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NPA: FG plans to construct a new seaport in 2026.

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According to the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Federal Government intends to build another deep seaport within the next three to four years.

In an interview with Nigerian Ports Today, a quarterly publication of the organisation, which our correspondent happened to see, Muhammad Bello-Koko, the managing director of NPA, made the statement.

 

Bello-Koko announced that proposals for the construction of additional seaports in the nation had been received while providing an update on the recently approved Badagry deep seaport.

“If we examine what transpired at the Lekki Deep Seaport, it took at least three years, and we anticipate that another deep seaport will be built in the following three to four years. Thus, the Federal Government has given its blessing to the Badagry deep seaport. We are working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation and other governmental organisations to ensure that the business case is properly developed, and the other ports are still under development. A proposal has been set up for each of these port locations. After the problem with financial construction, I think the majority of them would have finished their financial arrangements, received the necessary approvals, and some of them would already be working. We can anticipate seeing at least one or two seaports in the next four to five years.

However, the NPA boss revealed that in 2023, the agency’s revenue had increased by between 60% and 70%.

Bello-Koko claimed that more cargoes headed for neighbouring countries had been intercepted by the agency in the previous eight years.

“This indicates that we have more cargo traffic entering the country, which has increased the country’s gross domestic product and also increased the revenue of the NPA,” he said.

The NPA boss continued, saying that the organisation had noticed increased activity in the Calabar port and that it wanted to make sure that the tariff trickled down to the final consumers.

“What was done has more to do with Calabar port, and we have noticed an increase in activity as a result of encouraging people to bring large vessels into that port. However, we will make sure that this tariff is passed on to the final consumers.

Bello-Koko added that the organisation had formed a committee to oversee the use of the reduced tariff to entice importers to use the Calabar port.

“That is, if the tariff is reduced, we should be able to bring a container to Calabar even though it costs me a million naira to bring it here. A committee is working on this. To make eastern ports profitable, you must consider more than just tariffs. You must also guarantee the area’s security, which is why we are collaborating with the Nigerian Navy.

Despite the nation’s rising inflation, Bello-Koko revealed that the NPA had not reviewed port tariffs in 30 years.

In a television interview on Tuesday night, he said this.

He claims that the organisation only examined its towing services between 2012 and 2014.

He stated that since 1993, the government had been using the same rates.

Read Also: OPC officers in Ogun detain a suspect in robbery

Since 1993, the NPA has not raised its tariff. As of right now, we continue to apply the rates that we have been since 1993. 1993 marked the last time the NPA raised its tariff. Although there may be high costs associated with doing business at the ports, we haven’t raised our tariff in 30 years.

He claimed that while business expenses might be rising, this wouldn’t be related to NPA tariff rates.

“The NPA raised the price of towage in either 2012 or 2014. Since 1993, every other tariff has remained the same. Although the cost of doing business may be rising, the NPA’s tariff and rates are not to blame, he argued.

According to Bello-Koko, the agency only unified the tariffs in 2012.

“In 2012, we merged and harmonised the tariffs because there were so many of them. Before that, anyone looking for our tariffs will find a lot of them disassembled. So, what we ultimately did was merge them, he said.

Regarding port construction, the NPA MD claimed that even though every port requires some level of renovation, the situation at Tincan Port is the worst.

“We have been working palliatively and attempting to control the situation. However, we believe that palliative works are no longer viable at this point.

“In order to check those infrastructures, we conducted a NEEDS assessment for the entire authority. Following that, we decided it was time to completely rebuild those infrastructures. The worst condition, in a terrible state, is at Tincan Port. We think it’s time to rebuild and restore Tincan Port. Other ports also have some quays that require renovation. Nearly all of the ports, including Apapa, Warri, Calabar, and Onne, require some quay rehabilitation. Our analysis revealed that we require about $800 million in order to renovate all the ports, the man said.

 

OPC officers in Ogun detain a suspect in robbery

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In the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (New Era) have detained a middle-aged man who is thought to be a member of a robbery gang that specialises in robbing unsuspecting pedestrians of their valuables along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The suspect, known only as Tajudeen, was apprehended on Monday at around 7 o’clock while attempting to steal a generating set in the state’s Magboro region’s Oke Afa neighbourhood.

 

According to reports, he was turned over to officers working out of the Warewa Police Station near the expressway.

According to information obtained by our correspondent, the suspect admitted that he is a member of a gang that operates at the Magboro Bus Stop end of the expressway late at night to rob people of their valuables.

Ogunsolu Olayiwola, the local OPC commander, revealed to our correspondent on Wednesday that in addition to robbing commuters along the expressway, the suspect had also admitted to stealing from a nearby fishpond among other locations.

We were at Oke Afa in Magboro, close to the expressway, when the owner of a store where the suspect was attempting to steal a generator raised the alarm, according to Olayiwola. He attempted to flee by leaping into an unfinished building, but we caught him.

“He admitted to us later that he had been busted stealing numerous times. After that, we brought him to the Warewa Police Station where we turned him over to the officers, who informed us that they would bring charges against him this week.

Read Also: APC NWC fails to allocate seats for N’Assembly leadership

“When we asked him about those he operates with, he confessed to us that he has others in the area who specialise in snatching bags, phones, and other valuables along Magboro Bus Stop,” Semiu Oladapo, another member of the OPC team, said.

The suspect named some of his gang members who are still at large in a video that our correspondent saw of him confessing.

When reached, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state police public relations officer, claimed he had not yet received a briefing on the development.

 

APC NWC fails to allocate seats for N’Assembly leadership

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At its meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress was unable to reach a consensus regarding the allocation of the senate presidency and speakership of the 10th National Assembly.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the APC, revealed that the NWC could not make a decision on the zoning arrangement without the input of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was away in Port Harcourt at the time of the meeting to inaugurate some projects carried out by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

 

Adamu presided over the four-hour meeting, which got underway at around 1 pm, and no fewer than 18 of the NWC’s 24 members were present.

The discussion was supposed to put to rest rumours about the region that would produce the 10th National Assembly’s top officials.

While the lawmakers from the South-East and South-South thought it was fair to give their regions the Senate Presidency, their Northern counterparts are adamant that only the criteria of competence and experience mattered.

After the discussion was over, the chairman addressed the media and revealed that they had a significant discussion, further demonstrating how strong and unified the party leadership is.

The result of our four-hour meeting, according to Adamu, was that we emerged stronger and more unified than ever. The National Assembly’s zoning, which some of you have inquired about, is not the main topic of today’s meeting. We don’t just go as a party when we want to do zoning.

“Zoning is to bring along Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, who is the person with the mandate of the nation. He must travel with us. He left after the elections and didn’t return until last week. He must be carried by us.

Additionally, we are powerless to stop ambitious people with regional, personal, or institutional interests. We can’t refute them. We need to come up with a persuasive strategy to achieve some level of consensus as long as that is the case. We are focusing on that at the moment. This is not a one-day event.

In a similar vein, when asked about the outcome of the NWC meeting, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reaffirmed the chairman’s views.

Morka added that a committee made up of five of the six zonal chairmen of the NWC has been established to settle the ongoing dispute between Adamu and Lukman and to address the issues brought up by the Kaduna politician.

Read Also: Street sweepers in Cross River and shame of state

Among the many topics covered at the meeting, he continued, “We look at some internal and domestic housekeeping matters with a colleague you know who has voiced his concerns about something he believes the party should be doing. We gave it careful thought.

“A committee that was formed to finish that conversation is working right now, as we speak. Therefore, there is still a meeting in progress that I am supposed to attend in order to completely rectify that discussion and provide a final set of recommendations regarding it.

“However, I’m happy to report that the party is united behind the leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, our party’s national chairman. We are all united in our position. The worries expressed by our colleague (Lukman) are being investigated. And I believe that when the time is right, we will draw very clear conclusions from those discussions.

Morka responded that it wasn’t deliberate as had been assumed when asked to explain why the ruling party was delaying the choice regarding the zoning of the Senate presidency, speaker, and other major offices.

We are not wasting time, he continued. There is no deadline for doing this. The party is responsible for zoning. It is a method by which the party can make choices and allows those who are interested in vying for the position of leader of the 10th National Assembly to do so smoothly and without much enmity.

“There is no timetable for that, then. We are not rushing. We want to execute it properly. The chairman also mentioned that it required extremely thorough consultation. Not just from the party’s leadership, but also from those who are aspiring, in order to ensure that whatever formula the party comes up with will be accepted with the least amount of friction. The consultation must be conducted, and it must be conducted properly. That is what is occuring at the moment.

According to several sources who shared more information about the party’s plans for the zoning of National Assembly offices, the APC intended to persuade ambitious aspirants to settle for the consensus option.

According to a source, the party leadership only discussed the leadership crisis in the APC South-South, consensus candidates in place of zoning, and an appeal for the National Vice Chairman for the North-West, Mallam Salihu Lukman, to spare the party from embarrassment by dropping his lawsuit despite the lengthy agenda that was not made available to any member of the National Working Committee until minutes before the meeting began.

Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, the APC National Secretary, had been sued by Lukman for violating the party constitution.

The National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, also sent Adamu a legal opinion four days ago that appeared to be a countermove, recommending harsh punishment for Lukman, including expulsion for taking the party to court.

Another source reported that the crucial meeting, which lasted four hours, was extremely tense. Lukman was eventually asked to drop the lawsuit and apologise to the other party. His expression when he left the meeting was clear evidence that he wasn’t happy with the choice.

“However, a committee to mediate peace between the warring parties has been established. The topic of zoning was briefly discussed as well, but from what I understand, they decided to meet with Asiwaju in order to persuade him to persuade the lawmakers running for various positions to allow the party to choose consensus candidates.

Salihu Mustapha, the National Vice Chairman of the APC for the North-East, told reporters that Lukman has agreed to drop his lawsuit against Adamu and Omisore in order to restore peace.

According to Mustapha, the ruling APC will no longer tolerate indiscipline from any party member or supporter in light of the recent string of events.

“We are here to inform you of the proceedings we had after the national working committee,” he said. “We had intimate consultations with our brother, the National Vice Chairman North West, Comrade Salihu Lukman, on issues you are aware of, like the legal action and some other publications credited to him. We can reach the resolution that this suit is going to be withdrawn, and he has unconditionally offered his apology for any seeming embarrassment this his suit and

We want to reaffirm that we are a single, cohesive committee and that we intend to keep working together in order to realise all the ideals of the ideal working committee or ideal party.

We will make decisions using the party’s tools because parties are managed administratively, not on the pages of newspapers or the screens of television, and we will keep doing that as a single house.

 

Street sweepers in Cross River and shame of state

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coic
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What transpired last week in Calabar between Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade and protesting street sweepers is not only sad, but reprehensible. Our flimsy system of environmental governance, where little is given but much is expected, was exposed for what it was. The women, who numbered over 100, surrounded Ayade’s office, blocking it with trash, and claimed they were owed four months’ worth of wages for their environmental services. Their actions generated a lot of media coverage, which infuriated the government. However, it was a terrible heartbreak for those who had previously fallen in love with Destination Calabar.

It is also a reproach to us as citizens, particularly to those from the middle or upper classes. We have a certain perspective on environmental sanitation. It is considered to be a filthy task for the lower classes. Sweeping, cleaning, and garbage removal have not only come to be associated with the lowly paid “cleaners,” but also with the people at the bottom of the food chain. It is for the boys and girls of the house. So much so that even the housechildren are not allowed to dispose of trash in our homes; only helpers are allowed.

 

Our treatment of office cleaners and street sweepers is a reflection of how little respect we have for them. The sweepers receive pitiful wages for rising early and maintaining our streets. These sweepers and waste handlers are exposed to risks because, contrary to what is available in more developed climes, waste is not sorted at homes. For instance, you might discover a variety of waste materials inside one waste bin, including plastic waste, paper waste, bottles, organic waste like uneaten food (rotten and odorous), liquid waste in bottles, sachets, and cans, chemical waste, drug and medicine waste, metals, and wood waste.

What about the trash that is carelessly dumped in the gutters, culverts, and by the sides of the roads? What about stray animals, dead pets, rodents, and human waste?

To assist us in sorting out our daily waste, these so-called sweepers put their hands inside the trash cans and gutters. They frequently do not even receive personal protective equipment, such as a facemask, mittens, or boots. They are exposed to bacteria and viruses that are carried by the vectors of squalor they are sent to fight. We continue to consider them to be a public nuisance. The governor drives past in his armoured cars while his sirens are on. He observes these helpless, diligent citizens and turns away.

Since the sweepers’ wages are so pitiful that the governor could afford to pay them without feeling the pinch, I do not see any reason for them to complain if there is even a drop of human kindness in these politicians. The Calabar women claimed they received monthly salaries ranging from N5000 to N10000, with 10% of that amount taken out by the government agents who hired them. The combined sweepers’ stipend is less than what governors spend on exotic wine and private jet travel.

There is still more irony. When the governor and all of his political allies travel to other nations, they observe how the providers of environmental services are regarded and treated with respect and humanity. They encounter them on the streets and in their hotels. In fact, they may have paid for their siblings to move abroad to work as sweepers and cleaners in hotels, hospitals, schools, public buildings, and transportation. They are well paid and well respected there. They even send their dependents money that they have earned by sweeping the streets. It’s a completely different story over here. So I question: Is the job not the same, or are sweepers blessed abroad but cursed in Nigeria?

Read Also: FG disconnects discos from the national grid, due to debt

The haughtiness of Ayade and his thugs is another sad aspect of the story. The protesting sweepers were summoned by the Calabar Urban Development Authority, who only paid them for one of the four months they were owed before warning them that the remaining balance would only be paid if they showed up for work “and impressed Governor Ayade.” Think about the audacity!

Who should be disciplined between Ayade and the sweepers, please? Instead of the other way around, the governor should be fired with a warning because she is at fault. The sweepers have completed their work and are not requesting payment in advance. Why then do you say that they must win over the governor? Already, they made an impression. The governor now has the opportunity to dazzle by paying them promptly.

The demystification of Calabar is the other issue in this situation. The once-model of environmental virtue, the city, was desecrated. Newspaper accounts of the incident state that security personnel, including police officers and members of the state security service, were seen at the Cross River Government House attempting to prevent bystanders and journalists from taking photos and recording videos of the trash dumped in front of the governor’s office. According to reports, the security guards were “apprehending” bystanders and wiping the images off of their cameras.

They were unfortunate because the news had already spread widely. You can’t cover pregnancy with two arms, the villager would say. The lumps are obvious to everyone. The Calabar refuse is therefore.

What the international media has to say about the city’s decline from grace to grass may be the most telling indicator of it. According to a recent Al Jazeera report, “In the middle of the 2000s, Calabar—once a slave port under British colonial rule—emerged as a tourist destination for both domestic and international travellers drawn to its lovely green scenery, rich culture, and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The city no longer has that allure today. Where once a lush line of trees stood, pockets of trash now litter the landscape. In some areas, trash left on the ground has given rise to a powerful breed of houseflies and scavengers. The gutters in the city are clogged with trash or thick with overgrown weed.

The descent into scum-filled dishonour has been swift. In 2007, The New Humanitarian, then a division of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, published a report that stated: “Of the many towns and cities on the African continent, Calabar must be one of the cleanest.” Sadly, the situation changed in less than ten years.

The government officials were attempting to conceal this infamy from the public. They did not want their ecological transgressions to be exposed by the media. But they fell short. What do they anticipate? that a news-hungry crowd would not share and retweet this “juicy” eco-sensation in the age of social media. No one can truly conceal the squalor. Will they be able to conceal the overflowing landfill at Lemna, Calabar’s main solid waste dumpsite, if they cover the dirt at the government building? This landfill has reached capacity and is spilling over because garbage collectors are also protesting unpaid wages.

Truth be told, mistreating sweepers is an unacceptable sin in a city like Calabar. It is akin to murdering the hen who produces the golden egg. The city’s environmental splendour is its greatest asset. Ecotourism now generates a profit. A Teflon-clean ecosystem where anything is possible was promoted as being present in Calabar. Obudu Ranch came next. Then came the carnival. The cable car came after. TINAPA went after. However, if the tourist building’s foundation is ignored, the entire castle will collapse. This is the reality that we are attempting to avoid.

 

FG disconnects discos from the national grid, due to debt

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coic
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The Federal Government, through the Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Market Operator, has started a massive disconnect of debtor electricity distribution companies from the national grid. As a result, millions of electricity consumers may be left in the dark in the upcoming weeks.

The change occurred after the Market Operator served notices of grid disconnections to some of the Discos.

Read also: Oliseh criticises Chelsea’s strategy when playing Arsenal

Due to failure to pay ancillary service bills, The MO, a division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, had informed some Discos, including generating companies, of the planned disconnection.

The PUNCH observed that nationwide electricity supply had deteriorated further since MO had made his observation, with many areas complaining of either low or no supply.

In a recent statement, MO’s Executive Director, Eddy Eje, urged disobedient Discos to make the necessary payments. Abubakar Aliyu, the Minister of Power, had previously intervened.

The market defaulters were expected to abide by the Market Rules with regard to payment of their outstanding invoices, posting of sufficient bank guarantees, and forwarding of their active Power Purchase Agreements, as applicable, to the MO/TCN, based on the extension of the grace period by 60 days.

APL Electric Company Aba, Ajaokuta Steel, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electric, Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, and Niger Delta Power Holding Company plants and Paras Energy are the defaulting Gencos.

Even though Sunday Oduntan, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors’ spokesperson, declined to comment on the situation, Ibadan Discos’ notice to customers corroborated The PUNCH’s findings.

There would be a widespread disconnect from the national grid, according to a statement made by Kingsley Achife, managing director and CEO of IBEDC.

He claimed that the decision was made as a result of poor customer payments.

Customers in the IBEDC franchise areas, particularly those in areas with the highest population of defaulters, may experience power outages as a result of the action, according to Achife.

The PUNCH has learned that the states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, as well as portions of Niger, Ekiti, and Kogi, will be affected by the widespread disconnection.

Achife, “IBEDC sells and distributes the electricity produced by the generation companies as part of the electricity value chain’s revenue collection arm. However, due to slow payments and sizable unpaid customer balances, the company is unable to fulfil its financial commitments to the electricity value chain.

“We kindly request that our valued customers pay their current and past-due bills so that IBEDC can fulfil its commitments to the Market Operator and other parties involved in the electricity supply industry in order to guarantee a constant and uninterrupted supply of power.

“IBEDC prioritises offering our esteemed customers dependable and excellent service, but we also demand prompt payment for the energy used.

“Paying for electricity is a shared responsibility that is necessary to maintain the viability of our operations.

“We kindly remind our customers that failure to pay current and past-due electricity bills may result in the loss of electricity to connected homes, communities, and businesses.

We advise all of our clients to pay their bills on time to avoid any inconveniences, Achife continued.

 

Oliseh criticises Chelsea’s strategy when playing Arsenal

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Sunday Oliseh, a former coach of the Super Eagles and a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group for the 2022 World Cup, criticised Chelsea interim manager Frank Lampard’s tactics against Arsenal after the dismal Blues lost to the Gunners 3-1 in a Premier League match on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s team took control of the game after the ex-international kicked against Lampard’s tactical decision to play French midfielder N’Golo Kante out of position.

Read Also: Abia police confirm cop was beheaded and guarantee the informant’s safety

In Lampard’s 4-3-3 formation, the 32-year-old defensive midfielder was positioned on the right side of the midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic and Enzo Fernández.

The first two goals were scored by Martin Odegaard, who twice took advantage of poor Chelsea defence to finish Granit Xhaka crosses, and the third goal was added by Gabriel Jesus from close range to seal a convincing victory.

Midway through the second half, Nigerian-Dutch forwards Noni Madueke scored a goal for Chelsea, but it was only a consolation for the out-of-shape visitors, who are currently in 12th place.

The 48-year-old expressed his dissatisfaction with the Chelsea legend’s tactical error in a post on his Twitter page.

Against Chelsea, “Arsenal was on fire!”On his Twitter page, Oliseh stated.

The greatest defensive midfielder of his generation, N’golo Kante, who has virtually won everything with Chelsea and France, is continually played out of position, he said. “I am totally dumbfounded by Chelsea and most especially how on earth is it possible for him to be played out of position!” he added.

Under Lampard, the Blues have dropped six straight games and are currently 12th in the standings.

Lampard is the first English manager to lose 10 in a row while in charge of a top-flight team since Arthur Cox in February 1988 with Derby, per Opta. Lampard has now lost each of the last 10 games he’s taken charge of across all competitions.

Abia police confirm cop was beheaded and guarantee the informant’s safety

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coic
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The decapitation of an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Aba on Tuesday was confirmed by the Abia State Police Command.

Geoffrey Ogbonna, the State Public Relations Officer, characterised the behaviour as heinous and strongly condemnable.

He appealed for reliable information on the perpetrators or anyone found in possession of a gun that might have been obtained illegally.

Read Also: Presidential polls: Obi says to INEC you sold your neutrality to APC

The public is urged to assist by providing reliable information on the perpetrators or anyone found in possession of a firearm that may have been obtained illegally, according to Ogbonna.

The “protection of identity” of the informant(s) is assured, he claimed.

In retaliation for their kingpin being shot dead by the police on Sunday, April 23, 2023, hoodlums beheaded the Aba police superintendent early on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, and threatened to keep the city’s residents and police on guard at all times.

It’s my turn to be House of Reps Speaker — Doguwa

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Hon. Alhassan Ado-Dogwua, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, stated that he had paid his dues and that it was time to reward his stewardship in his bid to become Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.

On Wednesday in Abuja, Doguwa declared his intention to run for Speaker of the Tenth House of Representatives.

“I have paid my dues; it is time to reward my stewardship to both the parliament and the nation,” the lawmaker said. I am the oldest serving member from the Northwest Zone in the House, and with the support of my colleagues, I am the leader of the Northwest and the APC caucus in the House.”

He promised to be the speaker who would see through the implementation of the “Renewed Hope 2023-Action Plan for a Better Nigeria” spearheaded by President-elect Bola Tinubu.

Read Also: DBN releases N631bn to MSMEs

The lawmaker stated that he would go to any length to secure the House’s support for the Tinubu administration’s commendable programs and policies.

Speaking about his mission, he stated that he would strengthen the role of parliaments toward effective representation while also restoring public trust and participation in governance.
This, he claims, is accomplished by facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating strategies for public participation in governance and government business.
Doguwa stated that he would ensure that the House conducts its business in a transparent and accountable manner, and that every member of the House would be held responsible and accountable by the people he represents.

“If elected speaker, we will ensure cohesion and harmonious working relationships among the three branches of government,” he says.

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“I am uniquely positioned to unite and stabilize the House while opening the door for all actors to play vital and critical roles in stabilizing the polity.”

“I am determined to work in accordance with the principle of checks and balances across all sectors to ensure that the House conducts its business for the people and by the people’s representatives.”

Presidential polls: Obi says to INEC you sold your neutrality to APC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, compromised its neutrality as an election umpire by rigging the results of the presidential election on February 25 in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In his response to INEC’s preliminary objections and reply to his petition, Obi claimed that the Commission’s assertion that his petition and the reliefs it sought before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) were ambiguous, imprecise, and ungrantable was wishful thinking.

Read Also: Buhari expressed his satisfaction with NDDC’s recent reforms

Obi, on the other hand, urged the tribunal to accept jurisdiction over his petition and proceed to decide it because it had been properly filed with the necessary parties in accordance with the law.

Obi argued that the APC candidate was the first since 1999 to be declared the winner of the presidential election without receiving 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while still maintaining that Tinubu was not elected by a majority of the legal votes cast at the election.

According to Obi, who requested that the tribunal declare him the winner of the presidential election, “the actual votes obtained at the polling units as shown in the report incorporated/pleaded in the petition, show that the petitioner won the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and met the Constitutional requirements to be declared/returned as winner of the election.”

Obi argued that under the relevant laws and regulations, the proper method for resolving disputes at the collation is by turning to the result uploaded on the IReV using the BVAS. Obi poked holes in INEC’s claim that it relied on manual documents in declaring the winner of the disputed election.

The information on INEC’s IReV portal, he claimed, as of the date of filing this reply on April 21, “shows that out of the 176, 846 polling units, the result submitted were in respect of 167, 433 polling units; and that the percentage of the uploaded result on the IReV is 94.68 percent.

“That in accordance with the law and in the various press briefings, press interviews, and press releases, INEC through its senior officials represented and assured that for the 2023 general elections, the use of BVAS as a technological device for voter accreditation and online upload of election results in the polling units was not only mandatory but also an innovation introduced by INEC to increase transparency, public confidence in electoral process, and conformity.

“That the election results were rigged and improperly calculated using the candidates’ actual ratings, nor was this verified with the release of the results uploaded on the IReV.

“INEC’s attempt to rig the election’s actual results were accomplished by failing to upload the presidential election results using BVAS to the IReV as required by law.”

Read Also: EFCC to begin fresh proceedings against Fani-Kayode, others over alleged N4.6bn fraud

The international best practice for electoral umpires in national elections, according to Obi, is that an electoral body must avoid giving the impression that it has no respect for neutrality in an electoral contest between candidates. Obi accused INEC of abandoning its role of neutrality during the election.

“The appellate courts have repeatedly reminded the first respondent (INEC) of the need for it to maintain objectivity throughout the electoral process. Therefore, the first respondent’s wearing the attire of a candidate in an election it conducted as an umpire to raise preliminary objection against an election petition is not only embarrassing but also a repudiation of its duty.

 

Buhari expressed his satisfaction with NDDC’s recent reforms

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… Stakeholders applaud MNDA and NDDC for their commitment to accountability and transparency

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been repositioned for the positive and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region as a result of reforms that were initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA). These reforms have been praised as having earned the President praise.

This commendation was offered by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, when he declared open the NDDC-PPP Summit that was taking place in Lagos. He did so on behalf of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

According to the minister, the president’s directive to reform the NDDC came at the perfect time because it has repositioned the Commission to be transparent, accountable, and run on the template of global best practices in public governance.

“By publishing in national newspapers a list of 2,506 completed projects executed by the Commission during the tenure of the Buhari administration from 2015 to 2022, we kicked off an era in which accountability and transparency would play a central role. The response to this level of dedication to openness in public governance has been phenomenal.

Read Also: EFCC to begin fresh proceedings against Fani-Kayode, others over alleged N4.6bn fraud

“Today, we are witnessing an enthusiastic response by stakeholders and development partners to an invitation to dialogue on the development of the Niger Delta. This is because there is trust in public institutions that are run according to law and due process.

“A Public-Private Partnership would not be feasible in a government institution that is struggling under the weight of a trust deficit.”

“In keeping with the Action Plan to do things right, the government approved for implementation of some of the key recommendations of the Forensic Audit into the activities of the NDDC, while the White Paper on the Forensic Audit Report is currently being awaited.

“Contracts for 4,000 projects were terminated due to non-performance, as was recommended in the Report, and the terminations were announced in the local newspapers,” The procedure for recouping the money that was paid for the canceled contracts has been initiated.

Umana argued that the ministry has well-defined limits, providing a clear demarcation between supervision and interference, while at the same time insisting on the necessity of supervision.

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“I have made sure that there is no ministerial interference in the management of the NDDC,” he said, noting that the rapid positive perception of the NDDC is evident in the enthusiastic response of private sector players to the invitation to dialogue on the way forward for the development of the Niger Delta. He noted that the rapid positive perception of the NDDC is evident in the enthusiastic response of private sector players to the invitation to dialogue on the way forward for the development of the Niger Delta.

As a result, the Minister expressed his gratitude to the management of the NDDC for putting together the investment summit.

Meanwhile, stakeholders and political leaders have heaped praise on President Buhari, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, and the management of NDDC for engendering public confidence through a commitment to good public governance, which has had a positive impact on peace and stability in the Niger Delta region. This praise was directed toward President Buhari, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, and the NDDC management.

Speaking separately at the NDDC-PPP Summit, senator-elect Adams Oshiomhole, a former chairman of the APC; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Sen. Matthew Urhoghide; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board Mr. Simbi Wabote; former managing director of the NDDC Mr. Timi Alaibe; and former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Mr. Dakuku Peterside acknowledged that things have changed

Oshiomhole questioned why anyone would run a government agency for three years with a handpicked sole administrator, when there was no provision for such an aberration in the enabling law that established the agency. He went on to note that such an anomaly could never inspire public confidence in the NDDC. Oshiomhole was referring to reported cases of mismanagement in the NDDC that occurred prior to recent reforms.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Atlantic Global Resources Inc. was one of the most significant events of the summit. The railroad that will be built will cost $15 billion and will link all of the states in the Niger Delta region into a modern transport hub.

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