An Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode, on Monday, granted an order asking the Ogun State government to maintain the status quo and stay off the property belonging to the wife of the Senator representing Ogun East, Yeye Olufunke Daniel.

Agents of the state government had, in the early hours of Sunday, destroyed some parts of the five-storey building located along Folagbade road in Ijebu Ode.

Defending its actions, the state government, on Sunday, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, said the structure violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects.

Meanwhile, Abiodun, on Monday, again warned that the state government will not tolerate lawlessness and the violation of the state’s building codes.

The governor also denied any political motives in the partial demolition of DATKEM Plaza, Ijebu-Ode.

Abiodun formally reacted to the demolition and the attendant accusation after inspecting the eight-kilometre Mowe-Ofada Road in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “I’m sure that everyone would testify to the fact that since I assumed office in 2019, I have ensured equity, and fairness and upheld the rule of law. I have not in any way attempted to be vindictive or in any form or manner appear like someone who is trying to witch-hunt anyone.

“Having said that, these are some of the insinuations I have read on social media and nothing could be farther from the truth. You all have seen the position of the Ministry of Physical Planning, which is the ministry that is entrusted with ensuring that people adhere to our different building codes. Because if we don’t respect building codes, if we don’t abide by building laws, it means that we are nothing but a chaotic society.”

“Only a few weeks ago, the new minister of the FCT said any person who builds in FCT without approval no matter how highly placed they are, be it a minister or anybody, the building will come down. And recall sometime last year, when a building collapsed on Gerald in Lagos, a building that belonged to someone that I know personally, I held a press conference and said we would not allow for this to happen in Ogun State. You build without approval, you build beyond your approval, and if you don’t build in line with our regulations, that building will come down.”

However, the court, on Monday, asked the government to stay off the property pending the determination of the substantiative matter filed before it.

The matter with Suit No: HCJ212/2023 was filed by DAKTEMS Enterprises Limited as plaintiff and joined the Governor of Ogun State, Attorney General of Ogun State, Ogun State Planning & Development Permit Authority and Urban Development as well as Ogun State Commissioner for Physical Planning, as defendants.

It prayed the court for “an ex parte order restraining the defendants/respondents and their agents, allies, proxies, assigns, cronies, servants and any other person(s), however described, either claiming through them or acting on their behalf, in whatsoever manner, upon their authority/instruction, from demolishing the property known, being or lying at No. 62, ljebu Ode/lbadan Road, ljebu Ode, Iiebu Ode Local Government Area, Ogun State,” pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice herein filed.

“An order of the court mandating and/or otherwise directing parties to maintain status quo, i.e. the position of things, as it were, as of the time of filing, hearing and determination of this application.”

Giving his ruling, Justice N. O. Durojaiye directed that all parties in the case maintain the status quo on the property as of today September 11, 2023.

“The applicant shall file an affidavit of status quo, showing the state of the disputed property as of today within 72 hours from today.

“The originating processes and all other processes shall be served on the respondents within 24 hours from today.

“The motion for Interlocutory Injunction is adjourned for hearing on September 27, 2023.”

Counsel for Yeye Olufunke Daniel, Mr Adeyinka Kotoye, had in a statement on Sunday accused the Ogun State government of ignoring the relevant court papers served on them on September 7, 2023, to go ahead with the vandalisation and demolition of the complex and said to be scheduled for commissioning by month end, vowing that his client will use the instrument of the law to seek justice and challenge what it termed the executive recklessness of Abiodun.

The statement said, “We want to believe that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this acts of illegality but if he was informed and decided to use the instrument of the state against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness, but we shall continue to fight for justice.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers.

The ban, which was imposed 10 months ago had affected activities of Nigerians who were regular visitors to the Middle East country for businesses, tourism and leisure.

But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rekindled the hope of many recently when he vowed to do everything within his power to resolve the diplomatic row between the two countries.

Tinubu had directed the immediate resolutions of the issue when Ambassador Designate, Amb Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi presented his Letter of Credence,” to him at Aso Rock.

Recall how Tinubu proceeded to Abu Dahbi, UAE capital, from India, where he attended the G-20 Summit.

In a statement on Monday, Presidential spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, announced that the meeting with the UAE authorities was fruitful.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, have finalized a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travelers.”

“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay.

“As negotiated between the two Heads of State, this immediate restoration of flight activity, through these two airlines and between the two countries, does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

“In recognition of President Tinubu’s economic development diplomacy drive and proposals today presented by President Tinubu to his counterpart, an agreed framework has been established, which will involve several billions of U.S. dollars worth of new investments into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors, including defense, agriculture and others, by the investment arms of the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

“Additionally, President Tinubu is pleased to have successfully negotiated a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between the two Governments, which will be announced in detail in the coming weeks.

“In conclusion, the President wishes to commend the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his unalloyed friendship and his determined effort to join hands with him to fully normalize and reset to excellence, the standard of relations between the two important countries.”

It is now crucial for Nigeria to prioritize the reduction of insecurity to the lowest possible level in order to fully benefit from the domestic economic initiatives of the new administration and the renewed international diplomatic and economic stance of the Tinubu's government. The need for this has become imperative following the enthusiasm generated by President Tinubu's recent attendance at the G20 summit in India and trip to the United Arab Emirates to address the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries, which was affected by the suspension of travel visas to Nigerians and the flight suspension of Emirates airlines to Nigeria.

While the government's efforts to harmonize the foreign exchange rate and remove fuel subsidy have been applauded by local and international economists and analysts, it is essential for the government to simultaneously address the security situation in the country in a more serious and strategic manner.

Starting from the first reported case of armed robbery in Nigeria by the Oyenusi gang in the early 1970s to the activities of the Maitasine bandits in the 1980s and 1990s, armed banditries which hitherto was on the increase and prevalent in the northeast region of the country, has now spread to other parts of the country.

This phenomenon has been exacerbated by the destabilization of governments in Libya and Iraq, including the overthrow of Muammer Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein. In the 2000s, insecurity took on a new turn in the form of Boko Haram, IPSWA, kidnapping and Farmers-Herders clashes.

To effectively tackle insecurity and provide assurance to foreign investors regarding their personal safety and security, it ihas now become urgent to reposition the Nigerian police, the DSS, and other security agencies towards preemptive and crime preventive services. These security services should undergo comprehensive training, retraining, and be equipped and resourced adequately. A new approach that incorporates international best practices in policing, crime prevention, and enforcement is necessary.

Furthermore, in order to promote the Ease of Doing Business initiative, Nigeria must go beyond mere slogans and address the obstacles that hinder business operations in the country. This includes rebranding the country, improving services in embassies and high commissions related to visa issuance and information management. It is crucial to decentralize activities from Lagos and Abuja, develop more international airports of international standards, and decentralize the corporate affairs commission. Every Nigerian should embrace the role of a marketer for a New Nigeria that is prepared and open for business. Additionally, cybercrimes and advanced fee fraud (also known as 419) must be strongly addressed.

Once these issues have been effectively addressed, Nigeria will be on its way to achieving the greatness it is destined for and has the potential to achieve. As I always say, "There is no Nigerian way of flying a Boeing 747..."

In spite of its internal contradictions and a chronically weak economy, Nigeria is earnestly searching for international clout. We desire to be respected and treated as a regional superpower. At every opportunity, the government touts our massive land size and huge population, and seeks the country’s membership of important global forums. But do we really need deserve to be a member of these groupings? What else drives these cravings to belong despite our problems at home? At the G20 Summit at New Delhi over the weekend, President Tinubu said the group is incomplete without Nigeria as a member. ‘’Nigeria is poised, willing and able to be a major player in this family of the G20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family will remain incomplete’’, he said in an address in which he also presented our credentials as Africa’s largest economy, market and democracy. South Africa is the only African nation in G20.

At the BRICS Summit in South Africa last month, Vice President Kassim Shettima expressed our desire to join the bloc because Nigeria is seeking a partnership that provides opportunities for all to engage in trade, prosperity and shared progress with no marginalization based on geography, race and legitimate sovereign affiliations. He said: ‘’We want a partnership that guarantees a world governed by acceptable rules and norms. These nations confront historical developmental vulnerabilities and challenges that are beyond their control. Thus, it is imperative for us to unite within regional groups and forge a novel form of international cooperation’’. Again, South Africa is the only African nation in the BRICS.

Before seeking to join these bodies, it is important that we first of all find out why we were left out in the first instance; and why South Africa, which we helped liberate from Apartheid three decades ago, was preferred as a member. G20 (Group of Twenty) is an international forum consisting of 19 counties and the European Union (EU). Over the weekend, African Union (AU) was admitted as the 21st member. Formed in 1999 as a response to the debt crises that plagued many developing nations in the 1990s, its membership was drawn from a list of nations with the largest economies that were critical to world markets. Other considerations were regional representation to ensure diversity and balanced representation; systemic importance (countries that play crucial role in global economic and financial systems); willingness to participate in international forums like the IMF, WTO and other multilateral economic platforms and ability to cooperate and contribute to international economic discussions. In 1999, Nigeria had not become a major economy and oil was selling at around $20 per barrel. South Africa was the biggest and a highly diversified economy in the continent with a GDP of about $400 billion. It was only in April 2014 that the Nigerian economy was rebased (recalculated to reflect current prices and market structure) and that’s when it overtook South Africa by a small margin as the biggest in the continent.

Twenty-four years after, Nigeria appears more eligible to join G20, but unfortunately, it has no immediate plans to increase its membership with additional sovereign countries. The BRICS bloc, formed 10 years after G20, may expand its membership and hopefully, Nigeria may be admitted. But it’s quite jarring that we were left out of the two important global economic blocs formed in the last almost 25 years. This is a reflection of our diminished standing in the global stage due to our chronically weak economy and persistently high corruption. No matter the fine speeches we read at world events, Nigeria will never be respected globally and admitted into any important international forum if our political leaders continue in their old habits of stealing from the treasury. We may be invited to attend such forums every year, but attaining membership would be a forlorn hope unless we embrace global best practice in governance. It was in 2016 that the then Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, was caught on camera, as telling the Queen that Nigeria and Afghanistan were two ‘’fantastically corrupt’’ countries. They were discussing privately at the sidelines of an anti-corruption summit in London and the PM, not aware that the microphone lying near him was open, made the remark as President Buhari walked in. I wonder what Cameron would say today with all the revelations that have emerged since then.

In a few weeks, President Tinubu will travel to New York to attend the UN General Assembly where he will address the august body on the usual issues: impacts of climate change; energy transition in Africa; debt relief for poor nations and the need to expand the membership of the Security Council to include our continent. But the world will never respect us or listen to us until we clean up our act.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, have finalized a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travelers.

Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay.

As negotiated between the two Heads of State, this immediate restoration of flight activity, through these two airlines and between the two countries, does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

In recognition of President Tinubu's economic development diplomacy drive and proposals today presented by President Tinubu to his counterpart, an agreed framework has been established, which will involve several billions of U.S. dollars worth of new investments into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors, including defense, agriculture and others, by the investment arms of the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, President Tinubu is pleased to have successfully negotiated a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between the two Governments, which will be announced in detail in the coming weeks.

In conclusion, the President wishes to commend the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his unalloyed friendship and his determined effort to join hands with him to fully normalize and reset to excellence, the standard of relations between the two important countries.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

Nigeria’s Super Eagles ended their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on an impressive note with Victor Osimhen scoring  hat-trick in a 6-0 demolition Sao Tome and Principe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Sunday night.

The Super Eagles applied pressure from the get go and played most of their football in advanced positions up the pitch.

Nigeria were awarded a couple of corners inside the first five minutes of the game but failed to make the most of their opportunities.

Nigeria continued to dominate play as the 10th minute rolled on and pinned Sao Tome back during the opening exchanges of the game.

With Sao Tome buckling under the pressure, Nigeria took the lead in the 13th minute as Osimhen scored his eighth goal of their qualifying campaign.

The game reached a tacky period around the 20th minute mark, with neither side progressing in the final third, but the Super Eagles managed to double their lead in the 27th minute as Ademola Lookman added his name to the scoresheet.

After a passing move on the edge of the Sao Tome area, Lookman made way inside the box before letting off a shot that beat the opposition goalkeeper at his near post.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Samuel Chukwueze completed the rout.

Sports Development Minister John Owan Enoh, who was among the spectators at the Stadium, congratulated the Nigerian team for rewarding the support of Nigerians with a good performance, while charging the team to bring home the AFCON trophy next year.

“On the behalf of all Nigerians, I congratulate the Super Eagles for making the country proud with such an incredible performance. While this wraps up our qualification gracefully, I want to charge the team to go out against all odds in Ivory Coast next year. We want the AFCON trophy to land in Nigeria and all hands will be on deck to make this happen,” he stated.

“The ministry will work round the clock to ensure the team gets the best preparation possible, in our quest to bring glory to Nigeria. Our players have displayed commitment to the national colours and I hope that the renewed sense of patriotism remains in place to catalyze the team at the AFCON.”

The Super Eagles bagged 15 points from six games to secure top spot in Group A. Lagos-born Victor Osimhen grabbed a hat trick to become Nigeria’s fourth all-time highest goalscorer with 20 goals.

[Leadership]

Former Arsenal attacker, Kevin Campbell has given his verdict on Declan Rice and Thomas Partey as the Gunners return to the Champions League this season.

This season’s Champions League campaign will commence next week.

Arsenal are already in Group B of this season’s Champions League, alongside Sevilla, PSV and Lens.

Mikel Arteta’s side will host PSV at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

However, Campbell believes Arsenal fans and football lovers will see the best of both Rice and Partey in the Champions League this season if the Ghanaian international is fit to feature for the Premier League giants.

“I truly believe Declan Rice, he is only working, at the moment, to about 60-65% capacity of his talent. I really do,” Campbell said on The Highbury Squad.

“But he is learning how to play in this system. It is only four games, and he has been immense in all four games.

“I just think his ceiling is massive. I will be brutally honest with you. When Thomas Partey is fit, and you got those two as a pivot, then you see the best of these guys in the Champions League.”

[TheCable]

A former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Osita Chidoka has slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its failure to electronically transmit election results in real-time during the 2023 general elections.

Chidoka, while appearing on Channels TV Politics Today on Sunday, stated that despite promises made with the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun gubernatorial elections, the commission failed ‘on a large scale.’

He said, “INEC is a monumental disgrace; it is an organization that I am ashamed to associate with as a Nigerian. They made promises with the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun elections.

“Despite not testing the system, it is a shame that INEC went to court to argue that not complying with its regulations does not make it a ground to cancel an election.”

He also stated that if INEC had transmitted the results in real life, there would be no reason for the parties to go to court.

“If the results we saw from the polling unit were the same as what we saw at the collation centres, there would be no reason to be in court.

Chidoka said there’s a possibility President Tinubu would have won the election if ‘the right thing was done.’

[Vanguard]

Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has said there are no plans to tax the poor and that Nigerians will begin to make input in the reform process by September ending.

President Bola Tinubu named Oyedele to head the committee mandated to review and redesign Nigeria’s fiscal system with respect to revenue mobilisation, both tax and non-tax; quality of government spending and sustainable debt management.

The work of the committee is expected to be completed within one year, at which point they would bridge the tax bracket estimated at N20trn.

But Oyedele, said in a tweet seen by THE WHISTLER said, “We do not intend to introduce new taxes or impose higher tax rates. Rather, our mandate is to reduce the number of taxes and levies while harmonising revenue collection to reduce the burden on the people and businesses.

“The objective is to avoid taxing investment, capital, production or poverty. We plan to review and re-enact the major tax laws in a holistic manner thereby limiting the necessity for frequent changes through annual finance acts.

He said Nigerians from all works of life would be given the opportunity to make their inputs on how best to achieve an inclusive tax reform.

Oyedele said, “The committee will open channels of communication and platforms for submission of inputs by the end of September 2023.

“In addition, we have outline various stakeholder engagement sessions with Nigerians from all walks of life including people living with disabilities, artisans, Nigerians in the diaspora, multinational companies, international investment community and so on. Everyone who has something to say will be heard.”