Television Nigerian

near the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, near the Umuneke hamlet of Mbieri, a bomb went off at midnight.

Although no casualties were reported, it was discovered that the Saturday night explosion at a recently finished family home reduced the property to ruins.

Iyke Njoku, a source, stated, “The sound and the bang were both enormous.” After waiting for a bit and failing to hear shouts or see any movement, we decided to check and discovered the house in ruins.

We went to see how safe we were after our neighbors from nearby villages contacted to ask us what was making the noise.

The couple had recently finished the cottage, which they intended to move into by February.

“They can’t move in as planned again, which is really painful because all of their efforts have been in vain.”

Mr. Emma Emeka, a resident, informed our correspondent on Sunday that they were startled awake by a huge noise throughout the night.

“We were in our house when we heard a huge sound, like an explosion,” Emeka stated. A brand-new bungalow was demolished as we hurried out. Because no one could see what caused it or who was responsible, everything happened very fast.

Read Also: Obasanjo reveals how Abacha rejected carter, others’ efforts to secure his release

We are looking at our kinsman’s new building, which has been turned to rubble, after all we heard was the thunderous explosion.

The couple was hoping to move in this year after putting a lot of effort into finishing the building, but they are unable to do so.

The amusing thing is that after hearing the explosion, residents in nearby villages started to wonder where it originated. Because we were afraid of being attacked, we all slept with one eye open.

DSP Henry Okoye, the state police spokesperson, was not reachable, thus attempts to elicit his response were unsuccessful.

In a heartfelt remembrance of former US President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday recalled how the late US leader met with former military dictator Gen. Sani Abacha and other esteemed international leaders in an attempt to secure his release from detention.

Despite the interventions, according to Obasanjo, Abacha remained unyielding and broke several of his agreements with them.

Last year, on December 29, Carter, the first American president to live to 100 years of age, passed away.

Obasanjo was prosecuted and found guilty by Abacha, who passed away on June 8, 1998, on what turned out to be false accusations of coup planning. However, Obasanjo’s original death sentence was reduced to life in prison.

Many foreign leaders were stepping in to support Obasanjo because of his widespread popularity and reputation.

Obasanjo said he could never forget Carter, highlighting the efforts to gain his freedom. Apart from being one of his international friends who risked everything to rescue his life and secure his release from prison, he claimed that Carter’s actions during his time as US president and after his departure were unprecedented for the benefit of humanity in general and Africa in particular.

Obasanjo read the eulogy, “Jimmy Carter: The Departure of a Titan,” during a memorial service for the late American president at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library’s Chapel of Christ the Glorious King in Abeokuta.

Carter was characterized by Obasanjo as a modest and selfless individual.

However, the former president of Nigeria said, “Why should I choose to have a service honoring an American president who lived and passed away nearly 5,000 kilometers away?

The reason for this is because he was a great international leader and a man of integrity whose morality was admired by everyone. He was my wonderful and real friend, a man of God, and a lover of people.

“President Jimmy Carter and I were comparable in our early life experiences. He came from an agricultural family in Plains, Georgia, and I came from a farming family in the Ogun State remote community of Ibogun-Olaogun.

The principles of discipline, morality, hard work, integrity, kindness and humility, and compassion for the impoverished were ingrained in him by his strict parents.

“I fell prey to a militarist named Sani Abacha in the evenings of our lives, who wished to rule Nigeria indefinitely, until the end of his days.”

Obasanjo emphasized the part played by the former US president in the effort to free him from prison.

“President Carter was one of my international friends who went above and beyond to save my life and to get me out of prison,” he stated.

President Carter persuaded Abacha to release me from custody and place me under house arrest on my property during his trip to Nigeria. That, however, was short-lived.

“A lot of other friends and politicians stepped in, but from what I understand, President Carter was the first non-African leader to visit Abacha and specifically ask for my release.

To everyone who helped me get out of Abacha’s gulag, I will always be thankful. I would not be released, Abacha promised.

But a week after his passing, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, his successor, freed me and allowed me to travel throughout Africa and the rest of the world to express my gratitude to everyone who had contributed to my release.

I spoke with President Jimmy Carter in the US, and he informed me of all the attempts he made to secure my release with other leaders and Abacha’s unwavering support.

Carter’s statement to me, “Please, see Ted Turner and thank him for his generosity,” was the most unexpected thing he said. He approached me and requested my help in getting his friend Obasanjo out of jail. He and his family will be looked for by me here or wherever he decides to live.

I felt moved to tears and touched. My first instinct was to go to Ted, who told me that President Carter was right. I continued to return to President Carter whenever I had free time to thank him for his generosity. Although I will miss a wonderful and genuine friend, I am confident that we will cross paths again in paradise.

President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention Rev. Israel Akanji, who highlighted some of the tributes sent to Carter by international leaders, said in his sermon at the memorial service that the late president did not let his lowly origins define him until his death.

According to Akanji, who cited the Good Samaritan parable in Luke 10, Carter was a kindhearted individual who adhered to the maxim “What is mine is yours if you need it.”

Instead of folding their arms and feeling indifferent to the well-being of others, he urged leaders to show compassion.

The Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has asked President Bola Tinubu to honor his New Year’s promise to reduce the present high rate of inflation from 34.6 percent to 15 percent.
Additionally, he urged the president to fulfill his pledge to step up efforts to increase food production and prevent citizen famine in the coming year.

Kaigama praised President Bola Tinubu’s New Year message of optimism for Nigerians while giving his homily at a Special Memorial Church Service in honor of the victims of the December 21, 2024, palliatives distribution stampede.
He said it was really touching that the president prayed and wished for a better life for the people.
But what’s left, according to Kaigama, is for the president’s pledges to be fulfilled through tangible action and for fruitful outcomes.

“President Tinubu gave a really touching broadcast to kick off the new year. Because it was so upbeat, it was the one broadcast I have liked since he became president.He claims that he wished a prosperous and joyous new year to all Nigerians. Mr. President himself is saying that. He also prayed for happiness, prosperity, and good health in the next year.

“He stated that his government is dedicated to stepping up efforts to increase food production in 2025, despite the fact that 2024 presented many difficulties for our citizens and households.”Inflation will be lowered from its present high of 34.6 percent to 15 percent, he added. That’s what our president says. Is that not a good thing? It’s good.

Let’s hope and pray that this becomes a tangible reality. “It’s not just about a speech; it’s about how it’s actually put into practice,” Kaigama stated.
The archbishop expressed his hope that the president would follow through on his promises made in the New Year’s program.

“I pray that. Kaigama added, “And please join me in praying that this will happen and that it must happen.”
Kaigama claimed that the deadly tragedy that happened last December at the Holy Trinity Church in Maitama-Abuja while food was being distributed to the least fortunate had nothing to do with the church’s negligence.

An extraordinary 5,000 or so needy and vulnerable people showed up for the occasion, he claimed.
According to Kaigama, there were fatalities and injuries as a result of the struggle as people rushed to enter through the church gate due to the pressure and fear caused by the massive crowd outside the building.

“Certainly, due to the heightened economic hardship affecting many families in the country,” Kaigama said, emphasizing that the Church should not be held accountable. They never arrived because we were careless. They arrived because they were hungry.

“The Catholic Church is not to blame for their hunger,” he continued. Please search elsewhere if you are trying to find the culprit. Not the Catholic Church, of course.I’ll say it again: nobody should be let to die needlessly while merely trying to find food. Isn’t it disheartening that we will say in the future and in history that individuals perished here only because they were unable to find food?

Isn’t it a disgrace to the country? The international community is also curious about what is happening to Nigeria given our enormous and abundant natural and human resources, he added.
The church would take appropriate preventative action to make sure that such a shameful situation doesn’t occur again in the future, the archbishop promised.
By calling them the church’s heroes, he also attempted to boost the spirits of the priests and St. Vincent De Paul members who were in charge of distributing the palliatives.

Read Also: $225M debt dispute: GHL refutes FBN’s allegations, declares no outstanding debt

In order to support the underprivileged and disadvantaged in society, Kaigama also asked the government to work more closely with the church and other faith-based organizations in the future.
In particular, he cautioned Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to figure out how to work with the Catholic Church to help the underprivileged and preserve the lives of those in need.

According to Kaigama, he is excited to meet with Wike to discuss ideas about how the FCT and the church might work together to improve the lives of those who live in the capital city.
Speaking through one of his aides, the FCT Minister reaffirmed his support for the Catholic Church.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the FCT Police Commissioner stated that the Police Force has learned from the December incident and will make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Similarly, AIG Ben Igwe, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 7 in Abuja, stated that the security personnel and the church have both learned enough from the December tragedy to be ready to prevent a recurrence.
When food and other necessities were distributed at the Catholic Church in Maitama-Abuja in December, ten persons lost their lives and eleven were hurt.
A significant number of people, including churchgoers, government officials, and international diplomats, attended the memorial church service.

The management of General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) has denied any claims of suspected debt to First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, stating that it owes the bank nothing, much less $225 million.
GHL clarified the situation by stating that there was an ongoing moratorium pending the commercial oil production, citing many agreements between it and FBN.

Furthermore, it claimed that a Federal High Court ruling had ruled in its favor and that FBN’s assertion of indebtedness, particularly in the media sector, was “misleading and malicious.”

GHL’s Director of Strategy and Operations, Abdelmuizz Bello, cited media reports from January 10/11, including social media, that stated that a “Federal High Court in Lagos was reported to have frozen the accounts of GHL in all financial institutions in Nigeria and restrained the banks from releasing funds to the company owned by Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman of ARISE Media Group” over alleged outstanding indebtedness amounting to $225,802,379.79m to First Bank.

Read Also: President Tinubu’s Visit to Enugu: Key Engagement

To further correct the record, Bello noted that on May 29, 2021, the oil company and First Bank signed a formal and enforceable Subrogation Agreement.
The deal stated that FBN would finance GHL’s exploration, production, and development of OML 120 in return for a 50:50 profit-sharing arrangement from the OML’s oil profits over an 8-year period, after statutory payments and taxes.

Bello clarified that the FBN 50% stake would subsequently be utilized to settle its solvency problems by paying down its about $718 million in non-performing debts, which were discounted to $600 million.
“With assistance from GHL, the FBN debt was sold for $600 million as an Eligible Banking Asset (EBA) in an effort to remain solvent. After obtaining the funds from Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), the FBN reconstructed the bank without taking into account GHL’s requirements.

“FBN’s careless and unsecured lending to Atlantic Energy under different Strategic Alliance agreements—of which GHL had nothing to do with or relate to—was the cause of the FBN non-performing loan.”Beyond the fact that FBN will use 50% of the revenues from OML 120 owed to it under the Subrogation Agreement to close the hole the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) generated in its books, the agreements made it apparent that the Non-Performing Loan had nothing to do with GHL.
In contrast to GHL’s OML 120, Atlantic Energy operated OMLs 26, 30, 34, and 42, he clarified.

In lieu of declaring a loan loss of N302 billion at the then exchange rate, FBN was able to declare a profit of N151 billion ($377.5 million) for the year ending December 31, 2021, thanks to the agreements signed with the oil company, according to the Director of Strategy and Operations at GHL.

According to Bello, GHL entered into the deal with the conviction that the FBN was a trustworthy bank that would fulfill its commitment to fund OML 120 and would do so going forward.
The oil company questioned whether those gains could still be legitimate “given its non-compliance with conditions precedent for its return to profitability,” as it was certain that FBN’s failure and refusal to take the necessary action may have opened a challenge to its audited financial statement. And were investors adequately informed about its existing rights issues?

Bello also remembered that FBN had a market capitalization of N256.6 billion prior to the deal, and that if the bank had reported a loss of N302 billion, its capital would have been negative by N46 billion.The profitability of GHL’s subrogation arrangement was then immediately realized by FBN. GHL signed the deal with the conviction that the FBN, being a trustworthy bank, would fulfill its responsibilities to fund OML 120 and would do so going forward.

However, it has obviously failed to do so. As of November 30, 2024, FBN’s market capitalization, which was N256.6 billion, more than tripled to over N900 billion as a result of the agreements with GHL,” he stated.
The director, meanwhile, claimed that GHL’s grievance with FBN was that it had not fulfilled the financial obligations it had undertaken and believed would be completed, which created serious obstacles for the creation of OML 120.

He claims that even though FBN has already paid out $185 million, the process of doing so, which was supposed to happen five days following the financing request, occasionally took up to seventy days.
According to GHL, this resulted in a situation where service providers, including Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, and Century, who were meant to get payment for separate interventions simultaneously, received payments intermittently at different times.

It clarified that the issue led to significant downtime and day rate losses, resulting in inefficiencies and losses over $147 million, including an arbitration award given to one of the service providers.

Regarding the purported money diversion, Bello disclosed that, in contrast to FBN’s assertions, its credit and risk team had confirmed and authorized all invoices and contracts owed to the contractors hired to develop and run the oil mining lease and had paid these contractors and service providers directly.

Given that FBN paid service providers directly following screening and clearance by its credit and risk teams, the claims of a diversion of the funds supplied to GHL are obviously absurd and unfounded.

When FBN began to participate in the process of reviewing, approving, and paying all invoices, it ultimately turned into a lender, risk manager, and operator all at once. Simultaneously, FBN authorized and subsequently hired a CFO for GHL, who assumed complete accountability for all financial outlays.The fact that the oil block is located more than 75 kilometers offshore from Nigeria and has a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) that needs logistics and transportation assistance, with over 250 employees on the FPSO and the related submersible rig, should also be mentioned.

Over the course of the last 40 months, platform supply vessels, security vessels, mooring vessels, and more than 500 helicopter sorties have been delivered, necessitating extensive logistics planning. FBN’s credit and risk teams reviewed, authorized, and personally funded all of these expenses, including food.

“The allegation of diversion contained in some publications is therefore wicked, malicious, false, injurious, and libellous, given the approval process for the funds put in place by FBN and the payment made directly to contractors and service providers,” he stated.
Additionally, GHL argued that the $185 million loan that had been released was not repaid because it was still inside the Facility and Tripartite Agreements’ moratorium period.

Bello claims that the debt is only payable when commercial oil production income are split 50/50. It is obvious that much more funding is required, but FBN has declined to supply it.Through the use of its directors and other proxies in this obviously contrived crisis, FBN is attempting to intimidate and coerce GHL out of the deal and seize control of the oil bloc, rather than fulfilling its function as a lender that was saved from the brink.

Furthermore, Bello noted that First Bank knew the loan was not due for repayment and did not pursue return of the facility until after they had just lost in court.
It is obvious that FBN lacks the liquidity to finance the project as agreed upon after making upfront gains.

“Should FBN continue to be uncooperative, GHL is looking to utilize its options under the agreement to locate new lenders and partners who can be effective and economical in order to save the project for Nigeria.”A provision in the Subrogation Agreement permits GHL to look for alternative funding in the event that FBN is unable to supply it.

“GHL had no choice but to approach the Court to seek injunctive reliefs and protective orders to secure its commercial and economic interests and find resolution via arbitration after FBN failed to perform under the terms of the Subrogation Agreement,” the firm asserted.

“An Order restraining FBN from obstructing or preventing GHL from obtaining or securing loan facilities or funding necessary for the exploration or operation of OML 120,” he added, referring to the injunctions that GHL had obtained against First Bank on December 12, 2024, following arguments by both parties.

“An order prohibiting FBN from contacting or enforcing any security, receivables, instrument, finance documents, or assets of GHL that have been charged as security, or from taking any action whatsoever to do so.” “An order prohibiting FBN from designating an operator, asset manager, or any individual or organization of the same/similar kind with regard to OML 120, until the arbitration proceedings between GHL and FBN are heard and decided.”

The director expressed regret that FBN, using the same attorneys who lost in the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Allagoa, went to another judge of coordinate jurisdiction during recess without revealing the previous ruling in order to obtain an interim Mareva injunction prohibiting GHL and its shareholders from operating their accounts over a fictitious and unfounded debt of $225.8 million, even though there was an existing court order in place.

He clarified, calling the incident a blatant abuse of the legal system, adding, “FBN had since weaponized the Mareva injunction, which it obtained on December 30, 2024, to confuse the public and befuddle the issues.”
GHL expressed optimism that justice will be served eventually, even though it noted that “this impunity is now back before the Federal High Court, Lagos.”

President Bola Tinubu’s first trip to the Southeast in 2025, which lasted only one day, was not your typical trip. From the exuberant response to the ensuing nice remarks, it was full with meaning. No one was unaware of the significance of this visit or its many noteworthy features. Although the visit has been well received and praised by many, it also raises some concerns.

Is President Tinubu’s visit to Enugu, the former Southeast capital, on January 4, 2025, marking a new phase in his connection with the Southeast geopolitical zone? During his tour, he made significant announcements and officially opened the historic projects of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

Does the President’s trip across the Niger shift the course of events and serve as a subliminal clue as to what the South East’s citizens would expect from him going forward?

Similar to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Southeast has not been thrilled about President Tinubu. Naturally, the zone’s political distance from the two leaders is evident from the outcomes of the elections in 2015, 2019, and 2023.

Following events leading up to the 2023 presidential election and the outcomes that followed, the Southeast was especially unimpressed with Tinubu’s presidential ambition. The Southeast threw all of its political eggs into the basket of homeboy Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, who had defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to become the Labour Party’s presidential candidate.

The Southeast had been somewhat captivated by the raucous behavior of the Obidients, as Peter Obi’s fans had called themselves. In the 2023 election, any Igbo who sung a different tune was viewed as an outsider.

The kind of harmony that ought to have prevailed was not permitted by Peter Obi himself. In order to gain political advantages, he openly proclaimed his Christian beliefs and ran on the basis of his Igbo ethnicity. The Igbo cast their votes for him in large numbers throughout the election, indicating a close relationship between Nigerian elections, religion, and geography.

Obi and his LP received 1,952, 998 votes from the five Southeast states, accounting for an astounding 89.62% of the region’s total votes, according to a geopolitical analysis of the results of the 2023 presidential election. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, received 90, 698 votes, or a pitiful 4.16% of the vote, while President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress received 127,370 votes, or a pitiful 5.85% of the vote from the region.

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Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign was mostly a Southeast affair, notwithstanding his remarkable achievements outside the region, like as his victories in Lagos, Nasarawa, Edo, Delta, Plateau, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

He and his ethnic supporters stayed in their cocoons, or the false reality they created, following the election. They denied victory but pretended that Obi had won the election. The Obidients didn’t appear to want to hear the term Asiwaju Tinubu, much less President Tinubu. Even after Obi’s legal challenge to President Tinubu’s win was unsuccessful, this pattern persisted. Every action taken by the president was criticized and denounced.

President Tinubu made concessions to the region when he took office. For example, he appointed Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, an Enugu native, as Chief of Naval Staff. He also appointed important ministers, including Senator David Umahi from Ebonyi State as Minister of Works, Hon. Uche Nnaji as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, and Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, the first Minister of Trade and Investment who is now Minister of State for Finance.

Interestingly, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late Ikemba Nnewi’s wife, were among those appointed by the president when he reorganized his cabinet in October of last year. She was given the position of Foreign Affairs Minister of State. In an important step to encourage and quicken the development of the area, President Tinubu also created the Southeast Development Commission.

Those two appointments were enough to pardon President Tinubu’s alleged transgressions against the Igbo, according to a prominent journalist who is friends with him from the Southeast and a fervent Obidient who had never concealed his distaste for Tinubus.

In light of this, President Tinubu agreed to Governor Mbah’s request to launch a few of his initiatives in the upcoming year.

President Tinubu delivered important remarks that made the Igbo people happy during the opening of Governor Mbah’s projects and during a meeting with Southeast leaders.

The President emphasized during the Command and Control Center’s inauguration how crucial it is for the federal government and the subnationals to work together in order to propel growth.

Promotion
“This Command and Control Center is a powerful example of what we can do when we work together. It gives me comfort to know that more money coming to local and subnational governments is being used for development rather than waste.

“We have dedicated leaders like Peter Mbah who are guiding Enugu toward the growth of the twenty-first century, elevating the city to new heights, and creating our tomorrow now.

“The sight of the kids I just met at the Smart Green School will never leave me. I’ve witnessed vehicles and devices equipped with 21st-century technology. Indeed, you are working for the present, the future, and tomorrow.

The International Conference Center, the Command and Control Center, New Haven/Bisalla Road, the GTC Smart Green School, and 150 patrol cars equipped with security cameras were also opened by the president. At the Enugu State Government House, he also virtually launched other noteworthy projects.

Later, during an interactive meeting with leaders of the Southeast, President Tinubu pledged that his government would support the development of the Anambra Basin as a major energy reserve that could contain up to 30 billion cubic feet of gas and one billion barrels of oil, as well as finish the Eastern Rail line that would connect Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. During the interactive session, he made the pledge in response to appeals from Chris Ugoh, an Enugu State native, and Professor Chinedu Nebo, the former minister of power.

Nebo had praised the Tinubu administration for finishing the Port Harcourt to Aba segment of the Eastern rail line and had urged the President to give the remaining rail link segments top priority in order to promote non-oil product exports and spur regional development.

Governors, traditional leaders, business leaders, and current and previous National Assembly presiding officers from the region, including former Senate President Ken Nnamani, were among the dignitaries who attended the session.

President Tinubude displayed political maturity and his commitment to supporting developmental strides from any section of the country, by any governor, or by any stakeholder, with his visit to Enugu and the emphasis he placed on the invitation from PDP Governor Mbah. His determination to prioritize the nation and his nonpartisan disposition were boldly demonstrated by the visit. He praised Governor Mbah profusely for exhibiting “an irrevocable commitment to human development.”

In a similar spirit, President Tinubu declared, “I don’t care which party you come from; you are my friend,” after spotting Abia State Governor Alex Otti at the Enugu event. Abia State’s Alex Otti is also performing admirably. It has nothing to do with linguistic and geographic distinctions.

“The mother tongue is not under our control. God made us, and you might be in Lagos, Onitsha, or Enugu. Although we all reside in separate rooms of the same house, we are all part of the same large family known as Nigeria. In order to meet our present and future demands, we must construct this home.

Governor Mbah had characterized President Tinubu as a true federalist dedicated to Nigeria’s development prior to the launch of his projects.

Your credentials as a true federalist are impressive, and your accomplishments will garner you a lot of praise for a long time.

“You liberalized the production, transmission, and distribution of energy by signing the energy Act (Amendment) Bill. He added, “It is significant that Enugu State was the first sub-national to which the NERC transferred regulatory oversight of the local electricity market. That one act will always stand as an enduring legacy.” That illustrates how quickly we are working toward our objectives.

The governor stated that the Southeast Development Commission would complement the numerous development advancements taking place throughout the state by addressing the ecological and infrastructure issues in the area.

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Perhaps the visit’s main themes were development and governance. However, considering everything that happened during the visit, observers believe that President Tinubu and the Southeast geopolitical zone may have unintentionally launched a new chapter in their relationship. They note that this reunion could be a precursor to more significant developments for President Tinubu from the zone, especially as we approach the 2027 election.

*Rahman serves as the President’s Senior Special Assistant for Media Affairs.