I am a man of integrity, I didn’t join PDP for selfish reasons—Shekarau
Ibrahim Shekarau, former Governor of Kano State, has defended his latest political move to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former Kano State Governor, who is seen as a strong ally of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP, cleared the air on Thursday on Channels TV Politics Today programme over his decision to decamp from Rabiu Kwankwanso, New Nigeria Peoples Party, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He criticised all those who accused him of not sticking to one party but jumping ship, only looking for political relevance. The Kano State strong man has in the past moved from the All Progressives Congress to the NNPP and now to the PDP within five years, a situation many see as political confusion.
“If it had been my character to do all that because of my personal interests—ask any average man in Kano; the people would not have come along with us if it was something selfish or for personal interests,” Shekarau said.
He added that his objective has always been about building political structures and advancing both political and economic development in the state.
According to him, “Anytime we leave, we have a structure from the unit to the ward, to the local government, to the state.”
“Our politics has been a politics of consultation, very broad consultation. “There was no decision that I could have taken politically without taking a referendum across the states.”
However, the former Education Minister accused the NNPP of being a one-man party and promised to work for the PDP’s success in the 2023 general election.
“The people of Kano trust us,” he said. “I assure you, by God’s grace, that the PDP will win the votes in Kano, if not all but the majority because I know what people want.”
Read also: Police seal off NNPP secretariat in Borno
Customs DG disagrees with NNPC over PMS daily consumption figure
Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service has questioned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) claim of 60 million litres of daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Col. Ali registered his concern when he appeared before the House Committee on Finance for the hearing on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (2023 – 2025).
Col. Ali couldn’t reconcile the difference between the 98 million litres of PMS lifted at the depot and the 60 million litres the NNPC says is consumed daily by Nigerians.
“If the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation puts daily consumption of PMS at 60 million litres, why does it allow 98 million litres to be lifted daily from the depots?” he asked.
The Customs CG also dismissed smuggling of PMS claims by the NNPC as partly responsible for the huge amounts being paid for subsidy.
He dismissed them with vigor, begging for answers to why there was a disparity between what his agency had for PMS consumption and what the NNPC had.
He presented an illustration of why NNPC should be questioned. “That computation, to me, is not believable because, scientifically, you cannot tell me that if I fill my tank today, I will fill my tank tomorrow with the same quantity of fuel. And if I’m running a petrol station today, if I go to Minna depot and lift, and I’m taking to Kaduna, I may reach Kaduna in the evening and offload that product; there’s no way I could have sold that petrol for you to an account that has been expended.
“So how do we get to 60 million every day? If you say this petrol is smuggled, if you release 98 million litres, and then we use 60 million litres, the balance will be 38 million litres. How many trucks will carry 38 million litres everyday? That’s almost 500. Which road are they following? Where are they carrying this thing to?” he questioned.
FAO, Japan to address food insecurity, malnutrition in N/East
In an effort to deal with the rampaging case of food insecurity and hunger in the North East of Nigeria, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Government of Japan, has pledged a joint partnership to deal with this challenge.
The FAO, through David Tsokar, its Communication Specialist, made this known on Thursday in a statement in Abuja.
According to NAN, Tsokar quoted Fred Kafeero, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as saying the result of the latest Cadre Harmonise Analysis led by the Nigerian government indicates worrisome food consumption deficiencies and malnutrition.
He said that the development risks severe food and nutrition insecurity if immediate actions are not taken.
According to Kafeero, intervention programmes would increase the availability and access to fresh and nutritious foods, as well as energy for cooking, in order to improve food security and nutrition and protect vulnerable households.
This initiative, he said, would align itself with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on food security and nutrition, which are also in line with the second pillar of the Yokohoma Declaration of 2019 of deepening sustainable and resilient society.
He said the aim would also boost local production of nutritious foods among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), host communities and returnees, and also support the production and distribution of energy saving stoves.
Adesina commends Japan for its support to African scholarship
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has praised the Japanese government for its assistance in promoting economic growth on the African continent through the Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) program.
Adesina, who commended the Japanese government for its support, made his remarks in a video message during a virtual side event aligned with the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8).
The event had as its theme: “Value of Studying in Japan for Youth in Africa and Acceleration of the Partnership between Africa and Japan”.
The AfDB president acknowledged the impact its bank collaboration with the Japanese government has had on the continent of Africa, especially through the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Grant.
According to NAN, he pledged to complement the initiative with a new one called the “African Education Science, Technology, and Innovation Fund.”
“The fund will serve as a continental co-financing facility to help African countries build innovation-led and knowledge-based economies.
“I would like to request your strong support for the African Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Fund to expand academic learning opportunities for many of Africa’s youth.
“Initiatives, like the Japan Africa Dream Scholarship Programme, are just beginning. Together, we have a unique opportunity to reach millions of young people with education, “he added.
U.S. Fed terminates enforcement action against HSBC
HSBC Holdings Plc was on Thursday sanctioned by the U.S. Federal Reserve over violations of the U.S. anti-money laundering laws.
The London-headquartered bank, which was fined a record $1.92 billion—one of the biggest in US history—was penalised for its involvement in aiding and abetting the money laundering activities of Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. A crime the U.S. Department of Justice called “a stunning failure of oversight.”
In 2012, the bank was accused of being the preferred bank for the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.
The enforcement order ended on Aug. 26, the Fed said in a statement.
HSBC later acknowledged it failed to maintain an effective programme against money laundering and failed to conduct basic due diligence on some of its account holders.
