Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he wants Takehiro Tomiyasu to stay.
The Japan defender is a January target for Bayern Munich.
Arteta said today: “I really want him to stay.
“I value the player a lot. He’s loved and respected by everybody at the club. He’s at the level we need to make an impact on the team.
“He’s going to be with us.”
[TNG]
There are indications that mergers and acquisitions may happen soon in the financial sector in Nigeria after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hinted on the need for recapitalization of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country.
Ripples Nigeria reports that the governor of the apex bank, Dr Olayemi Cardoso had disclosed that Nigerian banks are not adequately capitalised to meet the need of a $1 trillion economy which the present government is targeting.
To that effect, banks in the country may be forced to merge to meet the recapitalization requirements to be announced by the apex bank as the planned recapitalisation means that DMBs will be required to raise additional capital to meet the demands of Nigeria’s economy.
Speaking on Friday at the 58th Annual Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in Lagos, Cardoso said: “President Bola Tinubu’s administration hopes to achieve a $1trn economy in the next seven years which banks may not have the funds to meet the requirements of such an economy
“Attaining this substantial target necessitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth at a significantly higher pace at the current level.
“Considering the projected economic growth, it is crucial for us to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the envisioned larger economy.
“It is not just about the stability of the financial system in the present moment… However, we need to ask ourselves, will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial system needed to service a $1trn economy in the near future?
“In my opinion, the answer is no unless we take action. Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As the first step, the Central Bank will be directing banks to increase their capital” he disclosed.
According to reports, Access Bank, Zenith and UBA lead the list of top banks in the country with asset sizes. As of 2023, Nigeria’s Access Bank had assets reaching approximately $33.4 billion. Other leading banking service providers in the country, namely Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA), registered assets adding up to $27.4 billion and $ 24.3 billion respectively, these figures are well short of the $1tr economy targeted by the FG.
The last time Nigerian banks recapitalized was in 2005 when the then CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi raised banks capitalization to N25 billion.
That exercise saw mergers and acquisitions among several banks in the country.
[Ripples Nigeria]
Terry Apala, the Nigerian singer, has revealed why he refused to join Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records and Spaceship, Burna Boy’s record label.
Apala, in a recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, the media personality, said his mother advised him to be the face of any label he signs to.
He said despite opportunities with Don Jazzy and Burna Boy, he chose Nelson Jack, a record label where he could be the main artiste.
“I was the problem, my mum said something to me, she said ‘your kind of music is different from what your colleagues are doing. If you are gonna be in any record label, you are to be the face,” he said.
“So I met Don Jazzy in 2015, like a week after we met he sent me the contract but I could not sign it because I already knew where I was coming from.
“That same 2015 I got a call from Burna Boy’s mum, like Burna Boy is there already. I cannot be the second face, I have to be the face.
“So that same 2015, I got signed to Nelson Jack because I was the face. I had issues with the record label from the call they said I am not allowed to drop songs I think for like a year or two.
“I was not allowed to do anything, no interviews no shows, like I was not allowed to do anything.”
Apala became in 2017 after he released a cover of Ed Sheeran’s hit single ‘Shape of You’.
The cover won him the Best Music Cover of the Year award at the City People Music Awards.
Apala is the originator of songs like ‘No Sege’, ‘Lock Up’, ‘Bad Girl’, and ‘Feel Me’.
[TheCable]
For veteran Nollywood actor, Anayo Modestus Onyekwere aka Kanayo O. Kanayo (KOK), though he has always played the odd part of ritualist in movies, he has never had anything to do with blood rituals in real life.
According to KOK, the Nigerian movie industry has been widely criticised for corrupting the minds of youths with its constant feature of blood rituals as a way of making quick wealth.
Speaking as a guest at a virtual town hall meeting powered by online news platform, Ikengaonline, the actor said determination and hard work are the only meaningful rituals for money and enduring wealth.
“It’s a lie that a man living in a thatch house will ask you to kill your girlfriend and sleep with her to make money. The Yahoo we knew many years back was writing letters and promising deals that are Utopian. These people (youths) have up their ante and it is not about the movies they watch.
“Recently, it was reported that somebody killed his girlfriend and slept with the corpse for seven days all in the name of making money. What a stupid thing to do! It’s stupid to believe that by killing somebody and eating the heart or drinking the blood you become wealthy. I can’t see any connection in that with making money. Money is made through hard work,” he emphasised.
KOK said although, he has always played the odd part of ritualist in home movies, he has “never encountered and will never have anything to do with blood rituals in real life,” adding, “The job of an actor is to act in movies, and who he is in real life is not defined by the roles he plays. Movie making is only a mirror of society.”
[Sun]
Filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan has revealed plans for a possible collaboration with singer Wizkid who is presently on holiday in Nigeria. The rave-making Afrobeats artiste made an appearance at Afolayan’s KAP Hub last Saturday, bringing his vibrant energy to the heart of the creative space.
The purpose of his visit, according to information, was to have a special, honorary meeting with the director, and to delve into exciting partnership possibilities.
According to Afolayan, Wizkid’s visit to the KAP Hub turned an ordinary Saturday into an extraordinary affair.
“He took the time to engage with the hub’s creative atmosphere, adding his unique flair to the lively ambience and creating an unforgettable moment for everyone present. Wizkid’s visit was more than just a celebrity appearance; it was a celebration of the synergy between music, art, and creativity,” the filmmaker said in a statement.
He further noted that the visit of the Afrobeats superstar to the Hub further solidifies it as a thriving epicentre for collaboration and innovation in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, Wizkid has rolled out the terms and conditions for his going into acting. The Grammy-winning artiste expressed his desire to embrace roles that involve kissing scenes and handling firearms in movies.
READ ALSO: Yomi Fabiyi Issues Advisory On Citizen Engagement With Police
He disclosed this intention through his Instagram story, stating in Pidgin, “Shebi I tell una I one dey act film! I just want dey kiss and shoot a gun for a movie. Daz all.”
Additionally, Wizkid hinted at the possibility of extending his hiatus from music, initially planned for three to four years, now contemplating a stretch to six years.
[DailyIndependent]
Anthony Joshua could revisit the Rumble in the Jungle as part of an “iconic” bout around the 50th anniversary of the legendary fight, says Eddie Hearn.
Promoter Hearn says talks have taken place over the heavyweight contender fighting in Africa, and that government backing for an event is available.
Joshua, 34, has Nigerian ancestry but has never fought on the continent.
“It’s something that would be iconic for the sport,” Hearn told BBC World Service’s Newsday of the proposals.
“When we’re visiting these countries, there’s government funding to stage these events.
“Sometimes that isn’t forthcoming in all areas but there have been discussions and I think it will happen in time.”
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman contested the heavyweight world championship in Zaire – now Democratic Republic of Congo – in October 1974 in one of the greatest fights of all time.
Both men were champions during the long careers that made them legends, with Ali knocking out Foreman in the eighth round to win the WBA, WBC and Ring titles.
Joshua held the WBA belt for a combined total of almost four years and has been IBF, WBO and IBO champion, although he is currently aiming to win back the titles he failed to regain from Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in August 2022.
[Thisday]
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has announced £3 million in funding to enable shipments of Ukrainian grain to Nigeria in 2024.
Barclay set out the package of support for Ukraine while addressing the international community at the Kyiv International Summit: Grain from Ukraine today (Saturday, November 24).
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said after tearing up the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia destroyed over 280,000t of grain in one month, which could have fed “over 1.25 million people for a year”.
“In the face of these relentless and targeted attacks on ports and grain infrastructure, the initiative ensures Ukrainian grain still reaches those most in need while protecting global food security, keeping prices down and strengthening markets.”
Announcing the funding, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “From our government to our farmers, our solidarity with the people of Ukraine remains cast iron,” Barclay said.
“The UK is committed to ensuring Ukraine can continue to export grain to those most in need.
“I am also proud we will be able to share the UK and Defra’s expertise to help Ukraine’s farmland and nature recover from the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam and the impact of the conflict.”
Barclay also updated the conference on the development of the UK’s Grain Verification Scheme, which is being backed with £2 million in funding from the government.
The scheme aims to uses science to determine where grain has been grown and harvested – supporting Ukraine’s efforts to trace and stop theft of grain from occupied regions.
The UK government said further information on the scheme will be unveiled early next year.
[Agriland]
Talk of women doing incredible things and excelling in a male-dominated field, Owolasooge Temitope, Emike Lambert Emmanuel, and a few others are amazing. These are female tilers and they belong to the Association of Tilers Nigeria.
In addition to the astounding works they do with their hands, they share the same marital status; they are young widows with mouths to feed.
These female tilers are hardworking and you need not imagine the amount of hustle they put in to ensure their children are well catered for. But surprisingly, while they both agree that there are prospects in their tiling business, the huge challenge is not only about gender discrimination but, something worse. Something that sounds very absurd but common in a morally depraved society.
Temitope, a native of Osun state, tells her story. “First of all, I appreciate the person who taught me how to lay tiles. I started with just by going to sites and doing any available labour. I saw how they were laying tiles and loved the artistry involved. He encouraged me to learn tiling and as I was interested, it wasn’t difficult for me to understand the technique involved. I posted the first work I did on Instagram and people started commenting. They were saying wow, look at a lady tiler.
“ I learned the work for like two months and started working in 2017. By the grace of God, I’m the CEO of my business and I have apprentices working under me. Since I’ve been doing this tiling job, I’ve met many women but they are contractors and not tilers; but, I get the contract and also lay the tiles.
I’m living in Sapele, Delta State, and sometimes in Sango Ota. I stay in any place that the work takes me to. People now call me from Imo state, in short, different parts of the country to work. The work is very good though stressful.”
The major challenge she faces on the job as a woman, Temitope discloses is that “sometimes people call you to a site and want to take advantage of you. They will make it clear that if you don’t sleep with them, they will not give you work. I don’t work like that. If you want me to work with you or for you, you will pay me my money. If I sleep with the client, I will still do the work before collecting my money; what’s the need?
“Even some women make the work difficult for us. Sometimes they will accuse their husbands that they brought their girlfriend home, pretending that they are doing business. Even some of our fellow tilers will call me for work and afterward, to pay, is wahala. The other time, one customer called me from Lagos to go to Ibadan to submit a quotation. When I got there, he took me to a beer parlour. Later, he stole my handset after he pretended as if he was going to use it to reach his boss.”
The job is also hard on the female looks. “Look at my hands, (shows off her hands) they don’t look like a lady’s fingers again because of the work I do. But it doesn’t matter, so far as being a tiler puts food on my table. People are very wicked sometimes. They will quickly pay for work materials worth millions but just to pay maybe 20 thousand naira for laying the tiles, they want you to sleep with them. My plan now is to have a shop where I will be selling tiles and other materials while waiting for a tiling contract to come. I’m a widow and I need money to take care of my children.”
For us to get jobs they’ll tell you, “Nothing goes for nothing”- Emike
Edo state-born Emike has been in the tiling business for about 10 years now; she shares reasons she became a tiler.
“I’m the widow of a Fallen Hero. I’m ready to show off the skills that God gave me to put food on my table; I have three kids and other responsibilities to take care of. I need to work hard to take care of myself and my kids. I don’t need to depend on a man. I cannot sell my body before I take care of my responsibilities. This is what made me go into the tiling industry. But right here, the problem we are facing is that it is the quacks that are getting the jobs through connections. Those people giving quacks the jobs are only interested in their cuts and not whether the job will be done well.”
Emike believes the government can help with regulations that can protect the females among them and also support them with loans. “I’m begging the government to give us soft loans so that we don’t need to pay interest. This will help us especially the women in the industry to get the required equipment to do our jobs. We the female tilers are finding it very, very difficult in the industry because it is male-dominated. We cannot sell our bodies because we need jobs. When they call you for a job, even before taking you to the owner of the job, the person will tell you that nothing goes for nothing; it’s our bodies they’re asking for. How long are we going to continue like this? We are professional tilers and are ready to work.”
[Sun]
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given the lie to insinuations suggesting that he would contest against his boss, President Bola Tinubu, in the 2027 presidential election.
The former Rivers State governor vowed that having worked for the emergence of Tinubu as president, and having been made minister of the FCT, nothing would make him contest against his principal in 2027.
The minister who spoke on a live television programme in Abuja yesterday also said good character should never be compromised on the altar of politics.
Wike reiterated his commitment to the success of the Tinubu administration, even as he explained that the quest for justice was the key reason he and the G5 group of governors supported the presidential ambition of Tinubu.
He stated: “Tinubu made me the FCT minister and I won’t allow anybody to crumble our political structure. No! Tinubu made me minister; people do not understand. I have character.
“What will happen in 2027? I stood and I said I am not going to support injustice. I was threatened that they will do me this and that. They tried many options, including using Major Generals.”
On the update of his face-off with his successor, Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State, the minister who initially said he did not want to talk about the matter however said, “Give a man power and money, that is when you will know the person. If you have not given a man power and money do not say you know the person.
“He may be your friend; he may be your son, sister or mother or father. I don’t want to go into that.”
Wike expressed dismay that Fubara would seek to destroy the structure which produced him as governor just within three months of his emergence.
“In three months, it is sad for someone to scatter a political structure that supported and brought you up. You know what is painful? All these allegations, I smile. Who and who sat with him. In all your doings be grateful in your life no matter the circumstance. Nobody who is a gentleman and a politician will support this kind of thing.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, Wike said: “We never knew that it will take you three months to scatter the political structure that picked you up. What is painful is seeing these propaganda and lies that I was angry. Did he (Fubara) buy form? Be grateful in your life in all circumstances.
“I will not allow anybody to crumble our political structure. I told him if you do this ring-road your second tenure would be assured, I took him to Germany to meet Julius Berger and they promised to do the road in three years, which is the year leading to election. I told him if you do this road, nobody will challenge you in Rivers State.
“Anything that will make me disrespect Mr President, count me out. He disobeyed the President, disobeyed the Vice President. When the law speaks, thuggery, militancy and ethnicity will run away.”
Wike also outlined some of his achievements as governor of Rivers State, saying he was paying pensioners’ gratuity every month, something he said was not done by his predecessor.
“I took River State to the level where you cannot discuss politics in Nigeria without Rivers State. I was an ordinary minister when I became a governor. I challenged the sitting governor and I defeated his candidate. I worked hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said existing landowners with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in the FCT must re-certify them to incorporate the new features.
Wike said this would cost individuals N50,000 each and corporate bodies, N100,000 each.
Still speaking on a live television programme in Abuja, the minister noted that the new C-of-O would now require a National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN)
He said he had been refraining from signing C-of-Os during his tenure as the FCT minister to introduce enhanced security measures, such as the inclusion of NIN for individuals and BVN for corporate bodies.
“There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot of cloning of C-of-Os. So, we have come up with an idea that every allottee who seeks and applies for a C-of-O must supply his NIN; this is one of the features we are going to put in the new C-of-O.
“If a corporate body doesn’t have an NIN and they have a property, they must put their BVN. So many persons have not registered, and this will make them go and re-register,” Wike stated.
On the existing landlords with C-of-Os, he noted that they would only be required to pay a nominal fee for recertification.
“For everyone who has a C-of-O, they will come for a recertification, so that we can incorporate the NIN or BVN. Those who had a C-of-O before do not need to pay money again; the highest they can pay is N50,000, and corporate bodies will pay N100,000. It helps in terms of security; it also helps to improve our revenue generation,” he said.
[Leadership]
The European Union (EU) has updated its immigration rules for country nationals which indicates that they must legally and continuously reside in an EU member state for at least five years, and this status must coexist with national long-term resident schemes.
Third-country nations are countries or territories that are not a member of the European Union or those whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union’s right to free movement. Nigeria is an example of a Third-country nation.
This directive was given by EU member states, during a meeting of the Council’s permanent representatives committee, where they established their negotiating mandate for revising the EU long-term resident’s directive.
Nairametrics learns that this directive outlines the criteria for third-country nationals to obtain EU long-term resident status.
What the rules indicate
Under the Council’s position, third-country nationals can accumulate residence periods of up to two years in other member states to meet the five-year requirement.
However, certain types of legal residence permits, like EU Blue Cards or permits for highly qualified employment, will be accepted for residency in another member state.
Applicants for long-term resident status must demonstrate stable resources, and sickness insurance, and may need to fulfil integration conditions.
Although this status is permanent, it can be revoked if the person has not had their primary residence in the EU for a specified period.
EU long-term residents are granted intra-EU mobility rights, enabling them to move and reside in other EU countries for work or studies, subject to specific conditions.
They will enjoy equal treatment with EU nationals in areas such as employment, education, and tax benefits.
Background
In 2020, over ten million third-country nationals held long-term or permanent residence permits out of the 23 million legally residing in the EU.
The proposed update aims to address underutilization, complexity in acquisition conditions, and barriers to intra-EU mobility rights.
The Council’s negotiating mandate will allow for discussions with the European Parliament to finalize the legal text.
[Nairametrics]
More...
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Friday, hinted that banks in the country would be asked to raise their capital base in order to be able to support the $1trillion economy of the government.
The governor of the apex bank, Yemi Cardoso, disclosed this in Lagos at the 58th Annual Bankers Dinner and Grand Finale of the 60th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
He said Nigerian banks did not have sufficient capital relative to the financial system’s needs in servicing a $1.0trn economy in the near future.
President Bola Tinubu recently hinted that Nigeria’s economy could grow to $1trn by 2026 and a $3trn Nigerian economy in 10 years.
“It is not just about the stability of the financial system in the present moment as we have already established that the current assessment showed stability. However, we need to ask ourselves: Will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial system’s needs in servicing a $1.0trn economy in the near future? In my opinion, the answer is “no!” unless we take action. Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As a first step we will be directing banks to increase their capital,” he said.
Cardoso, who bemoaned the foreign exchange restrictions hitherto placed on the importation of 43 items by the previous government, said the CBN under his watch would be repositioned as a catalyst for change and economic development.
While applauding the CIBN, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the Bola Tinubu-led government was committed to building a stable and resilient economy.
He said the decisions taken by the government were difficult but necessary in turning the country around, attracting investment, creating jobs and reducing poverty.
The chairman of the Body of Banks’ Chief Executive Officers and managing director, Zenith Bank, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, called for the support of the reforms introduced by the CBN.
He added that the apex bank was already addressing the issue of FX forward and it would soon be a thing of the past.
“Though some of the reforms are painful, we wholly support them because we need to endure the pain today for a brighter future,” he said.
The president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Ken Opara, noted that within the short period in office, Cardoso had activated notable initiatives aimed at repositioning and stabilising the economy.
He mentioned the initiatives to include focusing on the core monetary policy mandate of price and exchange rate stability, unification of the exchange rate and initiating steps to boost liquidity in the foreign exchange market through commencement of settlement of mature forward obligations.
He said others included market reflective rate for Government Treasury Securities to ensure that investors get real positive yields on their investments, as well as joint issuance of Advisory Notice by the CBN in conjunction with the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee (FSCRCC).
Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu were represented by the Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai and the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Abayomi Oluyomi respectively.
[DailyTrust]
President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the Students’ Loan Application system was being designed in a way that there is no interface between the loan administrators and the beneficiaries.
Gbajabiamila said efforts were underway to ensure the take-off of the scheme in January 2024 to ensure that Nigerian students could access the loan “to fund their educational aspirations.”
He spoke in Lagos on Friday while delivering the lecture titled, “Empowering Nigerian Youths in the Present Day Economy” at the 35th convocation ceremony of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).
Gbajabiamila said that to make the process seamless, “applicants will apply online, be verified online and credited based on the verifiable documents and credentials they submitted.”
He said, “Nobody will need to know anybody to qualify for these loans so that access to this financing will be genuinely egalitarian.”
Recently, Tinubu signed the Student Loan Bill into law.
Upon signing the bill, the President assured that no student would drop out of tertiary institutions over inability to pay their fees.
Tinubu said his administration would ensure educational institutions get the necessary resources to carry out their responsibilities.
[DailyPost]
Davido’s Logistics Manager, Isreal Afeare, popularly known as Isreal DMW, has shared news of the end of his marriage to his wife, Sheila, in an Instagram post on Saturday.
In his detailed account, Isreal DMW revealed that Sheila left their home on August 8, 2023, despite his substantial support since their marriage.
Israel also detailed acts of generosity, such as providing financial support, upgrading her phone, and indulging in shopping sprees for her.
Despite these efforts, he described a shift in Sheila’s behaviour after their wedding, where she sought to impose standards on him, believing she had achieved status as a prominent figure on Instagram.
Additionally, Isreal DMW pointed out that marrying someone from a Christian background and being a virgin did not ensure peace in his case.
He highlighted that his wife accused him of being a slave to his boss, Davido.
He said, “Marrying a lady because you met her during evangelism as a virgin, a pastor’s daughter, a member of the same Winners Chapel church, might not guarantee anything peace at all. Don’t be too eager or quick to trust people. People can change at any time.
“People can be very ungrateful and deceptive. I met Sheila on February 19, 2022. We became friends, which later became intimate.
“She told me she would only lose her virginity to the man that would marry her since her Ugep, Cross River, mother, who’s now 41, had earlier married two different men, with two kids, before marrying her father and that she was overdue at 21 for marriage.
“We fully agreed with her terms and conditions. I immediately upgraded her unkept situation by giving her 300k and replacing her tattered phone of less than 60k with a new iPhone
“I later also replaced the 12 Pro Max with a brand 14 Pro Max of 1.2m that she uses to slay. I did a lot of shopping for her.
“Bought her clothes and bags, including expensive human hairs she’s using without sleeping with her then. I later proposed, and she fully accepted. We later did a legal introduction to traditional and white weddings in Benin City.
“Sheila immediately changed by showing her authentic self after our wedding and wanting to set standards for me. She now felt she was blown as Juju’s wife, fully verified on Instagram, with more followers from her earlier struggling 3k followers when I met her.
“A fully sapa girl I met with just 2,700 in her account. I have never raised my hands on her any day. I don’t beat women at all. I respect them so much. The least money for her upkeep was 100k. She now wakes up to tell me that I derive dignity in begging my oga, that I am fully a slave, and that I am disgracing her on social media.
“I had earlier taken her to show same oga for the first time before we wedded when we were in Abuja Transcorp Hilton, and oga asked her straight forward if she was ready for marriage, and she fully answered by saying yes and oga immediately gave her 500k for airtime. Oga was fully present in Benin for my wedding, after cancelling a 140m show appearance. Oga,”
[Punch]
- Accuses governor of setting assembly on fire
- Says he introduced ethnicity into state politics
- I am full-blooded Ijaw son, gov declares
The face-off between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his immediate predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, reared its head yesterday as the FCT Minister accused his estranged protégé of masterminding the burning of a section of the state’s House of Assembly.
Crisis had erupted in the state late last month when the House of Assembly impeached its Majority Leader Hon. Edison Ehie believed to be the governor’s loyalist while the governor in turn sacked his chief of Staff believed to be a loyalist of Wike.
The crisis had peaked with the burning of a part of the House of Assembly on October 29; a move believed to have been made to prevent the lawmakers from sitting amid speculations of a move by the assembly to impeach Governor Fubara.
A quick intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had ensured that the crisis was nipped in the bud as both Wike and Fubara announced a ceasefire and the two parties appeared to have buried the hatchet.
The governor thereafter likened the feud to a father-and-son matter.
Receiving a military delegation led by Gen. Christopher Musa to the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, he said: “For our dear state, I know everybody is wondering what’s going on, what’s not going on. We are okay, there is no problem.
“If we have an internal issue, it will be resolved and everything will go back to normal.
“There is nothing wrong if a father and a son have a problem. If there is any problem, but I don’t think there is anything, whatever it is, we will definitely resolve the issue.”
But in a twist of events yesterday, Wike, speaking during a live broadcast in his office with select journalists, accused Fubara of masterminding the burning of the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly.
He accused Fubara of taking the step because he learnt about a plan by the lawmakers to impeach him as governor.
Asked whether he endorsed the attempt by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara, Wike said: “If they are impeaching you (Fubara), did you call me?
“Assuming I’m the one who plotted it, did you say, ‘Sir, they want to impeach me’? Is that why you will send people to go and burn the hallowed chambers?”
The FCT Minister also accused Fubara of playing ethnic politics, saying that the development was alien to the oil-rich state.
“Is impeachment done in one day? Is it a one-day affair? Then you raised ethnic politics. We have never had it like this before,” he said.
He added: “Give man power and money, that is when you will know the person. If you have not given man power and money, don’t say you know the person.
“He may be your friend, he may be your son, sister or mother or father. I don’t want to go into that.”
The FCT Minister lamented that Fubara could seek to destroy the structure that produced him as governor just within three months of his emergence.
He said: “In three months, it is sad for someone to scatter a political structure that supported and brought him up.
“You know what is painful. All these allegations, I smile. In all your doings be grateful in your life, no matter the circumstance.
“Nobody who is a gentleman and a politician will support this kind of thing. And I kept quiet.
“You have 31 members in the House of Assembly, 27 are against you.”
Asked whether he felt that his feud with Fubara was a matter of nemesis, given how he fell out with former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, his immediate predecessor as Rivers State governor, Wike said “with due respect, Amaechi did not make me governor. I was the one that worked for Amaechi to be governor in 2007.
“Even when Amachi made me a minister, he went to the National Assembly to disqualify me through SSS. Amaechi fought me even as a minister.
“I am comfortable. Tinubu did not give me an ordinary minister but Minister of FCT. What am I looking for?
“But that does not mean that I will allow anybody to crumble our political structure. It will not happen.
“Let me tell you, I challenge anybody, all the projects and road projects you are seeing now, I laid the foundation. I took him to Win Bidding in Germany, with the director of procurement to go and negotiate with Julius Beger.
“I said look, if you do this Ring Road your second tenure is assured.
“I told him to go and borrow money from Zenith Bank and tell Julius Beger to be deducting money from you every month. Tell them you will do it in three years; that is the year leading to your election. Nobody will challenge you in Rivers State.
“If I had no good intentions, I would not do it. If they are impeaching you, did you call me? Assuming, for example I was the one who caused it, did you call me, saying Sir, they want to impeach me? Is that why you have to send people to go and burn the hallow chamber?
“Is impeachment done one day? Impeachment process a one day affair? Then you raised ethnic politics.
“We have never had it like this before. Will anybody stop me from going to functions? Anything that will make me not respect Mr. President, I won’t do it.
“All these things you are seeing are because Mr. President has said you do this and you do that. When the law speaks, thuggery will run away. When the law speaks, militants will run away. When the law speaks, ethnicity will run.
“Be fair to the structure that brought you to power. You are the governor, but all you must understand is that some people had sleepless nights because of you. It is too early to fight that structure.
“I’ve never seen it happen anywhere. You have told Nigerians the kind of person you are. Some people will even pretend for one year or two years.
“Tinubu made me minister, people don’t understand, I have character. What will happen in 2027? I stood and I said I’m not going to support injustice. I was threatened that they would do this to me. They tried Major Generals.”
On his achievements as governor of Rivers State, Wike said: “I was paying pensioners gratuity every month, which were not paid by my predecessor. I took River State to the level where you cannot discuss politics in Nigeria without Rivers State.
“I was an ordinary minister when I became a governor. I challenged the sitting governor and I defeated his candidate. I worked hard.”
On the new requirements for acquisition of land in the Federal Capital Territory, particularly the introduction of National Identity Number (NIN) and Biometric Verification Number (BVN) to Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), the minister said the new features were for security and revenue generation.
Wike also noted that existing landowners in the capital must get recertification to incorporate these new features.
“There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot of cloning of C-of-Os, so we have come up with an idea that every allottee who seeks and applies for a C-of-O must supply his NIN. This is one of the features we are going to put in the new C-of-O.
“If a corporate body doesn’t have an NIN and they have a property, they must put their BVN. So many people have not registered, and this will make them go and re-register.”
Addressing the issue of existing landlords with C-of-Os, Wike stated that they would only be required to pay a nominal fee for recertification.
“For everyone who has a C-of-O, they will come for a recertification so that we can incorporate the NIN or BVN,” he said.
“Those who have a C-of-O before don’t need to pay money again. The highest they can pay is N50,000, and corporate bodies will pay N100,000. It helps in terms of security; it also helps to improve our revenue generation.”
“There are people who own seven properties, so this will identify them so they can pay taxes.”
Wike further stated that other benefits of this initiative are in identifying property owners accurately for tax purposes.
‘I won’t run against Tinubu’
The FCT minister declared that he would not contest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 Presidential election.
He reiterated his commitment to the success of the Tinubu administration even as he explained that the quest for justice was the key reason he and the G5 group of governors supported the presidential ambition of Tinubu.
According to the minister, good character should never be compromised on the altar of politics.
He pointed out that having worked for the emergence of Tinubu as President and having been made minister of FCT, nothing would make him contest against the President in 2027.
“Tinubu made me the FCT minister and I won’t allow anybody to crumble our political structure. No!
I’m a true Ijaw son, says Fubara
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his Opobo people from Rivers State belong to the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
Insisting that the Opobo people are integral part of the history of the Ijaw struggle, Fubara asserted that he is a true Ijaw son.
Speaking when he met with the Regent and other representatives of Kalabari Se Kobiri at Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, Fubara dismissed insinuations labeling him a non-Ijaw.
He said persons doubting his Ijaw origin were bereft of the history of the struggle that made Ijaw a reputable class of people.
He said: “So, whoever is feeding you with that information should go back to their history classes. You cannot talk about the Ijaw struggle without the Opobo, the Bonny, and the Kalabari.
“We had our trade lines at that time, and for you to occupy a trade line, it means you are a true Ijaw man. So, for the records, I am a full blooded, up to my bones, an Ijaw man.”
Fubara said Ijaw people are bold, courageous and forthright, adding that despite being subjected to inhuman treatment, Ijaw refused to succumb to being traded as slaves.
He emphasised that only the will of God would prevail in every circumstance whether good or bad, winning or failing.
Condoling with the Kalabari people over the demise of their monarch, the late King Theophilus J.T. Princewill, Fubara assured that the state government would fully participate in the burial activities.
The governor urged the people to put their differences aside and work together to give the late king a befitting burial.
In his speech, the regent of Kalabari Kingdom, Dr. Charles Numbere Princewill, said they visited to notify the governor that Theophilus J.T. Princewill, Amachree XI, The Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of the Kalabari Kingdom was dead and to formally invite him to attend the funeral.
He thanked the governor for the support already given to them and solicited for more.
On his part, Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) Dr. Tammy Danagogo said Fubara had shown much love towards the Kalabari people was committed to giving befitting burial to their late Amanyanabo.
[TheNation]