Senator Ali Ndume, who is standing as bail surety for a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, said on Friday that he could no longer find the defendant whom he had made a legal commitment to always produce in court for his trial.
Ndume said this at the Federal High Court in Abuja while responding to the judge’s query about Maina’s absence for the third time in a row within one week.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Maina on 12 counts of money laundering involving about N2bn.
The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, had ordered Maina to provide a serving senator as a surety for the bail granted him.
The judge had, following Maina’s repeated requests, twice varied the bail conditions, reducing the bail sum from the original N1billion to N500million with only one surety as opposed two originally requested by the court.
The only surety who must be a serving senator must be ready to accompany the defendant to court and sign the court’s register of attendance for every hearing session, the judge had ordered.
Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District where Maina hails from, later agreed to serve as the defendant’s surety.
In line with terms and conditions of the bail which the judge gave in January 2020, Ndume gave legal commitment to accompany the defendant to court every trial date and provided the court with the title documents of his property worth N500m in a choice area of Abuja as a guarantee.
But both Maina and Ndume were absent for the proceedings scheduled to hold on September 29.
The senator who subsequently attended court on September 30 without Maina explained to the judge on Friday that he was absent from the September 29 proceedings due to the Boko Haram attack on the convoy of the Governor of Borno State.
He told the court that Maina’s doctor had said the defendant was admitted to the hospital.
He said he was expecting Maina to be in court on Friday following an earlier assurance by the defendant’s wife.
Asked by the judge if he knew the defendant’s whereabouts, the senator said, “My lord, I must confess, I do not know.”
The senator, who recalled that he agreed to serve as Maina’s surety following pleas by the defendant’s wife and uncle, also said, “I did not foresee these circumstances, my lord”.
He said he did not know Maina’s residence in Abuja, but he knew the one in Kaduna.
The senator pleaded for more time to enable him to find the defendant.
Defence lawyer, Francis Oronsaye, who had at the previous proceedings informed the court that Maina was on hospital admission, urged the court to further adjourn the case.
But EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Farouk Abdullah, opposed the request for an adjournment, informing the court that the anti-corruption agency’s investigation revealed that Maina was not a patient at Maitama General Hospital.
The lawyer, who said the development showed that Maina had jumped bail, urged the court to issue a warrant of arrest against Maina as the judge was empowered to do under section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
He also urged the court to summon Ndume to show cause why he should not forfeit the bail bond and be remanded in prison in line with the commitment he entered into as a surety for the defendant’s bail.
But the defence lawyer appealed to the judge to further exercise patience with the defendants.
The lawyer urged the court to accept the explanation offered by Ndume and to give him time to produce Maina to stand trial.
Responding, the judge who expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the defendant, said the senator ought to have been wary of the risk involved in standing as a surety.
He maintained that the law would take its course.
He said the prosecution was right to ask for the revocation of Maina’s bail and for the surety to forfeit the bail bond.
He, however, adjourned the matter till October 5, with an order that the surety must be in court with the defendant on that day.
Nigeria prepares to celebrate its independence anniversary, the BBC’s Nduka Orjinmo selects six images, one from each decade, that represent watershed moments in the country’s 60 years of self-rule.
1960s – The making of an African giant
After decades of British colonial rule, Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa took on the reins of power and led independent Nigeria’s new coalition government.
The celebrations lasted for weeks in some parts of the country and for those present at the Race Course (now Tafawa Balewa Square) in Obalende, Lagos, on 1 October 1960, it was an unforgettable experience.
“Just before the stroke of midnight, they switched off the lights and lowered the British Union Jack,” Ben Iruemiobe, then a bright-eyed 16-year-old student who witnessed the raising of the Nigerian flag, told the BBC.
“Then at midnight, the lights were switched back on and the green-white-green stood majestically for all to see.
“This was followed by a volley of fireworks, then the military band played and we rejoiced.”
1970s – A civil war that killed millions
Seven years after independence, a civil war erupted as Nigeria’s eastern region tried to form the breakaway Biafra state.
The three-year conflict, which ended with Biafran surrender, resulted in the death of more than two million people, most of them women and children who died of starvation in eastern Nigeria.
For many easterners, the 1970s was a period to recover both emotionally and financially, especially for those who had lost their houses – termed abandoned properties – and all their savings.
US-based novelist Okey Ndibe, a child during the war, describes it as the defining event in Nigeria’s difficult history.
“The [government’s] main goal was achieved, but at grave human and moral cost.
“The ghost of Biafra continues to haunt Nigeria.
“Festering violence in the north-east zone, renewed agitations for Biafra, and demands by residents of the oil-rich Niger Delta for resource control, are consequences of Nigeria’s failure to use justice as the arbiter of public policies,” he told the BBC.
1980s – ‘Ghana Must Go!’
In 1983 the government of Shehu Shagari ordered more than a million West African migrants, most of them Ghanaians, to leave Nigeria at short notice as the country faced an economic downturn. The red, white and blue chequered plastic bag that the desperate departing Ghanaians used to carry their possessions became known as “Ghana Must Go”. But now they are more often seen as a symbol of sleaze in Nigeria, preferred by corrupt politicians to ferry huge amounts of cash.
In 1983 the government of Shehu Shagari ordered more than a million West African migrants, most of them Ghanaians, to leave Nigeria at short notice as the country faced an economic downturn.
The red, white and blue chequered plastic bag that the desperate departing Ghanaians used to carry their possessions became known as “Ghana Must Go”.
But now they are more often seen as a symbol of sleaze in Nigeria, preferred by corrupt politicians to ferry huge amounts of cash.
1990s – Democracy returns after years of military rule
After 16 years of brutal military rule, interrupted by 82 days of a civilian government in 1993, democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999. Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar transferred power to Olusegun Obasanjo, who had won nationwide elections. The 1990s was a packed decade in Nigeria’s political history - including the annulment of an election by the military in 1993, the global condemnation of the 1995 hanging of nine environmental activists, among them Ken Saro-Wiwa by military ruler Gen Sani Abacha, and Abacha’s own death in 1998. The handover to democratic rule was seen by many as a culmination of these three events. The 21 years since have seen the longest uninterrupted republic in Nigeria’s history.
After 16 years of brutal military rule, interrupted by 82 days of a civilian government in 1993, democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999.
Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar transferred power to Olusegun Obasanjo, who had won nationwide elections.
The 1990s was a packed decade in Nigeria’s political history – including the annulment of an election by the military in 1993, the global condemnation of the 1995 hanging of nine environmental activists, among them Ken Saro-Wiwa by military ruler Gen Sani Abacha, and Abacha’s own death in 1998.
The handover to democratic rule was seen by many as a culmination of these three events.
The 21 years since have seen the longest uninterrupted republic in Nigeria’s history.
2000s – ‘We are black, we are beautiful and we are in demand’
Agbani-Darego-miss-world-2001
On 16 November 2001, when a group of women competed for the judges’ attention at the Miss World beauty pageant in South Africa only a handful of Nigerians were aware of the event.
But by the end of the day, millions in Africa’s most populous country had become familiar with the name of 18-year-old Agbani Darego – the first black African to be crowned Miss World.
“Prior to Agbani winning it wasn’t easy to get Nigerians and Africans to participate in pageants because they didn’t see themselves winning.
“But from having 20 to 50 participants we had hundreds of thousands who wanted to participate.
“Now the world wants African music, they want African dance.
“We are black, we are beautiful and we are in demand,” Ben Murray-Bruce, a former organiser of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria contest, told the BBC.
2010s – The abduction of the Chibok girls
In April 2014, Islamist militant group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok in Nigeria’s north-east, where there is still an insurgency. Boko Haram had kidnapped many girls and women before but the abduction of the schoolgirls sparked a global campaign with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Bukky Shonibare, one of the leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls Group in Nigeria that protested relentlessly for government intervention to help free the girls, says the abduction greatly affected education in northern Nigeria. “Children - boys and girls - became scared of going to school, and parents had to make a choice of either keeping their children alive or sending them to school. “Efforts at achieving gender equality were greatly affected. Gains recorded [previously], especially around girl-child education, were immensely affected,” she said. After six years, more than 100 of the girls are still missing.
In April 2014, Islamist militant group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok in Nigeria’s north-east, where there is still an insurgency.
Boko Haram had kidnapped many girls and women before but the abduction of the schoolgirls sparked a global campaign with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
Bukky Shonibare, one of the leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls Group in Nigeria that protested relentlessly for government intervention to help free the girls, says the abduction greatly affected education in northern Nigeria.
“Children – boys and girls – became scared of going to school, and parents had to make a choice of either keeping their children alive or sending them to school.
“Efforts at achieving gender equality were greatly affected. Gains recorded [previously], especially around girl-child education, were immensely affected,” she said.
After six years, more than 100 of the girls are still missing.
A group of young Nigerian professionals has unveiled a political movement in Abuja to work for the actualisation of former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, perceived presidential aspiration.
The movement known as Young Professionals for Tinubu 2023, with membership across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, said it has been in existence for almost two years, noting that the occasion was to mark its formal inauguration.
The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Ahmed Muhammed Ibrahim, noted that Tinubu’s leadership qualities and knack for development informed the group’s resolve to work for his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as well as his success in the 2023 presidential election.
According to Ibrahim, “Tinubu is a natural leader who has extended the hand of friendship to all regions of the country. He has what it takes to lead Nigeria towards prosperity.
“He has the skill to discover talent and the ability to consolidate on the achievements of President Muhammdu Buhari.”
The leader of the group, who said mobilisation was already on, called on lovers of Nigeria to support the movement.
Also speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Ishaq Muhammad, observed that Tinubu should be the natural successor to President Buhari as they played the lead role to ensure APC won at the federal level and in many states across country.
“The president and Tinubu are core progressives who put personal benefits aside to rescue the country from the brink of collapse in 2015, so he knows what needs to be done to achieve a greater Nigeria,” he submitted.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced a new visa regime for citizens of the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, and 147 other countries.
The service said that the new regime, which consists of transit, business (single), business (multiple), tourism, visiting (single), visiting (multiple), journalist, cleric, medical tourism, religious, study tour, academic exchange, cultural exchange, humanitarian, emergency, Staff of NGO visas, Temporary Work Permit (TWP) and others attract different fees and it is based on the principle of reciprocity.
The new regime, which commenced on Thursday, October 1, Mr. Sunday James, the Service Public Relations Officer (PRO), said was approved by Ogbeni Ra’uf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior.
According to the new regime, citizens from the United Kingdom on transit visa would pay the sum of $84, multiple visa attracts $801, visiting (single), $125; study tour, $250; academic exchange, $250.
For the United States’ citizens, transit visa attracts $160; business (single), $160; medical tourism, $250, while TWP visa now goes for $460.
For citizens of the UAE, transit visa is now $15 and $25; tourism visa, $87; visiting (single), $166; visiting (multiple), $425.
For French citizens, business visa (single), $71; business (multiple), $177; tourism, $71; visiting (single), $71; visiting (multiple), $117; journalist, $71; cleric, $71; medical tourism, $71; religious, $71; sports, $71; emergency, $71; study tour, $71; academic exchange, $71; cultural exchange, $71; humanitarian exchange, $71; staff of INGO, $71; while TWP visa attracts, $117.
Countries that attracted different visa regimes included Dominica, Dominica Republic, DR. Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, and Belgium.
Others are Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Iraq, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Libya, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and many others.
Citizens from West African countries like Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Gambia, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and others are exempted from visa fees, while Mauritius and Sri Lankan citizens are visa free.
James in the statement said that the new visa regime is based on the principle of reciprocity and urged stakeholders, concerned authorities, and individuals to visit the official website of the service for more information on the new policy.
Part of the statement read: “The Comptroller General is inviting stakeholders, concerned authorities and individuals to visit the official website of the service via www.nigeriaimmigration. gov.ng for full details of the new visa fees for all countries and categories of applicants.
“Equally, the service will commence the implementation of the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 (NVP 2020), launched on the 4th February, 2020, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The implementation of the new visa fees and Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 (NVP 2020) commences on 1st October, 2020.”
If anyone from Europe, America or from another planet last visited Nigeria in 1960 and is invited to our 60th independence anniversary celebration, he will miss his destination, literally.
We are not the same place that he left 60 years ago, so our returnee visitor should prepare for the shock of his life.
Our population has changed beyond recognition.
From about 50 million in 1960, we are now 200 million and growing by leaps and bounds.
Towns and cities have sprung up in places that were once bush for miles on end.
In the 1990s when INEC’s predecessor mapped out voting areas, Gwarinpa in the FCT was a tiny village.
But when INEC did a general voters’ registration in 2011, it found in Gwarinpa the biggest residential estate in West Africa, leading to overflow crowds and much confusion in the exercise.
Visitor won’t recognize our environment.
Up until the 1970s, Geography textbooks classified most of Northern Nigeria as Guinea and Sudan savannah.
Only one small strip of land in the extreme North East corner was classified as Sahel savannah.
Today, foreign agencies glibly place Nigeria in the “Sahelian zone,” together with countries sitting pretty in the Desert.
Personally, I won’t complain because I know that in the late 1960s, we used to see big bustards, warthogs and antelopes on the 32km road between Jega and Birnin Kebbi.
These days you are lucky to see a few spectacled pigeons.
Call for restructuring
Don’t be deceived by people calling for restructuring; Nigeria has already undergone structural change beyond recognition.
In 1960 we had only three regions and 24 provinces, subdivided into divisions and districts.
We went from three regions to four.
In 1967 we created something called states, 12 of them.
We later increased these to 19, then 21, then 30, then 36 plus one attachment called FCT.
In 1976 when we restructured Native Authorities into local government areas [LGAs], there were 300 of them.
Over the years these ballooned to 774, each with its own werewolf bureaucracy that mostly functions but once in a month, on payday.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Geography textbooks taught us that Ibadan was the biggest city in West Africa, followed by Lagos, Oyo, Osogbo and Kano.
Since then, millions of Ibadan’s people have migrated to Lagos.
In 1992 when Oyo State government sued National Population Commission for undercounting, NPC told the Census Tribunal that during its pre-census survey, it found that 20% of the houses in Ibadan were unoccupied.
Lagos, meanwhile, has grown to rival Cairo.
Evolution of Abuja
Up until 1980 there was a rusty small town in central Nigeria called Abuja but today, our visitor will find a gleaming new city with that name that sprang out of nowhere.
The tiny old Abuja town beside a huge rock that British colonial officials first visited in 1903 is still there, but is now called Suleja.
In 1960 when our visitor left, only four towns in Nigeria, namely Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Kaduna, called themselves “capital”.
Today, one town calls itself Federal Capital and 36 towns call themselves state capital, each spending itself into bankruptcy to build Government House, state secretariat, state assembly complex, high court complex, commissioners’ quarters, housing estates and a “befitting” sports stadium.
Nearly every federal ministry and dozens of federal agencies have offices in every state capital, so much so that there are departments in Governors’ offices responsible for liaison with federal agencies in the state.
Since 1960, Nigerian roads and bridges at first tremendously improved, then relapsed back to their old decrepit state.
In 1967 when Gowon created 12 states, my father loaded all his family members into his Holden car and drove from Ilorin to Jega.
Though he drove all day and all night, it took two days for us to get there.
There was not one inch of tarred road from Ilorin to Sokoto.
Trunk A roads built by the Federal Government in the 1970s, numerous Trunk B roads built by state governments as well as Trunk C roads built by local governments greatly improved transportation in the country.
These days however, most of them are in disrepair, heavily potholed, clogged with traffic, the once ubiquitous milestones and traffic signs long having fallen off, and their bridges mostly without railings.
Vehicles on Nigerian roads have changed beyond recognition.
The Comer, Austin, Morris, Bedford and Mercedes 911 lorries that our visitor saw in 1960 are gone now.
Even the Leyland, Toyota, Mack and Ford Transit trucks and buses that came after them are mostly gone now.
The private Peugeots 403, 404 and 504, Moskovich, Lada, Citroen, Datsun, Daihatsu, Mazda, Volvo, Land Rover, Vauxhall, Opel Record, Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat that succeeded them are mostly gone too.
Today you see on Nigerian roads some exotic cars that look like they were made for Formula One racing, jostling with molues on potholed roads.
Nigeria’s road traffic culture has also changed beyond recognition.
Under the old Native Authorities, every bicycle had a license, no one rode a bicycle in the night without headlights, every dog had a collar, every camel rider must dismount when he enters a town lest he sees people’s wives taking bath in open bathrooms.
It took months to get a driver’s license; a man who got a VIO’s appointment for a driving test prior to getting a license was a cause for celebration.
Every vehicle driver in Nigeria knew how to “clear,” that is, drop half of your vehicle from the single lane roads, whenever a vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction or was about to overtake.
In those days, every driver automatically dimmed his headlights when another vehicle was approaching, lest he blinded the other driver.
These days, with numerous agencies policing the roads, drivers drive against the traffic, break speed limits, and many trucks have neither headlights nor brake lights.
School enrollment drastically improved in 1976 when we launched the Universal Compulsory Free Primary Education, UPE.
After 44 years, we have found that UPE is not universal; millions of children are still out of school.
It is not compulsory; parents are free to send their kids to the cities to beg for food.
It is not free; schools charge many hidden fees and parents must sew uniforms, pay for food and transport.
It is no longer primary because government now calls it basic education.
It may not even be education because many pupils emerge from the schools after nine years, unable to write their names.
Compared to the olden days, there are numerous government hospitals these days, variously called general, specialist, teaching and federal medical.
General hospitals generally lack enough doctors, drugs or beds to admit patients.
Specialist hospitals seldom have specialists, or if they do, the specialists often lack the special tools to make the correct diagnosis.
Little is taught in the teaching hospitals and the federal medical centres often look local.
But whenever the health workers are not on strike, they do save a lot of lives of ordinary Nigerians, while the elite go abroad to treat migraine.
Sixty years ago, newspapers and radio were the dominant sources of news in Nigeria.
Editors took their time and published stories of events that happened a week earlier, but readers still read it avidly.
Widespread setting up of TV stations in the 1970s rapidly changed that.
The coming of NAN in 1978 hastened matters, while the coming of internet and social media turned information flow upside down.
These days editors hear the news from readers, not the other way round; their work is to scramble around and seek “confirmation.”
Letter writing was once an art form in Nigeria.
Students used to take their time, consult Student’s Companion and Roget’s Thesaurus before they wrote a love letter.
They ceremoniously affixed a postage stamp and took it to the Post Office, which was always in the center of town.
They then waited with baited breath for weeks for the reply.
There was panic in my school one day when we heard that the Postal Van had an accident; every student said he was expecting a letter from his girlfriend.
Only telegrams were faster in those days, but they were expensive because the postal clerk counted the words in your message one by one and you paid for each one.
Since then radio phones, courier services, fax machines, mobile phones, SMS, email, messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have changed the face of love letter beyond recognition.
These days young lovers record a video and instantly transmit it to their mates without the agency of the postman.
The political leaders that our visitor met in 1960 were, with the benefit of hindsight, saintly.
They adhered strictly to the General Order and Financial Regulations, did not award contracts to themselves and had no security votes or constituency projects.
My father once told me that in the 1960s, if a civil servant was entitled to a bicycle loan, he could not buy a motorcycle even if his father added to the money.
That was a serious offence in the public service.
These days, the kids of top officials move about in chartered flights paid for from the public till that cannot afford to subsidise the basic necessities of life for the ordinary citizen.
Our visitor must be wondering if he landed in Mars.
Against the backdrop of the suspension by the Federal Government of the recent electricity tariff hike, electricity consumers lamented on Wednesday the delay by the distribution companies in reverting to the old rates.
The Federal Government had, in a meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress held on Sunday night till Monday morning, agreed to suspend the recent tariff hike approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission for two weeks.
The parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising ministries, departments and agencies of government, NLC and TUC.
It would work for two weeks, effective September 28, to examine the justifications for the new policy ‘in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, timeline for massive rollout’.
NERC disclosed on Tuesday that it had issued an order to the Discos suspending the recent review in tariffs for 14 days, effective September 28, in line with the Federal Government’s agreement with labour unions.
It said during the suspension, all tariffs shall be computed on the rates applicable as of August 31.
But a number of consumers, who commented on NERC’s announcement of the tariff hike suspension, complained that they still bought electricity at the old tariffs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A Twitter user, Eleojo Emmanuel, said, “Hi @IkejaElectric, I bought units at 9am today (Sept. 30, 2020). I paid N5,000 and got 94.4 units. When do I get the balance of my units per this @NERCNG order?”
Another Twitter user, Prince Sola Olaniyi, said, “For a test on the update, I recharged N500 this morning, but I get hiked tariff.”
A copy of the receipt he posted showed that he got 7.46 kilowatts per hour, translating to N67 per KWh, from Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
Another consumer, Oyinkro Omukoro, said he bought electricity units worth N10,000 from Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company on Tuesday but got 169.80 units as against the over 320 units he would have got if the tariff hike was reversed.
Another Twitter user, with the handle @vller, in a message to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, said, “Hello, AEDC, I bought power this morning 30/09/20 via @buypowerng but noticed that the unit received was half what I should get considering @NERCNG had already put a halt in tariff hike as at 29/09/20.
“Kindly give to me the exact unit that I should get based on the previous tariff.”
In its reply, Abuja Disco said it had received directives for a two-week suspension of the service reflective tariff from NERC.
It said, “This order will apply to tariff rates for electricity purchased from September 28 to October 11. However, our team is still working to adjust the rates accordingly.
“Customers who have vended on or after the said date, should please send in their details via direct message and we will escalate to the appropriate unit for resolution as soon as possible.”
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, in a notice posted on its Twitter page on Wednesday, said it had fully complied with NERC’s directive on tariff hike suspension.
“Prepaid customers who purchase electricity tokens from today will therefore see the value of the old tariff reflected in their tokens while post-paid customers will also see the old tariff reflected on their next bill,” its Head, Corporate Communication, Mr Abdulazeez Abdullahi, said.
The President, Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria, Chijioke James, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, described the tariff hike as ill-timed.
He said, “The Discos have no option than to comply with the directive of the regulator. The two-week suspension is neither here nor there.
“The timing for the increase is not right at all. So, we are just asking that the status quo ante be maintained until a couple of issues are resolved and extensive consultation made with the consumers and all critical stakeholders.”
The Discos had early in September announced what they called ‘new service reflective tariff’, which took effect from September 1, with the tariffs being charged residential consumers receiving a minimum of 12 hours of power supply rising by over 70 per cent.
Royal Dutch Shell has said it plans to cut 7,000 to 9,000 jobs as it responds to challenges including the slump in oil demand amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the BBC reports
The oil giant said the cuts would be implemented by 2022 and included 1,500 people who were taking voluntary redundancy.
The move comes five months after it cut its dividend for the first time since World War Two.
Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said the job cuts were “the right thing to do for the future of the company” as it strives to become a net-zero emissions energy business.
Shell employs 83,000 people worldwide, including 6,000 in the UK. It has been hit by a substantial drop in profits since the pandemic struck.
It saw a 46% fall in first-quarter net income to $2.9bn (£2.3bn), while second-quarter income fell 82% to $638m.
The firm said third-quarter earnings were expected to be “at the lower end of the $800m to $875m range”.
Shell is in the midst of a cost-cutting drive that is expected to deliver annual savings of $2bn to $2.5bn by 2022.
Other big oil firms are facing similar challenges.
RBP has also cut its dividend and recently announced it was cutting 10,000 jobs out of its global workforce of 70,000.
‘Tough process’
“We have had to act quickly and decisively and make some very tough financial decisions to ensure we remained resilient, including cutting the dividend,” said Mr van Beurden.
“But as hard as they were, they were entirely the appropriate choices to make. And Covid-19 has hit us in another way. We have, very sadly, lost six employees and six contractor colleagues to the virus.”
Mr van Beurden described the job-cutting programme as “an extremely tough process”.
“It is very painful to know that you will end up saying goodbye to quite a few good people,” he said. “But we are doing this because we have to, because it is the right thing to do for the future of the company.”
He said Shell had to be “a simpler, more streamlined, more competitive organisation that is more nimble and able to respond to customers”.
Mr van Beurden reiterated that Shell intended to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner.
That meant the company had to change the type of products it sold, he said.
“We will have some oil and gas in the mix of energy we sell by 2050, but it will be predominantly low-carbon electricity, low-carbon biofuels, it will be hydrogen and it will be all sorts of other solutions too,” he said.
There were strong indications on Sunday that the much awaited 774,000 unskilled jobs for Nigerians would take off in October.
Our correspondents gathered that following a series of negotiations, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity had increased the slots allocated to each member of the National Assembly.
It was learnt that each senator would present 1,000 beneficiaries, while a member of the House of Representatives would present 50 beneficiaries from each of the local government areas in their constituency.
The lawmakers were said to have rejected the 30 and 25 slots per senator and Rep member respectively, which was initially allocated to them by the ministry in August.
A senator confirmed to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity that he had directed his aides in his constituency office to liaise with stakeholders and compile the list of beneficiaries for submission this week.
He said, “We have people in the various wards, including traditional rulers and community leaders, who are generating the list and getting necessary information from the underprivileged people across religious and political divides.
“Details of the beneficiaries are being compiled online and will be made available to the National Directorate of Employment this week.”
However, at the House of Representatives, a member confirmed to one of our correspondents that though he had not been officially communicated, he had been informed that he would get 50 slots per local government area.
The Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from the South-West, who did not want to be named, said there were four local government areas under the federal constituency he was representing, giving him 200 slots in total.
We never disagree with minister over slots, says Akwashiki
Reacting to the development, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, said the lawmakers never had any disagreement with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity over the issue of slots.
He said, “All beneficiaries in each senatorial district are our constituents. The entire 1,000 beneficiaries from my district area are my constituents, because I’m the leader of the senatorial district.
“The minister has said that all the beneficiaries are our people. This programme is irrespective of political parties.”
Recall that the National Assembly passed the request of the executive for N52bn to undertake the programme of the public works across the country following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each of the beneficiaries will receive N20,000 each for three months.
Power distribution companies said on Monday that they had not received any directive from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on tariff suspension.
The Discos are confused on the decision of the Federal Government and labour unions as regards the reversal of the hike in electricity tariff, investigation has shown.
Senior officials of power distribution companies said on Monday that they were awaiting the NERC to come up with a new tariff plan to be implemented within the two weeks as agreed by the Federal Government and labour unions.
It was also gathered that up till 7pm on Monday, no order had been released by the NERC to Discos as touching the matter.
It was also gathered that the Discos told the regulator that it would take three to four days for them to change their billing/vending platforms and revert to the old tariffs.
“There is no communication yet from the regulator on that matter and I wonder how that can be implemented because right now, it is causing confusion in the power sector,” a senior official of a Disco in the northern region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Also, sources at the commission confirmed that although there had been prolonged meetings on the matter at the NERC headquarters in Abuja, no order had been sent out to Discos as of 7pm on Monday.
“The whole thing is a bit complicated now. There has been series of meetings about it since (Monday) morning,” an official at the NERC, who pleaded not to be named, said.
The official added, “But up till this time (7pm) that you are speaking with me, no order has been issued on this matter to power distributors.”
A top official of one of the Discos who was at the meeting said the regulator had yet to tell them exactly what to do.
The Chairman, NERC, James Momoh, neither picked calls nor replied a detailed text message sent to him by our correspondent on the matter.
The hostile takeover saga of HealthPlus, a pharmaceutical company, by foreign private equity firm (PEF), Alter Semper Capital, has taken a fresh twist, with equity firm ready to use force to take over HealthPlus’ offices and finances via Upperlink, the company’s payment platform, sources have disclosed.
The latest development has heightened the fear of the HealthPlus’ management that the company could end up in the hands of Alter Semper Capital via this illegal take over.
The HealthPlus management had, in statement it issued on Saturday, accused Alter Semper Capital of an illegal attempt to hijack the company and refuted the appointment of one Chidi Okoro as the chief transformation officer (CTO) to replace Mrs. Bukky George, founder of the company. HealthPlus said the announcement of Okoro as CTO was part of the Alter Semper Capital’s design to take over the company.
“The announcement of the appointment of a CTO is wholly false, wrongful and illegal and should be totally ignored,” it said.
“It is the handiwork of unscrupulous foreign and local businesswoman and businessmen intent on reaping where they have not sown simply because they now see opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic, like scavengers and vultures.”
HealthPlus sources disclosed that Alter Semper Capital representatives are in Nigeria from the UK to take over of the company, whose offices they visited on Friday.
According to the sources, the representatives breached the Covid-19 protocol of the Federal Government by their refusal to self-isolate on arrival and headed to HealthPlus two days after arrival.
Sources also disclosed that Alter Semper Capital’s representatives attempted to work in the country without work visas. Worse, insiders disclosed, the attempted change of ownership of the company is being carried out without a board resolution or any legal backing.
“They have approached the banks to change signatories to the company accounts, but the banks have refused to cooperate with them because they do not have a board resolution and the approved minutes of the board meeting.
The last board meeting held six months ago and the Chairman recently resigned,” said a source.
Insiders back the claim of hijack with a letter written by Alter Semper Capital to the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Dated 26 September and signed by Afsana Jetha, a director, the letter was to notify the PCN of a change of leadership in HealthPlus.
The letterhead on which the letter was written, however, is one that is no longer in use and was produced when the company turned 20 last year. It also listed as a director, one Mr. Deji Akinyanju, who has since resigned from the board.
The relationship between HealthPlus and Alta Semper Capital began in 2018, when the equity firm agreed to inject fresh capital to enable HealthPlus expand its network and add other services.
This was in exchange for a controlling stake to enable the equity firm recoup its investment and was billed to exit after five years.
According to the statement issued on Saturday, HealthPlus said the relationship became ruptured “primarily on account of Alta Semper’s futile attempts to take over the company, leading to it deliberately starving the company of pledged funds as well as the intransigence of Alta Semper’s owners when reminded of their obligations”.
This led HealthPlus to institute a litigation to stop the takeover.
“In May 2020, Mrs Bukky George instituted legal action at the federal high court [Suit No. FHC/L/CS/609/2020] seeking by way of a petition to stop HealthPlus Africa Holdings Limited (the investment vehicle used by Alta Semper Capital and which they control) and their nominee directors from continuing to run and manage the company in an oppressive and prejudicial manner and in disregard of her interests as a member of the company.
“Their actions included: the deliberate delay and withholding of funds; meddling with management, interference with the functions of key employees; abuse of corporate governance processes and now the attempt to remove her as CEO.
“There is a pending motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated May 27, 2020, to restrain the respondents from doing this but in flagrant disregard of the court process Alta Semper and its cohorts have purported to do just that,” the company said in the statement.
It added that Alta Semper Capital did not file a defence after it was served the court processes and suggested mediation, which HealthPlus accused the equity firm of frustrating.
The company described Alter Semper Capital’s actions as constituting disrespect to the Nigerian judicial system, especially the decision to file arbitration claim against HealthPlus in the UK.
“They chose to frustrate the mediation process after three meetings over a three-month period presumably to enable them to build some spurious case against George and file an arbitration claim in England, which they hope will be a favourable venue to seal their wrongful and unlawful acts,” HealthPlus said.
A Nigerian rights group claimed that some 15 corruption case files are missing in the office of Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami and that 103 other high profile cases are yet to receive his attention, three years after the EFCC referred them to him.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has therefore sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to instruct Malami to take immediate steps about the cases.
The organization said: “The high-profile corruption cases include 103 cases reportedly sent by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] in 2017, and the 15 allegedly missing case files sent by the now defunct Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, [SPIP] in 2019 to Mr Malami.”
In the letter dated 26 September, 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “The authorities’ failure to diligently and expeditiously prosecute high profile corruption cases amounts to a fundamental breach of constitutional and international obligations. Continuing failure to prosecute these cases may create the perception of a deliberate effort to protect those considered to be very influential and powerful.”
According to the organization: “The fact that these cases have been pending for several years suggests that your government has not carried out its public, constitutional and international obligations, including the obligations to show that no one is above the law as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.”
The organization said: “Public interest demands that high-profile corruption cases are concluded within a reasonable time so that those guilty are punished and the innocent are set free.
“The rule of law and the preservation of democracy also require that the authorities duly proceed in accordance with the law against every high-profile person suspected of grand corruption, irrespective of where he/she is placed in the political hierarchy.”
The letter, copied to Mr Malami, read in part: “SERAP is seriously concerned about the apparent inertia by the authorities to diligently and expeditiously prosecute high-profile corruption cases.
“While many of these cases have been dragging before your assumption of office in May 2015, several of the cases have not satisfactorily progressed, contrary to Nigerians’ expectations
“Speedily, diligently, effectively and fairly prosecuting high-profile corruption cases would demonstrate your government’s commitment to enhance probity in public life and willingness to enforce accountability in public life. The basic postulate of the concept of equality: ‘Be you ever so high, the law is above you’, should be your government’s approach to high profile corruption cases.”
“Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] particularly section 15[5], and Nigeria’s international obligations, including under the UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, as well as the rule of law.”
“We hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your actions in acting to ensure the diligent, expeditious and effective prosecution of longstanding high-profile corruption cases, including the 103 cases and the allegedly missing 15 case files of high-profile corruption suspects.”
“We would be grateful if your government begins to implement the recommended action and measures within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.”
“If we have not heard from you by then as to the steps being taken in this direction, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government to pursue prosecution of these longstanding high-profile corruption cases to their logical conclusion, and to regularly report to Nigerians on the progress of prosecution.”
The Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) has suspended a lecturer, Dr. Rowland Igwe, indefinitely for allegedly getting a student of the institution pregnant, after a series of intimidation and sexual assault.
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele, said this in his official twitter handle on Friday.
The VC said the undergraduate suffered health complications as a result of the pregnancy, while the matter has been referred to the institution’s Senate Committee on Staff Disciplinary Matters for further investigation.
The statement reads, “The Management of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education has placed Dr. Rowland Uchechukwu Igwe of the Department of Sociology on an indefinite suspension on an allegation of serial intimidation, sexual harassment and undue canal knowledge of a female undergraduate which resulted in her impregnation and other complications.
“The matter has been referred to the Council-Senate Committee on staff disciplinary matters for further investigation,” it stated.
Sexual harassment has been a disturbing issue in many tertiary institutions across the country, with several stakeholders, including the National Assembly prescribing various punishments for culprits.
The Sokoto State Hisbah (local police) on Tuesday said it has arrested three persons for sharing a video in which one of them was having sex with his former girlfriend.
The suspects allegedly shared the video on social media platforms just as the woman was preparing for her wedding on October 17.
The video shows one of the arrested suspects having sex with the woman while his friends shot the clip.
The state’s Hisbah Commander, Adamu Kasarawa, told BBC Hausa Service that the command received a complaint from the girl’s mother over the incident.
He said the mother narrated that the sex video was shot in 2017.
According to the official, the complainant said her daughter’s marriage had been fixed for October 17 but has now been cancelled because the fiancé opted out of it after the sex video surfaced on some social media platforms.
Mr Kasarawa said: ”The boy deceived the girl and took her to a hotel and shot her nude video. Now, after she got a husband and she is preparing for marriage, he suddenly released the video.
“We interrogated the boy. He confessed that the incident happened in a hotel and we arrested two of his friends that he shared the video with. They also confessed that they received the video.
”The damage has been done as a result of bad parenting. The boy deliberately shot the video to destroy the girl’s life. Now, he said he will not marry her,” the commander said.
The official said when the incident happened in 2017, the man was 17 while the woman was 16.
Hisbah would transfer the case to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for continuation of investigation and possible prosecution, Mr Kasarawa said.
Kawu Sumaila, a former aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, says Hope Uzodinma cannot speak for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the Imo state governor lacks knowledge of what the party stands for.
Speaking with reporters in Kano, Sumaila said Uzodinma did not know why APC was formed and was not there when the ruling party struggled in all its campaigns.
He asked the APC caretaker committee to look carefully into the crisis bedevilling the party from 2019 to date and bring all those who are responsible to book.
“I believe that it is high time the APC looked inwards and bring all those who caused the party into disrepute to book. They should pay for their misdeeds, and this should be from 2019 to date,” Sumaila said.
“Anybody who does not go with the party’s position should seek relevant legal attention.
“Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma ranting was nothing but unjust, because in the first place, the governor lacked knowledge of how and why APC was formed and he cannot speak for it.
“Hope Uzodinma was not there when APC struggled in all its campaigns and I had never seen him following President Buhari anywhere during the campaigns, so he lacks knowledge of what APC stands for and he cannot speak for it.”
Sumaila also accused Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the APC, of leading the party to near collapse.
Ex-Nigerian Minister Arrests Hotel Staff, Strip Them Naked For Allegedly Stealing N5,000
A former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, who is currently nursing a governorship ambition in Delta State in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, has arrested and charged four of his staff working in his hotel to court for allegedly stealing his N5,000, SaharaReporters has learnt.
It was reliably gathered that Gbagi last week Friday arrested the four staff working in Signatious Hotel, Warri, Delta State, after they were striped naked and photographed inside the hotel before handing them over to the police.
Our correspondent gathered that after dehumanizing the four staff, a male and three females, they were taken to the Ebrumede Police Station to be remanded in custody.
Speaking in confidence with our correspondent, a staff of the hotel revealed that his colleagues were arrested by the former minister over the alleged theft of the said amount.
He said, "My boss, former Minister of State for Education and owner of Signatious Hotel, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, arrested four of my colleagues working for him over the stealing of N5,000 from the hotel when actually the N5,000 was given as a gift to them by a guest because of their good behaviour."
While giving the names of the arrested colleagues as Gloria Oguzie, Victor Ephraim, Rosslyn Okiemute and Achibong Precious, the source said, "Before they were arrested by the police on Friday last week at the hotel, the four staff were stripped naked while they were photographed in the presence of the police.
"We learnt that the dehumanising treatment was instructed by our boss."
It was further gathered that the hotel management forcefully made some withdrawals from the bank accounts of the four staff through their ATM cards before the police took them away in a waiting van.
The four staff were charged before a magistrate court sitting in Effurun after four days of detention.
In a five-count charge, the police accused the suspects of conniving among themselves to steal monies ranging from N156,000, N110,000, N5,000 and N2,000 owned by Signatious Hotel and committed an offence punishable under section 516 and 390 (9), of the criminal code Law Cap21C Vol.1 Law of Delta State.
The four staff, it was learnt, were granted bail on Monday through the intervention of some anti-corruption and human rights activists, who decided to take up the matter.
Warri-based human rights lawyer, Omemiroro Maxwell Ogedegbe, who confirmed the story, said that the four staff were granted bail by a magistrate court sitting in Effurun, Delta State.
In his 2017 Independence Day speech, Buhari said, “We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999-2015 when our country happily returned to democratic rule.
Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, has continued to conjure fake figures of the country’s oil production during his tenure and the average price of a barrel of crude oil during the tenures of his predecessors, despite numerous fact-checks of his false claims.
Some of the variations of the president’s erroneous claims have appeared in his written speeches and offhand remarks.
During his closing speech to his cabinet at the ministerial retreat at the Presidential Villa last Tuesday, Buhari added one more dubious claim. He said the country’s oil production nosedived to one million barrels per day due to attacks from militants.
Buhari’s first recorded claim came in July 2015.
“He then talked about the impact of the collapse of the oil prices, which averaged about 100 US Dollars from 1999 to 2015, saying that its fall to about 30 dollars a barrel some weeks ago was shocking. ‘I would have been in a coma if not for the fact that I was in oil (sector as a past minister) for three years,’” Garba Shehu, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity wrote about what Buhari told the Niger Delta Dialogue and contact group led by King Alfred Diete-Spiff during their visit to Presidential Villa in 2015.
Again, in his Democracy Day speech the following year, Buhari updated his claim about the average oil price during the tenures of his predecessors.
“The past years have witnessed huge flows of oil revenues. From 2010, average oil prices were $100 per barrel.”
While addressing the country on October 1, 2016, he made the same false claim about the average oil price, adding that militant attacks had reduced Nigeria’s oil production in his tenure to less than a million barrels per day.
“Oil price dropped from an average of hundred USD per barrel over the last decade to an average of forty USD per barrel this year and last,” he said. “Worse still, the damage perpetrated by Niger Delta thugs on pipelines sometimes reduced Nigeria’s production to below one million barrels per day against the normal two point two million barrels per day.”
In November 2016, when graduates of the Senior Executive Course 38 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State, came to the Presidential Villa to present a report on poverty reduction, Buhari repeated his favourite lie.
“For 16 years and eight consecutive governments of the other party, you know that there was unprecedented revenue realised. The oil projection, which can be verified, was 2.1 million barrels per day. 1999-2015, the average cost of each Nigerian barrel of oil was $100 per barrel. When we came (elected), it fell to less than $30 per barrel and is now oscillating between 40 and 50.”
In his 2017 Independence Day speech, Buhari said, “We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999-2015 when our country happily returned to democratic rule.
Despite oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1 million barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered, and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected.”
Interacting with members of the Buhari Support Organisation in 2018, he said, “I challenge anybody to check from Europe, America and Asia; between 1999-2014, Nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil per day at an average cost of 100 USD per barrel and it went up to 143 USD. When we came (elected), it collapsed to 37 – 38 USD and later was oscillating between 40 and 50 USD.”
Both Buhari and his speechwriters have continued to disseminate fake news while attacking the media and unleashing the Department of State Security on Nigerians over claims of hate speech and misinformation.
Forgetting that whatever he says is generally considered as news, the president continued with his dubious claims while addressing his cabinet at the first-year performance ministerial retreat held last Tuesday in the Presidential Villa.
“I want the Nigerian elite, please encourage them to judge us fairly. From 1999 to 2014, the average production was 2.1m barrels a day. The average cost was a hundred American dollars per barrel. When we came it collapsed to 37 and 38 dollars per barrel, you know it. The militants were unleashed on the administration, and the production went down to half a million barrels a day.”
Despite proving that Buhari’s claims about average oil price have been false, the president has refused to back down from spreading incorrect information.
Using the price basket compiled by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dubawa, a fact-checking news outlet, found that the average cost of a barrel of crude oil from 1999 to 2014 was about $61.
Both Dubawa and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) have separately found that only between 2011 and 2013 did crude oil price ever averaged above $100.
Also, the president’s claim that Niger Delta militants forced oil production down to half a million barrels per day when he came into office is false.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) started publishing monthly financial operation data in October 2015. In the first month of each year, it states the average daily production per month for the 12 preceding months of the previous year.
Data gathered from its January 2016 monthly operation scorecard shows that the average daily petroleum production for 2015 was estimated at 2.13 million bpd. Only in June 2015 did oil production slip below 2 million bpd.
Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says many people believe governors are corrupt and ineffective.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, he said being a governor is one of the most difficult things in the world.
He also highlighted some of the challenges he faced when he assumed office.
“We came into office at a very bad time in terms of economic viability. We came in when oil prices were crashing into the twenties and we had inherited bureaucracies that were designed and structured around $100 per barrel oil. We had inherited wages at that level as well. And all of a sudden, there was this collapse and Nigeria went into a recession,” he said.
“Governors are the most suspected elected officials. Everyone thinks governors are just thieves and we are wasting state resources, we are not doing anything. Governors are assumed to be taking security votes. When people hear security votes, they think it is a slush fund for governors. So we have a very negative image out there.
“Meanwhile, we have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. And we are subnational; our capacity to borrow is limited. The federal government can print money. We cannot.
“Other than Lagos, very few state governments have room to do what they can do because apart from Lagos virtually every state in Nigeria relies on Federation Account transfers. And when they go down, you are in trouble.”
He spoke on the sidelines of the fifth edition of Kadinvest, the state government’s investment forum.
Olusegun Bamgbose, Esq., the National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance, CAGG, has advised members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to limit their celebration of the outcome of the governorship election in Edo State because Governor Godwin Obaseki may soon return to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Governor Obaseki left the APC for the PDP a few months to the governorship election after he was disqualified by the ruling party.
Obaseki was, however, declared elected for a second tenure in office by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Sunday after he defeated candidate of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu with over 100,000 votes.
The incumbent Governor had an arduous journey having contended with the duo of the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu and a former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
But Bamgbose noted that, “Tinubu went extra mile to frustrate Obaseki, but he failed woefully. Edo voters clipped his big wings.
“On the other hand, Oshiomhole exhausted his political arsenal, but met his waterloo.
“Obaseki’s victory has finally nailed his political coffin. His political career has dishonorably come to an end. It’s really painful.
“However, PDP should not rejoice much, because Obaseki may soon stage a comeback to APC, other things being equal.
“Obaseki made a statement before pulling out of APC, that his discussions with President Buhari will determine his next step.
“It’s most likely that Obaseki struck a deal with President Buhari to return back to APC, after winning the election.
“It’s no longer news that President Buhari has already congratulated Obaseki on his re-election as Governor of Edo State. Many have been commending him for allowing free and fair election in Edo State.
“President Buhari ensured the governorship election was free and fair in view of possibly, the agreement they had before he decamped to PDP. It’s most likely Obaseki will go back to APC.”
Barring any last-minute hitches, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will today, review the visa restriction placed on Nigerian travellers, following the ban of Emirates Airlines from the most populous black nation.
Sources at the company’s office in Lagos confirmed that the issue was being reviewed, and the “right” diplomatic approach taken.
This came as aviation stakeholders commended the Federal Government for going “tough and playing tit-for-tat with countries that would not accept Nigerian travellers into their domains.”
The Federal Government, following pressure from some quarters, banned Emirates Airlines from Lagos and Abuja airports, effective today, over refusal to grant fresh visa applications submitted by Nigerians.
The government earlier banned European carriers, with the exception of British Airways, over travel restrictions.
Emirates officials said: “We have met with the Nigerian government on this issue, and we assured them that we will resolve it. We are presently working on it.”
“I hope this issue will be resolved before Monday. One thing I will assure you is that the issue will be resolved earlier than expected,” a manager said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Finchglow Travels, Bankole Bernard, said assurances had been given on the matter.
He noted that Nigeria was third-biggest market to Emirates, adding that the UAE would do everything to sustain their operations.
“UAE should have resolved this matter long ago. The ban means that they will lose the market, and they know the implication. A market lost is never easily regained. Right now, we are certain that the ban will only affect Monday flights, and hoping that things will be normal by Tuesday,” he added.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the weekend, via his twitter handle, announced the suspension of Emirates Airlines from Nigeria, saying the ban would take effect from today.
“Emirates Airlines’ situation was reviewed, and they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday, September 21, 2020,” he said.
The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had in August warned that Nigeria would activate the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to resume operations in the country as it reopens its airspace.
It said the decision was informed by the embargoing on flights from Nigeria by some nations.
Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Angolan TAG, Air Namibia and Royal Air Maroc were not approved to operate flights into the country.
Aviation stakeholder, Julius Akintunde, said the measures were in the best interest of the economy.
Also speaking, Secretary-General of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), urged that the reciprocity should be done with caution in order for the Nigerian market not to be undermined by neighbours.
Some Nigerians have taken to social media to share hilarious memes in reaction to the outcome of the Edo gubernatorial election.
Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was on Sunday re-elected as governor of the state for second time after securing the highest votes in the election which was held on Saturday.
He polled 307,955 votes across 18 local government areas while Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his main challenger and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), got 223,619 votes.
Obaseki’s journey to triumph wasn’t a smooth ride.
During his campaign, Obaseki’s strategy to mobilise Edo residents to vote for him had touched on ending godfatherism in the state.
The politician had also adopted the slogan “Edo no be Lagos” shortly after he left the APC to seek re-election under the platform of the PDP.
Before defection, he had met Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC, for endorsement as the party’s candidate but the former Lagos governor had referred him to the direct primaries endorsed by the party.
After the governor went through the direct primaries as recommended, he was disqualified by the committee set-up by Adams Oshiomhole, his estranged godfather, who doubles as his predecessor.
A few days to the election, Tinubu, who was among the APC leaders who campaigned for Obaseki when he was elected for first term under the party, had in a sponsored broadcast on TVC, urged Edo residents to vote out the governor.
In his response to the broadcast, Obaseki had tackled the ex-governor of Lagos, saying he cannot extend his political empire to Edo state.
He had, thereafter, pledged to end godfatherism in Edo and Lagos, saying that “democracy is not a government of godfathers but of the people.”
Since Obaseki’s victory at the poll, quite a number of Nigerians have taken to social media platforms to share extremely amusing memes to mock Oshiomhole, Tinubu and Ize-Iyamu.
Thunder struck on Saturday evening and killed 15 cows in Ikogosi community in Ekiti West Local Government area of Ekiti State.
The Asaoye of Ikogosi-Ekiti, Chief Ayo Ademilua, described the incident as a natural occurrence and strange in the town.
Ademilua told jourrnalists that the incident happened at the Ikogosi Warm Spring site along Ipole – Ekiti road.
Ikogosi Warm Spring is a notable tourism and recreational centre where warm and cold streams met in Ekiti.
The Ikogosi high chief said that the thunder struck during a torrential downpour between 4:00p.m. and 6:02p.m. on Saturday.
“The whole town shook when the thunder struck. Later, some commuters coming into town and those returning home from their farms saw the Fulani herders lamenting that it was the thunder that killed their cattle,” he said.
Also speaking on the incident, the Onikogosi of Ikogosi Ekiti, Oba Abiodun Olorunnisola, said that the herders were making spirited efforts to sell the dead cows to residents, saying that this portends health risk to his people.
The monarch said he already reached out to his colleague at Ipole Ekiti, Oba Oladele Babatola, on the need to warn their subjects against consuming such a desecrated meat.
“The two of us have alerted our subjects that there was an attempt to commence the sale of the cows and we are making concerted efforts to prevent the intending buyers,” he said.
The monarch, however, called on government to evacuate the carcasses of the cows to prevent spread of communicable diseases in the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, said the incident was yet to be reported to the police because it was a natural occurrence.
“We have not been told, but if the owner of the cattle later realises that someone was responsible, he will report at the police station and we will surely rise to the occasion, if such happens,”the PPRO said.
During a meeting with journalists at government house, Benin, last year, Godwin Obaseki, who has just got another four-year mandate to govern Edo state, acknowledged the role Adams Oshiomhole played in him bringing him to power but expressed shock over the turn of events. He wondered why his relationship with “comrade”, as Oshiomhole’s political allies refer to him, turned sour suddenly.
But Obaseki was confident of victory, counting on the support of his people.
“Oshiomhole supported me in 2016. He showed me to the people and they accepted me. Suddenly, he made a U-turn and told them he wanted to introduce another person to them but they said ‘No. You have shown us this one, we want to continue with him,” he had said.
Indeed, the September 19 governorship election was about Oshiomhole, a man who dominated the politics of Edo like a Trojan for about 11 years. Many in Edo did not see any reason behind the sudden disinterest in Obaseki by Oshiomhole. So, when Oshiomhole “undressed Obaseki in the public”, the Edo people came to his rescue.
DISMANTLING OSHIOMHOLE’S STRUCTURE
‘You can help someone get a job but you should not help the person do the job’. This summaries Obaseki and Oshiomhole relationship
Keen observers of Edo politics believe one of the factors that made Obaseki emerge victorious in the poll is certain changes he made shortly after he assumed office. Perhaps the most talked-about is the removal of “thugs” as agents for the collection of revenues within the Benin metropolis. Commercial bus and taxi drivers, shop owners and hawkers within the Benin metropolis heaved a sigh of relief after the then new governor put an end to the practice.
And he did not stop there. Working in tandem with the Benin palace and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, Obaseki announced the proscription of community development association (CDA), thereby saving those who aspired to acquire lands from speculators who fed fat on them. The politicians who had formed the habit of visiting the government house to collect largesse got what they did not bargain for after Obaseki put an end to such.
Overtime, commoners fell in love with Obaseki and started seeing him as a shield from their oppressors. By focusing on the people and resetting Edo, Obaseki won the hearts of the majority of Edo people.
Teachers, civil servants and pensioners soon joined the list of his admirers as protests over unpaid entitlements disappeared. Some Edo residents see Obaseki as a governor who outperformed his predecessors. Majority are quick to point at the rebuilt Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, the new secretariat building and construction and maintenance of roads. While many of his supporters admit that the governor has not been able to create the 200,000 jobs he promised, they see his achievement in the agricultural sector as a plus for his government. The attention paid to technical and vocational education is equally well talked about following the revitalisation of moribund technical and vocational institutions in the school.
OSHIOMHOLE’S SUDDEN U-TURN ON IZE-IYAMU
Still on Oshiomhole, his decision to back Osagie Ize-Iyamu and single-handedly replace Obaseki with the pastor came as a rude shock to many. Here is a man he vilified and called unprintable names in the run off to the 2016 governorship election. While it is given that only personal interests matter in the politics of Nigeria, the sight of Oshiomhole campaigning for Ize-Iyamu irritated many people.
Perhaps not in the history of Nigeria has such rapprochement be seen before. The PDP capitalised on what Oshiomhole used against Ize-Iyamu when he campaigned for Obaseki. While Oshiomhole tried to wish away all the negative things he said about Ize-Iyamu in 2016, PDP and Obaseki would not have that. Weeks before the election, they compiled Oshiomhole’s vituperations against Ize-Iyamu and put turned it to a video they put on a giant screen at Ring Road in the heart of Benin City. Giant speakers were also put in strategic location for clear audio.
TINUBU’S VIDEO BROADCAST
With hindsight, does Tinubu think the video sank rather than save Ize-Iyamu?
In a 4:53 minutes video broadcast released on the election week, Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC, appealed to the Edo electorate to reject Obaseki. But if truly he had the mind of campaigning for Ize-Iyamu, the video achieved its exact opposite as it triggered anger across the state.
As a natter of fact, shortly after the video went viral, “Edo No Be Lagos” started trending on social media and on Saturday, the people revolted against what they considered “undue interference:
‘NO MAN IS GOD’
The expression, “no man is God” was made popular in the politics of Edo by Adams Oshiomhole after he became governor. After his electoral victory over political giants such as Anthony Anenih, and the Esama of Benin, Gabriel Igbinedion, who hitherto dominated Edo politics, Oshiomhole had famously declared that “no man is God” in his mockery of the two elder statesmen. He further said that God used him to silence godfathers, who he said held that every political power in the state must come from them.
The former governor refused to accept allegations levelled against him that he had become the new godfather after he single-handedly installed Obaseki governor in 2016.
Obaseki had shown no interest in becoming governor when Oshiomhole picked him out as his preferred successor. By picking an unwilling horse in Obaseki, Oshiomhole overlooked opinions from party leaders and killed the aspirations of those who wanted to succeed him such as his then deputy, Pius Odubu.
In no time, the Edo people started asking if it was right of Oshiomhole to decide for the rest of them who should govern them. They took him back to his chant that “no man is God,” asking him why he was trying to play God over their collective destiny. The Benin people were particularly irked as to the reason why someone all the way from Auchi will rubbish one of their own and tell the rest of them the right path to follow. The resounding victory for Obaseki in the seven local government area of Edo south on Saturday was a proof of how much the Benin people resented Oshiomhole’s antics.
PDP’S POPULARITY AND ACCEPTANCE
When PDP offered Obaseki its umbrella after his former party threw him out
While the APC and its parent party, the ACN, dominated the politics of Edo between 2008 and 2020, the people of the state never discarded their interests in the umbrella party. The party has never lost presidential election in the state since 1999 and produced two out of three senators in the state during the height of the APC’s domination in the 2015 and 2019 elections. The central senatorial district populated by the Esan people was even a fortress for the APC before now with the PDP winning all national assembly seats in the area since 1999.
The marriage of Obaseki and the PDP in June, according to political analysts, was all that PDP needed to add the all important Edo south (Benin) to the one they already in their kitty, the Edo central. Many knew that with the popularity Obaseki enjoys in Benin, there was no way the PDP will lose in the zone with about 58 per cent of the entire voters’ population in the state. Edo south plus Edo central is a win for PDP even if the party records poor performance in the APC stronghold of Edo north senatorial district. The election turned out this way even as the PDP performed above expectations in the Edo north zone.
DIVISION IN EDO APC
Although Ojezua, former chairman of Edo APC, did not move to the PDP with Obaseki, he worked for the reelection of the governor
While Oshiomhole dominated the APC in Edo, some other leaders of the party in the state were not at home with many of his actions but lacked the power to challenge him. The decision to give the party’s gubernatorial ticket to Ize-Iyamu, however, was one they would not take. Rather than decamp to the PDP like Obaseki, many of these leaders chose to remain in the APC and work for the PDP. Those in this category are Osarodion Ogie, secretary to the state government; Anslem Ojezua, factional Edo APC chairman; Frank Okiye, speaker of the state house of assembly, and Matthew Iduoriyekemwen.
The duo of Ogie and Iduoriyekemwen were said to have combined forces to give PDP a resounding victory in Ikpoba Okha local government area.
Governor Godwin Obaseki and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said his second term ambition is not worth spilling the blood of anyone in the Edo State governorship election holding tomorrow. He reassured that the governorship election would be peaceful and violence-free. Speaking shortly after one day prayer and fasting session for a peaceful election, organised by the Edo Christian Community for all the governorship candidates ahead of the election, Obaseki urged eligible voters to come out en masse without fear of intimidation or harassment. Obaseki said: “The church is the pillar on which we rest, and therefore, I have no fear whatsoever.
I take actions and people say I am very courageous, but it is God and not me. I have the church and God behind me, so why should I be afraid? “Ordinarily, an election is supposed to be a contest where people go to sell their ideals and citizens in their own freewill go and vote for those ideals they believe in; it shouldn’t be one where people will do anything to get power. “Election should not be one in which we shed blood because election will always come. If you die in an election, you will not be there in the next one to vote. So there is no need for violence.”
The governor noted: “It’s unfortunate that where we are today we are all afraid that there will be trouble, that there will be crisis and violence. But by the grace of God, we will all come out and vote and there won’t be any bloodshed. “There is no need for any violence and if anybody decides to act in a violent manner, just walk away because our lives are very precious. I have a covenant with God; if it will cost the blood of anybody for me to get into power, he should not let me have power.”
prayed that God would make peace reign before, during and after the election. “In this election, rigging and evil will not have their way. We knock the engine of their operation; Edo people shall go out and vote their consciences and the will of God will be done,” the clergy prayed
The plan is being orchestrated by Bobby Micheal, Special Adviser, and Chinonye Agogbuo, Senior Special Assistant to Imo State governor on Entertainment.
owing pensioners in the state, the Imo State Government has concluded plans to waste millions of naira in its bid to draw support for Ozoemena "Ozo" Chukwu, one of the contestants currently competing in the Big Brother Naija Lockdown reality show.
The plan is being orchestrated by Bobby Micheal, Special Adviser, and Chinonye Agogbuo, Senior Special Assistant to Imo State governor on Entertainment.
Bobby and Agogbuo had earlier taken to their social media accounts to declare their support for the housemate, who they claimed was representing the state.
SaharaReporters gathered that the duo was at Bongo Centre, Owerri, on Tuesday to share recharge cards worth thousands of naira to those who will be voting for Ozo.
“He’s our son. We must support him. Recharge cards to vote for him to be distributed today, 10am at Bongo Centre,” Agogbuo posted on Facebook.
Porn actor and producer, Tobilola Jolaoso, popularly known kingTblakHoc and his crew have been granted bail for N200,000 after three days at the correctional centre in Ilesa.
Police arraigned them for shooting a porn video at the Osun Osogbo sacred grove, a UNESCO world heritage site and the abode of Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility.
The Osun worshippers reported Jolaoso to police that he brought porn actors and actresses from Lagos and recorded the film at the grove.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ataoja Division, Akinloye Oyegade and his men arrested Tblak and his colleagues including Juliet Semion, Ahmed Olasunkanmi, Adeniran Eritosin and Tunde Jimoh
They were charged to court for conduct likely to cause breach of peace and disrespect to traditional religion.
The Police Prosecutor, ASP Idoko James told the court that the accused persons committed the offence on 25th of July, 2020 at about 12:30pm.
He said the offence committed by the accused persons was contrary to and punishable under Section 516, 233, 517, 451 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol. II Laws of Osun State Nigeria, 2002.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty.
The defence counsel, Tunbosun Oladipupo applied for the bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Ishola Omisade granted them on bail with a sum of N200,000 with one surety each in like sum.
The magistrate said the sureties must be verified residents of Osun and that they must swear to affidavit of means. He adjourned the case till September 28, 2020.
The Ministry in a tweet posted on Thursday said the minister flew over the dam to assess the impact of flooding at the banks of the river.
Lots of criticism have continued to trail the use of a jet for the aerial assessment of Kainji dam by the Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouq.
The Ministry in a tweet posted on Thursday said the minister flew over the dam to assess the impact of flooding at the banks of the river.
“Yesterday, HM @Sadiya_farouq flew over the Kainji dam for an aerial view and assessment of the impact of the flooded banks.”
Reacting to the post, Nigerians faulted the use of a plane for the assignment, arguing that a drone would have done a better job.
Japhet Omojuwa tweeted in response, “Imagine if scientists discovered something called drones. They’d have been far cheaper, safer and would have had a genuine aerial view than a whole flight where you actually don’t get any aerial view. What if you used a copter? Whoops! They haven’t been discovered too.”
Another tweep, Demola Gbajabiamila also mocked the Minister and described the exercise as a “photo op” “LMFAOOOooooo… Just one drone.
ONE DRONE pere would have saved us from wasting the pilot’s time, the aviation fuel, and of course, the headache of seeing this unfortunate photo op because I’m not sure there’s anything she can see from such altitude, ” he tweeted.
Why appoint someone you have didn't have vacancy for.
This government sha
Ninety-six days after the Senate confirmed the nomination of 42 career ambassadors, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has yet to assign them portfolios, The PUNCH has learnt
Fuel crisis looms in FCT, North as PTD orders Tanker drivers to stop lifting products
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and other parts of Northern Nigeria will experience huge fuel scarcity as the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), on Wednesday, ordered immediate stoppage of distribution of petroleum products from Lagos to the Northern part of the country till further notice.
A statement signed by Otunba Salimon Oladiti, the PTD National Chairman, said the action became imperative, following the shut out of heavy trucks including tankers from using all the link roads in Minna, Niger State.
The Niger State Government had in a letter signed by Abdullahi Imam, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and addressed to the state chairman of PTD, informed them of the government decision to shut down major roads leading to Minna, effective from midnight of September 15, 2020.
The letter, dated September 9 read: “You are aware of efforts of the Niger State Government to rehabilitate Minna Bida road and the major roads leading to Minna. These efforts have largely been frustrated because of the heavy presence of heavy trucks plying these roads.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby notify you of the government’s decision for a total shutdown of all major roads linking to Minna to heavy trucks from 12 midnight of September 15, 2020.
“You will please bring this information to all your members in order to guide them to find alternative routes for their movements.”
In a swift response to this, the National Chairman of PTD said their members will stop lifting products from Lagos to the Northern part of the country from Thursday.
Otunba Oladiti said: “We want to use this medium to inform the general public that from Thursday, September 17, our members will not be lifting products from Lagos to the Northern part of the country because the Niger State Government has shut out heavy-duty trucks including tankers from passing through the state.
“The only alternative road is not motorable. This is Bida- Agai- Lapai- Lambata road. In fact, this road is a death trap. When we got wind of the plan of the Niger State Government to shut the roads about weeks back, I spoke to the Minister of Works through one of his aides and he assured that the ministry would do palliative and remedial works on the road. Unfortunately, over two weeks after our discussion, nothing has been down on the roads.
“As leaders, we have to do the needful and protect the lives of our members from the avoidable accident and attacks from hoodlums. So, starting from tomorrow September 17, 2020, our members will not be lifting products from Lagos to the Northern part of the country. Until the federal government makes the alternative road motorable, our members will not resume lifting of products to the northern part of the country.
“In the letter to our State Chairman, the Niger State Government through its Ministry of Transport dated September 9, 2020, by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Abdullahi U. Imam informed us about its decision to shut out all heavy trucks vehicles from passing through the link and major roads in the state from Tuesday.”
He added: “Consequently, we have directed our members to stop lifting products from Lagos to the northern part of the country until further notice.
He said the experience has placed him in a good position to talk about the need for political actors to suppress the desire for power and take side with the survival of the system.
by Alfred Olufemi Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has related events that happened after he lost woefully in the 2019 general elections.
In 2019, Mr Saraki not only lost his grip on Kwara State after the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party in the governorship election, he also lost his bid to return to the Senate.
The Sarakis had been at the helm of political affairs of the state for years but their grip on the political leadership of the state was ruptured after the ‘O toge’ campaign launched by the APC in 2019.
Mr Saraki and PDP were defeated by Ibrahim Oloriegbe and AbdulRazaq Abdulrahman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial and governorship contests respectively.
Meanwhile, in his address delivered at an event organised by civil societies to commemorate the International Democracy Day on Tuesday, the former lawmaker spoke about his defeat and the aftermath.
“I went into elections in 2019 in Kwara State, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and myself, lost the elections. We had our reservations on the credibility of the entire electoral process. We had good evidence of the illegal deployment of state forces and other undemocratic means to achieve the results declared by the electoral body.”
He said that the whole country witnessed the level of desperation displayed by the opposition party.
“The utterances of the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, who continuously boasted about how his number one priority and objective was to win Kwara State by whatever means necessary, were well documented.”
Speaking further, Mr Saraki explained that after the result of the 2019 elections was announced, he sent out messages to his followers despite their anger and quest to express their grievances, that they should accept the result and maintain peace.
“I then congratulated the winners and urged our people to support the newly elected officials. To further demonstrate good faith and gracefulness in defeat, I refused to challenge the process at the tribunal.”
He said the experience has placed him in a good position to talk about the need for political actors to suppress the desire for power and take side with the survival of the system.
“When I argue that politicians should learn to accept election results and demonstrate patriotism even in the face of naked provocation, it is based on my experience. The lives of our people, the stability of our democracy and the peace of the society are more important than our personal interest or the inflated egos of the leaders.”
Edo, Ondo Elections: What Buhari should do
In the speech, Mr Saraki advised President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the forthcoming elections “signpost his desire to leave for Nigeria and Africa a legacy of a true democracy and clean electoral process.”
The Edo and Ondo states governorship elections will be held on September 19 and October 10 respectively.
“This should be a starting point for our demand for a credible electoral process. Whilst we wait for the new Electoral Bill to be passed, we can begin to demand that the right things are done by all stakeholders in these elections.”
“President Buhari must use the Edo and Ondo elections to demonstrate ECOWAS commitment to credible electoral process.”
Mr Saraki further urged the president to ensure that the security agencies are misused to influence the results of the elections in Edo and Ondo States.
“Also, the electoral commission should be made to be truly immune from manipulations by individuals, no matter how highly placed.”
He also reiterated the stance of the international community on compliance with democratic processes, noting the sanction on election riggers announced by the United States yesterday.
The U.S. government has imposed visa restrictions on some Nigerians undermining electoral processes in the forthcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states.
“I call on the UK and the European Union to follow suit. This is necessary to send the right and strong signal that those who undermine democracy in Nigeria are enemies of the rest of the democratic world,” he said.
Mr Saraki demanded the president to “send a message to the National Assembly when the members resume later in the month that he wants them to present to him a new Electoral Bill for assent before the end of the year.”
The Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol should be sold for N181 per litre, if all costs implications are considered and factored in rather than the present pump price of N161; the Federal Government disclosed on Tuesday.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silver, made this known even as he pointed out that Nigeria lost a total N10.413 trillion to subsidy between 2006 and 2019, while between the year 2016 and 2019, the Federal Government lost a total sum of N2.193 trillion on subsidy.
Silver was speaking at the bipartite meeting between the Federal Government and the Organised labour, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, in Abuja. The Federal Government was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige with five other ministers and chief executives of relevant government agencies; while the organized labour was led by the President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and the TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye.
In its presentation titled: “Understanding the Impact of fuel Subsidy on the Nigerian Economy… and the Gains of Deregulation,” the Silver pointed out that if the sector was fully deregulated and the dollar exchange rate was fully factored in, the fuel price would not be N161 but N183 per litre.
The minister of state for petroleum said with the present price increase, the price of fuel in Nigeria at N161 per litre is still the cheapest in the sub-region, comparing with Senegal N549 equivalent, Cameroon N449, Benin N359, Ghana N332 and other neighbouring countries.
He said: “Between 2016 and 2019, we were losing an average of N1 billion a day because it was like a leaking basket. We import the thing, and as we bring it to Nigeria, it will leak out through all the borders. Before that, we are even losing as much as N3. 7 billion a day because we would be importing the thing, as you are importing it is not enough because it was leaking out.
“So we now felt instead of this leaking basket that we were trying to manage, why don’t we try to see, so that we can at least make it profitable so that if it is sold at market price in Nigeria, even if it goes out of Nigeria, it is okay, it becomes a business opportunity. At least, the government will not be losing from the process of importing.
“But even when we now raised the price, with deregulation today, in Nigeria our price is still N161 per litre, in Senegal the price of petrol is still N549, in Cameroon, it is N449 per litre. You can see that we are still the cheapest in this sub-region.
“Why have we kept it at N161? Frankly speaking, let us face it and this is what I will tell you. One of the things that the president considered; he said if you take it to the full scale of deregulation, today, prices should have been around N183 because you all know this.
“The cost of subsidy at the pump is different from the cost of subsidy at the FX (forex) cite. At the FX cite, we are still calculating it at N391 to the dollar, that is why you can still have N161. But you know that not all of us know today that the dollar cannot be bought at N391 but it is because we are still trying to see that the government should take some of the burdens. That is why you see that it is N161. If you are taking the dollars at the market parity price, and say let us calculate the dollar at N450 per dollar, it would have been N183 per barrel.
“So today, we can say yes we have deregulated, but we can also tell you here now, we have not fully deregulated because of the concerns that the government have for Nigerians.”
He explained that subsidy has caused Nigeria a whooping, adding that between 2006 and 2019, the government spent a total sum of N10.413 trillion, an average of N743.8 billion per annum; while between 2016 and 2019, the government had spent N2.193 trillion, an average of N548 billion per year.
However, on PMS plus forex (FX) subsidy between 2016 and 2019, he pointed out that the government had spent N3.663 trillion, an average of N916 billion per year.
He said: “You can see what subsidy cost us in 2011, the subsidy cost us N2.105 trillion. We are talking of losing a job, we are talking of people suffering, in 2010, it cost us N1.355 trillion, 2013 N1.316, and by 2015 the subsidy figure came down to N654 billion, by 2016 we didn’t even have any under-recovery. So, you can see that in 2018, prices came up again.
“So you can see that this is a policy direction that should have been taken long ago. No wonder every government comes to that point when they realised that subsidy was not sustainable but unfortunately some of those government did not have the political will; also the time probably was not ripe and they couldn’t take it because you can see that the cost of subsidy from 2016 to 2019 was N3.6 63 trillion, an average of N916 billion per annum.”
Politics › Senator Ndume Tells Court He Can't Find, Bring Maina To Face His Fraud Trial by Islie(op): 11:58pm On Oct 02, 2020
