THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lifted the ban on cryptocurrency transactions in the country.
This is contained in a circular titled ‘Circular to all Banks and other Financial Institutions Guidelines on Operations of Bank Accounts for Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPS)’ and dated December 22, 2023, with reference number FPR/DIR/PUB/CIR/002/003.
According to the circular signed by the apex bank’s director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Haruna Mustafa, the CBN issued a guideline to financial institutions under its regulatory purview regarding their banking relationship with Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) in Nigeria.
It also confirmed that banks and other financial institutions were still prohibited from holding, trading and/or transacting in virtual currencies on their account.
The ICIR reported the apex bank’s issuance of a circular in February 2021, instructing banks and other financial institutions to close accounts of individuals engaged in cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the CBN, this directive was prompted by the inherent risks of money laundering and terrorism financing (ML/TF), vulnerabilities inherent in their operations, and the absence of regulations and consumer protection measures.
The former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele noted then that the government’s inability to track the movement of cryptocurrency trading effectively made regulatory functions difficult for the apex bank.
Issuing a new directive, CBN stated that current global trends had shown the need for crypto regulation, adding that all banks and other financial institutions were required to comply quickly with the new guidelines.
“Current trends globally have shown that there is a need to regulate the activities of virtual assets service providers (VASPs), which include cryptocurrencies and crypto assets. Following this development, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2018 also updated its Recommendation 15 to regulate VASPS to prevent misuse of virtual assets for ML/TF/PF.
“Furthermore, Section 30 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 recognises VASPs as part of the definition of a financial institution. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2022 issued Rules on Issuance, Offering and Custody of Digital Assets and VASPs to provide a regulatory framework for their operations in Nigeria.”
POWER supply in some parts of Yobe and Borno states has been disrupted following an attack on transmission towers of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) by vandals.
The TCN General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, December 22.
Mbah said tower T372 around Katsaita village in Yobe state was vandalised, bringing down the 330kV transmission tower and, consequently, tower T373 along the same transmission line.
She noted that the incident, which occurred at about 21:18 on Thursday, December 21, 2023, caused the power supply failure to parts of the North-East, namely, Yobe and Borno states.
Mbah explained that while patrolling the line to ascertain the cause of the cut in power supply, TCN engineers discovered the fallen towers, and the villagers confirmed they heard a loud explosion before the tower came down. On closer investigation, the engineers found evidence of explosives used by the vandals in bringing down the towers.
She said TCN had mobilised one of its contractors to the site of the incident to commence the tower reconstruction.
“TCN strongly condemns the incident and regrets the inconvenience caused to the government and people of Yobe and Borno states and pledges to do all possible to quickly re-erect the towers to restore power supply to the affected areas.
“We are once again making an urgent appeal to host communities to collaborate with TCN in the fight against vandalism and the necessary preservation of power infrastructures nationwide, which is our collective asset”, she added.
Data obtained from TCN showed that 108 power transmission towers were destroyed by vandals in various parts of the country between January 2022 and September 2023.
The data also revealed that vandals destroyed 132kV double circuit power transmission lines, 330kV double circuit lines and carried out soil excavation that threatened transmission towers. The Federal Government described the development as sabotage.
The former Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, had severally raised concerns over the impact of activities of vandals in Nigeria’s power and telecom infrastructure, particularly in the North-West and North-East parts of the country, and its negative impact on the region’s economy.
OVER 110 African players may leave their respective clubs to feature in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for January 13 to February 11, 2024, in Ivory Coast, The ICIR checks reveal.
On Wednesday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the provisional lists submitted by coaches of all 24 participating teams.
Among the 24 teams are over 110 players plying their trades in the major leagues, which include the English Premier League (EPL) Spanish Premier League, known as Laliga, and the Italian top-flight league Serie A.
A breakdown of the players shows that 40 of them may disengage from their club activities in England to honour national assignments at the 2023 AFCON.
The EPL’s Nottingham Forest has the highest number of African players among the affected clubs. It may be without the services of five of its players.
Manchester City and Newcastle United are the only clubs exempted from the absence of a player going for AFCON 2023.
In Arsenal, Egypt’s Mohamed Elneny and Ghana’s Thomas Partey may leave while Aston Villa may be without Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traore during the tournament.
Ghana star, Thomas Partey
Should Burkina Faso’s Dango Ouattara and Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo make the final 27-man list, they will leave Bournemouth while Brentford may lose the service of DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa, Ivory Coast’s Hamed Traore and Nigeriaa’s Frank Onyeka.
Brighton & Hove Albion could miss the contribution of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Ghana’s Tariq Lamptey and Tunisia’s Samy Chouchane, while Burnley may play without South Africa’s Lyles Foster when the tournament kicks off.
Senegal’s Nicolas Jackson and Ghana’s Jordan Ayew may be called up for national assignment, leaving Chelsea and Crystal Palace without their services respectively.
Senegal star, Nicolas Jackson
Also, Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye and Mali’s Abdoulaye Doucoure may travel from Everton to raise the countries’ flags high, while in Fulham, Nigeria’s duo Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi with Senegal’s Fode Ballo could be at the AFCON.
This tournament may have Liverpool do away with Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, and Burkina Faso’s Issa Kabore may be absent at Luton Town while Manchester United be without Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo, Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat and Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri.
Egypt star, Mohammed Salah
Nottingham Forest’s players that could be at the AFCON are Ivory Coast’s duo Serge Aurier and Ibrahim Sangare, Senegal’s Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate, with Nigeria’s Ola Aina.
Sheffield United’s African trio include Algeria’s Yasser Larouci, Ivory Coast’s Benie Adama Traore and Tunisia’s Anis Ben Slimane, while Tottenham Hotspur may miss Mali’s Yves Bissouma and Senegal’s Pape Matar Sarr.
West Ham United may not have the services of Algeria’s Said Benhrama, Ivory Coast’s Maxwel Cornet, Ghana’s Mohamed Kudus and Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd, as Wolverhampton Wanderers may miss Algeria’s Rayan Ait Nouri and Mali’s Boubacar Traore.
In Laliga, The ICIR discovered that more than 20 African footballers may be at the AFCON.
Clubs that will not lose any players to the fiesta are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Osasuna and Getafe, while bottom-placed Almeria may miss four players.
Valencia may not have the services of two regular players as Atletic Bilbao’s red-hot forward Inaki Williams may join Ghana in Ivory Coast for the tournament.
Atletico Madrid may not have the contribution of Mozambique’s Reinildo Mandava in their squad, while Youssef En Nesyri may depart Sevilla for Morocco and Girona may lose Ibrahima Kebe to Mali.
Real Sociedad duo ofHamari Traore of Mali and Umar Sadiq of Nigeria may be in Ivory Coast.
In Real Betis, Riad Chadi, Abde Elzzalzouli of Morocco and Youssouf Sabaly of Senegal may make it to their countries’ final 27-man list.
Morocco’s star, Abde Elzzalzouli
Coco Saul of Equatorial Guinea, Omenuke Mfulu of DR Congo, Sory Kaba of Guinea and Munir El Hadadi of Morocco may leave Las Palma for the AFCON.
Other players include Mouctar Diakhaby of Guinea and Amallah Selim of Morocco in Valencia.
Rayo Vallecano may miss the presence of Pathe Ciss of Senegal, Mumin Abdul of Ghana and Cape Verde’s Carlos Fernandes Batalha (also known as Bebe). Cadiz may release Rominigue KoKouam of Mali and Mamadou Mbaye of Senegal.
Villareal, Mallorca, Granada and Celta Vigo may miss Aissa Mandi of Algeria, Amath Ndiaye of Senegal, Jonathan Bamba of Ivory Coast, and Famara Diedhiou of Senegal.
Jesus Owono of Equatorial Guinea and Abdelkebir Abqar of Morocco may leave Alaves for the AFCON.
African players who may participate in the tournament at Almeria includeHouboulang Mendes of Guinea Bissau, Baba Iddrisu of Ghana, Dion Lopy of Senegal, and Marciano Sanca of Guinea Bissau.
In Serie A, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Samuel Chukwueze are among the players who may be at the AFCON.
Nigeria’s star, Victor Osimhen
In Italy, 51 players may leave, but below are a few who may participate in the fiesta.
Atalanta: Lookman (Nigeria), El Bilal Touré (Mali)
SINGER Rihanna has named ‘Unavailable’ by Davido featuring South Africa’s Musa Keys, as her song of the year.
‘Unavailable’ is one of Davido’s hit songs off his record-breaking fourth studio album, ‘Timeless’ released earlier this year.
Rihana made this revelation in an interview with Complex, an American media and entertainment company.
She was also captured in a viral video shared by Fenty’s Tiktok page doing the “Unavailable dance” at an event hosted by her fashion brand, Fenty, The Creeper.
‘Unavailable’ has brought Davido many impressive successes, topping charts and getting high streams on various streaming platforms.
It is also one of the songs that earned Davido his first Grammy nomination under the category of Beat African Performance category.
Also, he bagged another nomination for the Best Global Music Performance category for his song ‘Feel’ and his album ‘Timeless’, which earned him a nomination for the category of Best Global Album.
THE Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Peter Mbah as the governor of Enugu state.
In a unanimous decision on Friday, December 22, the apex court dismissed an appeal brought by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, to challenge the outcome of the March 18 governorship election.
A five-man panel of the apex court concluded that there was no justification for overturning the rulings of the Court of Appeal in Lagos and the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which rejected all of the claims made by the appellants against Mbah’s victory.
The court addressed every point in the appeal against Edeoga and the LP.
On November 10, the Court of Appeal in Lagos affirmed Peter Mbah’s election as Enugu state governor.
The appellate court dismissed Edeoga and the LP’s appeal as lacking merit and upheld the judgment delivered by the state governorship election petitions tribunal in September.
The appellate court’s three-member panel, presided over by Tani Yusuf-Hassan, ruled unanimously that Edeoga and his party had not proven that Mbah lacked the qualifications to run for governor.
The court observed that although the appellants claimed widespread excessive voting in Mbah’s strongholds, they did not present the voter registration utilised for the election as evidence for their claims.
Accordingly, it declared Mbah the legitimate winner and rejected the appeal as being without merit.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, Edeoga proceeded to the Supreme Court.
The ICIR published the highlights of Court of Appeal rulings for the 2023 governorship elections here.
This organisation reported that theIndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mbah the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu state on Wednesday, March 22, after the controversial Nkanu East Local Government Area results were collated.
Mbah polled 160,895 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Edeoga of the LP, who scored 157,552 votes.
NIGERIANS are always excited in December because it is the last month of the year when Christians celebrate Christmas, and all citizens prepare to welcome the new year.
Shopping for foodstuff, new clothes, and shoes, plus individuals and families travelling to their hometowns to visit loved ones, are some major events characterising the month.
However, this year’s festivities come with unusual challenges – biting inflation and naira scarcity.
In the last five years, Nigeria has seen a steady rise in the prices of commodities, leading to economic downturn and hardships for many homes.
The ICIR reported that the inflation rate rose to 28.2 per cent in November, making it the highest rate recorded in almost two decades since August 2005, according to data from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Economic experts said fuel subsidy removal and insecurity, amongst others, were the major causes of the nation’s constant inflation.
The ICIR conducted a market survey of food prices in October and compared the prices with a similar period in 2022, which revealed alarming price differentials in foodstuffs in just twelve months.
Nigerians react to rising costs, naira scarcity
Rachel Onyema, a resident of Dutse Alhaji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stated that despite the inflation, she would still celebrate the holidays with minimal hitch.
Onyema joined a thrift contribution for foodstuffs at the beginning of the year and would receive her share of the items before the festivities.
‘It was because of things like this that I decided to join the group in January. Even if I have to spend, I will just buy fish or chicken to compliment the beef I would receive as cow sharing is also part of the items,’ Onyema stated.
She added that she would do away with the frivolities she usually engaged in during previous celebrations.
The situation is different for Abimbola Emmanuel, a Kubwa resident who would barely have the money to feed herself during Christmas.
‘I know people will visit me and would have eaten before coming. So there’s no point in giving them food again.” She said rather than cook food for guests, she would buy snacks to entertain them.
“A pack of frozen small chops costs about N1,000. If I buy ten packs, they will cost approximately 10,000, which should be enough,” Emmanuel explained.
Segun Akintunde, a father of three who resides at Gwarinpa, stated that he had told his children to pick between new clothes and shoes or their school fees in January.
‘Schools are resuming in January. I have to pay over a hundred thousand as fees for three children. The children also saw what was happening, so they didn’t grumble when I clarified my stance,” Akintunde explained.
When asked if she would travel for the Yuletide, a mother of two who wished to be identified simply as Omoniyi responded with ‘Travel to where?’.
She had wanted her children and herself to spend Christmas with her husband in Lagos state, but they could not because of the transportation cost.
“I’m hearing that Lagos is N25,000, three of us. That is N75,000. I know it would still increase. Apart from that, there would be other expenses like movement to and from the park and things to buy on the road,’ Omoniyi stated.
The ICIR reports that to alleviate the pain of travelling costs, President Bola Tinubu subsidised transportation costs across Nigeria between December 21 and January 4, engaging five transport firms. The ICIR could not independently verify if this has been implemented.
Business owners bemoan high cost of goods and services
The ICIR visited the popular Wuse Market and Maitama Ultra Modern Market in Kubwa and met traders complaining about low patronage by customers. In addition, there has been disquiet among marketers over a steady increase in the price of goods, particularly as the Yuletide approaches.
‘The prices of things are not stable. You might buy things now, and their price will increase within hours. Njideka Azubuike, a raw foodstuff and condiments seller at Ultra Modern Market in Kubwa, lamented.
Entrance of Wuse Market/Photo Credit Fatimah Quadri The ICIR
Azubuike cited an example of a roll of a condiment, which cost N950 when the reporter visited the market but was just N750 a week before. Similarly, a gallon of 25 litres of vegetable oil sold for N38,000 in November is selling for N42,000 in December.
She added that a bag of rice costs between N50,000 and N53,000. It sold for N47,000 in September. A kilogramme of tomato paste costs N4,500 and five litres of oil costs N9,000. They much much less months before.
A vegetable stall in the market/ Photo credit Fatimah Quadri The ICIR
Azubuike said most customers complained about the rising costs of goods while stating that they assumed the prices were inflated by the traders.
‘People might think you are the one adding it, not knowing that it is from the producers because we buy from them directly. They keep asking why things are costly, even as we bring it directly from the company we need to pay for transport, add our profit so we can have our money back. But they won’t see it that way.”
The situation was the same with the owner of a frozen foods stall (names withheld because she bears the business’s name) in the same market, who expressed frustration while speaking with this reporter.
‘People are not shopping. They are not even buying anything. Businesses are not doing well; the customers complain that there is no money.
She said a carton of turkey costs N52,000, a carton of soft chicken went for N30,000 and a carton of hake fish (panla) was sold for N25,000. She added that she couldn’t give the exact price of Titus fish because its price varied across markets and could increase at any time.
Traders at the market/ Photo Credit; Fatimah Quadri The ICIR
The tale wasn’t different with Princess Okeke, who sells children’s clothes and shoes in the Wuse market. She complained about the low sales as parents prioritised their needs.
Another visit to Kukwaba Motor Park in Kubwa was met with the same reactions. A trip to Lagos state, which cost between N26,000 and N35,000 as of Thursday, December 14 2023, depending on the transport company managing the trip, was between N30,000 and N45,000 on December 18.
“Lagos is generally N26,000, but some transporters are taking N30,000. Osun is N18,000. From next week, it will be N20,000. Currently, the transport cost to Ilorin is N18,000, but it will increase from next week, Gerrard Izu, a driver at the park, told The ICIR.
Ify, a manager at another transport firm, said a trip to Enugu from Kubwa cost N20,000, but would increase from the following week. The journey from the city’s semi-urban town to Anambra state was N25,000 but might jump to N27,000 before Christmas.
“As the season draws near, the transport fares will increase,” she stated.
She added that the turnout of passengers was very low as they had only loaded two vehicles for the day. During the same period in 2022, they had loaded seven vehicles, she noted.
Kukwaba Motor Park/ Photo Credit : Fatimah Quadri
The reporter, who was at the park at 9:00 a.m., observed that the park was scanty with passengers as drivers and bus owners struggled to get passengers.
Cash crunch
Another issue that will affect Christmas and New Year celebrations is cash scarcity. Most businesses already have point-of-sales (POS) machines to ease doing business.
However, transport businesses still have to give their drivers cash to purchase fuel and meet other needs, as making a transfer while travelling could be difficult due to network failure.
Experts react
Ayokunle Olubunmi, an economic analyst, stated that besides fuel subsidy removal, other factors such as the exchange rate, naira devaluation and insecurity were affecting the inflation rate.
‘The foreign exchange challenges are affecting the ability of manufacturing companies to import their goods. Even for traders, getting goods into the country is expensive. Goods are transferred predominantly by roads, which also increases the distribution cost of goods and pushes up inflation.
‘Let’s not also forget that Nigerians still power their business with generators using petroleum products. That also has increased inflation. Nigeria is also predominantly import-dependent, whether directly or indirectly. Most of the things we use are imported,” Olubunmi stated.
He added that despite how hard things could get, Nigerians loved fun and would always find a way to make themselves happy.
‘Nigerians like celebrations. Even if it’s the last money the person has, they will still find a way to enjoy themselves. Of course, the level of spending would reduce, but Nigerians would still find a way of making themselves happy,” he concluded.
The year 2023 leaves another good footprint in Nigerian public universities as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ensured a hitch-free academic year.
It is the third for the nation in eight years.
The union went on strike five times in five years under the immediate past Federal Government headed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group was on strike in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022.
Every strike declared by ASUU crippled Nigerian public universities as all academic activities were suspended, and students were sent home.
In September 2022, The ICIR reported how the union had gone on strike for over 600 days under Buhari.
The ICIR reports that ASUU often downed tools over unmet demands by the Federal Government, including a 2009 agreement with the lecturers, which the government failed to implement.
Because of the incessant strikes, many students grow beyond the 30 years required by law for graduates to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Growing beyond this age disqualifies them from the programme.
Some students who are supposed to spend four or five years running their degree programme spend up to seven or eight years, which causes a waste of time and resources.
ASUU’s strike since 2016
The union suspended work for 58 months (nearly five years) since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy.
Notably, during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, university lecturers went on strike for 669 days, marking the highest number of days of industrial action by the union under any President.
For instance, in November 2016, the union was on strike for one week. The association went on another strike on August 14, 2017, and suspended the action on September 18.
In 2022, the lecturers downed tools for eight months – from February 14 to October 14.
Unlike when striking workers were paid for the period they were on strike, the government vowed it would not pay ASUU for the period it was on strike in 2022.
At the end of October – two weeks after they resumed work – ASUU members received a half-month salary, which the government described as ‘pro-rata.’
The union’s president Emmanuel Osodeke condemned the ‘pro-rata’ payment to its members and accused the government of an attempt to reduce Nigerian academics to casual workers.
He said the half payment “is not only an aberration but a contravention of all-known rules of engagement in any contract of employment for academics the world over.
“Paying academics on a pro-rata basis, like casual workers, is unprecedented in the history of university-oriented labour relations and (the union) therefore condemned this attempt to reduce Nigerian scholars to casual workers in its entirety.”
The union has since demanded that the government pay its members’ backlog.
In what some Nigerians described as a ploy to weaken the union, the Federal Government registered ASUU’s splinter group – the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics (CONUA).
The government promised to pay CONUA for the period the period lasted, but it didn’t pay the workers for all the months.
A year after the strike, in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order instituted against the lecturers.
Tinubu, in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.”
The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, ASUU branch chairman, Muhammad Nurudeen AlMustapha, a Pure and Applied Chemistry professor, explained that the government had not yet paid them a dime from the eight months withheld salaries.
“Nobody paid us a dime. And the evidence is there; we have done the work stopped during the strike. We have dealt with those sessions. Students have graduated, another set after that one has graduated, and we all forced ourselves without a holiday to ensure we fix those work.”
Speaking on the protracted face-off between ASUU and the Federal Government, AlMustapha explained that although the Tinubu administration ordered their removal from Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) – a move he described as a welcome development – he noted that the issue of IPPIS was not a major issue.
He highlighted that the 2022 strike by lecturers aimed to push the government into negotiations beyond their 2009 demands, such as renegotiation and other related issues.
“We asked the government to see why they must come to the negotiation table because the agreement signed by the government is binding on the two parties, that every three to four years, that agreement needs to be renegotiated. So that agreement ought to have been renegotiated since 2013, and we have been following government after government.
“So IPPIS essentially wasn’t the major issue. But it was an issue to bring distraction by the government, and in the end, we were taken to court and then forced to go back to class. We did our work, but our eight months salary was withheld,” he said.
Issues in the 2009 agreement the Federal Government signed with ASUU include funding for infrastructure and research in the universities, payment of outstanding arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the release of an agreed sum of money for revitalising public universities (federal and state), addressing proliferation and governance issues in state universities, settling promotion arrears, the release of withheld salaries of academics, and payment of outstanding third-party deductions.
On whether this present administration is working to avert another strike and meet the lecturers’ demands, AlMustapha said taking ASUU off the IPPIS is a good way to start and expressed hope that litigations initiated by the government would be settled out of court.
“A strike wouldn’t have arrived if the government was doing what it was supposed to do. We suffered the most when we were on strike. Many people believe ASUU is synonymous with strike, but it’s just a last resort for us. We are the only workers that once you’re employed, you must return to school and update your qualifications.
“And look at what happened last year. Imagine a worker’s salary withheld for eight months. What kind of suffering is that? We suffered what people can’t imagine, and the people we are trying to protect now begin to castigate and insult us. That’s some of the students.
“Now, look at what’s happening in universities. Look at how school fees are being increased, and people are now crying. This is what we foresaw that we were consistently calling on the government for because we knew education is expensive.”
He also noted several court cases initiated by the government against them, adding that some of those cases were just personal cases between them and the former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige.
“For us, if this government is serious about it, there are issues that can be resolved out of court. Some judgments have been delivered, for instance, the issue of IPPIS and the autonomy given to the universities to recruit without recourse from the Heads of Civil Service interference.”
He, therefore, appealed to the government to consult relevant stakeholders before announcing any development.
Students elated, hope for undisrupted sessions
As the universities witness an uninterrupted year in 2023, some students who spoke to The ICIR were delighted over the development and hoped that ASUU would have no reason to embark on strike in subsequent years.
One of the students, Mazeed Oyeleye, a final year student of Economics at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, explained that 2013 marked the first year he had completed three semesters since he gained admission into the university and at a point affected his full concentration due to the incessant strike.
“The feeling is inexplicable. Throughout my years in the university, I have not seen a year where we weren’t forced to stay out of school because of the strike. I need to say that these strikes took a great toll on my concentration in school. I’m well aware of how much time I’m supposed to spend in the university and was protesting against the extra time.
“But this year has been amazing. We are completing three semesters within one year for the first time since I got into the university, and it fills me with a great level of optimism. It has helped me regain the morale to approach my studies with renewed energy.
Another final-year student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Abubakar Abdulrasheed said it was good to see that the union and the government were ensuring academic stability to avert further strike, hoping it will continue that way.
“The government is actually responding to the union’s demands that have always been responsible for the strikes. That is ensuring a smooth academic calendar and activities. My school ran three semesters this year and even used e-learning for the new batch of freshers to bridge the strike-affected backlogs.”
Also, Uthman Ahmad, a 200-level student at the University of Abuja, told The ICIR that in early 2023, he was in 100L and would be in 300L early next year due to the stable academic calendar.
“It’s a great opportunity for us not to witness another strike this year. The earlier one caused a lot of problems to our academic calendar, which we are just balancing now.
“I feel okay if this continues and the Federal Government make a suitable budget and investment in our educational sector to avert future industrial action.”
THE Nigerian government’s huge spending on foreign exchange for fuel importation will drop as the Federal Government has announced the ‘mechanical completion’ and the flare start-off of the Port Harcourt refinery.
THE Senate has confirmed the appointment of 11 Supreme Court justices appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters at the plenary session on Thursday, December 21.
With the confirmation of the justices, the Supreme Court now has the court’s full complement of 21 justices as stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution.
On December 7, The ICIRreported that the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended the appointment of 11 Supreme Court justices to Tinubu.
Tinubu subsequently asked the Senate to confirm the nominees whom the Council recommended to fill the vacant positions at the court.
While presenting his panel report, the committee chairman, Tahir Monguno, a senator representing Borno, said the nominees possessed the requisite qualifications and had the experience to occupy the position, adding that there was no petition against them.
During the confirmation, some senators raised concerns over the delay in appointing the justices.
Seriake Dickson, a senator representing Bayelsa, urged that provisions for immediate replacements should be made in the event of subsequent vacancies.
“Anytime these vacancies occur, they should be filled immediately.
“I want to draw that to the attention of the President that there shouldn’t be a delay so that we don’t become a laughing stock.”
Also, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, emphasised the urgency of promptly screening and appointing those in line whenever vacancies arise in the apex court.
Below are the 11 justices confirmed by the Senate:
Haruna Tsammani (North-East)
Moore Adumein (South-South)
Jummai Sankey (North-Central)
Chidiebere Uwa (South-East)
Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (South-East)
Obande Ogbuinya (South-East)
Stephen Adah (North-Central)
Habeeb Abiru (South-West)
Jamilu Tukur (North-West)
Abubakar Umar (North-West)
Mohammed Idris (North-Central).
In October, The ICIRreported concerns over a drop in Nigerian Supreme Court justices, coming short of the court’s full complement of 21 justices as stipulated in the Constitution.
The number had decreased to 10 after the retirement of a justice, Musa Dattijo Muhammad, on October 26, 2023.
THE Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal over the Kano State governorship election tussle.
A five-member panel of justices led by Inyang Okoro on Thursday, December 21, reserved their decision after hearing from the parties involved.
To reserve judgment in a court indicates that the case has been put on hold for a while. After all the parties had concluded their oral arguments and the court had received all of the written submissions,
A reserved judgment could be rendered in days, weeks, or even months after the hearing.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, November 17, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal’s decision to sack Yusuf.
The court held that Yusuf’s party – the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – breached the Constitution by sponsoring Yusuf, who was not a party member.
The Appellate Court ruled that the tribunal acted in the public interest when it permitted the APC to tender papers during the trial since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had given the APC piecemeal access to materials to undermine the petitioner’s claim.
The court further determined that the 1999 Constitution did not support Yusuf’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun’s contention that the APC should have included its candidate Yusuf Ganuwa as a party in the tribunal proceedings because a candidate is allowed to be represented by his political party during legal procedures.
The court’s three-man bench ruled that each political party must keep track of its voter registration.
The governor of Kano state, Abba Yusuf, and the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) filed an appeal contesting the Court of Appeal’s November 17 ruling, which voided their victory in the governorship race held on March 19.
The party also informed the Supreme Court of the inconsistencies in the CTC ruling that validated the governor’s election and granted him N1 million damages award.
At Thursday’s sitting, parties disputed the court’s jurisdiction over a candidate’s political party membership during the lengthy hearing before the Supreme Court.
The lawyers also debated whether the court should “visit the sin” of INEC’s refusal to sign more than 160,000 voter registration forms on Kano State voters.
