Demolition of Buildings for Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Begins Saturday

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April 26, 2024

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that the demolition of buildings situated within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road will commence this coming Saturday.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Korede Keisha, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday.

Keisha urged all residents whose houses have been earmarked for demolition to visit the ministry’s secretariat in Lagos to address any necessary procedures required by the ministry.

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She stated that the demolition team would commence the removal of the marked properties on Saturday.

Keisha said, “So this press briefing is just to create awareness for all those that may be involved or have one or two things to do along that project corridor.

“We’ve sent out demolition notices to as many as are within the right of way and we are using this medium now to say that everyone that has any concern within that corridor and have been served, the secretariat is opened to them from today, 3pm.

“We are welcoming them from today till tomorrow. Whatever you have to do along that axis, and then we’ve come to you and marked you down for demolition, we are asking that you see us at the secretariat from today till tomorrow evening.

“Thereafter, demolition squad will move to action by Saturday morning for the first three kilometres.”

The minister added, “For the first three kilometres, anything within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be dropped down from Saturday morning.

“So, I want to use this medium to reach out to as many as we cannot put calls across to, that this will go a long way to let them know that their issues will be sorted out between today and tomorrow.

“Especially if you are within zero to three kilometres of the projects and you have been marked. You have been identified as standing in the right of way of the project corridors.”

Recently, Minister of Works, Dave Umahi disclosed that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is expected to span eight years and cost N4 billion per kilometre

The 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road will be constructed for N15 trillion, and a kilometre of the road will cost N4 billion.

It is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states before culminating in Cross River.

Environmental Pollution: Reps Summons 35 Oil Firms

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, summoned 35 oil companies, as well as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, for questioning over environmental degradation caused by the activities of oil companies across oil-producing communities in Nigeria.

The oil firms and the NNPCL boss are to appear before the committee on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

The summons was handed down by the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Pondi Gbabojor, at an investigative hearing in Abuja on the activities of oil companies.

The committee also summoned relevant government agencies and heads of oil companies.

The Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Climate Change make up the joint committee.

The committee chairman threatened sanctions should invited persons fail to appear before the committee.

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Gbabojor said, “We will write another letter to everybody. They should turn up to answer questions on issues pertaining to the degradation of the environment due to the activities of oil companies.

“They have to be here on May 8. If anybody fails to show up, then, we would decide as a committee on what to do. I want to believe that there was enough time – two letters were sent. There was ample time for them to see the letters and duly honour them. But to put on a human face, we would still give another time to do so.”

The invited oil companies include Chevron Nigeria Limited, Total Energies, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Seplat Energy, Oando Oil Limited and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.

The Federal Government agencies invited for questioning are the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency and the National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency.

At the commencement of the investigation on Wednesday, only four out of the 35 oil companies and agencies invited for the probe attended.

The Committee members however noted that the four companies that turned up for the investigation were without the relevant documents required to carry out their assignment.

Earlier, the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, in his opening address, said it was important to protect the environment from harm.

Represented by the Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, the Speaker said, “I fully recognise the immense responsibility which befalls us as public servants to protect and safeguard our environment and meet the challenges posed by the ravages of environmental damages, and the need to balance economic prosperity and social responsibility to ultimately achieve equitable development.

“As representatives of the people, we must ensure that the voices of those most affected by environmental damage are heard and respected. We have to listen to the fears that are faced by frontline communities, indigenous people, and marginalised groups who usually bear the brunt of environmental injustice.

“It is therefore, for this reason, that the House mandated the Committees on Environment, Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum Resources (Downstream), and Climate Change, to investigate the environmental damage in oil-producing communities caused by non-compliance to extant laws by oil producing companies.”

Court Adjourns Emefiele’s Fraud Case Till June

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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A Federal Capital Territory high court on Thursday, adjourned until June 24, for the continuation of hearings in the trial of the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The matter was adjourned on the prosecution’s request for an adjournment.

The prosecution and defendant were absent when the case was called for hearing.

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Although counsel from Emefiele’s team was present to represent him, the trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, demanded to know why he was absent.

Emefiele’s counsel, I D Ahmed, apologised to the court for his client’s absence and proceeded to inform the court that they were served an adjournment letter by the prosecution.

The judge, however, said, “Because you have a letter of adjournment from the prosecution does not mean the defendant should not be in court.”

Justice Muazu then adjourned until June 24 and June 25 for continuation of the trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Emefiele with 20 counts of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the chief of the Central Bank.

The EFCC alleged that Emefiele forged a document titled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and claimed the documents came from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The embattled ex-CBN governor was said to have falsely represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation via a letter dated Jan. 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF 43/L.01/201 where he requested the CBN to provide a contingent logistic advance for $6,230,000 “in line with the former President’s directive.

Also, the anti-graft agency alleged that findings revealed that Emefiele used his office as the apex bank governor to confer unfair, undue and corrupt advantage on his wife and colleague using the companies; April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.

Emefiele in the amended charge was alleged to have, on February 8, 2023, knowingly obtained by false pretence, 6.2million dollars.

The prosecution’s seventh witness (PW7) Agboro, an investigator with the Independent, Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, at the previous hearing, tendered documents as proof of this claim.

Multichoice Raises DStv, GOtv Subscription Prices

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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Pay-TV operator, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, has again increased the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages across board with effect from May 1, 2024.

The company attributed the price increases to “rise in the cost of business operations” in Nigeria.

According to the notice signed by Multichoice CEO, John Ugbe, and sent to its subscribers and customers via email on Wednesday, a copy of which was sighted by our Correspondent, the new prices for DStv packages are Premium package will now cost N37,000 monthly as against the current N29,500 subscription fee.

The price of the Compact+ bouquet has also increased to N25,000 from 19,800 monthly.

DStv said subscribers on its Compact bouquet will now pay N15,700 as against N12,500 they are currently paying, while those on the Confam package are to pay N9,300, compared to N7,400 currently being paid.

Under the new price regime, viewers on DStv Yanga bouquet will now be paying N5,100 for the monthly subscription, instead of the N4,200 currently being paid.

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Padi subscribers will, from May 1, 2024, be paying N3,600 instead of the current N2,950 price.

HDPVR Access subscribers will pay N5,000 as against the N4,000 being paid now.

For GOtv users, Multichoice said customers on its Supa Plus package will now be paying N15,700, from the current price of N12,500. Its Supa bouquet will now go for N9,600 as opposed to the current N7,600 being charged.

GOtv Max subscription has also increased to N7,200 from N5,700 while its Jolli package will go for N4,850 from N3,950. Multichoice said its customers on the lowest GOtv package, Jinja, will be paying N3,300 monthly, as opposed to N2,700 they are currently paying.

Users of Smallie will now be paying N1,575 as against N1,300

Recall that Multichoice had increased its subscription fees twice in the past year.

Fed Govt Revokes 924 Dormant Mining Licences

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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The Federal Government has revoked 924 dormant mining licences to sanitise the mining sector.

Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake announced the revocation while addressing reporters in his office on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister said exploration, mining, small-scale mining, and quarrying licences were involved in the mass revocation.

The Federal Government had revoked 1,663 mining licences last November following the failure of the licencees to pay statutory charges, fees, and dues to the government.

Alake said the government’s action was in line with constitutional provisions.

The minister explained that adequate notice was given to the parties concerned through the official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Number 227, which was published on December 27, last year.

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He said: “The notice gave all concerned parties 30 days to regularise their status, including clarifications on what caused the licences to be dormant. Thus, although a total of 963 licencees were published and notified of the threat of revocation, no fewer than 39 either moved to site immediately or convinced the authorities of the challenges hindering their operations.”

A breakdown of the revoked 928 dormant licences showed that 528 were for exploration; 20 for mining leases; 101 for quarrying; and 273 for small scale mining licenses (SSML).

Alake also said the government’s action followed due process and fair consideration, underscoring its commitment to implement the standard policy of “Use it or Lose it,” as enshrined in mining guidelines.

He added: “Investors across the globe are now free to apply for any of the affected Cadastral Units on the basis of ‘first come, first served’. It is our belief that this decision will sanitise the licensing system by penalising those who have commercialised the opportunities offered by the sector into a bazaar.”

According to him, the revocation is not meant to be punitive but an opportunity for the affected licencees to make restitution.

“For revoked mining licences, a fine of N10 million applies; N7.5 million for small scale mining license (SSML); while N5 million for exploration licence (EL). They will be required to make the payments within 30 days to qualify for consideration,” Alake said.

The minister warned that henceforth, the Federal Government would not tolerate the nefarious activities of licence racketeering or those that obtain licences for speculation in order to offer them to the highest bidder.

NCAA Suspends Dana Air License After Lagos Incident

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the Air Operators Certificate of Dana Air.

This came barely 24 hours after Dana Airplane coming from Abuja landed at the Lagos airport runway and veered off into a nearby field.

Dana Airplane with registration number 5N BKI, had 83 passengers onboard. However, all the passengers and crew members disembarked unhurt.

Emergency responders and regulatory agencies immediately rose to the occasion and opened an investigation to unravel the real course of the incident.

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While the outcome of the investigation by the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau is being awaited, NCAA said it was important to audit the operations of the carrier.

NCAA in a letter with the ref no: NCAA/DGCA/DANA/1/24/001, and signed by the Acting Director NCAA, Chris Najomo, said the AOC of the airline had been suspended.

While awaiting the investigation report from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NCAA said it had initiated an in-house compliance assessment of the occurrence taking into account Dana’s track records in related occurrences.

The NCAA letter read in part, “As a precautionary step, and in accordance with Sec 31 (7) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Authority has imposed a suspension on your Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with effect from 24th April, 2024 at 23:59 to allow for a thorough safety and economic audit.

“The safety audit will entail a re-inspection of your organisation, procedures, personnel and aircraft as specified by Part 1.3.3.3 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, while the economic audit will critically examine the financial health of your airline to guarantee its capability to sustain safe flight operations,” NCAA insists.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had expressed displeasure with the incident involving a Dana aircraft.

This was contained in a letter by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and addressed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The letter which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, was obtained by the PUNCH on Wednesday.

In the letter to NCAA, the permanent secretary said the incident had raised serious concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of Dana operations.

He added that, “As the supervisor overseeing our nation’s aviation safety and regulatory compliance, it has come to the Honourable Minister’s attention that recent incidents involving Dana Airline.

“In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travelers, the Honourable Minister has directed that you immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted. This audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations.

“The recent incidents have underscored the urgency of this matter, and it is imperative that swift and decisive action be taken to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved. I trust in your expertise and diligence in carrying out this audit thoroughly and expeditiously. Please keep me informed of the progress and any significant findings throughout this process,” Meribole stated.

Tinubu Approves Takeoff Of Consumer Credit Scheme

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 25, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the takeoff of the first phase of the Consumer Credit Scheme (CCS), with the aim of empowering Nigerians to improve their quality of life through access to goods and services.

Announcing the president’s approval, his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said “Consumer credit is the lifeblood of modern economies, and every hardworking Nigerian should have access to social mobility.

“This scheme will facilitate crucial purchases, such as homes, vehicles, education, and healthcare, essential for ongoing stability to pursue their aspirations.”

In a related development, the Presidency has hinted at plans to tackle poverty and insecurity head on in Nigeria through financial inclusion for all Nigerians.

Accordingly, it disclosed that there are high-level talks to unveil a roadmap for integrating the unbanked Nigerian population into the formal financial system, a priority it said is one of the primes in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

On the CCS launch, Ngelale said “through responsible repayment, individuals build credit histories, unlocking more opportunities for a better life.

“Additionally, the increased demand for goods and services stimulates local industry and job creation.

“The President believes every hardworking Nigerian should have access to social mobility, with consumer credit playing a pivotal role in achieving this vision.

He further said the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) achieves its mandate through the following:

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“Strengthening Nigeria’s credit reporting systems, ensuring every economically active citizen has a dependable credit score. This score becomes personal equity they build, facilitating access to consumer credit.

“Offering credit guarantees and wholesale lending to financial institutions dedicated to broadening consumer credit access today.

“Promoting responsible consumer credit as a pathway to an improved quality of life, fostering a cultural shift towards growth and financial responsibility.

Ngalale said in line with the President’s directive to expand consumer credit access to Nigerians, the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) has launched a portal for Nigerians to express interest in receiving consumer credit.

“This initiative, in collaboration with financial institutions and cooperatives nationwide, aims to broaden consumer credit availability.

“Working Nigerians interested in receiving consumer credit can visit www.credicorp.ng to express interest. The deadline is May 15, 2024.

“The scheme will be rolled out in phases, starting with members of the civil service and cascading to members of the public,” he said .

Huge Protest In Argentina Over Proposed Cut In University Funding

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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April 24, 2024

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Mass protests gripped Buenos Aires in Argentina as citizens decry proposed university funding cuts, demanding protection for education budgets.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires rallying against proposed slashes to public university funding in Argentina.

Pictures from the vibrant protest captured a crowd of people marching and engaging in spirited displays of dance, music and brandishing banners advocating for the protection of education funding.

The focal point of the protest lies in the policy trajectory outlined by Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, who assumed office last year vowing to overhaul the nation’s finances, primarily through substantial cuts to the public sector.

Despite fervent opposition, Milei’s administration has maintained university funding at 2023 levels, disregarding the significant erosion of the budget’s real value due to rampant inflation, estimated to have devalued by as much as 80%.

The rector of the University of Buenos Aires, Ricardo Gelpi sounded the alarm, cautioning that without urgent financial injections, the institution might shut down within a mere three months.

The looming threat of closure has galvanized students, educators, and citizens alike, igniting widespread outrage and solidarity across Argentina.

President Milei has sought to justify the cuts by repeatedly describing state-run universities as centres of socialist indoctrination.

UNN Suspends Lecturer Caught Pants Down In Viral Video

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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April 24, 2024

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The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has suspended indefinitely one of its lecturer, David Udo-Udom, allegedly involved in sexual harassment of a female married student.

This was contained in a statement signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Chief Okwun Omeaku and made available to newsmen in Nsukka.

According to report, the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect pending the outcome of a Disciplinary Panel constituted by the university to investigate the incident.

He said the affected lecturer, who is of the General Studies division, was allegedly caught in a video harassing a female student.

The school mouthpiece said that the UNN has a zero tolerance for sexual misconducts involving either staff members or students.

UNN is among the few universities in the country that has a sexual harassment policy, which guides the relationship between our staff and students.

As a university, we are committed to protecting our students from any form of abuse and exploitation.

he added that the university management will not hesitate to punish Udoudom , according to our rules, if he is found guilty by our disciplinary panel.

Ex-British Envoy Urges Nigeria to Reject IMF’s Economic Ranking

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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April 24, 2024

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A former Director of the British Council in Nigeria, David Roberts, has called on Nigeria to reject the recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which projected that the country would drop from the first to the fourth largest economy in Africa this year.

The Fund in its recent World Economic Outlook as reported by Bloomberg, estimated Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at $253 billion behind South Africa, $373 billion; Egypt, $348 billion and Algeria, $267 billion.

It predicted that South Africa will remain the largest economy until 2027 when Egypt will overtake it.

However, the former British envoy to Nigeria said the country should rely more on data from its own statistics, rather than foreign agencies because the domestically gathered information is likely to be more accurate.

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Roberts pointed out that Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa in 2014 on the strength of data gathered by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s main data repository.

He said: “In 2014 when Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa, it was not because of the calculations of the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. It was because Nigeria’s economy had been rebased and recalculated by the National Bureau of Statistics.

“Were it not for the NBS, the world would have continued to perceive Nigeria as Africa’s third-largest economy,” he argued.

Noting that he lived in Nigeria for a decade, he urged Nigerians to overcome their belief that Western Bretton Woods institutions are always right about them.

Roberts added: “That is certainly not true. If Nigeria became the biggest economy on the strength of the NBS data, why would Nigeria allow itself to be downgraded and labelled the fourth largest economy in Africa this year by the IMF? Does the IMF know Nigeria better than the NBS?”

He stressed that evidence abound that the Breton Wood institution’s projections were not always correct.

“Did this same IMF not project a GDP growth of 3 per cent for Nigeria, which Nigeria overshot by delivering a 3.4 per cent quarterly growth?” Roberts queried.

He asked Nigerians to look back to the words of the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, spoken on January 11, 1976, when the former Nigerian leader said, “Africa has come of age.”

Asking Nigeria to assert itself, Robert argued that the Nigerian economy is currently growing and will get even better when the Port Harcourt refinery and the Dangote facility come on stream.

“Nigeria is not some Pacific Island nation, dependent on aid. Several Western countries now depend on Nigeria for healthcare professionals and other service providers.

“Your economy is growing at 3.4 per cent. Fuel importation is down by 57 per cent. Local refining is up by 12 per cent and will explode when the Dangote and Port Harcourt Refineries kick off fully. You no longer spend N1.5 billion a month floating the Naira,” he maintained.

The former envoy said as long as these policies continued, Nigeria’s economy could move up, advising that Nigerians should rely more on the NBS statistics and projections.

Roberts pointed out that the Goldenberg scandal and the IMF’s poor record at forecasting recessions prove that the NBS has more integrity on Nigeria’s economy than the IMF.

The IMF had stated that Nigeria’s economy, which ranked as Africa’s largest in 2022, is set to slip to fourth place this year after a series of currency devaluations.