Ex-South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki to chair Obafemi Awolowo memorial webinar
Ex-South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki to chair Obafemi Awolowo memorial webinar
The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation is set to hold its 2025 Awolowo Memorial Webinar on March 6, 2025, continuing its mission to promote the relevance of the ideas of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
The event, themed “Our 21st Century World: Reflections and Projections,” will offer a platform for in-depth discussions on the pressing global issues of today.
The webinar will be chaired by His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa, with Professor Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economist and advocate for sustainable development, serving as the keynote speaker. Sachs is currently the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in the United States.
Ambassador Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, emphasised the importance of the event in light of the rapid transformations in the 21st century.
In a statement, she noted that the webinar aims to reflect on the changes brought about by technological advancements, economic shifts, and evolving geopolitical dynamics.
The event will explore strategies to navigate both the challenges and opportunities of our era.
The statement disclosed that the webinar will focus on four critical sub-themes: “The Economy, Technology (with special emphasis on artificial intelligence), The North-South Dynamics, and Africa’s Options for Development—the webinar will engage participants in robust discussions aimed at understanding the interconnected nature of global progress and disparities.
“The Economy will examine the evolving trends in global trade, financial systems, and economic policies, exploring how nations and regions can achieve sustainable growth amid uncertainty.
“Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, will be assessed in terms of its transformative impact on industries, governance, and daily life. We will delve into the ethical, economic, and societal implications of AI, as well as its potential to shape the future.
“The North-South Dynamics will explore the historical and contemporary relationships between the Global North and Global South, analysing patterns of power, dependency, and collaboration. Emphasis will be placed on fostering equitable partnerships for mutual growth.
“Finally, Africa’s Options for Development will spotlight the continent’s unique opportunities and challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. From leveraging technological advancements to redefining its role in global affairs, this sub-theme will propose actionable pathways for Africa’s progress.”
The statement added that, “this virtual seminar invites policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and students to contribute insights, engage in dialogue, and propose solutions that reflect our shared responsibility for a sustainable and equitable future. Together, we will chart a course toward a world that balances reflection with projection, innovation with inclusivity, and progress with purpose.”
The event will feature guest speakers including Professor Kingsley Moghalu, President of the African School of Governance; Professor Eghosa Osaghae, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA); Brian Kagoro, Managing Director of Programs for Open Society Foundation Africa and prominent Pan-Africanist; and Professor Seun Kolade, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation at Sheffield Business School, UK.
Moderating the event will be a distinguished panel of academics from Nigerian universities, including Professor Alade Fawole, a retired Professor of International Relations at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU); Professor Sat Obiyan, a Professor of Political Science at OAU; and Dr. Adedoyin Aguoru, an Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Ibadan.
The webinar will take place virtually on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 6:00 PM Nigeria time. To participate, attendees can join via Webinar ID: 899 5323 0234 with the passcode 650331.
Speaking at the 38th Anti-Corruption Situation Room in Abuja, Olukoyede detailed how ministers, directors, and other prominent figures from various government agencies sent him substantial gifts, including cheques and drafts.
At the time, Olukoyede was serving as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Recalling the moment he received these offers, he explained that upon returning to his family home in Ekiti State before the funeral, his gatekeeper handed him the cheques.
After reviewing the documents, Olukoyede made the decision to return the gifts, underscoring his commitment to integrity even during a personal loss.
The EFCC chairman narrated, “I lost my mother in the year 2019 (in Ekiti State). We went for the funeral. I was the secretary of the EFCC then. People came. So I went to my place a day before the funeral service.
“By the time I got to my small compound, which I built several years ago before I joined the EFCC, I saw about 17 cows in my compound, including pregnant ones.
“When I got home, my gate man presented a box to me and inside it, I saw so many cheques and drafts from ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, DGs of agencies, etc.
“And so, I went in and showed it to my wife. She said, ‘Praise God’. I said, ‘Praise God for what?’ By the time we put all the cheques together, it counted close to N500m.
“I did the burial in September 2019. By July 2020, I was under investigation. Now, assuming all those cheques were paid into my account as traditional gifts and some of the MDAs that we were investigating in the EFCC, some of their directors and their DGs and their ministers sent cheques to me.
“Ordinarily, I mean for burial, some gave me one million, N20m and all of that. Even though that would not have influenced my decision if I was in a position to determine what would happen to their investigations, how would I have explained before a panel that they saw cheques paid into my account?”
News
Another increase coming as FG plans to standardise electricity tariffs for band B, C customers
Another increase coming as FG plans to standardise electricity tariffs for band B, C customers
The Federal Government is set to implement new measures aimed at standardizing electricity tariffs across the country to eliminate discrepancies in the current billing system and attract further investments into the power sector.
This announcement was made by Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, who highlighted the need for a more equitable pricing structure.
Currently, there is a significant difference in electricity rates between different customer bands. Consumers in Band B, who typically receive 17 to 18 hours of electricity supply daily, are charged N63 per kilowatt-hour.
However, those in Band A, who receive just two more hours of supply, pay a steep N209 per kilowatt-hour.
Adelabu criticised this disparity as “unfair” and called for a comprehensive overhaul of the tariff system. He emphasized that regularizing the rates would ensure a more balanced pricing model, which could, in turn, stimulate investment and create a more sustainable energy market.
“We will look at the tariff again. I am not saying that we’re going to increase the tariff before I am misquoted.
“We are going to look at it and see how we can improve upon our modest achievement of last year, not only to ensure that we grow the sector that we need, but also to ensure that we can invest more in revamping all these dilapidated infrastructures,” he said.
The minister further explained that the transition to Band A should have progressed more quickly, but it became evident that the Distribution Companies (DisCos) have been reluctant to invest in the sector, hindering the process.
“A lot of investment is required for us to achieve an accelerated migration of lower-band customers into Band A. It is taking a lot of time,” he said.
The government is working on restructuring the tariff bands to narrow the significant gap between them, with a proposed new system that will include Bands A, B, and C.
“The gap between the Band A tariffs and Bands B, C, D, and E is just too wide,” he said. “We believe it’s not fair. It is not just, and we must be able to carry out some level of regularisation.”
News
JUST IN; Obasa claims Meranda resigns as Lagos State Assembly Speaker
JUST IN; Obasa claims Meranda resigns as Lagos State Assembly Speaker
Sacked Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday claimed that his successor, Mojisola Meranda, had resigned as leader of the parliament.
Obasa made this assertion during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today.
The lawmaker alleged that Meranda resigned during a peace meeting held at the Lagos House in Marina last weekend.
According to him: “At the meeting held in Marina, which was attended by all party leaders, it was made clear—hopefully in the presence of all members—that Meranda herself announced her resignation. She stated that she had stepped down.
“Now, when someone resigns from office, the associated paraphernalia is taken away. So, the question arises: Have you also resigned? Because we understand that part of the arrangement was for you to step down as well.
“Let them present the resignation letter. And if I were to resign, would I still be here? I’m sure you would still address me as Speaker, even though we’ve never had a conversation before.”