There are reports that the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been asking questions about his principal, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s earnings and spendings in running the affairs of the state.
The development has been greeted with criticisms by government officials loyal to Akeredolu, Vanguard reports.
Vanguard earlier reported that Akeredolu embarked on medical treatment abroad and transmitted power to his deputy, as he is billed to return to the country on July 6.
But, sources revealed that Aiyedatiwa has reportedly been “Undermining the authority of the governor’s office through his actions and decisions.”
A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “We are not concerned about the political turmoil within the government. Our priority is ensuring due process. The governor’s office does not directly instruct us to release funds.
“There are established procedures for financial disbursements in the government, and all approvals must go through the Ministry of Finance.
“Aside from the running grant accruing to the deputy governor’s office monthly, he has also demanded that the governor’s running grant and other emoluments attached to the office of the governor be handed to him as acting Governor.
“In the past week, the deputy governor has summoned and threatened two of our officials. He has inquired about the governor’s spending and demanded to know how funds allocated to the governor’s office are disbursed.
“He believes he is entitled to two streams of funding, insisting that the governor’s office allocation should be included as part of his role as acting governor.
“During the encounters with our officials, they kindly explained that even the governor’s office route its approvals through the Ministry of Finance.
“However, the deputy governor remains obstinate, repeatedly demanding immediate funds. Despite our attempts to educate him on proper financial protocols and the responsible use of public funds, he persists.
“He has been confrontational and demanding. We see this as executive recklessness. While we understand tensions may be high, we would prefer not to be involved in any reckless activities.”
VIDEO: RMAFC Explains Why 114% Salary Increase For Tinubu, Govs, Other Political Office Holders Was Recommended
AdminThe Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has explained why it recommended an upward increase of the basic salary for public office holders by 114 percent.
Naija News reports that there have been a series of controversies following reports that the federal government had approved the increment of salaries of political office-holders, judicial and public office holders by 114 percent.
A Federal Commissioner in the RMAFC, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, was quoted to have announced the salary increase while representing the commission’s chairman, Mohammad Shehu, at the presentation of the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday.
In a subsequent statement, however, RMAFC Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, denied the viral reports stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has yet to approve any such increase.
He added that the trending claim of a salary increase for some public office holders did not emanate from him or from the RMAFC Chairman.
Speaking, however, on Thursday while appearing live on Arise TV programme, the Federal Commissioner, RMAFC, Hassan Mohammed Usman, noted that the remuneration review had been due since 2007 but has not been done for specific reasons.
According to him, for 15 years, the salaries for the political, judicial and public office holders have not been reviewed by the government.
Usman added that the review premised on the fact that the consumer price index, from the year 2008 to 2022, has increased scientifically by 371 per cent.
Watch the interview below:
Media
TRIBUNAL: INEC wiped off results of presidential election in BVAS - forensic expert tells court
AdminA digital forensic expert, Mr. Hitler Nwala, on Thursday, narrated before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, how he uncovered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, wiped off results of the presidential election that held on February 25.
Mr. Nwala mounted the box as the 25th witness of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is challenging the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential election.
Testifying before the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel, the witness, alleged that the results that were deleted, were contained in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines, that were deployed for the conduct of the elections.
Atiku and his party had insisted that data from the BVAS machines which were used for the accreditation of voters and uploading of polling unit results, would establish their allegation that the presidential election was rigged in Tinubu’s favour.
Meanwhile, led in evidence by lead counsel for the petitioners, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, Mr. Nwala, said he was summoned through a subpoena, to appear as a witness in the case.
He told the court that he specifically inspected and conducted forensic analysis on 110 BVAS that were deployed for the conduct of the presidential election in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
According to him, upon his enquiry, the electoral body maintained that it had to wipe off the information in the BVAS to be able to redeploy them for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections that held on March 18.
However, during cross-examination of the witness, counsel to INEC, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, faulted report of the witness, stressing that 110 BVAS devices used for the election, was not sufficient to establish that there was any irregularity on the part of the Commission.
Mahmoud, SAN, while contending that the sample size the witness relied on to write his report, was small, noted that a total of 3, 263 BVAS devices, were deployed during the presidential election.
He argued that the sample the witness based his report on, represented only about 3.5 percent of the total device the INEC deployed in FCT and and 0.06 percent of the total BVAS that was used for the presidential election, across the country.
It will be recalled that INEC had disclosed that it needed to “re-configure” all the BVAS machines that were used for the presidential poll so as to be able to use them for the next round of elections.
On their part, both President Tinubu, whose legal team was led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and APC’s legal team led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, urged the court to reject the report of the witness which they said was laced with manifest errors.
Nonetheless, the petitioners’ counsel, Uche, SAN, described the evidence of the witness as very vital to the case of his clients “considering that it was the first that we had a technologically driven election in this country,” he added.
Shortly after the witness was discharged by the court, the petitioners, tendered from the Bar, bundles of certified copies of INEC’s Forms EC8A from 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Ogun state.
The documents were tendered through a member of Atiku’s legal team, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN.
Equally tendered in evidence by the petitioners, were certified copies of polling unit results (Form EC8A series) from 17 LGAs in Ondo state, 27 LGAs in Jigawa as well as from 20 LGAs in Rivers State.
INEC opposed the admissibility of the documents in evidence, saying it would give its reasons in its final written address.
Likewise, the other Respondents- President Tinubu and the APC- equally raised objections to the admittance of the electoral documents in evidence.
Despite the objections, the Justice Tsammani panel accepted the documents in evidence and marked them as Exhibits in the matter.
The court subsequently adjourned its proceedings till Friday to enable the petitioners to close their case, after which the Respondents will open their defence.
Cost of international flights have increased by at least 15 percent following the recent depreciation of the naira on the back of the Federal Government’s convergence policy.
Vice president of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Yinka Folami, told newsmen that the cost of international flights from Nigeria is dependent on what the cost of the dollar is at the I and E window at every given time.
“Some days ago, naira sold for N680 to one dollar and yesterday it sold for over N700. The foreign airlines then fix the prices based on what is available from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“However, despite our repeated plea, foreign airlines have adamantly refused to unblock lower inventories and it is making the cost of tickets very expensive,” he said.
In the past, an economy ticket from Lagos to London used to cost about N400,000 in 2021 but had increased to about N1.2 million in 2022 and 2023.
Also, business class ticket has risen to about N6 million during the same period, depending on the airline and time of booking.
With this development, a N1.2 million economy ticket may rise to N2 million and above, while for the business class, the fares may rise to N7 million or more.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had few weeks ago warned about the inability of international airlines to repatriate their ticket sales for over a year, saying the blocked funds have contributed to the high airfares on Nigerian routes.
IATA also said that blocked funds belonging to foreign airlines trapped in Nigeria had hit $812.2 million, warning that rapidly rising levels of blocked funds are a threat to airline connectivity in the affected markets.
The industry’s blocked funds have increased by 47 per cent to $2.27 billion in April 2023 from $1.55 billion in April 2022.
The top five countries that account for 68.0 per cent of blocked funds are Nigeria with the highest trapped funds ($812.2 million), Bangladesh ($214.1 million), Algeria ($196.3 million), Pakistan ($188.2 million), Lebanon ($141.2 million)
IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh said, “Airlines cannot continue to offer services in markets where they are unable to repatriate the revenues arising from their commercial activities in those markets. “Governments need to work with industry to resolve this situation so airlines can continue to provide the connectivity that is vital to driving economic activity and job creation.”
Proposed ‘114℅ salary increment’ for politicians not in interest of poor Nigerians - Obi reacts
AdminThe presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Thursday, slammed the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its proposed 114 per cent raise in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, and lawmakers.
RMAFC has come under heavy criticism over its recommendation for an increase in the basic salaries of public office holders in the country.
Chairman of the commission, Muhammadu Shehu, who was represented by RMAFC commissioner from Kebbi State, Mrs Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, announced the proposal on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, while presenting the reviewed remuneration package of political and judicial office holders to the State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris.
Reacting, Obi in a Twitter post, described the recommendation as “insensitive,” warning that it should not be the priority of a nation still struggling with minimum wage with over 133 million Nigerians currently living in abject poverty.
He tweeted, “I learnt with great reservation, the approval of a 114% increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
“This is not the appropriate time for such a salary increment if it is at all necessary. We are living in a time when an average Nigerian is struggling with many harsh economic realities, and with over 130 million Nigerians now living in poverty. This is a moment when recent reform measures by the government have increased living costs astronomically.
“One would expect the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance, alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. This moment calls for creative ways of pulling the majority out of poverty. In the immortal words of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, ‘What touches us ourself shall be last served.’
“The leaders, therefore, should prioritise what affects the masses and those on the lower strata of society over themselves. The sacrifice, at this time in our nation, should be borne by the leaders. The increment should be reversed immediately, and the savings should be devoted to fixing education, healthcare and poverty alleviation especially in the remote rural areas.”
Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, Ibrahim Musa, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government has approved the re-opening of the Seme border for the importation of vehicles.
Speaking at the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, meeting, organised between officials of Nigeria and Benin, Musa said the development followed complaints by freight forwarders operating at the Seme border.
The director, who spoke at the ECOWAS Monitoring Team’s visit to the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, said: “I was here with the former Minister of State for Transportation when the Freight Forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services.
“The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government.”
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, Dera Nnadi said the service has noticed a reduction in its revenue since the importation of vehicles was banned from the land borders.
Nnadi said: “The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, one of them is how to fully open this border.
“The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima, the co-Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, and the Chairman of the Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, are currently meeting with state governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting is part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to working closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
The American billionaire entrepreneur met with President Bola Tinubu on Monday as part of the program to learn from partners who are helping to address polio, anaemia, and other health threats.
They also met with scientists applying research to develop agricultural innovations for food security and climate adaptation, innovators using technology to improve access to financial services, and others working to improve lives in Niger, Nigeria, and throughout the continent.
Gates and his delegation were also scheduled to meet with national and regional leaders to encourage them to make investments and advance policies that promote innovation and provide equitable opportunities, despite challenging economic conditions.
Similarly, he was expected to participate in a conversation with students and young leaders to gather insights and share perspectives on how science and innovation can accelerate positive change and contribute to a brighter outlook for Africa.
Benue House of Assembly has approved the suspension of all the 23 local government (LG) chairmen in the state for financial misappropriation.
The decision to suspend the LG chairmen was taken on Wednesday during plenary following a letter from Gov. Hyacinth Alia, dated June 14, 2023, requesting the house to investigate the incomes and expenditures of the 23 LG chairmen of the state.
In the letter, Gov. Alia informed the house that he had received a report on the incomes and expenditures of the LG chairmen from February to April, 2023, as submitted by themselves and wished the house to investigate it for necessary recommendations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker of the house, Mr Hyacinth Dajoh, therefore, set up an Ad hoc Committee on June 20, 2023, comprising Mr Peter Ipusu (Katsina-Ala West/APC) as the chairman, Mr Manger Manger (Tarka/APC) and Mr Cyril Ikong (Oju II/APC) as members, to investigate the matter.
The Committee which was directed to investigate and report back to the house within the shortest possible time, expressed worries over the outright disregard of procedure and the crass mismanagement of local government funds by the chairmen during the period under review.
The Committee informed the house that there was the need for a more detailed investigation of the operations of the local government beyond the period under review to cover from June, 2015 to May, 2023.
The Committee, therefore, recommended the immediate suspension of the Chairmen in all the 23 local government councils and also the legislative councils for conniving with the Executive Councils to mismanage public funds put in their trust.
After contributions from members in favour of the report, the house unanimously agreed that the chairmen be suspended in order to enable it do the investigation without any interference.
Ruling, the Speaker directed the chairmen to hand over the affairs of their local government councils, all government properties in their possession, including official vehicles, to the Directors-General, Services and Administration (DGSAs) with immediate effect and proceed on suspension, pending the completion of investigation into their account books and other related matters.
The Speaker further directed that the Governor should proceed and set up caretaker committees in line with the Benue Local Government law.
He also requested the Commissioner of Police to ensure a seamless takeover at the various local government council headquarters without any friction.
Threatens legal action against online publisher
A Security expert and former Director, Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, has refuted comments credited to his name against the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi.
An online publishing company, Opera News, in a report titled, Obi is Going Nowhere As Far As God Lives; If Igbos Want A Representative, It’s Not Peter Obi – Mike Ejiofor, accused Ejiofor of commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for playing a paternal role in his appointments. The medium further alleged that Ejiofor had said that despite receiving fewer votes from the South East Geo-political zone of Nigeria in the previous lection, Tinubu has acted as a father figure for the nation by addressing the grievances of the South Easterners.
Peter Obi
But Ejiofor in a statement issued Thursday, described the report, describing it as total falsehood, misleading, baseless and the imagination of the writer.
He stated that he only discusses security issues and try to suggest way forward in addressing security challenges confronting the country.
“I was shocked by the purported report and comments credited to my name. I am not a politician and I don’t discuss political issues. As a security expert, I talk about security challenges confronting the country. On no account did I make such statement.”
Adding: “I have never discussed anything against Peter Obi or any political figure. I have been receiving calls and flaks over a comment I did not make”, Ejiofor stated.
He therefore called on the purveyor of the fake news, Opera News, to immediately retract the story and tender unreserved apology for attempting to drag his name into dirty politics.
He insisted that he is a security expert and not a politician, and as such, nobody should drag him into politics or attempt to smear his reputation.
Meanwhile, Ejiofor said he has already contacted his lawyer and will not fail to institute legal action against the publisher of Opera news for failing to instantly retracting the “reckless and baseless report.”
Ejiofor also used the occasion to caution publishers against fake news, stressing that such unguarded statement was capable of inciting violence and creating unnecessary animosity among groups and individuals.
Why FG should not focus only on national averages for subsidy removal palliatives – World Bank
Admin- The World Bank advises Nigerian policymakers to move away from national averages when formulating social protection measures after the fuel subsidy removal.
- Customizing reforms and social protection initiatives is crucial to consider the impact on different income groups and regions, as highlighted by the World Bank’s report.
- Shifting the focus to a targeted and inclusive approach is emphasized by the World Bank to address the effects of fuel subsidy removal across various socio-economic strata and geographic areas in Nigeria.
The World Bank, in its June 2023 report titled “Detox Development: Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies,” has advised Nigerian policymakers to move away from relying solely on national averages when formulating social protection measures considering fuel subsidy removal.
According to the World Bank, it is crucial to consider the impact of fossil fuel subsidy reforms on various income groups and regions.
The report emphasizes the need to customize reforms and social protection initiatives to address the specific requirements of different population segments.
The World Bank emphasizes the need for policymakers to move away from national averages and adopt a targeted and inclusive approach to address the impact of fuel subsidy removal. This approach aims to ensure that the effects are adequately addressed across various socio-economic levels and geographical regions.
A part of the report stated:
- “If policymakers focus only on national averages and use income level as the sole indicator of vulnerability, they may underestimate the vulnerability of certain groups and provide inadequate social protection for the poor.
- “For example, blanket compensation that uniformly covers a large share of the population may provide adequate compensation, on average, but is likely to fail to protect particularly vulnerable households. Commonly, the vulnerability of population groups is determined based on their income status.
- “However, other determinants of social marginalization can be even more important for instance, the exclusion of women or ethnic minorities makes livelihoods particularly vulnerable to shocks.”
More Insights
The report stated further that while in most states the poorest households consume very little kerosene, in several southern states kerosene consumption by the poorest is significantly above the average for their income group.
So, these regional differences may reflect issues such as differences in the type of employment, access to energy, and availability and affordability of alternative fuels.
The report also provided some insights based on the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s 2012 attempted removal of fuel subsidies.
According to the report, at that time, inadequate attention was paid to the needs of low-income households, resulting in public protests and fierce opposition.
How subsidy removal palliative should be structured
The World Bank report further highlights that in 2012, public protests were concentrated in urban regions such as Abuja and Lagos, where low-income households were mainly dependent on fuel, with little consideration for other parts of the country and their realities.
The position of the World Bank on how policymakers should structure subsidy removal palliatives is in line with what some industry stakeholders have said in the past.
In April 2023, energy analyst, Dan D. Kunle told Nairametrics that if the fuel subsidy should be removed, the government needs to distribute palliatives through state and local governments because they are closer to the grassroots.
According to Kunle, structuring palliatives from the federal capital, Abuja defeats the purpose as the many realities of energy access and affordability will not be considered from a national standpoint.
He emphasized that state and local governments are in a better position to understand the realities faced by Nigerians in all geopolitical zones of the country.
This solution also makes it easy for the palliatives to reach the intended members of the population instead of being siphoned by corrupt officials.
More...
President Bola Tinubu is set to fill no fewer than 2,000 vacant positions following Monday’s dissolution of governing boards of over 153 agencies, parastatals, institutions, and government-owned companies.
The President, it was gathered on Wednesday, would fill the positions mostly with members of his party, the All Progressives Congress
The dissolved boards were among the 209 constituted by former President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2017.
The PUNCH reports that Tinubu on Monday night announced the dissolution of the governing boards of all Federal Government parastatals, agencies, and commissions.
A statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, said only boards of commissions and councils listed in the third schedule, part one section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were excluded from the president’s directive.
The Nigeria Judicial Council, Code of Conduct Bureau; Council of State; Federal Character Commission; Federal Civil Service Commission; Independent National Electoral Commission; National Population Commission; Police Service Commission; and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission are part of the agencies excluded from the directive.
Findings by our correspondents on Wednesday, however, revealed that no fewer than 2,000 persons are expected to be appointed to over 153 boards of agencies, parastatals, commissions, departments, and others by the President.
Vacant slots
Notable among them are 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 include 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.
Though this newspaper could not confirm the total number of vacant board slots that would be filled due to a lack of credible information about dozens of agencies and commissions many of which had no website, findings indicated that a federal board had an average of eight members, while some agencies had as many as 14 board positions.
The PUNCH reports that the previous administration engaged in last-minute appointments to some boards.
Buhari had constituted several boards of agencies and parastatals close to his handover date which was criticised by observers.
Four days before he handed over to Tinubu, Buhari approved the appointment of Garzali Abubakar as the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund.
The former Presidential aide, Garba Shehu in a statement said Buhari also approved the appointment of the chairman and board members of the fund.
Those appointed include Aduke Hussain as Chairman, Hussaini Mohammed (North Central Representative), Mohammed Umar (North West), Abdulsalam Ahmed (North-East), Stella Uzokwe (South-East), Stephen Ikata (South-South) and Olufunlayo Oluwole Faloye (South -West).
APC chieftains
Though it is not clear when Tinubu plans to constitute the new boards, it is expected that the APC members would get most of the juicy appointments.
Party sources told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the board appointments served as an avenue to reward and empower party loyalists and supporters.
However, the Director of Publicity, APC, Bala Ibrahim, said board appointments should not be seen as a reward system.
He noted that it was the prerogative of the President to decide whether he wanted party members or technocrats as members of his administration.
Even if people are jostling for appointments, I don’t think that will be considered something that is paramount or fundamental. The president is not going to be stampeded, I suppose, into submitting to pressure.
“I think he is going to look out for competence and capacity in the delivery of his agenda. He and the party had made promises to the people. I don’t think it is the pressure of the hustlers that will determine who gets what positions. This is my thinking.”
Tinubu, at a meeting with Senators on June 7, had indicated that those who lost elections and other members of the party that they would not be left out in appointments.
He said, “The elephant is big enough for all members, and indeed Nigerians, to have a share of the renewed hope in due course.”
In separate interviews with The PUNCH, stakeholders advised the President to place emphasis on merit in appointing board members.
The President of the Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria, Chijioke James, expressed hope that the President would consider expertise and capacity in the constitution of the TCN board, stressing the need to declare a state of emergency in the power sector.
“The President I’m sure is aware of the need to declare an emergency in the power sector to enable him to renew the hopes of all in a prosperous and productive Nigeria. In line with the above aspiration, I believe and rightly so that the president will consider expertise, experience, and capacity in his appointments to constitute a new board for the dissolved TCN to achieve success in reinvigorating the economy of Nigeria in which energy sector is key and critical,’’ James submitted.
Expert advises President
A power and metering expert, Sesan Okunade, said he looked forward to the appointment of competent individuals who have a good understanding and deep knowledge of the power sector into the TCN board.
He noted, “We look forward to expertise, competence, and people who have an understanding of power (sector). You know TCN stands as an intermediary between the generation and distribution companies. So, we look forward to people who have an understanding of the market, and who can improve from where we are.
“There are lots of projects being signed by the government to support wheeling power from generation to distribution companies. So, we look forward to people who have a deep understanding of power management in such a way that we can improve on what we have currently for the growth and development of the country.
“Also, we would need those who understand the commercial aspect of the business so that we can have good bargaining power in terms of what we are releasing to the distribution companies for more collection through the market operator. But the major work is not with TCN.
“We can also restructure the distribution arm so that when you generate, you transmit, you should be able to distribute effectively with minimal Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses we are currently experiencing with the distribution companies.’’
The Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Mr Wale Oyerinde, said Nigerians expected Tinubu to appoint competent individuals into the various governor boards.
“What we expect is that competent people should be appointed into those boards; that is the general expectation of Nigerians and we believe that the president will do the needful. We expect that round pegs should be put in round holes, competent individuals with a track record of success or achievement. They should be appointed as ministers among others,” he suggested.
Weighing in, the Coordinator of the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Chido Onumah, said while it was certain that the President might appoint close friends and party faithful, he must also ensure that they are “the right people in the right places.”
“The expectation is quality people. If he doesn’t get the right people to manage those agencies, Nigerians will not benefit from it. So, even if they are party faithful, the expectation is the right people in the right places, because board members are key to the success of any organization, whether it is for policy formation or any other thing.”
On her part, the Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development Idayat Hassan, said she expected the appointments to be “business unusual”, adding that appointments must be competence and integrity based.
“I think the most important thing will be to appoint people with competence and integrity. We do not expect things to be business as usual, but business unusual, so that they are actually delivering good services for the benefit of Nigerians”
“So, I don’t think there is any serious party member that is putting compensation as a condition for him not to rebel in the event of him not getting what he wants. I don’t think that is likely. After all, how many positions are there and how many party members are we?’’
The Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Kayode Farinto, said, “You need to have access to the new amended CEMA and it gives conditions and criteria on whom to be appointed as board members. So it must be in line with that, there is nothing anybody can do and nobody can change that.”
The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, on behalf of the entire people of Abia State, has congratulated Mr. Eze Anaba, Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, on his election as the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
Anaba who emerged the President of the professional body at the Biennial National Convention which held recently in Owerri, Imo State on Friday, is from Abia State.
In a statement issued by Kazie Uko, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Abia State, said Anaba’s victory was an eloquent testimony to his leadership qualities and a demonstration of the confidence his colleagues repose in him.
“The people of Abia State are indeed glad to have you as one of their illustrious sons and hope that you will use your new office to work towards the realisation of their dream of a progressive and prosperous Abia”, the statement said.
Eze Anaba
The Governor also congratulated the entire Guild and, particularly, the Organising Committee of the convention, for putting up a rancour-free event, thereby holding a free, fair and peaceful election that has now brought about the new leadership.
The Governor also prayed that Anaba’s tenure “will see to the continued strengthening of the Guild, work to promote the welfare, well-being and rights of journalists in Nigeria as well as ensure that practitioners continue to imbibe the ethics of the noble profession of journalism”.
Among those elected at the Convention is the Director of News, RADIO NIGERIA, Mrs. Husseina Bangshika as Deputy President while Sheddy Ozoene, Kabir Alabi Garba and Umoru Ibrahim emerged the Guild’s Vice Presidents for the East, West and North, respectively. An editor with THISDAY, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren is the General Secretary.
HE Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) have explained their opposition to the bail application filed by the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele.
Their reasons were contained in the counter-affidavits they filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja.
The DSS warned that the suspended CBN boss, if admitted to bail, could interfere with its investigations if admitted to bail.
The OAGF specifically dismissed speculations that Emefiele was being held for terrorist-related crimes. It also said the CBN boss’ detention has nothing to do with neither his foray into partisan politics, nor the botched naira redesign policy.
In its counter-affidavit, the DSS said that those linked to the CBN boss in the course of the investigation have gone underground and ought to be traced and arrested to enable a successful prosecution.
The DSS said that Emefiele was being held pursuant to an order of a competent court.
It explained that the suspended CBN boss was arrested “upon reasonable suspicion of committing acts which constitute criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public fund, economic sabotage, economic crimes of national security dimension and undermining the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The counter-affidavit by the service reads: “Upon the arrest of the applicant, a detention order was duly and promptly procured from a court of competent jurisdiction to enable the 2nd and 3rd respondents to keep the applicant in lawful custody for a period of 14 days when it became apparent that investigation into the allegations levelled against him would take a little while to conclude.
“Also, the arrest of the applicant is not in connection with his financial or monetary policies, including the recent re-design of the naira which was approved by His Excellency, the former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The applicant is still being investigated and as soon as the investigation is completed, the applicant will be immediately charged to court where necessary.
“The applicant has enormous resources at his disposal and can easily interfere with an ongoing investigation and even evade subsequent arrest if released on bail.
“The applicant is a flight risk and there is credible intelligence that he making a frantic effort to flee the country if released prematurely on bail.
“The investigation has assumed a wider dimension and other collaborators fingered in the course of the investigation are at large and ought to be traced and arrested to enable a successful prosecution.
“Any attempt to grant the applicant bail at this stage of the investigation may interfere with other exhibits yet to be collected and jeopardize ongoing investigation in the matter;
“The activities of the applicant constitute a potent threat to national security and cohesion of the Nigeria state;
“The applicant instituted this suit with the sole aim of preventing the 2nd and 3rd respondents from discharging their statutory mandate by seeking to use this court to fetter the hands of the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the ongoing security investigation.”
In its counter-affidavit, the OAGF argued that Emefiele’s life was not in danger to warrant him being granted bail, arguing that he would flee the country if granted bail.
It described Emefiele as a “flight risk”, to justify his continued detention.
After the resumed hearing of the suit in which Emefiele is challenging his detention, the DSS denied not allowing his family members and lawyers to visit him.
The OAGF said: “Issues of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities are not part of the grounds for the arrest and detention of the applicant.
“The respondents have not violated the applicant’s right to live in anyway; his life is not in danger. The respondents did not subject the applicant to any judicial adjudication to warrant the allegation of denial of a fair hearing.
“With the remand order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the said violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of movement does not arise.
The respondents did not subject the applicant to any torture, the details of which have not been provided.”
The OAGF and the DSS picked holes in the claim by the suspended CBN governor that he was unlawfully detained.
Emefiele had sued to challenge his continued detention by the DSS.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tijani Gazal, who represented the OAGF, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that Emefiele’s allegation of unlawful detention was unfounded.
Gazali said as the suspended CBN governor was being detained on the order of an FCT Chief Magistrates Court.
He told the court that the OAGF (listed as the 1st respondent) was challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.
The senior agency argued that Emefiele’s arrest and detention was an administrative decision of an arm of the Executive arm of government.
He stressed that a court’s jurisdiction is determined by the reliefs sought by an applicant.
Lawyer to the DSS I. Awo said there was a subsisting order to detain Emefiele.
Awo, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the suit with cost.
But Emefiele’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), argued that the court has the jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit.
Daudu pointed out that the alleged offences listed against his client were state offences that could be tried by the High Court of the FCT.
After entertaining arguments from parties, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned till July 13 for a ruling.
‘Emefiele’s family members, lawyers not denied access’
After the adjournment, the DSS said in a statement by its spokesman, Peter Afunanya, that the celebration of the news of a court order to allow Emefiele’s lawyers and family members access to him was unnecessary.
The Service also said in the statement titled “The DSS operates within its mandate” that it expected expects attacks over the suspension of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The statement partly reads: “He (Emefiele) was never denied access. Ever since he was taken into custody, his family has continually accessed him; same with medical officials. The impression that the Service is going to act on the prompting of the Court is not correct.”
Making reference to some “editorials” it considered unsavoury, the DSS said it knew that some groups and persons would come up with frivolous allegations against it.
The service added: “These entities may also exploit unpatriotic members of the service to spread falsehoods, propaganda and hate in order to project the organisation in a bad light.
“Given their reach and war chest to mobilise forces against Government and its key officials, the adversaries may intend to cause distractions to the ongoing investigations as directed by the C-in-C (Commander-in-Chief). However, the Service will not depose its professionalism for cheap backlash nor discharge its duty with prejudice or fear.”
The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has called on the President Bola Tinubu administration to address the issue of dichotomy and segregation between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc) qualifications.
SSANIP National President Mr. Phillips Ogunsipe made the call during the association’s congress hosted by the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) branch in Lagos.
According to him, the polytechnic sector at the national level has been battling with the issue of dichotomy, describing it as a discriminatory practice and great disservice to the country.
He noted that the bill, which was passed at the last 9th National Assembly, abrogating dichotomy between HND and B.Sc holders, was not signed into law by the last administration.
According to him, the basic entrance requirements of both the West African Examination Council (WAEC) of five credits and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are the same.
“The quality of lectures we have in the polytechnic is not less nor inferior to what is obtained in the universities, hence the need for the bill to be signed into law.
“And we know that the average Nigerian parents, irrespective of the programme or course, will prefer to have their children in the university due to the recognition the society accords to B.Sc in Nigeria.
“Coming from these backgrounds and considering these procedures, we have not seen any need why the HND entry point will get lower and their terminal point will still be lower.
“We are concerned about the bill because Nigeria, like other developing nations, will only move, only if polytechnic education is given the recognition it deserves,” he added.
The SSANIP president also solicited for the renewal of the agreement signed in 2010 between the 10 staff unions comprising of the NASU, university lecturers, senior staff in universities, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and the government.
He also identified the agreement, renewable every three years as a way forward to end of industrial actions.
“We started the process since 2017 and till today, it is still not concluded, this is not good and healthy for us.
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“The only way to bring a permanent solution and end to this persistent industrial action by polytechnics, universities and Colleges of Education is for government to honour the agreement and do what is expected of it at the right time,” he added.
He then appealed to the Head of Service of the Federal, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan to assist the polytechnic system, by issuing a circular convening the release of the new scheme of service.
According to him, findings have shown that there is no uniform, current and up-to-date scheme of service in all the polytechnics in the country.
“The process has been concluded and it is currently with the Office of Head of Service.
“Two weeks ago, we met with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, just to ensure that the new scheme of service is released,” he said.
On his part, the branch Chairman of YABATECH SSANIP, Mr. Kayode Jason, commended the National Chairman, Ogunsipe, for making out time to visit and update members on crucial issues in the union.
“This is a laudable visit and we are sincerely honoured to have our national chairman in our midst and made out time to enlighten us on important areas which have remained a challenge,” Jason said.