₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, says work has commenced on the Abeokuta-Ifo-Sango-Abule Egba Highway abandoned by past administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.


Onanuga said the road became a huge embarrassment due to neglect.

He commended Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State for taking on the road construction after Tinubu’s administration transferred it to the state government.


Posting the commencement of the road construction via his X page, Abiodun wrote: “Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun at the flag-off ceremony for the reconstruction of the Abeokuta/Ifo/Sango/Abule-Egba Road, we welcomed all attendees and expressed our gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the transfer of this critical project to Ogun State.

“This road, spanning 70 kilometres, is vital for connecting key regions within Ogun and Lagos States, supporting both local and national economic activities, and serving as a crucial link to neighbouring West African countries.

“We assured our citizens that the road will be reconstructed to world-class standards, with features such as drainage systems, sidewalks, and traffic signs. The project is expected to create jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers, boost economic activity, and improve the quality of life for residents.


“The reconstruction effort is part of our broader strategy to enhance infrastructure across Ogun State, contributing to job creation, poverty alleviation, and food security.”

Reacting, Onanuga said: “Work begins on the Abeokuta-Ifo-Sango-Abule Egba Highway. The very important road was neglected during the Obasanjo presidency and became a huge embarrassment to the people of Ogun state.

“We must show appreciation to Governor Abiodun for taking on the reconstruction of the road, after the Tinubu administration transferred it to the Ogun State Government.”

A fully loaded high-capacity Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle overturned inside the dedicated BRT lane at Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, resulting in injuries to 10 passengers.

According to an update from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the accident occurred shortly after the bus had departed from the BRT park at Iyana Ipaja.

While giving an update on social media, the agency said the bus ran into an abandoned pedestrian bridge foot immediately after the Iyana Ipaja bridge, causing it to tip over onto its side.

The authorities have confirmed that all 10 victims have received necessary medical attention.

LASTMA officials were quickly on the scene to manage the situation and ensure that the victims were promptly taken care of.

The accident has caused significant disruption to traffic in the area, with efforts underway to clear the lane and restore normal traffic flow.

Motorists and commuters are advised to exercise caution and follow traffic directives as authorities work to resolve the situation.

Residents in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State are in shock after men in military uniform stormed the Sabon Birnin Daji Cattle Market and opened fire, killing three persons and over 100 cows.

Eyewitnesses claimed the suspected soldiers stormed the market, opening fire on the cattle market, resulting in the deaths of at least three people as traders scrambled for safety.

According to a local, Mallam Shehu Sabon Birni, who spoke to our correspondent, “the dead animals are scattered in the market, causing an offensive odour, making life unpleasant.”

“It was a horrific scene when the soldiers arrived at the market, some of them on motorcycles, and started shooting the animals. Two people were killed in the chaos,” Birni said.

“Now, over 100 dead cows are scattered throughout the market, and the nearby houses are overwhelmed by the stench. We are still unsure why the soldiers took such drastic action,” he added.

Islamic scholar, Dr. Ahmad Gumi, in a video on his Facebook handle, commented on the incident, stating: “Banditry has a cause. And this is part of it. Two wrongs don’t make a right, especially when committed by those entrusted with our protection.”

However, reacting in a statement on Thursday, the Army’s Director of Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, had ordered a probe of the incident to establish the immediate and remote causes and uncover those responsible.

Nwachukwu said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a disturbing news report with gory pictures/video footages published in some mainstream and social media platforms alleging that troops of 1 Division annihilated three persons and some cattle during a recent operation at Sabon Birni in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“While the Nigerian Army wishes to sympathise with the Sabon Birni community and families of the affected persons, we also wish to state that the allegation will be thoroughly investigated and any personnel found culpable will be appropriately sanctioned.

“It is also necessary to add that the NA, which is constitutionally mandated to protect the lives and property of the citizenry, can not tolerate doing otherwise.

“Accordingly, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has directed a thorough investigation into the incident with a view to establishing the immediate and remote causes of the incident and unraveling those behind it.

“We, therefore, appeal for calm and assure the general public that the outcome of the investigation will also be made public.”

The PUNCH reports that in May, the Nigerian Army said it took into custody some soldiers who were accused of oppression and illegally seizing 518 cows, 177 sheep and rams belonging to the Fulani Waziri family of Rafin Sarki village in Fatika District.

This was in response to a petition by the Fulani Waziri family in the Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, who urged the Nigerian Army authorities to order the detachment of soldiers deployed to Fatika to return their animals and henceforth stop selling their farmlands.

They also called for a full investigation into the activities of the soldiers in the community, whom they accused of killing 12 members of the family without provocation.

The family listed those allegedly killed by the soldiers as: Nura Abdussalam, Adamu Abdulkarim, Yusuf Haruna, Buhari Haruna, Kabiru Haruna, Hussaini Haruna, Zinatu Bello, Haruna Idris, Waziri, Rayyanu Shuaibu, Alhaji Abdulkarim and Salisu Abdulkarim.

Nwachukwu told The PUNCH that the Army received a petition from the aggrieved family and had commenced full investigations into the case.

“Reference your inquiry. The information available to me is that an investigation into the allegation is currently ongoing.

“The personnel involved have been taken into custody and investigation has commenced and we should await the outcome,” Nwachukwu said.

Bloodthirsty bandits have killed 13 persons on their farms at the Ijuwa fringes of the Alawa community of the Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

The LGA Chairman, Akilu Isyaku, confirmed the killing of the 13 farmers in an interview with a local radio station in Minna on Wednesday.

He said the bandits shot nine of the victims to death while four others were killed at a different location the same day.

A local who spoke to Channels Television also said the bandits targeted the community over allegations that members supply intelligence to security agencies on bandits’ movements.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Acting Governor Yakubu Garba has described the attack as satanic and callous.

Garba, in a statement, commiserated with the affected families, community members and the entire people of Shiroro LGA over the unfortunate incident.

This attack occurred at the time farmers are expected to spend more time on their farms. It was gathered that several other farmers far away from the scene of the attack have deserted their farmland for fear of attack.

The future of Nigerians has been effectively mortgaged to President Bola Tinubu, his family, and associates,” Mr Atiku said.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election and former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday alleged that the future of Nigerians is being mortgaged by President Bola Tinubu, his family, and associates.

Atiku, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on Wednesday, said he believes that even after Mr Tinubu leaves office, breaking these shackles will be nearly impossible.

Atiku compares Mr Tinubu’s integration of his business interests into Lagos’s public enterprises to his efforts at the federal level.

“Just as Alpha Beta, Primero, and others act as Tinubu’s proxies in Lagos, managing critical sectors and generating revenue for him and his family, he has begun to replicate this at the federal level,” he said.

He expressed astonishment at the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and how the government-owned oil company had put its retail arm under the control of OVH, a company in which Oando, led by Wale Tinubu, a relative of the president, owns 49 per cent.

The statement said Atiku regretted that his intention to privatise the NNPC and increase its transparency has been overshadowed by what he describes as the “criminal hijacking of the NNPC by corporate cabals around the current president.”

“In October 2022, just five months before the elections, the NNPC Retail controversially announced it had acquired OVH and all its filling stations. NNPCL already had about 550 filling stations across the country but claimed it was enhancing its capacity by acquiring OVH, which had only 94 stations and 100 others leased.

“The NNPC did not disclose the purchase price of OVH or the terms of the acquisition. A Freedom of Information request by Premium Times was also rejected by the NNPC, which claimed to be a private company despite still being government-owned,” he said.

Following this controversial deal, he said Mele Kyari, the NNOC boss, was controversially retained as NNPC group managing director “despite his incompetence.”

“Tinubu then appointed his former boss at Mobil, turned ally, Pius Akinyelure, as NNPC Chairman, while he took on the role of Minister of Petroleum.

“In a move that defies economic logic, OVH, previously owned by NNPC Retail, has now acquired NNPC Retail. This absurd situation means that Wale Tinubu’s Oando now owns 49 per cent of NNPC Retail,” he said.

Atiku said Nigeria paid Wale Tinubu a significant sum to facilitate the Tinubu family’s acquisition of the national oil company.


He said this represents a clear case of illogical business transactions and abuse of office by Mr Tinubu, who has prevented NNPC from becoming a public liability company as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how OVH Energy effectively took control of NNPC Retail’s management, prompting an NNPC insider to describe the deal as “the most ridiculous business acquisition in the world”.

The former vice president acknowledged that the NNPC and its leadership are under legislative investigation but expressed scepticism about the process’s credibility due to the vested interests of those conducting the investigation.

“Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who is heading the National Assembly panel, is a known supporter of Tinubu. He served as a commissioner under Tinubu in Lagos State and publicly called him his godfather,” Atiku said.

He said that since Tinubu is the Petroleum Minister, he should be held responsible for the sector’s issues.

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has directed its affiliates members and indeed all workers in the country to immediately shutdown the economy if the Nigerian Police arrest the Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.

Recall that the Police had last night invited the NLC President to its headquarters for questioning over the allegation of involvement in terrorism financing among others.

The development led to the convocation of emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the Labour House where the Congress resolved to write to the Police for extension of time to enable it consult with its lawyers.

Briefing the workers, who had assembled at the Labour House in solidarity with the Congress President and to follow him to the Police headquarters, the NLC Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani, said that the invitation to Ajaero was invitation to workers.

According to him, “At the end of the meeting, we reached some certain resolutions. Part of the resolutions is that, as a committed labour center that we agreed or that we abide by the rule of law and due process.

“We will honor the invitation of the Nigerian police, because we are not faseless organization, but we believe that we need an extension of time, after consultation with our lawyers, because this invitation was extended to the Congress President yesterday and asked to report at the police by 10am today.

“So we are already working with our lawyers to look for extension of time, but this does not legitimize the charges by the Nigerian police to the Congress leadership, and secondly, we resolve that in an event our Congress President was arrested or detained at any moment, we put our affiliate on red alert to mobilize our membership across the country, that all workers in this country should down tool their services.

“This is the resolution because Comrades, this organization belongs to all of us, therefore we should do everything possible to safeguard the safety of this organization. We therefore, thank you very much, and you shoulwait for further directives by our leadership.

“Whatever happens, we will communicate your leadership, and your leadership will communicate you. So we urge you to remain calm and go back peacefully to our working place and await further directives.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ogun State, Barrister Niyi Ijalaye, has reportedly passed away.

Ijalaye reportedly slumped and died on Monday evening in Abuja shortly after attending a meeting of RECs at the Commission's headquarters.

The cause of his death has not been officially disclosed.

It was gathered that the incident took place in his hotel room shortly after he attended a meeting at the Commission’s headquarters.

The meeting, chaired by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, focused on the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, as well as discussions on seven vacant seats in the National and State Assemblies.

The Ondo-born administrator, who had been in high spirits during the Commission's meeting, retired to Bon Octagon Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory, where the incident took place.

According to a report, the REC from Ondo State was in good spirits throughout the day’s proceedings before his sudden demise.
During the meeting, Barrister Ijalaye, dressed in a blue-striped kaftan and a red cap, was captured in one of the photos posted by the Commission on its timeline.

Barrister Ijalaye had been posted to Ogun State in March 2022 following the transfer of Olusegun Agbaje to Lagos State.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not yet released an official statement regarding his death.

The report which is based on a forecast from NNPC, obtained by the newspaper, indicated that the total petrol subsidy expenses from August 2023 to December 2024 will amount to N6.884 trillion, leaving the company unable to remit N3.987 trillion in taxes and royalties to the federation account.

Despite many denials by the Nigerian government on non-payment of fuel subsidies, President Bola Tinubu has given approval to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to use the 2023 final dividends owed to the federation to cover the cost of petrol subsidies, BusinessDay reports.

The president reportedly approved a halt on the payment of 2024 interim dividends to the federation to help boost NNPC’s cash flow.

The NNPC informed the president that due to the subsidy payments, it is currently unable to pay taxes and royalties into the federation account, referring to this as a “subsidy shortfall/FX differential”.

The report which is based on a forecast from NNPC, obtained by the newspaper, indicated that the total petrol subsidy expenses from August 2023 to December 2024 will amount to N6.884 trillion, leaving the company unable to remit N3.987 trillion in taxes and royalties to the federation account.

The exact number of dividends that would be withheld or put on hold could not be verified at the time of filing this report.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has vowed to end the queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, by Wednesday, as the black market for PMS boomed on Sunday.

NNPC also declared that it did not owe international oil traders $6.8bn as claimed in some quarters, a development which some industry watchers described as a major reason for the widespread PMS scarcity in Nigeria.

But despite the national oil firm’s assurance that the queues for petrol would clear this week, oil marketers said on Sunday that the loading of products at depots had yet to improve.

Black marketers of petrol who sold the commodity in jerrycans took advantage of the situation, as they dispensed PMS for as high as N1,200 to N1,500/litre, depending on the area of purchase.


This came as the sole importer of the commodity (NNPC) blamed the petrol scarcity on evacuation challenges at PMS vessels.

NNPC is Nigeria’s only importer of petrol. Other dealers stopped importing the commodity due to their inability to access the United States dollar required for petrol imports.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, told one of our correspondents that the oil firm was working hard to tackle the fuel supply challenges, stressing that the queues should clear by mid-week.


“It’s just an evacuation challenge out of Apapa (ports in Lagos) from the vessel. But we are working on it. It should be resolved. I’m very sure that fuel scarcity will be cleared out by Wednesday,” Soneye stated on Sunday.

He later issued a press statement on the matter, saying, “The NNPC Ltd regrets the tightness in fuel supply witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT (Federal Capital Territory), which is as a result of distribution challenges.

“The company further urges motorists to shun panic buying as it is working round the clock with relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy.”

But operators told The PUNCH that the fuel supply situation at the depots had yet to improve as of Sunday.

An official of one of the top petroleum companies in Nigeria said the company was out of stock.

“We don’t have supply yet. For us and many depots in Apapa, it’s nil stock,” the official, who spoke in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.

An oil marketer disclosed that the scarcity might get worse in Lagos during the week as there was no improvement in supply.


“The scarcity may get worse in Lagos during the week. Nothing is changing yet. Though motorists still get the product to buy although at very high rates,” the marketer disclosed.

A depot operator revealed that “depots will still get supplies this week, but definitely it will not be enough to meet desired demand to bring down the fuel crisis.”

The manager of a filling station in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said a litre of petrol was N880 as of Friday.

The manager, who identified himself simply as Adeyanju, said his principal had not been able to get fuel since Friday, adding that the private depots were hiking the price of petrol.

On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, said the challenges in the downstream oil sector were compounded by the recent nationwide hunger protests.

“Aside from the fact that there is not enough supply, the recent protests disrupted activities in the downstream oil sector. We are still struggling to sort that one out and there is also the challenge of low supply of petrol,” he stated.

NNPC denies indebtedness


In a similar development, the national oil firm said on Sunday that it does not owe international oil traders $6.8bn.

The company also denied claims that it has not remitted funds into the federation account since January.

Soneye, in a statement, reacted to different allegations against the state-owned energy firm.


It was alleged that NNPC owed some of its suppliers, being the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria, though Soneye acknowledged that such transactions were done on credit.

“NNPC Ltd does not owe the sum of $6.8bn to any international trader(s). In the oil trading business, transactions are carried out on credit, so it is normal to owe at one point or the other.

“But NNPC Ltd through its subsidiary, NNPC Trading, has many open trade credit lines from several traders. The company is paying its obligations of related invoices on a first-in-first-out basis,” Soneye stated.

However, he did not state the financial obligations NNPC is currently attending to.


On remittances, he said, “It is not correct to say that NNPC Ltd has not remitted any money to the federation account since January. NNPC Ltd. and all its subsidiaries remit their taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service regularly.

“This is in addition to payments of CIT (company income tax) to road contractors under the Road Investment Tax Credit Scheme. In all, NNPC Ltd is the largest contributor to the tax revenue shared every month at the Federation Account Allocation Committee.”

Soneye maintained that the NNPC is not a regulator and has nothing to do with the quality of imported fuel.

“On the issue of quality/quantity fiscalisation of imported petroleum products, NNPC Ltd has no role whatsoever as it is not a regulator. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, which is the relevant regulatory agency in charge of such issues, is an independent body and does not report to the NNPC Ltd,” he noted.

He explained that the NNPC is not averse to inquiries by the media into issues on and around its operations before dissemination to the public either through the print or electronic channels of communication.

“The company will, always, gladly take the opportunity to state the facts of the subject matter(s). This is in line with the company’s commitment to the Transparency, Accountability, and Performance Excellence philosophy as emplaced by the Mele Kyari-led management since stepping into the saddle in 2019,” Soneye said.

Queues in states


Despite NNPC’s assurance and defense, the queues for petrol lingered in many states and Abuja, while the cost of the commodity crossed N1,000/litre in some locations.

Fuel scarcity persisted in Abuja, Nasarawa, Niger, and neighbouring states. It resurfaced in Lagos on Sunday. The PUNCH observed that the queues to the Northwest filling station inward Gbagada stretched to the West End bus stop along the Gbagada-Oworonshoki Expressway.

The queues at the NNPC filling station at Ogudu stretched across the nearby bridge. It was the same scene at the MRS filling station at the Estate bus stop.

In Osogbo, Osun State, petrol was unavailable in most filling stations observed in Ayetoro, Old Garage, and Ota Efun Area, while a handful of independent marketers dispensing fuel sold the product for N800/litre.

Motorists and commuters decried the increase in petrol prices in Edo State. Independent marketers sold it for between N830 and N890/litre in the state capital while the outlets owned by major marketers sold for between N680 and N688/litre.

The cost of transportation worsened in Uyo as petrol sold for between N900 and N950/litre in the metropolis.

Residents of Gombe State lamented the increase in the cost of PMS across most filling stations in the state.


Petrol scarcity in Bauchi State did not change as customers stayed in long queues to buy the product on Sunday.

Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, lamented the hike in the price of PMA and the scarcity of the product.

The scarcity was also pronounced in Sokoto State as many residents expressed frustration over the development.

The fuel scarcity in the Kaduna metropolis and its environs continued unabated on Sunday, causing untold hardship to motorists and other road users.

In Benue State, petrol was sold at between N960 and N980/litre in many filling stations.

iwaeda:
Nlfpmod, Only INEC can claim the election was peaceful. My polling unit was close to Elegushi, Ikate, saw most of anonymity. Why did IREV not work? Why is he talking more than a year after.

gawu1:
Canceling the election to save your candidate from losing the election! Unfortunately for you, Nigeria doesn't belong to you or your loser candidate and that was why the peace committee refused to yield to undue pressure from the headless mobs to cancel the election. We live to see how your Pandora messiah will fair better in the 2027 election.

The National Peace Committee NPC on Friday revealed details of some behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and other unnamed elements during the 2023 Presidential Election, disclosing how it came under immense pressure to get the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to either halt collation of the results or cancel the election.

The committee led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar disclosed this on Friday in Abuja when it presented to the public its 106-page report of the 2023 General Elections titled, “Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report”.

Before presenting the report to the public, the committee had earlier met with the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and other management staff of the commission where it was briefed on the electoral umpire’s preparation for the forthcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Other members of the committee are Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Vice Chairman); Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (Convener); Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; business icons, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola; Vanguard Newspapers Publisher, Sam Amuka Pemu; Ameze Guobadia; Idayat Hassan; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; Channels TV owner, John Momoh; Roseline Ukeje; and, Fr. Atta Barkindo, its Head of Secretariat.

Part of the report reads; “As the election day progressed, criticisms and counter criticisms became abundant. The NPC was already being faced with a flurry of phone calls and the need to call INEC to order. The Peace Committee was flooded with requests for intervention. Both the Chairman of the Committee, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, the Convener, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Head of NPC Secretariat, Fr. Atta Barkindo, were inundated with calls, requests, and petitions demanding the intervention of the NPC.

“Some of the requests wanted the NPC to prevail on INEC to stop collating election results because there were gross violations and lack of compliance with the electoral act. Others demanded that the tenets of the Peace Accord signed were not adhered to and therefore the Committee should call for cancellation of the election entirely.
“The most significant call was related to the 25% threshold for Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the analysts who reached out to the committee asked that the final election result should not be announced because the resumptive president-elect did not score the required 25% as stated in the electoral act. If anything, there should be a runoff.

“For example, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy described the silence of National Peace Committee (NPC) as deafening in spite of the avalanche of election petitions and likely far-reaching outcomes that could follow the decisions. The Centre stated that the NPC led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) had prior to the 2023 elections engaged political leaders on the need for a peaceful and credible election. However, what was missing was a post- election formal statement of the NPC on the outcome of the election and the sort of intervention needed to prevent widespread violence.

“The biggest bone of contention was the significance of the 25% threshold for the FCT, the vacuum created by pre-election legal interpretation that was not given by INEC.

“Within the general context of the mandate of the Peace Committee, there were requests that demanded the Committee to go beyond its mandate and to interfere in an electoral process that only agencies empowered by law can do so.

“The interventions provided by the NPC is purely and squarely moral, particularly in a context that trust deficit is widespread, the culture of impunity and lack of compliance with laws. The mandate is founded on the need to promote peace, prevent widespread violence and encourage parties and candidates to uphold the rule of law.

“The NPC has no mandate to arrest violators of process or interfere with the constitutional duties of INEC. It is set up to provide moral intervention, defined by mediation and moral persuasion to ensure that there is peace. It is also expected to, on behalf of public interest, speak truth to power when things are going terribly wrong. After the presidential elections, the NPC has continued with its engagements with political parties, youth and women led groups, persons with disabilities, the security agencies, traditional rulers and religious leaders, including the Independent State-based Peace Architectures”.

“Most people are not aware that the NPC provides only a moral intervention, and it has no constitutional duty to arrest, punish or prosecute any citizen for any wrongdoing. Rather, the Committee has the moral obligation to encourage, persuade and appeal to political actors, community leaders and other stakeholders on the importance of peace. This limited awareness has forced some Nigerians to question the significance of engaging with the NPC if only what the committee brings to the table is moral persuasion. This is a challenge for the work of the Committee” report added.

gabbytabby:
And you can’t farm and plant anything. How come

The Presidency is aware of failed attempts by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese company, to take over offshore assets of Nigeria through subterfuge.

Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement, said Zhongshan misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching Nigeria’s presidential jets in its judgment against Ogun government.

He faulted the use of the presidential jets which were on routine maintenance in France.

According to him, the presidential jets are assets of a Sovereign entity protected by diplomatic immunity, which forbids any foreign court from issuing an order against them.

“We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law,” he said.

He said the Federal Government was not under any contractual obligation with the Chinese company.

“The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State government.

“The Federal Government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun State government to reach an amicable resolution on the matter,” said Onanuga.

He said the company had no solid ground to demand restitution from Ogun government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the state government to manage a free-trade zone.

He said that when the contract with Ogun was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone.

According to him, while the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was working with the Ogun government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris.

“This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions,” said Onanuga.

He said unscrupulous and questionable individuals were falsely presenting themselves as investors with the sole objective of undercutting and scamming governments in Africa.

He said the same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.

He was emphatic that foreign companies were trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats.

“Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu.

“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.

“Nigerian government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors,” said Onanuga.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the contract between Ogun and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone was executed in 2007.

The parties entered into a dispute in 2015, and arbitration began in 2016.

By 2019, the arbitration hearing had been concluded.

The Arbitral Panel awarded over 60 million dollars against the Federal Government of Nigeria, a co-defendant, when all Zhongshan had done was build a perimeter fence around the free-trade zone.

Based on legal advice, the Ogun government resolved to resist the enforcement of the award.

The resistance was successful in eight different jurisdictions. There are pending appeals against recognition orders issued in both the US and UK.


Ogun State also engaged Zhongshan in settlement discussions on reasonable terms.

The last meeting, held in September 2023 in London, was attended by several officials of Ogun, including Gov. Dapo Abiodun and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General/Minister of Justice.

Zhongshan’s initial reasonable readiness to consider Ogun State’s offer was surprisingly reversed by the second day when it insisted on the government paying the full arbitration debt.

This led to a breakdown of the mediation, with parties agreeing to meet again in the first quarter of this year.

But Onanuga said since then, Zhongshan has been evasive.


“Instead, it embarked on a series of enforcement proceedings, which the legal team appointed by the Federal Government and Ogun successfully opposed.

“In cases similar to the present one, where Zhongshan obtained an ex-parte order, Ogun State successfully set aside the orders.

“Ogun has not given up on a reasonable settlement option, with the most recent letter sent to Zhongshan last week.

“Zhongshan only responded after obtaining this latest illegal order,” said Onanuga.

We’re Only Able To Eat When We Go Out To Beg, Kano Family Lament Hardship In Nigeria


In a TikTok video, Dr Bello Galadanci, a US-born Kano State indigene, skitmaker, and journalist also known as Dan Bello, has expressed concern about the plight of vulnerable families in northern Nigeria.

“There are millions of vulnerable families all over northern Nigeria. They are poor, young, unhealthy, uneducated, and struggling to pay rent,” he said.

Galadanci called for local governments to use their financial autonomy to aid such families.

“Every local government should establish a structure to identify such families. This programme should cater for their basic needs and education,” he advised.

He also stressed the need for transparency in these initiatives.

“LG chairpersons and ward councillors should cooperate to ensure this program is free of corruption,” he added.

In a video he posted, a family in Kano gives a harrowing account of their situation which underscores the urgency of such measures.

“My name is Aliyu and my sister's name is Siyama. Our dad is late, and our mother is blind. We are from the Gwamaja area of Kano State,” said the children.

Their mother added, “My husband died more than a year ago. We have not received help from LG authorities or councillors. We eat when we go out to beg.”

This testimony highlights the critical need for local governments to act decisively in supporting vulnerable families.

Nigeria’s inflation fell to 33.40 percent in July 2024 from 34.19 percent in June on a year-on-year basis.


This is the first time the country’s inflation has cooled down since December 2022 when it stood at 21.34 percent.

The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this in its latest Consumer Price Index and Inflation for July released on Thursday.

This represents a 0.79 percent decline compared to the 34.19 percent recorded in June 2024.

The decline was in line with the expectations of Financial analysts who projected that the country’s inflation would cool off from July to August.

“The picture is that the rate of increase in price level has begun to slow. Hence we are projecting that information will begin to decline from July to August”, the Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives said in June.


CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso had earlier assured that the Monetary Policy Committee would do everything to tame inflation.

As part of measures to ensure inflation is tame, CBN through MPC has continued to raise interest rates.

The latest was in July when it raised the rate by 50 basis points to 26.75 percent from 26.25 percent in May.


Additionally, the Nigerian government had recently introduced fiscal measures including zero import duties on selected staple foods to tackle inflation.

Also, recall that Defence Headquarters recently said that it had deployed its troops to farmsz especially in the North East and North Central to ensure a hitch-free farming season in Nigeria.

JobAndVacancies:
a nairalander's GTB account was hacked and the 42 million naira in the account was completely wiped off.
The money was a contract recently awarded to him.
His moniker below is Gloriousgbola.
You can quote him and send in your condolences.

Indications have emerged that the total monthly pay of 99 non-principal officers of the Nigerian senate is above N2 billion.

One of them, Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano) yesterday confirmed that he receives about N21 million monthly as his perquisite for representing the people of Kano South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly.

He however said that he does not know how much goes to the Senate president, the deputy Senate president, as well as each of the eight other principal officers of the upper chamber of the Nigerian parliament.

The revelation by Kawu puts the total monthly package for all the 99 non-principal officers of the Senate at N2.079 billion.

The 10 principal officers of the 10th Senate are: President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President; Jibrin Barau; Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Deputy Chief Whip, Nwebonyi Peter Onyeka; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Deputy Minority Leader, Akogun Lere Oyewumi; Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga.

The earnings of the presiding officers of the National Assembly have been still not been known, with several other lawmakers in the past saying they do not know what those officers receive monthly, and that even the number of aides statutorily allowed for those category of officers were unknown to them.

Efforts by Daily Trust to get the breakdown of their monthly earnings yesterday were not successful as the Senate’s spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, neither answered calls nor replied to messages inquiring about the earnings of the principal officers, where were sent to his mobile telephone line.

There have been controversies in recent times over the actual salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers in the country.

Some former members of parliament like Senator Shehu Sani and representatives Muhammad Sani Zoro and Sergius Ogun had recently quoted different figures as emoluments of lawmakers, and also challenged those who are serving in the 10th National Assembly to make public what they earn.

Ogun, who represented Esan North-East/Esan South-East Constituency from 2015 to 2023, had disclosed last week that each member of the House of Representatives received N8.5 million monthly as running costs while he was in the parliament.

Sani Zorro, who had represented Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/Gagarawa Federal Constituency of Jigawa State in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019, however, challenged those currently serving to make public their entitlements.

Senator Sani, who was in the Senate from 2015 to 2019, had said each senator received a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly N750, 000.00 prescribed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently criticised the federal lawmakers for allegedly fixing their salaries, describing the practice as “immoral.”

In response to Obasanjo’s accusation, however, the Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu insisted that members of the National Assembly only receive what was allocated to them by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

But reacting to Senator Sani’s claim, the Chairman of RMAFC, M. B. Shehu, had, in a statement on Tuesday, said each senator earns N1,063,860 in salary and allowances per month.

The RMAFC boss, however, stressed that the commission does not have the constitutional powers to enforce compliance with the proper implementation of the remuneration package of lawmakers. “This lacuna is, however, being addressed by the National Assembly,” he had stated.

I earn N21m monthly running cost – Senator Kawu Sumaila

But in what seemed to be a contradiction of the RMAFC’s position, Senator Kawu Sumaila, in an interview on BBC Hausa on Wednesday, said that he receives about N21 million monthly.

Kawu, a former legislative aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, said: “The amount that salary that each senator receives per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about N600,000.

“In the Senate, each senator is given N21 million every month as the cost of running his office”, he said.

He said the N21 million each senator receives is for all the activities, including domestic trips, purchase of daily newspapers, among other functions.

Former President Obasanjo had, on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while hosting six members of the House of Representatives, led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, who visited him, accused federal lawmakers of fixing their salaries and allowances; a claim both chambers had separately dispelled.

“In your case, with all due respect, you’re not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself—the allowances that you give yourselves, including newspaper allowances.

“You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral, yet you are doing it, the Senate is doing it, and you are beating your chests about it. In some cases, the executive gives you what you’re not entitled to. You all got N200 million (each),” Obasanjo had alleged.

Adjust your earnings with masses’ realities—SERAP, YIAGA, CHRICED

Reacting to the revelation by Senator Sumaila, some civil society organisations (CSOs) and analysts yesterday raised concerns over the “huge” pays being received by the legislators amidst the hardship in the land.

Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a chat with Daily Trust, noted that Nigeria operates one of the world’s most expensive democracies without corresponding results.

“We cannot compare ourselves with any other nations in terms of the expenses incurred, whether annually or monthly. Legislators, especially senators, must reassess their earnings in line with the realities of the Nigerian nation,” Mumuni said.

He decried the huge disparity between the earnings of lawmakers and the average Nigerian, saying the N70,000 new minimum wage for Nigerian workers is a stark contrast to the N21 million received by senators.

“This situation needs urgent attention to prevent leaving future generations of Nigerians in a dire financial mess,” he added. Mark Amaza, Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, said even after 25 years of democratic governance, Nigerians still lack clarity on the earnings of their federal legislators.

He blamed the National Assembly for perpetuating “this opacity”, saying “Transparency and accountability are essential in a democracy, and the earnings of legislators should not be a closely guarded secret.”

Ibrahim Zikirullahi, Executive Director, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), said the revelation by Senator Sumaila reinforced the need to reduce the cost of governance.

He said it was “unfortunate” that those entrusted with managing the nation’s resources appear indifferent to the needs of the people they represent.

“At a time when the majority of Nigerians are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty and severe hunger, it is disheartening to learn that such vast amounts are being spent on just 109 lawmakers while millions lack basic amenities like roads, electricity, and water,” Zikirullahi said.

He said the funds allocated to legislators could be better spent on public services such as schools and healthcare centres.

“Something drastic must be done to address social inequality in this country, starting with a significant reduction in the funds allocated to the lavish lifestyles of our political officeholders. The frequent calls by the government for citizens to make sacrifices amid Nigeria’s economic challenges will ring hollow if those in power continue to enrich themselves at public expense,” he said.

Fuel marketers in Kano State have jerked up their prices as a litre is being sold at between N900 and N950 per litre.

Following the increase, commercial tricycle operators within the metropolitan local government areas have also increased their fares by about 100 per cent.

This is coming just a few days after the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria# nationwide protest.

It was observed that most of the filling stations in Kano city have also remained shut while the few that were selling the commodity were besieged by a long queue of vehicles.

The few filling stations that were operating, had already jerked up their prices from between N780 per litre and N850 per litre before the anti-hunger protest, to between N900 per litre and N950 per litre.

Black marketers who returned to business recently are also having a field day.

Investigation showed that a litre of fuel at the black market sells for between N1,100 and N1,200 depending on the location where the black marketers are operating.

A cross-section of motorists who spoke to our reporter, expressed concern over the price hike.

Efforts to contact the state Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Gana Girge, failed as his calls did not connect.