrahim boasted that Tinubu’s political profile and relevance in contemporary politics had dwarfed the opposition figures and statesmen.
He said, “With due respect, I hold Obasanjo in high esteem. As a former President, ex-Head of State, and an elder statesman, I don’t want to take issues with him. But when it comes to the politics of Nigeria, particularly contemporary politics, Tinubu is not their mate.
“Tinubu is head and shoulders above them in modern politics in Nigeria. So the combination of Obasanjo, Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, and Donald Duke, who was my schoolmate, does not present a threat to Tinubu. These are people who were trashed in the last election.
“This is not the first time Obasanjo is going to rally around someone, and that person is defeated. Remember, he supported (ex-President Goodluck) Jonathan, who later lost to Buhari. Obasanjo supported another candidate, Peter Obi, in the last election again and Tinubu trounced them.
“So they can have marathon meetings and meet till the end of time, they will not present any threat to the government of APC. Who among Kwankwaso, Obasanjo, Obi, Duke was not beaten? If they are bringing angels, it’s a different story. But if it is these same spent forces that will combine and meet, their meeting cannot bring any good outcome.”
Amid widespread criticism over the recent defection of a federal lawmaker to the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports indicate that the ruling party is strategizing to lure additional lawmakers from the Senate to strengthen its numbers in the Red Chamber.
Last week, Ajang Iliya, who represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency in Plateau State, announced his defection to the APC, becoming the sixth Labour Party (LP) lawmaker to leave the party. Other defectors include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
A source within the APC national secretariat disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that discussions are ongoing with two of the five LP senators regarding their potential defection. While the source did not name the senators, it was revealed that they are from the South-East region.
“They have opened discussions with the APC zonal leadership. Their defection will be given the same fanfare at the party’s national secretariat, just as we warmly received late Ifeanyi Ubah when he left the Young Peoples Party (YPP),” the source explained.
The Nigerian Tribune further learned that out of the five LP senators, three hail from the South-East: Okechukwu Ezea (Enugu North), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North). The other two LP senators are Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory) and Neda Imasuen (Edo South).
It is worth noting that last June, Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, representing Imo East, left the LP for the APC. In his defection letter, read during a plenary session, he cited internal divisions within the opposition party as his reason for leaving.
Currently, the Senate comprises 63 APC lawmakers, 34 from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and two each from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). The LP holds five seats, bringing the total to 107. Two seats remain vacant, including Edo Central, after Senator Monday Okpebholo assumed office as the Edo State governor. Additionally, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented Anambra South, passed away in July.
Meanwhile, members of the Labour Party’s National Assembly caucus are set to hold a meeting at the National Assembly to address the ongoing defections and other pressing issues.
“We are meeting tomorrow (today) to review recent events in our party,” a federal lawmaker from the LP told the Nigerian Tribune. When asked if he was considering defection, he declined to confirm, stating, “I don’t know yet. I don’t think I want to discuss that for now.”
[NaijaNews]
Citizens have said they are expecting more developmental projects and programmes from governors following the increases in the fiscal estimates proposed for the 2025 by various state governments.
Analysis by Daily Trust showed that 32 of the 36 governors have proposed a total sum of N21.9 trillion in the appropriation bills presented to their state assemblies.
This showed that the 2025 budgets of the states are about 31 per cent higher than those of 2024 which were N16.15 trillion.
Daily Trust findings show that the governors of Imo, Kebbi, Kwara and Rivers states have not presented 2025 budgets.
For the 2025 fiscal proposals of other 32 states, there are a total of N14.35 trillion for capital expenditure and N7.56 trillion for recurrent.
A geo-political analysis of the budget estimates for 2025 indicated that South West had the highest (N6.15 trillion), followed by the North West (N3.78 trillion,) South South (N3.68 trillion), North Central (N3.18 trillion), South East (N2.72 trillion) and North East (N2.38 trillion).
Lagos State has the highest budget estimate of N3 trillion, with N1.76 trillion for capital expenditure and N1.23 trillion for recurrent.
Ogun State proposed N1.05 trillion budget, consisting of N600.9 billion capital expenditure and N453.56 billion for recurrent expenditure.
Others are Niger State (N1.2 trillion): N1.01 trillion for capital and N188.42bn for recurrent; Enugu State (N971 billion): N837.9 billion for capital and N133.1 billion for recurrent; Akwa Ibom State (N955 billion): N655 billion for capital and N300 billion for recurrent; Delta State (N936 billion): with N587bn capital expenditure and 348bn recurrent; Kaduna State (N790 billion): N553 billion capital and N236.6 billion.
Abia State proposed N750.282 billion out of which N611.7 billion is for capital expenditure and N138.8 billion for recurrent; Jigawa (N698.3 billion): N534.76 billion capital and N161.75 billion recurrent; Bayelsa State (N689.4 billion): N426 billion capital and N263.38 billion recurrent; Katsina State (N682 billion): N524.2 billion capital and N157.9 billion recurrent; Oyo State (N678 billion): N349.29 capital and N325.57 billion recurrent; Ondo (N655.23 billion): N406.3 billion capital and N248.92 billion recurrent; Anambra (N607 billion): N139.5 billion recurrent and N467.5 billion capital; Edo State (N605 billion): N223 billion recurrent and N381 billion capital.
Borno State proposed N584 billion budget estimates with N380.84 billion for capital expenditure and N203.92 billion for recurrent expenditure; Kogi (N582.4 billion): N302.8 billion capital and N279.6 billion recurrent; Benue (N550.1 billion): N175.4 billion recurrent and N374.7 billion capital; Kano (N549 billion): N236.5 billion capital and N312.6 billion recurrent; Zamfara (N545.01 billion): N151.6 billion recurrent and N393.3 billion capital; Sokoto (N526.8 billion): N349.4 billion capital and N176.3 billion recurrent.
Cross River State proposed N498 billion budget estimates with N328 billion for capital expenditure and N170 billion for recurrent; Plateau State (N471 billion): N269.6 billion capital and N202 billion recurrent; Bauchi (N465.855 billion): N282.3 billion capital and N183 billion recurrent; Taraba (N429.8 billion): N266.12 billion capital and N163.78 billion recurrent.
Ebonyi State proposed N396.59 billion budget estimate with N284.5 billion capital expenditure and N112 billion recurrent; Osun (N390.028 billion): N246 billion recurrent and N144 billion capital; Nasarawa (N382.57 billion): N222.6 billion capital and N159.97 billion recurrent; Ekiti (N375.79 billion): N183.5 billion recurrent and N192.3 billion capital.
Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa have lowest budget estimates
Yobe State is among the top three states with the lowest budget estimates for 2025 as it proposed N320.8 billion with N176.8 billion capital and N144 billion recurrent; followed by Gombe (N320.1 billion): N209.02 billion capital and N111.09 billion recurrent; Adamawa (N268.8 billion): N100 billion recurrent and N168.8 billion capital.
Our expectations on 2025 budgets – Citizens
Nigerians from various states, who spoke to our correspondents, shared their thoughts on the proposed budgets.
While some are hopeful that the budgets would bring much-needed improvements, others are sceptical.
Even though they mostly admitted the impact which inflation might have on the projections, they, nonetheless, called for prudence and transparency on the side of the governors to achieve the desired results.
Mustapha Isa Fagge, a civil servant in Kano, asked the government to fulfil its promises to improve the quality of infrastructure in schools.
“I personally believe that the government has what it takes to restore the lost glory of our schools. They should provide teaching kits and improve the salaries of teachers. They can do this by ruling out needless spending,” he said.
Abdulmajid Abdullahi Bako, who works with one of the hospitals in the state, said the governors have no excuse not to perform.
“Subsidy has been removed, and the governors are receiving a lot of money. When they were about to remove the subsidy, we were told it was only benefitting the rich; and that the proceeds will now be channelled towards improving the life of the poor.
“It is now approaching two years; we want to see the benefit. Our governors should justify the money they are collecting by working hard to improve our life,” he said.
Muhammad Nasiru, a retired teacher in the state, urged the government to prioritise workers and pensioners’ welfare, given the rising cost of living.
Some residents of Kaduna said they want to see the impact of the N790 billion budget estimates on security, infrastructure and education.
Alhaji Muhammadu Lawal Maikudi, asked the state government to improve the lives of citizens.
Lagos residents wanted the over N3 trillion budget estimates to have a greater focus on education and infrastructure development.
Comrade Joseph Evah, a school proprietor, said the education sector must be prioritised to address overcrowding in classrooms and other challenges.
An entrepreneur, Bukola Arubuola, urged the Lagos State government to execute road projects in order to ease traffic and create jobs for the youth.
A resident of Jos, Plateau State, Azi Peter and others, said their expectations are high, and asked the government to improve internal revenue generation, ensure funds are effectively allocated and monitor implementation of the budget to achieve tangible results.
In Bayelsa, citizens asked the state government to provide critical infrastructure, including potable water, stable electricity and better housing. David-West Beniwariy, a resident, wants the government to assess the performance of the 2024 budget before making promises for the 2025 fiscal year; while Godson Independence, a trader, urged the government to invest more in the gas turbines, given the unreliability of the national grid in the state, and provide free and affordable education.
In Akwa Ibom, Otuekong Franklyn Ison, Director, Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network, tasked the government on diversification and development. He also said adequate funds should be provided for the state’s judiciary to ensure its effectiveness.
In Abeokuta, Ogun State, a resident, Mrs Abisola Adeyemi-Pedro, called for subsidised tuition fees for tertiary institutions and better school resources like chairs, tables and exercise books for primary and secondary schools. She also called for initiatives to attract foreign investments and create jobs.
Mr Alabi Ganiyu Akanni from Ipokia highlighted the pressing need for the construction of the Ijofin-Agosasa Road which, he said, had long hindered economic opportunities due to its status as a key border route with the Republic of Benin.
He also urged the state government to complete the Ogun State Polytechnic in Ipokia as the lack of a local tertiary institution had hindered the community’s access to higher education.
Govs should prioritise capital expenditure – Expert
In an interview with Daily Trust, the Executive Director of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW), Umar Yakubu, asked states to prioritise capital expenditures in the 2025 fiscal year.
“If you raise your budget with the level of poverty at the subnational level, it is supposed to be mainly for capital expenditures because those capital expenditures will provide jobs, help the economy, support small and medium scale businesses and other things that will generate economic activity,” he said.
[Dailytrust]
Constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has argued that Nigeria is practising what he terms “judocracy” rather than democracy.
Speaking at the 9th convocation ceremony of Gregory University Uturu in Abia State, Ozekhome blamed the judiciary for the distortion of democracy in Nigeria.
In his pre-convocation lecture titled “The Judiciary As The Final Arbiter of Electoral Outcomes: Aberrations And Judgments Without Justice”, Ozekhome coined the term “judocracy” to describe a system where elected officials, including Presidents, Governors, Senators, and Local Government leaders, are determined in the courts rather than through the ballot. He expressed regret that the judiciary, rather than helping to protect democracy, has instead become an accomplice in undermining the will of the people.
He said, “The judiciary is displacing the real will of the people as expressed through the ballot. That’s the situation in Nigeria.”
Ozekhome emphasized the need for a strong, independent judiciary free from external influence, whether from the executive or legislature. He stressed that the judiciary is the cornerstone of democracy, safeguarding the rule of law and the fundamental rights of the people. He also called for better remuneration and support for judges to ensure their independence and integrity.
While acknowledging the judiciary’s role in electoral matters, Ozekhome noted both praise and criticism of judicial oversight. Proponents argue that the courts act as impartial arbiters in election disputes, protecting democratic values. However, critics warn against judicial overreach, fearing that the judiciary may inadvertently undermine democracy by becoming a powerbroker.
In her address, the Vice Chancellor of Gregory University, Professor Cele Njoku, highlighted the institution’s growth, noting that all its programs are currently accredited. She also announced a new partnership with Sacred Heart University, USA, and continued collaboration with the Russian Friendship University for exchange programs.
The Chancellor, Okechukwu Ibe Jnr, urged the graduands to view their degrees not just as certificates but as tools for empowerment, encouraging them to be innovative and take risks. The Pro-Chancellor, Professor Augustine Uwakwe, reminded them that education is a key to unlocking opportunities and solving societal challenges.
At the convocation, 190 students graduated, with 16 earning First Class, 86 Second Class Upper, 86 Second Class Lower, and one Third Class. The overall best graduand, Awo Adutomvie Austine, with a CGPA of 4.81, was awarded N1 million by the university’s founder, Prof. Greg Ibe, in addition to several other prizes.
Honorary doctorates were awarded to former Minister for Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, and Professor Ogechi Anyaehie, who was conferred with a Professor Emeritus title.
Professor Nnaji praised the university’s investment in education, particularly in technology, science, and entrepreneurship. He encouraged the graduands to be resourceful and seek to create employment rather than depend on the limited job market. Ozekhome, Nnaji, and Orji Nwafor Orizu also announced endowment funds for outstanding students of the university.
Amid widespread criticism over the recent defection of a federal lawmaker to the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports indicate that the ruling party is strategizing to lure additional lawmakers from the Senate to strengthen its numbers in the Red Chamber.
Last week, Ajang Iliya, who represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency in Plateau State, announced his defection to the APC, becoming the sixth Labour Party (LP) lawmaker to leave the party. Other defectors include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
A source within the APC national secretariat disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that discussions are ongoing with two of the five LP senators regarding their potential defection. While the source did not name the senators, it was revealed that they are from the South-East region.
“They have opened discussions with the APC zonal leadership. Their defection will be given the same fanfare at the party’s national secretariat, just as we warmly received late Ifeanyi Ubah when he left the Young Peoples Party (YPP),” the source explained.
The Nigerian Tribune further learned that out of the five LP senators, three hail from the South-East: Okechukwu Ezea (Enugu North), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), and Tony Nwoye (Anambra North). The other two LP senators are Ireti Kingibe (Federal Capital Territory) and Neda Imasuen (Edo South).
It is worth noting that last June, Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, representing Imo East, left the LP for the APC. In his defection letter, read during a plenary session, he cited internal divisions within the opposition party as his reason for leaving.
Currently, the Senate comprises 63 APC lawmakers, 34 from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and two each from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP). The LP holds five seats, bringing the total to 107. Two seats remain vacant, including Edo Central, after Senator Monday Okpebholo assumed office as the Edo State governor. Additionally, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented Anambra South, passed away in July.
Meanwhile, members of the Labour Party’s National Assembly caucus are set to hold a meeting at the National Assembly to address the ongoing defections and other pressing issues.
“We are meeting tomorrow (today) to review recent events in our party,” a federal lawmaker from the LP told the Nigerian Tribune. When asked if he was considering defection, he declined to confirm, stating, “I don’t know yet. I don’t think I want to discuss that for now.”
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Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the once vibral Labour Party, LP, appears to be losing steam and membership strength across the country.
DAILY POST reports that when the members-elect of the National Assembly were sworn in on 13 June, 2023, the LP had the third-largest caucus in the National Assembly, with 34 members in the House of Representatives and eight senators.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had the largest number of members, followed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Labour Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
The Peter Obi effect had transformed the relatively obscure Labour Party into a national force, particularly in the Southeast, South-South, North-Central, and Lagos.
The top-to-bottom voting pattern helped elect several Labour Party lawmakers who rode on Obi’s popularity.
Eighteen months later, the Labour Party caucus in the National Assembly is rapidly depleting.
This is due to court rulings that removed four members— Senator Darlington Nwakocha, Stainless Nwodo from Enugu, Emeka Nnamani from Abia, and Chijioke Okereke from Enugu and a wave of defections shaking the party.
In the last 10 days alone, the Labour Party has lost six members in the House of Representatives to the ruling APC.
Last week, four members— Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo), left the party on the same day.
This week, Dalyop Chollom and Alfred Ajang, both from Plateau State, abandoned “Mama, Papa, and Pikin” and embraced the APC’s “broom.”
Earlier in July, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi also defected from the Labour Party to the APC.
Unannounced Defections
DAILY POST gathered that several lawmakers in the House have defected without formally announcing it on the floor of the House.
For instance, some weeks ago, Thaddeus Atta, a Labour Party member, was spotted wearing a cap branded with President Bola Tinubu’s logo, fuelling rumours that he has joined the ruling party.
Most defecting lawmakers are citing the ongoing leadership crisis in the Labour Party to avoid sanctions under Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that a defector’s seat should be declared vacant.
However, the law provides an exception in cases of division within the party. It provides thus:
“68. (1) A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate their seat in the House if—
“being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, they become a member of another political party before the expiration of the term of the House, provided that the membership of the latter political party is due to a division in the former party or a merger of two or more parties or factions of which they were previously a member.”
The Labour Party has been battling an internal crisis between the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Julius Abure and another faction led by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
Party Reaction
The Julius Abure-led NWC released a statement on Wednesday, announcing that it has launched a court case against the six defecting lawmakers.
In a statement sent by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, the party vowed to demand the return of all salaries, emoluments, and privileges received by the lawmakers since their defection.
“These defections are unfortunate and condemnable. Politicians who abandon their constituents during critical times expose themselves as untrustworthy and undeserving of future public confidence,” Ifoh stated.
In the House, the head of the Labour Party caucus, George Ozodinobi, has been using the 2027 elections a warning against defecting lawmakers.
“I want to wish those of us who think defecting from Labour to APC is their best decision in politics well. We look forward to meeting them again in 2027, if they have the opportunity to be here.
“And for those of us still contemplating moving to another party, we wish you well,” Ozodinobi said following the latest defection,” he said.
It is unclear whether the other faction will support the Abure-led NWC in its case against the defectors.
Uncertain Future
DAILY POST observed that many Labour Party members are uncertain about their future in the party due to the ongoing crisis and rumours of Peter Obi leaving the party to join the PDP.
Speculation about Obi’s intentions heightened some weeks ago when he met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, fuelling rumours of a potential joint ticket in 2027.
The Numbers Game
As a result of the recent defections, the Labour Party’s presence in the National Assembly has significantly diminished.
The number of Labour Party senators has reduced from eight to six, while its members in the House of Representatives have dropped from 34 to 26.
In total, the party now has 32 lawmakers in the National Assembly. In comparison, the NNPP has 22 lawmakers.
If the Labour Party continues to lose members, it risks becoming the fourth-largest party in the National Assembly.
[DailyPost]
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has stressed importance of continuous existence of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
Speaking in Lagos at its 86th National Senate Sitting and Pre-convention, NANS Senate President, Babatunde Afeez, noted that TETFUND had impacted tertiary institutions in infrastructural development, capacity building, research and innovative activities.
He said the agency should not be ‘tampered’ with for any reason, but be properly funded and managed by people, who are competent and with integrity to enable it to perform better.
He said a clarification was necessary regarding whether the proposed Tax Reform Bill would affect the agency.
“Every Nigerian knows importance of TETFUND in our schools as the agency’s projects are everywhere across campuses. We don’t know what would have happened in our campuses if TETFUND were not in existence. And that is why the agency should not be tampered with for any reason,” he said.
Akinteye said no to fee hike again by any public school in the country, stressing NELFUND’s loans or any other consideration can’t be used as yardstick to justify any fee increment.
Earlier, National President of NANS, Lucky Emonefe, hailed students for their support and cooperation with the leadership of the union, assuring them of continuously serving their interests.
He said while TETFUND remains, NANS would continue to sensitise members, who need help, to access NELFUND.
According to him, students need not know anybody before they can secure loan from NELFUND as its operations are fair and transparent.
Emonefe, while giving his administration’s score card in the last one year, he said the next national convention will hold in March in Abuja.
[TheNation
The family of the 81-year-old Pa Dennis Okugbaye, the treasurer of the Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, who died in military detention on December 10, 2024, have explained the circumstances surrounding his death.
The revelation came as the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and the military authorities have yet to make a statement six days after Pa Okugbaye died.
Family sources, who did not want their names mentioned for security reasons, told our correspondent that they paid N140,000 for fuel to the military to carry their sick father from Port Harcourt to Asaba.
The PUNCH gathered that Pa Okugbaye was being transported from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by the military officers to 63 Brigade, Asaba, Delta State, when he allegedly died.
“We were told that our father is very sick and we should send N140,000 to buy fuel to transport him to Asaba so that we (the family) can take him to hospital.
“We sent the money and were told to come to 63 Brigade, Asaba to receive our father on Monday, December 9. They warned us that only his daughter would receive him.
“On Monday morning, we came to Asaba, then our sister moved to the military barrack, 63 Brigade, Asaba, to receive him but she was there till around 5 pm, no signal. We informed some of our leaders, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, of the development.
“We went back home, it was on Tuesday when we were calling to know the next step that we were told that our father died on the road when they were about to come,” the sources said.
They added that to date, the military authority or the governor had not called them over the development.
Pa Okugbaye’s death came barely a week after the death of the community President General, Pa James Oghoroko, in military detention.
The community leaders, Pa Oghoroko (now deceased), Pa Okugbaye (now deceased), Prof Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Mrs Mabel Owhemu and Mr Dennis Malaka, were, between August 18 and 20, 2024, arrested by the army and had been kept incommunicado in detention without trial.
Their arrests followed the killing of 17 soldiers on a peace mission to resolve the tussle between Okuama and Okoloba communities on March 14, 2024.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Festus Ahon, failed as calls and messages sent to them were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
A social critic, Mr Zik Gbemre, berated Oborevwori for his failure to call the army to order.
In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, Gbemre said the reported death of two leaders of the Okuama community in military detention and the fear for the lives of four others still being held unlawfully exposed the worsening institutional failures.
“Oborevwori shying away from his duty to call the army to order in gross abuse of power in the state is very bad and shameful as the chief security officer of the state.
“In the last couple of days, what is happening in Delta is appalling, very shameful and inciting,” he said.
[Punch]
As President Bola Tinubu prepares to present to the National Assembly tomorrow, the 2025 national budget largely saddled with funding by borrowings, the Federal Government (FG) is set to overshoot its domestic borrowing target for 2024 by N4 trillion, about 67 per cent above the budgeted amount.
These are coming despite the widespread concerns over the continued rise in the nation’s debt stock.
Details of the domestic borrowing activities of the government in the 11 months to November 2024 is already showing borrowing in excess of N2.93 trillion or 49 per cent above the target as of November.
Financial Vanguard findings showed that FG had borrowed N8.93 trillion from domestic investors in the eleven months from January to November, 11M’24, as against the N6 trillion planned for the whole year.
With this trend and other borrowing activities currently being executed, the FG may end up borrowing N10 trillion in 2024, 67 per cent above the target for the year.
Meanwhile, these are coming against the backdrop of FG’s plan to finance the 2025 budget deficit with domestic and external borrowings amounting to N9.22 trillion, 18 % higher than the N7.808 trillion for 2024.
The 2025 deficit budget according to the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning report would be financed “by new foreign and domestic borrowings of N9.22 trillion, N312.33 billion from Privatization Proceeds, and N3.55 trillion draw-downs on existing multilateral/bilateral project-tied loans. The deficit will largely be financed by domestic borrowings, considering the narrow window for external financing.”
Details of 11M’24 FG Securities
Breakdown of data from the Debt Management office, DMO, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that in the third quarter, Q3,24 the Federal Government borrowed N2.134 trillion from domestic investors through the Nigeria Treasury Bills, NTBs, FGN Bonds, FGN Savings Bonds.
Borrowings through the NTBs auctions conducted by the CBN stood at N1.181 trillion, while FGN Bonds FGN Savings accounted for N939.246 billion and N14 billion respectively.
Further analysis showed that in October and November this year the Federal Government borrowed N774.953 billion through NTB; FGN Savings Bonds of N635.752 billion and FGN Savings Bond amounting to N7.152 billion.
Domestic Borrowing in H1’24
Meanwhile, according to the recent data released by the DMO, the Federal Government’s domestic debt stock for the first half of the year, HI’24, stood at N66.957 trillion, representing 38.6% growth from N48.314 trillion in HI’23.
CBN borrowings through NTBs rose to N11.8 trillion in HI’24 from N4.7 trillion in H1’23 and accounted for 17.64 % of the total FG’s borrowing.
FG’s borrowing through the monthly FGN Bond auctions, which constituted 78.13 % of total FG borrowing during the period, rose to N52.315 trillion in the HI’24 from N41.722 trillion in HI’23.
FG’s borrowing through Sukuk Bonds, which accounted for 1.6% of total FG domestic borrowing during the period, rose to N1.092 trillion in HI’24 from N742 billion in H1’23.
FG’s domestic borrowing through FGN Savings Bonds accounted for 0.08% of total FG’s borrowing during the period, also spiked, rising to N55.196 billion in H1’24 from N30.704 trillion in H1’23.
Analyts’ insight
Meanwhile, analysts and economy experts have stated that among other things the 49 per cent excess domestic borrowing by the FG in 11M’24 was also driven by investors’ response to the high interest rate regime during the period prompted by 875 basis points hike in the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, by the CBN.
From 18.75 per cent in February, the CBN steadily raised the MPR to 27.5 per cent in November this year.
As a result, the interest rate on 364-Days NTBs rose to 22.93 per cent in November from 12 per cent at the beginning of the year, representing 11.91 percentage points increase from 4.44% in H1’23.
In the same vein, the average interest rate on FGN Savings Bond for 2 year tenor rose to 17.483% December 2024 from 12.287% in December 2023.
Reviewing the fiscal position in 2024, David Adonri, Analyst/ Executive Vice Chairman at Highcap Securities Limited, said: “To different elements in the economy, rising debt and rising yield on debt means different things. While the investor in debt is happy and smiling to his bank, corporate debt issuers are groaning because of the escalated cost of borrowing and the crowding-out effect of public borrowing.
”Above all, rising public debt signals an expansionary fiscal policy which is inimical to the effectiveness of tightened monetary policy.
”FGN is already in a debt trap, requiring new debt to service existing obligations. This leaves very limited financial resources for economic development. If the reckless piling of debt by FGN continues, a sovereign default might become imminent.
”Notwithstanding the influence of the high interest rate regime, the sharp rise in FG’s borrowing from domestic investors is inimical to the private sector as it makes it more costly for businesses to borrow.
”Also, the higher lending rates has led to inflationary pressures as the corporates have to increase prices to cover for the higher borrowing rates.
“With respect to monetary policy, whilst the Central Bank continues on its hawkish trend, we expect pressure from the government on the Central Bank as its debt service costs rise.
”The government cannot afford to borrow at these levels for an extended period of time. Government spending has also led to more pressure on the currency as it means more Naira available to chase the dollar.”
Continuing, he stated: “With respect to fiscal policy, we are yet to see the borrowing by the government to have an impact on fiscal policy. Yes, we have the Coastal roads being built, but we would like to see more with regards to policies to help increase production output in the economy.
”Also, we expect to see a significant increase in debt servicing costs, factoring in the higher rates and increase in domestic borrowing.”
Also speaking to Financial Vanguard on the situation, Victor Chiazor, Head of Research and Investment at Fidelity Securities Limited, FSL Securities Limited, said: “The government borrowing has fueled inflationary pressures.
”In addition there’s an indirect effect on exchange rates. Also, there’s the crowding out effect for private sector lending. As it is, not many businesses can afford to borrow at the elevated interest rate.
”Finally, the monetary policy response to all this may be to continue to raise interest rates in a bid to tame the spiraling inflation.”
Commenting as well, Dr Muda Yusuf, CEO of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), said: ”There is a general need to moderate borrowing so that it doesn’t overheat the economy.
“With respect to the implication for inflation, the deficit if financed properly may not be inflationary.
“Inflationary component of deficit financing often arises when CBN prints money to finance the deficit. That is when you have serious issues with inflation, because the money is now what you call high-powered money.
”But if it’s funded using bonds, treasury bills and other firms of borrowing, either from the public or from within the financial system, it is less inflationary.
“If the debt level continues to increase, of course it has a crowding out effect on the private sector. That means more of the credit in the economy will be going to the government as against the private sector, which is not a particularly good thing.
”So we need to worry about a trend of increasing domestic debt because of the risk of crowding out the private sector in the credit market.
“For fiscal policy, it’s a fiscal policy instrument. Borrowing is a fiscal policy issue; it’s used to fill the gap. Again, what is important is to maintain a sustainable ratio as far as borrowing is concerned, ratio of debt service to revenue, ratio of debt to GDP.”
In his own comment, Olatunde Amolegbe, former President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS said: “For me, borrowing is a natural consequence of public expenditure if a country intends to grow. The question however is about what the debt is used for.
”I have always had reservations with borrowing to meet recurrent expenditure which is why I am more inclined towards infrastructure or project-tied debt that one is sure will go towards boosting economic growth and development.
”Of course the borrowing level and borrowing cost are high and this has negative implications for our finances as a country however in as much as the debt -GDP and debt-revenue continue to remain stable or even decline then debt sustainability should not be a problem.
”I suppose the increase in the volume of FGN’s borrowing we’ve seen month-on-month is driven by the attractive interest rate that they presently offer to investors. It means investors can invest as low as N10,000 and get interest rate of about 18% which they can’t get anywhere else. ”This can actually be seen through the prism of wealth distribution or empowerment.
”It is therefore not a problem per se but how the fund generated is put to use to enhance production. The private sector wants to see infrastructure that would help them reduce cost of production”.
Reacting as well,Tajudeen Olayinka, Investment Banker & Stockbroker stated: “I think the critical challenge there is the sustainability of debt as measured by (i) Debt to GDP Ratio, (ii) Debt to Revenue Ratio, (iii) Debt to Export Ratio.
”The more sustainable a country’s debt is, the less burdensome it becomes to the economy. Accordingly, Nigeria’s economy must become more productive in the immediate to near term for her to sustain the current level of debt stock. ”This should be the focus of the current administration, even though it inherited huge debt service to revenue ratio that had become unsustainable from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
”A huge U.S. dollar denominated debt could be more threatening than a huge Naira debt.
”Government should therefore manage the country’s debt within the framework of debt sustainability.
”The growth in the stock of savings bond between 2023 and 2024 cannot be said to be life threatening. That segment of government securities market is known to be underperforming”.
The federal government had in the 2024 budget estimated N27.50 trillion total expenditure and N18.32 trillion revenue, leaving the FG with a N9.05 trillion fiscal deficit.
According to the FG, the fiscal deficit is expected to be financed by a combination of domestic borrowings (N6.04 trillion), foreign borrowings (N1.77 trillion), multilateral/bilateral loan drawdowns (N941.19 billion), and privatisation proceeds amounting to N298.49 billion.