Nigerians are, at once, angry and disappointment over the statement credited to Minister For Petroleum, Timipriye Sylva, urging Nigerians to be proud that the nation is importing Petrol from West African neighbour, Niger Republic.
Niger Republic is rated by the United Nations as one of the poorest Nations in the world, but has succeeded in developing its refinery to produce at a greater capacity than its very rich neighbor, Nigeria.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, last week, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Niger Republic, for the importation.
The decision to import petrol from Niger Republic angered many Nigerians, who described it as an act of retrogression for the country.
Responding to the backlash, Sylva, in an interview with Channels TV on Monday, November 23, 2020, said there was nothing to be embarrassed of, at all.
“I don’t see that as an embarrassment at all. As a country, Nigeria is a big market, we need products, even if all our refineries were functioning, we will still need extra products.
“Niger Republic produces oil and they are landlocked as a country. They have a refinery that produces in excess of what they require as a country and they offered to sell to us in Nigeria because this is a bigger market.
“In the spirit of regional cooperation, regional trade development, we decided to buy from them. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If your neighbour is producing something that is required in your country and you buy from him, why is that a big problem?
“So, we agreed with Niger to buy the excess of what they don’t require in Niger because this is a big market. Nigerians should be proud that we are doing that to encourage sub-regional trade because we have been talking about sub-regional trade for a long time and this is how it should be between neighbouring countries.
“Niger Republic should import from us what they have and we should be able to import from Niger what they have. Let us encourage intra-regional” he said.
The Federal High Court, Kuje, Abuja, has ordered the immediate arrest of Faisal, son of former Pension Boss, Abdulrasheed Maina.
The Court revoked the bail granted Faisal, just as his father’s was revoked. Both are now under a bench warrant for arrest.
Faisal, like his father, is being tried for money laundering related offence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the court.
Ruling on Tuesday, Justice Okon Abang granted an oral application by the prosecuting lawyer, Mohamed Abubakar, for the revocation of Faisal’s bail and ordering his arrest for failing to turn up for his trial.
Abubakar had noted that Faisal has failed to attend court to stand trial, as against the undertaking by his surety, Umar Sani Dan Galadima, (Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara State) that he would always attend court.
Justice Abang also granted Abubakar’s request the summons be issued on Sani Dan Galadima to show cause why he should not forfeit the N60million bail bond he undertook to forfeit should Faisal jumps bail.
The judge ordered the lawmaker to attend court on Wednesday (November 25) to show cause, failing which an arrest order shall be made against him.
Senator Ali Ndume, who stoof surety for the senior Maina, was on Monday committed to prison because Maina Senior, for whom he stood for bail, absconded, his whreabouts, unknown. The trial Judge asked him to forfeit his Asokoro house to tne FG, or pay in the sum of N500m to the Government Treasury.
He would be released if he does any of them, or even produce Maina.
Galadima may suffer the same fate, unless Faisal is in Court on Wednesday.
Faisal was first arrested alongside his father, a year ago after allegedly pulling out a gun to stop the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting his father, who is now standing trial for fraud activities he allegedly committed while serving as Chairman of the now defunct Pension Reform Task Team.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has again reiterated that it has nothing to do with former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose, or any group that he is championing.
The party, apparently reacting to a decision by some State chapters in the South- west to go along with Fayose, maintained that there are no cleavages within its ranks.
This was contained in a resolution made available at the end of a meeting in Akure, signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Mr Kenedy Peretei.
In attendance were stakeholders, including State Working Committee members, Chairman and Secretary of the State Elders Committee, Board of Trustee Members, former state Chairmen and the Governorship Candidate of the Party during the last election.
Part of the resolution reads: “We appreciate the support and contributions of Governor Seyi Makinde towards the holding of successful and rancour free Congresses, especially, the State congress that held on 4th August, 2020.
“We recognise and support Engineer Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State as the leader of PDP in the South West, being the highest political office holder in the Zone.
“As Chairman of the National Campaign Council for Ondo 2020 Governorship Elections, Gov Seyi Makinde did not only make himself available for the Election, he stood with us throughout the campaigns and the election.
“Ondo State PDP is not made up of ingrates, but a crop of matured and resourceful leaders who can read in between the lines.
“We do not want to be dragged into the cesspool of over ambitious persons who wish to create factions in the PDP family with the sole aim of leading such a faction to join the sinking boat of the All Progressives Congress ( APC).
“The meddlesome interlopers from neighbouring states fanning embers of disunity should stay clear of Ondo state.
“They are only feathering their nests. We encourage them to put their house in order.
“Once again, we stand in solidarity with Governor Seyi Makinde and we support his leadership of PDP in the South West.”
On a visit to Fayose by Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, to Felicitate with him on his 60th birthday, Fayose had asked Ajayi to return to the PDP. Ajayi had decamped from the PDP to the APC, and decamped again in the run up to Governorship election to the PDP, with an eye on the Governorship ticket.
When he lost the ticket to Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, he defected from the PDP, again, to the ZLP. He contested under the ZLP and came a distant third behind the Governor and Jegede.
Yoruba Leaders under the aegis of Voice of Reason, VOR, has vowed to wrestle the Yoruba Nation out of Nigeria if the President Muhammadu Buhari administration fails to restructure the nation before the 2023 elections
The Prominent Yoruba Elders comprising of 75 Persons said they would do everything within their power to pull the Yoruba Nation out of the alleged shackles of the Nigeria entity.
Acting under the aegis of Voice of Reason (VOR), a socio-cultural group, the elders made this known in an advertorial on page 25 of The Punch Newspaper
Some of the elders that signed the advertorial include: former Chief of Army Staff, General Alani Akinrinade; former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe; co-founder, EKO Hospitals, Olorogun Sonny Kuku; and spokesperson, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin.
According to the elders, the 1999 constitution under which the country is being governed is “flawed” and designed to give undue advantage to the Northern regions of the country over their Southern neighbours.
“The Yoruba people are irrevocably committed to a fundamental restructuring of this current union within the shortest possible time, preferably, before the elections, failing which, we Yoruba people may have to exercise our option not to continue to be part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as presently constituted.
“In the inalienable right to self-determination guaranteed by the United Nations Charter, we are prepared to use ALL means and resources available to us to extricate our people from this failed, unfair and unworkable union,” the advertorial read in part.
One of the four embattled members of the Ondo state house of Assembly, Mr Iroju Ogundeji, who is deputy speaker, has been impeached.
This is the climax of the crisis and high wire politics occasioned by the botched move to remove the deputy governor of the state, Mr Agboola Ajayi.
Ogundeji, from Odigbo constituency two was immediately replaced with another Lawmaker from the area, Mr Aderoboye.
His impeachment followed the house resolution moved by the Speaker, Mr. Bamidele Oloyelogun.
The former Deputy Speaker is among the four Lawmakers that were suspended but returned to the house by a court order.
They are still being locked out of the Assembly as the House leadership denied receiving any court order for their return.
Ogundeji was accused of gross misconduct, which the House said had brought disrepute to it.
Twenty Lawmakers signed the impeachment.
Some changes were also effected in the House Committees with Tomide Akinribido of the Zenith Labour Party,(ZLP) removed as the Minority Leader and replaced by Festus Akingbaso from the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), while Hon. Ogunmolasuyi is the new Majority Leader.
Taofeek Oladele replaced Adeyemi Olayeni as the new chief whip.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is expected to present to the State House of Assembly the 2021 Budget proposal on Friday, 27th November, 2020.
The crisis in the House is a fallout of the bitter political misunderstanding between the Governor and his deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi.
Ajayi later resigned from the APC, without resigning as the Deputy Governor. He contested against the Governor on the ZLP ticket during the recent Governorship election, and came a distant third.
The Fulani have many intriguing proverbs. ‘If a man says he will swallow an axe, hold the handle for him.’ That is one of the proverbs. If you want to understand the full import, then listen very well to Alhaji Buba Galadima who professes to be Buhari’s enemy. He was in the news a few days ago responding to the call for an Igbo president for Nigeria in 2023. He declared that the South East could produce the next president but the person would not be ‘Igbo president.’ What did he mean? Strategic obfuscation is same in business, politics and in war.
The neutralizing objectives are the same too. If you are brilliant and brave and talented and you think you can sing, the Fulani won’t stop you from singing but the song must be theirs. That is the meaning of Galadima’s deep-structure politics. In the coming 2023 contest, if there is a contest at all, the Hausa-Fulani of northern Nigeria will use Mr Tortoise’s sword to kill Tortoise. They always do.
The Igbo of South East Nigeria want to be president of Nigeria. A governor said so last week as he moved to the party of the north. The Igbo will be taken seriously by Nigeria only when they know what they want with (and from) Nigeria. Is it not very confusing to feel them fighting for their Biafra and at the same time seeking to rule Nigeria by defecting from ‘their’ party to the party of the ‘enemy’? Again, you cannot become the president of Nigeria by worshipping the north. It does not work that way. If it did, grand old Zik would have ruled Nigeria immediately after independence. Others who sold their souls to the presumed owners of Nigeria would have been president too. The Yoruba deprecate such fawning acts with an unflattering dismissal of cows as unfit for their worship. And that has made a lot of difference in Hausa-Fulani versus Yoruba engagements.
In 1998/99, all the political parties were made to field Yoruba presidential candidates for a reason. In 2015, a Yoruba emerged the Vice President of Nigeria eight years after Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency, again for a reason. There are frenzies already around some Yoruba who want to be president in 2023. These occurrences were/are not a product of slavish flagellations at the feet of the ‘owners’ of Nigeria. The past was rather a surrender by Nigeria’s kidnappers to the consistency of Yoruba’s demands for justice and equity. Today, between ‘them’ and the Yoruba, there is a balance of respect, even of ‘terror’ – which is the language of engagement understood by the Nigerian establishment.
Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State left the PDP for the APC last week because his former party cheated and would continue cheating his Igbo people. That is what he was asked to say and he is saying it stridently. And he had to jump from his party to a party of angels who can make kings out of slaves. If you frown at his ways, his supporters would point at mercurial Winston Churchill and his politics of serial ratting from one party to another and to another. Just as Umahi declared his PDP of 21 years as a party of injustice, conservative Churchill in 1903 looked at his own party and declared that he “hated the Tory Party, their men, their words and their methods.” That hatred did not stop Churchill from going back to the Tory Party in 1925 while lamenting that the years he spent outside the party were the “wilderness years” of his political life. Umahi will go back to his vomit after fulfilling the mission he has been asked to carry out.
Is it that Umahi really wants to be president of Nigeria for his Igbo people or he wants to serve the owners of Nigeria to undermine his people? The Fulani have only one ‘juju’ with which they have ruled Nigeria since they crossed the borders to here. And that is that they know how to convince the enemy to slaughter his brother for their sake.The physical representation of that ‘charm’ is the herdman’s stick. It has never failed them. There are always victims on the queue for the Fulani to use as swordsmen against their own homestead. Look at the Lekki shooting controversy and the men doing the talking now whether for the military or for the government. Where are they from? This government of the north is adept at using southern palms to quench the fire of its misrule. A little back in time, M.K.O Abiola won an election in June 1993 but had that mandate annulled by a General from the north.
The annulment flowed directly from a court restraining order on the election issued by a southerner, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, for a southern applicant, Chief Arthur Nzeribe. When Abiola felt that his life was in danger and he escaped abroad on August 4, 1993, it was Igbo’s Uche Chukwumerije that was asked to use his University of Ibadan education to mock Abiola as “the first Aare Onakakanfo to run away from battle.” When Sani Abacha’s five leprous parties were to adopt him as their sole presidential candidate, it was a Yoruba minister that was directed to move the motion.
Someone told me last week that the best bet for the Yoruba in 2023 is to back an Igbo presidency. I said an Igbo presidency, if it ever happened, would work for the north and fight the Yoruba. It may even be utterly useless to the Igbo people. It is strange that Governor Umahi said he defected to the APC last week so that an Igbo man would be president in three years’ time. Who told him the north is fastidious about platforms and won’t kill the APC if it toys with what Umahi talked about? And why would that Igbo governor not think that the north could contest the 2023 presidential election on any platform and on its own terms? The north is already gathering the ingredients.
There was a northern conference in Abuja recently. They called it Islamic but it appeared more political than religious. Reportedly present at the conference were Islamic sheiks, traditional rulers, Imams from the northern states and the FCT and leaders of Islamic movements across the north. After the conference, one of the participants, Sahabi Danladi Mahuta, a professor of Environmental Biochemistry and chairman, Kebbi Development Forum, told the media in an interview what the north would not accept about the 2023 presidential election contest. He said a southern Muslim could aspire to be president in 2023 only if Christians wanted a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Hear him: “What is, however, not acceptable to us in the north is a southern muslim picking a northern christian as his vice presidential candidate…if people of the south are comfortable with a Muslim-Muslim leadership, they can present a Muslim presidential candidate, but the one coming from the north must be a northern Muslim. That is not negotiable.” What he said here is that with the north, you can’t have both a chick and a calf.
The professor was very articulate as he went on to narrow the coming contest to one between Senator Bola Tinubu and Governor Kayode Fayemi, both of the south west. He knew and mentioned the one clutching deleterious baggages and the one who carried no baggage. He spoke as if the north has ever considered cleanliness as being next to godliness. From the north, he offered no names even for any contest. The wise don’t play by displaying their cards on the table. The professor gave those conditions at a time his leaders are believed to be luring former President Goodluck Jonathan to come out again for the presidency, and at a time Igbo politicians like Umahi are being promised the top job. Now, what are the implications of those moves and statements for the unity of the south?
The southern sea may soon erupt in a turmoil which only the emergence of a northern caliph would calm. Again, what is the implication of playing the Lagos ‘father’ against the Ekiti ‘son’ to the unity of the ACN/APC tendency in Yoruba politics? There is a feeling of deja vu here. Yoruba’s disunity has always been that race’s undoing. And it is historically linked to their engagements with the Fulani. All major intra-Yoruba wars of the 19th century had Hausa/Fulani content. The historical Yoruba never fought his brother without forming an alliance with the common enemy outside. The moment the Fulani realized the efficacy of playing one Yoruba group against the other, they stopped losing sleep over their ambition to conquer the whole land.
The Jalumi war of November 1, 1878 was between the Ibadan army and the allied forces of the Ekiti, Ijesa, Ila and the Hausa Fulani of Ilorin. Even in the various earlier civil wars fought in Oyo Empire, the Fulani were always there, helping one side against the other. The most popular was Afonja’s revolt of c.1817 and his recruitment of Shehu Alimi and the Jamaa into his army. All the subsequent attempts to reclaim Ilorin failed because there was always a Yoruba General in a secret alliance with the Fulani. Between 1823 and 1826, there were four wars with the objective of retrieving Ilorin from the vice grip of the Fulani.
There was one in 1823. There was another from October to December 1824. There was the Kanla war of 1825. There was the Eleduwe war of the following year. Each of those wars was lost to jealousy, petty rivalry and treachery among Yoruba leaders. It was either Kakanfo Toyeje, or Adegun, the Onikoyi, or Edun of Gbogun or Prince Atiba of Oyo or a Timi of Ede in a secret pact with the Fulani. They always showed the way to the outsider in the thick of battle, deliver victory to the enemy and start preparing for the next war. The Fulani is not a horse to be mounted to battle. It is a tiger looking for greedy, ambitious riders to eat. A majority of those Yoruba war leaders ended up in the belly of the Fulani.
There was nothing that happened in the 19th century Yoruba wars that is not happening now in the 21st century politics of Nigeria. Nothing has changed despite the benefit of 200 years of experience. The Fulani has not changed their tactic of instigating strifes and rebellions for the discomfort of their foes, and recruiting allies in the bedroom of the enemy. The disparate south has also not weaned itself of the curse of betrayal and of seeking deliverance from doctors of death. The result has been the same for both sides. The north will contest the coming presidential poll but not before playing a Jonathan against his ‘friends;’ the Yoruba against the Yoruba; the Igbo against the Igbo; the Igbo against the Yoruba, and the Yoruba against the Igbo – and neutralizing all. That Kebbi professor has sounded the trumpet already.
Nigeria plans to exempt low income earners on minimum wage from paying Personal Income Tax, Vice president Yemi Osinbajo has said.
Osinbajo made the disclosure at the ongoing virtual Summit of the Economic Summit Group.
Nigeria had pegged the minimum wage at N30,000 from the N18,000 it was in 2016. Many states have not been able to pay the minimum wage to their employees.
Osinbajo noted this will help cushion the hardship on low income earners.
“We are proposing in the new Finance Act that those who earn minimum wage should be exempted from paying income tax,” Osinbajo had said.
“These provisions which complement the tax breaks given to small businesses last year will not only further stimulate the economy but are also a fulfillment of promises made to take steps to help reduce the cost of transportation and the impact of inflation on ordinary Nigerians.”
He said a bill is proposed which will help cushion the effects of the recession and ensure resilience of the Nigerian economy to shocks.
“This government has always emphasized that the private sector has a key role to play in our efforts to build a more resilient and competitive economy as expressed in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
“Private companies in design, construction, logistics and finance are very much engaged in our infrastructural projects in power and rail as well as road and bridges and the installation of broadband infrastructure which is an essential requirement if Nigeria is to participate actively and benefit from the 4th Industrial Revolution.
“it is clear that we must diversify the economy away from dependence on crude oil exports, speed up human capital development and improve on infrastructure. Above all, our economy must be made more resilient to exogenous shocks. It is important for the private sector to play a key role as we work together to identify national priorities and try to influence our future national trajectory.”
The Vice President said the collaboration is ongoing between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSIA) and other stakeholders in the creation of an Infrastructure Company (Infraco) Fund which will address the nation’s critical infrastructure needs.
“It goes without saying that partnerships remain essential to attract the resources for building a solid national infrastructural base. I am pleased to inform you in this regard that we are working actively with the Central Bank, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and State Governments under the auspices of the National Economic Council to design and put in place a N15 trillion Infraco Fund which will be independently managed.
“The Infraco Fund will help to close the national infrastructural gap and provide a firm basis for increasing national economic productivity and growth,” the President explained.
“If there is one single lesson to be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that partnerships are essential for credible responses with lasting effects.
“Our national journey to economic prosperity is a long one, so we must all certainly work together. As we saw, partnerships were essential when we were faced with the serious challenge of combatting COVID-19.
“We saw the key role that partnerships played in our national effort to combat the COVID-19 crisis. While Federal and State Governments worked together to manage the health response and ensure the establishment of isolation centres and availability of test kits, personal protective equipment, and medicines, the private sector also played an active role as individual entities, and also worked together in groups like the Coalition Against COVID-19.”
About one week after the minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the lifting of ban on international flights into Nigeria, Air France-KLM announced the resumption of flight to Lagos and Abuja Airports.
In the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic, the Minister of Aviation had banned European carriers from flying into the country. Only chattered flights from the banned countries are able to operate. This had given ample opportunities for airlines like Air Peace to make incursions into international routes. On November 17, Sirika announced the lifting of ban on the airlines.
The two Airlines, which operate a merger, announced the flight resumption Monday.
The Airlines said in a statement Monday that flights from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja, for KLM and Air France will resume flight destinations to Amsterdam and Paris, with the possibility of transfer to other European destinations.
Customers were advised to check the entry and travel requirements for their destinations in line with the civil aviation rules and covid 19 protocols.
“Flights to and from Lagos and Abuja will be operated in strict compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and international health protocols, adhering to the highest standards of health and hygiene,” the General Manager, Air France KLM Nigeria and Ghana, Michel Colleau, was reported to have said, while assuring that all safety protocols will be strictly adhered to.
Lufthansa is yet to announce resumption of flights.
No fewer than 138 members serving in the mandatory National Youths Service Corps have tested positive, Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC said on Monday during the daily briefing of the presidential task force, PTF on COVID-19.
The NCDC boss said tests were carried out on the over 34,000 corps members after which it was discovered that five per cent of that number now carried the virus.
“A total of 34,785 corps members and members of the camp communities have been tested so far in the last weeks of which only 138 was found positive, which is 0.4 per cent prevalence and 1 in 200 people,” Ihekwea said.
He said efforts are ongoing to ensure that all the universities in the country were free of COVID 19.
“Universities are slightly riskier and present unique challenges, but we are confident that we can address this as we have done in other sectors like aviation,” the NCDC boss said.
Dr Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the PTF, said school administrators must ensure that students with respiratory symptoms were sent home to get treatment to reduce risk of transmission.
According to him “School reopening: following some of the issues we had with Lagos State with outbreaks in some of the schools, we will like to re-emphasis adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions by schools and in particular screening and heightened awareness with regards to COVID-19,” he said.
“Any student presenting with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 particularly respiratory symptoms or fever should not be allowed to come to school.
“When teachers notice a child with respiratory symptom, the child should be sent back home, so that we can reduce the risk of transmission. Just as it is important for the need to communicate effectively with parents, staff, school health teams and creating protocols and providing regular updates on any changes to the school procedures as it relates to COVID.”
Businessman/Politician, Chief Great Ogboru is in trouble. He is at daggers drawn with the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON.
AMCON has gone to a court asking it to endorse its take-over of Ogboru’s company, Fiogret Ltd, and take over the cash in company as well as those in Ogboru’s accounts, scattered in 22 banks.
Before the Hon. Justice Maureen Onyetenu, is an ex-parte application filed by AMCON to enforce a favourable judgement it says it received on July 5, 2013, given by the Hon. Justice Abang.
AMCON says since the judgement, Ogboru and Fiogret have done nothing to liquidate the debt. It now wants an enforcement order by Justice Onyetenu to enable it recover the said amount from Fiogret and Ogboru.
AMCON’s Counsel, Kunle Ogunba, SAN, asked Justice Onyetenu to grant their request as that is the only way AMCON could recover its debt.
But Ogboru and his company are crying foul. They are questioning the jurisdiction of the Court over the case. They say that they had appealed Justice Abang’s judgement at the Supreme Court. And most important, they say the Federal Government is owing them a whopping sum of N4 billion.
Justice Onyetenu will, on February 2, 2021, rule on the jurisdiction matter.
Ogboru was a former Delta Governorship candidate on the ticket of the APC.
