Headlines
Jamoh wins 2020 Zik Prize in public policy

Eyewitness reporter
The Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has been named the winner of the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy.
Making the announcement on Thursday in Lagos, the Chairman, Selection Committee Zik Prize 2020, Professor Pat Utomi, said the capacity of Jamoh to have extensively managed the restructuring, reformation, and repositioning of NIMASA earned him the prestigious award.
Prof Utomi stated that the Deep Blue Project and the Blue Economy initiatives Dr Jamoh “continues to champion have brought massive gains to the Agency and the nation’s economic diversification goals.”
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in its second-quarter 2021 report had disclosed that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which had in recent times become the global epicentre for sea piracy, fell to the lowest since Q2 2019 after Dr Jamoh started enforcing the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also known as the Deep Blue Project.
Aside from Dr Jamoh, two other illustrious Nigerian technocrats that also won the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy include; Dr Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank Group. A 1st class scholar and bold reformer.
Dr Adesina was also a former Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria, whose innovative electronic wallet system that he introduced, ended 40 years of corruption in the fertiliser sector.
Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC will also join, Dr. Jamoh and Dr Adesina to receive the 2020 Zik Prize in Public Policy.
In the political leadership category, former Secretary to the Federal Government and former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora were announced winners.
The 2020 Zik Prize for Professional Leadership went to Mr. U.K. Eke MFR, the Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc; and Mr. Uche Orji is the pioneer MD/CEO of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
The 2020 Zik Prize for Humanitarian Leadership went to Her Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, a former 1st lady of Akwa Ibom State, whose the Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI) she initiated has continued to provide succor to the vulnerable in Akwa Ibom State.
Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, Executive Governor of Lagos State, and Engineer Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State won the 2020 Zik Prize in Good Governance.
Economy
Buhari, Jonathan, Obasanjo, Babangida, Abdusalami, Osinbajo, Atiku, others to spend N13.8billon from N27.5 trillion 2024 budget

The Eyewitness Reporter
The Federal government has earmarked the sum of N13.8 billion in the 2024 budget as the cost of upkeep of
former presidents, vice presidents, heads of state, Chiefs of General Staff, retired heads of service, permanent secretaries, and retired heads of government agencies and parastatals.
The beneficiaries include former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, ex-vice-presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo and Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
Also expected to benefit from the windfall are ex-military Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon and General Abdusalami Abubakar, as well as a former dictator and self-styled military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.).
Also, N1tn was provisioned for the public service wage adjustment for government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (including arrears of promotion and salary increases, and payment of severance benefits and minimum wage-related adjustments).
A breakdown shows that the entitlements of former presidents/heads of state and vice presidents/chief of general staff will cost N2.3bn. At the same time, N10.5bn is proposed as benefits for retired heads of service, permanent secretaries and professors.
The payment of severance benefits to retired heads of government agencies and parastatals is proposed to cost N1bn.
Other allocations include N65bn for the Presidential Amnesty Programme for the reintegration of transformed ex-militants; N1bn for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Energy; and N108bn for unnamed special projects.
The government is also proposing the sum of N40bn to offset electricity debts owed to power distribution companies by all MDAs.
President Bola Tinubu unveiled the N27.5 trillion budget estimates for the 2024 fiscal year.
The budget was presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, where it is currently undergoing scrutiny and deliberation for final approval.
In his presentation, he declared, “The 2024 Appropriation has been themed the Budget of Renewed Hope.
The proposed budget seeks to achieve job-rich economic growth, macro-economic stability, a better investment environment, enhanced human capital development, as well as poverty reduction and greater access to social security.
Customs
News Alert: Wale Adeniyi revives CG conference, holds 2023 edition December 13-15 in Lagos.

Headlines
Ukraine blocks Russia’s reelection bid at IMO council elections

The outcome is another blow for Russia after it failed in its bid to return to the UN’s top human rights body in October, in an election seen as a key test of Western efforts to keep Moscow isolated.
Last year, Moscow also failed to win enough votes for re-election to the UN aviation agency’s governing council.
The London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) is responsible for regulating the safety and security of international shipping and preventing pollution and comprises 175 member state countries.
Russia has been a member since 1958 and has been consistently re-elected to the IMO Council.
With voting on Friday, 40 countries were elected by secret ballot to the IMO Council, which supervises the work of the body.
In October, Russia said the IMO was departing from its impartial role due to “external pressure” which it said was impacting the fair treatment of all member countries.
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