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The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has said the number of deaths related to terrorism in Nigeria has dropped from 2,600 per month to less than 200.
Ribadu disclosed this while noting that AK-47 now sells for over five million naira due to the effort of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in curbing insecurity.
Addressing journalists at the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting in Abuja, Ribadu said AK-47 being mopped up are destroyed.
He said: “We are working and I think we have done fairly well. One of the things that we have seen as an indication that things are beginning to look different for example, is AK 47 that used to be sold for less than N500,000 last year but now goes for N5 million.
“This means it is not available and we are mopping them up, we are taking them out, we are destroying them. We do not just take but we destroy,”
“A lot of this work is ongoing, but people don’t really see; we salute our armed forces, our security forces, our governors who are doing extremely well.
“A lot of difference is taking place in Nigeria and that is the reason why I can assure you that in the last one year, we have reduced deaths as a result of violent crimes and use of arms.
“We used to record 2,600 or so a month but now we do have less than 200 on the average.
“It is an indication that we are getting results for the work being done.”
[DailyPost]
A Lagos State-based businessman, Suraj Oyewale, has organised a football match among his X (formerly Twitter) followers after bants about his football club being a team of electricians and carpenters.
Oyewale, on Saturday, featured in a football match which was organised by a marketing agency, Dynasty Africa, between Instagram and X influencers that ended 5-4 in favour of the X side.
Oyewale, popularly known as Sir J (J9), a football enthusiast and player, who took to his verified handle on Monday, noted that his decision to organise the Saturday game was to prove to everybody that he is still a good footballer despite his age and that a team cannot be set up in a hurry without appropriate training to defeat his side.
He further stressed that the team that will play against him should not consist of professional footballers but carefully selected players and individuals who are his mutuals on X platform.
The football enthusiast wrote, “For those who mock my football videos and say my players are carpenters and electricians, I have a challenge. 1. Form a team from Twitter (all players must be my followers or have commented on my football video in the past – no go import mercenaries wey no dey Twitter before). 2. Pick a date and a field (preferably Campos or Union Bank).
“3. Play against my boys and me. 4. I will transfer N5m to a Twitter person of high standing a day before the match. 5. If you beat my “carpenters and electricians” team, take the N5m. Let’s decide who the real football farmers are once and for all.
“If you beat my team, take N5million as prize. If you can’t beat my team, money gets returned to me 5. If you see a draw, go with a N1m prize. N4m gets returned to me. Players must be my followers or those who have doubted my football abilities. You have to show evidence.
“Jarus Plumbers FC vs Jarus Twitter Mutuals FC Announcements: 1. The recognised coordinator of Twitter Team is Michael Oyiga. 2. Match holds 3 pm, Saturday, 27 April. 3. Campos Stadium, Lagos Island, has been booked for the match. We welcome spectators.
Meanwhile, confirming the N5m winner-take-all prize to our correspondent, Oyewale said, “Yes, I am serious about it. I have sent the money to the ‘boardman’ and I’m only awaiting the team they will come up with but it must be made up of professional footballers.”
However, sharing information about his team, he said they had been defeated twice on their home ground before and were very beatable.
“My team has been beaten two times even on our home ground. So we are very beatable. But I seriously doubt that a quickly arranged team without training can beat us. This is where my confidence is coming from,” he added.
Oyewale is a First-Class Economics graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University. He is the founder of Jarus Homes, Jarus FC, and has authored four books on careers, networking, policy, and politics.
He is also a recreational footballer who plays regularly and is always queried by his followers for goal count and scoring abilities.
[Punch]
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has sealed the Chinese supermarket located within the China General Chamber of Commerce in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Officials of the FCCPC stormed the premises and shut the supermarket on Monday.
The commission’s officials sealed up the place following the interrogation of Nigerian workers at the supermarket.
Recall that Nigerians had expressed outrage over a discriminatory policy implemented by the Chinese Supermarket for barring Nigerians.
The supermarket only granted exclusive entry to Chinese nationals in the country.
According to the facility manager of the complex, Shaibu Sanusi, Nigerians from outside the complex do not shop but Nigerians within can access it.
This was as facilities workers at the store disclosed that the owner of the supermarket had fled the premises.
The workers, who were largely Nigerians, disclosed that the owner of the supermarket had fled when the officials of the Commission stormed the supermarket on Monday.
The workers said that the owner of the supermarket, a Chinese lady, Cindy Liu Bei, fled on Monday at 8:26 am with her family as confirmed on the Closed-Circuit Television camera.
The FCCPC officials subsequently shut down the supermarket.
[Vanguard]
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has revoked the certificates of incorporation of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) subsidiaries over improper procurement.
The subsidiaries include NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Limited and NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Company Ltd
In a statement on Monday, CAC said the properties were improperly procured, hence the revocation of certificates.
The development is coming three months after the discovery of an illegal transfer of N10 billion in restructuring funds released by the federal ministry of finance to the agency’s subsidiaries.
“The general public is hereby informed that the Commission, sequel to its powers contained in Section 41 (7) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 3 of 2020, revoked the Certificates of incorporation of the below-mentioned companies because the same was improperly procured,” CAC said.
“These companies are NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Company Ltd RC 1673881 and 2. NIPOST Properties & Development Company Ltd RC 1673971.
“By virtue of these revocations, the Companies are deemed to be dissolved and their assets and liabilities transferred to the Nigeria Postal Services established under the Nigerian Postal Services Act Cap N127 LFN 2004.”
On November 21, 2023, the house of representatives approved the winding up and deregistration of the subsidiaries of NIPOST, deeming their establishment irregular and illegal.
The house also directed an investigation into the N10 billion released by the ministry of finance for the proposed NIPOST restructuring and recapitalisation.
According to the lawmakers, if the funds were found to be misappropriated, it must be fully recovered.
This decision was part of the lower chamber’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in the public sector.
[TheCable]
Dangote refinery will start supplying petrol in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Standard and Poor’s’ Global Commodities, S & P.
Kelly Norways, an African energy expert at the S&P, disclosed this in a podcast titled ‘Exploring West Africa’s oil product flows in a changing refining landscape’.
She said the Dangote refinery will significantly reduce energy imports across the West African sub-region, putting the figure for petrol as much as 290,000 barrels daily from 2024 to 2026.
“We are starting to see signs of activities, but all eyes are on when we’ll start to see gasoline production commence from that project. There is significant pressure from the Nigerian government for significant volume of that supply to be sent to the domestic market.
“When we see that start scale-up is still subject to debate. Dangote has recently been espousing some punchy timelines. They have most recently been saying that they are looking to produce gasoline by May. But in reality, our analysts expect that would be something like the fourth quarter of this year in a more realistic timeline,” he said.
The Dangote refinery was officially commissioned in May 2023 but has been unable to operate at full capacity. However, it began receiving crude oil around December and finally started distributing diesel to marketers in the local market in March.
Last week, the refinery announced the reduction in diesel price to N1,000 per litre from N1,600 per litre price.
Meanwhile, the Dangote refinery and oil marketers have hinted at the commencement of petrol sales next month.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described state police as a non-negotiable entity that Nigeria must establish.
Dr Jonathan, who was president from 2010-2015, said the conversation must shift to the prevention of abuse by governors.
He stated this on Monday at the ongoing dialogue on state police organized by the House of Representatives.
He said most times governors abuse institutions, however, the challenges are not sufficient to stop the creation of state police.
The former president said state police was wildly accepted by the delegates at the 2014 Confab.
“We can only end kidnapping and other forms of insecurity through the creation of state police,” Dr Jonathan said.
Mr Jonathan’s stance contradicts the position of the inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, who opposed the establishment of state police.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Ben Kalu argued that the current security situation in Nigeria requires a multilayer approach to insecurity.
He stated that over N5 billion has been paid in ransoms to kidnappers, a figure that starkly exposes the alarming growth of this criminal enterprise in the country.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun believes the country is not “mature” for state policing despite the myriad of security challenges facing it.
He spoke on Monday during a national dialogue on state police held in Abuja with the theme ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’.
“On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that Nigeria is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” the IGP, represented by AIG Ben Okolo, said at the event organised by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.
The IGP argued among other factors, that “there is the potential for abuse of power by the state political leadership.
“State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security.
“There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction,” he said.
But he suggested other things to make the police better in securing the country.
“First, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety to form a department under the Nigerian police,” he said.
According to the police chief, there is also a need to ramp up the yearly recruitment of officers. This, in addition to more training for police personnel among others, are essential to securing Nigeria.
At the event attended by several top shots in the country, former president Goodluck Jonathan, however, believes that despite the challenges, state police has become “non-negotiable”.
He said the spite of kidnapping and other crimes make state police a must-have in present-day Nigeria.
Apart from Jonathan, the event also had Vice President Kashim Shettima in attendance and he expressed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to building a better police force for the country.
He said his principal is ready to listen to submissions from the national dialogue.
The National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu has said Nigeria has resumed the prosecution of Boko Haram terrorists.
He stated this on Monday while giving his speech at the African Counter-Terrorism meeting in Abuja, which has President Bola Tinubu in attendance.
The two-day high-level summit is being held under the theme ‘Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism’.
The objective of the summit is to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa, while emphasizing the importance of African-led and African-owned solutions.
The summit will provide a platform to review the nature and severity of the threat of terrorism on the continent, with a view to agreeing on concrete strategic priorities and measures to address this scourge. It will also foster deeper regional collaboration, enhancing the institutional capacity of member states and facilitating the exchange of best practices and knowledge to combat the multifaceted threat of terrorism in Africa.
Heads of state and government and high-level government officials across Africa, representatives of international organizations and multilateral institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, and members of civil society groups are expected to attend the summit.
An All Progressives Congress, APC, Ondo governorship aspirant, Wale Akinterinwa, has accused Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State and Chairman of the party’s primary election committee of writing results.
He said the party did not conduct any primary election in all the 203 Wards of the state.
Ododo had announced the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as the governorship candidate of the party after polling the highest votes at the primary election.
However, Akinterinwa described the APC’s primary election in the state as a show of shame.
The aspirant’s stance was contained in a statement signed by his campaign organisation spokesperson, Mr Segun Ajiboye.
According to the statement: “Without any fear of contradiction, we state here that no election was held in any part of Ondo on Saturday to elect the candidate of the APC.
“It is on record with incontrovertible evidence that nothing in the semblance of a primary election was held in all the 203 wards in Ondo.
“At best, what can be said to have happened was that the committee chairman, Gov. Ododo, arrived in the state at about 8 am on Saturday to write the result of an election that was never conducted.
“Saturday’s election presented our dear party with a rare opportunity to endear itself to the people of the state.
“All that was needed was for us to organise an election that would be hailed by all, even the opposition.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is advocating for the incorporation of punitive measures into the Minimum Wage Act to address non-compliance by state governors and local government administrators.
This push for stricter enforcement comes amid ongoing challenges with the implementation of the current minimum wage across various states.
The National Treasurer of the NLC, Hakeem Ambali, highlighted the issue in an interview with Punch in Abuja, explaining that the lack of penalties in the existing 2019 Minimum Wage Act has allowed some state governors to evade their obligation to pay the stipulated minimum wage.
Ambali emphasized the necessity of such sanctions to ensure compliance and protect workers’ rights across Nigeria.
The move by the NLC coincides with the scheduled meeting of the 37-member committee established by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to discuss the new minimum wage.
This panel, inaugurated on January 30, 2024, by Vice-president Kashim Shettima, includes representatives from federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labor.
The committee’s task is to deliberate on findings from various sub-committees across the six geopolitical zones and formulate recommendations for a revised national minimum wage.
As discussions are set to proceed this week, the inclusion of penalties in the wage legislation will be a critical point of debate, aimed at fostering greater accountability and ensuring that all Nigerian workers benefit from fair labor practices and wage standards.
Ambali said, “When we look at the purchasing power in Nigeria, we can see a huge difference between 2019 and now. With the stoppage of the payment of the fuel subsidy, we can see an increase in the hardship of Nigerians.
“In the new minimum wage bill which will soon be signed into law by the President, we have put in some internal clauses to make it difficult for governors not to pay the new minimum wage. It is also good to know that some of the governors are also involved in the negotiation process.
“Labour itself has to be responsive. Once the National Minimum Wage Bill is signed into law juxtaposed with Labour’s responsiveness, we know they will pay. As you can see,0 even private companies have started increasing the salaries of workers and some of them are even paying wage awards for their workers.
“So in the bill, the clause involves sanctions and also talks about increased allocation to local governments so that nobody will have any excuse of not paying the approved rate.”
Meanwhile, the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage appointed by the Federal Government will hold a meeting this week to debate proposals by stakeholders on the new minimum wage.
An executive bill is also expected to be sent to the National Assembly as a form of amendment to the current Minimum Wage Act.
The minimum wage to be unveiled is expected to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit.
During the public hearings, different zones suggested different amounts for minimum wage. The South-West zone suggested N794,000; the North -East proposed the sum of N560,000 as minimum wage; North- West proposed N485,000; The North-Central proposed N709,000; the South-South demanded N850,000 while the South -East demanded N540,000.
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Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has said despite the “crazy” nature of men, women can’t do without them.
Savage, who recently released a collaborative song with Simi titled ‘Men Are Crazy,’ said she relished working with the ‘Duduke’ crooner.
Speaking recently on MTV Live, she described their collaboration as “magical” as she noted that Simi is “a queen in Afrobeats”.
She said, “My collaboration with Simi is titled ‘Men Are Crazy But I Still Want One In My Bed.’ The inspiration behind it is that men are crazy but we can’t do without them.
“Simi is somebody that I’ve always wanted to work with. She is a queen in Afrobeats so both of us coming together in such an amazing track is magical.”
Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project may never be completed in next 30yrs - Peter Obi tackles FG
AFOLABIThe presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has tackled the Federal Government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.
Obi expressed his concern in a statement via his verified X handle on Monday.
According to him, there is a pressing issue of numerous uncompleted roads scattered across the country, many of which, according to him, have become hazardous death traps and security risks.
He maintained that embarking on another huge project that will not be completed in the next 20 or 30 years will only worsen the problem of abandoned, uncompleted projects that are not contributing to economic growth and overall development.
Obi suggested that given the state of the nation’s economy, prioritization and fiscal discipline should be the critical guiding principles, insisting that the project will worsen the already sagging debt burden.
The former Anambra State governor said most of those uncompleted roads have been under construction for several years and are unlikely to be completed any time soon due to poor and unplanned funding.
He said,“I have closely followed the comments and developments arising from the coastal (Lagos-Calabar) Super highway Project.
“While I’m hesitant to engage in contentious debates about its benefits, which I acknowledge, and the pricing, which I have serious concerns about, and believe should be thoroughly reviewed, I am compelled to raise essential questions about the timing and prioritization of such a monumental venture.
“At the forefront of my concerns is the pressing issue of numerous uncompleted roads scattered across the country, many of which have become hazardous death traps and security risks.
“It is disheartening to witness the plight of innocent Nigerians who traverse these dilapidated roads under perilous conditions, vulnerable to kidnappers and other dangers.
“Most of these roads, vital for economic growth, regional connectivity, and overall development, have been under construction for several years if not decades now and are unlikely to be completed any time soon due to poor and unplanned funding.
“The Federal Ministry of Works 2024 capital budget of N892,461,262,656.00, additional funding from multilateral loan projects of N94,828,535,243.00, alongside other expected contributions from sources like the China-Exim Bank and the World Bank, will not be enough for serious work on all the critical roads, some of which I enumerated above, let alone their completion.
“So, why embark on another huge project that will not be completed in the next 20 or 30 years? To do so will only exacerbate the problem of abandoned, uncompleted projects that are not contributing to economic growth and overall development.
“It will merely worsen our already sagging debt burden. Given the state of our economy now, prioritization and fiscal discipline should be our critical guiding principles now.
“Therefore, while acknowledging the potential benefits of coastal superhighway infrastructure, I urge prioritization of our existing uncompleted projects.
“We must allocate resources towards repairing and completing existing infrastructure, crucial for the well-being and safety of our society, before embarking on new projects, no matter their perceived benefits.
“Let’s prioritize the urgent needs of our people and ensure that our investments serve the collective good of the nation.
“In any development formula, the primary focus should be on completing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure rather than embarking on colossal new projects that may never reach completion within the next 30 years.”
Calls Alleged Statement “Odious Inanity” And “Lie From The Pit Of Hell
In a strongly worded response, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof Mike Ozekhome, has vehemently denied authoring a statement that criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for failing to arrest former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.
The alleged statement, which was published on the website Arewa Agenda, suggested that the EFCC was applying the law selectively and engaging in media trials.
Ozekhome, who has been a friend and lawyer to the current Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, for many years, described the statement as “odious inanity” and a “lie from the pit of hell.” He emphasized that he would never contemplate making such a “banal statement devoid of common sense and reasoning.”
The Senior Advocate, known for his advocacy of human rights, due process, democracy, and good governance for over four decades, questioned how he could be linked to a statement that suggests meddling in a matter that is subjudice or engaging in media trials and convictions before a proper trial.
Ozekhome called on members of the public to ignore the statement and its banner headline, labeling them as “utterly false, baseless, unfounded, and simply idiotic.” He referred to the authors of such statements as “faceless idle internet crawlers” and “millipedes of the internet,” borrowing a term coined by Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka.
The Senior Advocate further pointed out the absurdity of the alleged statement, noting that it quoted an earlier statement purportedly made by him about defeating the EFCC 11 times in court. He argued that he could not have been authoring a statement while simultaneously quoting himself.
Ozekhome urged the public to disregard the statement and consign it to the “trashcan of history where it rightly belongs.”
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has clinched the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the upcoming governorship election.
The chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, made this announcement on Monday morning in Akure, the state capital.
Ododo said Aiyedatiwa clinched the APC ticket with a resounding victory, amassing a total of 48,569 votes followed by his closest rival, Mayowa Akinfolarin, who trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.
The Kogi governor said Aiyedatiwa won in 16 of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Oke won in Ilaje LGA, while the election was cancelled in Ifedore LGA.
Following his victory at the polls, Governor Aiyedatiwa thanked his supporters for the victory.
Read the APC gubernatorial candidate’s speech below.
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, HON LUCKY ORIMISAN AYEDATIWA, AFTER THE DECLARATION AND AFFIRMATION OF THE RESULT OF THE GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARY ELECTION OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS IN AKURE, ON SUNDAY, 21ST APRIL 2024.
A TIME TO WIN TOGETHER
The internally orchestrated heavy politics within our party, APC, in search of our flag-bearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial election has come to a conclusion today with the emergence of a candidate as declared by the Governorship Primary Election Committee under the chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Usman Ododo, the Governor of Kogi State.
Let me at this time acknowledge and thank all the aspirants who threw their hats into the ring in the family contest to be the flag-bearer: Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, Hon. Isaac D. Kekemeke, Hon. Gbenga Edema, Mr. Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, Hon. Olujimi Odimayo, Mr. Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Morayo Lebi Esq, Prince Diran Iyantan, Prof. Francis Faduyile, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Mrs. Funmilayo Waheed Adekojo and Engr. Funke Omogoroye.
Your participation has created so much awareness within and outside our party. You mobilized our members and removed apathy. You have also brought in numerous new members into the party. All of these have enriched our democracy and strengthened our party in the State.
Democracy sometimes, after a contest like this, comes with discordant tunes. But this is not the time to hold grudges against anyone but for all of us to come together to work for the success of our great party so as to remain in power. We will all gain in this party, though at different times, if we keep faith. I salute your courage and keen interest to lead the State towards development. It is your right and you are qualified and worthy members of our party.
I want to specially thank the President and Leader of our party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership. I thank the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, the National Chairman of our party, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, the Progressive Governors, National and State Working Committees of our party and all stakeholders in the state for their forthrightness in the processes leading to my emergence as the flag-bearer for our party in the Ondo 2024 governorship election.
I thank all our traditional rulers, institutional heads, civil servants and all the stakeholders who have chosen me as their preferred candidate. I also thank all the party leaders, including the APC Aborigines, members of the campaign team and all others who toured the entire 18 local government areas together with me to engage with our party members. I do not take for granted the love shown to me by our members across the State.
To all our party members, I hereby accept, wholeheartedly, the responsibility conferred on me as the candidate of our party by the votes of our members who turned out in their large numbers on the 20th of April 2024.
Now, more than ever before, the greatness of Ondo State is what matters the most. I therefore request that we all join hands together in building the future that we all yearn for in Ondo state. There is infrastructure to be built; better healthcare services to be delivered; fair justice to be served; qualitative education to be ensured; civil servants to be trained and motivated; security of lives and properties to be strengthened; enabling environment to be created for businesses to thrive and attract investors.
Once again, I thank you all for your support.
Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa
APC Guber Candidate
21st of April 2024.