The Federal Government has finally filed seven counts of treasonable felony and money laundering against the publisher of SaharaReporters and one of the Presidential contestants in the February 23 election in Nigeria, Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore, who initiated #RevolutionNow protest a couple of weeks ago, was charged today, September 20 along with Olawale Bakare, also known as Mandate.
The charges were signed on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), by Aminu Alilu, a Chief State Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The charges were filed a day before the expiration of the detention order of the Federal High Court in Abuja permitting the Department of State Service to keep the activist for 45 days. The detention order elapses on September 21.
In the charges instituted against the defendants, the prosecution accused Sowore and his co-defendant of committing conspiracy to commit treasonable felony in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act by allegedly staging “a revolution campaign on September 5, 2019 aimed at removing the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The prosecution also accused them of committing the actual offence of reasonable felony in breach of section, 4(1)(c) of the Criminal Code Act, by using the platform of Coalition for Revolution, in August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, to stage the #RevolutionNow protest allegedly aimed at removing the President.
It also accused Sowore of cybercrime offences in violation of section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, by “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It also accused Sowore of money laundering offences in breach of section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Celebrated blogger and socialite, Linda Ikeji, celebrated her 39th birthday yesterday, September 19 in Dubai with friends and family even as a controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo said Linda was telling lie about her real age, arguing that she is 43 not 39.
Olunloyo, who wished Linda Ikeji a happy birthday, challenged the blogger to dispute him.
“Happy 43rd birthday to Linda Ikeji. Fans, Wikipedia age is 39th birthday,” she wrote.
The mother of one, who recently celebrated her son’s first birthday, took to her Instagram page to announce this is going to be her last year in her thirties and also to show appreciation to God for her journey and her many blessings.
“My last year as a 30 something year old but I am so grateful for how far God has brought me. For all the blessings I don’t take for granted; for my son, parents, siblings, great friends, and loyal fans, everyone who has followed my journey and to you reading this. Happy birthday to me! Thank you so much for all the well wishes. God bless you and yours,” she wrote.
The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has expressed concern that persistence of policy uncertainties, financial vulnerabilities and rising geo-political tensions have been threatening economic medium-term outlook.
It said that such threat is evidenced by the sustained weakening of global growth across regions, amplified by the persisting trade tensions between the US and its major trading partners, rising corporate and public debt levels.
The Monetary Police Committee, in a communiqué after its monthly meeting today, September 20, said however that the output for Nigeria’s domestic economy in 2019 was predicted by the IMF to peak at 2.1 per cent while World Bank put it at 2.2 per cent even as CBN put it at 2.27 per cent.
“These forecasts remain underpinned by expectations of favourable oil prices which would lead to higher external reserves, stable exchange rate, moderate inflationary pressure as government increases capital expenditure, including enhanced flow of credit to the private sector to stimulate investment, sustained CBN interventions in the real sector, effective implementation of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), build-up of fiscal buffers, as well as improved security in the country.”
The full report is reproduced here:
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on the 19thand 20thofSeptember2019,in the light of softening global growth andweaker-than-anticipateddomestic output recovery. The Committee evaluated developments in the global and domestic economiesandexamined the outlook for the rest of the year. It noted the build-up of vulnerabilities in major Advanced Economies and itsspill-over to the Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). Nine (9) out of the eleven members of the Committee were present at the meeting.
Global Economic Developments
Output growth across major advanced economies remained subdued, confronted by legacy headwinds, including the subsistingtradewar between the US and China, regional hostilities in the Middle-East, rising debt levels, growing uncertainties around BREXITand increasing political tensions between the US and Iran, including fragilities in the financial markets. In the EMDEs, output growth remainedbroadly mixed with some economies performing stronger than others.
Consequently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its projected global growth forecast to 3.2 per cent in 2019 from 3.6 per cent.
Price developmentscontinued to soften acrossthe majoradvanced and EMDEs as aggregate demand continually weaken, resulting in softening monetary policy by major central banks to address downward trending prices and to strengthen aggregate demand.
Domestic Economic Developments
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.94 per cent in the second quarter of 2019, compared with 2.10and 1.50 per cent in the preceding and corresponding quarters, respectively.This mediocre growth, we believe, is consistent with global trends of dampening output growth and was driven mainly by the oil sector, which grew by 5.15 per cent while the non-oil sector grew by 1.64 per cent. At 57.7 and 58.0 index points, the Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI) grew moderately for the 30thand 29th consecutive months, respectively, in September 2019.Staff projections indicate that real GDP inQ3 and Q4 2019 would average 2.11 and 2.34 per cent, respectively, driven primarily by the non-oil sector. This optimism in growth prospects is anchored on the new momentum of rising credit to the private sector.However, the headwinds to the growth prospects remainhigh unemployment, risingpublic debt and heightening insecurity across the country.
The Committeenoted the continued moderation in headline inflation (year-on-year) to 11.02 per cent in August 2019from 11.08 per cent in July 2019, driven by decline in the food and core components to 13.17 and 8.68 per cent in August 2019from 13.39 and 8.80 per cent in July 2019, respectively. The development in the food and core components of inflation was partly due to improved agricultural production in the current harvest season,supported by the Bank’s sustained intervention in the agricultural sector as well as the continued stability in the foreign exchange market. The Committee, however, noted the upward pressure imposed on prices due to rising insecurity in the food producing areas of the country, increased liquidity injection from FAAC disbursements and late budget cycles. It also highlighted the imperative to address the economy’s infrastructural deficits, such as power supply, upgrade of transport and production infrastructure as a means of reducing cost-push inflation.
The Committee observed that broad money supply (M3) grew by5.65 per cent in August 2019, compared with the level at end-December 2018,annualized to8.48 per cent, butremaining below the2019 indicative benchmark of 16.08 per cent. The growth was largely drivenby the increase inNet Domestic Credit (NDC), which grew by 24.36 per cent in August 2019from the level at end-December 2018. The growth in NDC was accounted for by the significant increase in credit to Government, which grew by 94.33 per cent while credit to the private sector grew by 9.36 per cent in August 2019.The Committee urged the Management of the Bank to explore new initiatives to further improve lending to the private sector, while calling on Government to adopt other ways of funding its operations outside the banking sector.
In the review period, money market rates oscillated within the standing facilities corridor due to prevailing liquidity conditions in the banking system. The monthly weighted average Inter-bank Call and Open Buyback (OBB) ratesincreasedto 8.00 and 13.37 per cent in August 2019 from6.52 and 11.01 per cent in July 2019, respectively.
The Committee observed the continued bearish trend in the equities market, while noting the increased activity in the sovereign bonds market, reflecting global trends and investor preference for fixed income securities.In the light of this development, the All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 11.62 per cent to 27,779.00 index points on September13, 2019, from 31,430.50 index points at end-December 2018. Market Capitalization (MC),however, grew by 15.37 per cent to N13.62 trillion on September 13, 2019, from N11.72 trillion at end-December 2018.This increase in market capitalisation was attributed to the listing of 2.75 billion ordinary shares by Airtel Africa in July 2019.
The MPC noted the improved performance and resilience of the banking sector, evidenced by the continued moderation in the ratio of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) from 11.2 to 9.4 per centin May and August2019, respectively. While noting that this was still above the prudential benchmark of 5.0 per cent, the Committee called on the Management of the Bank to drive this ratio below the prudential benchmark.
Outlook
The persistence of policy uncertainties,financial vulnerabilities and rising geo-political tensions continued to cloud the medium-term outlook. This is evidenced by the sustainedweakeningof global growth across regions, amplified by the persisting trade tensions between the US and its major trading partners, rising corporate and public debt levels.
On the domestic economy, output growth in 2019 is expected to peak at 2.1 per cent (IMF), 2.2 per cent (World Bank) and 2.27 per cent (CBN). These forecastsremain underpinned by expectations offavourable oil priceswhich would lead to higher external reserves, stable exchange rate, moderate inflationary pressure as government increases capital expenditure, including enhanced flow of credit to the private sector to stimulateinvestment, sustained CBN interventions in the real sector, effective implementation of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), build-up of fiscal buffers, as well as improved security in the country.
Committee’s Considerations
The Committee noted the decline inoutput growth in the second quarter of 2019, partly attributable to the delay in implementation of the 2019 budget. It however, observed that this was an improvement over the corresponding quarter of 2018. In addition, it noted the broad slowdown across key economies and the response of major central banks to revise their policy rates downwards.
On price developments, the Committee commended the progressive moderation in consumer prices and urged the Bank to sustain its intervention in the real sector of the economy to reduce the output gap.
The MPC noted the improvements in the financial soundness indicators and urged the Management of the Bank to sustain its regulatory surveillance to ensure continued financial system stability. The Committee particularly noted the growth in the size of industry loans from N15.4 trillion in June to N16.23 trillion in September 2019. On the recent directives to deposit money banks to increase theirLoan-to-Deposit Ratio (LDR), the Committee underscored the need to grow consumer, mortgage and corporate credit to drive aggregate demand and ensure a reduction in unemployment and increase in output growth. Consequently, the Committee urged the Management of the Bank to fast-track the development of the credit scoring system, to promote increased. In addition, the Committee commended the introduction of the Global Standing Instruction (GSI) initiative aimed at de-risking credit in the industry by committing bank customers to repay their loans to banks. The MPC further noted the increased supply of micro credit to key Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and efforts through the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Microfinance Bank to extend the reach of its credit facilities across the country. The MPC however, observed that the growth in credit to the private sector remained significantly low, relative to the absorptive capacity of the economy.
The MPC further underscored the linkage between high unemployment and heightened insecurity, emphasizing the critical need for urgent steps towards more jobsand wealth creation in the country.As an interim solution, the Committee called on Government at all levels to ratchet up public works programmes aimed at easing the threat of rising unemployment in the country. This, the Committee argued, would be achieved through efficiency in public spending. The MPC also noted the Government’s current drive to increase Value Added Tax (VAT), adding that this will improve fiscal revenue to support expenditure and reduce the budget deficit as well as Government borrowing when implemented. The Committee, however, noted that this was too little to close the gap in Government finances. Consequently, the MPC called on the Government to, as a matter of urgency, adopt what it termed a BIG BANG approach towards building fiscal buffers by purposefully freeing-up redundant public assets through an efficient, effective and transparentprivatization process. This would raise significant revenue for Government and resuscitate the redundant assets to generate employment and contribute effectively to national economic growth. The MPC noted the unstable oil prices, its implications onaccretion to external reserves and its persistent call on the Government to build fiscal buffers.Consequently, the Committee called on the National Assembly to exercise restraint from increasing the oil price budget benchmark to avoid budgetary overruns at the implementation stage of the budget. Projections from the oil futures market, indicate that oil prices will remain tight around the budget oil price benchmark in the medium term.
The Committee’s Decision
In its considerations regarding the policy options to adopt, the MPC as usual, felt compelled to review the options of whether to tighten, hold or loosen.
The Committee noted the positive moderation in inflation, though slowly from 11.08 per cent in July to 11.02 per cent in August 2019. Given that this was still above the target range of 6-9 per cent, and considering the pressure on reserve accretion caused by the relatively weak crude oil price, the MPC felt the imperative to tighten. On the contrary, the Committee was of the view that doing so in the midst of a fragile growth outlook would increase the cost of credit, and further contract investment and constrain output growth.
On loosening, the Committee felt that this would result in increased system liquidity and hence, heighten inflationary tendencies in the economy. In particular, the MPC was of the view that loosening would drive growth in consumer credit but without a corresponding adjustment in real sector output. The Committee was also convinced that increased liquidity and interest rate moderation would result in exchange rate pressures as money supply rises.
As regards the option to hold, the MPC opined that the option requires a clear understanding of the quantum and timing of liquidity injections into the economy, before deciding on possible adjustments to the stance of monetary policy. The Committee was also of the opinion that retaining the current position of policy offers pathways to appraising the effects of the suit of heterodox monetary policy to encourage credit delivery to the real sector, especially in the light of the subsisting implementation of the Loan-to-Deposit Ratio policy.
In view of the foregoing, the Committee decided by a unanimous vote to retain the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 13.5 per cent and to hold all other policy parameters constant.
In summary, the MPC voted to:
I. Retain the MPR at 13.5 per cent;
II. Retain the asymmetric corridor of +200/-500 basis points around the MPR;
The Presidency had launch a strong protest over press reports of the UN rapporteur on violence in Nigeria, which it said scratched the surface while glossing over the main issues just for the purpose of blaming the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement today, September 20, by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that while the Presidency agreed that the violence in Nigeria, or in any country, is a major concern with a rippling effect, “we are disappointed that the rapporteur was silent on intra-group violence.
“In Benue, Taraba, Cross River States and many parts of the country, most of the casualties result from intra-group, inter-group and community violence. Many of the displaced persons across the nation are also victims of these conflicts.
“There is absolutely no doubt that violence between farmers and herders, which has a long history in our country spiked in recent years but the effectiveness with which the Federal and State authorities responded made a big difference. Calm has virtually returned to all parts affected by the peculiar violence.
“Therefore, we are saddened that the rapporteur did not address intra-ethnic conflicts and cattle rustling as key elements in herder/farmer conflicts. In Benue State for instance, the Tiv/Jukun conflict and kidnapping is a major problem. We are glad that local communities have fully realized this, and scholars with a strong motivation for peace and stability in their communities and the nation are trying to address the problem.
“Ignoring the salient issues will not help to solve the problem. If you are going to address violence and the general insecurity in Nigeria, incidents everywhere should be part of the narrative. Not addressing this might make it easier to blame the Federal Government, but national peace and security is community based and a collective responsibility.
“Arrests, prosecution and locking people up are only small parts of National Security and Safety strategy.
“In Benue State as cited earlier, the work of a US scholar of Tiv extraction, Professor Dick Adzenge deserves special mention for attempting to get aspects of violence addressed. The expectation that arresting and putting people in prison is the only credible response to violence is a mistake. Professor Adzenge and a few others like him are working with young people, traditional rulers and communities to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts and encourage peaceful co-existence.
“The sort of effort we are talking about here has so far revealed interesting facts about the problem in Benue State that cannot be ignored.
“And it is the sort of support we seek from the UN rapporteur in reporting, not the report that scratches the surface of the subject then ends up blaming the government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. The UN representative needs to be truthful and even-handed in her assignment.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that it was not just enough to lead Nigeria into the Africa Continental Trade Agreement, but that his government wants quality products for trading between Nigeria and participating countries.
The President, who said that he was aware of abuse of trade and commercial activities both in Nigeria and between Nigeria and other African countries, said that substandard and illegal items were being smuggled through the land borders to Nigeria, leading to the temporary closure of such borders.
Speaking to a delegation from the Nigerian Association for Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) and representatives of the Organized Private Sector (OPS) who visited him today, September 20, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari said that his government had insisted that “the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) must not only promote free trade, but legal trade of quality made in Africa goods and services.”
The President stressed that his administration will continue to solicit the support of the organized private sector, both in Nigeria and across West Africa, to bring an end to the dumping of substandard items even as he called on the association.
He asked members of the association to continue their positive and patriotic contribution towards achieving a free trade area that employs Africans to produce quality made in Africa products.
“We will soon finalize the National Action Committee on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Your Association is a member of this committee.
“I expect you to continue your positive and patriotic contribution to support us in achieving a free trade area that employs Africans to produce quality made in Africa products.”
In her remarks, the President FEWACCI, NACCIMA and OPS, Hajiya Saratu Aliyu, commended the President on his recent decision to constitute a new economic team to steer the Nigerian economy on the path of sustainable growth.
“NACCIMA, FEWACCI and indeed the OPS are full of hope that a new era is on the horizon with the calibre of persons on the team which reassures us at the OPS that Government is ready to turn around the story of Nigeria.”
Hajiya Saratu Aliyu also hailed significant accomplishments recorded in all sectors of the economy, including but not limited to reduced corruption, foreign exchange stability, bottom of the pyramid programmes, increased ease of doing business, increased capital expenditures, among others.
The president of NACCIMA appealed for the kind intervention of President Buhari in the provision of property within Abuja for the location of FEWACCI headquarters.
She briefed the President on the 21-point NACCIMA programme, tagged ‘‘Unleash the Giant’’, adding that theassociation intends to engage the Federal Government on 16 of those stated points with the goal of ensuring business growth and socioeconomic advancement through public and private sector collaboration.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined the International Coalition for the Safety and Protection of Maritime Navigation and aimed at guaranteeing the Safety of Maritime Corridors.
According to the official source of the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom, the operations areas will cover the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.
A statement by the Saudi Press Agency today, September 20, said that Kingdom’s joining of the International Coalition body will aim at supporting the regional and international efforts in order to deter and counter threats to international navigation and international trade.
It is also aimed at to guaranteeing international energy security and continuation of energy supplies to the international economy and to contribute to maintaining international peace and security.
The International Coalition aims at protecting commercial vessels by providing safe navigation in order to guarantee the freedom of sea navigation and international trade, and to protect the interests of the coalition countries in terms of enhancing security and safety of commercial vessels that sail through these corridors.
Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has pleaded with his supporters to keep the hope alive in the face of the judicial process to reclaim his mandate.
In a personal letter, issued today, September 20, Atiku said: “even if there is little or nothing you can do to ensure that justice is done in Nigeria, just believe that it will happen. Let us never underestimate the effect of our belief in Nigeria.”
According to him, it is for patriotic reasons, that he is pursuing the judicial route to ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and are counted.
The PDP flag bearer said that those who do not want this as Nigeria’s reality, will use every trick in the book to undermine, discourage, misinform and mislead, “but with God’s help and the support of Nigerians, we will ensure that Nigeria makes a course correction away from tyranny and towards democracy.
“We must return to being Africa’s bastion of democracy, where the rights to Freedom of Speech and Freedom after the Speech, are guaranteed. We must stand together to pursue this just cause all the way, so that our judiciary are not afraid to do their jobs and have to be wary of blackmail, intimidation, and victimisation.”
He asked all Nigerians to continue their support for the recourse to constitutional order via the courts even as reminded everyone “that we will all die and give account of our lives to our Creator.”
The House of Representatives has directed Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend the implementation of the cashless policy on deposits and withdrawals above N500,000 by individuals and N3 million for corporate organizations.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, titled “Need to suspend the implementation of the cashless policy on deposits by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.”
The House mandated the Committee on Banking and Currency to interface with the CBN to ascertain the propriety, relevance and the actual need for the implementation of that aspect of the cashless policy at this time considering the prevailing economic situation of the country.
The Committee is except to report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action.
While leading debate on the motion, Hon Kalu said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced a policy on cash-based transactions which imposed a cash handling charge on daily cash withdrawals that exceed N1,500,000 for individuals and $18,000,000 for corporate bodies in 2012.
He said that he was “aware that the policy on cash-based transactions (withdrawals) in banks, was aimed at reducing and not eliminating the amount of physical cash (coins and notes) circulating in the economy, and encouraging more electronic-based transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc)”
He noted that the cash policy was introduced for a number of key reasons including the need to drive development and modernization of our payment system in line with Nigeria’ 5 vision 2020 goal of being amongst the top 20 economies by the year 2020, to reduce the cost of banking services (including cost of credit) and drive financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach, inter alia.
The interviews granted by a former governor of Edo State and National Chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to select Television stations, on Friday, September 6, 2019, were historic because they enabled him respond to sundry questions and to counter the series of complex narratives woven round the Edo House of Assembly crisis by the other party.
Oshiomhole’s counter-narratives were downright frank, expansive – and he threw down the gauntlet, which Obaseki has yet to take up. He brought clarity to his actions. His grouse about Obaseki and his governance style was weighty and certainly, the weight of evidence is on Oshiomohle’s side. His claims against Obaseki and the supporting evidence have yet to be rebutted by the governor.
Obaseki’s silence is not golden and his dodgy directive to administration officials not to respond to Oshiomnhole’s claims doesn’t equate virtue in silence. It is clearly indicative of his inability to fault Oshiomhole’s claims and counter narratives to the earlier narrative spun by him and his officials that political leaders in the state wanted him to share the state’s funds to them.
That was the scurrilous narrative marketed within and outside the state. It could only have taken a perceptive politician and marathoner to hold back for long before electing to dismantle the self-imposed culture of silence or to shed the self-restraining garb. The specific challenge to Obaseki by Oshiomhole couldn’t be simpler: name the political leaders pressurising you to share the state’s funds to them.
Media professionals had attempted to insinuate Oshiomhole into the subject of the allegation, but in a riposte, he had clarified that Obaseki did not refer to a political leader; therefore, his generic reference to political leaders could not be construed to refer to him (Oshiomhole) as a leader. Oshiomhole also countered the narrative that he was controlling the governor, asserting that he nominated only a commissioner to the cabinet the governor dissolved in the wake of the crisis over the nocturnal and controversial inauguration of the state legislature.
Interestingly, Oshiomhole clarified that Frank Okiye, purportedly elected Speaker of the House, was not validly elected to the position. Pressure continues to mount on Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation for the proper inauguration of the State Assembly. The governor chose a desperate course, after failing to produce many of his unpopular aspirants, as candidates in the 2019 national and state legislative elections.
Those who secured the tickets of the party through direct primary election were the popular aspirants that served in the administration of Oshiomhole with Obaseki and whom he related with as Oshiomhole’s boys. Oshiomhole had kept mum for so long. Many had said his quietude was not in pari-materia with his existential, essential activism and public space disposition. The expressive Iyamho-born politician, who deployed the singularity of his oratorical prowess in driving the electioneering of Obaseki in 2016, bided his time unlike Obaseki whose reactions had always been impulsively aggravating.
Left to Obaseki, he would circumvent leaders and members of the APC political family in the scheme of things. That was the philosophy that undergirded his quotidian disposition and perception of APC’s leaders in the state as being interested only in having government funds shared to them.
The quixotic demonisation of the APC leaders was Obaseki’s most ludicrous faux pas. How could the governor, who is the leader of the party in the state, fail so abysmally to understand the imperative of managing successes and expectations of members of his political family to consolidate on the structure? Before his current predilection, Obaseki’s original plot was to retire a good number of the old political warhorses and build his own structure of budding politicians. And, that was his howler: having inherited them, it behoves him to harvest their electoral assets and their nuisance values, going forward.
Nothing could have been simpler than that. Oshiomhole had already cut out Obaseki’s job for him by harnessing the potentialities of the politics and praxis of gladiators whom he galvanized behind his governorship candidature in 2016. But the governor has complicated an otherwise simple relationship because of self-interest. In fact, Obaseki had created the impression that he was not interested in politics but he is now so enamoured of governorship power, a disposition that is tantamount to the Chichidodo bird in Ayi Kwei Armah’s “The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born”. The Chichidodo bird hates feces, but loves the maggots therein.
Obaseki has been deploying the governorship power in its vast flourish to unsettle the APC family and raise the political temperature in the state. After his gambit to supplant the political structure in the APC collapsed, he is pathetically progressing in egregious blunders. To be sure, Obaseki had his own plans and calculations cleverly scripted and laid-out for implementation. But what he did not factor into his plan was the emergence of Oshiomhole as national chair of the APC. Had that not happened, Obaseki’s plan was to rout Oshiomhole and his political structure.
Before the 2019 general election, Obaseki had, at the level of governance, desecrated the philosophy of continuity on which Oshiomhole premised and rationalised his choice as a successor. He had curiously upended projects and programmes that he inherited from the Oshiomhole administration in which he played a strategic part as Chair of the Economic and Strategy Team. Two critical legacy projects: the five-star Central Hospital in Benin and the Edo Storm Water project- were unconscionably abandoned.
Blacklisting these two projects, among others, gifted opposition parties in the state grounds to continue to vilify Oshiomhole and disparage his administration. It was Obaseki’s plot to turn the people against Oshiomhole so that he could create a new popularity momentum around himself. Whereas, what he needed to do was to facilitate the completion of the outstanding 25 percent component of the hospital project; he never did so. Secondly, whereas, what he needed to do to maximize the functionality of the Storm Water Project was to de-silt the drainages so that flood water can flow through them seamlessly, he never did. Whereas, that is the essence of continuity in government, Obaseki scorned the philosophy in furtherance of his blinkered agenda.
Oshiomhole addressed these and other ancillary issues in his media interviews. First he said there was nothing personal about his disagreement with Obaseki as they remain friends – Comrade and Goddy – as the duo address each other. But the issues remain Obaseki’s constitutional infractions, lack of fidelity to the philosophy of continuity of Oshiomhole administration’s legacy projects and failure to constitute boards in order to empower party members and leaders across the 192 wards in the state – about a year to the end of the administration to validate the APC and the governor’s re-election.
These claims are very weighty and define the contention in the party? The weight and precision of the claims were such that Obaseki could not logically and reasonably discount them through the instrumentality of “a further and better affidavit”. By heaping the coal of fire on Obaseki’s head, Oshiomhole had perceptibly redefined the shape, texture, context and content of the complex politicking and political narratives around the executive-induced APC crisis in Edo.
Obaseki’s decision to ignore Oshiomhole’s claims had largely reinforced the truth in them; otherwise, the governor could have addressed the claims so that the Edo people would be able to make their inferences. But obviously overwhelmed by the magnitude of Oshiomhole’s claims, Obaseki would appear to have lost the little gravitas he hitherto had and has now continued to accentuate his clumsiness through a rash of discourteous acts towards Oshiomhole at public functions.
Some pictures have been trending on the social media showing how during exchanges of pleasantries, Obaseki would sit somewhat comfortably in his chair to respond to Oshiomhole’s greetings. In another of such pictures, where he acted the same way, his condescension was made more glaring by his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, who stood up right beside him, to pump hands with Oshiomhole. Such disrespect only serves to confirm that all is not well between Comrade and Goddy. This is the essential weight of the matter.
The federal government and governors of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory Administration have finally agreed to create a National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) and not RUGA which President Muhammadu Buhari earlier suspended as a result of the controversies it generated.
The governors and federal government under the aegis of National Economic Council (NEC), said that the National Livestock Transformation Plan will be optional and will also include as a member, the federal ministry of agriculture and natural resources.
The decision was taken today, September 19, after the chairman of the sub-committee on herders/farmers crisis and governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi briefed NEC at its monthly meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo.
“NEC adopted the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) January 18, 2019 and it is a creation of National Economic Council, of course, in liaison with the federal government.
“States will determine whether or not to participate. Federal government did not impose this plan. Participation remains voluntary. What we are talking about is National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) is a product of NEC in liaison with federal government.”
The committee said that the National Livestock Transformation Plan is not targeted only on cows but a holistic strategy to address animal husbandry.
“The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
“The six key pillars include: economic develop (investment), conflict resolution, justice and peace, humanitarian relief and early recovery (to IDPs), human capital development and cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.”
The committee proposed implementation guidelines to guide federal government and states.
“N100 billion budget was proposed to support the project. Federal government is to contribute 80 percent in grant to support the project while states will contribute land, project implementation structure, personnel and 20 percent cost of the project.
“Council resolved today that there is need to look at the trans-human West African protocol. You cannot allow such movement of cattle without registration and monitoring; Council emphasized the need to continue to establish that the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) is a creation of NEC and state governors and of course minister of agriculture is also a member of this committee. The minister of interior is also a member, and it is entirely distinct from Ruga.”
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Celebrated blogger and socialite, Linda Ikeji, celebrated her 39th birthday yesterday, September 19 in Dubai with friends and family even as a controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo said Linda was telling lie about her real age, arguing that she is 43 not 39.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that it was not just enough to lead Nigeria into the Africa Continental Trade Agreement, but that his government wants quality products for trading between Nigeria and participating countries.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined the International Coalition for the Safety and Protection of Maritime Navigation and aimed at guaranteeing the Safety of Maritime Corridors.
The House of Representatives has directed Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend the implementation of the cashless policy on deposits and withdrawals above N500,000 by individuals and N3 million for corporate organizations.
The interviews granted by a former governor of Edo State and National Chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to select Television stations, on Friday, September 6, 2019, were historic because they enabled him respond to sundry questions and to counter the series of complex narratives woven round the Edo House of Assembly crisis by the other party.
