News
2023: Arewa Youth Assembly calls on successful entrepreneurs to join presidential race
The Arewa Youth Assembly has called on successful entrepreneurs and business moguls to join the presidential race ahead of 2023 general election, saying that the nation needed them to bring the experience to bear on governance.
In a statement issued by the Speaker of the group, Comrade Mohammed Salihu Danlami and the National Clerk, Hon. Desmond Minakaro, lamented the endemic corruption that has held the nation hostage, saying that successful entrepreneurs have capacity to change the narrative, since they could make it happen in the private sector.
Chronicling events in Nigeria from independence till date in terms of leadership, the group insisted that the best was yet to come, reasoning that successful private enterpreneurs should show interest in the nation’s presidency.
The statement reads in full: “It is the norm, just a few months to the general elections on which the faith of producing the next president, and of course another set of new leaders is placed upon us, the drums of campaigns shall be beating to make the biggest music. Another election season and the whole country turns into an atmosphere of advertisment for different candidates from different political parties.
“Fellow compatriots, for a better choice of a new leader, we need to trace back and understand our root as a country in other to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past.
“At the point of exit for the colonial masters, the sovereign entity known as Nigeria was placed into the hands of our founding fathers. The very hard working civilians who fought to globally move the country forward, having it placed in organisations like the common wealth.
“A few years later, these founding fathers were ousted in a bloody military coup that caused the lives of so many, including some of the founding fathers on the bases of corruption, inequality in distribution of resources, and suffering of the masses. The military had their run, from one coup to another, but the status quo never got better.
“The Shehu Shagari’s administration was a civilian regime that came in between military coups, probably the reason why he was himself thrown out of office by the same officers on similar accounts of corruption and suffering of the masses.
“After the death of the former head of state Gen. Sani Abacha, we finally had the most peaceful transition of power that saw the return of democracy led by Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, a transition that will turn out to be Nigeria’s longest shot at democracy to date since its independence.
“It was expected that things will get better, Nigeria was set to thrive on a peaceful ground, a safe breathing atmosphere with a lot of opportunities, promises and hopes for not only it’s masses but those of other African countries.
“Unfortunately, Nigeria is still enslaved in the shackles of corruption, poor living condition for its masses, even faced with new set of challenges that were not found previously. What could be the problem? what have we done? where have we gotten it wrong? or are we just cursed like many Nigerians insinuate?
“None of these things are true or even real. The truth of the matter is we lack in our previous leaders is a very important element that is key to the success of individuals amounting all together to the success of any nation that is keen to succeed which is enterpreneurship.
“Marrying leadership with entrepreneurship has been established as idiosyncratic, thus laying a solid foundation of competency, vision, skills for firm and effective leadership. The knowledge and experience an entrepreneur acquires from business exposes him to noting how government affects the private sector, which is the power source of economic growth that propels improvements in living standards of citizens.
“A country like Nigeria that has great and intelligent minds with positive reputations all over the world, the likes of Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, Mr Bode Augusto, Mr Segun Agbaje, Mr Fola Adeola, Alhaji Tunde Folawiyo, Mr Atedo Peterside, Mr Kola Adesina, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr Femi Otedola, Mr Mike Adenuga, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, Mr Herbert Wigwe and Mr Aig Imoukhuede who are boardroom Czars with a vast wealth of knowledge on entrepreneurship, why let Nigeria be run by others who lack such knowledge.
“In entrepreneur that can grow wealth, bear risk in such conditions found in Nigeria surely is suited to better the fortunes too of the nation.
“Nigeria will flourish under such a person, our economy will grow as he or she, is already an employer of labour, and will create employment on a level playing ground for businesses to grow.
“The presence of entreprenuers in politics will serve as mediators between individuals with economic ideas and the body of Government responsible for making and implementing such policies to have a harmonious outcome pushing the country further economically.
“Dear Nigerians, please this time around let it not be about rice, spaghetti, detergents, wrapper, or mere 1 thousand or 2 thousand handed out to you. The right person will make it possible for you to earn more than enough to buy these things, and much more, but also the sense of pride and dignity for being able to stand on your own and provide for yourself and family.
“Let it not be empty promises or the usual polarisation along religious and ethnic lines. Hunger and poverty know not your tribe or faith. Let’s give the private sector and those that have shown true capacity to build something sustainable, that has impacted lives and communities a try.
“Let your voice and vote speak about concerns for the economy, because to have a permanent solution to the economic, security and political crises of this country, we must produce a candidate who has rich knowledge of entrepreneurship, greatly endowed with practical knowledge of the economy as equality begins with economic empowerment.
“We are calling and pleading with the successful private sector players to join the 2023 presidential race, they need to stand up and be counted. Nigeria has given you much, we ask now that you come and be the stewards of our nation, not just a businesses. Come and rescue Nigeria from the shackle of poor leadership.”
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with Niger State Government, is pleased to announce the commencement of flight services to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja, effective April 23, 2025.
Overland Airways will operate three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route. These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
Flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: ‘We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the Commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the Government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the State. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the Executive Governor of the Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the State and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated, “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition—from its construction to its operationalization. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernizing infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the New Niger Aviation, Alhaji Liman Katamba Kutigi, says: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need”, says Capt. Boyo.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Industry leaders have identified important measures to secure telecommunications infrastructures in the country and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected.
They argued that as much as the effective implementation of the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is important, the Order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators.
Speaking at the 7th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit on CNII implementation held Thursday in Lagos, the industry leaders highlighted pressing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorized installations, and cable theft, while proposing actionable solutions to safeguard the country’s critical national infrastructure.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers and poles, attributing the problem to poor maintenance practices. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.
Adebayo also pointed out that community resistance to infrastructure projects has significantly hindered progress. He recounted instances where local communities prevented trucks from accessing sites due to previous unaddressed damages caused by contractors.
“A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects,” he explained.
He urged stakeholders to foster better relationships with communities to prevent such conflicts.
Another critical issue Adebayo identified was the unauthorized installation of infrastructure without government approval, leading to inadvertent damage during road construction projects.
“Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure,” he noted.
He called for improved industry coordination to resolve these challenges internally before seeking external solutions that are promised by the CNII provisions.
Echoing these concerns, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised the need for standardisation and better coordination among stakeholders.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.
“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he explained.
Emoekpere argued that standardisation is the key to long-term sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.
He also emphasized that Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, but implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.
The importance of addressing cable theft and vandalism was further stressed by Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited.
He described the alarming frequency of cable cuts, which disrupt network operations and drive up maintenance costs.
“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.
To combat this growing problem, Owoeye proposed three key approaches, including reorientation, enforcement, and proactive measures.
“We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism. Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for preventive strategies rather than reactive responses. “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration,” he noted.
As a proactive measure, Owoeye proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.
To demonstrate his commitment, he pledged to contribute N500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit.
“This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.
They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
Overland Airways commences flights to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna
We need more than CNII Order to secure telecom investments – Experts
BREAKING: INEC confirms contact details, begins recall process of Senator Natasha from Senate
Confusion in ISWAP, B’Haram camp, as top commanders eliminated in military’s fire power [Pictures]
Breaking: Bello appoints Ohinoyi of Ebira Chairman, Kogi Council of Chiefs
Amid endless salary cut, Bello takes delivery of Mercedes Benz S class, 2019 model worth N98 million
-
News1 week agoBill to establish National Cashew Production and Research Institute in Kogi passes first reading in Senate
-
News1 week agoReport of attack on Wike’s Port Harcourt residence false, misleading – Police
-
News1 week agoShehu Sani debunks Governor Uba Sani’s alleged diversion of LG funds, challenges El-Rufai to publicly tender evidence
-
News1 week agoPlateau gov’t expresses concern over violence in Shendam LGA, calls for calm
-
Politics6 days agoOpposition leaders announce coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027
-
Interview1 week agoSenators Natasha-Akpabio saga should have been resolved privately – Rev. Mrs Emeribe
-
Opinion1 week agoSule Lamido, PDP, and the politics of defection.
-
Foreign4 days agoHouthis declare Ben-Gurion Airport ‘no longer safe’ after renewed Gaza fighting