General
Chain Reactions to Release 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Report Tuesday
By Dipo Olowookere
On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, by 3pm, the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer survey report would be unveiled virtually by one of Nigeria’s leading Public Relations and Integrated Communications Consulting firms, Chain Reactions Nigeria.
The Edelman Trust Barometer is the annual global trust and credibility survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence, the independent research arm of the Edelman global network testing how well people trust the institutions of government, business, media and non-governmental organisations to do what is right.
Chain Reactions is the exclusive Nigerian affiliate and West Africa’s Preferred Partner of Edelman, the world’s largest PR firm with presence in more than 60 countries across the globe.
This is the fourth time Chain Reactions is facilitating the launch of the global report in Nigeria.
Since 2001, Edelman has measured trust in these four critical institutions of society across 28 countries, with supplementary data for Nigeria shared for the first time in 2018.
The supplementary data for Nigeria was on the heels of the significant impressions recorded in 2017 when Chain Reactions hosted the presentation of the 17th edition of the annual global survey, as well as the supplementary Nigeria data, in Lagos, the first time in the history of Nigeria and since the global study was established in 2001.
It was gathered that this year’s survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence between October 19 and November 18, 2019, sampled more than 34,000 respondents across 28 countries.
The company has opted for the virtual presentation of the report this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The presentation will be done by the Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Africa, Mr Jordan Rittenberry, at a virtual conference on Zoom. This session will also discuss more recent findings on how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected trust levels across institutions.
According to Mr Rittenberry, “It will be my pleasure to present the global 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer report to Nigerians on Tuesday.
“Though I would have loved to be present in-person like last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has denied me that opportunity.
“Nonetheless, I look forward to sharing our research on the levels of trust in the four main institutions: government, business, media and non-governmental institutions.
“I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting session as we look at this impact on critical stakeholders and the changing expectations that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on business recovery.”
Speaking on the event themed Competence and Ethics the Managing Director/Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Nigeria, Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, said the presentation is essential to ascertain the level of trust quotients of the four institutions as well as their conformity to ethical practices.
“Increasingly, we are beginning to see that people now look out for both competence and ethical standards in leaders in governments, businesses, media and non-governmental organisations.
“It is not just enough for a leader to be ethical; we are beginning to see that competence is also in necessary quality. The insight we will share from this survey will help managers of these four institutions strengthen them for good,” Mr Opayemi said.
An all-female panel drawn from government, media, business and civil society will critically analyse the survey report and its implications for Nigeria in line with the theme.
Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Protection, Mrs Maryam Uwais; Director, Public Affairs, Lafarge Plc, Folashade Ambrose Medebem; Director of News at TVC, Ms Stella Din Jacobs; and the Convener, Enough is Enough, Ms Yemi Adamolekun, will discuss the report in details.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
