Nollywood actor and comedian, Nwaogu Udochukwu Victor, popularly known as Nkubi and his wife welcomed their first child.

The content creator took to his Instagram page on Saturday, April 6, to announce the good news to his fans and followers.

In the shared post, the actor shared a video showing the photos they took when his wife was pregnant with their child.

However, Nkubi didn’t reveal the gender of the child.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has directed all electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to refund customers wrongly billed with the new rate.

Abba Terab, NERC deputy general manager in charge of market competition and rates, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

According to NERC, customers should be refunded through energy tokens no later than April 11, and file evidence of compliance with the commission by April 12.

On April 3, NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

The commission said customers under the classification, who receive 20 hours of electricity supply daily, will pay N225 per kilowatt (kW), starting from April 3 — up from N66.

The NERC also directed all electricity distribution companies to provide as much clarity as possible to all affected customers.

“All DisCos shall ensure that only the newly approved Band A feeders listed in their April 2024 supplementary orders are maintained as band A for the purpose of vending to prepaid customers and billing for post paid customers on their networks,” Terab said.

“All DisCos are required to immediately post on their websites the schedule of approved Band A feeders that have been affected by the rate review.

“All DisCos shall set up a portal by 10th April 2024 on their website that allows all customers to check their current Bands by entering their meter or account numbers.

“All customers wrongly billed at the new rate should be refunded through energy tokens no later than Thursday 11th April 2024, and file evidence of compliance with the Commission by 12th April 2024.

“The Commission shall monitor compliance with the requirements listed above and shall continue to provide support to all stakeholders as required.”

On Aprile 5, NERC fined Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) N200 million for overcharging customers.

NERC said AEDC must reimburse affected customers by April 11.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio over “the failure to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution, and to recall Senator Abdul Ningi who blew the whistle on the allegations.”

Mr Akpabio is sued for himself and on behalf of all members of Nigeria’s Senate.

It would be recalled that whistleblower Ningi last month was suspended for three months over his allegations that the 2024 budget was padded by over N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/452/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators.”

SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to immediately take steps to ensure the reinstatement of whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion.”

SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of Naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Granting this application would serve the public interest, encourage whistleblowers to speak up, improve public services, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.”

SERAP is arguing that, “Directing Mr Akpabio to refer these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies and to reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi would be entirely consistent and compatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international obligations.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “The allegations by Senator Ningi amount to public interest disclosures and can contribute to strengthening transparency and democratic accountability in the Senate in particular and the country as a whole.”

According to SERAP, “Suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “Senator Ningi’s status as a whistleblower is not diminished even if the perceived threat to the public interest has not materialised, since he would seem to have reasonable grounds to believe in the accuracy of the allegations of budget padding and corruption in the Senate.”

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.”

“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would help to address the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects.”

“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would also ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.”

“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of budget padding and corruption would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”

“Years of allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services.”

“Allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have also continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens in several communities and the public interest.”

“Combating budget padding would improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services, and enhance the ability of ministries, departments and agencies to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.”

“Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”

“Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”

“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the National Assembly including the Senate to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”

“Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution and sections 13 and 18 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act constrain the ability of the National Assembly to unilaterally insert its own allocations in the budget without following the due process of law.”

“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources.”

“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on the National Assembly including the Senate to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.”

“Article 33 of the Convention requires government institutions including the Senate to ensure the protection of whistleblowers against any unjustified treatment. Granting this application would ensure that these commitments are fully upheld and respected.”

“Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator.”

“According to our information, Senator Abdul Ningi, the former Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), recently told BBC Hausa that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.”

“Senator Ningi reportedly said, ‘For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?.’”

“According to BudgIT, a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491bn, and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth 759bn were inserted in the budget.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress has vowed not to rest until it unseat Julius Abure as national chairman of the Labour Party.

Disclosing this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, said that despite the ‘illegal’ national convention that returned Abure to office, the union would never confer legitimacy or give recognition to his leadership.

He said, “Our position on this matter is clear and has not changed. Abure remains unknown to us. It is not a question of removal. As far as we know, he does not exist.”

The development is coming at a time when a group of retired workers under the aegis of Lagos Assembly of Labour Veterans and Trade Unionists also called for the resignation of the embattled national chairman of the party and the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, over their contentious leadership struggle.

The party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also seems to be at loggerheads with the leadership of the LP over the manner it conducted the convention in Nnewi, Anambra State, despite his plea for wider consultation.

The former Anambra governor had expressed his frustrations at an X (formerly Twitter) Space session organised by Parallel Facts last Friday night.

While explaining his absence at the national convention that got Julius Abure re-elected as the party’s national chairman, Obi told his audience that he didn’t attend the event because the party’s leadership failed to heed his appeal for wider consultation with relevant stakeholders before the exercise.

His speech has since set tongues wagging and further fuelled earlier speculations that the LP presidential candidate may have started shopping for a new platform despite being guaranteed the 2027 ticket at the convention.

But Upah said the issue of whether Obi should stay or leave the party should not be debated, saying the former governor was free to determine his destiny.

According to him, the NLC cannot stand in the way of the presidential candidate should he decide to defect to another political platform.

While describing him as an asset, the spokesman reiterated that the congress would not stand in his way if he chose to leave.

“The right of choice is available to Mr Obi. If he chooses to leave the party, that is his preference. We can’t sit in judgment over him on that. But if he chooses to remain, of course, Peter Obi is an asset any day. I rest my case on that,” he added.

Mr Eket Eko Ogbonga is the National Secretary of the Network for Electricity Consumer Advocacy of Nigeria.

In this interview, Ogbonga speaks on the controversial subsidy removal through an increase in the tariff paid by consumers in Band A who, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says, are consuming 20 hours of electricity and above daily from N68/KWh to N225KWh, saying less than five per cent of those in the Band get 20 hours supply. He also speaks on the metering problem and how Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are smartly collecting money for electricity not supplied. Excerpts:

What kind of advocacy has been going on since the announcement of the tariff increase for Band A electricity consumers last week?

What are we going to tell Nigerians when the government has already made up its mind? Before this time, we saw it coming and we warned against the implication it’s going to have on the economy and Nigerians. We are not so much against tariff increases, the problem we have is that we have a Commission that is always churning out regulations but with no capacity to monitor implementation.

You said NERC cannot ensure compliance. How?

I deal with facts. In 2020-21, the Commission came up with what it called a Service-Based Tariff based on the principle that the more electricity that is supplied to your business or household the more you pay. Now this led to the reclassification of electricity consumers’ tariff bands. We have band A: The consumers there would be supplied a minimum of 20 hours a day to pay at that rate; Band B 18 hours, Band C 12 hours, Band D 8 hours, and Band E 4 hours. We surveyed Band A customers and we discovered that less than 5 per cent of those in that Band received 20 hours. We discovered that some customers in 11 months never had 18 hours of electricity supply but they are on Band A.

How do you measure?

We have meters and the prepaid meters are smart. If you have 50 outages in a day, the meter records it. So you can extract that information. So there is software you can use to get that information without tampering with the meters. Why do you think the DISCOs revenues are rising? It is because they are collecting money from Nigerians for power not supplied. So, we have a situation where some hoteliers on Band A never had an 18-hour supply for 11 months.

So, why do you think the DISCOs revenues are rising under the Multi Year Tariff Order, MYTO? Section 19 of MYTO and Sections 13 and 14 of the MYTO 2023, 2024 state clearly that where there’s failure on the part of the Distribution Company to deliver on the committed service level of 20 hours minimum for Band A, 16 hours minimum for Band B, 12 hours for Band C, there shall be retroactive adjustment of customers in those clusters and compensated. But there is no condition on how to measure. Was it going to be the DISCO that would measure, was it the Commission or the customer? So when we made noise about it, they came out with a regulation on compensation.

Nothing is said about how we will measure; you left it to the DISCOs and not the consumers. Will the DISCOs now say “We did not supply electricity to you; we are going to compensate you?” Haba! The question is how do you measure it? Is there a mechanism put in place by the Commission on how they can measure? They are talking about going to feeders. Do consumers know what feeders are? Do consumers have access to the feeders? So, these are the problems we are having.

Moving forward, what do we need to insist on?

Tariff increase, whether you call it cost reflective tariff, is not the silver bullet that is needed in the market. Why tariff increase or a reflection of cost in the market? We are dancing around the problem and our priorities have not been set right. First, what is the percentage of customers in Band A that are metered? We have a huge metering gap. The meter is the revenue assurance tool in the business of electricity. Why do we have revenue shortfalls, huge subsidies they are talking about? Aggregate, technical and commercial losses are as high as 47 to 49 per cent. This means that for every N100 of electricity generated, transmitted and distributed, you are losing N47 to N49 and you are recovering the balance.

Let’s look at the situation in Zambia, Kenya and South Africa. In Zambia for instance, to guarantee revenue in the electricity sector, the meter is paramount. If you meter 100 per cent as it is done in Zambia, their ATC and C is 17 per cent. The solution to the liquidity in the market is the huge metering gap of over 7 million of unmetered customers which now leads to the inability of the Distribution Company to collect revenue. You are not guaranteed your revenue. I bought energy three days ago for N50, 000 for services not yet used.

So, if you meter 100 per cent like is done in Zambia and Kenya, it will reduce revenue loss and shoot up your revenue collection. So, you cannot generate until distribution launches higher than generation to continue running around. In other words, until you can guarantee that what you generate you can distribute and get your money, we are not going to get there. And what will help you do that is the meter.

But there are claims that electricity supplied in any of the Bands can be measured…

If they claim so, let them provide the evidence because we are dealing with their document. The MYTO that threw up Service Based Tariff, Section 19 of the 2020 or 2021 and Sections 13 and 14 of MYTO 2023 state clearly that where there is a failure on the part of the electricity company to deliver up to a certain level, and upon confirmation by who is not stated and it says if it comes to NERC, and NERC verifies it, then NERC will order for a retroactive adjustment and compensation. They should mention one customer in the whole of Nigeria in 2022, 2023 and 2024 that they have measured its supply and asked for compensation. Would you beat your chest that you get 20 hours of electricity supply daily? The real thing is that Nigerians are not being supplied electricity based on the committed service level.

But is it a surprise to you that the Federal Government wants to save N1.14 trillion in electricity subsidies?

Why should it be if we are ready to do the needful and if the Distribution Company can distribute electricity? We have what they call MYTO Daily Load Allocation, is it all the Distribution Companies that are getting their daily load allocation? No. this is because they cannot take the product to consumers.

It is not about no money in the market, it is because of the environment that is created where those who are saddled with the responsibilities are only rent collectors. The same MYTO established what is called Performance Improvement CAPEX in 2021, and huge sums of money were allocated, I challenged NERC to publish how the money was spent by DISCOs.

What exactly is your grouse with the project?

Sometime in November 2022, some people and I were invited to the World Bank, and we were told that the Federal Government was asking for additional funding of $3 billion for the power sector and they told us about $9 billion that was already spent.

Who is tracking that money and where has the money gone? What impact has it made in the sector? The problem in our electricity sector is not what these guys want Nigerians to believe. The problem is the ability to tell Nigerians the truth about what is going on in the sector.

What should we do if we are going to have a grant or a loan of $3billion and you pump this money to raise the metering level to at least 80 to 85 per cent, the liquidity prices will drop sharply and the Federal Government would not be wasting that amount of money.

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) is flexing its muscle, directing all supermarkets and grocery stores within the state to ensure clear price tags on all products. Failure to comply will result in hefty fines or even closure, the agency warned.

This directive, announced on the Lagos State government website, comes as part of LASCOPA’s ongoing efforts to protect consumer rights and ensure transparency in pricing. Afolabi Solebo, LASCOPA’s General Manager, emphasized that the absence of price tags is a clear violation of both consumer rights and the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency Law.

“Without clear price tags, shoppers are left in the dark,” stated Solebo. “They cannot compare prices effectively or make informed decisions about their grocery purchases. This is simply unacceptable and contradicts the Consumer Protection Act, which mandates the clear display of prices for all goods and services.”

LASCOPA is taking a no-nonsense approach. The agency will impose fines on non-compliant stores, and repeat offenders risk being shut down entirely. Solebo urged residents to be vigilant and report any supermarkets or grocery stores neglecting to display prices on their products.

This move by LASCOPA follows a similar action taken in February by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which sealed a supermarket in Abuja for its opaque pricing practices. It appears that price transparency is becoming a top priority for consumer protection agencies across Nigeria.

Barring any last-minute change of mind by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, a former member of Edo House of Assembly (1999 – 2003), Pascal Ugbomhe, has been tipped to replace the state’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, till November 12, 2024, when his second term will end.

Ugbomhe, also an Etsako man as Shaibu, is a frontline member of the Chief Dan Orbih-led Legacy Coalition in Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his choice being to get the support of the party’s National Vice Chairman, Southsouth (Orbih), and his teeming supporters, ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

It was also learnt yesterday in Benin by our reporter that Obaseki wouldn’t want to take chances in Edo North Senatorial District, which has as representative, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is an ex-governor of Edo state.

Ugbomhe, who hails from Ekperi in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo, according to a source close to Obaseki, would ensure victory for PDP’s governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, in Edo North senatorial district, thereby reducing the influence of Oshiomhole and Shaibu, since Ighodalo is from Edo Central with the least voting strength, and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, is an indigene of Benin Kingdom in Edo South, with the highest voting strength.

Ugbomhe, a Law graduate of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), who is a former Chairman of Etsako Central Local Government Council, according to the permutation in Obaseki’s camp, would be able to convince the preferred governorship aspirant of legacy coalition, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, an influential former member of the House of Representatives, to also support Ighodalo’s aspiration, thereby ensuring unity and peace in Edo PDP.

The Justice Stephen Omonua (rtd.)-led seven-member probe panel, put in place by Edo Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, on March 25 this year, to probe the allegations levelled against Shaibu, rounded off its three-day sitting on Friday, and would soon submit its report to Justice Okungbowa, for the state’s 24 lawmakers to proceed or not, with Shaibu’s removal.

The external debt situation for low and middle-income countries (LMICs) has changed drastically over the last decade and is out-pacing the economic growth of these countries, thereby raising serious concerns. The situation is even worse for poor countries where external debt stocks have risen at the fastest pace as compared to other LMICs. Moreover, the debt vulnerabilities exacerbated in many low-income countries eligible for International Development Association (IDA) resources.

The debt accumulation in these countries has increased to the extent that more than 60% of IDA-eligible countries were marked to be at high risk of debt distress in 2023. According to the International Debt Report 2023 by the World Bank, the external debt stocks for LMICs decreased marginally by 3.4% from $9.3 trillion in 2021 to $9.0 trillion in 2022. However, it increased by 2.7% for IDA-eligible countries during the same year, reaching an all-time high of $1.1 trillion.

20. Argentina
Total External Debt to China (2022): $2.86 billion

Argentina is a South American country that ranks as the 20th country most in debt to China. The total external debt of Argentina to China in 2022 amounted to approximately $2.86 billion.

19. Mongolia
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.02 billion

Mongolia is an East Asian country that borders itself with China and Russia. It ranks 19th on our list of 20 countries most in debt to China. The country's total external debt to China in 2022 amounted to $3.02 billion.

18. Brazil
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.38 billion

Brazil, another South American country, owed approximately $3.38 billion to China as external debt in 2022. The country ranks 18th on our list.

17. Republic of the Congo
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.42 billion

The Republic of the Congo, also known as the Congo (Brazzaville), is an African country ranked as the 17th country most in debt to China. The total external debt of Congo to China was $3.42 billion in 2022.

16. South Africa
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.43 billion

South Africa owed $3.43 billion to China as external debt in 2022, making it the 16th country most in debt to China.

15. Cameroon
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.78 billion

Cameroon is a Central African country ranking 15th on our list of 20 countries most in debt to China. The country owed China approximately $3.78 billion as total external debt in 2022.

14. Côte d'Ivoire
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.85 billion

Côte d'Ivoire is a West African country characterized by its beach resorts and rainforests. The country ranks 14th on our list, and its total external debt to China in 2022 amounted to $3.85 billion.

13. Belarus
Total External Debt to China (2022): $3.92 billion

Belarus ranks as the 13th country most in debt to China. It is a landlocked country situated in Eastern Europe. The total external debt of Belarus to China amounted to $3.92 billion in 2022.

12. Cambodia
Total External Debt to China (2022): $4.01 billion

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian country with an important geographical location providing river trade routes linking China to India and the rest of Southeast Asia. It ranks as the 12th country most in debt to China, with its total external debt amounting to $4.01 billion in 2022.

11. Ecuador
Total External Debt to China (2022): $4.14 billion

Ranking 11th on our list is Ecuador, another South American country known for its environmental diversity. Ecuador's total external debt to China amounted to $4.14 billion in 2022.

10. Nigeria
Total External Debt to China (2022): $4.29 billion

Nigeria is a West African country with a total external debt of $4.29 billion to China in 2022. It ranks among the top 10 countries most in debt to China.

9. Egypt
Total External Debt to China (2022): $5.21 billion

Egypt ranks 9th on our list of countries most in debt to China. It is at an important geographical position linking Northeast Africa to the Middle East. The country owed China $5.21 billion as total external debt in 2022.

8. Lao People's Democratic Republic
Total External Debt to China (2022): $5.25 billion

Lao People's Democratic Republic is a Southeast Asian country ranking 8th on our list. Laos had a total external debt of $5.25 billion to China in 2022.

7. Bangladesh
Total External Debt to China (2022): $6.05 billion

Bangladesh, another South Asian country, ranks as the 7th country most in debt to China. It owed China approximately $6.05 billion as total external debt in 2022.

6. Zambia
Total External Debt to China (2022): $6.08 billion

Zambia is a landlocked country situated in the African region. The country stands as the 6th country most in debt to China on our list, with a total external debt of $6.08 in 2022.

5. Kenya Total External Debt to China (2022): $6.69 billion

Kenya ranks as the 5th country most in debt to China. It is an East African country with its Indian Ocean coast providing historically important ports linking the Arabian and Asian regions to Africa. The country owed China a total external debt of $6.69 billion in 2022.
4. Ethiopia
Total External Debt to China (2022): $6.82 billion

Ethiopia is the 4th country most in debt to China on our list. It is a landlocked country in Africa, with its total external debt to China amounting to $6.82 billion in 2022.

3. Sri Lanka
Total External Debt to China (2022): $8.84 billion

Sri Lanka is an island country in the Indian Ocean. It is situated at a strategically important location at the crossroads of maritime routes traversing the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka owed China a total of $8.84 billion as total external debt in 2022.

2. Angola
Total External Debt to China (2022): $20.98 billion

Angola is a Southwestern African country ranking 2nd on our list of countries most in debt to China. Luanda is its capital city and a commercial center, characterized by its large port on the northern coast and modern industrial complexes. The country owed China a total of $20.98 billion as external debt in 2022.

1. Pakistan
Total External Debt to China (2022): $26.60 billion

Pakistan ranks as the most in debt country to China with its total external debt to China amounting to $26.60 billion in 2022. It is a South Asian and a neighboring country to China, India, Afghanistan, and Iran.

The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, has pointedly accused a former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, of being the brain behind the crisis in the LP.

Oshiomhole, a serving senator, is a former national chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The NLC and the leadership of the LP have been at loggerheads over the ownership of the party.

In an interview with a national newspaper, Olorunfemi said Oshiomhole’s ‘boys’ created a crisis between the NLC and the LP.

His words: ”This party rose from the ashes when former Governor Mimiko won election twice and used it to better the lots of the people of Ondo State.

”He left because Adams Oshiomhole will always seek to control the soul of the NLC. At that time, I was not too active in the party, but now, we will not allow Oshiomhole to take over the party.”

Asked if he was certain Oshiomhole was behind the crisis in the LP, Olorunfemi said:

”He is not playing it openly, but we can see his hands and his imprimatur everywhere. We can see the roles being played by his people and his numerous supporters since the crisis began.

”The people fomenting this crisis are his boys. We know him, we know what he can do, and we know what he has done in the past.

”We saw how he frustrated former Governor Mimiko and others out of the party. We told them that it was dangerous to allow Oshimhole to have a field day. We want Mimiko back in our party, and after this war, we will bring him back.

”That was what the party could not do at that time that made Mimiko and others leave the party.”

The decisions of the remaining 20 state governors on the proposed establishment of state police are expected to be submitted within the next four weeks.

This is according to the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Asishana Okauru, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH on Friday.

Sixteen state governors had earlier thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police as a panacea for the insecurity ravaging the different parts of the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nwkocha, had earlier disclosed in a statement that discussions were held at a meeting of the National Economic Council and that 16 out of the 36 states had already submitted their reports on the state policing initiative.

The NEC received the reports from the 16 governors at its 140th meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa on March 21, 2024.

Nwkocha said there was an expectation that the remaining 20 governors, whose identities were not disclosed, would also submit their reports, stressing that all the states across the country expressed their support for the establishment of state police.

Okauru explained in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents that the governors were unanimous in their support of the state police. 

He added that the remaining 20 governors were already in the process of submitting their reports, and would turn them in a few weeks from now.

According to him, it became clear after the NGF’s last meeting that there was a need for the governors to speed up “whatever report they were putting together in respect of state police and submit it.”

He said, “The official position of the forum is in favour of state police. I don’t know of any state that is not in support of state police. I can tell you that I don’t know of any state not in support of the idea. That the governors have not submitted their reports for now is not saying they are not in support of it (state police).

“They are in the process of submitting their reports and I can tell you that in the next couple of weeks that would have been resolved. This is the only way to go. The forum has come a long way. So, there’s a very strong consensus in support of state police.”

Asked if funding would be a major challenge for the state police, the NGF director-general added that the government should begin to think about innovative ways to fund the security architecture of the country.

“Even the way the police structure is configured, funding is still an issue. So, the funding issue will always be there. In some other countries, the police institution is to some extent revenue-generating. You know, it has revenue-generating potential. I mean, if done well, you know that everybody will agree to it. Let’s accept that the funding issue will always be there whether it is done centrally or you are for state police.

“Another point that must be made is that it is not because some states have not submitted their reports that the idea hasn’t taken off. It became very clear after the last meeting that they needed to speed up whatever report they were putting together in respect of state police and submit it. So, a maximum of about four weeks, and it should be done,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu had on Thursday, February 15, 2024, agreed on the need to establish state police as recommended by state governors to curb rising insecurity in the country.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting between the President and the governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the possibility of creating a state police structure will be further discussed.

He further said that a lot of work needed to be done, and the President and the governors agreed on working out the modalities for the idea.

In October 2023, the President mooted the idea of increasing the numerical strength of the police, which is just a little over 300,000.

At the end of the Nigeria Police Council conclave, which Tinubu chaired, he set up a Constitutional Review Committee to carry out comprehensive police reforms.

The 2014 National Political Reform Conference recommended devolving policing by allowing states to create their police and enabling community policing. 

However, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who initiated the 2014 conference, and his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, did not implement the recommendations despite the deteriorating security situation in the country during their administrations.

Reps plan retreat

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review will host its first retreat on the State Police Bill and other related bills slated for deliberation ahead of the planned constitutional review.

This is contained in the work plan of the committee obtained by Sunday PUNCH.

The bill seeking to establish state police has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, and 14 other lawmakers proposed to transfer the term “police” in the 1999 Constitution from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.

The bill, which comprises 18 clauses, seeks to amend sections 34, 35, 39, 42, 84, 89, 129, 153, 197, 214, 215 and 216 of the constitution.

On February 15, the Federal Government set up a committee to explore the creation of state police given the worsening spate of insecurity across the country.

The Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, said given the fact that the bill was a constitutional matter, the onus was now on the Constitution Review Committee, which rolled out a two-year work plan to deliberate on state police, local government autonomy, fiscal federalism and other items listed for deliberations in the constitutional amendment process.

 “The State Police Bill is a constitutional amendment. After the second reading, it was referred to the Constitution Review Committee like all other constitutional amendments. The committee has rolled out its two-year work plan,” Waive said.

The retreat, which will be held in Abuja later this month, will witness collaborative efforts between the Clerk to the Committee on Constitution Review and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.

In May, the committee will engage with stakeholders, including civil society organisations, to collate inputs after which the committee will call for a public hearing

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said both chambers of the National Assembly were ready to amend the constitution to accommodate state police if the decentralisation of the security architecture would end kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and other crimes being experienced in Nigeria.

 Security experts speak

Commenting on the development, a security expert, Akin Adeyi, said the adoption of state police was a welcome development and advised the remaining 20 governors to submit their reports as soon as possible.

He added that rather than waiting for the governors to submit reports, the President could submit a bill to the National Assembly for review, while the governors would only append their signatures afterward.

According to him, allowances received by the state governments from the income generated from the removal of fuel subsidy should be enough to fund the state policing initiative.

Adeyi said, “Ordinarily, it’s supposed to be the responsibility of the state governors and state governments, but they are going to complement the effort of the Federal Government. With the removal of subsidy on petrol, there should be enough money on the ground to fund state police. I have that confidence except if the governors are not prudent in managing their resources.

“State police is going to be the best because it is going to be domiciled where the people are living; so automatically I will know you, and you will know me. At least, as a community person, you will not take sides with any judgment.

 “I read a report recently that state governors don’t need to write a memo before the matter can be resolved. So, what the Federal Government should do is what a member of the House of Representatives has done. He has submitted a bill to the National Assembly. Let them review the law and that is all. Once the bill is passed by the National Assembly, the state governments will just go there and do their job.”

However, the founder of Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence consulting firm, Kabir Adamu, said the country was not ready for state police with the current process of governance in the states.

According to him, creating state police is dangerous as it will turn the governors into “mini-emperors.”

He said, “It is indicated in the Renewed Hope Agenda that the Federal Government will decentralise policing. What we don’t know is the form it will take. I do not think we are ready for state police as a country. While there is a need to enhance security at the grassroots, I am worried that if we hand control of policing over to the governors, we are going to have mini-emperors.

“They (governors) are ruling their states like mini-emperors. They have the legislature under their control; they have the judiciary to an extent under their control. So, if you take the instrument of power, which is security, and add to these other components, we will have stronger mini-emperors.”

He, however, said there was a need for the establishment of policies that would improve the democratic culture at the state level where the legislature could effectively check the excess of the executive before policing could be decentralised.

On her part, a professor of Criminology at the Kaduna State University, Evelyn Yusuf, said the creation of state police was important to address the security challenges in the country.

She stated, “State police would have been excellent if the ruling class would allow the personnel to work and not engage them for other things. If there will be no abuse of power, I am in support of state police, because we need more police up to the level of community police to be able to curb the insecurity in Nigeria.

“There should be a policy that will guide against the ruling class using them as political thugs. If that can be done, state police will be fantastic. I recommend community policing more than any form of policing because, within the community, we know ourselves and anyone coming into the community will be easily identified.”