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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan will arrive in Nigeria on Friday, May 10, for a three-day private visit.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are visiting Nigeria at the invitation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa.
The Director of Sports, Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Air Vice Marshal Abidemi Marquis, said the founder of Invictus Games will spend three days in Nigeria and would interact with wounded soldiers and their families.
Marquis said: “Because we realized that 80% of our soldiers have been involved in this recovery program, they are getting better. Their outlook on life is positive. You know, when you are engaged in, you experience a permanent disability, you know, issues, it affects your mental health and also your outlook on life.
“But the recovery program has given them an opportunity to improve their personal self-esteem, to improve their mental health, their emotional intelligence has been improved and also their families seeing them, you know, as they used to be a breadwinner who is capable of, you know, continue living. So this engagement with Invictus is giving us the opportunity for a recovery for our soldiers.”
Marquis said Nigeria being a member of the Invictus community, the visit will lay credence to the fact that the Nigerian Armed Forces are accepted.
He added that Nigeria is also looking forward to hosting an Invictus game hence, the reason for the visit.
AVM Marquis also stressed the need to build a state-of-the-art structure for the management of the wounded and injured soldiers, “particularly the post-traumatic syndrome and the post-traumatic stress syndrome that are manifesting due to our engagement in the counter-insurgency operation.”
He disclosed that the couple would visit Kaduna and Lagos states where they would also interact with the Governors
He said: “So, to be specific, now, they will be arriving here tomorrow and they will be received and the reception will be a quiet reception because they will be traveling 14 hours to get to this place. They will be taken to the hotel.”
Marquis said the couple, after resting at the hotel, would return to visit the Chief of Defence Staff by noon tomorrow.
The director added that Prince Harry and his wife would before that visit, “They have their own NGO they are supporting somewhere in Wuse Light Academy. They are going to visit that place.
He said: “They will be proceeding to Kaduna to visit the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital. You know, that is where our wounded and injured soldiers are kept for their medical recovery. He will be going there.
“On Saturday, we’ll be having something like an exhibition of novelty matches. The CDS team and the Duke team will be having a volleyball match at armed forces officers’ mess in the morning. And this is just to engage with the wounded and injured soldiers. It’s a sitting volleyball match coming in the morning.
“So after that, we have a programme for them, 01:00 p.m. A reception, where they will be interacting with families of wounded and injured soldiers and families of soldiers and officers killed in action and service members generally. The program will start at 01:00 p.m. On Saturday thereafter, they will go back to the hotel to rest.
“So on Sunday, we have a program in Lagos. They will pay a courtesy call to the governor of Lagos State, and they also have an NGO. They are supporting Lagos over time, and we are going there. They built a basketball court for the school in Lagos. So they will be going there also. And there will be a basketball exhibition Match, 20 minutes, 30 minutes will be played.
“From there, they proceed to the governor’s place. After that, there is a reception also for them in Lagos. And when we finish that, we come back to Abuja, and they’ll be leaving Nigeria on Monday morning.”
[PRESS RELEASE] Honorable Attorney General of Ondo State Salutes Chief Judge Ondo State for His Egalitarian Practice Direction on The Administration of Criminal Justice
AdminAttorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ondo State’s Reaction to Practice Direction No. 1, Vol 1 Of 2024 Of the Ondo State Judiciary
INTRODUCTION
The Honourable Justice Ademola Enikuomehin of the Ondo State High Court, Owo Judicial Division on the 14th of March, 2023, handed down a judgement in Suit No: HOW/66/2022(ALHAJI RASHEED OLANREWAJU KAZEEM V. THE HONOURABLE CHIEF JUDGE OF ONDO STATE & OTHERS) and after a thorough perusal of the judgement, with deliberate considerations of Sections 86 and 87 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ondo State, 2015,and Section 35 of the High Court Law of Ondo State, 2006 , the Chief Judge of Ondo State of Nigeria; Honourable Justice Aiyedun Olusegun Odusola, on the 7th of May, 2024, caused to be issued in Practice Direction No. 1, Vol 1 of 2024, a Practice Direction directing; that all criminal cases be commenced, tried and completed by a Court having jurisdiction in the division or district where the offence was committed; that all pending criminal cases in trial which had yet to reach the defence stage be reverted to such division or district where the offence was committed and such criminal matters commenced afresh; and that all prior Practice Directions, Circulars, Orders or any other administrative instructions against the directives were thereby repealed.
The Ondo State Government under the stewardship of the Executive Governor His Excellency, Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa unfurled an eight point reformative agenda of the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Ondo State wherein obeisance to court order and law is given utmost compliance. The Ondo State Government herewith adheres with Practice Direction No. 1, Vol 1 of 2024, to its fullest extent as it will always continue to do.
The Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Ondo State salutes the judgment of the Ondo State High Court, and the judicial directives of the Chief Judge of OndoState in Pratice Direction No. 1, Vol 1 of 2024, and also assures the Ondo State Judiciary of continuous synergy and partnership with the State executive arm of government.
The Practice Direction will restore balance to the criminal jurisdiction across all judicial divisions and magisterial districts in the State, ensuring the jurisprudential development of the Bar and Bench across the State as compared to when the criminal jurisdiction over felonies and capital offences was centralized to the State capital, Akure.
Furthermore, the new directives will reduce the risk of transporting awaiting trial persons and defendants in criminal matters held in our State Correctional facilities across the State to and from the State capital, and also lessen the financial burden on the transportation, personnel, surveillance and armed escort expenditure of the State Correctional facilities. The witness transport expenditure of the Ondo State Judiciary as provided for under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ondo State, 2015, will also be prudentially managed as the courts will receive fewer requests from witnesses from outside its jurisdiction.
The Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice reassures the citizenry of Ondo State that the Ondo State Ministry of Justice will continue to meet up its duties in prosecution of criminal matters regardless of the location of the court across the criminal divisions and districts in the State, and that the Ondo State Government will pay rapt attention and facilitate the speedy infrastructural development of court facilities and across the State.
Dated Thursday, the 9th Day of May, 2024
E-signed
Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON
Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Ondo State
The Senate has passed for third reading the NDLEA Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, thereby approving death sentence as the maximum penalty for drug traffickers in the country.
The Bill was into law on Thursday when the Senate dissolved into Committee of the Whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of a report of its Joint Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters, and Drugs & Narcotics on the Bill.
The report was earlier laid at plenary by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Munguno.
In a review of the provisions for penalties in the amendment Bill towards strengthening the operations of the anti-narcotics agency, a proposed amendment to award a death sentence to drug traffickers rather than just a life sentence was raised by the Senate Chief Whip, which was eventually adopted.
However, there was slight uproar in the Red chamber as some lawmakers appeared displeased with the new provision.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole expressed his displeasure over what he considered a hasty consideration and passage of the amended clause to the Bill.
The Deputy Senate President, who presided at the session, rejected Senator Oshiomhole’s call to reverse the ruling, insisting that it came late.
The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that his visit to the residential quarters of the State House of Assembly was to undertake on-the-spot assessment of condition of the structures for a possible rehabilitation work to restore its status and make it habitable.
The Governor had made a brief stop at the Assembly Quarters yesterday enroute Emohua – Abalama -Tema Junction on inspection of the 15.24 kilometers long dual carriageway road project.
According a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara, who spoke after the inspection stated that the assembly quarters is part of state government properties, adding that the facility needs to be taken good care of.
He noted that the state now has a new speaker for the State House of Assembly, noting that his visit was to see what were necessary to be done.
Fubara, who took a walk round the facility, said that he decided to visit the place to get better appreciation of what needs to be done to make the quarters conducive for lawmakers.
The Governor said: “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there? You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for my myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”
The Governor speaking on the road project, said he was assessing the extent of job that had been done to know what else was needed in preparing the road for commissioning during his one year anniversary.
He pointed out that the road project was inherited from the immediate past administration but a greater chunk of the cost was borne by his administration.
“As a matter of fact, we added this section of the road as one of the projects we will be commissioning. So, I needed to see it myself, and what is remaining is just the lighting. By the grace of God, we will commission it.”
Emergence of two speakers in Rivers Assembly mockery of democracy, says group
“We feel justified to add it as our project and to commission it for the good of our people here. Governance is all about the people. When the people are out of the centre of governance, then it is no longer governance.
“So, this road, as we all now know, was in a very bad state. A lot of criminal activities were being carried out here: kidnapping and all sorts of things. So, putting this road in order is appropriate,” he said.
The Governor further added: “You can see the little hour we spent coming here. Before, it takes you 30 to 45 minutes to drive from Emohua to this place. But look at it, less than 15 minutes we are here. So, it is about the people, the good of the people, making life easy for the people. That is the way I see governance. Anything outside that has nothing to do with me.”
Renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has named the groups that will form the mega political party to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027.
Utomi told newsmen, on Thursday, that the redemption of the country could not be achieved by the ruling APC, or any of the opposition parties.
While listing the groups, Utomi said the present political parties failed Nigerians. He said they had not added value to nation-building.
According to him, the planned mega party is to disrupt the current political order and deliver that impactful leadership that the country truly deserves.
“It is precisely the reason I arrived in Nigeria yesterday (Wednesday) to continue that work (formation of mega party).
“I believe that the political party system in Nigeria has failed completely. Political parties are not democratic and they are not serving the purpose.
“Political parties and politicians of these parties cannot save Nigeria now. It is clear.
“The nature and the structure of our politics is such that even good people, when they enter these existing political parties, will play to their interests.”
Utomi, Founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, returned to Nigeria on Wednesday after a long stay in the U.S.
Also, he was the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in 2007.
‘New order needed’
According to Utomi, parochial culture has consumed civic culture in the country and this has affected the mindset of politicians.
Therefore, he said, a new political order must be birthed to get Nigeria out of the woods. Also, citizens and leaders must begin to do the right things to reposition the country.
“Nigeria must be saved by its citizens and this is precisely what I am advancing.
“We are talking about value-driven citizenship with integrity, work ethics, respect for the dignity of people, and regard for labour.
“We are created for others; we are not created for ourselves. A tree does not take benefit from the shades it creates.
“We want Nigerians to develop that mindset. Right now, the mindset that Nigerians have is me, myself, and I.
“Self-love is so consuming and that is why Nigerian politicians don’t act in the interest of the people or the state. They act so narrowly in their self-interests,” he said.
Utomi said in continuation of work to float the mega party, he would hold meetings in Lagos this week, and in Abuja next week before a news conference.
The political economist added he hoped to achieve much with the mega-party talks before going back to the U.S.
The groups
Utomi said groups that would come together to form the mega platform were two cohorts of politicians- the ‘mea culpa’ and ‘new value’ cohorts.
“The mea culpa cohort are politicians who have seen that what they did while in power had not helped Nigeria and are remorseful. And they are now willing to become part of the redemption initiative.
“There are also new Nigeria new value cohorts. This cohort will be working together, and they will include people from all these other political parties,” he said.
He said that some elder statesmen would also be brought into the fold.
Recall that Utomi had, in January 2024, said he had had conversations with leaders of some opposition parties on plans to form a new mega political party that would take power from the ruling APC in 2027.
He disclosed that he had held discussions with some of the presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections.
According to Utomi, the discussion was the possibility of bringing them and other opposition politicians together to form a new party. (NAN)
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Ifeanyi Ubah, has said that two refineries- Port Harcourt and Warri would be fully operational by the end of 2024.
Ubah said plans have already been put in place to achieve the target, stressing that the Kaduna Refinery would also be operational before the end of next year.
He said that the completion of the plants and the addition of supply from the 650,000 barrels per day, bpd Dangote Refinery would enable the nation to meet its domestic fuel demand.
The senator also called on the federal government and other stakeholders to work toward the establishment of modular refineries to further expand the nation’s domestic capacity to refine crude oil.
“My mandate is to ensure that the refineries in Nigeria are up and functional. By my involvement, before the end of this year, two refineries will be up and running.
“Also, before the end of next year, the Kaduna refinery will come on stream.
“I can assure Nigerians that I will tirelessly pursue and ensure that these refineries are up and running before the end of the year. We have set up a technical team to visit the refineries every two weeks in order to meet the set target,” he said.
In Abuja, a Federal High Court has granted bail to former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, along with his daughter and two others, requiring a ₦100 million bail bond and two sureties.
Sirika and others are being tried over an alleged ₦2.7bn fraud.
The sureties, according to the court, must have landed properties in Abuja and also responsible citizens.
The sureties must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also restricted the defendants from traveling abroad without its permission.
Justice Oriji ordered that the defendants should be remanded in prison custody if they failed to meet their bail conditions.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has slammed six counts on the former minister, his daughter, and two others.
The Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Wednesday, lamented the drop in enrolment of pupils into schools across the state.
Sani, who expressed concern over the development, linked it to the spate of insecurity, occasioned by kidnapping, banditry and other related crimes, in the state.
He disclosed that the government had begun a move to relocate 359 schools from terrorist-infested areas and merge them with other schools in safe places.
The governor spoke while declaring open a one-day capacity-building programme organised by the Nigeria Police Force School Protection Squad in Kaduna on Wednesday.
Sani described as apt the theme of the programme: ‘Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of Host Communities in the Protection of Education.’
“Incidents like the kidnapping of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun Local Government tragically illustrates the devastating impact of insecurity on education access and safety.
“To ensure that the education of our children in conflict-prone and terrorists-infested areas is not interrupted, we have commenced the merging of 359 schools with those in safe locations,” the governor said.
Sani lamented what he described as the alarming drop in school enrolment rate in the state due to insecurity.
Sani said, “Kaduna State is one of the states that has been waging a sustained battle against banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
“These non-state actors have disrupted socio-economic activities in the affected communities and are threatening our educational revitalization programme.
“Kaduna State’s educational system is facing a crisis of declining enrolment, with over 200,000 fewer primary school pupils recorded in the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year.
“This dramatic drop (from 2,111,969 in 2021/2022 to 1,734,704 in 2022/2023) is largely attributed to insecurity.
“In several local government areas, particularly Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, insecurity has forced school consolidation, further pushing up the number of out-of-school children.”
The governor commended the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, for establishing the Schools Protection Squad, a proactive initiative aimed at enhancing security and safety in educational institutions across Nigeria.
The Lagos State Government has launched an Electronic Physical Planning Permit System, which enables building approvals to be obtained within just 10 minutes.
Dr. Olajide Babatunde, Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, LASG, made this announcement during a ministerial press briefing in Ikeja on Wednesday.
This is coming at a time when the Lagos State government is facing a lot of criticism for the way it has been handling the demolition of buildings and shanties across the state.
According to Babatunde, this initiative would ensure a seamless and efficient process for stakeholders.
“The Lagos State Government is poised to revolutionise the planning approval process with the introduction of an Electronic Physical Planning Permit Process System.
“The innovative system will enable building approval to be obtained in just ten minutes, ensuring a seamless and efficient process for stakeholders,” he said.
Backstory
Recall in 2016, the Lagos State Government inaugurated e-GIS project with which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu outlined a strategic plan for its implementation in 2021.
Subsequently, the e-GIS Office (LAGIS) was entrusted with overseeing the project, aiming to create a comprehensive digital platform for land administration and geographic information services.
Meanwhile, in Dec. 4, 2023, the bill to establish the Lagos Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) was presented to the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Dr. Olajide Babatunde, the Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, explained that the e-GIS Office has fully assumed responsibility for supervising and managing the Lagos enterprise GIS upgrade and integrated land administration project.
He said that the processes led to the passage of its bill by the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“To ensure a smooth implementation process, stakeholders and the public will be engaged through a series of retreats and sensitisation programmes.
“This will foster a better understanding of the importance of the bill and the benefits of the Electronic Physical Planning Process System.
“With this innovative system, Lagos State is poised to become a leader in digital governance and efficient urban planning,” he added.
What you should know
In a recent interview on Monday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, reported that 80% of buildings around the Ibeju Lekki and Epe corridor do not have government approval.
- Olumide said despite the rigorous procedures involved in securing government approval, property developers and owners are still circumventing due process.
- The government also mentioned that it is mandatory for property owners or developers to obtain the required planning permit before going ahead with their projects or conversion of properties.
- The Lagos State government also emphasized that all structures or buildings that do not have the necessary building permits will be demolished.
[Nairametrics]
The newly-elected Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo has said his election into office is legal and constitutional.
Recall that the lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency was elected at 10 am during plenary on Wednesday in line with the Standing Order of the House.
He was said to have taken the oath of office as the factional Speaker of the Assembly following his election by two lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Jumbo was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position.
In his acceptance speech, Oko-Jumbo thanked the members for electing him as the new Speaker sequel to the resignation of the former Speaker, Edison Ehie.
He called on the Executive and the Judiciary, as well as the public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the Amaewhule-led Assembly, describing it as an exercise in futility.
He said: “You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.
“These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023.
“Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999.
“My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers.
“All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.”
Oke-jumbo said the sitting presided by him is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members.
He, therefore, called on the governor to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers loyal to Wike.
He added, “Furthermore, this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, DSSRS, to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise.
“Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023.
“This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.
“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”
[NaijaNews]
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The agitation for the creation of additional states in Nigeria has been a long-standing issue, with proponents arguing that it would promote effective governance and development in the country.
The Southwest and Southeast geopolitical zones have been at the forefront of this agitation respectively.
Two bills are currently before the House of Representatives seeking the creation of three additional states in the southwest geopolitical zone.
LEADERSHIP reports that state creation in Nigeria dates back to 1967 when the then head of state, Gen Yakubu Gowon, created 12 states out of the four regions in existence. His successor, Murtala Mohammed, created additional seven states in 1976, which brought the total number to 19.
General Ibrahim Babangida, who was Nigerian head of state between 1985 and 1993, created 11 more states; two in 1987 and nine in 1991, which brought the number of states in the country to 30 till 1996 when another military ruler, the late General Sani Abacha added six states, bringing the number to 36 states that are currently in existence.
Also under the Abacha regime, Nigeria was divided into six geopolitical zones. Out of these, the northwest has seven states, the northeast, north central and south-south comprise six states each while the southeast consists of only five states.
Though history has shown that state creation had been done only by the military government, demands and even recommendations have been made at different times, especially in the last 24 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999 for more states to be created.
For instance, the 2014 National Conference recommended the creation of 18 new states (three per geo-political zone) and one new state for the southeast to make the zone have an equal number of states with the other zones, except the northwest which has seven.
Also, in February this year, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, threatened to sue the Nigerian government over its failure to create an additional state in the South-east.
Experts have suggested that a more pragmatic approach to the creation of additional states would be to base it on economic viability and a sense of fairness and balance.
They argue that any new state should be economically viable and able to sustain itself, and that the creation of new states should be based on a clear set of criteria that takes into account factors such as population, geography, and economic potential.
The president-general of the Ohanaeze, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had in a statement said it was improper that the southeast is the only region in Nigeria with five states.
Iwuanyanwu said the situation had cost the region billions in financial losses and losses in government positions, ministerial appointments as well as legislative representation.
“In 2005 and 2014, we raised this issue at various political conferences. All men of goodwill at the conference agreed that it was unfair for the southeast to have only five states and recommended that an additional state be created in the southeast, but up until today, this has not been done,” he said.
With the 10th National Assembly on another constitution amendment process, the House of Representatives has passed through first reading and also slated for second reading a Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution to Provide for the Creation of Oke-Ogun with Saki as the Proposed Capital City, sponsored by Hon. Kareem Tajudeen Abisodun.
Similarly, the House has received a bill proposing the creation of three states, namely Ijebu, Oke-Ogun (also in the other bill) and Ife Ijesa states in the southwest region, sponsored by Hon. Oluwole Oke.
The proposed legislation is entitled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)” with the amendment of the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution to read:
“The First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution is amended by introducing new states.”
In the draft bill, Ijebu State, when created, will compromise Ijebu East, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Sagamu local government areas. The proposed capital city for Ijebu State is Ijebu Ode.
Oke-Ogun State with Iseyin as the proposed capital city would consist of 12 local government areas, including Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola and Iseyin.
Also, Ife Ijesa State will be made of 11 LGAs made up of Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Oboku and Oriade.
The South-West geo-political zone is currently made up of six states: Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti states.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said there is inequity in the way states have been structured, with regions like the southeast having less number of states.
He, however, said more states should not just be about balance but the need for development and economic viability.
“We need to ask ourselves if the 36 states we have in the country are economically viable, and those are the kinds of conversations: how do we make those states more functional? But I think that people who are advocating for more states, especially regions like the southeast; we need to create that balance because it has impact on how the nation allocates its resources; resources are distributed across the states.
“It also has implications for the configuration of political power. So if you look at the National Assembly, the regions that have more states are more likely to have more representatives in the House of Representatives and that tilts the power against other regions, so when decisions are being made, you will have a particular section of people who may be adversely affected by this nature of configuration.
“But also, and I must say that this whole debate around state creation will need to revisit how we create states in our Constitution because this Constitution Review also provides the opportunity.
“Are they economically viable, are they able to generate their own resources? Those are critical discourses, but you need to strike a balance because you also need to ensure that there is inclusion and there is no marginalisation, and a particular region does not feel disproportionately affected,” Itodo noted.
Also, the chairman, the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), Niyi Akinsiju, told LEADERSHIP that no states in Nigeria is deficient of economic opportunities, and advocacy for the creation of states should be based on such indices
“Historically, the bases of state creation in Nigeria are not on capacity for self-sustenance but rather on similarities and contiguity of culture and historical origins of the people in a geographical area. So, we have always been limited to that, and to that extent consideration for state or rather advocacy for state creation has not been on economic capacity.
“It is done principally about longing to find ethnic fellowship within the same geographical space for a given people. So for me, that could also be a good reason for state creation because, indeed, people that belong to a given geographical space that share the same ethnic origin, that share the same common culture, nothing stops them from having to belong in a geopolitical system that they can call their own. It gives them a sense of belonging.
CSOs Reject Calls For Creation of News States
Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have rejected proposals for the creation of additional states.
According to the CSOs, advocates of more state creation are not motivated by community development, but to create more avenues for looting the public purse.
The CSOs said Nigerian should think on how more funding should be coming from the states to support the centre and not creating additional states to depend on the centre for sustenance.
The CSOs which spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs insisted that some states in Nigeria are not viable: they cannot pay salaries, nor contribute to the centre.
“It’s a very funny call,” Rafsanjani said of the proposals for additional states already in the National Assembly.
“Anyone calling for more states to be created, he should first of all ensure that the present state he is in is viable. Their calls should have been to contribute for their states and local government to be viable. If not, they just want more avenues for looting,” Rafsanjani said.
According to Rafsanjani, the CSOs are not in support of more states to be created because they will still depend on the centre, Abuja.
“We are not in support of state creation now because most of the states are not paying salaries. They have become lazy instead of contributing to the centre.
“We are opposed to it. If the proponents want development, they should contribute to the current state now and not advocate for more states. They only want avenues where they will be siphoning money or get more money from the centre to loot,” Rafsanjani added.
[Leadership]
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, yesterday stepped down a motion calling for the suspension of the cybersecurity levy, which has sparked widespread dissatisfaction.
Daily Trust reports that since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed all banks in the country to begin the deduction of 0.5% of the value of all electronic transactions from customers, Nigerians across different spectrums have rejected the levy, describing it as an additional burden on them.
During Wednesday’s plenary session, Manu Soro, a lawmaker from Bauchi State, presented the motion, expressing concerns that the levy’s introduction was ill-timed given the prevailing economic condition in Nigeria.
Soro argued that imposing new taxes or increasing existing ones amidst the ongoing economic challenges faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, would only add to the burden of citizens already grappling with rising living costs and food prices.
Soro called on the House to prompt the Central Bank of Nigeria to retract the circular on the cybersecurity levy and cease its implementation immediately.
He also urged the Minister of Finance to refrain from introducing new taxes or raising existing rates until the economic situation in the country improves significantly.
However, Speaker Abbas advised Soro to temporarily withdraw the motion to allow the House leadership to deliberate on the best course of action in addressing the issue.
TUC threatens shutdown
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has threatened a shutdown of the economy over the plan to begin implementation of the cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions.
The union urged the federal government to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withdraw its directive to financial institutions on the issue to avert the shutdown.
TUC’s president, Mr Festus Osifo, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday.
Osifo criticised the cybersecurity levy as illogical, particularly considering the current challenges faced by Nigerians due to the high cost of living.
He said many government policies are not only exacerbating hardships for ordinary Nigerians but also leading to the closure of businesses due to an unfavourable business environment.
Osifo warned that the implementation of the cybersecurity levy could prompt individuals to hoard cash at home, reduce financial inclusion, increase poverty, and worsen the overall economic situation in the country.
[DailyTrust]
The state governments of Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun have proposed a suspension of their foreign debt repayments worth $501 million due to foreign exchange volatility.
Details of these proposals were highlighted in the minutes of the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting held in March 2024.
The proposal is part of their efforts to mitigate the heightened debt service burden, which state officials claimed has significantly hampered their ability to service existing debts.
The states have the highest foreign debt stock as of December 2023 due to multilateral and bilateral loans, data from the Debt Management Office showed.
Cross Rivers has the highest at $211.13 million, followed by Ogun at $168.8 million and Ekiti at $121.1 million.
The states’ commissioners of finance said the continued foreign exchange volatility had caused strain on their ability to repay foreign loans.
The commissioners also raised concerns about reduced FAAC’s allocation due to debt repayment and deductions as savings from the monthly allocation.
Akintunde Oyebode, Commissioner of Finance of Ekiti State, observed that there had been significant increases in the amounts deducted from the Statutory Revenue of the states for repayment of foreign loans due to the rising exchange rate.
He suggested the need for extensive discussion on exchange rates concerning multilateral financing to address the issue.
Furthermore, he raised concerns about the amount deducted as savings from the revenue for the month.
He noted that the balances of the Sub-nationals had reduced tremendously as a result.
On his part, the Commissioner of Finance of Cross River State, Michael Odere, expressed fears about the state’s ability to fund capital projects due to reduced revenues.
The Commissioner of Finance of Ogun State, Dapo Okubadejo, called for redirecting the N200 billion previously earmarked savings into the federation account for state redistribution.
“The HCF, Ogun States, on his part, proposed that the N200 billion set aside as savings should be returned to the Federation Account for distribution to the beneficiaries.
“On the issue of multilateral financing, he proposed that a system should be put in place to effectively address issues associated with foreign exchange volatility,” the mitutes disclosed.
[DailyPost]
The Federal Government has said mandatory registration of Point-of-Sales operators nationwide will reduce kidnapping and help security agencies arrest recipients of ransom payments from kidnap victims.
It also vowed that security agencies would go after PoS operators who fail to comply with the directive to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission after July 7, 2024.
The Registrar-General, CAC, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this at the formal launch of the CAC registration of agents and merchants of fintechs on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event also marked the unveiling of a 24-hour service centre to help prospective applicants get a prompt response to enquiries and approvals.
The government had through the commission on Monday issued a two-month registration deadline for PoS operators to register as corporate bodies with the commission in line with the legal requirements and directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The action backed by Section 863, Subsection 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020 as well as the 2013 CBN guidelines on agent banking aims to safeguard businesses and strengthen the economy.
It also came against the backdrop of frequent fraud incidents involving PoS terminals and plans to stop trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
PoS terminals accounted for 26.37 per cent of fraud incidents in 2023, according to a fraud report by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
Last week, the CBN stopped major fintech firms like Kuda, Opay, PalmPay and Moniepoint from onboarding new customers. The fintech firms later warned their customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on their apps, threatening to block any accounts found engaging in such activities.
Speaking at the event, Hussaini reiterated the government’s resolve to fully implement the mandate by providing a fully digitised service centre for easy registration.
He emphasised that the registration process aligns with both legal requirements and the directives of the CBN mandating individual, merchant or business entities to be captured in its database.
He further warned that the 60-day deadline would not be extended while stressing that defaulters would receive adequate punishments after the deadline.
He said, “We have launched a 24-hour service centre to accommodate enquiries from Point of Sales operators and agents who may want to register as directed by the new policy. The secretariat is filled with staff members who have the responsibility of availability, and some are being saddled with the responsibility of approving requests. We have equipped the secretariat with the necessary facilities.
“This is to show you how the government is taking this issue seriously and the centre will be open for a 24-hour service. It will be open for compliance and any feedback from the public especially PoS operators who have been mandated to register their businesses with the commission.”
He added, “We have trained our staff to accommodate these activities and these staff can work from home and that’s why we said 24-hour service. We have equipped them with facilities and they can work from home for approvals and availability segment. The deadline remains 60 days and it will end July 7th.”
The CAC boss further stated that the timeline was not intended to target specific groups or individuals but genuinely aimed at safeguarding businesses.
The CAC boss explained, “Of course, the mandatory registration will reduce crime and fraudulent practices, the commission is hosting data and if any crime is committed anywhere, the security agencies would have to reach us to know the people behind the company and the fraudsters. But if they are not registered, we can’t do anything and that’s the essence of the registration.
“We have had a situation where a ransom is being paid with a PoS terminal and a lot of fraud but after the registration, if anything happens we can provide the details of the persons behind the company to the government. We will capture the picture and other relevant information and this is a good development for the country.”
He stressed that “after the deadline, we would go after defaulters, If you have been identified as a criminal, security agents will go after you, we will go after them because some are being chased by the security agencies already.”
He elaborated on the benefits of registration, emphasising that it goes beyond taxation to encompass access to loans, legality, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
“The law has stated that for any person to carry out business activity in the country, your business must be legitimate and for your business to be legitimate you must register, either you are doing your business as an individual or as an agent, you must register with us.
“The POS terminal holders are doing business, and we are now enforcing part of the provision of the Company and Allied Matters Act. We have been on this issue since December and extending it to July means they have six months. We have provided a timeline in the interest of their business.
Meanwhile, PoS agents have reacted to the order asking them to register with the CAC.
While some agents agreed with the CBN, many said it would place more burden on the operators, especially those in rural communities.
The National President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Sarafa Fasasi, in a reaction on his handles, said the directive was confusing.
“The memo got me confused because the current CBN agent banking regulations allow individuals to be onboarded as agents under the sub-agent category. Currently, Nigeria has over 1.9 million agents of which over 70 per cent are sub-agents without registered businesses, operating under an agent network – super agent arrangements. They are the most penetrating channel of financial inclusion. Now, we want to eliminate them with CAC registration?” he queried.
Fasasi noted that the nation should be able to achieve payment security without reversing the 74 per cent financial inclusion rate.
He posited, “On the suspension of top service providers, majorly non-banks like Opay, Palmpay, Moniepoint, Kuda bank and others from account creation due to alleged foreign exchange and crypto transactions; it would be recalled that before Binance controversies, FX/crypto transactions, at one point or the other, terminated in several accounts or wallets, across all service providers, bank and non-banks. So, all service providers may be guilty and should be suspended to be fair.
“I cannot imagine suspending all commercial banks from opening new bank accounts because of pre-regulation transactions.”
In a similar vein, a Point-of-Sale agent, Ogunfowokan Temitope, located in the Ilasa area of Surulere, Lagos State, said the move was unfair against the agents.
She said, “It is not fair because most of the PoS agents only have a small amount of money. Some even borrowed money to start a business. These set of people, how are they going to cope, and do you know how much it costs to register a business now?”
However, the immediate past president of the association, Victor Olojo, backed the move by the CBN, stating that it was the measure needed for standardisation and enhanced security.
He said, “Because it is a financial matter, the CBN needs to ensure the financial system is well galvanised. Today we see people hawking and handling PoS terminals, who should not even have any business handling.
“Also, this move would weed them off, and enable those with capacity to focus on the business, hence Nigeria being better served.”
He noted that it is a plus for the CAC, adding that millions of unregistered PoS agents are adequately regularised.
“We would begin to have a unique business identity or identifier generated for a specific PoS agent. This means that all PoS accounts opened would now have the proper Know-Your-Customer tier 3 standard where you have all the needed verifications plugged into your account.
“That way, if there are any issues, the PoS agent can be easily traced and arrested, therefore curbing fraudulent practices by agents,” he added.
Corroborating Olojo’s position, a PoS agent located in the Berger area of Lagos State, Sunday Samuel, said the move was laudable as it aimed to standardise the businesses of agents.
He said, “The move is going to help the agents to make their businesses more standardised, however, it is not everybody that would understand it from this perspective.
“There are agents in the rural areas that are not aware of what the Corporate Affairs Commission is all about nor the importance. So, they might find it difficult, and it takes a lot of stress going through the registration procedure. However, looking at it in a normal way, having one’s business registered is a good move”.
Meanwhile, another agent located in the Mowe-Ibafo area of Ogun State, Taiwo Shobowale, argued that the new directive would affect the operators because most of them are not oriented on what it means to be registered with the CAC, adding that these agents take it as a daily source of income.
“Most agents do not see this business as an entity, however, rendering financial services can be very sensitive, as the government wants to be involved. The market is already saturated and fraudulent transactions are rarely traced due to the inadequate KYC rule and a lack of proper documentation.
“In addition, the notice is sudden, and the time frame given is short because it is a project that should last for the rest of the year. The rush would lead to a slowdown in the commission’s system, hence resulting in delays,” Shobowale added.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, there are over 1.9 million PoS terminals deployed by merchants and individuals nationwide.