A Finnish district court has fixed May 2025 for the prosecution to file charges against Simon Ekpa.

Last Thursday, the pro-Biafra agitator was arrested by law enforcement in the northern European nation.

He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.

Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.

He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in the south-east of Nigeria through his social media pages.

Nigerian authorities have been demanding the extradition of Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution.

THE TRIAL

In an email sent to Punch, Mikko Laaksonen, the senior detective superintendent at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Finland, said investigations into Ekpa’s activities are ongoing.

Laaksonen said the next hearing on the remand can be held in the next two weeks if Finnish authorities or Ekpa seek re-evaluation from the court.

“Due to the ongoing investigation, no further details can be disclosed,” the superintendent said.

“The date for bringing up possible charges by the prosecution was set by the district court to May 2025.

“In a basic situation regarding the remand, the next possible hearing can be held no earlier than two weeks from the previous hearing, should the parties in question seek for the matter to be re-evaluated by the district court.”

The House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution will hold a national dialogue on local government autonomy on Monday, December 2, 2024.

The Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Committee, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this on Thursday while chairing a brief meeting of the panel at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The Deputy Speaker, who represents Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, stated that the national dialogue aims to consolidate ideas for a robust discourse on the independence of local government administration in Nigeria.

He said: “Distinguished colleagues, I would like to remind us of the upcoming national dialogue on local government and constitution amendment scheduled to be held on Monday, December 2, 2024, in Abuja. This event is a vital platform to consolidate ideas and strategies for achieving a robust local government framework, which is critical to our constitutional review efforts.

“In addition, other engagements that we will be having include public engagement on tax reforms as it concerns the constitution amendment and a public engagement with political parties.

“As we continue in this historic undertaking, let us remain guided by our shared commitment to strengthening our democracy, deepening our federal structure, and fostering unity and prosperity for all Nigerians.”

The Deputy Speaker also disclosed that the committee would commence zonal public hearings in January 2025.

This followed the resolution of the committee on the locations of the public engagements.

According to him, the hearings will hold as follows-North East: Gombe and Borno States; North Central: Nassarawa and Niger; North West: Kaduna and Sokoto; South East: Enugu and Imo States; South-South: Bayelsa and Cross River States; and South West: Lagos and Ondo States.

He also spoke about the significance of inclusivity in the task of the committee, saying, “There are locations in all the geo-political zones for our public engagements next year. Those who are from these states, engage your colleagues in the House, engage your governors and members of your Houses of Assembly.

“Draw up your own local plan and let us have it so that we can integrate it into our own plan to guide us. We expect a full hall.

“The stakeholders’ engagement list must be drawn to cut across all the relevant stakeholders of the country from your states. Please, do not discriminate against the political parties. No religious biases. No tribe discrimination. Everyone who is a Nigerian should be in that room and then find a way of itemising your opinion on the 161 areas we are currently looking at.”

The Federal Government, through its Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, has declared that it would spend about N2.4tn on power subsidies before the end of this year.

NERC’s Commissioner of Planning, Research, and Strategy, Dr Yusuf Ali, disclosed this at the PwC’s Annual Power and Utilities Roundtable, themed ‘Reigniting Hope in Nigeria’s Electric Power Sector,’ in Lagos on Thursday.

Ali explained that the subsidy had fluctuated due to foreign exchange challenges and tariff adjustments.

“As of November, the subsidy amount stood at N1.9tn, but with current trends, the monthly subsidy for electricity is expected to reach N260bn in December,” Ali stated.

He emphasised that the N2.4tn is an annual estimate that could adjust depending on the monthly cost-benefit tariff.

“Every month, we calculate the difference between the cost-reflective tariff and the approved tariff to determine the subsidy,” he explained.

Ali added that the government is expected to finalise the total subsidy figure by year-end based on actual consumption and tariff trends.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented by the Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister, Adedayo Olowoniyi, said, the Ministry of Power, in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers, has developed a draft Integrated National Electricity Policy aimed at addressing critical challenges in Nigeria’s power sector.

Adelabu emphasised the importance of implementing cost-reflective tariffs to attract necessary investments and ensure the sector’s sustainability.

“We cannot dance around the fact that a market that does not create a line of sight of return for investors will not get investment,” Adelabu noted.

The minister further acknowledged the reluctance to adopt cost-reflective tariffs but argued that it is a necessary step for achieving 24-hour electricity and universal access.

He highlighted the administration’s efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including the implementation of the Electricity Act of 2023 and the Presidential Power Initiative in partnership with Siemens.

Adelabu pointed out the challenges of vandalism, ageing infrastructure, and inefficiencies in the electricity value chain, which have hampered progress.

He revealed that the Transmission Company of Nigeria spent nearly N10bn in six months repairing vandalized towers.

“Our successes have not been without challenges. Frequent grid disturbances due to capacity inadequacies and consistent vandalism have impacted the sector,” he said.

He added that these initiatives focus on infrastructure development, such as building substations and upgrading transmission and distribution networks.

“PwC’s support has been instrumental in drafting the Integrated National Electricity Policy, which will guide the sector’s strategic implementation. The policy aims to foster market discipline, improve energy delivery efficiency, and ensure subsidies benefit the most vulnerable,” Adelabu stated.

He called for collective responsibility among stakeholders, stressing, “Hope is not passive.

“We must innovate and implement bold ideas to restore confidence and deliver a sustainable energy future for all Nigerians,” Adelabu added.