Naira Strengthens, as Bank CEOs Pledge Support for New CBN FX Policy Apex bank to refund pending licensing fees to BDC promoters Says no going back on ban of FX sale to BDCs Bureau de Change operators: we are still in business James Emejo in Abuja, Nume to a dollar on the parallel Executive Officers (CEOs) of regulator’s effort to achieve a dollar yesterday. De Change (BDC) promoters Ekeghe and Ugo Aliogo in market on Thursday, stronger banks promised to support FX stability. CBN also said it will who had pending licence Lagos than the N525 to a dollar it the new foreign exchange On the Investors and commence the refund of capital applications before Tuesday’s closed the previous day. The (FX) measures of the Central Exporters’ (I & E) FX window, deposits and licencing fees, The naira appreciated to N520 appreciation came as Chief Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the the naira closed at N411.67 to where applicable, to Bureau Continued on page 10 NSIA to Invest $200m in World-class Hospital, 20 Other Projects Nationwide... Page 6 Friday 30 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9608. Price: N250 www.thisdaylive.com T R U N T H & R E ASO Hushpuppi: IG Orders Review of FBI’s Allegation Against Abba Kyari US court orders arrest of top cop Force headquarters rattled by development My hands are clean, says Kyari Chuks Okocha and Kingsley the scale of allegations of Nigeria's most decorated Bureau of Investigation, FBI, of Kyari's involvement, in a Hushpuppi. Nwezeh in Abuja corruption, abuse of power police officers, Deputythe Inspector General of series of crimes committed by Baba’s order followed a and torture of suspects, Commissioner of Police Police, Usman Alkali Baba, a notorious internet fraudster, Apparently stunned by levelled against one of (DCP) Abba Kyari, by Federal has ordered an internal review Ramon Abbas otherwise called Continued on page 41 APC in Jeopardy Over Buni’s Continued Stay as National Chair Presidential aides want him sacked Omo-Agege insists his stay is legal Uba’s candidacy in Anambra uncertain Chuks Okocha in Abuja the situation portended serious crisis for the party, a few others Wednesday’s Supreme Court were of the view that the party judgement in the Ondo State was on the right path. governorship election might In its split judgment of four have opened the pandora’s against three by the seven box within the All Progressives member-panel, which sat Congress (APC) and exposed on the Ondo governorship the ruling party to a bleak election petition, the Supreme political future. Court had contended that the If legal experts’ analyses of reason it did not sack Governor the judgment were anything Rotimi Akeredolu of the state, to ponder, then, the fate that was because the Peoples befell the APC in Zamfara Democratic Party (PDP) and State after the 2019 elections its governorship candidate in would be a child’s play by the October 10, 2020 election, the time the consequences of Eyitayo Jegede, failed to join their current choices began to the National Chairman of the manifest before and after the party's Caretaker Committee 2023 polls. and Governor of Yobe State, Even more, stakeholders Mai Mala Buni, even when the are currently divided over issues revolved around him. the matter with the party Expectedly, this development congresses still going ahead as had immediately divided the GLOBAL EDUCATION SUMMIT... scheduled. While a majority of stakeholders in the APC over President Muhammadu Buhari (left) with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the party members were convinced Continued on page 10 Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE)...yesterday Terrorism: Buhari Assures British PM of Non-interference With Judicial Process... Page 6 2 FRIDAY JULY 30, 2021 •THISDAY FRIDAY JULY 30, 2021 • THISDAY 3 4 FRIDAY JULY 30, 2021 •THISDAY FRIDAY, ͻ͸˜ͺ͸ͺ͹˾THISDAY 5 Group News Editor: Goddy Egene NEWS Email: [email protected], 08033506821, 08097777322 BOOSTING OGUN'S ECONOMY... L-R: Managing Director of Med-In Pharmaceuticals, Tola Awosika; Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun; his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu and Chairman, Med-In Pharmaceuticals, Olubayode Awosika, during the official commissioning of the company's factory by the Ogun State governor at Sagamu Interchange, Ogun State...yesterday Private Sector Owns 70% of N12.7tn Pension Fund, Says PENCOM FG to review 2014 Pension Act Olawale Ajimotokan in are working for the federal increment. Ejikeme said over Meanwhile, Yemi-Esan received submissions from that her office had paid Abuja government, the states and, N7.2 billion was paid as said the federal government the Contributory Pensions over N2.4 billion to over largely, private sector. a result of arrears and to saw review of the Pension Union of Nigeria and a 594 beneficiaries as death The National Pension “About 5.8 million are pensioners not on payroll Reform Act, 2014, as a number of officers urging benefits to the next of kin Commission (PENCOM) actually people from the in addition to payment of major task that must be the review to enhance the of deceased officers from the has revealed that private private sector. The private entitlement to next of kin of accomplished. She explained welfare of workers. N2.5 billion released by the sector workers own 70 per sector owns over 70 per verified deceased pensioners. that the government had Yemi-Esan disclosed federal government. cent of the N12.7 trillion cent of this money because in the Retirement Savings they contribute more. When Account (RSA) under the we remove the state, we contributory pension scheme. can see that the amount NERC Bars TCN from Dealing with The Commissioner, that belong to the federal Administration, at PENCOM, government employees and Dr. Umar Aminu, disclosed contributors is generally less this yesterday in Abuja than 10 to 20 per cent. So we Unlicensed Eligible Customers at a Town Hall meeting need to put this thing into on effective pension perspective: that you can’t National power grid restored after collapse administration in the public take private sector money service organised by the for the public sector because Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and access to electricity supply recognised by the TCN have immediately commenced the Office of the Head of Civil when we were talking about for unserved or underserved not secured approval. While restoration of the grid and by Service of the Federation. reform initially, there were The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory high-end users in Nigeria. stressing that the rules must 12:46 pm, power supply in Abuja That was as Head of contentious issues that we Commission (NERC) has warned Introduced in 2017, it specifies be followed strictly, he noted was fully restored from Shiroro the Civil Service of the were confronted with by the the Transmission Company of the classes of end-use customers that if NERC had not conferred generating station. Federation, Dr Folashade private sector that we were Nigeria (TCN) against dealing that will be able to directly eligibility, any entity doing that “At 1:05 pm, TCN equally Yemi-Esan, said the federal going to take their money with unlicensed individuals and purchase electricity from licensees was operating illegally. He said commenced grid restoration from government was considering and use it for the public business concerns on the eligible other than the sole incumbent the commission had been fair the Delta Power Station, and at a review of the Pension sector.” customer basis. distribution licensees, the to all parties. 4:59 pm, a full restoration of the Reform Act, 2014. The commissioner also Speaking during the “Power Distribution Companies (Discos). Oseni further stated that entire grid was achieved,” the Aminu said the money was stated that PENCOM had Dialogue” for July, organised NERC said TCN should deal NERC was in the process of statement said. a contribution that belonged not been able to carry out by the “Electricity Hub”, Vice with only those who had fulfilled approving self-reporting apps While appreciating the to 9.3 million people working a review of the pension Chairman, NERC, Dr. Musiliu the eligibility conditions. being developed by vendors that government, electricity customers in the private sector as well retirement benefits because it Oseni, explained that the TCN Oseni said, “What we have would be able to confirm the nationwide, and its international as the federal and state was still awaiting the 33 per could not continue to deal had so far is that there are number of hours of electricity customers for their patience, TCN governments. cent from the consequential directly with the so-called some of the transactions that received by customers. noted that it would continue The commissioner, who adjustment benefits following eligible customers when they are already being recognised as Meanwhile, giving details to work hard to expand and stood in for the Director the implementation of the had not met the requirements eligible customer transactions of the power situation, Mbah maintain the stability of the General of PENCOM, Aisha N30, 000 minimum wage. for eligibility. by the TCN without the said in the statement that reports national grid. Dahir-Umar, put the number In addition, he said the In a related development, commission’s approval. That available to TCN showed that Nigeria’s fragile national of private sector workers, commission had cleared TCN said yesterday that it had was why the commission about 12:20 pm, two generating power grid had collapsed on who owned the bulk of the all pension arrears up till restored the national electricity said, stop recognising them units tripped in one generating Wednesday, leaving parts of the contribution at 5.8 million.