Day: April 3, 2023

A group- PL-25: Twenty-five APC Progressive Leaders, has endorsed Ahmed Wase, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as its preferred candidate for 10th Speaker of the House.

Mr Lekan Ogunleke, the Secretary of the group, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Ogunleke said that Nigeria needed a team player like Wase as the 10th Speaker of the House to build on the achievements of Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing speaker.

He added that the next speaker must have the ability to carry all lawmakers along in spite of political divide.

“This is because a lot of first-timers will be coming into the house, a perfect team player and an experienced leader would therefore be needed as the speaker to ensure stability and good leadership.

“Wase will be a perfect fit as the country’s next speaker because of his long legislative experience,” he said.

Ogunleke said the group was formed in 2019 to promote the ethos and values of the progressive party saying it was committed to good governance, charity, philanthropy, progressivism, egalitarian society and due process.

Mr Ade Omole, a member of the group who also spoke with NAN, said the 2023 general elections showed that power had returned to the people.

He added that the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) by INEC was the game-changer in the Presidential and National Assembly election as it returned power to the people.

This, Omole said, was because the device had made rigging nearly impossible during the election.

He said that there were surprises at the poll and the bookmakers got their permutations wrong following major upsets and earthquakes that characterised the election.

“Even the APC lost Lagos State which is one of its strongholds to the Labour Party which had never happened in the country’s political history.

“Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman also lost his senatorial zone to the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, Sen. Ahmed Wadada who emerged the winner of the Nasarawa South Senatorial District election.

“At least seven outgoing governors could not win the election in their bid to cross over to the senate after their second term as governors,” he said.

Omole said that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State also lost Enugu North Senatorial District to Labour Party’s Okechukwu Ezea, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu equally lost.

He added that all these would certainly play up ih the 10th Assembly as many first-timers and new lawmakers would be coming in, saying that a strong match with great legislative experience would be needed as the speaker.

He described Wase as a fine gentleman with unparalleled legislative experience that could perfectly fit into that position, saying there was no need to look further.

Omole said that the success of every democracy rested on the quality of the parliament which underscores the need to always have in place a team player as the head.

Also speaking, Dr Wole Aboderin, a member of the group said what the country needed at this point in time, was a stabiliser, a go-getter and a team player.

He added that while Sen. Bola Tinubu, the President-elect had proven himself as a man with the capacity and ability to turn things around for good while he was governor of Lagos State for two terms, he needed a speaker with experience to work with.

Mr Ajibola Akindele, another member of the group said looking at the performance of some key political players in the country, Wase stood out as a man with great capacity and legislative experience.

He said that Wase had contributed immensely in giving shape to the country’s legislature since the birth of democracy in 1999.

Akindele added that in spite of challenges, Nigeria’s parliament remained one of the best in the comity of democracies around the world.

“The quality of the legislature determines the direction all government policies go and are implemented because besides making laws, the legislature oversights the execution of the laws.

“And because of these critical constitutional roles, the legislature has provided a solid foundation to the pillars that hold democracy everywhere it is practiced.

Akindele said that Wase was a household name on the Plateau and in the politics of the state and within the legislative community in the country.

He said that since 2007, Wase had remained a force to reckon with in the country’s legislative scheme and the world generally.

“He is not just the Deputy Speaker in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, but also the Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament.

“He is today, one of the finest legislators that have built experience and a wall of solid political friendship with other political players across the country’s six geopolitical zones,” he said

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr Solomon Arase and Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Baba, have expressed commitment to promote harmonious working relationship between the commission and police force.

This commitment was made when the I-G paid a courtesy call on the chairman on Monday in Abuja.

Arase, while addressing newsmen said the commission and the police force had insisted on collaboration in their relationships.

He added that they had agreed that synergy between PSC and the police high command was needed to ensure a properly motivated police force.

He said they were ready to change the negative narratives about the frosty relationship that had existed between the commission and Nigeria Police Force in recent time.

According to him, there will be a paradigm shift going forward.

“We don’t have to quarrel about their promotions; we don’t have to quarrel about their recruitment.

So, everything will be seamlessly done in such a way that everybody will be happy and it will be a win, win situation for everybody,” he said.

On the recruitment of police personnel, the PSC boss said “that a small team would set up to sit together, and take a look at the issue to enable the police high command and the commission review the process’’.

He said that the recruitment of police personnel was not supposed to be an issue, saying that both the commission and police force needed understanding to achieve results.

He assured that the commission under his leadership would ensure that the best personnel would always be recruited into the police force to enhance competence and professionalism.

The I-G Baba, said the visit was to assure the commission of the readiness of the police force to work in harmony and improve their relationship.

He said proper leadership, guidance; sense of direction, proper maintenance of discipline, promotion and appointment in the police force, personnel would be motivated to do the right things.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian media on Monday inaugurated a nine-member board of the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), otherwise known as the National Ombudsman, to strengthen public confidence in the media.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission was inauguration in Ikeja, Lagos by the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO).

NAN reports that NPO comprises Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).

Malam Kabiru Yusuf, the President of NPO and President of NPAN, at the inauguration, said that the commission would `watch the watchdog.

According to him, NPO is the umbrella body of owners, editors and reporters of print and online journalists in Nigeria, taking the responsibility of regulating its work and conduct.

“In deference to the dictum, that journalism is too important to be left to journalists, we have opted for a mechanism of co-regulation.

“This is done with the help of other actors like the civil society, especially the bar and non-media Non Governmental Organisations.

“Radio and television are already regulated, but the print, which is the oldest, and online, which is the newest, have escaped such control.

“The former warned by the lessons of history and the latter, by the amplitude of technology.

“Powerful and privileged Nigerians, irritated by the nosiness of the media, often express the wish for some checks on its powers. I sometimes think that such people take freedom for granted,” he said.

Yusuf, however, said that some journalists seemed all out to prove that their pen was indeed a sword for slaying real or imaginary enemies.

“The Ombudsman will call such people to order, to appreciate that the power of the press should be used for good, not for self-aggrandisement.

“To be effective, the physician has to heal himself, before he can apply the cure to others.

“We have selected a strong team to administer this medicine,” he added.

According to him, the nine-member commission will be chaired by Mr Emeka Izeze, former Editor-in- Chief and Managing Director of the Guardian Newspapers.

“Izeze is one of our very best. To work with him, we have selected other leading lights of our profession and that of our partners,” he added.

Yusuf listed other members of the commission to include: Malam AB Mahmoud, former President, Nigerian Bar Association; Prof. Chinyere Okunna, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Paul University, Awka; and Dr Hussaini Abdu, Country Director Care International.

Also among are: Mr Lanre Idowu, Editor-in-Chief, Diamond Publications; Mrs Eugenia Abu, Veteran broadcaster and author; Mr Edetean Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda.

Mrs Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo, lawyer and former Editor, and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information, are also part of the team.

“We expect the commission to serve as an independent forum for resolving complaints about the press quickly, fairly, and free of charge.

“It must maintain high standards of Nigerian journalism and journalists’ ethics; and defend the freedom of the press and the right of the people to know.

“We invite all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to support this initiative. The media is wary of government regulation because politicians tend to have short-term goals.

“We are happy to submit to peer-regulation, by collaborating with civil societies, business and the professionals,” he added.

Yusuf commended the working committee, made up of the NPAN, NGE, NUJ and the Guild of Online Publishers, which worked together to develop the ombudsman mechanism.

Responding, Izeze commended stakeholders for the initiative and the confidence reposed on NMCC members.

He said that the commission was not to gag the media.

He said that the stakeholders had fought for so long to keep the media unaffected by the shenanigans of those who were in government at one time or the other in the country.

According to him, since the military regime to date, there have been certain distastes for the media and people always look for how to keep the media in check.

“What has happened lately is that we (media practitioners) haven’t also been keeping ourselves in check.

“Our responsibility primarily is not to come and gag the press, we will not do that. We think that we have to be fair to ourselves. We must always do the right thing.

“So, when the public is complaining, instead of waiting for the people who do not understand this job to pull us down, we will remember this commission and take the imitative to address the issue.

“People do not like their dirty stories being told in the public and there are too many dirty stories that have to be told, particularly in our environment, to make progress,” the veteran said.

According to him, the job is to give the public a channel for seeking redress.

“I assure you that with my colleagues here, we will attempt to do justice to your expectations and see how far we can go to help the media operate professionally.

“We will see how far we can go to help the media to observe some of those rules that we drew for ourselves and help the media to build what this nation needs.

“We cannot make progress in this nation without the media operating professionally, it is not possible,” he said.

The event was attended by the leadership of NPO, NPAN, NGE, NUJ, BON and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, along with other strategic media players and the civil society.

NAN reports that Mr Sam Amuka-Pemu, the Founder and Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, inaugurated the commission.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A former treasurer and also former Vice-President of the World Bank, Dr Arunma Oteh, (2015 – 2018) says Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are capable of bailing Nigeria out of its multi-dimensional challenges.

Oteh made the declaration on Monday in Abuja in a lecture she delivered at the celebration of youth entrepreneurs empowered by an indigenous upstream oil and gas company, Seplat Energy Plc.

The lecture was titled: “Unleashing Nigeria’s Untapped Potential through Entrepreneurship and Sustainability.’’

She noted that any country that placed value on its SMEs and entrepreneurship already understood the formula for future successes.

She said Nigeria had lots of entrepreneurs that could be used to solve her multi-dimensional poverty and challenges.

She observed that entrepreneurs found solutions where others saw trouble, just as they are creative, innovative, tenacious, and are problem solvers.

Oteh said also that Nigeria needed to surmount challenges faced by SMES, which included unfavourable business environment, poor access to credit and epileptic power supply.

“We need to sort out power, because enterprises suffer more and the cost of doing business in Nigeria is higher than the cost of doing business in other countries.

“As an entrepreneur in Nigeria you have to provide your own electricity, water, and logistics,’’ she said.

Oteh commended Seplat Energy and its partner the Conversation 4 Change (C4C), an NGO for the initiative to train, empower and support young entrepreneurs.

Earlier Dr Chioma Nwachuku, Director, External Affairs and Sustainability at Seplat, said the event aimed at developing participants’ leadership skills, social entrepreneurship and business management abilities.

This, she explained, would be done through generalised and targeted capacity building workshops.

“The graduates’ ability to action their ideas is supported through equipment funding and mentoring.

“This year, we are celebrating the 23 successful graduates who received a cumulative funding of 16.5 million naira in seed money.

“Through this programme, we aim to enhance their lives by giving them the opportunity to forge their own ways and have a say in the future of their country,’’ she said.

Nwachuku noted that the International Labour Organisation had predicted that global unemployment level would rise by around three million to 208 million in 2023 (corresponding to a global unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent).

“In Nigeria, youth unemployment is a major concern. A 2022 report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics stated that Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 33.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2020.

“This implied a staggering 23.18 million persons of Nigeria’s labour force being out of job. It further indicated an increase in the country’s unemployment portfolio, mostly among the young and able youths.

“That is why, at Seplat Energy, we are proud to play a pivotal role in changing the narrative for young people in Nigeria.

“Since 2019, C4C and Seplat Energy Plc. have worked together to ensure that we improve the lives of young Nigerians by supporting them to start and sustain their business enterprises.

“Through this partnership, we have successfully trained and supported three batches of fellows; about 55 young entrepreneurs who are thriving, despite the odds stacked against businesses in Nigeria.

“Each beneficiary has shown resilience, creativity and innovation through the duration of the yearly programme,

“They have become our proof of concept that we can truly make Nigeria better by investing in the youth; one young person (or more) at a time,’’ Nwachuku said.

She added that the trainees were engaged from the selection process to intensive face-to-face training on key management aspects of business and participation in internship trainings.

The trainings are conducted by credible companies in the beneficiaries’ area of vocation and support provided for each of their businesses.

“Seplat Energy’s Corporate Social Responsibility over the last 11 years had been hinged on health, education, infrastructure and economic empowerment.

“We believe that the greatest route to economic growth in Nigeria is through economic empowerment of particularly the youth, women and the underserved,’’ she stressed.

In her remarks, Dr Kech Ogbuagu, President and Founder, C4C said the programme had produced 75 fellows with 85 per cent success rate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare on Sunday congratulated Anthony Joshua, Nigerian-born former world heavyweight boxing champion, for defeating his opponent, Jermaine Franklin in an international bout on Saturday.

Dare noted in his congratulatory message that Joshua fought like a lion to defeat his American challenger.

Joshua defeated Franklin by unanimous decision at the 02 Arena in London to get the crucial win in his first fight since his September 2022 loss to Oleksandr Uysk in Saudi Arabia.

“The former world champion demonstrated the heart of a lion in the encounter and his victory was well-deserved.’’ Dare stated in his congratulatory message.

The minister praised Joshua for keeping alive the “never-say-die’’ spirit for which Nigeria is known.

“You never gave up. With an undying spirit, you clutched victory when it mattered most.

“We will continue to cheer you on,’’ Dare wrote.

Joshua is expected to fight with Tyson Fury this summer after a dominant win over Franklin in his ring return.

The former world champion said after defeating Franklin that he and promoter Eddie Hearn were keen to organise a bout with Fury, with deal points already agreed from their failed December 2022 fight.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A legal practitioner and mediation expert, Mr Chijoke Nnanna-Ibeku, says mediation can replace the law courts in the resolution of conflicts in Nigeria if the necessary structures are put in place for it to thrive.

Nnanna-Ibeku stated this, while speaking at a ceremony organised for the graduation of peer mediators at the primary and junior secondary school levels in Abuja.

“Sooner than later, mediation will no longer be an alternative but the main thrust for the resolution of conflicts in Nigeria.

“This is the second time we are graduating these children.

“The idea is to imbibe the culture of mediation among children as much as possible – children who will become future leaders; who will hold political offices, and change the narrative of conflict resolution in Nigeria.

“I always say that in a class of 60 students who have undergone the peer mediation training, at least three to ten of them will imbibe this training and make it a normal practice in their lives,” he said.

He said filling up the gaps left in the wake of resolving conflicts along ethnic, religion, cultural, and political diversities is a major focus of the programme.

According to him, that will go a long way towards bringing peace and reducing conflicts to the minimum.

“We have in our template to certify 240 children as Peer Mediators this year .

“This will be achieved every quarter by certifying 60 children as peer mediators.

Mrs Margaret Ibeku, Co-ordinator, Three C’s met Mediators, said the training was organised to preach the language of peace and create a generational change among children, so that peace becomes the language.

“It is worrisome to see kids of about 10, 11 years of age fighting along tribal lines.

“We felt the best way is to get these young minds to begin a generational change.

“Firstly, preaching the language of peace, mediating in their families.schools, and communities, and as they grow up, they will continue to take it to the outer world.

“Right now, we are working with all the government schools in the FCT,” she said.

Mr Munsir Sule, an architect who is the Director of Physical Planning and Project Monitoring, described the training as a laudable one, and one of great interest to the board.

He said the programme was apt and timely.

Speaking on behalf of the chairman, Dr Alhassan Sule urged the children to imbibe the culture of peer mediation which they have been trained on and see the beauty in diversity.

“It is a laudable programme, and it brings better understanding among peers. They should see further than the issue of citizenry.

“It is cheaper than going to the courts. We are still going to train the teachers on this for them to better impact on the children,” he added.

Highpoints of the day was the award of certificates to the students and parents.

There were dance competitions and the staging of drama by some of the children.

The News Agency of NIgeria (NAN) reports that Three Cs Met International Institute Of Mediation Negotiation Counseling and Conciliation organised the training.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria