With the current reality, there is an urgent need for the Mr President to revisit and realign the activities of the NCCC, particularly with the requirements for Nigeria to access climate finance for adaptation to and mitigation of climate effects, as well as to benefit from the rapidly developing voluntary action, and to participate in carbon trading markets.

In the contemporary landscape, the spectre of climate change looms large, compelling me to delve into a multifaceted exploration of perspectives and urgent imperatives.

As the world grapples with the far-reaching consequences of environmental shifts, it is worthy of note that our collective choices carry a profound weight, echoing through the tangible consequences of the shifts.

The concept of climate change revolves around long-term alterations in earth’s climate patterns, primarily attributed to human activities. It encompasses global warming, shifts in weather patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme events (disasters such as flood, drought, earthquake, and fire outbreaks).

The idea underscores the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from activities like the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, leading to an all-time warming planet, with temperatures higher than ever experienced in human history.

Addressing climate change involves mitigating the human-induced factors, adapting to the changes already underway, and fostering sustainable practices to ensure the health and resilience of our planet, while accessing emergency funding for the loss and damage suffered from the effects of climate change.

Man as the Driver

Human activities have significantly contributed to climate change and solutions. From the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, to the Classical Era, which led to the Industrial Revolution of the last 300 years.

The quest for progress, fueled by mankind’s insatiable appetite for resources — water, woods, sands, gravels, stones, granite, limestones, coal, oil, gas, and iron ores — has led to a profound transformation from our evolutionary ape-man to modern civilisation.

One can applaud humanity’s achievements in fossil-fuel-driven automobiles, aviation, and maritime voyages. All these have greatly benefited modernity and productivity.

Nevertheless, the widespread use of airplanes and ships, while boosting prosperity, comes with incalculable climate change costs in the form of emissions and rising temperatures. This is why the recent ESG policy framework for any investment and financing has become mandatory globally.

In the pursuit of resource mobilisation across the planet, man-made canals such as Suez and Panama interconnected seas and oceans. The repercussions of these endeavours, coupled with oil and gas drilling, quarrying, and mining, have resulted in significant distortions to our planet earth.

As a layperson, it appears that the profound impacts on geography are unfolding in an unprecedented manner and this is why climate finance has become imperative.

A typical success story of climate financing is what is going on in modern-day China, where renewable energy, solar, and wind are becoming very dominant in their energy mix.

The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agricultural practices release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, leading to phenomenal global warming.

This warming has no boundaries, and the argument that Nigeria and Africa do not do up to four per cent of the global warming does not insulate us from the effects and consequences of climate change, and that is the more reason why Nigeria must quickly have well-coordinated climate change and energy transition policies.

The effects of warming include general increases in temperature; variations in rainfall; the rise in sea levels; resulting shoreline erosion and flooding (the UN recently estimated that at least 27 NIgerian states are now increasingly at the risk of serious continuous flooding); drought and desertification (which is causing the depletion of Lake Chad and the consequent southern migration of Fulani herdsmen and insecurity); land degradation (which is making farming more difficult and affecting our food security); and significant damage to the ecologically-sensitive Niger Delta.

Also, improper waste disposal, industrial emissions, and reliance on non-renewable resources contribute to pollution, thereby impacting air, water, and soil quality. Methane is a serious issue in climate change management.

All these elements gave man its food, clothing, and shelter – which is life sustenance. The evolutionary ape man transformed these natural elements into the era of modernity, which we can attribute to the special natural gift of brain power which is higher than that of the other lower animals.

Now the BIG Questions

• How rational has man been in extracting all these materials?
• How rational have all these materials been processed?
• How rational has man been in appropriating all these materials among his various multidimensional uses and applications across the large spectrum of needs – demands and supply?

From the primal use of wood for survival to the current reliance on hydrocarbons like coal, bitumen, and petroleum, the evolution of resource utilisation is a testament to the intricacies of human ingenuity.

According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, December 2023 set a historic milestone as the warmest December globally, capping off a year marked by record-breaking temperatures.

Each month from June to December in 2023 surpassed previous temperature records, solidifying the year as the warmest ever recorded since the beginning of climate records.

In 2023, the global average air surface temperature reached 14.98°C, surpassing the previous 2016 record by a significant margin of 0.17°C.

According to Copernicus, 2023 exhibited an average temperature of 1.48°C higher than the pre-industrial levels, marking the period before the widespread human use of fossil fuels.

This inquiry is not merely a contemplation of the past but a call to action for a sustainable and conscientious future. Nigeria’s energy transition must be articulated and must accommodate our peculiar developmental needs for the next twenty-five years, because while fossil fuels are globally transiting away, yet Nigeria needs fossil resources to earn revenue for its urgent developmental requirement.

This highlights the concerning trend of escalating global temperatures and underscores the imperative of concerted efforts to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The induced production of carbon and methane impacts air quality, and the rise in surface temperatures crystalises the narrative of intense resource exploitation from our activities on the planet earth.

The Elements

Water: Potable water, essential for survival, intertwines with activities like fishing, irrigation, river roads, and seas. Water is a lifeline for the global populations, regardless of their size.

As the global population hovers between seven and eight billion, the demand for potable water is intensifying. The River Nile water conflicts are escalating, and proliferation of boreholes worldwide for water extraction and agricultural irrigation. The impending consequences prompt us to question the rationale and optimisation of water resources across the spectrum: Must every household have a borehole?

Can’t neighbourhoods and communities have just one giant borehole for their use through reticulations?

Many related issues, such as the power generation system, must be rationalised, with optimisation employed to save our environment. The ecosystems of our national lives must be rationalised and holistically reviewed to comply with the new normal of green lifestyles.

These are serious and fundamental issues that will require the National Council on Climate Change, with the approval of Mr President, to revisit the energy transition policy and all the critical stakeholders for effective climate financing governance.

Land: A foundational support carrying all organic and inorganic elements, land plays a pivotal role in agriculture, housing, and mining activities — both on the surface and subsurface.

To what extent does mankind abuse the use of land in Nigeria, particularly whether in agricultural practice, urbanisation, or mining? The NCCC, as may be approved by Mr President, must revisit our land use and mining activities.

Hydrocarbons: From the early use of coal to the pervasive application of bitumen and petroleum, hydrocarbons have taken centre stage in modernity, permeating various aspects of human life.

As we reflect on the journey from evolutionary dependence on nature to the current anthropogenic era, the overarching question persists: To what extent have we exercised rationality in managing, extracting, processing, and appropriating these resources, recognising our responsibility as stewards of the earth?

This inquiry is not merely a contemplation of the past but a call to action for a sustainable and conscientious future. Nigeria’s energy transition must be articulated and must accommodate our peculiar developmental needs for the next twenty-five years, because while fossil fuels are globally transiting away, yet Nigeria needs fossil resources to earn revenue for its urgent developmental requirement.

It is a delicate policy that Mr President and the NCCC must deliberately pursue.

Solar: In the 19th century, the pillars of industry relied on coal, limestone, steel, and cement, as well as the advent of oil and gas. However, the 21st century has witnessed a transformative shift towards renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind power.

Solar energy, in particular, has emerged as a sustainable alternative, prompting humanity to reconsider and reduce dependence on traditional, environmentally impactful sources.

This transition reflects a growing awareness of the need to harness cleaner energy options and minimise the exploitation of non-renewable resources.

Even farming and agricultural practices are fast transforming to smart agriculture with minimal use of fossil-driven apparatus.

The urgent call to action for Nigeria and the government of President Bola Tinubu

Fortunately, Nigeria is well placed to drive forward a dynamic and home-grown climate action agenda. The passage of the Climate Change Act 2021 paved the way for the creation of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), which reports directly to Mr President, with the mandate to act as a clearing house and convening platform for climate action initiatives within and across government. It is important to distinguish NCCC’s convening role from the still critically important operational role of the Ministry of Environment, which sits as a key member of the Council.

With the current reality, there is an urgent need for the Mr President to revisit and realign the activities of the NCCC, particularly with the requirements for Nigeria to access climate finance for adaptation to and mitigation of climate effects, as well as to benefit from the rapidly developing voluntary action, and to participate in carbon trading markets.

A big lesson from COP28 was that we need to accelerate action and take more deliberate steps to ensure greater coordination of activities, both in and between the public and private sectors. Also flowing from COP28 sessions, Mr President will need to reconstitute the NCCC and infuse new vibrance into the Council. It is important that all the critical stakeholders are co-ordinated and appropriate working groups are created around and within the Council.

His Excellency has already taken bold steps to accelerate the potential to access greater flows of climate finance through the recent creation of the Carbon Market Committee, ably led by Zach Adediji, the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The NCCC provides a platform to ensure coordination with the Ministry of Finance.

In navigating Nigeria’s energy transition, a critical reassessment of existing policies is imperative, including a revision of the Energy Transition Plan promoted by the former Vice president, especially given the given the complex interplay of forces advocating for and against the phasing-out of fossil fuels in the new administration.

For example, the National Energy Commission is expected to play a significant role in the energy transmission policy. Given the new ministerial portfolios, the ministers, sitting as members of the Council, need to be re-designated. The Council already has provision for representatives from the organised private sector representatives, civil society, and all the state and local governments, and these representatives need to be appointed immediately. Also provided for is a role for the National Security Adviser in the NCCC, underscoring the potential role of climate change in worsening conditions that could increase conflict risks, such as poverty and food insecurity.

The past missed opportunities by Nigeria to access the Loss and Damages Fund can still be regained. Our position for the ability to access climate financing can be strengthened, while the building of technical capacity for the NCCC is urgently required if we are to catch up with countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The establishment of the Climate Fund, as the repository of such funding, as well as other flows of climate finance, is a critical function of the NCCC under the Climate Change Act, and we must move quickly, working closely with the Ministry of Finance, to accelerate progress on this.

To expedite decarbonisation and achieve swift progress on carbon credit, it is crucial for Mr President to actively request monthly updates. This approach will ensure proper coordination and effective monitoring of the activities surrounding climate change issues in Nigeria.

In navigating Nigeria’s energy transition, a critical reassessment of existing policies is imperative, including a revision of the Energy Transition Plan promoted by the former Vice president, especially given the given the complex interplay of forces advocating for and against the phasing-out of fossil fuels in the new administration.

The National Energy Commission is also expected to play a significant role in the energy transition policy.

The nation stands at a pivotal juncture, carefully balancing the complex interplay of forces advocating for and against the phasing-out of fossil fuels; the need for continued oil and gas exploration against market constraints for petroleum products; and the delicate equilibrium between decarbonisation targets and credits,  which is essentially a debit and credit game. A revised plan must consider also the time-sensitive nature of attracting investments in both conventional and renewable energy sources, particularly solar, which necessitates meticulous oversight by the NCCC.

While acknowledging the significance of oil and gas as essential resources for economic growth, and the feeding of our sizable population, we must also recognise agriculture’s potential, albeit requiring substantial mechanisation.

Optimising power generation entails a strategic shift towards hydro, gas, and solar options, with the proposal of a 6,000 MW nuclear power base load to be constructed by the Chinese, as may be approved by the President.

This minimum nuclear power supply base for Nigeria, when added to our current 4,000MW per day, will give Nigeria a minimum of 10,000MW every day, and that can propel our GDP growth to two digits.

This choice becomes imperative for Nigeria to overcome its energy deficit and alleviate poverty. Careful consideration and progressive adjustments over the next two to three years will be essential in achieving a balanced and sustainable energy landscape.

In maintaining a delicate balance with fossil fuels, it’s crucial to consider transitioning fuels such as LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). While these alternatives offer cleaner options, their production is energy-intensive and carbon-laden. Nigeria currently requires about five million tonnes of LPG to replace traditional cooking methods involving firewood, charcoal, and kerosene.

One of the working groups of the NCCC could  be made to deliberately drive this LPG/CNG deployment, as was done in Indonesia 11 to 12 years ago.

Nigeria currently faces mounting pressure from the encroaching Sahara Desert, demanding immediate attention from the Ministry of Environment.

In the short term, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Environment and the Sahelian states can swiftly implement the strategic planting of special desert trees. Such tree-planting campaigns must be supported with irrigation systems.

This proactive measure holds the potential to generate positive carbon credit footprints in Nigeria.

Concurrently, urbanisation and housing strategies must undergo rationalisation, adhering to set standards by various government agencies to ensure climate change compliances are captured in design and building.

These are just a few examples of the issues that need to be co-ordinated and become part of a holistic climate action plan. There are many other initiatives, including in transport and industry, that require accelerated development.

To expedite decarbonisation and achieve swift carbon credit progress, it is crucial for Mr President to actively request monthly updates from the NCCC on progress with these initiatives. This approach ensures proper coordination and effective monitoring of the activities surrounding climate change issues in Nigeria.

My submissions as articulated above are to guide Mr President Tinubu appropriately and to draw the attention of all the critical stakeholders to the urgent need for reorganising the NCCC and engaging in capacity building, as well as proper alignment with the Ministry of Environment, Finance, the National Energy Commission, the Federal inland Revenue Service, etc and others.

I share this reflection as a private citizen who had the privilege of attending COP28. I intend to ensure that the essence of the conference isn’t lost amidst the day-to-day dynamics of governance in this administration.

Dan D Kunle writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

Nigeria and Cameroon will renew their Africa Cup of Nations rivalry in a round of 16 clash of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Saturday (today) in Ivory Coast, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Eagles finished second behind Equatorial Guinea in Group A, while Rigobert Song’s men relied on a late 3-2 comeback win against The Gambia to progress behind Senegal in Group C.

The Eagles will be aiming to avoiding another round of 16 AFCON exit as they were dumped out at this stage by Tunisia at the last edition in Cameroon.

And in a bid to reach his first ever AFCON quarter-final, Jose Peseiro has hinted that he will maintain the 3-4-3 formation that saw his team edge past both AFCON hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau by the odd goal.

This system evolves to five defenders (three centre backs and two full backs) when the team are defending to the frustration of the other team.

Peseiro is also expected to keep faith with mostly the same players who have got the team to this stage of the competition. This means means that the trio William Troost-Ekong – if fit, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman are expected to be recalled to the starting line-up for the encounter.

Speaking ahead of the game, Peseiro revealed that he won’t be changing his team against the Indomitable Lions.

“At least one goal, we’ll attack well and defend together, you do that and we win,” Peseiro said.

“I have studied many of the matches between both teams but tomorrow (today) our objective is to win the match.

“I will try to stick with what I have been doing and hope our players start scoring more goals soon. The statistics say we are the team with the most goalscoring opportunities, and for that I cannot change my team or formation.”

Peseiro’s side has struggled for goals at tournament, netting three times despite heading into the knockout stage as the competition’s top creators, fashioning more clear-cut chances (13) than the other 23 sides.

The Nigerian Football Federation Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, who was on-field captain for the squad that won the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, believes that the Eagles can soar over the Indomitable Lions if they play with flair and flexibility.

“Cameroon will always come with determination and grit,”Eguavoen said.

“The Eagles have to be even more prepared for them and deploy the greater flair and flexibility that we have.”

Meanwhile, Cameroon’s head coach, Rigobert Song, has revealed that he is aware of the threat Nigeria poses to his team’s chances of reaching the quarter-final and was swift to add that a comprehensive strategy is in place to curtail the fearsome attack of the Eagles led by Victor Osimhen.

Song, converted the decisive penalty in a shoot-out at the 2000 AFCON final in Nigeria after extra time scores were level at 2-2.

The former Liverpool, West Ham United and Galatasaray player acknowledged Osimhen’s prowess, hailing him as a “wonderful striker”.

However, he swiftly shifted the narrative, emphasising that the concentration of his team is not singularly on Osimhen but extends to the entire Nigerian squad.

“We have strong respect for Nigeria because they’re a very good side. “But we have our plans in place on how to approach this game.

“We respect him (Osimhen). He’s a wonderful striker. But our concentration is not just on him. It is on the entire team. We know what we need to do, and our strategy is in place. We know that our main focus is for Nigeria. They are a strong team. We are doing everything because we are here to win.”

With reports pointing to the return of Vincent Aboubakar from injury, Cameroon could be tempted to play the centre-forward from the start against the Eagles.

A New York City jury awarded $83.3m to E Jean Carroll in her defamation trial against Donald Trump on Friday.

Carroll will receive $18.3m in compensatory damages and $65m in punitive retribution. The former president is paying Carroll compensatory damages of $18.3m – $11m to fund a reputational repair campaign. The $7.3m is for the emotional harm caused by Trump’s 2019 public statements. Carroll and her legal team were beaming as they left court in a black SUV. They did not answer questions immediately after court let out.

Moments after the decision was announced, Trump decried it as “absolutely ridiculous” on Truth Social, and said he would be filing an appeal.

“I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”

The Manhattan federal court decision comes less than one year after Carroll won $5m in her sexual abuse and defamation trial against Trump.

This sum stems from Carroll’s rape claim against the president in a June 2019 New York magazine article. The publication ran an excerpt of her then-forthcoming book, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.

In that excerpt, Carroll said that Trump raped her inside the dressing room of a luxe Manhattan department store around early 1996. The tenor of Trump’s denials – saying, for example, that she lied and was a political operative – became the subject of her 2019 defamation suit against him.

At the time, Carroll could not sue Trump over the alleged assault, as it would have taken place outside the civil statute of limitations. A novel New York state law in 2022, the Adult Survivors Act, opened a one-year window for adult accusers to file suit for incidents outside the civil statute of limitations.

Carroll filed another lawsuit, this one over the incident and defamatory statements after Trump’s presidency ended. This lawsuit proceeded to trial first and the judge in both cases, Lewis Kaplan, determined jurors’ findings – that Trump sexually abused Carroll and tarnished her reputation – would be accepted as fact in this trial.

As a result, Trump could not re-litigate her sexual abuse claim. The jurors were tasked only with weighing financial penalties for damaging Carroll’s reputation – and the sum required to keep Trump from making still more defamatory statements.

“I’m here because Donald Trump assaulted me, and when I wrote about it, he said it never happened,” Carroll said on the stand. “He lied, and it shattered my reputation. I expected him to deny it, but to say it was consensual, when it was not. But that’s what I expected him to say.”

She continued: “The thing that really got me about this was, from the White House, he asked if anyone had any information about me, and if they did, to please come forward as soon as possible, because he wanted the world to know what’s really going on – and that people like me should pay dearly.”

Trump did not attend Carroll’s first trial but made appearances at the second – marking the first time she confronted him publicly in a courtroom. Trump’s comportment during the courtroom showdowns was in keeping with his infamously bombastic behavior, prompting warnings from the judge.

“Mr Trump has the right to be present here. That right can be forfeited, and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive, which is what has been reported to me, and if he disregards court orders,” Kaplan warned.

“Mr Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial … I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.”

“I would love it, I would love it,” Trump retorted with a gesture.

“I know you would, you just can’t control yourself in this circumstance, apparently,” Kaplan said.

The end stages of this trial were also marked by another hallmark of Trump’s legacy: Covid-related chaos. On 22 January, trial proceedings were postponed as one juror experienced coronavirus symptoms; his leading attorney, Alina Habba, also told judge Kaplan that she felt unwell and had been exposed to Covid.

Trump did take the stand on 25 January. Kaplan restricted the scope of her questions and his responses, as per his prior ruling that he could not re-litigate her claims.

Habba was allowed to ask: “Do you stand by your testimony in the deposition?”

“One hundred percent, yes,” he said, referring to the deposition in which he denied her claims.

“Did you deny the allegation because Ms Carroll made an accusation?”

“That’s exactly right. She said something, I consider it a false accusation. No difference,” Trump retorted. This sparked an objection from Carroll’s camp. Kaplan said that everything after “yes, I did” was stricken.

“Did you ever instruct anyone to hurt Ms Carroll in your statements?”

“No. I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency,” Trump said. Carroll’s team objected again. Kaplan deemed that everything after “no” be stricken, so jurors were ordered to disregard this statement.

In total, Trump’s direct and cross testimony lasted about two or three minutes.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the license of Mattini Airline Services Limited and launched a comprehensive audit of private jet operators following a runway excursion incident involving one of its planes at Ibadan Airport on Thursday.

A Challenger CL 601 jet operated by Mattini Airline under a Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) veered off the runway while landing at Ibadan Airport on January 26, according to a statement by the NCAA.

The regulatory agency said it has commenced an economic inquiry into Mattini Airline’s adherence to its PNCF terms and conditions. Consequently, the airline’s PNCF has been suspended pending confirmation of compliance.

Additionally, the NCAA has kicked off a sweeping audit of all private jet operations in the country – scrutinizing both safety and economic aspects.

The incident is also being investigated by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to identify contributing factors.

NCAA Director of Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, said the actions underscore the organization’s commitment to prioritizing safety and maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

The increased oversight follows repeated incidents and violations involving private jet operators in Nigeria over the past year.

No fewer than 140 officials will track and assess the performance of federal ministries, departments, and agencies ahead of the first assessment exercise at the end of this month.

This is as the officials joined the third technical retreat for delivery desk officers of federal ministries on the implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, which began on Wednesday.

A senior official working closely with the Central Delivery Coordination Unit headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, revealed that the officers, who would conduct the assessment, were drawn from 35 federal government ministries, departments and agencies.

“It will involve a permanent secretary and directors of planning and other officials, four each from 35 ministries. They are considering the modalities of the assessment, the key performance indicators and the reporting mechanisms and all of those,” the official who did not want to be mentioned told one of our correspondents.

At the retreat, Bala-Usman echoed President Bola Tinubu’s words to participants when she warned that her principal would sack ministers who failed to perform their duties.

She noted that Tinubu was poised to deliver on his promise of making life better and easier for Nigerians.

Calling for the total commitment of delivery officers and directors of planning in ministries, Bala-Usman said, “We must understand that the President is very serious about his promises and that ministers will be assessed, and ministers will be dropped if they don’t perform.

“You must understand that as ministerial delivery desk officers, you are the engine room that will provide that feedback, constantly track ministerial progress, and report challenges and bottlenecks to the central coordinating and delivery unit.”

The presidential aide, who dove into the specifics, explained, “In the Ministry of Aviation, we will be assessing FAAN on customer experience at the airports; are the escalators, lifts, and conveyor belts functional?

“What are the consequences of delayed time of departure for airlines? These are things that everybody can feel and see.

“When talking about agriculture, we want to see our index of fertiliser use per hectare grow because of the attendant investment that has been made in fertiliser interventions.”

On October 17, 2023, Bala-Usman said her office would begin a quarterly assessment of the performance of the 48 ministers (now 47) appointed by the President by January 2024.

She said January would be the best period to begin the exercise as all the ministries would have received their budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.

“We’re looking to commence an assessment of the respective ministries in January 2024. We’re going to have a quarterly assessment of performance, which will culminate into an annual scorecard,” the former boss of the Nigerian Ports Authority explained in an interview on TVC.

She said the annual scorecard would be reviewed during periodic retreats where performances would be assessed against key performance indicators.

The three-month period for the first evaluation will follow a three-day cabinet retreat for ministers and presidential aides, which was held from November 1 to 3, 2023, where ministers signed a performance bond with the President.

The bond signed by each minister and permanent secretaries detailed the deliverables each ministry plans to achieve within the 2024 budget cycle.

“That performance bond is what we’re going to use to track the performance of the ministers,” Bala-Usman had said.

Lawyers, CSOs comment

Commenting on the development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the performance review of the ministers should not be the priority of the government as the nation was in a dire strait.

He stated, “This President should be one in a hurry. This country is battered and tattered. The country is bleeding. The people are downtrodden. There is anger and melancholy. There is poverty. There is agony. Nigerians are crying and in abject penury. There is gnashing of teeth across the divides in Nigeria.

“How can a bag of rice be selling at over N55,000 and the Presidency is talking about assessing ministers? Take a look at the naira that is currently in a free fall because we are subjected to neo-colonial dictates from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

“To me, it is a case of ‘Physician heal thyself’ as the President is trying to heal the ministries. To assess a minister is to know the deliverables. What benchmark did the President set when he appointed the ministers? What was in the All Progressives Congress manifesto as to their deliverables?

“Since the ministers were sworn in more than six months ago, what have they done? If we take the Ministry of Works, for instance, it will be easy to assess how many roads have been constructed or started or earmarked for commencement. But, for other ministries like special duties; how will they be assessed?

“As for the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Humanitarian Affairs, how will they assess them? Where is all the money that has been pumped to alleviate poverty? Why is there so much poverty in the land? What number of Nigerians has been brought out of poverty? What are the verifiable indices to show that this has been done? I have already seen some ministers who are not performing at all. Some of them are just there like onlookers.”

On his part, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), faulted the move, saying, “In the first instance, I don’t see how anyone will assess a minister. The criteria are bound to be subjective rather than objective. This is because ministers are not really the ones working in the ministries. They are just policymakers. The civil servants are the ones who will implement policies. In that instance, it is the members of the public who can assess whether a minister is working or not.

“A minister could be hyperactive and corrupt. We have seen ministers use their former companies as pipes to siphon government money from another ministry and some of them are still serving.

“You will not say because a minister has some media hype, he will score well and perform. Sometimes, it is not the people that you hear of who are the performers in this country. Nobody can evaluate any minister other than members of the public.”

Also reacting, another senior lawyer, Mr Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN), stated that it was PresidentTinubu himself who needed to be assessed.

“I don’t think the President has the moral justification for such an assessment. It is the President himself who needs an assessment. The ministers have no direct responsibility to the people of Nigeria. They were not the ones elected. The buck stops on the President’s table. Is it for the insecurity, inflation, or the collapse of the exchange and forex regime?” he queried.

Civil Society Organisations called on Tinubu to suspend ministers who underperform or are found to be enmeshed in corrupt practices.

The Chairman of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, Enafaa Georgewill, made the call in an interview with one of our correspondents, adding that ministers could be likened to employees who should be held accountable when necessary.

Georgewill stated, “The President can be likened to an employer and if an employer employs an employee and the employee is not performing as expected, he who hired them should fire them and where there is a need for caution, disciplinary action like suspension and other reprimand actions should be taken.

“Until those in authority, and in this case, the President, begin to instil discipline and real governance, as well as social welfare, we will not be able to make real progress. So, yes, the President has the power to reprimand ministers and he should use it.”

The Director of Youths for Change, Taiwo Oyayinka, urged the President to ensure the dismissal of underperforming ministers as he had earlier promised.

He said, “President Tinubu promised us last year that ministers who underperform would be dismissed; he should stand by this charge. Corrupt ministers should be flushed out of the system.

“Such an action will serve as a deterrent to others. There should be no sacred cow in power. All those found culpable should be suspended or dismissed.”

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Segun Sowunmi, said the assessment of ministers was a novel idea, but noted that such an endeavour must be holistic.

He said, “This is the first time we have heard that ministers are going to be accessed and that there will be consequences after the assessment, but you know anything with government, especially in our country, it is always better for you to exercise some caution because if you celebrate early, you may just end up disappointed.

“On the surface, it is a good idea; maybe it will help us scale up service delivery. Also, maybe the report of the assessment can serve as a benchmark either for the others or people who will be taking government office.”

The National Secretary of New Nigeria People’s Party, Mr Oladipupo Olayokun, “I think that is the normal thing to do because when you give someone an assignment, you should periodically assess his performance because don’t forget that the President told Nigerians that the ministers would be assessed. It is a departure from what we witnessed in the past eight years, especially given what Nigerians are experiencing under this government.”

The National Director, Media and Publicity of the Labour Party, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said, “Any minister found wanting shows he or she is not qualified to serve the country. If the President wants to begin to screen his aides, that means he must have presented himself for screening ab initio. He does not have a locus standi to start screening people because if they were screened ab initio, we would have known about their credentials.”

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has said the team’s approach against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on Saturday is to defend as a unit while being clinical in front of opposition goal.

The gaffer said this on Friday in Abidjan at a pre-match press conference ahead of the epic clash.

“I don’t want to concede goals tomorrow (Saturday), I want to score at least one. If we do this, we will beat Cameroon,” Peseiro said.

The coach switched to a more defensive 3-4-3 formation in the group stage resulting in scrappy wins against Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau and a draw against eventual group A leaders Equatorial Guinea.

The coach said the most important thing at this stage was to win and advance to the quarter-finals stage.

He expressed optimism that the team’s goal poacher and Napoli hitman, Victor Osimhen, would start firing again from the knockout stage.

“For our next match (Cameroon), Osimhen will score; he’s important for the team. He’s the top scorer, but this is a different tournament and tough competition.

“He deserves to reach the top position because against Equatorial Guinea, he created so many chances and he scored.

“Did Equatorial Guinea beat us? No, we shared the points, and I know we will beat them next time because it’s not easy in this competition,” he said.

The Portuguese tactician also dispelled rumours of a rift with Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, who has not featured in the tournament, owing to an earlier injury.

He hinted at the forward seeing some action in the crucial clash with Cameroon.

“There are a lot of negative stories out there. If there was something between us, Kelechi will not be here. I will not invite him.

“He was injured before the competition and was not with us in Abu Dhabi. He arrived before our first game and started work the following day.

“We have to work with our doctors on his recovery process. We believe in Kelechi, he is going to play and score for us in this competition,” Peseiro said.

Nigeria and Cameroon will clash in a blockbuster Round of 16 tie slated for the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

The Super Eagles will wrap up their preparations for the game with a training session at the Ecole Nationale de Police training pitch on Friday evening.

The last time both teams clashed at the 2019 AFCON, the Super Eagles came from behind to eliminate the Lions 3-2, in a thrilling encounter.

NAN

Many have argued that Nigeria is currently facing its most challenging times, prompting a steady exodus of people seeking a better and more comfortable life. Every week, a considerable number of Nigerians relocate to various parts of the world in pursuit of improved opportunities.

Before moving to a new country, it’s important to think things through. You don’t want to relocate and then regret your choice.

Also, it is better to ensure you travel through the legal routes and avoid cutting corners. It’s also important to use a trusted agent or do it yourself (DIY) to avoid getting scammed. 

These are the top five countries for Nigerians to consider:

United Kingdom

The UK has become a ‘home away from home’ for most Nigerians in the last three years. The United Kingdom, a sovereign state, is composed of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, boasting a population of approximately 67 million people.

In the first half of 2023, the UK granted approximately 132,000 visas, and those are all sorts of visas, which include visit, work, and study visas.

The UK economy is one of the strongest, and the British pound is the joint fifth-strongest currency in the world.

It has also proven to be a strong educational destination for most Nigerians.

USA

The USA has one of the most iconic cities in the world, which is perfect for all your travel or vacation needs.

Tagged ‘land of opportunities’ The USA is where one can achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are.

Its multicultural population, coupled with abundant natural resources, a robust culture of innovation, and a resilient domestic system, makes it a good destination which matches with the ‘Can do spirit’ in Nigeria.

The USA is home to the world’s biggest educational schools.

Australia

Regarded as both a country and a continent, Australia, inhabited by 26 million people, presents abundant opportunities for migrants seeking employment.

It further distinguishes itself by providing affordable tertiary education at universities of choice, supported by a stable economy and expansive public service sectors.

It also offers a lot of sporting activities and is a perfect destination for animal lovers.

At least 72 per cent of Australians speak English as their main language, making it easier for Nigerians to communicate with others in the country.

Canada

Canada has consistently gained a reputation as a haven and a beacon of hope for a better life for numerous immigrants from different countries around the world.

The country’s unemployment rate of around 5.8% (December 2023) is ranked one of the lowest in the world, with a high demand for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers.

With a literacy rate of 99 percent, Canada has one of the best educational systems in the world. It also has a world-class infrastructural system.

Germany

In June 2023, the German parliament passed an immigration law that was devised to encourage more people from outside the European Union, including Nigeria, to come work in the country.

It is the second-largest economy in the world in nominal terms, after the United States, and the third-largest in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, after China and the United States.

Germany provides high-quality education and efficient public transportation, and it has a reputation for innovation and technology.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has voted to override Governor Siminalayi Fubara and pass 4 new bills into law.

According to reports, this development occurred during plenary on Friday (today) at the House of Assembly Quarters after the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule read 4 letters addressed to him by the governor wherein he declined his assent to the four new bills which had been sent to him for assent.

Governor’s accent no longer required

The House relying on Section 100 subsection 5 said the assent of the governor is not required for the passage into law of the said bills.

• The section stats that “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by two thirds majority, the bill shall become a law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.’’
• Amaewhule also accused Governor Fubara of having no plans to conduct local government elections in the state, saying “by the reasons given by the Governor it means he doesn’t plan to conduct local government elections in the state”.
• Speaking further said, “the key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the Local Governments, the Governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen.”

The 4 Laws passed are:

• The Rivers Local Government Amendment Law
• The Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law
• The Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-Owned Property Prohibition repeal law.
• The Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.

What you should know

In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja had a few days ago nullified the N800 billion budget passed by the Edison Ehie led group of the Rivers State House of Assembly and signed into law by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The court also upheld the suit filed by the Assembly and Speaker Martin Amaewhule, against Fubara, which sought an order of injunction restraining the governor from frustrating the Assembly under his leadership as speaker, among others.

The presiding judge, James Omotosho, held that everything done by the 4 lawmakers was null and void.

[Nairametrics]

Moses Simon has boasted that the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon can’t derail the Super Eagles ambition of emerging champions at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria will keep a date with their perennial rivals in a Round of 16 contest at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan on Saturday.

The Super Eagles are desperate to add to their three titles in Cote d’Ivoire.

Simon restated the team’s ambition to go all the way in the competition.

“We don’t think about history, whatever happened between Nigeria and Cameroon belongs to the past, “the Nantes winger told a press conference in Abidjan on Friday.

” We are going to approach the game the same way, the mindset is to win and move into the next round.

” I have a clubmate (Jean-Charles Castelleto), in their team. I know his strengths and weaknesses.

“Our goal is to win the game and the trophy as well. We will take it game by game. We are ready for the game and won’t allow them stop us “

[DailyPost]

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state on Friday, January 26, said he has no plans to dump the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) on whose platform he won the governorship polls.

Yusuf was responding to an invite by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to join the APC.

Governor Yusuf, whose election was affirmed by the Supreme Court penultimate week, is the only NNPP governor in Nigeria.

However, Ganduje on Thursday, January 25, wooed Yusuf and his godfather Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso as well as Ibrahim Shekarau of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking them to join APC, according to him, in the interest of Nigerians and the country.

During the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Kano, Ganduje said: “I am appealing to Governor Yusuf, along with his members from the NNPP, to defect to the ruling APC at the national level to ensure massive political growth of the state.

“We are working very hard to ensure more members of the National Assembly from Kano State and others from other political parties join hands with the progressives as doors of the party remain opened to all.”

According to Ganduje, the APC would commence e-registration and the target is to get the highest number of membership from the state and also have a one party state.

He added: “We will provide an enabling environment for all defectors for the overall political growth of our party and state,” disclosing that “some opposition governors and National Assembly members will soon join the ruling party.”

In his reaction, Yusuf however, rejected Ganduje’s invitation, telling the APC national chairman he would not exit from NNPP.

The governor spoke in a statement by his media director, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

The statement read: “We heard that he (Ganduje) is begging the Governor to join the APC. What is surprising is, that Ganduje as a former governor and former deputy governor, knows better than anyone the right channel to send a message to a sitting governor.

“Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf does not have plans to leave his party and will not leave the party. Changing a political party is like changing a house. You just cannot wake up, pack your bags, and say I have left my party. There are things to be done before you decide to change your house.”

During the meeting held at the APC secretariat in Kano, Ganduje also said the Kano state APC has accepted the Supreme Court judgment in good faith, hailing President Bola Tinubu for his love for the state chapter of the party.

Ganduje said talks have reached an advanced stage such that other smaller parties nationwide, including governors and lawmakers, would soon dump their political parties and join the ruling APC.

Ganduje explained that the coming of the Kano governor (Yusuf) to APC will strengthen the ruling party in Kano and at the national level, driving developments to the state.

[TheNation]