Flowerbud News

Month: February 2024

  • AFCON 2023: Nigeria beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties to reach Cup Final

    AFCON 2023: Nigeria beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties to reach Cup Final

     

    Flowerbudnews

    Nigeria stepped into the Championship Match of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations after a turgid 120 minutes battle with South Africa that eventually went into a nail-biting penalty shootout in Cote d’Ivoire’s second city, Bouake on Wednesday. 

    The game ended 1-1 after extra time and the Super Eagles triumphed 4-2 after penalties.

    It was dubbed the “Ampiano Derby’ but there was so much piggybacking on the game, and as the players stepped onto the turf of the Stade de la Paix, it was obvious that they were determined to fight a ‘war’.

     

    Sphephelo Sithole got his leg to a through ball as the Bafana Bafana poured forward in the quarter-hour, but Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali would never be beaten that way. 

    Minutes later, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman combined to pull something out of the chestnut, but the defence line of Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Mobida and Siyanda Xulu was very much alert.

    (Man of the Match: Stanley Nwabali stops one of the two Bafana penalties that he saved to give Nigeria victory.)

     

    Nwabali was again on the alert in the 28th minute to break the heart of Percy Tau.

    Nine minutes later, Alex Iwobi’s shot from the edge of the box was too feeble to rattle goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams.

     

    In the 39th minute, Nwabali again denied Tau as the forward concocted a chip. 

    At the other end, Osimhen failed to direct his header well when Ola Aina sped down the left and heaved the ball into the opposition box.

     

    Osimhen again failed to direct his header properly in the 57th minute. 

    Eight minutes later, Nigeria earned a penalty after the tireless Osimhen was upended in the box as he went on a sharp solo. 

    William Troost-Ekong made no mistake from the spot.

    Semi Ajayi stops Lerato Lepasa

    In the 72nd minute, the combination of Osimhen, substitute Chukwueze and Lookman had the Bafana defence flat-footed, only for Osimhen to get too much purchase on the ball when he tried to find Lookman for the final delivery.

     

    Evidence Magkopa got behind the Nigeria defence in the 75th minute and watched his fierce shot roll aimlessly away. 

    For a response, Chukwueze and Aribo combined to set Lookman free in the middle, but the striker was checkmated.

     

    With five minutes left, the Eagles broke forward in a sweeping team move. 

    The irrepressible Lookman sped away from the middle and found Bright Osayi-Samuel on the right, and the defender’s cross screened goalkeeper Williams to allow Osimhen a simple tap-in. 

    After ruling it a goal, Egyptian referee Amin Mohamed Omar’s attention was called to an earlier incident in the Nigerian box, and he, instead, awarded a penalty to South Africa, converted by Teboho Mokoena.

     

    In extra time, Lookman watched his shot parried by Williams, who then saved a shot by Osimhen. 

    Osimhen headed just slightly over the bar as Nigeria searched for a means to end the encounter without going into penalty shootout.

    In the ensuing penalty shootout, Williams, who had saved four in the shootout against Cape Verde that saw the Bafana Bafana reach the last four, could not stop any of Nigeria’s kicks with only Ola Aina booting his kick over the bar.

    Terem Moffi, Kenneth Omeruo, Troost-Ekong and Kelechi Iheanacho all scored, while Nwabali saved two of South Africa’s kicks and was duly named Man of the Match.

     

     

    In the event, Nigeria will play in the Final of the continent’s flagship football competition for the eighth time.

     

    The Super Eagles will take on tournament surprise team and hosts Cote d’Ivoire in the Final on Sunday night at the 60,000 – capacity Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, outside Abidjan. (Flowerbudnews)

     

             

       

     

  • Navy impounds N1.05b worth of crude oil in one week

    Navy impounds N1.05b worth of crude oil in one week

     

    Flowerbudnews
    The Nigerian Navy says the troops of Operation Delta Sanity have intercepted 4,036.7 barrels of crude oil and 270,600 litres of illegally refined AGO, valued N1.05 billion from oil thieves in one week.

    The Director of Naval Information, Rear Adm. Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the operations were conducted by the navy between January 29 and February 4.

    Ayo-Vaughan said the operations also led to the deactivation of 40 wooden boats, 55 illegal refining ovens, 49 reservoirs, 27 dugout pits and 19 illegal refining sites.

    ccording to him, the various NN platforms deployed for the operation have continued to conduct aggressive patrols to combat oil theft within Nigeria’s maritime environment.

    The navy spokesman said the Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, in conjunction with three Naval Security Stations, on January 29 conducted reconnaissance operations around Elem Krakrama Creek and Ke in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.

    He said the team intercepted six wooden boats laden with about 600 litres of products suspected to be stolen AGO and 566 barrels of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.

    He said that the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Formoso, on the same day, conducted operation around Brass River, Akassa, Obama in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa as well as Nembe and Southern Ijaw.

    “During the operations, the team discovered four illegal refining sites, five ovens and two pumping machines.

    “They also arrested five wooden boats laden with about 704.4 barrels (112,000 litres) of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and the sites and items were dismantled while the products were handled appropriately.

    “Also, on January 29, FOB Escravos in Delta  conducted anti crude oil theft operations around Saghara Creek in Warri South Local Government Area.

    “During the operation, the team visited a previously deactivated illegal refining site which was observed to be under reconstruction and had one empty reservoir and five dug out pits,” he said.

    Ayo-Vaughan said the NNS SOROH in Bayelsa in conjunction with naval station 030 and Ocean Marine Solution Houseboat Peremebiri, also conducted operations around Ogbotobo and Fish Camp Community in Atala area of Bayelsa between January 29 and February 2.

    He said the team discovered a vandalised flowline station belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company which was recently reactivated.

    According to him, the team also found a newly constructed illegal refining site with two pumping machines, three generators, galvanised pipes, 50 kg gas cylinder, and other construction items.

    He added that the team also found one wooden boat laden with sacks of about 19,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen AGO, adding that the boat was safely deactivated.

    According to him, on January 30, Naval Base Oguta in Imo conducted an operation and discovered one fibre boat laden with about 7.5 barrels (1,200 litres) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.

    “Furthermore, from January 30 to February 2, Naval Flying Unit, Port Harcourt conducted aerial surveillance at Abonnema, Temakiri, Aiya Abissa, Ke, Krakrama Tuma, Samkiri, Ukwa West, Ikwuriator, Imo River and Aba River.

    “During surveillance, the team sighted various  illegal refining sites and wooden boats laden with unspecified quantity of illegally refined AGO in numerous numbers suspected to have been siphoned from a nearby wellhead.

    “Accordingly, the incident was reported to relevant Units for appropriate action,” he added.

     

  • NANS condemns MOUAU versity management over hard examination conditions

    NANS condemns MOUAU versity management over hard examination conditions

     

    By Flowerbudnews

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the Management of  Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) for imposing hard conditions on students during examinations.

     

    The President of NANS, Comrade Pedro Obi, said this in Enugu on Wednesday while reacting to “no full payment of school fees, no examination mandate” in the university.

     

    According to Obi, it has come to our attention that students are being denied the opportunity to write their examinations unless they have made full payment of their school fees.

     

    “This action by the university management is very unfair, especially considering the current economic situation in Nigeria.

    “We are deeply concerned that this approach will lead to a significant number of dropouts, negatively affecting the lives and education of our students, thereby leading to more security challenges in the country.

     

    “The National Secretariat of NANS firmly believes that education should be accessible to all, regardless of their financial background.

     

    “We urge the university management to kindly consider alternative ways of addressing the issue of school fees payment.

     

    “Such approach could be splitting the payment into manageable installments per semester, rather than expecting a one-time payment,” he said.

    The NAN boss noted that in response to this urgent matter, the National Secretariat of NANS had established a 5-man committee to swiftly intervene and bring the situation under control.

     

    He said that the committee included:
    Comrade Cokey Nwachukwu – as Chairman; Comrade Josephine Kufre Ikpe-Abasi – as Member:
    Comrade Felix Ifeyinwa – as Member; Orji Frank – as Member and
    Comrade Chijioke Emmanuel (SUG President of the university) – as Secretary of the Committee.

     

    Obi said that the committee would engage in constructive dialogue with the university management to find a resolution that ensures the rights and well-being of the students are protected.

    He said: “NANS National Secretariat calls on the University Management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to immediately halt this unfair practice and work towards a more student-friendly approach to school fees payment.

     

    “Education should not be a privilege reserved for a select few, but a fundamental right accessible to all.

     

    “We implore the University Management to prioritize the welfare of the students and cooperate fully with the committee set up by NANS National Secretariat.”

     

    He said that the National Secretariat condemn in totality the destruction of School or Government Properties as genuine students should not be found engaging themselves in such act, as it jeopardizes our genuine and well intended struggle for an egalitarian society.

     

    “We urge all students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike to remain calm and patient as the committee works tirelessly to resolve this issue.

     

    “Haven cried out, your voices have been heard, and we are committed to fighting for your rights,” he said. (Flowerbudnews)

  • AFCON 2023: Super Eagles clear favourites against Bafana Bafana

    AFCON 2023: Super Eagles clear favourites against Bafana Bafana

     

     Flowerbudnews

    With their defence breached only once after five matches in this tournament, and considering their vast superiority in the record of previous encounters, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have the favourite tag going into Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against South Africa in Bouake.

    Wednesday’s game will be the 15th clash between both countries at full international level. Nigeria have won seven of the previous 14 matches, with five of those matches drawn and two won by South Africa.

    Apart from having to deal with the incredible energy, effervescence and pace of Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, another major problem that the Bafana Bafana will be up against early, in-game and at the latter stages is the intractability of wing-terrors Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon.

    MEN AGAINST BOYS – Osimhen, Bassey, Ekong and Ajayi are fully focused

    Lookman, with three goals in the tournament so far (all coming in the knockout rounds), plus assisting Osimhen to score the equalizer against Equatorial Guinea, and Simon (with two assists) can be fleeting and entirely unpredictable for any defence, with both switching wings at will.

     

    A stingy rearguard, marshalled by on-field captain William Ekong, has been able to provide all the answers to a number of tricky questions by the opposition in their last four matches, and looks as solid as the Berlin Wall at the height of its glory.

     

    Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who plays his club football in South Africa, and who was thrown into the forefront as number one at this competition despite only one previous cap, said he would have a sweet day stopping all efforts by the Bafana Bafana and then seeing them shunted to the third-place match.

    “I know them and they know me. It will be an interesting evening in Bouake.”

    NO GREE – Calvin Bassey stops an Angolan player.

     

    Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Zaidu Sanusi and Olaoluwa Aina are the other pegs in that rearguard, and the attack-minded Aina offers even more problems for the 1996 champions.  

    Ranked 42nd in the world and 12th in Africa (as against South Africa’s global ranking of 66th and 12th in the world), the Super Eagles are unbeaten in 10 competitive matches over the past 10 months, and even achieved a rare win in a friendly game when they edged Mozambique in Portugal in October 2023.

     

    As far as the Africa Cup of Nations go, Nigeria is aiming for a fourth star on its crest, while the Bafana (Boys) are only aiming for a second triumph, following their win on home soil 28 years ago. Even that win has always been downplayed by Nigerians as it happened in the absence of Cup holders Nigeria, who were stopped from travelling to the Rainbow Nation by military strongman Sani Abacha following a spat with President Nelson Mandela over the execution of environmental rights activist Ken Saro Wiwa and some others in November 1995.

    BRING THEM ON – Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali

    The first meeting between both countries was on 10th October 1992, when Richard Owubokiri opened the floodgates of goals in a 4-0 win for Nigeria at the National Stadium, Lagos. Rashidi Yekini scored a brace. It was a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. The return leg at the FBN Stadium in Johannesburg ended scoreless.

     

    Nigeria spanked South Africa 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2000 AFCON they co-hosted with Ghana, with Tijani Babangida scoring both goals, and four years later, an Eagles’ team wounded by Morocco in its first match descended heavily on the Bafana, beating the latter 4-0 in a group phase match in Monastir, Tunisia.

     

    Four years ago, in the AFCON quarter-finals, the Eagles edged the Bafana 2-1 in Cairo, with the goals scored by Samuel Chukwueze and William Ekong. Both players will be in Bouake with Ekong to lead the squad on the field and Chukwueze likely to play some part in the proceedings.

     

    NIGERIA, SOUTH AFRICA IN HISTORY

     

    10 Oct 1992: Nigeria 4 South Africa 0 (1994 WCq, Lagos)

    16 Jan 1993: South Africa 0 Nigeria 0 (1994 WCq, Johannesburg)

    10 Feb 2000: Nigeria 2 South Africa 0 (AFCON semi-final, Lagos)

    31 Jan 2004: Nigeria 4 South Africa 0 (AFCON finals, Monastir, Tunisia)

    17 Nov 2004: South Africa 2 Nigeria 1 (International Friendly, Durban)

    1 June 2008: Nigeria 2 South Africa 0 (2010 FIFA WCq, Abuja)

    6 Sept 2008: South Africa 0 Nigeria 1 (2010 FIFA WCq, Port Elizabeth)

    14 Aug 2013: South Africa 0 Nigeria 2 (International Friendly, Johannesburg)

    10 Sept 2014: South Africa 0 Nigeria 0 (2015 AFCON qualifier, Johannesburg)

    19 Nov 2014: Nigeria 2 South Africa 2 (2015 AFCON qualifier, Uyo)

    29 Mar 2015: South Africa 1 Nigeria 1 (International Friendly, Durban)

    10 June 2017: Nigeria 0 South Africa 2 (2019 AFCON qualifier, Uyo)

    17 Nov 2018: South Africa 1 Nigeria 1 (2019 AFCON qualifier, Johannesburg)

    10 July 2019: Nigeria 2 South Africa 1 (2019 AFCON q-final, Cairo) (Flowerbudnews)

     

  • Wike Flags Off Resurfacing of 182 Roads in Maitama, Garki and Utako Districts of FCT

     

    Flowerbudnews

    Abuja (Flowerbudnews): The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Enyesom  Wike has flagged off the resurfacing of a total of 182 roads in the FCT.

    Speaking at the commencement of the resurfacing projects on Tuesday in Abuja, Wike assured that the projects would be completed this year, 2024.

    He urged the contractors to ensure that the projects were completed to time, warning that the government would not hesitate to terminate the contract of any of the contractors found wanting.

    Video News (Courtesy: Radio Abuja)

     

  • How Nigerian Navy saved 91,725 barrels of crude oil in 2023 – ex-Commadant

    How Nigerian Navy saved 91,725 barrels of crude oil in 2023 – ex-Commadant

     

    Flowerbudnews

    Former Commandant of the Navy War College, Rear Admiral Murtala Bashir (rtd.), says the Nigerian Navy’s onslaught against oil thieves saved the nation 91,725.26 barrels of crude in 2023.

     

    Bashir made the disclosure in a paper he presented at the inauguration of the Naval Warfare Course 8 in Calabar on Monday.

     

    He spoke on the topic, “Operational Level Warfare: Imperatives for Training and Command in the Nigerian Navy”.

    He said that this was against 889,890 barrels that were saved from thieves between January and December 2022.

     

    According to Bashir, the economic saboteurs were also denied of 513,350 litres of Kerosene in 2023 alone.

     

    He further said that 351 illegal refining sites, 630 storage tanks and 315 wooden boats were deactivated within the same period.

    He said that 78 suspects, 35 vessels and 13 trucks were arrested between January and December 2023.

     

    While commending the Navy for the feat, he said that more action was needed to reduce the activities of oil thieves to the barest level.

     

    “The aforementioned achievements and others were possible because most operational level commanders displayed sterling personal qualities, such as diligence, commitment, courage, knowledge, foresight, ability to take risks, ability to delegate authority and respect for subordinates, among others,” he said.

     

    Bashir also commended the Navy for delisting the country from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) list of High Risk Countries.

     

    “For so many years, Nigeria’s Maritime area was plagued by piracy with the area regarded as a High Risk Area, alongside the gulf of Aden and other notorious areas by the IMO.

     

    “It is noteworthy to say that the Flag Officer Commanding of the operational commands doubled his efforts by being proactive.

     

    “They invested more in intelligence and collaborating with other stakeholders, which led to the coordinated and sustained operations in their individual area of responsibilities with occasional overlaps.

     

    “Many of the pirates were arrested ashore, either while planning their operations or when they returned after operations,” he said.

     

    Bashir called for the optimisation of the operational level of Naval Warfare Training for the service to produce professional officers that would adequately translate strategic directives into precise tactical actions.

     

    “The officers will also be apolitical and more responsive to national security priorities.

     

    “They will be more efficient in the alignment and use of resources, uphold the law and respect human rights, thereby earning public trust, respect and confidence,” Bashir said.

  • Internet fraudster Bags three months for defrauding Interswitch Ltd

    Internet fraudster Bags three months for defrauding Interswitch Ltd

     

    Flowerbudnews

    An internet fraudster, Oluwafemi Ogunleye, has been convicted band sentenced b to three month imprisonment following a plea bargain agreement to refund part of the Interswitch Ltd’s stolen funds to the tune of N3 billion.

    He was sentenced on Tuesday by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High in Abuja,  who entered the ruling in terms of the plea bargain, however, ordered the convict to be put in custody for three months begining from Feb. 5.

    Justice Ekwo also directed that Ogunleye shall not be released from custody after the period until the payment of N1 million.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that item eight of the amended plea bargain agreement entered by the convict and the police gave Ogunleye an option of fine not exceeding N1 million after a sentence which would not be more than one year.
    In the amended plea bargain agreement dated and filed on Feb. 2, the convict agreed to opt for a guilty plea to the two-count charge and forfeit to Interswitch Ltd a Toyota Corolla 2014 Model with Reg No. BWR969BH and about N1, 745, 349, 105. 34 credit balance domiciled in some banks which include Keystone Bank, FCMB, GTBank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, Globus Bank and ECO bank.
    Ogunleye equally agreed to forfeit to Interswitch Ltd all property acquired with the proceeds of the crime including a two number of shops located in Kuje Shopping Complex.
    Others are a fully detached duplex with boys quarters and pool located at km.20 Lekki/Epe Expressway, Ikota Village, Eti-osa LGA, Lagos (particularly known as unit 3 Premium Garden City Phase 2, Farmvilla Estate, along Chevron Alternative Route, Ikota Village, Eti-Osa LGA in Lagos.)
    Besides, he agreed to forfeit any other property or asset acquired with the proceeds of the crimes, subsequently discovered by investigation even after the plea bargain.
    NAN reports that in count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/596/2023 filed on Dec. 22, 2023, Ogunleye was alleged to have sometimes in June 2023 in Abuja with intent to defraud, used access devices to obtain about the sum of N3,033,499,582.00 from the Interswitch Limited Platform.
    He was alleged to have done this through his Globus Bank Account Number: 1000207213; First Bank with Account Number: 3196979455; Keystone Bank Account Numbers: 1013112045 & 6035564094; UBA Bank with Account Number: 2022405274; PAGA TECH Account Number: 2843063099 and Zenith Bank Account Number: 2380598887.
    Other banks used include Vale Finance Ltd Account Number: 2000328734; Good News Micro Finance Bank Account Number: 0111093378; FCMB Bank with Account Number: 2741586015; Branch International Financial Services Ltd Account Numbers: 3214072289.
    The offence contravened the provisions of Section 33(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015. /Flowerbudnews

  • NEPZA Boss Charges  FTZs’ Operators, Enterprises to Increase Production for Exports to Justify Govt. incentives

    NEPZA Boss Charges  FTZs’ Operators, Enterprises to Increase Production for Exports to Justify Govt. incentives

     

    By Biola Lawal
    Abuja (Flowerbudnews): The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) says Free Trade Zones Management Companies and enterprises operating within free zones must henceforth increase their production volumes for exports to justify the granted government incentives and waivers.

    Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, NEPZA’s Managing Director gave the directive after rounding-off his maiden inspection tours of some Free Trade Zones in Calabar and Lagos, Martins Odeh (Ph.D), Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, disclosed in a statement made available to Flowerbudnews on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Ogunyemi, also Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, said that it was high time the scheme was used to attain balance of trade for the country.

    According to him, the Authority is more than ever prepared to upscale its monitoring and supervision to ensure that the 52 Free Trade Zones along with the over 600 licensed enterprises are supported to boost the economy significantly.

    “The Federal Government is on the verge of auditing the contribution of the scheme to the economy. The time has come for all the Free Trade Zone Management Companies and their enterprises to justify government’s incentives and waivers.

    “Let me therefore urge free trade zones’ owners and enterprises to revert to the original reasons while they were granted licences to operate in these highly incentivized business environments which includes but not limited to high volume exports; employment generation; skills transfer; and foreign exchange earnings.

    “The Authority is currently intervening in all areas of concerns preventing enterprises within the zones from attaining economies of scale in their production lines.

    “We will also continue to ensure that the country’s interest still remain the fulcrum that drives the scheme,’’ Dr Ogunyemi said.

    The locations so far visited by the managing director included the Calabar FTZ; Ogun-Guandong; Lagos FZ; Lekki Free Port; Dangote Refinery; Alaro City; Lekki; Eko Atlantic, Quit; NAHCO; Sky-Sheff; Caverton; ASL; as well as PAC. (Flowerbudnews)

  • Time for Atiku to be more decorous and truthful in national discourse-IMPI

    Time for Atiku to be more decorous and truthful in national discourse-IMPI

     

    By Danladi Ahmed
    Abuja (Flowerbudnews): The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent interventions in the public space as grudge statements targeted at demonizing President Bola Tinubu’s policies through deceptive generalisations.

    It said in a policy document signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju that all the press statements issued by the former Presidential candidate in the last few days show an uncharacteristic poor understanding of issues by an individual who was once a Vice President.

    The group said it came to that conclusion after a careful analysis of Atiku’s recent public statements on President Tinubu’s policy deployments.

    “In one of the statements, Waziri Abubakar sought an explanation on the conditions precedent to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) securing a $3.3billion loan from the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), and had gone ahead to make irreverent and common place imputations and conclusions that we considered as belittling his station.

    “The second statement queried why the President directed the NNPCL to commence payment of crude oil receipts to the federation account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). We find this rather perplexing knowing that Waziri Abubakar had once occupied the second highest office in the land and thus, should understand the basic nuances of corporate power structure and decision-making process. We also find it perplexing as Atiku in his rejected “Covenant with Nigerians”, supported “transparency and accountability in the operation of NNPC Limited and associated enterprises”.

    “The NNPCL had come to the public space to clarify the fact that in compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act that set it up, decided to collaborate with the CBN as its revenue receiving authority and there are indeed enough provisions of the Act to back its position.

    “To our minds, a neophyte business administrator will know that a company’s board of directors has proprietary right over the company and, by extension, its management.

    “Such decision can be made at the level of the board of directors without much ceremony especially in consideration of the fact that the CBN is the federal government’s banker. We wonder which bank can better receive NNPCL’s revenue than the CBN? The Waziri is apparently intentional about mudslinging in this circumstance.

    “The third in the series of the grudge statements poignantly accused President Tinubu of policy deployments misbehaviour. We find that rather pedantic,” it added.

    The policy group also compared the first full year of Atiku’s tenure as Vice President, during which he headed the Obasanjo economic team, with the first eight months of President Tinubu.

    “In 1999 when Waziri Abubakar was sworn into office as Vice President and supposed head of the economic team, inflation rate was 6.9 percent but by 2000, that is a year after, it had risen to 17.8 percent. That was about 11 percent increase. We noted that there was no policy on fuel subsidy removal at this time that could have possibly triggered this rapid increase in inflation rate.

    “We contrasted this to the 22.41 percent inflation figure in May 2023 when President Tinubu was sworn-in. The latest inflation figure is for December 2023 with the figure stated at 28.92 percent showing about 6 percent increase.

    “This is despite the twin policies of subsidy removal, the floating of the Naira and the large population the current administration has had to manage.

    “In addition, Waziri Abubakar had the added advantage of higher revenue to spend to ameliorate the economic conditions of Nigerians in that year, with earned revenue from mostly crude oil up to $15.81billion but obviously did not reflect in the inflation figure of that year.

    “In contrast, the President Tinubu-led administration has not generated up to $4billion from crude oil sales from June 2023 to January 2024, yet the administration has been managing the fall outs of the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the Naira against the background of a large population.

    “While we do not contend that this is an exhaustive leadership comparative analysis template, it, however, enabled us to have a snapshot, in time, about the managerial and policy making skills of the two personalities at issue here.

    “Our conclusion is that Waziri Atiku Abubakar under-performed in office despite the resources available to him to manage. And that he lacks the capacity to manage a resource-shortfall economy.

    IPMI argued that for a man who always seek to make himself look good in the public domain, Atiku still has too many questions to answer about his time in government from government.

    “Among these is the lingering allegation that Waziri Abubakar provided the $20 million to secure Globacom telecommunication license in August, 2002 and that he has a front representing his shareholding interest in the company.

    “This is more galling when considered against the background of the fight between him and Obasanjo, his boss, over who will take control of the national telecommunications company, NITEL. After much rigmaroles, the two leaders left the company commercially asphyxiated without any value left in it.

    “It is today a shadow of its old self with implications for national development. We find this conduct inappropriate and a shameful exhibition of conflict of interest for the man who was the chief superintendent of the sale of national assets.

    “Under the same privatisation exercise that Waziri Abubakar supervised, the Kaduna refinery was concessioned to a consortium of companies, the Blue Star. The allegation still subsists concerning the consortium’s claim that it paid $250million for the purchase of the refinery through the National Council on Privatisation (NCP). The CBN Governor at that time declared that the money never got into the federation account.

    “There was also a report of the Nigerian Senate in 2007 accusing Abubakar of diverting $145 million from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to private companies.”

    IMPI said it expects the former Vice President to be more decorous and truthful in his approach to national issues even as a member of the opposition. (Flowerbudnews)