President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, met with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim Chukkol.
The meeting comes about a month after he suspended the chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who has since been detained by the Department of State Service (DSS).
No information was released on the closed-door meeting, which took inside the president’s office.
Bawa had been directed to handover the affairs of the anti-graft agency to Chukkol who is the Director of Operations in the commission.
With effect from July 24, Nigerians will now pay more for bread as the Association of Master Bakers & Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) has announced an increase of 15 percent on all its products.
This is as respondents on Wednesday decried the planned increase on price of bread, saying they are already going through enormous hardship following the removal of fuel subsidy. They asked President Bola Tinubu to assuage their condition with people-centric policies.
The association in a statement on Wednesday jointly signed by Alhaji Mansur Umar and Hon. Jude Okafor, the National President and National Secretary, respectively, stated that the decision was agreed upon after the National Executive Council extraordinary virtual meeting.
The association said that the decision was taken due to the multifarious increases on the prices of baking materials, flour, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, twist tie, petrol, diesel (occasioned by subsidy removal), multiple taxations from federal and states agencies including Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), EMBLEMS, local government authorities fees and levies, consumer protection council, among others.
According to the statement, “We critically assessed the state of our business operations, consequently resolve that the recent general increases on our factors of production including but not limited to additional N1.2 million on one truck of flour (N2,000 per bag), N3.6 million on one truck of sugar (N6,000 per bag); yeast, additional N2,000 per carton; fuel from N205 to N550; diesel, N650 to N700 (depending on the part of the country), multiple taxations from Federal Government regulatory agencies, state government tax agencies, state government emblem collectors, state and local government health agencies and other taxing agencies too numerous to mention here, continuous collection of now heavily increased wheat levy (which is now diverted to other uses other than the objective for establishing it).
“Charge of all manner of levies on flour millers that is finally transferred to bakers; it has now thrown a great number of our members into unemployment market and still counting.”
The statement further states that “effective July 24, 2023, as an interim measure, all members of AMBCN are hereby advised to adjust their prices by 15% (in consonance with the now heavily increased cost of factors of our production) across the board as we can only produce standard baked products in accordance with NAFDAC regulation as we cannot sacrifice the health of our fellow country men and women on the altar of breaking even point by resorting to unhealthy practices pending further resolutions.”
The association thereby called on federal and state governments to intervene urgently and save the industry from total collapse.
The association directed that all zonal chairmen, state chairmen and local chapters’ chairmen should commence full scale mobilisation towards implementation of the interim resolutions and await further directives from the national secretariat.
“We sincerely appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our numerous customers nationwide as they grapple with the extra burden placed on them with the imminent increase and promise to revert back should there be significant governments interventions”.
The total number of issued Bank Verification Numbers rose to 57.96 million as of July 3, 2023, according to data obtained from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
This was as the Central Bank of Nigeria planned to the close bank accounts without BVNs. According to the NIBSS, the increasing incidents of compromise on conventional security systems (password and PIN), had increased the demand for greater security for access to sensitive or personal information in the banking system.
It stated that in recent times, biometric technologies havd been used to analyse human characteristics as an enhanced form of authentication for real-time security processes.
It stated that BVN gave a unique identity that could be verified across the Nigerian banking industry (not peculiar to one bank), and ensured that customers bank accounts were protected from unauthorised access.
It said, “It will address issues of identity theft, thus reducing exposure to fraud. The BVN will enhance the banking industry’s chances of being able to fish out blacklisted customers.”
It noted that the BVN is an acceptable means of identification across all Nigerian Banks. Since launching in 2014, 57.96 million Nigerians have now got BVNs. Data from NIBSS indicated that there were 133.5 million as of December 2021.
According to the apex bank, BVN is part of its overall strategy of ensuring the effectiveness of the Know Your Customer principles, and the promotion of a safe, reliable, and efficient payments system.
As of December 26, 2021, there were 51.7 million BVNs. Recently, the CBN, through its Director, Risk Management Department, and Chief Risk Officer, Blaise Ijebor, noted that the CBN was working to remove accounts not linked to BVNs from the financial system.
According to him, this was to clean up the sector and reduce the growing incidence of fraud.
A recent report by FITC revealed that bank customers in Nigeria lost N472m to fraud in the first quarter of 2023. It noted that there was a total of 12,553 cases of fraud recorded within the three months.
Recently, the CBN said that it had placed 6,047 BVNs of bank customers under a watch list for fraudulent transactions. It stated that the number of BVN-linked accounts was 130.57 million out of 148.46 million active accounts.
It disclosed this in the CBN Financial Stability June 2022 report published in December 2022. It said, “The number of accounts linked with BVNs was 130,569,656 out of 148,462,947 active customer accounts, while the number of watch-listed BVNs associated with fraud and deceased persons stood at 6,047 and 11,871, respectively.”
A subpoenaed witness from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) called by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party(LP), Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, has told the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Enugu that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted to the commission by the Enugu State governor, Dr Peter Mbah, was certified by the NYSC.
The witness, Mr Dimas Friday Emmanuel, while under cross examination by Mbah’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), averred that Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate was forwarded to the NYSC for authentication, stressing that the NYSC certifies only a document emanating from it.
Olanipekun had said to the INEC witness, “Have a look at Exhibit EPT01/A, B, and C, particularly the NYSC Certificate there, that Certificate which you said Mbah forged was certified by the NYSC”, to which he replied in the affirmative.
“Am I correct to say that NYSC can only certify a document in its possession and a document emanating from the institution?” Again, he said “Yes”.
On further cross examination by the counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN), the witness, who is a legal practitioner, also admitted that Mbah’s NYSC Certificate carried a stamp of the NYSC, certifying the document.
“Look at Exhibit 08A and B, there is an NYSC Certificate, it carries a stamp of NYSC, certifying that document”, Iziyon had asked, to which the witness answered “Yes”.
The witness further confirmed that the name on the said certificate was Mbah Peter Ndubuisi, that it was dated 6th January 2003 and that the certificate number was also A808297.
Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate has been a subject of controversy between the governor and the NYSC, with the NYSC alleging that Mbah forged the certificate with number A808297 and that it was not issued by them, while Mbah insisted that it was genuine and issued by the institution.
Meanwhile, the witness, Mr. Emmanuel confirmed upon cross examination that LP’s governorship candidiate, Chijioke Edeoga’s name, was not contained in Exhibit 16, being the LP membership register for Enugu, which he also tendered.
Efforts by Edeoga’s lawyer, Ehitayo Fatomi, SAN, to have the court refuse the admission of the register was overruled by the court.
Following the new law decentralising electricity, the Federal Government has expressed willingness to partner with states on power generation.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said it would provide the regulatory framework for states to operate in the power sector.
The Fifth Alteration Bill No. 33 (Devolution of Powers) allows states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid.
Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, said: “NERC’s principle has always been that we will partner with any state or anybody that achieves the common goal of ensuring that the lights stay on.”
He spoke during a two-day stakeholder workshop on the Constitutional Amendment and Electricity Act 2023, which began yesterday in Lagos.
The commission provided highlights of the event via its Twitter handle @NERCNG, monitored by our correspondent.
NERC Vice-Chairman/Commissioner, Market, Competition & Rates, Musiliu Oseni, believes the new Electricity Act has the potential of transforming the entire electricity supply industry.
He added: “When it comes to nurturing the sector, states face important choices that come with implications.
“It is important for them to adopt a collaborative mindset, focus on load growth, prioritise quality improvements, prioritise customer satisfaction, and work towards improving liquidity.
“These considerations are key to supporting the sector’s growth and success.”
NERC also said that available electricity capacity is underutilised.
Oseni said: “Only 53 per cent of available (electricity) capacity is utilised due to challenges with gas supply, transmission and distribution constraints and commercial challenges.”
As of July 11, the total energy generated in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) was 4,078.3MW.
NERC Fourth Quarter 2022 Report said the average available capacity of 4,497.32MW was available generation capacity.
According to the report, 75 per cent of the available capacity is gas-based, while the rest is from hydro as solar and biomass account for a very negligible percentage.
However, as of June 6, the installed generation capacity was 12,522MW.
Reps decry 14-year blackout in Ondo councils
Also yesterday, the House of Representatives mandated its Committee on Power (when constituted) to invite the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
He will explain why the electricity blackout in Irele, Okitipupa, Ese-Odo and Ilaje local government areas (LGAs) has persisted for 14 years.
The House also resolved to invite the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to explain why the councils were disconnected from the national grid.
The House said it would liaise with NERC on the reconnection of the LGAs while resolving any disputes.
The committee is to report back within eight weeks.
These followed the adoption of a motion titled: “Need to Investigate the Electricity Blackout in Irele, Okitipupa, Ese Odo and Ilaje LGAs of Ondo State” sponsored by Odimayo Okunjimi John.
The House noted that the primary responsibility of every government is to create a conducive atmosphere for citizens to carry out their social and economic activities with little or no hindrance.
The House said it was aware that since 2014, most communities in Irele LGA, such as Ode-lrele, OdeAjaja, Akotogbo, lyesa, Ujusun, Ormi, Aturase, and Udogun have been in darkness.
Others in Okitipupa LGA are lgbotako, llutitun, lkoya, Ayeka, lgbodigu, lrinje, lgundan, ldobilayo and Big road area of Okitipupa, as well as Ese-Edo and Ilaje LGA.
The House was concerned that the action by the BEDC has brought untold hardship and misery to the citizens, as all Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in these areas have folded up or collapsed due to a lack of electricity supply.
It said the high cost of providing alternative power supply has crippled the businesses of those who tried to brave the odds by using generators to power their activities.
The House was also concerned that children born 15 years ago to date in these communities do not know what public power supply is all about as they have never witnessed any form of electricity supply.
The House said the only means of power supply they know is either lamps, touches, candles or generators.
It said the situation has led to a massive loss of jobs for the locals, while the situation has adversely affected foreign exchange earnings by companies in the area.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he understands the hardship brought abut by the removal of fuel subsidy, assuring that the decision was in the best interest of the country, especially in guaranteeing future prosperity.
Tinubu, who received 18 governors who served with him, Class of 1999, at the Presidential Villa, appealed for more patience from Nigerians.
He assured Nigerians that the framework for palliatives to remedy the effects of fuel subsidy removal was being worked out.
Tinubu said the government will increase effort, speed up the process and ensure a full-proof social security structure that will not be compromised, especially in cash-transfer.
“I understand that our people are suffering yet there can be no childbirth without pain. The joy of childbirth is the relief that comes after the pain. Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number over a few smugglers. Please tell the people to be a little patient.”
The palliative is coming. I don’t want cash-transfer to fall into wrong hands. I know it pinches and it is difficult. In the end, we will rejoice in the prosperity of our country,’’ he told the governors, who were led by former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion.
Tinubu had earlier written to the House of Representatives to seek an amendment to the 2023 supplementary appropriation act to accommodate N500 billion for provision of palliatives for Nigerians.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas read the president’s letter at plenary on Wednesday.
He said the request became necessary to enable the government provide palliatives for Nigerians to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered troops to seize control of areas where the Indigenous People of Biafra enforce their sit-at-home order throughout the South-East states.
The order cames after a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, announced that there would be a two-week sit-at-home in the South-East region from July 31.
According to him, the order was to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as facilitate the freedom of Biafra nation, among others.
Ekpa warned that failure to comply with the sit-at-home order would attract ‘heavy consequences’.
However, speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, declared that such an announcement was unlawful and would not be condoned.
He said the troops of the 82 Division had been given an order to work with other security agencies to ensure citizens go about their businesses freely.
Onyema said, “The renewed threat by IPOB to compel the people in southeastern Nigeria to sit at home is not only appalling but a violation of the fundamental rights of southeastern Nigerians and, therefore, unlawful. This will never be condoned.
“The Chief of Army Staff has handed down clear directives to the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army operating in synergy with other security agencies to ensure robust patrols to dominate all flashpoints and emplace measures to ensure citizens are free to go about their legitimate businesses.
“Strangely, Simon Ekpa, a notorious terrorist and self-acclaimed leader of IPOB, is in Finland making a living for himself and his family, but ordering the people to shut down their means of livelihood by sitting at home.”
The army spokesman called on Nigerians in the South-East region to disregard the sit-at-home order, urging them to support the security forces to defeat IPOB.
Onyema said, “We implore the good and enterprising people of the South-East to shun all forms of cajoling or threats aimed at unlawfully compelling them to be reclusive by sitting at home. We urge them to join forces with the security operatives to resist this illegality perpetrated by IPOB.”
Similarly,the police have vowed to resist the sit-at-home order in any part of the South-East.
The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, told The PUNCH that the police had killed and arrested non-state actors enforcing the order, adding that the force would not rest on its oars.
Adejobi disclosed that the police were keeping a watch on the sponsors of the agitators.
He said, “The police will not allow any unlawful order to stand in any part of Nigeria. The sit-at-home order is illegal and unacceptable. We have suppressed and neutralised the non-state actors who have been trying to enforce the order. We have arrested many of them and recovered their weapons.
“We will not relent in our efforts to maintain law and order in all parts of Nigeria, and we assure the people in the South-East to go about their lawful businesses as we have emplaced adequate security measures to protect them. We are keeping watch on the sponsors of these agitators who cause pain and sorrow in the areas.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, visited the headquarters of the Nigerian Navy in Abuja to seek support for the abolition of sit-at-home in the state.
The governor had, on June 2, declared sit-at-home banned in Enugu, saying it was injurious to the economy of the state.
Despite his declaration, however, sit-at-home remains a feature of the state on Mondays.
Speaking to journalists during his visit to Abuja, Mbah said attracting investors to Enugu State would be an uphill task if sit-at-home persists.
The governor said, “If we must deal with the root causes of insecurity we have in our country, we must adopt both the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to dealing with insecurity, and we felt that the big elephant in the room is to address those activities that may be an inhibitor to bringing in investors to our state.
“We identified insecurity as one of those inhibitors; we felt that it was a clog in the wheel of our continued development, and that was why, immediately after I assumed office, I convened a Security Council meeting, and following that, we made a pronouncement that we wanted the sit-at-home to end. This is because we have zero tolerance for that.
“There is no way we’ll be able to achieve the exponential picture we have painted, those massive promises about growing our economy and eradicating poverty, it will not happen if we don’t deal with that problem, and of course that requires we tighten our security architecture, and mobilise our security agencies in our state to be able to deal with it.”
Mba said he looked up to the partnership with the Navy to help bolster security in Enugu State and uphold the unity of the country.
He said, “Thus far, we are getting the required support from the security agencies, and we are hoping to see them join hands with us to be able to deal with this big elephant.
“When I was sworn in, I took an oath to defend the unity of this country, and that is exactly what we’ll do, and we are not going to endorse any behavior that is outside that.So, what we are saying, in effect, is that we look forward to partnering with the Navy in those areas that are necessary to do so to achieve one common goal of building one unifying country, peace, and security.”
[Punch]
The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressive Congress, Governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Aishatu Ahmed, popularly known as Binani of attempting to protect herself from indictment, by approaching a Federal High court in Abuja, seeking to stop the prosecution of Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
Scribe of the Adamawa chapter of the PDP, Idris Yahya, stated this on Tuesday in Yola when he addressed journalists, calling on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the matter.
The PUNCH had reported that the governorship candidate of the APC, Sen. Aishatu Ahmed, popularly known as Binani, had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop the prosecution of Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa-Ari by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Yahya said even before the ignoble role of the Adamawa REC, who failed in his bid to ensure Binani emerged as the winner of the Adamawa governorship election by hook or crook, the party had made repeated calls to complain about Binani and her desperation, but neither her party nor INEC showed any concern about it.
He said the latest attempt by Binani to stop the prosecution of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, only confirmed her as the “Chief executioner and principal actor” in the attempted civilian coup orchestrated by the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner.
He said, “Binani by this action has shown herself to be the chief executioner and principal actor in the attempted civilian coup orchestrated by the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Ari-Hudu, who usurped the returning officer and illegally, declared her winner of Adamawa governorship elections even when collation of results for the supplementary governorship polls were still being collated. Her intention is to protect Hudu because she knows what she has done. Because with the prosecution of Hudu, she knows she will be indicted.”
Yahya also alleged that Binani had yet to face prosecution for her own role in the saga because of the invincible hands backing her. He said, “Binani I believe has not faced prosecution because of the invisible hands behind her otherwise she ought to be prosecuted for aiding and abetting Hudu’s illegal declaration of her as the winner of the Adamawa governorship elections.
“You were part of a treasonable plot and now you are going back asking your lawyer to stop the prosecution of the suspended REC who the police by its investigations said it has established a prima facie case against him.”
He said his appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intervene is to resist Binani’s push to stop the prosecution of her close ally in the failed civilian coup which she tried to orchestrate in Adamawa.
The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has kicked against amnesty programmes for bandits and terrorists in the country.
The army chief said amnesty programmes instituted in many states had failed to achieve their purpose.
According to him, rather than repent, beneficiaries of such programmes see the programme as an avenue to regroup and attack innocent citizens.
Lagbaja spoke when Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “So, I want to appeal to Your Excellency that as we come up with a strategy to address the issue, the state government should be disposed to the implementation of the measures that we will recommend so that together we will address the activities of these criminal elements.
“We also have the issue of the amnesty programme that has been instituted, and which has failed, not only in the North but also in many other states.
“I think we need to look at this issue of the amnesty programmes. The agreements have proven to be incorrigible and so amnesty has created an avenue for them to reorganise and launch attacks on defenseless citizens. So, I think we need to look at that.”
Lagbaja said the insecurity ravaging Zamfara was a mix of many things such as farmer-herder clashes, ethnic confrontations, and the quest for economic survival.
He said he had directed the deployment of more platforms and the release of more funds to reactivate unserviceable platforms to boost troops’ operations in the state.
Zamfara governor said he was frustrated by insecurity in the state.
Lawal said, “I’m frustrated that Zamfara is facing serious security challenges. I will say without mincing words, Zamfara is the state facing the most challenges in insecurity today. Therefore, for me, being the number one citizen, part of my responsibility is protecting lives and properties.
“It is sad to mention that there is never a day without people being killed in one area or local government or the other. This is very, very worrisome for us because, without security, development can’t take place.
“I cannot do this alone. I need the support of the Chief of Army Staff and his entire team. I need to bring peace to first Zamfara and then Nigeria in general.”
The Labour Party and its standard bearer in the last presidential election, Peter Obi, have kicked against the offer of board slots to state governors, including those elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, by President Bola Tinubu.
Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, disclosed at a meeting of the forum in Abuja on Tuesday night that the President asked the governors to nominate competent persons to serve in the boards and parastatals of Federal Government agencies which were dissolved last month.
The PUNCH reports that Tinubu announced the dissolution of the governing boards of over 153 agencies, parastatals, institutions and government-owned companies.
The dissolved boards were among the 209 constituted by former President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2017.
No fewer than 2,000 vacant positions on the boards were expected to be filled by new nominees.
Notable agencies include the North-East Development Commission with 12 vacant board slots, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission with seven board seats; Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, seven; Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, 21; Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, 12; National Universities Commission, 21 and Transmission Commission of Nigeria, 14; National Health Insurance Authority,12
Others are the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, 7; Nigerian Meteorological Agency, seven; Nigerian College of Aviation Technology,8; Nigerian Police Trust Fund, 8; Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency,10; Federal Institute of Industrial Research, 11 and National Centre for Technology Management, 11.
Also on the list are the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, 11; Nigerian Customs Service, 11; National Pension Commission, 17; National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, 11; National Identity Management Commission, 19; West Africa Examination Council, 8; Niger Delta Development Commission, 13; National Institute of Sports,12; Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company,12; National Bureau of Statistics,15; Federal Inland Revenue Services, 15; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 8 and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency,7, among others.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the NGF meeting on Wednesday, Governor Abdulrazaq said the members of the forum resolved to commend the President for extending an opportunity to the governors to nominate board members across the party lines.
The governor also disclosed that that forum received briefings from the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency on the cases of flooding across the country and moves adopted so far to curtail them.
This is just as they also played host to United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed alongside Nobel Peace laureate and UN Ambassador of Peace, Malala Yousafzai who is in Nigeria for girl-child advocacy.
The state chief executives expressed their readiness to partner with the UN and Malala Fund in advancing gender-responsive and inclusive policies, including access to quality education for girls and other affirmative actions across the country.
At the end of the meeting, the governors resolved to adopt strategies to address incidences of natural disasters at the local government and community levels, to prevent the loss of lives and properties.
The communique read in part, “Members (of NGF) resolved to commend the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President, Bola Tinubu for showing leadership by extending the opportunity to governors across party lines, by asking them to nominate competent people from their fold for appointment into boards of parastatals.
“The forum received a briefing from the Director Generals of the National Emergency Management Agency and Nigerian Meteorological Agency on the incidence of flooding across the country and deliberated on urgent proactive measures to save lives, livelihood, critical infrastructure and safeguarding national food security.
‘’Members resolved to collaborate with relevant agencies at arriving at a comprehensive and federation response while leveraging the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction, Annual Flood Outlook, flood risk maps, and the Climate-Related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategy.
“National Emergency Management Agency briefed governors on how to achieve shared goals of building a safer and more resilient Nigeria in the face of the growing rate of occurrence of disasters globally.’’
The statement further said, “NEMA called on state governors to set up functional State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees and community volunteers with adequate legal backing, funding and trained manpower to:
“Support knowledge, assets and experience sharing between states, NEMA and other responsible partners.
“Support the signing of Mutual Aid Agreements between states as disasters hit different geographical spaces at different times.
“Encourage private sector participation as part of its corporate social responsibility and foster policy alignment and community engagement for Disaster Risk Reduction.’’
“According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, every United States dollar invested in risk reduction and prevention can save up to $15 in post-disaster recovery.”
The communique also noted that the governors urged NEMA and NiMet to develop a comprehensive partnership framework to drive their engagement with states.
The governors further commiserated with their Plateau and Zamfara states’ counterparts, Caleb Muftwang and Dauda Lawal, respectively, over the senseless killings in some parts of their states.
They solicited the cooperation of the Federal Government in safeguarding lives and properties across the country.
But commenting on Tinubu’s offer of board slots to the governors across party lines, the LP described it as a ‘gimmick’ to lure the opposition governments and chieftains into the ruling party.
The Chief Spokesman for Obi-Datti Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko stated such a subtle move ‘’will not change the fact that Tinubu’s presidency is an illegitimate government.’’
He said, “APC is doing everything in their crooked book to ensure they legitimize this government, which we have resisted vehemently. We will only do what is rightfully ours when the court makes its decision and pronouncement.
‘’But as far as we are concerned, every attempt we see them do is a means to cajole people to believe and legitimize their government. That is the truth about it.’’
Tanko wondered why the APC would want to appease the sole LP governor with board offers when the party has hundreds of supporters in Abia State that could be given board appointments.
He added, ‘’Sending letters to state governors is part of the process of legitimizing their governance, which we are resisting. At the moment, LP has only one governor. The belief is that the governor may likely dance to their tune.
‘’But the truth about it is that will the APC tell you they don’t have party people in Abia State that they can nominate? Why must they go through the governor to do so? What they are aiming to do is to indirectly co-opt him into their party. That’s the truth.”
Speaking in the same vein, Obi’s media aide, Tai Obasi, said as much as what the president is attempting to do appears positive, it is not enough to legitimise his government.
“It is obviously a gimmick. Of course, you know the man (Tinubu) and the problem he is facing in court. It is easy for one to see what he is trying to do even though it looks positive though.
“But again, the oppositions are not fools. As we are concerned, we still see his government as an interim one,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has said it cannot comment until its governors took a position on the offer.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said, “I am not even aware that the President has asked the governors to make their nominations to the boards of parastatals.
‘’I have not spoken with the PDP governors and until I do so, it would not be appropriate to make a comment on this on behalf of the party.”
On his part, the PDP presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar said a reaction is unnecessary.
Speaking through his media aide, Mr Paul Ibe, the former Vice President said, “It is not within our purview to react to issues like this. So, no comment”
But the Social Democratic Party commended Tinubu for the initiative which it said would bring about national integration.
Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Rufus Aiyenigba, described it as a good development.
“This is a good development, and it shows the commitment of President Tinubu to engendering national integration and a government of national unity towards sustainable growth and development. It is commendable that he wants to harness all good hands to contribute their quota to national development,’’ the SDP spokesman submitted.”
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The House of Representatives on Wednesday took steps to make the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination (JAMB) results valid for three years.
Consequently, the House urged JAMB to rethink and allow its result to be valid for at least three years and conduct the entry exams at least twice annually.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Hon. Akintunde Rotimi from Ekiti at plenary on Wednesday.
Presenting the motion, Rotimi said JAMB conducts an examination every year for intending undergraduates at a fee paid by the parent or by the candidates themselves.
“Also aware that the West African Examination Council (WAEC), and National Examination Council
(NECO) examinations results which are a precursor to the JAMB tests are valid Indefinitely.
“Concerned that the JAMB examination result is valid for only one year and if candidates cannot secure admission into any tertiary institution of their choice in the academic year the exam was taken, the result no matter how good becomes useless.
“Also concerned that despite the incessant strikes embarked upon by ASUU which led to the loss of a complete academic calendar, JAMB still went ahead to administer its examination without recourse to the vailing industrial action by ASUU.
“Worried by the backlog of candidates waiting for admission into the limited vacancies in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and its attendant pressure on the education system and parents,” Rotimi added.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Education to put mechanisms in place to ensure that the resolution is implemented.
Former Oyo State governor and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has dragged the state governor, Seyi Makinde; Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, and 10 members of the Olubadan-in-Council, who were recently elevated to kingship position, to court over the State’s chieftaincy law review.
The Olubaban had last Friday crowned the High Chiefs as Obas, following the review of the state’s chieftaincy law by Governor Makinde.
However, Ladoja, one of the High Chiefs, who had kicked against the elevation of the High Chiefs as Obas, shunned the ceremony.
It would be recalled that Ladoja also dragged late Governor Abiola Ajimobi to court following the elevation of 33 chiefs to Obas in 2017.
The Otun Olubadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, had alleged that the Olubadan, Ọba Olalekan Balogun, was plotting to prevent him from ascending to the throne when it gets to his turn by altering the chieftaincy law.
In the suit filed by the former governor, he alleged that the plan was that if he refused to be crowned, he would be denied of his status as Otun Olubadan of Ibadan Land and that he would not be permitted to ascend the throne of Olubadan of Ibadan Land when it is his turn.
The first defendant in the suit was Olubadan of Ibadanland while the 12th defendant was Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State. The second to eleventh defendants were the elevated Obas.
He stated in the suit filed by his counsel that, “To the dismay of the claimant, he started hearing in the media that he would be crowned on the 7 day of July, 2023, when he has never consented to the untraditional act masterminded by the 1st Defendant.
“That since he has made it known to the first Defendant that the act of elevating any of the Olubadan in council or High Chiefs to this status of His Royal Majesty is untraditional the 1st Defendant has started plotting that if the Claimant refused to be crowned, he would be denied of his status as Otun Olubadan of Ibadan Land and that he would not be permitted to ascend the throne of Olubadan of Ibadan Land when it is his turn.
“That from Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadan Land after due consideration, the 12th Defendant is the approving authority to become a King in Ibadan, which is Olubadan of Ibadan and no other King. The 12th Defendant has not in any form consent to the illegal act that the 1st Defendant is out to perpetuate.
“That the entire Ibadanland is the domain of Olubadan of Ibadan Land and that the elevation that the 1st Defendant intends doing is to segregate Ibadan Land and cause disharmony. The Imperial Majesty that the 1st Defendant is appointing would be a royal father without domain.
“That the act of the 1st Defendant to elevate the 2nd to 11th Defendants is contrary to Oyo State of Nigerian Gazette No. 03 Vol. 47 dated 11th February, 2022.’’
According to him, the act of the first defendant to elevate the second to 12th Defendants to be royal majesty was against the tenor of judgment in M/317/2017 between High Chief (Senator Rashidi Ladoja Vs The Governor Of Oyo State & ANOR delivered on the 19th day of November, 2019.
He further stated that in order to stop this illegal act, through his counsel, he wrote a letter dated July 4, 2023 to the 1st Defendant.
“That it is only this Honourable Court that can protect the long-aged tradition of Ibadanland from being bastardized, by restraining the Defendants from carrying out this untraditional act.
“I make this written statement on oath in good faith, conscientiously believing the same to be true and correct pursuant to the Oaths Act.”
The National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has accused the party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, of denying President Bola Tinubu and all candidates of the party financial support to execute the 2023 elections.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Lukman disclosed that the party made over N30 billion from the sale of forms, yet it never supported President Tinubu and any of its candidates.
Lukman, who is a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party, asked Adamu to render a financial account of the party since he took over the helms of affairs.
He said; “We are expected to present a proposed national budget to the National Executive Committee NEC for approval by the provisions of Article 13(3A)(14) of the APC constitution. I felt embarrassed when I heard the National Secretary (Omisore) say the budget of the party has been sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. INEC is not the approving authority of the budget of the APC. The approving authority is the NEC. Till today we don’t have a national budget. Yet we made over N30 billion from sales of forms.
“Till today as a member of the NWC and majority members of the NWC, maybe with the exception of the Financial Secretary, Treasurer and or the Auditor who may have inside knowledge of how much was expended on the renovation of the National Secretariat of the party, we have no knowledge of what is being expended.
“Talking of national budget, we are just coming out of elections whereby we were not able to sustain past precedence. What was the past precedence? Under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in 2019, every candidate of the party received something from the National Secretariat. In this last election, no candidate of the party received a dime from the party.
“Talking of finances, in our constitution the NEC is supposed to approve some form of sharing formula. I am aware that each state chapter has received about N20 million out of the N30 billion. Put together, that is about N700 million less than a billion which is less than 3 percent of the total income that has been earned. Yet we want to sweep this under the carpet.
“We are having states, zonal, local councils and ward levels who are left on their own. The whole question of funding of the party has not been addressed.
“Tinubu didn’t get a dime from the party. I am making this public. Let them challenge me and contradict me.”
Speaking further, Lukman said the party supported President Muhammadu Buhari financially when he was the party’s standard bearer in 2015 and 2019.
He said: “Look, in 2015, the party was truly a model party. President Buhari didn’t have money. People were assigned responsibilities to raise money. It is just like Asiwaju and you say Asiwaju has money. So there were people assigned with the responsibility of mobilizing money for the party.
“If anything was done in 2023 based on that, it would be the initiative of Asiwaju. I am not aware of it as a party. If you remember in between, we were busy causing distractions about what should be our roles in the Presidential Campaign Council.
“Unless we are humble and honest to admit that these are things that ordinarily shouldn’t have happened and admit we need to correct them and reshape the relationship between us and the government that emerged, we would continue to have the problems we are having.”
The Senate has again resolved to launch fresh probe into alleged uneven disbursement of N483 billion loan to the Medium and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the six geo-political zones by the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) in 2021.
This followed a motion by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) and co-sponsored by 64 other lawmakers during Wednesday’s plenary.
It would be recalled that the 9th Senate had set up an ad-hoc panel to investigate the claim that the South-West, especially Lagos State, had the largest number of the loan beneficiaries of about 47 per cent of the entire loan.
The DBN officials then told the panel that they adhered strictly to the criteria set up by their regulators and not geopolitical considerations in giving out loans.
Senator Ndume, who was visibly dissatisfied with the outcome of the last investigation and the committee’s recommendations, said there was a need for the Senate to look at the issue critically again owing to the huge disparity in the loan disbursement.
He said the Bank’s Annual Integrated Statutory Report 2021 showed that it disbursed a loan worth N483 billion in 2021.
He said out of the N483 billion, only 11 per cent went to the 19 northern states totaling N53 billion while Lagos alone got 47 per cent, which amounts to N227 billion.
Ndume said breakdown of the loan disbursement, according to the Bank’s report, further showed that Southwest got the lion’s share with 57 per cent of the total loan, estimated to be N274.7 billion.
He said South-south accessed 17 per cent (81.9 billion); North central and FCT, 11 per cent (53 billion); South east, nine per cent (43.3 billion); North west, five per cent (24 billion) and Northeast, a paltry one per cent (4.8 billion).
He noted that the five sectors considered for the loan are oil and gas (42%), manufacturing (16%), agriculture, forestry and fishery (7.2%), trade and commerce (6.3%), and transportation and storage (3.5%).
According to Ndume, the DBN existed to alleviate financing constraints being faced by MSMEs in Nigeria by providing finance, partial credit guarantees and technical assistance to eligible financial intermediaries on a market-conforming and fully financially sustainable basis.