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Eddy Odivwri

Last Monday, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, became the 16 th President of Nigeria, in fulfilment of

his life ambition. He had emerged against all the odds. To his credit, he fought a dogged fight.

He was prepared for the contest in all dimensions. That was one of the reasons he didn’t wear

out. His eyes were on the ball. His faith in his capacity to win the election never wavered. He

spoke with oracular certitude on his chances of winning the election. Even when certain

government policies and political developments seemed to be adverse to his ambition, he

forged on with uncommon courage and optimism. He was verily prepared for the race. He said

it was his turn to be President. And truly, he got it. Never mind that some of his co-contestants

are challenging his victory in the court

So, last Tuesday, he marched into the Presidential Villa, after the ceremonial swearing-in of te

previous day, ready to hit the ground running. But he actually started the running before he hit

the ground. The declaration of “fuel subsidy is gone” in his inaugural address showed he would

not be scared of taking tough decisions. But he must be wary of hasty decisions, just so he can

give the impression of what we describe as “action president”. On the day of the inauguration,

the 2023 budget still made 32 day provision for petrol subsidy. Therefore, the declaration that

“subsidy is gone” was somewhat hasty and a determination to sound and appear

impressionistic. As it turned out, it was a declaration that caused great chaos and unease in the

society. Two hours after the statement, fuel queues emerged at filling stations. Some “wicked”

petroleum markets had promptly adjusted the meter price. By the following day, the queues

not only lengthened, the nasty and bitter experiences of the Buhari years was re-enacted and

relaunched with fresh fervour. It was a wrong take-off signal. It was so bad that the groaning in

the land was sounding like the moan of a dying folksman. The media team of Mr President had

to issue a clarification which technically reversed or moderated what Mr President said at the

inauguration. The statement said the removal of the subsidy is not immediate, as the provision

for subsidy will subsist till end of the month. But it was an explanation that came too late. Like

bullet fired from the gun which cannot be recalled, the declaration of the President had done

all the damage it could do in the society. Not only have chaotic queues returned at the gas

stations, petrol marketers, including NNPCL, ahead of any negotiation with organized labour

and co, have even adjusted their prices to between N468 and N900 per litre across the country.

Difficult days are here again! “Renewed Hope” is wearing the toga of renewed hardship.

Already, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress which met with some

officials of the Tinubu administration last Wednesday failed to reach a consensus on what to

do. The meeting was inconclusive. We are back to the days of back-and-forth.

The “renewed hope” of better days have been dealt a severe and early blow. We hope the

experiences ahead will not make Buhari look like a benevolent angel.

If the silence of the presidency remains on this matter, it would mean that the 32 or so days

subsidy provided for in the budget will simply go the way of the crooks: get stolen. Would that

be how the Tinubu administration want to start?

But while Nigerians are getting the rough squeeze of a new government, the first family

appears to be settling down to what promises to be a long stretch of presidential drama. The

curtain to Act One Scene one opened on Wednesday, when the “first daughter” who dubbed

herself as Iyaloja General of Nigeria (no longer Iyaloja of Lagos), Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-

Ojo, 61, launched a Friends of Iyaloja Initiative (FOI Initiative) with the aim of “using my little

wealth of experience, connections and human resources available to my (sic) to support my

Dad’s administration”. At the launch last Wednesday in Abuja, the Iyaloja was seen practicing a

speech with her Aide De Camp (ADC) standing behind her as she regaled her invited guests,

relishing in a presidential aura and carriage. This launch is coming way ahead of the programme

and initiative of the First lady, Mrs Remi Tinubu. The launch of her initiative appears to still be

in consonance with the determination to hit the ground running. Those who understand the

intra-political dynamics in the First family say there will be running context between and among

the various sub-forces in the family for space and power wielding. The days ahead will be

manifestly intriguing with the drama that is bound to unfold.

But before that drama loads properly and fully, the contention for the principal officers in the

National Assembly promises to be the prologue to the theatrics that will characterize the

Tinubu administration.

Already, there is internal protestation over who the principal officers of the tenth national

assembly will be within the red chamber as the duo are keenly interested to run for the senate

presidency and its deputy, respectively, despite the micro-zoning arrangement approved by the

National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Will the duo of kalu and

Yari “scatter” the APC cohesion in the upper chamber?

The duo of Orji Uzor Kalu and Abdulaziz Yari and both former governors in Abia and Zamfara

states respectively have formed an alliance with non-APC members in the National Assembly to

upset what the NWC has decided. Will they succeed? Will they fail? We all are watching.

The NWC of the party has chosen Senator Godswill Akpabio and Jubrin Barau, as President and

Deputy Senate President of the Senate, respectively. Akpabio was the first aspirant to announce

that he was stepping down for the candidature of Bola Tinubu, at the party’s national

convention on June 28, last year. It is thus not unlikely that choosing him to become the Senate

President may be a pay-back time for his perceived loyalty. But that on its own poses a problem

of compromising the expected independence of the senate, if Akpabio really emerges the

Senate President. The freedom of the lawmakers to elect who their leaders should be, has been

circumscribed by this over-bearing meddlesomeness of the NWC of the APC. Will there be a

repeat of the Saraki leadership drama as it was in the 8 th assembly?

The ability of President Tinubu to rein-in the likes of Orji Kalu and Senator Yari and their

followers will be a test of his political sagacity and influence.

In all, I join in congratulating Mr President on his eventual landing the seat of power, the

number one job in the land. As an experienced political leader, President Tinubu must realise

that winning the election is one thing and governing effectively is quite another. The Buhari

experience is a perfect example, as he got power through election, but did not quite know what

to do with it, as others ran the show for him.

Now that the Tinubu eagle has landed, governance, effective and beneficial governance, that is,

most be seen to be taking place, That is what will provide succour to Nigerians, not the

shenanigans of power-hungry politicians struggling for position and recognition.

Where is the Nigeria Air Aircraft?

Eddy Odivwri

Before the sun set last Friday, Mr Hadi Sirika, the former Aviation minister who had promised

that the Nigeria Air will fly before the end of the Buhari administration, made good his promise,

when, like magic, a certain aircraft Boeing 737-800, bearing the label of Air Nigeria landed at

the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. It was an interesting drama. Mr Sirika, for over seven

years had been talking about re-introducing a National carrier, arguing that it will further boost

the Nigerian economy by contributing immensely to increasing the nation’s GDP as it will fly

some 86 regional, international and local routes. But as it turned out, it was more talk and no

action. An expensive bureaucratic prank!

In July 2018, Hadi Sirika launched the logo of the Nigeria Air with so much funfare in far away

London, with a roadshow, promising that Nigeria Air will start operation by December of that

same year (2018). This is mid 2023, and all we have sighted is an eleventh-hour lone aircraft

landing on the eve of the end of the Buhari administration. Those who have closely monitored

the Sirika aviation magic have said that the said aircraft is not only back to where it came from

(Ethiopian Airline in Addis Ababa) the label paste on the said aircraft, has indeed been reversed

to its original name: Ethiopian Airline and resumed its regular flight from Addis-Ababa to

Mogadishu. And that is the end of Nigeria Air, I dare say. So Hadi Sirika deceived us all, just like

that? He owes Nigerian a lot of explanations!

This was a project launched with over N20 billion, just for a logo and road show, and you would

wonder if that much was spent on a logo, how much would the aircraft itself cost?

Sirika, in an attempt to mystify the whole exercise had contacted a consultant, a marketing

outfit in Bahrain to design the logo, then he claimed the government spent some money as

working capital and paid some transactional advisers’ fee, all at the cost of N6.25 billion.

So, Mr Hadi Sirika sir, where are the fruits of all these efforts? Where is the airline? Where is

the aircraft? Where are the staff? Where are the offices? Where are the paraphernalia of an

organization? The former aviation minister took Nigerians for granted. He carried on with the

attitude of “there’s nothing you can do me”. Perhaps because he was former President Buhari’s

in-law, he operated with so much air of arrogance and nonchalance to due process and public

opinion.

It is a notorious fact that international flights from Nigeria are far more expensive than

neighbouring countries. No thanks to the excessive multiple charges by the Nigerian Airports

Authority, not to mention the poor bilateral air relationship between Nigeria and the United

Arab Emirate, for instance, which has affected the cessation of Lagos/Abuja-Dubai flights.

Save his impressive facial optics, the likes of Hadi Sirika helped to offer Nigerians a bitter pill from the Buhari regime. We shall return to these scams later.

Help, Who’d Save Festac Town?

Eddy Odivwri

For too long, the 46-year old festival town, also known as Festac Town, in Lagos, has been a

victim of monumental neglect. The fate of the town is piteously peculiar as the running

controversy of who owns and manages the town—between the federal government and Lagos

State, has remained unresolved. At the beginning, it was a town built and managed by the

Federal Housing Authority (FHA). But over the years, the presence of FHA has continued to

wane and wear out.

The Lagos State government which had seemed to assume responsibility of the town has not

sufficiently lived up to expectation in terms of managing and maintaining the town. One would

have thought that with Festac Town being the head quarters of the Amuwo-Odofin LGA, the

town would enjoy some good measure of attention. But that has not been the case. Its

efficiency appears to be only in the collection of rates and taxes from residents.

In exact months, the town has been on a faithful degeneration, made worse by the rains. As

at today, nearly all the roads have completely broken down, dotted with craters and huge pot

holes, so much that motorists and commuters literally move from one point to the other in

tears. It has been a hell of experience commuting on the township link roads of the estate.

Almost all social services from any arm of government has collapsed.

The Chairman of the Amuwo-Odofin council, Valentine Braimoh, an engineer, seemed to be in a

governmental slumber as no effort is being made to make the experience of the residents less

hellish.

·     Insists petrol prices not fixed, will continue to be determined by market forces

·     NLC mobilises for action against fuel price adjustment

·     To hold emergency NEC meeting today

·     Lawmakers urge FG to suspend DSDP contracts

·     Civil society groups protest, block major roads in Edo

·     Removal of petrol subsidy must not fuel poverty, Amnesty International advises

·     Don’t be distracted by antics of labour leaders, oil marketers, northern group tells FG

Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Adedayo Akinwale, Kingsley Nwezeh, Udora Orizu in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe in Lagos, and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

As public outcry over the sudden hike in the pump price of petrol continues, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari, says President Bola Tinubu has directed that palliatives be put in place to cushion the effect of the increase on Nigerians. Kyari disclosed this yesterday while fielding questions from journalists at the end of a closed-door meeting with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

On same day, Kyari said during an interview on ARISE News Channel that the adjustment in petrol pump price was not fixed. He stressed that prices would continue to change in reaction to market forces in the coming weeks.

But organised labour, under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said it was still weighing the situation in the aftermath of the petrol price increment. NLC said it would not hesitate to take all necessary actions within the ambit of the law to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and the masses.

NLC disclosed that as part of moves to galvanise action against the government policy, the union would hold an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting today in Abuja, to decide on appropriate steps to take over the massive increase in fuel price.

In Edo State, Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), yesterday, blocked a section of the busy Benin/Lagos highway in protest against the increase in petrol pump price. The protest, which also took place at different locations in the state, obstructed vehicular movement.

However, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) called on the federal government not to be distracted by the tricks of those it described as discredited self-serving labour leaders and unscrupulous oil marketers who would seize every opportunity to undermine government’s good intentions.

But global human rights body, Amnesty International, advised that the removal of fuel subsidy must not exacerbate poverty in the country.

The House of Representatives at plenary yesterday, stated that with the petroleum subsidy removal, the federal government should forthwith suspend all Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) contracts. The House said NNPC should act according to the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in order to ensure that the country was not short-changed in production, lifting, and sale of crude.

NNPC had on Wednesday adjusted the pump price of petrol by nearly 200 per cent, from N195 per litre to between N488 and N557 nationwide. The development followed the announcement by Tinubu during his inaugural address on Monday that fuel subsidy was “gone”. Tinubu promised to re-channel the expected savings to education, health and other sectors.

NLC had expressed displeasure over the new pricing template, describing it as vexatious.

Furthermore, Kyari, while speaking with the APC NWC members, noted that NNPC could not continue to be the sole importer of petrol in the country.

The GCEO said, “There is a gradual process now of making a flexible and single exchange rate regime. Everyone will be able to have access to foreign exchange and there is a transition going on now and the NNPC cannot continue to be the sole importer. We know that this is going to vanish and the market will stabilise this.”

On the rehabilitation of the four national refineries, Kyari said, “There is an on-going process of rehabilitation and one of the refineries will come on stream this year. The second will come on stream next year and the third will come in 2025.”

The NNPC boss said it was very obvious that the country could no longer afford the subsidy payment and it had to be removed.

According to him, “Subsidy bills have piled up. The country is not able to settle NNPC for the money we are spending on the subsidy. Therefore, pricing this petroleum at the market is the right thing to do at this time. We believe that this will benefit the overall country in the long run. 

“I am aware that Mr. President has directed some engagement and some palliative will be put in place and I am very sure this will happen.”

Kyari pointed out that there was provision for subsidy in 2022. However, he said in 2023, not a single naira was provided for the purpose of financing the subsidy.

Kyari stated, “And ultimately while we held back our fiscal obligations, we still have a net balance of over N2.8 trillion that the federation should have given back to the NNPC.

“For any company, when you have negative N2.8 trillion, there is no company in the whole of Africa that will lend to you. You cannot have receivables. The provision of subsidy is there but absolutely there is no funding for it. It means it is only on paper. So, it doesn’t exist.

“So, we no longer can bear it because of liquidity. If we continue we will run into defaults and the defaults of NNPC is the default of Nigeria. Once NNPC goes into defaults and liquidity, it affects every borrowing done by the country, even the sub-nationals. Your lenders will come back to you and say your country can no longer pay.”

Kyari disclosed that when Tinubu announced that subsidy was gone, within 24 hours, investors in both the money and capital markets reacted positively.

He stated, “It is nothing else other than the statement around subsidy and balancing of the forex market. These two elements are major concerns that every investor all over the world, every partner that we have, is thinking about. What is your forex regime and how do you deal with your subsidy? 

“They know that this subsidy constitutes a huge amount of money and this country may not be able to survive and pay its debts. It is very clear that everybody understands this. 

“Before today, the average subsidy level was N400 billion every month. That means every month you can do one major capital project from money that you do not have. This is really is what it means. There is nothing anybody can do about it. There is this common argument that the masses will suffer. That we are going to have problems with them. I agree that once you increase prices of this proportion, as it has happened, it will have impact on inflation. There is no doubt about it. It is very typical also, it goes up and down. The market determines what happens next.”

Kyari stressed that the target of the president was to have seven per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, saying you cannot have this if there is distortion in demand and consumption patterns. 

In a related development, speaking on “The Morning Show” on ARISE News Channel, Kyari stated that the adjustment in the prices of petrol was not fixed, saying pump prices would continue to change in reaction to market forces. Kyari also noted that the removal of subsidies would Strengthen efficiency in the downstream sector.

Kyari stated, “The price we are seeing today at our filling stations is the current market price of the commodity. So, what this means is that prices in the market can go down at any time and, of course, the market will adjust itself.

 “The beauty of this is that there’ll be new entrants because marketing companies’ reluctance to come into the market all along is the very fact that there’s a subsidy regime that is in place.

“Subsidy regime doesn’t have the ensure of repayment back to those who provide the product at a subsidised price. Now that the market is deregulated, oil marketing companies can actually import product, whether it is produced locally, they can buy and take them into the market and sell it at commercial price.

“Therefore, you will see competition, even with NNPC, and by the way, by law, NNPC cannot do more than 30 per cent of the market going forward. As soon as the market stabilises, oil-marketing companies are able to come in. That means that even the requirements of energy security in the law indicate that you have to be up be able to have at least 30 per cent of the stocks in the country.”

On the issue of inefficiency and extra burden on the federal government along the downstream sector, Kyari said those inefficiencies would be eliminated.

NLC Mobilises for Action against New Fuel Price Hike 

NLC said it would hold an emergency NEC meeting today in Abuja to decide on appropriate steps to take over the massive increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). It called on the federal government to obey the 2023 Appropriation Act and call NNPC to order.

In a statement, NLC said Nigerians from all walks of life, including civil society organisations, had continued to visit the Labour House in Abuja, to show solidarity with the congress and support its position against the petroleum products price hike by the federal government and to demand that necessary action be taken with their support to ensure that the federal government reverses the decision to withdraw petroleum subsidy.

The union said a delegation of Northern Women Assembly (NOWA), led by its National President, Alhaja Aisha Hassaini, and Miyetti Allah Peace Initiative, led by its National President, Hon. Yusuf Musa Ardo, were at the headquarters of NLC yesterday, to register their displeasure the sudden increase in the prices of petroleum products by the federal government.

It said the northern women group expressed dissatisfaction with the hardship and increased suffering, which the petroleum price hike had foisted on their members across the north.

According to NLC, the women urged the labour movement to immediately take steps to get the government to revert to the old pump price. 

It said, “The women insisted on mobilising their members towards any action that may become necessary to make sure that the government does the right thing for Nigerian women, stating that women bear the greatest brunt of every bad policy of the government.”

NLC said Miyetti Allah Peace Initiative brought a petition from members demanding the protection of NLC against anti poor policies of the government. It said the association lamented the huge burden, which the petroleum price hike had already foisted on their members, adding that they are afraid of what the future portends if this is allowed to stand.

NLC president, Joe Ajaero, said the union had assured all those that visited the congress since Tuesday of its continued commitment to taking all necessary measures within the law to protect the interest of Nigerian workers and masses, no matter the quantum of opposition. 

The congress stated, “We called for patience and continued unity so that we can present a common front against all forms of oppression.

“It has, therefore, become important that we inform the federal government of the expanding and deepening anger amongst the populace, which is increasingly building a coalition of the suffering and deprived that may lead to a conflagration of unexpected dimensions if nothing is immediately done to assuage this snowballing feeling of angst.

“We advise the government to quickly revert to the old pump price since provision was made to cater for subsidy in the current budget to cover this period.” 

Ajaero said in the statement that NLC believed that government could not continue to break its own law and expect the citizenry to be law abiding because the 2023 budget was an Appropriation Act of the National Assembly.

He said the on-going dialogue with the government might be imperilled if the insistence continued, especially when there it seemed that there is a clear, deliberate and wilful breach of the law by those who are supposed to be its custodians. 

Ajaero stated, “Any act of impunity encourages lawlessness and leads to serious breach of trust and reduces citizenship belief in leadership. These are basic ingredients needed by the government to govern, which it seems to be in a hurry to defile. Citizens connect is critical for the survival of any government. 

“The on-going dialogue with the government may be imperilled if the insistence continues, especially when it seems that there is a clear, deliberate and wilful breach of the law by those who are supposed to be its custodians. 

“As the pressure continues to mount from the outcry of the citizenry for a quick mitigation of the increasing hardship, which this has become for Nigerians, we are thinking that patience may run thin and may snap, leading to actions that may no longer be controlled.

“We, therefore, call on the government to obey the 2023 Appropriation Act and call the NNPC to order.

“Encouraging local refining of our crude to meet domestic demand is the surest way to resolve the subsidy impasse and stave off its negative consequences on the nation.

“As we go into the Joint CWC/NEC meeting of both congresses tomorrow to further discuss this unfortunate price hike, we urge all Nigerians to be prepared. The will of the people must prevail.”

Lawmakers Urge FG to Suspend DSDP Contracts, Create Palliatives to Cushion Removal Effect for Nigerians

The House of Representatives, at plenary yesterday, stated that with the petroleum subsidy removal, the federal government should forthwith suspend all Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) contracts. The House said NNPC should act according to the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in order to ensure that the country was not short-changed in production, lifting, and sale of crude.

The House also said while the federal government should out rightly remove subsidy on all petroleum products, it should immediately design measures and palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal for Nigerians effective from this year, through the provision and procurement of CNG Buses as an alternative transport system with cheaper fuel consumption.

According to the lawmakers, the government should also introduce intermodal, regional and national transport system to ease mass movement of people across the country.

The directives followed the adoption of the 11 recommendations by the ad-hoc committee that investigated the Petroleum Products Subsidy Regime in Nigeria from 2013 to 2022.

Lawmakers had resolved to look into the subsidy regime following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Sergius Ogun (PDP-Edo), on June 29, 2022.

Ogun had, while moving the motion, said due to the decline in the production capacity of the refineries, NNPC found it more convenient to export domestic crude in exchange for petroleum products on trade by barter basis described as DSDP arrangement.

He expressed concerns that the consumption rate of petrol was 40 million to 45 million litres per day, while NNPC used 65 million to 100 million litres per day to determine subsidy as discoverable from NNPC’s monthly reports to the Federal Allocation Committee (FAAC).

Presenting the report from their investigation 11 months later, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Aliyu, advised that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation Committee should lead a reconciliation meeting between NNPC, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Joint Venture Contractors (JVCs), and the commission on the utilisation of their crude entitlements.

Aliyu also urged that further investigation through a forensic audit by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation be made to ascertain whether the N413 billion borrowed from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for subsidy payments was refunded after the passage and assent of the 2015 budget, as earlier approved by the president, and the report of the Auditor General to be submitted to the House for further legislative action.

Other recommendations adopted by the House included, “That the Nigerian Midstream Down Stream Petroleum Regulatory Commission should issue stricter and most appropriate regulations, as provided in the PIA, to ensure that Nigerians are not short-changed through profiteering; that the Nigeria Customs Service and Weight and Measures Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment be equipped to ascertain the real daily crude oil lifting from the country for proper checks and balances; that the committee recommends that the NEITI Act, 2007 be amended by the National Assembly to be in tune with global best practices.

“With the total deregulation of the sector, all the agencies involved in crude lifting/security should have a representative with the Nigerian Navy as a lead agency to physically asses and document daily crude production and lifting; that the committee also recommends that the federal government should as a matter of urgency, liaise with the National Assembly to fashion out critical areas of economic development, which the additional revenue from the proposed subsidy removal will be appropriately utilised, and that given the constrain of the committee and overlapping events, the National Assembly (HR) Standing or Ad-hoc Committees be saddled with such responsibility to conduct full-scale investigation on the defaulting oil companies and MDAs that have not met the expectations of the committee to ascertain their level of involvement or otherwise and further protect the commonwealth of the country.”

The lawmakers also considered and passed the report on a bill seeking for an Act to Repeal the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2004 and Enact the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2023 to Operate, Maintain and Control Subsidiaries and Ordnance Factories for the Manufacture, Storage and Disposal of Ordinance and Ancillary Stores and Materiel. 

The proposed legislation was sponsored by Chairman, Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos).

Meanwhile, the House deferred consideration on a Bill for an Act to Amend the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, to strengthen the role of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and allow it prosecute cases before the Federal High Court.

Civil Society Group Protest Increase in Fuel Pump Price, Block Major Roads in Edo

Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), yesterday, blocked a section of the Benin/Lagos highway to protest the increase in the pump price of fuel. 

The protest took place at different locations in the state, and it obstructed vehicular movement.

During the protest, EDOCSO called for urgent reversal of the fuel pump price increase. It lamented that Nigerians were already confronted with a lot of challenges, adding that an increment in the price of the product would further subject them to hardship and possibly push many to premature death. 

Displaying placards with inscriptions that read, “Nigerians can’t buy petrol at N520”; “We can’t buy petrol at N520 but N210”; “Petrol must be N210 till July end”, the protesters said they would continue today, until the government found addressed their demand. 

Speaking with newsmen in Benin City, former Coordinator General of EDOCSO, Omobude Agho, said the essence of the protest was to get the attention of President Bola Tinubu, so that he could reconsider the decision on the fuel pump price and put things in place to relieve the plight of the masses. 

Agho said, “We are protesting because of the increase in petrol pump price, which started yesterday, where a president, by the word of the mouth, will just make a sentence and the marketers will move the price from N210 to over N500.

“We were shocked to see that even NNPC Limited fixed over N500 as the pump price. So, we feel this is a plan to kill Nigerians or send us to our graves. 

“If we sit down, fold our hands and let this continue, only God knows what policy they will come up with tomorrow. What we are doing is testing the microphone. We have not actually started. If by tomorrow, we do not hear any news, then we will move to other directions. 

“The strategy for this protest is called local protest, we are localising the protest. This means it is happening in different areas and not on one axis. It is currently on-going in places like Uselu Shell, Ologbo, Siluko and Agbor Park. By tomorrow, more areas will be activated.”

Removal of Fuel Subsidy Must Not Fuel Poverty, Amnesty International Advises

Nigeria’s removal of fuel subsidy must not exacerbate poverty in the country, Amnesty International advised.

Responding to the removal of subsidy, Acting Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said, “President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy has left millions of Nigerians terrified about the knock-on effects that it will have on their daily lives. Many are concerned that they will be unable to meet the costs of education, food and healthcare.

“The government is yet to suggest any ways to mitigate the impact of this decision for people on low incomes.

“While all countries are required to eventually remove all fossil fuel subsidies to meet their human rights obligations in the context of the climate crisis, they should not do so in a way that undermines the ability of people on low incomes to secure their right to an adequate standard of living.”

Sanusi noted that it was vital that the removal of the subsidy was accompanied by social cushioning and protection measures.

He stated, “Nigerians should not have to pay the price of decades of political and economic mismanagement of the subsidy scheme.

“The authorities must finally respond to longstanding demands by civil society and parliamentarians to investigate the fuel market chain and hold accountable all those involved in smuggling, hoarding and ‘subsidy scams’ — regardless of rank or status.

“The Nigerian authorities must urgently put in place measures to protect the rights of people most affected by the removal of the fuel subsidies and prioritise addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment and the rapidly falling standard of living.”

Don’t Be Distracted by Antics of Discredited Labour Leaders, Oil Marketers, Northern Group Tells FG

Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) said the federal government should not to be distracted by the antics of persons it called discredited self-serving labour leaders and unscrupulous oil marketers, who would seize every opportunity to undermine the good intentions of government. 

Spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a statement issued yesterday, expressed concern that NLC had developed a penchant over the years for mass public deception over issues of serious national importance. 

It said it observed that on every occasion, NLC would deceive the public into believing they were protecting their interests; only to betray the cause, and negotiate with the government at the expense of the suffering masses.

The group said the first instance was the NLC protests over harsh economic policies of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in February 2017, which came to an abrupt end without achieving any results and no convincing explanation to the public. 

It said, “Then came the September 2018 strike, which was also terminated after the NLC met with government officials and compromised the effort with no effect. 

“The worst scenario was the October 2020 organised labour plan to shut down the entire economy in protest over the increase in the pump price of petrol and a hike in electricity tariff.”

The group stressed that the strike was called off at the last minute after a meeting between government officials and labour leaders in Abuja. 

It pointed out that it took exception to the move by labour at that time, describing it as a huge trade off and compromise in its strongly worded letter of October 6, 2021 to the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, expressing disappointment in the labour leadership, for deliberately suspending an action meant to check the arbitrary hike in fuel prices by the Buhari administration. 

CNG added, “Now that NLC wants to take the nation for granted once more, we demand that it should first of all explain its whereabouts at the time the budget was prepared, presented, defended by the government of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, and passed by the ninth National Assembly without the provision for subsidy.

“We call on the federal government not to be distracted by the antics of discredited self-serving labour leaders, unscrupulous oil marketers and a few unpatriotic officials of the NNPC, who would seize every opportunity to undermine its good intentions.”