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President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima have been conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic(GCFR) and Grand Commander of Order of the Niger(GCON) respectively.

The investiture is ongoing at the State House Conference Center in Abuja.


The event is part of the activities lined up for the May 29 inauguration ceremony, where Tinubu will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.


After the investiture, there would be the handover of transition documents to Tinubu and Shettima.

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that all ministers in his cabinet serve until May 29, when President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in as his successor.

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, confirmed this on Wednesday.


The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has also not been dissolved, according to Mohammed.

Speaking with state house correspondents, he said: “I just want to make this clarification. While we were at the chambers there was a false breaking news that the federal executive council has been dissolved, which is not correct,” Lai said.

“As a matter of fact, we have been directed by the president that we should all go back and return to our offices. So it is not true that the federal executive council has been dissolved, it is still very much alive.

“We have all been directed to go back to our offices and ensure that we continue to work right to the end of May 29. So please ignore the fake news.”

Last modified on Thursday, 25 May 2023 11:44

The last two schoolgirls abducted from the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri (FGC) by terrorists have regained their freedom after 707 days in captivity.

The two girls namely Faida Sani Kaoje and Safiya Idris were released in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the report, they were released after intensive negotiations by a special committee set up by their families and well-wishers, with the leadership of the bandits to ensure quick release from their captors.


Dogo Gide, a notorious bandit kingpin, had insisted that some conditions must be met by the Kebbi State Government before the remaining girls can regain their freedom.

On April 22, 2023, four Yauri female students with two babies were released after payments of a huge ransom to Dogo Gide were made.

On May 7, three other girls namely, Elizabeth Ogechi Nwafor, Esther Sunday and Aliya Abubakar, regained their freedom from their captors.

A source explained that the release of the abducted girls was effected after a huge ransom was generated by their parents and other stakeholders when the Kebbi State Government was reluctant to meet the bandits’ demands.

According to him, “The parents had to beg Nigerians to come to their aid financially in order to rescue their children from their abductors.”

He added that in a letter addressed to Nigerians in January 2023, the group known as “Committee of Parents of 11 Abducted Students of FGC Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria,” solicited financial assistance towards raising the sum of N100 million as ransom to be paid to the terrorists, in exchange for their wards.

Salim Ka’oje and Mr. Daniel Alkali, the chairman and Secretary of the ‘Committee of Parents, explained that their female children (aged between 12-16 years) had been in the custody of their abductors for about 20 months now.

Eleven girls were abducted from the school in June 2021.

The Department of State Services (DSS) said it is aware of plans by subversive elements to disrupt the inauguration of the next President and Governors on May 29 across the country.


Spokesman of the Service, Dr Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Thursday, said the aim is to undermine security agencies’ efforts at ensuring peaceful ceremonies as well as creating panic and fear among members of the public.


The Service advised Nigerians to adhere strictly to security and civil protocols during the events.

Afunanya added that unauthorised (and unaccredited) persons are warned to stay away from restricted and certain designated areas at the event venues.

The statement reads: “It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC) on 18th May, 2023 held a World Press Conference during which he announced activities for the Presidential inauguration.

“The major highlight of the activities is the swearing-in of the President on 29th May, 2023 in Abuja. On the same date, new Governors will also be inaugurated in most of the States.

“The Service is, however, aware of plans by subversive elements to disrupt the programmes in parts of the country. The aim is to undermine security agencies’ efforts at ensuring peaceful ceremonies as well as creating panic and fear among members of the public.


“Based on these, citizens, the media and Civil Society Organisations are advised to adhere strictly to security and civil protocols during the events. They are also urged to shun fake news, false alarms, skewed reportage/narratives and sensationalism that may likely inflame division, tension and violence prior to and after the exercises. This is more so that such undesirable acts will serve no purpose other than destroying national unity and cohesion.

“Additionally, all unauthorised (and unaccredited) persons are warned to stay away from restricted and certain designated areas at the event venues.

“The Service reiterates its earlier call for the populace to remain calm and law abiding. Meanwhile, it will continue to sustain collaboration with sister agencies to ensure successful inaugurations.”

Nigerians, according to the Federal Government, can now request that their commercial banks issue them a debit card that also serves as their national identity card.

Prof Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, made the announcement in Abuja on Wednesday. He stated that this issuance is free of charge.


Pantami stated that the approval was obtained at the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated that the approval came as a result of a memo from the National Identity Management Commission that authorised banks to print multipurpose debit cards that also functioned as National identity cards.

The Minister explained that” It is going to be a form of multipurpose card where it will serve as your national identity card on one hand and also your bank card on the other hand, either Mastercard, Visa or any other kind of card.”


According to Pantami, although the NIMC Act 2007 only mandates Nigerians to have a National Identity Number and not necessarily a printout card, demands for cards have swelled nonetheless.

“As in the NIMC Act 2007, section 27, what is mandatory for our citizens and legal residents is the acquiring of the National Identity Number, not the card. However, the card is optional.

“But many citizens, particularly those living in rural communities, always go to NIMC offices complaining that they need the card at hand, even though it’s optional.

“To make it easier, NIMC last year, we introduced a smart ID card you can download from NIMC app. It is just a smart card. You don’t need to have it physically, but that is becoming difficult for our people living in rural communities.”

To ease the difficulty, Pantami said NIMC had partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria ”so that citizens who are interested in having a card at hand can easily go to the relevant banks.”


According to him, the bank is permitted to print the card along with either a Mastercard or Visa card.

”It is going to be a form of multipurpose card that will serve as your national identity card on one hand and also your bank card on the other. And based on the agreement, it is without any additional costs on our citizens.

“So when you apply for a card at your bank, you can indicate that ‘I want this card to be multiple purposes where it will serve as my bank card and also my national identity card’.

”Both of them are going to be printed on the same card and it is going to serve the same purposes without any additional costs.”

The Minister disclosed that NIMC and the CBN signed a nondisclosure agreement to protect the privacy and confidentiality of card applicants. He assured of the privacy and confidentiality of card users.

Pantami further stated that, when a person requests for the card, the bank will need to connect to the NIMC through their database.

He said that afterwards, the bank verifies the person’s details which must be in tandem with the record in the NIMC database. Then, the card will be printed immediately for the user.

The Minister also said that FEC also approved a memo proposing the deployment of an automated system to integrate NINs with individual SIM cards.

The system, he noted, would consolidate the implementation of the NIN-SIM linkage.

He said, “As we all know that previous administrations made efforts to verify NIN and SIM starting from 2011 without success.

”In February 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the implementation of the policy and the revised version of the policy was also launched and unveiled by Mr. President on May 6, 2021.

“As it stands today, the NIN and SIM policy registration is being implemented. In order to consolidate the implementation.

“The Nigerian Communications Commission came up with a proposal that will enhance the implementation of the policy and bring many more benefits to it.”

Pantami said the automated system would sanitise the database and ease the process of SIM replacement for Nigerians or legal residents.

Last modified on Thursday, 25 May 2023 11:12

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, has revealed that the CBN had given out about N8 trillion in interventions to the private sector in the last five years.

Emefiele made this revelation while speaking at the end of the 291st Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.


He said, “In the last four to five years, we have done about N8 trillion in interventions to the private sector of the economy. The loans have been granted for 10 years, with a two-year moratorium and at single digit”.

The CBN boss disclosed, however, that going forward, the apex bank would reduce its quasi-fiscal activities.

Meanwhile, as the Dangote Refinery set to deliver its first products in July, Emefiele said that the refinery would be persuaded to sell foreign exchange earnings to banks at a good rate.


Emefiele said his team would engage the promoter of the refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to ensure that Nigerians benefitted from the venture, adding that the CBN, the Federal Government and, indeed, the country helped him set up the refinery.

The CBN boss expressed optimism that the refinery would ease the foreign exchange scarcity in the country, noting that with local refining, about 20 per cent cost of the total cost of importing petroleum products could be saved, thereby reducing prices in the long run. He, however, said it was time to exit the fuel subsidy regime.

His words, “By the time the Dangote Refinery comes on stream, the price at which it (fuel) will be dispensed will be lower than what it is when we spend dollars to import because there will be no freight cost, no storage and all other logistics expenses.

“So we will be lucky to be having about 20 per cent savings from refining locally, rather than importing.

“But the important thing is that we have reached a point, whether we like it or not when we must exit subsidy.


“Dangote Refinery coming at this time gives us the confidence that even if we exit subsidy, the products will be available. And eventually, the interplay of market forces will also moderate the prices to a level that will help the country.

“So we are expecting that, no doubt, by the time he produces for domestic consumption, the excess will be exported by the numbers that he talked about, which we agree with.

‘’We should be able to save, conservatively, close to about $5 billion to $10 billion in foreign exchange that will come into the country.

“Whether it comes to our reserves or not is not the point, it is the fact that the dollar is available and it will be sold in the domestic market so that customers of banks who need to import do not necessarily resort to CBN for dollars.

“They can go to their banks and Dangote will sell dollars to their banks and we are going to ensure that it is done at a good market rate.

“What I would have loved to say on Monday (at the Dangote Refinery Commissioning) which I didn’t say was that the CBN, the government and the country have helped Dangote to set up that refinery.

“He is a Nigerian; Nigerians must benefit from that venture and we are going to engage him and talk to him and I am sure that being the richest man in Africa, he is going to throw a few crumbs so that the price will be lowered.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said that it expects the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote to reciprocate the support he received from the government that made it possible to build his 650,000 barrels per day petrochemical refinery.

The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele disclosed Federal Government’s expectations on Wednesday at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The Governor highlighted two critical areas that the government expects the billionaire’s help which include: the pricing of his refined products and selling foreign exchange to banks at a moderate rate.

Dangote commissioned his mega refinery on Monday in Lagos which is believed to redeem the country from spending billions of dollars annually to import petroleum products.

Nigeria is a net importer of PMS, diesel, and kerosene among others and has spent billions from its earnings to subsidise PMS.

Moreso, the country has suffered severe decline in its daily oil production due to the activities of vandals resulting to FX crunch.

Emefiele said, “Whether we like it or not, we must exit subsidy. Dangote refinery coming at this time gives us the confidence that even if we exit subsidy, the fuel will be available and eventually the interplay of the market will moderate the price to a level that will help the country.

“So, we are expecting that by the time he produces for domestic consumption, the excess will be exported. We should see it conserving up to $10bn in FX that will come into the country.

“Whether it comes into our reserves is not the problem, it is the fact that the dollar is available that will be sold into the market so that customers of banks willing to report will not need to be resorting to the CBN. They can go to their banks and Dangote will sell their banks those dollars and we are going to ensure they are done at a good market rate.

“The Central Bank, the government, the country has helped Dangote to set up that refinery. He is a Nigerian, so Nigerians must benefit from that venture and we are going to continue to engage him and talk to him.”

FX scarcity has weakened the naira to N464.10 against the dollar at the I&E FX Window and N760/USD at the black market.

Currently, the average price of a litre of PMS according to the National Bureau of Statistics was N254.06 in April, indicating an increase of 47.18 per cent rise.

But with the removal of subsidy, it is projected to rise to N750 per litre.

Emefiele said, “For us Dangote Refinery was a history. It is the biggest single train refinery in the world today and Dangote himself has committed that by the end of July, very early in August, they will dispense petrol from that refinery.

“For us, that is the big game changer for Nigeria because people will no longer be importing. Like I said, import bills consist of about $25bn annually you may contest the numbers let’s not forget that some of those things go across borders.

“But by the time that refinery comes on stream, begins to bring out its PMS, diesel and all other products, someone asked, does it mean that price of fuel will come down? I said it cannot come down because it will still be at market rate, however, the price at which it will be dispensed when it comes will be lower than the price it would have been dispensed if we spent dollars to import the products from abroad.

“This is because, it is local, no transportation, storage and all the logistical expenses. We will be lucky to see close to about 20 per cent savings for refining locally rather than importing it from abroad.”

Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has disclosed what he and the party are doing to reclaim their allegedly stolen mandate in court.

Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, as the February 25th presidential election winner.


Labour Party and its candidate, other political parties and their candidates have since dragged the electoral commission and APC to court over the said outcome of the polls.

Obi, however, has expressed optimism that he will still get justice in court even after Tinubu is sworn in on May 29.

Naija News reports that Pre-trials at the Presidential Election Tribunal ended on Tuesday, with the trial proper scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 30. Petitioners have three weeks to present their case as opposed to the seven weeks they asked for beginning from May 30 to June 23.


Speaking through his spokesperson, Diran Onifade, on Wednesday, May 24, Obi expressed confidence in the tribunal, noting that his lawyers are following up the case in court and would eventually get him justice.

The former Governor of Anambra State cited multiple incidences where people were recalled after being sworn into office.


Obi said while they cannot do anything extra, they will press on with shreds of evidence to prove they won the February 25th election.

The former Anambra State governor also debunked statements by the Apapa Lamidi-led faction that his chances were threatened at the tribunal due to failure to provide a N1.5 million fee to obtain necessary documents needed as evidence in court from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

“They are suspended. They are out of the system so they don’t know what is going on in the system. All this crap they are talking about does not make sense. They don’t have the right information as to what is going on in the party. We do not owe INEC anything. The court has asked INEC to give us documents. Our lawyers have complied. We have applied. Whatever is meant to be paid has been paid but they don’t know because they are suspended. They are not part of the party at this point. In which party event have you seen them? They are only hopping from TV studio to TV studio. And claiming who they are not. Our party people that have now been elected, are they in touch with them? They are using sabotage to even deny these people of the mandate that elected them. This is what they are busy doing. They are outsiders.


“It is INEC that is owing us documents that the court said they should give us. We do not owe them any money,” Onifade said on behalf of the Labour Party candidate.

On what the party is doing actually to ensure victory in court, he noted: “You cannot do anything extra than just take your case to court; state your case, bring your evidence, bring your witnesses and do the right thing, which is what we have been doing.”

 

A dormitory blaze that killed 19 children in Guyana was set by a teenage student who was upset that her cell phone had been taken away, officials say.

The fire broke out at the Mahdia Secondary School in the South American country late on Sunday. A statement from the Guyana Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was “maliciously set.”

National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia told the Associated Press that the suspect in the incident, a pupil at the school, was accused of setting the dorm on fire after being disciplined for having a liaison with an older man.

“A female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm mother and a teacher,” Mark Ramotar, Guyana Police’s communications chief, said in a statement seen by the local news outlet Stabroek News.

Students, farmers, housewives top voters to decide Nigeria’s next president
The AP reported that the dormitory had been locked to stop the girls from sneaking out at night.


Gouveia told the AP that the house mother had been asleep inside the building and panicked when she could not find the keys to unlock the doors. She made it out but “lost her five-year-old child in the fire,” he said.

When firefighters arrived, the wood-and-concrete building that housed the 57 children was “engulfed in flames,” the fire service said.

The building’s windows were heavily barred and five doors were locked, it added.

The AP reported that the dormitory had been locked to stop the girls from sneaking out at night.

Gouveia told the AP that the house mother had been asleep inside the building and panicked when she could not find the keys to unlock the doors. She made it out but “lost her five-year-old child in the fire,” he said.

When firefighters arrived, the wood-and-concrete building that housed the 57 children was “engulfed in flames,” the fire service said.

The building’s windows were heavily barred and five doors were locked, it added.

Former Osun Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, has explained why the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost to Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2022 governorship election in the state.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, Alabi explained that the Osun APC under the leadership of his former principal, Adegboyega Oyetola, lost to Governor Adeleke because the party went into the election as a divided house.

“Internal rancor was the major cause of our loss in the election. No house will be divided and win. The Yoruba say that when two brothers fight to death, it is outsiders that will inherit their properties,” Alabi told our correspondent on Wednesday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

“You don’t go to a battle with a divided home. It is the major reason. But I think everybody has sheathed their sword now that we know that we have fallen.”

THE WHISTLER reported that months after losing his re-election bid to Adeleke, Oyetola took steps to unite and better position the party for future elections.

In May 2023, he inaugurated an 11-man committee saddled with the responsibility of putting back the party on the right track for effective delivery in subsequent elections.

Alabi said feuding members of the Osun APC must learnt lessons from their actions following the defeat and removal of his principal and him from office in the July 16 poll.

“Nobody is going to tell anybody not to fight again. Everybody has fought and they have gone home with bruises and the bruises are painful to all parties. I am sure both we that lost the election and those that said we must lose the election, nobody is a winner in these circumstances.”

Alabi said the only way to reclaim the state from the PDP is for all factions in the Osun APC to put aside their differences and unite for the party’s good.

He added that the party needs trusted individuals to lead the reconciliation moves to pacify aggrieved members of the party.

“We can be together. What we need is trust. Whoever is doing the reconciliation must be somebody that all the factions will trust and believe in and they know his stand is not for personal gains or to apportion blames,” he said.

“To me, it is very easy. Yes, when the battle is hot, it can be difficult to reconcile people. But everybody has tested their strength now. We need to call ourselves to order and chart a new course and that can be done by someone that is not factional, someone that all the factions will trust, someone who is not after personal gains,” he added.

Alabi is willing to lead the reconciliatory move to reunite the aggrieved members of the party.

He boasted that, “If I am given the opportunity to reunite the party, it is not a difficult task. We have very large followers and our people are satisfied with little things. What they want from you is for you to carry them along in whatever you are doing and give them recognition, and wherever it is possible, give them dividends of democracy.

“If I have the opportunity of reuniting the party, I will carry all and sundry along in the decision-making. I will reach out to all the factions, whatever it will take for them to come back. United we stand, divided we fall.

“The structures are there, I know who and who to reach out to and what button to press. If I am given that opportunity, having been a contestant for governorship before and also being the deputy governor of the state, I belong to no faction, I belong to the party and that is where I still remain till tomorrow.”