Onyebuchi Chukwu, former minister of health, has recounted how he and Mohammed Bello Adoke worked together to renegotiate a deal to establish Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a vaccine manufacturing company.

Chukwu served as the minister of health from April 2010 to October 2014 while Adoke was attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice from April 2010 to April 2015.

The former minister spoke on Friday when he appeared as a guest on Laolu Akande’s ‘Inside Sources’, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

During the interview, Chukwu lamented that Nigeria has not done well of late in the production of vaccines.

He narrated how he kickstarted the process of resuscitating Nigeria’s joint venture agreement with May & Baker Nigeria Plc to establish BVNL.

BACKGROUND

Nigeria produced vaccines at the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory in Yaba between 1941 and 1991, with some of the products imported to neighbouring countries.

However, the federal government stopped production at the Yaba facility in 1991.

In 2005, BVNL was incorporated as a company to revive Nigeria’s production of vaccines. The company was a joint venture between the federal government and May & Baker Nigeria Plc.

May & Baker Nigeria Plc owned 51 percent while 49 percent was owned by the federal government.

‘HOW THE BVNL JV AGREEMENT WAS REVIVED’

Chukwu said the joint venture agreement was put on hold during the administration of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He said May & Baker had instituted a legal suit against Nigeria over breach of contract.

The former minister said he was advised to revive the joint venture agreement when he assumed office in 2010.

He narrated how he consulted Adoke for legal advice on how to revive the JV to avoid legal complications.

“But when I came on board some of the ministry’s directors advised that it would be good if I resuscitated it,” he said.

“I consulted widely. I was advised to get in touch with the attorney-general because there were some legal issues that were being raised regarding the arrangement between the federal government and May & Baker.

“I contacted my colleague (Adoke), who took some time in fact, a number of weeks to study it (the joint venture agreement). That was Adoke, and in the end, he said there were a few things we needed to do.

“Of course, time was of the essence because that agreement was almost terminated, after a number of years. So we needed a new agreement, the original one provided for renegotiation. It was a good programme.

“Most of the issues that they (May & Baker) were asking were about the valuation of the land. Under Obasanjo, they had used a private valuer. So they asked the government to be the valuer.

“So I contacted my colleague in the ministry of lands and housing as it was then known, and the ministry went ahead to value it. Ministry of health paid for it. They gave us a report.

“In addition to that and the attorney-general’s report, I then wrote to the president to make my case clearly and the president approved it that we should go ahead but in conjunction with the ministry of justice

“By then, May & Baker had gone to court for breach of contract. We were able to persuade them to withdraw the court case.  They were happy to do that and together we started (renegotiation). I left before it was concluded.

“I was happy that during President Buhari’s term that matter was completed.”

The former minister added that although the joint venture agreement is “back on track”, the facility has not started the production of vaccines.

TIMELINE OF DEVELOPMENTS

In 2017, the federal government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with May & Baker for vaccine production.

A year later, a seven-member board of directors was inaugurated, with three members from the government and four from May & Baker.

In September 2022, the federal executive council (FEC) approved the production of vaccines in commercial quantity to support routine immunisation programmes in the country.

Osagie Ehanire, then minister of health, said the initiative was a joint venture between BNVL and Serum Institute of India, an Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals company.

Ehanire had said the approval was limited to routine vaccines and not the COVID-19 vaccine.

In December 2022, May & Baker Nigeria announced that BNVL would commence the production of vaccines before the second quarter of 2023.

[TheCable]

A thrilling political showdown is unfolding in the heart of Edo state – a hub of diverse cultural traditions and heritage. 

The long-awaited 2024 governorship election is here. With 2,629,025 registered voters in Edo state, the residents are set to decide who will lead them in the next democratic dispensation.

Two accomplished lawyers — Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Asuerinme Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — are locked in a fierce battle for the governorship seat. Each is armed with a “vision for a path to prosperity” for the state.

Monday Okpebholo, a Nigerian senator and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is also in the race, with his famed ability to cultivate grassroots politics to his advantage. 

As the trio clash in a quest for leadership, the people of Edo stand at a crossroads, poised to decide between the promise of innovative governance, the weight of political experience, and giving in for a third force. 

On September 21, the stage will be set for a captivating electoral contest that will shape the destiny of the state.

Though the electoral race is between 21 candidates, TheCable provides a lowdown on the three major contenders.

ASUE IGHODALO’S ‘PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY’ 

Ighodalo is arguably the strongest contender owing to the endorsement from Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent governor of Edo.

Apart from the support of the governor and the ruling party in the state, Ighodalo also hails from Okaigben, Ewohimi, in Esan south-east LGA, which falls under Edo Central, a senatorial district that had reportedly been sidelined from producing a full-tenured governor in the state.

Before his foray into politics, Ighodalo has been in the corridors of Edo governance for the past 16 years. He was an economic adviser to Adams Oshiomole, former governor of the state, and also a member of Obaseki’s economic team.

The PDP candidate is a founding partner of Banwo-and-Ighodalo, a tier 1 corporate and commercial law firm in Nigeria. Its speciality is corporate finance, capital markets, energy and natural resources, mergers and acquisitions, banking and securitisation, and project finance.

Ighodalo has also served as chairman of the board of directors at Sterling Bank, director at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), among many of his career achievements.

With his wealth of experience, Ighodalo tagged his manifesto “Pathway to Prosperity for All” with strategic attention placed on the well-being of the Edo people, economic growth, environment, good governance, security, and order.

“I see a pathway to prosperity for our people and our state. I see a path to lifting the highest number of people into prosperity by implementing the most comprehensive social welfare program ever witnessed in south-south Nigeria,” he said in the manifesto.

“I see a path to making Edo state the safest state to live and work, a place where everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare. I see a path where the regeneration of Nigeria will begin right here in Edo, the heartbeat of the nation.”

Ighodalo is not going on this journey alone. He has selected another lawyer, Osarodion Ogie, as his running mate.

AKPATA MAKES PACT WITH PEOPLE OF EDO

Relying on the success recorded by the Labour Party (LP) in Edo during the 2023 presidential election, Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is eyeing the governorship seat with a conviction to set the state on the right path of development.

Peter Obi, LP candidate in the 2023 presidential election, had set the stage for better visibility for the politically young party when he won in Edo with 331,163 — more than half of the votes cast in the state.

Neda Imasuen, the senatorial candidate of the LP in Edo South, where Akpata hailed from, defeated both the candidates of the ruling PDP and the APC to become the senator representing the district in the national assembly.

That was the extent of the power the LP pulled in the last general election in the state, which Akpata hopes to capitalise on in the guber poll.

Also, Akpata is a consummate lawyer who, in 2020, made waves by becoming the first non-senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to lead the bar.

Before resigning to participate in Edo politics, Akpata worked as a senior partner with Templers, a commercial law firm, but he has also been a vocal critic of violations of human rights and maladministration.

However, there is a covert roadblock on his way to the government house. Akpata comes from the same senatorial district as Obaseki, the incumbent who is on his way to completing eight years of a two-term administration.

A long-standing rotational gentleman agreement rooted in Nigeria’s complex political landscape has taken centre stage in Edo, posing a significant hurdle to Akpata’s aspirations.

This has given ground for the “It’s Esan’s time” mantra, gradually proving to become a rallying cry for disgruntled voters who are determined to uphold the rotational power-sharing tradition.

As Akpata navigates this treacherous terrain, he faces an uphill battle against entrenched biases and ethnic loyalties, threatening to derail his political momentum.

In his manifesto, ‘My Pact With the People of Edo state’, Akpata promised to create and grow a healthy, stable, sustainable and inclusive economy that benefits everyone in the state.

He divided the challenges facing the state into eight priority areas — economy and job creation, roads and related infrastructure, electricity and energy access, agriculture and food security, education, healthcare, security of lives and property and other essential infrastructure — and provided key solutions to solving them.

Akpata is going into the race with another lawyer, Yusuf Kadiri, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as his running mate.

OKPEBHOLO MONDAY, SENATOR WHO WANTS TO BE GOVERNOR 

Contesting a governorship election after spending less than two years at the national assembly, Monday Okpebholo, senator representing Edo central and an astute grassroots politician, is taking a shot at the Edo governorship seat.

Okpebholo clinched the governorship candidacy of the APC amid a primary election marked by confusion, contentious claims, and counter-accusations.

Following the voting exercise at the primaries, Dennis Idahosa and Sunday Dekeri, house of representatives members, were both announced simultaneously as winners of the election by different returning officers, before the party’s stakeholders subsequently affirmed Okpebholo as the flagbearer.

In his appraisal of Okpebholo, John Mayaki, chieftain of the APC and former chief press secretary to Obaseki, had described the candidate as “lacking even the most rudimentary understanding of what governance entails.”

He said the senator only “has instincts for politics” and never engages in discussions about important things such as policies, investment attraction, sectoral reforms, and development.

Nevertheless, Okpebholo stood triumphant, his name etched on the party’s ticket as the standard-bearer for the coveted seat. However, the fiercely contested primaries left the dust hovering in the air with the party edging towards a governorship election on a divided front.

Notwithstanding, being from Edo central, Okpebholo shares a key advantage with Ighodalo, which could work in his favour due to the stakeholders’ firm belief in power rotation.

With APC as the ruling party at the federal level, the senator also boasts of federal support, a significant advantage that could be in his favour. This backing may prove invaluable in the anticipated tight race, potentially giving him the edge he needs to secure victory.

With federal support, Okpebholo can leverage resources and influence that might otherwise be out of reach, making him a formidable contender in the election.

In a move that may be intended to appease disgruntled stakeholders or serve another strategic purpose, Okpebholo chose Dennis Idahosa as his running mate. This decision may be a calculated step to address potential sources of opposition and internal wrangling in the party.

In one of his promises to the electorates, Okpebholo vowed to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, security, health and infrastructure if he is elected into office as governor.

OTHER CANDIDATES IN THE RACE:

Uwaifo Osaro  — Action Alliance (AA)

Aner Aliu — Social Democratic Party (SDP)

Azena Azemhe Friday — New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)

Osifo Isiah — All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)

Ugiagbe Sylvester — All People Movement (APM)

Areleogbe Osalumese — All Peoples Party (APP)

Akhime Afere — Action Democratic Party (ADP)

Udoh David — African Action Congress (AAC)

Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena — Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)

Osirame Edeipo — Boot Party (BP)

Iyere Kennedy — Accord Party (AP)

Obazele Agbone — African Democratic Congress (ADC)

Key Ndidi — Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)

Okungbowa Ovbokhan — Young Progressive Party (YPP)

Gov Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state has said that his government has been putting in efforts to tackle the insecurity in the state.

Dauda Lawal said his political will to address the attacks of bandits across the state has been paying off as farmers can now go to their farms to cultivate.

He stated that the formation of local security, Community Protection Guard (CPG) by his administration has also helped to reduce the consistency of bandits attack in the state.

Speaking with Arise TV, on Tuesday, Lawal said, “Let me start by admitting the fact that the state has been in this situation for the past 13 years. It is something that we inherited. And part of what we did or what we’re doing right now is to make sure we put so much effort. And priority has always been our concern. That was the reason why when I came on board, I formed the Community Protection Guard that is called CPG.

“The whole essence of this is to complement the effort of the conventional security in terms of combating this menace that we’re facing the state. And I will say that they’re doing very well in terms of assisting the conventional security because they understand the trend much better than the conventional security. So they provide the lead. And that is what is happening right now.

“So far, we’ve seen a lot of success. The story is changing. In the past, if you hear anything about Zamfara, you realize that 200 people, 300 people are being killed. But right now, it’s not the case. There has been some spontaneous attack here and there, but not the way it used to be in the past. So we’re making progress.”

Speaking further on gains his administration has made with the formation of CPG, Governor Lawal continued, “Some weeks back, I went around all the local government in the states and I’ve seen the level of agricultural development this time around, which wasn’t the case in the past. So that is to show you that something is being done. And that is why people now have the ability to go to their farms and farm. That is ongoing.

“And of course, it’s a state that has been in this situation, like I said, for the past 13 years. So there will always be issues here and there, saying all sort of things. And remember also, some are just for negative reason, not for the positive aspects.

“Because some would rather see everything negative about security so that they can use that against you. But the reality is, we are making significant progress. If you have time, I will take you around the state for you to go and see. They say seeing is believing. So yes, we are making progress.”

The Zamfara State Governor noted that his political will to save the state from the hands of bandits was responsible for the gains recorded in addressing insecurity in the state.

“First of all, there is the political will on my own part as a governor. And I’ve taken security as one of the major, major issue, number one, under my administration, which was the reason why we formed the CPG.

“And also, we’re spending so much to make sure we have intelligence information in terms of movement of these people, which has been provided by the locals. And there’s so much community awareness now for people to be able to report any suspicious movement by these people. And it’s making things much easier than the way things used to be.

“So the political will is number one. And that is why we’re making this significant progress. Security is key to everything, without which there’ll be no meaningful development. That is the difference,” Governor Lawal noted.

Seun Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat musician, has berated President Bola Tinubu over his decision to remove fuel subsidy.

He said contrary to the President’s claim that the removal of fuel subsidy was a “tough” decision he made for the overall interest of the country, it was a “wicked decision” that undermined the welfare of Nigerians.

Kuti slammed the Presidency’s decision to buy a $150 million jet while the educational sector is underfunded. He argued that the money spent on acquiring a new jet for the President was enough to build and run 10 primary schools for 20 years.

Speaking during a recent Instagram Live session, the outraged singer asked, “Who donated for the $150 million jet for Tinubu? Who did they ask for donations?

“That $150 million do you know how many schools it will build? Or how long it will run a primary school? 10 good primary schools would be run on that money for at least 20 years. 10 good primary schools would be built and run, that will educate ten generations of African people,” Kuti added.

He continued: “The President cannot tell us that this petrol matter is not in his control. He is the President and Minister of Petroleum. They say they take tough decisions but there is no tough decision taken here. President Tinubu took a wicked decision, this whole subsidy and floating the dollar, there is nothing tough about it.”