A former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Director of Currency Operations, Ahmed Umar, has disclosed that the immediate past governor, Godwin Emefiele, printed his own design of the naira.

Umar disclosed this while giving evidence at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in Maitama.

The former CBN director said the features in the design approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari was different from the one Emefiele ordered to be printed.

Umar said, “The design approved by the President had a QR code, which the currency in circulation does not. The positioning of the portrait was on the right side, that printed by the CBN was on the left and the number scheme approved by the President is different from what the CBN produced.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on May 15, arraigned Emefiele on a four count charge before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the FCT High Court.

Emefiele however denied the charge and was admitted to bail in the sum of N300 million.

[DailyPost]

Diageo, the foreign majority shareholder in Guinness Nigeria Plc, has agreed to sell its controlling equity stake of 58.02 per cent to Tolaram, a Singaporean multinational. 

Under the terms of an agreement signed on Tuesday, Tolaram will acquire Diageo’s 58.02 per cent shareholding in Guinness Nigeria and enter into long-term license and royalty agreements for the continued production of the Guinness brand and its locally manufactured Diageo ready-to-drink and mainstream spirits
brands. 

By acquiring 58.02 per cent, Tolaram will also undertake a mandatory tender offer to seek to acquire shares held by minority shareholders, in a transaction that could increase the new core investor’s controlling stake.

In a regulatory filing at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), the board of Guinness Nigeria indicated that the transaction is expected to be completed in 2025, subject to obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals in Nigeria.

“Diageo remains deeply committed to Nigeria and will retain ownership of the Guinness brand, which will be licensed to Guinness Nigeria for the long-term, enabling the next phase of growth and development of Guinness
Nigeria under the stewardship of Tolaram,” Guinness Nigeria stated.

With a five-decade presence in Africa, Tolaram is one of the largest consumer packaged goods companies on the continent and has forged joint venture partnerships with several leading consumer multinational companies.

Guinness Nigeria noted that in partnership with Tolaram, Diageo will continue to drive the brand and marketing strategy for Guinness in Nigeria, to ensure Diageo’s exceptional capabilities in brand building and innovation
continue to drive long-term growth for Guinness in Nigeria.

According to the plan, following completion of the transaction, Guinness Nigeria will remain listed on the NGX. However, recent acquisitions have led to full takeover and delisted of companies.

Chairman, Guinness Nigeria,  Omobola Johnson said the acquisition announcement represents a significant opportunity for the next phase of growth for Guinness Nigeria. 

“This partnership brings together Tolaram’s deep expertise in manufacturing and distribution, and Diageo’s exceptional capabilities in brand building and

innovation. I believe this is a winning combination which leaves Guinness Nigeria extremely well placed to drive
further growth in this market,” Johnson said.

Managing Director,  Guinness Nigeria,  Adebayo Alli, described the announcement as an exciting moment for Guinness Nigeria, its employees and customers. 

“I look forward to working alongside Tolaram, which is one of the largest and most respected consumer goods companies in Africa, and I am pleased to note Tolaram’s alignment with Guinness Nigeria’s values and its strong commitment to build an enduring and sustainable business,” Alli said.

Managing Director, Tolaram Africa, Haresh Aswani said the group was thrilled to welcome Guinness Nigeria, a company with such a rich legacy and strong consumer loyalty.

“This strategic move will expand our significant 

footprint in the Nigerian market and presents an opportunity to leverage our combined strengths to foster innovation and deliver immense value to our customers and shareholders across the nation,” Aswani said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has formally lodged a complaint with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation regarding allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa.

In a letter addressed to the HOCSF dated May 27, 2024, and sighted by our correspondent on Tuesday, Tuggar expressed his concern over the serious nature of the allegation levelled against the permanent secretary by Mrs Simisola Ajayi.

He emphasised the importance of addressing the matter urgently and thoroughly.

The letter was titled, “Re: Official Complaint Regarding Sexual Harassment Of Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi By Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa (Permanent Secretary Ministry Of Foreign Affairs).”

It read, “I am compelled to write to inform you of a formal complaint against the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, on allegations of sexual harassment.

“Bearing in mind the gravity of the matter, I feel it necessary to draw your attention to it and ask that you handle it accordingly,”

The letter included an attachment of the complaint received via email, and Tuggar assured the HOCSF his full cooperation in the investigation.

“May I also assure you that I remain available to provide you with any assistance required in discharging your responsibilities,” he added.

The spokesperson for the Ministry, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, confirmed the development in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

“Yes. The complaint is true,” Abu-Ode said when asked to confirm the authenticity of the letter.

When contacted on the phone for his reaction, Lawuwa declined comment.

“I am in a meeting. Sorry, I cannot talk, please,” he simply said after our correspondent introduced herself and issue she wanted him to react to.

He has also yet to respond to a message sent to his WhatsApp on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

Also, when contacted, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, simply said, “No comment. The matter is being looked into by the relevant authorities.”

Ajayi, had a petition dated May 29, 2024, addressed to Tuggar, accused the permanent secretary of serial sexual harrasment.

Ajayi, through her lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), called for a thorough investigation into the actions of Amb. Lamuwa.

The petition, signed by Adebayo A. Oniyelu LP of Falana & Falana’s, was titled “Request For An Investigation Of Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s Conducts Of Sexual Harassment At The Place Of Work, Abuse Of Office, Official Intimidation And Discrimination.”

According to the petition, Ajayi narrated multiple instances of harassment allegedly by Lamuwa, which have created an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment.

She claimed for instance that during a policy retreat on October 7, 2023, Lamuwa allegedly made inappropriate advances towards her, suggesting she joined him in his hotel room.

He reportedly continued with inappropriate remarks throughout the retreat.

She also cited an incident on November 10, 2023, where Lamuwa allegedly invited Ajayi to travel to Hong Kong, promising significant personal benefits from the trip.

[Punch]

Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima was killed in a plane crash, the nation’s president said on Tuesday, after searchers located the wreckage of the aircraft in a foggy forest.

The military plane carrying Chilima, 51, and nine others disappeared on Monday, after it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather and was told to return to the capital, Lilongwe.

“The search and rescue team have found the aircraft … completely destroyed with no survivors, as all passengers on board were killed on impact,” Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera said addressing the nation.

“Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is,” he said, describing the accident as a “terrible tragedy.”

Photographs shared with AFP by a member of the military rescue team showed army personnel standing on a foggy slope near debris bearing the registration number of the Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K aircraft.

Rescuers had been combing a fog-cloaked forest south of Mzuzu on Tuesday, after authorities located the last tower it transmitted to before the plane disappeared.

Earlier, army commander General Paul Valentino Phiri said other countries, including Malawi’s neighbours, had been aiding the search effort, with support including helicopters and drones.

The group departed just after 9:00 am (0700 GMT) from Lilongwe on Monday to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister some 370 kilometres (230 miles) away in Mzuzu.

Malawi’s former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on board.

– Widely loved –

Chakwera said he had previously flown on the same aircraft for similar trips. The crew had successfully operated it just hours before the accident, he added.

“And yet, despite the track record of the aircraft and the experience of the crew, something terrible went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe, sending it crashing down,” he said.

First elected vice president in 2014, the charismatic yet stern-talking Chilima was a widely loved figure in Malawi, particularly among young people.

But in 2022, during his second stint in the job, Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged with graft over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.

Last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges and he resumed his official duties.

“Chilima was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction and a formidable vice president,” Chakwera said.

“I consider it one of the greatest honours of my life to have had him as my deputy and counsellor for the past four years.”

Akwa Ibom state government has the largest social welfare programmes in almost every sector in the country, but adding free football tickets could be counterproductive. The government provides free education for all primary and secondary school students with free books, and this has been going on since 1999. It pays about N700 million yearly as WAEC fees to its students and, in addition, there’s a scholarship and bursary scheme for university and polytechnic students.

Gov. Umo Eno has increased the bursary to N100,000 per student from what his predecessors offered. He is also extending generous financial help to all students with disabilities, including those who are not from the state as recently published lists of beneficiaries indicate. In terms of medical care, there is free health care for pregnant women and children under five years of age. Women who have multiple births are also generously provided for. The government also routinely sponsors people on pilgrimage to Israel. It is common to see some persons with the suffix ‘’JP’’ attached to their names. It stands for ‘’Jerusalem Pilgrim’’.

The current governor has gone a step further to provide free foodstuffs to thousands of the very poor across the state. A new body known as Akwa Ibom Bulk Purchase Agency has been set up by law to drive the program whose aim is to offer succor to vulnerable citizens facing hard times. The Umo Eno administration has also introduced a free housing scheme for widows and the poor.

Known as the Arise Shelter Initiative, the scheme plans to deliver 100 homes for the poorest of the poor in the 31 LGAs. The gesture was first introduced by Mrs Unoma Akpabio as a pet programme of her NGO when her husband was governor, but the incumbent governor has upgraded it into a government programme.

It all started when Gov. Eno watched a video of a young girl celebrating the completion of her NYSC with her aged father at home in Obubra, in neighbouring Cross River. Reports say the governor was so moved by the wretchedness of what passed as her family home that he ordered a brand new three-bedroom house to be built for her father.

Civil servants are not left out. Some 150 of them are getting free housing units out of the 236 apartments being built at Grace Housing Estate in the outskirts of Uyo.

Of all these, I detest pilgrimage sponsorship and offering free football tickets whenever the Super Eagles play at the state-owned Godswill Akpabio Stadium. It happened last Friday when the national team played against South Africa in a 2026 World Cup Qualifying game. The three categories of tickets cost N1,000; N2,000 and N3,000. These are quite affordable to the people, but the government chose to pay over N40 million to the NFF to buy off the tickets and fill up the 30,000 seats in the iconic stadium.

This is an ill-advised policy that was started by the Akpabio administration. Gov. Udom Emmanuel continued with it and now it would seem that it has become an agenda of the government. Over N600 million might have been spent on free tickets since the stadium was built ten years ago. We have to scrub the practice because the disadvantages are many.

In the first instance, watching football games (or any other games) at the stadium is a luxury pastime. It is not a necessity that the poor needs to survive. It is, therefore, wrong for the government to fund a hobby or lifestyle for people who can afford it. Second, the tickets are quite affordable and football fans in the state and neighbouring states can afford them.

Third, by asking Akwa Ibom people to go watch the games free, the government is unwittingly shutting out those who are able and willing to pay for the tickets, including hundreds of fans who would have come from Calabar, Benin, Aba, Port Harcourt and other places with enough money to buy the tickets and spend on hotels accommodation. Think of the economic benefits lost. By hosting the UEFA Championship league final last week at Wimbledon, the London economy is said to have gained $68 million.

Putting people on football welfare encourages indolence and is antithetical to basic economics and business principles. I understand the assumptions behind this practice. Football is the people’s favourite hobby, and whenever the national team is in an international competition, it deserves our support at the stadium. The government probably believes that the people are too poor to afford N1,000 ticket; and that it owes us a duty to provide the opium that football matches have become in these difficult times. That’s not true.

Truth is the games are organized by FIFA and it is the duty of the NFF to market and sell the tickets. Akwa Ibom government has done enough by providing the stadium free to the NFF who should actually be paying handsomely for its use. The stadium was built at a great cost and is maintained expensively by international facility managers. That is why it is still as beautiful as it was when it was completed in 2014.

This is not your typical federal government assets that are rotting away all over the country because of quota-driven incompetence. Akwa Ibom has done well for itself in just 15 years. We have an iconic stadium; we have a splendid airline; we have our own airport, with a first-class international terminal and an MRO soon to be put to use. We must benefit from these assets.

Football is a huge global business. It was wrong to have started this football welfare. Now, it may be difficult to wean the people off it, but we must do it. I implore the government to engage a reputable marketing communication firm to drive corporate advertisements for the stadium and discontinue the practice of giving out free football tickets. Interested fans can buy for themselves.

Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, says President Bola Tinubu is not getting proper security briefing on the operations of bandits in the state.

After meeting with the president on March 26, Lawal described Zamfara as the “centre of banditry” in northern Nigeria.

He said the spate of insecurity in Zamfara may consume the northern part of the country if not urgently addressed.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Lawal said if the government is committed, banditry could be eradicated in two weeks.

“While we are trying to take care of the situation, somebody, somewhere, somehow, behind our back, is negotiating with bandits… as a governor of a state, without my knowledge,” he said.

“When the situation really got bad, I had to meet Mr President and complain one-on-one, and I told him the true situation of what Zamfara is facing in terms of security.”

When asked if he believes the president is “properly briefed” on the actual state of things, the governor said: “Based on the conversation we had, the answer is no. And I had to explain everything to him, what we are going through and what needs to be done.

“Zamfara state has become the hub of banditry in northern Nigeria. If you can take care of Zamfara today, believe me, you’d have solved 90 percent of the banditry issue in northern Nigeria as a whole.

“If we are committed, if we are serious, we can take care of this situation within two weeks maximum. But the political will is not there.”

THE STATE POLICE DEBATE

Lawal said as a governor, he does not have control over the military, police or personnel of the civil defence.

He said such a situation has rendered his government helpless in suppressing the operations of bandits in Zamfara.

“In most cases, you get frustrated in terms of where do you get help from,” he said.

“When you need these people, they would be nowhere to be found. And therefore the best thing to do is to set up that kind of security outfit.

“There are a lot of security undertones in the security issues. Some of you find it difficult to come and say but I know what we are going through. But like I said, sometimes you are helpless and when you need them they are not there or even when they are there, they are given certain instructions on what to do and not to do.”

[TheCable]

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, says South Africa’s recent election was hitch-free and devoid of technical glitches.

Obi made the claim on Saturday while making comparisons between the elections in Nigeria and South Africa.

“The outcome of the recent South African election results remains a shining example of what a transparent and efficient democratic electoral process should look like,” the former Anambra governor tweeted.

“With about 60% voter turnout, over 90% of polling open on time, allowing diaspora voting, the results and updates were real-time without any form of technical glitches during the election.

“This demonstrated the robustness and transparency of their system. The seamless online dissemination of results further highlights their commitment to democratic principles and technological advancement.”

South Africa’s national and provincial elections were held on May 29. Later that same evening, results began to trickle in with the outcome eventually announced on June 2.

The elections grabbed global attention as the ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost the majority of seats needed to win the country’s parliament, forcing it into a coalition.

It is the first time the ANC, which has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994, would fail to secure a majority of the votes.

President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the outcome, saying it reflected the people’s wish.

Ramaphosa’s smooth concession earned him commendations from political stakeholders in and outside the country, including Obi.

But how factual were Obi’s claims in his observations?

CLAIM 1: SOUTH AFRICA’S ELECTIONS WERE HITCH-FREE

Verdict: False

One of Obi’s claims was that there were no technical glitches during the election.

This is incorrect.

In the early hours of May 31, the results page of the country’s Electoral Commission (IEC) went blank for roughly two hours.

The IEC apologized for the glitch without citing a reason for the disruption but assured that results were not compromised.

The development did not sit well with the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party backed by former President Jacob Zuma which accused the IEC of “serious transgressions”.

Zuma claimed that the MK party has “proof” that vote-rigging allegedly went on “in the background” when the IEC dashboard crashed, threatening that his supporters would be provoked if the results were not amended.

CLAIM 2: ‘60% VOTER TURNOUT, DIASPORA VOTING’

Verdict: Partly correct

Obi claimed that the elections had a 60 percent voter turnout.

According to the South African Government News Agency, voter turnout was 58.57 percent.

The turnout was a steep decline from the 66.05 percent recorded in the 2019 national elections.

However, Obi’s claim of diaspora voting was correct.

The IEC has been mandated to organise out-of-country voting since 2009 and the process was also used for last month’s election.

Citizens who wish to vote out-of-country must be registered to vote and must be able to produce a South African identity document (ID) when voting at an international voting station at an accredited mission.

VERDICT

Obi’s claims about the South African elections being hitch-free were mostly false. The elections had hitches and the voter turnout was lower than 60 percent. However, diaspora voting was in place.

The Correspondent Chapel of the Kano State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has declared boycotting all activities related to the Kano State Government, effective immediately. 

This development followed an emergency congress meeting summoned by the Chairman of the chapel, Aminu Ahmed Garko, on Monday.

The outcome of the meeting attended by the correspondents was unanimously taken in response to the persistent and unacceptable maltreatment of members of the chapel in the state by the government and its agents while discharging their primary assignments.

The resolution reads: “Despite our efforts to engage with the government and its officials to address these issues, we have seen no improvement in the situation.

“Members of the chapel continue to face harassment, intimidation, and even physical assault while performing their duties.

“It is particularly concerning that the government has prioritized non-professionals over trained journalists, making it a state policy to sideline those who are best equipped to handle the job.

“As a result, we regret to announce that we will no longer participate in press conferences, cover government events, or conduct interviews with state officials until we see a tangible commitment to press freedom and the safety of journalists.”

The chapel urged all members to comply with this directive and join in the protest against the ill treatment of members in Kano State.

“We believe that a free and independent press is essential to a functioning democracy, and we will not stand idly by while our members are mistreated and intimidated,” the resolution concluded.

[DailyTrust]

Saudi Arabia Pro League club, Al Ahli are ready to meet Victor Osimhen’s release clause.

According to Italian news hub, II Mattino via Calcio Napoli, Al Ahli are, however, yet to convince the player to make the move.

The release clause in Osimhen’s contract is reportedly around €120- £130m.

The 25-year-old rejected a move to another Saudi club Al Hilal last summer.

The Nigeria international is expected to leave Napoli this summer.

He has consistently been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

[DailyPost]

The organised labour has vowed to reject any ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 minimum wage proposal for Nigerian workers by the federal government.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Chris Onyeka, described such a proposal as a “starvation wage”.

Onyeka insisted that labour won’t accept the latest government’s offer of ₦62,000, saying that its latest demand as the living wage for an average Nigerian worker remains ₦250,000.

He said, “Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage.

“We have never contemplated ₦100,000, let alone ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the marketplace, realities of things we buy every day: a bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.”

Onyeka said the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government to review its proposal last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, would expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

He said organised labour would meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act on workers’ demands by tomorrow.

He added, “The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them (the government) to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and for the National Assembly to look at what we have demanded, the various facts of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands.

“If that does not meet our demand, we have given the Federal Government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow (Tuesday). If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the organised labour will meet to decide on what next.”

When asked what the decision of labour would be should the government insist on ₦62,000, he said, “It was clear what we said. We said we are relaxing a nationwide indefinite strike. It’s like putting a pause on it. So, if you put a pause on something and that organs that govern us as trade unions decide that we should remove that pause, it means that we go back to what was in existence before.”

Minimum wage talks

After weeks of failed talks on a new minimum wage for workers in the country, organised labour, comprising the NLC and TUC, embarked on a nationwide strike last Monday to demand a new wage and the reversal of the electricity tariff hike.

The labour unions said the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 can no longer cater to the well-being of an average Nigerian worker, saying the government should offer workers something economically realistic in tandem with current inflationary pressures.

However, the labour leadership suspended the strike for five days after signing a commitment with the Federal Government to resume negotiations and come up with a new minimum wage within a week.

The suspension of the strike followed a six-hour meeting between the leadership of labour and the National Assembly in Abuja, on Monday night.

To fast-track the talks, the President, last Tuesday, directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days.

Tinubu also directed the government representatives to work collectively with the organised private sector and the sub-nationals to achieve a new affordable wage award for Nigerians.

On Thursday, the finance minister presented the cost implications of implementing a new national minimum wage to Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, alongside the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu.

Before the directive, the minister described the proposal made by organised labour as “unaffordable. Also, the 36 state governors said labour union demand was not sustainable.

However, on Friday, June 7, 2024, labour and the government failed to reach an agreement. While labour dropped its demand again from ₦494,000 to ₦250,000, the government added ₦2,000 to its initial ₦60,000 and offered workers ₦62,000.

Both sides submitted their reports to the President, who is expected to make a decision and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to pass a new minimum wage bill, which the president will then sign into law.

[Punch]