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Officials of the Community Protection Guard (CPG) in Zamfara State have intercepted a vehicle carrying weapons believed to be for bandits.

Weapons recovered included two AK 47 riffles, an RPG and ammunitions.?A member of the CPG, Salisu Adamu said the guard intercepted the vehicle at Dangulbi community during routine stop and search operations.

‘The weapons were concealed inside a carton loaded with fish. And when we insisted on searching the vehicles, there was initial resistance from the driver’ Adamu said.

The driver of the vehicle, Bashar Mustapha said he loaded passengers and goods from Gusau Park and was heading to Magami but was intercepted at Dangulbi by the CPG who are on routine patrol.

He confirmed that the weapons were found on his vehicle but noted that the items belong to a female passenger who boarded the vehicle from Gusau.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he will retire ‘soon’ and while he admits it will be difficult to bring his glittering career to an end the 40-year-old has been planning for his post-football life for some time.

The Al Nassr striker is the all-time leading goal scorer with 952 goals for club and country combined and said last month he is targeting 1,000 goals before quitting the game.

‘Soon,’ the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said when he was asked when he would hang up his boots.

‘I think I will be prepared. It will be very, very difficult,’ he said on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored. ‘But, I have prepared my future since 25, 26, 27-years-old. I think I will be capable to support that pressure. Nothing will compare to the adrenaline you have to scoring a goal in football.

‘But everything has a beginning and everything has an end. I’m going to have more time for myself, for my family, to raise my kids.’

The former Manchester United forward says he still follows their results, despite bringing an unhappy second spell at the club to an end three years ago.

United endured their worst top-flight finish last season since they were relegated in 1973-74, coming 15th .

‘I’m sad, because the club is one of the most important clubs in the world and a club that I still have in my heart,’ Ronaldo said.

‘They don’t have a structure. I hope that changes in the present and future, because the potential of the club is amazing.

‘They are not on a good path. And it’s not only about the coach and players, in my opinion. He (manager Ruben Amorim) is doing his best. What are you going to do? Miracles are impossible.’

The Senate yesterday passed a bill prescribing up to 14 years imprisonment for lecturers and other educators convicted of s3xually harassing students in tertiary institutions across the country.

The concurrence Bill, titled: ‘S3xual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025 (HB.1597),’ seeks to curb a persistent pattern of exploitation in Nigerian campuses, where students, especially women, are coerced into s3xual relationships in exchange for grades, admission, or other academic favours.

The bill, presented for concurrence by the Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), established clear legal standards to punish offenders and protect students from all forms of s3xual misconduct in schools.

Bamidele, who was represented by his deputy, Oyelola Ashiru, said the legislation aims to ‘promote ethical conduct, preserve the sanctity of the educator-student relationship, and uphold respect for human dignity in academic environments.’

Under the new law, any educator convicted of the offences specified in Clause 4 (1-3) will face imprisonment of between five and 14 years, without an option of a fine.

Those found guilty under Clause 4 (4-6) risk two to five years in jail, also without an option of a fine.

The proposed law also allows victims or their representatives to file civil actions for breach of fiduciary duty, with the standard of proof consistent with civil proceedings.

The offences specified in the Bill include: ‘Demanding or receiving s3xual favours to grant academic benefits;

Making unwelcome s3xual advances or gestures; inducing others to commit harassment; and unwanted physical contact or conduct of a s3xual nature.

The bill stipulates that marriage between the educator and the student is the only valid defence, and that consent cannot be used as a defence where an educator-student relationship exists.

It further provides that s3xual harassment complaints may be lodged by the victim, relatives, guardians, or any concerned party to the Police or Attorney-General, with copies forwarded to the institution’s Independent S3xual Harassment Prohibition Committee.

During debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) urged the Senate to expand the scope of the law to cover workplaces and other sectors, arguing that harassment was not limited to schools.

‘There is no need to restrict s3xual harassment issues to students. We should craft this law in a way that gives it universal application,’ he said.

However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary, explained that the bill was already passed by the House of Representatives and was before the Senate only for concurrence.

He added that existing laws already address harassment in workplace settings.

The bill was thereafter adopted and passed for third reading.

The passage comes amid a series of s3xual harassment scandals reported in universities across Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Nsukka, Kano, Benin and Abuja, which have often gone unpunished due to fear of victimisation, stigma, and opaque internal disciplinary systems.

Rights groups have hailed the move as a significant step toward ending impunity for s3xual abuse in academic institutions and empowering victims to seek justice without fear.

Nigeria’s $2.35 billion Eurobond launched yesterday attracted more than $13 billion subscription, the country’s all-time high global subscription to an offer.

The Federal Government offered two tranches of 10-year and 20-year Eurobonds maturing in 2036 and 2046 to the international capital markets. The issue is made up of $1.25 billion 10-year Eurobond and $1.10 billion 20-year Eurobond.

The transaction attracted a peak orderbook of over $13 billion, marking the largest ever orderbook achieved by the country. A previous $2.2 billion Eurobond issued in 2024 had attracted about $9 billion subscriptions.

The overwhelming show of enthusiasm by the international capital markets for long-term investments in the country enabled the government to close the transactions at lower rates.

The Long 10-year bond and the Long 20-year Notes were priced at coupons of 8.6308 per cent and 9.1297 per cent respectively.

The $2.35 billion Eurobond attracted a wide range of investors from several jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East, amidst strong enthusiasm by Nigerian investors.

The net proceeds from the Eurobond issuance would be used to finance the 2025 fiscal deficit and support the government’s other financing needs.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the huge success recorded by the issue was an expression of continued investor confidence in the country’s sound macro-economic policy framework and prudent fiscal and monetary management.

He said: ‘We are delighted by the strong investor confidence demonstrated in our country and our reform agenda. This development reaffirms Nigeria’s position as a recognised and credible participant in the global capital market’.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the record subscription was an indication of the global confidence in the country’s macroeconomic outlook.

‘This successful market access demonstrates the international community’s continued confidence in Nigeria’s reform trajectory and our commitment to sustainable, inclusive growth,’ Edun said.

Director General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, said the issuance attracted demand from a combination of fund managers, insurance and pension funds, hedge funds, banks and other financial institutions, underlining the country’s strong support base across geography and investor class.

She said: ‘Nigeria’s ability to access the Eurobond Market to raise long term funding needed to support the growth agenda of President Tinubu is a major achievement for Nigeria and is consistent with the DMO’s objectives of supporting development and diversifying funding sources’.

She explained that the notes will be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing Authority and available to trade on the London Stock Exchange’s regulated market, the FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited and the Nigerian Exchange Limited.

Nigeria had mandated Chapel Hill Denham, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Standard Chartered Bank as Joint Bookrunners. FSDH Merchant Bank Limited acted as Financial Adviser on the issuance.

Experts were unanimous yesterday that the huge success of the Eurobond was a decisive feedback on global perception of the Nigeria’s reforms and macroeconomic outlook.

Managing Director, Arthur Steven Asset Management, Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe, said the record subscription level was indicative of the outlook for the economy.

He said: ‘It’s certainly a strong show of faith in the strength of the Nigerian economy for us to have this level of oversubscription’.

Managing Director, AIICO Capital, Dr Femi Ademola, said the oversubscription by 400 per cent was good sign of strong investor confidence in Nigeria.

Ademola, a Chartered Financial Analyst, noted that not only were the issues oversubscribed, the yield of 8.6308 per cent on the 10-year bond and 9.1297 per cent on the 20-year bond were the lowest since 2017.

‘This is an indication of support for the government’s reform policies especially the foreign exchange liberalisation and increase in revenue generation. In my opinion, the strong interest in the Eurobond is due to the easier convertibility of the naira and the improved current and future revenue generation capacity of the country to repay such debts in the future. It would also suggest a strong support for the government’s efforts in bridging infrastructure gaps, improving self-sufficiency and lowering inflation.

‘Due to the recent fiscal crisis in some petro-dollar economies and in some African countries which affected their capacity to repay due debts, it was expected that investors would be cautious and not be attracted to Eurobond issuances from Nigeria, arguably the reason while the country has not been active in the Eurobond market for over five years, this result is a vote of confidence in the country’s economic management and a confirmation that investors can separate politics from economics where necessary,’ Ademola said.

Managing Director, GTI Capital, Mr Kehinde Hassan, said the success of the offer would positively impact the Nigerian domestic market.

According to him, the huge demand would further send positive signal to foreign direct and portfolio investors on the prospects of the Nigerian market.

Analysts at CardinalStone said the robust demand indicated that investors were confident in Nigeria’s macroeconomic narrative.

Analysts noted that credit rating upgrades from major agencies contributed to this confidence, reflecting a perceived decline in sovereign risk and a bolstering of the country’s credibility in the global debt market.

‘This development bodes well for foreign exchange (forex) dynamics, particularly in supporting reserves accretion and naira appreciation. We project 2025 forex reserves to reach $45.0 billion by the end of the year. Importantly, the new Eurobond issuance does not alter our debt outlook for the year, as the planned borrowing was already factored into our projections. We expect a portion of the proceeds to be channelled towards refinancing maturing Eurobonds of $1.1 billion on 21st of November 2025 and bridging potential budgetary shortfalls,’ CardinalStone stated.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s recent approval of a 15 per cent import tariff on petrol and diesel.

The association however called for transparent, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation to ensure the benefits of the policy reach both industry and consumers, safeguard competitiveness, and prevent unintended cost burdens.

MAN described the move as ‘a strategic step and patriotic policy’ that aligns with the ‘Nigeria First’ agenda, noting that the import tariff aligns with the association’s long-standing advocacy for local content development and patronage of made-in-Nigeria.

Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, in a statement yesterday said the association believes that the 15 per cent tariff on petrol and diesel will accelerate the country’s journey toward energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth – all anchored on the strength of made-in-Nigeria.

He called for transparent price monitoring, insisting that government and regulators such as PPPRA, NMDPRA and FCCPC should closely monitor domestic pricing to prevent excessive mark-ups or anti-competitive behaviour.

MAN further pushed for a stable transition period, pointing out that in the initial months of implementation, ‘the government should support local refiners to ensure adequate fuel availability and prevent supply shocks or speculative hoarding, particularly with the festive period approaching.’

The association said the proceeds from the import duty to be reinvested into energy infrastructure, refinery efficiency, and power support schemes for industries, including credit facilities for industrial energy transition and renewable adoption.

MAN called on government to provide targeted incentives or rebates for small and medium manufacturers reliant on diesel-powered generators during the transition period.

The association noted the need for government to create an enabling environment and provide targeted incentives to attract investment in additional modular and conventional refineries, noting that this will strengthen domestic refining capacity, promote competition, and ensure long-term energy security.

MAN also stressed the need to ensure stakeholder harmony in the energy sector.

‘The government should foster continuous engagement among refiners, marketers, regulators, and consumers to prevent disputes, ensure policy coherence, and sustain market stability,’ Ajayi-Kadir said.

He also urged full and speedy privatisation of government-owned refineries.

According to him, it is evident that we may never succeed in restoring them to functionality under the current dispensation. Selling off the refineries will stop the commitment of our scarce financial resources to an evidently irredeemable venture.

Ajayi-Kadir, while acknowledging the policy as a major step in the implementation of Nigeria First policy, reaffirmed MAN’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy direction, especially on local content development and home grown industrialisation.

He said it is heartening that the policy came less than one month after the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of MAN with the theme: Nigeria First: Prioritizing Patronage of Made in Nigeria Products.

He stated that the strategic policy has reassured domestic manufacturers that government is attentive to the imperatives of growing indigenous manufacturing.

He said: ‘It exemplifies government’s commitment to halting the perennial bleeding of our patrimony; asserting the sovereignty of the great country; guaranteeing energy sufficiency and security, and improving the overall wellbeing of Nigerians in this regard.

‘This is a sure step in the promotion of local value addition, strengthening domestic refining capacity, conserving foreign exchange, and advancing Nigeria’s long-term industrialisation objectives’.

He added that this will also ensure the naira- for-crude arrangement that will guarantee effective and reliable supply of crude to the local refineries and reduce the pressure on scarce foreign exchange.

He said: ‘It will also attract more investors, including the holders of the 30 refinery licenses to commit resources in the sector’.

Ajayi-Kadir emphasised that there is no better path to fixing Nigeria’s economy than protecting local industries, encouraging local patronage, fostering value addition, and promoting industrial development anchored on local content.

While pointing out that Nigeria is blessed with enormous oil resources, the MAN DG, however, said it is unfortunate that scarce forex in billions of dollars is still being spent on importing refined petroleum.

‘Supporting local refining capacity through appropriate policy tools will conserve scarce foreign exchange, improve the stability of the Naira, and foster a more favourable macroeconomic environment for investment,’ he insisted.

MAN said it recognises the importance, significance, and necessity of the approval of the 15 per cent import tariff on petrol and diesel.

The association acknowledged that ‘the tariff is a rightful, deliberately designed policy instrument intended to protect and encourage domestic producers, curb dumping, and create a stable environment for local refiners to thrive.’

It noted that the tariff will accelerate operational readiness of domestic refineries, thereby reducing disruptions and stabilising energy supply to industries.

MAN said it supports the 15 per cent import tariff as an industrial policy instrument that will encourage the utilisation of local refining capacity and promote backward integration across the energy value chain.

It also anchored its support for the policy on the need to conserve foreign exchange by reducing the nation’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products, and strengthen the manufacturing base through a more stable and predictable fuel supply.

The association also said the policy will generate employment opportunities, build technical expertise, and strengthen industrial linkages between refineries and manufacturers.

Besides, it will promote local content development and stimulate demand for Nigerian engineering, fabrication and logistics services.

‘MAN views this policy as a vital step in achieving energy independence and industrial sustainability, both of which are prerequisites for Nigeria’s economic transformation,’ Ajayi-Kadir said.

The telecom industry maintained strong performance through the third quarter of 2025, with active voice subscriptions rising to 173.54 million in September, from 171.57 million in August, latest industry stats from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has shown.

The data also showed that teledensity, which represents the number of active telephone lines per 100 inhabitants, stood at 80.05per cent during the month, slightly up from 79.14per cent in August, reflecting gradual subscriber additions across major mobile network operators (MNOs).

The new data showed that the operators connected additional 569,538 users to internet across their various networks, while broadband penetration recorded uptick by 10 basis points to 49.34per cent, representing 106.97 million connections to at least third generation (3G) network.

The breakdown of active GSM connections revealed that MTN Nigeria maintained its lead with 90.33 million subscribers, representing 52.12 per cent market share, followed by Airtel with 58.47 million or 33.74per cent share.

Globacom has 21.39 million active connections on it network with 12.34per cent of the market, while T2 (formally 9mobile) has the least market share of 1.8per cent with 3.11 million active subscribers on its network.

The stats showed that T2 is, however, gradually improving as it had 2.73 million customers in August.

Combined, the GSM segment accounted for over 99per cent of the total market, underscoring the continued dominance of mobile connectivity in Nigeria’s voice communication landscape.

The NCC data further showed that broadband subscriptions climbed to 106.97 million in September 2025, translating to a broadband penetration rate of 49.34per cent compared to 48.81per cent in August.

This is the highest broadband penetration figure Nigeria has ever posted, despite being a far cry from the 70per cent penetration target by the end of December 2025, envisaged by the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.

Similarly, active internet users via GSM networks grew to 140.36 million, signalling sustained demand for data services as more Nigerians embrace digital platforms and smartphones for work, education, and entertainment.

Despite the increases in internet and broadband connections, data consumption moderated marginally month-on-month, from 1.152 million terabytes (TB) in August to 1.15 million terabytes in September.

In terms of technology, 4G accounted for the largest share of mobile connections, representing 51.6per cent of active users in September; 2G followed with 38.4per cent while 3G and 5G held 6.6per cent and 3.4per cent market shares respectively.

The figures indicate that 5G adoption is gradually expanding, supported by ongoing infrastructure rollout by operators since its commercial launch in 2022 first by MTN Nigeria.

MNOs have also committed over N1 trillion naira to network expansion and upgrade since the beginning of this year, according to authorities.

The NCC data showed that despite a rebasing effect on national accounts, the telecom industry remained a key driver of the economy, contributeing 9.2per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Q2 of 2025, up from 8.5per cent in Q1.

Its share of GDP had previously averaged between 13 per cent and 16per cent in 2023, before the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) updated its GDP and computation methodology earlier in 2025.

The crowd was huge in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State. Brooms, the symbol of the All Progressives Congress (APC), filled the air at the Samson Siasia Sports Arena.

Colourful posters and banners of various types welcomed party leaders from far and near to the grand ceremony.

It was not a rented crowd. Drummers, trumpeters and live bands entertained the people who sang and danced as they welcomed the new dawn in Bayelsa.

Joy was bold on all and sundry as the governor, Senator Douye Diri, received the party flag from the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to the admiration of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Other party leaders were in the mood of excitement as the APC enlarged its coast in the state. ‘This defection is not a Beyalsa defection; it is the Ijaw nation defecting to the APC,’ declared the governor who exuded confidence on the podium.

PDP’s loss is APC’s gain. This year alone, the main opposition party has lost four governors – Diri of Bayelsa, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Peter Mbah of Enugu – to the APC. There are feelers that Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Caleb Mutfwang may also follow suit.

Diri left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling party with his big political family, a huge structure that has dominated the oil-rich, Ijaw state for five years.

Two sitting senators, Konbowei Benson and Benson Agadaga, Senator Ben Bruce and the House of Assembly Speaker, Abraham Ingobere, also dumped the umbrella.

Commissioners, special advisers, other aides, notable grassroots figures and party mobilisers across the eight local governments bade farewell to the crisis-ridden PDP.

Diri’s decision received the backing of 23 members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker.

The 24-member Assembly currently comprises 20 PDP lawmakers; three APC, and one All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

On that defection spot, Diri became the automatic and authentic leader of the APC in Bayelsa, who is expected to coordinate its activities and wield the tendencies together without contradiction during the harmonisation of party structures.

‘Today, you have shown us that Bayelsa State has chosen the light of national integration over the shadows of political isolation. The All Progressives Congress is the party of those who believe that progress can only be guaranteed when we stand together, when we answer the call of the people,’ said Vice President Shettima, who received the governor into the APC.

‘Your story mirrors that of your people. You have led with calm and dignity. But beneath that calm has flowed a restless comitment to development, to unity, and to peace. You have expanded roads to remote communities and assured them that they are not forgotten.

‘You have built bridges where there were barriers. You have lit homes where there was darkness. This is what it means to govern with empathy. So, we welcome you into this fold to watch and support you as you champion what you have always done,’ he added.

Other party leaders nodded affirmatively, while also acknowledging the importance of the political realignment in the Southsouth.

Ahead of 2027 polls, five of six Southsouth states are now governed by the APC, which hopes to elicit vast support from Niger Deltans based on the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration in the politically conscious region.

From 1999 to that hour of defection, Bayelsa prided itself as the stronghold of the PDP. The state produced four governors on the platform- Diepreye Alamieseigha, Goodluck Jonathan, Tmpreye Silva, Seriake Dickson and Diri. It also produced Dr. Jonathan as president.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo (SAN), who expressed happiness at the new geo-political calculus, described Diri’s move as the ‘last piece of the jigsaw puzzle’ that solidifies APC’s dominance in the region ahead of the next general election.

‘From a position of absolute weakness in 2015, 2019 and 2023 to a position of absolute advantage and strength ahead of 2027. Welcome home, Governor Duoye Diri,’ he added.

Diri fell into the warm embrace of Yilwatda and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a southsoutherner and an ally of President Tinubu in the course of forging integration, fostering inclusion and ensuring good governance.

Also present at the carnival-like rally were Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State), Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), and Monday Okpebolo (Edo).

The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Kwara State (AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq), Peter Mba (Enugu), and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole also hailed Diri for taking the right step.

Also at the rally were the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri,

Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, his counterpart in the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare.

A wordsmith, Akpabio said the party was happy to receive Diri as demonstrated by the large turnout of top party members. He commended the governor for steering the state on the path of peace. He also congratulated him for taking the bold step in moving the affairs of the state in the direction of the party at the centre.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the Bayelsa governor has taken a progressive step by aligning with the renewed hope agenda of the President.

Thanking Bayelsans for taking the right decision, Yilwatda said the Ijaw nation has spoken in one voice through the governor.

Bayelsa state has spoken. Today, Bayelsa state is APC,’ Yilwatda said.

‘Bayelsa State is too critical for us to leave it in the hands of the PDP. The roads have been constructed. We saw it. We saw the fishes in the fish farms. We saw agriculture booming. We saw trading. We saw everything doing good.

‘Therefore, Governor Diri is welcome to the family of the APC. I now give him this flag as the leader of the party in the state.

‘He takes over as the leader of APC in Bayelsa State. And anything concerning Bayelsa State, the National Working Committee will contact Governor Diri.

‘I will hold him responsible for APC in the state. Today, you take over as a leader of our party in Bayelsa state. Welcome, our leader in Bayelsa.

‘Take this broom as a symbol of our party. Sweep out PDP, and ensure that the votes are swept in. In 2027, sweep in all the votes for APC,’ he added.

Diri is a politician who cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. He had served the Ijaw nation from his activist days as the National Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress. Under Governor Jonathan, he served as Commissioner for Youths and Sports before he was elected into the Senate.

On the eve of the event, he had said at a thanksgiving service in Yenagoa that the defection was motivated by the need to protect and promote the interest of Bayelsans.

Diri said: ‘Somebody had to take the decision (to leave the PDP) and I took it on behalf of the state. I took it in the best interest of the state. Some of you might not understand now but later, it will be clear to all.

‘When we came in as a government, what we did at the beginning was to ensure that most of the uncompleted projects were completed and we introduced new ones. That alone is enough reason to thank God.

‘The peace and security we are enjoying is another reason to thank God. Politics is for development and not to kill your brother. The gathering here is a testimony of the unity in the state.’

Explaining why he left the PDP on Monday, the governor said that he did his best to salvage his former party, which observers have described as a sinking ship.

Diri said the PDP had been hijacked by undertakers bent on destroying the party, adding that he had no choice than to join the ruling party to the protect the political future of the state.

‘After seeing that the undertakers wanted to bury the PDP, I never wanted my state to be buried alongside with PDP.

‘So, knowing what was going on, after all my consultations with all the leaders, it was incumbent on me as governor to make a decision,’ he stressed.

The governor said President Tinubu’s love for development of the state and the Ijaw nation through developmental initiatives, including the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass road and also a N4bn tax waiver granted the state when he procured the 60megawatt gas turbine influenced his decision.

Diri said: ‘On October 15, I did something after consultation with elders and the State Assembly and afterwards resigned from the PDP for obvious reasons. This defection is not only for Bayelsa. It is for Ijaws in Ondo, Edo, Delta and Rivers.

‘I will not denigrate my former party. We were happy with it until some undertakers destroyed it.

‘We tried to salvage it but to no avail. I never wanted my state to be buried with the PDP. What was going on became incumbent on me to take a decision and majority of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, have come with me to the APC.’

Diri praised President Tinubu for fighting the infrastructure battle in the region. He said the call for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway started before the current administration; it had been on since the military era.

‘Long in the military regime, we requested a coastal road from Lagos to Calabar,’ he stated, displaying an old memorandum from the Ijaw National Congress to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Military Head of State.

‘Bring those documents. Memorandum on the demands by the Ijaw ethnic nationality submitted to the Head of State. The major demand here was the construction of the coastal roads from Lagos to Calabar.’

Diri argued that President Tinubu had acted on that demand, saying that his intervention aligned with the long-term aspirations of coastal communities.

‘I don’t care how much the coastal road will cost. Today, we have a President who has come to realise that this coastal road is important to the people of the coastal area, majority of whom are Ijaw people,’ he added

Diri asked rhetorically: ‘Are we going to leave that type of man?’ The crowd chorused ‘no.’

The governor also dismissed comments that leaving the PDP would cost him his mandate.

‘There is only one way a governor will lose his office, by impeachment from the State House of Assembly. And in this situation, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the majority of the members are going with me,’

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the N100 billion suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and others over fuel import licence dispute.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling yesterday, dismissed the suit following an oral application by lawyers to the defendants after Dangote Refinery’s lawyer, C. O. Adegbe applied to withdraw the case.

Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and NNPCL; AYM Shafa Limited; A. A. Rano Limited; T. Time Petroleum Limited; 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited were the defendants.

Dangote Refinery had prayed the court to nullify the import licences issued by NMDPRA to NNPCL and the five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.

It sought a N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products, among other reliefs.

Meanwhile, NNPCL plans to raise its shares in Dangote Refinery to 20 per cent, Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, revealed at the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).

Ojulari said NNPCL was improving transparency about its performance in preparation for a long-awaited initial public offering.

‘The IPO journey is by law. The PIA (Petroleum Industry Act) prescribes for NNPCL to journey towards achieving IPO. It’s not an option for us.

‘We have begun to publish our monthly performance since May this year and that has continued’, Ojulari added.

However, he did not give a time like for the IPO.

In Edo State, protesters led by the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) took to the streets demanding protection for Dangote Refinery..

The protesters, who marched through the streets of Benin City, said the refinery was not just a business venture but a symbol that the country is capable of refining crude domestically.

They said actors within PENGASSAN, NUPENG, and DAPMAN aligned with fuel importation cartels to protect a business empire built on Nigeria’s weakness.

National President of NAPS, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, called on the Federal Government to defend and protect Dangote Refinery as a national strategic asset.

Comrade Oghayan said any sabotage against the refinery must be treated as economic terrorism, urging the federal government to ensure 100% crude oil supply allocated to the Dangote Refinery.

‘If we feed the refinery fully, it will crash fuel prices, strengthen the Naira, and stop the bleeding of foreign exchange. We call on the Federal Government to halt the importation of fuel entirely.

‘While we appreciate the 15% slash in fuel importation approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we insist that half-measures cannot deliver full recovery.

Nigeria must refine what we use.

‘We demand national priority for locally refined fuel in government procurement, transport, aviation, power and military sectors.

‘We urge Mr. President to dismantle the importation cartel and support genuine national industrialization,’ it added.

Lagos State, through State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), has begun second round enumeration of property owners with valid documents, with the aim of compensating qualified owners of property affected by Oworonshoki regeneration.

The exercise, at Oloworo palace, Oworonshoki in Kosofe Local Government, is conducted by LASURA officials in charge of enumeration, led by General Manager, Mr. Oladimeji Animashaun and his directors, chiefs, community leaders, CDA and CDC officials, civil society leaders, security agencies and journalists.

Residents, who were not captured in the first round, came out to take advantage to be eligible for compensation.

Animashaun lauded residents for their huge turn out, noting that they were convinced of the state’s sincerity after 79 residents in the first round got their compensation.

He thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for fulfilling his promise of compensation, saying ‘Governor Sanwo-Olu must be lauded and appreciated for fulfilment of his promise to compensate residents.’

The state, on October 23 and 24, gave certified cheques to qualified residents affected by Oworonshoki regeneration at a ceremony in Oloworo palace, presided over by Animashaun.

The member representing Kosofe State Constituency I, Ganiyu Sanni, among others, attended the programme.

He hailed the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on E-GIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Gbolahan Oki, for their steadfastness and efforts in ensuring the fulfilment of the government promise to the affected residents.

The people were advised to collect enumeration forms, fill them and submit with relevant documents, which included LASSRA ID card, passport photographs, land receipt or deed of conveyance and bank details for the enumeration, which would be verified by a committee comprising LASURA workers, the Oloworo of Oworonshoki kingdom, CDA and CDC officials and representatives of the affected residents.

Animashaun promised that presentation of cheques to deserving residents would follow soon after the completion of the enumeration and verification.

Some of the residents thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu and those overseeing the exercise, for their faithfulness and patience in the execution of the exercise.

The Lagos State University of Education(LASUED) yesterday trained lecturers and students on Artificial Intelligence(AI) in health education delivery, aimed at promoting safe health learning and work environment.

This is just as the institution is hosting the 37th Annual National Conference and Workshop of the School Health Educators and Professionals Association of Nigeria(SHEPAN) on its main campus in Oto-Ijanikin, Lagos.

It has the theme: ‘Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in School, Community and Environmental Health Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning Practice in Nigeria.’

The Vice Chancellor Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye said the theme of the conference was both visionary and urgent, adding that the promise of AI innovation and health education was not abstract.

She said: It is concrete, practical, and within reach, if we collaborate across disciplines and deploy these tools ethically, inclusively, and responsibly.

‘Over the next four days, we will explore how Al can power innovations in health-education delivery and enrich teacher preparation and curriculum design.

‘Also to explore how it can strengthen health promotion and disease prevention in our schools and communities, support community-level monitoring and early warning systems.

‘In addition, we will also consider how AI can enhance physical and health education, inform change intervention, and promote safe, healthy learning and work environments,’she said.

She also added that the theme would also be aimed at reducing environmental health risks, and illuminate the future of school, community, and environmental health education in Nigeria.