Governor Waziri Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has lost one of his top aides after a stampede at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
Naija News reports that the Special Adviser to Tambuwal on female Education, Hajiya Aishat Maina, died minutes after attending the Presidential rally of Atiku Abubakar, which took place in Sokoto state on Tuesday.
A staff member of the Ministry of Information, who craved anonymity, told Daily Trust that Maina was caught in a stampede that occurred at the exit gate of Giginya Stadium, the venue of the rally.
“A motorcyclist fell down from his bike at the exit way of the stadium, and that caused a serious stampede, with people falling upon one another. She was one of the victims,” the staff said.
Also confirming the report, the Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers, Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, said the late government aide was rescued and rushed to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, for treatment.
“But unfortunately, she died a few minutes after her admission,” he said
Magaji, who described her as hardworking and energetic, said they were together throughout last night as they were putting the finishing touches to some of the items for the event.
He prayed to Allah to forgive her shortcomings and grant her Jannat ul Firdaus.
Naija News understands that the late Maina was the former chairperson of the National Woman Journalists Association of Nigeria (NAWOJ), Sokoto state chapter.
She was also the former Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal on New Media before being moved to Female Education Board.
She is survived by three children and aged parents.
Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, appeared in a London court on Tuesday for a trial on alleged organ harvesting, but his accused daughter was unable to attend due to illness.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that Ekweremadu is being tried in connection with the organ harvesting case involving the alleged kidney donor, David Nwamini Ukpo.
UK authorities arrested Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, on suspicion of bringing a minor to the UK to harvest his kidney.
Prosecutors claimed the defendants planned to have the man’s kidney removed so that it could be given to Sonia, their own daughter.
Herders demand military’s apology over Nasarawa accidental bombing
She was unable to appear in court because she was hospitalized with an unspecified condition.
Her defense team also filed a psychological report claiming she is unfit to stand trial.
The court adjourned shortly after it convened to allow prosecutors to read the report.
Following preliminary tests at a north London hospital, the accuser is said to have raised the alarm after refusing to consent to the procedure.
During the brief session on Tuesday morning, Beatrice sat next to her husband in the dock, dressed all in black.
Both supporters and protesters gathered outside the London courthouse ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.
I mean, this case is unbelievable, said protester Citizen Gbola.
Where else in the world would you have a deputy senate president — who is still a serving senator, he’s still getting his regular wage?
Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer, Peter Obi, has yet again emerged the most preferred candidate to win next month’s presidential election, according to a new poll.
The poll which was conducted by Nigerians Decide, an independent research think-tank based in the United States of America, was concluded on Monday
Peter Obi garnered 1,856,537 to lead his closest rivals Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Atiku had 1,539,568 votes, Tinubu garnered 1,486,401 and Kwankwaso polled 12,907 votes according to the latest poll released by Nigerians Decide.
Herders demand military’s apology over Nasarawa accidental bombing
According to the US-based organisation, the online opinion poll was launched on December 6, 2022 and concluded today, Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The poll was launched to determine and predict the possible direction and outcome of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
“We are glad to launch www.nigeriansdecide.com, a United States of America-based non-profit and independent research think-tank. We conduct opinion polls on matters of public policy, like public engagement and participation in democratic exercise,” the agency’s project director, Rosalynn Carte had said in a statement.
It’s gathered that the poll had no connection or relationship or link with any politician or organisation interested in Nigerian politics, but purely for data collection.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has accused commercial banks of being responsible for the scarcity of the new naira notes.
He made the accusation on Tuesday during a meeting with the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the CBN’s cashless policy and the extension of the deadline of the old naira notes, held in Abuja.
Emefiele, who was accompanied to the meeting by all the four Deputy Governors of the CBN, accused the commercial banks of breaching the apex bank guidelines, with the way the new naira was being sprayed in parties.
He said the apex bank was working closely with relevant agencies of the federal government to ensure full compliance with the CBN guidelines issued to the banks for the seamless distribution of the new banknotes.
Emefiele appealed to Nigerians for their support, stressing that the naira redesign will benefit the country in the future and was for the good of Nigerians.
He said: “I addressed the bankers on Sunday and I expressed to them my disappointment and in fact, the disappointment of the president, the disappointment of leaders in the country with the way this has gone on because many of us have unfortunately seen the new naira instead of being used for the purpose it was meant, the new naira is being used in parties, in celebrations.
“Some of them (bank CEOs) said well, maybe it’s money from the ATMs and I said no, money from the ATMs are already broken.
“They are in leaflets but what we saw being stamped on people at parties were packages of the new naira notes which means they had breached certain aspects of the guidance note we gave to them.
“And when I met President Buhari, I told him that we have met with the EFCC, the ICPC and NFIU and that we are now going to bring EFCC, ICPC, NFIU to join us in monitoring the flow of this currency to our people.
“I must say that I am even delighted that even yesterday, I read that the DSS has started that, which is what we want so that everybody knows that we are conducting this activity to the best of our ability.
“We are doing this for the good of Nigerians. We are doing this so that the Nigerian economy can be better than it is today and I am saying that we are beginning to see some of the benefits.”
Emefiele said the currency redesign policy has so far recorded about a 75 percent success rate since the new naira notes were introduced.
He said many of those in the rural and underserved locations across the 36 states of the country have had the opportunity of swapping their old banknotes for the new series of banknotes.
Emefiele said: “Inflation last month is not rising, not stagnating but somehow moderating. We are expecting that it will continue to moderate. The exchange rate to be stable and we are hoping that with this exercise, the naira can even get stronger.
“We know in the process that some will be hurt, I will say temporarily. But it’s a pain that I will appeal to all of us to please show some understanding because the overriding benefits to Nigerians is what we are interested in which is about making our economy stronger then combatting the high incidence of insecurity.
“Yes, we saw a few failings on the part of the banks and we appealed to EFCC, ICPC, NFIU; they are currently working with our officials nationwide to make sure that this process goes on seamlessly.
“We are happy they the exercise has achieved a success of over 75 percent in our villages, etc. It is on the basis of that we now have a 10 days extension for the more and more of this to be collected and then we make more disbursement.”
Peter Obi’s Presidential Ambition Suffers Setback As Campaign Council Members Dump Labour Party, Back Atiku
AdminThe Labour Party (LP) flagbearer, Peter Obi, has suffered a major setback after the LP presidential campaign spokesperson for the Northeast, Muhammad Pantami, and other officials defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Pantami and other top Obi-Datti campaign officials announced their defection at a press conference on Tuesday.
Former Labour Party leaders have publicly backed the PDP’s presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Tribalism, godfatherism, and a lack of internal democracy were charged against Peter Obi and the LP.
Pantami said:
Based on the aforementioned issues raised, we the leaders, and stakeholders of about four million voters in the North East states of Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi Gombe, and Borno, resolved to quit from the LP and resolved to declare our full support to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
According to him, the party’s and the presidential campaign council’s mainstream political decisions are skewed toward a specific region, the country’s south, excluding northerners.
He said:
We the northerners, constitute about 65 percent of the voting in the presidential election. Our members are totally not satisfied with this situation.
Despite the fact that the north has a greater percentage of voters, this problem of sideling persists, the current situation calls for action.
The Nigerian military has read the riot act to marketers of premium motor spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, to find a lasting solution to the lingering scarcity plaguing the country, or face military clampdown.
This is as group chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kolo Kyari, has admitted that the fuel crisis situation has become a crisis of monumental proportions.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, yesterday read the riot act during a engagement with Industry and Security Stakeholders in Abuja yesterday to tackle to fuel supply crisis.
General Irabor, who stressed that the federal government is not handicapped on what to do, urged the marketers and other stakeholders to address the situation urgently.
“The challenge of availability of fuel across the country has risen to a proportion that has become of great concern to the defence and security of our country.
“I have mandate of Mr President to come to say that because the fuel scarcity is a crisis of internal nature, which of course the police and other
security agencies should lead. And looking at the processes that have been emplaced to redress them, the solution lies in this room.
Government is not handicapped and there are alternatives. I need to also indicate that nobody is indispensable.
“But if it goes beyond the threshold that affects our defense and security, the government is actually not handicapped. There is an alternative.
“I believe and trust that solution will come. And if there is no solution, let me reiterate that government is not handicapped. And there is alternative, but I pray that it will not get to the level where the alternative will need to be activated,” the CDS said.
Also speaking, the inspector general of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, said the Police will assist the NNPC in monitoring the process of fuel distribution to ensure we end this crisis.
He added if the distribution process is lacking or there are just loopholes to be avoided by those who want to exploit it, the alternative to increase the level of monitoring and supervision.
Group CEO of NNPC Mele Kyari, however emphasized that there is no supply problem but rather the country is facing a dislocation in the distribution of petrol by marketers who are greedy and out to exploit the system.
“We are not dealing with a supply problem. All our suppliers are either in this room or represented in this room. As we speak now, we have 831 million litres in marine that is in shuttle vessels and in mother vessels.
“In the various depots, which all of us here represent, including NNPC, we have up to 738 million litres of fuel in depots that are documented on the platform of the regulator of the industry, the NMDPRA.”
“We regret this situation. We apologize to Nigerians, but definitely the matter is within sight and this is not created by any means to disrupt anything, but it is the real realities of market that are moving and we are very convinced that we can contain this situation. “
“We have reviewed the situation and we have recognised that pricing is a major issue, challenges that we’re facing around the distribution of PMS in our country. Of course, there are other other issues including logistic issues associated with distribution and these matters are now being carefully resolved.
“We are responding to the issues around pricing so that no one exploits Nigerians, unduly and also to to make sure that these products reach their destinations as agreed and we putting up a very enormous framework for monitoring so that every truck that leaves every depot we ensure that it gets to the depot, particularly for major cities in the country, where those products must be delivered. There is no problem of supply. It is a a challenge of dislocation of where this product ends up with and this engagement has enabled us to agree with the marketers to make sure that wherever designed to take your product just in that location and also the government security agencies will do everything possible to ensure enforcement, including the regulatory control by the Nigerian Midstream and downstream regulatory authority. We are very comfortable that this will come, uh, as we already seen in some parts of the country. It is also obvious that the queues that we are seeing are largely in NNPC retail stations and major marketers retail station and some other unassociated but big time trading companies because they sell at very very regulated prices and we are sure that the increased volume that we are pushing into the market and also the understanding that we are reaching with them not to sell at the depot at prices that are clearly in the at the level of greed, it will ease the situation,” he said.
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has stated that Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), is a danger to those who will fall for his “misrule”.
This was made known on Tuesday by Tinubu while speaking at a rally in Awka, capital city of Anambra.
Tinubu said Obi lives in Lagos because he is “guilty” of not developing his home state.
The former governor of Lagos said residents of Anambra should not vote for Obi as president because he was “ill-equipped” to be governor.
“I know I can do these things because I made similar progress when governor of Lagos. Meanwhile, one of my opponents is a former governor of your state. But he does not live among you. He lives in Lagos,” he said.
“I live in Lagos because I am pleased with the progress we made in turning Lagos into one of Africa’s biggest economies. My opponent, however, refuses to live among you because he feels guilty for not giving you the development and growth you deserved from him.
“Mr. Stingy refused to use the state’s money to help its people. He sacrificed your welfare and wellbeing so that he can boast that he saved money. But what good is saving money if you refuse to save your own people?
“That type of man is a danger to those unfortunate enough to be subject to his misrule. Such a man was ill equipped to be your governor. Do not make him your president.”
Also speaking at another rally in Calabar, the Cross River capital, Tinubu said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not provide electricity to roast corn while it was in power for 16 years.
The former governor of Lagos also said Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, would sell government assets for himself if elected.
“Don’t mind PDP and their lies of 16 years. They can’t provide electricity to roast corn. They keep on lying,” he said.
“They say privatisation, privatisation into Atiku’s pocket. We must end that. PDP does not know the way. They don’t know how to think.”
Five governors, who are members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have failed to name their preferred presidential candidate in January as promised by their leader, Governor Nyesom Wike in December, Daily Trust reports.
Dubbed G-5, the governors; Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) have vowed to work against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Since the presidential primary of the PDP, there has been a crisis in the party over calls for the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu to step down from his position.
The governors are insisting that the PDP presidential candidate and national chairman cannot be from the same region.
The governors had held a series of meetings with the candidate of the ruling APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi. In December, they met with Tinubu in London, where they reportedly struck a deal on the 2023 presidency.
Wike, who leads the group, had on December 22nd said they will name their preferred candidate in January. But he did not as of Tuesday, the last day of the month.
Speaking, while commissioning a project in Port Harcourt, Wike said he will not only tell his people who to vote for but will campaign for his choice of the presidential candidate throughout the country. “Nothing will happen.”
While Wike is not seeking any elective position in the general election, Makinde is seeking a second term; Ortom, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are all contesting for senatorial seats.
At least one person was killed and several others were injured on Tuesday when a petrol-laden tanker crushed three tricycles in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the tanker, with number plate JJJ 125, was descending a sloppy section of the road inward Ikotun Market when its brake failed.
An eyewitness, Dare Samson, said the tanker driver lost control when he got to the Synagogue Church end of the road.
He said, “Tricycle operators usually make a U-turn shortly after the Synagogue Church back to Egbe. By the time the affected tricycles were about to drop off their passengers, the tanker driver, who had lost control of the vehicle when he got to Synagogue, rammed into them.”
Another eyewitness, Mojisola Ajisafe, said the driver was not speeding when the incident happened.
Ajisafe said, “I was on the other side of the road when the tanker was heading towards the traffic light. No one thought the brake had failed as it was not moving fast; the fatalities would have been more than this. Four people were quickly pulled out of the tricycles, including a pregnant woman who was unconscious; she was taken to a hospital.”
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incident.
Taofiq, in a statement, said officers of the agency handed over those rescued to the police, who took them to a general hospital for treatment.
The statement read, “A preliminary investigation revealed that the fully loaded container tanker (JJJ 125) had a brake failure and crushed three tricycles by a valley around Synagogue Church when going towards Ikotun.
“The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency immediately moved the tanker with those crushed tricycles to the Ikotun Police Station.
“Other emergency responders, including the Nigeria police from the Ikotun Police Station, were at the scene of the accident.
“The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, has warned tanker owners and drivers to always ensure that their trucks are properly checked and in good condition before embarking on any journey.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed one death.
He said, “One person died and three persons were injured. The driver has been arrested and investigation is ongoing.”
Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said the high unemployment rate that characterised Nigeria will be a thing of the past under him if he’s elected president.
Tinubu promised to drastically cut down the high unemployment rate in Nigeria in his first four years as president.
He made the promise while addressing party faithful and members on Tuesday at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium Calabar during a presidential campaign.
“I will check youth unemployment in this country. I will reduce it by more than half if voted into power next month,” he said.
Tinubu promised to make Nigeria prosperous and everything humanly possible to turn around the nation’s fortunes.
“Our economy is unhelpfully designed to export raw materials and import increasingly expensive finished products.
“Crude oil still provides most of our foreign exchange. As agriculture remains our traditional backbone, we will continue to consolidate it.
“However, we must acknowledge the growing importance of our urban population,” he added.
Tinubu assured that Nigerian cities and towns will witness a level of industrial activity unprecedented in the nation’s history.
He said youths would become leading catalysts that drive economic resurgence.
He further pledged to adjust the allocation of revenue between federal and state governments so as to give states greater flexibility to foster grassroots economic development.
“Our government will give priority to encouraging industries vital to national development by growing our industrial base to provide jobs to an expanding urban population,” he assured.
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Tuesday said it was not in the purview of the National Universities Commission and other tertiary institutions regulatory agencies to shut schools to allow students in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to vote during the forthcoming elections.
A member of the National Executive Council of ASUU and chairperson of the union at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, said this in an interview with The PUNCH.
He was reacting to calls from individuals and groups, including the House of Representatives that the nation’s higher institutions should be shut during elections so that students who registered near their homes and return home to vote.
He said, “The NUC is just a regulatory body. It doesn’t have the power to order the closure of any university. The only authority that can order this closure apart from the Senate of each institution is the Federal Ministry of Education and the order will be given on behalf of the visitor to all the universities, which is the President.
“By the time the ministry gives the order, the NUC will comply and the directives will be passed down. The House of Representatives should talk to the President about this. The NUC is powerless on this matter.”
The PUNCH reports that the House of Representatives last week Thursday passed a resolution asking the NUC to shut universities so that the students can take part in the forthcoming elections.
Obi speaks
Also, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has called on the European Union Election Observation Mission to ensure that over three million eligible Nigerian students are allowed to vote for their preferred candidate in the election slated for February 25.
This is even as the former Anambra State governor expressed reservations over the inability of many Nigerians, particularly in Lagos State, to obtain their Permanent Voter Card.
Speaking Monday evening during a meeting with the EU-EOM observers, Obi said, “I am sure the Independent National Electoral Commission will do the right thing.”
He was responding to a question about the fate of about 3.5 million students who are likely not to vote if a week’s holiday is not granted to enable voting.
He added, “I am sure the universities will give them the break to go and vote. It is important because it is about their future. This election is about these young people, and I am sure they will allow them to go and vote. We will continue to mention it to them as we go along.”
On the difficulty of collecting PVCs, Obi noted, “I must give INEC credit for extending the date for the collection of PVCs, but again, I urge them to ensure that people collect their PVCs. This election is very important to Nigerians. It is an existential election. We want all those that have registered to participate.”
Earlier, the EU-EOM Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, told Obi and other party leaders that their visit was a routine one to share thoughts with presidential candidates ahead of the polls.
Suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) have distributed huge amounts of old naira notes to scores of passengers along the Maiduguri/Monguno highway in the Lake Chad Basin, Borno State.
It was gathered that the ISWAP members carried out the distribution on Saturday ahead of the deadline of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cashless policy.
According to Daily Trust, a source said that the ISWAP members were dressed in military camouflage and drove two gun trucks.
A resident, Bakura Ibrahim, said the insurgents positioned themselves under a tree and stood by the roadside with bags of old naira notes.
“We left Monguno at about 12 noon. As we approached Mairari, there were no existing checkpoints in the area; we were apprehensive.
“They stopped us and asked if we were going to Maiduguri, then they started giving each person 100,000 old naira notes, but we could not believe it. They gave each occupant of the Golf Volkswagen,” Bakura said.
Another source added, “The group simply told us, “If you think you can go to their banks and change it to new naira, go and do so; may Allah make it beneficial to you.”
The Nigerian Nationa Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has disclosed that it will ensure the availability of petrol during elections.
Recall that a team from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairperson, visited the NNPC towers in Abuja on Tuesday to discuss the availability of petrol during the forthcoming elections.
Yakubu had earlier stated INEC’s logistics arrangements for the elections may be affected by the scarcity of petrol.
Speaking during the meeting, Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said the company has always, without formal request, supported INEC in making sure that petrol is available for all vehicles involved in the electoral process.
Kyari said while is the largest downstream company in the country at present, it is possible that there may be some locations where they are not present.
“We’ll work with your logistics team to identify those areas where we may not have presence so that we can bring in other marketing companies into the conversation so that the products are made available to all the 100,000 vehicles that you have indicated,” he said.
“There will be no difficulty doing this. We have presence; we are everywhere. But where we are not, we will provide commercial conversation between the commission and other marketing companies so that when you need this product, you will have it.
“Also, in addition to this, we’re the only company that has floating mega stations in the country. We will also look at this and see how we can make it available for the purpose of the marine operations in the riverine areas of our country.
“I assure you, just as you have indicated, we have taken very extreme measures to see that we can contain the current distribution challenges that we have and we believe that within the next one week, there will be significant relief, if not elimination, of the current situation that we’re facing.
“In respect of that, we’ll make arrangements to make sure their products are made available to your vehicles during the election period or as a build-up to the elections.”
Nigeria has again scored 24 out of 100 points while ranking 150 among 180 countries on the 2022 Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International on Tuesday, The PUNCH reports.
Although the country maintained its previous year’s (2021) score of 24 out of 100 points, however, there was a change in rank from 154 to 150, as some other countries performed more poorly in 2022.
This was as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission noted that it was not in a position to react to or make a comment on the score and ranking.
The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said, “The Federal Government had always reacted to the report annually, and it is expected that it would react to the latest one. However, the ICPC is not in the position to react to or make a comment on the report.”
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not respond to an inquiry by our correspondent on Tuesday, concerning what the CPI means for its anti-corruption fight in the country.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not respond to phone calls, texts, or WhatsApp messages from our correspondent on Tuesday.
The PUNCH reports that the CPI is TI’s tool for measuring the levels of corruption in the systems of 180 countries across the world, based on prevalent indices.
Such prevalent indices are bribery, diversion of public funds, public officials using public office for private gain without consequences, the ability of governments to contain corruption and enforce effective integrity mechanisms in the public sector, red tape and excessive bureaucratic burden which may increase opportunities for corruption, meritocratic versus nepotistic appointments in the civil service.
For Nigeria, the CPI sourced its data for the ranking from eight globally acclaimed organisations, some of which Nigeria is a partner.
The eight organisations are the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey, Works Justice Project Rule of Law Index, Varieties of Democracy Project, Global Insight Country Risk Guide, PRS International Country Risk Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit Country Ratings, and the Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index.
In previous years, Nigeria had experienced a consecutive drop in the CPI ranking. In 2012, the country scored 27, and in 2013 it scored 25, then went back to 27 in 2014, and down to 26 in 2015, moved up to 28 in 2016, 27 in 2017 and 2018, 26 in 2019, down to 25 in 2020, and 24 in 2021 and 2022.
According to Transparency International Chair, Delia Rubio, global corruption levels have been stagnant for 11 years in a row.
Rubio said, “Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place. As governments have collectively failed to make progress against it, they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict – and endanger people everywhere. The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure governments work for all people, not just an elite few.”
At a press conference on Tuesday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in conjunction with TI noted that the pardon granted to two jailed former governors – Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State in 2022 by the Buhari-led administration, indicated a major setback in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.