There seem to be trouble following the announcement of Eric Chelle as the new Super Eagles coach on Tuesday.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is under fire as MC Oran of Algeria has revealed that the newly appointed Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is still under contract with the club.

Despite having a contract with MC Oran, the NFF went on to name Chelle the Super Eagles’ head coach on Tuesday.

This move has caused friction with the Algerian club, which reportedly feels Chelle’s departure undermines its ongoing project.

Chelle reportedly attended training with MC Oran on Wednesday, but the club then called for an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

The Club highlighted the need to protect “the rights of both parties.”

“This meeting will determine whether he stays or leaves the team, especially since he is still under contract,” the club stated per BSN.

There appears to be a clause in Chelle’s contract that allows him to leave if offered a national team position.

This clause was triggered by the NFF’s offer, leading to Chelle’s acceptance of the Super Eagles job.

The outcome of the meeting between Chelle and MC Oran remains uncertain.

It’s possible Chelle could remain with the Algerian club if a solution is reached, or he may be released after the contractual clause is exercised.

Bauchi Central senator, Abdul Ningi, on Thursday queried the economic team of the federal government over failure to explain how proceeds from the removal of fuel subsidy was expended last year.

Mr Ningi, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenged the government officials when they appeared before the Senate Committee on Appropriations to defend budgetary allocations of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government.

President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy on 29 May, 2023 during his inauguration. The removal of subsidy and the floating of naira policy have led to hardship in the country following rising costs of goods and services. Many have protested against the policies and demanded immediate reversal, but the government insisted they would eventually benefit Nigerians.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the federal government pays an average of N501.47 as subsidy on each litre of petrol, in at least eight cities. But the government repeatedly denied it.

During Thursday’s budget defence, the Bauchi senator asked the economic team led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to disclose the status of the fuel subsidy. He also demanded an explanation on the actual status of Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing.

“We haven’t heard from the minister how much has been saved from the removal of fuel subsidy and how much has been expended,

“We also haven’t heard from the minister about the debt servicing. How much have we actually used to service our debt in 2024? How much are we expecting to service the debt in 2025,” he said.

Mr Ningi also complained about the poor performance of the 2024 budget, especially the implementation of capital projects across the country. He specifically asked whether the federal government would achieve all proposed capital projects in the 2024 budget before its expiration in June.

“Finally, will the minister of finance guarantee that the extension of the capital component of the 2024 budget to June 30, 2025 will give the desired results in terms of implementation that has a very low percentage now,” the senator asked.

Responding, Mr Edun requested that the senators should discuss the questions privately “Are we in a closed door session? If we are not in a closed door session , I will humbly seek for that for detailed explanations on the questions asked,” the minister pleaded.

Thereafter, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan, directed the committee members to go into closed-door session to discuss the issues. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, was also present during the budget defence.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.

The Appellate Court, in a judgment delivered on Friday, held that Bayero was denied fair hearing due to the shoddy manner in which a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him.

Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who delivered the lead judgement, stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to enable him to present his case.

Justice Mustapha held that all courts of law are bound to ensure justice for all parties by giving them equal opportunities, adding that the conduct of the proceedings against Bayero amounted to a travesty of justice.

Specifically, the Appellate Court held that Bayero ought to have been served with a hearing notice to allow him to present his grievances before judgment was delivered against him in what it described as a shoddy arrangement.

The Court of Appeal, therefore, ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to be reassigned to another judge for expeditious determination.

Justice Mustapha did not award costs against the respondents in the appeal filed by Ahaji Ado Bayero.

The Federal Government has confirmed that a new national air carrier will soon be established in Nigeria.

Abubakar Kana, the newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, made this announcement during the recent handing-over ceremony at the ministry. Kana revealed that the creation of a national air carrier is a key priority, and he is committed to seeing it through.

Kana also pledged to overhaul airports across the country, ensuring they meet international standards. “Resources are scarce; we need to embrace the private sector to support Nigeria’s aviation industry,” he added.

Kana, who previously served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, underscored the importance of aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” for the aviation sector. He assured full support for the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in realizing both the national carrier and airport upgrades.

In his farewell speech, the outgoing Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, expressed his gratitude to the ministry and Nigerians for the opportunity to contribute to the sector’s growth. He highlighted that while his time in service had ended, the progress of the aviation ministry would continue. Meribole called on ministry staff to extend the same cooperation and teamwork to Kana.

“No man is perfect, but I have always wished to leave a place better than how I met it, and I believe I have done that,” he said.

Dr. Udechukwu Osakwe, Director of Finance and Accounts, and Mustapha Abdullahi, Registrar of the African Aviation Aerospace University, both praised Meribole’s dedication to service and meritocracy. Barr. Odugbesan, Director of Legal Services and Senior Adviser to the Minister of Justice, also commended Kana’s leadership skills and passion for talent development.

The event concluded with the signing and handover of the ministry’s strategic and financial documents to Kana.

This announcement follows recent controversies surrounding the Nigeria Air project, signaling the government’s renewed focus on reviving the national air carrier.

Despite the Federal Government’s multi-billion-naira border surveillance systems launched in 2019, illegal migrants, some of whom have been identified as bandits, terrorists and kidnappers, continue to cross into Nigeria from the Republics of Benin, Chad, Niger, Mali and Cameroon.

This is as the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said e-border surveillance is now being mounted across the nation’s borders with its neighbouring countries.

“As we speak, more than half of our borders have been automated. There are visuals, and a lot of processes going on now. So, effectively, there is e-border surveillance now in our borders.

“By October (2024), we will be done with the first phase of the e-border surveillance project, including our marine borders. Now, we have the command and control for air and land. You cannot secure your borders effectively without technology,” Tunji-Ojo said in a live national television programme in May 2024.

At the launch of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex in early December 2024, the minister said about 250 trained Immigration Service personnel run 24-hour shifts at the e-border control centre.

However, some foreigners still crossed to Nigeria from the Republic of Benin through the Baruten/Kaiama border posts despite the closure of the border by the FG.

Checks by The PUNCH from residents of border communities in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara state revealed that illegal immigrants still crossed the border into the country daily.

The immediate past chairman of Baruten Local Government Council, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said that citizens of the Benin Republic are still migrating into the country through several illegal routes.

Abdullahi said, “Although the border posts have been closed since 2020 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to beef up security, the border closure has not stopped citizens of Benin Republic who are our neighbours from coming into the country.”

“The e-border control system installed to stop the illegal immigrants from coming to the country had not stopped their citizens from entering Nigeria,” Abdullahi, who ended his tenure as the council chairman in September 2024, added.

The Federal Executive Council approved N52bn for the e-border surveillance system in 2019 to monitor and provide real-time information from major border posts nationwide.

However, the project faced delays due to funding challenges and did not commence until 2022. Nigeria’s extensive borders, covering approximately 5,330 kilometres, have numerous illegal entry points and present ongoing security challenges.

The Nigeria Immigration Service says it has since deployed advanced e-border solutions to over 80 crossing points nationwide, marking the project’s first phase. It says the e-border system offers real-time, 24/7 monitoring and intelligence, enabling better tracking and management of border activities.

Speaking in a telephone with The PUNCH on Monday, the Emir of Yashikira, a border community in Baruten LGA, Umoru Usman, said foreigners cross into the locality daily.

Usman explained, “Despite the border closure and the e-border control system installed by the Federal Government to stop illegal immigration into the country, which are all moves by the government to ensure security, the people from the Benin Republic who are our neighbours still crossed the border. Though we cannot give the figure, people are still crossing the borders on a daily basis.”

When reached for the comments, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kenneth Udo, did not respond to calls to his mobile line. Also, text messages sent to his mobile and WhatsApp number were not answered as of this report.

Meanwhile, the Eselu of Iselu, Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, on Monday, said that the purported N9bn e-border control system project initiated under the Buhari government has failed to check the influx of illegal migrants into the country.

The royal father said there has been a steady increase in the number of illegal migrants moving into the country from the Benin Republic due to the absence of tangible barricades or landmarks demarcating the borders of both countries.

He attributed the influx of illegal migrants for the surge in crime.

Oba Akinyemi said, “The N9bn e-border control system project is a white elephant project just like the botched Nigeria Airways” under the same government of President Buhari.

He expressed doubts about the existence of any e-border control system along the land border with neighbouring Benin Republic.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje on Wednesday threw his weight behind the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka.

Ganduje also described claims attributed to the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as misleading, an act he said incited his online supporters to troll Morka.

He disclosed this in a statement personally signed by him in Abuja.

His clarification comes a few hours after the APC spokesman claimed that he and his family received 200 death threats over his inflammatory remarks from pro-Obi supporters.

Morka alleged that the threats were triggered by Obi’s accusation that his remarks during a Sunday interview on Arise Television constituted a threat to the Labour Party candidate’s life.

Morka’s earlier interview on Sunday sparked an outrage after he accused Obi of “crossing the line” in his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, asserting that Obi “deserved whatever came his way.”

His inflammatory remarks prompted Obi to tweet, asking Nigerians if he had truly crossed the line by attempting to the Tinubu’s administration accountable to the people
Morka, on Wednesday, claimed that Obi’s supporters were after him, allegedly sending 400 threats, including 200 death threats.

Morka said, “Peter Obi’s allegations that my words in that interview threatened his life have triggered serious consequences.

[b]“In these messages, individuals have detailed how they plan to harm me—threatening to shoot me, behead me, and carry out other gruesome acts. This is not mere rhetoric. It has even extended to direct threats against some members of my family. These are explicit and graphic threats, not vague insinuations.

“This entire situation is baseless and cannot be attributed to me. I did not threaten Peter Obi in any way. Those issuing these threats are acting on their own, but I trust that law enforcement will respond swiftly to bring them to justice.”

Ganduje, throwing his weight behind Morka on Wednesday, accused Obi of inciting an online mob against the ruling party.

Ganduje said, “By falsely claiming that Morka threatened his life, Mr Obi has libelled him in the extreme and incited his online supporters to issue death threats against Morka and his family.

“Morka’s comments during the interview were strictly in response to a question referencing ‘prophets of doom’ and ‘voodoo economics.’ Nothing in his statement constituted or suggested a threat to Obi or anyone else.

“Does Mr Obi expect the APC to fold its arms and allow the opposition to propagate falsehoods without any response?” Ganduje queried.

Ganduje maintained that the APC would continue to counter baseless allegations with facts against the Tinubu-led administration.

“Tinubu should learn some lessons from NPP’s fall in Ghana. It is widely believed that corruption, harsh economic policies and arrogance towards the plight of the people are the key reasons that led to the ruling party’s loss.

But this is more than a reflection of what is happening in Nigeria today. Even without the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, Tinubu is walking into 2027 on an electoral tightrope.

The election that brought Tinubu in 2023 bore some similarities with 1979 presidential election in which Shagari won with a minority vote (33.77 percent). Tinubu too won election with a minority vote, polling only 36.61% of the total votes cast, leaving the two leading opponents to share significant chunks.

“You cannot subject people to hunger and hardship if you bank on their support on election day. It’s clear Tinubu is relying on repressive state apparatus and a rogue electoral umpire more than the electorate“.

The problem with using this formula is that it does not stand a gale of change. When it blows, INEC and security agents will turn against the ruling party as they’re not exempt from subsidy removal, inflation, tax increase, electricity stratification, etc.