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EFCC reviews tactics as A’Court stops Orji Kalu’s fraud trial

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EFCC reviews tactics as A’Court stops Orji Kalu’s fraud trial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it will fix the loopholes in its tactics as the Court of Appeal, on Wednesday, rejected the attempt to reopen the N6.7bn fraud case against a former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.

The appellate court, in a pronouncement by Justice Joseph Oyewole, held that the records brought forward by the EFCC were unreliable to grant the request for Kalu’s fresh trial.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, EFCC lawyer,  Oluwaleke Atolagbe said the commission would fix the loopholes the court pointed out.

 “The court did not go into the merit of the appeal.  The court did not go into whether Kalu and Slok cannot be tried.

“The merit of the matter has not been resolved.  We have the opportunity to come back appropriately.  As it is,  we can still come back to the court of appeal for the merit of the case to be determined after putting in place what the court noted,” Atolagbe said.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had on December 5, 2019, convicted Kalu, his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and a former Abia State Government House Director of Finance and Accounts, Jones Udeogu of the N6.7bn charges.

The court, in a judgment by Justice Idris Mohammed (now a Justice of the Supreme Court), sentenced Kalu to 12 years imprisonment; Udeogu, 10 years imprisonment, while it ordered the winding up of  Slok Nigeria Limited and the forfeiture of its assets to the Federal Government.

However, displeased with the judgment, Udeogu filed an appeal, contending that as of the time Justice Idris concluded the 12-year-long trial and pronounced his judgment he had already been elevated from the high court to the Court of Appeal.

In a May 8, 2020 judgment, the Supreme Court agreed with Udeogu and nullified his conviction by Justice Idris, holding that the constitution does not permit a judge elevated to a higher court to return to a lower court to conclude a part-heard case.

Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment of the panel led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour (retd.), also declared as unconstitutional the provision of Section 396(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (retd), relied on to authorise Justice Idris to return from the Court of Appeal to the high court to conclude the trial.

The panel unanimously directed the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to assign the case to another judge of the court for the trial to commence afresh.

In June 2020, riding on the Supreme Court’s judgment in favour of Udeogu, Kalu approached the Federal High Court in Lagos to demand  his freedom from prison.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he would not oppose Kalu’s application to be freed but prayed Justice Mohammed Liman to ensure that the order of the Supreme Court for a fresh trial should be complied with.

Following his release from prison, Kalu, however, filed another suit to stop the EFCC from trying him afresh.

He contended that the retrial order was only applicable to Udeogu and not him, adding that trying him afresh would amount to double jeopardy.

In a September 29, 2021 judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja agreed with Kalu and stopped the EFCC from trying him afresh.

Displeased, the EFCC proceeded to the Court of Appeal, which, however, on Wednesday, dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the EFCC did not produce sufficient records to sustain the appeal.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Oyewole said,  “The record of appeal brought by the Federal Government was incompetent and unreliable for any court to use to grant the request of the government.

“The name of the person who compiled signed, and certified the record was not reflected as required by law.”

Motorists trapped in gridlock as Lagos closes Third Mainland Bridge

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Motorists trapped in gridlock as Lagos closes Third Mainland Bridge

Lagos road users on Wednesday expressed their frustration over the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge after being trapped in traffic for hours.

The Lagos State Government had on Tuesday said the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge would be shut for 36 hours for maintenance work.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in a statement, said the closure of the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane would take effect from 12.00 am on Wednesday till 12.00 noon on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Osiyemi said consequently, motorists plying this route were advised to use the alternative routes previously provided during this period.

He further noted that the initial traffic diversion arrangements on the bridge would return after this 36 hour closure.

Motorists heading back to the Mainland on Wednesday however had a hectic time connecting back to their destination due to the traffic congestion along the alternative routes.

According Metro learnt that the motorists spent over four hours in the traffic stretching from Lekki, through Victoria Island all the way through to Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge

@madikevictor who lamented over the development via his X handle said,  “I left Island at 4:20pm, climbed third mainland bridge at 9:13pm. I’m losing my mind mehn. Lagos. Why did they even close the bridge initially sef?” In what was seen trending on the X platform other users also narrated their experiences about the gridlock.

Another road user who spoke to our correspondent said she had spent close to five hours in the traffic.

“I have spent nothing less than five hours in this traffic since I left the Island before evening,” she said.

Our correspondent gathered that the bridge was later reopened for the road users due to the outrage caused by the congestion.

A user @Riddwane, who disclosed this on the X platform wrote, “Due to the traffic congestion on Eko Bridge and Western Avenue this evening, Third Mainland Bridge has just been re-opened for motorists leaving the Island for Mainland. So, the vehicle can now ply 3MB from Adeniji to Iyana Oworo.”

The Lagos State government had announced Wednesday night that the bridge would be opened for motorists commuting from the Mainland to the Island while it will be closed all day for commuters moving from the Island to the mainland.

It noted that the previous arrangement will return on Thursday from 1pm to 12 am from the Island to the Mainland.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukorede Keisha, on October 2023 revealed plans for a comprehensive overhaul of the bridge’s asphalt layers.

30 killed in Benue fresh attack, Senate to meet Tinubu

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30 killed in Benue fresh attack, Senate to meet Tinubu

The Senate, on Wednesday, said it would meet with President Bola Tinubu over the insecurity in Benue State and Nigeria at large.

The resolution of the Senate followed the report of a militia clash in Benue State, which left no fewer than 30 dead on Tuesday.

The Senate resolution followed a motion titled: “Motion On the Continuing Killings by Suspected Terrorists Parading as Herdsmen and Increasing Insecurity in Kwande, Ukum, Logo And Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas in the Benue North-East Senatorial District Of Benue State.”

The motion was brought by Senator Emmanuel Udende, representing Benue North-East, under “Matters Of Urgent Public Importance Pursuant To Orders 41 And 51 of  the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended).”

Udende, in his lead debate, said that over 50 residents of the Logo and Katsina-Ala area of the state were killed by men who disguised as herders to unleash havoc on the communities.

The According learnt that a militia clash in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on  Tuesday claimed no fewer than 30 lives, including a family of seven.

 The attack was said to have been perpetrated by rival militias led by the dreaded duo simply identified as ‘Full Fire’ and ‘Chain.’

One of the terrorist gang leaders was said to have hired the services of external bandits, invaded the Gbagir community in the Ukum LGA and engaged in a fight to oust another militia gang leader in the area.

It was gathered that most of the dead were members of the rival militia gangs, while about 12 innocent farmers were caught in the crossfire, which also left over 30 persons injured and many others declared missing.

A traditional ruler in the area, who spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity, for fear of being a target, said the bloody fight started Tuesday morning after a Tiv militia leader in Ukum kidnapped another Fulani militia leader, identified as Alhaji Gana.

The monarch said, Gana was kidnapped alongside his family members, who were known for banditry and kidnappings by the rival gang from neighbouring Chinkai community in Wukari LGA of Taraba State.

He said, “After kidnapping them, he asked for N100m ransom but he was given N5m. After collecting the money, he killed the hostages.

“The murder of the hostages sparked outrage among his gang members in Taraba State. This happened over the weekend.

“What followed was that another militia gang leader in Ukum now went and joined forces with the Fulani militia gang in Taraba to help them eliminate the rival gang in Ukum that killed their leader, Alhaji Gana.

“From what we gathered, over 40 persons who were mainly bandits have been killed, though we have a record of about 12 farmers who were caught in the crossfire. Over 30 others were injured while some are also missing.

“Sadly caught in the crossfire was a family of seven in Tse Adzandeh Mbasaa, Mbajiga, Ityuluv, Torov. They were all members of the Adzandeh family,” the monarch said.

The lawmaker representing Ukum State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Nyiyongo Ezra, said about 20 people were killed.

He said, “For now, I cannot tell you the cause of the attack but the information I got was that about 20 people were killed.”

The Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, Maj. Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, confirmed that 30 people were killed in the clash.

Fielding questions from journalists during a press conference held at the old Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, the force commander said, “It was a clash between two militia groups resulting in deaths. We went there and for whatever reason they had the clash, I don’t know.

“But our initial visit revealed that 30 people were killed.”

On his part, the state Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, said, “So far, we have recovered five corpses but a search for people is ongoing.”

 At the Senate, the lawmaker representing Benue North-East lamented that the attack on the communities had gone unabated since Tuesday.

He said, “No fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks on several communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State by terrorist parading as herdsmen;

 “The affected communities some of which were attacked as recently as yesterday, 5th March 2024 include Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar, Menakwagh , Yiase and  Agura all in the Benue North-East Senatorial district of Benue State.

“Residents of the villages and communities now find themselves targeted daily by heavily-armed terrorist-herdsmen, and the toll continues to be staggering as they bear the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several villagers, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing while the perpetrators, however, remain elusive and have not been apprehended.”

The Senate, in its resolution, decided that its leadership will  “visit Mr president Bola Ahmed Tinubu with all the resolutions on the motion towards ending the continued killings of farmers by armed herdsmen in Benue North-East and Nigeria at large.”

The resolution further read: “Convey condolence of the season to the people of Benue North-East Senatorial District. To lead a delegation to the Governor of Benue State to find out his efforts on the and challenges.”

The Red Chamber also added that “The Chief of Defence Staff,  Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, the Inspector General of Police and heads of other security agencies to as a matter of urgency.

“Deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorists parading as herdsmen on communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State to flush out the herdsmen, stop the killings, and restore normalcy to the affected communities.

“Heighten surveillance and invest in surveillance technology and equipment to detect and prevent future attacks; review the security architecture in the area to forestall the continuous attacks.”

Zamfara to prosecute suspected killers of Islamic scholar

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Zamfara to prosecute suspected killers of Islamic scholar

The Zamfara State Government has vowed to prosecute the 10 suspects arrested by police operatives over their alleged involvement in the killing of an Islamic scholar, Abubakar Mada, in Mada town, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The spokesperson for the state governor, Sulaiman Idris, disclosed this in a statement obtained by According Metro on Wednesday.

According to Idris, the arrested suspects were members of the outlawed vigilante group who did not belong to the state’s Community Protection Guards as speculated in the public.

He noted that the killing of the monarch was an unfortunate incident which could have been prevented and that the government would ensure that justice was served on the matter.

Idris stated, “Zamfara State Government received the heart-wrenching news of the extrajudicial murder of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada in Mada town. It is indeed an unfortunate incident that could have been prevented.

 “The arrested vigilantes were not authorised by the state government to carry out any form of security operations as they are not part of the Community Protection Guards. The security operatives have successfully apprehended all suspected vigilantes behind this heinous crime.

“The Zamfara State Government has taken this matter seriously and is committed to ensuring that all the culprits behind this unfortunate murder are brought to book. “Every effort will be put in place to ensure justice is served without compromise.”

He added that while the CPG was established to protect the residents of the state, it had a responsibility to operate within the directives and guidance of authorised security operatives.

Idris stated that the government needed to clarify the confusion that had trailed the identity of the arrested suspects over the killing of Mada.

He continued, “We want to inform the public that the Zamfara Community Protection Guards has a modus operandi which prevents them from engaging in an operation without the guidance of relevant security operatives.

“Based on the preliminary investigation conducted by the police, it has been discovered that one of the vigilantes who was arrested was a former student of the murdered Sheikh. This information can help the authorities better understand the situation and take appropriate action.

“Zamfara State government will share the outcome of the police investigation with the public once it is concluded. During this trying time, we sympathise with Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada’s family and the entire community. May his soul rest in peace.”

According Metro reported on February 19 that bandits allegedly killed a Divisional Crime Officer in charge of Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and burnt the police station.

An indigene of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim, had told The According on the phone that the bandits, who were in large numbers and armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded Zurmi town, the headquarters of Zurmi LGA around 5 pm.

Ibrahim had said that immediately after the bandits arrived at Zurmi town, they went straight to the police station where they began to shoot sporadically,  killing the DCO and injuring other police officers in the process before setting the police station on fire.

According to Ibrahim, the bandits attacked the police station following the killing of three of their men by the vigilantes.

Driver in custody for killing Abia poly graduate

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Driver in custody for killing Abia poly graduate

A yet-to-be-identified truck driver is now in police custody for allegedly crushing an Abia State Polytechnic, Aba graduate, Miss Mary Ogechi, to death at the Aba-Owerri Road on Tuesday.

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased graduated from the polytechnic a few days and celebrated her graduation on social media for emerging the best accounting student in her department. She was said to have gone to her school on Tuesday to process her results so as to get ready for the National Youth Service Corps mobilisation when the accident occurred.

According Metro learnt that, in response to the new graduate’s passing, students of the school staged a protest and blocked the expressway.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the deceased suffered fractured legs and a dislocated hip after being pushed down by a commercial tricycle rider and was subsequently run over by a trailer with registration number XA-60 YEN.

“She was crossing the road when a reckless commercial tricycle driver hit her, which made her fall on the road. The truck driver who saw her suddenly tried to avoid her but couldn’t, instead rammed over her leg, leaving her in a pool of blood. The tricycle rider ran away, together with the truck driver who abandoned his vehicle to run into a nearby police station in the Aba North Local Government Area.

“People were scared of taking her away immediately. But a few others summoned the courage and rushed to the scene. They initially thought that she was dead, but when they felt some pulse, people who recognised her rushed her to the hospital for urgent medical attention. She later gave up the ghost.”

One of the deceased’s family members, Nelly Nazo, who mourned her passing in a Facebook post, claimed that the mother raised the deceased and her siblings alone and that it was a tragic event that she died in an accident.

She wrote, “Miss Ezekiel Mary Ogechi, it is unfortunate that your life was cut short by the terrible accident you had yesterday. I have not been myself since I got to know from your mum that it was you who was lying helpless in front of Abia poly yesterday. I pray that God will give your mum all that she will need,” she added.

Another relative, Vivian Onwumere, expressed her grief in a Facebook post, stating that the deceased was of high character adding that her death had left her devastated.

She wrote, “The news of the Abia poly accident got me speechless, not knowing it was my daughter. My tall glass is pretty, intelligent yet respectful, humble, and obedient. Seeing the video alone left me completely shattered. I am mute and reminiscing on all you told me years ago at the MIIT about what you would do when you got admission and after graduation. I kept asking and wondering why it must end this way after all the struggles, pains, and dedication. God knows better, keep resting, my beloved.”

Reacting to the tragedy, some Abia poly students protested their grievances, claiming they had informed the government to build a bump on the road as a safety measure against reckless drivers who had repeatedly run over staff and students at the school.

The students also threatened to set the trailer ablaze but a Rapid Response Squad intervened to calm the violence.

Some of the placards carried by the protesting students read, ‘No more trailers for daytime, ‘Abia students are not happy.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chinaka Maureen, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the situation had been calmed down. She also explained that the car and its driver had been taken into custody.

She said, “The driver is in our custody and the vehicle has been recovered. We calmed the area, and an investigation is in progress. Although we are still in the preliminary stage of the investigation, as time goes on, we will communicate further developments on the story.”

According Metro had reported that a 69-year-old commercial bus driver, Waidi Saheed, was in police custody for allegedly crushing a 10-year-old, simply identified as Chukwudi, to death at the Iganmu-Mile 2 Expressway in Lagos State.

Refuse truck falls off Lagos bridge, kills tricycle rider

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Refuse truck falls off Lagos bridge, kills tricycle rider

A yet-to-be-identified tricycle rider has been crushed to death after the compactor of a refuse truck fell from a bridge in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

According Metro learnt that the incident happened on Tuesday evening.

The truck, owned by the Lagos Waste Management Authority, was said to be plying the Shitta bridge in the community when it developed a mechanical fault while in motion.

As a result, the truck lost control and crashed into a Kia Salon car on the bridge.

The impact of the crash was however said to have caused the compactor of the truck to detach and fall on a mini-commercial bus and the tricycle on the ground floor.

Our correspondent gathered that passengers numbering about seven in the bus survived the crash while the tricycle rider died on the spot.

While confirming the incident, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said its response team arrived at the scene around 10:20 pm after receiving a distress call.

The Permanent Secretary of the agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “It was observed that a LAWMA PSP compactor truck was involved in a multiple accident when it reportedly suffered mechanical error (disengaged propeller), lost control and crashed into a Kia Rio Saloon car, registration number unknown, on Shitta bridge.

“Further information gathered at the incident scene was that the compactor thereafter crashed down the side of the bridge onto a seven-passenger mini-bus (korope) and a tricycle (Keke Marwa), killing the tricyclist instantly on impact.”

The LASEMA boss added that the remains of the deceased were recovered from the incident scene and taken to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for further processing.

According to him, all three vehicles involved in the multiple accidents were moved to the Iponri Police Station, while the LAWMA PSP compactor truck was taken to the agency’s yard at Ijora with the aid of its Heavy Duty Equipment (Elephant) at midnight.

“In attendance at the incident scene were the LASEMA Response Team, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Surulere Divisional Office and Officers of the NPF from Iponri Police Station,” he added.

Woman kills self after dropping kids in Enugu police station

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Woman kills self after dropping kids in Enugu police station

A mother of three children has allegedly committed suicide in Enugu State over what some sources attributed to the unbearable economic hardship and rising cost of living in the country.

According Metro gathered that the incident happened on Saturday, March 2.

Our correspondent was informed that the woman, whose identity had yet to be ascertained, had gone to the Ogui Police Station in the Enugu North Local Government Area of the state and reportedly dropped her three kids, without leaving a word with anyone.

An eyewitness who refused to be mentioned told our correspondent that the middle-aged woman, who was said to have become depressed over the current high cost of living in the country, stripped herself naked, came out of the station situated along Ogui Road and ran into a moving vehicle. The vehicle instantly crushed her to death, leaving the children who are below six years motherless.

Speaking with our correspondent, a senior police officer, who witnessed the incident, said when the eldest of the children was asked about their father, she simply said, “Our father got lost.”

The police officer, who didn’t want his name in print, referred our correspondent to the command’s spokesperson, who said that the little girl could not give any other information about their family, their town or residential address.

When According Metro contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on the telephone, he simply said, “Please call back, I am in a meeting.”

He did not return the call nor answer subsequent ones as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the wife of Enugu State governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, has undertaken to sponsor the children’s living and education.

Mbah’s wife announced the scholarship to be undertaken through her Custos Care Foundation when she paid an unscheduled visit to the Ogui Police Station, where the children were kept in custody.

She appealed to the people who are depressed to seek help and go for counselling to avoid taking drastic decisions.

She also urged the Commissioner for Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, to intensify sensitisation and counselling of people, especially depressed persons to help them come out of the situation.

24 states can’t pay salaries without FG allocation – Budgets

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24 states can’t pay salaries without FG allocation – Budgets

At least 24 states of the federation will not be able to pay workers salaries this year without having to wait for federal allocations from the central government, findings by The According have revealed.

Only 11 out of the 36 state governments of the federation can independently pay their workers’ salaries without depending on federal allocations, according to an analysis of the state governments’ approved budgets for the 2024 fiscal year.

The states with robust internal revenue are Lagos, Kano, Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara.

The approved budgets are also contained in Open States, a BudgIT-backed website that serves as a repository of government budget data.

While the budgets of 35 states have been made public, Rivers State budget could not be accessed neither has it also been uploaded the platform.

According to the analysis the budgets data, 24 states cannot fund salaries payments from their Internally-Generated Revenue and, as such, may have to rely on the Federal Government allocations or borrowing from banks and related institutions.

The development also means that the respective wage bills of the affected states surpassed their various IGRs, raising concerns about workers productivity and state governments’ efficiency in internal revenue generation.

The 24 states are Bayelsa, Ondo, Yobe, Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, Oyo, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Borno, Benue, Bauchi, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Abia, and Delta.

The development is coming amidst clamour for wage increase by labour unions at both the federal and state levels, following the rising cost of living on the aftermath of fuel subsidy removal and unification of the foreign exchange markets by the current administration.

The Nigerian Labour Congress has consistently maintained that if inflation continues to rise, the organised labour may have no choice but to insist on a new minimum wage of N1m for Nigerian workers. The government however has rejected the demand.

In the first half of 2023, state governments borrowed about N46.17bn from three banks to pay salaries between January and June 2023. The findings were based on an analysis of the half-year 2023 financial statements of Access Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank, and Zenith Bank Plc

The According observed that the states borrowed the most from Access Bank in six months, with a record of N42.97bn loan.

This was followed by Zenith Bank (N1.78bn borrowed) and Fidelity Bank (N1.42bn borrowed) within the six-month period.

In 2023, state governors got the most FAAC allocations in at least seven years. The rise in FAAC allocations to the three tiers of government especially states followed the petrol subsidy removal and currency reforms of the current administration. The reforms have reportedly led to a 40 per cent boost in income.

Experts believe the projected revenue increase should have reduced state governments’ appetite for more borrowings.

In an interview recently, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, claimed that state governments were borrowing to salaries in the past but the removal of fuel subsidies had put an end to such borrowing.

“Every governor in Nigeria is getting more money than we used to get. Before President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy, in Kaduna State, precisely in May 2023, we were borrowing to pay salaries but immediately after the subsidy removal, after paying salaries without borrowing, we had a surplus of money.”

However, despite the improved funding, no fewer than 32 states indicated plans to borrow N2.78tn from domestic and external institutions to fund their 2024 budget.

According to further analysis of the states budgets, the affected 24 states will spend N1.48tn on salaries in 2024, while they plan to make N914bn IGR. This means the states will need N566bn from either federal allocations or borrowing to complete the payment of salaries.

The breakdown of data shows that Bayelsa State with projected IGR of N23.9bn will need money to pay its workers N69.12bn this year. Ondo State with projected internal revenue of N33.6bn will also need extra money to fund its N56.76bn annual wage bill, while Yobe State will fund its N42.86bn wage bill from its projected IGR of N14.55bn and federal allocation or borrowing.

Sokoto is expected to pay N46.9bn salaries from its anticipated internal revenue of N37.1bn and partial funding from allocation/loan, while Taraba will obtain extra funding to pay its workers N54.47bn from its internal revenue of N27.8bn. Plateau with a projected revenue of N38.89bn must get federal government allocation o clear its wage bill of N52.25bn.

Also, the Oyo State will pay N132.67bn to workers after generating N92.79bn in its coffers. The state will need additional funding to complete this. Niger State with projected revenue of N61.87bn will need help to pay its civil servants N70.24bn while Nasarawa will pay its workers N54.45bn from its projected revenue of N43.3bn and another source.

Further analysis of the budget showed that states such as Kogi will pay its workers N65.07bn from its revenue of N30.23bn and federal allocation, while Kebbi will pay N37.3bn as salaries from its N17.8bn internal revenue and partial federal allocation. Katsina will spend N56.3bn on salaries from its N40bn internal revenue and federal allocation, while Jigawa will pay its workers N64.84bn from its revenue of N50.64bn and federal allocation.

 Gombe must pay salaries worth N35.27bn from its anticipated revenue of N22.32bn and federal allocation. Ekiti will spend N2.78bn on salaries from its N1.5bn revenue and federal allocation. Ebonyi’s N28.16bn wage bill surpasses its revenue of N25.1bn, while Borno will pay its workers N50.28bn from its revenue of N27.5bn and federal allocation.

Furthermore, Benue State with revenue of N23.9bn will pay N56.9bn as salaries, while Bauchi must pay salaries worth N46.9bn from its anticipated revenue of N37.1bn and federal allocation; Adamawa will spend N52bn on salaries from its N26.9bn revenue and allocation; Akwa-Ibom will spend N127.8bn on salaries from its N60bn revenue and allocation while Delta with projected revenue of N110.3bn must seek assistance to pay its workers N164.3bn.

Also, Abia with a revenue of N32.14bn will pay N47.83bn as salaries while Cross Rivers with projected revenue of N34.7bn must seek assistance to pay its workers N67.75bn.

According to the budget data, the 11 states which have higher IGR will conveniently fund their combined 980.68bn wage will their internal revenue of N2.34trn

Experts speak

In different forums, financial experts have raised concerns about states’ spending on recurrent expenditure highlighting the need to embrace financial innovations.

A development economist, Aliyu Ilias, said many states had yet to fully develop themselves as industrialised and marketable to attract investors.

Ilias urged governors to develop an area of strength they could leverage to attract foreign investments.

He said, “Going forward, what they could do is to identify one area of strength. For instance, Bayelsa has oil and should be able to attract investments. I think it is about policy. They should give the policy a chance that would allow people to come and invest. They should also create an attraction and develop an economic summit that will make sure they showcase and attract investors.”

An economist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof Akpan Ekpo, also stressed that, “states have to think of new ways of increasing their IGRs. If they continue borrowing to pay salaries, it is not good for the economy.”

He urged the states to increase their revenue by increasing service delivery, which will attract more revenue.

Also reacting, the Managing Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said that the report indicated that a majority of states were not financially sustainable and were at risk of insolvency if there was no boost in investment.

He said, “This issue is a fiscal sustainability problem, showing that many states are not fiscally sustainable and need to work towards it; and that the states need to do a lot more to attract more investments to their states so that their level of dependence on the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee would reduce.

“Even as we speak, many of them are also in debt and by the time they pay salaries and service their debts, there is not much left to improve on infrastructure. It’s in the interest of the sustainability of the states for them to be more creative in generating more revenue and attracting more investment to their states so that they can generate more revenue.

“Secondly, we also need to address the issue of fiscal federalism because some of the states don’t have power over some resources in their domain and can’t bring investors into it. For instance, mining is controlled mainly by the federal government, you get permission from them and revenue is remitted to them. So we need to revisit the issue of restructuring to help states have more control over resources within their domain.

Continuing, the economist stated that the state governors should take a cue from the Federal Government to reduce its bloated staff and political appointees.

“Most of these states have heavy overhead and they have very bloated bureaucracy, political appointees and they are putting a lot of pressure on their resources, so they have to do some rationalisation on their staff, many of them don’t need more than 50 per cent of their workforce but for political reasons, they put all manner of characters on their payroll including the local government. They have to look at that and take a cue from the Federal Government on the Oronsaye report.”

Lagos Computer Village vendors fear revenue loss amid relocation

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Lagos Computer Village vendors fear revenue loss amid relocation

The plan to relocate Lagos Computer Village from Ikeja to Katangua in the Abule-Egba axis of the city has triggered fear of revenue loss among gadget vendors, JOSEPHINE OGUNDEJI writes

Computer Village, nestled in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos, is the technology hub for the Sub-Saharan region. It is the go-to destination for the latest gadgets and reliable repairs.

The significance of Computer Village extends beyond its role as a marketplace. It catalyses Nigeria’s technological advancement, fostering entrepreneurship, driving economic growth, and facilitating access to cutting-edge technology.

However, despite the significance of Computer Village to the country’s technological innovations, its location has been a source of the Lagos State Government, residents and road users in that part of the city. Traffic congestion clogs the streets surrounding the market, impeding business operations and road users. The lack of parking facilities exacerbates the challenge.

Genesis of relocation plan

In 2017, the Lagos State Government during a press briefing announced plans to relocate Computer Village to decongest the capital of the state.

It said the relocation was aimed at curbing environmental degradation, housing stock deficit, and traffic congestion in the state capital.

“The relocation will curb environmental degradation, housing stock deficit, and traffic congestion in the Ikeja axis,” the state government noted.

In 2021, Bridgeways Global Projects Limited, the contractor in charge of the new Computer Village, announced that the first phase of the new ICT market would be completed in 24 months.

The new Computer Village would be called the Katangua Information and Communications Technology Business Park. The Chief Executive Officer of Bridgeways Global Projects, Jimmy Onyemenam, explained that the new area would provide infrastructure for the manufacturing of technology hardware.

“The Katangua ICT Business Park will also provide the infrastructure to incubate and accelerate the development of technology solutions that can improve development outcomes in Africa.”

According to numerous reports, the project was expected to cost about N40bn. The President of the Phone and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, Ifeanyi Akubue, stated that the project had been slow-paced.

He explained that the project’s site had been fenced and the foundation for some buildings had been erected.

He stated, “The developer and the market are working towards the project but there has been a delay. I don’t know why there is a delay because the traders are not the ones in charge. It was contracted to a developer. The developer revealed at the launch of the project that in 24 months the site would be ready”

However, the Managing Partner of Bodds IT Solutions, Emmanuel Osho, disclosed that a lot of traders were not happy with the planned relocation of Computer Village as it would impact their businesses negatively.

He explained that the current slow pace of the project was because certain bigwigs in the market were kicking against it.

He said, “I am not in support of the move and a lot of traders are not excited about it, a lot of people like where the market is located.

“Moving the market means we would be farther from central Lagos, meaning a lot of people would have to spend a lot of time to get to their workplaces. Also, people would have to think twice before they plan to come to do business with us.

“Ikeja is in central Lagos. Now, imagine they need to come to our new location from the Island. Ikeja was already stressful, but this will be an added stress for them and the shop owners. People that are situated in Ikeja would have to be shuttling between Ikeja and Katangora.

“What will make sense is to try to move people to central concentrations within the market. That is what makes sense. A lot of bigwigs do not want to move, and this is slowing down the project, they are fighting it in their way.”

The Public Relations Officer of the Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, Solagbade Olaifa, told The According that Computer Village was situated in an area that wasn’t intentionally designed to be a market.

He said, “The market sprang up as a result of its centrality and in response to the demand for technological devices. However, all this is about to change as the Lagos State Government has since announced plans to relocate the market from its present location to Katangua in Abule Egba to solve traffic congestion and environmental problems in the area.”

Vendors voice concerns

Vendors market had decried the relocation of the gadget market from Ikeja to Katangua in Abule-Egba.

In an exclusive interview with The According, a phone seller, Bolaji Amos, expressed concerns about the potential loss of customers due to the relocation.

He said, “Most of our customers come from the Island and it is not easy connecting Katangua from the Island. The sale of goods would decline drastically, and people would lose their jobs.   This relocation would spoil business because people prefer to come because there is security. How do they want to cope with the dumping site at Katangua?

“AAbule-Egba is very far and to connect it won’t be easy for customers. People would be scared because of the slum, where bad boys are taking hard drugs and there are lots of hoodlums flocking that area.”

Voicing his displeasure, an engineer and a seller of electronics, Razaq Dosunmu, said Computer Village is well known for the sale of electronics and gadgets. Going to a new location to start the business from scratch is of great concern.”

A gadget seller, Austin Onyeka, highlighted the inconvenience of Katangua’s distance compared to the central location of Ikeja.

He said, “Katangua is very far; Ikeja is very central and can be linked easily, which makes it easy. So, relocating a market from Ikeja to Katangua is very far for buyers. People rarely go to that side because of distance; they prefer coming to Computer Village. A client cannot because of a phone charger or laptop charger spends all day on the road to Katangua, when Ikeja is a shorter distance and easily accessible.”

Another seller of electronics, Emeka Ezinnechie, expressed concerns about the difficulty in locating Katangua and the heavy traffic along the route.

He said, “It is going to affect us because not everyone knows where Katangua is located.  Traffic is usually crazy around that axis. Is the market relocation our problem now? They should face other issues and leave the Computer Village where it is. It is okay where it is because it is at the centre of the city.”

A female gadget seller, Awotinpe Yemisi, likened the relocation to starting from scratch.

She said, “It was like starting from scratch.  It would affect my customers because it would not be easy for those coming from the Island to come down to Katangua.”

Emmanuel Victor, who patronises Computer Village, criticised the planned relocation of the market.

He argued, “Where Computer Village is currently located is way better than relocating it to Katangua. This would even add to our hardship. The government should kindly let the market remain where it is.”

Lasg reacts

Revisiting the relocation in 2024, the Lagos State Government said it decided to relocate Computer Village from Ikeja because its current location was a residential area.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Electronic Geographic Information System and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, disclosed this during a recent assessment visit to the market.

The assessment was conducted by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other government agencies responsible for emergency affairs.

Babatunde said by law, Ikeja Computer Village is a residential area, adding that the plan to relocate it to Katangua was initially delayed for some reasons.

He noted that the issues were being addressed and shortly the occupants of the residential area within the computer village would be relocated and settled in Katangua.

He said, “Where the Computer Village is located is, was, and will continue by law to be a residential area, hence we must follow the law. Katangua is the area designated by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, particularly the Office of Physical Planning.

“We chose Katangua because of the good road network, we are certain that we are not going to be having traffic problems once Katangua is ready to receive the people from Computer Village.

“The expanse of land is such that when you drive in, the person may get lost because of how huge the place is. It is not something that was not well thought of, it is within the model city plan for the area.”

He noted that the relocation of the residents is to where business would thrive.

He added, “We are moving the village into a place where their business would thrive while maintaining the status quo. Ikeja Computer Village was a residential area before, it is presently, and I think it will continue to be a residential area. We must ensure that things are done according to the law. Since the law says it is a residential area, it should remain as such.

“Katangua market will majorly accommodate the traders within Computer Village. they would have market stores and outlets, and they would have secured title to the stores allocated to them so that if they want to take loans with the property they have within the market, they can use that with any bank.

“In addition, there would be banking facilities, clinics, schools, crèche, storage facilities, and some housing, including hotels where those who come to the place outside of Lagos would be accommodated within the area.”

The special adviser noted that the relocation would be gradual, adding that consultations with market leaders and the development of the Katangua site had already commenced.

“We are planning with the people; they are also ready and we will continue to carry them along on the Katangua plan,” he added.

Again, Nigeria, Tanzania clash in African Games cricket opener

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Again, Nigeria, Tanzania clash in African Games cricket opener

Nigeria senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, faceoff with Tanzania for the third time in two weeks on Thursday (today), as the cricket event of the 13th African Games in Ghana gets underway at the Achimota Cricket Ovals, According Sports Extra reports.

Cricket is being played at the African Games for the first time since the continental showpiece started in 1965 and Nigeria will get the honours of playing in one of the two simultaneous opening games. The other game is between heavyweights South Africa and Namibia.

Nigeria and Tanzania met twice at the just-concluded Nigeria Cricket Federation Women’s T20i invitational tournament, which was won by the East Africans in Lagos last Sunday.

Tanzania won both games, handing the Female Yellow Greens a 49-run defeat in their first game before defeating them by another 65 runs win.

Ahead of their historic meeting in Ghana, the Female Yellow Greens are poised not to leave anything to chance despite sitting 11 places below the East Africans in the ICC rankings.

“The way we played them in Lagos was unusual to us, we dropped a couple of catches, and, you know, we went back to the drawing board to see what was wrong and how we could come back stronger. It was something we discussed a lot, knowing that we will play them again in Ghana,” captain Blessing Etim told our correspondent.

“We had a well-prepared tournament to move to the African Games, so I believe we are going to move from there. I think we have learned never to give up and to play until the last ball,” she added.

Head coach of the team, Leke Oyede, also expressed confidence in the capacity of his players.

“In Lagos, we played 40 per cent of our capacity because most of our players assembled one week to that tournament after sitting for exams in schools,” Oyede said.

“Over the years, our capacity has grown that, even with the best teams, we are now catching up with them. And we have beaten Tanzania before, so the next game won’t be an easy one for them. They have beaten us twice but we have shown that we have players who can beat them.”

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