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Tag: Nigeria

  • Obi replies critics for Congratulating Gen Gowon , says Nigeria must move forward with love not hate

    Obi replies critics for Congratulating Gen Gowon , says Nigeria must move forward with love not hate

    The Labour Party leader and the Presidential Candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has given a subtle response to the barrage of attacks he received at the weekend for Congratulating the former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon on his 90th birthday anniversary.

    Writing a long response in his X handle on Sunday titled, ‘Why I Congratulated Gen. Gowon at 90’ Obi said “My felicitation with Nigeria’s former military Head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, on his 90th birthday anniversary, which was celebrated by a cross-section of Nigerians, has been received with mixed feelings by some Nigerians, and some have expressed their sentiments publicly, and privately to me.

    “I share in some of them, and I feel that as a leader in the vanguard of providing direction for our country to shift base away from all our shortcomings, including the issues that caused our avoidable cruel civil war, I needed to show to the World that the ultimate heroism is forgiving the enemy and moving forward.

    “Indisputably, the darkest part of our 64-year journey as a nation is the 30 months of civil war from 1967 to 1970 and God almighty whose way is not our way must have a reason why he kept the Chief Prosecutor of the war who is General Gowon alive to be 90 years today and the man who saw the end of the war, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to be there at 87 years super-heading all the moves to see a reconciled and just Nigeria.

    “There was also a developing new spirit why the same country, Nigeria, gave the Biafra leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a heroic national burial on 2 March 2012, when he joined his ancestors, coincidentally under my tenure as Governor of Anambra state. The status of the burial given to Dim Ojukwu remains the boldest indication to the World that Nigeria as a country is disposed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation.

    “There are various ways human beings can respond to acts of evil, especially one that claimed millions of lives; one is the tragedy of revenge, and another offers the hope of forgiveness in an attempt to forget. The latter conforms neatly with the template I adopted in greeting Gen Gowon at 90 years old.

    “In all my dealings with human beings, I tried to be guided by my faith as a Christian in a strong message preached by Jesus Christ himself and underscored in reflections in St Paul’s letter to the Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another: if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” And to Ephesians 4: 31-32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice”

    “Whatever reason I will give for joining the rest of Nigerians to greet General Gowon, May never truly conform with some persons, especially direct victims of the war, but anger, hurt, and bitterness are the commonest responses to cruelty. It fuels sectarianism, it leads to resistance and avoidable blood feuds that we are witnessing across the globe, and even in our country and it does not abate.

    “There is something about forgiveness, it sets the person doing it free. Forgiveness is more a process than an instinct. It’s hate that has put our society, blessed by God to be the greatest land in the black World, down, but this hate has to stop.

    “I was under ten years old when the Nigeria/Biafra war started in 1967. Most of my supporters across the country joining me get a new Nigeria were born after the war, and I didn’t feel I should drag them back to the dark side of our history by being unforgiving. I feel such an act will derail the message of a New Nigeria that we insist is POssible.

    “‘Must you greet him? Why didn’t you keep quiet?’ some angrily say to me, but that will still be injurious to our journey to a new Nigeria where all political vices, including but not limited to ethnic, religious, bitterness, and regional segregation, are eliminated.

    “Various personal experiences of victims of injustice across the globe who have chosen to put ugly things behind them visibly demonstrate the transformative power of forgiveness in healing personal and collective wounds.
    “With these explanations, I like to admonish all those angered by my greetings to the elder statesman to bear with me and join me in this mission to create a country where hate, unforgiving spirit, and other vices will give way for justice.
    What Nigeria needs badly and urgently to survive going forward is good governance, which can only germinate and grow in true peace and the presence of justice. Thanks and God bless.

  • FG didn’t apologise to Libya after maltreating NFF officials, players — Minister

    FG didn’t apologise to Libya after maltreating NFF officials, players — Minister

    The Federal Government has refuted a report, which claimed that Nigeria had apologised over the recent maltreatment of Nigerian Football Federation officials and its senior national football team in Libya.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Alkasim Abdulkadir, his Special Assistant on Media and Communication Strategy.

    It stressed that the report, which was published on Oct. 15 by the Libya Observer, claiming that Nigeria had apologised over the incident was erroneous.

    The statement added that the minister also expressed the Federal Government’s  strong displeasure over the incident and the said report.

    According to Tuggar, the report deliberately aims at gaining political leverage and causing disaffection among continental football administrators and fans.

    It quoted the minister as saying that the report was a blatant misinformation and misrepresentation of the telephone correspondence between him and the Foreign Minister of Libya’s Eastern Government.

    “Nigeria remains unequivocal in expressing its displeasure and disappointment with how the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials were treated in Libya.

    “It calls on the Confederation of African Football to urgently ensure that its Disciplinary Board investigates the matter and imposes appropriate sanctions based on its statutes,” Tuggar said.

    The minister further explained that the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) of Libya’s Government of National Unity had been summoned by the Ministry to seek an immediate end to the unfortunate incident.

    It said that no diplomatic headway was made during the meeting with Libya’s acting Charge d’Affaires, Imad Aboud, who said the matter was not under the jurisdiction of Tripoli, which he represented.

    It said that Aboud claimed that the matter was rather under the jurisdiction of Libya’s Eastern Government in Benghazi.

    The statement further said that Tuggar immediately  contacted Abdelhadi Lahweej, the Foreign Minister of the Eastern Government, for prompt intervention   in order to end the debacle.

    “After that, the aircraft was given the necessary permits to fly, aviation fuel was accessed, and both ministers agreed that the matter should be de-escalated immediately.

    “Even when Lahweej insisted on rehashing untruth about the treatment of Libyan players in Nigeria, Tuggar once again corrected the misinformation about mistreatment of Libyan players during the Nigerian encounter.

    “He did not apologise or regret the treatment of Libyan officials and players because the account was inaccurate,” the minister was quoted as saying.

    “Lahweej proposed a joint statement, which the Ministry rejected because it erroneously misrepresented the facts of the incident.

    “Above all, Nigeria only shares a diplomatic relationship with the government of National Accord and not with the Eastern Government,” the statement added.

  • 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria smash New Zealand

    2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria smash New Zealand

    The Nigerian team on Wednesday in the Dominican Republic defeated their New Zealand counterparts 4-1 in their opening match at the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.

    NAN reports that, in the match played at the Cibao Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, the Flamingos were outstanding in recording their first victory.

    Shakirat Moshood opened scoring in the second minute of the game, before Taiwo Adegoke doubled the lead in the 13th minute to give the team a good advantage.

    Faridat Abdulwahab scored the third goal in the 28th minute to take the game beyond their opponents by the end of the first half of the match.

    The New Zealand girls fought back but they could not convert any of their goal scoring chances before the end of the first half.

    On resumption of the second half, the Flamingos continued to dominate the game and Taiwo Afolabi duly scored the fourth goal in the 55th minute.

    Hannah Saxon went on to score New Zealand’s only goal in the 60th minute to make the final scores 4-1.

    The Flamingos will now in their next game on Saturday face Ecuador, who beat host nation Dominican Republic 2-0 later on Wednesday.

    Nigeria will end their Group A campaign on Tuesday when they take on the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo.

    NAN reports that Nigeria have participated in every edition of the competition, finishing in the semi-finals in the last edition at India in 2022.

    That was the closest they have ever got to winning the competition.

    NAN reports that 16 teams from six confederations are participating in the ongoing 2024 edition which began on Wednesday and is expected to end on Nov. 3.

  • African Union wades into Libya-Nigeria deadlocked football match

    African Union wades into Libya-Nigeria deadlocked football match

    A newspaper in Libya, Almashhad has reported that the African Union officials have contacted Libyan and Nigerian authorities after being notified that the Nigerian football team and officials were stuck at an airport to which they had been directed by authorities in Libya.

    A nine-man Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is currently investigating all circumstances before acting against parties proven to have violated CAF’s regulations and laws.

    ON Sunday, Nplayers were meant to land in Benghazi, but their plane was diverted to Al Abraq, more than 200km away.
    Those travelling were ‘abandoned’ and locked in the building, after arranging to leave, according to a Nigeria Football Federation official.

  • Why serving as a governor in Nigeria is challenging – Soludo

    Why serving as a governor in Nigeria is challenging – Soludo

    Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has emphasized that serving as a governor in Nigeria today is fraught with challenges, particularly regarding the management of local government funds.

    Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Soludo sought to clarify the recently introduced State Economic Planning and Development Law 2024 and the Local Government Administration Law 2024.

    Soludo acknowledged the pervasive allegations against governors concerning the control and mismanagement of local government funds.

    “In a society where public office is seen as a dining table and public trust is low, people judge others by their own standards; by what they would do if they were in the position. I often ask: control for what?” he stated, expressing frustration over the assumptions that often accompany discussions about local governance.

    The governor pointed to a recent Supreme Court ruling that affirmed local government autonomy as a significant opportunity for improved transparency, coordination, and collaboration between state and local governments.

    He revealed that this judgment catalyzed the formulation of new laws aimed at ensuring proper appropriation and accountability of funds transferred to local governments.

    “Neither the Constitution nor the Supreme Court judgment prescribes the manner of appropriation, expenditure, and audit/accountability for local government funds,” Soludo explained.

    He clarified that the ruling did not eliminate the need for cooperation among local governments regarding shared services, nor did it nullify Section 7 of the Constitution.

    Under the new laws, local government chairpersons will convene under the State Economic Planning Board, akin to the National Economic Council, to determine what percentage of their revenues will be allocated to a joint local government account for the funding of communal services.

    This initiative aims to enhance cohesive planning, transparency, and sustainability in governance, thereby maximizing the security and welfare of the citizens.

    Furthermore, Soludo noted that the laws are designed to protect local government workers and maintain the integrity of primary education and health care services, preventing chaos and collapse at these essential levels.

    He reiterated the importance of active collaboration between state and local governments, stating, “Given the functions assigned to the local governments by the Constitution, it is impossible to see how they can perform them without active collaboration with state governments. Without this collaboration, many local governments could find themselves in financial turmoil, necessitating bailouts from the state.”

     

  • Grid collapse a National shame- Peter Obi

    Grid collapse a National shame- Peter Obi

    The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has condemned the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, describing it as a “national shame”.

    Obi’s condemnation came after the grid collapsed twice in 24 hours.

    The first collapse was on Monday evening, at about 6:18 pm on Monday, leaving the masses in darkness.

    The second incident happened on Tuesday after electricity distribution companies across the country announced the grid collapsed

    Reacting to the development, Obi in a statement on Tuesday via X, highlighted the incidence as evidence of the failures in leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.

    He said; “For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, plunging a huge part of the nation into darkness and exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

    “This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.

    “How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society? This latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that have consistently failed to prioritize the welfare and economic well-being of the people.

    “We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable.

    “Today, we are the fourth largest economy in Africa, having fallen from the number one position due to leadership failure over the years, including the persistent power crisis, which is critical when compared to smaller economies.

    “South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30% of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity.

    “Secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts.

    “Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of our population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.

    “Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the 3 countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure.

    “This disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continues to hold back our growth and potential.”

     

  • Total blackout as National Grid collapses again

    Total blackout as National Grid collapses again

    Nigerians again were plunged into darkness on Monday evening as the National Grid suffered yet another collapse, disrupting electricity supply across several states.

    In a statement, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) alerted its customers to the collapse, which occurred at 6:48 pm.

    The company confirmed that the outage affected its entire network.

    “This system collapse has led to the current loss of power supply across the EEDC network,” the statement read.

    “As a result, all our interface stations with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are without supply, rendering us unable to serve customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.”

    The EEDC also mentioned it was on standby, awaiting further information from the National Control Centre (NCC) in Osogbo on the cause of the collapse and the timeline for restoration.

    Similarly, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) confirmed the collapse on its X (formerly Twitter) account: “Dear Valued Customer, please be informed that there was a system collapse at 18:48hrs, resulting in the loss of power supply across our network. We are working with our partners to ensure the grid is swiftly restored and will keep you updated.”

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) echoed similar concerns, stating: “Dear Valued Customer, the current outage is due to a system failure from the national grid at 6:58 pm, impacting power supply across our franchise areas.”

    This latest grid collapse adds to the persistent power supply challenges in Nigeria, raising concerns about the nation’s electricity infrastructure and the frequency of such disruptions

    . Power companies and the authorities are collaborating to restore normalcy, with many Nigerians eagerly awaiting the return of electricity to their homes and businesses.

     

  • Nigeria spent N10trn subsidizing petrol, exchange rates by 2022 — World Bank reveals

    Nigeria spent N10trn subsidizing petrol, exchange rates by 2022 — World Bank reveals

    The World Bank has revealed that Nigeria spent N10 trillion a year subsidizing petrol and exchange rates by 2022.

    According to Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President of the World Bank Group, this figure, amounting to $15 billion at the free market exchange rate, was lost through a combination of fuel subsidies and disparities in exchange rates.

    Gill stated this on Monday at the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit.

    He said that Africa goes as Nigeria goes, so given its size and significance, and the success of Nigeria’s reforms that are happening today, will give a big boost to countries across the continent.

    Gill added that because the whole world has a stake in Africa’s future, the whole world needs to pay attention to what Nigeria is trying to do today, and actually the whole world is paying attention.

    He reminded the government that the problems that are being tackled today in the Nigerian economy first surfaced more than 40 years ago, when oil prices began collapsing in the early 1980s, after the big oil boom of the 1970s.

    Gill urged the government to maintain the momentum of its current reforms for at least 10 to15 years to achieve the desired results, stressing that Nigeria abandoned its 2003 – 2007 reforms that had placed it on a better stead for sustainable growth.

    “The President’s signature reforms are essential. They are essential to break from the past and to chart a more hopeful course for all Nigerians.

    “These include the unification of what used to be multiple exchange rates. They include allowing that unified exchange rate to be determined by the market. And, of course, they include the elimination of fuel subsidies”.

    “Nigeria’s need for jobs is immense. In the next 10 years, more than 12 million young Nigerians, both men and women, will enter the workforce generating jobs for them.

    “It will only be facilitated by the private sector, and it will be facilitated by large-scale domestic and foreign private investment in the non-oil sector.

    “Attracting such investment means boosting the national power grid, improving transportation, improving security, and improving the rules and regulations and enforcing them for private enterprise.

    “So failure would set back reform efforts across the continent, besides ruining the future of yet another generation”.

    He said before the reforms, the official exchange rate was roughly 465 Naira per dollar, and the freely determined parallel rate at that time was closer to N700, showing that for every dollar allocated at the official rate, the loss to the government was close to N250, every dollar.

    “So the total loss in foregone federation revenues from oil, customs and taxes on imports amounted to 6.2 trillion Naira in 2022.

    “This was more than three percent of GDP. You can do a lot with three percent of 300 billion dollars,” he pointed out.

    He said the cost of subsidizing PMS and keeping its price below market levels amounted to N4.5 trillion in 2022.

    “That was another two percent of GDP. You can do a lot with two percent of GDP, two percent of 300 billion dollars.

    “Together, these two subsidies, the implicit one from the exchange rate and the explicit PMS subsidies amounted to a staggering 10 trillion Naira a year by 2022, or 15 billion dollars at the free market exchange rate,” Gill explained.

    Taiwo Oyedele, the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, said that if a new tax bill is passed by the National Assembly, wealthy Nigerians earning N100 million or more each month will be subjected to a personal income tax rate of 25 percent.

    He stressed the importance of finding a middle ground that relieves tax pressures on low-income individuals while also ensuring that higher earners make a greater contribution to government finances.

    Mr. Niyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group highlighted that high inflation, stagnant growth, and unsustainable debt weighed heavily on the nation then, just as they do now.

    He noted that Nigeria has experienced two recessions in the past decade, each exposing deep-rooted structural vulnerabilities that must be addressed with renewed urgency.

    “Hence, today’s challenges demand a new approach centred on collaboration to promote growth, competitiveness, and stability. While our nation has made significant strides, our challenges are clear.

    “The twin problems of income inequality and multidimensional poverty continue to cast a long shadow over our progress.

    “Nigeria’s struggle with an uneven distribution of resources, macroeconomic instability, and institutional fragility prevents us from reaching our full potential.

    “The task before us is to forge decisive reforms that can break these cycles of stagnation and pave the way for equitable growth.”

     

  • AFCON: Libya finally opens up, insists “our team was also maltreated”

    AFCON: Libya finally opens up, insists “our team was also maltreated”

    The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has reacted to the poor treatment meted out to the Super Eagles by authorities in the country, insisting their team had a similar experience.

    The LFF claimed it had no hand in the barbaric act.

    “We are deeply concerned about the recent reports surrounding the diversion of the Nigerian national team’s flight ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya,”the LFA said in a statement on Monday.

    While we regret any inconvenience caused, it is essential to note that such incidents can occur due to routine air traffic control protocols, security checks, or logistical challenges that affect international air travel.

    “These are standard procedures at airports worldwide, and delays or rerouting, though unfortunate, are not uncommon.

    “We have the utmost respect for our Nigerian counterparts and want to reassure them that the diversion of their flight was not intentional.

    There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident. Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.

    “We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation.

    “It is important to highlight that just last week, our own national team faced significant challenges upon our arrival in Nigeria for the third match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification.”

    Sundry media reports had said that players and officials of the Super Eagles were held hostage at the Al Abaq Airport for several hours following the team’s arrival in the country on Sunday night.

  • Nigeria economy to rebounce in months – Shettima

    Nigeria economy to rebounce in months – Shettima

    Vice-President Kashim Shettima says the nation’s economy has started improving and it will rebounce in the coming months

    Shettima gave the assurances on Saturday during the launch of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Strategy Document & Gender Transformative Human Capital Development Policy Framework held in Lafia, the state capital.

    He vowed that the growing informal sector and low labour force participation occasioned by the staggering unemployment rate in Nigeria must be reversed.

    This, he said, is the impression of an unfavourable society the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme was designed to avert under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

    He emphasised that the Tinubu’s administration’s goal was to empower Nigerians with globally competitive skills.

    “This strategy, he noted, would enable Nigerian workers to excel both domestically and in the international job market.

    ”Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme, a lifeline for our nation, is built on the collective realisation that enough is enough.

    ”Enough of the cycles that have held us back. Enough of the legacies of unplanned high fertility rates and alarming maternal and under-five mortality rates.

    ”Enough of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy.

    “Enough of the distressing data on our education system—whether it is the mean years of schooling, the high pupil-to-teacher ratios, or the staggering number of youths not in employment, education, or training.

    ”The unemployment rates, the growing informal sector, and low labour force participation must be reversed.”

    Shettima said the unveiling of a blueprint for Nasarawa’s future was a reaffirmation of the administration’s shared belief that the way forward for the nation lies in solutions fashioned to suit the unique realities of each state.

    He regretted what he described as the tragic reality of the ECOWAS region being ranked the lowest in the global Human Capital Development Index.

    The Vice-President assured however that it should not be something to feel disheartened about.

    “Rather, it is an invitation for every country, and indeed sub-national entities, to rise to the challenge, he said.

    He pointed out that “every child must have access to quality education, equitable healthcare, even as the nation’s workforce must be equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century economy.”

    The Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, said the programme was unveiled in 2018.

    She added that the programme was aimed at addressing poverty, foster socio-economic growth, and improving human capital across the country.

    She thanked Vice-President Shettima for leading the National Economic Council (NEC) and the National Human Capital Development programme.

    Sen. Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa West), said Nasarawa State was leading in laying the structure for Human Capital Development in Nigeria.

    Wadada, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, noted that most important creatures are humans and, therefore, they must be equipped in order to carry out their endeavours successfully.

    Wadada emphasised that education is the cornerstone of human development and as such, it must be given to all citizens