The Federal Government has said that the fact that Nigeria accepted grains from Ukraine to combat hunger does not make Nigeria a weak or failed state.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja at the LEADERSHIP Annual Conference and Awards 2023, with the theme; ‘An Economy in Distress: The Way Forward’ on Tuesday.

Idris was reacting to the comments by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who spoke at the event moment after being presented with the LEADERSHIP Politician of the Year 2023 Award.

Obi had criticised Nigerian government for accepting the donation of grains from Ukraine, a country currently at war, to combat hunger, describing the action as shameful.

But, Idris, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the occasion, earlier spoke as the government’s chief spokesman to reply Obi before reading the President’s speech.

“Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine. The fact that Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine does not make it a failed state.

“The fact that we are having challenges at the moment does not make Nigeria a failed state.

“Therefore, accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria or Egypt failed countries, it is a normal thing, because countries exist to depend on one another,” the Minister fired back.

Idris noted that it was true that Nigeria was facing some challenges and President Tinubu was aware of this and he does not shy away from it.

He stressed that Nigerians voted for Tinubu with the deeper understanding and conviction that he has the capacity to turn things around for the better and that is what he was doing.

He said some of the decisions he has taken were to ensure that Nigeria finds its rightful place among the comity of nations.

He highlighted that the decisions included removal of fuel subsidy and addressing the issue of foreign exchange and many others.

He, however, said in spite of the current challenges, the economic growth of Nigeria was on track and has continued to improve.

He emphasised that fuel subsidy removal was a bold step in the right direction and urged Nigerians to support the president as the country would soon begin to reap the benefits.

He noted that current national challenges did not begin upon the assumption of office by President Tinubu.

He stressed that going by figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s fuel importation reduced by 50 per cent after fuel subsidy removal, just as the economy improved significantly.

Idris noted also that President Tinubu had demonstrated capacity and, since his assumption of office, had attracted more than $30 billion in foreign investments into the country.

“He has not stopped at that. Just last week, President Tinubu went to Qatar to attract more businesses and investments into Nigeria.

“We are optimistic that soon, what we are passing through will be a thing of the past and Nigeria will be better,’’ the Minister declared.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is yet to resume visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the country.

Several news outlets had reported that UAE on March 4 lifted the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers.

But Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, refuted the viral document in an update on his “X” page on Tuesday, March 5.

In October 2022, the UAE implemented a ban on citizens from approximately 20 African nations from entering its borders.

Among the affected countries are Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.

The Emirati authorities issued a notice to trade partners and travel agents, instructing them to reject all applications.

Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been embroiled in a diplomatic dispute concerning flight allocations and travel restrictions.

Reacting on Tuesday, Onanuga said: “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorized either by the Nigerian government or the UAE.”

The Plateau State Government has revealed that some persons planned to forcefully break into the State House of Assembly chamber to swear in the 16 All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

As against this background, the state government vowed to ensure diligent constitutional processes must be followed over the logjam.

LEADERSHIP reports that in the early hours of Tuesday, men of the Plateau State Police Command averted a clash between the supporters of the 16 APC lawmakers who wanted to force their way into the Assembly complex and some of the PDP supporters loyal to the sacked PDP members.

They were dispersed by the police, who later condoned off the assembly to prevent both parties from gaining access to the premises.

The special adviser to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Strategic Communication, Hon. Timothy Golu, while reacting to the development, said the unfortunate incident was a shock to the government, considering the fact that the State House of Assembly had shifted its sitting to the old government house because the premises were under renovation.

Golu said the speaker of the House, Hon. Gabriel Dewan, was handicapped in swearing in the 16 lawmakers because of two court injunctions restraining him, adding that as a law-abiding citizen, he has no choice but to restrain himself until the determination of the suit.

“We just woke up this morning to see the presence of security men around the State House of Assembly. You know the House of Assembly is not sitting in its original location. It has been moved by resolution to the Government House because it was under renovation. The official dealings of the House are being done in the Government House.

“But everybody knows that there has been an issue in the House of Assembly. The Speaker would have reconvened the House, but he was handicapped because he was served with two injunctions restraining him from swearing in the 16 members that were given judgment by the Court of Appeal, and as a law-abiding government, we will not toy with that until that injunction is vacated.

“So to see security men there without the consent of the Chief Security Officer of the State and the Speaker, it is threatening because the House with eight members has nothing to do with the traditional vicinity of the House because they are no longer sitting there,” he said.

“But we heard from the grapevine that there are plans by some people to penetrate the House and swear in the 16 lawmakers illegally. We are law-abiding people; therefore, we must respect the rule of law. We heard it from the grapevine that meetings are being held in someone’s house. Thank God that security has refused to be used, so the police have been there to protect and prevent anyone from getting into the premises to wreak havoc,” he said.

Golu, a former member of the House of Representatives, said the Muftwang-led administration will not condone lawlessness, adding that the government believes in the rule of law and will never use illegal means or circumvent the process of law.

He said, ” This government will not condone lawlessness; everything that needs to be done will have to go through due process, and whatever the outcome, everybody will have to take it. Nobody should be distracted by what is happening; the situation is under control. So we are waiting; whatever the court says, whatever the conclusion, we are going to continue from there.”.

Smuggling, flooding, others causes of food crisis’

Customs intercepts 120 food-laden trucks at border

Nigeria needs at least 72,000 tractors for farmers to engage in mechanised farming and contribute massively to curbing the food crisis facing the populace, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari, has said.

Kyari, at a sectoral debate organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja yesterday, revealed that only about 5,000 tractors are currently in working condition at farmlands across the country.

He, however, said that the ministry has signed an agreement with a manufacturer for the supply of 2,000 tractors annually for the next five years.

The minister spoke just as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) announced the arrest of 141 trucks heading out of the country with loaded smuggled food items.

Making his presentation before the House plenary, the Agriculture minister said the rising food crisis in the country was due mainly to smuggling, flooding, COVID-19, insecurity and last year’s cash swap by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

He, however, said that long, medium and short-term measures, including funding for wheat, rice and cassava production, have been initiated to address the challenge.

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Kyari explained that while the Naira redesign/cash swap policy left smallholder farmers without cash for cultivation in 2022/2023, flooding destroyed farmlands across the country.

He said the good news is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently gave his ministry a marching order to release grains from the National Strategic Grain Reserve and to adopt other measures to address food insecurity.

The minister added that the government, in partnership with the World Food Programme, halted mass procurement of grains for stockpiling in order to stabilise food prices.

Also, NCS Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi told the House that President Tinubu directed that 120 trucks arrested by the Service be driven to nearby markets where their contents should be sold to locals at moderate prices.

He, however, did not say where the trucks were heading to and when they were seized.

The Customs boss decried the attitude of border community residents who encourage the smuggling of grains.

Adeniyi advised against adopting quick-fix solutions to the nation’s food crisis, saying that long-term measures must be put in place.

The Customs boss, who said that border posts would soon be reopened, added that the NCS and the government were working on a policy for the export of food items through designated terminals.

He also announced that the ban on petrol stations operating within 20 kilometres to Nigeria’s borders was being reviewed.

House Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said that efforts to address food crisis must focus on demand and supply.

Kalu said he had personally identified increasing per capita consumption, raising production yields, curbing food price inflation and reducing reliance on food imports as critical levers for improving food security.

He said: “It is evident that Nigeria’s per capita consumption falls behind that of other countries, indicating a clear need for increased diversification to stimulate consumption.

“Moreover, the lower yields attributable to input scarcity underscore the urgency of improving access to timely, high-quality, and affordable inputs such as fertilisers, modern irrigation methods, and mechanization.

“Food inflation, a persistent challenge, reached a staggering 35.41 percent in January. This places an immense burden on our working population, with 90 percent allocating around 60 percent of their income to meet their basic food needs, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“This harsh reality is further compounded by the alarming projections for 2024. The number of food-insecure individuals is expected to reach 26.5 million, with 9 million children at risk of acute malnutrition. Of these, 2.6 million children face the threat of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), requiring critical nutrition treatment.

“Agriculture, a crucial sector representing 23 percent of our GDP and employing 51 percent of the workforce, should be the bedrock of our food security. However, a harsh reality confronts us.

The past decade has seen an intensification of insecurity in the North East, coupled with rife fighting in the North Central and banditry in the North West. These conflicts have had a catastrophic impact on food production, particularly amongst our vast farming communities.

“According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 90 percent of food produced in Nigeria comes from rural farmers. The rife insecurity in these regions has steadily contributed to a shrinking cultivated arable land area and declining farm yields.

“This is not the future we envision for our nation. We must act decisively to address these challenges and ensure food security for all Nigerians. Let us now delve deeper into the specific issues and explore potential solutions.”

The body of Comrade Frank Ovie Kokori, who died on December 7 last year, will be buried this Friday. The funeral activities will actually kick off tomorrow at his  home, Ovu-Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

Kokori’s  death on his  80th birthday,  marked the exit of a labour leader and politician who was courage personified.

The labour leader emerged a national hero when he led  oil workers in a paralysing strike  to fight for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was  won fair and square  by Bashorun Moshood Abiola. The Abacha junta put Kokori in detention  in 1994 and  he was only released in 1998 when Abacha suddenly  died.

Kokori came out  of  incarceration emaciated and in poor health. His wife, Esther, who was in the thick of the national and international mobilisation for the freedom  of her husband, suffered a stroke and never recovered till she died years after the husband had regained freedom.  

A rugged negotiator and a well-educated trade unionist, Kokori efficiently organised the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG), a formidable affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).  Often distinguished among labour leaders  by his aristocratic carriage, Kokori earned the respect of government and private employers alike. He was proud to be a trade unionist. Kokori’s mien was such that he could not be accused of humility. As NUPENG’s general secretary, he won a lot  of benefits for workers using the instrumentality of collective bargaining.

Interestingly, Kokori’s origin in the labour movement was the right-wing United Labour Congress, one of the rival labour centres before the restructuring of trade unions in 1978.  He once said with gusto  that  the flamboyant trade unionist and later businessman, Alhaji Babs Animashaun, was his role model in trade unionism. He once said that imitated Animashaun impeccable dressing.   As a young trade unionist, his models were not the left-wing trade unionists such as the legendary Michael Imoudu (Labour Leader Number One!) or Marxists such as Nduka Eze and  Wahab Goodluck. So, in a way, he was an  unlikely candidate for the role history beckoned on him to play in the June 12 crisis. 

Kokori  was also  immensely trusted by the  oil workers whom he served honestly and  diligently.  For instance,  when the union got factionalised in 1987,  the Kokori  majority faction tested its popularity by calling an industrially  crippling strike to resolve the intra-union dispute. The military government of Babangida had to promulgate a decree to resolve the problem. 

In retrospect, it was quite wise of  Kokori as a protagonist to have told his own story in his important memoirs, Frank Kokori: The Struggle for June 12,  with a forward from the Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana. The  presentation of the book, published by Safari Books Ltd, took place in Lagos on July 25, 2014. The event  was chaired by a former Ogun state governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba. Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, a prominent  figure in the June 12 struggle was among the personalities who graced the occasion.

This reporter was exceedingly honoured when Kokori personally brought a copy of the  book to his place one rainy afternoon with an “order” to do the review at  the launch. It was a similar feeling of  a huge honour  when Kokori’s eldest son, Kive,  invited this reporter to be a member of the national  committee to organise the funeral of his  father.

The story of  Kokori should be popularised for generations because of  the immense inspiration embodied in it. 

As a tribute to the memory of  this remarkable Nigerian nationalist, excerpts from the book review rendered 10 years ago  are reproduced below:

“One of the most inspiring quotes of the great African-American writer, Maya Angelou, goes like this: ‘Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can’t practise any other virtue consistently.’  The wisdom condensed in Angelou’s statement is  demonstrated in the book under review.

“The author himself describes the book as a  “testament” and a good reader will inevitably encounter sober lessons about courage as a virtue in the book. It is also significant that the book, which the author says is 14 years late in coming, is being published to celebrate the 70th birthday of this unquestionably  urbane labour leader, who has made indelibly progressive interventions in the politics of his country. 

“In his career, Kokori has proved that he is first and foremost a man of organisation. A general without an army could not have fought the epic battles he fought so gallantly and selflessly.

 “There was an important background to be found in Kokori’s pre-June 12 political activities. As an accomplished General Secretary of NUPENG, Kokori was nominated to be a member of some of the bodies that prepared the groundwork for the political transition programme of President Ibrahim Babangida. 

“Kokori was a member of the 1987/1988 Constitution Review Committee and the subsequent 1988/1989 Constituent Assembly headed by Justice Anthony Aniagolu, which debated the stillborn 1989 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He later emerged as the national financial secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) under the leadership of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as party chairman.

“Besides, Kokori does not belong to the school of economism in the labour movement. The proponents of economism insist that labour has no business in politics; workers’ struggle should stop in the realm of industrial relations.  The debate on this will surely continue in the labour movement. But advocates of “labour in politics and politics in labour ” will readily cite Kokori and his NUPENG and PENGASSAN comrades on a positive note to justify their argument. This would be similar to the way the legendary Michael Imoudu and his comrades are remembered fondly for their combative role in the nationalist struggle. Future historians will examine the political  significance of the 1945 anti-colonial  strike just as they will seek to know the import of the 1994 anti-Abacha strikes.

“The book is essentially a full disclosure of the audacious role played by oil workers in the struggle to uphold the sanctity of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Bashorun Moshood Abiola. During the historic moment, Kokori was the powerful  general-secretary of the National   Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union (NUPENG). Together with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), NUPENG provided the dynamite for the struggle with effective  strikes. The June 12 story could be encapsulated as follows: A presidential election that was to be the climax of  a long-winding political transition programme was held on June 12, 1993.   Abiola as a candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) contested against Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). As the results of the elections were being put together, the Babangida regime, which  organised the transition programme, annulled the election. But an idea that could not be killed had been born. The resistance against the grand assault on the people’s will began in earnest.

“In the process, Babangida was forced out of power leaving behind the interim governmental structure headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan with General Sani Abacha in charge of Defence. As predicted, Abacha sacked Shonekan’s government three months later and inaugurated a reign of terror on the country for five years. In a bid to kill the June 12 idea the junta arrested Abiola, and he died in detention in 1998.  Kokori was also incarcerated  for four years for the bold and committed leadership he gave for the potent  oil workers’ strikes. Many people were killed and several others were detained, jailed or forced to exile.  Abacha died suddenly on June 8, 1998 and Abiola also died on July 7 the same year. That is the story in perhaps  the simplest form to put it.

“However, when you read books already published on the crisis that the annulment of the election generated, you would discover that the story is indeed a complex one. Just like the civil war, the literature of June 12 is expanding.  Indeed our author here  has thrown a challenge that his book should “provoke more books” on the June 12 phenomenon.

“In telling his story, Kokori has approached the  period of Nigeria’s history covered in the book  from a perspective different from those of earlier publications. “At least, the perspective of the book is quite distinguishable from that of the Humphrey Nwosu’s ”Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and Its Annulment” and Omo Omoruyi’s   “The Tale of June 12: The Betrayal of the Democratic Rights of Nigerians in 1993.”  Professor Nwosu was the chairman of the electoral commission that conducted the election while Omoruyi, as chairman of the Centre for Democratic Studies, was one of the theoreticians of the Babangida’s transition programme. In their respective tales, the two eminent scholars offered theoretical explanations of the tragedy of June 12.

“However, on a refreshing note and without any pretext to a methodological rigour whatsoever, “Frank Kokori: The Struggle for June 12″  is a hard-boiled narrative  by a man who made an enormous sacrifice for June 12. The story is told lucidly with some pages reading like a thriller. Events that happened over two decades ago came alive on the pages of the book with Kokori’s animated style. He reported June 12 warts and all thereby providing a veritable primary source for those who may be interested in further research. “It is indeed a frank story brutally  told by Frank Kokori. Kokori’s prison notes, letters exchanged between him and his family as well as his random reflections on the Nigerian condition are embodied in the book.  He acknowledges the support of his wife and children in the struggle. You will even find the author’s attempt at some poetry.

“All told, readers will probably be surprised that the book is not all brimming with anger and bitterness. Some pages are also laced with humour. While he is unsparing of the political enemies, he is sometimes critical of friends. “What he writes about himself would even sometimes make you chuckle at the author.

“Significantly, Kokori also takes the opportunity of the book to pay passionate tributes to heroes of the struggle for democracy. In acknowledging the martyrdom of Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, who was murdered on June 4, 1996, Kokori provided detailed information on the dynamic of the struggle. For instance, on leaving Abacha’s house in Ikoyi  after a meeting facilitated by Kingibe, Kokori was surprised that  his phone rang, and it was Abiola telling him to “cooperate” with Abacha who was tragically believed at that time  to be working for June 12 in the  Shonekan’s interim government.

“Kokori deliberately refers to Abiola  in the book as president-elect. His admiration is especially evident for the courage and commitment of Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome-Kuti,  Wole Soyinka, Anthony Enhoro, Bola Tinubu, Femi Falana and other great fighters for freedom and human progress. With the rich and sharp insights  in the book, it is far from being hyperbolic to say that Kokori  has at last offered posterity the untold story of June 12.

“In the process, he has solved not a few riddles and filled in some gaps in the  June 12 story.

“Take, for instance, the story of his arrest on the night of August 19, 1994 during the strike, which  Abacha found  tough to break for  some time. For  long, the erroneous  story  that went round even within the pro- democracy movement was that the great reporter who later became Ogun State governor,  Chief Olusegun Osoba, was the one who  lured Kokori from his hideout to be nabbed by  security men. Kokori states explicitly that Osoba was never culpable. Rather, it  is clearly  reported in the book that it was Fred Eno, a man often described in the media during the struggle  as “personal assistant” to Abiola, who  gave  Kokori a call,  inviting him to the point where he was arrested.  Kokori says: “As far as I know, Osoba did not betray me. I don’t know the brains  that planned the betrayal, but I know the person who lured me out of the hideout – and it was not Chief Segun  Osoba.” Eno later told Kokori he was not the person who lured the NUPENG leader to the hands of his captors and that his voice was mimicked.  Kokori is not convinced by Eno’s denial.

“Indeed, some readers may even find out that Kokori is honest to a fault in his narrative with his matter-of-fact approach. It is intriguing that as a fighter, Kokori is an adroit negotiator. But his language and methods are hardly diplomatic.  Kokori tells it as it is; not minding even if his own ox is gored.

Here are some samples: 

First, in a meeting with Abiola shortly after the annulment to plan for the struggle that was to follow, Kokori told the president-elect: “You rich people always have people cringing before you, and so people sit down for hours before seeing you. I do not have that kind of time. I am a union man… If I want to see the MD of Mobil, Shell or NNPC, I get to his office and see him within two minutes. If we must work together, you must be able to give the quick attention.”

“Secondly, Abacha’s Minister of Petroleum, Don Etiebet, came to Kokori’s house to convince him on why a strike should be called off. Etiebet issued a subtle threat about what “government can do”, and Kokori asked him to get out of his house. Etiebet promptly withdrew his threat, and the dialogue continued afterwards.

“Thirdly, at a dinner with Shonekan,  Kokori gave the Head of Interim Government a piece of his mind: “Sir, I have nothing against you. What we have in place now as a government is best called usurpation of the position of  someone else.  You did not contest any election. The man who won the election is there, and he has not been given his mandate. You have taken over, and it is not fair.”

“And Shonekan replied: “Mr. Kokori, if you are not going to support me, please, don’t fight me, so I can carry out my economic policies.”

“Such sharp and spicy anecdotes abound in the book.

The reader will  also find enthralling  Kokori’s views on other actors – the Nigerian bourgeois politicians and his fellow labour leaders especially former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ‘s president, Comrade Paschal Bafyau.  According to Kokori, Bafyau led the labour centre to develop cold feet about June12 because the NLC president was not made the running mate to Abiola.

“Kingibe receives a lot of Kokori’s attention in the book. Kokori has had a long and engaging  political relationship with Kingibe. This has exemplified  his admixture of excitement and frustration with politicians.  He alternates between kudos and knocks for his good friend, Kingibe, who has disappointed him not a few times.

“For instance, while Kingibe as Abacha’s interior minister could not meet Kokori in Bama prison, much less secure his release, he at least ensured that a relatively more convenient cell was constructed for him. This sense of disappointment with the establishment was further reinforced after his release from detention 1998 in his encounters with some leaders. These include General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha and finally organised a transition programme on which the Fourth Republic is erected; President Olusegun Obasanjo, who calls Kokori his “prison senior”; President Umaru Yar’Adua, in whose  government Kingibe was the link; and President Goodluck Jonathan. 

“In all these interactions with establishment figures, Kokori’s political naivety was patently on display as Comrade Femi Falana rightly observes in a perceptive forward to the book.

“As a matter of fact, long before the politics of June 12,  Kokori had nursed the ambition of writing his memoirs as a labour leader to be entitled “NUPENG is My Life.”  That proposed book   is now subsumed in this June 12 book. In effect, there are books abridged within this important book.

“This book, written by a major actor in the June 12 struggle, should be read by all those seeking insights into what really  happened at that  period of Nigeria’s turbulent political history”

As an accomplished labour leader and principled politician, Kokori  demonstrated the courage of conviction. His place  in history is doubtless secure as a dynamo in the struggle for democracy and justice.

May his tribe increase.

Manchester United are being considered as the frontrunners to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen in the summer.

United face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain, who reportedly want to make a statement in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils will also have to compete with fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Chelsea to secure the signature of the Nigerian star.

The Nigeria international, who has netted 13 goals in 22 matches across all competitions for Napoli this season while also providing four assists, has a €110m (£94m/$119m) release clause in his existing contract.

For now, the striker remains focused on the Italian side and will be next seen in action for them on Friday when they take on Torino in Serie A.

[Leadership]

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officers in separate operations have intercepted 22 trucks loaded with food and non-food items heading towards N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Benin Republic.

The Maiduguri Zonal Command during a sting operation on Tuesday at Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama roads, Borno State, arrested 21 trucks conveying the items.

The head of Media and Publicity of the command, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement that, “Investigation showed food items cleverly concealed in the trucks that would have gone undetected, but for the vigilance of operatives of the Commission.

“Further checks showed that the waybills covering the goods carried by the trucks indicated their destinations as N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central Africa Republic and Cameroon respectively.”

He said those arrested with the trucks are being profiled and would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

In a related development, the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, intercepted a truck load of beans allegedly being smuggled out of the country by those it described as “economic saboteurs.

It said the truck was found to contain about 400 bags of beans valued at about N61.5 million.

This is even as the command said it arrested about 13 suspects for their alleged involvement in smuggling of contraband items into the country.

The Customs Area Controller, Seme/Krake Command, Badagry, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, said the seizure was made as a result of the continuous surveillance of the border by officers and men of the command.

[DailyTrust]

Veteran Nollywood actor, Femi Brainard, has spoken about his journey following his departure from the entertainment industry to relocate abroad.

The actor, in his latest interview with Teju Babyface, stated that he had to venture into driving to feed his family in America despite being a celebrity.

Brainard revealed this while discussing his ordeal after leaving the entertainment scene.

Reflecting on the advantages and challenges of relocating abroad, he noted that; “As a celebrity, it’s preferable to be a prominent figure in Nigeria than to travel abroad and become unrecognized.

“I became a cab driver in America just to put food on the table. Whenever people see me, especially Nigerian passengers, they often stare at me in disbelief, wondering if I’m indeed the familiar star they recognize.

“America does not recognize your stardom, nor does it respect your celebrity.”

[DailyPost]

• Reforms will take country out of challenges
• Moghalu backs President’s bold reform programmes

The economy is not in distress and the current situation is not beyond redemption, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said yesterday.

He stressed that efforts were on to navigate the country out of the current challenges.

According to him, the latest economic indicators do not portray a country in distress.

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, who backed Tinubu’s reforms, said time was needed to address the issues.

They spoke at the 16th Leadership Conference and Awards held at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

Its theme was: “An economy in distress: which way forward?”

The event was organised by Abuja-based Leadership Newspaper.

Tinubu, who received the Leadership Newspaper’s Person of the Year 2023 award, was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The President acknowledged that the country is faced with challenges but is not helpless.

He said: “I should start by respectfully challenging the notion that the Nigerian economy is in distress.

“Distress suggests helplessness, being at the mercy of something we have no control over. But that is not the case here.

“We are in challenging times, no doubt, but these times have also been marked by unprecedented opportunities to reset the course and to build a new and sustainable economy, away from the rent-seeking and the waste that was once the order of the day.

“The Leadership Group has itself alluded to the ‘difficult but necessary’ decisions that we have taken.

“Since the removal of petrol subsidy, our imports of petrol have dropped by about 50 per cent, which translates to roughly one billion litres of petrol every month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“In addition, the revenues accruing to the three tiers of Government – Federal, State and Local – have grown by between 50 per cent and 100 per cent since the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“This means more funds are available to directly impact the lives of Nigerians through investments in critical infrastructure, social security, and other areas.”

Tinubu said the economy saw a better-than-anticipated performance in the last quarter of 2023.

He noted that it grew by 3.46 per cent (year-on-year), compared with 2.54 per cent in the preceding quarter.

Capital importation into Nigeria, he said, was up 66 per cent in Q4 2023, reversing a 36 per cent decline in the previous quarter.

In January 2024, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (ASI) crossed the 100,000 points mark, its highest ever, the President said.

“There is no one who looks at this data who will conclude that ‘distressed’ is the accurate way to describe the Nigerian economy.

“Yes, we are challenged in a number of ways. But these are the outcomes of necessary reforms, and a lot of effort and energy is going into alleviating these pains and setting the economy on firm footing.

“And we are seeing incredible opportunities for investment in every sector of the economy, as we stabilize our foreign exchange market and our macroeconomic indices.

“I ask for the continuing patience and support of all Nigerians, including the elite that is very well represented in this room today.

“To the Nigerian media, I urge you to strive to report not only the challenges but also the solutions and the opportunities as well.

“Ours is a story of a country that is taking the right steps, and feeling the fleeting pains that will come with this course of action. A glorious dawn is indeed assured.”

The President also paid tribute to Leadership founder, the late Sam Nda-Isaiah.

He said: “Your memory will continue to live on, not only in our hearts but also in your brilliant writings and in the family and the business legacies that you left behind.

“To Madam Zainab Nda-Isaiah, thank you for carrying on so boldly and powerfully from where Sam stopped.

“We appreciate what you’re doing, and we will continue to support you.”

The award organisers said the Person of the Year honour was a recognition of Tinubu’s “undisputable can-do spirit” in defying the odds to emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, going on to win the 2023 presidential election.

The award, the newspaper said, is also to acknowledge the President’s courage in taking many difficult but necessary decisions to reposition the country towards economic prosperity.

Moghalu backs ‘bold decisions’

The keynote speaker, Moghalu, backed the Tinubu Administration’s petrol subsidy removal and forex reform.

He urged the President to further cut down the cost of governance by reducing the size of his cabinet.

He recommended the setting up of a seven-member economic team comprising only economists.

Moghalu hailed the current fiscal measure taken by the Central Bank.

He said: “The past 10 years were particularly ruinous.

“They were the years of the locust, marked by unprecedented mismanagement of fiscal policy, unproductive external borrowing, unnecessary budget deficits, illegal Ways & Means lending by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the federal government to the tune of N30 trillion, and unprecedented corruption.

“Earlier, a combination of oil price shocks and an incompetent policy response from the CBN, in the form of an attempt to fix the exchange rate, all helped give us two recessions within seven years.

“Many of these things happened because, as we witnessed, there was a successful political assault on the independence of the central bank, with the storekeeper willingly handing over the store keys to the marauders.”

Moghalu said while Nigeria attempts to tackle its immediate problems, it must understand that they are simply symptoms of the long-ignored root causes.

“We should not repeat the cycle of past crises that did not force us to fix our economy for good, to be productive and to create wealth and jobs for the average Nigerian.

“It is time to reposition our economy for the long term, out of the lessons of today’s challenges.

“I maintain my position, which is a matter of record, that the decisions to remove the petrol subsidy and forex subsidy were bold and correct.

“We have lived a lie for 40 years and the chickens have come home to roost.

“Given the country’s revenue challenges in the crude oil production and export sector, Nigeria could no longer afford to subsidise the importation of refined petrol, at least fully, and could no longer afford to defend the value of the Naira artificially.”

On the Economic Advisory Council, Moghalu said it should be composed of distinguished economists and economic thinkers with a strong track record.

“This full-time advisory council will recommend the reforms and implementation steps to truly diversify Nigeria’s economy and turn the country into a full Emerging Market economy such as Malaysia, Chile, Turkey and Thailand within the next 10 years.

“Of particular importance for the work of this council will be the challenge of poverty, how the government can take 100 million people out of poverty into the middle class in 10 years and advising on how the human development-GDP growth/GDP per capita-structural transformation continuum can be achieved,” he said.

Obi: no reason for country to be poor

Also, former Anmabra State Governor Peter Obi, said the country has no reason to be poor.

He urged governors to work towards making the country great again.

Obi said: “We have no reason to be poor considering what we have in Nigeria. There is no reason for Ukraine to give Nigeria grain. Let us invest in the north.”

Rain of cash for Salisu

 Leadership celebrated Awwalu Salisu, a tricycle operator who returned N15 million to a passenger in Kano.

It was a rain of cash for him as Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago gave him N250 million: N50million on behalf of the President; N50 million on behalf of the governors; N50million on behalf of APC; N50million on behalf of Niger State and N50 million for himself.

Obi, who was a presidential candidate in last year’s election and his former running mate Datty Ahmed offered Salisu a scholarship at Baze University, Abuja.

Chairman of Leadership Group Limited, Zainab Nda-Isaiah, described the event as “very special”.

“This conference and awards year after year provide an exceptional platform in setting the agenda and offering solutions and new insights to a range of the country’s problems.

“Today’s (yesterday’s) event coincides with the 20th anniversary of the founding of LEADERSHIP – the dream of one man, my husband – the Great Sam Nda-Isaiah,” she said.

[TheNation]

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set to become significantly richer once their fight in Saudi Arabia is done and dusted later this week.

The two are all set for their contest this Friday and there are tens of millions set to pour into their accounts, no matter who wins.

It’s an important fight for both men, with AJ looking to set up a huge 2024 in which he hopes to become world champion again, while his opponent will want to build on his first professional match against Tyson Fury.

The UFC icon stunned the world when he knocked Fury down before controversially losing via split decision.

It should be a great contest between two men who have stated they plan to be aggressive, and they will both be a whole lot wealthier once the contest is over.

The official figures for the purse and prize money have yet to be confirmed.

However, what is guaranteed is that Ngannou and AJ will make millions from this fight.

The Cameroonian will take home $20million, which works out to around £16m.

This would be the most lucrative fight in his career by a distance and would be double what he earned against Fury.

This purse fee doesn’t include any pay-per-view money or fees for winning or lasting the full distance etc.

So, it’s possible Ngannou could earn well over £20m for a maximum of 30 minutes in the ring.

Meanwhile, this is also set to be one of Joshua’s most lucrative fights.

Reports suggest he will earn nearly £40m.

Again, this doesn’t include PPV fees or any potential prize money.

These figures have not been made public yet, so things could slightly change.

However, what is clear is that Joshua will earn significantly more than Ngannou.

Some might think this is unfair, but the Brit is the more experienced boxer and former two-time unified world champion, so commands a bigger fee.

Meanwhile, this is just Ngannou’s second professional boxing match.

[Vanguard]