A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Salihu Lukman has said that President Bola Tinubu was failing in the task of governing the country.
Lukman, who resigned his position recently as the National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the APC, said the President has been toeing the same line of failure as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that led to the “wasted years”.
Lukman noted that virtually every Nigerian leader, with probably, negligible exceptions, are self-centred.
According to him, they have limited engagements with President Tinubu to only what they can get from him in terms of appointments into his government.
The former Director General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, (PGF) conveyed his message in an open letter on Wednesday.
Lukman, in his letter, entitled, ‘Burden of Leadership,’ said, “Already, with the way former President Buhari had managed the country for eight years, in the same political orientation PDP ran the country for sixteen years, President Tinubu is justifiably, continuing that path.
“Our leaders who led the merger negotiation to produce APC in 2013, owe it to Nigerians, to call President Tinubu to order and get him to recover whatever is left of his democratic and progressive credentials.
“APC leaders and President Tinubu must resist the temptation of toeing the path of self-destruction by continuing to operate as a closed government.
“Achieving that will require readiness on the part of all APC leaders to make all the sacrifices to regain their respect back, based on which they emerged as leaders and not bosses.
“Although, being a self-acclaimed Awoist and progressive, not coming from a military background like former President Buhari, the expectation of many is that he will at least, be more democratic.
“This should connote more consultations, based on which perhaps, the structures of the APC as a political party would be made more functional.”
He however observed that Tinubu passed the first test with the zoning of the leadership positions of the 10th National Assembly and by extension, the present government.
“Confronted with a hostile party leadership under Senator Abdullahi Adamu who was decidedly anti-zoning, to be fair to President Asiwaju Tinubu, he was able to handle the situation to the best of his ability, based on which he produced a balanced leadership for the 10th National Assembly.
“Unfortunately, most of our APC leaders from the North, for whatever reasons, were speculated to have worked at variance with the initiatives of President Tinubu to produce a balanced leadership.
“That could have been partly, responsible for the complete lack of attempt to forge a united front with President Tinubu and party leaders from the North, to ensure that the successor to Senator Adamu as APC National Chairman is produced through consultations.”
Dr Lukman berated political office holders in the Tinubu administration, accusing them of accumulating financial resources for the 2027 general election.
He said, “Our leaders occupying political offices are busy accumulating financial resources, legitimately or otherwise for future elections.
“We must caution our leaders, as things are, they are on the verge of self-destruction. It is very clear that President Tinubu’s respect for political leaders in the country is weak, largely because of the failure to act as leaders.
“Virtually, all APC leaders are behaving more like bosses. Accordingly, this is now a source of threat with the potential danger of leaders completely losing relevance and unable to command the respect of citizens.”
Lukman said the least will be for APC and President Tinubu to lose elections in 2027, pointing to threats of rebellion against the leadership in the country.
“Given all these, any conclusion about APC shortchanging Nigerians can hardly be dismissed.
“Making APC a functional party is about ensuring that all organs of the party are allowed to operate as provided in the party’s constitution. Anything short of that will only contribute to destroying democracy in Nigeria,” he added.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has further moved to curb inflation and stabilise the exchange rate, thereby fostering a more balanced economic environment, through the completion of another round of Treasury Bills (T-Bills) auction, offloading about N1.3 trillion at a striking 21.490 per cent.
The auction, which took place on March 6, 2024, saw the bills being offered across three different tenors.
According to the Summary of Auction Result, the highest interest, or stop rate, was recorded for the 364-day tenor at a striking 21.490 per cent.
This maturity date is slated for March 6, 2025, and it had an offer of over N312 billion, with subscriptions skyrocketing to nearly N1.54 trillion.
The CBN has successfully allotted the same amount as the initial offer, showing a robust appetite from investors, which has continued to soar in recent times.
In comparison, the shorter tenor T-Bills drew a more modest interest rate, with the 91-day bills closing at a stop rate of 17.240% and the 182-day bills at 18.000%.
The 91-day bills, maturing on June 6, 2024, saw an offer of N14.4 billion and received an oversubscribed interest of over N66 billion.
All the offered amount was allotted to bidders. Similarly, the 182-day bills had an offer of N10.5 billion and were subscribed to over N51 billion. The maturity date for these bills is set for September 5, 2024.
The range of bids for the different tenors varied, with the 91-day bills having a bid range of 15.9000% – 22.0000%, the 182-day bills slightly narrower at 14.0000% – 22.0000%, and the 364-day bills having bids placed between 17.0000% and 27.0000%.
These results highlight the CBN’s continuous efforts to regulate liquidity and control inflation by issuing treasury bills. The high stop rate of 21.490% on the 364-day tenor indicates an aggressive stance by the CBN in curbing excess liquidity, which could be seen as a move to attract more investors to government securities.
The decision to significantly raise the volume of treasury bills auctioned, especially for the 364-day tenure, underscores the CBN’s commitment to addressing the liquidity surplus in the economy.
Forensic Expert Testifies In Emefiele’s Trial, Claims $6.2M Election Observer Documents Were Forged
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A forensic analyst has told a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama that the documents used to request the payment of $6.2 million for foreign election observers were forged.
Bamaiyi Meriga, the forensic analyst, said this on Thursday while giving evidence as a witness in the trial of Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Emefiele is standing trial on a 20-count amended criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The amended charges border on alleged breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud and conspiracy to commit a felony
The supply of US dollars at the foreign exchange market plunged by 42 per cent to 168.98 on Wednesday, days after Binance announced the existence of the Nigerian exchange market.
FMDQ data showed that the turnover of USD plunged on Wednesday to $168.98 at the close of work from $291.74 on Tuesday.
The figure represents a $122.76 reduction in USD supply compared to $291.74 on Tuesday.
The development had led to a consecutive drop in Naira at the official forex market to 1,605.74 per USD on Wednesday and N1,602.43 the previous day.
Recall that on Monday, Binance informed users that any remaining NGN balances would be automatically converted to Tether, USDT stablecoin after March 8 amid a regulatory clampdown by the Nigerian Government.
The Nigerian Government had blamed Binance for the continued forex crisis in the country.
However, despite the regulatory move against Binance and other cryptocurrency platforms, Africa’s populous country’s FX crisis has yet to be resolved.
An FCT High Court sitting in Kubwa has struck out the N1 billion suit brought against a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, while he was in office.
Also sued was a civil servant, Ms Asabe Waziri and two others – the office of the former minister and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The suit was brought against the former minister in his personal capacity along with Waziri and the two others by an Abuja-based property developer, Mr Cecil Osakwe.
But Justice Oluyemisi Adelaja, on Thursday, struck out the matter, citing lack of diligent prosecution by Osakwe.
“The claimant is the one who filed the action and is required to be seen diligently prosecuting same but they are not in court and there is no reason for their absence before the court.
“They have, therefore, been absent without reason and consequent upon Order 32 Rule 4, this case is ordered struck out for want of diligent prosecution,’’ Adelaja ordered.
It would be recalled that in June 2022, the Federal Government had filed a two-count charge with suit number FCT/HC/CR/244/2022, against Osakwe for advance fee fraud to the tune of N130 million.
The suit also alleged criminal intimidation of Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, saying that Osakwe had threatened Waziri with injury to her person and reputation with intent to cause her harm and even death.
Waziri was said to have purchased a two-bed property from Osakwe to the tune of N130 million at Maitama, an up-market district of the FCT.
Following the two-count charge against Osakwe, he proceeded to file a lawsuit against the erstwhile attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice.
Others joined in the suit included the Federal Ministry of Justice and Waziri.
Through his Counsel, Mr Victor Giwa, Osakwe sought reliefs, including an order directing Malami to pay the sum of N1 billion to him as punitive damage.
The developer also sought an order directing the defendants to pay jointly and severally, the sum of N100 million to him as general damages.
The spokesman of Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Paul Ibe, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu once encouraged former President Muhammadu Buhari to print naira in 2020.
Ibe made the disclosure while criticizing the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, over his comment on the printing of N22.7 trillion under Buhari’s administration.
Edun had said the printing of N22.7 trillion by the Central Bank of Nigeria in the name of a Ways and Means loan under Buhari’s government and ex-CBN governor Godwin Emefiele was responsible for the current rising inflation and economic hardship in Nigeria.
Speaking during an interface with the Senate Committee on Finance, the minister said the Ways and Means of loans of N22.7 trillion under the past administration was done aimlessly.
He further stated that the alleged reckless spending of the overdraft collected from the CBN under Emefiele largely accounted for the country’s food and security crises.
He vowed that Tinubu’s government would audit the CBN printing in the last eight years.
Reacting, Ibe faulted the minister’s remark stressing that Tinubu encouraged Buhari to toll such an irresponsible path in 2020.
Posting on Facebook, Ibe wrote: “Why is Wale Edun, who is more like oku eko (frozen fish) in this administration, bleating like a goat over the issue of Buhari’s printing of Naira? It was Bola Tinubu, as National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, who in 2020, encouraged Buhari on this irresponsible path of printing currency not matched with productivity.”
“I Thought I Would Die Before Herbert”: Emir Sanusi Shares Heartfelt Memories At Wigwe’s Night Of Tributes
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Reveals Herbert Wigwe’s Unwavering Support During His Dethronement
The Night of Tributes for the late Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe, continued in Lagos yesterday, with the leader of the Tijjaniyya movement and 14th Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi, captains of industry and political bigwigs paying tributes to the deceased.
Emir Sanusi broke down thrice while paying tribute to Herbert Wigwe. Each time he broke down, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Aig-Imoukhuede and an aide comforted him. The aide had to spread his babanriga to shield his teary face from the audience. Recall that Herbert Wigwe died in a helicopter crash, along with his wife, Doreen, son, Chizzy and former Managing Director of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, in the US.
Aside from Emir Sanusi, other personalities, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, also paid tributes to the deceased. Also in attendance were Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President Dangote Group, Aigboje Aig- Imoukhuede, Chairman Coronation Group, Henry Imasekha, Chairman/CEO – Berkeley Group Plc, among other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, teary Sanusi said that due to Herbert’s kind gestures towards him and his family, some people believed he owned Access Bank, while Aig- Imoukhuede, and Herbert were fronting for him.
He said: “It was on a Saturday, I had no idea about what happened. I came to the airport waiting for a plane and I got a call from Bola Adeshola, and we were chatting. After two sentences, he said, Lamido you haven’t heard? “About two years ago, I put all my savings into a Trust for the education of my children, I have many and my priority as a father is to make sure that when I pass away, they will have good education. I told Herbert ‘I am placing you in charge of this Trust for the education of my children because I know that even if I die and did not leave any money, you will educate my children. “I thought I would die before Herbert.”
After that, he burst into tears. “When I had problems in Kano, I called him about six months before I was to leave Kano, and I said to him, ‘Herbert I know you will give all your best to solve all these problems, but I am convinced that this is what is going to happen.’ And he said to me ‘your highness, don’t worry, whatever happens, don’t worry we are here for you.’
“On the day I heard on the radio that I was dethroned, the night before it happened, I called and said I want to come to Lagos. The announcement was made at about 9am, by noon, Herbert had a plane at the tarmac in Kano. I put my family on that plane, no message, no phne call, I put them on that plane. Herbert received them, put them in a hotel, and later got them accommodation for months.
When I came we stayed there. “Some people believe I own access bank and Aig and Herbert are fronting for me. They gave me the cars and the drivers, they gave me security and a private jet and they ask for nothing and they don’t talk about it. I have lived in Lagos for four years, the house my family lives in was provided by Herbert.
“When I heard of his death, I said ‘in the coming weeks and months, people will get to know Herbert the human being’. They know him as a banker, as a business man, they don’t know him as a human being. He was always about others, not about himself. You can’t imagne how one human being could have been so many things to so many people.
“On the day before this happened, I was on a chat group when somebopdy made a few remarks about Herbert that I found offensive and I defended Herbert. I made my point very clear that this was totally unacceptable.
“A few days after Herbert died; a friend called me and sent me a message. He has sent a message to Herbert at about 3:20 am that morning (day of the crash), telling him how I had stood up and defended him and forwarded my entire message to him. ‘’Herbert replied at 3:28 am with one word ‘unbelievable’. He sent another message at 3:50 which was not delivered. From the presentation from the air traffic controllers, the crash happened at 3:30. So possibly, the last thing Herbert read was my message talking about him.
Media
The Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Babayo Akuyam, and his deputy, Ahmed Abdullahi, have resigned from their positions.
Mr Akuyam (PDP – Hardawa State Constituency), and Mr Abdullahi (PDP – Dass State Constituency) announced their resignation at the plenary on Wednesday.
The resignation is to pave the way for the return of the former Speaker, Abubakar Suleiman, and his deputy, Jamilu Dahiru, to their positions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Court of Appeal, Abuja, in November 2023 sacked Mr Sulaiman (PDP- Ningi Central State Constituency), and Mr Dahiru (PDP – Bauchi Central State Constituency).
The court also ordered for re-run in the 11 March 2023 general election in the constituencies.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Messrs Suleiman and Dahiru winners of the 3 Feb and 4 re-run elections in the constituencies, respectively.
The outgoing speaker, Mr Akuyam said the action was part of the agreement reached by the lawmakers to step down to enable the duo to return to their positions.
He thanked the lawmakers and legislative staff for their support and cooperation during their stewardship of the House.
Also speaking, Mr Suleiman hailed the outgoing speaker and his deputy for keeping to their words.
He also pledged to provide effective legislation for the betterment of the lives of the people.
‘What Herbert Wigwe Told Me Before He Died’, Last Person Who Saw Late Access Holdings CEO Alive Speaks
AdminSola Faleye, Personal Assistant to the late Herbert Wigwe, former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Holdings Plc, has narrated his last encounter with the deceased.
Wigwe, Chizoba, his wife, Chizzi, his first son, Abimbola Ogunbajo, former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, all died in the ill-fated crash alongside two pilots.
Speaking at Eko Hotel, Lagos, where a night of tribute was held for Wigwe, Faleye narrated how he missed the flight.
“It was a sweet journey. 11 Hours we flew from London. I remember in the middle of the air. I walked up to him. I said, “Sir, how comfortable are you at night flying choppers? I’ve never done it before. And he said, ‘This is America, they have a navigation system for flying choppers at night’; and I went back to my seat. And we landed. Everybody was filled with joy that we were finally almost there.
“We sat, waiting to be cleared by immigration, So coming out, we had two vans waiting, One was taking us to go aboard the chopper. The other took our luggage because they cannot go on the chopper. Throughout my years of working with him, I’ve always told myself that flying that way is not a luxury for me. I am on duty. And as they were loading the luggages. And this thought came to mind. That’s OK, you fly chopper one. One hour you are there.
“The next three and half hours, the luggage is not going to come. Will I go to bed? No. I still have to sit down and wait for those luggage to come. I’m like, so why not just go with the luggagge then, get there and deliver it to him and others in the room. Like I said, I always reason in the line of duty.
“And I walked up to him. I said, Sir, I think it’s safer and secure for me to just ride and bring the luggage to you.” He said it was a brilliant idea. And I said, safe flight.”
The PA hence drove to Vegas with the bags, while Wigwe, his wife, son, and Ogunbajo took the helicopter to the same location.
[DailyPost]
Itsekiri leaders, under the aegis of Ugbarajo Iwere Leaders Foundation (UILF), have charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to fish out suspects who attacked Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, at Okere community in Warri south local government area of Delta State last Saturday.
While condemning the act, they said the attack by a group of youths on the monarch was uncalled for.
At an emergency meeting of the UILF in Warri, Delta State on Wednesday, the foundation threw their weight behind the monarch.
A member of the publicity committee of the foundation, Hon Emmanuel Orugbo, who made the position known while addressing journalists on Wednesday, after the meeting, called on young people of Warri kingdom to get engaged in fruitful ventures with a view to reducing the temptation of being susceptible to restiveness and usage by disgruntled elements in the society.
“This group of people have for the past one year been terrorizing the Okere community with the idea of advancing their ideology of rejecting the successful succession of the 21st Olu of Warri to the throne.
“While we agree that minorities, and in the extant case, most micro-minorities can have their say, their say has to be within the ambit of the law.
“These old men, who present themselves as youths, cannot be allowed to continue to run riot the way they have been doing for the past two years.
“We recall that this group of ‘youths’ has, on multiple occasions in the past, attacked, injured and damaged the properties of persons they perceive to hold any contrary views to theirs.
“The attacks, which have resulted in a couple of lawsuits that are still pending in court, have successfully established a regime of fear in the Okere people who cannot, for this reason now, sleep well at night; their economic lives having gone down the drain.
“We find it bizarre that this group of people could develop the boldness to attempt to disrupt the visit to the community of His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri kingdom.
“Even though their attempt was unsuccessful, as a foundation, we shall work with all well-meaning sons and daughters of Warri kingdom to identify and encourage that every possible sanction within the law be meted to the culprits to ensure that such deviant behaviours are completely discouraged in the future,” he vowed.
He stated further that: “We remain unflinchingly supportive of His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR, the Olu of Warri, who remains a pride not just to Warri kingdom but to Delta State and Nigeria in general. We call for respect for the rule of law and the traditional institution.”
Meanwhile, four suspects have been arrested and arraigned in court over the attack on the Olu of Warri.
The suspects were arraigned in charge No: FHC/WR/18c/2024 before the Federal High Court sitting in Warri on four-count charges of terrorism, cybercrime, conspiracy to wit: attempted murder.
The case has, however, been adjourned to 2nd April, 2024, while the four defendants have been remanded at the Warri Correctional Facility.
[DailyPost]
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No fewer than 50 persons, including a family of seven, were feared dead on Tuesday, following the invasion of the Gbagir community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, by suspected armed Fulani militia, supported by local Tiv bandits in a battle to oust another Tiv militia gang in the area.
It was gathered that most of the dead were members of the rival militia gangs, while about 12 innocent farmers were caught in the crossfire which also left over 30 persons injured and many others declared missing.
A traditional ruler in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bloody fight started on Tuesday morning after a Tiv militia leader in Ukum LGA, kidnapped another Fulani militia leader, one Alhaji Gana and his family members, who were allegedly known for banditry and kidnappings, from neighbouring Chinkai community in Wukari LGA of Taraba State.
His words: “After kidnapping them, he asked for N100 million ransom but was given N5 million. After collecting the money he killed the hostages.
“The murder of the hostages sparked outrage among his gang members in Taraba State. This happened over the weekend.
“What followed was that another militia gang leader in Ukum now went and joined forces with the Fulani militia gang in Taraba to help them eliminate the rival gang in Ukum that killed their leader, Alhaji Gana.
“The essence was to enable him to become the head of militias in Ukum. The combined forces of Fulani and Tiv militia gangs started moving into the bushes of Gbagir in their hundreds on Sunday to sack the gang that killed Alhaji Gana. On Tuesday morning, a bloody fight ensued.
“From what we gathered, over 45 persons, mainly bandits have been killed, though we have records of over 12 farmers who were caught in the crossfire. Over 30 others were injured, while some are also missing. We learned that the gangs are also evacuating some of their dead members.
“Sadly caught in the crossfire was a family of seven in Tse Adzandeh Mbasaa, Mbajiga, Ityuluv, Torov. They were all members of the Adzandeh family.
“The armed men have also spread to the bushes of Gbeji, Chito and Afia in their numbers but cannot move into the residential areas because of the timely intervention of troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS.
“In fact, when people noticed the movement of armed Fulani militia into Benue communities, the chiefs informed political leaders, who immediately briefed Governor Hyacinth Alia, who equally alerted the military for swift action.
“It was this timely response of the governor to the intel and the intervention of the OPWS that saved the people of Ukum LGA because we gathered that they planned to kill hundreds of people in Ukum as revenge for the murdered Fulani militia leader but it is their gang war, innocent residents have nothing to do with that.
“Over 1,000 of them have laid siege to Ukum LGA as we speak. That is why we are appealing to the military to save us before they wipe out our innocent families.
“We need more security posts in and around the area and we also appeal to the governors of Benue and Taraba states to team up and put an end to the activities of these cross-border criminals. They should support the military with logistics also.
“As we speak, these people are still in the bushes in Ukum, they have not moved back to Taraba. The Fulani militia are being supported by a Tiv militia group to eliminate another Tiv militia gang and as they fight, the innocent locals will be killed.
“There is an urgent need to protect the other three villages because we are hearing that the first phase of the attack is in Gbagir, while Chito, Gbeji and Afia might be next. We are also appealing for fortified military presence in all the Benue and Taraba border communities.”
20 corpses recovered – Lawmaker
Confirming the killings, the lawmaker representing Ukum state constituency, Ezra Nyiyongo, said 20 corpses had been recovered.
Efforts to reach the Force Commander of OPWS, Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, was unsuccessful but a military source confirmed the development.
The source said: “These are militia men killing each other. Yes, we acknowledge that some people may have been caught in the crossfire but the majority of the people that were killed were members of the militia gangs in the area.
“But be that as it may, our troops are in Ukum to ensure that the attack does not affect innocent people.”
Police deploy more personnel to area Contacted, Benue State Police Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Adesina, who also confirmed the development, said more officers were deployed to the area, adding that five corpses had also been recovered from the scene.
NASS leadership to meet Tinubu reiterates call for review of security architecture
Disturbed by the Benue killings and security issues across the country, the leadership of the National Assembly yesterday resolved to urgently meet President Bola Tinubu to find lasting solutions to the problems.
The National Assembly, particularly the Senate, also declared very disturbing, unfortunate and sad, the killing of over 50 people in fresh attacks on some communities in Benue State
It also urged the service chiefs and heads of other security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorists parading as herdsmen on communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala LGAs of Benue State to flush them out and restore normalcy to the affected communities.
The Senate called for a review of the security architecture in affected areas and investment in surveillance technology and equipment to detect and prevent future attacks.
It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to immediately mobilize relief materials for people displaced by these attacks in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala LGAs.
Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were sequel to a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (as amended) by Senator Emmanuel Udende (APC, Benue North-East), following the fresh attacks.
Moves to have an urgent meeting with President Tinubu by the leadership of the National Assembly on the unending security problems bedevilling the country came after exhaustive debate on fresh killings in Benue State.
According to the National Assembly, the planned meeting is to find lasting solutions to the mindless carnage in the land.
The proposed meeting with the President, and other resolutions which are coming after an earlier one by the Red Chamber, is to intimate him with reports of security summits in the 8th and 9th Assemblies as well as the far-reaching resolutions of its recent engagements with security chiefs.
Earlier in his presentation of the motion, Senator Udende lamented that no fewer than 50 persons had been killed in fresh attacks in the affected communities, adding that as of Tuesday, March 5, areas attacked include Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar, Menakwagh, Yiase and Agura, all in the Benue North-East Senatorial district.
He said: “The residents of the villages and communities now find themselves targeted daily by heavily armed terrorist herdsmen, and the toll continues to be staggering as they bear the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several villagers, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing, while the perpetrators, however, remain elusive and have not been apprehended.”
Senator Udende, who further lamented that the situation, in addition to the loss of lives and property, has already impacted negatively on the economic lives of the people and led to the shortage of farm produce, said despite public outcry and previous resolutions of the National Assembly as regards the criminal activities of these terrorists parading as herdsmen, there seemed to be no visible action on the part of the government to curtail, abate or stop their criminal activities.
Udende said: “The purpose of government is the security and safety of lives and properties in line with Section 14 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and there is a need to act urgently .“
In his contribution, Senator Osita Ngwu, Enugu West, advised the Federal Government to seek what he referred to as political or cultural solutions to solve the security problem, just as Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) expressed disappointment that despite huge budgetary allocations to security, there seemed to be little or nothing to show for it, blaming it squarely on poor oversight by relevant Senate committees.
He lamentably declared that he was already tired of coming to mourn the loss of innocent lives due to attacks by criminals.
In his contribution, Senator Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North), shared the thoughts of Aliero and said what Nigeria needs is a return to the basics, strengthen local communities and trust them enough to address the issues.
Former President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North), advised the Senate leadership to meet with President Tinubu, pointing out that huge budgetary allocations had always been made to the security agencies and they should ensure efficient service delivery.
Stop bandits’ attacks in 17 Katsina LGAs, Reps tell Tinubu
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to sustain pressure on criminals perpetrating violence and criminal activities in Katsina State and the country in general.
The call was a sequel to a motion of urgent national importance moved by Sada Soli at a plenary in Abuja yesterday
Moving the motion, Soli expressed concern about the devastating impact of banditry on the lives and livelihoods of the people of Katsina State, adding that escalating banditry attacks in the state had led to the loss of lives, destruction of properties and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children daily.
He said security agencies are yet to take immediate and decisive action to address the security challenges in Katsina.
The lawmaker called for an increase in the deployment of security personnel to the affected communities to combat banditry and restore peace and order.
He further explained that some gangs of armed bandits from neighbouring Kaduna and Zamfara states are making efforts to gain control over some communities in Katsina State.
Soli warned that Katsina State is on the verge of being overrun by criminal elements and urged urgent and decisive action to curb the activities of the bandits and restore peace to about 18 LGAs.
The House commended troops for the ferocious operations they conducted on March 4, 2024, in Kurfi and Safana LGAs of Katsina State, which resulted in the killing of two notorious bandits, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
The House urged NEMA and the Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation to urgently provide humanitarian assistance to the affected communities and support displaced persons in the state.
[Vanguard]
Macky Sall, President of Senegal, has announced March 24 as the new date for the presidential election.
Sall announced the date on Wednesday during a meeting with the council of ministers at the presidential palace.
The president also dissolved all members of his cabinet as his tenure will come to an end on April 2.
The presidential election was earlier scheduled to be held on February 25 but was indefinitely postponed by Sall 15 days before the commencement of political campaigns in the country.
He cited corruption allegations against two members of the constitutional council and problems with the candidate list as the reasons for the postponement of the earlier scheduled election.
The postponement received rejection from members of the opposition and several protests were staged to oppose the decision.
The opposition party viewed the postponement as “an institutional coup”, adding that it would extend Sall’s mandate beyond the constitutional stipulation.
This also led to the disconnection of internet service across the country.
In February, the Senegalese constitutional council, a body responsible for screening candidates for the presidency, declared the election postponement as “illegal”.
In a communique by the council of ministers, they stressed the need to ensure Sall’s mandate is not “reduced or lengthened according to political circumstances, whatever or the objective pursued”.
“After the transmission on the same day to the constitutional council of a referral, for opinion, on the conclusions, recommendations and proposals of the national dialogue relating to: (i) the setting of the date of the presidential election; (ii) the possible examination of candidacies for the presidential election; (iii) the arrangements to be taken upon the expiry of the mandate of the president of the Republic, on April 2, 2024,” the statement reads.
“The president of the Republic informed the council of ministers of the setting of the date of the presidential election for Sunday, March 24, 2024.”
Sall removed Amadou Ba who is currently contesting the presidential position under the ruling coalition as prime minister.
He appointed Sidiki Kaba, former minister of home affairs, as the new prime minister of Senegal.
[TheCable]
At least 24 states of the federation will not be able to pay workers salaries this year without having to wait for federal allocations from the central government, findings by The PUNCH have revealed.
Only 11 out of the 36 state governments of the federation can independently pay their workers’ salaries without depending on federal allocations, according to an analysis of the state governments’ approved budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.
The states with robust internal revenue are Lagos, Kano, Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara.
The approved budgets are also contained in Open States, a BudgIT-backed website that serves as a repository of government budget data.
While the budgets of 35 states have been made public, Rivers State budget could not be accessed neither has it also been uploaded the platform.
According to the analysis the budgets data, 24 states cannot fund salaries payments from their Internally-Generated Revenue and, as such, may have to rely on the Federal Government allocations or borrowing from banks and related institutions.
The development also means that the respective wage bills of the affected states surpassed their various IGRs, raising concerns about workers productivity and state governments’ efficiency in internal revenue generation.
The 24 states are Bayelsa, Ondo, Yobe, Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, Oyo, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Borno, Benue, Bauchi, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Abia, and Delta.
The development is coming amidst clamour for wage increase by labour unions at both the federal and state levels, following the rising cost of living on the aftermath of fuel subsidy removal and unification of the foreign exchange markets by the current administration.
The Nigerian Labour Congress has consistently maintained that if inflation continues to rise, the organised labour may have no choice but to insist on a new minimum wage of N1m for Nigerian workers. The government however has rejected the demand.
In the first half of 2023, state governments borrowed about N46.17bn from three banks to pay salaries between January and June 2023. The findings were based on an analysis of the half-year 2023 financial statements of Access Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank, and Zenith Bank Plc
The PUNCH observed that the states borrowed the most from Access Bank in six months, with a record of N42.97bn loan.
This was followed by Zenith Bank (N1.78bn borrowed) and Fidelity Bank (N1.42bn borrowed) within the six-month period.
In 2023, state governors got the most FAAC allocations in at least seven years. The rise in FAAC allocations to the three tiers of government especially states followed the petrol subsidy removal and currency reforms of the current administration. The reforms have reportedly led to a 40 per cent boost in income.
Experts believe the projected revenue increase should have reduced state governments’ appetite for more borrowings.
In an interview recently, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, claimed that state governments were borrowing to salaries in the past but the removal of fuel subsidies had put an end to such borrowing.
“Every governor in Nigeria is getting more money than we used to get. Before President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy, in Kaduna State, precisely in May 2023, we were borrowing to pay salaries but immediately after the subsidy removal, after paying salaries without borrowing, we had a surplus of money.”
However, despite the improved funding, no fewer than 32 states indicated plans to borrow N2.78tn from domestic and external institutions to fund their 2024 budget.
According to further analysis of the states budgets, the affected 24 states will spend N1.48tn on salaries in 2024, while they plan to make N914bn IGR. This means the states will need N566bn from either federal allocations or borrowing to complete the payment of salaries.
The breakdown of data shows that Bayelsa State with projected IGR of N23.9bn will need money to pay its workers N69.12bn this year. Ondo State with projected internal revenue of N33.6bn will also need extra money to fund its N56.76bn annual wage bill, while Yobe State will fund its N42.86bn wage bill from its projected IGR of N14.55bn and federal allocation or borrowing.
Sokoto is expected to pay N46.9bn salaries from its anticipated internal revenue of N37.1bn and partial funding from allocation/loan, while Taraba will obtain extra funding to pay its workers N54.47bn from its internal revenue of N27.8bn. Plateau with a projected revenue of N38.89bn must get federal government allocation o clear its wage bill of N52.25bn.
Also, the Oyo State will pay N132.67bn to workers after generating N92.79bn in its coffers. The state will need additional funding to complete this. Niger State with projected revenue of N61.87bn will need help to pay its civil servants N70.24bn while Nasarawa will pay its workers N54.45bn from its projected revenue of N43.3bn and another source.
Further analysis of the budget showed that states such as Kogi will pay its workers N65.07bn from its revenue of N30.23bn and federal allocation, while Kebbi will pay N37.3bn as salaries from its N17.8bn internal revenue and partial federal allocation. Katsina will spend N56.3bn on salaries from its N40bn internal revenue and federal allocation, while Jigawa will pay its workers N64.84bn from its revenue of N50.64bn and federal allocation.
Gombe must pay salaries worth N35.27bn from its anticipated revenue of N22.32bn and federal allocation. Ekiti will spend N2.78bn on salaries from its N1.5bn revenue and federal allocation. Ebonyi’s N28.16bn wage bill surpasses its revenue of N25.1bn, while Borno will pay its workers N50.28bn from its revenue of N27.5bn and federal allocation.
Furthermore, Benue State with revenue of N23.9bn will pay N56.9bn as salaries, while Bauchi must pay salaries worth N46.9bn from its anticipated revenue of N37.1bn and federal allocation; Adamawa will spend N52bn on salaries from its N26.9bn revenue and allocation; Akwa-Ibom will spend N127.8bn on salaries from its N60bn revenue and allocation while Delta with projected revenue of N110.3bn must seek assistance to pay its workers N164.3bn.
Also, Abia with a revenue of N32.14bn will pay N47.83bn as salaries while Cross Rivers with projected revenue of N34.7bn must seek assistance to pay its workers N67.75bn.
According to the budget data, the 11 states which have higher IGR will conveniently fund their combined 980.68bn wage will their internal revenue of N2.34trn
Experts speak
In different forums, financial experts have raised concerns about states’ spending on recurrent expenditure highlighting the need to embrace financial innovations.
A development economist, Aliyu Ilias, said many states had yet to fully develop themselves as industrialised and marketable to attract investors.
Ilias urged governors to develop an area of strength they could leverage to attract foreign investments.
He said, “Going forward, what they could do is to identify one area of strength. For instance, Bayelsa has oil and should be able to attract investments. I think it is about policy. They should give the policy a chance that would allow people to come and invest. They should also create an attraction and develop an economic summit that will make sure they showcase and attract investors.”
An economist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof Akpan Ekpo, also stressed that, “states have to think of new ways of increasing their IGRs. If they continue borrowing to pay salaries, it is not good for the economy.”
He urged the states to increase their revenue by increasing service delivery, which will attract more revenue.
Also reacting, the Managing Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said that the report indicated that a majority of states were not financially sustainable and were at risk of insolvency if there was no boost in investment.
He said, “This issue is a fiscal sustainability problem, showing that many states are not fiscally sustainable and need to work towards it; and that the states need to do a lot more to attract more investments to their states so that their level of dependence on the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee would reduce.
“Even as we speak, many of them are also in debt and by the time they pay salaries and service their debts, there is not much left to improve on infrastructure. It’s in the interest of the sustainability of the states for them to be more creative in generating more revenue and attracting more investment to their states so that they can generate more revenue.
“Secondly, we also need to address the issue of fiscal federalism because some of the states don’t have power over some resources in their domain and can’t bring investors into it. For instance, mining is controlled mainly by the federal government, you get permission from them and revenue is remitted to them. So we need to revisit the issue of restructuring to help states have more control over resources within their domain.
Continuing, the economist stated that the state governors should take a cue from the Federal Government to reduce its bloated staff and political appointees.
“Most of these states have heavy overhead and they have very bloated bureaucracy, political appointees and they are putting a lot of pressure on their resources, so they have to do some rationalisation on their staff, many of them don’t need more than 50 per cent of their workforce but for political reasons, they put all manner of characters on their payroll including the local government. They have to look at that and take a cue from the Federal Government on the Oronsaye report.”
[Punch]
In keeping with his dedicated efforts to remove obstacles to investments in Nigeria, harness the nation’s resources and diversify the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has executed Policy Directives to improve the investment climate and position Nigeria as the preferred investment destination for the oil & gas sector in Africa.
Following extensive engagements, analyses, and benchmarking with other jurisdictions, the President has initiated the amendment of primary legislation to introduce fiscal incentives for oil & gas projects, reduce contracting costs and timelines, and promote cost efficiency in local content requirements. Recognizing the urgency to accelerate investments, the President has directed as follows:
(1) Introduction of fiscal incentives for non-associated gas, midstream and deepwater developments.
(2) Streamlining of contracting process to compress the contracting cycle to six months.
(3) The application of the local content requirements without hindering investments or the cost competitiveness.
The details of these Policy Directives will be gazetted and communicated by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
These incentives were developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Petroleum, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy has been directed to continue coordinating the aforementioned stakeholders to ensure the implementation of these directives within a stipulated timeframe.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
March 6, 2024