Some Nigerian health workers collect bribes and issue COVID-19 cards to individuals without administering the vaccine, investigations by the Media Advocacy West Africa Foundation (MAWA-Foundation) have shown.
MAFA is a nonprofit organisation based in Abuja, Nigerian capital city, which was founded in 2016.

In an undercover investigation that started last year, covering three states, Plateau, Ebonyi, Gombe, and Abuja, MAFA Foundation uncovered how the Nigerian health workers comprised professional standards and ethics and have adopted an unprofessional attitude driven by corruption that is putting many lives at risk.
In the practice that is common among the states investigated, health workers collect bribes and issue COVID-19 certification cards without administering the vaccine; an action that seems the worse form of professional misconduct.
This is even as the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, a legislation that regulates health practitioners in Nigeria, mandates them to safeguard the public at all times, and ensure professional misconduct, incompetent or unethical practice are not allowed or condoned.
To get hold of admissible evidence of how health workers carry out these corrupt practices, the MAWA Foundation, undertook undercover investigations in the states below.



Plateau State

The MAWA Foundation officials in efforts to find out how health workers in Plateau State are collecting bribes and issuing COVID-19 certification cards without administering the vaccine, visited Jos the Plateau State capital, and spent a number of days.
During our stay, we visited some of the Primary Health Care Centres, pretending to be in the need of the COVID-19 certification cards. We approached health workers who demanded money from us to get the cards without administering the vaccine.
We bargained with a health worker at Kuru II Primary Health Care Centre in Kushe ward, who charged us N25, 000.00 for two vaccination cards; an amount that was paid into a First Bank account belonging to one of the health workers.
Two weeks after the payment was made, two COVID-19 vaccine certification cards were issued to MAWA officials without any of us being vaccinated.
The act was carefully carried out by the health workers to ensure there is no trace of fraud anywhere. Perfecting the act, the health workers, ensure our data was carefully uploaded on the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) COVID-19 vaccination platform, while we received SMS from the agency showing that we have been administered the vaccine.
At the Primary Health Care Centre located in Rayfield area of Jos, a health worker charged us N40, 000 for a single COVID-19 vaccination card without administering the vaccine, an amount we refused to pay.
A senior health official at the Rayfield PHC in interaction with MAWA officials denied any issuance of COVID-19 cards without administering the vaccine. She, however, admitted to having heard some PHCs issuing cards without administering the vaccine but said that does not happen in her hospital.
At a Primary Healthcare Centre located at the Gura Topp area of Jos South, a senior health official who spoke to MAWA confirmed the issuance of the COVID-19 certification card without administering the vaccine but said that happens in other hospitals that is not theirs.
The health worker, however, blamed the practice on the contradictory and diverse narratives that have made it impossible for people to have trust in the vaccine and appealed to the government to put in place an effective communication strategy that will lead to proper education and awareness on the safety of the vaccine. And, in that way, many will take the vaccine.
When MAWA sought the explanation of Mr. Livinus Miankwap, the Executive Secretary, Plateau State Primary Health Care, he said they had received a report of such practice in Jos North, but did not have enough evidence to punish the offenders.




Ebonyi State

MAWA Foundation officials in efforts to uncover the COVID-19 vaccination card racketeering taking place in Ebonyi State, visited Abakaliki, the state capital where we spent days investigating the practice.
During our stay in Ebonyi, we visited Mile Four Hospital, Alex Ekwem Teaching Hospital, and Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Investigating how the health workers are issuing COVID-19 certification cards without administering the vaccine, we went undercover, pretended to be in need of the COVID-19 certification card.
Because, in our first day at Abakiliki, we had focused group discussion with the locals, comprising members of civil society, the media, and community influencers, we understood that it is difficult to get any of the health workers to admit such a practice exist.
To penetrate the health workers and get them to issue us a COVID-19 certification card without administering the vaccine, we made use of the locals who presented us to them as people who are genuinely in need of the COVID vaccine certification card.
The health workers after a series of negotiations admitted to issuing the card to us at the cost of N3, 000 an amount we paid into a Fidelity Bank account belonging to one of the health workers.
Perfecting the act, we waited for three weeks and three days before a COVID-19 vaccine certification card was prepared at the Amagun MDG Primary Health Care Centre located at the Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State was delivered to us.
A delay the health workers said they were making sure the card went through all the required processes to make it authentic devoid of any suspicion that it is fake. Unfortunately, they were taking their time to issue a fake card in a highly compromised way and abuse medical practitioner ethics and profession.
One of the health workers told MAWA team that individuals who desperately need the COVID-19 vaccine certification card, especially those traveling abroad are made to pay N2, 000 for the card without vaccination.
Community residents who spoke to MAWA, said residents do not want the vaccine administered to them because they do not believe COVID-19 exists, they believe the virus is ordinary malaria that does not require any special measure to cure.
“The suffering we are going through in Ebonyi is more than COVID-19, why are they not bothered about how they will give us food, why are they putting efforts to kill us using a fake vaccine in collaboration with the white” Mr. Okechi, one of the residents told us.
When we reached out to Mr. Ebenyi Hycinth, Director-Ebonyi State Primary Health Care, for an official response, he denied knowledge of the practice, but, however, said if at all that happens, the people perpetrating the act aren’t health workers, but those impersonating and parading themselves as health workers.




Gombe State

The incidents in Gombe state are not different from what is obtainable in other states we visited. Health workers in the state were caught issuing the COVID-19 vaccine certification cards without vaccination.
MAWA officials spend days at Gombe investigating how health workers collect money and issue vaccine certification cards without vaccination. The cards are issued to individuals depending on your bargaining power and who is helping you to negotiate.
Using undercover, we fronted the locals who helped us to negotiate with the health worker to issue us vaccine certification cards without being vaccinated.
A deal the health workers agreed and charged us N20, 000 for two cards, at the price of N10, 000 each. An amount that was paid into a First Bank account belonging to one of the health workers.
Two weeks after we paid money to the health workers, a COVID-19 vaccine certification cards prepared at Pobawure Primary Health Care Centre, located at Billiri Local Government Area was delivered to us without any form of vaccine administered.
When MAWA Foundation contacted Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, a senior official of the agency who did not want his name mentioned, said he has no authority to speak on the issue.
This is even as some of the locals who spoke to MAWA, said they prefer to pay money and collect the card and not take the vaccine.
They accused the government of conniving with European countries to kill and reduce their population using the vaccine and vowed never to be vaccinated.




FCT Abuja

Abuja, the Nigerian capital city that ought to observe the strict adherence to COVID-19 vaccination rules, has since been caught in act of violating the rules, with the National Primary Health Development Agency (NPHCDA) officials collecting bribes and issuing COVID-19 vaccine certification cards without vaccination.
In the deal, NPHCDA officials collect amounts ranging from N5, 000 and above to issue vaccine certification cards without vaccination.
MAWA Foundation went undercover at the Gwagwa area of Abuja in one of the vaccination centres in a pretense that we are in a dire need of the card to travel abroad.
NPHCDA official who is in charge of the vaccination, after a series of negotiations, charge us N5, 000 as a fee for a COVID-19 vaccination card without administering the vaccine. An amount that was paid into an Access Bank account he provided.
Shortly after the money was paid, we got a text message from the NPHCDA showing we have been enrolled in the vaccine.
The NPHCDA official perfected the act in such a way that it appears genuine, but in a real sense, it is a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
Perfecting the deal, all information is uploaded to the NPHCDA platform and a text message sent to a telephone number provided by the card bearer, while an ample of the vaccine used for the fake COVID-19 vaccination card is broken and discarded into the dustbin as having been used and a record of it taken.
Some of the locals who said they got their COVID-19 vaccination card after paying money, accused NPHCDA officials of using the vaccine as an avenue to make money at the detriment of public health and safety.
When MAWA Foundation contacted the NPHCDA for an official response, a senior official of the agency who did not want his name mentioned, said they are aware some people are getting the COVID-19 certification card without vaccination, pointing out that they have put taskforce in place to monitor the malpractice, but, said it is unfortunate the practice still happens despite all training and warnings given to the officials.
This practice is worrisome because, as of January 26, 2022, the NPHCDA on its website, said a total number of 14,389,796 persons have taken the 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 5,312,081 persons taken the 2nd dose.
Good as these figures seem, our investigations have shown that they are not accurate as a good number of persons with COVID-19 vaccine certification cards were not vaccinated.
The state must rise against this ugly practice, as it is a public health issue that puts everybody at risk. We cannot afford to sacrifice public health to corruption which is defiling many efforts made towards addressing Nigeria’s health system.
This report was supported by African Investigative Journalism Conference, Gates Foundation, and Henry Nxumalo Foundation.

The Canadian Medical Association has said no fewer than 632 Nigeria-trained doctors were practising in Canada as of 2020.

The association disclosed this in an email exchange with The PUNCH in Abuja on Wednesday.

The CMA unites medical professionals at the national level in Canada to create strong and accessible health systems, fostering well-being and diversity in medical culture.

The PUNCH had reported in September 2021 how hundreds of Nigeria-trained doctors took part in an interview in Abuja meant to fill existing vacancies in the health sector in Saudi Arabia.

It was also reported that no fewer than 4,500 Nigeria-trained medical doctors moved to the United Kingdom over a period of six years.

In the email exchange with our correspondent, the CMA said, “As of 2020, there were 632 doctors who graduated from a Nigerian medical school and are practising in Canada.”

The PUNCH reports that the Nigerian government is currently battling brain drain in the health sector.

Associations such as the Nigeria Medical Association, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Unions among others have called on the Federal Government to tackle brain drain in the sector.

Published 16 February 2022

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, tested its electronic voting system ahead of consideration of the report by the Joint Senate and House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the lawmakers would within the next two weeks vote on the Constitution amendment bills.

Gbajabiamila asked members of the House to inform the Clerk on time if the computer attached to their respective seats is not working so it could be fixed immediately.

“The constitution amendment voting is coming up in a week or two, and we will need the required numbers. It is the only way we can vote on constitutional amendment,” the Speaker said

The Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, also advised the House the lawmakers to take their allotted seats when voting.

“These votes are not just mere votes, they are matters of record. It will not be imagined or practiced that a member is sitting on another person’s seat and votes. It will alter our records,” Okechukwu noted.

Agreeing with the Okechukwu, Gbajabiamila said, “This is no longer a fledgling democracy, we are now in advanced democracy. And one of the essential ingredients of that is to be able to determine for the people back home that we represent, on whether we are voting in their interest or not.

“So, electronic voting is not just about the number but about records, the pattern of voting. In more advanced democracies, it can be used against you by your opponent that this was where you voted against the position of your constituents. So, it is important, therefore, that we sit at our respective seats.”

The Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, however, noted that having to take their original seats would mean that the social distance protocol against COVID-19 might be breached. He, therefore, urged the lawmakers to wear their masks and sanitise appropriately during the exercise.

Gbajabiamila also asked if all the lawmakers had been vaccinated.

While Elumelu noted that vaccination does not contain the spread of coronavirus, he urged the lawmakers not to breach the safety protocols.

Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Wednesday, ruled that a Senate bill transmitted to the House for concurrence should be left in abeyance until a similar bill which the House sent to the Senate for concurrence had been attended to.

A member of the House, Victor Mela, had raised concern when a Senate bill titled, ‘Federal Medical Centre, Deba, Gombe State (Establishment) Bill, 2022 (HB. 1847),’ was introduced for first reading.

Mela told the Speaker that he had a similar bill that had been sent to the Senate for six months but it had yet to be attended to at the other chamber.

In his ruling, Gbajabiamila said, “Yours has been sitting in the Senate for six months? I think fair is fair, we have to observe the rule of first in time. We have similar situations with other bills and I have made this pronouncement on the floor a couple of times.

“If any bill comes from the Senate and it’s in the House, it will be difficult for me to accept for a member to bring the same bill on the floor of the House because it will be unfair on the Senator who sponsored that Bill and sent it here for concurrence.

“I will not accept for a member’s bill to be in the Senate just cooling off for months and then a similar bill is brought to the floor of the House and then we process that. So therefore we take this Bill for first reading and we leave it in abeyance until Hon. Mela Bill that has been sitting there for the past six months is processed in the Senate. It’s the fair and proper thing to do.”

Meanwhile, the House passed a bill seeking to prohibit sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.

The legislation is titled ‘A Bill for an Act to make Comprehensive Provisions for the Prohibition and Punishment of Sexual Harassment of Students by Educators and Other Persons in and out of Tertiary Educational Institutions; and for Related Matters (HB. 1006).’

Friday Olokor, Abuja

Published 16 February 2022

A coalition of Christians of Northern extraction in the All Progressive Congress, besides, the group under the aegis body of Christians in APC on Tuesday demanded that the 2023 presidential ticket should have a Christian President or Vice President from the North.

While demanding adherence to the party’s procedures in the election of its national officers, they also called for religious consideration in the micro zoning of party positions.

The APC National Convention comes up on 26th February 2022, where a new leadership that will direct the affairs of the party is expected to emerge.

The CiAPC said these in a communique issued at the end of its meeting which discussed the political affairs of the party, national convention and the political atmosphere of Nigeria, signed by Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, Prof. Doknan Sheni and Senator John Danboyi.

According to them, such zoning considerations would help foster national unity.

The communique reads, “The Christians in the 19 Northern States within APC met at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on February 13, 2022, to discuss the political affairs of the APC party, the upcoming party convention and the political atmosphere of the nation.

“The meeting was pleased that the APC was finally able to fix a date for the convention for February 26, 2022.

“The meeting recommended that the presidential ticket should have a Christian President or Vice President from the North.

“The meeting recommended that the party should choose a Christian from the North as party National Chairman or Deputy National Chairman, (North).

“The meeting recommended that the composition of the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee should significantly reflect the presence of Christians in order to reflect its national character.

“The meeting recommended that the party procedures of electing officers into various offices should be adhered to.”

The Concerned All Progressives Congress Youth Forum has called for the resignation of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over plots to impose candidates on the ruling party ahead of its national convention slated for February 26.
According to the group, Malami has perfected plans to slot in a prepared list of his cronies through the ‘back door’ during the APC congress.


In a statement on Tuesday by its Convener, Owolabi Abdullahi, the CAPCYF said the AGF was on a mission to cause disaffection among party members through his ongoing plot if not stopped by stakeholders.
The statement reads, “Recent events in the buildup to the APC national convention slated for February 26, 2022, has indeed called for concern from all stakeholders.
“We are indeed concerned that a high ranking member of the government and the party in the mould of Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, would elect to undertake acts that are inimical to the ideals of the party, which are clearly outside his purview.
“Mr Malami, in recent times has been meddlesome in the affairs of the party, using his office to cause intimidation and harassment to the current leadership of the party into submitting to his whims and caprices.
“The Concerned APC Youth Forum finds his actions worrisome and an indication that the national convention of the party might be in jeopardy due to the unwholesome activities of party members who have elected to make the imposition of candidates the new norm at the expense of credible candidates.
“As concerned stakeholders of the party, we wish to put it on record that the AGF is on a mission to cause gross disaffection in the party through the attempt to impose candidates on the party, most of which are his allies and cronies through which he intends to hijack the party structure in furtherance of his political ambition.
“The AGF must as a matter of urgency desist from his ploy to dictate to members of the APC how to elect and whom to elect at the national convention of the party. This is on the heels that should he continue in this fashion; there would be a torrent of litigation against the party after the national convention.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate resignation of Malami from office.
“Our firm position is that the APC as a party cannot afford the luxury of going into the 2023 general elections in a rancorous manner, which would eventually lead to the disintegration of the party and the consequent electoral defeat come 2023.”
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the APC has been enmeshed in various crises with fears rising that this could jeopardise the chances of the party to retain power at the Federal level next year.
In January, some aggrieved members of the party dragged the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee before a Federal High Court in Abuja over plans to hold a national convention in February.

The applicants prayed the court to restrain the Committee from going ahead with the convention because state congresses were yet to be completed in all 36 states of the federation.

In a bid to put out the raging fire within the party, state governors elected on the platform of the APC held an emergency meeting in Abuja in January to discuss issues surrounding the national convention and grievances of members calling for its postponement.

Worried that the internal wranglings within the APC could cause bigger problems, President Muhammadu Buhari in January said the party risked losing control of power at the national level in Nigeria if it failed to resolve all crises within its fold.

A fresh crisis is looming in the ruling All Progressives Congress amid fresh plans by the APC to bar members of the National Assembly – who are not principal officers – from taking part in the Presidential primary, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.

Currently, all serving and former members of the APC are allowed to participate in the party’s convention but this could change should the amendment scale through.

Section 12.1 of the current APC constitution says members of the national convention shall include: members of the Board of Trustees, national chairman and all members of the national executive committee, serving and past presidents, vice presidents, serving and past governors and deputy governors who are members of the party.

Others include: serving and past members of the National Assembly who are members of the party, serving and past Speakers, Deputy Speakers and other principal officers of the Houses of Assembly and all serving members of the Houses of Assembly who are members of the party, party chairmen in the states and members of the States’ Working Committee.

However, a copy of the proposed amendment of the APC constitution which was obtained by Sunday PUNCH showed that in the proposed amended constitution, only principal officers which include- Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Majority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Minority Leader and Deputy Minority leader would be allowed to attend party conventions.

For the National Assembly, the amended Section 12 identifies the national convention members as “the President and Deputy President of the Senate, who are members of the party, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who are members of the party, Majority or Minority Leader, party whip and their deputies in the Senate and House of Representatives, who are members of the party, two serving senators from each geo-political zone of the country, who are members of the party, to be nominated by senators from such zone, one member of the House of Representatives from each geo-political zone of the country, who is a member of the party, to be nominated by members of the House of Representative from such zone.”

This means the highest possible number of APC federal lawmakers that would be able to attend a party convention and vote at a Presidential primary would not be more than 30

A member of the National Assembly told Sunday PUNCH that the move would be challenged by the over 373 APC members in the legislative arm of government.

The lawmaker said it was obvious that the APC Caretaker Committee led by Mai Mala Buni was out to punish lawmakers for defying the party’s wishes when it amended the Electoral Act.

He further alleged that the Buni committee was seeking to whittle down the influence of the House of Representatives, many of whom had already endorsed the Presidential ambition of APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“You will recall that many members of the northern caucus as well as the South-West caucus have declared their support for Tinubu. The National Assembly, which constitutes not less than 40 per cent of the total representation of the Presidential primaries, will now be pushed aside because of Buni and his clique? We will never accept this,” he said.

Meanwhile, the APC is also seeking to drop its slogan ‘change’ and adopt ‘progress’ as its new slogan.

When contacted on the telephone, the Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the proposal was just a document and everyone was free to make amendments.

Akpanudoedehe said he would not respond to any further questions when he was asked to explain the rationale behind the decision to bar National Assembly members from future conventions.

“Make your submissions. That’s what this (proposal) is all about. That is a proposal. You write your contributions, we will look into it. It is not for me to answer. It is not my document. It is the document of the party,” he said.

Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State during the week launched the Ijaw history book, ‘The Izon of the Niger Delta’ as part of events to mark his two years in office.

At the event, Governor Duoye Diri called for support for the book project started by the late DSP Alamieyeseigha.

He said the move will help in ensuring that the Ijaw language does not go into extinction just as he lauded the past governors for initiating and funding the project.

The governor also praised the only surviving editor of the book, Emeritus Professor E.J Alagoa, for taking up such a bold project.

Governor Diri expressed joy that at 89, Professor Alagoa still reads without lenses.

This is as he prayed for the repose of the souls of two co-editors of the book – late Prof. Tekena and late Prof. John Pepper Clark.

The Bayelsa governor was not the only high-profile personality who graced the event. The Chief Launcher, High Chief Emonena Victor Wayles (JP) at the occasion reiterated that the Ijaw culture was built on truth and asked the Ijaw people to maintain the momentum.

According to him, his donation at the event is a starting point as he thanked Diri for making the book launched a reality.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the President of the Ijaw National Congress President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, recalled when the rally cry of “Ahh Izon” represented steadfastness to the Izon cause.

The co-chairman of the launch, however, expressed sadness that many parents have failed to inculcate the Izon culture in their children, thus putting it at risk of extinction.

Other notable Izon people who made presentations at the event include the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Abraham Ingobere; Chief Judge of the State, Justice (Mrs) Kate Abiri; Immediate past Deputy Governor of the State; Rtd. Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jsuppo Onah; Prof. Paingha Alagoa; Prof. Mark Okorobia, Dr. ThankGod Apere; Mr. Dianam Dakolo; Mr. Matthew Seiyefa; Hon. David Alagoa among others.

Politicians, traditional rulers, top government functionaries, technocrats, and captains of industries, including High Chief Emonena Victor Wayles Egukawhore (JP), Chairman, De Wayles Group of Companies and others, were present at the book launch where millions of naira was donated to the cause.

Seyi Makinde and Duoye Diri
Meanwhile, part of the two year celebration was the commissioning of a 4.5km road at Igbedi named Duoye Diri road, Kolokuma in Opukema Local Govt. Area by the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Markinde on Thursday, 10th February, 2022.

Peter Uzoho

Nigeria’s daily power generation has fallen by an alarming 630 megawatts (MW) since Wednesday following a fire outbreak at Egbin Power Plant in Ikorodu, Lagos State and the resultant shut down of generation by the company.

This development, coupled with the load reduction mechanism adopted by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to prevent system collapse, has worsened the power supply situation in Lagos State. Electricity consumers in the state and its environs have been witnessing constant power outages for several weeks.

Egbin Power had, in a statement issued to its stakeholders and the general public yesterday, reported the fire incident at its power plant on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at about 4.20pm, leading to blackout in Lagos State.

The thermal plant has an installed capacity of 1,320MW consisting of six turbines of 220MW each, while its actual average generating capacity is about 800MW.

Egbin said the fire outbreak was successfully contained by a team of its firefighters in collaboration with firefighters from the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) in Egbin.
The company said it had set out a process to determine the cause of the fire incident as it had temporarily suspended its operations in line with the plant’s safety procedures.

“Egbin has since activated its emergency response mechanism to determine the cause of the incident, while operations at the plant have been temporarily suspended in line with the plant’s safety procedures. Egbin is also working with the Federal Fire Service, the Federal Ministry of Power and other stakeholders to review the incident,” the management of the power plant said in the statement.

Confirming the fire incident and its technical implications, TCN’s spokesperson, Mrs. Ndidi Mba, told THISDAY yesterday that it had led to the removal of a total of 630MW from the national grid.
Mba said, “We know that there was a fire outbreak and the total generation of 630MW was removed from the grid because of that.
“You know, when a fire outbreak happens, even if it doesn’t affect the entire units, the tendency is that, to protect the other ones, you shut them down.”

“So, as I said, 630mw was removed from the grid on that day (Wednesday).”
Nigeria generates an average of 8,000mw of electricity daily, out of the installed 13,800mw capacity, transmits an average of 5,000mw, while distribution hovers between 3,000 and 2,500mw.
Meanwhile, electricity consumers in Lagos and its environs have recently been witnessing constant power outages.

The two distribution companies serving Lagos – Ikeja Electric (IE) and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) -attributed the outages under their networks to a drop in power generation in the country.

In a recent statement for its customers, IE blamed the power outage experienced in certain parts of its network on load shedding by the TCN as a result of a drop in power generation.
EKEDC had also attributed the reduction in supply to the drop in power generation from an average of 3,700MW to 2,000MW.

The Disco said this was caused by gas limitations arising from vandalism and more recently an issue affecting the TCN line from the Egbin Power Plant.
Explaining the constant power outages in Lagos State in recent times, the TCN spokesperson stated that the state was a high consumption area and that the agency had to reduce the load to avoid overloading 330kv lines within the state and to achieve load balance.
Meanwhile, Egbin has assured the public that its technical team is working assiduously to restore operations.

“As the foremost power plant in the nation, Egbin remains committed to providing power innovatively and responsibly in compliance with good health, safety and environmental standards,” she added.

Published 4 February 2022

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has tackled opposition Peoples Democratic Party for offering Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governorship ticket for the 2023 election.

A former PDP spokesperson, Ganiu Taofik, had told The PUNCH that the party is ready to receive Sanwo-Olu ahead of the 2023 governorship election in the state.

But APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, described the PDP’s offer to Sanwo-Olu as a “Greek gift”.

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to the offer of the opposition PDP’s gubernatorial ticket to the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the next national elections.

”While the thought of desperately offering its worthless electoral tickets to every passerby is laughable, the extent of the level of degradation, degeneration and comatose state of Lagos state PDP should not be lost on all and sundry.

”The platform that initially elected Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu, having acknowledged his glowing performance across various sectors in his first term, is certainly still available to recontest for another term.

”His deft handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the successful execution of the all encompassing THEMES agenda has endeared him to Lagosians as a compassionate , committed and the right leader for a time like this.

”He has, without doubt, redirected our state to the path of progress and restored our pride of place as the leading light in the federation.

As the ruling party, we want to admonish the state governor to remain focused and undistracted from the onerous task of finishing strongly and fulfilling his part of the social contract with the good people of Lagos State.

”We wish to warn the opposition PDP to desist from its age-long tactics of perennial attempts to destabilize the ruling party by the deliberate promotion of falsehood, blackmail and arms – twisting strategies for political advantage.

”While we sympathise with Lagos State PDP over its several years of political misfortunes and misadventures, good wisdom dictates that it put its house in order to have a semblance of relevance.

”It’s pitiable that PDP could only think of fishing in the pool of capable talents in the APC while looking for people to offer it’s worthless Electoral tickets.

“This underscores the lack of attraction in the PDP and an admittance of its usual Waterloo in the forthcoming elections.

”Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu hereby unequivocally rejects this Greek gift and hereby states that APC remains his party of choice in making his next political move, which will be made known in due course to all Lagosians.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, closed its case against a former Head of Service, Stephen Oronsaye, standing trial over charges bordering on alleged stealing and obtaining money by false pretence before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The anti-graft agency closed its case against the former Head of Service after calling 21 witnesses and tendering several documents.

The 21st prosecution witness (PW21), Mr Umar Abba Tilde, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc, told the Court on Thursday that he could not ascertain whether Oronsaye ever made an endorsement for withdrawal from the accounts, as he was, at no time a signatory to the Federal Pension Accounts where alleged fraud was perpetrated.

Led in evidence by EFCC lawyer, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the banker revealed that two withdrawals, N161, 472, 00 million and N28, 375, 000 were transferred from a pension account to a company on July 6, and July 7, 2010, respectively.

The witness further told the court that a letter of August 24, 2010, signed by Oronsaye as the then Head of Service of the Federation instructed the bank that all e-payments must henceforth have final endorsement from the office.

However, under cross-examination by Mr Joe Agi (SAN), lead counsel to Orosanye, the witness said that the former Head of Service did not sign the mandate for the two transfers made in 2010, adding that Dr Shuiab Sani Teidi, Mrs Eu Chide, Mohammed Kaltung Ahmed, Hassan Mohammed and Attah Danladi were the signatories to the accounts.

The witness, who was the last called by the prosecution before closing its case, admitted that he was in the Kano branch of the bank when the two transfers were made and would not know if Oronsaye ever made any endorsement.

After the prosecution announced the closure of its case against Oronsaye, Counsel to the former Head of Service, Joe Agi (SAN) applied for an adjournment to enable him to open his defence with only two witnesses.

The court subsequently adjourned till March 9 and 10, 2022 for Oronsaye to open his defence.

The Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmaker on Thursday was taken to the Aso Rock Villa where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Naija News reports Bwacha was taken to the Villa by the Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Gov Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.