Nigeria‘s minimum wage of N30,000 ($39.04) was approved in 2019 following the passage of the Minimum Wage Bill by the National Assembly.

President Tinubu during a meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), promised that the upward review of the minimum wage would be reflected in the next budget once the agreement is reached.

Here is the list of Africa’s highest minimum wages per month


1. Seychelles
Minimum wage: $426

Seychelles has the highest minimum wage in Africa at $426 per month.

Seychelles is an island nation off the coast of east Africa. The country is a tourist haven on the African continent and is made up of less than 500,000 people. Seychelles doubles as Africa’s most developed country and the richest country from the GDP per capita.

2. Morocco
Minimum wage: $360

Morocco has the second highest minimum wage in Africa at $426 per month.

Morocco’s biggest employment sector is agriculture, the country also has a significant presence in manufacturing, tourism, mining and others. In 2018, Morocco was announced as the most visited country in Africa beating South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and others to clinch the position.


3. Libya
Minimum wage: $325

Libya has the third highest minimum wage in Africa at $325 per month.

The Libyan labour industry has some of the most stable laws guiding labourers’ earnings on the entire African continent, the law provides for an eight-hour-a-day work life. Nonetheless, the industry has been claimed to be largely discriminatory offering secluded treatments to citizens and other Africans, with some drawing some racial concerns. The country has its capital Tripoli.

4. Gabon
Minimum wage: $255

The current minimum wage in Gabon in Dollars is $255 per month.

Gabon has a sufficiently standard labour industry, nonetheless, a majority of the laws on labour in the country are either not enforced or are ignored by employers. This has seen complaints from labourers working longer hours and even earning less than minimum wage.

Agriculture is the country’s biggest employer.

Read Also: Fed Govt, states open talks on minimum wage review

5. Mauritius
Minimum wage: $251

The Minimum wage in Mauritius is $251.

Mauritius has a very flexible labour sector with increased concentration on finance, tourism and other service-related sectors. The country has a population of over one million people with Port Louis being its capital and largest city.

Mauritius is currently home to some of the biggest financial service providers on the African continent.


6. South Africa
Minimum wage: $242

South Africa is the sixth highest-paying nation on the African continent. The country has a minimum wage of $242.

South Africa has transformed its labour laws since the apartheid era with free trade and an eventual open economy for all South Africans.

7. Equatorial Guinea
Minimum wage: $200

Equatorial Guinea’s minimum wage is currently $200.

Equatorial Guinea has large petroleum reserves.

Nonetheless, Equatorial Guinea’s Minimum Wage is the lowest amount a worker can be legally paid for his work.

The labour laws in Equatorial Guinea are somewhat dictatorial, with the absence of labour unions, strikes made illegal and the compulsory work-for-pay regime. Employees in Equatorial Guinea only have the option of reporting their employment grievances to form employers, including the government, to the Ministry of labour. The country’s capital is Malabo and has a population of over a million people.


8. Djibouti
Minimum wage: $198

Djibouti canceled its national minimum wage as part of the 2006 Labor Code in favor of occupational categories. Now, employers and employees set wages as part of an employment contract. Public sector workers have a minimum wage of 35,000 DJF, or about $198 a month.

9. Kenya
Minimum wage: $178

The East African nation is the largest economy in East Africa and also stands as one of Africa’s strongest financial centres. Kenya has a stable labour industry with some of the most skilled labour forces when it comes to service offerings.

The Kenyan economy is the 3rd largest in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the richest nations in Africa by GDP per capita. Its capital, Nairobi, is one of Africa’s strongest financial cities and the biggest financial centre in East Africa.

10. Egypt
Minimum wage: $172

Egypt’s legal monthly minimum wage is $172.

Some of the major business centers in Egypt include Cairo, Alexandria, and Sharm el-Sheikh.

11. Algeria
Minimum wage: $170

The minimum wage in Algeria is $170.

Algeria is a petroleum-producing nation and is the largest nation in Africa by land mass.

The country has made considerable success in its labour relations over the years and has a stable economic atmosphere attracting thousands of workers from across North Africa and Asia.

The dollar has crashed to between N805 to N790 at the parallel exchange market on Tuesday Daily Trust can authoritatively report.

It started a steady decline from N925 to N930 that it was exchanged in the morning till around 4:00 pm when news about a possible Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention filtered through to the Bureau De Change (BDC) operators.

Recall that the CBN announced plans to take critical decisions to reverse the slide of the naira in the next few days, thereby resulting in significant losses to the speculators.

The acting CBN governor, Folashodun Shonubi, dropped the hint on Monday while briefing State House reporters after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Checks by our reporters at Allen Avenue and Bagada in Lagos suggest that the BDCs are buying at N900 and selling at N910, after touching N970 to the dollar earlier in the day.

At the Wapa forex market in Kano, the BDCs are buying at N875 and selling at N905 to the dollar.

Further checks at Zone 4 BDCs market in Abuja revealed how the money speculators in the area were taken unawares by the development.

However, at the Investors and Exporters window, the dollar opened at N789/$, got to a high of N799/$ and a low of N740/$ and eventually closed at N774/4, N10 higher than the N764/$ it closed the previous day.

Reacting to the development, one of the money exchange operators who spoke to our reporter said, the dollar may crash further adding that many people will lose money because they purchased the dollar at a higher rate than what it is being exchanged for.

A customer who spoke to Daily Trust said, he asked about the exchange rate in the morning and was told it is being exchanged at N930 to a dollar.

He however said on coming to exchange it in the evening he was told that it has crashed adding that, the first price he was told was N850, but in less than 30 minutes, it crashed to N790 and when he was left without a choice, he has to exchange it at N790.

One of the BDC operators at Zone 4, Ibrahim Muhammad informed Daily Trust on the telephone, that the crash has caused a sudden turn of events that will cause a huge loss to many people in the parallel exchange market.

“They have just sent the BDCs bidding eligibility list to us. Nobody can predict what will happen next.

“If this happens after the meeting, what will happen after the CBN comes up with a new intervention policy to shore up the Naira can just be imagined. So, for now, we are waiting to see what happens tomorrow. It may appreciate a little, but it may also crash further. It is still being exchanged between N800 and N790 as we speak”.

The lifeless body of Ezinne, a student of the Department of Anatomy, was found on Sunday in her apartment after she was not seen in her church.



Miss Mbah Ezinne, a final-year student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, has been found dead in her room.

The lifeless body of Ezinne, a student of the Department of Anatomy, was found on Sunday in her apartment after she was not seen in her church.

SaharaReporters learnt that as service began in the church, Ezinne's friends and family attempted to reach her in the phone but a voice prompt repeated that her mobile line was not reachable.

One Chisom Onyedikachi told SaharaReporters that she and other friends and family could not reach Ezinne by Monday morning, they were concerned.

Worried for her safety and well-being, her brother Stephen and some of her friends embarked on a journey to her residence in Enugu.

It was learnt that when they arrived there by Monday afternoon, peering through her window, they found Ezinne and a male friend, who happened to be her coursemate, lying on the floor.

Overwhelmed by shock and disbelief, Stephen tried to access the apartment but was advised by neighbours to involve the police before any further action would be taken.

The local authorities were summoned, and the victims were taken to the hospital.

On arrival at the hospital, Ezinne was pronounced dead, while her male friend whose identity was yet to ascertained was revived.

He is still battling for life in the hospital, SaharaReporters was told on Tuesday morning.

Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, from 2009 to 2014 and his wife, Maryanne, were recently stuck in an elevator due to technical difficulties for over 30 minutes.

In a post on the social media microblogging site X (formerly known as Twitter) the wife of the Nigerian political economist, Maryanne, revealed that the elevator stopped in between floors.

Maryanne via her post as she shared videos of the incident wrote, “This morning, @MoghaluKingsley and I were stuck in an elevator for over 30 minutes! The elevator stopped in between floors. I thank God it ended well. This is why you don’t leave home without praying. Ps 91. Never know what is waiting around the corner. Glory to God!”

Moghalu is the founder of Sogato Strategies LLC, a global investment advisory firm, and the president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET), a public policy think tank. He is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Council on Emerging Market Enterprises at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and is the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Special Envoy on Post-Covid Development Finance for Africa.

This morning, @MoghaluKingsley and I were stuck in an elevator for over 30 minutes! The elevator stopped in between floors. I thank God it ended well. This is why you don't leave home without praying. Ps 91. Never know what is waiting around the corner. Glory to God!

The Federal Government has applied to withdraw the illegal possession of firearms charge it filed against suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The judge had on July 25, admitted Emefiele to a N20million bail on a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and ordered his remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

The bank chief was subsequently arrested in Lagos and flown to Abuja, by the DSS.
But the Department of State Services (DSS) rearrested him after a clash with prison officials.

On Tuesday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Bakodo Abubakar, told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that the fresh application followed the result of further investigations.

He made his application orally.

But defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), opposed him, arguing that because the government was in disobedience of the court’s order granting Emefiele bail, its application could not be taken.

Speaking with journalists after the day’s proceedings, Abubakar said the fresh charges were filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

One of the counts accuses Emefiele of “conferring unlawful advantages”.

On June 9, Tinubu had suspended Emefiele and ordered investigation into some allegations leveled against him.

Tinubu later appointed a Special Investigator to probe CBN. Amid this probe, the apex bank released its audited financial statement, which showed that it is owing JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs a combined sum of $7.5 billion as of the financial year ended December 2022.

Tensions are escalating faster than the public can guess in the financial circle as the determination of the current administration to bring to book, those found wanting in the past nine years under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is sending shockwaves through the system.

At the heart of the panic is Jim Obazee, who was on July 28, appointed “Special Investigator” of the CBN and related entities by President Bola Tinubu.

Whereas the terms of engagement of the ex-Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) are subjects of speculation, The Guardian understands that the team has been expanded significantly with members drawn from diverse fields of expertise in the financial sector with Obazee now serving as the anchor.

Independent sources privy to the activities of the team told our correspondent at the weekend that many officials of the Central Bank have been interrogated in the past few days even as the team is spreading its tentacles across the financial system.

Besides CBN, the team is also shining its searchlight on other institutions where CBN has substantial interests, particularly Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Limited and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems Plc.

The Presidency, through the Obazee-led team, is said to have started combing all relevant agencies for “co-conspirators” of the suspended CBN chief who had enriched themselves at the expense of the common good.

“In the coming weeks, heads will roll across the board. The level of rot seen in the system could not have been perpetrated by one man. If that is the case, those who work with him could not have been angels. I don’t know the scale of sanction that will follow but I can tell you that a lot of people will not go unpunished,” a source told The Guardian at the weekend.

The source also disclosed that some individuals who consult for the monetary authority had been detained in the past week and released on bail.

The newspaper could not independently confirm the claim. But most stakeholders who spoke on the issue said it was not unlikely considering the determination of the President to go the whole block on the subject.

As at 2015, PwC and Ernst & Young (E&Y) served as external auditors to the bank. PwC was replaced by KPMG in 2016. In the past seven years, the duo of E&Y and KPMG have provided the service for the regulator, certifying the financials that are now being reviewed by Obazee and his team.

According to the letter of appointment of Obazee, the Special Investigator reports directly to the Office of the President. But beyond workings of the appointment, a source who is privy to the engagement said the appointee has “reasonably easy” access to the President for regular briefing and that his team is now touted as the arrowhead of the Tinubu’s “commitment to fighting financial fraud”.


An insider source said the President is leaving nothing to chance in bringing those believed to have been involved in the financial system manipulation in recent years to justice and that he has charged the Obazee-led team to go all out against concerned individuals and institutions in its assignment.

Whereas the team does not have persecutory powers, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to have been properly briefed on the “importance and urgency” of the team and directed to work with it where necessary.

The Presidency has been reasonably quiet on the ordeal of the suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. The only time the President spoke on the issue, he described the financial system he supervised as “rotten”.

“The financial system was rotten. Few people were making away with our money… That is gone now; the man (Emefiele) is in the hands of the authorities,” Tinubu said at his engagement with Nigerians living in France.

The past week, The Guardian learnt, has been particularly gruelling for officials of the apex bank and service providers who had to explain their roles in what is believed to be “cooked financial records”.

Recall the Bank, on Thursday, published financial statements of its operations since 2016 on its website. The Guardian reported that sources linked the hurried publication to the intervention of Obazee. The statements were apparently released to assuage the rising demand for accountability but they have even fueled the concerns and calls for probity.
The audited reports are revealing of the depth of the country’s fiscal position. But a source, who had queried the financials before they were released, dismissed the documents, saying: “Those are not what anybody should call financial statements of the Central Bank”.

The source, who does not want to be seen to have made a public comment on the books, asked how the documents could be described as CBN’s financial statements when neither the National Assembly nor the President has their copies before publication.

According to the CBN Act, a copy of the financial statement for each year shall be transmitted to the National Assembly and the President within two months after each financial year.


“The Bank shall, within two months after the close of each financial year, transmit to the National Assembly and the President a copy of its annual accounts certified by the Auditor

“A report required to be submitted to the National Assembly and the President shall be published by the Bank in such a manner as the Governor may direct. The Board shall ensure that accounts submitted pursuant to this section shall as soon as possible be published in the Gazette,” Section 50 of the Acts states.

A former lawmaker and member of the House Committee on Finance in the ninth Assembly said he was not aware that such documents were filed in his term. Officials of the Public Account Committee who were reached on the phone said they would need to search to confirm if copies have been filed while the Clerks of the National Assembly could not be reached for comments as their phones rang out.

Asked whether the financial statements uploaded on the website had been transmitted to the President and National Assembly and when that was done, the Director of Communications of the CBN, Dr Isa Abdulmumin, said: “Statutorily, CBN audited accounts are transmitted to both the President and NASS every February”.

The last audited account to have been filed by the Central Bank at Presidency would have been received by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who, at different occasions, defended some of the controversial policies Emefiele was vilified for, especially by the international community.

In his famous interview with Bloomberg, Buhari told the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Emefiele was administering an economic model that served the peculiarities of Nigeria.

When the former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, cried out that the failed naira redesign, which was alleged to have been targeted at weakening Tinubu’s chances at the poll, did not receive her input and that it could trigger an economic crisis, the ex-president came in defence of Emefiele, saying the latter secured his approval, which was all that was statutorily required.

If the financial statements are anything to believe, the country’s fiscal crisis may be deeper than envisaged. The huge indebtedness of the Bank to foreign institutions brings to question the true net value of the country’s external reserves.

CBN, according to the report, is liable to JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to the tune of $7.5 billion, which experts said has hampered the Bank’s ability to intervene in the foreign exchange market.

“It has brought an accurate picture of the country’s external reserves being managed by the CBN. Little wonder the CBN’s ability to intervene in the foreign exchange market has been hampered,” Prof. Uche Uwaleke, an economist, has said.

Last year, the cost of currency issuance rose by 33 per cent to N96.46 billion compared to N72.58 spent in 2021 even though currency printing was not happening for much of the fourth quarter owing to a currency redesign that was announced in October.

Personnel cost of the bank also shot up by about 34 per cent, from N192.75 billion to N257.87 billion. These pushed the total operating expenses of the bank to N1.2 trillion, from N1.12 trillion recorded in 2021.

In 2014, when Emefiele assumed leadership at the Bank, the CBN’s total operating expenses were N430.6 billion. Under his tenure, the operating expenses grew 179 per cent. However, the rise in operating expenses was matched with fast growth in net operating income, which rose from N466.04 billion to N1.27 trillion or 172 per cent surge.

The Bank’s net asset value, at the close of last year, was N1.076 trillion. The total assets totaled N57.515 trillion as against total liabilities of N56.44 trillion.

David Adonri, an economist, said the net worth of the CBN does not reflect the size of the economy and the population of the country. According to him, CBN should be looking at growing its net assets significantly if the country truly aspires to compete in the global market.

In 2022, the Bank posted a surplus of N65.63 billion. The Federal Government receives 80 per cent of the profit, according to the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) while 20 per cent is kept as retained earnings. The CBN Group’s operation posted a surplus of N105 billion for the year.

The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, says there is no “big deal” in Nigerian senators being paid N2 million each as recess allowance.

Mr Ndume, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, also said sharing a total of N218 million among the 109 senators to enjoy their vacation is nothing special.

After the screening and confirmation of the ministerial nominees last Monday, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, told senators that money had been credited to their bank accounts to enjoy their vacation, which began on 7 August.

Mr Akpabio’s statement was greeted with public criticisms among Nigerians though some of the senators later admitted that each of them received N2 million as allowance for seven weeks’ holiday allowance, which will end on 26 September.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the allowance was illegal as it is not provided for in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants.

Drastic action against Akpabio

Mr Ndume, who represents Borno North, blamed the senate president for disclosing details of the holiday allowance to the public, saying it was like an allowance an employee is paid while going on leave.

“It’s common knowledge that if any employee is going on leave, he or she is entitled to a leave grant. That was the money we received, and it is nothing unusual or special.

“All senators received two million naira. And I am making this comment with a heavy heart because he (Akpabio) is the cause of this controversy.

“He created an impression as if we were given some special or huge amounts of money. What’s the big deal if I receive two million naira allowance in my capacity as a senator,” he said.

The chief whip said that other senators are planning to take drastic action against the senate president for exposing details of the vacation allowance.

“He made a very wrong statement, and I warned him immediately that his comments were unbecoming of an elder.

“In fact, we are even planning to take drastic action against him if he continues making unguarded statements and acting as if we are kids,” Mr Ndume said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass have been accused of padding the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act with not less than N9 billion each.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the leaders of upper and lower legislative chambers padded the budget for personal and selfish interests.

Other principal officers accused of being involved in the budget padding include the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central, All Progressives Congress) and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Adeola, better known as Yayi (Ogun West, APC).

And for the House of Representatives, others accused of being involved include the House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere who represents Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State (APC) and the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi (APC, Kano).

The federal lawmakers along with some of their colleagues have been accused of using the amendment of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act as an opportunity to pad the budget.

One of the sources said, “In the amended supplementary budget that the Senate and House of Reps passed weeks ago, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker each has not less than N9 billion padded and inserted into the budget for personal and selfish interests.

“Same with the Senate Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation; same with the House Majority Leader and also Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation.

“This is the budget that Senator Akpabio and also the Speaker of the House of Reps used to deceive Nigerians, saying the purpose of the amendment of the 2022 supplementary budget is to get funds for palliatives to cushion the effects of subsidy removal, whereas it was an opportunity for them to enrich themselves at the expense of Nigerian masses.”

Budget padding is making the budget larger than the original estimates by inflating the value of items or introducing new items into the budget.

The Senate on Thursday, July 13 approved the request made by the President to appropriate N500 billion for palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of the petrol subsidy on Nigerians.

The Senate’s approval followed that of the House of Representatives which earlier agreed to the President’s request by amending the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act.

The N500 billion will be taken from the N819 billion Supplementary Appropriation Act.

Documents obtained by SaharaReporters from sources show how millions of naira were arbitrarily awarded to projects.

These include the supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the underprivileged in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states -N150 million; supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the underprivileged in Kogi and Kwara states -N100 million; supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the underprivileged in Katsina and Kebbi states – N100 million; supply of 1 unit of Lexus 600 VIP 2023 Model Y – N250 million; supply of 1 unit of Lexus L600 VIP 2023 Model Y – N250 million; supply of 1 unit of Lexus 600 VIP 2023 Model X – N250 million and model T – N250 million.

Others include the reconstruction and refurbishment of Zazzau Emirate Guest House in Kaduna State -N200 million, Gidan Hakimin Doka in Kaduna State, N200 million, Gidan Hakimin Rigachikun in Kaduna -N200 million, installation of solar streetlights in Gabasawa, Gwarzo, Hanono local government areas in Kano State- N999,900,900.00, installation of solar-powered boreholes and provision of solar lights in Bauchi central -N300 million, construction of a block of classrooms with toilet and furniture in Kabo, Bichi, Danbatta, Makoda, Rimin Gado, Tofa, Dawakin Tofa, Bagwai and Shanono, and other local government areas -N1 billion, and pupils desk in Makoda, Rimin Gado, and Gwarzo, Gabasawa, Bagwai and others - N2 billion.

Others include the reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Makarfi in Kaduna State -N200 million, reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Soba in Kaduna State -N200 million, reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Fatika in Kaduna State -N200 million, reconstruction and refurbishment of Idan Hakimin Ikara in Kaduna State -N200 million, reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Giwa in Kaduna State-N200 million, reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Igabi in Kaduna State -N200 million and reconstruction and refurbishment of Gidan Hakimin Birni Da Kewaye in Kaduna State- N200 million, and construction of block of 3 classrooms with furniture and toilet in each of the following wards Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Kaura, Limancin Kona, Anguwwan Fatika, Dutsen Abba, Kufena, Tukur Tukur, Tudun Wada, Gyallesu, Dambo, Wuciciri in Kaduna State -N500 million

Others identified by sources in the construction of a multi-story block of classrooms with furniture and toilet in selected primary schools in Bichi Central in Bichi Federal Constituency in Kano State -N300 million, construction of a multi-story block of classrooms with furniture and toilet in selected primary schools in Bichi West in Bichi Federal Constituency in Kano State -N300 million, construction of a multi-story block of classrooms with furniture and toilet in selected primary schools in Bichi South in Bichi Federal Constituency in Kano State -N300 million, and construction of primary healthcare centres with furniture in each of the following wards - Kwarbai A, Kaura, Limancin Kona, Dutsen Abba, Tukur Tukur, Tudun Wada, Wuciciri in Kaduna State -N600 million.

Others are supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the underprivileged in the following wards - Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Kaura, Limancin Kona, Anguwwan Fatika Dutsen Abba, Kufena, Tukur Tukur, Tudun Wada, Gyallesu, Dambo, Wuciciri in Kaduna State -N300 million, supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the under-privileged in Kano State -N100 million, supply of tricycles (Keke Napep) to the under-privileged in Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers states -N150 million, provision of 3 x 300 KVA solar mini-grid and solar streetlights in Alayi, Bende, Ezukwu and Igbere in Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State -N700 million, provision of 3 x 300 KVA solar mini-grid and solar streetlights in item, Itumbuzo, Nkpa and Ntalakwu in Bende Federal Constituency in Aria State -N700 million, provision of 3 x 300 KVA solar mini-grid and solar streetlights in Ozuitem, Ugwueke, Umu-Imenyi, Umuhu¬Ezechi, and Uzuakoli in Bende Federal Constituency in aria state -N800 million, provision of solar streetlights in Ute Okpu, Ika North East LGA, Delta State -N110 million and provision of solar streetlights in Emu and Okhuesan Ward 5 in Esan South East LGA in Edo State -N200 million.

Others are the supply and installation of 300 KVA/500 KVA transformers and electrification in the following wards - Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Kaura, Limancin Kona in Kaduna State -N330 million, supply and installation of 300 KVA/500 KVA transformers and electrification in the following wards - Anguwwan Fatika, Dutsen Abba, Kufena, Tukur Tukur, in Kaduna State -N330 million and supply and installation of 300 KVA/500 kva transformers and electrification in the following wards Tudun Wada, Gyallesu, Dambo, Wuciciri in Kaduna State -N330 million.

On July 14, SaharaReporters reported that sources disclosed that Senate President Akpabio and some of his colleagues used the amendment of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act as an opportunity to pad the budget by over N200 billion.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the senators involved capitalised on the request made by President Bola Tinubu for the appropriation of N500 billion for palliatives through the amendment of the Act to heavily pad the budget.

Sources also identified Senator Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District), Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau (Kano North Senatorial District) and Senator Adeola, popularly called Yayi (Ogun West Senatorial District) as the major architects of the budget padding.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), who sponsored the motion which was given accelerated passage by the Senate had said, “Mr. President, my highly esteemed colleagues, permit me to lead the Debate on this very important Bill which seeks to authorize the issuance of the sum of Five Hundred Billion (N500, 000, 000, 000.00 Naira only.

“This sum has been extracted from the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act of Eight Hundred and Nineteen Billion, Five Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Eighth Hundred and Fifteen (819, 536, 937, 815.00) Naira only for the provision of Palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.”

“Finally, I believe that the proposal in this Supplementary Appropriation is laudable and will help cushion the suffering of the Citizens of this country owing to the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS),” he had added.

But SaharaReporters learnt that some senators including the Chief Whip, Ali Ndume (Borno South) openly objected to the budget padding by their colleagues but that didn’t stop the “crooked” ones from going ahead with it.

“Akpabio and Adeola Yayi inserted over N200 billion into Tinubu’s palliative budget. They padded in more than N200 billion in the amended 2022 supplementary budget,” one of the sources in the Senate had told SaharaReporters.

“Senator Ali Ndume and others opposed it vehemently. Many senators walked out but Senator Akpabio still went ahead and passed the fraud.

“Akpabio, Senator Jibrin Barau and Senator Adeola Yayi are the major architects of the budget padding,” another source had said.

Documents obtained by SaharaReporters at the time show how funds were allocated under the column -2022 supplementary amendment (New amount) for projects that hitherto had no allocations under column – 2022 supplementary bill (Amount).

For instance, N1 billion was suddenly earmarked for the “supply of Tricycles (Keke NAPEP) to the underprivileged in the society,” N2 billion was allocated to the “construction of public buildings in various communities and villages,” N4 billion was earmarked for rehabilitation and construction of selected critical roads while N2 billion was earmarked for the “construction of block of 3 classrooms with furniture and toilet, construction and furnishing of skills acquisition centres and construction of primary healthcare centres with furniture in some selected communities and towns”.

Other include N500 million for the construction of Edi Road, Sabo Market and Ilaro Township Road, Yewa South, Ogun State; N1 billion for the construction of roads in Imeko, Afon, Iwoye and Obada, Ogun State; N1 billion for the construction of Ilashe-Agbara Road, Agbara Ado Odo-Ota in Ogun; N1 billion for the construction of market square -Fadama Ring Road, Imasayi, Yewa North and Ota Lafenwa Road section 1, Ota, Ogun State.

Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State was conspicuously absent when Bello, his eldest son, got married to his second wife, Aisha Habibu Shuaibu, on Saturday.

Daily Trust had reported how El-Rufai jetted out of the country after he pulled out of the ministerial race.

The senate had last week confirmed 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu.

But El-Rufai and two other nominees – Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) – were not confirmed as the senate said they were awaiting security clearance.

The former governor met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja, on Tuesday, after which he flew abroad, with sources saying he was off to Europe, but would be in Egypt first.

Bello, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Banking Regulations, had a private Nikah with the daughter of a former Military Administrator for Plateau and Niger States, Col. Habibu Shuaibu, in Abuja on Saturday.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna, whom Bello served as legislative aide when the governor was a senator, stood in as the father of the day.

In Hausa tradition, the Wakili (representative) of the groom’s father receives the bride at a wedding, while the waliyyi, representative of the bride’s family at a wedding, gives out the bride.

However, this tradition does not stop the parents of the couple from witnessing their children’s wedding as Hajia Hadiza Isma El-Rufai was on ground.

Expressing delight over being the father of the day at the wedding, Governor took to his verified X account (formerly known as Twitter) to share some pictures of the ceremony with caption: “On Saturday, August 12th, 2023, I had the honour of standing in as the father of the groom at the wedding ceremony of my former Senior Legislative Aide, and House of Representatives Member (Kaduna North Fed. Constituency), Hon. Bello El-Rufai and his beautiful wife, Aisha Shuaibu. I wish them a happy married life and I pray that Allah makes theirs among the best. Ameen.”

See some pictures below:

Some protesters have taken to the streets in Kano State to kick against the imminent use of force to resolve the Niger coup crisis.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had directed military forces of the member states to be on standby.

The protesters on Saturday embarked on the demonstration to show their displeasure at the planned military invasion of Niger Republic.

While moving in a procession, they were chanting “Nigeriens are our brothers, Nigeriens are also our family.

“Niger is ours, we don’t want war, war against Niger is injustice, a plot by the western forces.”

They displayed Nigeria and Niger’s flags alongside placards, chanting anti-war catchphrases.

This followed an intense call from different quarters, especially Northerners who believe that Nigeriens are neighbours with whom they share things in common.

Some Nigerians resident in Niger Republic have appealed to the Federal Government to facilitate their evacuation and return home before any possible offensive against the coup plotters by the Economic Community of West Africa States’ forces to restore constitutional governance.

The Nigerians, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, said the appeal became necessary so as to avoid being caught up in the line of fire and to avoid a repeat of what happened in Sudan where many Nigerian students were trapped when fighting broke out between the government forces and rebels.

They are also apprehensive of being subjected to xenophobic attacks by Nigeriens in retaliation of Nigeria’s role in rallying other ECOWAS member states to reject the unconstitutional change of government in which the coup plotters overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.

ECOWAS had on Thursday resolved to deploy troops in Niger following the refusal of the military leaders to restore democracy despite the sanctions imposed on them and their collaborators by the sub-regional body.

After a meeting of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government in Abuja, the President of ECOWAS, Omar Touray, said the bloc had directed the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.

But Touray gave no details about the make-up, location and proposed date for the deployment of the military intervention force.

Reading the resolutions of the ECOWAS on the military junta in Niger at the end of the commission’s extraordinary summit, Touray also called on the African Union, partner countries and institutions to support the decision taken by the sub-regional body.

The body said all efforts made to hold dialogues with the military junta had been defiantly rejected by the coup leaders as it condemned the continuous detention of Bazoum and his family members.

Associated Press had quoted a Western military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said representatives of the junta told the US Under Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country on Monday.

According to AP, a US official confirmed the account, also speaking on condition of anonymity, because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, is being held hostage at his residence.

The stand-off between ECOWAS and Nigerien coup plotters has plunged Nigerians in the francophone nation into fear over a possible clampdown on them by their hosts.

Some of the Nigerians resident in Niger said the Nigeriens sympathetic to the junta had started reprimanding them for President Bola Tinubu’s support for ECOWAS directive that its forces be on standby to invade the country, rout the coup plotters and re-enthrone Bazoum.

Maina Bukar, who fled to Damasak, Borno State, shortly before the closure of the borders, told Saturday PUNCH on the telephone, “They (Nigeriens) are also angry with us (Nigerians) for closing the borders because a large quantum of household provisions the citizens use flow there from Nigeria.

“A very close friend of mine at Diffa, who is deeply sympathetic to the coup plotters, was already keeping me at arm’s length. Nigerian communities there, especially refugees of the Boko Haram insurgency, are in palpable fear of possible hostilities from their hosts should ECOWAS unleash its forces against their country.”

Another Nigerian, Musa Ali, who also crossed the border to Damasak, Borno State, and whose many relatives are still refugees in Niger, said, “Our hosts, especially those sympathetic to the junta, have now begun to display hostility toward us.

“They are angry with Nigerians because of our country’s stance on war with their country as they see what is happening in Niger as purely an internal affair.

“Now, our relations there are in danger should the hostilities continue, and they dare not return home partly because the borders between the two countries have been closed and also because insurgents are still in control of our ancestral communities and still unleashing terror.

“Our relations now daily complain to us that life is becoming unbearable in Niger Republic and are appealing to the Federal Government to arrange their evacuation back to Nigeria before ECOWAS troops will move in.”

Some others told one of our correspondents on the telephone that the position of ECOWAS was already heightening tension among Nigerians resident in Niger Republic.

Mr Muhammed Afolabi, an artisan who has been working in Niger for over 10 years, appealed to the leadership of ECOWAS to put the interest of the masses at heart before thinking of going to war with the junta.

He said the decision to put troops on standby was already having effects on his work as most of his customers had started deserting him.

Afolabi stated, “The government should consider us in this issue; they should think of what will happen if these people take revenge on us and our businesses.

“We have been having a cordial relationship with them here but with this now, who knows what will happen to us and our businesses? All we want is for ECOWAS to take things easy. If it becomes inevitable that ECOWAS troops must confront the junta, the Nigerian government must make arrangements to safely evacuate us from Niger.”

Also speaking, Mr Yahaya Abdullahi, a lecturer in one of the universities in Niger Republic, said Nigerian students studying in the country should be put into consideration by ECOWAS.

He said the involvement of the military by ECOWAS would have a negative impact on the lives and studies of Nigerians studying in the country who might suffer discrimination.

Abdullahi, however, appealed to the Federal Government and ECOWAS to evaluate the situation before resorting to force in resolving the crisis.

Mallam Bala Kulu, who sells soft drinks in Tawa, one of the states in Niger Republic, said life has not been the same since the Nigerian government cut off power supply to Niger.

He stated, “We can hardly get ice blocks to sell our products now and to enter Nigeria to get the drinks is not easy also as the border is shut.

“We can only take illegal routes through the bush and pay through our nose as all the security agents, as well as area boys, will demand something.

“Everything here is going on the high side and it’s very important for our leaders to consider that the masses will suffer if urgent steps are not taken to avert war with the Niger Republic.”

Hajia Fatima Gafar, an indigene of Kwara State, who resides in Niger Republic, appealed to ECOWAS to ensure that the current crisis did not degenerate into a war.

She said, “Yes, our lives are no longer safe here as most people here in Niger Republic see this problem as between Nigeria and their country.

“Our leaders should be very careful in their decision and not put our lives in danger for whatever reason.

“Already, we are suffering hunger and others, and we don’t want this to escalate in any way; so ECOWAS should address it in a reasonable way.”

Alhaji Hassan Maiturari, a resident of Kwani, the border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic, said the ongoing crisis should be dealt with urgently to avoid the situation being hijacked by bandits.

Maiturari told Saturday PUNCH, “This issue needs to be handled carefully so as not to get to a level where we won’t be able to control it.

“We all know that Nigeria and Niger Republic have a lot of ungoverned forests and if care is not taken, bandits and Boko Haram insurgents will take advantage to attack our people both in Niger and Nigeria.

“Our leaders should learn about the recent happenings in Libya, where the death of their former leader became an avenue for illegal arms to fall in the hands of non-state actors in Africa.”

Another resident of Tawa, Abdullahi Umar, said the Nigerien Army was actually not scared of Nigeria and ECOWAS troops.

He said, “There is not much tension here at all as everyone is moving on without any fear.

“I can tell you that the Army here does not fear the ECOWAS and Nigerian forces as they are boasting of crushing them if they make any attempt to attack them.”

He added that most Nigeriens had been appealing to Russia to come to their aid in case ECOWAS makes any attempt to enter Niamey.

Umar also said most residents of Tawa now see President Tinubu as an enemy of their country whom they abuse anytime they like.

One of our correspondents gathered that most Nigerians resident in Niger Republic were facing severe hardship as a result of the sanctions imposed on the country by ECOWAS.

An indigene of the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Samaila, who currently resides in Maradi, Niger Republic, told Saturday PUNCH that he was living peacefully with the people of that country, but stated that he was entertaining fear that Nigerians could be attacked if something terrible happened to Niger Republic as a result of the ECOWAS actions.

He also explained that as a result of the sanctions by ECOWAS, scarcity of food items and other essential commodities had hit the country.

Samaila stated, “We are living peacefully here in Maradi town but our major problem is that food items are very scarce and costly.

“But we fear that if the worst should happen to Niger Republic because of ECOWAS’ move to reinstate the ousted President, Mohammed Bazoum, our security may not be guaranteed.”

Another Nigerian, Masud Shehu, who resides in Niamey, the capital city of Niger Republic, said since the beginning of the crisis, many Nigerians were not comfortable.

He called on the Federal Government to come to their aid before the situation would go out of control.

“I am finding it difficult to get something to eat since ECOWAS enforced sanctions against Niger Republic,” Shehu stated, adding, “I really like to go back to Nigeria but there is no way as the borders remain closed.”

“I want to use this medium to appeal to Nigeria to please do something urgent and take us back home,” he added.


NiDCOM, NEMA react

When asked if there was any preparation to evacuate Nigerians that might be stranded in Niger Republic, the spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said, “We will evacuate Nigerians from Niger if it gets to that point; but for now, nothing is suggesting that.”

Similarly, the National Emergency Management Agency said the Federal Government would evacuate Nigerians who might be stranded in Niger when necessary.

The Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Habib, disclosed this while responding to questions on the sidelines of an event in Abuja on Friday.

Asked if Nigerians currently in Niger would be repatriated, particularly those who were willing, Habib, replied in the affirmative, but noted that the evacuation had not commenced yet.

“If we get there, yes we will look at it, but we haven’t for now. We are not there yet,” he stated.

Some countries commenced the evacuation of their nationals from Niger Republic last week. For instance, France’s military and foreign ministry worked to carry out multiple evacuation flights from Niger last Wednesday.

The foreign ministry had said the first two flights that landed in Paris carried more than 350 French nationals along with people from Niger, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Germany, Canada, India, Austria and the United States.

Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, also shared a photo of an Italian air force plane that he said landed early last Wednesday with Italians who left Niger.

Reuters had reported that the flight carried 36 Italians, 21 US citizens, four Bulgarians, two Australians and one citizen each from Britain, Niger, Hungary, Senegal and Nigeria.


ECOWAS military chiefs meet

Meanwhile, West African military chiefs will meet today (Saturday) in Ghana in furtherance of moves to implement the ECOWAS resolutions on Niger Republic.

According to France24, regional military sources said the talks among the defence chiefs will take place in Accra.

It added that following sub-regional leaders’ plans to have a standby force in their efforts to restore the toppled president, Russia on Friday warned against any military intervention in Niger.

“We believe that a military solution to the crisis in Niger could lead to a protracted confrontation in that African country and to a sharp destabilisation of the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region as a whole,” France24 quoted the Russian foreign ministry to have said.

Members of the legislative arm of ECOWAS will also hold a virtual extraordinary session following the activation of the standby military forces.

A highly placed source made this known in a text message sighted by one of our correspondents in Abuja.

“An emergency ECOWAS parliament extraordinary session will hold via Zoom on Saturday over the matter in Niger as we are exploring diplomatic means,” the source said.

The acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has listed conditions for the reopening of land borders across the country.

Speaking to officers of the service when he visited the Ogun 1 command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko, Ogun State, the acting CGC, disclosed that the service would review some of its policies if the compliance level of the border communities is high.

One of the policies according to the Customs boss is the review of the policy on supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), to filling stations that are 20 kilometres to the nation’s borders.

“There are a number of issues that our border communities have put across to us and some of them go beyond the mandate of the Customs service because some of them are policies done by authorities that are higher than us, however, I can assure you that we are working alongside other appropriate authorities of government and we will be requesting the review of such policies if we see situation that warrant such review at the borders.”

“If there is compliance to extant law regarding import and export around us and if we see the support of the communities working with government agencies to enforce those laws.”

He continued, “if we see our communities supporting government agencies of course, we will make appropriate recommendation for the review of border closure, importation of tokunbo vehicles through the borders and most importantly because of the removal of subsidy, we may also call for the review of restriction of petrol filling stations in and around our borders.”

Moreover, he charged the officers at the command to be focused and rededicate themselves to ensuring national and regional security.

“So, one of the reasons why I’m here this morning is to reiterate the need for all our agencies to remain focused and committed towards the ideal of national and regional security. Idiroko is a very strategic gateway into Nigeria and of course, into the Benin republic and by extension, the sub region. So, we cannot afford to allow criminals who thrive in perpetrating crimes across our borders, do things that are inimical to our national security.

“So this is why I’m here this morning to remind ourselves of our collective mandate, collective mandates to keep away criminals operating around our borders, whether they come in the manner of smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking or things that will affect our public health. We have a collective responsibility to confront them, and beat them to their game. For us in Customs, we believe that no one agency can do this alone, we need to work together, we need to collaborate together. The dynamics of crime has changed over the years and there is no single criminal that comes to our border and perpetrates only its crime.

“Smugglers don’t commit only smuggling, so what it means is that they engage in illegal smuggling of arms and ammunition. Most human traffickers, most of the time, also take currencies away from the country. They are also guilty of money laundering, and illegal currencies trafficking across the border,” he stated.

This announcement was made overnight.

The Niger military junta that seized power has announced a list of 21 people that it said will become ministers in a new government.

This announcement was made overnight.

It comes as West African heads of state are set to hold a summit on Thursday to reach an agreement on the next line of action regarding the recent coup in Niger.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to initiate a series of financial sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the leaders of the coup that truncated the democratic order in Niger Republic.

Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who made this known on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen at the State House, Abuja, while not giving details of the sanctions, however, maintained that they were being instituted under the authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This move is in addition to electricity transmission already cut by Nigeria to Niger, its northern neighbours to pressurize the military to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

According to Ngelale: “The news is that Mr. President has directed the acting CBN governor to levy another slew of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger Republic.

“I said that intentionally. I didn’t make a mistake, because I was given permission to make that statement and I emphasize that this is not an individual action taken by an individual President on behalf of individual nation.

“This is an action taken. Yes, by ECOWAS chairman who is the president of Nigeria but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and heads of state with regard to financial sanctions being levied by ECOWAS Member States against the military junta in Niger Republic.

“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not Nigerian government authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now.”

The Media Adviser explained that the actions against Niger being coordinated by President Tinubu were not personal as they were under the auspices of the ECOWAS where he is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

His words: “Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Republic, the ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate.

“And the office of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the Chairman of ECOWAS, seeks to emphasize this point, that due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending toward a personalization of the ECOWAS sub regional position to his person and to our nation individually.

“It is because of this that Mr. President has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued by ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’ position.

“While his Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship, the position of ECOWAS conveys the consensus position of member heads of state. And a coup will not occur in one’s backyard, without one being particularly aware of it.

“The president in recent days, particularly following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS has widened consultations internationally but most especially domestically, including interfacing with state governors in Nigeria, who govern states bordering Niger public on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation that has unfolded in Niger Republic.

“But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wishes to emphasize to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.

“The regional bloc is made up of all sub regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.”

According to him, Thursday’s extraordinary summit of ECOWAS in Abuja will come up with far-reaching decisions on the recent developments in Niger Republic.

The organised Labour on Tuesday said the federal government team led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was not capable of leading negotiations on the effects of fuel subsidy removal on workers.

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, stated this at a meeting between the leadership of the organized labour and the Senate principal officers led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

He said the wage review committee was yet to sit two months after the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.

He said, “Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The committee seems not to be capable. As labour, we have done negotiations with previous administrations.

“At no time had the Chief of Staff to the President, who is very busy, called to negotiate or lead negotiations, and that has delayed the issues.

“Even since our protest, another meeting has not reconvened, although the president promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with the government for issues to be treated fast.”

“We had also agreed on wage award, and up till this moment, the committee on wage award is yet to sit.”

Ajaero lamented the plight of Nigerians as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy without putting anything on the ground to ameliorate the effect on the masses.

He said while labour leaders were still deliberating on N537 per litre of fuel and the court had ruled for the status quo to remain, surprisingly the government decided to increase the fuel to N620 per litre.

He added: “Nothing is yet to happen on the issue of $800 million projected to be borrowed, we have not perfected the list of the people who will benefit from it.

“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we have our doubts about that record. And no indices have been put forward to dictate those that are termed poor,” he said.

Responding, Akpabio thanked labour leaders for their patience.

He said although the government had saved N1 trillion as a result of fuel subsidy removal, the present administration inherited a broke country with over N30 trillion debt.

“But be rest assured that effect of fuel subsidy removal being felt by workers and in fact Nigerians would be ameliorated very soon by the federal government,” Akpabio said.

A yet-to-be-identified person has jumped into Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge water, The Nation has learnt.

Eyewitnesses on the route confirmed the incident.

The Nation learnt onlookers have besieged the spot to see how they can put up rescue efforts.

Although the official rescue team has been alerted, the police have cordoned off the area…

One of the eyewitnesses, Temitope, tweeted:: “Depression is real tbh Someone just jumped into the Ikoyi link bridge water right in front of me, not quite long. Hope he will not be lifeless before the rescue team arrives”

Another tweep Temitola said: “Someone just jumped down from Ikoyi Link Bridge. People are tired fa.”

The spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident.

Reacting, Hundeyin said: “Our men are there, controlling the crowd as other rescue teams arrive”.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) are set to meet with President Bola Tinubu’s team on Tuesday.

Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, disclosed this on Monday while featuring on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today.

Mr Ajaero said the protest was suspended after the intervention of the National Assembly and the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, adding that between that time and now, one or two issues have played out.

“The Senate promised to get back to us and resolve the matter within one week. Just this evening we got a notice from them inviting us for a meeting tomorrow,” Mr Ajaero said.

“Another issue is we are yet to get the modality on the restructure initiative team, especially the government, and for those that will lead the government team, that one is still pending.

“However, rising from our NEC meeting, we decided to take further action against the position of the industrial court and Ministry of Justice through the solicitor general that we are sending us letters about contempt, you know, and the NEC of the NLC rose giving to 14th of August for them to withdraw such summon for contempt or face industrial action. Real industrial action.”

The NLC president added that the Ministry of Justice, through the solicitor general of the federation, sent a letter to the union withdrawing its charges.

“So far so good that’s where we are,” he said.


Protests

On 29 May, during his inauguration, President Tinubu announced the removal of subsidy on petrol. This development has caused hardship for many Nigerians with its attendant increase in the prices of goods and services.

Last Wednesday, the NLC and TUC led Nigerian workers in protests across the country over the increasing cost of living due to government policies, especially the removal of subsidies on petrol.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the nationwide protest called by the two labour unions was held in various state capitals. The Abuja protest was led by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo.

The Abuja protesters marched from the Unity Fountain to the National Assembly complex, where they were addressed by a senator, Ali Ndume, who promised that the Senate would intervene in the crisis.

However, after the conclusion of the Abuja rally, the leaders of the two labour unions met with Mr Tinubu.

At the end of the meeting, Mr Ajaero told journalists that “the issues we discussed are the same issues that led to the protest today.”

“He (President Tinubu) has expressed his position, made some commitment, which were taken side-by-side with what the Senate said, and we’re taking it back to the office with our colleagues to review it and release a document on our next line of action.”

Shortly afterwards, presidential spokesperson Dele Alake released a statement announcing that the NLC had agreed to call off the protests.

“Consequent upon the fruitful and frank discussion with President Tinubu and their confidence in his ability to encourage open and honest consideration of all the issues put forward by the Labour Movement, the Labour Leaders resolved to stop further protest,” Mr Alake wrote.

Mr Alake said the president promised the union leaders that one of Nigeria’s four refineries would commence operations by the end of this year.

“President Tinubu gave his commitment to the Labour leaders that the Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between NNPCL and Italian firm Maire Tecnimont SpA,” he wrote.

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, sent letters to the Nigerian Senate, urging the lawmakers not to confirm three of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, SaharaReporters can authoritatively report.

The three affected nominees indicted in the DSS and NSA letters were a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete and Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian Senate confirmed 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees sent in by Tinubu.

After seven days of screening, the Senate left out El-Rufai, Danladi, a former Deputy Governor of Taraba State and the female nominee from Delta State, Okotete.

Top sources at the Senate told SaharaReporters on Monday that the Director-General of the DSS and the NSA wrote to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, advising the upper chamber not to confirm the nomination of the trio.

“The NSA, Ribadu and the DG of DSS have just sent us letters not to clear El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba and Stella Okotete from Delta. The Senate President just read it to us now at the closed-door session. He didn't give it to us anyway,” one of the sources revealed.

“The letter from the NSA and DG DSS cited security reasons, saying the Senate should defer the confirmation of the trio for now, for national security. The senate president is holding the document sent to him tight and has not released it to anyone,” another source added.

SaharaReporters had reported how a group of protesters under the aegis of Secure Nation Group (SNG) in Abuja staged a protest on the premises of the National Assembly to call on the lawmakers not to confirm El-Rufai as minister.

The protesters, displaying placards, defied the presence of security operatives who barricaded the main gate of the building as they chanted anti-government songs.

The group expressed surprise that El-Rufai’s name was listed as a ministerial nominee despite his alleged religious colouration which the group described as dangerous to the unity of the nation.

They noted that the Tinubu-led government should investigate and prosecute El-Rufai over alleged genocidal attacks on predominantly Shia Muslim communities in Kaduna State.

Also, SaharaReporters on July 29 reported that some top Nigerian lawyers wrote to the 10th Senate demanding the immediate disqualification of Okotete, who is a former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).

The lawyers from Juryman Associate Chambers are Aare Oladotun Hassan, Esq, Principal Partner/Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Epe Branch/ Executive Director, Lawyers For Justice Reform, and Barr. Myso Nejo.

SaharaReporters had also reported that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), wrote Okotete, demanding her pay slips from 2019, statement of bank account from the same period, and loans approved as the Executive Director NEXIM among others to aid in its investigation into alleged fraud and abuse of public office.

Meanwhile, in the letter to Nigeria's upper legislative house, the petitioners requested the Senate to properly investigate Mrs. Okotete over alleged massive corruption allegations against her - round-tripping and recycling of different loans and use of various front-companies as proxies to defraud NEXIM Bank of billions of Naira and Dollars.

Also for Abubakar, SaharaReporters about a week ago reported how Danladi was reportedly barred in 2019 from contesting or holding political offices for 10 years over forgery – though he dismissed the claim.

A publication on the Taraba State website confirmed how Danladi was barred In 2019 from contesting or holding political offices over alleged certificate forgery and age falsification.

Before the 2019 general elections, a High Court in Jalingo had disqualified Abubakar Sani Danladi from contesting the election after it was found that he presented a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The case went on to the Court of Appeal before the election and to the Supreme Court after the election, where the apex court affirmed the judgement of the lower court confirming that the certificate presented by Sani Danladi to the INEC was fake and forged.

It was in the same judgement that the Supreme Court barred Sani Danladi from contesting any election until after 10 years.

The Gazette done by Taraba State had read in part; "A five-man Panel of the Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja today the 5th day of July 2019 and composed of The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Tanko Mohammed JSC, Mary Peter Odili JSC, Olukayode Ariwoola JSC, Paul Galumje JSC and Uwani Abbaji JSC have dismissed the Appeal filed by Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi the purported APC Governorship candidate in the 2019 Taraba state Governorship election which challenges his disqualification by the Federal High Court, Jalingo.

"The Supreme Court dismissed the Appeal for being incompetent and failing to meet the requirements of the law.

"Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi was disqualified from contesting the 2019 Governorship election in Taraba state on the 6th day of March 2019 by the Federal High Court, Jalingo presided over by Honorable Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam.

"However, on the 7th day of March 2019, the Court of Appeal sitting in Yola and composed of Chidi Nwaoma Uwa JCA (Presiding), James Shehu Abiriyi JCA and Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero JCA granted an interim stay of status quo in favour of Sani Abubakar Danladi which enabled him to stand for the March 9th, 2019 Governorship election in Taraba state.

"The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola subsequently and still composed of the above-mentioned Justices later heard the Appeal of Sani Abubakar Danladi on merit and struck out the Appeal for being incompetent on the 3rd May 2019.

"Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi further Appealed to the Supreme Court against the judgement of the Court of Appeal which Appeal the Supreme Court has struck out/dismissed today for being incompetent and failing to meet the requirements of the law.

"1. The judgement of the Supreme Court against the Appeal of Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi today the 5th day of July, 2019 means that the Judgement of the Federal High Court, Jalingo which disqualified Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi from contesting the March 9th, 2019 Governorship election in Taraba state still subsist and has full effect because as it stands now; the Federal High Court judgement have not been altered nor set aside by the Supreme Court which is the highest court in Nigeria.”

The Federal Government has withdrawn the contempt charge against Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and their leaders four days before the expiration of the ultimatum by NLC to the government to withdraw the contempt summons or face indefinite nationwide strike.

In a letter to Messrs Falana & Falana’ Chambers, Counsel, to NLC, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs B.E. Jeddy-Agba, said “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Justice has been drawn to the Communiqué issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on August 3, 2023, wherein NLC announced the suspension of its nationwide protests and criticised the contempt summons issued by the National Industrial Court (“Court”), amongst other issues.

“Kindly recall the exchange of correspondence between the Ministry and your Office on the need for compliance with the extant court orders, restraining industrial action of any kind on the part of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. The position of the Ministry was informed by the need to safeguard the integrity of the court and prevent avoidable service disruption or damages to public facilities.

“However, despite these exchanges/interventions, the labour unions on 2nd August 2023 proceeded with the industrial action through public protests which led to disruption of work and the eventual pulling down of the gate of the National Assembly. The foregoing prompted the Ministry to initiate contempt proceedings by filing Form 48 on the same 2nd August 2023 in accordance with Section 72 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act and Order 9 Rule 13 of the Judgment (Enforcement) Rules. It is trite that issuance of Form 48 is just the starting point in contempt proceedings which will only crystalize upon the issuance of Form 49 and the consequential committal order.

“Upon the intervention of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the decision of the labour unions to call off their industrial action after meetings with the President and leadership of the National Assembly, this Ministry did not proceed further with the contempt proceedings, which would have required the issuance of Form 49 within two days of the issuance of Form 48. “It is self-evident that the non-issuance of Form 49 as of 4th August 2023, renders the contempt proceedings inchoate.

“You may therefore wish to advise or guide the labour unions on the practice and procedure of contempt proceedings, particularly to the effect that the issues or concerns raised by NLC in its communiqué on the proceedings have been overtaken by events.”

The managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aradel Holdings, Mr Adegbite Falada, has said, the company’s modular refinery will start operations soon, describing local refining of crude into petroleum products as very essential for Nigeria.

Speaking in Lagos on Friday during the rebranding of Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc (NDEP) to Aradel Holdings, Falade stated that, it will encourage import substitution which will reduce pressure on the nation’s foreign exchange, adding that, it will also create jobs in the country.

He said the grand unveiling and public launch of the company is strategic as the company will continue to make more giant strides, adding that, “the primary benefit of local refining is not price because you are still going to buy the crude at international oil prices.”

“The biggest value that local refining does is that it provides employment for Nigerians, it helps us with import substitution and so because you are not committing your scarce forex to import fuel, you are able to conserve your forex and it eases the pressure on the naira.

“Those benefits outweigh the issue of pricing. We will price in cost reflective in some instances, it means we are selling for less than it would have sold for if it were imported.

“But what is the most important and impact change we will see in local refining is import substitution in terms of forex and also providing jobs for people who are in the entire value chain of refining.

“We are driven by a steadfast commitment to deliver sustainable energy solutions that power economic growth while preserving the environment. With a legacy of expertise and a future-oriented mindset, we embrace the challenges to shape a brighter energy landscape for tomorrow.

“Our consistent growth is attributed to our innovation and adaptability which continue to propel us as industry pioneers who consistently deliver value to our stakeholders.

“Our relentless pursuit of operational excellence, profitability, cutting-edge technologies, strategic partnerships, and unwavering safety standards ensure that we consistently surpass expectations.

“Together, let us fuel growth, foster collaboration and lead the way towards a sustainable energy future,” he said.

He added that, “I think what we have done in the last 31 years of to prove the concept that we can operate responsibly, safely and by global standard and we can be a good defender of value for our shareholders.

“So what needs to be done for us is putting ourselves out there and signposting to all Nigerians that we are ready for the next level and that next level is one that we travel not with the existing shareholders but with other people. So it is had been an amazing journey for us.

“It is a fantastic occasion, we are extremely excited and we are happy that everything has gone well. The turn out of people from industry, practically everybody was there, from the regulators to the captains of industry and even the adjunct industries of the service sector, finance, everybody was there.

“Personally for me, it is emotional that I am holding the steering wheel at this point. So it means a lot to me. It means a lot of recognition of what my colleagues and I do and a lot of trust for what we are charged to do going forward. So that is what it means for us.

“We are going to see a scale-up of what we are already doing today. Today, we are in the extraction and production of hydrocarbon resources oil and gas.

“We are going to see that in a more significant proportion. Today we are into refined products, so we will refine and reticulate AGO, Kerosene, marine diesel oil, and so on.

“We are going to see an addition of PMS to this as an additional offering in terms of downstream products. Also in the near horizon, we are getting into the gas stream petrochemical industry. So we are going to see a lot more of what we currently do but responsibly scaling up.

“We have also started the journey of sustainable renewable offerings. So today, we are piloting mini-grid electricity to 4 villages that are not connected to the grid, using solar.

“So we are going to see more of that. One thing that is peculiar to us is that we are always pioneering, launching and determining what the next direction is. What you will see is a continuation and sustenance of that legacy.”

The chief executive officer, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, lauded Aradel for its great achievements in the industry.

Ahmed, represented by the executive director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure, NMDPRA, Mr.Francis Alabo Ogare, also harped on local refining.

Ahmed said: “NMDPRA wishes to recognise the excellence set by NDEP Plc and all its subsidiaries in the upstream and midstream sector of the oil and gas operations in Nigeria over the last three decades. NMDPRA is fully aware of NDEP’s investment in the midstream sector, which is the authority’s purview comprising gas processing plant, transportation infrastructure and modular refinery.”

The executive secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, reiterated the importance of local content adherence by industry stakeholders.

He stated that, such would create employment for Nigerians.

Wabote, who spoke virtually, also praised Aradel for its giant strides in the industry.

He said: “NDEP is being rebranded to Aradel Holdings Plc. I have followed the history of Aradel Plc In the past three decades, Aradel has pioneered several initiatives, in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria as an indigenous producer. It is on record that the company pioneered the concept of marginal field operations.

“It is one of the most integrated oil and gas companies in Nigeria as an indigenous producer. They are existing in upstream, midstream and downstream. The company pioneered modular refinery initiatives.

“Local content development which is gaining momentum in the entire African continent, should be supported, and enhanced in order to create jobs and enhance technology and develop our natural given resources which is oil.”

The leadership of the South West Agenda ’23 ‘SWAGA ’23) has expressed displeasure over the exclusion of its members in the list of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu.

The group has therefore called on President Tinubu to reconsider his selection process and prioritize individuals among SWAGA leadership who have proven their loyalty and dedication to party’s manifestos, saying that this will ensure inclusiveness of all key stakeholders and create a sense of unity and motivation within the party.

The group, in a statement signed by one of its leaders, Ahmed Banjo, noted that “it is important that the President address this concern and ensure that the party’s supporters are rewarded for their unwavering dedication. Only through fair representation, inclusion, and recognition can the party foster a sense of unity, motivation, and commitment among its members”.

“Few years ago when the journey of the Presidency of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu begun, the only group who was first preparing the way for others to follow and did a very excellent job in evangelizing Tinubu Presidency across the South West of the federation prior to President Tinubu emergence as a party flagbearer, convincing other personalities to join the train is tagged South West Agenda ’23”.

“The coordinating members were beset with cruelty and malignity in the hands of some state governors, only because they did not support Tinubu Presidency. Some of these members were denied elective positions in the party primaries, borne out of cruelty and malignity for championing President Tinubu course”.

“They however did not succumb to pressure from these imagined mafias in their states. They suffered patiently, but hopeful that this day shall come to wipe their extreme pain of mind”.

“SWAGA leadership travelled far and wide evangelising Tinubu Presidency, not minding the risk of insecurity, unreliable transportation system and the potential likelihood of a negative outcome”.

“Surprisingly, SWAGA members are bitterly complaining that the group leaders are abandoned and some who are not known on the street of the states they claimed are picked as ministerial nominees”.

“They are also troubled by the fact that those who knew their commitment and sacrifice to the campaign are absent from the list of ministerial nominees. They queried that where were some of the nominees during pre-election and during election in various States they claimed, when some party stalwarts were mobilizing for the victory of Jagaban?”

“Investigations also revealed that Lagos based politicians who didn’t operate in their states are now taking over to replace the realists that delivered for PBAT in the various States”.

War with Niger'll spread into Northern Nigerian communities - Arewa Group warns
They argued that the inclusion of SWAGA leadership who has deep understanding of the party’s vision and those who have demonstrated their commitments through their tireless work would be instrumental in ensuring the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Manifesto.

“Without mincing words, there is no doubt the fact that Nigeria needs versatile heads to manage her prevalent rotted socio-economic and political apparatus at this critical moment, and whoever chosen to hold top position in Tinubu’s cabinet should be nominated completely without a preferential bias, partiality or discrimination”.

“The President needs a proactive minds and decision-making nominee who can make tough decisions under pressure and not someone who will shy away from coming up with diligent solutions”.

“These formed part of the competence and capabilites of the leadership in SWAGA that were able to move the Campaign Council to deliver their various States in whole for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidency”.

“Hence, they possess excellent organisation, negotiating skills and logical approach to solving problems”.

“Some of them have handled government activities in various institutions both nationally and internationally, providing a logical coherence to decision-making”.

“Their leadership capacity, sagacity and contributory efforts to actualize victory at primary and general elections were at par. This was orchestrated in the way they motivated people around them to achieve high level of mobilizing support for Asiwaju and calming people down in the face of adversity and challenging situations in the hands of some of their state emperors called governors”.

“SWAGA members are appealing that President Tinubu should recognize and appreciate the efforts of those who played instrumental roles in its success. By including these individuals in key cabinet positions, the government can demonstrate its commitment to harnessing the full potential of its most dedicated members while also restoring faith and confidence in the party”

Nigeria has lost hundreds of military generals to early retirement since the return of democratic government in Nigeria in 1999, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.

Army generals and those of similar ranks in the navy and air force have been forced to retire. Experts say it is not good for the country.

Based on available records, most of the generals that were asked to leave the scene were active, vibrant, had age on their side with a lot to offer towards protecting the territorial integrity of the country and grooming those coming up.

While it is a natural law for those on top to retire for others to grow, just like what obtains in core civil service, experts said what is happening in the military establishment in Nigeria is different from what obtains in other parts of the world like the United States, United Kingdom and others.

The development, according to pundits, is taking a toll on Nigeria, which is going through security challenges that have continued unabated.

This is aside the enormous resources spent on them to attend various trainings around the world.

They also faulted Nigeria’s poor approach to keeping reserve officers who may be ordered to return to active duty when the need arises.


You can’t see this elsewhere – Sheikh Gumi

In Nigeria, whenever there is a new government, there is the high probability that many generals would be compulsorily retired.

“This thing (early retirement) started in 1999 when these positions were politicised,” said Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic scholar and medical doctor who retired as a captain in the Nigerian Army. He said this during Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme recently.

“They (military establishments) have lost their professionalism. People look at their regional affiliations, ethnic or religious inclination, not only the qualified professional acumen that is supposed to be of such institution,” he said.

On whether retiring and promoting officers to higher ranks by new governments is a norm all over the world or it is a Nigerian thing, Sheikh Gumi said, “When Barack Obama became the American head of state, he left all the service chiefs appointed by the Republicans because there was war in Iraq.

“I think we should not touch the military and the judiciary just because there is change of political leadership. Even the civil service is now affected. The position of a permanent secretary is supposed to be purely for professional civil servants, but you find out that it is now also politicised.

“It is very unfortunate. It is a very bad development that we lose officers after training them, some of them abroad. We spend a lot of money to train them on different kinds of warfare, then suddenly, because of ethnic, religious or regional consideration, many of them get retired after the appointment of some officers.

“And we don’t have to put anybody who is a junior just because of his tribe or religion or where he comes from to head such institution, especially in a time when our main problem, the elephant in the room, is the security issue. We need qualified hands, people who have experience, people who understand and are intelligent.”

Speaking on the possibility of recalling retired generals to serve when the need arises because of their expertise, a retired brigadier-general who did not want his name in print because of the sensitive nature of the matter said, “The United States and other countries have reserve military officers. In most cases, they are called upon for support. Most of those who resign for some reasons or retire are willing to come back and work for a certain period. They find relish in doing so because their disengagement was not haphazard in the first place.

“This is not the case in Nigeria and few other places where the active lifespan of a finest officer would be cut short for some reasons, mostly political. Some of the officers become disgruntled and completely disinterested. We need to revive the culture of ensuring that officers have a happy ending in their career. It helps in nurturing trust, patriotism, selflessness and professionalism.”


Retirement now a ritual

Although there was no exact number of generals retired between 1999 and now, findings revealed that the number runs into hundreds.

All Nigeria’s presidents in this dispensation – Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari and recently, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, retired generals compulsorily. While some made it public, others did theirs quietly.

Recent findings by Daily Trust on Sunday revealed that not less than 200 senior officers have exited the three services following the recent appointments by President Tinubu. The military high command said it was computing the exact number of those who have exited.

Specifically, experts described as huge, the cost of training a military man to become a senior officer on the rank of lieutenant-colonel, colonel, brigadier- general or major-general in the Nigerian Army or its equivalent in the Navy and Air Force.

The senior military officers that are normally being retired usually serve as General Officer Commanders (GOCs), Air Officer Commanders (AOCs), Flag Officer Commanders (FOCs) and in other critical positions at different formations.

They lost out following appointment of their mates or juniors to the topmost positions in the three services of the country’s armed forces.

The four topmost positions include Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the Chiefs of Naval Staff.

Ideally, and in line with long-standing tradition, military officers are not expected to take orders from their mates or seniors.


Obasanjo sacked 93 officers

On Friday, June 11, 1999, less than two weeks after ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as the newly elected democratic president, he ordered the compulsory retirement of 93 senior military officers across the three services in the country’s armed forces.

Notable among those who were sacked were Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Buba Marwa. However, the real reason the then President Obasanjo sacked these officers was not known until 18 years later, in 2017, while celebrating his 80th birthday in Abuja.

Obasanjo told attendees during the event that the military he met then as president would have created more problems for the country and the democracy that ushered in the Fourth Republic would not have lasted to produce more presidents after him.

Daily Trust on Sunday recalls that when Obasanjo assumed office as president, he asked the military to submit the list of every officer who had either participated in a coup or benefitted from it through appointment to political offices as ministers or governors.

Oblivious of what the list was meant for, the military acceded to Obasanjo’s request and quickly submitted the names – 93 in all.

Immediately, all the officers were given a six-hour notice of retirement on a Friday, with a presidential order not to spend the night in uniform or in barracks.

On Monday, June 14, 1999, the Service Council met to ratify the retirement of the affected officers. The president then went ahead to appoint Lieutenant-General Victor Malu (Army), Vice Admiral Victor Ombu (Navy) and Air Marshal Isaac Alfa (Air Force).


Yar’adua retired 40 generals

Two months after he was sworn in as president, the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua ordered at least 40 generals to leave the service.

Speaking at the Villa then, Yar’adua said the affected generals had reached their retirement age – the same explanations offered by the Defence Headquarters at the time.


Dozens fired in 2016

Apart from usual appointments that make senior military officers to go on compulsory retirement, dozens of senior officers were asked to leave the military by the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Officers who were familiar with the matter then and spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity confirmed that more than 50 officers were sacked.

But the army spokesman at the time, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said that “quite a number” were sacked and they were mainly major generals, brigadier-generals, colonels, lieutenant-colonels and one major. Usman did not name those fired.

Prior to that time, former President Goodluck Jonathan also relieved some top military brass when he changed the service chiefs.


It’s not good for national economy – ex-NAF spokesman

Reacting to the development, a former spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Sadeeq Shehu, said there might be possible repercussions of retiring hundreds of generals from the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Shehu, who was reacting to the recent exit of scores of the top military brass, specifically said it was not good for the economy of the country.

“When you look at the money in training these people, whether on foreign courses or here in Nigeria, the experience we are losing and the money we are wasting on these people, then telling them to go, it is not good for national economy,” he said.

The retired senior officer noted that retiring about 100 generals may have a way of crumbling the Nigerian military.

He said, “If you follow the structure of the military pyramid, whoever is the president and commander in chief, you have already given him a few number of top quality officers he can choose from.

“A situation where the president comes and he has over 300 major generals to pick from, you have not helped him.

“The problem is not the president himself. In fact, if you look at the literary meaning of section 217 on the appointment of service chiefs, as it is now, the president can even pick a colonel and say this is my service chief. He picks whoever he wants.

“The structure of the Nigerian military is bloated, no other country can afford to retire 100 major generals without crumbling their military.”


DHQ reacts

Reacting, the military high command officially confirmed that generals from the Army, Navy and Air Force had indicated their intention to retire following the appointment of their juniors as service chiefs.

Following their appointment, generals who were senior to the new service chief and some of their course mates were expected to exit the service.

Already, military officers who were course mates of the former service chiefs, notably, Courses 37 and 36, had exited the military.

Responding to Daily Trust on Sunday’s question in Abuja, the acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the affected officers from the three services had already turned in their application for voluntary retirement.

“From day one that you got admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), you know your seniors and juniors. When your junior is appointed a service chief, you have to put in your retirement papers. So, I confirm to you that officers have put in their application for voluntary retirement.

“Officers put in their applications for voluntary retirement and got responses from the various military secretaries. When we get the number we will let you know,” he said.

IT is a pathetic story for France based Nigerian woman, Ms Ehi Nosakhale Ese from Ebelle in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State who alleged that she has been traumatized, dehumanized, brutalized and now being forced to live on the streets of Nice in France. Worst of all, she said she is being treated as a psychiatric patient when she is not. She is about 55 years old.

According to Ese, her predicament started when she refused the sexual advances of her employer she identified as Mr. Primon who, as a result of her refusal, unjustly sacked her without paying her entitlements.

She said she approached the courts and won and her employer was ordered to pay her entitlements but that the man vowed that she would not live to spend the money and true to the threat, he has allegedly used every means to frustrate her including using the police to cart away her physical cash, jewelries, choice wines and other items running into millions of euros.

Ese said she traveled to Italy in the early 90s but on discovering the reality when she got there, she opted to get married and subsequently commenced her educational advancement instead of going into prostitution.


She narrated her ordeal

I studied in Italy and I came to France as an Erasmus student, which is a student study exchange programme. On getting here they told me that I should help them to be implicating Nigerians but I refused. They said I should be translating what Nigerians are saying on the phone to them since I am a language translator, I studied languages. They wanted me to be misinterpreting their conversations to them but I cannot do that because what they’re doing to Nigerians here is really horrible.

I said I cannot do that job, I cannot implicate my own kinsmen. Thereafter, because of what I studied, they were able to get me a job easily. But when I got there, the owner of the place of work said I should be cooking for them and I was doing that but I needed something more because Italy gave me a document that covers the whole Europe such that any country I go I could ask for authorization to work.


Travails and set up

The owner of the place then asked me to have sexual relationship with him but when I refused he was determined to use the police against me because he is a very close friend of the head of police in the area. He was looking for an opportunity to terminate my appointment. Here when you give somebody a work contract you cannot terminate that appointment, but he did. So, I reported to the Inspector of Work.

They called him, they wrote him a letter and when he refused to comply, they now took both of us to court. My lawyer won the case for me. He appealed and my lawyer also won the appeal for me. But on the day they wanted to give me my cheque, that was the day his police friend came to my house to look for me but luckily, I was not at home. They came again, took me to the police station and ordered me to tell them how a Nigerian who they killed died. I said no, I didn’t know her and they really dealt with me. The policemen raped me through the anus and I suffered injury which led to my being operated upon at the hospital.

Presently, I find it very difficult to sit on the chair, the evidence is there. I was between life and death, they took me to the hospital to issue a certificate of death for me, but God was so kind I woke up before the doctor came. When I left the hospital I sued them for damages because they have destroyed my life, I cannot stand, I cannot move.

As I am speaking now I cannot see because of the knife they used to pierce my eyes. The ophthalmologist has told them they should give me medicated glasses, but till now they did nothing. They broke my waist, one part of my body is paralysed. So, when they saw that I sued them, they dragged me to court, looked for two Nigerians and gave them documents to testify against me that I was the one that trafficked them to Europe. At the court, the judge asked me who was the lawyer that won my case against my employer and I asked her if that was why I was in court but she ordered me to shut up that I was a human trafficker. “You’re black and secondly you are a Nigerian,” the judge told me and sent me to prison for doing nothing. They destroyed me. It was really shocking.

I wrote letters to the Nigerian Embassy several times, but they never allowed that letter to get there. After releasing me from prison they took me to a deportation camp. They came on the 10th of July 2018 and took me to the Embassy. It was horrible when the Nigerian Ambassador saw me. She asked me what happened and I narrated all my ordeals to her. The ambassador now asked the police, “but you did not tell me that police raped her, you did not tell me that you people destroyed her. Is this person in the picture the same person here now? It was you doctor who was telling us that this woman is not well. You did not tell us this woman was beaten and you said I should give papers to you to go and dump her in Nigeria”. She cried. The Ambassador now asked them to go and treat me and come back. Since 2018 they have not gone back to the embassy to tell them what was going on.


Life after prison

They took me to prison again because I asked the Social Department to help me. Because they wanted to protect the police they said I was mad. But last year when the Social Department called the police because I told them I would not sleep on the streets again, they took me back to prison on remand for one month from 30th March to 20th April last year and the Judge on 20th of April last year sentenced me to six months imprisonment. They asked for psychiatric report from a specialist psychiatrist.

They came to visit me to analyse all that they said but they told the judge that I was not a psychiatric patient, that I didn’t have any symptoms of psychiatry, nothing like that. They have been giving me psychiatric drugs for four years. When they read the paper in court the lawyer they gave to me that day asked the judge, ‘what a contradiction?’ To protect the police they said that this woman is crazy, but to protect the social worker now you said she is not crazy. Which one do we believe? You people have done all what you want to do to this woman, but you people should leave this woman alone, she has high blood pressure, very high’.

They treated me like this because because I did not mess around with my body with them. But I am not regretting it.


Present condition

Since I left the prison, I have been living outside like a dog because before I came back they removed all my property, gold, shoes, wine and other items, they removed everything.

I wrote to the Nigerian Diaspora Commission to come to my aid and I want them to recover my gold and my properties for me because my gold is worth 1.1 million Euro, my wine is over ten million Euro, I’m a collector of wines. They followed me because I wanted to buy an international restaurant here.


Lawyer writes Diaspora Commission

Ese’s lawyer in Nigeria, S. O. Agwinede Esq. appealed to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and its Chairman, Hon. Abike Dabiri – Erewa, to come to her aid in recovering her money paid her as compensation for wrongful dismissal by her employers, Sari Brasserie SKYROS owned by Mr. Primon. In a letter of reminder marked SOA/GEN/VOL.1/26/05/23, dated 16/05/2023 and titled: Reminder- Dehumanising, Dastard and Cruel Treatment Meted Out on a Nigerian Citizen in Nice, France, Re: Ms Ehi Nosakhale Ese referred the Commission to its earlier letter of complaint on the issue with number SOA/GEN/VOL.1/17/03/20, dated 21 March 2020 which was received by the Commission on 25 September 2020.

The letter of reminder again appealed to the Commission to come to the aid of Ms Ehi Nosakhale Ese in recovering her belongings noting that she was at the verge of losing hope and trust in the Commission set up by her country to help her as a Nigerian living abroad.

In the earlier letter of appeal to the commission, Ese’s lawyers chronicled the genesis of her travail in the hands of Mr. Primon and the French Police. He said her employer was paying her €1,800 instead of the agreed salary of €2,400.

The lawyer said “The said Labour and Commerce Court directed Mr. Primon to come and hand over all her terminal benefits to her in court including her salaries. For fear of pains of sanction by the said Court, Mr. Primon obeyed and complied with the court orders. As he was handing over the cheque to her, Mr. Primon threatened her with the following words: ‘If your lawyer wins this case (case to pay up dues due to the wrongful dismissal), nobody will see your dead body’.

“The Labour and Commerce Court finally made its award for her wrongful dismissal in May, 2015. The cheque for the awarded damages was released to her in April, 2016. True to his threat quoted above, Mr. Primon started using the French Police to be laying all forms of trumped up criminal charges against her and the Police brutal harassment commenced on the 10th day of May, 2016 when Mr. Primon instigated the Brigadier de Police Damez Francious at 28’s invitation to their office in Nice, France”.

The letter stated further that the French Police instigated the neighbours of Ms Ese Nosakhale Ehi against her and were allegedly aided by the police to assault her and pleaded that the commission should help her to get justice.

Oil marketers have said local refining will save at least N70 per litre off petrol price when it is fully operational.

The National Controller Operations, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mike Osatuyi, said this while speaking on the benefits of the Federal Government investing in functional refineries.

He told The PUNCH on Wednesday, that although the contracts for revamping of refineries had been awarded, it would be a great development for repairs to be completed as soon as possible, to ease the stress and huge finance of importation on the country.

He said, “The contract has been awarded already before the new government came into office. IPMAN doesn’t know the context of the contract, but if the refineries are working, it would cut freight and ship-to-ship transfer costs.

“Not less than N60/N70 per litre will be off if the refineries start working.”

He listed other benefits of operational local refining as reduction in insurance costs, reduction in product delivery time, and increase in employment.

According to him, “Cost of insurance would reduce, and then if we keep importing, it takes about 30 days for ships to arrive in Nigeria and we would have to pay for hiring the vessel.

“But if we refine in the country, products would arrive within one day. There will also be more jobs for the masses. It’s a lot of benefits.”

A former Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria and Chairman/Chief Executive of 11 Plc, Tunji Oyebanji, said marketers did not prefer products importation over local production.

“We want local refineries to work because we don’t enjoy importing,” he said.

Nigeria still relied heavily on petrol importation due to lack of functional local refineries.

Since removal of subsidies on May 29, prices of petrol had shot up tremendously, rising from about N198/N200 per litre to N617 per litre.

Local consumption has since dropped by 30 per cent from 66 million litres per day recorded before subsidies removal.

National President, IPMAN, Chinedu Oknokwo, during the House of Representatives Public Hearing held on Tuesday, said in proffering solutions to the animated social problems of pump price increase of petroleum products, there was need to quickly adopt the global alternative clean energy concept of Compressed Natural Gas.

According to him, CNG would help in powering homes, public and official and private establishments with very minimal costs when compared with other costs.

The Department of State Services has invited and interrogated the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, over recent allegations of fraud levelled against him.

A source from the DSS who craved anonymity hinted our correspondent that the invitation and subsequent interrogation were a result of the allegations levelled against him.

The source told our correspondent that the grill took place at the Ogun State Command Headquarters of the DSS, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Friday, at 6:55 pm.

Talabi was reportedly grilled for five hours on Friday but was released afterwards on self-recognition.

Talabi’s alleged involvement with Superflux Printing Limited, located on Acme Road, Ikeja, Lagos State, has in recent times come under close scrutiny

Our correspondent gathered that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, had submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, demanding a thorough investigation into the link between the Independent National Electoral Commission and a printing company believed to be owned by Talabi during the last elections.

But the source said the agency grilled the SSG on a petition lodged by Talabi himself on the allegations.

The source further told our correspondent that the DSS state command initiated the inquiry to ascertain the veracity of some allegations against Talabi on ballot papers printing among others.

The source further said that among the issues addressed during the questioning was his alleged role of Superflux Printing Limited in the Covid-19 palliative controversy.

The DSS was also said to have asked Talabi questions on the company’s connection to significant sums of money related to Ogun State and its role in the 2023 elections.

It was gathered that the allegations raised concerns about the potential impact on the credibility of the upcoming elections.

The source, however, assured the general public of the command’s commitment to a thorough and meticulous investigation.

He said the agency seeks to unravel the complex web of allegations surrounding Talabi and his association with Superflux Printing Limited.

The outcome of this investigation will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for Ogun State and its governance.

Several attempts to get in touch with Talabi proved abortive as he had not responded to several calls put to his mobile line.

He had also not responded to the text message sent to him on his invitation by the DSS.

Shell Plc is reportedly set to resume talks to sell some of its Nigerian oil fields. The oil giant is said to be in negotiations with Eroton Exploration and Production Company Ltd. to offload some of its assets in Nigeria. Shell has been operating in Nigeria since 1937 and is the largest oil producer in the country, accounting for about 40 per cent of the nation’s total oil production. The company has a long history of exploration and production activities in Nigeria, and it currently operates more than 200 oil and gas fields in the country.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer and one of the world’s top 10 oil producers. The country is estimated to have the ninth-largest proven oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 37 billion barrels of oil. Oil and gas account for about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s export earnings and more than 70 per cent of its government revenue. Eroton Exploration and Production Company Ltd. is a Nigerian oil and gas exploration and production company. It is a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and a consortium of Nigerian investors. The company was established in 2018 and is focused on developing and producing oil and gas resources in Nigeria.

Shell has been in talks with Eroton Exploration and Production Company Ltd. since 2019 to sell some of its Nigerian oil fields. The company is reportedly looking to offload some of its assets in the country as part of its strategy to focus on more profitable areas. The sale of the assets is expected to generate billions of dollars for Shell.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has announced the appointment of 47 media aides.

He made the announcement in a tweet on Thursday evening.

The governor expressed confidence that the team would serve the people effectively.

The statement reads; “I’m pleased to announce the appointment of the following members to constitute my media team:

SPECIAL ADVISERS:
1. Dr. John Ngamsa – Special Adviser Media and Strategy

2. Babayola Tongo – Special Adviser Media


SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANTS:

1. George Kushi – Senior Special Assistant Media and Publicity
2. Ijafiya Domiya – SSA Digital and Visual Communication
3. Sherif Alhassan – SSA Electronic Media
4. Muhammed Tukur – SSA New Media
5. Nurudeen Kama – SSA New Media
6. Pius Iliya – SSA New Media
7. Awal Hamza- SSA New Media
8. Thomas Terry – SSA Visuals (Photography)
9. Barrister Sunday Wugirah – SSA Public Affairs
10. Victor Dogo – SSA Social Mobilization


Special Assistants Social Media and Content Creation:

1. Mohammed Faisal
2. Miracle Musa
3. Abubakar Idris
4. Nafiu Abubakar
5. Prince Solomon Yakubu Tumba
6. Abdullahi Damare
7. Vandi Yusuf
8. Emmanuel Tumba
9. Jonathan Jude
10. Auwal Hamza
11. Jamila Tanko
12. Mohammed Rayan Yunuda
13. Paul Barnabas
14. Suleiman Garga
15. Zailani Abba Kawu
16. Elijah Sambo
17. Benan Wyclif
18. Nasir Kasim
19. Wali Ibrahim Facebook
20. Mamse Adamu
21. Muhammed Girei
22. Sani Garta
23. Emmanuel Lakami
24. Ibrahim Assad
25. Musa Elson
26. Hierarchy Harold
27. Micah Simon Tihze
28. Jameel Kolere
29. Joan Daniel
30. Jibril Musa
31. Halima Bala
32. Nacha Waziri
33. Ahmadu Hamidu
34. Ijabani Ijahu
35. Hamanbello Idris Special Assistant (Master Of Ceremony Government Events).


Meanwhile, anger has trailed the governor’s announcement.

Taking to the comment section of the tweet, tweeps criticized Fintiri for appointing such number into his media team alone.

Tweeting via @sire_sommy, one Somto Anaerobic said: “47-man media team? Even Nollywood cast no reach like this!”

@Diadribs wrote: “I was scrolling down to see the end of the list 😂”

@amudaDewale said: “How do you plan to reduce cost of governance with so much advisers on media only. Will they be operating Adamawa radio station or th station cos why do you need about 50 ppl? Haba”

@NwagweEverest wrote: “Maybe this man wants to open a media production company to rival Universal Studios.”

@iam_bussie said: “So you are Soo clueless you need 47 persons to handle your media department. At a time we are asking for trimming in cost of governance.Wahalai it can never be well with you people thinking you can use government coffers as a means to reward people.”

@leeyah2k wrote: “I will never understand this because this crew is highly unneeded 🤣😭😭”

@theamazaing_ama said: “This guy’s media team is larger than Zikoko, TechCabal & Stears put together with no prospect of generating revenue 😭”

@Chydee wrote: “Lmfaoooooooo. The fact that he has all these people in his media team, and they still thought it was a good idea to post this means that they’re all grossly incompetent. Na that one pain me pass 😂😂😂😂”

@OjiUgo_uwa: “These people in government are not interested in cutting down the cost of governance. I mean why does a state Governor need 2 Special Advisers, 10 senior special Assistants and 35 special assistants on social media kini kan 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️”

@okekecc: “Sir, you missed out some names, it should have been 100 appointees.”

@viqforlan: “Let’s say you even appointed 47 media aides, announcing it on Twitter shows you’re not reading the room or feeling the pulse of the nation.
It’s really a shame. You fell off.”

by Wasilat Azeez


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The Organised Labour has described their discussion regarding petrol subsidy removal palliatives with President Bola Tinubu as “fruitful and productive”.

Speaking with state house correspondents after a meeting with the president on Tuesday in Abuja, Joe Ajaero, national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said they thoroughly examined the proposed measures as the concerns that sparked the protests persist.

He, however, did not provide any assurance regarding the cancellation or continuation of the nationwide protests against the economic difficulties resulting from the removal of petrol subsidy.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has attributed the recent fuel price hike from N537 to N617 to extortion by security agencies and arbitrary levies by government institutions.

The IPMAN National President, Chinedu Okoronkwo who spoke at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Recent Hike in Petrol Pump Price on Tuesday, said those factors added to international pricing to hike the product in the country.

Okoronkwo told the lawmakers that IPMAN members are presently cash trapped and can not engage in direct importation of fuel as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) was owing them about N250 billion.

The IPMAN President further called on the Federal Government to instruct all its agencies to put a stop to arbitrary charges which are built into the price of fuel by marketers.

He recommended a switch over to the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to permanently address the rising cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and ease the challenges brought by the removal of subsidy.

Okoronkwo said in spite of the excruciating pain of subsidy removal, it was a right decision and what was left was for the government to bring succour.

“Energy everywhere is critical, it is in the security list of every nation and God has given us about the best in gas that can last for over 500 years.

What we require now is to build the market, the demand will be there, we need this house to help us build the market.

“Everyone is feeling the pinch, everyone has taken the bullet; palliatives are just for some time, what is the permanent solution is what we have brought to the nation and we tag it good news because with little money you can fill your tank and still do business,” he said.

Also speaking, a partner of IPMAN and the managing director of Gas Analytics and Sorutiral Index, Brian Amonu said Nigeria has more gas than crude oil, noting that a lot of gas is flared in the country because there is no organised market for the product.

“This solution lies in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in it lies a N250 billion gas expansion facility.

The objective of that facility is to support the utilisation of natural gas; we have written to CBN since last year way ahead of subsidy removal, we have had meetings convened by the former Finance Minister and the CBN, NNPC and other stakeholders and we told them the solution to subsidy removal can be implemented in one day.

“Nigerians, vehicle owners and the state government should be given access to borrow N200,000 to convert their vehicle or tricycle from that N250 billion. That will catalyse investments along the value chain because you need to have a large pull of converted vehicles to justify the investment to deliver that gas to every part of the country.

“The solution is here, we have been preaching this since last year, the government does not have to do anything new; there is funding at CBN to support this. The only way natural gas can be a substitute is by providing loans for vehicle users.

“If we transit just 10 per cent of the 48 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol we consume a day to natural gas, it will save Nigerians two billion naira everyday or N730 billion naira every year.

“Just by transitioning 10 per cent of the petrol we consume today to natural gas and what that means is that, we can deliver natural gas through the IPMAN platform in Kebbi, in Borno at N200 per litre equivalent,” he said.

In his remarks, chairman of the Committee, Hon. Babajimi Benson said petrol is the lifeline of the Nigerian economy and an increase in the price will affect the price of food on which Nigerians spend 80 per cent of their income.

“This is why we fear that this recent increase will further push Nigerians deeper below the poverty line. This committee is confident that the government means well for Nigerians and has its justification for this action. This is what we want to hear at this investigative hearing. Nigerians need to understand the rationale behind this action.

“But beyond that, they need to be assured that this price hike will not have a more devastating effect on their livelihoods. We need to be able to convince Nigerians that their interest will always be protected.

“We therefore urge you to be open and objective in your submissions and provide the necessary information that will guide the committee in reaching a decision that will be mutually beneficial for the government and Nigerians in general since the primary goal of governance is the welfare of citizens,” he said.

A Deputy Director, Mrs. Maimuna Lami Gogo Shiru, was over the weekend awarded with the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Award for successfully saving over N7 trillion in the cases she handled on behalf of the federal government.

She was of the 31 civil servants conferred with meritorious awards to conclude the activities of the 2023 Civil Service Week celebration.

Gogo, who is the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law at the Ministry of Justice successfully completed over 200 cases on behalf of federal government including a case between the Registered Trustees of SERAP vs Chairman Code of Conduct wherein the federal government was saved from liability in the sum of N12 billion and Registered Trustees of Original Inhabitants of FCT Vs FGN where the latter was saved from a liability to the tune of N4 trillion.

She also saved the federal government the sum of $47.8 million in the matter against Panic Alert System.

Another awardee was Issac Anum, of the Ministry of Science and Technology, who initiated the memo that led to the formation of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and was also in the team that drafted the memo that midwife the formation of National Board for Technology Incubation.

Each of the 31 recipient of the outstanding award received N500,000 from the Aig-Imokhude Foundation while the star prize of a brand new 2022 JAC JS4 SUV was won by Mrs. Juwon Olayiwola of the Federal Ministry of Education; a 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalow won by Mr Kevin Nwachukwu of Service Welfare Office (OHCSF) and the third price, a plot of land was allocated to Mrs. Chukweke Stella Oluchi, of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

Meanwhile President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has described the civil service as a fulcrum for governance, whose vision and mission were predicated on implementation of policies and programmes that will enhance national economic and multi-dimensional growth.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, made this disclosure at the Rewards and Recognition Ceremony/Gala Nite marking the concluding activities of the 2023 Civil Service Week celebration.

He noted that the event was a social gathering to appreciate the uncommon, exemplary and commendable performances of deserving civil servants.

He said the annual ritual was essential for the ongoing improvement in service delivery geared towards ensuring good governance, leading to rapid socio-economic development of our dear country.

According to him the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) would require a fit-for-purpose African Public Administration to succeed, which interrogates intra-African trade and productivity of the continent against the backdrop of the ambitious aspirations of Agenda 2063.

He added it was this that inspired the theme for this year’s Civil Service Week: “Digitalisation of Work Processes in the Public Service: A Gateway to Efficient Resource Utilisation and National Development,” further concretised the cardinal role digital technology plays in today’s workspaces, especially, in evolving a capable Public Service.

Tinubu also extolled the Aig-Imoukhede Foundation for instituting a N41 million endowment fund to reward deserving civil servants annually.

The move according to the president, would drive public sector transformation for improved public service delivery in the country.

He pledged that his administration would accord the necessary attention to prioritise the welfare of civil servants.

In his words: “As you must have noticed, the private sector is becoming more interested and committed to the value proposition of the civil servants. Their support is commendable. I am informed particularly of the support of the AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation.

“It is on record that the Foundation has instituted an endowment fund with N41,000,000.00 to reward deserving civil servants annually. The onus is now on the body of civil servants to collectively show greater dedication to its ideals.”

He therefore appreciated the Federal Civil Service as the custodian of public trust, and promise to empower it in order for them to consolidate on the gains of the on-going reforms, while also introducing further smart and radical policies and administrative measures to make the civil service more virile, competent, accountable and citizen-centred in the delivery of public services.

“It is fitting that the awardees today be adequately celebrated with fanfare. Award and recognition are instituted to motivate personnel and stimulate healthy competition among them for the delivery of high-quality services. The officers who have been adjudged worthy of recognition and awards today, are exemplars of the right values being promoted by the ongoing reforms in the Service,” he said.

“This initiative must be sustained. Let me therefore specially commend each and every one of the awardees for their dedication to service. The recognition given here today though a reward; is also a call to greater service. Be reassured that the country of your dream is possible,” he averred.

He noted his administration counts on the Public Service and the Federal Civil Service in particular, to deliver on their promise of a renewed hope even as the federal government would be unfolding very explicit cues for action in no distant time.

Tinubu said many tough, but needful policy and paradigm shifts would be emplaced to reposition governance for efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, saying that to match the expectations of the present administration, the civil service must increase its reform pace.

Allwell Onyesoh, the senator representing Rivers east, on Monday, questioned Bello Muhammad, a ministerial nominee over his academic certificates.

The senators during the special plenary session screened the ministerial nominees whose names were sent to the upper legislative chamber last week by President Bola Tinubu.

After introducing himself and speaking about his experience, senators began asking Muhammad questions.

Onyesoh questioned Muhammed, who is from Sokoto, over his senior secondary school certificate examination (SSCE) result, saying from the credentials submitted, the nominee only has two credits

“I’ve been looking for your school certificate. I saw one. You sat for five subjects with (but you have) two credits,” Onyesoh said

“I don’t know how. I want to imagine that you still have another (SSCE result) to bring. If not, I would want you to explain how you got into university with that (two credits).”

In response, Muhammed told the lawmakers that he has other SSCE results in which he “passed all” subjects, adding that he did not attach them to his CV.

“I have other secondary school results which I have all passed. That is not attached to my CV because we are talking of a secondary school certificate,” he said.

“I want to remind the distinguished senator which I know he very much knows that with the qualification of secondary school certificate as enshrined in the constitution, we can stand for an election up to the presidential election.”

“So, I didn’t bother you with such certificates. But I know those are the qualifications for that.”


‘YOU CAN’T CONCEAL YOUR CERTIFICATES’

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, interrupted him, noting that there is a difference between standing for an election and being nominated to serve as a minister.

“You are saying that you chose what to give to the senate. You chose the qualification to bring before the senate because of the constitutional provision that a secondary school certificate is what is required to stand for election,” Akpabio said.

“You’re not coming to stand for election, you’re coming to be a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, which are the other certificates you concealed? Which are the other certificates you did not put in your CV?”

But Muhammed explained further that the result he submitted to the red chamber is his first in which he passed with only two credits, noting that there are other SSCEs he sat and made all subjects.

“I sat for another examination and I have passed but I don’t want to attach another qualification,” he said.

Lawmakers shouted in disagreement after his comments, leading to rowdiness in the chamber.

In an attempt to maintain decorum, Akpabio asked Muhammed to submit all his certificates to the clerk.

He said all nominees must present all their certificates in totality, “including the number of children they have” and the number of houses”.

The senate president said Nigerians have a right to know the detail of their ministerial nominees.

“So, you don’t choose and pick,” he said.

Similarly, the senators also grilled Joseph Utsev, a nominee from Benue, over what appeared to be a discrepancy in his biodata.

While addressing the lawmakers, Utsev said he was born in Benue on December 2, 1980, and attended the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, where he studied civil engineering and graduated in 2004.

The nominee said he completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kaduna in 2006. And then proceeded to obtain his master’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2007, and later earned his doctorate from the same university in 2011.

However, Tokunbo Abiru, senator representing Lagos east senatorial district, requested Utsev to clarify his biodata.

“You graduated in 2004 meaning that you probably would have spent nine years for your first degree. I just need you to clarify those data starting from primary school, while it took you that long to get your first degree despite the academic brilliance you have exhibited,” Abiru asked the nominee.

Utsev explained that there is a discrepancy in his biodata, adding that he was also affected during the delay of the ASUU strike.

President Bola Tinubu has approved provision of buses to the students’ bodies of all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.

Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications & Strategy, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

He said the development was in furtherance of the President’s desire to ease the burden of the fuel subsidy removal on students of higher institutions of learning,

“The desire of the President is to see that students can access their campuses without much difficulty as a result of higher transportation costs.

“The provision of the buses will also remove the burden of additional cost of daily commuting on parents and guardians.

“In line with his promise to ensure no Nigerian student abandons his or her educational pursuits as a result of lack of money and economic circumstances of their parents, President Tinubu has also approved the removal of all restrictions on the students’ loan to make it available to any student or household that may desire it,” the statement read

Alake added that the president also warned authorities of all federal institutions against “arbitrary” increase of fees.

“Similarly, President Tinubu has directed the authorities in all Federal Institutions of higher learning to avoid arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable and where possible defer further increase so that parents and students don’t face too many difficulties.”

“While it is important to reiterate that President Tinubu has directed release of over 200,000 Metric Tonnes of grains to families in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the government is working to ensure that vulnerable students can also benefit from conditional cash transfers and food distribution.

“The Federal Government salutes the courage, wisdom and partnership of Nigerian Students as our country navigates this challenging time.

“President Tinubu will continue to prioritise education and the needs of the students, improve welfare of teaching and non-academic staff and invest in infrastructure to make our institutions of higher learning become more globally competitive.”