A cleric, Prophet Isaac Moses, has urged Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, not to contest for the 2023 presidency against former Lagos Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The cleric, of the Amazing Revelation Divine Ministry Suleja, Niger State, said this would be tantamount to betrayal to Tinubu, who he described as the Vice President’s mentor.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Thursday, Moses said any attempt by Osinbajo to turn his back against Tinubu could spell the end of his political career.
Ahead of next year’s presidential election, Tinubu has openly declared his intention to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
With his quest gathering momentum, there has been a clamour in some quarters for Osinbajo to join in the race.
Osinbajo, an Ogun-born Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has further fuelled speculations by playing his cards close to his chest, with political observers suggesting that he would eventually join the race.
“Osinbajo is one of us. He is loved and respected in the Christian body. We see him as an epitome of holiness. However, recent happenings have given us serious cause for concern.
“For example, he has failed to out-rightly deny nurturing a presidential ambition. This is un-Christly. By now, he should have cleared the air. But if he wants to carry on with this ‘list ’ for power, I am sorry for him.
“Tinubu, despite being a Muslim, has been the pillar on which Osinbajo stood on over the years. It will be suicidal to go against him. I repeat, it is a suicide mission.
“Osinbajo’s time will come. He shouldn’t jeopardize God’s purposes for his life. He makes all things beautiful in his time,” Moses said.
An ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva over state of Nigeria’s refineries in the country.
Finance Minister – Zainab Ahmed
Others invited include Director General of Budget Office and the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency International
The committee, which is chaired by a member of the All Progressives Congress has been mandated by the House to investigate why the refineries have failed to work despite gulping huge sums on TAM over the years.
This summon follows the committee’s refusal to give audience to ministers’ representatives.
The Nigerian Ports Authority on Thursday said that 22 ships at the Lagos Port Complex were discharging petrol and other products.
Lagos Deep Sea Port
The NPA, in its daily Shipping Position, said that the ships were discharging bulk wheat, general cargo, container, frozen fish, ethanol, automobile gasoline, base oil, butane gas, bulk urea, and petrol.
The authority said that 26 other ships were expected to arrive at the port between March 23 and April 10.
It listed the expected items as bulk wheat, general cargo, frozen fish, bulk sugar, butane gas, bulk gypsum, bulk salt, automobile gasoline, petrol, and containers.
It indicated that eight others had arrived at the ports waiting to berth with bulk wheat, container, base oil, petrol, and bulk sugar.
Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said borrowings by countries to finance budget deficits and critical infrastructure is not necessarily a bad idea.
Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha
The DG disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos, while speaking during an awareness programme on security issuance organised by the Debt Management Office (DMO).
According to her, government borrowings were done by all countries across the world, mostly to finance critical infrastructure, the multiplier effects of which could not be overemphasised.
Oniha reckoned that successive Nigerian governments have had to recourse to borrowing to fund budget deficits, adding that annual budgets would be affected if funds were not raised to support them.
“The issue of debt has become topical in Nigeria that sometimes it almost looks as if borrowing is an offence or a crime. The first thing we must understand is that countries across the world borrow, be it poor countries, advanced countries, developed countries, emerging markets, they all borrow.
“We usually hear complaints that debt levels are rising in Nigeria. Globally, debt levels are rising – not just in Nigeria,” she remarked, stressing that the advent of COVID-19 had also made borrowing imperative for many countries, regardless of size, population, or economic growth.
“What has happened with COVID-19 is that countries needed to spend more, not only on health needs but on social needs as well, because we need to take care of the people who are losing their jobs. We need to create incentives for the private sector to continue operating in order to avoid a big recession because most countries experienced (recession).
“We did as well, but we came out of it after two quarters. Government spending is one of the tools you can use properly to exit a recession,” she affirmed.
The DMO boss clearly made a case for the Federal Republic of Nigeria with regards to financing budget deficits, financing specific projects and services like railways, roads, airports, et al., opining that infrastructural financing is in “itself an economy”, capable of creating enormous jobs across all sectors in the country.
“We also borrow to finance maturing loan obligations like the Federal Government of Nigeria bonds and Nigeria Treasury Bills,” Oniha said, observing, however, certain statutory norms regulating government’s borrowings at various levels and guarding against fiscal impropriety arising from the process.
“The Fiscal Responsibility Act states that borrowing should be for capital purposes and for human capital development.
“The DMO Act is also clear, especially on external borrowings. No arm of government can borrow on its own. It has to conform with those provisions and pass through the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly,” the DG spotted.
Recently, some stakeholders in Nigeria have raised a stink over the country’s rising debt profile, with some sending strong notes of an ‘impending storm’, as food prices soar even annoyingly higher to the chagrin of the masses, whilst the nation keeps lumbering to meet its local demand for food, staggered by inadequacies, insecurities and most recently the Russia-Ukraine global crisis, which had led to a surge in food prices in most parts of the world.
The DMO had earlier revealed that the country’s total debt stock as of December 2021, was pegged at a whopping N39.55 trillion, vaticinated to hit N45 trillion 2022, just as the government planned to borrow an additional N6.39 trillion to finance the 2022 budget deficit.
Oniha had explained that the overall deficit in the 2022 budget was N6.30 trillion, representing 3.46 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
She observed that the budget deficit was to be financed mainly by borrowings from both domestic and foreign sources including privatisation proceeds.
“About N2.57 trillion will come from domestic sources; N2.57 trillion from foreign sources; N1.16 trillion from multilateral and bilateral loan drawdowns, and N90.7 billion from privatisation proceeds,’’ she revealed.
Chelsea will be allowed to sell tickets to away games, cup matches and fixtures involving the women’s team after the UK government made alterations to the club’s special licence.
Chelsea Football Club
The club have been unable to sell tickets since owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the government as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Under the changed licence, proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the Premier League and then be distributed to the relevant party.
As part of the licence changes Roman Abramovich’s company Fordstam Ltd was to pay £30m into Chelsea for its running costs.
The move means Chelsea will be able to sell tickets for their home Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on 6 April and the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on the weekend of 16 April against Crystal Palace.
Away fans can buy tickets for Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, with revenue going to the Premier League.
Chelsea’s next Women’s Super League game is on 3 April at Kingsmeadow against Reading.
Chelsea have requested that any money generated by ticket sales, which the club would have usually received, be donated to victims of the war in Ukraine and the Premier League said that “beneficiary charities will be announced in due course after consultation with the club”.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said: “I would like to thank fans for their patience while we have engaged with the football authorities to make this possible.
“Since Roman Abramovich was added to the UK’s sanctions list for his links to [Russian president] Vladimir Putin we have worked extensively to ensure the club can continue to play football while ensuring the sanctions regime continues to be enforced.”
While only Chelsea season-ticket holders and those fans who bought tickets before the sanctions can attend Premier League home games, the government said an exception had been made for the WSL as “there is a risk of empty stands for these matches”.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said it would “urgently seek clarification” over why members cannot buy tickets for home Premier League fixtures, calling the situation “illogical and unfounded”.
Chelsea fans can purchase tickets for away fixtures, with any revenue going to the host team.
Ticket sales from FA Cup and Champions League matches will go “via the Premier League to the relevant competition organiser or home club rather than Chelsea FC in order to remain compliant with current sanctions”.
Chelsea face Arsenal away in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final on 17 April and their ticket sales for that competition will go to the Football Association.
The government’s sanctions were intended to prevent Russian businessman Abramovich from making any money from Chelsea and his attempt to sell the Premier League club was halted when his assets were frozen.
Abramovich put the club up for sale on 2 March, five days after Russia invaded Ukraine.
American investment firm Raine Group has been tasked with selling Chelsea and the government is expected to issue another new licence, allowing the club to be sold, once a preferred buyer had been highlighted.
Six groups have made public that they have made offers for the club and and it is hoped that a shortlist of about three or four can be achieved this week.
There is no timescale for when any deal might be completed, however, with an already complex process being increased by fierce competition between consortiums with at least two reported to have increased their bids last weekend.
It is understood Chelsea are also involved in choosing the shortlist and will have the final say on who buys the club while Abramovich can also be involved in choosing the winning bid, despite being disqualified as a director by the Premier League.
The six bids made public include a consortium involving the Ricketts family, who own the Chicago Cubs, a group involving LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and another which includes former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton and Lord Coe.
Other consortiums include British property investor Nick Candy, who increased his initial £2bn bid, and global investment firm Centricus. Reports have suggested that Saudi Media Group lodged a bid, while there has also been reported interest from New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
The Ghana Football Association has called the Super Eagles of Nigeria “little boys” who always tend to act like big boys.
This was postulated by the Ghana Football Association as a comment to the coming 2022 World Cup qualifier slated for Friday between both countries.
Kurt Okraku revealed in an interview that he is confident that the Black Stars of Ghana will emerge winners in the game.
He told Joy Sports in an interview,
“It’s that time of the year where every Ghanaian will have to stand up and be counted. It’s that time of the year where our country’s pride is at stake,”
“It’s that time of the year where Ghana must be at the Mundial, but before we do that, we have a common foe, the Super Eagles of Nigeria. They come across as our little babies, but they pretend to be the big boys.”
The second leg of the match will take place on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja.
Recall that Sunday Dare, the Sports Minister of Nigeria said that Nigeria will come out victorious.
“We’re not going to play a draw in Ghana, honestly. We’ll beat the sh*t out of them,” Dare said in a video that has gone viral.
“These guys should just go out, there’s insurance to their next match. There’s insurance there and there’s insurance here.”
A 33-year-old tailor Lucy Jacob, who allegedly sold her customer’s lace materials worth N65,000, on Thursday appeared before a Kaduna Magistrates’ Court.
The defendant, who resides at Sabon Tasha, Kaduna is charged with breach of trust and cheating.
The Prosecution Counsel, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the complainant, Ms Sarah Victor took her lace materials worth N65,000 to the defendant’s shop in December of 202, but the defendant sold the materials.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendant, who promised to refund the money in installments, however, reneged on his promise.
Leo told the court that during a police investigation, the defendant allegedly confessed to have sold the material to another customer.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes the provision of sections 339 and 321 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with two responsible sureties, who must show evidence of tax payment.
Former West African leaders under the auspices of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) have called on political leaders in Africa to address security challenges in their countries and strengthen democratic institutions to enhance good governance and economic development in the sub-region.
The leaders who spoke at a strategy meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday stated that for democracy to endure it must yield basic public goods to its citizens.
Chairman of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation and convener of the forum, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in his opening speech expressed concern over the recurring military intervention in West Africa, adding that the forum is poised to actively engage key stakeholders to stem the tide of regression of democracy in the sub-region.
He said: “The sustainability of democracy in West Africa is key to resolving many of our challenges. I, therefore, appeal to all our leaders across our nations to make democracy work for the interest of all citizens.
“This is why we need to continually advocate for the strengthening of our democratic institutions. Strong institutions are the pillars for the sustenance of our democracy and the development of our nations”.
Dr. Jonathan also clarified that the forum was set up to complement the efforts of Governments and international organizations in a bid to promote peace and good governance in the sub-region.
He said further: “As stakeholders, we must therefore help in this regard and fashion out the best approach towards the strengthening of our political systems.
“Let me re-emphasize the point that is often made that for democracy to endure, it must yield basic public goods to its citizens. These include economic development, good social services, freedom, justice, peace, and security.
“This underscores the place of good governance in our discourse of democracy. Democracy losses its meaning if it does not guarantee the economic status and social security of the citizens.
“Today, we must interrogate some fundamental issues such as recurring military intervention, democracy, and good governance, peace and security, economic development as well as human trafficking in our sub-region”.
Wealth Dickson Ominabo,
Communications Officer, Goodluck Jonathan Foundation said in a statement that former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who joined virtually in his intervention called for a proactive strategy to forestall political crises in the region, adding that early warning signs should be leveraged to prevent degeneration of tenuous situations.
His words: “I believe that we need a proactive strategy and a reactive strategy. When we open our eyes we can see what is going on in most cases. We know what the end will be and we fold our hands until the inevitable happens, then we start shedding crocodile tears.”
He added that elected leaders should not manipulate the system to go beyond their constitutional term limits to avoid plunging their nations into avoidable crises.
Former President of Sierra Leon, Ernest Bai Koroma in his remarks noted that the region was “experiencing a reversal in gains made over the decades”, stressing that the forum should come up with proposals that would address our situation.
Similarly, former Prime Minister of Senegal, Aminata Toure in her address stressed the need to focus on the prevention of election-related violence and charged the forum to set up a task force that would follow up on elections to prevent electoral violence.
“Most of the time we have a standoff between the government and the opposition and the civil society is not really equipped enough to handle these issues. Let’s build a network of conflict prevention. We need a network of people that can alert and signal on potential issues and talk about our problems before our problems deteriorate.“
Former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo called on ECOWAS to be more visible in the management of political crises, stating that such disposition would improve the credibility of ECOWAS.
There was pandemonium at Kuchingoro community yesterday as several officers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Taskforce who were in the community to continue the ongoing clean-up of the Airport Road were attacked by hoodlums.
The attackers were armed with stones, cutlasses, knives and other dangerous weapons.
Five of the officers of the task force were however not lucky as they sustained various degrees of injury, while 10 suspects were arrested and handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.
The senior special assistant on monitoring, inspection and enforcement to FCT minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah, who was among the officers who escaped unhurt, said the hoodlums were angered that the shanties and illegal structures housing them under electric high-tension installations were demolished.
Attah said the task force would not be deterred by the serial attacks by those opposed to the enforcement of orders and regulations to make Abuja a model city.
He said, “We came here to remove illegal structures that are painted Airport Road in a bad light, we were clearing the roadsides of traders, Okada riders, all of a sudden, some hoodlums appeared and started throwing stones.
“We were able to push them back because we have to clean up the roads. Unfortunately, about five of our personnel sustained various degrees of injury from the stones that hit them,” Attah said.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has asked the All Progressives Congress to refund the monies used in purchasing forms to aspirants who step down and embrace consensus ahead of the Saturday convention.
President Buhari
Buhari said this during a meeting with APC governors in Abuja on Wednesday, adding that the governors should ensure that all persons seeking office into the National Working Committee emerge through consensus.
The President subsequently gave the governors 24 hours to draw up a list of the candidates for all positions ahead of the convention.
He stated, “I have already given my own input and other recommendations on the way forward in both my February 25, 2022 meeting with the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee and my March 13, 2022 letter to the chairman of the APC Governors Forum.
“Your Excellencies. With the convention only two days away I implore you to come together and sort out all the remaining party positions so that within the next 24 hours we can arrive at a unity list which we can take to the convention.
“Finally all those who have bought forms indicating interest and have been dropped should have their money refunded without delay.”
Buhari specifically told the governors to put the interest of the party ahead of theirs as it would be disastrous for the Peoples Democratic Party to return to power in 2023.
The President said the APC had done considerably well in the last seven years despite the economic challenges.
He called for unity among the governors, adding that this was the surest path to victory.
Buhari added, “It will be a very sad and regrettable development if these manifest gains are frittered away as a result of internal dissent and rivalry. We must avoid narrow focus and inordinate personal ambitions at the expense of our party’s common good. We must stop frivolous and diversionary litigation when the party’s reconciliation processes are available for settling disputes.
“We must restore sanity and purpose in the affairs of our party and lead ourselves to victory and safety.
“As I remarked when I met Your Excellencies on February 22, our aim must be to hand over to an APC government at the centre and the great majority of states. We must not, by default, allow the PDP to get its dirty hands on the Government again and return us to the Stone Age.”
Apart from the national chairman, other positions the governors will need to pick and include on the unity list include: deputy national chairman, zonal chairman, national secretary, deputy national secretary; the national vice chairmen of the six zones, national organising secretary, national legal adviser, national financial secretary, national welfare secretary, national treasurer, national publicity secretary, national auditor, national women leader, national youth leader and leader of persons living with disabilities.
Others are: deputy national financial secretary, deputy national legal adviser, deputy national treasurer, deputy welfare secretary, deputy national publicity secretary, deputy national auditor, deputy national women leader, deputy national youth leader, the zonal secretaries of the six zones, zonal youth leaders in the six zones, zonal organising secretaries across all zones and the six ex-officio members.
Abia State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, has expressed concern over what he described...
