A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka has asked President Bola Tinubu to take quick steps such as removal of bank charges and reduction in the monthly contributions to pension schemes by workers to ameliorate the biting effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on the masses.

Chidoka, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stated this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

“We need to think beyond politics. When he (Tinubu) took a decision to remove subsidy and he removed fuel subsidy and the fuel prices rose by 100 and something naira to 500 and something naira in a day. What are the immediate measures that can be taken to make sure there is more cash in the pockets of people who go to work every day?” he queried.

“If I was thinking with him, I would have said immediately: remove the charges for bank transfers in Nigeria, the N26 and the N56, cut it immediately. That money goes to the banks and they are just enriching themselves… or make a flat rate of once a month, you can charge N100 for IT (Information Technology) support. So, that puts more money in the hands of people.

“Second one is that our pension scheme has accumulated a lot of money and that pension scheme now requires people to pay 12% of their salaries from the employers’ side.

“So, I’m think you can reduce the amount the people are contributing for a one-year period or six months to allow more money.

“That way, immediately from the next month salary, another N10,000, N5,000 as the case may be, enters into the pocket of the people who goes to work every day. They are able to pay their transport fare because they need to go to work tomorrow. We can’t wait till when you take a decision (on ministerial appointments) to ameliorate the suffering,” he said.

‘$3bn Owed Fuel Importers’

The ex-minister also said the minimum wage needs to rise from the current rate of N30,000 to reflect the current economic realities and inflationary shocks.

According to him, though the Tinubu government removed subsidy from its day one in office, the administration inherited $3bn debt to be paid to fuel importers.

“The past is already facing him (Tinubu) because there is about $3bn owed to the fuel importers. The four major companies importing fuel to Nigeria has a debt of over $3bn and they haven’t been given enough crude to pay for those debt. So, he (Tinubu) has to pay the backlog of those debts,” Chidoka stated.

‘Brutality Violated’

Furthermore, the PDP stalwart noted that the All Progressives Congress has not shown sensitivity to the Federal Character Principle bin the last eight years.

He said the Federal Character Principle was “brutality violated in the past eight years”, saying that 18 military and paramilitary bodies were headed by people from a region of the country during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“I find it objectionable for people who did not say a word when this country was brutally harangued by a government to now talk about issues of appointments and sensitivity in four weeks. I feel that that is a violation of decency,” he added.

‘Fair But Unimportant’

On the distribution of the new service chiefs appointed by the President, Chidoka acknowledged that Tinubu has been fair in the distribution of appointment across the six geopolitical zone in the last four weeks in office but that matter is unimportant.

He describing the euphoria and reactions trailing the appointments as being spread across the six geopolitical zones as based on the “trauma suffered during Buhari’s tenure”.

“I think they’ve been fair in trying to (spread) appointments across the country. I think it’s being largely fair but it’s unimportant,” Chidoka stated.

Demands INEC Chair’s Removal

He asked the President to remove the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu just as he suspended the Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

“It would have been totally unimportant if he faced what I considered the critical issues about Nigerians making their choices. For the kind of uproar that the election caused, the way he went after the CBN governor is the way I think he should have set up a panel to look into INEC,” he stated.

THE Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has refuted an allegation that he once renounced his Nigerian citizenship.

The controversy arose when a United States immigration lawyer, Olubusayo Fasidi, informed the Lagos Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal that Hamzat had taken an oath of allegiance in the US renouncing his Nigerian citizenship.

Fasidi had appeared as a witness for the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in his petition against the election of the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Reports of Hamzat’s alleged US citizenship had caused a lot of stir online.

However, Hamza, in a statement through his media office on Saturday, June 24 labelled the claim as “misleading and inaccurate.”

The Lagos state deputy governor said the viral report did not accurately reflect the proceedings at the tribunal.

According to him, the witness presented two documents as evidence — an empty US naturalisation application form and an empty oath of US allegiance document, identified as forms 8CFR/337 and N400.

The tendered documents were accepted and marked as exhibits by the tribunal.

He explained that the witness, when confronted with the fact that her claim was based on blank documents, admitted to downloading them from the official website of the US Embassy.

He said that the witness was unable to produce the actual documents specifying the jurisdiction of the US or the date when he allegedly applied for naturalization or took the oath of allegiance.

The statement read, “She equally admitted that she had not attended the ceremony admitting Dr Hamzat as a citizen of the United States of America.

“During her cross-examination by counsel to the 4th respondent (APC), the witness admitted to the fact that the American constitution recognizes dual citizenship with particular reference to the 14th amendment to the constitution of the United States ratified on July 9, 1868.

“The witness was challenged further that the documents she tendered support the process of application for naturalisation which ultimately culminates in the issuance of an American passport and nothing more.

“The witness, in reaction to additional questions, confirmed that she did not need to obtain a Nigerian visiting visa because she entered the country with her Nigerian passport.

“With respect to the question whether the witness was aware that Dr Hamzat fully disclosed the details of his American citizenship in the Form EC9 submitted to INEC, the witness answered in the affirmative.”

Hamzat urged the public to disregard the “deliberate falsehood” being spread, asserting that the credibility of the witness’ testimony was severely challenged.

Ade Adetimehin, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress in charge of Ondo State, has urged the populace to keep praying for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who has recently struggled with health concerns.

What the people of the state currently need, according to Adetimehin, is prayers for the governor to recover swiftly, accusing the opposition parties of allegedly politicking the governor’s health situation.

This was said by the chairman on Sunday in Akure, the state’s capital.

He claimed that the governor’s health problem did not preclude him from resuming his official duties as the state’s governor.

He said, “Some individuals and groups have taken it upon themselves to spread false news and rumors about his (Akeredolu’s) death. It is disheartening to see that some people would wish death upon a fellow human being. Such actions are unfair and should be condemned by all well-meaning individuals.

“The opposition has also been quick to malign the governor’s family, accusing them of not doing enough to take care of the governor’s illness. Such accusations are falsely disrespectful, flippant and callous.

“What Arakunrin Akeredolu and the family requires at this period is our support and prayers for the full recovery of their family patriarch. Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu and her children have been doing their best in taking care of the governor.

“We must continue to pray for the governor’s recovery and stand by the family in these difficult times. Akeredolu is a good man who loves the downtrodden and deserves all the support and prayers for a full recovery from his illness.”

In Kebbi State’s Argungu Local Government Area, quelea birds reportedly raided farmland over the weekend and caused losses to at least 100 farmers.

Quelea birds are harmful parasites that may completely destroy a farm in a day or even a few hours.

Locals said that during the weekend, the hazardous birds devastated roughly 75,000 hectares of rice farms.

According to reports, the red-billed birds moved from the nearby Niger Republic.

Kebbi has been the only state affected so far by the menace of quelea birds. However, experts in agriculture are advising farmers in the northwest and northeast to be on the lookout for invading birds.

They, however, suggested that the only way to combat the menace of quelea birds is to conduct research and produce pest repellent that works without causing any damage to crops.

Former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to muster enough courage, fight subsidy cabals and bring them to book.

He said the removal of the fuel subsidy by the President was fantastic and a departure from the past, but the President must do all within his powers to recover the looted funds from the subsidy Cabals.

He spoke to journalists during a Thanksgiving church service to mark the successful completion of a 6-year tenure as Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) General Secretary of Rev. Yunusa S. Nmadu Jnr in Kaduna.

Dogara said president Tinubu has so far demonstrated leadership quality and should be commended by Nigerians.

“We stand by him on the subsidy removal but he must be courageous to pursue the subsidy Cabals and recover all the stolen monies from them and prosecute them accordingly,” he said.

He said, the President had also demonstrated leadership by carrying every region along in the appointment of Service chiefs, regardless of party, ethnicity and religion and should also be commended.

Also, Senator representing Southern Kaduna, Senator Sunday Marshal Katung commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the appointment of the new Service chiefs which he described as a demonstration of equity and justice.

Katung urged the new Service Chiefs to address issues of insecurity ravaging the country particularly the northern region holistically and urged the President to provide palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

The ECWA President and also Vice President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr Stephen Baba Panya commended President Tinubu on the fuel subsidy removal and the appointment of Service chiefs, saying the President was making deliberate efforts to avoid lopsided appointments like it was witnessed in previous administration.

Ahead of the Eid el-Adha festival on Wednesday, Islamic clerics have advised Muslims to shun desperation, but celebrate the festival within their means.

The clerics, who spoke to The PUNCH on Sunday, urged Muslims to seek Allah’s pleasure with the resources available to them and not get themselves into financial trouble over Sallah festival.

Responding to questions by our correspondent on Sunday, the Chief Imam of the University of Abuja, Prof. Taofeek AbdulAzeez, warned Muslim faithful against borrowing for the Sallah celebration, admonishing them to buy only what they can afford.

He said, “They should buy what they can afford. They should please Allah alone; desperation is not a way to please Allah.

“They should buy what they can afford and must not borrow.”

Speaking on the essence of the Eid-el Adha festival, the cleric said, “It is a sign of submission, sacrifice and patience of our father, Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

“We should be patient over domestic crises which resulted in the relocation of the younger wife to Makkah and the establishment of Makkah for Hajj rites, and other Islamic contents. We should also learn sacrifice and submission, sincerity and perseverance.”

Also, the Secretary-General of League of Imams and Alfas in Ogun State, Sheikh Tajudeen Adewunmi, harped on the need for moderation during the celebration.

Adewunmi said, “It is not compulsory for Muslims to slaughter rams; only to those who can afford it should do so. Allah does not suck blood and neither does He eat flesh, what He needs is for mankind to have His fear.”

Similarly, the deputy Chief Imam, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Sharafadeen AbdulKareem,said, “It is not acceptable for any Muslim to borrow money when he has no capability. But if he belongs to a cooperative society and the body is ready to lend him money for the Sallah, he can go ahead.

“If he is a civil servant that wants to use his or her salary to buy ram, he can borrow money and buy it. Allah does not accept anyone’s worship that is desperate.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Friday staged a peaceful protest, demanding the reversal of over 300 per cent increment in school fees at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma.

Recall that the state government increased AAU fees to between 741,000 and N638,00 as against 185,000 and N216,000 being paid previously.

The protesting student also demanded the sack of the Special Intervention Team (SIT), set up by the state government to oversee the affairs of the institution, as well as the acting vice chancellor of the university, Prof Sonnie Adagbonyin.

Addressing journalists, NANS vice president, Intercampus Affairs, Comrade Vanessa Egheahie, said NANS would storm the institution if the state government failed to revert to the old fees, saying students from poor parents cannot afford to go to school with the new fees.

According to him, with the new fees, AAU has become the most expensive public university in Nigeria.

“Law students are expected to pay 741,000 as against 185,000 while medical science students are to pay 638,000 as against 216,000 for new students.

“We are angry because the Edo State Government and the AAU Special Intervention Team (SIT) have increased the school fees for AAU students by over 360 per cent,” he said.

He said the state government was making it impossible for poor people to go to school.

“It is not possible. Remember that Edo is 78 per cent civil service state. How can children of traders, civil servants and other low income earners pay this kind of school fees? The Edo State Government has told us that they have a low education policy and they don’t care if we end up on the street,” he said.

Also speaking, the secretary-general, NANS, Zone B, Comrade Isaac Ogieva, said when the fee was increased, they went to the school management and pleaded that they should consider the poor ones in school, who are the ones sponsoring their education.

The sum of N115bn was spent on the importation of arms and ammunition into the country in the first quarter of the year.

This was revealed in the National Bureau of Statistics report on trade statistics obtained by our correspondent.

The data for the report is from the Nigerian Customs Service through the Integrated Customs Information System, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, various companies in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Angila International Limited, Neroli Technologies Limited, Gojopal Nigeria Limited, Carmine Assayer Limited, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Ports Authority, among others.

The report covers importation between January and March 2023.

However, the report did not state which agency or security outfits brought the arms and ammunition into the country.

Findings by our correspondent showed that the amount spent on the importation of arms and ammunition was higher in 2023 compared with the last two years.

Within the same period in 2022, arms and ammunition worth N4.9bn were imported into the country while in 2021, the amount spent was N37bn.

A security expert, Chidi Omeje, said the increase in the amount spent on imported weapons reflected the scale of security challenges bedevilling the country.

He said, “The multiplicity of internal security challenges is responsible for the increased importation of weapons in 2023. You have terrorists in the North-East, bandits in the North-West and the North Central. You have a violent separatist agitation in the South-East; there are oil thefts and attacks on our maritime assets in the South-South and kidnapping and armed robbery in the South-West. All these require arms and ammunition; electoral violence could also form part of it.’’

He said the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria should be revamped to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign countries for arms and ammunition.

Omeje said, “The under-performance of DICON is responsible. The organisation was established the same period as its counterpart in India and other countries; but today, other countries are far ahead of ours. They are producing high calibre weapons but here we are, our DICON is still stuck with the production of furniture and what have you.

“You cannot rely on DICON for the production of these weapons needed by the security operatives to combat all manner of insecurity bedevilling the country. You have a country that is practically at war, you cannot wait for DICON. It is worrisome that we are still heavily dependent on foreign countries for all our weapons. The new government must make sure that DICON lives up to its responsibilities.”

Electricity Distribution Companies have stated that tariff will increase from July 1, 2023.

In statements sent to respective consumers on Sunday night, the DisCos stated that the review was due to the fluctuation of the maira in the exchange rate market.

This statements which were worded in similar fashion included that of Abuja DisCo, Eko DisCo and Ikeja Disco.

“Effective July 1st 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review to the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.”

“Under the MYTO 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption.”

“For customers within band B and C, with supply hours ranging from 12 to 16 per day, the new base tariff is expected to be N100 per kWh while Bands A with (20 hours and above) and B (16 to 20 hours) will experience comparatively higher tariffs.

“For customers, with a prepaid meter, we encourage you to consider purchasing bulk energy units before the end of this month as this will allow you take advantage of the current rates and potentially make savings before the new tariffs come into effect.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August,” read a statement from Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.

On its part, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) said, “Dear Customers, electricity tariffs are set to go higher on July 1st due to the floating exchange rate. MYTO 2022 set the exchange rate at N441/$1, which may now be adjusted to about N750/$1. We may be looking at a base tariff of N100 per kWh for Band C (12 – 16 supply hours per day).

“Bands A (20 hours and above) & B (16 – 20 hours) will be much higher. If you have a prepaid meter, buying bulk energy units for your home or office before the end of the month may help you make some savings before you have to buy at the new rate.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August. Please take note. Electricity units are set to jump by 30-40% in just over a week. You are best advised to buy as many units as you can before July 1.”

While ??? ??????????? ???????????? ??????? (????) said, “Dear Customers, electricity tariffs are set to go higher on July 1st due to the floating exchange rate. MYTO 2022 set the exchange rate at N441/$1, which may now be adjusted to about N750/$1.

“We may be looking at a base tariff of N100 per kWh for Band C (12 – 16 supply hours per day). Bands A (20 hours and above) & B (16 – 20 hours) will be much higher.

“If you have a prepaid meter, buying bulk energy units for your home or office before the end of the month may help you make some savings before you have to buy at the new rate.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, on Sunday, confirmed the arrest of two Ghanaians, Monday Saba and Hakeem Kwana, and 11 other suspects for drug-related offences in different parts of the country.

The agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed the development, said officials of the agency intercepted two imported consignments of a strong strain of cannabis known as loud, with a combined weight of 5,344.1 kilograms along the in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

He also revealed that based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives ambushed a white truck conveying 50 jumbo bags of the illicit substance weighing 2, 434.1kg along the Epe-Lekki Expressway in the early hours of Monday, June 19.

Babafemi said the driver jumped out of the vehicle and escaped in a security van escorting the truck conveying the drug exhibits, adding that the anti-narcotics officers demobilised the truck.

The NDLEA spokesman explained further that the following day, officers of the marine command of the agency, while acting on intelligence, intercepted a boat loaded with the same imported substance weighing 2,910kg around Alfa Beach upon arrival from Ghana.

Babafemi said, “Two Ghanaians, Monday Saba, 30, and Hakeem Kwana, 27, found with the consignments, were promptly arrested. In Niger State, two suspects, Abubakar Mohammed, 32, and Nuhu Sale, 43, were arrested on Sunday, June 18, along Abuja Expressway, Suleja, with 31 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 517kg, while 30-year-old Amina Alilu was arrested with 171kg of the substance on Wednesday, June 21, at Ogbogodo village, Dekina LGA, Kogi State.

“A suspected fake female security agent, Ogedegbe Dorcas, 34, was also nabbed at Ajegunle, in the Asa Dam Area of Ilorin, Kwara State, with 30kg of cannabis on Thursday, June 22, while in Oyo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 42-year-old Segun Olajide with 49.2kg of same substance on Saturday, June 24, in Oyo town.

“Operatives in Edo State stormed Ekudo Forest, Uhunmwode LGA, where they destroyed a cannabis farm measuring 2.494863 hectares, recovered processed weeds weighing 67kg and arrested six suspects including Onyeka Onyedinma, Monday Onyedi, Alex Eboh, Edosa Imariagbe, Godbless Tunde and Godstime Osarobo in the early hours of Monday, June 19.”