From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has again called for a review of the country’s revenue derivation formula in line with the practice of fiscal federalism.He queried the existing practice where resource-endowed states in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta, get a paltry 13 per cent as monthly allocation from their resources.

Governor Diri maintained that the country’s lopsided federalism practice had hindered the development of states. The Bayelsa governor spoke on Saturday in Houston, Texas, when Ijaws in the United States of America and Canada conferred on him the award of “Icon of Unity and Social Justice.”The three-day 2024 convention was held under the auspices of the Ijaw National Congress (INC)-Americas.Also honoured were the former Nigerian first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as well as renowned author and Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo.While receiving the award, Diri appreciated the organisers for upholding the Ijaw tradition and culture even in the diaspora.He urged them not to allow the fire of Ijaw nationalism that has been ignited to extinguish and ensure that the annual event was sustained while promising the support of his administration.He said: “This annual convention offers an opportunity for Ijaws in the diaspora to continue to associate with themselves.“I urge the INC in the Americas not to allow the Ijaw fire to be put out. My administration will support you to sustain the Ijaw culture and tradition here in the Americas.”Governor Diri also admonished the Ijaw ethnic nationality not to get tired of its leadership role in the Niger Delta while enlisting the support of other ethnic groups in the region.“The leadership of the Niger Delta has been with the Ijaws over the years. Now it looks like we are getting tired. But we should not. We have to continue with our leadership role while galvanising support from our neighbours and brothers in the region.“The Niger Delta is an area that should be better than it is if we were allowed to use our resources for our development. Since I arrived in this country, what crossed my mind has been how Bayelsa would be if we practised true federalism whereby we get 100 percent of our revenue from oil and gas and not 13 per cent as it is today. Maybe we would have had one small Houston in Yenagoa.”Diri insisted that it was wrong to describe Bayelsa as insolvent and unable to exist without monthly federal allocation while its resources were being expropriated to Abuja and shared to other states in the country.“You cannot take away the resources in my state and the internally generated revenue that would have accrued to us and expropriate it in the name of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). Every month end, the 36 states in the country gather in Abuja to share resources accruing from my state and they still come back to insult us that our state is insolvent.“I have never seen anywhere in the world where the essence of the FAAC is to share revenue only from oil and gas. What about the revenue from other mineral resources like gold? Why are they not also shared? This is the naked truth.”

Kunle Idowu, Abeokuta

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today conferred the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) on the Awujale of Ijebu land,Oba Sikiru Adetona Oba to mark the monarch’s 90th birthday.The honour was bestowed on the royal father at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye,during the commissioned of the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Studies,which coincided with the presentation of a book titled; “Reinventing Governance in Nigeria: The Oba (Dr.

) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Model.”The President, represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, said the monarch deserves the second highest honour in the land because of his contribution to nation-building and meritorious service to humanity.Tinubu noted that the numerous contributions of Oba Adetona to national development, particularly in the education sector has expanded the sector to optimal delivery through various donations and endowments.He described the monarch as forthright with exceptional character who stood his ground and confronted injustice in all ramifications, commending him for his role in ensuring the return of democratic governance in Nigeria.Tinubu averred that Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance Studies would be taken over and managed by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.”Because Kabiyesi Adetona has honored our country and humanity with his many years of meritorious service, I, therefore, on this occasion of his 90th birthday ceremony confer on him the second highest National honour of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON).”The National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, will be asked to take over the running and management of Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance Studies,” the president said.In his remarks, the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, described Oba Adetona as a living legend and a phenomenon whose reign has been a monumental success and a pride to the entire Ijebuland and the state at large.According to the governor, the monarch represents the beauty and the candour of the ancestral heritage of the Ijebu people, emphasizing that his passion for governance and accessible commitment to education led him to institute the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance in the Department of Political Science of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.”This initiative has led and given birth to the establishment of the world class Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.”He championed the Ijebu Development Board on poverty eradication that has become a model in the entire country,” Abiodun submitted.Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Toyin Ashiru, said the establishment of the School of Governance is aimed at fostering dialogue among scholars, policy makers and practitioners on matters of governance, leadership and public service, adding that it would serve as a hub for research, knowledge sharing and capacity building to equip people withAhs needed skills for effective governance.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola on his part, said the Awujale has contributed to the development of the school through the donation of offices, lecture and seminar rooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Library, assuring that the vision and mission of the school of Governance Studies would be vigorously pursued to make it a centre of excellence in good government and leadership in Nigeria and in the sub Saharan Africa.In a lecture titled “Changing Nigeria’s Governance Narrative,” the occupant of the Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Akinsola Agagu, said Nigeria since independence, has been grappling with democratic crisis, corruption, mismanagement, ineptitude, insecurity, among others, saying this has led to non achievement of dividends of independence in the country.He attributed the deep root of the general governance and development crises in the country to absence of seamless intersection of democratic politics with democratic political and legal culture, emphasizing that the continued political crisis is due to flawed political culture which has reduced politics to a lawless and amoral vocation.Prof. Agagu noted that to change the narrative and put the country in the right track, public spirited individuals at all facets of live are urgently needed, while patriotism, concern for the people, vision, honesty, transparency and accountability as well as impeccable character as exemplified by Oba Sikiru Adetona, should be the hallmark of those in position of leadership.Responding, Oba Adetona appreciated the people for their support and for honouring him with their presence and prayed for the peace in the families, state, and the country. celebration.Tinubu made the announcement at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye during the commissioning of the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Breaking: Tinubu Confers GCON On Awujale At 90…Oba Adetona represents ancestral heritage of the Ijebu people-AbiodunPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, conferred on the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) to mark the monarch’s 90th birthday celebration.President Tinubu made the announcement at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye during the commissioning of the Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Studies and the presentation of a book titled; “Reinventing Governance in Nigeria: The Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Model.”The President, represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, said the monarch deserves the second highest honour in the land because of his contribution to nation-building and meritorious service to humanity

.In his remarks, the governor, Dapo Abiodu, described Oba Adetona as a living legend and a phenomenon whose reign has been a monumental success and a pride to the entire Ijebuland and the state at large.According to the governor, the monarch represents the beauty and the candour of the ancestral heritage of the Ijebu people, emphasizing that his passion for governance and accessible commitment to education led him to institute the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance in the Department of Political Science of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Toyin Ashiru, said the establishment of the School of Governance is aimed at fostering dialogue among scholars, policy makers and practitioners on matters of governance, leadership and public service, adding that it would serve as a hub for research, knowledge sharing and capacity building to equip people withAhs needed skills for effective governance.The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola on his part, said the Awujale has contributed to the development of the school through the donation of offices, lecture and seminar rooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Library, assuring that the vision and mission of the school of Governance Studies would be vigorously pursued to make it a centre of excellence in good government and leadership in Nigeria and in the sub Saharan Africa.In a lecture titled “Changing Nigeria’s Governance Narrative,” the occupant of the Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Akinsola Agagu, said Nigeria since independence, has been grappling with democratic crisis, corruption, mismanagement, ineptitude, insecurity, among others, saying this has led to non achievement of dividends of independence in the country.Responding, Oba Adetona appreciated the people for their support and for honouring him with their presence and prayed for the peace in the families, state, and the country. and the presentation of a book titled; “Reinventing Governance in Nigeria: The Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Model.”

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja

Senator Shehu Umar Buba, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has clarified that the recently imposed cybersecurity levy announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is not targeted at individuals or ordinary bank customers.

The Senator who sponsored the amendment bill told journalists that the levy is aimed explicitly at financial institutions and telecom companies, the most vulnerable sectors to financial crimes and cyber fraud, to enhance cybersecurity measures and national security in the country. He noted that the relevant section of the Cybercrime Act is very clear about the businesses that are required to pay the levy, not the citizens.“The Act is very explicit about who is responsible for the payment, not Nigerian citizens or individuals. The relevant Section of the Cybercrime Act 2015 listed the businesses required to pay the levy: telecommunications companies, Internet Service Providers, Banks, Insurance Companies, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and other Financial Institutions.“The organisations in the sectors have been listed in previous circulars by the Central Bank of Nigeria, especially in 2018. The new circular by the CBN further provided many exemptions.”Senator Buba also clearly explained the amount payable as a cybersecurity levy. “It is either 0.005 or 0.5% arithmetically. The figure in the principal act was 0.005 as a fraction, which was converted to the percentage that became 0.5% in the amendment. Therefore, the statistics in fractions and percentages are the same.The legislator highlighted that the passage of the amendment bill was a collaborative effort of various stakeholders.“The passage of the amendment bill was a collaborative effort involving the government, industry players, civil society, and academia in the contributions and active participation in the public hearing before and endorsement by the two chambers of the National Assembly. After rigorous processes, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the bill into law in February 2024.”The Senator acknowledged the concerns of Nigerians, civil groups, and other stakeholders about the current economic situation but was reassured that implementing the cybersecurity law was not meant to punish citizens. He emphasised that the levy is a collective effort to protect national security and the economy, with the financial burden primarily falling on the specified businesses.The Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024, which President Tinubu signed into law in February, imposes a 0.5 percent (0.005) levy equivalent to half the value of all electronic transactions by the businesses specified in the Second Schedule of the Act. The levy will be remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund, which the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) shall administer.The circular announcing the levy also exempted some transactions from the cybercrime levy, including loan disbursements and repayments, salary payments, intra-account transfers, and other financial transactions.