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Jigawa To Establish Islamic University, Partners Islamic Bank, Arab Bank To Drive $50m Investment

February 20, 2024

By Daniel Maduka

In a bid to advance the socio- economic landscape of Jigawa State , Governor Umar Namadi on Monday February 19 2024 led a high powered mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The mission which include top government officials from the state ministries of Education, Finance and Agriculture ,is seeking to attract investments in the region of $ 50 million to the state.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the Governor, Hamisu Mohammed Gumel, said the mission ,while in Saudi, will among other things seek to establish a good working relationship with such international financial Institutions as the Islamic Development Bank and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and interested investors based in the Holy Land.

The goal ,according to the statement ,is to attract investments in excess of $ 50 million cutting across Agriculture, Education and the Health sectors.

The mission is also expected to initiate discussions and agreements with the World Assembly Of Muslim Youths which will lead to the establishment of an Islamic University and 11 Islamic Centres across Jigawa state,with a view to increasing access to quality education ,as well as engendering intellectual development among the people.

” In the Health sector the delegation will be exploring collaborative opportunities to conduct health and medical outreach programmes ,focusing particularly on corrective eye surgery .

Monday February 19 20246⁶

This collaboration aims to address crucial healthcare needs and enhance the well- being of the people ” the statement further stated

In an interactive section with the media before departing for the Holy Land, Governor Namadi, harped on the compelling need to leverage international financial institutions as the Islamic Bank and Arab Bank in driving investments and sustainable development,for the creation of opportunities for the good people of Jigawa State.

“The three collaborative fields- Agriculture, Education and Health, form part of Governor Namadi’s 12 -point blueprint aimed at advancing the state.” the statement noted.

State Police Recipe For Anarchy – Shehu Sani

Akinwale Kasali

February 20, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Activist and former Senator, Shehu Sani, has said that the call for State Police is not the solution to curb the insecurity bedevilling the nation.

He said if established, State Governors will use it to harass, intimidate, threaten and persecute those not on the same page with them.

Sani stressed that its establishment will give room for rigging of elections and will be used by States to counter the Federal Police when conflicts arise, and there would be conflict of interest.

This he said would lead to anarchy.

He made this assertion via his verified X handle, where he stated: “The State Police will be used by the governors to persecute the opposition,to harass ‘non indigenes’, to rig elections and to counter the federal police in cases of conflict of interest between the federal government and the state.

“The proposed establishment of state police in the country as a mirage and a recipe for anarchy.

“Most of the state ruling party thugs will be recruited into the state police,” he added.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government recently hinted about the likelihood of embracing State Police.

The development followed an emergency meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and State Governors at the Aso Rock Villa.

The meeting was a sequel to the recent hike in food prices, economic hardship, and pockets of insecurity recorded nationwide.

EFCC Quizzes Former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed

Akinwale Kasali

February 20, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Anti Graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has quizzed a former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

The former Governor was seen at the EFCC office at the GRA Illorin where he arrived for his interrogation.

As at the time of filing in this report, the reason for his interrogation was yet to be ascertained, but sources in the EFCC said the reason for his invitation and interrogation is connected with the financial controversy surrounding some projects during his administration.

Ahmed, a financial expert was at the saddle as Governor of the State between 2011 to 2019, under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Prof Ben Nwabueze’s Final Journey Home Begins

The Source

February 19, 2024

The Professor Ben Nwabueze National Burial Committee co-chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Monday, announced activities for the burial of the foremost Constitutional Lawyer.

Prof Nwabueze, extraordinary scholar, teacher, lawyer, winner of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and one-time Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, died on October 29, 2023 at the age of 92.

A statement by the Committee said the burial activities will commence on Thursday, February 22, 2024 with a Valedictory Court Session at the Lagos State High Court Premises, Ikeja, at 2pm. The event will be presided over by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba.

As part of the obsequies to the dead, Friday, February 23, 2024, has been scheduled as a Day of Tributes at the Harbour Point Event Centre, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, at 2pm.

The statement further detailed that the mortal remains of the eminent jurist will be interred at his country home in Atani, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

Then, Friday, March 1, 2024 has been scheduled as the day for national tributes and celebration of the impactful and very worthy life and times of Akunnia Benjamin Obiefuna Nwabueze, the Oduah Afo-na-Isagba of Atani, at Atani. The ceremony will commence at 12 noon.

Thereafter, the funeral train will move back to Lagos, where the group of eminent national leaders popularly known as The Patriots will hold a National Colloquium/Dialogue at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Monday, March 18, 2024. The colloquium is scheduled to commence at 11am.

Prof Nwabueze, CON, who at the time of his passing was the most senior lawyer in Nigeria with a scholarly output that included over 34 books, 100 conference keynotes, and 200 peer-reviewed and scientific articles, and probably also the most prolific and influential legal scholar out of Africa, was the Chairman of The Patriots.

The National Burial Committee said in the statement that The Patriots deliberately settled for March 18 for the colloquium to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Nigerian National Conference, which was inaugurated on March 17, 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Until his death, Prof Nwabueze championed the cause of restructuring, which he believed was the only pathway to an egalitarian and prosperous nation.

The statement which was signed by Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, Secretary of the National Burial Committee, further said: “The historic National Colloquium being organised in honour of Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, a foremost champion of the 2014 National Confab, will be chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth and Chairman of The Patriots.

“Expected at the various events of the obsequies announced above are delegations and representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, former Presidents and Vice Presidents of Nigeria, serving and former State Governors, former and serving members of the National Assembly.

“Others include present and former members of State Houses of Assembly, envoys of Foreign Missions in Nigeria, leaders of socio-cultural and political groups, members of the Bench and the Bar, close associates and friends of the late eminent jurist.”

Following is the full text of the Press Statement signed by Olawale Okunniyi, Secretary to the National Burial Committee

PRESS STATEMENT

Monday, 19th February, 2024

Anyaoku, Iwuanyanwu, National Burial Committee Announce Final Obsequies For Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, CON

The National Committee For the burial of Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, co chaired by by His Excellency, Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, CFR and Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, CFR, President-General of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo has announced the final funeral rites of departed Elder Statesman, Eminent Jurist and Constitutional Icon, Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, CON, who was until his demise the Chairman of Eminent National Leaders of Nigeria popularly known as The Patriots as follows:

Thursday, 22nd February, 2024 – Valedictory Court Session at the State High Court Premises, Ikeja, Lagos State by the Judiciary at 2pm. To be presided over by the Chief Judge of Lagos State

Friday, 23rd February, 2024 – Day of Tributes in Lagos at Harbour Point Event Centre, Amadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos at 2pm.

Thursday, 29th February, 2024 – Family Private Burial Ceremony in Atani, Anambra State.

Friday, 1st March, 2024 – National Tributes and Celebration of Life in Atani, Anambra State at 12noon.

Monday, 18th March, 2024 – National Colloquium/Dialogue at Nigeria Institute of International Affairs NIIA, 3/5, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos is being organised by the Patriots at 11am to coincide with the the 10th Year Anniversary of the Nigerian National Confab of 2014, inaugurated on 17th March, 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The historic National Colloquium being organised in honour of Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, a foremost champion of the 2014 National Confab, will be chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth and Chairman of The Patriots.

Expected at the various events of the Obsequies announced above are; delegations and representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Former Presidents and Former Vice Presidents of Nigeria Various State Governors including host Governors in Lagos and Anambra States, Former Governors, Delegation and Members of the National Assembly, Former Senators and Former Members of the House of Representatives,

Others are; Present and Former Members of State Legislative Assembly, Envoys of Foreign Missions in Nigeria, Leaders of Socio-Cultural and Political Groups, Delegation and Members of the Bench and the Bar, Close Associates and Friends of the late eminent jurist.

OAU Veterinary Technologist, Attacked, Killed By Lion

Ayodele Oni

February 19, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

A Veterinary Technologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile Ife, Olabode Olawuyi, has become a feast to a lion he had been nurturing for nine years.

Olawuyi was attacked and killed by the lion in the zoo of the institution Monday afternoon while trying to feed the animal.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that “Mr Olawuyi, a Veterinary Technologist, who has been in charge of the Zoological garden for over a decade, was attacked this afternoon, Monday, 19th February, 2024, by a 9 – year old male lion when he was feeding them in their den at the Zoological Garden of the University.

“The other members of staff who were at the scene of the incident did everything within their power to rescue their boss but the wild cat had already caused severe fatalities.

“On hearing the sad news, the Management Team, led by the Vice Chancellor, abruptly ended an on going meeting for an on the spot assessment.

“Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebayo Bamire, was informed, on arrival, by the Acting Director of the University Health and Medical Centre, Dr. Tirimisiyu Olatunji, that all first aid and medical efforts to save the life of the victim proved abortive.

“Saddened by this tragic event, the aggressive Lion has been euthanized.

“Mr Olawuyi has been taking care of the lions since they were born on campus about 9 years ago but, tragically, the male Lion killed the man who had been feeding them.

“The University Management has sent a delegation to the widow and children of the deceased, imploring them to take solace in God who gives life and also has the power to take life.

“Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.”

A Plea To Governor Uzodimma By Residents: “Repair Ihiagwa Road Before Rainy Season”

The Source

February 19, 2024

By Cyril Aririguzo

“Another abandonment will speak doom and more hardship in the state”

By Cyril Aririguzo, KSM

The residents of Ihiagwa and Nekede Communities are unhappy and nervous. As the year progresses and rainy season approaches, they are afraid of tomorrow and what it could bring.

To them, the rainy season is a nightmare. They have no road. The road which links the two important communities together is in its worst State.

Here is why it is an irony. The two Communities are hosts to two high profile Federal Institutions – The Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede.

Yet, the people have suffered the worst of abandonment over the state of the very important Ihiagwa-Nekede Road.

Put under severe pressure as the rainy season gradually approaches, Residents of the two communities in the Owerri West Local Government Area have urged the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to come to their rescue by completing the remaining part of the road along the Nekede-lhiagwa-FUTO back gate axis which was abandoned half way.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri recently, a member of the community and Chieftain of All Peoples Congress (APC) Hon (Dr.) Chiedo Ohamere said they have been abandoned by the Government for too long. He complained bitterly against the manner the road was abandoned by the Government half way after so much clearing work was done, and people’s hopes raised.

According to him, “the abandonment has caused more damage to the ecosystem which led to its deplorable state during the rains, and made it a nightmare and non pliable for motorists and other road users.”

He posited that further abandonment of the road will result to disaster, and inflict more hardship on the people, especially, if nothing is done before the rainy season begins.

He submitted that the condition of the road has brought untold hardship, pain and made the people to loose faith and trust in the Government of the day. He, therefore, urged the Government to do something urgently to regain and justify their support and vote during the last November 11 election to Gov Uzodinma.

He explained that the road is a very important network road in the state that ought to be made a priority because of its importance in the socio economic development of the state, housing close to 30% -35% of the population of the state.

“We are in deep distress in this account. Mere trekking can easily trigger an acute tachycardia.”

Below are some of the views of people and students concerning the road when interviewed:

“We almost lose our energy each time we trek on the road to school and the state of the road is so bizarre” – FUTO student.

“Severally I had fallen down on this road. Please, our Governor should looks into this matter seriously and take prompt and necessary action to save us of this problem ” – Old man

“Our market used to be a no-go-area to many commuters and motorists owing to its deplorable condition. The nightmare that has come to be associated with this road has made some landlords to abandon their houses and become tenants in other areas.

I cannot but appeal to the governor to provide good road network. I really feel sorry for the pregnant mothers plying those bad roads on daily basis because as I was told, some expectant mothers have had miscarriages because of the bad road” – a concerned villager.

In the wake of any further intensive rainfall, the issue of bad road has become a pertinent matter requiring urgent lasting solution as floods threaten to destroy our homes and properties. The sound of a rushing rainfall remains an impediment to the well-being of your people. who call on your help he asserted.

Out-of-School Children: Kano Govt. Warns Parents

The Source

February 19, 2024

Abba Kabir Yusuf - Governor of Kano State

By Daniel Maduka

The Kano State Government has issued a stern warning to parents and guardians to stop forthwith the tendency of stopping their wards from going to school, particularly the girl-child. It insisted that every child of school age must be availed of the opportunities to acquire basic education which is free across the State.

The State Government,which handed down the marching order through the Commissioner of Education, Haruna Doguwa, assured of the availability of all necessary facilities needed for every child in the state to access quality basic education .

The Commissioner said that apart from being tuition- free, all necessary infrastructural facilities, including the construction and equipment of new class room blocks have been provided to cater for the educational needs of up to a million children.

Doguwa, who spoke at a one day Sensitization And Enlightenment Town Hall Meeting with all relevant stakeholders on the importance of Girl Child Education to the acceleration of kano state development held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium in kano, noted that plans have been concluded to reopen about 28 boarding schools closed down by the previous administration, so as to provide opportunities for several thousands of children of school age who dropped out as a result of the earlier closure of the schools to go back.

The State Commissioner of Education announced plans by some non-governmental organizations and non-state actors to partner with the kano state government in its efforts to rekindle the quest for education among the populace.

He therefore warned that the State Government will go tough on parents/ guardians who constitute themselves as obstacles to the plan of the authorities to make basic education available to all children in the state

Alhaji Doguwa said the Kano State Government will no longer tolerate a situation where children of school age will be roaming the street, adding that a lot of resources have been invested in the Education sector in the State.

Ondo 33 LCDAs Created By Late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Stay – Gov Aiyedatiwa

Ayodele Oni

February 19, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has foreclosed the hope of reappointing the 255 former local governments caretaker members earlier sacked by Court order.

The affected caretaker members were hurriedly put together by some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) without the input of Aiyedatiwa while serving as acting governor of the state.

The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had gone to court to challenge their appointments and the court ruled in their favour.

Some members of the APC loyal to late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had accused Governor Aiyedatiwa of being behind the sack of the caretaker members.

The Governor told them on Monday that government will soon constitute another transition committees for the 18 Local Government Areas and 33 Local Council Development Areas before the coming local government elections in the State.

Governor Aiyedatiwa disclosed this during a meeting with the former members of Caretaker Committees of the LGAs and LCDAs at the Governor’s Office in Akure.

The Governor also disclosed that his administration does not have plans to abolish the recently created Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

According to the Governor, the creation of the LCDAs is one of the legacies of the late former Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, which must be preserved.

The Governor told the 255 former appointees that the case instituted in court by the opposition party and subsequent court injunction had prevented their inauguration and assumption of office.

The Governor said efforts were being intensified to resolve the court case through a political solution which has been granted by the court.

He added that once the case is finally withdrawn from the court, all the errors made in the composition of the list of the appointees would be corrected and transition committees will be inaugurated.

The Governor urged the former appointees to demonstrate more commitment to the party within their respective local government areas.

“It is important for us to come together as one big family for the progress of the APC and the development of our State,” he said, stressing that there is no division in the party’s leadership.

The State APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, echoed the governor’s words of unity in the party, commending the Governor for the interface with the party members.

Mr Olaniyi Gbenga and Mrs. Funke Kumuyi, who spoke on behalf of the former appointees, thanked the Governor the interface and pledged their loyalty and support for his administration.

OPINION: Emefiele A Saint Compared To Akpabio, Edu And Tinubu’s Ministers

The Source

February 19, 2024

By Steve Osuji

EMEFIELE AS SCAPEGOAT:

The Tinubu administration which can be better described as a house of sleaze seems to have created a buffer and a punching bag for its graft-sodden state.

Even our so-called Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has found his voice. He has just revealed to us that former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele’s crimes are so bad that government is unsure what to charge him with. Perhaps there are no crimes afterall.

It gets curiouser. It seems that as the Tinubu government sinks deeper, it loses touch with reality.

How could Akpabio forget that he was part of the failed Buhari administration?

Hear him: Tinubu inherited an economic mess from President Muhammadu Buhari, and Emefiele is to be blamed. The economic situation left by Emefiele was terrible.

Akpabio seems to forget that he was the last minister of Niger Delta Affairs and no notable project was recorded by him for four years. Not in the Ministry, not in NDDC. In fact, NDDC board was not convened under Akpabio’s watch.

If Akpabio has forgotten how he pole-vaulted to APC, we can remind him a bit. EFCC happened upon his humongous loot as governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was about to he detained when he fled to Paris to meet Tinubu who after helping himself to his fill on Akpabio’s loot, took him to London to see President Buhari… he was allowed to join APC and his sins were immediately forgiven. But not before he had agreed to use a chunk of the funds he stole from Akwa Ibom people to bankroll President Buhari’s 2019 reelection. This earned Akpabio the Niger Delta Affairs ministerial slot. It has also kept him in power today as Senate President.

This is Akpabio’s current political history. He forgets he’s the poster boy of corruption of this dispensation, the dark emblem of this lurid age.

SOME BACKGROUND TO THE EMEFIELE STORY: Let us recap the Emefiele story a bit: Between June 10, and December 23, 2O23, a period of over six months, Mr Godwin Emefiele, was in the custody of President Bola Tinubu’s federal government. Emefiele who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was virtually abducted from his Ikoyi, Lagos home by the DSS (Department of State Service) and hauled to Abuja. While the DSS kept Emefiele in detention they turned his person and his residences upside-down and inside out for about four months.

They found nothing incriminating against him. The world is still waiting for Nigeria’s supposedly intelligence agency to recant and apologise to Emefiele who they accused of financing terrorism and committing economic crimes. Well, they found a little ‘toy’ gun after tearing down his residences.

Thankfully, the courts threw all these silly allegations out.

Thankfully again, a court recently granted Emefiele N100m in damages against the federal government for violation of his rights.

Apparently not satisfied with the DSS doodling with Emefiele for one month without “expected” results, President Bola Tinubu in July last year, recruited Mr Jim Obazee as so-called Special Financial Investigator even as Emefiele was still held in the cages of the DSS.

Obazee who was fired in 2017 as Executive Secretary of the Financial Regulatory Commission of Nigeria (FRCN) was ostensibly detailed to comb through the Emefiele era at the CBN. Shorn of all the lies about investigating other Government Business Entities (GBEs), Obazee zeroed in on the nine-year stint of Emefiele at the CBN.

Again Obazee seemed not to find anything tangible to nail Emefiele, but like a man on a mission, the so-called investigator started releasing snippets of spurious findings to the media to achieve a propaganda motive of damaging Emefiele and to safe face for a failed investigation.

No official public presentation of the report of the investigation; no review panel, no white paper, yet the Federal Government hastily implemented the so-called report by dismantling the management and board of four money deposit banks: Union, Titan, Polaris and Keystone banks.

OBAZEE: A HATCHET MAN AND HIS DECEITFUL REPORT:

Just like the investigator has a record of doing hatchet jobs in the past, this one too has been described by financial experts as a poor outing. Recall that the same Obazee was used in the past by different presidents to hound former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi and Atedo Peterside of Stanbic-IBTC.

Back to the current report, most of about a dozen issues raised against Emefiele, have come across as lacking in substance, even on the face of it. Let’s consider a few.

First, Obazee reported that President Buhari didn’t approve the Naira redesign policy. But Buhari’s approval was in public domain then and now. In a recent interview with the NTA, November 20, 2023, former President Buhari restated that he approved the naira redesign to ensure his “integrity became unquestionable.” Why would Obazee lie about this open fact? Why should we trust his entire report?

Obazee reported that CBN under Emefiele had 593 foreign accounts in the USA, UK and CHINA. Assuming this to be true, are these accounts operated by Emefiele? What quantum of transactions? By whom? And when? These are simple riddles Obazee ought to have resolved to make his report credible in the eyes of reasonable people. If Emefiele had put as much as a thousand dollars in any of these accounts for personal purposes, surely Obazee would have made a mountain of it.

The report also fingered Emefiele for having a hand in the restructure and sale of some banks. This allegation seems to have died on arrival as the CBN never mentioned this serious malfeasance when it changed the board and management of these banks. CBN only told Nigerians that the action had been taken as a result of some unspecified financial infringements by the affected banks’ officials.

One more example of Obazee’s seeming spurious charges against Emefiele is what is described as “fraudulent economic interventions.” The question here is: how could the restriction of access to forex for 44 products Nigeria can produce be termed fraudulent? Why should Nigeria burn forex importing toothpicks, vegetable oils, tomato puree, and such others? Why should CBN provide forex at official rates for the importation of food in 2023?

This is the policy Obazee describes as “fraudulent”. We all have seen the naira fall like humpty-dumpty since this policy was reversed by this government. It’s a fact that naira has fallen by about 75 percent since Emefiele was illegally yanked off his tenured position as CBN governor.

DSS, SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR AND EFCC:

On October 26, 2023, after over four months of intensive investigation with nothing to nail him with, DSS apparently suffered Emefiele fatigue and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). As a matter of fact, this is the agency meant to investigate the matter in the first place.

The EFCC quickly rushed to the press and then the court with a N9b procurement fraud against Emefiele. This charge was later to be amended to N1.2 billion. Even this case has fizzled out as witnesses have debunked it.

Apparently frustrated that it can’t place its knee on Emefiele’s neck, EFCC has decided to embark on a nine-year scrutiny of CBN’s foreign exchange transactions.

Wow! Daily forex transactions for nine years? That’s some helluva investigation even an expanded CIA economic unit will never be able to carry through in one year!

EFCC only resorted to harassing major manufacturers like Dangote Group, BUA Group and other heavy users of forex to have them submit their records of the last nine years. Of course what we have here is classic example of EVIDENCE HUNTING AFTER A FALSE CHARGE.

It’s remarkable that nearly a dozen charges previously brought against Emefiele by the DSS, EFCC and Special Investigator, including the finagling of N7.2 trillion, all fell flat. Only one charge is in court now, forgery to obtain $6.2m.

IS EMEFIELE A SAINT OR A SMART ALEC?

We wager that he has to be a SAINT. No other Nigerian public official can withstand this level of scrutiny and investigation without a whale of financial malfeasance to put such a person away for life.

Godwin Emefiele indeed deserves a special commendation for rare integrity and honesty in public office. Nine years as governor of the apex bank and subjected to the most vicious investigation yet no of direct “heavy lifting” or personal gains found against him. This column wagers that Godswill Akpabio can not withstand seven minutes of scrutiny by DSS or EFCC. No minister since Buhari’s administration till date can withstand investigation.

And we ask: why is Betta Edu not being tried? Why is Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo not being tried? What about Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Hadi Sirika, Halima Shehu, etc?

This column also insists for the umpteenth time, that Emefiele is being pursued by Tinubu for implementing Buhari’s naira redesign policy which prevented Tinubu from raising cash for massive vote buying. This is Emefiele main crime and nothing more. This is why Tinubu want to jail Emefiele by hook or crook.

Emefiele has undergone untold persecution and witch-hunt as has been suggested in here the past. In that case, when all this is over, and the climate becomes more civilized around here, Emefiele would be put up for beatification.

Osuji, an accomplished Journalist, Columnist, was on the Editorial Board of The Nation Newspapers. He was, also, Special Adviser, Media to a former Governor of Imo State, The Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha

Nigeria, Brazil Set To Revamp Relations

Ayodele Oni

February 19, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

In an apparent bid to restore relationship between their countries, President Bola Tinubu and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, and had discussions on comprehensive strengthening of bilateral ties in all fields.

President Tinubu, at the meeting emphasized the strength of Nigeria’s economic potential and influence, saying the country is witnessing a leap forward, despite some short-term reform pains, as his administration is removing all encumbrances to business.

The President further explained that his administration is investing in critical sectors of the economy like healthcare, education, and agriculture to ensure the welfare of Nigerian citizens and to create sustainable economic prosperity for future generations.

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngalele quoted Tinubu as saying “We have a very vibrant population of young Nigerians who are trainable, dependable, and should be empowered. The economic potential of Nigeria is enormous. We are ready to break all the walls standing in our way to progress.

“We are ready to fight corruption from top to bottom. We are ready to invest in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, infrastructure, and others. I have one of the most dedicated teams on agriculture.”

President Tinubu said Nigeria is ready to deepen ties with Brazil, noting that it is a “legacy of what can be done together to change the future for countless millions of our citizens”.

“We are stopping at nothing to remove all encumbrances to business. Red tape is being shredded around us.

“There is nothing we will not do to manifest the great potential of our nation. We are fighting corruption from the bottom to the top. We will prevent it, and we will remediate.

“We are very aware of your progressive legacies of social security provision, infrastructure, and reforms in Petrobras. We are in the process of implementing similar reforms in the NNPCL.

“We are focusing on investment in new production and new energy sources. We are investing in research, and we are removing obstacles to further partnerships in all areas of operation. There is opportunity for both companies in partnership.”

While identifying solid mineral exploration, agriculture, education, and healthcare as areas of immediate concern, President Tinubu emphasized that the will of the two leaders to collaborate is firmly established.

“I agree that our countries must now have direct air links. I will form a committee of cabinet members who will work directly with your cabinet ministers, and they will urgently form a joint plan of action for the benefit of our two great countries. We may have missed opportunities in the past, but we now look ahead.

“Brazil and Nigeria share similarities. Let us forget old mistakes. The phenomenal growth achieved by Brazil in agriculture is exemplary.

“We will work with you to mechanize our food production systems to enhance quality and quantity of output. I will work with you to re-energize Nigeria’s relations with Brazil across the board,” the President stated.

On his part, assessing Nigeria’s natural and human resource wealth akin to Brazil’s, President Lula da Silva said Africa’s largest economy and South America’s largest economy have a long and interesting history together.

The Brazilian leader said Nigeria and Brazil once had a trade volume of more than $10 billion in the past, which has now plummeted to $1.6 billion, emphasizing that he is determined to strengthen bilateral relations.

“I am back to try to restore; to reclaim our good relations with Nigeria. I can not imagine that a country of 216 million people and another of 213 million people do not have strong relations.

“Mr. President, I am 78 years old. You are 71. What keeps me energetic is that I fight for a cause. The cause of my nation and people. A great cause is the elixir of sustained vitality for experienced leaders.

“Nigeria and Brazil need stronger relations from the academic viewpoint; from the cultural viewpoint; from the commercial viewpoint; from the agricultural viewpoint; from the industrial relations viewpoint, and from trade relations viewpoint.

“It is meaningless that there are no direct flights from Lagos to Sao Paulo and vice versa. I can not understand that. We have to sit at a table and find a solution for that.

“In aviation, there are many areas of potential collaboration with our manufacturers who seek to have a greater presence in Africa.

“I only have three more years left of my term, Your Excellency, to do everything I have not done yet. The time is very short. I am in a hurry to make my contributions to improve these relations with Nigeria. To make this happen, we have to put our ministers to work.”

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