₦airaland Forum

A Nigerian entrepreneur, Cynthia Tooley, has emerged as a central figure in the suspension of the University of Buckingham Vice Chancellor, Professor James Tooley, over allegations of a controversial overseas relationship.

Tooley, who denies the allegations, was suspended from his £229,000-a-year role in October following accusations linked to a romantic involvement with a 25-year-old Indian woman, reports UK’s Daily Mail on Thursday

Cynthia reportedly raised the alarm by submitting the young woman’s diaries, which detailed the alleged relationship, to university authorities.

The mother of two was said to have married the British academic in February 2022 after a whirlwind romance.

However, the couple reportedly separated during the summer, leading to a breakdown in their relationship and communication via lawyers.

The controversy began on October 11, when Cynthia alerted the university about the alleged relationship.

This prompted an emergency meeting, resulting in the professor’s suspension and the launch of an independent inquiry into the claims.

In addition to the allegations about the relationship, Cynthia reportedly accused her estranged husband of possessing a “suspicious object” at his official residence.

Police were called to the property and removed a junior air rifle, but no further investigation followed.

University authorities confirmed the suspension in a letter to students, stating that “serious allegations” had been made against the vice-chancellor.

The letter emphasised that an independent inquiry was underway to verify the claims.

Through his lawyers, Tooley described the allegations as “baseless and malicious,” expressing confidence in being vindicated.

He refrained from further comments, citing the ongoing investigation.

The Indian woman at the centre of the allegations defended Tooley, saying, “He was kind and thoughtful and always treated me with respect. Anyone who reads my diaries can see I was in love with him.”

She clarified that the relationship began when she was 25 and insisted that there was no illegal conduct.

The University of Buckingham has appointed an interim leadership team, including Chief Financial Officer David Cole, Chief Administrative Officer Chris Payne, and Pro Vice-Chancellor Harriet Dunbar-Morris, to oversee operations during the investigation.

Cynthia, who once resided with Tooley at Ondaatje Hall, the Vice Chancellor’s official residence, has since moved out.

The couple’s fallout has drawn significant media attention, given their high-profile roles and publicised relationship.

Kyari, who spoke at the commissioning of the NUPENG Towers in Lagos on Wednesday, said the refinery is up and running, with loading operations in full swing.

On November 26, the refinery commenced crude oil processing after several years of being moribund.

The state-owned plant also commenced the loading of petroleum products for trucks.

The national oil firm disclosed that the refinery commenced production of daily outputs of straight-run petrol (naphtha), which is blended into 1.4 million litres of petrol.

Some Nigerians have questioned the ongoing blending at the refinery when the plant ought to be refining crude.

Speaking on the issue, Kyari said blending is not a crime as it is an integral part of the refining process.

“If you don’t blend, you will bring out off-spec products which will destroy your vehicles,” he said.

“Every refinery blends because what is on specification in the United States of America will be off-spec in Nigeria and elsewhere.

“Blending is necessary to bring products to the specification of different countries or regions.”

Kyari also invited those in doubt about the operationalisation of the refinery, including Femi Falana, human rights activist and lawyer, to join him on a tour of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to verify their various statuses.

He congratulated NUPENG on the successful completion of the NUPENG Towers, urging the union to continue to prioritise dialogue and cooperation in its relationship with the NNPC and the federal government.

The GCEO said the president’s interventions in the oil and gas industry by way of executive orders are yielding positive results, with more investments coming in and prospects of more jobs in the industry.

By Channels Television


The Senior Special Assistant to the Presidency on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi in an explanatory statement on Wednesday, has shed more light on the controversial tax bills.

This was after President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, directed the National Assembly and the Ministry of Justice to work together to address the concerns raised on the bill.

Criticisms have greeted Tinubu’s transmission of the Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly. The move has pitted the president against some governors with the most vocal criticism coming from the northern region.

Some critics believe the bills are against the northern region while others argue that they would further impoverish Nigerians.

But to address these concerns, President Tinubu has mandated the Justice Ministry to look into the concerns raised and work with the leadership of the National Assembly to finetune the rough edges in the bills.

“It is pertinent to state that the government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed. In line with the established legislative procedure, the Federal General welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill,” the Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said in a Tuesday statement.

“In this vein, President Tinubu has already directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials who worked on the drafts to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed.”

Explaining further its benefits to state governments on Wednesday, Ajayi said, “Human beings naturally resist change. When comfortable where we are, we find it extremely difficult to embrace an uncharted path or seek greater glory. Those who are risk averse often don’t want to venture out to embrace unfamiliar territories no matter how tempting the possible reward may appear. We should not, however, be so imprisoned by the fear of the unknown not to explore new possibilities because we find our present circumstances satisfying enough.

“Since the public debate around the Tax Reform Bills started, the strongest push back against it has come largely from the north. Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has become the face of the resistance for the reasons he has pushed forward, even when some of them didn’t speak to the facts and provisions of the bills.

“If Governor Zulum and other voices of resistance who think the states will be shortchanged had actually taken time to examine the four executive Bills, they will see how progressive and transformative the Bills are. They will also discern the thought behind them which is primarily to make both the Federal and sub-nationals fiscally stronger and buoyant.

“In his public presentations and the most recent being the Channels TV Town Hall moderated by Seun Okinbaloye Monday evening, Chairman of Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele and other panelists again made convincing arguments for the passage of the Bills before the National Assembly,” he said.

Ajayi listed the 10 ways the Tax Bills will serve the states better and enhance their capacity to earn more revenue as follows:

1; The federal government will cede 5% out of its current 15% share of VAT revenue to states.

2; The Bills will transfer income from the Electronic Money Transfer levy exclusively to states as part of stamp duties.

3; The Bills seek to repeal obsolete stamp duty laws and re-enactment of a simplified law to enhance the revenue for states.

4; Under the new dispensation, the Tax Bills will usher in, and states will be entitled to the tax of Limited Liability Partnerships.

5; When passed by the National Assembly, the Tax Bills will enable the state government to enjoy tax exemption on their bonds to be at par with federal government bonds.

6; Under the proposed tax reform, states will enjoy a more equitable model for VAT attribution and distribution that will lead to higher VAT income.

7; Integrated tax administration will provide tax intelligence to states, strengthen capacity development and collaboration, and scope of Tax Appeal Tribunal to cover taxpayer disputes on state taxes.

8; The proposed tax laws grant powers for the Accountant General of the Federation to deduct taxes unremitted by a government or MDA and pay to the beneficiary sub-national government on personal income tax of workers of federal institutions in states.

9; Framework to grant autonomy for states internal revenue service and enhanced Joint Revenue Board to promote collaborative fiscal federalism.

10; Legal framework for taxation of lottery and gaming and introduction of withholding tax for the benefit of states.

The statement added, “From the aforementioned, it is clear that the Tax Bills are not in any way injurious to the states. Apart from streamlining the tax system in Nigeria and catalysing economic output, the tax and fiscal policy reforms provide incentives for states to become economic powerhouses.

The challenge for governors will be to put on their thinking cap by investing in manpower and critical social and physical infrastructure in their states that will support businesses and socio-economic activities to flourish.

Suspected internet fraudsters have allegedly shot a collaborator over a disagreement arising from the sharing of N94 million proceeds from an online scam.

The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday at Okhoro road in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.

The victim was said to have been driving in his Sport Utility Vehicle when the gunmen who drove in another vehicle accosted him.

A source on Tuesday said the gunmen ordered him out of his car and shot him at a close range.

The source described the victim as “Aza Man”, a code name by internet fraudsters for a person who provides bank account for receiving proceeds of Internet fraud.

According to the source, the Aza man ran into trouble after he reneged on agreement with other members of the syndicate on the sharing formula for the N94 million realised from a scam.

“While the Aza man was promised a certain percentage of the amount upon the payment, he refused and instead retained the fund to himself.

“He refused to share with the group,” the source said.

Meanwhile, when contacted, SP Moses Yamu, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Edo on Tuesday confirmed the shooting.

He noted, however, that “investigation had commenced, with the aim of arresting the perpetrators.”

Yamu added that the victim was undergoing treatment at a medical facility in the state.

(NAN)

The Nigerian Police Force has linked many cases of missing young women to ritual practices, with a growing connection to the rising hookup culture in the country.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, Omolola Odutola, revealed this on Wednesday when she was featured on Channels Television’s Morning Brief.

During the discussion on “Hookup Culture: Impact on Youth Values and Relationships,” Odutola revealed that young women aged 20 to 32 are the most affected.

She added that many young people, especially males, believe that ritual killings are a way to become wealthy.

“This particular menace is very serious and I would like a lot of young people to understand the danger in the hookup culture. Today, we have lots of reports of missing persons. By the time we start an investigation, not less than 10 young girls and ladies go missing daily.

“In-depth investigations also reveal that those cases are not by accidents. Most of them are connected to hookup channels and apps. They fall victim to strangers who causally invite them to unknown places, and eventually fall victim to being used for ritual purposes,” she said.

“Most cases of missing girls and ritual killings occurring in Ogun State of recent, I would like to say that it is not new. But as much as possible, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police has been able to tame these ugly incidents.”

The police boss added, “It stems from the ugly perspective of young persons who believe that ritual killing could enrich them. We have some of these unscrupulous elements who deceive young people to get human skulls or human body parts, which they use for some kind of concoction to get them rich.

“That is why we are having advocacy and sensitization, to enlighten young persons to make them understand that engaging in ritual killings does not in any way make them rich,” she said.

She stated that the police command is collaborating closely with the State Women Affairs Commission to tackle and curb the menace.

She stated, “The Ogun State government, particularly the Women Affairs Commission works in tandem with the police command by providing counselling sessions.

“Apart from that, whenever we have cases such as this if per adventure the girls escape the rituals, we also have a proper way of helping them go through the distress of mental health and anxiety they might have felt during the incident.

“The hookup culture is prevalent among young girls between the ages of 20 to about 32 years. The reason they get involved in this menace is because they feel they don’t get enough from their parents, and then the get-rich syndrome.”

Hookup culture refers to casual sexual relationships, like one-night stands, that often don’t involve emotional attachment or long-term commitment. While this trend has existed since the 1920s, it has become more common and accepted in recent years.

Some argue that hookup culture is a step forward for women’s freedom and empowerment, but others believe it harms the development of healthy and meaningful relationships.

This culture also reflects a double standard, with women often judged more harshly than men for engaging in casual encounters. For instance, women who hook up frequently or go too far in a single encounter may face derogatory labels like “hoe,” while men in similar situations are often praised.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Product (ADITOP) in the South South region, Dr Nya Asuquo, has pledged to do everything within the reach of their members to ensure that petrol pump price is crashed before the end of the year.

Asuquo made the promise yesterday while interacting with journalists few days after inaugurating the state branch of ADITOP in Calabar.

He stressed that the association under his watch shall provide an alternative in the distribution and transportation of petroleum products across the country.

The BOT chairman stated that the association has mapped out strategies to reduce the landing cost of petroleum products at retail outlets across the six geo-political zones of the nation.

He averred that the oil sector of the nation’s economy has been monopolised by some associations through incessant strike actions without a corresponding positive impact on members of such organisations and citizens of the nation.

Asuquo lauded the Tinubu administration for the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), stressing that the association is poised to put its weight solidly behind a successful execution of the act.

“ADITOP started in 2012 with the quest to curtail the incessant strike actions’ effects on Nigerian citizens.

“We are also providing an alternative in the oil sector with more frantic and human-driven approaches that will reduce the humongous charges on the distribution value-chain of the downstream oil sector of the economy,” he said.

Asuquo, an immediate past Nigeria Ambassador to Uganda during the former president Muhammadu Buhari administration, refuted the insinuation that the association was out to fight other existing unions in the oil industry.Nigeria cultural tours

“This is unfounded, petty, childish and unreasonable because the sky of the oil industry is too big for birds to clash while flying.

“We are partners in the Nigeria better economic project, bringing new ideas on board for the market is filled but not close,” he stated.

ADITOP state chairman, Mr Ekpenyong Ayi, added that the association has come to stay in the country’s oil industry stressing that it is ready to synergise with other associations in the petroleum value chain to crash the price of petroleum products for the good of the masses.

Written by RUTH NWOKWU


The Presidency has given reasons why every Nigerian may need to acquire the soon-to-be-launched general multipurpose identity card of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

In a sensitisation video posted on X by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre on Wednesday, the Presidency pointed out that the card will provide access to government interventions, reflecting efforts to enhance transparency in social contracts with citizens.

They also mentioned that cardholders can readily obtain loans from the government and various financial institutions, as their verifiable credit scores are derived from their historical financial records.

It’s worth noting that the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) recently revealed a partnership with NIMC aimed at accelerating the development of credit scores for all Nigerians who possess a National Identification Number (NIN).

While noting that the multipurpose card would soon be available to the general public, the Presidency emphasised its resolve to bring more Nigerians into financial inclusion through the multipurpose card.

“The National ID Card aims to bring over 100 million Nigerians into the banking sector as it automatically bestows on them an inclusion that has evaded more than half of the country’s population for a very long time,” it said.

“Users also have the option of requesting either credit or debit cards,” it added.

Though the NIN is already a prerequisite for obtaining an international passport and driver’s license, the Presidency said this will now be required to apply for government jobs as well as private sector jobs.

They emphasised that the card would give employers confidence in the profile of the job seekers as verified citizens without questionable records.

The Head of Card Management Services at NIMC, Dr. Peter Iwegbu, during a media workshop in Lagos last week, discussed the processes involved in distributing the cards.

Iwegbu emphasised that while the National Identification Number (NIN) is required for all Nigerians, individuals who desire the card must submit a request to obtain it.

While noting that the multipurpose cards would be launched in a matter of weeks as the sample test cards had been received, Iwegbu, said NIMC has also decentralised requesting and collecting processes of the card to make it easy for Nigerians.

He said the NIMC is working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request a card, adding that the Commission would also ensure that the cards are issued at uniform price across the banks

Olujonwo, son of Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed regrets over the feud with his estranged wife, Mrs Temitope Obasanjo, pleading for her forgiveness.

In a terse statement sent to LEADERSHIP on Monday, Olujonwo, also pleaded with his wife for reconciliate amid the legal procedure to end their union.

He conveyed his hearty reflection over the marriage, offering a fresh perspective in the embattled union.

“It is with a heart full of reflection and hope that I, Mr. Olujonwo Obasanjo, share the latest development in the journey between my estranged wife, Mrs. Temitope Adebutu Obasanjo, and I.

“For some time now, our relationship has been marred by seemingly irreconcilable differences, painful moments that led us down the path of separation, and even divorce proceedings. Yet, despite the hurt and the distance that has grown between us, recent events have led me to reassess the foundation of our marriage with a fresh perspective.

“There have been moments of quiet reflection, as well as the intervention of caring and trusted individuals, who have encouraged us to consider what brought us together in the first place: the love, the dreams, and the bond that we once shared. And in this space of reflection, I have come to the realisation that our relationship is worth another chance,” the remorseful husband narrated.

Olujonwo went further to heartily apologise “for all the hurt, pain and suffering that my actions and those of my mum have caused Temitope and her family, including her beloved mother of blessed memory

“My deepest desire is for reconciliation, for healing and for the restoration of what was lost.”

He expressed his commitment to ensure that the process is free from anger, blame, or bitterness.

“I recognise the role I played in the challenges we faced and fully accept my responsibility to rebuild the trust and love that we once had. This is not a journey I take lightly, but one that Iam ready to face with sincerity, humility, and unwavering dedication.

“When I reflect on the beautiful moments we have shared, the joy, the laughter, the dreams of the future, I am reminded of why I chose Temitope as my partner. And though our marriage, like any, has had its ups and downs, those moments of happy partnership and the bond we shared are far too precious to let go.

“It is with this deep understanding and love that I now ask my wife for forgiveness for the hurt I have caused and for the pain I have inflicted knowingly and unknowingly. My hope is that Temitope is ready to release the anger, the resentment, and the wounds of the past. I know that the road ahead will not be easy, but I am willing to put in the effort to make it right, no matter how much it takes.

“I believe in the power of faith, love, and determination to overcome obstacles, and I am ready to begin this uneasy yet necessary journey of healing and rebuilding.

“To Temitope, I offer my most sincere apologies. I ask for your forgiveness, and I plead for your hand in this renewed commitment to our union. Together, let us move forward with love, understanding, and a renewed sense of purpose and belief in God to continue to guide and lead us through as we move forward in our renewed relationship.

“With all my heart and so help me God,” the statement read.

Some residents have urged the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode to join the race for the 2027 governorship race, saying he has the Midas touch to transform the state if given the second chance to complete the good job he started.

It would be recalled that Ambode who governed the state from 2015 – 2019 lost the ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) under controversial circumstances during the primary election, a development that denied him a second term in office.

However, residents of the nation’s commercial nerve centre under the aegis of Lagos Residents Association (LRA) in a statement by its President General, Dr. Olumuyiwa Adesanmi urged the Lagos State chapter of the APC to give its governorship ticket to the former governor.

Adesanmi said it is the constitutional right of the one-term governor to seek a second term, saying the circumstances under which he lost the party’s ticket for a second term was suspicious.

The group therefore urged the former governor to join in the race to succeed the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu whose second term in office will end in 2027.

He said, “Former Gov. Ambode enjoys humongous support among residents of Lagos whose lives he touched positively while in office. We all understand how he lost his bid for a second term in office and not on the ground of performance.

“The legacy he left behind both in human capital development, infrastructure and total transformation of Lagos is still there for all to see.

“We residents of the state are solidly behind him and calling him to come back and complete what he has started in our dear state”, the group demanded.

It has also volunteered to purchase the nomination and expression of interest forms of the governing APC for the former governor to contest the 2027 governorship election.

By Chukwudi Akasike


Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, who was recently adjudged the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers by an Appeal Court, speaks to CHUKWUDI AKASIKE about the delay in his reinstatement, among other related issues

How do you feel about the court ruling affirming you as president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers?

Of course, I am happy. There is no way we will not be happy because I believe in justice and Nigerians also believe in justice. I also do not believe in violence because I am a man of peace. That is why you see me going to court over the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. It (judgment) shows that the masses today can go to court and expect justice to be done to their matters. It is a thing of joy to our members that they can seek justice in the court and get justice.

But those who lost against you in court are also members of the union. Have you reached out to them about your aim to ensure and sustain unity in the NURTW?

To me as a trade unionist, I believe there is no winner and there is no loser. As a journalist interviewing me, you are a member of one union or the other. Being a journalist, I know you can be a unionist. You may not be very active in trade unionism, but you are a member of a union. What I am saying in essence is that every member of the union is our person. It doesn’t matter if a member is part of the union that lost or won, he or she is still a member of the union so far the person follows the dictates of the law governing the union and the country. We are together to achieve great things for the union, and that is what matters most.

Have you reached out to NURTW members to calm them down not take the law into their own hands?

Well, I don’t think that we need to reach out to anybody to calm down. The point is that the people should obey the law. I don’t think there should be any argument about that. Whatever the dictates of the law, you as a citizen have to obey the law. It is when you obey the law that we can now sit down to have one-on-one discussions.

How did you feel in 2023 when it dawned on you that you have been removed as the NURTW president?

I did not feel bad because I always believed in the slogan of the union, ‘The struggle continues’. Again, I can say that I was not removed. They (my opponents) came there with thugs and tried to break all the doors of our office (NURTW national secretariat in Abuja). I had to move out of the place. They cannot come there and say they have removed me; I have my followers, but I told them (my followers) to calm down and that none of them should fight because we are all members of the same union.

I also told my members during the attack by the thugs that they should realise that we all are members of the same union and should not fight. I told them that we should not destroy the union with our actions. So, we allowed them to enter and we left the premises (of the NURTW national secretariat). I applied caution and restrained myself and my followers from fighting back or doing anything against the law.

As the legal battle went on before you eventually got judgment, did you at any point lose hope that victory would come your way?

As a human being, you should know that you must put your hope in Almighty Allah. As far as court cases are concerned, nobody can truly say the outcome until judgment is delivered. You cannot predict what the judiciary will say on any case until judgment is pronounced. You cannot say you are going to win or lose. That is why every man must pray and rely on God. But I knew at some point that I would win because I rely solely on God.

At a point, the crisis rocking the union took a frightening turn when a group of armed thugs invaded the NURTW national secretariat in Abuja and in the process, a security guard was killed. Where do you think the thugs came from? Who were their sponsors?

Everybody knows where the thugs came from. They were brought from Lagos. The sponsor of the thugs is my opponent. He spent almost nine years, and eight months in office as NURTW president and didn’t want to leave the position.

How many years is the president of the NURTW expected to stay in office?

An NURTW president is expected to spend four years, for one tenure, and eight years, for two tenures. My predecessor spent nine years as NURTW president. He completed Gidado’s remaining one year and did four years for two terms, making it nine years.

Why did members of the union not raise the alarm at that time?

When Alhaji Gidado died, Najeem (Yasin) was the deputy president then. So, it was automatic for him (Najeem) to complete Gidado’s tenure. We did not feel bad; we supported him to be there because we didn’t want any crisis in our union.

What triggered the crisis that led to the attack on the union’s national secretariat by thugs?

To me, only the general secretary can explain that to you. You know that I am a career officer. So, those who should answer that question know more than I do about what started the crisis in 2023.

Based on the Appeal Court’s ruling on November 8, Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, has been removed as the NURTW president. Why have you not been reinstated as the NURTW president?

You know that the law is a process, and we must follow the due process of the law. You cannot just bring any person and put them there as the union’s president because you have court judgment. Due process has to be followed. We are following due process to ensure that I am reinstated as the NURTW president, and I know MC Oluomo is not above the law; I am also not above the law. So, MC Oluomo cannot say he will not vacate that position.

Has MC Oluomo reached out to you after the judgment?

I will not answer that question directly. I will only tell you that MC Oluomo is very junior to me, and as of today, MC Oluomo is not a member of the union. So, whatever anybody tells you is not correct.

If you are saying he is not a member of the union, how did he get screened, win the election, and become the president of the union?

There was no election. The constitution of the union is very clear. Our election is once in four years, which we did in May and August. You know we are now in November; so, there was no election. You can ask them to tell you who was at the meeting where such a decision (making MC Oluomo the president of the union) was taken. They said they held a meeting, but he (MC Oluomo) is not even a zonal chairman. So, who were the people in the meeting they talked about? Was there any president (of the NURTW) in that meeting?

Are you not afraid that MC Oluomo’s occupation of the position of the union’s president may trigger another round of legal tussle over the leadership of the NURTW?

When somebody is not a member of a union, which court is he going to take me to? If someone is not a union member, you can’t be talking about any legal tussle. Which legal tussle are you talking about? There is no legal tussle or battle anywhere.

MC Oluomo is a strong loyalist of President Bola Tinubu. Are you worried that this may hinder your reinstatement as the president of the NURTW as directed by the court?

I don’t know what you are talking about. All I know is that I am President Bola Tinubu’s son. I am a Yoruba man and a member of the All Progressives Congress. So, everybody in Nigeria today is a son or daughter of President Tinubu. So, MC Oluomo is not the only son or loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You and I and other Nigerians are Bola Tinubu’s sons now.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to obey the court judgment that affirmed your leadership of the NURTW. Do you think the government has a hand in the crisis rocking the union?

I am not aware of that because there is no information from anywhere to that effect. No one has told me that the Federal Government has a hand in the crisis affecting our union. I only heard the rumour that a top government official had been supporting him (MC Oluomo). That is the rumour that is making the rounds. Up till yesterday (Wednesday), we also heard that this top government official told MC Oluomo that he should not leave office and that nothing will happen. But it is a rumour because I did not hear it from the top government official himself. You know how rumours fly in our union, and when they do not see anything, they will not say it. They must see traces before they can say it out.

Before the court judgment, can you say the relationship between you and MC Oluomo was cordial?

You are taking me back. I said MC Oluomo is my boy. We don’t have issues. He was a member of the union before, but now, he is no longer a member.

What is your view about the government’s interference in the affairs of your union and other unions like the Student Union Government, and market unions?

I am not aware that the government interferes in our union’s affairs. I can only speak for my union (NURTW) and not for other unions, groups, or organisations. In my union’s case, I can only advise the government to let the law take its course. Whoever wins should be allowed to lead, and whoever loses should wait for another election.

When NURTW is mentioned, what immediately comes to mind is thuggery and violence. How do you intend to erase this impression?

We are not in support of violence. That was why when some sponsored thugs came to attack our secretariat, we did not fight them. We in NURTW are not thugs. I am the father of a lawyer; my first daughter is a lawyer, my second daughter is a medical doctor, and I have two or three people in the university now. So, can you call me a thug?

Instead of fighting, I should think of my child, who is a lawyer. She will not be happy that her father is involved in violence. There is no thuggery in our union. Those who fight or get involved in thuggery are not members of our union; they are not drivers. In our union, we don’t fight. Even if we have any misunderstanding as union members, within the next 20 minutes or one hour, that misunderstanding must have been resolved.

What is your message to members of your union?

I will tell all members of the union to be calm. We don’t want any crisis in the union. That was why we went to court to seek redress on the issue concerning the leadership of the union. By the grace of God, I will be in office. So, everybody should be calm.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says the federal government’s initiative to sell crude priced in the local currency is faltering, as the plant is still unable to secure adequate supplies.

Edwin Devakumar, the vice-president of Dangote Industries Limited, spoke to Reuters on Friday.

“We need 650,000 barrels per day, (state oil firm NNPC Ltd) agreed to give a minimum of 385,000 bpd but they are not even delivering that,” Devakumar said.

He described the deliveries from Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited under the scheme as “peanuts”.

Also speaking, Mathins Obaze, an acting executive director of the Crude Oil Refinery-owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), said only the Dangote refinery, one of eight refineries in operation in Nigeria, has benefited from the naira-denominated crude sales arrangement.

“Members are still unable to access crude in naira and are currently engaging the government for a resolution,” Obaze said.

On October 5, the federal government said Nigeria officially commenced the sale of crude oil and refined petroleum products in naira — with Dangote refinery focusing on local supply.

A few weeks later, the refinery received four cargoes of crude oil from the NNPC under the naira-for-crude sale agreement.

On November 21, the Lekki-based refinery purchased its first shipment of US oil after a three-month break as the firm sought to increase production.

By Daily Trust


The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said food scarcity, insecurity and high prices have forced Nigerian households to cut consumption.

To this end, the body said 65 percent of families and other residents are unable to afford healthy meals over lack of money.

NBS disclosed this in its latest General Household Survey Panel (Wave 5) report conducted in collaboration with the World Bank.

The report said 71 percent of households were impacted by price increases on major food items, with food shortages affecting more than a third of households in the past year.

These shortages, it noted, were most pronounced in June, July, and August, exacerbating the food insecurity crisis.

The data further said 48.8 percent of households reported reducing their food consumption as a coping mechanism.

“In the past 12 months, more than one-third of households faced food shortages, which occurred more frequently in the months of June, July, and August.

“Price increases on major food items were the most prevalent shock reported by households, affecting 71.0 percent of surveyed households.”

The report said the number of households worried about not having enough food to eat increased from 36.9 percent in Wave 4 (conducted in 2019) to 62.4 percent in Wave 5.

According to NBS, the surge was due to an increase in food insecurity, with more than half of Nigerian families struggling to meet their dietary needs.

“Approximately two out of three households (65.8 percent) reported being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days.

“63.8 percent of households ate only a few kinds of food due to lack of money, 62.4 percent were worried about not having enough food to eat, and 60.5 percent ate less than they thought they should,” the report added.

It further said 12.3 percent reported that at least one person in the household went without eating for a whole day and 20.8 percent of households had to borrow food or rely on help from friends or relatives.

“In general, households in the southern zones report more incidents related to food security than those in northern zones.

“For example, in the southern zones, the proportion of households reporting that they had to skip a meal ranged from 50.1 percent in South West to 62.4 percent in South East, while in the northern zones this share varied from 34.0 percent in North Central to 48.3 percent in North East.”

NBS noted that residents in the south-south zone had the highest (most concerning) rate in five out of eight indicators of food insecurity.

“In contrast, the data bureau said north-central had the lowest rate in six of the eight indicators”, it submitted.

Twenty-four hours after criticising the policies of President Bola Tinubu administration and disclosing its choice of candidates in the next 2027 elections, the apex northern sociocultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has suspended its chairman of the National Executive Council, Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN.

LEADERSHIP reports that ACF held its NEC meeting on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at its headquarters in Kaduna.

In a statement jointly signed by Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu (Wazirin Dutse) and Alhaji Murtala Aliyu (Matawallen Gombe), ACF Board of Trustees chairman and Secretary General, respectively, they noted in particular, that Mr. Osuman was quoted as saying that the North will back a northern candidate for the presidency come 2027.

“The statements were made by the NEC Chairman without consulting or discussing with other leaders and members of the ACF and thus, reflected Mr. Osuman’s personal opinion only.

“ACF rejects Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman’s statements in their entirety. For this reason, the leadership of the ACF’s Board of Trustees (BOT) and that of its NEC has decided to place Mr. Mamman Mike Osuman on suspension with immediate effect,” they stated.

The Forum said a committee has been constituted for further investigations.

Security operatives engaged in a gun duel in Anambra on Wednesday after both camps thought they were dealing with gunmen from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The incident occurred on Wednesday in Nnewi, the home town of Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator who died on July 27 in London.

Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesperson of the Anambra police command, told journalists in Awka that the shooting began when another security agency mistook police operatives for unfriendly forces.

Ikenga said contrary to reports in certain quarters, the shooting was not an attempt to disrupt the burial of the senator.

“The command is aware of the shooting incident that took place at Izuchukwu Junction on Nnobi/Nnewi road by 7pm on Wednesday, where security operatives mistook the police operatives as unfriendly forces and opened fire at them,” he said.

“We emphasise that the attack on the operatives was not from non-state actors or any attempt to disrupt the burial of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.”

The police spokesperson said preliminary information showed that the security operatives had trailed a suspect to a checkpoint before the gun duel ensued.

“Unfortunately, bullets hit the fuel tank of the Toyota Venza Sedan carrying the men, and it was razed down,” he added.

“Two innocent passersby were injured and they have been taken to the hospital. We call for calm to allow for investigations into the incident as the issue is under control.”

Ikenga said joint security forces have been deployed to ensure calm in Nnewi throughout the burial ceremony.

Ubah would be buried on November 22 in his home in Otolo, Nnewi.

Sources privy to the incident told SaharaReporters that Uba’s trial followed a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Aformer member of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Andy Uba, along with his daughter and others defrauded Doris Uboh, a former member of the House of Representatives representing the Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State, of N400 million, sources told SaharaReporters.

Earlier on Wednesday, a News Agency of Nigeria report published by SaharaReporters announced that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had sued the former Senator representing Anambra South, Uba, and two others, for alleged fraud.

The IGP in a two-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, joined Uba’s daughter, Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu as second and third defendants respectively.

Abdulrashid Sidi filed the charge, dated October 8, on October 10 in the Legal/Prosecution Section at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Count 1 of the charges accused Andy Uba, Crystal, Etu and one Hajiya Fatima, who is at large, of conspiring amongst themselves to commit the offence sometime in 2022.

Uba and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence and making a presentation to George Uboh that they had perfected ways to ensure the appointment of any interested person who could afford N400 million as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

According to sources, Uba duped Doris Uboh of N400 million in 2022, after promising her an opportunity to become the MD of NDDC through then first lady, Aisha Buhari.

Sources privy to the incident told SaharaReporters that Uba’s trial followed a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

“The money was wired from an account used by Uboh to a bureau de change used by Andy Uba to launder money and after the BDC owners were arrested, they confessed that they routinely collected money from Andy Uba through their account and converted to dollars for him,” one of the sources said.

“However, when Andy was arrested after a petition to the Police IG, he got a Federal Capital Territory court judge, Justice S. B. Belgore to grant an order preventing his arrest. But a petition challenging the perpetual order got the case discharged and the order was removed, leading to Andy Uba’s trial.”

SaharaReporters also learnt that Uba’s daughter, Crystal, was arrested while attempting to withdraw part of the money.

“The daughter, Crystal Uba, who recently got married was arrested in the bank when a portion of the money was being cashed,” another source said.

The source also stated that one of the accused persons regarding the fraud, Hajia Fatima, who is close to Aisha Buhari, wife of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, had refunded N50 million out of the N200 million she collected.

“Hajia Fatima, who is close to Aisha Buhari and said to be currently at large, already refunded N50 million out of the N200 million she collected,” the source said.

The source added that Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote also reported to the former Inspector General of Police that Uba had used his name to scam someone out of a large sum of money.

"Also, a man reportedly stabbed Andy Uba at the home of the former Police IG because Andy allegedly scammed him out of N2 billion, promising to secure him a top position in Buhari’s government,” the source said.

“There was a court order that cleared the way for his arraignment,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Justice S. B. Belgore of the FCT High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division in a September 2024 ruling struck out a case filed by Senator Uba for lack of diligent prosecution.

The case, with suit number FCT/HC/CV/5038/2023, was between Senator Andy E. Uba as the Applicant and Panic Alert Security System Ltd, Clean Vision and Company Limited, George Uboh, Benjamin Etu, the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Musa Ibrahim, Assistant Superintendent of Police Dauda Yakubu, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Duniya Shehu as the Respondents.

In his ruling, Justice Belgore said, “Upon the hearing of the Originating Motion during the court proceedings on the 24th day of September 2024, it became evident that the Applicant had failed to comply with the Order of the Court granted on the 28th day of May, 2024.

"Consequently, after full consideration of this application, I find merit in the Respondent’s submission, and it is hereby ordered as follows: This suit, No. FCT/HC/CV/5038/2023, is struck out for lack of diligent prosecution."

The Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, has revealed that the former Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, opposed the nomination of his son, Cyril, as Commissioner for Health-designate.

PUNCH Online reports that Governor Monday Okpebholo appointed Dr Cyril Adams Oshiomhole as Commissioner for Health-designate last Tuesday, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Idahosa described Cyril as a seasoned medical doctor who is fully qualified to serve in the cabinet.

He stated, “Senator Adams Oshiomhole is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his son, like any other individual, has his own destiny. Cyril is a seasoned medical doctor. He studied in Nigeria and went on to further his studies in the United States. He is fully qualified to be in the cabinet. The fact that he is Oshiomhole’s son does not disqualify him from holding a position he is competent to manage. He will serve as Commissioner for Health based on merit.”

Refuting allegations of nepotism and state capture, Idahosa noted that the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress opposed his son’s nomination.

“This position has nothing to do with Adams Oshiomhole. In fact, Adams opposed it. He was against the nomination because of the vision the governor has for the people of Edo State. The governor made the decision to appoint Cyril based on competence, not because of his father,” Idahosa explained.

Addressing comparisons with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s remarks about state capture, Idahosa added, “What is happening in Edo State is far from state capture. It is about ensuring competence and delivering results for the people.”

On his role as deputy governor, Idahosa said, “The governor and I discuss cabinet matters, but my main statutory function as deputy governor is overseeing the boundary commission, which I will chair.”

Hadiza, the wife of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, has tackled Basir, her son, for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The two members of el-Rufai’s family were tackling each other on X on Tuesday after Bashir said “a mental illness” was “permeating” Tinubu’s media team over the presidency’s recent attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

On Sunday, Obasanjo described the 2023 elections as a “travesty” and posited that Nigeria must appoint new, credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with short tenure to prevent corruption and re-establish trust in the institution.

The presidency felt insulted by Obasanjo’s remarks and questioned the former president’s moral ground to make such a statement.

Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, said Obasanjo presided over the most fraudulent election in Nigeria’s history.

Onanuga added that subsequent administrations have been battling the “poor choices in economic management made” during the former president’s tenure.

But in his post, Bashir described Tinubu’s media team as “ineffectual clowns” for attacking Obasanjo when “inflation is at 33 percent”.

The post gathered several comments, one of which was from Hadiza.

The former Kaduna first lady asked Bashir if he would “be saying this if your father were part of this government?”

Underneath, Bashir replied that his father “would have resigned by now due to the failure of the administration”.

He added that El-Rufai would have “dissociated” himself from the government.

Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has appealed to the upper chamber to support the widow of late Ifeanyi Ubah to replace her husband as the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District.

Mr Ndume made the appeal on Tuesday during the valedictory session organised by the Senate in honour of the late senator.

Mr Ubah, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), died at the age of 52 in a London hospital after a brief illness in July.

He defected to the APC from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in October 2023 and declared his interest in contesting the Anambra 2025 governorship election.

Until his death, Mr Ubah was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream. Kano South Senator Kawu Sumaila has since been appointed to replace him.

During the valedictory service, Mr Ndume appealed to his colleagues to ensure that the late Mr Ubah’s widow replaced her husband to continue the senator’s legacies.

The Borno senator recounted that some deceased senators were succeeded by their wives and relations. In contrast, others became members of the upper chamber under the influence of their husbands and fathers.

He appealed that this should be extended to Mr Ubah’s widow.

“It happened before. Chuba Okadigbo was a great politician. When he died, years after, his wife, the widow Margery, sitting around here.

“Our first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, came to the Senate by the virtue of the people of Lagos and her husband who is the president who served two terms… They insisted that she should go for third term. In fact, she told me that her dream was to be a pastor.

“Abiru’s father was a great senator in 1979. Right here is Yar’Adua? Everybody knows Yar’Adua (Katsina Central Senator).

“Senator (Iyabo) Obasanjo, if you remember, is the daughter of General Obasanjo. Sitting in front of me is Dafinone, his father, was a great senator,” he said.

Mr Ndume, therefore, appealed to his colleagues to support Mr Ubah’s wife in getting her late husband’s seat.

“Finally, Mr. President, my appeal to you and distinguished colleagues, his wife, fortunately, is 50 years or so, a wonderful wife. Let us support the family to have a spirit representative of Ifeanyi here in the chamber when election of Anambra of the senatorial district that he represents,” he said.

“What I want to appeal to you, Mr President, is, let us keep his spirit, aspirations of ifeanyi alive,” Mr Ndume added.


How senators are elected

In Nigeria, senators are elected according to Section 65 of the constitution.

Any Nigerian who wants to become a member of the upper chamber of the Bi-cameral National Assembly has to be nominated by a party, contest an election organised by INEC, and emerge victorious before the person is inaugurated.

The media team of President Bola Tinubu is back in the news for yet another controversy.

The development comes as Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson of Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, joined the communication team of Tinubu.

On Monday, Bwala announced that he had taken over as Presidential spokesman.

“Today, I resumed officially as the Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson (State House),” he posted and posted pictures of a briefing with State House Correspondents.

But a few hours later, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who had been acting as presidential spokesman since the exit of Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in September, countered Bwala.

In a statement issued late Monday, Onanuga, who has since moved into the office occupied by Ngelale, said there was no single spokesperson for Tinubu, but three.

He also announced that slight changes had been made in the presidential communication team.

“President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team to enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery.

“The restructuring is as follows: 1.Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications.

“2.Mr. Daniel Bwala – announced last week as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, is now special adviser Policy Communication.

“These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy , underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency. Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government. This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements.”

Neither Bwala nor Onanuga could be reached for comments as there were no replies to calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report.

This is not the first time that Tinubu’s communication team would come under the spotlight for what could be considered as controversial reasons.

In commemoration of the first anniversary of Tinubu in office, Onanuga and Ngelale issued contradictory statements.

While Onanuga had said Tinubu was breaking away from the tradition of nationwide broadcast, but would address a joint session of the National Assembly, Ngelale described the statement as false.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not make a broadcast to the nation on Wednesday to celebrate his first anniversary as the leader of Nigeria. Instead, the President will address a joint session of the National Assembly, which has lined up a programme to commemorate 25 years of the nation’s democratic journey at both the executive and legislative levels,” Onanuga had said.

But a few hours later, Ngelale tweeted: “In view of public commentary concerning the President delivering a speech before a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly tomorrow, May 29, 2024, it is important to state that this information is false and unauthorized as the Office of the President was not involved in the planning of the event.”


Public reaction

Nigerians reacted to the unfolding drama at the presidency in a series of tweets.

Tweeting via @Karovoni, a user wrote, “While Bwala was at Channels TV talking about his role as SA Media and Public Communication, his job was being given to someone else. Lol.”

@femyek wrote: “Three persons speaking for the president will achieve the exact opposite of what is intended (as referenced above) You cannot get the same explanation of a simple policy question by three persons. These roles and their nomenclatures are not well thought out.”

@Anadio_ “Three spokespersons for one president seem redundant and inefficient.”

@ReginaldAaron4: Does this imply the Tinubu’s communication challenges are so overwhelming that it requires multiple voices to manage, or is it simply an attempt to amplify propaganda through multiple channels?”

@yomibarca01: “The fact that there is no clear lead in the president comms shows that doom is very near. Never seen a disjointed media team like this before.

“Three spokepersons in a country that is still struggling economically like ours? What a joke!”

@TheHeroNG wrote: “Three of you doing the same job. So much for cutting the cost of governance.”

@GENERALEMINA: “They break @BwalaDaniel backbone, parading himself as government spoke person, now restricted to only policy communication.”

“Government of special advisers
Congratulations to the presidency for moving Nigeria. More Special advisers on communication are needed. We need 6 advisers on communication. Each will be assigned to one of the 6 regions to enlighten the locals on the good works of Mr. President.”

Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, has taken to his official social media handle, @SundayDareSD to claim that President Bola Tinubu conferred the national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister.

The special adviser’s statement contradicts the Presidency’s official account and confuses the CON with the GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger).

Dare shared this claim at 4:08 pm on Monday, and at press time, it had gained over 16,000 views.

He referred to Modi’s Sunday visit to Nigeria and said Tinubu and Modi signed MoUs on culture and cooperation, customs cooperation, and survey cooperation.

Dare’s post read, “The bilateral proceeding was chaired seamlessly by President Bola Tinubu. Both Nigeria and India exchanged signed MOUs on Culture Cooperation, Customs Cooperation and Survey Cooperation. The Indian PM was decorated with an honorary national honour CON by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The post includes a 43-second video that captures Tinubu, among other things, putting a garland around his Indian counterpart’s neck.

FIJ reviewed the presidency’s public statements and found an announcement published 24 hours before Dare’s post.

On the official Nigeria president’s social media page @NGRPresident, the presidency shared a post at 4:34 pm on Sunday titled, ‘President Bola Tinubu confers GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger) honour on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’.

Attached to this post was a statement and a picture of both heads of state in a handshake pose.

Before the presidency made its post, Modi shared the development with his over 103 million followers some three hours earlier.

Dare’s claim that the president conferred CON on Modi is misleading. The CON honour is below the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) and GCON honours. Being one of the president’s spokespersons, the publication could mislead members of the public.

Nigerian economists and financial analysts say the recent drop in price of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) upon direct fuel purchase deal between Dangote Refinery and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria may force inflationary pressures down in the coming months.

Former President of the Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Prof. Segun Ajibola, and the CEO of SD & D Capital Management, Mr. Idakolo Gbolade, disclosed this to DAILY POST in separate interviews on Monday.

This comes as Nigeria’s headline and food inflation climbed for the second consecutive month to 33.88 percent and 39.16 percent in October 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index.

On a year-on-year and month-on-month basis, the country’s inflation grew by 6.55 percent and 2.64 percent, respectively.

A further analysis showed that urban and rural inflation stood at 36.38 percent and 31.59 percent for the period under review.

The development showed the worsening situation the majority of Nigerians faced in the past months, weakening purchasing power.

The inflationary pressures are not unconnected with surges in the prices of food items, transportation, pharmaceuticals, energy costs, clothing, and others in Nigeria.


CBN’s monetary policies can’t solve inflationary pressures in Nigeria — Ajibola

Reacting, Ajibola said that monetary policies such as interest rate cost by the Central Bank of Nigeria cannot solve Nigeria’s inflationary pressures because they are cost-induced.

He stressed that CBN over the years has been tackling inflation with the wrong medicine.

“Monetary policies cannot solve inflationary problems in Nigeria. The Central Bank of Nigeria has been fighting a battle that it cannot defeat because the country’s inflation pressures are cost-induced.

“It is because of a rise in demand or an increase in money supply.

“The landing cost of imported items is increasing due to the current exchange rate. Locally, there are pressures from all cost edges. So unless this is tackled, the challenges in Nigeria’s inflation will remain,” he stated.


Inflation: Nigeria yet to recover from fuel subsidy removal, Naira floating shocks – CPPE

The Executive Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said the continued rise in Nigeria’s inflation showed that the country is yet to recover from the shocks of the fuel subsidy removal policy and the Naira floating policy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government in June 2023.

“The rise in inflation is an indication that the economy is yet to recover from the shocks of the reforms in exchange rates and fuel prices.

“Hopefully, with some of the measures being implemented by the government or contemplated under the economic stabilisation plan, temporary import duty waivers, and other policies that will be fully implemented, we may see some reduction in the food prices,” he noted.


Nigerians suffering inflationary pressures for over 10 years — Idakolo slams CBN

Idakolo, on his part, said the CBN monetary policies such as the interest rate hike, which stood at 27.75 percent in October 2024, have not impacted the country’s inflationary pressures in the past 10 years.

“The CBN has tried various policies to stem inflation, but several other factors are making inflationary pressures increase.

“The economy has been experiencing inflationary pressures for the past 10 years,” he stated.


Fuel price cut: Experts speak on Dangote, IPMAN deal

Meanwhile, Ajibola and Idakolo agreed that the Dangote Petrol and IPMAN direct petrol sale deal could be the game changer during the festive period and January next year.

The assurance comes as Dangote Refinery and IPMAN signed an agreement on the purchase of 60 million litres of fuel weekly.

DAILY POST reports the price of petrol dropped between N5 and N50, selling around N1060 and N1150 per litre across filling stations in the last few days.

Speaking on the development, the renowned economist, Ajibola, said the recent drop in the price of petrol attributed to the Dangote Refinery and IPMAN deal may also force inflationary pressures down in the coming months.

“Good enough, the prices of petrol are reducing now because of the direct PMS purchase agreement between Dangote Refinery and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria; this will have a ripple effect on the cost of doing business in the country,” he noted.

However, he said the fluctuations in the country’s foreign exchange as the Naira fell to N1690.37 per dollar at the official FX market have been major impediments for Nigeria because of its dependence on imports.

“Foreign Exchange has been so tough. It is a major cost item that may require time to address.

“Similarly, the cost of energy, fuel, and electricity will have a major impact on inflationary pressures.

“Reliance on local production, reduction of import duties for some consumables, we may have gradual improvements during this year if all that has been said is implemented,” he stated.

Idakolo further told DAILY POST that “the direct petrol sale deal between Dangote refinery and IPMAN is a welcome development because it will discourage importation of petroleum products and eliminate the cost associated with importation.

“The federal government concession to sell crude to local refineries in Naira is another way of sourcing the locally refined crude at a lower cost. These measures will go a long way to ease inflation in the long run if it is consistent”.

Since last month when a new national coalition, Save Democracy Mega Alliance 2027 (SDMA’27), launched a campaign to amend Nigeria’s constitution to remove the President’s authority over the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and state governors’ power over the State Independent Electoral Commissions, SIECs, quite a number of Nigerians have applauded the move.

The coalition is also pushing for amendment in the constitution to equally remove the president’s powers over the judiciary, particularly in the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, as well as that of the Chief Judge of State in the case of state governors.

Before the group launched the campaign, there had been calls from several quarters to remove the powers to appoint the heads of the electoral body and judicial arm of the government from the president.

The argument behind the call is that such practice does not guarantee the full independence of both the electoral body and the judiciary because he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

The coalition is also arguing along the same line as it insisted that removing such powers from the president would prevent executive influence in the electoral and judicial systems by transferring the power to appoint heads of the two institutions to a new independent body to be set up thereafter.

Speaking at a briefing in Abuja, recently, the coalition’s spokesperson, Tony Akeni Le Moin, announced that the coalition would formally launch the campaign across all states, culminating in a “boot camp” finale in Abuja.

He tied the SDMA’27’s focus on two main constitutional amendments, stripping the president and governors of their powers to appoint INEC, SIEC, and judiciary heads and transferring these responsibilities to a body of non-partisan and integrity-vetted Nigerians.

The coalition which has been endorsed by prominent leaders and pro-democracy groups across the country, has also garnered support from Professor Pat Utomi, a well-respected political economist.

Utomi, who has described the movement as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s democracy since 1999, equally referenced the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform report as the most appropriate point to start from.

According to him, the report also recommended executive appointment reforms for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the judiciary, as insulating the institutions from executive influence would foster fair elections and improve governance.

The coalition outlined a three-point plan, including mobilising national consensus across political, religious, and civil society networks to create a unified demand for constitutional reforms. The group’s target is to build momentum for a national conference to formally propose the amendments and to lobby both the national and state assemblies to strip the executive of its overbearing influence on the INEC and the judiciary.

The step according to the group is to forestall the reoccurrence of the ugly incident that characterized the 2023 elections in 2027.

It warned that without the reforms, the 2027 elections would likely be a rehearsal of past electoral manipulations.

The group invoked Rev. Martin Luther King Junior’s words on the need for organised resistance, urging Nigerians to prepare for what they described as a “national emergency” to restore Nigeria’s democracy.

Commenting on the development, the president of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus told DAILY POST that it is not necessarily about who appoints, but most importantly about who fires.

Ho noted that in addition to who fires, the institution must be strengthened such that who appoints or fires doesn’t matter much as such a person would always be guided and put under check by such a strong institution in place.

He said: “The truth about the matter in Nigeria is not even about who appoints the head of the electoral body or the judiciary, but who fires who. Yes, who fires who matters to some extent.

“If the president can appoint but he has no powers to fire or to remove, that might solve the problem.

“It is the fear of being fired if you not do what they want that makes them do what they do rather than just because you appoint them, because even if you appoint somebody and you don’t grease his elbows and he doesn’t fear that if he doesn’t do what you want he might be fired, then he will not be obliged to do what you want him to do. So, it doesn’t necessarily matter who appoints who but who fires who.

“Secondly, the institution has to be strengthened to the level that people will even fear to do the wrong thing.

“For instance, in China, they have a rule that one can lose his life even in some common things we call gratifications here, not to even talk of the real bribery.

“If judges, INEC boss or any other person knows that if he does the wrong thing and it is traced that he can lose his life, he will not compromise, no matter the amount of money that is involved. That checks and balances can keep them away from doing the wrong thing and force them to do the right thing.

“So, it is not who appoints or who fires but as I said that who fires and the laws have to be strengthened such that the checks and balances are so stringent.

“And that if you do wrong, you know you could lose your life and all your families will be obliterated, so you will not do it.

“So, I think these are the things we need to introduce into the law, rather than who appoints and who doesn’t appoint.

“And then, we can strengthen the law to go beyond that, by saying that even the person who influenced them to do the wrong thing should equally be treated the way the offenders are treated.

“That way, we can ensure that things are done rightly. You know the problem is not that we don’t have laws on the ground. As I am talking, there are laws on the ground that I believe have checks and balances in this regard, but the institutions are weak; and because they are weak, these laws don’t mean a lot.

“So, we should know how to strengthen the institutions, whether it is INEC, the police, the military or the judiciary, so that they can be independent. They can have real probity, accountability and then a respect of law will come in.

“We have already messed the system up and it would require these draconian rules and laws to be able to do the right thing again.”

Also, in his submission, president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima expressed doubt about setting up an independent body to oversee such appointments.

He said the system has been so centralized that granting independence to such a separate body might not be possible because the president and commander in chief has enormous powers to do anything.

“The problem is with the independent body. How can you talk about independence when you have a system that is already centralized? And that is why I am an advocate of decentralization. Who is independent now in the country?

“Now, specifically, you are talking about the appointment of the INEC chairman which is the one that is expected to go through screening and be nominated by the NASS.

“That is what I am getting from other quarters but the fact still remains that we still have the commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who oversees everything.”

He also expressed doubt about the capacity of the current National Assembly, NASS, to strip the president of such powers.

He cited the alleged rubber stamp disposition of the current NASS to buttress his argument.

He told DAILY POST that, “stripping the president of the powers to appoint the INEC chairman or the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, cannot happen under the watch of the current NASS that I know of.

“The current NASS is a total rubber stamp and they can’t do anything. So, I don’t even want to waste my energy by saying I believe or assume that anything like that will ever happen. Maybe in the future that will be done but not now.”

He also emphasised the need for strong institutions as the panacea to most of the problems confronting the country at present.

He equally advised that instead of the group or any other person or persons dissipating their energy pushing to strip the president of such power, they should come together and push that INEC as an institution should be strengthened such that it can no longer dance to the whims and caprices of anybody, including the president.

“So, rather than wasting our energy on that; let us see how we can strengthen the institutions. It is not about the independence of the INEC but about strengthening the INEC as an institution.

“There are a lot of reforms that need to be carried out in INEC. If those reforms can be put in place, I think we would have solved most of the problems confronting the INEC and the president will no longer have the capacity to influence the body,” he submitted.

Also speaking, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Adebayo Fadipe, lauded the move, saying it would restore the integrity of the electoral body.

He believes that the name ‘independence,’ as attached to the electoral body’s name, is just a mere whitewash as the body is under the firm control of the President who hires and fires at will.

He also lamented that chairmen of the INEC in the past have all compromised except one or two of them who distinguished themselves creditably.

“But if the powers are removed from the president and given to an independent body, meaning that the INEC chairman is no longer answerable to the president, I think we will begin to have a semblance of credible election in this country.

“The INEC chairmen have always been under the firm grip of the president who dictates what happens. And the past chairmen including the current one have always danced to the tune of the powers that appointed them and it should not be like that.

“They should be independent and work for the good of all Nigerians and not work for a group of individuals. That is why it has not been possible to have credible elections in Nigeria.

“But, if that is done, then it will open a new chapter of electoral credibility in Nigeria.

“All the manipulations that have come to characterise our electoral jurisprudence will become things of the past and the country can become a reference point for other countries when it comes to conducting credible elections,” he told DAILY POST.

President Bola Tinubu has urged candidates dissatisfied with the outcome of the Ondo State governorship election to explore the opportunities provided by the judicial system to seek redress.

President Tinubu who congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also commended the peaceful conduct of the process.

The President congratulated other candidates of the 17 political parties for the maturity and sense of purpose demonstrated during the campaigns and the election, attributing the success of the polls to the civility in the state.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement enjoined political actors to allow their orderly conduct permeate the post-election activities and processes.

“Those dissatisfied with the outcome of the election can explore the opportunities provided by the judicial system to seek redress on areas of conflict,” the statement read.

“President Tinubu believes the Ondo State election was another litmus test of the capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission, affirming that the electoral body justified the confidence of the people with early preparations, deployment of staff and materials, and handling of the electoral process.”

The President also commended INEC for the efficiency of uploading more than 98 per cent of results on the same day of the election.

The President extended his appreciation to the Nigerian Police Force, National Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Youth Service Corps, the military and other security outfits for their professionalism in maintaining peace and order.

Reactions have trailed the recognition of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Daily Trust reports that the Vice President on his official Facebook and other social media accounts had addressed Sanusi as the 16th Emir, prompting reactions by social media users who took it as an endorsement of Sanusi’s legitimacy to the Kano throne.

While the Kano Emirates tussle is still in courts, the state has witnessed emergence of two emirs—Sanusi and the 15th Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero.

The post initially reads; “On Saturday, I attended the Wedding Fatiha of the daughter of former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

“Kwankwaso gave his daughter, Dr. Aishatu Kwankwaso’s hand in marriage to Fahad, the son of Katsina-based business mogul, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.

“The wedding which took place at the palace of the 16th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II was conducted by the Chief Imam of Kano, Prof. Sani Zahraddeen.

“I shared my heartfelt wishes with the newly-weds, hoping for a lifetime of happiness together.”

However, after some pockets of reactions by social media users, the third paragraph in the post was later edited omitting the name of the emir.

It now reads; “The wedding which took place at the Kano Emir’s palace, was conducted by the Chief Imam of Kano, Prof. Sani Zahraddeen.”

Reacting, a social media user, Alhassan Ali Lawan said, “We are glad for honouring the invitation your Excellency! We are also happy for recognizing our Emir as the 16th Emir of Kano State. The presidential candidate (Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso PhD) is wishing you well and safe back home! Thanks once again!!!”

Another user, Najeeb Sule Alfindi said, “The best paragraph that impresses me is 3rd paragraph, where you said which took place at the palace of the Emir of Kano, and then you mentioned who is the Emir Muhammad Sunusi II. Thank you, Sir.”

Musa Kabir wrote, “Masha Allah! Your Excellency on behalf of good people of Kano State we really appreciated your attendance. I know you can unite the six goepolitical zones in this country. Secondly I really appreciated your second statement that called the 16th Emir of Kano State. Malam Sunusi Lamido Sunusi is our choice and I pray for you one day to be the driver of this nation.”

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By Idowu Isamotu


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has attributed frequent collapse of national grid to the usage of substandard electric materials supplied by those he described as corrupt contractors in the power sector.

The anti-graft agency, which also lamented poor implementation and execution of capital projects in the country, explained that Nigeria could not achieve infrastructural or any form of growth under such conditions.

Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the EFCC, disclosed this at the commission’s headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday when members of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes visited him.

Daily Trust reports that no fewer than 17 Northern states were thrown into darkness for more than one week following frequent collapse of the national grid due to attacks on electricity towers by the bandits.

The grid has recorded 10 collapses this year, plunging the entire country into darkness. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has blamed the trend on obsolete power infrastructure.

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Speaking during the visit, the EFCC boss revealed that investigations carried out by the agency showed that contractors in the power sector, who were awarded projects to supply electrical equipment, often opted for substandard materials.

He noted that this “dubious” practice was a major cause of frequent equipment failures, outages and grid collapses as witnessed recently.

He said, “As I am talking to you now, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears.

“People who were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment, instead of using what they call 9.0 guage, they will go and buy 5.0. Every time you see the thing tripping off, the thing gets burnt, and all of that, it falters and it collapses. It’s part of our problems.”

Speaking further, he also said the commission discovered that in the last 20 years, capital project implementation and execution in the country were not up to 20 percent.

Olukoyede said, “We discovered that in the last 15 to 20 years, we have not done up to 20% of our capital project implementation and execution. And if we don’t do that, how do you want to have infrastructural development?

“How do you want to grow as a nation? So, our mandate this year is to work with that directorate and with the National Assembly to see if we can meet up to 50% of our execution of our capital project for the year

“If we do 50%, we will be fine as a nation. Lack of implementation of this capital project, capital budget, is one of our major problems in Nigeria. And if we are able to tackle that effectively, we will make progress as a nation.

“So, we are doing everything to see how we can prevent that with your support.”

Damilola Aina, Dare Olawin and Moses Adewole


The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria says over 30,000 of its members are set to buy Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in bulk.

IPMAN also revealed that the price of petrol from the $20 billion Lekki-based plant was N940/litre and N990/litre when purchased using ships and trucks, respectively.

Our correspondents further gathered that the independent oil marketers might not import petrol again following the deal to begin direct lifting from the Dangote refinery.

Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, IPMAN President, Abubakar Garima, said the pump prices of petrol at its retail outlets will drop following the agreement with the Dangote refinery to lift products directly from the plant.

On Monday, IPMAN agreed with the Dangote refinery to directly lift petrol, diesel, and other petroleum products.

This agreement follows months after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation suspended its plan to serve as the sole off-taker of petroleum products from the 650,000 barrels per day refinery.

The IPMAN president explained that the Dangote refinery had been obliged to allow marketers to lift PMS, AGO, and DPK directly for onward supply to their depots and retail outlets but didn’t reveal the price.

Giving an update on pricing during the interview, the IPMAN national officer said the Refinery has provided two different rates for marketers based on their preferences.

He said marketers can load at the gantry at a price of N990 per litre or N940 through vessel transportation.

Garima said, “Presently, we have been given two different arrangments on how to buy fuel from the refinery. There is the one that we can load the vessels and carry to our various depots at the rate of N940 per litre. Then for the depots, it is at the rate of N990 per litre.

“The difference is because we have to load it and carry it to another part of the state. We use vessels to carry these products and there is another one to load from the gantry.

“For Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar, we have to use vessels because there is no Dangote loading gantry there, we have to carry it to our private depot and discharge and distribute it to our members.”

Checks by our correspondent showed that the new price is lower than the N960 and N990 per litre revealed by the refinery for ships and trucks last week.

Garima noted that the collaboration aims to ensure a consistent and affordable supply of Premium Motor Spirit and other products nationwide.


He further projected that the petrol price may be reduced by N50 or more, depending on the location of purchase.

Garima explained that direct purchases from the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery will eliminate payments to intermediaries, such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and depot owners.

According to him, this reduction in costs will be reflected in the prices of petrol within the coming weeks.

“We have the overall market in the country. We go everywhere in the country. The implication goes beyond the issue of price, but still, price is the main target.

“The masses are looking for how we, Independent Petroleum Marketers, can reduce price for them. So the price too will reduce because we are not buying through the third party.

“So the profit that we have been giving to the third party like NNPC and depot owners will be reduced. That is the issue.

“For instance, the current price in Maiduguri now is N1,200 per litre. So with these current changes, it may likely reduce to N1,150, which there is a reduction of N50. So that’s N1,150. It may even be below that.

“And as we continue, you know, this thing, since it’s deregulation. Yes. As we continue. It can go down. It can go down continuously because, provided that the product is available, you may find that the market will come a little bit low, and then the naira will start appreciating. And then if the crude oil price is reduced, automatically, the same thing will be reduced.

Garima also highlighted that this arrangement will help end fuel scarcity, as products will be more readily available.

“Again, the availability is also there. If a marketer pays for a product before, these retailers hold our money before supplying us with fuel. That’s the reason why you may find sometimes these filling stations don’t have fuel.

“But now, since we are getting the product directly from the Dangote refinery, the issue of delay is eliminated. Immediately, we get the product, we discharge to our filling stations,” he added.

Furthermore, Garima revealed that the NNPC has begun settling its N4bn debt owed to marketers.

“The NNPC has been paying our money back. We have been loading. Our money with them is reducing drastically. That one is not a problem for us now.

“The only thing still is that there are some remaining balances that they have not been able to pay our marketers to load the products. I spoke with the MD retail of NNPC and he told me that our balance will soon be sorted out,” Garima said.


On how much Nigerians will purchase, he said, “With this recent development, definitely anywhere you go, you will find that at the end of the day, we have the lowest price.”

Confirming this, the IPMAN National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, has stated that the association has started the completion of the necessary documentation to begin lifting products.

Ukadike, in an exclusive interview, also confirmed that the product would be purchased in bulk on behalf of its members.

He said, “For now, we are going to be doing it comprehensively, in an off-taker manner. All independent marketers will be buying from Dangote as directed by our president.

“We are still putting together our papers on when to start loading as quickly as possible, but the gig now is that we have been granted permission to load.”Meanwhile, the IPMAN Vice President, Hammed Fashola, told one of our correspondents that if petrol is available locally, there is no need for importation any more.

Fashola recalled that IPMAN had made it clear right from the start that it would support the Dangote refinery and that the new agreement would be a win-win for all.

“We have set it from the onset that we are ready to work with Dangote. We need to encourage him. We are very conscious of that. Based on this, we believe it is going to be a win-win situation for both Dangote and IPMAN. I am sure the price will be reasonable. We are just after the price. Once the price is okay for us, we are good to go,“ he stated.

Asked to state in clear terms if it means IPMAN would no longer pursue the licence to import petrol, Fashola replied, “Once we are having it as we need it, what is the need to import again?”

Fashola clarified that the lifting of fuel is yet to commence as both parties are still putting some logistics in place.

“No day has been fixed yet for the lifting. We still have to put in some logistics. It is not something you will just take your truck and go to Dangote. We still have to do some things—payment modalities and all that. We have to carry our members along too. We have to sensitise them about how the transaction will go. So, it is still ongoing, very soon we will start lifting. I don’t want to give a particular date,” he disclosed.


PETROAN meets Dangote

Just like IPMAN, the management of the Dangote refinery is set to meet with the officials of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria to discuss possible petrol lifting.

PETROAN Publicity Secretary, Joseph Obele, said the refinery already sent a mail through the President of the association, Billy Harry, seeking a business meeting.

According to Obele, Harry had set up a team of seven persons headed by him to represent PETROAN at the meeting.

“The Head of Commercial at the Dangote refinery has sent a mail to the National President of PETROAN, Dr Billy Hary, to anticipate a possible strategic business meeting in the coming days.

“The National President has set up a team of seven persons headed by himself who will represent PETROAN at that strategic business meeting.

“At the proposed meeting, we have to emphasise that PETROAN’s primary objective is to provide affordable, high-quality products to consumers, and to do so in compliance with all regulatory standards and industry best practices,“ he stressed.


Dangote exports petrol

Meanwhile, the Dangote refinery has agreed to export more than 200,000 metric tonnes of its petrol abroad.

A report by S&P Global Commodity Insights quoting an insider source confirmed that the refinery had signed its first export orders for its gasoline and will begin dispatching the product “as soon as the ships arrive”.

It said in the first week of November, the refinery made its first attempt to sell gasoline abroad, issuing a public tender for the fuel type, but later appeared to bow to public pressure by revoking the offer.

Three West African traders said the refinery initially issued a tender to sell 40,000 mt of gasoline, with two confirmed specified products with a sulfur content of 150 parts per million.

One source said that the refinery had called the initial tender a “mistake”, while a second called the move “controversial” while Dangote continues to produce less than a third of Nigeria’s domestic gasoline demand.

The refinery official confirmed that the 40,000 mt tenders had been cancelled but said on Nov. 11 that the company had the surplus product to begin exporting. “We have the stocks,” he said.

By Seun Opejobi


The Nigerian National Petroleum Company limited, NNPCL, has disclosed that it’s a proud part-owner of the Dangote Refinery.

This was disclosed by NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari at a conference hosted by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists in Lagos on Monday.

Following the commencement of the refinery, Aliko Dangote had accused NNPCL and some cabals in the oil sector of trying to sabotage its operations.

However, Kyari dismissed the claims that NNPCL was undermining the operations of the Dangote refinery.

He said: “The point is very far from it and I’m going to speak to it straight. We are very proud part-owners of Dangote refinery, no doubt about it.

“We saw an opportunity that there is a clear market for at least 300,000 barrels of our production; we know that as time moves on, people will start struggling to find markets for their production.

“It will happen, It’s already happening. Oil is found, as you know, in many unexpected locations across the world and people have choices.

“Therefore we saw an opportunity to log supply to the domestic refinery, not just Dangote but any other refinery that operates in the country, so it was a very informed business decision.”

The Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, on Monday, lamented that Nigeria lost out on the Halliburton scandal that broke out in the country, while the United States of America, where some persons were investigated, prosecuted and convicted, raked in over $3 billion from the scandal.

One of the subsidiaries of Halliburton, one of world’s largest providers of products, services and integrated solutions for oil and gas exploration, development and production, KBR, paid bribes to high-ranking Nigerian government officials between 1994 and 2004.

Controversies generated by the bribery scandals led the American company eventually reached a deal with the US Department of Justice to pay $382million to settle the bribery case, while some individuals were prosecuted and sentenced, others made plea bargains with the American authorities.

Speaking while receiving the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, which was on an oversight visit to the anti-corruption commission headquarters at Jabi, Abuja, Olukoyede vowed that such would not be allowed to happen again.

According to him, the Halliburton bribery scandal took place in Nigeria, while all the proofs used the Americans in the course of investigations were collected from here, yet nothing came back to Nigeria in return.

According to the chairman, “The issue of Halliburton. The scandal took place in Nigeria. The bribe was given in Nigeria. All the proofs of evidence were collected in Nigeria.

“Where the fine was charged against some of the perpetrators in the U.S. So the last time I heard that I was contacted over that matter, American system had already gotten over three billion dollars.

“And that in the form of fine, plea bargain, with respect to Halliburton and some of those cases. And where the matter was perpetrated, not one dollar came to us.

All the proof of evidence they used in America and all of that, they took it from here. They paid fine to America. They really didn’t seem it fit to give us one dime.

“I promise that none of that will happen again.”

Olukoyede said wherever anti-corruption was working, the first thing was for it to stimulate the economy, adding that the mandate of the anti-graft agency as well as that of the Senate committee was to stimulate the Nigerian economy and not to harm the people.

“Wherever you see anti-corruption was working, the first thing they do with it is to stimulate the economy. And I gave an example on the floor of the Senate.

“So it is important for us to understand also that one of the major points that we need to drive home about this mandate is to use this work to stimulate our economy, not just to harm people,” he told the senators.

He asserted that the insecurity in the country is caused by corruption and lamented the situation where money meant for critical infrastructural project is being diverted.

“We know the very, very critical state of our economy. And we know the state of our security or insecurity. And I think one of the things that is very critical to some of these problems we are having is the issue of corruption.

“Some of the monies allocated to some of these infrastructural projects, one way or the other, either diverted or upon the application of the money, we don’t get value.

“I was Chief of Staff when we did, for the first time in Nigeria, investigate the military during the arms procurement scandal.

“Some of the problems of insecurity we are facing today is likely attributable to corruption within that sphere of activities.

“And we did a lot then. And where we are, we are still battling with job insecurity,” he said.

The chairman informed that the commission was conducting investigations in the extractive sector of the economy and assured that some people would soon be charged in court.

In his words, “We are aware of the ongoing investigation in some critical areas. We are in the extractive industry very seriously. Very soon there are people that will be charged to court.

“We are also looking at the various aspects of our economy. I pledged on the floor of the Senate during the confirmation that we are going to use the mandate given us to drive policy objectives, to stimulate the economy.”

While assuring that EFCC’s fight against corruption is not meant to kill businesses, the chairman said legitimate businesses would be allowed to survive.

He added that whatever the commission is doing in waging war against corruption will be done within the confines of the law.

The chairman informed that in compliance with its establishment Act, EFCC had been able to clear the backlog of its annual report and had even submitted its 2023 report to both the Senate and the House of Representatives for consideration.

“When I was Chief of Staff, I discovered that we had a backlog of annual reports that we have not submitted for like three years. Some of my management team members were witnesses. So we went to work.

“For the first time, we were able to compile those outstanding and we submitted. Since then, we have been complying with our statutory mandate to file our report before the National Assembly, both Senate and also House of Representatives on or before September 30.

“And I’m happy to report to you that the annual report for the year 2023 is already before you in both houses. And if you look at that report very critically, it captures our operation between January and December 2023.

“And we have also responded to your request to submit starting documents and statistics with respect to our operations also between January and October this year, which we have obliged.”

He, however, solicited the support of the committee for the 2015 budget and called for retention of certain percentage of the assets recovered for the commission to be able to function effectively.

Speaking earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Emmanuel Udende, Saud members of the committee were at the EFCC headquarters as part of their oversight function with a view to knowing what the anti-graft agency was doing and its challenges

“The National Assembly gave me the report that we go out, look at what you have been doing since the beginning of the year, look at the books and make a report so that by the time the budget is brought, the National Assembly will be seized on what you have been doing and then we also look at the challenges, not only what you have been doing, what are the challenges and then how we can tackle those challenges when the budget is brought.

“We also noticed that by the provisions of the EFCC Act, you have submitted a report. We have considered the report and we are here.

“If members have questions on that report, they can ask questions. So the essence of our visit is just very simple, to look at the books, look at your budget performance, ask questions when necessary. And then since assets have been recovered, we will not waste much time,” he said.

Addressing journalists after a clised-door meeting with the EFCC chairman and management team, Senator expressed satisfaction with the commission’s performance so far.

According to him, “We are quite impressed with EFCC’s performance. As a committee, we are satisfied. We have gone through the budget performance and we are satisfied.”

Workers demand new deal for pensioners too Imo, Plateau, Osun still negotiating

With the battle for a new minimum wage settled in most of the 36 states,workers are now shifting attention to the payment of the arrears of their remuneration.

Many of the states commenced payment of the new wage last month while some have promised to do so at the end of this month.

But Imo,Osun and Plateau state governments are yet to commit themselves on how much they are willing to pay and when they plan to start paying.

The Minimum Wage Act took effect from July following the signing of the bill by President Bola Tinubu on July 29.

Negotiation between government (Federal and States),organised labour and the private sector on the matter took some time and when it was all over,the state governors asked that they be given till the end of October to enable them put their finances in order.

One of the states already preparing for negotiation of payment of arrears of the new wage is Katsina.

Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hussain Hamisu,told The Nation by phone that labour is scheduled to commence negotiations with the state government on the payment of arrears and on how retirees could benefit from the new salary structure.

The committee set up by the state government on the new minimum wage is about rounding off its assignment.

Hamisu said once the committee completes its assignment in another two weeks, negotiation on the arrears will begin.

‘’Retirees must equally be considered during negotiations, considering the fact that there was a circular on their benefits and entitlements at the time of their retirements,’’ he said.

The NLC boss said Katsina has a history of timely wage payments and taking care of the interest of workers.

The 15- member committee on the minimum wage was charged with the responsibility of advising the state government on strategy and modalities for the implementation of the new salary structure.


No question of arrears, retirees in Delta – NLC

Civil servants in Delta State are not looking forward to receiving arrears of the new minimum wage, according to the local chairman of the NLC, Comrade Goodluck Ofobrukwu.

He said the NLC was satisfied with the implementation of the new wage structure by the state government .

Ofobrukwu, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said the effective date for implementation date of the new minimum wage was October 1, and therefore will be no need for negotiations on payment of arrears.

Payment of the new minimum wage to retirees commenced also in October.

His words: “The Federal Government circular is with effect from 29th July, 2024. In Delta State, we agreed that the effective date should be 1st October, 2024, so there is no question of arrears. And we have been paid

“Some states are taking 1st November, others 1st October, some have not started. If we are adopting the circular and taking 1st October, which has been implemented, then there is no question of Delta State government paying arrears.

“The pensioners you talked about, the N32,000 that the Federal Government asked to be added to their salary has been added with effect from 1st October. That was the agreement we signed with the state government, so it has taken effect from 1st October.”


No agreement yet on arrears in Kwara

The Kwara State government agreed to commence payment of N70,000 as minimum wage from last month but asked that discussion with organized labour on arrears be put on hold.

Government, according to the local chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Olayinka Onikijipa,said sustainability of payment of the new minimum wage was more important than arrears for now.

“For sustainability, they said we should put on hold any discussion on payment of arrears,” Onikijipa said.

He added:” That is not what the law says. But we will continue to push for its implementation.’

On the fate of pensioners, he said:”The issue of extending the payment to pensioners has not come up at all. Pensioners are not yet captured in the state.”


Enugu still sorting out consequential adjustment of minimum wage

Payment of the new minimum wage took off in Enugu State last month but it was without consequential adjustment.

Government is yet to finalise work on that aspect of the new salary structure.

Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, confirmed to The Nation in Enugu that civil servants went home with the new salary at the end of October while they now await conclusion of work on the consequential adjustment.

He said:”Now, what the committee is working on is the consequential adjustment and chart on the announced minimum wage.

“I believe everything will be ok soon.”

He said the NLC had reached out to government on the plight of pensioners and “I hope at the appropriate time he will address the request.”


Imo Govt, Labour close to agreement

Organized labour in Imo State is optimistic of reaching an agreement soon with the state government on the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.

Chairman of the TUC in the state, Comrade Uchenna Great, said the conclusion of negotiation with government was caused by the foreign trip of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

He said:” organized labour had its own committee before the governor left… We met and discussed, the discussion centered on consequential adjustment.

“If both sides agree on the adjustment that will follow, we will come to an agreement and then sign, but both sides are waiting for the return of the governor.”

Comrade Uche Chigemezu, Imo State NLC Chairman, corroborated Great’s position, saying: “The state government has agreed to pay but we have not finalised on the matter.”


Why we couldn’t start payment of minimum wage in October – Gov Otti

Abia State governor, Alex Otti, said the planned commencement of payment of the minimum wage in October failed to materialise because of a “computation error”.

But he said both sides have now reached “an amicable agreement” and payment will start at the end of this month.

The chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, could not be reached.


Bayelsa tasks LGAs on revenue generation

The Bayelsa State government has warned local governments in the state to intensify their internal revenue generation effort to be able to cope with their financial obligations to their employees.

Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo said in Yenagoa, the state capital that the councils must devise independent sources of revenue and desist from depending solely on the monthly federal allocations.

Receiving a delegation of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), in his office, Ewhrudjakpo said it would be difficult for the councils to pay and sustain the new minimum wage if they continued to completely depend on statutory allocations from Abuja.

“I have asked experts in that area to work out the new minimum wage to see what the local governments will be able to pay. I know that council workers will insist that they should be paid like their state counterparts,” he said.

“But we should know that the state government and local governments do not have the same level or sources of funding. How many of our local governments are able to generate N100 million in a whole year? Just only a few of them.

“As I said earlier, the details of what is going to cost each local government area must be worked out first because if we are not careful, our councils will go bankrupt.

“That is why I have told them to be very innovative and serious about generating revenue for the councils. There is nothing that stops you from collecting little money from people selling in the market. Or, collect licenses from boat, motorbike, keke operators. That’s not a crime. It is legitimate.”

He assured the retirees that government was working hard to settle all pensioners who were inadvertently omitted in the payment of gratuities across board last year.

He also promised to make some effort to ensure that local government retirees have a share of the N7 billion the state government recently announced for the payment of outstanding gratuities.

On the issue of upward review of monthly pensions to the retirees, he said such review would be based on the capacity of the local governments.


Negotiations on N70,000 minimum wage ongoing – Plateau NLC

Civil servants in Plateau State expect to start enjoying the new minimum wage by the end of this month.

The state Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Eugene Manji, told The Nation that negotiations with the state were ongoing.

“We are still negotiating with the government committee on the minimum wage,” he said.

“Nothing is concluded yet but we have gone far with the negotiation. And I hope that negotiations will be concluded in the next few days so that payment of the minimum wage will commence this November.”


Kano civil servants too

Kano State civil servants are also hopeful that they will go home with the new salary this month.

Governor Abba Yusuf has already approved N71,000 as minimum wage.

Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, said the union was in negotiations with government on the payment of arrears and extension to retired workers.

“They (civil servants) will be paid their N71,000 minimum wage this November,” he said.

“We are in negotiations over payment of arrears. For retirees, we are also on their matter. We are holding talks,” Inuwa said.

The NLC state chairman said there are some workers in the state whose pay is as low as N5,000 but the union is negotiating to improve their wages.

“We are on top of all this,” he said.


Osun workers in limbo

Employees of the Osun State government are not sure of anything regarding the minimum wage despite assurances by agents of government that it will abide by the law on the matter.

The committee set up by the state government on consequential adjustment is still working, The Nation gathered in Osogbo.

Unlike other state governors, Governor Ademola Adeleke has not announced how much the state government is willing to pay.

Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Chris Arapasopo could not be reached for comments.

Nigeria’s oil imports dropped by 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, amounting to $2.79bn, down from $4.31bn in the previous quarter.

This is according to the quarterly economic report of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the second quarter of 2024.

This reduction highlights shifting dynamics in the nation’s oil and gas sector amid ongoing structural and economic adjustments following the removal of fuel subsidies under the administration of Bola Tinubu.

The report also noted that the overall value of merchandise imports also contracted, falling by 20.59 per cent to $8.64bn from $10.88bn recorded in Q1 2024.

The sharp decline in oil imports contributed significantly to this trend.

The report read, “Merchandise import decreased in Q22024, following the decline in the import of petroleum products. Merchandise imports decreased by 20.59 per cent to $8.64bn, from $10.88bn in Q12024.

“Analysis by composition indicated that oil imports decreased to $2.79bn, from $4.31bn in the preceding quarter.

“Non-oil imports also declined to $5.85bn, from $6.57bn in the previous quarter. A breakdown of total import showed that non-oil imports accounted for 67.72 per cent, while oil imports constituted the balance.”

The report further noted the pressures on domestic production, which fell by 4.51 per cent to 1.27m barrels per day.

Persistent challenges such as oil theft and vandalism in the Niger Delta remain major impediments to production stability.

The report read, “Domestic crude oil production declined in Q22024, attributed to persistent oil theft and illegal refining activities in the NigerDelta region. Nigeria’s average crude oil production fell by 4.51 per cent to 1.27 mbpd in Q22024, from 1.33 mbpd in the preceding quarter.

“This was due to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region, leading to a decline in production from the Forcados, Bonny, Qua-Iboe, Escravos and Brass streams, respectively. Nigeria’s crude oil production level fell short of its OPEC quota of 1.58 mbpd by 308,000 bpd in Q22024.”

Despite these setbacks, global crude oil prices provided a slight reprieve. Nigeria’s benchmark crude, Bonny Light, saw its price rise to $86.97 per barrel in Q2 2024, offering some relief to export revenues.

Crude oil and gas exports accounted for 87.38 per cent of total export earnings during the quarter, although receipts fell marginally to $12.18bn from $12.42bn in Q1.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria released a total sum of $2.97bn to oil sector players for the importation of petroleum products and other related items into the country

President Bola Tinubu has approved that ministers of state be given full powers to supervise the agencies under them, TheCable can report.

Until now, files pertaining to departments and agencies under their supervision were sent by their permanent secretaries to the senior ministers.

With the new dispensation, ministers of state can now grant all necessary administrative approvals on the governance process of these agencies and departments.

According to a source in the office of the head of service of the federation, “the president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name”.

This, Tinubu reportedly said, led to the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of most ministers of state.

“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” the official added.

The source said the idea — first mooted by Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the president on policy coordination and head, central delivery coordination unit — got an instant buy-in from the president.

With the new directive, the administration hopes “to unleash” the potential of all the ministers, the source added.

Tinubu’s cabinet is made up of 48 ministers, but 16 of them are junior.

Ministries with ministers of state are: agriculture and food security, defence, education, FCT, foreign affairs, health, petroleum (oil), petroleum (gas), humanitarian and poverty reduction, and women affairs.

Others are: works, regional development, labour and employment, finance, trade and investment, and housing and urban development.