The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told Civil Society Organisations on Tuesday, May 14, that their continued participation in the electoral process will depend on their submission of reports from elections monitored by them.

Speaking at a quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs involved in monitoring elections in the country, the chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said CSOs that fail to submit reports from previous exercises may not be accredited to participate in future elections.

He, however, asked them to submit their applications for accreditation as election observers for the September 21 Governorship elections in Edo state.

The INEC chairman said: “As we inch closer to Election Day in Edo State, it is also imperative to remind CSOs of the need to submit your applications for election observation in earnest along with the required supporting documents and a realistic number of individual observers.

“Doing so will enable the Commission to produce and deliver the identity cards for observers in good time. The Commission will not entertain requests outside the deadline for the receipt of applications from interested observer groups or process applications that do not meet the criteria.

“For emphasis, submission of reports from previous accreditation in the manner required by the Commission is mandatory for continuous participation in election observation.

“Since our last meeting two months ago, many accredited observers have submitted their reports but a few are yet to do so. We urge you to do the needful. Your reports are important for us in reviewing and improving our processes and procedures”.

He also announced the existence of vacancies in National and State Assemblies caused by either the death or resignation of Members involving three State Assembly constituencies and one Federal Constituency in four States across the country.

He said: “As soon as preparations are concluded, the Commission will announce the dates for bye-elections in Khana 2 State Constituency of Rivers State, the Bagwai/Shanono State constituency of Kano State, the Zaria Kewaye State Constituency of Kaduna State and the Garki/Babura Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.”

The INEC chairman informed the CSOs of the resumption of the Continuous Voter registration exercise in Edo and Ondo state. He appealed to join us in mobilising prospective registrants for the exercise, particularly on the need to register early and not wait until the deadline approaches when eleventh-hour registrants will inundate the registration centres.

He also disclosed that in addition to the registration of voters in the two states, the Commission will make available uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for collection during the CVR.

He said: “In the coming days, the list of uncollected PVCs will be published in our offices in the two States and simultaneously uploaded to our website. We believe doing so will make it easier for voters to collect their PVCs.

“However, no PVCs will be collected by proxy. Registered voters should come in person to collect their cards. Again, we seek the support of CSOs in encouraging voters to locate and pick up their PVCs as was done in the past.”

[TheNation]

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has begun moves to stop the plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.

She said on Monday that she had reported the case to the police by petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the plan pending the completion of investigations.

Mr Sarkindaji announced his plan to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area.

The official, who slated the mass wedding to take place on 24 May, said the plan was part of his constituency projects.

He said the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished,” pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and have procured materials for the mass marriage.

Full scale investigation

But the women affairs minister, Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing journalists in Abuja, described the plans as “unacceptable” emphasising that a full-scale investigation has commenced on the issue.

“I want to let the honorable Speaker of the House of Assembly in Niger State to know that this is totally unacceptable by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and by the government. Totally unacceptable!

“Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the outset, that is, no more business as usual.

“These children must be considered. Their future must be considered. The future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered.

“So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG (Inspector General) of Police.

”And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th (May), until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them,” she said.

Girl child education

The minister also emphasised the need to ensure girl-child education.

“As the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially.

“The women affairs have decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children.

“Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in a skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make-up her mind who and when to get married.

”If for any reason the Speaker tries to do contrary to what I have just mentioned there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs,” she said.

The minister further emphasised within the Child Rights Act, every child belongs to the state, hence the rights of every child will be protected from harm, violence or anything that will infringe on their rights.

(NAN)

The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, has stopped the planned hosting of the wedding of 100 orphan girls in his constituency, saying he would not grace the occasion.

Sarkindaji took the decision following the action of the Women Affairs Minister, Uju Ohannaya, who dragged the Speaker to court to halt the wedding.

The Speaker made this known on Tuesday during a media briefing in which he said the minister had overstepped her bounds.

He said the minister should take over the sponsorship of the wedding ceremony.

The Speaker disclosed that he had already made funds available to the girls’ parents through the traditional leaders and clerics of his constituency, noting that he would not withdraw the funds.

Abdulmalik also pointed out that his motive for wanting to sponsor the wedding was the state of poverty of the girls’ parents and not the constituency project, as reported in the media.

Details later…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently announced a 0.5% cybercrime levy on all electronic transactions, casting a long shadow over Nigeria’s hard-fought progress in financial inclusion and the CBN’s own ambitious goal of achieving 95% financial inclusion by 2024.

The announcement has since been met with public outcry. The House of Representatives has stepped in to halt its implementation, and President Tinubu has called for a suspension of the levy. These interventions provides us with a crucial opportunity that must not be missed. We should now step back to address the underlying issues and identify more efficient solutions that could achieve the goal of improving cybersecurity without reversing recent progress made with financial inclusion by disproportionately placing more burdens on low-income users and the unbanked, who are already struggling to access financial services.

The cybersecurity levy was originally a provision in the 2015 Cybercrimes Act and focused on businesses deemed financially capable, such as banks, telcos, and large corporations. The recent 2024 amendments were meant to clarify the vagueness regarding the implementation of the 2015 Act but have only led to further confusion. The CBN’s chosen method of implementing the cybersecurity levy raises concerns about its commitment to its stated goal of promoting financial inclusion and reflects its lack of sensitivity to the plight of citizens in an economy grappling with double-digit inflation.

Formal financial inclusion in Nigeria has made significant strides, from 56% in 2020 to 64% in 2023. This progress is commendable but fragile. The cybersecurity levy the CBN proposed meant that every transaction, no matter how small, would incur a 0.5% fee, eating into the already thin profit margins of micro and small businesses. This potentially pushes everyday Nigerians back to inefficient and unsafe cash-based transactions and sets back digital financial inclusion significantly. While the CBN claimed the levy was necessary to improve cybersecurity, its benefits to combating cybercrime were questionable; but the harm to millions of Nigerians striving to enter the formal financial system is clear and demonstrable.

Cybersecurity is a complex challenge that requires a multifaceted approach. A blanket levy on transactions was never the most efficient or equitable way to deal with cybersecurity concerns. There are potentially more effective solutions, such as holding financial institutions directly accountable for cybersecurity breaches, which would incentivise institutions to invest in robust cybersecurity infrastructure and enforce stronger protocols to prevent cyberattacks. The point is that it is possible to achieve the same objective without jeopardising the recent gains in financial inclusion or shifting the burden on hapless citizens.

The projected revenue from this levy is substantial, with NIBSS reporting a ₦600 trillion volume in electronic payment transactions in Nigeria in 2023. The CBN however provided no clarity on how this remittance to the national cybersecurity fund would be allocated and used for cybersecurity improvements or how it would translate into tangible benefits for everyday Nigerians using digital financial services. This lack of transparency raises concerns. Nigerians deserve to know exactly how their hard-earned money, intended to be squeezed from every digital transaction, would be utilised. If it must return to this policy at any time in the future, the CBN should be required to provide a clear breakdown of how the funds will benefit the citizens, including specific initiatives and budgets. This is the only way to ensure accountability and reassure the public about the responsible use of their funds.
The CBN exempted certain types of transactions from the levy. But these exemptions largely applied to large-value transactions like government payments, salary disbursements, and loan repayments, which were unlikely to have been significantly impacted by the 0.5% levy in the first place. Other exemptions regarding intra-account and intra-bank transactions, savings, and deposits still did not exclude the numerous small, everyday transactions that are the lifeblood of low-income earners. As with most financial policies such as this, the actual burden falls on the shoulders of the most vulnerable segments of the society who can least afford it, while giving comfort to those who are already comfortable.

Nigeria cannot afford to take a step back in its financial inclusion journey. What we need is a clear strategy that fosters innovation and builds trust in the digital financial system, not one that excludes millions of Nigerians from the economic empowerment offered by financial inclusion. The recent suspension offers a window of opportunity. The CBN should use this time to explore alternative policies for dealing with cybercrime that effectively address the root causes within the financial sector rather than discourage people, particularly the unbanked or underbanked, from using digital financial services, thereby pushing them back towards cash. The future of finance is digital, and Nigeria must embrace this future with policies that encourage and empower its citizens, not that would scare them away or further alienates them. Financial inclusion should be the cornerstone of every CBN policy and should not be hindered by short-sighted measures that undermine the very progress it claims to protect.

Abdullahi is a Co-founder and Product Lead at Covenda AI and an advocate for digital and financial inclusion.

Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister from 1979 to 1990, once declared that “no nation ever grew more prosperous by taxing its citizens beyond their capacity to pay.” The reasoning goes that taxing people more than they can afford to pay will only make the economy worse since the burden of taxes will make people less productive overall. Whether on purpose or accidentally, the Tinubu administration has disregarded this fundamental fact.

Any democracy’s ability to survive depends on the strength of its opposition. A democracy is nonexistent and a misnomer without opposition. There is overwhelming proof that the opposition has vanished from Nigeria’s democracy, and that is why numerous government policies have been approved without opposition members of the national assembly ever posing any questions.

Nigeria’s democracy lacking opposition implies that it is now verging into a one-party state. Because of this, the people of Nigeria are now stuck, helpless, and completely dependent on the ruling party’s capricious whims, as the All Progressives Congress’s federal government is not held accountable for the illegitimacy of its policies or made to take into account alternative or more viable policy options. As a result, the Tinubu government is just muddling through, causing stagflation, depression, and so much misalignment in the economy.

The opposition political parties never say anything except the sporadic statements made by Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that in democracies, the opposition is best expressed via the national parliament, which is not happening in Nigeria today. That implies that the national assembly is the main forum for echoing the opinions of opposition leaders like Atiku and Obi. But at the national assembly, mum is the word.

For the avoidance of doubt, the identities of the opposition leaders in the senate and the house of representatives are largely anonymous. Nobody has witnessed them opposing the government’s anti-people policies, which include loans and bills that have a significant negative impact on the Nigerian people and the country’s economy, many of which have been approved by the National Assembly. The opposition leaders do nothing more than watch out for their fair share of largesse accruing to their positions as principal officers while permitting the government to enact laws that are impeding the growth of the country’s economy. They left Nigerian federal roads death traps and each quickly received their N160 million SUVs in a collapsing economy within weeks of the inauguration.

On the first day, the Tinubu Presidency was inaugurated when the president said that “fuel subsidy is gone” and that it was called “courage,” the betrayal of the Nigerian people by opposition politicians began to take shape. If the opposition is correct in believing that fuel subsidies should be eliminated, then there was no clear counter-policy direction from them for how to carry it out. Ibrahim Babangida, as military president, permitted critical policy debates among Nigerians even during his military rule. Yet, in a democracy where debate is a hallmark, significant life-truncating policies are forced down Nigerians’ throats because opposition parliamentarians are only warming chairs at NASS or working with the ruling class for very opaque reasons.

The government launched the fuel subsidy policy most carelessly and cruelly as possible, acting as though it was the only possible course of action because there was no pushback from the opposition. Encouraged by the opposition lawmakers’ complacency or collusion, the NLC and TUC’s confusion and weakness, and the CSOs’ misfortune comparable to that of the Nigerian people, the Tinubu presidency floated the naira, forcing the country’s currency to find parity with other major global currencies like the dollar, pound, euro, and yuan in the absence of any significant external reserves (backed by gold) or export base—essential prerequisites.

Weeks after the economic measures were introduced, as was to be expected; they unleashed significant economic headwinds that brought the economy to stagnation. In a matter of weeks, inflation skyrocketed. Food inflation has surpassed 40% as of right now, and some commodities have seen inflation as high as 70%—a level of inflation never before seen in Nigerian history. Nigeria is currently experiencing stagflation, as prices for products continue to rise while the country’s economy remains stagnant. Almost 700 Nigerian manufacturing companies and international corporations have either closed their shops or relocated to more business-friendly nations like Ghana.

The Buhari administration sold off a large portion of the country’s crude oil in advance before leaving office. With the crude that is only partially there still accounting for up to 75% of export revenue, the Tinubu presidency has turned to taxes and loans to pay for government spending. The N3 trillion in loans from the CBN through Ways and Means are said to have been taken by the Tinubu administration in less than a year. The total amount of external debts has also reached about 10 billion dollars, bringing the nation’s debts to about N107 trillion. Nigeria is walking into a debt trap with her two eyes peeled.

There is no word from opposition lawmakers about any of these anti-people policies. The opposition lawmakers haven’t held a single news conference to inform Nigerians of the threats that lie ahead or the steps they are taking to compel the ruling party to adopt a patriotic perspective on important matters.

In addition to fuel subsidy removal, the government has now instituted a cybercrime levy. Nigerians should be concerned about this law and levy for a certain reason. Numerous voices have been raised opposing the imposition of the tax. However, it appears that the true issue is going unanswered: when was the Cybercrime Act revised in 2024 to shift the 0.005% online transaction tax to 0.05%?

The little that one knows about the legislative process is that a bill must pass three stages and then be given to the president to be signed into law. A bill is referred to a committee or committees (when the issues are multifaceted and touch on the duties of more than one committee) when it passes after a second reading. The actual job is done by the committee or joint committees. Through what is known as a public hearing, experts and stakeholders are invited to share their professional opinions and well-informed concerns.

It is also anticipated that members of the public will show interest and express agreement or disagreement on the proposed bill. Public hearings are frequently publicised for this reason. All of the important views will then be included in the committee report to the plenary and serve as the foundation for the third reading, which will determine whether the bill passes or fails in part or its entirety. Therefore, the question is: When did the president sign off on the amended Cybercrime Act of 2024, which moved the 0.005% online banking transaction tax to 0.05%? And when was the public hearing held for amendment? Once more, what did the opposition lawmakers say about the bill’s amendment when it was read and approved three times?

Are the opposition members claiming they are unaware of the effects of raising the tax from 0.005 to 0.05 on the hapless Nigerian people and collapsing the Nigerian economy? For instance, if one’s math is right, a transfer of N500,000 will attract N25,000 instead of N2,500 under the previous rule before the mysterious alteration. To avoid this, most Nigerians will return to the queue in the banking halls with their checks and tellers for cash. This will reverse the cashless policy, which has already gained traction. The volume of online transfers in Nigeria in 2023 alone was over 600 trn, 0.05% of which is N3 trn, which the government is now after.

As previously stated, the Tinubu administration is depending on loans and taxes to finance its operations, as it is unable to halt oil theft even after the president assumed the position of minister of petroleum and cannot raise crude oil production sufficiently to meet the OPEC quota and rake in more revenue and foreign exchange. The government has now turned to the Nigerian masses to raise money through tax. Strangely, in Nigeria, it is the masses that feed the rich, whereas it is the rich that feed the poor in developed economies.

As stated, it is inhumane and reckless to impose a tax on citizens who are unable to pay, and we have heard that the government is preparing to implement a telecom tax also as a precondition of the Bretton Woods institution (the World Bank) to secure yet another 750 million dollar loan.

Amidst all of this, one can’t help but wonder: Where are the opposition lawmakers in Nigeria’s national assembly? Do they know their role in a democracy? Do they realise the risks to Nigeria’s democracy’s growth and survival that come with their complacency, complicity, or both? Is it their goal to help the ruling APC achieve a one-party state in Nigeria, or are they unable to recognise that the country is on the verge of becoming a one-party state?

Dr. Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor.

The ministry of aviation and Aerospace Development says the introduction of helicopter landing levies is to sustain surveillance and is in line with global best practices.

On April 26, the federal government granted exclusive rights to Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited, an aviation consulting firm, to collect helicopter landing levies across the country.

In a statement on Monday, Odutayo Oluseyi, head, press and public affairs of the ministry, said the federal government acknowledges the importance of helicopter operations in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

Oluseyi said the collection of helicopter landing levies is standard practice in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and several other countries worldwide.

He said the Tallahassee International Airport in Florida began implementing helicopter landing levies “under vector airport systems, since October 1, 2022”.

Oluseyi added that helicopter landing levies were common across airfields in the United Kingdom — ranging from major commercial ones to small general aviation fields.

He said depending on the location and services rendered, helicopter levies usually equal or surpass those for fixed-wing aircraft.

“The Federal Government has granted NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd., exclusive rights to collect helicopter landing levies in line with the MoU between NAEBI Concept and NAMA (focal Agency), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),” Oluseyi said.

“It is instructive to note that NAMA, under the Act as amended in 2022, is empowered to collect aeronautical revenues in both the upper and lower airspace to support her self-sustainability.

“However, over the years, NAMA has predominantly relied on the upper airspace for her revenue generation.”

Oluseyi said the government wisely identified a gap in the lower airspace where helicopter activities are predominant and instructed NAMA to fulfil its obligations to generate sufficient resources.

He said the collection of the levies is to “sustain their aeronautical architecture, enhance security and surveillance and improve the overall quality of helicopter operations in Nigeria”. 

According to the spokesperson, the ministry is confident that the move will improve capacity, efficiency, safety, and security and attract more investment in the aviation industry.

Oluseyi urged all parties to be committed to initiative and embrace the new normal, which has followed due processes and protocols.

[TheCable]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s year in office has been one like no other. He has willfully turned Nigerians into destitutes in their land of plenty. In a country that is officially not at war and has not experienced failure of rainfalls and drought, it is very painful to see citizens, predominantly women, and children, go through the humiliation of queuing up for cups of rice as one sees in war-torn Sudan, or Gaza Strip.

This harsh and intolerable condition is as a result of President Tinubu’s inhumane, World Bank-prescribed economic policies of sudden removal of fuel subsidy, massive devaluation of the Naira, and interest rate and electricity tariff hikes. These misguided policies have resulted in galloping inflation now at a 28-year high of 33%, and food inflation rate of 40%.

In a country with 133 million, 65% of its population, already in multidimensional poverty and over 20 million children out of school, these policies have added millions more citizens into multidimensional poverty and millions more children out of school because their parents cannot pay for their school fees.

Millions of Nigerians, predominantly women and children, go to bed hungry with no certainty of anything to eat when they wake up. Heads of households are absconding from their homes, abandoning mothers with children because they cannot feed their families.

The government’s answer to this self-imposed hardship is to provide food palliatives. On February 8, 2024, President Tinubu directed the release of 42,000 metric tons of grains from the strategic grains reserve to be distributed free of charge to vulnerable Nigerians. It is now almost 4 months but no vulnerable Nigerian has received anything.

The truth is that the federal government knows fully well that all its silos are literally empty. A Northern governor that was co-opted into this ruse went as far as declaring 5 work-free days for distributing what he very well knew were non-existent palliatives. It is depressing that 64 years after independence, Nigerians are being turned into beggars by their leaders.

Our children's education has never been more imperiled than now because of the return of mass school abductions by terrorists. Ten years after the tragic abduction of 276 school girls in Chibok by Boko Haram insurgents, Nigeria witnessed 5 mass school abductions (in Gusau, Dutsinma, Gada, Ekiti and Kuriga) in the first eight months of this administration. In spite of these school abductions, neither the state nor federal governments are doing anything to secure our schools because only the children of the poor are at risk.

Nigeria’s healthcare system is in shambles, with many hospital wards across the country looking distressingly like abattoirs and Primary Healthcare Clinics abandoned. The healthcare financing system has been hijacked by “middlemen” called Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to the detriment of patients and healthcare providers.

The recent hike in electricity tariff poses an existential threat to the survival of healthcare services in Nigeria. Many hospitals will not be able to pay the new tariffs, as exemplified by a video clip of a Doctor lamenting after receiving an electricity bill of N25.3 million.

There is a mass exodus of healthcare workers out of Nigeria because of the conditions of our healthcare facilities, lack of work tools and poor pay for healthcare workers. Recent report by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) revealed that there are 130,000 registered doctors in Nigeria serving a population of 200 million, giving a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1 Doctor serving 1,500 patients (1:1,500).

The WHO’s recommendation is that 1 Doctor should serve 600 patients (1:600). This ratio is much higher in many states signifying that all Nigerians regardless of their station in life, live in a very high-risk medical environment.

Millions of Nigerians have simply stopped taking their medications because they cannot afford them and have resorted to traditional medicines and prayers, resulting in increased disease-related complications and deaths.

Recent data from the Nigerian Hypertension Society suggests that of the 70 million Nigerian adults with hypertension, half (35 million) are not on treatment due to the skyrocketing drug prices, consequently, Doctors are now seeing more and more hypertension-related complications like stroke, kidney failures, heart failures and deaths.

In the last year, hospitals all across the country have been seeing an exponential rise in the number of children admitted with diseases of severe malnutrition (Marasmus and Kwashiorkor).

Children of the poor continue to die needlessly from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, diphtheria, diarrhea, pneumonia and meningitis due to lack of access to healthcare.

Contrary to the official propaganda and half-truths about improvements in Nigeria’s national security, the reality on the ground particularly in the Northwest and North Central part of the country says differently. Terrorists still control a large swath of the country’s rural areas fifteen and nine years into the wars against Boko Haram and Bandits respectively.

The land is still drenched in the blood of the innocents, villages are being ransacked and pillaged, villagers chased off their homes or abducted for ransom. Farmers are chased off their farmlands or levied on their harvests. Major highways still remain unsafe from terrorists who attack travelers, killing and abducting passengers at will for ransom. Ethno- Religious conflicts and killings continue unabated.

The 400 women and children abducted by Boko Haram insurgents from IDP camps in Gamboru Ngala, Borno state on 3 March 2024 have been forgotten by the government.

The morale of members of the Military is at its lowest because active duty personnel are increasingly being ambushed and killed by terrorists all across the country. In the last 8 months, over 500 officers and soldiers have been reported killed in such attacks.

Recent hurried, unplanned withdrawals of the military from two bandits-infested areas in Maru LGA. Zamfara state and Shiroro LGA Niger state, where the military sustained unfortunate losses, could very well be a sign of frustration and battle fatigue in our soldiers.

While their house is on fire, 10 Northern Nigerian Governors went to America looking for solutions to problems they are complicit in creating because they control the drivers of insecurity in their states. I have said it again and again that all our security problems are local, and their solutions must be found locally, not in Abuja, New York City, Washington DC or anywhere else. The armed militias created by some of these governors in their states have done nothing but worsened the bloodshed.

It is no secret that both the American and French governments have been lobbying the Nigerian government to open bases and station their troops on Nigerian soil following their expulsion from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. The real concern is that the timing of the invitation to the 10 Northern governors by the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) may not be unconnected with this lobby.

Addressing Nigeria's intractable security challenges will require a sincere, strategic, holistic approach involving all stakeholders instead of the disjointed fire brigade approach currently employed.

President Tinubu’s economic policies have caused a cost of living crisis in Nigeria resulting in unbearable hardships on all citizens. Workers’ salaries cannot pay for rent, water, food, clothing, school fees, transportation, and other basic necessities of life.

Runaway inflation has pauperised citizens and worsened hunger in the land. Managers of the economy are at a loss as to what to do. Their attempt at borrowing and hiking the interest rates to artificially prop up the value of the Naira against the Dollar has not and will never work.

It is voodoo economics to think that taxing citizens beyond their capacity to pay will revive Nigeria’s comatose economy. Taxes do not grow economies, production does.

The federal government has quietly resumed paying for the same fuel subsidy it removed on 29, May 2023. The simple questions to ask are, why is the pump price not back to where it was before the removal of subsidy,were these payments provided for in the 2024 budget and who are the new Cabals benefiting from these payments ?

The attempt by President Tinubu’s Administration to impose this so-called cyber security tax on citizens is nothing but a desperate effort to elevate the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to a level that was never intended by the authors of our constitution.

The National Assembly saw through this desperation when it defeated a bill presented to the Senate seeking to grant additional powers and creation of armed agencies under the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The attempt to create a taxpayer-funded Cybersecurity fund appears to be a continuation of this effort that would make the ONSA far better funded than the Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Nigerian Police and Nigerian Intelligence Services. This will be a very dangerous development that will be fatal to our democracy.

We cannot elevate or give power to an appointee way beyond a representative elected by the people. So, to create a fund in the name of whatever aspect of national security is to arm and empower an appointee of the President.

History should teach us of the dangers of allowing appointees of the President to amass so much unchecked powers as was the case with J. Edgar Hoover who became the most powerful FBI's chief serving as Chief for 48 years under 8 United States Presidents.

Never in the 25-year history of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule have we seen such a brazen and reckless act of impunity as was exhibited by President Tinubu in unilaterally awarding a N15.6 trillion Naira contract for Lagos to Calabar coastal Highway to his longtime friend and business associated in violation of all procurement and due process laws and procedures. Such an amount could complete all the inland roads in the country with some change to spare.

This is a classic case of the term State Capture, which is defined as a type of systematic corruption where narrow interest groups take control of the institutions and processes through which public policy is made, directing public policy away from the public interest and instead shaping it to serve their own interests.

President Tinubu is already setting his sights on his re-election bid in 2027. This explains why he is aggressively amassing a formidable campaign war chest through overtaxations and levies on citizens.

Consequently, he is aggressively cultivating 5 major constituencies: Members of the National Assembly, who refuse to ask the right questions as representatives of their people, Governors, who keep their people quiet by throwing at them palliatives of cups of rice, Religious Clerics, that supported his Muslim-Muslim ticket and the Security Services, who he thinks will protect him from citizens’ anger. The last constituency is Hausa Praise Singers, who have been contracted to sing his praises and songs that would distract restive northern youths from their daily sufferings.

It is unfortunate that by his actions and inactions, the lives, livelihoods and welfare of Nigerians do not matter to this President.

President Tinubu’s impulsive and amateurish handling of the aftermath of the July 2023 coup in Niger is largely responsible for the exit of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the ECOWAS, thereby jeopardizing the survival of the organization created 49 years ago. The exit of these 3 countries from the ECOWAS, acceptance of Russian troops on their soil and the frenzied lobby of the French and Americans to relocate their military bases to Nigeria are all harbingers of bad things to come.

It is concerning that while many Francophone African countries are breaking free from the shackles of oppression and exploitation of their colonial masters, President Tinubu is dragging Nigeria blindly into the embrace of France.

Nigerians have lost faith and trust in President Tinubu’s government due to continuing hardships, increasing cost of living, insecurity, corruption in government, youth unemployment and hopelessness. Leaders continue to live lives of vulgar opulence, corruption, and impunity while citizens live in penury.

President Tinubu's tenure has thus far been a catastrophic failure in governance. His policies have plunged the citizenry deeper into poverty, imperiled our national security and compromised the integrity of our institutions. Tinubunomics, under the guise of reforms, is only intensifying hardships in the land. The misallocation of resources and corruption reflects a leadership that prioritizes personal enrichment over the public interests. This administration's actions are disappointing, morally reprehensible and go against the principles of democracy and good governance. We cannot and will not remain silent.

Usman Yusuf is a Professor of Haematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation

It is with profound sorrow but gratitude to the Almighty that I received the heartbreaking news of the passing of the illustrious His Eminence Primate Niran Aluko, JP. His unmatched elegance, grace, and spiritual distinction have left an indelible mark not only on my own life and endeavors but on the lives of countless individuals.

Primate Solomon Niran Aluko, a man of extraordinary accomplishments as a revered business magnate, prophet, and philanthropist, embodied the very essence of entrepreneurial fervor, spiritual enlightenment, and selfless benevolence.

Our paths intertwined during the formative years of my legal career, when he bestowed upon me the great honor of handling the corporate matters of incorporating his proposed Micro Finance Bank and changing of the names of his church, the revered Cherubim & Seraphim Aladura Church in Alausa, Ikeja. I shall forever be indebted to him for granting me the privilege of being his esteemed counsel, a validation that not only bolstered my confidence but also paved the way for unparalleled triumphs.

With his unending sundry briefs, I embarked on numerous journeys to the United Kingdom, where, despite his humble origins as an Oshomalo Ijesha man, he consistently ensured that I traversed the skies in the lap of luxury, aboard business class flights. Through this, he instilled within me an unwavering appreciation for excellence and refinement.

Primate Aluko possessed an unparalleled mastery of strategy, and his acumen in matters of commerce served as a wellspring of inspiration. His narratives, recounting his humble beginnings as a taxi driver, a motor park unionist, and a gardener in the State House, as well as his ascent from adversity to prominence, his privileged insight into the private lives of General Gowon and General Obasanjo, and the profound bond he shared with them, stand as a testament to his proximity to power and the benevolence of the Almighty in his life.

Beyond his remarkable achievements, he exemplified kindness and compassion, treating me as a cherished son. Entrusting me with the sacred duty of safeguarding one of his beloved daughters in Abuja and proposing an Honorary Chieftaincy title for my humble self in his ancestral home of Iyinta-Ijesha, Oyo State, were gestures that shall forever hold a special place in my heart.

The impact he had on my legal practice was immeasurable, and through his recommendations, I became a trusted legal advisor to both influential figures and humble Ilesa taxi drivers in Abuja, a privilege that I shall forever hold in the highest regard.

I recall a poignant occasion when he insisted that I meet one of his esteemed business associates, arranging for me to travel from Ikeja to Ikoyi aboard a Chaverton's chopper! His contributions to my personal growth and professional success are beyond measure, and I shall forever remain grateful for the precious moments we shared.

As I bid farewell to this extraordinary luminary, I implore that his legacy continues to ignite the flames of inspiration for generations to come. May his soul find eternal serenity, and may his memory forever grace the lives of those fortunate enough to have known him.

Farewell, dear Baba Solomon Niran Aluko. Your existence was a divine blessing, and your memory shall forever be cherished as a priceless treasure.

-Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON
Esteemed Attorney General of Ondo State.

The Gulf Stream Executive jet used by the Akwa Ibom State Governor will soon be put up for lease to earn income and relieve the state of its rising maintenance costs. Contrary to speculations, the government has no plans to sell off the aircraft. It prefers a lease arrangement with the government as the owner. Confirming this, the SSG, Mr. Enobong Uwa told me yesterday, ‘’The jet came back from a routine maintenance check last week. We are negotiating to get the best lease agreement for it from various aviation companies. There is no plan whatsoever to sell the jet’’. The absence of the aircraft from its hangar at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, for some weeks has triggered speculations that the plane might have been sold off - five months after Gov. Eno asked the SSG to determine how best to manage its operating costs.

By opting for a lease instead of an outright sale, the government wants to earn income from the plane and at the same time imposes certain restrictions on its use. For example, the government may not allow the lessee to make any alterations or modifications to the plane, including the interior and seating. Second, the lessee will never become the owner. In finance, we describe this as denying the lessee of the residual value of the aircraft. In simple terms, the government wants to keep ownership of the plane while making money from its commercial use. I imagine that the lease agreement may even contain a clause which permits the governor to use the aircraft without paying for it. A One-hour flight in a private jet in Nigeria costs about $10,000 (over N10 million).

I’m in total support of commercializing the plane. The cost of keeping it has become unbearably too high (one estimate puts it at over N5 billion in a year as at two years ago). For a governor that is inclined towards welfarist programs, keeping a private jet at exorbitant costs would fly in the face of what he stands for. Last year, I wrote an article suggesting that it be sold off. Last January when the governor hinted at putting it into commercial use, I applauded the move.

 Now, I ask the government to be very diligent in choosing the charter company. There are many of them in the country, but a reputable one with impressive track records will bring less headaches. In fact, the anomaly in Nigeria’s aviation is that there are more private jets than commercial planes in the country. I urge the governor to be open, transparent and honest in this transaction and all other dealings with our finances. The reason he enjoys so much goodwill is because our people have seen some sincerity of purpose in his actions.