It’s time for Atiku Abubakar, who faced fierce opposition from Ex Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State when he contested the 2023 Presidential election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to jubilate over what appeared to be the deflation of Wike’s attempt to assert political authourity as Godfather in the State. Atiku and Wike, who is now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were in the PDP together during the 2023 elections, even till date. Reacting to the local government election which was conducted Saturday, October 5, in the state, with the party of the reigning Governor,Siminalayi Fubara, wining in 22 of the 23 local governments, Atiku said that people in the state have clearly shown their rejection of the Godfatherism being imposed by Wike. Atiku started by saying in a statement today, October 6, that with the conclusion of the local government election in Rivers State, “the shadows of political intimidation and judicial chicanery have dissipated, paving the way for the noble pursuit of governance to commence in the State. “From the bustling heart of Port Harcourt to the tranquil shores of Onne, the populace has spoken in harmonious unison, affirming that nothing can better democracy! “As prophesied, it has now been revealed that the citizens of Rivers are astute and resolute, unwavering in their rejection of any form of political oppression, harassment, or the machinations of self-serving godfathers.” Atiku congratulated the newly elected local government leaders and advised them to wear the welfare of the people as their foremost badge of honour, “shunning the path of tyranny and delusional ambition in their political endeavors.” The obviously aggreived PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, expressed happiness that “the resilient people of Rivers State were steadfastness in the face of adversity, courageously ensuring that the election unfolded with peace and integrity. “I must also applaud Governor Fubara for his unwavering commitment to the people’s interests, safeguarding the sanctity of the local government elections even amidst provocative challenges. “In the grand tapestry of this election, it is ultimately the people who emerge victorious, their sacred right to choose their leaders firmly upheld within the framework of our democratic process.”
Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has concluded that insecurity has continued to persist in many parts of Nigeria because of weak governance, even as it called for urgent introduction of community policing to address it.
“It notes weak governance, inconsistent government policies and widespread corruption in the security forces as factors leading to compromising efforts in tackling insecurity effectively.”
In a Communique emanating from its two-day Annual Conference held in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State between October 2 and 3, GOCOP acknowledged the federal government’s efforts in significantly degrading the Boko Haram insurgency through the use of technology and intelligence, saying however that insurgent attacks have continued unabated, especially in the north-east region.
“The Conference therefore, calls for decentralization of security by granting state governments greater control over local security forces so as to improve regional responses to insecurity.
“It further advocates the urgent need to strengthen our local security architecture through Community Policing, which will no doubt improve intelligence gathering, foster trust between security forces and communities, and ensure a more proactive response to local threats.
“The Conference stresses the need for increased funding for Security Agencies, while emphasizing the need to reduce corruption in the procurement process so as to ensure judicious use of available resources.”
The Annual Conference which was hosted by the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, attracted the former Cross State, Chief Liyel Imoke as Keynote speaker; former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Yusuf Mamman as chairman of the occasion and other dignitaries, wanted the government o address the root causes of banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts. It advised the government to implement development initiatives targeting rural poverty and job creation.
“The Conference opines that tackling insecurity effectively depends largely on political will and the right leaders that will see corruption as evil and confront it frontally.
“It therefore charges members of GOCOP to take interest in interrogating the governance process that will ensure that committed and sincere leaders emerge to pilot the affairs of the country.”
The Conference said that there is a corollary relationship between poverty and insecurity, and therefore called for specific economic empowerment programs targeting the youths such as entrepreneurship training, and access to financing for small and medium enterprises, SMEs.
The full text of the Communique is reproduced hereunder:
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) held its 8th annual conference from October 2nd to 3rd, 2024, at Reverton Hotel in Lokoja, Kogi State. His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, was the Chief Host.
The conference was attended by over 100 members of the Guild and dozens of invited guests from across the country.
The conference with the theme: “Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit, And Transitioning To Digital Economy” was chaired by a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Ambassador Mamman Yusuf, with a former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, as the Keynote Speaker.
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, were Guest Speakers.
On the panel of discussants were: Prof. Rotimi Ajayi of the Department of Political Science, Federal University Lokoja and Ms Debrah Ogazuma, Edutainment Communicator and Veteran Broadcaster.
DAY ONE:
The morning session of Day One of the two-day event featured a capacity building programme on how members of GOCOP could improve on the visibility of their websites and how to generate revenue to survive the harsh business environment.
The resource persons were sourced from within members of the Guild. President Emeritus Dotun Oladipo, Publisher of THE EAGLE ONLINE, made a presentation on ‘Website Optimization’, emphasizing the need for members to ensure that their websites are on Google News.
Dr. Max Amuchie, Publisher of SUNDIATA POST, spoke on ‘Maximising Advertising Opportunities’, dwelling on the various revenue options available to online publishers.
The third presentation was made by Mr. Olumide Iyanda, Publisher of QED.NG, on ‘Leveraging Digital Marketing: Strategies for Online Publishers’.
He enjoined publishers to explore online platforms and technologies to promote their news stories and engage with audiences on the various digital platforms like Twitter (X handle), WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of GOCOP was also held in the afternoon during which GOCOP President Maureen Chigbo, presented a report on the State of GOCOP.
She highlighted key events that happened during the year under review like: employment of an Administrative Officer to man the GOCOP secretariat, various support packages that members benefited from through sponsored content and advertorials.
Ms Chigbo informed the congress that GOCOP is now a member of the National Media Complaints Commission (Media Ombudsman) which means our members are now under close watch.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR):
In pursuit of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), GOCOP President led members on a visit to two orphanage homes – Margaret Garba Ohiani Orphanage/Less Privileged Home and Rehoboth Children’s Homes, in Lokoja, during which various food items were donated.
On Day Two, after the successful hosting of the 2024 Conference, GOCOP issued the following communiqué, focusing on the three areas of the theme – Insecurity, Power Deficit and Digital Economy:
INSECURITY:
Since Nigeria returned to democracy 25 years ago, we have been experiencing security challenges ranging from Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatists agitations to Niger Delta militancy.
These security challenges have no doubt impacted negatively on the Nigerian economy thus, causing economic hardships on the citizens.
The Conference notes that poverty and high unemployment rate which is close to about 40% today are major factors contributing to insecurity across the country.
It notes weak governance, inconsistent government policies and widespread corruption in the security forces as factors leading to compromising efforts in tackling insecurity effectively.
The Conference acknowledges the federal government’s efforts in significantly degrading the Boko Haram insurgency through the use of technology and intelligence, and notes however, that insurgent attacks have continued unabated, especially in the north-east region.
The Conference therefore, calls for decentralization of security by granting state governments greater control over local security forces so as to improve regional responses to insecurity.
It further advocates the urgent need to strengthen our local security architecture through Community Policing, which will no doubt improve intelligence gathering, foster trust between security forces and communities, and ensure a more proactive response to local threats.
The Conference stresses the need for increased funding for Security Agencies, while emphasizing the need to reduce corruption in the procurement process so as to ensure judicious use of available resources.
To address the root causes of banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts, the government should implement development initiatives targeting rural poverty and job creation.
The Conference opines that tackling insecurity effectively depends largely on political will and the right leaders that will see corruption as evil and confront it frontally.
It therefore charges members of GOCOP to take interest in interrogating the governance process that will ensure that committed and sincere leaders emerge to pilot the affairs of the country.
The Conference realizes that there is a corollary relationship between poverty and insecurity. Hence, it calls for specific economic empowerment programs targeting the youths such as entrepreneurship training, and access to financing for small and medium enterprises, SMEs.
POWER DEFICIT:
In Nigeria, electricity supply remains one of the most significant constraints to economic growth despite several power reforms that have been introduced since 1999 by successive governments.
The Conference laments that despite huge resources that have been expended on electricity generation and distribution, Nigeria can only manage to deliver 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts.
It notes that Nigeria’s per capita electricity consumption which is around 150 to 200 kWh per year, is too low compared to other African countries and only reflects challenges in electricity access, infrastructure, and supply.
On the way forward in addressing Nigeria’s power deficit, the Conference enjoins conscious efforts aimed at diversifying generation capacity through investment that guarantees expansion of the gas pipeline network, to ensure more stable gas supply to power plants.
The Conference identifies the need to diversify Nigeria’s energy mix by increasing the share of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and small hydropower projects that could provide electricity to areas that are not well-served by the grid.
It observes that the current transmission system is not working hence, calls for the unbundling of the Transmission Company of Nigeria to allow greater private sector involvement in the transmission network.
The Conference advises the government to encourage more private sector investment in the power sector by creating a more stable and predictable regulatory environment to attract long-term investments.
It notes that this is achievable if the government could stick to agreed contracts, reduce political interference, and ensure a transparent regulatory process.
TRANSITIONING TO DIGITAL ECONOMY:
The significant gains recorded through liberalization of the telecommunications sector in 2001 notwithstanding, Nigeria still lags behind in digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and the adoption of digital technologies in government and business processes.
The Conference notes that transitioning to a Digital Economy remains a major challenge for the country due to inadequate broadband penetration and unreliable internet services.
It observes further that despite the fact that Nigeria boasts a young and dynamic population, digital literacy remains low, limiting the ability of the workforce to participate in the global digital economy.
The Conference agrees that Nigeria’s transition to a digital economy holds immense potential for transforming its economic landscape, creating jobs, and driving inclusive growth.
Therefore, to fast-track this transition, the Conference calls on the government to prioritize infrastructure development, digital literacy, favourable regulations, and indigenous innovation.
It also advises that the government should address challenges such as poor internet access, regulatory uncertainty, and cybersecurity risks, noting that opportunities in fintech, e-commerce, agritech, and digital services present significant growth potential for Nigeria.
The Conference lauds GOCOP for promoting responsible online publishing devoid of fake news, and urges its members to continue to discharge their responsibilities with patriotism.
GOCOP also charges its members to key into the various digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to promote their products or services and engage more with their audiences.
GOCOP thanks the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo, members of the State Executive Council and the good people of the state for providing the necessary facilities that made the hosting of the 8th annual conference of the Guild a huge success.
GOCOP reiterates its commitment to continue to promote ethical and professional journalism, foster collaboration as well as advocate for the interests of online publishers in Nigeria.
The Director General of the Cross River Lottery and Gaming Agency, Michael Eja has confirmed that no fewer than 60 million Nigerians engage in gambling daily. Speaking at the launching of a new sports betting platform, Woskybet, in Abuja, the Director General said that the gambling industry in Nigeria is booming and valued at between N500 billion and N600 billion. According to him, despite the industry’s rapid growth, 90 percent of the potential market remains untapped. He said that Lagos State alone generated $243 million in revenue last year. “The betting industry is worth about $1 billion in Africa. Lagos State alone generated $243 million in revenue last year. Gambling is becoming increasingly popular, and more people are beginning to understand its essence.” He said that gambling industry has been making contributions to wealth redistribution, job creation, and revenue for the government. “The gaming industry sells hope, aids in wealth redistribution, and creates jobs in Nigeria. Over time, we will see an increase in the revenue that the gambling sector contributes to nation-building.” Director of Operations for Woskybet, Nurudeen Idrees, described gambling as a game of luck, where players may win or lose. He however, reassured customers about the security of their winnings. “In terms of payment, I want to reassure our customers and the public that their money is 100% guaranteed when they win, as their wins are their rights. He expressed Woskybet’s commitment to providing a safe, secure, and exciting betting experience for sports enthusiasts in Nigeria.
A Nigerian singer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has asked the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to refund the tithes he had been collecting from his congregation to make his recent apology on the matter meaningful. Reacting to Pastor Adeboye who recently apologized for saying that those who are not paying tithes would not make heaven, Charly Boy, in a post via his social media account, said that Adeboye’s apology does not mean anything until he returns the tithes he collected from his congregation.
“I truly believe that a lot of the fakest people are found in churches, my opinion not yours. Your apology doesn’t mean shit unless you promise to return the tithe money they give you for mumu people wey wan bribe dia way to heaven. “Stop giving ur CONGREGATION ridiculous Lamba’s Sometimes the nicest people you meet may have bodies covered with Tattoos, the most bitter, judgemental, envious and wicked people all go to church on Sundays. Since your announcement decades ago, that people should trow away their TVs, I had always known that your way no pure as person wey dey “drink tea with God” “There is nothing worse than a fault finding finger pointing Pastor who is as fake as the blings of a wanna be artist. Apology? when you know exactly what you’re doing. Nonsense Dia Father’s.
”Pastor Adeboye had apologized during his church’s Internation Youth Convention (IYC) at the Redemption City of God, Mowe, Ogun State.
He had said: “I’m apologizing for saying,’If you don’t pay tithe, you won’t make it to heaven.’ “I’m sorry, that’s wrong, and it’s not in the Bible. “What the Bible says is, ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God.”
Former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Liyel Imoke, still bubbling, delivered a sixty minute keynote address at the Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) on Thursday, October 3, in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State.
The Kogi State Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu (middle), representing the Chief Host, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of the state; former Nigeria Ambassador to Spain, Yusuf Mamman (lett), chaired the conference and Maureen Chigbo (right), President of GOCOP.
Kogi State Commissioner for information, Kingsley Famwo (left), Azu Arinze (middle) and Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Media, Ismail Isah (right) at the GOCOP conference.
A cross section of publishers at the GOCOP conference.
Rapporteurs: Yusuf Ozi-Usman (right), Akeem Oyetunji (middle) and Chiamaka (left) on duty at the Conference.
I just returned to base a few hours ago from Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. I had joined over 100 top ranking journalists and online publishers who went for a two-day annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to which we belong. As a matter of fact, when over two months ago, a message came that Kogi State government would host the 2024 conference, first ever to be hosted by any state government and to be held outside Lagos and Abuja, the first thing that crossed my mind was that the message must have been sent in error. The thought was predicated on the fact that Kogi State had never been known to be so exposed and matured in terms of publicity blitz, that it would think of hosting such gigantic media event. For a fact, states that had held such event, including the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the past, have been few and far between. They are Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Lagos, Ekiti and one or two other states.
Well, I was not only proved wrong in my initial thought (of impossibility), but the event was successfully held between Tuesday, October 1 and yesterday, Thursday, October 3. In fact, the euphoria and smoothness that characterized the event spoke volume not only about the strength of character and receptiveness of the man in charge now, Ahmed Usman Ododo, but also about the new dispensation in the state. My thought that was later proved wrong was borne out of the simple, can-never-hurt-a-fly appearance and mien of the new man in the Lugard House, Governor Ododo. In fact, the first impression one would get from him, resulting from his gentle appearance would be “a man that is warming the Executive Seat.” However, being privileged to attend the GOCOP conference as one of the pioneer members, and being privileged to have a close-range interaction with the operatives in the government, and inspection of a few of Governor Ododo’s feet being planted on the sand of time, barely nine months sojourn in Kogi State governance, I would say, a far different impression has taken the better of me, and I’m sure, many of my colleagues too.
Deputy Gov Joel (middle), Amb Yusuf Mamman (left), Maureen Chigbo (right) GOCOP President After all, many of such colleagues, in the buildups to the conference, had expressed reservations and even fear about the danger we were set to go into, with insecurity, especially kidnappings being witnessed regularly in the state. Others also raised the issue of flood around Koton Karfe, near Lokoja around this time of the year. The flood used to cutoff travellers between Abuja and those in the South South and Southwest. As a matter of fact, many of the colleagues traveled to Lokoja between October 1 and today, October 4, when we left, with some kind of trepidation. Of course, I’m sure that when all of them return to base – Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Enugu and others – they would have a serious rethink, and longing for the return to the state, which even in dream, they would acknowledge is peaceful, fast progressing, in no distant future.
Kingsley (far left), Ismail (far right) at GOCOP conference. Now back to the real thing happening in Kogi State: there is what I would call a rain of infrastructural development going on silently. They are roads, houses and several other constructions. There is restructuring of many sectors that have never been done before, all for the purpose of ensuring a faster move to the zenith. One of the examples of, perhaps, the silent development revolution going on in Kogi is within the precipice of the structure housing the seat of government, known as Government House. As the saying goes: “charity begins at home,” so Governor Ododo has obviously bought into this wise saying by first embarking on the restructuring of the government house, which he has done within the short period he has been on the saddle, so much that one doesn’t need much grammar to know that he’s serious about development across the state. We were briefly taken round the government house yesterday evening, October 3, by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Media, Ismail Isah and were truly marveled at such structure like State Executive Council Chamber, Banquet Hall, Press Gallery, and others which have been put together within just nine months. The governor wanted a situation where we would go on visit to numerous projects his government has executed in so short a time, but the online publishers were so preoccupied with the conference and other activities around it that they couldn’t make out time for such project tour. One would want to make it clear that the governor has achieved so much and moving so fast because he’s synchronizing very well with the system and with the subordinates; as confirmed by the Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu, who jocundly delivered the address of the Governor at the conference yesterday because the governor had an unscheduled urgent assignment to attend elsewhere. The deputy governor, spoke so glowingly about Ododo, especially for picking a school Headmaster like him as his Deputy. Even the special adviser on media, Ismail Isah confirmed that the governor has been implementing whatever good and productive ideas brought before him. Also, the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Famwo, who the governor inherited from his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, showed that the idea of hosting GOCOP emanated from within the system which he, the governor bought-into. And therefore, such mind of listening to and implementing progressive ideas from the subordinates as has been identified with Governor Ododo, is definitely the key to personal and collective progress, for the general benefit of the state.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has apologised for preaching wrong christian doctrine on tithes. He admitted that he was wrong in saying that any believer who does not pay tithes will not make heaven. Speaking at the ongoing annual national youth convention of the church at the RCCG Redemption City, Pastor Adeboye said: “I am going to be talking to everybody as soon as God permits me. I am going to apologise for making a mistake for saying that if you don’t pay tithe, you will not be making it to heaven. That is wrong. “That is not in the Bible. What the Bible says is to make peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God. What the Bible says is, to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man will make heaven. “It is possible to be right and wrong at the same time. I will prove it to you. For years, we taught that light travels in a straight line. Later we say it travels in waves.” Adeboye narrated his experience at one of the conventions of the ministry of Kenneth E Hagin in Tulsa, United States, where a man made a promise to give more than all participants at the convention. He said that all participants had given about 3.5 million dollars towards the building of the Rhema Bible College, and that the man promised he was going to give more than what everybody gave towards the project. “The man told me how he had started a business with 500 dollars and had told God if he blessed him, he would not insult Him with 10 per cent. “Five years after the man started the business, he said he was making a turnover of 50 million dollars. And that was what inspired me also to give towards God’s work violently. “If you want to dominate, you must know how to praise God violently. How did David become king? He was not the first in the family, he was not even recognised but he knew how to praise God. He did not do it gently but violently, with all his might. “Unfortunately, most of us don’t appreciate that. When we are much younger in the Lord, we praise God freely. As we begin to grow in the Lord, our praise becomes gentle, more civilised, and more polite. David, even after he became king, danced so vigorously that even his wife mocked him. “Your giving must be of the violent type. King Solomon gave thousands of burnt offerings to God and God said there would not be a king before or after him, and he would not fight a single war, because kings fight war to retain their domain and the Bible records that he has peace all round.”
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has said that he and his team hit the ground running from January 27 and have been silently transforming the state in all sectors. The governor, who spoke through his Deputy, Elder Joel Salifu, at the 8th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), yesterday, October 3, said that his government has been working hard on road infrastructure development, investment in food production, and other sectors. Governor Ododo said that Kogi state has not been joining nationwide protests to end bad governance because “we are seeing the impact of Mr. President’s administration and his economic policies. “we are doing our protests through mechanized farming with the view to bringing down the high costs of food in the state.” The governor said that his administration is all inclusive, regardless of tribe and religion, among other fault lines, adding: “this government is the people’s government. “We are silently turning things round in the state. “We have signed up for the open government partnership. We are working to ensure that the resources of Kogi state work for the people of the state.” He advised members of the GOCOP to be patriotic in their reportage of events in the country, especially on security issue. “We must all agree that you can only practise in a safe and secure environment.” The governor acknowledged the effort of President Tinubu to bolster national security, saying: “we will support President Bola Tinubu and will not lift our leg from the pedal (accelerator) until the battle against banditry is won.” He said that the federal government and the Kogi State government are working hand in hand to create a nation and a state of visions and opportunities. The governor noted that President Tinubu is taking progressive steps to make Nigeria great again, even as he urged those clamouring to take the country back to redirect their campaign. “Those who are saying Nigerians should take back their nation should know that Nigeria is already in the hands of Nigerians. I, as an individual, know that Nigeria is already in the hands of Nigerians. The question now is, what should we do with Nigeria”
Former Governor of Cross River State, Chief Liyel Imoke has recommended a good number of measures towards saving Nigeria from the age long power deficiency that had thrown many parts of the country into darkness. In a keynote address he delivered at the 8th National Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State yesterday, October 3, Imoke stressed that one of the measures would be to remove the system from the hand of what he called “private monopoly. “Reducing Nigeria’s power deficit requires a comprehensive approach that addresses generation, transmission, and distribution constraints. “The solutions involve infrastructure investments, regulatory reforms, increased private sector participation, and the adoption of new technologies such as renewable energy and decentralized systems. By tackling these challenges holistically, Nigeria can significantly improve its electricity supply, support economic growth, and improve the well being of its citizens.” Imoke, who served as minister of Power during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, regretted that electricity supply had continued to remain one of the most significant constraints to economic growth. He recalled that since1999, several power sector reforms have been introduced, but that Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution remain grossly inadequate. “With an estimated population of over 220 million, Nigeria’s current iinstalled capacity of around 13,000MW only manages to deliver 4,000-5,000MW on average.This is far below the demand of over 20,000 MW, leading to frequent blackouts and reliance on expensive diesel generators. “To fully grasp the magnitude and impact of this challenging sector, here’s some sobering data of the per capita electricity consumption for Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Ivory Coast based on recent data: “-As of the latest estimates, Nigeria’s per capita electricity consumption is around 150 to 200 kWh per year.This low consumption reflects challenges in electricity access, infrastructure, and supply. “-Ghana’s per capita electricity consumption is approximately 800 to1,000 kWh per year. The country has made significant strides in improving electricity access and reliability over the past decade. “-South Africa’s per capita electricity consumption is estimated at around 4,000 to 5,000 kWh per year. This figure reflects the country’s industrial base and higher levels of electricity access. “-Ivory Coast’s per capita electricity consumption is roughly 500 to 600 kWh per year. “Ivory Coast has been working to expand its electricity infrastructure and improve access to power.” Imoke said that despite numerous reforms and investments, the power sector in Nigeria has continued to struggle, adding that the challenge has been intractable and unresolvable. “Over the years, we have seen multiple instances of unfulfilled promises for power delivery. The question would then be, is there a solution in the face of growing demand? “To understand the magnitude of the challenge, I will first attempt to highlight some of the key constraints to reducing the power deficit and then I will proffer potential solutions to them. “However, I would start with reflecting on my stint as first, Chairman of the technical board and subsequently Minister of Power, when I introduced several significant reforms to revitalize the sector and lay the groundwork for the subsequent privatization and liberalization of the sector. As with all reform processes, there was strong resistance from entrenched interests.
“However, we made good progress largely because of the strong political will of President Olusegun Obasanjo who drafted me to the sector after a six day total national blackout. “These key reforms and initiatives include: 1. Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) of 2005, enacted during my tenure, set the legal framework for the unbundling and eventual privatization of the Nigerian power sector. The Act paved the way for: “-The unbundling of NEPA into 18 successor companies, 6 generation companies(GenCos), 11 distribution the companies (DisCos), and 1 transmission company (TCN). “-The creation of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the regulatory body to oversee the electricity sector, ensuring proper regulation, tariff setting, and consumer protection. “-The establishment of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) to facilitate the purchase of power from GenCos and its sale to DisCos. “-The eventual privatization of the DisCos and GenCos, took place after my tenure.”
Earlier, the President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, advised more than 100 members of the Guild to always distinguish themselves as entrepreneurs in the online media community. Chigbo reminded members that online is the future of journalism, and that even traditional news organs have realized it and are rushing in. “We must know we are mediapreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the online media community.” She noted that the AGM is aimed at reinvigorating members’ businesses while adhering to ethical rules. On capacity building session that started the Day One, the President said that the choice of experienced members to serve as resource persons was deliberate, saying: “We have brought our members that have succeeded in various aspects to talk to members so that more people can succeed. That is what peer review does to us.
“Today is capacity-building, peer review, and talking to GOCOP partners. We also have our annual general meeting (AGM) today where we give account of stewardship.” Chigbo, who publishes Relnews, said that GOCOP has its own corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. “We will visit an orphanage to give back to society. We recommend this to all our corporate members because we must put something aside each year in our different publishing outfits to give back to society.” She appreciated members for solidarity and support while commending Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the government of Kogi State for playing host to GOCOP members. She also commended the organizing committee for painstaking efforts to make Lokoja-24 a bright event, even as she She gave kudos to the membership committee for strict screening processes to make the Guild a credible group of corporate publishers.
The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has approved the sum of N3.3 billion for the payment of accrued rights (bond certificates) of a number of workers who retired under the Contributory Pension Scheme across the State. A statement today, October 3, by the State’s Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina, said that N1.5 billion of the amount is for retirees at the State level, including Ministries, Departments, Agencies, secondary schools and tertiary institutions while the sum of N1.8 billion is for those who retired in the local government service, junior and primary schools across the State. He said that the fund approved is undergoing due process at the Bureau of Public Service Pension and the Local Government Staff Pension Board. The Head of Service said that the approval of the amount is different from the regular monthly payment of pension and gratuities to retired public servants under the old pension scheme across the public service. He said that workers and pensioners welfare had topped the 5- point Action Plan of Governor Adeleke. “The Governor has been keeping with this promise since he came on board in November, 2022 going by his unhindered love for public servants and the entire citizens of the State.”
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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has apologised for preaching wrong christian doctrine on tithes.
Ododo, A Silent Worker In Kogi State, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman
I just returned to base a few hours ago from Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. I had joined over 100 top ranking journalists and online publishers who went for a two-day annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to which we belong.
As a matter of fact, when over two months ago, a message came that Kogi State government would host the 2024 conference, first ever to be hosted by any state government and to be held outside Lagos and Abuja, the first thing that crossed my mind was that the message must have been sent in error.
The thought was predicated on the fact that Kogi State had never been known to be so exposed and matured in terms of publicity blitz, that it would think of hosting such gigantic media event. For a fact, states that had held such event, including the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the past, have been few and far between. They are Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Lagos, Ekiti and one or two other states.
My thought that was later proved wrong was borne out of the simple, can-never-hurt-a-fly appearance and mien of the new man in the Lugard House, Governor Ododo. In fact, the first impression one would get from him, resulting from his gentle appearance would be “a man that is warming the Executive Seat.”
However, being privileged to attend the GOCOP conference as one of the pioneer members, and being privileged to have a close-range interaction with the operatives in the government, and inspection of a few of Governor Ododo’s feet being planted on the sand of time, barely nine months sojourn in Kogi State governance, I would say, a far different impression has taken the better of me, and I’m sure, many of my colleagues too.
After all, many of such colleagues, in the buildups to the conference, had expressed reservations and even fear about the danger we were set to go into, with insecurity, especially kidnappings being witnessed regularly in the state. Others also raised the issue of flood around Koton Karfe, near Lokoja around this time of the year. The flood used to cutoff travellers between Abuja and those in the South South and Southwest. As a matter of fact, many of the colleagues traveled to Lokoja between October 1 and today, October 4, when we left, with some kind of trepidation. Of course, I’m sure that when all of them return to base – Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Enugu and others – they would have a serious rethink, and longing for the return to the state, which even in dream, they would acknowledge is peaceful, fast progressing, in no distant future.
Now back to the real thing happening in Kogi State: there is what I would call a rain of infrastructural development going on silently. They are roads, houses and several other constructions. There is restructuring of many sectors that have never been done before, all for the purpose of ensuring a faster move to the zenith.
One of the examples of, perhaps, the silent development revolution going on in Kogi is within the precipice of the structure housing the seat of government, known as Government House. As the saying goes: “charity begins at home,” so Governor Ododo has obviously bought into this wise saying by first embarking on the restructuring of the government house, which he has done within the short period he has been on the saddle, so much that one doesn’t need much grammar to know that he’s serious about development across the state.
We were briefly taken round the government house yesterday evening, October 3, by the Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Media, Ismail Isah and were truly marveled at such structure like State Executive Council Chamber, Banquet Hall, Press Gallery, and others which have been put together within just nine months.
The governor wanted a situation where we would go on visit to numerous projects his government has executed in so short a time, but the online publishers were so preoccupied with the conference and other activities around it that they couldn’t make out time for such project tour.
One would want to make it clear that the governor has achieved so much and moving so fast because he’s synchronizing very well with the system and with the subordinates; as confirmed by the Deputy Governor, Elder Joel Salifu, who jocundly delivered the address of the Governor at the conference yesterday because the governor had an unscheduled urgent assignment to attend elsewhere. The deputy governor, spoke so glowingly about Ododo, especially for picking a school Headmaster like him as his Deputy.
Even the special adviser on media, Ismail Isah confirmed that the governor has been implementing whatever good and productive ideas brought before him.
Also, the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Famwo, who the governor inherited from his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, showed that the idea of hosting GOCOP emanated from within the system which he, the governor bought-into.
And therefore, such mind of listening to and implementing progressive ideas from the subordinates as has been identified with Governor Ododo, is definitely the key to personal and collective progress, for the general benefit of the state.