State of the Nation: Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum Calls for Urgent Action

Worried by the growing spate of insecurity and mass suffering that is largely caused by recent economic policies of government, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have called on president Bola Tinubu to take urgent steps to stem the slide into anarchy. Rising from their meeting convened in Abuja on wednesday, the group also reminded the president of what they referred to as his democratic posture and urged him to commence measures aimed at reconstructing the polity. The meeting chaired by Chief Dr. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, CON, saw the participation of prominent figures including Chief Ayo Adebanjo of Afenifere, Chief Engr (Dr) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Pogu Bitrus of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, National Chairman of PANDEF, among others. Discussions at the meeting centred primarily on the state of the Nigerian nation, the national economy, and the escalating insecurity plaguing various regions of the country. The leaders expressed deep concern over the continued fracture and retrogression of the nation due to what they termed as a faulty federal system. Specifically, the SMBLF called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to demonstrate leadership in championing the cause of true federalism, citing his past advocacy efforts in this regard. They urged President Tinubu to initiate the process of constitutional amendment by implementing both the 2014 National Conference Report and the El Rufai Committee Report on True Federalism of 2018. While addressing the rising insecurity, the forum noted with alarm the pervasive threat posed by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements across the country. They decried the deteriorating security situation in states such as Plateau, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, and the FCT, calling on the federal government to take decisive action to safeguard citizens’ lives and property. Furthermore, the SMBLF emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s security architecture, advocating for increased federal government support for state and community policing efforts, condemneding the recent formation of an ethnic militia by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in Nasarawa State, stating that the action could escalate ethnic tensions and undermine national unity. On the economic front, the forum highlighted the worsening poverty levels in the country, which they described as a significant threat to the federation’s stability. They called on President Tinubu and his administration to devise practical solutions to address the economic challenges facing Nigerians, particularly in light of the steep depreciation of the Nigerian Naira. Additionally, the SMBLF addressed the situation of Nnamdi Kanu, condemning his continued incarceration and its implications for peace and security in the Southeast. They urged President Tinubu to uphold the rule of law and ensure the obedience of all court rulings concerning Kanu’s case. The forum also expressed concerns about the political situation in Rivers State, urging President Tinubu to review decisions to ensure compliance with the constitution and foster lasting peace in the state. Finally, the SMBLF discussed recent developments in neighboring West African countries, calling on President Tinubu to take proactive steps to promote unity and welfare within the region. In conclusion, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum reiterated its commitment to national unity, peace, equity, fairness, and justice, underscoring the importance of addressing these critical issues for the nation’s progress.

Police Arrests Woman Over Protests In Niger

The Niger State Police Command has arrested three women and 22 youths for leading the protest in Minna, claiming that the women-led other people to disrupt the peace of the state capital. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the leader of the women, Aisha Jibrin mobilized other women and miscreants to block the Minna-Bida road and Kpakungun roundabout leading to disruption of law and order. Abiodun said that the protesters had deliberately refused to clear the road for public use despite the presence of Police patrol teams led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Shehu Umar Didango, and the presence of the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba. The PPRO further said that despite these personalities, the protesters turned deaf ears and chose to be violent leading the police to adopt minimum force to disperse the protesters. He said: “The Police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the Police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof. “In the course of this, the Police arrested the initiator of the protest, one Aisha Jibrin aged 30 years, Fatima Aliyu aged 57 years, Fatima Isyaku aged 43 years all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna, and twenty-two other miscreants with the following dangerous weapons; a bench and a stick used as a barricade, three knives, one scissors, one cutlass, one saw blade, one iron pipe, four other sticks, two wraps of Indian hemp and charms.” The Initiator of the protest, Aisha Jibrin while defending herself said that her actions were not illegal as she believed that the plight of the hardship they are going through should be heard. She said that she never intended it to be a violent protest as she informed one youth leader whom she called Hassan in the community who was given the task to inform the Police about their plan to protest adding that she did not know that he did not inform the police. Jibrin defended herself saying that there is too much hunger in the land for the people to keep quiet about. However, the Police have declared Aisha’s mobilization of over 100 women and youths whom they called miscreants to block the highway for the protest was illegal The PPRO said that all suspects were taken to the State CID for investigation after which they will be charged to court for prosecution adding that effort is ongoing to arrest other identified members of the violent protest. In a related development, the Niger State House of Assembly directed the state government to provide palliatives to the most vulnerable members of society to forestall future protests which may be hijacked. The legislators noted that the women protested against the high cost of living in the society and inadequate response from the government compelled them to block the main roads to draw the attention of the government.

Nigerian Governors gift  N200m to Super Eagles

Nigerian Governors under the umbrella of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) have doled out N200 million to the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their Semi Final clash against South Africa. Minister of Sports, Sen. John Owan Enoh on Wednesday made this known in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Diana-Mary Nsan. The Minister commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Chairman of the Forum, including all members for the swift response, after he raised the need to motivate the team ahead of their semifinal clash. Enoh confirmed that the N200m has already been redeemed to the players by the Forum. “I want to thank the Progressive Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Uzodimma of Imo for galvanising and redeeming the sum of N200 million to the Super Eagles. “The Super Eagles have shown immense commitment and tenacity through every match, this shows that they are on the path to conquer the continent again and bring home the coveted Cup of Nations. “Therefore, we must rally support for them because upon their shoulders lie the enormous responsibility to make Nigeria our great Nation proud,” Enoh said. Nigeria will on Wednesday (today) take on perennial rivals, Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the Stade de la Paix, Bouake by 6 pm (Nigerian time) at the on-going 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. The match will be a repeat of the 2000 AFCON semi-finals in Lagos, which saw Nigeria defeat South Africa 2-0. Also in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, Nigeria again showed superiority by eliminating the Bafana Bafana 2-1 in the quarter -final stage.

Afdb Injects$540 Million into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones

Oyo, Cross River, and Imo, along with four other states and the Federal Capital Territory, are set to receive the initial disbursement of $540 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The funds aim to propel the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the nation. Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, revealed the development during a report presentation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.  The SAPZs initiative seeks to transform Nigeria’s rural areas into hubs of economic prosperity. This news follows a promise made by Adesina to President Bola Tinubu, announcing a $520 million investment in the zones during a summit in Paris in June 2023.  The first phase is already underway, with Kaduna, Oyo, and Cross River States in the process of receiving disbursements. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka emphasized the importance of private-sector involvement, stating, “It is a government-enabled project but private-sector driven.” The first phase involves seven states: Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. Vice President Kashim Shettima urged swift action, emphasizing the need for both the government and development partners to turn plans into reality. The three mentioned states will be the initial beneficiaries of phase one, with others to follow as documentation concludes. In a related report on the revitalization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation proposed a comprehensive recovery plan.  This plan includes rehabilitating, modernizing, and expanding the integrated steel plant, transforming it into strategic business units. VP Shettima stressed the urgency for concrete actions, declaring, “We have passed the age of talking; we must walk the talk.”  He emphasized the necessity of realizing the vision of President Tinubu and cited examples of successful industrial transformations, urging determination and collective effort to bring positive change to Nigeria.

‘Open Food Reserve, There Is Hunger In Nigeria’ – Reps Urge FG

The House of Representatives has decried the state of hunger currently in Nigeria, appealing to the Federal Government to promptly unlock the food reserves and allocate grains to impoverished citizens. Doing so, the lawmakers believe, will address the prevailing hunger crisis in the country. The call was after the approval of a motion of utmost national significance, put forth by the elected representative of Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency in Ogun State, Ibrahim Isiaka. Isiaka, taking charge of the discussion, highlighted the challenging nature of the cost of living for Nigerians. He expressed his concern over the escalating price of cement, despite having access to all the necessary raw materials for its production. He said, “The House resolves to urge the Federal Government and stakeholders to immediately open the food reserves to address the hunger in our country,” the Lawmaker said. He also called on the apex government to boost food production and distribution.

Revenue Target: Senate Urges Customs to Aim Higher

Worried by the dire state of the Nigerian economy, the Senate has ordered the Customs Service to jack up its revenue target currently at N5.079 trillion to a higher value by mid-2024. Members of the upper legislative chamber insisted that this measure must be adhered to if the federal government hopes to wean itself of further borrowing. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Isah Jibrin stated this, Monday at a crucial meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi and top management of the revenue agency. He said, “first of all, Nigeria is saddled with a lot of debt obligations, and we need to wriggle ourselves out of that trap, and one of the ways to do that is internally generated revenue. Customs is one of the major providers of internally generated revenue, and as it is today, we expect them to play one of the major roles in this drive to reduce our debt burden. “We need to pay off what we are owing now and minimize additional loans we are going to take. Customs is in a very good position, if they are able to block all perceived leakages, they should be able to generate significant amount of income that will enable Nigeria get out of debt, at least partially. On concessions given to some sectors of the economy for example, agriculture, the Kogi East senator said it is for those who are into agricultural services, those who are into solid minerals and those whose services have direct impact on the economy. “If somebody is bringing agricultural equipment into the economy and you try to take something out of that person in a way of import duty, that will discourage the person, and that is what we are saying. It is not that anybody took that money or custom compromised in the course of their services. “Concessions were in the interest of Nigeria to encourage importers who are going into specific areas in the economy. There is a trade-off here between importers and the country, particularly the things you think you are generating. Talking about the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, which he described as “very high”, Senator Jibrin said “Customs is not the only employer of Labour. They can only employ the number they believe they can adequately take care of, and we are putting them under pressure to exceed the 1,600 benchmark. “We may not get beyond 2000, but for sure, we will get 1,6000 and like we all know, there are so many unemployed Nigerians out there, I will always say, it is difficult for the Nigeria Customs Service to absorb all unemployed Nigerians, but they can only employ those they can. Answering questions from the law makers, the CG, NCS also disclosed that the service is seeking approval from government to allow them give waivers to owners of smuggled cars to allow them regularise their payment of Customs duties. He said the approval is given they could say that within a window, say within 3 months, if you are in possession of vehicles that were illegally imported into the country or that have not paid duties, you have this opportunity to go to Customs House for assessment and payment of duties. This he said will be done after adequate publicity so that those who find themselves in such a situation can get their vehicles regularise through payment of duties. On the naira exchange rate, Adeniyi said he is equally pained by the volatility in the exchange rate regime. In fact, even if it stays high and people can predict that this is what it will take me to clear, perhaps it is not particularly too bad, but when it is so volatile, today it is X, tomorrow it is X+10, X+20, it does not make for adequate planning and things like that. “Correctly, it 8s the mandate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to fix the rate, either the one we use during Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF or the one we use for importation or the one used for payment of Customs duties. I have been in discussions with my minister. Perhaps what you are going to advocate is that there would be a meeting point between authorities of government that are in charge of monetary policy and those in charge of fiscal policies. “Personally, what I think we can do is to get a spot rate for a period of time. We can agree that for Q,Y 2024, this will be the spot rate for payment of Customs duties; we could say for the first half of the year”, he said.

Iconic Cultural Figure Jimi Solanke Passes Away at 82

The Nigerian entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning following the sudden demise of the consumate story teller and iconic cultural figure, Mr. Jiminy Solanke. The 82-year-old dramatist, folk singer, playwright, and poet has passed away after a brief illness this Monday, February 5. The veteran artist who left an indelible mark on the global entertainment scene breathed his last en-route to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. Born on July 4, 1942, in Ipara Remo, Solanke’s artistic journey commenced with the Orisun Theatre Group, founded by the eminent Wole Soyinka in 1961. Over seven decades, his contributions resonated from Western Nigeria Television to international festivals in Senegal and Algeria during the 1970s. Solanke’s versatility illuminated through memorable performances like “Death and the King’s Horseman,” “Kurunmi,” “Kongi’s Harvest,” “The Divorce,” and “Ovaramwen Nogbaisi,” earning him acclaim on both local and international stages. Fondly known as Baba Agba, Solanke was more than an actor – he embodied the essence of a quintessential songwriter, performer, visual artist, and storytelling maestro. Praised for being “a better singer than an actor,” he seamlessly intertwined acting prowess with musical brilliance. His influence extended beyond the limelight as Solanke founded and directed Ibudo Asa in Ipara Remo, leaving a lasting legacy. Survived by his wife, Chief Mrs. Toyin Solanke, his departure signifies the end of a significant era in Nigerian entertainment, leaving a void that echoes globally. Jimi Solanke’s remarkable impact on African arts will be remembered as a profound contribution to the cultural heritage of the nation.

Youths and Social Devpt Minister calls for Staff Welfare

Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, Youth Development Minister has appealed to the Permanent Secretary and the top management of the ministry to prioritize the welfare of the staff, ensure that all allowances are paid on time and ensure that workers are enabled to work at optimal level. The minister made the call this Monday, Abuja, while conducting the ministry’s first top management monthly statutory meeting. She said the ministry is one family working together for a common goal, which is to ensure that the interest of the Nigerian Youths are protected and their needs provided. Speaking further, she said, “One philosopher said that if you want to go far, you go together, but if you want to go fast, then you go alone. “We understand the importance of teamwork, and we want to foster the spirit of it here in our ministry,” she admonished. Speaking further, she said, “We are expecting a periodic update from all the departments on progress of their activities, while at that we should always know that our day to day actions here will determine the fate and future of this country”. Earlier, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayojide Olawale, expressed his appreciation to the staff for their co-oporation so far and prayed that their efforts shall be crowned with resounding success. He enjoined them to always try as much as possible and, to the best of their ability, do the right thing at the right time. Dr Dunoma Ahmed Umar, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry explained that the reason for the management monthly statutory meeting is to bring together the implementors of the ministry’s policies to synergize in ways to achieve success. He stated further that the purpose of the meeting is to review ministry’s activities, keep track of the programs that it is implementing, rate staff members’ performances and ensure that they undertake the programs of government, especially the inline with the government’s vision especially the renewed hope agenda. He said “we have competent and experienced staff who are always available to undertake and implement the programs of this administration and with the direction and support of our honourable minister and minister of state we are going to deliver. “We are going to ensure that we pursue our policies in line with the Federal Civil Service implementation plan 2025, focusing on its six pillars and synchronized them with the nation’s National Development plan. ” Among the the six pillars are capabilities building and talent management, we are going to train and retrain our staff to achieve high performance. We will also use performance management system to access our staff’s day to day activities to ensure quality performance. We will pursue paperless office as well as enhancing the welfare of our staff” he said.

FG Says NYSC Will Soon Be Revenue Generating Agency

The Bola Tinubu-led federal government has unveiled a fresh plan to transform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a revenue-generating agency. The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, disclosed this during an interview with ChannelsTV on Sunday night. Asked if there were immediate plans to increase the monthly allowance of corps members, the minister said the government was working on reforming the NYSC scheme to reflect the present realities of the nation. “We all understand that resources are dwindling, even oil revenues are not as they used to be but we will find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is well-taken care of,” she said. “When it comes to remuneration and looking totally at the holistic funding of the NYSC, we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. So, we want the scheme to go beyond that social programme of government to be that revenue-generating scheme and agency. “The reforms which transform the NYSC into a revenue-generating agency and prepare the corps members for the job market and to be decently and gainfully employed or to be employers of labour through entrepreneurship and of course, perfect matching into primary assignment and all the support they need in that career path.” She noted that corps members were no longer posted to states deemed unsafe in the wake of worsening security conditions in the country. “As an immediate intervention of the government and the NYSC as an agency, we have actually stopped posting corps members to the very unsafe states. “We have been doing it. We have been doing it in the past. There are states we have not been posting corps members to to ensure their safety,” she added. According to her, the security of corps members requires collaboration with other agencies of government. “When it comes to security matters, it is a multi-sectoral approach. So, it is not the NYSC alone and the ministry that is involved. We are working with security outlets to ensure corps members are safe,” the minister said.

AFCON ’24: FG Pledges Full support for Super Eagles

The Federal Government has vowed to provide the necessary support for the Super Eagles of Nigeria to win the African Cup of Nations 2024 currently going on in Cote d’Ivoire. The leader of the Federal Government delegation and President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio dropped the hint while speaking via Zoom from Cote d’Ivoire to assure Nigerians that the Nigerian team has the support of the Government of the day to excel at the football competition. Akpabio who led top Government officials including National Assembly members to Cote d’Ivoire to cheer the Super Eagles to victory against the Palancas Negras of Angola at the quarter finals of the ongoing African Nations Cup, said sports is a unifying factor which must be harnessed for the benefit of the youths. According to Senator Akpabio, “I was very ecstatic at the stadium when the Super Eagles scored against Palancas Negras of Angola. The entire stadium exploded with the Nigerian supporters and those who love Nigeria. “Our presence here to support the Super Eagles is evidence of the fact that the Government is serious about sports and youth development and I’m very excited about the victory. “When I was the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, I gave the youths the best stadium in West Africa and under President Bola Tinubu, we shall replicate this in all parts of the country. “The Government of the day is very youth friendly and we are poised to create the enabling environment for the youths of Nigeria to realize their potentials. We are very determined to give opportunities to our youths to take them away from vices and I say congratulations to all Nigerians for this victory,” he said.