A 37-year old woman, Bilikisu Kazeem, has died from bullet wound sustained during a battle between the police and kidnappers on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Police Spokesman in Ogun State, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this on Saturday in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Odutola said as a result of the engagement, nine out of ten persons were rescued from the suspected kidnappers on the highway.

Suspected kidnappers had on Friday abducted travellers on the Lagos- Ibadan expressway, including the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos state, Philip Aivoji.

According to Odutola, officers’ intervention had, however, aided the release of nine out of ten victims while only the PDP chairman remained in captivity.

Speaking on casualties recorded, Odutola said, “A White Mazda Bus registered as LSR 288 XE was slightly damaged, while Eunice Afolake Osalusi “f”, Erinfolami Samuel “m”, Obafemi Da Altantra “m” and Adeyinka Mathew sustained non-ife threatening bullet injuries in their escape attempts, they are recuperating and stable in hospital.

“Sadly, one Bilikisu Kazeem “f” aged 37years, gave up the ghost before getting to the hospital. Her remains was immediately collected by her relatives who were conveying her to the hospital, declining any autopsy examination from the police.”

The Police Spokesman listed exhibits recovered from the scene to include “one AK47 Magazine containing 28 live ammunition believed to belong to the hoodlums, handsets, car key, were handed over to respective owners.”

She added that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations had mobilised Tactical Commanders, on joint operations with other security agencies to ensure that the PDP chairman is rescued unhurt.

[DailyTrust]

The head coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, is expected to make four changes to his starting XI for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, Round of 16 clash with Cameroon on Saturday.

Sources in Ivory Coast told DAILY POST that captain William Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Sanusi Zaidu and Ademola Lookman are pencilled down to start the match.

Troost-Ekong and Zaidu have been recovering from injury, while Iwobi and Lookman were left on the bench for the final Group A fixture against Guinea-Bissau.

Alhassan Yusuf, who has not played since the first group game, is also fit again, but will be among the substitutes.

Peseiro is expected to go with a 3-4-3 formation against the Indomitable Lions.

Kick-off for the game is 9:00 pm WAT.

[DailyPost]

Africa’s fiercest rivalry will be rekindled in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday as the Super Eagles of Nigeria face the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

The neighboring countries endured different group stages, with the Super Eagles enjoying a cruise into the knockouts with one-nil victories over Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau.

Cameroon, meanwhile, were on the verge of a shock exit at the hands of Gambia but they managed to qualify after scoring two stoppage time goals.

Kick-off time and venue

Nigeria vs Cameroon is scheduled for a 9 pm kick-off on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

The match will take place at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

Where to watch

The match can be seen on DSTV Supersport channel 202, NTA among others.

Nigeria Team News

Jose Peseiro has found success with a 3-4-3 formation in Nigeria’s last two matches, with Fulham defender Calvin Bassey impressing at left cennter back.

Alhassan Yusuf, William Troost-Ekong, Zaidu Sanusi are all back from injury issues, and have been pictured in training.

Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman are competing to flank Victor Osimhen while Alex Iwobi may expect to replace Joe Aribo in the middle of the park.

Read Also: Nigeria vs Cameroon: Musa, Onuachu, Anthony swell Eagles camp to 21

Cameroon Team News

Cameroon’s preparation has focused on Andre Onana’s situation, with the Manchester United goalkeeper reportedly involved in a bust-up with national team chief Samuel Eto’o after being dropped for the Gambia game.

Fabrice Ondoa, is Onana’s main competition for the number one spot. 

Veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar may finally be fit to make his bow at the 2023 AFCON.

[TheNation]

No fewer than 140 officials will track and assess the performance of federal ministries, departments, and agencies ahead of the first assessment exercise at the end of this month.

This is as the officials joined the third technical retreat for delivery desk officers of federal ministries on the implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, which began on Wednesday.

A senior official working closely with the Central Delivery Coordination Unit headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, revealed that the officers, who would conduct the assessment, were drawn from 35 federal government ministries, departments and agencies.

“It will involve a permanent secretary and directors of planning and other officials, four each from 35 ministries. They are considering the modalities of the assessment, the key performance indicators and the reporting mechanisms and all of those,” the official who did not want to be mentioned told one of our correspondents.

At the retreat, Bala-Usman echoed President Bola Tinubu’s words to participants when she warned that her principal would sack ministers who failed to perform their duties.

She noted that Tinubu was poised to deliver on his promise of making life better and easier for Nigerians.

Calling for the total commitment of delivery officers and directors of planning in ministries, Bala-Usman said, “We must understand that the President is very serious about his promises and that ministers will be assessed, and ministers will be dropped if they don’t perform.

“You must understand that as ministerial delivery desk officers, you are the engine room that will provide that feedback, constantly track ministerial progress, and report challenges and bottlenecks to the central coordinating and delivery unit.”

The presidential aide, who dove into the specifics, explained, “In the Ministry of Aviation, we will be assessing FAAN on customer experience at the airports; are the escalators, lifts, and conveyor belts functional?

“What are the consequences of delayed time of departure for airlines? These are things that everybody can feel and see.

“When talking about agriculture, we want to see our index of fertiliser use per hectare grow because of the attendant investment that has been made in fertiliser interventions.”

On October 17, 2023, Bala-Usman said her office would begin a quarterly assessment of the performance of the 48 ministers (now 47) appointed by the President by January 2024.

She said January would be the best period to begin the exercise as all the ministries would have received their budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.

“We’re looking to commence an assessment of the respective ministries in January 2024. We’re going to have a quarterly assessment of performance, which will culminate into an annual scorecard,” the former boss of the Nigerian Ports Authority explained in an interview on TVC.

She said the annual scorecard would be reviewed during periodic retreats where performances would be assessed against key performance indicators.

The three-month period for the first evaluation will follow a three-day cabinet retreat for ministers and presidential aides, which was held from November 1 to 3, 2023, where ministers signed a performance bond with the President.

The bond signed by each minister and permanent secretaries detailed the deliverables each ministry plans to achieve within the 2024 budget cycle.

“That performance bond is what we’re going to use to track the performance of the ministers,” Bala-Usman had said.

Lawyers, CSOs comment

Commenting on the development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the performance review of the ministers should not be the priority of the government as the nation was in a dire strait.

He stated, “This President should be one in a hurry. This country is battered and tattered. The country is bleeding. The people are downtrodden. There is anger and melancholy. There is poverty. There is agony. Nigerians are crying and in abject penury. There is gnashing of teeth across the divides in Nigeria.

“How can a bag of rice be selling at over N55,000 and the Presidency is talking about assessing ministers? Take a look at the naira that is currently in a free fall because we are subjected to neo-colonial dictates from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

“To me, it is a case of ‘Physician heal thyself’ as the President is trying to heal the ministries. To assess a minister is to know the deliverables. What benchmark did the President set when he appointed the ministers? What was in the All Progressives Congress manifesto as to their deliverables?

“Since the ministers were sworn in more than six months ago, what have they done? If we take the Ministry of Works, for instance, it will be easy to assess how many roads have been constructed or started or earmarked for commencement. But, for other ministries like special duties; how will they be assessed?

“As for the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Humanitarian Affairs, how will they assess them? Where is all the money that has been pumped to alleviate poverty? Why is there so much poverty in the land? What number of Nigerians has been brought out of poverty? What are the verifiable indices to show that this has been done? I have already seen some ministers who are not performing at all. Some of them are just there like onlookers.”

On his part, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), faulted the move, saying, “In the first instance, I don’t see how anyone will assess a minister. The criteria are bound to be subjective rather than objective. This is because ministers are not really the ones working in the ministries. They are just policymakers. The civil servants are the ones who will implement policies. In that instance, it is the members of the public who can assess whether a minister is working or not.

“A minister could be hyperactive and corrupt. We have seen ministers use their former companies as pipes to siphon government money from another ministry and some of them are still serving.

“You will not say because a minister has some media hype, he will score well and perform. Sometimes, it is not the people that you hear of who are the performers in this country. Nobody can evaluate any minister other than members of the public.” 

Also reacting, another senior lawyer, Mr Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN),  stated that it was PresidentTinubu himself who needed to be assessed.

“I don’t think the President has the moral justification for such an assessment. It is the President himself who needs an assessment. The ministers have no direct responsibility to the people of Nigeria. They were not the ones elected. The buck stops on the President’s table. Is it for the insecurity, inflation, or the collapse of the exchange and forex regime?” he queried.

Civil Society Organisations called on Tinubu to suspend ministers who underperform or are found to be enmeshed in corrupt practices.

The Chairman of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, Enafaa Georgewill, made the call in an interview with one of our correspondents, adding that ministers could be likened to employees who should be held accountable when necessary.

Georgewill stated, “The President can be likened to an employer and if an employer employs an employee and the employee is not performing as expected, he who hired them should fire them and where there is a need for caution, disciplinary action like suspension and other reprimand actions should be taken.

“Until those in authority, and in this case, the President, begin to instil discipline and real governance, as well as social welfare, we will not be able to make real progress. So, yes, the President has the power to reprimand ministers and he should use it.”

The Director of Youths for Change, Taiwo Oyayinka, urged the President to ensure the dismissal of underperforming ministers as he had earlier promised.

He said, “President Tinubu promised us last year that ministers who underperform would be dismissed; he should stand by this charge. Corrupt ministers should be flushed out of the system.

“Such an action will serve as a deterrent to others. There should be no sacred cow in power. All those found culpable should be suspended or dismissed.”

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Segun Sowunmi, said the assessment of ministers was a novel idea, but noted that such an endeavour must be holistic.

He said, “This is the first time we have heard that ministers are going to be accessed and that there will be consequences after the assessment, but you know anything with government, especially in our country, it is always better for you to exercise some caution because if you celebrate early, you may just end up disappointed.

“On the surface, it is a good idea; maybe it will help us scale up service delivery. Also, maybe the report of the assessment can serve as a benchmark either for the others or people who will be taking government office.”

The National Secretary of New Nigeria People’s Party, Mr Oladipupo Olayokun, “I think that is the normal thing to do because when you give someone an assignment, you should periodically assess his performance because don’t forget that the President told Nigerians that the ministers would be assessed. It is a departure from what we witnessed in the past eight years, especially given what Nigerians are experiencing under this government.”

The National Director, Media and Publicity of the Labour Party, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said, “Any minister found wanting shows he or she is not qualified to serve the country. If the President wants to begin to screen his aides, that means he must have presented himself for screening ab initio. He does not have a locus standi to start screening people because if they were screened ab initio, we would have known about their credentials.”

The British government on Saturday said it would be “temporarily pausing any future funding” to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees after Israel accused several staff members of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 attack.

“The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel,” the Foreign Office said, adding that the aid would be put on hold while “we review these concerning allegations”.

[NaijaTimes]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Saturday in France, received a Nigeria Football token.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known in a statement on Saturday.

Ngelale said the president received the token ahead of the Super Eagles’ Round of 16 clash against Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations (AF CON)  today.

The presidential spokesman added that President Tinubu looks forward to a quality showing from the Super Eagles.

The statement reads: “H.E. President Bola Tinubu today receives a Nigeria Football token ahead of the Super Eagles’ Round of 16 clash against Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations.

“The President looks forward to a quality showing from our men!”

Nigeria Vs Cameroon 2023 AFCON Clash Will Be Tougher – Ahmed Musa

The Captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, has noted that Nigeria‘s clash with Cameroon later tonight (9 p.m.), January 27, will be tougher than the last time the two countries met.

Ahmed Musa played a prominent role when Nigeria faced Cameroon in the 2019 AFCON round of 16 in Egypt. The Super Eagles knocked out the five-time AFCON winners 3-2 to book a place in the quarter-finals stage.

The Super Eagles went on to finish third in the edition of the tournament and they will have to attempt beating the Indomitable Lions once again in the 2023 AFCON round of 16.

But Ahmed Musa who is the most capped player in the Super Eagles believes that this next meeting might not be as easy as their last meeting.

According to the Eagles’ captain, the Cameroonian who managed to finish third in Group C wouldn’t want to be knocked out of the 2023 AFCON by Nigeria just like in their 2019 meeting.

[NaijaNews]

The implementation of Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) has begun in Ogun State.

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Board, (OGPHECADEB) Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, during a sensitisation meeting with all cadres of health workers across the 20 Local Government Areas and the Primary Health Care (PHC) staffers.

Dr. Ogunsola, according to the Board's Press Officer, Mrs. Fatimah Alatishe, explained that PHCUOR was a policy document, introduced by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and approved by the National Council on Health in 2011, to reduce fragmentation of all services under one authority, revealing that the reform was promoted by the Federal Goverment to integrate PHC structures and programmes at sub-national levels under one state-level body, which is the Primary Health Care Development Agency or Board.

He added that the policy would bring together health workers in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state and the Primary Health workers, assuring a seamless communication and good working relationship between the workers in the headquarters and the local governments.

The Executive Secretary, who regarded PHC workers as service providers closer to the grassroots, underscored the need for them to be abreast of any reform in PHC service delivery system, promising that the Board would continue to ensure improved health care services across board.

Contributing, the Director, Health Care System in the Board, Dr. Esther Ogunsilu, while highlighting the pillars of the initiative, said the conceptual framework for implementing the PHCUOR include, Governance and Ownership, Legislation, Minimum Service Package, Repositioning, Systems Development, Operational Guidelines, Human Resources, Office Set-up, Funding Sources and Structure, among others.

Also speaking, his counterpart in the Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Thomas Solarin, urged the workers to always make themselves available to patients as and when due and be diligent, in order to achieve a better healthcare delivery to the people.

In his remarks, Chairman Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Mr. Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, who doubled as the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, described the PHCUOR policy as a welcome development which would give more encompassing health care delivery in all PHCs across the council areas, promising that all Local Government Chairmen would give their support to achieve success.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has urged men and officers of the agency to shun any enticement that conflicts with the ethos of their profession as anti-narcotic operatives.

Marwa gave the charge on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, during the graduation of members of the Strike Force elite corps in the agency.

In his remarks, the agency boss appealed to the officers to embrace the discipline that had been instilled in them during their training and ensure they were incorruptible in the discharge of their duties as anti-narcotics officers.

“Here is my appeal to each of you: shun any enticement that conflicts with the ethos of your profession as an anti-narcotic operative. Anything that would compromise your discipline and dedication to duty should be avoided.

“As an anti-narcotic officer, you bear a huge obligation to remain incorruptible in the face of any temptation that might be sprung on you by drug traffickers and barons”, the NDLEA boss who was represented by the Director, Special Duties/Commander, Strike Force, Deputy Commander General of Narcotics, DCGN Ahmed Ningi told the officers.

While addressing the graduating members of the Strike Force Elite Corps, he added, “To the Strike Force operatives, I want you to be mindful that today is a milestone in your professional career in the Agency. This specialized training and the skills acquired therefrom will undoubtedly enhance your competence in the special role you will be playing for the Agency in the war against illicit drugs.

“It is important that I remind you that as the Agency scales its operation against illicit drug trafficking, your service will become increasingly essential to the successful attainment of our organisational goals. The special nature of your training requires that you serve as a force multiplier for the conventional NDLEA staff in the field.

“Moreover, the progress report I received, including the on-the-spot assessment, confirmed that the objective of the course has been achieved. Therefore, as you graduate today, I urge you not to rest on your oars, as your competence will be tested from time to time by challenges that will recur in your career as an anti-narcotic operative.

“It is gratifying to note that you have been exposed to classroom and outdoor exercises in line with the current challenges. You are, therefore, urged to consolidate the knowledge gained and apply it judiciously in your various commands. Generally, I am hopeful that the benefits of the course will reflect positively on your performance in the field.”

Explaining the significance of the elite force within the agency, Marwa said, “We have great expectations of the Strike Force, one of NDLEA’s tactical creations in 2021. The Strike Force adds strength and purpose to our drug supply reduction effort by reinforcing officers and men of NDLEA who have to work in dangerous terrain while carrying out their duties.

“The merit of having the Strike Force was evident in February 2023 when, on two occasions, the Agency was able to successfully carry out raids, seizures, and destruction of a significant amount of psychotropic substances in territories that in the past were hostile and almost out of bounds for anti-narcotic officers.

“In Ondo and Ekiti States, for instance, 255 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed across five local government areas in a seven-day operation. Similarly, in Lagos State, a notorious drug den in Patey, Lagos Island, was successfully raided in broad daylight, with over 5,000kg of cannabis and other assorted drugs seized, along with the arrest of the drug kingpin and six other suspects. Both operations were dangerous, but the Strike Force provided the needed cover, repelled mob attacks, and ensured our officers and men performed their duties safely.”

He noted that the success of the course could not have been possible without the commitment of the training facilitators and the NDLEA team of instructors.

In his welcome remarks, the Commandant of the NDLEA Academy, Jos, Hamza Umar, commended the leadership of the agency for exposing officers and men of the agency to continuous training at home and abroad.

He added, “With this new graduation, what we are saying and we have sent the signal and it is very clear that the drug barons, the drug traffickers, their days are numbered. Wherever they are, whatever it is, we’ll subdue that threat and make Nigeria suitable”

He asked the graduands not to take the privilege for granted.

A total of 391 personnel of the strike force passed out from the training which lasted for about three weeks.

Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Saturday said the Supreme Court has settled the controversy that the agitator never jumped bail.

Ejimakor said the Supreme Court also clarified that Kanu’s bail should not have been revoked.

Recall that in 2017, Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja had granted Kanu bail.

Upon his release, a military invasion of his ancestral home in Umuahia, Abia State, in September 2017, forced into exile, hence he did not attend his trial on the next scheduled date and thereafter.

From then till June 2021 when he was transferred from Kenya to Nigeria, there has been a robust public debate as to whether he jumped bail or not.

But, the Appeal Court had discharged and acquitted Kanu of all terrorism charges.

This judgment was later overturned by the Supreme Court which transferred the case back to the Federal High Court.

In the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered in December 2023, the apex court declared that Kanu did not jump bail.

Commenting on this, Ejimakor, said: “As Of Counsel, I had joined in this debate and always made it clear that Nnamdi Kanu, in the unique circumstance of the military invasion, did not jump bail. I had also written well-publicized legal treatises, maintaining that this self-evident truth will be proved and confirmed in Court in due course of time.”

He said the first judicial confirmation came in January 2022 when, in a landmark judgment, the High Court of Abia State declared that the said military invasion was a flagrant violation of Kanu’s constitutional rights, consequent upon the Court awarded him N1 billion in damages and public apology.

He said: “Following this judgment, I had issued a public Legal Notice warning all and sundry to thenceforth cease and desist from peddling the falsehood that Nnamdi Kanu had jumped bail. Whereas, vast majorities of the mainstream and social media had complied, some malicious traducers and elements from the federal government persisted with the defamatory bail-jumping narrative.

“In summation, in addition to ruling that Nnamdi Kanu never jumped bail, the Supreme Court also held that the Federal High Court should never have revoked his bail; that the prosecution wrought grand deception on the Court on the bail-jumping issue and that the bench warrant that triggered Nnamdi Kanu’s infamous extraordinary rendition was obtained by deception and should never have been issued.

“For the foregoing reasons, I implore the media, members of the public and pertinent public officials to abide by the judgment of the Supreme Court and henceforth cease and desist from peddling or publishing the false and defamatory narrative that Nnamdi Kanu had jumped bail.”