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There were long queues in many filling stations across Lagos State though the National Association of Road Transport Owners has called off its strike.
The queues, The PUNCH gathered, started building up in some parts of Lagos on Tuesday.
The queue was borne out of fear by Nigerians that premium motor spirit might become scarce as a result of the now-suspended NARTO strike.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Nigerians stormed filling stations to engage in panic buying.
It was learnt that the refusal of the tanker drivers to lift fuel on Monday and Tuesday also had affected filling stations owned by independent marketers, many of whom had run out of supply.
In major areas in Lagos, the queues continued to build up, causing traffic gridlock on major roads.
Our correspondents observed that the filling stations along the Alausa axis of Lagos, including, Mobil, Total, Conoil and others had long queues.
Also, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited stations in Ogunnusi, Ojodu-Berger and Ikorodu Road had long queues, including Bovas.
Around the Isolo axis, the filling station at Apata Round-about was not selling fuel; it was the same scenario at the Total Filling station located close to Isolo General Hospital.
At Ishaga, an attendant at NPOG filling station told our correspondent that they had run out of fuel in the past three days.
The PUNCH also observed that the NNPC and Mobil filling stations at the College Bus stop were also out of fuel.
The Quest fuel station along Asuani Road was the only filling station that dispensed fuel on Wednesday, with a long queue of cars and customers struggling to buy at N640 per litre.
Along Gbagada Road, the NorthWest had a long queue of cars and was selling at N610 per litre, while Eternal at Gbagada Bustop was not selling at the time of filing this report.
When our correspondent visited a fuel station belonging to NNPCL in the Ikotun area of Lagos State, it was observed it was not selling fuel.
On Wednesday, a long queue was noticed at God’s Decision, along Governor Road, Ikotun.
“We learnt that there may be a fuel scarcity soon. They said tankers drivers are going on strike,” one of the customers at God’s Decision told The PUNCH.
In an interview with our correspondent, the Vice National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers, Hammed Fashola, said the queue was caused by the two-day strike embarked upon by the tanker drivers.
“The fuel queues were caused by the two-day stoppage of operations by the tanker drivers. By Monday, everything will clear off. The NARTO members called off their strike yesterday (Tuesday) and they resumed loading of fuel today (Wednesday). All the depots are working now,” Fashola said in a phone interview.
Meanwhile, Lagosians have lamented over the fuel scarcity that struck many neighbourhoods in the state.
On X (formerly Twitter), @EricaNlewedim on Wednesday described the development as bad news that was becoming too much.
“The bad news is just too much. What is it? Ahah! And now fuel scarcity, I’m really tired of being an adult in this generation,” the user wrote.
@mhs4lyf, who lamented the situation in Lagos, said he had to trek.
He tweeted, “Fuel scarcity in Lagos and hold up. (I) trekked almost 10km to go home. Thank God for life.”
A user, @honeymiixx, called on President Bola Tinubu to call oil marketers to order, saying, “There’s fuel scarcity in Lagos again! Life is already unbearable for people. Please, talk to the oil marketers.”
@notsocialallen said just at the weekend, he was too lazy to go and buy fuel and “suddenly there’s fuel scarcity in Lagos”.
“There is fuel scarcity in Lagos and they are selling black market fuel for N1,200 and no light since the day before yesterday. Nah this place is hell,” @Thelengygirl posted.
@AAAlatishe wrote, “All the candidates literally said they were going to remove it. But then, you phase it out while having a better power supply everywhere. The subsidy has been removed, now, fuel scarcity everywhere with less or zero power supply. I believe most Nigerians will be okay at buying a litre at N1k, if they will only be using it in their vehicles. This brings me to this question, will we ever witness an uninterrupted 24/7 electricity in this country?”
“Fuel scarcity on top of all these problems is just crazy. Is it that they don’t think we have a breaking point?” @omosalewasmiles asked.
@Dxx_machina wrote, “No light, there is heat. Now, fuel scarcity and we can’t run gen. What the actual heck is wrong with this freaking country?”
“I’m lost, please what’s this fuel scarcity about? These guys are extremely wicked,” @Jaaayyyy__ posted on X.
@iamkvngdavid_ lamented he was in a long queue while “trying to buy fuel at N650 per litre, just this evening alone, I’m witnessing fuel scarcity”.
“Is it just me but I find some things very weird. There are no buses due to the fuel scarcity, then traffic,” @DarknSweetheart wrote.
“Fuel scarcity in Lagos. High pump price plus scarcity is hell. Which way Nigeria?” @MfonEssien lamented.
The fuel queues on Wednesday left commuters stranded, forcing car owners to turn to the black market to purchase fuel at inflated prices.
Bobagunwa stated, “Fuel scarcity is intensifying in Lagos. One litre is currently being sold for N1,000 on the black market. I always wonder what if Nigeria doesn’t have crude oil.”
Iniete expressed, “It’s my first time queuing for fuel all alone under the scorching heat in Lagos during this time of fuel scarcity. God, please seriously punish the people, past and present, who ruined this country.”
Babudere lamented, “There is fuel scarcity in Lagos, and black market fuel is being sold for N1,200. Also, there has been no electricity since the day before yesterday. This place feels like hell.”
Oyíndàmọ́lá conveyed, “Dear @NGRPresidentn @officialABAT, there’s fuel scarcity in Lagos again! Life is already unbearable for people; please talk to the oil marketers.”
Ade shared, “I saw the crowd at bus stations this morning as well. I helped the ones I could, but I still got fuel today for 605. Yes, there’s scarcity currently, and the queues are long. But no one is selling for 1000 here in Lagos.”
The PUNCH recalls that the tanker drivers on Monday parked their trucks, refusing to lift fuel over the high cost of operations.
NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, in a letter to truck drivers, said NARTO had made several efforts to secure negotiations for appropriate and commensurate freight rates for its operations from all authorities concerned in the industry, especially the major marketers, without any positive result.
However, the major marketers said the decision of NARTO to stop transporting fuel may not have much effect on them, some of whom have separate transporters.
The Peoples Democratic Party will today (Thursday) hold its governorship primary in Edo State, with 10 aspirants battling for 563 delegates votes in the indirect primary.
The primary, holding at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, is expected to produce the PDP governorship candidate for the forthcoming September 21 governorship election in the state.
The 10 PDP aspirants include Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu; a former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Asue Ighodalo; and Blessing Igbinedion, daughter of Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.
Other aspirants are Anselm Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru, and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Dr Earl Onaiwu and Arthur Esene.
A party guideline released on Wednesday by the state Organising Secretary, Tony Anenih Jr, said delegates are to report at the Edo Hotel Marque, GRA, Benin City, where their accreditation will kick off at 8 am.
Also, each delegate will be given security access cards upon accreditation after which all accredited delegates will be conveyed in dedicated buses to the venue of the governorship primary.
According to the guidelines, only designated buses carrying accredited delegates shall be allowed into the primary’s venue.
Also, all vehicles conveying governorship aspirants will drop them and their guests off at the gate and depart thereafter.
“Delegates will be seated at the venue, local government by local government, while each aspirant will collect two security tags from the Edo PDP Secretariat, 59, Airport Road, Benin City. Each card admits one guest only.
“Only delegates, invited guests and aspirants will be allowed into the venue, while delegates, aspirants and their guests must be seated at the venue of the primary by 11 am prompt.
“Accreditation of journalists and civil society organisations will also be at the Marque. Only accredited pressmen and media outfits will be allowed into the venue,” the guideline added.
The guidelines noted that all security agencies have been activated to ensure that these guidelines are strictly followed.
The Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, said the party was ready to conduct a free, fair and credible primary election that will be a reference for future primary elections in the country.
He said, “What the NWC (National Working Committee) and the party owe the aspirants is to ratify the results of the delegate elections, which they have done and the list of delegates has been given to all the aspirants to enable them to have access to the delegates and start lobbying them before the primary election.
“Once the party does that, I don’t know what else any aspirant will want. What we know is that the list will never be altered and it is those on that list that will vote on the day of the primary election. I also enjoin our members to conduct themselves well so we can have a hitch-free primary election.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command has described last Saturday’s delegate primary election of the All Progressives Congress, as an eye-opener for it, saying would no longer treat such election as just a party affair.
The APC primary election ended in a crisis as it produced three ‘winners’.
The party is set to conduct a fresh primary today (Thursday).
The police spokesman in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, while speaking to journalists, said, “You could remember that we had a little hitch with a particular party delegates election. That has been an eye-opener for the Edo State Police Command; that we should no longer see it as a party affair.
“They delegates are people with diverse interests, people with diverse behaviours, people with different attitudes and characters. So, this time around, we are going to ensure that the right thing is done and protect the lives and properties of these party members.”
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arrested some currency exchange operators in the famous Kano currency exchange market, WAPA, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Naija News reports that the latest development comes after the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, ordered a crackdown on currency speculators.
An eyewitness, Malam Isma’ila Zico, who spoke with Daily Trust, said officials of the EFCC surrounded the dollar exchange section of the market and apprehended many operators.
Zico said, “They were so tactical in the operation, it was after the apprehension that we found out that they have been in the market since morning. When it was time for them to strike, we then saw their operatives with crested vests and some other security agents, and they surrounded the Dollar exchange section of the market. I can’t say how many people were apprehended but they have taken away many operators.”
Confirming the raid, the WAPA currency exchange market Chairman, Alhaji Sani Salisu Dada, said the operatives of the EFFC were in the market to address the issue of dollar hoarding and operators that were yet to register as certified bureau de change operators.
He explained that EFCC had made some arrests, and those arrested were taken away for further investigations.
The chairman added that normal activities had returned in the market, and the association was ready to comply should the need arise.
The operatives also raided Bureau De Change operators in Sabo, Ibadan, over an alleged naira/dollar exchange hike.
Confirming the raid, an eyewitness said the current trading rate in the market is around N1900 to N1,940, adding that the operatives confiscated a lot of cash and arrested ten people.
He said, “They took about ten people. Amongst the arrested are people who don’t deal in exchange business, innocent people. They said they hiked the dollar to naira rate.”
The operatives also raided BDCs in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that each state governor has been allocated an extra N30 billion to address the challenges of food scarcity and hardships confronting Nigerians.
Akpabio said each state should properly utilize the money towards ensuring the availability of food.
Speaking on the floor of the senate, Akpabio said: “I must say that unverified report has it that each of the state government in the last few months received additional N30 billion from Federal Inland Revenue Service, outside their normal allocation from the federation account to assist them in ameliorating the food situation.
“We believe that every state government should utilise the funds so received towards ensuring that food is available.”
The current economic hardship has led to a hike in the prices of foodstuffs across the country.
The shortage of foodstuffs was also linked to the hoarding by some people and illegal smuggling to neighbouring countries.
Recall that Vice President Kashim Shettima had disclosed how security operatives discovered 32 illegal routes being used to smuggle foodstuffs and other items to neighbouring countries from Nigeria.
Shettima said security agents intercepted 45 trucks smuggling maize to neighbouring countries.
He noted that the price of “maize” came down by N10,000. The price of maize allegedly came down from N60,000 to N50,000″ when the trucks were intercepted.
Tinubu Govt “Not Communicating Hope To Nigerians” Amid Hardship — Agbakoba SAN Warns Of Revolt
AdminOlisa Agbakoba, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says the administration of President Bola Tinubu is not communicating hope to Nigerians amid mounting economic hardship.
In an interview on Wednesday, Agbakoba said the presidency is failing to lead by example by cutting down on the high cost of governance and showing empathy for citizens’ struggles.
“The government ought to be communicating hope. They ought to be saying ‘we are going through this difficult period but there is light at the end of the tunnel.’ This government is not communicating that at all, which I think is a big error,” Agbakoba said.
He noted that while Nigerians can endure tough times, the failure to provide reassuring messaging is worsening conditions across the country. Agbakoba warned of a “slow revolt” brewing among citizens frustrated by the rising cost of living.
The senior lawyer called on the Tinubu administration to take action to address people’s growing discontent and communicate a hopeful vision to rally citizens through this economically challenging period.
“The problem we have is that the government is not communicating hope,” Agbakoba reiterated. He urged the presidency to clearly spell out plans for economic recovery and say “in two or three months, we are likely to be in a better state.”
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday remanded three men in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending their arraignment for allegedly producing and selling fake dollars.
The 1st to 3rd defendants, according to the charge marked FHC/L/79C/2024, are Benjamin Opara, Iliyasu Garba and Joseph Ude.
Justice Kehinde Ogundare made the order following Opara’s inability to be represented by a lawyer.
When the case was called, EFCC’s counsel Temitope Banjo informed the court of the five-count charge pressed against the defendants.
He prayed the court to read the charge to the defendants so that they can take their plea.
But Abdulmalik Ibrahim, counsel to the second defendant Garba, informed the court that first defendants’ counsel was not in court, which meant that the arraignment could not go on.
The lawyer prayed that the court to allow the defendant to continue on the administrative bail earlier granted them by the EFCC.
But after hearing both parties, Justice Ogundare held that since the defendants’ arraignment was stalled by the defence, they should be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending arraignment.
The case was adjourned till March 6, 2024 for arraignment.
Part of the counts read: “That you, BENJAMIN OPARA on or about the 10th November, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority had in your possession machinery, utensil and material used for the forgery of counterfeit currency, to wit, Dollars, contrary to and punishable under Section 2 of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
COUNT THREE
That you, BENJAMIN OPARA on or about the 10th November, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court falsely made counterfeit currency, to wit, $20,000 denomination numbered MK10441029B contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you, BENJAMIN OPARA, ILIYASU GARBA and JOSEPH UDE on or about the 10th of November 2023 in Lagos sold counterfeit currency, to wit, the sum of $10,000 denomination numbered MK10441042B, to one OBA OGOCHUKWU (AT LARGE), knowing same to be counterfeit currency contrary to and punishable under Section 4(1) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The federal government has said that the President Bola Tinubu administration’s top priority and the Ministry of Housing’s primary focus, which is housing delivery, is at risk due to the recent surge in cement prices.
The minister of Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa conveyed this message during a meeting with cement manufacturers at the Ministry headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, February 20.
He said: “For example, if we were planning to build a one-bedroom apartment for about N8 million, it will now cost twice that much, about N16 million to build. If a Nigerian could afford to own a home of N8 million, it would now be impossible to do so. We are also aware of several persons who have had to suspend construction work because of this development”.
He expressed the ministry’s concern regarding the present circumstances, especially considering the initiatives it has undertaken to provide social and affordable housing for low- and middle-class individuals, as well as vulnerable members of the community.
Dangiwa said: “We have already awarded contracts for Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in 15 states of the Federation. There is also the PULAKU Initiative through which we intend to build at least 1,000 houses in seven (7) states affected by banditry. We are worried that the rising cost of cement and other building materials in the country will affect these plans.”
He added that the government would not tolerate a scenario in which the price of necessary building materials, like cement, keeps growing uncontrolled and that the cement manufacturers are not doing enough to stop the rising cost of cement in the nation.
He noted: “This represents a 100 per cent rise, and it is not only on cement. We have also seen near-record high escalations in the prices of other building materials such as iron rods and other fittings. I recall that late last year, BUA Cement announced a commendable reduction in the price of cement from N5,500 to N3,500 per bag.
“I applauded the gesture, and several other stakeholders did too. But today, the reality is that of escalating cement prices. This is a crisis for housing delivery.
“An increase in essential building materials means an increase in the prices of houses. An increase in the cost of building houses means more and more Nigerians can no longer afford to own houses and provide decent shelter for themselves and their loved ones.”
Dangiwa urged the producers to deal honestly and to stop making things tough for Nigerians.
“We know that some of the key components of producing building materials, especially cement, are locally sourced, so the recurring disproportionate increase in the price of cement is unacceptable and unreasonable. Key input materials such as limestone, clay, silica sand, and gypsum within our borders should not be dollar-rated.
“You cannot continue to give excuses and blame it on the dollar all the time. The worst part is that other building materials manufacturers take a cue from cement manufacturers, and once they see that you increase your price, they do the same. Recently, this is happening almost every week, and it has to stop”, he stated.
[TheNation]
The House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 21, asked the Council of Legal Education to put in abeyance, the recent 60 percent increase in the school fees of the Nigeria Law School.
Adopting a motion by the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda and read on his behalf by Ginger Owusibe, the House asked its relevant committees on Justice and Tertiary Education and Services to explore solutions to the issue at hand and report back within two weeks.
Chinda described the Nigerian Law School as the medium through which the Council of Legal Education discharges its function to regulate the legal education of persons seeking to become members of the legal profession as provided for under Section 1(2) of the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act Cap. L10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He said the function of the Council of Legal Education to oversee legal education in Nigeria includes deciding the cost of tuition and other services rendered to students of the Nigerian Law School.
He stressed that Nigeria is currently facing a 27.33% inflation rate, as reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, which is projected by Trade Economics to rise to 30.00% by December 2023.
He however expressed concern that in exercising its functions, the Council of Legal Education has approved a 60% increase in Nigerian law school fees from ₦296,000. 00 to ₦476,000 for the 2023/2024 Bar Part II academic session.
He said further that the 2023–2024 Bar Part II Academic session commenced in January 2024 with no time given to prospective students to raise the balance.
He warned that failure to promptly address the need for a balance between the Council’s service quality and students’ affordability could result in a significant drop in Nigerian law school enrollment.
According to him, this, in turn, would lead to fewer lawyers being called to the Bar, ultimately contributing to a higher national unemployment rate among those unable to pursue legal careers.
The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, has been reportedly arrested by security operatives in Edo State.
Abure was arrested on Wednesday, a few days before the party’s primary election in Edo State.
Details later…
[Punch]
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has asked the Federal Government to end the inconsistency in duty charges by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Obi made this call in a statement via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday.
The Labour Party leader said the inconsistency in duty charges is affecting the general business atmosphere in the country.
He warned that if this situation is not corrected, importers in the country may resort to using the ports of nearby countries, a situation that he noted will leave the Nigerian ports underproductive and further deepen the economy into a worse situation as a result of loss of revenue.
Obi said, “I wish to urgently call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to end the inconsistency in duty charges as it is affecting the general business atmosphere in the country.
“The federal government should stop the arbitrary and ever-increasing customs duties as it is now negatively impacting businesses and the cost of items, and this portends a huge danger to the economy.
“A situation where at the point of initiating importation, Form M and other documents related to importation are based on a particular rate of exchange, for example, N1000 to $1, being the prevailing exchange rate at the time which the importer of goods was used to calculate the entire process, from the import initiation to receipt of goods in his warehouse.
“Then suddenly when the goods arrive in Nigeria, and duties are calculated at different rates, say N1400 to $1, it becomes a serious business challenge that results in business losses.
“Worse still, it directly fuels the inflationary spike which is the basis of increasing cost of goods and living. Such arbitrary charges will obviously lead to further closure of businesses, and attendant job losses.
“This is because at the time of the initiation of the business, calculations, including duties, have been made based on the prevailing exchange rate, and the prevailing market prices.
“If this situation is not corrected, our importers may resort to using ports of nearby countries, a situation that will leave our ports under-productive, and further deepen our economy into a worse situation as a result of loss of revenue.”
The former Anambra State Governor also advised the government to show consistency in its policies as this will help with economic forecasting and business planning.
He said that businesses are dying, and manufacturers are shutting down because of the poor and inconsistent economic policies of the government.
Obi stated, “All efforts of the government should be directed at supporting businesses, especially those in the manufacturing sector, to keep their businesses afloat and keep the economy growing, as the small business sector remains the most critical engine of economic growth.
“We cannot afford to target high customs revenues at the expense of the survival of local businesses, employment and reasonable cost of living.”
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In a dramatic turn of events, Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has accused the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, of making defamatory statements against him.
The accusations stem from comments purportedly made by the Senate President at an event, which Emefiele claims have unjustly maligned his character and portrayed him as the root cause of Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
During the televised remarks, the Senate President suggested that the government was at a loss for what charges to bring against Emefiele, citing potential accusations ranging from causing economic turmoil to illegal possession of firearms and unauthorised printing of currency.
These remarks have sparked controversy and drawn attention to the former CBN governor’s ongoing legal battles, where he has pleaded not guilty and is actively defending his innocence.
Matthew Burkaa, SAN, legal representative for Emefiele, stated in a letter addressed to the Senate President, a copy of which was obtained by Vanguard in Abuja on Wednesday, that the former CBN governor considers these statements false, distorted, and made in bad faith. The statements were deemed to be aimed at disparaging his character.
The letter demanded an immediate retraction of the statement, a written apology, and the payment of twenty-five billion naira (N25,000,000,000) as compensation for the alleged defamation.
The legal team argued that the Senate President’s comments not only undermine the integrity of the judiciary by commenting on a matter currently under legal review but also fail to acknowledge Emefiele’s contributions to the Nigerian economy.
They highlighted his role in introducing banking sector innovations and his efforts in addressing the P&ID Saga, which had positive outcomes for Nigeria.
Furthermore, the letter emphasised that no policy was enacted under Emefiele’s tenure without the approval or directive of the President and the Federal Executive Council, of which Akpabio was a key member. This point underscored the complexity of attributing the country’s economic woes solely to Emefiele.
The letter read in full: “We are Solicitors to Dr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as “Our Client”), on whose brief and instruction, we write this letter to you as follows:
“Our Client’s attention has been drawn to a widely circulated statement made by you against him on Channels Television on or about the 18th February, 2024 which he considers false, distorted and clearly aimed at disparaging his character and indeed made in bad faith. The said statement is contained in a video and was made by you to a large gathering of persons and circulated globally via uncountable online media. The statement which has now gone viral had this heading attached to its preface ”we don’t know what crime to charge emefiele with” in the video, you stated clearly and unequivocally, among other things, as follows:
‘So the kind of debt and the kind of economic mess that we are in, a lot of people do not understand, I remember President Obama saying you cannot know Washington until you get to Washington. So by the time we went in to look at the economic state of the country it was terrible, so the Former Governor of Central of Bank of Nigeria we didn’t even know what to charge him, whether to charge him for putting foam on the … or to charge him for illegal possession of Fire Arms or to Charge him for printing notes without income, I don’t know what we are going to charge him with. But, what I know is that, yes there is hunger today because of the policies that they took.’
“The above statement, whether taken in their ordinary, figurative or literal meaning portrayed Our Client as:
“The cause of the entire hardship in Nigeria today is as a result of the policies of the previous administration.
“A serial offender whose action is responsible for all the hardship experienced by Nigerians today.
“A person who has committed offences that are so numerous that the government is confused as to which of the offences to prefer a charge against him.
“Your Excellency, as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you certainly know, or have reasons to know that the Federal Government of Nigeria had since the 14th August, 2023 preferred Charges against Our Client to which he had long pleaded not guilty and is presently defending same to exonerate himself and show that he is not guilty of the said allegations.
“It is therefore disturbing, that such a statement would be made by the Head of the Legislature of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on a matter that is clearly subjudice. Your statement, with the greatest respect, clearly undermines the honour and integrity of the Court and its independence and indeed has the propensity of prejudicing the case against Our Client. Having submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court, it is only fair and proper that the Court should be allowed to determine the issues submitted to it without unnecessary pressure from any other arm of Government.
“Secondly Sir, as a Senior member of the Bar, a former Governor of a State, A Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former Minister under the immediate past Administration, Your statement attributing the present economic woes of the country solely on Our Client is most appalling and exposes the inaccuracies in Your assertions, especially, as you were a major player in the immediate Past Administration and worked closely with Our Client and indeed witnessed the innovations he introduced in the banking sector and its impact on the economy whilst in office, as well as the role he played despite all odds in salvaging Nigeria in the P & ID Saga and the positive result it brought for Nigeria.
“You are also aware that no single policy was carried out by Our Client without the approval, directive or authorization of the President and/or the Federal Executive Council of which you were a key and powerful member.
“It is pursuant to the above and without delving into the matter presently pending in Court that Our Client has instructed that we write to Your good offices and demand the immediate retraction of Your statement which has gone viral and are considered clearly defamatory of Our Client
“These baseless and false allegations clearly defames the character of Our Client and has also caused him great pains and embarrassment as it has lowered his esteem before the right thinking members of the Society in addition to the obvious odium and opprobrium from the unsuspecting members of the Society as a result of the falsity contained in that statement.
“We therefore have Our Client’s further instruction to demand from you an unreserved apology in writing, published and circulated by the same medium with which you have defamed his character and the sum of Twenty-Five Billion Naira (N25,000,000,000) as reasonable compensation for the willful and unjustifiable denigration of his hard earned reputation. In the event that you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with this legitimate demand, Our Client will be at liberty to seek the appropriate redress available to him under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Whilst anticipating your compliance with the above, kindly accept the assurances of our best regards.”
The demand for a retraction and apology, coupled with the substantial compensation claim, has raised eyebrows across the nation, putting the spotlight on the role of past and present high-ranking officials in Nigeria’s economic health.
The immediate-past Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has vowed to sue the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for alleged defamation.
The Senate president had at Senator Barinada Mpigi’s thanksgiving service in Koroma, Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State on February 18, stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration did not know the crime to charge Emefiele with.
He added that the President inherited an economic mess from the former CBN governor.
However, in a letter through his lawyer, Mathew Burkaa (SAN), addressed to Akpabio, Emefiele demanded an apology in written form and published in the media or be slammed with a N25bn lawsuit.
In the letter dated February 19 and a copy which was sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, Emefiele claimed that the interpretation of the senate president’s comment meant that he is a serial offender whose action is responsible for all the hardship experienced by Nigerians.
The letter partly read, “We are solicitors to Dr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as “Our Client”), on whose brief and instruction, we write this letter. The above statement, whether taken in their ordinary, figurative, or literal meaning portrayed our Client as:
“The cause of the entire hardship in Nigeria today is as a result of the policies of the previous administration.
“A serial offender whose action is responsible for all the hardship experienced by Nigerians today.
“A person who has committed offences that are so numerous that the government is confused as to which of the offences to prefer a charge against him.”
Emefiele noted that the comments of the senate president undermined the integrity of the court and its independence, adding that it was detrimental to his ongoing trial.
He said, “As the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you certainly know, or have reasons to know that the Federal Government of Nigeria had since August 14, 2023, preferred charges against our client to which he had long pleaded not guilty and is presently defending same to exonerate himself and show that he is not guilty of the said allegations. It is therefore disturbing, that such a statement would be made by the Head of the Legislature of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on a matter that is clearly subjudice.
“Your statement, with the greatest respect, clearly undermines the honour and integrity of the Court and its independence and indeed has the propensity of prejudicing the case against Our Client. Having submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court, it is only fair and proper that the Court should be allowed to determine the issues submitted to it without unnecessary pressure from any other arm of Government.”
The former CBN governor also noted as a minister in the last administration, attributing the parlous economic situation to him was appalling.
He added that without the approval of the President and/or the Federal Executive Council of he was a key and powerful member, he could have done nothing on his own.
Emefiele said, “Secondly Sir, as a Senior member of the Bar, a former Governor of a State, A Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a former Minister under the immediate past Administration, Your statement attributing the present economic woes of the country solely on Our Client is most appalling and exposes the inaccuracies in Your assertions, especially, as you were a major player in the immediate Past Administration and worked closely with Our Client and indeed witnessed the innovations he introduced in the banking sector and its impact on the economy whilst in office, as well as the role he played despite all odds in salvaging Nigeria in the P & ID Saga and the positive result it brought for Nigeria.
“You are also aware that no single policy was carried out by Our Client without the approval, directive, or authorization of the President and/or the Federal Executive Council of which you were a key and powerful member.”
He called on the senate president to immediately retract his statement which had gone viral or risk being sued.
Emefiele said, “It is pursuant to the above and without delving into the matter presently pending in Court that Our Client has instructed that we write to Your good offices and demand the immediate retraction of Your statement which has gone viral and is considered defamatory of Our Client
“These baseless and false allegations defame the character of Our Client and have also caused him great pains and embarrassment as it has lowered his esteem before the right-thinking members of the Society in addition to the obvious odium and opprobrium from the unsuspecting members of the Society as a result of the falsity contained in that statement.
“We, therefore have Our Client’s further instruction to demand from you an unreserved apology in writing, published and circulated by the same medium with which you have defamed his character, and the sum of N25,000,000,000 as reasonable compensation for the willful and unjustifiable denigration of his hard-earned reputation. If you fail, refuse, or neglect to comply with this legitimate demand, Our Client will be at liberty to seek the appropriate redress available to him under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
RE: Communique At the End of The National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Held on Friday, The 16th Day of February 2024
AdminNATIONWIDE PROTEST AGAINST THE TINUBU REGIME IS LONG OVERDUE!
- We support the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a 2-day mass protest
- We call on the TUC and other labour affiliates to mobilize and join the protest
- Tinubu must stop attack on the working people
- For 200,000 minimum wage Now
The Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) backs the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on a 2-day nationwide warning protest against the rising cost of living, insecurity and other anti-people policies of the Tinubu-led Federal Government. We believe a nationwide protest of this is long overdue and we call on the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other affiliate unions to immediately join and commence mobilizing for a total, comprehensive and massive protest on the 27th and 28th of February.
The resolution of the NEC meeting of the NLC held on Friday 16th of February to embark on this strike is well-deserving and long overdue. In fact, we believe the protest action should have commenced after the removal of the fuel subsidy and floating of Naira. As we warned during those periods, the economic policies of the Tinubu regime will bring nothing but more hardship on the mass of the working people. The economic crisis of Nigeria did not just start today. The origin of the current crisis can be linked to the successive capitalist governments of the country that have incessantly looted the collective wealth of people, privatized the commanding heights of the economy and subjected economic decisions to the recommendations of the world imperialists.
We also support the other resolutions of the NLC, especially with the commencement of an indefinite strike action if the government fails to meet the demands of the workers. We call on the NLC to start making plans for this indefinite strike as the Tinubu-led FG has no magic to perform in a few days. The NLC should be wary of all forms of romance and cosmetic measures of the FG to avert the strike action. Even, we have seen during this same Tinubu regime how he has used Court Order to impede the constitutional right of the the Congress. Hence, the NLC must be prepared for all these tactics of the FG.
Similarly, the past few days have recorded protest breakouts in several parts of Nigeria including Niger State, Kano State, Lagos State, and Oyo State, to mention but a few. These are testaments to the fact that people are ready to hit the street. The role of the NLC is to provide the necessary leadership and direction for the people. Even, the protest actions have the potential to grow into larger, interconnected ones without the intervention of the Labour front. Hence, we charge the Trade Union Congress and other affiliate unions to rise to the duty and lead the people to freedom, emancipation and progress.
The labour leaders should fight for full payment of wage award of 35,000 to all categories of workers both in the public and private sectors. The labour leaders must prepare to lead protracted struggle against the state governors that have received huge sum of palliative but refused to share and even pay workers wage award.
In the same vein, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, must have realized how wrong he was to support the removal of subsidy and Naira devaluation policy (according to Vanguard Newspaper, June 16 2023). The policy he supported has been hunting millions of Nigerians, collapsing thousands of small businesses, and causing a surge inflation of goods and services. We believe this is an opportunity to show remorse and re-commitment towards fighting, side by side with the working people, against policies that will further wreak havoc on the masses of the people.
To us in the Revolutionary Socialist Movement, the leadership of the Labour movement must provide clear demands and lead the people to achieve those demands. We propose that the NLC and TUC should, together with the demand for a living minimum wage of at least N200,000, link the struggle to the return of a well-monitored subsidy scheme on the PMS, reversal of all hiked fees at public tertiary institutions, renationalization of the power and petroleum sector and so on.
All of these events are clear indications that the Labour Movement needs to initiate the building of a genuine mass working people’s political party or reclaim the existing Labour Party with a revolutionary programme and method to wrestle power from the thieving elite, backward capitalist ruling elite and establish a workers and poor people’s government armed with socialist programmes. Such a socialist government will ensure the human and material resources of the country are used on the basis of socialist planning for the benefit of all and the genuine development of the society.
Kayode Salako
Publicity Secretary
For RSM
The 181-megawatt Geometric Power plant in the Osisioma Industrial Layout of Aba in Abia State will now be commissioned on Monday, February 26, 2024, according to a statement by the company’s management issued just now.
The plant was originally scheduled for inauguaration on Saturday, February 24, by President Bola Tinubu.
The new date was chosen by The Presidency in Abuja due to what insider sources described as unexpected developments.
The president will commission the 188-MW thermal plant alongside Aba Power Ltd which will take electricity from the new plant and supply to nine of the 17 local governement areas in Abia State.
Reacting to the decision to postpone the long-awaited commissioning to Monday, an energy consultant in Lagos, Engineer Cliff Eneh who was a senior manager with the defunct National Electric Power of Nigeria (NEPA), after serving as a senior engineer with the Texa Power and Light Corporation in the United States, said this morning: “A 48-hour difference is not significant.
“We are proud of the support the Federal Governemnt has of late been giving to the Geometric Power integrated company, the only group in Nigeria that will generate and distribute its own power; other power firms either generate or distribute but do not get involved in both”.
Described as the biggest investment in the Southeast, Geometric Power has spent some $800 million dollars on its integrated power project, which includes building a 27-kilometre natural gas pipeline from Owaza in Ukwa west LGA in Abia State to the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba.
“We have, in addition, installed 150,000 kilometres of cables and wires and installed four new power substations as well as refurbished three others inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN”, explained Ben Caven, a former NEPA Executive Director famous for leading Transmission, Generation and Engineering Divisions simulatenously in the former state-owned power utility.
Caven is now the Managing Director of Geometric Power Ltd.
Patrick Umeh, a former executive with the Los Angeles Water and Light in the United States who later served as Commissioner in-charge of Markets, Market Rates and Competition at the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), described the tibular poles mounted by Geometric Power in Aba and the environs as “incomparable in Africa.
“Only in cities like Tokyo and San Francisco in California you have facilities of this quality and sizes.
“Much as they are very tall, as all of us can see, the tubular poles here are actually about 10 meters deep.
“In other words, in the unlikely event of a natural disaster like earthquake in Aba or the environs, Aba Power and the Geometric Group will still be able to supply electricity to its numerous customers”.
The Geometric Power Group was founded by Professor Bart Nnaji, a globally respected academic engineer in the United Staetes, who has been Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology and later Minister of Power.
Nnaji embarked on the integrated project after then World Bank President James Wolfensohn and then Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala visted Aba on March 17, 2004, and discovered that the greatest challenge facing both large-scale and medioum-scale industrialists in Aba, reputed to be the centre of indigenous manufacturing in Nigeria, is epileptic power supply.
Both Wolfensohn and Okonjo-Iweala appealed to Nnaji to assist with a power plant dedicated to Aba, following the 22MW Abuja Emergency Power Plant he led a team of Nigerian engineers to build in Abuja from 2000 to 2001 that supplied uninterrupted power to critical places like the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Company, the Central Bank headquarters, the Aso Rock and the entire Central Business District of Abuja.
‘Electricity was rarely available in Aba”, noted Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, President General of the 22,000-member Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association (ALPANDA), “and when it was available it was so poor that it couldn't power your household appliances, let alone industrial machines”.
The inauguartion of the Geometric Power next Monday, according to Sir Alexander Maduakor, President of the Association of Aba Industrialists, “will mark a new dawn in the country, not just in Aba or Abia State”.