COVER
Omobayo Takes Oath as Dep Gov after Shaibu’s Removal
Edo State House of Assembly yesterday removed Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of state.Shaibu was impeached by a vote by 18 out of 24 members of state Assembly following the consideration of the report of the seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.Immediately after his removal, 38-year-old Marvellous Omobayo was sworn in on Monday as the new Edo Deputy Governor to replace his predecessor, Philip Shaibu, who was impeached from office.
The Chief Judge of Edo, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, administered the Oath of Office on Omobayo at the Government House in Benin. This is the first impeachment in the history of the state.In attendance at the House sitting were 20 members, including the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, but 18 members voted for the impeachment while one member abstained.The process commenced with the Clerk of the House reading out Order 10-presentation and consideration of the seven-man panel report of allegation of gross misconducts against the deputy governor listed in the Assembly’s items for consideration.The Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghan representing Ovia North East 1 moved that the report be considered. His motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Eric Okaka, Owan East.The Speaker assumed chairman of the committee of the whole House to consider the report, after the Majority and Minority Leaders moved and seconded a motion to that effect.Donald Okogbe, Akoko-Edo II rose to object to part C of the report but his objection was overruled by the Speaker.The House resolved that the allegation of perjury against the Deputy Governor was not proved but held that the second allegation of disclosure of official secrets was proved.The Majority and Minority Leaders of the Assembly moved and seconded a motion, respectively that the Speaker revert to his position as Speaker of the House.The Majority Leader moved that with regard to section 188 subsection 9 of the Constitution, the report be put to vote.Eighteen members voted in support of the impeachment while one member abstained.The Speaker said more than two-thirds majority of the House voted and endorsed the impeachment.He then declared, “I hereby from my seat announce that the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu stands impeached.”Omobayo appointed by Gov. Godwin Obaseki was immediately sworn-in.
He hails from Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in the same Edo North senatorial district with Shaibu.
Omobayo was born on July 19, 1986. He is an engineer with a professional experience in the oil and gas sector.
He had his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
He is a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
After taking oath of office, Omobayo pledged allegiance to the governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said, “In the few critical months left to tidy up the work of this administration, my job as the Deputy Governor is clear and well cut out. I understand it very clearly.
“In line with the oath of office to which I have just subscribed, I make a solemn pledge to do all in my power, with God’s guidance, to live up to expectations.
“I will give all it takes to meet the expectations of my principal, the party, and above all, the good people of Edo State.”
The ousted Deputy Governor lambasted members of the Edo State House of Assembly who impeached him.
Shaibu said the lawmakers gave themselves to an act of betrayal and subversion of justice.
The former Deputy Governor made this statement in a video he posted on his X account shortly after the impeachment.
He said, “To the members of the Edo House of Assembly, who have chosen to forsake their oath of office and participate in this charade, I say this: history will judge you hardly for your betrayal of the people who elected you to represent their interest.
“But know this, you do not have the power to silence the voice of power and truth.”
He described his removal as assault on democracy: “I call upon the judiciary and all relevant authorities to intervene and uphold the principles of justice and fairness.
“It is with heavy heart yet a resolute spirit that I come before you to address the recent events that have unfolded within our dear state.
“I denounce in strongest terms the illegal impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly over trumped-up charges, this is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the very democratic principles that we hold dear.
“It’s a dangerous descent into dictatorship, a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched because of my ambition to contest the Edo Governorship election 2024 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“My good people of Edo State, thank you all for standing by me under these troubling circumstances as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.”
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.
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