Vice-President Kashim Shettima has appealed to his fellow compatriots and associates and numerous well-wishers across the country not to place congratulatory ads on his 58th birthday.

He made the appeal in a statement issued by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Communications (Office of The Vice President), on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vice-president will turn 58 years old on Monday, Sept. 2.

Shettima, therefore, implored friends and associates who may wish to place goodwill messages as advertisements to
kindly donate the funds to charity organisations and vulnerable citizens instead.

The vice-president insisted that he would not want an elaborate pomp marking the day.

“As this auspicious moment draws closer, V-P Shettima fervently implores family members, friends, and associates who may wish to place goodwill messages as advertisements to kindly donate the funds to charity organisations and vulnerable citizens instead.

“This aligns with the commitment of the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Tinubu to address issues of development and economic growth, as well as improving the living conditions of Nigerians.

“The vice president remains ever grateful for the goodwill he enjoys from Nigerians and the best wishes a great number of his well-wishers have demonstrated towards him over the years.”

[Nigeria Tribune]

Abdullahi Ganduje, national chair of All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party will win the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Ganduje said a “political machinery” has been put in place to pave the way for a landslide victory of the party’s candidate in Edo.

Speaking during a visit by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano correspondents’ chapel, Ganduje said the APC is ready to recover the state from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“I believe our campaign is in high spirit, we are getting ready for that election and we believe we will be able to recover our state,” he said.

“If we win Edo, we will be getting an additional state for the party. It will be 21 states out of 36.

“This is because it was an APC state but because of internal bubbles, we lost it to PDP but we are sure we will recover that state.

”For Ondo state, it’s already an APC state and when the former governor died, he left a number of problems,but we were able to resolve those issues.

”We conducted primaries, we succeeded in getting the person that they wanted.”

Ganduje said that the party is also getting ready for the governorship election in Anambra.

He said the APC has been putting measures in place to take control of the states in the south-east geopolitical zone.

“Next year, there will be Anambra, which has been a state governed by APGA for many years, but we have introduced a new scheme,” he said.

”The north, south-east political zones are all claiming that they have been marginalised. The south-east geopolitical zone is saying the same thing. But what we are telling them is that the marginalisation has been created by them.

“How can you have five states ruled by four political parties? What will be your political bargain?

“We want to start with Anambra. Already, we have Ebonyi and Imo. Now we are encroaching into that zone to ensure that we capture most of the states. And if we get what we want, we capture all the states.”

[TheCable]

The alarm in Nigeria's oil and gas industry, now blaring loudly, was first sounded by Mr. Tony Elumelu. In 2021, Elumelu invested over $1.1 billion to acquire a 45% stake in the OML 17 oil drilling asset, a venture in which Shell, Total, and Eni relinquished their shares, leaving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) with the remaining 55% on behalf of Nigerians. 

To his dismay, in 2022, Elumelu discovered that only a small portion of the crude oil produced from his wells and fed into the Escravos pipeline actually reached its intended destination. The majority of the crude was being stolen by oil thieves who had mastered the technique of illegally tapping into the Escravos pipeline. 

It is widely known that the criminal siphoning of our crude oil into vessels, which are then transported to unknown locations by thieves, is robbing Nigeria of desperately needed foreign exchange from oil sales. This theft has severe consequences for the country's economy.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times of London, Tony Elumelu expressed his frustration that oil theft continues to account for about 18% of production. He emphasized the seriousness of the issue, saying, "This is oil theft, not something small like stealing a bottle of Coke. The government should know who is behind this and should inform us. In the U.S., when Donald Trump was shot at, the authorities quickly identified the assailant. Our security agencies should be able to tell us who is stealing our oil. How can vessels enter our territorial waters without our knowledge?"

In what seems like response to Elumelu's challenge to Nigeria's security agencies, a special task force was established by the Chief of Defense Staff, General Chris Musa, to combat the oil theft syndicate. The task force has achieved some success, allowing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) to project an increase in oil production from the current estimate of 1.3 million barrels to 2 million barrels next year.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, another prominent investor in Nigeria's oil industry, also voiced concerns about issues in the downstream sector. Dangote, who recently launched a $19.5 billion refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has faced difficulties due to a lack of crude oil supply. Mr. Davakumar Edwin, Vice President of Dangote Refinery, accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) of starving the refinery of crude oil feedstock, which has delayed the supply of petrol to the Nigerian market. Edwin stated, "Aside from Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), to date, we have only purchased crude directly from one other local producer (Sapetro). All other producers refer us to their international trading arms."

He further explained, "For instance, in April, we paid $96.23 per barrel for a cargo of Bonga crude grade, excluding transport. The price included $90.15 for dated Brent, $5.08 for NNPC's premium (NSP), and a $1 trader premium. Meanwhile, we bought WTI at a price of $90.15 for dated Brent plus a $0.93 trader premium, including transport. When NNPC later lowered its premium based on market feedback, some traders began asking us for a premium of up to $4 million over and above the NSP for a cargo of Bonny Light. Data from platforms like Platts and Argus shows that the prices offered to us are significantly higher than market rates. We had to escalate this issue to the NUPRC."

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President and Founder of Dangote Group, echoed Edwin's concerns but clarified that the NNPC is doing its best. He noted, "Some of the IOCs are struggling to provide us with crude. Everyone is accustomed to exporting, and nobody wants to stop exporting."

Also, as if in response, President Bola Tinubu has formed a committee led by Finance Minister Wale Edun. This committee has been tasked with developing a framework that will allow crude oil to be sold in naira to local refineries, starting with the Dangote Refinery. Following discussions with stakeholders, the committee has reportedly set a target for next month to begin producing petrol locally, which would help alleviate the pressure on the national treasury caused by the need to provide foreign exchange for petrol imports.

The expected output from the Dangote Refinery could also relieve Nigerians from the dual burden of not only paying high prices for petrol but also wasting valuable time queuing for fuel—an issue that many hope President Tinubu’s intervention will resolve permanently.

It is noteworthy that while Tony Elumelu is shocked by the brazen crude oil theft in the downstream sector, which is causing significant revenue loss to both his company and the country, Aliko Dangote is facing challenges from International Oil Companies (IOCs) that are withholding crude oil feedstock from his refinery. This ultra-modern facility is crucial for ending Nigeria’s reliance on petrol imports, which have long been a major component of the country’s import expenses, especially as the government has been subsidizing petrol prices for years.

These two significant challenges, which have caused sleepless nights for these two indigenous multi-billionaire investors in the oil and gas industry, are critical. If resolved, they have the potential to transform Nigeria’s socioeconomic development from a negative to a positive trajectory.

Fortunately, the outspoken criticism of industry irregularities by these two relatively new entrants into the oil sector is prompting much-needed reforms. The industry is currently undergoing what could be called a facelift through the strengthening of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which was passed into law in 2021 but has yet to be fully enforced.

These issues underscore why understanding the toxic international petroleum politics in Nigeria, discussed in detail in this piece, should concern all Nigerians. Moreover, it is crucial to recognize that the oil and gas sector is the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, and we must protect it fiercely. The high cost of living crisis triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy on May 29 last year highlights the central role that crude oil and its derivatives play in our economy and daily lives.

A question likely on the minds of some readers is whether the current upheavals in the oil and gas industry are new issues. The reality is that these challenges have existed since crude oil was first discovered in 1957 and its exploration began in Oloibiri, now part of Bayelsa State. However, the reason these issues—such as crude oil theft and the allocation of oil for local refining—are now receiving more attention is because private investors, who place a high value on accountability, are now involved in the industry.

In the past, when the oil and gas business was solely a matter between the government and International Oil Companies (IOCs), efficiency was not a priority for those on the government’s side. But now, with private investors like Tony Elumelu and Aliko Dangote—who have invested $1.1 billion in oil exploration and $19.5 billion in refining, respectively—these entrepreneurs are determined to protect their investments and ensure a return on their bold ventures.

Faced with the harsh realities and absurdities of the industry, both Elumelu and Dangote became increasingly frustrated when their investment plans were threatened by unexpected saboteurs. Their concern for their investments contrasts sharply with the often indifferent attitude of public servants, who traditionally did not prioritize Nigeria’s 55% equity in joint ventures with IOCs, which Elumelu has now acquired the 45% hitherto held by the transnational oil corporation.This same lack of concern for protecting Nigeria's interests in crude oil production sharing agreements is why there has been no proper metering system to accurately measure the volume of crude oil pumped into pipelines or shipped abroad until private investors like Dangote entered the scene with his refinery, capable of refining at least half of Nigeria’s present crude oil output.

So, rather than viewing the disruptions caused by the agitations by Elumelu and Dangote as problematic, I see them as opportunities. Their involvement signals a positive shift in the industry as they justifiably questioned what could have happenned to their substantial financial commitments in oil exploration and refining, if the sector was not properly sorted by government. In my view ,Elumelu and Dangote can be seen as catalysts for change in an industry long plagued by complexities and absurdities. Indeed their efforts are beginning to help clean up or sanitize the industry, reinforcing the idea that private sector involvement introduces greater efficiency compared to government-driven operations burdened by bureaucracy.

Most Nigerians would likely be shocked to learn that the lack of ownership mentality among officials responsible for national assets—an attitude reflecting a deep-seated lack of patriotism—is partly to blame for the fact that four federal government-owned refineries have been non-functional for nearly two decades. Equally alarming is the finding by a National Assembly committee that, despite the federal government investing up to $25 billion in public funds over the past decade for the turnaround maintenance of these four refineries, not a single liter of petroleum product has been produced. This situation is appalling, scandalous, and regrettable.

The same lack of accountability and ownership is also why crude oil theft continues to flourish, despite the NNPCL's claim in its 2023 financial report to have spent around ₦1.8 trillion on securing its extensive oil and gas assets. Yet, millions of barrels of crude oil are still being stolen in massive ocean-going vessels without detection, contributing to Nigeria's recent inability to meet its OPEC production quota.

It may surprise some readers to learn that the dysfunction of these four government-owned refineries is also due in part to sabotage, carried out by international organizations in collusion with Nigerian public servants embedded in the crude oil exploration and export value chain, particularly within the NNPC Ltd., which is responsible for importing petrol into Nigeria.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s revelation adds another layer of complexity. He shared that during his presidency, he urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) to establish refineries in Nigeria, but they refused, citing rampant corruption in the sector. Obasanjo recounted that Shell, for example, declined his offer to take equity participation and manage Nigeria’s refineries, arguing that the refineries had not been properly maintained. Shell’s reasoning was clear: “There’s too much corruption with the way our refinery is run and maintained. And they didn’t want to get involved in such a mess.”

While Obasanjo viewed the IOCs’ rejection as an indictment of Nigerian corruption—a narrative often pushed by the Western world to make Africans blame themselves for the continent’s underdevelopment—I would argue that this refusal was actually a strategic move by the IOCs. As agents of imperialist interests, their primary goal has always been to extract crude oil and other raw materials from Africa, particularly Nigeria, for the industrialization of their home countries, rather than genuinely supporting African industrialization—a promise they frequently make but seldom fulfill, often deceiving those who are unaware of their true intentions.

Most Nigerians would likely be shocked to learn that the lack of ownership mentality among officials responsible for national assets—an attitude reflecting a deep-seated lack of patriotism—is partly to blame for the fact that four federal government-owned refineries have been non-functional for nearly two decades. Equally alarming is the finding by a National Assembly committee that, despite the federal government investing up to $25 billion in public funds over the past decade for the turnaround maintenance of these four refineries, not a single liter of petroleum product has been produced. This situation is appalling, scandalous, and regrettable.

The same lack of accountability and ownership is also why crude oil theft continues to flourish, despite the NNPCL's claim in its 2023 financial report to have spent around ₦1.8 trillion on securing its extensive oil and gas assets. Yet, millions of barrels of crude oil are still being stolen in massive ocean-going vessels without detection, contributing to Nigeria's recent inability to meet its OPEC production quota.

It may surprise some readers to learn that the dysfunction of these four government-owned refineries is also due in part to sabotage, carried out by international organizations in collusion with Nigerian public servants embedded in the crude oil exploration and export value chain, particularly within the NNPC Ltd., which is responsible for importing petrol into Nigeria.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s revelation adds another layer of complexity. He shared that during his presidency, he urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) to establish refineries in Nigeria, but they refused, citing rampant corruption in the sector. Obasanjo recounted that Shell, for example, declined his offer to take equity participation and manage Nigeria’s refineries, arguing that the refineries had not been properly maintained. Shell’s reasoning was clear: “There’s too much corruption with the way our refinery is run and maintained. And they didn’t want to get involved in such a mess.”

While Obasanjo viewed the IOCs’ rejection as an indictment of Nigerian corruption—a narrative often pushed by the Western world to make Africans blame themselves for the continent’s underdevelopment—I would argue that this refusal was actually a strategic move by the IOCs. As agents of imperialist interests, their primary goal has always been to extract crude oil and other raw materials from Africa, particularly Nigeria, for the industrialization of their home countries, rather than genuinely supporting African industrialization—a promise they frequently make but seldom fulfill, often deceiving those who are unaware of their true intentions.

Before delving deeper, it’s important to recall that oil and gas were discovered in commercial quantities in Oloibiri, modern-day Bayelsa State, in 1957. For years, Nigeria exported crude oil exclusively until the first refinery was established in Port Harcourt in 1965. Back then, all refineries were government-owned, and it was within the government's prerogative to allocate 445,000 barrels per day (bpd) for local refining at the NNPC-operated facilities.

At the time, everything was managed within the government framework, which only required setting aside the 445,000 bpd needed by the four refineries located in the Niger Delta and Kaduna. Two of these refineries are in Port Harcourt with a combined refining capacity of 210,000 bpd, one in Warri with a 125,000 bpd capacity, and the fourth in Kaduna with a 110,000 bpd capacity.

Initially, the allocated crude oil came from the volume produced by International Oil Companies (IOCs), whose parent companies are based in Europe and Asia. However, today, there are multiple indigenous crude oil producers with significant capacity, as well as a growing number of local private refineries with substantial capacity, making the 445,000 barrels set aside for local refining insufficient.

Isn't it remarkable that, aside from the persistent issue of crude oil theft, another challenge has been the shortage of crude oil for local refining? Yet, if all goes well, these two long-standing and seemingly insurmountable challenges in the oil and gas industry may soon be relegated to history.

In truth, the primary mission of the IOCs has always been to extract natural resources from Africa to fuel the industrial revolution in Europe, which began with the invention of the loom machine by Jeane-Marie Jacquard in 1804 and the steam engine by James Watt in 1765. Extracting crude oil for refining abroad is part of the agenda set during the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, where Africa was partitioned into territories for European powers under the guidance of Otto Von Bismarck, the German Prime Minister.

As these newly created territories were exploited for raw materials in the past, the current practice of exporting crude oil and other resources to Europe is an old habit that IOCs are reluctant to abandon. This resistance is evident in their opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to sell oil to local refineries in naira. The IOCs seem intent on sabotaging efforts to achieve energy independence, citing commitments to overseas buyers as an excuse.

Given that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) took nearly two decades (13 years) to materialize and the Dangote Refinery took about seven years to build, why did the IOCs not anticipate that exporting all of Nigeria's crude oil would no longer be viable? It’s telling that the multinational corporations were aware of the PIA’s implications, as evidenced by their divestment from onshore assets in favor of offshore operations. Yet, they continued to forward-sell Nigeria's crude oil to foreign buyers, fully aware that the country had committed, through the PIA, to becoming more energy independent.

The primary reason for this situation is that it’s more profitable for the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to export crude oil to their home countries, where it is refined into products like PMS, DPK, AGO, and NAFTA. These products are then sold back to Africa at significantly higher prices. This practice has been the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the colonial powers for a long time. As a result, they find it difficult to change their approach and sell crude oil to Nigerian refineries instead.

This continued extraction and export of raw materials from Africa aligns with the imperialist agenda of European countries. However, this long-standing practice (regarding crude oil refining) has been disrupted by the establishment and commissioning of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos last year, much to the dismay of these colonial exploiters.

To better understand the challenges Nigeria is facing, consider the following scenario: IOCs extract crude oil from Nigeria and export it to their home countries at relatively low prices (ranging from $37 per barrel in the 1980s to the current $80-$100 per barrel). There, the crude is refined and then sold back to Nigeria at several times the original cost per barrel. This process not only creates jobs and boosts the economies of the IOCs' home countries, but it also leaves Nigeria with high unemployment among its youth and environmental degradation due to oil and gas exploration. This dynamic is why Nigeria often experiences a trade deficit, benefiting the home countries of the IOCs.

To further illustrate this point, let’s do a bit of math to compare the price of exported crude oil with the cost of imported petroleum products in Nigeria. A barrel of crude oil, which is equivalent to 42 U.S. gallons or 159 liters, is priced between $80 and $100. In contrast, the current landing cost of a liter of refined petrol imported into Nigeria is at least N1,117 per liter. Although comparing these figures can be challenging due to the different units of measurement—crude oil in barrels and refined products in liters—it highlights the significant markup and the opaque nature of the pricing, making the disparity between crude oil prices and refined product costs difficult to fully grasp.

For those willing to dig deeper, let's compare the selling price of a barrel of crude oil—currently just $80, the price at which we export it overseas—with the N1,117 per liter landing cost at which we import the 159 liters contained in that same barrel. A quick comparison reveals that, as a net exporter of crude oil, Nigeria is at a significant disadvantage.

This comparison helps explain why our economy is struggling and why it can no longer sustain the burdensome petrol subsidy. It's clear that the scenario outlined above is a major factor behind Nigeria's financial deficit, which exceeds N120 trillion.

Given this reality, it's crucial for us to support and encourage Aliko Dangote not to sell his refinery to the NNPCL, despite his threat to do so. This came after Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), a subsidiary of NNPCL, wrongly accused Dangote Refinery of attempting to replace the national oil giant as a monopoly.

Moreover, we should encourage other business leaders, such as Chief Mike Adenuga of Conoil, Mr. Femi Otedola of Geregu, (who has been involved in and out of the oil industry), Sahara Energy's Kola Adeshina, Aiteo's Benedict Peters, Nestoil's Ernest Azudialu, and other well resourced Nigerians, to invest more significantly in the sector. This would ensure that Nigerians are fully involved in the entire value chain—from exploration to refining, shipping, and even gas processing, where Julius Rone is making strides with his UTM Offshore.

Remarkably, Alhaji Samad Rabiu, owner of BUA cement, is also reportedly constructing a refinery of considerable scale. This could lead to a situation where Nigeria has the capacity to process crude oil into petrol in excess, much like how the country has become a net exporter of cement, with Dangote Cement and BUA Cement, dominating the African market and keeping foreign competitors like Lafarge and Flour Mills Cement on their toes.

Already , it is a tribute to the entrepreneurship of Nigerians that about five (5) Nigerian banks have spread their footprints into the African landscape with thriving subsidiaries in full bloom.

At this point, I believe that continuing to present additional facts and figures to justify the need for Nigeria, nay Africa’s independence from being an appendage to other economies and regions would be unnecessary. Rather readers should reflect on the situation and realize that, despite the challenges, our country is on the brink of a significant transformation in the oil and gas sector. So, it should be clear that halting the export of our crude oil and increasing local refining capacity is crucial for job creation, boosting foreign exchange earnings, and enhancing our GDP.

Currently, there are five fully operational modular refineries: Aradel in Port Harcourt, WalterSmith in Imo

State , Edo Refinery and Duport Midstream in Edo State, and OPAC in Delta State, with a combined processing capacity of less than 20,000 barrels per day. These smaller refineries are expected to benefit from President Bola Tinubu's new directive to sell the 445,000 barrels per day of crude oil reserved for local refining in naira. It is the crude oil reserrve referenced above that was providing the supply for the four NNPCL refineries, which have been non-functional for over a decade despite consuming over $25 billion in turnaround maintenance, without producing even a single liter of petrol.

Hopefully , the present administration would see the wisdom in my advocacy for the sale of the ailing government refineries to private sector players who would operate them more efficiently as canvassed in my numerous media interventions over the past decade.

After providing a historical background to connect the past with the current state of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, including the international factors exacerbating the local refining capacity crisis, it’s time to address the way forward.

As already underscored, International Oil Companies (IOCs) seem to struggle with changing their longstanding business model of extracting raw materials from Africa and processing them into finished products in Europe or Asia. This situation reinforces the theme of my upcoming book, *"Africa Exporting Wealth, Importing Poverty,"* with the subtitle: *"Are Africans Thinking or Sinking?"* The book details how the West has systematically underdeveloped Africa by exploiting its natural and human resources, from the era of the slave trade to colonialism, neo-colonialism, and the ongoing practice of imperialism encapsulated in unfair trade practices with Africa as the underdog and victim.

The current conflict between Aliko Dangote, NNPCL officials, and IOCs has exposed how Africa continues to be stripped of its resources. This confrontation represents one of the final struggles of African entrepreneurs with the awareness and determination to resist the ongoing exploitation by Western powers.

The environmental devastation caused by irresponsible resource exploitation in Africa, such as the irreversible damage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to mining, is well-documented. Belgium, the colonial ruler, left the DRC in a blighted state, a situation that persists today. It's within this broader intellectual framework that I analyze the dispute between NNPCL executives, IOCs, and Dangote Refineries over Nigeria's control of its petroleum resources.

Through this lens, I hope Nigerians will gain a deeper understanding of the conflict surrounding local petrol refining, which has been oversimplified by some analysts as a lack of planning by Dangote Refinery. In reality, it also stems from a rivalry between two Kano State natives—Aliko Dangote and Samad Rabiu—that has spilled over into the oil industry and society. Though a simplified view, it remains a valid observation.

Rather than engaging in buttonh heads, the two illustrious kano indigenes Aliko Dangote and Samad Rabiu need to start collaborating and stop sabotaging each other.

Magnus Onyibe,an entrepreneur,public policy analyst ,author,democracy advocate,development strategist,alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,Tufts University, Massachusetts,USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.

Hundreds of Nigerian nurses are stranded following the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, NMCN, continuous closure of its portal for verification of nurses’ certificates.

It was gathered that while many nurses are currently stranded in different countries abroad, others are on the verge of being deported.

Nursing boards in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK are said to have stopped accepting nursing certificates from Nigerian nurses because they can’t verify their authenticity.

DAILY POST reports that the National Assembly had twice urged the NMCN to open its site and commence verification of Nurses and Midwives based on its former guidelines pending the conclusion of an investigation by the House Committee on Health Institutions.

However, the council has yet to heed the resolution of the House.

The latest directive sighted by DAILY POST is a letter dated 13th August 2024, titled “Negative Portrayal of the House’s Resolution” and signed by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sani Magaji Tambuwal, to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

The letter came after Hon. Patrick Umoh had raised a motion of urgent national importance on the need to safeguard institutional integrity and address any misinterpretation of the previous House’s Resolution by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

DAILY POST recalls that the House also had previously urged the NMCN through a resolution on Tuesday, 26th, February 2024, not to implement the revised Guidelines for Verification dated February 7, 2023, pending investigation by the House.

This came after some stakeholders in the health sector had raised their concerns over the new circular by the NMCN, revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives to foreign nursing boards or councils.

Many also called for a review of the circular’s contents to avoid a situation where nurses’ progress and development are subject to other professionals’ determination.

How it all started

In February 2024, the NMCN expressed worry that over 42,000 nurses left the country in the last three years to seek greener pastures in foreign countries.

According to the council, over 15,000 nurses left Nigeria in 2023 alone.

DAILY POST reports that the development is coming on the heels of poor healthcare infrastructure, inadequate funding, poor welfare, and working conditions in the health sector.

Seemingly worried by the imminent threat of brain drain in the nation’s health sector, the Council introduced revised guidelines for verifying nursing certificates to address the crisis.

DAILY POST reported that the NMCN, in the memo dated February 7, 2024, outlined the revised guidelines and requirements to be met by all applicants seeking the verification of certificate(s) to foreign nursing boards/councils.

It stated that applicants seeking verification of certificates to foreign nursing boards and councils must have two years of qualification experience and pay a non-refundable application fee.

The memo signed by the Registrar/Secretary General of NMCN, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, was sent to the Commissioners/Secretary of Health Services; Chief Medical Directors/ Medical Directors; National President; Directors of Nursing Services; Heads of Department; Provosts & Principals; Coordinators; Zonal Officers; All States Ministry of Health & Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; University Teaching Hospitals/Specialist & Federal Medical Centre and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, National Headquarters, Abuja.

The circular was also sent to the Ministries of Health, Hospitals Management Boards, All States & Federal Capital Territory; All Universities Offering Nursing Programmes; Colleges of Nursing Sciences, Schools of Nursing & Midwifery, All Post-Basic Nursing Programmes; All Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria Zonal Offices.

It provided that, “Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two (2) years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practising licence. Any application with a provisional licence shall be rejected outrightly.

“The Council shall request a letter of Good Standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended, and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Please note that the Council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.

“Applicants must have an active practising licence with a minimum of six months to the expiration date. Applicants must upload Certificate(s) of Registration only. Notification of Registration is not acceptable.

“The applicant shall receive prompt notice via his/her email and dashboard on the status of the verification application.

“Please note: Processing of verification application takes a minimum of six (6) months. All applicants shall ensure that complete requirements are met before initiating verification application as incomplete documentation shall not be processed.”

Nurses kick against policy

However, nurses and other health workers kicked against the policy, insisting the guidelines and requirements were typical of a denial of human rights.

The health workers stressed that there had never been any occasion where regulatory bodies asked for work experience or mandated years of service as a condition for verification.

They are particularly uncomfortable with the provision in the guidelines which stated that a nurse seeking NMCN certification must have a minimum of two years post-qualification experience.

They are also opposed to the requirement that a nurse applying for NMCN’s certification must obtain a letter of good standing from the Chief Executive Officer of their place of work and the last training institution attended while the processing of application shall take a minimum of six months.

As a protest against the policy, the nurses, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Abuja, and Lagos chapters, took to the streets to express their disapproval of the new circular.

The nurses converged on the NMCN’s offices in Abuja and Lagos to express their dissatisfaction.

They also threatened a nationwide strike, describing the new guidelines as an effort to hamper their freedom.

Meanwhile, some others took to social networks to protest against the policy.

A group of nurses also took legal action against the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Minister of Health, among others, challenging the recent revisions to certificate verification guidelines.

However, DAILY POST learnt that the litigation has since been withdrawn.

Reactions

A nurse in one of the nation’s foremost university teaching hospitals, who spoke anonymously to DAILY POST, for fear of victimisation, expressed worry that the controversy is taking so long to end despite the resolution of the House of Representatives on the matter.

“The portal is not yet open despite the order from the National Assembly that it should be opened.

“The excuse that the secretary of the NMCN is giving to us is that they are working with the IT people so that they can reset the portal to its previous setting.

“You know there’s a previous setting where you just did your verification with a few requirements until they brought this new policy that caused all those problems.

“We are also worried why it’s taking so long. The information I have just given you is what I saw on our platform. The secretary admitted he has received the letter from the clerk of the National Assembly, and that they are working with the IT people to reset the portal, that’s what he said.

“You know NMCN claimed that it was the National Assembly that told them to shut the portal, which was the controversy, but the lawmakers wrote back to the council saying that wasn’t their resolution.

“The lawmakers wrote clarifying that they asked NMCN to revert to the old verification guidelines, pending when all the parties involved will sit to look at the issue.

“Now it is just for them ( NMCN) to go back to the old verification guidelines but the secretary is claiming that they are working with the IT people,” she stated.

She said it was sad that health workers are leaving the country in droves, which according to her, was being caused by poor working conditions in Nigeria’s health sector.

The health worker urged the government to make a deliberate effort to fix the country’s health care system.

“We are not happy that people are leaving the country but the working conditions in Nigeria are crazy. I work in an institution where we are not sure of a 10-hour energy supply.

“In a teaching hospital, there’s no light, there’s no water, nothing to work with.

“Emergency comes and people just die like that. Not that you haven’t done your part but there’s nothing to work with. We are just stranded. Patients go out to buy everything that we use to work for them. And the hospital pharmacy doesn’t have everything that they need. So most of the time, the patients’ relatives go outside to buy what they need.

“I work in the maternity section. A mother may come to the hospital by 2am and she’s bleeding profusely. The laboratory people will be telling you there’s no light; of course there’s no light; they cannot work without light. They can’t do grouping and cross matching, they can’t give you blood.

“You go to the pharmacy, they will tell you they can’t work because there’s no light to power their system. You see patients’ relatives going outside the hospital at 2am, you just lose patients. It’s painful.

“It’s not that we are enjoying all these. Nigerian nurses are still overworking themselves outside the country but it’s still better.

“The working condition and the pay too is far higher than what we are receiving in Nigeria. In Nigeria, they only pay attention to one particular profession. Until they do something, people will keep traveling.

“Just like I have explained, the government should make a deliberate effort to fix our health care system. If you go to the rural areas you will see what people are passing through.

“The experience I have just shared with you is where I work. Nigeria is tough for everybody. If I tell you my salary, you will just smile. I can’t buy a bag of rice. Let them see how they can reduce inflation. Even if they increase our salary, things are so expensive, we can no longer meet up with our basic needs,” she lamented.

She also lamented the inability of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, to fight for the interest of its members.

“Personally, I am so disappointed with the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives because they didn’t handle this matter the way they ought to.

“If this kind of thing happens in our sister organization, they won’t take it likely. NMCN infringed on our fundamental human rights and we were so pissed.

“That’s even what led to the young nurses taking the matter to the court. NANNM didn’t come up as an organization to fight for us. And by the time we went to court, just like the ‘Nigerian system’, they kept adjourning the case.

“Another group also went to the NANNM to find out why they weren’t doing anything about the matter, and they said they will meet the registrar and all that. At the end of the day, they said they can only intervene if we withdraw the case from the court. That’s what led to the withdrawal of the case from the court.

“You know a lot of Nigerian nurses are stuck because you can’t travel without verification, you can’t do anything. A lot of people were already on their way out before the portal was shut down,” the concerned nurse further stated.

Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria – GNAN

Also speaking to DAILY POST about the matter, the President of Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria, GNAN, Mr Ojo Opeyemi said his association has been working underground to ensure the issue is resolved amicably.

Opeyemi said the stalemate in verification of nurses’ certificates is having a serious effect on their members as some people are stranded abroad.

According to him, GNAN formed a coalition with other groups under the Director of nursing services in Abuja following the total shutdown of the portal to negotiate with the registrar of the nursing council.

He said he’s extremely positive they will have good feedback because the coalition had honoured its own part of the agreement earlier reached with the registrar.

Opeyemi said the deal saw the withdrawal of their case against NMCN and the registrar from the court.

He said: “When it was initially suspended, our association went to court to sue the NMCN, including the registrar. Then after the total shutdown of the portal, a coalition was formed when it was really having negative effects on our people.

“We decided to form a coalition under the Director of nursing services in Abuja. We formed a coalition that negotiated with the registrar.

“Well, last month, we had a meeting in his office in Abuja. And part of the agreement we reached from the meeting is to withdraw the case from the court. Then we will come back for another meeting, where those issues causing controversy will be sorted out in-house.

“We have played our own part. Fortunately during the time of withdrawing the case from the court, another group went to the National Assembly. The National Assembly deliberated upon it and said the NMCN should revert to the old guidelines for verification of nurses and open the portal.

“The letter has been sent to the nursing council as I read online and some people have also informed me that the letter has been delivered to the NMCN.

“Those at the nursing group administration, we are working together. We believe that we have honoured our own part in all honesty. As I speak to you, one of our representatives in Abuja is going to meet the registrar today to chart the way forward on our agreement.

“Actually the agreement wasn’t signed but we believe that they are the government and we are an association, so based on mutual understanding, we will resolve the issue in-house. We believe that the registrar will also honour his own part of the deal.

“So by the close of the day, (Tuesday) we are actually anxious to get feedback if we are going to go for a meeting or there will be automatic reopening of the portals, since the National Assembly has passed a resolution for them to reopen the portal.

“That’s why we ensured the complete withdrawal of the case from the court so that the House resolution would not be stepped down. We have done our own part.

“At the end of today, when our representative meets the registrar, we are going to know if our initial understanding and agreement is honoured or otherwise.

“I am extremely positive we will have good feedback being that we have been the one championing the coalition under the director of nursing services at the federal Ministry of health because she is the one mediating between the group, the registrar and the nursing council.

“I don’t want to say anything negative or be pessimistic. We are believing that today we shall have feedback. And I also believe that the registrar is making contact with necessary people at the Ministry of health for the portal to be reopened.

“Many of the people don’t know about these negotiations because they are extremely anxious. We are working underground to make sure that this thing gets resolved amicably so everybody could move forward. That is the position of things at the present.

“We are extremely worried. In fact, we had wanted to pursue the case to a logical conclusion, because of the excruciating pains on our people and the effects the total lockdown of the portal was having on our people.

“Let me correct one wrong impression, verification does not mean that everyone wants to ‘japa’ or seek greener pastures. We have people who want their certificates verified because they want to further their education.

“We also have people who are outside who want to move to other countries, they will still ask them to get verification from where they studied, where they originally practised or got their license to practice as a nurse. So they will also refer them back again to Nigeria.

“There are many that are stranded and I also have a report that next month, some people will be deported massively from Saudi Arabia, UK, Canada, etc.

“So because of this, it is having a serious effect on our members and we have decided after our SWOT analysis of the whole scenario to remove the case from the court and have a negotiation to solve the issue in-house.

“As I speak to you some people are already stranded in the US, UK and others.”

Efforts to hear from the NMCN, as well the President of the NANNM didn’t yield any result as they didn’t respond to calls put to them.

However, DAILY POST did contact the Rivers State chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Mr Madonna Wichendu.

Wichendu on getting to know the subject of the interview said he was in a meeting and not disposed to comment on the matter.

[DailyPost]

On Sunday, the police and the Shiite religious group had another violent encounter in Wuse district, the Federal Capital Territory. As is all too common to these their frequent confrontations, people died. The police confirmed the death of two of their officers, and three others were also reportedly hospitalised due to critical injuries they sustained. Three police patrol vehicles were also said to have been set ablaze. The police issued a press release stating the attack on them was “unprovoked,” while the Shiites, on their own part, maintained that they were going about their own business of peaceful procession when the police appeared and began shooting indiscriminately.

Definitely, one party—or both—is not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I find it hard to accept that the Shiites attacked the police without any provocation whatsoever, and I doubt the police would be so crazy that they would instigate the attack that left their men dead for no reason. Something had to have happened, and whatever it was, certainly preceded their Sunday encounter. Since neither side will admit any fault, the truth remains locked up somewhere in the middle of both accounts, frustratingly unreachable. It would be a waste of time and effort trying to decide right and wrong between the two sides.

The story of both is always about the police suspecting the Shiites of being up to mischief and the Shiites pushing back. In April, the police claimed they received an “intelligence” warning that the “armed wing” of the Shiites movement was planning to attack police operatives at locations such as hotels, beer parlours, black spots, residences, and checkpoints, among other locations. The Shiites, of course, denied the intelligence of that “intelligence” report. Just a week before the intelligence was received, the Shiites had also alleged the police killed five of them and injured 25 others during their pro-Palestinian demonstration in Kaduna.

Also, in July, the police announced a ban on a planned procession by the Shiites to mark the 2024 Islamic Ashura day ceremony saying they would use the occasion to foment trouble. April last year too, another clash between them reportedly left 20 injured. A month before then, the Shiites had also accused the state government of killing five of their members. I could keep going on and on about the tension between the Shiites and the police, but you already understand.

But it is not only the police that have problems with the Shiites. In 2014, another deadly showdown with the military claimed the lives of 34 members of the group, including three of the sons of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the leader of the movement. Goodluck Jonathan was the president at the time, and he reportedly called to apologise to El-Zakzaky. In a country where people do not treat their laws as mere suggestions, murders are not resolved through futile apologies but through the justice system. But, this is Nigeria.

Compared to his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, Jonathan’s “sorry” at least demonstrated his humaneness. “Buhari” and “humane,” used in the same sentence, is oxymoronic. In 2015, months after his inauguration, the Shiites were attacked in their communities by soldiers after a confrontation where some of them blocked the then Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, from using a highway that runs through their Zaria headquarters. It was not enough that the soldiers dispersed them with gunshots at the scene, but they also returned to commit a massacre that left 347 people— please note these are official figures—dead.

El-Zakzaky was arrested following the invasion and incarcerated for a long time. The Army deployed heavily armed soldiers, bulldozers, and excavators to demolish the headquarters in an operation that lasted two days. Despite the result of the judicial panel that gave us the tally of 347 deaths, there was neither justice nor closure. One can only imagine the trauma that those who went through that incident still experience, and how it clouds their relationship with the police.

When Buhari was asked on national television about the incident, he did not think the killings warranted as much as compassion let alone justice. A subhuman mongrel, he not only dismissed the massacre, but also later made Buratai an ambassador. Meanwhile, following the massacre, Buratai embarked on various image-refurbishing projects to project himself as what he was not, to cleanse himself of the blood of the Shiites splattered across his face.

In dealing with the Shiites, Buhari allowed his religious prejudices to get in the way of his responsibility to them as the leader of a diverse and complex country. It is the same prejudice, still held by top-ranking officers in the various bureaucratic units of national administration, that percolates into the agencies that constantly clash with the Shiites.

In the wake of the Sunday incident, the Shiites are accusing the police of going to the hospitals to arrest and detain their members. That is a serious accusation, one that the police will likely never respond to, either out of professional haughtiness or simply because the structures of accountability that can compel a response are virtually non-existent. Either way, the Sunday incident and its aftermath are already setting out the basis of another round of violent encounters when next they meet. That is the unfortunate way people and institutions get caught in an unending loop of destructive behaviours to which they become so habituated that they cannot imagine any other possibility of being. There is a need for a rethink in their relationship and approach to each other.

It might sound radical—and even naïve—to suggest they come to a truce, but there are no better alternatives. Also, I do not think the endless cycles of killings and destruction exhaust the possibilities of the relationship between the police and the Shiites. Issues between them are seemingly intractable, but the deaths and destructions are unacceptable. From Kaduna to the FCT, there is hardly ever a time that they are not at loggerheads; their histories are complicated. Nonetheless, it is not so hopeless that this is all there can ever be. There must be a way Shiites can have their numerous processions in peace, and police lives and scarce resources are not needlessly expended. All it takes is moral imagination and the summoning of the right political will.

If there is anything to learn by now, it is that no amount of violence can stop the Shiites from doing their thing. Despite everything they have gone through, they are still not giving up on existing. They are extremely resolute people; nothing the Nigeria police or the military do will stop these people. Their resolve seems unbreakable, and the antagonism strengthens it. In that case, there must be another way beyond the constant clashes: a truce. Rather than the constant clashes that claim lives and property, they should be allowed to believe what they believe, express it as they want to express it, and do so without infringing on the rights of others to live and exist freely. There should be a way for both parties to get to that point—perhaps by seeking mediation. Like I said, given their complex history, it will take a lot of imagination and will to achieve a less tense situation, but it is not impossible.

Finally, this is not to say that the Shiites are guileless, or that they are always the innocent party in every encounter. Nothing is ever that uncomplicated, especially for a group who have had numerous brushes with enforcement agents—many of them which left the trademark “sorrow tears and blood” in its wake. There will be mutual suspicions, and their issues will not magically blow over, but at least there will be fewer deaths and destructions.

The Right Honourable Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house of representatives, has recently blundered into one faux pas after another. These embarrassing social gaffes and transgressions are happening far too frequently. The latest ones give the impression that he is losing touch with the nature and psychology of his Igbo roots. Ndigbo are republicans and no one in authority at any level can sway them in any way against their will.

Simply because you are in a position of authority does not mean that you can dictate to Ndigbo, treat them shabbily, or force anything down their throat. When they do push back, they don’t take prisoners, and Honourable Kalu should avoid such a collision.

That was why when viewing the two most recent videos of Honourable Benjamin Kanu, in which he addressed Ndigbo both directly and indirectly or pledged allegiance to his political party or the president on their behalf, one had his heart in his mouth. With certain ethnic groups, it could be feasible to keep such pledges, but not with the Ndigbo. They will use their blood to resist it.

The first video was that Ndigbo shouldn’t participate in the End Hunger protest. Not only were the justifications he offered banal, but even more so, the method he delivered the message was demeaningly offensive. There was no appeal. It sounded more like an order or command as if he had the authority to choose when Ndigbo should protest and when not to.

The consensus was that Ndigbo should avoid the protest in the south-east and elsewhere before Kalu even spoke because some government officials and some e-rats had already labelled and gaslighted Ndigbo as the protest organisers thus setting them up to take the blame and they had to dodge the bullet.

So, it wasn’t really necessary for Deputy Speaker Kalu to speak at that moment, and he ostensibly did so in an attempt to claim credit for persuading Ndigbo not to get involved—which was untrue. This is a prime example of “eye service,” as we call it in local parlance, and a desperate attempt to appease the ‘Oga at the top’. A real Igbo leader does not yield, falter, or bow down to outside forces to appease their whims. True Igbo leaders speak truth to power and do not throw their people under the bus to get into any good book.

If there was any doubt about Benjamin Kalu’s true motivations and his desire to appease the Tinubu presidency, the second video dispelled it. Therein he warned Governor Alex Otti that he would be the final Labour Party governor of Abia state. He explained his strange and presumptuous reasons. According to Kalu, Tinubu provided the south-east with the South East Development Commission, and the president and the APC should get credit for it by winning control of the Abia government house in the next guber election. He didn’t explicitly announce that he wanted to conquer the entire south-east, but it was inferred that the president ought to be rewarded with control over all of the south-east’s states by the ruling party.

While warmly acknowledging that Governor Otti is doing a great job and “would do the needful at the appropriate time,” Kalu stated, “Monkey should not be working and baboons will be chopping.” The question then becomes: Given Kalu’s declaration that the Labour Party cannot survive past Otti’s current tenure, what must Otti do? In all logic, Otti has two options: he may either join the APC or lose the election by any means necessary, democratic or not, legal or extralegal.

It cannot be deemed a coincidence when one takes into account how Alex Otti became governor. The people of Abia state voted for change and succeeded in getting rid of the PDP’s bad governance in the state since 1999. Therefore, is the deputyspeaker saying that Abia cannot keep the Labour Party and Alex Otti in office even after he freely admitted that Otti is doing well?

The threat of Deputy Speaker Kalu simply means votes will no longer ensure the Abia people will keep Otti and the Labour Party in office come election time if they so desire. If so, it is a warning sign for democracy. Democracy is based on the majority’s right to rule while allowing the minority to express their opinions through vote. However, Kalu’s claim makes it quite evident that it won’t be the case this time since Otti’s hopes of using his good deeds to win back the governorship in the next governorship election cannot happen if he does not dump the Labour Party for the ruling party, the APC, as decreed by Kalu.

When Benjamin Kalu was chosen as deputy speaker, he held out so much promise. With the older Igbo leaders succumbing to the corrosion of time, many saw in him a new hope for producing a new generation of leaders. The Igbo people now need a great deal of new leaders with the deaths of men like Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, and Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. Even the relatively young Arc Ferdinand Agu and Senator Ifeanyi Ubah have also joined their ancestors, leaving behind very large shoes.

The hope had been that Deputy Spreader Kalu, who is ranked sixth in the Nigerian polity’s hierarchy of protocol, has a great historical opportunity to emerge as one of the new Igbo leaders. However, the way he has been acting lately leaves a lot to be desired, which challenges the trust and optimism that people once reposed in him.

Kalu deserves praise for initiating the south-east security and development programme and for being instrumental in the passage and signing into law the South-East Development Commission legislation. He shouldn’t throw away his good works by undermining Ndigbo or believing that his position automatically grants him the authority to speak for the Igbo people. By the time he realises that he is mistaken, it will be too late.

Kalu is however free to make a case that the south-east needs to join the APC to have a bigger say in the party and the country, but he cannot insist that President Tinubu or the APC has the right to take over the south-east without working for it. Kalu also needs to remember that the mutual mistrust that existed between the Buhari government and Ndigbo could not be cured by his construction of the Second Niger Bridge or any other project of that nature.

A candid piece of advice would be that making sure the Igbo people receive their due share in Nigeria is the only way Kalu can win over the Igbo people’s hearts. Asking for this isn’t too much. Kalu’s current strategy is doing more harm than good because it is further alienating the south-east from himself and the Tinubu government.

The deputy speaker can, however, correct these errors by regaining perspective and by remembering that Ndigbo are republicans and will never yield to coercion or threat. Taa bu gbo, as Ndigbo would say, which means today is still early to begin retracing the missteps. For the wise, a word is sufficient.

Dr Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor.

To say that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is enmeshed in a crisis of credibility is to put the situation mildly. For a man who got to office with a statistically narrow mandate of 37 percent of total votes cast, many expected Tinubu to rise above himself in order to establish an enduring legacy. That expectation now appears misplaced. Even more worrisome is that despite being in a ditch, the president and his handlers continue to dig by displaying a behaviour the Yoruba would describe as “tani o mu mi”. As I once explained on this page, it is the kind of impunity that carries a certain sense of hubris, not only for the perpetrator(s) but also for the larger society.

It all began with a report in TheCable, which supplied the proof for what most already suspected or knew: The federal government has been spending trillions of Naira to pay for fuel subsidy even when officials continue to parrot the presidential deceit that “subsidy is gone.” Then, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar released a scathing statement that Nigeria “has been effectively mortgaged to President Bola Tinubu, his family, and associates,” citing how the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) allegedly put its retail arm under the control of OVH, which he claimed (it has been disputed by NNPC Ltd) is controlled by Wale Tinubu’s Oando.

These issues were still playing out when Nigerians got to know that a new presidential jet had been surreptitiously purchased by a government that has been doubling down on policies that make life difficult for the ordinary Nigerian. “The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly,” was all the explanation from the villa, even when Nigerians still don’t know the cost of this plane and how it was acquired. And we probably would not have been informed about it had the Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co Limited, not impounded three presidential aircraft in Paris, following the order of a French court on their dispute with Ogun State. It was the court that included one ACJ330-200, 5N-FGA (msn 1053), “recently bought from AMAC Corporate Jet (AMK, Zurich) and still stationed at Basel” while authorising the bailiffs “to go any place where the aircraft registered 5N-FGU, 5N-FGT and 5N-FGA are located and seize them.”

That was how Nigerians got to know that we have a new presidential jet. The aircraft, we would later learn, was released as an act of benevolence to our president by the Chinese company so that it would not affect his travel plans, including to China next week for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit. Incidentally, I am currently in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China for the 2024 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road where I was among the speakers yesterday on the theme, ‘Enhancing media cooperation for common development.’ I will also be attending the 3rd Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) Council meeting today before heading back home on Sunday.

In his column last Sunday explaining how Tinubu’s fuel subsidy reform efforts unravelled, Waziri Adio concluded that for the administration, “an open acknowledgment” that subsidy is still very much with us “is a necessary starting point, for you cannot address what you haven’t even accepted exists or is a problem.” And “after coming clean, the government needs to level up with Nigerians about how it plans to manage the subsidy in a transparent and accountable way.” But that is precisely where the problem lies: This president is exhibiting a contempt for transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business. We saw that with the award of the contract for the multi trillion Naira Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project and the manner several budgets are running concurrently.

So much has been said about Tinubu’s political acumen and the fact that he plotted his way to power without being beholden to any interest. That may well be true. But a leader must embody not only political skills to secure power but also the right values that would enable him to govern in the interest of the public good. When a president calls citizens to a greater national purpose or makes decisions that are broadly seen as driven by good impulses, according to Michael Hogue, they can drive extraordinary results. “He’ll have the public on his side, even when many people disagree with his policies if what he is pursuing is fair, instils pride in national action, or serves laudable goals.” While Hogue’s thesis may be on the American presidency, the moral authority he canvasses is indeed true of all presidencies.

Due to the policy choices being made by the Tinubu administration – which may not necessarily be wrong but have been implemented in a cavalier manner, Nigerians have had to bear an unprecedented hardship occasioned by astronomical costs of goods and services in the past 15 months. Effectively, local air travel has been placed beyond the reach of most Nigerians as can be glimpsed from industry statistics. We pay several times more at the pump than at any time in history. Electricity tariffs have gone through the roof, regardless of whether one is categorised under Band A, B or F. Parents have had to withdraw their children from schooling abroad following the collapse of the Naira. And any middle-class professional who doesn’t know the prices of basic foodstuffs like garri, rice, tomatoes etc. in the market must belong to the Godswill Akpabio exclusive club of those who are “eating”.

Unfortunately, the president believes he can continue to live like an emperor and revel in ostentatious lifestyle at a time millions of Nigerians are attempting to cope with harrowing times. I saw this quite early, in fact within the first month of the administration and I warned in a column, ‘My convoy is longer than yours’, following his first official visit to Lagos. “What was on display is a metaphor for profligacy and abuse of public resources that have come to define officialdom in Nigeria,” I wrote in response to the video of his long convoy of vehicles, which was posted on social media by a bragging supporter of the president. “The real issue is whether a government that preaches sacrifice can continue with such indulgence, especially at a period when many people are going through hard times.”  

I then stressed the need for President Tinubu and his handlers not to misread the public mood. “That he has used his honeymoon period to strike when the iron is still hot on two critical policy issues may have earned him momentary applause on decisive leadership. But there are no predictable outcomes for those choices in an environment where several variables are beyond his control. So, there is a need for caution,” I counselled in what has turned out to be prescient before I concluded: “While human nature predisposes people to act mostly in pursuit of self-interest, the essence of government is to subordinate the personal convenience of individuals to the imperatives of the common good. Yet, the crisis of present-day Nigeria is that there is little in our code of public conduct that encourages moderation or sacrifice. Rolling back conveniences, no matter how little, are usually some of the first steps public officials take when their country battle economic downturns.”

The times we are in call for a different leadership template than the one currently on display. Public expectations of leaders who seek sacrifice from the people are enormous and no president in contemporary history has demanded more from Nigerians than Tinubu with the policies he has initiated. He must therefore begin to embrace transparency if he wants to earn the trust and respect of Nigerians. He must also begin to set high standards for himself and take responsibility for mistakes. On that score, he should own up to the fact that we continue to commit enormous resources to paying fuel subsidies. Nigerians also want to know how much was paid for the newly acquired presidential jet and the process through which it was procured. When citizens see leaders being honest and open, trust and loyalty flourish. And that creates a sense of ownership without which no reform measures can succeed.

Meanwhile, it would seem the administration thrives on announcing policies by whims, with little thought to implementation. In February, an eight-man committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume was given a 12-week deadline for the full implementation of the Oronsaye Report through mergers, scrapings, and relocations of some agencies. That, of course, was after Tinubu had created more ministries than any previous administration. It is therefore no surprise that more than seven months after that sensational announcement, nothing has happened. Now, the Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, is saying there is no timeline for implementing the Oronsaye Report!

The president and his handlers must understand that public officials who believe in their invincibility are poor students of history. Malcom Gladwell, famous American journalist and author made that point rather poignantly in his book, ‘David and Goliath’. Power, according to Gladwell, has an important limitation. “It has to be seen as legitimate, or else its use has the opposite of its intended effect”, which may then come with dire consequences. I stated earlier that Tinubu has elevated himself to the status of ‘Ta ni o mu mi’. But the danger with ‘Tani o mu mi’—a strange place where both the codes of morality and the boundary between right and wrong have simply disappeared—is that it is a two-edged sword.

Having achieved presidential power and the unlimited privileges that go with it in Nigeria, the dominant school of thought is that Tinubu has reached the destination he longed for. That may well explain why he is courting authoritarianism with the acquiescence of a pliant National Assembly and the seeming resignation of a docile populace. But I still want to believe that we are misreading the president. He must know what he is doing, and I therefore expect he will end up on the right side of history. From 1992 when he was a Senator during the aborted Third Republic of General Ibrahim Babangida to his period as Lagos State Governor and then as a private citizen, with enormous political clout, I have had the privilege of close personal interactions with Tinubu. And if those experiences count for anything, it is that Tinubu is empathic and is interested in the welfare of the people and the broader good. But if I am wrong, and all his exertions in the last two decades were to become president of Nigeria as an end in itself, or simply to enjoy the trappings of the office, then there can be no greater tragedy. For him, as well as our beloved country.

• You can follow me on my X (formerly Twitter) handle, @Olusegunverdict and on www.olusegunadeniyi.com  

We have been watching with trepidation, great angst and baited breath, the unfathonable macabre dance exhibited by the nation's Police Force against the leadership of Nigerian workers, most notably, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero.

Our seeming silence was observed in the hope that the Police would beat a hasty retreat from their actions and tread the path of caution and civility.

We have no bones to grind with the Police authorities and as citizens of this greatly beloved but much beleguered country, we are ever willing to cooperate with the authorities whenever demanded by national imperatives and exigencies, the Police included, but it must never be at the expense of our Union, our people and our country.

The importance of fighting for and defending our nation state, Nigeria, cannot be over-emphasized. We are patriots, we are Nigerians and we love our country, inspite of deeply inherent socio-economic contradictions that are threatening our very existence as a nation.

Let it be very clear to all, that the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, is in full solidary with the national President of Nigeria Labour Congress, its entire leadership structures and affiliates nationwide at all times, especially at these trying moments.

We urge the Police and security forces to exercise maximun restraint in their engagements and interactions with Nigerians, who hold views that are different from those of the status quo; free speech and the right to hold opinion are fundamental to our liberty as a free people.

We are in this wise, putting all our Councils and members across the federation on notice, over the unfortunate attacks on the labour leadership.

Be prepared!

The NUJ FCT Council is by this wise, especially enjoined and directed to fully mobilize in concert with other affiliates of the NLC to accompany the NLC President as he goes to honour the invitation of the Police by 8a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, August 29, 2024.

Achike Chude
National Secretary, NUJ.

The United Kingdom has increased the number of organisations licensed to sponsor workers on the worker and temporary worker immigration routes.  

Checks by The Nation, show that the list which was updated on Friday, August 23, has 119,195 approved companies.The approved updated list now contains 119,195 companies.  

Interested Nigerians are advised to visit the listed company’s website and search for available vacancies.

A breakdown shows that the approved companies are in technology, commerce, education, media and advertisement, and engineering sectors, among others.

According to the UK government, a Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK for an eligible job with an approved employer.  

“You must have a job offer from an approved UK employer before you apply for a Skilled Worker visa.

Approved employers are also known as sponsors, because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK.”  

Here is a list of some of the approved companies: 

1. McMullan Shellfish
2. (IECC Care) Independent Excel Care Consortium Limited
3. *ABOUTCARE HASTINGS LTD
4. £ ESS LTD
5. @ Architect UK Ltd
6. @ Home Accommodation Services Ltd
7. @ Home Accommodation Services Ltd
8. @ Ur Eaz Ltd
9. @@@ FILER LIMITED
10. [AI] INFINITI LIMITED
11. `Brunswick Stores Limited
12. #NAME?
13. 003 Ltd
14. 007 Taxi Limited
15. 0086 Ltd
16. 00Nation Limited
17. 00Nation Limited
18. 01 ACCOUNTING SERVICES LTD
19. 012 Global Ltd
20. 023 LTD
21. 09 Care Limited
22. 0xA Technologies Ltd
23. 1 ACE TRAINING LIMITED
24. 1 ALS LIMITED
25. 1 AND 1 ROUGAMO LIMITED
26. 1 And 5 Tech Ltd
27. 1 Answer Insurance Services LTD.
28. 1 Bishops Avenue Limited
29. 1 Digitals Europe Limited
30. 1 Eclipse Care Solutions Limited
31. 1 Green Foods Ltd
32. 1 Homecare ltd
33. 1 Indus Limited
34. 1 Key Solution Limited
35. 1 Kings Dental Limited
36. 1 Life London Limited
37. 1 MODEL MANAGEMENT LONDON LIMITED
38. 1 Oak Home Care
39. 1 Oak Leisure Ireland Ltd
40. 1 PhysioUK Limited
41. 1 REPAIR LTD
42. 1 Stop Print Ltd
43. 1 STOP REC LIMITED
44. 10 Europe Limited
45. 10 Europe Limited
46. 10 Squared Ltd
47. 100 Percent Cornwall Ltd
48. 100 SHAPES LTD
49. 100% HALAL MEAT STORES LTD
50. 1000 Trades Limited
51. 1000heads Ltd
52. 100Starlings Ltd
53. 101 A+D Ltd.
54. 101 Harley Street LTD
55. 101 Healthcare ltd
56. 101 Ways Limited
57. 1010 Restaurant @ The Blacksmiths arms
58. 105 West Architects Ltd
59. 1066 PLUMBING AND HEATING LTD
60. 107 Cannon Street Limited

The full list of approved companies can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66c84b0007733cc4df618245/2024-08-23_-_Worker_and_Temporary_Worker.csv

[TheNation]

A Texas judge on Monday ordered a temporary pause on a policy that would streamline the process for spouses of US citizens to obtain legal status in the country, a blow to one of US President Joe Biden’s biggest immigration reform policies.

Judge J. Campbell Barker granted a 14-day administrative stay in a case brought by the Republican attorneys general of 16 US states challenging the Biden administration’s policy.

In June, Biden announced the new policy, which streamlined a pathway to citizenship for an estimated half a million immigrants married to US nationals.

The 16 states bringing the lawsuit, however, say the policy is costing them millions of dollars in public services — including healthcare, education and law enforcement — used by the immigrants.

“The claims are substantial and warrant closer consideration than the court has been able to afford to date,” Judge Barker wrote in his order.

“This is just the first step. We are going to keep fighting for Texas, our country, and the rule of law,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose state is party to the case, in a post on social media platform X after the order.

The Biden administration has been struggling to address immigration, a hugely divisive issue for many Americans ahead of November’s presidential election, which will see Vice President Kamala Harris take on Republican Donald Trump.

The Democratic Party is walking a fine line of seeking to be tougher on illegal migrants while also introducing reforms to the country’s inefficient immigration system.

Trump’s campaign for the White House has centred on portraying the United States as under assault by what he calls a migrant “invasion.”

• ‘Extreme measure’ –

The new rules would streamline the process for those who already qualify for permanent residence by removing a requirement that they leave the country as part of the application process.

The rules applied to those in the country for at least 10 years and married to a US citizen before June 17, 2024, and also applied to an estimated 50,000 stepchildren of US citizens.

Those approved would be granted work authorization and the right to stay in the United States for up to three years while they apply for a green card, which is a pathway to full citizenship.

Monday’s ruling suspends the granting of this “parole in place” status, but does not halt the government from continuing to accept applications for the status.

In a statement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed it would continue to take applications but would not grant any until the stay was lifted.

“The District Court’s administrative stay order does not affect any applications that were approved before the administrative stay order was issued,” USCIS said.

Immigrant rights group Justice Action Center said the order was an “extreme measure.”

“To halt a process for which Texas has not been able to provide an iota of evidence that it would harm the state is baffling,” said group founder Karen Tumlin.

“This is heartbreaking for our clients and the thousands of couples who hope to benefit from this process and be able to live without fear that their family will be separated.”

The Justice Action Center earlier Monday filed a motion seeking to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the programme.

Barker wrote that the court did not “express any ultimate conclusions about the success or likely success” of the plaintiffs’ case while the stay is in place.

The court announced an expedited hearing schedule in the case, but Barker noted that the two-week stay would likely be extended while proceedings are underway.

AFP.