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  • Ogunlola: Tales of performance and denial

    Ogunlola: Tales of performance and denial

    Omowumi Ogunlola, the lawmaker who represents Ekiti Central Constituency II in the House of Representatives, will be sorely missed by her constituents when she bows out in the next few weeks. Oguntola will not be returning to the Green Chamber in next month, despite raising the bar of political representation in the last four years. Correspondent RASAQ IBRAHIM reports

    Then residents of Ekiti West/Ijero/Efon Federal Constituency in Ekiti trooped out to elect Omowumi Ogunlola during the 2019 general election, little did they know that she will perform beyond their expectations. Based on the poor performance of erstwhile occupants of the seat, there was no reason to expect anything different from Oguntola at the outset.

    But, she justified why she was given the nod by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fly the party’s flag four years ago. She was chosen based on her sterling performance at the Ekiti State House of Assembly between 2007 and 2011 when she represented the Ijero Constituency in the legislative chamber.

    Before she was elected to represent the constituency at the federal level, the people of Ekiti West/ Ijero/ Efon Federal Constituency were suffering from acute backwardness and neglect as the former occupants of the seat did not do well and disconnected from the constituents who gave them the mandate.

    Ogunlola’s penchant for development is legendary. At a time many of her colleagues representing various constituencies at the National Assembly are giving excuses for their lack of performance, Ogunlola has been busy groundbreaking new projects and commissioning completed ones.

    The zeal of the Ijero-Ekiti-born politician to serve those who elected her has earned her the respect of other chieftains of the party in the constituency and at the state level. She has been nicknamed “the pacesetter” for her incurable penchant for doing things in such a magnificent manner that beat people’s imagination.

    Unarguably, the lawmaker has lived up to the expectations of her constituents, especially in the area of empowerment targeted at conquering poverty among them and enhancing the socio-economic growth of the area.

    Within three years in the House of Representatives, also known as the Green Chamber, Ogunlola who is popularly referred to as “WOO”, became a household name in the constituency, which is the largest constituency in the state. Whenever “WOO” is mentioned the people peep through the window to catch a glimpse of the amazon.

    While her contemporaries representing Ekiti State in the National Assembly have nothing to show, Ogunlola has been blazing the trail in areas of lawmaking, the attraction of developmental projects, skill acquisition training and empowerment programmes, as well as other life-changing initiatives.

    Her achievements since she assumed office reveal her faithfulness to her promises during the campaign. The array of Ogunlola’s constituency projects, more than anything, proved her devotion to her electoral promises. These projects span various needs, both basic and secondary.

    People within the constituency are in agreement that the lawmaker has provided quality representation. Many of them have been singing her praises for being an exemplar and a selfless and altruistic representative of the people. From Aramoko to Efon Alaye, Ikogosi to Okemesi, Ijero to Ijurin and Ipoti to Ejiyan, the constituents have pointed out that no office holder from the constituency had ever taken fulfilment of promises and improvement of the people’s welfare as a sacred priority like Ogunlola.

    They argue that aside from performing her statutory legislative functions religiously, Ogunlola has assisted her constituents in the area of provision of potable water, installation of solar lights, construction of school buildings, rehabilitation of roads, awarding of scholarships, empowerment programmes for constituents, securing job opportunities for unemployed graduates amongst others.

    They said she has been going about providing economic prosperity for his people and ensuring that the needed dividends of democracy were delivered to their doorsteps. The federal lawmaker rolled out the drums recently in his hometown, Ijero-Ekiti to offer support and to give back to the constituents via her annual empowerment scheme, which was the third in the series.

    Early that morning, people from the three local government councils that make up the senatorial district – Ekiti West, Ijero and Efon council areas converged on the Civic Centre in Ijero-Ekiti to be part of the empowerment designed to add value to their lives. Among the items that were distributed are nine vehicles, five tricycles, 60 hand driers, 60 motorbikes, 100 sowing machines, 110 generating sets and 40 deep freezers.

    Others are 15 wheelchairs, 47 grinding machines, 15 vulcanizing machines, 100 barbing kits, six rice processing machines, and five mechanised cassava processing machines. Cash support was also given to different interest groups, including the youths, widows, women and students.

    Giving her account of stewardship, the lawmaker summarised her achievements as effective representation, youth and women empowerment, skill acquisition programmes, educational enhancement and socio-economic development.

    Ogunlola said she has sponsored three bills that have scaled through the First Reading, adding that the bills when finally passed would have a direct impact on the well-being of Nigerians. She said: “I feel very excited to state that in the last two years and five months, I have been in the House of Representatives on behalf of my great people, we have changed the narrative of representation in Ijero/Ekitiwest/Efon constituency for the better.

    “It is imperative to note that as a legislator, my primary duty and responsibility is to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the nation, but I seized every opportunity at my disposal to bring development to our people.

    “To the glory of God, I have been able to construct a maternity health centre in Ejiyan-Ekiti, a police post in Ikoro-Ekiti, an ultra-modern town hall in Ijero, install solar lights in various communities in the constituency and construct two blocks of 12 classrooms in Okemesi-Ekiti, as well as a block of six classrooms in Iroko-Ekiti.

    “I also facilitated the provision of ICT tools in Ijero High School, trained 2000 youths in vocational skills, and distributed 60 sewing machines, 40 generators, 10 wheelchairs, 20 grinding machines, 14 vehicles, and 61 motorcycles to the constituents.

    “Others are the construction of two bedroom flat for a widow in the constituency, solar boreholes in various locations, a bursary for students, disbursement of cash to constituents, distribution of WAEC past questions for SS3 students, facilitation of various grants to the constituents.”

    At the event, the constituents comprising traditional rulers, youths, market women, elders, commercial drivers, motorcyclists, students and artisans endorsed Ogunlola for another term in the hallowed Green Chamber. They hinged their decision on her quality representation and people-oriented programmes.

    Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, the Owa Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole, said Ogunlola deserves another term on account of her sterling and unprecedented achievements. He noted that the traditional rulers were rooting for her re-election into the Green Chamber for continuity because she has changed the face of representation in the federal constituency with masses savouring the dividends of democracy.

    The monarch said: “Evidence abounds for everybody to see that Omowumi’s tenure at the Green Chamber has completely witnessed a departure from stereotypical experience, acute neglect and poor representation of the people have had with their erstwhile representatives.

    “So, without any equivocation, Omowumi has performed creditably well and such a great performer deserves a second term for a more purposeful representation of her constituents who are unanimous that her good work must continue.”

    The immediate past Ekiti State First Lady, Bisi Fayemi, commended Ogunlola for her outstanding performance. She said Ogunlola has displayed exceptional qualities of leadership with life-changing empowerment programmes for women, widows, men, youths and the physically challenged.

    She added that the commendations from the people and mammoth crowd seen at the event further affirms the satisfaction and confidence the constituents have in Ogunlola’s leadership style. She added: “I must appreciate her for being a worthy ambassador of the womenfolks in political positions. Indeed, you have done well and I am very proud of you. We will keep saying we want women in positions of leadership. Ogunlola is a perfect example of what we mean.

    “Thank you for not disappointing me. With her sterling performance, more opportunities will be open for women. I will like to call on other members of the Green Chamber to do more for their people because Ogunlola has been a fantastic representative of the people.”

    The APC State Chairman, Paul Omotoso, expressed pride in the quality of effective representation she has been offering her constituents, adding that these could be attested to through the implementation of people-centric programmes.

    Ogunlola, Omotoso added, has fulfilled her statutory expectation as a lawmaker; put enduring smiles on the faces of constituents, regardless of their political affinities through the enactment of people-centric policies, modern skill-acquisition training and empowerment schemes.

    The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Felix Ajakaye also commended Ogunlola for being a true representative of the people that elected her to the Green Chamber, saying the people have felt her impact in the last four years.

    Ajakaye, who was represented by Rev. Emmanuel Akingbade, advised Ogunlola not to relent in her efforts to bring development to the constituency. He urged other lawmakers to emulate her.

    The APC Leader in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Elder Odekulodu Jekoyemi and former Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government, Professor Adio Folayan equally described Ogunlola as a promise keeper.

    Jekoyemi said she was not surprised by the good representation of the lawmaker going by her excellent performance when she was in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, adding her footprints were everywhere in the constituency.

    Prof. Adio also noted that Ogunlola has given his constituents effective representation. She was able to achieve this, he added, because she was accessible to the people as she promised during the electioneering campaign.

    But, despite her performance in the last four years, she is not returning to the National Assembly to continue her good work. She fell victim to the machination of the godfather syndrome. The ticket was given to the ex-Chief of Staff to former Governor Fayemi, Biodun Omoleye, apparently to compensate him for losing out in the battle for the party’s governorship ticket before last year’s governorship election. Omoleye was persuaded by the party hierarchy to step down for the incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

    After Omoleye failed to secure the governorship ticket, he switched his eyes to the Ekiti Central senatorial seat but he could not displace the current occupant, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

    It was on this note that he opted to run for the House of Representatives. The development generated a lot of dust within the party. But, in the end, he succeeded in getting the ticket. It almost cost APC victory in the last National Assembly poll, if not for Governor Oyebanji’s last-minute intervention.

  • APC chieftain rejects calls for interim government

    APC chieftain rejects calls for interim government

    A chieftain of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos Mainland Local Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Alao Megida, has berated those clamouring for interim government. He described them as ‘clowns who deserve to be pitied’. Megida dismissed every move to stop  President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the court as an exercise in futility.

    He  assured Nigerians that Tinubu would be inaugurated as  president on May 29, 2023.

    Megida, who is also the leader and founder of  Mainland Independent Group (MIG),  a socio-political pressure group, spoke at a prayer session organised by the group, for a successful inauguration of Tinubu.

    He noted  that Tinubu’s victory had come solely from God and not the making of any man.

    “This is why the enemies of progress and trouble mongers, calling for interim government, should shut up, because they shall labour in vain, and will never succeed, as Asiwaju’s presidency is an appointment with destiny and not the work of man,” he said.

    The event, witnessed an impressive turn-out of people, from various walks of life, including prominent clerics of the Christian and Islamic faith.

    Apart from the president-elect, prayers were also rendered for the executive governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Tunji Bello, Ibrahim Odunboni, former SWAGA Lagos State chairman Alhaji Monsuru Owolabi Alao and  all members of the APC, both in Lagos and across the country.

    Prominent APC women leaders, Alhaja Folashade Morounkeji, who is also Chairman, Conference of Principals, Lagos State, Madam Mojisola Adewale, and Pastor Adeyinka Dawodu, extolled the virtues of Alao, describing him as a first class leader, organiser,and mobiliser, as well as a political foot soldier of Tinubu, whose loyalty to the president-elect and his progressive cause, remain not only unequalled, but unquestionable.

    They noted that though Alao had remained ever devoted to the progressive cause of Tinubu, at all times, however, his activities which attained a remarkable peak during his period as chairman of SWAGA, Lagos State, will remain indelible in memory.

    “Despite his age and the huge financial input, he will still follow us all about, personally leading the campaign as we all rove about the state,” they said.

    They also hailed the Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni for his  moral and financial support of the party and employment of youths from Mainland Local Government.

    They described the LAWMA boss as a first class philanthropist, a friend of the needy, and  youths, adding that his  assistance and accessibility added  value to the APC.

  • Oyo APC and need for revival pills

    Oyo APC and need for revival pills

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has lost two consecutive governorship elections due to intractable crises fuelled by alleged dictatorship, self-centredness, ego-flexing and other factors. Southwest Bureau Chief BISI OLADELE examines the factors that may keep the party in the pit and those that can help it return to winning ways

    After suffering two consecutive defeats in the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be in limbo and needs to do something to get out of that position. Observers believe that its recent electoral woes are a sign of a deep-seated crisis within the chapter and that it needs to do something if it truly wishes to take over Agodi Government House in Ibadan, the Oyo State seat of power.

    Its only consolation at the moment is the victory of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as those of the three senators and the nine House of Representatives members elected on the party’s platform.

    Rise, fall of Oyo APC:

    After rising to a resounding victory in the 2011 and 2015 governorship and National Assembly elections, the party remained stable and popular until March 2019 when it suffered a shocking defeat in that year’s governorship election. Having won eight of 14 House of Representatives and two senatorial seats in the February 2019 election, observers were shocked to see the turn of the tide in the March 9, 2019 governorship election.

    The then-opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Seyi Makinde, trounced his APC counterpart, Adebayo Adelabu roundly, winning in 32 out of the 33 local government areas. Makinde polled 515,621 votes to defeat Adelabu, who garnered 357,982 votes.

    Since then, things have not remained the same with the party. The death of two of its leaders – Abiola Ajimobi and Adebayo Alao-Akala within one year dealt a further blow to the party as there was no other leader that could serve as a rallying point for the party.

    The 2021 congresses that produced state, local government and ward executives did further harm to the party in the absence of a rallying figure, and faulty leadership of the then interim national working committee headed by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni. The executives that emerged through the faulty process inflicted wounds among leaders and members. The same experience was repeated during last year’s primaries that produced the governorship and National Assembly candidates.

    The situation led to the defection of several members to other parties, including its 2019 governorship candidate, Adelabu, who opted for the Accord party with some senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants. Others chose to join the Labour Party (LP) and the PDP. They all had one thing in common: they alleged that they were robbed of their chances of picking the tickets through the imposition of candidates.

    The Tinubu factor:

    Governor Makinde was a member of the Integrity Group which consisted of the five PDP governors opposed to the aspiration of the party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. The five governors, led by River States’ Nyesom Wike we’re at loggerheads with Atiku because he did not prevail on the national chairman Iyorchia Ayu to resign for a candidate of southern origin to emerge. In the end, Wike and Makinde supported Tinubu to emerge as president-elect. Makinde’s support for Tinubu is believed to have contributed to the latter’s landslide victory in the state in the presidential election. Tinubu polled 449,884 votes to beat Atiku who got 182,977 votes.

    The alliance between the president-elect and Makinde was believed to have earned the governor more votes in the March 18 election. He widened his lead this time by polling 563,756 votes to beat the APC candidate Teslim Folarin who garnered 256,685 votes, a difference of 307,071 votes.

    There is still apprehension within Oyo APC about the consequences of the alliance between the two parties, as Tinubu prepares to assume power as the next president. The fear revolves around the future of the Oyo APC.

    The Makinde factor:

    Governor Makinde is viewed as a performing governor because of his policies and disposition to the masses towards him. With the prompt payment of salaries and pensions, recruitment of 5,000 new teachers, taking over of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) as sole owner, upgrade of the state’s college of education to a degree-awarding institution and development of infrastructures across the state, the governor is well loved. His second-term electoral victory attested to his popularity.

    The governor’s soaring popularity is grossly affecting the ability of the APC to rebound.

    Folarin’s emergence:

    The death of Ajimobi created a vacuum within the APC. Folarin had defected from the PDP to the APC in 2018 ahead of the 2019 general election. He succeeded in securing the party’s ticket and won his third election as the senator representing Oyo Central on the platform of the APC in 2019. The death of Ajimobi and Alao-Akala paved the way for Folarin to take over the party, beating others to the game. Subsequently, his political mastery made him emerge as the party’s governorship candidate, against the popular expectation that Adelabu would be handed the ticket again.

    With his wide contacts across the country from his days in the PDP as Senate Leader,  Folarin was able to win the majority of party leaders and members to his side, thereby making it easy to be in control of the party. Virtually all former PDP members in the APC joined his camp which largely determined who got one ticket or the other in last year’s primaries. But Makinde’s popularity and Tinubu’s informal alliance with the incumbent governor combined to hand him a defeat in the March 18 election.

    Need for revival pills:

    Commenting on the capacity of the APC to rebound in the state, the Director General of the APC Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council in Oyo State, Dr Isiaka Kolawole, sees the situation differently. He said the party has a huge capacity to win governorship elections soon given the huge population of APC supporters in the state. He insisted that Oyo is an APC state, and that the emergence of Tinubu as the incoming president will facilitate reconciliations within the party and bring it back to its winning ways.

    Kolawole who is also the Secretary-General of the Oyo APC Elders Advisory Council added: “I affirm the APC can, and will bounce back in not too distant future time. Aside from the fact that the state is traditionally an enclave of the progressives, the loss of the governorship seat to the opposition arose simply because of fissures within the party. The fissures now rested in the larger interest of the party and its members. All available parameters point in that direction. Remember the Alliance for Democracy (AD) was the first political party to govern Oyo State from 1999 to 2003. But, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), an offshoot of the AD, later governed the state for eight years between 2011 and 2019. In this regard, it is clear that Oyo State is fundamentally and traditionally a progressive state, and the party’s return to political leadership is just a matter of time.

    “Aside from this foundational factor, the APC as a party is peopled by notable and core professionals across endeavours. We have Ph.D holders, engineers, medical doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects, and many others who are all doing very well in their respective fields. All these are shrewd politicians who know their onions and are equally highly connected and deeply committed to breaking new grounds in respect of the task of repositioning the party in Oyo State.

    “There will be a lasting reconciliation in Oyo APC soon. With the emergence of Asiwaju Tinubu as president-elect, he is no longer just the leader of our party; he is now the number one citizen of the country. All members will naturally kowtow to the leadership of Asiwaju. We will all bow to his leadership, irrespective of the faction we may belong to. No party member or leader will have any problem reconciling with other members of the APC in Oyo State. The last election has shown that all of us, regardless of our so-called factional tendencies, worked for the success of the APC and the emergence of Tinubu as president-elect, and we all now see him as our rallying point. To this extent, we believe he is in a position to give directives regarding how we should all go in Oyo State.”

    But, a member of the House of Representatives, Jide Olatubosun, who defected from the APC to the LP ahead of the 2023 general elections after failing to get his return ticket in the APC, said all that the party requires to return to winning ways is internal democracy. The lawmaker who represents Saki East/Saki West/ATISBO Federal Constituency at the National Assembly said Oyo APC will win again if the party is restructured to reflect inclusiveness.

    His words: “The APC can bounce back and win the next governorship election in 2027. But, it has to be restructured to allow all interests to be part of decision-making. The current structure cannot win the governorship election because many people have been shut out. In other words, the executives from the ward to the state level must be dissolved to allow ones with broad-based participation, which reflects inclusiveness. There is a need for inclusive leadership in the party.”

    When reminded that with the current leadership structure, the party won three senatorial seats, and nine House of Representatives seats and delivered about 450,000 votes to Tinubu on February 25, the lawmaker dismissed the claim, saying the victories highlighted were recorded by the reason of the massive support which voters across Southwest gave Tinubu because of his competence, pedigree and capability.

    He said: “The votes you saw in the February 25 election were a result of the Tinubu phenomenon. It was not a true reflection of the APC’s popularity in Oyo State. Restructuring is the starting point. Once that happens, all stakeholders will work together. Oyo is an APC state. Party members are still on the ground. We only have divisions. Those who left are ready to come back, if things are properly done.”

  • Court strikes out Ubani’s suit on vaccination of civil servants

    Court strikes out Ubani’s suit on vaccination of civil servants

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has struck out a suit filed by a former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Dr Monday Ubani.

     It followed the withdrawal of the suit by the plaintiff after multiple adjournments, which resulted in events overtaking it.

    Ubani, a former Ikeja Branch Chairman of the NBA, filed the suit on December 22, 2021, following the Federal Government’s directive that all civil servants be compulsorily vaccinated against COVID-19.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Government were the respondents in the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1951/2021.

    Justice Nicholas Oweibo adjourned the case to June 15, 2022, but the hearing could not proceed because the judge had many rulings and judgments to write within the annual vacation period which commenced in July.

    The matter was adjourned to October 19, 2022.

    On October 19, the matter was not listed on the cause list, and the respondents were not present or represented.

    The matter was further adjourned to November 15, 2022, but the court did not sit that day. The case was further adjourned to February 15, 2023.

    On February 15, Justice Oweibo asked whether there was still a live issue to be determined since the COVID-19 pandemic was over and the Federal Government had jettisoned the idea of vaccinating civil servants.

    The judge believed that events have overtaken the reliefs sought by Ubani and that proceeding with the matter would amount to a mere academic exercise.

    Justice Oweibo adjourned till May 3 to enable Ubani, who was not present in court on February 15, to decide whether to proceed.

    Ubani, after reviewing the case with his associates, agreed with the judge that indeed events have overtaken the reliefs sought, and the case had become academic.

    He, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the snail speed at which cases are determined.

    Ubani noted that if the adjudication process is fast, the matter would have long been concluded.

    On May 3, Ubani withdrew the case, and Justice Oweibo struck it out.

    Ubani had prayed for a declaration that the directive to all civil servants to show proof of vaccination or present a negative PCR test result done within 72 hours before they can gain access to their various offices within Nigeria and missions abroad is unconstitutional.

    He said it violated the constitutional rights of Nigerians to life, dignity, privacy, freedom from discrimination, freedom of thought, conscience and religion as guaranteed by sections 34, 37 and 38 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    Ubani prayed the court to hold that the directive, issued on December 1, 2021, is illegal having not been backed by any legislative enactment.

    Besides, he said violates the contractual terms of employment between the civil servants and the government.

    The NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) Chairman sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the SGF from implementing the directive.

    The Federal Government, through the SGF, filed a counter affidavit denying any plan to embark on compulsory vaccination of civil servants.

    “The Federal Government did not and does not plan to embark on compulsory vaccination as contemplated throughout the plaintiff’s affidavit.

    “The Federal Government was deliberate in providing two alternatives for civil servants to choose from, to wit: ‘proof of COVID-19 vaccination’ or ‘present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours’,” the respondent stated.

  • Govt feeds 75,000 inmates with N22.4b annually

    Govt feeds 75,000 inmates with N22.4b annually

    • Aregbesola seeks urgent reforms of Corrections administration

    The Federal Government said yesterday that it would spend N22.4 billion to feed 75,507 inmates across 244 custodial centres this year.

    Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Shuaib Belgore, stated this during a two-day High Conference on Decongestion of Correctional Centres.

    Belgore explained that there has been a steady rise in the population of inmates across the correctional centres, with at least 80 per cent of them awaiting trial. He added that of the 244 custodial centres nationwide, 82 of them are over-crowded.

    Of the total number of inmates, 73,821 are males. 52,436 are awaiting trial, 23,071 convicted and 3,322 on death row.

    The permanent secretary said the N22.4 billion is budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Bill, noting government was concerned about decongesting the correctional facilities.

    Belgore, who said hoped the conference discussions would be robust and address critical issues, added that the government would work to ensure the safety and security of inmates.

    Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola said there is need for urgent reforms in Corrections administration and criminal justice in the country.

    Aregbesola worried at the level of congestion of correctional facilities, especially those in urban areas of Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Benin, Owerri and Enugu. According to him, the target of the constitution amendment on Corrections was ‘to remedy the overcrowding of our custodial centres resulting from a high number of pre-trial detentions, arbitrary arrests, inability to meet bail conditions and general delays in the administration of justice system’.

    “When we talk about congestion, this is a phenomenon of the large urban centres in places like Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Benin, Owerri, Enugu and state capitals in general. The custodial facilities in the not so urban areas are not as overcrowded, with many of them indeed operating below capacity.”

  • Budget: we have nothing to hide, NDDC tells Senate

    Budget: we have nothing to hide, NDDC tells Senate

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has told the Senate it has nothing to hide following concerns expressed by senators over the commission’s budget.

     The Senate, at its session on May 10, constituted an ad hoc committee to probe the financial activities of the NDDC for the 2021 and 2022 budget estimates.

     The Senate also stood down consideration of the 2023 budget of the NDDC for further clarification on the figures contained therein.

     A statement by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, said the commission would continue to respect the senate’s oversight functions.

     “The NDDC is ready to cooperate with the investigative committee as it is committed to transparency and accountability in its operations. It is also important to clarify that the Senate has not accused the Board and Management of the NDDC of corruption or misappropriation of N1.4 trillion. The Senate only thinks the funds were expended without approval or appropriation by the National Assembly. This misunderstanding can quickly resolved by providing the necessary documents and explanations.

     “The delays in submitting its budgets and audited accounts to the National Assembly were due to factors beyond its control, such as bureaucratic bottlenecks and frequent leadership changes. The Commission has, however, taken steps to address these issues to ensure timely compliance with all statutory requirements.

     “We appeal to the public to refrain from making hasty judgments based on the Senate’s decision. The NDDC assures all stakeholders of its dedication to the development of the Niger Delta and the welfare of its people.”

  • Eight states sign $500m World Bank livestock devpt loan

    Eight states sign $500m World Bank livestock devpt loan

    Eight states – Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Kogi, Kwara, Niger and Oyo – have subscribed to a $500 million World Bank loan advanced to Nigeria for the development of livestock production, by signing their Subsidiary Loan Agreements (SLA).

    The loan facility is being administered by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRESS).

    The L-PRESS National Project Coordinator, Sanusi Abubakar, at an engagement session in Yola, Adamawa State yesterday, said the project is tailored to provide support to livestock farmers, processors and marketers, and improve overall productivity.

    According to Abubakar, all states are required to sign for their share of the loan before they can have it. He urged other interested states to act quickly.

    Abubakar recalled that the project was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 31, and Adamawa, which was the first state to sign the SLA, was chosen to host the first post-SLA Engagement Mission being attended by the six states of the Northeast.

    He said: “We are in Adamawa to meet with the six Northeast states on the smooth implementation of the project. We need to interact with project implementing units of the states. The states that have signed the agreement will have their funds. We need to engage with them for a smooth takeoff.”

    Commissioner for Agriculture Usmanu Yahaya said the L-PRESS loan facility would be invested in the dairy value chain to help the common man and further boost the already vibrant livestock industry of the state.

    “We have 12 cattle markets which have been rehabilitated and some expanded. So, we have a huge comparative advantage in livestock production,” Yahaya said.

  • Eight-month-old among 13th batch of Sudan returnees

    Eight-month-old among 13th batch of Sudan returnees

    • Evacuation to end in 36 hours
    • NEMA sends food items to Nigerians in Sudan

    Another 258 Nigerians arrived yesterday at the Pilgrims’ terminal section of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The returnees, flown in by Tarco Aviation, arrived in two separate flights about 5:11am and 12:25pm. The first flight arrived with 136 persons and the second with 123 persons, including an eight-month-old.

    Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, who welcomed the returnees, said the evacuation will likely end in the next 36 hours based on the plans in place. He was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Onimode Bandele.

    He said: “Evacuation is a continuous exercise. We have so far done 11 flights as at May 10 while combining Egypt and Port Sudan.

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    “Plans are for Tarco to do two more flights with a bigger aircraft. We also expect Azman and Air Peace to go, so in the next 24-36 hours, we should bring everybody back home.”

    The latest arrival is the 13th flight, bringing the total number of returnees to 2,252.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dispatched assorted food items to stranded Nigerians in Sudan. The food items were approved for the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan to cater to Nigerians waiting to be airlifted from Port Sudan.

    NEMA’s Director-General, Mustapha Ahmed, explained that the measure is expected to cushion the effects of food scarcity while evacuation was ongoing.

    The items, airlifted yesterday by Tarco Aviation, were 100 bags of 10kg rice, 50 bags of 10kg beans, 10 cartons of seasoning, 50 cartons of spaghetti, and five bags of iodised salt, according to a statement by the Head of Press Unit, Manzo Ezekiel.

  • INEC to publish list of Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa governorship candidates today

    INEC to publish list of Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa governorship candidates today

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will publish particulars of candidates in the November 11 governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states today.

     A statement by the National Commissioner (Information and Voter Education), Festus Okoye, said all registered political parties have submitted a list of their candidates for the elections in Kogi State.

    The statement added that 17 parties have also indicated their interest to contest the elections in Imo and Bayelsa states.

    He urged contestants aggrieved with the primary to approach the court to seek redress in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    The statement reads: “On October 25, 2022, the Commission released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the three off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states, holding on November 11 2023. Political parties conducted their primaries as required by law and uploaded the names and personal particulars of their candidates and running mates to the INEC candidate nomination portal by the deadline of 6pm on May 5, 2023.

    “All the 18 political parties have nominated candidates for the Kogi election and 17 parties for Bayelsa and Imo states. They have also submitted the duly completed Forms EC9 containing personal particulars supported by sworn affidavits as well as EC9B containing the names of their candidates.

    “As required by section 29 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission shall publish the personal particulars of the candidates in the state headquarters and local government offices in the three states tomorrow (today).

    “We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the list. In particular, any aspirant who participated in his/her party’s primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination at the Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.”

  • The Buhari Years 2015-2023 : Appraising the gains, unrealised expectations in aviation sector 2

    The Buhari Years 2015-2023 : Appraising the gains, unrealised expectations in aviation sector 2

    Despite unmet expectations in the aviation industry, especially the unanswered question of Nigeria Air, there are many solid developments in infrastructure upgrades and other activities in the sector, writes KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR

    Since 2015, the Federal Government has pursued its aviation policies under the Aviation Infrastructure Roadmap initiatives aimed at developing a solid air transport industry that would not only drive economic growth but also ensure the safety and security of flights in the aviation industry.

    Major developments and activities in the critical sector in the eight years of Buhari’s administration have been around the completion of five airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu. These new facilities, though initiated by the previous administration under the Airport Infrastructure Programme, were executed with the $500 million loan secured from the Chinese Import-Export Bank. The Federal Government supplemented the loan with counterpart funding of $100 million in order to see the project through.

    Considered a major achievement of the Buhari administration, industry experts believe it as a key plank of the administration’s airport infrastructure programme. The Executive Director of the Centre for Aviation Development, Daniel Pam, said the Buhari administration set the tone for replacement of ageing and obsolete industry infrastructure. Besides the new international airport terminals, the Buhari administration also completed the reconstruction of the Abuja Airport Runway, which was unattended for many years as well as the rebuilding of the Kaduna International Airport.

     On the infrastructure front, the Federal Government also carried out the installation of the airfield lighting system, which was abandoned for nearly two decades at the domestic runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The former Executive Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, described it as a milestone for the administration.

    But there are, however, downsides to the aviation sector’s success stories. For eight years now, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika failed to inaugurate boards for the aviation sector agencies. Despite agitation and reminders by industry groups, Sirika ran the affairs of the agencies without substantive management boards; a development that has pitted him against industry unions. Since 2015, aviation agencies have been administered without statutory boards to supervise their affairs. Why the boards were not constituted is a question only Sirika can answer.

     For years, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which is the apex regulatory authority; the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) do not have functional boards.

     Dr Gbenga Olowo, who presides over the Aviation Roundtable, the foremost aviation think-tank, said this is not in keeping with due process. He asked the minister to inaugurate the agencies’ boards. This appears not feasible anymore with a few weeks before the end of the administration’s tenure. He said the failure of the minister to inaugurate the aviation agencies’ boards could cast a thick shadow on transparency and accountability in the sector.

     Olowo, the President of Sabre Network, said: “Interim boards can fill the administrative vacuum, but agencies are not contemplated to run without functional boards for periods exceeding three months. ART is of the view that the aviation sector policymakers adopt the international aviation best corporate governance for the promotion of safety.”

     The General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrazaq Siedu, said: “ANAP, for instance, has written numerous letters to the minister to remind him of this oversight, but he has failed to respond to any of our letters on the issue. Aviation workers are suffering because of the several actions of the minister since he came on board. For instance, training of personnel has been relegated to the background for many years.”

     The immediate past General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Olayinka Abioye, said it was an aberration to continue to run the agencies without the statutory boards. In the period under review, the aviation industry under Sirika also failed to deliver a national carrier, concession airports, the establishment of an Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Centre, as well as the setting up of an Aircraft Financing and Leasing Company.

     Experts say the administration has also, in the period under review, courted enough controversies that have dwarfed possible strides in the air transport space. Since 2015, Buhari’s administration promised Nigerians to birth a national carrier – Nigeria Air – whose fate is still hanging in the balance. Many timelines have been given for the project. Aside from the first promise in 2015, other promised dates were 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2022; but the final promise by Aviation Minister that the airline will be sky-bound before the tenure of this administration ends on May 29.

     What this means is that Nigeria Air, wrapped inside the envelope of the Government’s Aviation Roadmap since 2015, has travelled a tumultuous journey since its official unveiling at the Farnborough Airshow in London in 2018. After many controversies that trailed the unveiling at the Farnborough Airshow and huge sums of money sunk into the project, the Federal Government, two months after, suspended the project for wide consultations. Sirika said about the project: “I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the national carrier project in the interim. All commitments due will be honoured.”

     As the global air transport sector suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic for the greater part of 2019 and 2020, not much was heard about the Nigeria Air project. Rising like the Phoenix two years after, the controversial Nigeria Air roared back to life as Sirika, in June 2022, announced that the company packaging the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air Limited, had received an Air Transport Licence (ATL) from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). On the acquisition of ATL, Sirika said: “Nigeria Air Limited received from Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Air Transport Licence, signalling the end of the beginning of operations of the airline. Commencement date of domestic operations will be announced in due course.”

     But the project hit the rocks last year when the Federal Government announced the selection of Ethiopian Airlines as a technical partner and core investor for Nigeria Air. This development seems the lowest point for the Buhari administration as industry experts and groups faulted the selection of a foreign/African carrier as a technical partner for the carrier.

     In November 2022, local carriers went to the Federal High Court in Lagos to challenge the take-off of the national carrier. The Court granted both an Interim Order/Interlocutory Injunctions restraining the Federal Government, the Ministry of Aviation and any of its agents from going ahead with the project. The matter is still in court.

    Many Nigerians have criticised the Buhari administration for seeking to start a new national carrier after the former national carrier, Nigeria Airways, collapsed largely due to corruption. Besides Ethiopian Airlines having 49 per cent of the stakes in the planned airline, there are no signs that the new carrier would not be enmeshed in corruption, even if the government owns one per cent. There are allegations that many things about Nigeria Air are mired in secrecy. Key among these is the ownership arrangement.

    Ethiopian Airlines as stated earlier has 49 per cent and Nigerian private investors, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO), MRS and other institutional investors have 46 per cent. In comparison, the Federal Government has five per cent. But there has been a controversy trailing this ownership arrangement because it has not been confirmed the financial commitment of these companies to the planned airline and SAHCO is also in court with the Federal Government because it said that stakes were allocated to it from Nigeria Air; while it was really interested in airport concession and had planned that it would win the concession of the airport terminals.

     The litigation against Nigeria Air would not likely be resolved before the end of May 29 when the Buhari administration would vacate office. An airline operator, who pleaded not to be named in print, raised posers on the project. The operator asked: “How much is Ethiopian Airlines bringing for the 49 per cent stake in Nigeria Air it has? May 29 is less than a month away, what is the capitalisation of the airline? How much is Nigeria getting from the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) that has been ceded to the airline and credit guarantees and tax holidays?

    “An airline that will start operations in less than one month should have brought some money from those shareholders or are they coming into Nigeria to plough it, to rip it off?”

     The source reasoned that it would be better if the Federal Government declared 100 per cent ownership of the company and give it full funding because, as of now, no money is coming from any other place; the government has been funding the project since it started the implementation of that project. “Let the Federal Government possess 100 per cent ownership of the company. The names of the other stakeholders should be removed because, invariably, the Federal Government has been financing the project, giving the airline tax holiday and guaranteeing and even allowing double bidding of the company ownership,” he said.

    The Managing Director of Flight and Logistics Solutions Limited, Amos Akpan, described the promise made by the minister as ambitious. “The statement by the Minister of Aviation is ambitious, viewed from what we know and see on the ground. Maybe the minister knows things the rest of us in the industry do not know. There are unresolved matters on the ground. There are regulatory procedures to fulfil. There were deadlines that we didn’t meet and pronouncements from the same Minister that didn’t happen as he said on the same subject. The time is short and I think it is unrealistic,” he said.

     Rating the government on the Aviation Roadmap, which chronicled what it wanted to achieve in the past eight years, none of which has been completely achieved, Akpan said that the national carrier remains a work in progress. “My rating is to state exactly what I have seen on the ground compared to what the Minister promised seven years ago. On the national carrier, I have not sighted the contract or the site for the construction of the national Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). On manpower and training, I have not seen pilots use the simulator at the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), neither have I noticed the filling of manpower gap between NCAT and operators in the industry (government and private).

     “On aircraft leasing and finance company, there is no existing leasing company for industry financing. In the area of building airport cities (aerotropolis), there is no existing aerotropolis city and on the national carrier again, no aircraft, no schedule, no station personnel and infrastructure for Nigeria Air, except offices in Abuja airport. The minister does not seem to consider the existing case in court while making his pronouncements,” he said.

     On aerospace university, which was also part of the Aviation Roadmap, Akpan said there is no governing board, no offices for aeronautical university, non-existing academic faculty or programme, and no National University Commission (NUC) accreditation. He, however, gave kudos to the minister on the new airport terminals and noted that the MMIA new terminal is grossly underutilised. Akpan said: “The Cargo terminals are in the same status as they were in 2014. SAHCO and Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) have acquired new equipment, which has improved their capacity and impacted their performance.

     “But the cargo terminals have become rowdier and less efficient in processes. The security surveillance installed in our airports makes tracking criminal activities effective. The aviation unions do not agree on the (airport) concession as they have gone to court. There is no clarity on the position of current concessions.”

     The Executive Secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART) and aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), said he was doubtful of the realisation of the national carrier project since 2018. Ojikutu said: “I have my doubts and that has been my position since the minister’s moves in 2018. If ever it does, not many intercontinental routes will be available if we are still keeping the foreign airlines’ monies.

     “Even if we pay these monies, how many countries have we normalised the plans to operate with or submitted our operational plans with for acceptance? The airline would die same way the Virgin Nigeria died immediately after a new administration comes in. This is what I see on the government airline owned by those in the administration of the government and not a national carrier owned by Nigerians. By the way, why is it that the minister representing only five per cent ownership is the only one doing the show? Where are the representatives of the remaining 46 per cent?”

    Only last week, solicitors to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Nureini Jimoh Chambers have written a letter to the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, urging him to desist from dealing with the Minister of Aviation/Federal Ministry of Aviation or their agents, privies or representatives pertaining to the issuance of the Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) for the proposed national carrier-Nigeria Air.

     The letter titled:  “Notification of Court Orders,” signed by Abubakar Nuhu Ahmad said it was putting NCAA on notice because the subject matter is an ongoing suit. He said the NCAA not going ahead with the AOC process for Nigeria Air would save it from avoidable consequences and disobedience of court orders. The letter reads: “As a law-abiding regulatory agency, you are under the watchful eyes of the world and it is in your interest to desist from any further action on the AOC process that will ridicule the integrity of the agency before the local media as well as the global aviation community.”

     The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa on November 24, 2022, granted orders of interim and interlocutory injunctions restraining the Federal Government and its agents and the management of Nigeria Air Limited from taking any action in relation to the proposed national carrier project. The suit with registration number FHC/L/CS/2159/2022 has registered trustees of AON, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, MAX Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company and Topbrass Aviation Limited as plaintiffs.

    The defendants are Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Attorney-General of the Federation. As the government winds down on May 29, industry watchers are worried that pronouncements coming from the Minister of Aviation concerning the readiness of the administration to deliver a national carrier is leaving a sour taste in the mouth.

     Sirika said last week that Nigeria Air will begin operations before President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure ends on May 29. Sirika, while addressing reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, assured Nigerians that everything needed to begin operation is in place. He said: “I did say that we will get Nigeria Air Limited going before the end of this administration and I’ve not withdrawn my words. We have everything in place – the aircraft, offices, operational centres, staffing and everything needed are in place. We’re doing the last-minute checks and waiting for the issuance of the AOC and it will fly.

     “It will fly; it will be for the benefit of this country, for the size of the population, the travelling public and what it does to the economy, especially to tourism, to African integration and to the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063. It’s a very important project and I must do it; it will happen before the end of our tenure in the next four weeks and two days.”

     Industry watchers say the aviation sector had low moments in the past eight years with more protests organised by industry unions over plans to concession airports, prevent aviation personnel from embarking on strikes, demolition of agencies’ offices to pave the way for the establishment of an airport city,  amid other developments. But, airline operators say the Buhari administration has intervened more in the challenges affecting business compared to other regimes.

     The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, said the administration of Buhari granted local airlines waivers on customs duties on aircraft. He said: “AON, for the avoidance of doubt, commends the Federal Government for its unflinching support for the growth of indigenous investments in Nigeria.”

    Onyema said airline operators in Nigeria have never had it so good. He said the Federal Government created an enabling environment by removing VAT and other expenses affecting airline operations. Listing the achievements of the administration, Sirka said: “The current administration has delivered on its promise since its inauguration in 2015. The administration had its priorities and has worked hard to keep its promise of ensuring that air travel is safe and secure.

    “We have ensured we improved processes so that aircraft depart from point A and land at point B and everything in-between must be done in the most efficient manners. So, this is the intent of the Buhari and APC government since 2015. Specifically, in civil aviation, all those things that will happen between takeoff and landing and in between that seek to safety, security and efficiency of the sector have been our concerns. Since then, there were terminal buildings that have been dilapidated, especially that of Lagos, but we didn’t fold our hands. We accelerated what we met in terms of development. But happily, they have all been completed.”