News

How We Lost Election For Not Bribing INEC, Police – Obasanjo

Published

3 weeks ago

November 21, 2023

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled how a political party, the Peoples Democratic Party he belonged to in 1998 lost a local government election in Ogun State because he rejected plans to bribe the police and personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obasanjo said party leaders had told him that there should be money allocated for the police and INEC, saying he rejected the proposal on the belief that INEC officials and policemen are government workers earning salaries monthly.

The former President spoke in Abeokuta on Monday at a high-level consultation he organised on ‘Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa’.

The African leader had told politicians and professors at the debate that he is not always comfortable with the phrase, ‘Nigerian factor’, when discussing democracy and other issues affecting development.

According to him, he came across the ‘Nigerian factor’ slang when the nation held the first local government election and his party lost because politicians said be refused to take cognisance of the Nigerian factor while planning for the election.

“When things go wrong, you said the Nigerian factor. The first thing I learnt in politics was this thing called the Nigerian factor.

“In 1998, we had the first local government election. We had parties, and here in Abeokuta, we met in my office and they came up and said, ‘look, this is money for INEC, money for police.’ At a stage I said, ‘what nonsense! Is the police not being paid, and INEC too?’

“They said ‘that’s how we do it. I said ‘you cannot do that.’ So, they didn’t do that. And of course, we lost all the local governments. We lost all. And then they came to me and said, ‘Baba, you see? If you had allowed us to do it the way we used to do it, we would have won’. And I felt guilty.

“During the next election, which was the State Assembly, I just stayed in my house. I said ‘well, do whatever you want to do, I will not be part of it’. So, I didn’t even go. But, the result was the same. One of the people who got money didn’t even distribute it to where he was supposed to distribute it,” Obasanjo recounted.

The octogenarian emphasised that the Western liberal democracy being practised in Africa has not really taken human nature and the African situation into full account.

While saying it is time to be realistic, the Balogun of Owu said a hungry person will sell his vote for just N1000.

“When you are hungry, whatever anybody tells you cannot go in. Poverty is a great enemy of democracy. Ignorance or lack of education is a great enemy of democracy. And we seem to be deliberately fomenting poverty and lack of education,” he stated.

Headline

DSS To Start Using Weapons Produced By Personnel – Bichi

Published

6 hours ago

December 9, 2023

Ifunaya Emeka

The Department of State Services (DSS) said on Saturday it will soon unveil weapons produced by its personnel.

This was disclosed by the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi, at the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 16 participants in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to him, the DSS will soon begin to “produce what it eats and eat what it produces.”

Among the weapons the Secret Service will soon unveil are Unmanned Aeriel Vehicles (UAVs), he stated.

Bichi also assured that the agency will continue to support the National Institute for Security Studies to succeed in its quest to impart knowledge that will enhance security in the country.

He charged the participants to utilise the skills they have acquired to develop the country, urging Nigerians to remain patriotic and shun those whom he described as warmongers who want to set the country on fire.

Also at the event is the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 16 commenced in February 2023 with 89 participants drawn from 35 agencies across Nigeria and four other African countries, namely, Niger, The Gambia, Rwanda and Chad.

Three participants lost their lives during the period, leaving 86 participants who graduated on Saturday.

Headline

53 power projects worth ₦‎122bn to be completed by May 2024 – TCN

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2023

Ifunaya Emeka

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has said that 53 ongoing power projects worth N122 billion is to be completed by May 2024.

TCN and power distribution companies with support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will finish up these projects that are currently being constructed across the country.

Punch reports that the projects entail the delivery of eight 150MVA power transformers, 19 1000MVA transformers, 60MVA transformers, reconductoring existing transmission lines (conductors and accessories), upgrading of the existing 132/33KV substations, and construction of 33KV line bays.

While visiting three different projects at Ojo, Isolo, and Oworonshoki Transmission stations in Lagos on December 6, Mathew Ajibade, Programme Coordinator at TCN, mentioned that once these projects are finished, they will increase the company’s ability to transport electricity by over 1,000 megawatts.

He said:

“The projects are currently being implemented through the project management office at the TCN headquarters in collaboration with both TCN field engineers and the Discos technical team. The time set for completion of the projects is May 2024 latest. PMO made progress with the implementation of the programme despite challenges encountered and is committed to ensuring the successful implementation.”

Tumba Tijani, who is the Assistant Director and oversees the Infrastructure Finance Office at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), clarified that the central bank provided a loan for the project in August of last year. This loan was given at a 9% interest rate.

He mentioned that a total of N85.43 billion has been given out to 53 different contractors involved in the projects. This money has been disbursed into the Advance Payment Guarantee account to help these contractors carry out their tasks.

He said:

“The CBN in continuation of its intervention in the power sector approved the sum of N122, 289, 344 for the programme Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilization Facility-3 based on the projects estimated for the identified projects.

The facility aims to resolve the transmission/distribution interface bottlenecks to improve supply to end users and unlock the unutilized generation capacity in the country,”

Why transmission?
The Minister for Power, Adebayo Adelabu, mentioned before that even though the country has handed over the responsibility of generating and distributing power to private entities, the part that handles transmitting electricity is still managed by the government.

However, this area hasn’t seen enough progress mainly because the infrastructure, such as substations, transformers, and power lines, is getting old and isn’t strong enough.

Adelabu promised that the government would focus on reorganizing and improving this infrastructure. The aim is to ensure that all Nigerians experience better and more reliable electricity supply across the country.