Category: Featured

National airliner, Air Nigeria, is expected to take off by April 2022, the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika has disclosed.

The Minister spoke to State House Correspondents on Wednesday after the week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Read Also: BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu presents N1.388tr 2022 consolidation budget

According to Sirika, the national carrier will be run by a company in which the government will hold a 5% stake, Nigerian entrepreneurs holding 46% while the remaining 49% will be reserved for yet to be assigned strategic equity partners, including foreign investors.

He further noted that the national carrier, when operational, will create about 70,000 jobs for Nigerians.

Details Shortly…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and its Comptroller General, Idris Isah Jere to release the impounded international passports of a former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili within five days.

Justice Inyang Ekwo handed out the order as a condition for the hearing of an application, filed by the NIS and its Comptroller General, for a stay of the court’s October 18, 2021 judgment, ordering them to release Odili’s passport and offer him a written apology.

Lawyer to the NIS and its Comptroller General, Ibrahim Etsu had told the court on Tuesday that his clients have filed an application seeking an order staying the execution of the judgment pending the determination of their appeal.

After listening to Etsu, Justice Ekwo said he would hear the application on the condition that the applicants first release Odili’s passport and deposit it with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court within five days.

The judge then adjourned till January 13 for the hearing of the application.

Odili had earlier this year, sued the NIS and its Comptroller General, accusing them of unlawfully impounding his passport.

In a judgment on October 18, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/965/2021, Justice Ekwo held among others, that the respondents (NIS and its Comptroller General breached Odili’s rights by impounding his passport without an order of court empowering them to so act.

The judge proceeded to order the respondents to offer the applicant an apology in written form.

In their notice of appeal filed on November 19 by their lawyer, Jimoh Adamu, the NIS and its Comptroller General want the Court of Appeal to set aside the October 18 judgment on the grounds that the judge erred in his interpretation of the law.

Read Also: Odili: Arrested suspects still in our custody, says IGP

They raised two grounds of appeal, the first being that the trial judge was in error in assuming jurisdiction over the case despite its glaring defects.

Part of the defects, they argued, was that the applicant’s names on the suit were different from the names contained in the passport to which he was laying claim.

“The failure to comply with the provision of Section 109 of the Immigration Act 2015 rob the court below of the jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate on the suit,” they added.

On the second ground, the NIS and its Comptroller General argued that Justice Ekwo erred in law when he ordered them to “immediately release and return the applicant’s international passport, with number B50031305 to him, and to write an apology to the applicant for the embarrassment occasioned by the unlawful seizure of his international passport.”

They argued that since Odili’s name as reflected on the court documents were different from the name on the passport, it was impossible for them to hand the said passport to him.

“The respondent’s (Odili’s) names on record are different from the names on the international passport, accordingly the suit is incompetent.

“The respondent cannot be issued with the international passport which is bearing a different name from the name on the record.

“The appellants had lawful reason for the withdrawal and seizure of the respondent’s international passport. The appellants had justifiable reason to withdraw the respondent’s international passport,” NIS and its Comptroller General said.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has presented a budget estimate of N1.388 trillion for the 2022 fiscal year.

The ‘Budget of Consolidation’ was presented at the House of Assembly Chambers.

Recurrent expenditure was put at N564.93 billion representing 40.4 per cent while capital expenditure was put at N823.35 billion representing 59.6 per cent of the total budget size.

Present at the presentation were Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat; members of the State Executive Council (SEC); lawmakers: traditional rulers; White Cap Chiefs, Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu, and members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) as well as heads of security agencies, local government chairmen and other concerned stakeholders.

Details shortly…

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede on Tuesday said the agency has uncovered 706,189 illegal admissions by universities, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and other allies.

Oloyede made the disclosures at the Consultative Sensitization Meeting with Select Stakeholders in Abuja said the illegal admissions have damaged the image of the country.

He said the illegality was perpetrated in all the six geopolitical zones by public and private higher institutions.

While about 114 universities accounted for 67.795 of the illegal admissions, 137 polytechnics were responsible for 489,918, 80 Colleges of Education for 142, 818 and 37 other institutions involved in 5,678 cases.

The undisclosed admissions were perpetrated from 2017 to 2020 by the affected institutions.

He said such admissions were unknown to JAMB as prescribed by law.

But the Minister of Education has assented to JAMB’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

He said the institutions disregarded JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS which allows institutions to “only admit candidates that met the requirements.”

He said the affected institutions’ Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts have admitted their mistakes by “sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.”

In the list of the 114 universities given to stakeholders, some of the top indicted for illegal admissions include University of Jos(7,600); Benue State University(6,171);  Olabisi Onabanjo University(5,669); Kwara State University(4, 281);  Novena University(3,432); University of Nigeria, Nsukka(2,732); and Imo State University(2,330).

Others listed were University of Nigeria, Nsukka(2,732); Imo State University(2,330); University of Calabar(2,074); NTA Television College(1,934); Baze University(1,717); Oduduwa University(1,450); Kaduna State College of Education(1,417); Tai Solarin University of Education(1,101); Al-qalam University(1,062); Gombe State University(1,017).

Oloyede said: “As a measure of mopping up the backlog of improperly admitted candidates, the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, assented to the Board’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

Read Also: JAMB: remittance of operating surplus global best practice

“He also approved the caveat that the culprits should, first and foremost, declare the number of candidates admitted outside CAPS between 2017 and 2020 by sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.

“Those minimally qualified would then be condoned to put an end to the period and finally put the matter to rest.

“The Board was then directed to launch massive campaigns to educate the public against accepting such illegal admissions henceforth.

“It is astonishing that so far, 706,189 candidates have been disclosed as illegally admitted between 2017 and 2020.”

Oloyede said there will no longer be opportunities for illegal admissions by universities and other higher institutions.

He said the illegality had hindered the future of many graduates and it was time to stop it.

He added: “Meanwhile, the graduates of the illegitimate process need admission letters to pursue post-graduation endeavours like housemanship, scholarship, enrolment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, they are out of sync.

Some candidates had been forced in the past to seek Direct Entry into other universities after graduation just because their degrees were not recognized as a result of lack of admission letters at critical stages.  The physical, psychological and mental strain of such candidates is better imagined than experienced. This could have been avoided if everyone played the game according to the rules.

“The Board is then constrained to condone these illegitimate admissions through a process known as ‘condonement’ which was previously known as ‘Regularization’. This was done out of sympathy for the candidates and consideration of the enormous resources expended on the training of such candidates.

“Thus, the Board was condoning all these infractions in admissions conducted prior till 2017. It is noteworthy that the lawlessness is perpetrated in institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country.”

Oloyede also claimed that some university lecturers were recently arrested for engaging in massive fraud associated with ‘A Level’ examinations by the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board.

He added: “As a moderator of the two ‘A-Level entrance examinations in Nigeria, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board(JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination(IJMBE), the attention of the board was drawn to the massive fraud associated with the conduct of these examinations.

“It is quite disappointing that some of our colleagues were arrested while conniving with various examination syndicates to compromise the noble objectives of these two examinations. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education conducted a sting operation the result of which is monumentally embarrassing.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you must have been disturbed by the recent indicting release of the ICPC on the scandal in its campaign to put an end to such illegal, destructive and disruptive activities.

“The board has painstakingly taken some measures to forestall future recurrence. It has, for instance, initiated action to seek approval from the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to establish what it refers to as the “A Level Task Team/ A Level Qualification and Verification Databank” (ALQVD) as a repository for verified A/L qualifications in Nigeria.

“I am privileged to know that the Federal Ministry of Education is considering further necessary action on the matter. As soon as the appropriate approvals are secured, we would reach out to you for assistance.”

He said JAMB was already addressing some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres.

He said:  “Fourthly, the review of our registration process has shown some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres. These centres are allowed to collect only Seven Hundred Naira (#700.00) as registration charges but they use the opportunity to engage in conduct unbecoming, including extortion, during the exercise.

“In order to put a stop to such extortion, we propose to make UTME registration henceforth cashless. In other words, JAMB will now be collecting the approved N700.00 registration fee on behalf of the CBT Centres along with its UTME registration fees and then remit what is due to each registration centre to its bank account on a weekly basis or any timeframe acceptable to the centre owners.

“This intervention will block all loopholes through which hapless candidates are extorted by unscrupulous service providers.”

Former presidential spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe spoke with reporters in Lagos on why he wants to be president in 2023. Excerpts.

What are your perspectives on the state of the nation?

Even to a child, or a blind person, the country is not where we want it to be. That is the truth. As an aspirant, I am not out to apportion blames, because whatever happens to Nigeria, there is no way you can divorce cumulative issues, cumulative structural issues. Be that as it may, certain things come out very, very strongly. One, insecurity. In the sixty one years of Nigeria’s existence, we have never come this close to an unmitigated disaster, where no one, nowhere is safe. That is a major problem. When you now look at the connecting effects of insecurity – farmers cannot go their farms nationwide, children cannot go to school in certain areas of the North. These are not very desirable things. There are moral issues and there are social issues, most profound of which is food security. Because there is so much insecurity. There is a drastic reduction in production capacity and capabilities. Agriculture is suffering seriously, therefore there is less food to feed our over two hundred million population, which in itself is a potential time bomb. Way back in 2015, if someone had five hundred million Naira, that was a lot of money because the Dollar was less than two hundred Naira, but today, the value of five hundred million naira has gone down precariously because the Dollar is almost six hundred Naira. Without you facing financial catastrophy, your money has gone down seriously, so you can see that even the rich have become impoverished, and that is the wealthy man, not to talk of the downtrodden. We used to joke in those days that people ate 1-0-1, now you can no longer eat.

Are you not surprised, given President Buhari’s pedigree and exposure as a former Head of State?

Ok. I was saying categorically that the issues that emanated during the era of this regime, either because of either their errors of omission or commission have definitely become so overwhelming. They cannot handle them. It was important to put all hands on deck to find a solution to the problems, bedeviling our country, but that has been ignored. That is not an issue now. I give you an example. The budget for 2022 is N16.39 trillion which is just a little over 26 billion Dollars. In 1982/83, Shagari’s budget was 25 billion Dollars. We must be joking, if we think Nigeria will work under these circumstances. 1983 till now is over thirty five years. When our population was half of what we had now, our budget was 25 billion Dollars which was not hundred percent satisfactory at that time. So many years after, with a population more than double what we used to have, we are still having a budget of 26 billion Dollars, so what can the government do? Tell me, what can the government do? Nothing. We have got to expand the revenue base of the country and without that, there is no hope. That is why the Buhari administration keeps borrowing, borrowing and borrowing. It is because we are not generating enough money for this type of country to survive on. It is like when you have a wife and four children, you can cut cost, but if those kids are in school and they are paying hundred thousand each per term, that means you almost need hundred thousand per month, for school fees alone. Meanwhile, you have to eat, pay NEPA bill and so on. It means you are in trouble, if between you and your wife what you are making is a hundred and fifty thousand per month. That is the situation in which Nigeria is. There are compulsory expenditures that must be done like recurrent expenditure. Recurrent expenditure is about seventy percent of our national budget, then we are doing debt servicing with is about ninety percent of our income. All these things are incongruous, even if you bring the world’s most celebrated economist to run Nigeria. What Nigeria needs basically is more money, so how do we get that? If you can’t get that, you are going nowhere.

But the APC came with a beautiful manifesto, what went wrong?

The APC was like a political special purpose vehicle which was hurriedly put together in order to dismantle and defeat the incumbent which had its weak areas which they exploited. The incumbent had issues like insurgency which they exploited. The economy was not bad at all. The economy was fine. We were the largest economy in Africa and we were doing a five hundred billion Dollars economy every year. The APC till today is not a well harnessed political party. It is not, and that is what the basic problem of APC is. Anytime you pour it out like water, it separates into various factions – ACN, CPC, APGA etc and because of that, they can’t pull together as a party. They have no capacity to confront the issues and they did not prepare for government. For a country with severe socio economic problems, that kind of platform cannot help us.

With the scary scenario you have painted, why are you running for President?

Because I know what to do. I have diagnosed the problems because of my closeness and residual knowledge of what goes on in the presidency. I also have an idea of what goes on internationally. If I put all these together, I can find a solution. I do not want to bring out all I want to do to the fore yet, because it is a competition, because if you publish what I said now and somebody says the same in another newspaper in six months, it becomes a debate about whose original idea it was. But let me say that a 26 billion Dollars budget is far too low, I will within one year take steps that will double the national income. If you double the national income you won’t need to borrow, you will have more money to service our people. Mind you, apart solving the issue of insecurity, I am coming to government to make issues that concern the people a major priority. I am going to spend one third of the budget on the people’s welfare. The money and the wealth of the country should be spent on the people. Many of these high falooting infrastructural projects are drain pipes. They make money for top civil servants, people in the presidency, ministers, legislators. Eighty five percent of what we spend in our national budget goes abroad. I can afford to divulge a few things for credibility sake. We have very serious health issues in the country, may be because we don’t have enough funds in the budget for the health needs of our nation. People are dying in millions because they cannot afford hospital fees, even in my own little town of Iperu, you hear this one has died, this one has died and they are not really very old people. I had cancer of the prostrate fourteen years ago, and I am still living. I am cancer free. I spent twenty thousand Dollars to get treated by a special machine called cyber knife. It does not exist anywhere in West Africa. What is the cost? Nothing. Between five and six million Dollars will save lives, but who will bell the cat? Who will bring this money out? These are the things I want to do. I am going to stop poor people from dying from simple illnesses that can be prevented or that can be treated.

You have not been an elected governor or senator. Don’t you think that is a minus for your aspiration?

Tell me, governor of where was Obama? Macron was governor of where? It’s a function of commitment, vision and intellect.  People who call themselves governors, what did they achieve? Blowing siren everywhere and Excellency? Many governors, after eight years, what did they achieve? How can been a former governor be a qualification for presidency? It is idiotic. It can only happen in a mushroom country which I hope Nigeria is not. You must assess a man by the muscle of his intellect, his knowledge, his exposure and his experience. Obama was never a governor of any state, he was a senator. Macron was actually a member of a sitting government, he moved out of that government and in seventeen months became the president of his country. All these beer Parlour talks are mundane. I hope nobody will talk to me about such things. Having made a mistake in 2015 and 2019, Nigerian should know better now.

Don’t you think your idea of ending insecurity in two years is a tall ambition?  

It is very, very possible. And it is also based on knowledge and experience. I was there at the very beginning of this insecurity, at the end of OBJ’s administration. I was also there when it got to a peak, during Jonathan’s administration. I know what gains were made and I know what errors were committed. I also know what the challenges were. As president, I will internationalise the war against insecurity. Nigeria is not capable of defeating terrorism on its own. I have researched it from 1920’s till date, whether it’s Vietnam, whether it’s Iraq, whether it’s IRA, the minimum number of years to end insurgency is twelve years. When America was going to Baghdad, they have money, they are a Super power, yet they recruited Britain, European Union, Saudi, etc. They brought in a coalition. That was why within a year or two, the matter was resolved. We need to set up an African High Command of twenty five to thirty thousand troops.

Many are still wondering how you want to turn the power sector around in two years

I am going to increase power generation from its current six, seven, eight thousand potential to thirty thousand within two years. Number one, I will change the policy surrounding this thing. There will be an executive order that allows any Nigerian to generate five mega watts without coming to government for licence, and you can do your negotiation. If you pass that law today, by December, there will not be less than one thousand people who will jump at that opportunity. That will be five thousand mega watts. I will open that sector like the telecoms sector. I will bring all other major power companies in the world to either generate, transmit or even distribute. Many people will come because they will enjoy incentives. Those ones will be licenced, but you must generate either five or ten thousand mega watts. We can do these things. The President must be somebody who has original ideas and original vision and he must have the know-how to go about it. I am that person. This makes me far above my competitors.

PDP has witnessed a gale of defections in recent times. Is the platform strong enough to battle the APC in 2023?

I am a politician of forty years and more experience. Gale of defections don’t mean nothing and I can prove it to you. Between Buhari and Atiku in 2019, total number of votes was about thirty million or there about, how many defections can create one million votes? Defections are for personal aggrandizement or personal placement, improving your lot politically. It has very little impact on the voting population. If Nigerian voters believe in you and your vision, if your party has just a municipal support, they will put you in power. In 1999, the Southwest did not vote for Obasanjo, but by 2003 almost all the South –west governors were tumbled. That is the power of the electorate who believe in a candidate.

The Federal Government has reiterated its position that there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20, 2020.

It equally challenged families of those allegedly killed during the incident to speak out.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave government’s position at a media briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.

He was reacting to a report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution which investigated cases of police brutality and the toll gate incident.

He said the report was fake and unreliable.

“The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Government and its agencies without foolproof evidence,’’ the minister stressed.

“The Federal Government has never condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by security agencies under any guise.

“As a result, it disbanded SARS and encouraged states to set up the panels to investigate reports of rights abuses allegedly committed by the disbanded SARS personnel,’’ he added.

Alhaji Mohammed noted that the 37 policemen and six soldiers who died across the country during the #EndSARS protests were also Nigerians and should not be forgotten.

“We are saddened that anyone died at all during the #EndSARS protest as the life of every Nigerian and indeed every human is sacrosanct.

“As we have disclosed many times, 57 civilians, 37 policemen and six soldiers were killed across the country during the protests, and we commiserate with their families.

Read Also: FG rejects Lagos #EndSARS panel report

“For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and can withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public,’’ the minister said.

Alhaji Mohammed insisted that there was no massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate, contrary to the report which claimed that nine people were killed.

He stressed that there was nothing in the report in circulation to make government to change its stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20 2020.

The minister noted that the report was silent on the family members of those reportedly killed; merely insinuating they were afraid to testify.

“Even goats have owners who will look for them if they do not return home, not to talk of human beings.

“Where are the family members of those who were reportedly killed at Lekki Toll Gate?

“If the panel is recommending compensation for the families, what are their identities and addresses? Who will receive the compensations when no family members have shown up to date?

“We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out. It is untenable to say that some families did not come out because they are afraid.

“Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth to be called a parent,’’ the minister stressed.

Alhaji Mohammed further queried the report and asked how a man who reportedly saw the lifeless body of his brother ended up being on the list of the panel’s deceased persons.

“How can a judicial panel convince anyone that the names of some `casualties’ of the Lekki Toll Gate incident listed as numbers 3 (Jide), 42 (Tola) and 43 (Wisdom) are not fictitious names?

“Why did the judicial panel feel compelled to concoct a ‘massacre-in-context’ as euphemism for ‘massacre’? A massacre is a massacre. What is ‘massacre-in-context’’? he queried.

The minister noted that the report by the panel also threw away the testimony of ballistic experts that testified before it.

The experts, according to the minister, told the panel that that no military grade live ammunition (high-velocity) was fired at the protesters at Lekki Tollgate on Oct. 20, 2020 within the timeframe of reference.

Alhaji Mohammed reiterated that the Federal Government rejected the notion that soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on Oct. 20, 2020.

“That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence. Indictment for murder is a very serious issue that cannot be done on the basis of allegations and corroborations, as the panel did.

“Such allegations must be proved beyond reasonable doubt,’’ the minister said.

Alhaji Mohammed advised those who had prematurely celebrated the report in circulation to go back and read it thoroughly and tell Nigerians whether it could pass any serious scrutiny.

(NAN)

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened to go after distributors and consumers of the hard drug, methamphetamine otherwise known as Mkpuru Mmiri in the Southeast.

The group described the development as very strange and completely unacceptable.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB blamed security agents for the drugs’ prevalence in the North, vowing not to allow same in the Southeast.

While accusing some security agencies of complicity in the racketeering of the hard drug, the separatist group called on communities to ensure they report those involved in the madness to its office for proper torturing.

The statement partly reads, “We note with utter displeasure, a very ugly and disturbing trend among some youths in Biafra land who have resorted to the consumption of destructive hard drug methamphetamine popularly known as ” Mkpuru Mmiri. This development is very strange and completely unacceptable.

Read Also: Igbo youths hit Arewa counterparts for opposing Kanu’s release

“It is this same hard drug that renders Almajiris in the North useless, and we won’t allow this madness to creep in or fester among Biafran youths.

“IPOB hereby declare war against this nonsense. We shall go after those taking or distributing this harmful illicit drug. Henceforth, anyone found peddling, consuming or in any way involved in the distribution of this illicit drug shall be decisively dealt with.

“Biafran youths are known for their enterprising spirit, entrepreneurship and diligence. IPOB will not allow evil men and unpatriotic elements to ruin or destroy the future of our youths with Mkpuru Mmiri.

“While we commend communities who have already risen to curb this evil, we solicit useful information about those behind the distribution of this illicit drug so we will teach them in the language they understand.

“Our desire is that Biafra will be one of the best countries in the world and a role model for sister African countries. This is the mindset we want our youths to imbibe, and not the evil infested NIGERIA mentality.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the immediate suspension of the inauguration of the newly constituted Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

A statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, which announced the suspension of the event, did not give reasons for the new development.

The inauguration was earlier scheduled for Wednesday, November 24, 2021.

While expressing regrets for any inconvenience the suspension might cause, the statement noted that a new date would soon be announced for the event.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the immediate suspension of the inauguration of the newly constituted Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) scheduled for Wednesday 24th November, 2021 until further notice.

Read Also: Bills to establish University of Education, College of Forestry suffer setback in Senate

“A new date for the inauguration of the Board will be announced in due course.

“We deeply regret inconveniences caused to members by this suspension, please” the statement said.

President Buhari on September 19, 2021, constituted the Board, to be chaired by Senate Ifeanyi Ararume following the signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

A statement to the effect by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, announced the constitution of the Board.

“By the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the PIA 2021, President Buhari has approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the NNPC Limited, with effect from the date of incorporation of the Company.

“Chairman of the Board is Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while Mele Kolo Kyari and Umar I. Ajiya are Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.

“Other Board Members are; Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Senator Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West),” the statement said.