Andrew Mailafia

The National Bureau of Statistics has said that 92.6 per cent of employed Nigerians are in informal sector.

Noting that this persons were informally employed in sectors like agriculture, while 89.4 per cent are in other sectors excluding agriculture.

In a survey titled: “Nigeria Labour Force Survey” published on Thursday, August 24, NBS states that Nigeria’s unemployment rate was 5.3 per cent in Q4 2022 and 4.1 per cent in Q1 2023.

NBS noted that the figure indicates a significant drop in the unemployment rate, compared to the 33.3 per cent published by the statistics body as Nigeria’s unemployment rate in 2020.

The drop in unemployment rate is attributed to a rejig of the metric used by the NBS to measure unemployment in the country.

President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, has meet behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting came on the heels of the building collapse which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, August 24.

Although theagenda of the meeting is not made public but it may not be unconnected with the building collapse in Abuja on Wednesday in which about two persons died and thirty-seven persons wounded.

It was expected that the Minister would brief the President on the unfortunate event and the level of casualty recorded.

The Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar has reported to President Bola Tinubu on the outcome of his diplomatic shuttle to the Niger Republic.

Abubakar earlier lead the envoy of the Economic Community of West African States met the President in the company of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, among other officials.

Speaking with State House correspondents the meeting on Tuesday, August 22, Abdulsalami said that the visit to Niger was a fruitful one and channels for diplomacy have been opened.

Noting that further details of his discussions with the President is comprehensive, the elder statesman said the meeting would yield positive results

“As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed to find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves. So, that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.

“I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”

Stating that the Niger junta’s had made an announcement to hand over power to a democratically elected government in three years, Abubakar said he had reported to the President who would consult other ECOWAS members.

“Well, like I said, we’ve started talking, they have made their own points and then I made my report to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of state and President. He will now consult with his colleagues and then the ding-dong starts and we’ll get somewhere hopefully.

“Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go war, it doesn’t pay anybody, but then again, our in leaders have said if all fails and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere we’ll get out of this mess.”

President Bola Tinubu has directed the director-general of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Abubakar Aziz to commence a 90-day pre-retirement leave.

The leave, would commence from August 24, 2023 which would lead to his retirement from service on November 24, 2023.

A statement signed by Ajuri Ngelale, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity said that Tinubu had approved the appointment of Bisoye Coker-Odusote to serve as the acting director-general and CEO of (NIMC).

Ngelale said the appointment, which is also for a period of 90 days, would take effect from August 24, 2023, after which, a full term of four years will begin as the substantive NIMC director-general and CEO, beginning on November 24, 2023.

Coker-Odusote is the current general manager and CEO of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA).

He also approved the appointment of Yusuf Buba Yakub to serve as the director/CEO of the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC).

“This appointment takes immediate effect,” Ngelale said.

He said the decision follows the recent expiration of the tenure of Pius Osunyikanmi, former DTAC director/CEO.

Yakub is a member of the house of representatives from Gombi/Hong federal constituency in Adamawa.

The British police has charged former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, with bribery offences, noting that they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pounds oil and gas contracts, Reuters reported.

Alison-Madueke served as the petroleum resources minister during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015.

She, as well, served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.

“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation,” said Andy Kelly, Head of the National Crime Agency’s International Corruption Unit.

Accused of benefitting from at least 100,000 pounds in cash, chauffeur driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties, the charges against Madueke also detail financial rewards including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods, the NCA said.

Stressing that Madueke is currently living in St John’s Wood, an upmarket area of West London, the British Police noted that she would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 2, 2023.

Alison-Madueke had earlier been robed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since she left office, she has been dogged by corruption allegations but denies the charges.

In October, 2022, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of two Abuja properties and two luxury cars belonging to Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.

The two properties are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street and No. 6, Aso Drive in Abuja’s highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts, respectively, and are valued at $2,674,418 and N380m.

The luxury cars are a black BMW saloon with chassis number B8CV54V66629 and registration number RBC155 DH and a black Jaguar saloon with chassis number SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36m.

The judge gave the order forfeiting the assets to the Federal Government while ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in suit No. 1122/2021 and Suit No. 1123/2021, asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.

The EFCC in a statement obtained by our correspondent said the commission had on November 29, 2021, secured the interim forfeiture of the assets in a ruling on a separate motion ex-parte filed on September 27, 2021, which prayed the court to order the interim forfeiture of the assets on the grounds of reasonable suspicion that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.

The statement read, “In granting the interim forfeiture order, Justice Olajuwon had ordered the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper, inviting anyone with an interest in the assets to show the reason why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court consequently adjourned till January 22, 2022, for a report.

However, in May, 2023, Alison-Madueke instituted a suit against the EFCC and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation over what she termed a false and malicious attempt to “paint her as a common criminal”, Saturday PUNCH reported.

The matter filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, with Suit No. CV/6273/2023, was signed by her legal representation, led by Mr Mike Ozekhome, SAN.

It had the EFCC and the AGF as the first and second defendants respectively.

Alison-Madueke requested the sum of N100m to be paid as damages for the “false accusations and publications” written against her by the EFCC.

She also added that the EFCC must apologise in at least three national dailies for the “injurious damage to her reputation”.

The EFCC, on August 8, 2017, released an expose titled, ‘EFCC traces N47.2bn, $487.5m to ex-Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke’, accusing the former minister of fraud and money laundering.

Alison-Madueke left the country shortly after leaving office in 2015.

Shortly after the EFCC publication, several other sums of money and other assets, including jewellery and houses, linked to her had been seized and forfeited to the Federal Government.

Alison-Madueke, in her suit against the EFCC and AGF, denied the allegations, adding that the publication by the anti-graft agency was ‘maliciously written and authored and/or caused to be written, authored or published to the whole world at large’.

A statement of claim by Alison-Madueke, through her lawyer, Ozekhome, disclosed that she left the country on May 22, 2015, was because she was diagnosed with ‘the most aggressive form of breast cancer – Triple Negative Cancer – and was hurriedly flown to England in order to undertake a critical course of treatment

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Elections, Peter Gregory Obi, and the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, joined hundreds of members of the party for a mega rally ahead of Edo State local government elections.

Obi arrived at the Edo Baptist Convention Ground in Benin City where the event took place around 1:30 pm.

Also, the former presidential candidate of Labour Party was accompanied by Akpata, who recently joined the party after the completion of his tenure as NBA president.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has publicly vowed to demolish houses illegally constructed within the nation’s capital, adding that he is unbothered about whose properties are affected.

While taking an oath of office alongside 44 other newly appointed Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on Monday, August 21, in Abuja, Wike, cautioned residents during a press briefing at the office of the FCT Minister.

Noting that some houses have been built to distort the Abuja Masterplan, as well as built on green areas, he said that his administration would demolish houses no matter who it did or did not belong to.

“All those people who are distorting the Masterplan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down.

“Be you a Minister of anywhere, be you an ambassador, if you know you have developed where you were not supposed to develop, your house must go down. Those who have taken over the green areas to build, sorry, our parks must come back, the green areas must come back. If you hate green, you must hate yourself,” Wike said.

Responding to questions as to whether his threatened demolition will be used as a form of vendetta against his enemies, Wike said, “Say the truth, you don’t like those who step on toes. I will step on toes.

“The big and mighty, I will step on them. If you are doing what is wrong, I will do what I am supposed to do”, noting that his task was to return the FCT to what it used to be, rather than as a witch hunt against anyone.

At least 23 local government areas in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states are battling to survive as kidnappers, cattle rustlers and bandits make life difficult for them.

Findings by News Agency of Nigeria states that affected residents were being forced to migrate, enter into an agreement with the criminals or live a life of uncertainty.

Similarly, residents said local government areas worst affected are Isa, Sabon Birni, Gwadabawa, Illela, Tangaza and Goronyo in Sokoto state.

NAN gathered that residents had been forced to abandon their farms, while some villages had been deserted across the affected LGAs.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, Mallam Abubakar Bawa, said the state government was aware of the enormity of the situation

Bawa said, “We are giving priority to ensuring a safe environment. Addressing security challenges has remained top on our administration’s nine-point agenda.

“Our target as a government is to ensure that citizens sleep with their two eyes closed and continue to live and relate peacefully with one another.”

Bawa further noted the Nigerian Army, police and other security agencies had been sustaining efforts to secure the areas.

Also, the spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufai, said the Commissioner of Police, Ali Kaigama, had been engaging residents to facilitate the flow of actionable information to address banditry and other criminalities.

The police spokesman said local governments in the eastern parts of Sokoto State were mostly affected by the security challenges.

Also in Zamfara State, a civil society activist, Faruk Shehu, said many communities in the 14 LGAs of the state have been displaced, with residents of Maru, Anka, Shinkafi, Maradun, Zurmi, Gusau and Bungudu LGAs worst affected.

Shehu said previous attempts at dialogue with the bandits had failed, resulting in the escalation of the security challenges in the state.

“The security challenges in the state started as cattle rustling and later transformed into banditry and kidnapping,” Shehu said.

He expressed the hope that the ongoing engagement started by Governor Dauda Lawal with the military and other security agencies would lead to an escalation of attacks on the bandits to secure the areas they have dominated.

The situation in Kebbi State has already claimed the lives of at least 2,500 people between 2019 and 2023, according to Bamaiyi An’iko, the Secretary of Zuru Development Foundation.

An’iko said the 2,500 people were killed in Danko, Wasagu, Fakai, Sakaba and Zuru LGAs, all under Zuru Emirate.

He said bandits have been attacking and displacing rural communities in the emirate, adding that some communities around Bena, Danko, Wasagu had come under siege or total control of the bandits.

“Some communities had to sign an agreement with the bandits,” the foundation’s secretary said, adding that, “There are a lot of Internally Displaced Persons requiring urgent provision of relief materials, including food and toiletries, clothes and mats.”

The state Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, said the government was determined to end the security challenges and would continue to provide support for victims of bandits’ attacks who have been forced to leave their homes.

He said, “The state government, under the leadership of Dr. Nasir Idris, will leave no stone unturned in making sure that banditry comes to an end in the state.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor,  Ahmad Idris, said, “The government is doing its best to ensure that the situation is fully tackled.”

The Director,  Defence Media Operation, Maj. Gen.  Edward Buba, admitted that insecurity is widespread in the North-West region.

He added that the military had deployed troops to various locations in the region to address the scourge.

Buba said, “The issue of insecurity is quite widespread in North-West of the country.  It is for this reason troops are strategically deployed to address the situation through Joint Task Force Operation Hadrin Daji; and Operation Whirl Punch, both of which are in the North-West.

 “Periodic reports that have been made available to the media have indicated incremental improvements in the security situation as a result of these operations.”

President Bola Tinubu has refushuffled the portfolios to some of the ministerial members of his cabinet.

A statement released on Sunday,, August 20 by the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale stated that Abubakar Momoh was redeployed from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Ministry of Niger Delta Development and Adegboyega Oyetola was redeployed as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

Ajuri, further, expressed that the Federal Ministry of Youth would be reassigned to a minister-designate soon.

Other intending cabinet members include Bunmi Tunji-Ojo and Hon. Sa’idu Alkali who were redeployed as the Minister of Interior and Minister of Transportation respectively.

Disclosed that both Ministers of State in the Oil & Gas sector have been domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources,Ajuri stressed that Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has been assigned the portfolio of Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, while Ekperipe Ekpo was named the Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources.

“The president has approved the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment. All aforementioned changes take immediate effect by these directives of the President,” the statement added.