₦airaland Forum

A Turkish Airlines plane heading to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York after the captain died on board.

The plane took off from Seattle on Wednesday but was forced to divert after İlçehin Pehlivan, the 59-year-old pilot, fainted.

Yahya Üstün, Turkish Airlines spokesperson, said the crew gave the pilot an emergency treatment on board and tried to revive him but failed.

“When the first medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective, the cockpit crew consisting of 1 captain and 1 co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing,” Üstün said.

The spokesperson noted that the pilot had worked at the airline since 2007 and had no known health problems.

Üstün added that the captain also passed a medical earlier this year, noting that no health problem was detected that would have prevented him from working.

“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” Üstün said.

The airline official said arrangements have been made for the passengers to connect their flight to Istanbul via New York.

Nigerians have expressed dismay over the recent fuel price increase by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (NNPCL), saying it would worsen poverty among the citizens.

Fuel which previously sold for N897 in Abuja, the nation’s capital, currently sells for N1,030.

In Lagos, the product which previously sold for N885 per ltire is now being sold at N998 amid long queues.

Following this, some Nigerians have taken to the social media platforms to share their thoughts.

On social media, @rolandjick267 wrote: “How do we survive? This is becoming too much.”

@Sthabbey said: “This situation is becoming unacceptable. Nigerians deserve respect from @officialABAT and his administration. This is unwarranted, and our patience has been stretched to its limit.”

@qudus_kalas wrote: “At this point they should just throw atomic bomb 💣 in the country make every body kuku kpai once and for all”

@Abubakar_tatari said: “It’s getting out of hand , no sympathy for the masses . This regime is just heartless.”

@Chambez84: “Thank you Mr President for us. we like the suffering and I am happy about it. please suffer us more Nigerian love you.. I am suggesting for Nnpc to sell the fuel at 5000 per liter it will strengthen our economy.”

@El_khaleel: “Tinubu just take the price that you want it to be we tired with this your policies yesterday price is not todays price 🥹🥹.”

@khalifakila: “Nigerians are very patient people wallahi. This can’t happen in other countries. Just wake up one morning and add price of PMS and life goes on.”

@Sirpascal: “Instead of Nigerians to benefit from dangote refinery , they’re paying more for fuel , even though crude is sold in Naira to him … Nigeria is not a place for the living ..”

On Facebook, Abdullahi Bala Muhammad said: “The president should call them to order because what they are doing these days is getting out of hand’s in fact they are pushing poor Nigerians to the wall and if they pushed back the things won’t be good to the government.”

Nurabros Ahmed: “Well let’s president Tinubu Knows that all this things that he is Rulling people with hardship suffernes day will come he will be Accountable to the Almighty Allah.”

Ash’hab Nasir: “We will still survive irrespective of their actions, and we will definitely live the life they never wanted for us..”

Nasir Usman Rawayya: “This is unfair to humanity.”

The development comes 24 hours after Daily Trust reported a likely pump price increase as a result of NNPCL’s exit as a middleman in the Dangote Refinery fuel purchase deal.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, has commenced the process of appointing new Permanent Secretaries to fill vacancies in eight states.

A memo from the OHCSF, signed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, on October 7, 2024, indicated that officials currently undergoing disciplinary procedures were barred from applying for the positions of Permanent Secretaries.

The memo stated that the appointment process had been approved by President Bola Tinubu.

According to the memo, which was addressed to all ministers, directors of agencies, and other senior officials, eligible applicants must be from Abia, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Rivers states, to uphold the Federal Character principle.

“Following the approval of Mr. President, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is commencing the process of appointing Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service for existing and impending vacancies in Abia, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Rivers states, where Permanent Secretaries have retired or are expected to retire by December 24, 2024.

“Consequently, directors in the mainstream federal civil service who meet the set criteria are eligible to participate in the exercise,” the memo stated.

The memo outlined the eligibility criteria, noting that applicants“must have attained the position of substantive Director on Salary Grade Level 17 on or before 1st January 2022; must have updated their records on the IPPIS verification portal; must be indigenes of the states listed in paragraph one above; and must have not less than one year in service by 18th November 2024, when the process of appointing Permanent Secretaries will be completed.”

It further emphasised that “officers undergoing disciplinary procedures are excluded from the exercise.”

The memo specified that “the Permanent Secretaries are required to clearly state in the forwarding letter that the officers who have applied are not under any disciplinary procedures.”

The Federal Government is set to deliver up to 400,000 barrels of Nigerian crude oil daily to the Dangote refinery under its naira-for-crude agreement, a report by Bloomberg stated on Monday.

It said this significant development is expected to take place over the next two months, amounting to 24 million barrels of Nigerian supply between October and November 2024.

This increase in processing capacity could have substantial implications for both the refinery’s operations and the local oil industry, transforming the region’s import and export markets.

This new development follows the announcement by the Federal Government that the naira-for-crude deal has commenced.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Monday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is set to begin the supply of crude oil in naira to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery this week with three more refineries set to start the production of Premium Motor Spirit.

According to cargo allocations reviewed by Bloomberg News, Dangote’s increasing reliance on local feedstock will disrupt the Atlantic oil market by substantially decreasing Nigeria’s crude exports.

The 650,000-barrel-a-day plant — larger than any other in Africa or Europe — will claim 13 to 14 shipments from Nigeria’s typical monthly program of about 50 cargoes.

The West African crude market is set to be “substantially tighter” in the fourth quarter because of the supply to Dangote, said Ronan Hodgson, a London-based analyst at FGE.

The volumes could even send Nigerian exports below 1 million barrels a day, he said.

Some shipments over the next two months may not be delivered as planned, and October’s list includes two cargoes already delayed from September.

Still, the scheduled volume is significantly larger than the average 255,000 barrels a day of Nigerian oil taken in by Dangote over the first half of the year as it gradually ramped up processing, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Dangote is already running at 60-70 per cent capacity and will reach its full rate within months, project management firm Engineers India Ltd. Chairman Vartika Shukla said last month.

The latest allocations also suggest that Dangote has continued to curtail its buying of US crude, according to traders.

Earlier this year, the refinery imported millions of barrels of WTI Midland, before re-selling some of the oil and scrapping plans to buy more.

Nigerian National Petroleum Co. reached an agreement with Dangote last month under which the country’s state-owned energy firm will supply crude in return for being the sole distributor of the refinery’s crucial gasoline production.

If Dangote’s ramp-up continues to advance in the coming months, Nigeria could start to realize its long-held goal of curbing costly oil product imports.

“If the refinery runs at higher rates, the West African market for gasoline and diesel imports will shrink extremely quickly,” FGE’s Hodgson said.

The website of Nigeria High Commission in UK currently has more of the polices of the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, who left office in 2015.

The policy statements of President Bola Tinubu, who assumed office in 2023, and has visited UK for at least five times since then, are not found on the website.

Although Nigeria’s anthem changed in May when Tinubu gave assent to the National Anthem Bill, 2024, Arise O Compatriots, the former anthem, is what the high commission has on its website.

If such is the case with Tinubu, it is far worse with ex-President Muhammadu Buhari. For the eight years Buhari stayed in office, the High Commission did not display key information about his government.

Because foreign missions are the first good image publicists of a country, their websites ought to provide accurate information on their respective countries. Aside from the Sierra Leone High Commission in UK, which has stale content like that of Nigeria, checks on the websites of South Africa High Commission In UK, Kenya High Commission In UK, Ghana High Commission and that of Togo, showed they have up to date contents.

As of October 4, 2024, when our correspondent last visited the Nigerian High Commission website, information of 2010 when ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was in power were found in important segments.

Although the landing page showed a message on Nigeria’s Independence Day, while pictures of Tinubu and Mohammed Maidugu, Acting High Commissioner, were displayed conspicuously along Nigeria’s coat of arm, a visit to categories such as Economy Overview; Labour Market and Unemployment; Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing; Mining & Semi-Processing, among others which ought to educate and enlighten visitors, showed some information that have not been updated since the era of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“According to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, inflation declined steadily from 15.1% at the end of 2008 to 11.1% at the end of July 2009,” a post on the economy overview read in part.

Incumbent governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has held multiple Monetary Policy Committee meetings and other engagements, where policy statements were made, yet none of this has found its way to the website.

Before him was Godwin Emefiele who was CBN governor for nine years, but it’s the information of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who served under the late President Umar Musa YarÁdua and later Jonathan, that was found on the website.

Commenting on this gaffe in an Op-Ed piece, Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa, Editor-in-Chief, Nigeria Year Book and Who is Who, narrated how he drew the attention of Ambassador Sarafadeen Isola, the immediate past High Commissioner, to this situation years back but nothing positive has been done since then.

Different sections of the website
“The Nigeria High Commission London is yet to post any document on the economic policies of the Tinubu Administration over a year after its inception… It never did for the Buhari Administration that lasted eight years. It is an embarrassment for Mr. President and his administration that the narrative on the website’s economy overview stops at 2009.”

“In the case of Buhari Administration they were few attempts seven months after the first and second articles were released. His Excellency the Nigerian High Commissioner in London sent an email to me on September 23, 2022 after the publication of the second article requesting that: “The above subject was brought to my attention. I will appreciate if you can provide the link to the UK embassy report. 
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to redesign our website, which I must unfortunately admit is user unfriendly”. Apparently from this enquiry His Excellency was not aware of the content of the website. But why despite all the resources expended on this foreign mission there are no responsible officers with capacity to even collate and post correct information on Nigeria. This is not acceptable. The High Commission is yet to up date the website two years after this communication with the High Commissioner. What manner of diplomatic service is this?”

In an interview with Daily Trust, a former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, said the obsolete information on the commission’s website portrayed Nigeria in a bad light in the community of nations.

The diplomat lamented that the absence of Tinubu-led administration’s foreign policies on the website implied that the government is not using international relations to promote economic growth and development in Nigeria.

He said, “It is how you are perceived that people relate with you. It shows that public administration in Nigeria is at best zero. That is why, for instance, former British Prime Minster (David Cameron) described Nigeria as fantastically corrupt. When you’re fantastically corrupt, how do you expect to address minor issues like updating the website? It gives Nigeria a very bad image.

“It gives the government an image of recklessness; it tells investors that they can’t depend on information on the internet and it is better for them to make inquiries one-on-one. If you don’t have updated information, they (the investors) will engage in bad decision making. It only portrays Nigeria as, at best, an analogue country in a new world of globalisation and technologically-driven world.”

An email sent to the High Commission, seeking clarification on this development had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Eche Abu-Obe, could not be reached for comments.

Barring last-minute changes, the Presidency has confirmed that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent, with sources indicating 11 ministers could be relieved of their positions.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this development yesterday in his first media briefing with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Onanuga, who was joined in the briefing by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, did not give any timeline for when President Bola Tinubu will reshuffle his cabinet, but insiders believe the announcement will be made later this week after the announcement was delayed at the conclusion of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday.

Onanuga confirmed that the President was considering a reshuffle of his Council but declined to specify how soon the ministers would be moved around or dismissed.

He said: “It’s true President Bola Tinubu has plans to reshuffle his cabinet, but I can’t say specifically whether that will be done before the Independence celebration on October 1.”It is worth noting that President Tinubu appointed his ministers in August last year.

However, those familiar with some of the details of the imminent cabinet change stated that at least 11 ministers have been penciled down for replacement with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila likely to be relieved of his appointment.

Former minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola is noted to have been identified as a likely replacement for Gbajabiamila. If he declines the offer, the current principal secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola has been identified to fill the void.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun is expected to get a junior minister in the person of the Chairman, Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.

While decisive action is likely to be taken on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, insiders note that the ministry might be scrapped due to the level of malfeasance and corruption perpetrated under the guise of intervention programmes.

Also, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and a few others may not be lucky in the imminent cabinet reshuffle.

According to those familiar with the imminent changes, some ministers may be moved to other ministries, while those found to have performed below par will be removed.

The insiders also noted that a minister who served under the Buhari administration will likely be returned to serve under the present administration.The official confirmation of a cabinet shake-up comes after months of speculation since Tinubu’s first anniversary in office, as Nigerians grumble about the need for better governance performance amid economic challenges.

This is also happening against the backdrop of some ministers falling below expectations regarding his Renewed Hope agenda. A year after President Bola Tinubu inaugurated his 45-minister cabinet, many Nigerians expressed displeasure with the team’s performance.

While some acknowledged flashes of brilliance in some ministers, the consensus of critical stakeholders was the urgency of a cabinet reshuffle, with the President replacing his political allies with more capable, experienced, and committed professionals – if he genuinely hopes to save the country from socio-economic implosion.

Also, President Tinubu has instructed his ministers to actively promote his administration’s accomplishments. According to Onanuga, Tinubu urged the ministers to “go out there and shout about your and the administration’s successes”. He noted that some ministers were hesitant to speak publicly, adding, “Many Nigerians believe the president isn’t doing much, while the government is making significant strides.”

Tinubu emphasised that his ministers should focus more on communicating these achievements to the public. Corroborating this, Ogra said President Tinubu already had some reports on the performance of the cabinet members, which would determine who would be affected by the shake-up.

“We also need to realise that the President’s decision to reshuffle is also based on empirical evidence. He said during the retreat for the ministers that he was going to have periodic reviews, and the decisions or the information extracted from these reviews will be used to make that final decision. I know he’s gotten a couple of reports, and as Mr Onanuga has said, when he’s ready to make changes, I believe he will,” he said.

Stakeholders’ assessment of the ministers indicated that, except for the trio of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, Minister of Works Dave Umahi, and Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, all others performed below par in key deliverables.

The dismal scorecard aligns with the 2024 Quarter 1 assessment report by the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Coordination and the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), which scored all the ministers below average in terms of promises and what they delivered.

Concerned stakeholders specifically flayed the administration’s economic and security teams, concluding that under Tinubu, Nigeria has been economically brought to its knees.

While Tinubu’s muddled policies further impoverished the masses, Nigerians expressed displeasure at the extravagant lifestyle of the cabinet members, which they blamed on the president’s inability to lead by example and tame corruption under his watch.

While most stakeholders remained hopeful that the government could address the economic hardship and insecurity, the major opposition parties – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) – stated that the challenges facing Nigeria in terms of welfare and security are neither about ministers nor reshuffling of the cabinet. They claimed that “the president has lost control and his cluelessness is evident in the actions of each cabinet member in various ministries.”

Meanwhile, a group, Arewa Awareness on Good Governance, issued a statement calling on the House of Representatives to resist the alleged attempt to reinstate Dr Betta Edu to her position as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

In the statement released yesterday, the group’s spokesperson, Malam Germa Ibrahim Musa, stressed the need for the lower legislative chamber to uphold its duties as outlined in the 1999 constitution.

The group expressed bewilderment at the apparent push by certain vested interests to reinstate Edu, who President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended from office last year for alleged misconduct.

They urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, to reject lobby groups’ efforts to garner support for Edu’s reinstatement. Highlighting the legislature’s primary role as the First Estate of the realm, the group underscored lawmakers’ responsibility to represent citizens, uphold the sovereignty, enact laws, oversee the executive branch, and advocate for constituents.

Furthermore, the group stressed the importance of ensuring accountability, transparency, and the prudent use of public funds while cautioning against rushing to reinstate a government official without a thorough review of allegations.

The statement reiterated the group’s call for Abbas to address the conduct of one of his senior legislative aides, Cecilia Ogbeche-Odok, who had reportedly advocated for Betta Edu’s reinstatement and appealed to President Tinubu to reconsider the suspension.

“Ogbeche’s ineptitude is staggering, and her arrogance knows no bounds. She is out of touch with reality and the needs of Nigerians, and as such, we will not tolerate Ogbeche’s continued presence in the Speaker’s office. We demand decisive action from Speaker Abbas to restore credibility to his office,” the statement concluded.

Written by Royal Ibeh


Telecommunication companies have increased their reliance on renewable energy sources as the soaring cost of diesel, which reached N56.24 billion in monthly expenses, continues to strain operators.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) reports that diesel accounts for 35 percent of telecom operating expenses.

Due to the unreliable electricity supply in Africa’s most populous nation, the industry heavily relies on off-grid power from generators.

According to industry estimates, telecom operators use an average of 40 million litres of diesel per month to power their sites. The price of diesel surged to N1,406.05 per litre in August 2024, representing a 64.58 percent increase from N854.32 per litre in August 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This implies that the cost of powering Nigeria’s communication infrastructure increased from N34.17 billion in August 2023 to N56.24 billion in August 2024.

As of the end of 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) stated there were 34,862 towers and 127,294 base stations in the country. Industry sources indicate that each base station has two generators. The telecoms industry spent N2.09 trillion on operational costs in 2022, based on the latest data from the NCC.

President of ALTON Gbenga Adebayo confirmed the current diesel consumption, stating, “It will be over that now.”

Harmanpreet Dhillon, Airtel Nigeria’s chief technical officer, revealed that the telco spent N28 billion on diesel in May 2024.

During a media roundtable, Dhillon mentioned that the company is exploring hybrid solutions—lithium batteries and solar—to lower its energy bill.

McKinsey recently noted that companies could save up to 30% on energy costs by adopting renewable energy solutions and other technologies.

“The biggest constraint in the telecom industry is high energy costs. If the government had continued to fulfil its part of the bargain made in the early 2000s to provide 18 hours of electricity, the heavy logistics and capital we spend today on powering sites would not be necessary,” Adebayo said, adding that these energy challenges threaten the sector’s sustainability.

In its 2023 audited results, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc highlighted how “the combined effects of naira devaluation, higher inflation, and rising energy costs” led to increased operating expenses.

High energy costs in May 2022 prompted telcos to request a 40 per cent increase in calls, SMS, and data prices due to rising operating costs. At that time, they stated that their energy costs had increased by 35 percent.

A combination of these factors led Karl Toriola, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, to declare that the industry is “in a big crisis.”

Aside from Airtel, other telecom companies are shifting to alternative energy sources such as solar, lithium batteries, CNG, and LPG to reduce their dependence on diesel.

“Even when you have alternative energy, they do not provide 24-hour backup; you must seek other energy sources,” said Adebayo of ALTON.

In 2023, WATT Renewable Corporation, the parent company of First WATT Renewables Limited, signed a $13 million deal with Empower New Energy to reduce diesel usage.

“To start, we are looking to modernise over 200 telecom sites within 10 months, and part of that plan is to reduce diesel consumption by 3 million litres annually,” said Oluwole Eweje, CEO of WATT Renewable Corporation.

Kazeem Oladepo, vice president at IHS Towers, highlighted that while diesel remains a major energy source, many tower companies are integrating alternative energy sources such as solar, LPG, CNG, and others.

During a Nairametrics Industry Spotlight webinar with the theme: “Beyond Connectivity: Telcos and the Future of Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” Chukwuebuka Ezewuzie, senior manager of growth and new business tech platforms at MTNN, noted that the telco is exploring renewable energy.

“A lot of advancement is occurring at the moment in adopting renewable energy because the infrastructure powered by diesel and petrol is massively expensive. So, how are we going to use the free energy from the sun and wind to power this equipment and reduce costs? This is one of the key areas telcos are currently exploring,” he said.

Chris Wood, CEO of West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), also emphasised that alternative energy sources such as tidal and wind power could contribute to a more sustainable energy mix.

“It is not just about solar energy, but all levels of sustainable power, including the gas supply,” he stated.

Adebayo of ALTON noted that infrastructure companies (Infracos) are more vulnerable to rising diesel costs.

Recently, MTN renegotiated its tower contracts with ATC and IHS, with energy being a key consideration.

“But beyond efficiency, we will also focus on cost optimisation, green energy utilisation, and sustainability,” Toriola of MTN emphasised.

However, the shift to renewable energy faces challenges, particularly theft.

“People steal solar cells and batteries,” Adebayo remarked.

Although renewables have the potential to reduce costs, industry experts believe that telecom service prices must be adjusted to ensure the sector’s sustainability.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Thursday, stated that the current administration has made significant achievements that have positively impacted the daily lives of citizens.

He specifically highlighted the introduction of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative, which according to him has alleviated transportation difficulties for the populace.

Addressing journalists at a World Press Conference to mark the 64th Independence anniversary, Akume said that, to encourage the conversion to CNG-powered land transportation, the government has begun distributing CNG conversion kits at no cost to Nigerians.

He said, “Before I unveil the approved program of activities, I wish to mention a few of the accomplishments of this administration that impact our citizens in their daily lives.

“Recently, President Bola Tinubu GCFR followed through with his promises to ease transportation difficulties of our citizens with the establishment of the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG) and the launch of the first phase of thirty buses powered by hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

“This is a work in progress because the Presidential Initiative is designed to expand across all geo-political zones of the country. The government has also commissioned the first retrofitted CNG train head for the Abuja-Kaduna track. This is intended to cut the cost of travel by up to fifty per cent when fully operational.

“To encourage conversion to CNG-powered land transportation, the government has also commenced the distribution of CNG conversion kits at no cost to Nigerians. The benefit of the CNG transport system to Nigerians is a huge reduction in cost.”

Akume also said the president also gave priority to the growth of the economy through the SMEs.

He added, “By doing so, he( the president ) has re-focused on strengthening the backbone of our economy by empowering Nigerians to start or grow their businesses.

“The President has similarly repositioned the National Social Investment Programme to effectively address the challenges facing the poor, the vulnerable, the underserved, and the elderly.

“Nigerian workers have also benefited from a newly approved National Minimum Wage. This is coming on the heels of the Wage Award paid to mitigate the plight of the workers.”

Akume added that a total of 22,120 students have benefited from N 2.5bn disbursed by the Nigerian Students Loan Fund.

He said, “In the area of human capital development, the Nigerian Students Loan Fund has disbursed the sum of N2.5 billion to over 22,120 beneficiaries across higher institutions in the nation. This is a welcome relief for parents and an opportunity to access education by indigent students.

“Insecurity in different parts of the country has been a recurring challenge for successive governments since 1999.

“This administration has succeeded in elevating the human and institutional capacity of the armed services and other security agencies to tackle these challenges of insurgency, banditry, and other criminal activities including kidnapping. This is already yielding results as insurgents and bandits are getting neutralised in large numbers while several others are surrendering to the authorities for deradicalisation.”

Akume noted that the government had learned from the flood ravaging many states of the country, adding that efforts had been stepped up to prevent a reoccurrence.

He said, “The rainy season has similarly posed its challenges. As a result of climate change and other environmental factors, the country has experienced serious flooding in several states, resulting in fatalities and destruction of infrastructure, personal belongings, shelter, livelihoods, etc.

“The humanitarian response of the Federal Government has been swift and effective. The government has drawn lessons from the current situation and has stepped up planning and prevention strategies."

He assured Nigerians that the president was aware of the economic situation of the country, adding that efforts were being made to cushion the immediate impact and to create new opportunities on a short-, medium- and long-term basis.

Akume said, “This government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very much aware of and deeply sympathises with all Nigerians over the economic conditions we are passing through. These have been occasioned by unavoidable policy choices, including, the removal of fuel subsidies, that his administration has had to make.

“Notwithstanding the daunting challenges, ceaseless efforts are being made to cushion the immediate impact and to create new opportunities on the short, medium, and long-term basis through the diligent implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor (CBN) Olayemi Cardoso has blamed the current economic hardship on the poor handling of the nation’s economy between 2015 and 2023, adding that present administration at the centre inherited a highly distorted economy.

The period Cardoso referred to was the two term tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The CBN governor said the current administration came “into a very loose money supply situation.”

According to him, the past eight years witnessed an incredible amount of pumping of liquidity into the system, a reason, he said, largely caused the spike in inflation rate and nationwide economic hardship.

“In 2015, money supply was about N19 trillion. And in 2023, it was N54 trillion. That’s a huge increase, a very, very huge increase, and a substantial amount of that was through Ways and Means,” Mr Cardoso said at a media briefing to disclose the decisions of the September edition of Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the apex bank in Abuja.

According to him, the printing of N35 trillion resulted in a huge amount of money in circulation which translated to too much money chasing the same amount of goods.

The CBN governor stated that the while the economy, on average, was growing at 1.2 percent during that time, the money supply was growing at 12.6 percent. He also blamed the situation on the collapse of the prices of oil and exchange rate fluctuation.

On Thursday, the 11 members of the MPC unanimously voted to raise the benchmark monetary policy rate (MPR) by 50 percent basis points to 27.25 percent from 26.75 percent, a move that is expected to deepen the cost of funds for the real or manufacturing sector of the economy.

Cardoso believes that the recent policy decisions of the central bank, including the clearing of foreign exchange backlog and rates tightening for the eighth time in one year, are helping to restore investors’ confidence in the economy.

“The numbers clearly show that we are heading in the right direction,” he told reporters yesterday.

The Monetary Policy Committee also voted to raise Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points from 45 percent to 50 percent for Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and from 14 percent to 16 percent for Merchant Banks. The committee retained the Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30 percent and Asymmetric Corridor at +500/-100 basis points around the MPR.

Mr Cardoso said the continued growth in the money supply indicates the need to curtail excess liquidity in the system and address foreign exchange demand pressures.

He further said the monetary authority was faced with no option but to engage in what has been largely described as tough economic decisions that created the current economic crisis.

“I accept that they may be tough, they really may be tough, but I’ve taken things to give you this background to understand that we have no choice but to deploy these tools to ensure that we can rein in the excess liquidity that has been in the system, the high inflation that has resulted to from all these,” he said.

The MPC said much more is required to actualise the Bank’s price stability mandate but reiterated the need to collaborate closely with the fiscal authority to address the current upward pressure on energy prices.

The MPC members were also concerned about the growing fiscal deficit but acknowledged the commitment of the fiscal authority not to resort to monetary financing through Ways & Means.

In justifying the MPC’s decision to further tighten rates, Cardoso said members deliberated on the optimal policy option to sustain the downward trend in price development, contain emerging risks to inflation, stabilise the exchange rate, safeguard the banking system, and shield the recovery of output growth.

MPC said efforts must be sustained to achieve a positive real interest rate to attract investments into the economy. This would enhance the economy’s competitiveness for international capital, thereby improving the exchange rate.

The MPC applauded the federal government’s ongoing effort to bridge the food supply deficit through the duty-free import window for food commodities. The Committee also expressed optimism that the lifting of refined petroleum products from Dangote refinery will moderate transportation costs and significantly support the easing of food price pressures in the short to medium term.

This is also expected to moderate foreign exchange demand for the importation of refined petroleum products, with a positive spillover on external reserves and an improvement in the overall balance of payment.


MPC Decisions Detrimental To Investment, Economic Growth – CPPE

Stakeholders who reacted to the decisions of the MPC raised concerns over the 27.25 per cent increase in benchmark interest rate.

The director/CEO of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, stated that the CBN’s decision to tighten the monetary policy further is detrimental to investment and economic growth.

Yusuf said, “It is quite troubling that at a time when manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and other investors in the economy are craving a breath of fresh air, the CBN chose to tighten the noose on them by resorting to a further tightening of monetary policy.

“The latest policy choice of the apex bank is at variance with the mood of most economic players and the desire to promote economic recovery and growth. What manufacturers and other investors need at this time is some oxygen and stimulus, not policy measures that would worsen an already suffocating situation.

He explained that MPR at 27.25 per cent, CRR at 50 per cent, and the asymmetric corridor at +500 and -100 are very difficult monetary conditions for most businesses, given the prevailing macroeconomic and structural conditions.

He noted that “the second quarter GDP numbers showed clearly that the economy was still in a floundering mode as many critical sectors of the economy slowed. These include manufacturing and other subsectors of the industrial sector, such as cement, food and beverage, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, trade, ICT and real estate.

“The road transport, motor assembly, publishing and motion pictures sectors contracted during the quarter. The aviation, oil refining, textile, livestock and quarry and minerals sector were still in recession. Tightening financial conditions in the circumstances does not seem appropriate.

“The private sector should not be made to pay the price of liquidity growth, for which they were not responsible. Issues of excess liquidity should be addressed within a causative context. The injection of liquidity into the system is largely public-sector driven, as rightly noted by the CBN governor. Therefore, the focus of resolving it should be within that context. Stifling the financial conditions to address liquidity issues is detrimental to the investment and growth of the economy.

“The implications of the latest MPC decision for investors are quite concerning as cost funds would be further exacerbated, possibly well above 35 per cent or more. It is made worse by the increase in CRR to 50 per cent and retention of the asymmetric corridor of +500 and -100.

“We believe that the policy decisions of the CBN are most inappropriate for the prevailing economic conditions and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the country.

“The operating and production costs of businesses would be further exacerbated by the latest monetary policy tightening. The increase in CRR to 50 per cent would constrain financial intermediation with negative consequences for the banking system and the economy,” he said.

On his part, the president, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Dele Kelvin Oye said the decision burdens businesses with higher loan costs, exacerbating their struggles and failing to curb inflation or stabilise the naira.

“We urge the CBN to engage with stakeholders for a collaborative approach, considering alternatives like targeted sector support, deficit reduction, and promoting local production.

“A reassessment of strategies is essential to ensure effective economic management and sustainable growth in Nigeria. Dialogue and innovative solutions are crucial for repositioning our economy.

“The increase is 50bps. It is not a material change. The narrative is actually the trend upwards. This confirms that the previous high interest rate has not worked.”

The federal government has approved the upward review of the consolidated public service salary structure (CONPSS).

Ekpo Nta, chair of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), announced this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Nta said the review was carried out after the enactment of the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 and the memorandum of understanding signed with labour leaders.

“This is consequent to the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment)Act 2024 and the memorandum of understanding reached by the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024,” he said.

“The MoU was reached between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Trade Union sides of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council on Sept. 20.”

He said workers on the consolidated research and allied institutions salary structure (CONRAISS), consolidated universities academic salary structure (CONUASS) and consolidated tertiary institutions salary structure II (CONTISS II), consolidated polytechnics and colleges of education academic staff salary structure (CONPCASS), consolidated tertiary educational institutions salary structure (CONTEDISS) and consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) will also benefit from the review.

Others include the consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS), consolidated para-military salary structure (CONPASS) and consolidated police salary structure (CONPOSS), consolidated intelligence community salary structure (CONICSS) and consolidated armed forces salary structure (CONAFSS).

On July 29, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law.

The legislation increased the country’s minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.

On September 20, the committee on consequential adjustments in salaries for civil servants said the agreement will come into effect from July 29, 2024.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has announced that a new school curriculum will take effect from October 2024.

He disclosed this to State House correspondents after President Bola Tinubu presided over the federal executive council meeting at the presidential Villa.

According to him, the revised curriculum, aimed at both primary and secondary schools, is designed to address the ongoing concerns surrounding the behaviour and values of young Nigerians.

Mamman said, “There is a general concern about the behaviour and conduct of our young ones in the country and our social values, and civic education is compulsory in secondary schools. But with all that, we still have some deterioration and serious concerns about our national values.

“So we are rolling out a new curriculum for primary schools and secondary schools in Nigeria from this October, which is supposed to incorporate knowledge, skills and values, especially with a special focus on skills, so that our students, when they graduate, they will have skills that they can connect with the economy.”

He also announced that the council approved a contract for constructing a new senate building for the University of Ibadan and the cost associated with conducting examinations by the National Examinations Council.

“The University Ibadan, established in 1948, has its first Senate building, which is meant to accommodate tens of offices and principal management of the university.

“You may recall, recently that NECO released the results of the examination it ran for millions of Nigerians. So, the Council today approved the process and the cost associated with that,” the minister explained

A 32-year-old man, Bashir Umar, has inserted a pair of scissors into the genitals of an eight-year-old girl in Dutse LGA of Jigawa State.

The state’s police spokesman, DSP Lawan Shi’isu Adam, said that the victim was lured into a restroom at a table water company where Umar inserted a pair of scissors and a spoon into her private parts, causing severe injuries and rendering her unconscious.

He said that the man repeatedly abused the child, threatening to kill her and her parents if she spoke out.

He added that the suspect had been arrested and was at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says the price of petrol will determine if it will buy from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited or Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

According to Ukadike Chinedu, national publicity secretary of IPMAN, in an interview with Punch on Monday, the association is prepared to buy from either Dangote or NNPC depending on the prices they offer.

Chinedu said the NNPC’s recent clarification that it is not the sole off-taker of Dangote products gives dealers the freedom to get their products from any cheaper source.

“Now that NNPC has said they are not the sole off-taker of Dangote petrol, it then means that the price of the product would determine where we are going to buy it. If NNPC imports the product and its price is cheaper than that of Dangote, we will buy from NNPC,” Chinedu said.

He said the situation reflects the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the government’s removal of petrol subsidy, with the pricing of petrol now determined by the principles of demand and supply.

Chinedu said this competition will eventually drive down prices.

On whether marketers had started making plans to import if the imported product is more affordable, he said Abubakar Maigandi, IPMAN’s national president, has initiated discussions with investors, with plans underway to secure funding based on the current market trends.

“So, we are talking with some foreign partners because you need to understand that independent marketers are the highest buyers of diesel from Dangote refinery because we control about 80 percent of the filling stations nationwide,” he added.

“So, if Dangote PMS is cheaper we will buy it, but if importation is cheaper, we will go for it.”

Similarly, Mustapha Zarma, national operations controller of IPMAN, said while the association has not yet contacted the Dangote refinery’s sales department on the price, it plans to do so soon.


‘DECISION TO BUY FROM NNPC, DANGOTE DEPENDS ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT’

Zarma said the decision to buy from Dangote or NNPC would be based on which supplier offers a better return on investment and required margins.

“We may contact the refinery’s sales department this week to find out the price,” Zarma said.

“If the price is competitive enough for one to buy and get his return on investment and the required margin, then we wouldn’t mind purchasing directly from him to complement what NNPC is bringing in or what NNPC would buy from Dangote.

“I believe that we are going to analyse the price of Dangote petrol and see the advantages of buying from Dangote viz-a-viz importation. Whichever we feel is cheaper will automatically attract everybody, especially if importation is cheaper.”

He stressed that competition would help prevent price monopoly, with the market determining local prices for refined petroleum products.

“That will bring about competition and I don’t think the government will allow price monopoly. They would want a competitive market where the laws of demand and supply would determine the local price of refined petroleum products, just like diesel is right now,” he said.

“And with that, there is going to be some kind of equilibrium in the pricing and there is going to be guaranteed sustainability of supply.”

On September 7, NNPC denied reports that it intends to become Dangote refinery’s sole distributor.

The company also said there is no guarantee domestic refining would lead to lower prices compared to global parity pricing.

NNPC said Dangote refinery and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products.

Written by Leadership News


The North Central Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Communities Development Association (CONECDA) has condemned the silence of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Olayemi Cardoso and his four deputies over allegations of gross misconduct, extravagant spending, and abuse of power leveled against them.

They warned that the development is most troubling and totally unacceptable.

CONECDA Youth Wing Coordinator Comrade Paul Dekete stated this while addressing newsmen yesterday in Jos.

According to him, the CBN’s continued silence over the allegation that it authorised the purchase of six armored Lexus LX 600 vehicles worth a staggering N10 billion amid economic hardship did not go down well with the people of this country.

“The shocking aspect of this expenditure is not just the amount but the fact that the CBN already had similar armored vehicles in its fleet, used by the previous administration. The public is left questioning why such an extravagant purchase was necessary when the bank already had these vehicles.”

Dekete further argued that the lavish spending is also compounded by allegations that the officials have inflated their annual housing allowances to over N1 billion each, despite already living in luxurious official residences.

“These actions paint a picture of a leadership disconnected from the harsh realities facing everyday Nigerians, who are struggling under the weight of an increasingly tough economy”.

CONECDA also disclosed that the scandal also extends to the recent sacking of over 300 employees, including directors from 50% of its departments adding that these departments are now being managed by acting directors who report directly to the accused officials, likely in hopes of securing permanent positions.

LEADERSHIP reports that this wave of terminations of employment has sparked outrage, with over 100 of the dismissed staff taking their grievances to the National Industrial Court demanding billions of naira as compensation.

He pointed out that despite the gravity of these allegations, the CBN has remained conspicuously silent, noting that days after the initial reports surfaced, the bank offered no official statement, neither confirming nor denying the accusations.

“This silence is not just disappointing it is deeply troubling. In the face of such serious accusations, the CBN’s refusal to address the public suggests a troubling disregard for accountability and transparency”.

He hinted that for many Nigerians, the CBN’s silence may be interpreted as an implicit admission of guilt, further eroding trust in an institution that plays a crucial role in the nation’s economic stability and undermines the institution’s credibility at a time when Nigeria can least afford it.

The Presidency on Monday denied allegations of a rift between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, emphasised that the Vice President is a "colossal member" of Tinubu’s administration and enjoys the "total confidence and full support" of the President.

Nkwocha described claims of discord between the two leaders as false, asserting that the Vice President is loyal and well-integrated into the administration.

In a statement marking Shettima’s 58th birthday, Nkwocha dismissed the rumours as "illogical conspiracy theories," asserting that they do not reflect the realities in Aso Rock.

The statement highlighted Shettima’s dedication, noting that "in a political landscape where loyalty is often tested, Vice President Shettima stands out as a beacon of dedication and commitment to his principal, President Bola Tinubu.

"His unwavering support and teamwork demonstrate a refreshing shift towards harmonious collaboration, setting a positive tone for their administration."

Nkwocha further praised Shettima’s support for President Tinubu, stating: "VP Shettima’s recent praise for President Tinubu is heartfelt and genuine, describing him as a 'good soul' and a leader Nigerians can trust."

He highlighted Shettima’s consistent loyalty and ability to connect with people from various backgrounds.

Addressing the reports of Shettima being sidelined, Nkwocha countered: "The illogical conspiracy theories of the VP being sidelined peddled in recent days are the direct opposite of what is happening here in Aso Rock.

"As President Tinubu’s administration continues to take shape, there’s no gainsaying that one key player who has been making waves is Vice President Shettima."

Nkwocha concluded that Shettima has brought a "unique blend of experience, expertise, and energy" to the administration, supporting Tinubu’s vision and initiatives for Nigeria.

The United States has seized a Falcon 900EX plane belonging to President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.

The US claimed the plane was bought illegally for $13million (£9.8m) and smuggled out of the country.

According to the US Justice Department, the aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the US State of Florida, BBC reports.

The report is however unclear on how and when the plane ended up in the Dominican Republic.

It said however that tracking data showed the plane leaving La Isabela airport near the capital Santo Domingo on Monday, arriving at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida soon after.

There was no immediate comment from Mr Maduro or the Venezuelan government over the matter.

Officials said the plane was seized for suspected violations of US export control and sanctions laws.

They added that an investigation found that people affiliated with Mr Maduro had allegedly used a Caribbean-based shell company to hide their involvement in the plane’s illegal purchase from a company based in Florida in late 2022 and early 2023.

The aircraft was then illegally exported from the United States to Venezuela through the Caribbean in April 2023.

The argument by US officials that the plane’s sale and export was in violation of US sanctions is unlikely to carry much weight with President Maduro, who has repeatedly accused the US of meddling in his country’s internal affairs.

A spokesperson for the White House national security council said the action represented “an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela”.

According to US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, the Dominican Republic authorities had given the US government “invaluable assistance” in organising the seizure.

“It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials, we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States,” said Matthew S Axelrod from the department of commerce, one of the federal agencies involved in the operation to recover the plane.

Data from Flightradar24’s website disclosed that the plane appeared to be flown to the Venezuelan capital Caracas after arriving in Kingston in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in April 2023.

It subsequently flew “almost exclusively to and from a military base in Venezuela”. It is unclear how and when the plane arrived in the Dominican Republic.

US officials however said the jet had been used by Mr Maduro “on visits to other countries”.

The Venezuelan government had in late July announced that it was temporarily suspending commercial flights to both the Dominican Republic and Panama following the controversial re-election of Mr Maduro.

This is not the first time Maduro or Venezuela’s government has been targeted by US federal authorities over alleged corruption.

The US justice department had in 2020 charged Maduro and 14 other Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking, among other charges.

The US department has offered a reward of up to $15m for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction.

A French pensioner went on trial Monday for allowing scores of strangers to rape his wife after he drugged her, in a case that has horrified the country.

Fifty men, recruited online, are also being tried in the southern city of Avignon alongside the main suspect, a 71-year-old former employee at France’s state-owned power utility company EDF.

Police counted a total of 92 rapes committed by 72 men, 51 of whom were identified.

The men, aged between 26 and 74, are accused of raping the 72-year-old woman who, her lawyers say, was so heavily sedated she was not aware of the abuse that went on for a decade.

Presiding judge Roger Arata announced that all hearings would be public, granting the woman her wish for “complete publicity until the end” of the court case, according to one of her lawyers, Stephane Babonneau.

The trial will nonetheless be “a horrible ordeal” for her, said another of her lawyers, Antoine Camus.

“For the first time, she will have to live through the rapes that she endured over 10 years,” he told AFP, adding that his client had “no recollection” of the abuse that she discovered only in 2020.

The woman, who arrived at the court supported by her three children, did not want a trial behind closed doors because “that’s what her attackers would have wanted”, Camus said.


– Some came back six times –

Police began to investigate the defendant, Dominique P., in September 2020 when he was caught by a security guard secretly filming under the skirts of three women in a shopping center.

Police said they found hundreds of pictures and videos of his wife on his computer, visibly unconscious and mostly in the foetal position.

The images are alleged to show dozens of rapes in the couple’s home in Mazan, a village of 6,000 people around 33 kilometers (21 miles) from Avignon in Provence.

Investigators also found chats on a site called coco.fr, since shut down by police, in which he recruited strangers to come to their home and have intercourse with his wife.

Dominique P. admitted to investigators that he gave his wife powerful tranquilizers, especially Temesta, an anxiety-reducing drug.

The abuse started in 2011, when the couple was living near Paris, and continued after they moved to Mazan two years later.

The husband took part in the rapes, filmed them and encouraged the other men using degrading language, according to prosecutors.

No money changed hands.

The accused rapists include a forklift driver, a fire brigade officer, a company boss and a journalist.

Some were single, others married or divorced, and some were family men. Most participated just once, but some took part up to six times.


– Murder probe –

Many have said they thought they were simply helping a libertine couple live out its fantasies, but Dominique P. told investigators that all were aware that his wife had been drugged without her knowledge.

An expert said her state “was closer to a coma than to sleep”.

Her husband told prosecutors that only three men left the house quickly after arriving, while all others proceeded to have intercourse with his wife.

Dominique P., who said he was raped by a male nurse when he was nine, is ready to face “his family and his wife”, his lawyer Beatrice Zavarro told AFP.

This trial may not be his last.

He has also been charged with a 1991 murder and rape, which he denies, and an attempted rape in 1999, to which he admitted after DNA testing.

Experts said the man does not appear to be mentally ill, but in documents seen by AFP, they said he had a need to feel “all-powerful” over the female body.

The trial is to last until December 20.

The Nigeria Police Force has summoned Joe Ajaero, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, for questioning over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, and other related offences.

The invitation letter, signed by ACP Adamu Muazu on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team, warned that a warrant of arrest would be issued if Ajaero fails to comply.

The letter reads: “This office is investigating a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Terrorism Financing, Treasonable Felony, Subversion, and Cybercrime in which you have been implicated.

“You are therefore required to report to the undersigned for an interview on Tuesday, 20th August 2024, at 10:00 hrs prompt, at Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, through the Team Leader on telephone no 08035179870, in connection with the above investigation.

“Be informed that if you fail to honour this letter, this office will have no choice but to issue a warrant for your arrest.”

At the time of filing this report, Ajaero could not be reached for comment.

PUNCH Online reports that the NLC has accused the government of waging a war against the organisation, following a recent raid on its headquarters by security forces.

During a press conference in Abuja last Thursday, NLC leaders rejected the police explanation for the raid and demanded an apology, the return of seized items, and the release of detained individuals.

The NLC also condemned government attempts to interfere with its internal affairs, including a proposed reduction in the tenure of trade union leaders, arguing that such actions violate labour laws and international conventions.

It should be recalled that the police claimed the raid on the NLC headquarters was intended to apprehend an international terrorist suspect, a justification the NLC dismissed as a cover-up, citing inconsistencies in the police’s account.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja


Political leaders fro the North, a region in Nigeria which holds a huge chunk of Nigeria’s voting population, are working behind the scenes to convince former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race, reliable sources told THISDAY last night.

Sources with the knowledge of the plan said that recent comments by the Governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed, to the effect that he would not contest the election if Jonathan eventually caves in, said that the governor’s statement went beyond just flying a kite.

The game plan, it was learnt, became even clearer following the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide demonstrations, which apparently showed serious disgruntlement by the voting population in the region with the Bola Tinubu-led administration.

THISDAY was told that the scheming to persuade the former Nigerian leader to join the race was already in top gear, even though Jonathan is non-committal at the moment.

However, when THISDAY contacted the former President’s confidants on the move by northern leaders, they were hesitant to talk on the matter, but were unanimous that talk about 2027 was premature at this point; “this talk about running or not running is way too early in the scheme of things. The former President is focusing on his international assignments and humanitarian works rather than concern himself with potential run for President in 2027.

”At the weekend, the Bauchi governor, Mohammed, said that he will not contest under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket if the former president decides to run again.

But the source stated that the decision to sway Jonathan to agree to throw his hat into the ring went beyond party lines and affiliations, explaining that if Jonathan decides to participate, the Nigerians will see how party affiliation will not be an issue. Mohammed, a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Jonathan, who spoke after an event organised by a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Save Africa Initiative (SAI), had urged Jonathan to consider running for the

The governor said the former president has more experience and would do a good job if he had a second mandate to manage the country.He said: “With regards to your call for me to present myself, I am still contemplating my chances as the leader of the opposition. I know there are good leaders within the People Democratic Party (PDP), especially my boss Goodluck Jonathan.

“I have always said that as long as Jonathan is around, I will not present myself for leadership of this country, unless he decides not to run. If we can persuade him to come forward, I will support him with my blood. Out of modesty, he is still not ready. I hope you will meet him and encourage him to run.“He will do a better job because he has the experience. We know the prices of things; we know the level of inflation. His leadership recruitment was exemplary. We need leaders like him – young people with energy, foresight, and drive,” Mohammed argued.Aside the fact that Jonathan is expected to govern the country for only one term, having done the first a term earlier, before his loss to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, the North is also considering that picking Jonathan will be a fair deal.

With Tinubu scheduled to end his first stint in Aso Rock by May 2027, the political permutation is that if Jonathan decides to contest, the South will have served out its eight years by 2031, given the unwritten understanding among Nigerian politicians to allow for rotation of the presidency between both regions.Jonathan served as president from 2010 to 2015 after his then boss, Umar Yar’Adua died, before conceding defeat to Buhari after the 2015 polls.While the last national protest was peaceful in the South, it was largely violent in the North, with some angry demonstrators going beyond the main reasons for the action to hoist the flag of a foreign country.The violence that followed, many believe, was a blowout from the pent-up dissatisfaction with the current government, which they believe is the cause of the current hardship in the land.

Tinubu had after taking over the reins of power in May 2023, begun a slew of reforms, key among which were the ‘removal’ of fuel subsidy as well as the devaluation of the Naira, as a result of the merging of the official and parallel FX windows. These policies have had very harsh economic impact on Nigerians.According to the reliable source, during Jonathan’s regime, his government was largely inclusive, and addressed issues like the Almajiri system and creating initiatives for unemployed youths.

The northern elite is also said to be disgruntled with the current administration because of what the source described as the loss of control of the levers of power in the country and the feeling of palpable helplessness.The region is said to be comfortable with Jonathan because, according to the source, “they like and trust him because they benefitted from his government.” He maintained that if the Almajiri schools policy had continued, the number of out-of-school children would have reduced by now. “They see Jonathan as a safe bet,” he added.He stressed: “And because of the aftermath of the last national protest, they believe that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost ground across the North. So, that’s the problem.”

Buttressing this recently, the Dean of Borno Elders Forum, Prof Khalifa Dikwa, said members of the elite in the northern region of the country were unhappy with Tinubu because of his “misfit and weak appointees” as well as his “anti-people policies”.The political analyst, who spoke on national television, said the northern elite were “not happy because each of these policies affect the north entirely”.He said: “Most of the appointees are either misfits or weak or to the wrong places,” adding that the appointments by the Tinubu administration were “lopsided”. Dikwa added that even “the southern elite should be annoyed because Nigeria is more than Lagos”, describing it as “provocative”.

Some prominent northerners had also raised eyebrows following the decision of the federal government to relocate some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.

In trying to refute the narrative, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said recently that there was no truth in the claim from some quarters that Tinubu was working against the interest of the North to cripple the region.

The Vice President spoke in Kano when he received a federal government’s delegation which visited to condole with him on the death of his mother-in-law. Shettima maintained that Tinubu was not against the North.

He argued that the fact that Tinubu appointed northerners as the Minister of Defence; the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) put a lie to the claim that the president was biased against the North.

“At an appropriate time we will lay out facts that the president is not against the North as being championed by some disgruntled elements who always want to cause disaffection between government and the citizens,” the vice president said.

Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has said that one of the “graduates” fraudulently mobilised for the scheme by University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State, is a bread seller who did not attend the institution.

This is coming on the back of 101 certificates that were recently voided by the scheme, making it 178.

Ahmed commemded the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi for her forthrightness to have earlier hinted the scheme on the mobilisation of unqualified graduates from her institution.

He insisted that the scheme would leave no stone unturned in sanitising its mobilisation process.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar came here to report that she observed some names appeared on the institution’s list and they ought not to have been there.

“She checked the list the school gave us and I told her that their certificates would be invalidated.

“Previously, a bread seller was mobilized on the graduation list from the same institution. There are bad eggs in many places that generate matriculation numbers and courses for their candidates,” Ahmed said.

The court order restricts the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded amount, leaving the Nigerian government facing consequences for the actions of its subnational entity.

Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has alleged that the reported seizure of Nigeria's presidential jets by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, was a staged event.

According to Sowore, the seizure was orchestrated to garner sympathy for the new presidential jet recently acquired by President Bola Tinubu's administration.

The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress raised questions about the release of one of the three presidential aircraft seized by a French court due to a dispute between a Chinese firm and the Ogun State government.

The Chinese firm attributed the release to a gesture of goodwill ahead of President Bola Tinubu's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, Sowore expressed skepticism in a post on his X account on Friday, wondering why the Chinese company is selectively choosing which jet to use for President Tinubu's 'medical trip' from Abuja to France.

He wrote, “There is something fishy going on with these Presidential Jet seizures in France.

“It looks like this part was arranged to launch the new Presidential Jet with "sympathy."

“Suddenly, this Chinese company is picking and choosing which jet could pick @officialABAT up in Abuja to France on an apparent medical trip.


“Clearly staged!”

SaharaReporters had reported that a Chinese firm, Zhongshan, had secured a court order to seize three Nigerian presidential aircraft in a dispute stemming from the termination of its export processing zone management contract by the Ogun State government in 2016.

The seized aircraft, part of Nigeria's presidential fleet, include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an undelivered Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland, which was purchased by Nigeria but not yet delivered.

A French court authorised the seizure due to the ongoing contractual dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government.

The seizure is a result of the government's failure to honour a $74.5 million award granted to Zhongshan by an independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court.

The court order restricts the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded amount, leaving the Nigerian government facing consequences for the actions of its subnational entity.

In a sudden turn of events, the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng announced on Friday the release of one of the three Nigerian presidential aircraft a court had earlier seized in its favour.

In a statement, the company recognised the significance of the aircraft for this diplomatic engagement and took steps to ensure its availability, thereby facilitating the meeting.

The statement reads, “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.

“It has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.

“As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.”

However, the Chinese company has said it is still open to discussions with the Nigerian government, seeking a swift and reasonable resolution.

On July 15, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Tinubu's administration had acquired a luxury Airbus A330 aircraft for presidential use, despite criticism from various sources.

The report noted that the aircraft was in France and had been spotted at an advanced stage of preparation. The plane had been assigned a tail registration that featured the seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was reportedly ready for delivery.

US Court Accuses Nigeria Of Collecting Tax From Chinese Firm, Zhongshan’s Investment Before Contract Termination
The aircraft in question is an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (msn 1053), registered as 5N-FGA.

It features a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom at the front, followed by an office and a conference and dining room. It also has an airline-style first-class and economy seating at the rear.

The report noted that informed sources from international aviation firms and news sites also indicated that as of early afternoon Nigerian time on July 15, 2024, the plane had been flown from Germany to an airport in Saint Louis, France.

SaharaReporters on June 28 reported that the Nigerian government planned to spend over N150 billion on a new presidential jet, a move that sparked controversy.

The proposed expenditure comes under scrutiny as the nation grapples with economic challenges and record inflation.

The arrest of Alhaji Bashir Hadejia, a former aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, by security operatives has sparked outrage.

Some Nigerians, who reacted to the development, demanded answers from the authorities after videos and photos indicated that the suspect was connected to top government functionaries and politicians.

Hadejia, who was a special adviser to Matawalle when he was the Governor of Zamfara State, was arrested on Monday.

A search warrant issued to the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Police Command, dated August 12, 2024, showed that the suspect was accused of “treason and subversion against the state”.

Shortly after his arrest became public, photos and videos of the suspect with prominent politicians and celebrities emerged on social media.


Gold bar merchant

A particular video clip seen by Saturday PUNCH on social media showed Hadejia displaying what appeared to be a gold bar with the image of a former Libyan leader, Muammar Ghadaffi.

In the 14-second video, he was heard saying, “One tonne, total 24 carats, 1kg. In each box we have 50kg; in total we have one tonne.”

There were about 13 boxes filled with the gold bars on the table. The boxes were labelled, “Central Bank of Libya”.

In a photo that has been trending since the arrest was made public, Hadejia accompanied Matawalle to present some gold bars to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2020.

Bashir Ahmad, an aide to Buhari, also shared photos showing Hadejia appearing to assist Matawalle in presenting the gold to the president.

The post read, “President Muhammadu Buhari last night at his residence, the State House, Abuja, received Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Matawalle accompanied by Alhaji Bashir Hadejia. Gov. Matawalle was at the State House to present some gold bars and other precious stones mined in his State. Describe the visuals.”

He was also seen in another picture having a handshake with President Bola Tinubu.


The villa boy

Saturday PUNCH gathered that Hadejia was nicknamed ‘Villa boy’ because of his close connection to the Villa.

In pictures seen online, Hadejia was standing side-by-side with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru.

He was also seen in several photos facilitating a meeting between the Arewa Consultative Forum and northern politicians with President Tinubu.

A popular Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Kwam 1 in his Timeless album dedicated a track to extol Hadejia.

In the track, KI described Hadejia as his friend and that of former governor of Jigawa and now Minister of Defence, Badaru.

“I am going to the North, from Jigawa to Abuja. I am going there to see a distinguished personality, Alhaji Bashir Hadejia is the husband of Aisha, the child of Mohammed Ali, a very big man. He is K1 de ultimate’s friend. He is an ally of Jigawa State calculator, friend to governor Badaru,” Ayinde sang.


Tweeps query Matawalle’s connection

Reacting to the arrest, a tweep, Alade Ayeniromo, wondered why security operatives were not giving the public adequate information on the arrest.

He wrote, “Why is Bashir Hadeija so confidential? Why can’t we have access to the full story, there’s no time names of terrorist financiers have been fully published and they get punished. Omor, Vagabond movie explain so many things around political environment.”

Another user, A.Y. Rafindadi, said if the arrest had taken place outside the country, there would have been follow-up arrests and confessions.

“In a sane country, Bashir Hadeija’s arrest may just be one of the biggest arrests of the decade. Given how connected he is to past and serving government officials, the likes of Bello Matawalle, who employed him some years back as an assistant,” he stated.

But a journalist based in New York, USA, Franklin Ude, claimed that Hadejia was being persecuted by his former boss.

Ude, who posted copies of the arrest warrant, explained that Hadejia was abducted from his Abuja home on Monday on the orders of Matawalle.

“He is also being accused of enlisting me in his plot to remove the government. The military officials who abducted Hadejia on Monday sprayed powdered substance suspected to be powdered teargas on his face, causing him to become unconscious before he was whisked away to an unknown destination,” he wrote.

According to him, Hadejia is also accused of possessing bars of gold believed to have been stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.

“It is not a case of treason, terrorism or stolen Gold bars. This is just a war of two former friends with one who is in government using his position to intimidate the other,” he added.

Ude, when contacted by our correspondent, declined comment on the matter.

However, a tweep, Abbas Nagwari, said the arrest should not be connected to Matawalle.

He said, “Nobody is claiming that Bashir Hadeja was not a former aide to Matawalle. But why are you avoiding new facts? Matawalle sacked him because of his criminal behavior; and it is the same @Bellomatawalle1 that ensured his arrest. People should think before they speak.”

A Twitter poll conducted by Online PUNCH on Saturday showed that increasing number of Nigerians wanted the government to probe associates of the suspect.

More than 93 per cent of responders demanded that the Federal Government share more information on the arrest and links of Hadejia to senior government officials.

When contacted, the FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh referred our correspondent to the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi.

The Force spokesperson confirmed the suspect’s arrest.

“He is in custody,” he added.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, could not be reached for comment as of press time.

The Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity to Badaru, Mati Ali, did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.


Aide defends minister

Meanwhile, an aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Suleiman Shuaibu, has denied any connection between his principal and the suspect.

Shuaibu stated that he has “never met Hadejia and does not know him personally” while expressing concern over the linking of his principal to him.

He noted that Hadejia had also been “photographed with other high-profile individuals, including President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, but their names are not being mentioned.”

Shuaibu emphasised that Matawalle had nothing to do with Hadejia and that relating them is “uncalled for.”

“If Hadejia is found guilty, he should face the law,” he added.


Northern forum demands probe

A spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, expressed deep concern over the arrest of Hadejia, describing the revelations as “appalling” and a threat to Nigeria’s stability.

According to him, the alleged activities uncovered ranging from gun-running and treason to cross-border crimes posed a significant danger to the nation’s sovereignty.

He said, “We have not discussed the matter at the Northern Elders Forum level. But as a Nigerian with conscience, I can competently say that the revelations surrounding the arrest of Bashir Hadejia is appalling and the nefarious activities reportedly uncovered by the arrest pose a severe threat not only to the sovereignty of our great nation but also to the very fabric of our society.

Suleiman commended the Nigerian security agencies for apprehending Hadejia, noting that their success in unraveling such a complex criminal network is praiseworthy.

However, he cautioned that this arrest was just the beginning, emphasising the need for deeper action. “The roots of this menace run deep, and Nigerian authorities must act decisively,” he stated.

He expressed alarm over Hadejia’s reported links to international criminal syndicates, which include smuggling stolen gold from Libya and supporting terrorism. Suleiman described these activities as “an affront to our sovereignty and an invasion of our peace,” warning that criminal networks like these do not respect borders.

Particularly troubling, he noted, was Hadejia’s alleged role in sponsoring protests like #EndBadGovernance, which led to violence in the North. Suleiman decried how criminal elements exploited legitimate grievances, leading to instability. “It is shocking to learn that anyone connected to the devastations of recent protests in northern Nigeria had ulterior motives,” he said.

He also highlighted the disturbing connections between Hadejia and powerful political figures, including a former DSS director, urging the government to act decisively.

The President-General of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, commended security operatives for the arrest.

In an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Friday, Shettima described the arrest as a positive development in the fight against terrorism, emphasising the need for thorough investigation and prosecution to serve as a deterrent.

He said, “Well, for us, we look at it in a positive way. Even though he still remains a suspect by the Nigeria law.

“They should do the needful to investigate properly and be sure so that at the end of the day, if he is found wanting, he should serve as a deterrent so that others should know that we are not in Banana Republic.

“We are in a country where law and order prevail. So that those young element or whoever that thinks can do things and get away with all impunity will also realise that there is always bad days.

“They were not even together when he’s the minister. We see his pictures everywhere in the Aso Rock Villa. In fact, he has a nickname called ‘Villa Boy’.”

Shettima also addressed Hadejia’s link to Defence Minister Bello Matawalle, stating that association with personalities did not imply complicity.

He emphasized that Hadejia should face the music alone, and if collaborators were found, they should be brought to book.

The National Chairman of the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria, Jabir Yaro said it was a sensitive issue.

“The case should be investigated and the true situation ascertained,” he added.

By Abdullateef Aliyu


There are indications that the persistent fuel shortage across the country is caused by the decision of some marketers not to lift fuel over impending price increase.

Sources who spoke to our correspondent on Friday stated that some filling stations were not selling in anticipation of a price increase ahead of the roll out of petroleum product from Dangote refinery.

A newspaper (not Daily Trust) had reported that independent marketers were anticipating the premium motor spirit (pms) to be sold at N600 per litre when it’s finally rolled out.

But the management of Dangote refinery clarified that the speculation that marketers expect the refinery to sell petrol at N600 per liter is not reflective of the refinery’s position while also denying fixing price at that price.

Kano: Police raise concern over rise in homicide cases, flood-related deaths
‘Foreign interference undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty’
“We would like to clarify that Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is not our business partner yet,” said Anthony Chiejina, spokesman of the Dangote Group.

Our correspondent learnt that despite the denial by Dangote, some marketers were hoarding fuel in anticipation of the price hike.

Daily Trust learnt that the Nigerian Midstream and Donwstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has threatened to shut down filling stations that refuse to dispense fuel.

However when contacted, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Olufemi Shoneye, said there is enough supply as far as NNPC is concerned.

“In terms of supply, I can confirm that we have supply,” he simply said when contacted on Friday.

Reports from across the country on Thursday indicated that the scarcity persisted with long queues in a few major filling stations that are dispensing fuel while a litre is almost hitting N1000 at independent filling stations.

The computation of the new minimum wage for junior federal workers have been completed by the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

That of workers in the senior cadre will be ready in the next two or three weeks.

A Presidency source, who made these known to The Nation yesterday, said both data would be collectively forwarded to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) for further processing and implementation.

The source added that the NSIWC is waiting for the conclusion of negotiations between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress(TUC) on one side and the federal government on the other to ensure that workers’ remuneration were proportionately aligned with the new minimum wage, known as consequential adjustment.

Junior workers are those on grade levels one to five while senior staff members are those on six and above. Depending on the organisation.

The Presidency source explained that the computations were being done to ensure seamless rollout of the new wage structure, which is expected to bring relief to workers , particularly those in the junior cadre.

Junior workers, who are the primary beneficiaries of the recent wage adjustment will have their monthly earning rise from the current N30,000 to N70,000.

The Presidency source said: “The details for levels one to five have been computed and will be forwarded to the Accountant General’s office very soon

‘’The consequential adjustment is a critical component of the new wage structure, stemming from the recent agreement between the Federal Government and labour unions. This adjustment will determine the new salary scales for workers above grade level five, ensuring that their remuneration is proportionately aligned with the new minimum wage.

“The deliberations between labour leaders and the government are ongoing. They are working to agree on the percentage increase that will apply to different categories of workers as part of the consequential adjustment. Once finalised, these adjustments will be forwarded to the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission for computation.”

An official at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) told The Nation that they were poised to receive the final wage details from the NSIWC. The official explained that the data were “crucial for calculating the Federal Government’s total wage bill under the new wage remuneration structure.’’

He added: “We are awaiting the details from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission to determine the total wage bill under the new minimum wage.

“This will allow us to assess the financial implications and ensure that all federal employees are paid in accordance with the new law.

Before the new N70,000 minimum wage, Federal Government’s monthly wage bill was estimated at approximately N265 billion. The figure encompasses salaries for the armed forces, civil servants, and all other personnel on the federal government payroll.

With the new wage adjustments, this figure is expected to rise significantly, underscoring the importance of precise calculations by the OAGF.

The Nation noted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been proactive in addressing wage-related concerns, particularly in light of the rising cost of living and economic challenges facing workers.

Following a crucial meeting with NLC and TUC leaderships on July 15, President Tinubu approved the increase in the national minimum wage.

This decision was later codified through the passage of a new minimum wage bill by the National Assembly, which the President signed . The new legislation also mandates a review of the national minimum wage every three years, ensuring that wage adjustments keep pace with inflation and economic realities.

The Ogun State Government on Thursday faulted the judicial process that led to the provisional attachment of three Nigerian government-owned aircraft in France by the Judicial Court of Paris on March 7th and August 2nd, 2024.

It would be recalled that a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, had sought several orders from the court over an aborted underlying contract between the company and the Ogun State Government, which was initiated in 2007.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the Ogun State Government described the latest development as new antics by the Chinese company to appropriate Nigerian assets in foreign jurisdictions, as past efforts had continually failed.

The statement described the whole legal process as nothing but a total charade with fraudulent notions, adding that the company deliberately concealed the litigation from both the Nigerian government and Ogun State, as well as their legal counsels, before hurriedly securing orders of seizure.

It added that the company must have misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it sought to attach and failed to make full disclosure to the court as required by law.

According to the statement, Ogun State, together with the Federal Government, had already taken immediate action to ensure that those provisional attachments are lifted quickly, even as it accused the company of reneging on the earlier discussion for an amicable resolution of the case.

It likened the case to that of P&ID, describing it as another unfortunate case of unscrupulous individuals masquerading as foreign investors with the sole aim of defrauding Ogun State and Nigeria at large.

The statement said: “On August 14, 2024, the attention of the Ogun State Government was drawn to the provisional attachment of three Nigerian government-owned aircraft in France by the Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. (Zhongshan). Ogun State also learned of two orders of the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, respectively, both obtained by Zhongshan without notice being duly given to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Ogun State, or their legal counsel.

“This is the latest in a series of ill-advised attempts by Zhongshan to attach Nigerian-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions, none of which have to date led to the recovery of any sums from Nigeria.

“Each of the three aircraft is used solely for sovereign purposes and as such are immune from attachment under international and French laws. In obtaining the provisional attachments, Zhongshan deliberately withheld information from the Federal Government of Nigeria, Ogun State, and their legal counsel.

“Just like the P&ID case, this is another unfortunate case of unscrupulous individuals masquerading as foreign investors with the sole aim of defrauding Ogun State and Nigeria.

“It should be recalled that the underlying contract between Ogun State and Zhongshan was executed in 2007, 12 years before the present administration, for the management of a free trade zone. The parties entered into a dispute in 2015 with arbitration commencing in 2016.

“By 2019, when the current State Administration took office, the hearing at the arbitration had been all but concluded. The Arbitral Panel awarded over 60 million USD against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), which was a co-defendant, when all Zhongshan had done was to build a perimeter fence around the free trade zone. Needless to say, this was a bad/unfair decision.

“The present State Administration could not, in all good conscience, allow such an unconscionable and baseless decision, which would dissipate the commonwealth of the good people of Ogun State, to stand.

“Accordingly, and based on erudite legal advice, this Administration resolved to resist the enforcement of the award. The resistance was successful in eight different jurisdictions. Currently, there are pending appeals against recognition orders issued in both the US and UK,” the statement read.

FORMER Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has said that some people who served under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration are supposed to be in jail.

But Obono-Obla said as a lawyer of many years standing, it may be wrong for him to make such a conclusion because mere allegations do not make one guilty until proven by a competent court of jurisdiction.

Reacting to the recent comment by former President Obasanjo that some persons occupying positions in government should be in jail, Obono-Obla said:

“So many people in Obasanjo’s eight-year presidency equally should have been in jail. However, as a lawyer, I can not subscribe to such fallacious arguments no matter how attractive it sound. “

The human rights activist contended that no matter how attractive suspicion is, it does not make someone guilty, “that is a fundamental principle of law.

“Having said that, I think it is in the realm of speculation or rumor-mongering to suggest so, and so a person ought to be in jail.

“Was the allegation against such a person investigated? Was a prima facie case established against the person?

Was he convicted before a court of competent jurisdiction?”, he rhetorically asked.

Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, who gave the order restricting protesters of the just concluded #EndBadGovernance demonstration to MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, hails from Obi Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, like Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Chidi Odinkalu, a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, drew attention to this, on Sunday.

“I didn’t really want to be the person saying it but the @fcthighcourt judge who gave the order to kettle #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters in the Moshood Abiola Stadium just happened to come from the same village as the Minister of the FCT, the plaintiff. Calculate the odds!” the professor posted.

Oriji issued the order while delivering a ruling on an ex-parte application brought before the court by Wike, and argued by Ogwu Onoja.

Wike contended that the Federal Government was not opposed to the protest.

However, he noted that intelligence and security reports indicated that some elements within the leadership of the protesters intended to use the protest to cause havoc, damage public facilities, block roadways and disturb public peace.

The minister reported that when he contacted security agencies to ensure the protest does not escalate into criminality or disturbance, he was informed that they were not adequately equipped to manage potential crises on short notice.

Thus, it was deemed better to prevent the protest to avoid any issues.

The minister presented an exhibit from the “Take it Back Movement, FCT,” signed by Damilare Adenola, which allegedly threatened to invade the Presidential Villa and damage the outer wires facing the Aso Rock during the protest while claiming that the group demanded the FCT provide them with lighting and toilet facilities during the protest.

Wike applied for an interim injunction restraining the leaders of the protesting groups from gathering or parading along any road, streets, offices, or public premises within the FCT from August 1-10, or any other day thereafter, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The respondents in the suit are Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, persons unknown, and the Inspector-General of Police, among others.

In his ruling, Justice Oriji acknowledged that the protesters had the right to protest but restricted them to the stadium due to the concerns expressed by the FCT minister.

“In light of the above, the court finds it appropriate and expedient to grant an order under the omnibus or general prayer to ensure that the rights of the protesters are upheld while preventing negative impacts on other citizens’ rights to movement and ensuring tha

According to him, Judge Sylvanus Oriji of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, who ordered protesters to limit their demonstrations to the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, less than 24 hours before the kick-off of a nationwide anti-government protest on Thursday, hails from the home town of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT.

“I didn’t really want to be the person saying it but the @fcthighcourt judge who gave the order to kettle #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters in the Moshood Abiola Stadium just happened to come from the same village as the Minister of the FCT, the plaintiff. Calculate the odds!,” he wrote on X on Sunday.

Wike had applied for the orders through an ex parte motion less than a week after threatening that the federal capital was not available for protest.

The protest held at the venue for days until the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police opened fire on protesters and journalists.

The row over Air Peace’s flight operations from the United Kingdom has taken another turn with Festus Keyamo, the Nigerian minister of aviation and aerospace development, writing to his British counterpart to lodge a formal complaint, TheCable understands.

In a letter dated August 1, 2024 and addressed to Louise Haigh, the UK secretary of state for transport, Keyamo warned that if Air Peace is not allocated a space at the London Heathrow, Nigeria will be forced to “reciprocate” by denying British Airways and Virgin Atlantic slots at the Lagos and Abuja airports.

Although Heathrow is the UK’s primary airport, Air Peace, the Nigerian carrier, currently operates from the Gatwick Airport, the secondary airport.

All efforts by Air Peace to get a slot at Heathrow, which is closer to the heart of London, have been unsuccessful.

In the letter seen by TheCable, Keyamo expressed “the displeasure” of the Nigerian government over the “consistent denial of slot” by the UK slot office to Air Peace on the Nigeria-London route to fly into Heathrow, its first choice, since it began operations in the UK in March 2024.

“The Airline had made consistent efforts in the past to fly into Heathrow Airport from Lagos, but was denied, and only granted approval to fly into Gatwick Airport from Lagos,” he wrote.

“Following the approval granted the Airline by the Nigerian Government to fly the Abuja-London route, the Airline approached the Slot Office for slot allocation at the London Heathrow Airport, for flight operations planned to commence in November 2024, during the IATA Winter Season. It is highly disheartening that up till this moment, the Airline has not received any favourable response from the Slot Office.”

He reminded the UK that both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are operating into Nigeria’s primary airports in Lagos and Abuja “without encumbrances placed in their ways”.

British Airways, in particular, has been flying into Lagos since 1936.

“Therefore, it is necessary for Nigerian designated carriers to enjoy similar reciprocity that British carriers are enjoying. It is highly unfair on the side of the British authorities and a discredit to the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian nation as a whole, for slot allocation to Nigerian carriers to be an issue at all times. We feel totally betrayed by the British authorities for not reciprocating the good gesture of the Nigerian State and its people,” Keyamo wrote.

“The slot allocation issue should not be used as an alibi to deny the existence of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, which hallmark is based on the principle of reciprocity. Whatever concessionary arrangements you have with your airports with third parties, the concessionaire(s) should legally inherit your existing obligations (especially those under Bi-Lateral Services Agreements) in respect of the use of those airports.

“Arising from the foregoing, I wish to emphatically state that if Air Peace is not allocated a slot at the London Heathrow Airport, it might be difficult for British flag carriers to access Nigeria’s tier one airports from the next Winter Season, unless when a frank discussion is opened with us to break the debacle associated with the slot allocation at Heathrow to the Airline and other Nigerian designated airlines.

“While expecting your timely intervention over this pressing issue dear to the hearts of Nigerians, please, accept the consideration of my warm regards.”

TheCable confirmed that the letter has been received by the UK high commission in Abuja.

Keyamo was unavailable for comments when he was contacted by TheCable.

The management of AIPCC Energy Limited, operators of the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited (ERPCL), has raised the alarm over the persistent lack of crude despite being a fully functional 1,000 barrels per day stream crude oil refinery.

It said that despite the disclosure by the Dangote Refinery and the directive by President Bola Tinubu that the establishment should supply crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other modular refineries in the country in naira denomination, the Edo Refinery is yet to receive any from the relevant authorities.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City at the weekend, the management of Edo Refinery, situated in Ologbo, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State, said it is facing significant challenges due to the persistent lack of crude oil supply.

A representative of the company, Segun Okeni, stated that the refinery, which requires 1,000 barrels per day stream crude, can barely function at full installed capacity.

Okeni said that although the company has existing crude oil supply agreements with Seplat and ND Western since 2022, bureaucratic bottlenecks have prevented the refinery from accessing the much-needed resource.

He alleged that in 2021, ERPCL’s letter addressed to Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, after having a series of meetings and constant communication with him, was not attended to.

He said, “On 18th August 2021, our team led by our chairman met with the NNPCL CEO and its top management team to discuss our intention to buy crude oil from NNPCL, and we immediately wrote seeking crude supply,” the letter was dated 22nd July 2024.

“In July 2022, representatives of NNPC (from HQ Abuja and NPDC Benin) visited our facility for site inspection and to confirm the mechanical completion of the Edo refinery. In September 2022, we were invited for a commercial negotiation meeting with the NNPCL Head of Terms, after which we sent a follow-up letter identifying the oil fields from which we could offtake crude oil.

“In March 2022, we also wrote to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, informing them of our refinery status, future projects, and our challenges of lack of crude oil supply to our refinery. We had also written and had a meeting with the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) between November 2022 and March 2023, indicating our severe need for crude oil supply from oil fields where NEPL has equity stakes.”

The ERPCL representative, however, noted that despite these meetings, correspondences, and communications with NNPCL over the past three years on the issues of crude oil supply, nothing was done.

Besides, he identified other key issues encountered by the refinery, such as the inability of NNPCL to assign any of the preferred fields to allocate crude to the company since it started engagement with the management on August 18, 2021, pointing out that even with the options given to allocate crude to the refinery from ND Western, First Hydrocarbon, and Seplat, nothing has happened to date.

He added, “ERPCL also has a Crude Oil Supply Agreement with ND Western to lift crude oil from the Ughelli Pumping Station (UPS) owned by NEPL and operated by Shoreline.

“We have held several meetings with Shoreline and Heritage Oil and indicated our readiness to make modifications needed to offtake crude oil from the UPS, but no progress has been made to date.”

On the way forward, ERPCL said NNPCL and other producers need to put loading infrastructure in place to allow for truck loading, decrying why Dangote would be getting 30,000bpd because it opened up to the public, while smaller refineries are not being served, which he likened to no respect for small players who can also grow the economy alongside the big players.

The representative of ERPCL therefore sought Kyari’s intervention as Group CEO of NNPC for NUIMS to give concurrence to the Seplat-ERPCL agreement to enable Edo refinery to start lifting crude oil from Oil Mining License.


Edo modular refinery

Describing the past two years as frustrating for the establishment, he said: “If we local investors can’t get crude, even as small as we are, how can foreign investors be encouraged to invest in the country? The total daily demand of all modular refineries is not up to two percent of the daily crude oil production. Our lifting from the pumping station will even reduce pipeline losses.”

Okeni argued that the advantage of loading from the NNPCL pumping station to the export terminal is that it costs less because the cost of pipeline export terminal charges and losses will be saved, which should make the modular refineries more competitive than the offshore refineries who come to the export terminal to take the crude, thereby making cost savings trickle down to Nigerian consumers.

“If the smallest refinery is not getting crude, it will discourage investors in that area,” Okeni said, contending that because of lack of crude, OPAC Refinery operates at less than 3% of its installed capacity and Edo Refinery at less than 10% of installed capacity.

He noted that Nigeria loses millions of dollars following the inability of NNPCL to supply modular refineries over the past three years, whose total installed capacity is less than 30,000bpd.

BY Aderonke Oni


The price of a basket of tomatoes has dropped amid new harvests, traders in Ketu and Berger markets told TheCable.

A trader at Ketu market said a big basket of tomatoes is currently selling for about N55,000 to N60,000 — down from an average of N150,000 a few months ago.

Additionally, a crate of tomatoes that previously cost N55,000 is now being sold for N30,000.

He said a large basket of habanero pepper (rodo) is now selling for an average of N25,000, compared to N55,000 at the peak of the price surge.

“It is the season. Hausa tomatoes and peppers are already coming out,” the trader said, providing reasons for the decline.

Another trader in Ketu market said a small basket of tomatoes now costs between N20,000 and N25,000, lower than the previous price range of N30,000 to N34,000.

She also said a small sack of pepper is currently selling for about N15,000 to N20,000. This previously cost N50,000.

Traders at Berger market told the reporter that a big basket of tomatoes has dropped from between N150,000 and N200,000 to about N50,000-N60,000; adding that a crate of the commodity has decreased from N35,000 to N15,000.

In the same market, the largest sack of habanero pepper now sells for N19,500 — down from between N200,000 and N230,000, the traders said.

They said the price of a medium sack fell from N130,000 to N17,500.

A trader said a big bowl (called rubber) of cayenne pepper (bawa) now costs between N8,000 and N9,000, significantly lower than the previous price of N28,000.

“It is because of the season and then, petrol. There is petrol to transport tomatoes,” the trader said, regarding the drivers of the price reductions.

A trader identified as Muhammed in Dutse market, Abuja, said a basket of tomatoes now sells for N8,000, a reduction from the previous price of N13,000/N15,000.

He added consumers can now buy red bell pepper (tatashe) for N7,500 against the previous price of N12,000; stating that the price of habanero pepper has decreased to N9,000 from between N13,000 and N15,000.

Muhammed said cayenne pepper is now for N8,000 — compared to the earlier price of N12,000 — in Dutse market.

Like traders in Lagos, Muhammed attributed the price drop to the seasonal availability of the items.

“Sometimes the price goes up and sometimes it comes down. We sell based on how we buy,” the trader said.

“If you come tomorrow, the price might go up or down. It changes unexpectedly.”

On his part, Musa, another trader, said there is now enough supply in the market unlike before when there was a scarcity.


‘PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO STABILISE FROM AUGUST TO NOVEMBER’

Tomato prices have seen a significant increase across Nigerian markets in recent months.

On May 30, the Tomatoes Growers Association of Nigeria had blamed the hike in prices on the destruction of tomatoes in northern farms by ‘Tuta absoluta’.

Tuta absoluta, also known as tomato leaf miner, is a moth species in the Gelechiidae pest family.

The pest, according to a research publication, attacks tomatoes in Europe, Africa, Western Asia and South and Central America, with its larvae causing up to 100 percent losses — if not effectively controlled.

Rabiu Zuntu, the association’s Kaduna state chairman, said the pests’ attack led to a shortage in supply.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had said the prices of tomatoes, garri, and other food items increased by 55 percent in June.

Speaking with TheCable, Sani Danladi, the national chairman of the Association of Tomato Growers, Processors, and Marketers of Nigeria, said prices have started to drop as the new harvest has begun.

“The current price for a big basket of tomatoes is somewhere around N25,000-N30,000. Before, it was about N80,000-N90,000. It has reduced by 60 percent,” Danladi said.

“The reason why the prices dropped is because of the new harvest, new production. The wet season production has started coming out.”

Danladi added that prices are expected to stabilise from now until the end of August and continue into October and November, making tomatoes more affordable.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has rejected Julius Berger Plc’s proposed cost of N279 billion for the Second Niger Bridge Bypass, describing it as excessively high.

In a statement on Thursday, Umahi expressed his disappointment with Julius Berger’s pricing, saying, “One of the bypasses, which is 17.27 kilometres by two on asphalt, was awarded to Julius Berger. We changed the pavement elements to concrete, and the cost we calculated was N133 billion. Berger presented a figure almost twice our estimate, at N279 billion.”

He further stated, “We disagreed with this cost during the negotiation in September 2023. We’ve decided to refer the project back to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and invite more contractors to bid because this involves public funds.”

The Federal Ministry of Works has reviewed Julius Berger Plc’s performance on all ongoing projects awarded to the company, with Umahi raising concerns over the unacceptable condition of some projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway phase 2.

He explained that the Ministry would seek selective tendering to complete the project, stating, “We changed the pavement elements from asphalt to concrete, and the total cost we calculated based on prevailing rates is N153 billion.

However, they are proposing N258 billion. Since we’ve been negotiating since September 2023, we have no choice but to terminate this contract.

“We will then request a ‘No Objection’ from BPP for selective tendering, submitting our estimate of N153 billion and their proposal of N258 billion to BPP, while inviting other contractors to bid. This process will be concluded within the next month to ensure the project is completed promptly.

By Seun Adeuyi


A mild drama played out on Thursday morning as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, disrupted an event in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

The programme was planned by Mela-Chiyoma PAT Limited.

In a video uploaded on X, formerly Twitter, by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the minister was seen accusing the organizers of impersonation.

According to her, the event, tagged “Unveiling the power of women and food security,” was conveyed in the name of the ministry of women affairs without approval.

Addressing the attendees and apparently referring to the event organisers, she said: “I’m standing here to explain this to everyone. She has been arrested. She should have reorganised herself, used her name to make the invitation, and used her name to do this, not to use the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

“I can’t allow this programme to go on because this is pure impersonation, and the President is not happy about it. I’m saying it, let the media cover it. We don’t care. You don’t do this. You don’t take the ministry for granted, for what?”

Details of the event were sketchy as of the time this report was filed.

In a dramatic turn of events, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development[@FMWA_ng], Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye [@BarrUjuKennedy], stormed an event organised by Mela-Chiyoma PAT… pic.twitter.com/vwedptZIfP

— The ICIR (@TheICIR) August 8, 2024