₦airaland Forum

The National Economic Council (NEC) has agreed that the plan to remove petrol subsidy should not be executed yet.

It however said all preparatory plans with various segment of government, including States and the incoming administration should be intensified.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed these to journalists after the Valedictory NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, however added that Council agreed that the subsidy regime must be removed eventually as it is not sustainable.

“Today I was in the National Economic Council, where we discussed the issue of post-subsidy removal. Council agreed that the timing for the removal of subsidy should not be now, but that we should continue with all of the preparation works that needs to be done and that this preparation work has to be done in consultation with the states and other key stakeholders, including representatives of the incoming administration.

“Council agreed that the first subsidy must be removed earlier rather than later because it is not sustainable. We cannot afford it anymore. We have to do it in such a way that the impact of the subsidy is as much as possible, mitigated on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“So, this will require looking at alternatives to the post subsidy that needs to be planned for and subsequently put in place but also what needs to be done to support the people that would be most affected as a result of the removal.

“So, we will be working together with representatives of the States. We will have a plan that we will start working on putting the building blocks towards the eventual removal of the fuel subsidy.

“If I May remind the forum, that the budget for 2023 has provision for subsidy only up to June 2023 and also the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has a provision that requires that all petroleum products must be deregulated 18 months after the effective date of the PMs removal and that period is also up to June 2023," she explained.

The Supreme Court has said its February 8 order barring the Federal Government and its agencies from enforcing the February 10 deadline for the use of old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes still subsist.

The court made the clarification on Wednesday following complaint by lawyer to Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) that the Fed Govt and its agencies have failed to comply with the order and have allegedly directed the rejection of the old notes.

Mustapha said the plaintiff filed a notice of none-compliance with the order of the court order made on February 8. And demanded that the court take action against the respondent to protect the dignity of the court.

He added: "That order has been flouted by the government. We are talking of executive lawlessness here. We have filed an affidavit to that effect...We want the court to renew the order for parties to be properly guided."

Justice John Okoro, who presided over a seven-member panel of the court, asked Mustapha to filed a proper application to put forward his complaints and to enable the respondent respond appropriately.

Justice Okoro said there was no need for a renewal of the court's order.

He noted that, since the order made by the court on February 8 was made pending the determination of the motion for injunctions filed by the plaintiff, the order still subsists since the motion was not yet heard.

The court had, in the February 8 ruling, said: "after a careful consideration of this ex-parte application, and the grounds in support of same, this court finds that there is real urgency for this court to intervene by the grant of this application.

"Accordingly, this application is hereby granted as prayed.

"That is to say, an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria, either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and/or the commercial banks, its agents; agencies, corporations, ministries, parastatals, organizations or through any person or persons (natural and artificial) howsoever, from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February 2023 the timeframe within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender, pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiffs/applicants’ motion on notice for interlocutory injunction."

The Supreme Court has however fixed February 22 for hearing of the suit filed Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states challenging the propriety the naira swap policy of the Federal Government.

The court chose the date after joining the Attorneys General of Katsina Lagos, CR, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Sokoto states as co-plaintiffs in the earlier suit filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states.

The court also joined the Attorneys General of Edo and Bayelsa states as co-respondents. Both states elected to side with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) originally listed as the sole respondent.

The court ordered that the suits filed by separately by Nasarawa, Rivers and Kano states on the same issue be consolidated with the one filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states.

The court ordered parties to file all necessary documents before the hearing set for next Wednesday.

Justice Okoro, before adjourning, told lawyer to the AGF, Kanu Agabi (SAN) to advise his client to ensure the availability of currency for the people.

"Tell your client to let people have money. If they go to the ATM and the plaintiffs will come and withdraw the case. Make money available to the poor masses.

"You should know that a hungry man is an angry man. I say no more," he said.

Responding, Agabi said Nigerians were only blaming the government for their poverty.

"Many people don't have money. They blame it on the Fed Govt and the AGF. I don't have money too.

"Things have been bad for long. It is not today that the problems started," Agabi said.

Governors Nasir El-Rufai and Yahaya Bello of Kaduna and Kogi states were in court to witness proceedings.

Speaking after the court proceedings, Bello said the states were not at war with the Fed Govt over its cashless policy, but are only concerned about its negative impact on the citizens, who are now denied access to their funds.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday joined nine States as parties in the suit filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara challenging the propriety of the naira swap policy of the Federal Government.

In a ruling a moment ago, a nine-member panel, led by Justice John Okoro, joined the Attorneys General of Katsina, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Cross River and Sokoto States as co-plaintiffs, while the Attorneys General of Edo and Bayelsa states were joined as co-respondents.

The court ordered the original plaintiffs and the respondent - the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) - to amend the processes already filed to reflect the new parties.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Monday that elections will not be holding in about 240 polling units across 28 States
of the federation during the February 25 and March 11 general elections.

The Commission also warned that it will not accept a situation where two or more party agents report to the polling units, causing confusion, adding that any agent found to be engaged in such act will be arrested and prosecuted.

The poling units where elections will not hold are from one in Edo, Kwara, Rivers and Zamfara States to 38 in Imo State which has the highest.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who disclosed this at a regular consultative meeting with leaders of the 18 registered political parties ahead of the elections said the affected polling units has no registered voter.

He said with the exclusion ot the 240 polling units, election will take place in about 176,606 polling units across the country.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emiefele has said that the apex will not allow itself to be used to frustrate the forthcoming general elections.

Emiefele, who spoke when the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu led 11 National Commissioners on a visit to the Bank, said the CBN will make available every cash needed to pay logistics for the success of the elections.

He was responding to a request from Yakubu that the CBN should find a way of addressing scarcity of currency across the country 17 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections since some service providers to the commission were "unbanned".

He said: "The CBN will not allow itself to be used as an agent to frustrate the forth coming election which is a positive assignment.

"If you require cash to pay some of your service providers, we will make it available to you. We will not allow ourselves to be seen as agents that frustrate a genuine assignment".

The INEC chairman had told the CBN Governor the 2023 polls will be the best in Nigeria's history, adding that concerns have however been raised about the processes leading to the elections.

He said while the Commission has transferred all its accounts at the state and national level to the apex bank, some of the services being rendered to the Commission need to be paid for in cash.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the old and new naira notes co-exist to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who spoke to some journalists in Hausa language on Friday, said that while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mopped up over N2 trillion of the old notes, it printed only N300 billion, which he said is not enough.

El-Rufai, who was accompanied by his Kano counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, said even if the CBN had wanted to implement the cashless policy, it should have printed half of what it mopped up, for a start, which ought to be N1 trillion.

He said they told the President the masses are suffering and traders are losing their goods due to lack of patronage.

He referred to tomatoes seller that travelled to Lagos with their goods but got nothing because people had no money to buy.

The Governor said they appealed to the President to reconsider his stances.

El-Rufai however said Buhari did not tell them yes or no.

He disclosed Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu, has gone back to meet the President privately with the hope to convince him.

At of the time of filing this report, he was being awaited to address the media.

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stated the clerics at the unveiling of his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima were not fake.

He said they were at the event, which was open to all, as genuine well-wishers.

The former Lagos Governor, in a statement by The Tinubu Campaign Organisation (TCO), said the viral videos and pictures of the clerics at the event were the handiworks of political distractors.

The statement by Director of Media and Communication of the organisation, Bayo Onanuga, described the development as unwarranted distractions.

APC presented Senator Shettima to the public and its various organs as the running mate to the party's presidential standard-bearer at the well-attended ceremony at Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

But many faulted the presence of Christian clerics at the event, alleging they were hired and fake.

But TCO, in a statement, explained: "The event was an open affair, which allowed members of the public to attend, including the clergymen and some others now being derided by hirelings of the opposition.

"We want to say that those clergymen were not fake, not mechanics or yam sellers as the purveyors of hatred have made Nigerians believe in the social media. They are not big names in Christendom yet, they are gradually building up their missions.

"They are church leaders who genuinely believe that Nigerians must eschew politics of hatred and religious bigotry and rather embrace politics of peace and nation building.

"We, therefore, deplore the hysterical twisting of the presence of these men and women in cassocks and the false accusation against our candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Shettima.

"The orchestrated social media sensation over the presence of the men is needless and all calculated to detract from the huge success recorded at the momentous event on Wednesday.

"We believe Nigerians are too wise and discerning to see through this shenanigan. Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate and our great party are working very hard to provide purposeful leadership and good progressive governance that will improve the quality of life of Nigerians.

"We are well aware that the opposition parties and the sponsors of the social media charade are jittery and threatened by the intimidating political credentials of our candidates. The only way they hope to shift the attention of public scrutiny away from their uninspiring candidates and credentials is to create social media distraction.

"Our campaign is determined on focusing on core governance issues that affect all Nigerians to confront them and make the desired improvements in the standard of living of our people."

The Federal Government through the Nigerian High Commission to the United Kingdom has hired lawyers to defend a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting, the Nation has learnt.

The Senate President Ahmad Lawan who disclosed this after a closed-door session of the chamber on Wednesday, added that a delegation of the Chamber would on or before Friday this week visit Ekweremadu and his wife in London.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were last week arrested and arraigned at Oxbridge Magistrates Court in London.

The Court ruled that the former Deputy Senate President and his wife be remanded in custody till July 7, 2022, which is the next adjournment date.

The fact-finding-visit according to Lawan would be undertaken by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa.

He said that the lawmakers were briefed about Ekweremadu’s travail during the closed session and also apprised of the role the Nigerian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafadeen Ishola, has been playing to ensure that Ekweremadu gets all needed assistance.


He commended the High Commissioner and his team for the work they are doing in providing needed consular support for Ekweremadu.

“The High Commission has been providing all Consular Services including the engagement of lawyers to defend Ekweremadu,” Lawan said.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaged and is currently providing diplomatic support to Ekweremadu.

He assured Ekweremadu’s family that the Senate would work to get all needed support for Ekweremadu and his wife to overcome the present challenge.

He said: “Because the issue is already in court, there a limit to which we can say on the matter. We assure the family we will continue to do our best to support him.”

Details shortly…

The Specialist Crime Team of the Metropolitan Police in London has detained a former Senate Deputy President Dr. Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

According to Sky News, the two suspects were arrested for alleged conspiracy to harvest the organs of a child.

But the child has been taken into protective custody.

The media organisation reported: "Two people have been charged with conspiring to bring a child to the UK in order to harvest organs, the Metropolitan Police said.

"Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, and Ike Ekweremadu, 60, have been remanded in custody and will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court today.

"Charges were brought against the pair, who are from Nigeria, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime team.

"A child has now been safeguarded.

"The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022, the force said."

A top source in Nigeria confirmed the arrest.

Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dissolved the State Executive Council with immediate effect.

The Governor, in a statement by his Special Assistant Media, also relieved his Chief of Staff and Senior Special Assistant (Protocol) of their positions.

The statement reads: "His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, commends the members the Rivers State Executive Council for their service and contribution to the development of the State. He has also wished them the best in all their future endeavours.”

Wike instructed all the former members of the State Executive Council to hand over to the most senior officers in their respective ministries.

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Ministers aspiring to be President in 2023 to resign immediately.

He singled out the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba for braving the odds to quit to avoid conflict of interest.

But other Ministers seeking to be Governors, Senators and House of Representatives members were busy trying to seek clarifications if they were affected.

The President gave the quit notice at the tail end of the Federal Executive Council.

A visibly angry President said he had received the resignation of Nwajiuba seeking to be President.

He said: "I expect other members of this council seeking to be President to resign with immediate effect."

A source in the cabinet said: "We were not clear if this directive will affect other ministers aspiring to be governors, Senators and House of Representatives members.

"We are expecting more clarifications soon."

Some of the aspirants include Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipreye Sylva and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

FThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disqualified two of the 17 presidential aspirants seeking its ticket to contest the 2023 election.

The two disqualified aspirants are to forfeit the N40 million each of them paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms.

The chairman of the presidential screening committee, Senator David Mark, announced the disqualification of the two aspirants on Friday evening.

Mark however declined a request by journalists to reveal the identities of the affected aspirants and the reason(s) for their disqualification.

When asked if the screening committee made any recommendation to the party to refund the N80 million nomination fees paid by the aspirants, Mark said: "Why should the party refund the money?"

Actress Chinedu Bernard has slumped in a church and confirmed dead in a hospital.

The ‘Big Mama’s Stick’ actress was reportedly confirmed dead by doctors at the East Side hospital in Enugu State.

She was said to have slumped while cleaning the Chapel of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church inside Federal Housing area in Enugu State.

It was learnt one of the Reverend Fathers rushed her to the hospital with some members of the church.

Reports identified the Reverend Father, who assisted in taking the late actress to the hospital as Rev Fr Uchendu Chukwuma.

But the ‘Last Manhood’ actress was declared dead by the doctors.

The cause of the late Bernard’s death remains unknown.

The late Bernard’s remains have been deposited in the morgue.

Fondly referred to as ‘Choco,’ the late Bernard featured in movies such as The Big Mama's Stick, Money fever, The Mad, The Last Manhood, Mad Love etc.

President Muhammadu Buhari is in a meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting, which was reportedly called by Buhari, is believed to be focused on ensuring the ruling party holds a successful National Convention on Saturday.

The Governors arrived at the vicinities of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa after the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

They were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the party's Caretaker Committee Governor Mai Mala Buni.

There was mild drama on Thursday during the inauguration of Prof Charles Soludo as Governor when Willie Obiano's wife Ebelechukwu and Bianca Ojukwu engaged in a fight.

Obiano's wife confronted Bianca, accusing her of not wanting the husband to be Governor while calling her a bitch.

In retaliation, Mrs Ojukwu stood up and slapped her leading to a fight.

Ebonyi House of Assembly has declared the seats of three members elected under the People Democratic Party (PDP) vacant.

This followed a letter of resignation purportedly written by the three lawmakers.

The three lawmakers are Ali Okechukwu (Ishielu North); Franca Okpo Abakaliki North) and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi West).

The three lawmakers and their PDP colleagues were not at the sitting.

Fifteen All Progressive Party (APC) lawmakers however attended the sitting.

Speaker Francis Nwifuru read the letters on the floor of the House after which he declared the seats of the three lawmakers vacant.

He also ordered the clerk to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to notify the electoral body of the development and the need to conduct fresh elections in the affected constituencies.