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Laolu Akande, former spokesman of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, says Nigeria needs bold leaders to confront the country’s multifaceted challenges, especially security and economic problems.
He made this known on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande aired on Channels Television on Friday.
According to him, leaders must be honest and courageous to overcome the challenges in the country.
“The problems as of today, the widespread hardship in the land and the menacing insecurities require courageous leadership at the very top. Our leaders must be bold enough to fire appointed public officials who don’t deliver on their KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
“We have seen in this country how lack of consequences and impunity have created new problems and made old ones worse.
“For example, we have seen how we have been fighting insecurity for decades now and when it seems we’ve solved it at one point, it comes in another form. The problems re-emerge everywhere. There have been claims of collusion of corruption in certain agencies our leaders should not be shy to thoroughly investigate, discover what is really happening and punish those responsible for the corruption and collusion if that is established.
“How is it possible that more than half of the oil lifted in Nigeria for instance is being stolen and no one has been caught or punished in several years?
“As a nation, we are struggling to meet up with our OPEC quota. OPEC cut Nigeria’s quota to 1.38 million barrels per day from 1.78 million bpd because for years, we have failed to meet our quota.
“A President or a governor or elected senator or assembly member is no use, in the long run, if he or she fails to use the big stick against those holding our commonwealth down. Our leaders must be bold enough, honest and forthright to draw a line in the sand on the issue of corruption. It requires boldness. Corruption is corrosive. A former President said if we don’t kill it, it will kill us.
“In 2015, many Nigerians thought that former President whose campaign spearheaded the ‘Change’ narrative would actually bring the change. I served under that administration but that has not happened wight years after. Our leaders who made the promises are still grappling at the straws. Corruption is worse, economy is biting, insecurity is relentless. We seem to lack the bold leadership to look at the problems eyeball to eyeball and say, ‘No more’.
“But Nigerians have given the same set of leaders – the APC, who made that illustrious promise of ‘Change’ in 2015, another chance now under a new President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who would have spent nine months in office at the end of this month.
“The burden that President Tinubu is carrying is heavier than that of President Buhari and it is important that is said because now President Tinubu is not just carrying the burden of promise but he is carrying the burden of truncated hope. And good a thing he has rightly named his agenda Renewed Hope. Nigerians have placed so much expectations on the promises and now they are wondering how come they believed a lie. So, it is up to President Tinubu to show that those promises made in 2015 were no lies. And that is why we are appealing to him today and all those in authority that the government be it executive, judiciary or legislature, it’s important to apply courage and boldness.”
[DailyTrust]
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF) to re-open the investigation and prosecution of those who murdered the founder of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, in 1986.
Dele Giwa was murdered on October 19, 1986 in his Lagos office through a letter bomb.
Delivering judgment on Friday in a suit against the AGF, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo held the Chief Law Officer of the Federation is under obligation to prosecute and penalize killers of media practitioners in the country.
Apart from Dele Giwa, the court ordered that the killings of other journalists in the discharge of their lawful duties must be investigated and perpetrators brought to book in line with the provisions of the law.
The Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, had dragged the AGF before the court for the enforcement of fundamental rights of media practitioners to safety as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and African Charters on Human Rights.
Justice Ekwo in the judgment ordered the Federal Government to ensure adequate protection and safety of lives of journalists as enshrined in sections 33, 39 of the Constitution and Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
Details later...
[DailyPost]
Less than 24 hours to the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to elect its flag bearer for the September 21 governorship election in Edo state, a frontline aspirant of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has withdrawn from the race.
He announced his withdrawal on Friday, February 16, in a statement made available to journalists.
The withdrawal notice was addressed to the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the Acting State Chairman of the party, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe.
Full text of the withdrawal letter reads: “Few months ago, after extensively interacting with family, friends, political associates, and supporters, I joined the 2024 Edo state gubernatorial race as a result of my passion and commitment to the cause of rescuing Edo state from the current condition of decrepitude.
“I entered the contest as a progressive democrat, with an open mind to keenly contest and accept the result of a process that is fair, credible and transparent. I appreciate the commended the effort made by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to correct the erroneous impression maliciously created by certain persons that some aspirants, including myself had been disqualified from the gubernatorial contest. The NWC constituted the authentic screening committee and all twelve aspirants who purchased and completed the nomination forms were successfully screened and subsequently issued clearance certificates. This step was praise worthy and helped in restoring our integrity in the eyes of the public.
“Having being cleared to contest, I regrettably wish to announce my withdrawal from the race. Although painful, this decision has become imperative after an exhaustive consultation with my family, friends, political associates and supporters. I make this sacrifice in the interest of the peace and unity that the party desperately requires at both state and national levels.
“I humbly appeal to the good people of Edo state to accept my decision which I very personal and I promise to be there for them at all times.
“Thankfully, I acknowledge the fatherly role of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, as well as the party’s national leadership for the fairness and commitment to the democratic process. Likewise, I remain grateful to the state working committee for their principled stand to allow a level playing field for all aspirants. I am extremely appreciative to my family, friends, supporters, well-wishers, and the extraordinary hardworking men and women of our campaign organization who were prepared to stop at nothing to see me fly the party’s flag. I salute your great works, your steadfastness and courage.
“Finally, as a loyal party man, I wish to pledge that I and my teeming supporters shall support any candidate that emerges in the primary election holding tomorrow.”
[TheNation]
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, on Friday, sealed Sahad Store, a popular supermarket in the Garki area of Abuja.
The FCCPC said the store was sealed for lack of transparency in the way it is fixing prices for products.
This is coming twenty-four hours after President Bola Tinubu unveiled plans to tackle factors responsible for the food crisis across the country.
The Federal Government in collaboration with state governors had on Thursday agreed to set up a committee to tackle the issue of hoarding of products in the country.
This, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed after the meeting President Bola Tinubu held with governors, heads of Security Agencies and some ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
Idris, who accused some traders of hoarding food products, stated that the security agencies had been mandated to liaise with governors to tackle the menace.
“Mr. President has agreed to set up a committee to deepen the conversation that has happened at the just-concluded meeting. Of course, you know that it is impossible to complete most of the issues that were raised at the meeting so it is going to be a continuous one.
“The National Security Adviser, the Director General of the state services, and the Inspector General of Police have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at the issue of those hoarding commodities.
“At this point, the nation requires foods to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians. Other commodity traders are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So the governors and Mr. President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with the state governors to ensure that this ends.”
However, the Federal Government has accused the management of Sahad Store of shortchanging customers by charging prices other than the price tag on the shelves.
The enforcement team was led by FCCPC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi.
While briefing journalists after sealing the store, Abdullahi stated that the commission’s preliminary investigation revealed that the management of the supermarket was short-changing customers.
The FCCPC noted that the store would remain sealed until the completion of further investigation, saying, “What we have found out that these people are doing is misleading pricing and lack of transparency in the pricing, which is against Section 115 (3) of the law that says a consumer is not required to pay a price for any good or service higher than the one that’s on display.”
“Section 155 states that any corporate person that contravenes is liable to a fine of 100 million naira or even more and the directors of the company themselves are liable upon conviction payment of 10 million naira each or imprisonment of six months or both.
“What we have done today is to make sure that they comply with the law. We initially called them to come and defend themselves but failed to show up. In the long run, they sent a lawyer whom we asked if he was familiar with the facts of the case. He said he wasn’t.
“To unseal the store, they have to make sure that they do what is required to be done.”
Details later…
[Punch]
Russia’s top opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who died Friday in an Arctic prison according to Russia’s penitentiary service, survived a poisoning attack in 2020 only to be sentenced to 19 years in a penal colony.
Here are 10 key dates in his campaign against Russian President Vladimir Putin:
– 2007: anti-corruption campaigner –
Navalny begins buying shares in state-owned oil giants to access company reports and scour them for evidence of corruption, which he documents on his blog.
The same year he is excluded from the liberal opposition party Yabloko for taking part in “nationalist activities”.
– December 2011: leads election protests –
Navalny sets up the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which gains a huge following with exposes about the vast riches amassed by Kremlin elites.
In the winter of 2011-2012, he leads huge protests after parliamentary elections won by Putin’s United Russia party, a vote marred by allegations of fraud.
– July 2013: embezzlement conviction –
He is convicted of defrauding the government in the Kirov region of 16 million rubles ($500,000) in a timber deal while acting as an advisor to the governor.
He denies the charges, claiming they are an attempt to silence him.
– September 2013: Moscow mayoral bid –
Navalny finishes a strong second behind Kremlin-backed incumbent Sergei Sobyanin in the race for mayor of Moscow.
His calls for a recount are dismissed.
– March 2017: Medvedev ‘duck’ expose –
Navalny’s video about the lavish lifestyle of then prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, which includes a claim that one of his estates has a duck house in the middle of a pond, sparks rallies.
– December 2018: barred from presidential election –
He is blocked from running for president against Putin because of his embezzlement conviction.
He urges Russians to boycott the vote, which nonetheless sees Putin secure a fourth term.
– August 2020: poisoning –
Navalny is hospitalised on August 20, 2020, in Siberia and placed in a medically induced coma after losing consciousness during a flight.
He is transferred to a hospital in Berlin, where tests show he was poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent.
He accuses Putin of being behind his poisoning, which the Kremlin denies.
– January-February 2021: arrested and jailed –
He returns to Moscow, where he is detained shortly after landing at the airport.
Tens of thousands of people demonstrate across Russia for his release.
In February, he is handed a two-and-a-half-year sentence for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence while recuperating in Germany, and sent to a penal colony.
– August 2023: 19 years –
Navalny’s sentence is increased to nine years after a conviction on new charges of embezzlement and contempt of court.
A gaunt Navalny, who has experienced major weight loss in prison, is then sentenced to an additional 19 years at a harsher “special regime” facility on charges of “extremism”.
He goes missing for over two weeks in December 2023, before being located in a remote penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.
– February 16, 2024: dies in prison –
Navalny dies at the Arctic prison colony, Russia’s federal penitentiary service says in a statement.
It says Navalny lost consciousness after going for a walk and could not be revived by medics.
“The causes of death are being established,” it said.
[Vanguard]
…Says LASG is intentional, unrelenting in addressing traffic issues
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said the much-anticipated Red Line rail will be commissioned on Thursday, February 29 by President Bola Tinubu.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the announcement at the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) Stakeholders Forum themed: “Parking in Lagos, the journey so far – Assessing the social and economic impact of the industry” held at GRA, Ikeja.
He said the Red Line rail, which runs from Agbado in Ogun State and terminates at the Oyingbo area of Lagos, is one of the integrated mass transit corridors in the state in line with his administration’s THEMES+ Developmental Agenda.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration, which is intentional and unrelenting in its efforts to address all traffic issues in the state, has identified indiscriminate parking as one of the major challenges of the free flow of traffic.
He said the Lagos State Parking Policy, which came into being with the establishment of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) was to regulate all forms of parking by adopting innovative, adaptable, and sustainable operational systems and technologies.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, while reiterating his administration’s zero-tolerance policy for the flouting of rules and regulations guiding the Lagos transport sector, urged all stakeholders in the sector to comply with the Lagos State Parking Policy in the renewed and intentional effort to curb indiscriminate parking in the State.
He said: “We have adopted a model that ensures a win-win situation between the State and Local Governments. Lagos has already shown that this kind of state-LGA partnership can work, through the establishment of LASAA, and the Land Use Charge, and we are now set to showcase the same with the Lagos State Parking Authority.
“Therefore, the Local Governments in Lagos State, under the Conference 57 umbrella, and Mr. Kolade Alabi, the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), are our strategic partners in this renewed effort to regulate parking across the State.
“Just recently, we approved the On-Street parking scheme, to regulate the existing roadside parking and checkmate haphazard parking in line with global best practices. We are utilising existing major roads suitable to accommodate On-Street parking, and to create additional parking spaces, especially in areas with high parking traffic.
“The On-Street parking scheme, as with most of our projects, is being done in partnership with the private sector, and we will continue to explore the Public Private Partnership model to benefit from its effectiveness in delivering high-quality service to meet the needs of our increasing population.”
Speaking earlier, the LASPA General Manager, Mrs. Adebisi Adelabu, said parking management was on the centre stage towards meeting the target of traffic management of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Adelabu urged all stakeholders to work with LASPA in its effort to rid Lagos of parking-induced gridlocks, through the effective implementation of the Lagos State Parking Policy.
She said: “As you are all aware Traffic management and Transportation is the first pillar of the THEMES+ agenda of the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu-led administration. It might interest you to know that Parking management takes centre stage in the actualisation of this objective, as it is practically impossible to venture into traffic management without putting into consideration the issue of parking management.
“Our mandate is clear and we are resolute in pursuit of excellence in its actualisation in line with global best practices. We are fully empowered and also intentional about operating a more efficient and sustainable parking management system in line with the administration’s THEMES+ agenda to move Lagos State towards a 21st-century economy.
“We have a vision and are not unaware of the challenges to achieving it, but we are resolute in the pursuit of our goals and objectives towards the actualisation of this vision. This vision aims to achieve excellence in how Lagos State parking policies are envisioned and developed in line with the best global practices for a modern, efficient and sustainably managed parking system towards reducing congestion, disruption, improved road safety and changing travel behaviour.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
14 FEBRUARY 2024
The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo has said that the promotion of sustainable agriculture and food security is crucial for the well-being and survival of the nation at large.
Owotomo stated this during a retreat organized for the management of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the theme; "Achieving Agriculture and Food Security in Ogun State: The Place of Public Servants", held at Grand Inn & Suites, GRA, Ijebu 0de, Ogun State.
He said that the state government in line with federal government objectives has been encouraging dry season farming to ensure all year round planting, adding that the state has been able to reach out to 500 farmers within one week with input and other materials needed for dry season planting with support from the Federal Government, Development Partners and other stakeholders.
He also assured the residents of the state government readiness to produce more agricultural inputs to the markets, saying that efforts are on top of gear to encourage more youth engagement in agriculture through improvement on mechanized farming.
Owotomo said that the importance of agriculture cannot be overemphasized appealing to all stakeholders to contribute their quota towards achieving food security in the state, as he emphasized that the retreat would give more insight into the activities of the ministry and allow for cross fertilization of ideas.
Speaking on the theme, the resource person, Prof. Kolawole Adebayo advocated the need for inter-ministerial collaboration, especially between the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), for the food system to be sustainable.
He said leaders must demonstrate the prowess and tenacity to evolve thought that would drive economic sustainability and food security.
Prof. Adebayo highlighted factors undermining the attainment of economic, environmental and food security to include continuous strive for global domination by superpowers, multinationals, political instability and inconsistency in policy among others.
Delivering his keynote address at the retreat, the state Head of Service, Mr. Kolawole Fagbohun described the retreat as strategic, as it would afford every stakeholders the opportunity to evaluate the mode of operation and re-strategize for better performance in all critical areas, admonishing them to always think out of the box.
He maintained that the management staff have the responsibility of working directly with the public, to provide solutions to challenges facing the farming community.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Adeogun noted that agriculture was key in the 'ISEYA' mantra of the present administration, disclosed that there was a need to critically look at responsibilities of each departments and what they intend to put in place to ensure delivery of the mandate.
Adeogun stressed the need for team work among the various departments and units within the ministry, to achieve a common goal in the task to deliver the set target in the sector.
On his part, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimitan, represented by the Chief Estimate Officer, Mr. Musibau Elemide advised that whatever decision taken must be in tandem with the overall vision of the state agricultural policy, saying that all target set must be realistic and achievable.
Olabimitan added that knowledge gained by participants should be cascaded to operational officers in the Ministry, so as to obtain their input in setting targets.
Speaking on behalf of other participants, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye and Mr. Ibrahim Busi appreciated the leadership of the ministry for putting up such a programme, assuring that the outcome of the retreat would greatly make an impact and helps in achieving the state agricultural agenda.
Highlights of the retreat included presentation by various departments, Aerobic, health talk, medical check up among others.
The United States of America has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to preserve Sukur’s cultural heritage in Adamawa state.
Speaking at the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing event in Abuja on Thursday, the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nigeria, David Greene, announced that the grant had been awarded to the International Council on Monuments and Sites in Nigeria, ICOMOS-Nigeria.
According to Greene, the grant is intended to document, conserve, and improve the cultural heritage of the Sukur UNESCO World Heritage Site in Adamawa State.
He said the “latest grant will support ICOMOS-Nigeria and its local partners to help preserve Sukur cultural heritage through infrastructure enhancements, the revival of threatened traditional crafts, and documentation and preservation of the Sakun language.”
Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, said the Sukur Cultural Landscape is under imminent threat of insurgency and immediate danger imposed by global climate change.
She said: “The project aims at undertaking a 2-year conservation and preservation work in the Sukur Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is regarded as a place of Outstanding Universal Values.
“The work also involves the conservation of the tangible and intangible heritage of Sukur Cultural Landscape, enhancing community capacity, strengthening local, national and international links and networks for conserving the site’s Outstanding Universal Values and buttressing the resilience of the Sukur community in the face of insurgency and climate change.”
Over 150,000 Repentant Terrorists Have Swore By Quran Not To Return To Their Old Ways – Borno Govt
Admin
The Borno State government has said 160,000 repentant Boko Haram terrorists swore by the Quran not to return to their old ways.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, made this known on Thursday at an event in Maiduguri, the state capital.
She said over 70,000 Boko Haram fighters have been reintegrated back into their communities and have vowed not to return to the killings of innocent citizens.
Gambo noted that it was untrue that the repentant Boko Haram fighters were reneging on their promise and picking up arms.
She added that the repentant fighters would not dare go back on the oath they swore because of the consequences attached.
She said,“It is completely untrue that the repentant Boko Haram fighters are reneging on their repentance and returning to the bush to continue fighting.
“Out of the over 160,000 who repented, we have already reintegrated over 70,000 in their home communities, and I can assure you that no one will be missing should we decide to gather all of them for anyone to confirm. We operate a transparent process of their repentance.
“We subject each of them to proper oath-taking with the Holy Quran that he or she will never return to the bush to fight, and he or she swears with the Holy Quran in the presence of a committee comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders and government officials.
“No repentant Boko Haram dare renege on the oath because he or she knows what it means to swear with the Holy Quran and renege. And he or she knows that he or she dare not return to the bush because he or she knows that death awaits him on arrival, their commanders in the bush will kill him because they would not trust him.”
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday sacked the Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ifedayo M. O Adetifa, and appointed Dr. Olajide Idris, a former commissioner for health under his administration as Lagos governor as his replacement.
The sack of Adetifa, the second boss of the NCDC was contained in a series of appointments and reappointments of the Board Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers in the health and social welfare sector approved by Tinubu on Thursday as contained in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
The President added that the changes were due to painstaking consideration of the wealth of experience of each qualified and aforementioned Nigerian, who will be tasked with driving his Renewed Hope Agenda in the sector.
The President also appointed Dr. Saleh Yaguda as the new Chief Executive Officers of National Blood Service Commission (NBSC) while new board chairpersons were appointed for some of the agencies where the CEOs were retained.
The affected changes are the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC): Board Chairperson, Dr Mansur Kabir; Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Moji Adeyeye.
The board of the National Blood Service Commission (NBSC) are Board Chairperson, Prof. Abba Zubairu and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Saleh Yuguda.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has the Board Chairperson as Prof. Afolabi Lesi and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Fatima Kyari.
For the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN): The Board Chairperson is Wasilat Giwa and Chief Executive Officer, Ibrahim Ahmed.
The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has the Board Chairperson as Dr Babajide Salako and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tosan Erhabor.
The Moddibo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola (MAUTH), has Chief Medical Director/CEO as Prof. Adamu G. Bakari
The Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua (ISTH), has Chief Medical Director/CEO as Prof. Reuben Eifediyi.
Tinubu said that this is in furtherance of his determination to bring world class standards to Nigerian public health administration.
He said it was also to manifest his commitment to deliver affordable and quality care to all Nigerians under governance and regulatory frameworks commensurate with international best practice.
The new NCDC Director-General/CEO, Dr Olajide Idris, received his MBBS degree from the University of Lagos College of Medicine, after which he obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Ivy League’s Yale University in Connecticut, United States of America.
He also served as the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State from 2007 to 2019, after serving as the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health from 1999 to 2007.
The new NBSC Chairperson, Prof. Abba Zubairu, PhD, has served as the Medical Director of the world-leading Mayo Clinic in the United States of America.
This followed a long career in which he served as a Resident Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Hospital as a Post-Doctoral Fellow, and undertook a Clinical Fellowship at the Harvard Medical School’s Transfusion Medicine Programme during which he obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Science at the same institution.
The new MDCN CEO, Dr Fatima Kyari, PhD, is a renowned ophthalmologist and Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Medicine (FNAMed).
She obtained an MBBS degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine before she obtained a Doctorate degree in Public Health from the same institution.
The President expected that the new leadership across this critical human development sector would raise the standards of healthcare service delivery for the exclusive benefit of all strata of the Nigerian population.
He said his administration was committed to implementing a whole-of-government approach to transforming the sector to enhance aggregate national quality of life and productivity.
The President also anticipated the immediate and effective implementation of new policy frameworks to reposition the sector under the able leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate.
(NAN)
More...
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said no tertiary institution operating in Nigeria is allowed to charge tuition fees in dollars.
The Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, stated this at a media parley with education reporters in Abuja on Thursday.
He was reacting to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) inviting proprietors of some private universities and institutions of higher learning in Nigeria who were allegedly charging fees in dollars.
He said: “On the dollarisation of tuition fees in this said university, we have investigated it and the university is not charging fees in dollars. They only charge dollars to foreign students. So, I want the media to join hands with us to tell the public that no Nigerian university is allowed to charge fees in dollars.”
The executive secretary also said the commission would continue to approve more universities as long as they meet standards and have the capacity for sustainability.
He announced that the commission would issue licenses to two universities by next week to add to the existing 270 in the country.
According to him, it would give room for access to tertiary education and stem the tide of Nigerians going outside the country to study.
“Due to the huge gap in demand and supply of university education, the National Universities Commission will continue to give approval for the establishment of more universities,” he said.
He added that the commission would continue to process applications for Distance Learning Centres across the country to give room for education access.
He said the agency has reconstituted Committee on Degree Mills to mitigate against the upsurge in the proliferation of unapproved degree-awarding institutions.
“To mitigate against the upsurge in the proliferation of unapproved degree-awarding institutions, the reconstituted Committee on Degree Mills had been working against their proliferations, with hope to fight and win the growing incidence that had continued to give an unsavoury image to the system, among others,” he added.
$9.6bn P&ID Fraud: INTERPOL Arrests Fugitive Director James Nolan, Who Jumped Bail In Nigeria, In Italy
AdminThe International Criminal Police Organisation said it has arrested a Director of Process and Industrial Development Ltd, Mr James Nolan, in Italy.
Nolan, who is an Irish national, reportedly jumped bail in 2022 in the ongoing $9.6 billion P&ID scandal in Nigeria.
He was, however, arrested by the INTERPOL while on a visit to his wife, an Italian, on January 27, the News Agency of Nigeria.
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission source confirmed this to NAN.
The EFCC official claimed, “Yes, we got the information through informant sources.”
According to the source, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs planned to request Nolan’s extradition from INTERPOL to face trial in Nigeria.
Counsel for Nolan, Paul Erokoro, in a telephone chat, said he had also heard about Nolan’s arrest, noting that only the EFCC can confirm
“There is a report that James Nolan was arrested but the EFCC is actually in a better position to confirm. They might have heard from INTERPOL.
“But I have not spoken to him (Nolan) and I don’t have firsthand confirmation but I have heard about the report,” Erokoro said.
According to NAN report, Nolan was at the centre of the controversial Gas Supply Processing Agreement which was signed in 2010.
Following his arraignment and plea of not guilty to the charges, a Federal High Court in Abuja, on November 7, 2019, initially granted him bail in the sum of N500 million.
However, due to his inability to meet the bail conditions, the bail amount was later reduced to N100 million.
Meanwhile, after perfecting his bail conditions, he failed to appear in court for trial since 2022.
Another court, where Nolan was also facing legal proceedings, revoked his bail on September 28, 2022.
The judge at the time, Justice Ahmed Mohammed (who has since been promoted to the Court of Appeal), issued a bench warrant for his arrest due to bail violation.
Mohammed ordered security agencies, including INTERPOL, to arrest him anywhere he was sighted within or outside Nigeria and be produced in court to stand trial.
The order was made after the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Mr Bala Sanga, made an application to the effect.
The judge also granted the EFCC’s request to continue his trial in absentia.
“As far as this court is concerned, the absence of the second defendant (Nolan) in court implies he has jumped bail,” he had said.
On July 6, 2023, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, also ordered Nolan’s guarantor, Mr. George Kadiri, to surrender his N100 million bail money to the Federal Government due to his failure to bring the defendant to court.
Egwuatu, in a decision after Sanga presented the motion, also directed Mr. Kadiri, who wasn’t in court, to be held in prison until he pays the N100 million.
NAN reports that Nolan is standing trial in about eight other cases for his alleged involvement in the controversial gas supply agreement with the Federal Government.
But the contract became the subject of litigation following the award of a whopping sum of %9.6 billion in judgment debt against Nigeria.
While eight of the matters are before the FHC in Abuja, a case is before the FCT High Court, besides the London case.
Meanwhile, the matter was fixed for today (Thursday) before Justice Donatus Okorowo of a FHC could not proceed.
While Sanga and Michael Ajara were in court, Justice Okorowo was said to have gone on official engagement.
Nolan had, on November 20, 2023, opened his defence in absentia without calling any witnesses.
Nolan’s counsel, Ajara, who had told Justice Okorowo that he did not intend to call any witness, said that after he evaluates the evidence of the prosecution in the matter, he would be relying on the case of the prosecution.
The judge then fixed February 15 for the adoption of the final written addresses of the parties.
Nolan, the second defendant, alongside Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited, the first defendant, is being prosecuted in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/272/2022 for allegations bordering on money laundering offences.
A Business and Property Court in London presided over by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales, in October 2023, annulled the $11 billion awarded against Nigeria in a case filed by the P&ID Ltd.
Knowles held that the award was obtained by fraud and that what had happened in the case was contrary to public policy.
NAN
Ibom Air, one of the major players in Nigeria's aviation industry, has categorically dismissed the recent false claims made by a certain individual on social media, alleging incidents involving its aircraft. This individual did a write-up detailing multiple incidents involving Ibom Air aircraft, including a narrow escape from a crash on Valentine’s Day and an alleged emergency landing. These are complete falsehoods.
Contrary to this individual’s repeated falsehoods and sensational assertions, there is no basis for the allegations of Ibom Air aircraft being overworked or compromised in terms of safety. Ibom Air maintains rigorous safety standards and adheres strictly to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
Furthermore, the allegations of specific individuals, including prominent political figures and their family members being involved in incidents is a figment of this individual’s imagination.
Ibom Air has no choice other than to take the baseless assertions of this individual on social media as a threat to the Airline’s safety and security. As such, the airline has reported it to the State Police Command and Directorate of State Services (DSS).
Ibom Air urges the public to disregard in its entirety, the falsehoods being peddled by this individual. As a responsible organization committed to the highest levels of corporate governance and transparency, Ibom Air stands firmly against the propagation of false information and remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
About Ibom Air
Ibom Air is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, a sub-national in Nigeria. It aims to set the standard as an Airline of choice for passengers by focusing on schedule reliability, on-time departures, and excellent service. It has a fleet of seven Aircraft: five (5) Bombardier CRJ 900 and two (2) Airbus A220, covering eight (8) destinations.
To explore Ibom Air’s route and other services, visit www.ibomair.com
Media inquiries can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Signed,
Aniekan Essienette
GM, Marketing, and communication
Ibom Air
[PRESS CONFERENCE] ASUU addresses the deteriorating living and working conditions in the universities and the country
AdminI. PROTOCOL
II. INTRODUCTION
Comrades and compatriots of the Press,
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, between Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th February, 2024.
At the meeting, the union undertook a comprehensive review of the state of its engagements with Federal and State Governments on how to reposition Nigeria's public universities for global reckoning by arresting the worsening living and working conditions in the universities and the nation at large.
The meeting was alarmed, going by the reports it received, on the failed promises of the Tinubu-led administration toward addressing the lingering issues that forced the union to embark on the nationwide strike action of February–October 2022.
NEC was seriously alarmed by reports of the increasing number of Nigerian academics who have died or are currently nursing life-threatening ailments as a result of work-related stress and chronic pauperization arising from failed promises by the governments and the general macro-economic climate of the country.
This press conference is intended to update Nigerians on developments since the suspension of our last national strike action on Friday, 14th October, 2022 and our engagements with the current administration since its inception.
III. Renegotiation of FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement
ASUU's demand for negotiated salary with the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is anchored on the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Convention No. 98 which 2 underscores the principle of collective bargaining.
The last FGN/ASUU Agreement was in 2009.
The union has been without a renegotiated agreement with the FGN for 15 years.
It would be recalled that, owing to the union's persistent call for the review of the 2009 Agreement, the Federal Government set up the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee in 2017.
For irreconcilable reasons, especially due to the Chairman's insistence on the re-introduction of the Education Bank, the process was stalled for over two years. Consequently, the renegotiation committee was reconstituted with Prof Munzali Jibril as convener.
Under the new Chairman, much progress was made as the Draft Agreement was ready within three (3) months.
However, government refused to sign the draft agreement for some inexplicable reasons.
The Late Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs became the next Chairman of the joint committee. ASUU did not meet with the Nimi-Briggs committee until extracting from it the mandate of its principal to conclude the process which had dragged for more than four years.
Renegotiation with Nimi Brigs was completed within six months. However, the then Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, truncated the process at the point of finalising the reviewed draft agreement.
From 2021 till date, the document has remained in its draft form.
The most obvious implication of the truncation of the renegotiation of the Agreement is that university teachers in Nigeria have been on the same salary regime since 2009 when the value of naira to a dollar was N120! Today, it is above N1,500.
It is no longer news that the salaries of the highest paid professor, on the average, has been reduced to a meagre $210/month.
This is one of the least in the world! Unfortunately, even the unilateral award of 35% and 25% by the despotic Buhari administration, which has been activated through the National Wages, Salaries and Income Commission (NWSIC) through a circular, remains a promise in thin air one year after.
It appears members of the Nigerian ruling class are totally indifferent to the implications of the continued pauperization of academics for the Nigerian dream and the future of the country. If they truly love Nigeria, they must have realized that no nation can truly be greater than the quality and commitment of its scholars.
In other 3 climes of nationalist-politicians and patriots, no government takes deliberate steps to kill the collective bargaining principle nor ignore the patriotic demands of its academics.
For the umpteenth time, ASUU calls on the President Tinubu-led administration to immediately set in motion the process leading to the review and signing of the Nimi Briggs led renegotiated draft agreement as a mark of goodwill and assured hope for Nigeria’s public universities.
Nigerian academics are tired of platitudes laced with disdain for intellectuals; only concrete steps to restore their eroded dignity and degraded lives can guarantee lasting peace on our campuses.
IV. Withheld Salary
The ILO Conventions guarantee the right of trade unions to use strike action as a means of pressing for its demands where it becomes absolutely necessary.
The last administration, engineered by Senator Ngige, activated the obnoxious, "No-Work No-Pay‟ policy by withholding lecturers‟ seven and half months‟ salaries in federal universities and varying months in state universities. Despite deploying the instrumentality of hunger and starvation against Nigerian academics, the Ngige-headed Ministry launched a full-scale war against ASUU included obtaining an injunction at the National Industrial Court.
However, the strike was basically suspended as a result of patriotic interventions of some well-meaning Nigerians, including the then Speaker of the House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. At several formal and informal meetings while the court proceedings were ongoing, promises were made meeting the demands of ASUU, including the release of the withheld salaries.
Unfortunately, those promises were never kept, even with Rt. Hon Gbajabiamila as the Chief of Staff to the President and Commander-in-Chief.
There is no justification for withholding lecturers‟ salaries if not for the grand design by the ruling class to emasculate and ridicule them.
Nigerian academics have since made up for lost ground, covering two academic sessions in many universities within the period.
The total sum of withheld salaries is hardly worth more than one-third of its value given the massive devaluation of the Naira in the last one year.
And it is unimaginable that a government that raised lecturers‟ hopes a few months back will continue to deprive them of any modicum of comfort by withholding their entitlements.
It goes without saying that a humiliated lecturer is a liability to the university, not an asset.
Therefore, ASUU calls on the Federal and State Government to, as a matter of urgency, release all the withheld salaries and third-party deductions of Nigerian academics to restore their fading hope in the Nigerian university system and Nigeria as a country.
To continue to ignore ASUU‟s formal and informal demand in this respect is to invite an avoidable industrial crisis in the system.
V. Arrears of Earned Academic Allowances:
Compatriots of the press, the Union brings to your attention that the Federal Government has lately been evasive on payment of the backlog of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), part of which was captured in the 2023 National Budget for Federal Universities.
The December 2020 Memorandum of Action (MoA) between FGN and ASUU reaffirmed the mainstreaming of EAA into lecturers‟ salaries while the next tranche of the allowances was to be paid in 2021. The scheduled payment was only aborted, the mainstreaming EAA which was supposed to commence in 2022 has remained a mirage in both Federal and State Universities.
ASUU wonders why it must take another round of strike action to get Government to release lecturers‟ entitlements that are already captured in the budget as made available to the union by Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila!
VI. Illegal Dissolution of Governing Councils
NEC observed with dismay the continued attack and erosion of autonomy of public universities, as enshrined in the Universities‟ Miscellaneous Act, through illegal dissolution of Governing Councils.
Today, university vice-chancellors in connivance with the Federal and State Ministries of Education are illegally running the universities.
They have taken over the functions of the Council through illegal contract awards, approval of promotions, and recruitments without following due process.
NEC condemns these anomalies in strong terms.
It calls on State and Federal Governments to reverse themselves where Governing Councils were dissolved without serving their terms and reconstitute Councils whose tenures have expired.
Vice Chancellors are also strongly advised to stop taking matters meant for Councils to the Ministries or 5 Commissioners for approval as this has great consequences for the future of the universities.
VII. Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System
Compatriots of the press, the Tinubu administration has announced the exit of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IIPIS) – a corrupt salary payment system imposed on federal universities by the immediate Buhari-led government.
ASUU has consistently rejected the payment platforms because it grossly erodes the autonomy of our universities.
However, the union is worried that some elements inside and outside government may be planning to undermine the government directive in view of the ambiguity that currently surrounds that transition out of IPPIS with particular reference to the so-called “new IPPIS” with which January salaries were paid a few days ago.
As canvassed at the stakeholders‟ meeting held at the National Universities Commission (NUC) on 11th January, 2024, ASUU‟s position is very clear: Government should revert to quarterly releases of university funds to enable them design and implement their salary payment plans. This is the hallmark of a truly autonomous university system as obtained in the 1960s and 1970s.
In addition, government should release promotion arrears and pay all academics who were unjustly denied their salaries arising from the obnoxious imposition of IPPIS.
VIII. Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard
NEC noted with serious concern that, despite its earlier rejection of the NUC-imposed CCMAS, the Commission is still hell bent on enforcing its implementation with effect from 2022/2023 academic year. Consequently, NEC calls on all university Senates to resist the surreptitious moves by NUC to erode their powers over academic programmes in their respective universities.
The Union advises NUC to, at this critical time, focus its attention on more pressing issues affecting our Universities, including proliferation of universities and the poor conditions of service for the academics.
ASUU strongly believes that patriotism demands that NUC should be at the forefront of making government address the reality of mass exodus of academics from our 6 campuses otherwise called Akada Japa owing to the debilitating conditions under which they are made to work.
IX. Proliferation of Universities
Gentlemen of the press, you are aware that proliferation of Universities was one of the issues that led to the strike actions of 2020 and 2022, and part of the MoA signed by ASUU and FGN stressed the need to review the NUC Act to make it more potent in arresting the reckless and excessive establishment of universities.
A joint committee of ASUU and government was set up which submitted a draft bill to the National Assembly on this matter. However, that bill has not seen the light of day.
The fallout of that is the massive and reckless manner by which federal and state governments are establishing universities without making adequate preparations for their funding.
At Federal level, each Senator is targeting to establish a university as part of their constituency projects while the Visitors to State Universities who could not fund existing universities are establishing two or more universities for political gains.
This trend has put much stress on intervention funds of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) which are diverted to establish new universities contrary to the Fund‟s Law.
NEC was shocked to receive the report of a State Governor who proudly declared that he would establish ten (10) universities before the end of his tenure as if they are model nursery and primary schools! ASUU would explore all legal means to resist the pervasive moves by politicians to keep proliferating crisis centres for the children of the poor in the name of universities.
X. Victimization and Threats at Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Compatriots of the Press may wish to note that the Vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and her co-travelers have continued with the persecution of our members.
The attacks on committed ASUU members at FUTO come on the heels of the Union‟s principled stance on the illegal appointment of Dr Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami as a Professor in that University while serving as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
NEC has received reports of attempts by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof (Mrs.) Nnenna N. Oti, to deny our members the right to unionize and 7 fraternize on campus.
The Vice-Chancellor whimsically stops union leaders from attending statutory meetings of Senate and university committees. NEC reaffirms its condemnation of the action of FUTO management and calls on the FUTO Vice-Chancellor to take the path of honour and reverse the illegal appointment.
We call on the Minister of Education and other well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on Prof Nnenna Oti, the Vice chancellor of FUTO to respect the Law of FUTO and stop persecuting our members for insisting that the right thing should be done in that university.
XI. TETFund Intervention
Reports reaching our union indicate that members of the National Assembly have lately been breathing down the necks of heads of tertiary institutions on the pretext of oversighting resources allocated to their universities by TETFund.
In particular, NEC regrets the invitation of Vice Chancellors and other Heads of tertiary institutions to come before them to defend the intervention funds allocated to them contrary to the provisions of the TETFund Act and the University Miscellaneous Act.
ASUU is worried that some our Vice-Chancellors could become susceptible to corruption and other sharp practices associated with such “oversight”. NEC reminds our Vice-Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors that ASUU will stop at nothing to resist the increasing unethical moves to fritter away the TETFund intervention funds within or outside our universities.
XII. Underfunding of Universities
Funding for revitalization has been central in the struggle of our Union and it remains a cardinal demand in all our agreements and memoranda with governments. In the aftermath of the 2022 struggle, the Federal Government claimed to have budgeted the sum of one hundred and seventy billion naira (N170B) in the 2023 budget.
Our understanding was that N120 billion was meant to address part of the outstanding Needs Assessment Intervention Fund while the balance would go into paying one of the agreed tranches of EAA. Sadly, however, Government has not released any fund to the universities based on the understanding.
Consequently, efforts to address issues of shortage of lecture rooms and theatres; inadequate hostel and office accommodation; poor laboratories, studios, workshops and libraries; and supply and maintenance of 8 utilities in our universities have been frustrated.
This has compelled a number of university administration to raise fees, levies and sundry charges paid by the students beyond the reach of impoverished Nigerians.
NEC condemns in its entirety the wave of fee hike without inputs of the victims across out campuses.
Daily scandalous reports of stupendous funds diverted from government treasuries at State and Federal levels reinforce our belief that resources available to the country could support government-funded university education – without excessive pressures on parents as currently done.
Had Federal Government kept fate with our MoU 2013 which provided for N1.3 trillion over a period of six years, many of our universities should have be restored to a level at which they could attract foreign students and become renowned for cutting-edge and transformative research.
We challenge the Tinubu administration to urgently initiate moves to conduct another needs assessment exercise to empirically verify our call for massive intervention in our public universities.
It was Federal Government's response to a similar challenge in 2012 that gave rise to the aggregate sum of N1,3 trillion which Government has since abrogated. For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC of ASUU reiterated its rejection of the Students‟ Loan scheme which is being promoted by the international money lending agencies such as IMF and World Bank.
Nigerians should be aware that the scheme is a way of starving public universities of funding and a ploy to divert public funds into private universities owned by politically-exposed individuals and their friends.
NEC further observed that the students‟ loan scheme will mortgage the entire university system and keep our promising students in perpetual indebtedness.
If the scheme could fail in some better managed economies, there is no guarantee that it will succeed in Nigeria where unbridled corruption, nepotism and other unsavoury tendencies conspired to kill the Education Bank project after over five years of its existence.
If State and Federal Governments truly want to invest in the lives of Nigerian students, grants and scholarships should be made available to students while the Needs-Based Budgeting System should be restored to the university system for greater efficiency.
XIII. Deepening Socio-Economic Crisis
NEC reviewed the deepening socio-economic crisis which has worsened the insecurity situation in the country. Accentuated by the free-fall in the value of Naira vis-à-vis international currencies, the distortion in the petroleum sector, corruptly called “subsidy removal”, has ushered in a regime of high cost of transportation, unaffordable prices of commodities, job loss and ballooning joblessness, and general atmosphere of despair and despondency in the country.
The failure of government to provide effective measures that would cushion the effect of its anti-poor policies has further pushed the Nigerian masses down the abyss of abject poverty and hardships. While calling on government to accelerate the process of arriving at a minimum living wage as demanded by the NLC, NEC calls on the Nigerian Government to urgently review all IMF/World Bank-sponsored economic policies which are increasingly degrading the quality of life of Nigerians.
Conclusion Gentlemen of the press, we have used the opportunity of this press conference to draw your attention to the serial insensitivity of the government with respect to agreements and care for the welfare of hard-working lecturers in Nigerian public universities. Despite the good intentions of Nigerian academics to make our universities globally competitive, government has continued to unleash hardship on the lecturers and students.
ASUU remains undaunted in this patriotic mission. We call on other patriots in the media, labour movement, student groups and civil society organisations to join our resolve to reposition the Nigerian university system for a transformed Nigeria.
The struggle continues!
Thank you.
Emmanuel Osodeke
President
13th February, 202