The strike action embarked by members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, has continued into the second following the failure of the Federal Government, oil marketers to reach agreement with the transporters.

A meeting conveyed by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri with NARTO, oil marketers and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, in Abuja ended with an agreement.

Senator Lokpobiri told journalists that the meeting will continue as the government seeks to find a solution to issues raised by the transporters.

According to the Minister, “We have been having engagement with different stakeholders in the downstream petroleum industry based on some concerns which were raised. The engagements are still continuing and we hope that we will be able to find solutions to those concerns as soon as possible. Engagement will continue tonight till tomorrow.

“But it should be pointed out very clearly that they have demonstrated utmost good faith and patriotism. It should also be known that the issues have nothing to do with the government. It is basically commercial. But as a government we have decided to intervene so that Nigerians will not suffer unduly”, he added.

NARTO had threatened to stop the lifting of petrol over high cost of operation.

NARTO National President, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman explained that the tanker owners have been recording huge losses due to high cost of operation which is no longer sustainable.

He explained that members would park their trucks from Monday “because what we spend on operation is more than what we get in total: both in local and bridging”.

He said: “We will have to suspend operations between now and Monday. We cannot continue to operate at a loss. Most people have parked. A lot more are going to park.

“But from the point of view of the association itself, we are going to suspend operations on Monday.”

Othman disclosed that NARTO’s efforts at soliciting the intervention of all the key stakeholders in the Federal Government and industry have not yielded positive results.

“We have written letters up to the level of the Chief of Staff. We have written to the Honourable Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil).

We have written to DG SSS. We have written to the GCEO. We have written to the Authority Chief Executive. We have written to the Major Marketers, yet no response.”

He noted that the N32 Lagos to Abuja freight rate that was implemented while the dollar was N650 is still retained now that dollar is N1,615.

“Everybody is aware that all our consumables in terms of operation are not produced in the country. So, by virtue of the rate of dollars, every consumable has increased. But the freight they are paying us has been the same even during Buhari’s time.So how is that feasible?

He explained further: “What I mean by local is if you load Lagos, you discharge in Lagos. And bridging is if you load from Lagos, you come to Abuja. Lagos to Lagos, we are paid N120,000.

“AGO alone to distribute fuel within Lagos is N140,000 because it is N1,400 per litre. So, they give you N120,000 and you spend N140,000. How do you want to operate? We are not talking about cost of vehicles, cost of loading, driver’s allowance. That is for local. For bridging Lagos to Abuja, they gave us N32.

“If you have a truck of 40,000 litres, you are talking of N1,280,000-N1,216,000. Less 5% of the amount of N1,280,000 Withholding Tax N64,000. Less 55,000 loading expenses and 15,000 driver allowance. Total expenses N134,000 while balance is N1,146,000. AGO is N1400 for 900 litres, totalling N1,260,000. There is a total loss of N114,000. The diesel that you use from Lagos to Abuja is 900 litres”, he added.

A former presidential aspirant and legal practitioner, Chief Reuben Famuyibo, has cautioned northern leaders against plunging Nigeria into chaos by making statements capable of inciting Nigerians against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Famuyibo, speaking with The Nation on Monday, February 19, emphasized the potential for such statements to precipitate nationwide turmoil that would affect everyone.

He criticized the ongoing attacks on the Tinubu administration, highlighting the inconsistency of political, traditional, and religious leaders who remained silent during the tumultuous eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari but now seem vocal in what he perceives as playing identity politics with governance.

The Ekiti-born politician stated that he had engaged in extensive consultations with Yoruba leaders both domestically and internationally, revealing their growing discomfort with the implicit threats, subversive rhetoric, unfair criticisms, and insinuations directed at President Tinubu, based solely on the notion that Nigerian leaders warrant reproach only when they hail from a specific region of the country.

Famuyibo said: “My consultations across the length and breadth of the Southwest and with leaders in the Diaspora shows that while many of our leaders see nothing wrong in President Bola Tinubu receiving criticism over the pains Nigerians are going through following the policy reforms embarked upon by his administration, they are, however, surprised that certain elements in the North have been hiding under the issue of the policy reforms to openly make politically charged, ethnically insensitive, and provocative statements aimed at inciting the Nigerian public against the Tinubu administration and plunging Nigeria into civil strife.

“These leaders ascribe ethnic and religious sentiments to even the purely administrative actions of the Tinubu administration, including the relocation of key departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to their natural habitat in Lagos.

“We learnt authoritatively that even Julius Berger, the construction company behind the CBN Abuja office, said that the overpopulation of the Abuja CBN office with 11,000 plus workers when it was designed for 4,000 workers could cause the structure to experience strain, yet these so-called northern leaders act like nothing was amiss.

“We want to remind those threatening fire and brimstone against President Tinubu over the problems created by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which ran the economy aground and made Nigeria the poverty capital of the world, that neither Nigeria nor Abuja is the exclusive preserve of anyone but all Nigerians.

“They must stop the politics of provocation and incitement influenced by a born-to-rule mentality and years of patient endurance by other sections of the country.

“The self-serving, perfidious, insidious, provocative, and inciting utterances must be denounced by all right-thinking Nigerians.”

Some northern leaders had last week decried the economic hardship in the country, saying they could no longer prevail on the youths to be patient.

“Bros, how body? Have you seen what I have seen?”

“No. How do you expect me to see what you have you seen, when my eyes are different from yours? I use my own eyes. The evidence of my own ocular facility, not what other people see in a country where most people are either depressed, half-blind, hungry or sick. Every man for himself or herself.” 

“Ok. Ok, if you would just allow me to talk. You always think you know it all. But there are certain things other people see, and hear that you may not be aware of.” 

“Okay. What? I am all ears”

“Can you believe that in Pakistan, one man who was declared winner of an election in Karachi, Pakistan, in the recent elections in that country on February 8, turned down the victory, and said he was not the rightful winner of the election because it was rigged? Hafiz Naeem of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party insisted that the votes of his opponent were reduced and his increased to give him an illegitimate victory. He says he disagrees.” 

“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, particularly when it comes to elections. Democracy is under threat universally. This year alone, there are more than 64 elections worldwide, including the ones that have taken place already and the ones to come, and the big threat is technology.  People will use technology to manipulate anything - especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) to misinform, disinform, mislead and do all kinds of things. When you get any piece of information, you have to really double-check. Technology has become a threat to democracy. And the Pakistan that you mentioned. Pakistan is a country of very corrupt leaders, both civilian and military and that is why they are finding it difficult to form a government after the recent general elections.”

“But when we see what looks like a good example from another part of the world, we should throw it up as a good example.” 

“I don’t get your point.” 

“I am saying that is it ever possible in Nigeria that a politician will reject his own declared victory on the grounds that the election was rigged in his favour?”

“I don’t want you to think that anybody in Pakistan is better than any other person in Nigeria. I ask you to check the story behind the story before you begin to put down your own country and your own people.”     

“Whatever the story behind the story is, I can bet that no Nigerian will ever give up an election victory on the grounds that an election was rigged in his or her favour. In this country, politicians would rather win by hook or crook. Win first and let others be the ones to complain. Rig. Steal. Grab the INEC certificate and let the aggrieved go to court. There is zero integrity in Nigerian politics. The politicians are no different from bandits, terrorists and insurgents, and kidnappers. Every electoral event is a kidnapping event.  They kidnap the process, the voters, the officials, and the results.”

“Calm down. Stop condemning what you don’t know. Are you a politician? You will just read one or two sensational stories on social media, and Google and you will start sounding like an expert. Armchair expertise is the biggest problem we have with public affairs analysis in this country, and I see that it is becoming a very attractive and profitable enterprise. Can people learn to be humble?”

“You always like to water things down. Somebody will be going North; you will just take the conversation to the South. Okay, forget about Pakistan. Think of what happened in Edo state last weekend when after the All-Progressives’ Congress (APC) conducted its party primaries for the September 2024 race for Osadebey House, four different persons were declared winners. Nigeria’s ruling party could nor organize its own primaries. Ballot boxes were snatched. Journalists were attacked. There was vote rigging, open violence. As of this moment, all the gladiators and their supporters are claiming victory, trading blames and threatening that there would be more recriminations.”

“The matter will still be resolved. The gladiators will cancel themselves out. Those who can be bought will collect cash and agree to shut up. Whoever proves stubborn will be reminded that whatever the party decides at the end of the day is supreme and binding. You are referencing one politician in Pakistan, don’t be surprised if at the end of the day a member of the Edo APC Gubernatorial race comes forward and says he, as a loyal party man has agreed to respect the decision of the party and that he would rather support a former opponent. Politicians are the same everywhere.  You should know the story before you draw conclusions.” 

“But my point still stands. No Nigerian politician who has been declared winner, would on his own, on moral grounds, reject the victory. He will cling to it.” 

“So, what is the moral of this your Paki story?”

“That politicians must have integrity. And I don’t know what is wrong with them in Edo APC. They have disgraced their party. They are disgracing the ruling party at the centre.” 

“Calm down. They are not alone. The PDP is also disgracing itself in Edo State.” 

“I hear Governor Godwin Obaseki is the problem in Edo PDP. They say he is the one who wants to determine single-handedly who succeeds him.”

“They say, they say… but the man himself has not said anything.”

“They say he wants to turn himself into the next Godfather of Edo State. He wants to choose and impose his own successor. I am afraid that when the EDO PDP organize their own primaries, this week, the chaos may be more than what we have seen in the APC.” 

‘Dem say. Dem say. The only thing I know is that he has made it clear that his Deputy, Philip Shaibu who has been disrespecting and insulting him will not be Governor after him. It looks like that is his singular project, and the way he looks and even grunts when Shaibu tries to greet him in public, it looks like stopping Shaibu is a do or die affair for him.” 

“But is that politics? Should people play the politics of hate and conflict?” 

“You will have to mount the pulpit in a church to raise such questions, and you may do so to your heart’s content until you realize that the politics in churches and mosques is even far worse than what you see on the open field. The do-or-die politics in Nigerian places of religious worship is enough to make God wonder why he created Nigerians”. 

“I understand that even the Labour Party in Edo State is divided. What is wrong with these Edo people?” 

“Be careful. Nothing is wrong with Edo people. Watch what you say before the Oba of Benin declares you are an enemy of the Palace.” 

“Oba gha to kpere. Ise!, Ise o, Ise o”

“The Nigerian politician is the problem, that is what you can say. Our politicians have not learnt any lessons, despite all the electoral reforms resulting in the Electoral Act 2022. They don’t care.  They are still snatching ballot papers and deploying violence. What we are seeing in the off-cycle elections is actually a dress rehearsal for the 2027 elections.” 

“Are you now a prophet?”

“No. But I can tell you that I am better than all those Nigerian prophets who predicted that Nigeria was going to win the top prize at the African Cup of Nations in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The prophets lied. No one could even predict the outcome of the final game. But tomorrow, the same prophets will claim to know tomorrow, and Nigerians will believe them. Yahoo prophets! Some of them told us the Labour Party would be the alternative party in 2023. Look at what is happening to the Labour Party, not just in Edo State, but even at the national level.” 

“I agree with you on this one.  A big scandal. A terrible disappointment. This is a party that Mr. Peter Obi practically built up, revived and turned into a platform of desire, with his energy, goodwill and resources. He galvanized and mobilized Nigerian youths to believe that a new, different Nigeria is possible and many bought into the vision: “Obi ke ke renke Obi, Obi Nwan nem… Elu uuu Pee”. Remember the Obidient Movement. They told us to be Obidient and Yusful. But look at the Labour Party today. It has been reduced to Julius Abure vs. Lamidi Apapa, Julius Abure vs Oluchi Oparah. I even hear they are looking for money. They are fighting over money. Please tell me, how are they different from APC and PDP?”    

“The parties are all the same. But you left out Maria Labeke vs. Julius Abure. The former Acting Chairman of the Party, Maria Labeke says Abure forged her signature. Poor Peter Obi. He has had to call for a proper audit of the party’s accounts.”  

“It probably looks like the APC is a better party after all. At least they are in power at the centre.”

“How is the APC better? In less than one year of the Tinubu Presidency, Nigerians are groaning and weeping and gnashing their teeth as a result of the high cost of living. Average price levels have risen. Families can no longer feed. Inflation is 30%, food inflation is over 34%, the Discos are threatening to increase electricity tariffs and the cost of meters. National Road Transport owners are threatening to stop lifting petroleum products because they can’t agree on affordable freight rates with major oil marketers. Landlords are hiking rent. Foreign exchange is a source of daily nightmare with the Naira devalued by more than 60% since January. If I must tell you something, housewives, side chicks and prostitutes have all conspired to punish Nigerian men. They all now quote black market rates. These people have destroyed the culture of leisure”. 

“I don’t know what you call leisure. Leisure is different from sin. When you are made to pay for your sins, don’t drag the government into that.”

“So, is it a sin to be a Nigerian? Because that is how many Nigerians feel right now. Even the price of beer has gone up.”

“You don’t have to drink beer. Drink water.”

“The last time I checked, this is supposed to be a free country. But there are food protests all over the country. The cost of staple foods has gone up. People cannot afford to buy bread. The other day in Lagos, people were struggling to buy subsidized loaves of bread for N100. Another day, a good Samaritan provided free tubers of yam, people were ready to die to get their hands on just one tuber. In Niger State, the state Governor has had to warn other Nigerians not to come to Niger State to buy food.”

“The Federal government says it will release 102, 000 metric tons of grains to Nigerians.”

“Grains to be fed to goats and hungry chickens right? Nigerians have become animals?” 

“But the government will not import food. They wanted to, but they have changed their minds.”

“Confusion. Policy incoherence.” 

“And there will be no commodity boards. No fixing of prices.” 

“They have no clue”

“They say the problems they inherited are too many, too much and the people should learn to be patient, especially Organized Labour, NLC, TUC, threatening to go on strike by month-end.”

“I have my doubts about those ones, please. Nigerians must be used to the perpetual scare-mongering by Labour now. They will hold one or two meetings with the government, and they will call off their strike and our suffering will continue. Please.” 

“The Government says you people must have hope. Every person associated with the government, including Tinubu’s son, Seyi says Nigerians must have faith”

“Who is that?”

“Tinubu’s son. He says Nigerians must endure.”

“Seyi Tinubu has the audacity to put his mouth into this matter? Does he think this is a family affair? What does he know about endurance?  Can he just focus on his omo Baba Olowo, akebaje, lifestyle?” 

“Even his brother-in-law has been appointed Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority. And the sister, the Iyaloja-General of the Federation, says we should all be patient. The President is trying his best to carry everybody along.” 

“God! God! God!”

“Indeed, it is only God who can help us. In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum has asked the entire state to embark on fasting and praying and to call on God to help resolve the crisis of rising food inflation and insecurity. Yesterday, in Borno state, the people fasted and prayed. O ye men of little faith.” 

“We have a government in place and we are looking for Manna from Heaven? In 2024? Can someone please pinch me?” 

“The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume have just told doubting Thomases like you at the Catholic Bishops Conference a few days ago that there is hope. Serious hope. Wake up, my friend.” 

“Audio, my brother audio oh. Where is the hope?  The Naira is practically becoming worthless. Who is still preaching hope to the Gentiles?”

“The CBN Governor said that the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration are working, and that if Nigerians do not see this, the IMF has seen it. Rating agencies like Fitch have seen it.”

“Very good. Good to know that our CBN Governor is suggesting that Nigerians are blind people. Nice compliment. But can someone tell him and other merchants of hope that, we, the Nigerian people do not see what IMF is seeing? We live here. We feel it. We are the ones involved in it. And we know that things are tough in this country. Life is hard. That is why there are food protests on the streets of Abuja, Ota, Kano, Kaduna and Ibadan.”  

“They say the problems were caused by the Buhari administration.”

“Not Jonathan again? I thought they said it was Jonathan.”

“President Jonathan is now a hero. When he left the government in 2015, the foreign exchange rate was N150 to the dollar. Today, it is about N1, 650 to the dollar. By Easter, it may get to N2,000 to the dollar. Even state governors are now saying they cannot function, they cannot deliver services because of inflation and the exchange rate fiasco.” 

“You are quoting PDP Governors who are looking for visas to Venezuela. They are part of the problem too”. 

“So, from whence will our help cometh, O Lord??” 

“In a democracy, what you wish for is what you get. Have you forgotten? Emi lokan.  Awa lo kan.  Eyin lo kan. Come on, e lo fokan bale.”

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has given  86 government agencies, including the presidential villa, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) 10 days’ notice to pay up over N47 billion debt due as of December 2023 or risk having their establishments disconnected from grid power.

Among the list of debtors is the Chief of Defence Staff Barracks and Military Formations with over N12 billion debt, followed by the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory with a N7.5 billion debt, Ministry of Finance with over N5.4 billion debt, and Niger State Governor-Abuja Liaison Office with N3.4 billion.

Others include: Ministry of State for Petroleum, Presidential Villa, Ministry of Education, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, and Nigeria Police Force, among others.

In an advertorial seen by LEADERSHIP, the management of the company said: “The Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) is constrained to do this publication with the details of government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) with long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply, in that our previous attempts to make them honour their obligations have not achieved the desired result.

“The relevant MDAs are hereby given notice that AEDC shall, after the expiration of 10 days from the date of this publication, that is, after Wednesday, 28th February 2024, embark on disconnection of our services to them until they discharge their obligations to us by paying their debts.”

This is as electricity distribution companies (DisCos) continue to grapple with poor revenue collections.

For example, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s report, the total revenue collected by all DisCos in the third quarter of 2023 was N267.61 billion out of N349.55 billion billed customers.

[Leadership]

A digital expert, Caroline Lucas British, who is a director with a UK renowned leadership development firm, has urged Nigerian leaders to utilise strategic benefits of effective remote leadership in the digital world.

Caroline, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, said in the fast-paced world of the global operating ecosystem, adaptability was not just an advantage, but a necessity.

Hark! As I alit in London, on that bleak December's day,
The tidings struck me deep, sorrow held its sway.
A cherished brother lost, a loss I strive to keep,
For four decades in Ibadan, city of Seven hills, our lives entwined, so deep.

Thou, a son of Anglican clergy, I, an Anglican bookseller's child,
Our paths converged, our spirits reconciled.
Admiration flowed, like a river pure and wide,
Thy presence, charismatic and urban, a soothing tide.

Stylish and bold, fearlessly thou didst tread,
Speaking thy mind, where others oft'ly fled.
Imperfections adorned thee, like threads of grace,
Yet thou embraced them all, with humility and embrace.

Infirmities sought to hinder, to curtail thy grand design,
But thy spirit blazed on, a flame that would not decline.
For thy state, thou fought with unwavering might,
Infrastructure, thy beacon, guiding toward a future bright.

Challenges besieged, yet thou stood tall,
Defending thy people, heeding wisdom's call.
Amotekun, a shield raised to protect and defend,
Marauders scattered, their reign brought to an end.

In the face of hardship, thy resolve held strong,
A leader steadfast, enduring trials along.
Now I bid thee farewell, dear Aketi, heavy my hearts,
Thy memory etched, woven in life's intricate arts.

May thy soul find eternal rest, released from life's strife,
Embraced by serenity, where troubles fade, where light thrives.
Farewell, dear Governor, thy impact shall endure,
In lives touched, thy vision and wisdom secure.

Through boldness and fearlessness, thou hast set the stage,
Inspiring a morrow, built on a righteous sage.
In this tapestry of memories, where emotions intertwine,
I bid adieu to a luminary, a soul so divine.

Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, CON, thy grace we embrace,
May thy soul find eternal peace, in eternity's infinite space.

-Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON

The officers of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, raided and arrested over 50 illegal Bureau De Change operators in Wuse Zone 4 Abuja, the continued free fall of the Naira in the Foreign Exchange Market, DAILY POST reports.

Dayyabu Mistila, a Bureau De Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, disclosed this to DAILY POST on Monday.

According to Mistila, the operatives said the raid was because of the rising exchange rate of the US dollar and other currencies against the Naira at the forex market.

“Around 3 pm on Monday, officers of EFCC raided Wuse Zone 4 and arrested over 50 of our members. They were complaining that BDC operators are responsible for the rising exchange rate of the Dollar, the parallel exchange market”.

When asked the rate of Dollar to Naira on Monday, he told our Correspondent that it traded for N1,660 per Dollar.

Similarly, official FMDQ data showed that Naira dropped to N1574.62 per US dollar on Monday.

Efforts to speak with the spokesperson, Dele Olyewale, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

DAILY POST recalls that the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso and the Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, met on February 3 2024, in an effort to curb the continued fall of the Naira in FX market.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Abuja after attending the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government.

NAF 001 pulled up at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport at about 04:00 pm local time, concluding his 15th foreign trip since assuming the Presidency nine months ago, and logging 73 days abroad.

Tinubu was received by top government officials including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and the Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle.

Also on the receiving line were the Imo Governor, Hope Uzodinma; the Director-General of the Department of State Service, Yusuf Bichi, among others.

During his three-day stay, the Nigerian leader discussed thematic issues such as climate change and modalities of the AU’s participation and priorities in the G20.

At the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme on Saturday, February 17, Tinubu argued that addressing Africa’s health sector challenges would require states to forge partnerships that transcend borders and sectors, leveraging collective expertise, knowledge, resources, and the private sector.

Tinubu, who spoke in his capacity as the newly-appointed AU Health Champion, said Africa’s effective collaboration with the rest of the world to tackle existential health challenges is not merely a strategic choice, but a moral imperative.

Addressing a plenary session attended by several of his counterparts, he affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to host the African Central Bank according to the vision of the Abuja Treaty.

On Sunday, he held talks with Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with both countries now planning to establish direct flight operations between their respective financial capitals of Lagos and São Paulo.

Nigeria and Brazil also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations mainly to increase the volume of trade and cooperation across solid mineral exploration, healthcare, and agriculture.

Tinubu has so far visited Paris, France (thrice); London, the United Kingdom; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Berlin, Germany.

His return coincides with protests in Oyo State over the rising cost of living.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) is calling on President Bola Tinubu’s government to provide an account of the savings resulting from the fuel subsidy removal in the initial nine months of his administration.

The bishops raised concerns about the absence of functional refineries despite substantial expenditures on turnaround maintenance, resulting in a persistent dependence on fuel imports.

The bishops described the government’s efforts to address the mountainous issues, as “counterproductive” and a “therapy worse than the disease.”

Speaking through the president of CBCN, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, during the opening session of the 2024 First Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, the bishops described the current situation in the country, as the “worst of times” in its history.

Archbishop Ugorji accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of mortgaging the future of Nigerians yet unborn with unmitigated borrowing without showing what they are used for.

He said, “In withdrawing the fuel subsidy, the government assured Nigerians it would save a lot of money to be injected into other national development sectors.

“Rather than give evidence of money so far saved from the withdrawal of subsidies for which Nigerians are being afflicted with untold hardship, all we hear is the government’s accumulation of more and more foreign debt to balance its budgetary deficit, thereby mortgaging the future of our nation and generations yet unborn.

“This has led many Nigerians to conclude that all the extensive talks on fuel subsidies may be mere fairy tales.

“Nigeria owns four refineries, two in Port Harcourt, one in Warri and one in Kaduna. How can we explain that these four refineries have remained moribund for years, despite turn-around-maintenance efforts, which have continued to gulp huge sums of money?”

The Archbishop drew attention to the stark realities facing Nigerians, emphasizing the persistent insecurity and economic turmoil, despite substantial security votes.

“If we cast a cursory glance at the present state of our nation, we are inclined to conclude that this seems to be the worst of times for our country in the areas of security and the economy,” he said.

According to him, kidnappings for ransom, senseless killings, and the rise of banditry have left communities across Nigeria in the grip of fear and paralysis.

“Unarmed citizens are brutally slaughtered on our highways, in their homes and even in the sacred precincts of places of worship. Killer herdsmen, bandits and unknown gunmen seem to be on rampage.

‘’Many communities across the nation have been taken over completely by criminals. Families have lost their ancestral lands to armed invaders and land-grabbers,” the Archbishop lamented.

The Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Affairs Secretariat, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has sealed off an orphanage, known as the Priesthood Orphanage in Karonmajigi.

The move followed the rescue of 23 children, aged between 1 and 14 years, who were trafficked from Plateau state and found within the premises of the orphanage.

Addressing reporters on Monday, Benjamins-Laniyi stated that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had granted authorization to the Secretariat to conduct a thorough profiling and recertification of orphanages operating within the nation’s capital.

She said: “There is no question, yesterday, with immediate effect, that ‘home’ was sealed, shut down. We have the name of the proprietor of the orphanage home, but we are not naming names now for obvious reasons. When the entire material investigation is concluded, there will be an official gazetted presentation of the facts, the findings and the delivery of this intervention we’ve started here today.

“NAPTIP, as we speak is already on it. Using this as an example, one of the first things I have done is to get approval for the recertification of orphanage homes in Abuja. The Minister has approved that there will be a full thorough re-profiling of anything that has to do with orphanage and recertification status of all orphanages in Abuja.”

She noted that the Women’s Secretariat was already working with the office of the Commissioner of Women Affairs of Plateau State, to reunite the children with their families, some of whom she said had been at the uncertified orphanage for five years, since 2019.

She said: “We are working with the Plateau state government to reunite the children that I had earlier mentioned by name and by age, with their families in Plateau state. This is a transition arrangement.”

The Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Caroline Dafur, narrated that the Proprietors of the orphanage home abandoned the children at the orphanage, under the care of one Pastor Abraham, in a terrible condition of hunger.

She noted: “Three of the children had then escaped and were discovered by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who reported the case to the NAPTIP and took the children to the Human Rights Radio, who then notified the Plateau State government and the FCT Women’s Secretariat.

“We came in yesterday and on reaching here, we were told that they went to church. We kept going from one church to another, looking for them until we found them in a Deeper Life Church, where we were able to pick them up, and we went to the home. And we saw the place it is not supposed to be called a home.

“The place is just so unkempt. I wonder how the children were sleeping in the small room. Nine girls were sleeping in a very small room with just two mattresses. And then for the boys, they were in a small room too, with two mattresses just on the floor. And I mean, it’s so pathetic the way human beings treat human beings in this country.”

She stated the displeasure of the Plateau state government while appreciating the Mandate Secretary for the assistance in evacuating the children, and relocating them to the Karu Children’s Home.