₦airaland Forum

A year after the leadership of the opposition Labour Party was separated with the incumbent National Chairman, Julius Abure and the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South), Lamidi Apapa laying claim to the mantle of leadership, both camps have agreed to sheath their swords and work together.

Loyalists from both camps were torn apart in April 2023 following a court judgment restraining Abure and three others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

But Abure fought back fiercely to retain his seat with the help of the parent body, Nigeria Labour Congress, under the leadership of its National President, Joe Ajaero.

The embattled LP chairman, however, fell out of favour with the NLC following a contentious national convention held in Anambra that returned him and all his loyal members of the National Working Committee to office three months ago.

Despite a series of picketing at LP secretariats nationwide and other threats by the unionists amid calls for an expansive and inclusive convention that should start from the grassroots, Abure did not budge.

The action subsequently compelled the NLC Political Commission to void the new leadership and set up a transition committee, saddled with the task of engaging stakeholders of the party and conducting a fresh convention in 90 days.

A source at the LP national secretariat, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, explained that Abure felt the urgent need to close rank with the Lamidi Apapa’s faction following the open revolt and media war from its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi as well as the pressure from the NLC.

“It is the only logical way for him to have a united front against the threat of the NLC in particular. I believe you already know Abure has a long history with Lamidi Apapa and Abayomi Arabambi before now,” the source explained.

When The PUNCH contacted the Apapa’s camp, the factional spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi, confirmed the development.

Arabambi told our reporter that they had no problem with Abure from the outset because they knew he was being influenced and misled by some leading officers of the NLC.

He said, “We are together to stop all those political hawks from taking over our party. We thought they (NLC) were fighting for a just cause. But it is very obvious they only want to take over our party and we are not going to accept that. We in the Lamidi Apapa group are not lawbreakers like those who supported Abure in disobeying the court order. I have said this several times on air.

“It was because of this threat that Abure extended an olive branch for all of us to bond together. It was obvious that these people were not only with him to fight us but to take over the control of the party. So we cannot be outside and allow some people to take over our party. That was why Abure asked us to come together in the party’s interest.

“We are here to fight those people who want to use the Labour Party to foment trouble and destabilize the country. That is what we are against. Nobody is contesting or running for any election now. We know the next race is in 2027. Why should we now be seeking ways to bring the nation down? We are averse to that.”

He added, “I also want you to know that there is nothing like Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign here anymore. It has been dissolved. Everybody has reverted to former governorship and presidential candidate. We don’t want disinformation at the Labour Party.

“Again, you recall that there was a crisis in APC and the PDP. Yet, the warring parties came together and resolved it. So what stopped us from resolving ours? When you are fighting, there is no permanent enemy. It is all about permanent interest.”

Efforts to get Abure to react to the report were unsuccessful.

But the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, also confirmed the reunion, saying there was nothing out of place for Abure to extend olive branches to aggrieved members of the party.

He said, “Labour Party is united. We do not have a division in the sense that as a party that came out of the election hugely successful with a lot of results to show, several people would want to have a stake in the Labour Party. The implication is that a lot of stone-throwing and interest will begin to manifest. But the Labour Party has a constitution and it has a rule completely spelt out.

“Anybody that tries to go out of it will get his hand burnt because the law will not support what you are doing just as the NLC is doing. Besides, we have never seen the Lamidi Apapa people as having their camp because there’s only one camp. That is the one led by Julius Abure.

“Of course, they have the right to be aggrieved and take positions that are not aligned with the interest of the party. But as soon as they discovered it was not the right way, I think they took the better decision to begin to retrace their steps. That is what we have seen.”

He stated further, “Many people who were involved in anti-party activities in the past are beginning to discover that the laws are not on their side. The best thing is to retrace their steps and return to the fold.

“So many other persons have indicated interest in returning to the party. LP does not have any problem with that. Our doors are wide open. If you are out in the cold and you need shelter in the Labour Party, we will bring you back and shelter you.

“The distinguished gentleman you just mentioned (Arabambi) is still our member. He has also recognised Julius Abure as the only national chairman. The party is coming together and I can tell you that the party is a lot more united now than ever.”

The Head of the Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, will retire on 14 August, 2024.

This was disclosed by the Director, Communications in HoCSF office, Mallam Mohammed Ahmed, during a parley with media executives in commemoration of the 2024 Civil Service Week Celebrations.

Mohammed said the parley is the last Dr. Yemi-Esan would be superintending as the HoCSF.

Our correspondent reports that Yemi-Esan would be 60 years on August 14 this year, having been born on 13 August 1964.

Daily Trust reports that this year’s civil service week is theme ‘Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa’.

Our correspondent also reports that the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari on 18 September 2019 appointed Yemi-Esan as the Acting HoCSF following the removal of the former HOCSF, Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita.

Yemi-Esan who was later on 4 March 2020 inaugurated, was then serving as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Yemi-Esan hails from Ikoyi, Ijumu, Kogi State. She was born in Kaduna State and had her primary school education at Bishop Smith School, Ilorin, Kwara State.

She proceeded to Federal Government College, Ilorin, for her secondary school education.

She attended University of Ibadan, where she graduated in 1987 as the best dental surgery student and later got a certificate in health planning and management, before obtaining a master’s degree in public and international administration.

Yemi-Esan rose to the position of Federal Permanent Secretary in 2012, serving first as Permanent Secretary, Service Policy and Strategy Office in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, later in the Federal Ministry of Information and also Federal Ministry of Education and Career Management Office (OHCSF).

By Sodeeq Atanda



A New York Times article about Nigeria’s current economic situation has drawn a response from the federal government.

The article, titled ‘Nigeria Confronts Its Worst Economic Crisis in a Generation‘, talks about fuel subsidy removal and the floatation of Nigeria’s currency by the Bola Tinubu-led administration and their impacts on the population.

In a widely-circulated rejoinder between Sunday and Monday, the State House, through Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, described the article as a “jaundiced report” and claimed that the current economic crisis was a consequence of the bad economy the president inherited.

Onanuga further faulted the report, saying that the United States-based newspaper failed to consider the positive outcomes of Tinubu’s economic policies, reflected in the trade surplus and decreased inflation rate.

“The economy recorded a trade surplus of N6.52 trillion in Q1, as against a deficit of N1.4 trillion in Q4 of 2023. Portfolio investors have streamed in as long-term investors,” said Onanuga.

“The inflationary rate is slowing down, as shown in the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics for April. Food inflation remains the biggest challenge, and the government is working very hard to rein it in with increased agricultural production.”

The president’s aide then claimed the 2023 appropriation act was inefficient as it proposed to spend 97 percent of the country’s revenues to service debt.

CLAIM: The 2023 budget planned to use 97 percent of Nigeria’s revenues to service debt.

“For decades, Nigeria had maintained a fuel subsidy regime that gulped $84.39 billion between 2005 and 2022 from the public treasury in a country with huge infrastructural deficits and in high need of better social services for its citizens,” the statement read in part.

“The state oil firm, NNPC, the sole importer, had amassed trillions of naira in debts for absorbing the unsustainable subsidy payments in its books. By the time President Tinubu took over the leadership of the country, there was no provision made for fuel subsidy payments in the national budget beyond June 2023.

“The budget itself had a striking feature: it planned to spend 97 percent of revenue servicing debt, with little left for recurrent or capital expenditure. The previous government had resorted to massive borrowing to cover such costs.”

VERIFICATION: In verifying this claim, FIJ compared the claim with available public records and reports.

In 2023, the country was projected to generate N8.46 trillion in revenue and spend N6.31 trillion in servicing public debt. This represented a debt-servicing ratio of 73.5 percent, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO). The DMO coordinates the management of Nigeria’s debt.

Furthermore, the country was expected to raise N10.49 trillion in revenues and N11.34 trillion in deficit, which was to be financed by borrowings.

FIJ’s findings showed that in the first nine months of the said year, 45.6 percent of tax revenues were spent servicing debts, a far cry from the 22.5 percent recommended by the World Bank for Nigeria and other low-income countries.

News reports by various newspapers further explained this debt-service-ratio projection.

CONCLUSION: The government’s claim that the 2023 budget was designed to use 97 percent of Nigeria’s tax revenues in 2023 for debt debt servicing is false.

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central has pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC
to accept whatever the federal government offered them above N60,000 as the new minimum wage.

Bamidele urged the NLC and TUC to toe the path of dialogue and peace in the negotiation of a new minimum wage, which the President had promised to send a bill to the National Assembly for this purpose.

The Senate Leader has reiterated the need for Nigerians to demonstrate more patriotic spirit and oneness in their daily activities as the nation journeys through its socio-political trajectory towards the promised land.

He made the call in an Eid-el-Kabir message by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Sunday, just as he highlighted some achievements of the administration of President BolaTinubu.

Bamidele said, “The federal government has conceded to N60,000, which translates to a 100 percent increase. But both NLC and TUC turned down this offer, leading to a two-day industrial action.

“The federal government has promised to make more concessions in this respect. As the federal government reveals its new offer, I plead with the organised labour to accept it in the national interest. The economy will remain in this condition. Collectively, we are taking multi-pronged measures to reverse disturbing economic indicators.”has conceded to N60,000, which translates to a 100 percent increase. But both NLC and TUC turned down this offer, leading to a two-day industrial action.

“The federal government has promised to make more concessions in this respect. As the federal government reveals its new offer, I plead with the organised labour to accept it in the national interest. The economy will remain in this condition. Collectively, we are taking multi-pronged measures to reverse disturbing economic indicators.”

While identifying with all Muslim faithful nationwide, Bamidele who noted that Nigerians, regardless of religion and tribes, should team up with and rally support for the Tinubu administration to safely steer the ship of the nation into a successful end, emphasised that no nation could travel the journey of national rebirth alone without the unwavering support of its citizens not minding their political, cultural and social backgrounds and orientations.

He assured that the current administration would leave no stone unturned in alleviating the economic hardship being faced by the majority of Nigerians and re-offer them a sense of pride in their home country.

In the spirit of the season, the Senate Leader urged all Muslims to emulate love and good neighbourliness exemplified by Prophet Mohammed (SWAT) during his time and how he related very well with people of other faiths and nationalities.

Bamidele who appealed that the ongoing reengineering efforts of the Tinubu Administration could only yield democratic dividends in an atmosphere devoid of insecurity, but where lives and property are protected, said: “Just to mention a few among ongoing projects like the 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the establishment of N50 Billion Pulako Initiative and annual recruitment of 30,000 new police personnel are Key Performance Indicators of this government.

“Only recently, this government declared a state of emergency in agriculture and launched the National Agricultural Development Fund with N100 billion, in addition to the Dry Season Farming Initiative and the Green Imperative Programme to ensure food security across the land.

“All these and other components of the 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda require the patriotic support and prayers for their deliverables to multiply at the doorsteps of Nigerians in the remaining three years of the first term of this government.”

He further urged the Muslim faithful to use the season of Eid el-Kabir to pray for the leaders of the country for divine wisdom and understanding that can match the enormous tasks of leading the country especially at a time when economic realities are not favourable around the world.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Wednesday, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to reviewing and agreeing to a realistic and sustainable minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

He also urged organised labour to propose or agree to a realistic minimum wage that won’t lead to massive job losses across the country.

Speaking at the opening of the 2024 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister said accepting unrealistic wages would undermine the economy.

He said, “As I have repeatedly said, the Federal Government is not opposed to the increase of wages for Nigerian Workers but we keep on advocating for a realistic and sustainable wage system for the workers – a wage system that will not undermine the economy, lead to mass retrenchment of workers and jeopardise the welfare of about 200 million Nigerians.

“We want the labour unions to understand that the relief that Nigerians are expecting, and that they fully deserve, will not come only in the form of an increase in wages. It will also come as efforts to reduce the cost of living and to ensure that more money stays in the pockets of Nigerians. ”

The minister also called on religious leaders to assist in raising public awareness about government initiatives and efforts.

Idris emphasised the crucial role of the clergy in disseminating information about available opportunities and the government’s ongoing efforts.

“As a government, we need your support, your advice, and your feedback,” Idris stated. “Very importantly, we need you to be aware of the efforts being made and the challenges being faced so that you can help us communicate these to your congregations and the general public,” he said.

The minister highlighted the influential platforms of religious leaders, noting their potential to enlighten Nigerians on their rights, responsibilities, and the economic opportunities provided by the policies under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The agenda aims to promote economic rebirth, strengthen national security, boost agriculture and food security, and transform infrastructure and transportation.

“Information and awareness are critical, and this is where our religious leaders come in. You have very influential platforms that can enlighten Nigerians on their rights, responsibilities, and the abundance of economic opportunities being thrown up by the policies and programmes being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu,” he noted.

He acknowledged the significant role of spiritual leaders in fostering peace, unity, and hope within Nigerian communities.

He extended commendations to the Charismatic Bishops Conference and the Christian Association of Nigeria for their contributions to harmony and peaceful coexistence.

“The President has always recognised the profound impact of religious leaders on the unity, peace, and prosperity of our country. He deeply values the partnership between the government and the religious community in building a nation that thrives on mutual respect, understanding, and shared values.

“Let me extend our heartfelt commendation to the Charismatic Bishops Conference and by extension the Christian Association of Nigeria, for your instrumental role in promoting harmony and peaceful co-existence in our country.

“Indeed, the Church, throughout our nation’s history, has been a steadfast partner to the government in championing social causes and the provision of essential social services such as hospitals and schools, as well as the inculcation of values in our citizens,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s current challenges, Idris praised Tinubu’s leadership in implementing crucial reforms to steer the country towards growth and sustainable development.

He reiterated the importance of the Church’s partnership with the government in championing social causes and providing essential services such as hospitals and schools.

Idris said it was important for religious leaders to support the government’s vision for Nigeria’s renaissance and to pray for guidance as the nation works towards a prosperous future.

Organised Labour has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s claims that an agreement has been reached on new national minimum wages in his nationwide broadcast to make Democracy Day.

According to Organized Labour at the time negotiations ended on Friday, June 7, there was no agreement reached by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage.

Rather, two figures such as N250,000 from Organised Labour and N62,000 from government and Organised Private Sector, OPS were arrived at and ought to have been submitted to the President.

In a statement by the Acting President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, Labour noted that anything to the contrary was not only doctored but won’t be accepted by Labour.

Cars and money belonging to late Jabila Kammangar, an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been converted to personal properties of some policemen in Rivers State, multiple sources informed SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how Kammangar died in the police custody of the command.

His death came a few days after he was arrested and paraded by the Rivers State Police Command for alleged armed robbery, hijacking of food trucks and diverting them to other locations.

The spokesperson for the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko had stated that the deceased and four soldiers identified as West Isaac, Abdul Musa, Mgbe Geoffrey, Innocent Okwoli were arrested on May 25, 2024, following a tip-off from a reliable source.

While in detention, the police allegedly denied him access to relatives until his death last week, a source had told SaharaReporters.

Another source added that the NSCDC operative died in the cell as a result of torture.

“He was really beaten by the policemen, tortured and forced to confess to the crime,” the source had added.

SaharaReporters learnt that after his arrest, some policemen went to search the late Kammangar’s house for exhibits.

After the search, two cars and cash were taken away by the investigative team but were converted.

A police source identified the officers involved as CSP Bello, Inspector Andrew and Inspector Chimize.

They were said to have taken away the cars and cash from the house of the deceased but refused to hand them over as exhibits to the police authorities.

“Sadly, some of our officers involved in this case should be investigated. CSP Bello, Inspector Andrew and Inspector Chimize are criminals just like these suspects. They have a lot to say about the NSCDC officer’s death in custody,” a policeman at the Rivers State Command headquarters told SaharaReporters.

“They took his money and cars from his house while they went to search it. But these stuffs taken can’t be found anywhere, they didn’t bring them to the station nor return them to his family. These officers converted these properties recovered from the suspect and others to personal use, is that not stealing? They have sold some as well.

“They also shot two innocent civilians, this is not the police force Nigerians want.”

Calls put across to the Rivers State command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko were not picked nor returned.

Text message sent to her line since Tuesday morning was yet to be replied as of the time of this report.

The managing director and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, has disclosed that the Kaduna-Kano train service will commence operation in the first quarter of 2025.

The managing director made the disclosure during inspection at the Rigasa train station in Kaduna yesterday following recent cases of vandalism on the corridor.

He said, “The Kaduna-Kano train is coming up, the track has gotten to Makarfi Local Government Area from Kano, and we are hoping that by early next year, people would be able to arrive from Abuja to Kano.”

Okhiria, however, lamented how the rising cost of diesel and insecurity are hindering train operations in the country.

He said, “When we started, the patronage was high, but after the incident in March 2023, things stepped down. We were running 10 trains then, but after the incident, as well as the rising cost of diesel, we had to limit the number of trains.

“At the time we started, diesel was between N230 and N280 per litre, but it now costs between N1,000 and N2,000, depending on the supplier. But because rail is for the people, government decided to maintain the price.”

On vandalism he said, “The federal government is taking measures to further secure trains and other components. We are on top of the insecurity situation. We are talking with the commissioner of police and other security agencies to further provide security for our customers and against the incessant removal of sleepers on the track because many people ride on the train.

“Security is a top priority because our trains also carry goods. For instance, we are carrying pipelines from Itakpe in Warri. We have started carrying containers from Lagos to Kaduna, Lagos to Idah and Lagos to Kano.

“We will continue to liaise with security agencies to ensure that rail is taken seriously. Right now, we provide air surveillance on the Abuja-Kaduna train, and sooner or later, it will be extended to other parts.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said without his support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his political career could have ended as the governor of Lagos State.

He said this while reacting to the widely held position that the President Tinubu came to his rescue following his spat with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, leading to his contesting the Presidential Election on the platform of Action Congress (AC) in 2007.

In a statement through his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, said, “Vice President Kashim Shettima goofed when he claimed that former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar benefited from President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill when he was being “persecuted” in the PDP.

“Truth be told, it was Tinubu that actually benefited immensely from Atiku’s goodwill. But for Atiku’s support, hinged on his pro-democracy instincts and rule of law, Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos would have been rough with a wide possibility of termination of his political career.”

Explaining the true situation of things, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate in the last election said, “For some time, and especially leading up to the 2023 election, there has been a deliberate attempt to distort the history of the politics of the early 4th Republic by ascribing the AC, the political platform that Atiku ran in 2007 as Tinubu’s party.

“Nothing can be further from the truth. Vice President Shettima, obviously carried away with the euphoria of the unveiling of his official residence as Vice President, repeated the same lie.

“Shettima needs to be reminded that Atiku did not run under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but Action Congress (AC). AC came out of a coalition of ACD (Advance Congress of Democrats), formed by mainly PDM members and other associates and Tinubu’s faction of AD.”

According to him President Tinubu was not in a position to lend the platform to Atiku “as erroneously being suggested, as he (Atiku) was nominated by all the delegates from all the states.”

He then went further to name the delegates to the primaries of the election that threw up the former Vice President as the party’s presidential candidate to include Atiku Abubakar himself, Lawal Keita, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Alexis Anielo, Titi Ajanaku, former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, Chief Tom Ikimi, and Chief Dapo Sarumi.

Others he said were Chief Sergeant Awuse, Alh. Lawan, Dr. Chris Ngige, Prof Ango Abdulahi, Dr Farouk Abdul Azeez, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Ejiofor Onyia, and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, among others.

He added that from Tinubu’s Alliance for Democracy were Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Segun Osoba, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, and Chief Bisi Akande, among others.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio yesterday declared that the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote shamed successive Nigerian governments by completing the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing the facility as the ninth wonder of the world.

Commending Dangote for completing the largest single train refinery in the world in a record time, the Senate President said Dangote deserved all the accolades for the feat, noting that a simple residence for Nigeria’s Vice President could not be completed by successive administrations until after 14 years.Akpabio came hard on those who were skeptical of the completion of the refinery, describing them as dream killers.

Akpabio, who led the leadership of the 10th Senate on a tour of the refinery in Lagos, said detractors of the refinery had all been silenced and that indeed, previous governments had been put to shame with the completion of the project.He promised that the National Assembly would give it what it takes to protect the project, describing it as one project that Nigeria and indeed Africa should take the ownership of and protect from jealousy.

He said: “They told us in Abuja that Dangote Refinery is a farce but we have come here and see for ourselves that the refinery is alive and running. Dangote has put to shame a lot of people. They are wondering how it will be possible for a single individual to accomplish what a whole nation could not accomplish; what 240 million people could not maintain; what a continent could not do and then one person buil a 650,000bpd project.

“They keep wondering how one person can succeed where nations have failed; where the continent failed. But Dangote has done it. It is highly commendable. “We came to see the refinery because we in the current Senate believe in the Nigerian dream. We didn’t come as a doubting Thomas but we came because we believe in the project; we came to rekindle the hope of Nigerians and the Nigerians’ can-do spirit.” Akpabio stated that Nigeria couldn’t make her refineries function in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, but that Dangote and his team have proven that it is possible to dream and achieve it in Nigeria.”

He said the shame that came with the discovery of oil in Nigeria in 1958 has been removed by Dangote, alluding to a report that India does not have oil but his refineries from where the country exports refined products.“The inability of the nation to refine its oil has brought untold hardship on Nigerians so much so that the Belgian government recently banned the exportation of dirty and condemned fuel to West African countries just because we can’t refine our own products.”Describing the refinery as quite unbelievable, Akpabio said the Senate and the entire National Assembly would come up with robust legislation that would protect the project and others like it.

He stated: “Mr. Dangote, I pity you a lot because even your friends will envy you simply because they will keep wondering how can you succeed when nations, and continents have failed. Now that we have seen for ourselves, we are here to announce our own endorsement of this major project. It is also shocking to see that we produce sufficient fertilisers for Nigeria and enough to be exported.

“As I said we will do our report and we will speak to Mr President to put a stop to fertiliser import to Nigeria. You will hear from us soon,” he added.Also speaking, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated that it is a privilege that the refinery happened in “our time, our state and our country.”According to the governor, “people talk about dreams, but only few can make it happen. Dangote has put Lagos State and the whole of Nigeria on the world map of excellence.

“I am happy the Senate came to see for themselves; Dangote was not ready to rest after successfully building the largest cement factory chain in Africa, second largest sugar refinery in the world. With investment like this, I can assure you that we are on the right path to meet the projected GDP of $1trillion by 2030.“You have the key to the city, I have given you a long time ago and I am happy you are using it very well,” Governor Sanwo-Olu stated.

In his remarks, Dangote explained that the “visit could not have come at a more auspicious time than now, just as the company is in the process of bringing the various units of this complex integrated refining processes on stream, an eagerly awaited move.”“The refinery will help boost Nigeria’s economic growth, with the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. During the construction stage, it supported over 150,000 jobs, made up of mostly Nigerians. These Nigerians in the process acquired various skills that are still useful in other construction projects.

“The capacity of the refinery is enough to satisfy domestic demands for refined products. The refinery will export about 50 per cent of its production thereby generating foreign exchange for the country. It will lead to growth in adjacent sectors such as logistics, shipping, engineering, and servicing.“The refinery has the requisite capacity to provide energy security both by providing a ready home for our crude and in ensuring steady availability of petroleum products for all. Nigerians will also get to partake in the financial returns once we list the Refinery on the NGX.

“We are thus making an important contribution to this administration’s plan to grow our GDP to $1 trillion.“Our group is at the vanguard of job creation and employment generation in Nigeria. We are the biggest employer of labour after the federal government. Dangote Cement sustains about 70,000 (direct and indirect jobs across Africa, while the refinery, petroleum chemical complex and fertiliser will be able to create over 150,000 direct and indirect jobs.

“We have remained one of the biggest contributors to government coffers as our three subsidiaries, Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar Refinery and NASCON Allied Industries paid a total of N788.98 billion as tax and N276 billion in VAT in three years.“We envision in Nigeria the equivalent of Jamnagar in India where crude oil refining is the backbone of specialised industrial zones, transportation networks, and ancillary industries, contributing to the overall industrialisation of the region. Or Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Industrial City, which is also undergirded by large scale petrochemical complexes.“The legislature has a great role to play in this. Globally, the legislature plays a great role in protecting and supporting domestic industry. I am sure that the members of the 10th National Assembly are more than equal to the task. Supporting the refinery secures the benefits. It will ensure energy security. As co-creators of value, we appreciate and acknowledge your consistent efforts in ensuring the enactment of vital laws promoting a conducive business environment in the nation,” Dangote explained.

Leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives, Rep Kingsley Chinda, has said a minimum can’t take any Nigerian worker home, rather a living wage should be the ultimate goal of government.

Chinda made this disclosure in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Friday night.

He said: “Well first, I would tell you that as a caucus we don’t believe in minimum wage.

“Incidentally, you even asked of minimum wage. What we have been calling for is a living wage for Nigerians and for Nigerian workers.

“And we believe that the question you also asked concerning the issues of corruption, the issues of the zeal to work for the state will depend on some of these things.

“Pay Nigerians a living wage, corruption will be reduced. Pay Nigerians a living wage, you will ignite the spirit to work for the nation.

“But pay minimum wage, I don’t think it will solve the problem. So the position of governors that they are not going to pay more than 70,000 or so a month to Nigerians, it will not help this country, it will not solve our problem, let us be realistic.

“Let us look at a living wage that is affordable by government and if the Executive arm is sincere, see it with Labour. Talk to Nigerians, we will all see what is practicable.
Nigerians are angry because they feel that there is so much wastage.

“I have even seen some publishing humongous figures as salaries of members of parliament and all that. Those are things that will make any Nigerian angry. And then when you talk about N70,000, how can you survive?

“I think our laws recognize that a Nigerian should have one or two wives minimum, one wife and four children. You have one wife, you have four children. Will 70,000 take care of the welfare of four children, take care of your rent, transport and all that? How much is a bag of rice?

“So please let us even leave the issue of minimum wage. Let’s talk about living wage. So as a caucus, we support living wage for Nigerians without compromise. I can even tell you to take it to the bank, not just the minority caucus, the entire house, including the speaker.

“Because I recall when the speaker of the HoR was in the Villa, his brief remark was that we require living wage for Nigerians.

“So we solidly support Labour in that.
The only area we have also urged Labour is that in cause of agitating for that, let us go by the rules. Two wrongs cannot make a right.”

The Rivers State Government has approved N19.6 billion for the reconstruction of the State House of Assembly Complex demolished six months ago.

The approval was given at the State Executive Council meeting presided by Governor Siminalayi Fubara at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Friday, the governor’s spokesperson, Chukwudi Nelson, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The complex was demolished about two months after a section was bombed following an impeachment attempt on Governor Fubara by Wike-backed lawmakers.

Hours after its demolition, Mr Fubara presented the N800 billion 2024 budget proposal to a four-member assembly loyal to him.

How Government justified demolition
The state government had attributed the demolition of the complex to structural defects arising from explosion and fire outbreak.

Joseph Johnson, the state commissioner for information said the incident rendered the building unfit for human use, adding that there were visible cracks on the walls and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business.

Mr Johnson said that professional advice was sought on the integrity of the building, after Governor Fubara inspection visit to determine the level of damage.

“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.

“The government had tried all cost-saving measures towards the repair of the complex until it bowed to the superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice,” he said.


Rivers assembly crisis

Rivers State has been enmeshed in political crisis as a result of the battle over the control of political structure in the oil-rich state between Messrs Wike and Fubara.

The assembly was attacked after lawmakers backed by Mr Wike initiated an impeachment against Governor Fubara.

The crisis has battered the state legislature, splitting lawmakers into two factions —- one with 27 members loyal to Mr Wike while the other, with just four members, is loyal to Governor Fubara.

Both factions held parallel sittings at different occasions. While the four-member assembly loyal to Governor Fubara held their sitting at Government House, Mr Wike-backed lawmakers continued their sittings at a section of the assembly complex, apparently the reason it was demolished by the state government.

Mr Johnson, after the demolition, said the state government has provided an alternative venue for the lawmakers at Government House pending the reconstruction of the complex.


Contract for reconstruction

At the State Executive Council meeting on Friday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Projects, Roland Obed-Whyte told reporters that contract for the reconstruction of the assembly complex has been awarded to Monier Construction Company Nigeria Limited (MCC) at the cost of N19.6 billion with nine months completion duration.

“This Rivers State House of Assembly Building Complex is made up of about 34 ensuite offices, two storey building with elevator, gallery, meeting rooms and conference hall.

“It also includes the renovation and refurbishing of other existing structures within the House of Assembly Complex. It also includes the provision of ambulance and other external works.”

The state government also announced the award of contracts totaling N74.9 billion.

Besides the reconstruction of the assembly complex, other contracts awarded include construction of Kalaibiama/Epellema Road, and completion of four zonal hospitals across the State.

Also approved are the renovation of Bonny General Hospital, renovation and upgrade of Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Rumuigbo and construction of new General Hospital at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.

Imoleayo Oyedeyi


The Federal Government of Nigeria has spent a total sum of N697bn to collect the N15.8tn shared by the three tiers of government in the first 11 months of the current administration, Saturday PUNCH investigation has shown.

This was derived through an analysis of the monthly disbursement statements issued by the Federal Account Allocation Committee between June 2023 and April 2024.

FAAC has the duty of examining and approving the distribution of financial resources to the states and the Federal Government.

Monthly, this committee is tasked with the disbursement of funds across Nigeria’s 36 states and its 774 local government areas.

This allocation is anticipated to drive progress and support governmental bodies across various tiers in executing their duties.

According to a statement issued in May by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the three tiers of government shared a total sum of N1.2tn in April out of the total revenue of N2.192tn available for the month.

Mokwa said, “The revenue was shared at the May 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee held in Abuja.

“A communiqué issued by the Federation Allocation Account Committee revealed that the N 1,208.081bn total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N284.716 billion, distributable Value Added Tax revenue of N466.457bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy revenue of N18.024bn and Exchange Difference revenue of N438.884bn.

“Total revenue of N2,192.077bn was available in the month of April 2024. Total deduction for cost of collection was N80.517bn; total transfers, interventions and refunds was N903.479bn,” he stated.

However investigation by Saturday PUNCH revealed that since President Bola Tinubu administration came into power, the three revenue generating agencies of the government comprising Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission have received the sum of N696.7bn as cost of revenue collection for the Federation.

As of May 2023 when the last regime of General Muhammadu Buhari left office, the total amount received by the three agencies as cost of revenue collection for that month alone was N31.07bn.

However, the three agencies collected N80.5bn as cost of revenue collection for April 2024, which was N49.43bn higher than the May 2023 funds they received.

This implies that the cost of monthly revenue collection for the country increased by 159 per cent in the first 11 months of the current administration.

Similarly, the three agencies received a total sum of N697bn as cost of revenue collection for the first 11 months of the current administration, but got approximately N403bn in the last 11 months of the immediate past Buhari regime. This gives a difference of N294bn, indicating an increase of 72.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, out of the N402.8bn doled out for revenue collection in the last 11 months of Buhari regime, the Nigerian Customs received N116.4bn, FIRS got N198.2bn, while NUPRC received N88.26bn.

However, from June 2023 to December 2023, Nigerian Customs received N97.16bn, FIRS received N236.93bn, while NUPRC got N69.14bn out of N402.17bn paid to the three agencies by FAAC as cost of revenue collection for the seven months.

In the first four months of 2024, the three agencies have received a total sum of N294.8bn from FAAC as cost of revenue collection. However as of the time of filing this report, it could not be verified how much each of the agencies has received out of the total sum for the four months (January 2024 to April 2024).

In a month by month basis in 2024, the three agencies received N78.4bn in January, N66.4bn in February, N69.5bn in March, and N80.5bn in April.

In the last seven months of 2023, they received N38bn in June, N73.17bn in July, N62.3bn in August, N54.3bn in September, N53bn in October, N60.2bn in November, and N61bn in December.

However, in the last 11 months of Buhari regime, the agencies received N44.5bn in July 2022, N47bn in August 2022, N35bn in September 2022, N34bn in October 2022, N34bn in November 2022, and N41bn in December 2022.

The agencies received N42.56bn in January 2023, N40bn in February 2023, N27bn in March 2023, N31bn in April 2023 and N31.07bn in May 2023.

MultiChoice Nigeria says it will appeal the ruling of the competition and consumer protection tribunal (CCPT) after the company was fined N150 million for challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

On Friday, the tribunal fined MultiChoice and ordered the company to provide one-month free subscriptions on DStv and GOtv to Nigerians.

MultiChoice announced an increase in the cost of subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages on April 24.

However, on April 29, the tribunal stopped MultiChoice from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services, which was scheduled to begin on May 1.

MultiChoice challenged the tribunal’s verdict restricting it from increasing the prices of its packages through an application filed on April 30 by Moyosore Onibanjo, the company’s lawyer.

The tribunal, in its ruling on Friday, cited section 39 (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Act which states the “tribunal shall have jurisdiction throughout the federation and on all commercial activities aimed at making a profit”.

For failing to comply with the order of the tribunal not to implement the price adjustment, Thomas Okosu, who led the three-man tribunal panel, imposed an administrative penalty on Multichoice.

In a statement addressing the order, MultiChoice said it disagrees with the position of the tribunal.

“MultiChoice Nigeria is aware of the recent ruling by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) regarding its jurisdiction to entertain a price regulation matter,” the company said.

“We disagree with the ruling, and will therefore file an appeal against said ruling.”

MultiChoice said the company is restrained from making further comments because the matter is currently sub judice.

The House of Representatives has referred its member, Ikenga Ugochinyere, to the Committee on Ethics for probe over his solidarity visit to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The lawmaker is facing the probe after leading about 50 lawmakers to attend the first anniversary of the governor in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Mr Ugochinyere, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Imo State, is one of the vocal supporters of Mr Fubara in the House.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, are in a supremacy battle, and the members of the PDP in the House are divided between the two warring sides.

In the last couple of months, Mr Ugochinyere has been issuing statements in support of the governor and claimed to control a group of 60 lawmakers that he christened G60.


Point of Order

The decision of the House to investigate Mr Ugochinyere followed a point of privilege raised by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau).

Mr Gagdi, citing Order Six Rule One, said his privilege as a member of the House was breached as the lawmaker misinterpreted the visit of some lawmakers to Mr Fubara.

He stated that Mr Ugochinyere issued a statement to the press on the visit, giving the impression that the lawmakers represented the House.

Mr Gagdi claimed that the lawmakers were members of the Local Content Committee and were in Rivers for an overnight assignment but used the opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to the governor.

“One of our colleagues issued a press statement that the delegation was in River State for a solidarity visit to the governor. It is okay to do a solidarity visit but not for members to be misrepresented. I urge the House to look for this publication and interact with Ikenga,” he said.

While Mr Gagdi was moving the motion, some of the lawmakers who attended the meeting tried to raise a point of order, but the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, who presided over the session, shut down the lawmakers.

Mr Kalu insisted that points of privilege are not to be debated. His ruling generated loud murmurs from the floor.

Later, Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa-Ibom), succeeded in speaking, stating he attended the visit, adding that the lawmakers did not give the impression of representing the House.

“In my opinion, I don’t see anything here. The same paper publication said some members of the House. There is nothing here. There is freedom of association,” he said.

However, he was shut down by the deputy speaker, who scolded the lawmakers for turning the chamber into a marketplace.

Mr Kalu, subsequently, referred Mr Ikenga to the Committee on Ethics for investigation.

By Tunde Odesola


Nestling aboard an incoming Delta Airline flight from Atlanta, Georgia on May 10, 2024, the window-seat view of the landscape and skyscape of Ikeja cityscape was gloomy. The giant American bird called Boeing glided through the clouds before swooping down intently like a hawk in hunt. There were no trees, no greenery in sight from my Skyview as Lagos spread out like a ghetto cast in concrete, iron, rubble and filth.

“Where are all the trees the Babatunde Fashola administration planted,” I asked myself. I answered myself, “Felled by the Godfather and his mafia who were happy to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Like the Champions League is to Real Madrid, Lagos has become a political trophy belonging to the MD – Master Dribbler – who has dribbled his way to the Centre, and Nigeria now lies unconsciously at his feet.

The plane touched down around 10 a.m. Welcome to Nigeria! After about eight years, it felt good to be back home. A national anthem war would soon rage between ‘nationalists’ and ‘colonialists’, amid chants of ‘Arise, O Compatriots’ and shouts of ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’. The national anthem war was avoidable if leadership had a meaning in Nigeria. But leisurely, Captain Bourdillon draws hard on his cigar, steering the wheel of the sinking Nigerian ship back into slavery waters. The controversial descriptions of Nigeria as Fatherland and Motherland in the two national anthems show that Nigeria urgently needs a DNA test to confirm its legitimacy.

As passengers disgorged from the belly of the bird, I caught a whiff of the perennial Nigerian virus when a dirty-looking lady in mufti, whose wrinkled skin betrays bleaching cream overuse, held a ‘gentleman’ in suit by the hand, and led him from the back of the queue towards the front. Ironically, the queue was fast-moving.

I raised my voice in protest. “Una no even allow the plane land before una begin una madness! You, yeye man, you fit jump queue for US? You, (pointing at the ‘immigration’ woman), take that man back to the end of the queue from where you took him!”

I heard the yeye man tell the clutchy lady, ‘I told you it’s wrong, I don’t like causing a scene’ but the woman held his hand and led him on, all the same, prompting me to raise my voice louder, cussing and embarrassing them both.

An old man at my back in the queue said, “Young man, when last did you come to Nigeria?” I told him I didn’t understand his question. He continued, “Nigeria is not America. That’s the way we are here o.” I told him, “Every society needs eternal vigilance to oil the wheels of justice and fairness.” He shrugged, “Well, I agree.”

In no time, I was done with immigration and I landed at the carousel for my luggage. My luggage didn’t arrive on the plane: come tomorrow. Ok. No wahala. Tomorrow is a stone’s throw.

I hopped into a taxi. Portable omo Olalomi hopped in with me. The car stereo blared: “Ara adugbo (Zeh) /Tuntun ti de o (Zeh) /Zazoo (Zeh) /O po leti (Zeh) /O ye ke ti ma gbo (Zeh)… /Baddo sneh (Zeh) /Pepper sneh (Zeh) /Many many were wa n le (Zeh) /Ahh, repete (Zeh) /Unruly (Zeh) /Baddo Lee (Zeh) /Hacker (Zeh) /Ika (Zeh) /Te s’oju e (Zeh)… /Eje loju bi t’Abacha (Zeh) /Run’ju pa (Zeh) /Le’ju pa (Zeh) /Ma rerin (Zeh) /Kala (Zeh) /Daju (Zeh) /Hu wa ika (Zeh)... If you don’t understand these Yoruba lyrics, just imagine Adolf Hiler, ogres, members of Nigeria’s political class, together with Satan and his angels in a dark hall – you’ll understand the level of mercilessness Portable portrays in Zazoo.

‘Zazoo’ is the story of Nigeria’s degeneration. Though it has a multiplicity of meanings, a central theme of the song includes the glorification of internet fraud expressed in ‘Hacker’, ‘Kolu to n bo kaadi o’. It also praises extreme wickedness in the referenced stanza. Most of the song is street nonsense.

I smiled wryly. The taxi driver didn’t know why. He asked, “You too like Portable, sir?” I kept the plastic smile on and fetched my phone from my pocket. WhatsApp was my first port of call. I scrolled. A senior colleague had sent me news links. They were about the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi.

The senior colleague wrote, “See what you caused.” I skimmed through the texts and thought he was talking about the Oluwo’s aso òkè, which was similar to the one I wore during my father’s burial on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Lagos. I replied, “I’m not royal, I’m a hunter,” asking if he was talking about the aso òkè. My relentless senior highlighted to me the links to a story on the Oluwo done by two British tabloids, The Sun, and The Mail on Sunday.

Both British newspapers called the Oluwo a thief, a misfit, 419 king, Yahoo kingpin, ‘Kolu to n bo kaadi’ and jailbird.

Metaphorically, the reports of the newspapers intone that lacking royalty, honesty, loyalty, pedigree and bíbí ire – a Yoruba word for honour – the life of Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi and his emergence as the Oluwo of Iwo was a plot in the drama of the absurd, where a felon grabbed a crown to desecrate a town.

Specifically, on its May 19, 2024 cover, The Mail on Sunday splashed the picture of Akanbi in a close-up handshake with the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry. The handshake, however, went beyond the elbow when the newspaper befouled the picture with the headline, “Royal Exclusive: Harry and conman Nigerian king twice deported from US.”

The description of the Oluwo as a criminal is the view and product of investigation of the British media, not mine. In a three-part series, ‘Oluwo and the glorification of ignorance’, Tunde the son of Odesola, expressed his views about Oluwo Akanbi in 2022 when he described the conman as a con-king transmuting into a king-kong.

In its publication on May 19, 2024, THE SUN was extensively brutal. The headline of the paper’s story reads, “Dodgy Royal: Nigerian King who Harry called his ‘in-law’ is ‘CONMAN jailed and deported after trying to cash stolen £247k cheque’, with the rider, ‘The ‘Funky King’ (Oluwo) was jailed 15 months in 1998”.

Reporting the three-day visit of the 39-year-old Harry and his 42-year-old wife, Meghan, to Nigeria, THE SUN reveals Akanbi had been deported twice from the US and banned twice for life from entering the US.

THE SUN story reads, “But the Nigerian royal (Oluwo) is a convicted fraudster who was twice kicked out of America. He was allegedly first arrested in Boston in 1998 after he tried to cash a stolen cheque for £247,000 from aviation company Boeing.

“Akanbi posed as a successful businessman called Joseph Pigott but cops were alerted by a suspicious bank teller at BankBoston. The conman (Oluwo) was also charged for forging a cheque for £59,000 using the name Thomas Eyring. He was also reportedly jailed for 15 months and deported to Nigeria in April 1999.

“His £1,500 fine was waived ‘because of an inability to pay’. Despite being banned from re-entering the US, he was then said to have been caught attempting to cross the border in March 2011. Akanbi was with his then-wife Rakiya Saidu and young son and claimed they were going to New York to shop.

“Facing the prospect of a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a £197,000 fine, Akanbi pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to time served, deported and banned from the US for life a second time.”

If Akanbi had been jailed for 20 years, Iwo would never have witnessed these years of the locust nor would this big calabash of shame hang on the community’s neck. Iwo would’ve remained famous for the honour earned by former Oluwos, including Oba Parin, Oba Lamuye, Oba Samuel Abimbola, and Oba Olatunbosun Tadase among others. The sacred name of Iwo wouldn’t have been stained with dishonour.

If you’re close to Iwo, you could’ve heard their sons and daughters eulogise the impregnable security of the land, saying “Iwo ti o ni ilekun, ti o ni kokoro; eru wewe ni iran baba won fi n de ile.”

O ye descendants of Iwo, is it a mistake that your forebears left the city gateless and keyless? O ye children of Iwo, is it not too late now that a virus has crept onto the throne? Where were the ‘eru wewe’ small slaves sentineled at the gate when Akanbi crept into town? Sé wón gbà’bòdè ni? Did they sabotage?

Then-Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, stood up for integrity when he kicked out the Deji of Akure, Oba Oluwadare Adepoju, from the palace in 2010, for beating his wife, Olori Bolanle.

From Ife to Oyo, Lagos, Ijebu, Abeokuta, Ede, Owo, Benin, Warri, Sokoto, Kano, Bauchi, Gwandu etc, monarchs had been dethroned. Sadly, none of the deposed kings in Nigeria’s history parades the kind of criminal credentials as the Oluwo. Governor Adeleke, ICPC, EFCC, National Council of Traditional Rulers, Yoruba Council of Obas, Iwo kingmakers, Iwo people, over to you. Oluwo must go!

The Nigerian government has said its ability to achieve the 2024 budgeted revenue step-up of 77.4 per cent from 2023 is at risk should oil production remain 27.0 per cent below budgetary provisions.

The government disclosed this in a draft copy report of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP) presented to President Bola Tinubu by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on Wednesday.

“Our ability to achieve the 2024 Budgeted revenue step-up of 77.4 per cent from 2023 actual is at risk should oil production remain 27.0 per cent below budget. Fifty per cent of the annualised YTD variance suggests a lower-than-budgeted revenue of N15.7 trillion at the current run rate,” it said.

The report said the federal government retained revenue for January and February 2024 was approximately 60.0 per cent of budget, largely driven by lower crude oil production volumes (at 74.5 per cent of budget projection).

“If current revenue shortfalls persist, the revenue for 2024 is unlikely to exceed N15.8 trillion,” it said.

It added that the current oil production is at 1.4 million bpd compared to the 1.78 million barrels per day (bpd) budget assumption and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota of 1.5 million bpd, resulting in federal government revenue shortfalls.

Overall, it explained that the oil sector, as the fiscal anchor for the Nigerian economy, has underperformed due to years of underinvestment, inefficiency and opacity, leading to lost revenues and jobs and a grossly underserved local energy market.

According to the report, Nigeria’s comparatively high cost of oil and gas operations (mainly due to oil theft, vandalism and unattractive fiscal policies) has negatively impacted investment levels.

It noted that an uncompetitive investment climate resulting in low growth of oil production caused depressed fiscal income to the federation account, illiquidity in foreign exchange markets and domestic energy insufficiency.

“Continued reliance on fuel imports despite significant amounts spent on government-owned refineries over the years constituting significant foreign exchange drain on the economy and difficulties in reducing fuel subsidies to zero given the current inflationary and consequent social pressures,” it said.


Gas Potential

The report said despite having the largest proven gas reserves in Africa (over 209TCF), Nigeria has struggled with declining gas investments and production.

In addition, it said the debts owed by the power sector (now accumulated to N428 billion) have led to delayed and abandoned projects, adding that the Nigerian gas sector delivers only 1,555mmscfd to the local market, far below the needs of the local economy.

“Difficult economic conditions threaten to unravel bold reforms undertaken by Mr President. The macroeconomic environment, including persistently high inflation at 33.7 per cent, the highest in almost three decades, high interest rates (Monetary Policy Rate at 26.3 per cent) make it difficult for businesses to borrow, and the exchange rate remains volatile with the resulting uncertainty disrupting economic activity,” the report said.

The report highlighted the executive orders to bolster ASAP, including inflation reduction, employment generation, non-oil export promotion, prudent financial management, and tax information consolidation.

For the inflation reduction, the government plans to suspend import duty & value-added tax on specified items, boost the importation of paddy rice by millers, peg import duty exchange rate, and prioritise productive spending.

For employment generation, it plans a relief for wage awards, transport subsidy to low-income staff, the tax deduction for the salary of incremental staff, an additional 50 per cent uplift on eligible deduction on transportation and other allowances and enables foreign employment for Nigerians as remote workers.

Others, according to the report, include tax exemption for repatriated export proceeds of services and intellectual property, zero-rated VAT for all non-oil exports, relaxation of restrictions on the use of export proceeds, and removal of tax clearance certificates as a condition for foreign exchange application, payment of fees in Naira and MDAs foreign exchange banked with Central Bank of Nigeria, the introduction of tax information and collaboration Initiative(TICC), creation of TICC data bank to be managed by Joint Tax Board, mandatory use of NIN and registered company numbers and the National tax data governance framework.

Written by Chibuzo Ukaibe


The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of diverting public funds through secret petrol subsidy payments, hence the refusal of the government to reveal how much is being spent on fuel subsidy.

Atiku said this in a statement on Thursday in reaction to a statement from the Presidency, in which the latter denied the return of petrol subsidy regime.

LEADERSHIP recalls that President Tinubu had on May 29, 2023 during his inaugural address after his swearing-in, declared fuel subsidy was gone for good as it was unsustainable.

But, the former Vice President said the clandestine subsidy regime was one of the reasons investments in the oil sector had refused to come in.

Atiku said, “Tinubu has brought the shady nature of running Lagos to the federal level. He claims subsidy is gone but his Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, says they are intervening from time to time while his Finance Minister, Wale Edun, described subsidy removal as an ‘ongoing process’. A document authored by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy revealing how much subsidy is being paid is now being disowned by the very authors of the document.

“Both the World Bank and the IMF have revealed in separate reports that Nigeria is still paying petrol subsidies, but the Tinubu government refuses to come clean. Even a senior member of the APC had revealed that subsidy was beyond paid.

“For a man who claims to be on a mission to attract foreign direct investment, it is ironic that he cannot see that his policy flip flops and lies are capable of dissuading investors. He must come clean on this subsidy issue since he doubles as petroleum minister. The Tinubu administration should be courageous enough to own their policies and outcome with their full chest and responsible enough to be accountable for their actions to Nigerians.”

This denial lends credence that money meant for the Federation Account, which ought to be shared to states and local governments, was being diverted without any form of accountability whatsoever.

He said there was a need for the National Assembly to get to the bottom of the matter rather than focusing on frivolous issues.

“The National Assembly needs to be alive to its responsibilities, especially in the area of oversight. Posterity will not be kind to members of the National Assembly if they continue to look the other way while daylight robbery is taking place,” the former Vice President stated.

The Nigerian government says due processes are being applied in all stages of the trial of cryptocurrency platform Binance and its executives in line with the laws of the country.

It noted that this is against the backdrop of continuing interest in the ongoing trial of the “rogue online platform, Binance, and one of its Chief Executives, who illegally trade in cryptocurrency in Nigeria”.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Wednesday signed by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the minister.

“At all stages, due process has been followed, and prosecutors are confident of their case, based on the facts and evidence gathered. Binance will have every opportunity to defend itself in court against these severe charges of financial crimes against the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The next hearing is on June 20, 2024,” Idris said.

The minister explained that Binance, the defendant, has received consular access and all due care, following normal diplomatic protocols and the rule of law.

He added that the judge in the case has sufficiently posited that bail was denied because of the flight risk, after a co-accused, now the subject of an Interpol warrant, illegally absconded.

The statement said, “It would be recalled that Binance had a turnover in Nigeria of over US$20 billion in 2023 alone, far above the federal budget for health and education, fueling currency speculation and the cost-of-living crisis.

“In addition, it is not registered in Nigeria and neither has it ever paid any taxes within the Nigerian jurisdiction, having all the while operated without oversight or any of the normal guard rails to flag criminal activity.

“Idris said it is important that Binance is prefaced as an entity whose representatives have been variously imprisoned, fined, sanctioned, and banned in North America, Europe, and Asia, in recent years.

“Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire co-founder and former CEO of Binance is currently serving a four-month prison sentence in the United States after being found guilty of money laundering, while Binance has openly accepted its role in facilitating terrorism, corruption, sanctions busting, and in aiding and abetting paedophile gangs.”

“Law enforcement agencies believe Binance operations in Nigeria are part of a broader international pattern. It will be for the courts here, as in other jurisdictions, to hold the company and its executives accountable,” Idris said.

SaharaReporters earlier on Wednesday reported that 16 United States lawmakers had written to President Joe Biden asking him to bring back Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive who has been detained in Nigeria for almost three months over money laundering charges.

Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were arrested and detained on February 26 following an investigation into Binance’s activities in Nigeria.

Subsequently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria's anti-corruption agency charged Gambaryan, his company, Binance Holdings Limited and Anjarwalla, a fellow top executive currently on the run before a Federal High Court in Abuja sitting with money laundering and terrorism financing.

He was arraigned on five counts bordering on alleged tax evasion, currency speculation and money laundering to the tune of $34,400,000. Following the escape of his colleague, Anjarwalla, the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, refused to grant his bail application on May 17, 2024.

Delivering the ruling on the bail application Justice Nwite held that after carefully going through the application submitted before him, he resolved that the defendant would jump bail if granted.

SaharaReporters reported on May 1, 2024, that Yuki, Gambaryan’s wife had raised the alarm over her husband’s continued incarceration in Kuje prison.

She claimed her husband was put together with Boko Haram terrorists and bandits.

Yuki told the United States Parliament that her husband had spent 65 days in custody in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, along with 15 other leaders, in a letter sent to President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens, dated Tuesday, June 4, 2024, demanded an immediate action regarding the U.S. citizen.

In the letter, they urged the president to treat Gambaryan's case as a hostage situation and bring him back to the U.S.

“We fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life. We must act swiftly before it is too late,” they said.

In the letter which Eleanor Terrett shared on her social media handle, the lawmakers claimed that Gambaryan has contracted malaria and is being refused adequate treatment by Nigerian prison officials.

They opined that he had been unlawfully detained for three months in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu has met with federal government team on the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage at the State House, Abuja, amidst the industrial crisis being led by the organized Labour.

The meeting, which came an hour before the resumption of negotiations between labour and government, had in attendance Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and the NNPCL, Mele Kyari.

The meeting is believed to be connected to the just suspended Labour industrial strike over the new minimum wage and electricity tariff increase.

The government team is expected to brief the President on the negotiations and secure his commitment to a new offer, as labour rejected the initial N60,000 proposal.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, met with leaders of the organised Labour, resulting in President Tinubu’s agreement to increase the minimum wage offer above N60,000.

The Tripartite Committee is set to resume daily negotiations for one week to conclude talks on the new wage.

The Labour movement suspended its nationwide strike on Monday, which had paralyzed the economy, and resumed negotiations with the government yesterday at 1pm.

The National Assembly leadership had earlier met with labour, urging both parties to find a middle ground and requesting the government to continue paying the N35,000 wage award until a new minimum wage takes effect.

The management of the Lagos State University has broken its silence on the trending certificate found at a ‘suya’ spot in the state.

According to the university in a statement on Tuesday, the certificate has been invalidated because it has the incorrect spelling of the bearer’s name.

The management further affirmed the certificate in question exists but was invalidated on February 25, 2013, because the graduate’s surname was incorrectly written as ABISOYE instead of ABIOYE.

“The University, having recovered the certificate on November 21, 2018, wishes to make the following clarifications: The certificate in question exists but was invalidated on February 25, 2013, because the graduate’s surname was incorrectly written as ABISOYE instead of ABIOYE,” the statement read.

LASU, however, confirmed that a new certificate with the correct surname was issued and collected by the graduate on September 30, 2014.

The university maintained that according to its policy, the invalidated certificate should have been shredded immediately after re-issuance. However, due to an oversight, it ended up in the public space.

“The invalidated certificate got into the public space due to improper screening of office waste papers prior to disposal,” the statement concluded.

Recall that the certificate belonging to an engineering graduate of the institution hit the internet on Wednesday after a man requested to connect with the bearer because it was used to sell soya to him.

The certificate in question belongs to Abisoye Azeez Oluwaseun, who graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in Chemical and Polymer Engineering from LASU.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it has no plans to revoke the licences of Unity, Polaris, and Keystone banks.

Online reports had claimed the apex bank would terminate the licences of the three banks, following the revocation of Heritage Bank’s licence.

However, in a post on its social media pages on Tuesday, the bank said the content was not authentic.

“The content is fake and not from the CBN,” the post reads

On June 4, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the banking licence of Heritage Bank.

According to the CBN, the decision was made due to the bank’s inability to improve its financial performance.

“The Board and Management of the bank have not been able to improve the bank’s financial performance, a situation which constitutes a threat to financial stability,” the bank said.

However, the apex said Heritage Bank had not improved and “has no reasonable prospects of recovery”, thereby making revoking the licence the next necessary step.

The bank said the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) is as a result of this appointed as the liquidator of the bank per Section 12 (3) of the Banks and Other Financial Act (BOFIA) 2020.

The revocation, according to the apex bank, reflects its continued dedication to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and soundness of Nigeria’s financial system.

Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Gagbemi, says there is the need for scrapping State Electoral Commissions, which he described as the main impediments to the development of local governments.

He said this at a one-day ‘Discourse on National Nigeria’s Security Challenges and Good Governance At the Local Government Levels” in Abuja on Monday.

The programme with the Theme: ‘Nigeria’s Security Challenges And Good Governance At The Local Government Levels’ was organised by the House of Representatives.

According to Fagbemi, governors have latched on to the inadequacies and lacunas in some sections of the 1999 Constitution to undermine and render local governments redundant.

He accused governors of exploring the weaknesses of Section 7(1); Section 83(3); Section 7(5) and others to impose their will on the local governments in the country.

Fagbemi noted that these inadequacies have allowed the governors to abuse the rights of local governments and in turn deprive people at the grassroots to feel their presence.

The Minister of Justice stated that the most prominent abuse of local government was the use of state electoral commissions to impose leaders at the local government levels through sham elections while most Governors only appoint caretaker leadership in their local governments.

He further noted that the abuse of States/ local governments joint accounts by state governors have imposed a fiscal emasculation which has rendered the local governments poor as the governors hold on to their federal allocations.

He therefore called for the scrapping of State Electoral Commissions in order to allow democracy to take its roots in the local governments.

He also called for a robust constitutional amendment that will remove all encumbrances hindering the development of local governments and their ability to fulfill their constitutionally recognized functions.

He said, “To achieve this, many experts have proposed that there is need for the scrapping of the state independent electoral commission. Their functions and powers should be transferred to the independent national electoral commission because the state independent electoral commission remain an appendage to every incumbent governor. This is perceived as the root cause of the problem of local government administration in Nigeria.”

Fagbemi’s comment comes after he filed a suit against governors at the Supreme Court, on behalf of the Federal Government.

He asked the Supreme Court to stop the remitting of local government funds to states and to stop the 36 state governments from the disbandment of elected local government chairmen and replacing them with caretaker committees.

Ashraf, one of the sons of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, has tackled Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed Emir of Kano State.

He was reacting after Sanusi, the reinstated Emir, appeared in public with the royal umbrella, which signifies his authenticity.

Sanusi’s action also came at a time when Bayero returned to the state and confidently sat at the mini-palace in Nasarawa as Emir in the ancient city.

In reaction, Ashraf, in a post via social media on Saturday, said: “Nasarawa Emir’s Palace belongs to the Kano Emirate. There’s no emir of nasarawa.”

On Thursday, the young Sanusi noted that the recent decision by the Kano State House of Assembly to abolish the five emirate councils signifies the correction of an injustice.

In a post via Instagram, he expressed gratitude, while seeking divine protection for his father, who was tipped to be reinstated at that time.

The post read: “O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You give dominion to whom You will, and take away dominion from whom You will, and You exalt whom You will, and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. By your hand an injustice has been corrected today Alhamdulillah.

“Ya Allah save the Emir of Kano, HH Muhammad Sanusi II from the evil & whispers of devils, the plots of deceivers and allow him to see through their shallow smiles. Ya Allah increase him in charity and increase him in piety, Ya Allah save him from the love of this world and increase him in the love of the hereafter.”

Bello-Barkindo warned that the Governors’ Forum Secretariat was on the verge of imploding, claiming that the DG's allegiance lied with someone outside the 36 governors that constitute the Forum.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat has written to the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, over alleged fraudulent activities of the Director-General of the forum, A B Okauru.

In the petition dated May 17, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the NGF Director, Media and Public Affairs, detailed the illegal activities of Okauru, calling on the Chairman of the forum to order a forensic audit of the financial books in the last 15 years to show the enormity of financial impropriety going on under the DG.

Bello-Barkindo warned that the Governors’ Forum Secretariat was on the verge of imploding, claiming that the DG's allegiance lied with someone outside the 36 governors that constitute the Forum.

According to the petition, Okauru is running an agenda contrary to that of improving the lives and livelihoods of the populace at the sub-national level apart from the willful self-aggrandisement and personal gratification that he obtained through many illegal transactions.

Accompanying the petition with affidavit, which he said would amplify its authenticity and to emphasise that everything in it was the truth, he added that the DG had turned the Secretariat of NGF into a family affair and now more of transactional than developmental.

The petition partly read, "The Director General Okauru, has occupied the office for fifteen years. In those years, instead of a history of progress, the DG and his ED Finance and Admin had turned the Forum and its finances into their personal fiefdom. It is a litany of graft. Millions of Naira is stolen through spurious over-invoicing. At different times, the DG and the Executive Directors have had shouting bouts in the open, in the full glare of staff over money.

"The Secretariats accounts have not been audited in the last decade to say the least, that even the phony auditors invited to mock the auditing process have at various times confessed that the job they are doing for the secretariat is a wash. Has anyone ever wondered why an institution that midwife’s huge monetary deals like the Paris-London refunds does not have a qualified accountant?"

"In an organisation that makes over N3billion annually, the total annual income of its entire staff is N70million. Staff of the Forum are always asking where all the money goes. There is a staff that earns N20,000 a month or $20.

"There are instances. The N630m deductions from the N5bn infrastructure support fund which ended in a shouting bout among governors while you are chairman was a deliberate ploy to make you look bad among your colleagues. The secretariat did not brief you adequately. Their instructions from their master’s house, across the street, was to set booby-traps and obstacles in your path.

"Sir, you must take urgent steps to ameliorate the situation. In my opinion, the NGF requires a forensic audit of all its accounts including those that were opened during crises periods to avoid the prying eyes of Governors in the name of NIGOFO among others," he suggested.

Insisting that he is ready for whatever may emanate from the petition, the Director explained that owning to the happenings, he consulted with reputable Human Resources Managers who advised me to document his altercation with Mr. Okauru, should the matter get to higher authorities, including the law courts.

"...They should have just asked me, and I will repeat myself, fearlessly. My constitutional duty as a public interest journalist locally and internationally is to expose malfeasance. I still stand by my accusations against Okauru and his wife. They stole the DG’s job. The interview that brought Okauru to office was conducted by Restral Consulting, an outfit solely owned by Ifueko Omoigui Okauru who at the time was Chairman of the FIRS and operating a consulting firm, even as a high earning civil servant. They commit crimes upon crimes and expect to get away with it. But everyday is for the thief and one day for the owner.

"The sale of a plot donated to the secretariat by the FCT minister is another case in point. The plot situated in the heart of Abuja referred to as the Central Business District was sold by Okauru to Mrs Okauru for a paltry N800m, a cost they decided in their bedroom. No plot of land in that district goes for less than N4bn then and N10bn today. The whereabouts of the proceeds in both organisations are still uncertain. At the time, Gov Rochas Okorocha had protested the insider trading deal, a crime in the eyes of the law.


"I am narrating all these to illustrate the scenario under which the majority of staff of the Forum, who are serving you and your colleagues diligently are working. All is not well at the NGF. I have had cause to write to the DG on his obnoxious behavior and in fact even previously resigned my appointment with the Forum at different times only to be persuaded to stay that things would get better, but instead they got worse. The point I am making is that I have never been afraid to say the truth. All contracts are awarded to Okauru’s clan, just as HR reforms contract at the Forum was awarded to a car-dealer. Ask the staff.

"Exposing these infractions and several others like them have been the major reasons why Okauru would threaten to take my life. As the vehicle for aiding donor agencies to interact with the sub-national on the same platform, the NGF earned money from grants. However instead of utilizing the money for the collective good of the organization, Okauru paid a few of his minions but even they complained that he shortchanged them. ...That is why I took his threat on my life seriously.

"On the Paris-London Club transaction which the NGF midwifed, the NGF made close to N19bn out of which the staff of the NGF were to be rewarded with N850m by the Chairman of the Forum, at the time Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State. Okauru and his accomplice sat on the money for nearly a year until I led the staff to his office to demand the payment of the share of the Forum’s workers. This action evoked a shameless finger-pointing exercise between Okauru and Jibia. Eventually the money was shared in a manner that shocked everyone. Okauru alone took N250m while he gave his Executive Directors N200m each. The remaining staff were left with N200m. the staff were agitated and wanted to protest this sharing formula, but the other Director (Legal) and I held the Forum together and pleaded with the staff to let it go."

"... Despite the lump sums Okauru paid himself and the Executive Directors in lieu of official vehicles, housing and furniture, a utility vehicle once disappeared from the office. The car was in Okaurus house, and we demanded that the car be brought back. He promised to bring it back and directed the Human Resources officer to send a driver to his house to retrieve it. On getting to his residence, he told the driver that he couldn’t find the keys to the car. Months later I saw Okauru and his wife at a funeral shamelessly sitting in the car.

"The 15 years of sitting as DG has turned Okauru into a despot. He has also personalised the secretariat and shared its properties with his family, friends, and cronies. ...Where office property expires or are procured, Okauru gifted old ones to his kith and kin or sent them to his village even when the HR would have declared that that office equipment was to be auctioned to staff. Not satisfied with what he hauls away the office pays for everything including his haircuts.

"At this point it is important to bring up an attempt by Okauru and his wife through the instrumentality of her NGO, Dagomo, to bullishly take over the NGF and make it their family business. At the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, they came up with a plan to participate in the distribution of palliatives to the most vulnerable citizens of this country. But what came as a philanthropic gesture by Dagomo turned out to be a grand design to transfer the services that the secretariat rendered to Governors to their NGO as a consultant.

"Finding that arrangement fishy I called the attention of my colleagues to the scheme which we resisted and forced Dagomo to withdraw from the team. However even though we blocked the hostile take-over of the NGF by one family that wanted to run the subnational secretariat from their bedroom, they left, but not with empty hands. The NGF parted with N50m to Dagomo, Okauru’s wife’s NGO.

"What is happening today at the secretariat where the DGs floor has a retinue of nine staff is another dimension to this takeover. Not even Governors have that number of aides in the name of personal staff. There is one staff on that floor whose name will not be mentioned in order not to shame his children. His duty is to flush the toilet after it had been used by Okauru. Personnel files are stored in Okauru’s home, giving teeth to the fact the Mrs Okauru uses the NGF as her retirement plan. It is evident as any matter that was ever discussed at the Forum must await Okauru to take it home first before it is executed.

"Lest I forget, I am not the first person that has been lied against to be thrown out. Philemon Anda, the administrative officer was flushed out for carrying out instructions issued by Jibia. When Okauru questioned Philemon, Jibia left Philemon in the lurch and was dismissed inappropriately by Okauru. The case of Madu Emmuemen is still fresh in the Forum’s memories. Okauru sacked Madu without as little as a query. This administrative ineptitude is what is now being extended to me.


"In our altercation, Okauru told me he had already written me off as a staff of the NGF. I asked him, “why don’t you man up and sack me?” Instead of manning up, he weaved a lie that I had resigned “verbally” and rushed to the gate to order security not to let me back into the premises. On what I said about his wife, I promised him that I will gladly repeat it but that will be in court. His response, “we will follow you to your house, your bedroom and even to Sweden”. It is the cry of a desperate man. I took that threat seriously because I am not about to let anyone touch my wife, my son and my two dogs. I have since moved everyone to safety and reported the matter to the IGP and also sought special protection against Okauru from the Swedish police.

"Your Excellency, I have sought protection from the Northern Governors’ Forum, the Northeast Governors’ Forum and the Governor of Adamawa State, where I come from. They are all in copy. As far as I am concerned, I am still a staff of the NGF as no DG can whimsically sack me through non-procedural means because as a director only the Chairman or a committee of governors can take a decision on my employment. For now, I am very aware that I am putting my life on the line by challenging Okauru’s unethical conduct, sir.

"I am giving this background to notify Governors of the sickness in the NGF that I have had to work to defend before the Nigerian public, in spite of threats to my life and my hard-earned integrity that no one has ever questioned. Journalists have accused me of aiding this Forum’s clannishness, not knowing that everything is in Mr Okauru’s efforts to shield the country from knowing he has been in this office for 15 years.

"Even at that Okauru has not shown gratitude to the governors who he speaks ill of at various times. For example, when the Southeast Governors’ Forum DG, Senator Uche Ekwunife visited the NGF Secretariat in Abuja, Okauru openly announced that “whether anyone likes it or not Sakari is the best Chairman of the NGF.” Such a preposterous statement coming from one who is supposed to be fair to all. I also wonder what society thinks of a man who worships male friends of his wife."

Finally, he said that his lawyers had filed a suit against Okauru. "The rest of the revelations will be made in full public glare before a court of law as well as the court of public opinion."

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters' efforts to get the reaction of the DG Okauru were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls for two days before filing this report.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says over $25 billion is used to import petroleum products into the country every year.

Shettima spoke on Thursday at the Vanguard Economic Discourse themed ‘Reforms in the Era of Global Economic Uncertainties: Whither Nigeria’.

The vice-president, who was represented by Tope Fasua, special adviser on economic affairs, assured that this would change in the future.

The development comes five days after Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, said Nigeria will no longer need to import petrol by June.

Speaking at the event, Shettima said the country will stop importing the product due to the backing of the government and the revamping of state-owned refineries.

“With the support our government is lending to our private sector-led oil refineries and rejuvenation of some of the state-owned facilities. The $25 billion we spend yearly importing petroleum and other refined products will soon be a thing of the past allowing the naira a much-deserved breath,” he said.

Shettima said the country will not hesitate to backtrack and review policies if it would impose undue hardship on Nigerians as it “has been seen over time”.

“So this administration is not out to make the life of Nigerians tougher, but to make the Nigerian economy sustainable, and the lives of our people more enjoyable,” Shettima said.

“Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, that the next few years will be full of positive achievements. They include improvements in the standards of living, higher productivity, food security, bumper harvests and remarkable achievement with the guidance and grace of Almighty God.”

Speaking further, he said President Bola Tinubu has been able to secure more than $20 billion in potential investments into the country, “including $14 billion from India, $250 million from the Netherlands, and commitments of $500 million for lithium development in Nasarawa state”.

Shettima said the country has secured another $500 million from Germany into renewables, adding that the Siemens power sector projects will positively impact energy sufficiency in due course.

Madu Onuorah, veteran defence correspondent and publisher of the Globalupfront Newspaper (Online) has been abducted by the police for yet to be explained reason from his home in Abuja.

A statement by the management of the newspaper indicated that Onuorah was whisked away by 10 fully-armed policemen who stormed his residence in Lugbe, Abuja, in two Sienna buses at about 6 pm on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Onuorah was arrested in the presence of his wife and children who fruitlessly demanded from the police why they were arresting the head of the family without getting any answer.

The policemen reportedly seized Mr. Onuorah’s phones, thereby completely cutting him off from communication with people, including his family members.

“He was not even allowed to contact his lawyer or any of his relations before he was whisked away to the Lugbe police station by the stern looking operatives.

“To make sure Mr. Onuorah did not get attention or bail, the policemen who arrested him, though not of the Lugbe Police Station, simply dumped him at the Station and left no traces for friends and family members to reach them,” the management of the newspaper said.

It was however gathered that the veteran journalist was taken from the Lugbe police station and was being transported to Ebonyi State as at the time of filing in this story.

Meanwhile, the Management of Globalupfront Newspapers has demanded immediate and unconditional release of Onuorah from by the police.

The newspaper management noted that Mr. Onuorah is an experienced journalist, former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian Newspaper, former Managing-Director of The AUTHORITY Newspaper, who operates within the ambit of the law and that anybody who has any issue against him should approach the law court and not turn the Nigerian Police into a Gestapo outfit that bullies a man in the presence of his wife and children.

“That any second Mr. Onuorah spends in police custody constitutes a serious infringement against his fundamental rights and a continuation of the assault on freedom of expression that has become frequent occurrence in Nigeria recently,” the Management of Globalupfront Newspapers demanded.

Police abduct veteran veteran defence correspondent and publisher of the Globalupfront Newspaper (Online) Madu Onuorah for yet- to- be explained reason from his home in Abuja.

A police officer attached to the enforcement team of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) has been reportedly shot dead at Terminus Market, Jos, the capital of Plateau State.

Our correspondent reports that security operatives, including policemen and soldiers, have been mobilised recently by the state government to carry out enforcement against street trading in the area.

The security operatives were stationed around Terminus Market to ensure total compliance to the law.

Ibrahim Musa, told our correspondent that the police officer was hit by a stray bullet fired by one of the security men patrolling the area.

He said, “Around 12 o’clock on Wednesday, the security personnel were pursuing traders when suddenly, an officer mistakenly shot the policeman in the neck and he died instantly. Moments later, officials of the Road Safety Corps evacuated the corpse to a hospital.”

An official of the market, who wished to remain anonymous, also confirmed the development, saying the officer was mistakenly killed by his colleague.

He said the situation caused tension in the area, resulting in the firing of teargas cannisters to disperse the crowd.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, said the police were investigating the matter.

Organised Labour on Wednesday reduced its demand for an improved new minimum from an initial N615,000 to N500,000 after an agreement could not be reached at the Tripartite Committee meeting on Tuesday.

The Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, disclosed this in an exclusive phone chat with The PUNCH.

Ndubuaku told The PUNCH that the labour team was compelled to reduce its demand to ensure the Federal Government meets up with the arrangement.

Unfortunately, he expressed concern that despite their shifting ground, the FG is stalling the negotiation process.

He said, “Yes, it is true we have reduced it to N500,000. But we are still not making progress at the moment.”

Ndubuaku had told our correspondent on Tuesday that labour found it appalling that the government is not showing any sign of empathy despite knowing that the masses were struggling to adjust to the hardship and inflation brought about by its policies.

When asked about the next course of action if Wednesday’s meeting ends in another deadlock, the unionist stated that they may return to tell the anxious Nigerian workers to stay back home until the FG comes up with an acceptable offer

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the former commander of the Force Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, two weeks’ bail after 27 months in detention.

Kyari is expected to conclude his mother, Yachilla Kyari’s burial rites.

The court subsequently set Friday, May 31, for the determination of his bail application in the trial over drug-related charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency following his arrest over two years ago on February 14, 2022.

Recall that the mother died in the early hours of Sunday, May 5, 2024, and was survived by 10 children (five males and five females), including Abba, who is the eldest son.

While Abba Kyari was not able to attend his mother’s burial, residents of Borno State turned out in large numbers to pay their respects to Yachilla, who was buried according to Islamic rites the same day.

In 2022, the Police Service Commission suspended Kyari and two senior police officers — Sunday Ubua and James Bawa — named in a cocaine deal involving the suspended deputy commissioner of police.

“The Police Service Commission has suspended assistant commissioner of police, ACP Sunday Ubua and assistant superintendent of police, ASP James Bawa from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective Offices with effect from Monday, 14th February 2022,” the PSC said in a statement.

The NDLEA had also declared Kyari wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

Femi Babalola, spokesperson for the NDLEA, alleged that Kyari and his Intelligence Response Team arrested some drug traffickers who arrived in the country from Ethiopia with 25kg of cocaine but took 15kg of the seized substance for themselves.

The House of Representatives Tuesday passed for a second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act to remove spouses of public officers from the list of persons required to declare their assets.

Sponsor of the bill, Olawale Raji, while leading the debate stated that the bill seeks to amend Sections 15(1c) and 23(7) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

This, he said, is to ensure proper accountability of assets and liabilities of the officer, his/her spouse as well as unmarried children under the age of 21.

Rep Raji stated that the provisions will promote accountability and protect public officers from embarrassing situations that may arise from negligence.

He called for the total expulsion of Section 23(7) as it contravenes the Nigerian constitution.

Rep Kingsley Chinda while agreeing with the intent of the bill, however, called for caution in the consideration as regards to the issue of removing spouses from the provisions, saying that experiences have shown that even children are used sometimes as conduits of stolen wealth by public officers.

He stated that the amendment should reflect the age limit from 21 to 18 since that’s the officially recognised age for adulthood in Nigeria.

The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen stated that the bill may not be perfect, but added that the public hearing will avail the opportunity for stakeholders to provide more critical inputs.

The bill was approved for second reading and referred to the House Committee on Anti Corruption for further legislative actions.

The Kano State House of Assembly has commenced the process of amending the Kano State Emirs (Appointment and Deposition) Law amidst call for the return of the deposed 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi.

The House resolved to amend the law after the Majority Leader and member representing Dala constituency, Hussien Dala, moved the motion during plenary on Tuesday.

Daily Trust reports that the law was first amended in 2019 during the rift between then-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the deposed Emir.

The first amendment had broken the Kano emirate into five different emirates with the creation of Rano, Karaye, Gaya and Bichi Emirates, and the appointment of First Class Emirs for the new emirates, eventually culminating in the deposition of then Emir of Kano.

But following the electoral victory of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who had campaigned with the restoration of the old Kano Emirate system, several groups renew the call for the reinstatement of Emir Sanusi.

One month before Governor Yusuf assumed office, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the ruling party in Kano, had said issue of the emirates would be reviewed.

“We campaigned and we are well-known in Nigeria, especially in Kano. What we showed the people is by God’s grace all the good projects we started when we were in government. This governor (Abba Kabir Yusuf) and his team will pick up from where we left off,” Kwankwaso had said.

“We as elders in the movement will continue to advice them to do things that are proper. We tried not to talk about whether the Emir would be removed or not, but now you see, the opportunity is there.

“Those who God made leaders will now decide on the next step and decision to take. They will review it and determine what is the right thing to be done.

“Apart from the issue of changing the emir, the emirates have now been divided into five. All of that will be reviewed too. When a leader comes into power whether in a country, state or local government area, he inherits things that are good and things that are difficult and challenging.

“We are confident God will give the governor (Abba Kabir Yusuf) the wisdom to come and resolve the challenges planted in Kano state so that everyone will leave peacefully in Kano state.”