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Adesina becomes 4th Awo prize recipient *He’s a rare gem – Tinubu, Gowon
Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), was the centre of attraction on Wednesday as praises were showered on him like a fountain from serving and former African Presidents, for his outstanding leadership, as he bagged the prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.
President Bola Tinubu led the chorus, with praises coming from other leaders including the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; Ethiopian President, Sahle-Work Zewde, Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, with Yakubu Gowon, former Nigerian Head of State, describing him as one of the best of Nigerians.
Tinubu, was quoted in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman, as commending the AfDB President for his visionary and noble endeavour to transform agriculture in Africa and ensure food security on the continent, recalling the growth enhancement schemes revolutionising Nigeria’s agriculture value chains he introduced as the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Congratulating the former Nigerian Minister, joined the pantheon of other previous winners of the award such as Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and lawyer-educationist, Chief Afe Babalola, Tinubu said the honour was well-deserved.
“The President acknowledges Dr. Adesina’s unblemished records, tried and tested integrity, as well as his immense leadership and development strides, particularly in agriculture, efforts of which have earned him numerous honours and recognition globally, including the World Food Prize in 2017. President Tinubu wishes the AfDB President more success at AfDB and strength in his service to Africa and to humanity at large,” the statement, said.
The President of the Union of the Comoros and the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, who described him as a pragmatist, an innovator and a visionary whose leadership has given the AfDB a facelift, said of the AfDB boss: “Dr Adesina has an incredible ability to bring leaders together, to dedicate and commit themselves to initiatives that transform African on a daily basis.”
Gowon, in his tribute, while stating that he was deserving of the award, said the former Nigerian Minister represented the best of Nigeria, citing his sterling attributes of hard work, diligence, intimidating academic and professional credentials, amongst others.
“The choice of Dr Akinwumi Adesina can only be described as having been very well done. He represents the best of Nigeria, hardworking, diligent, brilliant, forward-looking, and deeply patriotic,” the former Head of State, said at the ceremony, which held in Lagos.
Emeka Anyoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, in his own commendation to Adesina as the fourth recipient of the prestigious award which was started in the honour of the late sage, Awolowo., also extolled his leadership qualities he said were worthy of emulation, particularly citing his “tremendous achievement” as Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister from 2011 to 2015 and “even more spectacular performance as President of the African Development Bank.
He added: “Out of the many reputable nominations received, members of the selection committee unanimously considered Dr Akinwumi Adesina as having in his career to date in a large measure, the Chief Obafemi Awolowo attribute that I have sought to describe.”
The renowned diplomat said Awolowo “recognised the challenge of careful management of diversity in our pluralistic country and as such articulate his belief that a true federalism is an essential condition for the peace and progress of Nigeria” and his Pan-Africanism was well-represented in his writings and books.
While Hassan, described the awardee as “one of Africa’s finest visionary leaders just like Awolowo,” saying there could not have been a more deserving person than the AfDB President, Zewde, said provision of innovative solutions characterised the AfDB President, while applauding his vision for Africa’s emergence from its challenges, adding: “Today, we are celebrating the son of African for what he has done for being a visionary.”
Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan graced the event while President Bola Tinubu was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Serving governors including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Usman Ododo (Kogi), and Mohammed Bago (Niger), as well as the Chairman of Channels Media Group, Dr John Momoh who presented Adesina’s citation at the event; amongst many fine dignitaries were also present at the event.
Fuel marketers across Abuja on Wednesday continued to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, at old prices more than 24 hours after Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced a reduction in its ex-depot price, Vanguard is reporting.
The paper reported that its investigation, showed that major retail outlets were yet to adjust their pump prices despite the N75 per litre reduction announced by the refinery on Monday.
At the retail stations visited in Abuja, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail and TotalEnergies dispensed petrol at N1,335 per litre, while AA Rano sold at N1,350 per litre. AYM Shafa and Conoil outlets sold the product at N1,330 per litre.
The development comes amid growing public expectations that the reduction in Dangote Refinery’s gantry price would quickly translate into lower pump prices nationwide.
Explaining the delay, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said retail prices are influenced by several factors beyond refinery gate prices.
Speaking to Channels TV, Gillis-Harry said: “Prices reflecting at the pump are dependent on availability of the product, the other is the cost. The cost of purchasing the product and cost in terms of logistics, and preparing the particular petroleum to be delivered to the people”.
According to him, downward price adjustments often take longer to reach consumers because marketers need to recover the cost of existing stock purchased at higher prices before restocking at lower rates.
When asked why increases in fuel prices are usually reflected immediately while reductions are delayed, Gillis-Harry said the dynamics of supply management play a significant role.
He explained: “It is mainly affected by whether the producer has additional resources or not at the time. Increases in prices are mainly caused by the need to restock. There must be that advantage pushing the price upward to be able to pay for new supplies.”
He further acknowledged that marketers generally seek to exhaust existing inventory before implementing lower prices.
“That’s the basic idea. But in petroleum, a mixture is involved, and loss is taken, though not in a way that affects the capital needed to restock,” he added.
Also speaking on the issue, energy analyst Olabode Sowunmi said fuel pricing in Nigeria is influenced by a combination of domestic supply arrangements and logistics costs, rather than crude oil prices alone.
He noted that although international crude oil prices remain an important factor globally, their impact on local petrol pricing is not always direct.
“Global price of crude oil is a factor internationally and not necessarily in Nigeria,” Sowunmi said.
Explaining that Dangote Refinery operates under arrangements that allow a portion of crude supply to be priced in naira, reducing the direct impact of international market fluctuations on local fuel prices, he said: “So basically the issue will have to be from the point of refinery to where it touches the final person. Logistics costs within the domestic supply chain remain a major determinant of the final pump price paid by consumers.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
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