The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said Thursday it would meet with the federal government on how workers could survive the recent hike in the pump price of petrol.

According to the labour movement, the current price of petrol has eroded the gains of the yet-to-be implemented N70,000 new national minimum wage. President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop on “Minimum Wage Implementation Workshop, Southern Zone, with the theme ‘Strategies for Effective Implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act, in Lagos,” insisted that organised labour was deceived by President Bola Tinubu into accepting the N70,000 minimum wage to forestall petrol price increase .

He advised the government to address the excruciating hunger, poverty and frustration of Nigerians before things go out of hand, lamenting that Nigerians were really suffering.


While giving insight into the conversations with President Tinubu before the N70,000 minimum wage was agreed, the NLC president lamented that Nigerians appeared to have started adjusting to the situation on ground because the government had been distracting organized labour.

“There is a tactic to distract our attention, to call us names, level allegations against us over cybercrime, financing terrorism, sponsoring terrorism and the rest.

”Those things have paid off because while we are facing those allegations, this issue of pump price has remained.

“I repeat, we were betrayed by Mr President, That statement we issued over our being betrayed is being denied by officials of the government. I am repeating it that we were betrayed. Some of you here were at the meeting when Mr President said, Ajaero you are the problem.

”Since we said subsidy is gone. You don’t want to allow us to increase again. If you allow me to increase we will pay you that N250, 000. Immediately I came out that day I was on Arise Television I repeated what Mr President told us.


”The president said I am giving you one hour to decide on this and get back to me. He said he was goig back to his office and we should decide over this (between N250, 000 minimum wage and petrol pump price hike).


“We said no sir, Mr President; we can’t be holding our meeting here in your office. Let us take one week break and come back and report back to you. He said okay, I am traveling but I will cancel my trip for one week. That was how we adjourned for one week.

”If you followed the trend of those negotiations, we adjourned for one week. And when we came back after consultations, we said to Mr President, no, we can’t allow you to increase to any length because that will affect all Nigerians and we will be seen to be selfish. ”Even the N250,000 will not be useful to us. If we continue to increase salary, it will make a mess of our economy and then you continue to increase pump price. In fact, that N250,000 may not be enough to even buy fuel.

“Mr President equally offered to fund our trip to tour some West African countries, where the least price of petrol is selling at N1,700. He even said in Cameroon, they are selling N2000 and that none of them has a refinery but they are getting their products from Nigeria.


”We responded by telling him to check the borders because that is why they are smuggling those products to those countries. ”We equally said no because Nigerians will say they have given us money; they won’t say it’s money for us to visit those West African states.


“On the adjourned date, we went there and told Mr President, we are not here for increase in pump price or negotiation. So let’s concentrate on the minimum wage. Some of these things informed the acceptance of N70,000 minimum wage which some of us here were saying was not enough. But some people are still saying they cannot pay that N70, 000. ”This is the dilemma all of us are facing. In fact, the private sector employers in our meeting gave us tough time. They refused to shift and they wanted to vote with state government, federal government and the private sector on one side, all against labour on the other side. These were some of the things that necessitated all those walkouts you saw.”

The Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,645 per dollar from N1,640 per dollar on Tuesday.

However, the Naira appreciated to N1,539.65 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,539.65 per dollar from N1,656.49 per dollar on Tuesday, indicating N116.84 appreciation for the naira.

The volume of dollars traded (turnover) in the official market grew by 38.9 percent to $139.48 million from $100.39 million traded on Tuesday.

Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NAFEM rate widened to N105.35 per dollar from N16.49 per dollar on Tuesday.

LAGOS — More controversy has emerged in the execution of a sale-purchase deal on premium motor spirit, otherwise known as petrol, between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and Dangote Refinery.

Findings by Vanguard yesterday indicated that while the NNPCL believes Dangote cannot supply an adequate quantity of the product, Dangote told Vanguard it had already delivered 111 million litres of the product within three days (last Sunday to yesterday), adding that loading was still ongoing steadily.
NNPCL last weekend said Dangote could only deliver 16.8 million litres out of the 25 million litres it initially agreed with NNPC.

A source at the NNPCL also told Vanguard, yesterday that the refinery is struggling to deliver the 16.8 million litres it promised.

But with the latest delivery figure it disclosed, Dangote must have significantly surpassed its promised delivery as well as the national demand put at over 40 million litres per day.

This also means that Dangote can make further petrol importation unnecessary.
But against the backdrop of this latest development, Vanguard learned that importation by NNPCL may have intensified with several consignments, totalling over 135 million litres, within three weeks from September 27, 2024, with the latest import arriving Friday.

This also implies a sudden excess supply of petrol barely a few days after the country was suffocated by acute shortage of the product, resulting in a sharp rise in the price.

Speaking to Vanguard on the development, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Refinery, Anthony Chiejina, stated: “We have already loaded 111 million litres of petrol and the exercise is ongoing.

“We are refining and have no reason not to load. So, loading is ongoing and we would continue to provide the product to the market.”

More imports by NNPC

However, Motor Tanker Vessels Report, sighted by Vanguard, yesterday, indicated as of September 13, 2024, vessels such as Mia Grace, Valle Azzurra, Hafina Lioness and Clean Justice brought in 37,000 metric tonnes, 37,234 metric tonnes, 24,352 metric tonnes and 36, 934 metric tonnes of imported petrol into Nigeria for the government.

Also, another vessel, known as Savanna, brought in 20,000 metric tonnes of import petrol through Mainland for distribution in Calabar while Mycroft brought in another 20,000 metric tonnes of diesel for Total Oil for distribution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Two vessels – Ostria and Moriarity – brought in 15,000 metric tonnes each through Taurus and Awariste for distribution in the Warri, while Bedford brought in 12,000 metric tonnes of diesel.

Also Zonda and Capt. Gregory brought in 15,000 metric tonnes of petrol and diesel for Nepal and Awariste respectively, while Matrix Pride and Stellar also brought in 15,000 metric tonnes of petrol.

NNPCL did not respond

Efforts to get NNPCL to officially comment on the latest delivery figures from Dangote failed as the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, did not respond to questions from our reporter.

But in its earlier statement, the company had stated that 16.8million were available for loading from the refinery to its filling stations.

Why marketers can’t import petrol, lift from Dangote — NNPCL

Meanwhile, the Executive Vice-President, Downstream at NNPC, Adedapo Segun, said oil marketers have not been able to import petrol, despite the import permits granted them.

He said: “When the marketers go to Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA to get the permit or licence to get the import, typically they will say they want to import amount of automotive gas oil (AGO), aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), and some of them actually include petroleum motor spirit (PMS).

“They then go to market, check the market indices and say to themselves: PMS is still being sold below cost; if I bring it in, I’ll make a loss.

“Now they have approval to bring in ATK, AGO, and PMS, but they end up bringing only AGO and ATK.

“They do not bring in that PMS because the market is still not right for them. So, it is not because NNPC wants to be the sole importer or provider of PMS, it is because the other marketers won’t do it if it’s not profitable.”

Segun, who said marketers could also not purchase petrol directly from Dangote refinery, stated: “That is the same thing happening with Dangote. I said earlier that Dangote is a company and it is going to sell at market price.

“Basically, the situation has not changed there. So, NNPC off-taking is only because the others would not buy at the price Dangote will be willing to sell, which is reasonable. As soon as the price allows for it, you will see the marketers go to Dangote and buy.

“So, instead of saying NNPC is the only off-taker, let’s put it this way: NNPC is the only entity that is willing to off-take because NNPC has a role under law to be the energy provider of resort.”

FG should provide welfare packages — CPPE
Reacting to the development yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, Dr Muda Yusuf, said the recent upward review of petrol price has worsened the plights of most Nigerians and, of course, businesses.

“I think we need to go back to the drawing board, the social safety net in Nigeria is exclusively very weak, the people are suffering seriously and there is a limit to what they can absorb in terms of the pains of all these policies

“The government should wade into this and see how they can restore normalcy as the citizens should not be exposed to commercial pricing of petroleum products.

“The citizens are not finding it easy at all. Most recent increases have even further fuelled inflation as many citizens are trekking to places where they would have taken buses and so on. So, we are praying for an urgent intervention from the presidency on this matter.”

As reactions continue to trail the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s fuel price deal, the House of Representatives Minority Caucus has described the N980 per litre of pump price as outrageous and exploitative.

Chairman of the caucus, Kingsley Chinda, said the development was a burden added to the already struggling Nigerians.

In a statement that he signed and obtained by DAILY POST on Tuesday in Abuja, the lawmaker expressed his outrage over the pump price that varies from N950 to N980 and above N1000 per litre depending on the parts of the country.

The statement said: “We find this pricing regime to be not only burdensome but utterly unacceptable, particularly in light of the fact that this fuel is refined locally.”

The lawmaker emphasised that locally refined fuel should be priced significantly lower than imported fuel, as it avoids costs such as landing charges and import duties, insisting that the pricing model was wrong for all intents and purposes.

“It appears Nigerians are unfairly exploited, especially at a time when many are facing severe economic challenges,” he said, urging NNPCL and Dangote Refinery to reconsider their stand in the interest of the poor masses.

The statement warned that allowing the current pricing arrangement to continue would only deepen the economic hardships of millions and erode trust in local refineries’ ability to deliver affordable fuel. The caucus called on regulatory bodies and the government to urgently review the pricing framework to ensure Nigerians are not subjected to unsustainable fuel prices.

The caucus affirmed its commitment to protecting the welfare of the Nigerian people and pledged to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure fair and just fuel pricing.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, says it is illegal for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to determine the price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, for the Dangote Refinery after deregulation.

Falana, who said this in a statement on Tuesday, added that the action of the NNPCL contravenes Section 205 of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

“On September 5, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) stated that foreign exchange (forex) illiquidity had been a significant factor influencing the fluctuation in prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) governed by unrestrained market forces, as provided for in the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

“The NNPCL was explaining the pump price of PMS imported into the country at the material time. Specifically, the Executive Vice President of Downstream NNPC Ltd Mr. Adedapo Segun, explained that Section 205 of the PIA, which established NNPC Ltd, stipulated that petroleum prices were determined by free market forces.

“But contrary to the well-publicised statement, the NNPCL has fixed the price of PMS produced by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited. The action of the NNPCL is a violent contravention of section 205 of the PIA, which stipulates that the prices of petroleum products shall be determined by market forces.

“Furthermore, since the petrol sold by Dangote is not imported into the country but produced at the Lekki Economic Free Trade Zone, the NNPCL cannot justify the sale of petrol at N950 per litre without freight cost, lightering cost, jetty depot fees, storage fees, foreign exchange costs, NPA charges: NIMASA charges, Customs duties etc,” he said.

Falana’s outburst followed the commencement of PMS lifting by the NNPCL from the Dangote Refinery.

DAILY POST recalls that as soon as lifting commenced, NNPCL announced that the product would sell for N950 per litre in Lagos State and its environs, and above N1,000 per litre in states such as Borno.

Reacting, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, on Monday, criticised NNPCL, saying it was not right for petrol lifted from the Dangote Refinery to cost higher than imported ones.

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council, Ondo, has raised concerns about the issues affecting students in Ondo State tertiary institutions.

NANS has said that students are suffering due to recent hikes in food and fuel prices.

The students have called on both the state and federal governments to address the challenges they are facing.

This was stated in a release jointly signed by the Chairman of NANS JCC Ondo Axis, Oluwarotimi Joshua, and the General Secretary, Oluwanishola Ajibola, on Monday.


Discussing the impact of the recent fuel price increase, Joshua highlighted how rising transportation and living costs are placing significant strain on students.

“The increase in shuttle fares has made it difficult for students to afford commuting between hostels and schools.

This, combined with the sharp rise in food prices, has added to the financial burden on students who already rely on minimal family allowances,” he stated.


He also noted that many students rely on generators due to erratic electricity supply, but the rising cost of fuel has made it nearly impossible for students to sustain their power needs.

“Prolonged power outages and study disruptions are now common as students struggle to cope,” he added, urging the federal government to take swift action to reverse the fuel price hike and provide economic relief.

He appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to address the ongoing economic hardships faced by students.

“Immediate intervention is necessary to alleviate the burdens on Nigerian students and ensure they can continue their education without undue hardship,” he said.


Turning his attention to Ondo, the NANS JCC Chairman expressed appreciation for the recent approval and disbursement of bursaries and scholarships by the state government, saying, “We commend Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for this rare opportunity, which will greatly benefit our academic and personal development,” he said.

He also acknowledged the efforts of the Senior Special Assistant on Student Affairs, Kelvin Olaolu, and the Chief Security Officer of the state governor for their dedication to student welfare and security.

However, Joshua also addressed unresolved issues, particularly the unfulfilled promise of providing twelve buses for student transportation across the state, a pledge made by the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.


He voiced concerns over the palliative measures meant to alleviate student hardship, which have yet to materialise.

“Seventy per cent of the funds for this project were reportedly paid, yet the buses have not been delivered. Despite assurances, students have received no palliatives, further worsening the already difficult circumstances,” he lamented.

The recent increase in tuition fees across state institutions was another pressing issue raised by NANS JCC Ondo, urging the state government to reconsider the fee increase and provide financial relief for students.

“Amidst a national economic crisis, the hike in tuition fees is an unbearable additional burden,” Joshua said.

In response to an incident at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Joshua clarified that reports of unrest were untrue.

He explained that during an empowerment programme organised by Adefarati Gboyega, tensions arose when security aides used tear gas to control a crowd after a disruption caused by thugs.

“The Students’ Union President had intended to remind the governor of his promise to dualise the road leading to the university’s main gate, but the situation escalated unexpectedly,” he said.


In his closing remarks, Comrade Joshua reiterated the students’ demands for the government to fulfil its commitments, saying, “The failure to deliver on key promises, including transportation support, palliative distribution, and tuition relief, highlights a troubling lack of accountability.”

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has released another version of the breakdown of the estimated price of petrol bought from the Dangote refinery.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that in a statement on Monday morning, the NNPC gave a chart breakdown of the refined petrol product it bought from the refinery on Sunday, September 15.

The nation’s oil firm stated that it is paying the Dangote refinery in United States dollars for the September 2024 petrol offtake, adding that Naira transactions will only commence on October 1st, 2024.

The statement reads, “The NNPC Ltd. has released estimated prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol (obtained from the Dangote Refinery) in its retail stations across the country.

“The estimated prices are based on negotiated terms between NNPC Ltd. and Dangote Refinery which recognise the current international gasoline prices and the prevailing foreign exchange rate in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

“The NNPC Ltd. can confirm that it is paying Dangote Refinery in USD for September 2024 PMS offtake, as Naira transactions will only commence on October 1st, 2024.

“We reassure Nigerians that any discount from the Dangote Refinery will be passed on 100% to the general public.”

While the data of the estimated price to be sold around the country remains the same, the analysis of the transaction it had with Dangote Refinery was altered.

While the first press statement on Monday had a Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority fee of ₦8.99, the second statement showed ₦4.495.

The first statement had an inspection fee of ₦0.97, a margin fee of ₦26.48 and a distribution fee of ₦15.

In the second statement on Monday, there were no inspection and margin fees, while the distribution fee was changed to ₦42.45.

The second statement also had an additional Midstream and Gas Infrastructure Fund fee of ₦4.495.

iwaeda:


Nlfpmod, we are in for long season of APC lies and untruthful NNPC.

Dangote Refinery has hit out at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for claiming they bought fuel from them at N898 per litre.

Our attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to NNPCL spokesperson, Mr Olufemi Soneye, that we sell our PMS at N898 per litre to the NNPCL.

This statement is both misleading and mischievous, deliberately aimed at undermining the milestone achievement recorded today, September 15, 2024, towards addressing energy insufficiency and insecurity, which has bedeviled the economy in the past 50 years.

We urge Nigerians to disregard this malicious statement and await a formal announcement on the pricing, by the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries, appointed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which will commence on October 1, 2024, bearing in mind that our current stock of crude was procured in dollars.

It should also be noted that we sold the products to NNPCL in dollars with a lot of savings against what they are currently importing. With this action, there will be petrol in every local government area of the country regardless of their remote nature.

We assure Nigerians of availability of quality petroleum products and putting an end to the endemic fuel scarcity in the country.

oloriooko:
I didn't read this but i know Falana will always yearn rubbish, he's always backing the wrong horse, the same way he did in occupy nigeria
so schools are run with stones and sand abi with skyrocketing prices left right center
stoopid man, gerrarahia mehn!

Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has condemned the recent increment in school fees by the federal and Lagos state governments, describing the development as illegal.

Vanguard reports that the federal government had in July 2023 increased fees for Unity Schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term, an increase by over 120%. In a similar fashion, the Lagos State government, yesterday, announced N100,000 as the new fees for state-owned boarding schools. It was previously N35,000.

Falana’s reaction, weekend, described it as a violation of the Child’s Rights Act and Lagos State Child’s Rights Law. He lamented that with the increase being above the minimum wage of N70,000, “a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.” He vowed to challenge the decision in the appropriate High Courts.

He wrote, “The federal government has increased fees payable in all unity schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term. Thus, the fee payable per annum is N300,000 per student.

“Similarly, the Lagos State Government has fixed fees payable in all secondary schools at N100,000 per term or N300,000 per annum by every student.

“At N70,000 minimum wage, the salary of a worker per term of 4 months is N280,000. The implication is that a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.

“However, under the Child’s Rights Act and Lagos State Child’s Rights Law, every child is entitled to free & compulsory education from primary school to junior secondary school. To that extent, the imposition of N100,000 Fee on students in junior secondary schools in Unity Schools and secondary schools Lagos State is illegal.

“In view of the clear provisions of the Child’s Rights Laws applicable in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, the illegal imposition of prohibitive fees on junior secondary school students will be challenged in the appropriate High Courts.

“Meanwhile, on July 10, 2024, the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi revealed that over N45.7 billion matching grant to state governments for the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) between 2020 and 2023 has not been accessed by many states governments.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ijumu chapter has stated that the purported letter of suspension of Senator Dino Melaye is a forgery and cannot stand.

The PDP Chairman in Ijumu Local Government Council, Hon. Olorunmaiye Olabode, in a communiqué issued on Friday and made available to newsmen in Lokoja, said the suspension of Senator Dino Melaye will never stand.

He described the suspension of Melaye as ridiculous and hurriedly written, adding that the day and date do not tally.

The communiqué read as follows: “We stand firmly with the party, the Constitution thereof, and the Guidelines & Regulations that are issued from time to time. We stand by the fact that no materials were brought to Ijumu LGA to carry out the Ward Ad hoc Congress on the 27th of July, 2024.

“We stand by the truth that no LGA Congress was held in Ijumu LGA at any time to elect a National Delegate. We did not participate in the purported State Congress, which was illegally held in Lokoja on the 31st of August, 2024, knowing that it was a failed kangaroo arrangement.

“We are aware of a communiqué in circulation which was concocted by external enemies of the party from outside Ijumu, who are forces of destabilization and who want to remove our leader, the leader of the party in the state, His Excellency, Senator Dino Melaye, who is the voice of the voiceless, so they can ride roughshod over loyal party members in Kogi State.


“We categorically and unequivocally state that the said purported letter of expulsion is a forgery and cannot stand. It is so ridiculously and hurriedly written that the day and date do not tally.

“We also state that such a correspondence, which is meant to expel an important member of the Party like Senator Dino Melaye, cannot be handled in this criminal manner. No PDP member in Kogi has done what our leader has done nationally for the PDP.

“We challenge these traducers to mention any anti-party activities of Senator Dino Melaye. The man who still pays for the accommodation of the Party at the state headquarters, paid salaries of staff, bought 10,000 copies of membership cards just last month and distributed them among party members and new joiners, and gave 2 million naira to the party just last month as running costs.


“We, therefore, state for the record that it is a breach of the Party’s Constitution not to follow due process in the haste to execute this malicious and mischievous plan. We urge all members of the party in Ijumu and the state as a whole to disregard the purported dismissal or expulsion of our staunch, loyal, committed, and unflinching state leader, who abhors anti-party activities in all ramifications and for which reason he is being vilified by agents of destruction.”

DAILY POST recalls that the Ward Party Executive Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ayetoro/Iluagba Ward 1 announced the suspension of Dino Melaye on Friday over allegations of engaging in anti-party activities.

DAILY POST gathered that Melaye is from Ayetoro/Iluagba Ward 1 in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.


Melaye’s suspension was contained in a statement jointly signed by the PDP Ward Chairman, Mr Abayomi Osamika, and the Secretary, Mr Yodson Dayo, and made available to journalists in Lokoja.

Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resolved to meet with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the state of affairs in the country.

Secretary of the APC States Chairmen’s Forum and Chairman of Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday after their meeting in Abuja.

Daily Trust reports that Nigerians are groaning over deteriorating insecurity, hunger, poverty, hike in fuel pump price, electricity tariff, and other challenges bedeviling the country.

Ogar who was flanked by the acting chairman of the forum, Hon Cornelius Ojelabi, and other states chairmen said the meeting would discuss a variety of issues with the federal government including that of hardship in the country.

He said, “The Forum of APC States Chairmen met yesterday to discuss issues that are of great concern to the party’s democratic ethos and the success of our APC led administration under the able leadership of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and his dependable Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima GCON.

“While the Forum has resolved to have close-door meetings with the leadership of the NWC and government, we considered it necessary to discuss the recent action of the NWC under the leadership of H.E. Alhaji Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with respect to the extension granted to the caretaker committee of Rivers State APC led by Chief Tony Okocha.”

Fielding questions from newsmen on the current hardship in the land, Ogar said, ”About the hardship, yes, everybody has a complaint. We are not unaware of that and we said we are going to have a closed-door meeting with the NWC and the government.
“So the government we are referring to is the federal government. Untill that is thrashed and matters addressed, it will be premature to address the press on these issues.”

Ogar also said the states chairmen were working with the NWC to resolve crises in some state chapters of the party.

He said the decision of the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led NWC to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee led by Chief Tony Okocha in Rivers State would boost its fortunes as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

The Forum also singled out a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as a performing minister and enumerated his milestones in the areas of security, infrastructur and human capital development in the FCT, but kept mum on whether non-perfoming ministers should be sacked.

A Shari’a Court in Kaduna on Wednesday ordered the remand of one Musa Hussaini for some hours to enable him think about how he will be raising money for the upkeep of his four children

Earlier, his estranged wife, a mother of four, Hajara Sani, had prayed the court to help her recover some of her properties from Hussaini.

She told the court that Hussaini sold her two chairs and a television and also pushed her into selling her bed.

‘’I gave him the money I got from selling the bed shortly before he divorced me.

“I want the court to confirm the three pronouncement of divorce Hussaini made to me. I also want the court to order my former husband to be responsible for the upkeep of our four children,” she said.

Responding, Hussaini confirmed making three pronouncements of divorce at intervals, adding that he sold the items with the complainant ‘s consent in order to repair his working tools as a vulcanizer.

He said he sold the TV and chairs for N5,000 and received N6500 from the complainant after the bed was sold.

He prayed court to allow him pay in instalments, saying, ‘’I will give her N2,000 weekly.”

When asked about the welfare of his children, he said, he had no provision or plan for them for now.

The Judge, Malam Mukhtar Aliyu, ordered the remand of the defendant for some hours so that he will ponder on how to provide for his children and adjourned until September 25 for further hearing.

The Presidency has likened the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to former US President and Republican candidate for the US 2024 election, Donald Trump.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, Temitope Ajayi, made the comparison in a post on social media on Wednesday following the US presidential debate between Trump and Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Peter Obi is the Nigeria version of Donald Trump. Like Obi, Trump will use the most negative epithets imaginable to describe a country he wants to lead again just to make a point and rile up his base,” he wrote.

During the debate, Harris and Trump clashed on many issues ranging from abortion rights to immigration, as both candidates sought to sway voters in a tightly contested race.

Ajayi added, “Kamala Harris prosecuted Trump very well in their first face to face debate yesterday night. Kamala convincingly won the debate and left no one in doubt about his capacity.

“Vice President Harris knew Trump’s weakness and set traps for him. Trump fell for her baits. Both candidates have been fact-checked on their claims in the debate. While Harris was reported to have made just one incorrect claim, Trump made 33 false claims in the same 90 minutes debate.”

Media reports highlighted that Trump frequently engaged with Harris’s provocations, reiterating conspiracy theories and false claims about the 2020 election and immigration.

The former president was constantly fact-checked by debate moderators but Trump only doubled down on his assertions such as claiming that immigrants are eating dogs and pets of US residents.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs — the people that came in — they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country,” Trump said, contradicting the Springfield city manager, who said such accusations had no basis in fact.

The 2024 US elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Nigerians on Monday took to social media to voice their outrage against some members of the Nigeria Police Force, accusing them of exploiting illegal methods like mounting checkpoints and stop-and-search operations to extort travellers during long-distance trips on major highways.

Despite the Force Headquarters’ Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, urging travellers to refuse any payment demands made by officers on major highways, some victims of these operations insisted that the police required a complete overhaul to end the problem.

On Monday, @grandmaster_01 recounted his experience, accusing police officers of extorting motorists and travellers on highways between the Federal Capital Territory and the South-Eastern parts of the country.

“A road trip from Abuja to the SE leaves one in awe of the misdemeanours of your men and officers against motorists.

The extortion is mindless.

“They are reckless in extorting motorists. Our vehicle dropped money at every checkpoint or you risk being parked for a long time,” @grandmaster-01 wrote.

A serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, using the handle @Kingmanuel700, recounted a similar experience while sharing a receipt of the money allegedly extorted by policemen at Okpella in Edo State.

He lamented that his complaints had been disregarded despite persistent efforts to seek redress.

The victim posted, “Help me tag @Princemoye1. I still got extorted too, because I was a victim even when I showed them my NYSC identification card.”

Describing police extortion on major Nigerian highways as “a cankerworm that has deeply infected the police system,” @PMalarchy accused some officers of assaulting an elderly man for refusing to pay the N100 they had demanded from him.

“One of their men slapped a driver of about 60 years the other day because he (the driver) gave him (the policeman) N100 and was parked when he protested; the policeman slapped the old man,” @PMalarchy wrote.

While corroborating the alleged extortion of policemen on the major highways, @Sethbundle007 claimed the operations on long-distance journeys had become dangerous for motorists.

“I can relate several times since I will not give shishi.

The incidents on our highway with the police look more dangerous now than thieves. I was once told I borrowed my car from a thief and that they will investigate with government guns in their hands; stories can be created,” @Sethbundle007 posted.

Another Nigerian, using the handle @Brodasolar, called on the Force Headquarters to address the behaviour of its personnel, particularly during late hours on the Benin-Asaba Expressway.

@Brodasolar stated, “Baba, most times the delay is just on purpose, especially at night.

The extortion that goes on every day between Benin-Asaba Expressway en, na only God fit help us overcome am, and this is not the case in the north. You need to caution your men.”

In response to some of the accusations on his verified Social media account, Adejobi urged motorists to support the police’s efforts by refusing to give money to any officer on the highways.

He wrote, “We all need to play our role to curb the menace of extortion. This matter has been addressed severally. It’s better to be delayed at their points than to dignify corruption or extortion.

“Play your role and curb the menace. If someone wants to collect money or bribe you for having all your documents, would you pay? If you pay for such, why? It’s a simple thing: don’t dignify any abnormality. The best way to go.”