Residents of Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State where 16 military personnel were killed have opened up on the alleged reprisal.

Daily Trust had reported how troops attached to 181 Amphibious Batallion, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta were killed while on peace mission.

Trouble started when the troops responded to a distress call after the communal crisis between the Okuoma and Okoloba communities both in the South South State.

There were reports that the military went on a reprisal attack after the incident.

But reacting, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, said the armed forces being a disciplined force complies with its rules of engagement, laws of armed conflict and respect for human rights.

Buba, a Major-General, said the military would not be led by emotions, but by the rule of law even in the face of provocation, adding that the incident would not demoralise or deter gallant troops from carrying out their constitutional duties as expected.

However, speaking with DRTV in Warri, two Okuama residents accused the military of carrying out mass killing.

The residents, who pleaded anonymity, said the soldiers had visited their community for a peacekeeping mission and were received in the town hall.

According to the residents, it was all fine until they asked to take the community chiefs away.

They said the soldiers reacted violently when the community insisted they leave without their chiefs.

On of the residents said: “On the 14th of March, we were at home when some military officials came to our community. We welcomed them and they said that they wanted to walk around the community. They walked around the community and said that they wanted to have a peace talk at the town hall.

“They went to the town hall. The military men were entertained and welcomed. They (the soldiers) asked for the community chairman and community leaders. They sat with them and had a talk. After that, they asked the chairman and some community leaders to follow them.

“We said that they had had the peace talk with the leaders already so they should leave, but the soldiers insisted they had to take them away. The people said no. From there, the army turned the whole story into violence. Right there, in the community town hall, the soldiers started shooting our people there. Killed many of the young people there. People started running; some were killed instantly. Nobody expected any shooting.

“The army went and came back with more reinforcement. About twenty more people were killed immediately.”

Another source said: “The army – they just changed all of a sudden and opened fire on us. Women and children died. We cannot find some of our children and our parents.

“They (the soldiers) killed over 20 of our fellow residents. Some of our buildings were razed. Many residents have fled and there are even dead bodies in the bush where we have been hiding. We want the government to come to our rescue.”

Great100000:


Source: https://www.thecable.ng/nigerians-experience-relief-as-prices-of-sugar-indomie-others-drop/amp?/nigerians-experience-relief-as-prices-of-sugar-indomie-others-drop

lexy2014:


how many men should govern Nigeria and how many men are presently governing Nigeria?

Bandits have reportedly kidnapped an unspecified number of Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso in Gada local government area of Sokoto state.

Our reporter gathered that the students were abducted from their school around 1:am on Saturday.

The propiretor of the school, Liman Abubakar, told our reporter that 15 students were unaccounted so far but “we are still counting.”

According to Abubakar, the bandits invaded the town around 1am, shot one person and abducted a woman.


“As they were leaving the town, they sighted our students rushing into their rooms and they kidnapped many of them.

“We have so far counted 15 who are missing and we are still searching for more,” he said

Abubakar added that this was not the first time the village was attacked by bandits.
The member, representing Gada-East Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Dauda while confirming the attack, said he received a call from the village around 2am that it was invaded by bandits.

“I reached out to the local government authorities and security agencies and I am sure they are doing something about it,” he said.

Our reporter also gathered that bandits attacked and killed three persons at Turba village in Isa Local Government Area of the state, including the village head.
A member representing, Isa Constituency, Habibu Modachi who confirmed the incident, believed it was a reprisal after security operatives raided bandits’ hideouts two days ago.

The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, said he was not aware of the development but he would contact the Divisional Police Officer of the local government areas and get back to our reporter.

Daily Trust reported that the attack came at a time the state is witnessing the passing out of its Community Guards Corps, the initiative of the state government aimed at curtailing banditry.

Nigerians, especially the low and middle-income earners, have cried out over the present high cost of cement saying they will no longer be able to own their houses in the country. This is just as the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, REDAN, declared that unless a sustainable solution was found to the problem of high cost of cement and other building materials, Nigeria’s housing deficit will continue to rise.

Between December, 2023 and January, 2024 the price of a 50kg bag of cement sold for an average of N5, 000 and N6,000 in the open market. However, in a survey carried out by Vanguard within one week between February 11 and 22, 2024, the price of a 50kg bag of cement rose to between N10,500 and N13,000 in many parts of Lagos, Ogun and other states across Nigeria amidst rising inflation.

This prompted the Federal Government’s decision to meet with manufacturers and other stakeholders in an attempt to halt the slide. The Minister of Works, David Umahi was quoted as saying at the meeting that, “it is common knowledge that the manufacturers have their challenges, which we shall look into, but from our findings, the disparity between ex-factory price and the market price is wide. “We therefore need to look into the situation and other issues with a view to finding a common front.” After the meeting, major cement manufacturers such as Dangote and BUA agreed to bring the price to between N7,000 and N8,000 per 50kg. It was also agreed that government on its part would look into some of the grievances of the manufacturers. They had complained about bad roads, exchange rate, rising inflation among others.

The President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Dr. Aliyu Wamako, who spoke to Vanguard, in a telephone interview, in Abuja, on Thursday, was particularly worried, like most of his colleagues in the building industry, about the astronomical rise in the cost of cement, one of the basic materials used in the construction industry.

Dr Wamako explained that low and middle income earners will find it difficult, if not impossible, to build or own houses with the average cost of cement hovering around N12,000-N15,000 per 50kg bag.

He said, “The truth is that low and middle income earners will find it increasingly difficult to afford housing which is a basic need, not to even talk about those who don’t have sustainable or reliable income. “We understand government is doing the best it can on this issue but more need to be done.

“In fact, we heard about the threat by government to open the borders to allow import of finished cement products if that will help. “We think both government and indigenous manufacturers of cement can find a lasting solution to this problem if they decide to work together.”

Residents, building contractors, sellers lament

A resident, Samuel Abayomi, who is currently building his house, lamented over the current price of cement, saying that the federal government wants to make it impossible for middle income earners to build their own houses. He said, “I had planned to finish my house latest by June according to my own budget. Although the price of cement had initially gone up this month, I was still able to adjust, but this current price is sickening and can kill someone before his time.


“How does the government want us to do it? Should we steal and kill before we have our own houses to ourselves? I fear for my country Nigeria. Everything is just going up, not only cement, we have not even talked about food, we are just trying to survive on a daily basis. “We are in a mess. If Tinubu doesn’t do something immediately, Nigeria will burn. I don’t think we can continue to bear this, the hardship is too much.”

An Abuja-based building contractor, Peter Ekondu, expressed shock about the astronomical rise in the cost of cement which he said has forced him to suspend work in one of the sites he was supervising.

He said, “It is distressing that not up to one week after one of my clients paid N5,500 expecting a supply of 100 bags of cement, he was told to add almost 50 percent or come for a refund. As we speak, I had to suspend work on the site because of this dispute. The young men on site who work and get paid on a daily basis have been sent home, it is that bad.”

Similarly, cement sellers have been complaining as they struggle to sell their products due to poor patronage as a result of skyrocketing prices. One of the cement sellers, who simply identified himself as Sanusi said, “The recent increase in prices of cement is not something we take lightly. Our aim has always been to provide high-quality cement at affordable prices to support the construction sector. However, rising cost beyond our control has forced us to adjust our pricing strategies.”

Another cement seller, Musa Adamu said that the primary factor responsible for the surge in cement prices is the exorbitant cost of raw materials. He also blamed transportation challenges they faced while distributing their products. He said, “We can’t be blamed for the increase in cement prices. We are not responsible for some of the factors that led to the increase. Let’s look at how much it takes for us to fuel our truck that will take us to where we will distribute the product to the consumers. Nigerians should not blame us, they should face this government, their policies are not working. Until they do something to fix it, everything will be expensive, nothing will be spared.”

One of the vendors in Abuja, Isaac Danjuma, said: “For now, what I sell is Dangote cement and it is sold for N10,000, the last I can give out is 9,900. I can’t say why it is increasing. It is when a company calls us that we will know what to sell. Truly, things are not easy for people but we can only wait and see those we voted for to change things.”

A vendor who simply identified herself as Amaka, shared her frustration with the situation, saying: “We are really struggling to sell our cement. The prices keep going up, but people are not willing to buy at these high costs. It’s been tough trying to make ends meet in this tough economic climate. “As cement vendors, we are feeling the impact of the rising cost of raw materials and transportation. We are doing our best to absorb some of these costs, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Our customers are feeling the effects as well.”

Another vendor identified as Ugochukwu Ebube, said: “What I sell for a bag of BUA cement is N9,500 and that of Dangote is N10,000 and this may increase any time soon. I can’t say what the government is doing but I know all these problems started when the subsidy was removed. We depend on selling cement to support our families, but with the poor patronage and high prices, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a living.”

Malroux:
Did the DSS identify the location of chibok girls when Tinubu in connivance with Buhari, Shettima and others played president Jonathan? What goes around comes around. Tinubu's own is too fast.

deji17:
Tinubu: I Did Not Urge FG to Print New Naira Notes

3 Years ago
March 30, 2020.


https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/03/30/tinubu-i-did-not-urge-fg-to-print-new-naira-notes

NoSmoking:
Asiwaju JAGABAN

💪

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has said that 767 manufacturers shut down operations while 335 became distressed in 2023.

This came against the backdrop of exchange rate volatility, rising inflation and other economic challenges that have worsened the investment climate.

MAN stated this in a statement in which it condemned the recently introduced Expatriate Employment Levy by the Federal Government.

The association said it was struck with disbelief, seeing that the levy runs contrary to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the kernel of his Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform initiative.

According to MAN, the unintended negative consequences on the manufacturing sector are humongous and cannot be accommodated at this time of evident downturn in our economy.

The statement read in part, “The imposition of EEL poses a potential impact on the manufacturing sector and the economy at large.

“This will in turn mark an unwarranted and unprecedented addition to the cost of doing business in Nigeria, especially to manufacturers. The manufacturing sector is already beset with multidimensional challenges. In the year 2023, 335 manufacturing companies became distressed and 767 shut down.”

The statement further noted that capacity utilisation in the sector has declined to 56 per cent amid rising interest rates and scarcity of forex needed to import raw materials and machinery.

It added, “Inventory of unsold finished products has increased to N350bn and the real growth has dropped to 2.4 per cent.”

MAN also said it was concerned that the EEL contradicts our international trade agreements and the obligations contained therein.

It argued that Nigeria is a signatory to the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, which seeks to promote the free movement of skilled labour across the continent, which is complemented by non-discriminatory measures against fellow Africans.

The association expressed worry that the introduction of the levy could trigger retaliatory measures against Nigerians working across Africa and other nations of the world and may also frustrate regional integration efforts and portray Nigeria as a spoiler among her peers.

“We are equally worried that the imposition of such a levy could have far-reaching implications for our national economy and potentially exert pressure on our national currency could be introduced through a Handbook, rather than a law enacted by the National Assembly.

This levy, if not reversed, might expose the Federal Government to a plethora of lawsuits that would  distract Government from the task of salvaging the current dire situation of our economy,” the statement added.

In its recommendation, MAN urged the president to direct that the implementation of the Expatriate Employment Levy be discontinued.

The Expatriate Employment Levy, a new policy introduced by the Federal Government aims to address wage gaps between expatriates and the Nigerian Labor force while encouraging skills transfer and the employment of qualified Nigerians in foreign-owned companies.

The new levy is $10,000 for staff and $15,000 for directors. This represents a significant shift from the $2,000 paid by foreign nationals for the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card.

According to NBS, Nigerian nationals constitute only 59 per cent of total jobs in Nigeria, their wages account for less than 45 per cent of total wages, and the average basic salary of expatriates stands at more than 45 per cent above the basic salary.

However, the introduction of the EEL has been met with strong criticism from members of Nigeria’s Organised Private Sector, who argue that the policy may negatively affect Foreign Direct Investments in the country.

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Chinyere Almona the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it is concerned about the likely perception by foreign investors that the Nigerian government is not accommodating to foreign workers.

The chamber expressed concern that this perception would be harmful to our drive for Foreign Direct Investments inflows.

The statement read in part, “The Expatriate Employment Levy may cause unintended consequences that may trigger the relocation of foreign companies to neighbouring countries that present a more conducive and less expensive environment for business.

“The imposition of this levy may likely spark retaliatory actions taken by other countries by imposing levies on foreigners and particularly targeting Nigerian workers. This will in turn affect diaspora remittances from Nigerian workers resident in other countries.”

In the same vein, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, in a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Muda Yusuf, criticised the new policy directive.

The Centre said that the policy could be a major setback for the continental economic integration vision.

The statement read, “There are serious implications for diaspora Nigerians. The policy may trigger reciprocal actions from other countries and this may affect Nigerians in the diaspora.

“There are currently over 17 million Nigerians in various countries around the world doing extremely well in the fields of education, medicine, health, sports, media & entertainment, leadership & politics, finance, science & ICT, transportation, tourism, industry and agribusiness.”

Fareke:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/03/dont-sabotage-tinubus-efforts-in-fixing-economy-apc-chieftain-tells-governors/amp/

DevilsEqual:
Is it me or has the FG been moving fast to counter hardship in any possible ways??

I really like how the FG keeps firing on all odds... They will eventually get some right

No quote me to ask me stupid question o...If u wan wail, go do that one for Pitobi page

Barrywilly:
Some people can still reason reasonably. I strongly believe that Nigeria will come out of this situation very strongly.

advanceDNA:
When all companies keep posting losses because of naira devaluation......how will u enjoy company income tax as a nation??

U remove oil subsidy only to spend more than you saved on the same subsidy because of the peg u removed on he currency ....

And he still dare to foreign earnings they are claiming is not enough to fund cheap and free trips to hajj...
Exactly what they failed to comprehend..

As in.....is this man normal at all....?

courage89:
Nice

opamoses1:
Time for used Nigerian car sellers and local manufacturers like Innosons and Nord to make a killing, that's if the demand is there sha since Nigerians don't like made in Nigeria.