The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has warned that the continuous scarcity of the N200, N500 and N1,000 new notes may lead to economic recession as well as severe food inflation. The Forum, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Saturday, lamented that though the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the Federal Government would comply with the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria nullifying the February 10 deadline for the validity of three old notes, Nigerians have not experienced any change so far.   “The inability to use the new notes has had far-reaching economic effects, leading to the emergence of the Naira black market, severe food inflation, variable commodities prices based on the method of exchange, and long queues as well as crowds around Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and banking halls across the country with individuals hoping to get a fraction of their money in new notes to meet their daily livelihood,” the communique signed by the Chairman of the Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal party read. “The country runs the risk of a CBN-induced recession. “While we acknowledge the submission of the Attorney General of the Federation that the Federal Government will comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court which calls for the halting of CBN’s plan to end the use of the old currency notes, we are yet to observe changes in the financial system. “Consequently, we call on the Federal Government and the CBN to respect the Rule of Law and listen to the voice of reason expressed by Nigerians and several other stakeholders including the Council of State, before the damage to our economy becomes too great to fix by the next administration.”   The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had extended the deadline for the swap of old N200, N500 and N1,000 from January 31 to February 10 but the Supreme Court held that the Federal Government, the CBN, commercial banks must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue on February 15. At least five states have sued the Federal Government over the deadline for three old naira notes.

  Bandits have killed a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and four other officers in the Munya and Gurara Local Government Areas of Niger State. The victims were killed in a shoot-out with bandits who attempted to invade communities in Munya and Gurara LGAs. Wasiu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed the incident in a statement sent to Channels Television on Sunday. He said the officers were able to repel the attack on a market in Munya LGA on Friday and also engaged the bandits during an attack on communities in Gurara LGA on Saturday. Although the police spokesman identified the slain DPO as Mukhtar Sabiu in charge of Paiko Division, he, however, did not reveal the names of the other four policemen. “Regrettably, DPO Paiko SP Mukhtar Sabiu and four other police personnel from both divisions lost their lives during the gun duel,” the statement read. “On 10/02/2023 at about 1500hrs, suspected armed bandits/insurgents attempted to attack the Chibani village market via Sarkin-Pawa, Munya LGA. “Police tactical teams and vigilante members mobilized to the market where the hoodlums were routed and successfully repelled without any havoc, though the situation caused some panic but normalcy was restored. “Similarly, on 11/02/2023 at about 1100hrs, information was received that armed bandits were sighted around Kwakuti-Dajigbe villages area of Lambata, in an attempt to attack some communities around Gurara LGA. “Combined teams of police from Gawu-Babangida Div and Paiko Div, military, and vigilante members were drafted to the scene, the hoodlums were engaged in a gun duel and repelled with scores of them being neutralized, while others escaped with bullet injuries.” According to the police spokesman, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ogundele Ayodeji, led a team to the location to recover the bodies of the officers. While condoling with the families of the deceased, the police commissioner assured that the command will intensify its efforts in the fight against banditry.

  The Ekiti State Government has applied to be joined as a co-plaintiff in a suit against the Federal Government at the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the naira redesign policy and the deadline issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the swap of old notes for new ones. The Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, filed the application for joinder at the Supreme Court on Friday seeking three reliefs. The suit with the number SC/CV/162/2023 has Attorneys General of Kaduna State, Kogi State and Zamfara State as Plaintiffs while the Attorney General of the Federation is the Defendant. The three reliefs being sought by the Attorney General of Ekiti State are: Leave of this Honourable Court to join the Applicants as a Co-Plaintiff in this suit; An Order of this Court joining Attorney General of Ekiti State as a Co-Plaintiff in this Suit; And for such order or further ordered that this Honourable Court may seem fit to make in this circumstance of this suit.   Some of the grounds upon which the application was premised include acute shortage in the supply of naira notes in the State since the announcement of the policy by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria. The applicant, Ekiti State Government, averred that the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria has affected the livelihood and has inflicted excruciating pain and hardship on all Nigerians, including citizens of Ekiti State. The state government equally averred that the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria has also adversely affected the revenue, levies and taxes accruable to the coffers of Ekiti State Government as economic activities in the State are now completely paralyzed. He further averred that the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria on the Naira redesign has also created palpable anxiety among the citizens of Ekiti State. Another ground upon which the application was premised was the fact that Ekiti is a federating state of Nigeria and therefore has interest in the determination of the Originating Summons in the suit earlier filed by the three states in the federation. The state government averred that having common interest as other plaintiffs and also in the outcome of the suit sought the leave of the Court to be joined as a Co-Plaintiff in order to be bound by the outcome of the suit. It stated that no injustice or embarrassment will be occasioned to any of the parties on record if he is joined as a Co-Plaintiff to ventilate the grievances of Ekiti State. The sole issue formulated for determination is “whether the Applicant has made a case for the Court to favourably consider the Application.” In a similar development, the Kano State Government has sued the Federal Government while Rivers State Government said it will join the suit against the Federal Government and the apex bank. The CBN had extended the deadline for the swap of old N200, N500 and N1,000 from January 31 to February 10 but the Supreme Court held that the FG, CBN, commercial banks must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue on February 15.

  The Obi-Datti Media Office has said the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, remains unfazed by the heightened desperation of his opponents to fatally injure his high-rising political profile with propaganda, outright falsehood and physical attacks on supporters in some states of the federation. This, the office said, is hinged on the fact that the LP candidate, his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Babba-Ahmed as well as party supporters, have their eyes fixed for on the ball which is victory at the February 25th presidential elections. This was contained in a media release, in Abuja, on Sunday. It read in part, “Recall that on February 6, 2023, the Obi-Datti Media Office acting on credible intelligence alerted the nation of a grand design to fatally injure the high-rising political profile of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi with what they called a ‘killer punch’ propaganda material. “We hinted that the so-called ‘killer punch’ will come in various forms, including but not limited to a documentary portraying Obi in various negative lights. “Circulating in social media this weekend is another blackmail stuff against the LP candidate purported to indicate that he gave out the sum of two billion Naira to Christians under the umbrella body of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Catholic Bishops Conference and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria to induce them. “The petition is said to have been signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere of the Dominion Center International based in Okigwe, Imo state. Obi-Datti Media feels the institutions so mentioned in the write-up have enough instruments to tackle such cheap extortion. “Obi-Datti Media Campaign office knows it as a fact that you cannot be in front of a political competition and not get roughen, especially if you are in the race with morally bankrupt persons. “That is why we will continue to be amused by the desperation of some opponents to search for faults on the front-running Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and the apparent frustration of not finding any. “The LP standard bearer has remained the most searched and fact-checked one among the four top Presidential candidates for obvious reasons. He is the only one running an issue-driven campaign and therefore, provoking intellectual conversations. “But as Election Day draws nearer and the victory of their ‘unwanted’ Obi looks real, the anger and frustration of some dubious characters have increased.” The release further read, “We are even beginning to notice some state of despair which is resulting in senseless violence and blackmail all aimed at distracting and removing the candidate’s eyes already glued to the ball. “Our mission in the Obidient Movement this day is to alert and warn discerning minds, especially those desirous to see a new Nigeria emerge through Peter Obi to ignore and treat as thrash any doctored and faked items on Obi. “Anything they are bringing now after their long fruitless search is concocted to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the candidate and should be disregarded. “Obi-Datti Media is proud to insist that the LP standard bearer and his running mate remain the best product in the market for the much-needed political leadership in the country at this time. “And to state without any fear of contradiction that they stand out untainted and possess the prerequisite qualities needed to rescue this troubled land. “Indicators from the Obi-Datti strategy room show that many more blackmails have been lined up in the coming days in a desperate move to drag down the man generally accepted as the right man for the job. “The public should therefore have their eyes permanently glued to the ball and refuse to be distracted by any antics because all the devious acts will give way to reason and justice and Nigeria will be successfully taken back from them and reset for greatness.”

  BAYELSA State Governor Senator Douye Diri has averred that having performed creditably well in his first tenure years, he deserves to seek a second term in office at the expiration of his first term in office next year. Diri, who said it is not a mistake that he is a miracle governor, declared that he was ordained to be governor from birth. The governor who stated this yesterday at the State Ecumenical Centre during the thanksgiving service to mark the third year’s anniversary of his administration noted that going by the testimonies of people in the state, he has performed creditably well. He advised the people of the state to unite and support one another and eschew the pull him down syndrome, adding that power comes from God. The thanksgiving service was graced by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, the President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, as a guest speaker, past governors and senators from the state, amongst other dignitaries. Diri said: “Power always comes from God, there is no mistake that I am a miracle governor before I was born God ordained it and even as I was born there were signs all over. It is no mistake that I have to come through Seriake Dickson (predecessor), that is the way God wants it. “When God wants to work, he works through the instruments that men will never ever think that, is there anything good that can come out? “Our first four years are coming to an end and it is usual that every governor who has spent four years creditably will seek for a second term. I will not forget a governor who served for four years and the people said that they have marked his script and he has failed and his father said if somebody’s fails he will repeat the class, but in our case those marking the scripts, I don’t know, are telling us we have done well. The testimonies are all here and abound and so, in our case it is not repeating the class, it is moving forward.”

  THE Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, as debunked a purported letter currently in circulation on social media alleging that the sum of N2bn was given by the presidential candidate of Labour party, Mr Peter Obi to Churches to mobilise votes for him. A statement issued on Sunday by the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, described the letter as illogical and a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023. Okh said CAN maintains its non-partisan stance and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the upcoming elections.   He said, “The attention of the national leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been drawn to a purported letter currently in circulation on social media, alleging that a certain sum of N2bn was given by the presidential candidate of Labour party, Mr Peter Obi to Churches under the umbrella of CAN. “I use this medium to categorically state that the so-called letter of petition reportedly signed by one Pastor Frank Onwumere and addressed to my office is illogical and can best be described as a failed attempt to drag the apex Christian body into the politics of 2023. However, we will investigate the source of the letter in the interest of the public. “To set the records straight, I am not aware of any N2bn given to Churches in Nigeria to mobilise votes for any 2023 presidential candidate and never received the said petition dated December 22, 2022. “Nigerians should note that CAN, as a faith-based entity, maintains its non-partisan stance and will not endorse or mobilise support for any candidate in the upcoming elections as against the social media post being circulated by some elements bent on soiling its name and image “CAN, therefore, urges members of the public to disregard the purported letter of petition as its content are not only untrue, but malicious. “We warn those peddling the falsehood to desist from such acts because they are capable of defaming innocent people and revered religious institutions as well as breaching public peace.”

  A member of the Integrity Group and former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, has berated the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Simon Lalong, over his claim that the G-5 governors led by Nyesom Wike were supporting the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu. Reacting to the claim in a statement on Sunday, Jang stated that Nigerians no longer took anything coming from Lalong seriously. The statement, which was signed by his Media Consultant, Clinton Garuba, said, “Obvious sign that Lalong is daydreaming is him thinking that the G5 PDP governors and allies including former Governor Jang are supporting Tinubu. “They have repeatedly said that they do not have personal problems with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, but with the process that brought him up. “Yes, the integrity group has disagreements with the PDP and their withdrawal of support for Atiku’s campaign does not in any way suggest that they support the APC candidate. Only Lalong and his fellow dreamers think so.” The aggrieved govs, Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo), have been at loggerheads with the PDP leadership over the zoning of the party’s high-ranking positions.

  Gunmen have shot Charles Oke, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ogbaku ward in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Saturday night. It was gathered that Charles Oke was shot at his country home at Umunomo Nsokpo in the Ogbaku community. The PDP chieftain was shot around 8: 59pm by gunmen who gained access into his compound by scaling the fence while he was sway. A community source said ” the PDP chairman was shot in his house by gunmen who were waiting for him in his compound. He was returning home when the criminals who already waiting for him in his compound attacked him. “He raised the alarm and tried running into his house but he was shot on one of his legs. The attackers scaled the fence and ran away immediately.” It was also learnt that the victim was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he was being treated. Another source said ” we are thanking God that our chairman survived the attack. Though one of his legs was shattered but we are happy that he is alive. Nobody knows the reason why a ward chairman of an opposition party could be attacked. When contacted, the spokesperson for the PDP in the state, Collins Opuruozor, said that the party at the state level was on top of the situation, promising to brief the public soonest. Police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, promised to get back to our correspondent with more details. But he is yet to do so as the at time of filling this report.