The Federal Government has confirmed Saudi Arabia’s SALIC International Investment Company’s acquisition of a 35.43% stake in Olam Agri Holdings for a substantial $1.24 billion, marking a significant boost to Nigeria’s agricultural and livestock sector.

Minister of Finance Wale Edun made this announcement following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to fostering a stable macroeconomic environment that attracts high-value foreign investments.

“You all know and we all heard that Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Agriculture and Livestock Investment Company, had just around the 23rd of December increased its investment in Olam by a $1.2 billion additional investment,” Edun stated. “It’s that type of transaction that Mr. President has taken the steps of stabilizing the Nigerian macro-economic environment to encourage.” 

The deal, which closed on December 23, 2024, values Olam Agri Holdings at $3.5 billion. Olam Group retains a controlling 64.57% stake in the agricultural unit. The transaction, initially announced in March 2022, solidifies Olam Agri’s position as a key player in global agriculture while opening up new opportunities for Nigeria’s livestock industry.

As part of the agreement, Olam Agri and SALIC have established a Strategic Supply & Cooperation Agreement. This partnership aims to expand Olam’s footprint in the Middle Eastern markets while leveraging SALIC’s expertise in livestock and agriculture to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural exports.

Industry experts have hailed the transaction as a milestone for Nigeria’s agricultural sector, noting its potential to enhance food security, drive foreign exchange earnings, and create employment opportunities. The strategic partnership is expected to foster technology transfer, improve farming techniques, and introduce innovative solutions to Nigeria’s livestock and broader agricultural value chains.

Backstory 

Last week, Edun led a delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Presidential Economic Coordination Council to strengthen the economic partnership, focusing on enhancing export credit, insurance frameworks, and market access between the two nations.

• During the visit, the delegation engaged in high-level discussions with Saudi EXIM Bank, focusing on developing export credit and insurance frameworks, and expanding market access between the two nations.
• According to a statement issued by the delegation, the Saudi EXIM Bank expressed interest in deepening relationships with Nigerian institutions and participating in future transactions involving Saudi government entities.

“Additionally, the delegation held strategic talks with the Saudi Development Fund to explore potential areas of collaboration aimed at boosting infrastructure and economic development in Nigeria. The delegation also met with the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC) to advance ongoing conversations about their investments in Nigeria,” the statement noted.

[Nairametrics]

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, announced this development on Monday.

During his visit to the facility earlier today, Kyari, who was addressing a team on the tour, said: “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. It is not 100 percent. We are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”

Among the tour team was the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Chief Executive Officer Farouk Ahmen.

“I must congratulate our team for their determination and extreme belief that this company can restart this plant.

“This has brought the result we are seeing in collaboration with our contractors. We have proved that it is possible to restart a plant that you deliberately shut down. We have proved this.

“This plant has three stages. We have started stage one which is called Area 1, able to produce AGO (diesel), Kerosene, naphtha and others. These are brands of high-quality products required in the country. We will also be able to export them. This country will make money to meet the promises of Mr president that this country will be an exporter of petroleum products.

“I must put on record the development was as a result of the charge by Mr President that we must get all three refineries to work. It is already happening. We have successfully started the Port Harcourt 65, 000 barrels per day refinery. We have also started the area 1 of the Warri refinery. The other plants that will produce PMS will also come live.

“Kaduna is also on stream. We are not going to give you a date but we will surprise you,” Kyari further remarked.

Situated in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the Petrochemical plant has an annual production capacity of 13,000 million tons of polypropylene and 18,000 million tons of carbon black.

Established in 1978 and operated by the NNPCL, the WRPC was designed to cater to the markets in the southern and southwestern regions of Nigeria.

As per the statement from NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, the mechanical completion of the facility was initially projected for the first quarter of this year.

“Warri should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024,” Soneye stated.

The other two include the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.

The development came following the recent commencement of crude refining at the old Port Harcourt Refinery.

Naija News recalls that in a statement released in November 2024, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu acknowledges the pivotal role of former President Muhammadu Buhari in initiating the comprehensive rehabilitation of all Nigerian refineries and expresses gratitude to the African Export-Import Bank for its confidence in financing this critical project.

Tinubu also commends the leadership of NNPC Limited’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, for his unwavering dedication and commitment to overcoming challenges and achieving the new milestone.

President Tinubu directed that with the successful revival of the Port Harcourt refinery, NNPC Limited should expedite the scheduled reactivation of both the second Port Harcourt refinery and the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

The statement added, “These efforts will significantly enhance domestic production capacity alongside the contributions of privately-owned refineries and make our country a major energy hub, with the gas sector also enjoying unprecedented attention by the administration.

“The President underscores his administration’s determination to repair the nation’s refineries, aiming to eradicate the disheartening perception of Nigeria as a major crude oil producer that lacks the ability to refine its own resources for domestic consumption.

“Highlighting the values of patience, integrity, and accountability in the rebuilding of the nation’s infrastructure, President Tinubu calls upon individuals, institutions, and citizens entrusted with responsibilities to maintain focus and uphold trust in their service to the nation.

“In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda focused on shared economic prosperity for all, the President reaffirms his administration’s commitment to achieving energy sufficiency, enhancing energy security, and boosting export capacity for Nigeria.”

[NaijaNews]

Letter writing may be a lost art in this digital age, yet there are moments when the weight of reflection demands the intimacy of a letter. So, dear 2024, consider this a heartfelt note from a Nigerian seeking to encapsulate the whirlwind of emotions, events, and transformations that have unfolded over the past twelve months. As I pen down these words, I do so with the awareness that you are not an ordinary year. Your arrival brought hope, but as the days rolled, that hope was replaced with hardship, struggle,  perseverance and lessons. 

In this letter, as tricky as it may be, I will attempt to recount the key events that shaped you – the milestones that defined not only my life but the collective experience of a nation grappling with economic hardship, political uncertainty, and social upheaval. Nigeria stands at a crossroads, and you will be remembered as a year that tested our spirit and resolve. This is not just a recollection of facts but a narrative of survival in a land where, at times, the future seemed uncertain.

You were, indeed harsh, but we, the Nigerian people, have shown remarkable resilience and perseverance. Despite the economic hardships you brought, with inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs affecting all, we have stood strong. Your visitation of economic hardships worsened by 34-40% inflation rate and supply chain disruptions, an embarrassing unemployment rate of 40%, and rising living costs affected both the high and the low. Almost all households felt your pinch. Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose to close to  40% by mid-year, pushing millions into poverty. National Bureau of Statistics reports indicated that over 71 million Nigerians faced food insecurity by the third quarter. The exchange rate rose by over 60%. Yet, amid these challenges, the Nigerian people showed remarkable resilience and perseverance.

To put it into context, essential commodities such as rice, maize, and garri doubled in price within months. The petrol price fluctuated between ₦700 to ₦1200 per litre, severely impacting transportation and logistics. Even sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’, became a luxury for many, reflecting the depth of economic strain. You made our economic thinkers and planners look clueless. Thank God we, the people, showed understanding with them.

You brought needless political contentions –the Rivers crisis, contentious elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Kano Emir drama, the Old-New-Old national anthem, and “Endbadgovernance”demonstrations. An attempt to reform our tax system highlighted our stubborn ethnic fault lines. You were not short of drama, both relevant and irrelevant. The reinstatement of the old national anthem left citizens divided, as critics viewed it as distracting from pressing governance issues. However, amid these contentions, the Nigerian people stood united, showing remarkable solidarity. Despite the divisive nature of  some of these events, we have remained a united front.

Poverty and hunger became our companions, resulting in three deadly stampedes during palliative distributions in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leaving no fewer than 60 people dead. Unemployment among the youth reached over 45%, with many university graduates resorting to menial jobs or leaving the country in search of greener pastures, contributing to the ongoing ‘Japa’ wave.

At the global scene, you delivered historic elections and global unrest. People in more than 60 countries—representing almost 50 per cent of the world’s population—went to the polls during the year. Voters in Mexico and the United Kingdom picked new leaders, while a former U.S. president was invited by voters back to the White House. In Nigeria, voter turnout in local elections dipped to a record low of 28%, reflecting growing disillusionment with governance. This disinterest was amplified by widespread insecurity, with over 1,500 reported cases of abduction and banditry disrupting daily life. Villages in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Borno faced relentless attacks, forcing thousands into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. “Lakurawa” gained a strong foothold in parts of North-West states. 

Some strange things happened that we did not foresee. Greece extended adoption rights to same-sex couples, and Thailand legalised same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. You gave LGBTQ+ rights activists something to celebrate. This felt strange in this part of the world, where same-sex relations remain criminalised, and social acceptance lags far behind. In Nigeria, lawmakers intensified efforts to uphold conservative values, with proposed bills aimed at further restricting LGBTQ+ rights. The disparity in cultural values highlighted the widening gap between regions of the world, reflecting the complex layers of societal evolution.

You saw the world in turmoil, and the Russian vs Ukraine war continued unabated. This war brought about lots of military posturing, leading some to fear nuclear conflict between Russia and NATO. The conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Iran ramped up to greater heights. The Middle East is in commotion, with the war extending to Lebanon and Israel vowing not to stop until it wipes Hamas and Hezbollah out. Iran has shown its willingness to confront Israel, framing itself as the watchdog of the Middle East against Israel’s aggression. 

You also witnessed the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, raising fears of extremist groups seizing power. Reports from the UN suggested that over 300,000 Syrian refugees fled to neighbouring countries by year-end, adding to the growing refugee crisis.

But amid it all, you allowed some of my compatriots to think and look at things differently, to learn that hard work does not kill and bad governance is for a season. Despite the odds, small businesses grew by 7% in sectors like agriculture and technology, offering a glimmer of hope. Despite the increase in tariffs and persistent collapse of the national grid, there has been a marginal improvement in power output in homes and factories. 

The healthcare sector witnessed significant transformation in the past few months of 2024 because of incisive, superlative reforms and programmes. So far, 53,000 health workers have been re-trained—an impressive number—to deliver integrated, high-quality services. The Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Initiative, which offers free caesarean sections to all eligible Nigerian women meeting the criteria, and the Nigeria Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessment Report were launched. These initiatives represent a step forward in our healthcare system, offering hope for the future.

Your successor, 2025, is shaping up to be quite the mixed bag — it’s like the year is expecting a baby, but no one knows if it’ll be a bundle of joy or a handful of trouble. Nigeria is trying really hard to stop putting all its eggs in the oil basket. There’s a lot of noise about agriculture, tech, and manufacturing stepping up. With this African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) getting more action, we might see Nigeria flexing as West Africa’s trade big brother. 

But let’s be honest — oil and gas aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Dangote Refinery finally kicking into gear might help us cut down on those expensive imported petroleum products. If it plays out right, that could mean fewer trade deficits and more jobs, which we desperately need. But you know how it is with oil — prices are like Lagos traffic, unpredictable and everywhere. Plus, the world’s moving towards greener energy, so we’ve got to figure out how to keep the money flowing long-term.

Now, on the money front, I won’t sugarcoat it. Inflation and the exchange rate will probably keep dancing around, and not in a fun way. The Central Bank will try to keep things under control, but they’ll need serious foreign investment and more non-oil exports to make it work. The tech space is looking exciting, though. With all these young, sharp minds and everyone glued to their phones, Lagos and Abuja are becoming mini–Silicon Valley — fintech, e-commerce, aggrotech, you name it.

Politically, Nigerians are still out here demanding real change. Anti-corruption will stay a hot topic — we’re all tired of the same old stories. There’s also this growing pressure for electoral reforms and better public services. Civil society is getting louder, and I’m here for it. But security? Whew. That’s going to be a big one. Between insurgency in the Northeast, banditry up North, and secessionist noise in the Southeast, the government has its hands full. It will take more than military action — they must dig into why these issues keep popping up.

On top of that, some states are pushing harder for more control over their resources and policies. The whole decentralisation and restructuring debate might heat up. Meanwhile, you can bet politicians are already gearing up for 2027. Alliances will shift — it’s like watching chess, but with higher stakes.

Look, Nigeria has its share of problems—inequality, environmental issues, governance struggles. But the potential? It’s huge. We’ve got the people and the energy, and if we can channel it right, the sky’s the limit.

 Here’s hoping 2025 is more of a blessing than a headache.

As I look ahead to 2025, I do so with cautious optimism. While the road ahead remains uncertain, I am reminded that even in the darkest of times, resilience shines through. So, to everything we have passed through, thank you, 2024, for setting us free. 2025, if you’re reading, please be more liberal to us as a nation and as a people. May our leaders listen more and apply more wisdom. May 2025 usher in real  hope, stability, and progress for Nigeria and the world.

Wishing Nigerians a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.

DAP . 

I was at the brink of tears as I stayed glued to the television watching the maiden media chat of our beloved President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed and “Non-armed” Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I was impressed by the calm disposition of the President with the confidence and brilliance he exuded as he answered a barrage of questions from journalists paraded at the event. Hidden behind this self-assured mien is a seemingly troubled conscience, because he was aware his responses were at variance with the facts on ground. His responses failed to address the undercurrents. Our man just kept applying the typical bravado to give impression of being atop of the situation.

“I am not reducing my cabinet strength” was an emphatical statement. A solid proof of someone well prepared and positioned for the job. It was not the type of the political gimmick employed earlier in the contest for the coveted seat of Emilokan (it’s my turn), rather, the chat was positioned to prove that everything was cut and dry – the task, indeed, was to demonstrate governance skills and stamp that into our subconsciousness. The political craftsman deftly defended his life – suffocating reforms on which he scored himself high. No doubt, some of the reforms were well thought out and the anchormen are adjudged as round pegs in round holes. But Mr. President was far from blowing our minds when he gave his workmen hundred percent score as if everything is working fine. He cleverly downplayed the multiple impact on the already overstretched and happing populace beaten blue and black by the masses – unfriendly policy. It is apposite to argue that the political elite are insulated from the ‘sacrifice to survive’ proselytization of the President as they continue to enjoy perks of office, without batting an eyelid. But the attendant results are emotional pains endured by the defenseless citizens in addition to the economic quagmire, with no immediate remedy. Our President gloated with ease when he disclosed that he saw one of his friends who had five limousine cars and abandoned the exotic rides for Honda series. I am sure as he knows and acknowledged that it was a bad turn of events when he as our leader, cruises around with multi-billion limos with retinue of back – up vehicles and long convoy being maintained with public funds. Could that be said to be leadership by example? Yet, people must bear, people must endure and must sacrifice while those elected by their franchise move around publicly insulting sensibilities with calculated affronts, without recourse to decorum as public officers to demonstrate what they are forcing down the throat of the masses.

To a large extent, the media chat was aimed to further demonstrate that our leaders are special breed created to enjoy the life of a royalty while superintending pauperized subjects confined to misery, in a supposed attempt to clean up the stable.

Just as if to prove the President wrong, video clips of the economic affliction in the country emerged on social media showing about 2 kilometres long queue in front of the “Aso-Villa extension” in Lagos – the Bourdillion House, lined up with poverty – stricken, ‘well-dressed’ beggars angling for food handouts at the President’s home on the eve of Xmas, while our leader was busy lashing out at the organizers of the stampedes in Ibadan, Okija and Abuja, for failing to emplace adequate measures to secure and control the crowd. The Bourdillon clips reflected meticulous straight lines enforced by a retinue of law enforcement officials maintained by the public treasury over the years, and not because of astutely crafted ingenuity or organizational ability of officials, but the manipulation of state craft to massage personal ego.

One needs to ask an honest question from the. President – Are you not embarrassed with the long queues – two kilometres with more of people begging at your gate? Or do you consider it a thing of pride that your home is under siege by able bodied men and women, striped of their dignity by an unjust political-economic system? A country whose prospective productive assets are daily enlisting as scavengers, fraudsters and nuisance to the society?

Hapless and hopeless Nigerians who live their days on earth as “accursed” citizens begging for foods on Xmas eve! I wish to submit sir, that it is not normal. Rather it a national shame of immense magnitude! It is absurd as it is offensive against humanity! Palliatives have never served as remedy for instituted suffering or fertiliser to grow economy. It is rather a depressant with down-scaling implications.

Therefore, when the cabinet foot soldiers were given clean bill of health as performers, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth of an average right-thinking person. And that hangs on our commander’s neck as baggage of verifiable lies and narration of immense contestation. Mr. President, this write-up is not out to contest the validity of your submission but to point out the dark spots on government policies that require deliberate effort to reduce hardship and handouts dependency by “commoners”, on the elites in the society. These are the home truths that can stand your “renewed hope” slogan in good stead. Of course, truth is usually a difficult medicine to swallow. As a team leader, your failure to acknowledge your administration’s shortcomings, is tantamount to grandiose self-adulation. Deliberately sir, I avoided using the word Ministers, aides, and all of that but preferred to encapsulate all as cabinet’s foot soldiers to extend my reach even to the intelligence community and other service sectors, in my critiques. The adoption of foot soldiers seemed suitable for this discourse while some of your portfolio men and women need to be re-assessed. Some are with abysmal scorecards. Sadly, our mediamen at the parley failed in their duty to interrogate issues as diligently as required, and to situate in proper context. Instead, they allowed the window dressing to continue throughout the 60 minutes parley. They missed the privilege thrown at them by the host.

Imagine, how can it be a good day for any sensible official to say he feels good for borrowing to invest in the capital market from the excess production that we have? It has never been that bad as a nation, for a government to celebrate foreign loan to finance a project that should be financed from within? I am in a strait to understand the logic. Though I’m not an economist, elementary arithmetic allows me to know that when developed countries borrow, they often do so from within. I was made to understand that they borrow from their own currency. Though,, I’m not averse to our nation borrowing from the currency they issued. What I am unsettled with is the tendency to go borrow foreign currency to feed. This malevolent practice portends great danger to our economy and is an ominous sign of future crisis. Yes, it can be secretly done, but you don’t gleefully announce such a deal. That runs counter to good sense, if any. If someone is sick and in need of blood infusion, and friends rally round to help, you do well to appreciate them, without eulogizing it as the best day of your life.
Herein is my submission. This administration needs to run an economy in such a way that we can generate capital for ourselves. There are visible steps in this direction. Unfortunately, I think the finance anchorman looks uncoordinated. Even though he is supposed to be the coordinator of the economy, he seems not coordinated, that is by my assessment. I believe if they coordinate well and work with the human and material resources in the country, we should be able to generate wealth from within. This is the defect I observe in this government which they may find difficult to accept. Simply because they feel they are in a vintage position to understand the nuances of the economy policies.

On the average, the shift from Presidential aloof-ment to Nigerians in the last one and half year to friendly chat is a good sign that we are being engaged as joint stakeholders. Mr. President was on track when he confirmed that the fight against corruption is a difficult task. And the refrain from this is the euphoric phrase adapted from the civil war slogan of General Yakubu Gowon- “it is a task that must be done”. In his word: “corruption cannot be totally eradicated, but shall be reduced to barest minimum”. This submission is commendably forthright, as nowhere in the world is corruption wiped out completely. The best in any circumstance is to tame it. Give it to BAT, he brought on board men committed to the anti-corruption war, as the helmsmen of the two anti-graft agencies have shown they are committed to the work but the big question is, is the environment conducive for the battle with economic criminals in all shades and forms? Besides these two aforementioned anti-corruption czars, is there any indication that government leaders at every level including the President himself are genuinely committed to lead the war by unreserved support for the anti- corruption war and personal example? How about the underhand dealings still witnessed at the legislature and other critical institutions of the state?

A genuine anti corruption war should harbor no sacred cow either at the executive, legislature, or the judiciary. Corruption enablers in Nigeria have to be incapacitated and obsolete laws must be obliterated and expunged from our law books. Presidential control of anti-graft agencies constitutes an anomaly. It should be relinquished. The legal profession should be sanitised and sanctions should be served to erring lawyers seen to be circumventing justice for corruption offenders either in public or private sector. The plea bargaining is a major energizer of corruption. It needs to stop. The civil service must be told in unambiguous terms that it’s no longer business as usual.

Capital punishment must be meted in form of “Ghana and China” punitive measures. This will send jitters down the spine of those who consider the anti-corruption war a child’s play.

Energy sector is another area that deserves attention – the incessant collapse of our national grid. I often wonder how my country survives on the epileptic power supply. The generalised comments by the President that the government is cruising fine is not only a mockery of our situation but a grossly dishonest statement. How could that be related to the several industries relocating from Nigeria because of the unbearable high cost of operations while small scale businesses are winding up daily? And yet things are okay and well, says our leader and President. It is in our best interest to speak well of our country but as it were, we are yet to see the green light.

On security, I’m sure no one is interested in chasing shadows or probing any of the security chiefs. What we look forward to is a security architecture that protects lives and properties in the country. A situation where our defense budget has no significant impact on improving our security situation is highly concerning. Our dear President, we deserve and demand for a more honest and transparent governance than what you have given since assumption of office. These should really be our take home from the chat, my sincere apologies, sir.

Lanre Ogundipe
Public Affairs Analyst,
Former President Nigeria and African Union of Journalists writes from Abuja.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the final say on the purported exit of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, in January 2025.

However, NNPC described Kyari exit claims in January 2025 as false.

NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye told DAILY POST exclusively in an interview on Monday.

This comes as some industrial stakeholders believe that Kyari, who would turn 60 years on January 8, 2025, may retire from service and be replaced with one Bayo Ojulari.

Reacting, Soneye said the claims are rumors and false.

According to him, Kyari has his time and tenure in the NNPC; however, it is the prerogative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to keep or fire the company’s GCEO.

“I don’t know anything about that; all those things are rumors and false. The man (Mele Kyari) has his time and tenure; the president has the final say. As the Minister of Petroleum, anything he wants to do, he will do. For us, it is to continue with our work and do it right.”

He further explained that NNPCL’s appointments are based on expertise, skills, and ability to deliver, not on ethnicity, religion, or other sentiments.

“This is a global energy company. Movement in the company is based on expertise, skills, and ability to deliver, not on the basis that you are from X, Y, or Z; you are Muslim or Christian. Gone are the days we did that; if we do that, we cannot have foreigners working for us. We have Dutch, American, and British managing directors of our businesses. If we are doing only Muslim, Christian, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, we won’t have them. Where we have Nigerians that can deliver, they are there. We, the company, look for professionals that can deliver,” he told DAILY POST.

This comes as some other players in the oil and gas sector stated that the GCEO’s tenure is expected to terminate in 2027, in line with Section 59 (2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which states that, “The composition of the Board of the NNPC Limited shall be determined in accordance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act and its Articles of Association.”

DAILY POST reports that Kyari, alongside the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, are appointees of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari who have survived President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sack sledgehammer.

This comes as Kyari, in November 2023, was reappointed by Tinubu to continue to lead the country’s oil behemoth, its management board chairman, and members.

Recently, United States-based Nigerian professor of journalism Farooq Kperogi stirred controversy over Tinubu’s key appointments into NNPC.

Kperogi, in an article titled ‘Tinubu’s Buharisation of the NNPC,’ accused Tinubu of ethnic bias in his appointments at NNPCL in the manner former President Muhammadu Buhari did.

Reacting to Kperogi’s article, the ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, chided Tinubu, saying two wrongs cannot make a right and therefore urged that inclusion in NNPC would have trumped exclusion.

However, the presidency, through Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said El-Rufai is taking a cheap shot against the president.

Earlier, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani faulted El-Rufai’s alleged nepotism claim at NNPCL.

DAILY POST recalls that in November 2024, NNPC appointed Adedapo Segun as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), taking over the position from Mr. Umar Ajiya.

Similarly, the company announced the appointments of Mr. Isiyaku Abdullahi as the Executive Vice President (EVP), Downstream, and Mr. Udobong Ntia as the Executive Vice President (EVP), Upstream.

In July 2022, the oil firm transitioned from a public corporation to a limited liability company.

[DailyPost]

Details about how the National Assembly plans to pass the proposed N49.7 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill have emerged. 

According to the legislative timeline, the joint National Assembly Committee on Appropriations will lay its report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025, setting the stage for its anticipated passage in early February. 

The National Assembly’s timetable noted that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to defend their allocations before the relevant committees starting Monday, 7 January 2025. 

A memo obtained by our correspondent in Abuja revealed that the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Finance will meet with key government officials on Friday, 7 January, at 2 p.m. 

These officials include Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation.  

Joint budget defence sessions between the Senate and House of Representatives’ appropriations subcommittees, alongside relevant MDAs, will begin on Wednesday, 8 January, and continue until Wednesday, 15 January 2025. 

The timetable indicates that the Appropriations Committee will present its final report on the budget on Friday, 31 January 2025. 

Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, confirmed the timeline in Abuja. 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the N49.7 trillion budget proposal, titled “The 2025 Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” during a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives on 18 December 2024. 

The President highlighted the budget’s focus on securing peace, fostering prosperity, and ensuring hope for a greater future for Nigeria. 

The Senate passed the 2025 Appropriation Bill for a second reading on 19 December, following a debate on its objectives and principles. 

It was then referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC – Ogun West), for further scrutiny. 

The House of Representatives also advanced the Bill to its Committee on Appropriations for additional legislative work. 

With the legislative process underway, all indications point to the budget’s passage in early February 2025.

[TheNation]

Croatian top-flight club, Dinamo Zagreb has announced the appointment of a former Italian international, Fabio Cannavaro as the club’s new coach.

The announcement was disclosed in a statement Sunday on the club’s site.

“Fabio Cannavaro is the new coach of GNK Dinamo’s first team. This decision by the club’s management and the sports director was supported this evening by the club president and the Executive Board during the 15th session of the Executive Committee,” the statement partly read.

Cannavaro, who played as a defender for Juventus and Real Madrid, won the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

Owing to his professional behaviour and leadership skills, Cannava was awarded the Ballon d’Or the same year.

Currently, Dinamo sit in the third position with 29 points in the domestic league HNL, behind table leaders Rijeka and Hajduk Split.

According to the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Zvonimir Manenica, the lack of results in the HNL forced the management to consider Cannavaro’s appointment.

“The club’s management decided that we had to take necessary steps to stop this negative crisis because such poor results in the domestic league haven’t been seen in a long time. We thank Coach Bjelica for everything he has done. He gave his all and achieved great results in the Champions League, but the domestic league is the club’s priority, and unfortunately, the results there were lacking.

“We have the opportunity to take the club to the next level in Europe, but this is only possible by winning the title. We are aware of the risks and responsibilities, and this was not a hasty decision. It was carefully analysed to determine the best course of action without the daily pressures that come with Dinamo’s high ambitions. This is why we waited to make the decision after the match with Varaždin and took our time to decide calmly,” Manenica said, among others.

Cannavaro will join the first team at their gathering on January 3, 2025, when he will also be officially introduced.

The Italian tactician’s first test will come up on January 22 when they visit the Emirates Stadium in London, in their Champions League encounter against Arsenal.

[Punch]

Anthony Ijaola Ayinla Asiwaju was unaware when he delivered his inaugural lecture on December 12, 1984 that it would    change his life forever. More importantly, that with that step, he was transforming our consciousness    of the seemingly inanimate colonial boundaries of Africa into the living things that they are in reality. The lecture had also earned him immediate summons by  the State House, Dodan Barracks, to meet the feared Generals Muhammadu Buhari and his unsmiling Deputy Head of State Tunde Idiagbon. Coincidentally, Nigeria’s borders at the time of the Inaugural were closed. So, for a professor to give a well-advertised lecture about ‘artificial boundaries’ was quite unsettling for the dictatorship. The military regime demanded an advance copy of the lecture which Asiwaju could not produce.

In those days, 40 years ago, as he was being driven by security men to the State House for an uncertain reception, he was unaware that his lecture would lead to the country    taking its borders serious by establishing the Nigerian National Boundary Commission. The Inaugural also internationalised his belief that humanity needs a ‘United Nations of Border Peoples’.    

Asiwaju is a product of fortuitous circumstances. First, he was not meant to go to school. In the agrarian and Catholic society he grew up in Imeko, the culture was educating the first child, while others were retained in the farm to produce food and some income for the family. So, his elder brother was sent to school, while he remained in the farm. However,  his father later moved to the Ado-Odo  Area where he became a migrant farmer with no land of his own. He reasoned that if his younger son were trained as a farmer, what farm  would he inherit? Therefore, he decided that the latter    should also go to school.    So the young Asiwaju at 10, began    school at St Joseph’s Catholic School in 1949, and St Leo’s Teachers College in 1956. He then taught in many schools until 1963 when he got admission into the University of Ibadan.

Ironically, Asiwaju did not want to become an academic. His ambition was to rise to the post of a secondary school principal.    So, despite a scholarship offer, he tried to dodge going    for his    Masters/Ph.D Programme. When finally he    was cornered to do so, he did not    like the suggestion by Professor Jacob Ade Ajayi that he should focus on Nigeria-Benin border rather than just on Nigeria.  The latter offered Asiwaju a car to take him on a trip through the border,    after which he could    decide either to reject or accept the    proposal.    Ajayi’s proposal was a like a divine one as Asiwaju had all the prerequisites for such a novel study. Aside from a strong first degree, he grew up and lived in Imeko, a border town with Benin Republic.    Secondly, his parents were from both sides of the border; his father was from Ketu and his mother from Imeko. Both    towns are situated in the same    geographical, cultural and historical    area.    Their inhabitants are inter-related and speak the same      dialect of Yoruba. In pre-colonial times, both were part of the ancient    kingdom of Ketu with capital in Ketu, in today’s Benin Republic. The Ketu Kingdom was destroyed in the 1880s by Dahomey; Imeko in 1982 and Ketu in 1886.    When the European colonialists took over the old kingdom, they split it into two: Ketu was in French Dahomey (now, Benin) and    Imeko in British Nigeria.    Who better to study the boundary and effects of    French and British colonial systems on the same people, but a ‘son of the soil’ like Asiwaju.    Besides, the research was like Asiwaju  reliving the history of his family and their experiences.

His maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Aduke-Afin, was 15 when she was captured along with many others in Ketu when it fell to the Dahomians in 1886. She was    enslaved from then until February 1894 when King Behanzin was    captured by the French occupation army. Rather than head back to Ketu, she headed towards the more secured areas of Cotonou, Porto Novo (Ajase)    and finally, based on reliable information that her mother and some other relatives were in and around Ado-Odo, she headed for that town. There in about 1896, she reconnected with her mother, Ayoka and other relatives from whom she had been separated for a decade.

So, Asiwaju ended doing his doctorate on the impact of the    French and British administrations    on the same Yoruba people who fall on both sides of the border.    It was the study of the experiences of a single    people under two European powers with different languages, currencies, cultures and colonial styles: one ‘Direct Rule’ and the other ‘Indirect Rule’.  It was a systematic    study of a given problematic across two systems.    Asiwaju went thematic in his study. For instance, he studied the background of the different administrators, including the schools that produced them, their practices, personnel and training within the context of the French being republicans and the British being monarchists.

The monarchical background of the    British  in a sense explains why it appealed to them to use pre-colonial monarchical institutions and, where these did not exist, to create them such as the Warrant Chiefs in Igboland.

After publishing his thesis, Asiwaju discovered that there were no comparative studies; so he embarked on studies    such as the split of the Akan people between French Cote d’Ivoire and English Ghana and,    the Mossi People between French Burkina Faso and English Ghana. He then moved to an African-wide survey. This is the origin of the    book    “Partitioned Africans: Ethnic Relations Across Africa’s International Boundaries, 1884-1984″ which he edited.

  Forty years after his    Inaugural Lecture, I sat across the table from the Emeritus Professor    for his analysis on    the fundamental changes that have taken place. He noted with sadness that Nigeria’s borders are once again closed with government apparently not learning from the past. He said: “ I live on the route (Nigeria-Benin Border); fuel tanks roll out and rice    flows in. It is when    you close the border officially, that it begins to boom. Adam Smith    praised the so-called smugglers as people    who break the law  of the state in order to comply with the law of economics. The trader takes his goods    to where he can  make more profit. Even if you build    walls separating countries, they cannot be more solid    than the Wall of Berlin, even that broke under socio-economic pressure.”

He said his encounter with the military regime, on his inaugural, gave him the impression that    the military listens more: “They admit that they don’t know, and in their heart of hearts, they know they don’t know.    If they think an issue is not abrasive, they listen.”

By the time Muhammadu Buhari ran for a second presidential term in 2019, it seemed clear that the judicial process in many parts of the country had been actively co-opted in the intimidation of civic opponents of the government, both real and imagined. The case of Steven Kefas was a defining moment in that process.

Steven was a compelling activist and amplifier of the crisis of human security in Southern Kaduna under former governor, Nasir el-Rufai. For this, el-Rufai arranged the abduction of Steven from his residence in Rivers State on 8 May 2019. From there they bundled him into interminable detention in Kaduna on the imagined crime of criminally defaming Cafra Caino, an acolyte of the governor who was also Chair of the Kajuru Local Government Council.

For this invented crime, el-Rufai had Steven charged before a Magistrate in Kaduna who refused him bail even when the crime was clearly a misdemeanor. Steven renewed his application for bail before the Federal High Court in Kaduna where the presiding judge, Peter Mallong, incredulously ruled that his suit was “an abuse of court process” because the Magistrate had previously refused bail. Turning judicial precedent on its head, Peter Mallong held that the decision of the Magistrate was binding on the Federal High Court.

Gloria Ballason, who argued Steven’s case, was also my lawyer when el-Rufai sought to also abduct me in circumstances that would have been not dis-similar to what he did to Steven. On the eve of the presidential election in 2019, el-Rufai went public with claims of a massacre of scores of Fulanis in Kajuru, a community against whom he appeared to have an implacable beef. The following morning, I publicly rebutted his claims. The security services were pointedly unable to support his claim.

After the 2019 elections, el-Rufai instructed my prosecution before the Magistrates Court in Kaduna on fanciful charges of incitement and injurious falsehood. The case did not even have a charge number. The magistrate called up the case on two successive occasions and, when I did not show up, decided the time was ripe to issue a warrant for my abduction. Contrary to my entitlements under the Nigerian constitution, even bothered to bring the charges to my attention. It seemed as if the entire objective from the beginning was to set me up for abduction.

Informed off-record about the case by sympathetic law enforcement agents subsequently, Gloria Ballason first issued filings objecting to how the court had chosen to proceed. Thereafter, she instituted proceedings before Peter Mallong’s Federal High Court in Kaduna against el-Rufai and the police arising out of these facts alleging breach of my constitutional rights.

One year after the case was instituted, in October 2020, Peter Mallong issued his decision. He claimed that the affidavit in support of my court processes sworn to by a litigation clerk in the law firm of my lawyers, was incompetent because the deponent was someone other than me. It was as if he had never heard of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules which allowed for what the litigation clerk did. As a result, Peter Mallong said, my case was incompetent and his court lacked jurisdiction over it. After holding that he lacked jurisdiction, however, Peter Mallong went on to “dismiss” my case.

The judgment was manifestly crooked on the face of the record. A judge can only dismiss a case that they have had the opportunity to consider but a judge cannot consider a case over which s/he lacks jurisdiction. So, a judge who rules that he or she lacks jurisdiction cannot thereafter decide to dismiss the same case. That is exactly what Peter Mallong did. Having accomplished such crookedness, he then went on to award punitive costs against me.

It was this kind of casuistic and crooked jurisprudence that emboldened el-Rufai and his ilk to routinise the persecution of Nigerian citizens by abduction under cover of law. I was lucky. Steven Kefas was not. Gloria Ballason’s tenacity and an international campaign eventually enabled to Steven to make bail after 162 days in pre-trial detention in Kaduna prison.

According to Steven, while he suffered prolonged pre-trial detention for an imaginary crime framed against him for being a government critic, he witnessed kidnappers caught in the act being released  without charges. Steven’s explanation is that: “What the oppressive elites do in Nigeria is that they will hire rogue lawyers to help them draft all manner of petitions to get critics and ‘enemies of the government’ abducted and locked up….”

This appears to be the perfect description for what is happening in an ongoing case involving the prosecution of Precious Eze, Olawale Olurotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa and Seun Odunlami before the Federal High Court in Lagos. The accused are all bloggers who run different platforms as citizen journalists or aggregators.

On 19 September, 2024, Country Hill, a law firm acting on behalf of Guarantee Trust Holding Company (GTCO) and its CEO, Segun Agbaje, wrote a petition in which they complained against the accused for what they called “acts of cyberbullying, criminal extortions (sic) and conducts (sic) likely to cause a breach of public peace” arising reportedly from material published on their blogs about Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank). Importantly, the complaint omitted any mention of the sums that any of the suspects allegedly extorted or sought to. Subsequent investigation by the police showed clearly that upon the material being brought to their attention by intermediaries, the suspects had voluntarily pulled down the publications complained of.

Acting on this petition, nevertheless, the police promptly arrested and detained Precious Eze and Olawale Olurotimi, both of whom have been held in pre-trial custody since then. By the date you read this, each of them would have been in pre-trial custody for over 91 days. That is more than double the maximum duration of 42 days of pre-trial custody allowed by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

It took the police just four days to conclude investigation. Michael Abu, the Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) who led the investigation into GTBank’s petition, wrote in his report of 23 September 2024 with reference to Precious Eze and Olawale Olurotimi that “these types of people be used as scapegoat” and recommended that they be “charged  to court for the offence (sic) of conspiracy, cyberbullying, attempt to extort money through fraudulent means and conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.”

On 14 October, the police re-arraigned them. Ten days later, the amended charges filed against them included six counts of cyberbullying and two each of conspiracy and extortion. To prosecute them, GTBank secured the “fiat” of the Inspector General of Police to instruct a high-powered team of ten lawyers, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs). This is a classic example of “oppressive elites” capturing the criminal process for destructive purposes against poor citizens.

Until now, the people who orchestrate these kinds of travesties and their judicial and legal co-travelers have enjoyed earthly impunity. Judges like Peter Mallong made this possible. The one lesson, however, of the Dele Farotimi case is that citizens now have the wherewithal to make these kinds of perversion of the legal and criminal process costly for those who orchestrate them.

In this case of Precious Eze and Olawale Olurotimi, that should be even moreso, given that the travesty is procured at the instance of a commercial and corporate actor. We are both citizens and customers. In this dual capacity we have the muscle to resist the determined conspiracy of politicians and corporates who seek to muzzle and destroy an informed and responsible civics. It is not too late for GTBank to retrace its steps.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has attributed Nigeria’s current challenges to both the actions of its leaders and the contributions of its followers.

Despite the difficulties facing the country, Obasanjo urged Nigerians to remain hopeful and not lose faith as the new year begins.

During an appearance on the Arise TV Morning Show on Monday, Obasanjo expressed confidence that Nigeria will soon assume its rightful position among nations, emphasising that he remains a steadfast optimist about the country’s future.

He said, “We wish all Nigerians a happy and prosperous new year, and I will say to Nigerians, We’re going through hardship, but they should never lose hope. I’m an incurable optimist about Nigeria, and we have a great country.

“Where we are is not where God wants us to be, and I believe that sooner than later we will get to where God wants us to be. God wants Nigeria to be a land flowing with milk and honey, not a desert, a basket case, or a failed country.

“That we’re where we are is either by inadvertent or advertent actions of our leaders and followers to some extent, but God is God of great things for Nigeria. I believe God has great things for Nigeria in the immediate future.”

Obasanjo also addressed the issue of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s previous remarks about Nigeria, emphasising the need for Nigeria to find a way to make Trump understand that the country is not what he described.

“Whether anybody likes it or not, the American people have decided that Trump will be their leader, and Trump, being the American people’s leader, will lead America for the next four years and will be the leader of the world.

“America is the greatest country in the world for now. It may change in a few years. Maybe China will take over and become the largest economy or surpass America in terms of technology or military power, but for today America is that country, and we cannot say we have nothing to do with Trump.

“We have to find a way of letting Trump know that what he calls a ‘shithole’ is not it, and we have to make him understand that. I believe that there will be policymakers around him that we can reach and talk to.

“America has an enlightened interest in Africa, and we must tell him, ‘This is your interest, and don’t ignore it. We’re ready to work with you; give us the respect and dignity that is due to us, respect our citizens who are in your country, and let us work together for a peaceful world. A world that is secured, stable, and where prosperity is shared and security will be common for everybody.’ I believe Trump will understand that.”

[Vanguard]