₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday night, assured the leaders of the organised labour that the Port Harcourt refinery will commence operations by December 2023.

The organised labour revealed this in a statement on Wednesday night.

The labour centers also noted that the president made a series of promises following which they agreed to return to the negotiations table.

The national presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo in the statement also hailed Nigerians for supporting the nationwide protest.

"It is pertinent to inform Nigerians that the extent of the success of the protest is underlined by the request of the President of the federal republic of Nigeria; Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu to meet with the leadership of the NLC and TUC in a closed-door session.

“The engagement was fruitful that immense mileage was obtained with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy removal and necessitated the protest viz; He committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the Labour leaders.

He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year. He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately.

“He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week. On the strength of the president’s pledge and commitment, we have decided to return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.

“Once again, we thank Nigerians while we wait for the Government to fulfill its own part of the understanding as agreed with His Excellency; the President.”

Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike says he has no regrets about his choice of who to support in the 2023 general election.

He defended his political decisions when the Inter Party Advisory Council visited him at his home in Port Harcourt.

From the primaries and the campaign up until Election Day, the former governor of Rivers State took positions that caused controversy not just within his party but also across the country.

At that time, members of the Inter Party Advisory Council were counted amongst groups that were vocal and visible in their support for him.

If given a chance to go back in time, the former Rivers governor, says he would form the same alignments and fight the same cause.

Now that the election is over, other political parties who rallied support for the Peoples Democratic Party believe that there is still a lot for them to contribute to the Similayi Fubara government.

Mr Nyesom Wike commended the group for endorsing the PDP during the campaigns.

He added the State government would not turn its back on anyone who can add value to the administration.

The Inter Party Advisory Council commended Mr Wike for what they described as his outstanding performance in the development of Rivers State as a 2-term Governor.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election and first petitioner in the ongoing case at the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, Peter Obi, has in his response to the legal team of President Bola Tinubu, declared that anarchy only reigns where the rule of law is trampled upon.

Obi said this through his legal team in response to the written address by Tinubu’s lawyers who had argued that an interpretation of the law requiring 25 percent of the total lawful votes cast 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory could lead to anarchy.

According to Obi’s media team, in a release on Friday, the LP candidate through his legal team has given a principled response to the threat of Anarchy from the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the 2nd and 3rd Respondents in the petition, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shetimma, “that if the Court interprets the Electoral Act section 134 against them it might lead to breakdown of law and order.”

The release read in part, “Recall that Tinubu’s legal team, led by Wole Olanipekun, had in their final address to the court threatened that, “Any other interpretation different from theirs will lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature.”

However, “Peter Obi’s lawyers led by Dr Livy Uzoukwu and Onyechi Ikpeazu disagreed saying instead that what will lead to anarchy is where the rule of law is trampled upon or truncated, that in such situations anarchy reigns supreme!

According to Obi, “A sentence in the 2nd-3rd Respondents’ address alarmed the Petitioners and millions of Nigerians. The 2nd-3rd Respondents went too low and abandoned discretion when they claimed as follows: “Our submission is that the Petitioners are inviting anarchy by their ventilation of this issue of non-transmission of results electronically, by INEC.”

“Obi’s legal team noted that they found Tinubu’s outburst as “a cheap, misguided, and destructive blackmail clearly intended to target the country’s judicialism and constitutionalism. It also aims at cannibalizing our democracy.

“The legal team also noted that the careless and absurd statements of the 2nd and 3rd Respondents intend to raise the issue of insecurity if the Petitioners were to emulate the bad example of the 2nd-3rd Respondents but remarked that such will never happen because of the petitioner’s discipline and peaceful disposition and believe in the rule of law.

“Still underscoring the pointlessness and the supererogatory of the Respondent’s threat, Obi’s legal team wondered, ‘When has it become offensive for Petitioners to canvass a ground prescribed for the challenge of an election in section 134(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 2022?

Edwin Clark has condemned the comparison between Niger Delta agitators and bandits in Northern Nigeria.

In a Thursday press statement, the Convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), called out Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi and a former Zamfara State governor, Ahmad Yerima, for repeatedly demanding that the Federal Government should grant amnesty to bandits just as the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua did to the Niger Delta agitators.

According to him, the Niger Delta agitators had legitimate demands contrary to the bandits whom he described as “murderous, bloodthirsty villains”.

“Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, Alhaji Ahmed Yerima and their cohorts, who seem to be ignorant and envious of the Amnesty granted by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in August 2009, and which was opened for embracing until 4th October 2009, by the then Niger Delta agitators, are advised to go back to history.

"The case of the Niger Delta agitators is quite different from the case of these murderous, blood-thirsty villains, who have taken up arms against the state, using different names, whether as Boko Haram, bandits, killer herdsmen, kidnappers, etc.

"What is it they are demanding? Initially, we were told that as Boko Haram, they were against Western education; they started killing, maiming, and destroying properties. Then they changed and we were told that some of them have changed to answer bandits, and all sorts of names,” Clark said.

He added, “I reiterate again, that the attempt to equate the Niger Delta Amnesty with the northern bandits is not only criminal, but obnoxious and unconscionable.

“The whole idea of comparing the Niger Delta militants who are exposed to all kinds of diseases, illnesses and deprivations, as a result of oil exploration, with people whom we are told are not Nigerians, who enter into the country illegally, thus violating the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol, is very inhuman.”

The elder statesman also disagreed with a statement he said was credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, where he suggested that the amnesty programme has failed in Zamfara and other states, insisting rather that the programme has succeeded in Niger Delta.

“The statement of the Chief of Army Staff comes across to me as a proposal for the scrapping of the amnesty granted to legitimate agitators for a better life and environment by the Niger Delta youths. If my understanding is correct, I seriously disagree with the Chief of Army Staff.

“I will rather advise him to consult through the past records of his former colleagues since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, viz Lt. Gen. Victor Malu, Lt. Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, Lt. Gen. Martin Agwai, Lt. Gen. Owoye Azazi, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf, Lt. Gen. Bello Dambazau, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and his predecessor in office, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, the state of insecurity in the Niger Delta before the granting of the Amnesty, and what it is now.

“I am confident that the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme has succeeded in bringing peace to Niger Delta particularly the vandalisation of oil pipelines and oil platforms. He should note that “Operation Crocodile Smile” could not stop the insecurity in the Niger Delta,” Clark stated.

The apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum and some leaders from the South-East have faulted the call by a former Niger Delta agitator, Asari Dokubo, asking President Bola Tinubu to let the Igbo secede from Nigeria.

The Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra had demanded that the Igbo be allowed to break away from Nigeria over allegations of discrimination and neglect by the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In July 2021, Kanu was arrested in Kenya and was brought back to Nigeria to face prosecution bordering on terrorism.

In a viral video on Thursday, Dokubo urged Tinubu and the National Assembly to see to the amendment of the constitution to allow the Igbo breakaway from the country in accordance with Kanu’s demands.

He said he would gather the signatures of one million citizens in support of his idea.

Dokubo stated, “Please, in the name of God, why do we allow this vicious cycle of irritation of people who claim to be victims when they are the oppressors and the people offending others? Let the Igbo go so that there will be enough resources for other people to manage.

"They don’t even need a referendum. The President and National Assembly should meet and someone courageous enough should sponsor a bill at the National Assembly. There should be a constitutional amendment. The five Igbo states and any group of people who want to join them should go.

"We have a lot to gain if we let these people go and turn their country into heaven on earth. Please, National Assembly, President Bola Tinubu, I am begging you, let the Igbo go so that we will rest and they too will rest and they should be barred from entering into our country.”

In its reaction, the spokesperson for Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said well-meaning Igbo people did not consider Dokubo an individual to attract the attention of the group.

Ogbonnia said he could not comment on the matter at the moment until a decision was reached by the body, stating that the group could only respond if such a statement was made by other recognised socio-cultural groups.

He added, “For various reasons, we don’t want to comment on self-government now. There will be a time Ohanaeze will take a decision on that but if you watch what is going on, we have kept our comments on what is going on in government. Until we have a meeting, that is when I can comment on it and Ohanaeze cannot be drawn to that level of responding to Dokubo as an individual."

Also, the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria and founding member of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, in an interview with one of our correspondents, described Dokubo’s comments as null and void.

He added, “Asari Dokubo should understand that Nigeria is under constitutional democracy, governed by the rule of law. Under which section of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is he mandating President Tinubu to act? If none, then his admonition is ultra vires.

Please, if Asari has grouse with a few Igbo, he should go and sort it out with them. Otherwise, he should desist from the ancient fallacy of generalisation. The Ndigbo live and invest in every nook and cranny of our dear country; which gazette that we love our dear fatherland. Nobody should use the agitation of a few to paint all Ndigbo black.”

President Bola Tinubu has said that he is taking ‘baby steps of pains’ to fix Nigeria’s problems, urging Nigerians not to be in a hurry over challenges facing the nation.

The president also declared that it is in the hands of Nigerians to ensure that the country gets to its desired destination.

Tinubu said this at the palace of the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, during a visit to traditional rulers in the State.

Tinubu who was in Ogun State on a private visit to two traditional rulers in the state, had earlier met with the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona at his palace in Ijebu before he proceeded to Abeokuta where he met with the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Gbadebo.

Tinubu who arrived in a presidential chopper 5N FG2, Nigeria Airforce, landed at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in the Ijebu-Ode area of the State at exactly 10.18 am.

The president held a close-door meeting for about an hour with the Awujale shortly after he addressed the people at the palace.

In his entourage were; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, and presidential spokesperson, Dele Alake.
Speaking at the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Tinubu who was received by the state governor, Dapo Abiodun; former governors of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Segun Osoba and former Speaker of Josie of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole among others said he now knows what it takes to be the President of Nigeria.

He begged Nigerians to go with him through what he called the baby steps of pain.

He said “at least, we delivered, despite the hardship of no money, no fuel, I credit you, thank you. I don’t know that it will be like this, I just wanted to sneak in and sneak out, to greet kabiyesi now, I know exactly what it is to be a president.

“Having achieved the prayer point of ‘Emi lokan’ and then being here, I have redeemed a pledge that I will be back with victory and the crown.

“Now, what I ask for is prayers that will help the country and we are determined to help our country, to steer the ship of the nation, build a good team, be positive for this country, and deliver on all the promises that I have made.

"The hope is recharged, is here. That hope will never fade. That hope will recharge your life in a positive manner.

“I’m here still making that pledge of the campaign promise that there is no difference between us and any members of the Nigerian family.
“I have seen that in France during this discussion and we are the children of the same parents living in the same house, we are only sleeping in different rooms, just recognize that.

"Let us be united, no distraction, we will arrive at the destination, a positive destination for this country and it is all in our hands to make history and I promise that.

“We will see positive changes as we move along, just go through these baby’s steps of pain, baby steps of pain, I’m taking baby steps as the President, not matching in a hurry, being ready to listen, maintaining an open door policy, let the freedom flow, let the confidence return to Nigeria.

“This country is the only country that we have. I have been a refugee, I know what it is to be a refugee in another country and my green passport is what I still have now.

“We need your prayers, we need your support, we need your interventions to get our people’s change of mind so that the economic prosperity of this country being opening up will affect all of us positively.”

Oil marketers have projected that the pump price of petrol could rise above N700 per litre in Northern Nigeria starting from July.

The National Controller Operations, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mike Osatuyi, told The PUNCH on Wednesday that prices could rise to above N700 in the north once independent marketers start importing products from July.

[/b]He said while those living in the [b]northern states could pay as much as N700 and above for one litre of petrol, those outside Lagos should expect to pay around N610, as residents in Lagos would pay about N600 per litre.

“What I am seeing is around N600 and above, depending on the exchange rate, the current crude price at the international market and the landing cost. Those in Lagos will pay around N600, those outside Lagos around N600 plus, while those in the north would be paying anything from N700 and above,” he said.

The downstream sector currently awaits fresh petroleum products as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority continues to licence operators willing to get involved in the importation business.

The Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Olufemi Adewole, told The PUNCH on Tuesday that the NMDPRA was currently licensing more importers.

He said arrangements were on full speed for fresh products from July, adding that prices of products would depend on market fundamentals.

"Where do countries like Ghana, Benin, and Cameroun get their products from? Is it not from Nigeria?,” he asked, making reference to products being smuggled from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.

“Prices of products will depend on market fundamentals, and as we speak, the Nigeria Customs Service is delaying some AGO (diesel) vessels because of the 7.5 per cent VAT.

“And don’t forget, any cost incurred by marketers would be added to landing cost, and then to the pump price. The marketer would also have to add profit because they must make profit,” he said.

A former chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, and Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of 11 Plc, Tunji Oyebanji, during a chat on Monday, said consumers should expect new pump prices close to that of diesel, and those of neigbouring African countries that also import petrol.

The former president called on all Nigerians to fully support the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Buhari stated this on Tuesday in his Sallah message signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, stressing that leadership entails the cooperation and support of all citizens.

"Leading a country like Nigeria is one of the hardest challenges in life,” Buhari was quoted as saying.

The former president called on all Nigerians to fully support the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He added, “Leadership is a challenging task that demands the sacrifices and support of the citizens,” he said.

Buhari also wished Nigerian Muslims a happy Eid and “to those on pilgrimage, Hajj Mabrur and a safe return home”.

The Katsina-born former head of state completed his mandatory two-term tenure of eight years and handed over power to Tinubu on May 29, 2023. Buhari was also Nigeria’s military leader between December 1983 and August 1985.

Former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to muster enough courage, fight subsidy cabals and bring them to book.

He said the removal of the fuel subsidy by the President was fantastic and a departure from the past, but the President must do all within his powers to recover the looted funds from the subsidy Cabals.

He spoke to journalists during a Thanksgiving church service to mark the successful completion of a 6-year tenure as Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) General Secretary of Rev. Yunusa S. Nmadu Jnr in Kaduna.

Dogara said president Tinubu has so far demonstrated leadership quality and should be commended by Nigerians.

“We stand by him on the subsidy removal but he must be courageous to pursue the subsidy Cabals and recover all the stolen monies from them and prosecute them accordingly,” he said.

He said, the President had also demonstrated leadership by carrying every region along in the appointment of Service chiefs, regardless of party, ethnicity and religion and should also be commended.

Also, Senator representing Southern Kaduna, Senator Sunday Marshal Katung commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the appointment of the new Service chiefs which he described as a demonstration of equity and justice.

Katung urged the new Service Chiefs to address issues of insecurity ravaging the country particularly the northern region holistically and urged the President to provide palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

The ECWA President and also Vice President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr Stephen Baba Panya commended President Tinubu on the fuel subsidy removal and the appointment of Service chiefs, saying the President was making deliberate efforts to avoid lopsided appointments like it was witnessed in previous administration.

A lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Samuel Oluwalana, has said Nigeria is losing a huge amount of money for its failure to export human faeces, cockroaches, as well as, scorpions to foreign countries.

The lecturer noted that the American government gets $3.5 billion every year because it is used to protect astronauts in space.

The Professor of Forest Resources Management said this in Abeokuta while speaking on the theme, “Unearthing The Treasures In The Forest” at the 47th Annual General Meeting of the Abeokuta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Abeokuta.

The don also said that Nigeria has a great chance to get billions of naira from the exportation of a large number of cockroaches to China, where they are consumed.
He cited cases from indigenous knowledge, some of the uses of forest and animal resources for health, commerce and wealth creation.

He wondered why Nigeria, which is enormously blessed with vast forest resources, should be grappling with apocalyptic poverty and health challenges, citing cancer, diabetes, bile, hypertension, ovarian cysts, STDs, blocked fallopian tubes, infertility, and fibroids among health conditions that could be addressed using plants and animal resources from the nation’s enormous forest belts.

The don, therefore, urged Nigerians to pay attention to Indigenous Knowledge as a window for people to explore the wellspring of knowledge and experience that are relevant to them, describing indigenous knowledge as a gold mine, a veritable source of age-old methods of understanding the uses of nature as medicine and wealth.

According to him, one butterfly is bought for $500 in Singapore. We can imbibe the South African culture by producing bees. Cricket also generates money. Nigerian scorpion, one is $50,000.

“A gallon of 4.75 litres of the venom is $99 million. The Chinese are taking it away, no one is questioning them. Instead of destroying scorpions, you can sell them.

He added, “Cockroaches are the number one food now, we don’t eat cockroaches in Nigeria, they eat in other places, we can produce and send to them, and they will buy. There is a man in China, that has up to six billion cockroaches, overnight, he became a multi-billionaire.

“Human faeces can be processed into charcoal for cooking. Now, Americans will be making $3.5 billion every year from gold extracted from human faeces. They are also taking human faeces to space to protect the astronaut.

“In Kenya, human faeces are used to make bridges and build houses. There are new toilets that are constructed, it helps to convert human faeces to cooking fuel. Hydrogen can be made from human faeces. You can now transplant human faeces from one person to another. We need to be creative.”

Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, Ibrahim Musa, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government has approved the re-opening of the Seme border for the importation of vehicles.

Speaking at the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, meeting, organised between officials of Nigeria and Benin, Musa said the development followed complaints by freight forwarders operating at the Seme border.

The director, who spoke at the ECOWAS Monitoring Team’s visit to the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, said: “I was here with the former Minister of State for Transportation when the Freight Forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services.

"The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government.”
Also speaking, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, Dera Nnadi said the service has noticed a reduction in its revenue since the importation of vehicles was banned from the land borders.

Nnadi said: “The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, one of them is how to fully open this border.

"The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted.”

The presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as aggrieved members of the Integrity group led by former governor Nyesom Wike were all missing at the meeting of a select committee of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party at the party’s secretariat on Tuesday.

PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said the meeting was called to douse tension and kickstart reconciliation within the party in the aftermath of the election.

He said its members contributed to the outcome of the 2023 general elections and should be wary of pointing fingers at others.

He said the party would not apportion blame, suspend, expel, or accuse anybody of participating in pro- or anti-party activities during the last general elections.

"This party believes that Atiku Abubakar won the election, but we are in court, and without prejudice to what the court will decide, we will keep it aside. Let me acknowledge that this is not a NEC meeting, but an interactive meeting with the aim of jump-starting a reconciliation process.