Former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Akpata, has emerged as the Labour Party, LP, governorship candidate in Edo State.

Akpata won the LP primary election held in Benin City, the state capital, on Friday.

He was declared the winner of the primary after polling the highest number of votes.

Akpata scored 316 votes to defeat other aspirants in a landslide victory.

Chelsea could shift attention to Victor Boniface as they continue their search for a new striker this summer.

The West London side have been linked with Boniface’s compatriot, Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen is expected to leave Serie A champions Napoli at the end of the current season despite signing a new contract last December.

Chelsea, who are desperate to sign a new striker following another underwhelming campaign, face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal for the 25-year-old.

According to BILD chief transfer expert, Christian Falk, the Blues are now keeping tabs on Boniface.

“Nicolas Jackson has not yet managed to solve the striker problem at Chelsea,” Falk told CaughtOffside.

“Someone else could do that in the future: Victor Boniface, [he] came from Saint-Gilloise in 2023 for €16m…Contract until 2028. Current market value €40m. Chelsea are tempting, but Bayer don’t want to sell him.”

Boniface, who is currently sidelined with an abductor injury has scored 16 goals and registered eight assists in 23 games in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen this season.

Nigeria Defender, William Troost-Ekong says he would consider playing in the Saudi Arabia Professional Football League in future.

Troost-Ekong was named the Most Valuable Player, MVP, at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The 30-year-old is said to have caught the eye of a number of clubs in the Saudi Arabian top-flight during the competition.

The centre-back is currently on the books of Greek Super League outfit, PAOK Salonica.

The former Watford player admitted he will be interested in playing in Saudi Arabia if he had the opportunity.

“I can’t tell you that now because it’s not right in front of me,” Troost-Ekong stated in an interview with CNN World Sports Amanda Davies.

“The Saudi League is something which is exciting, you saw quite a lot of the best players who were part of the AFCON have headed in that direction and are playing there.

“If that option is in front of me, then, I will have to study it a bit more and consider it.”

Asked if he would love to play alongside Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo’, he said; “Who wouldn’t? One of the best players in the world. We’ll have to see what happens but I’m happy at PAOK.”

The President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has announced plans to create 100,000 jobs for Nigerians before May 29, 2024.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Job Creation, Office of the Vice-President, Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, made the disclosure.

According to the presidential aide, the target is to create 384,000 jobs in four years, but the initial 100,000 target is by May 29, 2024.

Adekunle-Johnson, made this known while speaking at the inaugural Job Creation and MSME Quarterly Communications Forum, organised by the Job Creation & MSME Secretariat, Office of the Vice President.

He said the government was focusing on job creation in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“We are saying that by May 29, we will create at least 100,000 jobs. The target is to create 384,000 jobs in four years,” he said.

Adekunle-Johnson also noted that the initiative would be a partnership between the Federal Government and Access Bank.

“Today’s programme is to announce our partnership with the Access Bank, how the bank is trying to support the government with regard to access to funding for MSMEs.

“Right now, the interest rate for loans is between 27 and 29 per cent, but the Access bank is giving us at the rate of 15 per cent.

“The bank is committing N50 billion to support MSMEs. They are even now saying that if you are an MSME and you want to collect N1 to N3 million, don’t worry; the collateral that they need is simplified to enable you to have access to the money,” he stated.

Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was represented at the event by the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, said the Federal Government was committed to creating an enabling environment for MSMEs in the country in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended no fewer than 48 students from Kwara State University (KWASU) and two Malete residents over alleged involvement in Internet fraud, commonly known as Yahoo Yahoo.

The anti-graft agency claimed the arrest was made following reliable intelligence on the increasing prevalence of internet fraud activities in the state, particularly within educational institutions.

In an effort to combat corruption and illicit activities associated with yahoo-yahoo, the EFCC reportedly conducted thorough investigations, tracking down the suspects and apprehending them in various locations where they were hiding, following days of surveillance on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

Among the suspects are Idris Yekini, Ayantola Segun, Adeshina Taheeb, Mustapha Alamin, Usman Harun, Oladimeji Oseni, Qudus Temitope, Adewunmi Israel, Lukman Uthman, Alamin Ibitoye, Usman Sadiq, Musbau Waris, Ibrahim Oluwatosin, Oladele Israel, and Rafiu Ashimu.

Others arrested include Aransiola Oluwaseun, Akolade Adetola Toheeb, Joseph Samuel, Adewuyi Quadri, Adebayo Olamilekan, Ogunride Gabriel, Abolaji Ismail, Ogundele Samuel Ejiro, Musa Ali Olawale, Isah Oluwatumishe, Abdullahi Abdulmajib, Abdulrahman Abubakar, Olaosebikan Martins, Mazeed Ayomide, Oyeniyi Michael, Moses Bright, Oladipo Victor, Shehu Abdugafar, Abdulmalik Khalid Timileyin, Muhammad Nabil, Adebayo Qudus, and Owoeye Adeyanju.

Additionally, Abdulwaheed Zakariyah, Olaleye Gbenga, Victor Kayode, Samad Olarewaju, Raheem Ayomide, Ismail Abdulbasit, Oluyedun Khalid, Moshood Lawal, Utman Abayomi, and Aransiola Joshua were also apprehended. Furthermore, Babalola Razaq and Godwin Ouna Ejika, residents of Malete, were included in the arrests.

During the operation, authorities seized nine (9) luxury vehicles, twenty-four (24) laptops, and various brands of mobile phones from the suspects.

Upon the completion of the ongoing investigations, the suspects will be promptly presented before the court for arraignment.

The Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has granted bail to former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in the sum of ₦50,000,000 on charges related to an alleged N10 billion fraud.

The court also mandated that Ahmed provide two sureties owning landed properties within Ilorin, alongside surrendering his international passport as part of the bail conditions.

This development follows the arraignment of Ahmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge centering on fraud, as reported by Naija News.

The former governor faced the court on Friday, where allegations of misappropriating state funds during his tenure were laid out against him.

Notably, media personnel were restricted from accessing the courtroom during Ahmed’s arraignment, sparking concerns over transparency in the proceedings.

The EFCC’s case against Ahmed includes accusations of diverting N1.6 billion allocated for security and operational costs in Kwara State to finance personal expenses, such as chartering private jets.

A particular count in the charges highlights the alleged fraudulent conversion of N400 million from a N1 billion short-term loan secured by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

These funds, intended for completing ongoing state projects, were purportedly misused under Ahmed’s administration.

The EFCC said, “Ahmed (while being the Governor of Kwara State) between 2015 and 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court used an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500, property of Kwara State Government, meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State, to charter private jets through Travel Messengers Limited on different occasions for your local travels and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust or theft.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has released its report on the 2023 general election.

The commission said the publication of the report is in keeping with its tradition over the last four electoral cycles and commitment to transparency.

This was made known in a statement by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.

Olumekun said the Report showcases the election’s unparalleled diversity in party representation, demonstrating significant democratic progress.

According to him, the 2023 general election saw four political parties winning gubernatorial races, seven parties winning senatorial seats, eight in federal constituencies and nine in State legislatures, illustrating a broad shift in political representation across Nigeria.

He said the document has been made accessible on its website and social media platforms.

“On Thursday, 22nd February 2024, the Commission convened for its weekly meeting, where the 2023 General Election Report was reviewed and approved for publication.

It partly read: “In keeping with our tradition over the last four electoral cycles, and our commitment to transparency, we are pleased to announce the release of the official INEC report on the 2023 General Election.

“This comprehensive 526-page document, structured into 13 chapters and enhanced with 60 tables, 14 boxes and 10 graphs, offers an in-depth analysis of the election’s key processes, achievements, and challenges, alongside valuable lessons learned.

“The Report showcases the election’s unparalleled diversity in party representation, demonstrating significant democratic progress. This election saw four political parties winning gubernatorial races, seven parties winning senatorial seats, eight in federal constituencies and nine in State legislatures, illustrating a broad shift in political representation across Nigeria.

“The Report underscores the pivotal role of technological advancements, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in enhancing electoral integrity and reducing fraud. Furthermore, it addresses public concerns about the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, explaining the technical issues encountered during the upload of polling unit results for the presidential election.”

[DailyPost]

Senator Monday Okpebholo (Edo Central) has been declared winner of Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship direct primary election.

Cross River Governor Bassey Otu, who was the Chairman of Edo APC shadow poll, made the declaration after collating the results from the 18 local government areas. 

The collation and declaration were at Lushville Hotel and Suites, Gapiona Avenue, Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin.

Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat the representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes.

Details shortly…

[TheNation]

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has appealed for the liquidation of the N42bn electricity debt of the Nigerian Army following the disconnection of various Army barracks and cantonments by power distribution companies.

Lagbaja also revealed that the blackouts in barracks had led to the decomposition of corpses in Army mortuaries, a development that had warranted protests by owners of the corpses.

The Army chief made the appeal when he visited the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Abuja, where the minister told him that the debt would be restructured and not written off.

Lagbaja, in a statement issued in Abuja by the media aide to the power minister, Bolaji Tunji, said the main reason for his visit was to discuss the consequences of the power outage in Army formations and the way forward.

He regretted that some barracks and cantonments had been in total blackout since January.

He was quoted as saying, “Debt owed is loaded on the meter, so no matter the amount of credit we put, the meters pick it automatically. Corpses in the Army mortuaries are decomposing and the owners of the corpses are protesting.”

According to the statement, “he (Lagbaja) further stated that the army couldn’t raise funds to pay the entire debt, as he solicited liquidation as was done in 2005 by the then President.”

He also described blackouts in army barracks and cantonments as security threats.

Meanwhile, the Army chief assured the minister of the Army’s unflinching support towards developing intelligent strategies in curbing the menace of electricity infrastructure vandalism.

Responding, Adelabu assured the Nigerian Army of his readiness to dialogue with the power distribution companies to relieve the Nigerian Army of its electricity debt burden amounting to N42bn.

He reiterated the importance of liquidity and funding in the power sector, adding that the debt could not be written off.

Adelabu told his guest that he would intervene to restructure the debt payment if there was assurance of regular payments by the Nigerian Army.

He further revealed that the debts owed by power distribution and generating companies were not the only challenges bedevilling the power sector.

According to the minister, the vandalism of power infrastructure, which often leads to national grid collapse, theft, inefficiency in billing and collection process, poor metering gap, liquidity, shortage in gas supply, transmission stations being blown up with explosives in volatile areas, were all part of the issues being experienced in the power sector.

“The fundamental issues in the power sector value chain could be traced back to the last 50 years and a government that is barely eight months old cannot use a magic wand to proffer a solution. There is a saying that you won’t know what is happening in Rome until you get to Rome,” he stated.

The minister said power outages were not peculiar to army barracks but a national issue, adding that the Discos and Gencos were profit-oriented organisations.

“We can only plead with them to adopt a repayment plan monthly instead of embedding the whole debt in their meter,” Adelabu stated.

He charged the army to continue assisting the ministry in safeguarding power facilities across the country and pledged to seek collaboration for the army through any of the development partners for the installation of solar PVs and Battery Energy Storage Systems as alternative power supply sources in army barracks and cantonments.

A lot of government agencies and parastatals owe power distribution several billions of naira in electricity debts that have continued to drag on for years.

On February 20, 2024, The PUNCH reported that no fewer than 86 ministries, agencies, and departments of government were owing the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to the tune of N47bn.

A public notice by the management of AEDC listed the Presidential Villa as owing the Disco the sum of N923.9m; National Security Adviser, N95.9m; Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory being supervised by Nyesom Wike, N7.57bn, while Adelabu’s Ministry of Power owed N78m.

In the notice, AEDC said it would be constrained to list the names of MDAs with “long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply in that our previous attempts to make them honour their obligations have not been achieved the desired result.”

The power firm had threatened to disconnect the MDAs in 10 days should they fail to pay their debts.

[Punch]

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, will today commence the sale of seized bags of rice to the public at the rate of N10,000 per 25kg.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Lagos, Comptroller General of the NCS, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, said the process for the sale of the food items has been perfected such that a form with all the details of the applicant including the National Identification Number, NIN, will be submitted and a bar code will be generated for the collection of the commodity.

The Customs boss said that the moves to sell the seized items is to crash the price of food items and the shore up the value of the Naira.

He warned against the resale of purchased rice adding anybody caught reselling will be arrested and possibly prosecuted.

He explained that the disposal of these seized items will be for a period of time adding that very poor Nigerians were the target for this gesture.

He said, “In ensuring food security for Nigerians. We are here to shed light on the commitment of the NCS in protecting our society by ensuring the availability of essential food items.

“In recent months, the government has been addressing the challenges faced within our economy, particularly the lagged effects of insecurity and the current exchange rate issues.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding the food security of Nigerians, the NCS has secured approval from the government to dispose of these seized food items to needy Nigerians at discounted prices.

“The criteria for Nigerians to benefit from this initiative include having a verifiable National
Identification Number (NIN).

“The target groups include artisans, teachers, nurses, religious bodies, and other Nigerians within our operational areas. The intention is to reach out directly to members through these organized structures to ensure the maximum impact of this exercise.

“To ensure the security and integrity of this initiative, NCS has put in place comprehensive measures. These measures encompass robust security protocols throughout the process. Our officers will be closely monitoring the entire supply chain to prevent any misuse or diversion of the food items.

“Moreover, we have established strict guidelines and eligibility criteria to ensure that the items are distributed only to those in genuine need. Additionally, we will be working closely with relevant agencies to ensure compliance with the terms of this program.

“It is imperative that beneficiaries of this exercise understand that the items are not to be resold. We take a strong stance against any form of profiteering or exploitation of this initiative. We urge Nigerians to report any incidents of misuse or unauthorized resale of the seized food items.

“NCS is fully committed to transparency and accountability in this process, and we will not hesitate to take decisive action against any individuals or entities found to be in violation of the
terms of this program.”

In a related development, the leadership of the NCS disclosed that the agency The challenge of food security have exacerbated concerns which has led to a concerning trend where food items are moving out massively to neighbouring countries.

He further disclosed that over 20,000 bags of assorted grains (Rice, beans, Maize, Guinea corn, millet, Soya beans, 2500 cartons and 963 bags of dried fish. Others include, Dried pepper, tomatoes, cooking oil, Maggi, Macaroni, salt, sugar, garri.

“This trend is not sustainable as it puts pressure on our productive capacity and threatens our food security.

“To address this, the NCS has remained responsive in carrying out its mandate to protect our borders from the inflow and outflow of restricted goods. One concerning trend noticed is the outflow of food items in huge quantities, posing a threat to our food security. It should be noted that the condition for the export of any item is only met upon fulfilling sufficiency internally.

“NCS is dedicated to executing its duties with excellence and efficiency. Recognizing the significance of its responsibility to protect the society and facilitate trade, the NCS remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding national interests and ensuring the well-being of all Nigerians.

“Furthermore, the NCS is committed to fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and public service. By upholding the highest standards of integrity,” he stated.

[Vanguard]