Justice Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, struck out the charge against 19 Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators, following the withdrawal of the case.
The suspects are Ibrahim Jubril, Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Hassan, Adamu Isiaka, Ibrahim Abdulrahman, Jubril Hassan, Mohammed Isoaka, Mohammed Aminu and Adamu Ibrahim.
Others are Hassan Amadu, Salisu Hamidu, Mahmoud Mohammed, Murtala Usman, Hassan Yakubu, Abdullahi Kabiru, Ali Sadam. Ahmadu Yusuf, Abdullahi Hussain and Alhaji Sido.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy, unlawfull operation of forex trading as BDC operators without licence from regulatory agencies and deriving various sums of money from such unauthorised trading.
They were said to have committed the offence around Feb. 21, within the Lagos metropolis.
When the case was called, Mr Umaru Bello, from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Panti announced appearance for the prosecution.
The prosecutor, shortly after his announcement, informed the court that he seeks to withdraw the charge against the defendants.
He told the court that he received a call from his superiors in the office to withdraw the case.
He told the court that he would not be proceeding with the arraignment of the suspects.
Justice Allagoa accordingly, struck out the charge.
The police had earlier said that the offence contravenes the provisions of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to the country after a two-day State visit to Qatar at the invitation of the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Naija News had reported earlier that the Nigerian leader left the Presidential wing of the Doha International Airport on Monday morning and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the evening.
Tinubu, who arrived around 6:37 pm, was received on arrival by senior government officials led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Other officials who received the President include his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje; and Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) Yusuf Bichi.
During his visit to the Arabian nation, the President met with investors at the Nigeria-Qatar Business and Investment Forum in Doha on Sunday.
President Tinubu and His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, also presided over the signing of landmark agreements between Nigeria and Qatar.
Tinubu also witnessed the signing of various bilateral agreements concerning critical sectors of education, enterprise development, investment promotion, youth empowerment, mining, tourism, and sports.
Also, during the business/investment forum, he spoke to the Qatari business community about the vast investment opportunities available in Nigeria with an almost unbelievable return on investment, assuring them of his administration’s resolve to make Nigeria the best investors’ destination anywhere in the world.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is facing the difficult and challenging task of fixing the problems confronting Nigeria.
Shettima said the current administration has no plans of deceiving Nigerians or making life more difficult for citizens.
This was as he assured that the current economic challenges confronting the country would soon be over.
He spoke yesterday in Lagos during the 29th pre-Ramadan lecture organised by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni, UMA, with the theme, “Economic Reforms for Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects for the Future.”
Represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Vice President urged Nigerians to react to the current realities “in a responsible and mature manner.”
He said: “Yet, my brothers and sisters, we do not have the choice of continuing in the direction that brought us where we are today. We have to fix this country, and failure to do this is not an option. All the options we have are difficult and challenging, and they are, without a doubt, more telling on the poor. If there are easier and reliable alternatives to the policy choices we have adopted, we would have adopted them.
“Our administration does not plan to make the lives of Nigerians more difficult. Nor do we intend to deceive fellow citizens that the change in direction and the expected outcome can be achieved without pain or sacrifices.
“We are also acutely aware that ours is a set of related Nigerian problems, and the solutions we seek must be genuinely informed by a Nigerian context, not the experiences of others or the preferences of special foreign interests which are removed from consequences of mis-steps or errors of judgement.
“We expect that Nigerians should express their feelings over our circumstances in a responsible and mature manner. We are also a deeply religious people, and we believe in the powers of faith and prayers.”
[DailyPost]
The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, has disclosed that the state’s monthly rental scheme will be enforced before the end of 2024 or early next year.
She stated it during a recent press briefing of the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Ikeja, Lagos.
She said, “We all see what is being done in other climes, rents are collected monthly. Hence, we are looking and hoping that before the end of the year, or by early next year, we will be able to implement the policy of monthly rental. Also, the rental would be charged according to tenants’ earnings.
“The good part about it is that we would be test-running it first within the public sector since we can ascertain how much everybody is earning, and once we see that it works in the public sector, we can now push it out to the private sector.”
Odunuga-Bakare reiterated that the N5bn allocated for the monthly rental scheme was still set aside and untouched.
She added that the fact that the scheme was slow to take off showed that the Lagos State Government was still trying to perfect one thing or the other.
She noted, “The last administration that initiated the monthly rental scheme was coming to an end when the scheme was to be introduced. Now, we have a new administration and the governor wants the scheme to come into effect by the end of this year or early next year.”
Recall that in 2021, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had said the current rental model in which people pay yearly rent in advance to property owners has become inadequate to address contemporary realities in the housing sector, especially in cities where demand for property is high and expensive.
Sanwo-Olu advocated rental policy
The governor advocated a monthly rental system, which he said would be affordable to low- and middle-income earners pressured by the yearly rent obligation.
Sanwo-Olu made the recommendation at the 10th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development held in Lagos recently.
He urged policymakers to consider the suggestion and initiate a regulatory framework that would aid the transition to a new rental system.
The governor said Lagos was already working out monthly rent modalities to accommodate residents not keen on the state’s homeownership scheme.
He said, “In Lagos, we operate a very robust rent-to-own programme of five per cent down payment and six per cent simple interest rate payable over 10 years. We are working on another product, which is a purely rental system, where residents will pay monthly.”
The then Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, corroborated Sanwo-Olu’s position, stressing that the yearly rental system had created inequality in the housing supply and widened the affordability gap for low-income earners.
[Punch]
EFFORTS by the Federal Government to curb the rising inflation will lead to N5 trillion cash mop up from the banking industry as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN implements the hike in banks’ Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR to 45 per cent.
The CRR which represents banks’ cash reserves for purposes of meeting cash obligations on demand was moved from 32.5 percent to 45 percent in apparent bid to curtail inflation.
Meanwhile, Financial Vanguard learnt that the apex bank is now working with some foreign portfolio investors, FPIs, to address concerns over recent reforms introduced in the foreign exchange market as well as the 400 basis points hike in the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR.
This is one of the outcomes of a virtual meeting, tagged Foreign Portfolio Investors Call, organised in collaboration with NGX Group, which was addressed by the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Mohammad Abdullahi, and moderated by the Group Managing Director/ CEO of NGX Group, Mr. Temi Popoola.
While speaking at the meeting with FPIs in response to inquiries about the impact of the hike on banking system liquidity, CBN Deputy Governor Abdullahi said that the banking system has a shortfall of N5 trillion to meet the 45 per cent CRR.
He, however, said that the apex bank will not debit the banks N5 trillion at once adding that the apex bank will implement the new CRR in a way that will not be disruptive to the industry. He disclosed prior the MPC decision, the effective CRR for the industry was close to 40 per cent. He added some banks already have surpassed the 45 per cent CRR and they would be refunded the excess while banks with shortfall will have build up their cash reserves. Excess liquidity The estimated N5.0trillion which represented the outstanding system liquidity in excess of the initial CRR range is expected to impact the liquidity of many banks adversely.
Financial Vanguard learnt the decision to tighten came against the backdrop of deanchored inflationary trend which rose to 29.9 percent yearon- year, the highest since return to democracy in 1999. But financial analysts project the inflation rate would remain elevated in the near-term amid persisting exchange rate pressure, rising energy cost, and sustained fiscal imbalances. In defending the huge jump in MPR and CRR, the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, highlighted the disruptive impact of deficit financing to the Federal Government by Ways & Means, and also the direct intervention of the apex bank in the real sector which is estimated in excess of ¦ 10.0 trillion.
He also noted the structural inefficiencies within the foreign exchange market, and the need to collaborate strongly with fiscal authorities to effectively manage non-money factors. Analysts’ recommendations Commenting on this development, analysts at Afrinvest West Africa, a Lagos based investment house, said: “We suggest that in addressing inefficiencies, the apex bank prioritises the use of policy to minimise distortions and should remain focused on improving supply rather than countering the symptoms of illiquidity.
“In assessing impact on markets, we anticipate an immediate and strong bearish repricing of fixed-income yields especially on short-dated bills. “Furthermore, expectations of higher interest environment over the near-term coupled with liquidity squeeze amid costlier Standing Lending Facility (SLF) access should strengthen bearish sway”. Free entry, exit for FPIs Meanwhile, Cardoso assured the FPIs of free entry and exit from the forex market. He added that the focus of the apex bank is to ensure stability of the exchange rate and ensure reasonable price discovery. He also reiterated commitment of the CBN to achieving price stability adding that the MPC members are unanimous on the need to tame rising inflation and the 400 basis points hike in MPR is a strong signal to this effect. Cardoso assured the FPIs on policy consistency adding that the various measures introduced by the CBN in the forex market were product of extensive debate and strong conviction that is the right direction to go. Higher interest rates in TBs Speaking further at the meeting, Abdullahi assured the FPIs the CBN will from today review upward interest rate on Treasury bills, TBs, in tandem with the hike in MPR. He further disclosed that from today, the CBN will increase frequency and size of Open Market Operations, TBs, to expedite liquidity mop up and provide instruments for FPIs to invest.
Protocols:
Your Excellency Mr. Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON,
Your Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, OFR
Honourable Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Benjamin Kalu, CON
Your Excellency, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Your Excellency, Former President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR
Your Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, CON
Honourable Minister of Power,
Honourable Minister of Petroleum Gas
Distinguished Senate Committee Chairman for Power
Distinguished Senators,
Honourable Members of House of Reps
Your Excellency, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, CON
Honourable Members of House Assembly,
Honourable Commissioners,
My Partners and Financiers of the Aba Integrated Power Project,
My Lords Spiritual and Temporal
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of Geometric Power and other investors in this project, I welcome you to the commissioning of the Aba Integrated Power Project (Aba IPP).
Your Excellencies, this project is a child of necessity. It was born 20 years ago, when the desire of Aba Industrialists, including the small and medium scale industries, to have additional and good quality power supply, and our desire to contribute our quota towards increasing power supply in the nation converged. It became apparent to us that the best way to ensure that the Aba metropolis would quickly have reliable and affordable electricity was to build this autonomous power project to serve the Aba metropolis, with excess power delivered to the national grid. At the same time, the then World Bank President, Mr Wolfenson and the then Finance Minister who is now the Director General of WTO, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala came on March 17th 2004 to meet with the Aba Industrialists, including the Aba and Ariaria Manufacturers (SMEs). At the meeting, the Ariaria manufacturers were asked to identify their number one problem which if addressed would significantly improve their production; they unanimously said that it wass reliable electricity.
Your Excellencies, this convergence of desire for reliable electricity is what led us to this historic Aba IPP. At that time, our development partners from the IFC of the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) and I, wanted to find a business model for power development in Nigeria that was sustainable, that could stand on its own, and could be easily replicated by various investors in other major cities and industrial clusters in Nigeria. At that time, as of now, Nigeria could not afford sovereign guarantee for all of its power needs. We, therefore, developed a model of customized embedded generation that would not require Sovereign Guarantee. Consequently, we set about developing this integrated power project to satisfy the electricity needs of Aba metropolis at a time when the Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 was not yet enacted. Upon our request, the Federal Government concessioned Aba metropolis to us, to ensure security of the investment in the project and a big relief to the Federal Government on a sovereign guarantee. In line with the arrangement, we have built 141MW Power Plant with state-of-the-art equipment from General Electric (GE) and rehabilitated the entire distribution network in Aba. In addition to the Power Plant, we have built over 105 km of 33kV Over Head Lines within the Aba metropolis. You can see Your Excellencies, that the steel tubular poles used to build the 33kV line infrastructure is unlike any other in Nigeria. We have also built over 40km of new 11kV lines in Aba in addition to rehabilitating thousands of kilometres of sub transmission and low voltage lines. We have completed 5 new substations consisting of the Power Plant’s 3x60MVA Sub Station; four (4) brand new 2x15MVA substations at various parts of Aba town. In addition, we have refurbished the only three existing dilapidated Substations which we inherited as part of our acquisition of the Aba Ring-fenced Area from EEDC by building three (3) brand new control buildings with outdoor substation gantries within the premises of those existing sub stations. In order to ensure the reliability of gas supply, we built a 27km gas pipeline from Imo River to this Power Plant and built the gas infrastructure to support the supply of reliable gas to the Power Plant. To date, we have invested approximately US$800Million.
Your Excellency, Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this power project is now completed and ready for commissioning.
There are many people and institutions that have made today possible.
This project was initiated by the grace of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when he was President. He was gracious and visionary enough to approve the request which his then Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and I presented to him. He has continued to provide support to the project since then.
We thank Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her unwavering support for the project which has continued.
When the project’s only financial security which is ARFA was wrongfully sold by the BPE during privatization, it was President Buhari’s team of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, GCON and Minister of Power Babatunde Fashola, SAN that mediated an out of court settlement for the return of Ring-fenced Area to Aba Power but with refund of what was paid by the core investors in EEDC including penalties we had to pay on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Government of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima has also continued to support the project. Mr. Vice President just last week intervened to resolve a way forward on what was becoming a very dangerous issue for Aba Power. Prior to that, the Honourable Minister of Power had also intervened on another issue. We thank you Your Excellency, for making the time to come to commission this historic project.
I want to use this opportunity to thank president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, for giving me the opportunity to highlight the possibilities for sustainable power delivery in Nigeria. The work we did with the roadmap to the power sector reform and privatization was a paradigm shift that opened up huge investment opportunities that have yet to be fully tapped.
Various administrations in Abia State have over the decades provided support in their various ways and as needed. Starting from the administration of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, to Senator T.A Orji, to Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and the current administration of Dr. Alex Otti. Dr. Ikpeazu played an active role during our road shows with financial institutions in Nigeria and internationally. He was very unequivocal in eloquently communicating to potential investors in this project of the benefits of the Aba IPP to the State, and the numerous reasons why the Abia State Government will continue to support the project. In the case of the current administration, the Governor’s support started when he was the CEO of Diamond Bank, and to now as Governor of this State. He has been chief liaison for the project companies with various FGN agencies. The planning and execution of the commissioning has been seamlessly managed by the Government and the staff of Geometric Power. This relationship is critical for the success of a government and that of a private company operating within a State and which is an instrument of rapid economic development of the State. We thank Your Excellency for your support. We will continue to enlist Your Excellency’s support as we continue to serve the people of Abia State with reliable and affordable electricity. This is a partnership we cherish and would continue to build.
We started this project when Nigerian banks could not lend to the power sector. The sector was a NEPA monopoly. It was the concession granted to us by President Obasanjo that made it possible for financing consideration. Yet, it was only Diamond Bank with vision and wisdom of its founder, Dr. Pascal Dozie that saw the viability of this project and mustered the courage to lend to it. This move boosted the confidence of Stanbic IBTC which joined Diamond Bank. Subsequently, two FGN institutions helped the two banks to create more room to lend more funds to complete the project. AMCON bought part of the debt of the banks, while CBN through the Power and Aviation Intervention Fund managed by BOI provided further funds to the project of which the two banks took up the credit risk. We are forever grateful and proud of Dr. Pascal Dozie and these Nigerian financial institutions for the vision in doing what all the banks should be doing to ensure that major infrastructure projects can be undertaken. Diamond Bank’s successor Access Bank has continued to be a key supporter. In fact, if the then CEO Dr. Herbert Wigwe of blessed memory, the CEO of AMCON, the CEO of Stanbic Bank, CEO of BOI, and the CBN did not agree to the restructuring that brought in Afreximbank, this project would have died an unnatural death. I also use this opportunity to appreciate the CEO of AMCON for his steadfastness, encouragement, and integrity.
Much appreciation goes to Afreximbank and its President, Prof. Benedict Oramah. Again, it is the capacity to look through a rubble and see gold that I use to describe how Professor Oramah and his team evaluated Aba IPP that was stalled for several years. The bank has a first-class team that processed our facility. I cannot mention each person for fear of missing any important contributor. Please, just know that Afreximbank and its team are, and will remain very dear in our hearts forever. We like to recognize the professionalism of their Technical Adviser, Tetra Tech for doing an excellent job throughout the due diligence process and continuing.
We very much appreciate the key Federal Government institutions that have been and continue to be key success factors for Aba IPP. They include Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, TCN, NDPHC, GACN, NCP, BPE, and others.
We particularly want to thank the NNPCL, and its associated companies, NUIMS, and NEPL for their concerted focus in ensuring that the Imo River AGG plant is refurbished after many years of its being moribund. They have also continued to work towards ensuring that we have reliable gas supply. Thanks to the GCEO of NNPCL, the CUIO of NUIMS, the MD of NEPL and your various key officials who worked very hard at various levels to achieve today.
Now that this project is completed and being commissioned, the test of whether Nigeria can have reliable electricity is here. That test is partly about gas supply. We can guarantee that if we have reliable gas supply, we will provide reliable electricity to Aba metropolis. The onus is now on the Government to demonstrate that reliable power is possible in Nigeria by ensuring that this project gets reliable gas supply.
We would like to thank our power plant host community, Umuojima Ogbu of Osisioma LGA, the various host communities where we have our infrastructure spread over the nine (9) LGAs, the traditional rulers, the mayors, and all our customers in the metropolis. The last few months have been very challenging due to the inadequate supply of power from the grid. We thank you for your patience and pledge that we would ensure that we keep our promise of empowering the people by providing reliable and affordable power supply to Aba DisCo customers.
Your Excellencies, our team has worked very hard and made personal sacrifices to ensure that this project will be a success. We will forever remain grateful to them for their fortitude and endurance. In the last 20 years, we lost a few of them, and other pillars of supporters of Aba IPP. We pray for the repose of those heroes past. Their labour was not in vain.
Thank you, Mr. Vice President, thank you our Governor Otti, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let there be light in the mighty Enyimba City!
Thank you for listening
Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group) wishes to announce the listing of its subsidiary, Transcorp Power Plc (Transcorp Power or TP Plc) via listing by introduction on the Main Board of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), on Monday, March 4, 2024.
There will be a “Facts Behind the Listing” at NGX Group House at 2:45pm, where the Management of TP Plc, led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Ikenga, will provide information to Trading License Holders, Analysts, Press and Investors about the listing and the Company.
Following this listing, Transcorp Group will have two subsidiaries listed on NGX, demonstrating its commitment to creating value for the Nigerian public and catalyzing economic growth in Nigeria. Transcorp Group will continue to maintain a significant holding in Transcorp Power Plc.
Transcorp Power operates the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State, with an installed capacity of 972MW. At the time of acquisition, the plant had an available capacity of 160MW. Transcorp Power invested and increased the available capacity to 680.83MW (a 227% increase) within four years of acquisition, surpassing the 5-year target of 670MW set by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. Transcorp Power Plc is a member of the West African Power Pool and a participant in the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Market. Today, Transcorp Power supplies electricity to the ECOWAS Regional Market.
About Transcorp Group
Transcorp Group is one of Africa’s leading, listed companies, with strategic investments in the power, hospitality, and energy sectors, driven by its mission to improve lives and transform Africa.
Transcorp Group’s power businesses, Transcorp Power Plc and Transafam Power, provide 15% of Nigeria’s installed power capacity. Transcorp Group is committed to developing Nigeria’s domestic energy value chain, though its investments in OPL287. The Group’s listed hospitality business, Transcorp Hotels Plc, owns the iconic Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Nigeria’s flagship hospitality destination, and has launched digital platform Aura by Transcorp Hotels.
Signature of Authorized Signatory
Name of Authorized Signatory
Designation of Authorized Signatory
Chairman, Transcorp Power Plc, Emmanuel Nnorom
Managing Director/CEO, Peter Ikenga
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it successfully concluded a sale of government securities, issuing 1.053 trillion ($680 million) in short-term instruments.
The apex bank made this known in a statement on Monday by its acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Hakama Sidi-Ali.
The CBN said the sale, which occurred on March 1, 2024, was part of its liquidity management exercise.
In a statement on Monday, the regulator said the 500 billion offered at the open market operations (OMO) auction was oversubscribed, selling 1.053 trillion.
According to the apex bank, 79 per cent of the total bids, or the equivalent of $530 million, came from foreign investors.
It is understood that the Friday auction was the first since the CBN’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting, which was followed by a virtual meeting with foreign portfolio investors.
The bank said Olayemi Cardoso, its governor, used both meetings to set a detailed strategy to curb inflation, stabilise the exchange rate, and spur confidence in the banking system and economy.
At the meeting with investors, Cardoso was said to have further highlighted an outlook for sustained increases in the CBN’s foreign currency reserves, improved liquidity in the foreign exchange (FX) market, and imminent settlement of the remaining backlog of genuine FX transactions by the CBN.
“The CBN is committed to supporting price stability by taking the necessary measures to increase liquidity in the foreign exchange markets sustainably,” the governor was quoted as saying.
“Our focus is on building a fully functioning market that allows smooth entry and exit for investors.”
Immediate past Ondo Deputy Governor Hon Agboola Ajayi, has said that he would emerge victorious at the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) scheduled to hold next month.
Ajayi, who declared his intention to contest as Governor at a media parley in Akure, said he would protest if the primary were smirk of transparency.
Ajayi said his decision to govern the State was because he has the capacity and experience to keep ‘everybody busy.’
The former Deputy Governor promised to build a railway system to link coastal communities to Kogi State if elected Governor of the Sunshine state.
He said the State has no business to build a seaport but to provide infrastructure in the riverine communities to attract private investors to build the seaport.
Ajayi said he understood how to run the State without relying on monthly allocation from the federation account.
He explained that the planned railway to link Kogi State would reduce the number of heavy duty trucks on the highway.
Ajayi said he would not defect from the PDP if the primary were conducted in a transparent manner.
According to him: “I understand how Ondo State can be govern and everybody will be happy. I understand what we need to revive the economy of this state. I understand how to run the state without relying on federal government allocation. I can prove it to anybody. I understand where there is money in Ondo State.
“I understand how our elderly people can get what they are due for after retirement. I know how to engage the youths.
“I know how to secure the society and I know that the economy activity of Ondo is best in the construction of road to link the riverine areas. If we do that, we will decongest Lagos State.
“What they have in Lagos is a small portion of what we have in Ondo State. We have the longest coastline in the West Africa. We don’t need port Ondo for now. Private investors will come and do build the port if necessary infrastructure were put in place.
“What we need is to construct road to the sea. Agagu started it and the road terminated at Ugbonla. By now that road would have been taken to Ayetoro.
“If that road had been constructed, you will see more development and investors will invade Ondo State. Lagos State will be decongested. Somebody will come and build the Port.
“What is the business’s of Ondo to build seaport?We need the enabling environment for private investors to take over. We will continue to enjoy a safe economy.
“By the time we put all the aspirants together, asked other aspirants their manifesto. I read that they want to establish another university in this state.
“Can we run about five universities? I want us to have a better Ondo State. We are not surprised seeing people drifting from one party to another. We must change the narrative by having a government that knows how to unlock potentials in the state. How do we make use of the natural virgin environment God has given to us.
“We will open our coastal areas in Ondo State. I will construct rail from the riverine to Kogi State to link the federal government rail. We have the money. Government is a continum.
“I will revive all dead factories in the State liker the Oluwa glass factory. The raw materials are still there. We should be able to generate our electricity. I understand what can be done in Ondo to revive the state and make everybody busy.”
Speaking on the planned consensus candidate in the PDP, Ajayi said all the aspirants would have to agree on who pick as the candidate.
“Consensus can work if all the aspirants agree to it. If one said no, then there is no consensus. All of us must agree without a dissenting voice.
“It is when the party starts selling forms you know the real aspirants. Let us wait and see how many persons will obtain the form. I am above 50 and not desperate.
“I do not think the PDP will not promote transparency. They will not compromise. Once I enter and loose out in a transparent manner, I will support who emerged as candidate. If it is not transparent, we will protest.”
The Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, urged essential commodity traders to lower the prices of foodstuffs and goods, facilitating an affordable Ramadan for the masses.
He emphasized this appeal during the launch of the book ‘Dauloli a Kasar Hausa’ in Zaria, urging wealthy Nigerians to assist the less privileged during the holy month.
Ado-Bayero commended the publisher for detailing the Hausa Kingdoms in areas like Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Zazzau.
“They offered a clear explanation of the administrative system of governance deployed by each kingdom, their trades, norms and values,” he said.
Man Who Found and Returned Missing N100m Rewarded with Hajj Slot, Cash, and Bus
The book reviewer Ahmed Zaria of the Kaduna State University said the 356-page book has seven chapters.
Mr Zaria said the book provides a clear narrative and history of the Hausa kingdoms, their politics, administration, norms, and values from their inception.
He added that the book is a must-have copy for students and researchers in linguistics and history.
The don, who advised academics not to relent in research activities, lamented that some academics abandon research upon reaching the professorial cadre.
The publisher, Mr Gusau, said the book was an attempt to harmonise the written history of the Hausa Kingdoms, adding that most of the research at the universities was on a few kingdoms and not all.
Mr Gusau added that the book also attempts to support harmony and strengthen unity among the Hausa kingdoms and other Nigerians.
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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on Monday, explained why some telecommunications subscribers who previously linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs) have their mobile lines barred.
NCC spokesman, Reuben Muoka, said “people who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN” have been barred because “the earlier ones they submitted was not good”.
Muoka, who was on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme, said some SIM cards have verification and identification issues like disparity in information such names and other data.
“There are still some subscribers whose NINs are yet to be verified by NIMC and those have to also be corrected,” he said.
Many subscribers have complained that they had previously linked their NIN with their SIM cards years ago but the NCC official said some lines were barred because the information on the NIN did not tally with what the customers register with their SIM cards.
He said subscribers will have to visit the outlets of their service providers to validate their NINs and resolve other matters.
“For now, it requires those physical visits to the stations to get it verified and validated but in the future, we hope that this will be done virtually,” the NCC spokesman said.
The NCC had last week issued a directive to telecom service providers to bar subscribers who have failed to link their phone numbers to their NIN on or before February 28, 2024.
As of December 2023, Nigeria has over 224 million, according to data by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). MTN boast of over 87 million subscribers, representing 38.79% of the total market share, the highest in the country by any licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO). Globacom and Airtel have 61 million subscribers each while 9mobile has 13.9 million users.
Millions of lines were barred last week at the expiration of the deadline but the regulator’s spokesman said the NCC has been going through one deadline after the other since 2022 “to give extension for convenience but it is time to get to a closure”.
“Take it that everybody who has not submitted his NIN to the service providers have been barred. Actually, the service providers starting barring people many days to the deadline,” he said.
Muoka, however, said it will be difficult to tell the actually number of phone lines that have been barred but the NCC will do an audit before the end of the week as data are expected from service providers.
He said the NIN-SIM linkage has an objective which is to make Nigerians have digital identity to tackle security matters.
“The whole essence is actually to achieve the convenience that digital services and products will offer. By the time you have your identity together, you will be able to attend to a number of things. Even the banks are now asking their customers to link their NINs to their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs). It is actually to make a holistic package of all your digital services,” he stated.
Amidst the food price hike and economic hardship besetting the nation, the government of Ukraine recently donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in Nigeria’s northeastern region, a development which Mr Peter Obi has now described as disheartening.
The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the last election says it is while the gesture is laudable, it speaks volumes as to the failures of the nation to cater for its people.
In a thread posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Mr Obi asserted that this development underscores a national disgrace that “stems from years of leadership failure, necessitating urgent reflection and a reordering of our national priorities and resource management and allocation”.
According to him, this act of human solidarity testifies to a rare generosity of spirit of the people of Ukraine, one which obi says should earn them greater global solidarity.
However, the former Anambra State Governor stressed that a situation like this emphasizes vigorously the importance of sound political leadership as the first concrete requirement for any nation desiring to develop and enhance the standard of living of its citizenry.
In his view, it is disheartening that Nigeria which once was an economically confident nation, blessed with vast arable land and abundant natural resources, now relies on a war-torn Ukraine for food assistance.
Below is the LP presidential candidate’s full statement on Nigeria receiving aid in the form of food, from Ukraine.
UKRAINE DONATES FOOD TO NIGERIA.
Let me begin by sincerely appreciating the war-torn nation of Ukraine for their generous donation of tons of grains to Nigeria thereby aiding our current fight against nationwide hunger.
As laudable as Ukraine’s kind gesture is, it speaks volumes for us as a people endowed with all needed human and natural resources, that a country officially prosecuting a brutal war of national survival with its powerful neighbor, Russia, is generous and kind enough with their food supplies to help us who are officially at peace.
For the people of Ukraine, this act of human solidarity testifies to a rare generosity of spirit which should earn them greater global solidarity. It demonstrates our shared humanity.
However, a situation like this underscores vigorously the importance of sound political leadership as the first concrete requirement for any nation desiring to develop and enhance the standard of living of its citizenry.
It is disheartening that our once economically confident nation, blessed with vast arable land and abundant natural resources, now relies on a war-torn Ukraine for food assistance.
This national disgrace stems from years of leadership failure, necessitating urgent reflection and a reordering of our national priorities and resource management and allocation. Instructively, Ukraine, with a population of 43 million on 603,728 km2, outshines Northern Nigeria, covering 744,249 km2 with a young, energetic population exceeding 100 million.
In 2015, Ukraine’s GDP per capita was $2125, compared to Nigeria’s $2680. By 2022, despite being at war, Ukraine’s GDP per capita exceeded $4000, while Nigeria’s regressed to $2184. Ukraine cultivates over 60% of its arable land, whereas Nigeria has over 60% uncultivated arable land.
Despite the conflict, Ukraine feeds itself, and exports agricultural products worth over $ 25 billion which is about the same value as our crude oil export earnings, and it serves as a strategic global food supplier, even providing aid to a peaceful yet unproductive Nigeria.
To overcome this embarrassment, we must aggressively reorder our priorities by investing resources in productive sectors like agriculture. Addressing insecurity is crucial for farmers to return to their fields, enabling a productive manufacturing sector and supporting small businesses.
In 4 to 5 years, this concerted effort can reverse the current trend, leading us toward a productive and New Nigeria that I believe is possible and within reach.
In a bid to enhance regulatory measures, companies violating the newly instituted Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) policy in Nigeria now face substantial fines of N3 million for each offense, as disclosed by reliable sources.
The outlined offenses encompass failure to submit the EEL, non-registration of employees, corporate entities neglecting to renew EEL within the stipulated 30-day period, and the provision of false information on EEL submissions.
Introduced by President Bola Tinubu on February 28, 2024, the EEL aims to bridge wage disparities between expatriates and the Nigerian workforce while fostering increased employment opportunities for qualified local individuals within foreign-operated companies.
Under the policy, companies must adhere to stringent guidelines, with penalties ranging from N3,000,000 for failure to file EEL within the designated timeframe, register an employee promptly, or provide accurate information on EEL submissions.
Moreover, the handbook reveals that companies employing expatriates will be required to pay $15,000 for directors and $10,000 for other categories.
Issuing a notice, the Ministry of Interior declared the EEL card as a mandatory document akin to a passport, mandatory for expatriates entering or leaving the country.
Compliance with the policy is expected by April 15, 2024, as announced by the ministry on its official website. The EEL card holds significance for lawful exits and entries into Nigeria, emphasizing its pivotal role in the expatriate employment landscape
Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has challenged the federal government to confirm or deny if petrol subsidy has been restored.
During his inauguration on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy.
This development has worsened the living conditions of Nigerians, as the disposable income of citizens continues to decline due to inflation.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana said Robert Dickerman, chief executive officer of Pinnacle Oil, claimed at a conference in Abuja that the federal government still pays N1 trillion every month for petrol subsidy.
The human rights activist said instead of urging Nigerians to continue to endure the hardship caused by the removal of subsidies on petrol, the president should go public about the state of the economic policy.
“During his inauguration on May 29, 2003, President Bola Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidies and total deregulation of petroleum products. But at the recently concluded Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) held in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Robert Dickerman revealed that the Nigerian Government still pays N1 trillion every month for petrol subsidy,” the statement reads.
“Mr. Dickerman who made the disclosure while participating in a panel discussion disclosed that a significant subsidy is still in place, adding that this has contributed to the affordable price of the product and potentially fueling smuggling activities to neighbouring countries.
“On its own part, the World Bank has alleged partial return of fuel subsidy in a report presented in Abuja last December. In justifying its claim then, the World Bank said that based on the official exchange rate then, the petrol should sell for around N750 per litre and not the N650 currently being paid by Nigerians.
“Curiously, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited has not deemed it fit to deny the serious allegation that fuel subsidy has been restored. Since there is no provision for fuel subsidy in the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts, the federal government should, without any further delay, confirm or deny the serious allegation and end the opacity surrounding the importation of fuel from foreign countries.”
Falana also cited a February 2024 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advising the Nigerian government to completely phase out petrol and electricity subsidies in the country despite the president’s announcement.