Category: Daily Trust

FirstBank has honoured distributors in the fast-moving consumer goods sector at its annual Key Distributor Forum for the South West region.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Segun Alebiosu, stated that the Forum was an important avenue for the bank to recognise its customers.

The Forum rides on the back of Key Distributorship Finance, which is a FirstBank-structured finance product designed to provide financial support to distributors of FirstBank-approved FMCG principals, addressing their working capital needs.

He said, ‘It’s part of our customer experience, our relationship management initiative. They are our partners, our friends, and part of our own financial ecosystem. They support us and support our customers, and because of the wonderful job they are doing, we want to honour them. They are key to our business.’

Addressing the distributors, Alebiosu told them, ‘You are much more than a distributor. We are partners. We are friends. We are friends because we belong to the same ecosystem. We have a common principle. The people you buy from, we support them to grow, and we support you to buy from them to grow.’

The Group Head, Transaction Banking Division, First Bank, Mobolade Ojeahere said, ‘At First Bank, we believe firmly in the power of partnerships, the feedback that you give us that makes us better, and what we can offer you as well that will make the business grow and continue to grow up to greater heights. For us, we’ll continue to innovate, enhance our services and continue to proudly serve and work with you across all our entire footprints, across all our branches, where we are present, so that your own objectives can also be achieved. As we look forward to the future, we remain dedicated to continuing to support you and to fostering and building the relationship.’

The PoS Business unit at FirstBank also introduced the Firstmonie merchant wallet solution to the gathering, describing it as a robust solution, as it provides inventory services, cash management and more.

A tipper truck driver reportedly crashed near Gosa village along the Airport Road, Abuja, while attempting to evade arrest by Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) personnel.

A witness, Benjamin Moses, said the incident happened on Monday around 2:12 pm.

The tipper, which was conveying laterite, was driving against traffic (one-way) near the entrance of Fourth Royal Estate, close to Gosa Market.

Moses explained that FRSC personnel in a Hilux patrol van attempted to stop and arrest the driver for the traffic offence. ”Upon noticing the FRSC officers pursuing him, the tipper driver allegedly increased his speed and suddenly rammed into a pothole, causing the vehicle to overturn in the middle of the road,” the witness narrated.

According to Moses, the driver and his assistant narrowly escaped unhurt and immediately fled the scene, abandoning the overturned tipper.

Our reporter, who stopped at the scene, observed another truck attempting to lift the fallen tipper with the help of some motorists.

An FRSC official, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident and blamed the driver for driving against traffic.

He reiterated that the driver increased his speed upon seeing the patrol van, which led to the crash.

‘Actually, the tipper driver was plying through one-way, which he knows is a traffic offence,’ the official said. ‘Out of fear upon sighting the FRSC coming, he now accelerated further which led to the driver to run into a big pothole.’

The official confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident, adding that the truck, which had caused an obstruction, was later towed from the road.

The police command in Enugu State says it will commence the enforcement of Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit regulations from October 2, 2025, in the state. The command stated that the exercise, which is in line with existing laws and directives, would be carried out professionally and would apply to all vehicles with tinted glasses, whether factory or non-factory fitted.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Enugu by the command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe.

Ndukwe advised motorists yet to register their vehicles with tinted glasses to complete the process at www.possap.gov.ng. Following registration, he said, they should proceed to the State Intelligence Department (SID) at the State Command Headquarters, Enugu, for physical verification. (NAN)

He added, ‘Those who are not desirous of obtaining the Tinted Glass Permit are advised to remove such tints or replace the factory-fitted glasses with transparent ones, as legally required.

‘In addition, the command will enforce the subsisting ban on the unauthorized use of sirens, revolving lights, Police SPY and unallocated official number plates as well as the use of unregistered vehicles.’

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Giwa, had directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Department of Operations to oversee the enforcement.

The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted the statement credited to the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan is better than those of Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu combined.

The party described the statement as laughable, saying, ‘This is nothing but another vain attempt by a perennial critic to rewrite history and mislead unsuspecting Nigerians.’

Spokesperson of Lagos APC, Seye Oladejo, said, ‘It is sheer obscenity on the part of Chief George to attempt to compare orange with apple in the name of politics.

‘In fact, he owes Goodluck Jonathan an apology for the embarrassment of dressing him up in borrowed robes that neither fit his record nor reflect reality. ‘Nigerians know better. Jonathan presided over the most wasteful and corrupt administration in our recent history, one that squandered an unprecedented oil boom, institutionalised looting, and left behind a broken economy and a bleeding nation. His government is remembered more for missing billions, oil theft, insecurity, and unbridled impunity than for any tangible achievement.’

The Lagos APC stated that President Buhari’s administration, ‘for all its challenges, restored the integrity of our armed forces, mounted an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign, completed long-abandoned infrastructural projects, and laid the foundation for fiscal discipline.’

‘These are facts that cannot be denied. Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has gone further, confronting the structural rot left behind by Jonathan and his ilk.

‘Among others, the removal of the subsidy scam, reforms in the foreign exchange market, bold interventions in agriculture and food security, free technical education with stipends for students, and infrastructural renewal are already resetting Nigeria for sustainable growth. Only mischief-makers like Chief George would compare this boldness with the inertia and incompetence that defined the Jonathan era.

‘We are reluctant to have a conversation about Chief George’s public service record which is in the public domain , either as the military administrator of Ondo State or the Chairman of Nigeria Port Authority- NPA- and makes him eminently disqualified to access any office holder. Bode George’s desperate revisionism cannot erase PDP’s legacy of failure.

‘Chief George has made a career out of political flip-flopping – praising and attacking different leaders at will, depending on which side of his bread is buttered. His inconsistency betrays a lack of principle and exposes him as a man driven not by patriotism but by bitterness and personal grievances.

‘For the record, Chief George is a political paperweight in Lagos – a man who has never won his polling unit, ward, or local government for his party. He should also provide for public scrutiny his records as the so-called leader of the opposition PDP in Lagos, a party perpetually in crisis, one that only comes together during electioneering season to share the crumbs of election funds. A man that cannot maintain a peaceful and stable homestead should humbly keep mute at town hall meetings.

‘His defense of Jonathan only reminds Nigerians why the PDP was roundly rejected at the polls. History is clear: Jonathan’s record was one of waste and failure, Buhari stabilized, and Tinubu is reforming. Nigeria is in safe hands.

‘If we are to accept the erroneous belief that politicians have no retirement age, perhaps they do have an expiry date – and Chief George’s shelf life in Nigeria’s political space expired long ago. He would do well to finally bow out gracefully and spare Nigerians his constant outbursts, distortions, and bitter tirades. The nation has moved on – and so should he.’

Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi, on Wednesday used Nigeria’s Independence Day anniversary to deliver a scathing critique of the country’s current state, warning that leadership failures had left the nation deep in debt, shrinking economically, and sliding into what he described as an ‘undemocratic democracy.’

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Obi contrasted the vision of the country’s founding fathers-who he said fought with confidence and passion to build a prosperous nation-with what he called the tragic failures of successive leaders.

He said 65 years after independence, Nigeria’s total debt stands at about N175 trillion, nearly 50 per cent of GDP, without any improvement in productive sectors.

‘Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. Our democracy is now described as ‘undemocratic.’

He added that in just one year of the present administration, ‘over 15 million Nigerians have been pushed into acute poverty,’ while more than 150 million people now lack access to basic healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.

Obi accused the government of reckless borrowing and extravagant spending, citing billions spent on presidential jets, luxury cars, and a N21 billion renovation of the vice president’s residence-more than the combined capital budgets of six major federal university teaching hospitals.

‘This government taxes struggling citizens and small businesses heavily, while indulging in extravagance,’ he said.

He called on leaders to rise above personal interest, corruption, and division. ‘We must embrace a new Nigeria where leadership is defined by competence, compassion, and commitment,’ he said.

Despite his searing criticism, Obi urged Nigerians not to despair. ‘Nigeria’s potential for greatness remains. Against all odds, we will return Nigeria to the path of prosperity and justice. The mission is clear: Nigeria will rise again,’ he said.

His criticisms echoed those of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which also marked Independence Day with a blistering assessment of the administration. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigeria was ‘staggering under the failures of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).’

‘At 65, our nation faces an acute convergence of crises: economic hardship, spiralling insecurity, and a growing loss of public faith in government,’ Abdullahi said. He argued that the promise of ‘renewed hope’ had given way to widespread disillusionment, with reforms compounding inflation, crushing purchasing power, and triggering ‘a wave of social pain the government has failed to cushion.’

The ADC accused the administration of failing to articulate a comprehensive security strategy, saying citizens were left to fend for themselves amid a fractured and under-resourced security system.

The party also described the APC government as elitist and disconnected from everyday realities.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Foundation has launched the North-West phase of its Vulnerable Farmers Training Programme (VFTP) in Kano, in a bid to foster Nigeria’s agricultural empowerment drive and food security.

The flag-off ceremony brought together about 600 farmers from across the geopolitical zone who will receive three-day training on modern agricultural techniques and market access strategies.

According to the Managing Director of the foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella N. Arukwe, the initiative is part of their commitment to national development beyond energy while focusing on practical agricultural interventions that enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and expand market access.

Represented by the Executive Director, Finance of the foundation, Mrs. Euginia C. Dominion, the MD said, ‘This initiative is not just about training; it’s about transforming rural livelihoods. We are equipping vulnerable farmers, especially women and youth, with the tools to move from subsistence to sustainable income’.

I write this column with a heavy heart on the occasion of my country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary. We must acknowledge the sacrifices it took us to come this far, from those who gave their lives and offered years of dedicated service to ensure that Nigeria is not worse than it is right now. We may not be where we want to be, but the journey has not ended yet.

Still, tragedies like the death of the journalist Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, and the thousands of avoidable tragedies unfolding across the country daily, do not only dampen days like this, when the country should be celebrating a milestone, but continue to shred the already battered optimism Nigerians have about this country.

That optimism we had from commemorating Independence Day as schoolchildren back in the day, standing along the street or in the stadiums with shiny lotioned faces, stiffly pressed uniforms, and hearts full of euphoria to wave past our governors and cheer on the impressive parades all seem so far away now. The children growing up in this generation will only vicariously experience that euphoria through our nostalgic recollection of those days. Sadly, not many Nigerians like to recall those days because it will just retraumatise you over the pains the country has inflicted on us.

Somtochukwu Maduagwu, who died at 29 on Monday morning, somehow retained her optimism for Nigeria. She studied in the UK, returned home to Nigeria, and was enthusiastic about participating in politics because she believed she could contribute to making the country better.

The fact that she died during an armed robbery invasion of her residence in Katampe, Abuja, is shocking enough. What makes it even more painful are the circumstances surrounding this death.

Crime is a universal phenomenon, and there is hardly any society in the world, no matter how wealthy or advanced, that has been able to eradicate it completely. The objective of any well-governed society has always been the mitigation of crime to the barest minimum, and crucially, prompt and effective response to distress calls when crimes happen.

Over the last 65 years of independence, we have not really improved on our crime rates or notably improved our responses to crimes commensurate with our development and population growth.

With increasing access to small arms and light weapons, coupled with increasing social, political, and economic discontent, crime rates over the last 20 years have continued to soar. For example, over the last few months, homicide rates rose by 25 per cent in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with 222 tracked cases against 177 previously, according to the Lagos-based Nigeria Risk Index. In February 2025 alone, there were 83 cases recorded. Mind you, this data is limited and often excludes incidents from hard-to-access regions of the country, of which we know there are far too many.

Over the last few months, we have also witnessed an increase in deaths from banditry and insurgency, with the data showing that at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in the first half of 2025, already exceeding last year’s total.

With one out of five surveyed Nigerians reporting that they were victims of crimes (violent and non-violent) in the last year, it is clear that safety is a major concern in the country and we must actively work to curb crime.

What the numbers mean is that criminals have the audacity to colonise parts of the country, as they have done in parts of the Northwest, the Northeast, and the Southeast, or raid huge apartment blocks and take their sweet time breaking in from one apartment to the other, as they did in Katampe in the early hours of Monday, resulting in the death of Somtochukwu and one of the security men protecting the building.

In all these cases, our security responses have been lamentable, sometimes deliberately slow because even our security personnel sometimes fear to confront the criminals, preferring to show up well after the goons have left with their loot. Far too often, their sacrifices for our safety are ignored, and their families left to suffer in vain.

The most heartbreaking part about Ms Maduagwu’s death is the reported decision of the Maitama General Hospital not to treat her immediately when she was eventually brought to the hospital. Reportedly, they refused to do so until identification was provided and they obtained clearance from the police.

The law has been clear about this. Section 20 of The National Health Act (NHA) 2014, for instance, stipulates that every healthcare provider or health establishment is legally prohibited from refusing any person emergency medical treatment for any reason. Failure to comply constitutes a criminal offence, punishable by a fine, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

The fact that we needed the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Wounds Act 2017, and the Patients’ Bill of Rights 2018, both of which mandate all hospitals, public or private, to accept and treat patients needing emergency care, including those with gunshot wounds or accident victims, without waiting for police clearance or upfront payment, means there is a deeply entrenched culture that needs to be uprooted.

However, the laws notwithstanding, hospitals have continued to refuse patients urgent care over police clearance or upfront payment. For decades, law enforcement has harassed hospitals and law-abiding citizens who have offered emergency assistance or reported crimes or made distress calls on behalf of accident or crime victims. Rushing an injured person to a hospital may as well see you being harassed by law enforcement as a possible perpetrator of a crime. This doesn’t only disincentivise rendering urgent assistance but imposes a habit of wanting to avoid police drama by walking away or hesitating when urgent intervention is required.

With hospitals, the privileging of profit over saving lives, and the fear of police harassment is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath that guides medical conduct. And as we have seen with Somtochukwu’s death, the law notwithstanding, this deeply entrenched culture still persists.

It is this culture that is referred to when Nigerians talk about Nigeria not happening to you. The normalisation of this culture of unjustifiable neglect and lack of empathy or the prioritisation of profit over the sanctity of human life is the bane of our country. And it is not only the hospitals that favour payment over saving lives. Even the police have done this far too often. I have reported before how an accident victim on the Abuja-Keffi express road was allowed to bleed out by the police, who instead of getting him immediately to a hospital, preferred to wait over the offending car that amputated the young boy, to make some quick bucks off the driver.

Or how often have we witnessed or heard tales of police officers refusing to convey victims to emergency medical care because the police vehicles ‘no get fuel,’ and how the car miraculously starts moving once bribes are offered.

So, while people in countries like the US or even the relatively low-crime countries of Scandinavia may be shot in their homes, because people will always have reasons to unleash violence on each other, or suffer accidents, they are almost always assured of emergency help and care. The fact that we cannot say the same about Nigeria is the biggest tragedy of our 65 years of independence, as epitomised today by Somtochukwu’s death.

While there is nothing that can be done to bring her back, to undo the damage that this culture has done to her and her family, and thousands of Nigerian families, there is something that could be done for millions of others, who inevitably will be needing urgent interventions to save their lives. Her death could be a turning point, from which the negligence of both law enforcement and the hospital, if any is detected by the investigation, is properly sanctioned as an example for others. If any parties are found culpable, through negligent conduct or clear violations of the law and the demands of their sworn duties, they should be indicted and penalised as stipulated by the law.

At the same time, we must retrain both security and medical personnel on prioritising human lives ahead of payment or the myth of some police procedural, and commend private citizens who offer emergency assistance instead of harassing them. We must be deliberate about eliminating this detrimental culture that we have imbibed. Until we do, may Nigeria never happen to us.

A medical practitioner, Dr. Abib Olamitoye, has urged operators of medical facilities in Nigeria to always attend to victims of gunshots and robbery before demanding a police report.

Speaking during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, Olamitoye noted that prioritizing treatment would save many victims from preventable deaths that often occur while waiting for clearance from the police.

Olamitoye, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ibadan Central Hospital, suggested that all medical facilities should establish a good working relationship and have the contact phone numbers of police divisions within their jurisdictions for such emergencies.

‘We need to start attending to the victims first, then demand a police report. If a victim or a relative cannot provide a police report in the process of treatment, then hospitals can call the attention of the police, since the victim is under their care and cannot escape in such a condition.

‘The patient must be kept alive first; then we can now talk about the police report, price, hospital card, and other necessary things,’ he said.

A distinguished group of Nigerian thought leaders has endorsed ‘Beneath the Surface,’ a compelling collection of essays and public policy analyses by Dr Dakuku Peterside.

According to a statement by the author, their endorsements, representing the Church, academia, and public service, highlight the book’s significance to Nigeria’s democratic evolution, governance challenges, and human development discourse.

Bishop Matthew Kukah, a prominent Catholic bishop and advocate for justice and democracy; Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State and war studies scholar; Prof. Anya O. Anya, former President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and founding Director-General of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group; and Prof. Kyari Mohammed, historian and former Vice-Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University of Technology as well as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, have all praised Peterside’s new volume.

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Bishop Matthew Kukah, author of Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria (1993), Democracy and Civil Society in Nigeria (2001), and The Church and the Politics of Social Responsibility (2007), writes: ‘Dr. Dakuku Peterside has served us a salad plate of exquisite writing, flowing in prescient prose and narration, an in-depth kaleidoscope of exciting and alluring themes. The author has opened a window for future exploration of the options for a new Nigeria.’

Dr Kayode Fayemi observes: ‘Every so often, we come across remarkable individuals who revive the politician as a public intellectual in our challenged polity. With his incisive and irreverent op-eds now compiled in this volume of essays, Dakuku Peterside offers us a valuable opportunity to learn from his fertile mind about our national foibles and the immense possibilities of building a nation where justice and peace prevail. It is a must-read!’

Professor Emeritus Anya O. Anya, national merit award winner, adds: ‘This book is insightful, incisive, and above all, written from the perspective of Dakuku Peterside’s exceptional experience within the Nigerian context. Only a man of his wide-ranging service in Nigeria could produce such a unique collection of essays that are intellectually challenging yet easy to read. As you journey through this fascinating book, you cannot help but ask: why, despite our rich pool of exceptional human talent and resources, does Nigeria perform so poorly?’

Prof. Kyari Mohammed, historian and former Vice-Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, and pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, states: ‘Beneath the Surface -offers an insightful and comprehensive exploration of the complex Nigerian state and society. In this nuanced and engaging appraisal of his country, Dr. Peterside avoids lamentations, instead deftly pointing the way forward. This book is essential reading for policymakers, academics, and the general public.’

‘Beneath the Surface’ gathers Dakuku Peterside’s most incisive essays on Nigeria’s politics, governance, economy, and society.

Combining straightforward storytelling with rigorous analysis, the book examines the causes of national underperformance and charts practical pathways to reform grounded in accountability, institutional renewal, and human development. It is written for public officials, business leaders, scholars, students, and citizens seeking a more precise understanding-and better solutions-beneath the noise.

The Executive Chairman, Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Oladele Bankole-Balogun, has disclosed that the agency has generated N79billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in nine months.

Bankole-Balogun disclosed this in Benin during a meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, permanent secretaries and directors.

He noted that leakages by MDAs are challenges to sustainable growth and called for an end to it.

‘EIRS has generated N52.6 billion in the first half of 2025, representing a 46 per cent increase over previous periods. The year has not ended and we have generated N79 billion’ he said.

Bankole-Balogun who described revenue as the ‘lifeline of development, noted that Edo must position itself as a frontrunner in implementing the Treasury Single Account (TSA), and align with the Nigerian Tax Reform Acts set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026..

He said the TSA ensures that all government receipts flow through a transparent, centralized account-eliminating cash handling, reducing leakages, and improving accountability.

He said the state must align internal processes, adopt e-receipting and digital reporting, and leverage its informal and digital economy for sustainable growth.

He warned against MDAs operating different accounts in taxes and levies collection, as all IGR funds are to be deposited at the agency’s account in line with the law.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jackson Eribo, Executive Director of MDA Services, listed issues include illegal opening of revenue accounts, cash collections against the state’s cashless policy, and partial remittances as challenges hindering revenue optimisation.

He added that order problems include, fragmentation of systems outside the Edo Revenue Administration System (ERAS), and non-compliance with Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) requirements.

He described the continued violation of the state’s cashless policy through cash collections and partial remittances as a serious challenge.