May 30 sit-at-home

300,000 South-East students

risk not writing WASSCE
General Mathematics – 18
Children's Day:
Tinubu promises safe,
secure schools – 27
QPeter Obi urges investment on quality
Voice of The Nation N250 TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024 *VOL. 20 NO. 5504 education, healthcare for children

LG autonomy: FG presses for SIECs scrapping –6

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@Thesunnigeria The Sun Nigeria
Transcorp Group posts N197bn revenue
...Elumelu calls for full power sector privatisation
From Adanna Nnamani
and Nmasi Okwor, Abuja
TRANSNATIONAL Corpo-
ration PLC, also known as
Transcorp Group, has report-
ed an annual gross earnings
of N197 billion for 2023.
The group saw a 47% rev-
enue increase from N134 bil-
lion in 2022 to N197 billion
in 2023, accompanied by a
0+i`j\`egifÔkY\]fi\kXo
from N30 billion to N59 bil-
lion.
Furthermore, total assets
rose by 20% to N530 billion,
and Shareholders’ funds
grew by 21% from N155 bil-
lion to N187 billion.
Tony Elumelu, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of
Transcorp Group, disclosed
k_\j\ÔeXeZ`XcXZ_`\m\d\ekj
during the annual general
meeting in Abuja on Mon-
day.
Elumelu attributed the
success to substantial in-
vestments that led to strong
growth in the group’s power
and hospitality sectors.
“In the hospitality busi-
ness, consolidating on the
previous year’s successful
performance, we achieved
an impressive increase in av-
erage occupancy rate growth
from 78% in 2022 to 81% in
2023, with an average daily
rate (ADR) of N139,000.
“In our power business, we
`em\jk\[`ej`^e`ÔZXekZXgXZ-
@TheSunNigeria
ity recovery and improved
fg\iXk`feXc \]ÔZ`\eZp Xe[
maintenance to grow value
for our stakeholders. Our
overall performance under-
scores our commitment to
k_\ Zfek`el\[ \o\Zlk`fe f]
our strategy to generate sus-
tainable economic returns
n_`c\dXo`d`j`e^j_Xi\_fc[-
ers’ value,” he said.
The business magnate also
called on the federal govern-
ment to fully privatise the
country’s power sector to en-
_XeZ\ \]ÔZ`\eZp Xe[ i\jZl\
it from total collapse.
Elumelu noted that de-
spite the privatisation ef-
forts that began in 2012,
only partial privatisation has
occurred, with the Trans-
mission Company of Nigeria
(TCN) being fully owned by
the government, while elec-
tricity distribution compa-
nies (DisCos) are 40% gov-
ernment-owned. He added
that the government also
holds ownership stakes in
some Generation companies
(GENCOs).
He said: “To enable the
j\Zkfi kf Y\ \]ÔZ`\ekcp ile
by the private sector, I rec-
ommend that the Federal
Government should come
out with a clear timeline for
the full privatisation of the
power sector, starting with
the DISCOs and Transmis-
sion Company of Nigeria.
look forward to a fully
Linked The Sun Ngeria
reformed and uncashed Ni-
gerian power sector, fully
contributing, as it must, to
Nigeria’s economic renais-
sance and social rebirth”
Looking ahead to 2024,
Elumelu mentioned that
the group aims to sustain its
`dgi\jj`m\ ÔeXeZ`Xc g\i]fi-
mance by optimising its sub-
sidiary businesses, utilising
innovation, strengthening
brand value, and consider-
`e^\ogXej`fe`ekffk_\ib\p
sectors.
He said the key priorities
for the power sector were
to increase and maintain its
combined available genera-
Zenith Bank CEO, Onyeagwu,
bags award of International Banker for the
THE Group Managing Direc-
kfi&:_`\] <o\Zlk`m\ F]ÔZ\i f]
Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer
Onyeagwu, has been named
the ‘Best Banking CEO of the
Year in Africa’ at the Interna-
tional Banker 2024 Banking
Awards, retaining this title for
the second consecutive year.
This award, published in the
Spring 2024 issue of Interna-
tional Banker Magazine, United
Kingdom, coincides with Dr.
Onyeagwu’s completion of his
Ôm\$p\Xik\eli\Xj>iflgDXe-
X^`e^;`i\Zkfi&:_`\]<o\Zlk`m\
F]ÔZ\ifeDXp*(#)')+%
Speaking on receiving the
XnXi[#;i%Fep\X^nl\ogi\jj\[
his gratitude to the publishers
Sun Radio The Sun TV
L-R: Commissioner for
Economic Planning
and Budget, Mr.
Mosopefolu George;
Deputy Consul General,
Dutch Consulate, Leonie
Van der Stijl; Lagos
State Governor, Mr.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu
and Commissioner
for Environment, Mr.
Tokunbo Wahab, during
the Memorandum
Signing Ceremony held
at Lagos House, Ikeja,
yesterday.
tion capacity from 710MW
in 2023 to 908MW in 2024,
as well as to take advantage
of the bilateral power sale
opportunities arising from
the enactment of the 2023
Electricity Act by entering
into agreements with stra-
tegic electricity distribution
companies and eligible cus-
tomers.
“In addition, we will fur-
k_\iZfejfc`[Xk\k_\\o`jk`e^
Y\e\Ôkj ]ifd fli d\dY\i-
ship of the West African Pow-
er Pool, by increasing our
share of the regional electric-
ity market,” he added.
Continued on
www.sunnewsonline.com
honour. He stated, “It is indeed
an honour to be recognised
as the ‘Best Banking CEO of
the Year in Africa’ for a second
consecutive year. This award is
a testament to our team’s col-
lective efforts and our commit-
ment to innovation, growth,
and delivering value to our
customers and stakeholders. It
Xcjf i\Õ\Zkj fli [\[`ZXk`fe kf
sustainability and high ethical
standards, which are integral
to our overall strategy. I am im-
mensely proud of our accom-
plishments and look forward
to future opportunities for the
bank as I hand over the baton
to my successor and begin the
mandatory regulatory cooling-
off period.” Dr. Onyeagwu dedi-
cated the award to the Founder
and Chairman of Zenith Bank
Plc, Dr. Jim Ovia, CFR, for his
mentorship, which was crucial
to his success as Group Manag-
ing Director/CEO; to the bank’s
management team and staff for
their unwavering commitment
fm\ik_\gXjkÔm\p\Xij2Xe[kf
the bank’s customers for their
loyalty.
Throughout his distin-
guished tenure, Dr. Onyeagwu
has received multiple awards,
including Bank CEO of the
Year (2019, 2023) by Cham-
pion Newspaper, Bank CEO
of the Year (2020–2023) by
BusinessDay Newspaper, CEO
of the Year (2020 and 2021)
– SERAS Awards, and CEO of
the Year (2022) – Leadership
Newspaper,
and Banking
CEO of the
Year, Africa
(2023) - In-
ternational
Banker. •Onyeagwu
Continued on
www.sunnewsonline.com
DAILY SUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
www.sunnewsonline.com Sunonlineteam@gmail.com
BREAKFAST NEWS
Julius Berger wins multiple awards
IT was a week of double honours for Nigeria’s foremost en-
gineering construction company, Julius Berger last week,
as leading specialist newspaper in Transport Management,
Transport Day and foremost national newspaper, Champion
Newspapers honoured the company big. While Transport Day
newspaper gave Julius Berger the Construction Company of
the Year Award, Champion Newspaper pronounced and gave
k_\ZfdgXepXe8nXi[f]<oZ\cc\eZ\`e:figfiXk\JfZ`XcI\-
sponsibility, CSR; 2023.
At the 10th Transport Day Award ceremony which held
at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos mid last week, Publisher/
Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Frank Kintum said the Board of Editors
of the publication reviewed all the roads and bridges as well
as related construction activities of construction companies
across the country by employing the services of the newspa-
per’s numerous coreespondents in the states and the Federal
Capital Territory, FCT, before arriving at the unanimous deci-
sion to crown Julius Berger as Constrcution Company of the
Year.
Said he amidst applause: Transport Day has grown to be ac-
knowleged as the acclaimed authority in reporting activities
in the Transport sector. We have also received accolades for
our objectivity and professionalism. The emergence of Julius
Berger as the Construction Company of the Year of the lot was
a product of painstaking work by our correspeondents across
the states as well as diligent stakeholders, who overwhelm-
ingly voted for the giant engineering construction company.
Welldone julius Berger and congratulations.
Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
BRIEFCASE
Companies info in brief
NSIB commences investigation
into train derailment
THE Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has com-
menced investigation into the train derailment which oc-
curred at Jere station on its way to Abuja on May 26th.
The bureau said the train departed Rigasa station, Kaduna
at 8.00a.m to Idu station, Abuja, with 685 onboard and at ap-
gifo`dXk\cp 01)/X%d# `k XggifXZ_\[ A\i\ jkXk`fe% 9lk n_`c\
navigating a switch point north of Jere, the baggage van and
one passenger coach derailed. The derailed coaches were
[iX^^\[Xggifo`dXk\cp/-]\\k]ifdk_\jn`kZ_gf`ekY\]fi\
coming to a stop.
The bureau also revealed that crew members onboard in-
cluded two drivers, two train guards, three traveling ticket
collectors, 20 police escorts and four bomb disposal unit
members. The train consisted of 10 coaches, one baggage van
and two locomotives.
The NSIB stated that there were no injuries to passengers
or crew members as all passengers safely disembarked and
were transported with the rear locomotive and the remain-
ing eight coaches to Abuja, arriving at 12:32p.m. The front
locomotive, the derailed coach and another unaffected coach
remained at the site of the incident.
;`i\Zkfi >\e\iXc f] k_\ EJ@9# :Xgk% 8c\o 9X[\_# jX`[1
ÈGi\c`d`eXip]XZk$Ôe[`e^le[\ikXb\eYpfli`em\jk`^Xkfiji\-
vealed that the train was traveling at a speed of 90 km/h in the
section leading up to Jere Station and reduced to 23 km/h on
approaching the station.
Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
Int’l crude oil and
commodity prices
Brent crude oil- $82.84 +0.88%
WTI crude oil - $78.43 +0.91%
Natural Gas - $2.54 +0.75%
RBOB Gasoline- $2.50 +0.60%
Heating oil - $2.44 +1.16%
Prices as at 27/5/2024
CEO Quote
Every time you make the hard, cor-
rect decision you become a bit more
courageous, and every time you make
the easy, wrong decision you become
a bit more cowardly. If you are CEO,
these choices will lead to a coura-
geous or cowardly company.”
– Ben Horowitz, CEO of Opsware
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
HOW TO TURN YOUR OLD PHONE INTO A
HOME SECURITY CAMERA FOR FREE
IF you have any old smartphones that are still good
but collecting dust in a drawer somewhere in your
house and you need home security camera, you
don’t need to worry. You can put them to good use in
your home.
Step 1: Get a security camera
app running on your old phone(s)
To begin, you will need to choose a security-
camera app for your phone. Most apps offer many
of the same features, such as local streaming, cloud
streaming, recording and storing footage locally or
remotely, and motion detection and alerts.
Once you’re set up, you will be able to monitor
your living space and control your security camera
from anywhere, straight from your new phone.
One of the best options for setting up your phone
as a security camera is Alfred. It’s cross-platform, so
it doesn’t matter if your old phone was an Android
phone or iPhone. And the same goes for your new
phone.
Alfred is free to use and gives you a remote view
of your live feed, motion detection with alerts, free
cloud storage, a two-way audio feed and use of both
the front and rear cameras. To unlock additional
features, like higher-resolution viewing and record-
ing, zoom capabilities, ad removal and 30-day cloud
storage, you can upgrade to Alfred Premium.
•Download Alfred (Android, iOS) on both your old
and new phones or any tablets you want to use.
•On the new phone, swipe through the introduc-
tion and tap Start. Select Viewer and tap Next.
Page 3
•Once you get to the sign-in page, click Sign in
with Google (a Google account is required) and sign
in with your Google account credentials.
•On the old phone, repeat the same steps, but in-
stead of selecting Viewer, select Camera. And make
sure to sign in to the same Google account.
Once both phones are signed in to Alfred, you’re
pretty much done with the setup. Alfred has sim-
gc`Ô\[k_\ZXd\iXfgk`fejkffecp`eZcl[\X]\n
settings. On iOS, you can only enable motion detec-
tion, choose between the front and rear cameras and
enable or disable audio. If you’re using an Android
device, you have those options and you can also
enable continuous focus, have Alfred automatically
reopen if the phone reboots, set a resolution and en-
able a passcode lock.
From your new phone, you can change a few more
j\kk`e^j#jlZ_Xjklie`e^efk`ÔZXk`fejfefi]]#j\k-
ting a camera or viewer name, adding other people
to your Trust Circle (granting other people access
to your video feeds), removing a camera, checking
how many times a camera has disconnected, settng
motion detection sensitivity and enabling a low-light
Ôck\ifeZXd\iXj%
While Alfred is a solid choice, keep in mind it’s not
the only choice. Far from it, in fact. Manything, Sa-
lient Eye and Presence are all solid free choices with
an affordable subscription model if you need more
features. And IP Webcam is one of the more popular
Android-only options.
Step 2: Choose a spot to position
your camera
After you have the stream up and running, you
will need to set up and position the camera. You
may want it focused on the main entry point to your
home, your backyard, the place where you store
valuables or a point you think might be particularly
vulnerable. You can also set up an IP camera as a
baby monitor.
If you have multiple old phones lying around, you
can set up multiple cameras for fairly robust video
coverage.
Step 3: Mount and power your
new security camera(s)
To mount or position the camera, a small smart-
phone tripod or suction cup car mount can work
wonders and help you position the camera in an
inconspicuous place.
KfYifX[\ek_\Ô\c[f]m`\n#Zfej`[\iYlp`e^X
wide-angle lens for your phone, something that can
be purchased for between $5 and $20 online.
Streaming video is very power-intensive, and
the phone will be on 24/7. To keep the phone from
[p`e^`ek_\Ôijk]\n_flij#pfln`cce\\[kfgfj`-
tion it close to a power source. A 10-foot Micro-USB
fiC`^_ke`e^ZXYc\n`cc^`m\pfldfi\Õ\o`Y`c`kp`e
where you put it.

PAGE 4
Rivers police arrest 4
soldiers, NSCDC personnel,
others for robbery
From Tony John, Port
Harcourt
THE Rivers State Police Com-
mand said it has apprehended
four soldiers for alleged armed
robbery, hijacking of food trucks
and diverting them to other loca-
tions.
The command also said it ar-
rested personnel of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC).
The state Police Public Rela-
tions Officer (PPRO), Grace
Iringe-Koko, made the disclo-
sure in a statement issued in
Port Harcourt, yesterday. She
said the command recorded the
achievement through thorough
investigation after its men ear-
lier arrested a suspected burglar
in a private warehouse in the
Elimgbu community in Obio/
Akpor Local Government Area
of the state.
The PPRO said two of the first
set of operatives arrested, aban-
doned their duty posts in Delta
and Kogi States, respectively, to
engage in criminal activities in
Rivers State.
Iringe-Koko stated that their
confession led to clamping down
on other operatives and their ci-
vilian accomplices. She added
that the four soldiers and the
NSCDC operatives confessed to
the crime.
The PPRO stated: “Investiga-
tions by the Rivers State Police
Command, following arrests
for attempted burglary, have re-
Okada riders, police
clash in Lagos
By Emma Njoku
THERE was a violent clash, yes-
terday, between commercial mo-
torcycle riders, popularly known
as Okada riders, and policemen
at the Ipaja area of Alimoso Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
The incident was said to have
been hijacked by hoodlums, lead-
ing to sporadic shooting which
left residents and shop owners to
run helter-skelter, while motor-
ists were forced to make U-turns
to avoid running into the chaos.
A resident in the area, who
simply identified himself as
Emeka, told Daily Sun that the
incident started at about 10am,
when commercial motorcyclists
(okada riders), in their numbers,
stormed the Ipaja Police Station,
Igbogila, near the Ipaja/Ayobo
Local council secretariat, to pro-
test the seizure of their motor-
cycles by policemen.
“Some angry Okada riders,
mainly Aboki (commercial bike
operators of Hausa extraction),
stormed the police station this
morning, around 10am, to re-
trieve the motorcycles of their
colleagues that were impounded
by the police. They came with
weapons, including cutlasses,
iron rods, broken bottles, and the
policemen at the station tried to
stop them from gaining entry
into the station and a fracas en-
sued. Before we knew it, some
hoodlums, popularly known as
area boys, joined the Okada rid-
ers and invaded the police sta-
tion, prompting the policemen to
start shooting to repel the attack-
ers. (Continued on www.sunnewsonline)
Bandits take over 151 Plateau communities
•Affected villagers beg authorities to intervene
From Jude and others, that there is a seri-
Owuamanam, Jos
A coalition of ethnic nation-
alities, under the aegis of
the Atakar, Berom, Irigwe,
Mwaghavwul and Ron Youths
Associations, in conjunction
with the coalition of Plateau
indigenous youth bodies, has
raised the alarm over forceful
displacement and annexation
of 151 indigenous hamlets, vil-
lages and communities, as well
as land grabbing in Plateau State
by the Fulani.
In the text of the briefing
read by Chairman, Indigenous
Youths, Mr. Paul Dekete, along-
side other tribal leaders, held at
the NUJ Press Centre in Jos, yes-
terday, the group expressed dis-
appointment over the low level
of response by governments over
the years over their plight.
The annexed communities,
according to them, are scattered
in Bassa, Bokkos, Riyom, Barkin
Ladi, and Mangu local govern-
ment areas.
The text read in part, “In view
of the unsatisfactory and feeble
responses so far received from
all levels of government in Nige-
ria, the Atakar, Berom, Irigwe,
Mwaghavwul and Ron youths
associations, in conjunction
with the Coalition of Plateau
Indigenous Youths Bodies, are
constrained to draw attention of
the public and, especially, the in-
ternational community, through
this press conference, on the
alarming and unacceptable loss
of ancestral lands as well as the
denial of access to farmlands
and mining sites, currently be-
ing suffered by the customary
landowners in the state.
“For several years to date, the
youth bodies have been crying
aloud and lodging complaints to
appropriate authorities, includ-
ing the Nigerian Police Force,
Department of State Security,
Operation Safe Haven-OPSH,
National Human Rights Com-
mission, the National Assembly
ous undercurrent to the un-
precedented and well orches-
trated terror attacks unleashed
on our hamlets, villages and
communities with the princi-
pal motive of dispossessing us
of our God-giving lands and
territory.
“The agenda and strategy
...Suspected Fulani herders destroy farmlands
•Father, mother, son, aunt killed in fresh attacks
From Jude Dangwam,
Jos
GUNMEN suspected to be
Fulani herdsmen were said to
have destroyed farmlands with
crops worth millions of naira,
at the Tilengpaat village of
Pushit District in Mangu Local
Government Area of Plateau,
on Sunday morning.
Daily Sun gathered that the
sad development is coming
after similar operations were
carried out on other farmlands
at the Vodni community of the
same Pushit District of Mangu
local government area of the
state few days after a security
meeting between the natives
and Fulani nationals, at the
instance of the Transition
Implementation Committee
Chairman of Mangu local gov-
ernment council.
The National President,
Mwaghavul Youth Movement
Worldwide, Dawap Sunday
Dankaka, told Daily Sun that
the suspected Fulani machin-
eries came from about 15 to 16
kilometres, on Sunday, to per-
petrate the dastardly act.
He said: “Just to draw your
attention to this again, a whole
garden was destroyed by the
Fulani in the early hours of
Sunday, 26/5/2024, before day
break at the Tilengpaat vil-
lage of Pushit District, Mangu
LGA, Plateau State. I feel that
arrests should be made and
of the Fulani terrorists is evi-
denced in attacks and killings
on hamlets, villages and com-
munities, thereby intimidating
and displacing native inhabit-
ants, leading to the disruption
of their livelihoods, paving way
for the occupation of such lands
and denial of access which
consequentially produces un-
governed spaces and “NO-GO”
areas for supposedly conquered
peoples in this 21st Century.
people be made to pay for their
deeds. Please, something needs
to be done about this before it
escalates,” he cried out.
A native of Mwaghavul, Mr
Enoch Markus, lamented that
suspected Fulani militias came
in the evening and started
shooting sporadically as the re-
turnees IDPs working on their
farms had to run for their lives,
leaving the village for a field
free operation by the attackers.
“The Fulani herdsmen at-
tacked the Vodni community
Favour: Ebonyi varsity absolves lecturer of victimisation
THE Ebonyi State University
(EBSU) has absolved Professor
Amechi Uneke of the Depart-
ment of English Language and
Literature in the university of
victimising one of her students,
Ugwuka Favour Chinonye,
which caused her to commit
suicide last week.
The university said it was not
that the late student deserved
to pass the course Uneke han-
dled and she was marked down
by the Lecturer.
Vice Chancellor of the uni-
versity, Professor Chigozie
Ogbu, stated this at a press
briefing in the university, on
the suicide committed by the
student and the allegation
against Professor Uneke that
the girl was victimised. He ex-
pressed sadness on the action
Favour took and commiserated
DAILYSUN Tuesday May 28, 2024
“From our collective com-
munity experiences, we strong-
ly believe there is a curious
connection between the areas
where our people have suffered
the worst forms of displace-
ment and denial of access to
the rich natural and mineral
endowment of such locations.
It’s common knowledge that
hamlets and villages in Barkin
Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos Mangu
and Riyom Local Government
and destroyed the entire farm
lands. The Fulani had travelled
15 kilometres to come and de-
stroy these farmlands. They
have earlier said that we will
not farm this year, and this is
coming after we had security
meetings with security agen-
cies and the Fulani,” he angrily
stated.
The farm’s destruction
comes a day after the maraud-
ers carried out separate attacks
on Tim Naanle village of Bwai
District in Mangu LGA, on
with her family.
Ogbu said what the late
student would have done was
to demand for re-marking of
the course if she felt that she
passed and was failed by Uneke
and not taking her own life, de-
scribing it as unfortunate.
He said: “The university has
a system where, after exams, if
a student feels that he or she is
marked down or that the lec-
turer is victimising him or her,
he has a record as to what to do.
“When a student is confident
that a lecturer has deliberately
marked him or her down, and
that she is sure that she passed
the exam, what the student
does is to complain to the HOD
or Dean and deserve to request
for re-mark, which will be sent
to the Vice Chancellor’s office,
and it is usually sent to another
National Security
Adviser, Mallam Nuhu
Ribadu (right) with
President, Movement
for North East
Organisation Forum,
Alhaji Abdurrahman
Buba Kwaccham.
Areas are richly endowed with
resources such as favourable
weather conditions, natural
tourist sites, fertile soils, water
bodies.
“Cassiterite, Columbite
and so many other minerals.
It’s instructive, therefore, to
judiciously note the rapidly
changing economic and occu-
pational demographics in the
occupied territories.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline)
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, and
Wednesday, May 22, 2024,
and four natives were killed,
respectively.
The National Publicity Sec-
retary, Mwaghavul Develop-
ment Association, Mr Law-
rence Kyarshik, disclosed that
those killed by the suspected
Fulani on two separate attacks,
at TIM NAANLE Village in
Bwai District, Mangu LGA,
Plateau State, consist of a son,
father, mother and his aunt,
who were left in cold blood af-
ter the attacks.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline)
university to re-mark and let us
know. Some of them, on very
rare occasions, have returned
positive, and whatever the stu-
dent gets here is usually what
he gets from the other univer-
sity after the re-mark, and that
is the process.
“If, at the last exam and the
late student felt that she was
marked down by the lecturer,
she would have complained
to the Dean and asked for re-
marking, and the paper would
have been sent to another place
for re-marking.
“But, from what is seen, it’s
not that the student deserves
to pass and she didn’t pass, and
from the record, you will find
out that this is not the only
course that she didn’t pass”.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline)
 DAILYSUN Tuesday May 28, 2024
Gunmen kidnap ESUT alumni association president, son
From Jude Chinedu,
Enugu
GUNMEN have kidnapped
the President, Enugu State
University of Science and
Technology (ESUT) Alumni
Association, Dr Obi Ilo, and
his son, Kamsi Ilo.
The abduction occurred on
Police arrest blogger who accused E-Money of kil ing Junior Pope
By Christopher Oji
THE Lagos State Police Com-
mand has arrested an online
blogger, Stanley Okoruwa, for
allegedly defaming interna-
tional businessman, Emeka
Okonkwo, popularly known
as “E Money”.
The suspect, who was
paraded before newsmen,
yesterday, at state com-
mand headquarters, Ikeja,
confessed to the crime and
claimed to have used the of-
fensive video to boost his on-
line followers.
Stanley, in the said video,
had accused the businessman
of having illicit affairs with
the wife of the late Nollywood
star, John Odonwodo, aka Ju-
nior Pope. He also accused
the businessman of being re-
sponsible for the death of the
late Nollywood star, who died
in a boat accident.
The Lagos State Police Pub-
lic Relations (PPRO), SP Ben-
jamin Hundyin, told news-
men that the suspect would
be prosecuted for cyber bul-
lying and defamation of char-
acter. He said the suspect was
arrested in Uromi, Delta State
following a petition from the
businessman.
Hundeyin said: “He is go-
ing to be prosecuted, because
the things he engaged in were
criminal in nature. He has al-
legedly defamed E-Money and
he is going to be prosecuted.
We are not prosecuting the
suspect because of the per-
sonality involved, but because
he has allegedly committed
crime, the personality went
through the normal channel
by reporting the case to the
CRIME, COURT & LIVING
CALL 08052088288
08109473658
Saturday, near Four Corners
Junction, as the victims were
returning from Nachi in Udi
Local Government Area of
Enugu State.
A member of the associa-
tion, Dr Maxwell Ngene, who
raised the alarm in a statement,
on Sunday, said their abductors
were demanding N20 million
police and we investigated
and arrested the suspect,” the
police image maker added.
Hundeyin warned social
media users against contents
that are injurious to other
people’s personalities, stress-
ing that action may be taken
against them if reports of their
contents were found offensive
by anyone.
The suspect, while address-
ing newsmen, said: “I did a
video about E-Money. I said
a lot of things that are not
true in that video, that is why
the police arrested me. I said
something regarding a video
I saw online about a woman
- saying that Sir E-Money is
responsible for the things that
happened to Nollywood actor,
John Odonwodo, aka Junior
Pope.
“I also said that Sir E-Mon-
ey was also having affairs with
Junior Pope’s wife. I have nev-
er in my life met E-Money. Ev-
erything I made in that video
ransom for their release.
He said, “We are deeply
concerned and shocked to an-
nounce the kidnapping of Dr.
Obi Ilo, the President of Enugu
State University of Science and
Technology (ESUT), Alumni
Association and his son, Ka-
msy Ilo, a Computer Science
student of ESUT.
“This heinous act occurred
was not true. I made the video
out of trying to boost my page
traffic level. I never knew
it would go viral the way it
went. I don’t intend to spoil
Sir E-Money’s name. I was
just making the video, I didn’t
know it would go so wide.
“I know the contents of
the video were wrong of me
to have made. I didn’t know
the video would escalate to
that extent. I saw that the
video was already going vi-
ral and I thought pulling it
down would not make sense,
so I decided to leave it. I have
not reached out to E-Money
to apologise, because I don’t
have his contact to do so.
“I was already planning to
make an apology video when
I was arrested by the police.
I have been praying to have
this opportunity to apologise
to him. I am very sorry Sir
E-Money, I didn’t mean to tar-
nish his image online. I only
wanted to generate traffic.”
Man seeks justice for death of UK based daughter
By Christopher Oji
ONE year after the death of a
Nigerian, based in the United
Kingdom, Alanis Ogundipe,
her father, Oladapo Ogundipe,
has called on the UK govern-
yesterday (Saturday) at Nvene,
near Four Corners Junction, as
they were returning from Na-
chi in Udi Local Government
Area of Enugu State.
“Tragically, Dr. Ilo recently
lost his wife, and her body is
still at the Eastern Nigeria Hos-
pital Enugu. This senseless act
of violence has added to the
family’s already unimaginable
grief.
“The kidnappers, who have
shown no regard for human
life, are demanding a ransom
of N20 million. In a distress
phone call, Dr. Ilo was heard
crying and pleading for help,
urging colleagues, friends and
brothers to be contacted.
“We condemn this cruel and
inhumane act in the strongest
possible terms. We appeal to
the security agencies and the
government to take immedi-
ate action to ensure the safe
release of Dr. Ilo and his son.
“We also call on the public
to provide any information that
may lead to the rescue of the
victims. Let us come together
to support the Ilo family dur-
ing this difficult time and work
towards ensuring their safe re-
turn.”
ment and security authorities
to carry out thorough investiga-
tion into the circumstances sur-
rounding her death.
Alanis Ogundipe, 26, al-
legedly committed suicide by
jumping into a moving train in
Manchester, UK, but her father
said he is suspecting a foul play.
At a press briefing, yesterday,
in Ikeja, Lagos, father of the
deceased wants the UK police
to take drastic action, so as to
unravel the reason she allegedly
committed suicide.
The devastated Ogundipe
said he has written to the UK
police, but they have not done
anything serious about the
matter. He also said he equally
wrote to the Nigeria High Com-
mission in the UK, but one year
after, the commission has still
not responded to his letter. He
said he strongly believed that
his daughter was murdered by
her ex-boyfriend, who she met
in June 2022.
He said his daughter’s pre-
dicament started when her
boyfriend allegedly infected her
with a disease, Herpes, which
the daughter saw as a stigma
that should not be exposed to
the public and decided to keep
it a secret. Ogundipe said her
daughter’s boyfriend, who dis-
covered that she wanted to keep
the disease a secret, cashed in
on her fears and started threat-
ening to expose her to the pub-
lic.
“Her boyfriend, who did not
stop at threatening her with
the exposure of the herpes, also
broke into her phone; got fur-
ther information about her and
Page 5
started using the information
he got from there to blackmail
her. The constant blackmail of
my daughter pushed her into
depression and she started be-
ing traumatised. My daugh-
ter was so ignorant that she
thought she would not be able
to meet anyone again due to the
infection. Also, if they wanted
to do anything together, he
would loan her the money, so as
to make her do it. He will first
tell her it was a gift and later tell
her it was a loan,” he said.
The traumatised Ogundipe
further explained that when
Alanis was expecting to collect
the sum of £102,000 in May
2023 from home for a project,
at the same time she was also
expecting her new salary of
£2,000 which was expected on
May 28, 2023, and an addition-
al £100,000 on May 30, 2023.
“Alanis’ passport was re-
quested on May 26, 2023, for
her to collect £100,000 I want-
ed to send to her which was
meant for a particular invest-
ment in the UK. Both herself
and her brother had also been
notified on May 19, 2023, that
they would be visiting Nigeria
shortly.
Her boyfriend, who knew
about these, broke into her
phone without her consent and
stole her bank statements and
sensitive information, whilst
she was asleep at 10 am, on May
28, 2023, in Manchester, with
the intention of blackmailing
Alanis and using the stolen in-
formation for other purposes.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline)
Page 6
LG autonomy: Tinubu pledges to strengthen LGs
From Ndubuisi Orji,
Abuja
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu
has said the Federal Government
would work towards strengthening
the local government councils as
part of measures to tackle insecurity
in the country.
Tinubu stated this at a national
discuss on Nigeria’s Security Chal-
lenges and Good Governance at Lo-
cal Government Level, organised
by the House of Representatives in
collaboration with the UK Inter-
national Development in Abuja,
yesterday.
Tinubu, who was represented by
the Minister of Defence, Moham-
med Abubakar, described local
government as the cornerstone of
the country’s security architecture.
Tinubu, while stating that
insurgency, terrorism, banditry,
and other security challenges have
undermined the peace and prosper-
ity of the country, noted that it was
imperative for the government to
confront insecurity head on.
“It is in light of the foregoing
that our administration is com-
mitted to implementing measures
aimed at bolstering the local
government system. This com-
mitment is deeply rooted in our
bottom of development approach;
recognising that sustainable devel-
opment, national security and pros-
perity can only be achieved when
every level of government functions
effectively and accountably. We
must realise that the local govern-
ment system is not just a matter of
administrative convenience.
“It is a cornerstone of our
national security architecture by
empowering local governments to
]lcÔcck_\`idXe[Xk\`]\]ÔZ`\ekcp
and ethically we create a solid foun-
dation for ensuring safety, stability
and well- being of Nigerians.
“The local governments, being
the closest government to the
people, are strategically positioned
in promoting human security by
Opposition mounts against proposed National Anthem
From Fred Itua, Abuja
PLANS by the National Assem-
bly to hurriedly pass a bill for an Act
on National Anthem to replace the
current one with the old suffered
a setback in the Senate, yesterday,
with a series of warnings that such
an important issue should not be
[fe\YpXc\^`jcXk`m\ÔXk%
Speaking at the Public hearing
on the bill organised by the Senate
Committee on Judiciary, Human
Rights and Legal Matters, the
Attorney General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Lateef
Fagbemi, former minority leader of
the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe and
constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike
Ozekhome, warned that the issue
of the National Anthem should not
Y\ki\Xk\[n`k_Xc\^`jcXk`m\ÔXk%
The Minister of Justice said as
commendable as the move by both
chambers of the National Assembly
may be, on enacting a law on the
National Anthem or replacing the
current one with the old, Nigerians
must be carried along for their
required buy-in.
“In some cases, the national an-
•As Abbas begs governors to put country first •AGF calls for scrapping of SIECs
Longest Served Governor of Wisconsin and former US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy
Thompson; Peter Obi, and the former speaker of US Congress, Paul Ryan, at an event in Wisconsin, USA, on
Sunday.
delivering essential services like
health, education, sanitation and
social welfare programs directly to
communities where they are most
needed. They are important in
ensuring that our communities are
safe, prosperous and resilient.
“Therefore, it is incumbent upon
us to strengthen our local govern-
ment system to effectively address
those challenges. By empower-
ing local government authority
with the necessary resources and
capacities to implement sustainable
development initiatives.
“We can create a more secure
and stable nation. It is imperative to
acknowledge that security is funda-
d\ekXccpXYflk_ldXeY\`e^jÔijk
and foremost, not just the state.”
Similarly, Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas,
implored state governors to priori-
tize the development of the country
and support President Tinubu’s
quest for full autonomy to the local
government councils.
•AGF, Abaribe, Ozekhome, caution NASS
them emerges from open national
competition among interested
citizens. In other instances, the pro-
posed national anthem is subjected
to plebiscite or referendum, before
its eventual adoption or declaration.
“The essence of the foregoing is
kfj\Zli\k_\Ylp$`eXe[ZfeÔ[\eZ\
of the people and to ensure that
the anthem meets their collective
aspirations and suits their contem-
porary socio-political conditions.
“Against the background of the
foregoing, I am of the considered
opinion that the revered issue of
choice of a national item should not
come into being only by legislative
ÔXk#figi\j`[\ek`XcgifZcXdXk`fe
alone.
“Consequently, it is my con-
sidered view that the decision to
change Nigeria’s National Anthem
whether by replacing it with the old
one or a new one, should be sub-
jected to a wider process of citizen
participation through zonal public
hearings, resolutions of the Federal
Executive Council, Council of State,
National and State Assemblies, etc.
NATIONAL NEWS
Abbas, who was represented
by his deputy, Benjamin Kalu,
said the recent suit by the Federal
Government against the states
over the usurpation of the powers
of the local government councils
underscored President Tinubu’s
commitment to the third tier of
government.
“The failure of local government
is well known to us. Despite the ex-
tensive provisions of the 1999 Con-
stitution regarding the existence
and functions of local governments,
that tier of government has failed to
live up to its billing.
ÈJfd\f]k_\dfjkj`^e`ÔZXek
challenges impeding their ability to
]lcÔck_\`iZfejk`klk`feXccpXjj`^e\[
roles include the covert usurpation
of local government functions by
jkXk\^fm\ied\ekj#cXZbf]ÔeXeZ`Xc
autonomy due to the State Joint Lo-
cal Government Account, political
instability from tenure irregulari-
ties, and pervasive corruption.
“A critical component of
“The outcome of this process is
Yfle[kfY\Xkil\i\Õ\Zk`fef]k_\
wishes of the generality or majority
of Nigerians.”
Abaribe, in his submission, said
he was against the move while
explaining that the second stanza
of the National Anthem is the
country’s national prayer.
He also revealed that his senato-
rial district was totally against the
move as there were more pressing
issues that required the attention of
the Federal Government.
“While we support the efforts
of the Federal Government under
President Bola A. Tinubu to ame-
c`fiXk\k_\[`]ÔZlck`\jfZZXj`fe\[
YpY`k`e^`eÕXk`fe#Zi`ggc`e^
unemployment and widespread
insecurity, that Nigerians face today,
we do not feel that it is a priority to
embark on a homegrown National
Anthem 46 years after its adoption
by Nigerians.
“The reasons given for such
unseemly haste to revert back to
the colonial era anthem are rather
nebulous and mostly self-serving.
the President’s Renewed Hope
Agenda is the integration of local
governments into the mainstream
of governance in Nigeria. In a
j`^e`ÔZXekdfm\#k_\=\[\iXc
Government recently instituted
legal action against the governors of
the 36 states at the Supreme Court,
addressing alleged misconduct in
the administration of Local Govern-
ment Areas (LGAs).
“This action underscores the
President’s profound commitment
to this issue, one he is intimately
familiar with from his tenure as
Governor of Lagos State.
“We in the 10th National Assem-
bly are determined and committed
to ensuring local governments are
i\Zf^e`j\[Xe[jl]ÔZ`\ekcp\dgfn-
ered to perform their constitution-
ally assigned roles.
“As contained in our Legislative
Agenda, the House will continue
to play a crucial role in advocating
for and enacting the necessary leg-
islative frameworks to ensure that
Reverting to an anthem that
harks back to our troubled past
as a nation does not enhance
unity. Rather, it reminds us all
of nomenclature such as ‘Tribes,
Tongues’, Natives’ which divides
us as a nation and which led to the
unfortunate civil war.
“The present anthem has a
second stanza that is used as our
National Prayer. Thus, going back
to the old anthem will make the
nation be put even further apart
as it will mean we will not have a
National Prayer.
“Furthermore, the present Na-
tional Anthem was accompanied
by a pledge which all our children
Xe[gXki`fkji\Z`k\Xkf]ÔZ`Xc]leZ-
tions. Will reverting back to the old
anthem not mean abrogation of the
pledge since they go together?
“The peoples of Abia South
Senatorial District are desirous of
policies and plans to reduce the
pump price of petrol from the
present N1,000 per litre in Aba,
the N224 per kWh of electricity,
the more than 100% increase in
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
local governments are granted the
autonomy they rightfully deserve.
This is not just a legislative duty but
a commitment to the democratic
aspirations of the Nigerian people
and the Constitution. For this
reason, I call on all governors to
glkE`^\i`XÔijkXe[Zfcc\Zk`m\cp
support the President in the quest
to grant full autonomy to local
governments.”
Minister of Justice and Attorney
General of the Federation (AGF),
Lateef Fagbemi, in his speech at
the event, called for scrapping of
State Independent Electoral Com-
missions (SIECs).
=X^Y\d`#n_f`[\ek`Ô\[J@<:j
as the major impediment to devel-
opment at the local government
levels, said their functions should
be transferred to the Independent
National Electoral Commission
(INEC).
He explained that “the local
governments in many instances
_Xm\Zfek`el\[kfjl]]\iÔjZXc
food prices than going back to
an anthem written by a colonial
citizen of Britain and bequeathed
to Nigerians at our independence
in 1960.
“Therefore, the people of Abia
South Senatorial District in their
entirety reject the bill to revert back
to the old anthem.”
In his submission at the public
hearing, Minister of Information
and National Orientation, Moham-
med Idris Malagi, recommended
that the scope should be expanded
to include a robust issue on national
identity rather than limiting it to
change of national anthem.
The minister, who was repre-
sented by the Director General
of National Orientation Agency
(NOA), Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu,
noted that some lines in the old
national anthem does not make a
complete meaning.
“The issue of the national
anthem is just a sub-sect. What we
should be looking at is the National
Identity Act. The challenge we have
today is that we do not have a value
national identity which the national
anthem is one of them. It is not
emasculation in the hands of
state governments. In all these
unwholesome abuses, Sections
7 and 162 of the 1999 Constitu-
tion among others have been
an escape route for many State
Governments to manipulate the
Local government and reduce the
same to a mere department in the
>fm\iefijËf]ÔZ\%JkXk\af`ekcfZXc
government account (SJLGA)
has been the anti-development
instrument used to frustrate every
progressive and patriotic action to
make the Local Government work
since the return of the Country to
democracy in 1999.
“The ability of LGAs to
perform developmental functions,
particularly in a federal system like
Nigeria revolves around the nature
of the relationship between the
federal, state and local government
“Any major reform of the Local
government system will invari-
ably require the alteration of the
Constitution and other incidental
legislations touching on local
government administration.
“On the other hand, consti-
tutional alteration can only be
achieved through consensus
building and commonality of
purpose between the three tiers, as
with the three arms of Govern-
ment. We are therefore challenged
to play our respective roles, when
called upon to do so. The best
time to act is now. To achieve
this, many experts have proposed
that there is a need for the scrap-
ping of the state independent
electoral commission. Their
functions and powers should be
transferred to the independent
national electoral commission
because the state independent
electoral commission remains an
appendage to every incumbent
governor. This is perceived as the
root cause of the problem of local
government administration in
Nigeria.”
about singing in schools, it is about
learning it and imbibing it.”
Ozekhome called for wider con-
sultations for Nigerians to accept
whatever National Anthem is pro-
posed and buy into it. According to
him, the National Assembly should
widen the scope of participation in
the process of coming up with such
an Act for general acceptability.
He, however, supported the
move to replace the current “Arise
O Compatriots “ National Anthem
with the “ Nigeria, We Hail Thee”,
the country started with in October
1960.
He said such a move was long
overdue since the current National
Anthem adopted in 1978 does not
have the required gravitas and not
`ejg`iXk`feXckfÔi\k_\gXjj`fe
and zeal for Nationhood among
Nigerians.
Nigeria, according to him, will
efkY\k_\ÔijkZflekip`ek_\nfic[
to replace the current National
Anthem with the old one as over
20 countries like Russia, Austria,
Chile, France , Saudi Arabia, China,
Brazil, Iran, Iraq etc, have done so
at different times in the past.
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Mbah charges new traditional rulers council on community security
GOVERNOR Peter Mbah
has urged the newly inau-
gurated 8th Council of the
Enugu State Traditional Rul-
ers Council to take charge of
the security of their respective
communities through part-
nership with the government
across all levels.
This was even as the Chair-
man of the Council, Igwe
Samuel Asadu, traditional
ruler of Edem-Ani Autono-
mous Community in Nsukka
Local Government Area,
assured that traditional rulers
in the state would key into
the administration’s vision,
mobilise against insecurity
and ensure the success of the
government.
Governor Mbah, who inau-
gurated the council on Mon-
day at the House of Chiefs
Chamber of the Enugu State
House of Assembly Complex,
Enugu, stressed that the
functions of the traditional
institution go beyond being
custodias of culture and
tradition to fostering peace
and unity as well as serving
as the eyes and ears of the
government.
“We are also taking this op-
portunity to remind ourselves
that beyond being the cus-
todians of our tradition and
culture, you are also the ears
and eyes of the government in
your various communities so
that when we talk about secu-
rity challenges we are having
in communities, we expect to
work with you in partnership
to address those security chal-
lenges,” he said.
The governor further
enjoined the royal fathers to
work closely with the govern-
ment and their subjects,
serving as agents of positive
change in the communication
process in a way that their
subjects would understand
and appreciate the policies
and programmes of the
government on education,
infrastructure, healthcare,
security, and their general
wellbeing.
Highlighting some of
the impactful projects the
administration was execut-
ing across communities in
the state, Governor Mbah
explained that the govern-
ment was taking deliberate
steps to ensure that no child
of learning age is denied qual-
ity education through the 260
smart green schools across
the 260 electoral wards, add-
ing that education, training
of youths on skills acquisition
and human capacity building
that the state had already
embarked were serving as
the greatest weapons against
insecurity.
He said the robust
programmes of the admin-
`jkiXk`fenflc[Y\[`]ÔZlck
to accomplish if traditional
rulers continue to live outside
their communities since
they are the eyes and ears of
the government who have
NATIONAL NEWS Page 7
roles to play in community
development.
While congratulating
the new council, the State
Commissioner for Chief-
taincy Matters, Okey Ogbodo,
explained that the process
leading to the selection of the
ZfleZ`cnXjYXj\[feÔ[\c`kp#
integrity and commitment
to the robust development
programmes of the govern-
ment to the people, saying
the criteria was in line with
section 3(1) of the state
traditional rulers law.
Chairman of the council
pledged not to disappoint
the state as they would
continue to ensure the suc-
cess of the administration.
Igwe Asadu, while
describing the governor
as an agent of positive
change whose landmark
achievements cut across
Zfddle`k`\j#jX`[k_\Ôijk
jkXk\$ÔeXeZ\[gifa\Zk`e
the history of their com-
munity was instituted by
the Mbah administration.
“The governor said he
would provide water in
Enugu within 180 days,
and he made it happen.
He talked about roads,
you can see it happening
everywhere. He talked
about smart schools. I’m
very honoured that that
nXjk_\Ôijkk`d\dpkfne
received anything from the
government,” he further
disclosed.
Page 8 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Tinubu should fire 70% of his cabinet

–Gabam, SDP National Chairman ^\kk`e^`ki`^_k`ek\idjf]j\Zl-
By Henry Uche
Are you saying the rity. But they need to understand
ON May 29, President Bola renewed agenda is woe- k_Xk[\Xc`e^n`k_efe$jkXk\XZkfij
Ahmed Tinubu will mark one year ful? They have made Xcjfi\hl`i\j^\e\iXk`e^Xcfkf]
`ef]ÔZ\Xe[dXepE`^\i`Xej_Xm\ two major policies: `[\Xjfe_fnkfeXm`^Xk\k_ifl^_
rated his administration below Unification of the FX and n_Xkk_\^fm\ied\ek`j[f`e^%Jf
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Xe[jlggfik\ijXi\XggcXl[`e^ Naira... (Cuts in) XiZ_`k\Zkli\XjXn_fc\2k_\E`-
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`e^Xjg\\Z_Xe[k_\i\Xc`kpfe \ZfefdpXi\n\ilee`e^6 architecture?
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there was no formation of the \Zfefdp#n_\i\g\fgc\Xi\Y\`e^ [`d\ej`fejXi\\oki\d\cpm\ip
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till date. k_Xkflijpjk\djZXeefkXZZfd- `jXcdfjk^fe\%K_\i\Xi\ef That means what you need is N_`Z_d\Xejk_Xkn_Xk\m\in\
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[feËk\m\enXek_`dkfZfdgcX`e% _Xm\XZZ\jjkf]le[`e^n`k_Xcfn D`e`jk\if]=`eXeZ\le[\ijkXe[j \o\Zlk\k_fj\jkiXk\^`Z`ek\cc`-
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DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
My assessment of Tinubu’s one year
in office –Ajaero, NLC President
By Henry Uche
IN this interview monitored on Channels TV,
the President of Nigeria Labour Congress,
(NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, spoke on various
issues including President Bola Tinubu’s one
year administration and the battle with the
Federal Government on the proposed new
minimum wage.
Are you angry at what FG offers
Labour as minimum wage?
You can see it is still not substantial
compared to what you need to keep a family
moving. There are various ways of expressing
displeasure on issues. Last time, we told them
there was no case submission. And in this
matter, we told them that that’s nothing on the
table.
The state governors were missing
in action. What was missing as the
governors were absent?
Well, it may be the seriousness attached to
it. Some of them had representatives at that
meeting but without mandates to commit the
governors. It is one thing to be represented,
it’s another thing to give your representatives’
mandate. That is where we are today to make
sure that they’re present or they will be present
tomorrow. Or proceed from where we stop
today.
Invariably, the offer of N54000 is
coming from the Federal Govern-
ment
Government in this context, especially in a
sector that is in the exclusive list is represented
by the Federal Government and in particular,
the minister of labour who should be the
vice chairman of the negotiating Committee,
but we understand, realise that within them,
they may equally have governors and other
parties; the organized labour was there, the
Federal Government present, even governors
representatives, but we want to do a holistic
all-inclusive meeting.
Was the minister of labour present
in this particular meeting?
Yes, she was
What was her stand? What expla-
nation did she give to the N54,000
offered?
These are the issues. We didn’t go into the
cannel of the discussion. Labour has been
insisting that they should provide that explana-
tion. She was the one that made the offer on
behalf of the Federal Government, citing that
the government has been involved in so many
projects like the provisions of fertilizers and
other issues, but you see, we didn’t stop talking
because that offer is neither here nor there.
K_\p_Xm\efk^`m\eXepaljk`ÔZXk`fefen_Xk
to do. Because we itemise all that we needed.
Then we expected them to go into it so that we
will harmonize on something, but they are yet
to commence on something apart from this
paltry offer.
Don’t you think the Federal Govern-
ment is serious this time?
Saying somebody is not serious over an issue
is an insult. It’s just the approach to it. When
you don’t give seriousness to an issue, the other
party may gladly say you’re not serious. Now
the government is offering N48,000, because
cXYflinXjk_\Ôijkkfgi\j\ekXe[n\n\i\
looking at what this amount could afford; we
broke it down to even what a plate of food
is, contrary to their report from Bureau of
statistics where their plate of food is N900; we
broke ours to even N500, that’s if you will eat a
plate of rice without meat. But they didn’t just
say anything, they just said N48,000. We have
not seen a negotiation that goes that way. That
is a point of unseriousness. Probably they will
•Ajaero
k`[plgXe[^`m\aljk`ÔZXk`fekfk_XkÔ^li\#Xe[
say this is why we are doing this. That is what
the labour is expecting from them. And I know
that employers in the organized private sector
are expecting that.
What about some governors like
the one of Edo who has pronounced
N70,000 minimum wage, and Lagos
State which is thinking same way...
Some economists would say sustain-
ability would be the problem, that
N614,000 would crash the economy
and spike inflation, are you not wor-
ried about all these dynamics?
When you suppress wage for the very long
time, those are the kinds of things you see.
If you look at a country like Ghana, wage is
reviewed annually,
and if you do that, you take care of so many
fk_\i]XZkfij`eZcl[`e^`eÕXk`fe%EfnYpk_\
k`d\pfljlggi\jjnX^\]fiÔm\p\XijXe[pfl
I think the problem
of this country, you
can’t fix it within one
year. It has been
declining. Nobody
will give an honest
assessment by say-
ing that it is this gov-
ernment, that will
be wrong. But the
essence of having
another government
in place is to correct
the ills of the past.”
expect us to be talking N31,000, N32,000
or N33,000, it doesn’t work that way. Those
are the areas we’re looking at. It’s not enough
to call it N615, 000; N615,000 as a country,
compare it to its dollar value. That is where we
brought our currency to this ridiculous level.
And then we all need to work on it. We have to
look at all those variables in agreeing on what
we are going into.
It’s not a question of taking six hundred
and something today; in the next one week,
six hundred and something would be enough
to buy a bag of rice. That is not what we are
talking about. We have to have a holistic ap-
proach to this and introduce an element of
COLA(Cost of Living Allowance) that we’ll be
XYc\kfkXb\ZXi\f]jfd\c\m\cjf]`eÕXk`feXj
they come. So if we have that and then reduce
the number of years of review of minimum
wage, then we can achieve something substan-
tial. For us to leave wage to be suppressed for
Ôm\p\XijXe[pflXi\jXp`e^j`o_le[i\[Xe[
something is much, it’s not.
It looks like a far cry, what is a
worst case scenario here?
I wouldn’t know what is the worst case sce-
nario on the part of the government. Labour
has said we can come down if variables like
`eÕXk`fe#`jjl\f]]fi\`^e\oZ_Xe^\Xe[mXcl\
of naira, the issue of constant tariff increase,
`jjl\f]nXcb`e^fe:E>#jlYj`[pfeGDJXe[
other issues. We have to check these things
together. If we look at them, we can now
determine where we are coming down to. But
if these things remain open, even if we take
N615,000, we are still vulnerable and it’s use-
less, so we have to look at all these issues; it’s
about take 40, take 50, what are those things
that make it valuable and meaningful and like
I said before, N54000 of any currency is a big
money, but not when everything is running
with such a speed.
Some say government is not show-
ing example of tightening their belt
as they asked citizens to, looking
at the cost of governance, now is
labour holding the government ac-
countable for all these?
This issue has been reoccurring even after
the constitution of the current executive of
president Tinubu’s government. We met with
_`d#n\d\kXe[ZfdgcX`e\[XYflkdXepD`e-
isters, SAs, SSAs. I think he jokingly retorted,
saying ‘I’m creating more jobs. We say no, this
Page 9
_Xj`dgc`ZXk`fejkfk_\\Zfefdp%<m\ei\Ôe`e^
locally should be in the front burner. The issue
of almost all activity to wastage even when
they started buying vehicles at almost one sixty
something million for each legislator; we raised
alarm on and on we have been doing that.
When the issue of subsidy was removed,
they said go and negotiate, and that’s the point
we’re now. And all manner of analysis are com-
ing out, how our proposal would destroy the
economy, an economy that’s already destroyed;
the economy of the worker is totally destroyed.
In fact, the worker doesn’t have any economy.
So, I think there are two economies in the
country. The economy of them (politicians)
and the workers, so we have to harmonise this
and have a meeting point.
What is your zone of possible
agreement?
You have asked this question in various
forms and I have said, it’s not a matter of say-
ing, take 500 or this amount, we can’t continue
kfYiXe[`j_Ô^li\j%@kËjefkjfd\k_`e^k_Xk`j
just pronounced that way; wage is not sup-
posed to be arrived at for the fun of playing
n`k_Ô^li\j%K_\i\Xi\]XZkfijkfY\kXb\e`ekf
Zfej`[\iXk`fe]fipflkfXii`m\XkXÔ^li\Xe[
when you do that, it makes sense and makes it
sustainable. The fact that you called it 700 or
800 does not make it sustainable; there have
to be other contributions in the economy that
would make it sustainable and valuable to the
worker that will make it lasting.
Your ultimatum to the Federal
Government will elapse in days; do
you see the Federal Government
being able to meet up in all of these
demands before you hit the street?
Well, the old minimum wage expired on
8gi`c(/%8e[]fiÔm\p\Xij#fi[`eXi`cp#k_\
Federal Government was supposed to start
the process of reviewing wages six months
before this time. It didn’t happen, and we
have had experience in the past where after
negotiations, I’m talking of arrears, the issue of
commencement date of new wage continues to
be distorted. When people are given ultimatum
that this thing must be concluded within this
period, it was based on the fact that as at today
in Nigeria, there’s no minimum wage by law.
And then we should have concluded this
for a new minimum wage to come into force
and you realize that after this agreement and
the drafting of the new minimum wage Act, it
has to go to National Assembly for legislation.
These are the roots. If not how we begun to
pursue these people, they may not even tell you
that we need to review the minimum wage till
the end of this year.
We meant every word we used. Because we
knew that Nigeria had no business staying till
the end of the old minimum wage which lasted
]fiÔm\p\Xijn`k_flkj_fn`e^Xepj\i`flje\jj
and commitment as we speak. And Nigerian
workers will speak at the appropriate time on
this issue, whether this is the best way to go.
Tinubu one year in office, we were
told not to blame the president for
Nigerians woes, do you agree?
Well, I think the problem of this country, you
ZXeËkÔo`kn`k_`efe\p\Xi%@k_XjY\\e[\Zc`e-
ing. Nobody will give an honest assessment
by saying that it is this government, that will
be wrong. But the essence of having another
government in place is to correct the ills of the
past.
But we can’t dwell in the past, they are the
people sitting down there and they are people
we know, but let me say this, the rate at which
`eÕXk`fe#k_\iXk\Xkn_`Z_k_\eX`iX#k_\GDJ
skyrocketed within this one year, is grossly
alarming. So we need to stabilise this and to
dfm\feXe[kfi\e\nZfeÔ[\eZ\%N\n\i\
Ylp`e^Xc`kk\if]GDJn`k_`eE(/'#Xe[n`k_`e
one year, we’re buying it at N700, and at the
same wage; no worker would clap for you.
Page 10
How C/River Speaker
presided over his own fall
•The intrigues, politics that led to his ouster, reinstatement
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
BUT for the intervention of Governor
Bassey Otu, the embattled Speaker of Cross
River State House of Assembly, Hon. Elvert
Ayambem would probably have gone down
`eE`^\i`XËjgfc`k`ZXc_`jkfipXjk_\Ôijk_\X[
of the legislative arm of government to have
convened the House to preside over his own
impeachment.
Followers of Cross River politics say the fact
that his colleagues’ plot to impeach him was
activated under his nose months ago yet Hon.
Ayamben did not get wind of it, speaks to his
aloofness, unpopularity among House mem-
bers and alienation from them.
8e[\m\en_\e_`ji\dfmXcnXjÔeXccp
afoot, though seated at the Chamber, the
reinstated Speaker was said to be oblivious
of the fate that had awaited him until he was
pronounced impeached.
At some minutes past 8pm Wednesday, May
22, the House had convened for legislative
business for the day and was presided over
by Hon Ayambem. No sooner had plenary
]fidXc`k`\jY\\eZfeZcl[\[k_Xe?fe%<]Ôfe^
Ekarika representing Calabar South took to
k_\Õffi#i\X[flkXc`kXepf]Xcc\^\[`dg\XZ_-
able offences committed by the Speaker and
then moved a motion for his impeachment.
Surprisingly, sitting comfortably on his seat,
Ayambem, allowed the motion instead of rul-
ing Hon Ekarika out of order.
Surprisingly again, he allowed the motion to
be seconded by Charles Omang representing
Bekwara state constituency. With that legisla-
tive self- immolation, Ayambem technically
supervised and approved his own impeach-
ment, a situation political analysts attribute to
his lack of legislative experience.
After successfully impeaching the Speaker,
the 17 lawmakers did not immediately elect
his replacement.They reportedly decided to
the wait for Governor Otu to indicate who his
preference was between the two names sent
to him.That time lag was however to become
Hon. Ayambem’s saving grace for while the
lawmakers waited, some National Assembly
members from the state who were fully in
support of the Speaker’s vow to probe the im-
mediate past governor of the state, Professor
Ben Ayade quickly got in touch with Otu and
succeeded in arm- twisting him into saving
Hon. Ayambem’s skin.
Daily Sun gathered than Otu was presented
with two options: Prevail on the state As-
sembly members to reverse Hon. Ayambem’s
impeachment or forget about their support for
_`jj\Zfe[k\id%8e`eÕl\ek`Xcfggfj`k`feEX-
tional Assembly member from Northern Cross
River who the governor was banking on for
votes from that part of the state, Daily Sun was
informed, was vehement in his demand for the
Speaker’s return. Careful not to risk any action
that could affect his state- wide popularity and
acceptance and by extension his re-election in
2027, the Governor caved in to the blackmail.
9\j`[\jÔeXeZ`Xc`dgifgi`\kp#_`^__Xe[\[-
ness among other offences the 17 lawmakers
who signed the Speaker’s impeachment notice
levied against him, Daily Sun gathered that
Ayambem’s ouster, it has been alleged, was
engineered by some members of Cross River’s
political establishment, particularly some APC
chieftains who are not comfortable with his
emergence as Speaker as well as his recent
sabre rattling. Some elders of the state and APC
leaders were reportedly concerned that some
of the embattled Speaker’s utterances could
extensively dislocate the prevailing political
harmony in the state. The party chieftains,
Daily Sun gathered, were not happy with the
ex-Speaker’s press conference in Abuja few
weeks back where he declared that the House
•Gov. Otu
under his leadership was poised to probe the
administration of former Governor Ayade.
They felt that such move would not only cre-
ate schism in the party but overheat the polity
and distract Governor Otu from his set goals of
giving Cross Riverians quality governance. “His
<oZ\cc\eZpËj`dd\[`Xk\ZfeZ\ieefn`j]lcÔcc-
ing his promises to the people and delivering
to them the gains of his People First Agenda
which underpins the policy of his government;
His Excellency does not need any distraction
at this point”, a party stalwart who pleaded for
anonymity told Daily Sun.
Many in the state view Ayambem’s probe
move as getting back at the former governor
who he perceived as having worked against his
emergence as Speaker.
Ayambem, Daily Sun was informed, was in-
deed not the choice of the former governor and
his successor, Governor Otu, for the position of
Speaker, hence his emergence against pundits’
permutations were said to have shocked both
But for the intervention
of Governor Bassey
Otu, the embattled
Speaker of Cross River
State House of As-
sembly, Hon. Elvert
Ayambem would prob-
ably have gone down
in Nigeria’s political
history as the first head
of the legislative arm
of government to have
convened the House
to preside over his own
impeachment.”
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
leaders.
Having emerged without the anointing of
Cross River’s political leaders, the deposed
Speaker, often described himself as “a son of
a nobody”, to drive home his underdog rating
during the race for the Speakership. He has
equally been projecting himself as a David
who vanquished many Goliaths that amassed
against him.
Consequently, the reinstated Speaker al-
legedly utilized every opportunity of public
speech to try to throw jabs at the former
Governor Ayade.
An insider told Daily Sun that matters
came to a head during the burial of the former
governor’s father in-law in Obudu, Northern
Cross River last month. Governor Otu, his
Deputy, Rt.Hon Peter Odey and other top
functionaries of the government were billed to
attend the burial but the ex Speaker reportedly
maintained he would not attend. It took the
intervention of a close associate of his to per-
suade him to attend.The said associate had told
Hon. Ayambem that his absence at the burial
would look awkward and would be interpreted
XjXg\ijfeXcÔ^_kX^X`ejkk_\]fid\i^fm\iefi%
Things however, took a dramatic turn at the
burial when an Ayade loyalist confronted the
Speaker and thoroughly tongue lashed him, ac-
Zlj`e^_`df]Ô^_k`e^k_\\o^fm\iefilealjkcp
and warned that nobody had ever fought the
Ayades and won.
Weeks after the open rebuke, apparently
[\k\id`e\[kf\o\ikXgfle[f]Õ\j_#?fe%
Ayambem made an appearance in Abuja
where he announced the probe intention.This
fuelled speculations that loyalists of the former
governor may have carried out the Wednesday
impeachment to punish him( Ayambem) for
Ô^_k`e^k_\`igi`eZ`gXc%8),$d\dY\i?flj\#
80 percent of the lawmakers are in their 30s
and 40s and had climbed up the political lad-
der by the virtue of Ayade’s deliberate policy,
as governor, to encourage and support young
people attain leadership positions.
Recall that Ayambem had, at a press confer-
ence in Abuja recently, among other things,
accused former Governor Ayade of incurring
huge debts for the state. His words: “The loans
that the previous administration acquired have
relatively placed us on edge right now. You
can’t quantify it because it is much and it is
heavy, which is relatively placing the House on
an edge.
“We understand that the governor is going
through a lot because of the loans. That is our
worries too. I wish the governor we have today
came and met a sizable loan that he can repay;
it would have helped a great deal. You know he
`jkip`e^kfÔe`j_k_\8`igfik#k_Xk@ek\ieXk`feXc
Cargo Airport in Obudu.
“There is one thing I like so much about the
governor. Do you know as much as most of
these projects were done by the previous gov-
ernment, he picks those ones that he knows,
these ones are realistic.
“He embarks on them. What is he project-
ing, continuity. And me too, I went and met
him to say, Sir, it’s not every of these projects
that were left behind by the former governor,
that you should give a listening ear to.
“And we discovered lately that almost all
those ones that are viable were concessioned
knf[XpjY\]fi\c\Xm`e^k_\f]ÔZ\%8e[n_f
are those people that these projects were
concessioned to, you realize that it’s friends and
family. But all of them are concessioned to one
person. You bring this one, he would say the
name of the company is this, this other one, the
name of the company is this.
“Meanwhile, you have 90 per cent owner-
ship in those companies. I can tell you that in
all of these projects you hear about concession-
ing, no dime was paid into Cross River State
Government coffers. Not one dime. Prove me
anywhere, not one dime was deposited into
Cross River State account.
“Okay, look at Transcorp, Cross River
State government has 30 per cent shares in
Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel and right now,
I think my members are on it. The last time
they had a meeting with Transcorp, where they
interfaced with the management of Transcorp,
they could not account for a dime that was paid
to Cross River State Government coffers.
“They could not, and now we are hearing
they sold it outrightly. Okay if you have sold it
outrightly, where is the position of Cross River
State Government, the 30 per cent share that
Cross River State government had; was there
any seeding off of a dime to its coffers at any
time.
“Look at the Garment Factory, the Ogoja
Rice Mill and all of that, all of those industries
have been concessioned but there is no docu-
ment anywhere that shows that a dime was
deposited into Cross River State Government
coffers. Not a dime”, he said.
ÈK_\i\`jXn_fc\cfkn\Xi\[f`e^kfÔo
the problem. For the moment we are taking
it gradually but let me give you an inside of
it, we have taken down the total numbers of
these infrastructures and industries that were
concessioned in the previous administration.
“And we are taking them one after the other.
At the end of the day, we will revoke all of that
nonsense done that they call concession.
“Take it from me, we will revoke all. We
will, because you cannot concession any state
government infrastructure and don’t deposit a
dime into the state government’s coffers. It is
not done anywhere in the world.
“You will see faceless people telling you, I am
the concessionaire, I don’t understand, when
you trace it and go in-depth, you are alarmed
with what you would see.
“People would say, ‘he is on vendetta’. No. No
person is on any personal vendetta.”
The impeachment notice circulated to
online news media minutes after he was im-
peached indicated that Hon. Ayambem was re-
dfm\[fe]fli^ifle[j#Yfi[\i`e^feÔeXeZ`Xc
misconduct, incompetence and wrong conduct
of preliminary proceedings; non-compliance
with the Cross River State Legislature Fund
Management Law 2021, and total failure to
convene a leadership meeting.
The notice reads in part: “we bring this all
important Motion under matters of urgent
public importance in line with Order 24 of the
Rules of the Cross River State House of As-
sembly and pursuant to Section 92(2)(C) of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
1999 as altered.
“Having met the Constitutional require-
ments of a two-thirds majority, we the under-
listed members of the Cross River State House
f]8jj\dYcp_\i\YpgXjjXmfk\$f]$ZfeÔ[\eZ\
on Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of the
House of Assembly and he is hereby RE-
MOVED”.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Voice of The Nation
The new interest
rate hike
THE Monetary Policy Committee of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised
its benchmark Monetary Policy Rate by
150 basis points to 26.25 per cent from
the previous 24.5 per cent. The CBN gov-
ernor, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed the key
decisions taken at the 295th MPC meet-
`e^# n_`Z_ nflc[ i\`e `e `eÕXk`fe Xe[
XZ_`\m\gi`Z\jkXY`c`kp%K_\_\X[c`e\`eÕX-
tion for the month of April was 33.69 per
cent. This is the third time this year that
the MPC would hike the lending rate.
However, the apex bank retained the
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), which is the
percentage of deposits that commercial
banks must keep with the CBN, at 45 per
cent and adjusted the CRR of merchant
banks to 14 per cent and the liquidity ra-
tio retained at 30 per cent. The CBN be-
c`\m\jk_Xkk_\e\niXk\n`ccYi`e^`eÕX-
tionary pressures under control. It also
underscores the bank’s optimism that the
various tools deployed to create a stable
foreign exchange market will yield the
needed results in the coming months.
=ff[`eÕXk`feZfek`el\jkfjfXiXe[k_\
naira still depreciating against major for-
eign currencies.
8ZZfi[`e^kfk_\cXk\jkÔ^li\j]ifdk_\
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food
`eÕXk`fe]fik_\dfek_f]8gi`cjkff[Xk
40.53 per cent. It was 40.1 per cent in
March. As of last week, the naira plum-
meted to N1,500/$1. At this time in 2023,
the naira exchanged for N450/$. Expect-
edly, the CBN’s latest decision to hike
interest rate has elicited reactions, with
many policy experts, including Organised
Private sector, expressing deep reserva-
tions that the new lending rate will lead
kf i`j\ `e `eÕXk`fe#  dXjj`m\ afY Zlkj `e
the productive sector, especially the man-
ufacturing and other sectors that rely on
bank loans for their funding needs and
generally worsen the economic situation.
Cardoso admitted that there are several
challenges confronting the effective mod-
\iXk`fe f] ]ff[ `eÕXk`fe# jlZ_ Xj i`j`e^
costs of transportation of farm produce,
infrastructure-related constraints along
the line distribution network, security
challenges in some food- producing areas
of the country, as well as exchange rate
volatility. No doubt, the monetary policy
tools being used by the CBN are appar-
ently not achieving the intended results.
The hike in interest rate will not augur
well for businesses. From all indications,
the interest rate hike is seemingly ex-
treme. It will encourage banks to charge
_`^_\i k_Xe gi\mX`c`e^ `eÕXk`fe iXk\j
when lending money to customers. In
the face of rising energy cost, unstable
forex rates and associated costs, it is
challenging to run a business. The hike
will discourage investments. Business
operators with credit exposures are yet
to recover from the previous hike of
24.75 per cent. Currently, banks’ inter-
est rate is about 30 per cent. Even the
CRR rate of 45 per cent and the liquid-
ity ratio of 30 per cent will worsen the
j`klXk`fe%K_\i\`jli^\eke\\[]fiÔjZXc
policy support to compensate for the ad-
verse effects of the hike in interest rate.
K_\ _`b\ `e DGI n`cc j`^e`ÔZXekcp
hamper business operators’ ability to
repay their loans. The Organised Pri-
vate Sector has underscored this point.
The members’ concern needs to be
addressed. Last year, the Manufactur-
ers Association of Nigeria (MAN) la-
mented that its members borrowed
E(%/ki`cc`fe]ifdYXebj`ek_\Ôijk_Xc]
of 2023 to remain in business. Accord-
ing to CBN, the Non-performing loans
(NPLs) in the banking sector stood at
fm\iE(%,ki`cc`fe`e)')*ÔeXeZ\p\Xi%
The NPLs ratio for last year was below
the maximum prudential requirement
f]Ôm\g\iZ\ekf]YXebjcXjkp\Xi%@ki\-
gfik\[cp[\Zc`e\[]ifdÔm\g\iZ\ek`e
June 2023 to 4.1 per cent in December
2023.
We believe that the CBN is using the
nife^d\ki`ZkfÔ^_k`eÕXk`feXe[i\Z-
ommend that it should engage private
sector players in the formulation of
monetary policies. The CBN’s approach
`eÔ^_k`e^`eÕXk`feZXeefk\ejli\\Zf-
nomic growth. The CBN should also
apply an import duty exchange rate that
`jcfn\ik_Xek_\f]ÔZ`XciXk\]fiXjg\Z`-
Ô\[k`d\$]iXd\kf\eXYc\j\Xdc\jjYlj`-
ness planning. The government should
`dgc\d\ekkXi^\k\[ÔjZXcXe[dfe\kXip
policies that can boost food production,
lower the cost of doing business and
overhaul transport infrastructure.
Let the government consider non-
ZXj_ `ek\im\ek`fe k_Xk n`cc i\ÕXk\ k_\
economy without necessarily increas-
ing the currency in circulation. Trans-
parency in the forex market is key to
shoring up the value of the naira. There
is need to prioritise forex and credit al-
location to key sectors of the economy
and stabilise the naira.
Page 11
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Page 12 OPINION
Tinubu: No silver lining in one year
TUESDAY WITH
DAN ONWUKWE
08111813033
danonwukwe7@gmail.com
THIS much is plain truth: Every government
in power is judged by the success or failure
of the promises it made prior to, and on as-
jldgk`fe f] f]ÔZ\% ;li`e^ k_\ gi\j`[\ek`Xc
campaigns last year, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as
the All Progressives Congress candidate made
scores of promises to Nigerians that were lat-
er compressed into what his handlers called
_`j/$gf`ekX^\e[X%K_\p`eZcl[\1]ff[j\Zl-
rity, poverty eradication, economic growth,
50 million jobs, access to capital inclusion,
ilc\ f] cXn# Xe[ Ô^_k X^X`ejk Zfiilgk`fe% 8j
_`jX[d`e`jkiXk`fedXibjfe\p\Xi`ef]ÔZ\kf-
morrow, it’s not unkind to say that his govern-
ment in one year has compiled a more dismal
record, perhaps worse than his predecessor in
k_Xkf]ÔZ\%@efe\p\Xi#k_`jdlZ_`jXcjfm\ip
obvious: there has been so much impulsive-
ness, driven by lack of planning and insincer-
`kpf]gligfj\%
It has been a hard slog for Tinubu in this
troubled one year, with little to show for as
real accomplishments for a man who wanted
to be President and Commander-in-Chief by
Xccd\Xej%N_Xk_\_Xj^`m\eE`^\i`Xej`efe\
year include pain, sorrow, horror, hunger and
poverty as prices of everything in the coun-
try have soared beyond the reach of ordinary
Z`k`q\ej%K_\i\Ëjg\i_Xgjefk_`e^kfZfdgXi\
what most Nigerians are going through right
efn%@kËjXcckXc\jf]nf\Xe[[`j`cclj`fed\ek%
K_\\m`[\eZ\`j\m\ipn_\i\#Xe[m\i`ÔXYc\%@e
just one year, Nigeria is in a worse shape than
Ezea, Senate and service to zone
By Francis Ede
THE name “Ideke” rang a bell among the good people of
<el^lJkXk\cfe^Y\]fi\)')*%?\`jk_\jXd\g\ijfeXj
9Xii`jk\iFb\p<q\X#n_fiXeXZfdgXepeXd\[È@[\b\
J_`gg`e^Ck[%É?\nXj\c\Zk\[j\eXkfi[li`e^k_\)')*
general election on the platform of the Labour Party
CG %
The great man that now represents the Enugu North
senatorial district at the National Assembly was a two-
time governorship candidate on the platform of the La-
YfliGXikpXe[cXk\i8ccGif^i\jj`m\j:fe^i\jj8G: `e
gi\m`flj\c\Zk`fej%
Ideke could be said, without any iota of doubt or
equivocation, to have endeared himself to the people of
Enugu North district and indeed the greater number of
the people of Enugu State by his brand of politics which
i\Zf^e`q\j# ]ifd k_\ flkj\k# c`b\ BXic DXio# k_Xk dXe
dljkÔijkf]Xcc\Xk#[i`eb#_Xm\j_\ck\iXe[Zcfk_`e^Y\-
fore he can pursue politics, science, art or even religion;
and that, above ideology and party divide, these basic ne-
cessities of life must be provided before state institutions
Xe[fk_\ijkXk\\ek\igi`j\jXe[\e^X^\d\ekjZXejkXe[%
A man of indomitable spirit, resilience, doggedness,
profound thought and intellectual assuredness, he is un-
mistakably ready for the job with a good dose of ideas
Xe[Ôidgi`eZ`gc\j%Jfd\fe\kfc[k_`jni`k\ik_XkÊ]fi
once the people of Enugu North senatorial district have
been lifted out of the trivialness and dust of politics into
k_\i\^`fef]kilk_Xe[dXe_ff[Ë%
8dXef][`i\Zkjg\\Z_#_\Ô^_kj]fik_\i`^_kZXlj\j%
8e[_\Ô^_kjn`k_gXjj`feXe[^i\Xkk\eXZ`kp%@k`jk_\i\-
fore these attributes and his authentic love for his people
that have given him the capacity to overcome whatever
had tended to block or obfuscate his vision for the great-
\i^ff[f]k_\g\fgc\f]<el^lEfik_%
Jl]ÔZ\`kkfjXpk_Xk_`j\c\Zk`feXjXj\eXkfif]k_\
=\[\iXcI\glYc`Zf]E`^\i`XcXjkp\XinXji\dXibXYc\`e
jfdXepnXpj%=`ijkcp#_`jm`ZkfipnXjjfi\jfle[`e^k_Xk
an elated President Muhammad Buhari used that stag-
Send your opinion/articles of not more than 1000 words with full
names and location to suneditorialpageeditor@yahoo.com
K`elYl dX[\ `k% 8k **%-0 g\iZ\ek# `eÕXk`fe
rate has reached a 28-year high for the month
of April on the twin triggers of petrol subsidy
removal and the consequent high pump price
Xe[ k_\ le`ÔZXk`fe f] k_\ f]ÔZ`Xc Xe[ gXiXc-
lel market that has failed to yield the intended
results because of lack of adequate planning
Xe[ZfejlckXk`fe%N`k_k_\cXk\jk_`b\`edfe-
etary policy rate by the Monetary Policy Com-
d`kk\\f]k_\:\ekiXc9XebXk)-%),g\iZ\ek#
the interest rate charged by banks is gradu-
Xccp \oZ\\[`e^ k_\ k_i\j_fc[ f] *' g\iZ\ek%
This is bad for businesses and even worse for
`em\jkd\ek%=ff[`eÕXk`feefn`jXkXcc$k`d\
high of 41 percent, with prices of food items
e\m\ij\\eY\]fi\`e[\ZX[\j%K_\eX`iX#Xjf]
cXjkn\\b#\oZ_Xe^\[]fiE(#,''&(%
K`elYl `e_\i`k\[ Xe \oZ_Xe^\ iXk\ f]
E+-'&(% 9\j`[\j# E`^\i`Xej Xe[ @e[ljki`\j
Xi\]XZ`e^_`^_\e\i^pZfjkj#]fi\`^e\oZ_Xe^\
=O  c`hl`[`kp Z_Xcc\e^\j Xe[ dlck`gc\ kXoX-
k`feXjn\ccXjiXndXk\i`XcjËjZXiZ`kp%K_`j`j
in addition to electricity hike even when pow-
\ijlggcp`jZfejkXekcp\iiXk`Z%AflieXc`jkj_Xm\
Y\\eXY[lZk\[Xkn`cc]ifdk_\`i_fd\j%K_`j
`jXeXjjXlckfe]i\\[fdf]k_\gi\jj%@k`jk_\
worse we have seen in a democratic dispensa-
k`fe%@eXccf]k_\j\d`j\i`\j#pflXjb#n_\i\`j
k_\X^\e[X]fiÊI\e\n\[?fg\Ë6N_\i\Ëjk_\
\Zfefd`Zi\Yffkk_XkK`elYlgifd`j\[6Pfl
may also recall that at his inauguration speech
feDXp)0#)')*#Gi\j`[\ekK`elYlgifd`j\[
kf\ogXe[k_\\ZfefdpYpXkc\Xjk-g\iZ\ek
XeelXccp%
;fpflbefnn_XkE`^\i`Xej`edpgXikf]
the country are saying as they bear the brunt
of Tinubu’s callous policies? Chimka-tinubu,
d\Xe`e^dp>f[`j^i\Xk\ik_XeK`elYl%Kf-
[Xp#fe\p\Xi_XjZfd\]lccZ`iZc\%K_\Nfic[
9XebXe[k_\@ek\ieXk`feXcDfe\kXip=le[Ëj
reports show that Nigeria’s economy is still
kfkk\i`e^Xkc\jjk_Xe)%,g\iZ\ek%Ef[flYk#
this President inherited a struggling economy,
n`k_i\Zfi[[\YkgifÔc\Xe[_l^\[\Ykj\im`Z-
`e^#j_fikX^\jf]=O#jb\c\kXcgfn\ijlggcp#X
weak naira and falling oil production due to
crude theft and underinvestment, all from the
dXe_\_\cg\[glk`egfn\i%?fn\m\i#`ealjk
one year, Tinubu has surpassed the abysmal
failure of Muhammadu Buhari in many key
“Even with all the con-
troversy that is trailing
this year’s national bud-
get, where project enve-
lopes attracted by mem-
bers of the National
Assembly to their vari-
ous constituencies are
generally mistaken by
the uninformed as cash
XnXi[j#J\e%Fb\p<q\X#
k_fl^_XÔijk$k`d\j\eX-
tor, has endeavoured to
secure some laudable
projects in the budget
for the communities in
<el^lEfik_%N_\e\o-
ecuted, they will bring
smiles to the faces of the
g\fgc\f]k_\qfe\%É
DAILYSUN Tuesday May 28, 2024
Xi\Xj%?`jX[d`e`jkiXk`fe_XjYfiifn\[fm\i
N7trn in one year after initial promise to tack
YXZbfeYfiifn`e^jgi\\%K_Xk_XjYXccffe\[
k_\eXk`feXc[\YkkfXcdfjkE0'kie%
In his inaugural address, he promised lo-
cal and foreign investors that his administra-
tion would review all their complaints about
dlck`gc\kXoXk`feXe[mXi`fljXek`$`em\jkd\ek
`e_`Y`k`fej%?\_Xj[fe\\oXZkcpk_\fggfj`k\%
?\_XjY\Zfd\XÊkXodXjk\iË`ec\jjk_Xefe\
year, forcing many multinational companies
kf\o`kk_\ZflekipY\ZXlj\f]cXZbf]\eXYc`e^
Ylj`e\jj\em`ifed\ek%@]K`elYl`e_\i`k\[X
divided Nigeria, he has polarised the country
\m\edfi\%K_\]Xlckc`e\jk_Xk[`m`[\lj_Xm\
Xcjf n`[\e\[% 8j fe\ Zc\i`Z# I\m% 9c\jj`e^
Enyindah told him at the funeral service of
cXk\>fm\iefif]Fe[fjkXk\#Ifk`d`8b\i\[f-
cl`e=\YilXip#ÈpfljX`[`kËjpfliklie#efn#
jXm\ E`^\i`Xej ]ifd _le^\iÉ% E\m\i `e k_`j
democratic dispensation has hunger squeezed
E`^\i`Xejk_`j_Xi[%Fecp]\nZXe^lXiXek\\
n_\i\k_\`ie\okd\Xcn`ccZfd\]ifd%DXep
parents have withdrawn their children from
school because they no longer can afford
jZ_ffc]\\j%
Staple foods such as rice, beans and yam
Xi\ efn clolip ]fi Xm\iX^\ E`^\i`Xej% K_`j
is the wrong time to be sick in Nigeria as the
cost of medicines is not beyond the means of
XeXm\iX^\Z`k`q\e%8kE.,'g\i[Xp]fid\Xc#
prison inmates are even faring better because
the pain of living in Tinubu country has be-
Zfd\_\cc`j_%K_`jhl\jk`fei\dX`ejmXc`[1@j
your life better now than it was before Tinubu
came to power? Any hope that the present
j`klXk`fef]\oki\d\_Xi[j_`g`ek_\Zflekip
n`cc\Xj\jffe`j_Xi[kf]fi\k\cc%@kËjefkle-
kind to say that the bar that President Tinubu
will reach to be deemed a successful leader
n`ccY\jf_`^_Xe[_Xi[kfXkkX`e%?\_Xj_`d-
self to blame for taking dreadful, thoughtless
[\Z`j`fej `e jlZ_ X j_fik k`d\% ?`j gfc`Z`\j
have resulted in more far-reaching negative
consequences, with more harrowing multi-
gc`\i\]]\Zkfe\m\ipj\Zkfif]flieXk`feXcc`]\%
Across the country, despair has supplanted
_fg\%K_`j`jefkX^ff[kiXZbi\Zfi[f]_fnkf
^fm\ieXZflekip%
The sorry state of where Nigeria is today
gering defeat of the then governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
as a pointer that that election was largely free and fair
Y\ZXlj\`kgifm`[\[jlZ_jki`b`e^lgj\k%9lkn_Xkk_\
then President Buhari seemed to have overlooked was
the near-frenzied resolve and delight of the people of
Enugu State to bring about a revolutionary change in
the affairs of the state by rejecting the people and the
political party that have been superintending over our
affairs for more than two decades without any tangible
i\jlckj%
Secondly, that massive win at the polls was a show
of love, solidarity and payback time for Ideke by the
g\fgc\f]<el^lEfik_%<q\X_X[jkXb\[XcdfjkXcc_\
had in serving them and in pursuit of their interest and
wellbeing amidst the contending interests of other so-
Z`Xc&gfc`k`ZXcYcfZbj`ek_\jkXk\Xe[k_\eXk`feXkcXi^\%
It was a daring and courageous manoeuvre by the
people of Enugu North as they strived to outwit the
k_\e`eZldY\ek^fm\iefiL^nlXep`%K_\`eZldY\ek
governor was not only a candidate in that election but
was also bent on using all the instruments of coer-
cion available to him to subvert the surging will of the
people to bring about the much-needed change by vot-
`e^]fi9Xii%Fb\p<q\X%J\m\iXck`d\j#<q\X_X[Y\\e
j_fikZ_Xe^\[`ek_\\c\Zk`fej_\Zfek\jk\[%
;`jk`e^l`j_\[J\eXkfiFb\p<q\X_Xjj`eZ\gcfl^_\[
on to the job of bringing the dividends of democracy to
the people of Enugu North in addition to playing a ma-
jor part in the work of the National Assembly, that is,
dXb`e^cXnj]fi^ff[^fm\ieXeZ\f]k_\eXk`fe%
He said in a media chat recently that, by the month
f]Efm\dY\i)')*#_\_X[Xci\X[pglijl\[kf`kjcf^`-
cal conclusion the award of contracts for some roads in
k_\qfe\k_Xk_\`e_\i`k\[]ifd_`jgi\[\Z\jjfi#J\e%
:_lbnlbXLkXq`%
‘The moment we were inaugurated, I wrote letters
kfk_\X^\eZ`\j`emfcm\[#Xe[\m\en\ekn`k_J\e%LkX-
q`kfd\\kn`k_k_\d%N\j_Xi\k_\jXd\fYa\Zk`m\j2c\k
k_\gifa\ZkjY\\o\Zlk\[]fik_\Y\e\Ôkf]E[`EjlbbX#Ë
_\jX`[%
The contracts awarded in November include for the
under this administration is essentially be-
ZXlj\#k_`jGi\j`[\ekj\\jk_\f]ÔZ\XjXgi`q\
kfY\nfe#efkX[lkpkfY\[fe\%K_Xk[lkp
ZXii`\j \efidflj i\jgfej`Y`c`k`\j% K_\ jkXik-
ing point for this government, this President,
fl^_kkf_Xm\Y\\eX[\\gi\Õ\Zk`feXe[j\c]$
[`jZfm\ip% K_\j\ Zi`k`ZXc ]XZkfij Xi\ `e j_fik
jlggcp Xk k_`j dfd\ek% Fe\ `j efk leXnXi\
that the argument from the government side,
especially the legion of sychophants that sur-
round the presidency is that one year out of
4 years, is a short time to adequately assess a
^fm\ied\ek%9lkk_\cfj\k_\Xi^ld\ek#k_\
logic, because one year is good enough to see a
j`cm\ic`e`e^`ek_\_fi`qfe%8e[#k_\i\Ëjefe\
kfj_fn]fi`ki`^_kefn%N_\i\`jk_\\og\i`-
\eZ\k_Xkn\n\i\kfc[_\_X[6N_\i\Xi\k_Xk
self-acclaimed intellectual, political and ideal-
`jk`Z^`]kj#Xe[\okiXfi[`eXipZXgXZ`kp]fi_Xi[
work, for serving the public that his handlers
said he has? Have these become hubris that
_Xm\d\ck\[le[\i`ek\ej\glYc`ZjZilk`ep%
Let’s make this point very clear: if Tinubu
jlZZ\\[j# E`^\i`X jlZZ\\[j% K_\ gcX`e kilk_
is that the acquisition of power means more
kf _`d k_Xe Xepk_`e^ \cj\% 8e[ k_XkËj m\ip
le]fikleXk\%Pfl[feËkileX^fm\ied\ekYp
trial and error as this administration has done
`ek_\cXjkfe\p\Xi%8e`e\oZljXYc\gXkk\ie
of bad policies have run through most of its
gfc`Zp i\]fidj% K_\ kiflYc\ n`k_ k_`j ^fm-
ernment is its failure to admit that terrible
mistakes have been made and ready to make
Xd\e[j ^f`e^ ]finXi[% 8]k\i Xcc# k_\i\Ëj Xc-
nXpj k_\ _fc`e\jj  f] j\Zfe[ Z_XeZ\j% >f[
jXpjjf`ek_\jZi`gkli\j%K_\j\Xi\fggfikle`-
ties given to individuals to rectify their mis-
takes and rise above their previous circum-
jkXeZ\j%9lkk_\`e[`m`[lXcdljk#f]e\Z\jj`kp#
i\Zf^e`j\k_Xk\iifij_Xm\Y\\edX[\%8]k\i
Xcc#Xj]fid\iL%J%Gi\j`[\ek9`cc:c`ekfefeZ\
said, the presidency is about learning what
fe\ [`[eËk befn Y\]fi\ _\ Xjjld\[ f]ÔZ\%
Clinton, in his memoir, “My Life”, acknowl-
edged that he made awful mistakes in his
Ôijkk\idXj>fm\iefif]8ibXejXjXjn\ccXj
[li`e^_`jÔijkk\idXjGi\j`[\ek%?\c\Xie\[
]ifd k_fj\ d`jkXb\j# i\Zk`Ô\[ k_\d Xe[
Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
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ifX[ `e Lqf$LnXe` C>8% @k nXj [Xk\[ Efm\dY\i ('#
)')*# Xe[ XnXi[\[ kf =\ifk\o :fejkilZk`fe :fdgXep
n`k_=\[\iXcD`e`jkipf]8^i`Zlckli\Xe[IliXc;\m\cfg-
d\ekXjZc`\ek%K_\ZfekiXZkjld`jE+/(%.d%
Another one also awarded on the same date of No-
m\dY\i('#)')*#nXjkfJ\im`q`f>cfYXcCk[]fik_\Zfe-
jkilZk`fef]X(%(bdXjg_Xckf]8YY`kfEifYfiliXcifX[
XkXjldf]E)*0%0d]ifdk_\jXd\=\[\iXcD`e`jkipf]
8^i`Zlckli\Xe[IliXc;\m\cfgd\ek%Fk_\igifa\Zkj#_\
XcjfjX`[#nflc[Y\XnXi[\[jffe%
J\e%Fb\p<q\XnXjXcjf`ek_\mXe^lXi[f]k_\ZXcc]fi
k_\i\_XY`c`kXk`fef]k_\DXbli[`$$FYfccf$8]fi$$0k_D`c\
\ogi\jjnXpk_Xk_XjY\\ee\^c\Zk\[]fifm\iknf[\ZX[\j%
?`jdfm`e^jg\\Z_Xe[gc\Xfek_\Õffif]k_\J\eXk\kf
k_\=\[\iXc>fm\ied\ekkfli^\ekcp[fjfd\k_`e^XYflk
the bad state of that road has already yielded a positive
result, as work has already started from both the Makurdi
Xe[E`ek_D`c\j\Zk`fejf]k_Xkm\ip`dgfikXekifX[%
Even with all the controversy that is trailing this year’s
national budget, where project envelopes attracted by
members of the National Assembly to their various con-
stituencies are generally mistaken by the uninformed as
ZXj_XnXi[j#J\e%Fb\p<q\X#k_fl^_XÔijk$k`d\j\eXkfi#
has endeavoured to secure some laudable projects in the
Yl[^\k]fik_\Zfddle`k`\j`e<el^lEfik_%N_\e\o-
ecuted, they will bring smiles to the faces of the people
f]k_\qfe\%
Fe8gi`c-#)')*#k_\g\fgc\f]<el^lEfik_J\eX-
kfi`Xc;`jki`Zk`em`k\[k_\`i]i`\e[jXe[n\cc$n`j_\ijXe[
indeed the general public to a well-deserved ‘Thanksgiv-
`e^Xe[>iXe[I\Z\gk`feË]fik_`jY\cfm\[jfef]k_\qfe\
n_\i\\eZfd`ldnXjgfli\[`ekfii\ekjfeJ\eFb\p
Ezea for for doggedness and strive for the good of his
g\fgc\%D\Xen_`c\#@[\b\b\\gjfejki`m`e^n`k_Xcc_`j
might and strength to bring only the best of what this
[\dfZiXk`Z[`jg\ejXk`fe_Xjkff]]\ikfk_\`i[ffijk\gj%
Truly, Ideke is working, and his people truly appreciate
_`j^ff[nfibj%
• Ede writes from Enugu
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
FINGERPRINTS
UGO ONUOHA
ugoebenaja60@gmail.com
08054700139 (SMS)
DID the Nigeria-Biafra war, 1967-1970,
damage the psychology of the average
Igbo person? No. But... For more than
half a century since after the war, the
igbo have continued to grope in the
darkness of the Nigerian social and
political space. When we say ‘since after
the war’, we actually meant the shooting
n`k_[\X[cpi`Õ\jXe[YfdY`e^jkf
kill mostly defenceless and unarmed
innocent igbo civilians and sundry non-
combatants.
The reality is that the war on Ndigbo
is still well and alive. The other day,
a hitherto respected academic and
grandfather, Prof. Oluwole Akinwale
Soyinka, side-stepped the many ills
X]Õ`Zk`e^k_\Zflekiple[\ik_\ilc\ij_`g
of his benefactor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed
K`elYl#kfgfek`ÔZXk\fe#Xe[XYflk#
tomorrow. He said of 2027 that the
Labour Party [LP] presidential candidate
in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, should
perish the thought of presenting himself
as a candidate for an election that’s still
three years away.
For the likes of Soyinka and Tinubu,
Nigeria’s democracy and governance
begin and end with manipulated
THUMBPRINT
With ANDY EZEANI
andrikez@yahoo.co.uk
08033004174
A WAR of attrition surprisingly
unrecognized or ignored over time by
the targets of the prolonged, mindless
assault has been raging in Nigeria through
the years. The assault has been at once
sophisticated and crude in execution.
It remains vicious all the same, in
whichever form it comes.
In its diverse faces, the onslaught can
be intensive and direct. It can also be
delivered in beguiling subterfuge, taking
even the nature of media commentary.
The motivating objective of the onslaught
remains unchanged: to undermine
or possibly disable the prime targets,
the unrepentant entrepreneurs of the
land who have stubbornly refused to
be discouraged from forging ahead
economically, in spite of all odds.
Over a stretch of a period dating back
to decades, especially since Nigeria was
cobbled together as a state, the war of
attrition against the more enterprising
or economically bullish group of citizens
by the tribe of the less enterprising
others, or those who psychologically see
A vote for Igbo Heroes’ Day
balloting, compromised election
results and stolen victories. They are
contented with winning legal battles
in corrupt law courts and struggling
with widespread debilitating legitimacy
burdens. Positively impacting the lives of
Nigerians is immaterial to them. They do
not even care about signalling. Tinubu
and his co-travellers have no qualms
living large off our commonwealth.
When Soyinka whimsically and
jlddXi`cp[`jhlXc`Ô\[FY`]ifdk_\
2027 presidential poll, the only reason
he offered was that the Obidients, a
section of the vocal Obi supporters in last
year’s election, were irreverent. While
he muttered those words, Soyinka knew
that he was only inventing a disqualifying
criterion that has no place in our laws.
But he always feels he has a licence to
speak as it pleases him but not to be
responded to. Hubris.
Soyinka and Tinubu his benefactor
and lord who can do no wrong are not
of interest to us in our intervention
today. We are concerned with the Igbo in
themselves and in Nigeria.
It’s 54 years since Gen. Yakubu
Gowon, Nigeria’s former military
usurper, declared ‘no victor no
vanquished’ after the civil war. As it
turned out the phrase was an empty
slogan. However, the greater tragedy is
that the Igbo have remained paralysed
`ej`^e`ÔZXekXi\Xjf]i\_XY`c`kXk`e^
themselves in spite of the Igbo adage that
‘onye ajuru aju, anagh aju onweya’.
We should make no mistake about
it nor underestimate the capacity of
Ndigbo to lift themselves by their
bootstraps. And they have done so in
many tangible areas. They have achieved
huge success in economic rehabilitation
through commerce and investments.
Their phenomenal success is the envy of
Grudge of the unenterprising tribe
themselves as such, has refused to ease
off. The resentment has been at the root
of several arson attacks, killings and not
X]\nXnbnXi[f]ÔZ`Xcgfc`Z`\jk_XkX`d#
at various points, to deny enterprising
Z`k`q\ejk_\`iXjj\kjXe[Y\e\Ôkjf]k_\`i
sweat.
This war, the longest in Nigeria, has
remained unrecorded and formally
undeclared, even as it obviously is still far
from an end. Curiously, many of those
who are waging the war cannot clearly
explain what their grouse is, except that
some others in the society always manage
to do better than them. It is a strange
situation but one that has become a part
of Nigeria, amply promoted, in many
instances, by elements in power who
share the same pathetic mindset. If the
undeclared war against free enterprise
and industriousness is a grudge war, the
logical question would be, grudge over
n_Xk6K_\i\`jefXejn\i`ek_\f]Ôe^%
The goal of the bitter campaign seems
to be simple, bring down the more
illustrious neighbours, by any means
necessary. The scenario is pathetic.
Not even the foundation of the
Nigerian state offers a good explanation
for the unfortunate mindset that makes
the spirit of enterprise a mortal sin, for
which a motley amalgam of some other
compatriots will perpetually seek to undo
the industrious lot.
Although Nigeria was forged out of
distinct peoples with divergent values
and orientations, some of which remain
disparate, the constituent entities of pre-
colonial Nigeria that were later stitched
together in the Nigerian state had at
least one shared essential orientation
among them. They all subscribed to
the fundamental philosophy of free
enterprise.
other nations in Nigeria.
In comparison, the Igbo nation has
done extremely well in the education
sector. In public examinations such as
the National Examinations Council
[NECO], West African Examinations
Council [WAEC] and the Joint
Admissions and Matriculations Board
RA8D9T\oXd`eXk`fej#k_\Ôm\jkXk\j#
bar one, awarded the Igbo by military
regimes are perennially in the top 10
of performance rankings. Even the
laggard Ebonyi state is usually ranked
immediately after the top 10.
In areas where there are no Nigerian
state strangle-hold, the Igbo have
held their own, and, indeed surpassed
competition here and elsewhere. In
the state arena, what appeared to be
a political reintegration was quickly
squashed. Within nine years from
the end of the civil war, Dr. Alex
Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, a lawyer and
architect, became vice president of an
elected Nigerian government. He lasted
]flip\Xij`ef]ÔZ\Xe[k_\ejg\ek_Xc]Xj
many years imprisoned by the military
that overthrew his, and President Shehu
Shagari’s administration. Ekwueme was
probed and probed again and again and
was found without blemish. Yet he was
kept in prison. In fact, his traducers
determined that he came out poorer
from his service to Nigeria as vice
president. All the while, his principal
J_X^Xi`nXjfecpZfeÔe\[kf_`j_fd\
in Sokoto. Different strokes for different were built. Strength in number was a
folks.
To appreciate the enormity of the
exclusion of Ndigbo in state-controlled
institutions, just undertake a casual
review of the headship of the armed
forces, intelligence agencies and para-
military organizations since 1970.
The Igbo are treated as pariahs in
Of course, the free-market philosophy
that prevailed in the pre-colonial and
even colonial Nigerian societies had
mechanisms that moderated human
greed. This is a vital distinguishing
characteristic from the regime of
unbridled greed that hallmark western
capitalism. The economic system of pre-
colonial and colonial Nigeria gave room
for individual and group enterprise and
wealth creation. Those who could, dared
in various enterprises. And those who
dared often thrived. No group prevented
any other from being enterprising.
The unending war of attrition in
Nigeria against the spirit of enterprise
Xe[`e[ljki`flje\jjYpk_fj\n_fÔe[
themselves incapable of matching the
drive and acumen of the industrious ones,
is, therefore, inexplicable. This tendency
may yet undo Nigeria. The destructive
tendency must be combated and brought
to an end without delay, in the interest
of the society at large. No society
progresses by allowing the envy of the less
enterprising lot to remain a permanent
threat to the spirit of enterprise in those
who strive to excel.
The Nigerian system has not prevented
anyone from striving to succeed in its free
enterprise arena. It is interesting that the
system, as it has been, has actually tried
through various means, to hold back those
who strive. Unfortunately, the policies
have not yielded the desired result. It
rather encourages indolence, promoted in
many instances for political gains. It may
seem that the war of attrition being waged
by the less enterprising in the Nigerian
society is targeted essentially against the
Igbo, but in the long run the war is against
the collective aspiration of Nigeria as a
country. The Igbo may be the immediate
victims of the anti-enterprise expeditions,
Page 13
appointments into these positions. Even
the recruitment of Igbo youngsters into
these agencies have become issues of
grave concern. The truth is that Igbo
young men and women now consciously
and deliberately excuse themselves
from recruitment exercises into the
agencies. They claim, and rightly so, that
the experiences of their parents, uncles
and aunties in these agencies have been
unpalatable- stagnation in a position,
le[\Ôe\[ZXi\\igXk_j#dXcki\Xkd\ek#
abuse, inexplicable loss of seniority,
sudden and premeditated premature
retirement. The next generation of the
Igbo do not see a future for themselves in
the agencies.
The loss of the civil war was crippling
but the Igbo managed to rise from the
ashes in many respects. However, the
spirit that made the Igbo rebuild the
massive devastation of the infrastructure
in their homeland was unfortunately not
applied to a critical area of their lives as a
hunted people in a haunted nation.
In nation building symbolism is very
important. It could seem intangible but
when properly articulated, symbolism
can prove a rallying point for bonding
and unity.
If the Igbo recovered faily quickly
in the 1970s and the 1980s, it was
due largely to the spirit of igwebuike.
Through igwebuike community
hospitals, schools, roads, boreholes, post
f]ÔZ\jXe[gfjkXcX^\eZ`\j#\kZ\k\iX
rallying cry and Igbo mainstay then. And
it performed wonders. Igwebuike birthed
the Imo Airport [today’s Sam Mbakwe
International Cargo Airport, Owerri],
arguably the biggest infrastructural
project to date in Nigeria delivered
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
but in truth they cannot lose.
The periodic burning down or
demolition of private properties in various
parts of the country, predominantly
owned by the Igbo, may seem to myopic
elements to be a strike against a people,
but it is much more than that. No policy
that cuts the nose to spite the face ever
elevates, in the long-term.
The bane of Nigeria’s development,
both as an aspiring cohesive state and
as an economic force, especially against
the backdrop of its enormous potential,
has always been located in ethnic politics
and clannishness in their most corrosive
forms. Sadly, the malady is becoming
worse. It is even being presented as a
viable strategy for gaining political head
start. Such a tragedy.
@k`jm\ip[`]ÔZlckkfj\\_fnXep
society can thrive and progress in the face
of the convergence of the complications
arising from ethnic politics and the
expanding war of attrition against free
enterprise and industriousness by the
tribe of the unenterprising in the society.
From where will the progress come? The
declining productivity that is haunting
the Nigerian economy presently is not
without a clear explanation.
How does a society intend to
grow, where demagogues hold sway
in prime public positions, with an
alarmingly growing number of arguably
unenterprising citizens who are quick
to instigate the destruction of the
investments of the industrious ones? This
is a clear recipe for economic and social
atrophy. Destroying the property and
`em\jkd\ekf]fk_\iZ`k`q\ejfefe\Õ`djp
excuse or another, may seem hip for some
governments at the moment, but it has its
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
Page 14 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Tough time awaits

rapists in Kebbi
•Convicts get life sentence, 60 strokes of cane
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin
Kebbi
IN Kebbi State, rape cases have been on the
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Fm\i/''Y\e\Ôk]ifdBJD]i\\d\[`ZXcflki\XZ_`eCX^fj
By Vivian Onyebukwa
OVER/''d\e#nfd\eXe[Z_`c[i\e
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(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
"Young men need to show women the respect they deserve and recognize
sexual assault and to do their part to stop it." – Barack Obama
not less than N50,000 or both.
But in the new law of 2024,
tagged VAPP, which covers many
new incidents happening across
the globe, it stated that (1)A person
commits the offences of rape if (a)
He or she intentionally penetrates
the vagina, anus or mouth of
another person with any other
part of his or her body or anything
else; (b) The other person does not
consent to the penetration; or (c)
The consent is obtained by force
or means of threat or intimidation
of any kind or by fear of harm or
by means of false and fraudulent
representation as to the nature of
the act the use of any substance or
additive capable of taking away the
will of such person or in the case
of a married person by impersonat-
ing his or her spouse. (2) A person
convicted of an offence under
subsection (1) of this section is
liable to imprisonment for life
except-(a) Where the offender is
less than 14 years of age, the of-
fender is liable to a maximum of 14
years imprisonment;(b) In all other
cases, to a minimum of 12 years
imprisonment without an option
f]Ôe\2fiZ @ek_\ZXj\f]iXg\Yp
a group of persons, the offenders
are liable jointly to a minimum of
20 years imprisonment without an
fgk`feÔe\%* K_\Zflikj_XccXcjf
award appropriate compensation to
k_\m`Zk`dXj`kdXp[\\dÔk%
While speaking on the rape
cases, human rights crusader
in the state, Zarah Ahmad, told
members of the Kebbi State House
of Assembly: “We note that rape
is not only a criminal offence per
XZZfi[`e^kfj\Zk`fe*,.Xe[*,/
f]k_\:i`d`eXc:f[\8Zk#J%),/f]
the Penal Code Act and S.1 of the
Violence Against Persons Prohibi-
tion Act VAPP (2015), it constitutes
the breach of fundamental rights
to dignity, freedom from inhumane
treatment and in many cases as
demonstrated above, the violation
of the right to life enshrined in
chapter 4 of the Nigerian constitu-
tion.
@em`\nf]k_`j#n\#k_\i\]fi\#
urge the honourable members of
Kebbi State House of Assembly to
[\gcfppfli^ff[f]ÔZ\jkf\ejli\
that all pending bills in the House
meant for legislation to protect
women's rights and girls against
any form of sexual GBV are passed
and domesticated into laws with
immediate effect for justice to be
uphold.
Flii\hl\jkY\Zfd\je\Z\j-
sary in view of the number of rape
incidences across Kebbi State that
have left many women, including
minors and their families dev-
astated, injured and sometimes
dead. Very often, the perpetrators
escaped justice or received justice
not commensurate to the emo-
tional, physical and moral damages
`eÕ`Zk\[kfk_\m`Zk`djXe[k_\`i
families.
N\Xi\_\i\kf[XpXjdfk_-
ers, wives, sisters, girls and more
importantly as potential victims of
rape to call on you to use the power
Y\jkfn\[kfpflXe[pflif]ÔZ\kf
take urgent action to address this
challenge before every woman and
girl do not feel unsafe in the coun-
try. We are also demanding for dec-
laration of state of emergency on
the sexual gender-based violence in
k_\jkXk\Xe[eXk`feXkcXi^\%
Nfii`\[Ypk_\]i\hl\ekiXg\
cases, the wife of Kebbi State Gov-
ernor, Hajiya Zaainab Nasir Idris,
inaugurated State Technical Work-
ing Committee(TWC) on GBV to
intensify efforts to eliminate the
crimes in the society. She urged the
:JFj#d\[`XXe[fk_\ijkXb\_fc[-
ers not to rest on their oars in
bringing an end to the obnoxious
behaviours.
The governor’s wife, who ac-
knowledged the good performances
of the TWC on public awareness
against rape and GBV, charged
them to continue to ensure proper
prosecution of the violators.
She expressed concern over
i\gfikf]*0ZXj\jf]iXg\i\Zfi[\[
in the state within six months. She
[\jZi`Y\[k_\Ô^li\XjXcXid-
ing, stressing that rape remained
an ugly trend in Gender-Based
Violence (GBV) that needed the
support and cooperation of all to
eliminate.
She also expressed concern
over the number of out-of-school
children in the state and urged
parents to be up to their moral and
religious responsibilities. According
kf_\i#cXZbf]XZZ\jjkfhlXc`kp\[l-
cation is among the causes pushing
young people into banditry, kidnap-
ping and other social ills.
The governor’s wife promised
that the state government would
ensure that students learn skills
and trades in their lower levels of
education to become self-reliant
and move away from social vices.
The secretary of the TWC, Mal-
lam Nasir Idris, said that as part of
the success story of their activities,
50 rapists have been arrested and
few sentenced to life imprisonment
by the special courts created to
adjudicate on rape cases in the state
between January and May 2024.
While speaking on the vices,
Deputy Director, Public Prosecu-
tion, and Head of Citizens Rights
and Public Engagement Unit,
Kebbi State Ministry of Justice,
Faridah Muhammad, a lawyer, ex-
•Dr. Marshall, Commissioner
for Justice
plained that with the enforcement
of VAPP law in the state, the GBV
will be drastically reduced.
She said: “The 50 cases
recorded were categorized into
three offences in the GBV. We have
iXg\#[\Ôc\d\ekXe[leeXkliXc
offence which is known as sodomy.
So, within that 50 cases, there are
some on the advanced stage, some
we have commenced trial on it and
others we have concluded trial on
it. Some of these cases, we are wait-
ing for the judges to give their judg-
ment on them. And many of the
suspects have been sent to prison.
That is why we said that we have 50
cases reported from January to this
month.”
Muhammad, who is also
member of the Technical Working
Committee (TWC) in the state,
disclosed that the enforcement of
VAPP in the state will go a long
way to reduce GBV in the state.
J_\jX`[1N_f\m\iZfdd`kk\[
k_\f]]\eZ\f]iXg\#[\Ôc\d\ekfi
sodomy, that is unnatural offences,
that suspect will be sentenced to
life imprisonment and it was also
provided that the accused person
should be taken to his communi-
ties where he resided and be given
60 strokes of cane in front of the
people of the community so that
the general public will know that
the law is working. We believe that
by doing so, the rampant cases
of GBV will be reduced and the
conviction of people will serve as
deterrent to others trying to com-
mit the offence.
@k`jXcjfgifm`[\[`ek_\cXn
that there should be social offences
register for those who committed
such crimes. Their names will be
written in the register and kept
at the Ministry of Justice. The
ministry is also trying to enlist the
register online so that anybody can
have access to it online”.
While narrating the ordeal of
a nine-year-old girl raped by her
neighbour, Muhammad said the
case was one of the success stories
they handed under the VAPP law.
She said: “There was a case that
happened around Argungu axis
in a village (name withheld). A
nine-year-old was raped by their
neighbour. When the case came for
hearing, the father of the girl
came to the court and faced
the judge and said that he did
not want the case to con-
tinue and he would not give
evidence or testimony before
the court.
K_\al[^\Xjb\[n_p6?\
said that he didn’t want his
community to be accusing
him that it was because of
his daughter that the boy was
sentence to life imprisonment
and people will be seeing him
that he was responsible for the
boy's ordeal. So the judge told
him that he can walk away but
that would not stop the court
kfÔe[flkn_pk_\XZZlj\[
person committed the offence,
why the girl was raped and
conclude the case.
(Continued on www.sun-
newsonline.com)
Foundation empowering
law graduates, strengthening
Nigeria’s legal landscape
L-R: Chairman, O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye
O.B. Lulu-Briggs, presenting a laptop to Jane Chinyere Boms,
one of the 59 recipients of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation’s
15th Law School Students Scholarships who also got
N120,000 cheques, at the award ceremony on Wednesday,
May 22, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
By Chinenye Anuforo
ONk_\0+k_Y`ik_[Xpf]k_\cXk\
F%9%Clcl$9i`^^j#k_\F%9%Clcl$
9i`^^j=fle[Xk`fei\X]Ôid\[`kj
commitment to shaping Nigeria's
legal landscape. In a heartwarming
ceremony held in Port Harcourt, the
foundation awarded scholarships and
^Xm\YiXe[e\ncXgkfgjkf,0[\j\im-
ing law graduates from the region.
The ceremony wasn't just about
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;i%Clcl$9i`^^jm`j`fe%Dij%J\`ep\
F%9%Clcl$9i`^^j#k_\]fle[Xk`fej
chairperson, spoke of her husband's
legacy, a legacy born from a desire
to empower law students facing
ÔeXeZ`XcZfejkiX`ekj%J`eZ\)''0#
the programme has transformed
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I`m\ijJkXk\_Xm\Y\e\Ôk\[]ifdk_`j
impactful initiative.
Clcl$9i`^^jX[[i\jjnXjekd\i\cp
a speech, it was a call to action.
She urged the recipients to become
champions of the rule of law, wield-
ing their knowledge to make a posi-
tive societal impact. Recognizing the
importance of technology in today's
legal world, each awardee received
a laptop, symbolizing a gateway to a
vast legal library, research resources
and collaborative platforms.
But the impact goes beyond
individual success. She emphasized
the crucial role legal education plays
in addressing the challenges faced by
the Niger Delta region. She spoke of
how lawyers can be powerful advo-
ZXk\j]fialjk`Z\#\ejli`e^\hl`kXYc\
resource allocation and advocating
for legislative reform.
A strong legal system is the bed-
rock of a thriving civil society, and
k_\F%9%Clcl$9i`^^j=fle[Xk`fe`j
Page 15
actively building that foundation.
Clcl$9i`^^j]lik_\i_`^_c`^_k\[k_\
role legal education plays in fostering
a society that respects the rule of law
and the dignity of every individual.
By investing in these future lawyers,
the foundation is investing in a
future where the marginalized have
Xmf`Z\#Xe[glYc`Zf]ÔZ`XcjXi\_\c[
accountable.
The foundation is open to col-
laboration, welcoming governments,
individuals, institutions and corpora-
tions to join them in expanding
their reach and furthering Nigeria's
development through education.
The ceremony also featured a
captivating lecture by Professor
Fclp\d`j`8[\]leb\9Xd^Yfj\#k_\
deputy vice-chancellor (research)
at the University of Ibadan and the
Ôijk]\dXc\E`^\i`XecXngif]\jjfikf
become a senior advocate of Nigeria.
Gif]%9Xd^Yfj\jgiX`j\]fi;i%Clcl$
Briggs resonated throughout the hall,
and her insights on navigating a suc-
cessful legal career offered invaluable
guidance to the aspiring lawyers.
Prof. Victor Akujuru, represent-
ing the Rivers State University Vice
Chancellor, echoed the appreciation
]fik_\F%9%Clcl$9i`^^j=fle[X-
tion's extraordinary philanthropic
efforts. His words of congratulations
to the scholarship recipients and
encouragement for the foundation to
keep up its exceptional work served
XjXÔkk`e^ÔeXc\kfXkilcp`ejg`i`e^
ceremony.
ÈK_\F%9%Clcl$9i`^^j=fle[Xk`fe
isn't just handing out scholarships;
k_\pXi\\hl`gg`e^k_\cXnp\ijf]kf-
morrow, the architects of a stronger
and more just Nigerian society. Their
dedication is a beacon of hope, and
their impact will undoubtedly be felt
for generations to come,” he said.
Page 16 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Page 17
21
Lagos partners with NERDC to revamp school curriculum
By Lukman Olabiyi
LAGOS State Govern-
ment, Ministry of Basic
and Secondary Educa-
tion, is collaborating with
the Nigeria Educational
Research and Develop-
ment Council (NERDC)
to review and update the
school curriculum to align
with emerging global
trends.
This initiative was the
www.sunnewsonline.com
focus of the three-day
“2024 Network of Edu-
cation Service Centre
(NESC) Convocation’
held at the Adeyemi Bero
Auditorium in Alausa,
Ikeja.
Participants from
Borno, Yobe, Plateau,
Jigawa, Ondo, Ekiti and
the Federal Capital Ter-
ritory, Abuja, attended
the event. Themed “Re-
positioning Education
DAI LYSU N
Innovation and Service
Centres to Address Trends
and Curriculum Reform
for Economic Growth in
Nigeria,” the conference
highlighted the urgent
need for curriculum re-
form.
Speaking at the event,
Lagos State Commis-
sioner for Basic and Sec-
ondary Education, Jamiu
Ali-Balogun, emphasized
the necessity of aligning
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
DAI LYSU N
the education system with
global standards.
Represented by the per-
manent secretary of the
ministry, Mr. Abayomi
Abolaji, Ali-Balogun noted
the importance of leverag-
ing technology to bridge
the digital divide, stressing
that innovation and entre-
preneurship are critical for
societal solutions.
“Our nation faces chal-
lenges that require self-
DAI LYSU N Tuesday, February 20, 2024
help and adaptation to
meet the demands of the
21st-century economy.
The service centre is es-
sential in addressing
these pressing issues,” he
stated.
Ali-Balogun also high-
lighted the THEMES+
agenda, which integrates
education and technology
in Lagos State, under-
scoring the importance of
teacher training and de-
velopment.
Prof. Ismail Jinadu,
executive secretary of
NERDC, articulated the
conference’s goal to de-
velop the education sector
in Nigeria. He explained
that NESC serves as a fo-
rum for sharing ideas on
educational material de-
velopment and curriculum
reform to foster economic
growth.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
18

May 30 sit-at-home: 300,000

South East students risk not
writing WASSCE General Maths
QParents call on IPOB not to jeopardise
of our children. IPOB should
tread with caution to avoid the
mistakes of the past.”

education of Igbo youths

By Gabriel Dike, Lagos;
Okey Sampson, Umuahia;
Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki;
Emmanuel Uzor, Awka and
Felix Ikem, Nsukka
A whopping 300,00 students
in the South East may not write
General Mathematics in the ongo-
ing May/June 2024 West African
6HQLRU6FKRRO&HUWL¿FDWH([DPL-
nation (WASSCE) schedule for
May 30, 2024, over sit-at-home
declared by the Indigenous Peo-
ple of Biafra (IPOB).
The IPOB last week asked
the West African Examinations
Council (WAEC) not to conduct
the General Mathematics ex-
amination on May 30, 2024, as it
would celebrate “Biafra Day” on
that day.
According to IPOB, there will
be sit-at-home in the whole South
East, with restriction of move-
ment, both vehicular and pedes-
trian.
The pro-Biafra group threat-
ened that the security of students
would not be guaranteed on May
30, stating that WAEC would be
held responsible if it goes ahead
with the examination and any-
thing happens to the students.
Since Mathematics is a com-
pulsory subject, like English
Language, the non-holding of the
examination over the sit-at-home
will jeopardise the education of
all 300,000 students in South East.
Daily Sun gathered that WAEC
is not contemplating postponing
the examination, prompting it to
write to the Federal Ministry of
(GXFDWLRQ JRYHUQRUV RI WKH ¿YH
South East states and the Inspec-
tor-General of Police on the threat
to disrupt the ongoing May/June
Younger brother of the IPOB
leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Emman-
uel, said: “The directive is part
of long drawn out strategy ad-
opted by the pro-Biafra group to
achieve its aim. Onyendu (Nnam-
di Kanu) is a kind-hearted leader,
I think he will likely give counter-
directive.”
He promised to reach out to the
IPOB leader for a solution.
Ebonyi State Government, on
its part, has promised that ad-
equate measures would be taken
to ensure that students write their
exams without security breaches,
insisting that the examination
would hold. Commissioner for
Information and Orientation,
Jude Okpor, told Daily Sun: “You
and I know that WASSCE is go-
ing on in the state without any
Prof. Tahir Mamman, Dr. Dangut Ezea hindrance. May 30 would not be
Minister of Education an exception.”
Monday Eze, president, Ni-
VFKRROFHUWL¿FDWHH[DPV harm than good.
WAEC asked for assurances of “Preventing the students from geria Parents’ Forum, said: “This
the governors to ensure a hitch- writing the exam, which is an in- is a security issue. We don’t talk
free WASSCE. ternational examination that can- about security issues anyhow. But
+HDGRI1DWLRQDO2I¿FH +12  not be retaken on a later date by the lives of our children are very
of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, the students, will prevent them important to us.
said: “The council cannot feign ig- from gaining admission into high- “Instead of our childrens’ lives
to be wasted, WAEC can shift the
norance of the level of insecurity er institutions.
in the country. Conducting exams “Although government has day for the General Mathematics
has been challenging. Instances QRWRI¿FLDOO\PHWZLWKOHDGHUVRI and schedule it for another day, if
of insecurity exist in many places the IPOB, it is appealing to them governors of the South East can’t
across the country. through this medium to reconsid- provide adequate security in the
“Conducting examinations in er their earlier order for the inter- schools that day.
insecurity-prone areas would re- est of the innocent students.” “IPOB should reconsider its
threats and allow the WASSCE
quire extra security arrangements. Okiyi, a trader in Umuahia
The council appreciates the con- said: “WAEC cannot because of to hold that day in Igboland in the
tinued support received from the the directive cancel or shift the interest of the children who are
Nigeria Police as partners in ac- exam date.” innocent future leaders.”
Gwiyi Commissioner for Educa-
tualising its goals during the con- Another parent, Kalu Okoro
duct of its examinations.” said: “Inasmuch as nobody is tion, Anambra State, Prof. Ngozi
Meanwhile, the Abia State WAEC on May 30. against their sit-at-home, they Chuma-Ude, said: “The resolu-
Government has appealed for un- Although the Commission- should not do things that will tion to some of these problems
er for Education could not be put the future of our children in lie with you, the members of the
derstanding from all, including the
leadership of IPOB, sounding out UHDFKHG D YHU\ VHQLRU RI¿FLDO RI jeopardy. If the IPOB succeeds in fourth estate of the realm. Some
clearly the implication of not al- the ministry who spoke under the preventing our children from tak- of the prominence given to wrong
lowing secondary school students cover of anonymity said: “The ing their exams, let it be known to things have been the reason for
from the state to take General directive of IPOB, if carried out, them that they would have suc- this crisis.
Mathematics being conducted by will do the affected students and ceeded in jeopardising the future (Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
the South East as a whole more
19 The EducationReport DAI LYSU N Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Government urged to invest in safe We’ve cleared

schools initiative
Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi making her presentation.
THE Executive Director of
Women Advocates Research
and Documentation Cen-
tre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola
Akiyode-Afolabi has made a
passionate appeal to the Fed-
eral and State Governments
to invest and implement the
Safe Schools Initiative (SSI)
nationwide
Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi, who
spoke at one- day media
roundtable discussion in La-
gos on Safe Schools Declara-
tion (SSD) accountability, said
government implementation
of SSI should cut across pub-
YABATECH rector gives one year
lic and private Schools as well as
tertiary institutions.
She added: “As of today, no
school is safe in the country.
Government at all levels must
invest and implement SSD in our
schools. We advocate for cost ac-
tion plan on SSD.
The executive director of
WARDC called on government
to declare a state of emergency in
schools because of lack of safety.
According to her, after the
Chibok girls attack on April 2014
in which about 216 female stu-
dents were kidnapped, the nation
have experienced more serious
attacks on schools including tertiary
institutions.
“When the attacks started on
schools, we thought it was one off
thing but it has assumed a new di-
mension.
“If schools are not safe, our chil-
dren will not be able to go to school.
We worked in Borno State in some
schools and after WARDC came up
with national minimum standard
SSD. Most schools don’t have fences,
gates, doors and security personnel,
“she stated.
Akiyode-Afolabi explained that
WARDC organized programmes on
SSD in three states and afterward
moved to the Federal Ministry of
Education to seek for national policy
on SSD.
In her opening remarks, the Na-
tional Safe Schools Coordinator, Jen-
nifer Ajiboye, said the SSD campaign
is to ensure that children can go to
schools and returned home safely.
Ajiboye, who spoke on the Over-
view of Safe Schools UNDEF Proj-
ect, said “the aim of the campaign
is to ensure the implementation of
SSD in states and hold government
accountable for promises made and
money budgeted for SSD.”
outstanding certificates
–OOU management
‡3URFHVVRIJHWWLQJWUDQVFULSWV
RQOLQHPDGHHDV\
By Gabriel Dike
THE management of Ola-
bisi Onabanjo University
(OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun
State says it has cleared out-
VWDQGLQJ FHUWLÀFDWHV RI VWX-
dents who graduated from
the 40-year-old institution
to contrary to insinuation in
some quarters.
The university manage-
ment has also cancelled the
LVVXDQFH RI QRWLÀFDWLRQ RI
results to students in lieu of
WKHLU FHUWLÀFDWHV WR FKHFN
abuses associated it.
Registrar of OOU, Femi
Ogunwomoju told Daily Sun
that there are no backlogs of
FHUWLÀFDWHV H[FHSW LVRODWHG
cases of students with errors
in names linked to when the
university used manual com-
egories of students have is-
sues such outstanding results
or errors in names. We have
FHUWLÀFDWHVLQRXUFXVWRG\IRU
ÀYHDQGHYHQ\HDUV
with us. If there are cases of
VWXGHQWV ZKRVH FHUWLÀFDWHV
are not ready, are those before
2012.
“For those without issues,
the university can produce
FHUWLÀFDWH LQ D GD\ RU WZR
:H VWLOO KDYH FHUWLÀFDWHV RI
VRPHRIRXUÀUVWVHWRI
,WWDNHVWLPHWRÀQGUHVXOWVRI
students who graduated years
back because we do it manu-
ally and we are in the process
of converting the outstanding
manual results into computer-
ized form.’’
On transcripts, the regis-
trar faulted the claim that the
process is cumbersome and

scored card of administration puter students’ results.

Ogunwomoju said as
promised by the Vice Chan-
stressed that the university
management has improved in
the issuance of transcripts.
By Gabriel Dike cellor, Prof. Agboola dur- “Students who graduated
ing the pre-convocation that from 2010, 2011, 2012 and
THE Yaba College of Technology (YABAT- FHUWLÀFDWHV RI UHFHQW JUDGX- upward, it is easy to get their
ECH), Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul has given ates for 2023 and 2024 was transcripts. For those from
one year scorecard of his administration with ready and many graduates 2000 to 2010, we have re-
lists of numerous achievements recorded.
A public lecture was held to mark the rector’s have collected theirs. trieved the manual results and
RQH\HDULQRIÀFH$WWKHHYHQWLWZDVFRPPHQ- “All graduates going for added it to our system.
dations galore by stakeholders and appreciation their NYSC went with their “From 2012 to 2024, stu-
E\ VWDII DQG VWXGHQWV RI WKH \HDUROG ÀUVW FHUWLÀFDWHV )RU  dents can have transcripts
higher institution in the country. set, we processed and signed online without coming to the
The lecturer attracted the Executive Secre- 6,000 undergraduate and university. The request for
tary, National Board for Technical Education  SRVWJUDGXDWH FHUWLÀ- transcripts rose three times
(NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, rectors of sister FDWHV $QG IRU  more. In a week, we get about
institutions, a retired chief judge, Justice Ishola NBTE South West coordinator, Mr. Aroye; Dr. Awoh; Dr. about 5,000 undergraduate 250 transcripts request. The
Olorunnimbe, Chief Tunde Fanimokun, former :[]ne4Cnlmb\^Hehknggbf[^%<ab^_?ZgbfhdngZg]IZHdnÛ and over 500 postgraduate problems are that some people
UHFWRUV RI WKH FROOHJH OHG E\ \HDUROG 3D watch the cutting of the cake FHUWLÀFDWHV ZHUH VLJQHG IRU pay the wrong amount, don’t
*0 2NXÀ FXUUHQW SULQFLSDO RIÀFHUV RI <$- distributed to graduates. ÀQLVKWKHSURFHVV
BATECH, staff unions, students and his family Highlighting his achievements, Dr. Abdul said it is
QRWDERXWFHOHEUDWLRQEXWWRUHÁHFWXSRQDQGDSSUHFL- “Since 2012, we had no ‘We are making serious
members. LVVXH EDFNORJ RI FHUWLÀFDWHV efforts to address some of
Testimony of his achievements were ac- ate the tremendous strides recorded in the past one because OOU computer- these problems. The people
NQRZOHGJHG E\ WKH FROOHJH·V ÀUVW UHFWRU 3D year. ized its operations. We have that complain most are the
2NXÀ 1%7( (6 FKDLUPDQ RI WKH RFFDVLRQ Said he: “This is not a movement of self-congratu-
Chief Fanimokun and the guest lecturer and lation but a recognition of our collective efforts and an streamlined the process of part-time students, those who
Rector of Redeemer College of Technology & opportunity to outline our future course. Our achieve- FHUWLÀFDWHVSUHSDUDWLRQ&XU- graduated from our numerous
Management (RECTEM), Dr. Awoh Stella Mo- ments are a testament to the resilience, dedication, rently, we don’t have back- canters scattered across some
funanya. DQGLQQRYDWLYHVSLULWWKDWGHÀQHVRXULQVWLWXWLRQ ORJ RI FHUWLÀFDWHV :LWK WKH states. What we are doing
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com) computerization of our op- now is get their score sheets
erations, it is easy to process and compute their results. We
DQGFROOHFWFHUWLÀFDWHV KDYH SURGXFHG RYHU 
Stakeholders laud BMI-CTY initiative “We have isolated cases,
especially part-time and
JUDGXDWHVVLQFH
“We have large volume of
to boost entrepreneurship education some full time students.
Many of the students who
IDOOLQWRWKHVHFDWHJRULHVÀQ-
request for transcripts from
part-time students. These are
people who claimed to have
By Damiete Braide of hard work and passion. government and stressed the
He shared his personal man- importance of long-term sustain- ished long a go with errors in graduated from OOU and
THE chairman of Business Mat- tra, “Lost But Found,” which able strategies. spelling of names or incom- we investigate and found out
ters Incubators-Catch Them symbolizes the discovery of so- The BMI-CTY initiative plete results. they are not our students. The
Young (BMI-CTY), Engineer lutions that secure the future of employs a unique methodol- “There are some people genuine graduates don’t have
Nnamdi Unachukwu has un- young Nigerians as the nation’s ogy known as the “six senses who assumed they have issues. A lot of people claimed
veiled an initiative designed to future leaders. approach” to entrepreneurship graduated from OOU but they graduated but are were
foster entrepreneurship among He emphasized the urgent education. This comprehensive still have outstanding results never our student.”
young Nigerians. need for educational reforms method includes a variety of or wrote initiates instead of Ogunwomoju disclosed that
Themed “Incubating African that would shape the minds of tools such as textbooks, work- their full names. While some the current management has
Kid Entrepreneurs for Next Gen- young Nigerians, particularly books, decision books, video students only come when GRQHDORWWRPDNHFHUWLÀFDWHV
erational Impact,” the initiative those in rural areas. Through lessons, cartoon services, BMI they are desperate for their available as at when due. We
highlighted the efforts and dedi- years of research, consultations, fantasy day, practical manuals, FHUWLÀFDWH *HWWLQJ WKHLU UH- have computerized the pro-
cation behind the groundbreak- and hard work, his vision cul- and train the trainer journal man- sults (manual) and full FHVV RI LVVXLQJ FHUWLÀFDWH
ing project aimed at reducing minated in the creation of BMI- uals. These resources are aimed names after years of gradu- Issuance of transcripts have
poverty, fraud, unemployment, CTY. This initiative targets chil- at modifying behavior, enhance ation delay the process of is- been streamlined by this ad-
and insecurity in Nigeria through dren aged 7 to 14, teaching them cognitive processes, and inte- VXLQJWKHFHUWLÀFDWH ministration. Through online
entrepreneurship education. the necessary skills and mental- grate changes in values and at- “There are also some who process, they can get their stu-
With excitement Unachukwu ity to become successful entre- titudes during the crucial devel- assumed they have gradu- dent copy and later the origi-
took the stage to celebrate the preneurs. Unachukwu criticized opmental stages from childhood ated and when they come nal copy.
launch of a new initiative and his previous short-term approaches to adolescence. we investigated. These cat-
ÀUVW ERRN PDUNLQJ D PLOHVWRQH WKDW À]]OHG RXW ZLWK HDFK QHZ (Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
Page 20 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Page 21
Page 22
Remembering Col. Yohanna
Madaki, the iconoclast
By Osa Director
TO the younger generation, especially the
Gen Z, with a very scant knowledge about
Nigeria’s political history and the struggle
for democracy and the rule of law, the name
Colonel Yohanna Madaki (rtd.) might
neither ring a bell nor strike a chord of
familiarity.
This is especially so in a country like
ours where leaders are scared stiff of seeing
k_\`ikil\i\Õ\Zk`fej`ek_\d`iifi%K_\
fear of viewing the ruination our so-called
leaders have brought upon the country has
`eÕl\eZ\[k_\dkfYXek_\k\XZ_`e^f]?`j-
tory as a subject in our secondary schools.
So, how will the younger generation learn
]ifdk_\c\jjfejf]_`jkfip6?fnn`cck_\p
identify the ignoble roles played by those
parading themselves as leaders?
?\eZ\#`knflc[Y\`dgfjj`Yc\kffkf
learn of the heroic and patriotic efforts of
the likes of Madaki.
Madaki was born in 1941, in Ziturung
Kuryi, Zangon Kataf Local Government
Area of Kaduna State. After his primary
education, he proceeded to the Nigerian
Defence Academy (NDA), Zaria, in Kaduna
State.
While in the Nigerian Army, he had the
privilege and excellence to participate in the
Dfej:X[\kF]ÔZ\i8ZX[\dpf]8c[\ij_fk#
England, and was an active soldier during
the Nigerian Civil War after his commission
as a 2nd Lieutenant.
Being from a minority ethnic tribe in
the North, Madaki learned early in life to
jkil^^c\_Xi[]fiXcc_\\m\i[\j`i\[%?\
was imbued with discipline, as well as the
principles of justice and fairness.
K_\i\]fi\#XjXef]ÔZ\i`e@YX[Xe#Fpf
State, he enrolled for a Law degree at the
Le`m\ij`kpf]@YX[Xe%?\^iX[lXk\[n`k_X
degree in Law in 1984 and was called to the
Nigerian Bar, in 1985.
N_\ek_\>\e\iXc@YiX_`d9X[XdXj`
Babangida regime toppled Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari in a palace coup in
August 1985, Madaki was appointed mili-
tary governor of old Gongola State (com-
prising today’s Adamawa and Taraba states).
@knXj_`ji\`^eXjd`c`kXip^fm\iefik_Xk
catapulted him into national prominence.
?\\o_`Y`k\[k_\jk\ic`e^hlXc`k`\jf]X
rare gem and patriot with a courageous
heart committed to the liberation of Nigeria
from poverty, underdevelopment, preju-
dices and traditional blinkers.
As military governor of Gongola State,
DX[Xb`nXjXef$efej\ej\f]ÔZ\iXe[
^\ekc\dXe%?\j\kflkkfkXZbc\k_\\ogcf`kX-
tion of the poor by the powerful traditional
`ejk`klk`fej%?\dX[\efgi\k\eZ\jXk
liberating the poor and underprivileged
from the suffocating grip and manipulation
by the rich and powerful, who disguised as
traditional rulers and religious leaders.
?\nXjgi\gXi\[kf\ogfj\k_\`ile-
derbelly and hypocrisy laced in religious
[f^dX%?\kffb`klgfe_`dj\c]XjXkXjbkf
break the prison of ignorance and poverty
that the powerful traditional and religious
institutions have erected around the people
in northern Nigeria.
:fej\hl\ekcp#DX[Xb`iX`c\[Xe[iffk\[
against the Almajari system, where children
of school age are sent to the streets to beg
for a living under the pretence of religious
kiX`e`e^%?\nXjX^X`ejk^`icZ_`c[dXii`X^\%
@e[\\[#_\[\k\jk\[k_\jpjk\d`Z\ogcf`kX-
tion of the plebians by the traditional and
religious institutions in the North.
Madaki was outspoken, daring, an
XmXek$^Xi[\f]Xjfik%?\nXji\dXibXYcp
different and by his ideological worldview
he detested those who paraded themselves
as overlords.
Therefore, it was not surprising when, in
a rare show of rage against the exploitative
feudal system and against the threat that
heavens would fall, he deposed the Emir
of Muri, the traditional ruler of Muri. But
heavens did not fall.
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
•Madaki
As a matter of fact, Madaki gleefully
kfc[k_\d\[`X#È@_Xm\[\XckXYcfnfe
]\l[Xc`jd%É@knXjjlZ_XiXi\XZkf]Zfli-
age in governance that prompted News-
watch magazine to describe Madaki as an
iconoclast! A moniker that glued on him till
death and even thereafter.
@eXY`[kfbfnkfnkfk_\kiX[`k`feXc
forces, who hitherto were untouchables, Ba-
bangida in a humiliating soft-landing tactic
removed Madaki as governor of Gongola
State in August 1986, barely after a year in
f]ÔZ\%?\nXji\[\gcfp\[kf9\el\JkXk\%
9lkX]k\ialjkXdfek_`ef]ÔZ\#DX[Xb`nXj
dropped from the Maradonic cabinet of
Babangida in September 1986.
Radical and uncompromising, Madaki
saw through the smokescreen and could de-
Z`g_\ik_\[Xe^\ijX_\X[%?\i\k`i\[]ifd
the military a few months after. Armed
n`k__`jCXn[\^i\\#_\j\klgXcXnÔid`e
Kaduna, where he commenced his private
legal practice.
As in the military, so he was in the legal
giXZk`Z\%?`jcXnÔidf]]\i\[gif$Yfefj\i-
vices to indigent people, especially military
f]ÔZ\ijn_fjl]]\i\[Xep]fidf]dXcki\Xk-
ment in service.
?\\e^X^\[`edXepÔ\iZ\c\^XcYXkkc\j
in the defence of the weak, especially those
f]\k_e`Zd`efi`k`\j%?\nXj`emfcm\[`ek_\
legal battle to save former military gover-
nor of Rivers State, Major-General Zamani
Lekwot, from the hangman’s noose. And he
succeeded.
?\nXjXÔ\iZ\Xe[leZfdgifd`j`e^
defender of ethnic minorities in the North.
?\]fl^_k]fik_\i`^_kjf]k_\JXpXnX
people in the southern part of Bauchi State.
Oftentimes, they were attacked by gunmen;
incessant religious riots broke out verg-
ing on genocide against the Sayawa. But
Madaki like a rock of Gibraltar, again, used
the instrumentality of the law and media to
seek justice and protection for them.
8jXpfle^aflieXc`jk#@kiXm\cc\[kf
Tafawa Balewa Local Government Council,
in Bauchi State, to unearth violence and de-
struction against the Sayawa people which
the government of the day tried strenuously
to hide, Madaki showed me the direction.
@e[\\[#DX[Xb`nXjXaflieXc`jkj[\c`^_k%
?\c\[d\`ek_\[`i\Zk`fef]jZffgX]k\i
jZffg%?`j`ek\im`\nj[i`gg\[n`k_iXn
courage as they were always no-holds-
YXii\[`ek\im`\nj\jj`fej%?\^Xm\d\
XZZ\jjkf_`j_fd\Xe[f]ÔZ\)+_flijf]
k_\[Xp%@Zflc[ZXccfe_`dXkXepk`d\#Xe[
he would be there.
Madaki was one of the few voices of
sanity and courage oozing from the North
[li`e^k_\Ô^_kX^X`ejkd`c`kXip[`ZkXkfi-
ship, especially after the annulment of June
12, 1993, Presidential Election and when
>\e\iXcJXe`8YXZ_X`eÕ`Zk\[XiXi\b`e[f]
dictatorship upon Nigerians.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
•Osa, a journalist and lawyer,
lives in Lagos. He can be reached
at @Director Osa on X (Twitter)
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Page 23

Agric
@Thesunnigeria The Sun Nigeria @TheSunNigeria Linked The Sun Ngeria Sun Radio The Sun TV www.sunnewsonline.com Sunonlineteam@gmail.com

Tin
nub
bu @ 1: Agric sector on ventilators, Food basket
Items Current Last

needs urgent help –Stakeholders month

OYINGBO/OTTO MARKET
Price Price

Stories by Chinyere Anyanwu
neveralonewitu@gmail.com
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, in his inau-
gural address on May 29, 2023, made
glowing promises to Nigerians on how
his administration will use the agric
sector as the springboard to prosperity,
beginning with the attainment of food
security.
He said the sector has the potential to
eradicate poverty, boost job creation.
In fact, one of the administration’s
\`^_k$gf`ekX^\e[XnXjÔ^_k`e^_le^\i
and poverty.
The administration noted that, “ag-
riculture must now be market-oriented
and move away from the subsistence
farming culture currently being prac-
ticed by smallholder farmers. Our
resolve is to develop the agricultural
sector towards the attainment of the
objectives of the Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals (SDGs), especially those of
zero hunger, and to improve agriculture
and rural productivity. Nigeria’s cur-
i\ek gcXe `j kf XZ_`\m\ j\c]$jl]ÔZ`\eZp
in food production and reduce depen-
dency on food imports.”
The administration assured Nigeri-
ans that it would reposition the agricul-
tural sector for optimal growth as well
as make farming implements and other
inputs available at government-con-
trolled prices across the 774 local gov-
ernment areas of the country. It also de-
clared that the Ministry of Agriculture
and the Ministry of Water Resources
will form a partnership that will ensure
adequate irrigation of farmlands, which
will guarantee all-year round food pro-
duction.
Tinubu’s government, in addition,
promised to “engage our security archi-
tecture to protect the farms and farm-
ers so that farmers can return to the
farmlands without fear of attacks. We
will increase revenue from food and
agricultural exports. As we ensure there
`j jl]ÔZ`\ek# X]]fi[XYc\ ]ff[ ]fi k_\
populace, we will concurrently work on
stimulating the export capacity of the
agric sector.”
Despite these laudable assurances,
players in the agriculture space are yet
to see the promises morph into con-
crete action.
On the contrary, there has been in-
creased hardship and hopelessness.
The removal of fuel subsidy, as an-
nounced by President Tinubu, in his in-
augural address, destabilised the econ-
omy by worsening the already troubled
kiXejgfikXk`fej\Zkfi%Jf[`[eX`iXÕfXk
and other scathing economic reforms.
These sent naira tumbling, resulting in
_pg\i$`eÕXk`fe% Fe k_\ Õ`g j`[\#  ]ff[
prices spiked, making hunger the rule
rather than the exception. According to
the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
i\Zfi[j# ]ff[ `eÕXk`fe `eZi\Xj\[ kf
31.52 per cent in October 2023 from the
21.9 per cent it was in October 2022. By
DXiZ_ )')+# ]ff[ `eÕXk`fe _X[ _`k Xe
all time high of 40.1 per cent.
The implication of the above statis-
tics on the consumer is that his budget
for food has tripled. For instance, A loaf
of bread that sold for N400 before the
administration took over rose to N600
and has continued to rise until it is sell-
ing for N2,000 currently. A 50kg bag of
locally produced rice which was selling
for between N20,000 and N22,000 is
presently selling for N75,000. A basket
of tomatoes that sold for N18,000 is
now selling for N75,000 while a paint
bucket of garri that sold for N500 is now
selling for between N3,800 and N4,000.
The rising cost of food has drastically
reduced the purchasing power of con-
sumers and subjected many households
to untold hunger and malnutrition.
Faced with such food crisis situation,
•Abubakar Kyari
the administration was compelled to
declare a state of emergency on the food
sector in July 2023. In a bid to drive its
food security agenda, the administra-
tion in August 2023, renamed the Min-
istry of Agriculture and Rural Develop-
ment as the Ministry of Agriculture
and Food Security, and appointed a new
Minister, Abubakar Kyari.
Assessing the administration’s per-
formance in the sector in the last one
year, stakeholders have said that based
on realities on ground, the administra-
tion leaves a lot to be desired. They are
of the opinion that there is no correla-
tion between the assurances and what
is obtainable in the sector.
The Vice Chairman of Tilapia Aqua-
culture Development Association
in Nigeria (TADAN), Mr. Nurudeen
Tiamiyu, who spoke on the administra-
tion’s footprints in agriculture and food
security, said it has not done well.
Tiamiyu’s verdict is based on the fol-
lowing: “Going by the prices of food
in the last one year, we have not done
well in the agriculture sector. People
can always blame insecurity for it but
insecurity is just a minute aspect of the
whole issue. We don’t have insecurity
all over the country. What about the
areas where insecurity is not a major
issue? How have farmers fared in those
regions?”
He noted that, “up till now, we
have not held any stakeholders meet-
ing under the Minister of Agriculture
and Food Security. Last week we had a
stakeholders meeting with the Minister
of Marine and Blue Economy. You can
imagine a ministry that has been cre-
ated for almost a year now just having
a stakeholders meeting at the tail end of
`kjÔijkp\Xi%N_Xk_Xm\k_\pY\\e[f`e^
for past one year?
“Same with the Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food Security. As a new minis-
ter under a new coined name, the onus
is on him to sit with his permanent sec-
retary and directors to know the direc-
tion of the government policies based
on the new name of the ministry. He
should arrange with directors for a one-
on-one meeting with the stakeholders
in their respective value chains to know
what their issues are. Through that,
they can fashion out a way forward.
The issues are there and the solutions
are also there. The solutions have to be
given by the practitioners as to what the
numbers are, what to put in place in
k\idjf]gfc`ZpXe[ÔeXeZ\kfXZ_`\m\
food security.”
The tilapia farmer who expressed
worry over the insincerity of govern-
ment in funding the sector said, “when
you have a country that is giving less
than 1.5 per cent of its budgetary allo-
cation to agriculture, I don’t know what
they are expecting in that country. The
Maputo Declaration says 10 per cent of
a country’s budgetary allocation should
be given to agriculture but Nigeria is
giving 1.5 per cent in a time they are de-
claring state of emergency on the food
sector. How do you juxtapose that issue Oloyin beans (50kg) N90,000 N75,000
of declaring state of emergency on the Bucket of Oloyin N7,000 N6,000
food sector with allocation of 1.5 per Olo2 beans (100kg bag) N180,000 N150,000
cent of the national budget to agricul- Bucket of Olo2 N6,200 N5,500
ture? It does not add up. Rice (foreign - 50kg) N72,000 N80,000
“There’s no magic that can happen to Local brands (50kg) N60,000 N70,000
make the sector viable. We have gallop- Yellow garri (50kg bag) N42,000 N40,000
`e^]ff[`eÕXk`feXe[n\Xi\efk\m\e Bucket of yellow garri N3,500 N3,300
producing enough and to import is a big
White garri (50kg) N42,000 N40,000
issue because of forex. So practically,
the agriculture sector is comatose. It is Bucket of white garri N3,500 N3,300
Melon (egusi) (100kg bag) N250,000 N225,000
obvious to everybody.”
For Mr. Kenneth Obiajulu, Founder/ Bucket of melon N6,200 N6,000
CEO, Agricorp, some of the administra- Vegetable oil (20ltrs) N55,000 N45,000
tion’s policies have not been friendly to Vegetable oil (5ltrs) N13,000 N12,000
the sector. Vegetable oil (1.5ltrs) N2,500 N2,200
Obiajulu lamented that, “the agri- Red oil (20ltrs) N30,000 N35,000
cultural sector has not been so great Red oil (5ltrs) N7,500 N7,000
in the last one year. There are a couple Red oil (1.5ltrs) N2,300 N1,900
of policies that have affected our busi- Tuber of yam N3,000 N2,500
nesses. For example, the policy of re-
moving poultry from the list of banned MILE 12 MARKET
commodities has adversely affected Bag of onions N50,000 N90,000
our poultry business. All of a sudden, Basket of onions N25,000 N45,000
the policy that allows people to import Basket of tomatoes (medium) N40,000 N38,000
poultry products was introduced after Bag of pepper (rodo) N120,000 N70,000
most poultry farmers have invested a Tuber of yam (Benue yam) N3,500 N3,000
reasonable amount of money in our
poultry businesses.” DALEKO MARKET
According to him, “the prices of Oloyin beans (50kg) N90,000 N75,000
maize and soybeans have gone up and Bucket of Oloyin N7,000 N6,500
a lot of poultry farms have shut down Olo2 beans (100kg bag) N180,000 N150,000
because they cannot compete with the Bucket of Olo2 N6,300 N5,500
imported substandard products. So it’s
been very tough and everyone is feeling White beans (110kg) N100,000 N85,000
Bucket of white beans N5,500 N5,000
the pinch.”
On the state of emergency declared Rice (foreign - 50kg) N72,000 N90,000
Local brands (50kg) N60,000 N70,000
on the food sector, Obiajulu said, “a
state of emergency has been declared Vegetable oil (20ltrs) N55,000 N40,000
but what are the follow up conversa- Vegetable oil (5ltrs) N13,000 N12,000
tions, actions and steps that have been Vegetable oil (1.5ltrs) N2,500 N2,200
kXb\e6 N\ _Xm\eËk j`^e`ÔZXekcp j\\e Red oil (20ltrs) N30,000 N28,000
any of those actions materialise. Red oil (5ltrs) N7,500 N6,500
“Players in the sector are shutting Red oil (1.5ltrs) N2,200 N1,900
down their businesses across the value Yellow garri (50kg) N45,500 N40,500
chains. Insecurity is still a major con- Bucket of yellow garri N3,300 N2,800
cern to farmers and productivity and White garri (100kg) N80,000 N65,000
output are low. Just last year there was Bucket of white garri N3,500 N3,000
a complete wipe out of ginger produc-
tion in Kaduna and that’s just one value
chain. Every other value chain is suffer- 620 Nasarawa farmers benefit
ing one way the other.”
Another stakeholder, Amaka Chuk- from $250,000 ACReSAL loan
wudum, Founder/CEO of Amicable FARMERS numbering 620 from 10 communities in Nasara-
Mondiale Farms, is pained by the dif- nXJkXk\_Xm\Y\e\Ôkk\[]ifdk_\),'#'''Nfic[9Xeb]X-
ÔZlckp]XZ\[YpjdXcc_fc[\i]Xid\ij`e cilitated Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes
accessing funds and other inputs for (ACReSAL) revolving loan.
production. Jg\Xb`e^[li`e^k_\[`jYlij\d\ek\o\iZ`j\ÕX^^\[f]]Xk
Narrating her personal experience in the weekend in Doma Local Government Area of the state,
the bid to get a loan from the Bank of In- the Governor, Abdullahi Sule, said the loan was in line with
dustry (BoI), Chukwudum said, “I heard the vision of the federal and state governments to support
they were giving women agricultural farmers to mitigate the impact of climate change and boost
loan through Bank of Industry (BoI) food production.
and I have made efforts to access it but The governor stated that as part of efforts to boost food
the bottlenecks seem unsurmountable. production, the state government recently distributed 23
A simple farmer cannot attain their re- tractors and farm inputs to 10,000 farmers in the state.
quirements. The only people that can He explained that the ACReSAL revolving interest-free
meet their requirements are those who fund under its Community Climate Resilience (CCR) com-
don’t need the loan. ponent would help to boost agricultural output and improve
“I went to BoI to ask for a loan of N10 k_\c`m\c`_ff[f]k_\Y\e\ÔZ`Xi`\j%
million and they were asking me to get Jlc\# n_f jX`[ k_\ (' Y\e\Ôk`e^ Zfddle`k`\j Xi\ ]ifd
someone who can stand as a guarantor Doma and Toto Local Government Areas, noted that climate
who has a net worth of property not less change had brought numerous challenges to the environ-
than N14 million. In this economy, who ment as well as the livelihood of farmers, adding that the
is willing to stand for you with their as- intervention would go a long way to ameliorate their plight.
set? I told them I have 10 acres of land; He assured that his administration would continue to col-
can’t it be a collateral for me? An acre of laborate with partners to provide resources and support that
land in the area where the land is locat- would cushion the effect of climate change and tackle pov-
ed is worth N2 million now so 10 acres erty in the state.
are worth N20 million. They insisted it “To this end, Nasarawa State is partnering with the Fed-
must have C of O. How many farmers eral Government, World Bank through ACReSAL project to
in Nigeria have C of Os on lands they
are farming on? I have my Deed of As- help the vulnerable communities to adapt to the impact of
climate change.
signment and other papers; it’s already
fenced round, and my farm project is “We expect this support to lead to food security, improve
income of the communities and create employment oppor-
going on there so why can’t I use it get
loan? They said no. tunities especially among the vulnerable groups including
persons with special needs, women and youths.
“So the way they kept the simple
things a farmer can get shows it’s obvi- “The project will also enhance farmers and communities’
capacity of climate smart agriculture through technology
ously not the farmer they have in mind.
It’s the high networth individuals they and innovation, increase community farmers understanding
of sustainable agricultural practices and help address local
have in mind. With the way they set
their policies, the real people the loans ZfeÕ`ZkjXe[]fjk\ig\XZ\#ÉJlc\jX`[%
are meant for cannot access them. Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
Page 24
Banking&Finance
@Thesunnigeria The Sun Nigeria
L-R: Group Chief Executive, Mr. Ladi Balogun; Chairman, Mr. Oladipupo Jadesimi; Company Secretary/General Counsel, Mrs. Funmi Adedibu; Non-
Exectuive Director, Professor Oluwatoyin Ashiru; Executive Director, Coverage & Investment Banking, Mr. Olufemi Badeji and Executive Director/Chief
Operating Officer, Mr. Gbolahan Joshua, all of FCMB Group during the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Group held in Lagos, recently.
By Chinwendu Obienyi
THE Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) was birthed via a draft
legislation presented to the House
of Representatives in March 1958
and the Act was fully implemented
on July 1, 1959.
Since then, the CBN Act, which
comprises a legal framework
within which the apex bank oper-
ates and regulates banks, has been
Xd\e[\[Ôm\k`d\jefkXYcp(00(#
1993, 1997, 1998 and 2007).
Within this period, the CBN has
been able to cover new institutions
in order to enhance the effective-
ness of monetary policy, regulation
and supervision of banks as well as
efe$YXeb`e^ÔeXeZ`Xc`ejk`klk`fej%
Unfortunately in 1997, the federal
government enacted the CBN
(Amendment Decree No 3 and
BOFI (Amended) Decree No. 4)
to completely remove the limited
autonomy which the bank enjoyed
since 1991. This brought back the
CBN under the supervision of the
Ministry of Finance.
However, the 2007 amendment
Act provided that the CBN shall
be a fully autonomous body in the
discharge of its functions under
the Act and the Banks and Other
Financial Institutions Act with the
objective of promoting stability
and continuity in economic man-
agement. In line with this, the Act
widened the objectives of the CBN
to include ensuring monetary and
price stability as well as rendering
economic advice to the Federal
Government.
But those objectives, experts
note, could come under threat and
weaken the CBN’s position and
cause several implications for the
economy which the apex bank has
worked hard to rebuild owing to
lawmakers’ insistence on amend-
ing the Act to enable the CBN
Governor focus strictly on admin-
istrative duties.
In an emergency meeting held
at the weekend, the Senate report-
edly amended the CBN Act, in-
creasing the Ways and Means bor-
rowing threshold for the FG from
5 per cent to a maximum of 15 per
cent from the apex bank.
According to the Senate leader,
Ibrahim Gobir, the amendment
was required to help the govern-
ment meet its immediate and fu-
ture obligations in the approval of
the Ways and Means and advances
to the FG.
For context, the CBN advances
to the FG stood at N700 billion
before 2015. However, the bor-
@TheSunNigeria Linked
Insulating CBN from toxic
internal, external interferences
rowing rose to N22.7 trillion as
at December 2022. Furthermore,
an agency report revealed that
the ways and means account for
50 per cent of the domestic debt
(Nigeria’s debt stands at over N100
trillion) which amounts to N30
trillion after requests from the FG.
This is even more troubling that
the monies borrowed and spent
without necessary approval from
the Senate constitutes a clear vio-
lation of the law.
In addition, the CBN Act further
stipulates that all advances shall
Y\i\gX`[n`k_k_\jXd\ÔeXeZ`Xc
year they were borrowed and if
such advances remain unpaid at
the end of the year, the power of
the CBN to grant further advances
in any subsequent year shall not be
exercisable, unless the outstand-
ing advances have been repaid”,
a violation the FG has repeatedly
violated.
Countries experiencing
the effects of influenced
Central banks
The experiences of Argentina,
Turkey, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe
show the detrimental effects of po-
c`k`ZXccp`eÕl\eZ\[Z\ekiXcYXebj%
Argentina’s central bank, the
Banco Central de la República
Argentina (BCRA), has a history of
Y\`e^`eÕl\eZ\[Ypk_\ZflekipËj
political leaders. This lack of inde-
g\e[\eZ\_Xjc\[kfZ_ife`Z`eÕX-
tion, currency devaluation, and
repeated economic crises. Turkey
provides another example where
central bank independence is com-
promised. President Recep Tayyip
<i[f^Xe_Xj\o\ik\[j`^e`ÔZXek
`eÕl\eZ\fm\ik_\:\ekiXc9Xebf]
the Republic of Turkey (CBRT), of-
ten dictating interest rate policies
contrary to economic recommen-
[Xk`fej%<i[f XeËjlefik_f[fo
view that high interest rates cause
`eÕXk`fe_Xjc\[kfi\g\Xk\[Zlkj
in interest rates even amid rising
`eÕXk`fe%K_`jgfc`Zp[`m\i^\eZ\
_Xj\oXZ\iYXk\[`eÕXk`fe#n_`Z_
hit 68.5 percent in March, ac-
Zfi[`e^kfcXk\jkf]ÔZ`Xc[XkX%M\e-
ezuela’s central bank, the Banco
Central de Venezuela (BCV), is
another example of a central bank
under tight government control.
The country’s economic policies,
driven by political agendas, have
led to one of the most severe
The Sun Ngeria Sun Radio
_pg\i`eÕXk`fe\g`jf[\j`e_`j-
tory. The BCV’s extensive money
gi`ek`e^kfÔeXeZ\^fm\ied\ek
spending has resulted in hyperin-
ÕXk`fe#n`k_iXk\jg\Xb`e^Xkfm\i
1,000,000% in 2018. The bolívar
has become virtually worthless,
necessitating multiple redenomi-
nations and a parallel currency
system for transactions. The lack
of central bank independence
has contributed to the collapse of
Venezuela’s economy, leading to
widespread poverty, food short-
ages, and mass emigration.
Experts react
Economic experts are of the
view that countries seeking sus-
tainable growth should prioritize
the independence of central bank
institutions. They noted that what
is more important is the enshrine-
ment of policies that will encour-
age the development of a robust
ÔeXeZ`Xcjpjk\dk_Xkn`cc\ejli\
price stability.
The International Monetary
Fund (IMF), in article IV staff
consultation report of the board of
governors, cautioned the Federal
Government against the proposed
amendment of the Act establish-
ing the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), calling rather for the
strengthening of the apex bank.
It stated: “Directors supported
the authorities’ intentions to shift
kfXe`eÕXk`fekXi^\k`e^i\^`d\
and recommended strengthening
central bank independence and
communication to ensure a suc-
cessful transition.
They recommended caution
regarding amendments to the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
Act that might weaken the central
bank’s autonomy”.
Delivering a keynote speech
themed: Legislative Oversight:
Understanding the dynamics
of Central Banking, Member,
Presidential Governing Council of
Ministry of Finance Incorporated
(MOFI)/Lead Consultant, ECOW-
AS, Prof Ken Ife, explained that
both the role of legislation and the
CBN are both tied towards shap-
`e^gfc`Z`\jk_Xknflc[Y\e\Ôkk_\
economy.
Explaining further, Ife noted
that one of the primary obstacles
hindering effective collaboration
`jk_\`ejl]ÔZ`\ekÕfnf]`e]fidX-
DAILYSUN
The Sun TV www.sunnewsonline.com
tion between the legislative and
monetary authorities.
He said, “Timely and accurate
information exchange is essential
for both entities to comprehend
the intricacies of their respective
roles and make informed deci-
sions. The absence of a compre-
hensive communication frame-
work jeopardizes the coherence
Xe[\]ÔZXZpf]\Zfefd`Zgfc`Z`\j%
“There have been instances of
ZfeÕ`Zk`e^c\^`jcXk`m\Xe[dfe-
etary policies which has been
observed, leading to a lack of syn-
ergy in the pursuit of economic
objectives. Misaligned policies can
contribute to economic instability,
\if[`e^`em\jkfiZfeÔ[\eZ\Xe[
hindering sustainable develop-
ment.
The imperative for a synchro-
nized approach to policy formula-
tion and implementation becomes
evident in light of these chal-
lenges”.
Structural impediments within
the legislative and monetary
institutions present formidable
barriers to effective collaboration.
Historical factors, bureaucratic
complexities, and differing insti-
tutional cultures contribute to an
environment where the full po-
tential of synergy is not realized.
Addressing these institutional
barriers requires a holistic ap-
proach involving legislative re-
forms and strategic interventions”.
According to him, there should
be efforts driving towards enhanc-
ing the capacity of legislative
committees overseeing economic
matters.
“This involves providing train-
ing and resources to lawmakers,
enabling them to grasp the intri-
cacies of monetary policies and
economic indicators. Moreover,
a transparent and accountable
oversight mechanism should be
established to scrutinize the deci-
sions of the Central Bank, ensur-
ing alignment with legislative
objectives while maintaining the
autonomy necessary for effective
monetary policy.
There should be a clear balance
in independence and account-
ability which means that Nigeria
can consider adopting a model
that preserves the independence
of the Central Bank while ensur-
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Sunonlineteam@gmail.com
ing accountability to the National
Assembly. Also, there should be
clarity in roles will foster collabo-
ration without compromising the
autonomy necessary for effective
monetary policy”, Ife suggested.
For his part, the former deputy
governor, Kingsley Moghalu, said
that the move was wrongheaded
and should be dropped.
He noted that such an amend-
ment to the CBN Act of 2007
nflc[ÔeXccp[\jkifpk_\`ejk`kl-
tion by disrobing it completely of
its institutional independence as
enshrined in the Act.
“It would make the bank, a stat-
utory corporation under the law,
to become a Ministry or a mere
Agency or Department of the
Government. And it would render
the bank an open playground for
politicians who are the custodians
of our dysfunctional governance.
Granted, the CBN has already
been politicised since mid-2014
when its current governor was
appointed. But that is a function
f]`eZfdg\k\ek#j\cÔj_gfc`k`ZXc
and institutional leadership, not
a de jure legal reality”, Moghalu
argued.
According to him, “A central
bank’s policies and its internal
administration should objectively
advance the interest of the na-
tional economy, not the partisan
agendas of political parties or
individuals. Imagine a prominent
politician from the APC or PDP
or any other party appointed the
Board Chairman of the CBN”.
Conclusion
Laws generally provide the
framework within which busi-
nesses operate and investors
are usually concerned about the
overall legal regime in which they
want to operate. If the legal re-
^`d\[f\jefkYfcjk\iZfeÔ[\eZ\#
investors will be wary about mak-
ing any investments.
The Act recognises that in order
to promote its objectives, the CBN
needs to be an independent body.
Hence, like Lars Svensson
pointed out, Central Bank inde-
pendence must be accompanied
by accountability to achieve
democratically determined objec-
tives of monetary policy which is
expected to yield advantages for
an economy.
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
@Thesunnigeria The Sun Nigeria
Poor infrastructure, high data cost, others threaten
FG’s 70% internet access target
By CHINENYE
ANUFORO
INSUFFICIENT invest-
ment in infrastructure, for-
\`^e \oZ_Xe^\ [`]ÔZlck`\j
]XZ\[ Yp k\c\Zfd gifm`[\ij#
gfn\i Z_Xcc\e^\j# _`^_ Zfjk
f]\ogXe[`e^`ek\ie\kXZZ\jj
kfiliXcXi\XjXe[n\Xbgli-
Z_Xj`e^ gfn\i f] Zfjld\ij
_Xm\Y\\eZ`k\[Xjgfk\ek`Xc
ifX[YcfZbj k_i\Xk\e`e^ k_\
]\[\iXc^fm\ied\ekËj^fXcf]
XZ_`\m`e^ .' g\i Z\ek `ek\i-
net access by 2025.
<og\ikjn_fc`jk\[k_\X]fi\-
d\ek`fe\[_li[c\j#Xcjfefk-
\[k_Xk`ek\ie\kg\e\kiXk`fe#
under Bosun Tijani as Com-
munications Minister, has
[`gg\[ ]ifd +,%,. g\i Z\ek
kf +*%,* g\i Z\ek% K_`j _Xj
iX`j\[gfj\ijXYflkk_\]\Xj`-
Y`c`kpf]XZ_`\m`e^k_\jkXk\[
^fXcf].'g\iZ\ekYp)'),%
According to Research
@:K 8]i`ZX# X ]fli]fc[ `e-
crease in internet access
gi`Z\j#dXb\j`ek\ie\kXZZ\jj
Xclolip]fidXepE`^\i`Xej%
“The rising cost of inter-
net access is a major barrier,”
jX`[ Fclj\p` 8b`e[\`e[\#
]fle[\if]E\lIXC8@%È<Zf-
efd`Zgi\jjli\j#n`k_i`j`e^
`eÕXk`fe Xe[ le\dgcfp-
d\ek# dXp ]fiZ\ E`^\i`Xej
FG reviewing airport concession deal to ensure
transparency –Keyamo ›JXpjE`^\i`X8`ijljg\e[\[`e[\Ôe`k\cp
FESTUS Keyamo, the min-
ister of aviation and aero-
jgXZ\ [\m\cfgd\ek# jXpj k_\
X`igfik ZfeZ\jj`fe [\Xc nXj
Y\`e^ k_fifl^_cp i\m`\n\[
Yp k_\ ]\[\iXc ^fm\ied\ek
kf \ejli\ kiXejgXi\eZp Xe[
kfkXcXc`^ed\ekn`k_`ek\ieX-
k`feXcY\jkgiXZk`Z\j%
?\ Xcjf jX`[ k_\ YfkZ_\[
E`^\i`X 8`i gifa\Zk i\dX`ej
Zcfj\[ Xj `k nXj nife^cp [\-
j`^e\[kf`dgX`iiXk_\ik_Xe
`dgifm\ k_\ E`^\i`Xe \Zfe-
omy.
B\pXdf [`jZcfj\[ k_\j\
kf aflieXc`jkj fe Dfe[Xp Xk
X d`e`jk\i`Xc gi\jj Yi`\Ôe^
`e8YlaX#_\c[kfdXibGi\j`-
[\ek 9fcX K`elYlËj fe\ p\Xi
`ef]ÔZ\%
He said his ministry is de-
m\cfg`e^ X dXjk\i gcXe ]fi
dXafiX`igfikj`ek_\Zflekip%
The minister said the
BUSINESS
@TheSunNigeria Linked
...Experts list solutions
kfgi`fi`k`q\YXj`Ze\\[jfm\i
internet access”, said Jide
8n\# =fle[\i f] A`[Xn Jpj-
k\djC`d`k\[%
8cjf#È<ogXe[`e^`ek\ie\k
`e]iXjkilZkli\# \jg\Z`Xccp
`e iliXc Xi\Xj# `j cX^^`e^ Y\-
_`e[#ÉjX`[8b`e[\`e[\%
8b`ep\d`FcXYf[\#Xk\c\-
Zfddle`ZXk`fej XeXcpjk#
gf`ek\[ flk# ÈK_\ ]fZlj _Xj
Y\\efeliYXeZ\ek\ij#c\Xm-
`e^mXjkjnXk_\jf]k_\Zfle-
try unconnected.”
K_\ \og\ikj Xcjf X[[\[
k_Xk Yli[\ejfd\ i\^lcX-
k`fej# `eZcl[`e^ _`^_ i`^_k$
f]$nXpZ_Xi^\jXe[dlck`gc\
kXoXk`fe# [`j`eZ\ek`m`q\ `e-
vestment in infrastructure
[\m\cfgd\ek% J\Zli`kp Zfe-
Z\iej[l\kfmlce\iXYc\k\c\-
com sites and arbitrary site
Zcfjli\j ]lik_\i [`jilgk `e-
k\ie\kj\im`Z\[\c`m\ip%
?fn\m\i# fg`e`fej Xi\
divided on achieving the
.' g\i Z\ek kXi^\k% @e[ljkip
c\X[\ij Y\c`\m\ `kËj gfjj`Yc\
n`k_j`^e`ÔZXek`em\jkd\ekj
`e `e]iXjkilZkli\# jlYj`[`q\[
jdXikg_fe\jXe[[XkXgcXej#
Xe[ ZfccXYfiXk`fe n`k_ gi`-
mXk\ZfdgXe`\j%
?\Xik_\d#=\d`8b`ejXe-
pX#Xe@K\og\ik#Xi^l\[#È@kËj
XdY`k`flj#YlkXZ_`\mXYc\%É
Gbenga Adebayo, Chair-
gi\j`[\ek _Xj Xggifm\[ k_\
i\m`\nf]k_\ZfeZ\jj`fegif-
Z\jjf]k_\dXafiX`igfikjkf
dXb\jli\k_\pfg\iXk\Xk`e-
k\ieXk`feXcjkXe[Xi[j%
“Bureaucracy cannot run
glYc`Z `e]iXjkilZkli\% K_\p
_Xm\ kf Y\ ile c`b\ gi`mXk\
businesses,” Keyamo said.
ÈK_\i\m`\nf]k_\ZfeZ\j-
j`fegifZ\jj`jkf\ejli\`k`j
dfi\ kiXejgXi\ek kf [\c`m\i
nfic[$ZcXjj`e]iXjkilZkli\%
ÈN\n`cc[f]lccZfeZ\jj`fe
f]k_\X`igfikjXe[ilek_\d
Xj gi`mXk\ Ylj`e\jj\j% K_\
gi\j`[\ek_XjXjb\[ljkf^f
for the best.”
Le[\i ?X[` J`i`bX# k_\
ex-aviation minister, the
]\[\iXc ^fm\ied\ek fg\e\[
k_\ Y`[[`e^ gifZ\jj ]fi k_\
concession of four major in-
k\ieXk`feXcX`igfikk\id`eXcj
in the country on August 16,
BANKING & INSURANCE BUSINESS NEWS
The Sun Ngeria Sun Radio The Sun TV
L-R: Managing Director,
TWS Logistics and Services,
Albert Enabulele; Nigeria
Inland Sales Manager, APM
Terminals, Abbey David;
Director of Primlaks Nigeria
Limited - Logistics Division,
Bhagu Vasnani and Country
Market and Commercial
Intelligence Manager, APM
Terminals Nigeria, Adetunji
Igbaugba at the Moniya
Freight Yard, Ibadan, Oyo
State during a rail trip to
the yard organised by APM
Terminals Apapa, recently.
dXef]8CKFE#\dg_Xj`q\[ Zfcc\Zk`m\ \]]fik `j e\\[\[%
ZfccXYfiXk`fe Xdfe^ jkXb\- 8[[i\jj`e^ X]]fi[XY`c`kp# \o-
_fc[\ij%?\jX`[#ÈJkXb\_fc[- gXe[`e^ `e]iXjkilZkli\# Xe[
\ij_Xm\kfnfibkf^\k_\ikf ]fjk\i`e^glYc`Z$gi`mXk\gXik-
achieve the set target. e\ij_`gj Xi\ ZilZ`Xc% CfZXc
@k`j[fXYc\`]k_\`e[ljkip initiatives in underserved ar-
nfibkf^\k_\iXjfe\`dgfi- \Xjgifm`[\_fg\#n`k_kiX`e-
tant eco- system” `e^gif^iXdjfe[`^`kXcc`k\i-
:fekiXi`cp# A`[\ Jf[`gf# XZpXe[\ogcfi`e^Xck\ieXk`m\
Xe `e[\g\e[\ek k\c\Zfd- `ek\ie\kXZZ\jjjfclk`fej%
dle`ZXk`fej ZfejlckXek# ÈE`^\i`XËjaflie\pkfnXi[j
cautioned, “The current XZ_`\m`e^ `kj `ek\ie\k g\e-
[fnenXi[ ki\e[ `j nfiip- etration target requires over-
`e^% Lec\jj k_\i\Ëj X [iXjk`Z Zfd`e^k_\j\Z_Xcc\e^\j%
j_`]k# XZ_`\m`e^ .' g\i Z\ek
Yp)'),j\\djlec`b\cp%É Continued on
www.sunnewsonline.com
JkXb\_fc[\ij Y\c`\m\ X
N309bn injected into economy
in 1 year –Agric Minister
=ifdOkwe Obi, Abuja `eglkji\jlck`e^`eflkglkf]
+.+#-)/d\ki`Zkfee\j%
MINISTER f] 8^i`Zlckli\
Xe[ =ff[ J\Zli`kp# 8YlYX-
K_\ D`e`jk\i# n_f jkXk\[
k_`jp\jk\i[XpXkk_\j\ZkfiXc
bXi BpXi`# _Xj jX`[ k_Xk k_\ lg[Xk\f]k_\Gi\j`[\ek9fcX
incumbent administration K`elYl$c\[ X[d`e`jkiXk`fe#
_Xj `ea\Zk\[ E*'0 Y`cc`fe `e yesterday in Abuja, said:
k_\\Zfefdp#k_ifl^_n_\Xk È=ff[Xe[elki`k`fej\Zli`kp
cXleZ_f][ipj\Xjfe]Xid`e^
gif[lZk`fe%
Kyari stated that contrary n`k_ Zlck`mXk`fe f] ((/#-,.
_\ZkXi\jf]n_\Xk`e(,jkXk\j
kf n`[\jgi\X[ _le^\i `e
k_\ Zflekip Xe[ g\iZ\`m\[ `e XZZ\c\iXk`fe f] Xcc p\Xi
j`c\eZ\ f] k_\ gi\j`[\ek# k_\ round farming.
^fm\ied\ek _X[ jlggfik\[ ÈJlggfik\[('.#+)0n_\Xk
('.#+)0 n_\Xk ]Xid\ij n`k_ ]Xid\ijn`k_`eglkji\jlck`e^
`e flkglk f] +.+#-)/ d\ki`Z
kfee\j% <jk`dXk\[ MXcl\ f]
E*'0 Y`cc`fe `ea\Zk\[ `ekf
the economy.
È@e i\jgfej\ kf Gi\j`-
[\ek`Xc [`i\Zk`m\# i\c\Xj\[
2021. kf E<D8 ]fi [`jki`Ylk`fe
K_\ X`igfikj `eZcl[\ +)#'''dk f] Xjjfik\[ ]ff[
EeXd[` 8q`b`n\ @ek\ieX- Zfddf[`k`\j ]ifd k_\ =>E
k`feXc8`igfik#8YlaX2DlikX- JkiXk\^`Z=ff[I\j\im\%
cXDl_Xdd\[@ek\ieXkëfeXc ÈGifZli\[ Xe[ [`jki`Ylk\[
8`igfik# CX^fj2 DXcXd kfXccjkXk\jXe[=:K,/#,''
8dëel BXef @ek\ieXkëfeXc d\ki`Zkfee\jf]d`cc\[i`Z\#
8`igfik#BXef2Xe[Gfik?Xi- kf[Xdg\e\jZXcXk`e^gi`Z\j%
Zflik@ek\ieXkëfeXc8`igfik%
È=fik`ÔZXk`fe f] Zifgj
K_\ ]\[\iXc ^fm\ied\ek
n`k_M`kXd`e8d`Zif$elki`-
had said the concession ent to enrich nutrition con-
nflc[ Y\ ]fi X g\i`f[ Y\- k\ekXe[_\Xck_mXcl\f]]ff[
kn\\e)'$*'p\Xij% commodities.
In October 2022, the gov- È@e i\jgfej\ kf g\ij`jk\ek
\ied\ekXeefleZ\[k_\gi\- ]ff[ `eÕXk`fe# k_\ ]fccfn`e^
ferred and reserve bidders for d\Xjli\j n\i\ le[\ikXb\e
k_\ZfeZ\jj`fef]X`igfikj% kfYffjkgif[lZk`fe1;`jki`Y-
?fn\m\i# B\pXdf# n\\bj lk\[ -'#+*)dk f] `dgifm\[
X]k\i_\nXjXggf`ek\[Xd`e- j\\[j# //.#),,dk j\\[c`e^j#
`jk\i#jljg\e[\[k_\X`igfikj (*/efj% mXcl\ b`kj# ,'(#.)-
ZfeZ\jj`fegcXejXe[k_\E`-
c`ki\j f] X^ifZ_\d`ZXcj#
^\i`X 8`i gifa\Zk fe 8l^ljk -)#*)/%, d\ki`Z kfee\j f]
*(#)')*%
Continued on Continued on
www.sunnewsonline.com www.sunnewsonline.com
Page 25
www.sunnewsonline.com Sunonlineteam@gmail.com
J_`gg`e^9`ccËccjXe`k`q\dXi`k`d\
`e[ljkip#^ifn\ZfefdpÆI\gj
HOPESf]gXjj`e^k_\E`^\i`XeJ_`gg`e^Xe[Gfik<Zfefd`Z
I\^lcXkfip 8^\eZp 9`cc Yi`^_k\e\[ p\jk\i[Xp Xj k_\ ?flj\
:fdd`kk\\feJ_`gg`e^J\im`Z\jXe[I\cXk\[DXkk\ijk_i\n
k_\`in\`^_kY\_`e[k_\[fZld\ek#[\jZi`Y`e^`kXjfe\k_Xk
n`cc jXe`k`q\ k_\ dXi`k`d\ `e[ljkip Xe[ lck`dXk\cp ^ifn k_\
economy.
Jg\Z`ÔZXccp#k_\cXndXb\ijjX`[k_\9`cc#n_\egXjj\[`ekf
cXn#n`ccX[[\\jj`jjl\jXifle[XiY`kiXipZ_Xi^\jXe[XcXle[ip
c`jkf]`cc\^Xc`k`\jg\ig\klXk\[Ypfg\iXkfij`ek_\j\Zkfi#kfk_\
detriment of consumers.
Jg\Xb`e^kfaflieXc`jkjX]k\iXGlYc`Z?\Xi`e^fek_\i\g\Xc
f] k_\ E`^\i`Xe J_`gg\ij :fleZ`c 8Zk# k_\ :_X`idXe f] k_\
:fdd`kk\\#8Y[ljjXdX[;Xjlb`#\ogcX`e\[k_Xkk_\:fdd`k-
k\\nXjjk`cc`ek\i]XZ`e^Xe[ZfccXk`e^d\dfiXe[X]ifdmXi`-
fljjkXb\_fc[\ijfek_\9`cckf\ejli\Xi`Z_`emfcm\d\ekf]
i\c\mXekjkXb\_fc[\ij%
?\efk\[k_Xkk_\e\okdfm\nflc[Y\kfgi\j\ekk_\i\gfik
Y\]fi\k_\?flj\f]I\gi\j\ekXk`m\j]fik_\K_`i[I\X[`e^Xj
gi\jZi`Y\[Yp`kjilc\jf]\e^X^\d\ek%
?\jX`[1ÈK_\GlYc`Z?\Xi`e^kf[Xpj_fn\[k_Xk\m\ipjkXb\-
_fc[\i`ek_\E`^\i`XedXi`k`d\`e[ljkipnXekjXe\Zfefd`Z
i\^lcXkfi]fik_\`e[ljkip%K_\\iXf]`dgle`kp_Xjkfjkfg%
ÈK_\jkXb\_fc[\ijË`eglknXjm\iplj\]lcXe[\[lZXk`e^]fi
us today.
ÈK_\9`ccj\\bjkfi\g\XcXcXnn_`Z_`jgi\m\ek`e^k_\E`^\-
i`XeJ_`gg\ij:fleZ`c]ifd\e]fiZ`e^Xgi\j`[\ek`Xc[`i\Zk`m\
ZfeZ\ie`e^\Zfefd`Zi\^lcXk`fef]k_\gfikj%E`^\i`XËjdXi`-
k`d\`e[ljkip`jfm\i[l\]fik_`jXe[n\n`ccj\\kf`kj`dgc\-
mentation.”
8cjfjg\Xb`e^Xkk_\\m\ek#[li`e^k_\_\Xi`e^#D`e`jk\if]
DXi`e\Xe[9cl\<Zfefdp#>Yfp\^XFp\kfcX#\ogcX`e\[k_Xk
k_\e\n9`cc#n_\egXjj\[`ekfcXn#n`cc\ek_ife\Xe[ZXkXcpj\
k_\`dgc\d\ekXk`fef]k_\i\^lcXkfip]iXd\nfib`ek_\E`^\-
rian maritime industry.
K_\D`e`jk\i#n_fnXji\gi\j\ek\[Ypk_\G\idXe\ekJ\Z-
i\kXipf]k_\D`e`jkip#FcfilefcXFcl]\d`#jX`[1ÈN\Xi\\X^\i
Xe[m\ip_XggpkfY\XgXikf]k_\gifZ\jjk_Xkn`cci\]fidk_\
sector.
ÈK_\ D`e`jkip `j `e k_\ gifZ\jj f] ZfccXk`e^ `kj Zfej`[\i-
Xk`fejfek_`j9`ccXe[jlYd`kk`e^XZZfi[`e^cp%N\n`cc\eZfli-
X^\XccjkXb\_fc[\ijkfXcjfZfeki`Ylk\k_\`ihlfkXkfnXi[jk_\
XZklXc`jXk`fef]k_`jgifZ\jj]fik_\`ek\i\jkf]k_\eXk`fe%É
Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
=>c`jkjY\e\Ôkjf]_\Xck_`ejliXeZ\#
gcXeji\m`\nf]ZXg`kXk`fe]\\j
THE ;`i\Zkfi$>\e\iXc f] k_\ EXk`feXc ?\Xck_ @ejliXeZ\
8lk_fi`kp#;iB\c\Z_`F_`i`#_Xjc`jk\[k_\eld\ifljY\e-
\Ôkjf]_\Xck_`ejliXeZ\#aljkXj_\ZfeÔid\[k_Xkk_\i\
nXjXefe^f`e^i\m`\nf]ZXg`kXk`fe]\\jgX`[kf_\Xck_ZXi\
gifm`[\ijle[\ik_\eXk`feXc_\Xck_`ejliXeZ\gif^iXdd\
n_`Z__`^_c`^_kjk_\[\k\id`eXk`fef]k_\K`elYlX[d`e-
`jkiXk`fekf`dgifm\k_\ZflekipËjfm\iXcc_\Xck_`e[`Z\j%
Jg\Xb`e^[li`e^Xn`[\iXe^`e^`ek\im`\nfeEK8Xkk_\
n\\b\e[`en_`Z_fk_\ic\X[`e^c`^_kjf]k_\j\ZkfiXcjf
gXik`Z`gXk\[#F_`i`XcjfZcXi`Ô\[fk_\ib\p`jjl\jXifle[
_\Xck_ `ejliXeZ\ n_`c\ _`^_c`^_k`e^ Xi\Xj f] gif^i\jj
`ek_\d`[jkf]Z_Xcc\e^\j%K_\fk_\igXik`Z`gXekj`ek_\
gif^iXdd\ n\i\1 ;i% >X]Xi 8cXnf[\# ?\Xck_ =`eXeZ`e^
<og\ik#;i%@YiX_`dNX[X#:<F#E`jXD\[`ZXc>iflg#;i%
Fcldlp`nXFcljXepX#:<Ff]@ej`^e`X?\Xck_C`d`k\[%
FeZXg`kXk`fe]\\j#XdXafiZfdgcX`ekf]gifgi`\kfijf]
_fjg`kXcj `emfcm\[ `e k_\ jZ_\d\# F_`i`  Xjj\ik\[ k_Xk `k
`jXdXafi`jjl\k_Xk_XjY\\ei\Z\`m`e^gi`fi`kpXkk\ek`fe
Y\ZXlj\f]`kjj`^e`ÔZXeZ\Xe[k_\]XZkk_Xkk_\]\\j_Xm\
efkY\\ei\m`\n\[]fidXepp\Xij%
JX`[_\1ÈFe\f]k_\k_`e^jk_Xkn\fYj\im\[`jk_Xk`kËj
Y\\e X n_`c\ j`eZ\ kXi`]]j n\i\ XZklXccp i\m`\n\[ `e k_\
j\Zkfi#Xe[fe\f]k_\Ôijkk_`e^jk_Xkn\[`[`ek_\E?@8
lgfe i\jldgk`fe nXj kf Zfdd`jj`fe XZklXi`Xc i\m`\nj
n_`Z_jkXik\[`e=\YilXip%É
K_\gligfj\#XZZfi[`e^kfF_`i``jkfÈ_Xm\k_\\m`[\eZ\
Xe[k_\YXj`jkfi\m`\nkXi`]]j`ek_\ZflekipXe[Xcjf]ifd
XeXZklXi`Xcg\ijg\Zk`m\le[\ijkXe[n_Xkn\ZXeX]]fi[`e
k\idj f] X YXj`Z d`e`dld gXZbX^\ f] j\im`Z\j jf k_Xk `]
pfl^fkfX_fjg`kXc#pflbefnn_Xkkf\og\Zkkf_Xm\%É
K_\ [`i\Zkfi$^\e\iXc Xcjf j_\[ c`^_k fe k_\ j`^e`ÔZXek
jlggfik^`m\emlce\iXYc\^iflgj`ek_\Zflekipkf\eZfli-
X^\k_\dkf\eifcXe[Y\e\Ôk]ifdk_\_\Xck_`ejliXeZ\
gif^iXdd\n_`Z__\_`^_c`^_k\[XjXdXafigi`fi`kpf]k_\
=\[\iXcD`e`jkipf]?\Xck_Xe[JfZ`XcN\c]Xi\le[\iGif-
]\jjfiDl_XddX[8c`GXk\%
Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com
Page 26
Guber polls: Diri, Ododo win at tribunals
From Godwin Tsa
Abuja and Femi
Folaranmi, Yenagoa
THE Bayelsa State Gover-
norship Election Petition
Tribunal sitting in Abuja,
p\jk\i[Xp#X]Ôid\[k_\
re-election of Governor
Douye Diri of Bayelsa State
X]k\i[`jd`jj`e^k_\g\k`k`fe
Ôc\[Ypk_\8ccGif^i\jj`m\j
Congress (APC) and its can-
[`[Xk\#:_`\]K`d`gi\JpcmX#
]ficXZb`e^`ed\i`k%
@eXleXe`dfljal[^-
d\ek#k_\Aljk`Z\8[\blec\
8[\c\p\$c\[k_i\\$d\dY\i
L-R: Chairman, Conference of Speakers, Adebo Ogundoyin, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio;
Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and others during a retreat on constitu-
tional review, organised by House of Representatives at Akwa Ibom State.
Defected elected officials should lose seats –IPAC
From Okwe Obi,
Abuja
THE Inter-Party Advisory
Council (IPAC) has insisted
k_Xk\c\Zk\[f]ÔZ`Xcj#n_f
dfm\]ifdk_\gfc`k`ZXcgXi-
ties that they won elections
to another party should auto-
dXk`ZXccpcfj\k_\`ij\Xkj%
It described cross-carpet-
ing as a ‘political robbery,
that is unfair and unjust,
Xe[`dg\[\jk_\eXk`feËj
[\dfZiXZp#Ë`ej`jk`e^k_Xk`k
should not be condoned in
XeXjZ\ek[\dfZiXZpc`b\
E`^\i`X%
IPAC’s National Chair-
Edo: Court dismisses Shuaibu’s suit against Ighodalo’s emergence
From Godwin Tsa,
Abuja.
THE Abuja division of the
Federal High Court has
[`jd`jj\[Xjl`kÔc\[Ypk_\
`dg\XZ_\[;\glkp>fm-
ernor of Edo State, Philip
Shuaibu, against the conduct
f]k_\gi`dXip\c\Zk`fef]k_\
G\fgc\Ëj;\dfZiXk`ZGXikp
(PDP) that produced Asuen
@^_f[XcfXjZXe[`[Xk\%
8dfe^fk_\ii\Xjfej#
Aljk`Z\AXd\jFdfkfjf#
`e_`jal[^d\ekp\jk\i[Xp#
held that the plaintiff has no
locus standi (legal rights) to
institute the case and his
]X`cli\kfd\\kZfe[`k`fej
gi\Z\[\ekY\]fi\Ôc`e^k_\
ZXj\%
In addition, the judge
_\c[k_Xkk_\]fid\i
deputy governor, having not
gXik`Z`gXk\[`ek_\gi`dXip
election, has no legal right
under the law to challenge or
•Bayelsa gov hails verdict, Sylva goes to A’Court
tribunal, held that the
petitioners failed to adduce
any credible evidence to
substantiate any of the al-
legations they raised against
k_\flkZfd\f]k_\gfcc%
@kjkilZbflkXj`eZfd-
petent, all the additional
proof of evidence as well as
jkXk\d\ekjfefXk_f]jfd\
f]k_\n`ke\jj\jk_Xkk\jk`Ô\[
]fik_\g\k`k`fe\ij%
According to the tribunal,
the law expressly provided
that an election petition
dljkY\Ôc\[efkcXk\ik_Xe
dXe#Pljl];XekXcc\#jkXk\[
k_`jXkk_\ÔijkJflk_Jflk_
IPAC Leadership Conference
organised by the Rivers State
chapter, and entitled: ‘Good
Governance and Security
as Panacea for Grassroots
;\m\cfgd\ekË#p\jk\i[Xp`e
Gfik?XiZflik%
“IPAC canvasses a stop to
cross-carpeting by elected
d\dY\ijf]k_\c\^`jcXkli\j
n`k_flkZf^\eki\Xjfej%
“It should be abrogated
outright, and those who
defected after winning
\c\Zk`fejfek_\gcXk]fidjf]
other political parties should
cfj\k_\`ij\Xkj%@k`jgfc`k`ZXc
XkkXZbk_\jXd\%
Aljk`Z\FdfkfjfjX`[k_Xk
k_\i\nXjfm\in_\cd`e^
evidence that Shuaibu was
not physically present at the
JXdl\cF^Y\dl[`XJkX[`ld
in Benin City, where the
gi`dXip\c\Zk`fenXjZfe-
[lZk\[fe=\YilXip))%
The court said it was clear
and unchallenged that the
`dg\XZ_\[[\glkp^fm\iefi
participated in a parallel
gi`dXip\c\Zk`feZfe[lZk\[
`e_`jfnei\j`[\eZ\%
9\j`[\j#Aljk`Z\Fdfkfjf
held that Shuaibu failed
to explore the internal
d\Z_Xe`jdf]k_\G;GXj
stipulated by law to ventilate
his anger before rushing to
Zflik%
He also held that the
]fid\i[\glkp^fm\iefi_Xj
no basis to call for cancella-
k`fef]k_\gi`dXip\c\Zk`fe
Xe[elcc`ÔZXk`fef]k_\
candidacy of Ighodalo, since
NATIONAL NEWS
21 days after the result of
Xe\c\Zk`fenXj[\ZcXi\[%
It held that such a petition
dljk#Xkk_\k`d\`knXj
Ôc\[#Y\XZZfdgXe`\[n`k_
ni`kk\ejkXk\d\ekjf]Xcck_\
`ek\e[\[n`ke\jj\j%
The tribunal held that
the decision of Sylva and his
gXikpkfÔc\k_\`iX[[`k`feXc
proof of evidence and state-
d\ekfefXk_f]n`ke\jj\j
cfe^X]k\ik_\p_X[Ôc\[k_\
g\k`k`fenXjÈkXekXdflek
kfXjlii\gk`k`fljXkk\dgk
kfXd\e[k_\ZXj\f]k_\
robbery, unfair, unjust and
`dg\[\jk_\eXk`feËj[\dfZ-
iXZp%
“In a constitutional
[\dfZiXZpc`b\flij#k_\
strength and vibrancy of
political parties are crucial
pillars upon which the edi-
ÔZ\f]^fm\ieXeZ\jkXe[j%
È@k`j`dg\iXk`m\k_Xk
we continuously strive to
enhance the capacity and
inclusivity of political parties
\ejli`e^k_\pi\dX`ekil\
representatives of the diverse
voices and aspirations of our
gfglcXZ\%É
Meanwhile, ahead of the
<[fXe[Fe[f^fm\iefi-
he did not participate in the
polls as required before he
ZXehlXc`]pkfcf[^\XepZfd-
plaints or have legal rights to
sue anybody in respect of the
\c\Zk`fe%
The Edo governorship
election is expected to be
_\c[feJ\gk\dY\i)+%
Shuaibu had in his suit
prayed the court to issue
an order stopping the Inde-
pendent National Electoral
:fdd`jj`fe@E<: ]ifd
accepting or recognising
Ighodalo as governorship
ZXe[`[Xk\f]G;G%
He also requested the
court for another order to
Zfdg\cG;GkfZfe[lZkX
]i\j_gi`dXip\c\Zk`fe%
?`j^iflj\nXjdX`ecp
that the provisions of the
Electoral Act 2022, and
the PDP’s guidelines were
violated in the conduct of
k_\gi`dXip\c\Zk`fe_\c[fe
=\YilXip))%
g\k`k`fe\ij%É
More so, the tribunal
[`jd`jj\[k_\Xcc\^Xk`fe
that the Deputy Governor,
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo,
tendered forged university
[\^i\\Xe[EPJ:\o\dgk`fe
Z\ik`ÔZXk\jkfk_\@e[\g\e-
dent National Electoral
:fdd`jj`fe@E<: `eX`[
f]_`jhlXc`ÔZXk`fekfZfek\jk
k_\\c\Zk`fe%
It held that the allegation
nXjXgi\$\c\Zk`fedXkk\i
that ought to have been
litigated before the Federal
ship election, Dantalle, who
`jXcjfk_\Z_X`idXef]k_\
8cc`\[G\fgc\ËjDfm\d\ek
8GD #`dgcfi\[k_\\c\Z-
torate to reject vote trading
Xe[YXccfkYfojeXkZ_`e^%
When citizens fail to
participate actively in
\c\ZkfiXcdXkk\ijXe[_fc[
glYc`Zf]ÔZ\ijXZZflekXYc\#
the consequence would be
poor leadership and bad
^fm\ieXeZ\%
Also, he called on the
Independent National Elec-
kfiXc:fdd`jj`fe@E<: kf
Zfe[lZkXg\XZ\]lc\o\iZ`j\%
“When citizens fail to
participate actively in their
^fm\ied\ekXe[_fc[glYc`Z
f]ÔZ\ijXZZflekXYc\#k_\
consequence is poor leader-
j_`gXe[YX[^fm\ieXeZ\%
“Citizens’ participation in
^fm\ied\ek`j]le[Xd\ekXc
to the delivery of dividends
f][\dfZiXZpXjfYkX`eXYc\
`e[\m\cfg\[[\dfZiXZ`\j%
“That is why their govern-
d\ekjnfib]fik_\dfi
are voted out in subsequent
elections, and leaders who
breached the laws are
investigated, prosecuted and
jailed if found guilty to serve
XjX[\k\ii\ekkffk_\ij%
“Good governance,
therefore, starts with elect-
`e^Zfdg\k\ek#i\jfliZ\]lc#
m`j`feXipXe[giX^dXk`Z
leaders in free, fair, credible,
transparent, inclusive and
g\XZ\]lc\c\Zk`fej%
“Election is the beauty of
[\dfZiXZp%@k`jk_\i\Xjfe
@G8:\dg_Xj`j\jk_\e\\[
for transparent polls and
dfY`c`j\j\c`^`Yc\mfk\ijkf
register and exercise their
]iXeZ_`j\`eXcc\c\Zk`fej%
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
High Court, adding that the
dXkk\i_X[Y\Zfd\jkXklk\$
barred since the petitioners
failed to challenge the genu-
`e\e\jjf]k_\Z\ik`ÔZXk\j(+
[XpjX]k\i`knXjjlYd`kk\[
kf@E<:%
Besides, it held that the
issue of Ewhrudjakpo’s
\[lZXk`feXchlXc`ÔZXk`fe
nXjgi\m`fljcp[\k\id`e\[
YpXZflikf]Zfdg\k\ek
ali`j[`Zk`fe%
The tribunal said it took
judicial notice of the fact
that the third respondent,
Ewhrudjakpo, is a legal
practitioner, saying it was
jXk`jÔ\[k_Xk_\nXj\d`-
e\ekcphlXc`Ô\[kfZfek\jk
k_\\c\Zk`fe%
Likewise, the tribunal
noted that whereas Sylva and
his party prayed it to declare
that they were the valid
winners of the governorship
election, they equally applied
]fik_\jXd\\c\Zk`fekfY\
[\ZcXi\[`emXc`[%
It held that prayers of the
petitioners were contradic-
tory, adding that Sylva and
the APC did not tender any
\c\ZkfiXcdXk\i`Xckfj_fn
that any irregularity occurred
[li`e^k_\\c\Zk`fe%
It held that the petitioners
were unable to discharge
the burden of proof that was
gcXZ\[fek_\dYpk_\cXn#
stressing that they failed to
show polling units by polling
units, the particulars of the
efeZfdgc`XeZ\k_\pXcc\^\[
and how it substantially
X]]\Zk\[k_\flkZfd\f]k_\
\c\Zk`fe%
J`d`cXicp#k_\Bf^`JkXk\
Governorship Election Peti-
tion Tribunal sitting in Abuja
XcjfX]Ôid\[k_\m`Zkfipf]
>fm\iefiLjdXeF[f[ff]
the All Progressives Congress
8G: %
K_\k_i\\$d\dY\i
gXe\c_\X[\[YpAljk`Z\
8[f9`ie`e$Bl[l_\c[k_Xk
the petition was bereft of
substance and accordingly,
[`jd`jj\[`k%
The tribunal held that the
g\k`k`fe\ij#k_\JfZ`Xc;\df-
cratic Party (SDP) and the
G\fgc\jI\[\dgk`feGXikp
(PRP), and their candidates,
Murtala Ajaka and Abdul-
lahi Bayawo failed to prove
FG postpones inauguration of governing
councils for tertiary institutions
From Fred Ezeh,
Abuja
FEDERAL Ministry of
Education has announced
k_\gfjkgfe\d\ekf]k_\
inauguration of pro-chancel-
cfij#Z_X`id\eXe[d\dY\ij
of the governing councils of
]\[\iXck\ik`Xip`ejk`klk`fej%
The inauguration was
earlier scheduled to take
place on Thursday, May 30,
Xe[=i`[Xp#DXp*(#)')+#Xj
was announced when the
c`jkf]k_\d\dY\ijf]k_\
ZfleZ`cnXjdX[\glYc`ZX
]\n[XpjX^f%
It was also announced
that inauguration would
be followed by a retreat for
k_\d\dY\ijkfXZhlX`ek
k_\dn`k_n_XkËj\og\Zk\[
f]k_\d#`eX[[`k`fekfk_\`i
responsibilities, to avoid
allegations of over-voting
Xe[efe$Zfdgc`XeZ\n`k_
the Electoral Act, 2022 in
k_\g\k`k`fe%
The panel, in a unani-
dflj[\Z`j`fe#_\c[k_XkXcc
k_\n`ke\jj\m`[\eZ\Ôc\[
Y\]fi\`kn\i\`eZfdg\k\ek
Xe[]lccf]`eZfej`jk\eZ`\j%
It also agreed with the
jlYd`jj`fejf]k_\i\jgfe-
dents that the allegations
of forgery raised in the
petitions were a pre-election
dXkk\i#n_`Z_fl^_kkf_Xm\
Y\\eiX`j\[(+[XpjX]k\ik_\
[fZld\ekjn\i\jlYd`kk\[
kfk_\@E<:%
Meanwhile, Governor
Diri has said his victory
nflc[jgli_`dkfj\im\k_\
state better in his second
k\id%
8jkXk\d\ekYp_`j
:_`\]Gi\jjJ\Zi\kXip#Di%
Daniel Alabrah, described
the petition as a “needless
[`jkiXZk`fe#É`ej`jk`e^k_XkYp
k_\al[^d\ek#k_\al[`Z`Xip
had again proven that it
i\dX`e\[k_\cXjk_fg\f]
k_\ZfddfedXe%
ÈFeZ\X^X`e#@lj\k_`j
fggfikle`kpkfk_Xebdp
people of Bayelsa State, who
graciously and freely gave
d\k_`jdXe[Xk\%@k`jefk
dpm`ZkfipYlkk_Xkf]k_\
g\fgc\f]9Xp\cjX%
“As I always pledge, our
X[d`e`jkiXk`fe`jg\fgc\$]f-
Zlj\[Xe[g\fgc\$fi`\ek\[%
So, this will again give us a
better latitude to continue
to deliver the dividends of
[\dfZiXZpkfflig\fgc\%É
Sylva, however, expressed
dissatisfaction with the
ki`YleXcal[^d\ek%
K_\]fid\id`e`jk\in_f
_\c[Xd\\k`e^n`k_\c[\ij
and stakeholders of the party
X]k\ik_\al[^d\ekkf[`jZljj
the next course of action,
[`i\Zk\[_`jc\^Xck\Xdkf
`dd\[`Xk\cpj\\baljk`Z\Xk
k_\:flikf]8gg\Xc%
Sylva said: “We are not
jXk`jÔ\[n`k_k_\[\Z`j`fef]
k_\ki`YleXc%9lkk_`j`jaljk
XZflikf]Ôijk`ejkXeZ\Xe[
X]k\id\\k`e^n`k_k_\\c[\ij
and critical stakeholders of
our great party, the APC, we
[`i\Zk\[flic\^Xck\Xdkf
seek justice for Bayelsa at the
Jlgi\d\:flik%É
The governorship can-
didate assured the people
of Bayelsa that the appella
court would surely correct
the travesty perpetrated by
k_\ki`YleXc%
unnecessary interference/
clashes in the day-to-day
activities of their respective
`ejk`klk`fej%
Director, Press and Public
Relations, Federal Ministry
of Education, Folasade Bori-
fnf#XjkXk\d\ek#p\jk\i[Xp#
apologised on behalf of the
d`e`jkip]fik_\`eZfem\-
niences that the postpone-
d\ekd`^_k_Xm\ZXlj\[k_\
g\fgc\`emfcm\[%
She explained that the
decision was as a result of
Xi\Z\ek[`i\Zk`m\]ifdk_\
gi\j`[\eZp[\dXe[`e^]fi
XZfdgi\_\ej`m\i\m`\n
f]k_\d\dY\ij_`gf]k_\
governing councils of federal
tertiary institutions in Ni-
^\i`Xkfi\Õ\Zkk_\eXk`feXc
Z_XiXZk\i%K_\e\n[Xk\
n`ccY\Zfddle`ZXk\[kfXcc
gXik`\j%
 DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Children’s Day: Tinubu promises safe, secure learning environment
From Juliana Taiwo-
Obalonye, Abuja
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has
assured that his administration
would spare no effort in ensuring
that the Nigerian children have a
solid footing for the realisation of
their dreams.
He reassured the nation of his
commitment to ensuring a safe and
secure ambience of learning for
the children, while improving the
Obi urges investment in quality education, healthcare
THE Labour Party (LP) presiden-
tial candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has
urged Nigerians and governments
at all levels to channel their invest-
ments in the area of development
for the sake of the children.
He said in a message to Nigerians
on Children’s Day that as the future
of Nigerian society, everything
should be done to ensure their
proper development.
The LP standards bearer said
that it’s unacceptable that four out
of every 10 Nigerian children are
engaged in child labour.
Writing on his X handle yester-
day, the former Anambra State
Uzodimma to children: We’re dedicated to supporting you
From George Onyejiuwa,
Owerri
GOVERNOR Hope Uzodimma
has assured children in Imo State in
particular, and their counterparts
all over the country, that his govern-
ment was committed to supporting
them in every possible way to
achieve their fullest potential in life.
Governor Uzodimma also as-
Welfare of Nigerian child responsibility of all –Abbas
From Ndubuisi Orji,
Abuja
THE Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen,
has said the welfare of the Nigerian
child, including education, is the
responsibility of everyone.
Abbas, in a statement by his Spe-
cial Adviser on Media and Publicity,
Musa Krishi, called for better wel-
fare, and protection of the Nigerian
child by both the government,
Lagos enrolls 11,957 out-of-school students
By Lukman Olabiyi
LAGOS State Governor, Mr. Ba-
bajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, said
his administration had, through its
Project Zero Programme, helped
11,957 children who were out-of-
school get back to their studies.
Sanwo-Olu, who was repre-
sented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi
Hamzat, made this known at the
Children’s Day celebration parade
Kebbi to sanction parents violating child rights
From Olanrewaju Lawal
Birnin Kebbi
KEBBI State Government has
declared its intention to punish
and sanction any parents, who
overstepped on the child rights and
violated their privileges.
standard of education.
He gave the assurance as Nigeria
joined the rest of the world to
celebrate Children’s Day.
The President, who described
children as the bearers of the na-
tion’s torch into the future said he
rejoiced with parents, guardians,
and families across the nation, and
called for a reinforcement of the
family unit as a place where the
sacred values of honesty, modesty,
hard work and charity are passed
Governor said: “On this day, we cel-
ebrate Children’s Day, I rejoice with
all the Nigerian children, for whose
jXb\#n\i\dX`eÔidcpZfdd`kk\[
in our struggle for a new Nigeria.
“This day, which is set aside
to celebrate the Nigerian child,
presents us the opportunity to focus
on our children, the future leaders
of our society, and also reminds
us of the need to invest in their
growth; and support and nurture
their dreams.
“Every Nigerian child deserves
access to quality education,
healthcare, and a safe and secure
environment to live and thrive. We
sured that his government would
continue to create an enabling
environment they needed, as future
leaders of the country, to be what
they want to be in a positive way.
Governor Uzodimma advised
that it was important to celebrate
the children, not just on May 27,
but everyday.
His words: “To our children, as
parents, guardians, teachers, clerics,
and other stakeholders.
The speaker, while noting that
proper upbringing of a child is the
collective responsibility of the soci-
ety, and not just the parents, decried
the high number of out-of-school
children.
He assured that the 10th House
was doing everything legislatively
possible to ensure that every child is
educated in Nigeria, and called on
the government at all levels to make
and rally held at the Police College,
Ikeja.
Recounting some of the efforts
in place for children to go to school,
he stated that nine new schools had
been added in busy and remote ar-
eas, adding that these new schools
now had 4,588 students, with 2,310
girls and 2,278 boys.
“We have also improved many
existing schools, completing over
1,500 projects that include build-
Governor Nasir Idris, who
stated this at the Haliru Abdul
Stadium, Birnin Kebbi, noted that
the government would not tolerate
anybody denying the children their
rights.
Idris, who was represented
by his deputy, Senator Umar
NATIONAL NEWS
down to the shining lights of
tomorrow.
?\X]Ôid\[k_XkjfZ`\kp`jX
i\Õ\Zk`fef]\XZ_]Xd`cple`kXj
a collective, urging the preserva-
tion of those principles that make
Nigeria a wholesome, nurturing,
and thriving nation.
He stated that his administra-
tion was sparing no effort in ensur-
ing that Nigerian children have a
solid footing for the realisation of
their dreams.
must, therefore, invest in these key
areas of development for their sake
and the future of society.
“Sadly, the challenges of child
labour persist in our society today.
A National Bureau of Statistics’
report states that 39.2 percent of
our children are in child labour and
22.9 percent of them are involved
in hazardous work. The reports
further asserted that four out of
every 10 children in Nigeria are
trapped in child labour, therefore,
putting the children and the future
of society at risk. In tackling the
challenges of child labour, we must
focus on pulling more people out of
you celebrate today, remember
that your dreams are the building
blocks of tomorrow’s successes. We
are dedicated to supporting you in
every possible way, building an en-
vironment where you can achieve
your fullest potential.
“Therefore, I extend my heartfelt
felicitations to all Imo children for
they are, indeed, blessings from
God and embody the hope for our
the Nigerian children have unfet-
tered access to education.
Abbas commended the state
governments that have domesti-
cated and are enforcing the Child
Rights Act, while urging others to
take the bold step. He noted that
the law, if fully implemented by all
stakeholders, would have a huge
positive impact on the lives of
young Nigerians.
Similarly, the Deputy Speaker,
Benjamin Kalu, in a separate state-
ing, renovating, and providing new
furniture.”
The governor noted that school
safety was also very important,
therefore, it had prioritised secu-
rity in all public schools.
He said that public schools are
now secured with fences, CCTV
cameras, and other safety mea-
sures, noting that it was working
closely with security agencies to
keep students safe.
Abubakar, said the foundation of
the administration was laid on
education and children are the
main focuses.
He insisted that all children,
irrespective of sex, gender or
physical condition have the right to
be educated, stressing that nobody
With increased investments
in education, and the recent
overhauling of the entire education
system to provide both human and
material resources for learning, as
well as the efforts of the National
Commission for Almajiri and Out-
of-School Children Education to
get the nation’s precious gifts off the
streets, the President stressed that
his administration would continue
to expand access to qualitative
education for all Nigerians.
poverty, and ensuring the respect of
the rights of every Nigerian child.
“While encouraging the parents,
guardians, teachers and benefac-
tors, who see to the training of our
children, I urge them to continue to
give their best to raise responsible
citizens in our nation.
“To the children, I encourage
them to take their moral and
educational formation. We restate
our commitment to building a
safe, secure and productive nation
for our children to live in, fully
and freely explore their potentials,
the new Nigeria we are working
towards. It is Possible.”
future. It is imperative that we cele-
brate them not just today, but every
day, acknowledging their potential
and nurturing their growth.
“My administration has
introduced several policies and
programmes designed to shape the
future of our children, ensuring
they receive quality education,
healthcare, and a safe environment
to thrive.”
ment by his Special Assistant on
Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, noted
that Nigerian children have great
potential, which if harnessed,
would be of great advantage to the
country and generations to come.
The deputy speaker, while
felicitating with the children on
the occasion of this year’s Children
Day celebration, said the House
would continue to strive for a
better future for the younger
generation.
“For our older students, we
have hired over 2,000 new
teachers in subjects like STEM,
History, Yoruba, French, and
Geography since May 2023,”
he said.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the
new Digital Situation Room had
also been put in place to keep
track of how well schools are
doing and make sure everything
ran smoothly.
should deny them their rights.
He disclosed that to improve the
standard of education in the state,
his administration had continued
to renovate classrooms across the
state and directed the immediate
•Continued on www.
sunnewsonline
Court restrains Bayero, 4 deposed emirs
From Desmond
Mgboh, Kano
A Kano High Court presided over
by Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu has
granted an order of interim injunc-
tion restraining the deposed Emir
of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero from
parading himself as Emir.
The court also granted
restraining order on all four other
monarchs namely Nasiru Ado
Bayero, Ibrahim Abubakar, Kabiru
Mohammed Inuwa and Ibrahim
Gaya from parading themselves
as Emirs of Bichi, Gaya, Rano and
Karaye pending the hearing and
determination of the motion on
notice.
The court further ordered the
Commissioner of Police, Kano
State, to immediately take over the
palace of the Emir of Kano situated
on state road, Kano, while directing
him to evict Aminu Ado Bayero
from the said palace pending the
NGF mum on FG’s suit over LG autonomy
From Juliana Taiwo-
Obalonye, Abuja
THE Acting Director-General
of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF), Abdulateef Shittu, has
declined to comment on Federal
Government’s dragging the 36 state
governors to the Supreme Court
over alleged mismanagement of
local government administrations,
stating that since the issue is already
before the Supreme Court, it would
be “subjudice” to speak on it.
The Federal Government, rep-
resented by the Attorney General
of the Federation and Minister of
Aljk`Z\#CXk\\]=X^Y\d`#_X[Ôc\[
a suit marked SC/CV/343/2024 at
the Supreme Court.
The suit seeks to secure full
autonomy for all local government
areas (LGAs) in the country, which
are constitutionally recognised as
Minister lauds NOTAP, PZ partnership to promote
science education in varsities
By Sunday Ani
MINISTER of Innovation, Sci-
ence and Technology, Chief Uche
Geoffrey Nnaji has commended
k_\\]]fikjf]k_\EXk`feXcF]ÔZ\
for Technology Acquisition and
Promotion (NOTAP), to partner
with PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, to
upgrade chemistry and chemical
engineering laboratories in the
universities across Nigeria.
A statement by NOTAP’s
Xjj`jkXekZ_`\]`e]fidXk`fef]ÔZ\i#
Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu, said the
minister made the commendation
at the commissioning of a newly
upgraded Chemical and Chemistry
Engineering Laboratory at the
Michael Okpara University of Agri-
culture, Umudike, Abia State.
Chief Uche, who was repre-
sented by the Permanent Secretary
in the ministry, Mrs. Esuabana
Nko-Asanye, said the partnership
was necessary for the improvement
of science education in Nigeria.
He stated that upgrading the
laboratory would offer the students
the opportunity to undertake
critical laboratory experiments, and
come up with research and devel-
opment results that could translate
Page 27
hearing and determination of the
motion on notice dated 24th May
2024.
K_\ZXj\nXjÔc\[Ypk_\
Speaker of the House of Assembly,
the House of Assembly and the At-
torney General, Kano State against
k_\Ôm\[\gfj\[<d`ij#`eZcl[`e^
the Inspector General of Police, the
Directorate of State Security, the
Army and the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps as respondents.
The court equally ordered
that the deposed Emirs be served
k_ifl^_k_\f]ÔZ\f]k_\:fd-
mission of Police who is to ensure
the immediate implementation of
the court in the interest of peace
in the state. The judge thereafter
adjourned the case to the 11th of
June, 2024 for hearing.
A Federal High Court sitting in
Kano had days ago granted an ex-
parte motion restraining the Kano
State Government from reinstating
Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II.
the third tier of government.
The Federal Government alleged
that state governors have been
engaging in “unilateral, arbitrary
and unlawful dissolution of demo-
cratically elected local government
leaders.”
This, it argues, is a violation of
the constitutional provisions that
guarantee the autonomy of local
governments.
In the suit, the Federal Govern-
ment is also seeking an order from
the Supreme Court to ensure that
funds standing to the credit of local
governments are directly chan-
neled to them from the Federation
Account.
This is in contrast to the current
practice where state governments
are alleged to have created “unlaw-
ful joint accounts” that give them
control over local government
ÔeXeZ\j%
into goods and services for not just
k_\Y\e\Ôkf]k_\`dd\[`Xk\Zfd-
munity, but also the entire nation.
He noted that Nigeria was
blessed with arable land, and
favourable weather for production
of farm produce, and should not
have any reason to import food
from other countries.
He stressed that in the early 80s,
Umudike was known for the pro-
duction of all kinds of food, enough
to feed the entire eastern states,
but wondered why the situation
suddenly changed.
He challenged the university
community to make the best use
of the state-of-the-art laboratory
equipment donated by NOTAP
and PZ to ensure that the state
regains its position as the food
producer for the entire eastern
Nigeria.
In her welcome address, the
acting Director General of NOTAP,
Dr. Idoreyin Imiyoho, informed the
gathering that the project known
as NOTAP-Industry Research
Laboratory Upgrade (NIRLUP),
started in 2014 based on the need
to link academia with industry.
•Continued on www.
sunnewsonline
Page 28
From left to right: Controller General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa; Comptroller Gen-
eral, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; Board Secretary of the Civil Defense, Jafaru Ahmed;
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Aishatu Goggo
Ndayako; Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi; and Control-
ler General, Federal Fire Service, Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu at a retreat for officers of the Ministry of Interior
and agencies under it, recently.
Benue Assembly repeals N40m, N25m
maintenance bill for ex-govs, deputies
From Scholastica Hir,
Makurdi
BENUE State House of
Assembly has repealed the
bill for a law to make for the
maintenance of former gov-
ernors and their deputies.
Former governor Samuel
Fikfd#Y\]fi\c\Xm`e^f]ÔZ\
initiated a bill to provide for
life pension for all former
governors and their deputies.
The bill, which was passed
by the Ninth Assembly on
May 25, 2023, provided for
the payment of stipend of
Akenzua suspended from Benin royal family for alleged rebellion
From Tony Osauzo
and Ighomuaye
Lucky, Benin
BENIN Royal Family, yester-
day, announced the suspen-
sion of Gregory Akenzua, a
professor, from the family.
Akenzua is one of the
suspended Enigie (Dukes)
who had taken the Oba of
Tenure elongation crisis rocks FCET Akoka
By Gabriel Dike
FEDERAL College of Educa-
tion (Technical) (FCET),
Akoka is engulfed in a crisis
over tenure elongation al-
legation against the Provost,
Ademola Azeez.
The non-teaching staff
of FCET, Akoka wants the
gifmfjkkfmXZXk\k_\f]ÔZ\
by the end of May but he has
insisted otherwise.
A planned protest against
the alleged tenure elonga-
tion, which was scheduled
for yesterday, was cancelled.
Ahead of the botched
protest, Daily Sun learnt that
the college management
had invited security agents
since Friday to monitor the
situation.
Joint Action Committee
(JAC) of Staff Union of FCET,
Akoka on April 8, 2024 peti-
tioned the Federal Ministry
of Education to implement
the Federal College of Educa-
tion ACT, 2023 to avoid
a crisis in the colleges of
education sector.
The two staff unions at
the forefront of seeking the
N40 million in four months
in addition to provision of
two Sports Utility Vehicle
JLMj Xjn\ccXjj`ojk\nXi[j
to a former governor while
the former deputy governor
is entitled to N25 million as
stipend in four months, one
SUV and three stewards.
Leading debate on the
bill at plenary, the House
Committee Chairman on Ap-
pointments, Public Service
and Pension, Douglas Akya,
representing Makurdi South
constituency, described the
Y`ccXj\ofiY`kXek#jXp`e^k_\
Benin to court challenging
their suspension.
A professor of Paediatrics,
former deputy vice chancel-
lor, University of Benin and
former chairman, Governing
Council of the Ambrose Alli
University, Ekpoma, Aken-
zua, is a younger brother to
Oba Erediauwa, the father of
Oba Ewuare II.
gifmfjkkfmXZXk\f]ÔZ\Xi\
Senior Staff Union of Col-
leges of Education (SSU-
COEN) and Non-Academic
Staff Union (NASU) but the
junior workers after pressure
pulled out of the struggle.
Another group, Con-
cerned Staff of FCET, Akoka
emerged to take up the
struggle and the promoters
said the new group includes
academic and non-teaching.
The group claimed it has
mobilised many staff for
the protest and that they
were aware the college
management has invited
security agents to arrest their
members.
A source told Daily Sun
that by Sunday night, the
^iflg_X[j\ekk\okd\jjX^\j
to members that the planned
protest had been cancelled.
The ministry, in a two-
page response, said a provost
appointed before the com-
mencement of the Act shall
be deemed to be serving
Ôm\$p\Xij`e^c\k\eli\Xe[
would not have the right for
a renewal for a further four
years.
The letter signed by the
NATIONAL NEWS
state cannot fund it from its
lean resources.
He also said the bill was
not made in the best interest
of the state, particularly at
a time when workers were
owed several months of
salaries, while pension and
gratuity of retired workers
were not paid.
The House, during the ple-
nary, stood down the bill to
provide for the establishment
of State Civil Protection
Guards and other purposes
connected therewith as a
result of some ambiguities.
Addressing a press confer-
ence, members of the royal
family said Akenzua, against
all entreaties, had chosen
to challenge the Benin tra-
ditional institution through
his acts that are utterly at
variance with the customs
and tradition of the Benin
people, and the core values of
the Benin royal family.
Director, Legal Services, E. B.
Azorbo, said the provost serv-
ing a second tenure would be
deemed to be serving the last
k\idf]f]ÔZ\n`k_flkXep
]lik_\i\ok\ej`fe%
The ministry noted: “Since
the provost has been appoint-
ed for the second term of
four years when the amend-
ment Act came into force, he
is, therefore, deemed by the
Act to be serving his last term
f]f]ÔZ\%É
The education ministry
urged the staff unions that
any further grievances on the
tenure issue should be taken
to the governing council of
the college for consideration.
In a swift reaction, the
concerned staff rejected the
interpretation of the Federal
College of Education Act
by the federal ministry of
education.
@eXk\okkfd\jjX^\#X
member of the group said:
“Let me further reiterate
here that the letter going
around as reappointment is a
misgiving.
•Continued on www.
sunnewonline.com
Majority Leader, Saater
Tiseer, who doubles as chair-
man, House Committee on
Rules and Business, said they
carried out public hearings
on the bill in the three sena-
torial zones of the state.
He said the Benue people
had outrightly rejected Sec-
tion 12 that sought to repeal
the anti-open grazing law.
Minority Leader, Michael
Audu, corroborated his
colleague, stressing that the
people had cautioned them
not to attempt to repeal the
anti-open grazing law.
When contacted, Akenzua
said he was in Lagos ‘for an
\e^X^\d\ekËXe[i\hl\jk\[
time.
But George Eweka, in a
statement read on behalf
of the royal family said:
“Akenzua has betrayed the
core values of respect for the
Benin customs and tradition;
devotion and submission
to the customary hierar-
chy of the Benin kingdom
and respect for customary
arbitration process. Instead,
he has chosen the path of
rebellion.
“For the avoidance of
doubt, the royal family wish-
es to emphasise that Oba
of Benin occupies a unique
position as the father of
every member of the Benin
royal family irrespective of
age. Hence, the royal family
does not have an Okaegbe,
like other families in Benin
kingdom but Odion Egbe
who is required by tradition
to defer to the Oba.
“The royal family also
notes that in utter violation
of the hierarchy of succession
to the Odion-Egbe position
of the Benin royal family,
Akenzua has been parading
himself as the Odion-Egbe of
the royal family, and has held
meetings to assert himself as
such when he knows that he
is not rightfully entitled to
the position being far lower
in the hierarchy of seniority
in the Benin royal family.
•Continued on www.
sunnewonline.com
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Over 5,000 participants to attend
Africa Social Impact Summit
By Adewale Banjo
NO fewer than 5,000
gXik`Z`gXekjXi\\og\Zk\[
to attend the Africa Social
Impact Summit (ASIS) 2024,
a landmark event that will
bring together many develop-
ment and sustainability
leaders from across the con-
tinent to accelerate progress
kfnXi[jk_\Le`k\[EXk`fejË
Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
Lagos State Commis-
sioner for Commerce, Trade
and Investment, Folashade
Ambrose-Medebem, who
disclosed this during a press
conference on the ASIS at
the Bagauda Kaltho Press
Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, at the
weekend, said Lagos would
collaborate with Sterling
One Foundation, the United
Nations Nigeria, and other
notable organisations to
achieve transformation and
multifaceted solutions to
address challenges.
She said: “According to the
United Nations (UN) Prog-
ress Report on SDGs, Special
Edition 2023, more than half
of the world is left behind.
She added that progress on
more than 50 per cent of the
targets of the SDGs is weak
Xe[`ejl]ÔZ`\ek%
“We need to reverse this
narrative; we need to mobil-
Ijaw professionals felicitate with Clark at 97
By Sunday Ani
IJAW Professional Associa-
tion (IPA) has congratulated
elder statesman and foremost
Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark, on
his 97th birthday.
In a goodwill message
signed by its President, Paul
Alaowei Toun, the IPA noted
the contributions of Clark
to the socio-political and
economic advancement of
the Ijaw nation and Nigeria
as a whole.
The group further
described the First Republic
federal commissioner for
Information as an inimitable
Ô^li\`eE`^\i`XËjgfc`k`ZXc
evolution, saying his relent-
less advocacy for justice,
equity, and good governance,
remained unparalleled.
“As we commemorate this
j`^e`ÔZXekd`c\jkfe\#n\\o-
tend our heartfelt congratu-
lations and best wishes to Pa
Clark, whose life has been
a testament to unwavering
dedication, resilience, and an
Group commends Tinubu, Ganduje
on proposed progressives institute
By Brown Chimezie
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed
Tinubu and the Abdullahi
Umar Ganduje-led National
Working Committee of the
All Progressives Congress
(APC) have been com-
mended for setting up a
world-class Think-Tank for
the ruling party.
An Abuja-based civil
society organisation, Centre
for Applied Policy, and Social
Advocacy, stated this follow-
`e^`kjÔijkhlXik\igfc`Zp
review on Nigerian political
progress.
ise people and organisations
as critical partners towards
achieving transformation.”
Ambrose-Medebem
said ASIS would serve as a
global platform for effective
collaboration and alignment
YpZi`k`ZXcgcXp\ij`e8]i`ZXËj
social development sector,
as the theme: “Reimagining
Progress,” implied.
She added that the summit
would review transformative
recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic, the decade of
action for accelerating the
implementation of the SDGs,
and progress at the midpoint
to the deadline for the 2030
agenda.
The commissioner further
stated that there would be
a social enterprise forum
where business leaders,
whose businesses are focused
on social impact in thematic
sectors, could pitch innova-
tive solutions to potential
investors and access funding
to drive scale and accelerate
impact.
“There will also be a tour
f]CX^fjJkXk\ËjefkXYc\
investment destinations and
tourist attractions hosted
by the Lagos State govern-
ment and an event round-off
networking dinner at the Eko
Atlantic City.
•Continued on www.
sunnewonline.com
indomitable spirit of service
to the Ijaw people and Nige-
ria at large.
“As a statesman, he has
left an indelible mark on the
]XYi`Zf]E`^\i`XËj_`jkfip%
His leadership and counsel
have been instrumental in
shaping policies that promote
national unity, development,
and prosperity.
“Throughout his distin-
guished career, Pa Clark has
consistently championed
the cause of the Ijaw people,
advocating their rights, devel-
opment, and inclusion in the
national discourse. His efforts
in the struggle for resource
control and the betterment of
the Niger Delta region have
garnered respect and admira-
tion both within and beyond
our borders,” IPA said in the
statement.
While joining family,
friends and well-wishers to
celebrate the elder statesman,
the group prayed to God to
grant him more fruitful years
in good health.
K_\^iflgËj<o\Zlk`m\
Head, Mohammed Bello, in
a press statement, hailed the
APC-led Federal Govern-
ment, stressing that with the
numerous reforms of the
Tinubu-led administration,
the country is undoubtedly
on its path to a genuine socio-
economic development.
K_\^iflgjX`[k_\gXikpËj
Think-Tank will strengthen
its policy formulation.
“We appeal to the leader-
ship of the APC to ensure
such a beautiful baby is born
without further delay,” the
group said.
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
• Ngannou
Osimhen bids Napoli
farewell, wants Arsenal move
NIGERIAN and in-
formed Napoli striker, Vic-
tor Osimhen is reportedly
eyeing a move to the Pre-
mier League, with Arsenal
emerging as his preferred
destination.
Osimhen has been a
standout player for the
Partenopei, scoring 17 goals
in 31 appearances this sea-
VRQIROORZLQJDSUROL¿F
goal haul the previous year,
Milan excludes Chukwueze from Roma friendly in Australia
SUPER EAGLES star,
Samuel Chukwueze has
been excused from AC Mi-
lan’s name 23-man squad
for Roma friendly in Aus-
tralia.
He was excused along-
side USA star, Christian
Pulisic, Rapheal Leao and
Antonio.
AC Milan will travel to
Australia this week ahead
of the friendly against AS
Roma, and the club has an-
nounced the squad that will
WUDYHOIRUWKH¿[WXUH
Though the season tech-
QLFDOO\ ¿QLVKHG RQ 6DWXU-
GD\ WKHUH LV VWLOO RQH ¿QDO
Pingua vows to break Okpekpe race course record
EDWARD Zakayo Pin-
gua has revealed why he
failed to break the 28:28
Okpekpe international
10km road race course re-
cord set last year by Daniel
Simiu Ebenyo and vows to
come back next year stron-
ger to attack the record.
The Kenyan, who came
into the 10th edition of the
race as the favourite to not
only win but also attempt
to break the course record
after running 27:49 in Jan-
uary in Ibiza, Spain could
only run 29:31 to claim the
title.
Pingua revealed he was
earning him a spot in the
2023/24 Serie A Team of
The Season.
His impressive perfor-
mance has attracted atten-
tion from several top clubs
like; Manchester United,
Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris
Saint-German and Bayern
Munich.
Italian journalist, Valter
De Maggio revealed on
Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli
game to play for the Milan
squad, as the team travels to
Perth for the clash against
the Giallorossi.
It comes at a time when
footballers are being asked
to play more than ever, and
even if there is a certain
luxury attached to being an
Okoye says‘It is great honour to return to Super Eagles’
UDINESE goalkeeper,
Maduka Okoye has ex-
pressed his delight upon
his recall to the Super
Eagles team, having been
named by Finidi George in
his 23-man squad to face
not pushed hard enough by
his opponents, especially
the Ethiopian, Haftamu Ge-
bresilase, the only other ath-
lete to have broken 28 min-
utes over the 10km road
distance before the race.
“I was not pushed
hard by those I competed
against. The course is also
very hard, especially to-
wards the end,” said the
Kenyan who, at the half
way mark, was on course
to breaking the record after
crossing with 14:10 with an
average pace of 02:50 min/
km.
+HUDQWKHODVW¿YHNLOR-
Page 29
Father, daughter cherish
opportunity to race at Okpekpe
TO the former chairman of Warri Wolves, Moses Etu
and his daughter, Maryjane Ruona Etu, it a big privilege
to participate at the Okpekpe international 10km road race
last Saturday.
Maryjane, a Nursing student of Edo State University,
Uzaire, Edo State, said, “It has been he dream to participate
at the Okpekpe race” and praised former Edo State gover-
QRU&RPUDGH$GDPV2VKLRPKROHIRUPLGZL¿QJWKHUDFH
during his term as the governor.
“I want to thank former governor, Adams Oshiomhole
for bringing joy to the village,” Maryjane said, and vowed
to mobilise other students for next year’s edition.
Her father, Moses, expressed delight that her daughter
¿QGVPXFKMR\SDUWLFLSDWLQJDWWKH2NSHNSHUDFHVWUHVVLQJ
she will continue to encourage her to participate in the race
and other activities that make her happy.
Pitch Awards: Henry Nwosu
pitches for Elegbeleye
A former Super Eagles player, Henry Nwosu has en-
dorsed the nomination of the Chairman of the Nigeria Pre-
mier Football League (NPFL), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye
for the annual Pitch Awards Sportsmanship category for
the year 2023.
In a touching testimony, Nwosu who has coached a
WKDW2VLPKHQ¶V¿UVWFKRLFH hefty €130m release clause, number of professional league sides including Union Bank
is a transfer to Arsenal. set by Napoli president Au- of Lagos and Gateway of Abeokuta, described the former
However, if the North Lon- relio De Laurentiis, poses a National Assembly member as embodying the traits that
don club does not make a VLJQL¿FDQW¿QDQFLDOKXUGOH are needed for leadership in the country.
bid, Osimhen may consider with competition also com- “When I was the Coach of the U-17 team back in 2008,
other options, including a ing from Chelsea. Elegbeleye saw me in Abuja and showed interest in how I
move to the Middle East. “There is no club paying ZDVJHWWLQJRQZLWKWKHMRE,GLGQ¶WKDYHDQ\RI¿FLDOFDU
“Osimhen wants the the clause today; Osimhen and was moving around in taxis.
Premier League; if the of- would like Arsenal; other- “Three days afterwards, he called me to take delivery of
fer doesn’t come, then he wise, he would consider a car. I didn’t ask for it and it was not as if we had a relation-
would consider the Arab Saudi Arabia,” De Maggio ship beyond saying hello”, Nwosu recalled of his encounter
one,” Maggio said. stated. with the then House of Representatives member.
Additionally, Osimhen’s The situation is compli- On the Pitch Award, Nwosu who remains one of the best
cated by Arsenal’s recent 6XSHU (DJOHV PLG¿HOGHUV LQVLVWHG WKDW (OHJEHOH\H PHULWV
shift towards signing a the nomination and in his words, “he deserves to win this
winger, which could hinder DZDUGDQGDQ\DZDUGPHDQWWRUHFRJQLVHVHOÀHVVFRQWULEX-
elite-level player, this is cer- WKHLUSXUVXLWRIWKHSUROL¿F tion to sports by an individual”.
tainly one of the drawbacks. forward. +HVDLGWKHVHOÀHVVFRQWULEXWLRQVRIWKH1LJHULD)RRWEDOO
Regardless of this, With 15 goals and three Federation (NFF) second vice president is such that “unlike
though, the players have assists in 24 Serie A appear- some other people who would assist a Coach the way he
been selected to travel and ances this season, the Nige- did for me, Elegbeleye never for once called to send any
will do so today, allowing ria international is expected player or players to me. He didn’t even make a public show
the squad to be in the best to leave Napoli at the end of of the gift but was always ensuring that I had a free hand
possible condition for Fri- the season. and was comfortable to carry out the task assigned to me
day’s challenge. by the NFF”
WAFU B U17 Championship: Eaglets
South Africa and Benin in the international friendlies confront Black Starlets for bronze
the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Saudi Arabia and NIGERIA and Ghana will today battle it out for the
TXDOL¿HUV Mozambique respectively. bronze medals of the ongoing WAFU B U17 Champion-
Okoye has not been The 24-year-old recall ship in Accra, Ghana.
called for national team du- stems from the wonderful Given their pedigree at this level, both nations should
ties since last October when season he has had for Udi- have been preparing to test strength and savvy for who de-
he got the invitation for nese, helping the club keep VHUYHGWKHWURSK\LQWKH¿QDOPDWFKRIWKHFRPSHWLWLRQ
their Serie A status with However, Cote d’Ivoire’s Baby Elephants downed the
his brilliant performances
in goal. He featured in 22
Eaglets while the Baby Etalons of Burkina Faso in the
VHPL¿QDOVSOXFNHGWKH6WDUOHWV
metres with an average pace games across all competi- With the West African Football Union still unable to pro-
of 03:04 min/km and ended tions, which is the most he vide clarity on the number of teams that will proceed to the
the race with 29:31 ahead of has had since the 2021/2022 2025 Africa U17 Cup of Nations from WAFU B, General
his countrymen, Isaac Kim- FDPSDLJQDQGDOVRNHSW¿YH Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed
pemboi (29:36) and Alex clean sheets throughout the Sanusi has charged the Eaglets to go all out and execute the
Oloitiptip Kori (29:50). course of the season. WKLUGSODFHHQFRXQWHUOLNHD¿QDOPDWFK
Pingua has however Speaking after Udinese “We are still awaiting clarity on the number of teams
vowed to come back next secured a slim victory over that will qualify to the U17 AFCON from this tournament.
year to erase Ebenyo’s Frosinone on Sunday, the Some people have said only three teams; some said four
name as the Okpekpe in- former Watford shot stop- teams. It is therefore important that our boys go out there
ternational 10km road race per revealed his excitement DQGSOD\WKHLUKHDUWVRXWWR¿QLVKLQWKLUGSODFH
course record holder. upon returning to the Super “The Black Starlets will not be an easy ride. They are the
“I will come back next Eagles squad. home side and they will bank on the support of the fans. But
year to claim the course “I am very happy to re- our boys have what it takes to achieve victory.”
record,” he promised and turn to the national team. It The third-place match will kick off at 3pm Ghana time
revealed his readiness to is a great honor for me and (4pm Nigeria time) at the University of Accra Stadium,
battle Ebenyo for both the my family to play for Nige- DKHDGRIWKH¿QDOPDWFKEHWZHHQ%XUNLQD)DVRDQG&RWH
title and the course record ria,” Okoye told Udinese’s d’Ivoire, which commences at 6pm Ghana time (7pm Ni-
in 2025. RI¿FLDOZHEVLWH geria time).
Page 30
SPORTS
Dominican Republic 2024:
Liberia to host Flamingos in
final round, first leg on June 9
LIBERIA’S U17 girls
will host World Cup bronze
medallists, Flamingos of Ni-
geria at the Samuel Kanyon
Doe Stadium, Monrovia on
6XQGD\ -XQH  LQ WKH ¿UVW
leg of the teams’ FIFA U17
Women’s World Cup Afri-
FDQ TXDOL¿FDWLRQ VHULHV ¿QDO
¿[WXUH
The match in the Liberian
capital will kick off at 4pm
Liberia time (5pm in Nige-
ULD 
Bankole Olowookere’s
maidens have made their
ZD\LQWRWKHIRXUWKDQG¿QDO
qualifying round following
a 12-0 second round annihi-
lation of their counterparts
from Central African Re-
public, after which they dis-
patched Burkina Faso’s U17
Golf Gators celebrate annual tournament
with Mental Health awareness
By AKANIMO KUFRE
THE importance of Men-
tal Health awareness was
brought to the Ibom Icon
Golf Course last weekend in
Uyo as golfers and business
club members, the Golf Ga-
tors played her annual golf
WRXUQDPHQW
0U2URN8QRKWKHLPPH-
diate past President of Golf
Gators, in a chat shared why
this year’s focus was on men-
tal health and the economic
advantage of hosting the tour-
nament for Akwa Ibom citi-
]HQVDQG1LJHULDQVDVZHOO
“Right at our core we love
golf and we try to grow our
businesses and social net-
ZRUNV:HWUXO\FUHDWHZHDOWK
and also, we care about the
community, the reason why
we indulge in Corporate So-
FLDO 5HVSRQVLELOLWLHV 7KLV
year, our social cause is Men-
WDO+HDOWK$ZDUHQHVV
0U 8QRK VWUHVVHG WKDW
there is no better time to pro-
mote mental health for busi-
ness operators and sports per-
IRUPDQFHWKDQQRZ+HVDLG
Nigerians are going through
Fagboyinbo Fass wins Owa
of Igbajo Coronation’s kitty
A member of Ekiti Golf
&OXE0U)DJER\LQER)DVVKDV
emerged winner of the recently
held golf kitty held at MicCom
Golf Ada in Osun State as part
of activities celebrating the cor-
onation of Owa of Igbajo, Oba
ASK Makinde after finishing
ZLWKDUHPDUNDEOHQHW
His outstanding performance
earned him the top prize at the
tournament, marking a signifi-
cant achievement in his golfing
FDUHHU7KHFURZGHUXSWHGLQDS-
SODXVHDV0U)DVVZDVGHFODUHG
the winner of the Owa of Igbajo,
Oba ASK Makinde Corona-
WLRQ¶VNLWW\
Making speech during the
SUL]H SUHVHQWDWLRQV )DVV H[-
pressed his gratitude to the or-
ganisers and his fellow golfers
for the opportunity to compete
in such a prestigious tournament
while thanking his caddie and
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024
JLUOVRQDJJUHJDWH
The Liberian girls were
the big surprise of the third
round, edging out Senegal
on the away goal rule after a
2-0 win in Monrovia in the
second leg of a tie that the
Senegalese thought they had
wrapped up after a 3-1 win in
'DNDU
The Flamingos will host
the return at the MKO Abiola
Stadium, Abuja on Friday,
-XQH  VWDUWLQJ IURP SP
The winner on aggregate will
emerge as one of Africa’s
three representatives at this
year’s FIFA U17 Women’s
:RUOG&XS¿QDOVLQWKH'R-
PLQLFDQ5HSXEOLF
Burundi vs Kenya and
Zambia vs Morocco are the
RWKHU¿[WXUHV
a lot of stress to meet daily
WDUJHWV DQG ¿QDQFLDO REOLJD-
WLRQV )RU VXFK UHDVRQ WKH
Gators engaged the services
RIDPHQWDOKHDOWKH[SHUWZKR
addressed participants and
friends of the golfers on the
solutions to mental health and
UHODWHGHFRQRPLFVWDELOLW\
“We are a business Club,
we believe the world is our
golf course and we like to
WRXU GLIIHUHQW FRXUVHV 7KLV
year, our tour brought us to
8\R$NZD ,ERP 6WDWH:H
have had awesome time, net-
working with business part-
QHUDQGLWZDVJUHDW:HDOVR
look at avenues to build busi-
QHVVFRQWDFWV*ROI*DWRUVLV
really big on wealth creation
as well as corporate social re-
VSRQVLELOLW\´
Unoh highlighted business
potentials seen in Akwa Ibom
State with special emphasis
on Tourism and Agriculture
as surest ventures with good
UHWXUQVRILQYHVWPHQW
The golf event was spon-
sored by brands such as
Moni, Yala, Press One and
Houston EB5 among many
RWKHUV
golf coach for their tremendous
support and guidance, which
had helped him to achieve this
UHPDUNDEOHIHDW
The victory at the tournament
ZDV D WHVWDPHQW WR 0U )DVV¶V
hard work and dedication to his
craft, saying “it was a fitting re-
ward for my commitment to the
sport, as I used to spend count-
less hours on the golf course,
honing my skills and perfecting
P\JDPH´
As he celebrated his win with
family and friends, Fass looked
forward to the future with re-
newed optimism and a stronger
determination to continue im-
SURYLQJKLVJDPH
The Owa of Igbajo, Oba
ASK Makinde Coronation’s
kitty had been a significant
milestone in his golfing journey,
DQGKHZDVH[FLWHGWRVHHZKDW
WKHIXWXUHKROGV
DAILYSUN Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Page 31

KYARI, TINUBU’S ‘RENEWED HOPE AGENDA’ AND ENERGY SECURITY
BY tomorrow, it will be exactly one year
that President Bola Tinubu took over the
mantle of leadership as Nigeria’s President.
During the swearing in of Tinubu as Ni-
geria’s 16th President about a year ago, his
agenda for the economy was loud and clear
to target a higher gross domestic product
^ifnk_iXk\Xe[kfj`^e`ÔZXekcpi\[lZ\
unemployment
To achieve these, one of the things the
President listed in his inaugural speech that
he would do was to pursue an industrial
policy that would utilize the full range of
ÔjZXcd\Xjli\jkfgifdfk\[fd\jk`ZdXel-
facturing, stimulate investments and lessen
import dependency.
The energy sector was at the heart of his
agenda when the President took over the
f]ÔZ\Xp\XiX^f%
According to Tinubu, “Power generation
should nearly double and transmission and
distribution networks improved. We will
encourage states to develop local sources
as well.”
Nigeria is endowed with large oil, gas,
hydro and solar resources, and it has the
potential to generate 12,522MW of electric
power from existing plants. On most days,
however, it is only able to dispatch around
+#'''DN#n_`Z_`j`ejl]ÔZ`\ek]fiXZfle-
try of over 200 million people.
Under Mele Kyari’s transformative
leadership as the Group Chief Executive of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Company
Limited, the company conceived the idea
of monetising Nigeria’s huge gas resources
through independent power projects.
For a man who has transformed the
NNPCL within the last four years despite
the mounting opposition to some of his
reform initiatives, it is gratifying to know
that the President believes in his capac-
ity to implement energy policies that will
enable the federal government to monetize
all available oil and gas resources of today
while paving the way for the total exploita-
tion of new and cleaner energy sources of
tomorrow.
To demonstrate this commitment to
transforming Nigeria’s power sector, the
NNPCL, headed by Kyari, entered into a
turnkey engineering, procurement and xon-
struction (EPC) contract with China Ma-
chinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC)
Published by The Sun Publishing Limited, 2, Coscharis Street, Off Happyhome Avenue, Kirikiri Industrial Layout, Apapa, P.M.B. 21776, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Ikeja City Office: 1A,
Odegbami Street, Off Talabi Street, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos. Advert Hotline: 08094459262, Abuja Office: Orji Uzor Kalu House, Plot 322, Adjacent Banex Junction Flyover,
Wuse-Jahi-Gwarimpa Expressway, Mabushi, Abuja, Phone: 09-8700273-6. ISSN 0795-7475. All Correspondence to the above mail addresses.
Website: www.sunnewsonline.com •Printed simultaneously in Lagos, Aba & Abuja Editor: IHEANACHO NWOSU
WITH ANDY EZEANI
Grudge
of the
unenterprising Osimhen bids Napoli farewell,
tribe
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2024 *VOL. 20 NO. 5504
Mele Kyari
to construct the Gwagwalada Independent
Power Plant project.
K_\gifa\Zk#n_`Z_nXjÕX^^\[f]]`e
August by President Bola Tinubu, has been
described as a game-changer in Nigeria’s
power sector.
The project was
necessitated by the
extended power outages
experienced in the region
in the last nine years. These
outages, caused by
vandalism and insurgent
attacks on power supply
infrastructure, had resulted
in a decline in economic
activities in the region.”
THUMBPRINT
P. 13 wants Arsenal move P. 29
Public Forum
It is a 1,350MW combined-cycle power
plant with auxiliaries and balance of plant
to be situated on 547 hectares of land
already acquired at Gwagwalada, in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The project is expected to generate be-
tween $700m and $800m annually within
k_\Ôijk('p\Xijf]fg\iXk`fe%
The GIPP was necessitated by the need
for delivering gas towards additional power
generation capacity in Nigeria. Under the
plan, gas supply to the plant will be through
the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas
Pipeline Project, which is currently at its
advanced stages of construction.
The GIPP’s fuel requirements will be sat-
`jÔ\[le[\iXcfe^$k\id^XjjXc\j#gliZ_Xj\#
and aggregation agreement with Shell
Petroleum Development Company Joint
Venture (SPDC JV).
The GIPP project consists of three power
train blocks of 450MW each. Each block
will include two General Electric (GE) gas
turbine generators, two heat recovery steam
generators (HRSG), one steam turbine
electric generator, one direct air-cooling
condenser, balance of plant equipment and
a black start diesel generator.
On completion, the GIPP will generate
an average of 10.3 million megawatt hour
(MWh) of electricity per year for sale to
the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc
(NBET).
The sale of the generated power will be
through the Power Purchase Agreement
(PPA) with the NBET to distribution com-
panies (Discos) under long-term agree-
ments. and direct sale to major off-takers.
Before the GIPP, the NNPCL had inau-
gurated the 50MW Maiduguri Emergency
Power Plant (MEPP), which is a power
generation project aimed at providing reli-
able and sustainable electricity to the city of
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, and
its environs.
The project was necessitated by the
extended power outages experienced in the
region in the last nine years. These out-
ages, caused by vandalism and insurgent
attacks on power supply infrastructure, had
resulted in a decline in economic activities
in the region.
The power generation project, aside from
providing reliable and sustainable electric-
IFEANYI ONUBA
ity to the city of Maiduguri and its environs
n`ccXcjfY\Xj`^e`ÔZXekX[[`k`fekfk_\
many initiatives aimed at ensuring domes-
tic gas utilisation.
Under Kyari’s leadership, the NNPCL has
invested heavily in domestic gas footprint
expansion projects through the delivery
of the trans-Nigeria gas pipeline project,
which includes the Escravos project, the
Lagos pipelines system, and the Ajaokuta-
Kano gas pipelines.
As a national oil company, the NNPCL
is cooperating with its partners to solve the
energy challenges facing the country.
The footprints of Kyari in the oil and
gas sector were also felt when he led the
NNPCL to secure a $7bn investment from
India for Nigeria’s petrochemical industry.
Kyari had accompanied President Tinubu
to India, where the deal was announced
Tinubu had departed Abuja, Nigeria’s
capital, for the G20 summit, which was
held from September 9 to 10 last year in
New Delhi, the Indian capital.
The President’s visit to India was focused
on attracting investments to Nigeria with
lucrative opportunities for investors, but
most importantly jobs for Nigerians and
new revenue opportunities for the country.
India is one of the growing markets for
E`^\i`XËjc`hl`Ô\[eXkliXc^Xj#Xe[k_ifl^_
this deal the government will be able to cre-
ate job opportunities for Nigerians.
@e[`XeYlj`e\jj\jj\im\Xjj`^e`ÔZXek
investment sources in the midstream,
downstream and upstream sectors of the oil
and gas industry.
In the area of gas infrastructure, Kyari is
also leading the NNPCL to implement the
AKK Gas Pipeline contract.
The AKK Gas Pipeline is an integral part
of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (TNGP)
with a capacity to transport about 2.2 bil-
lion cubic feet of gas per day.
NNPCL had announced that the project’s
completion date is now December 2024.
The project, when completed, is expected
to ease natural gas transportation from
Ajaokuta in Kogi State to Kano through
several states.
(Continued on www.sunnewsonline.com)
•Onuba, a chartered
accountant, writes from Abuja