The government of Ireland has perfected plans to entice Nigerians and other foreign workers with work permits.

The potential beneficiaries are those with critical skills who require permission to work in the country.

According to the Citizens Information Board, the scheme under the name ‘Critical Skills Employment Permit’ applies to countries outside the European Economic Area including the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland.

Ireland, with the programme, aims to address a shortage of skilled workers in the country with exists various sectors like production management, ICT, health and social services management, natural and social sciences, engineering, information technology, and telecommunications.

Additionally, roles are available for health workers, teaching professionals, business and administrative professionals, architects, artistic and media professionals, design, sports and fitness, as well as sales and marketing.

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is for skilled workers who are qualified in disciplines that are experiencing a deficit of qualifications and experience required for the proper functioning of the Irish economy.

These disciplines, however, require specialisation from candidates to qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit.

Who is eligible?

The Irish government those eligible are interested participants offered a job running for two years or more from a company or employer that is registered with revenue, trading in Ireland and registered with the Companies Registration Office.

The applicant must be directly employed and paid by their employer in Ireland. Job offers from recruitment agencies and other intermediaries are not acceptable for this permit.

It also disclosed that job offers must have a minimum of €32,000 in annual salary in an occupation that is on the Critical Skills Occupation List or an annual salary of €64,000 a year in an occupation that is not on the list.

Work permits cannot be obtained for companies where more than 50% of the employees are non-EEA nationals. This requirement may be waived in the case of start-up companies which are supported by Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland.

Further details iterate that permits have to be obtained before entering Ireland and applicants may also need to apply for a visa. The scheme requires qualified individuals to register and get an Irish Residence Permit once they arrive in Ireland.

Applicants who already live in Ireland and have a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) with stamp 1, 1G, 2, 2A or 3 permission can apply for the permit if they satisfy the criteria.

However, labour market needs tests are not required for the permit. This means that the employer does not need to advertise the job with the Department of Social Protection, European Employment Service (EURES) or in newspapers.

Who can apply?

The applicant can be the employer, the employee, a connected person or contractor, or an authorised agent. Payments are to be made by electronic fund transfer (EFT) to the Employment Permits Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment at Earlsfort Centre, Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2 D02 PW01, Ireland.

Applications can also be made online with the required documentation, using the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS), with a supplied checklist for assistance.

Applications cost €1,000. If an application is refused or withdrawn, 90% of the fee will be refunded.

The Board assures that rejected applications will be justified and applicants will be granted an appeal within 28 days.

Successful applicants who live outside of Ireland are required to apply for a visa to enter Ireland if their country requires it. They are to present an employment permit to the immigration officer before entry.

They are also to register with their local registration office in the area where they intend to live. Once registered, they will get an Irish Residence Permit (IRP). The fee for registering with immigration and getting an IRP is €300.

If already living in Ireland with another immigration permission, candidates must visit their local registration office for a change of registration permission.

Qualified candidates invited to Ireland for a job interview on the critical skills occupations list can also apply for a highly skilled job interview authorisation. This allows an applicant to remain in Ireland for a maximum of 90 days.

How about bringing family members?

Ireland allows individuals who go through the Critical Skills Employment route to bring their family to live with them in Ireland.

If their family is from a country whose citizens need a visa to enter Ireland: they must all apply for separate visas. If not, they must show proof that they are the family members of the Permit holder to an immigration officer before entry.

If a skilled worker brings a de-facto partner, they must apply for either a visa if their country requires it or a preclearance if not. This is the person they are in a committed relationship with but not married to.

Children must also apply the same way as the de-facto partner. However, spouses or de-facto partners and any child over 16 must register and get an IRP.

Ireland also offers opportunities for partners of skilled workers to work in the country without a permit through the Stamp 1G IRP. Other family members can apply for a Dependent/Spouse/Partner Employment Permit.

What of citizenship by naturalisation?

The Critical Skills Employment Permit is issued for two years. After this, skilled workers can apply for a Stamp 4 permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit.

Stamp 4 permission will be issued for 2 years and can be renewed provided candidates continue to satisfy the criteria. After legally residing in Ireland for 5 years, skilled workers can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.

If not eligible for a Stamp 4, candidates may be issued with a Stamp 1 and will continue to need an employment permit to work in Ireland.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has rejected former vice president and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the rallying point of the opposition parties in Nigeria ahead of 2027 general election.

In a statement by the national secretary of CUPP, High Chief Peter Ameh, which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday, he said the attention of CUPP had been drawn to a newspaper publication (Not LEADERSHIP), proposing and projecting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by one of his aides to lead the opposition political parties in Nigeria ahead of the next election circle.

He said, “We in CUPP hereby wish to disassociate ourselves from that proposition because of the reasons mentioned hereunder.”

Listing the reasons for rejecting Atiku, the opposition national scribe said, “CUPP had worked with Atiku in the past only to realise later that we worked for a candidate who cared for himself, his ambition, and his own ambition only without giving a hoot for other coalition partners. It is also in the public sphere that former Vice President Atiku has severally professed his aversion for multi-party democracy. He is a fan of either one or two party systems only.”

He recalled that in the run-up to 2019 general election, more than 35 political parties went into a coalition, which led to the formation of CUPP as it is today with PDP and former Vice President Atiku as its consensus presidential candidate, noting that

CUPP worked tirelessly for the former Vice President to become the president of Nigeria, and lost at the polls.

He said after Atiku lost, he turned his back on his coalition partners, and practically threw the coalition parties under the bus and ran away to Dubai only to surface towards the 2023 general election.

“We remember sending a delegation of the coalition to him to seek his opinion on the way forward for the opposition parties, only to be told by him that he did not believe and had never believed in multi-party democracy which was the bedrock of constitutional democracy and the reason for the existence of the parties that went into that coalition with him,” he added.

CUPP queried how a man who is so enamoured with a one-party system and had severally professed his aversion for multi-party democracy lead and be nominated to be in the forefront of such struggle.

“CUPP sees this as trying to fly a wingless kite, which can never be airborne. He is trying to rally the opposition parties to take upon themselves a fight (install him as the president), which he has tried severally and failed.

“CUPP hereby urges the former Vice President Atiku to leave the stage now that the ovation is high. He has done his beat as a consummate politician, he has contested severally for the office of the president without victory, the time is now ripe for him to quit the stage for the younger elements and start portraying himself as a statesman that he truly is,” the statement read.

About a week to the kick-off of the 2023 edition of Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, and in an effort to ensure that Nigeria’s football and other sporting activities are revived and developed, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has released the sum of N12 billion to the Ministry of Sports Development.

The said amount would assist those in charge of the management of sports to clear backlog of arrears of salaries and other outstanding debts owed coaches of the national teams and other sporting activities under the sports ministry.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan-Enoh, stated this on Saturday during a thanksgiving ceremony at Holy Family Catholic Church in Ikom LGA of Cross River State.

Enoh said that no President in Nigeria has shown the level of commitment displayed by President Tinubu as far as sports development in the country is concerned.

“The senior team national coach has not been paid for 15 months, the salary is about $1.350 million.

“The senior national team and other national teams; female, under 20 had a backlog of unpaid allowances, unpaid promises, and all of that piling up close to about N12 billion.

“The President has approved all of that payment. There’s no better way to show support and leadership than what he (Tinubu) has done,” the Minister stated.

Enoh added that if there was any facet of the economy that President Tinubu is interested to revive, it’s sports, which would show joy, peace and happiness across all households.

The Minister charged players and managers of the senior national team to redouble their effort towards victory as the entire nation would be waiting in anticipation of victory.

While admitting that the sports sector is truly controversial but one can always triumph with hardwork, the Minister noted that, “Every step you take is controversial but to the glory of God, I’m able to navigate through that and we are not in any controversy.”

Umar Audu, the undercover reporter who succeeded in earning a university degree from Benin Republic, in as little vas six weeks, has asked the federal government to scrutinize all degrees that were issued to Nigerians from institutions in both Benin and Togo.

The government has said it is investigating the alleged racketeering of degrees from Benin but said nothing about the many fake degrees that could already be in circulation in the country.

It is also yet to officially speak on the extent its planned investigation will go and how it will liaise with affected universities in Benin Republic and Togo on the racketeering scandal unearthed by the undercover reporter from the Daily Nigerian Newspaper who still managed to register for the National Youth Service Corp after obtaining a degree in six weeks.

This is just as a professor at the University of Lagos, Victor Ariole, has called into question, the collective punishment of a large number of universities within the African region and the thousands of students currently enrolled in them.

Ariole said the government should instead single out the erring universities and students.

The undercover journalist, Umar Audu, said it is imperative for the government to conduct thorough investigations into all degrees awarded in the Benin Republic.

Audu, who spoke exclusively to LEADERSHIP Sunday yesterday, said some people earned their certificates legitimately, but most of them were obtained in a fraudulent manner.

It would be recalled that Audu, in an investigative report titled, ‘How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks’, exposed a booming certificate racketeering syndicate in Benin Republic and Togo, that specialises in selling university degrees to willing buyers from Nigeria.

Speaking to our correspondent on what led him to go undercover, Audu said the issue of certificate racketeering is widespread in the Benin as many universities are offering fake degrees.

He also said that it is the responsibility of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Federal Ministry of Education to evaluate and accredit these universities to eradicate the fraud.

“There is a need to investigate all degrees from the Benin Republic, but this doesn’t mean they are all not legitimate graduates. Some people earned their certificates legitimately, but most of them were obtained in a fraudulent manner.

“The issue is widespread; in our previous investigation, we identified over 15 universities that offer these kinds of degrees.

“It’s not the responsibility of the NYSC to evaluate and accredited universities. That responsibility lies in the hands of the NUC and Federal Ministry of Education.”

Speaking further, Audu said he had prior knowledge of degrees being bought in Cotonou before embarking on the investigative journey.

According to him “Daily Nigerian did an investigation on how Nigerians smuggle ‘tokumbo’ degrees from Cotonou in February 2018. So, this was like a follow-up,” he said.

Meanwhile, some experts have urged the government to investigate erring universities and punish specific individuals instead of generalising.

LEADERSHIP Sunday tried to reach out to the acting director of public affairs at the National Universities Commission, Haruna Lawal Aho on whether there are plans by the commission to set up an investigative panel considering how wide spread the racketeering appears to be widespread in Benin and Togo.

Ajo would only say that an enquiry has already been instituted by the federal ministry of education, and nothing else should be expected pending the outcome of that investigation.

He said, “The federal ministry of education made a statement on this issue a few days ago. An enquiry was already instituted.”

The National Youth Service Corp, on its part was reluctant to speak on steps it could take to reduce the opportunity for fake degree holders to register for the youth service.

LEADERSHIP Sunday could not get clarification from the NYSC spokesman, Eddy Megwa, on why Audu was able to register for a second time despite the fact that the use of the National Identification Number, which is unique to all individual citizens, is a requirement for all participants before registration.

A Professor of European Languages and Integration Studies, University of Lagos, Prof. Victor Ariole said suspending accreditation of degrees from Benin and Togo is ill-advised.

According to him, punishing over 15,000 students with the suspension of accreditation of degree certificates is collective punishment since the need to punish only those directly involved.

“There must be a selective process, go into their records, those who are found culpable bring them out and punish them, not because one person did something wrong and you punish everybody because you discovered one University or institution is creating a problem. It is not done, it’s against human rights,” he said.

NYSC Registration Steps For Foreign, Local Students Expounded

Following the release of an undercover report on express degrees awarded by mushroom universities in Cotonou, mixed reactions of shock and outrage have continued to trail across the country.

Although, the National Youth Service Corps, on its website said the data of all prospective corps members as submitted for mobilisation by their respective institutions, are subjected to screening for conformity, the spokesperson of the Scheme, Eddy Megwa did not respond when asked to throw more light on it.

LEADERSHIP Sunday, however, walks through the procedures of National NYSC registration for foreign and local students.

NYSC, which is a mandatory one-year service programme is for all Nigerian graduates of tertiary institutions.

However, graduates who have studied outside Nigeria and are interested in participating in the scheme must follow specific procedures and meet certain requirements, according to the scheme.

Requirements For Registration/Mobilization Of Foreign Students Graduates

On its website, NYSC specified that foreign students must register online on its portal (https://portal.nysc.org.ng/) during the designated registration period and create an account with their emails and phone number, providing their personal details, and upload scanned copies of the required documents.

Documents to be uploaded are; International passport showing entry visa, departure date, return date, and data page, original degree or HND certificate, complete official transcript of the degree or HND course, O’level certificate (WASC, GCE, SSCE, NECO, IGCE, GCSE, or high school diploma) showing credits in five subjects, including English and mathematics.

Others are evidence of completion of housemanship (for medical doctors and optometrists), evidence of completion of internship (for pharmacists), residence permit for the period of study (for graduates of universities within ECOWAS states and Cameroon).

After successful online registration, foreign students must attend the physical verification exercise at the designated NYSC camp and present the original copies of all uploaded documents for verification.

However, certificates and other credentials not written in English must be translated at the embassy of the country of study or a university in Nigeria where the language is studied before uploading and presentation for verification.

More so, foreign students are not allowed to choose their state of deployment. However, married women may be deployed to states where their husbands reside.

Meanwhile, graduates with dual nationality are required to upload data pages of both International Passports and present the same for verification at the physical verification Centre/Orientation camp (where more than one passports were used during the period of study.

In the event of loss of international passport, a prospective Corps Member is expected to obtain the following: Police and Immigration reports from the country where the Passport got missing, sworn affidavit from the court of law and other evidence of stay in the country of study, and a new International Passport (Personal Data page of the newly obtained International Passport must be uploaded).

For loss of academic credentials, the following are required: Detailed Police report, sworn affidavit from the Court of law, confirmation of result from either the examination body (for loss of O’Level certificates) or the institution of graduation (for loss of degree, HND, Certificates), personal Data page of the newly obtained International Passport must be uploaded

Requirements For Registration/Mobilisation Of Local Graduates

Prospective Corps members should ensure that they have functional e-mail addresses that they can access and Nigerian (GSM) telephone numbers with which to register.

They will use the Email address and password to login to the NYSC portal subsequently.

Locally trained prospective Corps members are expected to use correct Matriculation numbers to register and only those whose names appear in the Senate/Academic Board Approved Result lists submitted by their Institutions will have access to the register on the NYSC portal.

Anybody who presents any fake document will be demobilized and decamped and handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

They should also remember the fingers used for their biometric capturing as these will be used for verification at the orientation camps.

Those who cannot be verified with their biometric at the orientation camp will not be registered.

However, married female prospective corps members (whether locally or foreign-trained) should upload copies of their marriage Certificates, evidence of Change of name and their husbands’ place of domicile during registration.

The orientation camp is highly not ideal for pregnant and nursing mothers. Prospective corps members in these categories are therefore to note that they will not be accommodated.

The Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on Saturday clarified the recent visit of officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to its Head Office in Lagos State.

Recall that officials of the EFCC visited the Dangote Group headquarters in Lagos on Thursday, to investigate forex allocations to the company during the tenure of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

However, days after the EFCC visit, Dangote Management, in a statement at the weekend explained that “the company received a letter from the EFCC in the first week of December 2023, requesting details of all the foreign exchange allocated to the company by the CBN from 2014 to the present.

The statement said, “We understand similar letters were sent to 51 other Groups of companies requesting for the same information spanning the same period.”

According to the statement, the company responded to the EFCC to acknowledge receipt of the letter whilst seeking clarification on the subsidiaries or companies within the Group that they required information on.

It said the company also requested additional time to compile and properly present the extensive documentation spanning ten years.

The statement partly read, “the EFCC did not provide the clarification sought and also did not honour our request for an extension and insisted on receiving the complete set of documents within the limited timeframe.”

“On 4 January 2024, our team delivered the first batch of documents to the EFCC. However, officers of the EFCC did not accept the documents, insisting on visiting our offices to collect the same set of documents directly.

“Whilst our representatives were still at the EFCC’s office to deliver the documents, a team of their officers proceeded to visit our offices to demand the same documents in a manner that appeared designed to cause us unwarranted embarrassment.”

It noted that no accusations of wrongdoing have been made against the company by the EFCC, adding that they are responding to a request for information to assist the anti-graft agency with their ongoing investigation.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has threatened to sue President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he fails to probe the alleged payment of N585,189,500.00 into a private account by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

DAILY POST had reported that Betta Edu confirmed disbursing N585,189,500.00 meant for vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states into a private account.

However, Edu insisted that the payment followed due process.

Meanwhile, SERAP said that the minister’s action was against Chapter 7, Section 713 of the Federal Government’s Financial Regulations 2009, which notes, ‘Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account’.

Accordingly, SERAP urged Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly conduct a probe.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest”.

Recall that Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, said Edu was not supposed to make N585,198,500.00 into a private account.

The Super Eagles will play a friendly match against Guinea’s Syli Nationale in Abu Dhabi on Monday, according to a statement by Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The statement, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, indicated that the friendly match was part of the Super Eagles’ preparation ahead of a feast of Guinean attrition in the group phase at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Côte d’Ivoire.

“Head Coach José Peseiro has the opportunity to put to the crucible different patterns and tactics against quality opposition.

“The friendly game is coming only seven days before the three-time champions’ opening game against Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang Nacional inside Abidjan’s Stade Alassane Ouattara,” it said.

NAN reports that the Super Eagles are in Group A of the four-week, 24-nation finals alongside host nation Cote d’Ivoire and Africa’s other two Guinean nations – Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

The Syli Nationale was one of Africa’s strongest teams in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the silver medals at the 1976 AFCON in Ethiopia.

They gave the so-called big teams a good run for their money at the Africa Cup and in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

The Eagles pipped Syli Nationale 1-0 in a group phase encounter at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.

Far back in 1981, Syli Nationale held the Eagles to a 1-1 draw in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Conakry, and in Lagos, Nigeria won with a long-range Henry Nwosu strike to the far corner of Abdoulaye Keita’s goal.

“Monday’s encounter has been scheduled for the Bani Yas Stadium.

“It is sure to slightly open a window into the mind of Coach Peseiro and how he intends to line up his army when Africa’s flagship football championship begins next weekend,” it added.

The 2023 AFCON which kicks off on Jan. 13 will end on Feb. 11. (NAN)

Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has revealed a hilarious conversation with her husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.

She disclosed that her husband had inquired if she would have married him if he was a mechanic, and at first, she was left stunned by his question.

However, she gave him a hilarious response, questioning where they would have met, wondering if it would be at his mechanic shop.

The thespian wrote on her Instagram page, “Small gist everyone: So my husband asked me one of the most asked questions he sees about our union. He said, ‘G, would you have actually married me if I was a mechanic?’

“I laughed. I really didn’t know the response I was to give, but my reply was ‘Where would you see me? When I come to fix a car?’

“Dim idiegwu.”

Recalls that Regina Daniels, who was 22 then, sparked mixed reactions when she tied the nuptial knot with a 61-year-old lawyer and former federal lawmaker, Ned Nwoko, in 2019.

The couple has since welcomed two children together.

The Ogun State Government has concluded arrangements to give out Annual Scholarship Award to 10,000 learners from primary education to tertiary level, so as to make education affordable and reduce out-of-school children.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, made this known at Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, during the 2nd Term Pre-resumption Stakeholders’ Meeting with Principals, Head-teachers, Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Association of Primary School Teachers (AOPSTON), All Nigerian Confederation Of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and security agencies.

Prof. Arigbabu, in a statement made available to newsmen by Mr. Samuel Ogungbesan, Press Officer, MOES&T, explained that the Scholarship would be based on merit for indigent students, serve as a relief to parents and create an avenue for effective learning, adding that it was an opportunity for learners to benefit from the present administration’s free education policy and its commitment at rejigging the system.

He disclosed that the Ministry had put mechanisms in place to ensure adequate security of lives and property, as well as provision of 25,000 furniture to schools, promising that more would be distributed to secondary and primary schools across the state, to sustain qualitative, accessible and affordable education for the citizenry.

The Commissioner further hinted that government would soon hold an Education Summit, with the aim of proffering solutions to challenges confronting the education sector, launching of Education Trust Fund and digital lesson notes, among others.

"As we go into the new session, let us be more dedicated, show leadership by good example and complement government’s efforts by doing your bits", he said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Abosede Ogunleye, appreciated the effort, support and cooperation of all education stakeholders, saying the meeting was to charge and re-strategise towards resumption, to achieve desired result.

Speaking, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Rtd. AIG, Olusola Subaru, encouraged parents and teachers to ensure proper monitoring and guidance of their wards to prevent them from engaging in nefarious activities that could become burdensome to the parent and society at large, pledging that security agencies in the state would continue to ensure that schools, teachers and learners were secured.

In their separate goodwill messages, representatives of Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and So-safe Corps, DCP Sagir Ismail; DCC Amos Ajayi, Mr. Ekundayo Williams and ACC Maroof Yusuf, respectively, commended the seamless effort of the present administration in facilitating adequate machineries to secure lives and property of the citizenry, saying it is everybody’s business, just as parents, teachers and learners should think security first, be optimistic, vigilant, proactive and not hesitate to report any security issues to appropriate quarters.

Responding, Chairmen, AOPSHON, ASSUS and SUBEB, Mr. Dauda Sanusi, Dr. Oluwaseun Agbesanwa and Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, respectively, appreciated Governor Abiodun for putting workers’ welfare in the front burner, especially the recent End of Year Bonus for Civil Servants, pledging their continuous support and cooperation with government to further develop the education sector.

...Yakubu, Uhomoibhi ask for more time

... Joefel absent

The Edo Central PDP Special Committee has adjourned the screening of the governorship aspirants from the Senatorial zone scheduled for today to Wednesday 10th of January, 2024. This was one of the significant decisions the Committee took today in its meeting, which was held on Saturday in the Igueben residence of the National leader, High Chief Tom Ikimi.

Aspirants present included Barr. Anselm Ojiezua, Senator Clifford Ordia, Hon. John Yakubu, Amb. Martins Uhomoibhi and Barr Asue Ighodalo. 

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Special Committee, High Chief Tom Ikimi, thanked the aspirants for their commitments to the overall interest of the party and the Esan people.

He read a letter addressed to the Committee by one of the Aspirants, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun informed the Committee that he has decided to suspend his aspiration and align with Barr. Asue Ighodalo.  He noted that one of the aspirants, Hon. Felix Akhabue, aka Joefel, was absent without communicating with the Committee.

The chairman called on the aspirants present to address the Committee on the outcomes of their further consultations.

Barr. Anselm Ojiezua informed the Committee that he was still consulting and was waiting for the outcome of the decision of the Committee.

Senator Clifford Ordia said that for the overall interest of the party, personal sacrifices must be made. He announced that he had decided to support the ambition of Barr. Asue Ighodalo

Hon. John Yakubu told the Committee that has gone around the state, he needed time to consult before communicating his decision to the Committee within the next

24 hours. He said he has decided to submit himself to the conclusion of the Committee.

Amb. Martins Uhomoibhi also prayed for more consulting time before making his position known. He expressed confidence in the Committee to make the right decision.

Barr. Asue Ighodalo thanked the Committee for the personal sacrifices being put in. He pledged his continuous alignment with the Committee.

After a brief meeting with members of the Committee, the Chairman, High Chief Tom Ikimi, we adjourned the screening of aspirants to Wednesday, 10th January 2024, to give time for some aspirants to consult further.

Amb. Tony Okonigene ANIVS, RSV

Publicity Secretary

January 6, 2024