Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have declared that African countries are currently going through a perilous storm following political instability and military incursion in politics in some parts of the continent.

They spoke at the opening session of a two-day high-level dialogue, organised by the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), with the theme, “West Africa: Rising to the challenges of consolidating Democratic Governance”, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

The two-day programme, which was also attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President of The Gambia, Fatoumata Tambajanb, former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, among others, deliberated on how to strengthen democracy in West Africa.

In his keynote address, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo bemoaned military incursion into democratic regimes of some African countries.

“This is a moment of peril for democracy in our region because we are navigating a perfect storm of adverse circumstances, a world economy that is reeling from recessional shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, price and supply disruption from the war in Ukraine, the emergency of armed non-state actors, poor challenges associated with catering for the youngest populations in the world”, Osinbajo said.

He called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and other African organisations to rise up to the challenge and do more in ensuring political and economic stability of West Africa and Africa at large.

Osinbajo said, “We must not allow our continent to become as it was in the cold war era. A fetter of proxy wars and great power conflict, we know from experience that this would result in the recession of democratic values in Africa.

“The militarisation of civil society whether by local military regimes or rival foreign military-industrial complexes can only set us back by several decades.

“Our commitment to democratization must be predicated on the aspiration of our people and not from the whims of foreign powers.

“The recent spate of military coups across our continent and attempts at military coups not only portends the risk of a damaging democratic recession, but it also takes us back to the circles of extra-constitutional disruptions that plagued us decades ago.

“Since 2017, there has been 12 military coups in Africa and half of them occurred since 2020. Two months ago, the democratically elected government of Burkina Faso was overthrown while only in February there was an attempted coup in Genuine Bissau which was thankfully repealed.

“This much is clear, we know that we cannot secure the Africa that we want by turning back the hands of the democratic clock. We have walked these thorny roads before, we have many decades’ worth of bitter experience and impeachable lessons in our history, a clear lesson of our history is that despotism cannot guarantee the security and prosperity of our people.

“No matter how dire our circumstances may be, we now have concrete proof that resorting to extra-constitutional regimes is not the way forward.”

Obasanjo, who is the Chairman of CoDA, in his welcome address, condemned the military takeover of democratically elected governments in some African countries, stressing that democracy in West Africa and indeed Africa requires urgent attention.

He lamented that coup d’etat, election fraud and political violence and instability have crippled the growth of Africa.

Obasanjo insisted that power-grabbing and governance through the gun will not help African nor procure democracy through judiciary, stressing that the continent needs “a peaceful democracy that has respect for the will of the people and the future of our nations.”

The Nigeria’s former President said the only way the African continent can develop is through peaceful democratic transition of governments.

He said, “In recent years, we have witnessed a return of coup d’etat, election fraud and political violence resulting in instability and threatening the developmental gains we have made in the last couple of decades.

“I feel very sad and it gives me great concern when I see the democratic system we have painfully built collapsing. And I believe there must be a solution because the problem is human and all human problems can be solved by human beings.

“That is why the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) under my Chairmanship and the OOPL have brought all of us together today to discuss pertinent issues affecting governance in West Africa, including the challenges and then to seek the way forward.

“Achieving this may not be easy but it is a must if we want our nation to make progress, it must entail responsible management of diversity which makes everyone feel a sense of belonging and be a significant part of the whole.

“Peaceful coexistence has been a hallmark of Africans even before the emergence of the colonial era and we cannot accept anything less in this modern age.

“We need stable environment to grow our economies and ensure that countries develop in a sustainable way. Such all-inclusive democratic environment will fast track development of our economy and will strengthen our security and promote general progress.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

A total of 116.46 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, valued at N18.88bn was stolen in 2021, data from different reports obtained from Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited showed.

Figures contained in various NNPC reports on Product Pipeline Performance for PMS showed that from January 2021 till December last year, huge volumes of petrol imported into Nigeria by the national oil company did not get to their targeted destinations.

The products were lost through four pipeline segments including Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Atlas Cove-Idimu-Satellite, Mosimi-Ibadan, Ibadan-Ilorin and Port Harcourt-Aba.

For January 2021, a total of 6.371 million litres of petrol was lost through three pipeline segment, excluding that of Port Harcourt-Aba, as there was no pumping operation on the line in January.

The ex-depot price of petrol, according to the sole importer of the commodity, NNPC, was N143.17/litre. This implies that the worth of petrol stolen in January 2021 was N943.92m.

In February, March and April 2021, the oil firm lost 5.317 million litres, 5.722 million litres and 7.366 million litres of petrol, valued at N787.88m, N855.28m and N1.09bn respectively.

In May, June and July 2021, NNPC lost 14.157 million litres, 10.585 million litres and 9.329 million litres of petrol respectively.

The values were N2.1bn, N1.57bn and N1.38bn for May, June and July respectively.

The losses continued in August, as 8.583 million litres of PMS valued at N1.27bn was stolen; September, 13.92 million litres worth N2.06bn was diverted; and in October, 14.075 million litres valued at N3.31bn was lost.

In November and December 2021, the volumes of stolen petrol were 5.953 million litres and 15.085 million litres, respectively.

The NNPC put the value of petrol lost in November at N1.283bn, while that of December was worth N2.24bn.

A summation of the total volumes of PMS stolen during the 12-month period showed that the oil firm lost 116.46 million litres of petrol valued at N18.88bn.

NNPC has been the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria for about four years running. Other marketers of the commodity stopped importing petrol due to the hassles in obtaining foreign exchange for its import.

Also, the inability of the Federal Government to deregulate PMS has made marketers shun its imports, leaving NNPC to continue in the provision of petrol.

 

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), says attacks on herders are having a negative impact on the livestock industry.

The association’s position was contained in a communique signed by Hussein Bosso and Baba Ngelzarma, national president and secretary of MACBAN, respectively, following a meeting in Abuja.

According to NAN, the meeting deliberated on security challenges facing herders across the country.

“The meeting also expressed serious concerns about the continuous displacement of thousands of pastoralists’ families as a result of cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping and the activities of outlawed groups,” the communique reads.

“They attack, maim, or kill pastoralists without any just cause. If this continues, it might soon bankrupt the livestock industry as a whole.”

The NEC also directed state chapters to conduct town hall meetings, involving community leaders and other critical stakeholders to address issues affecting pastoralists.

“State chapters were also directed to address factors affecting the well-being of pastoralists and invoke the culture of ‘Pulaku’ against any family that harbours or aids criminality,” the communique reads.

“The association expressed its appreciation for the support it had received, as well as the concern of the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, on the plight of pastoralists.

“MACBAN assures the Sultan that the association will do whatever it takes to restore dignity, culture of Fulani people and address issues affecting pastoralists with all the seriousness it deserves.”

MACBAN also appealed to the Sultan to organise a national conference involving critical stakeholders “with the view to addressing issues of insecurity, economic empowerment and the negative profiling of pastoralists in the social and mainstream media”.

 

 

Trust is essential in any business relationship. When trust is absent, it can be difficult to achieve anything of significance. Leaders need to be able to build trust with their teams in order to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable taking risks and sharing new ideas.

We’ve likely all heard the saying that leaders are made, not born. While this may be true for some people, there are many leaders who were born with natural leadership qualities and can still develop these skills over time through hard work and experience. I believe a leader’s ability to build trust between themselves and their employees is one of those important qualities.

THINK ABOUT THE BEST BOSS YOU’VE EVER HAD

What made them great? Chances are, one of the things that made them stand out was their ability to build trust with their employees. Trust is essential in any workplace relationship, and it’s a two-way street. Leaders need to trust their employees to do their jobs, and employees need to trust their leaders to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company. When both sides trust each other, it creates a positive work environment where everyone is able to do their best work.

WHY IS TRUST SO IMPORTANT IN BUSINESS?

There are so many reasons, but I find that one of the most important is that when employees trust their leaders, they tend to feel more comfortable taking risks and sharing new ideas. This can lead to innovation and creativity within the company, which can be essential for growth.

Trust also creates an environment of openness and honesty. When leaders are open and honest with their teams, everyone can be on the same page about what needs to get done, leaving less room for errors or mistakes. Leaders who show that they care about their employees’ well-being by being kind and compassionate can also foster a sense of trust between them and their team members.

WHERE DOES THIS GO WRONG?

I believe it starts with how we talk to each other and to ourselves. Words have the power to make us who we are and can open new opportunities for us, or close doors. Our words are like currency. Like money, words have incredible value and the value increases or decreases based on the exchanges we have with others. As time goes by, the goal should be to increase the value of our words and the impact they have on others. But sometimes, due to our actions, there is less substance behind them.

I believe we are all leaders in life, and it’s essential that our words and actions align. I’ve seen deals lost and relationships ruined over a phrase, word, or tone. To be a truly exceptional leader, it’s imperative that we have integrity when communicating, and that we make our words and how we use them just as important as everything else.

LOSING TRUST IS ONE OF THE QUICKEST WAYS TO KILL A BUSINESS

There are many reasons why trust can be lost, but some of the most common scenarios I’ve seen throughout my career include:

• Failing to keep promises or commitments.

• Breaking confidentiality agreements.

. Failing to deliver on time commitments or deadlines.

• Not listening to a teams’ concerns, feedback, and suggestions for improvements.

• Dismissing the opinions of team members as unimportant or irrelevant.

• Not taking ownership of mistakes and blaming others when things go wrong.

• A lack of transparency around decisions that affect the entire team, such as changes to working hours or benefits packages. I think a lot of these things happen because we want to avoid conflict. No one enjoys conflict, but a leader must face it head-on. You might be reluctant to share bad news, but it’s always better to tell the truth than to be silent. Conflict resolution, when handled properly, can actually enhance your vision and, in doing so, drive employees forward with confidence.

I find that employees appreciate honesty. It builds confidence, and when we are confident, we’re more willing to come up with bold solutions. Include employees in the adventure of being in business and don’t shy away from open and honest conversations.

TRUST IS NOT A GIVEN—IT NEEDS TO BE EARNED AND MAINTAINED

It’s a cliche for a reason, but nothing great was ever easy. You have to explicitly think about trust, work on trust, build trust, and check to be sure that trust is there. And there are just as many, if not more, things that we can do as leaders to build trust.

• Be honest and upfront about everything—good news and bad news alike.

• Keep promises and commitments to ourselves and to others, no matter how small or inconsequential.

• Actively listen and respond to the feedback and suggestions for improvements that you get from others.

• Share confidential information only with individuals who need it.

• Take responsibility for mistakes and encourage others to do so as well. Don’t punish mistakes but use them as learning moments.

• Apologize when you mess up or fail to deliver on commitments.

These things work. We built Two Men and a Truck, starting with just my brother and me, into 350 locations worldwide. Trust is the foundation on which productive, successful relationships are built. When it’s absent, it’s difficult to maintain healthy communication, collaborate effectively, or resolve conflicts.

So how do we build trust in our professional lives? The answer is simple but not always easy: We must be authentic and genuine with others and consistent in our actions.

What will you do today to start building more trust in your life and work?

 

...residents now live in fear

There was pandemonium again on Sunday as residents of Adigbe, Oluwo and Panseke areas of Abeokuta continue to run helter skelter around 8:00 pm due to unconfirmed information that a crisis had erupted in Panseke. 

Shops were seen being locked, while hawkers, commuters and motorists on the panseke road were seen running.

Despite police patrol moving around intermittently, the fear of reprisal attack had been on since the killing of a popular area boy, known as Tommy around Oluwo on Thursday night, when he was murdered in cold blood around Panseke, causing tension among residents.

A daily post report revealed that no fewer than seven persons have been killed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as cultists had been on  rampage in the past one week where members of the Aiye and Eiye confraternities have been engaging one another in a supremacy battle.

"The killing of Tommy, who was described as a leader of the Eiye cult group, might be in retaliation for the murder of a member of the Aiye group", it was said.

"Investigations revealed that seven persons have been eliminated recently in various places in the state capital".

"Before Tommy was attacked on Thursday, six others had been killed by suspected rival cultists", a source informed.

The source listed some of those killed so far to include “Scatter, School Boy, Alakanni, Tommy, Azeez, Olaosebikan and Babajide.”

They were reportedly killed at different locations like Asero, Kugba, Ikereku, Panseke, Adigbe, Oke Ijeun and Isale Abetu, all in Abeokuta.

“The killings have been going on since last week. Why many didn’t hear about them was because immediately they killed those guys, their relatives carried their corpses without informing the police.

“Everything got to its climax when Tommy was killed because he was a well-known person. Many didn’t believe he was killed not until they saw his picture. The police should continue to restore peace,” a source said on Sunday.

Another source claimed, her dad could not come home as she had to call him to sleep out to avoid the skirmishes going on in Panseke and Iyana-Oloke.

According to her, "we have called our people not to come home, immediately those living around Panseke informed us of the crisis going on in the area".

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, has confirmed that there were killings in the state within the last one week, saying some people have been nabbed.

Oyeyemi added that the police will now go after the landlords who harbour cultists in their houses within the state, adding that the Commissioner of Police has ordered that such landlords would be charged to court alongside the criminals.

Oyeyemi said, “We have launched a very serious operation on them. We are clamping down very seriously on them.

“About 18 suspects have been arrested during the last encounter we had with them and we are not going to rest until we get the last person of these hoodlums. We cannot be watching anyone making life difficult for the members of the public.

“The Commissioner of police has put on red alert, all area commanders and all tactical team commanders that they should go out and take the battle to the doorsteps of these hoodlums. We must fish them out one after the other.”

Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun has vowed to deal decisively with anybody fomenting trouble in Ogun.

The Governor said his administration would not allow anybody to disrupt the peace being enjoyed by residents of the state, advising parents to warn their children

 

 

 

 

No fewer than four commercial motorcyclists and residents of the Omi Adio area of Ibadan, the Oyo State’s capital who were said to be chasing some fleeing armed robbers have been reportedly shot dead.

Punch correspondent gathered that the incident happened on Friday after the hoodlums who raided some Point of Sales (PoS shops) were fleeing from the area.

The armed robbers were said to have invaded the Ladeowo area of Omi Adio which is at the outskirts of Ibadan on motorcycles.

They were said to have arrived in the area at around 7:00 pm. and moved from one shop to another in search of PoS machines who they successfully robbed.

The hoodlums were said to have raided five PoS shops before some residents raised the alarm which forced the robbers to abandon the operation and fled the area

As they fled, residents and okada riders were reported to have pursued them and when they saw that the angry crowd was closing in on them, they were said to have opened fire on them and killed four persons.

Two residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity told journalists on Sunday that the robbers did not kill any of the PoS agents but those shot dead were some of the people who were chasing them as they fled the area. 

They claimed that they called the police from the nearby police station but said no response came until the armed robbers left the area. 

One of them said, “Armed robbers came to our area on Friday and robbed PoS shops. They moved from shop to shop in search of PoS agents and the operation was successful.

“They had attacked five shops and some residents summoned courage and raised the alarm. The robbers fled on seeing this and some of the residents and commercial motorcyclists pursued them.

“They opened fire on those pursuing them and four of them were killed in the process.The police did not arrive until Saturday morning.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adewale Osifeso, when contacted said the police were already investigating the case.

He said, “Investigations are ongoing. Updates would be provided accordingly.”

 

 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election, daily post reports.

Wike, who made this known when he visited Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom at the Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, said he is the best man to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “To remove APC from power, I’m the person who can tell them enough is enough. We must take this power and I’m ready to take it for PDP.

“God is with us that’s why APC keeps failing every day.”

He, therefore, urged stakeholders to give him their mandates and not to sell their votes, assuring that he has the capacity to, “face this evil government.”

He promised that if elected, security would be his topmost priority and also queried those founding fathers who ran away from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and still want to be recognised.

Wike stressed that he takes issues of the party personal because he has nowhere to run to.

He said, “by the time you ran away, you sold your share as a founding father so you can no longer retain your position of founding fathers.

“I stood for this party. I work for this party since 1998. I have nowhere to run to and that’s why anything that happens to this party I take personally. I have never relented.”

Newly affirmed National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has mocked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP who he said tried to destabilize weekend’s national convention of the APC.

Adamu in his acceptance speech Sunday afternoon at the Eagle Square, venue of the Convention, said the PDP mismanaged the country for 16 years.

It will be recalled that, Adamu was a founding member of the PDP as far back as 1998 and served as governor of Nasarawa State on the platform of the opposition party and also clinched his senatorial position as a member of the PDP in 2011.

At the end of his two-term governorship, Adamu became secretary, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP and only defected from the PDP in 2013 having joined the then “New PDP” who left with some chieftains of the then ruling party to join the newly formed APC.

At the event in Sunday, Adamu also congratulated “the great party men and women who also aspired to occupy these national offices of our great party”.

“They did not succeed this time but in God’s time, many of them will yet realize their ambitions to serve our party and country in many other positions of responsibility. As politicians we are not strangers to gains, losses and disappointments with the outcome of every political contest.

“Let us show maturity and good sportsmanship and accept the outcome of this Convention with grace. Our party needs all hands on the steering wheel so that together we can steer the ship of state through the inclement weather of our divisive national politics to the promised land. I thank all of them very much for their spirit of sportsmanship and we will continue to count on their cooperation as loyal party members and patriots”, he stated.

“As we conclude this very successful convention of our great party, I know that our opponents in PDP and other opposition parties are now sulking, wearing long faces of sadness, bewilderment and dismay.

“They had been hoping and praying to make a fortune out of our misfortunes. They were also hoping and praying to capitalize on assumed failures of our party to reap political benefits”, Adamu said.

He noted that for almost seven years now, APC Administrations at the Federal, state and local levels have been battling night and day in order to enhance the livelihood of Nigerians through various policies, programmes and projects.

“We need to renew our faith in our party and its leadership at all levels in order to herald a new dawn. We need to commit to the resolution of our crisis within the confines of our party constitution. We must resist the temptation to blow every minor personal disagreement into a major party crisis. It is time for us to do things differently. When we quarrel, we open our flanks to our rival political parties that are only too eager to exploit them for their own benefit”, he stated.

 

 

 

Popular fast rising Nigerian singer, Olakira born Ebenezer Olufemi, tells Burna Boy no need to brag about achievement or finances.

In a post made by Olakira on Saturday via his Twitter handle, said numbers don’t lie, hence no need for needless bragging.  

According to him, needless bragging makes you an empty barrel, numbers don’t lie.

This came few moments after Burna Boy bragged that he’s the “highest-paid artiste in Africa.

According to Burna Boy, he knows what everyone earns and he’s richer than Wizkid and Davido put together.

This self acclamation did not go down well with his fans who lashed him for bragging and told him pride goes before the downfall of a man.

 

 

Gunmen killed one person during an airport attack in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna on Saturday afternoon, three sources working at the airport said, the latest in a series of attacks by gunmen in the north of the country.

A ground crew and two airport officials said armed men entered the airport premises through a perimeter fence from a nearby forest and started shooting sporadically to scare workers, Reuters report.

"They opened fire on the NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) security staff, killing him instantly and tried to invade the runway to prevent (an) aircraft from taking off," said the ground crew, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press.

The two airport officials said armed security managed to repel the gunmen, preventing them from gaining access to the main airport complex.

A police spokesperson for Kaduna state did not respond to calls or text messages seeking comment.

Gunmen have spread terror across Nigeria's northwest, where they have attacked and killed villagers and security officials and kidnapped hundreds of school children and villagers for ransom.