I sympathise with anyone that loses his job in these difficult times.

The reality is that every business goes through a circle. There are times you make profit. Occasionally, there can be a loss. That's business life.

If a company like this one which has been making billions in Nigeria every year for several years suddenly makes a loss, it is not nice but it is also not the end of the world.

Besides, Google, Facebook, Tesla etc have been laying off hundreds of thousands of employees in 'sane clime' USA.

Are they also based in Nigeria.

The global economy is going through a difficult circle. Virtually every country is affected one way or the other.

So in addition to being a so-called activist, this guy is also an international economist.

Curdlebug:
Customs are a menace... so someone should not send phone to Nigeria again and why is DHL own always different... USA pickers on Nairaland don't spend this much to clear phones and laptops naa... nawa o

Who are these pickers on nairaland.

Examples please.

Buying things from abroad can work smoothly at times.

At other times, the Nigerian factor will hit you with a nasty shock.

I don't know the full details of this imbroglio, and I sympathise with those affected.

However, I can tell you that every country in the world, including the USA, UK, and other countries in Europe, act in their own selfish interest when they face a critical situation.

The USA for example has banned a number of American technology companies from selling certain products to China, just because they want to slow down China's technological advancement. Google NVIDIA export ban. Another example - during COVID, many countries that were less affected by COVID refused to sell their unused stock of Covid vaccines to countries in desperate need.

So, when a country faces a desperate situation, it is not uncommon for the government of that country to take decisions it considers to be in its people's best interest.

That is not to say I agree with the government's position. It is just the reality.

Most people in the South don't really understand.

Too much gra gra and tribal fighting will not let many Southerners patiently analyse the politics of this country.

Daily Trust and the Associations in the North mostly kept quiet under Mr Buhari. Now, they suddenly regained their voices. For altruistic Nigerian interest? Absolutely not.

The North will win the game of politics in Nigeria all the time because many down South can't and won't see the age-long formulae those people use when a Southern president is in power.

Every day, another problem.

I thought it was the NNPC's own allocation that was to be channelled to local refineries

How can the federal government dictate to independent producers who to sell to.

With this latest palaver, doe thar mean the October start date for selling to Dangote refinery may not materialise?

Chai...Naijeeerriaaa

Some crooked politicians will be regretting granting traditional worshipers holiday now that the traditional worshippers are coming after them

Anyway, anyone that thinks Nigerian politicians will be afraid to take a traditional oaths of office is deceiving himself.

Things are hard in most countries right now. It is just different shades of pain.

Try Cameroon, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Argentina, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Haiti, UK, Canada, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Somalia, Kenya, USA, New Zealand, Germany, France, Mali, Burkina Faso etc

Turkey is worse than Nigeria.
Argentina is worse than Nigeria.
Lebanon is worse than Nigeria.
So many other countries are worse than Nigeria.

There is no constitutional right to cheap petrol. As a country, we got ourselves into the current situation due to over 50 years of economic mismanagement.

We have to work ourselves out of this mess.

You say people are quiet. What do you want people to do. Burn everything and everywhere? And then after that what happens. We go and beg World Bank to lend us money to rebuild what we burnt?

We just have to buckle down and work harder to fix the country.

There is no magic solution anywhere.

Is the NLC above the law?

Are they saying their Chairman is too big to be invited by the Police.

The man has not been charged with anything. Just invitation.

It is not a personal property.

Future President's will use it.

A Nigerian President needs to be able to fly in a plane owned by Nigeria as and when needed.

People who say the prime ministers of some countries in Europe use commercial planes. Yes, but those countries airports and airlines are very well connected to other countries.

Nigeria airlines don't fly to many countries. I think Airpeace only flies to the UK.

So, what if Nigeria's President needs to travel to France, USA, Brazil etc? He should fly Air France, or United Airlines? What if those airlines are not available on the day he needs to fly?

Because the price of beans and garri is high, Nigeria should not buy an aeroplane? I disagree.

The Nigerian government can do both - buy the plane and continue to work to make life easier for citizens.

Tellmeastory:


How much did Obi hide in his account there?

Is there a round figure?

As a political office holder (Governor), Mr Obi was forbidden by law from operating a foreign bank account without declaring it.

As Governor, Mr Obi tried to bypass this requirement by operating the Panama account in his daughter's name.

When he was caught, he said he was not aware of the law

Like I said, oher Nigerian politicians do hide money in secret accounts in other people's name (usally their children) abroad. So, Mr Obi was not alone.

The only laughable thing is that he parades himself as a saint who is totally different from other politicians, and his supporters believe him 100%.

Tellmeastory:


How much did Obi hide in his account there?

Is there a round figure?

I can't remember exactly. It was a few million dollars.

Check Google.

Tellmeastory:


What?

Explain pls..

Mr Obi hid money in a secret bank account in Panama, in his daughter's name.

A few other Nigerian politicians were named in the scandal.

Panama is a small country in South America where you can safely hide dirty money in secret bank accounts.

Check Google for 'Obi Panama account scandal'. It should come up with the details.

It is laughable that some think Mr Obi is a saint.

So, sometime in recent weeks, Mr Tinubu gathered key Aso Rock staff and Ministers and told them, boys, I want you to plot a scheme to disguise the purchase of a new Presidential aircraft.

One of those assembled, most likely someone from Ogun State, raised his hands and said, sir!, I have a brilliant idea.

There is this Chinese company that has a long running legal dispute with Ogun State that has been going from country to country trying to enforce a court judgement on Nigeria's assets abroad. Why don't we secretly give them info that 3 of our Presidential jets will be in France for servicing in August so that they can get a court order to seize them. We can then use the seizure to support the need for a new Presidential jet.

The President must have then said, what a brilliant idea! and give the oder for the secret mission to proceed

This is conspiracy theory gone mad.

What an absolute nutcase this Sowore of a man is. Is blatant lying also protected as human right under the Nigerian constitution?

He revels in the massive delusion that majority of Nigerians take him seriously when all he does is lie and instigate in order to gain notoriety so that the white people funnelling dollars to him in the misguided belief that he is genuinely fighting for human rights in Nigeria will continue to do so.

How does a man know whether or not a lady is wearing an underwear. Am I missing something.

Also, who told this woman men (not boys) find a lady without a bra attractive. I certainly don't.

Honestly, I do not recall seeing a woman without a bra in several years in this Lagos. Probably because I don't look at women like that, let alone making it my business to inspect whether they wear a bra or not.

I think this woman is just making excuses for irresponsible married men.

Gold price is currently $80,000 per kg.

The man said there was 1 ton (1000 kg) on the desk.

That's $80 million dollars on that desk!

If you have that in gold alone, your total networth is unlikely to be less than $500 million dollars.

Yet, he has no legitimate business.

Government employ you to generate revenue. Same Government say make you send 50% of the revenue (not even 100% o) back to am, you say you no gree.

You say you wan call nationwide strike.

Wonders shall never end.

So, federal government shouldnt claim 50% of monies collected by its own agency?

Same problem we have with FIRS, Customs, NNPC and the rest.

Federal government, House of Rep, Senate have to beg these agencies to send money to the government.

NNPC's own is even more perplexing. They just do their own thing. Their MD appears to be more powerful than the everybody, except may be the President.

Is there any other country in the world that has this type of joke set up.

So the Governor admitted receiving grains sent by federal government several weeks ago but claims they are still planning the distribution.

People are starving yet you kept free food in warehouses.

Some of these Governors are just so wicked.

So the Governor admitted receiving grains sent by federal government several weeks ago but claims they are still planning the distribution.

The government may have to remove restrictions on the importation of flour, sugar, cement etc

Granting import licences to just a few companies have not worked for consumers since Obj era. Those few that are able to import just take advantage by increasing prices as they like.

Stop licences. Allow everyone who want to import to do so. Fierce competition will bring down prices.

That's why I laugh at those who want the government to put all it fuel future in the hands of Dangote refinery, as if the duopoly in rhe cement sector has helped Nigerians.

That is about N120 billion to be paid by Ogun State government.

Where will the State government find that kind of money. The federal government will have to step in if it wants to get these aircrafts back.

One thing I know is most Nigerians have no respect for contract. You reach agreement with them, they short change you. If you protest, they'll tell you to do your worst

Terrible people.

Foreigners will teach them a hard lesson.

jaxxy:
Systemic corruption is killing Nigeria.

Why should we be importing fuel and paying humongous subsidy through the back door when we now have one of the largest refineries in the world?

This should be a criminal act is we are normal in this country..

Dangote has not announced its price so how do you know that government will not have to pay subsidy to Dangote.

Punch editor is mistaken.

So, government should give tax breaks and import waivers to encourage investment in new refineries.

Is the Punch writer not aware that the world is moving away from fossil fuel and that in addition to Dangote refinery, BUA refinery is also being built, there are Port Harcourt and Warri too. Is refinery the only investment Nigeria should focus on.

Refineries are beginning to close down in Europe because global demand for petrol is expected to start falling permanently in another 10 - 15 years, yet Punch thinks foreign investors will rush to invest in new refineries in Nigeria

Also, in the entire editorial, Punch didn't find it necessary to provide any evidence of sabotage or conspiracy against Dangote refinery. Instead, it only repeated speculations and rumours.

A proper newspaper would have thoroughly investigated the ownership of the Malta refinery including, if necessary, sending its reporters to Malta.

I assume Northerners are very relaxed.

They don't mind Southern so-called experts jumping from Arise TV to Channels to social media blowing grammar about this and that and being hailed by their naive followers.

They (Northerners) know nothing can change without their consent.

I have said it a few times here that Northerners will resist a new constitution.

Did people notice that a few weeks ago when southerners were screaming 'regionalism', Northern politicians didn't even bother to comment.

That's because any constitutional change will have to go through the Senate and the House of Rep.

Northern representatives are the majority in both Houses. So they'll just wait for Southerners there and vote against any Southern proposal.

The current bad system pays the Northerners. Why will they agree to change it.

Guestlander:


These "big players" serves their home countries at the expense of Nigeria and at the expense of the Nigerian people.
Big players my foot.

That is neither true nor fair.

Crude oil and petroleum are 2 of the most international products in the world. It is not about serving 'your nation'.

Companies, irrespective of their country of origin are selling crude oil 24hrs a day to whoever is interested. The fact that Shell explore oil in the Niger delta doesn't mean they care whether they sell to a Nigerian company or a company in Colombia.

Everybody is buying from wherever they can get.

The US is the largest producer of crude oil, and it produces more than it needs, but US refineries still buy from other countries if they get a better deal.

Companies are in business to make money. Whoever is ready to pay, they will sell to. They don't care about country or no country.

If Companies in the country they are located in aren't ready to pay their price, they will sell to another company in another country.

The fact that Shell or Mobil explore crude oil in Nigeria doesn't mean they'll feel sorry for Nigeria and sell to a Nigerian company if it is not convenient to do so.

According to this man, Mr Dangote spent nearly 10 years building a refinery, but forgot to secure contracts for the very raw material the refinery needs to operate.

Very Nigerian. Not surprised.

We build power plants, announce to the world that we now have 10,000 megawatts capacity, only to remember at the last minute that, there is no gas to operate the plants. And so the power plant doesn't function for another 5 years

We are not the best at organisation and planning.

According to this man, Mr Dangote spent nearly 10 years building a refinery, but forgot to secure contracts for the very raw material the refinery needs to operate.

Very Nigerian.

We build power plants, announce to the world that we now have 10,000 megawatts capacity, only to remember at the last minute that, there is no gas to operate the plants. And so the power plant doesn't function for another 5 years

We are not the best at organisation and planning.

kedeojo:
This dumebi, is just a fool. No wonder Nigerian's take such character for granted when they contest under mushroom party. How can an importer will be a bigger player in the oil industry than a refinery owner of that magnitude.

The man mentioned Shell and Mobil as the bigger players. And he is correct.

At no point did he say local importers were bigger than Dangote as you have claimed.

Shell and Mobil who are the biggest crude oil exploration companies in Nigeria operate refineries around the world with combined capacity that exceed Dangote's. They need to supply their own refineries.

Shell and Mobil also operate filling stations across the world. Dangote doesn't operate any.

The two companies are also some of the biggest international crude oil sellers in the world. These are the power brokers in crude oil exploration, marketing and refining.

So, the man is correct. Shell is several times bigger than Dangote. So is Mobil.