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Fresh Plot to Blackmail Amnesty Programme Boss, Charles Dokubo Uncovered

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Charles Dokubo

A new plot has been hatched aimed at tarnishing the image of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Charles Dokubo.

The plot, which is already in its advanced stage, is orchestrated by individuals who have failed in their bids to force Dokubo to award contracts to them.

This newspaper gathered that Prof. Dokubo has severally turned down overtures by those behind the plot, and now to get at him, they have resorted to blackmailing him.

In one of the campaigns of calumny, an online portal had reported award of fictitious contracts to the tune of N3.2 billion within a period of one month to two companies allegedly fronting for the Amnesty Programme coordinator.

But in a statement signed by special assistant on Media to the office, Murphy Ganagana, urged members of the public to ignore the alleged N3.2 billion contract scam report.

The statement however noted that it was not the wish of the agency to ‘dissipate valuable time and energy in recapping the “wholesomely fallacious report’’.

According to him, the online portal from which the story emanated had become notorious in purveying fake news and promoting blackmail to nauseating level, adding that the attempt to drag the image of the highly revered wife of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari and the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno, to the mud to score a point was appalling.

The statement read in part: “To put the records straight, we wish to state as follows: It is true that a contract for empowerment of 300 Niger Delta youths in oil and gas instrumentation was awarded to Messrs Glassfa Continental Ltd, and another contract for training and empowerment of 400 delegates in coastal fishing was awarded to Innotek Royal Services Limited.

“However, the two contracts in question were beyond the threshold of the Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator, Amnesty Programme. Therefore, in line with statutory guidelines and regulations, a Due Process No Objection was sought and obtained from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) vides a letter OSAPND/GCL/VT/2018/11010 dated 19th October, 2018. Consequently, approval for award of contracts to the two companies was granted by the BPP.”

It added that contrary to the allegation that payment had been made to the two companies even though work has not commenced, “we wish to state with emphasis that no dime has been paid to any of the two companies. It is pertinent to state that processes leading to payment of 15 per cent of contract sum are yet to be completed for the two companies which have not been handed delegates for training. Files of the two companies on the contracts have not reached the Prof. Dokubo’s table.

“On the allegation of 30 companies discovered to have been perpetrating contract fraud worth billions of Naira by an external auditing committee said to have been inaugurated by Prof. Dokubo, it existed only in the imagination of the publishers of Pointblanknews as NO such committee was inaugurated at the Amnesty Office under Prof. Dokubo, and no contract fraud was unearthed at any time.”

The office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Professor Dokubo has witnessed substantial achievements in the last one year. On assumption of office on March 13, 2018, Charles Quaker Dokubo, an erudite professor and nuclear scientist had a clear mandate: to retool the programme to make it more robust and impactful for the enlisted ex-agitators in the Niger Delta with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable peace and development in all facets of the region.

Barely three months on, precisely in 100 days, leaders and stakeholders in the Niger Delta, are convinced of President Muhammadu Buhari’s quest to transform the region through the instrumentality of the amnesty programme with the appointment of Prof. Dokubo who they describe as a messiah that has come to chart a new path for the programme. Their conviction is apparently based on his sterling performance and achievements within a short period.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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QNET’s Global Reach in 100+ Countries: What International Access Means for Local Distributors

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QNET

Global scale means market access and international supply chains. For individual distributors in direct selling, it can shape everything from product availability to income stability and long-term opportunity.

QNET, the multinational wellness and lifestyle direct selling company, positions its business model around that idea: connecting locally based independent distributors to an international operating platform. With activity spanning more than 100 countries, the company sits within a direct selling industry that, according to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), has stabilized after several relatively volatile post-pandemic years.

Global Reach Within a Stabilizing Industry

The WFDSA’s latest global report estimates worldwide direct selling retail sales at roughly $163.9 billion in 2024, essentially flat year over year. That flat performance, however, masks gradual improvement beneath the surface. Nearly half of reporting markets showed growth in 2024, and average market growth rates rebounded to positive territory.

The report estimates more than 104 million independent sales representatives globally in 2024, a figure that has remained largely stable year over year.

This stabilization sets a backdrop for companies like QNET. A global footprint is no longer about rapid expansion alone; it is increasingly tied to resilience: operating across regions with different economic cycles, consumer behaviors, and growth trajectories.

For distributors, this matters because opportunities extend beyond individual effort. They are often shaped by the health of the company’s broader channel and product reach.

A Platform Designed for Distributed Entrepreneurship

QNET’s model centers on local execution supported by centralized infrastructure. Products—ranging from nutritional supplements and wellness devices to home and lifestyle solutions—are sold through the company’s proprietary e-commerce platform. Independent distributors do not manage warehouses, shipment logistics, or customer service systems.

As Ramya Chandrasekaran, who heads communications at QNET, explained in a recent interview, the company views direct selling as a form of accessible “micro-entrepreneurship.” The idea is to reduce the operational burden typically associated with starting a business, allowing distributors to focus on product education, customer relationships, and market development.

Why Global Scale Changes the Distributor Equation

One practical benefit of international reach is product continuity. WFDSA data shows that wellness products account for roughly 29% of global direct selling sales, making it the largest category worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific region, the largest direct selling region by sales, wellness represents more than 40% of total category share.

QNET’s emphasis on wellness and lifestyle products places distributors in line with the strongest demand segments globally. Instead of relying on narrow local trends, distributors operate within product categories that have shown consistent global interest.

International scale also supports consistency in training, compensation structures, and digital tools. Distributors in different countries access identical back-end systems, tracking referrals, commissions, and orders through the same platform. This standardization reduces friction and uncertainty, particularly for individuals operating in markets where informal commerce is common.

Workforce Shifts

The WFDSA’s report highlights notable shifts in the global direct selling workforce. Women continue to make up more than 70% of participants worldwide, and representation among individuals aged 35 to 54 remains the largest cohort.

Independent Distributors increasingly value flexibility, long-term viability, and support systems that allow them to operate sustainably rather than aggressively scale. QNET’s emphasis on digital access, centralized operations, and gradual business building reflects those priorities.

For many participants, especially those balancing work with caregiving or other responsibilities, direct selling infrastructure offers a way to stay engaged at their own pace.

Training, Exposure, and Cross-Market Learning

QNET’s international conventions and training programs connect distributors across regions, creating informal networks for peer learning. Events that draw participants from dozens of countries expose distributors to varied approaches to sales, customer engagement, and market adaptation.

This mirrors one of WFDSA’s broader conclusions: direct selling increasingly functions as a global learning ecosystem, with companies providing tools and education that help individuals navigate uncertain economic conditions.

For distributors, exposure to cross-border experiences can recalibrate expectations, reinforcing that success often comes from steady engagement rather than rapid recruitment or short-term activity.

International Access, Interpreted Locally

Despite its global scale, QNET’s business ultimately plays out in local communities. Distributors adapt messaging around wellness, home quality, and lifestyle enhancement to cultural norms and household priorities. The international platform provides reach and structure, but relevance is built locally.

That balance, global systems supporting local relationships, defines much of modern direct selling. The WFDSA describes the industry not as a single growth story, but as a framework that can scale proportionally with economic conditions across regions.

For QNET distributors, international presence does not guarantee income or uniform outcomes. What it offers is access: to resilient product categories, standardized systems, training resources, and a global marketplace that extends beyond any single region. For local distributors navigating today’s uncertain global economic environment, that is an important foundation to maintain.

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FCCPC Unseals Ikeja Electric Headquarters

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Ikeja Electric

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has unsealed the headquarters of Ikeja Electric Plc in the Lagos State capital after a week under lock and key.

According to a statement on Friday, the electricity distribution company committed to a binding undertaking to comply with the remedial process following consumer rights violations.

The statement signed by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the commission, Ikeja Electric undertook to resolve all consumer complaints referred to it by the FCCPC within agreed timelines

The headquarters was earlier sealed on December 11, 2025, because Ikeja Electric allegedly failed to comply with a directive by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to unbundle a Maximum Demand account into 20 individual accounts for a customer who had been without power for over two and half years.

The FCCPC noted that following the resolution, any breach of the undertaking would expose it to renewed and escalated enforcement action under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act.

Reacting, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, said the Commission’s intervention was necessary to enforce the provisions of the FCCPA (2018).

“Our responsibility is to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and that service providers comply with lawful decisions and directives. Enforcement is not an end in itself. Where compliance is achieved and credible commitments are made, the Commission will respond appropriately,” he said.

Clarifying further, Mr Bello said the outcome reflects the commission’s balanced approach to regulation.

“We intervene decisively where consumer harm persists, and we de-escalate where enforceable compliance is secured. What remains constant is our duty to protect consumers and uphold regulatory accountability,” he said.

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All On’s Clean Energy Access Transforms Over One Million Lives

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All On

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The decision by a leading impact investment company focused on expanding clean energy access, All On, to support over 50 clean energy businesses and provide grants and technical assistance to more than 80 enterprises in Nigeria is already yielding positive results.

This is because the organisation’s Impact Evaluation Report indicated that more than one million lives have been transformed through clean energy access.

The report covered from 2018 t0 2024 and it was discovered that the interventions of All On enabled the connection of over 230,000 households, businesses, and public facilities to reliable energy solutions, while strengthening the operational capacity of energy providers and improving affordability and service reliability for end users.

Prior to the commencement of All On’s operations in 2016, nearly half of Nigeria’s population lacked access to electricity, and the sector faced an estimated 92 per cent annual funding gap.

In response, the group adopted a bold, risk-tolerant strategy—deploying catalytic capital, innovative financing instruments, and ecosystem-building initiatives to unlock private sector participation and drive progress toward universal energy access.

Central to these achievements is All On’s holistic support model, which combines rigorous, tailored due diligence, deep sector expertise, and active ecosystem engagement.

This approach has positioned All On as a trusted partner capable of delivering both commercial viability and systemic impact.

Flagship initiatives such as the Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART) programme have further amplified results by reducing procurement costs for supported businesses by up to 50 per cent, enabling developers to scale faster and pass cost savings on to consumers due to access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions.

In the report, it was revealed that half of supported households reported improved air quality, enhanced safety, and reduced noise pollution, contributing to better health outcomes and improved quality of life, alongside measurable environmental benefits.

“This report confirms that our approach is delivering real results. By combining patient capital, technical assistance, and ecosystem support, we are enabling scalable and sustainable energy solutions for Nigeria’s unserved and underserved communities,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou.

The company plans plans to scale proven models, strengthen local capacity, and expand its reach—particularly in underserved regions such as the Niger Delta.

“While the progress to date is encouraging, our work is far from done. As we look toward 2030, we remain committed to deepening our impact and creating even more meaningful connections across Nigeria,” Ms Eboumbou added.

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