Immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari has said that long after leaving office, he is enjoying the company of the people in his immediate country home, Daura and Katsina State in general. Buhari, who was roundly welcome by his people during Eid-el-Fitr prayer to mark the end of 30-day Fasting yesterday, April 10, expressed his happiness at being in the midst of his people after he finished his term as President. Garba Shehu, his spokesperson while in office, quoted him as further expressing his appreciation to the people of Daura, his hometown, and Katsina State in general for according him a warm welcome as indicated by the massive crowd at the Eid prayer ground. The former President seized the opportunity of the Sallah celebration to advise Nigerians to continue to support the leaders across board to enable the country navigate “this crucial juncture of our democracy.” Buhari congratulated fellow Muslims on the successful completion of the 30-day Ramadan fasting and the performance of the Eid, even as he emphasized the need for all citizens to support the leaders from the local government level to the highest level “in their efforts to transform the development landscape of the nation. “Support for our leaders is a vote for a better tomorrow. It is imperative that we stand united in safeguarding the sovereignty and integrity of our nation.” He called on contestants to political offices in elections “to always ensure a smooth succession from one administration to another without stoking communal tensions and obstructing development, irrespective of political party affiliation.”
The Nigeria’s senior female football sensation, the Super Falcons, have brushed aside, their South African counterpart, the Bayana Bayana, to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Paris, France. The Super Falcons played a draw with the Banyana Banyana in the second leg fixture of the Olympics qualifiers today, April 9, after defeating them with a lone goal in Abuja, Nigeria, last week. The game was played at the Loftus Versfeld stadium, Pretoria in South Africa. The second leg fixture saw both sides attempting very few scoring chances, but it was Nigeria’s defence and goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie who kept the hosts at bay. Efforts by captain Thembi Kgatlana to open scoring for the hosts in the second half proved abortive as Nigeria’s wall stood tall to defend their lead on the day. Super Falcons’ victory opened a new chapter in the continent’s Olympic games after 16 years as onlookers. Meanwhile, Nigeria is in Group C alongside World Cup champions Spain, Japan and Brazil in the Games that is scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in France.
The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, along with his wife, son, and five others, will face court charges on April 17.
The charges against them include allegations of bribery, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds amounting to billions of naira.
Following a writ of summon issued by the Kano State High Court, the Ganduje family, along with the other defendants, are set to face eight-count charges related to bribery involving dollars, as well as financial malfeasance during Ganduje’s tenure as governor.
The Kano State government initiated the legal action, presenting a fresh charge against the former governor, his family members, and six others. Among the accusations are the diversion of substantial sums of public funds and involvement in corrupt practices.
With the court date approaching, attention is focused on the legal proceedings, which hold significant implications for the accused and the broader political landscape of Kano State.
As Muslims prepare to observe the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations nationwide, the Department of State Services (DSS) has issued counsel for heightened security consciousness at prayer grounds.
With the Eid prayers scheduled for Wednesday, the secret police urge Muslim faithful to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agents.
In a statement today, April 9, the DSS emphasizes its collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful and secure celebration. The agency underscores the importance of celebrating responsibly and fostering peaceful coexistence among all citizens.
Recognizing the core values of the Eid festival, including love, mercy, and compassion, the DSS encourages Nigerians to embody these principles and promote unity and goodwill.
As the nation marks this auspicious occasion, the DSS extends its best wishes for a peaceful and joyous celebration to all.
A Nigerian pastor, Prophet Daniel Akpata has confessed that it is a life of falsehood to cling to one wife. According to him, marrying two wives is a fulfillment of his religious belief, saying that it is biblical. Speaking in an interview with The Punch, Akpata emphasized that living a falsehood is not an option, as he is conscious that one woman would not suffice to satisfy him. During the interview, his wife expressed admiration for their husband’s sincerity towards himself.
A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukwa, today, April 8, led his followers to observe eid praye against the announcement by the President General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Muhammad III, that the crescent of the moon was not sighted yesterday evening. Sheikh Lukwa, who is believed to, over the years disobeyed the Sultan’s directive on moon sighting, led prayers at his Juma’at mosque around 8:30 am on today, April 9. The scholar insisted that the moon of Shawwal was sighted in neighbouring Niger Republic yesterday, April 8. “There were reports of sightings on the new crescent in many places, including here in Nigeria, but the one that we were sure of is that of Niger Republic,” he declared. “We have a verified video clip of their council of Ulamah authenticating the report after which the country declared Tuesday as Sallah day. So it is now binding on us to observe Eid on Tuesday because this is what the teachings of the Holy Prophet says. “If we can accept that of Saudi Arabia, why can’t we agree with that of Niger Republic which is nearer to us. “I am not saying all Nigerian Muslims must observe their Eid prayer on Tuesday but we have no moral justification not to observe our prayer on Tuesday because the new moon was sighted by our neighbors. And remember there is no fasting on Sallah day, it is prohibited,” he said.
The embattled Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has laid curse on members of the State House of Assembly for their roles in his impeachment. He said: “history will judge you harshly for your betrayal of people who elected you to represent them.” Reacting to his impeachment, in a broadcast shared on his official X handle, Shaibu vowed to seek redress. “We will fight this injustice with every strength in us for the sake of Edo State and the future of Democracy. “I denounce in the strongest terms the illegal impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly. This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on our very democratic principles. “It is a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment came because of my ambition to contest the 2023 Edo State Governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. “An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “It is a sad reality that those in power seem to silence opposition through illegitimate means. I have dedicated my love to serving the good people of Edo State with integrity and honesty.” The impeached Deputy Governor alleged that members of the State Assembly had “chosen to forsake their oath of office and participated” in his impeachment. The state house of assembly had yesterday, April 8, impeached Shaibu, based on the reports by Justice S.A.Omonua-led seven-man panel investigating the impeachment petition against the deputy governor. The panel, in its reports, said the allegation of perjury was not proven beyond reasonable doubt by the complainant against the Deputy governor while that of disclosure of government official documents was proven beyond reasonable doubt against the Deputy Governor. Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki has appointed 38 year old Omobayo Marvellous Godwins as his new deputy to replace Shuaibu.
Saudi Arabia has declared that it had not sighted the new Shawwal moon today to herald the end of Ramadan Fasting and observance of Eid-El-Fitr tomorrow, April 9. The authorities have therefore declared Wednesday, April 10, for the celebration and end of this year’s Fasting. The Kingdom announced that the holy month of Ramadan would, therefore, last 30 days this year. Earlier, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia had called on all Muslims across the Kingdom to sight the Shawwal crescent on the evening of Monday, Ramadan 29. The sighting of the Shawwal moon marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has asked Muslims in the country to be on the lookout for the new moon of Shawwal, immediately after sunset today, April 8 and 29th Ramadan 1445 A.H. A statement signed by the Secretary-General of the council, Is-haq Oloyede said that the council, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, had enjoined all Muslims to look out for the moon. Oloyede said that if Muslims sight the crescent in accordance with the moon sighting and verification standards, His Eminence would declare tomorrow, April 9, as the 1st of Shawwal and the day of ‘Eid-el-Fitr. If the crescent is not sighted today, Wednesday, April 10, will automatically be the day of Eid-el-Fitr.
The Edo State House of Assembly has finally impeached the state’s Deputy governor, Philip Shaibu. The impeachment followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu. The Assembly, which began sitting at 9.41 am today, April 8, voted for the impeachment of the deputy governor by a vote of 18 against one who voted against, among the 20 members present with the speaker expected to give the deciding vote in case of a tie. The panel, however, exonerated the impeached deputy governor on the allegation of perjury as it was not “made up,” that is proven. On April 4, Shaibu objected to the seven-member investigative panel proceeding with his planned impeachment, urging them to adhere to an interlocutory injunction issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja. On April 5, the deputy governor failed to appear before the seven-man panel that probed allegations of perjury and leaking of the government’s secrets against him.
Quite sad (but not surprising) that it’s the ‘freezer’ comment that’s totally dominated the headlines from yesterday’s Electricity press briefing. There was a lot more that was said, that’s useful to know, as background and basis for conversation and debate. If you want to know what else HM Bayo Adelabu said, I took some notes – the comments below are attributable to him (and to the NERC Vice Chair, who also spoke). [The important background to all this is that for now it’s ONLY Band A consumers who are affected by the 3-fold Tariff Increase rolled out this week. There are 5 Tariff Bands in all, A to E. Band A are the ones guaranteed a minimum of 20 hours of supply per day] 1. Prior to tariff change, the Federal Government was subsidizing 67% of the total cost of generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity in Nigeria. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Vice Chair added: If you isolate Generation, that 67% figure rises considerably. For example, in January 2024, the total power generation invoice issued to DisCos was 240 Billion Naira , but the Discos were asked to pay only 24 Billion of this = 10%, which means 90% of the generation cost was being borne by FGN, as a subsidy. 2. Total estimated electricity subsidy cost (on FGN) for 2024, without tariff adjustment: ~2.9 Trillion Naira (~240 Billion per month) 3. Total estimated subsidy cost for 2024, after tariff adjustment: ~1.4 Trillion Naira (~113 Billion per month) 4. The Tariff increase has also been accompanied by a reduction in the number of Band A “feeders” — i.e. feeders guaranteed to supply a minimum of 20 hours per day — across the country. There were previously over 1,000 Band A feeders; now, only 481 are classified as Band A. 5. There are about 12 million electricity “customers” in Nigeria (please try and understand this carefully before jumping to make comments. It doesn’t mean 12 million ‘people’, it means 12m ‘meter-able’ consumption points, e.g households, businesses, etc). 6. Band A accounts for = 15% of the 12 million electricity customers = approx 1.8m. The remaining >10m customers will continue to enjoy government subsidies on electricity consumption. (Related to this, I’ve seen data elsewhere that suggests that 70% of the revenues collected in 2023 came from Band A – worth confirming that figure). 7. Of the 12 million customers, only a little over 5 million are currently metered. Which means a metering gap of over 6 million. 8. The subsidised pricing regime will continue in the short term, with a “transition plan” to attain full “cost-reflective” pricing over the next 3 years. 9. The restricting of the Tariff increase to Band A is meant to serve as a “proof of concept”; i.e. kicking off with a Band that has the “capacity and willingness” to pay for 20 to 24 hours of daily supply. 10. The pricing change will help address some of the liquidity issues in the industry; restore a “line of sight” for recovery of investment, and make it more “bankable.” 11. There is a huge infrastructure deficit in the power sector; obsolete equipment at all levels (this is where the Minister cited the example of some equipment still carrying ECN branding; ECN has been defunct for more than 50 years now)—and vandalization of everything from gas pipelines to grid towers etc. 12. If DisCos supply less than 20 hours to Band A consumers, there must be sanctions and consequences. “We will not shy away from our responsibilities…” (On this note, NERC Vice Chair added that under the old Power Sector Reform Act, the powers of NERC to sanction were limited, and fines for DisCos were outdated (he cited fines as low as N10,000 per day). But with the new Act signed by PBAT—see No. 15 below—NERC now has expanded regulatory and sanctions powers. Vice Chair cited example of 2018 when NERC suspended IBEDC Board, and Board went to Court and got the suspension set aside, vs 2024 when NERC was able to successfully dissolve the Board of KEDC). 13. The new Tariff Regime for Band A means there’s now an incentive for DisCos to work to migrate other Bands to Band A, so that they can supply them Band A threshold, and charge Band A tariffs. 14. Energy consumption management by consumers has to become a priority. This is where the ‘freezer’ example (that has gone viral) was cited. Yeah, def not the best example to use, as we’ve seen from the distracting fallout, but the larger point about more responsible usage stands. 15. Minister mentioned ongoing efforts to improve electricity supply: —The new Electricity Act signed by PBAT (which repealed the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005) has now fully decentralised the sector, and empowers subnational governments for regulation and licensing. —Renewable energy investments, led by REA —New power plants like recently-completed Zungeru Hydropower (700MW) —Investments in new lines, new injection substations, new transformers —Closing the metering gap. —Communications and advocacy 16. “The journey of a thousand miles stand with a single step, in the right direction. This one is in the right direction.” — Bayo Adelabu -Ogunlesi is a Policy Communication Expert and former Special Assistant on Digital Communication to President Buhari. -April 07, 2024 @ 15:36 GMT|
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The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, along with his wife, son, and five others, will face court charges on April 17.
Matters Arising From New Electricity Tarrif In Nigeria, By Tolu Ogunlesi
Quite sad (but not surprising) that it’s the ‘freezer’ comment that’s totally dominated the headlines from yesterday’s Electricity press briefing. There was a lot more that was said, that’s useful to know, as background and basis for conversation and debate.
If you want to know what else HM Bayo Adelabu said, I took some notes – the comments below are attributable to him (and to the NERC Vice Chair, who also spoke).
[The important background to all this is that for now it’s ONLY Band A consumers who are affected by the 3-fold Tariff Increase rolled out this week. There are 5 Tariff Bands in all, A to E. Band A are the ones guaranteed a minimum of 20 hours of supply per day]
1. Prior to tariff change, the Federal Government was subsidizing 67% of the total cost of generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity in Nigeria.
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Vice Chair added: If you isolate Generation, that 67% figure rises considerably. For example, in January 2024, the total power generation invoice issued to DisCos was 240 Billion Naira , but the Discos were asked to pay only 24 Billion of this = 10%, which means 90% of the generation cost was being borne by FGN, as a subsidy.
2. Total estimated electricity subsidy cost (on FGN) for 2024, without tariff adjustment: ~2.9 Trillion Naira (~240 Billion per month)
3. Total estimated subsidy cost for 2024, after tariff adjustment: ~1.4 Trillion Naira (~113 Billion per month)
4. The Tariff increase has also been accompanied by a reduction in the number of Band A “feeders” — i.e. feeders guaranteed to supply a minimum of 20 hours per day — across the country. There were previously over 1,000 Band A feeders; now, only 481 are classified as Band A.
5. There are about 12 million electricity “customers” in Nigeria (please try and understand this carefully before jumping to make comments. It doesn’t mean 12 million ‘people’, it means 12m ‘meter-able’ consumption points, e.g households, businesses, etc).
6. Band A accounts for = 15% of the 12 million electricity customers = approx 1.8m. The remaining >10m customers will continue to enjoy government subsidies on electricity consumption.
(Related to this, I’ve seen data elsewhere that suggests that 70% of the revenues collected in 2023 came from Band A – worth confirming that figure).
7. Of the 12 million customers, only a little over 5 million are currently metered. Which means a metering gap of over 6 million.
8. The subsidised pricing regime will continue in the short term, with a “transition plan” to attain full “cost-reflective” pricing over the next 3 years.
9. The restricting of the Tariff increase to Band A is meant to serve as a “proof of concept”; i.e. kicking off with a Band that has the “capacity and willingness” to pay for 20 to 24 hours of daily supply.
10. The pricing change will help address some of the liquidity issues in the industry; restore a “line of sight” for recovery of investment, and make it more “bankable.”
11. There is a huge infrastructure deficit in the power sector; obsolete equipment at all levels (this is where the Minister cited the example of some equipment still carrying ECN branding; ECN has been defunct for more than 50 years now)—and vandalization of everything from gas pipelines to grid towers etc.
12. If DisCos supply less than 20 hours to Band A consumers, there must be sanctions and consequences. “We will not shy away from our responsibilities…”
(On this note, NERC Vice Chair added that under the old Power Sector Reform Act, the powers of NERC to sanction were limited, and fines for DisCos were outdated (he cited fines as low as N10,000 per day). But with the new Act signed by PBAT—see No. 15 below—NERC now has expanded regulatory and sanctions powers. Vice Chair cited example of 2018 when NERC suspended IBEDC Board, and Board went to Court and got the suspension set aside, vs 2024 when NERC was able to successfully dissolve the Board of KEDC).
13. The new Tariff Regime for Band A means there’s now an incentive for DisCos to work to migrate other Bands to Band A, so that they can supply them Band A threshold, and charge Band A tariffs.
14. Energy consumption management by consumers has to become a priority. This is where the ‘freezer’ example (that has gone viral) was cited. Yeah, def not the best example to use, as we’ve seen from the distracting fallout, but the larger point about more responsible usage stands.
15. Minister mentioned ongoing efforts to improve electricity supply:
—The new Electricity Act signed by PBAT (which repealed the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005) has now fully decentralised the sector, and empowers subnational governments for regulation and licensing.
—Renewable energy investments, led by REA
—New power plants like recently-completed Zungeru Hydropower (700MW)
—Investments in new lines, new injection substations, new transformers
—Closing the metering gap.
—Communications and advocacy
16. “The journey of a thousand miles stand with a single step, in the right direction. This one is in the right direction.” — Bayo Adelabu
-Ogunlesi is a Policy Communication Expert and former Special Assistant on Digital Communication to President Buhari.
-April 07, 2024 @ 15:36 GMT|