The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria notes the inquiries some Nigerians have made regarding the directive of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, to relocate the corporate Headquarters of FAAN from Abuja to its original base, Lagos, where it has operated for decades until recently.

FAAN wishes to inform Nigerians that following wide consultations by the new Management of FAAN with stakeholders, which also involved the Unions, it was agreed that this was in the best interest of the Authority and the country for now for the following reasons:

1. Those affected by the decision to move the headquarters to Abuja have since returned to Lagos as there is no office space for them in Abuja. It was ill-advised in the first place to move the headquarters to Abuja when there was no single FAAN building in Abuja to accommodate all of them at once.

2. Having returned to Lagos, the Authority would be liable to pay them DTA (DUTY TOUR ALLOWANCE) because technically they are working OUT OF STATION as their official posting is to ABUJA. The Minister has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse.

3. ⁠The other option open to the Authority was abandon the old FAAN building in Lagos to rot away and to use its scarce resources to rent an office space in Abuja for Millions of Naira of public money when in actual fact more than sixty percent of its activities are in Lagos given the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports. The stakeholders and the Minister decided against that and to save the country this waste.

4. ⁠The Minister has rolled out plans to get concessionaires to build befitting offices for the Authority in Lagos and Abuja and until that is done, the Authority will continue to manage its old building in Lagos that can accommodate all its Directors and senior officials for now.

5. ⁠Abuja continues to have full operational offices and the Authority has not scaled down operations in Abuja one bit. It is just the technical decision of where the Authority has its ‘corporate headquarters’ that has been taken without affecting the structure of operations as they are for now in both cities.

6. ⁠In the near future, when befitting corporate buildings have been built for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja, a final decision will be taken as to the location of the permanent headquarters, depending on the exigencies of the time.

7. The Authority wishes to assure members of the public that it will continue to act in the best interest of the public and the country.

8. The Honourable Minister is committed to taking decisions that are in the best interest of the country, especially as it concerns public funds and will not yield to ethnic or sectional sentiments that will derail this commitment’

Thank you.

Obiageli Orah (Mrs.)

Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection

In their Group A clash at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire head coach, Jean -Louis Gasset, expressed that Nigeria’s heavily defensive approach made it challenging for his team.

The Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, chose a 3-4-3 formation to stifle the hosts’ attacking threat, limiting the Elephants to only two scoring chances in the first half. However, they were clearly outplayed after the break.

Gasset acknowledged his team’s struggle with the physicality of the Nigerians in the game, noting, “It was a very physical match; Nigeria chose to play very low with a five-man defense to exploit counterattacks with their star striker. It was a tightly contested match.”

Commenting further on the game, Gasset added, “We didn’t give the impression of being able to compete physically.”

With the focus now shifting to their final group game against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea next Monday, the hosts are regrouping for the upcoming challenge.

During a three-day retreat for the council chairmen and other top functionaries across the 38 local government areas and local council development areas in the state, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State cautioned local government officials against using his name for fraudulent activities. He emphasized that he did not authorize the deduction of N1m from the Christmas celebration money in December 2023.

Governor Oyebanji stressed, “I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me… I didn’t collect any money. Henceforth, when you hear something of this nature, quickly contact me.”

He further warned against the use of his name for any fraudulent schemes and assured transparency in his administration. The governor also pledged not to tamper with the local government’s allocations but emphasized the need for responsible spending.

Addressing the newly inaugurated local government officials, Oyebanji urged them to consult widely with the communities in executing projects that would benefit the people. He reminded them of their responsibilities and the need to make a positive impact during their tenure.

The retreat, organized by the state’s Ministry of Local Government Affairs, was described by the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Folorunso Olabode, as a strategic initiative for Ekiti State’s developmental plans.

Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, a resource person at the event, emphasized the need for effective partnership between the state and local governments to ensure value for the citizens’ money.

The Federal Government has for the third time amended the criminal charges it filed against the immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

In the latest amended charge taken before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accused Emefiele of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2m.

According to the amended charge marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele, on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”

According to the EFCC, Emefiele allegedly claimed that the SGF requested the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”

The EFCC said Emefiele made the claim despite knowing that it was false “and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Still in the amended charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.

He said to have allegedly connived with the fleeing Ocheme to commit the “illegal act to wit: forgery.”

Furthermore, Emefiele was accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother In-law, Omoile Macombo, by allegedly awarding a contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s residence in Lagos to the tune of N99.8m.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the contract for the renovation of the CBN Governor’s lodge, located at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was awarded to a company named Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, “wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders.”

The EFCC said Emefiele’s alleged action was a violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

The amended charge sheet contains a total of 20 counts against Emefiele.

Justice adjourned till today (Friday) for Emefiele to take his plea on the amended charges.

In the original charge filed against him in August 2023, Emefiele was accused of perpetrating procurement fraud to the tune of N6.5bn.

He was then charged alongside a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment.

The EFCC later amended the charge by reducing the counts to six, removing the names of Yaro and April 1616 Investment, while the quantum of the alleged procurement fraud was reduced to N1.2bn.

Emefiele was arraigned on the second charge on November 29, 2023, and he pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC subsequently opened its trial and had so far called three witnesses before the latest amendment.

Meanwhile, the court on Thursday, varied the terms attached to the N300m bail granted Emefiele on November 22, 2023.

Justice Muazu removed the condition that Emefiele must be restricted to Abuja till the end of the trial.

The decision followed an application to that effect moved by the defence counsel, Mathew Bukka (SAN).

The PUNCH reports that Justice Muazu in November last year granted Emefiele N300m bail with two sureties in like sum.

The judge said the sureties must have landed property in the Maitama District of the FCT.

He also ordered the ex-CBN governor not to leave the court’s jurisdiction and directed him to deposit all his travel documents with the court.

At the proceedings on Thursday, Bukka urged the court to lift the restriction on his client, assuring that he would not jump bail if the restriction was lifted.

The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the request.

He only urged the court to ensure that Emefiele wrote an undertaking that he would remain in the country if his plea was granted.

“From experience, we have seen cases where travel documents are with the court and the defendant will travel out of the country. What they usually do is go to the immigration and depose an affidavit that their traveling documents are missing.

“So in addition to his traveling documents being with the court, he should write an undertaking that the defendant will remain in Nigeria for the duration of his trial. I am not in any way suggesting the defendant will jump bail,” Oyedepo said.

Ruling, the judge held, “The defendant’s application is hereby granted. He must remain in the country for the pendency of his trial.”

The Nigerian telecoms market size has been estimated at $9.09 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $11.43 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.70 per cent between 2024 and 2029. This was revealed by market intelligence firm, Mordor Intelligence, in its recent report of Nigerian tele- coms sector. Noting that the Nigerian telecoms market had undergone significant transformation over the past few years owing to various initiatives taken by the government to boost the country’s internet infrastructure and broadband connection, the firm stated in the report that growth in data consumption from businesses as well as individuals, growth in 5G deployments across the country and various innovations by the significant telecoms market vendors operating in Nigeria would drive the projected revenue.

“The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions is revolutionising various sectors, enabling improved efficiency, automation, and enhanced user experiences. The Nigerian telecom market is experiencing a profound transformation with the rapid growth of IoT usage,” it stated. It added that increased smartphone adoption in Nigeria had fueled the development of a dynamic digital services sector. “Currently, millions of Nigerians use mobile apps, including social networking sites, e-commerce, and financial services. These apps could leverage smartphones’ capabilities to offer speed, convenience, and efficiency, encouraging more people to invest in smartphones. “In addition to these expansions and collaborations, the growing adoption of digital technologies and government support in aiding the same alongside the 5G technology implementation across the country is analyzed to boost the demand for telecom towers significantly.

“Moreover, the long-term ROI for heavy Capex investments in advanced telecom infrastructure may be uncertain, particularly in rapidly evolving technology environments. Factors such as changing consumer preferences, regulatory dynamics, and market disruptions can impact the revenue streams and payback periods for Capex-intensive projects, creating risk for telecom operators. “With COVID-19, the telecoms industry witnessed a significant increase in demand for Internet services, owing to most of the population staying at home and corporate offices employing remote working conditions. “The increase in people working from home has led to a rise in the de- mand for downloading, online video viewing, and communication through video conferencing, all leading to increased network traffic and data usage.

However, these trends have been limited to countries where the internet penetration and digital transformation of the end-users are high,” it added. Meanwhile, the report projected that mobile services, which include Mobile Data Services, Voice Services, Text and Multimedia Messaging, and Other Mobile Services, that can be operated on mobile netaqworks such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc, will hold major market share. It further noted that the increasing smartphone penetration in the country, with mobile plan subscriptions, was fueling the market for mobile services in Nigeria. For instance, in February 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Nigerian telecom regulator, reported that the number of active mobile telecommunication plan subscriptions in the country reached about 222,571 million in December 2022, which shows the demand for mobile services in Nigeria.

Additionally, in October 2022, the NCC stated that the country’s broadband subscriptions majorly depend on 3G and 4G networks contributing 44.5 per cent of the total broadband subscriptions in Nigeria, and the regulator has planned an objective to increase it to 70 per cent by 2025. In July last year, the NCC also declared that investments in the country’s telecom industry comprising foreign direct investment (FDI) and local investment, had reached $75.6 billion as of 2021. The research firm said highspeed mobile Internet, such as 4G and 5G, can support businesses’ transforming supply chain management to create smart and efficient manufacturing in the country due to its networking application in the cloud computing services in the business environment. It added that mobile telecommunication services are used in the functioning of the Internet of Things in an enterprise that collects, transmits, and shares data via the Internet, driving the adoption of mobile services in the country.

“Further, the Nigerian government has launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy toward opportunities that digital technologies provide and diversifying the economy, which would require voice and data services in the country and fuel the demand for mobile tele- coms services in Nigeria due to its application in providing low- cost telecoms services to the end users. “Therefore, the demand for data and voice services in the consumer segments, the increase in the number of smartphones, and the country’s national digital economy policy are driving the adoption of mobile services in Nigeria, supported by the vendors’ partnerships and expansion to offer 4G and 5G based mobile telecoms services in Nigeria during the forecast period,” it stated stated.

Emmanuel Amuneke, 1994 African Cup of Nation winner/Atlanta 96 Olympics gold medalist has described Thursday’s Super Eagles win against the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire in the ongoing AFCON 2023 as a “massive confidence booster” for the team.

Amuneke, who himself scored two goals in the 5th and 47th minute at the final of the 1994 AFCON between Nigeria and Zambia at Stade El Menzah, Tunis made the commendation in an interview.

Nigeria had at the second match of Group A defeated the host nation, Cote D’Ivoire 1-0 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, commonly known as the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé with a 55th minutes penalty taken by the stand-in captain of the team, William Troost Ekong.

Amuneke, a former Barcelona FC of Spain winger, said that achieving a victory over a host nation was no mean feat.

According to him, I congratulate all Nigerians and the Super Eagles over this important win, knowing the rivalry between both countries at the home ground of Cote D’Ivoire.

“The win is a massive win of confidence to the Super Eagles. I like the mentality of the players who are aware that they need no one to tell them that the match against Cote D’Ivoire has lots of things involved.

“This is due to the rivalry that has existed between both countries over the years. I like the approach and I think that they were able to be more compact today.

“I also like the transition of the game especially from the defence to the attack, it is impressive that our players possess such character”.

Amuneke also said that the Cote D’Ivoire were not that fantastic coming to the AFCON 2024.

“The Ivorians were a bit slow in their build-up playing Nigeria, but not taking away the credit from the Nigerian players, they played well too.

“We don’t need a wide margin to beat a country like Cote D’Ivoire, we just needed an opportunity which we took through a clear penalty given.

“I also praise the ability of the captain, Ekong, who took the responsibility and scored.

“Going forward, the Super Eagles need to take the game one after the other, the team have drawn one and won one game, so they need to do more because AFCON have produced many interesting results; I really like the level of the competition,” he added. (NAN)

As the Dangote Refinery Commences Production, the National Patriotic Elders Forum has charged President Ahmad Bola Tinubu to in the spirit of amplifying the value of Naira sale Crude Oil to Dangote while in return he will also sell in Naira to Nigerians.

The Elders Forum who Commended President Tinubu for ensuring the commencement of Dangote Refinery Production, believes that if the Nigeria Government sells Crude to him in local Currency and in return, he sales to the Marketers in the same way, is just a matter of times Naira will regain it’s lost values.

Speaking through a release he issued to Newsmen, Thursday, in Kano, the National President of the Forum, Dr. Bature AbdulAziz, insisted that President Tinubu deserves commendation for making the Refinery become a reality, but he said, the Government needs to step up full cooperation with the Refinery helps Citizens.

“There should be a serious working cooperation and understanding between the Government and Dangote Refinery to one ensure that the prices of Petroleum when he fully Commences Production is reduced, secondly to curtail the hyper Foreign Currency rises and stabilize the Naira”.

He added, “I believe, when the Refinery takes full production all those Nigeria money that has been wasted in the name of importing Refined Petroleum will be channeled to other important sectors that will boost the living standards of Nigerians”.

Dr Bature AbdulAziz explained that the actualization of the Dangote Refinery Production shows that all the promises of President Tinubu will be achieved, “what he requires at this juncture is the patient and understanding of the Citizens”.

The Elders Forum, also urged President Tinubu to give much emphasis on agriculture, noting that in the whole of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government areas only about 20 do not have active Agricultural activities, as such with given the Sector government attention, it will drastically curtail some serious Insecurities at the local areas.

In the same vein, Dr Bature AbdulAziz said the Government needs to do more on the issue of Security because the problems across the nation are becoming something else.

He said, “Government, needs to devise a new strategy with given Intelligence networking more regards and attention, although we have seen President Tinubu serious efforts but more need to be done to safeguard the lives of Nigerians”, he appealed.

…to establish students complaint unit to address academic challenges

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon, has said there was need for Nigeria to run a system where first-class graduates from tertairy institutions would be given automatic employment in institutions they graduated from, as well as in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.

Asefon who made this known at the unveiling of the Nigerian students’ flag and renewed hope programme agenda by his office on Thursday in Abuja, also advocated sponsorship of best graduating students in ICT and related courses, in partnership with both local and foreign Tech institutions

He said: “One of our hope agenda is the renewed hope academic excellence reward scheme. It entails a befitting celebration and rewarding prize for overall best graduates from every tertiary institutions vis-a-viz arrangements of automatic absorption into the academia by the school authority and other MDAs.”

The former National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) president also gave assurances that the government was working assiduously towards kick-starting the students loan scheme which was strictly meant for indigent Nigerians, the

He said: “”I can assure you that the bottlenecks about the loan are things of the past and we will ensure the indigent Nigerian students get it once the portal is opened. There’s going to be transparency and the president is committed to make it happen.”

Reeling out some other activities his office was ready to engage in, he disclosed ongoing plans to establish students complaint unit inorder to enable Nigerian students have a platform where they can discuss their problems affecting their academic activities.

Asefon also disclosed that by March this year, his office would be unveiling the National Student Leaders Summit and the Renewed Hope Campus Ambassadors. Also to be unveiled in the year is the Diaspora Student Leaders Retreat, all geared towards renewing the hope of Nigerian students.

Other activities include; Nigerian students leaders’ regional dialogue, annual international students day celebration, annual all Nigerian tertiary institution students affairs conference, Local and foreign engagement of student bodies/inauguration of national students management committee,.identification and discussion of students challenges on campus, sensitization on student loan scheme, social investment and empowerment programme of the federal government.

Reacting to allegations that some universities were charging certain fees for students to undergo drug test, Asefon who said the idea of drug tests for students was a welcome idea, however condemned the alleged payment and vowed to ensure such was abruptly stopped if found out to be true

“On the issue of drug test, that will not stand. I will not say they should not conduct a drug test but such test should be free. If the idea is from NDLEA or the university I commend them but I condemn the idea of asking them to pay a fee.”

The National Identity Management Commission has temporarily suspended Front-End Partners from engaging in the National Identification Number enrolments.

This is because the commission is currently carrying out a revalidation exercise of these third-party registration centres.

The Director General, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed this while noting that NIMC has identified multiple infractions and unwholesome practices in the processes of National Identity Number enrolment and modification.

Coker-Odusote revealed this at the opening of a four-day training for the first batch of newly revalidated Front End Partners in Abuja.

While assuring participants that revalidation is aimed at improving the enrolment process and addressing outstanding debts owed to the Front-End Partners, the DG stated that many infractions have been reported, with a significant number attributed Front-End Partners.

Front-end partners provide enrolment services nationwide. She said, “My decision to direct the revalidation of all FEPs was not targeted at anyone or group. It was a step towards sanitizing the system and processes while ensuring the integrity of data in the country’s identity database. It was also one of the steps towards proper auditing of the claims made by some of our FEPs.

“Please be advised that the revalidation exercise is being implemented in phases. This is just the first and not the last. Let me use this medium to remind you all that NIN enrolment is free of charge in Nigeria. My administration has zero tolerance for corruption. We shall therefore not spare anyone found perpetrating corrupt practices or any other form of infractions.”

The DG further explained that the revalidation exercise was part of steps towards ensuring compliance with the highest standards of data security among the FEPs.

She noted, “Don’t forget that I inherited huge debts owed FEPs for over two years. Some of the invoices and claims were questionable, requiring proper auditing. The rot in the process and system left me with no option but to take deliberate steps toward sanitising the enrollment process.

“And to this end, I directed that NIN enrolment activities at all FEP centres be suspended temporarily, pending the outcome of a revalidation exercise.”

In October, NIMC announced the revalidation of its third-party agent licenses. At the time, the commission stated that the process was mandatory for all current partners and was intended to ensure compliance with the latest standards and protocols.

Commenting on the issue of kidnapping in the country, NIMC disclosed that it is working with the Nigerian Communications Commission and security agencies to ensure the use of NIN and SIM databases to track down kidnappers and victims of kidnapping.

The DG of NIMC, Coker-Odusote, stated this at a stakeholder engagement with the Nigeria Identification for Development Project in Abuja.

The DG who spoke through her technical assistant, Ayobami Abiola, said, “NIMC is working very closely with the security agencies to ensure that we can use the NIN in a way which helps to secure the country.

“There have been previous engagements and directives requiring people to use the NIN to register their SIM cards. However, people have been able to circumvent that and this has been to the detriment of using this information for security purposes. However, NIMC is working very closely to plug all of these holes and there will be a solution soon.

“The President has expressed worry over our fragmented identity system which is causing the country huge losses in expenditure and has given us marching orders to ensure we integrate and unify our identity system.

“The goal is to remove all current challenges and difficulties that people face in enrolling for IDs, fostering a robust, seamless, and more inclusive enrolment system where ID is provided for everyone, and no one is left behind.”

The former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, recently disclosed that the security agencies were not using the NIN-SIM policy to fight insecurity in the country.

There was a heated gunfire exchange, on Thursday, as the police rescued Segun Akinyemi, an Abuja resident, who was kidnapped just as he was driving out of his house.

The kidnappers were taking Akinyemi from Abuja to Kano State when the police swooped on them, according to Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, ASP Mansir Hassan.

He said on January 18, 2024, operatives attached to Kawo Divisional Headquarters, Kaduna, received a distress call of a kidnapping incident from Abuja.

He said they were alerted that the culprits and their victim were transiting through Kaduna.

“The Operatives, at about 0010 hours, blocked a grey Toyota Hilux van with registration number Abuja RBC 90 DC, carrying four passengers, the driver inclusive, suspected to be the vehicle conveying the kidnappers and their victim.”

“On sensing danger and in an effort to escape, one of the kidnappers fired at the Policemen, and they responded accordingly. In the resulting gun duel, the victim, a certain Segun Akinyemi of block 10, flat 2 FCDA quarters Area 3 Garki, Abuja, was rescued, and one of the kidnappers, a 28-year-old Chinaza Philip of Life Camp Abuja, was arrested,” he said.

The police said the three other suspects who escaped are being trailed, adding that the vehicle belonging to the victim, two Retay G17 model pistols, one Beretta pistol, ten 9mm P.A.K ammunitions, and five 9mm special ammunitions were recovered from the kidnappers.

He said preliminary inquiries revealed that the victim was abducted on January 17, 2024, by the kidnappers just when he was leaving his home situated at the aforementioned address.

He said the three escaped suspects were; Chidibere Nwodibo of Life Camp, Abuja, one Auwal surname unknown, and the gang leader whose identity is yet to be ascertained.

The kidnappers were transporting their victim to Kano before they were intercepted by the Police.

The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP A.D Ali, while commending the Operatives for the brave feat, still tasked them to continuously go after criminal elements in the State.

He called on the members of the public to avail themselves of security agencies’ hotlines for any distress call requiring a prompt response.