First batch of Nigerians stranded in Ukraine has arrived in the country.
They arrived from Romania on Friday morning.
Read also: Two Football Stars killed In Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, confirmed this in a tweet.
She said , “First Batch of Nigerians from #Ukraine arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja from Romania at 7:10 am.”
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, said yesterday that Nigeria was programmed for greater heights because of its citizens’ resilience and great potential.
He also stated that the federal government recognizes the importance of the private sector in delivering value to the Nigerian economy and is committed to maximizing collaboration opportunities in order to usher the country into a more prosperous new decade.
The vice president, speaking at the official inauguration of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Bankers House in Abuja, said Nigeria was poised for great things, not only because “it is a nation of great dreamers and great doers,” but also because of the people’s resilience and potential.
“With the continent’s largest market, a growing demography of ambitious, tech-savvy young people, and accelerating regional integration and connection to new markets, Nigeria has been given an unprecedented opportunity to usher the country into a new decade of sustained prosperity.”
“This is an opportunity that we as a government are fully committed to transforming into lived realities for millions of Nigerians across the country.”
“We have soared and risen above our problems every time Nigeria was expected to sink.” We’ve found joy in the midst of despair and the strength to persevere in the face of the most difficult challenges. “The Nigerian spirit continues to be unfazed and bankable,” he added.
“At this critical juncture, realizing the country’s potential will require the careful choreography of government policies that remove every impediment in the way of those determined to pursue their dreams and build businesses,” he said.
In this regard, Osinbajo emphasized the impact of government policies, such as the work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to improve Nigeria’s business environment and economy.
The vice president stated that the Buhari administration had “aggressively pursued the creation of an environment that allows Nigerian businesses, at every level, to operate without the bottlenecks and drawbacks that have come to characterize their interface with agencies and regulators” over the last six years through PEBEC.
With the launch of PEBEC’s 7th 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 7.0) on the Ease of Doing Business, he added that the government was “building on the progress of these reforms and aggregating lessons from some of the setbacks in their implementation.”
The NAP 7.0, which began on February 7, was scheduled to last until April 7, 2022.
“We will build on our successes in removing regulatory barriers to agro-exports, driving electronic tax filing, and working closely with states to improve their own business environments,” he added.
He also reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to implementing its economic policies in order to improve the lives of Nigerians.
“This largely informs the zeal with which we are implementing our new National Development Plan, 2021-2025,” he says, “a medium-term agenda that seeks, among other things, to generate 21 million full-time jobs and lift 35 million people out of poverty by 2025.”
“The plan commits the government, at all levels, to an investment of about N49.7 trillion, and envisages private sector investment of N298 trillion, making a total of N348 trillion,” the vice president said, emphasizing the importance of “a conscious reliance on private enterprise and initiative” in the plan’s successful implementation.
“A range of fiscal, monetary, and trade measures, including more intentionally promoting productivity and value addition, are expected to support the plan’s implementation,” he added.
In addition, despite “several years of some of the most severe macroeconomic challenges – including the 2008 financial crisis, the oil crises that followed, and an unexpected pandemic, the Nigerian banking industry, owing largely to your outstanding professionalism, has continued to show incredible resilience and growth, contributing about N34.6 trillion to the Nigerian economy,” the vice president stated.
“In 2021 African tech startups raised over $4 billion in funding, with over 564 startups across the continent solving critical problems in almost every sector,” Osinbajo said, referring to the rise of Nigerian unicorns in recent years. Nigeria accounted for 35% of the total. Nigeria now has six unicorns, or tech companies with a market capitalization of more than one billion dollars. They all started after 2015 and grew in the midst of two recessions.”
Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, two Ukrainian football stars, were killed fighting the Russian invasion.
Sapylo and Martynenko’s deaths were announced by the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) in a tweet on their Twitter handle.
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and teammates of Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25), football’s first reported casualties in this war,” FIFPRO said.
“May they both rest in peace,” says the narrator.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have been at odds since last Thursday.
Today marks the eighth day of the war, which has already claimed a large number of lives.
The invasion of Ukraine was ordered by President Putin due to a disagreement over some political issues.
Verve and KCB Bank Uganda Limited (KCB Bank) have announced a new phase of their partnership, with KCB Bank becoming one of the first commercial banks to accept the Verve Card across its extensive and strategically distributed POS merchant network.
“The Verve Payment Scheme entered the Ugandan market to provide flexible, customized, and cost-effective tokens to financial institutions,” Damalie Sajjabi, Head of Products and Operations at Interswitch East Africa, Uganda Limited, said in a statement about the new development in the partnership. Acceptance of Verve Cards at KCB POS locations is the next step in our mission to make payment services more accessible to all Verve Card holders and other financial institutions that join the Verve family.”
Mr. Michael Ssekyondwa, KCB Bank Uganda’s Head of Retail Banking, also spoke at the launch of the partnership, stating that the partnership is in line with KCB’s agenda of driving digitally led products and services to make customers’ lives easier. This agreement exemplifies KCB Bank’s commitment to providing innovative banking solutions throughout Uganda.
Farah Dagogo, the Member of Parliament for Rivers State’s Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency, has stated that he has no regrets voting for the autonomy of Local Government Councils, the Judiciary, and State Houses of Assembly.
According to the lawmaker, autonomy is a way to bring governance closer to the people, and any lawmaker with a good conscience should have no reason to vote against it.
Citizens have been yearning for good governance, he said, and financial autonomy provided an opportunity to deepen governance at the State and Local Government Council, bringing governance to the grassroots.
“Nigerians’ desire for ‘participatory and reflective government,’ financial autonomy for the judiciary, state legislatures, and the third tier of government will usher in a new era for all arms and organs of government to be truly’responsive and responsible to the people,” the lawmaker said.
The lawmaker also expressed disappointment that bills supporting women’s participation in politics were defeated, advising women to get involved in politics by adopting the radical feminism theory.
He stated that he voted in favor of bills dealing with women, which, unfortunately, did not see the light of day on the House of Representatives floor.
“At the end of the marathon meeting, the majority of us were of the conviction that voting in favor of approval for financial autonomy for Local Governments is akin to grassroots governance,” said Hon. Farah.
“And that is the position for which I voted.” We won’t be in government forever, but we can leave far-reaching legacies by doing the right thing.
“We are convinced that these financial autonomy provisions for the judiciary, state legislatures, and the third tier of government will usher in and engender a new era in which all arms and organs of government are truly responsive and accountable to the people.” I also voted on that line after listening to my constituents.”
“I have satisfied my conscience and that of major stakeholders in Rivers State, including my constituents,” he said of the female genders bill. Women, in my opinion, should be given more leadership roles.
“I voted in support of women’s gender rights, but it didn’t go over well. Similarly, I disagree with the push to set aside a specific percentage for our women. It’s degrading to me; women have the numbers; they can do better than allowing others to diminish their worth and competence.”
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has criticized the National Assembly’s rejection of gender bills in the recently concluded constitutional amendments.
This was stated by a spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday, a day after the bills were rejected by federal lawmakers. A majority of lawmakers voted against one of the bills, titled “Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters.”
However, the NEF image-maker opposes the move, claiming that some of the bills would have improved the country.
During an appearance on Politics Today, Baba-Ahmed said, “There were some key clauses that would have added substantially in terms of improving the quality of the constitution and the leadership selection.”
“Tragically, one of them was the rejection of reserving 35 percent of elective positions for women. This is in no way appropriate for a country like Nigeria. It is tragic that women are underrepresented in key positions and decision-making.
“It’s truly tragic.” Women have essentially been reduced to the role of voters. Except for the people we elect, the political system has reduced everyone else to spectators who are only relevant for election purposes. The people we elect then take power and do whatever they want with it.
“The rejection hit me particularly hard. Every amendment based on gender was voted down. It was as if we had a legislature that was on the verge of declaring war on women.”
Women’s groups protested at the National Assembly following the lawmakers’ decision, accusing them of discriminating against women. They sang songs of solidarity and urged them to reconsider the requests for 111 seats for women, citizenship, 35 percent representation in party leadership, and more appointive positions in government, and to vote in favor of these amendments.
Onofiok Luke, the former speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, has decried the state’s widening gap between the rich and the poor.
He identified existing gaps as a source of mistrust and discord between the state’s political elites and its poor masses.
In a statement signed by Uduak Ikafia, Luke, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, revealed this.
He did admit, however, that the threat cannot be addressed automatically, emphasizing the importance of effective and people-oriented leaders in building on the foundation laid by the state’s founding fathers and previous leaders.
“The widening gap between the privileged few and the underprivileged majority is disheartening,” he says, “despite their faith, trust, and commitment to building the state of their dreams.”
Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State, has said that by rejecting the gender bills, the National Assembly has squandered a golden opportunity to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.
All women-related bills were rejected by the National Assembly on Tuesday, including one that sought to appoint at least ten women as ministers and commissioners in the federal and state governments.
The rejection of the bills, according to Obaseki’s reaction on Thursday, is “heartbreaking and regrettable.”
“It is heartbreaking that members of the National Assembly squandered a golden opportunity to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape by enshrining landmark legislation that promotes inclusion and gives women the legal protection they need to achieve equitable representation at the highest levels of lawmaking and political participation.”
“This is because the legislature is a critical platform for fair representation and inclusion in government,” the governor explained.
He went on to say that it is painful and unconscionable that these bills, which give a boost to accommodating women who account for more than half of the voting population, have met such a dreadful fate.
“In Edo State, we have a healthy mix of women in our cabinet, with more than 30% of commissioners and Special Advisers in government being women,” he said.
“The Edo people hope that their own representatives in the National Assembly did not vote to disenfranchise their female population, because doing so would imply that they do not care about the people who sent them to the Assembly.”
“Our administration has continued to give women the opportunity to hold leadership positions in government.”
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Act, 2011, was repealed by the House of Representatives on Thursday, and its assets and liabilities were transferred to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Wole Oke, is sponsoring a bill titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority Act and Transfer the Assets and Liabilities to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated; and for Related Matters.”
All funds currently in the custody of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (hereinafter referred to as the Authority) shall be transferred to the Federation Account, and all investments made by the Authority shall be managed by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated established pursuant to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated Act, according to Oke, who led the debate on the general principles.
The lawmaker, citing Section 162(1) of the Constitution, which states that all federation revenues should be paid into the Federation Account, said the passage of the NSIA Act was the first breach of this provision of the constitution, and that this contention had been open for a long time.
He also claimed that the NSIA has a history of failing to submit its spending to the National Assembly’s appropriation powers.
The various House Committees on Finance, he claims, have engaged with NSIA management on the need to follow this constitutional procedure a number of times, but they have arrogantly and flagrantly declined.
According to him, this means that the NSIA has gone ahead and spent the nation’s commonwealth without the consent of the Nigerian people, necessitating the need to put a stop to the waste and destruction of Nigerians’ futures.
He urged his colleagues to support the Bill on its second reading so that they can conduct a thorough investigation and invite members of the public to testify on whether NSIA violates section 162 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution are very clear as to the procedure for withdrawing funds from the Consolidated Revenue Funds and the condition precedent that an appropriation must be made before any fund is released,” Oke said.
“Despite the provisions of Part III of the NSIA Act, particularly Sections 29 to 34 of the NSIA, which make statutory prescriptions as to the ownership and revenue sharing principles to be followed in the distribution of proceeds from the Fund, the NSIA’s management has been arbitrary in their disbursement and distribution of funds, and frequently does not even allocate and disburse funds to the state, local governments, and the area council.”
“In 2011, one of our decisions was to establish the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, which will manage and save resources for Nigerians, among other things.” The Central Bank of Nigeria already performs some of these functions. Apart from that, the point I’m making today, which I’d like the parliament to consider, is whether our decision to establish this body is in accordance with Section 162 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution. Repeal or amendment of an existing Act is one of the ways the parliament can correct itself. And it’s for that reason that I’m here today. I’d like us to read section 162 of the Constitution in light of the Act that established this body.”
While a few lawmakers supported the Bill following his debate, others opposed it, calling for sanctions and increased oversight rather than repealing the Act.
Hon. Henry Nwawuba stated in his contribution that the Sovereign Wealth Fund has advantages that should be considered before making a decision.
“I want to state for the record that having a Sovereign Wealth Fund has a benefit,” he said. Nigeria must have decided to save for a rainy day because of this. It should be taken into account as we discuss this. We should consider the benefits and drawbacks.”
In addition, Hon. Ayokunle Isiaka believes that rather than repealing or merging the Sovereign Wealth Fund, which was established by the legislature to serve some unusual purposes, lawmakers should investigate whether it is performing as expected.
Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, for one, scoffed at the claim made by Oke’s bill that it violates section 162 of the constitution.
“The sponsor alluded to section 162 of the constitution,” she said. However, if you look at 162(3,4), you’ll notice that this fund was established by this parliament. That is not to say that we cannot repeal it; rather, it does not offend it. It’s critical that we consider the intent behind enacting that law and comprehend why it was enacted in the first place before making a decision.”
In agreement, Hon. Chris Azubogu urged the sponsor to withdraw the Bill, warning that it is in the national interest not to project and portray Nigerians in an unfavorable light internationally.
“I appeal to the sponsor, Hon. Oke, that it is in the national interest that we do not project and portray Nigerians in an unacceptably negative light,” he said. As an institution, the Sovereign Wealth Fund has been involved in sourcing funds all over the world, and many people have placed their trust in Nigeria as a result.
“Let us take this bill down a notch, conduct more consultations, and engage.” The agency fails to submit accurate reports to the National Assembly. We will give them the opportunity to come and explain what they are doing in the future. If there are provisions in the Act that need to be amended to make them more accountable to the National Assembly, we will do so rather than repealing it.”
The majority of lawmakers voted against the Bill when it was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, who presided over the session.
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has started putting the wheels in motion for its national convention on March 26. The formation of an eight-member committee on the zoning of party offices, led by Kwara State Governor Abdulrahaman AbdulRazaq, was the most recent move. Senator John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), announced this in a statement yesterday.
In a telephone conversation, however, Akpanudoedehe hinted that the ruling party’s leadership had yet to meet over President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent signing of the Electoral Act into law.
However, as the convention team prepared to begin, principal officers of the Senate and some ruling party senators, led by Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, and his deputy, Omo-Agege, announced that they had endorsed Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) for the position of National Chairman.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the former governor of Borno State and a frontrunner for the party’s chairmanship, said he was unaware of Buhari’s alleged endorsement of Adamu as the party’s next national chairman.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, Hon. Benjamin Issa Ezekiel, an APC chieftain and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, said Malam Saliu Mustapha, one of the chairmanship aspirants from the North-central geopolitical zone, remained the state’s “unity candidate” for the office of APC chairman.
“His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Governor of Yobe State, has approved the appointment of the Party’s Zoning Committee for the forthcoming National Convention,” Akpanudoedehe said in a statement.
Other members of the committee include Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Senate, who will serve as deputy chairman of the zoning committee. Professor Etim Nyong, Dr. MB Shehu, Mustapha Salihu, Senator Teslim Folarin, and Mr. Sadeeq Sule-Iko Sami were named to the committee, with Mr. Nkem Okeke, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, as Secretary.
The committee is expected to submit its report on March 7, according to Akpanudoedehe.
However, during a meeting held at the Senate wing of the National Assembly complex on Wednesday evening, with the ranking senator in attendance, some senators endorsed Adamu.
The APC senators, who number around ten, are said to have resolved to support Adamu in his bid to become the party’s national chairman at the party’s upcoming national convention on March 26 in Abuja. According to sources, the senators also agreed to engage other stakeholders, including some of the chairmanship contenders, on the importance of putting their ambitions aside and supporting the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture to become the ruling party’s chairman.
Sani Musa (Niger East), one of the aspirants who is also a serving senator, attended the Wednesday meeting. However, he was unable to confirm whether he had agreed to give up his ambition and support Adamu.
The senators took a group photo at the end of the meeting, with Adamu on the right flanking the Senate President.
Senators Ovie Omo-Agege, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, and Senator Jubril Barau were all present at the meeting.
Senators Bello Mandiya and Opeyemi Bamidele were also present.
Although it was widely assumed that Buhari had expressed his preference for Adamu as the consensus candidate for national chairman, it was reported that APC stakeholders from the South-east pushed for the position of National Secretary, while the party’s position in the South-west, where the position was originally zoned, remained divided.
During a meeting with the president, APC governors agreed that all previous positions held by members from the North-west would now go to those from the South-east; all positions held by those from the North-east would go to those from the South-west; and all positions previously held by members from the North-central would go to those from the South-south. This meant that the national secretary and chairmanships had been filled.
However, with the party’s formation of a zoning committee, stakeholders will be on the lookout for possible changes to the zoning formula, despite the fact that a governor, who requested anonymity, recently stated that the zoning formula in use was not inviolable.
However, in a telephone conversation, Akpanudoedehe stated that the party’s current focus was on holding the convention.
“We have a party leader, which is the president,” he said. Stakeholders, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, and former governors are all present. They are crucial and have legal authority. A number of issues must be considered.
“On the Electoral Act, we have yet to meet.” Remember that it was signed over the weekend, and that it is now a new week. We are, however, entirely focused on the convention.”
When asked if the party’s zonal congresses, convention, and primaries would be held between April 4 and June 3, the secretary said he didn’t want to jeopardize the party’s leadership.
“Let me not pre-empt the party’s leadership,” he added. I’m not going to speak for myself. I’m only in this position out of a sense of obligation to everyone. I am speaking on behalf of the caretaker committee’s decision. The convention is proceeding as planned.”
However, according to another party source, Akpanudoedehe wanted to stay on as party secretary to make it easier for him to get the Akwa Ibom State governorship ticket.
“He (Akpanudoedehe) wanted to stay secretary and run for governor,” the source said. The governors, on the other hand, sent the secretary to the south-west, and it was micro-zoned to Oyo State. Buni aspires to be Vice President of the United States. Ken (Namani) aspires to be governor.”
Sheriff: I’m not aware of President Muhammadu Buhari’s support for Adamu.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State and a frontline candidate for the All Progressive Congress (APC) national chairmanship, said he was unaware of President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged endorsement of Senator Abdulahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, as the party’s next national chairman ahead of the party’s convention on March 26.
Sheriff stated this at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, claiming that the party’s leadership had not informed the aspirants that one of them had been endorsed.
However, the former lawmaker stated that if the president, as the party’s leader, anointed someone, he would withdraw from the race and support the decision.
Sheriff said it was necessary to speak to the press because some party members were concerned about the president’s and party leadership’s alleged decision and position on the national chairmanship.
“Of late, I’ve been bombarded by insinuations and rumors that President Muhammadu Buhari has zoned and endorsed a candidate for this critical position in our party’s leadership,” he said.
“First and foremost, I am not aware of any official statement or position by Mr. President regarding the endorsement of any particular candidate or the zoning of our great party’s chairmanship position.
“Mr. President, and the party as a whole, have yet to make a formal statement on these issues.” Because of my character, capacity, and competence, I am running for the national chairmanship of our party, the APC. My intentions are clear and explicit in that they are for the public good rather than personal gain.”
As a loyal party member, the former governor stated that he would follow the president’s decisions at any time he stated an official position. Sheriff stated unequivocally that he believes the president is capable of making the best decision for the party’s growth.
“Our guiding principle will be the party’s constitution and manifesto, and I will be committed to it,” Sheriff said, stressing that he was committed to working with anyone to reposition the party for a resounding victory in the 2023 general election and beyond. I support Mr. President’s decision.”
Mustapha State Unity Candidate Declared by Ex-Kwara Speaker
Hon. Benjamin Issa Ezekiel, APC chieftain and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Dutse, said Malam Saliu Mustapha, the party’s chairmanship aspirant from Kwara State, was the state’s “unity candidate” for the position.
Mustapha, 49, is said to be the youngest of the aspirants vying for the position of APC national chairman, with experience as the defunct Congress for Progressives Change’s National Deputy Chairman.
He has been a long-time ally of Buhari, dating back to the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the CPC.
Ezekiel, a former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, spoke in Ilorin on the sidelines of a Personality Public Lecture organized in Mustapha’s honor by the University of Ilorin chapter of the Postgraduate Students Association of Nigeria. He emphasized that if elected, Mustapha would unite the party by leveraging his goodwill among the various factions.
“Mustapha enjoys the blessings of all tendencies in the APC in Kwara State,” Ezekiel said. Mustapha has a long history of good relations with virtually all of the party’s major stakeholders, beginning with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.”
Senators representing the state, as well as two state ministers, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Senator Gbemisola Saraki, among others, backed Mustapha’s bid, according to the former speaker.
“The only reason Mallam Saliu Mustapha is the only candidate from Kwara State is because of his goodwill at home,” he claims. He is not only well-liked by the community and traditional leaders of the state, as evidenced by his elevation to the position of Turaki of Ilorin, but he is also well-liked by the political class, particularly among the progressive family.
“This is in contrast to other states in the North Central, where multiple candidates from the same state are running.” Examples abound, such as Niger and Nasarawa. So, of all the North-central candidates, he is the only one who has the most powerful state backing that cuts across all interest groups. This is why we’re pleading with the president to rally behind Mustapha, who, by the way, has been a long-time ally of his.”