FG Releases List Of Universities In Togo, Benin Republic Approved To Award Degrees To Nigerians
AFOLABI
The federal government has disclosed that only eight universities are accredited to award degrees to Nigerians in both Togo and Benin Republic.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on Sunday.
The Minister also insisted that there is no going back on the decision of the federal government to cancel about 22,700 certificates awarded to Nigerians by some “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and Benin Republic.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Mamman maintained that the decision to invalidate the certificates was not a harsh one as Nigerians who obtained degree certificates from such “illegal” tertiary institutions are denting the country’s image and the authorities in the neighbouring Francophone West African countries also adjudged the concerned schools as fake.
Recalls the Minister, during a press conference on Friday to mark his one year in office, disclosed that over 22,700 Nigerians obtained fake degree certificates from the two countries and such certificates would be cancelled.
Mamman narrated that the development was part of a report submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by a committee with a mandate to probe degree certificate racketeering by foreign and local universities in Nigeria following the undercover investigation report in which a Nigerian journalist acquired a degree from a university in Benin Republic in under two months and used it to get deployment for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
During the programme on Sunday, the minister said the federal government only recognised three institutions in Togo and five in Benin Republic while identifying others as illegal institutions.
He lamented that most of those parading the fake certificates didn’t even leave the shores of Nigeria but got their certificates through racketeering in collaboration with government officials at home and abroad.
The minister added that the “fake universities” capitalised on the “gullibility” of Nigerians who patronise such fake schools.
According to him, the government, through the offices of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, would fish out those in the employment of the government with such fake certificates. He urged the private sector to follow suit.
Mamman identified three universities which the federal government approved to offer degree programs in Togo for students from Nigeria as:
1. UNIVERSITE DE LOME
2. UNIVERSITE DE KARA
3. CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF WEST AFRICA.
He also listed five accredited universities that have been authorized to provide degree programs in the Republic of Benin for students from Nigeria.
1. UNIVERSITE D’ABOMEY-CALAVI
2. UNIVERSITE DE PARAKOU
3. UNIVERSITE NATIONALE DES SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGIES
INGENIERIE ET MATHEMATIQUES.
4. UNIVERSITE NATIONALE D’ AGRICULTURE.
5. UNIVERSITE AFRICAINE DE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIF.
The five officially recognized universities in Cotonou, Benin Republic, are all public universities.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, challenged President Bola Tinubu to be brave and admit the return of fuel subsidy months after the President declared that subsidy was gone.
Atiku, who lost to Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, insisted that fuel subsidy had returned and alleging that it “has become an even wider conduit pipe through which money for funding the 2027 election will come from.”
The ex-Vice President stated this in a statement released on Sunday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu.
“Tinubu visited the FMDQ in New York, Qatar and France, where he told lies about removing petrol subsidies. This is not a man who is serious about attracting FDI.
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“More worrisome is that he is not even brave enough to admit that subsidy is being paid. The NNPCL admits that N7.8tn is owed to the national oil company by the Nigerian government.
“IMF estimates that subsidy payments this year will constitute three per cent of GDP, which is about $7.5bn. This will be about N11.8tn. Yet, the petrol scarcity continues to linger while the Tinubu administration continues to frustrate the Dangote Refinery and even its own NNPCL facilities.
“Obviously, the subsidy regime has become an even wider conduit pipe through which monies for funding the 2027 election will come from,” Atiku said.
The Adamawa politician also challenged the Federal Government to clarify how Oando Plc, owned by President Tinubu’s nephew, Wale Tinubu, received accelerated approval to acquire the onshore assets of AGIP and ENI.
On Thursday, Oando PLC announced the successful completion of its acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares in Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company stated, “Today marks a significant milestone for Oando Plc as we proudly announce the finalisation of our agreement with Eni to acquire the entire shareholding of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC Ltd).”
In a response issued on Sunday, Atiku alleged that Oando received unfair and preferential treatment in the oil and gas sector, which he claimed harmed more capable investors.
“Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has asked the Federal Government to explain why Oando Plc, owned by the President’s nephew, got an accelerated approval to buy the onshore assets of AGIP and ENI, while other transactions such as the Shell/Renaissance deal and the Mobil/Seplat continue to suffer delays,” he said.
Atiku also condemned the House of Representatives for failing to act properly on the NNPCL, which has allegedly moved to “mortgage the country’s national oil assets to vested interests.”
Atiku said, “Within just eight months, the Nigerian Upstream Production Regulatory Commission approved a deal which saw the divestment of ENI/AGIP onshore assets to Oando.
“Within that same period, Nigeria controversially withdrew all litigation against Shell/ENI in the OPL 245 scandal in what has been described as a quid pro quo.
“However, the attempt by Seplat to buy Mobil’s onshore assets has continued to stall for the last three years, even as the consent letter remains on Tinubu’s table. The deal between Renaissance and Shell continues to stall.
“In fact, the only deal that has fully scaled through so far is the one involving Oando. We now know why it got accelerated approval.
“Ideally, democracy ought to be the government of the people, for the people, and by the people. But democracy in Nigeria has become the government of Tinubu, by Tinubu, and for Tinubu and his family members.”
He noted that in July 2023, the House of Representatives, following a motion by Miriam Onuoha, instructed the NNPC Ltd to halt the acquisition of OVH assets until its committee completed an investigation.
According to the former Vice President, the committee requested detailed information from NNPC Ltd, including registration documents, board resolutions, audited financial statements, management accounts, and evidence of tax payments.
He alleged that despite these requests, the oil company ignored them and proceeded with transferring ownership and properties in its retail arm to OVH, thus compromising the future of Nigerians.
“Despite the rot in the oil sector, the head of the NNPC, the head of the NUPRC, and the head of the NMDPRA continue to keep their jobs. This is clear evidence that they are fulfilling the mandate given to them by Tinubu.
“Furthermore, Atiku pointed out that the NNPC lied in its vacuous response to their statement last week, as it is on record that the Kyari-led management appointed Huub Stoksman, a former Chief Executive Officer of OVH Energy, as Managing Director of NNPC Retail, and Mumuni Dangazau, the former Chief Operating Officer of OVH Energy, as his Special Adviser Downstream, long before the consummation of the incestuous marriage of the entities.”
Also, Atiku criticised the Tinubu administration for allegedly increasing human rights abuses.
He said the President betrayed his claims of being a freedom fighter by allowing the Department of State Service, police and the military to violate citizens’ rights without accountability.
The former Vice President also argued that the Cyber Crime Prevention Act 2015 had been misused by Tinubu’s officials to detain citizens, with the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre effectively becoming a replacement for the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Atiku added, “The dangerous trend of enforced disappearances has become a national embarrassment for a country which claims to be practising democracy.
“On May 1, 2024, Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism went missing and was presumed abducted by kidnappers until he was later discovered to be in police custody on the orders of IGP Kayode Egbetokun. Ojukwu’s crime was that he exposed the corruption of a government official who currently serves in Tinubu’s administration.
“On July 23, the DSS arrested one Aliyu Sanusi in Sama Road of Sokoto, the state capital, for printing and distributing materials ahead of the #EndBadGovernanceProtest.
“Even the arrest and release of the former BBC Pidgin Editor and current West Africa Regional Editor of the Conversation, Adejuwon Soyinka, clearly show a pattern, whose objective is to intimidate journalists for speaking truth to this government.
“Now, the police have arrested Bristol Tamunobiefiri, who owns the PIDOM Nigeria blog on X, formerly Twitter. After detaining him for over two weeks, he was granted an administrative bail, which would be impossible to meet.
“This is despite the fact that the Appeal Court, in the case of EFCC V. Emem Uboh (2022) LPEIR – 57968 (CA) held that administrative bail is illegal. Bristol should, therefore, be arraigned in court immediately or released.”
The Kogi State chapter of the People Democratic party has asked the local executive committee in Ijumu to initiate immediate suspension proceedings against Senator Dino Melaye, following his recent outburst when he declared the party dead.
The party said the move was necessary to restore its integrity and focus on viable leadership.
The party’s elders, led by Alhaji Ibrahim Dansofo, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday made available to newsmen in Lokoja.
“Melaye’s political ambitions have crumbled to the point where he can no longer secure even a local councilor position
“Senator Melaye has become a burden to the party. His accusations against the current leadership are hypocritical, as he himself was granted a governorship ticket despite the party’s awareness of his inability to win even a primary election.”
The Kogi PDP placed the blame for the party’s current struggles squarely on Melaye’s shoulders, claiming that his nomination was a significant misstep that led to the party’s present predicament.
They called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to reevaluate their support for Melaye, urging them to distance themselves from someone they described as a “bondage” and a “big-time liability” for the party.
Representatives of state governments at the last Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting have bemoaned the decision by the Federal Government to save additional revenue for the payment of the new minimum wage.
This development, which affected their revenue distribution from the federation committee, was received with opposing views when an update on statutory allocation showed that the government transferred a sum of N200bn into the non-savings account at the August FAAC meeting, making a total of N595bn.
The Commissioners of Finance, Akwa Ibom, Dr Linus Noah; Delta, Okenmor Tilije and Ekiti, Akintunde Oyebode raised the observation at the last FAAC meeting held August 16, 2024, minutes of which our correspondent obtained.
At the meeting, it was learnt the committee distributed a total sum of N1.36tn to the three tiers of government, N1bn less than N1.35tn shared in June.
This is despite recording an increase of N13bn between the gross total of N2.61tn in July and N2.48tn in June.
In his opening address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, applauded President Bola Tinubu for signing the National Minimum Wage Act into law, adding that its implementation will be of immense benefit to all Nigerians.
He further disclosed that discussions were still ongoing on the consequential adjustments.
The minutes quoting the minister read, “Work on the new minimum wage is still in progress, adding that government had continued to dialogue with the organised labour and the private sector with a view to reaching an agreement.”
But after a presentation by a representative from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on the gross statutory revenue and necessary deductions of N1.29tn, the commissioner took turns to question the reasoning for such deduction.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Finance, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Linus Noah faulted the move, stressing that the income should be shared in view of the current financial challenges faced by the states.
Additionally, Dr Noah’s counterpart from Delta State, Okenmor Tilije, disagreed with the proposed idea of saving the money for the benefit of the central government only and asked that it be shared to augment the distributable allocation.
The minutes read, “The HCF, Akwa Ibom State, referred to the provision made in the month for transfer to Non-Oil Savings Account. He proposed that given the financial challenges facing the states, the amount should be used to augment the distributable revenue for the month.
“In addition, the HCF, Delta State, agreed with his counterpart from Akwa Ibom State on the need to share the N595bn in the Non-Oil Savings Account to augment the distributable revenue.”
Responding, the AGF explained that the decision was taken to save for the rainy day and upcoming financial obligations, including payments of the N70,000 minimum wage.
The minutes added, “On the issue of the N595bn, Non-Oil Savings, the AGF advised members on the need to save for the rainy day, adding that the Federal and State Governments might require more funds to meet their future obligations, among which was payment of new minimum wage to workers.”
But reiterating its stance, the Chairman of Commissioners’ Forum/HCF, Ekiti State, Akintunde Oyebode, stated that the authority should have allowed sub-nationals to decide how to use their portions, as they were not benefiting from the interest on the saved funds.
“Commenting, the Chairman, Commissioners’ Forum/HCF, Ekiti State opined that since the Sub-nationals were not benefiting from the interest on the saved amount, they should be allowed to make decisions on what to do with their respective portions,” the minutes added.
He stated that the time value of money was also a factor to consider in deciding to save for a rainy day.
But the Permanent Secretary, Finance Ministry, Lydia Jafiya, who acted as chairman of the meeting after Edun’s departure, while noting the various contributions by members, overruled the discussion and called for the adoption of the revenue distribution for the month.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law July 29 after meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria. This was after months of deadlocked meetings.
Although the government is yet to begin implementation, organised labour has called for patience while expressing optimism that the process may be concluded by the end of August.
The Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “We have no reason to suspect that (deliberate delay). In a real sense, signing the wage is just a small component of the main activity. There is something we call consequential adjustment. That involves the calculation of the minimum wage from level one, step one. From there, we will move from stage one to 13 all the way to level 16.
“So, it is something that may take some time. Again, they are not going to compile them alone. There are templates for compiling it. But they must also carry us along. I believe you are aware there is a committee that is supposed to carry out the necessary adjustments. We expect it should be completed before the end of the month.”
So far, only Adamawa, Lagos and Edo have claimed that they have begun paying the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, the state finance commissioners have sought more clarifications on the federation’s indebtedness to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, stressing that the company must begin to carry out its transactions independently as a company without recourse to the Federation Account.
Stating their displeasure after a presentation by the Chairman Post Mortem Sub-Committee and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Bello, Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states commissioners said the oil company must be transparent and accountable in its operations.
Specifically, the HCF, Delta State, raised concerns on why NNPC Ltd had to source for US dollars when the crude oil that was sold was being transacted in the same currency.
They were reacting to information by the RMAFC chairman that outstanding claims against the federation had reached N4.34tn as of June, 2024 as a result of exchange rate differentials.
At its May meeting, the amount on exchange differentials was N2.69tn, indicating an increase of N1.65tn.
The minutes read, “NNPC Limited Exchange Rate Differentials on PMS Importation and Other JV Taxes for the Period August, 2023 to April, 2024: The Federal Commissioner, RMAFC, informed the meeting that NNPC Limited reported to the Sub-committee that it had an outstanding claim of N4,344,519,176,167.32 against the Federation as a result of exchange rate differentials as of June 2024.
“He stated that the sub-committee observed that the details of the PMS volume, price and sales value were not provided in the June, 2024 Report of NNPC Limited to justify the exchange rate differentials recorded.
“He concluded that the Sub-committee had resolved to request NNPC Ltd to provide the relevant information for further consideration.
“The Chairman commended the PMSC for the presentation and requested comments from members.
“The HCF, Akwa Ibom State referred to paragraph 3.3 of the report, in respect of NNPC’s claim of N4,344,519,176,167.32 indebtedness against the Federation. He sought for more clarifications on the indebtedness and how it could be resolved.”
The minutes added, “Responding, the Accountant-General of the Federation recalled that the matter was discussed at the FAAC Technical Session, held earlier in the day and the representative of NNPC Ltd explained that the company had approval to apply the “weighted average rate” on PMS transaction in order to maintain its current price. She stated that the representative of NNPC Ltd also explained that, if the “floating rate” was to be applied, the price of PMS would be higher than the current price.
There are indications that the Federal Government’s committee which was set up to ensure the implementation of crude oil sales to local refineries in naira will further discuss the pricing of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to be released by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery next month.
Multiple officials, both among oil marketers and members of the Implementation Committee on crude oil sales in naira, under the leadership of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, confirmed that the panel would be holding a series of meetings this week and in coming weeks on the development.
They also stated that the committee would be concluding a framework that would put a benchmark on the amount which the Dangote refinery would pay for crude in naira, adding that the Federal Government would have to decide whether to pay subsidies for petrol from the plant or to allow Nigerians buy the product at the market price.
However, oil marketers declared that the cost of Dangote petrol would be higher than the current pump prices of the commodity, stressing that it would be tough for dealers to buy the commodity from the plant if the Federal Government fails to intervene in the price.
Petrol sells at between N600 and N700/litre depending on the area of purchase across the country. The landing cost of the commodity, according to data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria recently showed that the cost of PMS was N1,117/litre.
Marketers say this is the actual market price of the commodity and explain that the cost of the product from the Dangote refinery should be around this figure.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is the sole importer of petrol into the country. Other marketers stopped importing the commodity due to their inability to access the United States dollar required for petrol imports.
But last week at the presentation of the audited report and accounts of NNPC for the 2023 business year in Abuja, the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, admitted that the oil firm was shouldering a heavy subsidy burden on petrol imports.
He said NNPC had been making PMS available for retail distribution at about half of the landing cost under an agreement with the government.
He explained that the company had been offsetting the shortfall in landing price and sale price through a reconciliation arrangement between the government and the company. He said the company had not paid any money to any marketer in the name of petrol subsidy in the last eight to nine years.
While the official pump price of petrol is about N600/litre, the average landing cost is about N1,200/litre. Ajiya said the company covered about N7.8tn in “shortfall” in the first seven months of this year.
“I think there is one fact that I need to make very clear, in the last eight or nine years, this company, even as a corporation as it were, has not paid anybody a dime or one naira as subsidy.
“No one has been paid a kobo by the NNPC in the name of subsidy. No marketer has received money from us by way of subsidy,” Ajiya said.
He said the government directs NNPCL to sell the petrol it imports, at a price that is half of the landing price. According to him, at times the Federal Government pays the money and it could as well net off for it.
“What has been happening is that we have been importing PMS, landing at a certain price, and the government is telling us to sell it at half price. So, that gap between that landed price and the half price is what we call shortfall or we call it a subsidy,” the CFO explained.
On August 20, 2024, The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government’s committee which was set up to ensure the implementation of crude oil sales to local refineries in naira has reached an agreement with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the rollout of petrol in September this year.
The Federal Government also disclosed that the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries will commence on October 1, 2024.
On Sunday, impeccable sources among oil marketers, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the Presidency confirmed to our correspondent that the cost of petrol from the $20bn plant would be discussed by the government and the management of the plant in the coming weeks.
They said the options before the government are to either pay subsidies on petrol without piling the burden on NNPC or to allow Nigerians to buy the product at the market price to be released by the Dangote refinery, which, of course, will be high.
“The only way the government can intervene is to subsidise. There is nothing NNPC can do. I mean this. Do you want to kill the NNPC? Do you want the company to continue carrying the subsidy burden after the explanation it gave last week? It is not sustainable.
“Except you are saying NNPC will start doing whatever it can and nobody will expect profit from the company,” a source at the FMPR, who spoke in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on whether the NNPC would intervene in PMS price from Dangote, stated.
Asked to state a possible solution to the matter, the official replied, “The solution is for Nigerians to pay the real cost of petrol. But then you know, other things will come into play, because, you know, our economy is not that good. Things are not good for everyone.
“However, it is for Nigerians to pay the real cost of petrol or for the government to bring back subsidies. I don’t know, but it’s just those two things. They may consider this at the meeting, but for now the major discussions centre on crude supply in naira, which should be finalised in a few weeks.”
The source said the sale of crude to Dangote in naira had been settled, stressing that “his (Dangote) own portion will be sent to him. But they are still working on the framework, I know, we’ve been having meetings. So we’re having meetings. So hopefully, I think by next week we should be able to get a clearer picture on the modalities. We meet almost every two or three times a week.”
The source noted that one major challenge is the lack of the United States dollar, but stressed that the committee “will benchmark the exchange rate for crude sale to Dangote.”
The official added, “All the framework will be sorted and you know AfreximBank is with us in this.”
Also commenting on the development when contacted and asked if marketers had reached a price for Dangote petrol ahead of its release next month, a senior official of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria explained that though members of the association were willing to load from the plant, it would be tough due to the price.
“There are two things: the first one is logistics and cost-taking. We’ve been taking AGO (diesel), ATK (aviation fuel) by vessel and truck. By now, we all know ourselves and we understand how it works. So that one is not a problem. When PMS starts, it will not be changed from what we were doing before. The methodology of picking it from them (Dangote) has already been worked out and it is already in place and play.
“Now, when it comes to price, that’s the second thing and the third one is, in what currency are we paying? That one is going to be between Dangote and the government because as the government has just confessed to you, there is a subsidy. So, Dangote cannot clear the subsidy by himself. In order to deal with it, I think the government is trying to intervene, though still in denial.
“However, I do not think the subsidy is a good policy. I do not think anything has changed concerning the subsidy. Subsidy shortchanges the country. The government still must recognise that things are very tough on Nigerians right now and must find a way. If it wants to remove the subsidy, what can it do to mitigate the challenges?”
The official, who also spoke in confidence, said the government had introduced the Compressed Natural Gas initiative to tackle the cost of subsidy on PMS.
“So, what he’s (President Bola Tinubu) trying to do is he’s trying to push CNG which is possible so that he can stop paying subsidies for PMS. The CNG uptake is going a lot slowly; but that is the solution, to move quickly with the alternative CNG, especially for commercial transportation and long-distance movement of foodstuffs from the bread baskets to the urban centres so that you can manage your inflation.
“But, can the government continue with a subsidy of N7.7tn? I don’t think so, and anybody who says that is not being fair to Nigerians. The government is just a temporary group of people in power; they will soon go when their time finishes but our country will still be here.
“It is government policy. Currently, the government policy is that there is no subsidy; there is no subsidy provided for in the budget. How much will Dangote sell for? Dangote is not prepared – I don’t think – to sell at below the cost of production. So, we will need to wait to see what the government will do,” the source stated.
Asked whether there would be an intervention from the government, the official replied, “There may be an intervention, yes. Refined crude will still be at the international market price, as it should be.”
“Drought: Kogi Govt; farmers seek divine intervention.”
“Despite harvest, food prices remain high in Taraba.”
“Food crisis may worsen as flood hits 10 states.”
“SEMA seeks govt help as drought dry up crops in four states.”
“Why grains importation won’t happen soon, by stakeholders.”
Like a sudden heavy downpour and thunderstorm, destroying everything, the trope of bad news published on Monday, August 9, 2024, by newspapers, paint a grimmer picture of Nigeria’s imminent food prices this year.
Two tragedies unfolding simultaneously
“If a man stands with one foot in a bucket of boiling water, the other in a bucket of ice, statistically, he should be comfortable” – Anonymous (Vanguard Book Of Quotations, p 233)
Perhaps a national day of prayer needs to be organised, not just in Kogi and Sokoto to seek God’s intervention. As things stand right now, the Federal and State governments are totally powerless to prevent poor national harvests this year as the country is buffeted by the twin disasters farmers fear most – drought and flood. A third tragedy is lurking in the background which will be mentioned shortly. But, first let us deal with the known calamities.
The ten states hit by floods, so far, are: Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi. Those ten states, together, account for over 50 per cent of food production in Nigeria every year. The five other large food baskets not yet mentioned are: Niger, Benue, Adamawa, Plateau and Katsina. Borno State was once a large producer, but, Boko Haram has made farming a suicide mission there. Kogi and Kwara are battling with drought.
The projections on flood or drought or both are frightening as some of the reports indicate: Kano 14 Local Government Areas; Jigawa 2,744 hectares of farmlands washed away in 12 LGAs; in Zamfara “eight LGAs would be affected by flooding”; “the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency predicted that in this year’s annual flooding outlook, 31 States with 148 LGAs would be within the high flood risk areas”; in Yobe State “farmers in the region told Punch they were in dire situation, with many expressing fears of losing their entire season’s harvest”. Punch on its front page carried the picture of Yobe people displaced from homes and farms, receiving relief materials from the officials of the National and State Emergency Management Agencies. For most of those badly affected, the season is over; the harvests had been washed away totally.
The report by Magaji Isa Hunkuyi of Daily Trust, from Jalingo, told us all we need to know about the current food situation before we start to rejoice prematurely about food prices. Said Magaji: “Findings revealed that 100kg bag of newly harvested groundnut is sold at N60,000, while the same bag was sold at N30,000 during this same period last year.” Obviously, we might be heading for tougher time this year and early next year than we realise now.
PESTS: The unknown factor
Nobody is talking about it yet; and nobody should pray for it. But, my previous experiences in farming in the North remind me that seldom does the nation experience floods and drought at the same time without another problem arising. Almost invariably, millions of pests – locusts, birds etc – invade farms and leave in their wake farms totally devastation; worse than a herd of cattle. At the moment only four states are experiencing the two at the same time. It is difficult to know if more states will be affected. If that happens, only God can save Nigeria from utmost food catastrophe.
Government’s response? Too little, too late, confused
Nigeria’s bastardised presidential federation has brought us to our current situation in which people in every state look up to the FG to provide food for them. In my ten years, living in the USA, there was never a day when the US President called all the 50 Governors to Washington to discuss how to provide food for Americans. Each state took care of production and distribution of food items based on the principle of comparative advantage. The States controlled the land and water resources, as well as supply of agricultural inputs; the Federal passed the bills and created the institutions providing support – finance, insurance, research, export promotion etc. No President of the USA would ever call all the Governors and announce food palliatives would be sent to their states. The Governors, even if they all attend, would think that the President needs to have his head examined. That is not his job.
Here in Nigeria, Governors have routinely out-sourced their responsibilities by leaving it to the President to provide rice, maize, sorghum, wheat etc. Our Presidents, in their quest for absolute power, have been too eager to oblige the lazy governors. The entire arrangement would not have deserved mention if it is working well. But, the evidence before us shows clearly that it is not. Back in the 1950s to 1960s, when none of the Premiers of the Eastern, Mid-Western, Northern and Western Regions could run to Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa for palliatives, Nigerians were not starving – and there was no crude oil revenue to pay for imports. Indeed, food imports e.g. corn beef and sardines etc, were left entirely to the private sector. We knew we had to produce food or starve.
Our current leaders – Presidents, Governors, legislators, Ministers are leading us the wrong way. They seem happy to turn all of us to beggars with palliatives. It will never work. No nation had achieved self-sufficiency and sustainable food security by making almajiris out of its people. Where is the leadership on food?
I was a strong supporter of the President’s decision to allow limited importation of duty-free food items. Even, the list of food items first released was commendable. One item I would have added was infant milk powder. But, on the whole, it was a good step in the right direction – if speedily executed. Unfortunately, Tinubu’s penchant for talking first before thinking through the consequences of his utterances has got in the way again. The details of the implementation of the food importation policy which the FG released last week fell far short of what would have been required to make significant impact on acute hunger ravaging the nation with under-nourishment and outright starvation.
”List of items covered by Executive order is: Husked brown rice, beans, millet, grain sorghum, maize and wheat” (Vanguard, August 19, 2024 p 1).
There is nothing wrong with the selection. Nobody who has had any experience with food consumption and production in Nigeria can fault the FG on that. The problem starts with the proposed list of importers of each item and the conditions laid down for their participation. Space does not allow me to cover all of them. So, permit me to focus only on rice. According to reports: “It (the guidelines) provides that only companies that have the capacity to mill 100 tons per day and have been in business for at least five years will be allowed to import paddy rice. At the risk of being accused of parochialism, that policy, unless amended, misses the opportunity to reach millions in the Southern market. Lagos State has a rice mill at Imota, which badly needs paddy rice in order to serve the entire South; but has not been in business for five years. Why transport paddy rice to the North and re-transport parboiled rice to the South when Lagos could get the job done at lower cost and offer less expensive rice?
Former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has told the Chairman of the ousted Committee of the Rivers APC, Tony Okocha, that former Minister, Chibuike Amaechi will not have a hand in sacking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Recall that Okocha was recently quoted as saying that, “There is an intention to throw up Amaechi’s man and then he (Amaechi) becomes the APC leader and then uses the party to fight Mr President in 2027.”
Reacting through a statement made available to the media on Sunday, Eze cautioned Okocha to refrain from using Amaechi to cash out from his paymasters and their allies who feel threatened at the mere mention of the name and have been working surreptitiously to make him a subject of lampoon through smear campaigns and defamatory insinuations.
Eze reminded Okocha that “the cascade of administrative ineptitude, policy summersaults and multi-layer corruption that has fanned the embers of hyper-unemployment, insecurity, food price hike and more form a veritable mountain of weapons with which Nigerians are armed to fight and oust Tinubu from office in 2027.”
The APC Chief said “it is even foolish for a mere mortal like Okocha to be talking about 2027, three years away from today, when no one is sure of the next minute of his life; like the Bible said in James 4:14 ….”
Furthermore, Eze urged Okocha and his irks to consult Tinubu and those who formed APC to ascertain who truly is the Leader of APC in Rivers and South South, noting that at the formation of APC, Tinubu was made the National Leader of APC, while Amaechi emerged South South leader and despite the Buhari’s entrance as President, Tinubu clinked to his position as national leader.
He admonished Okocha and those allegedly sponsoring him to “be concerned about the fact that the country once known as Africa’s giant has collapsed in all facets under the nose of Tinubu, and channel energy towards fashioning out solutions, if they have any, to the gamut of problems they have created impeding Nigeria’s progress.”
Eze accused Okocha of mobilizing a paid-protest in support of Tinubu which gulped over fifty million Naira without any effect, after his ouster by the court in order to remain in the good book of his paymasters and continually curry their cheers.
PIDOM: Tinubu’s Administration attacking citizens with DSS, Police, abusing peoples rights – Atiku alleges
AFOLABI
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lambasted President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the rise in human rights abuses in the country.
Atiku stated this in a release signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, lamenting that citizens were being arrested in a Gestapo manner without the knowledge of their relatives.
He said Tinubu has turned against the people by allowing the Department of State Services, DSS, the Police and even the military to abuse the rights of citizens without any consequences.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the last general election said the most affected since Tinubu took office have been journalists whose only crime is reporting the news and exposing government indiscretion.
He argued that the Cyber Crime Prevention Act 2015 has a tool for abducting Nigerian citizens.
“The dangerous trend of enforced disappearances has become a national embarrassment for a country which claims to be practising democracy. On May 1, 2024, Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism went missing and was presumed abducted by kidnappers until he was later discovered to be in police custody on the orders of IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
“Ojukwu’s crime was that he exposed the corruption of a government official who currently serves in Tinubu’s administration. On July 23, the DSS arrested one Aliyu Sanusi in Sama Road of Sokoto, the state capital for printing and distributing materials ahead of the #EndBadGovernanceProtest. Even the arrest and release of the former BBC Pidgin Editor and current West Africa Regional Editor of the Conversation, Adejuwon Soyinka, clearly shows a pattern, whose objective is to intimidate journalists for speaking the truth to this government.
“Now, the police have arrested Bristol Tamunobiefiri, who owns the PIDOM Nigeria blog on X, formerly Twitter. After detaining him for over two weeks, he was granted an administrative bail, which would be impossible to meet. This is despite the fact that the Appeal Court, in the case of EFCC V. Emem Uboh (2022) LPEIR – 57968 (CA) held that administrative bail is illegal. Bristol should, therefore, be arraigned in court immediately or released.”
Atiku urged Tinubu to take cases of human rights abuses seriously or Nigeria would remain at risk of being slammed with sanctions by foreign nations.
The federal government has approved the dismissal of workers in the public and private sectors with fake degree certificates obtained from Benin and Togo Republics.
The minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who disclosed this during a press conference to celebrate his one year in office in Abuja on Friday, said the measures were approved during a recent federal executive council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
He said the decision is part of the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee set up by the federal government to investigate an undercover report published by DAILY NIGERIAN in December.
The report exposed how how degree certificates from Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Cotonou, Benin Republic, were obtained by a DAILY NIGERIAN undercover reporter, Umar Audu, in less than two months.
He also used the certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Scheme, NYSC, despite having participated in the scheme legitimately almost five years earlier.
Mr Mamman, however, said most of the institutions attended by Nigerian students from the two countries are not licensed to offer degree programs.
The minister said, “One of the things we did in the course of the year was — remember when information broke out about some of our students going to neighbouring countries —some not even going at all — to obtain certificates.
“The ministry set up a committee to look into that; the committee came up with a detailed review; that review was sent to the federal executive council about a month ago, which approved some of the recommendations from the ministry.
“Now the recommendations will be implemented along with other ministries and agencies affected, including NYSC, Immigration.
“Because we have to take some major decisions here, some staff who are affected faced disciplinary measures, and that the whole unit went through some kind of review.
“But by and large, we can’t have in our midst people who procure fake certificates and to compete with our students who graduated from our universities and polytechnics through their sweat, some spent four, five, six, or more years going out to compete with people who procure certificates right here without going anywhere, for a lot of them.
“So what the FEC now approves is that, through the data, that NYSC has, about 21,684 students that are parading fake certificates from Benin Republic, obtained between 2019 to 2023.
“Togo is about 1,105. How did that happen? They simply attend schools, which are not recognised in those countries.
“Remember, this point is extremely important. The non-recognition itself is in those countries. They are not institutions recognised to offer degree programs in those countries.
“Instead, some of our parents, take their wards to these institutions, and of course there is no way we would recognise qualifications which are not recognised in those countries.
“In the case of Togo, we have three universities that are officially approved and licensed to offer degrees, and in Benin, there are about five of them.
“So anyone who didn’t attend these universities is parading a fake certificate.
“And from 2017, anybody who attended a university solely run in English is wasting his time because it’s not an approved university. That is their policy.
“But a lot of our countrymen went there—some didn’t go anyway; remember, these numbers are just what we have, a lot of them didn’t even bother to go to NYSC.
“The number may be more Some who attempted to but couldn’t succeed in the screening process disappeared into thin air.
“So in the final analysis, what the federal government approved is that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, will issue a circular to all employers, whether public or private, to fish out anybody with a certificate from these institutions—that circular probably would have been out by now.
“And the Head of Service, has also been mandated to fish out from the public service anybody who is parading certificate from these institutions.
“So this is the decision of the federal government on this matter”.
2027: ‘Shettima, Ganduje Get ‘Special Assignment’ Amidst North’s Move To Stop Tinubu’s Re-Election
AFOLABI
As the 2027 presidential election approaches, President Bola Tinubu has reportedly initiated efforts to win back the support of northern politicians who have expressed dissatisfaction with his administration.
A northerner politician who spoke with Punch on condition of anonymity disclosed that Vice President, Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje have been tasked with reaching out to aggrieved northern stakeholders.
This move comes after several northern political figures voiced concerns about the Tinubu administration’s perceived neglect of northern interests.
Key issues raised by northern politicians include alleged marginalization in federal appointments and governance.
These concerns have led to significant discontent, with some northern leaders openly expressing regret for supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.
The source said, “Some political bigwigs were interested in certain positions but were not given them, and they have resorted to working against Asiwaju’s return, which is not good. But that does not bring any fear to Asiwaju’s camp. To be a little more open, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, and I are all from the North.
“We are reaching out to the aggrieved stakeholders, and we are also accessible. We are critical stakeholders who hold ground for Asiwaju in the North. We will reach out to everyone; it is a collective effort.”
Recall that last week, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, had also lent his voice to the agitation for a northern leader in 2027, vowing to jettison his presidential ambition if former President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to contest.
According to him, the former president has the requisite experience to revamp the economy and would do a good job if given a second mandate to manage the country.
But a former Minister of Communication and prominent APC chieftain, Adebayo Shittu, said Nigerians should be wary of such moves.
He said, “If you are calling for a change in government, you still have to wait until the current one run its term. Now, you are even calling on Jonathan to come back. He, just like others, is free to return and contest election in 2027. But certainly, there won’t be any election before then and there cannot be any change of government. If Jonathan has done very well, Nigerians won’t have voted him out after spending about six years in office. Tell me, if the PDP had done very well, would the people have voted them out? Nigerians only voted them out after their term expired.”
A former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central between 2015 and 2019, Senator Shehu Sani, warned against the desperation of some northern elites to return to power.
He said, “If President Tinubu succeeds in addressing the security situation, education, and poverty in Northern Nigeria, no northern elite will stop him from being re-elected in 2027.
“The desperation to return to power in 2027 by some northern political elites is not in the interest of the North but is driven by personal reasons, as some of them have been schemed out. So, they often turn to a sectional agenda when their own personal interests are affected.”
Speaking with Punch, a former Minister of State for Works and National Coordinator of South-West Agenda for Asiwaju, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, said Tinubu had “sufficient loyalists on his side to confront any opposition coming from any angle.”
“I believe that by the time we approach 2027, Nigerians will know that the president will win his second term as president,” he added.
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Several northern political figures and groups have expressed deep dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing him of neglecting northern interests and mistreating the politicians whose support helped him rise to power.
These grievances range from concerns about governance and security to the perception that Tinubu has favored the Yoruba ethnic group in major government appointments at the expense of northern representation.
Prominent northern leaders have pointed to the concentration of key positions, such as the Petroleum Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Justice of Nigeria, and others, in the hands of the Yoruba ethnic group.
They argue that since Nigeria’s independence, no ethnic group has held such a large number of influential roles simultaneously.
This perceived marginalization has fueled growing resentment within the northern political establishment.
The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), a significant socio-political group in the region, has voiced regret over supporting Tinubu in the 2023 elections.
According to Vanguard, Professor Usman Yusuf, a member of the NEF, reportedly lamented that Tinubu’s administration has led to “deception, destitution, and hopelessness” for many in the North.
He said, “People have lost hope. It pains me to see our people lining up to collect cups of palliatives. Renewed Hope has turned into hopelessness. People have lost hope.”
NEF Spokesman, Abdulaziz Sulaiman echoed these sentiments, promising that the North would not repeat the mistake of backing Tinubu in 2027.
The North-East Governors’ Forum has also raised concerns, accusing Tinubu’s administration of neglecting their region, particularly in the areas of infrastructure development and electricity provision.
The forum’s chairman, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, highlighted the lack of road and rail connections between the South-East and North-East as a particular grievance.
Recent meetings among northern political heavyweights, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir, El-Rufai and NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as visits by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to former President, Muhammadu Buhari, have further stoked speculation of a northern political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.
Although Atiku described his visit as a Sallah homage, many analysts view these moves as strategic positioning for the next presidential contest.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his dissatisfaction with Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for asserting that he (Atiku) would have collapsed had he been elected president in 2023.
In a statement released via social media on Saturday, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, characterized George’s remarks as an ‘unwise’ discourse and underscored the advantages that would have been realized under Atiku’s leadership.
Ibe contended that Atiku’s governance would have fostered prosperity, promoted appointments based on merit, and protected Nigeria’s interests in contrast to the current administration’s prejudice and favouritism.
Furthermore, Ibe lampooned Bode George for his lack of public critique regarding the current administration’s performance, suggesting that his silence may be attributed to Atiku’s non-Southern heritage.
He wrote: “Contrary to Chief Bode George’s imprudent talk, an @atiku presidency would have heralded an era of prosperity, driven by a cabinet brimming with seasoned and adept individuals, chosen solely on merit regardless of their background or beliefs.
“Such leadership would have safeguarded Nigeria’s interests, steering clear of the bigotry and nepotism and brigandage that characterizes this administration. Instead of the current state of disarray, driven by haphazard policies, Nigeria would have thrived under Atiku’s guidance.
“In contrast, we see Bode George, who once threatened exile should Tinubu ascend to power, now oddly silent about the present administration. Is Bode’s reticence caused by Atiku not being from his region? It is prudent to consider Bode’s opinions with caution.
“Furthermore, Bode’s conduct is a disservice to the military, an institution esteemed for its unity. Here is a Commodore who, paradoxically, embraces tribalism and undermines the very principles of the military. It is a source of shame for the armed forces to have such a figure in their ranks.”
I Knew Atiku Would Collapse In The Future
Speaking on Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” earlier, George stated that Atiku would have collapsed in the future, and the country become unstable if a northerner (Atiku), had succeeded Muhammadu Buhari, another northerner.
He stressed that Nigerians would not have accepted this scenario, citing the party’s zoning arrangement as the root of the problem.
“If Atiku had won — I would have stayed in my house because I knew that for real in the future, he would collapse. This country would never accept.
“If he had won that election, you think this country would have been stable? Because somebody from the north (Buhari) had just finished eight years and our own norm is that after the eight years, the presidential candidate must come to the south,” George had said.
The PDP chieftain alleged that the party’s zoning arrangement was manipulated to favour Atiku, leading to the current issues.
The Federal Government has been asked to sell the government-owned Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to fund modular ones.
All three refineries are under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Federal Government’s oil firm.
The Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria made the call for the sale of the refineries in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, saying that it is the only way out of the incessant fuel crisis in the country.
Since over a month ago, Nigerians started to experience fuel queues in filling stations even as the pump price rose to as high as N1,000 per litre in some areas.
Despite promises by the NNPC, the queues have refused to disappear, and this keeps impacting the cost of transportation,
CORAN Publicity Secretary, Eche Idoko, expressed concerns that the Federal Government has expended over $1bn to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt refinery, yet the facility has yet to start production despite six postponements.
Idoko argued that the fuel queues would not go away unless the country starts refining its crude locally.
According to him, modular refineries should be given intervention funds which would also give the government stakes in the refineries.
He noted that the reason for the fuel crisis in Nigeria was that the country does not have enough refined products as the cost of importing fuel with foreign exchange is a burden on the government, especially when subsidy payment is involved.
“We are not asking for free money. The government should set up an intervention fund in which people can access credit. So, it’s not free money. There are a lot of intervention funds in the agricultural sector,” Idoko said.
He spoke further, “The $1.5bn spent on the Port Harcourt refinery could be used to develop 10 modular refineries to be able to produce PMS of a minimum of 10,000 barrels per day. That is about 100,000 barrels a day.
“And if you have 100,000 barrels per day, at least, with the Dangote refinery, you would have solved that problem. We would actually have enough to begin to export,” he stated.
Idoko maintained that no one else could import PMS because of the government subsidy and the lack of foreign exchange.
Suggesting a way out of repeated fuel scarcity, he said, “The low-hanging fruit is simply to empower the modular refineries.
A modular refinery takes an average of 12 to a maximum of 18 months to set up. This administration can identify and select from the modular refineries that are already on stream to support them.
“Right now, we have about 15 of them – five are operating but not producing PMS; the other 10 are at various stages of completion. If the government supported these 15 modular refineries to produce PMS, in about 12 months or less, they would have solved this problem of fuel scarcity, rather than say, you are putting money into the Port Harcourt refinery, Warri refinery, or Kaduna refinery.
“That was why there was a particular administration that tried to sell those facilities. Most of them are obsolete. Technology has changed. I would have said that the government should sell them off. We know that the issue of fuel crisis is a serious issue, but do we have a solution to it now? We don’t have a quick-fix solution other than what is being done right now, which is importation.
“But that is simply not sustainable. For how long can you continue like this? And so, what we are saying is that give yourself a target of the time to completely wind down the importation of petroleum products. Bring stakeholders like the modular refineries and the traders together. We will all put our heads together and then work out a scheme.”
Idoko added that in countries where there is self-sufficiency, the private sector drives the oil refinery segment.
“Saudi Aramco is a purely private-loaned entity. It has shares, it has boards, it runs as a private entity. In the United States, in all the countries where you are seeing self-sufficiency in their refineries, the private sector takes the lead. All the government does is to create an enabling environment to provide support,” he submitted.
The NNPC said it spent over N9.3tn to import petrol in 2023.
After many months of denying subsidy payment, the firm confirmed on Monday that it imports petrol and sells at 50 per cent below the landing cost, saying the government pays the shortfall.
Many have argued that this is why the NNPC is having challenges to import enough petrol for Nigerians.
In the 25 years since Nigeria’s return to democracy, the 1999 Constitution has undergone five amendments and billions of naira expended on the process.
This stark reality has raised questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of the constitutional amendment process in the country.
The constitutional amendment process has become a recurring phenomenon in Nigeria, with each attempt generating significant hype and expectation. However, the outcome has often been underwhelming, with few tangible results to show for it.
According to Sunday Vanguard findings, the Constitution has been altered five times – twice in 2010 under President Umaru Yar’Adua and thrice under President Muhammadu Buhari.
They include the first, second and third alterations of 2010, the fourth alteration of 2017 as well as the fifth alteration of 2023.
The constitutional review exercise under President Obasanjo was derailed in May 2006 over his purported third term ambition.
Former President Jonathan, on his part, vetoed the constitutional alteration bills in 2015 and advanced reasons for doing so in a seven-page letter read on the floor of the Senate on April 15, 2015.
Then-President said he could not sign the new proposals into law due to irregularities and an attempt by the lawmakers to violate the doctrine of Separation of Powers.
Among alterations of the Constitution signed into law in 2010, ex-President Yar’Adua put the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on First Line Charge in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the federation.
This gesture was similarly extended to the National Assembly and the Federal Judiciary.
The age qualification of INEC Chairman was reduced from 50 to 40 years and those of National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners reduced from 40 to 35 years.
It was also then that the number of judges at the Election Petition Tribunals was reduced from five to three and governorship election petition was made to now terminate at the Supreme Court rather than Court of Appeal where it used to end before 2011. Also, election petitions were now given a time limit of 180 days at the tribunal and 60 days each at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. It was also in the 2010 constitutional amendment that the National Industrial Court became the Court of Superior Records.
‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’
On May 31, 2018, President Buhari signed the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill which reduced age qualifications for some political offices into law.
They include that of President from 40 to 35 years, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly from 30 to 25 years.
On June 8, 2018, Buhari signed four constitutional alteration bills into law.
They include Constitution Amendment Number 21 which relates to the determination of pre-election matters.
It has reduced the date and time of determining pre-election matters to ensure that pre-election matters in court do not get into the time of the elections and do not linger thereafter.
Slow pace
With billions of naira spent on the process, stakeholders said the slow pace of amendments has hindered the country’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and address emerging challenges.