The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesome Wike, on Thursday berated activist and lawyer, Mike Ozekhome over failure to acknowledge that Nigeria has made some progress since the return of democracy to the country 25 years ago.

Wike spoke in Abuja at the second edition of This Nigeria’s lecture and award event themed “25 Years of Unbroken Democracy: Challenges, Prospects, and Possibilities.”

Ozekhome had in his lecture said democracy as practiced in Nigeria in the past 25 years has has not met the expectations of Nigerians.

He noted that the generation born during this period had no experience of military juntas and repressive regimes.

He called for a new constitution that would reflect the will of the people and for electoral reforms to ensure free and fair elections.

He said democracy are not being practiced in the country in the real sense of people electing those they wanted to lead them.

According to him, votes are not allowed to count in the country. “It is when these happen that you can say the people have elected or selected their leaders. The people become the dog, and those elected become the tail. The tail cannot wag the dog.”

Ozekhome lamented the current situation of things under President Bola Tinubu.

He noted that, “Nigerians are suffering. Nobody should deceive the president. There is mass poverty, degradation, and anger in the land. Don’t let your minders tell you otherwise. Disguise yourself one night, go out, and see the anger and hunger in the land. People are angry because fuel jumped from N192 per litre to between N650 and N800. Small-scale industries, usually the hub of a country, are virtually dead. Who can buy fuel to power a small generator to do barbing?

“The government must look at this, block all loopholes, and cut the large size of government, which is too large and wasteful. We must do away with long convoys. Our convoys are too long. There is a way to empathise with people. We shouldn’t go about buying more aircraft and more vehicles in a country already bleeding economically.”

But Wike disagreed with Ozekhome as he noted that Nigeria has made some progress in 25 years of practising democracy. He noted that Ozekhome himself has admitted that Abuja under the President Tinubu administration had worn a new look.

“The lecturer, Professor Ozekhome, my friend, has made some points, but it will be wrong to sit here without correcting some impressions. First of all, we are talking about 25 years of democracy; we know we have challenges. I expected the lecturer to say, ‘Yes, we have made some progress.’ But throughout his lecture, not one progress was mentioned. It was just criticism, criticism, and criticism. Are you telling me that for 25 years, we have not made any progress? If we have, then we can say yes, we have made this progress, but there is still room for us to move forward. Just like Shehu Sani said about how they were locked up, can he say that under this democracy, that Nigerians have found themselves in the same situation and that there is no progress?”

“Advancements such as improvements in infrastructure in the FCT and proactive efforts in the current administration to restore hope among citizens,” he said.

“Mr. President knows there is a problem; that is why he launched the Renewed Hope Agenda because he knows we have lost hope, but he must work hard to bring back hope for Nigerians. It is not like Mr. President just sits down, and people deceive him. Who does not know that Nigerians are suffering? That is no longer a story, and we should know the difference between theory and practice.”

In conclusions, Wike faced Ozekhome and asked point blank, “About rigging elections, as an activist, how many times have you rejected briefs? You have always defended those who have rigged the elections.”

Also reacting to assertions by Senator Shehu Sani, a discussant at the lecture, Wike said, “The mere fact that you people were activists does not mean you will do well. Activists have always failed. When you were in the Senate, how did we perform as senators?”

Sani, a former senator and an activist, reflected on the challenges faced by activists and leaders in the struggle for democracy and underscored the sacrifices and injustices endured during those tumultuous times.

He highlighted the importance of perseverance and collaboration in striving for democratic ideals.

Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi of Mass Communication, Department, School of Postgraduates Studies, Baze University, said that democracy “requires constant effort and the responsibility of citizens is to work towards a better democratic system.

“American democracy, often seen as the bastion of democracy, has been around for centuries but still faces challenges.

“While it is one of the most functional and referenced democracies, it is not the best.

“Our election processes are marred by controversies and violence.

“We need to improve gender representation and ensure inclusivity in governance, reflecting the true nature of democracy.

“To strengthen our democracy, we need to focus on election integrity, credible leadership and systemic change.

“Corruption remains a persistent problem and our institutions are weak.

“We need a synergy to build a self-regulating democratic system, not give up and continually strive for more democracy”.

The publisher of ThisNigeria, Mr Eric Osagie, said that the 2024 edition celebrated and critically examine Nigeria’s quarter-century of uninterrupted democratic governance, discussing its prospects and possibilities.

Osagie said that the Gold Prize Awards were presented to individuals who had demonstrated outstanding contributions to the nation’s democratic development.

“Our 2024 Awardees are persons who made the critical difference in the discharge of their duties with uncommon zeal and commitment to the common good of the citizens and the country,” he said.

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, says some private jet owners use their aircraft for money laundering and drug trafficking.

Keyamo spoke on Thursday, during the inauguration of a ministerial task force committee on illegal private chartered operations and related matters in Abuja.

The minister said he had set a five-point agenda that would guide him and his team in discharging the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he assumed office.

He said the five-point agenda encapsulates safety, infrastructure, support for local operators, human capacity development and revenue generation.

Accordingly, he said the ministry has identified issues within the aviation industry “that we must tackle headlong”.

“It has come to my attention, through a series of disturbing reports, that the practice of illegal charter operations is thriving within the aviation industry, thereby undermining the efforts of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory bodies,” he said.

“These illicit activities have not only resulted in significant financial losses to the Federal Government but have also raised security and safety concerns as the operations of private aircraft owners have remained largely unchecked and unregulated.”

This, Keyamo said, has also resulted in using private aircraft for other illegal activities.

“Last week, the National Security Adviser wrote to us, alerting us of the spike in money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities through the use of private aircraft in the country,” the minister said.

“It appears that Private Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) operators have become increasingly emboldened, continuing their illegal operations with the assistance of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders who collect tolls and list these illegal charters under their AOCs.

“We have received alarming reports that some crew members have not attended mandatory simulator trainings for nearly three years and are flying with fraudulently-obtained renewed licenses.

“Many of these individuals are operating planes registered under PNCF but are conducting illegal charter operations with impunity.

KEYAMO CONSTITUTES COMMITTEE

To combat the illegal operators, the minister announced the immediate composition of a ministerial task force on illegal private charter operations and related matters.

He said some of the responsibilities of the task force include taking “inventory of all permit for non-commercial flights (PNCF) holders and air operator certificate (AOC) holders, to determine why the practice of illegal charters by PNCF holders persists in the country despite regulatory controls”.

The task force, according to the minister, was also created to “call in all professional licenses of pilots and crew in the country and determine their authenticity and validity, and to recommend to the Minister any additional measures to be taken by regulatory agencies to stem this ugly tide”.

He said the committee is expected to recommend appropriate penalties to be imposed by the regulatory agencies on defaulters and additional measures to monitor private aircraft operations in Nigeria.

The minister added that the members of the task force have been carefully selected from within the aviation industry and are people of high repute and integrity.

He named Ado Sanusi as chairman of the committee, Roland Iyayi, as vice-chairman, and acting director of air transport, aviation ministry as secretary.

Other members of the committee, he said, include Theresa Babayo, director of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Olayinka Oyesola, commander of the presidential air fleet; Daniel Quansah; Patrick Ogunlowo; and Obafemi Bajomo, Keyamo’s special assistant (SA).

1. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, hosted Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his Abuja residence, on Thursday. El-Rufai hosted the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, former presidential candidate, a few days after visiting former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.

2. Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, tackled Mike Ozekhome, Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, at a programme in Abuja, on Thursday over claims that the country has not made progress since it returned to democracy. Wike, who was an awardee at This Nigeria Lecture and Award, said previous speakers acted as if there has been no gain for the country under democracy.

3. There was fear among successful candidates being recruited for the Constable cadre into the Nigeria Police Force following a recent crash witnessed by the recruitment portal of the Police Service Commission. It was learnt that the portal, containing the list of successful candidates for the recently concluded recruitment, could not be accessed again.

4. The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the arrest of two officers of the Commission allegedly involved in the manhandling of a female staff of Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos.

5. Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the red chamber will approve funds for the purchase of a new presidential jet if requested by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Speaking during plenary on Thursday, Akpabio, however, said he had not received any correspondence from the President requesting the Senate’s approval for a presidential jet.

6. President Bola Tinubu has approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme during the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja. According to a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the programme is aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening the economy, and providing immediate economic relief for Nigerian households.

7. The Lagos State Police Command has commenced an investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding the death of the former Chief Executive Officer of Konga, one of Nigeria’s e-commerce giants, Nick Imudia, who reportedly died by suicide at his residence in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

8. The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, on Thursday, expressed the determination of the police to apprehend the killers of six traders in the Okigwe area of the state, assuring the residents, particularly the traders at the Gariki Market, in the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state of their maximum safety and security.

9. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to punish two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) – Ifedayo Adedipe and Abdulwahab Muhammed – for contempt. It is for their failure to honour their commitment to produce the immediate-past Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello for arraignment.

10. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi State, yesterday staged a peaceful protest, urging President Bola Tinubu to implement Prof. Nimi Briggs’ recommended salaries for academic staff of federal universities. The protesting members marched from their secretariat in the Yelwa campus to the main gate, holding placards with various inscriptions to draw attention to their plight over the years.