News

‘World Bank Report Reveals Why Nigeria Needs Atiku’

Published

3 years ago

December 12, 2022

‘Against the backdrop of a bleak economic future for Nigeria painted by the World Bank recently, the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council has said the report justifies the need to have its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, elected president of the country to address the nation’s many challenges.

The PUNCH had quoted Alex Sienaert, World Bank’s lead economist for Nigeria, as saying that in 2023, debt servicing will gulp 123.4 per cent of the country’s total revenue.

Sienaert had stated this in a presentation titled ‘Nigeria Public Finance Review: Fiscal Adjustment for Better and Sustainable Development Results’ for the month of November.

“Borrowing more is not the solution: debt costs are rising rapidly, squeezing non-interest spending,” he said, adding that “debt servicing has surged over the past decade and is expected to continue increasing over the medium-term, crowding out productive spending.”

Responding in a statement to the presentation, spokesman of the campaign council, Senator Dino Melaye said, “The solution to the years of the locusts under APC is Atiku Abubakar, who worked under a team that brought great economic prosperity to Nigeria.

“The APC presidential candidate is always eager to dissociate from Buhari, but he carries a DNA that is infused with the APC blood and water. What can he do differently? Besides, if he had a different solution he could have offered it to his failed party so as to pave a smooth way for his own emergence. Having ‘chilled’ with the big boys, he now wants to ‘chill’ alone.

“Nigerians should look forward to the termination of APC’s arrested development when Atiku/Okowa and the PDP return Nigeria to its winning ways. As President Obasanjo said in his famous aphorism, there is no need to reinforce failure.

“What the World Bank report has done is an economic advisory, which Nigerians have to take seriously by looking away from APC and embracing the People’s Democratic Party on February 25, 2023.”

According to the statement, “the recent report by the World Bank, confirming the arrested development experienced under the All Progressives Congress administration since 2015 has more than any other indices, justified the imperative of stopping APC from doing further damage to Nigeria’s economy and social advancement in 2023.

“The APC inherited a healthy economy in 2015, just a year after Nigeria’s economy was re-based, and rated as the largest economy in Africa, ahead of South Africa. Rather than consolidate on the gains recorded by the PDP administration, Buhari and the APC embarked on unprecedented economic amateurism that has thrown Nigeria into one of the least performing economies in Africa. The APC has also thrown Nigeria into such a huge debt doldrum that it would take the country years of creative management to regain lost grounds.

“The APC which premised its campaign on change has succeeded in taking Nigeria back more than 10 years. While they accused their predecessors of corruption, they have now made corruption a state policy and the stench in the high corruption quotient of APC provokes deep revulsion.”

The statement further read, “Nigerians will not forget the great prosperity under the PDP administrations. They can also not forget how the reversal of fortune under APC has brought Nigeria down from prosperity to poverty, resulting in the relegation of Nigerians to a nation of 133 million poor citizens.

“If only Nigerians understood what the APC meant by change! The prodigal son scores better when peered with the APC.

“Sadly, the poor performance of the APC is not limited to the economy. Insecurity has degenerated by a higher degree. Unemployment is at its worst. The energy crisis remains intractable and unaddressed.

“The Buhari administration and APC are now relying on the Department of State Services to make fuel available to Nigerians. The subsidy programme that came under heavy criticism by APC has not only been sustained but has become an indefensible and convoluted policy in which the supposed poor now pay higher for fuel than the obviously rich. While fuel sells for about N180 in the cities, the rural folks buy the same product at about N300-500 per litre.”

News

FG Approves Promotion Of Over 24,000 Paramilitary Officers

Published

7 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has approved the promotion of 24,202 senior officers across the four paramilitary agencies under its supervision.

The Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Board, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this on Monday in Abuja.

He was represented by the Board’s Secretary, Abdulmalik Jubril.

According to the minister, the newly promoted officers constitute the second batch of senior personnel elevated in 2025.

The affected agencies are the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

A breakdown of the figures shows that 11,426 officers were promoted in the Correctional Service, 4,336 in the Immigration Service, 2,581 in the Fire Service, and 5,859 in the Civil Defence Corps.

“From the 24,202 promoted officers: NCoS recorded 11,426; NIS, 4,336; FFS, 2,581; while 5,859 were elevated in NSCDC.

“The promotion was based on various parameters, including national spread, good records, ratification, performance and vacancy availability.

“The promotion is aimed at boosting the morale of personnel to ensure proper service delivery in their respective agencies,” he said.

He noted that promotions had stagnated in previous years but said the current administration was committed to improving personnel welfare to strengthen the fight against insecurity.

“In the recent past, promotion had been stagnant, but this administration is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of personnel to tackle the insecurity bedevilling the country.

“Among the several incentives introduced in the ministry, this is particularly worthy of note,” the minister said.

In 2024, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board promoted 20,867 senior officers across the paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

The exercise, which cut across various ranks, formed part of ongoing efforts to address delays in career progression and improve staff welfare.

News

Ondo Establishes Special Court For Electricity Theft, Meter Bypass Cases

Published

11 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Ondo State Government on Monday said it had created a special offences court to prosecute electricity thieves or anybody who commits power-related offences across the state.

The state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Johnson Alabi, disclosed this in his office in Akure, the state capital on Monday..

‎Alabi explained that the court was created by the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to fast-track cases relating to illegal connections, meter bypassing, vandalism, and other violations of the state’s electricity laws.

‎According to him, the new court signalled a zero-tolerance approach to electricity theft, warning to desist from electricity crime as the culprit would face immediate prosecution.

He said, “The special offences court is meant to prosecute electricity offenders across the state. It began operations about a week ago and was established by the Chief Judge of Ondo State.

‎”We want to appeal to residents and inform them that electricity theft is a criminal offence. Anyone who violates the Ondo State power sector law will be prosecuted.”

‎Alabi further revealed that, to avoid electricity crimes, the state government had procured 50,000 smart meters, which were ready for distribution to residents, noting that smart metering and strict enforcement must go hand-in-hand to build a reliable electricity distribution system.

‎”For this purpose, we have acquired 50,000 meters for immediate deployment and distribution,” he stated.

‎The commissioner further explained that the newly acquired meters would be monitored remotely from the ministry headquarters, enabling authorities to detect tampering or illegal connections in real time.

‎He also addressed concerns about local communities funding their own transformers and electric poles, describing the practice as an “aberration”.

‎”‎Residents were advised to report infrastructural needs through formal channels rather than spending their own money and later signing away ownership to electricity distribution companies.

‎”Ordinarily, it is not ideal for consumers to buy electric poles or transformers. It is not normal; it is an aberration. However, the situation we have found ourselves in has pushed us to that point.

‎‎”The Ondo State Government, in time past and even now, is still assisting local communities to procure transformers and install electric poles. We are still involved in electricity expansion projects in some communities. The government has reiterated its plan to acquire transformers for community service, not because it is strictly our responsibility, but as part of our obligation to the people.

‎‎”The electricity business has been privatized, so the power distribution company is supposed to handle these things. We continue to tell people: if you are in need, write to the Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau. They will intervene,” Alabi stressed.

News

Nigerian Correctional Service Gets New Spokesperson

Published

37 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Correctional Service on Monday appointed Chief Superintendent of Corrections Jane Osuji as its new Public Relations Officer.

The announcement was made in a statement released by the Controller-General of the Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, who confirmed that the appointment takes immediate effect.

According to the statement signed by the Deputy Controller-General of Corrections, Ado Sale, on behalf of the CG,

“The Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, has appointed Chief Superintendent of Corrections Jane Osuji as the new Service Public Relations Officer with immediate effect.”

Osuji takes over from Deputy Controller of Corrections Umar Abubakar, who retired on November 19, 2025.

A native of Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Osuji holds a BSc in Public Relations and Advertising from Lagos State University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

The Service highlighted her groundbreaking achievement, stating, “The new Spokesperson, who makes history as the first female Service Public Relations Officer of the NCoS, was enlisted into the Nigerian Prisons Service in 2009 as an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons II (as it was then called) and has attended all the requisite courses required for her rank.”

Her professional development includes specialised training such as the Internal Security/Low Intensity Conflict Operations Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.

Osuji has served in multiple key public relations roles within the Service. The NCoS recalled that “CSC Osuji has had a remarkable tour of duty, having served in the following capacities: Assistant Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, and FCT Command Public Relations Officer before her posting to the National Headquarters as the Assistant National Public Relations Officer at the time, and served under four Controllers-General.”

She also spent eight years working closely with the Ministry of Interior.

“The Spokesperson also worked extensively as Press Secretary to three Honourable Ministers of Interior from 2015 to 2023,” the statement added.

Until her appointment, Osuji was serving at the Public Relations Unit of the Service Headquarters in Abuja. The NCoS noted that “She is happily married with children.”