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How Dr Acholonu, Former Deputy Governor, Imo State, Died

By
The Source
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Douglas Acholonu

By Charles Igbo

A former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Dr Douglas Acholonu, is dead.

Acholonu, an accomplished Medical Doctor -turned Politician, and a Prince of the prominent Acholonu Royal Family, Orlu, Imo State, according to reports, passed on Friday June 2, 2023. He, allegedly, passed after a surgery carried out by specialists at a referral hospital in Mgbirichi, Imo State. He had, reportedly been ill for about a month.

Dr Acholonu was the Deputy Governor of the State under the short-lived 18-month (1991, 1992) Government of Chief Evan Enwerem. It was during the diarchial regime of Military President, Ibrahim Babangida.

Dr. Acholonu was married to the late Professor Catherine Acholonu who ruffled feathers when, as the wife of the Deputy Governor, made an attempt to run for the office of the President. She was to raise an alarm that she was, allegedly, locked up inside the Government House in a bid to stop her aspiration.

Dr Acholonu was also the younger brother to late Justice P. Acholonu of the Supreme Court.

His death has neither been officially announced by the State Government nor the Acholonu Royal Family. He was aged 78 years.

Fuel Subsidy: Kwara Gov Reduces Working Days For Civil Servants

By
James Orji
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As part of its efforts to cushion the effects of the skyrocketing transport fare caused by the recent removal of petrol subsidy,  on the state civil servant the Kwara State government has reduced the number of working days to three.
The state government said this is a temporary measures.
The State Head of Service, HOS, Susan Modupe Oluwole, announced on Monday that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak has directed a reduction in work days from five to three days per week for all state-employed workers.
The directive, aimed at mitigating the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government, was conveyed through a statement signed by Murtala Atoyebi, the Chief Press Secretary in the office of the HOS, and made available to The Guardian.
Oluwole emphasized that the purpose of this measure is to provide relief to the workers who have been grappling with the skyrocketing cost of transportation. By reducing the number of work days, the government aims to ease the financial burden on employees and help them cope with the increased transport expenses resulting from the fuel subsidy removal.
To ensure effective implementation, the Head of Service instructed all Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to promptly devise a format indicating the alternating work days for each employee under their purview. This arrangement will enable a smooth transition to the new schedule and ensure that all workers are aware of their designated work days.
While the government has shown compassion towards the workers, Mrs. Oluwole cautioned against abusing the governor’s generosity. She stressed that the Head of Service’s office would intensify its monitoring of MDAs to ensure strict compliance with the new directive.
The government expects employees to adhere to the revised work schedule diligently and demonstrate professionalism in their duties.

SERAP Urges President Tinubu To Probe $2.1bn, N3.1tn Subsidy Fraud

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Kolawole Oluwadare

By Akinwale Kasali

Rights Group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently begin action as regards his promise to fight corruption by probing the $2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion Subsidy Payment allegedly missing and unaccounted for between 2017 and 2019.

SERAP in a statement through its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged President Tinubu to set up a Presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that $2.1bn and N3.1tn public funds of oil revenue, budgeted as fuel subsidy payments, are missing and unaccounted between 2016 and 2019, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The organisation told the President to “name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged widespread and systemic corruption in the use of oil revenues and the management of public funds budgeted as fuel subsidy, and to ensure their effective prosecution as well as the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.”

It also urged the President “to promptly, thoroughly, independently, transparently and effectively probe all fuel subsidies paid by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999, and to use any recovered proceeds of crime as palliatives to address the impact of any subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.”

It would be recalled that SERAP’s Deputy Director had in a letter dated June 3, 2023, said, “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. There will be no economic growth or sustainability without accountability for these human rights crimes.”

The organisation urged Tinubu to urgently act to follow due process of law in any policy to remove fuel subsidy, ensure that suspected perpetrators of these crimes against Nigerians are brought to justice and full recovery of any missing public funds.

IPOB Applauds Governor Mbah’s Move To End-Sit-At Home Order; Warns Him

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Peter Mbah

By Akinwale Kasali

In a twist of irony, pro-Biafra Group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has applauded Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on his move to bring an end to the Sit-At-Home order in the State and other South Eastern State imposed on the people.

Readers would recall that the ill-thought out order was imposed on the South-east in 2021 by IPOB to protest the detention and prosecution of its Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government and force his freedom. At the time it was declared, IPOB made it an every Monday affair and on any day Kanu was billed to appear in Court. To enforce it, people’s businesses were ruined, the economy of the Zone was brought to its knees, violence as never witnessed before in the Zone was the order of the day and the people wept.

Many months later, after much pressure from a number of people, and seeing that its order had no effect on Kanu’s fate, and that on the contrary, it was the nasser of the South-east who were bearing the brunt, and that neither the FG nor other Regions in Nigeria cared a hoot whether the Group shot down South-east  or not, IPOB reduced the order to only the days Kanu would appear in Court. It was to finally cancel it, and declared anybody enforcing it as an enemy.

However, at the time it cancelled it, it was late. It had gotten out of its hands, and taken over by all kinds of gangs, who were making financial gains out of enforcing it.

The worst culprit was, still is, an estranged IPOB member, Finland-based Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Kanu. Still claiming IPOB membership, even though he has been denied by the Group, Ekpa and his own group which, allegedly, goes by the name, Autopilot, have  kept the sit-at-home order alive, inspite of warnings to the contrary by Kanu whose disciple Ekpa proclaims he is.

In applauding Governor Mbah, the Biafran agitators claimed that they had put an end to the siege, alleging that some unscrupulous elements of the State, hiding under the guise of IPOB had continued the siege.

Cautioning the Enugu State Governor against the use of force on the people, IPOB claimed the police know the criminals enforcing the “non-existent sit-at-home.”

Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman, in a statement on Monday said that criminal elements hijacked the Sit-At-Home order from IPOB, as the Group had suspended the exercise long before now.

“After our leadership initiated the Monday sit-at-home order to demand for the release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leadership has long directed stoppage of the exercise to avoid criminals capitalising on that to harm our people.

“Though some Biafrans continued with Monday sit-at-home voluntarily, as our leader predicted, after the suspension order, some criminals and infiltrators hijacked it and started committing crimes and enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home.

“The Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mba should be made aware that IPOB has already suspended Monday sit-at-home. For him to publicly associate IPOB with Monday sit-at-home is obnoxious. If Mba wants to return normalcy on Mondays, he has the support of IPOB because those enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home are criminals.

“Anybody enforcing non-existent Monday sit-at-home order is not helping IPOB and our leader Mazi Kanu. Every member of IPOB and Biafrans should be coming out on Mondays for their business.”

It, however, stated that while the exercise is gradually winding down across the South-East, Mba should avoid the use of force to clamp down on the people as this would create anarchy.

It said the security agents can stop the enforcers of sit-at-home and their sponsor because they know themselves, adding that “their leader in Europe are behind these criminalities going on in the South-East.”

“The governor must know that the Nigeria Police know the criminals and the hideout of the criminals who enforce sit-at-home in some communites but are claiming to be IPOB but they are not.

“We are calling on Mba never to allow a single person die because of this exercise because we don’t know anything about it.

“Calling on the Nigeria murderous security agents to stop Monday sit-at- home is a call that will be used as a license to target and kill IPOB members and innocent Biafra citizens. So, Mba should be careful not to be used by enemies to target and attack IPOB members and ESN operatives.

“Mba should never make the same mistake, Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo made by using the Nigeria compromised security to stop Monday sit-at-home . Any attempt to use murderous Fulani controlled security to stop the sit-at-home is an indirect way of killing our people.

“Such moves will always be counterproductive. Such measures failed in Ebonyi, Imo, and Anambra, and it will fail in Enugu if it is applied. We support him to stop the Monday sit-at-home, as we have stopped the sit-at-home. Allow the Monday sit-at-home to die off naturally by engaging our people,” the group added.

Don’t Be Rubber Stamp, Be Advocates For The People  – SDP Charges New Ondo Assembly Members

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ondo State House of Assembly

By Ayodele Oni

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Ondo State  Chapter, has charged members of the 10th House of Assembly to chart a new course and refuse to be rubber stamps of the executive arm like their predecessors.

In a congratulatory message to the members, who were inaugurated last Saturday, the opposition party, advised that “As the 10th Assembly begins, we challenge them to forge ahead on a new route that will solidify their legacy in the State’s annals of history.”

The message, signed by chairman of the party, Stephen Adewale “congratulated the newly inaugurated members of the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly. We call on them to ensure that they work for the people of Ondo State that elected them, and not for any other interest.

“It is regrettable that Ondo State is yet to experience a genuinely independent House of Assembly since 1999 as the previous members of hallowed chambers regarded themselves as nothing more than pawns who rubber-stamped the whims and caprices of the Executive.

“As the first institution of democracy in Ondo State, their duty is to work with the executive and the judiciary. They were never designed to work for the executive or work for the judiciary.

“Since no one speaks just because they enjoy the sound of their own voice, a legislature that encourages constructive criticism and healthy debates will likely be a responsive legislature; and such will be advantageous for the newly inaugurated 10th Assembly.

“In this kettle resides the strategy of how the 10th Assembly can deliver dividends of democracy to the people as anything short of that is a signpost to instability and a recipe for catastrophe.

“As another legislative journey begins, expectations are high that the lawmakers will diligently implement their legislative duties and attend to several unfinished businesses.

“A cursory look at the 9th Assembly with the eye of history would suggest that they left a lot to be desired in the State. To insist that the 9th Assembly was flawless is to play God. To say that mistakes were not made while they were in the saddle is to stretch the truth.

“Therefore, the 10th Assembly members have their work cut out for them. Their predecessors in the 9th Assembly passed 63 bills into law, a number of these bills were passed at the twilight of the legislative session and have not yet been properly implemented.

“Therefore, the 10th Assembly must pay diligent attention to their oversight functions. 10th Assembly begins at the time when the country and the State is undergoing a financial trying times and their legislative contributions must reflect this changing reality.

“On this note, we implore the 10th Assembly to work on legislation that will improve the ease of doing business in Ondo State. Laws that will enhance the revenue of the State and increase what we generate internally

“A time like this also presents the 10th Assembly with unique opportunity to give the Ondo people what they ask for, reward them with what they look forward to, and surprise them with what they are yet to ask for, but considered expedient.

“In order to deepen a people-oriented legislature, the immediate task before the 10th Assembly is to consciously design a template to debate and pass people-oriented law as much as necessary, fine-tune strategies where feasible, make adjustments where achievable, tamper with the existing narratives where such is needed, and encourage participations in the legislative affairs wherever practicable.

“Finally, the good people of Ondo State will undoubtedly demand nothing less than excellent performance because one good turn deserves another.

“The fact that the nation is transitioning from one form of civilian government to another is a wonderful thing; nonetheless, the state’s legislators need to realize that they have a job to do. Instead of acting as a rubber stamp, they should all be prepared to serve and vigorously advocate for their constituency.”

Zenith Bank’s Onyeagwu Emerges Africa’s Best Banking CEO

By
James Orji
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Ebenezer Onyeagwu - Zenith Bank PLC MD

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, has been named ‘Best Banking CEO of the Year in Africa’ in the International Banker 2023 Banking Awards. The award, published in the Spring 2023 Issue of the International Banker Magazine, sees Dr Onyeagwu honoured alongside other individuals and banks from the Middle East and Africa.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Dr. Onyeagwu commended the Publishers of the International Banker for considering him a fitting recipient of the ‘Best Banking CEO of the Year in Africa’ award. He stated,

“This award reflects the bank’s position as a leading financial institution in Nigeria and the African continent. It also attests to our commitment to principles of sustainability and high ethical standards, which have become integral to our overall strategy as an institution”.

He dedicated the award to the Founder and Chairman, Jim Ovia, CFR, for his guidance and mentorship; the bank’s management team and staff, for being the shoulder upon which his achievements and success as CEO rests; and the bank’s customers for making Zenith Bank their bank of choice.

Dr Onyeagwu’s outstanding career has led to him receiving multiple awards, including Bank CEO of the Year (2019) by Champion Newspaper, Bank CEO of the Year (2020, 2021 & 2022) by BusinessDay Newspaper, CEO of the Year (2020 and 2021) – SERAS Awards, and CEO of the Year (2022) – Leadership Newspaper.

As Group Managing Director/CEO, Dr Onyeagwu has led Zenith Bank to achieve tremendous feats and milestones in financial performance (including 47 per cent growth in the bank’s market capitalisation in four years), financial inclusion, corporate governance and sustainability. These efforts have culminated in several local and international awards and recognitions including being recognised as Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital, for the 13th consecutive year, in the 2022 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking published by The Banker Magazine; Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020 and 2022; Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria 2021 and 2022 in the World Finance Banking Awards; Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2022; ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa, for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023, by the Ethical Boardroom; and the Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.

On March 25, 2023, he was conferred with a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria’s first indigenous University, in recognition of his immense achievements as Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank as well as his contributions to the growth of the financial services sector in Nigeria and across the African continent. The award was given during the 50th convocation ceremony of the University.

Published by Finance Publishing Limited, the International Banker is a leading global source of authoritative analysis and opinion on banking, finance and world affairs. Its influence, integrity, accuracy and objective opinion have earned it global recognition.

The International Banker Awards strive to recognise the most worthy financial institutions around the world – those not just doing their jobs well but exceptionally well – those operating at the industry’s cutting edge and setting new performance levels to which others will aspire.

The 2023 Banking Awards focused on various criteria, including the provision of much-needed capital for economic growth, cutting-edge innovation to enhance security and efficiency, commitment to sustainability and ESG principles, as well as intelligent investing to maximise profits and shareholder value.

Unity Bank CEO Says Performance Proof of Focused Mgt; Lender Grosses N57bn

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Tomi Somefun, the chief executive of Unity Bank Plc has disclosed that the commercial bank’s quest to deliver in key metric areas despite the 2022 economic challenges has paid off looking at its 2022 Financial statement submitted to the Nigerian Exchange, NGX Limited.

She spoke on the back of the lender’s announcement of a Profit Before Tax, PBT, of over N1 billion during the  Financial year, noting that the “high and lows” in key performing areas point to the serious economic headwinds in the country within the period.

Somefun said, ” There are highs and lows as we look at the gross earnings, with 13.7% growth, increase in liquid assets by 7.5% and deposits recording moderate growth of 1.6%, while maintaining steady growth in profitability,

“Overall, the financial statement thus threw up both strong and less optimal points which inform the outlook for our business.”

She reassures that going into the new financial year, the Bank will remain laser-focused on our strategic choices and key growth drivers to push all the indices and elevate growth to double-digit territory. “The performance posted for Q1’23 in terms of the PBT, gross earnings, and other key indicators are strong reinforcement of adequate measures being adopted and a testament of our resolve to sustain and equally improve upon the fundamental initiatives adopted to strengthen growth throughout the course of the financial year”, Mrs. Somefun stated.

She further said: “Since late 2022, the Bank has begun significant investment in technology and innovation in line with its strategic pursuits to win in the retail space with our focus on digital and lifestyle banking, dynamic product development, and accelerated onboarding. As part of our transformation journey, we will double down on these investments in the coming months in order to achieve our aspirations of (1) significantly reducing customer pain points and simplifying customer experience; (2) increasing the rate of customer acquisition; (3) expanding the frontiers of partnerships; and (4) ultimately developing new and sustainable income lines for the Bank.”

According to her, the Bank will further give attention to fast-paced process automation, cost and resource efficiency, targeted value chain relationships, and brand visibility as it expands the range of products and services to meet the evolving needs of its esteemed customers.

Analysts are of the view that the growing retail footprint driving the repositioning strategy of the Bank aligns with the market expectations, which is also reflected in the increasing uptake of the Bank’s offering.

According to the full-year financial statement submitted to the regulators, the bank also noted that gross earnings rose by 13.1 per cent to N57 billion from N50.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2021, adding that the performance is reflected in the bank’s interest income, loans and advances to customers, customer deposits, and profits.

The bank stated in its report to NGX that the major highlight of the financial year, is the growth in total comprehensive income, which rose by 262.1 percent to N1.2 billion from N744 million in the corresponding period of 2021. The Bank grew Profit Before Tax (PBT) by N1.1 billion, while Profit After Tax stood at N941.4 million.

With the loan book sustaining an expansion by 7.5 percent to N289.4 billion from N269.3 billion within the period under review, the interest and similar income consequently witnessed significant growth rising 7.5 percent to close at N48.9 billion compared to N43.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2021.

Similarly, income from fees and commissions recorded significant growth, rising by 25.7% to N7.68 billion from N6.1 billion within the period under review.

More so, deposits from customers saw marginal growth, increasing by 1.6 percent to N327.4 billion from N322.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2021 as the Bank pushes for deeper penetration of its retail footprint with the rollout of products targeting different segments of the market.

Meanwhile, the Bank also released its unaudited financials for Q1, 2023, in which it sustained improved performance, posting a 21 percent growth in Profit After Tax, PAT to N1.04 billion from N869.2 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Its gross earnings for the quarter also rose by 17 percent to N15.9 billion compared to N13.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2022.

Petrol Subsidy: Nigerians Will Experience ‘Short-term Pains, Says APC Group

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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A supoort group of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has appealed to Nigerians to support the removal of subsidy on Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, by the federal government, saying the pains from ending the subsidy regime will not last for too long.

The National Integrity Movement, NIM, solicits the support of Nigerians for the action which has led to a sharp increase of the product to more than N600 per litre from N195 two weeks ago.

The announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, that no provision for subsidy in the 2023 budget has also trigger the anger of the organised labour under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, which claimed that the incense has brought untold hardship to their members.

The NLC in its eactionbto the policy has directed its members nationwide to embark on a five-day warning strike, starting from June 7.

But less that 72 hours to the strike called by NLC the APC supoort group said the federal government has its full backing, noting that subsidy on petrol only benefit a few people in the country.

The group made its position on the issue known on Sunday while addressing Journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The coordinator of the group, Abubakar Sadique Fakai, stated that Nigerians should rest assured that the economy of the country is in a safe hands of President Tinubu, who it described as a very cerebral administrator, and has the capacity to make the country great.

Fakai urge Nigerians to keep faith with the government, adding that anyone who has the interest of the country at heart will support the removal of subsidy.

According to him, “Anybody that wants this country to go greater than it’s will support subsidy removal, the reason being that it’s only very few people that are benefiting from the subsidy. On a monthly basis Nigeria is spending trillions of naira annually on subsidy, that money alone can be used to build infrastructure as dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

“ANIM is giving its full backing to the complete removal of fuel subsidy and we totally support his stance. While Nigerians will experience short-term pains, we believe that the long-term benefits are too juicy for us to ignore.

“Our concern is that when the policy comes, the Independent marketers should see reasons not to take advantage of the policy to maltreat the masses because the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is here to make sure that things work well for Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, the major opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemn the sudden removal of subsidy, noting that the federal government did not consult widely before taking the decision.

But critics insist that subsidy removal was part of  the campaign promises of the major political parties in the country  ahead the February 25 presidential election.

Senate President : Niger Delta Group Uncovers Plot By Lawan To Stop Akpabio

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Ahmad Lawan, Senate President has been accused of being behind the probe against Godswill Akpabio, a frontline candidate for the Senate Presidency, that he mismanaged the funds of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Ahead of the contest for the top job of Senate President, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has ramp up its investigations against the immediate past Minister of the Niger Delta, which some say threatens his chance for the top National Assembly job.

But, a group, South-South Solidarity Group , SSSG, said Lawan the outgoing Senate President, is the arrowhead of the plot to stop Akpabio who has been endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, as its sole candidate.

According to a statement released by the group’s Convener, Pete Ikpen Ilefa, “a few Nigerian Leaders led by Senate President Ahmed Lawan” are witch – hunting Akpabio having realised that the choice of Akpabio by APC is the most strategic decision by the ruling party.

The group said it is wrong to blame the former Akwa Ibom state govrnor for the corruption in NDDC despite trying his best to clean the Augean Stable of the interventionist agency while he was a minister.

It said the committee set up by the Senate President to investigate the NDDC budget is a clear vendetta against the former governor, warning that it will not accept the report by the committee.

The statement reads in part, “As the battle for the Leadership of the 10th senate thickens, the choice of Mr. President and the All Progressives Congress to settle for South-South and Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President of Nigeria, has been adjudged as one of the most strategic move of a purposeful government, this is because, for a region that has lost touch of the office of the Senate President since after the second republic, zoning the office of Senate President to the region meant total adherence to the spirit of cohesion and national solidarity.

“And yet, a few Nigerian Leaders led by Senate President Ahmed Lawan have no agenda for Nigerians and no real solutions to the problems that we face on a daily basis, other than playing the role of witch-hunt in the name of investigating Senator Akpabio while serving this Nation as Minister Niger Delta Ministry. Instead, what is Senate President Ahmed Lawan focused on? He is scrambling to change the headlines, praying that the nation will focus on his partisan witch-hunt instead of putting efforts to see that the 9th Assembly described under his watch as a weak Assembly corrects such impression by finishing strong.

“South-South Solidarity Group has no problem with Leaders coming clean in their areas of service, but frowns at political ploy to scuttle the chances of her leaders in serving this nation.

“As Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, and supervising the board of the NDDC, Sen Godswill Akpabio gave his right eye to see that things worked again, a forensic audit of the board bears testimony to this fact. What senator Akpabio deserves at this moment is commendation and not witch-hunt.

“It is no news that, immediately the choice of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress was made known, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan became unsettled and has since, advanced moves to see that Sen. Akpabio is denied the office of Senate President. Hence using a committee setup by Dr. Ahmed Lawan to investigate Sen. Akpabio already tells where the committee report is going.

“Let it be known on clear terms that South-South Solidarity Group would reject any negative report emanating from the Committee set up by Senate President Ahmed Lawan to investigate Sen. Akpabio, and for the peace of Nigeria, the South-South region should not be taken for granted.

“The Senate ad hoc committee set up recently by the Senate President to investigate the 2021, 2022 and 2023 budgets of the NDDC budgets that were implemented without the approval of the National Assembly was only a vendetta against the aspiration of the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta and Senator-Elect Godswill Akpabio.

“It is on record that the Senator-elect is aspiring to become the next Senate President of Nigeria which will oversee the Legislative functions of the 10th Senate. His ambition which does not seat well with the present Senate President and other adventurous few aspiring for same position, is been spiked with false allegations to thwart his efforts and spoil the minds of the many who has taking a liking for his personality and leadership style.

“Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio who is a man of impeccable character, with his track records of holding up to responsibilities; with a clean slate in governance and administration surfaced at the National Assembly to acknowledge the summons/invitation given him by the committee to be questioned and investigated.

“However, even the Chairman of the ad hoc committee Senator Yusuf Yusuf, who is to investigate the budgets of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was not on seat at the exact time given. Other members of the committee which were of cause absent said when reached on phone, they weren’t aware of the invitation as investigative activities have long been concluded.

“This pitiful and cheap propaganda against the person of Sen. Godswill Akpabio is a swipe against proper and effective Democratic processes. The absence of the ad hoc committee chairman and it’s members is a clear display of a magnified set up and character assassination on the person of Sen. Godswill Akpabio

.

“It was indeed a hoax and the entire ad hoc committee and the Senate President who set it up should be questioned and brought to book.

“It is on record that Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio and others who accompanied him were kept waiting for over three hours, only to be informed later by members of the adhoc committee that they have since concluded with their investigation.”

NLC Shuts Down Election Petitions Tribunal/Courts, As Judiciary Staff Union Joins Strike

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Presidential Election Petition Tribunal 2023

By Adesina Soyooye

Those waiting for an early end to Election Petitions, including that of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, will have to wait for a longer period than expected. The Nigeria Labour Congress, has shut down the Courts.

This follows the decision of the Nigerian Judiciary to join the strike action called  NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, which begins on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

The NLC called out all its affiliates to embark on a Nationwide strike action to protest the sudden removal of subsidy on Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS.

President Bola Tinubu had, surprisingly, on May 29, the day he was sworn into office as President, announced the, complete withdrawal of the subsidy on PMS, during his inaugural speech to the Nation. He said the subsidy was not captured in the 2023 Budget which he inherited.

The withdrawal shut the price of petrol to an unprecedented high, selling as much as N1,200 per litre in some States of the Federation, and in most others between N500 and N700 per liter. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd, NNPCL, on 31st May, 2023, released a new official price, and put it at between N488 and N555 per litre.

The sudden increase in the price affected the masses in no small measure, and triggered untold hardship.

The NLC in reaction, after a deadlocked meeting with the Presidency, called out workers on strike, insisting that the Federal Government did not have the courtesy to consult with the Union before the increase. Most affiliate Unions of the NLC, including  the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, have endorsed and joined the Strike action. And so has the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN

A letter of compliance signed by M.J. Akwashiki for JUSUN’s General Secretary, dated 3rd June, 2023, to its Deputy President, Vice Presidents, and all its branches, reads: “l bring you fraternal greetings from the Leadership of the  Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

“This is to inform all branches and chapters of our great Union across Nigeria, to begin mobilization for a nationwide action and withdrawal of service which would would commence on Wednesday, 7th June 2023.

“This followed a decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), at its meeting on 2nd June, 2023, over the increase in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) by the Federal Government through NNPCL.

“All zonal vice presidents are to coordinate their zones by ensuring that Branch and chapters chairmen, mobilize their members for a total compliance. Also, note that the nationwide action commences on Wednesday 7th June, 2023.

JUSUN’s participation in the strike action automatically shuts down the Election Petitions Courts until the situation is sorted out.

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