Na as goat stand for market dem dey price am.

For Naija, make we yarn about correction,

Wey dey needed for dis our nation.

E go better make we face di truth,

And tackle corruption wit strong resolution.

From top to down, e don dey enta bone,

Government people dey flex, dey chop alone.

Money wey for develop, e dey disappear,

Na so e dey happen year after year.

Election time, na so we dey see,

Politicians dey share money, dey do jamboree.

But wen e reach to serve di people right,

Dem dey vanish, dem no dey in sight.

From police station to di highest court,

Corruption dey reign, e dey carry clout.

If you no get money, you no go fit win,

Na so many innocent people dey enter bin.

E don do, we need to make correction,

Fight corruption, make we no dey fear action.

Make we join hand, make we stand as one,

Make we tame the lions, the snakes and monkeys

If not the wildlife go dry…

For Naija to better, e go take correction.

Corruption in Kogi State, Nigeria, has been a longstanding issue that has hindered the state’s development and progress. Like many other states in Nigeria, Kogi has grappled with corruption at various levels of government and society, impacting sectors such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and public services.

One of the significant challenges is the mismanagement of public funds, where government officials, both elected and appointed, have been accused of embezzling public resources meant for development projects. This mismanagement has led to the deterioration of infrastructure and basic amenities, further exacerbating the living conditions of the residents.

Political corruption is also prevalent, with reports of vote-buying, electoral fraud, and manipulation during elections. This undermines the democratic process and erodes public trust in the government.

Furthermore, there have been allegations of nepotism and favoritism in government appointments and contracts, where individuals with connections to those in power are awarded lucrative deals at the expense of merit and transparency.

The lack of accountability and transparency mechanisms exacerbates the problem, as there is often little oversight or consequences for corrupt practices. Civil society organizations and anti-corruption agencies have highlighted the need for stronger institutions and enforcement of existing laws to combat corruption effectively.

So, away from the English above, Kogi state is the land of the white lion, turned lame goat…if you know, you know. It is the land of Dino Melaye, the land of Lugard. The only state in Nigeria to border ten other states. For those that do not know, economically, Kogi State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of coffee, cashew, groundnut, cocoa, oil palm, and yam crops. Other key industries are crude oil extraction and the livestock herding of cattle, goats, and sheep.

It is the land of Ajaokuta, that industry that keeps chopping money, any honest audit would show that the project has long since become an elephant project.

In case you forgot, the state which is nicknamed the “Confluence State” due to the fact that the confluence of the River Niger and the River Benue occurs next to its capital, Lokoja. It is also the state of the Igalas, very dominant in Kogi East with nine local governments, the Ebiras who are in Kogi Central with five local governments and the Okun in Kogi West with seven local governments. These three ethnic majority do juju, are beautiful and schooled (make your choice).

It is the land of great lawyers, diplomats, great media practitioners, and very disrespectful fuel attendants. It once had a bleaching governor and also a disappearing governor, it is the land of a tree climbing senator, and a mouthed motor loving politician…

This is what makes the white lion stories very hurtful, did you know that Kogi state has 21 local government areas. No World Class Hospital, the Kogi Reference Hospital is supposed to be one, but story for another day. The state does not have a FIFA standard football pitch, that 80billion could build 40 football pitches at 2billion each or that 80billion could build 21 primary health care centres?

The roads in the state are in terrible state, there are no world class schools with state of the art teaching facilities, and imagine what 80billion could do?

Have you ever seen the smallest overhead bridge in Kogi and the amount it gulped, did you see the allocation that Kogi got in eight years, yet workers were paid a minimal percent of their salaries and in cases where debited immediately after being credited…Let me help us understand, According to FAAC Kogi state from 2016 — 2023 got ₦750.60 billion, from the NBS the state generated internally ₦107.51 billion, its domestic debt for 2023 stood at ₦121.81 billion and external debt for 2023 was $51.17 million according to the DMO. According to EFCC a white lion misappropriated and made away with over 80billion 

in the words of my friend and colleague in the struggle, Steve Aluko, aka Maradona a son of ze shoil, the house of assembly should impeach the current white hen for aiding and abetting the white lion?

If you thought this was about Kogi state, follow let us conclude then. Efforts to address corruption in Kogi State require a multi-faceted approach, including:

1. Strengthening anti-corruption institutions and ensuring their independence and effectiveness in investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption.
2. Implementing transparent procurement processes and financial management systems to prevent misappropriation of public funds.
3. Promoting civic engagement and public participation in governance to hold elected officials accountable.
4. Enhancing awareness and education on the detrimental effects of corruption and the importance of integrity in public service.
5. Encouraging a culture of ethical leadership and accountability among government officials and civil servants.

You see the solutions I proffered above is not just about Kogi state but a majority of Nigerian states, there are white lions, green serpents, blue monkeys, red onions and all sorts masquerading as governors and fleecing their states. 

While combating corruption in Nigeria is undoubtedly challenging, sustained efforts and collective action from government, civil society, and citizens are essential to drive meaningful change and promote good governance and development in Nigeria, but we must tame the lions or else the wildlife will suffer—May Nigeria win.–

Prince Charles Dickson PhD

Josiah Majebi is the fifth Chief Judge of Kogi state (in north-central Nigeria) in four years and the fourth to exist almost entirely in the pocket of the state governor. He has been in office as substantive Chief Judge since the beginning of February 2023, having acted in that role since 26 June 2022 when his predecessor, Richard Olorunfemi, retired. Henry Olusiyi served in that office for under seven months from the end of June 2020 until January 2021. Sunday Otuh, who succeeded him, spent eight months in office before retiring in September 2021.

The last Chief Judge of Kogi State who attempted to hold that office with dignity and independence, Nasir Ajanah, paid with his life, un-mourned and exiled from the state. He was the second Chief Judge of the state to be politically lynched by the government of Kogi State in one decade.

At the beginning of April 2008, the Kogi State House of Assembly, defying an order of the state High Court, adopted a resolution asking the State Governor to remove the long-serving Chief Judge of the State, Umaru Eri. On that basis, then-acting governor, Clarence Olafemi, promptly announced the sack of the Chief Judge on April 2, 2008, and designated another judge, Sam Ota, to act in his place.

In his defence, Umaru Eri claimed that his crime was that he had declined the request of the politicians to act as the go-between in bribing the election petition tribunal on behalf of the then-state governor whose election was in dispute. On May 16, 2008, Alaba Ajileye, a judge of the High Court of Kogi State, reversed the sack and reinstated Umaru Eri.

11 years later, on June 18, 2019, Alaba Ajileye presided again in deciding a case that seemed uncannily to reprise issues in his earlier decision. As with the 2008 decision, the claimant in 2019 was another Chief Judge of Kogi State, Nasir Ajanah with his Chief Registrar, Yahya Adamu. The defendants included the Kogi State House of Assembly, its Speaker, and the State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

At the directive of Governor Yahaya Bello, the secretary to the government of Kogi State wrote on November 14, 2018, to Chief Judge Nasir Ajanah, asking him to provide “the payroll of judicial staff for the ongoing pay parade of civil servants in the state.” At the time, the governor was a defendant in the court of the Chief Judge. Hence, the Chief Registrar responded to the letter and explained that the judiciary was a self-accounting and co-equal branch of government supervised by the State Judicial Service Commission.

An affronted Governor Yahaya Bello wrote under his name to Walter Onnoghen, then Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chair of the National Judicial Council (NJC), asking the NJC to find the Chief Judge guilty of misconduct and requiring that he “step aside and (an) Acting Chief Judge allowed to take his place.”

While his petition was still waiting for the attention of the NJC, Yahaya Bello resorted to political self-help. He referred the perceived effrontery of Nasir Ajannah to the State House of Assembly, which promptly constituted an investigation committee. The Chief Judge sued. While his suit was pending, on April 2, 2019, the State House of Assembly adopted a resolution asking Yahaya Bello to remove the Chief Judge and also requiring disciplinary action against the Chief Registrar. On June 18, 2019, Alaba Ajileye sitting as the High Court of Kogi State in Kotonkarfe, determined that the Kogi State House of Assembly and the Governor acted unlawfully in seeking to remove the Chief Judge.

The reaction of the governor was bestial. He first went after Alaba Ajileye, a man of courage and learning whose judicial record was unblemished. With a doctorate in law, Alaba Ajileye was an expert in the rarefied subject of digital evidence. Following this judgment, however, Yahaya Bello’s government made it known that they could no longer guarantee his safety. Yet, when he was put forward for elevation to the Court of Appeal, the same Kogi state government actively blocked it. A man who would easily have adorned the Supreme Court with distinction, Alaba Ajileye retired from the High Court in February 2023 and has since then forged a career as a scholar and academic.

Turning to the State Chief Judge, meanwhile, Yahaya Bello made life unbearable for Nasir Ajannah. He began by banishing the man from official state functions. When Chief Judge Ajannah attended the swearing-in of the new Grand Khadi of Kogi State on May 21, 2020, the Chief Security Officer to Yahaya Bello informed him that “the governor gave a directive that he should not be allowed to attend the function.”

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Yahaya Bello made Nasir Ajannah persona non-grata in the state. As a result, he was forced into internal displacement in Abuja, where his arrangements were worse than transitory. While in hiding in Abuja, Nasir Ajannah contracted COVID and died in isolation in Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory on June 28, 2020. His death went unacknowledged and even the institutions of the judiciary were reluctant to mourn his passing.

The men who followed Nasir Ajannah in the office of Chief Judge of Kogi State learnt to stoke the vanities of Yahaya Bello and avoid his anger. Ahead of his departure from office at the end of eight years as governor of Kogi State in January 2024, Josiah Majebi as Chief Judge and Chair of the Kogi State Judicial Service Commission, prepared a list of candidates for nomination as judges of the High Court of Kogi State. At the top of the list was a wife to Yahaya Bello the basis of whose claim to the nomination was the dutiful fulfilment of the duties of connubium in Yahaya Bello’s bedroom. For the Chief Judge, it was also proof that he had truly abjured any pretensions to a mind of his own.

Alarmed at what they saw as a perversion of the system of judicial appointments, a group of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) from the State wrote to Josiah Majebi to dissuade him from this course of action. In January 2024, they sued challenging his judicial nominations. Pending the outcome, the NJC suspended the process of appointment to the Kogi State judiciary. On April 18, 2024, James Omotoso, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja many of whose judgments usually have something of a smell problem about them, implausibly ruled that these SANs had no legitimate interest in the process of appointment of judges in their state and that, in any case, the discretion of the NJC in appointment of judges was effectively not open to review.

It was the day after Yahaya Bello’s chosen successor and blood relative, Usman Ododo chose to turn his predecessor into a fugitive from legal process and two days after Mr. Ododo opened his case in the petition questioning the lawfulness of his election as governor of Kogi State. As a bungling Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) waited to arrest Yahaya Bello in Abuja, one I.A. Jamil, a judge of the High Court of Kogi State, issued an order claiming to restrain the Commission from doing its job.

According to the order of the judge, the case which was filed over two months earlier on February 8, was hurriedly assigned while the siege was ongoing in Abuja, argued, heard and decided and the judge quickly signed the order and handed it to Governor Ododo to take with him to Abuja from where he spirited his cousin away from legal process in a blaze of gunfire. The court was almost assuredly disingenuous about the date of filing. In all likelihood, the case was filed the same day, April 17,  and then back-dated.

The EFCC now claims it has declared Yahaya Bello a fugitive but the real question will be how a compromised and complicit judicial leadership will now treat the nomination of his unqualified wife as a judge and the petition against the declaration of his violent cousin as governor of Kogi State. The judges who currently control Nigeria’s criminal politics now must show how much they owe Yahaya Bello.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

As Workers’ Day approaches on May 1, 2024, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set forth a list of seven critical demands from the Federal Government, highlighting the urgent need for a new minimum wage among other significant changes.

The announcement comes at a time of heightened anticipation, with expectations that President Bola Tinubu may announce the proposed new wage standards during the celebrations.

Key among the NLC’s demands is the establishment of state and local government police forces, aimed at addressing the escalating insecurity challenges across the nation.

Furthermore, the NLC insists that the new minimum wage, once ratified, must be uniformly implemented across all states, local governments, and the organized private sector.

This unified approach is deemed essential to ensure fairness and alleviate economic disparities across different regions and sectors.

This year’s Workers’ Day is particularly significant as it follows a tentative agreement by organized labour to set the new minimum wage at N615,000 per month.

This figure was determined prior to the recent increases in electricity tariffs by the Federal Government, which has added to the cost of living pressures faced by Nigerian workers.

An anonymous member of the Trade Union Congress’s National Executive Council shared with Punch that the wage figure was agreed upon after careful consideration of the current economic realities and the impact of governmental policy changes on the workforce.

The source said, “We are going to have another round of serious conversations with the government. Mind you, the tariff increase is also very good for us, because they (the government) did it when the new minimum wage process had not been concluded. So, it is going to be a good ground for us to ask for more money.”

The N30,000 subsisting minimum wage expired three days ago, as its five-year lifespan ended on April 18.

Former President Muhammad Buhari had signed the N30,000 Minimum Wage Act into law on April 18, 2019.

The tripartite committee, comprising representatives of organised private sector, organised labour and government, for a national minimum wage negotiation, follows the International Labour Organisation Convention 131.

In January, the president, through his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, had, on January 30, set up a 37-member panel at the council chamber of the State House in Abuja.

With its membership cutting across federal and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.

In his opening address, Shettima urged members to ‘speedily’ arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early.

Chairing the panel is a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, who, at the inauguration ceremony, affirmed that its members would come up with a “fair, practical, implementable and sustainable” minimum wage.

The inauguration followed months of agitation from organised labour who expressed concerns over the FG’s failure to inaugurate the committee as promised during negotiations last October.

From the government’s side, members include the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, representing the Minister of Labour and Employment; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Lydia Jafiya; the Minister of Budget Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Yemi Esan; and Permanent Secretary, GSO/OSGF, Dr Nnamdi Mbaeri, amongst others.

Representing the Nigeria Governors Forum are Mohammed Bago of Niger State, representing the North Central; Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State- representing the North East; Umar Dikko Radda of Katsina State, representing the North West; Prof Charles Soludo of Anambra State, representing the South East; Senator Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, from South West; and Otu Bassey of Cross River State, representing the South-South.

From the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association are the Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde; Chuma Nwankwo; Thompson Akpabio; as well as members from the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture— Michael Olawale-Cole (National President); Ahmed Rabiu (National Vice President), and Chief Humphrey Ngonadi, National Life President.

From organised labour are the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and President of the TUC, Festus Osifo; his deputy, Tommy Etim Okon, among others.

Ajaero had announced N1m as the new minimum wage, owing to the rising inflation in the country which, according to him, had pushed many of the NLC’s members into poverty.

This led to several controversies, including experts saying that the suggested wage was unrealisable and unsustainable.

Speaking to Punch in Abuja, the NLC’s National Treasurer, Hakeem Ambali, listed seven demands the congress had made from the federal and state governments.

He said, “First, we expect that there should be improved labour government industrial relations, full implementation of minimum wage across the board for the federal, state, local government and private sector workers.

“Settlement of pension arrears, the establishment of compressed natural gas conversion centers in all senatorial districts, fixing of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.

“Creation of state and local government police, granting of local government autonomy, granting of infrastructure support scheme to all local governments.”

Speaking further, Ambali noted that the Congress was still awaiting an invitation to the next meeting of the tripartite committee on minimum wage.

Meanwhile, a former two-term president of the TUC and one-time president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Peter Esele, had warned against the arbitrary fixing of a new minimum wage.

Speaking with Punch, Esele noted that the Federal Government and organised labour should agree on a new minimum wage before it is announced by the president on Workers’ Day to avoid another round of protests and strikes.

He said, “First, I will be surprised if organised labour says the Federal Government should announce the minimum wage. Probably the unions are hoping that by then, they will have concluded negotiations with the government. But for me, if the negotiation is not concluded by that time and the Federal Government goes ahead to announce the new national minimum wage, it is also possible that organised labour will dispute it. And what we are going to have is another round of protests and strikes.

“So my expectation for the labour unions is to put what they want on the table, while the Federal Government also puts theirs on the table. They should then both agree. But, suppose the Federal Government goes ahead and unilaterally announces a new national minimum wage, labour would oppose it, which, as I said, will lead to another round of industrial actions.

“It will be strange if the Federal Government announces the new minimum wage on Workers’ Day. However, I believe the governments are also smart enough not to make such a move unless they reach an informal agreement with the organised labour, and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association.”

Esele also ruled out the possibility of problems arising if organised labour and the Federal Government fail to reach a concrete agreement on the new minimum wage by May Day.

He said, “The fact again remains that if both parties are still on the negotiation table by next month, it does not prevent the proposed new minimum wage from taking effect that month. What it simply implies is that whenever the agreement comes, the government will pay arrears.

“Even in the organised private sector, that is what we do. You can go on negotiation for even six months, but once an agreement is finally reached, and the last collective bargaining has expired, for whatever is agreed whether in six months or a year later, the arrears will be paid by the employers, which is the government in this case. So if the agreement is in place, it doesn’t matter whether they announce it on May 1 or not, the salary arrears must be paid.”

Meanwhile, the NLC is also demanding for the creation of state and local government police.

This demand is coming a few weeks after 16 state governors submitted reports expressing their support for establishing state police to the National Economic Council.

In the report, they also recommended changes to the constitution to allow for the creation of state police.

The reports were part of documentation received at the 140th NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday, March 21.

Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed that in a statement titled, ‘NEC endorses take-off of $617M i-DICE programme across states.’

According to the statement, NEC is still awaiting reports from 20 states. It expressed confidence that others would support it.

Disclosing discussions at the NEC meeting, Nkwocha said, the “Secretary to NEC (Nebeolisa Anako) made a presentation on submissions by states on the state policing initiative. Reports have been received by 16 states on the establishment of state police. 20 states have yet to send in their reports. All states across the country expressed their support for the establishment of state police.

“States made presentations in support of the creation of state police. They also recommended changes in the constitution, and the current policing structure to enable the operationalisation of the initiative.”

[NaijaNews]

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has expressed his delight at his side bouncing back from recent bad results against Wolves.

Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard scored for the Gunners as they won 2-0 at the Molineux.

The victory came in the week they lost 2-0 in the league to Aston Villa and 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Arsenal are now one point clear of Manchester City at the top and could make it four points when they host Chelsea on Tuesday.

“This is where we want to be [at the top of the table]. We lost it last week at home to Aston Villa.

“We didn’t deserve to lose it, but we’re top now at least for a day so let’s see what happens.

“We’re going to have to earn the win on Tuesday against Chelsea. We’ll give it a real go,” Arteta said.

[DailyPost]

• Speculators count losses as naira rises against dollar
• Naira will continue to appreciate against dollar – Shettima

The Naira appears to be up against a fresh threat from two crypto exchange platforms, just six weeks after the clamp down on Binance operations in Nigeria. The national currency had slumped badly in the forex market in the weeks preceding the clamp down on Binance, exchanging for as much as N1,950 in mid-February.

But soon afterwards, the Naira started to recover and was at a time N1,200 until the middle of last week when it lost some grounds to the dollar again.

Observers blamed its earlier misfortune on alleged manipulation of the market by Binance and are citing the new crypto exchange platforms BYBIT and BITGET as the cause of the latest slip.

But Vice President Kashim  Shettima declared yesterday in Abuja that the Naira would continue its upward mobility against the dollar.

An investigation by The Nation also showed that many speculators who had invested in the dollar in the hope that the naira would go further down are now counting their losses. 

On Monday last week, the Naira was N1,100 to a dollar at the black market. It depreciated to N1,148 by Tuesday and N1,169 on Friday. Observers believe this is on account of the operations of the peer to peer platforms and say government must step in to stop the naira slide.

Following the recent recovery of the naira, the global investment banking, securities and investment management firm Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. rated it one of the best performing currencies around the globe.

The firm had initially predicted a naira to dollar exchange rate of 1,200 by year-end 2024 but later said the Nigerian currency could exchange for 1000 to a dollar or even below provided the authorities are able to maintain the tempo of their economic reforms.

 This bullish forecast, it said, followed capital inflows and interest rate adjustments, aiding the naira recovery from substantial losses incurred due to two devaluations since June, following the government’s relaxation of currency controls.

See more on the latest threat to the naira on Page 26.Naira’ll continue to appreciate against dollar, Shettima tells LCCI team

But Vice President Shettima is optimistic that the naira is on course to regain its status as a currency to reckon with.

“The naira went haywire and some people were celebrating. But inwardly, we were laughing at them because we knew that we have the leadership to reverse the trend,” the VP’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, quoted him as telling his visitors.

He added: “Asiwaju knows the game, and truly the naira is gaining and the difference will drop further.”

Shettima said government’s decision to end fuel subsidy and unify the multiple exchange rate was necessary to address the challenges facing the country.

On efforts to boost the power sector and generate jobs for youths, he said: “We are determined to ensure that we generate jobs for our youths.

“Honestly, the President’s obsession is to live in a place of glory, to transform this country to a higher pedestal.

“He wants to leave a legacy, one of qualitative leadership, because the hope of the black man, the hope of Africa rests with Nigeria.

“I want to assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of you. He understands your ecosystem. In this government, you have an ally and a friend,” VP Shettima further noted.

The LCCI delegation presented recommendations to the VP, including the need for more innovations to address insecurity and promote credit access, stimulate investment and support entrepreneurship.

“This could include targeted interventions such as concessional lending facilities, loan guarantees and interest rate subsidies tailored to the needs of SMEs and key sectors of the economy like agriculture, manufacturing and power technology,” he added.

Other members of the LCCI on the delegation included Chief John Odeyemi, Chief Dr. Nike Akande, Asiwaju (Dr.) M. Olawale-Cole, Prince Funayo Okeowo, Gwueke Ajaifa, Sir Ladi Smith, Abimbola Ola, Olufemi Bakare, Ayotunde Coker, Tolulope Adeleke, Stephen Alangbo, Dr Chinyere Almona and Mrs Temitope Akintunde.

In a separate meeting, VP Shettima urged Nigerians to live peacefully among themselves and learn to accommodate each other.

He made this appeal when a delegation from the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) led by its President, Dr. James Neminebor, paid him a visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He emphasised the need for tolerance and togetherness, citing the example of Jos, which he described as a hospitable city with a diverse population.

He also asked the association to channel its request for land in Abuja through the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, to enable him to follow it up with the relevant authorities.

He said: “No matter how long the night is, it must give way to the light of the dawn. The crisis we have in Jos will soon be over.

“Jos is the most hospitable city in this country in terms of weather. If we can harness the potentials of Jos and the Plateau as a whole, I believe that we can transform this nation into a better place.

“In one way or the other, we should learn how to accommodate each other; we should learn how to embrace one another. My SSA Media, Stanley Nkwocha, is a Jos boy.

“Jos is ideal; Jos is not an ethnic identity. Some of the Hausas, the Fulanis, the Kanuris and the other ethnic groups living in Jos were born and bred in Jos. They don’t have any other place to call home.

“The beauty of the Jos experience is that we have the generality of Nigerians called Northern Igbos. He (Nkwocha) is Igbo; Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha is a Northern Igbo. This gentleman (Nkwocha) speaks Hausa more than I do. We also have Sir Emeka Offor and so many of them.

“I believe that we should learn to imbibe in Nigeria that culture of tolerance, of togetherness, because I will rather be a small fish in a big pawn than to be a big fish in a small pawn.

“We are a kaleidoscope of colours. The sooner we realise it, the better,” he said.

Earlier, ANAN President, Dr. Neminebor, told the VP that there was need to introduce a new value orientation where the issue of discipline will become a culture for Nigerians, even as the association recommended the setting up of Anti-corruption Recovery Investment and Management Commission to prevent the re-looting of recovered assets in the country.

Currency speculators count losses as naira rises against dollar

It was gathered that many speculators have lost money following the recent resurgence of the naira.

Such speculators had invested massively in the dollar in the hope that naira would depreciate further.

An investigation by our correspondent revealed that many of the currency hoarders who had envisaged that the value of the naira would depreciate further as low as N2,000 or more to $1 as anticipated in mid-February, have all being proven wrong as the nation’s legal tender has witnessed a rebound.

Some black market operators reportedly lured some of their patrons to dollarise their cash as the naira, in their calculation, would depreciate further.

However, the naira recorded a rebound even beyond the expectations of many, such that the gains of the naira have been the loss of many currency speculators who borrowed money to dollarise their assets. 

Confirming this development, one of the BDC operators in Mushin, Lagos, who simply gave his name as Adamu, said: “Some BDC operators lured individuals to buy dollars when it was between N1700-N1800 to the dollar. But now that the naira has recorded a rebound, most of them are counting their losses, no doubt.

“It’s very painful that they had to stake a lot of their hard earned money to do currency speculation.”

Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, a financial lawyer, noted that some individuals who bought N10 million worth of dollars at the black market on February 24 suffered huge losses as the current value of their liquid asset is worth only half the sum.

“If you bought N10 million worth of dollars at the black market on February 24, it’s currently worth about N5 million,” he said.

Writing on his former X handle, A. Ayofe @abdullahayofel last Tuesday recounted the experience of one of the currency speculators who is now in debt as a result of his wrong investment decision.

“Someone I know borrowed N18 million from a money lender to buy $10,000 at N1,800 to $1 in February to pay back N19 million in May (three months) when the dollar gets to say N2,000 or more.

“Today, that N18 million is worth N11 million at N1,100 to $1. He is now looking for where to get extra N8 million to clear his debt as the three months is fast approaching.

“He used his bungalow as collateral. The problem now is that before May, the money could further reduce to N9 million at N900 to $1, making it impossible to retrieve his house.”

Dr. Aminu Gwadabe, the National President of Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), said the otherwise awkward situation of the naira in the last few months has given way to optimism.

He said: “It is really exciting and interesting as we witnessed profound and significant naira rebounds faster than expected.

“It is a triumph of reality over behaviours that have no economic fundamentals.”

Gwadabe said all those who lost their investable funds during this period have to accept their fate.

“As regards the complaints of people borrowing money to speculate and make a margin, my take is that for any economic activity, there is reward and there is loss.

“So it is a gamble where you either win or lose. They should move on and next time be careful in jumping into what they cannot control.”

On the way forward, the ABCON boss appealed to the CBN and the fiscal authorities to proactively continue to induce confidence in the economy, strengthen stakeholders engagement, quick and fast responses including service delivery.

“Other hanging fruits include harnessing proceeds of diaspora remittances to inject liquidity through the BDCS. There should also be concerted efforts from all agencies of government to de-risk non-oil exports products to have a paradigm shift in our sources of foreign exchange to boost our external buffers.”

He added: “The excellent job of the security agencies in tackling corruption and money laundering should remain the cornerstone of this government. Above all, we must all as Nigerians have a change of mindset.”

[TheNation]

To begin with, let me ask whether you knew that abusing the Naira is a worse offence than stealing or embezzling the Naira? You can steal billions of Naira and walk away free. But abuse the Naira and end up in jail with automatic alacrity! Worse still, you can leverage the riches so suddenly acquired to contest election into high office and become anything – president, vice president, governor, senator, honourable – just anything! Only a few persons in high office in this country today do not fall into this category. When you steal so much, you intimidate the authorities; the anti-corruption agencies negotiate with you; the courts respect you and the populace worship you. Spiritual leaders grovel for a piece of the cake. Crumbs from your table ensure that the masses flock to you and do your bidding.

An uncountable number of our leaders have corruption allegations and cases running for years hanging around their neck. In the interim, they walk the street; stand for election, win and are, today, “their excellencies” “distinguished” and “honourables” This is very much unlike the automatic alacrity with which Bobrisky was sent to gaol and the Cubana High Chief hauled before the court on charges of abusing the Naira. The seriousness with which the authorities are pursuing selected cases of abuse of the Naira suggests that this offence destroys the economy and impacts Nigerians more negatively than the stealing of humongous sums from the country’s coffers. This is quite unfortunate as it smacks of a deliberate diversionary tactic to shift the people’s attention from more serious matters.

Bobrisky’s lawyers were lazy. I will love to see how the Cubana High Chief lawyers tackle the prosecution. What is the evidence that the person caught on video abusing the Naira was the accused and not a look-alike? Remember the drug-related charges that dogged the steps of Kashamu Buruji until his death. How are they sure that what was abused was real Naira and not fake, look-alike Naira? Will exhibits be presented in court, with serial numbers to boot? What if rats or snakes devour the exhibits? Or will electronic evidence (a relatively new source of evidence) suffice? In a democracy, there is the need to stretch the law to its elasticity level and not take anything for granted. I love Portable’s “apostle must to hear this” song but warn him not to fall into the same pit as Bobrisky. I will loan him the wisdom of the elders as Grandma told me.

There was a wicked king in one town and people only murmured behind his back as none could summon the courage to confront him. One day two friends bared their minds about this wicked king in a gathering of friends. Unknown to them, one “amebo” carried the tale to the Kabiyesi. Pronto, he sent messengers to bring the twosome to his palace. Everyone knew the outcome. So, one of the friends went into his inner chambers and behaved like a man, as they say. He committed suicide rather than stand the indignity he would be subjected to before being beheaded at the palace. So, only one offender was hauled before the king, who was surprised to see that he had not committed suicide like his friend. “Coward”, the king yelled at him. “Why did you not summon the same courage as your friend?” The king was surprised at the response he got: “Only cowards die before they see the death that would kill them!” But I digress!

One day late into the night some years back, we were unwinding in the Dining Room of a governor, as was our practice,  when his phone rang and the person on the other end was frantic. It was an SOS to His Excellency by the apostle, who was in the state for a three-day crusade, to come to the rescue. It was a “Come to Macedonia and help us” kind of shrill cry. The Man of God said his hotel had been surrounded by security operatives from Abuja and the goons were banging on his door, threatening to pull it down if he failed to open it. His Excellency, an action governor, immediately sprang to action; mobilized his security aides and all of us headed for the hotel. His Excellency, commando-style, stormed the hotel, yelling and stomping. How dare you! You want to create a crisis in my state? How dare you invade my state without my knowledge? Not even the courtesy to put me in the know? I am the chief security officer of this state! Ad infinitum!

As His Excellency was raking, he was pushing his way towards the apostle›s room. The goons from Abuja were taken aback. They were armed to the teeth. The governor’s security aides were also armed. Thank God there was no shoot-out between the two opposing groups. What would have become of “bloody civilians” like me? The governor got to the apostle’s room, wrapped his arm around him, led him down the stairs, and hauled him into his official car and we drove away, straight to the Government House.

That was my first time seeing the apostle Suleman. Was the governor’s action right? Yes, I think it was, but was it dangerous? Yes, it was! What if a shoot-out had occurred? But why should security agents storm a state without the knowledge of the governor who is touted by the country’s Constitution as the chief security officer of the state? This is one area of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) that needs further amendment.

If we can excuse what the governor in question here did to rescue apostle Suleman, can we in like manner justify what the governor of Kogi state did to smuggle his erstwhile boss, Yahaya Bello, from EFCC’s net as is being alleged? I do not think the Kogi governor did the right thing. So also do I not think that Yahaya Bello himself did the right thing in trying to run away from the law. For how long will he hide? How far can he run? Has he not made his case worse now that he has been declared wanted by the EFCC? For how long can the Kogi governor provide him a safe house? If Yahaya Bello is innocent, why is he running? Has it not been said that a clear conscience fears no foe? After all his grandstanding, why is Yahaya Bello now developing cold feet? Why is he now hiding under the cover-cloth of his successor? Again, for how long will he do this?

In 2018 when the then Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, was being taunted by the EFCC:  that his immunity would soon expire as his tenure expires; that he would be hauled before the court; and that he would rot in jail! Fayose told them he was ready and would turn himself over to the EFCC – all by himself. Fayose was man enough to honour his word. He went to the EFCC office in Abuja by himself. I was one of those who followed him there. He was detained by them. He was charged to court by them. He was at the Ikoyi prison for a while. I visited him there. He was charged to court. I followed him to court on a countless number of occasions. Fayose defended himself. The case is still on but Fayose is not in hiding like Yahaya Bello. He did not run from the law. He was not just lousy like Yahaya Bello but was a man of his words.

Yahaya Bello has been declared wanted. That is the right thing to do but that is not all. If it is true that the Kogi state governor was the one who, hiding under the cloak of immunity, shielded him from arrest by the EFCC, then, that is a serious matter. The Kogi state governor, in so doing, has shown that he is not fit for the high office he occupies. He has to be removed by all means possible.  Was that not the same man prostrating before Yahaya Bello after the Kogi governorship election? What, then, should we expect? What a shame! If removing the Kogi state governor is what must be done to gain access to Yahaya Bello, so be it. This is one of those rare occasions that you regret that Olusegun Obasanjo is not the president!

Then, the security aides that the Kogi State governor used to frustrate the EFCC must be sanctioned. We have had too many cases of security officials acting unprofessionally and at cross-purposes in a way that does them little or no credit. An end must be put to this. There is also the embarrassment of judges giving conflicting orders that make a mockery of the judiciary. What is the function of the NJC in this regard?

Importantly, the time is now to review the immunity clause in the Constitution; either we totally remove it or we strip it of its omnibus status. The spirit and letters of the immunity law aim at allowing those enjoying it the opportunity to focus on the task of governance without distraction but now that it has become an instrument for criminality, something must be done about it. We used to give ourselves the consolation that presidents and governors, the clan that enjoys immunity, have expiry date, after which they can then be called to account, but with the Yahaya Bello incidence where spirited efforts are being made to still cover the former governor with the borrowed cloak of immunity belonging to his successor, then, this has become a serious matter that we can no longer gloss over.

Do not think sitting and former governors are not watching. If Yahaya Bello gets away with this, then, it will very soon become the order of the day all over the country.

Verily, the recently conducted APC direct primaries in Ondo State have garnered significant attention, not only as a standalone event but also in the context of the upcoming general election. The primaries witnessed a massive turnout of the people, who came out in large numbers to freely exercise their voting rights and show their support for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The outcome of the primaries resulted in a landslide victory for Broda Lucky, the incumbent governor of Ondo State. The mandate he received from the people is seen as unstoppable and has solidified his position as the frontrunner for the party’s ticket in the upcoming governorship election.

Factors contributing to Broda Lucky’s landslide victory can be attributed to several key elements. Firstly, the governor’s journey from facing impeachment to assuming the position of governor has garnered sympathy and support from the people. This has endeared him to the electorate and strengthened his popularity among the party members.

Additionally, the majority of the APC governors are first-timers, and they have rallied around Broda Lucky to ensure that the principle of right of first refusal for the incumbent is upheld.

This unity and support for the golden convention from within the party have played a significant role in securing his victory in the primaries.

What else to say than to congratulate the party for having a winning flag bearer in His Excellency, which is a.win-win for the people of Ondo State. –

Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, OON

Across the globe, governments are known to borrow to make-up for the difference between their expenditures and the incomes they are able to raise from taxes and sundry sources. Thus, government borrowings have some advantages, the most prominent being that of executing huge infrastructural projects that can hardly be accommodated by readily available resources. It is therefore unfair to blame any administration that is able to articulate the expedience of government debts.

At the same time, government spokespersons have never wasted time in propagating the professional argument that what people should worry about is not loans but the use into which they are put. At no time in Nigerian history was this better done than the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari who had a friendly National Assembly that was prepared to approve whatever loan he requested. 

The argument that loans are not bad on their own is supported by the fact that Lagos State whose loans have always been larger than those of any other state has been breathing well.  The implication of this is that many loans are misused; otherwise, why can’t everyone be like Lagos? In truth, many citizens hardly know or see the projects that were allegedly executed with the excessive loans that are sourced at all levels of government in Nigeria.

Those who imagined that our immediate past Minister of Works did so much on roads because of several speeches must have become confused when his successor was recently seen shedding tears over the state of federal roads thereby giving credence to the suspicion that loans sourced by Nigerian governments for project implementation were usually shared by government officials.

While disclosing that Nigeria’s debt profile had risen to as high as 60 percent from 10.4, Senator Shehu Sani who previously represented Kaduna Central in the Senate did assert that 80 percent of loans collected by state governments in Nigeria were shared “among Governors, loyal politicians and other cronies.” He did not even need to provide any proof of the alleged sharing because ordinary citizens must have believed him as the then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts. No one else followed up on Shehu Sani’s allegation until the recent alarm by Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State that the excessive loans he inherited were about to overwhelm his administration.

Whereas the inherited burden listed by the Governor was quite large, there are ample reasons why Uba Sani could be accused of shedding crocodile tears or simply called insincere tears of sorrow. To start with, the Governor was not just part of those who negotiated the loans, he was actually the guarantor. During its negotiations, Uba Sani who was then a senator made many critical statements among them the following: a) ‘I can vouch for the Kaduna State Government under Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to prudently deploy the loan from the World Bank to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of the good people of Kaduna State, b) ‘I am extremely happy and proud of the role some of us played in securing this loan for Kaduna State’ and c) ‘In fact, hold me responsible if Governor Nasir El Rufai fails or disappoints on this score.’

Another reason why Governor Uba Sani may not find many people applauding his new posture is because, his supposed revelation was not a discovery. His predecessor never hid it as he even publicly announced the same state of affairs at his valedictory in May 2023 while exuding confidence in the capacity of his worthy successor to quickly turn around the situation. Even if he discovered the problem just as he assumed office, the game plan of attracting public sympathy some 10 months later has little efficacy. In fact, the strategy of shedding crocodile tears or getting some stakeholders to join in trumpeting the tears cannot redress the situation. In like manner, the division of Kaduna into two groups of pro and anti-El Rufai camps is essentially an old game of distraction.

Already, those who always extract politics from every issue have taken positions. The woman leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in the state, Mrs Maryam Suleiman took the lead by openly deprecating what she considers to be Governor Sani’s disloyalty to former Governor El Rufai. In return, party executives who are falling on one another to prove that they are loyalists of the new chief executive quickly suspended the woman leader from the party. Unfortunately, none of the actions addresses any of the aspects of the huge debt profile.  Members of the State House of Assembly who are ordinarily better positioned to handle the situation are busy pursuing shadows. Some of the legislators are talking tough in what looks like after-event-wisdom. Were they not the ones who approved the loans? If not, where was their courage in taking-up a governor who supposedly spent unapproved and unappropriated loans?

It is because democracy provides for checks and balances that the legislature is empowered to check the executive. But in Nigeria there are no checks but collaboration and collusion to extort the citizens. It is therefore not a surprise that Kaduna legislators did not use their oversight mandate to unravel numerous projects allegedly paid for but reportedly not executed in their state. Painfully, such a major breach did not amount to gross misconduct to the legislators; instead, they waited till the exit of the governor concerned before joining the crocodile choir. All through Nigeria, legislators are like that – economically brave but politically naïve hence they understand gross misconduct to refer to only when a deputy governor has a disagreement with his principal or where their own Speaker cannot fight for more allowances for them.

The crocodile tears currently in progress in Kaduna state have yielded a few fruits. The first is that the governor is virtually now assured that there would be no strike in the state in the nearest future having convinced labour leaders of his predicament. Ayuba Suleima boss of the State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, has already announced the readiness of his workers to really sympathise with the governor because the latter was “open and we were convinced on the issue of the debt.” On his part, the TUC’s boss, Abdullahi Danfulani said they had useful meetings with the governor to thrash out a number of issues, especially the stewardship of the former governor. According to Danfulani, TUC is now hoping that Governor Sani “will do his bit.” In any case, the governor was smart enough to pick one of the comrades, Adamu Samaila as his Special Adviser on Labour Matters.

Other critical stakeholders have also showed interest in the huge debt profile of Kaduna State. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Northern States and FCT Chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have all called on   Governor Sani, and indeed, all state governors, to publish detailed reports on the state of loans secured by their predecessors. Alas, such a great suggestion would take too long to yield quick-wins. A small task force in the Governor’s office should immediately swing into action to pursue all those who received contract funds to return to work or refund payments made to them. It is not only the contractors who have abandoned their assignments that should be rounded-up now; also, to be held, are all public officials serving or retired that issued certificate of completion for uncompleted jobs thereby empowering any person to feel entitled to the balance sum of N115 billion.

Before Governor Uba Sani took office, the state government obtained a loan approved by the State House of Assembly for N3.5 billion for security gadgets in view of the escalating insecurity crisis in the state. If it is true that such gadgets are now nowhere to be found, it should not be difficult to arrest the suppliers or those who took delivery of them. There is also a previous $26 million loan obtained from Indian Exim Bank to equip some 200 primary healthcare centres as well as street lights that are said to have vanished. They should be located immediately instead of concentrating energy on shedding crocodile tears.  This is because some of the items may well be in the custody of those currenting berating El Rufai. Many wailers did that before in some of our states.