Few days after acquiring a Bombadier Challenge private Jet worth over N9.7 billion, David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has been signed on by Infinix Mobility Limited as their brand ambassador.
The unveiling of Davido as the brand ambassador was held at at the illustrious Radisson Blu Hotel.
One of the leading smartphone makers, INFINIX Mobility Limited, has distinguished itself from its competitors with its tech, bold, stylish brand persona which is a perfect mixture of technology and art. This has appealed to its target audience immensely and its “The future is now” mantra has also encouraged its young fans to be creative and be productively efficient in their various fields of specialisation.
Davido’s musical career has been nothing short of amazing. From chart topping singles, awards, groundbreaking records, worldwide tours to global recognition, this was yet another major milestone attained for the singer as he was all smiles today while putting pen to paper to be the new face of INFINIX Mobility Limited.
Speaking at the media unveiling, Infinix Marketing Communications Manager, Mr. Adetayo Odunowo, re-echoed the brand’s innovative culture from its formative years till date.
He spoke about the unveiling and Infinix commitment to continually give their budding fans what they want and when they want it.
“Apart from consistently dishing out world-class gadgets, we at INFINIX Mobility Limited, understands that our fans are young trend setters and so is Davido’s fans and since we are a brand that is known over the years as bold and stylish, bringing Davido in as part of the team was a welcome development from all of us at INFINIX Mobility Limited,” Odunowo reiterated.
Infinix being one of the leading smartphone makers and Davido as one of the biggest music artistes to emanate from Africa in recent times. It’s no coincidence that they have come together to form a cohesive partnership
They are both trendsetters who possess a similar fan base that are built to challenge the norm with their ideas and line of work. They are both tech savvy entities that have built their reputation on the emphasis for top-notch delivery, Infinix through their smartphones and Davido through his music.
While both entities also possess an International reach that is continually expanding, this news is poised to set off a ripple effect of excitement through the minds of smartphone and music lovers.
It would also lead to an expansion in the sales of Infinix smartphones within the marketplace and an increase in demand for Davido’s craft.
Davido took to his twitter handle to announce the arrival of his private jet.
Disclosing the news via @his Twitter account the singer, who emerged as the Artiste of the Year at the Headies award was held last weekend noted, “Air OBO soon land…youngest Nigga with a jet.”
The worth of the jet is value at over N9 billion. But it would be recalled that the singer just last week bought a N45m Porsche car with a customised plate number, ASSURANCE for his girlfriend, Chioma.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, revealed that at least 2,131 pregnant women have tested positive to Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV.
Idris gave the statistics while briefing pressmen on activities of the ministry, at Alausa, Ikeja, explained that the $9.6 million grant from donor agencies further assisted in conduct of AIDS indicator survey, implementation and provision of technical support in Epe, Ikorodu and OshodI-Isolo councils.
Idris, added that the number was discovered after conducting test for the pregnant women during their visit to the State-owned medical facilities, while 3,876 children were placed under antiretroviral therapy within the last one year.
According to him, “At least 38,791 pregnant women know their HIV status out of which about 2,131 (HIV positive pregnant women) were enrolled for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission program.
“By the end of 2017, the support provided through Global Fund was able to avail a minimum of 226,768 persons, who were 15-year and above, with free test.” After the test, the commissioner said that 10, 623 persons were discovered living with HIV and placed on treatments in the three councils.
He however, stated that plans had been concluded to establish a Bio-containment and Bio-Safety Laboratory, BSL, in Lagos State, saying, “This will aid accurate and prompt diagnose of highly pathogenic infectious diseases and incidents of environmental toxicity in the state.”
Idris stressed that the Bio-containment and Bio-Safety Laboratory would be sited within the premises of the Lagos Mainland Hospital, Yaba Lagos, with the task to prevent Ebola and other dreaded diseases. He stated that the facility which was being funded with support from the Global Partnership Programme (GPP) Canada, was a fall-out of successful containment of Ebola outbreak in 2004.
According to Idris, bio-samples would be stored in the bio-bank of the Laboratory for medical research and international collaboration on research and discovery.
He said already, the Ministry had partnered the Global Emerging Diseases Treatment Consortium to train identified officers in the State Civil Service on Biosafety, Bio-banking, Biosecurity and Biocontainment, while the design and construction of the Laboratory has been completed and would be installed before the end of June this year for possible take off in July.
With less than 35 days to the commencement of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, is having serious nightmare over the injury list of his players that soar to eight, with Las Palmas Football Club midfielder, Oghenekaro Peter Etebo joining the list of injured players.
Ndidi: On the sideline
Before Etebo joining the fray, Rohr has been battling for the recovery of Joel Obi (Torino FC), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Tyronne Ebuehi (ADO Den Haag), Henry Onyekuru (Anderlecht FC), Leon Balogun (Mainz FC), Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco loanee) and Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor FC).
With these injury list, Rohr is hoping that the players recuperate before the camp of the Super Eagles open for the preparation of the world fiesta.
Rohr had stated that the 35-man list for camping will be released in a few weeks in which some of the players will be dropped after the friendly match against DR Congo later in the month, before the friendlies against England and another country.
The injury worries of the players is a major concern for Rohr, because some of his regulars are also in he treatment room, which could spell doom for the Super Eagles performance at the mundial.
Etebo: His injury, huge concern for Rohr
Etebo will no longer take part in Las Palmas remaining matches in the Spanish league as the Club Desportivo Feirense of Portugal loanee has been sidelined due to the injury worries. Though, Las Palmas has been relegated from the Spanish football top-flight to the second division, but Etebo still plays an important role in the team.
Arsenal FC midfielder, Alex Iwobi has put the injury scare he had against Manchester United and Burnley aside, as he filed out for the Gunners in their 3-1 loss to Leicester City, with his national teammate, Kelechi Iheanacho scored the opener for the foxes to record his third premier league goal for Leicester.
In line with the President Muhammadu Buhari government’s Directive on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, the Tin Can Island command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has ensure that goods are now cleared from the Tin can ports in less than six hours.
Comptroller Abdullahi Musa, the controller of the command had promised that his officers will ensure a seamless clearance of goods when he assumed duty in the command early this year.
Goods can now be cleared easily without encountering the usual encumbrances at the Tin Can ports, the Controller Musa said while addressing select newsmen in Lagos.
Cmpt. Baba Musa, Area Controller, NCS, Tin can command
Comptroller Musa also used the opportunity to commend the federal government initiative on export especially agricultural commodities, insisting that the agro policy has started yielding positive results as 45,462 metric tonnes of goods were exported through the port between January to March this year.
The Tin can customs’ boss said, agricultural produce topped the list of exports with 38,517MT of cashew nut, rubber, hibiscus flower, cocoa butter, sesame seed, processed wood, frozen shrimps and processed leather exported within the period.
The Free On Board, FOB value, according to Musa stood at N22.435 billion while 6,945MT of processed and manufactured goods exported during the has FOB value of N6.711 billion.
Empty bottles, biscuit, cigarette, polyethylene, billets, soap, hair cream and tissue paper were among the finished goods exported through the port within this period.
Musa said there was an appreciable improvement of 558.46% in terms of volume and 402.24% in terms of FOB value over 8,140.6MT with FOB of N7.246 billion processed compared to the same period in 2017.
Also, under the same period, the command generated N104.5 billion as against a projection of N116 billion, with a performance rate of 90.09%. The command generated N82.154 billion within the same period in 2017.
The revenue performance, Musa stated is bolstered as a result of establishment of standard operating procedure, blocking of areas of revenue leakages and transformation of revenue collection and reporting system.
‘Tin Can Island Command is committed to the transformation of our revenue collection and reporting system with the implementation of NICIS II with additional functionality which is an upgrade of the NICIS I,’ he said, adding ‘as part of the specific gains with the implementation we have the biometric access system and introduction of a ‘one-stop shop’ which will enable treatment of declarations with valuations, classification and other related clearance issues/queries.’
He said the automation of the cargo examination in the port is designed to ensure transparency in the inspection and there is a further improvement on the vehicle valuation system with the attachment of the Valuation Note issued to the SGD in the system.
‘This will enable a quick verification of assessment and duty payment. Ultimately the full automation of the vehicle valuation will soon be achieved,’ said he.
Comptroller Musa further disclosed that the command seized two containers (1by40 and 1by20) of Tramadol Hydrochloride (225mg) which were declared as electrical static converters and Ciprofloxacin. These were handed over to NAFDAC.
Other seizures include 3by40 containers of e-waste handed over to NESREA; 5by40 containers of second hand clothing and 1by40 container of used tyres. These seized items are prohibited. Musa said N124 million is the total duty paid value of the seized items.
The second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari may have run into troubled waters due to massive opposition and a health challenge that has become a recurring decimal in his three year sojourn as a democratic president of Nigeria. Currently, Buhari is in London for a “Working” medical checkup-if the Special Adviser to the President, Eta Enang is to be believed-after attending ward congresses in Daura, his home town. It was rumored that during his last visit to the United States, due to rigorous drilling by his handlers to prevent another presidential goof, his sick aged system could not take stress and there was alleged to be a system collapse. He was said to have been adversely affected, and they had to rush him back to London for treatment. Sources indicate that he was advised to stay back for proper treatment but he insisted on coming back for the party congress in Daura. This was said to have sparked outrage within his kitchen cabinet as some believed he is being over stretched and may not survive the rigors of Presidential campaign. But others, whose political survival depend on his re election are said to be adamant.
Buhari’s travel back to the United Kingdom has sparked controversies within the polity. While the Presidency insists that he does not need to transmit any letter to the National Assembly before going, critics are saying otherwise. Particularly critical of the trip is Kola Ologbondiyan, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, spokesperson. “We have nothing against Mr. President’s decision to take care of his ailing health as we are all subject to human frailties, (but) Nigerians detest the deception, lies and beguiling that had trailed the handling of his unabating health issue.”, he said. “Moreover, it is unfortunate that President Buhari would always embark on medical tourism abroad when his administration has completely refused to address the poor state of the health sector in Nigeria, for which medical personnel are currently on strike across the nation.”
Resident doctors have been on strike due to poor conditions of service, which appears t be ignored by the presidency while Buhari jets out to take care of his own health. And despite enormous budgetary allocations, the Aso Rock clinic is bereft of basic medical equipment and drugs, raising questions on what the authorities have done with the allocations. It appears that nobody has even been queried raising doubts about the much touted anti corruption fight of the presidency.
Like the previous trip to London for the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meetings, CHOGM, this trip has a departure date but only a tentative arrival date. Even then, he was also rumored to have gone to London ahead of the meeting to see his doctors.
Despite all these, killings continue unabated in the North east of the country where government seems helpless to tackle the security situation, one of their cardinal campaign promises. The government has been having a running battle with International Organizations that tend not to align with the propaganda being dished out by the presidency. Only recently, the World Bank has faulted the country, saying that Boko Haram is far from defeated.
It appears that most of the current defenders of the Buhari presidency are those who are making a living out of it or those who are part of the government.
With the level of opposition currently faced by the Presidency, Buhari seem to link his confidence with the fact that, contrary to federal character, he surrounded himself with nuclear family members and close associates, who never were part of those that brought him to power. All security Agencies are occupied by one acolyte or the order. Even the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Director of Operations is said to be his niece.
With all these criticisms, Buhari health issues tops the political discourse, with many believing he should go and take care of his health and forget about Presidency. Ologbondiyan appears to have put it succinctly: “We urge the Presidency to note that shrouding the issue of President Buhari’s illness in secrecy, just for political gains, is neither in the interest of the President nor that of our nation at large. Sordidly, the handlers of Mr. President appear to be more concerned about the next election instead of the consequences of a failing health and the blatant breaches of our constitution. The PDP therefore counsels President Buhari to be well guided and take charge of his health challenges. It is however very unfortunate that the President and his handlers had chosen to shroud the issue of his persistent illness in secrecy under a government that prides itself on claims of transparency and integrity”.
In spite of President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim since December, 2015, that the Islamic Fundamentalist , Boko Haram, had been technically defeated, Mohammed Ibn Chambers, a Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Gutrres, for West Africa and the Sahel region said the terrorist group remain a grave threat to the ”stability and survival of people in the Lake Chad region”.
Chambers who spoke at a two-day Lake Chad , governors forum ” for regional Cooperation on Stabilisation,peace-building and sustainable development”, confirmed that the group remain a major threat to the people of Nigeria, Niger and Chad.
President Muhammadu Buhari
Appealing to Buhari and his counterparts in Niger and Chad not to relent in their military Cooperation to rout the insurgents, he advised that the ”fight against the insurgents must be pursued to its logical conclusion.
Given his understanding of terrorist mode of operations in countries affected by terrorists attacks in Asia and the Middle Eaast, he agreed to claims by Lucky Irabor, a Nigerian Major General and Commander of the Multinational Task FoskForce that the BokoHaram insurgents have been weakened militarily. The Multinational Joint Task Force comprise of troops donated by the member countries of the lake Chad region including Cameroun and Republic of Chad.
He is optimistic that with the support of the international Community to the regional Army to ensure that the terrorist group activities in the Lake Chad region are defeated, their activities in the region would soon be a thing of the past.
On the part of Nigeria, former president Goodluck Jonathan and his successor Buhari had several efforts committing huge financial resources to rout the terrorist group in the north east since 1999 and now. Their efforts may not have translated to complete defeat of the Boko Haram fighters because of the repeated penetration of the flash point states to launch attacks and leaving scores of people killed.
The attacks was said too bad in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states , forcing Buhari to give a matching order to the Service Chiefs to relocate their Headquarters to Maiduguri, Capital of Borno state to keep abreast of what is happening in the Boko Haram infested states.
Many believe that without the creation of a new battalion in Borno state and the deployment of more police personnel to the states, the insurgents could have taken a foothold in the region. This is evident going by their near total control of almost half of Borno until Buhari had to rejig the security network that brought in Tukur Buratai and an indigene of Buratai Community in Borno state as the Chief of Army Staff and other Service Chiefs in 2015.
The appointment of Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff, may have given a bite to the war against the insurgents as most of the local government Areas occupied by the insurgents in the north east geo-political zone were recaptured and normalcy restored.. This may have forced the insurgents to resort to guerilla ware fare or what security experts call” operation strike and go”.
The frequent bomb blasts in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states since late 2015, speaks volume about the level of insecurity in the country now. It would be recalled that on May2, 2018, the group suicide bombers detonated bombs in an open market and a Mosque in Mubi town in Adama state, leaving scores of innocent people and Worshippers killed as well as several others wounded .
The bombings in Mubi was said to have occurred just days after Buhari met with President Donald Trump met with his Nigeria counterpart, Buhari, in Washington DC, United States . The promise extracted from the United States President during their meeting about the sale of a dozenA-29 Super Tucano war planes may have given hope of defeating the insurgents.
The US president was said to have reassured him, Buhari, during a bilateral talks while on an official visits to the country recently that the $600 million arms deal has been sealed and could not be reversed. The $600 million warplanes sale, was said to have been held up by Obama, on the allegations of Human Rights violation and extra-judicial killing in the north east by the Army.
The US President, according to security sources, may have been encouraged to take a second look on the reasons why his predecessor took the hard decision not to sale the war planes to Nigeria because of the incessant killing of Christians and other innocent citizens by armed bandits in parts of the country.
Only recently, armed bandits suspected to be BokoHaram fighters who had infiltrated the ranks of the herdsmen in parts of the country, attacked a Catholic Church at Ukpor village in Gwer East local government Area of Benue state killing tens of Worshippers and two Reverend Fathers, which may have irked the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, NAN, to plan a nation-wide protest, which could not hold because pressure from official quarters.
The Benue s killings by armed herdsmen , appear o have become regular occurrence which had been extended to Niger, Taraba, Nasarawa and Zamfara states. The most recent of the attacks was in Gwaska village in Birnin Gwari local government Area of Kaduna state leaving on its throes over 50 people dead. the armed bandits were said to have come from Dansadu village, in Zamfara state.
Given the spate of attacks in parts of the country by Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits, there are fears in both official and unofficial circles that the level of insecurity may degenerate which may hamper the 2019 general election in some states of the federation if urgent security measure are not quickly put in place to arrest the trend.
Security sources confirmed that Buhari has ordered Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff and Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector General of police to deploy more of their officers and men to the troubled states to tighten up security.
Moreso, he has directed the Mike Okiro led Police Service Commission , PSC, to recruit 6000 police men , ahead of the 2019 general elections. The police officers source confirmed are to be recruited from the 779 Local government Areas across the country.
By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Following last Saturday’s All Progressives Congress, APC’s coup-like ward congresses in Imo state which saw Governor Rochas Okorocha outsmarted by his former political allies in the party, the governor is now reportedly fighting three –pronged battles for political survival.
Governor Okorocha rejected the outcome of the congress which stripped him bare, rendered him a king without kingdom leaving the APC structure in Imo in the hands of his opponents. Except the governor succeeds in getting President Muhammadu Buhari whom he had rushed to Daura to complain to hours after the congress, and the outgoing National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun to order cancellation of the Imo congress results, he may no longer be able to successfully install as governor next year, his anointed successor and son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, at least using the APC platform.
However, irrevocably primed at having Nwosu take over from him, the Imo state governor who is also Chairman of APC Governors Forum, while pulling the strings at the APC National Secretariat and at the presidency to ensure he retrieves back Imo APC, is also shopping for an alternative political platform on which Nwosu could run in the event his loss of APC structure in the state becomes fait accompli. Sources told this Magazine that the governor may fall back on Action Alliance which he funded and supported as a member before his dramatic return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and subsequent defection to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA on which platform he won the Imo guber election in 2011 before berthing in APC in 2013.
It is not however clear whether Okorocha will stay back in the APC while his son –in law flies another party’s flag.An ardent supporter of Nwosu who spoke to The source neither denied nor confirmed the alleged moves by the governor to procure alternative platform for him (Nwosu) if it becomes clear that of APC is no longer within reach. “Nothing is impossible in politics but I can assure of one thing; Uche Nwosu is the next governor of Imo state”, he told the Magazine.
Apart from getting Nwosu to run on an existing political platform other than the APC, it has also been learnt that remnant of APC Imo Exco still loyal to the governor, some of his die-hard loyalists and majority of Nwosu’s supporters want Okorocha to immediately form a new party and adopt his son –in law as the Imo guber candidate of party while himself contest the Imo West (Orlu) senatorial election. According to them, this is to demonstrate to the governor’s opponents that he remains the main issue in Imo politics.
There is palpable fear in the Banking sector as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over flouting of orders revolving around the publication of their Financial statements as required by regulations. It was gathered that no fewer than eight Banks are under scrutiny.
The CBN had warned Chairmen of Banks who fail to publish their Financial reports as at when due will face sanctions, and even removal depending on how long the delay was found to be, baring other parameters. Some banks, it was gathered, have even delayed the publication of their for upwards of twelve months. At the last count, at least nine banks may have been under scrutiny by the apex bank . The list includes Diamond Bank, Union Bank, Sky Bank, Heritage bank, Keystone Bank, Providus and Suntrust Bank. The Banks and Other financial Institutions Act, BOFIA, have placed an April deadline for all Banks to have tidied up their Bank statements, a clear four months from the end of the last financial year. It was gathered that some banks were in default of the regulation for several months. Sky Bank, for example, defaulted by over two years.
Sky bank last posted audited accounts in 2016.
Sky Bank management claimed to have sent request to the CBN to agree to terms of extension of their guarantee for another year, citing the peculiarity of their own case. It is not clear the current position of the Apex Bank on the request, but it hs thrown doubts into the willingness of CBN to pursue the sanctions with vigor. The need to protect consumers and the backlash from the case of insolvency that resulted in the Bank management being sacked and a new management, instituted that was expected to do a turnaround. But it appears the turnaround is facing obstacles. Since the new Board took over, they have not published any statement.
Diamond Bank, on its own, has kept shifting the goal post, and were forced to go to the Floor of the sock exchange to make a promise that the account will be ready April 30, though they put the cause of the delay on the doorsteps of the CBN.. They did not keep the deadline. Both Diamond and Sky are publicly quoted banks.
Defaulting Banks may be barred from the meeting of Bankers’ committee. The rest have not published their full year audited statement for 2017.
Banks have been plying hide and seek with the CBN regulations. Some Banks were known to publish their accounts in Newspapers as required by law but deliberately make it too tiny for investors to read, and take their AGM to as far away as Zamfara state to minimize attendance. Sanctions may send panic into the market, so the CBN is being circumspect in view of the skepticisms that the financial sector is held. Already so many investors are divesting for fear of another Banking crisis, which pundits believe that the alleged non transparency in the sector may breed.
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the political landscape appears tense as gladiators go back to the trenches to prepare the ground to occupy Brick House, the Seat of power in Rivers state. The PDP still want to maintain its tenancy of the Brick House while the APC, led by Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of the state and Minister of Transport wants the opposition party to be the new occupant of the Brick House.
The Source investigation shows that Peter Odili, a Medical Doctor and a former governor of the state; Uche Secondus, PDP Chairman; Felix Obuah, Rivers stste PDP chairman; Nyesom Wike and other PDP stalwarts across the political divide of the state have gone back to the drawing board to calm frayed nerves in the party over the alleged endorsement of Wike re-election bid on the ticket of the party come 2019 . The party stalwarts, according to a party source do want to make any mistake that could provide ammunition for Amaechi to strike and unseat the party from its control of the oil rich Rivers state.
Many believe that what the unity currently being enjoyed at the national may not be replicated in the state as politicians have become very desperate to occupy the Brick House . There are indications that what the party may enjoying was a fragile unity. This is because the Ijaw governorship Candidates who lost out to Wike at the state Convention to select the party flag bearer in 2015 and other entrants from the Kalabari axis of the state are not ready to shift ground in 2019.
Tamunoeni Ibieneye, a former Commissioner of Information in state may have spoken the mind of the Ijaw people in the party when he said that ”if the PDP fields Wike again for the 2019 governorship election race, the Ijaws will vote massively for the opposition APC Candidate, if it adopts Peterside, an Ijaw as their governorship Candidate in the election.
Ibieneye, who , incidentally happens to be the Spokesman of ” Kenegema Osaki”, the Kalabari advocacy group reportedly said the party must return to the zoning formula originally enshrined in the party Constitution which was 2015 by the party leadership to pave way for their favoured aspirants, even though it was not yet their turn to vie for the position.
The Ijaw nation had presented three formidable Candidates -Odein Ajumogobia, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, a Lawyer and Sampson Ngeregbara, an Engineer, and a former President of National Union of Rivers state Students, NURSS, to slug it out at the Convention , until Wike , the then minister of state, Educatin, under President Goodluck Jonathan emerged to clinch the ticket and went ahead to beat Peterside, the APC Candidate in the 2015 general election.
It is not surprising why the people are not ready to play a second fiddle in the party but to see that one of their own sons fly the flag of the party in 2019 and are said to be desperately working round the clock to actualize their dream.
Nyesom Wike: Governor of Rivers state, mocks APC.
The All progressive Congress, APC, in the state may not have learnt from the mistakes of the PDP in the past as it may have played into the hand of the PDP in the state as it has failed to put its house in order, a politician remarked . Trouble may have started in the party as Magnus Abe, a former Amaechi ally, representing , Rivers South East Senatorial district could not abide by the party decision to endorse Peterside, the NIMASA boss to fly the flag of the party in 2019. He was said to have made a bold statement when he made it clear to those care to listen he would not drop his governorship ambition for Peterside.
As a prelude to the party Convention to decide on the party flag bearer in the 2019 election, the party ward congress which kick-started on Friday, May 4, was engulfed in crisis with accusations and counter-accusations by supporters of Abe and Peterside, the two leading governorship Candidates in the party . The aggrieved supporters of Senator Abe were said to have raised alarm that names of delegates for the exercise had been illegally compiled by a faction of the party which had hijacked the process. They alluded to the fact that forms were not sold to Abe’s Candidate but only to those loyal to Peterside to give an edge over other aspirants.
The crisis in the party became pronounced last Friday when the aggrieved party members opposed to the party decision to endorse Peterside allegedly broke into the party secretariat and carted way materials needed for the Saturday, May 5, 2018, congress.
Amaechi, the minister of Transport was said to have laid the foundation of the crisis with the alleged platoon of soldiers and the over 200 SARS personnel who were with him in the state for the ward Congress. The Abe loyalists believe that the minister had come with the retinue of security personnel to provide a soft landing for Peterside to clinch the party governorship ticket at the state Convention, on a date yet to be announced by the party leadership.
In spite of the internal crisis that may have engulfed the two dominant parties in the state over the endorsement of Candidate for the 2019 election, Political analysts fear that the crisis in the state APC may take a turn for the worse because Abe is not ready to shift ground to Amaechi’s Candidate, Peterside. Speculations are that he may jump boat with his supporters if the national leadership fails to intervene to save the situation from degenerating.
The party may have played into the hand of Wike who is making mockery of their inability to hold an ordinary ward Congres. The APC leader, Amaechi has never hidden his plot to make Peterside , the NIMASA boss, the governor of Rivers state in 2019, since all efforts to actualize it in 2015 failed.
As a prelude to keep Peterside, political ambition alive, he was said to have facilitated his appointment of the Director General, Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA by President Muhammadu Buhari. The appointment, political observers said was made to enable him ”recoup his investments in the 2015 general election”. Indeed, the NIMASA boss , governorship ambition in Rivers state on the ticket of APC is an open secret in maritime circles.
Insiders confirmed that some APC Chieftains in the state, including Chief Davis , the party Chairman have been trooping to his office and official residence in Lagos and Abuja to hold consultations with the 48-year old Ijaw APC governorship hopeful from Opbo town, in Opobo/Nkoro Local government Area, The NIMS helmsman was said to have been visible in the political scene since 2002 both at the local, state and national level.
The minister may have flown a kite when he told the people of Opobo/Nkoro Local government Area recently that ”they should blame their Chief if their son, Peterside failed to emerge the governor of the Rivers state in 2019”.
He was said to have created the impression that the Ikwerre political leaders were not united in the struggle tore- elect Wike as the governor of Rivers state, stressing that” if the Ijaws failed to get the governorship position in 2019, they should blame their Chiefs for not having a united front”.
Appealing to the indigenes of the local government to join the governorship race, he urged them to mobilize strongly to sack Wike from Brick House in 2019. He may have provided a soft landing for the Opobo born politician to get the backing of the people when he disclosed that his Administration reclaimed much land in Oppbo town but could have done more but for the difficulty in getting sand from the river to continue the reclamation work.
It was corroborated by Peterside, who was the then Commissioner of Works. Andrew Uchendu, a Senator, representing Rivers East Senatorial District says the Ogoni born Senator, has no reason to cry foul because he was part of the decision to endorse the NIMASA boss at a joint meeting of the party elders stressing that the decision was taken to strengthen the party ahead of 2019.
The NIMASA boss may have known that he has been anointed to fly the flag of the party in 2019 when Amaechi, popular the leader, stepped aside from the day to day running of the party over alleged busy engagements and official duties ‘in 2015 and handed over to him.
Given the desperate stance of the governorship aspirants from the PDP and APC against their parties decision over the Candidate to fly the party flag in 2019, political analysts fear there may be alignment and realignment of forces in the political equation of the state.
This is evident going by the overtures that was said to have been made to the aggrieved members of the APC by Wike, using cronies urging them, to dump the party described as the sinking boat and join the ruling PDP in the state. The question on the lips of most people is: who takes over Brick House among the governorship aspirants in PDP and APC jostling for the position in the state?
Political observers in the state said that the disagreement between Amaechi and Abe, his former political ally will make Wike, the acclaimed PDP candidate, in the 2019 poll victory in the state a mission accomplished, an indication that there is no vacancy in Brick House, PortHarcourt.
Rice importers across the country appear to be in dilema over government policy measure baring rice importation from the Central Bank of Nigeria , CBN,allocation, from the foreign exchange, forex, market. Rice , vegetable Oil and processed tomatoes/Tomato paste and palm oil are among the 41 items classified by the apex bank as ineligible for forex, according to Isaac Okoroafor, an Assistant Director, and the apex bank spokesman because they could easily be produced in Nigeria, rather than spend the country’s reserves to import them.
Heneiken Lokpobiri: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
The importers may have been forced to source their forex for their rice imports because of the fiscal policy measure which was said to have been initiated by the National Economic Council, NEC, headed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the then minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy at the instance of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari may have found the economic policy workable that he did not hesitate in enforcing into law through a CBN Circular that was released in June 2015, barely one month in office. Aliyu Muhammed, Managing Director, Nigeria River Basin Development Authorities has justified baring the 41 items including rice and tomato/ paste to the huge scarce forex spent yearly by the government on food imports.
Prior to the implementation of the CBN circular by the Nigeria Customs Service at the ports and land border stations, Aliyu confirmed that the government was accumulating annual import bill of $11 billion.
Many had expected the government to reverse the policy because of its implication to the economy. This is because of the recent revision of the documentation requirements for forex allocation for small scale importation and transactions value of $20,000 and below per quarter by the bank, making possible for such importation to qualify for forex allocation but on the condition that the importer must complete form Q.
Okoroafor , the apex bank spokesman may have dampened the enthusiasms of the rice importers to get a reprieve on Thursday, May 4, 2018, when he said that the 41 classified items by the apex bank are still not valid for forex allocation. It was bad news for the rice importers who had been going through difficult times sourcing for forex through the black market to remain in the business and keep Nigeria port busy.
More frustrating to them was the additional 70 percent levy on the cost of rice importation by the government. Still having a toll on their business was the high cost of clearing the bulk cargo from Nigeria ports. The consequence of the government was the forced relocation of these rice importers to Cotonou port and other ports in the West African sub-region to take delivery of their cargoes, which still found their way to Nigeria markets through unapproved routes. Investigation by The Source shows that ship loads of rice sailing to Apapa port and other ports within the country were said to have been diverted either to Cotonou , Abidjan, or Tema ports in Republic of Benin, Cote’dvoire and Ghana respectively.
The Magazine learnt that ships loaded will prefer to be on the queue at any of these neighboring countries seaport rather than sailing to Nigeria that has the market to discharge its cargo at the designated port.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state, ministry of Agriculture and Rural development confirmed that importation of rice and other food items over the last couple of months had reduced significantly, stressing that that the battle has not been won. ” Food imports into the country are reduced to the barest minimum”.
Impounded Truck Load of Rice by FOU, Zone A, Personnel
The drop in importation of food items due to the government fiscal policy measures baring 41 items including rice and vegetable oil have been the gain of smugglers. Muda Yusuf, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, wants the government to review the tariff on rice to curb its smuggling.
An aggrieved Yusuf said: ”Rice smuggling has continued to thrive , despite barring it from the forex market by the CBN”. He noted that rice is not a Contraband Commodity because it could still be imported through the seaport . The LCCI boss disclosed that what is creating the problem of smuggling of the Commodity is the high tariff of imports through the country’s seaports.
From, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Cross river, Kaduna, Kano Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwarra to the north eastern states of Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno to Yobe, the story is the same. Smuggling of rice and vegetable.
It is not surprising why rice and vegetable oil are found in all nooks and crannies of the Nigeria market. many believes that the Customs anti-smuggling war in the south is yielding results with the seizure of thousands of ”50” kg bags of foreign parboiled rice which translates to several trucks load of rice monthly. The arrowhead of the seizures, Muhammed Uba Aliyu, Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, was said to be making things making things difficult for the smugglers.
There is hardly a week, an insider said that the Command Surveillance and the Lagos Roving team officers including the Headquarters Strike Force, Lagos, Zone, under Salisu. A, an Assistant Comptroller, who is the Commandant.
Sources told the Magazine some vegetable oil importing firms who had queued into the government policy to import semi-processed have established vegetable oil processing firms at established approved free trade zones within Lagos, Calabar, Onne and Kano to take advantage of the available raw material for processing and packaging of the product in the country. The establishment of these vegetable oil firms has created a big market for the palm oil market in Nigeria as farmers are smiling to the bank daily and job opportunities created for the teeming unemployed youths across the country.
