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A former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has lambasted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for describing him and a former Minister of Transportation, Abiye Sekibo, as “expired politicians” over their support for Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Recall that last week, Secondus, Sekibo, who was director-general of the party’s presidential campaign council in Rivers State; Senator Lee Maeba, Celestine Omehia, and Austin Opara, an ex-lawmaker, openly declared their support for Fubara and urged President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike.
In response, Wike had during a live media chat in Abuja, condemned the leaders of the PDP in Rivers State as “expired politicians” and “political buccaneers”.
But, Secondus in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, described Wike as “a showman noted for his double-speak, twisting of facts to score some cheap political points, and someone who stands the truth on its head.”
He further described the FCT Minister’s utterances during his media chat with select journalists as “appalling and rather unfortunate, more so he characterised our revered political leaders of Rivers State, casting them in a bad light by referring to them as transitional politicians, political vampires, and political buccaneers.”
[Leadership]
A former lawmaker, Shehu Sani has aired his opinion on the recent announcements made by the Federal Government on the increase of electricity tariffs.
DAILY POST reports that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to raise the electricity rates for customers in the Band A category.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Vice Chairman of NERC, Musliu Oseni, announced that there will be a rise in electricity tariffs.
This adjustment will result in customers paying N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the current rate of N66.
Sani, a former lawmaker, who represented Kaduna central district in the 8th assembly, said the increase would further reduce the living standard of Nigerians and kill businesses.
“Increasing electricity tariffs by 300% will finally electrocute human lives and businesses in the country,” he wrote on X.
[DailyPost]
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law.
This development follows individual reviews by both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the report from the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.
What is the student loan bill in Nigeria?
The Bill sponsored by Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State, Bamidele Opeyemi aims to improve the execution of the Higher Education Student Loan Scheme in Nigeria by tackling issues related to the management structure of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, applicant eligibility criteria, loan purposes, funding sources, and procedures for disbursement and repayment.
How does the student loan works in Nigeria?
Under this Bill, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) would be established as a legal entity with the authority to litigate and be litigated in its own name, and it would possess the power to acquire, hold, and dispose of both movable and immovable property to fulfill its functions.
In essence, the Bill enables the Fund to offer loans to eligible Nigerians for their tuition, fees, charges, and living expenses while studying in approved tertiary institutions and vocational training centers in Nigeria.
In contrast to the previous 2023 Act, which placed the Fund’s administration under a Special Committee chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, this Bill proposes changes in the management structure.
What are the terms and conditions for student loan in Nigeria?
Furthermore, the Bill eliminates the income-based eligibility criterion set by the existing law, which required an annual income of less than N500,000 for applicants or their families.
The Bill also broadens the scope of eligibility, allowing students from federally or state-established tertiary institutions and government-approved vocational institutions to apply, with specific criteria to be determined by the Fund.
Additionally, unlike the 2023 Act, which limited loan applications solely to tuition fees, the new Bill permits applicants to request loans to cover various institutional charges and maintenance allowances.
Nigerian commercial banks have set withdrawal limits on their automated teller machines (ATMs), TheCable can report.
Findings showed the limits vary across banks.
This followed reported cases of cash scarcity in some parts of the country in the second half of last year.
On November 2, 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the scarcity experienced in some locations was due to a high volume of withdrawals from its branches by banks and panic withdrawals by customers from ATMs.
The CBN also said there was sufficient stock of currency notes for economic activities in Nigeria and assured its branches across the country were working to ensure seamless cash circulation in their respective states of operation.
While the scarcity persisted, the apex bank, on December 13, blamed the situation on hoarding, stating most of the cash given to banks was in the hands of individuals.
A year before, the CBN had attempted to limit cash circulation by implementing a cap on ATM withdrawals, to encourage cashless transactions.
The CBN reduced ATM withdrawals on December 6, 2022, to N20,000 daily and N100,000 per week. However, on December 21 of the same year, the regulator reviewed the cash withdrawal limits across all channels to N500,000 and N5,000,000 per week for individual and corporate organisations, respectively — after a public outburst.
This took effect on January 9, 2023.
However, recent findings across various locations in Lagos showed that banks have restored limits on ATM withdrawals.
TheCable understands that the cap set on account holders also restricts the customers to a certain amount should they attempt to withdraw from a different bank.
BANKS’ NEW DAILY ATM WITHDRAWAL LIMITS
At three Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branches located in Ogba, Egbeda, and Fagba in Lagos state, the company’s account holders are only allowed to withdraw N20,000 per day at the ATM, while it dispenses a maximum of N5,000 to non-customers daily.
However, another GTBank in Egbeda has a daily cap of N50,000 for customers and N20,000 for non-customers.
Also, Polaris Bank branches at Festac and Ikeja have N50,000 ATM withdrawal limit per day for the lender’s account holders — but non-customers can only withdraw N20,000 per day.
The limit is different for account holders of United Bank for Africa (UBA), as ATMs at the lender’s branches at Fagba and Ogba only dispense N20,000 and N60,000 to N100,000, respectively, whereas non-customers have a cap of N5,000 and N40,000 to N60,000, respectively.
At Union Bank branches in Ikeja, Ilupeju, and Berger, account holders can withdraw N20,000, N60,000 to N70,000, and N70,000 per day, respectively.
However, non-customers have a limit of N20,000 daily at Union Bank branches in Ikeja and Ilupeju, while they can withdraw up to N40,000 at the Berger office.
For Ecobank account holders, the maximum ATM withdrawal at its branches in Ogba and Berger is N400,000 and N40,000 per day, respectively, while non-customers can withdraw N20,000 daily.
Keystone Bank branches at Ilupeju, Ogba, and Allen set a limit of N40,000, N50,000, and N200,000 per day for account holders, respectively; while the ATM dispenses N20,000, N30,000, and N100,000, (respectively) to non-customers.
The withdrawal limit for Zenith Bank account holders is N100,000 per day at ATMs located at the company’s branches in Aguda and Festac, but non-customers can only withdraw N30,000 and N50,000, respectively.
At its branches in Allen and Akowonjo, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has an ATM withdrawal cap of N40,000 for account holders, while N20,000 is dispensed to non-customers per day.
Also, Sterling Bank branches at Ilupeju and Allen have a limit of N50,000 for account holders, but the maximum non-customers can withdraw are N25,000 and N50,000, respectively.
Access Bank also has a limit on ATM withdrawals, as the company’s branches in Allen and Ogba offer N40,000 per day to account holders, but dispense N20,000 to N25,000 to non-customers.
Checks at Fidelity Bank’s branches in Ilupeju and Aguda showed account holders can withdraw a maximum of N40,000 — but for non-customers at the Ilupeju office, the amount depends on the bank they are using, while for the Aguda branch, non-customers can withdraw N20,000 or until they can no longer take out funds from the ATM.
First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) also limited account holders’ ATM withdrawals to N40,000 daily, according to findings at its branches in Allen and Berger.
Although non-customers can withdraw N20,000 at FBN’s Allen office, withdrawal at the Berger branch depends on the bank used by non-customers.
For Globus Bank account holders, ATMs at the company’s branches in Ilupeju and Allen have a limit of N150,000 per day, however, non-customers withdrawal limit also depends on their banks.
Providus Bank branches in Allen and Adeola Odeku offer account holders a maximum of N100,000 and N150,000 (respectively) per day, with the ATMs dispensing N20,000 to non-customers daily.
However, account holders of Premium Trust Bank can withdraw N40,000 daily at the company’s ATMs in Allen and Adeola Hopewell branches but non-customers are only able to withdraw N10,000 and N40,000 to N50,000 per day, respectively.
At Allen and Mowe (Ogun state), ATMs in Unity Bank branches dispense N40,000 per day to account holders and non-customers.
But at Parallex Bank in Adeola Hopewell, the ATM withdrawal limit for account holders is N100,000, while that of non-customers depends on their banks.
Heritage Bank in Ilupeju has a cap of N150,000-N200,000 per day for account holders, but non-customers cannot withdraw more than N40,000 daily.
Also, findings at Suntrust Bank, located in Sanusi Fafunwa, showed account holders are limited to N20,000 a day and non-customers can withdraw N20,000-N30,000 daily.
At Titan Trust Bank in Egbeda, both account holders and non-customers are unable to withdraw more than N20,000 per day.
It is different at Stanbic IBTC in Computer Village and Ogba, where ATM withdrawal for account holders is capped at N80,000 to N100,000 daily.
However, non-customers can withdraw N40,000 daily at the Computer Village branch, while they can withdraw until they are unable to at the Ogba office.
TheCable also learnt that ATMs at Wema Bank branches in Oba Akran and Ojodu are dispensing N40,000 to account holders daily, but non-customers limit depends on their banks.
WHY BANKS ARE SETTING LIMITS TO ATM WITHDRAWAL
In a notice to customers, seen by TheCable, Stanbic IBTC Bank advised withdrawals should be limited to one bank card per transaction when using the company’s ATM to avoid cash shortage.
In the statement, pasted at its ATM gallery, Stanbic IBTC said cash shortage occurs when individuals use multiple cards from different banks in a single ATM transaction.
“To ensure uninterrupted access to cash withdrawals through our Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), we kindly request that you limit your withdrawals to one bank card per transaction when using our ATMs,” Stanbic IBTC said.
“This measure aims to prevent instances of cash shortages that may occur when individuals use multiple cards from different banks in a single ATM transaction, surpassing the maximum daily withdrawal limit per individual. This practice may inadvertently restrict other customers’ access to cash.”
Also, a top official in the banking industry — with knowledge of the withdrawal limits adopted by the banks — said financial technology (Fintechs) firms are one of the reasons banks are limiting withdrawal at their ATMs.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said fintech companies have no ATMs but offer their customers debit cards to withdraw all the cash from banks’ ATMs.
“They give cards to people. Most of the people that are doing POS, they go to commercial banks to go and clean out all the money in their ATMs, denying the real customers of the banks to have access to the cash that are in the ATM,” he said.
The source told TheCable point of sale (POS) operators thereafter charge bank customers in need of the cash POS operators withdrew from the ATMs.
He said banks had to become creative to tackle the issue.
In a statement shared with TheCable, Access Bank said every bank “sets ATM withdrawal limits based on available ‘ATM fit’ cash and the number of ATMs for the bank as well as the needs of the customers”.
Commenting on the disparity in limit for its account holders and non-customers, Access Bank said the former are prioritised.
“It is important for us to give priority to our customers cash need; we owe them that duty. Subject to cash availability we can allow other banks’ card holders to also access cash,” Access Bank said.
“Every bank issuing cards is expected to also deploy ATMs to match the need of her customers.”
When asked if the CBN approved the limit, Access Bank said every financial institution has the right to set its withdrawal cap which may change from time to time subject to cash availability, among other things.
However, Access Bank acknowledged CBN had issued a directive that the maximum cash withdrawal limit on all channels is N500,000 weekly for individuals.
Meanwhile, the ATM withdrawal restrictions — as observed by TheCable — violate the limits set by Nigeria’s financial regulator.
When contacted on February 12, Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications, requested the enquiry be sent to her WhatsApp. The following day, she asked for the locations of the banks for an independent investigation.
Since the disclosure of the banks’ locations, CBN has not responded to questions on the matter despite several calls, and WhatsApp messages to the regulator’s spokesperson.
Some residents of Akure, the Ondo state capital, have looted a truck conveying food items.
TheCable understands that the truck developed a mechanical fault at the popular cultural centre junction, along Ondo-Akure expressway, on Monday.
The mechanical fault enabled the residents to overpower the driver and loot the truck.
It was observed that the food bags in the truck were branded in the name of President Bola Tinubu.
Those who looted the truck were petty traders, artisans, drivers and commercial motorcyclists.
The latest incident adds to the worrisome list of recent looting of food items in trucks and warehouses amid the current economic hardship in the country.
On Saturday, residents of Kebbi invaded a government warehouse in the Bayan Kara area of the state capital, and looted food items.
On March 1, a truck conveying cartons of spaghetti was looted by hoodlums at Dogarawa axis of Zaria-Kano expressway.
Two days later, some residents broke into the federal capital territory (FCT) warehouse in Abuja and carted away foodstuffs, doors of the warehouse and roofing.
Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, a respected development economist, has voiced strong criticism against the Minister of Agriculture’s recent proposal to import 10,000 tractors, echoing concerns previously raised during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Obiaraeri emphasized that the current proposal, which is projected to incur a hefty $1.1 billion expense through a public sector arrangement, signifies a repetition of the same error witnessed during Buhari’s tenure.
In an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday, Obiaraeri advocated for a more cost-effective strategy, suggesting allocating $750 million towards the importation of both tractors and bulldozers.
Reflecting on past decisions, he remarked, “Back in 2019, when the Buhari administration proposed borrowing $1.1 billion for importing 10,000 tractors…”
He continued, expressing concern about the Minister of Agriculture’s actions, stating, “The current administration is following in the footsteps of the Buhari government, pursuing a memorandum of understanding to import 10,000 tractors under a public sector arrangement, all at the expense of $1.1 billion.”
“Does it strike you as reasonable that we could achieve the same goal with a budget of $750 million, encompassing both tractors and bulldozers?” he questioned, highlighting apparent discrepancies in expenditure.
Obiaraeri outlined an alternative framework, envisioning the establishment of agro clusters across Nigeria’s 8,000 electoral wards, managed by skilled mechanical engineers.
Within these clusters, farmers would have access to machinery at an affordable average cost of N40,000, fostering economic growth and job creation.
He concluded with a poignant observation, “The repetition of past mistakes, as witnessed under the Buhari regime, raises serious questions about the priorities of our current administration.”
Nigerian crude maintained its premium status as investors and sold higher than the FG budget benchmark on oil as oil traders eyed concerns around crude and fuel supplies, following Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and the potential for a widening of the Israel-Hamas war to more directly including Iran.
Nigeria Brass River and Qua Iboe traded close to $92 a barrel while Brent Crude at the time of writing traded at $89 per barrel. Nigeria Bonny Light also traded at $91.37 a barrel late Tuesday.
Nigeria recorded extra revenue of $13.71 per barrel at the current price of $91.67 per barrel, while the country’s 2024 budget was based on $77.96 per barrel and 1.78 million barrels per day.
Although efforts to combat oil theft have intensified, Africa’s largest economy needs to be able to fulfil its budgetary targets of 1.78 million barrels per day.
Additionally, with numerous refineries set to come online this year, worries regarding the supply of feedstock for the refineries have grown over the past month.
What you should know
After a drone strike by Ukraine on a second Russian refinery raised the possibility of shutting down even more of the nation’s processing capacity and reducing the production of gasoline and diesel fuel, prices shot up. Russia is one of the biggest and one of the top three producers of oil in the world.
- Investors are also worried that, having sworn payback, Iran’s retaliation against Israel for an attack on Monday that claimed the lives of high-ranking military officers may cause supply interruptions in the vital Middle East-producing region.
- Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), supporting the Hamas militia in Gaza against Israel.
- Concerns over supplies were increased by the fact that according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, Mexico’s state energy corporation Pemex asked its trading section to halt up to 436,000 barrels of crude exports per day this month as it prepared to process domestic oil at the new Dos Bocas refinery.
More Insights
The United States is the largest oil consumer in the world, and early signs point to a decline in oil stockpiles there as well.
- On Tuesday, traders reported that data from the American Petroleum Institute showed that last week’s crude inventories had dropped by 2.3 million barrels.
- Nigerian oil, however, confronts fierce competition from American suppliers even though it sells at a premium who have pushed their way into the market previously controlled by Nigeria and other Organization of the Pezzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxtroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
- In addition, US oil production is rising while OPEC and Russia have declined.
This change is most noticeable in India, a significant consumer of Nigerian crude oil, where Indian refiners are refusing to accept cargoes from tankers owned by the sanctioned Russian company Sovcomflot PJSC, leading to a move away from sanctioned Russian oil and toward US crude.
[Nairametrics]
Rwanda on Sunday begins sombre commemorations for the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, a mass slaughter orchestrated by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority over 100 bloody days.
More than 800,000 men, women and children, mainly ethnic Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, were killed in the murderous onslaught that saw families and friends turn against each other in one of the darkest episodes of the late 20th century.
Three decades on, the tiny landlocked nation has rebuilt under the iron-fisted rule of President Paul Kagame, but the traumatic legacy of the genocide lingers, reverberating across the region.
In keeping with tradition, April 7 – the day Hutu extremists and militias unleashed their horrific killing spree in 1994 – will be marked by Kagame lighting a remembrance flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried.
Kagame, whose Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel army helped to stop the massacres, will deliver a speech and place wreaths on the mass graves, with some foreign dignitaries in attendance for what has been dubbed “Kwibuka (Remembrance) 30”.
‘Never again’
Sunday’s events mark the start of a week of national mourning, with Rwanda effectively coming to a standstill and national flags flown at half-mast.
During those days, music will not be allowed in public places or on the radio, while sports events and movies are banned from TV broadcasts unless connected to the commemorations.
The United Nations and the African Union among others will also hold remembrance ceremonies.
“This year, we remind ourselves of genocide’s rancid root: hate,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message marking the anniversary.
“To those who would seek to divide us, we must deliver a clear, unequivocal and urgent message: never again.”
The international community was heavily criticised for failing to protect civilians, with the UN sharply reducing its peacekeeping force shortly after the outbreak of the violence.
Shot, beaten or hacked to death
The assassination of Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana on the night of April 6 when his plane was shot down over Kigali triggered the rampage by Hutu extremists and the “Interahamwe” militia.
Their victims were shot, beaten or hacked to death in killings fuelled by vicious anti-Tutsi propaganda broadcast on TV and radio. An estimated 100,000 to 250,000 women were raped, according to UN figures.
Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly ethnic Hutu fearing reprisal attacks, fled in the aftermath of the genocide to neighbouring countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mass graves are still being found in Rwanda to this day.
In 2002, Rwanda set up community tribunals where victims could hear “confessions” from those who had persecuted them.
A staggering 1.2 million cases were heard over 10 years, although rights watchdogs said the system also resulted in miscarriages of justice, with some complainants using it to settle scores.
Today, Rwandan ID cards make no mention of whether a person is Hutu or Tutsi.
Secondary school students learn about the genocide as part of a tightly controlled curriculum.
‘Scars of the past’
Around two-thirds of Rwanda’s population was born after the genocide. Many are eager to help rewrite their nation’s painful history and craft a new narrative.
“Ever since I was little, Rwanda’s story has been one of rebuilding,” project manager Roxanne Mudenge, 27, told AFP.
“The scars of the past are still there, but there’s a different energy now, a sense of possibility.”
According to the Rwandan authorities, hundreds of genocide suspects remain at large, including in neighbouring nations such as the DRC and Uganda.
So far, only 28 have been extradited to Rwanda globally.
France, one of the top destinations for Rwandans fleeing justice at home, has tried and convicted half a dozen people over their involvement in the killings.
At the time, the French government had been a long-standing backer of Habyarimana’s regime, leading to decades of tensions between the two countries.
In 2021 President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged France’s role in the genocide and its refusal to heed warnings of looming massacres, prompting Kagame to applaud the French leader for taking “a big step”.
Although Macron stopped short of an apology and denied complicity in the bloodshed, Kagame said the rapprochement could pave the way for “a better” relationship between the two nations.
Ties between Kigali and Kinshasa have been characterised by even deeper acrimony, with the RPF accused of killing tens of thousands of civilians during its pursuit of genocide perpetrators in the Congo.
Kagame’s government has been accused of arming Tutsi-led M23 rebels in eastern DRC. Kigali has denied the allegations but says Tutsis in its larger neighbour are victims of persecution.
[DailyTrust]
At least five persons were killed and others injured during a gun duel between security operatives and gunmen on Tuesday in Anambra.
The incident took place when the Anambra Joint Security Force, JSF, invaded two camps of the gunmen in Aguluezechukwu, Aguata council area and Ogboji, Orumba South council area respectively.
It was gathered that during the raid by the security operatives, some items like locally fabricated rocket launchers, charms, police uniforms among others were recovered.
Though Anambra police spokesman Ikenga Tochukwu did not disclose the casualty figures, it learnt that four gunmen and a police operative died during the shootout.
A statement by the Police Command in Awka on Wednesday explained the hunt for the gunmen had been extended to Obofia Forest, Aguluezechukwu and Ogboji areas.
[DailyPost]
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was on Tuesday inaugurated as President of Senegal. He is the youngest to take the presidential seat in the West African nation.
Here is a list of youngest leaders in Africa.
1. Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso ( 36)
Ibrahim Traoré is the current youngest serving President in Africa after he displaced the former military leader, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba through a coup d’etat when he was 34. Ibrahim Traoré has been in charge of the Affairs of Burkina Faso since September 30th, 2022.
2. Mahamat Deby, Chad ( 39)
Four-star military general, Mahamat Idriss “Kaka” Déby Itno is serving as the transitional president of Chad. He gained power following the death of his father, late Chadian President Idriss Déby who died in action while commanding troops in the Northern Chad offensive. Born April 4, 1984, he assumed power on 20 April 2021. He is the second youngest serving African leader.
3. Assimi Goïta, Mali (41)
Following the military take over in Mali against former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020, Assimi Goïta became president and the third youngest military leader in Africa. The 41-yeat-old has been in charge of Mali on interim basis since May 28th, 2021.
4. Mamady Doumbouya, Guinea ( 44)
Mamady Doumbouya led a coup d’état on 5 September 2021 that ousted the former president, Alpha Condé.
Doumbouya is now the military officer serving as the interim president of Guinea since 1 October 2021. Born on March 4, 1980, makes him the fourth youngest leader on the African continent at age 44.
5. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Senegal (Age 44)
Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye is the youngest democratically elected president in Africa, and the fifth youngest African leader sworn in in on April 2, 2024. He is a lawyer, tax inspector, and politician who ran for the office of the president in place of disqualified candidate Ousmane Sonko. He was born on March 25, 1980.
6. Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia (Age 47)
Abiy Ahmed was born on 15 August 1976 is the sixth youngest African leader. He is a politician serving as the third Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018. Ahmed is a computer engineer and military officer. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea”..
7. Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar ( 49)
Andry Nirina Rajoelina was born on 30 May 1974 and is the seventh youngest African leader. The Malagasy-French politician and businessman who has served as president of Madagascar since 2019 was president of a provisional government from 2009 to 2014 following a political crisis and military-backed coup. He once held the office of Mayor of Antananarivo for one year. Before venturing into politics, Rajoelina was a media and advertising entrepreneur.
[TheNation]
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The seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to investigate the allegation of misconduct levelled against the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, began sitting on Wednesday.
The panel headed by retired Justice S. A. Omonuwa, was set up by Justice Okungbowa following the resolution by the state House of Assembly, which initiated the impeachment process against Shaibu.
At the panel on Wednesday, the House of Assembly was represented by Mr Joe Ohiafi, Deputy Clerk, Legal, just as Shaibu was represented by Prof Oladoyin Awoyale (SAN).
The impeachment process is believed to be the latest development in the conflict between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki, his principal, which allegedly began when Shaibu announced his intention to run for Edo governor this year.
A statement signed by the administrative secretary of the panel, George Odidi, last Thursday read, “Take notice that consequent upon the inauguration of the above panel by His Lordship the Hon. Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, in line with Section 188 Subsection 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the said panel shall commence sitting at Judges Conference room, New High Court Complex, Benin City on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 10am prompt.
“Parties and/or their counsel are expected to be present on that day while the complainant is expected to be ready to present its case on that day.”
[Punch]
Left-wing pan-Africanist, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on Tuesday became Senegal’s youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister.
Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison.
He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar.
He then returned to the capital, with his motorcade greeted by hundreds of jubilant residents who lined the roads leading to the presidential palace.
His predecessor, Macky Sall, symbolically handed Faye the key to the presidential headquarters before leaving the palace.
“Before God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the office of President of the Republic of Senegal,” Faye had said earlier in the day.
Just hours later, his new administration appointed firebrand opposition leader Sonko prime minister.
“Mr Ousmane Sonko is named prime minister,” said Oumar Samba Ba, the general secretary of the presidency, as he read out a decree on the public television station RTS.
Sonko, 49, was at the centre of a two-year stand-off with the state that triggered bouts of deadly unrest. He was disqualified from running in the most recent race and picked Faye as his replacement on the presidential ballot.
The former tax inspector is Senegal’s fifth president since independence from France in 1960 and the first to openly admit to a polygamous marriage.
“I am aware that the results of the ballot box express a profound desire for systemic change,” Faye said in a brief speech after taking the presidential oath.
“Under my leadership, Senegal will be a country of hope, a peaceful country with an independent judiciary and a strengthened democracy,” he added.
Faye and Sonko were among a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 presidential ballot under an amnesty announced by former president Macky Sall, who had tried to delay the vote.
“I have painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the wounded and the former prisoners,” Faye said Tuesday, referring to the past three years of political unrest that left dozens dead and hundreds arrested.
“I will always bear in mind the heavy sacrifices made in order never to disappoint you,” he added.
Faye also reiterated to foreign partners “Senegal’s openness to trade that respects our sovereignty and meets the aspirations of our people, in a mutually beneficial partnership”.
Commonly known as Diomaye, or “the honourable one”, his promise of radical change won the election with 54.3 percent of the vote.
Reconciliation, sovereignty
Working with his populist mentor Sonko, Faye’s campaign set out priorities of national reconciliation, easing the cost-of-living crisis and fighting corruption.
He has also vowed to restore national sovereignty over key assets such as the oil, gas and fishing sectors.
Senegal is due to start hydrocarbon production later this year.
Faye also wants to replace the CFA franc, which he sees as a French colonial legacy, with a new common regional currency, and to invest more in agriculture with the aim of reaching food self-sufficiency.
After three tense years in the traditionally stable nation, his democratic victory has been internationally hailed, by Washington, Paris, the African Union and the European Union.
On the international stage, Faye seeks to bring military-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger back into the fold of the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.
On Tuesday, he urged “more solidarity” between African countries “in the face of security challenges”.
The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea all sent representatives to Diamniadio, including Guinean president General Mamady Doumbouya.
Burkina Faso’s leader Captain Ibrahim Traore wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Faye’s mandate represented a “symbol of a new era for an uninhibited, free and sovereign Africa”.
He added he was ready to work together on “the renovation of sub-regional and international cooperation”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the inauguration “a testament to the Senegalese people, that they fought for their right to vote”.
New generation of politicians
A practising Muslim from a humble background with two wives and four children, Faye represents a new generation of youthful politicians.
He has voiced admiration for US ex-president Barack Obama and South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
However, Faye and the government he will shortly lead face major challenges.
The biggest appears to be creating enough jobs in a nation where 75 percent of the 18-million population is aged under 35 and the unemployment rate is officially 20 percent.
Faced with such dire economic prospects at home, many young Senegalese have chosen to risk their lives to join migrants trying to reach Europe.
AFP
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has increased the electricity tariff paid by Band A customers from N68/KWh to N225/kWh.
Band A customers are those that receive an average daily electricity supply of 20 hours or more. With the new order issued by NERC, Band A customers would no longer enjoy Federal Government subsidy on Electricity.
NERC said in Abuja that Band A customers make up just 15 percent of total electricity customers in the country.
Details coming...
[Vanguard]
Ali Chiroma, a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is dead.
Ibrahim Chiroma, a relative to the deceased and secretary of the NUJ in Borno state, announced Chiroma’s death in a statement on Tuesday.
He said the ex-NLC president, who died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, will be buried on Wednesday in Borno.
Chiroma served as NLC president from 1984 to 1988.
“It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of Comrade Ali Chiroma, former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress,” the statement reads.
“The sad event occurred this evening (Tuesday, April 2) at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
“The burial for the repose of the deceased will be held tomorrow Wednesday 4pm at the residence of the deceased, No.7A along Galadima Road, near Muhammadu Shuwa Memorial Hospital (Nursing Home), Maiduguri.”
Chiroma’s reign as NLC president came to an end in 1988 after the union was dissolved by Ibrahim Babangida, the former head of state.
In 1993, Sani Abacha, former military head of state, appointed Chiroma as head of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
[TheCable]