COVER
Wike, Allies Shun PDP Osun Mega Rally for Adeleke
By Jude Opara, Abuja
The feuding Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his ally governors, consisting Samuel Ortom ( Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) stayed away from Osogbo, Osun State capital as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate Ifeanyi Okowa, and the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu and other party leaders stormed the city on Thursday to canvass votes for the party’s governorship candidate in the July 16 election Senator Ademola Adeleke .
The mega rally of the party also drew out the Chairman of PDP Governor’s forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, former Nigerian Vice-president Nnamadi Sambo and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
In his remarks, Atiku appealed to electorate in the state to vote PDP and Adeleke. He also appealed to them to protect their votes from being stolen.
”Do not allow them to steal your votes like they did in 2018. Osun is a PDP state and I appeal to you to vote for the party and safeguard your votes,” Atiku said.
In his remarks, Ayu equally appealed to electorate to vote for the party on Saturday.
According to him, ”There is darkness in Osun. We want light and that is why we want you to vote for PDP and Adeleke on Saturday”.
Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor, also urged the electorate to vote PDP for the restoration of good values and governance.
He said that a vote for PDP on Saturday would bring progress and prosperity in the state.
On his part, Sambo urged registered voters to vote for PDP on Saturday.
The caretaker chairman of the party in the state, Mr Akindele Adekunle, also urged the electorate to vote for the party.
“Osun people have decided to vote for Ademola Adeleke. Vote for prosperity, vote for PDP.”
In his remarks, Adeleke commended the party members for coming out en mass for the campaign.
He said a vote for him and PDP was a vote for progress. Adeleke said if elected, he would ensure prompt payment of salaries, pension and also give financial autonomy to local government.
The absence of the camp, loyal to the Rivers State governor clearly signals that certainly there is no end in sight yet for the crisis rocking the main opposition party. The PDP has been trying to manage the crisis that trailed its national convention where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar beat Governor Wike to the second position to emerge the party’s presidential candidate.
Wike who blamed his defeat on alleged sabotage by Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State, who suddenly withdrew for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was however, recommended by Governor Ortom-led committee, set up by the party to evaluate the qualities of then intending presidebtial running mates. It seemed as compensation for who has done so much to sustain the party but his choosing by the Ortom-led committee was surprising rejected by Atiku, who rather unilaterally chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
For this, which appeared as ill-treatment, Wike and his loyalists have been keeping away from the party and refused to be comforted ever since. In fact Ortom has publicly declared in the media that he would not identify with the PDP flag bearer, so also the leader of the party in Ekiti State, former governor Ayodele Fayose, who equally is Wike’s loyalist. All efforts by party stakeholders to integrate Wike and his allies back into the party have been made futile by the angry and warring group.
Atiku was said to have flown in yesterday morning from Dubai to attend the event.
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
As Nigerians await full power restoration, the national grid has collapsed once again.The national grid collapsed on Tuesday, marking the 10th such incident since January 2024.It was confirmed that, as of 11 am on Thursday, the 22 power plants were only able to generate 2,323 megawatts of electricity, with generation dropping to 0.
00MW. The peak generation for the day was 3,743MW as of 10 am. The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company reported a power outage at 11:29 am.“Dear Esteemed Customer, please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, 7 November 2024, at 11:29 hrs, affecting supply within our network.“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us,” IKEDC said.The Transmission Company of Nigeria has yet to provide an update on the incident at the time of this report which marks the 11th of such occurrences in 2024.The country recorded more than 93 cases of grid collapse during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.This persistent grid collapse has led to frequent blackouts, impacting businesses and daily life across the country.Nigeria had, in the past decade, secured about 10 loans totaling about $4.36bn from the World Bank to address challenges in the sector but there has not been any significant improvement even with additional funds from multilateral and donor agencies.This has heightened speculations that a sizable chunk of the loans may not have been disbursed for the purposes for which they were obtained.The frequent fluctuations in power supply have continued to take a toll on industrial and domestic consumers leaving frustration and low productivity in the aftermath.The Bola Tinubu administration has continued to seek additional World Bank loans, securing $1.901 billion in new funds since he assumed office in June 2023.The administration has also been making frantic efforts to expand the nation’s energy options through renewable energy projects.The government has also initiated massive solar energy extension, especially to rural communities across the country to bridge the gaping power gaps.With a population estimated to be more than 200 million, Nigeria has not been able to exceed 5000 Megawatts at any period in the past 10 years despite assurances by successive administrations.More disturbing to Nigerians is the astronomical increase in electricity tariffs across the board, peaking above 400 percent with the last hike that was affected earlier in the year.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Presidency has sought to allay concerns regarding the safety of Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles, recently introduced in Nigeria as an alternative to petrol-powered cars.The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed these fears in a post on X on Thursday while responding to reports on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles by 2025.
The Malaysian government announced plans to phase out CNG vehicles and end the sale of natural gas vehicles by July 2025. According to local media sources, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, made this announcement at a press conference on Monday.He explained that the decision was intended to protect road users and the public from the potential hazards posed by ageing CNG tanks.Loke was quoted as saying, “These NGV tanks have a safe usage lifespan of approximately 15 years, and if they are not replaced, they become unsafe to use and may fail at any time.” From July 1, 2025, CNG-powered vehicles will no longer be registered or allowed to operate in Malaysia.However, Onanuga clarified that Malaysia’s policy was focused on the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), not CNG.He added that Nigeria chose CNG specifically for its safety and cost-effectiveness, with plans underway to develop domestic tank manufacturing capacity.Onanuga wrote, “Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles:“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, not CNG. In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG only, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.”Onanuga further noted, “Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.”He added that Malaysia faced difficulties in replacing 15-year-old tanks due to limited manufacturing capacity, while Nigeria, in its first year of adopting CNG, is already addressing this.Malaysia introduced CNG for taxis and airport limousines in the late 1990s, while Nigeria began its own CNG initiative in 2024 as an alternative transportation fuel.
By David Torough, Abuja
Zenith Bank Plc has assured its teeming customers of exceptional service delivery and improved customer experience following the successful completion of its Information Technology Infrastructure Upgrade.
The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of the bank, Dr.
Adaora Umeoji in a statement expressed her immense gratitude to all customers of the bank for their patience and support during its recent IT infrastructure migration to a new and more robust operating system.Umeoji emphasized that the bank was committed to delivering unparalleled service experience, saying “We undertook such an extensive endeavor in other to better position Zenith Bank Plc for improved service delivery to all our valued customers and provide memorable banking experiences at all our touchpoints,” adding that the bank now has one of the best technology infrastructure in the Nigerian banking industry, and is well positioned to ensure customers experience exceptional service delivery going forward.
Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.
The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.
The bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020 and 2022; and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria 2023 and 2024 in the International Banker Banking Awards.
Further recognitions include being recognised as Best Bank in Nigeria for the fourth time in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024 in the World Finance Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024, ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.
The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021; Bank of the Year for 2023 and 2024, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best
Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.
Masters Energy Group, Detractors and the Nigerian Economy
ShareBy Tony Iji Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah, president/founder of Masters Energy Group, is one of Nigeria’s leading, patriotic, visionary, and...
Let’s Fix PDP to Fix Nigeria, Says Makinde
ShareBy Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has called on members of the Peoples Democratic Party...
Otu Mourns Lagbaja’s, Describes Late COAS as Courageous Soldier
ShareFrom Ene Asuquo, Calabar Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu has expressed profound sadness over the sudden death...
Tinubu Tasks Media to Hold Leaders Accountable
ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said the Media has a duty to hold the elected and...
Youth Advocate Urges LG Chairman to Key into Kogi Gov’s Devt Agenda
ShareFrom Joseph Amedu, Lokoja A Youth Advocate on grassroots advancement, Andrew Ochika has urged the newly elected chairman of Dekina...
FCTA to Dualize Kuje-Gwagwalada Road
ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike on Thursday revealed that President Bola Tinubu...
Insecurity: Nigeria Police Force Constables to Bear Arms
ShareFrom Dan Amasingha, Minna In its concerted effort at combating insecurity, the Nigeria Police Force has now authorized that all...
New Terrorists Group Emerges in Sokoto, Others – DHQ
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawas’ in...
Gen. Babangida Commiserates with Nigerians over Lagbaja
ShareFrom Dan Amasingha, Minna Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has commiserated with the President and Commander in Chief...
NESG, Tourism Stakeholders Meet to Validate Draft National Tourism Policy
ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja Key stakeholders from Nigeria’s tourism, hospitality, and cultural sectors convened in Lagos for a pivotal validation...