The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun believes the country is not “mature” for state policing despite the myriad of security challenges facing it. 

He spoke on Monday during a national dialogue on state police held in Abuja with the theme ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’.

“On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that Nigeria is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” the IGP, represented by AIG Ben Okolo, said at the event organised by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.

The IGP argued among other factors, that “there is the potential for abuse of power by the state political leadership.

“State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security.

“There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction,” he said.

But he suggested other things to make the police better in securing the country.

“First, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety to form a department under the Nigerian police,” he said.

According to the police chief, there is also a need to ramp up the yearly recruitment of officers. This, in addition to more training for police personnel among others, are essential to securing Nigeria.

At the event attended by several top shots in the country, former president Goodluck Jonathan, however, believes that despite the challenges, state police has become “non-negotiable”.

He said the spite of kidnapping and other crimes make state police a must-have in present-day Nigeria.

Apart from Jonathan, the event also had Vice President Kashim Shettima in attendance and he expressed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to building a better police force for the country.

He said his principal is ready to listen to submissions from the national dialogue.

The National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu has said Nigeria has resumed the prosecution of Boko Haram terrorists.

He stated this on Monday while giving his speech at the African Counter-Terrorism meeting in Abuja, which has President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The two-day high-level summit is being held under the theme ‘Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism’.

The objective of the summit is to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa, while emphasizing the importance of African-led and African-owned solutions.

The summit will provide a platform to review the nature and severity of the threat of terrorism on the continent, with a view to agreeing on concrete strategic priorities and measures to address this scourge. It will also foster deeper regional collaboration, enhancing the institutional capacity of member states and facilitating the exchange of best practices and knowledge to combat the multifaceted threat of terrorism in Africa.

Heads of state and government and high-level government officials across Africa, representatives of international organizations and multilateral institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, and members of civil society groups are expected to attend the summit.

An All Progressives Congress, APC, Ondo governorship aspirant, Wale Akinterinwa, has accused Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State and Chairman of the party’s primary election committee of writing results.

He said the party did not conduct any primary election in all the 203 Wards of the state.

Ododo had announced the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the governorship candidate of the party after polling the highest votes at the primary election.

However, Akinterinwa described the APC’s primary election in the state as a show of shame.

The aspirant’s stance was contained in a statement signed by his campaign organisation spokesperson, Mr Segun Ajiboye.

According to the statement: “Without any fear of contradiction, we state here that no election was held in any part of Ondo on Saturday to elect the candidate of the APC.

“It is on record with incontrovertible evidence that nothing in the semblance of a primary election was held in all the 203 wards in Ondo.

“At best, what can be said to have happened was that the committee chairman, Gov. Ododo, arrived in the state at about 8 am on Saturday to write the result of an election that was never conducted.

“Saturday’s election presented our dear party with a rare opportunity to endear itself to the people of the state.

“All that was needed was for us to organise an election that would be hailed by all, even the opposition.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is advocating for the incorporation of punitive measures into the Minimum Wage Act to address non-compliance by state governors and local government administrators.

This push for stricter enforcement comes amid ongoing challenges with the implementation of the current minimum wage across various states.

Ambali emphasized the necessity of such sanctions to ensure compliance and protect workers’ rights across Nigeria.

The move by the NLC coincides with the scheduled meeting of the 37-member committee established by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to discuss the new minimum wage.

This panel, inaugurated on January 30, 2024, by Vice-president Kashim Shettima, includes representatives from federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labor.

The committee’s task is to deliberate on findings from various sub-committees across the six geopolitical zones and formulate recommendations for a revised national minimum wage.

As discussions are set to proceed this week, the inclusion of penalties in the wage legislation will be a critical point of debate, aimed at fostering greater accountability and ensuring that all Nigerian workers benefit from fair labor practices and wage standards.

Ambali said, “When we look at the purchasing power in Nigeria, we can see a huge difference between 2019 and now. With the stoppage of the payment of the fuel subsidy, we can see an increase in the hardship of Nigerians.

“In the new minimum wage bill which will soon be signed into law by the President, we have put in some internal clauses to make it difficult for governors not to pay the new minimum wage. It is also good to know that some of the governors are also involved in the negotiation process.

“Labour itself has to be responsive. Once the National Minimum Wage Bill is signed into law juxtaposed with Labour’s responsiveness, we know they will pay. As you can see,0 even private companies have started increasing the salaries of workers and some of them are even paying wage awards for their workers.

“So in the bill, the clause involves sanctions and also talks about increased allocation to local governments so that nobody will have any excuse of not paying the approved rate.”

Meanwhile, the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage appointed by the Federal Government will hold a meeting this week to debate proposals by stakeholders on the new minimum wage.

An executive bill is also expected to be sent to the National Assembly as a form of amendment to the current Minimum Wage Act.

The minimum wage to be unveiled is expected to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit.

During the public hearings, different zones suggested different amounts for minimum wage. The South-West zone suggested N794,000; the North -East proposed the sum of N560,000 as minimum wage; North- West proposed N485,000; The North-Central proposed N709,000; the South-South demanded N850,000 while the South -East demanded N540,000.

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has said despite the “crazy” nature of men, women can’t do without them.

Savage, who recently released a collaborative song with Simi titled ‘Men Are Crazy,’ said she relished working with the ‘Duduke’ crooner.

Speaking recently on MTV Live, she described their collaboration as “magical” as she noted that Simi is “a queen in Afrobeats”.

She said, “My collaboration with Simi is titled ‘Men Are Crazy But I Still Want One In My Bed.’ The inspiration behind it is that men are crazy but we can’t do without them.

“Simi is somebody that I’ve always wanted to work with. She is a queen in Afrobeats so both of us coming together in such an amazing track is magical.”

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has tackled the Federal Government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project. 

Obi expressed his concern in a statement via his verified X handle on Monday.

According to him, there is a pressing issue of numerous uncompleted roads scattered across the country, many of which, according to him, have become hazardous death traps and security risks. 

He maintained that embarking on another huge project that will not be completed in the next 20 or 30 years will only worsen the problem of abandoned, uncompleted projects that are not contributing to economic growth and overall development. 

Obi suggested that given the state of the nation’s economy, prioritization and fiscal discipline should be the critical guiding principles, insisting that the project will worsen the already sagging debt burden.

The former Anambra State governor said most of those uncompleted roads have been under construction for several years and are unlikely to be completed any time soon due to poor and unplanned funding.

He said,“I have closely followed the comments and developments arising from the coastal (Lagos-Calabar) Super highway Project.

“While I’m hesitant to engage in contentious debates about its benefits, which I acknowledge, and the pricing, which I have serious concerns about, and believe should be thoroughly reviewed, I am compelled to raise essential questions about the timing and prioritization of such a monumental venture.

“At the forefront of my concerns is the pressing issue of numerous uncompleted roads scattered across the country, many of which have become hazardous death traps and security risks.

“It is disheartening to witness the plight of innocent Nigerians who traverse these dilapidated roads under perilous conditions, vulnerable to kidnappers and other dangers.

“Most of these roads, vital for economic growth, regional connectivity, and overall development, have been under construction for several years if not decades now and are unlikely to be completed any time soon due to poor and unplanned funding.

“The Federal Ministry of Works 2024 capital budget of N892,461,262,656.00, additional funding from multilateral loan projects of N94,828,535,243.00, alongside other expected contributions from sources like the China-Exim Bank and the World Bank, will not be enough for serious work on all the critical roads, some of which I enumerated above, let alone their completion.

“So, why embark on another huge project that will not be completed in the next 20 or 30 years? To do so will only exacerbate the problem of abandoned, uncompleted projects that are not contributing to economic growth and overall development.

“It will merely worsen our already sagging debt burden. Given the state of our economy now, prioritization and fiscal discipline should be our critical guiding principles now.

“Therefore, while acknowledging the potential benefits of coastal superhighway infrastructure, I urge prioritization of our existing uncompleted projects.

“We must allocate resources towards repairing and completing existing infrastructure, crucial for the well-being and safety of our society, before embarking on new projects, no matter their perceived benefits.

“Let’s prioritize the urgent needs of our people and ensure that our investments serve the collective good of the nation.

“In any development formula, the primary focus should be on completing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure rather than embarking on colossal new projects that may never reach completion within the next 30 years.”

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has clinched the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the upcoming governorship election.

The chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, made this announcement on Monday morning in Akure, the state capital.

The Kogi governor said Aiyedatiwa won in 16 of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Oke won in Ilaje LGA, while the election was cancelled in Ifedore LGA.

Following his victory at the polls, Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked his supporters for the victory.

Read the APC gubernatorial candidate’s speech below.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, HON LUCKY ORIMISAN AYEDATIWA, AFTER THE DECLARATION AND AFFIRMATION OF THE RESULT OF THE GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARY ELECTION OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS IN AKURE, ON SUNDAY, 21ST APRIL 2024.

A TIME TO WIN TOGETHER

The internally orchestrated heavy politics within our party, APC, in search of our flag-bearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial election has come to a conclusion today with the emergence of a candidate as declared by the Governorship Primary Election Committee under the chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Usman Ododo, the Governor of Kogi State.

Let me at this time acknowledge and thank all the aspirants who threw their hats into the ring in the family contest to be the flag-bearer: Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, Hon. Isaac D. Kekemeke, Hon. Gbenga Edema, Mr. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Hon. Olujimi Odimayo, Mr. Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi Esq, Prince Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mrs. Funmilayo Waheed Adekojo and Engr. Funke Omogoroye.

Your participation has created so much awareness within and outside our party. You mobilized our members and removed apathy. You have also brought in numerous new members into the party. All of these have enriched our democracy and strengthened our party in the State.

Democracy sometimes, after a contest like this, comes with discordant tunes. But this is not the time to hold grudges against anyone but for all of us to come together to work for the success of our great party so as to remain in power. We will all gain in this party, though at different times, if we keep faith. I salute your courage and keen interest to lead the State towards development. It is your right and you are qualified and worthy members of our party.

I want to specially thank the President and Leader of our party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership. I thank the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, the National Chairman of our party, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the Progressive Governors, National and State Working Committees of our party and all stakeholders in the state for their forthrightness in the processes leading to my emergence as the flag-bearer for our party in the Ondo 2024 governorship election.

I thank all our traditional rulers, institutional heads, civil servants and all the stakeholders who have chosen me as their preferred candidate. I also thank all the party leaders, including the APC Aborigines, members of the campaign team and all others who toured the entire 18 local government areas together with me to engage with our party members. I do not take for granted the love shown to me by our members across the State.

To all our party members, I hereby accept, wholeheartedly, the responsibility conferred on me as the candidate of our party by the votes of our members who turned out in their large numbers on the 20th of April 2024.

Now, more than ever before, the greatness of Ondo State is what matters the most. I therefore request that we all join hands together in building the future that we all yearn for in Ondo state. There is infrastructure to be built; better healthcare services to be delivered; fair justice to be served; qualitative education to be ensured; civil servants to be trained and motivated; security of lives and properties to be strengthened; enabling environment to be created for businesses to thrive and attract investors.

Once again, I thank you all for your support.

Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa
APC Guber Candidate
21st of April 2024.

The Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso, proudly announced that the Naira has achieved the prestigious status of being the best performing currency worldwide as of April 2024.

This significant milestone follows comprehensive foreign exchange market reforms, buoyed by optimistic sentiments from major international investment entities.

However, April brought a meteoric rise for the Naira, witnessing an astonishing 45% gain fueled by a series of strategic forex and monetary policies. Governor Cardoso emphasized that this surge in value has been accompanied by a resurgence in the FX market’s activities, with turnover levels soaring to heights unseen in over seven years. This liquidity infusion has instilled confidence among investors, businesses, and partners, fostering smoother transactions within Nigeria’s FX markets.

Despite this resounding success, Cardoso tempered the enthusiasm with a note of caution, acknowledging the persistent challenges that the economy faces. Elevated inflation, propelled by surging food prices, transportation costs, and energy expenses, remains a pressing concern. However, he expressed confidence in the deceleration of inflation rates and anticipated a subsequent decline.

“Security concerns in food-producing regions and infrastructure challenges also demand attention,” remarked Cardoso, underscoring the multifaceted nature of the obstacles that must be addressed. To counter these challenges, the Central Bank has implemented a suite of policy reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy and alleviating various pressures. While celebrating the early successes, Cardoso stressed the importance of remaining vigilant and proactive in tackling the myriad challenges ahead.

The strategic focus on policy reforms is expected to continue bolstering the Naira’s robust performance on the global stage. “We still have work to do in solving all our problems,” Cardoso acknowledged, “however, we do have a determined pathway and a sequenced approach to tackling all challenges ahead, working hand in hand with our key stakeholders including investors, banks, businesses, and notably, our counterparts on the fiscal side.”

Cardoso also commended the efforts towards orthodox monetary policy, noting the positive impact on rebuilding trust and confidence in Nigeria’s economy and leadership. This concerted effort and collaborative approach are pivotal in navigating the complexities of the economic landscape, ensuring sustained growth and stability.

The Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, led by Prof Banji Akintoye and Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, seeking a peaceful breakaway of Yoruba people from Nigeria.

The open letter, dated April 17, 2024, was signed by both Akintoye, Igboho and one Ola Ademola.

They called on the President to within the next two months set up a negotiation team to negotiate the exit of the Yoruba people from Nigeria.

The letter by the Yoruba Nation arrowheads came about a week after some armed agitators invaded the Oyo State Government House, attempting to hoist their flag on the premises of the state House of Assembly.

The agitators were subdued and 29 of them were last week taken before a magistrates’ court in Ibadan, which ordered that they should be remanded in the prison custody.

Both Akintoye and Igboho dissociated themselves from the violent action.

However, in their open letter made available to our correspondent in Ibadan on Sunday, the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, said, “We have the honour to send to Your Excellency this important letter on behalf of the many millions of Yoruba people at home in Yorubaland in Nigeria and in the Yoruba Diaspora in almost all countries across the world.

“We send this letter as a follow-up to our earlier letter, dated August 06, 2022, which we delivered to your predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in his exalted position then as President of Nigeria.

“Since 2015, the Fulani have been killing widely among the other peoples of Nigeria, including us Yoruba, destroying farms, villages and other assets, kidnapping men, women and children, extorting large amounts of money as ransom from friends and family of the kidnapped, and repeatedly asserting their intention to seize the homelands of all the indigenous peoples of Nigeria for the purpose of turning all into a Fulani homeland.”

The group said in the Middle Belt, horrendous blood-letting was going on with many families forced into Internally Displaced People Camps while many of their villages were seized by the Fulani and renamed as Fulani villages.

“In our Yoruba homeland, our people are resisting somewhat better, but the Fulani attacks and killings and kidnappings are unrelenting and are coming daily, leading to horrific instability, and forcing most of our farmers to abandon farming altogether, thereby dooming Yoruba people to years and years of famine.”

It further alleged that an unofficial estimate showed that Fulani had killed as many as 29,000 Yoruba people since 2015 till date, adding that aforementioned reasons were enough for them to seek breakaway from Nigeria.

“All these actions by the Fulani are, to us Yoruba, a sufficient reason for our seeking to separate our Yoruba Nation from Nigeria. Most of us, Yoruba have no confidence in the ‘restructuring’ that some of our most respected Yoruba leaders (such as our fathers in our highly exalted Afenifere) are advocating.

“And our reason is that we know that restructuring cannot keep the Fulani marauders away from our homeland.  Since, after restructuring, the Fulani would still be Nigerians like us, and would still have full citizens’ rights to come in large numbers, and with weapons and intent to kill and destroy and seize land, to our homeland.

“The Fulani elite seem to be saying in effect that they intend to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Tinubu, and that they would never accept any official action of his.

“We are acting for and on behalf of our 60 million Yoruba people of the Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo State, respectively, plus the Yoruba Local Government Areas of Kogi and Kwara State, and plus the Itshekiri homeland of Delta State, all together constituting the Yorubaland in Nigeria, hereby most humbly place our crowning request before Your Excellency as follows:

“That the Nigerian Federal Government shall, within the next two months, but not later than June 15, 2024, inform us Yoruba Self-determination Movement that the Nigerian Federal Government has graciously agreed to our proposal for negotiation and that they have set up a negotiation team that will meet and have a dialogue with our Yoruba Nation’s negotiation team.

“That the Nigerian Federal Government shall invite the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, to send observers to the negotiation meetings.”

It, therefore, promised to forward the list of its negotiation team to the government as soon as it received a message in response to its request for the negotiation.