The Northern States Christian Elders Forum, NOSCEF, has raised the alarm over the worsening insecurity in the region, warning that it can lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.   NOSCEF condemned in strong terms the increasing targeting and killing of clerics and others, calling on the government to beef up security in the region ahead of the general elections.   Chairman of NOSCEF, Ejoga Inalegu in a statement yesterday, among others, said “We were excited when politicians were able to make night visits to areas of hitherto high insecurity only to at the same time be greeted with sustained attacks against communities in Southern Kaduna at about the same time.   As the 2023 elections approach, we urge parents to counsel their wards against making themselves available to be used as political thugs to cause violence during the coming elections.   “We urge Nigerians to disappoint politicians who in their desperate bid to win elections at all costs, embark on divisive politics of exclusion, in-spite of the pleas of patriotic Nigerians. We plead with Nigerians to, with one voice; through the ballot box send the message that we reject those who believe that winning an election is more important than the harmonious existence of the nation.   “Remember that the massive money they are using to buy and make people compromise their conscience is our money. Whether you collect or don’t collect their ill-gotten money, be prepared to vote out those propagating politics of exclusion and make it unattractive for the future. We urge all registered voters to collect their PVCs to be able to exercise their voting rights in the forthcoming election.   “Our hearts go out to the families of Rev. Father Achi who was burnt alive in Niger State, his assistant who was shot, the many killed recently in the Kagoro attacks, the 25 people kidnapped during church service yesterday January 15th 2023 in Katsina state and a host of others in the recent past. We pray for comfort for the families of those killed in the Church and God’s intervention for those in kidnapper’s dens and quick recovery for the injured.”

  Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has canvassed for mentality change from his brethren in the South East with regard to national politics, reminding all and sundry, particularly the womenfolk, that the time to take a decision that would affect them and their children positively in future, is now.   Governor Uzodimma spoke on Tuesday at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, Owerri while addressing All Progressives Congress women at the South East Zonal rally organised by the Tinubu/ Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team.   It was also an occasion where the First Lady of Imo State, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, who is the South East Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team, told her colleagues that the APC has done well, hence the gains of the Party needed to be consolidated.   Mrs. Uzodimma, therefore, urged the women to vote for the APC all the way in the forthcoming elections, insisting that the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a good man who has all it takes to consolidate the gains already recorded by the Party. Mrs Uzodimma told the gathering that the rally was a way of further stressing the need for women to appreciate the benefits that would come to them if they vote for Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, in the forthcoming general election.   She noted that in the almost eight years of the APC administration, there are a lot of achievements to market the Party with and emphasized that “APC has performed well and that Tinubu is a good candidate that will consolidate and improve on the numerous achievements.”   “With Tinubu and Shettima as President and Vice there will be increased women participation in government at all levels,” the Imo First Lady noted and charged the women not to be found wanting in the discharge of the most important duty of casting their votes for APC.   She then advised them: “Go and collect your PVCs if you have not and those whose PVCs are old should look for them and clean them up. The APC is a special breed which we must work hard to retain and maximize its advantage.”   Mrs. Uzodimma assured the APC women in the South East of victory for Tinubu/Shettima and all APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.   Adding his voice during the rally, Governor Uzodimma called for a mentality change in the South East which he said, demands that “the South East politicians must not only think for themselves but for their children and their future .”     The Governor congratulated the women for pulling off the big rally, saying he came to greet them and to give them an inspirational message, that “it is time to take a decision.”   He reiterated that the South East has decided to embark on a campaign that will see her people at the centre of decision-making in the country and to achieve the same, they “have decided to be part of the greater Nigeria.”   “South East is better in the Nigerian Project. South East has decided to be part and parcel of Nigeria and there is no going back because of its numerous benefits.”   On the mode of the campaign put together by APC, the Governor reiterated that there is no going back on the decision “to run a unified campaign that will carry all contestants along at the same time.”   Insisting that things will be easier for the women because APC is at the helm of affairs at the National level for now, he reassured of a total win for APC in the South East.   Chairperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team, and wife of a presidential candidate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was excited over the sea of women heads that graced the occasion, expressed surprise at the level of development in Imo State under Uzodimma and urged the women to remain committed to the ideals of the APC in Imo and Nigeria.   She thanked Mrs. Uzodimma and the Governor for the crowd of women that attended the programme and singled out the Imo State Governor for appreciation for his huge support to the APC in the South East in particular and Nigeria in general.   Mrs. Tinubu enjoined Nigerians not to be deceived by the antics of those who believe that religion should be used to blindfold the people, saying that “Tinubu/Shettima are God fearing and will deliver on their mandate to make Nigeria better.”   She further assured that her husband will “give the women programmes on skills, equip those who will want to go into farming, improve education and most importantly, ensure that women occupy juicy positions in his government.”   “In their government everybody will have a say because everyone will be carried along.”     She prayed for peace in the South East which she said is inevitable as Tinubu has already identified the place as “industrial hub of Nigeria.”   In their brief messages, the APC National Women Leader, Dr Betta Edu and the APC State Chairman, Imo State, Dr. Macdonald Ebere, assured the women that South East is intact for Tinubu/Shettima and all APC candidates in the forthcoming election.   Earlier on arrival, the Team had paid a courtesy call to HRM, Eze (Dr.) Emmanuel Okeke, Eze-Imo and members of his Cabinet at the Eze Imo Palace, Mbari Street Owerri, as a mark of respect for culture and tradition.   In her remarks at the courtesy visit, Mrs Tinubu told the Imo monarchs that they came to seek for their royal blessings and prayers for the success of their rally in Owerri.   Receiving them warmly, Eze Okeke who is also the Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers commended them for thinking it wise to pay him the courtesy call and proceeded to bless them on their mission.   He reminded them that as traditional rulers they are non-partisan, but as citizens of Nigeria

  The United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Tuesday warned Nigeria against violence in this year’s general elections.   While the UN cautioned that if things go wrong in Nigeria, there would be serious consequences for the peace and stability of the entire region; the ECOWAS said if violence occurs in Nigeria, no other nation in the sub-region could accommodate Nigerian refugees.   They gave the warning in Jos, Plateau State Capital, at a mediation training and interactive engagement with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and other stakeholders, drawn from the North-Central and the North-East, on non-violence 2023 elections.   Over 30 persons have been reportedly killed and many others injured in the 2023 general election-related violence in parts of the country.   There have also been a series of attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in parts of the country, especially the South-East, many of which were linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), leading to the killing of several INEC staffers and security personnel.   Speaking at the session with IPAC, Sa’adatu Sha’abu, who represented the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS), said: “If things go wrong in Nigeria, there’ll be negative consequences for the peace and stability of the entire region.”   Brown Odigie, ECOWAS Programme Officer, Mediation, charged all stakeholders on the peaceful conduct of the 2023 elections.   Odigie, represented by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abel Fatau, urged all candidates and their parties to uphold the signed peace accord and the electoral guidelines.   He stated: “This is a mediation often done in countries across the ECOWAS region. We’re doing it for Nigeria because it’s a strategic member of ECOWAS.   “Nigeria has a huge population. The election can generate conflict if not effectively managed. And when violence occurs, with the enormous population of Nigeria, it can split to other neighbouring countries. I can assure you that no member within the zone of ECOWAS has the capacity to accommodate refugees from Nigeria.”   National Secretary, IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, said politicians often get desperate because of huge election spending.

  President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said Nigeria retrieved the swathes of territories from terrorists by investing over a $1 billion to acquire hard and soft ware weaponry from the United States and other friendly countries to carry out sustained operations against insurgency since 2015. The President said this while speaking at the African Conference for Peace, 2023, in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania. President Buhari, who was honoured by the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum with “Award for Strengthening Peace in Africa”, said there was a need to inculcate values and principles of tolerance and peace in educational institutions, and particularly, among the youths. He urged leaders to place a premium on youth development, with more seriousness and actionable ideas in promoting skills acquisitions, while discouraging idleness. Fuel laden vehicle catches fire in Kano 2023: I’ll sweep away corruption, money laundering – Tinubu The President said idleness of youths and non-inclusion in discussing issues that shape their lives and the future portend liability for the continent, especially in religious fundamentalism and extremism. President Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said efforts must be concretised towards the curtailment and possible prevention of the circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, as well as the festering of the foreign fighters into the African continent. The President called for the imperatives of the next Summit of the African Union to take a holistic review of the challenges that continue to fester in Libya with the hope of finding pragmatic African approach to resolving the over a decade-old instability in Libya that had made it a haven for all kinds of weapons and foreign fighters whose profound impacts stare all in the sub-regions and Africa. “Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen, global terrorism, banditry and other trans-national crimes continue to pose enormous challenges not only to Africa but to global peace and security. These phenomena have become perennial threats to sustained economic development and growth. “Nigeria and other regional bodies in Africa and the rest of the world are working assiduously to deal with these existential threats to the very existence of humanity. For us in Nigeria, we continue to engage bilaterally and multilaterally to comprehensively win the war against the Boko Haram insurgency and other related terror groups through kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. “When I assumed power in 2015, Boko Haram held about two thirds of Borno State, half of Yobe State, and a couple of Local Government Areas in Adamawa State, all in the North-East of Nigeria. We have been able to retrieve these swathes of territories by investing over a $1 billion dollars to acquire hard and soft ware weaponry from the US and other friendly countries to carry out sustained operations against insurgency since 2015. “Our Armed Forces and those of our partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force (consisting of Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Benin Republic and Nigeria) continue to demonstrate great bravery while paying the ultimate price in securing our collective freedom. Despite the difficult times we face, we continue to spend very scarce and lean resources to ensure that we have a well-resourced military force to take on this task. Ideally, these are resources that could be spent on education, healthcare, infrastructure and other social services, but without peace, we have learnt the hard way that our children cannot go to school or seek good healthcare,” the President stated. President Buhari told the assembly of African leaders that the shrinking of Lake Chad had resulted in dire consequences of the people of the region losing their traditional source of living which culminated into the youths being recruited by the terrorist groups who were seeking for means of livelihood occasioned by difficult economic conditions. He explained that the scenario created serious instability and served as a litmus test for member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in devising means to restore the livelihoods within the region. “As a corollary to containing this development, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) has begun implementing programmes to safeguard the ecosystem of the basin, including seeking global support to return the lake to an economic hub it was known for in the past. “Although, we are winning the war, however, as a country and sub-region, we continue to be negatively impacted by events in Libya, Central Africa Republic, The Sahel and the war in Ukraine. Our region, is awash with all sorts of small and light weapons that continue to be freely in circulation, orchestrated by the impact of foreign fighters. “We must therefore, support peace initiatives to bring political stability in crisis ridden areas such as Libya, Central African Republic and other parts of the Sahel region in order to discourage the spread of insurgency, other criminal groups, as well as arms and foreign fighters in these locations and continent-wide,” he stated. President Buhari thanked the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace under the tutelage and sterling leadership of Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, for the honour of nominating him as the recipient of the “African Award for Strengthening the Peace”. In his remarks, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, said the 2023 conference theme was based on the recommendations of the “Nouakchott Declaration” which aimed to deconstruct the religious basis of extremist speeches and to limit violence based on religious arguments enshrined as a reference document in the African Vision for Peace at the 33rd Summit of Heads of State of the African Union. Welcoming African leaders and scholars to the peace conference, the President of Mauritania said the award was given to President Buhari for providing good leadership and promoting peace in a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-linguistic country like Nigeria, and extending his experience and wisdom to other African countries.

  “It’s a problem Nigeria has been struggling with for a long time, and it is completely unnecessary, the Nigerian President said. President Muhammadu Buhari says some Nigerians hide under the canopy of religious misunderstanding to achieve their political and economic agenda, adding that continuous education is needed so that the larger populace would not be hoodwinked. The President spoke at Nouakchott, Mauritania, Tuesday, while meeting with Rashad Hussain, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. According to a statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President recounted his private meeting at the White House with former President Donald Trump. Buhari recalled that Trump asked him, “Why are you killing Christians in Nigeria?” and how he proceeded to tell him that the issue in the country was not religious, but rather criminal, and a usage of religion by some elements to further their economic, and sometimes, political interests. “It’s a problem Nigeria has been struggling with for a long time, and it is completely unnecessary,” he said. “Some people use religion as sentiment, but with adequate education, people are seeing through it now. Majority of the people just want to practice their religion without problem, but some people cash in on religious misunderstanding for their own ends. ADVERTISEMENT “When people are educated, they are able to discern when others want to use religion for certain ends. They do it mostly for material reasons. “Also, when some people are incompetent, they bring in all sorts of excuses, including religion.” Also, Ambassador Hussain said the United States of America is interested in partnering with Nigeria in the areas of formal and non-formal education, towards religious harmony. “There’s so much we can do together to promote peace, promote communal harmony. We love what you are doing, and we would be glad to assist as appropriate,” he said.

  Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) says the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disregarded its invitations to answer questions on revenues moved to the federation account between January 2006 and December 2021. This was disclosed by FAAC’s post mortem sub-committee (PMSC) at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. The sub-committee was providing an update on a proposed review of the FGN/CBN treasury crude account No: 20054141287, according a document obtained by TheCable. At the last FAAC plenary meeting held on November 18, 2022; a consultant engaged by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), had made a presentation to ascertain whether all revenues generated by ministries, department, and agencies (MDAs) and paid into a designated account with the CBN during the aforementioned period; were fully moved to the federation account for distribution to the federating units as provided by section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The matter was later referred to the FAAC sub-committee with a mandate to review and report back. Consequently, the PMSC said an ad hoc committee was constituted to handle the assignment. It noted that all the members of the ad hoc committee attended the inaugural meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 8, 2022, except CBN which turned down the invitation, stating that “the bank is not answerable to FAAC post mortem sub-committee but the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)”. “Therefore, another letter signed by the chairman of RMAFC requesting the bank to send appropriate representatives to the meetings of the ad hoc committee to enable the sub-committee proceed with the assignment was sent, but CBN did not respond,” the sub-committee said. “The ad hoc committee called for another meeting on Thursday, 12th January, 2022, and a letter of invitation, signed by the chairman of RMAFC was sent to CBN, yet they did not attend.” “The sub-committee has gone to this length to ensure that CBN attends the meeting because they are critical to the issue, without their participation the assignment would not proceed.”

  The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has invited the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele to a meeting over the redesigned naira notes and the timeline to fade out old notes.   The invitation which was sent out by the Director-General of the Forum, Asishana Okauru noted that the agenda of the meeting will dwell significantly on the recent redesigning of the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes, as well as the withdrawal policy of the CBN.   According to him, the agenda of the virtual meeting, is titled, ‘The Economic and Security implications of naira redesign and withdrawal policy’.   A statement by the NGF Head of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo said the discussions promise to foster participation and dialogue between various stakeholders including governments and civil society organisations to come out with a solution to the lingering issue.   The redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 notes were launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 23, 2022. However, there have been concerns from many Nigerians over the slow spread of the three new naira notes as the January 31 2023 deadline approaches but the apex bank has insisted that the date stands.   The apex bank also ordered Deposit Money Banks (DMOs) and other financial institutions to ensure that weekly over-the-counter (OTC) cash withdrawals by individuals and corporate entities do not exceed N500,000 and N5m respectively.