Former Head of the Interim National Government (INC), Chief Ernest Shonekan, is dead.
He died in Lagos at 85, sources told The Nation.
Shonekan was chairman of the INC, which succeeded the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida.
He ruled from August 26 to November 17, 1993 until he was overthrown in a palace coup led by late General Sani Abacha who was Secretary of Defence.
Details Shortly…
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will run for president, the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart declared yesterday.
He spoke at the State House in Abuja after intimating President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention.
The former Lagos State governor told reporters that his bid has been a lifelong ambition.
The eminent politician promised to give further details later.
Tinubu said: “I’ve informed the President of my intention, but I’ve not informed Nigerians yet.
“I’m still consulting and I have no problem consulting.
“I’ve not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people will I consult.
“You will soon hear all you want to hear; it’s a categorical declaration.
“You’ve gotten that truth from me that I’ve informed Mr. President of my ambition and you don’t expect more answers than that.”
On Buhari’s reaction to his bid, he said: “He’s a democrat; he didn’t ask me to stop; he didn’t ask me not to attempt and pursue my ambition.
“It’s a lifelong ambition. So, why will I expect him to say more than that?
“You are running a democratic dispensation and you must adopt the principles and virtues of democracy.”
Tinubu, who has mentored many political leaders, said nothing can stop a kingmaker from becoming the king unless he has committed murder.
“About the cap of a kingmaker. I’ve never seen the cap of a kingmaker before. That is the truth, and I’ve never seen where it is written in the rule book, anywhere in any country, that a kingmaker cannot be a king, unless you commit murder.
“So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker.
“You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception.”
Tinubu declined comment on the rumoured presidential aspirations of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.
He said: “I don’t want to discuss individuals now. I must discuss myself.
“I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr. President and turn Nigeria better.
“I’ve done that with commitment in Lagos State.
“You’ve seen that experience and the capacity to turn things around and that is what we are doing.”
The APC stalwart promised to consolidate the party’s achievements if elected president in 2023.
He said: “The confusion, the drift of the past in PDP is being corrected and you can’t take that away.
“As we are today, go back to the data on how many barrels of oil we were producing when we first came in and what it is today.
“Even at the time we came in, we could not pay the counterpart funds to start our rail line.
“Today, you enjoy the comfort of having rail from Lagos to Ibadan; you have the Kaduna and you have the one for Kano still on the aggressive pipeline. You see excellent infrastructure.
“I just came from Azare and I have seen good roads. The carnage of dying on the road is reducing, except for the lack of compliance by a lot of Nigerian drivers and VIOs.
“Let us think back; let us be intellectually inquisitive as to the past and the present and what the future holds for Nigeria.”
On the APC national conversation, which has been dogged by controversy, he said it was “certain that we are going to have it”.
Tinubu added: “I’m not a spokesperson for the party and the President is the leader of the party.
“So, expect a convention. Maybe, if that’s added to your own anxiety or the other party’s anxiety, it’s good for us.
“We will get it and we’ll get it done properly.”
On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021, Tinubu said the contentious issues would be laid to rest by the President and the National Assembly.
He added: “First of all, the National Assembly and the President must be encouraged to review and review again.
“Whatever they come up with in the Electoral Act amendment is what we must comply with.
“There is no unlimited elasticity in what we face because we have to plan and plan well, and be able to manage the time effectively.
“The great roadmap to success is the ability of a leader to do what he must do at the right time that it should be done.
“So, the Electoral Act amendment point, we will still look at that collectively. It is our country, it’s our democracy.
“We have adopted it and we will push it rigorously.”
On why he visited the President, Tinubu said: “I came to see the President on general issues concerning Nigeria, including our political party, the APC; the security issues, the achievements, the New Year agenda, and the new strategy – that we must have party congresses and all that.”
The Interim Administrator of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), speaks on a number of key issues, including his plans to sustain the peace in the Niger Delta. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.
Amnesty and a wrong impression about the Niger Delta
A First, let me admit that there are people who believe that the amnesty programme has outlived its time and usefulness. It has the longest record for an amnesty programme; ordinarily, an Amnesty Programme such as this should not last longer than five to six, a maximum of seven years. This programme has been on for 11 years plus. The commitment I made when I assumed office as the Interim Administrator was to examine what has been done, how well it has been done and what needs to be done to achieve the prime objective of the Programme.
I make my recommendations to my superiors based on these parameters. I am not a decision-maker; I help my superiors make informed decisions. I, therefore, have a responsibility to speak to the facts. I earlier mentioned that 8,000 people have not been trained at all; we are still in the process of clearly identifying those who were trained and not empowered and for that matter, what that empowerment meant in the context of the contracts that were awarded then as opposed to what our current vision of ‘Train, Employ And Mentor’ empowerment model aims to achieve.
Ultimately, my interpretation of my mission is to contribute to ensuring that, there is lasting peace in the Niger Delta; anything that detracts from that, does not fulfil the mission. And so, I am not going to tell anybody that the Programme is going to be scrapped tomorrow, that is not my decision to make, my job is to assess what has been done, how well it has been done and what needs to be done. There are several options contemplated.
One of the options we are recommending is changing the current programme to Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme that aims to principally dry up the pipeline that leads to militancy. The reality is that whether this programme ends or not we cannot run away from the fact that militancy has existed from generation to generation in the Niger Delta over the issues of lack of development in the region. But the gospel we are preaching is that be that as it may, resorting to violence, primarily hurts the Niger Delta and de-markets the region. Thus, the need for a new approach that relies on tools like negotiation, lobbying, building bridges etc, in the spirit of give and take.
But it’s easier said than done. There is a young population that can easily, if not properly guided, metamorphose into the next set of militants. We want to design a project, a special youth programme that not only addresses those issues but provides a pathway to self-actualization based on knowing how societies work. It’s imperative that we develop our youths to imbibe soft skills.
Plans for ex-agitators in the New Year
Principally, we want them to be trained, employed and mentored but this will start with about 8,000 delegates who have never been trained at all. The second group of people will be those who have been trained but not empowered. To aid that process, some of the contracts that were awarded are being reviewed, especially the ones that have not been executed up to 50%. We are working with the vendors to ensure that they adjust their contracts to reflect our current vision to train, employ and mentor our delegates. We are ready to partner with anyone who is ready to align with our vision especially if they meet our viability criteria.
Ultimately, what we want to achieve is that these ex-agitators are given the training they need to either become entrepreneurs or acquire the qualification they need to compete in the job market successfully. For the economy at large, we want to encourage them to think about shared prosperity. Where there is prosperity or what is called human security, the urge for violent agitations will be reduced to the minimum because their sources of livelihood are protected. That’s the whole idea.
Findings on assumption of office
If I had not been a soldier who had faced tough challenges in the past, I probably would have chickened out, because to say the least, the place was very dysfunctional. I inherited a debt of N71.4bn and a fractured logistics process that was evident everywhere; there were goods lying around in the rain because they were procured without due needs analysis. It was very disheartening.
To compound it all, there was a dichotomy between the Reintegration consultants who are principally the main drivers of the Programme and the civil servants who are supposed to support them. This lack of staff harmony is still evident though to a less degree now. We are addressing this through a complete top to bottom reorganisation.
There was a trust deficit between the ex-agitator community and the students; oftentimes they had to block roads for their stipends or In-training allowances to be paid. So, one of the first things I did was to say, hey, this thing is not rocket science, you know you must pay people every month, let’s challenge ourselves to date. Many people thought that I was walking on thin ice and said that payment on the 25th of every month was not possible. However, by the grace of God, we have been able to do that. Most times, these payments are made before the 25th of the month.
The Minister of Finance and the Accountant-General of the Federation have been very supportive in processing our finances and in ensuring that there are no bottlenecks concerning our releases. My immediate superior, the National Security Adviser has gone above and beyond the call of duty, to enable us to overcome the challenges I mentioned earlier.
We are also mindful not to bend the structure so hard so we don’t break it in the course of trying to fix it. I insist on all concerned to understand that they have a part to play. This is a collective responsibility because the image of PAP is not the image of Dikio, but that of everybody associated with the Programme and peace in the Niger Delta region.
The reputation of PAP
We have different motivations in life. I come from a background where failure is not an option, so I don’t make excuses. People just want you to level with them and the few occasions when, for instance, we were not able to pay as promised on the 25th, we proactively let the ex-agitators know ahead of time that the stipends won’t come as expected, but it will come not long after the expected date. So, these are the kind of things that have built the kind of confidence that we have enjoyed so far. I was trained as an officer to face challenges with the clear objective to win; I keep that in focus all the time.
Legacy
I don’t claim to have a magic wand but I believe strongly that my appointment was divine and all along I have had destiny helpers assisting me. With the support of the people of the region, we will be able to make a mark that cannot be erased.
I am in that stage of life where I intend to leave a legacy of righting some of the administrative wrongs in this special agency created to address some of the challenges in the Niger Delta region. Ultimately, I want to contribute to making the Niger Delta the best place to live and do business in Nigeria.
PAP’s training centres across the region
We know that only one was completed; that is the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) at Boro Town, in Bayelsa State. Unfortunately, that facility was turned into a store which should not have been. The goods stored there were later looted and subsequently, the facility was vandalized and stripped. It was primitively looted.
The next that came close to that is the VTC in Agadagba in Ondo State. That facility has fantastic classrooms with the best technical equipment you can find anywhere, but the shortcoming of that facility is that it has no hostel to accommodate the students. The training facility in Bomadi, Delta State is close to completion.
The VTCs in Gelegele, Edo State and Harry’s Town in Rivers State are just at their foundation level. What we intend to do is to send a quantity surveyor around these locations to do a detailed assessment of what it will take to bring them up to speed. When these projects are completed, we would recommend that they be used for the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme, for training youths in the demographic age group of 12-18.
Additionally, completing them has the advantage of pointing to the Federal Government’s presence, because some of the sentiments that are often the rallying point of discontentment are the talk about the lack of Federal Government presence in several communities.
Many people have also suggested that the Federal Government can donate them to some of the training schools in the region, but by and large, I think it is important that these projects are not abandoned, especially because so much money has been spent already.
States are to get N61.2 billion survival pill soon, the Federal Government said yesterday through the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum.
Each of the 36 states will access a minimum of N1.7 billion in the various schemes being implemented with the N75 billion Survival Fund.
The minister dropped the hint in her presentation during a virtual meeting of the Committee on the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), chaired by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ambassador Katagum, who was one of the ministers and heads of federal department and agencies who presented reports at the meeting, also explained that Lagos, Abia and Kano States had already crossed the bar, with Lagos reaching over N2.5 billion and Kano over N2 billion.
No state so far has received anything less than N1b.
Details of what transpired at the meeting were contained in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande.
The statement reads: “In the presentation on the Survival Fund made by the In the presentation on the Survival Fund made by the Industry, Trade and Investment Minister of State, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, she disclosed that while all States of the Federation have received varying levels of the N75 billion Survival Fund with its different schemes, eventually each State would soon receive a minimum of N1.7 billion cumulative from all the schemes.”
The statement also said that no fewer than 2.1 million jobs have been either created or saved by through the implementation of the ESP instituted by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Buhari had in June 2020 mandated Prof Osinbajo, in his capacity as chair of the Economic Sustainability Committee, to coordinate the implementation of the ESP.
Highlights of the presentations by MDAs include the approval of N10 billion by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to fund the deployment and local assembly of 200,000 (off-grid) Solar Homes Systems under the “Solar Power Naija” partnership between both the NSIA and Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
In his presentation, the Minister of State, Budget & National Planning, Clem Agba, disclosed that while about 1.3 million jobs were retained through the MSME and payroll support, 774,000 jobs were created from the Special Public Works Programme and 26,021 jobs from roads construction /rehabilitation.
The committee heard that over 1.1 million Nigerians have benefitted from the different schemes under the ESP MSME Survival Fund.
A breakdown showed there are 459,334 beneficiaries under the Payroll Support Scheme; 307,687 beneficiaries from the Artisan & Transport Scheme.
Similarly, 82,491 Nigerians have so far benefited from the General MSME Grants Scheme and another 17,468 from the Guaranteed Off-takers’ Scheme.
Some 250,000 business names were registered free under the Survival Fund’s CAC Formalisation Support Scheme.
Under the Solar Power Naija programme, the Managing Director/CEO of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo, briefed the Committee that another 60,000 SHS would be delivered in the first quarter of this year under the NDPHC-A-solar partnership, with at least 10,000 units to be assembled locally. This is besides the 200,000 solar connections to be funded by NSIA.
The ESP Solar Naija programme is designed to provide electricity access to 5 million households, and will serve about 25 million Nigerians in rural areas and under-served urban communities nationwide.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that the Rapid Response Register (RRR) component under the ESP has since commenced.
She said that 374,759 beneficiaries have been paid, adding that additional 391,185 others have been cleared for payment.
The RRR is designed as an intervention to cushion the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban poor Nigerians currently not benefitting from the Cash Transfer Programme.
Regarding the progress of the Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) component of the ESP, 281 companies have benefitted from the COVID-grant relief, while 1,105 companies are beneficiaries under the Export Development Fund (EDF), among other milestones.
The EDF, as a statutory provision of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), is being activated for the first time under the ESP.
Also as part of the ESP, 100 MSMEs exporters have been listed on Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform.
The NEPC, under the ESP, also trained 4500 farmers & exporters on food safety and international standards, while 700 of them have now received international certification which only less than 50 had in Nigeria before now.
Besides, eight new Domestic Export Warehouses are being built in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Abuja to ease the supply chain constraints for exporters.
National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Monday declared that he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his presidential ambition.
Asiwaju Tinubu disclosed this while addressing State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The APC stalwart, however, said he was yet to publicly disclose his ambition as he was still in consultations with various interests across the country.
Describing his ambition to be President, the party stalwart said it is a lifelong dream.
When asked if he had informed Buhari of his ambition, the former Lagos Governor said: “I can answer that with a categorical yes. I’ve informed the President of my intention but I’ve not informed Nigerians yet.
“I’m still consulting and I have no problem consulting and I’ve not set a parameter of limitation to the extent of how many people will I consult.
“You will soon hear all you want to hear, it’s a categorical declaration. You’ve gotten that truth from me that I’ve informed Mr. President of my ambition and you don’t expect more answers than that.”
Asked how Buhari responded, he said: “He’s a democrat, he didn’t ask me to stop. He didn’t ask me not to attempt and pursue my ambition. It’s a lifelong ambition.
“So, why will I expect him to say more than that? Why do you? You are running a democratic dispensation and you must adopt the principles and virtues of democracy.”
Tinubu avoided being drawn into discussing the rumoured presidential interests of other aspirants on the platform of the party, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, saying he would not discuss individuals but himself and his capacity for the office he aspires to.
“I don’t want to discuss individuals now. I must discuss myself. I have the confidence, the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of Mr. President and turn Nigeria better. I’ve done that with commitment and unyielding efforts in Lagos State.
“You’ve seen that experience and the capacity to turn things around and that is what we are doing. The confusion, the drift of the past in PDP is being corrected and you can’t take away from that. As we are today, go back to the data on how many barrels of oil were we producing when we first came in and what it is today.
“Even at the time we came in, we could not pay the counterpart funds to start our rail line. Today, you enjoy the comfort of having rail from Lagos to Ibadan, you have the Kaduna and you have the one for Kano still on the aggressive pipeline. You see excellent infrastructure.”
Asked why he would not remain a kingmaker rather than being the king, he said nothing stops a kingmaker from becoming the king unless he has committed murder.
“I’ve never seen the cap of a kingmaker before, that is the truth and I’ve never seen where it is written in the rule book, anywhere in any country, that a kingmaker cannot be a king, unless you commit murder.
“So, whatever is your attribute is your own opinion. Me, I want to pursue my ambition without the title of a kingmaker. You can write your literature and your story based upon your own perception,” he said.
National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday declared that he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his presidential ambition.
Asiwaju Tinubu disclosed this while addressing State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Buhari in his office at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The APC stalwart however said he was yet to publicly disclose his ambition as he was still in consultations with various interests across the country.
Read Also: BREAKING: Buhari meets Tinubu in Aso Rock
He refused to be drawn into the question of a potential race for the APC ticket between him and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo whose support groups have been mobilising for his candidacy.
Tinubu asserted that his ambition to be President has been a life-long ambition, noting that what he did in Lagos in his time as Governor, he has the capacity to do in the entire country.
On Osinbajo’s potential ambition, the APC National Leader maintained that he would not discuss any individual.
Asked why he would not remain a kingmaker rather than being the king, he said there is nothing that stops a kingmaker from becoming the king unless he has committed murder.
Details shortly…
The Head Pastor of Rapture Evangelical church of God Lagos, Evangelist Funmilayo Adebayo aka Mummy GO, has denied most of the claims attributed to her in viral memes.
She alleged most of the videos showing her were manipulated and instigated by adversaries.
Mummy GO, in an interview with BBC Pidgin at the weekend, said: “I didn’t say all those things going viral on the internet because most of those videos were edited.
“Even if Lucifer the Devil is made a pastor, he would not preach those things not to talk on someone who calls herself a holiness preacher. So, I did not say any of those things but the perpetrators behind these are well aware of what they have done”.
She alleged her adversaries, eight years ago, began spreading false news about her in magazines, which backfired before they resorted to threats.
According to her: “Most of the things they said I had said, I did not say them but those behind these news know what they are doing. They had begun for over eight years by using magazines and when they found out it did not come into fruition, they started chasing after me with guns.”
On her claims that comedians, as well as people using attachments and hair extensions and technologies, were going to hell, Mummy GO said the manner in which people use the items will determine their eternal fate.
Read Also: PROFILE: What you probably didn’t know about ‘Mummy GO’ in viral memes
She stressed: “It depends on how you use technology; we are making this interview via technology. Even the bible says “it is good for a clergy (bishop) to have only one wife (1 Tim 3 vs 2) but Abraham in the same Bible had more than one wife. So it all depends on the way you use it and that might determine if you will go to hell or heaven”.
She reinforced her assertion that women with trousers will perish in Hell Fire.
Quoting Deuteronomy 22:5: she said: “Go to other religions, even the Muslims, there is something called modesty. I have travelled to many Muslim countries and you will never find any of the women exposing their bodies.
“This is not the first time I’m saying this even their air hostesses are well dressed. All of my preaching that has become a crime today was valid 50 years ago.
“No woman dared enter the church without covering her hair, the elderly amongst us can attest to that. Has the God who asked the women to cover their heads 50 years ago travelled? Has He changed?
“A Muslim woman would dare not enter the mosque without covering her hair. How come the God who was against this year ago is suddenly lenient with this issue now? Just because I preached an old message, I’ve been labeled a criminal”.
On allegation that she said footballers would go to hell, she claimed people just wanted to set her up against football lovers.
She clarified she actually meant that the event that will bring the anti- Christ will come through the World Cup.
According to her: “They just want to arouse everyone who loves soccer against me. I said that because of the upcoming event that will introduce the anti-Christ to the whole world, it will come through the world cup. That’s all”.
President Muhammadu Buhari is meeting with National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, which agenda could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, is believed to be a courtesy one.
The meeting is coming on the heels of fresh disagreements among leaders of the ruling party threatening the conduct of the long-awaited National Convention.
Tinubu is believed to be a front-runner in the race for the party’s presidential ticket.
Details shortly…
Workers, under the auspices of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Monday, picketed the National Assembly Complex for two hours.
The picketing followed the failure of the management to persuade the workers to suspend the action.
The workers had notified management of the picketing and their resolve to embark on strike if their demands were not met.
Read Also: VIDEO: Workers picket NASS complex over unpaid allowances
Led by their Chairman, Comrade Sabiyi Sunday, the protesting workers marched several times around the foyer of the National Assembly, singing solidarity songs and waving banners and placards.
While addressing the workers, Sunday said the picketing was billed to last for two hours after which the staff were to return to their various offices.
He said executives of the association would be attending an emergency meeting called by the National Assembly Service Commission to address issues raised by the workers.
Details shortly…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun mass mobilisation of civil society organisations (CSOs) ahead of its planned January 27 and February 1 nationwide protests against the proposed removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.
The Nation gathered that meetings between the congress and leaders of the CSOs are expected to hold tomorrow in Abuja and Friday in Lagos.
The parleys, according to a letter by NLC President Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, will be attended by members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the congress and the affiliate unions’ leadership.
The letter by Wabba reads: “Comrade, you may recall that at the regular meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which took place on 17th December 2021 at the Oyerinde Olaitan Auditorium, Pascal Bafyau Labour House, the NEC decided, among other things, to mobilise Nigerian workers and people for a nationwide protest on the 27th of January 2022, particularly in all the state capitals of the federation.
“There will also be a national protest on the 1st of February 2022, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The planned protest is to register the displeasure and rejection by Nigerian workers and people of the proposed plans by the government to increase the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also commonly referred to as ‘petrol’.
“Currently, it is being speculated that the planned price hike would see a litre of petrol selling between N340 and N360.
“Clearly, this price upsurge would unleash very severe and calamitous dislocation on Nigerian workers, people, and businesses.
“In order to plan for an effective and peaceful protest, we seek the indulgence of your union as a member of the NLC Central Working Committee to be part of a planning meeting with leaders of CSOs scheduled to take place in both Abuja and Lagos states.
“While we look forward to your attendance, please accept the renewed assurances of our highest esteem.”
President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Quadri Olaleye, said the National Administrative Council, CWC, and National Executive Council of the NLC would thereafter meet for three days from January 20 to fine-tune the strategies for the protests.
Olaleye said: “The TUC will make its decision known on 22 of January. We are having our organs’ meeting from the 20th, 21th and 22nd. It is after that meeting that we will decide on what to do.
“The planned subsidy removal is a major issue that we will discuss. We have other issues like the failure of the government to implement the electricity tariff reduction agreement. We will look into it at the meeting. I don’t want to preempt the meeting.”