COVER
Tinubu Reverses Appointment of Wike’s Ally after Backlash
By Lubem Myaornyi, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Chukwuemeka Woke as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency.
Woke, a former Chief of Staff to a former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was on May 9, 2024, appointed as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority.
This was met with backlash from Nigerians who protested the appointment of an MD who is not from the South West region.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, however, revealed the redeployment in a statement on Wednesday.
Ngelale also announced the President’s appointment of Dr. Adedeji Ashiru as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority.
Apart from being an engineer, Woke is also known as an environmental expert and a politician.
He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering and has worked within the Environmental, Safety, and Operations Departments of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Woke served as the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area in Rivers State and held the position of Chief of Staff at the Government House in Port Harcourt for an extended period.
Meanwhile, Ashiru holds a Doctorate degree in Engineering from the CommonWealth University, UK, and has led a consortium of blue-chip companies, in addition to earning many stripes in his professional endeavour.
The statement read in part, “The President expects the new Chief Executive Officers to deploy their competencies to these critical agencies for sustainable gains and turnaround while maintaining utmost transparency in their operations.”
Tinubu Appoints Shehu Muhammed New FRSC Marshal
Similarly, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Shehu Mohammed as the new Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Mohammed, an Assistant Corps Marshal, would replace Dauda Biu, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022.
A statement on Wednesday by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, said Mohammed’s appointment took effect from May 20, 2024.
He noted that Mohammed’s appointment was for an initial period of four years.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Assistant Corps Marshal Mohammed Shehu as the Corps Marshal/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission.
“The appointment is for an initial period of four years with effect from May 20, 2024, to the relevant provisions of the Act establishing the Commission.
“President Tinubu tasks the appointee to bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new assignment,” the statement partly read.
Tinubu Inaugurates 15-man Governing Board for NEITI
On the other hand, President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative by inaugurating the newly constituted 15-member National Stakeholders Working Group, also known as the Governing Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who also chairs the new NEITI board, the President said transparency in the extractive sector as well as prudent management of Nigeria’s resources was central to his administration’s economic agenda and the anti-corruption policies.
“The present administration is passionate and remains fully committed to the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the work of NEITI and the visible impacts which the EITI process has achieved so far in Nigeria,” the President stated at the inauguration which took place in Abuja.
He added, “Our faith in the EITI process is not just because it is central to our key government agendas, but also because, over the years, NEITI has demonstrated a high degree of competence, integrity and commitment to the values that the country requires to achieve economic growth and development in the sector.
“This has been through the availability of reliable information and data required for national planning and reforms. NEITI has supported revenue growth in the sector through the meticulous application of EITI principles.
“Our national and global focus is on energy security, efficiency and justice in energy financing, renewables and control of emissions. The work of NEITI is so important to our country and particularly this administration in helping us to define our country’s engagement strategy on the energy transition debate through consultations, constructive engagement driven by reliable information and data.”
Tinubu emphasised NEITI’s non-partisan nature, calling on the NSWG members to conduct themselves according to the EITI standards that define the function of the NSWG to be focused on policy and oversight, not day-to-day management.
“It is also necessary for me to stress that your appointment is a part-time one. Your appointment as a member of the NSWG is not a full-time job and as members, please note this very carefully to avoid getting involved in issues of day-to-day management which is the work of NEITI management under the leadership of the Executive Secretary.
“You are therefore advised to conduct yourselves in accordance with this requirement,” the President stated.
Addressing the board shortly after the inauguration, the NSWG Chairman, George Akume, stressed the need for the new NEITI board to immediately take steps to address the outstanding issues raised by the EITI validation report.
“This board has the responsibility to understand the issues and provide policy support to the secretariat to successfully implement the plan.
“Nigeria scored 72 points in that global assessment and I hope that Nigeria will score 100 points at the next validation due in January 2026 under this board and my chairmanship.
“Our duty as a board is to provide strong policy direction for NEITI and the extractive sector for the full implementation of the EITI principles and standards to ensure transparency and accountability in the sector.
“We must support the ongoing independent audits of the industry, reforms in the oil and gas sector being driven by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the reforms in the solid minerals sector, the proposed amendments of the NEITI Act, pay attention to the debate on climate change, energy transition, beneficial ownership disclosures, domestic resource mobilisation, contracts transparency implementation and EITI standards on Open Data,” Akume stated.
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.
By David Torough, Abuja
The death of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja has thrown the nation into mourning, casting a heavy pall over official functions at the Presidency and the security services.
The Presidency yesterday announced Lagbaja’s death following what many attributed to his protracted battle with cancer.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Lagbaja, 56, died on Tuesday night in Lagos, “after a period of illness”
“President Bola Tinubu expresses his heartfelt condolences to the family and the Nigerian Armed Forces during this difficult time.
He wishes Lt. General Lagbaja eternal peace and honours his significant contributions to the nation,” the statement read.According to the statement, Lagbaja, who was appointed Chief of Army Staff on June 19, 2023, demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment throughout his service.
He had previously served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion among other sensitive positions.
Incidentally, President Tinubu had, last weekend Wednesday, appointed Major General Olufemi Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff, to stand in for Lagbaja who had been away on medical treatment.
The President had, last Tuesday, gone ahead to decorate Oluyede as Lieutenant General, deepening speculations that Lagbaja was not being expected back anytime soon.
Following the death of the late COAS, the Presidency postponed the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting scheduled for yesterday in honour of the fallen COAS.
The President also directed that Nigeria’s national flags be flown at half-mast across the country for seven days.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) was also caught in the sombre atmosphere. A joint statement mourning the demise of the COAS was issued by Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ibrahim Kana.
The MOD expressed shock over the sad news recalling Lagbaja’s contribution to the Army and his dedication to duty.
The statement said, “He exhibited the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation with us in the discharge of our mandate.
“The late Chief of Army Staff contributed in no small measure to the internal security operations across Nigeria and also exhibited a high level of professionalism.
“He will be greatly missed by the family, the military and the nation as he served the nation with commitment and dedication.”
Similarly, there was palpable grief at the Defence Headquarters over the loss with the leadership expressing deep sorrow of the development.
It noted that the COAS, until his death, demonstrated exemplary leadership. He was credited with spearheading the establishment of the Nigerian Army Aviation Wing and also playing critical roles in multiple military operations across the country.
On its part, the Nigeria Police Force announced the cancellation of all non-essential personal and social engagements for two days. The Force also suspended non-urgent commitments in honour of the late COAS.
In a statement by Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police authorities described Lagbaja as a highly respected figure, known for his tireless efforts in combating insurgency, armed banditry, and violent extremism.
“His dedication to the Nigerian Army and the nation earned him great admiration. The Inspector-General’s gesture reflects the deep respect and appreciation for General Lagbaja’s remarkable service.
“The Nigeria Police Force extends its heartfelt condolences to Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and General Lagbaja’s family, colleagues, and loved ones during this difficult time. His legacy and commitment to Nigeria’s security will never be forgotten,” the statement said.
President Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar yesterday joined other leaders across the globe in congratulating America’s President-elect, Donald Trump.
The world leaders sent their congratulatory messages hours before Vice President Kamala Harris conceded defeat to Trump.
Tinubu expressed his eagerness to strengthen the ties between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.
The Nigerian President’s message was conveyed through a statement yesterday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu said, “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.
”According to him, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership.
The Nigerian leader congratulated the American electorate on their commitment to democracy.
“President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th President will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States,” the statement said.
Tinubu also acknowledged the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, trusting that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.
Atiku, in his message, described Trump’s victory as “a lesson in the art of rising after every fall,” apparently seeing possibilities of his own victory in future elections amid a string of past losses.
Atiku, who contested in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost to Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress (APC).
He has recorded a string of losses in previous election cycles on different political party platforms.
Atiku commended the process that led to the outcome of the US presidential election, hailing the American citizens for their unwavering faith in the power of democracy and the sanctity of the ballot.
He appealed to Trump to stand resolute in ensuring free and fair elections in Nigeria and the world in general.
“I closely followed the presidential election in the United States of America, watching with bated breath as the nation decided its future.
“It is with even greater satisfaction that I now reflect on the result, which heralds a resounding victory for President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party.
“This triumph, without a doubt, will stand as an enduring testament to the resilience and vitality of the democratic process – a timeless reminder that democracy, with all its trials and tribulations, remains a force for good in the world.
“The narrative of President Trump’s political journey, marked by his struggles and triumphs, shall serve as an inspiring parable of courage in the face of adversity — a lesson in the art of rising after every fall, and ultimately, emerging victorious.
“As the world rejoices in the euphoria of his remarkable comeback, it is to be hoped that President Trump will continue his resolute advocacy for credible elections worldwide and remain steadfast in dismantling anti-democratic forces wherever they may lurk.
“The lesson for us in Nigeria is the integrity of the process that ensures a credible outcome. It is the expectation of every Nigerian that the Trump administration will stand resolute in ensuring free and fair elections in Nigeria and other places in the world.
“I also extend my warm congratulations to the people of the United States, whose unwavering faith in the power of democracy and the sanctity of the ballot has once again shown the world the true might of the people’s voice”, he said.
Meanwhile the US Vice President, Kamala Harris, has called Trump to congratulate him on winning the presidential election.
Associated Press (AP) report quoted a campaign aide of Harris’ as having had a discussion with Trump on the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans.
Harris was billed to make a public concession speech later Wednesday night, which would be her first appearance since she lost the election to Trump.
Further report said she would be delivering her speech at Howard University, Washington DC.
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