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The Senate: creation Of 20 more states In Nigeria

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Following reports circulating through the blogosphere, social media and social centres on the move to create 20 more states by the Nigerian Senate, the law makers have refuted the claim.

Spokesperson of the House, Ajibola Basiru said the legislature has no power to recommend or propose the creation of a new state unless the bill is in line with section 8 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution.

He added that the committee reviewing the 1999 Nigerian Constitution was misunderstood.

Basiru further explained that section 8 of the constitution sets out the criteria for the creation of a new state in Nigeria. The criteria includes a referendum and the approval of two-thirds of the state’s population and that of the lower and higher chambers.

“Therefore, the Senate is not empowered to approve new states contrary to what has been reported,” he said.

Ajibola Basiru further explained the criteria for creation of new states in a statement, saying contrary to the reports, the senate would submit a request to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which would ensure compliance with the provisions of the Nigeria constitution.

The move must also get the approval of at least two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives and Senate from the region seeking to create new state, the spokesman revealed.

The New States As Carried in Reports

The following states have been in circulation as the new ones to be created. 

– ITAI State from Akwa Ibom

– Katagum State from Bauchi

– Okura State from East River

– Okun State from Kogi

– Adada State from Enugu

– Gurara State from South Kaduna

– Ijebu State from Ogun

– Ibadan State from Oyo

– Tiga State from Kano

– Ghari State from Kano

– Amana State from Adamawa

– Gongola State from Adamawa

– Mambilla State from Taraba

– State of Savannah from Borno

– Etiti State from southeastern Nigeria

– Orashi State from Imo and Anambra

– Njaba State from Imo

– Aba State from Abia

– State Anioma from Delta

– Torogbene State and Oil River from Bayelsa and Delta and Rivers State

– Bayajida State from Katsina and Jigawa, and Zamfara

The creation of the states has been rejected by many society groups and Nigerians.

Recall that prior to the time of independence there were three regions – North, West and East, and territorial system continued until 1960.

In the year 1987, Nigeria had 21 states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. 

General Yakubu Gowon created 12 states between 1967 and 1987; General Murtala Mohammed created 7 states between 1976 and 1987; General Ibrahim Babangida created 11 states between 1987 and 1996; while General Sani Abacha created 6 states between 1996 and 1998.

Critics have viewed the move to create 20 more states as another burden to Nigeria as well as another avenue to let corruption strive.

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Sports

PSG Beat FFP Rule As Messi Reunites With Neymar

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The reality of seeing Lionel Messi team up again with Neymar especially in a team like Paris Saint-Germain who already boast of Kylian Mbappe, Mauro Icardi, and Di Maria shows how the Qatar-backed French side is beating the Financial Fair Play rules.

Not all the fans will rejoice. Many will struggle to come to terms with Messi leaving Barcelona.

Others would have preferred to see him go to a club where he really could have a transformative impact, like Diego Maradona at Napoli.

But modern football is now dominated by a narrow elite financed by mega-rich owners, state wealth in the case of Qatar-backed Paris Saint-Germain and Abu Dhabi’s Manchester City.

Add in Roman Abramovich’s Champions League winners Chelsea and even the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid can’t keep up.

Barca ruined themselves in the transfer market trying to replace Neymar to the extent they could not keep their greatest ever player due to La Liga’s financial fair play rules.

FFP Rules Is A Ruse?

PSG are not immune from the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic, but they are better placed to survive the economic downturn.

PSG lost 124.9 million euros before tax in the 2019/20 season which was curtailed by the pandemic.

Last season’s figures are likely to be far worse, reportedly around 230 million euros, with PSG almost entirely deprived of gate receipts as games were played behind closed doors while French TV revenue went off a cliff after the collapse of a record deal with Mediapro.

Yet they have splashed out in the transfer market, spending 60 million euros ($71 million) on Inter Milan right-back Achraf Hakimi and signing several big-name players who were out of contract in Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Wijnaldum was snatched from under the noses of…Barcelona.

PSG can do it because their Qatari owners are there to cover the losses and because, for now at least, French league rules do not stop clubs from having wages to income ratio of almost 100 per cent, as it was in 2019/20.

They have also been helped by UEFA’s decision to soften its financial fair play rules to compensate for revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic, meaning assessments of the 2020 and 2021 financial years would be done together rather than separately.

Clubs are expected to be able to register losses over the 30 million euro limit provided they can show they were caused by the pandemic.

Critics say that FFP is no longer fit for purpose, and PSG’s rivals would claim to sign Messi, allied to their other summer spending and the fact they already have Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on their books, means the French club are showing a blatant disregard for the rules.

An Imaginary Front Line For Pochettino

Nevertheless, signing Messi certainly improves their chances of winning the prize they want more than anything, that their Qatari owners have been chasing ever since buying the club.

In May 2011 Messi inspired Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League final. A few weeks later Qatar Sports Investments bought a controlling stake in PSG.

In August 2017 PSG made Neymar and Mbappe the two most expensive signings in history. Now they have Messi.

“Every coach in the world would like to have the best player in the world in their team,” admitted manager Mauricio Pochettino.

PSG’s summer recruitment already looked impressive. They were especially crying out for a new midfielder and a right-back needs that were addressed with the arrivals of Wijnaldum and Hakimi.  

A team that missed out on the Ligue 1 title last season but who in the last two campaigns reached a Champions League final and semi-final, now appear well equipped to land their first European Cup.

The model is the Barcelona team of 2014/15 which won the treble with Messi scoring 58 goals and Neymar 39. The third man, then, was Luis Suarez who added 25 goals. Now the third man will be Mbappe.

It is over to Pochettino, Messi’s compatriot, to accommodate them all, and Angel di Maria, and find the right balance to make his a team of champions as well as a modern-footballing version of the Harlem Globetrotters.

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Headlines

Buhari will soon release Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho – group coordinator

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), Olusegun Bamgbose has said he can authoritatively say that President Muhammadu Buhari will soon release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho.

He asserted that the plan by the President to release both Kanu and Igboho was mainly linked with the advice that the nation’s leader got from his close associates.

He also said that the decision would be hinged upon how Buhari approaches the 2023 general elections.

Speaking convincingly, Bamgbose said the harassment of the two separatist leaders will soon be a matter of the past.

“There are strong underground moves both within and outside the country to discontinue the charges against them,” Bamgbose told Daily Post on Monday.

“Unknown to many Nigerians, some very close allies of President Buhari have strongly advised him to handle their cases wisely because of the 2023 General elections,” he said.

Bamgbose said Buhari has been told by his allies that clamping down on the Yoruba and Igbo secessionists will negatively affect the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.

“It’s obvious from the body language of the President that he will yield to their advice. Another aspect of it is that some Southern Governors are equally secretly negotiating soft ground for the embattled agitators,” he added.

“They are not making it public for obvious reasons. There is also the pressure from International Community to release them soon. In other words, both agitators may soon regain their freedom, hopefully before the end of the year.

“Some top politicians think that considering that 2022 will be the kickstart of the electioneering campaign for the 2023 general elections, it will be ideal to release them this year.

“However, of major concern is the continued violence in the South-East. The government seems to be closely monitoring events in the South-East.

“There are plans to release Igboho to continue his journey to Germany and later release Nnamdi Kanu to South-East Governors and Ohanaeze, but on condition that he will stay back in Nigeria.

“The plans are good but the primary thing President Buhari should do is to ensure fairness to all zones in the country. He is not to be seen as representing the interest of a clan or region.

“He was not elected by a particular section of Nigeria. There must be nothing like marginalisation in any form. The votes of his clan or region could not have made him the President of Nigeria.

“In the 2011 Presidential elections, he got 12 million votes, the majority of which came from the North, but he lost to (Goodluck) Jonathan. He won in 2015 because the South supported him. In order words, he should be more nationalistic in his approach to national issues,” he said.

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Headlines

Bola Tinubu Allegedly Undergoes Surgery In US, Back To UK On Crutches

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu has allegedly undergone another knee surgery at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland, the United States.

It was gathered that the former Lagos state governor  returned to the United Kingdom on crutches after undergoing the successful surgery.

According to SaharaReporters, sources revealed that the 2023 presidential hopeful wanted the surgery in Paris, France but changed his plan over rumour of his death. 

The source said: “Tinubu had his second surgery at John Hopkins University in Maryland recently. He was accompanied by a popular Nigerian doctor in Chicago.

“He had wanted the surgery in Paris but when rumour was rife about his death, he hurriedly left for Nigeria and went to John Hopkins.

“He left the US for the UK on crutches.”

Recall that SaharaReporters had on July 13 claimed that Bola Tinubu was hospitalised in Maryland, the US.

The former Governor was reported to have had his first surgery.

Tinubu had been away from the political scene for a while, amidst reports of him planning to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

“Tinubu is hospitalised in Maryland, US. His health is failing. He couldn’t participate in launching his Arewa library, and he couldn’t participate in the Local Government Area elections last week. He could not attend today’s APC congress due to health reasons.

“He had surgery last week,” an authoritative source had disclosed.

Tinubu was also reported sick and hospitalised in Paris, France in January, 2021.

He had earlier complained of exhaustion and had travelled out to rest before the news of his collapse gone viral.

He was flown to Paris for medical attention in the first week of January.

“Tinubu is in Paris, France for a medical checkup. His health is deteriorating. Old age and other stuff, but he still wants to be president. This could mean another medical tourism presidency for our country,” a top source had at that time revealed.

But an aide to the former governor, Tunde Rahman, disclosed that his principal has not been hospitalised.

He insisted that Tinubu has no medical problem that would required hospitalization, saying the APC leader would soon be back.

Rahman said, “His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is fine. He is hale and hearty. He is not in any hospital. He has no medical problem that would require hospitalization. Yes, he is out of the country at the moment. He will be back shortly.

“Anytime he travels out of the country, the next thing some mischievous people would say is he is sick, hospitalized or has died. It is shameful that perpetrators of this evil are not deterred by the fact that each time this fake news has been propagated, they have been proven wrong.

“Who is afraid of Asiwaju Tinubu? Those wishing Asiwaju Tinubu evil or dead should be careful. They should know the matter of life and death is in the hand of only God Almighty.”

Governor Babajide Sanwo of Lagos State had after a recent visit to Tinubu maintained that the APC national leader is in good health.

According to the Governor, Tinubu is well and healthy contrary to some reports about his ill health.

“My going to see our leader was really around the rumours flying around about him.

“He is well and healthy. We discussed happening in our party and country at large. All is well with him as I saw myself and there is nothing to worry about,” Sanwo-Olu declared.

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HeadlinesHealth

Upsurge in COVID-19 Cases as Lagos

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Lagos State witnessed an upsurge in the daily new COVID-19 cases as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reported additional 422 infections on August 9, 2021.

The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Tuesday morning.

It confirmed that the additional 422 cases were from nine states and the FCT.

The agency said that Lagos state was standing at a dire inflection point, with the coronavirus cases surging and most of its population not yet fully vaccinated.

Driving the latest wave was the highly contagious Delta variant with Lagos continuing to report more than half of the daily cases in the country.

The state recorded the highest cases with 190 out of the 422 additional Infections.

The public health agency tracking the coronavirus case surges in states across the country said that the additional coronavirus cases were rising across the country with 86 in Rivers.

Ogun recorded 85, Oyo, 22, while FCT had 20,

Kwara had 7, Edo, 5, Abia, 4, and Bayelsa, 3.

The NCDC announced that 219 people had recovered and were discharged from various isolation centres in the country on Saturday.

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Headlines

Cynotrust Intelligent Systems launching energy payment validation on the blockchain in Africa

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Cynotrust Intelligent Systems Limited (Cynotrust), a blockchain and distributed ledger technology company that has fully developed and tested its proprietary multi-functional application ecosystem.

With extensive expertise in the energy sector, IT, and financial service sector, the team at Cynotrust initiated the development of the MoCrow Ecosystem; a platform specifically designed to integrate DLT onto energy sector marketplace (energy [kWh] audit and sales) with the aim of eliminating the sector’s inefficiencies and high losses. It cannot be debated that sufficient electric energy is a key driver for economic growth.

Cynotrust seeks to improve efficiencies in the energy sector value chain by deploying practical technological solutions necessary to spur, sustain and increase economic growth in both developing and under-developed regions of the world. The global electricity sector is going through some fundamental changes; the world is rethinking its use and reliance on fossil fuels, and advancement in distributed energy systems is reshaping how we generate, transmit and distribute energy.

Cynotrust currently has a partnership with an Electric Utility Company in Nigeria, JOS Electricity Distribution Plc. Implementation of DLT solution to energy trading has been tested and is currently deployed.

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Africa & World

Biden to continue Trump-era migrant expulsions

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The Biden administration has said it will indefinitely extend a Trump-era pandemic policy that allows the US to swiftly expel undocumented migrants.

The policy known as Title 42 is aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19 in holding facilities, officials say. Children and some families are exempt.

At least 940,000 people have been expelled since it was issued last year.

The decision comes as migrants continue to stream to the US border, including about 210,000 in July alone.

In a statement, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the policy will remain in effect until the spread of Covid by non-citizens stops being a “serious danger” to public health.

The CDC said it will review the situation every 60 days.

The announcement drew outrage from immigration advocacy groups who accused the Biden team of backing the hardline anti-immigration policies of Donald Trump.

Officers from Customs and Border Protection encountered an average of 6,779 individuals each day in July, including 616 unaccompanied children, Monday’s court filing said.

It added that the “record numbers” of migrants had “strained” operations at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to David Shahoulian, the assistant secretary for border and immigration policy.

“These encounter rates have … caused border facilities to be filled beyond their normal operating capacity, impacting the ability to employ social distancing,” the filing quoted Mr Shahoulian as saying.

Additionally, Mr Shahoulian said that the department is experiencing “significantly increased rates” of positive Covid tests. It added that the dangers have increased because of the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

The American Civil Liberties Union and several other advocacy groups have said they will return to court over President Biden’s use of Title 42.

His administration has repeatedly defended the Trump-era policy in courts, where the civil rights groups have sued to have the US asylum system continue processing claims.

While the Biden government has made immigration reform an important goal, the president has repeatedly called on migrants to not attempt the dangerous journey to the US.

“I can say quite clearly: don’t come over,” he said in an ABC News interview in March. “We’re in the process of getting set up. Don’t leave your town or community.”

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Sports

Akwa United Clinch First Ever NPFL with a match a go

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Akwa United of Uyo of Uyo have been crowned the champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Sunday with a 5-2 defeat of Mountain of Fire Ministry FC.

Akwa United are now top of the league with 71 points ahead of second-place Nassarawa United (62) and would be winning their first NPFL title in their 25 years of existence with a game to spare.

They won on Sunday with a flourish, with Charles Atshimene grabbing a hat-trick in the 24th and 85th minutes, and the second minute of final added time.

Alimi Adebayo’s own goal in the second minute of first-half added time, and Mfon Udoh’s 62nd-minute goals added to their goals haul.

The 2013 Federation Cup and 2018 Aiteo Cup winners however conceded twice during the game, from Michael Mbonu’s 68th-minute penalty kick and Dennis Obasi’s 89th-minute goal.

They have so far won 19 matches, drawn 14, and lost four while scoring 52 goals and conceding 22 for a goals difference of +30 to stay miles away from their rivals.

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Headlines

Nigerians are getting poorer contrary to Buhari’s claim

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The good people of Nigeria will remain very poor for a long time to come, the 2021 report of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) revealed.

Nigeria’s chances of achieving Goal 1 of the SDGs, which is the attainment of zero poverty among its people by the year 2030, appear slim, as the country’s poverty headcount is soaring high still, instead of reducing. 

The latest sustainable development report ranked Nigeria low at the 160th position out of 165 countries. The leadership of countries all over the world, through the UN, had committed themselves to achieve all the 17 SDG goals by the end of 2030.

The SDG report revealed that the Nigerian government is not effective at all in lowering poverty among its people if it is making any effort at all. Instead, the leadership in Nigeria is supervising increasing poverty in the country. 

Data showed that 43% of Nigeria’s estimated 206.1 million population is living below the lowest poverty threshold which is $1.90 a day. That is to say, more than 4 out of every 10 Nigerians live on less than N779, using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official exchange rate of N410.

The outcome of the poverty headcount is far worse when it is based on the next international poverty threshold of $3.20. The UN data revealed that 74% of the country’s population survive on less than $3.20 or N1,312 a day. That means according to international standards, more than 7 persons out of every 10 Nigerian are poor. 

The recent SDG 1 figures present Nigerians as poorer than their fellow Africans in four other African countries from the North, South, East and West of the continent, namely Egypt, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.

“In the last two years we lifted 10.5 million people out of poverty” True or False?

In his democracy speech on June 12, 2021, President Buhari claimed that his administration has lifted 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty in the last two years. However, the Sustainable Development Report says the contrary. In fact, data showed that more people slipped into poverty within this period, either using the $1.90 or $3.20/day poverty threshold.

Nigeria’s poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 rose from 68.7% in 2018 to 70% in 2019. It further increased to 73.22% in 2020. These increasing incidents of poverty, particularly in the Buhari administration and the government’s denial of the same casts doubt on its ambitious plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. 

Not only this, just like the country did not achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) poverty targets by 2015, it might also be one of the countries that may not attain goal one of the SDGs by 2023, given its ever-increasing unemployment and inflation rate – two economic factors that prevent access to income and devalue people’s hard-earned income.

Between 2010 and 2020, Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose five-fold, from 6.4% in 2010 to 33.3% in 2020. According to a report by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, the rise in the number of unemployed people is expected to push more people into the poverty trap, going forward. 

Already, inflation has pushed millions of Nigerians below the poverty threshold. The World Bank revealed this in its recent Nigeria Development Update report, noting that inflationary pressure pushed about 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020 alone.

The foregoing evidence from data suggests that unemployment and inflation contribute to extreme poverty in Nigeria, and together pose a major challenge for Nigeria in ending poverty – goal one of the SDGs. This is aside from the impact the COVID-19 may have had not only on Nigeria but the global community in achieving the SDGs. Acknowledging the effect of the global pandemic on the SDGs, the United Nations Secretary General noted that “the current crisis is threatening decades of development gains,… and throwing progress on the SDGs even further off track”

To get back on track to achieve Goal 1 of the SDGs, the government may need to adopt more effective economic measures, particularly in reducing the unemployment rate and inflationary pressure. 

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Headlines

WHO Move Against E-Cigarettes, Vows to take action

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The World Health Organisation, on Tuesday, urged governments to regulate the use of electronic cigarettes as they pose great dangers to human health.

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said nicotine was highly addictive and must be regulated to curb the tobacco industry’s “criminal” tactics to get young people hooked on the substance.

Ghebreyesus made the appeal in a WHO report titled ‘Global Tobacco Epidemic 2021”.

He warned that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are harmful and should be regulated for maximum public health protection.

The report also showed that tobacco leads to eight million deaths annually, adding that over one million die from second-hand smoking.

“Where they are not banned, governments should adopt appropriate policies to protect their populations from the harms of ENDS, and to prevent their uptake by children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups,” it said.

According to the report, the manufacturers of these products often target youths with thousands of tantalising flavours and reassuring statements.

‘It’s The Most Criminal Act…We Can’t Let That Happen’

Leader of WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, Vinayak Prasad, also noted that targeting children with toxic and poisonous products is a criminal action.

“It’s the most criminal act. And it’s a human rights violation. They run the risk of being addicted for the rest of their lives,” he said.

He further noted that following the huge drop in the sales of cigarette, tobacco companies have developed new products like e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products while lobbying governments to limit their regulation.

“Their goal is simple: to hook another generation on nicotine. We can’t let that happen.

“Distinguishing the nicotine-containing products from the non-nicotine, or even from some tobacco-containing products, can be almost impossible. This is just one way the industry subverts and undermines tobacco control measures,” he said.

According to the report, the sales of ENDS have been banned in 32 countries including Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, North Korea and Singapore.

It also stated that 79 countries have adopted measures to either prohibit the use of such products in public places, prohibit their advertising, promotion and sponsorship or require the display of health warnings on packaging.

“This still leaves 84 countries where they are not regulated or restricted in any way,” the WHO said.

The report noted that there were still over billion active smokers around the world.

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