The recent suspension of accreditation for degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo by the Nigerian government has sparked debate about the responsibility of individuals pursuing dubious qualifications, with a former National Universities Commission (NUC) Secretary, Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, declaring that Nigerians acquiring such degrees are “clear-headed crooks,” not victims.

Ramon-Yusuf made this statement when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday. His strong statement follows a revelation of the ease with which some have allegedly acquired degrees in these countries, with one investigative report detailing a degree obtained within two months.

Mr. Ramon-Yusuf argues that this system benefits Francophone countries financially while hindering Africa’s progress towards educational unity, citing the continent’s earlier efforts at mutual recognition of certificates.

He said, “Many of these francophone countries have benefited so much from the dubious degrees they give to Nigerians and that is why Africa cannot achieve the same level of mobility that people enjoy in Europe under the Erasmus programme.”

However, he doesn’t shy away from placing responsibility on individuals seeking these degrees. He stressed that many knowingly choose this route due to challenges in Nigerian university admissions, often lacking basic qualifications or failing entrance exams. He characterizes them as “shopping” for bogus institutions to obtain bogus qualifications.

He said, “There is no victim, all those people with these certificates are clear-headed crooks who knew what they were paying for because some of them are people who cannot pass the UTME, and some do not have five O-level credits.

“So they go shopping for these bogus institutions where they get their bogus qualifications from.”

While acknowledging the government’s suspension, Dr. Ramon-Yusuf urged deeper solutions. He called for collaboration with affected countries to establish robust quality assurance agencies, stressing the need for national standards across Africa.

He also advocated for the NUC’s involvement in any investigation, given its expertise in Nigerian education quality.

He said, “We need to do more than that because this is not the first time this matter is coming to the fore. Now, we need to do something different. Many of these francophone countries don’t have national quality assurance agencies.”

Gunmen have been operating in the North-Central and North-Western parts of the country despite the presence of security operatives.

Some gunmen have kidnapped the Chairman of the Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isa Andaha.

The victim was whisked away on night of the New Year Day at Ningo village along Andaha – Akwanga Road, alongside a native of the area, police authorities said.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, security personnel comprising the police and other agencies have swiftly begun the trail of the abductors to ensure the release of the victims.

Gunmen have been operating in the North-Central and North-Western parts of the country despite the presence of security operatives.

Monday’s incident comes a few weeks after gunmen ambushed a convoy in Rivers, killing four soldiers, and two civilian drivers and abducting two Korean workers, according to the police.

Nasarawa, just like Zamfara, is one of several states in northwestern and central Nigeria terrorised by bandits who raid villages, kill and abduct residents as well as burn homes after looting them.

The gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.

The country is facing a myriad of security challenges, including a 14-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast that has killed at least 40,000 people and forced more than two million others to flee their homes.

BY SAMAD UTHMAN


Dele Alake, the minister of solid minerals development, says about 163,878 Nigerians have enjoyed the transportation rebate introduced by the federal government.

Alake, who doubles as the chairman of the committee on the implementation of the end-of-the-year transportation subsidy programme, spoke in a statement issued on Monday by Kehinde Bamigbetan, his aide.

On December 19, the government announced free transportation on the routes of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and a 50 percent subsidy on transport fares for passengers travelling on 30 routes serviced by bus operators under the umbrella of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON).

Alake said the committee took some remedial measures by adding two more routes, engaging other bus-owning stakeholders, such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the state-owned transport companies, and the Private Transport Operators Association (PTONA).

He said between December 21 and 31, 2023, the NRC transported 71,000 passengers, while buses operating under ALBON carried 77,122 travellers.

Alake added that 652 bus trips originating travels from Oshodi Interchange in Lagos carried 15,766 passengers.

“Between December 21 and December 31, 2023, figures avaialable show that the NRC conveyed 71,000 passengers, while buses operating under the auspices of ALBON carried 77, 122 passengers, and 652 bus trips originating travels from Oshodi Interchange in Lagos carried 15,766,” the statement reads.

“This means no fewer than 163, 878 passengers benefitted in the first 10 days of the programme.

“Secondly, while train-bound passengers enjoyed total free service, road travellers paid only 50 percent of the fares.

“The subsidies depended on the fares ranging from a saving of N21,500 on a Lagos-Abuja road trip fare of N43,000 and N15,000 on a Lagos –Onisha bus fare of N30,000.”

He appealed for the cooperation of the bus companies to manage the return of passengers from their respective locations till January 4, noting that the programme is still ongoing.

Written by Anayo Onukwugha


Facts have emerged as to the resignation of Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ehie, recognised by an order of the Rivers State High Court, was loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The lawmaker, who represented Ahoada-East Constituency 2 in the State House of Assembly, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening, also vacated his seat as a member of the House.

LEADERSHIP observed that the resignation of the factional speaker was never part of the resolutions reached during a peace parley on the Rivers State political crisis, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja in December 2023.

Sources, however, hinted that Ehie resigned his position to allegedly create a vacuum in the House in order to accommodate some of the resolutions of the Abuja peace pact.

Feelers also suggest that the decision was to allegedly pave way for his appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, even though the current Chief of Staff, Hon. Chidi Amadi, is yet to resign his appointment.

Another reason adduced to Ehie’s resignation was to allow the National Assembly to take over the Rivers State House of Assembly since the House has only five members following the declaration of the seats of 25 members vacant after their defection from PDP to APC.

By Dalhatu Liman


Thousands of Israeli protesters have held protests, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign over his handling of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and failure to secure the release of the remaining captives held in the Palestinian territory.

The anti-regime demonstrations took place on Saturday night outside the Israeli military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv and Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea.

The protesters demanded immediate elections and a deal with the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement to release all the Israeli captives.

They carried banners reading, “Elections now,” “A diplomatic agreement,” “The cry of mothers: Get our soldiers out of Gaza now” and “Israel will not survive if we don’t bring him (Netanyahu) down.”

Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, almost three months into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its objectives of “destroying Hamas” and finding Israeli captives despite killing more than 21, 000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with tens of thousands injured.

A week-long humanitarian ceasefire in late November saw an exchange between 240 Palestinian abductees held by Israel and 105 captives, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners, in Gaza.

Israel believes about 129 captives are still being held in Gaza, while 7,000 Palestinians are believed to be in Israeli prisons, many detained without charge.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, at least 68 Palestinians have been killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, according to the official Wafa news agency.

Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on the Zaitoun neighbourhood, leaving 48 dead and scores injured, Wafa said citing local sources.

Another 20 people were killed in airstrikes in the vicinity of Al Aqsa University, the broadcaster said.

Palestinian health authorities are yet to confirm the fatalities.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza, the Israeli army said.

A military statement said a soldier lost his life in central Gaza, while the other was killed in Gaza’s north.

According to military figures, at least 506 soldiers have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7.

In another development, dozens of Israeli soldiers stationed near the Gaza border are suspected of having the skin disease leishmaniasis, an Israeli newspaper has revealed in its report.

They are suspected of having skin lesions caused by the Leishmania parasite, which causes Rose of Jericho disease (leishmaniasis) because they have “ulcerative skin lesions,” the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Sunday.

Some soldiers were sent to conduct laboratory tests, the results of which have yet to be received, while others were transferred to dermatology clinics for treatment, it added.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and nine governors of oil-producing states are heading for a collision over N84.7 billion siphoned from the statutory 13 per cent derivation meant for the nine oil-producing states, THISDAY has learnt.

THISDAY gathered that another bone of contention was the request for the release of N52 billion recovered from former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and some of his accomplices.


Idris is standing trial over an alleged N109 billion money laundering charge, diversion of public funds, abuse of office, and conspiracy, preferred against him by the EFCC.

THISDAY checks revealed that EFCC’s investigation uncovered N84.7 billion siphoned from the statutory 13 per cent derivation meant for the nine oil-producing states.


The states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
The money was allegedly siphoned by a consultancy firm, Olusegun Akindele Consultancy, and other accomplices engaged by the nine NDDC states to review and reconcile the payments due to them from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) between 2004 and 2016.

Specifically, Olusegun Akindele Consultancy firm received a total sum of N84. 7 billion, being 9.84 per cent of N861,135,887,749.10 as consultancy fees and the money was shared among four groups.


THISDAY gathered that through diligent investigation, the EFCC was able to recover the total sum of N52 billion from fictitious consultancy contracts awarded to three out of the four groups.
The funds belong to the nine oil-producing states as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in their meeting on August 20, 2021.

Further investigation showed that several correspondences were made between the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, on behalf of the nine states, and the EFCC.


The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Eno, wrote the EFCC seeking the release of the N52 billion to the nine states to a consultant, Messrs Platinum Resources Limited.
THISDAY further gathered that the EFCC turned down the request, insisting that each of the states should send the account details of their government for the release of the money.
However, the EFCC’s directive was not complied with as Eno was said to have sent the account details of only four states – Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers to the EFCC, while the account details of the remaining five states were not sent.


Further investigation showed that the EFCC insisted that all the account details of the nine states should be provided.

THISDAY has learnt that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, is planning to pay the money into the CBN derivation account of each of the states.

“This development is the basis of the fight of the governors of the nine states with the commission. The EFCC’s position is to allow for transparency and accountability concerning the use of the recovered funds,” a competent source familiar with the development, said.
When THISDAY contacted the spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, he declined to comment.

Nigeria will join other countries across the world to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome the New Year 2024. The trepidation with which Nigerians look to 2024 should not spoil the fun.

Therefore, let’s meet the first country to say ‘Happy New Year’.

The Pacific nation of Kiribati will be the first to celebrate the new year while we are still at 11 a.m. in Nigeria.

Specifically, Kiritimati Island will taste 2024 first. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. Also called “Christmas Island”, it is in the farthest forward time zone. Imagine full 19 hours ahead of New York City.

Okay, NYC is far from us. Kiritimati Island is 13 hours ahead of Abuja Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT. So far!

Now, an hour after Kiritimati Island sees the new year, Auckland, New Zealand, will start saying ‘Happy New Year’. That’s around 12 noon Nigerian time.

The last place to join the new year train will be Baker Island. Now, wonder of wonders! Baker Island is 650 miles (1,046.074 kilometres) from Kiribati. However, it is about 26 hours behind due to time zones quirk.

Now, to be very explanatory, at the time of publishing this story (10:30 a.m.), Kiritimati was 30 minutes away from the New Year 2024!

Meanwhile, over 100,000 people are expected to watch London’s sold-out New Year’s Eve display in person.

But, these time zones magic should humble us to disturb less with “Happy New Year”. For some have been in 2024 for almost half a day before you. No, it shouldn’t dampen the fun.

By Philip Shimnom Clement, Abdullateef Aliyu


The estacodes and airfares of ministers, heads of agencies, directors and other federal government-sponsored delegates from Nigeria to the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, gulped over N2.78billion, findings by Daily Trust on Sunday have shown.
The conference was held from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

Nigeria had a 1,114-member delegation to the conference, but the Presidency clarified that only 422 officials were sponsored by the federal government.

According to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the per diem of a minister, a chief executive of an agency and a permanent secretary, cost $900 per night.

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Directors of ministries, agencies and parastatals of government also take $500 per night as per diem.

A breakdown of the list of delegates showed that among those sponsored by the government were 27 ministers.

This implies that each of them must have taken about N900,000 per night at the current exchange rate, which fluctuates between N1,000 and N1,100 per dollar.

As such, for the 12-day outing in Dubai, the government must have spent N10.8million on each of the ministers, translating to N291m for the 27 of them.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that some of the ministers and other top government functionaries returned to the country before the conference ended, and they might have received escacodes for the whole period of the conference.

The government must have also spent N900,000 per diem on each of the 15 chief executives of government agencies who were also on the delegation, translating to N162m for the 12 days they stayed in the United Arab Emirate.

Checks by Daily Trust on Sunday showed that 95 directors from different ministries and agencies were also sponsored to the conference, costing the government $500 on each of them, translating to N570m on all of them.

Checks by Daily Trust on Sunday also indicated that a one-way economy flight from Abuja to Dubai costs between N1.2m and N3m, depending on the airline.

Some of the popular airlines on the routes are Qatar Airways, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Air, RwandAir, among others.

In the absence of Emirates and Etihad, which are Dubai-based airlines, the Arab carriers become the first options for many passengers before going for other carriers.

As at the time of the COP28 trip, a return ticket on Qatar Airways was between $2,228 and $2,242, which translated to N2.6m at the exchange rate of N1,200 at the time, while a return ticket would amount to N5.2m. A business class ticket on the same airline is above N8m.

Ethiopian Airlines fares cost between N1.2m and N1.4m and a return ticket is about N3m. For Ethiopian Airlines, a business class ticket for the Abuja-Dubai flight is N4.3m and N8.6m for a return ticket.

RwandAir ticket, on the other hand, was priced at $1,630 or N2.8m, while Egypt Air ticket was $1,354 or N2.5m as at that time.

Depending on the airline used by the participants, at least each of them would pay a minimum of N4m for the return ticket, being the least for the flight ticket if they all fly economy.

Going by the high cost of flight tickets, over N1.6billion would have been spent on flight tickets alone as the base fare for an economy ticket.

With some senior government officials preferring to travel on business class, it was possible that airfare would have gulped more to sponsor participants to the conference.

Nigerians, including the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) in the last general elections, as well as other civil society groups, had knocked the government for the trip, which they described as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The criticisms were hinged on the hardship in the land, believed to have been largely sparked by the present administration’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.

The federal government, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had defended the trip, saying it was necessary due to Nigeria’s stake in global climate change action.

“The federal government-funded delegation is made up of a total of 422 persons as follows: National Council on Climate Change, 32; Federal Ministry of Environment, 34; all ministries, 167; Presidency, 67; Office of the Vice President, 9; National Assembly, 40; federal parastatals/agencies, 73.

“As the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, Nigeria has a significant stake in climate action, and our active and robust participation at COP is therefore not unwarranted,” the minister had stated.


Govt only interested in reckless spending – CeFTIW

A development expert and the head of publicity at the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW) Victor Agi, said the amount of money spent on the trip showed that the government was not interested in managing the resources of the country but spending it recklessly.

“To say that the spending is ridiculous is to put it mildly, especially at a time the government has told Nigerians to make sacrifices. This is even more so when you cannot point to the socio-economic impact of the trip to the country. I personally cannot point to any nationwide climate action arising from the summit.

“This is not the first time the government has participated in such international conferences, but when you seek to know what exactly is the benefit of such travels to our ailing economy (with huge debt burden), you can’t point to anything. The issue is not that government should not be represented in such international fora, but our representation should be reasonable.

“From what has transpired in the past months, it may not be out of place to say that our problem is mostly spending issue and not necessarily a revenue one.

“With the removal of fuel subsidy we can now see that the government now has money to throw away. And it is not just about the CoP28, we have seen that some spending proposal in the budget before the National Assembly clearly points to the fact that the government is not interested in fiscal prudence but wants to continue with reckless spending,” Agi said.

He added that as a result of politicians’ quest for such unwarranted spending, Nigeria’s recurrent expenditure (36.1%) “is higher than capital (31.9%), with debt servicing gulping as much as 30 per cent in the current budget.”

Speaking on solutions, he stated, “If we must make any progress, the government must be intentional about cutting the cost of governance and frivolity.

“Who says that 50 or a maximum of 100 government delegates who are business-minded cannot get the work done at CoSP28? Government-sponsored travels should be purely business and not some jamboree to reward cronies.

“Until and except we approach governance with a business mind, the so-called removal of subsidy will only be another policy that will further impoverish the people while the political elites grow fatter.”

By Lubabatu Garba


hafsat and nafiu when the going was good


More questions have continued to trail the murder of a Bauchi State indigene, Nafiu Hafiz Gorondo, killed in Kano allegedly by a housewife who was his ex-girlfriend, Hafsat Suraj, popularly known as Chuchu.

The victim was stabbed to death barely two weeks ago allegedly by Chuchu at their Unguwa Uku residence.

While the police identified the victim, Gorondo, as a domestic help to Chuchu’s husband, some said he was her business partner.

Followers of the suspect on her social media handles such as Tiktok and Instagram believe nothing other than intimate friendship existed between the two.

Though the deceased’s father, Alhaji Hafiz Salisu, accused Chuchu’s husband, Dayyabu Abdullahi, of organising the killing, because, according to him, he (Dayyabu) owed his son some money, but many people believe that Gorondo was killed out of jealousy.

Findings by Daily Trust Saturday on Isa Dagwanje lane in Unguwa Uku where Chuchu was born revealed that she and Gorondo enjoyed an intimate relationship for a long time.

A resident who simply identified himself as Dagwanje told our correspondent that the two took the advantage of a business relationship and continued with their hidden love for a long period of time which the husband was not aware of or pretended as if nothing was happening.

Dagwanje said, “Gorondo was Hafsat’s ex-boyfriend. After she got married to another person, her Islamiyya teacher, Malam Dayyabu, the relationship with Gorondo took a new turn and became a business/love affair.


inside story of bauchi man killed by ex girlfriend in kano


“We used to see them together in their car. And sometimes he (Gorondo) comes to her parent’s house. It was later that we got to know that they were conducting business together to the extent that they lived in the same apartment.”

Findings revealed that the relationship got sour when Gorondo expressed desire to get married to a woman from his native Bauchi State and Chuchu was vehemently opposed to it.

When Daily Trust Saturday visited the house where the victim and the suspect were residing at Unguwa Uku, neighbours told our correspondent that they didn’t know that Chuchu and Gorondo were not married until when the incident occurred.

A woman said, “Throughout the time they stayed in this house we thought they were married until when this tragic incident happened. We knew Gorondo very well. He was a kind person as he sometimes used to stay outside and play with our children.”

Another neighbour who also preferred to remain anonymous said, “Since when they relocated to this house they were not even mingling with us (neighbours). We didn’t even know that there was another man in the house apart from the deceased. That was why we assumed that he was the husband of Chuchu. We always saw them together.”

Daily Trust Saturday found that the victim was neither a house help nor a driver to Chuchu’s husband as was reported.

Dagwanje explained that, “Gorondo was a successful businessman who dealt in soft drinks and medicine. He had never been a house help to Chuchu’s husband. I can even exaggerate by saying that the husband was a ‘boy’ to the deceased as he was the one that facilitated and connected Dayyabu to Chinese people in Kwari Market.”

Daily Trust Saturday visited one of the suspect’s shops at a shopping mall on Zoo Road, where she sells abayas and perfumes.

Her neighbours there explained that the shop was run by both Chuchu and Gorondo.

A neighbor said, “She sometimes stayed in the shop, and at times they stayed together. Unless recently they got a sales girl who oversees the shop. We thought they were married.”


My daughter has psychiatric problem – Chuchu’s mum

When Daily Trust Saturday contacted Chuchu’s mother, Hajiya Hajara Suraj, she said her daughter had a psychiatric problem.

Hajiya Hajara said, “Everybody knows that my daughter has a psychiatric problem. Even her Islamiyya and secondary school teachers have the record of her problem. She sometimes gets out of her senses and does a lot of things. She even has a file in a psychiatric hospital at Dawanau.”

She added that she knew nothing about the relationship between her daughter and the deceased other than the business relationship.


I doubt if only Chuchu killed my giant son – Deceased’s dad

The deceased’s father, Alhaji Hafiz Gorondo, doubted the way and manner in which Chuchu singlehandedly committed the act, urging the security to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book.

He said, “I am still wondering how a small girl like Chuchu singlehandedly committed such an act without help from another person. I doubt much. If you look at late Nafiu, he was a giant; how could he allow such a small girl to attack and stab him severally to death.

It would be recalled that the Kano State Police Command arrested Chuchu for allegedly stabbing her “house help” to death.

In a statement, the command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the police received a report from the deceased’s father that he received a phone call from one Dayyabu Abdullahi that his son, Nafiu, was dead.

He explained that when the father arrived at the residence in Unguwa Uku, he discovered several stab injuries on the corpse.

He said the suspect confessed to have singlehandedly committed the act by stabbing the victim as he was trying to prevent her from committing suicide.

Similarly, her husband, Dayyabu Abdullahi, and their gateman, Adamu Mohammad, were arrested for aiding, packaging and concealing the corpse.

Meanwhile, the suspect and her suspected accomplices were Wednesday arraigned before a magistrates’ court sitting at Yankaba, Kano, where she pleaded guilty to the charge of attempt to commit suicide but pleaded not guilty to the charge of culpable homicide.

The Magistrate, Hadiza Abdurrahman, ordered that all the defendants be remanded in prison and adjourned the case to February 1, 2024.

By Damilola Aina


The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission on Friday, said it approved tax holidays for 34 companies seeking tax incentives and waivers under the Industrial Development Income Tax Act in 2023.

This was disclosed by the Head of incentives administration, to Lovina Kayode, during an end-of-the-year press briefing organised by the commission in Abuja.

She said tax incentives which had been a contentious issue due to the high amount of revenue lost to waivers granted every year, were meant to boost foreign investments into the country.

Saturday PUNCH recalls that the Federal Government in September, said companies operating in Nigeria receive tax incentives worth N6tn annually.

The Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who made the disclosure, said a comprehensive review to reduce tax waiver would be implemented.

Earlier reports had put the average annual tax waiver figure at about N5tn. Companies including Dangote Sinotrucks West Africa Limited, Lafarge Africa Plc, Honeywell Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, Jigawa Rice Limited, and Stallion Motors Limited, among others had benefited from tax waivers from pioneer status incentives.

But speaking at the press briefing, Lovina indicated that not all companies are granted tax breaks due to stringent procedures followed by the commission on waivers award.

She said, “The pioneer status incentive is a stimulus that allows a company to get three years of not paying corporate income tax, just to get more investments.

“This process is stringent because our parent ministry and the federal inland revenue service are involved to make sure the right investors get this incentive.

“So far this year, we granted 34 applications have been approved and one of the things we intend to do is to ensure we are not just giving incentives to underserving companies. However, there is already a notion that Nigeria gives out too many waivers, incentives, and concessions.

“However, tax expenditure which means what government has lost by granting pioneers status incentive is just a small amount compared to what the country gains by granting these incentives to qualified companies.”

She further revealed plans by the commission would publish impact reports on the effectiveness of the pioneer status report on job creation and other economic activities to promote investments.

“On impact, that is one thing NIPC is planning on, next year, it is one of our biggest tasks to do an impact assessment. These incentives we gave out, how have they impacted the country in terms of job creation?

“How many jobs are the companies creating and what kind of import substitution has come about because we have granted these incentives and how much would the government gain after the three years of them not paying these taxes,” she added.

On her part, the commission’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Rimi, in her virtual address, reiterated commitment to facilitating and assisting investors to gain inroad into the country in the New Year.

He said, “So as I continue to settle down, I will also continue to depend on and rely on your support to promote the activities of the commission. The commission, as you all know, was set up really to facilitate, promote, and assist investors into the country and the ones already in the country. Because if nobody traps these people and gives them the support that they need, other countries are competing with Nigeria. So we have to be very intentional.”

Federal civil servants across the country are grumbling over the delay in payment of their December 2023 salaries.

They said it was sad they marked Christmas yesterday without money, a development that affected their families, especially those who had no savings.

Many of those who spoke to our correspondent lamented that they did not celebrate Christmas in line with tradition of merriments, heavy cooking, and visitations.

Findings revealed that all the workers in federal ministries, some in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF), and others in Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) said the development was unexpected.

It was learnt that the situation was the same with federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and associated federal institutions all over the country.

Sources said only workers in revenue generating agencies like NNPC, NPA, NIMASA, NCC, CBN, FIRS, among many others got their salaries for December.

In separate interviews with Daily Trust, the distraught workers lamented the inability of the government to pay their salaries, especially in the Christmas celebration season.

“Despite the general misgivings about previous administrations, I cannot remember anytime our December salaries were delayed,” one of the workers said.

“With the way things are ‘tough’ in the country, we don’t even have savings. We were excited when they announced a 50 per cent discount on transportation, but sadly despite the support many people could not travel ahead of Christmas.

“How can we travel and enjoy the so called 50 per cent transport reduction, when we don’t have monies in our pockets?” another civil servant asked.

Others who spoke to Daily Trust said that the delay would have a negative impact on their celebration and even in January when the schools would have resumed.

A lecturer at the University of Abuja said he was not happy.

“How can you be happy when you cannot make your family happy at this auspicious occasion?” she asked.

I cannot really comprehend where the problem lies, the government should come out and explain the real problem. The minimum expectation of a civil servant is to have his salary paid even if it is nothing to write home about,” he said.

“Some years back, apart from salary, some categories of workers get 13th Month bonus, others get all kinds of interventions to support them at the end of the year and encourage them to do better next year. May we witness those moments again,” he said.

Another lecturer said failure to pay salaries by this administration is an indictment.

“There is no excuse whatsoever, to say the truth. They removed the subsidy, they said they have been saving monies since June. This is over six months but we rarely get our salaries before the end of the month.

“I got my November salary in the second week of December. Now that it is the end of the year and it is the Christmas season, we thought they would pay us around the 20th or 22nd. Sadly, they did not…We only went to church, returned home and we are waiting for the public holiday to end so that we can continue with our life,” he said.

A teacher at the Federal Government Girls College, Bajoga, Gombe State, said it was a dull Christmas.

“I managed and bought one chicken for the children, but we thank God for life. We are yet to get our December salary and that is how we celebrated our Christmas. Our prayer is that they should pay us before the end of the month so that we can put a smile on the faces of our children ahead of New Year,” the teacher said.


We’ve no control – OHoCSF

When contacted, the Director of Communication in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF), Mallam Mohammed Ahmed, said that they were not in charge of payment of salaries and that he believed something was being done by the appropriate authorities.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mallam Bawa Mokwa, said that the process was ongoing and workers would soon receive their salaries.

However, a top government official confided in Daily Trust that the delay was due to a technical glitch that was being addressed and that workers would be receiving their salaries before the end of the day (Monday).

Eko Hotels sets new record with longest Christmas Cake

The talented team of chefs at Eko Hotels in Nigeria, led by Chef George, has crafted a record-breaking Christmas cake, stretching an impressive 80 meters in length. The hotel, known for its culinary excellence, embarked on this ambitious project to spread holiday cheer and celebrate Christmas in a grand style.

The grandiose and elegant cake, adorned with intricate festive decorations, showcased the creativity and skill of the culinary team led by Chef George. The confectionery masterpiece incorporated traditional Christmas flavors, promising a delectable experience for those fortunate enough to partake in this monumental celebration.

The General Manager of Eko Hotels, Mr Danny, led the cutting of cake amid cheers from guests. “This is what the Tropical Christmas Wonderland is all about: pace-setting, magical experiences and excellent service. We are excited about this feat and we’re glad to put smilies on the faces of the hundreds of families celebrating Christmas with us.”

Additionally, the hotel’s management expressed their pride in the achievement, emphasizing the dedication and passion displayed by the culinary team throughout the cake’s creation.

The domestic debt stock of 22 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) shrunk by a significant N176.3 billion in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, according to data from the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The DMO said the total domestic debt for the 36 states and the FCT reduced by N74.64 billion in three months.

As at June 2023, the states’ domestic debt stood at N5.82 trillion but fell to N5.74 trillion in September, the agency said.

According to the latest report, only 22 out of 36 states and the FCT reduced their debts in Q3, compared to 15 states in the second quarter (Q2).

The states were Delta, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Ekiti, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Taraba, Enugu, Kaduna, Oyo, Kwara, Osun, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kebbi, and FCT.

In a quarter marked by debt reduction efforts across the states, Delta emerged top, slashing its domestic liabilities by a jaw-dropping N93.9 billion, compared to Lagos’ N35.94 billion and FCT’s N7.79 billion.


Here is a breakdown of states that reduced domestic debts in Q3:

Delta: N93.92 billion
Lagos: N35.94 billion
FCT: N7.79 billion
Akwa Ibom: N6.13 billion
Bayelsa: N5.18 billion
Adamawa: N5.16 billion
Abia: N3.69 billion
Anambra: N2.68 billion
Ebonyi: N2.54 billion
Imo: N1.94 billion
Ekiti: N1.89 billion
Niger: N1.76 billion
Kogi: N1.35 billion
Ondo: N1.28 billion
Tarawa: N1.02 billion
Enugu: N983.96 million
Kaduna: N697.18 million
Oyo: N634.50 million
Kwara: N618.21 million
Osun: N437.88 million
Sokoto: N300.11 million
Jigawa: N242 million
Kebbi: N67.09 million


KANO, OGUN DEBT REMAINS UNCHANGED

Meanwhile, the debt burden of Kano and Ogun remained unchanged in Q3 this year, TheCable Index analysis of the data shows.

The two states maintained their domestic debt levels at N122.36 billion and N293.20 billion respectively, while 12 other states saw their debt profiles rise in the past three months.

The DMO said Katsina led the pack in debt growth, with a N36.94 billion jump (59% increase), leaving Bauchi (N15.13 billion), Zamfara (N11.99 billion), and Plateau (N11.86 billion) behind.

Here is a list of 12 states that increased their domestic debt in Q3:

Katsina: N36.94 billion
Bauchi: N15.13 billion
Zamfara: N11.99 billion
Plateau: N11,86 billion
Borno: N8.65 billion
Cross River: N7.99 billion
Rivers: N7.07 billion
Gombe: N1.044 billion
Yobe: N342.16 million
Benue: N241.19 million
Nasarawa: N192.79 million
Edo: N174.95 million

dabonny:


Sincerely yours, I have been running on hotplates for the past 9 Months cuz we are having power supply on the average of 18hrs and above per day; I am living at Ibadan, so I don't know how much a kg of gas is cost for now.

Mightymiracle:
850 per kg at Gasland,sango-UI road Ibadan with 5% discount and a cupcake 🧁🧁

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and his ex-deputies approved for themselves an upward review of their salaries without presidential approval.

The CBN Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, who disclosed this in his report to President Bola Tinubu, said the former CBN governor and his deputies decided at the 758th meeting of the Committee of Governors held on September 14, 2022.

The investigation report asserted that the review was not approved by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the agency that oversees the disbursement of funds from the Federal Account.

Tinubu had in a letter dated July 28, 2023, named a former Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Obazee, as the CBN special investigator.

The PUNCH had on Friday reported that Emefiele, allegedly lodged public funds in no fewer than 593 bank accounts in the United States, United Kingdom, and China without the approval of the apex bank’s board of directors and the CBN Investment Committee.

There are fears that the findings of the special investigator may further compound the woes of the ex-CBN governor who is being prosecuted for N1.2 billion procurement fraud

Obazee in his report recommended that Emefiele and the Deputy CBN governors and directors should be charged for various criminal offences.

The report read in part, “The then CBN governor and his Committee of Governors held their 758th meeting on September 14, 2022, and approved for themselves upward review of salaries (referred to as annual pay parity in US dollars), sitting allowances, air tickets, and incidental expenses of the board and Monetary Policy Committee members.

“This was carried out without the approval of the President nor in consultation with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. The Secretary to the Board of the CBN kept mute over this development and the board members looked the other way.’’

The report further highlighted how the apex financial institution allegedly printed money and converted it to its use, stressing that there was no legal provision for the action.

It stated that the financial statements of the bank did not tally with its numerous financial interventions, suggesting that the CBN under Emefiele operated secret reserves whose location was only known to it and not disclosed in its financial statements.

Shedding light on the allegation, the report said, ‘’For instance, the huge liquidity intervention in the banking sector by the CBN from 2014 to date was not derived from the operational income stream of the CBN.

“On request, the CBN officials could not show the source of this fund. It is observed that the CBN determines the financial reporting standards; it ended up mixing up cash basis with cash accruals in its accounting system.

“The bank’s statement of account cash flow in the audited financial statements fails to show the source and application of the huge banking sector intervention and other 43 intervention programmes in several trillions of naira from 2014.

“The overflow of this in subsequent years is indicative since the opening balance of one year is logically the ending balance of the preceding year. In situations like this, the only explanation is that money was printed by the CBN and same was converted to its own use.’’

Calls to the line of the counsel for Emefiele, Matthew Burkaa, SAN indicated that it was not reachable.

However, he has yet to respond to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, a former deputy governor of the CBN, Kingsley Moghalu, has accused Emefiele of being the worst governor the apex bank has ever produced in the history of the country.

Moghalu said this in a lengthy post on the X platform via his verified handle on Saturday.

He cited Emefiele’s incompetence, performance regarding the stability of the naira exchange rate and inflation, the brazen provision of Ways and Means lending to the government, including his attempt to run for president, and the “incompetent” manner in which the naira redesign policy was handled.

He wrote, “The foregoing notwithstanding, my views on Emefiele’s performance as CBN Governor have been a matter of record even when many now opining on the matter of his performance on the job were mute.

“He is, without debate, the worst and most damaging Central Bank Governor in Nigeria’s history- incompetent and ill-prepared for the role, and from all available information from his actions, doubtlessly severely challenged with integrity.’’

“Four things make this clear; his performance regarding the stability of the naira exchange rate, as well as inflation; the brazen illegal provisions of Ways & Means lending to @NigeriaGov; Emefiele’s illegal attempt to run for President, in clear contravention of section 9 of the CBN Act of 2007, which precludes the Governor and Deputy Governors from engaging in activities outside their functions; and the incompetent manner in which the Naira Redesign Policy was handled, and its consequent negative, indeed disastrous impact on Nigeria’s economy,” he noted.

While describing the central bank of any country as a very sensitive institution, he said confidence (or the lack of it) in the institution has practical consequences for Nigeria’s economy.

He stressed that corruption has robbed Nigeria of its destiny and impoverished the citizens while enriching “at insane levels” a select few.

“Combating it has to be a holistic affair, not just politically convenient media trials,” he added.

Moghalu argued that Nigeria’s political leadership culture and governance needed a complete overhaul, adding, “The current approach to the matter to Emefiele, who undoubtedly deserves his trial, is not quite the optimal path when placed under close scrutiny.”

The award of millions of naira in costs against some senior lawyers by the courts have created surprises among legal observers.

Many Nigerians are familiar with punitive fines or damages imposed by the courts against parties in matters deserving of such, but not much is known about lawyers being directly penalised for bringing some actions before the courts.

Some of the prominent costs by the courts include the Supreme Court’s award of N40m against Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and N30m each which were imposed on SANs Afe Babalola and Wole Olanipekun, while N10m was awarded against Festus Keyamo, N20m was against Chuks Nwachukwu, N40m and N2m against Daniel Elombah.

In the latest award on December 5, a five-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Inyang Okoro fined Ozekhome N40m after deeming his application on behalf of a former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, to be frivolous and brought outside the jurisdiction of the court.

PDP and Ihedioha’s application had sought to remove Governor Hope Uzodinma from office on the premise that he was not validly nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the election that led to his first tenure in 2019.

The application further sought to invalidate the years that Uzodinma spent in office as governor.

The PDP and Ihedioha had applied to join the appeal challenging Uzodinma’s qualification, which was originally filed by Uche Nwosu, who was the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA).

Specifically, the PDP and Ihedioha asked the Supreme Court to give effect to its 2019 verdict that disqualified Nwosu on the ground that he was nominated by both the AA and the APC to contest the election, and as such APC had no candidate in the election.

Similarly, the Supreme Court on February 26, 2020, imposed N30m against Babalola and Olanipekun over the application seeking a review of the judgment in the APC and its governorship candidate and running mate in the Bayelsa State election, David Lyon Pereworinmin and Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, respectively.

A seven-member panel led by Justice Amina Augie, in the lead ruling, rebuked both lawyers while awarding the N30m punitive cost against each of them.

Both lawyers, however, forwarded protest letters to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), insisting that they did no wrong by asking the court to take a second look at its earlier judgment in the matter.

Similarly, on May 25, the Court of Appeal in Abuja awarded the sum of N40m in costs against a former presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, for filing a “frivolous suit” seeking to stop the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu.

The lead judgment in the matter read by Justice Jamil Tukur held that Owuru’s action was a gross abuse of court process, a “vexatious and irritating suit to provoke the respondents.”

Owuru had in 2019 filed the appeal seeking to declare the office of the president vacant and he be sworn in as the president because he won the presidential election and had not completed his term of office.

Also, on May 29, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit seeking to stop the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29.

A group, the Concerned Nigerians, filed the suit seeking the disqualification of Tinubu over alleged perjury on his dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea.

Justice James Omotosho held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

The court also held that the applicants, being participants as only voters in the February 25, presidential election did not afford them the locus standi to bring the action.

The court ordered the applicants, Praise Ilemona Isaiah, Pastor Paul Isaac Audu and Dr Anongu Moses and their lawyer, Daniel Elombah, to pay N17m to Tinubu and APC.

The judge ordered a 10 per cent interest on the cost until it was liquidated.

Earlier, the judge said the suit was an abuse of the court as the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear all post-election matters.

On June 6, Justice Mike Omotosho imposed the sum of N10m against Keyamo, who is currently the Minister of Aviation, over a “frivolous application”.

Keyamo had filed a suit seeking an order to compel investigative agencies to investigate former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate in the election, Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly using a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to corruptly enrich himself.

But the judge said Keyamo lacked the locus standi to institute the suit having failed to establish any special interest over and beyond other members of the public, or show any damage suffered by him.

On June 6, a Federal High Court in Abuja imposed the sum of N20m in cost against Chuks Nwachukwu over engaging in professional misconduct in instituting a frivolous suit challenging Tinubu’s failure to obtain 25 per cent of the votes in the last general elections.

The residents/voters were represented by Anyaegbunam Ubaka Okoye, David Aondover Adzer, Jeffrey Oheobeh Ucheh, Osang Paul and Chibuke Nwachukwu.

The judge, who condemned Nwachukwu’s comments in the media, said that if the lawyer had been in the courtroom, he would have been barred “from practising until he appeared before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to determine whether he was fit to practice the profession.

“But since he is not in court, I make an order, directing the registrar to forward all the processes to LPDC to determine whether he is fit to practice the profession.”


Lawyers speak

Reacting, Chuks Nwachukwu said lawyers who had been imposed with costs in millions of naira didn’t necessarily have to pay the fines except the opponents were keen on receiving same.

“The costs are usually symbolic and are not to the court but to the opponent,” he said.

In his view, E M D Umukoro said there were two ways: as where the lawyer advised the client against such a decision, naturally the lawyer would ask the client to pay because he or she insisted, but if it was the lawyer, he had to pay.

“Maybe the middle ground may be that the client may say that, ‘I trust you and you are doing it for me’, so he will take the responsibility.”

Also responding, Chinelo Ogbazor said costs were usually awarded in favour of the adverse party and personally against the lawyer. So, the lawyer would be expected to pay to the account which would be provided by that party.

There is a crack within the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja, as top officials of the forum are at daggers drawn over alleged financial fraud and recklessness.

This has triggered a letter to the NGF chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, by the NGF Director, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.
Barkindo in a leaked letter addressed to Governor AbdulRasaq and sighted by our correspondent, opened a can of worms on the running of the secretariat, saying the NGF is now more transactional than developmental.

He stressed that it is not an agent of change but “a conduit pipe for a few individuals”, and demanded a forensic audit of all the NGF accounts including those that were opened during crises periods to avoid the “prying eyes of governors in the name of NIGOFO among others.”

Barkindo said the NGF accounts had not been audited for 10 years or more, stressing that a few individuals had turned the Forum and its finances into their personal fiefdom.

The letter reads in part, “The secretariat’s accounts have not been audited in the last decade to say the least, that even the phony auditors invited to mock the auditing process have at various times confessed that the job they are doing for the secretariat is a wash.
“Has anyone ever wondered why an institution that midwife’s huge monetary deals like the Paris-London refunds does not have a qualified accountant? In an organisation that makes over three billion Naira annually, the total annual income of its entire staff is seventy million naira. Staff of the Forum are always asking where all the money goes. There is a staff that earns N20,000 a month ($20.)
“There are instances. The N630m deductions from the N5bn infrastructure support fund which ended in a shouting bout among governors while you are chairman was a deliberate ploy to make you look bad among your colleagues.

“The secretariat did not brief you adequately. Their instructions from their master’s house, across the street, was to set booby traps and obstacles in your path. I am a witness. On the Paris-London Club transaction which the NGF midwifed, the NGF made close to N19bn out of which the staff of the NGF were to be rewarded with N850m by the Chairman of the Forum, at the time Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State.

“In my opinion, the NGF requires a forensic audit of all its accounts including those that were opened during crises periods to avoid the prying eyes of governors in the name of NIGOFO among others.”

Jim Obazee, a special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to look into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s books for the period Godwin Emefiele was governor, has released the report of his investigation.

Part of the activities the investigator looked into was the implementation of the widely condemned Naira redesign policy introduced a few months to the 2023 general election.

Obazee found that Buhari did not approve the policy that saw the CBN redesign three of Nigeria’s highest currency denominations: N200, N500 and N1000, according to the law. He indicated that the policy was approved by Sabiu Tunde, Buhari’s nephew, who allegedly wielded enormous power during the lifetime of the last administration.

“The former president tagged along but did not approve the redesign as required by law. Buhari merely approved that the currency be printed in Nigeria. The redesign was only mentioned to the board of the CBN on December 15, 2022, after Emefiele had awarded the contract to Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc on October 31, 2022,’’ the report read in part.

However, FIJ has found that Buhari repeatedly maintained that he approved the policy. In his more recent interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the nation’s broadcaster, he further justified the essence of the policy.


OCTOBER 2022
On October 30, 2022, Garba Shehu, former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, reported Buhari to have confirmed during an interview conducted in Hausa Language that the CBN had his backing in the execution of the policy programme.

The statement read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said that the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to launch new designs and replace high-value Naira notes had his support and is convinced that the nation will gain a lot by doing so.

“Speaking in a Hausa radio interview with the famous journalist Halilu Ahmed Getso, and Kamaluddeen Sani Shawai to be aired Wednesday Morning on Tambari TV on Nilesat, President Buhari said reasons given to him by the CBN convinced him that the economy stood to benefit from a reduction in inflation, currency counterfeiting and excess cash in circulation.”

Buhari’s vocal support for the policy drowned out former Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed’s opposition to the controversial policy. On October 28, Zainab had told the National Assembly that her ministry was not consulted in the formulation of the policy. She warned that the programme would have grave consequences for the economy.

“We were not consulted. It was an announcement that we heard,” she said. “Part of the reasons that was advocated is that it is one of the ways to mop up the liquidity to manage inflation.

“But there are also consequences; we are looking at what the consequences will be. There will be some benefits, but there will be some challenges. And I don’t know whether the monetary authorities have actually looked very closely at what the consequences and how they will mitigate it.”


NOVEMBER 2022
The former president unveiled the redesigned banknotes on November 23, 2022. During the unveiling, he said the apex bank sought his permission and he granted it after considering “all the facts and reasons presented before me by the Central Bank”.

‘‘In line with this power, the Central Bank Governor approached me earlier in this year to seek my permission to embark on a currency redesign project. I considered all the facts and reasons presented before me by the Central Bank,” Buhari said, according to a statement published on the State House website.


NOVEMBER 2023
Beyond the press releases, Buhari personally confirmed his approval of the Naira redesign policy in his November interview with NTA.

“Whether Nigerians believe it or not, we are an underdeveloped country. And in that sort of situation, there is materialism and sometimes ruthlessly, they didn’t care how they made the money,” he said.

“I still feel that the only way I could deprive these people was just to make sure that my integrity became unquestionable. I think, as a developing country, we still have a long way to go.

“The motivation (for the policy) was to try and make Nigerians believe that there is no shortcut to successful leadership.”

As the investigator did not state whether he interviewed Buhari during the course of his investigation, it remains to be seen what the ex-president’s handler’s reaction would be to this revelation.

Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations bordering on charges comprising money laundering, breach of the Public Procurement Act and abuse of office.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has deleted an Instagram post quoting a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, as speaking on money laundering charges brought against her.

The social media post earlier seen by our correspondent claimed that the former minister spoke in an interview with journalists in the United Kingdom.

However, further checks by our correspondent on Saturday revealed that the unsigned post had been pulled down from the anti-graft agency’s official Instagram handle.

Meanwhile, when contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, denied the report, while noting that the report didn’t emanate from nor was it signed by the anti-graft agency.

“The report is not from the EFCC. Anything that is not signed by me is not from us (the EFCC),” Oyewale said.

The PUNCH reports that Allison-Madueke who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration fled the country following her prosecution by the EFCC over alleged money laundering.

In October 2023, Sunday PUNCH exclusively reported that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, submitted a warrant of arrest and request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for her extradition.

The report indicated that the request which was made on the orders of President Bola Tinubu followed a written official request by the EFCC to the office of the AGF earlier in October.

A top Federal Government source had revealed that in making the extradition request, the office of the AGF cited Section 2 (2) of Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth otherwise known as ‘The Scheme,’ a multilateral treaty which governs extradition between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

“The EFCC established a prima facie case against Allison-Madueke in a letter to the office of the AGF, after which a magistrate was ordered to issue a warrant of arrest. The Certified True Copy of the warrant of arrest was then attached to the extradition request written to the UK government by the AGF on the orders of the President,” a source had noted.

The sacked governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele allegedly used proxies and purchased Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN), a report by Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed by President Bola has shown.

The late Alhaji Ismaila Isa Funtua, an ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, was also fingered alongside Emefiele in the acquisition of Keystone Bank and Polaris Bank.

The acquisitions were carried out separately over time as seen in the report submitted to President Tinubu on December 20, 2023.

Daily Trust Saturday got access to some of the documents through credible sources as the report has not been made public yet.

It was on July 30, 2023 that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Obazee, the chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria as the special investigator.


The Union Bank acquisition

In the report seen by our reporter, the detailed stages followed to acquire the Union Bank, one of the first generation financial institutions in Nigeria, were contained in a memo to President Tinubu, titled, “Report of the Investigation of the Acquisition of Union Bank of Nigeria by Titan Trust Bank.”

The special investigator had requested the CBN to provide his team with all relevant documents, and from what he got, the name of Titan Trust Bank (TTB) was seen as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the acquisition.

According to the report, in the documents from the apex bank, it was found that TTB had in a letter of October 25, 2021, sought CBN’s no-objection to its proposed consolidation with Union Bank excluding its UK operations.

This, the letter noted, should be in four phases: the acquisition of 91.5 per cent of the issued shares of the UBN; Mandatory Tender Offer (MTO) for the remaining shares of the UBN; buyout of any share not voluntarily sold to TTB on the MTO; and merger of TTB and UBN with UBN as the surviving entity.

It also stated that consolidation was to be funded via a combination of debt and equity, and CBN via letters dated March 3 and 9, 2022, which granted no objections to TTB’s request to obtain a $300,000,000 facility from Afrexim Bank, as well as capital injection of $175,000,000 from two existing shareholders of TTB; Messrs Luxis International DMCC and Magna International DMCC, all purportedly operating from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

And the TTB, via a letter dated June 3, 2022, informed the CBN that it had made the payment of the purchase consideration to the selling shareholders on June 1, 2022, and had thus successfully completed the acquisition of 93.4 per cent of the issued shares of the Union Bank.

The investigator stated in his report to the president that, “When carrying out our investigation, we discovered that some persons were used as proxies by Mr Godwin Emefiele to set up Titan Trust Bank and acquire Union Bank, all from ill-gotten wealth. We were able to secure some documents, and investigation reports will lead to the forfeiture of the two banks by the federal government.

“We have completed our investigation on this acquisition and have also held meetings with relevant parties except for Mr Cornelius Vink (currently hospitalised in Switzerland). We are on the verge of recovering these two banks for the federal government,” the document showed.


Acquisition of Keystone Bank

In another finding titled, “Report of the Investigation of the Acquisition of Keystone Bank,” submitted by the special investigator to President Tinubu, it was stated that after due diligence, it was discovered that some persons were used as proxies with the connivance and assistance of Emefiele and the CBN to acquire the bank without evidence of payment.

It stated, “AMCON MD moved N20billion to Heritage Bank as placement sometime in 2010. On the back of that, Heritage Bank granted a loan of N25billion to the promoters of Isa Funtua/Emefiele group’s acquisition vehicles to buy Keystone Bank.

“The loan was further backed by the shareholders of the bank. Upon acquisition, Keystone Bank returned the N20bn back to Heritage Bank as placement. Thereafter, Heritage Bank repaid AMCON from the cash flow created.

“When the loan granted by Heritage Bank to Isa Funtua/Emefiele’s acquisition vehicles matured with outstanding balance, the MD of Heritage Bank (which was then in serious liquidity crisis), called for repayment. Unfortunately for the shareholders of the bank, the Isa Funtua/Emefiele Group could not repay.

“Consequently, the MD of Heritage got his lawyers to write to the bank on two occasions, threatening to take over Keystone Bank based on the shares they had pledged as security.

“After much pressure from him, Keystone Bank created internal loans of about N50bn between June and October 2019 and moved the proceeds to repay Heritage Bank on behalf of their group. However, the MD of the bank at that time had resigned due to consistent pressure from him and the shareholders to comply. The internal loans so created are not being serviced and have gone bad.

“The special investigator has commenced the interrogation of the MD of AMCON to clarify the situation of the acquisition of Keystone banks beside Arik Air, Aero Contractors and the financial reporting by AMCON,” it stated.

The document showed that the investigator would continue the interrogation of the AMCON MD yesterday, December 22, 2023; and based on preliminary report, Keystone was acquired for free

On the issue of Union Bank acquisition, our correspondent last night tried to hear from the officials but was not successful.

However, after insider information in June this year, Daily Trust also wrote to Mrs Olufunmi Aluko, Head, Corporate Communication, Union Bank, to provide some clarification on the transaction surrounding the acquisition of the bank by Titan Bank.

This was before the appointment of the special investigator on happenings in the CBN.

Specifically, one of our reporters sought to know the core investors or individuals behind the acquisition, but unfortunately, that enquiry has not been answered.
Keystone banks have not yet reacted to the report.

Kingzrocky:
In respect to this thread: , I got a man who promised me a job next year with #60,000 salary plus accommodation benefit.

I have never done thus before. I really need to leave this contract Security work because I feel so vulnerable and stagnanted, having done the job for over 8 years with nothing to show for it.

Feel free to express your thoughts, insults is welcomed.

By Solomon Odeniyi


The Federal Government has declared Monday, and Tuesday, December, 25 and 26 2023, and Monday, January 1, 2024, as public holidays to mark Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations, respectively.

The Hon. Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government felicitates with Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.

Dr Tunji-Ojo enjoined Christians to emulate the life of Jesus Christ in his practice and teachings of humility, service, compassion, and patience.

He stressed that peace and security are critical prerequisites for economic development and prosperity.

The minister assured that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to put in place effective measures for the security of lives and property

He urged Nigerians to be security conscious, and report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agencies.

He reiterated that the Yuletide season calls for discipline to protect the lives and property of everyone in their respective communities and the nation as a whole.

Tunji-Ojo admonished all citizens to remain focused that, the year 2024 will be a better year with the Renewed Hope agenda of the President.

Hundreds of low-income contributors to an investment scheme in Kano will experience bleak Christmas and New Year celebrations in the ancient commercial city of Kano as thevlady coordinator used all their hard-earned money to send her man abroad.

Investigations by our Correspondent indicated that the ugly incident happened at 56 Wheather Head, Sabon Gari, Kano.

However, the full breeze of the crime blew out when men and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), picked her, as she was preparing to escape.

Impeccable sources within the area, including neighbours, who do not want their names on print, confirmed to our Correspondent that the crime was a grand plot between the lady and her man to defraud people.

A bold man who identified himself as Uche said: “well, only God will judge them. My wife is a victim. I warmed her, but see where we are.”

When contacted, NSCDC Public Relations Officer in Kano, DSC Ibrahim Idris Abdullahi, said he is working on it to bring full details.

A member of the Rivers Elders’ Forum and former Commissioner for Works, Chief David Briggs, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu imposed the resolution concerning the crisis in the state on Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Briggs, who said he attended the resolution meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, insisted that Fubara signed the resolution under duress, following alleged threats issued by the President.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, had on Wednesday dismissed any insinuation that Fubara signed the document under duress, adding that the signature was the governor’s authentic signature.

However, Briggs, on Thursday, maintained that Fubara signed the resolution under duress.

Briggs alleged that the President only handed over “a script referred to as resolution” to Fubara to sign without his input.

“I was there, so what I say is primary, not secondary. We were invited to a meeting, but that was not a meeting. What happened was that Mr President walked in with a written resolution, addressed us and declared that what he had in his hand was a presidential proclamation, therefore, he could whip; and emphasised the fact that he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and anybody who tends to say no to what he was saying, it had consequences.

“That, in simple layman’s words, is a threat. He (Tinubu) wrote the resolution but refused to read it. He handed the resolution to Dr Peter Odili to read.

“Now let’s get it very clear. If you were in the position of the governor what would you do? Get up and go? Say no to Mr President with that kind of subtle but energetic threat?” he asked.

According to Briggss, most Rivers people present at the meeting, including former Attorney-General of the state, Adokiye Amiesimaka, were shocked by “the President’s undemocratic attitude” and decided to ask questions.

“One of us, specifically Amiesimaka, asked him, ‘Fubara should do this, he should do that. You (referring to the President) have not said what those 25 or 27 Assembly members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress without consulting their constituency and constituents should do.

“The President’s reaction was very clear and simple: ‘I’m the leader of the APC in Nigeria. And you are telling me when babies are born into my family I should ask them to go?” Briggs added.

According to him, there may be plans to make Fubara defect to the APC, but he commended the governor “for displaying maturity during the meeting.”

Attempts to get the Presidency’s reaction were unsuccessful, as the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, could not be reached for comments at press time.

On Thursday, a group of concerned citizens of Rivers State called on Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to abide by the resolutions reached after the meeting with Tinubu.

The group, codenamed ‘CC 23’, said after carefully appraising the situation, especially after Tinubu’s peace meeting, the tension in the state had reduced, saying it was a win-win for Fubara and Wike.

This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday and signed by 16 persons, including the National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr Ken Robinson.

They said, “The citizens, comprising professionals, activists, community leaders, businessmen, and women, hereby, wholeheartedly, thank President Bola Tinubu, for his fatherly and timely intervention in the political crisis of Rivers State, which has mollified the tension in the state and provided a leeway for the peaceful and amicable resolution of the dispute between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

“We have carefully appraised the resolutions reached at the mediatory meeting of President Bola Tinubu with the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the FCT and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, and others. The outcome is a win-win situation; no victor, no vanquished!

“We salute the nationalistic bearing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his political sagacity, wisdom, and deep-rooted love for the nation, and our democracy. Certainly, Daniel came to judgment!

“We equally commend the Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara for submitting themselves to Mr. President’s mediation.

“We urge both parties to conscientiously uphold and abide by the terms of the peace deal. We urge them to leverage Mr. President’s intervention, put aside their differences, and bury the hatchet, to advance the peace, security, progress, and development of our dear Rivers State,”

Meanwhile, Fubara, on Thursday, said his administration had achieved the construction of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity road, a project he claimed his predecessors could not achieve in the last 20 years.

Fubara spoke to newsmen in Ngo Town, headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area of the state, shortly after inspecting the entire stretch of the road.

He maintained that despite the current challenges confronting his administration, he would not be distracted from his oath of office to defend Rivers people and protect their interests.

He recalled that during the campaigns leading to his election, the Andoni section of the road was in a horrible condition.

He said, “I have to say that the contractor has done a very good job. However, we did observe that about 1km of road that will lead to the council secretariat was somehow not captured in the scope and I think it will be proper that we do that alongside.

“So, we will continue to do our best not minding the challenges we are facing. The most important thing is that we have taken our oath to defend our people and protect their interests, and we are not going back on that.

“What I keep saying to everyone is: what are we bequeathing to our people? Their interest is the most important thing and governance is about the protection of lives and property. These include providing quality services and one of those things is like this road. Posterity has just blessed me with this project. It is something that they couldn’t achieve for over 20 years, but within the space of six months, I have been able to sort it out. It is a credit and a big one to our administration.”

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has directed the Director, Department of Development Control to ensure that Nuwalege community, along the Airport Road gives way for the presidential fleet plot.

The directive follows the request from the Nigerian Air Force.

Speaking through the Director, Tpl Mukhtar Galadima during a community and citizen engagement on Tuesday in Abuja, the minister hinted that, it becomes imperative that the community give way for development

According to him, “About a month ago, the authority of the Nigerian Air Force wrote to the honourable minister on their needs and desire to remove this village, because it is part of the presidential fleet plots.

“So, the minister in his wisdom requested them to allow the FCT administration to handle it, because it’s the responsibility of FCT administration. The Nigerian Air Force approached the Department of Development Control on their desire.

“So, as part of our responsibility, we have to do what you call a community and citizens engagement which is why we are here today to discuss with the community and to tell them of our intention, because it will be unfair to just bring the machine here and start removing their houses.

“So, we visited the chiefs at his palace to meet him and we told him our reason for coming to this place today”.

Speaking on the number of houses that will be demolished, Galadima hinted that about 150 to 200 houses with additional commercial stores that are attached to these houses will be removed.

While fielding questions from newsmen on the issue of compensating the affected natives, he said “We will discuss with the Air Force, because obviously discussion behind the scene indicates that some forms of compensation were paid, but we have to be certain that this compensation actually were paid, and also who was really given this compensation.

“We are going to conduct further investigation between FCT administration, that’s the Department of Resettlement and Compensation, as well as the Nigerian Air Force and find out if compensation has been paid, to who and When?

“And then we will discuss with our colleague at the Department of Resettlement and Compensation whether at any point in time, there was any compensation that ascertained their claims as regard to the number of structures and people that are going to be affected by this expansion project.”

He added, “There are certain things that we have to look into with consideration like the security, because obviously, this part of some of this settlement is where you have some of these people of the underworld trying to disguise and hide.

“And looking at this, Air Force formation, which is the presidential fleet, is too close , for this thing to co-habit. So we will see if there is that urgent desire to remove part of this community, we will do it.

“So, we have to do some community engagement. It is not the entire community because we have gone around and we have seen the areas affected by the presidential fleet plot and the areas that are outside that plot.”

Speaking of the expectations of the village chief, Galadima said, “At least we have given him the respect as a high class person. We have discussed and informed him why we are here and we are coming back again for a wider consultation, involving the Nigerian Air Force, our colleagues, and then the community heads. So I think we have done the needful by engaging them adequately.’’

By Cletus Ukpong


Monday’s peace deal between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, is expected to bring an end to the political crisis in the oil-rich state.

The crisis has affected the legislature and put a question mark on the governor’s legitimacy and the integrity of democracy in the state.

The cause of the crisis is simply about Mr Wike’s ambition to have an absolute grip on the politics and governance in Rivers after his tenure ended about seven months ago on 29 May and even though he got a new job as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

President Bola Tinubu, who became Mr Wike’s political ally after the latter helped him to win the 2023 presidential election, mediated the peace meeting, the second in less than two months – He also chaired the first.

Nigerians have been outraged by the terms of the peace deal, which include the reappointment of all the commissioners (Wike’s loyalists) who resigned from the Rivers State Government to spite Mr Fubara, the restoration of the 25 lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant because they defected from the PDP to the APC, and for the governor to present again the state’s 2024 budget, which he had already signed into law, to all the lawmakers, including the ones whose seats had been declared vacant.

Mr Fubara has been assured in the deal that the lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike would drop their impeachment plot against him, while he and his loyalists are to withdraw all the court cases related to the matter.

The pro-Wike lawmakers, in keeping with the terms of the peace deal, withdrew the impeachment notice against Governor Fubara on Wednesday.


Winners

What is going on right now in Rivers is just what it is – a selfish and dangerous political game, with Mr Wike being the instigator, lead actor and the ultimate winner.

Before the latest peace deal, Mr Fubara had the upper hand in the power tussle, having smartly deployed legal means and some rough play (like the demolition of the Rivers House of Assembly Complex) to successfully edge out Mr Wike and the “rebellious” lawmakers.

Rivers residents and other Nigerians indeed found a suitable moment to mock Mr Wike, using the minister’s signature tune “As e dey sweet us, e go dey pain dem”, when Mr Fubara presented Rivers’ N800 billion 2024 budget to a four-member legislature.

Now, the peace deal is a breather for Mr Wike, and if it succeeds, President Tinubu would have helped prevent the minister from falling off a political cliff and made him continue to lord over Governor Fubara and the state.

President Tinubu, the APC, and the 25 lawmakers are among the winners in the peace deal. The lawmakers won’t have to forfeit their seats, despite their defection. They may even get their salaries and allowances which were withheld by the state government. With the 25 (some say 27) defected lawmakers, the APC will proudly control the state legislature, a textbook example of reaping where you did not sow.

The commissioners who resigned from Mr Fubara’s cabinet will certainly be among the big winners if the peace accord succeeds.

These former commissioners may make history in Nigeria as the first set of officials to voluntarily resign their appointment to spite a governor, and then force their way back into the same cabinet.


Losers

The Rivers people are the biggest losers in the peace deal between Governor Fubara and Mr Wike, as their governor and government are being stripped of power and legitimacy. The judiciary, democracy and constitutional governance are also big losers here.

“The first casualty here is constitutional governance,” says Sam Amadi, an analyst with Arise News.

“The second casualty would be a sense in which the people of Rivers State will feel re-captive because essentially the unspoken aspect of this deal is that the state is given back to Nyesom Wike. Mr President in a very high political gamesmanship kind of said, ‘Give Rivers State back to Wike’. (This is) a form of state capture,” he added.

Mr Amadi said President Tinubu’s “capture” of Lagos State since after his tenure as governor in 2007 may have influenced his disposition to let Mr Wike “run away with some kind of victory” in the peace deal.

Mr Fubara, who appears to have had his office ridiculed, is a loser in the peace deal with Mr Wike.

The peace deal may only usher in a temporary relief for Mr Fubara. Being an experienced, shrewd, and ambitious politician, Mr Wike is likely to still take his pound of flesh from the governor when there is another opportunity, some people say.

“I have now read the Rivers agreement. The accord will remove the knife from the neck of Sim and set it behind his back,” said a former senator, Shehu Sani.

“The accord will bury the hatchets with leaves. The accord outwardly sells peace, but internally buys time for another round of war,” Mr Sani added.

Some Rivers elders, led by Rufus Ada-Gorge, a former governor of the state, said on Tuesday that if the peace deal is allowed to succeed it would amount to President Tinubu unilaterally suspending the Nigerian Constitution by reversing the court order which recognised a pro-Fubara lawmaker, Edison Ehie, as the speaker of the Rivers assembly.

“Can Mr President or the Executive Arm of Government overrule the decisions of courts of competent jurisdiction?” the elders queried. “This portends executive rascality which undermines our constitutional democracy, rule of law and good governance.”

With their victory now reversed, the four pro-Fubara lawmakers are among the losers here.

So, will Governor Fubara accept the peace deal? Will he fight on or not?

“It appears that many people want to fight for Sim or with Sim and Sim doesn’t want to fight beyond his level. If he is appeased with the deal let him be. You can’t cry more than the bereaved,” the former senator, Mr Sani, said of the Rivers crisis.

One hundred and thirteen Generals of the Nigerian Army have retired or would be retiring from the Service this year even as the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has praised them for their sacrifices and unwavering commitment to the nation’s stability.

The Minister also assured them of prompt payment of their pension entitlements.

Badaru gave the assurance on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, during a Regimental Dinner Night organised in honour of the newly retired and retiring senior officers at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja.

A statement by the director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said the honourees included one General, one Lieutenant General, 67 Major Generals and 44 Brigadier Generals, who bowed out of the Nigerian Army, after meritorious and dedicated service without blemish to the nation within the year.

The minister urged the retirees to reflect appropriately on the next phase of life, assuring them of Government’s commitment to prompt payment of pensions of retired personnel.

Badaru saluted the retirees and expressed the nation’s gratitude for their exemplary service, love for country and commended their spouses for their perseverance.

He charged members of the Armed Forces to remain loyal and sustain the culture of supporting democracy in Nigeria and across the shores.

He added that the disposition of the Armed Forces towards democracy had made it a shining example in West Africa and an influencer in the comity of nations.

The minister stated that the occasion provided Nigerian Army the opportunity to reflect on its service and profound dedication as demonstrated by the retired and retiring senior officers.

He said the experiences and skills garnered while in Service and respect for diversity, which has been their working principles throughout their career, will provide them a veritable platform as they exit the service.

Badaru stated that the federal government will continue to do all within its reach to improve the well-being of serving and retired personnel.

In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, enjoined the retired senior officers to appreciate God and the Nigerian Army for a successful sojourn in the ‘noble profession of arms’ and attaining the point of meritorious disengagement from active service.

The COAS appreciated the wives and families of the retired senior officers for their patience and support while holding the home front.

Gen. Lagbaja expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly and the Defence Ministers for their untiring support to the Nigerian Army.

He reaffirmed the unalloyed loyalty of the Army to the President and the nation in the discharge of its constitutional roles in defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

In a vote of thanks on behalf of retired Generals, Major General Victor Ezugwu (Rtd) appreciated the COAS for the honour accorded them, pledging that they will remain good ambassadors of the Nigerian Army, even in retirement.

Highlights of the event were the presentation of record of service certificates and souvenirs to the retired and retiring senior officers and a loyal toast to the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

An attack by former United States President Donald Trump on African and Asian immigrants has generated angry reactions worldwide, GBENGA OLONINIRAN writes

Former United States President Donald Trump has come under backlash following his comments on Saturday at a rally in New Hampshire that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

Specifically, Trump said immigrants from Africa, Asia, and others from all over the world were flooding the US and feared crimes and terrorism would be on the rise.

Trump told the crowd on Saturday that immigrants “from all over the world” are “pouring into the country,” reiterating a phrase CNN reported he used previously that sparked an outcry from the Anti-Defamation League.

According to the CNN report in October 2023, Trump had said, “Nobody has ever seen anything like we’re witnessing right now. It is a very sad thing for our country.” He told the right-leaning news site The National Pulse in a video interview. “It’s poisoning the blood of our country. It’s so bad, and people are coming in with disease. People are coming in with every possible thing that you could have.”

Reiterating this on Saturday, Trump said, “We got a lot of work to do. They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done.” “They poison… mental institutions and prisons all over the world, not just in South America … but all over the world. They’re coming into our country, from Africa, from Asia, all over the world,” he said in the viral video that has equally generated mixed reactions.

Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race for the White House, while appearing to be taking a swipe at President Joe Biden’s administration, also noted, “They’re pouring into our country. Nobody’s even looking at them. They just come in. The crime is going to be tremendous. The terrorism is going to be… And and we built a tremendous piece of the wall and then we’re going to build more.”

In 2018, news reports emerged that Trump called Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries “shithole countries” in a meeting with Congressional leaders about immigration policy in the White House. He allegedly went ahead to say he preferred immigrants from Norway and Asia as they helped America economically. Trump denied referring to African nations as shithole countries but said that he used tough words to describe them.

NBC NEWS reported Sunday that following Trump’s comments, the Biden campaign released a statement criticising the ex-president’s remarks.

“Donald Trump channeled his role models as he parroted Adolf Hitler, praised Kim Jong Un, and quoted Vladimir Putin while running for president on a promise to rule as a dictator and threaten American democracy. Trump is not shying away from his plan to lock up millions of people into detention camps and continues to lie about that time when Joe Biden obliterated him by over seven million votes three years ago,” the Biden campaign said.

One of Trump’s rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, Chris Christie, also called Trump’s remarks “disgusting” on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“He’s disgusting, and what he’s doing is dog-whistle to Americans who feel absolutely under stress and strained from the economy and from the conflicts around the world, and he’s dog-whistling to blame it on people from areas that don’t look like us,” Christie said. “The other problem with this is the Republicans who are saying this is OK.”

He went on to criticise fellow Republican rival Nikki Haley for saying Trump was fit to be president.

“You’re telling me that someone who says immigrants are poisoning the blood of this country, someone who says Vladimir Putin is a character witness, is fit to be president of the United States, was the right person at the right time. Nikki Haley should be ashamed of herself. She’s part of the problem because she’s enabling him.”

The Guardian reported that in November, Trump was widely condemned for calling his opponents “vermin”, a language that echoed that used historically by dictators and authoritarians. The report further disclosed that former Republican speaker of the House Paul Ryan called Trump an “authoritarian narcissist.”

NBC disclosed that Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about being compared to Hitler but noted Trump had made criticising the handling of America’s southern border a focal point of his campaign and frequently talked about the flow of immigrants into the US.

Trump’s allies in Congress have made immigration a top priority and are demanding new policies be created to handle the border before Republicans will approve additional funding for Ukraine or Israel, both of which are waging wars with backing from the US, the report adds.

Knocking Trump’s comments, former minister of foreign affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, said Trump was echoing anti-immigration comments from Germany as well as by Henry Kissinger.

According to him, both Kissinger and Trump families were immigrants themselves.

Prof. Akinyemi in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday said, “These two came from immigrant families themselves. Well, Trump was born in the US but his parents were immigrants and Kissinger’s parents were immigrants from Germany. He was born in Germany. And when you also look at right-wing politicians, in Britain for example (including some Nigerians), they have become anti-immigrants and yet they are immigrants themselves. I think we have to see this as a syndrome of immigrants turning on their backgrounds in order to make themselves acceptable to their country of adoption. It’s a syndrome. You’re turning on your background and it is very well known psychologically. So I’m not surprised, but I would have expected that people like Kissinger with his intellect would at least get over this or if he couldn’t get over it, he would suppress it rather than give it … legitimacy.” He noted that this was dangerous.

A former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday said such a statement was not new from Trump and it only meant that Nigerians should fix their own country.

Amedu said, “Trump saying such a thing is not new. It is typically Trump. He has always been like that. You recall when he said people should go back to their ‘shit hole’ countries. And one of Trump’s doctrines was America first in everything. On a general note, you would discover that Caucasian Americans (white Americans) have been very paranoid about the increasing population of people of other colours – people of African descent and other races in the US demographic dispensation. So, that discomfort, that feeling of gradually becoming a minority in a country ‘called their own’ is responsible for such comments from characters like Donald Trump. So for me, it’s not a surprise. It’s just the fact that somebody like that (can be) in power and he’s still considered to be in the running for the Republican ticket.

“What such comments tell me is that we should get down and fix our country so that migration to other countries will be minimal.”

The President, International Human Rights and Dignity Defenders Forum, Comr. David Omeike described Trump’s statement as unfortunate.

Omeike said, “Such a statement coming from him is a bit unfortunate. The truth is that he cannot change the standing pattern of life in America. He’s not the first president in that country and not the first to contest and he would not be the last. But it’s good for the sake of posterity that he minds his utterances. He forgets to understand that such statements will only end up demarketing him. Nigerians over there are many so the more he tries to still come up with that racial discrimination, the more he thwarts his chances.”