According to Shettima, 42 persons were brought to the specialist hospital, but 14 have been discharged after receiving treatment.

The Vice President noted that 26 are still receiving treatment.

Shettima, who made a personal donation to all the victims, condoled with the families of those killed by the multiple explosions.

He also conveyed the condolences of President Bola Tinubu to Gwoza people and Borno State.

The Vice President was in the company of the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Babagana Kingibe, Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Director General of NEMA and other government functionaries.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has described criminals responsible for the suicide bombing in Borno State as cowards who would soon face the wrath of justice.

The President said the action of the terrorists is due to the pressure mounted against them by security forces which have degraded their abilities to mount attacks.

While consoling all those affected by the attack, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government would not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.

He added that his administration would take every necessary step to ensure citizens are protected, and criminals are brought to justice.

[NaijaNews]

Amid the increasing demand for an efficient and responsive police system, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele on Monday lamented the dysfunctionality of the Nigeria Police, pointing out that as currently constituted, the police was not properly established to succeed in the country.

Bamidele, also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, further observed that any police structure that did not reflect Nigeria’s federal realities would not effectively address the roots of security challenges facing the federation.

He made these remarks at the 2024 Distinguished Personality Lecture Series jointly organised by the Department of Political Science and Institute of Legislative Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The lecture, titled “Constitutional Amendment and the Political Dynamics of State Police in Nigeria,” was chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, who was represented by Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyelola Ashiru.

At the lecture were the Chairman, Senate Chairman on Agriculture, Senator Saliu Mustapha; Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Sadiq Umar; Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Akintunde Yunus; Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN) and Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

Speaking at the session, Bamidele dissected diverse socio-economic and political forces responsible for the dysfunctionality of the Nigeria Police and reeled out antidotes to the problems of policing in Nigeria.

While warning against the incessant deployment of the armed forces without compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, Bamidele faulted the undue establishment and operations of vigilante groups and security outfits at the state levels without national legal framework.

Bamidele explained that the incessant deployment of the armed forces for the purpose of maintaining law and order internally was at variance with their mandate under the 1999 Constitution and did not portray Nigeria as a truly democratic and internally stable democracy.

The senate leader observed that the challenges facing the Nigeria Police “are numerous. How the police are organised, managed, governed and funded can determine its ability to deliver on its constitutional mandate of protecting the life and property of Nigerians.

“Understanding these dynamics can help in appreciating what needs to be done to improve security in the country. It is clear that Nigerians do not fully appreciate the depth and scale of the challenges facing the police.

“I maintain that the police have not been set up properly to succeed in this nation. Effective policing in Nigeria is almost impossible unless there are fundamental changes. Indeed, the constraints faced by the police are used as excuses for various misconducts and unprofessional behaviours by many officers of the force.

“Despite many attempts by its leadership of the Nigeria Police to enforce discipline and even sack bad eggs, operational misconduct is still prevalent in the ranks of police operatives, and this undermines their capacity to decisively respond to pervasive insecurity nationwide.”

He further argued that the regular deployment of the Nigeria Armed Forces across the federation was, no doubt, an indication that the present police structure could no longer address the present security challenges of our nation.

To correct these anomalies, the senate leader canvassed the adoption of decentralised police model to address a myriad of security challenges currently undermining the country’s internal cohesion and disincentivizing investors from coming into the federation.

[DailyTrust]

A 103-year-old Tanzanian woman identified as Mariam Hussein has narrated the lifelong story of love and patience detailing her deep affection for a white boyfriend named John, whom she failed to meet again after he left.

Hussein, who spoke with Afrimax’s English anchor, Simon Greenwood, in Swahili (translated to English) recently said she was convinced that her European boyfriend would find her soon so they could rekindle their love, but she ended up single and celibate all her life.

According to her, John was a young man full of adventure and kindness who had come to Tanzania seeking adventure.

“I met John, a young white man from Europe who had come to Tanzanian in search of adventure and purpose. I helped him navigate and settle comfortably into his new environment. Over time, our friendship blossomed into something more, to be honest, he was unlike anyone I have ever met his manners, stories, and kindness all fascinated me he respected my culture and showed genuine interest in my life and aspirations we spent countless hours envisioning a future filled with love and happiness I believed he was truly unique and indeed he was.

“Our relationship blossomed and I found myself falling deeply in love every moment we spent together made my feelings for him grow stronger, I could see that he loved me too, his eyes sparkled with genuine affection whenever he looked at me and his actions always showed his care and commitment.

“I love him back wholeheartedly and unconditionally because, for the first time in my life, it was all about love in its purest form we shared dreams, hopes and secrets together, building an unbreakable bond I also hoped that John would be the one to change my destiny I dreamt that he may take me away from the life of struggle I had always known and experienced with him I envisioned a future filled with endless possibilities free from the hardship that had defined my past he gave me hope that together we could build a new life full of love and happiness,” the woman said.

The woman, who has never married nor had children, stressed that her hopes were dashed when John abruptly received an urgent call to return to his village without bidding her farewell or explaining.

Devastated by his sudden disappearance, Hussein spent years searching for him, believing that he would someday return to fulfil their dreams.

“I was devastated I couldn’t believe he had disappeared initially. I considered the possibility of it being a prank or a test of my patience. I searched high and low for John desperately hoping for an explanation but he was nowhere to be found days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and still there was no trace of him months turned into years and yet I clung to believe that John would eventually return.

“I refused to accept the idea that he may not come back anytime soon despite the wonderful moments we had shared, I remained a virgin in our culture, it was expected that preserve her purity until marriage having sex before a marriage was considered a taboo so I made it my priority to maintain my purity…,”  she noted.

The 103-year-old woman further asserted that she had always believed that one day she would be married to John and her patience would be rewarded.

“This cultural belief was deeply ingrained in me and I took my commitment to take it seriously even though I loved John deeply and we had an incredible bond. I remained steadfast in upholding this cultural value.

“I believed that one day, we would be married and my patience would be rewarded … however as years went by the hopes of his returns began to fade leaving me feeling both betrayed and alone nevertheless, I remained resolute in my promise to myself and my culture,” she said.

[Punch]

The chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has hailed the appointment of Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, as the Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.

In a congratulatory message, Dabiri-Erewa said the appointment was a well-deserved one.

Dabiri-Erewa in a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun Director, Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NiDCOM, said Nigeria is proud of the genius achievements of Anne-Marie, breaking records and setting unimaginable standards at her young age always that has earned her the prestigious assignment to continue to serve humanity.

The statement stated: “While praying for her success and impactful tenure, the NiDCOM boss acknowledged the receipt of her invitation to attend the prestigious Chancellor’s installation slated for July 2, as a special guest of Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, saying it is a great honour to her.

“She urged her not to rest on her oars by being a trailblazer and continue to motivate others to be the best in all their endeavours.

“Dr. Imafidon, apart from being the youngest leader of a non-private University and youngest scientist to become Chancellor of a multidisciplinary University, has now become the youngest Chancellor of a major University.

“This feat she has attained began with her siblings when they joined the ExcellenceInEducation.org.uk mentorship program. A program that nurtures inner-city kids.

“While there, she achieved global recognition as the youngest person to attain A-Level in computing and Mathematics followed by a scholarship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA at the young age of 13.”

Dr. Anne- Marie in a statement said: “To be welcomed to an institution that stands for the Common Good is one of the greatest honours of my life.”

[TheNation]

Rita Dominic, the Nigerian actress, has rebuked a critic of her role in the show ‘Lekki Wives: The Reunion’. 

On June 17, Blessing Egbe, the show’s producer, announced the release date and inclusion of Dominic.

Since then, the actress has come under fire for accepting to feature in the show.

A critic said Dominic should “have outgrown the role”.

Reacting to the criticism via an X post, Dominic said the critic does not have “artistic integrity”.

She also urged actors to always showcase their skills through available platforms and turn deaf ears to this type of comment.

“Dear Actors, only people who have no single drop of artistic integrity speak like this,” she wrote.

“If you listen to them you will soon begin to believe you are more important than the industry that birth you.

“You are an actor, so make sure to find a way or platform to release the creative energy in you.

“Continue to hone your skills regardless of empty comments like this cos knowledge is never-ending.”

‘Lekki Wives: The Reunion’ is the sequel to ‘Lekki Wives’ which was produced in 2012.

It revolves around five women living in Lekki Lagos, their flamboyant lifestyles, and the significant issues they face daily.

The cast members are Kiki Omeili as Loveth, Keira Hewatch as Peace, Adaora Ukoh as Miranda, Chinonso Young as Cleopatra, and Katherine Obiang as Uju.

In the sequel, Rita Dominic will play Abike, the tout and friend of Uju.

[TheCable]

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Monday fumed over the allocation of land meant for a bus terminal in the Central Business District, Abuja.

Wike, who made the complaint at the inauguration of the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, in Abuja, described the action as a gross distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.

He explained that the FCT Administration decided to build three terminals, one each in the Central Business District, Mabushi and Kugbo, to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters in the territory.

He, however, said that the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, where a train track was expected to pass through, had been allocated to somebody.

“When we went there to start preparation for the inauguration project last Tuesday, I received a text that I had taken somebody’s land, and I was surprised.

“In fact, in that text message, the person said, ‘after his sacrifices and inputs to the party, is this what he will suffer?”.

“When I enquired, we found out that the place has been given out and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) had been signed, even consent judgement has been entered between FCTA and the person,” he said.

He explained that he directed that the Mabushi location should be used for the inauguration of the terminal project, pending when the issue would be resolved.

The minister noted that leadership was all about taking decisions, noting that in taking decisions, not everybody would be happy, but a decision must be taken.

“This is just to let people know some of the things we face; how the Master Plan of the FCT had been distorted.

“When you want to make a decision, so many people will be angry and when you are complaining, they won’t come with sincere facts; they will come with distorted facts,” he said.

The minister added that Abuja was supposed to be one of the best cities in the world but lacked the necessary infrastructure to be a first-class city.

He particularly pointed out that a city like Abuja does not have bus and taxi terminals, thereby forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road, and taxis all over the place.

This, according to him, is contributing to the level of insecurity in the territory, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal elements.

He explained that the construction of the bus and taxi terminals was part of efforts to reduce the level of insecurity under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“To reduce insecurity, we made a proposal to the National Assembly explaining that part of the security problem we are facing is because we have not been able to know who the people operating taxis and buses in FCT are and where they are loading from.

“One of the things that people don’t understand about the Renewed Hope Agenda, is that it is not just about human capital development; it is also about empowerment of our people.” he said.

[Newspot]

Story Highlights 

• Nigerian states have experienced a dramatic 123% increase in external debt servicing in the first four months of 2024, reaching N96.52 billion compared to N43.31 billion in 2023. 

• This surge reflects heightened borrowing costs amid currency depreciation, significantly impacting state budgets and fiscal health. 

• Lagos and Cross River states have seen substantial increases, with Cross River’s debt servicing cost rising by 302%, as states seek relief from rising debt repayment costs. 

Nigerian states have witnessed a significant surge in their external debt servicing obligations, marking a 123% increase in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. 

According to an analysis of Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), total external debt service payments for January to April 2024 reached N96.52 billion, a substantial rise from N43.31 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. 

In 2023, external debt servicing costs amounted to N120.01 billion, reflecting a 54% increase from the N78 billion deducted in 2022. Notably, 80.4% of what was spent on servicing external debt in 2023 has already been expended in the first four months of 2024, which is 124% more than the total for 2022. 

This dramatic increase highlights the heightened borrowing costs among states, potentially impacting revenue and capital budget allocations. 

What the data is saying 

The data shows that states have moved from spending around N9 billion to over N20 billion monthly, which is more than doubled debt service cost likely due to the naira devaluation.

Also, the debt service payments have moved from a relatively stable amount monthly in 2023 to unpredictable amounts by 2024, reflecting the volatility in the Nigerian foreign exchange market. 

• In January 2024, Nigerian states spent N9.88 billion on external debt servicing, a decrease from N13.67 billion in January 2023. This reduction of 27.7% suggests that some states may have less debt service obligations for this month. Also, the exchange rate traded majorly between N830/$1 and N1,000/$1, which was the lowest range within the period analyzed in this report. It appears that the exchange rate factor was yet to be felt in the first month of 2024, as the amount deducted is the same as the average monthly amount deducted for most of 2023. 

• By February 2024, debt servicing payments soared to N24.53 billion, a 148.2% increase from N9.88 billion in February 2023. This sharp rise highlights the possibility of currency depreciation impacting repayment costs. Such a leap indicates heightened financial pressures on state budgets. 

• March 2024 saw the highest expenditure on debt servicing at N40.41 billion, marking a 309.1% increase compared to March 2023’s N9.88 billion. This dramatic escalation could be attributed to higher maturing debt obligations at the end of a quarter. 

• In April 2024, while there was a reduction to N21.70 billion from the March peak, this amount still represented a 119.6% increase over April 2023’s N9.88 billion. The decrease from March may reflect completed debt cycles, yet the continued high levels highlight ongoing financial burdens. 

Most hit States 

• Lagos State, the economic hub of Nigeria, remains the largest contributor to external debt payments, with expenditures totalling N22.01 billion, a substantial rise from N11.60 billion the previous year, a 90% increase in its debt servicing obligations.  

• However, Cross River State experienced the most significant increase, with a staggering 302% rise in external debt servicing, climbing to N5.33 billion from N1.33 billion.  

• Following closely, Kaduna State saw a 132% increase in its debt servicing costs. Kaduna State stands out with an increase to N16.04 billion from N6.91 billion in the previous year. It is, therefore, not surprising that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, recently lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor. Sani said the state is now left with a few amounts, not enough to pay salary. The governor noted that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the state’s Federal Allocation, adding that due to the rise in the exchange rate, he was paying back almost triple what was borrowed by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai. 

• Meanwhile, states like Bauchi and Ogun saw their debt servicing costs more than double, emphasizing the broad impact of rising debt obligations across various regions.  Bauchi State recorded an 88% increase in its debt servicing costs, rising from N2.32 billion in 2023 to N4.36 billion in 2024. Ogun State reported an increase of 196% in its external debt servicing payments, jumping from N1.00 billion in 2023 to N2.96 billion in 2024. 

This jump points to an expanding debt burden, emphasizing the importance of prudent financial management to safeguard the state’s economic prospects and maintain fiscal health. These states, with their notable increases in debt servicing, face the challenge of balancing their financial obligations with the need to invest in essential services and infrastructure.  

What you should know 

Nairametrics earlier reported that at least three Nigerian states Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun have expressed concerns over the rising costs of foreign debt service due to severe foreign exchange volatility.

One of the states called for a possible suspension of the debt repayment for multilateral loans to ease their cash flow. 

The Commissioner of Finance of Ekiti State, Akintunde Oyebode, noted that the financial strain caused by rising exchange rates has escalated the costs of foreign debt repayments. Oyebode also noted that significant deductions from the statutory revenue for savings have drastically reduced state balances. 

Similarly, the Commissioner of Finance of Cross River State, Michael Odere, expressed fears about the state’s ability to fund capital projects due to reduced revenues.

He suggested a suspension of certain deductions, including those for multilateral loan repayments, especially when distributable revenue is low. 

Nairametrics recently reported that the naira value of the total external debt of Nigeria’s 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) increased by 23.76% from N3.350 trillion to N4.146 trillion between June 2023 and December 2023. 

Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun are among the top 10 Nigerian states with the highest foreign debt stock as of December 31, 2023. There is no data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) on states’ external debt for the first quarter 2024. 

As states struggle with increasing debt servicing costs, they have been working to decrease their debt stock. In Q1 2024, states’ total domestic debt dropped by 31% from N5.86 trillion in Q4 2023 to N4.07 trillion and by 26% from N5.48 trillion in Q1 2023. 

However, the marked increase in external debt servicing raises concerns about the fiscal health of Nigerian states. The need for prudent debt management and economic reforms has become more pressing, as rising debt costs could divert funds from critical sectors like health and education. 

[Nairametrics]

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has disclosed that some customers have not been paid their insured deposits because of the discrepancies in their information.

The Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that account names discrepancies in Bank Verification Number (BVN) is delaying the payment.

According to him, the corporation had paid substantial amount to depositors of the defunct bank without BVN account linked issues.

Hassan subsequently urged depositors of the bank who were yet to receive their insured deposit credit alert to visit the NDIC’s website and complete their verification forms for their payment.

The managing director said the verification would also include depositors without BVN alternate account.

He said, ”We have already commenced the payment of customers since June 6. We have paid substantial amount to the customers.”

”What we leverage in making the payment is BVN of customers. We trace alternate accounts in other banks and pay them their insured amounts.

“There are some that we have challenges linking up because of some discrepancies between the names and others.

“We are calling on customers that have not received their alerts in their alternate accounts to come forward and complete their verification forms so that we can pay them.”

On payment of depositors with more than five million naira with the bank, Hassan said they would be paid liquidation dividend.

According to him, NDIC has already commenced the process of disposing the physical buildings and also set the process in motion to make sure that they recover the loans and advances that were granted the bank.

”That is what we use in paying those liquidation dividends. We are not going to wait until we recover everything, no.

“As we recover, we will also advertise to say that we will pay liquidation dividends so that concerned depositors will be on the look out for alerts in their accounts,” Hassan added.

[NaijaNews]