President Bola Tinubu congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, as he retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria after a successful public service career.

Justice Ariwoola had served as Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos divisions before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011.

He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2022 and had also served the nation in diverse capacities as a judicial officer.

President Tinubu commends the eminent jurist for his services to the nation, noting his impactful leadership of the judiciary and his efforts in enriching Nigerian jurisprudence, as well as in strengthening the fibre of the law.

The President thanks Justice Ariwoola and wishes him the very best for the future.

President Tinubu will swear in Justice Ariwoola's successor at the State House Council Chambers on August 23, 2024. 

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, has described the model of the Geometric Power in developing the Aba Independent Power Project in Abia State as impressive.

“The Geometric model is impressive”, declared the High Commissioner after inspecting the facilities in the $800m power project which comprises a 188-megawatt gas-fired plant with an embedded distribution firm that provides electricity to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State.

“It represents the kind of innovation needed to drive sustainable development across Nigeria”.

Dr Montgomery was accompanied by the Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engineer Ikechukwu Monday, and was received on arrival by the Geometric Power management led by its chairman, Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power.

Commissioned last February 26 by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Aba Independent Project was started in 2004 on the recommendation of the then World Bank president, James Wolfonsohn, and the then Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, when they visited Aba in March 2004 and discovered that the lack of reliable electricity was the main constraint to the realization of the city’s enormous manufacturing potential.

They requested Professor Nnaji, a leading Nigerian engineering professor in the United States who had earlier led a team of Nigerian engineers to build the 22MW Abuja Emergency Plant, to consider establishing an independent thermal plant in Aba for small, medium, and large industrialists.

High Commissioner Montgomery also lauded the “state-of-the-art facilities” at the power utility.

The utility, licensed to produce 188MW, has three installed General Electric (GE) turbines and has built four brand-new substations and refurbished three old ones inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

“It has, in addition, provided 150,000 kilometres of overhead wires and cables”, says Ben Caven, a former PHCN executive director in charge of engineering, transmission, and generation who is now the Geometric Power managing director.

“Our steel tubular poles, with 10 metres buried in the ground to withstand any natural disaster like an earthquake, match the ones in San Francisco in the United States and Tokyo in Japan.

“We have also built a 27-kilometre gas pipeline from Owaza in Ukwa West LGA to the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba”.

The British diplomat said that given the technical sophistication attained by Geometric Power, he would like UK firms to work with it.

Nnaji praised the High Commissioner for the visit, adding that when Geometric Power overcomes the ongoing gas supply challenges in the next few weeks, Aba would be receiving about 100MW while about 50MW would be exported to the national grid to boost electricity in other parts of the country.

The Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities commended Governor Alex Otti for his “relentless support to Geometric Power for its key role in the state’s industrialization”.

Other Geometric Power executives who interacted with the British High Commissioner delegation are the Geometric Power Group Managing Director, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji, The Managing Director of Geometric Power Aba Limited, Engr. Ben Caven, the Aba Power Managing Director, Ugo Opiegbe, and the Geometric Power Chief Financial Officer, Tony Alozie, the Aba Power Chief Operating Officer, Engr Blessing Ogbe, Facilities Manager, Geometric Power Group, Mr Adeniyi Adebiyi, as well as Hannah Yangchi, Principal Manager, Projects.

Euro 2024 winner and Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has agreed to become a new Arsenal player ahead of the transfer deadline, according to reports in Spain.

Transfer Expert, Fabrizio Romano, revealed that a verbal agreement has been put in place for the Spanish midfielder to the Premier League side.

Romano in a post on his X handle said €32m plus €5m add-ons with favourable payment terms have been agreed on for the player to move to the Emirate Stadium.

Reports in Spain added that the negotiations between Arsenal and the Spanish club have ended ‘in an agreement’ and Merino ‘did not train on Wednesday with his current Real Sociedad teammates due to lower back pain, according to the official version, but everything indicates that he was already living his last hours as a player for the San Sebastian club, as the agreement for his transfer to Arsenal was being finalised.’

Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay was ‘seen taking a flight to London’ late on Tuesday and now a deal is set to go through for around €35m.

Arsenal are being tipped by a number of pundits and former players to win the title and their pursuit of Spain international Merino could help them achieve their ambitions.

[Leadership]

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex parte order restraining the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by Abdullahi Umar-Ganduje and the Secretary Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru, from proceeding with the planned Rivers State Ward, Local Government and State Congresses scheduled for October 11, 16, and 26, 2024.

The lawsuit, filed by Peter Ohochukwu and Haija Ndidi-Chukwuma on behalf of themselves and all elected executive members of the APC in the state, named the APC, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, the Nigeria Police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as defendants.

Justice Godwin O. Ollor, in his ruling on the ex parte motion on Thursday, also restrained the defendants, their representatives, officers, or agents from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring, or otherwise organizing any elections for the Rivers State executive committee.

Justice Ollor emphasized that his ruling was based on the merits of the application and the oral arguments presented by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Collins Dike.

The court also barred the national leadership of the APC from attempting to suspend the state executives led by Emeka Beke.

The judge further restrained the APC’s national chairman, secretary and the party itself from interfering with the activities of the elected APC executives in the state, led by Beke, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.

DAILY POST reports that Justice Ollor adjourned the case to September 9, 2024, for the hearing of the motion on notice.

Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, counsel for the claimants, Collins Dike said, “After the very erudite judgement of My Lord Honorable S. H. Aprioku, the national office wrote a letter in which they disclosed their plans to hold an elective congress specifically for Rivers State.

“Invariably what they intended to achieve with that was to ensure the judgement of Honorable justice Aprioku was rendered a nullity.

“The judgement of Honorable justice Aprioku was very clear, that the tenure of office of the elected executives of the party was still subsisting, was still valid, until the four years term the constitution gave them expired.

“But curiously, these people, in spite of the fact that there’s no vacancy in the various offices that make up the executive committee, went behind and started planning how to hold an elective congress, in-spite of the fact that they are fully aware of that judgement, they have been served with that judgment.

“So, it is for that reason that we said no. They have created a new cause of action by their attempt to proceed with plans to hold an elective congress. And if we do not do anything, they will foist a fait accompli on the court with respect to the judgement of Honorable Justice S. H. Aprioku by purporting to hold that elective congress.

“And it is for that reason that we have gone on to say that no, what they want to do is contrary to the law.

“And we are happy that the court was convinced with the facts we presented, convinced with the argument we presented. And the court has in very clear terms, restrained them from proceeding in the interim pending when the court will be hearing all the parties.”

[DailyPost]

The Enugu State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had apprehended a total of 123 suspects between July and August of this year.

The arrests were made in connection with various crimes, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, vandalism, theft, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and cultism.

During a press conference at the Command’s Headquarters, State Commissioner of Police Kanayo Uzuegbu revealed that numerous incriminating exhibits were seized during the operations that took place across the state.

Uzuegbu further stated that many of the suspects have been charged and remanded in custody at the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centres.

While commending the residents of the state for providing the command information, he still appealed they shouldn’t relent timely and actionable information will help the command to provide better security for all in the state.

A breakdown of the arrests shows that 123 suspects were apprehended and 19 victims of kidnapping and abduction were rescued during the period in question.

He said, “AK-47 and assault rifles recovered -15, Pump action guns recovered – 25, other firearms recovered – 35, live ammunition of different calibres recovered – 710, live cartridges recovered – 187, motor vehicles recovered – 17, tricycles recovered – 11, motorcycles recovered – 8,” the crime summary report indicated.

While confirming the attack on the police checkpoint where four policemen were killed by hoodlums, he, however, refuted the purported kidnapping of some persons around the Enugu State College of Health Technology, Oji-River.

He stated, “Rather, the four persons, three of whom were not students of the school, allegedly kidnapped around the College on August 14, 2024, have all been rescued and reunited with their families.

“Meanwhile, be informed that the suspects involved have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation.

“Also, the peddler of the unwarranted panic news on the incident has been traced and he has been apologizing for the mischievous act.

“Similarly, the sinister plans of the IPOB/ESN secessionist renegades to attack the police operatives and cause collateral damage at 4-Corner, along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway, on August 18, 2024, were squarely thwarted by the operatives.

“The militants, dressed in security forces uniforms and operating in a snatched Lexus 350 Jeep, suddenly opened fire on the patrol team on approaching the operatives.”

Uzuegbu commended the Enugu State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, “for taking the bold and pragmatic steps of demolishing houses and facilities used in harbouring and perpetrating acts of abduction and kidnapping in the State.

“Therefore, I call on citizens of Enugu State, particularly landlords, hoteliers, and owners of uncompleted buildings to be mindful of who they accommodate in such structures.”

“This is to ensure that they do not harbour criminals whose activities could bring about the demolition of their building facilities.”

While providing further details on the arrests made within the period, the Police Commissioner said, “Yesterday, August 21, 2024, at about 5 p.m., Police Operatives serving in the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad recovered an AK-47 rifle at New Artisan, Enugu.”

[Punch]

Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, says petrol subsidy will reach an all-time high in 2024 after gulping N4.2 trillion from January to August.

In a post on Thursday, the organisation said petrol subsidy, which was supposedly ended in mid-2023, “is not only back but bigger than prior era”.

Agora Policy said petrol subsidy stood at N5.10 trillion in 2023 — almost double the record set in 2022. 

“With 4.2t incurred in just seven months, 2024 is set for an all-time record,” the think tank said.

According to data shared by Agora Policy, Nigeria spent N220 billion in 2006 on subsidy, N236 billion in 2007, and N360 billion in 2008.

In 2009, petrol subsidy payments dropped to N198 billion, increasing to N416 billion in 2010, and N1.9 trillion in 2011.

The year after, the petrol subsidy culminated in N690 billion, but dropped to N495 billion in 2013, N482 billion in 2014, N317 billion in 2015, and N99 billion in 2016.

However, in 2017, Agora Policy said the amount spent on petrol subsidy rose to N142 billion, N722 billion in 2018, before declining to N578 billion in 2019, and N135 billion in 2020.

The decline halted in 2021, as the petrol subsidy rose to N1.16 trillion, N2.91 trillion in 2022, and N5.10 trillion in 2023. 

“Out of N20.37t incurred on petrol subsidy from January 2006 to July 2024, the year 2023 accounted for 25.04% of the total while seven months in 2024 alone is responsible for 20.67% of the total,” Agora Policy said.

By contrast, the organisation said 16 years accounted for just 40 percent of the total subsidy.

“Petrol subsidy as a percentage of gross oil revenues in 18 years and seven months: from 21% in 2011 to 126% in 2023, then to 113% between January and July 2024,” Agora Policy said.

“Another dimension: petrol subsidy as a percentage of FAAC net revenues, ranging from 1.9% in 2020 to 50% in seven months of 2024.

“Here’s what petrol subsidy as a percentage of GDP looks like. Petrol subsidy was 2.2% of GDP in 2023, when it was supposedly gone by mid-year.”

Agora Policy said the percentage for 2023 was only surpassed by that of 2011 (3 percent), “regarded as a tipping point”.

TheCable had reported that President Bola Tinubu approved a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to utilise the 2023 final dividends due to the federation to pay for the petrol subsidy.

However, on August 19, the national oil company said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for petrol subsidy — despite denying the existence of petrol subsidy 

On August 20, the NNPC said it is selling petrol at only half the landing cost.

[TheCable]

The Federal Government has unveiled the new Presidential Jet -Airbus A330 which it acquired against widespread criticism Many Nigerians had argued that the acquisition would be insensitive given the country’s economic challenges; hence suggested that existing aircraft should be overhauled while others maintained that the purchase was a necessity rather than a luxury. The Government as an act of being transparent and accountable should make public the cost of the Jet.

The current presidential fleet consists of old aircraft that have become unreliable and consume high maintenance costs. The President was forced to use chartered flights to Saudi Arabia and from South Africa; the Vice President also had to cancel an official visit to the United States due to faulty presidential aircraft. It is more cost-effective, safer, and convenient to have a functional presidential fleet than frequently chartering flights.  New planes consume less fuel, require less maintenance, and are more reliable than older ones.

The President and the Vice President require a functional and reliable presidential fleet to perform their duties optimally. They are often required to travel to attend summits, and meetings, engage in foreign missions, respond to emergencies, etc. Lest we forget, Presidential Jets are also a symbol of National Pride and the Status of Office. Also recently a good number of high-profile persons including the former President of Iran have died in air mishaps; a call for more caution. New planes have better visibility, navigation systems and are more resilient.

It is important to note that three aging presidential aircraft were put up for sale in June 2024 and that the  Presidential Jet is an asset, not an expense which is expected to be used beyond this administration.  It is an investment that will facilitate effective governance. While wastage in governance should be minimized, cost containment should not be over-emphasized. A leader can save a lot of money during his tenure whilst leaving important things undone; sometimes as a result of lack of initiative. More important is tackling corruption and ensuring that government expenditures pass the cost-benefit assessment before they are incurred.

The outcry over the purchase of the President Jet is understandable considering the current economic hardship in the country, the government should therefore sensitize people on the benefits of the purchase and reassure people that it is working on improving their welfare. The government should also fast-track the implementation of policies that will reduce economic hardship in the country. The cost of the new Presidential Jet should be made public.

Kenechukwu Aguolu FCA,CBAP,PMP
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the bustling neighborhood of Ogba, Lagos, I recently encountered a mechanic whose words have since lingered in my mind. As we talked about the challenges of daily life and the state of the nation, he remarked in pidgin, “Na my turn to chop nor good for politics.” This simple, yet profound statement encapsulates a critical issue plaguing Nigerian politics today; the dangerous mentality of self-enrichment at the expense of the public good.

The phrase “Na my turn to chop” has become a common and tacit refrain in Nigeria’s political discourse, symbolizing the entitlement mentality that drives many politicians to seek office. For too many, political office is seen not as an opportunity to serve the people, but as a means to personal enrichment. This mentality is often justified by the argument that it is “my turn” to benefit from the spoils of power, as if governance were a relay race in which the baton of corruption is passed from one politician to the next.

However, the mechanic’s statement, “Na my turn to chop nor good for politics,” challenges this notion. It is a reminder that this mindset is not only morally wrong but also fundamentally destructive to the nation’s progress. When politics is reduced to a feeding frenzy, the very purpose of governance, to improve the lives of the people is lost. The result is a cycle of poverty, underdevelopment, and social unrest.

This culture of “chop” politics manifests in various forms, from the embezzlement of public funds to the awarding of contracts to cronies without regard for competence or public interest. It is a culture that prioritizes personal gain over public service, and it is deeply ingrained in the fabric of Nigerian politics.

The consequences of this mentality are all too evident. Infrastructure projects are abandoned halfway, public institutions are underfunded, and basic services like healthcare and education are neglected. Virtually all Nigerians, who depend on these services, are left to bear the brunt of this mismanagement, while those in power live in opulence.

Yet, the irony is that this culture of self-enrichment ultimately harms everyone, including those who engage in it. When roads are left in disrepair, even the politician with the latest luxury car cannot drive comfortably. When hospitals are poorly equipped, even those in power must seek medical care abroad, at great expense. In essence, the selfishness that drives “chop” politics creates a society in which no one, not even the politicians themselves, can truly thrive.

It is time for a shift in mindset, both among the political class and the electorate. Politics should be about service, not self-enrichment. Leaders should be chosen based on their ability to deliver on their promises and improve the lives of the people, not on their capacity to “chop” the most. The electorate, too, must reject candidates who campaign on the basis of patronage and instead demand accountability and transparency.

The mechanic in Ogba was right, “Na my turn to chop nor good for politics.” It is a mentality that has held Nigeria back for far too long. If the nation is to move forward, this culture must be rejected in favor of one that prioritizes the common good over personal gain. Only then can Nigeria truly fulfill its potential and provide a better future for all its citizens.

Partisan politics, often referred to as “paddy-paddy politics” and “chop-I-chop politics,” has become a significant obstacle to good governance in Nigeria. This form of politics, where alliances are formed based on personal gain rather than the public good, prioritizes the interests of a few over the needs of the many. It fosters an environment where loyalty to political benefactors takes precedence over accountability to the electorate, leading to decisions that serve the elite rather than addressing the pressing issues facing the nation.

The consequences of such politics are evident in the stagnation of critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Instead of implementing policies that would benefit the masses, politicians are more concerned with securing their positions and enriching themselves and their allies. This “chop-I-chop” mentality has led to widespread corruption, with public funds being siphoned off to fund lavish lifestyles while ordinary Nigerians continue to struggle with poverty and lack of basic amenities.

Ultimately, partisan politics undermines the very essence of democracy, which is meant to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. When politicians engage in “paddy-paddy” alliances, they betray the trust of those who elected them, and the result is a cycle of bad governance that perpetuates inequality and hinders national development. For Nigeria to progress there needs to be a shift away from this destructive brand of politics towards a system that prioritizes the common good and holds leaders accountable to the people.