The Nigerian Telecommunications Commission on Thursday disclosed that Nigeria was rated eleventh in terms of Internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage worldwide.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta, said this at the opening ceremony of the two-day Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry in Abuja.
The EVC, who spoke through the Head, Spectrum Database Management, NCC, Abraham Oshadami, stated that the worldwide data gathered by the NRI team demonstrated that digital transformation was a global need in order to optimise the social and economic effects of the digital era.
He added that the NRI examined the performance of 131 economies across four categories: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and effect.
He said, “Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, accounting for 82 per cent of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29 per cent of the continent’s internet consumption.”
“Our country ranks eleventh in the world for Internet penetration and seventh in mobile phone usage.
“The NRI team’s global data shows that digital transformation is a global imperative for maximising the social and economic effects of the digital era. Despite these remarkable metrics, our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 of 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging.”
Danbatta went on to state that, as representatives of social and economic development in the country, prioritising network preparedness is not only a strategic need but also a mission.
“It can create new inequalities, which can hinder the ability of younger generations to engage in the digital economy, but it also remains a powerful way to do more with less at all levels of income. Formal education is evolving, and metrics are important to support informed policy making.”
‘Skipping NEC Meetings Made You Ignorant’ — Presidency replies Gov. Obaseki over statements criticizing Tinubus’s reforms
AdminThe Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has responded to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, after he accused the Bola Tinubu administration of failing to properly plan for the economic consequences of removing petrol subsidy.
Idris said Obaseki’s absence from National Economic Council (NEC) meetings led by Vice President Kashim Shettima resulted in his lack of knowledge about the reliefs and support measures initiated by the Tinubu administration to alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on citizens.
Governor Obaseki on Wednesday raised concerns about the impact of the administration’s alleged incompetence on the “weakest and most vulnerable” members of society during an interactive session with journalists in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The governor, who is a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spoke against the backdrop that some states were yet to receive the N5 billion earmarked as part of the Federal Government’s palliative package for each state.
But reacting, Idris first clarified that the removal of fuel subsidy had been widely advocated by Nigerians, state governors from various political parties, as well as global institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
He noted that Edo State under Obaseki had significantly benefited from the fuel subsidy removal, resulting in a substantial increase in federal allocations to the state.
The financial boost, according to the minister, was evidence of the positive impact of the policy change on state finances.
Idris challenged Governor Obaseki to explain to the people of Edo why he absented himself from “the two NEC meetings under the current administration”.
The minister advised that rather than shift “focus to the nation’s economic challenges as cannon fodder to divert attention from his poor performance at the state level,” the governor should pay attention on “how the Edo State Government will be using available resources to drive impactful projects that genuinely uplift the people of Edo State.”
Idris noted some of the measures taken by the Tinubu administration to mitigate impact of fuel subsidy removal to include the allocation of N5 billion to each state for the purchase of food items for distribution to families.
The measures, he added, include the establishment of a committee by NEC to negotiate a new national minimum wage with Labor Unions and to review salaries for public sector employees.
“President Tinubu is guiding our country through very challenging times. We are supremely confident that we will soon turn the corner into a prosperous future.
“What is required at this time is for leaders at all levels to cooperatively bind together to make life better for Nigerians, not to play cheap politics that serves no better purpose.
“As President Tinubu has admonished, the time for politics and politicking is over. We are now in the season of the serious business of governance to build a stronger, more viable, socially cohesive and more prosperous Nigeria,” Idris affirmed.
Confusion over the leadership of Labour Party (LP) continued, yesterday, as the Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, removed Julius Abure as national chairman.
The court, consequently, recognised Lamidi Apapa as national chairman and the one Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should deal with, in terms of candidates of the party for the coming Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.
The court also ordered INEC to immediately recognise and publish the names of candidates produced by the Apapa-led National Working Committee in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states for the governorship elections.
The court further annulled the candidature of Senator Athan Achonu for the governorship of Imo State and others produced for other states by the Abure-led faction.
In April, Apapa had said his suspension as a member of the party was invalid and that he remained the ‘legitimate acting chairman.’
The ruling followed judgment of the Court of Appeal in Benin City on April 14, which affirmed Abure as national chairman.
In the case of Mr. Lucky Shaibu v. Julius Abure & 5 ORS (Appeal No: CA/B/93/2023), Justices Theresa Ngolika Orji Abadua, Fatima Omoro Akinbami, and Sybil O. Nwaka-Gbagi, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the appeal of the appellant.
Shaibu, who claimed to be a member of LP in the Ward 3 executive, in Esan North East local council of Edo State, had suspended the LP chairman.
In her lead judgment, Justice Abadua affirmed the decision of the High Court of Edo State and held that one man could not suspend the national chairman, in line with Article 13 and 17 of the constitution of the party and extant Electoral Act of 2022, particularly when the appellant has been described by the party as unknown.
Also, the state High Court in Edo had dismissed the notice of suspension of Abure by some LP members at his ward in Edo State.
Reacting, the Lamidi Apapa faction maintained that the ruling on the Imo governorship primaries has invalidated all off-season governorship primary elections conducted by the Abure faction.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Apapa insisted that the Federal High Court order restraining Abure from parading himself as LP chairman is yet to be vacated.
He said the Court of Appeal judgment in Benin City, which affirmed Abure as national chairman, was a civil matter.
Apapa said: “The Edo state issue, more or less, has to do with civil matters. The excos in Edo suspended him and they went to court because of that, and they don’t have the right to suspend him. I’m talking about ward level.
“But the FCT restraining order has to do with criminal matters. It is between the state and Abure, and nobody is above the law. That’s the difference between the civil matter and a criminal matter.
“The order of FCT has not been vacated, and that is why on the basis of that, the Appeal court reaffirmed that by the time he conducted his primary, a restraining order was in place. And up till today, the order is still in force. That’s the difference between the two.”
Apapa said he was ready for reconciliation, adding that the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, acted against the judgment of the court during the party’s mega rally in Edo, held earlier this week
He said: “From the look of things, you will also agree with me that the day before yesterday, our principal and Abure went to Owerri, despite the court order against them, that Ikenga was the right person for Imo State.
“He went ahead and raised somebody’s hands; somebody that had been asked not to go ahead by the judgment of Imo State. Today, it has also been reaffirmed by the Appeal Court. I don’t know what he will do again, whether he will reaffirm that again.
“What I want everybody to know is that nobody is above the law. Anybody who is above the law should not be in politics because it’s a creation of law, and where you are disobeying the law that provides you the authority, then you are not supposed to lead the people. So, like I said, we are ready for reconciliation but not at our expense.”
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu To Envoys: Only Home Grown Solutions Will Solve African Problems
Admin....Directs Immediate Resolution of Disagreements with UAE on Emirate Airline, Visa Issuance
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said African countries have a better chance of overcoming economic and security challenges by looking inward for solutions and walking the talk on all of its pledges and agreements.
President Tinubu stated this while receiving Letters of Credence from three envoys at the State House: Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Awall Wagris Mohammed; Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Mrs. Miriam Morales Palmero, and Ambassador of United Arab Emirate, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi.
In a side meeting with the Ambassador of Ethiopia, the President assured the envoy that Nigeria will continue to strengthen its ties with African countries in the areas of trade, security, and economic growth.
"Africans need to work for the progress of Africa. We should be able to resolve our internal problems, collectively. It requires a great commitment, but we must do that. No one can understand our people better than we do. Home grown solutions are better for all of us, and the remedies will last longer," he implored.
Mohammed congratulated the President for the historic decisions he has taken in the country, and the impact of the policies on the continent, assuring of his dedication to improve relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
In another meeting with Ambassador of Cuba, President Tinubu commended the small nation for excelling in the advancement of indigenous medical sciences and accessible health care at the grassroots, all while ensuring the stability of their surrounding region.
The President noted that Nigeria and Cuba share some cultural similarities that can be explored to improve the lives of citizens, especially in tourism and other economic sectors.
“We should collaborate more in science and technology, an area that will improve the lives of our people, particularly the youthful population Nigeria is so blessed with," President Tinubu told he envoy.
Receiving the UAE Ambassador, the President directed that issues affecting relations with the Emirates Airline, and issuance of visas to Nigerians should be “immediately’’ resolved, emphasizing that he stands prepared to “personally’’ intervene.
“We are a family with the UAE, we only live in separate rooms, but we are in the same house. We should look at the issues as a family problem, and resolve it amicably. As you know in every family, there are peculiarities. You can have an erring son, or daughter, but we must work together. We need to agree on core aviation and immigration issues," the President stated.
The Ambassador of UAE said he already sees himself as a “Nigerian’’ considering the historical antecedents of the country, its long-standing leadership role in Africa, and its reputation for hospitality to strangers.
"Since I arrived in the country, I have been working on 24 agreements. We are getting somewhere. These are small issues, all within a family, and they will be resolved. I am grateful to be here in Nigeria. I am also very grateful to meet His Excellency, President Tinubu, who is a great leader in Nigeria, and Africa. Please accept me as a Nigerian and consider me a member of your team," he appealed.
Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
[PRESS RELEASE] Olumide Akpata Steps Aside From Templars In Pursuit of His Political Ambitions For Nation-Building
AdminThe Partners and management of TEMPLARS wish to announce that a Senior Partner at the Firm and the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has formally informed the Firm of his decision to participate in active politics.
On account of this, and in line with the Firm’s governance protocols, Olumide Akpata and the Partners of the Firm have agreed that he disengages from the Firm with effect from 31st August 2023. This will enable him to fully focus on his project of contributing towards nation building.
In Olumide Akpata’s absence, the Firm’s clients will continue to be served by its over 100 lawyers led by twenty other partners (across different practice areas) working out of the Firm’s offices in Nigeria and Ghana.
We are grateful for the significant role that Olumide Akpata has played in the growth of TEMPLARS into one of the largest law firms in Africa, and we wish him the best in his aspirations and future endeavours.
Signed:
TEMPLARS
24th August 2023
- Sometime in 1996, after honing my skills in the Law Firm of Dr. Mudiaga Odje & Co. I took a huge leap of faith and relocated from Warri, Delta State to Lagos State, where I teamed up with my cousin, Oghogho Akpata, who had just set up the Law Firm, TEMPLARS.
- From 1996 to date, I have worked with Oghogho, our Partners and other colleagues at TEMPLARS, in transforming a 4-man law practice into a world class, multi-sectoral, multinational and full-service Law Firm which is now in the 28th year of its existence and consists of over 100 lawyers, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
- In this period, I have served TEMPLARS in various capacities including as Senior Partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, in which role I led or participated in some of the major groundbreaking transactions that have shaped commercial law practice in Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian economy. It was also from TEMPLARS that I went on to become the 30th President of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the full support of the Partners and entire staff of the Firm.
- It is therefore with mixed feelings, but with a great sense of pride and responsibility, that I announce my disengagement from Templars with effect from 31st August 2023. This decision, which is not one that was taken lightly, became inevitable in view of my recent foray into active politics with a view to contributing towards the critical task of nation building.
- I wish to assure the lawyers and staff at TEMPLARS, our clients, the legal community in Nigeria, and the general public that this decision was a collective one, which accords with the Firm’s governance protocols that I signed up to.
- In my absence, our clientele will continue to be served by over 100 lawyers in TEMPLARS led by twenty other partners (across different practice areas) working out of the Firm’s offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Accra.
- I sincerely appreciate the Managing Partner, Oghogho Akpata, my other Partners and the entire staff of TEMPLARS for their unwavering support and for always being there for me. Indeed, the story of my life will never be complete without a chapter devoted to the central role that TEMPLARS played therein.
OLUMIDE AKPATA
24 August 2023
A faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), led by self-acclaimed founder, Boniface Aniebonam and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major, has promised to “deal” with the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, blaming him for the crisis that has rocked the party.
The faction therefore dismissed its suspension saying it was null and void.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the NNPP, led by Abba Alli, had earlier on Thursday announced the suspension of Major and a founding member of the party, Boniface Aniebonam.
The NWC, which said the suspension was with immediate effect, pending the outcome of investigations by the party’s Disciplinary Committee, accused Major and Aniebonam of anti-party activities.
Aniebonam was also accused of trying to factionalise the party.
But speaking for the faction, Major dismissed the suspension, describing members of the NWC as jokers, in a telephone interview with THE WHISTLER hours after the suspension was handed down.
THE WHISTLER had contacted the publicity secretary to get a reaction on his suspension by the NWC without success.
Responding hours later, Major blamed the crisis in the NNPP on Kwankwaso, whom he said had been trying to hijack the party.
“He (Kwankwaso) is the one stage managing all these things because he is planning to hijack the party. But it is not a problem, we will deal with him,” Major told THE WHISTLER.
Stressing that the suspension was of no effect, he pointed out that Aniebonam is the Founder of the NNPP, and equally the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT).
“They (NWC members) are a bunch of jokers. They are suspending themselves. It is a Nollywood drama they are acting. Nobody will take them seriously.
“The Founder of a party and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, you wake up and say you are suspending him for nothing.
“A Publicity Secretary of a party, you say you have suspended him. You say for anti-party activities. Which anti-party activities?
“These people are joking. Nobody would take them seriously.”
Asked what he would do next, Major said the suspension couldn’t stand.
“I am a law-abiding Nigerian but I can tell you there is nothing like suspension. They have made their pronouncement but it is the most useless pronouncement anybody can make.
“They are just on their own.
“I will be peaceful but I can assure you that whatever they are talking about there, it means nothing to me. Even in the face of the law, it makes no sense so they are wasting their time.”
DELTA: Troops Destroy Refineries, 14 Reservoirs Holding 290,000 Liters Of Stolen Crude Oil, Diesel
AdminTroops of the Nigerian Army, on Thursday, destroyed eight illegal oil refineries and 14 reservoirs containing an estimated 200,000 liters of stolen crude oil and 90,000 liters of diesel in the Ogbokoko and Atu areas of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Acting on intelligence, the troops stormed the area and found the refineries and reservoirs operating in full swing.
The oil thieves fled the scene upon sighting the troops, the Director, of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen, Onyema Nwachukwu, revealed this via the Army’s handle on X, formerly Twitter.
“The Illegal refining site was destroyed in-situ in line with extant guidelines of Operation Delta Safe. Investigation is ongoing to arrest the fleeing criminals.
“Members of the public are please implored to report any suspected act of sabotage or criminality to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations to curb economic sabotage in the country,” the military disclosed.
Nigeria’s unemployment has dropped from 33.3 percent in 2020 to 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The 2020 figures and the current one were calculated using different methodologies, says the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), after a two-year hiatus after a two-year hiatus.
The nation’s unemployment rate which is an outcome of the labour force survey (LFS) conducted in Nigeria, is coming two years after the last official data of 33.3 percent for the fourth quarter of 2020 which was released in March 2021.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, who commented on the labour force survey report, however, said the drop is basically due to a new methodology adopted by the National Bureau of Statistics in conducting the survey, and not necessarily government performance.
The LFS is quarterly survey designed with the objective to produce official national statistics on the labour force, employment and unemployment for monitoring and planning purposes.
The new methodology for the Nigeria Labour Force Survey brings our Labour Force Statistics in line with international standards and best practices
However Nigeria has failed to ensure publication of the report as at when due, as Businessday findings showed that no data was published for the four quarters of 2021 as well as the first three quarters of 2022.
Clarification
The statistician general clarified that there is no real basis to compare the data from two years ago when the report was last released to the present figures.
“NBS has not said that unemployment rate in Nigeria has “reduced from the 33.3% to whatever the figure it is now, therefore government should go to sleep” No, that is not what we have said,” the Statistician General strongly noted in his fairly long keynote speech.
According to him, “The figures today are not based on any performance of any sort, but strictly, and I repeat, strictly on the change in methodology….this is based on the new ILO standard, which Nigeria is part and parcel of, as a country.
“As a matter of fact, the current Chair of the ILO Governing Board is Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, H.E, Ambassador Abiodun Richards Adelaja, so this we cannot continue to be at odds with the ILO standard…we have adopted the ILO standard methodology, which I believe, we have shown enough justification for, and as a result, the figures have changed, and both the new and old are not comparable.
Also he noted that the NLFS is a survey for measuring whether people are engaged or not, the type of that engagement, and the nature of it, be it for pay, profit, own consumption or for free.
“This is why the concept of decent work has become much more pronounced in recent times, as the clamour for better working conditions increase, and rightly so. The measure of the quality of a person’s life is not done through the NLFS, there are other surveys that are designed for that purpose, such as the Nigeria Living Standard Survey (NLSS), Food and Nutrition Survey, or other household Consumption and Expenditure surveys which deal with welfare and living conditions,” he said.
“Waged employment, which is very often what people confuse for employment, disregarding self-employment, is only 11.8%, meaning that most Nigerians are self-employed, do we then classify the self-employed as unemployed? This cannot be so, hence attention should shift to the quality of work people do, as that appears to be the real issue.”
Reeling out the real outcomes of the survey, Adeniran explained that “the findings reveal that about three quarters of Nigerians in the working age population, 73.6% in Q4 2022 and 76.7% in Q1, 2023 were engaged in some form of work for pay or profit during quarters under review.
He noted that this workforce is composed of individuals engaged in various types of work, including formal and informal employment. A further 4.96% were engaged in subsistence agriculture in the fourth quarter of 2022, while 3.56% of the working age population were engaged in subsistence agriculture in the first quarter of 2023.
He noted that this workforce is composed of individuals engaged in various types of work, including formal and informal employment. A further 4.96% were engaged in subsistence agriculture in the fourth quarter of 2022, while 3.56% of the working age population were engaged in subsistence agriculture in the first quarter of 2023.
The results also indicates a scarcity of Wage-employment, as the share of those employed in Wage-employment during the reference quarters was 13.4 percent in Q4 2022 and 11.8 percent in Q1 2023.
This, he said means that a lot more Nigerians operate their own businesses or engage in agriculture and that this figure was 73.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022, and 75.4% in the first quarter of 2023. The high share of self-employed persons amongst the employed shows that most Nigerians struggle to find wage employment, which is most desirable by Nigerians.
Furthermore, the share of the working age population in Nigeria that are not working was 21.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 19.8% in the first quarter of 2023.
According to him, not working is a combination of those within the working age population who are unemployed and not in labour force, such as students, housewives and those not available and searching for work, hence the not working rate should not be taken as the unemployment rate.
He quite acknowledged that Unemployment which is a challenge faced by countries across the globe, remains so in Nigeria.
In his words, “Using the new ILO definition, the survey shows that the unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2022 stood at 5.3% and 4.1% for the first quarter of 2023.
“This figure aligns perfectly with neighbouring countries around Nigeria. Ghana (3.9%), Niger (0.5%), Chad (1.4%), Cameroon (4.0), Togo (4.1%), Benin Republic (1.7%) amongst others.
“Unemployment amongst those with post-secondary education was highest, at 9.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022. This figure is almost double the headline unemployment rate for that quarter and highlights the challenging problem of graduate unemployment, were individuals, despite their education, struggle to secure employment.
Underemployment is also a more significant issue for Nigerians, whereby persons engaged in one activity or the other yet indicate interest and availability to take on more work, due to inadequacy of the jobs they are engaged in at the time.
Findings from the survey estimate the underemployment rate to be 13.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022, and 21.2% in the first quarter of 2023.
“This indicates that, though persons are engaged, the engagement is not sufficient for them, and they would like to work additional hours of work,” he stated.
The survey also collects information on informality of employment. Nigeria has a large informal sector, however, the number of persons engaged in informal employment is largely blurred.
“Using the ILO definition, the survey estimates that 93.5% of employed person were engaged informally in the fourth quarter of 2022, while 92.6% of employed persons in the first quarter of 2023 were also engaged informally.
For him, this is very interesting and useful information for government, particularly at this time when discussions are ongoing on palliative measures to be taken following the removal of petrol subsidies.
In his remarks, the world bank country director, Shubham Chaudhuri noted the importance of having a robust, regular national data such as the Labour force survey report, sating that reliable data gives the government to knowledge about the welfare of the nation as well as ensures the right intervention and programs needed to address challenges.
Noting that over 130 million Nigerians were multidimensionally poor, Chaudhuri stated the importance of the report cannot be overemphasised as necessary for job creation and poverty reduction.
For the permanent secretary, Ministry of budget and economic planning, Nebeolisa Anako, the achievement is consistent with the mandate the present administration given the importance of data. “We place more emphasis on reliable data and the ministry will continue to provide support to the bureau to ensure availability of reliable data.
Hence the importance of this report is that it shows the economy realities, as labour force report is a key indices in the economy.
For the Minister, budget and economic planning, Abubakar Bagudu, data is vital to nation and planning building.
He said, “the president believes in reliable data for planning and will support anything that will lead to production of appropriate data.
“To create jobs for youths, we need this kind of data, a lot needs to be done to address the high rate of unemployment in the country. The President is desirous of reducing unemployment.
“Nigeria is one of the countries with absorptive capacity, so what we need is to provide better environment and more incentives.”
Reaction
Analysts who spoke with Businessday, said that the delays showed government lack of concern for human development amidst high rate of poverty in the country.
Paul Inyang, Abuja based economic analyst, decried that most government initiatives and interventions are often designed without acurate data and implemented based on assumptions.
For him, no country can have a meaningful development in the absence of accurate and current.
“If the government is concerned about the well being of its citizens, they will be expectant to know these figures because it shows the welfare of the citizens.
“How do we ensure meaningful interventions and programs if we do not have accurate data, this only happens in Nigeria where people come into government to enrich themselves.
“Even when these data are finally released, some do not reflect the realities of happenings in the country,” he said.
Determined to resolve the political standoff in Niger Republic, President Bola Tinubu, acting in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has given his approval for a delegation of Islamic leaders (Ulama) to engage in another round of dialogue with coup leaders in the country.
The decision was reached during a meeting on Thursday, where President Tinubu conferred with prominent clerics, including Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.
The Ulama delegation had previously visited Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, two weeks ago to engage in discussions with the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, following the coup that took place on July 26, 2023, leading to the seizure of power from President Mohamed Bazoum.
As part of ECOWAS’ response to the coup, sanctions were imposed on Niger, and the possibility of employing force against the coup plotters was not ruled out.
ECOWAS, recognizing the severity of the situation, has already approved the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger, while maintaining its commitment to pursuing diplomatic avenues to resolve the crisis.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, the ECOWAS envoy to Niger Republic and former Nigerian Head of State, expressed optimism after his delegation’s meeting with the coup leaders that diplomatic efforts could resolve the problem.
Although the junta announced its intention to transition back to civilian rule within three years, this proposition was met with rejection from ECOWAS.
The African Union has also taken measures against the junta by suspending the Niger Republic due to the ongoing political turmoil.
Niger’s coup marked the fourth in West Africa since 2020, following similar events in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
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The battle to unravel what the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has called “true identity” in aid of his petition at the tribunal enters crucial stage on Thursday as the Chicago State University has assured that all documents being sought by the applicant in relation to Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, would be released and exposed if granted by the court.
Atiku who has been locked in a battle with Tinubu regarding the actual winner of the 2023 presidential election at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal extended the frontiers of the war to the US in what his camp said is to expose the ‘actual’ Tinubu following several discrepancies in his biodata submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Although Tinubu, who courted controversy regarding his real name, age and academic records since 1999 when he won the governorship seat in Lagos has denied all accusations of deliberately concealing his true identity, Atiku believes certain records in the US where the current president schooled and worked could settle the controversy.
Whichever way, the Atiku camp told THE WHISTLER, “it’s a win-win for us,” as “we are sure the reason Tinubu made an application to deny the release of that information means his true identity would be unravelled.
“Is he a male? What course did he study? When? What’s his date of birth?
“We would know all of those and even more,” a member of the Atiku camp said on Wednesday.
In its deposition to the court, the Chicago State University, CSU, has requested the court to grant “only limited and targeted discovery” of the information however assuring that in the event the court rules otherwise, it’s bound to honour the court decision immediately.
The University however wondered how information being sought by Atiku would aid his petition at the tribunal in Nigeria, it nonetheless said, in the event the Court determines to allow any discovery to proceed here, the University urges the Court to direct only limited, targeted discovery on the University.
“As leave to issue any discovery has not yet been granted, and the Court’s views on what if any discovery is appropriate here under 28 U.S.C. §1782 are not yet known, it is premature for the University to raise objections to the scope of the documents and information sought in Abubakar’s two subpoenas.
“But without limiting further objections, which the University expressly reserves, the University notes that the scope and relevancy of certain of Abubakar’s requests are clearly inappropriate,” the University added.
Citing it said, “For example, Abubakar’s document subpoena Request No. 5 seeks information on diplomas issued by the University for a 44-year period (1979 to the present), and Abubakar’s deposition subpoena Topic No. 7 seeks information on the employment status and reasons for departure of a former employee in the University’s General Counsel’s Office
“Following this Court’s ruling on the Application, should any discovery be permitted, the University will meet and confer promptly and in good faith with Abubakar’s counsel to attempt to address all the University’s concerns.”
Suspected armed robbers have invaded a female hostel at the Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt on Thursday, where they robbed and sexually assaulted some of the students.
The robbers carted away mobile phones, cash, and other valuables belonging to the students.
The incident occurred in Hostels D and C, located near the school’s back gate, where a lot of female students are accommodated, at around 1:45 a.m.
According to a student, the robbers were armed with guns and machetes, and they operated for about 45 minutes. They injured about four female students before making away with cash, phones, and other items of value.
The students staged a protest around 8 a.m. after the incident, making the school’s management to shut both entrances to the institution to prevent the protest from escalating.
The Lamidi Apapa faction of the Labour Party (LP) has said Ikechukwu Ukaegbu is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party for Imo State and not Athan Achonu.
It therefore said it has ‘voided’ the governorship flag-off of Ukaegbu for the November 11 governorship election in the state.
The Julius Abure faction had held its flag off on Wednesday in Owerri where it unveiled Athan Achonu as its candidate.
Abure, LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State governor, Alex Otti, attended Achonu’s campaign flag-off, where the party declared its readiness to dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC) incumbent, Governor Hope Uzodimma.
However, hours after the event, the Apapa camp said it held an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, late Wednesday, where the flag-off was declared null and void.
The Apapa camp has insisted that Ikechukwu Ukaegbu is the authentic candidate of the LP for the Imo governorship election.
Ukaegbu emerged as candidate in a parallel primary conducted by the Apapa faction on April 16 but a day earlier, April 15, Achonu was elected as the party’s flag bearer in an election held by Abure’s camp.
The Apapa camp announced that it had voided Achonu’s campaign flag-off in a statement released on Thursday.
The statement, signed by Apapa, as Acting National Chairman, Saleh Lawan,
Acting National Secretary and Arabambi Abayomi, National Publicity Secretary, also faulted Peter Obi for endorsing Achonu.
“The Labour Party (LP) National Working Committee (NWC) in an emergency meeting yesterday, Wednesday, 23rd August, 2023, have disclaimed Mr Peter Obi’s assertion and voided the illegal, unlawful and unauthorised Imo State Gubernatorial Campaign Flag-Off of Senator Athan Nneji Achonu, awaiting the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting concurrence today, Thursday 24th August, 2023,” the statement said.
“Abure and others illegally and unlawfully conducted unauthorised gubernatorial primaries of the Labour Party (LP) in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states on 15th April, 2023; while Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa conducted the legally valid primaries on 16th April, 2023, that has been adjudged by the Owerri High Court judgment of 23rd June, 2023, and Appeal Court judgment of 18th July, 2023, that upheld Chief Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph Ikenga as the authentic Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Imo State,” the statement added.
The Apapa camp, in the statement, further alleged that Abure and members of his executive committee “colluded with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to upload illegal names on the INEC portal because they had the INEC portal codes which they have refused to hand over to Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa”.
The legal process initiated by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, asking the Chicago State University (CSU) for a discovery of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records has got a new twist, as lawyers to President Tinubu in their fillings blamed the clerk of the 156-year-old institution for the errors in the APC presidential candidate’s academic documents and certificate.
It will be recalled that the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois had given Tinubu up until August 23 to make a formal filing on why his records should not be released to the petitioner, Atiku Abubakar.
In complying with the directive of the court, however, Tinubu’s lawyer, on Wednesday said that an unidentified clerk of the university “unfortunately” made the errors as to the dates the school stated on his recently-issued certificate and when he actually graduated, thereby creating “the appearance of differences.”
Tinubu’s new claim was made before the judge hearing the case, Jeffery Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.
Atiku had subpoenaed the CSU to make a discovery of Tinubu’s academic records, believing that such discoveries will shed more light on the controversies surrounding Tinubu’s educational claims.
There have been crises of authenticity about the documents that Tinubu submitted to the Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a viral document that the CSU in the 1970s admitted a female student bearing Bola Tinubu, who was born on March 29, 1954.
While President Tinubu claims that he was born on March 29, 1952, he had also, at different times, listed 1954 as his birth year in the past.
The flame of controversy around President Tinubu’s academic records began to burn when, in 1999 during his run for the Lagos State governorship position, he claimed to have attended schools in Nigeria, which included Government College Ibadan, but which he later rescinded.
He also recently expunged his primary and secondary education from his records after it was discovered that other schools he listed under oath in his 1999 INEC form CF001 did not exist anywhere in Nigeria.
However, the documents being sought by Atiku seek to highlight which early education credentials Tinubu submitted to CSU before he was admitted into the university.
Atiku’s contention was that Tinubu had presented contradictory claims in Nigeria and the CSU in responding to a previous subpoena.
Tinubu’s response, which was signed by his lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi, and Christopher Carmichael, quoted in part, “unfortunately, in responding to the illegal and invalid subpoena, CSU made several errors.
“CSU issued a new diploma for Bola A. Tinubu, but incorrectly wrote the date of graduation as June 27, 1979.
“The correct date was June 22, 1979, but that scrivener’s error – along with a change in the CSU logo, the font on the diploma, and leadership at CSU who signed the diploma created the appearance of differences between an earlier issued diploma and the one issued in response to the 2022 subpoena.”