Lagos Govt Lists Markets To Be Demolished

 As part of efforts to maintain safe and healthy environment, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, disclosed that more markets like Jankara, Bombata and Pelewura will be demolished to allow for urban regeneration of the area.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the Governor made this known when he inspected some drainage channels on the Island part of the state.

Sanwo-Olu said: “We have come here on a drainage and regeneration call. The entire stretch of Idumagbo Avenue is always flooded during the rainy season because of human activities, especially from the markets around the area.

“They have built on the canals and prevented the free flow of water, so we need to do a total rebuild.

“Hence, to allow for proper regeneration of the Lagos Island, Jankara and Bombata markets have to go, it will be ground zero. This thus serves as a notice, that the markets will be cleaned to allow our urban regeneration plans. The design for the new market is ready.

“We will, however, give adequate notice to those in Pelewura market because it has more traders, but this serves as the first notice.

“These markets have outgrown and outlived a market in a modern city, so they must give way for urban models.”

Comedian AY Apologises To Davido Over Insensitive Joke

 

Comedian Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has tendered a public apology to Afrobeats singer Davido for making an insensitive joke about him.

AY has been facing backlash after a video of him shading Davido during his recent performance in Warri surfaced on social media.

He made Davido the subject of his joke as he commented on the singer’s multiple baby mamas.

Speaking in the viral video, AY said, “Davido, with his small prick, dey give people belle, belle, belle, belle. With my big Warri prick, 13 years belle no come.”

The joke did not sit well with many netizens who found it offensive and inappropriate, as they criticised him for making such personal and potentially hurtful remarks about the singer.

Following the backlash, AY took to his official Instagram page to tender an apology to Davido.

He wrote, “I am so sorry for telling that joke the way it came out in Warri. I shouldn’t even call it a joke anymore. It wasn’t funny like it was during my tour of Canada and US and you have every right to be angry after seeing how the blogs used it.

“Please know that it is always a learning experience for all of us in the entertainment business. I deserve any backlash coming my way for the joke that was badly delivered. No excuses at all, my Aburo. No reason am. I remain your number one fan, and I love you, @davido.”

Reacting to the apology, Davido took to the AY’s comments section to assure him not to worry.

He wrote: “Nothing spoil baba mi.”

IPOB: We Don’t Want To Exit Nigeria But FG Needs To Dialogue With Us — Igbo Leaders

 

The plot by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to dialogue with the Federal Government over a referendum has been rejected by some Igbo leaders.

Information Nigeria had reported that IPOB announced its intention to negotiate with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government on a peaceful exit of Biafra from Nigeria through a United Nations-supervised referendum.

The peaceful agitation for Biafra Independence started in 2012 without violence or criminality according to IPOB.

It however, claimed that the Federal Government has continued to attack its members.

“IPOB is ready to meet with the Nigeria government any day they are ready for negotiations on the Biafra referendum,” Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson, had said.

However, the South-East leaders who insisted on political dialogue to end agitations, maintained that no sensible Igbo person would want to exit Nigeria.

The leaders include a one-time Ebonyi State Information Commissioner, Abia Onyike; President-General of the Coalition of Southeast Youth Leaders (COSEYL), Goodluck Ibem; political analyst, Williams Iheakolam and an Ohanaeze Ndigbo official as well as an elder statesman, who asked not to be named.

Onyike, who is also the acting secretary-general of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), said it was imperative and urgent for the Federal Government to dialogue with all ethnic nationalities in the country to forge a way forward.

“That (referendum) has always been the view of IPOB, but does the Nigerian Government believe in such (referendum)? The answer is no.

“The problem now is that the right-wing coalition ruling Nigeria does not believe in negotiating with groups agitating for self-determination.

“Nigerian rulers should engage the Igbo and others seeking self-actualisation in dialogue since they have continued to show them that they are second-class citizens in the Nigerian federation.

”There should be a reconstitution of the Nigerian state. We should go away from this monolithic federation for regional autonomy, as was the case in 1960-1966. The present situation is too oppressive and suffocating,” he said.

Ibem of COSEYL said “it is the way Igbo are maltreated that gave rise to agitation.

”If the resources and political positions in the country are evenly spread, nobody sane would wish to exit Nigeria.

”It is because of injustice and unfair treatment that is the bane of separatist struggle all over the world. If things are done well everybody will be happy and feel part of the nation.”

Reacting, Iheakolam said he had submitted on several occasions that the solution to the crisis in the South-East could be solved through “political discussion.”

His words: “I am and have been one of the people who believe that the crisis in the South-East and the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by the DSS will be solved through a political discussion.

“I want to urge the federal lawmakers and governors from the Southeast to cash into the opportunity to push for a discussion between the Federal Government and the IPOB.

“It was the same call that the elder statesman, (Sam) Mbadiwe made when some stakeholders from the southeast visited then President Muhammadu Buhari where he asked Buhari to hand Kanu over to him, which never happened.

”That alone could have helped to quell the agitation, nuisance and bloodletting as seen in the southeast by a splinter IPOB group.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I know, knows that the only solution to the trouble in the South-East will be settled politically.

“The South-East has lost a lot, we need to come to a roundtable regardless of our political and religious affiliations to think the peace of the South-East first.”

The anonymous Ohanaeze official, told The Nation that Ohanaeze had been consistent with calls for the restructuring of Nigeria to end the marginalisation of some sections of the country.

“For us in Ohanaeze, our interest is for a better and equitable Nigeria, where justice and fair play will reign supreme.

“Ndigbo have had and are still having unmitigated hatred from other tribes in Nigeria, as a result of their industry and perseverance.

”So, we believe that a restructured Nigeria will solve some of these. That’s why we are canvassing for restructuring of Nigeria for the collective interest of the people. Any other call is not part of our mandate,” the official said

“We don’t want to exit Nigeria but the way things are being handled in the country, you will wonder if Ndigbo have committed an abominable thing that has made them second-class citizens

”What we need is equity, fairness and justice. Since 1976 till date no Igbo man has occupied any reasonable political position in this country.

“We are not asking for too much, let every political restructuring be balanced,” the elder statesman posited.

Ex-Militants Threaten Crisis As NNPCL Excludes Them From Pipeline Contracts

 

Ex-agitators in the Niger Delta have threatened violence following the alleged refusal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to include Niger Deltans in the award of pipeline maintenance contracts.

The threat was made on Sunday in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Gershom Gbobo; spokesperson, David Tonye Banigo; National Secretary, Johnson Akpobari and National Director, Mobilisation, Goodluck Warikere.

It stated that it was insensitive and provocative for the NNPCL to award pipeline maintenance contracts to only northern companies.

“We will never allow such cheating, marginalisation, injustice, and insensitivity to occur in this new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose mantra remains justice, equity, and fairness.

“The NNPCL should know that its actions and conducts would determine the level of peace in the oil-bearing communities of the Niger Delta. We will not allow this provocative action of awarding pipeline maintenance contracts only to companies owned by northern cabals.

“What happens to all the Niger Delta indigenous companies? No northern company would be allowed to carry out routine maintenance on pipelines located in our territory,” the statement read.

They further warned that it was important for the NNPCL to engage Niger Delta firms “to create jobs for the youths and keep all stakeholders busy.

“We warn that there will be unrest and crisis if NNPCL fails to review this gross injustice. We are sure that international communities will understand that we are fighting for our rights.

“We must be involved in this. This is one contract that can be used to discourage pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta. Why will they give such contracts to people who are not from the region?

“Have they awarded any contract in the North to those of us from the Niger Delta? Is it feasible for us to go to the North and agitate for contracts? We call on Mr President, the National Security Adviser, Secretary to the Federation, and the Chief of Staff to intervene in this and stop this disrespect to our region.

“We are not saying that they should not award contracts to some of those northern companies. What we are saying is that they should award contracts to them in their domains and award contracts to us in our own domains.

“You cannot be taking everything from our environment through pipelines and still deny us the opportunity to maintain those pipelines.”

Meanwhile the NNPC Limited has denied reports that contracts for the rehabilitation of pipelines across the country were awarded to a “northern oil cabal.”

NNPC, on Sunday, said the selection was not conducted solely by the firm, as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) were involved.

“To re-emphasise our commitment to transparency, NNPC subjected the selection process to a competitive tender guided by Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) standards, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission expertise, and the active involvement of a Transaction Advisor.

“We also had representations from NEITI and the Ministry of Justice in the project development team and the evaluation exercise,” a statement signed by the management said.

According to the agency, the report is fallacious and designed to bring the name of the firm into disrepute. The national oil firm said the process was transparent.

“NNPC Limited is deeply committed to adhering to the highest standards of transparency and global best practices in all our activities, and this includes our contracting process. These contracts, which were advertised, were awarded based on rigorous evaluation criteria and in line with industry norms,” the statement reads.

According to the NNPC, 17 oil firms were awarded the pipeline rehabilitation contracts.

The company said the list of the awardees that form a consortium shows that lot one was awarded to Oilserve Ltd, Chu Kong Steel Pipe Group Company Ltd, and Saudi Crown Oilserve.

Lot two, NNPC said, went to MacReady Oil and Gas Services, COBRA Instalicios S.A, Control Y Montajes Industriales & International De Pipelines, Iron Products Industries Ltd, Batelitwin Global Services Ltd, Bauen Empresa Constructora SAU, Sanderton Energy Ltd, and The Spanish National Association of Manufacturers.

Also, lot three was allocated to AA Rano, Zakhem Construction Nigeria, Bablinks Resources Ltd, VAE Controls S.R.O, while lot four was awarded to MRS Oil and Gas, CPPE Nigeria Ltd, according to the statement.

While the contract agreement is based on building, operating and transferring, NNPC said the agreement does not entail the transfer of control of the assets to the companies.

“Our objective is to enhance the integrity and functionality of the pipelines to facilitate the efficient transportation of crude oil to refineries and the distribution of its products across the country,” the oil firm said.

NNPC said it retains ownership of the pipelines, however, the selected partners will finance the rehabilitation.

Wole Soyinka Went To UI But Can’t Tender The Certificate – Don Pedro Obaseki

 

The Director of Researcher and Strategy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Don Pedro Obaseki, has revealed that Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka went to the University of Ibadan (UI) but cannot tender the school’s certificate.

Obaseki argued that Soyinka can not tender the certificate because he was rusticated from the school in the 50s.

The PDP’s chieftain made this known in a statement on Sunday after he was told that a classmate of President Bola Tinubu had come out to testify that the president was his classmate.

In an interview on AIT, Obaseki noted that the main issue is not whether Tinubu attended the Chicago State University or not, but whether he graduated or forged his school certificate.

He added that the school disowned the certificate and even went further to say they had never seen such a certificate before.

According to him: “Look, let me say this: you said he brought somebody that he attended school together; let me just use a very simple example: in the 50s, Prof. Wole Soyinka went to the University of Ibadan, but he cannot tender the University of Ibadan certificate because he was rusticated; he didn’t finish.

“So as a result of that, it is common public knowledge that he attended. It is not whether he attended or whether the person is a female or a male that attended; the issue is the certificate.

“The certificate, as shown in file 26, file 7, of the same deposition The man states clearly that they do not recognise it, and they even went there to say this was the first time during these proceedings that they have seen that certificate.”

Atiku Is Giving False Hope To His Funders, Supporters – Presidency

The Presidency has responded to the new evidence filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, against President Bola Tinubu at the Supreme Court.

Recall that Atiku presented the academic records of President Tinubu as new evidence for consideration in his appeal against the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Speaking with The Punch on the issue, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, accused Atiku of misinforming the public out of desperation and selling lies to galvanize his base.

He said by ignoring last Tuesday’s deposition by the Registrar of Chicago State University, Caleb Westberg, Atiku is selling false hope to his funders and supporters, who are still disappointed in him for losing the February polls.

He said: “What Atiku is doing is simply misinformation out of desperation. He is selling a lie to galvanize his base. He is giving false hope to his funders and supporters.

“We know that he got support from different entities from within and outside Nigeria for his election, and he gave them false hope that he was winning the election.

“Most of his (Abubakar) supporters are disappointed in him that they wasted their money and efforts on him.

“So he’s trying to give those people false hope that he has a chance at the courts. If not, how can he give a different meaning to a deposition to any educated person can understand?

“We’re in the age of alternative truth where people only want to believe the lies they want to believe. And there’s nothing we can do about that. So, Atiku can psyche himself up by giving a psychic victory over nothing. He went to America on a voyage of discovery and came back with nothing.”

He added: “After all, he won’t be the one to decide his own case.

“In fact, just last week, the CJN said the court will not decide tonight on the basis of public opinion but based on the law.

NYSC Certificate Tinubu Submitted To INEC Carries Adekunle, Not Ahmed — Atiku’s Counsel

 

Counsel to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Kalu Kalu, on Thursday has revealed the discrepancy in the name written on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Kalu who spoke on Thursday at a press conference organised by Abubakar in Abuja said the name on the NYSC certificate submitted by the President to the electoral body is Bola Adekunle Tinubu, not Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

His words: “The Chicago State University admission application form has a claim that Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended Government College, Lagos, and graduated in 1970 when indeed the school was established in 1974.

“The same document has it that the owner of that document is a black American, and then the document Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC, he denied having dual citizenship, which means it does not belong to him.“Then, the same document under deposition says that the ‘A’ — Bola A. Tinubu is Ahmed, but the NYSC certificate Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to INEC has Adekunle.”

Kalu also claimed that findings from the deposition at the court showed that the President forged the certificates he presented to INEC.

“That the qualifying certificate from the South-west College to Chicago State University bears a female, indicating that, that document does not belong to Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Abubakar is challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 poll and the tribunal’s judgement that upheld the president’s victory on September 6.

The PDP candidate has consistently alleged that Tinubu’s educational records are fraught with discrepancies and forgeries.

We Can’t Experience Economic Freedom In Africa If Quality Leadership Is Absent — Ezekwesili

 

Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Thursday submitted that Africa cannot achieve economic development if poor governance continues in the continent.

Ezekwesili who spoke during the graduation ceremony of Class of 2023 School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) in Abuja as its founder called for urgent structural transformation of African politics by leaders of thought across governments, private sector and civil society organisations.

While noting that democracy must come with political freedom, Ezekwesili said the rule of law is the cornerstone of economic freedom.

She said: “As you listen to our brothers and sisters from various countries on the continent, you can see that it is a common denominator for Africans to mourn the absence of quality leadership.

“Africa has chosen the path of democracy and if we look at historical numbers, more countries that have enjoyed prosperity have come through the democratic path.

“So, democracy is a very important thing because democracy comes with political freedom.

“With political freedom, there is a rule of law, and that rule of law is the cornerstone of economic freedom. It is economic freedom that leads to the proliferation of ideas, innovations and creativity.

“Competitiveness and productivity are all based on empirical data. So, if we know all those things as evidence abounds, we cannot then sit back and hope that somehow change will come.

“So, if Africans need to transform our politics and we just sit back as citizens, hoping that those who have entrenched poor governance as a matter of political culture will someday fall in the kind of Apostle Paul and have a Damascus experience we will wait forever and that that is not something that this generation should do.”

Afe Babalola Accuses Governors Of Stealing Council Funds

 

Founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has revealed that state governors in Nigeria are misappropriating funds allocated to them.

He accused the governors of misapplying financial allocations to local governments in their domains.

Babalola made this known yesterday in the state’s capital, while declaring open the eighth edition of the Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo.

He lamented that the ‘inactions’ of the governors were limiting the development at the grassroots as well as depriving the people of the benefits that they should access without stress.

The legal icon expressed displeasure with the way governors run the third tier of government.

He said the governors have made the local governments the appendages of the state government, thereby rendering them ineffective.

He subsequently called on President Bola Tinubu to send the local government their allocations directly from the Federation Account.

Babalola explained that this would lead to grassroots development and enhance transparency.

He said: “I am suggesting that local governments should be empowered. Each local government should set up farming equipment for farmers to hire. They should also earmark large hectares of land for the farmers to farm.

“When I was a councillor in those days, local government funds used to come directly to them. We all know what has been happening to their money.

“I think the current President (Bola Tinubu) should do all he can to ensure that local government allocations get to them directly and not through the governors because they (governors) steal a lot.

“There is no parent that will send their children to school – some to Master’s and Ph.D levels – only to come back and be asked to use cutlass to farm.

“The best the government can do now to revive agriculture is to buy modern implements to encourage people to farm. If local government funds get to them, they will be able to buy tractors for the people to rent.”

‘Tinubu’s CSU Certificate Not Fake, You Can Only Forge What You Don’t Have’ – Presidency

 

The Presidency on Wednesday doubled down on its claim that the certificate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was valid.

Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, who made this known via X also posited that the Chicago State University (CSU) confirmed that the president didn’t submit a fake result to INEC.

Ajayi noted that CSU affirmed under oath that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution and that the school does not handle replacements for lost certificates.

“We should be clear.

“In the deposition made by the Chicago State University, there was nowhere the University said the certificate presented to INEC by President Tinubu is fake. The University insisted under oath that President Tinubu graduated with honours and even at that, replacements for lost certificates are done by vendors not the University.

“The claim that President Tinubu submitted fake certificate to INEC does not make sense. A man can not forge the academic records he possesses. You can only forge what you don’t have.”

Following petition by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, CSU had released Tinubu’s academic records on orders of the court.

Atiku had requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery against Tinubu.

House Of Reps. Move To Retrieve N10trn Pension Fund Loaned To FG

 

 

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday resolved to recover N10 trillion pension funds “borrowed” by the Federal Government.

After the adoption of a motion sponsored by Aliyu Misau, lawmaker representing the Misau/Dambam federal constituency of Bauchi, the resolution was passed during plenary.

While moving the motion, Misau said most pensioners are unable to access their retirement funds despite complying with the requirements of the contributory pension scheme.

According to him, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) have not been able to ensure prompt payment of pensioners’ entitlements.

The legislator noted that the N10 trillion pension funds borrowed by the federal government have exposed the contributors to “unnecessary volatility.”

“The pension fund assets which PenCom regulates, being the proceeds of the contributory pension scheme and returns on investment, stood at more than N15.5 trillion as at the close of the first quarter of 2023, hence there is no justification for retirees not to have access to their RSA.

“Critical stakeholders have expressed concern that 65 percent of the pension funds (N10 trillion) loaned to the federal government is an investment which exposes the contributors to unnecessary volatility as the federal government may fail to pay back the loan in due time,” he said.

Misau added that the inability of the pensioners to access their funds has caused “untold hardship to the retirees” as they are unable to afford “even basic necessities.”

The motion was however adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Ben Kalu, Deputy Speaker, who presided over the plenary.

The House subsequently asked PenCom to ensure the “immediate” release of funds for the payment of pensions to all retirees.

The green chamber also mandated the committee on pensions to “scrutinise” the failure of PFAs in “fulfilling their obligations to retirees” in accessing retirement savings.