Business
Obi, Soludo, Uba Shun Anambra Guber Debate …Ngige Says I Will Talk To Kidnappers, Armed Robbers
Three major players in the 2010 governorship race in Anambra State, the incumbent governor, Mr Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Prof Charles Soludo of the People Democratic Party, PDP and Labour Party’s Dr Andy Uba, yesterday shunned public debate organized for all the governorship candidates in the state, by the Nation newspaper in conjunction with Silverbird Television held at Tourist Garden Hotel, Awka, Anambra State.
Our correspondent who covered the event reports that the affected candidates neither put up physical appearance nor sent representatives at the occasion, till the end of the event at about 5.30pm.
Until the time of filing this report no reason was given as to why the candidates could not be physically reached or through their mobile phones by this reporter to explain why they acted the way they did.
However, worried over the present insecurity of lives and property in the state a former governor of the State, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, has promised if reelected as governor come February 6, he would talk to armed robbers and kidnappers in the area to stop their nefarious acts to enable the people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed.
Dr Ngige, who is now contesting the governorship position of the state on the platform of the Action Congress (AC), instead of his former party PDP, made the promise yesterday while speaking on the occasion of the public debate entitled “Anambra Decides: Governorship Debate 2010”.
Describing himself as one of the foundation members of the ruling party PDP, Dr Ngige also promised that if elected, he would build an independent power plant in the state so as to attract more industries to check the high rate of youth unemployment in the area, adding that his government would not toy with youths who are leaders of tomorrow.
He made it clear that during his 33 months in office as governor of the state “ I got out your treasury from the so called God fathers and merchants and gave it back to you. The major thing we have to do for you now is to make you human beings again by restoring security of lives and property back. I did it before and I know the magic with which I did it. The security of the state must be used to maintain the security integrity of that state”, he advised.
Also speaking, chief George Okoye of the NMPP, identified the problem of the people of Anambra state as the imposition of unpopular candidates on the state.
Chief Okoye regretted that Anambra state had never had a master plan , wondering how the state could develop without a blue print, promising that all pensioners in the state would be paid if he wins the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Candidates from other political parties present at the occasion that attracted hundreds of thousands of Anambrarians equally made promises to the people of the state should they win the February 6, 2010 governorship election in the state which has been described in many quarters as home of champions.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the managing Director of Nation Newspaper, Victor Ifije, said their aim of organizing the debate to ensure that the best candidate was elected as governor of the state next month in the over all interest of the people.
He, therefore, advised the people of the state not to misuse the opportunity offered by the forthcoming election, adding that it is time for them to take their destiny in their own hands.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos