General
Why Governor Obaseki Dozed off at 73rd UN General Assembly—Aide
By Dipo Olowookere
A moment ago, pictures of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State yawning and sleeping at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, started flying in the blogosphere.
This caught the attention of the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, who released a statement to accused mischief-makers of being behind the photographs.
According to Mr Osagie, the Governor only “momentarily succumbed to fatigue after a long flight, preceded by a chaotic itinerary in Edo State before heading to New York for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, in the United States of America.”
He said the “idle hands and mischievous minds behind the smear campaign against governor Obaseki are clearly not people to be taken seriously.”
According to him, “Despite Governor Obaseki’s rare work culture, unmatched by his peers, we have never portrayed him as a machine. He can experience fatigue and exhaustion, an indisputable fact of life, to which all humans are susceptible.”
The media aide said some outstanding world leaders have at one time or the other yielded to fatigue at meetings.
“The list includes the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel; Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe; former United States President, Barack Obama; his Economic Adviser, Larry Summers; Pope Benedict XVI; former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown; former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi and the former Austrian President, Heinze Fischer, amongst others,” he said.
Mr Osagie noted that, “Those who are familiar with the daily work schedule of Governor Godwin Obaseki have attested to his rare and unique work ethics, devoid of fanfare and trivialities.”
“A cursory look at the governor’s itinerary between September 21 – 23rd, before he entered the UN meetings in New York, shows the following: Friday September 21, 2018, 9:30am, Swearing-in of members of the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC) Board; 10:30am, Swearing-in of new members of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); 12noon, Meeting with Amaju Pinnick, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President; 12-5pm, attended to mails and correspondence; 5-7pm, on the road from Benin City to Irrua in Edo Central.
“Between 7-9pm, he held a meeting with Edo Central Community and Political leaders in Irrua; from 9-10pm, he was on the road from Irrua to Fugar, headquarters of Etsako Central Local Government Area. From 10pm to 12am the next day, he held a meeting with community and political leaders in Fugar.
“On that same Saturday between 12-3am, Obaseki met with overseers of the Health Improvement Programme (HIP) along with his Chief of Staff, Chief Taiwo Akerele; the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie; Executive Assistant, Ethan Uzamere; in Fugar, Etasko Central LGA.
“The team rested between 4-7am on Saturday and proceeded to Warake to inspect the Primary Healthcare Centre there, which is near completion.
“Between 9-10am, the governor was on the road from Warake to Okpella where he commissioned the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)’s Power Transformer in Okpella.
“From 11am, he headed to St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Emaudo in Ekpoma, for the memorial Church Service of the late Professor Ambrose Alli, former governor of old Bendel State. He was at the late Prof. Ambrose Alli’s House for a visit from 4pm and was on the road from Ekpoma to Benin City between 4:30 and 6pm.
“He left Benin City for New York around 6pm and was scheduled to arrive New York between 11-12noon, Sunday (New York time) for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“He was to await President Muhammadu Buhari’s arrival between 4-6pm after which he met with the President’s aide over the next day’s proceedings at the United Nations.
“The governor’s activities in the days before his trip to New York give insight into his attitude to work and governance, and followed similar crowded itinerary, in China, where he sealed final investment agreements on the development of the Benin Industrial Park, the Benin River Port and the Modular Refinery project few days before,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will hold next year’s presidential and National Assembly elections a month earlier than planned, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revised the polling schedule.
The elections will be held on January 16, instead of the previously announced date of February 20, INEC said in an X post, signed by Mr Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
There were also changes to the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections initially fixed for Saturday, March 6 2027, in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, have now been moved to Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The electoral commission said the changes were caused by the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026 and the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities.
“The Commission reviewed and realigned the schedule to ensure compliance with the new legal framework,” it said.
INEC said party primaries (including resolution of disputes) will commence on April 23, 2026 and end on May 30, 2026, after which Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will begin on August 19, 2026, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will begin on September 9, 2026.
It noted that campaigns will end 24 hours before Election Day, and political parties have been advised to strictly adhere to the timelines.
INEC also stated it will enforce compliance with the law.
The electoral body also rescheduled the Osun Governorship election which was earlier scheduled for Saturday, August 8 2026, by a week to Saturday, August 15, 2026.
INEC noted that some activities regarding the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections have already been conducted, and the remaining activities will be implemented in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026.
Speaking at a news briefing in Abuja two weeks ago, the chairman of INEC, Mr Joash Amupitan, expressed the readiness of the commission to conduct the polls next year.
The timetable issued by the organisation for the polls at the time came when the federal parliament had yet to transmit the amended electoral bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Later that week, the Senate passed the electoral bill, reducing the notice of elections from 360 days to 180 days, while the transmission of results was mandated with a proviso.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
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