The federal government is committed to investing in the harmonization of the country’s data through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has reiterated.

The Minister who said that his ministry committed to success of the programme, vowed that the era of multiple ID registrations will soon be over.

He gave the promise while receiving the MTN management team led by it’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Karl Toriola in Abuja on Monday.

He said NIMC has been mandated to harmonize the country’s database as President Ahmed Bola Tinubu seeks to enhance the country’s Identity and security architecture.

Speaking on the significance of harmonizing the country’s data, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the need for the country to have a tech-driven data-hub under the ministry.

He said: “We must have an interior hub. A massive data centre where we will have all our identity information documented.

“Data harmonization is key. If we must succeed at the Ministry of Interior, the success will start with NIMC. The integrity of our travel document must be restored through the harmonization of our data.

“This way, our people do not have to repeat data capture processes during the passport enrolment phase when they have a valid NIN.”

The Minister further explained that data harmonization will drastically cut down on stress for the people as well as overhead cost on the part of the government.

He said: “When we harmonize our data, there will be an exchange amongst agencies such that when our people need data for passport or BVN, with their NIN, their data can be pulled out. This will not only save us stress, cost and energy but also help us optimise our processes.”

He added that information regarding issuance of driving license and Passports, Bank Verification Number (BVN), National Identity Numbers (NIN), Subscribers Identity Modules (SIM), and others should be harmonised into digital chips for the purpose of planning and execution of government programmes for accelerated development.

He further argued that NIMC, as an agency under the ministry, has the potential of re-writing the narrative where the country only has a single point of data entry.

He said: “There is no need for us to have a BVN number, a voter’s number, a NIN, and a passport number all at once, and this is why we have to work with NIMC to ensure that we harmonise all these and do away with these duplications.

“If NIMC performs well, NIS will perform better, and the police, NSCDC, and other agencies will perform admirably above par.”

The Minister also elaborated on the role of private sector players, such as MTN, in achieving the vision towards the harmonization of data, saying: “And, to do that, there must be a way to inject private partnerships to help us achieve our objectives.

“For us, we are open to partnerships from private sector players, as NIMC may not have the full financial capacity to fulfil the ambition.”

-By Austen Akhagbeme:

Dr Azemhe Azena, a popular Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in Edo State, has expressed sympathy and concern over the death of about ten persons and many others who sustained various degrees of injury in a road accident in Okpella, Edo state on Monday.

The accident was caused by a long-loaded truck with a failed break that ran into the popular Ewo Market along the Okene- Auchi expressway.

The popular LP aspirant who was born and raised in that same community expressed shock over the incident and called on the government and public-spirited Nigerians like him to think of a way to stop a future occurrence while praying to God to grant his people the fortitude to bear the loss.

In a statement by his media team. Dr. Azemhe said, “It is very painful that innocent villagers who came out to make a living for themselves and their families will be met with such a gruesome death. It is a pity”.

The victims of this mishap include market women, Okada riders, members of the NURTW and innocent passersby.

Upon the dawning of the age of commercial crude oil discovery and exploration in Nigeria and particularly Bayelsa State as the pace setter, the people of oil producing communities like Azamgbene, which hosts the lucrative Atala oil field and Bayelsa State as a whole, were licking their lips in anticipation of the benefits that a major oil asset would offer.

This in reality turned out to be a mere consolation for the varying levels of devastation crude oil exploration would later bring to such communities. Oil exploration is turning out to be a bitter pill to swallow because of the callous desire of certain individuals to use their positions and loopholes in the system to steal the commonwealth of the people for themselves.

It is believed that having a prominent individual firmly seated on the table of national decision making is a plus to any state, as the interest of the state, its communities and people are expected to be upheld to ensure that certain benefits do not elude them. It is regrettably sad that the reverse is the case, especially for the people of Azamgbene communities of Ekeremor Local Government Area and indeed for Bayelsa State as a whole regarding the case of the Atala Oil Field, a major oil asset belonging to Bayelsa State and the crooked diversion of the benefits of this asset to personal pockets, due to the greed and putting personal interests and gains above corporate ones by somebody who ought to be a representative of the people. For personal aggrandizement, the commonwealth of Bayelsa people was cornered into private pockets.
It is also a pity that Chief Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum, while on air on a radio programme in Yenagoa, referred to the Atala Oil field as a “Spilled milk” as if to say it was there for the taking, clearly signified an attempt by Silva to justify the wicked action of denying the state of its prized asset and the role he has played in the whole saga.

History would record the perpetual struggle forresource control which was spear headed by the late former governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyeseigha, which allowed states gain more control of their valuable assets, especially oil and gas and the accruing benefits it offers. The struggle clearly gained some level of success as President Olusegun Obasanjo thought it wise to propitiate the state by handing over the license of the Atala Oil Field, OML46, to Bayelsa State, officially making it a state owned asset, albeit still paying returns and royalties to the federal government. The Oil field was to be managed by the Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL) alongside Century Exploration and Production Limited (CEPL) and Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited, with all three

retaining a shareholding structure of BOCL 51%, CEPL 20%, Hardy 29% respectively.
Clearly, men who are deeply engaged in the dark arts of public assets stealing and funds thievery do not rest and are always on the lookout for new targets.

Investigative details gathered from operatives of the then Directorate of Petroleum Resources revealed that Silva may not come out clean over the diversion of the Atala Oil field in collaboration with his then aide, one Dr Kelechi Ofoegbu, who presumably is an expert in such matters and the Technical Assistant to Sylva. He had reportedly written Silva to use his position in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to approve the revocation of the license of operation of the oil field and a swift reallocation of same and also raising the percentage control to Halkin Exploration and Production, which was incorporated in September 2019 with registration number RC 1611389. The oil field was sold to Halkin Exploration and Production with no proof of payments and development.
This plan was set in motion in 2020, when Silva in his capacity as the Minister of State for Petroleum had announced the revocation of licences of about nine oil fields, the Atala Oil field inclusive, citing a lack of returns to the federal government as reason. A reason which to a large extent proves to be untrue according to available records of renumeration by the BOCL to the federal government.

Investigation revealed that there was criminal personal interest in the Atala oil field when the revocations were made and this fact was proved when the internal moves to reallocate a huge percentage of the BOCL’s 51% stake to Halkin E & P was revealed. Clearly, this move was only going to be possible if a high ranking official of the BOCL was on board with the plan, therefore it was no surprise that Mr Ebikabowei Charles Dorgu, who was the Managing Director of Bayelsa Oil Company was also listed as a director of Halkin E&P upon its registration in 2019.

Revelations by credible sources show that Silva’s plan was in full swing when he allegedly gave authorisation to a written letter authored by Dr Kelechi Ofoegbu via the the then Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) enroute the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum seeking official stamping for the sales of 41% of BOCL shares to a private company Halkin E&P citing a resolution from the company’s board as reason. Same board that had Charles Dorgu as MD, same Halkin E&P that has Charles Dorgu listed as a director.
This clearly raised eye brows with huge suspicions of foul play and rightly so.

Looking at the initial reason of lack of returns to the federal government as a catalyst for the revocation of license for about nine oil fields including the Atala Oil field announced by Silva in 2020, proper check on records to verify the claim shows it to be invalid to a large extent.
At the time, the reason for such revocations of license was quite unbelievable for many, especially those with good information and access to records and transactions on the matter. infact a check on records reveals that the Atala Oil field has been producing and remitting funds to the federal government. Records show that on Nov. 27, 2018, Century Exploration, on prompting of the BOCL, paid the sum of $110,269.45 to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) as remittance for the sales of 64, 283 barrels of crude oil. DPR issued a payment receipt for the sum of $15,695.54 to Century Exploration on behalf of BOCL on the same date, as oil royalty for Atala OML 46 for the sales of 17, 699 barrels of crude oil.

Further records also reveal that between March and June 2018, the Atala Oil Field produced 87,411 barrels of crude oil as stated in the production data of DPR and $125,000 was paid to the DPR as remittance. furthermore, on January 15, 2020, the BOCL and its joint venture partners paid the sum of $12,000 being outstanding National Data Repository Annual Fee for six years.(2014-2019). Also in the same January 2020, DPR received the sum of $31,827.88 as payment for the outstanding crude oil royalty and gas flared, $2,752.31 from BOCL and its partners.

The records debunk the original reason for revocation of licenses and exposes it as only the first steps by Silva to perpetrate a hostile take over of state assets for personal gain. This is further cemented by the fact that of all the nine oil fields affected, only the Atala Oil field has since been handed over to a new company.
As expected, upon resumption of office the current Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, in his usual patriotic nature waded into the matter with a view to stopping this heist on the commonwealth of the state and putting a halt to the use of political power to siphon state’s assets into personal pockets and control. The matter was brought to the knowledge of the then President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, who gave an order to stop any sales pertaining to the oil field. Governor Diri’s intervention has taken the matter to the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly where subsequent fraudulent dealings are being revealed as time goes on.

It is known that evil always finds a way to fight back and in this case, there have been attempts by high placed individuals to negatively influence the outcome of the hearings and deliberations on the issue by the National Assembly, but there is optimism that by the help of God, the prayers of Baylesans and the sacrifices for those that sadly lost their lives in the past due to the struggle to assume rightful control of state assets, justice will prevail at the end and the perpetrators of corruption, greed and selfishness will be revealed. This Atala Oil field saga is well publicized and the people of Bayelsa are already marking those individuals who due to their greed and wickedness are seeking to rob the state and its people of their

commonwealth. In this case, we will hold even the present governor and the Minister of State Petroleum as accomplices, if they don’t act appropriately to reverse this criminality perpetuated by a man who has decided to sell our common patrimony.

Reading between the lines it obvious that his mission is to Creek Haven is consolidate his already stolen asset and wreck havoc if not why the desperation for a man who once stated categorically that the chapter of contesting the governorship elections is closed.

• By Allison Abunah, a Political Analyst from Yenagoa

Over four tons of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during interdiction operations in the last one week in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi also said no fewer than 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilogrammes loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were last Friday intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.

He said two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the nation’s capital, Abuja for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody.

Babafemi said while one of the Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.2 kilogrammes, the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280 kilogrammes.

He also said a 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her.

In the FCT, operatives intercepted 977 kilogrammes of skunk last Wednesday in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi. The spokesman said the skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state. While 959 kilogrammes of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto state, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada. Two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested last Saturday at Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of
methamphetamine, cannabis and 13,930 pills of tramadol.

Babafemi also revealed that Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were last Saturday nabbed with 89.1 kilogrammes of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives.

He disclosed that no fewer than 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Sidi, 35, last Monday along Abuja – Forest road, Kaduna while on his way to Bauchi state.

He said a follow up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, last Tuesday with at least 2.58 kilogrammes of diazepam and 36.55 kilogrammes of pentazocine injection recovered from his home.

Two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26 kilogrammes in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun state to Kano.

Babafemi said a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos last Wednesday, operatives in Sokoto, last Tuesday arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto.

In Edo state, 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258 kilogrammes were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo local government area.

He said in a massive operation between Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th September, NDLEA operatives stormed thick forests in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti state, where they destroyed 40 tons (40,000 kilogrammes) of cannabis plants covering 16 hectares of farmland.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture at Madarasatu Tarbiyyatil Aulad Islamiyyah Izala Mosque, Sabon Gari Wudil, Wudil local government area of Kano State; WADA sensitisation town hall meeting with principals of secondary schools in Kaduna north and south local government areas organized by the Zone J command of the agency; WADA advocacy visit to the palace of Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, traditional ruler of Ibagwa Nike, Enugu state and WADA sensitisation lecture for students of the Oyo State College of Science and Health Technology, Ibadan, among others.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the Lagos, FCT, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Sokoto and Edo Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

-By Austen Akhagbeme:

Like a bolt out of the blue, the Election petition tribunal in Kano gave a big blow, with their Judgment, to the sitting Governor and the Kwakwassiyar grassroots movement led by the embattled former Governor Rabiu Kwakwaso who until recently, a chieftain of the NNPP.

Senator Rabiu Kwakwaso has had many battles to contend with in the recent past. Having suffered a recent expulsion from his beloved Party, NNPP on whose platform he contested the last Presidential election, the recent sacking of his political Godson, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, is one crisis too many for the former minister of defense.

The election tribunal which met virtually via Zoom invalidated 165,663 votes from the sitting Governor’s earlier declared total votes of 1,019,602. This makes the total vote cast lesser than that of his opponent, the APC’s Nasiru Gawuna who has been declared the winner.

The votes that were invalidated by the tribunal on the basis that the ballot papers were not stamped have brought to the fore more questions than answers. Whose responsibility it is to ensure that the ballot papers are stamped? Is it INEC or the Political parties?

If it is INEC, why should the party be the victim? Does such a huge amount of unstamped ballot papers suggest that they may not have originated from INEC? How did the judges conclude that all of the over 150,000 invalid ballot papers belonged to the NNPP only? Is the tribunal not supposed to have called for a rerun in such polling units?

While we are waiting for these riddles to be answered probably by the next appellate court, we must all call for peace to reign in the potentially volatile city of Kano.

• Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two suspected oil thieves alongside two alleged armored cable thieves at separate locations in the Federal Capital Territory territory (FCT), Abuja.

The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC,
Olusola Odumosu,on Thursday during parade of five male suspects between the ages of 25 and 37 at the FCT command, said that the Command through credible intelligence reports apprehended two persons illegally in possession of 16 jericans of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil at Pai in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

He noted that: “Investigation is in progress in order to ascertain the source of the products and possibly, x-ray the men behind the mask.

“Two other persons suspected to have vandalised electrical facilities at the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) were also arrested.”

According to him, investigations are ongoing to further unravel those involved in the illicit crime alongside their sponsors and clients.

The Commandant said that a suspect was also apprehended for taking a flat screen television at Maitama District Hospital.

He said that the Command is taking proactive measures in eradicating and clamping down on the operations of miscreants and criminals, thereby chasing them into hiding.

Odumosu said: “We are also tackling the theft of critical national infrastructure that are being vandalised and stolen by miscreants who disguise as scavengers.

“Over the years FCT has been polluted due to uncontrolled influx of these so called scavengers.

“Today there is an improvement and fresh air has began to sway in at all nooks and crannies of the metropolis.”

He reaffirmed that the Command is not going to compromise its efforts in eliminating all forms of vandalism and criminality within the FCT.

The Command also commemorated the International Day of Peace 2023, themed, Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the Global Goals.

According to Odumosu, Peace begins with loving your neighbours as yourselves, having human sympathy, compassion and our ability to settle disputes in the most civil and diplomatic way.

“We as humans should learn to abide by peace to make the world a better place.

“For Nigeria, a country that has experienced its share of socio-political and religious unrest, the essence of the peace day celebration becomes even more vital.

“It offers an opportunity for all Nigerians to come together, irrespective of socio-cultural, political or religious differences, and unite in the pursuit of peace, security and well-being.”

The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army / Land Component Commander, South South, Operation DELTA SAFE, Major General Jamal Abdussalam has affirmed that the National Identification Number (NIN) is a critical national project that must be supported to succeed.

According to Acting Deputy Director 6 Division Army Public Relations, Major Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, he made the call when the State Coordinator, National Identification Management Commission (NIMC), Rivers State, Mr Bob-manuel Ibiba Agala paid him a working visit at his office in Port Harcourt, Barracks, Rivers State.

The GOC, while welcoming the team, acknowledged the importance of the project to the nation. This, he said, would assist the nation tremendously in checkmating the population, knowing the movement of the citizenry in and out of the country, as well as checking the level of crime and criminality in the society.

Major General Abdussalam used the medium to appreciate the State Coordinator for establishing an office in the Barracks.

This, he stated, had eased the pains troops and their families have been going through in a bid to get registered.

The GOC further stated that with NIMC domiciled in the Barracks, going forward, there would be the need to enforce “Operation show your NIN as a requirement for having access into the Barracks”.

He spoke of the Division’s support to NIMC to enable the commission to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively.

This, he said, was demonstrated when the Division provided an office space for NIMC to operate in the barracks.

Earlier, the Rivers State Coordinator, Mr Bob-manuel Agala, while appreciating the GOC for the warmth reception, accorded him and his team, added that the Division has demonstrated the much-needed support to the commission.

The State Coordinator further stated that the Commission is saddled with the responsibility of keeping the database of all Nigerian citizens. Hence, the advocacy to the barracks, having seen that troops of the NA have little or no time to be registered due to operational engagements.

This, he said, informed the decision of the commission to bring her services closer to the Barracks community for easy enrollment.

He urged all to endeavour to register as this has huge benefits.

The United Nations has appealed to Nigerian government to commit specific percent of national budgets and development funds to interventions that address gender disparity in the country.

Addressing the media at the end of his visit to Nigeria, the UN Women Regional Director for East Africa, West, and Central Africa, Maxime Houinato noting that this was in congruence with the
demand earlier made by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guteress.

Houinato while explaining that in order to bridge the multisectoral gender gaps in Nigeria and improve the standard of living for women and girls something should be done, appealed that the government of Nigeria commit specific percent of national budgets and development
funds to interventions that address gender disparity in Nigeria.

Houinato said: “Gender inequality is crippling the economy,” noting that: “Women are at the heart of
human capital for economic development in any nation – health, education, agriculture, and business. Gender disparity and the suffering of women are having a detrimental impact on the
building of that human capital which is at the centre of productivity and development”.

The regional director during the press conference informed the media that while in Nigeria he has had meetings with stakeholders to whom he advocated for increased investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment and allocation of specific.

This, he said, includes advocacy
meetings with Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and National Planning, where he advocated for increased allocation of specific budget lines to address gender disparity in Nigeria.

He also revealed that this was also echoed this during his meeting with the Director General of the Public Procurement Agency in Lagos where an AfDB/UN Women-assisted gender-affirmative procurement project is being implemented to promote participation of women-owned businesses in public and private procurement.

He disclosed that the DG assured him of the government’s commitment to promoting best practices that enable women-owned businesses to access
public contracts.

Houinato said while meeting with the management of Nigeria Exchange Group, he requested that the corporation commit a percentage of its returns to gender-responsive interventions and
encourage its clients to do the same.

He said, while in Lagos, he had a
roundtable meeting with women CEOs in Nigeria where a 25-million-dollar GBV fund was launched.

The fund, he explained, would be a contribution from private sector organisations in Nigeria, to fund gender responsive interventions that will curb violence against women and girls and enhance women’s empowerment.

The UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, in her remark, stated that the financial implication of GBV is enormous and reiterated that if the prevalence of violence against women and girls reduces, family income and earnings will improve and so will the economy of the society at large.

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has revealed that over 4,000 inmates are still locked up in various correctional facilities across the country for their inability to pay fines.

The Minister made this declaration while hosting the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and West Africa, Samuela Isopi where he seek support for the various reforms in the Interior Ministry.

The Minister, said: “We have over 4000 inmates in the facilities for their inability to pay various fines. We believe we can reduce the number of inmates in our correctional facilities by about forty per cent if we explore non-custodial alternatives as provided for in the Correctional Service Act.”

Tunji-Ojo said the support of EU is needed as the ministry intend to implement key reforms in areas of migration and the reformation of Nigeria’s correctional centres.

During the meeting, the minister described the relationship with the EU as “historical”, noting that areas of bond with the ministry’s key reforms include combating illegal migration, unearthing organised crime, and upholding the rule of law.

According to the minister, the EU could support the country in deploying technology to buffer and enhance border management architecture within the country.

“The European Union is important to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. Our relationship with the EU is historical in terms, of but not limited to, bilateral support,” he said.

The Minister added that: “If we are able to solve crime and migration problems in Nigeria, Africa will be better for it. Due to the boundaries Africa shares with the EU, our problems are more of an EU problem than any other part of the world. And, because we are committed to solving this, we will explore all avenues.”

He noted that the Ministry was working on key reforms, especially in areas of travel documentation processes and knowledge transfer, while adding that: “We have commenced the process to unbottle the bottlenecks in our international passport application and collection process. Today, we have made huge progress. We are also working on ways to reduce identity theft. We want to make sure the green passport regains its pride and integrity.”

Speaking on plans to decongest the nation’s correctional facilities across the country, the minister revealed that over seventy per cent of the 79,000 inmates are awaiting trial.

The Minister urged the EU to support the Federal Government’s plan to carry out an audit of all correctional centres.

Earlier during the meeting, the Ambassador assured the Minister of the support of the European Union, noting that the EU would render technical support in managing the illegal aspect of migration as well as curbing human trafficking and people smuggling.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ibrahim Idris has charged implementing Ministries, Department and Agencies of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) to ensure proper supervision and monitoring of projects to achieve delivery of their mandate to the project.

Idris, who is also the Chairman, Federal Technical Committee of the ACRESAL Project, gave the charge on Friday at the presentation of operational vehicles to some of the lead implementing MDAs on the ACReSAL Project.

The presentation of the vehicles is to enable the project realize it’s cardinal components of increasing landscapes restoration and enhance livelihoods in the participating states.

According to the Permanent Secretary, “Even at personal level, if you invest your money, and do not supervise what is happening. You will lose. So you must move around to see what is happening. Where you have problems, you address these problems.

In his welcome address, Mr. Umar Abdulhamid, the National Project Coordinator disclosed that ACReSAl has an investment portfolio of 700 million US dollars to intervene and address issues surrounding landscapes degradation arising from desertification, deforestation that has been brought about by climate change, challenges, natural causes and human activities.

He said the impact has been enormous “The project is a six -year lifespan project that just started a year ago. Our team has started actual implementation. Restoration of landscapes have started immensely. At the last count, we have actually been able to restore over 2,000 degraded landscapes.

“We have over 96,529 beneficiaries directly and the list is ongoing. Our expectation is that by mid-term review, we would have been able to deliver more than 60% of the goals and achievements at the land and ecosystem restoration level and the beneficiaries in total.

Some of the recipients of the operational vehicles are representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, department of Climate Change- Federal Ministry of Environment, others are department of Forestry -Federal Ministry of Environment, National Space Research and Development Agency, department of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Management among others.

Interior Minister, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said every institution, commercial and social recreation centre should have certified fire and safety personnel.

The Minister said the personnel must go through drills from the National Fire Academy, Sheda, Abuja even as he suggested the need to broaden the scope of the institution.

Speaking, after his first official inspection tour of the academy, Tunji-Ojo said the facility has the capacity to play key roles in training safety officers who will be “on-ground” responders for the private sector.

He said: “A lot has been done, but there is still a lot more to be done. With what I have seen here, I can guarantee you that we will work very hard to see that this facility will not only be useful in training officers of the fire service but also for the private sector.”

He added that: “We must make fire safety a personal affair. Every institution, commercial and social recreation centre should have certified fire and safety personnel, trained by this facility.”

The Minister explained how the academy could serve various private sector players, saying, “a market, bank, hotel, mall, restaurant, or even ministries should have first responders that can administer basic fire fighting remedy while waiting for the arrival of a full operation squad of the country’s Fire Service.”

Tunji-Ojo explained that the tour was to fortify him with the situation of things at the facility, and also see how fire service processes could be innovated to serve a broader spectrum in line with the #RenewedHope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said: “Today, we have over 3 million private guards certified by the NSCDC. We can have something similar for the fire service. We need private fire service men to enhance our service and response time. The President’s #RenewedHope agenda has charged us to be innovative if we must change the narrative.”

He noted that: “As a matter of fact, this is another innovative way to generate revenue because we expect that anyone looking to become a safety or security guard should get trained and certified by this academy.”

The minister, who inspected the facility alongside the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, was led on the tour by the Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu.

The sector commander Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) RS 5.2 Delta state CC. Udeme Bassey Eshiet has urged drivers/ road users to be conscious of their driving as we entered the EMBER months.

The commander stated this at the 2023 EMBER months public enlightenment and road safety campaign in Asaba, said speed thrills but kills, drive responsibly and avoid overloading

He maintained that this year enlightenment campaign is to educate the road users to avoid overload, extra light in their vehicles, making calls while driving and night driving.

He appealed to drivers, road users to be conscious in this EMBER months that only the living can celebrate .

Addressing drivers at Benin/ Asaba park at the toll gate and koka Junction in Asaba, the sector commander told drivers that reckless driving, overload, night driving is dangerous.

As EMBER Months begins, be careful in your driving, make sure all the necessary components in your vehicle is in other, Eshiet advised road users.

While addressing his staff on how the command will make easy flow of traffic during the EMBER months, He acknowledge the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Marshall Dauda Biu for early enlightenment campaign as the EMBER Months began.

He charged his staff to ensure that the flow of traffic is contained in an appropriate manner, adding that their vehicles will be well take care off for any emergency.

-From SUNNY A. DAVID:

The Stakeholders in Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State have decried the sudden transfer of the former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Fegge Police Station, CSP Rabiu Garba.

In the statement issued by the stakeholders, they said that they would miss Rabui Garba, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), and aword winning Police officer who has been the DPO of Fegge Police Station for the past 9 years.

In the statement signed by Dede Uzor A. Uzor and Mazi Chika Udemadu Chika, the stakeholders said since the arrival of Garba in February 2014, 9 years ago, he has been able to unify the residents of Onitsha South.

They said he brought and maintained peace as well as fought crime to a standstill.

”He recovered dangerous weapons including Ak-47 among the other weapons of death.

“He attracted huge developmental projects to the Division which include a borehole with an overhead tank water reservoir donated by Transglob Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

“He turned around Fegge Police Station and also constructed offices for officers in different departments.

“CSP Garba built fence, Mosque, Church, and recreation facilities for young people, especially Table Tennis department,“ said the stakeholders.

They also said part of Garba’s major achievements were the concrete flooring of the entire Fegge Police Station premises, the building of a six-room block to house newly transferred Police Officers who always found it difficult to get accommodation, provision of a big Mikaino generating set, including winning Interface Hero award for three consecutive years which earned him a different Hilux Vans which he in turn donated to the Division.

The Stakeholders said he has won over 1050 different awards and kept an open-door policy which made him accessible to many while he was in Fegge.

DPO Garba, they said, was known for using his salary to sponsor less privileged members of the society.
A philanthropist per excellent.
We greatly miss him.

“We urge the new DPO, CSP Ifeanyi Ibure, the youngest CSP to take a cue from him and work for the security of the lives of the people of Onitsha South including adopting bail is free introduced by CSP Garba.

“We urge the new DPO to disregard a policy of ceasing people’s phones at the station gate and adopt the same open-door policy introduced by CSP Rabui Garba.

“We also assure him of our adequate support,” the stakeholders stated.

The stakeholders thanked the CP Aderemi Adeoye for choosing another visioned officer like Mr. Ibure to Fegge while Mr. Garba took from Ibure from Central Police Station, Onitsha.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has congratulated immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Bashorun Askia Ogieh, on his birth anniversary.

Governor Oborevwori in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, described Ogieh as a leader, whose contributions to the growth and development of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is laudable.

He commended the Uzere-born leader for his unwavering commitment to the development of the Isoko nation and Delta State in general.

Governor Oborevwori said: “On behalf of my family, the Government and people of Delta State, I congratulate you on the occasion of your birth anniversary on September 12, 2023.

“Over the years, you have continued to contribute to the peace, progress and development of Delta State, as a staunch Chieftain and a leader in our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“As a quintessential politician and astute public administrator, you have rendered outstanding service to the State, having served as Chairman of the Isoko South Local Government Council and Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Delta State Chapter; Executive Director Finance and Administration (EDFA) and later as Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

“As the Udu of Isoko nation and Odio of Uzere Kingdom, you have contributed your own quota to the growth and development of the traditional institution in the Isoko nation and Uzere Kingdom, in particular.

“As you deservedly mark this anniversary of your birth, I join your family and political associates in thanking God for a life of great and sterling accomplishments with which He has blessed you”.

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima
has called for unity between diverse leaders and other stakeholders across the northeast in order to address challenges facing the geo-political zone.

The VP made the call on Saturday in Maiduguri while declaring open the 8th meeting of the North East Governors Forum (NEGF).

Shettima, who was in Borno State on a two-day official trip to inaugurate projects executed by the state governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, also used the opportunity of his visit to flag off the distribution of palliatives by the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) and open the Northeast Governors Forum meeting.

The VP said unity between diverse leaders and other stakeholders across the northeast would go a long way in addressing the many challenges facing the geo-political zone.

Shettima commended the northeast governors for deliberately forging unity amongst themselves despite their differences in political ideologies.

The host, Governor of Borno state and Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi and Yobe states, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Bala Mohammed, and Mai Mala Buni were in attendance, while those of Gombe and Taraba were represented by their deputies.

Deputy Governor of Borno, Umar Usman Kadadur, senators and members of the House of Representatives, state lawmakers, Secretaries to the State Governments from the northeast States, traditional rulers led by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Elkanemi and senior government officials from the six states of the northeast attended the opening session of the meeting.

Chairman of the North-East Governors Forum and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, advocated for a partnership that can give birth to an independent power station and railway network across the northeast.

He said: “Let me draw our attention to the recent amendment to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which saw the removal of Power Generation and Railway Transportation from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. It is therefore important for us in the North East to partner towards the provision of independent power supply and rail transportation in the sub-region.”

Zulum also called for proactive measures towards curtailing the activities of illegal miners while at the same time maximizing the benefits of those minerals towards the overall development of the people in the northeast region.

He charged his colleagues from the region to give priority to the issues of youth unemployment and poverty in the region.

He said: “As we are set to deliberate on matters of common interest and shared responsibilities, we should, in addition to the issues of insecurity, floods, illicit mining and North East Development Commission projects in the sub-region, also focus specifically on youth unemployment, the deep-rooted poverty among the majority of our people due to the removal of oil subsidy by the Federal Government.”

Zulum commended the Nigerian military for their efforts in curbing the security situation in the northeast, which has brought relative peace.

“Let me use this occasion to commend our brave military in the fight against the insurgency, which remains unquestionable, while their determination to succeed is very glaring. No doubt, they have considered and acted upon a wide range of options in the fight against terrorism,” Zulum said.

The Governors later went into a closed-door meeting to deliberate, after which they are expected to issue a communique.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori must have been in the mind of the French writer Rouget De Lisle(1760-1836) when he wrote “come children of our nature land, the day of glory has arrived”The governor has completed his hundred days in office and his morning is showing an excellent take off flight. This flight would have a smooth landing.

When the thirty second president of united states of America, Franklin Delano Roosevet initiated the hundred days tradition he felt that the score card of leadership should be made public for all to judge after leadership has stayed hundred days in the saddle. When Governor Oborevwori assumed power on 29^th may 2023, he promised a robust, detribalized administration, offering a comprehensive syllabus in advance prosperity and development. His mantra is MORE: Meaningful development, Opportunities for all, Realistic reforms and Enhanced peace and security. He pledged his fidelity to his road map and he hit the road running by appealing to his officials to be open to Deltansin their service delivery. He said compassion must be an abiding lifestyle of government officials in dealing with ordinary people that come to them for services- whether such services are intricate or simplistic. In other words the governors in junction is that: have a listening ear.

Those who know the governor intimately say that the governor was speaking from his heart. He was not involved in grand standing or platitude. He had in previous occasions, especially during his electioneering campaign said he was a peoples person, a community person, a rural person and a ‘street man”. Many will not be surprised if he disguises and enter the street, perhaps to one of the far corner ‘tombo’ joint to feel the pause of the people he is governing. That might be following the tradition of great and legendary kings and rulers who usually enter the anonymity of night to hear what their people feel about their government. He will prefer to hear the voices of the people from the street than from some facts twisting officials of government.He will quickly fit into the gathering of the ordinary people because he does not have the airs and the grandiose of inaccessible leaders. Neither does he have the inscrutable face of governors who are completely alienated from their people. He is a good mixer, full of laughter, jokes and compassion. One hundred days after he has ruled Delta State, he has not changed his skin of grace and prodigious calm. 

In his attempt to forge an all inclusive  government  he has extended a hand of fellowship to the opposition. He does not call them losers. He calls them brothers. He has told everybody that his government will be non- discriminatory. The climate around Governor Sherieff Oborevwori will allow all good seeds to germinate for the good of Deltans, many people have seen the optimism he is exuding. His eyes are focused on the future of Delta State. These eyes are not foggy. His stride is steady and steadfast. His stride is long and forward looking. These have been the story of his hundred days.

In one hundred days in office he has brought energy and purposefulness, recruiting people who are humble and would not exhibit arrogance. In swearing in the commissioners, he made clear that there is a road map for his administration which he clearly enunciated during his inauguration as governor. He has directed the commissioners to have it, read it because his administration’s policy direction is there. The purpose of this directive is to make everybody be in one page in pushing the frontiers of development in Delta State. For him as a governor he does not intend to run a rudderless government. He told the commissioners that what should be trending in their minds is the development of Delta.

Few days before the hundred days in power 29 roads were commissioned in the state capital. They were also other projects commissioned which cannot be captured in this short article. Napoleon Hill may have got Sherieff Oborevwori in mind when he said “it is not what you are going to do but what you are doing now that counts. Governor Oborevwori”s hands are on the plough. Civil servants have got ten thousand naira salary additions, committees have been set up for the distribution of palliatives to cushion the fuel subsidy removal; he has already told local government chairmen to tread softly on multiple taxation because ‘country hard’. But above all he has toldhimself that fame, choking protocol and pride will not come between him, Delta people, and his God. Even now when he is in the house of God he still serve his role as the servant of the most high God who is the governor of all governors.

Throughout this hundred days in office he has consistently said that the MORE agenda will push forward the frontiers of development beyond where his predecessors ended. His style of government is empathy and compassion, he does have that boisterousness of a zealous new comer or the naïve apathy of a novice. He has shown mastery of his job the way he handled his assignment as speaker of the Delta State house of assembly with uncommon responsibility without rancor. In this hundred days there are flaming indications that inclusiveness fairness and equity are part of his MORE agenda and will flower extravagantly and will produce the most endearing harvest that will bring unity peace and development.

In this one hundred days of being in the saddle of power he has shown that we can advance ethnic and cultural friendship while forging a harmonious State whose vitality and potentials will yield more fruits of development. In this short time the elites are burying their differences and the ordinary people remain expectant. Finally Governor Sherieff Oborevwori have taken off on a smooth flight. Everybody will feel the hands of his government. A people’s supplementary budget of one hundred and sixty six billions have been sent to the house of assembly. It is a budget for the take off his admiration. Deltans and expectant. We have hope. 

Azua Alonu,

Former political assistant

To the minister of State for

Agriculture during 

President Olusegun Obasanjo administration 

Nigeria and Ghana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards boosting production of agricultural produce.

The MoU was signed betwen a Nigerian company, EGTA Investment Limited and a Ghanaian conglomerate, Jospong Group of Companies, at the Ghana High Commission in Abuja on Friday.

The MoU was signed under the supervision of Alhaji Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Water Resources, Mr Eddison Agbenyegah, Ghanaian Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Also at the signing of the MoU which was centered on boosting rice farming, wheat, soya beans, yellow corn, and sunflower production, among others, was Mr Aminu Goronyo, President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN).

Speaking at the event, Mr Bashir Ibrahim, Group Managing Director of ECTA, underscored the need for adequate investment towards growth of Africa through cooperation, financial, social and political relationships between African nations.

Ibrahim said: “It is on that basis that the EGTA delegation went to Ghana to negotiate this historic MoU; this led ECTA delegation to Ghana and Jospong delegation to Nigeria.

“To negotiate and come to agreement on this MoU, built on the long standing friendly relations that has existed since independence between Ghana and Nigeria.

“In fact, if there are any two countries that are close to the extent that event in one country leads to same event in another, it is Nigeria and Ghana.

“So the signing of this MoU is in line with that tradition. The future of Africa depends on this concept of cooperation, financial investment, technical, social, economic, and political cooperation between African nations.”

He described the agreement between both entities as an extension of the historic relationship between Ghana and Nigeria, noting that EGTA ⁃Jospong MoU would cover production of agricultural commodities; and also provide technical, financial and investment cooperation, as well as training and capacity building of Ghanaians in the agriculture ecosystem.

He explained that the agreement was one out of many with other foreign partners been made possible by President Bola Tinubu administration’s business-friendly commitment to make private sector key drivers in economic diversification.

Also speaking, George Blavo, who signed the MoU on behalf of Jospong, said the agreement was “basically aimed at lifting people of Ghana from poverty through agricultural development.

Blavo, also Lead Coordinator, Rice Project, said the agreement was in line with Ghana’s agricultural agenda of adding value to the agricultural food chain, food-security, reducing food imports, with private sector as pivotal force.

“We are hopeful this MOU will further strengthen the Nigeria -Ghana bilateral relationship; which must ensure that partnership betwen Ghana and Nigeria is given priority.

“In Ghana, we cherish the long standing relationship between our two countries and it is our hope that this partnership will grow from strength-to-strength, for our mutual benefits,” he said.

He commended Ghana-Nigeria relationship to have been bordered by economic, trade and investment, technology, security and agriculture.

According to him, the ceremony attested to the long standing relationship that existed between both countries.

For his part, Agbenyegah said that Ghana seeks to learn beat practice from Nigeria, which has since become Rice Super Power” the country has become one of the leading producers of rice in Africa.

“We are all aware that Nigeria is the biggest producer of rice and the contribution of EGTA to this achievement is well known to all of us.

“We are going to ride on the policies and business policies the Federal Government of Nigeria will reel out, to make this kind of cooperation easy and even, more fruitful.

“We are happy to be partners in this private sector initiative in deepening rice production in Ghana

“Ghana is hosting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) Secretariat, therefore we want to deepen cooperation to propel regional growth,” he said.

Jospong is a Ghanaian company with business interest in over 14 sectors spanning 60 subsidiaries with operations in Africa and Asia.

Meanwhile, the President of RIFAN, Mr Goronyo, explained that Nigeria made remarkable progress in rice production over the previous decade after banning importation of rice.

The United Nations Inter Agency Group on Youth has reassured of its commitment to investing on young people in the area of green economy to ensure Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This was made known at the discussion organised by the UN Information Centre (UNIC), in Abuja at the weekend to equip young people with skills for the green economy.

The event with the theme: “Green skills for youth: towards a sustainable world” was put together to commemorate the 2023 International Youth Day.

Speaking at the occasion, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Resident Representative, Ms. Gifty Addico said that dialogue among youths has shown that sustainable green economy has become important in line with global environmental challenges.

Addico said: “As the world shifts to greener future, green skills are cornerstone of this transition, serving as tools that empower individuals to champion a resource efficient society.

“We are ensuring every interaction brings us closer to sustainable Nigeria, led by youth equipped with right skills.

“Our commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of our youths are embodied in transformative results ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, ending gender-based-violence and all harmful practices.

“We are committed to advocating for the rights of young people, empowering them with knowledge and skills to not only protect themselves but enable them make informed decisions.

“So they can realize their full potential and contribute to economic and social transformation.”

On her part, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF, Rownak Khan described the event as apt as it would further add to resources at ensuring shared future for young people.

She noted that UNICEF remains grateful not just to have chaired the Inter Agency Group, but committed to ensure sustainable future for Nigeria youths.

Khan said: “It is important to come together to build a sustainable future for young people and the green skills basically is very important

“Putting the lens of a climate resilient to work, sustainable employment and sustainable environment as well.

“This is a unique opportunity for all of us to provide adequate skills, so that the skills can be used for them to ensure a resilient future for the next generation.”

For his part, Mr Babatunde Adelekan, UNFPA Focal Aide for Youth, said the discussion was initiated to inspire youths become skilled in green economy.

He said: “We intend to achieve this by giving young people the necessary information and linking them up with the ecosystem.

“Through opportunities, through training and building up skills, where they are able to utilize the various opportunities that are available.

“The green revolution is something that we must quickly tackle as a country, so that our vibrant, agile youths will be able to harness their full potential.”

Meanwhile, Segun Tekun, National Project Officer, Social Protection and Youth Employment, International Labout Organisation (ILO), described climate as major problem that hinder development of young people.

He said: “We agreed that climate change is a problem and that young people are the ones mostly impacted by it, we also agreed that there is the need for us to transit to the green economy economy.

“To transit to the green economy we need to create green jobs, the. In carrying out those jobs we need green skills,”

Highpoint of the event was video presentation on green economy, U-report results on green skills and climate change.

There was also discussion centered on what green skills are, why they are important, green jobs, market development, requirement and career transition

…AS BOZIMO, EREBE EMERGE SPECIAL SPEAKERS

-By Onoriode Etatsemi:

The 63rd Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has ended with the immediate past Attorney General/ Commissioner for Justice, Sir Isaiah Bozimo and the Solicitor- General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice of Delta State, Mr Omamuzo Erebe distinguished as special Speakers.

The event, which held at Abuja, had the theme “Getting it right. Charting the course for Nigeria’s Nation Building,” was declared open by Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Conference saw several distinguished jurists, both within and outside the Country, invited to speak as Conference Speakers.

But in recognition of the stellar work carried out by the Delta State Government in the area of the Administration of Justice in the State, particularly in the drafting of two Executive Bills and their passage as the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022 and the Administration of Civil Justice Law 2022, the organisers of the Conference in an unprecedented move, invited the immediate past Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaiah Bozimo and the Delta State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, as Conference Speakers.

While the immediate past Attorney-General spoke on the Delta State Administration of Civil Justice Law 2022, the Solicitor-General spoke on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2022.

Both jurists commended the foresight of the Delta State House of Assembly which was then led by the Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, in the speedy passage of the two Executive Bills sent to it, which ensured that Delta State now has the most modern and technologically driven Administration of Criminal and Civil Justice Laws in the Country today.

They both stated that the two pieces of legislation were 21st-century Laws, which will radically change the face of the Justice System in the State.

The duo also stated that both Laws will ensure that access to Justice delivery in the State is enhanced.

In their presentations, the two jurists highlighted important innovations introduced in both laws and urged other States to copy from Delta State.

On hand to witness both presentations were members of the Nigerian Bar Association Branches in Delta State, both in the private and public bar, as well as two Judges of the State Judiciary, Hon. Justice Sunny Adolor and Hon. Justice Samuel Okeleke.

Speaking to newsmen after his paper presentation, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, stated that the invitation extended to him and the immediate past Attorney-General as Conference Speakers, was a validation of the work put in by the immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaiah Bozimo, all State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Private Legal Practitioners in the State and the State Judiciary to ensure the Executive Bills were of top quality.

He commended the leadership shown by Mr. Bozimo and urged all involved to gear up for the even harder work of implementation of both Laws in the State.

“This is even more critical as by December 23rd 2023, the transition period for the Case Management provisions of both Laws will come to an end”

He said though the time was short, a concerted effort by all stakeholders will ensure that Delta State retains the first position in the Country, in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, as adjudged by the Centre for Socio-legal Studies Abuja in 2023.

-Middle is Former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Delta State Mr Isaiah Bozimo and on his immediate left is Mr Omamuzo Erebe Solicitor-General/ Permanent Secretary in a group photograph with staff of the Ministry of Justice at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja on the occasion of the NBA 63rd annual conference.

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has given a marching order to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), demanding the swift clearance of over 200,000 pending international passport applications in two weeks.

The Minister gave the order during a meeting with top government officials, the Acting Comptroller General, Caroline Adepoju, and the Managing Director of Iris Smart Technologies, a third-party company in charge of the production of passport booklets.

The order was in furtherance to his promise to remove bottlenecks in the acquisition of passports and other immigration documents.

There has been age-long delays in the processing and enrolment of passports in Nigeria, which brought frustration for citizens, causing significant delays in obtaining crucial travel documents.

The Minister had said that having to deal with about 200,000 backlogs calls for national emergency.

At the meeting, the minister was quoted to have said: “As far as I am concerned, the issue of passport is a national emergency. I keep getting emails daily from Nigerians complaining. We cannot continue like that.

“It has become an embarrassment to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I represent him here as your minister. That embarrassment is mine now. I am not changing my words. I need the backlog cleared in two weeks.”

During the meeting, the Acting Comptroller General, Caroline Adepoju, and Managing Director, Iris Smart Technologies, Yinka Fisher, assured the Minister that all necessary resources and measures would be deployed to ensure the expedited processing of the pending passport applications.

Adepoju disclosed that though the number of enrolment as of Thursday morning spills into 200,000 across the country, the agency has been able to secure enough booklets to clear the backlog.

The Minister had told both the IRIS team and officers of the NIS that he receives updates on passport enrolments on a daily basis.

He said: “I get daily report on enrolment from NIS on my phone. This is my best way to be in the know of the situation. Nigerians deserve the best. It is their right to own a passport if they can afford it.

“We will also ensure that our debts are cleared by November. My position remains that the delay in the process of obtaining the passport must end.”

The Minister also held a strategic meeting with the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji; the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa; the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi.

In the meeting, the Minister issued a directive for the creation of a practical and executable roadmap that entails timelines, approach, deliverables, and methodology.

The directive, according to the Minister, must be fulfilled within a four-week timeframe.

Fourteen suspects vandals and scavengers have been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the ongoing clampdown on vandals of street and traffic lights, including manhole covers within the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).

According to a statement on Thursday signed by the spokesperson of the FCT Command of the Corps, Comfort Okomanyi, the suspects were picked up by NSCDC’s men on routine night patrol at different locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they were also constituting nuisance under bridges and around critical installations at odd hours without any clearly defined purpose or destination.

She said while parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters, the FCT Commandant, Odumosu Olusola re-emphasized his readiness to hunt down anyone with the aim of making the federal capital a den of miscreants.

Odumosu vowed to be resolute in combating crime and criminalities in the FCT. He called on residents to remain vigilant and be supportive of the efforts of the NSCDC FCT Command in ensuring a safe, peaceful and pleasant place for all to live.

He solicited the cooperation of the public in reporting suspicious activities and people of questionable characters in their environment.

He said: @Let it be known to criminals, scavengers and vandals in the city centre and the suburbs of FCT that their days are numbered and we are coming for you.

“FCT will be too hot for you to stay, therefore, I advise you to relocate or face the wrath of the law.”

Odumosu reiterated that FCT Command remains fully committed to upholding its duty of curbing vandalism and protecting lives and property through collective efforts with sister agencies towards achieving a safer and more secured FCT.

The suspects are: Muhammed Isa, ‘M’, 18, Elvis Obingwa, ‘M’, 45, Eze Godwin, ‘M’, 39, Basiru Abubakar, ‘M’, 23, Abdallah Zakariya, ‘M’, 40, Hungano Dimas ‘M’ 27, Aliyu Mohammed ‘M’ 52, Basiru Abdullah ‘M’ 20, Kabiru Usenu ‘ M’ 19,
Godwin Isaac ‘M’ 24, Sunday Yusuf, ‘M’, 28, Lawal Badiru ‘M’ 25,
Yusuf Nuts ‘M’ 18, and
Hamsa Ibrahim, ‘ M’ 20.

The arrested suspects, according to the statement, have been throughly interrogated and profiled. They will be handed over to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for further prosecution.

… Signs law on rape, thuggery
… Signs 7 other Laws

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Wednesday signed into law nine different Bills passed by the State House of Assembly, one of which was the “Borno State Social Investment Bill” which will provide legal backing for the state to provide special support to victims of Boko Haram attacks.

The governor signed eight other Bills at a brief ceremony held at the council chambers of the Government House in Maiduguri.

The event had in attendance, principal officers of the Borno State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, AbdulKarim Lawan.

“The Social Investment Bill provides social services such as cash and consumables assistance to the victims of Boko Haram insurgency”, Zulum said.

Beside that bill, the Governor signed eight other bills into law.

The bills include: Borno State Criminal Justice Administration Laws, The Borno State Penal Code Law, The Borno State Secondary Education Board Bill, Borno State Investment Protection Bill, Borno Primary Healthcare Development Bill, Borno State Drugs and Other Medical consumable Bill, Borno State Livestock Management Bill and the Borno Local Government Amendment Bill.

Governor Zulum explained some of the laws.

“The Borno State Criminal Justice Administration Law will address the increasing cases of rape and political thuggery and those found involved in political thuggery risk seven (7) years imprisonment and their sponsors will also not go unpunished”, he said.

Zulum also said “Borno State Investment Protection Bill seeks to provide the state the powers to tap the vast mineral deposit in the state.” while the Drugs and Medical consumable bills seek to address the problem of scams and reduce the issue of fake and counterfeit drugs.

The governor explained that a government agency will not only be distributing drugs to government health facilities but will also sell to private pharmacies and health facilities.

Zulum commended the State House of Assembly for the cordial working relationship with the executive arm.

He said within the last four years, the executive arm sent about 70 bills to both the 9th and 10th Assembly from which most were passed by the House and assented to by him.

Earlier before the governor’s signing of nine bills on Wednesday, Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. AbdulKarim Lawan, said of the nine bills being signed, “three of the Bills were from the 9th Assembly, while six bills were from the 10th Assembly and all these bills were passed by the 10th Assembly.”

The speaker recalled that in the 9th Assembly, the House received a total of 67 bills all of which were passed while other bills were passed by the 10th Assembly.

He commended Governor Zulum for the cordial relationship between the House and the Executive.

Over the past five years, USAID has promoted private sector-led economic growth in Nigeria by facilitating $205 million in debt and equity investments for Nigerian agribusinesses.

This was revealed on Wednesday when the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (“Trade Hub”), hosted a workshop on “Leveraging Private Sector Engagement to Promote Sustainable Impact.”

The two-day event highlights the Trade Hub’s efforts to expand trade and investment opportunities and improve livelihoods and communities in West Africa.

A statement from USAID, noted that Nigeria is the largest economy and market in Africa and has a vast untapped pool of labour, creating great potential for economic growth.

It added that the country has an opportunity to become a leading exporter and hub for the West Africa region and the broader continent.

It started that over the past five years, USAID has promoted private sector-led economic growth in Nigeria by facilitating $205 million in debt and equity investments for Nigerian agribusinesses. USAID has also provided partial risk guarantees that will support up to $120 million in loans to agricultural, health, and renewable energy businesses.

It stresses that, the Trade Hub improves private sector competitiveness with a focus on increasing the agricultural productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers.

The programme has promoted Nigeria and West Africa’s regional and international trade. Using a market-based approach. The project also increases partnerships with firms in various sectors through a co-investment grant facility to improve private sector productivity, profitability, and competitiveness.

Since the Trade Hub was launched in 2019, the project has catalyzed 93 private- sector investments across 16 West African countries. In Nigeria, partners include fruit and cereal processing companies, agricultural input companies, financial advisers, investment firms, and anchor farms. The Trade Hub has awarded $82.6 million in co-investment grants to these companies, generating over $463 million in sales, and creating over 60,000 jobs.

Speaking at the event, USAID’s Acting Mission Director Sara Werth remarked: “Together, with our private sector partners and local and national governments throughout the region, we are so proud of the results we have achieved to date. As we continue to partner in the work necessary for sustainable economic growth, financial inclusion, and climate resilience, today’s learning event provides the environment to fuel continued collaboration and build new connections.”

During the event, private sector partners shared their successes in leveraging Trade Hub funds and direct partnerships with investment firms and other businesses to unlock new private investment. They also discussed the strategies implemented to grow their businesses while navigating challenges and crises such as COVID-19, insecurity, and inflation.