Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the recovery of N13 billion diverted public funds in September.

ICPC chairman Musa Aliyu, in his welcome address at ICPC Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028 launch on Wednesday in Abuja, described the feat as a remarkable achievement.

According to him, the impressive haul is a testament to the commission’s relentless efforts at combating corruption and ensuring accountability in Nigeria.

”Over the past years, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate; for example, we recovered over N13 billion diverted public funds in September 2024 alone. This is just one of the many ways we have worked tirelessly to fulfil our mandate.

”We are also embarking on ICT reforms that will digitalise our operations and enable more efficient investigations, case management, and internal processes. This transformation will position the commission as a leader in leveraging technology to combat corruption, keeping us one step ahead of criminal activities in the digital age,” he said.

Mr Aliyu said that the commission was also developing a specialised curriculum to enhance our personnel’s enforcement capacity.

”This initiative equips our officers with the skills and expertise needed to address the complexities of corruption cases with the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency.

”We are decentralising the anti-corruption efforts by empowering state governments through the mobilisation of state attorneys-general. This approach ensures that state governments are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources necessary to effectively combat corruption at the local level,” he said.

The ICPC chairman recalled that the commission successfully held a conference with state attorneys-general in September, adding that more than 30 state chief law officers attended.

He said that in response to the findings from the Third National Corruption Survey, the commission had intensified efforts to broaden the reach of the anti-corruption campaign by actively engaging citizens, civil society and the media.

”A key part of this initiative is our upcoming EthicsPod digital community, designed to foster a culture of transparency and accountability across both public offices and everyday life nationwide.

”These efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy, forming the backbone of our Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028, which builds on our past achievements and charts a clear path for the future,” he said.

The ICPC boss stressed the need to intensify efforts to prevent corruption and corrupt practices.

(NAN)

Nigerian-born English winger, Bukayo Saka has stressed that this could be the year his club, Arsenal, finally clinch the Premier League title after a 21-year drought.

Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the past two seasons, Arsenal are currently third in the league, tied on points with second-placed City and trailing leaders Liverpool by just a point after six games.

Bukayo Saka, who also experienced the disappointment of back-to-back European Championship final losses with England in 2021 and 2024, is determined to turn the tide and secure silverware this season.

The 23-year-old attributes his unwavering determination to previous near-misses and believes in Arsenal’s ability to compete at the highest level, as evidenced by their recent 2-0 Champions League victory over Paris St-Germain.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year [Arsenal win the title],” Saka told CBS Sports.

“I think we’ve been close the last two years and we’re getting closer, but this hopefully will be the year.”

In his interview with Amazon Prime, Saka added, “In previous years, I’ve come runners-up a lot. It’s just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.

“With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we’re a top team. We showed that tonight [against Paris St-Germain]. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when big teams are coming to the Emirates.”

The Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen has emphasized the importance of having the right conditions in place for him to consider taking on the role permanently.

As he manages the team for the fourth time, he stressed the need for a long-term contract with patience and realistic clauses, acknowledging that consistent winning is not guaranteed in football.

“It will be a tough one. You have to give me a long-term contract with patience and clauses in that contract because winning is not guaranteed every week or day,” the 58-year-old coach told Brila FM.

“You will give me time to tweak the team till I find what I want.”

Despite the team’s current challenges in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Augustine Eguavoen expressed optimism about their chances.

Eguavoen believes that with a strong mentality and a positive approach, the Super Eagles can still turn their campaign around and secure their spot in the World Cup.

He emphasized the need for the players to treat every upcoming game as a crucial opportunity and to focus on securing victories, even by narrow margins, to achieve their objective.

“It has to be with positive thinking (for Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup),” Eguavoen said.

“We have to approach every game like a cup final, and we have a big chance once we keep winning these remaining games, even if it were by 1-0.”

Augustine Eguavoen is expected to lead Super Eagles of Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, October 11, with the return leg set to be hosted in Benina four days later.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, director-general (DG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), says government officials must face consequences for making policies that ruin businesses.

Ajayi-Kadir spoke on Tuesday during a forum themed ‘Nigeria’s Challenging Economy: Strategies For Recovery,’ organised by Channels Television to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary.

He emphasised the need for consequences when policies lead to economic setbacks for industries.

“There must be consequence for government officials who make policies that ruin businesses,” Ajayi-Kadir said.

“I mean, you make a policy today, it becomes a disaster for industry and government simply changes it, and you walk away. We don’t have this luxury in the private sector.

“If you make a mistake, your business is gone, and you could distrain your property. So I think we need to see that movement also on the part of government.”

He said the challenges caused by the ongoing rise in interest rates should be alleviated.

The DG said borrowing at rates of 30-35 percent makes it nearly impossible for businesses to survive, particularly in an economy where consumer purchasing power has drastically declined.

“We should be able to assuage the challenges we are having with continuously raising interest rates,” he said.

“You’ve done it for more than 18 months plus, and you’ve not done any impact assessment on the productive sector.

“I think you need to be able to insulate that sector so that you can inflate the economy.”

‘THERE’S NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL POLICY’

Ajayi-Kadir said there is a need for an industrial policy to guide the government’s approach to industrialisation.

According to the DG, the policy would promote better coordination between key government ministries such as the ministry of industry, trade, and investment, the ministry of finance, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“I must say that policy coordination is extremely important for us because you can’t operate in such a way that you don’t know what to expect tomorrow,” he said.

“It will basically define where we want to be, and it will guide our operations.”

He also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s embassies abroad, calling for key performance indicators (KPIs) aimed at facilitating foreign market penetration for Nigerian products and attracting foreign investments.

While commending the efforts of Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Ajayi-Kadir called for a more deliberate government policy, urging the government to avoid playing politics with economic policies.

Also, Ajayi-Kadir advocated for a coordinated approach with clear expectations, deliverables, and accountability measures to ensure that the government and industry move in the same direction.

‘FG SHOULD LOOK BEYOND OIL SALE TO GET FX’

Ajayi-Kadir said Nigeria does not need to rely solely on oil sale for foreign exchange (FX), urging the government to diversify its revenue streams, particularly by tapping into the potential of diaspora remittances.

“We don’t really also have to depend on the sale of oil for us to be able to get forex. First, we must realise all the income that we can get from oil and we shouldn’t have any impediments, whether human, structural, or system-imposed. I mean, we should be clear about it. It’s our natural resource,” he said.

“We should fully recover all the forex that we can get from there. We need to address the issue of diaspora remittance that has a very great potential of bringing in far more forex than Nigeria is receiving. Those ones can help to address the foreign exchange challenges that we have.

“There’s one presently that I still cannot understand why we’ve not been able to overcome it and it’s the N2.4 billion unredeemed forwards with the CBN.”

The DG also said the FX exposure has caused massive losses for manufacturers.

“I believe that it will require the intervention of Mr. President, because I have a member, for instance, who has lost N7.2 billion because of this forex exposure for no fault of his and eight of our members, because of the forex exposure, have actually lost 918 billion in the last one year,” he said.

Ajayi-Kadir said addressing the pressing issues does not require new laws or executive orders but a coordinated effort to resolve FX challenges.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said the 64th Independent Day Speech of President Bola Tinubu further confirmed the “insensitivity of his administration towards the plight and demands by Nigerians”.

In a statement, PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba said the President’s speech showed no hope in sight under the “clueless, insensitive and unresponsive APC-led government”.

“Nigerians are appalled that the President’s speech was a complete waste of time as it did not address issues or proffer any solution to the myriads of economic and security problems created by the APC government, for which Nigerians are hurting,” he said.

The opposition party said the presidential speech failed to respond to the cries of millions of Nigerians, adding that Tinubu did not review the “life-suffocating policies of his government”.

“It is indeed shocking that Mr. President’s speech practically trivialized the very grave issues of pervasive economic hardship, unemployment, acute poverty, widespread hunger and starvation in our country- for which Nigerians took to the streets in August this year- by claiming that about 10% of Nigerians have been plunged into hunger when confirmed reports show that over 100 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life under the APC watch.

“Equally appalling is Mr. President’s irreconcilable assurances of micro-economic improvement, lower cost of living and food sufficiency, when in reality his administration has failed to lower the price of fuel; the key driver of our nation’s economy, failed to inject resources into the productive sector to boost employment, stem the slide of the Naira and made no tangible investment in food production in any part of the country.

“The failure by Mr. President to listen to Nigeria to reduce the price of fuel, create employment and lift the value of the Naira by ending the profligacy in his government and direct resources to jumpstart our ailing productive sector shows that the APC administration is completely disconnected with Nigerians especially the youths.

“Moreover, from the speech, it is clear that the APC-led administration is determined to stifle our nation’s democracy; the very fundamental of any independent nation as it is loudly silent on the erosion of credible election and constant attacks on constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens in our country under its watch,” the statement read.

Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen believes the team can still make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their poor run in the qualifiers.

The three-time African champions are second from bottom in their group with three points from four games.

Rwanda, South Africa and Benin Republic are joint leaders in the group with seven points from the same number of matches.

Eguavoen believed the Super Eagles can still turn their faltering qualifying campaign around.

The 58-year-old however said the players must have a strong mentality to achieve the objective.

“It has to be with positive thinking (for Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup),” Eguavoen told Brila FM.

“We have to approach every game like a cup final and we have a big chance once we keep winning these remaining games even if it were by 1-0.”

The ministry of arts, culture and creative economy has secured a $200 million investment from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to strengthen Nigeria’s creative industry.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the investment was announced at an event organised by Nigeria titled “Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere,” during the just-concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.

“It would be noted that central to the “Destination 2030” initiative is Nigeria’s ambition to assert itself as a global soft power leader by 2030,” the ministry said.

“As of 2024, the creative economy ministry reported a 36 percent increase in Nigeria’s cultural influence and an 18 percent increase in the brand percent index, reflecting the positive reception of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy efforts on the global stage.”

Hannatu Musawa, minister of arts, culture, and creative economy, told investors at the event that Nigeria’s rich artistic heritage continues to attract global attention, offering promising returns on investments.

Musawa said the country’s cultural excellence, as demonstrated by its global impact in the arts, positions Nigeria as a significant player in the global creative economy.

Speaking on the “Destination 2030” initiative, she said Nigeria aims to solidify its position as a global cultural hub, while significantly contributing to global cultural diplomacy and spurring economic growth.

“The Destination 2030 event was a vibrant celebration of Nigeria’s rich cultural tapestry,” the minister said.

Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of Afreximbank, took the stage to reaffirm the bank’s commitment to Nigeria’s creative industry.

Announcing the $200 million financing facility, Oramah said investing in the creative industry would build a foundation for sustainable economic growth and position Africa as a global cultural leader.

On September 11, the federal government unveiled its plans to generate $100 billion from Nigeria’s creative economy.

The plan, according to the government, will also create over two million jobs in the economy yearly.

…as petrol import falls by 12% to 20.29bn litres

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has delivered a total of 48.6 million barrels of crude oil to Dangote Petroleum Refinery in the past 10 months, Vanguard investigations have revealed.

Details of the deliveries contained in official data on the transaction sighted by Vanguard showed that 3.4 million barrels (mb) were supplied in December 2023 while 3.5 million barrels were supplied in February 2024.

The details further showed that 3.3md, 3.3mb, 3.0mb, 5.1mb, 5.1mb, 4.8mb and 5.6 were supplied to the refinery in March, April, May, June, July, August and September 2024 respectively. The transaction has already recorded 11.7mb for October 2024 deliveries.

However, sources close to the Dangote Refinery said the volume supplied remains low when compared to the installed refining capacity of the 650,000 barrels per day plant.

The NNPCL has not yet disclosed the crude oil requirements of Nigeria’s refineries, including Dangote refinery in the last quarter (October – December) of 2024.

But in the second quarter (Q2’24) of 2024, the government put the requirements of all Nigeria’s refineries, including Dangote Refinery, at 597,700 barrels per day, indicating an increase of 114.700 barrels per day, from 483,000 bpd in the first half of the year.

The Q2’24 estimate also indicates that the NNPCL may have booked the crude oil needs of Dangote Refinery at less than 50% of the installed production capacity.

Petrol imports fall 12%

Meanwhile, the volume of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also called petrol fell year-on-year (YoY) by 12.6 percent to 20.29 billion litres in 2023 from 23.24 billion litres in 2022.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this yesterday in its ”Petroleum Products Distribution Statistics for 2023”, noting that PMS trucks also dropped by 16.9 percent YoY to 20.22 billion litres from 24.35 billion litres in 2022.

According to the bureau, the volume of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, also known as diesel, imported rose to 4.94 billion litres in 2023 from 3.99 billion litres in 2022.

The statistics also showed that 109.39 million litres of AGO were locally produced in 2023, representing a 6.76 per cent rise from 102.47 million litres produced in 2022.

Similarly, the volume of Household Kerosene (HHK) locally produced grew by 56 per cent YoY to 69.7 million litres in 2023 from 44.68 million litres in 2024.

However, the data showed that local production of Petrol ended in 2018 when 128.08 million litres was produced.

NBS said: “In 2023, PMS truck out stood at 20.22 billion litres, indicating a 16.96% decrease relative to 24.35 billion litres recorded in 2022.

“About 69.71 million litres of HHK were locally produced in 2023 compared to 44.68 million litres in 2022, indicating a growth rate of 56.02 percent over the period.

“For AGO, 109.39 million litres were locally produced in 2023, higher, compared to 102.47 million litres reported in 2022. This represents a 6.76 percent growth rate.

“In terms of imported products, 20.30 billion litres of PMS were imported in 2023 relative to 23.54 billion litres in 2022, showing a decrease of 13.77 percent

”Also, 4.94 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil were imported in 2023, indicating an increase of 23.66 percent compared to 4.00 billion litres in the previous year.”

The #FearlessInOctober protest recorded a low turnout in the Federal Capital Territory and states amid the heavy presence of security operatives.

This was as the organisers of the protest, the Take It Back Movement, rejected the planned 30-day National Youth Confab, announced earlier on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu.

The group described the initiative as ‘’a jamboree” designed to reward the President’s supporters.

In his Independence Day address, Tinubu announced plans to convene a youth conference which he said would be held for 30 days to address and discuss challenges facing the Nigerian youth, who accounted for more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population.

“I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population.

‘’The 30-day confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives. Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations,” the President said.

Reacting to the plan, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, noted that the President did not organise any confabs before implementing his policies.

He said, ‘’I think President Tinubu wants to lavish taxpayers’ money to organise a jamboree for his supporters. We saw some of them that were paid, NANS (National Association of Nigerian Students), singing his praises in Abuja, so I think that is simply what the President wants to do.

“What confab did he organise before he awarded a private jet to himself costing billions? Did we hold any confab before he decided to use billions of naira to construct an apartment for the Vice President? Or which confab did we hold before they started paying themselves huge allowances, budgeting billions for kitchen utensils?’’

Continuing, Sanyaolu added, “As a matter of fact, what confab did the President hold before increasing the price of fuel, even between August and now, to over N1,000? Even, some are buying at N1,500. Nigerians don’t need a confab.

“We don’t need our money to be wasted on organizing a jamboree for his supporters in APC or wherever they come from. Nigerians need good governance, and it is not a confab that will fix that.”

Asked whether the protest will continue, Sanyaolu said “The protest continues, but the new date will be announced because I am aware that there are still people in different states who want to protest. But we are going to announce the next days, which we will definitely not be far from now.”

Speaking to The PUNCH, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande,  disclosed that the Federal Government would set up an implementation task force to spearhead the implementation of the recommendations from the upcoming youth confab.

Adding context to the nature of preparation, Olawande said it included creating an implementation task force for various issues on the agenda.

“We are going to roll it out very soon, and we are going to have the terms and conditions, the areas, the views and all that. And we are still going to plead with the President to give us what we call an implementation task force so that immediately, where we need to do an Executive Order, we put it up.

 “Those (recommendations) that need to go to the National Assembly, we take it off and we start having this as quickly as possible. So, it’s a done deal,” the minister noted.

Olawande said the process leading to Tuesday’s announcement stemmed from extensive stakeholder consultations.

Although the initial brief proposed four days for the dialogue, the President recommended a one-month confab.

He explained, “I was very happy because I’ve been telling the young people in my constituency that the President is a listening President. Last month, we brought many young people together and talked to ourselves. After the strategy meeting, we told ourselves that we needed to get all the youths from all the parties to come and talk, strategise together and present something to the President.

“We called it a Youth Dialogue. We consulted with all the stakeholders. After consulting with the stakeholders, the President listened to us and said, ‘Fine, you want to dialogue within four days, right? But for me, I want to expand it, and let’s see how you can come together as young people of this country.

“We believe in this country and know that it belongs to us. This is what you’ve seen today, and we are very happy with it. It’s a very good development, and we are preparing to roll out things very soon with all stakeholders involved, which the President has consulted.”

 The Senate Majority Leader, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, promised to support the recommendations from the youth confab, saying such an initiative was overdue.

He stated, “The need for a youth confab at this point cannot be overemphasised. The youth, like the President, who is also duly recognised, constitute over 60 per cent of our population or demography. And I believe that the time to listen to the youth is not just when they are on the streets protesting.

“If we can hear them loud and clear when they are protesting, we should be able even to hear them louder when we are all seated through a confab to discuss in a very articulate manner.

“So it would be a welcome development. We all look forward to that. And as elected representatives of the people, we also will ensure that we join in creating a conducive amosphere and environment for the youth confab.”

The lawmaker also said that the National Assembly would give due consideration to the Economic Stabilisation Bills, which were approved at the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

Unimpressed, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Coalition for United Political Parties criticized the President’s decision to hold a youth confab, describing it as ‘a misallocation of priorities.’

The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, argued that the move highlights the President’s lack of ideas on governance.

He stated “The President has just said he’s bereft of ideas on how to govern this country. You see, the President likes rhetoric, big talk, and zero action. It is time for an economic summit rather than a youth conference.

“What he should be doing now is organizing an economic summit where he will gather Nigerian economic experts from around the globe to get the best minds to assist him in fixing Nigeria’s economy. He should also convene a security summit to engage some of the best security chiefs and experts to address the security issues in the country.’’

 The Labour Party National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, similarly criticized the move as a superficial approach to addressing urgent national issues.

 Ahanotu said the idea of a youth confab is poorly timed, emphasizing that what Nigerians truly needed is good governance.

 “I feel that this is just a peripheral approach to solving pressing national issues. This conference was initiated to divert the attention of Nigerian youths. What Nigerian youths have been asking for is good governance. When transportation, education, healthcare, and other sectors are functioning, why do we need a national youth conference?’’ he queried.

The CUPP National Spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, slammed the Federal Government over the proposal, describing it as insincere.

He expressed concern that the confab might turn into another jamboree to influence youths to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, ‘’despite his poor performance.’’

 He stated, “As far as I’m concerned, this so-called national youth conference will likely be a mirage with no concrete achievements resulting from it. It’s a deliberate and strategic distraction by the government, in my opinion. Another senseless waste of resources that will run into billions of naira in a very sick economy. It has no intrinsic value.”

 But the All Progressives Congress and some youth groups commended the planned conference.

 APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said by this decision, Tinubu has shown he is a caring and attentive leader who exemplified the party’s principles.

 He urged the protesting youths to rethink their positions, emphasizing that the president’s mission and intentions are honourable and genuinely aimed at benefiting the country.

 Ibrahim also labelled the PDP, LP and CUPP, which have criticized the move, as not having Nigeria’s best interests at heart.

 “What the president is trying to do is engage the youth politically and politely so they can plan for their future. A conference of this nature will help prepare young minds to take charge of their country’s future and shape their destinies. Anyone who opposes this does not have the country’s future at heart, ’’ he insisted.

 The National Youth Council of Nigeria commended Tinubu for approving the youth confab.

 The youth body in a statement by its President, Sara-Igbe Sukubo, on Tuesday, said ‘’This initiative marks a significant milestone in promoting youth engagement and empowerment within our nation, highlighting the government’s acknowledgment of the essential role young people play in shaping Nigeria’s future.’’

 The Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership, Abdul Danbature, urged the President to move beyond mere statements and ensure the implementation of all his promises.

 Danbature expressed disappointment that despite responding to Tinubu’s call for dialogue during the #EndBadGovernance protest, nothing came of it.

 Earlier on Tuesday, the October 1 protest was dispersed by police officers who fired tear gas canisters on the protesters in the Utako area of the nation’s capital, but the FCT police command denied the attack on the youths.

 The protest was a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance protests held between August 1 and 10 in response to the economic hardship experienced by many Nigerians.

 As early as 7am, the protesters, whose numbers were considerably lower than the previous rally, gathered at the busy Utako market in the Utako area of the FCT.

 The participants consisting mostly of youths were demanding a review of the policies causing hardship in the country when some police officers arrived and dispersed them with tear gas.

 However, the FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh denied that the police attacked the protesters.

 Adeh, in a statement, said the police officers only took measures to prevent miscreants who allegedly took advantage of the protest to loot shops in the market.

 She said, “The FCT police command is aware of reports making the rounds that policemen attacked protesters at Utako Market in Abuja earlier today, October 1, 2024.

 ‘’The command wishes to categorically debunk the narrative, tagging it completely false and misleading. Acting on intelligence, the operatives only took measures to forestall some miscreants who were taking advantage of the protest to loot shops in the market and as a result, extended focus to them.

 “As a responsible agency, we could not stand by and allow traders to be robbed of their hard-earned money and belongings without intervening. We therefore urge the populace to disregard such misleading and mischievous information, as the command is committed to ensuring the safety of the populace in the exercise of their civil rights.”

 But our correspondent, who was at the scene, reports that the police officers dispersed the protesters with tear gas.

  Unlike the previous protest when the participants regrouped after being tear-gassed, the youths simply fled from the relentless onslaught of the armed security personnel who had been deployed across the FCT.

 Heavy security presence was observed at the city centre, including  Eagle Square, Berger Roundabout, MKO Abiola National Stadium, Wuse Market, Airport Road, and the Maraba/Nyanya axis.

Security operatives also mounted barricades on the roads leading to Eagle Square, where dozens of security operatives were stationed.

 The PUNCH reported that the organisers of the protest had expressed interest in using Eagle Square, but the security personnel prevented them from accessing the facility.

In Lagos, protesters gathered at Ikeja Underbridge with the rally closely monitored by a large contingent of security personnel, including policemen, officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the NSCDC.

Leading the team of policemen at the protest ground was the state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola.

The protesters chanted solidarity songs, displaying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Reverse electricity tariff now, “End all attacks on democratic rights”, “Reduce petrol price to N197 per litre, end scarcity”, and “Profit soars while people suffer.”

Spearheading the protest were some civil society groups, including the Take It Back Movement, the Education Rights Campaign, the Coalition for Revolution, and the Socialist Workers League.

A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, joined the protest just before the procession began from the point of convergence.

Sowore, who is one of the key organisers of the protest, arrived at the protest ground at exactly 8:50am.

Addressing newsmen, he said the protest was a crucial step towards taking Nigeria to the “Promised Land.”

He said, “This is one of the actions that will take us to the Promised Land. We did it in August and today is a symbolic day to reject their independence as we want our independence.

“Have we not tried enough? We have no time left. We gave more time; look at what (Muhammadu) Buhari did with more time. We gave them more time they bought themselves a private jet, we gave them more time, they bought a new house, they increased fuel price. We gave him more time they put us in darkness.

“We gave them more time they gave us minimum wage and gave themselves maximum wage. Let them resign, that is how we will know they actually understand how people feel this time around.”

There was heavy presence of security operatives in Ogun State, including soldiers, police and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, one of the venues approved                 by the state High Court for the protest, but there no protesters at the arena.

The other venues are the Gateway Stadium in Sagamu, Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode and Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive High School in Ota.

The PUNCH learnt that there were also no protests in other parts of the state as the Independence anniversary, which is usually celebrated at the MKO stadium was shifted to the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Abeokuta.

One of our correspondents, who monitored activities around the Mowe, Interchange, Okemosan, Panseke and Kuto areas of the state, observed that regular activities and movement were not disrupted as security operatives and Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps and men of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency manned strategic positions to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

One of the organisers of the protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Demua Dumka, who is also the state Chairman of the Civil Rights Council alleged that he and the Leader of the Take It Back Movement in the state, Adeyemi Ademola, were among protesters attacked by thugs accompanied by security operatives.

Thugs opposed to the protest, numbering about 50, took over the Federal Secretariat and the Pleasure Park in Port Harcourt, venues of the protest in Port Harcourt, amid heavy security presence at both locations and the Hotel Presidential.

“This (Tuesday) morning some policemen and joint taskforce officials came here (Port Harcourt), beat and harassed some of us, though none of us was arrested.

“Beating protesters doesn’t stop the fact that there is hunger in the land. It doesn’t also stop the fact that there is a hike in food items and that we cannot even buy Premium Motor Spirit anymore.

“They (government) must listen to our demands. Our demands must be met and we must continue to talk whether they like it or not,” Dumka told journalists.

One of the youths, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH they were out to ensure the protest didn’t hold.

“We are not protesters. We are waiting for those who want to protest so that we can stop them.”

Also at the Pleasure Park the anti-Fearless Protesters numbering about fifty were seen while three canopies were mounted near the gate of the popular fun spot in the metropolis.

Our correspondent observed that five youths, who’s identities or the crime they committed could not be immediately ascertained, were arrested and taken away inside a mini-bus near the Federal Secretariat.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, on the arrest of the youths proved abortive as she did not take calls put across to her mobile by our reporter. She had yet to reply to a text message to her mobile as of the time of filming ng this report on Tuesday morning.

The planned protest in Kano, which was organised by the Nigerian Patriotic Front Movement, was aborted following the alleged arrest of five of their officials by the police.

The NPFM officers last week vowed to stage a peaceful protest against the current hardships being experienced by Nigerians.

However, following the arrest of the NPFM officials, the protest could not hold as Kano and its environs remained calm while residents went about their daily and lawful activities.

Following the anticipated planned protest, many residents remained indoors while many business places, including some markets and shops, remained closed.

In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the protesters were led by members of the Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Citizens, who were joined by members of the Take It Back Movement. They were accompanied by security operatives at Freedom Park, where the protest march took off.

A large number of operatives of the police, Department of State Security, NSCDC, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Correctional Service kept a close watch on the protesters in a long convoy from close distance, as they moved towards the Oke Fia Area of the state capital.

Chanting anti-government songs, the protesters demanded an immediate end to the economic hardship ravaging the country.

Addressing journalists, the coordinator of the group that organised the protest, Adetunji Ajala, said,”Enough is enough. Our demands during the Endbadgovernance protest have not been met, and we will continue protesting as long as they are not willing to do what the masses want.”

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Edo State on Tuesday demanded the restoration of fuel subsidy, improvement of security, revert to single legislature among others by the Tinubu administration.

The group, which include African Network for Environment and  Economic Justice, Talakawa Republic, Take It Back Movement and Faculty of Peace Organisation, said the removal of fuel subsidy, insecurity and floating of the naira have made life very difficult for Nigerians.

The coordinator, Take it Back Movement, Edo State, Lawal Haifz, said, “We are here to protest the current situation in Nigeria. People are really suffering. We demand the restoration of fuel subsidy. Insecurity has made it impossible for our people to go to farm and that is why you can no longer buy foodstuffs.

“We don’t need the Senate and House  of Representatives at the same time. The money spent on the two can go a long way in taking care of the needs of Nigerians. The so called minimum wage cannot even buy a bag of rice. There is extreme hunger.”

States shun protest

The PUNCH reports that at least 20 states, including all five in the eastern part, shunned the protest.

The others are Adamawa, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Katsina, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, Bayelsa and Yobe states.

In Minna, the Niger State capital, residents stayed indoors during the Independence Day celebrations amid a heavy presence of security operatives at strategic locations while police and NSCDC patrol vehicles parked at major spots as others were patrolled the city.

Another major town in the state, Suleja, was peaceful unlike during the #EndBadGorvernance protest when protesters invaded a police station with six of them reportedly killed.

Meanwhile, Adamawa and Nasarawa youths staged solidarity walks in favour of President Tinubu.

The Adamawa youths under the aegis of ‘Concerned Youths of Adamawa’ hit major streets of capital city Yola as Nigeria marked its 64th Independence anniversary.

Convener of the group, concerned youths Yakubu Umar Girei, told journalists the walk was meant to support the laudable policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration.

In Nasarawa, convener of the I Am Nigeria group, Ibrahim Maiyanga, said they unanimously decided not to participate in the protest in order to sustain the existing peace in the state and Nigeria at large.

“We know that we are not where we ought to be, but we are not where we used to be. So, I want to urge all the citizens of the country to be patient with our President. I am confident that very soon we will all have reasons to smile.”

However, security operatives kept watch at the Secretariat junction and Old Airport junction in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Tuesday.

A former sports minister,Solomon Dalung, who led the EndBadGovernance protest in the state last August, said, “It is not as if we do not want to protest in Plateau but the context of the situation we have and the previous one are not the same.

“So, you should not expect us to adopt the same method. But the truth is that the economic hardship and sufferings by Nigerians that warranted the EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest have not changed as we speak, so you cannot say that Nigerians in Plateau have stopped protesting for those responsible for the situation to change it.

“So, we will continue to protest against the bad situation we have in Nigeria until the people get relief but the method of this protest should not be expected to be the same here in Plateau.”

In Kaduna, one of the most volatile states during the August protest, residents went about their usual activities, businesses in the metropolis and environs remained open, and shops in the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Central Market were operational as no protest took place despite initial tension.

However, security operatives were deployed to strategic locations across the state, including Narayi High Cost, Barnawa Complex, and Stadium Roundabout, as a precautionary measure.

Interestingly, the Coalition of Concerned Citizens of Kaduna State distanced itself from the protest.

The Federal Government, through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, has flagged off the distribution of 2000 CNG-Powered Tricycles to empower Nigerian youth.

The flag-off event, held at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja on Tuesday, was part of activities to commemorate the 64th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence.

In his address, the Project Director of the Presidential Initiative on CNG, Michael Oluwagbemi, said the distribution of the tricycles marked the fulfilment of promises made by President Bola Tinubu to reduce the cost of transportation, enhance economic well-being, enhance the environment through the utilisation of clean fuel, and create jobs for the youth population, through the introduction of CNG.

He said the CNG tricycles were assembled in Shagamu, adding that it was expected that the delivery of the tricycles would create employment both in operations, maintenance, and deployments of the tricycles across Nigeria.

“I’m pleased to announce to you that we are here to deliver on Mr President’s promise and to hand over 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles that will begin to form the bedrock of this revolution.

“These tricycles you see here are not just here to be used in Nigeria. They are also wholly assembled in Nigeria in a factory in Shagamu. Over 50 young people were trained in the last three weeks and are putting together these CNG tricycles, and many more of them are coming,” he said.

He noted that “beyond the tricycle assembly, we expect that with this delivery thousands of youths across our country will be employed not just in the operations of these tricycles, but also in the maintenance and efficient deployment of these tricycles across Nigeria.

“It represents a very small step towards delivering the future that is powered by gas that ensures Nigeria’s development, that transforms a resource that we are abundantly blessed with, that yet we waste today into something that creates wealth and jobs for all Nigerians.”

The Minister for Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, noted that the tricycles would ease transportation challenges faced by transporters and citizens, commending the Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life of the youth.

“These tricycles will go a long way in easing the transportation challenges faced by our transporters and citizens across the country. In this crucial time of economic reforms, this intervention will serve as a great relief to our people, demonstrating the administration’s dedication to the quality of life for young people”, she said.

She also highlighted how the National Youth Investment Fund would serve as a “financial backbone” for young investors to thrive in the transportation sector, even as the Ministry hoped to collaborate with the P-CNGi to reach its 2 million tricycles target.