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Revoke Unlawful Directive To Block Nigerians’ Phone Lines Or Face Legal Action - SERAP Tells NCC
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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) “to immediately revoke the apparently unlawful directive to network providers to bar the phone lines of millions of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).”
SERAP also urged him to “restore the phone lines of these Nigerians, and to urgently establish a mechanism for effective consultation to provide Nigerians who are yet to link their SIM cards to their NINs with the appropriate support and infrastructure and adequate time and opportunity to do so.”
The Commission had recently ordered telecommunications companies to bar the phone lines of millions of citizens including those who allegedly “did not submit a good NIN or didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN by February 28.”
In the letter dated 9 March 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The directive to the network providers to bar Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards to their NINs is an appalling violation of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”
SERAP said, “No agency has the right to strip the citizens of their basic constitutional rights under the guise of failing to properly link their SIM cards with their NINs or failing to do so timeously.”
According to SERAP, “The blocking of phone lines of Nigerians must only be a last resort measure, and strictly in line with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], international human rights and due process safeguards.”
The letter, read in part: “The arbitrary barring of people’s phone lines is never a proportionate measure as it imposes disastrous consequences and severely hinders the effective enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights.”
“Blanket measures of barring the phone lines of millions of Nigerians are inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party.”
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel the NCC to comply with our request in the public interest.”
“The arbitrary directive and the barring of the phone lines are extreme measures which must meet the strict legal requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality.”
“The NCC has also apparently failed to conduct an impact assessment of these extreme measures in order to avoid their arbitrary or excessive effects. These extreme measures go against the regulatory objectives of the Nigerian Communications Act and violate Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”
“The NCC has clearly failed to abide by the Nigerian Constitution, human rights standards, democratic processes, the rule of law and due process safeguards.”
“There is no legal justification for the arbitrary barring of phone lines of millions of Nigerians, especially those who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs.”
“The directive by the NCC to telecommunications providers to bar the phone lines of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs amounts to unlawful, unnecessary, unjustifiable and disproportionate restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”
“The NCC has a direct responsibility to respect the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy and to take effective measures to protect these fundamental human rights against attacks by third parties such as network providers.”
“The NCC cannot use the pretext of responding to the security crisis in the country by adopting unlawful restrictions on constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights.”
“Any restriction on the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy must meet the three-part test under international human rights law, namely that it is provided for by law, it serves to protect a legitimate interest recognised under international law and it is necessary to protect that interest.”
“The directive by the NCC fails to meet these requirements. Any suspension of the telephone lines of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs would not be justified in the context of the rights to information and privacy.”
“The use of these telephone lines by Nigerians would pose no risk to any definite interest in national security or public order.”
“The rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy are essential for the enjoyment of other human rights and freedoms and constitute a fundamental pillar for building a democratic society and strengthening democracy.”
“A democratic government based on the rule of law is one that is responsible to its citizenry and seeks to represent their interests. Barring the telephone lines of Nigerians has continued to have a chilling effect on the enjoyment of their other human rights.”
“The directive is also patently contrary to the objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as contained in Sections 1[g] and 4(1)(b) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which is to ‘protect and promote the rights and interest of consumers within Nigeria.’”
“Under the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party, the NCC has a legal responsibility to ensure and protect Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy.”
“According to our information, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has issued a directive to telecommunications providers to bar Nigerians who previously linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).”
“According to the NCC, ‘people who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN’ have been barred because the earlier ones they submitted were not good.’ The NCC also reportedly issued a directive to telecom service providers to bar subscribers who have failed to link their phone numbers to their NIN by February 28, 2024.”
“Over 40 million telephone lines have reportedly been barred allegedly for failing to link their SIM cards to their NINs, and face the risk of being forfeited. The NCC has threatened that ‘If the barred lines are not acted upon in the next 180 days, they won’t be able to receive calls but will only be able to text and make calls.’”
“Over 70 million bank account holders face the risk of being barred from accessing their accounts.”
“Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Article 19(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights establishes the right to freedom of opinion without interference.”
“The Human Rights Committee has in fact emphasized that limitations or restrictions should be applied strictly so that they do ‘not put in jeopardy the right itself.’”
“Directing telecommunications providers to arbitrarily bar the telephone lines of Nigerians is also clearly inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.”
Barely one month after an Abuja Grade ‘A’ court convicted a CBT owner for examination misconduct, a Federal High Court sitting in Akure, has found an undergraduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, guilty of impersonation and examination malpractice during the 2023 UTME.
The presiding judge, Hon. Justice T. Adegoke, in a judgement delivered on Monday, 5th March, 2024, found the defendant, Adesuyi Feranmi,
guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and examination impersonation. Consequently, Justice Adegoke sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment each on count one and two respectively. The sentence would run concurrently.
The court also gave the convict an option of fine of N100,000 on the first charge and another option of fine of N100,000 on the second to make a total of N200,000.
Adesuyi, 29 years, was apprehended on April 28th, 2023, at Amable Nig. Ltd., CBT Centre, Owo, during the 2023 UTME in Ondo State while impersonating one Sanusi Tunde at the point of biometric verification exercise.
Following his admission of wrongdoing, he was handed over to security operatives for further investigation and his eventual arraignment.
According to the charge list, Adesuyi had committed an offence of examination malpractice and felony contrary to Section 10 of the Examination Malpractices Act, Cap E15, LFN 2004, and punishable under Section 3(2)(c) of the Examination Malpractice Act, Cap E15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Personnel of the Armed Forces, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have killed 20 Indigenous People of Biafra’s fighters in the Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
Also in the joint operation which was conducted on March 7, the security operatives destroyed 50 of their camps.
Among the camps destroyed included the IPOB’s Supreme Headquarters, Command and Control Centre, and Military Council Headquarters.
The operation is the second conducted in the same Local Government since the beginning of the month and the third in the state.
Punch Anniversary Lecture: Guest Speaker, Prof. Wole Soyinka Delivers On Recovering The Narrative0.00 / 0.00
On March 5, Personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy killed five fighters IPOB fighters during a gun battle that occurred at Ejemekuru in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
Also, on March 2, troops killed an IPOB fighter after a fierce gun duel and recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices, one Toyota Highlander SUV, one Hilux vehicle, and eight rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, among others from their hideouts.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said the troops came in contact with many Improvised Devices planted by the fighters and ditches along the axis to the camps.
Buba added that the fighters’ hideouts were well concealed with foliage that prevented them from being sighted during air surveillance.
The statement read, “On March 7, 2024, the combined troops of Operation Udo Ka with Nigeria Police, Department of State Security Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps conducted a raid/clearance operations to the IPOB/ESN violent extremists/terrorists in Mother Valley, Orsu LGA of Imo State.
“The team cleared about 50 IPOB/ESN hideout tents in the valley including terrorists’ Supreme Headquarters and their Command and Control Centre as well as its Military Council Headquarters.
“Troops also, cleared Buteuzor’s hideout/residence office, logistic base, temple, and shrine. The hideouts were well concealed with foliage that afforded the criminals cover from air surveillance to prevent monitoring and detection.
“The Valley had sufficient power supply for the camps. The terrorists hibernated there, reared animals, and also owned farms to be self-sustaining to live and fight. During the operations, troops also encountered several command IEDs and ditches along the axis of the camp.”
Buba stated that the ditches dug by the fighters were covered and the IEDs detonated.
He noted that in the fight that ensued after making contact with the fighters, 20 of them were killed and several weapons were recovered from them.
Buba said, “All were detonated and ditches were covered with excavators before reaching the camp. The location is identified to be the supreme headquarters, command, and control centre as well as the Military Council Headquarters of IPOB/ESN.
“During the operations, troops made contact with terrorists. Following a firefight, troops neutralised 20 terrorists and recovered several quantities of assorted weapons such as G3 rifles, AK47 rifles, auto pump action guns, double barrel guns, locally made pistols, and RPG bombs.
“Troops also recovered assorted ammunition which included 226 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 216 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 172 live cartridges, 4 AK47 magazines, and 3 G3 magazines. Other items recovered include several quantities of IEDs (OGBUNIGWE), POS devices, baofeng radios, mobile phones, handheld IEDs, CCTV cameras, inverters, and batteries. Additional items include Biafra flags amongst others.”
Buba also said shallow graves were spread across the IPOB fighters’ camps, accusing them of being involved in ritual killings.
“Troops destroyed all camps, hideouts, and shrines in the location. The location was also littered with shallow graves indicative of Idol worshipping and ritual killings. The ritual killings at the camp account for the several cases of missing persons in the region.
“The recovered items are being processed and analysed for their intelligence value. Nevertheless, troops are sustaining the momentum and going in pursuit of the terrorist and their cohorts, dislodging them from their enclaves,” the statement added.
[PRESS STATEMENT] Nigeria Customs Service Must Compensate The Families of Seven Indigent Citizens Who Died in A Stampede in Lagos
AdminOn 23 February, 2023, the Nigeria Customs Service embarked on the distribution of 25kg bags of rice to indigent Nigerian citizens in the Lagos Area at its Zonal Headquarters in Yaba, Lagos State. The exercise was marred by a stampede which claimed the lives of seven persons. The tragic incident led to the imediate suspension of the food disposal initiative by the Nigeria Customs Service.
It is sad to note that the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service have not deemed it fit to identify the bereaved families of the deceased and commiserate with them. As a matter the deceased persons have been blamed for their "impatience". According to the spokesperson for the Customs, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada, “At a point, they decided to be impatient. When we saw the crowd, we even suspended the collection of forms and said, ‘Let’s give them free’. We did that, we exhausted everything. After exhausting everything and we told them everything had finished, and that they could go, that we didn’t have any more, they persisted. Some of them broke the fence of that place. We had to put some barricades to cover the area. Some of them went and entered the container."
Since it is common knowledge that similar distribution of food items to poor people had recorded stampede in the recent past, the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service must accept full responsibility for the blatant negligence that led to the avoidable death of the seven citizens. Since a bag of rice was selling for N77,000 at the material time, it ought to have occurred to the Nigeria Customs Service that its Zonal Headquarters in Yaba would not be able to contain the crowd that had been invited to purchase a 25kg bag of rice at N10,000.
Therefore, the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service should take urgent steps to identify the bereaved families of the seven deceased citizens with a view to paying them adequate monetary compensation. However, if our advice is ignored by the authorities, we shall not hesitate to approach the Federal High Court to enforce the fundamental right of each of the deceased persons to life as guaranteed by section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution and article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Customs Service should lift the suspension of the distribution of the remaining bags of rice without any further delay. To avoid another stampede, the distribution should be carried out through the appropriate local government councils and local government development areas in Lagos State and other States of the Federation.
Femi Falana SAN,
The Chair,
Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond (ASCAB)
The lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Bello El-Rufai, in an enlightening conversation with Seun Okinbaloye on Saturday, shared insights into the sentiments of his father, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, regarding his recent ministerial nomination by President Bola Tinubu.
According to Bello, his father had no initial desire for a ministerial position and viewed the Senate’s rejection of his nomination as a loss of an effective administrator for Nigeria.
Bello disclosed that it required significant persuasion from him and other family members to convince Nasir El-Rufai to accept the ministerial nomination offered by President Tinubu.
This revelation came to light following the Senate’s decision in August to confirm only 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees presented by the President, excluding El-Rufai, Stella Okotete from Delta, and Sani Danladi from Taraba.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio stated that the three unconfirmed nominees would undergo further security checks, advising those not confirmed to seek redress with the President.
This decision has sparked discussions on the criteria for ministerial appointments and the implications of the Senate’s rejections on the administration’s ability to assemble a competent team.
Expressing his disappointment, Bello El-Rufai remarked on the setback his father’s rejection represented, not only for their family but for the country at large.
He emphasized the potential contributions Nasir El-Rufai could have made to the nation, leveraging his vast experience and administrative prowess.
He said, “I was in the National Assembly when my father’s nomination was rejected. It was very disappointing and still is. Myself, the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, and one of my father’s commissioners, Mr Hafiz Bayero, played a key role in convincing my father to work with this current government.
“He (Nasir) didn’t want it. It’s hard for Nigerians to believe it because they feel it is everyone in Nigeria who wants to be a minister.
“To be fair to him, he didn’t want the job. We convinced him that, with the antecedents of Asiwaju, he would create an excellent team as he did in Lagos.
“The President wanted to work with him. It was clear when he came to Kaduna. We also had an idea of what his portfolio would be. It was meant to be power and gas. He insisted to the President in private that Nigeria would not sort its electricity issue if gas was not put under the other components of power.
“The irony is that nothing has been rougher than the lack of power in the last two weeks. I’m disappointed because Nigeria lost an effective administrator in my father, one who is willing to make difficult decisions to solve a problem.”
Bello, further said many Nigerians do not really know his father.
He said, “My father is a very simple person who’s been stereotyped a lot. I got a video of him where people say this or that about him without even knowing him.
“My father does not go out of his way to change what people think about him. He doesn’t really care.
“There’s a perception that he’s anti-Christian. But, the closest person to him since we (children) were four years old was a man from Cross River State, Peter Jones.
“Religion is personal to us. As minister of the Federal Capital Territory, he demolished mosques. The imam said he hated Islam. He demolished churches and the Christians said he hated Christians. Maybe, it is the wrong imams and pastors who have issues, not him.”
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The Kaduna lawmaker added that his father was highly flawed in many ways.
The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review recently received a bill for an Act to make provisions for rotation of power among the geo-political zones, senatorial zones and federal constituencies in presidential, governorship and senatorial elections in Nigeria.
This stems from cries of marginalisation by different regions of the country and some localities even within states.
DAILY POST reports that the bill which was sponsored by member representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, Benue State, Ojema Ojetu, if passed and assented at the end of the review, may bar zones that have produced the President of Nigeria since the return to democratic governance in 1999 to allow other zones.
According to the copy sighted by our correspondent, the bill would alter Section 133 of the constitution by inserting some sub-sections to the nation’s extant laws.
Sub-section 2 of the proposed law opined that “The Office of the President of Nigeria shall revolve round the six geo-political zones, with each state holding the office for a maximum of two terms of four years each, to give every section and state in Nigeria a sense of inclusion, participation and representation in Nigeria’s democracy.”
Sub-section 3 reads, “Any zone in Nigeria which has produced a President of the Federal Republic shall not be eligible to produce another President until the other zones take their turns.”
Sub-section 4 says, “The effective date for consideration in the rotation of power shall be 29th of May, 1999 when the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) became effective.”
Meanwhile, sub-section 6 says “The office of the governor of a state in Nigeria shall revolve round all the three senatorial zones in the state, to give every indigene of the state a sense of inclusion, participation and representation in the development of the state.
Sub-section 7 states that “Every senatorial zone in a state which has produced governor of that state in a democratically conducted election shall not be eligible to produce a governor, unless and until other senatorial zones produce governors of the state.”
DAILY POST reports that since the country returned to democracy in 1999, only South-West, North-West, and South-South had produced a Nigerian President.
While Olusegun Obasanjo from South-West was elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, Late Yar’ Adua from Katsina State, North-West succeeded him in 2007.
Goodluck Jonathan from South-South succeeded Yar’ Adua and handed over the mantle of leadership to Muhammadu Buhari, another North-Westerner.
The current Nigerian leader, President Bola Tinubu from Obasanjo’s region (South-West) succeeded Buhari in 2023.
Some stakeholders, who spoke to DAILY POST on Saturday, expressed support for the bill, saying it was long overdue, considering the ethnic violence that usually erupt during general elections.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko lamented that the rational presidency ought to have been a law since the country returned to democracy in 1999.
Onwubiko told DAILY POST on Saturday that even some political parties that earlier adopted zoning to enable rotational presidency failed.
While declaring support for the bill, Onwubiko, however, expressed pessimism that the bill may not get the nod of the majority of lawmakers.
He said, “The concept of zoning of political offices even made it into the constitution of some political parties, including the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party which dominated politics for 16 years from 1999 before the All Progressives Congress came on board in 2015.
“Unfortunately, even the PDP failed to uphold this critical aspect of its constitution and for over two times, conceded its Presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar even when the Eastern zone of Nigeria has never gotten to the office of executive President since independence.
“So, for the purposes of social justice, we may give the bill for rotation of political offices some form of support. The problem is that politicians in Nigeria are not known to follow the law so they will undermine that provision of the bill.
“Some may even get it quashed in the court of law. The best way to safeguard the objective of such an idea is to include it as part of the amendments of the Nigerian constitution so it may be difficult for politicians to abuse.
“By and large, that bill should be included in the current process of amendments of the Nigerian Constitution”.
Similarly, the factional Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro told DAILY POST on Saturday that the bill, if passed into law, would ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “in a momentous stance, Ohanaeze Ndigbo throws its weight behind the bill advocating for the rotation of power as a pivotal step towards stabilizing Nigeria.
“With all eyes, especially those of Ndigbo, keenly observing the progress of this bill, the proposed provisions for the rotational allocation of power among various geo-political zones, senatorial zones, and federal constituencies in presidential, governorship, and senatorial elections hold immense significance.
“Ohanaeze commends this progressive development aimed at breaking the cycle of ambitious politicians exploiting weak state institutions to wangle their way into power through collusion with cabals, corrupt INEC officials, and clandestine networks.
“If enacted, this bill will not only put an end to the incessant over-recycling of power-hungry individuals but also prevent the dominance of powerful tribes, clans, and factions over marginalized groups at the national, state, and local government levels.
“We hail this opportunity as a crucial step towards upholding the unwritten pact of the Rotational Presidency, transforming it into a binding legal instrument.
“This legislative move is vital for ensuring democracy’s sustainability, eradicating ethnic hegemony, and fostering a more inclusive political landscape where all regions have an equitable opportunity to lead”.
Also, a chieftain of the ruling APC, Mailafia Gwamna lamented that the North Central had only produced military Heads of State but never an elected president since 1960.
Gwamna, a native of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, told DAILY POST, “It is a good thing that the bill is coming up now but this law should have been enacted immediately when Nigeria exited military rule.
“Since 1960, North Central, comprising the FCT, Benue, Kogi, Plateau and Niger State have not produced a Nigerian President.
“This is not correct. We are all Nigerians and everybody needs to have that sense of belonging. How do I even tell my children that one day they can become president?
“Since 1999, the presidency has been going round the South-West, North-West and South-South. So, it will be a thing of joy if the bill scales through, but we should not put our hope in it, otherwise, we will be disappointed.”
[DailyPost]
Rwanda’s ruling party has officially selected President Paul Kagame as its candidate for the upcoming July election.
The latest development sets the stage for what is anticipated to be another term for the long-serving leader.
Naija News reports that Kagame, who is 66 years old, has been at the helm of the landlocked African nation for several decades, having secured victory in the presidential elections held in 2003, 2010, and 2017 with overwhelming support exceeding 90 per cent.
His candidacy was uncontested during the Rwandan Patriotic Front congress, which concluded on Saturday, as confirmed by the party.
Despite his acceptance of the nomination, Kagame emphasized the importance of the ruling party preparing for a future transition beyond his leadership.
“The burden of responsibility to lead our country can be equated to a shock absorber against the challenges we face daily. It requires the right mindset,” AFP quoted Kagame as saying.
“I accept this burden of responsibility, but with a call to get someone to relieve me of this responsibility,” he added.
Naija News understands that the leader of the opposition Green Party, Frank Habineza, is currently the only known challenger to President Kagame in the upcoming July polls.
In the previous election, Habineza secured only 0.45 per cent of the vote, placing third. However, this election was criticized by rights groups for irregularities and voter intimidation.
Another potential challenger, Victoire Ingabire, leader of the unregistered Dalfa Umurunzi movement, has been disqualified from running due to a previous conviction. A court decision regarding her eligibility to contest the presidency will be announced on March 13.
The presidential and parliamentary polls in Rwanda will take place on July 15, following the government’s decision to synchronize the dates. On July 16, electoral colleges and committees will select twenty-four women MPs, two youth representatives, and a representative for disabled Rwandans.
The campaign period for candidates will run from June 22 to July 12, as stated in the election calendar.
Despite Rwanda being considered one of the most politically stable nations in Africa, human rights organizations criticize Kagame for governing under an atmosphere of fear that suppresses opposition and freedom of expression.
Kagame, who previously led a rebel group, assumed the presidency in April 2000, effectively becoming the country’s leader after the conclusion of the 1994 genocide.
In 2015, he oversaw contentious changes to the constitution that enabled him to seek additional terms and extend his tenure until 2034.
The country’s petroleum products distribution and supply chain may face more challenging complexities going by current foreign exchange market intricacies.
At a media forum yesterday Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria(MEMAN), complained that the perplexity of the forex market uncertainty has stopped members from embarking on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol importation.
They said, it is not easy to put together a correct mathematical calculation of the products landing cost as to further determine the appropriate pump price.
The executive secretary of the association, Clement Isong, in sharing his members position on the present industry value chain conundrum said, their investment is not fully protected with dollarisation of certain charges.
The market and consumers are not immune to government policy that allows Nigeria Ports Authority(NPA), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, continuous charges in dollar, said Isong.
He also informed that though marketers receive products form Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail, ship-ship products products offload is transacted in dollar all of which pushes up cost of pump price.
“We are presently concerned about sustainability, efficiencies and affordability of energy for Nigerians and we are encouraging shift to energy transition specifically into gas space.” the ES said.
Giving further analysis, Isong said though the federal government has been faithful in its avowed intervention process since it exited the petrol subsidy regime, yet the dollarization policy is weakening the industry and discouraging investment.
He placed the blame mostly on fluctuating dollar movement and unpredictability of the rate.
For instance, he said, marketers pay NNPC about $10 per metric ton and given current exchange rate would translate to higher pump price .
Analysing the forex market impact on the business, he said, in 2023 when President Bola Tinubu removed the subsidy, and with exchange rate at that time the cost on a liter was about N4.85k and with the dollar at about N1,600 today it has added up to about N11.83 a liter, and at $30 per metric ton which was N14.54 today with dollar at N1,600 that has pushed it up to N28.44 which is adding up to the pump price.
On the transportation side, he said, even with separate negotiations by marketers, transporters charge between N5-N8 per liter.
He said with the unbearable rising cost, the Association’s ongoing advocacy is towards leveraging gas as alternative source of energy.
Speaking on the transition shift to gas, Femi Fanoiki, a consultant on Liquified Petroleum Gas, LPG, said efforts are currently moving towards driving LPG application in both the industrial and automotive services.
Fanoiki explained that interventions by the government is encouraging investment in that space but said more infrastructure deployment will further boost adoption process.
Speaking on the advantages of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Adelanke Bayo-Adepoju, Gas and Renewable Energy Specialist at MEMAN analysed benefits in shifting focus on CNG as alternative to petrol.
She said, concerted efforts have been made to convert about 1 million vehicles to run on the fuel by 2027 and establishment of over 1,000 conversation workshops across the country.
Clarifying on the issues of return of subsidy, Isong, said the industry is witnessing consistent intervention initiatives by government which perhaps public may have misconstrued as subsidy payment.
He said, President Tinubu, in July 2023 promised that the administration will continue to monitor inflation and exchange rate movement and would be intervening to manage market operations to ensure energy security.
“We have seen those interventions at different times and it providing a level of stability but our advocacy is to encourage a paradigm shift to affordable energy options “ Isong explained.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has voiced his support for the initiative by 60 members of the House of Representatives advocating for Nigeria’s return to a parliamentary system of government.
He expressed his stance while speaking to a delegation of lawmakers led by the House Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, and Rep. Abdulsamad Dasuki, who visited him in Abuja over the weekend.
The legislators visited the monarch to seek his counsel, blessings, and support for the proposed bills aimed at restructuring elections at the local, state, and federal levels.
Addressing the legislators, he described the current presidential system as accidental, expressing regret that the parliamentary system of government practiced after independence was short-lived due to military incursions that toppled democracy.
Ooni praised the lawmakers, stating the importance of fostering healthy competition among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. He also emphasised that a parliamentary system would effectively unlock and harness the country’s vast natural and human resources for development.
His words: “It’s a mistake of the past that people are saying it’s the northern people that are holding it; they want to. It’s a lie. If the people see the data of what is in the north now, I am very sure they will be the ones who say, Let us do that thing now.
“Some people call it restructuring; some people call it true federalism; some people call it devolution of powers; all in all, it’s the same thing.
“The white elephant—we don’t want to talk about it; it has gotten to the point unless we want another problem for us in this country. We have gotten to the wall, but you have made names for yourselves.
Earlier, Hon. Chinda, expressing deep concerns about the numerous challenges facing the country, expressed optimism that the ongoing consultations were aimed at gaining the support of key stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
He said, “If we try the local government system and it works, we graduate to the stage, where members from the state assembly among themselves elect a governor. If that works, while that is happening, we are looking at the faults, the problems, and the loopholes, and we keep making consequential amendments to our law before we get to the national level.
“So, that’s why we are looking at 2031 for the presidential; then we would have tried the local government, we would have tried the state, and then before we come to the presidential. If there’s a need and Nigerians think that we need to put A, B, and C in place, we will have time to do all that.
“But your Majesty, what we have come to do, like I’ve said earlier, is to seek your consent, seek your blessings, seek your advice, and tap from your wealth of knowledge.”
Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki, on his part, expressed optimism about the ongoing consultations and argued that the transition to a parliamentary system of government would help address various concerns raised by all Nigerians.
He said, “Sir, the elections are over. The court cases, by God’s grace, are over. We all know from all parts of the country that there are complaints that things are not going as they should. Some are clamouring for decentralisation, and some are saying restructure. We, as parliamentarians, are saying the system is a parliamentary system of government. I think there’s no better time to put our words into action than now.
“So, your Majesty, we are here on behalf of the 60 of us who have started this very important journey, together with you and all leaders, in fact, all Nigerians, to start the action immediately because we believe something needs to be done to arrest the current situation we are in in Nigeria today. And I believe by the time we leave here, by God’s grace, it’s going to be action, and action to see is through the challenges that are before us.”
Says president doesn't care about North
Alleges 2024 budget padded by N3trn
The Senator representing Bauchi Central in the Senate, Abdul Ningi, has said that things were getting worse under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the lawmaker, President Tinubu seemed not to understand the country and the issues affecting its components, especially the North.
Ningi, who is the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Saturday.
According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator, the federal government hasn’t performed to expectations, adding that things were getting worse compared to when President Tinubu took over the leadership of the country in May, 2023.
“People are going through a lot of difficulties. We live in villages. We are going there to interact with them and they are lamenting seriously. They have nowhere to go, so they have no one to express their grievances to than us.
“I think Bola Ahmed Tinubu doesn’t even understand this country and he doesn’t understand the difficulties of ruling a country like Nigeria. Probably, he has his thinking of what governance is, but I don’t blame him so much because when he was campaigning for the seat, there was no agreement or promise between him and the people. People were just blinded and voted for him because he supported former President Muhammadu Buhari when he was contesting. Some even voted for him because he is a Muslim, as such, he needed their votes on whether he can or cannot do the right thing for the country.
“But the most painful thing is that Northerners stood for him and did all they could to bring him to power, but unfortunately, there was no agreement between them and the president on what should be done to the North and the Northerners. Especially taking into consideration the importance and significant projects that the North has been yearning and aspiring to get for a long time. For example, the Ajaokuta project, the Mambilla power project, the dredging of River Niger and other notable projects,” Ningi said.
He said what mostly disturbed their sleep were the national budgets of 2013 and 2014 in which they earmarked billions of Naira for critical projects but they were neglected by the then President Goodluck Jonathan, saying when President Buhari took over in 2015, they thought it was one of the projects he would pay attention to, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for over eight years.
“Even road construction like Kano-Abuja is not yet completed, as if it was cursed by someone, despite the road being the soul of our travellers in the North,” Ningi added.
Speaking further, Ningi said they don’t attack the government as the opposition party is supposed to do because religious and ethnic biases have been brought into politics, citing example that lawmakers from the North-West and North-East were stopped from opposition leaders in the Senate.
“If you look at it from this scenario, the majority of those in opposition are from the North-East and the North-West, but we were not allowed to be the leaders of the opposition in the Senate.
“This is one of the reasons why we said we would go back and look at what is happening under the umbrella of the Northern Senators Forum, which is under my leadership,” he noted.
On the transfer of some government agencies to Lagos, Ningi said:“As I speak, our people, especially the leaders are yet to take any action to find the solution. That is why I am not even surprised.
“These things that are happening are of two categories. Some affect the North only, and some affect the entire country. What we are doing now as leaders of the Forum of Northerners, we are trying to address the problem or reduce its strength without allowing politics to come in.”
On the 2024 budget, Ningi said for the past three months, they have engaged consultants to review the budget for them as members of the Northern Senators Forum.
“We have some experts that are working on it line by line. We have seen the huge damage that was done not only to the North but the entire country in that budget. We are supposed to sit with the Senate President to inform him about what we have observed.
“We want to show him what we have seen in the budget that is not acceptable, we will not accept them and we don’t want the country to continue spending money on those things. Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground, which we didn’t know.
“The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly,” Ningi said, adding that there was a budget of N28 trillion but that what was officially passed by the National Assembly was N25 trillion.
“So there is N3 trillion on top. Where are they, where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things. We are coming up with a report and we will show the president himself and ask him if he is aware or not.
“This is what we intended to do. We are to meet the president. We will talk to him about the Mambilla power project, Ajaokuta and the River Niger dredging. We will talk to him about the Niger Republic. Recently, they said they will construct a dam, this is not good for us,” Ningi said, adding that the action taken by ECOWAS has affected the relationship between Nigeria and Niger.
“There was an agreement that they would not construct a dam so that the Kainji Dam would be intact and we would give them electricity in return.
“Over one billion US dollars was spent on Mambila, BBC has reported. Where is that money? Who collected the money? We need to know and see what can be done. This Mambila is like the future of the North. Every part of the country has its holds as a symbol that will save them in the future.
“One of our weaknesses in the north is that we don’t love ourselves and our region so much that we don’t care about the future. We are just living anyhow. We just love the region in our mouths not at heart and I am seriously worried about that,” Ningi said, adding that the security challenges in the North are worrying.
“There is nowhere in the South where someone will be abducted and spend seven days in custody of the abductors. Look at Katsina, Zamfara, and Benue. I am even afraid that one day we’ll wake up and see that states like Zamfara have been taken away from the country. It is possible to go by what is happening,” Ningi added.
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‘If there’s nothing in it, don’t struggle’ — Fubara, Akpabio differ on quest for power at Wigwe’s burial
AdminSiminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio have taken jibes at each other over a remark on the power struggle.
Fubara was speaking on Saturday during the funeral of Herbert Wigwe, the late group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, and questioned the intentions behind political struggles and rivalries which he said “sometimes lead to deaths”.
“This one has to do with our political class. What is all this struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury. What is it all about?” the Rivers governor asked.
Fubara has been having a running battle with Nyesome Wike, his predecessor, over the control of political structures in Rivers state.
However, when making remarks at the event, Akpabio recalled his experience in 2006 when he aspired to become the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state.
The senate president recounted a conversation he had with the then-incumbent deputy governor, who he said discouraged him from vying for the position because the office has no “financial benefits.”
“I will answer you. We are not talking politics. In 2006, I wanted to become the deputy governor and the then deputy governor invited me and this office has no money, there is nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and take over,” Akpabio recalled.
“So, a woman who went with me said Your Excellency, don’t wait for impeachment, just resign since there is nothing in it
“He stood up and started punching the woman. I said Your Excellency, don’t punch the woman, she is telling the truth, there is nothing in it. That’s why I want it because you are too big for it.
“Your Excellency, Governor Fubara, if there is nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”
The late Wigwe was buried alongside his wife Chizoba, and Chizi, his son, in his home town, Ikwerre LGA of Rivers state.
In February, Wigwe, his wife and son as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), were involved in a helicopter crash in California near the Nevada border.
All six passengers on board died.
[TheCable]
Trouble is brewing in the Senate after the Northern Senators Forum yesterday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his associates of padding the 2024 budget to the tune of N3 trillion.
The forum said it would take the matter to President Bola Tinubu.
But the Senate leadership dismissed the allegation as false. The chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Abdul Ningi (PDP – Bauchi Central) said on BBC Hausa Service that the alleged padding was discovered by consultants commissioned by the forum to scrutinise the budget. He also said the Forum would soon confront Akpabio with its findings.
“In the last three months, we have engaged consultants to review the budget for us. We have some experts that are working on it line by line,” Ningi said.
“We have seen the huge damage that was done not only to the north but the entire country in that budget. We are supposed to sit with the Senate President to inform him about what we have observed. We want to show him what we have seen in the budget that is not acceptable. We will not accept them and we don’t want the country to continue spending money on those things.
“Apart from what the National Assembly did on the floor, there was another budget that was done underground which we didn’t know.
“The new things we have discovered in the budget were not known to us. We haven’t seen them in the budget that was debated and considered on the floor of the National Assembly.”
He said: “For example, it was said that there was a budget of N28 trillion but what was passed was N25 trillion.
“So there is N3 trillion on top. Where is it, where is it going? So, we need to know this. There are a lot of things.
“We are coming up with a report and we will show the President himself and ask him if he is aware or not.”
He wondered why some projects earmarked for the north, like the Ajaokuta project, the Mambila power project, the dredging of River Niger and others have not materialised after many years.
He said: “What mostly disturbs my sleep is that we had budgets in 2013 and 2014 in which we earmarked billions of naira, but they were neglected by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has said that over 6.1 million Nigerians were displaced by insecurity and natural disasters.
The NCFRMI Federal Commissioner, Alhaji Tijjani Aliyu, disclosed this during a visit to Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State on Friday in Katsina.
According to him, as of 2022, the commission had about 3 million displaced persons, “but with floods and other natural disasters, we now have an additional 100 per cent of such displaced people.”
He explained: “Today, I can authoritatively say that we have not less than 6.1 million Nigerians displaced out of their homes.
“What do we do if all of them cannot go back, how do we fend them? Can the government continue to feed them, providing them succour?
“Absolutely not possible, we have to find a way to teach these individuals trades, give them skills, so that at the end of the day, they can be on their own,” he said.
Aliyu disclosed the commission’s intention to construct three well-furnished skills acquisition centres across the Northeast, from the 2024/2025 budget.
He said the essence of the visit was to distribute food items to about 700 displaced people in the state.
“Before today, the commission has been putting its efforts to ensure that these people were not left in an undignified way. Their children have received educational training funds from us.
“About 120 of them were trained, and also about 70 of their mothers were given some small starter packs to improve their living standard,” he said.
Aliyu said, in addition to that, the commission identified the problem of water in the IDPs camp but immediately intervened by providing a solar-powered borehole.
“We have also built settlement cities in IDPs camp located areas, for those who may not want to go back to their ancestral homes, and Katsina is one of the beneficiaries,” he said.
The NCFRMI boss said the commission also intended to enrol the IDPs in a health insurance scheme to take care of their health challenges.
Responding, Gov. Radda commended the commission’s gesture, describing it as a collective responsibility of both the state and the federal government to ensure the welfare and well-being of the IDPs.
He said the state had recently witnessed a lot of security challenges, especially in eight frontline local government councils of the state.
The governor lamented that the worst affected areas were the food basket of the state, adding that most of the communities were displaced.
Radda, however, noted with satisfaction that with the inauguration of the Katsina Security Watch Corps (SWC), the security situation had improved.
While pleading for more collaboration with neighbouring states, the governor expressed optimism that with the recent deployment of additional security operatives by the federal government, criminals would not be given breathing space.
The federal commissioner later led other officials to flag-off the distribution of food items to the IDPs. (NAN)
The Nigerian Labour Congress has distanced itself from the N500,000 being canvassed as the new minimum wage, saying it has yet to adopt a position on an amount to be presented to the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage for workers.
The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on Sunday with our correspondent in Yola, Adamawa State.
Speaking at the sidelines of the North-East zonal public hearing by the tripartite committee on national wage, Ajaero noted that the N500,000 and N700,000 being proposed as new minimum wage is unknown to the NLC.
According to him, all the figures flying around should be disregarded because the NLC as a body had yet to adopt a common presentation on the new minimum wage.
He said, “The N500,000, N700,000 you are hearing are being collated at the level of the states. In Lagos and other places, I think they are about N700,000 while in other places they are talking about N500,000 which are inputs collated from geopolitical zones.
“But the NLC secretariat has not made any presentation, these minimum figures are what is coming from the states. When we collate them then we’ll do a central presentation based on the raw materials we are getting from states.
“It (minimum wage) has to be relative to the cost of living in those states. You will agree with me that rent here is not as that in Abuja, and not the same thing as in Lagos. So relatively speaking you won’t have a straitjacket-like presentation by Labour in all the states.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Adamawa State, Dr Solomon Bulus, said the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council backed the implementation of the N500,000 new minimum wage because it would drive down the hardship being experienced nationally.