Sahara Reporters Latest News Saturday 30th March 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 30/03/19
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target=_blank>EXCLUSIVE: 13 Soldiers Killed, Dozen Others Injured After Stepping On Boko Haram Landmine
At least 13 soldiers were killed and an unconfirmed number of them severely wounded in Borno State on Monday when they stepped on a landmine planted by Boko Haram, SaharaReporters can report.
The soldiers were moving along Gwoza-Yamteke Road in Gwoza Local Government Area when a military operational truck stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried underneath the road and destroyed the truck beyond repairs.
SaharaReporters gathered from a security source that eight soldiers were killed instantly while three more died subsequently, with dozens critically injured.
“A military Mitsubishi was truck struck by the IED device; the scene was horrible and the soldiers were critically wounded,” said the security source.
SaharaReporters saw photos of the shattered bodies, as proof of the attack, but they are too gory for public viewing.
The Army, though, has not publicly commented on the incident.
Boko Haram insurgents have recently stepped up their attacks in the southern part of Borno.
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target=_blank>Revolt In Delta As Okowa Refuses To ‘Settle’ Governorship Candidates Who Adopted Him As Agreed
Ovia Agas (right) and Ifeanyi Okowa
Governorship candidates of opposition political parties in Delta State, under the umbrella of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), are lamenting the “wicked and unnecessary” delay in settling them for the roles they played in ensuring the reelection of Ifeanyi Okowa in the just concluded March, 9 governorship and house of Assembly elections.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that a few days to the March, 9, 2019 governorship and house of assembly elections, CUPP and IPAC, through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), reached an agreement with Okowa to work for his reelection and were guaranteed a payment running into several millions of naira.
Lamenting the “deliberate act” by Ovie Agas, the SSG, to frustrate the release of the money, a governorship candidate of one of the opposition political parties, who preferred not to be named, said: “We the candidates of the opposition parties in Delta State reached a compromise with Governor Okowa through the office of the SSG and a few other government officials to work for Okowa’s reelection with a settlement package.
“You know our parties do not have weight like the PDP and APC, and decided during one of our meetings in CUPP and IPAC to have governorship candidates we can use in negotiating for some benefits with Governor Okowa, which we know has the ‘knife and the yam’ as far as the state treasury is concerned. But to our greatest surprise and disappointment, after all the agreements reached and elections concluded, and Okowa declared winner, the SSG is frustrating all the efforts to get our settlements as agreed.”
Chairman of one of the opposition parties in the state, who also doubles as his party’s governorship candidate, also preferring not to be named, confided in our correspondent that the whole idea of the opposition parties to float governorship candidates was their “settlement”.
“Actually, the idea for the floating of the governorship candidates was mooted by the state chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Fred Obi, and the newly appointed Special Assistant to the Governor on Inter Party Relations, Efe Tobor, who doubles as state chairman of (CUPP) in collaboration with the Senior Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Governor, Festus Ochonogor. Obi and Ochonogor and the SSG have always hijacked money meant for opposition political parties in the state, especially grants.
“The SSG, Ovie Agas, wants to play a fast one on us, but we shall resist his antics with the last drop of our blood. We are supposed to get our settlements this week, but Agas is trying to play a dirty fast one on us. For some days now, the office of the SSG in Asaba has turned to Mecca by the members of political parties, especially the opposition. They have besieged the office for collection of the bargain reached with the state government for the reelection of Governor Okowa and as we talk, it seems we have been deceived.”
A few days after the elections, the opposition parties, under the umbrella of IPAC, addressed a press briefing in Asaba, where they said “the governorship election was free and fair and a true reflection of the will of the people”.
Meanwhile, a few days after the election, in a reaction to the Okowa’s victory, Tobor stated that opposition political parties in the state were satisfied with the outcome. He said 39 political parties in the state adopted Okowa, because the political parties believe in equity in the rotation of the governorship positions among the three senatorial districts of the state. He, however, appealed to Okowa to carry members of the opposition political parties along in the scheme of things.
Calls and messages put across to Agas, as well as Obi and Tobor, were not responded to at the time of filing this report. However, a political associate tof the SSG confided in our correspondent that there is conflict between the SSG and the governorship candidates over the issue.
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target=_blank>EFCC Witness Reveals How His Boss Told Him To Release N500m To Ex-PDP Chairman Faboyede
Owolanke Michael, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Clement Faboyede, Chairman of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Modupe Adetokunbo, a former Director-General of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo 2015 presidential election campaign organisation, has told a court how the defendants received N500,000,000 cash from Fidelity Bank, Ado Owo Road, Akure, on March 27, 2015.
They are standing trial on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N500million.
Led in evidence by Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday before Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Owolanke Michael told the court that as Head of Operations in a bank at Akure, the Ondo State capital, his supervisors from Lagos gave him instructions to pay the defendants the sum of N500million, the defendants signed a receipt and dropped their means of identification before packing the money in ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags and loaded it in two Hilux vehicles.
The prosecution counsel tendered through the witness the acknowledged receipts by the defendants and the means of identification used to receive the money. These were admitted and marked as exhibits CF1.
However, when asked by John Odubela (SAN), the defence counsel why the acknowledged receipt had no logo or stamp from the bank, the witness explained that the receipt was made for the purpose of that particular transaction as the defendants were not customers.
At the conclusion of the testimony, the matter was adjourned till April 4, 2019, for continuation of trial.
Last year, EFCC arraigned Faboyede alongside Modupe Adetokunbo for alleged laundering of N500million.
The EFCC claimed in the charges that Faboyede and Adetokunbo received a cash sum of N500million from one Owolanke Michael in the build-up to the 2015 general election.
Faboyede was accused of making N500million cash payment to the Ondo State Election Committee of the PDP without going through any financial institution.
Iheanacho said the defendants committed the offence on March 27, 2015, adding that they acted contrary to Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and are liable to punishment under Section 16(2) of the same Act.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty and were subsequently admitted to bail.
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E2%80%99s-properties target=_blank>BREAKING: Court ‘Empowers’ Innoson Motors To Take Over GTB’s Properties
Innoson Nigeria Limited has obtained a writ of Fifa from the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, against Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) to effect the judgment given by the Federal High Court in Ibadan and upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. This was made known in a press release issued by Cornel Osigwe, the head of corporate communication of Innocent Nigeria Limited.
Writ of FiFa (Writ of Fieri Facias) is a leave of court to execute a judgment obtained by a judgment creditor in a legal action for debt or damages by levying on the property of the judgment debtor.
In 2014, the Federal High in Ibadan had ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute to pay N2.4billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt.
However, GTB appealed this decision at the appeal up to the supreme court. But, according to Innosson, the Supreme Court on February 27, 2019, dismissed GTB’s appeal and upheld the decision of both Federal High Court and the Appeal Court.
The Statement read: “The Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, OFR has through a Writ of FiFa taken over Guaranty Trust Bank PLC for and on behalf of Innoson Nigeria Ltd as a result of the bank’s indebtedness to Innoson Nigeria Ltd. In a landmark decision on February 27th 2019, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed GTB’s appeal — SC. 694/2014 — against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division.
“The Court of Appeal, Ibadan division had in its decision of 6th February 2014 dismissed GTB’s appeal against the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.
“Thus, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute — to pay N2.4billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt. Rather than obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, GTB approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision.
“However in a ruling delivered by Honourable Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC on Wednesday, February 27th2019, the Lord Justices of the Supreme Court (JSC) dismissed GTB’s appeal and thus affirmed the concurrent judgment of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute — to pay N2.4billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment until the final liquidation of the judgment. “The Judgment debt of N2.4bn has an accrued interest as at today of about N6,717,909,849.96 which results to about N8.8 billion.
“Based on the Supreme Court’s decision of 27th February 2019 the counsel to Innoson, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ, had approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division for leave to enforce the judgment having obtained certificates of Judgment from the Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court. “Having obtained the requisite leave, the Federal High Court issued the necessary process for levying execution — the Writ of Fifa.”
The motor company and GTB had been in a long legal battled over alleged indiscriminate charges on Innoson’s account with the bank.
GTB later claimed that Innoson fraudulently brought in vehicle parts with forged documents. However, the motor company denied this allegation, saying the allegation was an effort of defect from the real issue of ineptness against him.
“We have taken over GTBank in Awka and Nnewi,” Osigwe subsequently announced, adding that “other branches are coming soon”.
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target=_blank>Tinubu All Smiles As Sanwo-Olu Receives Certificate Of Return
Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was the most notable name in attendance as Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor-Elect, and his running mate Obafemi Hamzat received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a ceremony held at the commission’s office in Yaba, Lagos Mainland, on Friday.
Clad in Agbada with caps to match, the Governor-elect and his deputy were accompanied to the carnival-like event by their wives, associates, family members and APC leaders, including the party chairman in Lagos, Hon. Tunde Balogun; party leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi; and former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, among others.
At exactly 11:30am, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Lagos, Ondo and Ogun states, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, presented the certificate to Sanwo-Olu, charging the Governor-Elect to be magnanimous in victory. Sanwo-Olu received the certificate in company of his wife, Ibijoke.
Ogunmola charged Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat to pursue reconciliation and close ranks with their opponents, reminding them that tolerance of opposition remains a key foundation of constitutional democracy.
The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Sam Olumekun, described Sanwo-Olu’s victory as rancour-free, noting that international observers adjudged the Lagos governorship election to be free, fair and credible.
Pointing out that 45 political parties fielded governorship candidates in the election, Olumekun, however, lamented apathy among voters in some constituencies. He particularly made a reference to Eti-Osa Constituency 1, which recorded a four per cent voter turnout — a development he described as unprecedented.
In his six-minute acceptance speech, Sanwo-Olu promised to lead “an all-inclusive government”, while extending a hand of fellowship to his opponents in the governorship race. He expressed joy that his victory was not tainted by violence and bloodshed.
He specially paid tribute to President Muhammadu Buhar and Tinubu for displaying “responsible leadership”, which “led to victory of APC in Lagos and the centre”.
He said: “Our resolve to lead the state as Governor and Deputy Governor is not about our personal welfare and that of our families, but a determination to build a state that all of us will be proud of. We will not disappoint Lagosians for the confidence reposed in us to lead on their behalf. We promise to lead a government that will be responsible and that will work for the greater majority of residents.
“Whatever happened during the campaign period belongs to the past. It’s time for reconciliation and the state must move forward. Therefore, we will not engage anyone or group based on their political affiliation, ethnic nationality or whether they voted for us or not, we are all Lagosians and we will run a government that will work for all.”
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target=_blank>Appeal Court Cancels NLNG’s $57m Victory Over NIMASA, Orders Fresh Trial
The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has set aside a $57million judgement awarded by a Federal High Court to Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency (NIMASA).
Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba of the Court of Appeal set aside the judgement in Lagos on Friday, saying the case should be retried before another Federal High Court judge.
On May 3, 2013, NIMASA had sealed off the facilities of the NLNG over alleged non-payment of certain statutory levies to the nation’s apex maritime regulatory with the aid of platforms from its former private security contractor, Global West Vessel Specialist.
“This course of action has been forced on the agency by the NLNG’s disregard and demonstrated unwillingness to abide by the country’s maritime laws, especially sections of the NIMASA Act that mandates payment of levies based on gross freight on exports and imports and the Cabotage Law,” NIMASA had said in a statement. “Since its inception, the NLNG has cherry-picked our laws. All efforts to get the management to meet its obligations to Nigeria have been treated with impunity.”
In June 2013, NLNG sought redress at a Federal High Court, Lagos, over disputed levies demanded by NIMASA.
Justice Mohammed Idris ruled on October 3, 2017 that NLNG was not liable to pay three per cent gross freight on its international inbound and outbound cargo and sea protection levy amongst other charges, to NIMASA. He said NIMASA was wrong in blocking the NLNG from having to its Bonny terminal for the purpose of enforcing the payments against NLNG
The maritime regulatory agency filed an appeal against the judgement of Justice Idris, who was recently elevated to appeal court.
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target=_blank>How Corruption, Bad Governance Helped Make Nigeria Poverty Capital Of The World By Banjo Damilola
Corruption, either directly or indirectly, is the bane of poverty in Nigeria, various reports and researches have suggested. The Corruption Perceptions Index, released annually by Transparency International (TI), also gives credence to the pervasive corruption in the sub-Saharan country. Nigeria has always floated at the bottom of the list, among the most corrupt nations in the world.
It is not surprising that just as the country continues to rank very high on the index, there is a proportionate decline in the Human Development Index released every year by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This goes without saying that as resources meant for human development are being feathered away, Nigerians sink into a deeper abyss of poverty.Evidently, a report by Brookings Institute crowned Nigeria ‘the poverty capital of the world’, taking over India, a country with seven times the population of Nigeria. Their findings were partly based on data drawn from The World Poverty Clock.
Interestingly, Nigeria found herself in this hole despite large-scale poverty alleviation programmes of successive governments. Development consultant and public analyst, Jide Ojo, opined that apart from obvious corruption and lack of continuity of these programmes, “There is a lack of framework, legal structure or policy and proper coordination.”
Nearly 70 Per Cent Living in Poverty
In 2001, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s democratic president between 1999 and 2007, launched the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) to stem the growing rate of poverty in the country. A reported N6billion (around €14million) was budgeted at the start of the scheme, however, the large amounts spent did not seem to reap any significant impact as poverty skyrocketed. Three years after the inauguration of NAPEP, data from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as quoted by ActionAid, an international non-governmental organisation working against poverty and injustice worldwide, reveals that nearly 70 million people were living in poverty, out of just over 126 million. By 2010, when Obasanjo estimated that poverty would have been eradicated, it, in fact, worsened. There were already 112 million people living in poverty out of an estimated population of 163 million.The failure of NAPEP and similar programmes, according to Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of TI National Chapter in Formation in Nigeria, is partly because the initiatives act as conduits for syphoning public funds.
“All the programmes initiated by the previous government and current government to address poverty were not designed to actually deal with the poverty in the country, rather they become an instrument to further syphon public funds in the name of poverty eradication,” Rafsanjani said during an exclusive interview.
This might not be mere assertion as there are numerous corruption allegations stacked against some of the poverty eradication and alleviation schemes. For instance, Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Public Affairs uncovered a whooping sum of N2.4 billion (around €5.8 million) fraud in NAPEP. It was alleged that the money, that was meant to purchase tricycles as a form of empowerment for Nigerians at the lowest rung of the economic ladder, was diverted.
By August 2008, the committee said only 500 of the 4,500 units of tricycles were bought even though the full funding was released. Similarly, the N500 million (around €1.2 million) released to purchase spare parts for the tricycles was also embezzled.
According to Senator Zaynab Abdulkadir Kure, a Nigerian lawmaker in the 6th Assembly, the scheme was a total failure despite billions being pumped into it. “Eight years after the establishment of the agency, it could not effectively impact on the lives of the less-privileged Nigerians despite the huge resources committed through appropriation and MDG funds,” Senator Kure said at the time.
Little To Show For Development Programmes Despite Billions Invested
The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) implemented by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, was not any different, as it was also blithe with heavy corruption allegations. The Jonathan-led Federal Government had on January 1, 2012, announced the removal of subsidy on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), stating abuse of the fund by some negligible few in the oil and gas industry. The implication of the removal was that the price of PMS would rise, which would have a direct financial impact on Nigerians, particularly the 112 million living below the poverty line. SURE-P had been set-up to lessen the effect of partial removal of petroleum subsidy on Nigerians.
During the announcement of the programme, Jonathan said he would reinvest the funds hitherto used for subsidy on social infrastructure and programmes through the SURE-P initiative. He argued that the plan, though demanded a short-term sacrifice from the populace, would lead to economic prosperity for the nation.
“I sincerely believe that the reinvestment of the petroleum subsidy funds, to ensure improvement in national infrastructure, power supply, transportation, irrigation and agriculture, education, healthcare, and other social services, is in the best interest of our people,” he noted.
Two years into the programme, the Federal Government said it had spent N280 billion (over €680 million) out of the N360 billion (around €877 million) earmarked. The government also claimed to have invested in infrastructure and health with the funds available for the SURE-P.
But, the Executive Director of Human and Development Agenda (HEDA), Lanre Suraj, stated that there was nothing to show for the programme despite billions being invested.
Suraj explained: “You can see how SURE-P was created at a time when we Nigerians have direct increment on the fuel pump price. The poor people were further taxed, to allegedly create that phantom poverty alleviation programme called SURE-P… and in the final analysis, there is practically nothing to show for that programme.”
Indeed, an uncontestable reality of the SURE-P investment is the various corruption allegations that have been uncovered even before the abrogation of the scheme in 2015. Shortly after the programme kicked off, Christopher Kolade resigned from his position as the chairman. Although the octogenarian, who is a former high commissioner to the United Kingdom, had earlier claimed old age as the reason he stepped down from the position, he later revealed that he resigned because of the corruption and lack of transparency in the system.
“When I discovered that there were individuals in the system that were practising something that was lower than the transparency that we went in with, I raised the issues. And I discovered that political affiliations and things made this difficult,” he said during a television interview.
In 2013, the Senate Committee on SURE-P, revealed that N500 billion (around €12 billion) out of the N800 billion (around €19 billion) meant for the scheme was missing
A senior civil servant in Nigeria’s Ministry of Labour and Empowerment, Clement Onubuogo, is currently facing corruption trial for the alleged diversion of over N650 million (around €1,5 million) meant for the youth empowerment under the SURE-P programme.
The consequence of all these alleged stealing and embezzlement is that poverty remained at an all-time high despite acclaimed billion-naira investments to cushion the economic effect of subsidy removal.
The current Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, also confirmed that the government cannot account for a single beneficiary of the SURE-P programme during the previous administration. “Who can point to one single beneficiary of the SURE-P scheme?” the Vice President asked during a recent national television broadcast.
Is It Possible to Combat Corruption in a High-Risk Corruption Country?
While it is characteristic of the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari to blame predecessors for the economic woes in the country, the Social Investment Programme (SIP) of the current administration, aimed at giving financial support to indigent Nigerians, is also not void of corruption allegations.
SIP was announced by President Buhari in 2015 to restore “livelihood, economic opportunities and sustenance for the poor across the country.”
Under the programme, there are different projects, developed to address these objectives. Examples of these projects are N-Power, a scheme that employs jobless graduates and pays a stipend of N30,000 monthly (around €75); FarmerMoni, a no-interest loan scheme for farmers; Market Moni and TraderMoni, no-interest loan scheme for small scale traders and petty traders.
A report by SaharaReporters, a leading citizen journalism platform, documented various cases of corruption and petty frauds in the TraderMoni scheme, just as another investigation into the N-Power project, by TheCable Newspaper, an online newspaper, revealed corrupt activities within the system.
So, how does a government combat poverty in a high-risk corruption country like Nigeria?
The strategy suggested at the 2018 International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), held in Denmark in October last year, was “understanding the drivers of corruption and developing tools to manage corruption risks in a systematic way.” These include assessing implementing parties’ capacity to manage and control risks, and strengthening these when needed through the use of innovative tools.
This piece was first published on the website of International Anti-Corruption Conference
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target=_blank>No Election Petition In Adamawa As Bindow Concedes Defeat, Congratulates Fintiri
Jibrilla Bindow, Governor of Adamawa State, has conceded defeat and congratulated Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, winner of the 2019 governorship election in the state.
In a state broadcast, a text of which was made available to SaharaReporters, Bindow congratulated Fintiri and wished him a successful term of office.
“In view of the outcome and declaration of the results by INEC, I wish to congratulate the Governor-Elect Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri over his election as the incoming Governor of Adamawa State and wish him successful tenure,” he said.
Bindow expressed committment to democratic norms that would help strengthened democratic practice in the state and country as a whole.
“As a democrat, I cherish democratic norms and values, as it is practised in the civilised world,” he said.
Meanwhile Fintiri has called on fellow contestants to offer their services to his administration in order to move the state forward.
At a press conference to mark his victory, he assured the people of Adamawa that he would respect their mandate and be accountable to them at all times.
Bindow’s congratulatory broadcast has put paid to speculations about challenging Fintiri’s victory at the tribunal.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: Omo-Agege Loses At Appeal Court
The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, has reaffirmed the nullification of the reelection of Ovie Omo-Agege, the senator representing Delta Central district on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and that of Francis Waive, who was declared winner of the Ughelli North, South and Udu House of Representatives seat on the APC platform.
In a judgement delivered by Justice Tosin Adegoke On March 18, the Federal High Court 1 sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, had sacked the Great Ogboru/Ovie Omo-Agege factional state executive committee of the APC led by Jones Erue and upheld the O’tega Emerhor faction led by Cyril Ogodo as the authentic state executive committee.
The Federal High Court also nullified all actions taken by the sacked Erue-led executive, including ward and local government congresses, party primaries and the list of candidates that emerged from the primaries held by Erue’s faction, declaring it null and void.
Following the judgement of the Federal High Court, Omo-Agege and Waive had approached the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin to seek the leave of the court to appeal the judgment nullifying their candidatures and reelection.
At the hearing of the case on Friday in Benin, the Court of Appeal dismissed the case filed by Omo-Agege and Francis Waive seeking a leave of court to appeal the Federal High Court judgement which sacked the Jones Erue-led state executive faction of the APC and nullified the list of its candidates.
After dismissing both applications for lacking in merit, the Appeal Court awarded a fine of N300,000 each to the two party candidates.
The court said the plaintiffs could not claim to be unaware of the case, and as such they could not seek to be joined or challenge the judgement at this moment.
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Fashola’s Power Problem By Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa?
“A serious government will fix the power problem in 6 months”- Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN
The problem of power supply has been one of Nigeria’s severe challenges. With the return of democratic governance in 1999, the appointment of Late Chief Bola Ige as Minister of Power and Mines was made in order to give hope to Nigerians that the problem would be resolved hinging it on the reputation of the Minister. It took just a year for the Late Chief Bola Ige to leave the Ministry perharps having come in contact firsthand with the ‘monsters’ that keep Nigeria in darkness and having concluded he would be better in the Ministry of Justice.
Similar hope would not be found again among the Nigerian masses up until 2015 when Babatunde Fashola SAN, a former Governor of Lagos was made the Minister of Power, Works and Housing by the Buhari administration.
The enthusiasm of Nigerians shot up on the grounds that Fashola had been Governor in Lagos and his achievements during that tenure recommended him to all and sundry as being in a position to solve the power problem. It has been 4 years of Fashola and power has not become better.
In 2000, Nigeria produced 6200 watts. In 2019, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing lauds that Nigeria now circulates 8,100 watts. Billions of naira have gone between this 19 year period approved by various governments for various purposes to make power better. What is still clear is that Nigeria has recorded little advancement which is really nothing as the population increase and demand for electricity in this 19year period would cancel out the minute progress that has been made.
Power controls national productivity with a lot of factories either leaving Nigeria or several others not even coming to invest in Nigeria in the first place due to the unattractive nature the power problem foists on the Nigerian economy. The cost of alternate power supply adds to the total cost of running business and considering that petroleum is not cheap in Nigeria at 145naira per liter, this further worsens economic reality and the cost of funding businesses in Nigeria. Even SMEs are loud in their complains on the toll the power problem takes on their meager profits.
Power also plays a huge role in keeping Nigerians happy as the activities that make daily living meaningful require steady power supply. Activities such as indoor recreation, charging mobile devices(which are used for a wide range of things including but not limited to banking, study, communication) and also for lightning spaces. Without power supply, it would always be the case that there is a drop in how happy the people in environment are or how efficient and productive Nigerians can be.
Whoever solves the power problem would be an instant darling of Nigerians. There exists no other issue even corruption which has more meaning to the life of average Nigerian as much as power does. It is the reason why the Nigerian laments when he returns from work or before he leaves for work. It is the reason why he stores fuel in kegs risking his life in his home. It is one of the reasons why the Nigerian cannot find employment because his employers have to cut costs to fund generator fueling or not even start the business in the first place dissuaded by the running cost incurred while trying to generate alternate power to run the business.
The popular rating of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing has dropped considerably low since his emergence to the role. The enthusiasm which greeted his ascension to the office and the hopes with which Nigerians believed a solution would finally been found have dispersed. Many wonder why he accepted the three roles of Power, Works and Housing and why he did not stick to one of the three instead.
Nigerians have their complains with some areas in Nigeria either just getting connected to the national grid after several years(some parts of Ondo just got connected last year) or some areas are still not connected to the grid. The media reaction to the claim of the Minister that power supply has improved with 24 hours now possible in two states best reflects the rage of Nigerians on the power issue.
While the Minister himself would admit that some areas are still in blackout and some have light for just 5 hours. The general consensus seems to be that there has not been much improvement. The complains are still there.
For a politician with Fashola’s track records both as a Lawyer and an administrator, the triple Ministerial roles he has to balance have not shown much in each portfolio and he seems to be running out on time to deliver uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians his-a-vis Works and Housing projects.
The concern with power in Nigeria is what is really wrong. No one has been able to place exactly what the problem is despite several attempts. There have been low revenues from power with a lot of Nigerians bypassing the meters and this action has not been dissuaded by any serious punishment. There are several Nigerians who connect to the poles directly and enjoy unmetered electric supply which of course tells on the nation in that the revenues generated from power are low and in extension there is little available for government to invest in power.
There are concerns that the power problem arises from the problems of circulation and not generation. However, even the privatization of the electricity sector has still not ensured any of these problems are solved. Generation has not improved. The Minister hinges his claim for improvement on improved circulation of power. However in the same breath, he admits some places still have as low as just 5 hours supply.
Fashola may be correct in his claims that the power has improved in some places. But largely, Nigeria is still in darkness and Nigeria loses a lot to this challenge.
Solving the power problem, rapid advancement would be recorded in our production sector and also in almost all other areas as electricity is needed everywhere and the lack of it has affected every sector.
The power problem needs a solution. Whoever solves it would have won himself immortality and the eternal admiration of the Nigerian masses. If Fashola returns to the cabinet, he may seek a place for himself in the pages of history by solving once and for all the problem of power. His ratings would soar and he would win mass admiration.
Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa is a Law student at Obafemi Awolowo University. He writes for several reputable print and online media. He is a member of several volunteer organizations and human rights bodies. He can be reached on koyetolu@gmail.comor on Twitter @Koye_tolu.
Linked In: Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa
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