NIGERIAN NOTCH

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has debunked insinuations suggesting that he would contest against President Bola Tinubu, in the 2027 presidential election. The former Rivers State governor vowed that having worked for the emergence of Tinubu as president, and having been made minister of the FCT, nothing would make him contest against his principal in 2027. The minister who spoke on a live television programme in Abuja yesterday also said good character should never be compromised on the altar of politics. Wike reiterated his commitment to the success of the Tinubu administration, even as he explained that the quest for justice was the key reason he and the G5 group of governors supported the presidential ambition of Tinubu. He stated: “Tinubu made me the FCT minister and I won’t allow anybody to crumble our political structure. No! Tinubu made me minister; people do not understand. I have character. “What will happen in 2027? I stood and

By C. Don Adinuba   In his famous study of leadership, Jim Collins, regarded as one of the most engaging leadership scholars across the globe, states in his book entitled Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, that there are otherwise excellent leaders who have the weakness of not wanting their successors to do very well. They relish being described as indispensable, even after they have left office. You can never hear them say anything positive about their predecessors or successors. But the best and most effective leaders, according to Collins, are those who acknowledge the contributions of others and are professionally competent as well as humble. “I am a giant because I am standing on the shoulders of other persons”, Nelson Mandela, a global hero, used to declare, as documented by his biographer, Martin Meredith, the resourceful historian, and journalist.   The Anambra State government and people demonstrated what Collins calls Level Five lead

After about six hours of deliberations between President Bola Tinubu, Ondo state officials, the All Progressives Congress, APC, members and other stakeholders, the political logjam in Ondo was resolved. The parties converged on Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, on President Tinubu’s invitation yesterday. Recall that the state assembly had served the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, an impeachment notice following alleged gross misconduct. The deputy governor subsequently challenged his impeachment in court. Also, the continued absence of Governor Akeredolu after his return from a medical vacation abroad has further heightened tensions in the state. Supporters of Aiyedatiwa threatened to protest last week if the governor failed to resume. They demanded that in the alternative, Aiyedatiwa be declared acting governor. Notable personalities including the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, and traditional rulers, appealed to the President to intervene. Things came

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Olayemi Cardoso, has said that the apex bank will be asking Deposit Money Banks to increase their capital base in order to service the $1tn economy projected by President Bola Tinubu. This is as he noted that he knew that there was much work to be done in the way the apex bank ran its operations, adding that he would need the collaboration of all stakeholders. Speaking on Friday at the 58th Annual Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in Lagos where he was the special guest of honour, Cardoso said, “In my recent speech at the 370th Bankers’ Committee meeting, I highlighted the economic agenda of the President. The administration has set an ambitious goal of achieving a GDP of $1tn over the next seven years. “Attaining this target necessitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth at a significantly higher pace than current levels. It is crucial to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the

An Indian national, Amit Kumar Uphandhay has been on wanted list of security agencies over an alleged duping of Nigerian pharmaceutical merchants.  Mr. Uphandhay is said to have swindled unsuspecting businessmen a whooping sum of about three million Dollars. The forty six year old Indian swindler, was said to be operating with Future Pharmaceutical Co. Pvt Ltd and Burmit Pharma Pvt Ltd as his business names with the Office Address at No. 502, 5th floor, Tanishka Commercial Premises, Akurli Road, Kandivali, Mumbai. This News medium gathered his last known phone number was said to be +919769877107. According to credible source, "He swindled pharmaceutical merchant based in Kano popularly known as Ejima $750,000. Another pharmaceutical merchant based at head bridge market Onitsha called Paul the sum of $485,000.  He also defrauded another trader at Idumota, Lagos trading in the name of Puremedi pharmaceutical $685,000." a victim revealed. It was also gathered that th

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has charged the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to make good its promise of ensuring the refining of petroleum products locally by the year 2024.  According to Senator Akpabio, local refining would ensure job creation for the teeming youths in the country and ultimately reduce incidents of pipeline vandalization and oil theft that are being experienced in the sector. “I am insisting you deepen the idea of producing what we consume, while we consume what we produce,” he said. Senator Akpabio gave the charge when the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari led management staff of the Company on a courtesy visit to the Senate and assured that the Senate would put in place legislation that would ensure the ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector.  The President of the Senate commended the NNPCL for the achievement in running the Company profitably unlike the past t

The federal government has revoked a total of 1,633 mineral titles after the affected mining companies failed to pay the stipulated administrative fees. The minister of solid minerals development, Dr Dele Alake, who disclosed this during a press briefing yesterday at the ministry’s conference room in Abuja, said that the ministry will immediately dispatch its mining inspectorate department and security agencies to enforce the revocation order to make sure the affected firms do not go back to the mining sites.   He described the service fees in question as peanuts compared to the profit margins of the companies and said their refusal to pay the annual charges was a sign of bad faith. The minister also revealed that the mineral title fees will be reviewed upwards in view of the significant technological and infrastructural investments the government had made in the sector. In the statement he personally signed, Dr Alake explained said the Mining Cadastral Office is the agency

By Declan Emelumba  Senator Uzodimma’s unprecedented landslide victory at the recently held gubernatorial elections in Imo State could not have taken any serious political watcher by surprise. This is for the simple reason that he started working hard for his re-election the very day he was sworn in for the first term as Governor of Imo State on January 2020. The expectations were so high, especially from the populace who saw him as a liberator from the tyranny of the past. Having also fought a tortuous legal battle to reclaim his filched mandate, Governor Hope Uzodimma knew that he had to post a spectacular performance to sustain the confidence of the people and erase any doubt concerning his integrity and capacity to govern. It was, therefore, not surprising that he hit the ground running by swiftly tackling the developmental challenges facing the state. From a decayed civil service to decrepit infrastructure, especially roads, Uzodimma moved swiftly to recover the years

The N275 billion loan facilities promised the manufacturing and MSMEs sectors are yet to commence. President Bola Tinubu had in August approved the release of over N275 billion for the immediate resuscitation of the manufacturing sector and the Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). He said the move was to strengthen the manufacturing sector, increase its capacity to expand and create good paying jobs. He added that the federal government would spend N75 billion between July 2023 and March 2024. The objective, he said, was to fund 75 enterprises with great potential to kick-start sustainable economic growth, accelerate structural transformation and improve productivity. Each of the 75 manufacturing enterprises will be able to access N1 billion credit at 9 per cent per annum with maximum of 60 months repayment for long term loans and 12 months for working capital. However, a source in the government informed our reporter last night that the Small and Medium Enter

The federal government has expressed its readiness and openness to restoring the production of the Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245, also known as Malabu Oil Well, in order to boost Nigeria’s crude oil output. This is as Italy’s Eni (ENI.MI), yesterday, suspended arbitration regarding an oilfield dispute with the Nigerian government, buying time to hold a conversion on the licence from prospecting to mining, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The suspension is coming barely three days after Nigeria withdrew civil claims totalling $1.1 billion against Eni related to allegations of corruption in the OPL 245 deal. Recall that the federal government is now ready to benefit from what is considered one of the juiciest oil blocks in Africa, the controversial OPL 245, for the first time in 25 years in a bid to ramp up Nigeria’s oil production output. The oil block is estimated to hold over nine billion barrels of crude oil, nearly a quarter of the nation’s t

The Director of Press and Information of the Apex Court, Dr Akande Festus, made this known in a press statement he issued on Sunday in Abuja. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will swear-in 58 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on Monday, November 27, 2023, at the main Courtroom of the Supreme Court, as part of the programmes lined up for the 2023/2024 legal year of the Court. In line with the age-long tradition, the CJN, will, during the special court session, deliver a state-of-the Judiciary address that would highlight the performance of the Apex Court and the Nigerian Judiciary in general in the 2022/2023 legal year. The Director of Press and Information of the Apex Court, Dr Akande Festus made this known in a press statement he issued on Sunday in Abuja. According to him, other leading stakeholders in the Justice Sector will present speeches bordering on the state of the justice sector of the country at the occasion. They include the At

Liberian president and football legend George Weah has conceded defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai after a tight presidential run-off, saying it was “time to put national interest above personal interest.” Latest results yesterday showed Boakai leading with nearly 51 percent of the votes in  Africa’s oldest republic. “The results announced tonight, though not final, indicate that… Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass,” Weah said in a speech on national radio late Friday. He said his CDC party had lost the election but Liberia had won, adding: “This is the time for graciousness in defeat.” The 78-year-old Boakai lost to Weah, 57, by a large margin in the second-round presidential vote in 2017. With more than 99.5 percent of the polling stations reporting vote tallies after Tuesday’s second-round vote, Boakai had garnered 50.89 percent of ballots cast, according to the election commission.

The Nnewi Vigilante Group yesterday in Nnewi nabbed a set of young men who are suspected to be members of s criminal syndicate at Obiofia Nnewichi. This is line with it's mandate to keep the Industrial city free of criminal elements as we approach the festive season.  The operation which kicked off on Sunday yielded positive results with the arrest of over thirty suspected criminals elements on two buildings at Obiofia Nnewichi. The successful raid also led to the arrest of the suspects and some young girls that have been allegedly exploited by them. Also found during the raid were charms, mobile phones and dozens of sim cards allegedly used by the suspects for their operations.  The suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. Also, the building where they live have been sealed by the Nnewi Vigilante Group in order to enable further investigation on the incident.

There is uneasy calm in Enugu State following intelligence reports that the State High Court Two in the coal city, with Justice Romanus O. Odugu presiding, is contemplating the release of the two key suspects in a high-profile murder case.   A dismissed police inspector, Daniel Dennis, 47, and an Enugu-based land commission agent, Chief Moses Nnamani, 57, have been charged before Justice Odugu with the gruesome murder of the traditional ruler of Oruku in Nkanu East Local Government Area, Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebere Mba, on December 26, 2020.   Their application for bail is coming up on Tuesday, and there are fears that it may be granted, despite the gravity of the charges against them.   A bail request granted to two other suspects in the murder, Onyema Ede and Chikadibia Okenwa, last year was followed by arson attacks on the houses of two brothers from the community, Ejike and Agozie Ani, who are opposed to the murder suspects.   The houses were burnt to the ground on Decembe

The governor said he has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has described as a temporary setback, the verdict of an Appeal Court which sacked him as governor of the state. In a statement through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, the governor said the “temporary setback” won’t deter him from repositioning the state on the path of unity, peace and progress. The governor admonished citizens of the state and supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to remain calm and assured them that as God remains on the throne, his mandate will be preserved and protected. The governor said he has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. “He expressed strong optimism that the mandate overwhelmingly given to him by the people of Plateau State would be restored, as he has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court,” the statement partly read. Meanwhile,

Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite has implored the Institute of Directors (IoD) and other stakeholders in the business community to work to promote a culture of good governance that will help build a diversified and resilient economy that benefits all Nigerians. Speaking on “Driving Nigeria's Economic Transformation and Diversification Through Corporate Governance” at the 2023 Annual Directors Conference in Abuja, the minister reminded the institute of its role in promoting good corporate governance practices in the country. “As directors, we must lead by example and uphold the highest standards of ethical behaviour and accountability. We must ensure that our companies operate with transparency and adhere to the principles of good corporate governance”, she stated. She emphasised that good corporate governance is essential for driving economic growth and diversification as it provides a stable and transparent business environment that encour