The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will today (Monday) launch the first online portal for passport application in Abuja.

He disclosed this during a demonstration session of the online portal on Friday with the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju.

According to Tunji, an online passport application platform has been established for both international and Nigerian applicants.

The minister had announced in December that the Federal Government was working to ensure a full automation system of passport application in the country.

At the time, the minister said the automated application system was “99 per cent done,” adding that the process would include uploading passport photos and supporting documents.

He stated that Nigerian applicants who want 32-page passports with five-year validity would pay N25,000, while those who want 64-page passports with a 10-year validity would pay N70,000.

Meanwhile, foreign applicants, who wish to apply for passports with a five-year validity period and 32 pages, will pay $130, while those who prefer passports with a 10-year validity period and 64 pages will pay $230. Candidates must submit their applications at https://passport.immigration.gov.ng.

Dignitaries who graced the event included the Chairman, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa; representative of the International Organisation for Migration, Stephen Matete; Country Manager, Development Alternatives Incorporated, Joe Abah; Founder, Kwandala Foundation, Tijjani Musa, and the Co-founder, Technext, David Afolayan.

[Punch]

The 2027 presidential election is three years away but political realignments have begun, mainly within the opposition camp.

This came to the fore yesterday as the group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors reaffirmed support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of 2027.

The five governors, who worked against their party’s candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general election, stated this yesterday at a New Year luncheon organised by minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at his private residence at Rumueprikom in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Members of the G-5 governors – former governors Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Seyi Makinde (incumbent governor of Oyo) – had supported President Bola Tinubu, then the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in the 2023 election.

The event also had in attendance serving and former members of the National Assembly and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike.

Earlier in the day, however, a coalition of opposition platforms disclosed moves to birth what they call an ultra-political party ahead of the 2027 polls.

This was disclosed by the National Consultative Front (NCFront) which also revealed that its inaugural meeting will be held this month.

Interestingly, the Labour Party and the PDP had at different times, last year, distanced themselves from talks of a merger following Atiku’s call for a united front among the opposition leaders.

While the Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, recently declared that his party was ready to be Nigeria’s main opposition party this year, one of Atiku’s spokesmen, Daniel Bwala, stated that his boss will contest the 2027 election, warning that the opposition must unite behind him if they intend to unseat the APC.

But in a dramatic twist, the Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP) yesterday rejected Atiku as the rallying point of the opposition parties in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election.

Pundits and analysts had blamed divisions for the opposition’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
Recall that major PDP figures had split from the part ahead of the 2023 polls. Obi had switched to the Labour Party; Dr Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), while the G-5 governors supported the rival APC. Atiku retained what was left.

This was a clear contrast from the 2013 merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a part of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which defeated a hitherto behemoth PDP in 2015.

However, the National Consultative Front (NCFront), yesterday, said the opposition is working to initiate a new ultra-mega political party to rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group, led by former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi, said while it was aware of the dissenting views so far, a meeting held over the weekend (Saturday) among key opposition leaders showed that they were poised towards forming a mega party.

It added that a Merger Facilitation Group had been put in place to ensure the process succeeds.
The group issued a statement debunking insinuations that Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso were already jostling to run for the presidency in the next round of general elections in 2027.
Acting spokesperson of NCFront, Mallam Hamisu San Turaki, said consultations are ongoing on how to streamline and strengthen their political forces to be able to rescue the country from the dangerous slide into misrule and anarchy foisted by the APC.

Turaki, in the statement yesterday, said the “current erroneous view in the media is a panicky and mischievous agenda of hatchet jobbers to divide the opposition and frustrate the merger proposal for leading opposition parties mooted by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar before it takes off, knowing fully well that the unity of the opposition in Nigeria will, without stress, defeat and overthrow the present flip-flop governance and wrongheaded policies of the present Tinubu-led APC administration.

“For the avoidance of doubt, leading opposition leaders and parties in Nigeria are at the moment not focused on contesting for political offices in 2027 but presently holding consultations on how to streamline and strengthen their political forces to be able to rescue the country from the dangerous slide into misrule and anarchy foisted by the All Progressives Congress-led federal government as well as its exploitative economic policies which have landed millions of households and citizens in Nigeria into abject poverty and penury, making the renewed hope mantra of the Tinubu government a mere consolidation of the rudderless policies of despair and hopelessness of the Buhari regime.”

Throwing more light on the unfolding realignment, Turaki told LEADERSHIP that the organisers reached out to all the stakeholders, including key leaders of PDP, Labour Party and NNPP.
He revealed that at the meeting held in Abuja over the weekend, the various party leaders gave their blessing before the statement unveiling their intention was issued.

“We had a meeting with all of them. Peter Obi was part of the meeting. Even some key members of PDP also all agreed to it. We held the meeting yesterday (Saturday) in Abuja.
“In forming a thing like this, we are also aware of the challenges but we have made good progress,” he said.

While he noted the dissenting posture from some members in the opposition party towards the emergence of a united opposition political front, he stressed that genuine lovers of democracy and good governance are already aligned with the drive to rescue Nigeria.

He, however, noted that they are aware of other real concerns from those who have good intentions and would be open to listening to proactive measures to make the union better.
He maintained that the inaugural meeting will be held before the end of the month.
When contacted, the camp of former Vice President Atiku admitted that its principal was in consonance with the position of NCFront.

This was confirmed to LEADERSHIP by Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, who replied “Yes!”, when asked if the platform’s position reflected that of the former presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, the G-5 governors, who worked against PDP in the 2023 general election, reactivated their machinery ahead of the 2027 election at the New Year luncheon organised by Wike in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

However, speaking during the luncheon, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, who reaffirmed Wike as the leader of the group, pledged the group’s continuous support to the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ortom said: “All of us are here today to support Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as leader of the G-5. We are here because we recognise Wike as the leader of G-5. I am speaking on behalf of G-5 governors.

“Governor Ikpeazu is not here because his son is getting married in Lagos today. We have to sacrifice that event with his consent, so that we will be able to honour this invitation, even though belated.

“Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the youth leader of the G-5 governors is in the United States on vacation with his family. Of course, you know if he were in Nigeria, he would have done everything to be around because he respects Wike.

“Today, the G-5 governors are going to talk about President Tinubu, Wike and Rivers State. Tinubu, we are very proud of you. The demand of G-5 governors was that a Southerner should emerge as president. All of us supported Tinubu during the election and we are going to continue to support his presidency.”

On his part, Wike admonished his supporters not to be pained about the sacrifices they made during the 2023 election in the state which produced Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The FCT minister, who has been locked in a battle of wits with his successor and estranged political godson, Fubara, had during a private visit to the residence of the APC national vice chairman, South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, at Bera community in Gokana local government area of the state, boasted that the true political leaders of the state would be unveiled in due time.

At yesterday’s luncheon Wike said, “It is not everything you invest in that you will reap in. People establish a company and it crumbles. They have to be alive to make sure the companies stay.

“So, you cannot say I did this and that. God knows why things happen the way they happen. But what is important is life; to God be the glory. Life continues for us to see what is happening. When a man is dead, he doesn’t know what is happening.

“So, you should be able to advise your children, you should be able to advise your friends. I was alive and this is what I saw; don’t allow yourself to be a victim.”

Also in attendance at the gathering were the acting PDP chairman in the state, Hon. Chukwuemeka Aaron, and the chairman, caretaker committee chairman of the APC, Chief Tony Okocha, as well as chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state.

The naira has depreciated by 38.9 percent against the United States dollar at the official I&E window of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the past three months, according to findings by The PUNCH.

Data obtained from the FMDQ Securities Exchange revealed that the local currency fell from N745.19/$ on October 3, 2023, to N1035.12/$ as of January 3, 2024.

While the naira depreciated from 471/dollar to about 700/dollar at the official market shortly after the announcement of the exchange rate unification policy of the CBN in June 2023, PUNCH findings showed the local currency had fallen further in the past few months to over  N1000/dollar.

At the parallel market, the local currency has been trading around 1,220/dollar in recent weeks. 

On Sunday, manufacturers and other members of the organised private sector said the falling naira value at the official and parallel markets was having a severe negative impact on their bottom lines.

Specifically, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, said their members were already scaling down operations over the development, a situation that might lead to the sacking of more workers.

The naira volatility on the I&E window has continued despite recent efforts by the Federal Government to improve the liquidity of the FX market.

The naira began 2024 at N988.46/$, an 8.97 percent decline from the N907.11/$ it closed trading on the last day of 2023 on the official window. It further tumbled to N1035.12/$ on Wednesday, January 3. This decline in the value of the naira marked the third time that the naira has closed above N1000/$ on the I&E window.

On December 8, the naira fell to an all-time low of N1,099.05/$, and on December 28, 2023, it closed trading at N1043.09/$. On Friday, the naira closed trading at N869.39/$, recovering to close the week better than it started.

According to data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange, the naira has now lost about 38.91 percent of its value since October 3 when it closed trading at N745.19/$ on the I&E window.

On the day before the rate cap was removed by the CBN in June 2023, the naira closed trading at N471/$.

The continued decline of the naira is happening despite efforts, including clearing FX backlogs, by the government to boost liquidity in the foreign exchange market. Towards the end of 2023, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun, revealed that the Federal Government had received a $2.25bn foreign exchange support facility from the African Import-Export Bank.

According to the minister, the first tranche of its $3.3bn facility from the bank is aimed at resolving FX shortages in the economy.

In August, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited announced it had secured a $3bn emergency crude oil repayment loan from the African Export-Import Bank to support the Federal Government’s effort to stabilise the foreign exchange rate.

The naira has yet to respond positively to this latest injection of liquidity to the dismay of many. In its December Nigeria Development Update, the World highlighted that of volume of FX trades in the official window remained consistently low.

Data from the FMDQ Securities Exchange has shown that FX volumes on the I&E window have consistently hovered around $100m to $150m.

The Washington-based bank noted that without stabilisation in the official FX market at market-reflective rates, the risks to expected net FDI and net FPI would remain high for the country.

Commenting on the issue of volatility, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, recently stated that the bank was concerned about this and doing all within its power to address it.

He said, “We are taking a comprehensive look at all the different policies that have come out from the central bank over a period of time and come out with an elegant document that states what is required from start to scratch and is clear on how to play that market.”

OPS expresses worry

However, members of the OPS including MAN, and LCCI have expressed worry that more companies may wind down operations in Nigeria if the trend of foreign exchange scarcity continues in the country.

In June 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria directed Deposit Money Banks to remove the rate cap on the naira at the official Investors and Exporters’ Window of the foreign exchange market, to allow for a free float of the national currency against the dollar and other global currencies.

This came barely two weeks after President Bola Tinubu promised to unify the nation’s multiple exchange rates, and less than a week before the suspension and detention of CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, whose unorthodox monetary policies had become a stumbling block to investors and the economy.

The CBN’s decision to float the currency was hailed by the organised private sector and economists who said the move would unify the country’s multiple exchange rate and sanitise the forex market

However, in the immediate aftermath of the implementation of this policy, the naira fell from N471 on the official market to N664. This implied a 40.97 percent decline in the value of the naira when the naira was floated. Since then, the currency has dropped by 36 percent to N908 as of January 7, 2024.

In November, reports emerged that the CBN had begun to clear the $7bn backlog which had accumulated as a result of forex scarcity in the preceding months. Despite the development, the naira continued to depreciate, closing at the official market at N831 by the end of November.

During a presentation in Abuja last month, World Bank lead economist for Nigeria Alex Sienaert said Nigeria still needed to control inflation and stabilise its foreign exchange market to boost economic growth following currency reforms and the removal of a petrol subsidy.

According to him, the government still needs to remove remaining import restrictions, despite lifting a forex ban on 43 items, improve infrastructure and pursue clear, consistent trade policies.

The bank also urged the CBN to tighten monetary policy, build market confidence around free foreign exchange pricing, phase out “ways and means” advances to the government and discontinue its development finance initiatives, part of a series of unorthodox policies used by Emefiele.

‘forex scarcity calamitous’

While speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Francis Meshioye, said manufacturers were wary that if the current trend continued, the consequence would be calamitous for the real sector of the economy.

He further expressed dismay that the current business climate was causing companies to shut down manufacturing operations in Nigeria.

He said, “If the trend continues, there will be more calamity. The serious fear we have is that if this continues, then the sector will suffer. We are not happy that manufacturers are shutting down. We hope that it is not a continuous trend.

“We are not happy that another manufacturer just closed shop. We hope that is not a continuous trend. It is not good news for us at the beginning of the year.”

Over the past few months, manufacturers have intensified their call for the government to craft a lasting solution to the perennial crisis of forex illiquidity.

In its recent 2024 sector outlook, MAN urged the CBN to prioritise forex and credit allocation to the manufacturers.

The General Manager of Royal Foam Products Limited, Ezekiel Akhiromen, said the recent fall in the naira rate was negatively affecting operators.

He said, “Of course. It is affecting us, about 80 percent of what we buy requires forex – the chemicals and other materials come in from outside the country.”

Companies face shutdown

On his part, the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gabriel Idahosa, said more companies would exit Nigeria if forex scarcity continued to constitute a headache for businesses.

Idahosa, who was speaking on the announcement by a manufacturing firm — Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing, that it was winding down production activities, said over-reliance on CBN allocation for forex was hurting the Nigerian economy.

Idahosa said, “The only thing that came to mind as to why the company ceased operation is foreign exchange, because if they are importing some of the items they use, then they will have a hard time, but the market for syringes is unlimited.”

‘If things continue the way they are, then businesses will be forced to relocate, even Nigerian businesses are relocating, how much more foreign businesses? There are Nigerian businesses in Ghana now.”

Speaking further, Idahosa advised firms to hedge against currency volatility via exports and backward integration policies.

He added, “I have been advising a lot of my clients and pointing them to what a lot of their competitors are doing. Most manufacturing entities are now seeing the importance of having a division that is exporting. So when everybody is crying that

“CBN is not allocating enough forex, they are getting their forex from exports, but a lot of Nigerian companies don’t have because the crowd mentality is that CBN will allocate foreign currency to them. But CBN does not have a factory where it produces foreign currency.

“So, once NNPC does not bring oil money and our diaspora remittances are exhausted, where else do you get forex, because we are not attracting much foreign investments.”

Companies downsizing — NASSI

Also speaking, the National Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, said companies were currently in a ‘state of limbo,’ and were being forced to downsize to stay in business.

He lamented that businesses were going through a difficult time as a result of the forex scarcity as many of them were forced to go to the parallel market to procure foreign exchange at extortionate rates.

Kuti-George said, “We are just existing. There is no alternative to foreign exchange. Businesses are in limbo. Those that have not folded up are somewhat in limbo, except for those producing basic household goods.

“Businesses have been downsizing quietly. They don’t have to announce that they are laying off staff. It is not something that makes it to the tabloids. No one will tell you that they are downsizing. They will simply lay people off.”

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, says efforts by air and ground components of Operation Hadin Kai to clear the Northeast of remnants of terrorists have continued to record series of successes.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Edward Gabkwet, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Gabkwet said that one of such successful operations occurred on Jan. 5, at Parisu after terrorists were, for days, observed moving items suspected to be weapons and ammunition to the area.

According to him, Parisu, a location near Sambisa Forest, was once a terrorist enclave deserted after its own troops had cleared the area of terrorists’ activities.

He added that the convergence of terrorists within the location raised suspicion of their intent and plan, hence the directive to strike the location.

Gabkwet noted that the result of the strikes led to a huge ball of flames from two adjacent spots within the vicinity, while some surviving terrorists were observed scampering for safety.

“Feedback also revealed that 12 terrorists were neutralised in the strike, and their logistics destroyed, thereby degrading their ability to attack soft targets and own troops.

“Similar strikes were also carried out at a location about 1.5Km Southwest of Tumbun Agiri within the Tumbuns in the Lake Chad region on Jan. 6.

“Intelligence gathered over time had revealed the continuous gathering of armed terrorists in pick-up vehicles and motorcycles, hence the go-ahead to attack the location.

“The precision strikes on the location led to the destruction of the vehicles, motorcycles as well as elimination of several terrorists,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu has advised gunmen operating in the South East to come out of the bushes, drop their guns and negotiate for better jobs and sound future from the Federal government.

This is even as he launched a Food-For-Peace Program, to tackle hunger in the South East.

Kalu, who addressed journalists in Bende during an All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders’ meeting and empowerment program for his constituents, said that President Bola Tinubu has been fair to the South East in appointments and other developmental programs.

He lamented that the economy of the South East region was destroyed by the effects of sit-at-home in parts of the zone, which according to him, made many investors of South East origin to flee the area.

The Deputy Speaker described the actions of unknown gunmen as an affront to the Federal Government, arguing that resorting to violence was at the detriment of the South East economy and general development.

Kalu however advised all the agitators in the South East who are still operating from the bush to drop their guns and embrace the Federal Government’s calls for peace, using the Peace In South East Project (PISE-P) as a vehicle.

He noted that Tinubu has given key positions to the Igbos including the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Minister of Works, Chief of Naval Staff and others, he deserves total support of the Igbo nation now and in his future political interests.

Kalu disclosed that he is interested in the release of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention but said that the process for Kanu’s release can be hastened if enforcers of the sit-at-home and actors of other violent crimes in the South East dropped their guns and embrace peace.

“Sit-at-home at-home is the biggest folly. You can’t match or outrun the fire power of the Federal Government. The best approach is to reduce the level of violence in the South East.

“Tinubu did not contribute to the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu. Why will we punish him for what he did not do? Calm down, return the guns to the security agencies because PISE-P is designed to create jobs for you,” he advised the unknown gunmen.

He recalled how the Tinubu/Shettima campaign office he established in Abia State was destroyed with more than 200 bullets fired by gunmen before the 2023 general election.

The Deputy Speaker however expressed joy that PISE-P has yielded fruit with the relative peace recorded throughout the South East during the Yuletide.

He also spoke of the need for social cohesion between Ndigbo and other tribes, for the development of the South East.

During the stakeholders’ meeting, about 25 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the constituency defected to the APC.

A total of 23 teams have so far qualified for this season’s FA Cup fourth round.

This follows the conclusion of Sunday’s third round fixtures.

Recall that Manchester City thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 to qualify for the next round of the FA Cup.

Leeds United won Peterborough 3-0 in an away tie.

Liverpool won 2-0 against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday night.

Jakub Kiwior’s own goal and Luis Diaz’s strike ensured the Reds eliminated Arsenal from the competition.

However, here are the teams that have booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round after Sunday’s games:

Fulham, Tottenham, Maidstone United, Coventry, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Newcastle, Watford, Brighton, Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers, Bournemouth, Plymouth Argyle, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday, Chelsea, Swansea, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Wrexham, West Brom, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic will host Manchester United in the third round tie on Monday, while third round replays will take place on January 15, 16 and 17.

The Super Eagles walloped Al Gharbia FC, a local team based in Dubai 12-0 in a training match in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ademola Lookman scored four goals, while Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon grabbed a brace each.

Also, Sadiq Umar and Ahmed Musa weighed in with a goal each, while there were also two own goals to complete the dozen-goal rout.

Calvin Bassey as well as substitutes Alex Iwobi and Bright Osayi-Samuel all gave a good account of themselves as an aggressive Super Eagles team laid seize on their opponent’s defence line in a one-sided encounter.

The team, Al Gharbia, play in the third division and paraded a Nigerian midfielder.

A post on the team’s official X account noted that it was indeed a comfortable win for the Eagles, adding that coach Jose Peseiro must be pleased his team are firing from all angles.

It noted, however, that the bigger test for the Eagles will come on Monday when they face another AFCON-bound team Guinea in a final warm-up game before they jet out to Lagos.

“Osimhen’s overall play showed that he is in fine shape to justify his coronation as the best player in Africa at the AFCON.

“Fulham defender Bassey was calm and collected in the heart of the back after he started the test match alongside Portugal-based Chidozie Awaziem.

“Both Iwobi and Osayi Samuel did not start the game, but they impressed when they were introduced to the fray.

“Late replacement for injured Wilfred Ndidi, Alhassan Yusuf also saw action as he played the last 15 minutes of today’s match, which was played behind closed doors at the Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

“NPFL lone representative Olorunleke Ojo will later replace Francis Uzoho, who started in goal.

“Enyimba shot stopper Ojo kept out a penalty to ensure a clean sheet for the team.

“Coach Jose Peseiro made many changes in the game as he tried to have a closer look at all options available before the team’s opening AFCON game next Sunday against Equatorial Guinea,” it said.

It added that Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface and South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali did not see action as they were probably rested ahead of the Guinea clash.

The 34th edition of the AFCON is expected to kick off on Jan. 13 and end on Feb. 11. (NAN)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a thorough investigation into the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on alleged misappropriation of N585 million.

Recall that the humanitarian affairs minister, Betta Edu, came under criticism after a leaked memo on December 20, 2023 revealed that she directed the accountant-general of the federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the project accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

A statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, signed by the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the president had directed that a thorough and comprehensive investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details.
Idris said the federal government is aware of the concerns raised by the public regarding the alleged payment of funds into a private account by the ministry.

The statement reads in part, “We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the government takes these issues most seriously.
“The federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people, and committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians.”

It said the federal government was determined to unravel the truth as it relates to this matter, and gave assurance that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that any infractions are identified and decisively punished, in line with the administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.

“The public is advised to note, against the backdrop of various unverified narratives circulating on the Internet, that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, under the leadership of Minister Mohammed Idris, is the primary source for verified information about events and actions of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the statement said.

Idris said only accurate details will be shared with the public and promised to keep Nigerians informed about the progress of the investigation.

“We urge Nigerians to exercise patience as the investigation unfolds. The government is focused on ensuring a fair and unbiased process, and the findings will be communicated duly and transparently to the public,” the statement added.

Lawmakers have budgeted an additional N30bn for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

The N30bn earmarked for the renovation of the building was part of the N344.85bn budgeted for the National Assembly after they raised their allocations from N197.93bn.

The N344.85bn, signed by President Bola Tinubu on January 1, is the highest ever allocated to the legislature.

The additional N30bn brings to N60bn the amount being spent on the renovation of the National Assembly complex.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is also the President of the National Assembly, had on June 30, 2023, declared that Tinubu would in December, last year inaugurate the N30bn different ongoing projects at the National Assembly.

Akpabio said, “The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects which would, on completion, be inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in December this year (2023).”

The renovation was initially billed to be completed and delivered in August 2022 but the delivery date was later moved to January 2023 and then December 2023.

As of January 2024, the renovation of the National Assembly Complex is yet to be completed with skeletal work ongoing on the premises.

Our correspondent, who was at the site on Saturday, observed that the contractor, Visible Construction Company, was still at work.

An official of the construction firm, who spoke to our correspondent anonymously, said, “People keep blaming us for not finishing the project but those with the money have refused to release money to us.

“How are we expected to finish the work without money? If money is released to our company, the project will be done in no time.”

Earlier during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, the site engineer, Tajudeen Olanipekun, blamed “fluctuations in the value of naira to the United States dollar for the delay.”

“This has hampered the importation of required materials and equipment, in addition to the need for more funds from the FCDA,” he said.

However, the Head, Public Relations, Federal Capital Development Agency, Richard Nduul, in June disclosed that N19bn had been paid to the construction company.

He said, “I would like to refer you to a recent press briefing by the Executive Secretary, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, just about three weeks ago, where disclosed that so far about N19bn has been expended out of the sum of N30bn being the cost of the contract awarded in 2021 to Messrs Visible Construction Nigeria Limited with a completion date of August 2023.

“This project when completed, will bring the Complex to the status of a world-class parliamentary building that will ensure both the comfort, convenience and functionality of the complex,” Nduul added.

However, when our correspondent called Nduul to get an update on how much had been expended on the project, he said he was on sick leave.

He said, “Please call back on Monday so that I can get the records from the concerned department.”

In the same vein, our reporter reached out to the site engineer, Olanipekun for comment on the amount paid, but he refused to pick up his calls and even blocked our correspondent from reaching him.

He had also refused to reply to the text messages sent to him.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is poised to release a three-part investigative documentary outlining the alleged atrocities and sexual crimes committed by the late Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua, widely known as TB Joshua.

Joshua passed away on June 5, 2021. As part of the investigation, the BBC interviewed at least 30 former members and workers of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). The first segment of the documentary is slated for release on January 8.

The three-part documentary exposes the covert lifestyle of the deceased SCOAN founder, detailing instances of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, and staged miracles. Sources informed the BBC that although the church was aware of all the allegations, they never investigated them. They allege that the sexual crimes spanned over two decades.

Part of the documentary reveals how SCOAN shielded its congregation from the truth about the collapse of one of the church’s guesthouses in 2014. A video repeatedly shown to members on Emmanuel TV depicted a brief clip of the structure with what appeared to be an aircraft flying over it.

SCOAN is situated in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State and grew from a local evangelical church into a multimillion-dollar establishment with worshippers from around the world.

Emmanuel, a former worker at SCOAN, revealed to the BBC that the narrative about an aircraft was entirely false. He asserted that the church building had a structural defect. Additionally, Rae, a British woman who attended the church and was a disciple, corroborated this claim. She added that despite professional advice against it, Joshua insisted on raising the building, which had an inadequate foundation for its constructed floors.

Following the tragedy, SCOAN compensated victims’ families with cash, which some interpreted as “hush money.” Sources revealed that TB Joshua instructed a church worker, part of the team distributing compensation in South Africa, to advise grieving families against speaking to the media. Allegedly, Joshua personally threatened families who refused the money.

“The building collapse is a prime example of life under TB Joshua. It’s a series of cover-ups. This incident was so significant that it was nearly impossible for him to conceal,” Rae said.

The BBC investigation also discovered that individuals were dismembered under the rubble, and deceased bodies were transported in SCOAN ambulances to shield the true extent of the disaster from the press, protecting both the church’s image and TB Joshua.

Sexual Exploitation

Survivors of TB Joshua’s sexual exploitation recounted how they were manipulated and silenced, even when aware that the relationship they had with “daddy” was abusive. These women were part of TB Joshua’s discipleship. Multiple women shared their experiences of being molested and raped by him. Some women who initially resisted his assault were threatened into submission, as revealed by one of the women in an interview with the BBC.

According to all the women, TB Joshua justified his sexual assaults by claiming it was for their salvation. These women joined the synagogue as teenagers and endured years of abuse before finally leaving. Abisola, a woman who spent 14 years in the church, disclosed that she was raped throughout her stay. Additionally, when these women became pregnant from the assaults, they were coerced into having abortions at a squalid clinic within the synagogue.

One of the women recounted her experience: “We went into his room, and I stood there. He said, ‘Off your clothes,’ so I removed my clothes. He just pointed, so I lay down, and then he raped me. He broke my virginity. I was screaming, and he was whispering in my ears that I should stop acting like a baby. I was 17 years old. I was underage.’”

One survivor managed to escape and confronted TB Joshua, recording the encounter in videos shared with the BBC. In the video, a security officer was heard threatening to shoot the woman. Survivors detailed being targeted, beaten, and shot at by suspected thugs associated with the pastor.

The BBC’s documentary uncovered how the church orchestrated, managed, and exaggerated miracles showcased on television. Individuals were instructed to amplify their problems for healing, and likewise, their healing was exaggerated to appear “perfected by God,” according to a source from the miracle department interviewed by the BBC.

Rae questioned, “How is somebody like that permitted to walk free? You’ve got this man who positioned himself as a father to many children and went on to rape, abuse, and molest all these people who call him daddy.” Rachel joined the church at 17, hoping to be cured of homosexuality.

Another segment of the investigation delved into how TB Joshua mistreated and ostracised his daughter born out of wedlock. Ajoke, now 28, revealed to the BBC how she confronted her father about sexual abuse allegations and was subsequently expelled from the church. She recounted experiencing isolation and indoctrination and admitted contemplating suicide.

In March 2023, Mail Online reported that an aristocrat, Constance Marten, allegedly ‘groomed’ by TB Joshua, spent time in a compound near Lagos, Nigeria as a teenager. The report detailed how Marten was subjected to stringent controls, including staying in a dormitory monitored by armed guards, enduring biblical readings, and being forced to address the leader as ‘daddy’.

The compound where Marten was detained gained attention after her arrest, along with her partner, in connection with the death of her child Victoria. Reports indicated Marten’s affluent background and revealed her association with the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos, Nigeria.

Former members described instances of humiliation inflicted by the controversial pastor on Marten and other white people at the compound. Marten later reached out to individuals, expressing confusion and trauma from her past experiences, seeking to understand what had happened to her.

In April 2021, YouTube suspended TB Joshua’s channel, Emmanuel TV, following controversial remarks about homosexuality being linked to demonic possession.

Marten’s ex-partner, Francis Agolo, reflected on her time in Nigeria, noting a stark change in her demeanour after her experience, describing her as caring and loving before but withdrawn and distressed thereafter. Marten previously shared her ordeal of living among 50 girls in a religious cult, emphasising the leader’s influence over their lives by dismissing their families and asserting himself as their sole father figure.