Tinubu: Obasanjo Jealous Of Me, Obi’s Endorsement Won’t Work

 The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu on Thursday, slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his endorsement of Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 presidential poll.

Tinubu spoke at a rally held at the University of Benin Sports Complex in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, said Obasanjo is “jealous” of his achievements, adding that the “the blind” cannot lead “the blind”. He also said the former President’s endorsement of Obi won’t work or make any difference in the outcome of the election in the next couple of weeks.

Tinubu recalled that as Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007, whilst Obasanjo was President, he “punished” him and millions of residents of Lagos by allegedly withholding local government funds that belonged to the nation’s commercial nerve centre.

Tinubu also accused Obasanjo and his then Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, who is now the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of corruption. Tinubu alleged that both Obasanjo and Atiku seized the Federal Government’s allocation to Lagos and used “Nigeria’s funds” to buy cars for their girlfriends through shady privatisation scheme.

“Can that man recommend a leader for you in Nigeria? Is that not sending an agent to pick your pocket?” Tinubu asked thousands of APC supporters at the rally.

“A blind leading the blind. I am sorry I am not insulting visually impaired people. But it won’t work, they will end up in the ditch. If I talk about Obasanjo and Obi…one who doesn’t know the way cannot show the way,” the APC candidate said.

Despite the many patronising visits of presidential candidates to his Abeokuta home, 85-year-old Obasanjo on January 1, 2023 shunned 17 candidates and endorsed Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, saying he has an edge over other contestants.

Obi’s endorsement by the former Nigerian military head of state between February 1976 and October 1979 has since riled the candidates of the APC, the PDP, amongst others.

Similarly, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Edwin Clark on Tuesday endorsed Obi as his preferred candidate. Obi was also previously endorsed by leader of pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo.

Obi, who has been put ahead of other candidates in many pre-election polls of late, is popularly amongst youths who are thirsty of genuine national change but only time will tell the winner of the February 25 election.

According to Section 34 of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections, a presidential candidate can only be announced as the winner if he or she “has the majority of votes cast at the election; and has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.

Portable Advises Youths To Do Money Rituals; Gifts Homeless Woman, Kid Dollars

 Popular Nigerian singer, Portable, has once again amused fans with his doings on social media after he shared a video of himself inside a plane. Taking to his official Instagram account, the Zazu Zeh crooner shared a series of clips of himself with his crew members inside an almost empty plane and mocking some broke people to do rituals to make money and live a comfortable life.

“Wahala e don happen, I dey inside plane. People no gree enter plane o, dem no gree buy ticket. Wahala wahala you no do, now make you enter plane, you no get money to buy ticket. You no see empty seats inside plane? People plenty outside o. You no gree do this one, now you don broke. Akoi empty seats.” Read 

Despite his controversial lifestyle, singer, Portable has a love for humanity and has on countless times given back to society.

The singer, who was in Benin City, Edo State for a show, showed love to a homeless woman and her kid. In a video posted on his Instagram page, Portable was seen giving out dollars to a woman and her child.

This isn’t the first time the controversial singer is reaching out to the neediest.

Recall that Portable celebrated his birthday in an orphanage home, by showering love to motherless babies.

Before he left the scene he showered the street with a load of cash by throwing it in the air and people were seen picking free money which was given by the Zazu crooner.

Appeal Court Strikes Out Judgment On APC In Rivers

 Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, has struck out judgment of the Federal High Court that nullified the candidacy of 16 All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Rivers State vying for state House of Assembly.

The lead Justice, Justice Olabode Adegbehingbe, in his judgment ruled that no party has the right to challenge the activities of other parties, adding that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not have the locus standi to challenge the primary election of the APC. 

Adegbehingbe also ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit. He stated that the court’s decision, which disqualified candidates of the APC was a nullity. 

Recall that Justice Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had on November 11, 2022 nullified the candidacy of 16 APC candidates in the suit filed by the PDP, seeking nullification of the candidates on the ground that their primaries were conducted without the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among other things.

Kano Doctor Transfuses Woman With HIV Infected Blood

 There is confusion in the Tudun Wada Dankadai community at Tudun Wada Local Council in Kano State, following an alleged transfusion of infectious blood on a female patient.

The blood, allegedly infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was said to have been administered by an alleged fake doctor on the innocent patient who was diagnosed with Malaria.

Besides, an investigation conducted by a special committee on the activities of fake health personnel in the community revealed there were not less than 130 health centres and patent pharmacies.

In an interview with journalists in Kano, Chairman of the committee in Tudun Wada Dankadai community, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Karafe disclosed that investigation revealed that out of 130 fake doctors, only one has a secondary school certificate.

Alhaji Karafe stressed that after thorough checks, the committee also discovered one of the health workers is an electrical engineer who owns an eight-bed hospital and is treating different illnesses in the community.

He said: “It is even worse how one of the fake doctors transfused HIV positive blood in one woman who attended his clinic for treatment of malaria, unknown to her she was being treated by an unqualified person.

“It is disheartening that we even found an electrical engineer operating a private hospital, attending to patients, administering drugs, drips, blood and even attending to pregnant women. One of them, like I said, infected a woman with HIV positive blood.

“We even found one who is a traditional medicine vendor, but he attended to cholera patients. We had to evacuate the patient to hospital for proper treatments. Most of them don’t even have basic knowledge about health. One of them said he is a nurse but we discovered he has only a secondary school leaving certificate,” he added.

The investigation was commissioned by the council following a series of complaints received from residents over proliferation of private hospitals and the attendant health burden.

When contacted, Executive Secretary, Private Health Institution Management Agency (PHIMA), Usman Tijjani confirmed the incident,but maintained that government is taking necessary measures to curb the medical quackery in the area.

Tijjani who spoke through Director Operations, Isa Isyaku, said, an anti-quackery bill is underway in the state to checkmate the activities of the quacks.

28 Governors Pile Up ₦‎5.8 Trillion Debts For Incoming Governments

 •States’ debts to rise above 200% of revenue in 2023 – World Bank

•Lagos cannot execute laudable projects without loans – Commissioner

The governors of 28 states who are leaving office on May 29 or running for re-election and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory have piled up about N5.8tn sub-national debts amid an economic crunch.

The debt figures were based on an analysis of the sub-national debts reports by the Debt Management Office.


The PUNCH reports that out of the 28 states, 11 governors will be seeking re-election in March.

They include Governors Mohammed Yahaya of Gombe; Babagana Zulum (Borno); Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Mai Buni (Yobe); Bello Matawalle (Zamfara); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Abdulrahman Abdulrazak of Kwara state.

Those that will not be seeking re-elections are Emannuel Udom (Akwa Ibom); Samuel Ortom (Benue) Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); David Umahi (Ebonyi); Aminu Masari (Katsina); Bello Bagudu (Kebbi); Abubakar Bello (Niger); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Darius Ishaku of Taraba.


Other governors that are not seeking re-election include the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-rufai; Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano); Victor Ikpeazu (Abia); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Ben Ayade( Cross Rivers) and Nyesome Wike of Rivers.

The sub-national debts are classified into domestic-borrowings from local creditors and external-borrowings from foreign or international creditors like the World Bank.

The domestic and external debts published on the DMO’s website were as of September 30 and June 30, 2022, respectively.

According to the reports, sub-national domestic debts were about N4.38tn while their external debts were about $3.15bn or N1.42tn based on the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria of N449.53 to a dollar as of Thursday.

The data further shows that Lagos has the highest debt, with N877.04bn domestic debt and $1.27bn foreign debt.

It is followed by Kaduna, with a domestic debt of N86.86bn and external debt of $586.78m.

The third highest debt is Rivers, with a domestic debt of N225.51bn and foreign debt of $140.18m.

In the fourth highest debtor position is Cross Rivers, with N175.2bn domestic debt and $215.75m external debt.

It is followed by Ogun with N241.78bn domestic debt and $122.73m foreign debt.

Others include Bauchi (N144.28bn domestic debt and $172.76m external debt); Enugu (N89.89bn and $123.02m); Kano (N125.19bn and $109.42m); Abia (N104.57bn and $95.63m) and Adamawa (N122.48bn and $77.01m).

Other debtor states are Akwa Ibom (N219.62bn and $46.567m), Benue (N143.37bn and $30.47m), Borno (N96.33bn and $18.7m), Delta (N272.61bn and $60.05m), Ebonyi (N67.06bn and $59.84m), Gombe (N139.1bn and $46.93m), Jigawa (N44.41bn and $27.61m), Katsina (N62.37bn and $55.82m), Kebbi (N60.13bn and $42.40m), Kwara (N109.55bn and $45.94m), and Nasarawa (N72.63bn and $53.73m).

Also on the list are Niger (N98.26bn and $69.27m), Oyo (N160.07bn and $76.97m), Plateau (N151.90bn and $33.74m), Sokoto (N85.58bn and $37.13m), Taraba (N90.81bn and $22.28m), Yobe (N92.86bn and $23.09m) and Zamfara (N109.69bn and $29.33m).

The FCT had a domestic debt of N112.49bn and external debt of $25.38m.

The PUNCH observed that these states and the FCT owed up to 81.72 per cent of the N5.36tn sub-national domestic debts and 69.08 per cent of $4.56bn external debts.


Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday over the phone, the Director, Portfolio Management Department of the DMO, Dele Afolabi, noted that each state was expected to send in quarterly information on their domestic debts.

He added that by being transparent with their debt profiles, states would be able to access more funding.

The PUNCH observed that the debt servicing is done by the Federal Government but it is deducted from the federal allocation to the states.

States’ debts

In its December 2022 edition of the Nigeria Development Update, the World Bank noted that states’ debts would rise above 200 per cent of the revenue generated in 2022 and 2023.

The report read, “Debt levels for an average state are estimated to increase from 154.6 per cent of revenues in 2021 to above 200 per cent of revenues in both 2022 and 2023.”

According to the Washington-based bank, the increase in debts will be due to low allocation from the Federation Account, which will likely weaken the fiscal condition of the states.

The report added, “The fiscal condition of sub-national governments is expected to weaken in 2022, as Federation Account transfers for the average state are estimated to decline due to weak net oil revenue collection.

“For an average state, statutory transfers—the main source of state revenue—are estimated to decline by 5.5 per cent and internally generated revenue is estimated to remain at broadly the same levels as in 2021 (declining slightly by 0.8 percent).

‘’Nevertheless, total revenues for an average state are estimated to remain broadly unchanged in nominal terms as gains in VAT revenues are estimated to offset the declines in statutory transfers. However, expenditure is expected to increase by almost 4 per cent for an average state in nominal terms, especially capital expenditure, which is estimated to increase by 17.3 per cent in nominal terms in the run-up to the 2023 general election.

“Consequently, the fiscal deficit of an average state is estimated to reach 37.9 percent of revenues in 2022, as opposed to 31 percent of revenues in 2021 and 17 percent of revenues in 2020.

‘’Recurrent expenditure between 2021 and 2022 is estimated to have contracted by almost 5.4 per cent for an average state, raising concerns about accumulation of arrears. These trends are estimated to continue in 2023 with the fiscal position of the states weakening.”

The global lender had earlier said that Nigerian states will likely lose N18.8bn in oil and gas revenues in 2022, as worsening revenue collection at the federation level increases budgetary pressures for the states.

According to the bank, the declining revenue from the federation level has put many states in a precarious fiscal position.


It warned that many states would be unable to meet up with their expenditures, adding that there was an increase in debt servicing expenditures of states.

But the special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Cross River Governor, Christian Ita blamed the state’s debt burden on previous administrations.

He stated, “The debt burden on the state is something that was inherited by this administration. Indeed, as at May 29, 2015 when the current administration came on board, the state had attained the threshold of borrowing, a situation that made it impossible for the current administration to borrow.

“The disconcerting part is that while the administration was prevented from borrowing by the Debt Management Office, the federal government has been deducting between N1.6bn to N2bn monthly from the state’s allocation, thus leaving the state in dire straits.”

Speaking on its huge debt profile, the Lagos State government explained that its domestic and foreign debts were necessary because there was no other way the government could fund the projects executed in the state.

According to the estimate made by The PUNCH, Lagos state has the highest domestic debt of N876bn and a foreign debt of $1.27 bn.

Lagos defends debts

But the state Commissioner of Information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, insisted that the debts were sustainable and would not hinder any development after May 29, adding that what the debts were used for was what mattered.

He said, “The debts are more than sustainable. Recently, Lagos State got a Fitch AA+ rating and what it means is that we are running our finances very well and we are super creditworthy. I think we are the only state in Nigeria to have had such a rating.

“Apart from that, people say Lagos State debt is high but the problem is not the high domestic or foreign debts but what they are used for. The United States of America has the highest debt profile in the world, yet many are flocking there. To borrow money to pay salaries is bad but to borrow it to fund projects that will generate revenue and provide jobs is good.

“Lagos has a high debt profile [/i]because it has embarked on and executed a lot of infrastructural and transport projects, among many that will in turn generate income. [i]We have not expended up to 50 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product so we still have enough room to borrow money and that is why you see that people are turning over to Lagos because they know that the state is creditworthy.

“There is no way you can embark on the big projects that the Lagos State Government has executed without borrowing money. Where will the cash come from? Look at the Blue Rail, can you imagine the number of people it will be conveying daily and the jobs it has created? So there is no way you can fund that kind of project without borrowing money at all.

“This will never affect any development after May 29. In fact, if anything, it will bring more developments. By the time you say you save billions of naira to build a railway, even the people who should ride on it would have died, so one needs to find a way of funding it, and the better way is to borrow money, and local financial institutions are coming to Lagos to lend money to the government because they know the economy has a bright future.”

When contacted about the debts Governor Wike would be leaving for the incoming administration, the Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu said he was in a meeting and could not comment.

Kaduna government

Similarly, there was no reaction from the Kaduna State Government when asked about its plans to address the huge debts on Thursday.

The Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the governor, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye could not be reached on the phone and he did not respond to the query sent to him on the Whatsapp platform.

Officials of Ogun State Government kept mum as both the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Waheed Odusile and Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Kunle Somorin did not respond to calls or messages sent to their phones.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in Delta State has kicked against alleged plan by Governor Okowa to borrow N40b.

The party in a statement on Thursday warned all commercial banks and lending institutions in the country to be wary of the outgoing PDP government in the state.

The party said, ‘’It has come to the notice of the public and to the knowledge of the All Progressive Congress that the government of Delta state is yet again negotiating a loan facility for N40b.’’

In the statement endorsed by the APC governorship candidate in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the party noted with concern that “the need for such a facility has not been made public, neither has the purpose for which the credit is being sought.”

“It is also our knowledge that a bill seeking the approval for such a facility has not been presented before the House of Assembly and neither has approval been obtained”, it further stated.

Consequently, the party warned all commercial banks and lending institutions in the country to be wary of such borrowings.

The statement read partly, “Now therefore, be it known to all banks, lending institutions, credit agencies etc that any facility, loan, credit, advancement or borrowing by any other name known made or advanced to the government of Delta state in the course of the remaining tenure of the present administration will not be acceptable to the people of Delta state.

“The next administration and the citizens of Delta state will not be further encumbered by the rascality and profligacy of the present government.

“We state unequivocally that the state is over-borrowed and the citizens will not accept the encumbrance and obligations of further borrowing.’’

IGP Standardizes Police Investigation Process

 PRESS RELEASE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: IGP STANDARDIZES POLICE INVESTIGATION PROCESS

Directs against Duplication, Parallel Investigations

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, in a bid to strengthen the criminal justice system and standardize investigation processes in the Nigeria Police Force, has ordered a streamlining of all police investigative processes to prevent duplication of investigation via indiscriminate petitions and transfer of cases initiated by individuals and groups who have been indicted in initial investigations as a way to frustrate diligent investigation process and truncate criminal justice delivery.

The IGP gave the directives while reviewing and dealing with files/cases in response to complaints on indiscriminate transfers of cases from Zonal/State Commands and other investigative units of the Force by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Force Intelligence Bureau, and other Force Headquarters Based Investigation outfits under the guise of re-investigation at the prompting of indicted parties. He stressed that the situation has often given rise to parallel investigations by multiple units leading to conflicting arrests of parties, and different outcomes even when such matters have been conclusively investigated and charged to court.


The Inspector-General of Police has therefore warned that transfer or taking over of cases from Commands/Formations to FHQ-based outfits must only be carried out upon approval of a written petition to the IGP which will serve as authority for any such action. The IGP equally appeals to members of the public to be on the same page with the Police leadership in its bid to sanitize the process and strengthen our criminal justice system. He has similarly warned that officers found culpable of colluding with lawyers of, or indicted parties to abuse police investigative process will be sanctioned accordingly.

CSP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra,
Force Public Relations Officer,
Force Headquarters,
Abuja

3rd January, 2023

Soludo Receives Kwankwaso, Says The Country Need True Leaders Who Cares

 According to Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, the country needs leaders who genuinely care about it. Ndigbo, according to him, are nomads who can't afford to be an intolerant tribe.

When Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, the National People's Party's presidential candidate, paid him a courtesy call at the Governor's Lodge in Amawbia, Governor Soludo made this statement.

"I want to congratulate you on your tenacity, your faith in the country, your outstanding public service, and your dedication to our country.

I've always believed that individuals with much to offer should give through their involvement in the community. The largest kind of giving is public service.

We take pride in being republicans, which means the freedom to speak, in Anambra and throughout the South East.

Azikiwe, Akweke, Chinua Achebe, Okadigbo, and many others all call Anambra home, and people who freely express and associate with one another are well-known to live here.

"We cannot afford to be an intolerant tribe since we are nomads. We have a proverb that goes, "Oje mba, enwe ilo."

"In my opinion, everyone should be given the freedom to freely canvass and let the public make their decision.

"Where the country is now and where it will be in the future is a significant problem. The time has come for progressives to start considering the average citizen, according to Governor Soludo.

"The work is demanding, even after the election. Regardless of the outcome, we must sort through the candidates and select a coalition of like-minded individuals to lead this nation's transition.

"We are fortunate. We have many difficulties, but we require citizens who have a strong sense of pride in their nation. Nigeria has a chance to rank among the top seven economies in the world.

"Even though I've been totally focused on what's going on in my party, we wish you well in this movement.

"This state is fortunate. To make it work, we are doing everything we can.

"Kano is home to a sizable portion of our population. We are major stakeholders everywhere as Ndigbo.

"Our politics in Anambra are such that while we are campaigning, we may fight among ourselves, but following the election, you will find our people mingling and chit-chatting. It's not a matter of do or die. The Governor said that everyone should be able to openly campaign.

Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Barrister JPC Anetoh, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Collins Nwabunwanne his Information and Special Duties Counterparts, Sir Paul Nwosu and Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, among others, were also present during the visit.