President Bola Tinubu has expressed his deep concern over the political situation in Gabon and the socio-political stability in that country.
Tinubu’s reaction came hours after a group of Gabonese military officers appeared on television Wednesday announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and cancelling an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, while speaking with journalists, also expressed Tinubu’s belief that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to constitutional resolution of electoral disputes must not be allowed to perish in Africa.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is watching developments in Gabon very closely with deep concern for the country’s sociopolitical stability and the seeming autocratic contagion apparently spreading across different regions of our beloved continent,” he said.
“The president, as a man who has made significant personal sacrifices in his own life, in the cause of advancing and defending democracy, has all of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people, and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.”
Ngelale added that Tinubu affirmed that “the rule of law and a faithful recourse to constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute resolution must not at any time be allowed to perish from our great continent”.
According to him, the President is “working very closely and continuing to communicate with other heads of state in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forward with respect to how the crisis in Gabon will play out into how the continent will respond to the contagion of autocracy we are seeing spread across our continent”.
Gabon residents applaud members of the security forces in the Plein Ciel district Libreville on August 30, 2023. AFP/Getty Images
Military officers in Gabon declared they were seizing power from President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a stunning coup on Wednesday, threatening the family’s half-century rule over the central African nation.
Men in army uniform appeared on national television to announce the president’s house arrest during the military takeover, prompting celebrations and reports of gunfire on the streets of the capital – but condemnation overseas.
“It is brought to the attention of the national and international community that Ali Bongo Ondimba is being kept under house arrest,” an unnamed junta spokesperson said on state TV on Wednesday morning.
The ousted president is surrounded by his “family and doctors,” the spokesperson added.
Hours later, the junta’s spokesperson said authorities will investigate charges against the president’s son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, who was arrested alongside six other individuals for “high treason.”
The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency aired a video of the president asking his “friends” to “make noise,” following his house arrest.
“My son is somewhere, my wife is another place,” he said.
“I am at the residence,” Bongo added, seated in what looks like a library. “Nothing is happening, I don’t know what’s going on.”
It was not immediately clear under what circumstances the film had been made.
People celebrate in support of the military coup leaders in Libreville, Gabon on Wednesday. Gerauds Wilfried Obangome/Reuters
Meanwhile, AFPshowed video footage of soldiers in the capital Libreville celebrating in support of coup leader general Brice Oligui Nguema. He was seen on the shoulders of army personnel, who were shouting “president.”
The announcement came just minutes after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, also known as Ali Bongo, was deemed the victor of a contested election.
The officers, claiming to represent “defense and security forces” in the country, made the announcement in a televised address on news channel Gabon24. It was viewed by CNN on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“On behalf of the Gabonese people and guarantor of the protection of institutions, CTRI [the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions] has decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in place,” a military officer said on the broadcast.
CNN cannot independently confirm the video, and has yet to reach Gabon’ government for comment.
In the broadcast, the military officer said the election results would be voided and the country’s borders would be shut.
“All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: in particular the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, Economic and Social and Environmental Council, and the Elections Council of Gabon,” the officer said.
“We call on the population of Gabon, the communities of neighboring countries living in Gabon, as well as the Gabonese diaspora, to remain calm.”
Loud sounds of gunfire could be heard in the capital Libreville, a Reuters reporter said, following the television appearance.
People in Gabon were seen dancing and celebrating on the streets of its capital, according to videos shared with CNN and posted on social media.
In one video obtained by CNN, people can be seen shouting “liberated!” and waving the Gabon flag in the Nzeng Ayong district of the capital, alongside military vehicles.
Criticism started to come in from around the world. France condemned the “military coup d’etat that is underway in Gabon,” government spokesperson Olivier Veran told journalists Wednesday.
The US Embassy advised its citizens in the capital to shelter, while the French foreign ministry urged its citizens in Gabon to “avoid or limit” travel.
There have been nine coups in the past three years in former French colonies – Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Tunisia and now Gabon – that have undermined democratic progress in recent years.
Bongo’s long rule
Earlier Wednesday, Gabon’s election body said Bongo had won the presidential election with 64.27% of the vote, Reuters reported, after a delay-plagued general election that the opposition denounced as fraudulent.
Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, came in second place with 30.77%, said the election body. Bongo’s team had rejected Ondo Ossa’s allegations of electoral irregularities.
Ali Bongo, 64, took over from his father, Omar Bongo, who died of cardiac arrest while receiving treatment for intestinal cancer in a Spanish clinic in 2009, following nearly 42 years in office.
The elder Bongo came into power in 1967, seven years after the country’s independence from France.
He ruled over the small nation with an iron fist, imposing a one-party system for years and only allowing multi-party rule in 1991, though his party retained its grip on government.
Ali Bongo began his political career in 1981, serving as foreign minister and congressman from 1989 to 1991, according to the Gabonese embassy website in the US. He was defense minister from 1999, before becoming president in 2009.
Contested election
In this week’s election Ali Bongo had 18 challengers, six of whom had backed Ondo Ossa, a former minister and university professor, in an effort to narrow the race. Many in the opposition were pushing for change in the oil-rich but poverty-stricken nation of 2.3 million.
Tensions were running high amid fears of unrest after Saturday’s vote, with international observers complaining of a lack of Transparency. Ahead of the election, the non-profit Reporters Without Borders condemned the Gabonese government for obstructing foreign press coverage of the event.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday that “if (the situation in Gabon) is confirmed (that) it’s another military coup,” it would “increase instability in the whole region.”
“It’s an issue that will be put on table and we will discuss it,” Borrell told reporters ahead of an EU ministerial meeting on defense held in Toledo, Spain.
“The whole area starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s a very difficult situation,” Borrell said.
This is far from the first time Gabon has seen a power struggle or unrest over Bongo’s rule, which has frequently been disputed by critics.
In 2016, the parliament building was torched when violent street protests erupted against Bongo’s contested re-election for his second term. The government shut down internet access for several days at the time.
A coup attempt came in 2019, when a group of soldiers and military officers stormed the state radio and television headquarters, took staff hostage, and declared they had taken control of the nation.
They cited their dissatisfaction with Bongo as president, vowing to “restore democracy” in the country – before Gabonese defense and security forces moved in to end the takeover and rescue the hostages. Two soldiers were killed and eight military officers arrested as a result.
This video grab taken from Gabon 24 shows Gabonese soldiers appearing on television on August 30, 2023, announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won. (Photo by Gabon 24 / AFP)
A group of Gabonese officers and soldiers appeared on television Wednesday announcing they were “putting an end to the regime” and cancelling the results of a recent election.
Here is a translation from French of the statement, which was read out by one of the officers on Gabon 24 television channel:
“Our beautiful country, Gabon, has always been a haven of peace.
“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis.
“We are therefore forced to admit that the organisation of the general elections of 26 August 2023 did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.
“Added to this is irresponsible and unpredictable governance, resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion, with the risk of leading the country into chaos.
“Today, 30 August 2023, we — the defence and security forces, gathered as the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) on behalf of the people of Gabon and as guarantors of the institutions’ protection — have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.
“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled.
“The borders are closed until further notice.
“All the institutions of the Republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council and the Gabonese Elections Centre.
“We call for calm and serenity from the public, the communities of sister countries settled in Gabon, and the Gabonese diaspora.
“We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community.
“People of Gabon, we are finally on the road to happiness.
“May God and the spirits of our ancestors bless Gabon. Honour and loyalty to our homeland.
[1/2]FILE PHOTO: Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS
A group of senior Gabonese military officers appeared on national television in the early hours of Wednesday and said they had taken power, after the state election body announced President Ali Bongo had won a third term.
Appearing on television channel Gabon 24, the officers said they represented all security and defence forces in the Central African nation. They said the election results were cancelled, all borders closed until further notice and state institutions dissolved.
Loud sounds of gunfire could be heard in the capital Libreville, a Reuters reporter said, after the television appearance.
There was no immediate comment from the government of the OPEC-member nation.
“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officers said.
If successful, the coup would represent the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020. Coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger have undermined democratic progress in recent years.
Last month, the military snatched power in Niger, sending shockwaves across the Sahel and sucking in global powers with strategic interests at stake.
Tensions were running high in Gabon amid fears of unrest after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation.
A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll had raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
Bongo, 64, who succeeded his father Omar as president in 2009, had contested against 18 challengers, six of whom backed a joint nominee, former minister and university professor Albert Ondo Ossa, in an effort to narrow the race. Bongo’s team rejected allegations of fraud.
In 2016, the parliament building was torched when violent street protests erupted against Bongo’s contested re-election for his second term. The government shut down internet access for several days at the time.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of a new Board and Management team for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
“The President expects that the new Board and Management team will ensure a new era of successful administration in the NDDC, in line with his Renewed Hope agenda.
“All of the above listed appointments take immediate effect,” the statement added.
The Board and Management team members are:
Chiedu Ebie – Chairman – Delta
Samuel Ogbuku – Managing Director / CEO – Bayelsa
Boma Iyaye – Executive Director (Finance and Admin) – Rivers
Victor Antai – Executive Director (Projects) – Akwa-Ibom
Ifedayo Abegunde – Executive Director (Corporate Services) – Ondo
Dimaro Denyanbofa – State Representative – Bayelsa
Abasi Ndikan Nkono – State Representative – Akwa Ibom
Monday Igbuya – State Representative – Delta
Tony Okocha – State Representative – Rivers
Patrick Aisowieren – State Representative – Edo
Kyrian Uchegbu – State Representative – Imo
Victor Kolade Akinjo – State Representative – Ondo
Dimgba Eruba – State Representative – Abia
Asu Oku Okang – State Representative – Cross River
Nick Wende – Zonal Representative – North Central
Namdas Abdulrazak – Zonal Representative – North East
Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir – Zonal Representative – North West
Chicago State University has locked its X, formerly known as Twitter, microblogging handle from the general public as Nigerians intensify pressure on President Bola Tinubu’s controversial certificate from the institution.
With a padlock icon appearing on the account, only “confirmed followers” of the institution could see its tweets now, contrary to how it was before.
A notification telling the general public that the institution had locked its X handle from the general public reads: “These posts are protected. Only confirmed followers have access to @ChicagoState’s posts and complete profile. Tap the ‘Follow’ button to send a follow request.”
Earlier in August, Mr Abubakar requested court approval to subpoena Mr Tinubu’s files domiciled with CSU because he believed the documents would clarify glaring inconsistencies in the president’s background, including publicly available documents that suggested the institution, in the 1970s admitted a female student bearing Bola Tinubu born on March 29, 1954.
In pushback against Mr Abubakar’s legal move, which could expose his academic record, Mr Tinubu also filed a motion to prevent a federal court in the United States from releasing his academic records to his principal opponent in the 2023 presidential election.
The institution had claimed that a clerk was responsible for irregularities that characterised a certificate the school reprinted in Mr Tinubu’s name, according to court filings seen by The Gazette.
Amid the legal tussle in the U.S., Mr Abubakar on Sunday quizzed Mr Tinubu, asking him to reveal how he obtained a degree from Chicago University without attending primary and secondary school.
Mr Atiku’s post on X sparked widespread reactions seeing the “AskTinubu” trend of X microblogging app on Sunday as Nigerians discuss Mr Tinubu’s academic records.
Reacting to the development, Digital Communication aide to Ex President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad accused Obidients, a name for supporters of Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, of being responsible for the development on the institution’s Z handle.
In an X on his verified handle, he wrote “Harassing a respected institution to the point where they lock up their Twitter/X account is counterproductive and harmful, it will never be an achievement. Peter Obi and his supporters should know that it is important to express opinions respectfully and engage in meaningful conversations rather than resorting to tactics that stifle discourse”.
Rebutting his post, another X user with the handle @PeterObiPikin said it was Nigerians demanding for answers.
“It’s not Peter Obi and his supporters. It’s Nigerians the true Nigerians. Not the greedy Nigerians that [feel] comfortable as long as their pockets [are] filled up they don’t care about the ravaging poverty in their region. Allah will judge you Bashir”, he posted.
The Federal Government has announced N825.819 billion naira as compensation for indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to pave the way for the construction of the 4.2km second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, made the announcement on Tuesday after a negotiation meeting with the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, officials of both ministries, and representatives of their agencies as well as stakeholders from Jiwa, the affected community in Abuja.
The N825.8bn, according to the minister, is to incentivise the residents to vacate the community and seek their cooperation towards the completion of the 4.2 km second Abuja runway project, originally awarded in 2022.
Additionally, Wike declared that the FCT will construct a 5km bridge in the Tunga Madaki community and provide modern health care facility expected to serve as a temporary resettlement site for the indigenes.
Furthermore, the FCT minister charged the contractors to resume work, promising that the approved fund will be released from tomorrow (Wednesday).
Jiwa community had earlier opened up negotiations with the Federal Government, demanding N2.5 million per hectare as compensation.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has charged members of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy Tax Reforms to develop a robust roadmap that will transform the economy of the country.
The vice president gave the charge today when he received in audience members of the Committee led by the Chairman, Taiwo Oyedele, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Mr Shettima, “The task before you is enormous; I believe you have the best brains to come up with a robust roadmap that will reposition our economy addressing some of the fundamental issues underlying our fiscal and tax policies; Fiscal and tax policies are key to the realisation of any nation’s economic development.
“I believe you will come up with a roadmap to salvage our nation. We are in a big mess, but I have confidence in your team. This is a great nation chained by poor governance, chained by many challenges, and my principal is a man of courage and conviction; he is a progressive man in the Nigerian political space.”
Speaking on the importance of fiscal policy and tax reforms, the vice president noted that it is a potent tool for resource mobilisation, and as such, he charged the committee to make recommendations that are quick deliverables in view of the nation’s current economic realities.
While assuring them of the National Economic Council’s cooperation, he said, “our focus should largely dwell on domestic resource mobilisation, especially with trends in the world today; even the biggest economies in the world are faced with this reality.”
The vice president opined that fiscal policy and tax reforms are critical for meeting national aspirations, and this is also taking global dimensions with global realignment of forces with the emergence of BRICS and current geopolitics.
Mr Shettima praised the composition of the committee, stating, “I think the composition of this committee bears testimony to the seriousness that the president attaches to your mandate. Honestly, I am proud of you. I am personally conversant with some of the members of this committee who are men and women of impeccable character, high integrity, committed and patriotic.”
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Zaccheus Adedeji, stated that the Presidential Committee would be interested in working with the National Economic Council (NEC), which is chaired by the vice president, “to ensure effective collaboration with the sub-national governments who are critical stakeholder group in the task before the committee.
Earlier, Mr Oyedele disclosed that members of the committee were “excited for this opportunity to help our country to redefine, redesign a new fiscal policy framework that is fit for our nation to thrive and deliver the Nigeria we want for our people to flourish in their endeavours.”
“We are laser-focused on our mandate as directed by Mr. President, which covers fiscal governance, revenue transformation and, fiscal competitiveness and economic growth facilitation.”
He assured that the committee would engage with Nigerians both at home and abroad as well as with all segments of the society.
Also, he expressed the readiness of the committee to engage with sub-national governments through NEC in achieving the mandate of the committee.
In the delegation of the Presidential Committee were Kyari A. Bukar, Tayo Aduloju, Ismaila Zakari, Abiola Sanni, Chinyere Almona, Abubakar Suleiman, Bamate Ogara-Lawson, Taminu Yakubu and Muhammad Nami
President Bola Tinubu on Monday gave a marching order to the 45 Ministers that constitute the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to do their possible best towards turning around for the better the nation’s ailing economy.
Addressing the opening session of the maiden Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja and attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President charged the Ministers to look beyond titles and offices and stay focused on the day-to-day task of their individual and collective contributions to the transformation of the economy for the upliftment of Nigerian households.
According to him: “You and I know that expectations are high, and these are tough times. We must work hard and move ourselves to create a buoyant economy that will serve Nigeria. We have an employment rate that is unacceptable, and we are facing threats from climate change. In order to turn things around, you have been selected to perform your utmost best. Our policy implementation will reform the economy, ensure inclusive growth, and strengthen security for peace and prosperity. Without security, there can be no investment.
“We shall evolve a homegrown re-engineering of our finances, a reimagined stewardship of our resources, and we will let the economy work for the people of this country. There are so many things we can and will do. Yes, some cynics will say it is impossible. But in your own dictionary of service, everything is possible, and it must be possible.
President Tinubu told the new Ministers that the hopes and aspirations of 200 million fellow Nigerians rested on their daily actions and that he will relentlessly provide the focused leadership required to stop failure in its tracks so that sustainable progress can be achieved.
“We have the talent. We have the level of intellectual capacity required to turn this country around. We will make sure that the country is on the right path to succeed on behalf of more than 200 million Nigerians who rely on us,” the President affirmed.
Emphasizing that anyone thinking that appointments are fixed term appointments are mistaken, the President expressed confidence that the carefully selected cabinet members know that his government is a new one with a new approach and a new mandate to deliver for Nigeria without any lamentation or excuses.
He noted that the country would rely on the experience, skill, intellect, and networking of those who had been appointed to make headway in the challenging times, and failure would not be explained away under his watch.
President Tinubu reminded his cabinet that he is only one man and that their innovative thinking to solve problems will shape his leadership as a President who listens.
“It is in your hands now. I am ready to listen and to cooperate. I am ready even to be corrected. Only God is perfect. You have been asked to fetch water from a dry well. The challenges are great, but we will deliver for Nigerians. I am happy to be the captain of this vehicle.
“It is a great commitment that you have made to the country. Since your inauguration as a Minister, you have become a servant for the people, serving all of the people, all of the time,” the President Tinubu further said.
Briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, some Ministers said the inaugural meeting centred around the plans of the administration, especially the plan to revive the economy.
Five Ministers namely Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Ali Pate; Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; and that of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite took turns to address the press on what transpired at the meeting.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun said he presented “Roadmap for the Economy” during the meeting noting that the Council agreed that the economy is not where it ought to be.
According to him, FEC examined eight priority areas and identified targets to deliver in the next three years or thereabout, adding that the President has directed the Ministers to roll out policy and programme to turn the economy around.
He said: “First the President congratulated everybody and emphasised the high expectations of Nigerians and he encouraged us to be bold and courageous and innovative and to act with urgency in delivering a better life to all Nigerians. Essentially we went through an exercise of looking at where things stood, regarding the economy, the growth rate, the exchange rate, inflation, unemployment and so on.
“The overriding conclusion is that we’re not where we should be and we also examined the President’s eight-point agenda, that is the eight priority areas for moving the Nigerian economy forward and for delivering to Nigerians and those are basically food security; ending poverty, economic growth and job creation, access to capital, particularly consumer credit, inclusivity in all its dimensions, particularly as regards youths and women, improving security, improving the playing field on which people and particularly companies operate, rule of law, and of course, fighting corruption.
“It is around those matrix that the plans and the targets of what will be delivered in the next three years or so were identified, discussed and imputes were given by various ministers and we’ll now go away with the marching order to refine further the targets in particular and within weeks to start rolling out policies and programmes to turn around the economy and make things better for all Nigerians. That really is the substance of what the discussion was all about”.
Commenting on with the economy inherited by the present administration, Edun said the Tinubu administration inherited a bad economy with an unacceptable high rate of unemployment, with inflation standing at 24%.
His words: “Per capital has fallen steadily, inflation is at 24 percent, unemployment is high, you know they are rebasing the way in which it’s calculated. Either way, it is high and youth unemployment is even unacceptably high, these are the key metrics that we have met”.
Asked to be specific on the kind of economy the Tinubu administration inherited, the Minister said, “We met a bad economy and the promise of Mr. President is to make it better”.
He also said the federal government is not in a position to borrow money at this time, adding the emphasis is on how to create a macroeconomic environment where both local and foreign investors will invest and increase production.
“Clearly, the federal government is not in a position to borrow at this time. Rather, the emphasis has to be on creating a stable, macroeconomic environment. Stable inflation, stable exchange rate, an environment within which people can come and invest and thereby increase production and further grow the economy.
“Improve and create jobs and reduce poverty. So, the aim of all reforms at this time is to focus on what we call equity to focus on investment to attract investment investment by Nigerians. Investment by foreign direct investors and even investment by portfolio investors that want to invest in the financial aspects of the Nigerian economy, such as the stock market, such as the bond market.
“So that is the plan. That is the expectation and it is that there will not be a reliance on borrowing. Rather, as revenues increase, as the benefit of removing fuel subsidy and the subsidy on the exchange rate, those mean more money for government at all levels.
“Because, of course, through oil revenue, the federation earns dollars and if those dollars are feeding through, at let’s say, 700/750 or so naira to one dollar as opposed to 460 where it was before; clearly, that is repairing the finances of government are federal state and local government levels”, he said.
Also speaking, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Anite, said the President plans to create 50 million jobs.
According to her: “In Mr. President’s manifesto during his campaigns, he promised 50 million jobs and that’s our target. We will take it in phases; we are looking at different sectors of the economy that will contribute to this job creation chief among them is the creative industry and the digital economy, and then the agric sector, agro-processing zones, and mining, oil and gas. So we’re very confident that we will achieve this”.
…To also unveil Integrated Sector-Based Productivity Growth Strategy
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, will on Friday, Friday, September 1, unveil a ₦1.6 trillion ($2.1 billion) pipeline of 30 projects at the first Enugu State Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholder Roundtable.
The governor is also scheduled to launch the Enugu State Integrated Sector-Based Productivity Growth Strategy.
This was made known in a statement released by the Secretary of the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, in Enugu on Monday.
He said the Investment and Economic Growth Roundtable, which is a precursor to the launch of the maiden multi-stakeholder and fully transactional Diaspora and Investment Forum scheduled for the second quarter of 2024, would hold in Enugu and also draw investors from across various industries locally and internationally.
“The ₦1.6 trillion Naira ($2.1 billion) project pipeline spans several industries, including transportation and healthcare infrastructure, as well as energy, power, and agro-allied industrialization.
“Senior executives from the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank Group, the International Finance Corporation, the African Export-Import Bank, the United Kingdom Department for Trade and Business, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), as well as the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund, commercial banks, corporate pension funds, private equity funds, infrastructure funds, and other domestic financial institutions will convene in Enugu to chart a course for effectively mobilising private capital for large-scale infrastructure projects, including net-zero aligned projects that can unlock Enugu State’s and South-Eastern Nigeria’s economic potential.
“The Roundtable discussion will cover a range of topics, including addressing barriers to investment and economic growth in Enugu State; improving investor confidence in the State understanding investor’s risk and return preferences; and identifying partnership opportunities for project preparation and co‑investments” he stated.
According to Prof. Onyia, this is in line with Governor Mbah’s determination to grow the Enugu State economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.
“Implementation of the State’s Integrated Sector-Based Productivity Growth Strategy will ensure that those sectors with the greatest potential for growth are supported through measures to reduce unnecessary regulation and boost innovation and growth.
“The new administration recognises private investment as a key driver of long-term economic growth and prosperity, and the roundtable discussion will lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships and cooperation that can catalyse Enugu’s accelerated economic growth.
“Part of this administration’s agenda is the development of an Investment Plan for the Integrated Sector-Based Productivity Growth Agenda with a credible pipeline of projects that will advance transformative change in key sectors. When it is released, the Plan is expected to incentivise and encourage private sector investors, as well as other stakeholders, to participate in the financing and delivery of critical infrastructure investment projects.
“We are optimistic about the future of PPPs and investments in Enugu as we build a clear legal, institutional and policy framework that should provide the business-friendly environment that can enhance private sector participation and catalyse the scale of financing required to deliver these essential public infrastructure services.
“This investment roundtable is therefore the first step towards generating investment interest in these critical areas and charting a clear path to bankability for these projects”, he concluded.
ORGANISED Labour and employers in Nigeria have rejected latest reports by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, NBS, that unemployment rate in the country has fallen by 4.1 per cent, describing the report as a fraud.
Organised labour contended that the report was a far cry from the reality on the ground, warning that with such reports, the NBS could lose its credibility.
A senior official of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, told Vanguard that NBS simply rebased the employment template to get a lower figure for unemployment, saying “this is not helpful as it may undermine the credibility of NBS’ work in the future.”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak publicly on the issue, said: “The fact is that any statistical data that is not truly representative of the facts on ground loses its validity.
”We know that unemployment figure in Nigeria cannot be falling when the reality is that we have factories that are closing and leaving the country because of difficult operating environment.
“You then ask yourself, where are the new jobs that have absorbed the thousands of graduates that are entering the labour market annually?
“The truth is that rebasing the employment template in order to get a lower figure for unemployment is not helpful as it may undermine the credibility of NBS’ work in the future.
“We sincerely suggest that figures or statistics dished out to Nigerians can only achieve its purpose when it aligns with the objective realities on the ground, no matter how bitter it may be.
“The idea that anybody that earns N1000 a week is in an employment smacks of attempts at gerrymandering the unemployment rate to cover the inability of the state to perform its responsibilities to the economy and Nigerians.
”In all, we may not accept that figure until we conduct due diligence on the process that led to this outcome.”
NASU
Also reacting, the General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, Prince Peter Adeyemi, said: “I am one of those who rely on NBS for accurate data but I strongly doubt this latest report that unemployment has reduced by 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2023.
“There is practically nothing to support this position. Rather, I think the rate of unemployment has increased.
“Don’t forget that the first quarter of 2023 was the period of our elections in Nigeria where politicians used the youths and the unemployed to advance their various political activities.
“Those are temporary engagements that cannot be classified as gainful employments. The federal, state and local governments need to do more in the area of jobs creation.”
Similarly, President, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, John Adaji, said: “It depends on the source of their information and the sectors they are looking at.
“But as far as the manufacturing sector is concerned and textile in particular, we have witnessed more job losses and even notices of redundancy and closure from some of the factories.
“I think we should be careful not to politicize critical issue as employment.
“We must resist the temptation to give wrong impression that we are making progress when in actual fact we are not, as far as issue of employment is concerned.
“We have a new government which part of its renewed hope agenda is to create jobs. Industrialization remains the sure means of creating sustainable jobs for the teeming unemployed in the country. The new government must support revival of labour intensive textile and garment industry.”
TUC
Also, the Deputy President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Dr Tommy Okon, said: “We don’t know how they generate their data, especially in Nigeria where we have dearth of data.
“Manufacturing companies are not employing because they are struggling to stay afloat, Federal Government has not employed and so many people are turned out from tertiary institutions and passed out of NYSC and secondary schools across the country.
“I think government agencies should stop covering up and cooking up data for whatever reason. It is a known fact that the unemployment situation in the country is increasing on a daily basis and we cannot pretend about it.”
On the employers’ side, Executive Secretary of Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employers’ Federation, CAMPEF, Femi Oke, said: “Some sectors of the economy may be growing but the manufacturing sector is not growing because of the numerous challenges it is facing.
“These include foreign exchange, removal of fuel subsidy, increase in electricity tariff, multiplicity of taxes etc.
“We are experiencing poor capacity utilization and shutting down some operations. This is leading to job rationalisation and losses.
“The government should focus on how to improve the manufacturing sector because they are the largest employer of labour.”
President Bola Tinubu has said that poverty eradication and investment promotion for wealth creation depend on justice reform.
The president said this on Sunday in Abuja while declaring open the 63rd Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) with the theme: ‘Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation Building.’
According to Mr Tinubu, world-class remuneration for legal professionals would also sanitise the judiciary for a prosperous Nigeria.
He also said that a new Nigeria was possible with his renewed hope but it would require making bold decisions that would be painful at first but beneficial in the end.
He said that the bold steps his administration was taking to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the country would succeed only with the cooperation and collaboration of all, especially the private sector.
“I am not cynical, I am factual, The critical and bold initiatives embarked upon will yield the desired results only with collaboration and cooperation of the private sector.
“We are so blessed and we are still lacking. A change of mindset is what we need.
“We accused our previous leaders, we complain too much about the past, it is not the solution, we must look forward, God has given us creative minds and will,” he said.
The president said that the country could not continue to service external debt with about 90 per cent of its revenue, hence the hard decision his administration was making in that regard.
He commended the NBA for the theme which he said was timely and implored the association to give his administration maximum support to succeed.
“I want to learn. Remind me of what I’m doing right, and I will continue, whatever I am doing wrong, tell me, and I will change,’’ the president said.
Poverty eradication and security
In a keynote address, the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu, said eradication of poverty in the country was the ultimate solution to insecurity and extremism.
According to Mr Elumelu, poverty anywhere is a threat to all of us everywhere, the ultimate panacea for insecurity and extremism is prosperity.
“This is why all of us must think of legacy and play our role and part now that we can, to urgently support our young ones to become economically engaged, else we are doomed.
“We must give them hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. Let us not underestimate the power of hope.
“Hope is what fuels the dreams of our youth, what ignites the determination of our entrepreneurs, and what unites us in our pursuit of a better future.
“Nations that prioritise their young go far. It is no coincidence that an American that created Harvard and Stanford, also produced Amazon, Microsoft and Google. We need the same focus on our young, their futures and ambitions,’’ Mr Elumelu said.
He said it was important for the country to invest in security because banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and pipeline vandalisation created uncertainties, fears, deprivation, poverty, and untold hardship.
“Let us invest in brand Nigeria. We know the frustrations, we know that joblessness of our youth is a betrayal of a generation; and the plundering of our commonwealth is inhumane and cruel, but we have no other motherland than Nigeria,’’ he said.
He also noted the need to invest in women saying that women were the threads that hold families and societies together.
“Let us invest in our women. When a woman succeeds, families and communities are lifted out of poverty. It is no surprise that in my businesses, women lead and flourish.
“Let us invest in our power sector. Let us create regulatory structures that reward success, that deliver to our people, our schools, our hospitals and our industries, the sustainable, robust power supply that our country so urgently needs.
“Is it not ironic that a country with abundant gas resources cannot optimally operate its power plants due to lack of gas?’
“We have idle gas fields and there is so much private capital to make the needed investments for gas production. Yet, we cannot produce gas to power our economy and 21st-century industrialisation,’’ he said.
The entrepreneur implored all Nigerians to approach the task of nation-building with unwavering determination, guided by the principles of unity, inclusivity, and progress.
“Let our pursuit of nation-building be characterised by unwavering determination, empathy, and the commitment to create a legacy of progress, unity, and hope for generations to come.
AGF speaks
For his part, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), tasked the legal practitioners with upholding the rule of law and promoting human rights.
He pledged that under him, the Ministry of Justice would work hard to promote people-centred justice and that they would be guided by relevant provisions of the Constitution.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 63rd AGC of the NBA, according to its president, Mr Yakubu Maikyau, a SAN, is the largest gathering of professionals anywhere in the world with over 16,000 registered conferees.
NAN also reports that the conference was also attended by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiami, and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Others are the Minister of Sports, John Enoh; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, past NBA presidents and other top government officials.
