My colleague, Funke Egbemode is back at her beat after a stint in government, as commissioner for information, back to do what she knows how to do best. When my colleagues go into government I say they have gone in for their IT! They have gone to see the inside of government, to see, learn and familiarise themselves with those things that are kept away from the rest of us despite the vaunted claim to transparency. Brandish your type-writer, nay computer–(I am sorry, I am of the old school) — before senior government functionaries and wave the Freedom of Information Act gazette demanding this or asking for that, what you are told is the law has not been domesticated. To our relief, Civil rights activist, S.A.N. Femi Falana has fought the case successfully in one of the states. What I am getting at is that Funke has studied the inner recess of government, how their minds work there—which is what makes her piece this week frightening, indeed, ominous: “This regular festival of human sacrifice cannot stop where about 5000 smooth -talking politicians talk about where power must be,” she wrote. “Just a few people in the North enjoy a ‘northern presidency.’ Only the children of those few school in Switzerland and live in New York…The voters and their children are socialized to mass produce children after mass weddings. They have been told that it is their destiny to serve and slave.” The crux of the matter: “Do you see the northern leaders de-emphasizing age-old ways and hauling the almajiris to school or teaching them coding? Do you see young northerners in the cattle business quitting nomadic life? Do you see the farmlands of Benue and Plateau safe from and devastation they leave behind? Do you see farmers going to bed with their two eyes closed and returning home safely after every farm day? Do you? I don’t.”

I had pencilled down the killings in both Plateau and Benue States for my contemplation this week until my attention was drawn to the compelling piece by Funke Egbemode, and that of Suyi Oba Ayodele.

Captioned “The killings won’t stop”, Funke wrote:
“You can’t kill a cow.
“You can’t caution the herders.
“The farmers, tired of crying and bellyaching are fighting back.
“Herders are killing farmers.”

Funke Egbemode was commenting on the killings in Plateau and Benue States where in the former 150 persons were killed in two attacks within a week. The death toll in Benue was at first 56, but as I was writing this, according to the Governor, the casualty figure had climbed to 83. And at Ilesa Baruba, in Kwara, gunmen struck, killing four persons and wounding two.

The point she did not press is the imperative of state police, a tier of our security architecture to which I have drawn attention repeatedly in this column. The other point on which I have hammered is the essence of Creation Knowledge which brings us to the awareness of the times we are in and the immutability of the mechanisms that govern these times and life—unyielding and self-acting. These are the Laws of Creation also referred to as the Laws of Nature or Divine Laws. We are to recognise necessary signs of the times.

The whole world is literally in turmoil. The waves will sweep through everywhere as the world is in the grip of the prophesied World Judgment. The pressure of the Light baring down animates everything, bringing to life and awakening all that is slumbering or is dead in all mankind to face judgment. There is no hiding place for anyone any more: the strengths and weaknesses will be brought out, to the fore. All that is wrong is coming to light, however well concealed or glossed over by our cleverness. All must reveal itself, visible to all men in every detail and then perish as a barren fruit. Goodness will receive fortification and weaknesses will constitute dross that will drag down. Nobility of soul becomes light and is protected while evil is dragged to its waterloo. One of the self-evident features of these times is the acceleration and intensification of events, sudden deaths, calamities and all! And of course, political and economic collapse! Conduct, thinking, relationships are affected.

Wars were predicted and rumours of war; so were drought, famine, flooding, hurricane and volcanic devastations. Climate change is another major feature of these times. Earlier this month, Nigerian Meteorological Agency NIMET issued severe weather alert, asking some southern States to prepare for flooding. The states listed were Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo and Anambra. Heavy rainfall would be accompanied by strong winds. Worse conditions were predicted for Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa. They were marked down as high-risk areas with rainfall climbing up to 50mm within 24 hours. Strong gusty winds with the potential to damage property were forecast for most of the northern states among them Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi with Benue, Kogi and Kwara featuring in the wind belt. In 2012, floods in Nigeria displaced 2 million people while 363 were killed, according to National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. In Kano, 5,300 houses were destroyed. In Dawakin Kudu alone 2, 300 houses were affected, said the State Relief and Emergency Agency. The August flooding in 2016 as calculated would cost the United States economy between $10billion and $15 billion (US Dollars). By September of that year flooding described as extra-ordinary damaged 40, 000 homes in South-East Louisiana. Scientists said at the time that Climate Change loaded the dice for Louisiana flood. Whether it is fire it is a picture of gloom. In 2014, there were 1, 298,000 fire incidents reported in the United States, damaging 300 vehicles and causing 3, 275 deaths. The following year, 2015, the record of fire incidents rose to 1,345,500, causing 3,280 civilian deaths, 15, 700 injuries and $14.3billion in property damages.

In his unique treasure book, The Gate Opens, Herbert Vollmann says: “Many indeed know of the coming of this World Judgment but they are still awaiting the trumpet-blasts which are to herald it. Let those who thus wait follow attentively just for once the news from the countries of the earth. Each day brings reports of political disturbances, economic distress, famine, of outrages and dreadful misery; plagues and drought afflict mankind, the earth quakes and destroys whole cities within seconds, deadly hurricanes rage along, volcanoes belch forth devastating fire, rivers overflow their banks, tearing away homesteads, cattle and men.

“Are these not trumpet-blasts for the Judgment, when here today and there tomorrow the waves of terror and dread roll over mankind, to shake them violently awake even at the last moment? What is sinister and new in this is the abundance of events never before experienced, the speed with which they follow one another. But who allows himself to be touched by them, unless they directly affect him personally?”

Terence McKenna, the verity of whose words and thought provoking which I am wont to refer for our reflection, states: “Nature is not mute, it is man that is deaf.” And this brings me to the main subject of today. As I did ask last week: What do these times say to us, to all mankind? Didn’t Prophet Isaiah give us the hint when he said: “Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought: speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us”? (Isaiah 8: 10) Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. It is the proverbial End-Time he spoke about, the great time of perplexity in which one conference follows another, but achieving nothing—when, according to Vollmann, distrust is everywhere, unrest and uneasiness, when hopelessness spreads ever more. God with us indicating the emergence of a new Era. And we read from the unique Work, In the Light of Truth, The Grail Message by Abd-ru-shin that the way out of the chaos and hopelessness; to joy and happiness, nobility, beauty and consciously being part of the wonderful life is to learn the Language of God in His Creation.

THE LANGUAGE OF THE LORD
“It is the sacred duty of the human spirit to investigate why it is living on earth, or in general in this Creation, in which it is suspended as if by a thousand threads. No man considers himself so insignificant as to imagine that his existence is without purpose, unless he makes it purposeless. In any case he deems himself too important. And yet there are only a few men on earth capable of laboriously detaching themselves from their spiritual indolence, so far as seriously to concern themselves with the investigation of their tasks on earth.

Again it is solely indolence of the spirit that makes them willing to accept the firmly established doctrines of others. And it is indolence that lies in the reassurance that comes from thinking that it is great to adhere to the faith of their parents, without submitting its underlying principles to keen, careful and independent examination.

In all these matters men are now eagerly supported by calculating and selfish organisations, which believe that the best way to extend and safeguard their influence, and thus to increase their power, is by adding to the number of their adherents.

They are far from true recognition of God; for otherwise they would not bind the human spirit with the fetters of a firmly -established doctrine, but would have to educate it for the personal responsibility ordained by God, which fundamentally stipulates full freedom of spiritual decision! Only a spirit free in this respect can come to the true recognition of God that matures within him to the complete conviction which is essential for anyone who wishes to be uplifted to Luminous Heights; for only free, sincere conviction can help him to achieve this. –

But what have you done, you men! How have you suppressed this highest Grace of God and wantonly prevented it from developing, and from helping all earthmen to open up that path which safely leads them to peace, to joy, and to the highest bliss!

Consider this: that also in making a choice, in agreement or in obedience which as a result of spiritual indolence may be done only from habit or general custom, a personal decision is involved, laying upon the individual who makes it personal responsibilities according to the Laws of Creation!

Those who influence a human spirit to do this naturally bear a personal responsibility, which is inevitable and irrevocable. No thought or action, however trivial, can be erased from Creation without similar consequences. In the web of Creation the threads both for the individual and for the masses are accurately spun, awaiting redemptions, which in turn must eventually be received by the originators or producers, either as suffering or as joy, according to how they once issued from them, only now they have grown and are thus strengthened.

You are caught in the web of your own volitions, of your action, and are not released from it until the threads can fall away from you in the redemption.

Among all creatures in Creation the human spirit is the only one to have free will, which until today, he could not explain and did not understand, because within the narrow bounds of intellectual pondering he found no essential facts to prove it.

Hls free will lies in the decision, of which he may make many every hour. In the independent weaving of the Laws of Creation, however, is unswervingly subject to the consequences of every one of his personal decisions! Therein lies his responsibility, which is inseparably connected with the gift of free will to make decisions, which is peculiar to and an absolute part of human spirit.

Otherwise what would become of Divine Justice, which is firmly anchored in Creation as support, balance and maintenance of all the working therein?

In Its effects, however, it does not always take account of the short span of only one earth-life for a human spirit; but here there are entirely different conditions, as readers of my Message know.

You have often brought harm upon yourselves, and sometimes force it upon your children, through many superficial decisions. Even though you yourselves have proved too indolent still to summon up the strength to decide for yourselves in your deepest intuitive perception whether, regardless of all you have learnt, each word to which you decided to adhere can hold Truth, at least you should not seek to force the consequences of your indolence also upon your children, whom you thus plunge into misfortune.

Thus, what in one case is caused by spiritual freedom indolence, in others is brought about by calculating intellect.
Through both these enemies of spiritual freedom in decision mankind is now bound, except for a few who still try to summon up courage to bust this bound within them in order to become real human beings themselves, as follows from obedience to Divine Laws.

Divine Laws are true friends in everything, they are helpful blessings from the Will of God, Who thus open paths to salvation to everyone who strives towards it.

There is not a single other road to this than the one clearly shown by the Laws of God in Creation! The whole Creation is the Language of God, which you should earnestly strive to read, and which is by no means as difficult as you may think.

You belong to this Creation as a part of it, and therefore you must swing with it, work in it, and mature in learning from it; and thus through gaining in understanding you must rise ever higher, from one step to the next, drawing along through the radiation in order to ennoble everything that comes in contact with you on your way.
There will then spontaneously develop around you one beautiful miracle after another, which through reciprocal action will raise you ever higher.

Learn to recognise your path in Creation, and you will also know the purpose of your existence. Then you will be filled with grateful rejoicing, and the greatest happiness a human spirit is able to bear, which lies solely in the recognition of God!

The supreme bliss of the true recognition of God, however, can never grow out of an acquired blind faith, much less come to flower; but convinced knowledge, knowing conviction, alone gives the spirt what is necessary for this.

You earthmen are in this Creation to find supreme happiness! In the Living Language which God speaks to you! And to understand this Language, to learn it, and to sense inwardly the Will of God in it, that is your goal during your journey through Creation. In Creation itself, to which you belong, lies the explanation of the purpose of your existence, and at the same time also the recognition of your goal! In no other way can you find either!

This demands of you that you live Creation. But you are only able to live or experience it when you really know it.
With my Message I now open the Book of Creation for you! The Message clearly shows you the Language of God in creation, which you must learn to understand so that you can make it completely your own.

Just imagine a child on earth who cannot understand his father or mother because he has never learned the language they speak to him. Indeed, what is to become of such a child?

He does not even know what is expected of him, and will thus fall into one difficulty after the other, draw upon himself one sorrow after another, and probably end up utterly useless for any purpose or enjoyment on earth.

If he is to amount to anything, must not every child personally learn the language of his parents for himself? Nobody can do it for him!

Otherwise he would never adjust himself, nor would he ever be able to mature and work on earth, but he would remain a hinderance, a burden to others, and would finally have to be segregated to prevent to prevent him from causing harm.

Could you expect anything else then?

You have of course inescapably to fulfil such a duty of the child towards your God, Whose Language you must learn to understand as soon as you desire His help. God, however, speaks to you in His Creation. If you want to advance in it, you must recognise this His Language. Should you neglect it, you will be cut off from those who know the Language and adjust themselves to it, because you would otherwise cause harm and obstruction, without necessarily wishing to do so!

You must therefore do it! Do not forget this, and see that it is done now, otherwise you will be helplessly abandoned to whatever threatens you.

My Message will be a faithful helper to you!”

April 22, 2010 is a notable milestone in the annals of the Nigerian oil and gas sector. On that day, 15 years ago, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan signed the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Bill into law. Based on the impact made in the implementation of the historic legislation, and the significant benefits that have continued to accrue to the nation, the local content policy must count as one of the most successful economic policies since the return to democracy in 1999. The policy has redefined the priorities of the oil and gas sector in a Nigeria-First direction, underscored the centrality of sustainability as a core policy consideration and catalyzed significant benefits to businesses and communities across the country.

It is an honour to serve at the helm of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the implementing agency for this vital policy at a time that the Tinubu administration is executing bold reforms in the sector. In sync with the spirit of the times, we will not roll out drums to celebrate this particular anniversary. But we enjoin oil industry players, partners and members of the public to take pride in the impressive progress we have made collectively, reflect on the gains of implementation and recalibrate plans for moving forward.

Prior to the NOGICD Act, the situation was quite abysmal. The level of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas sector was less than five percent because the focus was on revenue derivation from the oil and gas sector over in-country value creation.  As a result, nearly all fabrication, engineering, and procurement for the oil and gas industry were executed abroad. Conservative estimates suggest that Nigeria’s national economy suffered capital flight of about $380 billion in the first 50 years of oil production and lost opportunities to create over two million jobs. The nation also missed out on opportunities to catalyze research and development, manufacturing and support services.

To change this highly unsatisfactory reality, NCDMB has since 2010 worked collaboratively with other entities and stakeholders to grow the local content level in the oil and gas sector from less than five percent to 57 percent as at February 2025. In the process, over 50,000 jobs have been created, 13,000 training man-hours delivered through capacity development programmes in addition to other countless projects and opportunities. One of such projects is the ongoing $5 billion Nigeria LNG Train 7 project, 50 per cent of which is being executed locally, employing over 8,300 Nigerians.

By ensuring the organic application of the local content policy across linkage sectors, NCDMB has encouraged Nigerian firms to acquire hi-tech assets and equipment and expand operations to other nations. Nigerian operating companies were thus able to acquire and operate the fields and assets divested by some international operating companies because of the enormous growth of local content, especially in human and material capacities.

Today, several Nigerians service companies have invested in sophisticated vessels and rigs – assets that used to be the exclusive preserve of foreign companies. Local firms now enjoy patronage and even exclusivity in land and swamp areas of the industry, retaining huge industry spend in the economy, employing Nigerians and building skills and  domiciling most industry work that used to be exported. 

Broadly, our priorities over the past 15 years have included the following: promoting indigenous ownership of equipment used in industry operations; promoting manufacturing of oil and gas components by local firms; giving first consideration to Nigerian indigenous companies; ensuring that Nigerian content targets are met for projects and operations. We have also prioritized training and employment opportunities for Nigerians and the deployment of the Nigerian Content Development Fund for targeted capacity building. Relatedly, we ensure that local capacity investors have work to amortize investments even as oil producing communities are involved organically in the activities of the sector.

The impact of the NOGICD Act reverberates beyond Nigeria. NCDMB currently mentors many nations on how to implement local content policies, maximize in-country value addition and create wealth for their citizenry. Despite these accomplishments, we continue to strive towards the 70 per cent target we set for ourselves for 2027 under the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, while taking cognizance of the changing dynamics in the world energy industry.

Going forward, the three Presidential Directives (PDs) on Nigerian oil and gas operations issued by President Tinubu to the Nigerian oil and gas industry in March 2024 provide the perfect platform to reevaluate and retool our strategies. The Presidential Directives were conceived to incentivize investments in the sector and improve the turn-around time for concluding contracts – addressing two cancers that plagued the sector. Specifically, the Directives mandated us and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to take deliberate steps to fast-track approvals of oil and gas projects and use local content guidelines to attract investments and create value from the operations of the industry.

We swiftly adopted the Presidential Directives in our operations. In December 2024 we unveiled our new oil and gas contracting guidelines, reducing our touchpoints or interventions on the industry contracting cycle from nine to five for open and selective tenders, and four touchpoints for single source contracts. We made these changes to fast-track approvals, eliminate middlemen from the industry operations and shorten the industry cycle time to six months. Using our new guidelines, we approved four new oil and gas projects, estimated to add 350 thousand barrels of crude oil per day and one billion standard cubic feet of gas.

With the Presidential Directives as our beacon, NCDMB has, since I assumed office as Executive Secretary in December 2023, sustained the momentum of implementation and injected fresh energy in driving the 10-Year Strategic Roadmap. Here are a few highlights. We conceptualized the Back to the Creek Initiative, which takes the benefits of local content operations to communities across the country. One of our goals with the initiative is to revamp primary and post primary schools in our hinterlands, and prepare the students to meet the ICT needs of this age.

Also, we prioritize supporting oil and gas firms to develop oil and gas projects, thereby growing Nigeria’s crude oil production and the nation’s revenue. In this regard, we will continue to be pragmatic in implementing and enforcing the provisions of the NOGICD Act. While we will ensure that international and indigenous operators patronize and utilize all existing capacities and domicile work in-country, we must encourage operating companies to develop new projects profitably and speedily. It is heartwarming that Nigerian Content has also grown remarkably on the production side. Indigenous producers now account for about 50 percent of Nigeria’s crude oil production.

We are doing a lot more. Under my watch, NCDMB is also leading the remodeling of the Community Contractors Fund Scheme to provide funding for community contractors in the oil and gas industry. As part of this review, eligible community contractors can now access N100m to support their businesses in the oil and gas industry.  The Community Contractors Fund Scheme is part of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund), which we operate  in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) and Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank. The Fund supports local contractors, manufacturers and service providers with long tenor facility and single digit interest rate.

The Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Schemes NOGAPS) is also a transformative flagship project. We have almost completed the pilot parks at Odukpani, Cross River State and at Emeyal-1 in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Preliminary plans are afoot to build similar parks at Akwa Ibom, Imo, Delta, Abia, Edo, Ondo. The parks will spur manufacturing of equipment components and spare parts that would be utilized in the industry. Each will create about 2000 jobs when it begins full operations. 

Another area we have recorded appreciable progress is our investments in commercial ventures, notably in modular refineries, gas projects and similar initiatives. We invested in 16 ventures across the hydrocarbon value chain, to catalyze investments in key areas of the sector, add value to natural resources and create employment opportunities. Some of the investments are already generating returns such as the Waltersmith Modular Refinery and Nedogas Gas Gathering and Processing Facility.

The achievements we have recorded in the last two years are anchored on the visionary and result-oriented leadership of President Bola Tinubu. Also significant is the tremendous support and cooperation of the Minister of State Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and the Minister of State Petroleum (Gas), Honourable Ekperikpe Ekpo. We will continue to reinforce and strengthen all important relationships for the good of our industry and the Nigerian economy.

To sustain the momentum, NCDMB will, between May 21 to 22 2025, host the 5th edition of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) to showcase short to medium term plans and activities of operators and project promoters in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors of the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry. This will give Nigerian service companies ample opportunity to build relevant capacities that might be required to execute the projects in-country, thereby creating employment opportunities, and retaining spend in-country.

Local content represents the best opportunity for Nigeria to obtain tangible and durable benefits from its oil wealth in a rapidly changing world in which carbon may become a less important asset. We will continue to shoulder this responsibility with the seriousness it deserves.

*Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe is the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

SGR, a major downstream oil and gas player and licensed marketer for Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has opened two additional fuel stations along the Shagamu-Ore expressway, just days after launching an earlier set of two.

This brings the total to four new fuelling stations established in the past two weeks—a clear statement of the company’s commitment to scaling access to reliable and priced fuel along key Nigerian transit routes.

The newly unveiled stations were officially opened this week in a small ceremony attended by the General Manager, Samuel Oyakanmi, and the company’s two Branch Managers, Oladele Giwa and Musa Owolabi.

Speaking on the opening of the new stations, Oyekanmi said: “These new stations are an extension of our promise to be where Nigerians need us most. Shagamu-Ore is a vital route, and we’re making sure people have access to quality fuel, seamless service, and transparent pricing.”

The new SGR stations are retailing fuel at ₦878 per litre, in line with recent adjustments in the industry. The company has continued to emphasise that this pump price reflects the true realities of the deregulated market, a position it reiterated in recent news.

As a trusted marketer for Dangote Petroleum, SGR leverages direct refinery access and logistics strength to ensure continuous product availability and customer satisfaction.

With four new outlets now operational within a fortnight, SGR’s expansion strategy is clearly in motion, targeting high-traffic routes and underserved locations with top-tier infrastructure, trained personnel, and market-aligned fuel pricing.

[Guardian]

At least 231 Nigerians trafficked in Ghana, among whom are 219 forced into cybercrime in the former Gold Coast, will arrive Lagos on Friday, April 25, 2025 and be handed over to the Nigerian government officials.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The statement noted that the Federal Government commended the Ghanaian authorities for rescuing the 219 young Nigerians who were trafficked to the West African country and forced into cybercrimes.

It also restated its commitment to providing the youth with technical education and skills to curb growing unemployment.

Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated this when she visited the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) in Accra, Ghana, where the victims of trafficking were being detained.

In a closed-door meeting with the agency‘s Executive Director, Mr. Bashiru Dapilah, and two of his directors, the minister further appreciated the operatives for doing their job professionally, especially treating the victims with dignity.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who described as callous and inhuman, the exploitation of innocent young people by the traffickers, was in Ghana for the official launch of the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

She advised Nigerian youths to stay away from people who may promise them irresistible job offers outside the shores of the country, stressing that it might just be bait to lure them into slavery.

She stated that the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana had last Thursday alerted her of the incident. How the victims were held under inhuman conditions by the perpetrators before the sting operation that burst the evil syndicate, the statement added.

She said: „Before their rescue, these boys had been locked up in about 25 rooms within the estate where they were used to perpetrate cybercrimes. At the time of their arrest, many of them, being locked inside confined spaces with computers for weeks on end without being let outside, were even unable to get their eyes to adjust to the sun when they were led outside those dark rooms. Some had been serially abused with visible lacerations inflicted on them by their criminal ‚don‘ while one had his legs broken for not tendering all the proceeds of his cybercrime.“

Addressing the victims at the premises of the Agency, she said that they were lucky to have been rescued, disclosing that many had lost their lives in similar circumstances, while others rot in jails in parts of the world.

Count yourselves lucky, as it may not be a benevolent country like Ghana next time. It may not be a circumstance within a location where we have excellent bilateral relations. Some countries take cybercrimes very seriously, and by the time they lock you up, they will throw away the key. We are still trying to this day to ensure that Ethiopia signs our exchange or transfer of sentenced persons MoU so that we can bring those nationals who are trapped in their prisons back to Nigeria. So we don‘t lose even more of them.

We are happy that this commission has excellent relations with NAPTIP, and they have been kind enough. I was humbled when the Executive Director said their interest is not for these young men to get back to Nigeria into the prison system, because that‘s what usually happens. Under that situation, they must hand you to Nigeria‘s law enforcement and correctional facilities, and then you know what will happen. It‘s another cycle of your relatives coming to prison to bring you food,“ Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain assured that the federal Government was committed to citizen-centred diplomacy as a cardinal thrust of the foreign policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

She said that the Tinubu administration‘s Renewed Hope Agenda has laudable programmes, particularly those that give the youth skills so that they do not indulge in crimes of this nature.

Therefore, she urged the victims to take advantage of this second chance that God has given them by implementing some of the federal government‘s intervention programmes.

Know that East, West, home is best. So, when you get home, allow the government to equip you with skills.

I am also using this opportunity to commend other industrious, hardworking and law-abiding Nigerians in Ghana.

I can assure you that Ghana will have the support and cooperation of the Nigerian Government in the fight against organised crime.

It‘s something that our own Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will want to be part of to ensure that we are not seen as headquarters of economic crimes,“ she said.

The agency‘s Executive Director, Mr. Dapilah, said, „We are not looking at this as a Nigerian crime because you have some backing from Ghanaians. We arrested the owner of the estate where they lived, and he will be prosecuted.

We require collaboration between our two countries. The crime is committed here in Ghana, but we know somebody in Nigeria was behind it. So, these persons have been rescued, but the next step is the collaboration to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended.

As you go home, take the message to our counterpart in Nigeria that we will need collaboration to round up the perpetrators.

We have a law-abiding Nigerian population here, especially where they sell spare parts. We have a lot of them running restaurants where we go to eat Nigerian delicacies,“ Dapilah said.

In his remarks, the Nigerian Chargé D‘Affaires, Ambassador Dayo Adeoye, restated that over 3 million Nigerians reside in Ghana, adding that many of them are doing well and helping the economic development of their host country.

He called for aggressive enlightenment to curb the spate of trafficking involving Nigerians.

[Leadership]

Shareholders of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc have approved the payment of a total dividend of N8.03 per share for the financial year ending December 31, 2024.

This decision was taken at the company’s fourth annual general meeting, which was held virtually on Thursday.

The company had previously paid an interim dividend of N1 per share, and would now make an additional N7.03 per share bringing the total dividend for the 2024 financial year to N8.03 per share.

Chairman of GTCO, Mr Hezekiah Sola Oyinlola, emphasized the group’s ability to remain agile and forward-thinking, which has allowed the company to achieve record-breaking performances.

Oyinlola, “In 2024, we became the first Nigerian bank to surpass the N1 trillion profit mark, an achievement that underscores the resilience of our business model, the dedication of our people, and the trust our customers place in us.”

According to him, the company’s success in a changing macroeconomic landscape is built on three pillars: operational excellence, disciplined risk management, and a relentless focus on customer-centric innovation. He noted that the banking business continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals, supported by a robust capital base and effective cost management.

“Our strategic diversification into payments, asset management, and pension fund administration has provided complementary revenue streams, reinforcing our leadership in the financial services sector,” he added.

Also speaking on the group’s 2024 performance, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO, Mr. Segun Agbaje noted that, “In 2024, we reached a historic milestone, delivering over N1 trillion in profit before tax, becoming the first Nigerian financial institution to achieve this feat.”

He emphasized that its banking subsidiary, Guaranty Trust Bank remains central to its operations, driving growth in Nigeria, West Africa, East Africa, and the United Kingdom.

“In 2024, we navigated a rapidly evolving regulatory and macroeconomic environment with a focus on strengthening our financial position and delivering best-in-class banking services,” he explained.

Agbaje also noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recapitalization policy presented an opportunity to reinforce market leadership, allowing the group to complete the first phase of its equity capital raising plan through a Public Offer.

“This Public Offer attracted strong participation from both domestic retail and institutional investors, raising N209.41 billion and expanding our shareholder base from 332,000 to over 460,000,” he added.

Looking ahead, Agbaje stated, “Our focus will be on deepening digitalization, enhancing customer experiences, and expanding our ecosystem of financial and non-financial solutions. We will continue to invest in cutting-edge technology, strengthening our cybersecurity framework, and building strategic partnerships that unlock new growth opportunities. Most importantly, we will remain true to our purpose: driving economic progress, fostering financial inclusion, and creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.”

Shareholders commended the board for the financial performance achieved during the reviewed period, despite the challenging operating environment.

 [DailyTrust]

Former member, House of Representatives, and ex-presidential adviser, Usman Bugaje, has said that Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, is essentially using money to buy off the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

According to him, it could also be that those in opposition with records in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, might be threatened to defect, but the essential reason politicians are defecting is money.

As DAILY POST earlier reported, the latest major defection happened on Wednesday when the governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the 2023 running mate to Atiku Abubakar of the PDP,  Ifeanyi Okowa, joined the APC along with National Assembly and state assembly members from the state, as well as local government chairmen from the state.

“Well, for what I know, and I don’t claim to know everything, the APC is basically using money to buy off PDP,” Bugaje told Arise News.

“Some say a carrot and a steak. So the money is the carrot. What’s the steak? I’m not quite sure. Of course, if there are people with records in the EFCC, they may invert in them.

“They might do these kinds of things. And this has been the practice right from the time of President Obasanjo. So, this might be, but I think the essential thing is basically money.

“And for me, this is a very serious issue, and this should be the center of our conversation in politics because for as long as money is going to be the determining factor, you know, then that’s the end of democracy, and that’s the end of politics.”

Recall that in response to the defection, the PDP, through the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, said  first of all, they were not expecting the mass defections in Delta State.

He then said that the next election will not be determined by the number of governors in a party, but will be between the people and the APC, adding that it would be an opportunity to punish the ruling party for the pain that is inflicted on the country.

Speaking further on the reaction of the PDP, Bugaje said, “There has not been opposition right from the time the minister Wike did what he did. I mean, basically PDP has lost that opportunity to become an opposition party.

“Look at how members behaved in the last big issue of emergency rule, in the parliament, look at what they did when it came to the budgeting to so many other things.

“So really, there is no opposition party.”

[DailyPost]

• ‘The have case to answer’

The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest, detain and prosecute six individuals alleged to be behind the Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) fraud.

The suspects are Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after EFCC counsel, Fadila Yusuf, moved an ex-parte motion to that effect.

Justice Nwite, in a ruling, said: “I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel for the applicant.

“I have also reviewed the affidavit evidence along with the exhibits and the written address.

“I am of the view, and I so hold, that the application is meritorious. Consequently, the application is granted as prayed.”

The judge ordered the EFCC to arrest and remand the six in custody until the conclusion of its investigation and the prosecution is initiated.

In a supporting affidavit, the EFCC accused the six of committing investment fraud exceeding $1 billion.

It alleged that they promised extraordinarily high returns, with some guarantees reaching up to 100 per cent.

The commission claimed that it received intelligence about the suspects’ involvement in multiple criminal activities.

It added: “The defendants are at large, and a warrant of arrest is required to apprehend them for proper investigation and prosecution of this case.”

The EFCC stated that in April, it received intelligence regarding an alleged investment fraud scheme connected to the suspects.

It added that the suspects, along with ST Technologies International Limited and CBEX engaged in fraudulent activities.

The EFCC said the case was currently being investigated by its cybercrimes section.

The anti-graft agency claimed that its preliminary findings revealed significant details, including that the six suspects, allegedly acting through ST Technologies, promoted CBEX by advertising and persuading unsuspecting members of the public to invest in cryptocurrencies on the platform.

It further claimed: “Victims were instructed to convert their digital assets into USDT (a stablecoin) for deposit into the suspects’ crypto wallet.

“Initially, the victims were given full access to the platform to monitor their investments.

“However, after deposits exceeding $1billion, the platform became inaccessible, and victims were unable to withdraw their funds.

“The victims later discovered that the entire scheme was a scam.”

The EFCC claimed that further investigation revealed that while ST Technologies was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for investment purposes.

It claimed to have further found that the suspects had relocated from their last known addresses in Lagos and Ogun states.

Stating that its investigation has established a prima facie case of investment fraud against the six, the anti-graft agency argued that a warrant was necessary to enable it to place them on the watchlist, allowing relevant agencies to track and apprehend them.

[TheNation]

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday, slammed the member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Wole Oke, accusing him of abusing the privileges the party had extended to him over the years.

The PDP was reacting to Oke’s defection to the All Progressives on Wednesday.

In a letter dated April 16, 2025, addressed to the PDP Chairman of his Ward 07 in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, Oke formally resigned his membership of the party.

He also sent similar resignation letters to the PDP National Chairman, as well as the Osun and Obokun PDP Chairmen.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Osun PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Bisi, described Oke’s decision as unfortunate, noting that Oke enjoyed the goodwill of the PDP for more than two decades, having been elected multiple times to the National Assembly under the party’s platform.

He said, “Hon. Oke has long conducted himself like a pampered political stakeholder, more interested in being spoon-fed than earning his place through rules of healthy competition.

“His trademark has always been orchestrated discontents and divisive tactics, never genuine in party commitment. The PDP leadership has remained well ahead of his shenanigans, fully aware of his pattern of self-serving pontifications.”

According to Bisi, Oke’s defection only confirmed that he sees politics “as a personal enterprise rather than a wheel of service to the people.”

“As the days unfold, it will become even clearer to the world that politics is and must remain a game of the people, not a playground for selfish adventurism,” he said.

Bisi urged party members, especially those in Obokun/Oriade, to remain focused and united in pursuit of the progress being delivered by the Ademola Adeleke-led administration.

The PDP, in a separate statement, said it had long anticipated Oke’s defection.

The party alleged that Oke had refused to engage in internal party competition and preferred to be handed candidacy “on a platter.”

Oke, in response to his situation, had earlier voiced his frustration.

 In a video obtained by The PUNCH, he told his constituents: “I stayed behind, nurtured and financed the party to greatness. I supported my incumbent governor to become senator of our party. I offended so many people just because I wanted the party to capture power in the state.”

“But today, what is the story? I’m the enemy of the government; I’m the enemy of the party,” he said.

He continued, “The purpose of nurturing this party is to enable my followers, my constituents to also benefit from it to become councillors, chairman of councils, to become secretaries to the local government and all that. That’s the purpose of my endurance with the government.”

“But what do I get in return? I have seen invaders who never knew how we started this process and are spewing all sorts of stories and unfortunately, the government of the state is believing them and that is the painful aspect of it.”

“I want all of you to advise me, in a situation where you are not trusted, where your opinion does not count, where your advice is not taken into consideration, and where you are undermined, please advise me: what do you think I should do?”

It was also learned that Oke met with his loyalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he disclosed plans to leave the PDP.

Reacting, Osun PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, stated, “What happened on Wednesday, as far as we are concerned in Osun PDP and in the mind of our Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, doesn’t come to us as a surprise. It has been a time bomb waiting to happen to Hon. Wole Oke, who has been a lazy politician that will not want to engage in many political contests.”

“All he wanted all along was a freebies of party candidacy. At that, he would do whatever he thinks he can do to win the general election with the support and popularity of the PDP, especially in Osun State.”

“For us, we are not caught aback. PDP in Osun especially, we have been so methodical that we know our recalcitrant members, and we have always been ahead of them.”

He added, “What Hon. Wole Oke feels is that no other person, or the PDP as a party, must not allow any other stalwart of the party to express any aspiration concerning the seat as a member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency. That will no longer be a democracy.”

“We cannot continue to gag our members because of the interest of one person. That is not in the characteristics of PDP. Hon. Wole Oke has enjoyed party’s support for close to 20 years in the democratic experience of Nigeria which is just barely 24 years old now or even less. He has been in the House of Representatives for close to 20 years and so, the question any sane man would ask is that, what really went wrong?”

Former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, also reacted to the news, saying, “This I can understand from the perspective of someone who has enjoyed almost 18 years as House of Rep member becoming a former or ex. He should not be too greedy, unappreciative and selfish.”

“Obokun, especially Oriade Constituency, has been magnanimous enough. It is logical and right to allow them to choose a candidate this time around. What Oke fails to realise is that nobody can be an everlasting champion, there is always an expiry date.

Efforts to reach  Oke for comments or clarification failed, as calls to his phone were not answered and he did not respond to a text message sent by The PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.

[Punch]

Former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday, expressed sadness over the removal of Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State, saying the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu was in breach of the constitution.

The former minister of transportation, who expressed dismay over the ineffectiveness of the National Assembly in the matter, described the Red Chamber as a weak institution that aided the president in instituting an illegal government.

Amaechi spoke at the 9th Edition of Akinjide Adeosun Foundation, AAF, Annual Leadership Discourse themed: “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” organised by AAF in Lagos.

The former governor also urged Nigerians to be proactive in reacting to poor governance, saying docility was an enabler of bad leadership.

His words: “Do you agree that there is nothing like a fearless leader and there is nothing like courageous leadership? Do you (Nigerians) need a courageous leader where the system works? Just push the button, everything will give you the answer. It is only when there is a failed leadership that you begin to look at who is the courageous leader.

“There are different types of leadership traits, and fearless leadership is not one of them. There is the authoritarian leadership trait, which is one who knows it all. Such leaders tell you what to do without consulting and expect you to obey.

“You can either have a fearless followership or a docile followership. Does Nigeria resonate here as par the docility of followership? Does it resonate here? Yes. Good governance is about constitutionality and the rule of law. It is also about the concept of separation of power. The absence of good governance and rule of law breeds arbitrariness in governance. Arbitrariness here has to do with non-observance of the basic principles of law.

“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law. This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader. Like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.

“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the constitution. Now, this breach of the constitution is the breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the constitution. The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected. Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, the 2015 governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Jimi Agbaje, however, said only an enabling environment would help in bringing about fearless leaders in Nigeria.

According to Agbaje, “Something happened yesterday where a whole state apparatus decided to leave their party for another. Is that fearless or fearful leadership? When you speak truth to power and your wife says: ‘small small, what is going to happen to us?’ What kind of environment are we creating to have fearless leaders?

“If I speak truth to power, my wife should know that in the worst case scenario, the children will go to school and that there will be health for them if they fall ill, not a situation where if you speak truth to power, health and education benefits would be withdrawn from your family.

“Sometimes, it is an enabling environment that would help us in bringing about fearless leaders. If you look at developed countries where they speak out, it is because they know that they will survive no matter what they say.”

On his part, the event’s convener, Akinjide Adeosun, said: “Our strategy at AAF is drawn from our mission of building great leaders. There needs to be a paradigm shift from bad to good; good to great; and great to excellent. The good behaviour of fearless leaders would stir the provision of good water, sustained availability of electricity, freedom from insecurity, world class industrialisation in an ecosystem. The bottom line is that the basic things of life will be assured.”