The two-day warning strike embarked on by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recorded partial compliance in some parts of the country on its first day.

The NLC had last week declared a two-day warning strike over the impact of petrol subsidy removal on the masses.

Labour had accused the federal government of abandoning negotiations with the union.

The congress also said the government has failed to implement some of the resolutions reached at previous meetings.

On Monday, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) said its members would join the industrial action.

Reacting to the development, Simon Lalong, minister of labour and employment, appealed to the NLC to suspend the strike.

Lalong also pleaded with the NLC to give the government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground.

On the first day of the strike, commercial activities in most cities across Nigeria continued apace, with a lull in the financial services sector.

At the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, some banks were open to customers while some fillings stations were seen attending to motorists.

Workers at the Ikeja distribution company in the Alausa area of the state were locked out of their offices while civil servants at the Lagos secretariat were seen going about their normal duties.

In Kaduna, government offices, banks and other financial institutions were shut in compliance with the industrial action.

In Edo, the NLC barred entry into the state high court premises while in Rivers, civil servants were seen at the state secretariat.

[TheCable]

A friend shared an analogy with me this week. He said the average Nigerian politician is like a student preparing for exam; you have read to your best, and are confident that you will pass the exam. When your friends ask you before the exam how you are feeling, you tell them “e lo f’okan bale” — you tell them to calm down. But on exam day, you still cheat to pass the exam simply because you don’t want to leave anything to chance. And that is the genesis of our problems. 

We may come back to this analogy later — or not. But I got into some self-reflection this week, and I thought to share. I do not believe Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, won the 2023 presidential election. The evidence simply does not support it. The sense, I however get, is that the Obidients are also not saying he won, they are just saying the process was not free and fair, so whoever won cannot be said to have won a credible election.

This was my position for the longest. Until I decided to get into conversation with some Obidients in my network. These people would swear that Obi won the elections  — and it was not even close. They believe Tinubu rigged the election blindly. To garnish their thoughts, they said Tinubu “let go” of Lagos state at the presidential election to bring some credibility to his overall win.

What about FCT, could he not have rigged to get the famous 25%? I asked. Their response was that Abuja was “unriggable”.  There was nothing I could say, no amount of data could convince them. To make matters worse, there were more pre-election opinion polls in 2022/2023 than we had ever seen in the history of this country, and they overwhelmingly predicted an Obi win.

SO WHAT IF WE ARE WRONG?

At the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, I learnt a new level critical writing. The biggest takeaway from that module was understanding that your writing could be blind and self-defeating, if you are not your own fiercest critic. In line with this thought, I have asked myself; what if I am wrong about Peter Obi not winning the election? What if Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the winner? What if Tinubu rigged most of the states he won, as we are made to believe? Or what if nobody won, and the actual results would necessitate a re-run?

I found that I was open to all these scenarios because I have no allegiance to any political party or politician. I have no gods among them. So, I’d like to ask you, as a BATist or Obidient, have you ever considered if your position was wrong? What would you do? Would you admit? Can you even stomach the thought that Tinubu did not win? That Obi did not win? That Atiku was out of question?

I reckon that if you are not ready for such admission, you may not be approaching this matter logically. I fear that you have a god among them.

IT’S THE HOPE THAT KILLS

In 2012, Manchester United and Manchester City were fighting so hard for the English Premier League Title. As at the last game, any of them could still win the league. It was expected to be harder for City because they were playing Queen Park Rangers (QPR), who were 17th on the league table and needed that game to beat relegation.

For 90 minutes, Manchester United fans, like me, hoped that this would end in a draw. In less than 30 seconds to the end of the game, Kun Aguero scored for City, and won City’s first Premier League title ever. This was the beginning of City’s Dominance, that has now lasted more than a decade.

The hope, which eventually failed, devastated Manchester United. Hope is great — I do not speak of ‘renewed hope’ — but it is also the hope that kills. On Wednesday, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal  (PEPT) will give its judgement on who won or lost the election.

Many young Nigerians are hopeful that like Manchester City, this may be winning something that has never been won before. Older Nigerians, who have a history of “nobody has ever won at presidential tribunal” feel nothing new will come out of the tribunal. People like Femi Falana, the legal luminary, have said the tribunal decision is not final.

Here is my call to every Nigerian reading this; be calm, manage your expectations, and prepare you mind for an outcome that may not favour your candidate. Those calls for a coup d’etat if certain candidates do not win at the tribunal are largely unnecessary. The military has never solved any nation’s economic and development problems.

Ultimately, can you stomach that your god did not win?

You can reach ‘Mayowa on Twitter @OluwamayowaTJ 

Explains why Naira lost value

The 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said former President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was to be blamed for the current economic crises being experienced by Nigerians and not his successor – President Bola Tinubu.

The traditional cum religious leader of Dariqa Islamic sect said the Buhari government in its eight years mismanaged the country’s economy without listening to experts.

Sanusi II, who is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), spoke in an undated viral video while addressing his students at his regular Islamic teaching sessions.

He said government apologists or sycophants called the shots under President Buhari administration, adding that an “inexperienced boy” can own a private jet under the immediate-past administration because he gets Dollar at the official rate and take it to the black market for round tripping.

Sanusi II also said excessive borrowing by the Buhari government crippled Nigeria’s economy, the negative effects of which Nigerians are now facing, including loss of Naira value. He, therefore, urged the citizens to be patient with the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, who took over barely three months ago.

He stated that all that is currently happening in Nigeria had been foreseen and foretold by him, saying some Nigerians criticised him and dubbed him as an anti-government critic at the time.

He, however, added that this was not the right time for him to speak on the difficulties Nigerians were experiencing.

“The last eight years, Nigeria lived a fake life, the government borrowed from within and without. About N30 trillion was borrowed from the Central Bank.

“All the revenue the country generated in the last few years couldn’t cater for debt servicing. Debt servicing exceeded 100 per cent. Government borrowed to service debts. No country can grow this way. Time will come when one cannot even borrow any more. Additionally, there will be nothing available to pay the debts.

“Those writing, demanding that we speak on the current situation in the country; this is not the right time for me to speak. It was like a driver on the road driving recklessly despite repeated warnings about potholes ahead. What will you tell after plunging the car into the hole?

“People refused to listen to us then. We will only now advise them to be patient. I will never say Tinubu has pushed Nigeria into difficulty. I am not saying he is flawless yet. We will speak when he goes astray. The government can’t pay subsidies since it doesn’t have the means.

“If they increase tax, we will have to pay since borrowing is impossible. If the CBN printed more Naira, the Dollar would jack up to N1,500. We must suffer. When I was the CBN governor, Naira was about N150 to a Dollar. Today it’s somewhere around N900.

“They treated the economy the way they wanted and refused to listen to experts. In the last eight years, only sycophants succeeded. The sycophants bought Dollars at N400 and sold N540. Even an inexperienced boy who had never worked anywhere can own a private jet,” Sanusi II stated.

He, therefore, urged wealthy Nigerians to assist the needy in the present circumstance even as he admonished ordinarily Nigerians to also be financially prudent and disciplined.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the four oil refineries in Nigeria will never work.

The four refineries are located in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna states.

Obasanjo said the refineries will never work as long as the government continues to hold onto them.

The former president who stated this in an interview with The Cable Online Newspaper, said Shell Oil Development Company turned down his offer to them to run the refineries.

He disclosed that after much persuasion the managing director of Shell, at the time, listed four reasons why the oil company wouldn’t get involved in running Nigeria’s refineries, including “too much corruption in refineries.”

Recall that President Bola Tinubu last month assured that the petroleum refinery in Port Harcourt will start working by December 2023.

Tinubu, had in a statement by former presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, in August, said the “Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between NNPCL and Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.”

The President stated this when he met with labour unions at the State House in Abuja to halt the last nationwide protest.

Labour, had among other things, demanded the government’s commitment to getting local refineries to work, an objective that has gulped about N11.35 trillion in the last 10 years.

But responding to a question on the state of Nigeria’s refineries in the interview, Obasanjo said, “They will not work as long as the government is keeping hold of them. When I was president, I invited Shell to a meeting. I told them I wanted to hand over the refineries for them to help us run. They bluntly told me they would not. I was shocked.

“I repeated the request and they stood their ground. When the meeting was over, I asked their big man (MD) to wait behind for a little chat. Then I asked him why they were so hesitant on not taking over the refineries. He said did I want to hear the truth? I said yes. He listed four reasons. One, he said Shell makes its money from upstream and that is where its interest lies. Two, he said they only do downstream or retail as a matter of service. Three, he said our refineries would be bad business for them, that globally, companies are going for bigger refineries because of the economics of refineries. Four, he said there is too much corruption in refineries.

“I thanked him for his honesty. I knew we had a big problem in our hands. I had virtually given up hope on the refineries when God did a miracle. Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola approached me and said they would be interested in buying two of the four refineries. They said they would buy 51 percent stake in Port Harcourt and Kaduna. I was over the moon. I said, finally, this burden would be taken off the neck of the government. They offered $761 million and paid in two instalments. Unfortunately, Umaru (President Yar’Adua) cancelled the sale and returned the refineries to NNPC. Today, we are still where we were. Someone told me Tinubu said refineries would work by December. I told the person the refineries would not work. This is based on the information I received from Shell when I was the president.”

On the power sector, Obasanjo said “You can only get the power sector right when you get all the fundamentals in the power sector right. In 2006, we ordered 42 turbines that should have been completed if not by 2007 then in 2008. My target was 10,000 megawatts of power by 2007.

“Up till today, I understand that five of the turbines have yet to be installed. I have been out of the office for 16 years. If after 18 years when those turbines had been ordered, five have still not been installed, what are you talking about?”

He said his administration did all it could do in the sector he left office, adding that it is still struggling with 4,000 megawatts since he left office in

Restates no going back on subsidy removal

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria, which used to be the sleeping giant of the world, is now ready to take its rightful place in the global arena.

“Nigeria, the sleeping giant of Africa, has woke up from its slumber,” Senator Shettima said on Tuesday at the 16th Annual Banking and Finance Conference holding in Abuja.

Shettima, therefore, restated that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy was irrevocable.

The Vice President said President Bola Tinubu was determined to catapult the nation to higher pedestal.

He enjoined the participants at the conference to come on board to help build a nation for all.

“This is a great nation on chains.

The potentials are there. It’s the leadership that is missing. That is what is lacking in our midst. We have the resources. We are closer to Europe than India,” he said.

The Vice President said the current administration was partnering with some banks to drive a digital economic process. He said some banks were already working with government to teach our young men digital skills to compete in the global digital space.

“Let’s walk the talk. We are open for business. Nigeria is the destination of choice for any savvy investors,” he said, while encouraging the bankers’ committee to utilise emerging and distracting technologies to harness Nigeria’s economic opportunities.

“We must prioritise financial inclusion and equal opportunity for everyone,” he added.

While noting that the forum was not one for name calling, Shettima said it was a sanctuary for innovation and vision for a better economy.

He ended his speech with the claim that as depressive as Nigeria’s challenges were, they are also pregnant with opportunities.

He told the participants that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu-led administration can’t be fully implemented without their cooperation, adding that, “We seek your partnership in getting this done.”

The National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday dismissed three petitions filed by aggrieved candidates to challenge the outcome of the National Assembly elections held on February 25,2023.

The tribunal in a judgement dismissed the petition filed by Senator Biodun Olujimi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Senator Yemi Adaramodu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti South senatorial district.

It also dismissed the petitions filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Engr Dare Bankole, a candidate of PDP in Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin Federal Constituency of the House of Representatives in the election as well as another petition filed by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) on election into Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency of Kwara state.

Delivering judgment on the petition filed by Senator Olujimi, Justice J.O. Abdulmalik ruled that there was no malpractice and over voting in the election as alleged in Olujimi’s petition.

“The petitioner failed to prove his case that there was corruption and over voting in the Ekiti douth senatorial district election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission on February 25,2023,” the tribunal held.

It awarded a cost of N300,000 against the petitioner which Justice AbdulMalik said should be paid to the three respondents who included INEC, Adaramodu and APC.

On the petition filed by Dare Bankole against INEC on the election into Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin Federal Constituency of Kwara state, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed the petition and awarded cost of N600,000 against the petitioner which she said should be paid to the respondents who included INEC, Hon Raheem Ajuloopin and the APC.

Bankole had challenged the results of the election conducted in the Constituency on February 25,2023 alleging non compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act and malpractices during the conduct of the election.

The tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove his case before it.

Reading another judgment delivered by the tribunal, Chief Magistrate Izabi Bashir also dismissed a petition filed by the NNPP on the election conducted into Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency on February 25,2023.

The Petitioner had alleged non compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices in the election by the APC and it candidate, Hon Tijani Bashir.

The tribunal ordered the petitioner to pay a fine of N200,000 to each of the three respondents.

Dangote Cement has clarified the allegation that it is selling a bag of 50kg cement to Nigerians at an exploitative rate of N5,200 while it sells the same quantity of cement at N1,500 in the Republic of Benin was not true.

Investigation in Cotonou at the weekend revealed that Dangote Cement was not on sale in Cotonou or anywhere in the Republic of Benin. While Dangote does not officially export cement to Benin Republic, it only uses the country as its transit route to export cement to Togo.

It was discovered that the average price of 50kg (32.5r) bag of cement in the Benin Republic was N6,216, which was about 4,200 Cefa).

The two strongest determinants of the price of cement in the Republic of Benin, according to THISDAY’s findings, were the fixing of cement’s price by the country’s government to ensure stability and the imposition of about 51 per cent duty and other taxes on imported cement to discourage importation of the commodity and encourage local production of cement.

An online publication had published a story on August 27, 2023, in which it had stated that, “Nigerians have taken to social media to call out billionaire Aliko Dangote for selling his bag of cement for N5,200 in his own country but selling at N1,500 in Benin Republic.”

However, a Cotonou-based chief executive officer of Marketing Challenge Agency (MCA), Mr. Dia Ibrahim Kola said that the government of the Republic of Benin was striving to maintain a stable price of cement in the country through a price regulation regime instead of subsidising its supply.

He said the country’s policy was to discourage importation of cement and encourage its local production with high import duty and taxes for cements that do not qualify under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

“We have about four cement manufacturers, including Lafarge and others. The government has a fixed price and often sends a taskforce to monitor compliance, especially in Cotonou.

“But it is important to emphasise that the government does not subsidise the price of cement in Benin.

There was a period of high scarcity that the price went up to CFA 100,000 per tonne, which forced the government to intervene to stabilise the market,” he said.

However, the management of Dangote Cement clarified that the price of a bag of cement from its factories across Nigeria as at August 28, 2023, was N4,010 (about 2,730 Cefa) in Okpella and N4,640 (about 3,135 Cefa) in Ibese, Objana, and Gboko. It added that transportation costs and the location of delivery, might cause the prices to hover between N5,000 and N5,300 per bag 50kg.

Group managing director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Arvind Pathak, advised that, it was important to distinguish Dangote Cement’s ex-factory prices from prices at which retailers sell cement in the market.

Pathak said Dangote Cement was focused on delivering quality cement at the best price possible, despite the current inflationary environment.

“We continue to innovate new ways to deliver quality products to millions of our customers across Africa, while providing top-notch customer services. At Dangote Cement, we are committed to building an inclusive and sustainable business for all stakeholders across the value chain,” he said.

IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, the interim Inspector-General of Police (IGP), has ordered the transfer of seven Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to other departments.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement.

To lead the Department of Finance and Administration, DIG Frank Emeka Mba, DIG Habu A. Sani, and the Force Intelligence Bureau, respectively, DIG Bala Ciroma, DIG Frank Emeka Mba, and DIG Habu A. Sani have all been redeployed.

The police stated that the development came about as a result of the Police Service Commission (PSC) elevating worthy individuals to the level of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police.

Others are DIG Usman D. Nagogo to Department of Logistics and Supply, DIG Daniel Sokari-Pedro, to Department of Information and Communication Technology, DIG Ibrahim Sani Ka’oje, to Department of Research and Planning, and DIG Ede Ayuba Ekpeji to head the Department of Operations.

Egbetokun also approved the posting of the following Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to the following Commands and Formations as indicated against their names: “AIG Oladimeji Yomi Olanrewaju has been posted as the Force Secretary, AIG Yekini Adio Ayoku, mni to head the Police Mobile Force, AIG Idris Dabban Dauda, fdc, to Zone 16 Yenagoa, AIG Oyediran Adesoye Oyeyemi, fsi, to head the Police Cooperative, and AIG Benjamin Okolo Nebeolisa, fdc, to AIG Department of ICT.

“Furthermore, the IGP charges the newly posted and redeployed senior officers to entrench professionalism in their respective Departments, Commands, and Formations while prioritizing human security and people-centric policing services.”

Nigerians are a troublesome lot. They harass the government for biting inflation, complain about Nyesom Wike for daring to clean up Abuja and now they want all our eyes to be on the judiciary. With the cost-of-living crisis getting harder and harder, just about anything rankles us. Take the case a retired army general who passed away recently, leaving behind a large swath of assets and a family fighting over them. Some persons want to know how he acquired so much wealth. It’s as if they want him to declare his assets in his grave. General Abdullahi Muraina, who retired from the army in 2014, passed away in Dubai recently. He was chief of accounts and budget before he voluntarily retired. He left behind many houses and housing estates in Abuja and Ibadan; petrol stations; plazas; event centers and acres of land in different parts of the country. There are also bulletproof vehicles and many other luxury cars. It is quite a hefty collection of high-value real estates in some of the highly prized locations in the country. His family of two wives and nine children are now locked in a legal battle on how to share these assets. An advertisement appeared in Thisday newspaper last week, warning the public not to deal in any of the 19 listed property and six vehicles as they are all subjects of law suits. ‘’The upper area court acquires jurisdiction, power and control over the above-enumerated properties, pending the final determination and the outcome of the suit’’, the lawyers stated in the advert.

But questions surrounding the sources of these stupendous wealth, given that the man was in charge of military finances and budgets, have once again brought the issue of corruption to focus. But I think that the people asking these questions do not seem to understand the basic DNA of the Nigerian public official. It is an unwritten code in this country that any person who is in charge of a big organization with a sizeable yearly budget, be it a state government, an MDA, National Assembly or even the military, is in the race to enter his name into Forbes 100. The listing of the world’s top wealthy people is an honour that no Nigerian has ever earned, but one to which our public officials are constantly in the race for. People like Abdulraheed Maina; Ahmed Idris; Diezani Alison-Madueke; Tafa Balogun and many others have competed for this honour in the past; and as I write, the race is on.

In the case of Gen. Muraina, his tenure as director of budget and finance coincided with the period the military was spending so much to acquire weapons and ammunitions to fight Boko Haram in the North East. It was a big moment for him and the institution he loved and served so well. Boko Haram and other criminals nearly took over the country, with their headquarters in the North East. The then president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, even confessed publicly that some persons who were loyal to the terrorist groups were serving in his government. There were bombs in Abuja and many parts of the country almost every day. Worship places were routinely attacked. Undaunted, our military fought fiercely. But for the gallantry of the armed forces, the country would have been overrun. Why then are Nigerians worried that a general who was in the thick of it all, gave so much to the country, had retired with ‘small something’ that he would live on? Did they expect him to live in penury after risking his life in service of the nation? It is matter of regret that Gen. Muraina could not go to the great beyond with his houses and cars. The fight within his family would have been avoided. And this is why death is such a dreadful part of living. We work so hard and acquire so much; some steal as much as they can from their country, taking away the resources that would have provided schools, hospitals, roads, electricity and other benefits. And when death comes, we leave everything behind; and in some cases, fights erupt in the family.

These quarrels leave in their wake lasting enmity that extend to generations unborn. Some could be quite bloody and expose underlying, deep-rooted distrusts among families once held together by the departed papa. Even in instances where the man had a Will, disagreements are not totally avoided. The fight within the family of the late wealthy Lagos lawyer, Chief FRA Williams, over his multibillion Naira estate, is a case study. It has now extended well to his grandchildren. I hope they will find peace someday. But then, lawyers and fiduciary experts recommend leaving a Will and updating it regularly is the best safeguard against war in the family after we had gone. ‘’With a decent Will, written with understanding of what is important to each heir, you can protect the emotional bonds of your family’’, writes Gina Creedon, an expert in the field.

This piece is a satirical commentary on how some folks turn government’s resources in their care into personal estates, and leave them behind for feuding families. I should, however, acknowledge that most other wealthy people got their riches in an honest way. Not all Nigerians are thieves. I therefore pay respect to the hardworking men and women of this country who created their wealth in the time-honoured old fashion of hard work and honesty. I salute their industry, creativity and grit. May their children never fight over their inheritance. I salute also the honest workers, professionals, famers, artisans and labourers who toil day and night to provide for their families. May their labour not be in vain.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has made some clarifications over the controversy that trailed his selection of former president, Umar Yar’dua, as his successor.

Obasanjo was Nigeria’s first executive president upon the return to democratic rule in 1999. He left office in 2007 after the end of his second term.

He was succeeded by Yar’dua, who was the former governor of kastina state. Yar’adua, however, died in office in 2010 after a protracted illness plunging the country into a constitutional crisis at the time.

Obasanjo has been blamed in some quarters for the fate that befell Yar’adua and the crisis engendered by the leadership lacuna in the aftermath of his death.

Many opined that Obasanjo knew about Yar’adua’s health challenges but still picked him to occupy the highest office in the land.

However, in a recent interview with TheCable, Obasanjo said Yar’adua was certified medically fit to become the president and he didn’t appoint him because he knew he would eventually die in office.

Despite not being an insider in his government, Obasanjo said he supported Yar’adua to become his successor because of his enviable character and integrity.

Obasanjo said “See, I set up a committee headed by Dr Olusegun Agagu, of blessed memory, to search for a successor. They considered many names and did an extensive assessment on all of them. They made their recommendation. Umaru was top on the list.

“Their biggest argument in his favour was that he had integrity and would not steal. The issues concerning his health were raised and I gave his medical reports to an expert for an opinion. Umaru’s name was redacted so that the expert would not know who it was and why I was seeking his opinion.

“After assessing the reports, he said the patient appeared to have done a kidney transplant and if that was the case, there was nothing to worry about and he would be as healthy as any other person. That was it. All insinuations that I knew he was going to die and that was why I supported him to be president were false. This is the true story I have told you”