Nigerian business tycoon, Aliko Dangote and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates have congratulated President Bola Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy and other recent strides achieved by the new administration.

Dangote made this known in a chat with State House correspondents after the duo met with the President in his office on Monday.

According to businessman, the expectation is that the removal of fuel subsidy will open up better financial capabilities for the country to invest in other areas such as education as well as advance development among the citizenry.

The business tycoon further stated that the courtesy visit was congratulatory and an opportunity to brief the President on the activities of the Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote Foundations, as they seek more commitments from the President, particularly towards advancing the nation’s health sector.

He also noted that “Nigerians have been getting a lot and should expect more. All is great, things are going well”.

On his part, the President pledged to prioritise the health and safety of Nigerians, underscoring that the health of citizens, particularly the workforce is critical for any country to develop.

The President said his administration would do all that is required to make their work in Nigeria and Africa successful, particularly in the area of eradicating polio, measles, malaria and other diseases from the continent.

According to the President, Gates “has all it takes to help developing nations more”.

Following his inauguration, Tinubu has continued to host prominent guests in Aso Rock.

He had earlier today met with Chairman of Bhanti Artel Worldwide, Sunil Mittal; who came in company of Chief Executive Officer Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, and other members of the company’s board.

Tinubu also held a meeting with the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, Geoffrey Praytt, as well as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked President Bola Tinubu to change the newly assented Students Loans Act to grant for indigent students.

“This would have been better if we are giving it to those set of students who are very poor, it should be called a grant, not a loan,” ASUU National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme today.

“It should be called a grant since it is coming from the Federation Account and not that (after) these people have access it and when they are graduating, they have heavy loads behind them and within two years, if they don’t pay, they go to jail. That’s why we’re talking about collective bargaining, you have views from all the sides.”

On Monday, Tinubu signed into law the Students Loans Bill in fulfilment of a promise he made during his campaign. The bill was sponsored by the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is now the President’s Chief of Staff. Now an Act, the law provides for interest-free loans to poor Nigerian students.

However, the ASUU President said the loan is impracticable. He said the loan is “not sustainable”.

Osodeke said, “The idea of student loan came in 1972 and it was in a bank established. People who took loans never paid, you can go and investigate. In 1994, 1993, the military enacted Decree 50 also set up a Students’ Loan Board. The National Assembly domesticated it in 2004 and within a year, it went off. The money disappeared. We want to see how this one will be different.”

According to him, there are more than one million students in Nigerian public universities and the loan cannot adequately cater for students’ tuition.

The ASUU President said the conditions for the loan are “not practicable”, adding that more than 90% of students won’t meet the “stringent requirements” to access and repay the loan.

“We, as a union also did research of countries all over the world, of people who have benefited from this loan, they were committing suicide. Recently, (President Joe) Biden is trying to pay back the bank loans of some who borrowed in the US,” he said.

“It is better to look for alternative means of funding education than to encumbering students whose parents earn N30,000 a month with a loan.”

The Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called for full compensation of owners of the 17 distressed structures demolished by the state government at Alaba International Market, located in Ojo LGA of the state.

This is as the sociocultural group also punctured claims by some traders in the market that the buildings were demolished because Igbos did not vote for the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the 2023 governorship election.

According to Ohanaeze, the demolition of the buildings had no political undertone, adding that vacation notices were given beforehand to the occupants.

However, speaking with THE WHISTLER on Monday, the President of Ohanaeze in the state, Chief Ogbonna Aguene, argued that there have not been any incident of building collapse at Alaba International Market, stressing that for that reason, the owners should be compensated.

“Those are very common people. Some of them did it ignorantly, but ignorance is not an excuse to the law. But there’re somethings you can consider people (based on the fact that Nigeria is still a third world country), so mistake can be allowed,” Aguene said.

“My appeal is that Lagos state should consider those that were affected that have CofO,” noting that owners of the buildings should be paid “full compensation.”

“They’ve added a lot to the development of Lagos State,” the president who explained that the state government is receptive to Ndigbo said.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had on Sunday, demolished the 17 distressed structures.

On Friday, LASBCA had given final warnings and vacation notices to the occupants of the affected buildings.

According to LASBCA, vacation notices were first issued in 2016, noting that others were issued in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

“These buildings marked within this ALABA International Market would have been included in the list of 349 distressed buildings earlier published in different national newspapers this year but because the occupants were always harassing our officers, it was impossible to capture the details of the structures and include them in the publication,” the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, had said on Friday.

“What we have done now is a joint exercise carried out by both the Lagos Task Force officers and the demolition gang of Lagos State Building Control Agency. The buildings would be demolished”, he noted.

Acknowledging the impact the demolition of the distressed buildings, which were used for commercial purpose would have on commercial activities within the market, Oki had said the buildings had to go to avoid putting the lives of innocent persons at risk.

“We know that this area is a commercial centre and one of the busiest markets in Lagos State but despite this, we cannot fold our arms and allow irregularities to continue to thrive in the market where the lives of innocent persons would be put at risk because of the failure of a few set of individuals who have refused to do the needful,” he had said.

The demolition at Alaba International Market came just over a week that LASBCA removed 15 illegal attachments at Divine Homes Estate, located in Thomas Estate, Ajah, in Eti-Osa LGA of the state.

Three ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) who were Presiding Officers for the Feb. 25 general election have told the Presidential Election Petition Court ( PEPC) that only the results of the presidential election refused to upload to IREV.

The three presiding officers were subpoenaed by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

Led in evidence by the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, the witnesses told the court that they were able to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine to transmit results for the senatorial and house of Representatives elections successfully.

They, however, told the court in their separate testimonies that they were unable to use the BVAS to transmit the presidential election results thereby making them unsatisfied with the entire election process.

The three witnesses, Janet Turaki, Christopher Ardo and Victoria Sani told the court that they were presiding officers in Yobe, Bauchi and Katsina states respectfully.

The witnesses all agreed that other aspects of the election went well until it was time to upload the presidential results then the BVAS machines refused to work.

Turaki, under cross examination by counsel to INEC, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN told the court that the accreditation of voters was successful and voting went on smoothly at her polling unit.

She said it was after she attempted to upload the presidential election result after capturing it with the BVAS machine that the network went awry.

The witness said that having failed to successfully upload the presidential election results, she handed over everything to her ward collation agent and filled the complaint form that INEC had provided for such purposes.

She said that she and other party agents present signed the result on the form EC8A before she took it to the ward.
For his part, Ardo told the court under cross examination by counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Wole Olanipekin, SAN, that he felt unfulfilled in his assignment with INEC on the election day.

He said this was due to his inability to transmit the presidential election result as required by law.
In her own testimony, Sani under cross-examination by counsel to the All Progressives Congress,(APC), Mr Charles Edosanwan, SAN, told the court that she believed that she performed her duties as a presiding officer to the best of her ability.

The five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned proceedings until Tuesday for the continuation of the hearing in the petition.

The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that Atiku and the PDP are before the court challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.

One of the grounds of their petition is that INEC failed to transmit election results to its (INEC Result Viewing Portal, (IREV) in real-time as the Chairman, Mr Yakubu Mahmood had said it would before the election.

…Don’t worry, EFCC won’t come after you – Wike

SENATE President, Godswill Akpabio has clarified that his N200Million goodwill to support Chief Nyesom Wike’s successful gubernatorial race in 2015 was from his personal savings and not from the treasury of Akwa Ibom state government.

Wike, immediate past Rivers state governor at Sunday’s thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to show gratitude to God for His grace to surmount critical challenges he faced over his eight years at the helms in Rivers, had revealed that the Senate President, then governor of Akwa Ibom, supported his 2015 governorship bid to that tune.

Wike narrated that, He (Akpabio) came out to support him. He was abused, that how can he put his hand in the politics of Rivers. He told them (accusers) he has seen that the only person who could win that election (Rivers guber) was me.

“He did not just come out. He gave me N200Million for that election. That is why I said one good turn deserves another. And I also supported him. Thank God he succeeded (as Senate President).”

Responding to the revelations, Senate President Akpabio explained, “That money came from my savings in the telecoms industry where I was a managing director. The money was not from the Government of Akwa Ibom state. I should make that clarification. I paid tax on that money. If you check you will know.”

Akpabio added that Wike may have forgotten or not have been aware that his mentor and predecessor, Dr Peter Odili, was first to accord him such valued financial support when he (Akpabio) was running for governor (in 2007).

He reminded Dr. Odili, “I was sitting in Akwa Ibom when you phoned me and said how can you be running for governorship and you don’t come to see me? You said come immediately. That day I came and met somebody I don’t want to mention his name now because we are no longer political friends.

“Then you pushed something into the boot of my car. And I wondered how can somebody be so kind? Because you believe in one Nigeria. You are one President Nigeria never had.”

Preempting the Senate President’s response, Wike in making his revelation had urged the former Akwa Ibom governor not to worry, said: “Just relax, EFCC will not come after you. They cannot come after you.”

The National Industrial Court on Monday declared that the order restraining the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on their planned industrial action subsists.

Justice Olufunke Anuwe stated that the order as granted on June 5 subsists pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The court in addition ordered that parties maintain status quo and adjourned the matter until July 20, for hearing.

Earlier, when the case was called, the Federal Government’s counsel, Mr Ochum Emmanuel informed the court that the matter was slated for Monday for the claimant to take its motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the defendants from embarking on strike.

He added that he was ready to proceed with his application as the defendants had been served.

Mr Marshall Abubakar, the defendants’ counsel on his part however replied that they had filed an application praying the court to set aside its order granted on June 5, restraining his clients from embarking on strike.

Abubakar further submitted that the claimant was served the application on June 8, only for them to turn around and serve on them a counter-affidavit on Monday in court.

He added that the claimant filed the counter-affidavit on June 16 and instructed the bailiff not to serve them until on Monday in court.

The court enquired if defence was properly before the court, Abubakar responded that he was not certain, but that he will find out and do the needful.

He also prayed for a short adjournment in order to look at the counter-affidavit and respond.

Emmanuel in response opposed Abubakar’s application for adjournment and urged the court to allow him take his motion on notice which was slated for hearing.

The counsel also reiterated that the federal government will never a file process and instruct any bailiff not to serve the other party.

He argued that it was probably due to the fact that he filed the processes late on June 16 that made the bailiff to serve defence counsel in court on Monday.

Emmanuel in his submission equally averred that the defendants were not properly before the court as they had not filed their memorandum of appearance, but only came to urge the court to vacate the order it granted on June 5.

He stated that the defendants being not properly before the court cannot seek for an adjournment.

In addition, he submitted that if the court should deem it fit to grant Abubakar’s application for an adjournment, the court should equally declare that the order restraining the defendants from embarking on strike granted on June 5 subsist.

In his reply, Abubakar submitted that Emmanuel’s application was not necessary as the court had earlier stated that parties should maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

He also informed the court that parties were meeting later on Monday to try and resolve the issue.

The court in its ruling granted the application for adjournment, directed the defendants to enter their memorandum of appearance and instructed parties to maintain status quo.

From facts, he defendants had planned to embark on nationwide strike on June 7 to protest the fuel subsidy removal that brought about the new pump price for the Premium Motor Spirit.

The federal government had therefore instituted the suit to stop the defendants, stating that the proposed strike may gravely affect the larger society and the well-being of the nation at large.

The claimant in addition stated that the strike is capable of disrupting economic activities,that will affect especially the health and the educational sector.

(NAN)

Chairman of Bharti Airtel Worldwide Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, on Monday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Mittal said that the decision by Tinubu’s government to float the naira will now unleash foreign investments in the country.

The Airtel boss, who was accompanied by Dr Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, lauded the president, particularly for making foreign exchange easier to access.

He noted with regret that the lack of easy access to foreign exchange had prevented the company from importing critical equipment needed for its operation in the country.

According to him, the worldwide market has applauded naira devaluation and investors are now ready to come into the country.

While noting that Airtel had made just under $4 billion investment since coming into Nigeria, he affirmed that the company would roll out its 5G services and as well revealed that it would be making an additional investment of $700 million in the next two years.

Mittal stated: “We’re already investing about $400 million a year, which has been going on for the last many years. That will of course continue. That is business as usual.

“On top of that, to roll out the 5G and more fibre into the ground and data centres will require more $700 million to get to that outcome.

“So, while there is no exact number, I can give you, all I can tell you is $400 million is what we generally invest every year.

“With 5G, the investment is only going to go up for the next two or three years, before it comes back to the same $350, $450 million a year.

“We have invested just under $4 billion since the time we have come into Nigeria.”

He said that Nigeria is very key in Africa, stressing that if there is any country to be an economic power house, it’s Nigeria.

He said without Nigeria, African strategy will not work.

Mittal said he requested the meeting with the President in order to talk about Airtel and India and that he was touched by the speed and clarity of mind the President has exhibited within a short time.

“We have given a standing ovation to the floating of the dollar,” he said, adding that he saw a President that was deeply committed to removing poverty in the country.

With the new administration in Akwa Ibom State settling down, the attention of the people is gradually turning to Ikono and Ini LGAs as the next centre of political activities in the state. The two LGAs are not only neighbours in the northern tip of the state, they both constitute one of the 10 federal constituencies in the state. Ikono/Ini federal constituency is one of the four federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. The two LGAs are also the major food producing centers in the state.

But first, I should ask the people of Ikono and Ini to come together, unite and work together for the progress of their communities. The communal crises that plagued those communities, especially the one between Nkari people in Ini and the neighbouring communities in Abia State should be settled permanently. I am pleased that the governments of the two states are determined to bring a permanent solution to this perennial problem.

To adequately prepare for future opportunities, I suggest that the professionals and educated politicians from the two LGAs should come together and form an advocacy group that will promote their interests. The main objective of this group should be to promote the political interests of Ikono and Ini and groom key members to assume leadership responsibilities.

This short piece is therefore a call to action by the good people of Ikono and Ini. The future beckons on you now to get prepared to take your rightful place in the polity of Akwa Ibom State in the next 8 years. Bring out your best and brightest, your stars, from the professions, business and government and begin to groom them. They should begin now to prepare for the future by building bridges and friendship across the state. They should invest heavily in their communities and people. the journey should begin today. This is your time.

Former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) for a successful election of its executive officers.

The former Vice President in a press statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe on Sunday, specifically felicitates with the newly elected President of the NGE, Eze Anaba and other officials of the Guild.

Atiku noted that the theme of this year’s NGE conference titled: Post 2023 Election: Promoting Professionalism For Enhancement Of Democracy And Good Governance, is a reflection of the mandate of the NGE as gatekeepers of the media, to ensure that democracy thrives in the country.

“The theme of the National Biennial Convention was germane. 

“The huge attendance, arguably the highest in the history of the conference, is an indication of the priority that the editors attach to the task of pulling Nigeria out from the brink.

 “To this end, I am happy that the media in Nigeria is still a partner in progress as far as the fight for deepening democracy is concerned.

“I will urge the newly elected president and other executive members of the NGE to continue keeping focus on safeguarding democracy as a tool for rallying citizens to development,” Atiku said.

Signed:

Paul Ibe

Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar

Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007 and Presidential candidate of the PDP.

Former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has disclosed why he supported Senator Godswill Akapbio to emerge as the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.

Wike said Akpabio donated N200 million to his campaign in 2014 and 2015, stressing that one good turn deserves another.

Speaking during his special thanksgiving service organized by his family at the St. Peters Deanery, Rumuepirikom, Obio-Akpor area of the state, on Sunday.

He said Akpabio defied criticisms to back his governorship ambition in 2015.

According to Wike: “When I was running in 2014 and 2015 he came out and supported me. He gave me N200m for that election. That is why I said one good turn deserves another. I supported him this time and I thank God he won”.

Responding, Akpabio claimed that the N200 million he gave to Wike in 2015 was not from the purse of Akwa Ibom, where he was the governor then.

The Senate President claimed that the money was from his savings from the telecom sector, where he was a managing director before becoming governor.