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Mogaji Wole Arisekola, publisher of The Street Journal Newspaper, businessman, philanthropist and community leader, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to privatise the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and fully digitalise the country’s electricity transmission network as part of efforts to address persistent power supply challenges.

Arisekola made the call in an open letter to the President, while commending the recent improvement in electricity supply recorded in some parts of the country.

He said the improvement was ‘commendable’ and that Nigerians should acknowledge progress whenever it occurs, but argued that the country’s electricity crisis goes beyond generation and distribution.

According to him, transmission remains a major challenge because it is still controlled and operated by the government through the TCN.

‘Mr President, there can never be lasting success in the power sector as long as the government continues to leave electricity transmission entirely in the hands of civil servants,’ he said.

Arisekola alleged that electricity supply in some areas was influenced by personal relationships and influence rather than the needs of consumers or the capacity of the system.

‘Let me give you a simple example. If you want uninterrupted electricity in your home or neighbourhood, you may only need to have a friend in the transmission office,’ he said.

‘Privatising electricity generation and distribution while leaving transmission in the hands of civil servants will never produce the desired result.

‘You cannot privatise the beginning and the end of the electricity value chain while leaving its most important bridge under the same public bureaucracy that contributed to the collapse of the system,’ he said.

Arisekola recalled that he had previously written to former President Goodluck Jonathan during the privatisation of the electricity sector, warning against leaving transmission under government control.

He also cited the deregulation of the telecommunications industry under former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an example of how increased private-sector participation, in his view, transformed access to telecommunications services.

According to him, before the telecommunications sector was deregulated, obtaining a telephone line could take years and was sometimes influenced by personal connections or payments.

‘Today, because private investors were allowed to participate fully, nearly every Nigerian can own a telephone line,’ he said.

‘That is what genuine deregulation can achieve.’

Arisekola commended the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that retaining the system could have exposed the country to greater financial losses.

‘Nigerians should be thanking their stars for the removal of the petrol subsidy,’ he said.

He maintained that the experience of institutions such as the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Nigeria Airways and NITEL showed the challenges associated with government management of major commercial enterprises.

‘Nigeria Airways once carried our national flag across the world. It disappeared under the weight of corruption and mismanagement,’ he said.

‘NITEL, which once controlled telecommunications in Nigeria, collapsed despite the country’s enormous population and demand for telephone services.’

Arisekola acknowledged that some civil servants were working to improve the country but argued that weaknesses within the system could undermine government policies.

‘Some honest civil servants are working hard for Nigeria, and they must be acknowledged. But the system itself encourages delay, secrecy, monopoly and corruption,’ he said.

He therefore called on the Tinubu administration to urgently privatise the TCN and require investors in the sector to digitalise the transmission network.

‘Mr President, as a matter of urgency, your administration should privatise the Transmission Company of Nigeria and make it mandatory for any serious investor coming into the sector to digitalise the entire transmission network,’ he said.

Arisekola said Nigeria needed a ‘modern, transparent and technology-driven transmission system’ in which electricity movement could be digitally monitored from generation through transmission and distribution to homes and businesses.

‘The time for total reform is now.’

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday clarified that his recent allusion to six governors’ support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only related to pre-presidential primary consultation in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The primary that threw up President Tinubu as candidate was conducted at the Eagle Square, Abuja, in June 2022.

The vice president said his remark was not intended to diminish the role of other northern governors in the president’s victory during the 2023 election.

Shettima said all APC governors in the North rallied behind Tinubu after his emergence as the presidential candidate, adding that they played important roles in the campaign that culminated in his victory.

The clarification followed media interpretations (The Nation not included), of the Vice President’s remarks in Ilorin on Wednesday during the turbaning of KwaraState Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq suggesting that only six northern governors supported President Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Shettima said in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Office of the Vice President, that the remarks had been taken outside the specific political context in which they were made.

‘The Vice President’s reference to six northern governors who believed in and supported President Tinubu was specifically about political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

‘It was not a comment on the position of northern APC governors, following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor was it intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election’, the statement said.

According to the Vice President’s office, the political situation changed after President Tinubu became the candidate, with northern governors subsequently closing ranks behind the party’s flagbearer.

‘Following the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election,’ it added.

Shettima explained that President Tinubu’s emergence as the candidate became an important point of alignment within the party, with other governors subsequently rallying behind him.

He said the northern governors’ support for power shift ultimately became ‘the aligning moment across all political divides’ in the campaign for the presidency to move to the South.

Shettima stressed that he continued to hold northern governors and other APC leaders in high regard in recognition of their individual and collective contributions to President Tinubu’s victory.

‘VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other leaders of the APC in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the success of the party and the emergence of President Tinubu’, the statement added.

The Vice President lamented that his remarks had been interpreted as questioning the commitment of some northern APC governors to Tinubu’s presidential project.

‘The Vice President regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hopes this clarification places the comments in their proper context’, his office said.

Shettima acknowledged the role of the media in reporting activities of his office, urging them to give greater attention to context and accuracy as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.

He expressed appreciation to the media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office, while calling for continued accuracy in reporting public remarks as the country enters another political season.

The Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 573 Nigeria Police Force crests, 92 yards of Police camouflage uniform fabric, a pistol, six pistol magazines, a pump-action magazine and 60 detonating cords in its anti-smuggling operations last month.

The acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Wale Moses Adewole, said he was worried about interception of the Police-related materials because of its potential security implications.

At a press conference at the command’s Headquarters in Ibadan, Adewole lamented that such materials could be exploited by criminals to impersonate law enforcement personnel, obtained unauthorised access to restricted locations or facilitate criminal activities.

He said: ‘Of particular concern was the interception of Police crest and camouflage uniforms. The unauthorised possession and movement of security agency uniforms can create serious security concerns, particularly in view of the prevailing security challenges in the country.’

According to him, the seizure demonstrated the importance of preventing security-related materials from being diverted into the wrong hands, stressing that the command would continue to pay particular attention to items with implications for national security and public safety.

He added that the command also intercepted a pistol, six pistol magazines, a pump-action magazine and 60 detonating cords during the period under review.

‘Other items seized included 2,012 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 550 bags of 25kg foreign parboiled rice, 2,440 wraps of cannabis sativa, 1,150 used tyres, 101 used compressors and 48 packs of 225mg tramadol.

‘The list of intercepted goods also included 105 bales and 28 sacks of used clothing, 18 sacks of used shoes, 450 25-litre kegs of Premium Motor Spirit, equivalent to 5,000 litres, 33 three-litre bottles of foreign vegetable oil, and 30 bags of foreign sugar weighing 60kg each.

‘The command further seized 17 used vehicles, otherwise known as tokunbo vehicles, 10 means of conveyance and 10 containers of corrosive mercury.’

Adewole said the seizures recorded during the period had a cumulative Duty Paid Value of N4,106,951,689.00.

He explained that the interceptions were part of the command’s statutory responsibility to protect the national economy and prevent the smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods.

‘In line with our statutory responsibility to protect the nation’s economy and prevent the smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods, the Command has continued to intensify its anti-smuggling operations across its areas of jurisdiction.’

The acting controller said the interception of corrosive mercury was also significant because of the danger posed by the substance when improperly handled, stored or transported.

He said uncontrolled movement of the hazardous material could expose members of the public to fire, explosion, injury and property damage, and, in extreme circumstances, loss of lives.

‘The uncontrolled movement of such materials can expose members of the public to risks of fire, explosion, injury, property damage, and, in extreme circumstances, loss of lives,’ Adewole said.

He said the interception therefore prevented potentially hazardous material from entering circulation and being handled by unauthorised persons.

Adewole attributed the seizures to the vigilance and professionalism of officers and men of the command, as well as the deployment of intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with sister security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

He said the command would sustain its anti-smuggling operations while ensuring that legitimate businesses and law-abiding members of the public were not subjected to unnecessary impediments.

Adewole said he command generated N65,661,343,026.94 between January and August, this year.

He said the figure represented a 13.88 per cent increase over the N57,656,161,990.24 collected during the corresponding period last year.

The acting controller attributed the improved revenue performance to the command’s sustained commitment to effective revenue collection, trade facilitation, stakeholder engagement and the deployment of strategies designed to improve compliance.

Adewole added that the command remained committed to improving revenue generation while facilitating legitimate trade and sustaining the fight against smuggling and other forms of economic sabotage.

‘The Oyo/Osun Area Command remains committed to improving revenue generation, facilitating legitimate trade and sustaining the fight against smuggling and other forms of economic sabotage.’ he said.

Adewole further assured residents and legitimate businesses within the command’s jurisdiction that the Customs Service would continue to strike a balance between enforcement and trade facilitation.

‘We will continue to pay particular attention to items that have implications for national security and public safety, while ensuring that legitimate businesses and law-abiding members of the public are not unduly impeded,’ he said.

The acting controller also pledged that the command would continue to discharge its responsibilities professionally and in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

Adewole commended journalists for their continued partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service and urged the media to sustain responsible reportage of the activities of the service.

Nigeria’s wrestlers have commenced closed-door camping in Bayelsa and Ondo States ahead of the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 24 October to 1 November, after President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, approved the programme.

Chairman of the NWF Technical Committee, Akuh Purity, commended Adeniyi for approving the camping, saying the decision reflects the federation leadership’s commitment to preparing athletes for the global championship.

Purity, who also serves as head coach of the Nigerian women’s wrestling team, said the closed-door format would allow athletes and coaches to focus fully on training as they build towards peak performance.

He said the exercise ‘would further strengthen the wrestlers physically, technically and mentally,’ adding that adequate preparation remains critical to performance at the highest level.

Purity also acknowledged support already extended to foreign-based Nigerian wrestlers through pre-tournament camping and other preparatory arrangements, which he said demonstrated Adeniyi’s commitment to ensuring both home- and foreign-based wrestlers receive adequate backing for international competition.

Team Nigeria is expected to compete across several registered weight categories at the championships, which will bring together the world’s leading wrestlers.

A witness in the ongoing trial of alleged members of the Ansaru terror group on Friday confirmed the identities of two teachers who were killed during the abduction of students and staff of a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, telling the Federal High Court in Abuja that other victims recovered their bodies.

The witness, code-named AAA, who was among the victims of the Oriire school abduction, however, told the court that she was not present when the two teachers, identified as Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye, were beheaded by their abductors.

She said Oyedokun was killed at Camp A, while Olaleye was killed at another camp, adding that she could not provide specific details about the individuals who carried out the killings because she did not witness the incidents.

The witness also recounted the harsh conditions the victims endured in captivity, saying their abductors fed them only when it was convenient for them, despite the presence of children as young as 18 months among the victims.

According to her, the victims were subjected to severe trauma during and after their 56-day ordeal in captivity.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the five accused persons, Mr. Bala Dakum, the witness said the abductors provided food at their own convenience and did not appear to consider the needs of the younger children in the group.

She also disclosed that the abductors used the victims’ mobile phones to communicate with government officials during the captivity, but said she did not know the phone numbers of the officials contacted.

The witness further told the court that following their rescue by security operatives, she was interrogated by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), both at the agency’s office and while she was receiving treatment in hospital.

In response to questions from the defence counsel, AAA admitted that three of the five defendants currently standing trial were with the victims in the forest during their captivity.

She said the victims only learnt about the identities of the other two defendants during interrogation at the DSS office after their rescue.

The witness maintained that although she knew that Oyedokun and Olaleye had been killed, she was not at the scenes of the killings and therefore could not identify the specific abductors responsible for their deaths.

Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim then adjourned the case until October 12 and 13 for continuation of the trial.

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday clarified that his recent allusion to six governors’ support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only related to pre-presidential primary consultation in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The primary that threw up President Tinubu as candidate was conducted at the Eagle Square, Abuja, in June 2022.

The vice president said his remark was not intended to diminish the role of other northern governors in the president’s victory during the 2023 election.

Shettima said all APC governors in the North rallied behind Tinubu after his emergence as the presidential candidate, adding that they played important roles in the campaign that culminated in his victory.

The clarification followed media interpretations (The Nation not included), of the Vice President’s remarks in Ilorin on Wednesday during the turbaning of KwaraState Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq suggesting that only six northern governors supported President Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Shettima said in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Office of the Vice President, that the remarks had been taken outside the specific political context in which they were made.

‘The Vice President’s reference to six northern governors who believed in and supported President Tinubu was specifically about political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

‘It was not a comment on the position of northern APC governors, following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor was it intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election’, the statement said.

According to the Vice President’s office, the political situation changed after President Tinubu became the candidate, with northern governors subsequently closing ranks behind the party’s flagbearer.

‘Following the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election,’ it added.

Shettima explained that President Tinubu’s emergence as the candidate became an important point of alignment within the party, with other governors subsequently rallying behind him.

He said the northern governors’ support for power shift ultimately became ‘the aligning moment across all political divides’ in the campaign for the presidency to move to the South.

Shettima stressed that he continued to hold northern governors and other APC leaders in high regard in recognition of their individual and collective contributions to President Tinubu’s victory.

‘VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other leaders of the APC in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the success of the party and the emergence of President Tinubu’, the statement added.

The Vice President lamented that his remarks had been interpreted as questioning the commitment of some northern APC governors to Tinubu’s presidential project.

‘The Vice President regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hopes this clarification places the comments in their proper context’, his office said.

Shettima acknowledged the role of the media in reporting activities of his office, urging them to give greater attention to context and accuracy as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election.

He expressed appreciation to the media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office, while calling for continued accuracy in reporting public remarks as the country enters another political season.