The Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, has stated that the current economic challenges faced by Nigerians were inherited from the Buhari administration. He made this assertion during a sensitisation event on federal government intervention programmes organised by the Office of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, held in Minna, Niger State.

Represented by the Hadinin Minna, Alhaji Maikudi Achaza, the emir commended President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to address the issues stemming from past corruption. He emphasised that many citizens remain unaware of the Tinubu administration’s initiatives due to insufficient communication from government spokespersons, particularly in local languages.

On the other hand, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar has expressed concern over the escalating hardships faced by Nigerians, urging the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to take immediate action to alleviate the suffering of citizens.

The emir said, “A significant amount of funds was misappropriated by previous administrations, and the current government is working to recover them.

“Since the removal of fuel subsidies, various measures have been implemented to alleviate the impact on citizens. It is crucial for the government to communicate its policies and programmes effectively, using local languages.”

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, represented by Asabe Sule Garba, Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Information Resource Centre in Minna, stated that the event is aimed to raise awareness about the federal government’s efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. He highlighted President Tinubu’s commitment to accountability and transparency and called for citizens’ support.

Meanwhile, the ex-military leader criticised the distribution of palliatives, saying they were not a solution to the rising cost of living. He emphasised that leaders have failed to connect with ordinary citizens and understand their struggles, noting that life is becoming increasingly difficult for many.

Abdulsalami made these remarks at his Hilltop Residence during a courtesy visit from officials of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights, a Minna-based civil society organisation.

The organisation urged him to appeal to the Tinubu-led administration to address the current economic challenges in the country.

“The hardship in the country is spiraling out of control,” Abdulsalami lamented. “Every citizen is crying, and the situation worsens daily. Many can no longer afford three square meals due to high transportation costs, increased fuel prices, rising school fees and a lack of financial resources.”

He reassured on his commitment as a former leader to encourage federal, state and local governments to address these pressing challenges swiftly.

Abdulsalami revealed that a forum he participated in had proposed solutions to the federal government, arguing that palliative measures are inadequate. “Instead, the government should buy food and sell it at reduced prices to help citizens afford essential items,” he suggested.

On the upcoming #EndBadGovernance protests planned for October 1, 2024, General Abdulsalami urged Nigerians to remain peaceful and reminded the government not to take citizens for granted.

Earlier, Abdullahi Jabi, chairman of the civil society organisation, called for Abdulsalami’s intervention in implementing programmes aimed at mobilising Nigerians for active participation in governance.

As part of efforts to alleviate the growing food scarcity and hunger in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has provided 1,200 bags of rice to each of his ministers.

According to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, the rice is intended as palliatives for vulnerable members of society, specifically targeting the elderly.

Alake revealed that the Presidency made the rice available to him for distribution, which will be focused exclusively on supporting the aged in his state.

The disclosure was made through a statement issued by Segun Tomori, Dr. Alake's Special Assistant on Media, in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.

The minister said, “Following the decision of the Presidency to respond to the yearnings of the Nigerian people to make more food available at the grassroots, 1,200 bags were made available to each minister to further supplement the established channels of distribution such as state governments and civic organisations.”

According to him, it is important that aged people are given preference.

“We need to reach out to our aged fathers and mothers at times like this to demonstrate the Omoluabi values of taking care of the old in the community,” he said.

“In the spirit of inclusion, it is important that we channel this intervention to mainly elderly citizens who do not have the strength to compete for welfare goods such as these at the established centres. We have taken their inventory and we are delivering to them.”

“Subsequent interventions will target other segments of the populace such as widows, orphans, persons living with disabilities and students in higher institutions of learning,” Alake added.

Leaders in the pharmacy profession under the aegis of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy have raised the alarm that the few available medicines in the country are no longer affordable due to economic hardship.

The pharmacists expressed concern over the scarcity and persistent hike in the cost of essential medicines and urged the Federal Government to treat the availability of drugs as a security matter.

Stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector have attributed the surge in drug prices to factors such as the devaluation of the national currency, unstable foreign exchange rates, reliance on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients, and heavy dependence on drug imports.

The senior pharmacists spoke at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday ahead of the academy’s 10th anniversary and investiture of new fellows scheduled to be held on September 19 at the University of Lagos.

Vice President of NAPHARM, Ifeanyi Atueyi, said nine eminent pharmacists would be admitted as fellows to the academy established in 2014, thereby bringing the total number of fellows to 133.

Atueyi said the investiture with the theme, “Healthcare Transformation & National Development,” would have the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, as the special guest of honour.

The pharmacist stated that healthcare was one of the most critical pillars of any society, serving as a foundation for individuals’ well-being and economic growth, hence the rationale for the theme of the investiture.

“When a nation invests in transforming its healthcare system, it invests in its people, the most important asset of a nation and, ultimately, its future,” he added.

On medicines availability and affordability in the country, the NAPHARM vice president said the academy was aware of the current difficulties encountered in the sourcing of medicines as required in the country.

Atueyi stated, “Medicines are not available as they used to be, and the few available ones are not affordable. It has always been the position of the Academy that the medicines availability should be treated as a security matter in the country.

“When people are sick, they need medicines for restoration to the normal state of affairs. The government must, as a deliberate and direct policy, ensure the growth and development of the pharmaceutical industry and sustain it with patronage.

“We are not unaware of the current moves by the government: waiver of customs duty through an executive order, continuous engagement with the pharmaceutical industry, etc.”

He, however, commended the government’s efforts in addressing the problem, especially the signing of the executive order on pharmaceuticals by President Bola Tinubu.

“We commend and encourage the government to do these things sustainably to truly grow the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria,” he said.

Following the present economic hardship in the country, occasioned by the hike in fuel prices and food inflation, Nigerians have devised ingenious means to survive. The hardship has driven many to do the unimaginable just to survive such as feeding on animal feeds.

Some residents have resorted to selling personal belongings to weather the crisis while some have even taken to urban farming.

Many car owners have also abandoned their cars at home and make use of commercial motorcycles tricycles and other means of public transportation to their respective destinations while others have taken to trekking some distances because of the hike in transport fares.

PLATEAU: Resort to animal feeds to stay alive

In Plateau state, many women in Jos have now resorted to animal feeds to stay alive. A resident, Mrs Gladys Tonggang said, “I was heartbroken when I heard of a pregnant mother of four feeding her children with maize chaffs, which is called dusa in local language. Animals are fed with dusa and this is what this woman was feeding her children with after grinding it and making food with it”.

This development was confirmed by a seller of dusa who said the price of the commodity had increased by N500 as many women had been patronising her which they grind and make into two.

A mechanic, Monday Adetola said that in the last six to seven months, his client base had greatly reduced because of the hardship in the country. He said, “I have been calling my clients to know why they don’t come again but they complained about the economic hardship. If they don’t drive the cars, how will they come for regular maintenance? When the price of petrol keeps going higher, many people will park their vehicles and that means less work for us”.

Murtala Musa, a tailor, said he closed his shop and has started selling noodles and eggs because he no longer had customers.

To Mary Friday, “In the past, I was particular about what I eat and how I eat it due to ill-health. But right now, I am unable to afford the kind of food I should eat while I eat what I see now which is giving me concerns because I don’t want my condition to get worse. The suffering is too much, how do we survive? Nobody will go through these and remain sane.”

EKITI: Skipping meals, relying on less nutritious alternatives

In Ekiti State, a civil servant, Deji Ilori noted that it has become increasingly difficult for him to provide staple foods for his family, forcing them to skip meals and rely on less nutritious alternatives.

He said, “fuel is now N1,000 per liter, I can’t imagine when last I drove my car to the office. Before now, when fuel was being sold for N585 per liter at NNPC, I spent an average of N30,000 per week on fuel and we are yet to enjoy the new minimum wage. Even at that, whatever gain is coming with the minimum wage has already been eroded with the new pump price of petroleum. My family and I can no longer eat what we want. We have to prioritize what is most essential. Everything is just getting more difficult with the rise in fuel and commodity prices,” he said.

Uwamba Favour, a small business owner, described how she has been caught in a vicious cycle of increasing expenses and dwindling profits. This unfortunate development has forced her to stop taking orders and, at times, she would sell products at the purchase price to avoid losses.
“Imagine buying something for N5,000 and having to sell it at the same price just to make people buy it so that the product doesn’t go unsold. It got to a point where I was tempted to sell below the amount I bought it, but I pray it doesn’t come to that, which has led me to stop taking some orders,” she explained.

Ganiyat Olanrewaju, a staple food seller, reported experiencing a sharp drop in sales as customers, overwhelmed by the cost of fuel and food, have cut back on their purchases. She noted that many who once bought in bulk were now purchasing in smaller quantities or not at all, forcing her to adjust her operations to avoid losses.

OSUN: Going on the streets to beg for food

Following the hardship in the country, some women in Osogbo, Osun State capital have resorted to begging to feed their families. More well-dressed women now thronged the streets of the state capital and other towns to beg for money to buy food while others put pride aside and approached neighbours for help.

A mother of two who identified herself as Taiwo, while narrating her ordeal said, “Since the beginning of this year, my husband who is a driver has been finding it difficult to make ends meet. My husband sleeps at filling stations in the hope of getting fuel for regular transportation business. On those occasions I had to go to our neighbours to get food stuff to feed our two children. Sometimes I got garri while on other occasions I got tubers of yams or rice. The situation is actually hopeless for us”.

Also, Usman Faruk, a student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife described the present economic situation as excruciating, saying his parents could not afford to pay his school fees now, much less provide for his needs as an undergraduate. “Living has been very difficult as a student, I work as a labourer at various sites here in Ile-Ife to make ends meet and the money I made from the sites is not even enough to buy food to survive on campus. Since last year, I have not travelled to Kwara State where I am based because of the cost of transportation”, he added.

AKWA IBOM: Resort to public transportation

In Akwa Ibom State, many public servants have parked their vehicles and resorted to using public transport to work. Even commercial tricycle (Keke Napep), taxi and mini- buses operators appear to be the worst hit following low passenger patronage.

Lamenting the sad turn of event, an Estate Surveyor, Madam Chinyere Ndon said: “The high cost of fuel has made prices of every other thing to skyrocket. Feeding is difficult and these days you see people looking emaciated because of hunger. One of the strategies I have adopted to survive is restricting my movement. As a public servant I only go to work twice or thrice in a week. And I have resorted to using public transport instead of driving my car to places. I only drive my car when there is something urgent and necessary, and when going to church on Sundays. For me, it is not economical driving considering the high cost of fuel. The whole situation is saddening, we are suffering”

Also a tricycle operator, who identified himself as Mr Odudu Umoh noted that both the scarcity and high cost of fuel have made transportation business in Akwa Ibom unprofitable. “This increased price of petrol is really killing transportation business in Akwa Ibom. Sometimes you buy petrol worth N5000, it won’t last two hours and you won’t even be able to make any profit because the roads and streets are empty. So, it is that bad now,” Umoh said.

A civil servant, who identified himself as Anietie Emah said, “In order to cope, I have now adjusted my schedule. Before now I used my vehicle to go everywhere but now I use public transport. I don’t drive to work again, I use my vehicle only once or twice in a week, especially on Sundays. There’s a food shortage, so I have decided to cut my coat according to my size.”

CROSS RIVER: Taking to farming, selling personal items

In Cross River, it was the same story as many residents have taken to farming to survive the hardship.

While some took to selling off personal household items, to meet the high cost of living, others who in the past would not touch anything that has to do with the farm with a six-foot pole are now neck deep in it. Many including civil servants trooped out to the outskirts of the towns like Ugep, Ogoja and Ikom among others where there are empty plots of land to farm even on work days. They mainly grow cassava, vegetables, yams, cucumber and okra which they sell by the roadside, and also use some to feed their families. Those who cannot go outside the city owing to high cost of transportation have resorted to using every available space within their homes such as car parks and veranda to grow crops or even breed chickens.

Mr Genesis, a staff of the state broadcasting service who has turned his entire apartment and immediate surroundings to a farm said he was not doing it for fun but for self sustenance. “I grow these things to sustain myself. Much of my salary goes to settle debts, so I have to use the available space around my residence to plant crops. The essence of getting money is to buy food ,so if I get some of the crops from my vicinity to sustain me, so be it” He planted water leaf on the steps leading to his apartment, while he planted pumpkin, okra, and sweet potatoes on the other side of his sitting room, while at the backyard, he has sugarcane, pawpaw and guava trees. “In my car park, I grow yams in used cement bags, while in my kitchen I have a cage for rabbits, so, I can make meals for myself for several days without going to the market so long as I have palm oil and salt,” he said

Another resident, Margaret Ogen, a school teacher said she breeds chickens in her kitchen and living room. “I have about ten chickens presently. Every three months I sell them after killing one or two for my family, I make good money from the sale”.

Agnes Ogbu, a housewife said she travels twenty kilometres three times a week to Odupkani to farm cassava. She said, “Last year I usually paid N500 as transport fare to the farm and five hundred naira back but now I spend N2000 to and fro. It still makes sense to me since the cost of garri is high now. I sell some garri and some we consume from the cassava I planted. I harvest every three months.”

Others who are not farming have taken to selling petty items. Every available spot within the city is occupied by street traders selling all sorts of items while point of sales, POS machines are everywhere. In one premises, one could find up to three POS operators jostling for the few customers around.

Maryjane, a graduate of Economics from the University of Calabar who sells vegetables on a table placed in front of her apartment told Saturday Vanguard that she makes profits to meet her needs.

According to her, “I get the vegetables from Marian market every morning except Sundays. I wash, place them here on this table and I slice the quantity every one that comes needs and from about 8.00am to 7.pm, I have customers patronising me. From here, I can beat the hardship since there has been no job in the past three years”.

OGUN: Resort to trekking

In Ogun, a resident of Abeokuta, the state capital, who identified himself as Mr Bolade Adeniyi said “as a taxi driver, I work in the morning when people are going to offices and markets. This is always between 7am and 10am, after which I will park my taxi, till around 4pm, when those who went to offices and markets will be returning home. But while at home, I have started farming in my backyard. I planted vegetables and peppers to augment my income.

On his part, a civil servant, Mr. Olorode Akinlabi said he has turned his car to a commercial vehicle, shuttling inter and intra-city routes. He said, after the close of work, he normally used his car as a shuttle. I make at least N5,000. This has gone a long way at meeting my financial responsibilities at home.

Mrs Anike Kalejaye, on her part, said she has resorted to trekking. She said, “Now that transport fare has gone up astronomically, I always trek anywhere I go because where we used to pay N200 now costs N400”.

OYO: Switching to biking to save fuel

In Oyo state, Amina, a mother of three, said she could no longer operate her food canteen due to the high cost of foodstuff. Another aggrieved Small Business Owner, Tunde, added that, “the fuel scarcity is killing my business. I can’t transport my goods because there’s no fuel. I’ve had to lay off workers, and I don’t know how much longer I can survive.” Sarah, a student of the University of Ibadan also shared her experience: “I depend on my parents for everything, but they are struggling too. I’ve started selling snacks at school just to help out. It’s embarrassing, but I want to contribute.”

Mr. Adeola, a retired teacher’s story is not different as he said: “This is the worst I have seen in my lifetime. We worked hard all our lives, and now we can’t even afford basic necessities. The government needs to step in.” In the same vein, Chinedu, a former taxi driver, said: “I switched to biking to save on fuel, but now I’m worried about accidents. The roads are bad, and I can’t afford repairs if something goes wrong.”

KADUNA: Surviving through others’ goodwill

In Kaduna, residents lamented that they are currently experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis that is negatively affecting their family life leading to a matrimonial crisis in hitherto peaceful homes.

Muazu Zaria, a civil servant, reminisced on the good old days when he could afford a good breakfast for his family of six. According to him,”my salary was not big but we could take tea and bread in the morning and the children were looking good and cheerful. But with this economic downturn, we only eat once and the children are used to it, they have no choice”.

Jummai Ali, a widow with three children said sometimes they found food to eat through the goodwill of neighbours while at other times they would go to bed hungry. “We were fetching Tafasa leaves from the nearby bush to cook and eat but the Tafasa is no longer available like before because people like us were coming to pluck it. Some of my neighbours who could not endure the hardship in the city have relocated to their ancestral villages”.

BENUE: No more frivolous visits

Margaret Audu, a civil servant and widow and mother of four in Benue said; “since this government came to power on May 29, 2023 and the President announced that subsidy was gone, that was the day our comfort and affordable cost of living disappeared.

Today our situation has been compounded with the recent hike in the pump price of fuel to over N1,000. We are now trekking all over the place even to work because we cannot afford the high transportation fare in town.

Now, you do not visit or expect any visitors because except it is very important and necessary no one moves around to distant places that require fares because it is unsustainable at the moment. We are also engaging in farming activities around our residences to produce food for the family because that is the only way we can beat the high cost of food we are currently experiencing in the state occasioned by the worsening insecurity in the farming communities that has forced the rural people out of their ancestral homes and farms”.

ABIA: Things getting worse everyday

36-year-old Okwudiri Gabriel, a tricycle operator based in Umuahia, Abia State and a father of two from Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, said since a litre of petrol started selling above N1,000, life has not been the same again for him and his family. He said: “We are just surviving by the grace of God alone.

What we are doing these days is just to sell fuel for the government. The economy is so hard, it’s only God that is helping us to survive.

Things are getting worse every day. We are all dying but the government is showing no concern. We don’t need the so-called palliative which they claim they are sharing. Let them keep it and reverse the fuel price. All we need from the government is a reversal of fuel price

Similarly, Mrs Ezinne Ejiofo, a seller of cooked bambara nuts known locally as ‘Okpa’, at Isigate Umuahia, said life was no longer at ease for her. She lamented that a bag of 100kg of bambara nut flour which sold for N90,000 in December 2023 and early this year, now sells for N240,000.

The mother of three who said she used to prepare about seven custard buckets of Okpa flour a day, now prepares only three buckets a day following a sharp drop in patronage as prices have gone up. She said that feeding for the family had become very difficult, adding that her biggest concern for the moment was how to cope as school will reopen next week.

Life is hell for me in this harsh economy —Widow cries out

Since her husband jumped into the well and died about two years ago, life has been very hard for Mrs Ajoke Omilani who lives at Isokan Community, Off Ologuneru-Eruwa Road, Ologuneru area of Ibadan. She has been running helter-skelter trying to fend for the three children her late 40-year-old husband left behind.

Narrating her harrowing experience, she said, “Most times, I have to beg neighbours to feed my children. The hardship is boldly written on their faces. They have emaciated a lot. There were days I, as a mother, would go to bed hungry. One evening, my children and I had not eaten anything since that morning, so, I had to go to my neighbour’s house to help me with anything to feed the children. Unfortunately, the family too did not have enough foodstuffs, they only managed to give me two cups of rice and N300. I cooked the rice and added only palm oil. If we spent the N300, there would be nothing the following day. When my children are crying at times, I would trek several kilometers to seek help. It appears the end is near.”

A civil servant, Ayo Bamidele said that “ living in Nigeria is hellish now. We thought things would be better, but the reverse is the case now. We can’t eat three square meals again. My husband has been sick since the hike in the price of petrol because he’s just thinking of how we’ll survive in this period. Our children are resuming next week, we are yet to get their school fees. In fact we’re completely confused. How do we take them to school daily with this new fuel price. Government should do something about this and order a reversal of the price otherwise anything can happen in this country.

Another resident, Alhaji Ali Onisahun, told Vanguard that he was contemplating sending his wife and children back to his village because he could not survive with them in the city.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has revealed that it is negotiating purchase of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) with Dangote Refinery ahead of Sunday, September 15, 2024.


The Spokesperson of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye disclosed this to DAILY POST in an interview on Thursday.

Soneye was responding to a statement by the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin that local marketers are boycotting Dangote Refinery’s petrol despite offering lower prices.


However, NNPCL’s spokesman clarified that he doesn’t believe that local marketers will boycott a product with lower prices.

He stressed that NNPCL is currently negotiating with Dangote Refinery over petrol pricing.

According to him, the NNPCL was awaiting the Sunday, September 15 date announced by Dangote Refinery to commence PMS supply.


“I don’t believe local marketers will boycott PMS with lower prices; that seems unlikely.

“We are currently negotiating prices with the Dangote Refinery. We were informed that it would be available by September 15, so we are waiting for that”, he told DAILY POST.

Recall that Executive Vice President of Downstream of the Company, Adedapo Segun had confirmed that NNPCL will lift Dangote Refinery Petrol.


In the first week of September, the President of Dangote Group officially announced the rollout of Dangote Refinery’s petrol.

Tinubu’s Naira Devaluation Worsens Cost Of Fuel Importation As Nigeria Spent N5.8Trillion In First Six Months Of 2024

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics and reviewed by SaharaReporters has shown that petroleum worth N5.8 trillion was imported into the country in the first six months of 2024, representing first and second quarter of the year.

A review shows that in the first quarter of the year, N2.6 trillion was spent on fuel importation, while N3.2 trillion was spent in the second quarter.

This development comes amid the fall of naira which has made importation more expensive.

For instance, the average exchange rate in January 2024 stood at N911.8, it however grew to N1383 in February, and N1528 in March. In April, it went down to N1272 and rose again in May to N1434 and N1489 in June.

As of May 2023, when Tinubu emerged President, dollar to naira exchange rate stood at N462.5.

The higher cost of dollar to naira means that Nigeria continues to spend more on importation, even with the same quantity of products.

Nigeria also suffers from non-functional refineries, with its four refineries failing to function, leaving Nigerians at the mercy of fuel importation.

The government is relying on the newly built Dangote Refinery and the refurbishment being done at government-owned refineries will reduce the bleeding to excessive importation.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has raised the alarm over the increasing smuggling of petroleum products out of Nigeria, warning that the instability in the foreign exchange market would persist unless addressed.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday at a stakeholder engagement for Operation Whirlwind, organised by the Nigeria Customs Service, Ribadu highlighted the severity of the issue.

Ribadu commented, “We have been suffering due to smuggling, and if we want to address our economic problems, smuggling has to stop. It is difficult because it is like cancer and eats up everything.

“It destroys us and even our security forces because of the very few individuals making profit from it and half of them are not even Nigerians.

“I don’t think there is any country that suffers from smuggling like Nigeria and we have to address it now because with the trouble we are going through, we can’t stabilise Naira and if we can’t stabilise Naira, then we are in trouble.”

He assured that his office would support the Customs Service and other security agencies in their efforts to combat the issue.

Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, reported that the programme, which began on May 28, 2024, had led to significant actions.

“From May till date, the Customs has made about 27 seizures and detected smuggling networks in Badagry and Adamawa. Other activities have also improved border security and we have succeeded in ensuring fuel smuggling is reduced.

“Our collaboration with NMDPRA has also been critical and germane. So far, we have seized 500,000 litres of PMS with 7 trucks amounting to 475m. The seizures were done in Kebbi, Sokoto, Lagos and Adamawa. We have opened other axes in Kwara, Niger, Katsina and Kano.

“Because of this work, most of our officers are on death threats including myself and they sent us messages to desist from fighting, but we won’t relent because we ought to fight and ensure survival of Nigeria,” he stated.

Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised the need for continued effort in the fight against smuggling.

“We won’t spare any effort in combating the menace and this explains why we launched Operations Whirlwind and we have made some progress. However, we need funding because we spend about N230 million monthly to sustain the operation and because it is not in our budget it is not sustainable and Customs may not be able to drive it alone.

“As such, we will need funding collaboration and we intend to sustain it till the end of the year,” he added.

Amnesty International has criticised President Bola Tinubu for the ‘unlawful’ invasion of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project office by operatives of the Department of State Services.

SERAP had, via its X handle on Monday, raised the alarm that officers from the Department of State Services had taken over its Abuja office.

“President Tinubu must immediately direct the DSS to end the harassment, intimidation, and attacks on the rights of Nigerians,” SERAP added.


Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International, in a post on X, said the president was going too far in his administration’s efforts to suppress dissenting voices.

The post read, “Amnesty International received a disturbing report of the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project by operatives of the DSS. President Bola Tinubu is going too far in his government’s repressive efforts to silence dissenting voices.”

iwaeda:

Is this not what Dangote himself said. On MURIC stand this time. We mandately stand.

NNPC Ltd Not the Sole Offtaker; Market Open to Lower Prices from Any Domestic Refinery

The attention of the NNPC Ltd has been drawn to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, which claims that the Dangote Refinery Limited (DRL) is being undermined by actions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). Specifically, MURIC asserts that recent changes to the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) will prevent the Dangote Refinery from offering lower prices and that NNPC Ltd. has become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery.

To set the records straight, NNPC Ltd. wishes to further state as follows:

1. The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including the Dangote Refinery Ltd. (DRL), is determined by global market forces. The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on the DRL or any other domestic refinery's access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.

2. Furthermore, we emphasize that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd. will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. NNPC Ltd. has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole offtaker does not arise.

3. The NNPC Ltd. cannot undermine a business in which it holds a billion-dollar stake.

4. As an advocacy group for fair and just treatment, MURIC should have verified the facts before making statements that are entirely flawed and has the potential to incite ordinary Nigerians against the NNPC Ltd.

Olufemi Soneye
Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Ltd.
Abuja

7th September, 2024

9ja1960:
Someone should just help me pls. I need something to refill my gas. Even if it's 1k pls
🙏🙏

The Archbishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah, on Friday, warned President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress to urgently address the economic hardship in the country, saying Nigerians are hungry.

Kukah also appealed to the government to consider reducing the cost of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, which was recently hiked, leading to long queues of motorists across various filling stations.

The bishop spoke at the unveiling of The Progressive Institute, a brainchild of the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee, in Abuja.

He said, “I once asked a girl if she is in the APC, PDP, or Labour and she said ‘I am hungry.’ And so, since I am speaking to those who are in power, please know that we, Nigerians are hungry.

Find a way of reducing the price of fuel. Find a way of keeping our country secure. That will be the greatest legitimacy of any government.”

The clergyman also raised concerns about the unhealthy practice of public office holders and government officials’ continual invitation to spiritualists and ritualistic whenever they are appointed, to the detriment of the people who voted them into power.

“I will always honour the invitation of every political party. Even if it is APC, PDP, or LP that calls me, I will go. I am a twin. Our grandmother used to say the mother of twins cannot afford to sleep on one side. By virtue of being a priest, people say I am a politician. I am not a politician but I am political.

I am concerned about the quality of democracy and politics in Nigeria. I therefore made the point that there is a growing fear that as soon as our leaders are elected, marabouts, spiritualists, ritualists, and all kinds of people hide behind the throne of power.


“So rather than being guided by science, major decisions are taken through the necromancy of illiterate people, who are seated somewhere chewing kola nuts and doing nothing with their lives, except projecting on what is going to happen. This is why I think this Progressives Institute is important because we need to move towards science,” he noted.

But the Nasarawa State APC Chairman, Aliyu Bello, said those criticising Tinubu are not different.

He said, “Yes, there is hunger in the land. President Tinubu is working on it. This is because, for every problem, there must be a solution. By the grace of God, the solution is coming through the APC, not through any other person.

“This is because those who are talking are also not different from Bola Tinubu.”

In his keynote, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma,, justified President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira.

The Imo State Governor also explained that the problems that came with the reforms were temporary challenges that would soon give way to stability.


He said, “These reforms are necessary. In addition, we have invested N200bn in an intervention fund to address urgent issues and other emergency policies that will improve food security, such as the duty waiver on food items as well as the distribution of fertilisers across the country.

“These initiatives represent the practical application of progressive principles. We believe in an active government working for the betterment of all citizens and dedication to creating opportunities for Nigerians to reach their full potential.”