The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Monday, said it has arrested a Nigerian importer, Boniface Ike, for offering $54,330 (N50m) bribe to officers of the Tin-Can Island Command of the Service over the seizure of two 40ft containers laden with illicit and dangerous drugs imported into the country from India.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Port, Compt. Adekunle Oloyede, stated that the unregistered pharmaceutical products, which were intercepted at the Lagos Port, were worth N550million.
According to him, the products didn’t have the required permits and certificates for importation, hence the illicit dangerous drugs were masqueraded as electrical appliances by the importer.
LEADERSHIP reports that the missing documents are to ascertain the safety of the products for consumption by Nigerians.
Compt Oloyede said, “The Tin-Can Island Command received a timely intelligence from the Command Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), on the suspected importation of illicit dangerous drugs (unregistered regulated pharmaceutical products) concealed in 2 by 40ft containers with Bill of Landing Nos 227578945 and 227898171. On arrival of the vessel in Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT), the containers (MRSU 592397/0 and MRKU 553432/1) were transferred immediately to the Enforcement Station for 100 per cent physical examination and further investigation.
“The physical examination was conducted on both containers by enforcement Officers, Customs Intelligence Operatives, Customs Police and Examination officers of the Terminal on Tuesday, 22 August 2023 at about 14:00hours and Wednesday, 23 August 2023 at about 13:00hours, respectively. The following were discovered: Container No MRSU 592397/0: The details on the Bill of Lading with No 227578945 stated the items laden were 1,016 packages containing Electrical Goods Ceiling Fan 36 Jewel (Cooper) and Chilly Cutters (Stainless Steel Plastic) but after examination, the container was found to contain 5 cartons of Timaking 120 Tapentadol (Tramadol) Hydrochloride Carisoprodol capsule. Each carton contains 50 rolls, each roll contains 5 packets, each packet 200 tablets.”
“The second containers, with no MRKU 553432/1; the details on Bill of Landing with number 227898171 stated the items laden were 1,021 packages containing Electrical Goods Ceiling Fan 36 Jewel (Cooper) and Chilly Cutter (Stainless Steel Plastic) but after examination the container was found to contain 10 cartons of Super Royal 225 (Tramadol). Each carton contains 50 rolls, each roll contains 10 packets, each packet 10 tablets.
“Two suspects have been arrested and are presently at the custody of the Enforcement Unit in accordance with the investigation process of the Service. One of the suspects in custody, Mr. Boniface Ike, accepted that he is the owner (Importer) of the two containers and sought to discuss privately with OC Enforcement, DC GI Aliyu and Team Manager, CIU AC H Abubakar.
“I instructed my officers to play along, the request was granted in expectation of receiving vital information from the suspect but to their bewilderment, the suspect pleaded for his freedom from detention and release of the containers while offering gratification to the tune of N50 million equivalent to $54,330 (at the current exchange rate N920). The money was collected and kept in safe custody at the Enforcement Unit to be tendered as exhibit.”
Compt. Oloyede, however, stated that persistent fraudulent nature of importers and agents has driven the Service to be more innovative in putting methods and measures to combat smuggling activities, block revenue leakage and ensure safety of Nigerians.
“The Nigeria Customs Service will not be a part of nefarious acts which will jeopardize the safety and lives of the citizens of our dear country, Nigeria, any fraudulent importer or agent who tries to perpetrate such acts will be prosecuted accordingly.
“The suspects, containers and the exhibit will be handed over to the Agencies that are in charge of regulation of such importation as soon as the Service directs and the Service may decide to prosecute according to the Service Act, Nigeria Customs Service Act (2023),” he added.
As part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in UNGA’s official schedule of activities, a statement by the Presidency said on Monday.
“To prevent any sharp practice in this regard, the US Mission in Nigeria is accordingly guided on official visa processing while Nigeria’s Permanent Mission in New York is further directed to prevent and stop the accreditation of any government official who is not placed on the protocol lists forwarded by the approving authority.
“By this directive of the President, all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies are mandated to ensure that all officials, who are approved for inclusion in the UNGA delegation, strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff partaking in the event.
“Where excesses or anomalies in this regard are identified, they will be removed during the final verification process.
“The President wishes to affirm that, henceforth, government officials and government expenditure must reflect the prudence and sacrifice being made by well-meaning Nigerians across the nation.”
The Police Service Commission has ordered four senior Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Moses Jitiboh, Hafiz Inuwa and Adeleke Bode to immediately proceed on compulsory retirement for failing to retire following the appointment of their colleague, Olukayode Egbetokun, as the acting Inspector-General of Police.
The PSC, however, approved the appointment of four Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Ibrahim Ka’oje, Daniel Sokari-Pedro, Ayuba Ekpeji and Usman Nagogo to the rank of DIGs pending ratification by the board of the commission to replace the retired DIGs.
The spokesperson for the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Monday, noting that the PSC gave the order in the exercise of its statutory powers pursuant to the Third Schedule, Part 1 M, para A&B of the 1999 Constitution, reinforced with Section 6 of the PSC (Establisment) Act 2001, para a, c, d, e, & f.
He explained that the order became imperative because the PSC had expected those DIGs who were seniors in rank prior to Egbetokun’s appointment as IG, to voluntarily retire, adding that such expected application was in consonance with the revered tradition of discipline and regimented culture of the Nigeria Police Force.
Ani said, “In the wake of the appointment of the acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on June 19, 2023 by Mr President, the Commission had expected in consonance with the revered tradition of discipline and regimented culture of the Nigeria Police Force that those DIGS who were seniors in rank prior to his elevation will voluntarily apply for retirement or elect to leave the Force.
“The Commission, having waited for ample time with no such application from any of them, took the decision to compulsorily retire them in order to uphold discipline which is the bedrock of the Force, and to discourage status reversal which is inherently inimical to the exercise of authority by the Inspector General.”
The newly appointed DIGs, who are without pending disciplinary matters and/or without any serious medical conditions and health impairments, according to Ani, were drawn from the same respective geo-political regions of the retired ones.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has urged Nigerians not to lose hope despite the hardships being experienced in the country.
The governor called on the people of the state and Nigerians in general to trust in God, as the country can only get better with belief and hope in the Almighty.
He said this on Sunday during an interdenominational thanksgiving service to mark the Midwest Referendum and 32nd anniversary of Edo State, held at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, the state capital.
The governor noted that the glory of the new Edo Nation stood on the threshold of transformation in the area of infrastructure, development, innovation, and inclusiveness to build a State where humanity thrives.
He said: “I appreciate all those who have created time to come and worship with us at the 60th Mid-West Referendum and 32nd anniversary of Edo State.
“We are here today to praise and thank God for what He has done for us as a people. Yes, things are difficult, times are hard, and the future looks bleak, but we must thank God, as it can only get better with our belief and hope in him.
“This morning, I am expected to make some declarations upon the State and the glory of the new Edo nation.”
He added: “Today marks a pivotal movement in our journey, a sermon to unite us in our collective efforts; the dawn of this new era has unveiled a horizon of limitless possibilities.
“It is both a responsibility and privilege to grasp this opportunity with unyielding determination.
“As we stand on the threshold of transformation, let us remember the dreams that ignited our hearts and inspiration that propel our endeavour; we are the architect of this emerging glory in our beloved State.”
The Katsina State government under the administration of Governor Umar Dikko has banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles at night across 19 Local Governments (LGs) to enhance security.
Nasiru Mu’azu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, made this known in a statement on Sunday, August 27, 2023.
According to him, the ban was from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. everyday.
He explained that the order affects local government areas fully affected by banditry and other related crimes.
“The order affects LGs fully affected by banditry and other related crimes,” Mr Mu’azu said.
He listed the affected LGAs as Sabuwa, Dandume, Funtua, Faskari, Bakori, Kankara, Danja, Kafur, Malumfashi, Musawa, Matazu, Danmusa, Safana, and Dutsinma.
“Also affected are Kurfi, Charanchi, Jibia, Batsari and Kankia,” he said.
“Members of the public must understand that the purpose of the order is for the restoration of permanent peace in the affected areas,” the commissioner added.
In a related development, six staff of a private security company deployed to the Rivers headquarters of Winners Chapel Church, at Kaduna street, D-line, Port Harcourt are now in police net for allegedly stealing and attempting to sell property of the church.
It was gathered that the security men were intercepted by men of PHALGA Security Watch when they were conveying the heavy iron rods and other church property to a place in D-Line where the items will be sold.
The Chairman of PHALGA Security Watch, Victor Ohaji in an interview with newsmen said he got intelligence at about 1 am on Sunday morning that the security guards of the church were conveying iron rods and other church property to unknown destination with a truck.
Ohaji said he and his men quickly mobilized to the scene and trailed the church security guards to where the property was about to be sold.
Mr Ohaji said though those invited to buy the stolen items on sighting them took to their heels, they were about to arrest the six security guards and retrieved the stolen items.
The vigilante group Chairman also disclosed that he and his operatives arrested Mr Chigbo at about 3am on Sunday morning while he was vandalizing a truck belonging to Rivers State Waste Management Agency(RIWAMA) which was parked in front of a church at IKoku axis of Ikwerre road.
The driver of the RIWAMA truck, Chijioke Ani told our correspondent that he parked the truck when the diesel in the vehicle got finished, but when he came back, the truck compacting component has been vandalized.
The truck driver revealed that he was alerted by residents that Mr Chigbo who vandalized the truck was apprehended by the PHALGA Security Watch and he went to Mile 1 Police Division where the suspect is being detained.
Our correspondent who visited the office of the vigilante operatives reports that Police Officers from Olu-Obasanjo Police Division came and took the six church security guards after Mr Ohaji alerted the Divisional Police Officer(DPO).
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the security guards, but indicated that the suspects were five.
The Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Koko confirmed the incident.
SP Koko disclosed that the five security guards have been conniving and selling the irods and were taking another batch sale in the early hours of Sunday when they were arrested by the vigilante operatives.
SP Koko further stated that investigations is ongoing
Residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Sunday reportedly invaded and looted a warehouse where palliatives are kept.
The warehouse located in Kpansia suburb of the state capital is where the 2022 flood palliatives were stored.
However, it was not confirmed whether the subsidy palliatives provided by President Bola Tinubu to states to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal are among the items looted by the hungry residents.
Confirming the invasion of the warehouse, the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, said the incident occured at about 7:45pm on Sunday almost an hour after the Director-General, Walamam Igrubia, alongside some BYSEMA personnel, left the warehouse premises, adding that during the 2022 flood in the state, the Agency used the warehouse to store food items.
BYSEMA in the statement condemns the action of the yet-to-be-identified persons that invaded the premises of a warehouse and also condemns the attempt to politicise the incident by opposition elements in the state.
Media
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged Nigerians with the change of attitudes, saying that Nigeria must make “difficult changes” to be respected in the comity of nations.
The president gave the admonition in Abuja on Sunday while declaring open the 2023 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the Velodrome, MKO Abiola Stadium.
According to Tinubu, even though initial reforms may be painful, Nigeria must be willing to take the hard steps to set the country on the path of growth.
“We cannot have the country we desire without the reforms we have initiated. It is painful at the beginning, in the short and medium term, but we must do what we have to do to take this nation to its great destiny. It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about our generations yet unborn, for whom we must bequeath a great and prosperous country,” Tinubu’s media aide Ajuri Ngelale’s Sunday statement quoted him as saying.
Tinubu, while lamenting Nigeria’s external debt servicing figure, described it as “unsustainable”.
“Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable. We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world,” the President added.
The former Lagos State governor equally told the gathering that Nigerians need to change their attitude to make the country great.
“You are learned. I want to learn. Why are we so blessed and we are still lacking? We must have a change of attitude and a change of our mindset. We accuse our nation and its previous leaders,” he said.
“We complain a lot of the past. Is that the solution? No! Let us look forward and be determined! God has given us what we need. We must work hard with determination to make our country great and it begins with you who are seated here with me.”
Niger’s junta seeks to strengthen its grip on power and prepare for possible regional intervention
AdminThe mutinous soldiers who overthrew democratically elected Niger President Mohamed Bazoum announced a raft of measures over the weekend that analysts say are aimed at strengthening their grip on power while preparing to defend against any military attempt by regional leaders to reinstate Bazoum.
The junta led by Brig. Gen. Abdrahmane Tchiani ordered the Nigerien armed forces to go on maximum alert over “threats of aggression to the national territory” and asked the military-led governments of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso to send troops to help defend them. It also issued a Monday deadline to the French ambassador to leave the country and held a rally to gather support to force French troops out.
France President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the country's ambassador will remain in Niger. Macron spoke out firmly against the coup leaders while insisting that France is not Niger’s enemy.
“Our policy is the right one. It depends on the courage of President Mohamed Bazoum, the commitment of our diplomats, and of our ambassador on the ground who is remaining despite pressure,” Macron told a gathering of French ambassadors in Paris.
Seidik Abba, a Nigerien researcher and president of the Paris-based International Center for Reflection and Studies on the Sahel, said the junta is trying to reinforce its position and rebuff attempts by West Africa's regional bloc, ECOWAS, to pressure the military government to reverse the coup.
“The risk of a war (between Niger and the regional bloc) is still pretty high,” said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. He said the junta is aligning with the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso in “a very strong anti-Western and pro-authoritarian orientation.”
ECOWAS has said it must reverse the coup in Niger to “halt the spiral of coups” in West Africa. At a meeting Saturday with Molly Phee, the top U.S. diplomat for African affairs, the bloc’s chairman, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, accused the Niger junta of trying to “buy time” after failed talks to reinstate Bazoum, who remains in detention.
“The ECOWAS consensus is that we will not allow anyone to insincerely buy time,” Tinubu said, adding that he has been holding the bloc back “despite its readiness for all options” that could include military intervention in Niger.
Before Bazoum's ouster last month, Niger, a former French colony, was seen as the West’s last major partner against jihadi violence in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert rife with anti-French sentiment. The cutting of ties with the French, as occurred after the military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, shows "a new world order that is emerging in the Sahel and in a way marks the end of the post-colonial state in a lot of these countries” colonized by France, said Abba, the Sahel researcher.
ECOWAS has not provided details of what a military intervention would look like, other than that it would be led by a so-called standby force. Mali and Burkina Faso are both battling with internal security challenges, while Nigeria, which also faces deadly violence, constitutes roughly half of about 450,000 combined military personnel in the bloc’s remaining 11 member states. Guinea is also among the countries that have sided with Niger.
The bloc is in a challenging position with the Niger-Mali-Burkina Faso alliance and with its past interventions often reliant on international support, said Allen with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
The coup leaders in Niger “are planning on staying in power for the long term," he said. “That is a typical pattern we have seen in military regimes ... they overstay their welcome often for a very long time.”
[ABC]
From Nigeria to the NFL, Chicago Bears OL Roy Mbaeteka hopes to continue his football fairy tale
AdminChicago Bears offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka has always considered himself a patient person with an ability to see the bigger picture. Thus, as he paced the sideline at Soldier Field during Saturday’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, he suppressed his restlessness with a double dose of football curiosity.
For 3 hours and 9 minutes, with the Bears running 59 plays on offense and 27 more on special teams, Mbaeteka waited to see if he’d get another brief opportunity for in-game action. But his call never came. He saw only two snaps across the entire month of NFL preseason games — as part of the Bears field goal team.
But why would Mbaeteka pout or check out when his education in the sport where he is trying to build a career remains elementary?
“I don’t like to dwell on negative thoughts,” he said. “Even standing there and watching, I’m still learning a lot about this game and observing other people to see how they operate. There’s a big learning curve for me.
“Do I want to be out there? Yes. But I still believe that on this journey, there will be perfect timing.”
Maybe now is the perfect time to mention Mbaeteka’s entry into football came just a little more than five years ago — in his late teens in Nigeria as he and others interested in the sport practiced with rudimentary understanding picked up through YouTube.
Maybe here is the spot to emphasize Mbaeteka has played in only four football games. In his life. At any level. (And they have all been in the NFL preseason.)
Maybe this is where we pull back the curtain on Mbaeteka’s trek through the league’s International Player Pathway program and wonder whether this driven, humble, curious 6-foot-9, 320-pound giant has a real chance to take what has already been a dream and turn it into a riveting fairy tale.
“I take my journey as it comes. Day by day,” Mbaeteka said. “This is all part of a bigger plan.”
Mbaeteka wasn’t exactly all-in on the day his football journey truly accelerated. He was just being agreeable in the summer of 2021 when a buddy, Sodiq Muhammed, urged him to come along to the Uprise camp in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
Mbaeteka was 20 years old, living in Lagos and pushing to figure out what he was going to do next. For three years, he had pursued basketball. And why wouldn’t he? He had rare size plus attention-grabbing dexterity and grace. Yet no matter how much talent he possessed or how much promise he showed, every time he attended a camp with hopes of making a life-changing breakthrough, he’d fall just short.
“There was always something, some reason,” Mbaeteka said. “I was always getting right to the finish line but never getting across.”
So Mbaeteka wasn’t expecting anything momentous when he agreed to drop in at Uprise, the talent-discovery stage that former New York Giants standout and fellow Nigerian Osi Umenyiora had set up in Abuja. Mbaeteka certainly wasn’t expecting to essentially teleport to the NFL, where he broke in with the Giants last season and is now looking to further his career with the Bears.
When Muhammed urged him to attend Uprise, he was simply agreeing to take a swing. First, though, Mbaeteka and his friend needed to navigate the 470 miles from Lagos to Abuja. They had no vehicle and limited funds, instead leaning on a “What the heck?” spirit when they decided they’d somehow hitch a ride.
“Mind you,” Mbaeteka said, “this was immediately after the COVID-19 lockdown had lifted. Nobody was giving anybody a ride.”
In some respects, Mbaeteka resigned himself to the most likely outcome.
“In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘I’m just going to stand here by the road for a couple hours and when nothing happens I’ll go back home.’ Just making it look like, ‘Hey, I gave it a shot.’”
Nevertheless, at a gas station in Lagos, a stranger noticed Mbaeteka and Muhammed lingering — each with just a lightly packed travel bag — and was genuinely curious about what they were up to. The man was a fan of American football and headed in the direction of Abuja, offering to take Mbaeteka and Muhammed most of the way.
The ride? Just a quick 11 1/2-hour field trip — full of dreams and imparted wisdom. “Fatherly advice almost,” Mbaeteka called it.
“It was almost like he was sent to us,” he added.
When the driver reached the end of his trek, he dropped the two football hopefuls off and gave them money to grab a bus for the rest of the way.
At the Uprise tryout, Mbaeteka caught the eyes of Umenyiora and co-director Ejike Ugboaja, showing enough athleticism and promise to receive his proverbial golden ticket. That was it right there, the twist of fate that gave Mbaeteka his invitation to the NFL’s International Combine in London which then pushed him on to a 10-week training program in Arizona as part of the International Player Pathway program.
From there, he received his first professional contract with the Giants, spending 2022 on the team’s practice squad before re-entering the NFL’s IPP and being assigned to the Bears in May.
At this point, Mbaeteka projects as a 10,000,000:1 long shot to make the 53-man roster by Tuesday’s deadline. Even that might be generous. More likely, he will be asked to see general manager Ryan Poles in the next two days and told he is being cut. Still, there is a strong possibility his fall will be cushioned with an invitation to the practice squad this week.
“Hopefully,” Mbaeteka said.
The Bears essentially hold a no-risk exemption with an extra practice squad spot as part of the league’s International Player Pathway program guidelines.
Offensive line coach Chris Morgan is eager to continue aiding Mbaeteka’s development. “Every day he’s just, ‘I’m going to get a little bit better. Every day I’m going to gain a little more understanding.’ He wants to learn,” Morgan said.
That’s been part of the book on Mbaeteka since he began this journey two-plus years ago, fueling the ride with intelligence, focus and diligence. Combine that with his size, length and agility, factor in his lack of playing experience, and it’s easy to imagine what he could one day become.
“Like, Roy has not played football,” Morgan said. “So yes, there’s a lot of regard put into that, seeing where he’s at with absolutely no track record. It’s pretty impressive when you think about it.”
A year ago, former Pro Bowl offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley, now the NFL’s senior adviser of player performance and development, called Mbaeteka “by far the most physically advanced athlete I’ve worked with at his current stage of growth and development.”
Through that lens, Mbaeteka’s rise over the past two-and-a-half years remains staggering.
“My knowledge is now miles from where I started,” he said. “But I still have a million miles to go.”
He laughs when he reflects now on how surface-level his YouTube introduction to the sport was.
“We would do drills based on what we watched. But it was completely simple. We never went into game concepts. It was more, ‘This is pass blocking. This is run blocking.’ It was just entirely a broad concept thing, like ‘Just run and block that guy.’ And all the defensive guys did was come at you or bull rush or try to beat you (around the edge). Everything was made simple.
“It’s different playing checkers than it is playing chess.”
Now, as Mbaeteka continues to understand and embrace the complexity of the game, he has understood why the Bears have limited his exposure to game action.
“As much as I want to be out there,” he said, “I don’t want to jump in when I’m not ready yet and then butcher things up for everybody else.
“This is a true team sport. And if I’m not ready to help my team, I’m just going to be a loose end that is messing with the whole thing.”
That’s been part of football’s draw to Mbaeteka, the way everything must fit together for success to materialize. On Saturday, as he again played the role of observant onlooker, Mbaeteka found himself marveling at his teammates.
“I appreciate the level of effort,” he said. “It’s amazing watching a bunch of guys go out there and play for something bigger than themselves. Every time I watch, I see these guys playing in a way where they’re making sure the person next to them can do well also.
“It’s always amazing. Every time I see that, I say to myself, ‘Man, I really want to do this. I really, really want to do this.’”
Mbaeteka will continue trying, hoping this week the Bears will further his opportunity for another developmental season that will be, in so many different ways, dizzying.
“I don’t think my head will ever stop spinning throughout this journey,” Mbaeteka said. “That’s fun for me. I don’t think I want it to stop spinning. I want everything to keep happening like this is a big story. And with every step that passes, a new chapter is unfolding.”
[chicagotribune]
President Bola Tinubu spent the months since his victory at the February 25 election setting clear goals for each sector in the country and will not tolerate failure from either of his recently inaugurated ministers, presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said Monday.
“The President has set the benchmarks,” the Senior Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity noted on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“The question now is about enforcements and the President has shown, as he did during his time in Lagos State as governor, that he is not someone that is afraid to fire anybody.
“He is not somebody that is afraid to levy quick sanctions to ensure that they get the results that he wants ’cause, ultimately, if this administration fails, they will not say a minister failed or a set of ministers failed. They will say President Bola Tinubu failed, and he will not accept failure.”
According to Ngelale, the President used the interim period between his emergence as the president-elect and his inauguration on May 29 to set up “a series of reform committees across all the sectors”.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale appears on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, August 28, 2023.
“[Tinubu] basically looked at exactly what His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has achieved and said, ‘This is what we want to do to build on all these achievements,” Ngelale explained.
“We’re going to effectively implement a plan within a certain amount of time based on time-based benchmarks that when a minister has come in, we would be able to measure their performance against.’
“Every minister coming in absolutely knows what they have to achieve within the time frame that’s been given to them by the President and that’s something in the history of Nigerian governance we’ve never seen before.”
More...
President Bola Tinubu has convened the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of his administration at the State House in Abuja.
The meeting comes 92 days after his official inauguration as Nigeria’s 16th president on May 29, 2023.
The meeting is taking place on the heels of the recent swearing-in of 45 ministers as members of Tinubu’s cabinet and is being attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, among others.
The FEC meeting serves as a platform for the president to share his plans and receive expert advice and diverse perspectives from his cabinet members.
The president is expected to use the inaugural FEC meeting to set the agenda for his administration and to outline his priorities for the country in terms of policy direction and approach to various challenges facing the nation.
The areas will range from the economy, security, infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and foreign policy.
In terms of the economy, Tinubu is expected to give his ministers and other aides a detailed presentation on his plans to address the country’s economic challenges and the impact of the recent removal of fuel subsidy, among others.
Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia) has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu as a gift to the people of South Eastern Nigeria.
Ogah, a member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia in the House of Representatives, made the appeal in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the insecurity in the South East region is due to the prolonged detention of the proscribed IPOB leader; the president should release him as a show of love to N’digbo.
Ogah said Kanu’s release would expose criminal gangs using the detention to cover their act of terrorism in the South East.
He noted that the president had done so much, but added that the only point of disagreement was the issue of giving only five ministers to the entire South East.
He appealed to the president to balance it, to show he really loved N’digbo as well as release Kanu, so that insecurity in the South East would reduce.
“The issue now is that we don’t even know those who are behind the insecurity in the South East.
“IPOB will tell you they are not the one, Eastern Security Network will tell you they are not involved.
“But some will say the reason is because they are holding Nnamdi Kanu. So my prayer to Mr. President is that he should give him (Kanu) to us as a gift,” he said.
Tony Elumelu, CFR, Chairman of United Bank for Africa Plc has emphasised the need to empower the private sector to transform Nigeria.
He made this remark at the 63rd Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) held on Sunday 27th, August 2023 in Abuja. He said:
- “Transforming Nigeria is a journey that demands our collective dedication, building across political affiliations, ethnic differences, and socioeconomic differences.
- One that is not the responsibility of our government alone. Great nations start with great people, not just great leaders.
- Our private sector, our philanthropies, our civil society, all citizens must be brought together and be empowered – as real, valued and executing partners for this national renewal, this nation building.”
Elumelu also talked about the need for youth empowerment in aspects of entrepreneurship citing the work of Tony Elumelu Foundation in championing this cause. He stated:
- “Investment in our youth – we need to renew our commitment to our youth, provide them with the means to succeed in Nigeria – not beyond Nigeria. This means not just investment in our education system but in our entrepreneurial culture.
- Nigeria is a nation of entrepreneurs – you know me as an investor and champion of entrepreneurs – I know the social and economic returns entrepreneurship creates.
- Let us create a joined-up government task force to champion at the highest level, our young and our entrepreneurs. When entrepreneurs succeed, we succeed as a nation. If they don’t, we all fail.
- In my engagement with fellow private sector leaders, my message is simple: We must see ourselves as the engine of innovation, the source of investment, and the creators of jobs. This is exactly what we have achieved at the Tony Elumelu Foundation.”
In terms of private sector investment, Mr Elumelu also gave insights on how the Federal Government can further improve the power sector. He spotlighted Transcorp Group’s TransAfam Power Plant’s 1000MW capacity.
- “Let us invest in our power sector – let us create regulatory structures that reward success, that deliver to our people, our schools, our hospitals and our industries, the sustainable, robust power supply that our country so urgently needs.
- “Is it not ironic that a country with abundant gas resources cannot optimally operate its power plants due to a lack of gas?
- “I have seen, the beginnings of what we can do. Let me give you an example: The TransAfam Power Plant that belongs to Transcorp Group has an installed capacity of 1000 megawatts.
- “The Federal Government of Nigeria made a significant investment to acquire 240 megawatts of fast power turbines from General Electric (GE).
- “For context, 240 megawatts of electricity can power about one million homes in Nigeria.”
Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other senior lawyers yesterday spoke in unison on the controversy that trailed the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, by President Bola Tinubu.
According to them, there is no iota of illegality in her appointment.
There has been controversy over her appointment, with many claiming that Musawa cannot be appointed as minister while still undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
A senior official of the NYSC had confirmed that the minister is a serving corps member.
Musawa was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu about two weeks ago.
Shortly after her inauguration, some Nigerians disagreed with her appointment, saying she can’t observe her mandatory one-year youth service programme and still serve as minister of the federal republic at the same time.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Abdul Balogun (SAN), said no law under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria bars her from taking up appointment as a minister while observing youth service.
According to him, there is nothing illegal about her appointment.
He said, “There is absolutely nothing illegal in the appointment of the minister. She can serve as a minister and at the same time observe her youth service. For me, I don’t think any issue should be made out of her appointment. If this controversy is allowed to linger, it will amount to distraction for the minister and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) where she will be serving. I think we have more issues to deal with than this because there is nothing to debate about on this, the 1999 Constitution is clear on this”.
Another learned silk, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), maintained that the controversy over Musawa’s appointment was unnecessary because appointment into a political office is a call to service and should not be seen as employment for personal gains.
Adegoke said the appointment is a continuation of her duties as a youth corps member under the Act and should not attract any remuneration beyond what is payable to an average youth corps member until the expiration of her period for youth service.
The rights activist said, “The NYSC Act, in Section 12 thereof, requires every prospective employer to ask for the certificate of discharge or exemption of any person who is eligible for youth service under the Act before such a person is offered employment.
“It means that no person shall be employed without producing such a certificate as required by the Act. However, the provision in this regard does not mean that no person can be appointed into a political office without having completed the youth service.
“Appointment into a political office is a service that cannot be seen as employment for personal gains. It is this wrong perspective that an average Nigerian harbours that makes us to be thinking that a political appointment should be seen as a career or an opportunity for self-enrichment like an average employment.
“I do not subscribe to the criticism of the appointment of Hannatu Musawa in this regard. Do we see the appointment of a minister as an opportunity to serve the nation? Hannatu should be regarded as carrying out her obligation to serve the land since she had enrolled for youth service before the president appointed her as a minister.
“She was already undergoing the youth service before she was appointed. The appointment in this regard should be seen as re-deployment from wherever she was serving before.
“It is a continuation of her duties as a youth corps member under the Act and should not attract any remuneration beyond what is payable to an average youth corps member until the expiration of her period for youth service.
“The only instance in which she could have committed an offence contrary to the NYSC Act is if she had claimed that she had completed youth service before her appointment as a minister.
“I believe that rather than creating a storm in a tea cup, this matter should be treated as stated herein,” he maintained.
In his view, a retired lecturer, faculty of law, Lagos of University, Prof Gbenga Ojo, said the legality of the appointment is debatable.
Ojo said on whether it is lawful or not, it is a debatable point.
“It is unprecedented but I don’t think that it is unlawful. It is an appointment and not employment. The condition precedent to getting employment in Nigeria is that you must have completed the one-year mandatory youth corps service to the nation. That is the law.
“Though it can be argued that this is appointment at the prerogative of the president and not employment and, therefore, not within the contemplation of the law.
“The draftsman would not have contemplated that a serving member of the programme will be appointed as a minister or given any appointment for that matter.
“It might be difficult for her to get employment in the future unless she goes back to complete the programme by which time, she will not be eligible. It is a youth programme for graduates of 30 years and below.
“Furthermore, she definitely does not have any experience at all. If she must be appointed, it should a special adviser and not even senior special adviser. How she passed through the screening by the Senate is difficult to understand.
“If it is to appeal to the youths, there are other youths with experience. It is not right. To think that nobody or organisation has raised this issue before now is another disturbing issue.
“On whether it is lawful or not, it is a debatable point. It is unprecedented but I don’t think that it is unlawful. It is an appointment and not employment,” he said.
On his part, Ahamed Raji (SAN), said there appears to be some fine distinction between being employed and being appointed.
The learned silk stated: “Discharge certificate may be a condition for employment. I am not sure (and of course barring any misrepresentation), the discharge certificate may be a condition for appointments.
“It is however doubtful if some appointments can be combined with service. Where such may not be combined, the lesser one may be suspended”.
Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mahmud S. Abdulahi, said once she meets the pre-conditions in Section 147 of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, Section 147 (5) of the 1999 Constitution says, “No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.
“Section 106 of the 1999 constitution says you must be a citizen of Nigeria; you must have attained the age of 25 years, and you have been educated up to at least a school certificate level, or its equivalent. You must be a member of a political party and you must be sponsored by that political party.
“The question to ask at this point is, did she meet all these conditions? If she meets all these conditions, then, no reason to raise any issue about her appointment.”
Another senior lawyer, Barrister Paul Ezemadu, said wondered why Nigerians love to raise unnecessary controversy.
“I dare say that the controversy over the minister’s NYSC status is out of joblessness or idleness. Some persons just want to make issues out of nothing. There is no issue here. The minister is eminently qualified for the appointment”, he said.
Also, a constitutional lawyer, Barrister Audu Belau, called on the minister to ignore those calling for her sack’ saying it is a distraction which she should not allow.
“It is not enough to call for a public officer’s sack. You should look at the law backing the appointment of such public officers before talking.
“My advice for the minister is to ignore those noise about her status as regards NYSC and concentrate on the work she has been appointed to do”, Belau said.
Musawa Debunks Statement On NYSC Status
Meanwhile, the minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Barrister Musawa, yesterday refuted claims circulating in a piece titled: “My Personal Statement on My NYSC Status as a Serving Minister.”
The minister clarified that the piece inaccurately associated her with the ongoing discussion about her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) status.
The minister, in a statement signed by the deputy director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna, yesterday in Abuja categorically stated that she has not issued any official statement on the matter in question.
She urged the public to exercise caution and refrain from spreading unverified information.
Expressing gratitude for the support and understanding of the Nigerian people during this time, Barrister Musawa reiterated her position, saying, “I deeply value and appreciate the support, solidarity, and understanding of Nigerians in these times. For clarity, I wish to state that I have not issued any statement on the current issue.”
The minister added that she has not released any official statement regarding the aforementioned matter and kindly asks the public to be cautious of unverified information.