General
SERAP Urges Tinubu to Stop Wike, Governors from Giving Cars, Houses to Judges
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop the practices of governors and the Minister of the FCT giving cars, houses, and others to judges.
In its latest latter, the organisation called on the President to “stop the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike and Nigeria’s 36 governors from usurping the authority and responsibilities of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and heads of court through giving cars and houses to judges.”
“Such practices are clearly antithetical to the constitutional principles of separation of powers, checks and balances and the rule of law, and may create the perception that the judiciary is subservient to the executive,” the group noted.
SERAP also urged him to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) as a defender of public interest, to challenge in court the constitutionality and legality of the practices by members of the executive of giving cars and houses to judges in Abuja and across the states.
In the open letter dated November 9, 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Politicians ought to keep their hands off the judiciary and respect and protect its integrity and independence. Politicians must treat judges with dignity and respect.”
It said the Nigerian Constitution and international standards make clear that the judiciary is neither subservient to the executive nor the legislature.”
The letter, copied to Ms Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, read in part: “Undermining the fundamental principle of separation of powers risks constraining the ability of the judiciary to act as a check on the executive.”
“SERAP urges you to substantially improve funding for the judiciary to enhance their working conditions, welfare and pensions through existing constitutional arrangements and mechanisms, to uphold the independence and autonomy of the judiciary and to protect judges from executive interference.
“Your government has the constitutional and international obligations to promote public confidence in the judiciary and safeguard the rule of law.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government and the attorneys general of the 36 states to comply with our request in the public interest.
“The reports that members of the executives in the FCT and across several states are giving cars and houses to judges appear to take place without following any constitutional or procedural process, which may have a chilling effect on the rule of law and access to justice and effective remedies,” it argued.
SERAP also noted that while exercising his powers under section 5 of the Nigerian Constitution former president Mohammadu Buhari signed Executive Order No.10 of 2020, to ensure that the judicial arms of government in the 36 states of the federation no longer have to wait on state governors for funds.
“Specifically, the Executive Order states that allocation of appropriated funds to the state judiciary in the state appropriation laws in their annual budget shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State, as a First Line Charge,” it said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of Oando Plc, Mr Wale Tinubu, says the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is now the largest financier of oil and gas projects on the African continent.
Mr Tinubu said the bank has committed over $25 billion in Africa’s oil and gas sector while speaking at the Royal African Society’s conference in London on the next 125 years of mining, oil and gas in Africa, according to a social media post on Wednesday.
“Afreximbank is now the largest financier of oil and gas on this continent, with more than twenty-five billion dollars committed,” he wrote on X.
Mr Tinubu said 20 years ago, when Oando wanted to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, “we were told what would be required of us”.
He said the company was directed to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), while the board was also asked to appoint independent directors who could tell the founder “no”.
“Get on a plane and explain ourselves, quarter after quarter, to people who had never set foot in Lagos. It was uncomfortable. It was also the most valuable thing we ever did to ourselves,” he said.
“I returned to that experience in London at the Royal African Society’s (@royafrisoc) discussion on the next 125 years of mining, oil and gas in Africa, where I was asked what African companies need in order to scale.
“The answer begins at home. Much of African enterprise started out fractured; family-held, informally governed, structurally invisible to anyone underwriting a twenty-year risk. Global capital hesitates over what it cannot examine.”
The Oando CEO said governance is more than a compliance exercise, describing it as an instrument that makes a company legible to the world.
“The second half of the answer sits with the world. When European lenders withdrew from African hydrocarbons in pursuit of their own net zero commitments, they did not end demand for African energy,” he said.
“They ended their participation in it. African institutions stepped into that space.”
Mr Tinubu said African firms have done the harder work “of making ourselves investable”, noting that what does not get financed does not get built, and “there is still much to build in Africa for those willing to build it with African companies”.
In Nigeria, the bank has been a major financier of the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery, including a $1.35 billion facility in 2025 to refinance construction costs and a further $2.5 billion underwriting commitment in 2026.
The bank has also supported the development of the 200,000 barrels-per-day Lobito Refinery in Angola, the 60,000 barrels-per-day Cabinda Refinery, and the refurbishment of Nigeria’s 210,000 barrels-per-day Port Harcourt Refinery. It has additionally approved financing for the BUA and Azikel refineries in Nigeria and supported Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage in Côte d’Ivoire.
Beyond refining, Afreximbank committed up to $400 million in guarantees and direct lending to Mozambique’s Area 1 LNG project, one of Africa’s largest LNG developments, to support the extraction, processing and liquefaction of offshore gas.
In Angola, the bank helped arrange a $1.75 billion syndicated facility for Sonangol to support the national oil company’s operating and capital expenditure requirements. It has also been mandated to advise on raising capital for Equatorial Guinea’s $4.5 billion EG-27 LNG project, which is expected to produce about 2.4 million tonnes of LNG annually. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the lender is supporting preparations for a 200MW reservoir-based hydropower project along the Lufira River, designed to provide electricity to mining operations.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Ogoni people have been assured of a good deal emanating from the ongoing dialogue with the federal government on the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area.
This assurance was given by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) through its leader, Mr Fegalo Nsuke, at the group’s steering committee meeting on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by the Secretary General of MOSOP, Mr Alex Akori, it was stressed that for over 30 years, the Ogoni people have sought a mutual dialogue with the central government, and that is now ongoing, with substantial progress being made on the part of community mobilisation and the dialogue process.
“For over 30 years, we have advocated for a peaceful resolution of the Ogoni conflicts. I am glad that the dialogue is ongoing and it is going well. I am also very optimistic that we will strike a good deal from the process,” Mr Nsuke stated.
He described the dialogue process as a reward for non-violence, urging other regions of the country to emulate the peaceful resistance of the Ogoni people rather than taking to armed struggle.
“The Ogoni dialogue process is significant for several reasons. First, it has gained overwhelming acceptance as a pathway to resolve the Ogoni problem, and that is very important. Secondly, it is an encouragement for non-violent struggles. Thirdly, it is people-centred and designed to accelerate development in Ogoni,” Mr Nsuke added.
He thanked the Ogoni people for giving peace a chance and for accepting to go into a dialogue describing the initiative as one of the best decisions ever taken in the direction of a three-decade search for peace, development and a new beginning for the Ogoni people.
In a related development, the MOSOP Steering Committee, the highest decision-making organ of the organisation, elected Mr Nwale Emereonwi, Mr Kpoobari Gbidum, and Lekue Zini as Deputy President, Assistant Secretary-General, and President of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has formally transitioned into the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) following President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026.
The Act establishes NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of ports in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Mr Ibrahim Shema, chairman of the NPERA governing board, described the development as a major institutional reform aimed at creating a more transparent, predictable, and competitive port environment.
Mr Shema said NPERA would be responsible for the economic regulation of port services and related activities, including tariffs and charges, licensing, service standards, fair competition, commercial dispute resolution, trade facilitation, and protection of port users.
He said the new framework is expected to provide greater regulatory certainty for shipping lines and terminal operators, while offering importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and clearing agents more predictable procedures, fairer charges, and improved mechanisms for resolving disputes.
The chairman clarified that the establishment of NPERA does not create a competing authority with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“While the Nigerian Ports Authority will retain responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions, NPERA will provide independent economic oversight within its statutory mandate,” Mr Shema said.
He said NPERA’s regulatory approach will be anchored on five principles: transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency, and accountability.
The board’s chairman said the new agency would deploy technology and data to strengthen licensing, tariff administration, monitoring, compliance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
“The agency also plans to work with key maritime institutions, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, NIMASA and the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as terminal operators, shipping lines, freight forwarders, manufacturers, investors and other industry stakeholders,” he said.
Mr Shema said the immediate priority is to ensure an orderly transition from the NSC to NPERA, while maintaining continuity in essential regulatory functions and preserving institutional knowledge.
The chairman stressed that the success of the new agency would ultimately be measured by its impact on port users and the wider economy.
“Effective implementation of the Act should translate into better services, greater efficiency, lower uncertainty, fair competition, and stronger trade facilitation,” Shema added.
On his part, Mr Pius Akutah, executive secretary and chief executive of NPERA, expressed optimism that the new law would significantly clarify the regulatory environment governing Nigeria’s ports within the next one to two years.
Mr Akutah said the NPERA Act would give the agency stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the interests and welfare of port users and other stakeholders, adding that the new regulatory framework would enable the agency to deliver a more efficient, transparent, and competitive Nigerian port system.
