Bukola Saraki Is A Nightmare For APC

Prior to 2015, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in its desperation to get elected, made several fake promises to the electorate during its campaigns, and labelled PDP government as very corrupt. APC further promised Nigerians to fight and eradicate corruption from the country while improving the living standard of Nigerians.
Beyond the massive propaganda which was employed by APC to defeat the PDP government in 2015, Nigerians have now seen very clearly the limitations of APC as a party and what its government truly represents.
 The general insecurity in the country stemming from unprecedented inter-tribal conflicts, heightened agitation for secession and self-determination by various nationalities making up the country while incidence of corruption is believed to even be worse under the current APC government. In addition, the worthlessness of the Naira, depletion of country’s foreign reserves, terrible and erratic power supply, high prices and scarcity of petroleum products, unbearable rate of inflation and seeming helplessness of the APC to guarantee safely of lives and properties (ritual killings are the new norms under the APC government) have so far become the notable attributes of APC government.
The one question which Nigerians continue to ask themselves is, “are we better off today than seven years ago?” to which the answer has been an overwhelming “No”.
The PDP has remained out of power for almost 8 years. The APC has brought upon the country, every type of disaster and unwanted change. Nigerians have steadily yearned for a better governance while many have even openly called for the return of PDP because to them, if corruption means safety of lives and properties, fastest growing economy in Africa, improved living standard among Nigerians, respect for human rights and freedom of expression, and high purchasing power for the naira, – all of which were present under each PDP government, but which the APC government has since failed to provide, and which it has no capacity to guarantee, then please bring back corruption.
While expecting the PDP to have learnt its lessons, Nigerians seemed prepared and determined to bring back PDP into power come 2023. This desire of Nigerians to support the PDP must however not be taken for granted. The party still needs to get its acts together, overcome petty internal disputes, and present quality candidates who are popular with voters and acceptable to cross sections of the country.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s Factor
Senator Bukola Saraki without doubt, represents the new type of leadership needed to take the country out of present political conundrum to its glorious height. .
A medical doctor, a former state Governor, and former Senate President under whose leadership, the Legislative arm demonstrated clear understanding of its constitutional responsibilities, its oversight roles and respect for the rule of law, while also passing a record number of vital and beneficial legislations in the history of our country.
 Nothing demonstrated his leadership attributes and popularity among Nigerians better than being able to keep the Senate united and focused throughout the most trying period of his leadership as Senate President in the 8th Assembly.
Zoning wise, the refusal or seeming fear of Peter Obi to declare interest in the 2023 President clearly leaves Bukola Saraki as the only and best Presidential candidate the PDP should give its ticket to. This is an unusual time in our history, and we must think outside the box to find an unusual solution.
 A country so diverse in tribe, religion and culture at a time of high insecurity, agitation for nationalities independence and sense of exclusion by the Nigerian youths who make up over 65% of the country’s population, needs to elect a courageous candidate who understands the issues and has the capacity to appeal to every segment of the population.
Highly educated professional, a courageous leader who is not easily intimidated upon his conviction to do the right thing, a good communicator with deep knowledge of true workings of democracy, fluent in many Nigerian languages and a candidate with ancestral links to, or social connection with major tribes and groups throughout the country, he is positioned as the best uniter and rallying point Nigeria needs today.
 Based on his interviews and legislative actions, saraki appears as the only candidate who can relate well with the youths who are already disillusioned with a system that deliberately excludes or prevents them from political participation. He demonstrated his commitment to the interests of the Nigerian youths by ensuring the passage of the “Not too young to rule Act of 2018. As a Governor and Senate President, he employed and surrounds himself with more youths than anyone else. Without doubt, Senator Bukola Saraki is a perfect bridge between the old and the young population of this country,
Furthermore, like Peter Obi from the Southeast (another deprived zone), Senator Bukola Saraki comes from the North Central geo-political zone of the country that has been so long excluded from presidency of the country since 1999. To any lover of fairness and equity within the PDP and whoever truly believes in power rotation among various zones and population brackets therefore, Saraki remains the best 2023 PDP Presidential candidate-especially at this unusual time in our political history and survival.
When Donald Trump looked at the prospective Democratic challengers, he readily and correctly identified Joe Biden as the only candidate with capacity to defeat him at the general election. Trump therefore cooked up false narratives and allegations to discredit Biden who had not even declared his intention to run for President at the time. From accusing Biden’s son of corruption to pressurizing Ukrainian President Zelensky to declare a fake corruption probe against Joe Biden etc.
Similarly, whatever anyone may say about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,the national leader of APC (who professed to have a lifetime ambition to become Nigeria’s President), we must recognize his talent for identifying prospects and challenges ahead of time.
With the rising political profile of Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his other natural talents, Tinubu like Donald Trump knew long time ago that Senator Bukola Saraki is the only candidate with capacity to bring about Asiwaju’s waterloo at any national election for same office. That explains Tinubu’s relentless attacks and propaganda against Senator Saraki. To Tinubu therefore, eliminating or destroying Saraki politically ahead of 2023 is a necessity, and whether Tinubu ultimately gets the APC 2023 ticket or not is irrelevant. Saraki remains the greatest nightmare for APC as a party.
I,therefore ,appeal to the leaders and critical stakeholders within the PDP to put the interest of Nigeria ahead of personal interests and rally round the most formidable, the most acceptable and the probably the best candidate with greatest appeal to all age groups and component nationalities of the country.
Madam Toyin Olupitan,Chicago, USA
Oyetola Promises Better Deal For People With Disabilities

Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has said that his administration will continue to protect the interest of Persons with Disabilities(PWDs) in the state.
He gave the assurance  during an engagement programme with the members of Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Osun Chapter on Thursday in Osogbo.
He was represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye.
He said his administration is committed to  their welfare, adding that they are important members of the society, who deserve to be well catered for.
The governor said, to show how important the PWDs are, there is an ongoing  Executive Bill tagged “Special People’s Bill” for their protection.
The bill when passed and signed into law,  persons with disabilities will be safeguarded against any form of discrimination and also have equal access to an environment conducive to social and economic development.
He spoke on other intervention programmes, saying the PWDs were also given priority during the state government free monthly food distribution.
He noted that a reasonable number of  PWDs  also benefited from the Community for Social Development Project (CSDP) as well as training at skills acquisition centers built for persons with disabilities in various parts of the state.
According to him, “part of their social intervention programmes include survival loan; Covid-19 palliatives; special grant transfer programme under YESSO from World Bank in collaboration with the State Government.
“Also over 300 persons with disabilities are benefiting from the N10,000 monthly grant of the state government’s “Gbowo Ga” scheme for empowerment.
“You can be rest assured that I will continue to protect your welfare and interest in further unfolding opportunities”, the governor said.
On the July 16 governorship election in the state, Oyetola urged them to obtain their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and vote for him for continuity and development as he assured that if reelected, he would not disappoint them.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on Youths, Sports and Special needs, Aremo Adegboyega Adelabu, said that the ministry is tirelessly working on the Special People’s Bill to encapsulate the PWDs needs.
Adelabu said that the bill , when passed, would establish PWDs Commission for their benefits.
On his part, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperative and Empowerment, Dr Bode Olaonipekun, said that the state government had organised several trainings for the PWDs with start-up packages.
Olaonipekun urged members of the association  to submit their members’ database  to assist  government to  offer them better assistance.
Also, Tlrhe Commissioner for political affairs, Taiwo Akeju assured the PWDs that the state government would not in anyways exempt them from the benefits accrued to them.
In his response, the Spokesperson of the PWDs, Mr Sunday Smith, commended the governor for the various social intervention and empowerment programmes given to them.
Smith  said the  members of the association  are solidly behind the governor who according to him has performed well in all sectors.
“We enjoy the benefits of the monthly food distribution, Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS), empowerment, training with startup packages.
“However, we request for more appointments, recruitment slots, empowerment programmes and mobility means to convey us to various places,” he said.
CBN Says Bank Customers Get Over N95bn Refund

The Central Bank of Nigeria  said cumulative refund by banks to customers as at December ending 2021 stood at N95.2 billion.
This is contained in data released by the bank at the opening ceremony of the bank’s 2022 fair held in Jalingo, Taraba State.
It  urged the public to always lodge complaints with banks over service-related issues, adding that cumulative complaints from customers as of December 2021 was 27,080
The bank disclosed  that 25,483 complaints were successfully resolved.
Branch Controller of CBN in Jalingo, Mr. Idris Dagona,who  spoke  at the fair said, the Fair was aimed at having an enlightened public and receiving feedback that would enrich future policy reviews and developments.
“The sensitization will also highlight the position of the Bank as a dynamic organisation with a view to promoting confidence in the economy, improve the standard of living for all Nigerians, thereby making CBN a proactive regulator.
Meanwhile,the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has said that 23 banks Chief Executive Officers, representing 35 per cent banks’ leadership are women.
He disclosed this while addressing participants at a webinar organised by the Deputy Governor in charge of the Financial System Stability Directorate, Mrs Aishah Ahmad, as part of activities to commemorate the 2022 International Women’s Day at the CBN.
He said  the bank, in an effort to increase representation of women in the industry, had been using the gender diversity model as part of the criteria for approving the membership of boards of institutions under its regulatory purview.
He added  that such gender mandates was necessary to break the bias in the Nigerian banking industry, and that; ‘eight out of the 23 bank chief executive officers, representing 35 per cent, were women, which was way above the global average.”
According to him, 32 per cent of the CBN’s total workforce are female, which surpasses affirmative action.
He also said that the bank has issued gender-mandated regulations to pave way for gender diversity and inclusiveness at the top management levels in the Nigerian banking industry.
The CBN, he noted, had also issued a policy that requires a minimum of 30 per cent of female representation on boards and 40 per cent at the top management level in the banking industry.
Most Indigenous Coys Lack Capacity To Develop IOCs Divested Assets-PENGASSAN

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has lamented the failure of most indigenous companies to manage the divested assets they acquired from International Oil Companies in the country.
The union conveyed the development in a statement  signed by its President,Comrade Festus Osifo and General Secretary Comrade Lumumba .I. Okugbawa.
Bemoaning the spate of the divestment,the union  said that the trend which started in 2012 has spread quickly within the industry and has somewhat reduced the fortunes of developments within the oil and gas fields.
It said:“While we are not averse to indigenous participation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry, we will not fold our arms and allow mediocre to take hold of our national assets and ruin the fortunes of future generations for immediate gains.
 “It is on record that since IOCs started divestment in 2012, most of the companies that purchased such assets do not have and cannot attract the requisite finances for capital expenditures in such fields nor have made reasonable efforts to provide the required human and technical developments of Nigerians within their establishment.
“Most of these companies practically draw from the existing wells until it is dried up. They do not substantially if at all invest in work over operations or drilling of new wells. A country whose major source of foreign exchange earnings is Oil and Gas cannot afford to allow this depletion to continue and this charge PENGASSAN has decided to lead”.
It added  that most of these companies do not only refuse the unionization of workers but also subject their employees to sub-optimal conditions.
It said the development is reprehensible and against all known laws and conventions.
The union vowed  that it will henceforth not cooperate with any company whether indigenous or foreign that does not have the capacity to develop the oil and gas fields or have a track record of subjecting employees to modern-day slavery.
“The Minister of Petroleum must be worried of portfolio and briefcase investors in the Oil and Gas sector whose sole aim is to milk the field dry, as this will prevent a similar fate that befell the power sector. NNPC limited must be strengthened to become a major player in the upstream environment to spur and attract investment to Nigeria
“Concerted efforts should be made to persuade and further incentivize the IOCs to remain in the country in order to benefit from the newly passed PIA. However, should they decide to exit after all efforts fail, a good investor that has relevant technical experience, good financial standing, and reputation for managing employees must be sort after”, PENGASSAN added.
It said in such divestments, the jobs of Nigerians working in such locations, their exit/welfare package, and the ability of the investors to continuously develop such field which will, in turn, provide jobs for Nigerians working in the oil and gas service sector will be of utmost priority.
He advised the Federal Government to make concerted efforts and persuade and further incentivize the IOCs to remain in the country in order to benefit from the newly passed Petroleum Industry Act
Groups Unveil Training Opportunities For Nigerian Female Journalists

Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) in collaboration with Women in Media, a CSO partner of the Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED) project has  invited  Nigerian journalists working in the areas women and women economic development (WEE) to enroll in a one- week certificate course in Development Communication for WEE
This opportunity is part of the efforts by the ACSPN and PAWED to test pilot the repositioning and revitalization of university education in Nigeria, through the unbundling Mass Communication by the National Universities Commission (NUC), into several separate degree programmes, thereby, making Mass Communication be a full Faculty.
The unbundling of the programme, which is among the recent major reforms by the Commission, is to meet current demands in university education in line with global development and best practices. This one-week course is designed to test key elements of the Development Communication curriculum with a sub-specialization on WEE.
Twenty-eight journalists will be selected to participate in this pilot course between 29th March to 2nd April 2022 in Abuja.
ACSPN and PAWED will fully fund the course including fees, accommodation, study materials, incidentals, and transportation for all selected participants.
“Women Journalists are enjoined to apply. Interested and qualified journalists are invited to submit a CV and publications on WEE produced in the past 5 years to opportunities4journalists@gmail.com“, a statement said.
Ikeja Electric Explains  Upgrade Of Ikorodu Govt Tech College Workshop

 Ikeja Electric (IE), has renovated and upgraded the Electrical Workshop at Government Technical College (GTC) in Ikorodu, Lagos as part of efforts to support the improvement technical capacity building in Lagos State.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony,the company noted that the gesture was aimed at boosting technical education in the state, while complementing the efforts of government through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ikeja Electric, Folake Soetan emphasized that the company remains passionate about giving back to communities where it operates.
 “We care about our customers and we look for every opportunity to support them, through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform, which has touched thousands of lives positively.
“We acknowledge the efforts of Federal, State and Local Governments in providing quality education for our children and raising the future leaders of tomorrow. No doubt, the responsibility being handled by government is huge and demand is enormous. Government cannot do it all alone. That is why private organisations like Ikeja Electric throw their weight behind initiatives that support government and drive development”.
” At IE we give back to the societies where we operate. Therefore, in line with our commitment towards education, we decided to rehabilitate the Electrical Workshop at Government Technical College (GTC), Ikorodu, in order to further enhance technical capacity building and create a conducive learning environment for the students,” she explained.
She  noted that the philanthropic gesture demonstrated IE’s commitment to the goal of promoting quality education. “There’s no doubt that education is the bedrock of development for any nation. Clearly, when technical skills are encouraged among young people, it helps a nation to develop in terms of technology, economy, manpower, self-sustenance, creation of job and reduction of unemployment.”
Commending Ikeja Electric for the gesture, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, who was represented by Dr Funke Oyetola, Director of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics in the Lagos State Education Ministry, expressed gratitude to the Disco for contributing towards improving the facility and adding value to the school while encouraging them to partner more with the State. She commended the exemplary gesture by IE, noting that the impact will definitely be meaningful to the recipients because the quality of learning will improve thereby enhancing capabilities and potentials of the students for future challenges.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB, Ms. Moronke Azeez thanked the Disco. She said the mission of the Board was to provide industry response and gender inclusive technical and vocational education. According to her, the Board was not only interested in the training of the students but was also engaging technical partners to help create startups and employment opportunities for them. She said the State currently had about 400 partners involved in the exercise, adding that there was need for more private sector support of technical and vocational education in the state
The Principal of Government Technical College, Ikorodu, Mrs. Kenku Adedoyin also applauded Ikeja Electric for expending resources and time in order to impact on the lives of students and teachers. According to her, the students feel very comfortable in the workshop, they are excited to learn because of the conducive environment.
“Therefore, we want to express our gratitude to Ikeja Electric for being our partner in progress in nurturing and supporting the talents that will graduate from this College. We want to reassure them that we will maintain it. And we believe you hear positive news about our students,” she said.
After unveiling the plaque, the guests toured the facility to witness the rehabilitation works carried out by Ikeja Electric. The DisCo noted that upgrading the Electrical Workshop was part of its contribution towards advancing technical education and capacity building among young talents.
Ikeja Electric has been deliberate in its effort to empower youth and develop engineers who are able to compete on global stage. The DisCo has a Young Engineers’ Programme (YEP), a 12-month comprehensive programme designed to improve the capacity of young, dynamic and self-motivated talents in the electrical engineering field. The program which has been running for several years have graduated over 100 engineers.
Stop Extorting  Oil Coys, Wike Warns Communities

Governor Nyesom Wike,has warned oil bearing communities in Rivers State, to desist from the habit of disrupting the operations of oil companies operating in their domain as the only way of extracting favour from them.
He  said there is greater gain communities can derive when they notify the State government of any dispute they may have with oil companies operating in their areas.
Wike,who gave the warning  when members of the Ogba traditional council and stakeholders formally introduced His Eminence, Nwachukwu Obuoha Nnam-Obi, III,  Oba of Ogbaland to the governor at
Government House, Port Harcourt,observed that most communities take to violence and think it is the best way for them to get what they want from any company.
He disclosed that the state government will no longer tolerate a situation where  communities will block roads, stop operations of companies and think government will intervene on their behalf, insisting that communities must  at all times first report their grievances to the state government and not resort to taking laws into their hands.
“It is not when you go and blow up oil  pipelines or gas pipelines that you get what you want to get. No community can do it alone.
“There is nothing wrong with you liaisoning with government to make sure companies fulfil their promises and whatever is provided in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). You need government to give you support.”
Governor Wike said the support the state government can give should first be sought by the community, which will enable them not to take the laws in their hands.
He said that any community that engages in avoidable violent protests against any company can also not use such to intimidate government because they will be left to their fate.
He added:”If you recongnise the government, the first thing you will do is to let government know that these are your grievances against the companies operating in your domain.It shouldn’t be to just go and take the action and say government will come. I will not come. But you get the support if you don’t take the laws in your hands.”
 Import Reduction Fetched Nigeria N5.03trn  In Four Years – Onu

 Nigeria recorded a cumulative savings of N5.03 trillion as a result of import reduction in four years,Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science Technology and Innovation,has said.
Onu disclosed this in Abuja at the closing ceremony of Science and Technology EXPO 2022,where he also  explained that import reduction was due to  the patronage of local products.
The minister who justified the figure with a  the data from the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) and the United Nations Harmonised System Code, said the value of savings from import reduction of N613.6billion in 2017, N412.8 billion in 2018, N2.3trillion in 2019 and N1.71trillion in 2020.
According to him, his ministry contributed immensely to import reduction through its various initiatives designed for economic transformation, job creation and poverty reduction.
Some of the new policies introduced by the ministry since the inception of the present administration include the National Science, Technology and Innovation Roadmap 2017-2030; National Strategy for Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Products Development; Presidential Executive Order No. 5; Methanol Fuel Technology and Leather and Leather Products Policy, among others.
He noted that the implementation of these policies has resulted in moving the economy from depending entirely on commodities to knowledge-based and innovation-driven.
Police Arrest Monarch, Others Over Stolen Transformers

Police have quizzed  Alayetoro of Ayetoro-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olufisan Ajayi (Odundun Asodedero 1) and some other persons led by one Chief Femi Ajibola, the Sajuku of Ayetoro-Ekiti over  missing electric transformers.
They were alleged to have conspired to vandalise and steal two transformers located at Oke-Odi community in the town.
The action of the  police  was sequel to  a petition filed by an Akure-based Lawyer, Barrister Iyiola Afolabi and addressed to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 17, Ijapo, Akure, Ondo State on March 13, 2022.
He wrote  the petition on behalf of his 19 clients, who are natives of Ayetoro-Ekiti.
 He said:”Our clients, the Oke-Odi Quarters, Ayetoro-Ekiti have been thrown into darkness and the business of residents negatively affected by the unlawful removal of the transformers meant to supply electricity to the community.This dastardly act was allegedly committed by a group of people led by one Chief Femi Ajibola, the Sajuku of Ayetoro-Ekiti who allegedly sold the transformers to merchants from lbadan, Oyo State. Our clients reported this incident to the Alayetoro-in Council, which mandated Chief Femi Ajibola and his cohorts to return the transformers latest the 15th December 2021.
“Upon failure to comply with this directive, our clients reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State where their representatives made statements to the Police since the 21st December, 2021.At the Ekiti State Police Headquarter, facts emerged that the Alayetoro of Ayetoro Ekiti, His Royal Highness, Oba Samuel Ajayi (Odundun Asodedero 1) actually gave the Instruction for the removal of the transformers as well as about 4 other transformers) in Ayetoro-Ekiti.
“The suspects were granted bail at the Ekiti State Police Headquarter, Ado Ekiti with an understanding that the transformers shall be returned within two weeks.However up till date, the transformers are still at large and no charges have been preferred against the affected individuals, possibly owing to their positions in the community. The merchants who received the stolen products in the guise of purchasers were also not invited for interrogation.
“We have the instruction of our clients, the Oke-Odi Quarters, Ayetoro-Ekltl to request that you (AIG) use your good offices to take over the investigation of the case to give succor to the suffering masses and bring any culpable individual to justice, knowing that the law is no respecter of persons and positions.”
It was gathered  that the AIG office in Akure had summoned the monarch and other suspects for questioning over the incident on Wednesday March 16, 2022.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Zone-17, Mr Akeem Adeoye, confirmed the incident, saying the AIG office had commenced investigation into the case.
Lawmaker Advocates 3-Year Validity For UTME Results

Member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency, Rep Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has advocated  that the law establishing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) should be amended to increase the validity of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to three years.
She said the  bill was sponsored on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday .
The bill tagged, A Bill for an Act To Amend The Joint Admission And Matriculation Board (Establishment, Etc) Act, 2021 and other Related Matters, urged the House to look into increasing the number of years JAMB results will be valid for.
Akande-Sadipe,  hinted that the proposed amendment for the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, the body conducting the examination will make it function better.
According to her,the annual examination is in order and has been able to determine applicants who are prepared for the rigorous task of studying in the tertiary environment but having a year valid score has been cumbersome, distorting, and worrisome to the average Nigerian.
She added: “Most examinations meant for entrance for academics or otherwise are generally more than a year. Take a look at IELTS, SATS, GRE, and others recognised exam, they are either valid for three or four years and they have remained one of best after being able to stand the test of time.The bill seeks to increase the validity of the results of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) from one (1) year to three (3) years”.
She also noted that candidates, after the bill is adopted and passed into law, could be admitted into the university three years after sitting for UTME, stressing that this will save many Nigerians cost of purchasing UTME forms every year.
Speaking after plenary Rep. Tolulope gave reasons for the extension of score validity beyond one academic year, she said some of which is to minimise the cost of running the examination, to allows candidates to plan, project and decide on which of the institutions to study, to allows candidates to determine what to study and at where after seeing his/her strength and weaknesses, to minimise the logistical need for conducting the examination, to reduces uncertainties surrounding applications and admissions and also to drastically reduced the number of applicants yearly without reducing the quality of the examination.
She said: “It is our job to legislate; make laws that will ease the sufferings of Nigerians. At the floor, I identified a major area that we need to look into in amending the act establishing JAMB.