Former Governor of Abia State and the immediate-past Senator who represented Abia Central district in the 9th Senate, Senator Theodore Orji, has flatly denied receiving any dime from Abia State Government as pension since his exit as Governor in 2015.

Senator Orji spoke exclusively with Vanguard on the heels of the recent abolition of the Abia State Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s Pensions Law by the State House of Assembly.

The Bill entitled:”H.A.B 11: The Abia State Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s Pensions Law Repeal Bill 2024″ was sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Arochukwu state constituency, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu.

Speaking through his former Chief Liaison Officer, Hon. Ifeanyi Umere, Senator Orji, said nobody had paid him any pension as former Governor, adding that he has also never asked for it as a matter of morality since he moved to the Senate immediately after leaving office as Governor.

He said:”Since T. A Orji left office as Governor, he has not received any penny as pension.

” He transited from Governor to Senate and he made it a point of morality that he will not, and he didn’t ask for any pension or question anybody about it because he is not interested in it.”

READ ALSO: NASS: Tinubu seeks more restraint in exercise of oversight functions

The former Governor who noted that the House of Assembly has the constitutional powers to review any laws of the state, said he was not part of the scrapped pension law.

“The House of Assembly has the prerogative to periodically review the laws of the state. It’s in their powers to do so but nobody should link Senator Orji with the said pension law because nobody has paid him any pension after leaving office as Governor.

“Senator Orji has not received any pension as former Governor, and as a statesman he has not asked for any. He didn’t receive any pension from Okezie Ikpeazu and he didn’t pay anybody too.”

Leading the debate on the floor of the House, the Sponsor of the Bill, argued that if passed into law, it would help to reduce the cost of governance.

According to him, the humongous amount used in paying the former Governors and their Deputies, would have been channelled into other better uses.

He said that it was not fair for the welfare of the majority of the citizens to be sacrificed on the altar of the comfort of only few individuals who are already comfortable.

The Labour Party lawmaker, therefore, urged his colleagues to give the Bill accelerated hearing, and to consider it for passage.

Other members of the House spoke in favour of the bill, and later it was passed into law.

Announcing the passage of the bill, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, commended his colleagues for their forthrightness, understanding and maturity in supporting the passage of the Bill.

The Speaker who said the passage of the bill was in tandem with the yearnings of the majority of Abians, said the current Assembly would always make people-centric laws.

The Delta State Police Command said its personnel have not been able to access the troubled Niger Delta community of Okuama because of an ongoing military operation.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda stated this in an interview on Arise Television.

The commissioner said, “We have not been able to move into this community. Yes it is our responsibility as the primary line of defense in internal security. But when you have another sister agency conducting an operation, the reasonable thing to do is to wait for them to finish.

“We have not been able for now to get into Okuoma because of the volatile nature of what is presently ongoing around that environment.”

Abaniwonda further stated, “They are working hand in hand with other security agencies to make sure that those who murdered 16 soldiers are caught.

“In the Okuama incident, we have an ongoing military operation there. We have been on ground, we have been supportive. We have not been missing in action. Technology has been an integral part of present day policing. These individuals are being tracked.

“Effort is being made to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book. We are working in conjunction with other security agencies and I can assure you that we are making progress.”

Speaking on the current situation within the Okuama community, he said, “Most of the places are deserted. I would not like to say more than that. It’s an ongoing military operation. I think when these things are ongoing, it is better that things are not said that might aggravate or pass information to those who are looking for.”

However, the commissioner assured that the police are offering their full support toward ensuring the safety and protection of life and property in the state.

“I can assure you that very very soon, we will be able to get in. For us to get to Okoloba and Okuoma, you would need to get clearance. So we are working on this so that we can also ensure the safety of our people who are in those environments.

“But we are on the ground, we are in our divisions, we are in our outpost, we are in our various formations. We are rendering our services, which is what the mandate of the inspector general of police is. Protection of lives and property. We are doing this. Not just in this community but all over Delta state,” he said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said posterity will remember President Bola Tinubu for being a decisive leader.

He said Tinubu has played an important role in guiding the country towards economic prosperity and stability.

The Vice President’s remark was disclosed on the X handle of the Presidency.

According to Shettima, Tinubu does not apportion blame over the current economic situation in the country.

He said: “We have crossed the Rubicon, and the nation is on the path to sustained growth. Some nations have gone through worse cases in the annals of their history than us.

“The President means well for the nation. He has a good heart for the nation and we have the moral imperative to support him in whatever way we can to salvage the ship of the state.

“The President doesn’t subscribe to the idea of apportioning of blame, the buck stops on his desk and he has not shied away from taking those decisive actions.

“Be rest assured that in the fullness of time, posterity will be very kind to him.”

A report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that out of the total loans of N10.3 trillion disbursed as intervention, N193 billion has been declared lost and another N418.9 billion remains doubtful.

According to the report, which was last updated in September 2023, detailed the breakdown of the bank’s intervention funds over the years.

A doubtful loan is one for which full repayment is questionable and uncertain. The degree of repayment of loans in question ranges from a complete loss to an uncertain loss unless corrective actions are taken.

According to the report, out of the N10.3 trillion in intervention funds, N4.4 trillion has been repaid, while approximately N5.8 trillion remains outstanding. Some of the loans are tenured, meaning they only fall due when the principal repayments mature.

However, only N969.8 billion of the outstanding amount was past due, as some loans had repayment tenures extending years beyond 2023. Based on this, the report claimed the percentage of repayments to amounts due was 75.8%.

The apex bank report also indicates that N289 billion of the loans are performing, N67.9 billion is substandard and N418.9 billion is doubtful and N193.9 billion of the loans are lost.

The apex bank governor, Yemi Cardoso, has repeatedly criticised the intervention funds carried out under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele, claiming that the bank could not implement the interventions appropriately.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the National Assembly’s constant summons could disturb and distract his appointees from carrying out their primary duties.

The Nigerian leader asked the lawmakers to be accommodating enough and ‘let the poor breathe’.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu stated this during the Ramadan fast-breaking event in Abuja on Wednesday, March 20.

At the religious event, Tinubu acknowledged the importance of oversight in ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. However, he said that excessive summoning of officials can lead to disruptions in operations and affect service delivery to citizens.

Tinubu advised lawmakers to exercise discretion in carrying out their oversight responsibilities.

He said: ”I have been watching various committees summon ministers and agency heads. I have complained to the Speaker to let the poor breathe. Let these people do the job. We are not saying you are not influential. We are not saying you cannot do your oversight.

“But consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the Governor of the Central Bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the entire nation.

”If they are distracted or disturbed, maybe we will shift parliamentary sitting all through the night. We must find a way to accommodate one another. This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentation.”

President Tinubu expressed his trust in the National Assembly’s capacity to maintain good governance and commended the positive rapport between the executive and legislative branches.

He noted that the collaborative efforts have led to the swift approval of numerous bills aimed at enhancing the well-being of the Nigerian people.

Tinubu encouraged lawmakers to remain connected with their constituents and utilize the holy month of Ramadan as an opportunity to demonstrate kindness and aid to those in need.

”We are making sacrifices for the country, and we are assuring citizens that there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.

”We must have faith, and please do not forget your constituencies and remember what they are going through.

”I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing, but it is for our country. There is nothing personal about this. It is for Nigeria, and we have no other country but Nigeria,” the President was quoted as saying by Daily Trust.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani yesterday convened an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies and stakeholders from the frontline communities in Kaduna Central.

The resurgence of banditry and kidnapping dominated talks at the parley, which was attended by stakeholders from seven local governments of Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Igabi, Kachia, and Kagarko local government areas.

The governor, who said efforts were being made to rescue the 287 schoolchildren abducted from Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, expressed concerns about the rising number of informants in the communities, pledging efforts to identify and apprehend them.

Also yesterday, the House of Assembly member representing the Kajuru Constituency, Usman Danlami Stingo, told reporters that members of the communities affected by the recent attacks have been traumatized and economically impoverished.

The governor told his audience that had assurances from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, during his meetings with them that the abducted school pupils will all be rescued safely.

He, however, urged local government chairmen and traditional rulers to report any strange face in their community to security agencies to curb infiltration by informants and other people with dastard intentions.

Sani said: “I have series of discussions with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the service chiefs, they have done so much. Lots of progress have been made, and I can assure you that our children will return back home safely.

“We will continue to fight until we get our children back. At the end of this meeting, we will have enough information, idea and strategy to work together. We would do everything to assist the security agencies in protecting our citizens. We are working to ensure their safe release.”

“We are here this afternoon to have a meeting which would be interactive between Kaduna state government, local government chairmen, security heads, traditional rulers, and members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly from the seven local governments affected by the incident of insecurity in the last few weeks. We are here to look at the efforts towards intelligence gathering and sharing especially at the grassroots level.

“In the last six months, we have been having meetings which showed that we have enough synergy between state, local government, traditional rulers and security heads.

“This is to support the security agencies in the state towards intelligence gathering and sharing. We have some setbacks in the last few weeks. The Local government chairmen and Kaduna state House of Assembly members, we have to look at other areas especially the incident in Kajuru local government area with series of incidents within 48 hours.

“We have people within the community who should have alerted the security agencies when the first incident happened before the second incident.

“We believe that the traditional rulers have important roles to play in monitoring the community and they should have enough knowledge of their subjects to raise the alarm over anything that is strange. They should fish out strange individuals and report them to security agencies.”

He added: “We realised in this meeting that, there are a lot of complaints about some disgruntling elements that are penetrating some communities.

“The issue of security is pertinent to everyone and we believe traditional rulers have massive responsibility in assisting the security agencies and particularly ensuring that all the strangers that come into the communities are identified.

“We are suspecting that some of them are informants and today I have instructed the traditional rulers and the local government chairmen to fish out most of these strange individuals and report to the security agencies immediately. It will go a long way in enhancing security efforts and also deepening our intelligence gathering and sharing information.

“I have also instructed the Local Government chairmen to go back to their local governments and stay there and also report to us any suspicious movement.

“We also discussed the progress we have made so far and I can say here, most of the children in Kuriga community, we are having a lot of interface with the parents in the community.

“Yesterday, the IG deployed some mobile policeman to Kuriga community, we are making progress and we are also having a lot of support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the service Chiefs are also trying. So it’s only a matter of time.”

A bill proposing a new structure of salaries and allowances for judicial officers in the country has passed the third reading at the House of Representatives.

President Bola Tinubu forwarded a letter along with the executive bill to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, urging swift passage of the proposed legislation.

In the letter, the president said the bill seeks to end the “prolonged stagnation” of the remuneration of judicial officers.

“The judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill seeks to prescribe salaries and allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officials to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities.”

Yesterday, the lower legislative chamber passed the bill after the third reading.

In the breakdown of the bill seen by TheCable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, will receive a monthly salary of N5.4 million, amounting to N64.8 million per annum.

The breakdown of the remuneration shows that the CJN will receive a monthly basic salary of N1.1 million and N4.3 million in regular allowances.

The annual pay includes various components such as personal assistant allowance of N3.6 million, hardship allowance of N6.7 million, entertainment allowance of N6 million, utility allowance of N4 million, outfit allowance of N3.3 million, journal subscription allowance of N2 million, medical allowance of N5.3 million, long service allowance of N1.3 million, restricted or forced lifestyle allowance of N6.7 million, dual responsibility allowance of N2.9 million, and legal researchers’ allowance of N6.9 million.

The bill also proposes N61.4 million annually for justices of the Supreme Court.

President Bola Tinubu, last night, promised that the sacrifices of the 16 soldiers killed last week in Okuama, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, would not be in vain.

Speaking during the breaking of Ramadan fast at State House, Abuja, with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and the leadership of the House, Tinubu said the deceased military personnel would be given befitting burial and national honours.

The president’s comments came as Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, yesterday, said the killers of the military men must be smoked out and treated as criminals. Diri called for concerted effort and support for the military and other security agencies to enable them to bring the killers to justice.

The governor condemned the killings and expressed his deep condolences and that of the Bayelsa State government to the families of the slain military personnel, the armed forces, and the army, in particular. He stressed that no effort should be spared to bring the perpetrators to book.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, disclosed that the army was yet to grant the police access to Okuama. Abaniwonda said the area was still volatile and deserted.

Commenting on the death of the military men on national duty, Tinubu said, “In responding to distress calls, they met the end of their lives in a savage manner. Let us work to sympathise and symbolise the fact that they are worth the sacrifices they have made for Nigeria.

“We salute all our men and women in uniform, and we sympathise with them. I will soon make further pronouncements, but they must have a befitting burial and national honours.”

Advising members of the National Assembly on the rate of invitations to heads of MDAs, Tinubu said while oversight was essential to ensure transparency and accountability in governance, excessive summoning of officials could disrupt operations and hinder service delivery to citizens.

He urged lawmakers to show discretion in the exercise of their oversight functions.

The president stated, ”I have been watching various committees summoning ministers and heads of agencies. I have complained to the speaker to let the poor breathe. Let these people do the job. We are not saying that you are not influential. We are not saying you cannot do your oversight.

“But consider the primary duty of each agency, its personnel, or the responsibilities of the governor of the central bank or the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to you and the entire nation.

“If they are distracted or disturbed, maybe we will shift parliamentary sitting all through the night. We must find a way to accommodate one another. This is an appeal to you. See if you can accept representatives in some instances or even documentations.”

The president, however, expressed confidence in the ability of the National Assembly to uphold good governance, and lauded the existing cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature. He said the harmonious working relationship had resulted in the expeditious passage of several bills to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Tinubu urged the legislators not to forget their constituencies, saying they should take advantage of the holy month of Ramadan to show compassion and support the less privileged in society.

He told the legislators, “We are making sacrifices for the country, and we are assuring citizens that there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. We must have faith and, please, do not forget your constituencies and remember what they are going through.

The national average price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, increased year-on-year, YoY, by 157.57 percent to N679.36 per litre in February 2024, from N263.76 per litre recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

However, in its latest report – ‘Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for February 2024’, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, indicated that Zamfara State topped the price chart at N750.43 per litre, followed by Kebbi and Taraba States with N746.67 and N710.56 respectively.

The report stated “Kwara, Ogun and Benue States had the lowest average retail price for Premium Motor Spirit, (Petrol) at N650.00, N650.83 and N652.73 respectively. On zonal profile, the North-West zone had the highest average retail price of N701.20, while the South-West zone had the lowest price of N657.20

Similarly, in another report – ‘Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) Price Watch for February 2024’ by NBS indicated that the average retail price for diesel increased year-on-year, YoY, by 50.20 percent to N1,257.06 per litre in February 2024, from N836.91 per litre recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

This is even as diesel price continues to increase in many states with price ranging from N1,600 –N1,700

The report stated “On a month-on-month basis, an increase of 9.02% was recorded from N1,153.01 in the preceding month of January 2024 to an average of N1,257.06 in February 2024.

On States variation analysis, Akwa Ibom State topped the price chart with N1,525.00 per litre, while Gombe state followed with N1,500.00 and Kwara State with N1,440.00.

Furthermore, the States with the lowest prices are Adamawa State with N1,037.50, Kano State with N1,111.43 and Katsina State with N1,125.00. The Zonal representation of the average price of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) shows that South South Zone has the highest price of N1,343.09 while South West Zone has the lowest price N1,164.05 when compared with other Zones.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cleared the $7 billion foreign exchange (FX) backlog which was pending when Yemi Cardoso took over as the Governor of the apex bank.

This development was announced in a statement on Wednesday by the CBN Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi Ali.

According to her, all valid claims have been settled and only those claims found to be illegitimate were not honoured.

Ali explained that the CBN employed the services of an independent auditing firm, Deloitte Consulting, to meticulously evaluate all claims and any invalid transaction have been referred to appropriate authorities for further checks.

“Any invalid transactions were referred to the relevant authorities for further investigation,” she stated.

Nigeria’s Foreign Reserve Hits $34.11 Billion, Highest In 8 Months
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have recorded an increase of 2.83%, jumping to $34.11 billion as of March 7, 2024, from $33.17 billion at the beginning of the year.

The figure, which is based on the latest data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the highest in eight months.

The most recent data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shows a significant increase in external reserves, rising by $993 million in just one month and reaching the highest level in eight months.

On March 7, 2024, the external reserves totalled $34,110,027,381, which is higher than the previous month’s amount of $33,116,051,881 reported on February 8, 2024.

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The data shows that the reserves have been staying pretty consistent at around $32 to $33 billion for the past eight months. The latest record on March 7 is the highest it’s been since June 30, 2023, when the reserves hit $34,119,447,986.