Category: Lead

Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara States have initiated a contempt proceeding against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Godwin Emefiele for their alleged failure to comply with the Supreme Court order extending the deadline for the use of old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes.

Read Also: Kaduna Yoruba Community endorses Tinubu, Uba Sani

In the fresh documents filed before the Supreme Court, the three states – the original plaintiffs in the suit against the naira swap policy of the Federal Government – cautioned the AGF and Emefiele about the consequences of their continued failure to comply with the apex court’s order made on February 3. 

The two sets of Form 48, filed by the team of lawyers representing the three states, form part of the applications now awaiting the Supreme Court’s consideration when proceedings resume on Wednesday.

Details Shortly…

A huge crowd of All Progressives Congress (APC) members and supporters are already at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos for the final presidential rally of the party. 

Supporters of various senatorial, House of Representatives and Assembly candidates are in an excited mood, singing and dancing round the main bowl. 

Read Also: VIDEO: All set for final APC presidential rally in Lagos

Actors and actresses, including Shaeed Balogun, Fathia Baligun, Jide Kosoko, Mama Surutu, Yinka Quadri,  Ashley and Foluke Dartmouth, and other musicians are thrilling the crowd.

Apart from local and state leaders like Senator Ganiyu Solomon,  Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, and Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo who are around, only few national leaders, including Senator Remi Tinubu and Minister of Science,  Technology and Innovation  Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, are around. 

Details shortly…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the sack of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali.

In a judgment on Tuesday, Justice James Omotosho, held that the suit by Michael Sam Idoko, who claimed to be a “social crusader,” lacked the locus standi to file the suit and cannot hide under the guise of public interest to approach the court on the issue of whether or not the IGP should retain his office.

Justice Omotosho held that the plaintiff failed to establish that he has any peculiar or special interest in who occupies the office of the IGP over and above other Nigerians.

The judge described Idoko as a busybody and meddlesome interloper.

Read Also: IGP decorates newly promoted DIGs

He held noted that there was no evidence showing that he (the plaintiff) is a serving police officer, who is qualified for appointment or has ever applied for the IGP position and was denied.

Justice Omotoso noted that Section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020 put the tenure of office of any Inspector General of Police at four years.

He held that Alkali’s retirement from the Nigeria Police Force has nothing to do with his appointment on the grounds that the four years tenure is sacrosanct.

Idoko had, through his lawyer, James Onoja (SAN) filed the suit marked FHC/ CS/ 31/2023 to

challenge the legality of the continuous stay of the IGP in the office having allegedly served out his tenure. 

• 30 held after arson on four branches
• Malami in talks with APC leaders

 By Nduka Chiejina, Collins Nweze,  Jide Orintunsin, Osagie Otabor,  and Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Many commercial banks were overwhelmed yesterday by huge cash demands from their customers.

 Thousands of Nigerians, who have been starved of cash for weeks, raced  to banks   in Lagos, Ondo and Ogun states as well as Abuja, hoping on  Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) directive  to banks at the weekend  to make the old N200 notes available  alongside the new N200, N500 and N1,000 notes.

Anger over the pains caused by the scarcity of cash led to another round of protests in Ogun State. Four banks were burnt during the violence in Sagamu, the state’s third largest city, while 30 of the protesters were arrested by the police.

As customers groaned to make withdrawals and deposit their old N500 and N1,000 notes, the CBN announced in a statement that they could still be redeemed till April 10 through its branches nationwide and the Federal Capital Territory(FCT). 

In many bank branches visited by The Nation, customers were seen sitting on the floor waiting for their numbers to be called by security officers. 

Most Automatic Teller Machines(ATMs), especially in Lagos Mainland, were still not loaded with cash yesterday.

 Customers were given numbers at the gates of the banks before being  allowed into the banking halls where withdrawals  were limited to N20,000 

At the Ajose Adeogun branch of Zenith Bank Plc, a huge crowd was seen at both the banking hall and outside the bank premises.

Roseline Adigun, a Lagos-based house cleaner, said she was paid N5,000 after waiting for three hours.

“I waited for three hours from 8 am to 11 am before I was paid N5,000. I will be back tomorrow(today) because the N5,000 cannot meet my immediate financial needs,” she said.  

United Bank for Africa and  Lotus Bank at Ahmadu Bello  Way, Victoria Island, also had huge crowds within their premises and banking halls. Both banks paid N10,000 to some lucky customers.  

However, Sterling Bank Plc, Matori branch, Lagos, paid N20,000 to the first set of customers. It later slashed the amount to N10,000 as the crowd for cash withdrawals surged. 

GTBank, Ajose Adeogun branch was not paying cash across the counter but its ATMs dispensed N10,000  to customers. 

In Akure, Ondo State capital, customers were paid N5000 per withdrawal against the N20,000 announced by the CBN.

A bank official at Polaris Bank, who pleaded anonymity, said the payment of N5,000 was to ensure the available cash got to many customers.

ATMs in Abeokuta, Ogun State were also not loaded with cash yesterday, leaving customers at the gates lamenting

Most banks in Abuja attended only to their account-holding customers across the counter. But the payments were mainly with mutilated N200 old notes

A staff member  of one of the banks told The Nation that some of their customers had to “return the mutilated N200 notes because they were too bad.”  

* Bank associations pledge availability of cash

Three financial associations have, however, assured that the  CBN  and commercial banks would make the new naira notes and N200 old note available.   

The unions are the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), the Committee of Heads of Operations of Banks (CHOBs) and the Committee of  Chief Security Officers in Banks (CSOs).

They said in a statement by    ACAMB President,  Rasheed Bolarinwa, that normalcy would return in the shortest possible time.

The statement reads in part: “The banks resolved to continuously engage customers on efforts being made to lessen the current hardship being experienced, pending when all the challenges will be resolved.

“The bank heads appealed to Nigerians, particularly the traders and merchants to embrace and adopt the cashless policy by accepting fund transfers from their customers.

“They noted that the random glitches associated with recent transfer options will also ease out in no distant time.”  

The associations appealed to security agencies to increase patrol and surveillance of bank locations to forestall further attacks.

They re-emphasised that commercial banks neither hide nor hoard money they receive from the CBN.

*APC PCC accuses Atiku of inconsistency

 The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC)  has taken a swipe at the   Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for what it described as his inconsistency on the controversial naira swap.   

The council said in a statement by its  Director of  Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga,  that  Atiku speaks from both sides of his mouth.

It recalled how the PDP standard bearer initially hailed the policy and how he advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure its full implementation to undermine the aspiration of his  APC  opponent, Asiwaju Bola   Tinubu.

The council said:  ”We have observed the treacherous and shifting positions of  PDP’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar since the current currency crisis caused by the Central Bank started. 

 ”In line with his well-documented inconsistencies and unreliability, Atiku has advanced several contradictory positions,  in the fruitless hope of gaining political advantage from the crisis.  

“We note that Alhaji Atiku and his hopeless party first hailed the CBN policy to high heavens when they initially thought it was a policy deliberately designed to stop Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from becoming the next elected president of Nigeria.  

“Atiku called on President Buhari and CBN Governor(Godwin Emefiele) to ensure strict implementation of the policy and the deadline of 31 January because, in his and the party’s short-sightedness and gross miscalculation, Tinubu was the prime target. 

“Atiku’s position exploded on his face  when the unintended consequences of the CBN policy manifested in its full ramifications and crippled the entire populace.”

Protests over naira scarcity heightened in Ogun State yesterday with four bank branches torched in Sagamu.

Thirty persons involved in the violence which spilt over to the  Sagamu Local Government Secretariat are currently in Police custody. Before they were apprehended, the protesters overturned offices in the secretariat and made away with the mace (symbol of authority) of the council’s legislature.

The protesters also made bonfires along the roads leading to the secretariat, Ita Oba,  Sabo and  GRA (Government Reservation Area), thereby disrupting vehicular movements and socio-economic activities.

Shortly after the Police restored normalcy in the city, Governor  Dapo Abiodun,     Paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, and the House of Assembly Speaker,  Olakunle Oluomo,  appealed for calm by the residents.

The government blamed the opposition Peoples Democratic(PDP) for the incident. But the PDP dismissed the allegation as “spurious”

The state Police Command Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrests, said:”Normalcy has been restored in greater parts of Sagamu. CP (Commissioner of Police)  Frank Mba is personally leading police teams and some military men to tackle the situation

“No fewer than 30 suspects were arrested and they have been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department on the order of the Commissioner of Police. 

“Meanwhile, a combined team of Policemen and military men are on the ground   monitoring  the situation,” 

The council chairman, Afolabi Odulate, who also confirmed the incident , said no one was hurt because the council workers were   “moved   away before they(protesters) arrived.”  .

Odulate added: “They stole the mace, shattered windows and broke doors at the secretariat.”

The state government and the  PDP  in state, however, ,traded blame over the violence  .

The government, in a statement by Abiodun’s Chief Press Secretary  , Kunle Somorin    , described the  protest  as politically-motivated.

It alleged that some PDP members in the Remo Federal  Constituency orchestrated the violence   due to the success recorded by the All Progressives Congress(APC) during its Sunday rally.

The statement partly reads: “Early this (yesterday) morning, a politically-motivated violent protest took place in Sagamu, during which innocent people were attacked while banks and public infrastructure were destroyed and razed down.   .

“We were reliably informed that some disgruntled members of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and some of the party’s candidates were seen leading the demonstration.

“While the protests were purportedly against the “scarcity of naira notes”, the real intention of these elements became obvious with the involvement of known PDP members.

“We believe strongly that it was the success of the APC rally of yesterday (Sunday) that got the feeble opposition PDP frustrated and therefore made their members embark on the mindless destruction of properties.

“But we must not allow desperate politicians to mislead members of the public and use them as cannons to vent frustration.

“Rather, our people should exercise patience and be law abiding while waiting to cast their votes for the party that has stood by the populace even at this critical period.

“Arrests have been made by the police, who immediately swung into investigation.”

But the state chapter of  PDP   denied the allegation, saying the government was insensitive to the plight of  Ogun residents.

It said: “The ruling party has failed the people and they are now reacting to the untoward hardship its policies had brought on them. Can they say that PDP was behind the protests in Oyo, Ondo and other states? Nigerians are just reacting. Instead of the ruling party owning up to Nigerians that their policies have brought hardship and pain to them, they are busy shifting the blame onto the opposition party.

“For the records, PDP has nothing to do with the protests in Sagamu or anywhere in the state. Let them go and check themselves. They are disconnected from the people. They should not  put their failure on the PDP.” 

Also, the  PDP House of Representatives candidate for Remo Federal Constituency, Bola Oluwole, faulted the claim, saying the APC was afraid of the popularity of the opposition party.

Oluwole, in the statement titled, “Allegation of masterminding Sagamu,” said, “the allegation was  to smear my image.” .

Yoruba Leaders of Thought yesterday endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying he is the most qualified of all the candidates.

The leaders, who met with Tinubu at an interactive session in Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, also commended the APC, particularly the governors, for embracing power shift to promote unity and belongingness in the country.

The convener of the group, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, said Tinubu had promoted democracy, good governance and economic development in the country.

Tinubu, accompanied by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, thanked the leaders for what he called their labour of love.

Addressing them in Yoruba, the APC candidate noted that the 2023 presidency was for all Nigerians, saying: “Eyinlokan,” meaning it is your turn.

He, however, charged them to reach for their PVCs and ensure they vote in Saturday’s election so they can herald the change envisaged for the country. 

In the communique issued at the end of the session, the leaders said: “Yoruba and Southwest leaders made up of Yoruba groups who believe in the oneness of Nigeria based on equity, fairness and justice, a nation where no one is oppressed, held an interactive session with the presidential candidate of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday 20th February, 2023.

“The meeting commended leaders of the APC for encouraging spirit of belongingness and national unity by honouring the age-long desire of Nigerians for power shift, the principle which led to the overwhelming emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the presidential candidate.

“The highly successful interactive session noted the phenomenal successes already recorded by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu both in his pre-political career and in his public life as a politician, administrator and leader.

“The meeting concluded that when compared to others in the race for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands head and shoulder above the rest. He is the most prepared, the most suitable in terms of competence, character, capacity and the most humane to lead Nigeria to an enviable prosperous status among the comity of nations in the 21st century. 

“The meeting commended President Buhari for the achievements he has recorded thus far and for demonstrating that he is a patriot and a man of integrity. 

“They, however, called on him to take immediate and radical steps to attenuate the sufferings occasioned by the twin-scarcity of new Naira notes and fuel in the country.

“We commend the present and founding fathers of APC for building the party into a formidable vehicle for winning elections. But it must transform from a mere vehicle for attaining electoral victories to an organization that can confidently chart and execute a development path for Nigeria.

“In conclusion, Yoruba leaders of thought appealed to Nigerians in general to keep a date with Asiwaju Tinubu on February 25, 2023 to drive the shared prosperity that the Asiwaju presidency is bound to bring to Nigeria.”

The communique was signed Prince Olusi and the Secretary of the group, Adebayo Aina 

The session was attended by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ekiti State counterpart, Biodun Oyebanji, former governors Segun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Adegboyega Oyetola, as well as Deputy Governor of Lagos State Femi Hamzat, Dr. Yomi Finnih, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Sotobi, Prince Segun Adesegun, Princess Remi Adebowale, Lolade Shonibare, Iyiola Oladokun, Iyaloja General of OSun State, Hawau Sindemade and prominent traditional rulers across the Southwest. 

Olusi said all Yoruba traditional rulers were involved in the project to make Tinubu president of Nigeria right from inception. He noted that the monarchs’ involvement was the reason Tinubu is accepted by majority of the Yoruba and other tribes.

Olusi hinted that the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, initiated the summit before his death, to rally support for Tinubu’s candidacy.

Osoba said the idea that Tinubu should aspire for president was muted at a dinner held in his honour after he ended his tenure as governor of Lagos State. According to him, many prominent and progressive politicians were at the dinner to honour Tinubu for his outstanding performance.

He said: ‘It was at the gathering in 2007, we all pressurised him to aspire for president and he agreed. Since then, he has work tirelessly to justify the confidence we have in him.”

Sanwo-Olu admonished Nigerians to support Tinubu and vote for him massively. He said Tinubu is the right man for the job due to his track record, achievements and plans for Nigeria.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday described All Progressives Congress (APC) governors as heroes of unity for supporting the North-South power shift.

He, however, said despite admiring the governors’ stance on zoning, he would not join the party.

He said he remained an unrepentant member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but would vote for only the candidate that can guarantee unity and inclusion.

Wike slammed PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for hosting a Rivers town hall meeting in Abuja, saying he does not deserve votes from the state.

The governor spoke at two events: the 114th quarterly general meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt and the kick-off of the reconstruction of Emohua Road-Abalama-Tema Junction in Emohua Local Government Area.

He said: “I am not a member of APC and I will not be. But, they are the heroes of this country. 

“The governors came out to say ‘Look, for the unity of this country, the presidency should go to the South’.

“The governors of APC said the way the county is, they want unity and therefore, the presidency should go to the South.

“They could have as well said ‘No, it doesn’t matter; as governors, we have the number. We can still say it should remain where it should remain’. 

“But they didn’t do that. They said ‘the way we are seeing this country we want everybody to be together’.

“Let no one say because I have the population, therefore, you will continue to dominate. In dominating you need peace. Without peace, you cannot govern.”

The governor said Rivers helped to sustain PDP right from the era of former Governor Peter Odili down to his administration.

He insisted that it was wrong for a section of the country to deny other people the opportunity to participate in presiding over the affair of the nation.

Wike said: “We are all Nigerians and we want the unity of this country. We want Nigeria to move forward as a united country. 

“Rivers State has always been in support of one Nigeria and we’ll continue to support one Nigeria. 

“But in doing that, we believe in equity, we believe in justice, we believe in fairness. 

“As the governor of this state, I will vote for the unity of this country. I will vote for anything that will unite Nigeria.

“I will not support anything that will divide Nigeria. And that is what necessitated the principle of live and let’s live. If only one person continues to live, things will not be good.

“It’s not about party, it is about Nigeria. I am a member of the PDP, an unrepentant member, who in fact, built this party when people ran away.”

He explained that he remained one of the arrowheads of those agitating for inclusivity in PDP because of his belief in unity.

The governor believes a strategic state like Rivers must not be relegated to playing second fiddle.

Speaking in Emohua, Wike said Atiku demarketed the state as unsafe by holding a town hall in Abuja.

He wondered why the candidate would still want votes from Rivers on Saturday.

Wike said nothing would stop him and Rivers voters from the decision they had already made on their preferred presidential candidate.

He said the people summoned and addressed by Atiku in Abuja over the weekend were not true Rivers sons and daughters.

He said if such people claimed otherwise, they should return home and be addressed by the presidential candidate.

Wike claimed it was an insult to Rivers and its people for anyone seeking their votes to summon them for a meeting outside of the state.

To the governor, if the PDP presidential flagbearer could not come to Rivers to address the people because he had labelled the place as unsafe, it would be morally wrong to seek votes from the state.

The governor said: “You are addressing Rivers people in Abuja, is that not an insult? You cannot come to Rivers State and talk to us. 

“You say Rivers is not safe, but you want their vote. Rivers people will you allow that?”

“Those who declared our state to be unsafe are those who are seeking your vote. It is unfortunate. No right thinking Rivers will take that insult.

“I challenge all of you here to behave like true Rivers people to say nobody can buy you, nobody can summon you outside Rivers. If you want to talk to us, come to Rivers and talk to us.

“No amount of blackmail and intimidation can change our position. We want the unity of Nigeria.”

Wike said the people were prepared for Saturday’s election and would vote for the candidate who will guarantee equity, fairness and justice.

There appears to be no relief in sight as the naira scarcity persisted across the country yesterday, report our correspondents.

The scarcity of naira left more Nigerians frustrated and angry yesterday.

 As the situation worsened, those with old N1,000 and N500 notes were unable to deposit them into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

  It was a sorry sight in Minna, Niger State, as rural traders were left stranded at the CBN branch.

  They were unable to deposit their old naira notes.

 Some of them said they had been in Minna since last week.

 They said they were not getting any positive feedback or explanations from the branch officials.

 Some of the traders came from Wushishi, Kagara, Tegina, Bida, Gurara, Lavun and other towns.

 A yam trader from Tegina, simply identified as Haruna, told our reporter that he and his friends had to hire a Sienna to travel.

 “On Friday, the officials here told us to go to the commercial banks but when we went there, we were directed back to CBN.

 “Later, they told us we have to fill out a form and generate a code before coming. We did all that but up till now, they have not attended to us.

 “We sleep in a relative’s house, and all through the weekend, we have been coming here. We were even here yesterday (Sunday). We have no hope of being answered.”

Lawyers lament

 Some lawyers in Lagos decried the inability to pay for filing of court processes.

 The lawyers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that even the transfer of money using bank applications or codes, as well as Point of Sale (POS) machines had been troublesome.

 Mr Spurgeon Ataene described the situation as tough and called for quick interventions.

“My experience in the filing of processes has been gruelling; a simple application will take days to file without success, and old Naira notes are not welcome.

 “The registries do not also have transfer facilities such as POS and dedicated bank accounts for the purpose of the filing.

 “The filing system has become convoluted with no end in sight, for now,’’ he said.

Ataene appealed to commercial banks to make the new Naira notes accessible to the masses.

 “I condemn hoarding of new notes while urging the banks to make these notes available to remedy the inadequacy associated with lack of facilities to withstand the cash scarcity,” he said.

 Mr Anthony Makolo, also a rights activist, described the situation as worrisome.

 According to him, the situation is worse at the lower courts where cash payment must be used for filing processes.

 “At the high courts, we know there is usually a dedicated payment channel but the situation is terrible at the magistrates’ courts.

 “There is a serious problem with filing at the magistrates’ courts. 

They ask you to produce cash for filing, and this is practically impossible because they do not accept old notes.

 “The new notes are nowhere to be found and the old notes are not being accepted, yet they demand cash payment, and where a lawyer is unable to make payment, he is left stranded,” he said.

 Makolo urged that fees for filing of court processes be made digitally so as to prevent corruption and enhance the work of the judiciary.

 Another lawyer, Mr McAnthony Aikharialea, who noted that the demonetisation policy was well-intended, however, told NAN that the difficulties being encountered by lawyers in paying filing fees had been much.

 Aikharialea said that he was optimistic that the difficulties would end soon.

 “This policy is a good development, although we find issues with some banks when it comes to filing of processes.

 “I think it is only for a while; things will soon normalise,” he said.

 The Country Director of the Advocacy for Justice and Accountability, Mr Ogedi Ogu, advised Nigerians to be careful not to compound the problems.

 He described the difficulties as `teething problems’ that would soon end.

 “The way out of the challenges being encountered in the filing of processes is not rocket science.

 “It is a fact that long before the Naira notes re-design, Lagos State High Court stopped accepting cash for filing of processes.

 “The high court opted for either payment through the banks or ATM card channels, and these had initial challenges which later ended.

 “At the magistrates’ courts and the Federal High Court, I am urging the authorities to make available POS machines for such a payment.

 “Availability of POS machines and other channels will end the challenges,” he said.

 Ogu urged offices and businesses to encourage government policy by making available alternative payment channels.

“Failure to provide such channels is simply sabotage and should be condemned because payments at the various courts are payment into government coffers,” he said.

Expectant mother’s death in Kano sparks anger

   Kano State Civil Society Forum expressed deep pain over the death of an expectant mother, Hajiya Shema’u Sami Labaran, at the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Hospital.

 The forum has launched an investigation into her death, alleging doctors’ negligence, caused by the scarcity of new banknotes.

 Hospital sources said the deceased could not receive doctors’ attention on time due to the delay in making cash available.

 The President of the Kano State Civil Society Forum, Ibrahim Waiya, said he was devastated by the incident.

 Waiya said in a statement: “The attention of the forum has been drawn to an incident regarding one pregnant woman who lost her life at Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Hospital, because of alleged negligence.

 “The Forum regretted that the pregnant woman’s death was attributed to an alleged negligence of some medical personnel of the hospital, who were said to have refused to attend to the deceased, when she was in dire need of medical attention.

 “The multiple complaints and calls from different quarters and responsible citizens within and outside Kano were too many to be ignored.

 “It is therefore, against this backdrop that the leadership of the Kano Civil Society Forum, approved the establishment of a seven-man committee, to investigate the alleged circumstances surrounding the death of the late Hajiya Shema’u Sami Labaran and advise accordingly.”

But, the Commissioner for Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, said there was no connection between Labaran’s death and naira scarcity.

 He said the medical officers complied with the policy on all medical emergencies.

 “The 33-year-old multigravida, at 36 weeks gestation, presented to the hospital around 5pm on the 11th February 2023, with a complaint of PV bleeding and cessation of fetal movement.”

He said the doctors took the needful, including taking samples for tests.

“The doctor later did the detailed clinical examinations where he found her to have mild anaemia, a BP of 150/90mmhg with tachycardia and marked abdominal pain with absent fetal heart sound.

 “He made a diagnosis of Abruptio with Intrauterine fetal death secondary to preeclampsia, patient was given Magnesium sulphate and started augmentation of labour for the patient under close monitoring. The labour progressed, and six hours later, she delivered a fresh stillbirth at around 11 pm.

 “She, however, started bleeding profusely. The doctor on call assessed the primary postpartum haemorrhage and quickly attempt to stop the bleeding while trying to transfuse the patient.

 “She was given all the necessary medications and had the first point of blood given and the second one started around 1:00 pm. The patient’s condition was noticed to be deteriorating.

 “The doctor called other senior doctors who supported in resurrection but unfortunately, the patient gave up and was certified dead around 3:50 pm.”

 Edo govt extends free bus 

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, extended the free bus service by all Edo City Transport Service (ECTS) buses till Friday.

 The governor, through his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, said the extension became necessary due to the cash crunch.

 He said: “While the government intensifies efforts to bring a lasting solution to this issue, the government calls on the people to remain calm and law-abiding, as normalcy will be restored shortly.”

Adeleke warns CBN

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke asked the CBN leadership not to take the patience of residents for granted.

 In a statement by spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, he decried the increasing shortage of the new notes.

“The situation is getting out of hand. The CBN must act fast. Any bank hoarding the new notes must be sanctioned. We should not treat such banks with kid gloves.

 “My people are patient but we should not take their patience for granted. Why are the new notes not available? Is the supply small or inadequate?”

Banks reopen in Benin

  Some commercial banks in Benin reopened for business after shutting down on Thursday following sporadic attacks on some facilities in the city.

 Some banks came under violent attacks by some customers, who were enraged by their inability to make withdrawals.

 The angry customers destroyed some bank buildings, Automated Teller Machines and some vehicles belonging to bank officials.

 Residents were relieved to see that some of the banks around Sapele Road, Mission Road and Aduwawa Axis of Benin reopened for services.

A NAN correspondent, who monitored the situation in the city, reports that there were long queues of customers within and around the bank premises.

 While many who got access to the banking hall were seen waiting to be paid over the counter, others clustered at the entrance gates and ATM points.

 Some of the customers, who spoke on the development, said they were happy that some of the banks had reopened after the unrest.

Falana seeks information

Activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN)  asked CBN Godwin Emefiele to provide information on the disbursement of the new Naira notes.

 Falana made the request in a February 16, 2023 letter addressed to the CBN governor under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

 He said the request followed a statement by Emefiele that ‘some politicians have mopped up the new Naira notes made available to all commercial banks by the CBN’.

 Falana vowed to file a suit against Emefiele if he fails or refuses to provide the requested information in seven days.

Abia cuts workers’ biometric attendance

 The monthly biometric attendance of local government workers was reduced to 65 per cent.

 This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem.

 Local government workers are required to record 80 per cent attendance at work before getting their salary. 

But Ezem said the attendance was eased to empathise with workers suffering the cash scarcity and so cannot meet the earlier required attendance ratio. He added that the directive only covers February and March.

Kaduna residents seek salvation at petrol stations

Residents of Kaduna turned to petrol filling stations for salvation. People troop to petrol stations dispensing fuel, hunt buyers paying with cash, and agree to transfer payment to the station while they collect the cash.

“I knew of this arrangement today (yesterday) and went to a petrol station dispensing fuel, talked to a commercial bus driver, and he accepted to help me.

 “We agreed that I should pay N7,000, through the station’s PoS, being the cost of his fuel, which I did.

 ‘When it was his turn, I presented the N7,000 slip and collected the cash from him in return. It was a big relief to me as I had no cash on me,” said Adamu Saleh, a resident.

Atiku faults APC governors

 The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, described the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors as a call to anarchy.

 In a statement by one of his campaign spokespersons, Phrank Shuaibu, Atiku accused the APC governors of preparing the ground for anarchy through their utterances over the naira redesign.

 The APC governors, joined by the party’s national leadership, have called on the Federal Government and the CBN to obey the Supreme Court ruling on the old naira notes.

 The highest court had on February 8 and 15, ordered that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tenders pending the determination of a suit filed by some APC governors challenging the February 10 deadline for the expiration of the old currency notes.

 The Federal Government and the CBN have disobeyed the Supreme Court ruling on the old notes by insisting on withdrawing the N500 and N1000 from circulation, leaving only the old N200 notes to coexist with the redesigned currency notes.

 But Atiku said the appeal by the APC governors to commercial banks to accept deposits from their customers in old Naira notes amounted to incitement.

 This, he claimed, had emboldened rioters to burn down commercial banks in some parts of the country.

 He said: “The President made it clear that the old N1,000 and N500 notes are no longer legal tender.

 “Those who are dissatisfied with the President’s proclamation should go to court rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right.

  “The APC and their governors do not love the masses. Their only grouse is their inability to buy votes because of this policy. Nigerians must not be deceived by these unscrupulous politicians.”

 He called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to infiltrate the ranks of those staging riots with a view to identifying their sponsors.

 According to him, the ultimate goal might be to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the election on the grounds of insecurity.

 “With elections less than five days away, the ultimate goal of the sponsors of these riots may be the postponement of elections. We commend the military and the police so far for curbing some of these riots.

 “However, we call on them to go a step further by identifying their sponsors.”

GOING by the poll conducted by Freddan Services, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is projected to win Staurday’s presidential election.

The result of the opinion survey conducted in all 36 states of the federation and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), rated the APC standard bearer ahead of other contenders.

Four key variables – political geography, religion, resources and class – were used by a team of data analysts during the eight-week survey.

Those filtered along Tinubu are: Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Out of the 287,033 that responded to the 370,000 questionnaire distributed, 106, 764 (37.2 per cent) of them projected Tinubu ahead of others.

He was trailed by Peter Obi’s 92,127 votes (32.1 per cent); Atiku, who polled 88,109 (30.7 per cent) and Kwankwaso, polling 693 (0.23 per cent).

The survey was conducted via a combination of online and phone surveys. The online surveys were administered through a secure web platform. The phone surveys were conducted by trained staff, who are proficient in the three major Nigerian languages of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba.

In both cases, the surveys were geared towards accurate and unbiased results.

The organisation also focused on areas, such as the spread of the political parties, the incumbency factors in states, religion and the personality of the candidates.

It also identified (in the course of online poll), the role of social media influencers, religious leaders, professional bodies and the young population of voters and how it can impact on the victory of each of the leading candidates. 

Acknowledge the reports of the various opinion polls that have put some other candidates, as the likely winner of the February 25 election,  the rating group explained that data alone cannot speak for itself.

According to the organisation, the outcome of data can be subjected to manipulation and sectional polling.

“The result of every data must be put into context, including understanding the people, culture, pattern, geographical spread of the platform, and historical antecedents”, Freddan Services said in its report.

The group hinged its high rating of the one-time Lagos State governor on the strength of his Southwest base which has the second largest voting population; the support he enjoys from the geo-political zone, where even political influencers in the opposition camps route for his victory at the poll.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has lambasted the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, for hosting Rivers town hall meeting in Abuja saying he does not deserve votes from the State.

He said by such action Atiku had demarketed the State as unsafe and wondered why he should still want votes from Rivers on Saturday.

The Governor insisted that Rivers electorate would cast their votes on Saturday for the candidate trusted to be unifier and committed to the unity of Nigeria.

Wike spoke at Ogbakiri junction in Emohua Local Government Area, where he kicked off the reconstruction and dualisation of Emohua Road to Abalama/Tema Junction.

The Governor said nothing could stop him and Rivers voters from the decision they had already taken on their preferred presidential candidate.

He said the people summoned and addressed by Atiku in Abuja over the weekend were not true Rivers citizens.

He said if such people claimed otherwise they should return home and be addressed by the presidential candidate.

Wike described as unacceptable such summoning of people, who had made themselves non-indigenes in Abuja.

Read Also: Rivers won’t vote for any party against power rotation – Wike

He said it was an insult to Rivers and its people for anyone seeking for their votes to summon them for a meeting outside of the state .

He said if the PDP presidential candidate could not come to Rivers State and address the people because he had labelled the place as unsafe, it would be morally wrong to seek votes from the state.

The Governor said: “You are addressing Rivers people in Abuja, is that not an insult? You cannot come to Rivers State and talk to us. You say Rivers State is not safe, but you want their vote. Rivers people will you allow that? Those who declared our state to be unsafe are those who are seeking for your vote. It is unfortunate. No right thinking Rivers will take that insult.

“And I challenge all of you here to behave like true Rivers people to say nobody can buy you, nobody can summon you outside Rivers State. if you want to talk to us come to Rivers state and talk to us . no amount of blackmail, no amount of intimidation can change our position. We want the unity of Nigeria.”

Wike said that they were prepared for the Saturday’s election and Rivers electorate would teach those opposed to the stance of the state for equity, fairness and justice, that they were the real owners of the state.

He emphasised that Rivers people would vote for the candidate, who had the welfare of the state at heart, and interested in Nigeria moving forward.