The African Union-Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC, Nigeria), on Thursday, said it is considering common currency and market for over 50 countries in the continent as part of its development plans under ‘Agenda 2063′.
It also expressed its displeasure towards the way many African countries are treating their respective citizens, saying by the end of 2020, it would ‘silent the guns’.
Nigeria’s Representative for AU-ECOSOCC, Dr Tunji John, disclosed this in Abuja when the AU delegation conferred an award on the Chairman/CEO ONELINK international, Amb. Nmaa Ahmed, in respect to his appointment as Chairman, Advisory Board to Political Affairs Cluster Committee of the assembly.
His words: “The African Union ‘Agenda 2063′ is a brain work for development. The slogan for that agenda is when you say African Union, you will say “Africa we want”. What type of Africa are we envisaging in the next 50 years? We are saying that we need an Africa with a common currency, common market.
“When the free protocol, free movement of people can be so eased without any hindrance, a Nigerian can wake up in Nigeria and find his way to South Africa without necessarily queuing for visa in South African Embassies,” he said.
John noted that the AU would leave no stone unturned in seeing that policies, programmes and framework for developments on the continent are properly implemented and domesticated across regions the same way SDGs of United Nations is done.
He added, “It is also worthy to note that 2020 is a year of silencing the guns within the Africa continent. I would have stood here to be speaking authoritatively, considering the way we have been working with people of like-minds we have put together that all guns would have been put to silence by now if not because of COVID-19. Notwithstanding, we are still assuring the general public that all guns will completely be silent by the end of year 2020.”
Speaking shortly after receiving his award, Ahmed noted that the honour was an opportunity for him to reach out to more people, adding that it was also an opportunity to promote AU’s agenda 2063.
He called on more Africans to come into the fold and join forces together in order to achieve the agenda.
There was a mild drama at the entrance of the Ondo State House of Assembly as two members of the opposition in the Assembly were prevented from entering into the House by the security men at the gate.
The drama was revealed in a one-minute, 30 seconds video that had gone viral.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Thursday.
The affected lawmakers, Mr Festus Akingbaso and Mr Rasheed Elegbeleye, who are representing Akoko North-East Constituency and Idanre Constituency, respectively are members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Assembly.
In the video, the two lawmakers were seen protesting against the action of the policemen at the gate.
The security guard told the lawmakers that the order to lock the gate came from the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oloyeloogun.
But one of the lawmakers put a call through to the speaker, Mr Bamidele Oloyeloogun, informing him about what happened at the gate yet the gate was not opened for them.
One of the aggrieved lawmakers, Elegbeleye, confirmed the video and said it was “a deliberate act” to shut them out.
Deputy-Minority Leader and member representing Ondo West constituency 1, Tomide, tweeted, “Anti-impeachment Honorable Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly prevented from entering the house of assembly today to attend plenary. Security officers at the gate claimed they are under strict instructions to deny all anti-impeachment lawmakers access.”
The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, has faulted the dismissal of Fidelia Onoghaife, the whistleblower who exposed Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Robert Petri.
Onoghaife, a Nigerian-British, who was the Senior Policy Advisor of Economic and Political Affairs at the Dutch Embassy in Nigeria, was sacked after revealing how Petri leaked confidential information about an extensive corruption investigation into the operation of Shell to the oil company.
To hide her dismissal, the Dutch Embassy alleged that she was high-handed in her behaviour and unpopular with staff.
Onoghaife dragged the matter to The Hague to rule on her sack.
Delivering judgment on the case, The Hague faulted the Dutch Embassy, saying “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has falsely fired her”.
After revealing the corrupt activities of Petri, the ministry promised Onoghaife that she would be protected as a whistleblower.
Following its integrity reports, the ministry sent an investigation team to Abuja, which was later followed by an investigation into “management problems” at the embassy.
Ambassador Petri was brought back to the Netherlands prematurely as a result of these investigations.
He got a position in The Hague and kept his job and salary.
Onoghaife, on the other hand, was fired shortly afterwards.
According to the ministry, this had nothing to do with her whistleblower report but was due to her part in the bad working atmosphere at the embassy.
The judge dismissed that suggestion in the ruling.
“It has been sufficiently established that the dismissal of the employee is related to the whistleblower report made by her,” said the judgment.
The judge also blames the ministry for repeatedly waving a report on the abuses in Abuja in which large parts had been made illegible.
Onoghaife’s attorney, Christian Oberman, says the former embassy employee was “very satisfied” with the verdict especially since “the court found that she was fired for her whistleblower report”.
“She feels that justice has been done and that she has been cleared of all blame,” Overman said.
She will receive compensation of two years salaries.
Onoghaife was supported in her fight by a large number of NGOs, who are concerned about the way the Dutch Government deals with Shell.
Donald Pols, Director of Milieudefensie, says in a response, “The ruling confirms the image that the Dutch Government is overshooting in its desire to facilitate Shell and other multinationals and is prepared to fire critical officials for this. We find this disturbing.
“It cannot be the case that a country such as the Netherlands, which attaches great importance to the international legal order, will dismiss an internal whistleblower. While the ambassador in Nigeria – whose integrity is under discussion – will be given a different position,”says Tuur Elzinga, Vice Chairman of the FNV trade union.
A coalition of international rights groups expressed backing and support for Onoghaife as they called on the Nigerian Government to protect her.
The groups want the Federal Government to invite the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain why Onoghaife was sacked despite having been promised that her job was safe after reporting Petri’s breach of confidentiality, invite the current Dutch Ambassador to explain the actions and implications of the actions his predecessor Petri and the Dutch Government’s silence on the matter.
“We urge you to strongly consider suspending the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Consultations between Nigeria and the Netherlands signed in 2018 and the 2019 agreements signed during the Dutch Prime Minister’s visit to Abuja in 2019.
“This dutiful and patriotic Nigerian was sacked by the Dutch Embassy for performing her civic duty. It is unfortunate that she has been left to carry her cross all lone,” HEDA said in the petition jointly signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju; Dr Godwin Ojo, ERA/FoE; Nicholas Hildyard, The CornerHouse; Simon Taylor, GlobalWitness; and Luca Manes of Re:Common and sent to Onyeama.
The groups said Nigeria cannot and should not look on when one of its citizens was being so shamefully abused.
According to the groups, Nigeria has also been treated with disdain, adding that a relationship between two governments is always based on element of trust and this element had been violated.
They said that information sharing between Nigeria and the Netherlands was critical to fighting corruption and to promoting common interests.
Realising its inability to meet Vision 20:20 goals years after the country embarked on an ambitious agenda to be among the top 20 economies in terms of GDP size, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday in Abuja, inaugurated National Steering Committee to oversee and actualise Nigeria Agenda 2050 and Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP).
Evidence before the COVID-19 pandemic showed Vision 20:20 was far from being a reality; the health crisis only compounded the situation.
Birthed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s Vision 20:20 focuses on two broad objectives that include making efficient use of human and natural resources to achieve rapid economic growth; and to translate the economic growth into equitable social development for all citizens.
Nigeria has had two different administrations since the adoption of Vision 20:20, each having its own economic growth plan. Under President Jonathan, the Transformation Agenda was the focus. With President Buhari, it is the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the focus seems to be squarely on the ERGP as opposed to the Vision 20:20.
The ERGP is focused on achieving economic growth but without the aim of placing the country among the largest 20 economies in the world.
With Agenda 2050, President Buhari noted that the National Steering Committee for the development of Successor Plans to Vision 20:20 and ERGP would be jointly chaired by Mr. Atedo Peterside and Dr (Mrs) Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
Speaking at the inauguration, President Buhari said: ‘’The main objectives of these Successor Plans are to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years, particularly given the World Bank’s projection that Nigeria will become the world’s third most populous country by 2050 with over 400 million people.’’
The President noted that it had become necessary to develop Successor Plans to the Nigeria Vision 20:20 and the ERGP, which both lapse in December this year, to ensure continuity and efficiency in the country’s development planning.
On the mandate of the National Steering Committee, President Buhari said it would oversee governance structure, comprising the Central Working Group and 26 technical working groups.
“It is my expectation that the steering committee will oversee the execution of key deliverables, including recommending measures to ensure continuous implementation of the plans even after the expiration of the tenure of successive administrations – including legislation, if required.”
The minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning expressed need for the new plans to consider comparative advantages available in regional blocs to build virile Nigeria.
The strategies to achieve the Vision 20:50 objectives are: Urgently addressing major constraints to Nigeria’s growth and competitiveness, such as epileptic power supply, weak infrastructure, and institutions among others; aggressively pursuing a structural transformation of the economy from mono-product to a diversified and industrialised economy.
Others are to invest in human capital to transform the Nigerian people into active agents for growth and national development; and to invest in infrastructure to create an enabling environment for growth, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable development.
A review of data showed that with rebasing, Nigeria moved to the 26th largest economy in the world, and the largest economy in Africa, ahead of South Africa. Nigeria at the time was worth N80.2 trillion, or $509.9 billion, rising from its original figure of N42.4 trillion, or $269.5 billion. Latest World Bank statistics show that Nigeria is the 31st economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Similarly, the vision projected that the economy is expected to grow at an average rate of 13.8 per cent per annum, to be driven by the agricultural and industrial sectors over the medium-term while the manufacturing and service sectors are expected to drive the economy towards the end of the Vision period, but data from the World Bank showed that economic growth had dropped from 8 per cent in 2009 and 2010 to 2.1 in 2019, with a forecast of 2.2 this year.
In the Vision 20:20 document, the plan was for income per capita (often measured as GDP per capita) to have risen to $4,000 “from the current (2008) estimate of US$1,230”, even though the global average at the time was already $9,412.
Today, Nigeria’s GDP of $447.01 billion delivers only $2,244 per capita, with an estimated 87 million believed to be living in extreme poverty, as against the global average is $11,312. World Bank puts the nation’s GDP per capita at $2,028.2 in 2018.
Another aim of Vision 2020 was to increase crude oil production and refining capacity “to stimulate local value-addition and to put the country in a position to meet its domestic demand for refined products and even export refined products”. But the country’s crude production remains below its yearly budgetary target, while it has lost hundreds of billions of naira in the past few years as the Federal Government’s promises to revive the nation’s moribund refineries and end fuel imports in 2019 have fallen flat.
Similarly, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, last year, assured that it was working with its partners to grow the national reserve to 40 billion barrels by 2025 and improve crude oil production to three million barrels per day.
The government-owned refineries, which are located in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri, have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day but have continued to operate far below the installed capacity for many years.
Also, Vision 2020 estimated “that Nigeria will need to generate electricity in the range of about 35,000MW by 2020. The target is to grow installed power generation capacity from 6,000MW in 2009 to 20,000MW by 2015 and 35,000MW by 2020”.
In reality, the National Electricity Transmission System, also known as the power grid continues to suffer major systems collapse, plunging the nation into darkness while peak generation never surpassed 5,377 MW, with average distributed electricity hovering between 3000-4000MW yearly.
Data from the Office of Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, indicated that in 2019 alone, Nigeria’s privatised power sector lost N626.7b billion revenue due to constraints, which included a shortage of gas; grid unreliability and distribution limitations.
This means Nigerians have continued to depend on alternative sources of energy to power their households despite government reforms, thus, limiting consumers’ disposable income that should have been used for other purposes as well as increased environmental pollution.
In terms of ease of doing business, the vision document further said the government would introduce market-friendly policies to encourage investment as well as decentralise the control of such institutions as the Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, Corporate Affairs Commission, rail, and air transportation management agencies, and so on.
“The government will also reduce the business registration time to a maximum of 48 hours and harmonise all tax systems and payments channels to reduce multiple taxations,” it added.
In 2019, the country ranked 116 out of 141 countries on the Global Competitiveness Index; and in the 2020 Ease of Doing Business Index, it ranked 131 out of 190 countries. The latter report noted that Nigeria had reduced “the time needed to register a company and by improving online platforms” but business registration time is still 10.9 days—not two.
Similarly, the organised private sector has continued to complain about the multiplicity of taxes, over-regulation, and an unfriendly business environment.
Furthermore, the clamour for state police remains an idea as the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Corporate Affairs Commission remain strictly federal institutions.
As reiterated by the private sector, the outlook of the economy in 2020 is less desired as lingering challenges remain unaddressed.
To the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), formulation of laudable policies has never been an issue for Nigeria but evidence has shown that poor policy implementation has been the challenge in the country.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) urged the Federal Government to address issues affecting the nation’s potential.
Chelsea new boys Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell will miss the start of the Premier League season in a real blow to Frank Lampard, according to reports.
The Blues have been ruthless in the summer transfer window – signing Ziyech (£37m), Chilwell (£50m), Timo Werner (£53m), Kai Havertz (£89m) while also
completing free transfers for Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr.
However, according to The Athletic – Chelsea fans will have to wait to see both Ziyech and Chilwell in action after they are set to miss the start of the campaign – in which they begin away at Brighton on Monday – due to injury.
Ziyech twisted his knee during Chelsea’s friendly against Brighton 11 days ago, which forced him off in the 54th minute at the Amex Stadium.
Chilwell is still struggling with a heel injury after signing from Leicester – he has been working his way back to full fitness after picking up the problem
against Crystal Palace on July 4.
However, fellow new boy Havertz is on course to make his debut at the Amex Stadium on Monday evening as Lampard’s side look to get off to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have been given a big boost with Christian Pulisic also in line to feature after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in the FA Cup
final defeat against London rivals Arsenal.
After spending £230m in the summer window, the Blues will be desperate to get off to an emphatic start in the Premier League.
Lampard will be looking to make quick inroads with both Manchester City and Liverpool, who have been the dominant forces over the last couple of seasons.
Chelsea secured Champions League football on the final day of last season – finishing fourth, but a massive 33 points behind runaway winners Liverpool.
National Assembly member, Senator Biodun Olujimi, has accused former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose of moving against Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the governor’s stance in the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State.
Olujimi, who described Makinde as the party’s leader in the South-West geo-political zone, urged the governor to discountenance moves against him, but continue with his quest “to reposition, galvanise and salvage the party from the brinks of collapse”.
Fayose had on Wednesday warned the governor not to meddle into political affairs in Ekiti State.
But the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, who spoke in Ado Ekiti at a meeting of her faction of the PDP, described Fayose, including his collaborators as ‘political jobbers’ and asked Makinde to ignore their threats.
She said, “Makinde is the symbol of the party in the South-West. So, anything that must come from the zone must come through him. Fayose and his conspirators’ visit to Uche Secondus was nothing but a recreational. I can take anybody to the National Secretariat of the party and we take pictures.
“ We stand by Makinde because nobody can rubbish him and wish him away. This is the best time South-West Zone needs the governor most when ‘hijackers’ are trying to undermine the party’s structure through egregious conspiracy.”
The Police in Ekiti State on Wednesday arraigned six men before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s Court over their membership of an unlawful society.
The Police prosecutor, Sergeant Olubu Apata, said the six men – Raimi Mustapha (22), Olamilekan Sodiq (21), Rasaq Taofeek (21), Boje Oluwasola (21), Usman Hakeem (30), and Adewale Obateru (20) – are each facing one count charge of cultism.
Apata told the court that the six defendants allegedly proclaimed to be members of an unlawful society, adding that “they committed the offence on August 30, 2020, about 7 am in Ado-Ekiti.
“The offence contravened Section 64 (a) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012,” he added.
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
Counsel for the fifth defendant, Mr Olatunde Olayemi; and those to the first, second, third, fourth and sixth defendants, Mr Busuyi Ayorinde, Mr Timi Omotosho and Mr Gboyega Abiola, urged the court to grant the defendants bail.
The magistrate, Mrs Taiwo Ajibade, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000, with one surety each in like sum.
Ajibade adjourned the case until September 21, 2020.
Contrary to a claim by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy in Abuja that the suspension of issuance of travel documents to Nigeria was due to COVID-19, Nigerians living in the Emirates say all those whose work permit were not renewed have been asked to leave the oil-rich Middle East country on Thursday.
The affected Nigerians, who spoke to reporters, confirmed what a travel agency had earlier posted on social media that all previously issued visas to Nigerians had become invalid and that those living in the country would have their visas revoked.
The UAE’s embassy in Abuja, however, denied the claims by Flyworld Travel and Tour, insisting that the visa suspension was due to COVID-19.
“I came in on a two-year visa and got a job,” said a Nigerian who did not want to be named for fear of being tracked by the Emirates’ security. “When my visa expired, my employer tried to renew it, but the company said the application bounced back and there is nothing they can do.”
He said he would soon lose his accommodation and would be forced to return to Nigeria.
“Many of us are using the money we make here to help our families back home. If we are forced to return, we will be joining a growing number of unemployed persons. The Nigerian government should help us negotiate with the Emirates,” he said.
Another Nigerian, who spoke to reporters, said he had purchased his flight ticket to Nigeria.
“We have reached out to the UAE immigration officials. They say they do not know what is happening. We have called the Nigerian embassy; they keep refusing to pick our calls or respond to our emails,” said the Nigerian, who had just received an employment offer from an oil company that pays better than his former job.
He said if the office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, does not rescind the directives to empty the country of Nigerians, he would not be able to accept the new job offer.
“I just got a new job with an oil company. After three days, my boss came back to me and said the company could renew my visa and I would have to leave. I am staying in the accommodation provided by the former company for now.”
While the two Nigerians still have their accommodation, another Nigerian worker who has been in the Emirates for four years has lost his.
“I got a job better than the previous one, yet I’m unable to join the company,” he said. “They are not issuing work permits or any type of visa. I had to go bunk with a friend because I couldn’t afford to be paying rent since I’m not working.”
The Nigerian migrant workers wondered why they were being discriminated against in the Emirates.
“They are renewing the travel papers of other nationalities; it is only Nigerians that they are doing this to. I know many Nigerians do crazy things, but they should not tar innocent people with the same brush as well. When Pakistanis and other Asians do terrible stuff, they don’t treat them like this,” one of the affected Nigerians said.
They told reporters that the Nigerian embassy in Abu Dhabi has not been responding to inquiries.
The UAE embassy in Nigeria and the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission have not responded to SaharaReporters’ requests for comment on the plight of Nigerian immigrants in UAE as of press time.
A popular US-based Ghanaian pastor identified as Sylvester Ofori has been arrested after he shot his wife Barbara Tommey dead.
The incident took place outside the 27-year-old woman’s workplace at the Navy Federal Credit Union, near the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, on Tuesday 8th September 2020.
Barbara was shot by Sylvester, near the business’ front doors on the 4600 block of Gardens Park Boulevard just before 9 a.m., an Orlando Police Department spokesperson said.
Tommey was pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center shortly after she was rushed there for medical attention.
Ofori, 35, was taken into custody at his apartment Tuesday evening, the OPD spokesperson said. He is being held at the Orange County Jail without bond on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm.
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Chief Orlando Rolón said the shooting was captured on CCTV.
“You can tell that she was surprised by what was happening,” he said.
The Navy Federal Credit Union released a statement on the shooting.
The statement reads: “This morning, a team member was fatally injured during an act of violence outside our Millenia branch, by a man she knew, according to the police.
“Our thoughts are with our team member’s family. Our number one priority is keeping both our members and team members safe. We will ensure all team members at the branch are provided with the support they need during this time. Any further information can be provided by the Orlando Police Department.”
Pastor Sylvester has reportedly been abusing his wife for a long time. Due to the abuse, Barbara was persuaded by her family to leave him. But Sylvester tracked her to her workplace yesterday and shot her 7 times.
A woman named Lisa, who witnessed the shooting, said: “I’m shaken up right now, I’m still shaken up.”
She said she saw Barbara come outside to move her car before she was shot.
“The next thing I knew, he raised his hand with the gun in it, and he shot her,” she said.
“The guy was walking behind her. I don’t know if she knew he was there or not. I started running and as I’m running, I hear three or four more shots.”
Lisa spoke highly of the deceased woman.
She said: “She was always very nice when I came into the bank. She’s very nice, very nice.”
