Europe Can Look To Africa As Preferred Gas Supplier

Europe Can Look To Africa As Preferred Gas Supplier

With recent sanctions on Russia by western nations threatening the critical supply of Russian gas to European markets, an opportunity has emerged for African gas producers to step up, enhancing hydrocarbon production and exports to meet international supply gaps. Significant progress has already been made to establish Africa as a viable gas export market, and now, with geopolitical tensions rising, Africa should focus on establishing itself as the preferred supplier to international markets.

The withdrawal and disruption of supply channels from Russia, as the second largest gas producer globally and the biggest supplier of natural gas to Europe, will not only send Europe into a deeper energy crisis, but will cause price hikes globally. However, this represents a golden opportunity for Africa. On February 22, 2022, member states of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) met in Doha, Qatar to discuss the impact of the mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine and its impact on the global gas market. In the Doha Declaration – issued after the meeting concluded – parties emphasized that despite their commitment to increasing gas production to meet growing energy demand globally, they do not have the capacity to help Europe replace 40% of its energy consumption in the event Russia cuts supply. These commitments will not only be critical for Europe’s energy crisis but for Africa’s sectoral expansion.

In an exclusive interview with the AEC this month, H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons, said: “Infrastructure is going to be critical. Investors in Europe may be selling solutions to be able to put as many terminals as possible, which will allow us to export gas to them. That is what we need in order to be competitive in gas.”

African producers can take advantage of the outcome to attract investments required to build infrastructure that would enable them to expand exploration, production and exportation to meet the anticipated increase in demand in Europe.

Investors in Europe may be selling solutions to be able to put as many terminals as possible, which will allow us to export gas to them

“The ongoing European energy trilemma and challenges provides a golden opportunity for African gas producers to develop a robust, bankable gas strategy to cater for motherland Africa and our European friends energy demand. I believe Africa can leverage current trends to attract much needed investment to develop the infrastructure needed to accelerate production for regional consumption and exportation. The time to act on the Trans Africa Gas plan is NOW.” states Abdur-Rasheed Tunde Omidiya, President of the AEC Nigeria and West Africa

Already, African countries have started ramping up production. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) – in its Q1 2022 Outlook – predicts Nigeria to increase gas production from 2016 of about 1,550 billion cubic feet to up to 1,780 billion cubic feet in 2022. These production increases will enable Nigeria to increase domestic capacity, ensuring energy security both domestically and continentally, while creating the opportunity to scale-up exports to European markets.

Other African producers such as Algeria and Niger, who together with Nigeria, recently signed the Declaration of Niamey during the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) Mining and Petroleum Forum (ECOMOF) – paving the way for the construction of the multi-billion, 4,128km Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which will run through the three countries into Europe – now have an opportunity to attract funding for the project rollout and expand their production and exportation capabilities to Europe. Once completed, the pipeline is expected to transport 30 billion cubic meters of gas per annum which Europe will desperately need to meet demand.

Algeria’s proximity to the European market makes the North African country of strategic importance as a potential gas supplier for Europe. Algeria, the world’s sixth largest gas exporter and the largest gas producer in Africa, has already expressed its plan to double exploration and production in the next five years. In 2021, Algeria increased its export volumes to Europe to 53Bcm from 40 Bcm in 2020 and is estimated to export 46 Bcm or more in 2022 as demand in Europe is expected to continue rising.

At the same time, Equatorial Guinea, with over 1.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, which remains untapped, can also take advantage of the anticipated European gas crisis to attract more investment for its natural gas market growth and development.

African gas producers need to improve policy planning and enactment, and deal with negotiation to make themselves attractive markets to partner with. AEC’s annual summit African Energy Week (AEW) set to take place from 18 to 21 October 2022, will unite investors, regulatory authorities, oil and gas companies and oil and gas industry players under one roof in Cape Town, South Africa to discuss best practices and for signing of deals.

AEW 2022 provides the most suitable platform for real discussions on Africa’s energy future and its role on the global landscape. AEW 2022 will host panel discussions on topics such as exploration and production in a reduced capital expenditure climate, the role regional and international energy networks play in energy security globally, and the importance of enabling environments

NCC to Strengthen AOL Administration

NCC to Strengthen AOL Administration

…Set to deploy Revenue Assurance Solutions

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is unwavering in its commitment to deploy a Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) in the telecommunication sector to ensure a more robust Annual Operating Levy (AOL) administration in the telecom industry.

This subject matter was the focus of an industry stakeholder consultative engagement organized by the Commission at its Head Office in Abuja on Friday, February 25, 2022, which is in congruence with the NCC’s renowned commitment to inclusive participation and consultative stakeholder engagement as part of its regulatory practice.

The RAS application is designed to ensure a linkage with licensed telecommunications operators’ systems and will have the capability of capturing and reporting in near real-time, billing activities by the operators for the purposes, amongst others, of computing and assuring with minimal margin of error, the accruable AOL to NCC from the licensees. When deployed, the NCC RAS will bring significant solutions to the industry’s challenges, including a more effective and enhanced monitoring and regulation of the licensed telecommunications operators.

Speaking at the event, which was well attended by representatives of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Licensees of the Value Added Service chain, officials of the Commission and other industry stakeholders, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said AOL remains the bedrock of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment.

Danbatta said the event was organized to sensitize industry stakeholders through a conversation on the Commission’s plan to deploy RAS that will instill greater transparency and increased accuracy in the administration of AOL in the sector, as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.

According to the EVC, since the NCA 2003 came into force and pursuant to Section 72 of the Act, various efforts have been made by the Commission towards achieving an effective AOL administration, including the development of AOL Regulations 2014, which is being reviewed.

He said the Commission believes that the deployment of appropriate RAS would enhance monitoring and regulatory activities around AOL administration and confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.

In a contextual recall, Danbatta stated that the need to deploy the most appropriate Revenue Assurance Systems in the Nigerian telecommunications industry began since 2015 when Commission published an invitation to bid for the services, in which 3R Company Nigeria Limited emerged the preferred bidder. The EVC informed that during the bid process, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), indicated a ‘no objection’ to the process.

“However, it was reasoned thereafter, that due to the scope of the project, the solution would be more appropriately procured under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. This led to the invitation of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to guide the process, as mandated by its regulations. Following this, the Commission set up a Project Delivery Team (PDT), which worked with a consortium of legal advisers, financial modelers and PPP experts under the guidance of ICRC, and took the appropriate steps required under the ICRC Regulations 2005,” he said.
He said part of the process included a proper due diligence of the preferred partner, which received a clean bill of health from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) while the Commission also subjected the software and hardware components of the proposed RAS to the certification of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The EVC stated further that the Commission recorded a major feat in December 17, 2021, as the transaction received the Certificate of Compliance from the ICRC in line with the Provisions of the ICRC Act 2005. “Thus, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) graciously presented the NCC RAS project to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting on January 26, 2022, where the final approval was given for the implementation of the solution,” he said.

Underscoring the EVC’s position, the Head, Special Duties, Reuben Muoka, stated that the industry has been waiting for the RAS from the Commission. He also signaled that this current regulatory intervention will bring about a multiplier effect on the economy, local content and several other sectors in the Nigerian economy.

Speaking in the same vein, Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, stated that the approval of the RAS project by the FEC is a major success in finding a transparent process for an independent assessment, validation and completeness of the Annual Operating Levy (AOL).  

Ogoh said the solution has the capability to limit the loss of revenue due to faulty billings, inaccurate or incomplete data and information from service providers, redundantly provided services and frauds. “It will enable the resolution of inconsistencies in billings for services provided by licensed service providers to their subscribers as well as AOL bills from NCC to service providers, resulting in optimum efficiency and accuracy. The RAS would enable the Commission to validate the information, records and data that are supplied to the Commission by the licensees,” Ogoh emphasised.

Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts pushing anti-Ukraine propaganda

Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts pushing anti-Ukraine propaganda

Facebook and Twitter removed two anti-Ukrainian “covert influence operations” over the weekend, one tied to Russia and another with connections to Belarus, the companies said.

One of the operations, a propaganda campaign featuring a website pushing anti-Ukraine talking points, was an offshoot of a known Russian disinformation operation. A Facebook spokesperson said it used computer-generated faces to bolster the credibility of fake columnists across several platforms, including Instagram.

The other campaign used hacked accounts to push similar anti-Ukraine propaganda and was tied to a known Belarusian hacking group.

Disinformation experts warned that Russia is expected to continue to try to manipulate narratives about Ukraine — most notably around the claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The networks that were removed by Facebook and Twitter pushed narratives that Putin himself mentioned in his speech announcing a military operation, which has since turned into a large-scale invasion.

The announcement also demonstrates that Russia continues to use disinformation strategies first identified years ago around the 2016 election, albeit with some advancements — most notably the use of software that can create realistic and original human faces.

The larger of the two disinformation groups operated in Russia, as well as the Russian-dominated Donbas and Crimea regions of Ukraine, said Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta’s head of security policy, and it is tied to the websites News Front and South Front, which the U.S. government has designated as part of a broader disinformation effort that had connections to Russian intelligence. (Meta is the parent company of Facebook.)

‘These actors are trying to undermine trust in the Ukrainian government’

Gleicher said in an interview that the propaganda campaign was able to “seed stories across the internet that Ukraine isn’t doing well” by “pretending to be journalists based in Kyiv.”

“The good news is that neither of these campaigns have been that effective, but we do see these actors trying to target Ukraine at this point,” he said.

“These actors are trying to undermine trust in the Ukrainian government, suggest that it’s a failed state, suggest that the war is going very poorly in Ukraine or trying to praise Russia.”

Facebook removed profiles related to News Front and South Front in 2020, and the company confirmed to NBC News that the new group shared connections to the accounts that were previously banned. Both websites have pushed misleading articles, questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election and the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines. The State Department identified the websites as Russian disinformation outlets in a 2020 report.

The websites featured articles pushing Russian talking points like “Zelensky is building a neo-Nazi dictatorship in Ukraine” and “Why Ukraine will only get worse.” As of Sunday night, the sites still featured the biographies and computer-generated faces of the columnists and linked out to their accounts on VKontakte, Russia’s Facebook competitor.

Facebook said it took down 40 profiles tied to the disinformation operation, saying the profiles were a small part of a larger persona-building operation that spread across Twitter, Instagram, Telegram and Russian social networks.

Accounts tied to the websites were still active on Telegram, the Russian social networks and YouTube on Sunday night. YouTube declined to comment.

Twitter said it banned more than a dozen accounts tied to the News Front and South Front Russian operation, which were pushing links to a new propaganda site called Ukraine Today.

“On Feb. 27, we permanently suspended more than a dozen accounts and blocked sharing of several links in violation of our platform manipulation and spam policy. Our investigation is ongoing; however, our initial findings indicate that the accounts and links originated in Russia and were attempting to disrupt the public conversation around the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement.

Hackers target journalists, military personnel and local public officials in Ukraine

Facebook said it took down a separate multipronged disinformation operation by a known hacking group based out of Belarus that targeted Ukrainians. The company said it hacked social media accounts to use them to spread pro-Russian propaganda.

The hackers targeted journalists, military personnel and local public officials in Ukraine, using compromised email accounts and passwords to log into their Facebook profiles. The hacked accounts would then post a video of what they said was a Ukrainian waving a white flag of surrender.

Facebook attributed the efforts to the hacking group Ghostwriter, which previously used hacked accounts to push disinformation that favored the Belarus government. The Ghostwriter hacking group works for the Belarus government, according to the cybersecurity firm Mandiant.

As for who will be targeted next, Renée DiResta, the research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, said it is “unlikely” to be U.S. users.

“What you would see would most likely be coming out of either existing real influencers who are part of that sphere of influence that Russia has established already or media properties,” she said. “It does take some time to spin up a network of fake accounts.”

BEN COLLINS AND JO LING KENT

MICROSOFT AFRICA DEVELOPMENT CENTER (ADC) CONNECTS DEVELOPERS THROUGH ITS USER GROUP SERIES, AZURE DEVELOPERS CONNECT

MICROSOFT AFRICA DEVELOPMENT CENTER (ADC) CONNECTS DEVELOPERS THROUGH ITS USER GROUP SERIES, AZURE DEVELOPERS CONNECT

Microsoft Africa Development Center, the premier engineering center for Microsoft is organizing a free virtual event as part of its ADC’s user group series themed Azure Developers Connect for Developers and Software Engineers in Africa scheduled to hold on the 24th of February, 2022.

The event which would be held virtually is targeted at Azure user groups & communities, developers, engineers, working professionals; Tech communities in West Africa and Kenya in a bid to expose them to the many capabilities of Azure for building next-gen apps and driving global transformation as a developer or software engineer in Africa.

Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of cloud services such as computing, analytics, networking, and storage. Microsoft Azure helps developers and software engineers to develop new applications or even upscale existing applications with its various cloud services. The public cloud computing platform is flexible and open which makes it globally recognized to developers and software engineers due to reliability.

Developers and software engineers would enjoy practical sessions with Top Azure experts, as well as get insights into existing cloud features, they never knew were in existence. Speakers at the event will include Scott Hunter (VP DIR Program Management, Azure Applications, Microsoft) Matt Soucoup (Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft) Donald Okafor (Principal Software Engineering lead, Microsoft ADC) Kehinde Ladipo (Software engineer, Microsoft ADC) and other Microsoft ADC software Engineers. The event would also serve as a great way for developers and software engineers to network with other Azure professionals in the field.

Developers and Software Engineers in Africa can book their seat by registering with the link https://aka.ms/AzureDevelopersConnect to get an in-depth knowledge about exploring the Microsoft Azure Platform and its existing features whilst they prepare to build next-gen apps that would drive global transformations.

 _ _ _ _ _

Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC) represents Microsoft’s first-ever engineering offices in Africa, with locations in Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria. These centers were created by Microsoft to serve as a base for African industry leaders to create local solutions with global scalability as well as provide employment opportunities and further enhance technological innovations in the continent of Africa.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. For more information, news and insights from Microsoft, please visit Microsoft’s news center at http://news.microsoft.com and or Middle East & Africa News Center (microsoft.com)

Wragby Receives ISO 27001 Certification

Wragby Receives ISO 27001 Certification

Wragby Business Solutions & Technologies Limited, a leading technology company based in Lekki, Lagos has this month been awarded ISO 27001 certification, an internationally recognized standard that ensures the company products and services meet the needs of customers through an effective quality management system.

Wragby Business Solutions & Technologies Limited’s decision to assiduously work towards ISO 27001 accreditation demonstrates the company’s commitment to continually improving products and services. To become ISO/IEC 27001:2013 compliant, Wragby team underwent an extensive company-wide audit that included quality management system development, a management system documentation review, pre-audit, initial assessment, and clearance of non-conformances.

27001 ISO certified logo, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information security management Certification International Organization for Standardization, Agency Publisher, text, logo png | PNGEgg

ISO certification is one of the most rigorous and well-regarded international standards in the world. The Wragby team were audited by PECB and were presented with their certificate in February 2022.

Having evolved into a product company, gaining ISO/IEC 27001:2013 reinforces Wragby’s relentless focus on creating industry-leading products and services, measured against global benchmarks of industry excellence.

In a statement by Wragby Business Solutions & Technologies Limited’s Chief Digital Officer, Akin Ayodele: “Achieving ISO 27001 certification is great news and means our customers have complete assurance our products operate to the highest quality standard…”

“Achieving the ISO 27001 certification is a laudable attainment for us as an organization. It is simply a way to show our stakeholders (including our customers), that we take Information Security seriously while providing the assurance that Our Operations, Services and Solutions are delivered to the highest standards of Cyber Security and can scale globally”

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Dr. STEPHEN AKINTAYO accepted into Forbes Business Council

Dr. STEPHEN AKINTAYO accepted into Forbes Business Council

Forbes Business Council Is an Invitation-Only Community for Successful Business Owners and Leaders

Dr. Stephen Akintayo, Africa’s most Influential Financial Coach and the CEO/MD of Gtext Global, has been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.

Dr. Stephen Akintayo was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Stephen into the community,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.”

As an accepted member of the Council, Dr. Stephen has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum and at members-only events. Dr. Stephen will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.

Finally, Dr. Stephen Akintayo will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.

“I’m so excited about this new feat and I’m hoping to meet thought leaders in my industry and other industries, learn from their expertise and experience, and collaborate in every way possible to influence my audience.

Building a great network has always been a goal I pursue every year and I know being on this council will help to foster this desire.

I believe strongly that having a platform like Forbes to share my thoughts will also help to expand the reach of my business, create new opportunities for collaboration and networking.

I look forward to having a great time here. Thank you.”

-Dr. Stephen Akintayo

ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license

MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license

Provisional winners of the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum licence, MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license to the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, officially confirmed the payment status today, February 24, 2022, just as the deadline set for the two winners of the spectrum auction elapsed.

As part of the auction process emplaced by the Commission in the Information Memorandum (IM), three companies, namely MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications Ltd and Airtel Networks Ltd submitted bids with an initial bid deposit (IBD) of $19.74 million, representing 10 per cent of the Reserve Price of the 3.5GHz Spectrum by the close of the Bid submission date of November 29, 2021.

Following the successful auction on December 13, 2021 and the emergence of MTN and Mafab as winners, they were required to pay the balance of the bid amount of $253.86 million on or before February 24, 2022.

However, aside the $273.6 million payment, MTN paid additional $15.9 million, being the bidding sum it offered at the assignment state of the spectrum auction, making it clinch its preferred Lot 1 (3500-3600 Megahertz-MHz) in the 3.5Ghz spectrum; while, Mafab Communications, which bided lower at the assignment stage, consequentially settled with Lot 2 (3700-3800Mhz) at no extra cost.

Confirming the payments by the two licensees, Danbatta said: “I wish to officially announce that NCC has received and confirmed payments from MTN and Mafab for their acquisition of 1 slot of 100Mhz each in the 3.5Ghz spectrum auction, which was successfully conducted by the Commission on December 13, 2021. They both met the deadline of February 24, 2022 as set by the Commission”.

“Arising from this and on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Board and Management of the NCC, I wish to congratulate the MTN and Mafab for this feat, as we look forward to accomplishing other deployment timelines in the 5G deployment roadmap, as articulated in the National Policy on 5G Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy”, Danbatta stated.

For meeting the payment deadline, Danbatta has commended the two companies for their commitment to 5G deployment drive through their private investments, which he said, was a demonstration of the licensees’ belief in the sound regulatory environment in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.

Danbatta also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support and commitment to the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria which, he said, will bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities to communications services in Nigeria.

The Commission published a Public Notice on its decision to award two lots of 100MHz Time Division Duplex (TDD) available in the 3.5 GHz band through an auction process, to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services for the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.

Subsequently, an Information Memorandum (IM) was issued on November 10, 2021, in which Bid Applications for the available spectrum lots were invited. By the deadline for receipt of applications on November 29, 2021, the Commission received applications from three licensed telecommunications companies, namely: Airtel Networks Limited, Mafab Communications Limited, and MTN Communications Nigeria Plc.

The Auction held successfully on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja with the three bidders competing for the available two lots in which the Commission adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format that ended after Round 11, and proceeded to the Assignment Stage.

In the auction, MTN and Mafab emerged provisional licence winners and arising from this, the winning bid price for the auction was put at $273.6 million for each lot of 100 MHz TDD. The Provisional licence winners were then directed to pay the Winning Bid Price less the Intention-to-Bid Deposit, by February 24, 2022.

Industry stakeholders and observers have commended the Commission for the auction process, described as efficient, fair, well-organised and transparent; as well as designed to deliver the ideal outcome which saw the strongest bidders emerge as winners, raising a substantial amount for the Federal Government and setting the stage for the next phase in Nigeria’s 5G roadmap.

OUTCOME OF PDP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES WILL SHOCK MANY-WIKE:

OUTCOME OF PDP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES WILL SHOCK MANY-WIKE:

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries will astound Nigerians.

He said whoever that emerges of all the aspirants should be rest assured that the entire party will rally round and make sure that he wins the 2023 presidential election.

Governor Wike, while speaking in Port Harcourt on Sunday, said comment by former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar that he will always clinch the party could amount to taking convention delegates for granted.

“I didn’t expect him frankly speaking to say that he will always take the ticket of the party. That is going too far and taking the delegates for granted.”

Governor Wike said he is committed to do anything that will ensure PDP returns to power in 2023, and begin once again the process of rebuilding the nation after years of All Progressives Congress’ (APC) poor governance.

The Rivers State governor, who urged PDP members to resist making divisive utterances, declared that the outcome of the party’s presidential election will shock many.

“People should watch, there will be shock as far as PDP convention is concern. People should watch what is going to happen. People like to underrate so many persons and it is not good in politics.”

Speaking on the timetable just released by the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC) timetable over the weekend, Governor Wike expressed confidence that the National Executive Committee (NWC) of the PDP will ensure the party abides by the timetable.

“We are law abiding party. The party will soon meet, the NEC will meet and find the way forward on how we will put our house in order and make sure we religiously follow the timetable of INEC without violating any provision of the law and guidelines that INEC may have produced.”

Governor Wike commended PDP leadership in Plateau, Cross River and Ondo State for the sterling performance of the party in Saturday’s bye election.

He attributed the victory of the PDP in the Jos North/Bassa federal constituency in Plateau State to the recent decision of the former Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC), Senator Jeremiah Useni to set aside their differences and work for the interest of the party.

Governor Wike also lauded the PDP for winning the Akpabuyo State Constituency bye-election in Cross River State, irrespective of the violence unleashed by the APC government in the State.

He further commended the former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and other leaders of the party for the impressive performance of the party in Saturday’s bye election. According to him, the prospects of the party in the 2023 general election remains bright.

Governor Wike has meanwhile disclosed that his administration will soon award contract for the construction of two more flyovers in Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State governor explained that as part of his legacy to provide infrastructure that will improve the quality of life of the people and the economy of the state, he will soon award contract for the construction flyovers at Rumuokwuta junction and Location junction along NTA-Mgbuoba by Ada George road.

The two additional flyovers will be the twelfth to be awarded by Governor Wike’s administration since 2019. Already, six have been completed and currently in use, the rest are at advance stages of completion.

Kelvin Ebiri

Special Assistant Media to the Rivers State Governor.

THE UNKNOWN GONEMEN OF CHRISTMAS

THE UNKNOWN GONEMEN OF CHRISTMAS

Gonemen? Typographic error? Is it not meant to be “Gunmen”? It is no typographic error! Yet, my gonemen has something to do with the gunmen. Did you not notice that the gunmen where gone on Christmas? What transformed the gunmen to gonemen on Christmas?

When a person indiscriminately throws stones into the market his mother daily trades in, whatever day he doesn’t throw stones, it cannot be said that it was love for his mother that restrained him. The gunmen would have achieved the greatest kill during Christmas, how come that at their greatest opportune moment they were nowhere to be found?

The method of the gunmen has been indiscriminate killing; so, we cannot give their temporary ceasefire to sympathy for us. They appear to target those who appear well-to-do; fresh-looking folks, riding beautiful cars. The Christmas had so much of their quarry, yet they were missing in action… at a time it would have been thought they would register their greatest wrath. So, what made the gunmen gonemen?

Many have theorised about the origin and motivation of the gunmen. One of such theories fingers aggrieved Igbo youths who have suffered greatly -at times, paying the ultimate price- from the Nigerian state for just asking for a referendum to determine if the Igbo would stay on in Nigeria. For those who believe this, the unknown gunmen are young men (and maybe women) who have seen their friends and relatives brutally murdered for merely partaking in marches. So, theirs is simply retribution hour.

The problem with such thinking is the target of these unknown gunmen. They are just like a person who throws stones indiscriminately into a market. In fact, theirs may really not be completely indiscriminate as they attack people who seem to be affluent. Riding a good car, and looking fresh on top of it, is all you need to incur the wrath of the unknown gunmen. This very qualification describes a lot, if not the bulk, of the financial supporters of the Biafran movement -especially those who live abroad. Therefore, any theory becomes very questionable that gives this random killings -targeting folks whose description fits snugly into that of lots of Biafra financial supporters- to wrath from aggrieved Biafra agitators.

When you shoot a man riding an SUV, what makes you think he is not the chairman of the Biafra movement in Thailand? When you shoot another whose skin is so fresh, what makes you think she is not the one who led the protest in Switzerland to call attention to the Biafra question? Truth is that the randomness of the method of the unknown gunmen makes the theory that they are aggrieved Biafra agitators very questionable. I cannot because someone injured my brother, then I go to a market my family members trade in and open fire randomly… e no make sense at all, at all!

That these unknown gunmen took some holidays on Christmas to become gonemen accentuates my suspicion that they are not likely who some theorise they are. The randomness of their killings shout to the fact that it is not sympathy for us that made them take a break. Anyone who can give answers to why the gunmen became gonemen on Christmas may have provided clue to who the gunmen are.

My own thinking on why the gunmen disappeared during Christmas is that the Christmas environment in the southeast, by several multiples, makes escape difficult. The southeast population at Christmas periods makes the southeast very congested. Many roads during that period experience gridlocks; even the villages brim with people and human activity. Such an atmosphere reduces the chances of quick escapes and increases the chance of being caught.

If my postulations are right, then the gunmen have real concerns of being caught. This means that their attacks are no attacks of military-like confrontations where the actors have chosen death if their cause demands it. These are folks who really hope to make escapes, slip into the society and live like everyone else. No one will undertake such risky ventures as theirs, with hopes of surviving, who is not doing it for material gain; theirs is no different from the undertaking of the armed robber and kidnapper who hope to survive their criminal adventures and enjoy the proceeds from with. However, they differ from the armed robber and kidnapper in that these afore mentioned are visibly going for their material gain. We are left to conclude that the unknown gunmen’s material gain is supplied outside their direct activities. Simple, they have sponsors they work for! Theirs is paid activity!

So, more than the gunmen themselves, the last thing their sponsors would want is exposure; and that can happen when the unknown gunmen are caught… not just by law enforcement agents, but by the people themselves. Christmas becomes a very inauspicious and terrible time to operate; any unknown gunman polluting the fraternity of that period, who is unfortunate to be caught, will surely not be spared. So, the unknown gunmen and their sponsors suddenly become unknown gonemen.

What this tells us is that whatever will lead to the exposure of who these guys (and their sponsors) are, will automatically see the phenomenon of the unknown gunmen disappear from the southeast. Technology can come in handy here; especially anything with cameras. Routes that have become notorious for the activities of the unknown gunmen should have drones that are fitted with artificial intelligence, that can be attracted to scenes of gunshots, helping out; all such drones need to do is to trail the gunmen to wherever their hideouts are.

It is better for the government of the various southeast states to handle such arrangements, because individuals who go out of their way to provide such intelligence might become targets. With accusations in some quarters that some state governments are actually the sponsors of the unknown gunmen, should we give up all hopes? We cannot give up hope! One way or the other, we must set up the necessary structures to rid these soulless ones of that darkness that provides them a false sense on invincibility.

While we fathom how to do that, maybe the southeast may for the moment consider making everyday Christmas so that the unknown gunmen remain unknown gonemen.

Ike Eluigwe

PDP 2023: ATIKU ABUBAKAR LIED.

PDP 2023: ATIKU ABUBAKAR LIED.

I read with dismay the statement credited to former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar where he boasted that he would always get the presidential ticket of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. At a time when the former Vice President should be working towards strengthening the structures of the party for more electoral victories, the only thing that bothers him is all about his selfish aspiration. The party did bye election in Cross River state, we didn’t see Alhaji Atiku Abubakar during the campaigns. There was bye-election in Akure, Ondo state, yet we did not see Alhaji Abubakar there. There was bye-election in Imo state, we didn’t see Alhaji Abubakar at the campaigns. All that matters to him is all about the presidential ticket of the party.

Let me remind the former flagbearer of the PDP, that since formation, he has only represented the party once; in the 2019 presidential contest. So the claim that he had always gotten the ticket of the Party is a big lie. In 2007, when he attempted the ticket of the party, he was shown the exit door. In 2011, he used another party platform to.pursue his ambition. In 2015, yet again, he tried to use the platform of the All Progressives’ Congress, and he was beaten roundly at the Lagos convention. That was the primary election that saw the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the APC. It was only in 2019 that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the candidate of the PDP at the PortHarcourt convention when it was decided by the Southern aspirants to allow an All-Northern aspirants to contest the primary election. So the claim that “I will always get the ticket of the PDP”, flies in the face of logic, fact and reality.

The fact of the matter is that it is the turn of the Southern part of Nigeria to produce the candidate of the PDP in 2023. Anything short of that will amount to usurping the opportunity, position and chance of the Southern axis to produce the party’s candidate. That will be a direct assault on our collective sensibilities. In 2023, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should be thinking of how to support younger Nigerians from the South of the country to pursue the presidential aspiration of the opposition party. Alhaji Atiku has always supported zoning and should not play the ostrich this time because of his selfish aspiration. Power cannot reside in the Northern axis for 16 unbroken years. That will be against the normative order, against justice, fairness and equity.

The opposition PDP must copy from the ruling APC in ceding its ticket to the South as a form of gentleman agreement that will promote peace, unity, cohesion and collective responsibility within the party.

We cannot afford the mistake of 2019 when Alhaji Abubakar abandoned all his foot-soldiers and sought refuge in far away Dubai. A true political General ought to secure his troops and return them to the barracks after the war to carry out critical assessment before knowing the next step. Rather than borrow a leaf from the Ukrainian President, Zelensky, who has been standing by his Ukrainian nationals, to the extent of carry AK-47 to the battle front to secure his country from Russian invasion, Alhaji Abubakar ran away to Dubai and exposed all of us to the threats and intimidation of the monstrous APC in 2019. Such a leader cannot be trusted with the responsibility of representing our aggregate interest in the struggle for 2023. No amount of closed door meetings with former leaders can change the oscillation of the political pendulum in 2023. Except he’s being deceived, no former president would support an Atiku presidency, at a time they all have spoken loudly about fielding younger President in 2023.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should statesmanly subscribe to the mood of the nation by jettisoning the selfish pressure from those hangers-on and political coupon clippers and rentiers. This is the age of new ideas espoused by upwardly mobile and vibrant Nigerian leaders who are ready to enter the forest to chase bandits or carry AK-47 to secure our dear fatherland. Instead of saying youths should compete, he should gloriously pull out and announce his retirement from partisan politics. We want vibrant young leaders like President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who will lead from the front and not those who will run away when they hear the sound of bayonet.

PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA