Manchester City’s recent success is highlighted by a quick glance at their net spend per trophy over the past 10 years, with Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest following behind.

Bankrolled by billionaire owners, Premier League clubs have been throwing money at new players in the hope it translates to results on the pitch.

Using data from Transfermarkt, we’ve looked at the net spend per trophy won for the ‘big six’ Premier League clubs since 2013-14.

Note: we’ve not included the Community Shield as a major trophy.

The figures show that City are obviously dominating in terms of getting a return on their investments, and while Arsenal have closed the gap considerably, failure to win silverware means their recent heavy investment is looking a little desperate.

Manchester United have the biggest net spend of any Premier League side since 2014, which doesn’t reflect well on their trophy haul since then.

1. Arsenal

Transfer expenditure: €1.37billion
Transfer income: €381.8million
Net spend: €992.09million

Trophies won: 4
Net spend per trophy: €248.02million

2. Chelsea

Transfer expenditure: €2.09billion
Transfer income: €1.37billion
Net spend: €718.38million

Trophies won: 8
Net spend per trophy: €89.80million

3. Liverpool

Transfer expenditure: €1.20billion
Transfer income: €708.97million
Net spend: €493.56million

Trophies won: 6
Net spend per trophy: €82.26million

4. Manchester United

Transfer expenditure: €1.66billion
Transfer income: €418.50million
Net spend: €1246.16milion

Trophies won: 4
Net spend per trophy: €31.15million

5. Manchester City

Transfer expenditure: €1.70billion
Transfer income: €689.30million
Net spend: €1008.52million

Trophies won: 15
Net spend per trophy: €6.72million

6. Tottenham 

Transfer expenditure: €1.12billion
Transfer income: €594.02million
Net spend: €523.61million

Trophies won: 0
Net spend per trophy: N/A

[planetfootball]

The 22-year-old was an unexpected success story during his loan spell with Reims last season, finding the back of the net 21 times in 37 Ligue 1 appearances.

Balogun's impressive exploits in France caught the eye of the USA international team, and having played for England at youth level, he pledged allegiance to the Stars and Stripes earlier this year.

The former Middlesbrough loanee took no time at all to adapt to the rigours of senior international football, scoring in his second appearance against Canada in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Reims were keen to convert Balogun's loan switch into a permanent move, but the French side did not possess the financial firepower to poach the striker permanently, and he has since returned to Arsenal for pre-season.

Balogun played in the second half of the Gunners' recent friendly draw with Nurnberg, and he was recently named in their travelling squad for their pre-season tour of the USA.

However, it remains to be seen if the 22-year-old can force his way into the first-team setup amid competition from Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz.

Inter are thought to be weighing up an approach for the Arsenal man, as the Nerazzurri seek out alternatives to Romelu Lukaku, having dropped their interest in the Chelsea man after learning of his talks with Juventus.

Now, Gianluca Di Marzio claims that Milan are also plotting a move for Balogun, as the Rossoneri prepare for life without the recently-retired Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Balogun is still under contract with Arsenal for another two years, and the Gunners are reportedly ready to demand as much as £50m to let the 22-year-old leave in the current window.

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta opened the door for Balogun to make his mark in pre-season when asked after the draw with Nurnberg if he wanted to see the striker remain at the Emirates.

"Yeah. He's just staying here with us at the moment and we will see what happens," Arteta told reporters. "This is what he has been doing and that's why we gave him the minutes that he deserves to show what he can do."

Balogun joined Arsenal's academy in 2011 but has only made 10 competitive appearances for the first team so far, registering two goals and one assist in the 2020-21 Europa League.

A shock switch to Chelsea has also been mooted for the striker, although it is unclear if he would be willing to swap the Emirates for Stamford Bridge - a path that fellow Hale End product Omari Hutchinson walked down last year.

Arsenal will face the MLS All-Stars, Barcelona and Manchester United as part of their USA tour, kicking off against the former in Washington on Wednesday.

[sportsmole]

Nigeria's Women World Cup squad received a warm First Nations welcome in Bribane, Australia.

Some of Nigeria's staff and players joined, Saturday (Jul. 16), their host performing traditional dances.

The ceremony took place 4 days before the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off.

The Nigerians will start their World Cup campaign by facing Canada on Friday (Jul. 21).

This year’s edition of the tournament is the third time the two teams will be clashing in the World Cup, with the West African side undefeated in the previous two head-to-heads.

They'll then clash with Australia four days after Cananda and with the Republic of Ireland also four days after Australia.

The four teams make up group B.

The 9th FIFA Women's World Cup is hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

The Super Falcons have participated in the past six editions. Their best showing to date is a quarter-final appearance in the 1999 World Cup.

Nigeria is one of four squads from Africa which qualified this year.

Zambia is in Group C and will play Spain, Costa Rica and Japan.

South Africa in Group G will go head-to-head with Sweden, Italy and Argentina.

Morocco in Group H will play Germany, Colombia and The Korea Republic.

[africanews]

• SERAP calls for the cancellation of the plan to spend N40 billion on luxury cars for members and N70 billion as “palliatives” for new members of the National Assembly.
• SERAP criticizes the increase in the National Assembly budget, arguing that it violates fiduciary duties and neglects the welfare of over 137 million poor Nigerians affected by the removal of fuel subsidies.
• SERAP threatens legal action if the requested measures are not taken within seven days, stating that the proposed spending is a breach of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas “to drop the scandalous plan to spend N40 billion on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70 billion as ‘palliatives’ for new members.”

The advocacy group has urged the National Assembly leaders to repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110 billion, reflect the current economic realities in the country, and address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on the over 137 million poor Nigerians.

SERAP also urged them to “request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, to redirect the N110 billion to address the situation of the over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, for the approval of the National Assembly.”

This disclosure is contained in a letter dated July 15, 2023, and signed by the Deputy Director of SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, where he noted that this travesty and apparent conflicts of interest and self-dealing by members of the National Assembly must stop.

According to reports;

• “While N70 billion ‘support allowance’ is budgeted for 306 new lawmakers, only N500 billion worth of palliatives is budgeted for 12 million poor Nigerians.
• N40 billion is also allocated to buy 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.”

SEARP to sue NASS within 7 days if.

SERAP said it was a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase their budget and to use the budget as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers.

The letter from SERAP partly reads,

• “It is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for members of the National Assembly to unjustifiably increase their budget at a time when over 137 million poor Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy.
• “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of this letter’s receipt and/or publication. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.
• “Rather than exercising their constitutional and oversight functions to pursue the public interest by considering bills to improve the conditions of the over 137 million poor Nigerians who are facing the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, the lawmakers seem to be looking after themselves.
• “According to reports, no fewer than 107 units of the 2023 model of the Toyota Landcruiser and 358 units of the 2023 model of Toyota Prado would be bought for the use of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.
• “The planned purchase is different from the official bulletproof vehicles expected to be purchased for the four presiding officers of the National Assembly.”

N110 billion different from already provided N281 billion

It said;

• “The proposed spending of N110 billion by members of the National Assembly is apparently on top of the N281 billion already provided for the lawmakers in the 2023 National Assembly budget. The proposed spending is also different from the N30.17 billion budgeted for the ‘inauguration expenses’ for new members.
• “SERAP is concerned that the budget for the National Assembly may further be increased as members are reportedly demanding an upward review of their salaries and allowances purportedly to offset the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.
• “Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
• “Under Section 16(1)(a)(b), the National Assembly has the obligations to ‘harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy’, and to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.
• “Section 18 of the Constitution of Nigeria provides among others that: ‘Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
• Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end, Government shall provide (a) free, compulsory, and universal primary education.
• “The proposed spending of N110 billion by members of the National Assembly is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.
• “Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials including lawmakers, as public officials owe a fiduciary duty to the general citizenry.
• “Cutting the N110 billion from the budget of the National Assembly would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office, and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, as it would promote efficient, honest, and legal spending of public money.
• “Under international law, states are required to progressively implement socio-economic rights including the right to quality education commensurate with the level of resources available.
• Gross misallocation of resources to the detriment of the enjoyment of the right to quality education can constitute a human rights violation.”

 [Nairametrics]

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organisation has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergence over the sit-at-home order in the Southeast.

Ohanaeze said declaring a state of emergency would send a strong signal to the Southeast governors, who would now be compelled to find a lasting solution to the order.

DAILY POST recalls that a Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, had severally declared sit-at-homes in the Southeast.

The order by Ekpa had aggravated the crisis in the Southeast, a situation that had led to an attempt to cripple the economic activities of the region.

Reacting, Ohanaeze’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the body would not allow Ekpa to destroy the economic activities of the Southeast.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Isiguzoro said: “A desperate moment needs desperate action. We want to warn again that Ohanaeze will not fold its arms and allow miscreants to destroy economic activities in the Southeast.

“If possible, where this sit-at-home is happening should be declared a state of emergency. This is what Tinubu would do that will make the Southeast governors sit up and find a lasting solution to the problem.

“Ekpa has declared a second Biafra War, which Igbos are not ready to fight. Igbos are supporting Tinubu and would assist in ensuring that this rebellion is squashed.

“Ekpa’s action is an attempt to divide Igbos, and we wonder why Peter Obi and the rest are not talking. We hope this is not a conspiracy against the president.”

[DailyPost]

Two significant events will take place on July 28 in Lagos. The first will be the unveiling of the historic Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA); the other will be a gathering of great sportsmen and women who would shine like a million stars at a gala evening at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The backstory of these two events revolves around Segun Odegbami, the famous footballer with the sobriquet, “Mathematical”, in view of his brilliant moves and scoring prowess when he played  in the far right position with his No 7 jersey for the national football team, the Green Eagles.

It was in 1980 that Nigeria lifted the Africa Cup of Nations Cup for the first time inside the mainbowl of the National Stadium in Lagos after beating the Desert Warriors of Algeria 3 – 0. Odegbami – an incisive columnist and analyst, also known as “Big Seg” – was a member of that historic conquering team. 

The other players were Christian “Chairman” Chukwu (captain), Felix “Owoblo” Owolabi, Henry Nwosu, Adokiye “Chief Justice” Amasiemeka, Mudashiru Lawal, Best Ogedengbe, Tunde Bamidele, Godwin Odiye, Alloysius Atuegbu and Okey Isima.

But four years earlier in 1976, a Nigerian contingent of athletes had landed in Montreal, Canada for the Olympic Games, and they looked forward to winning laurels and becoming famous. The Olympic Games can catapult an athlete to unbelievable heights with mouth-watering endorsements in equal measure.

After the Nigerian athletes had spent a week in camp preparing for the games, the military government at the time decided to boycott the games to protest the apartheid regime and racism in South Africa.

The announcement was made on the eve of the opening of the games; so, you could imagine the shock and disbelief in the camp. To send a strong a message to the rest of the world that Nigeria was not joking, 27 other African countries joined Nigeria to boycott the games and all the athletes returned home.

Nigeria’s voice was strong and respected in global affairs, and sports was used as an instrument of international diplomacy. Nigeria invested heavily to support South Africa in the fight against apartheid. Will these sports heroes be forgotten forever? That would not be a good idea. Odegbami, convinced that he had a brilliant idea of recognising and celebrating these great Nigerians, spoke to Allen Onyema, the Chairman/CEO of Air Peace.

Onyema who is quick to spot a brilliant initiative when he sees one told Odegbami that he would sponsor the twin events of July 28. A press conference followed and we now have less than two weeks to the momentous events.

Apart from being the convener of the events, Odegbami would also be a recipient of the prizes as one of the sports heroes that should not be forgotten. Those to be honoured are the Olympic contingent to the Montreal Games and the 1980 Green Eagles players.

These great sports heroes – the list includes Charlton Ehizuelen, Davidson Andeh, Obisia Nwakpa, Dele Udoh, Godwin Obasogie – made a huge sacrifice that was unprecedented in Olympic history. Nigeria’s move to champion an African boycott of the games led to the end of apartheid in South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela – the symbol of the struggle – from prison after 27 years.

Mandela became the first black president of South Africa after the clutches of apartheid were dismantled and FIFA granted the country the rights to host the World Cup in 2010. 

At the Wall of Fame at NIIA, all the sports heroes would have their names written in gold. Under the leadership of Professor Eghosa Osaghae as director general, NIIA embraced the initiative and agreed to collaborate with Air Peace that funded the construction of the Wall of Fame – a laudable and historic monument.

However, about half of the 1976 Montreal Olympics contingent from Nigeria, according to Odegbami, have passed on, while six of the 1980 Green Eagles team have also died. About 10 of the honourees will be flying into Lagos from their base in the United States. 

After 47 years in the limbo, recognition has come through Segun Odegbami’s initiative that Air Peace has proudly identified with as sponsor. According to Onyema, the Chairman of Air Peace, these athletes who are still alive would not only be honoured and celebrated, they would also be named “Air Peace Ambassadors” and enjoy the airline’s 12 complimentary return tickets on domestic routes annually and one international flight to any of the airline’s foreign destinations until they pass away, in addition to a special cash reward that would be announced at the gala event holding on July 28.

“These athletes were already in Montreal before their dreams were cut short,” Odegbami reminded me in a telephone conversation. “History will be kind to Onyema for his generosity and kindness,” the former Green Eagles player added.

Onyema feels strongly that the national team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 were patriotic and worked together as a team. “The victory over Algeria was the best balm at the time to unite Nigerians after the civil war,” Onyema remarked at the press conference.

As a patriotic Nigerian who is committed to the task of nation-building and a Nigeria that works for everyone, Onyema enjoys supporting impactful humanitarian gestures. He set new standards in philanthropy when he airlifted Nigerians who were stranded in different parts of the world back home free-of-charge.

During Covid-19 outbreak, Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and the war of attrition in Sudan, Air Peace evacuated Nigerians from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, UK, South Africa and Sudan, and brought them home safely.

Long before former president, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, established the Amnesty Programme to bring about peace in the troubled Niger Delta region, Onyema was already in the creeks working with the militants through a self-funding humanitarian gesture to prevent further attacks on our oil facilities.

Rather than thank Allen Onyema, a detribalised Nigerian for that matter, for his kindness and humanity, former aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, using the free airtime he was given by Arise News to explain the stories swirling around Nigeria Air, told the world that Air Peace was a debtor-airline that “lacked capacity.” 

What is his problem with Air Peace? Sirika knew he was not telling the truth and he played aviation politics of the virulent kind on national television. He struggled hard to denigrate Air Peace which is easily Nigeria’s leading airline.

From available records, Air Peace has over 30 aircraft in its existing fleet and the airline placed an order for 13 brand new E2-195 aircraft, and another firm order of 15 Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10.

Onyema had his chance on the same TV station to hit back at Sirika, saying that Nigeria Air was a charade and that President Bola Tinubu should discontinue the project. 

In an earlier press statement, Air Peace refuted the claims by Sirika, describing them as “spurious.” The statement indicated that Air Peace has three Boeing 777 aircraft which were not leased or rented but purchased outrightly by the airline.

Air Peace, the statement further explained, also did not stop flying to Dubai because of “lack of capacity.” Air Peace has been flying into UAE since 2019, but in October 2022, the UAE government announced a total visa ban on Nigerians which has not been lifted.

According to the Air Peace statement, neither Emirates nor Air Peace is operating the Nigerian-UAE route since the ban. “The persisting non-issuance of visas and the accompanying inconveniences necessitated the suspension of our Dubai operations from November 22, till date,” the statement said.

Sirika knows that running an airline is not a child’s play in the kind of turbulent environment that exists in the industry. So many airlines were launched with fanfare but they have literally dropped out of the skies. It is a long list and Sirika can name them.

It was on October 24, 2014 that the inaugural flight of Air Peace took off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. Air Peace launched its operations eight years ago with fleet of seven aircraft – that was a record. The airline operated 14 flights between Lagos and four destinations, including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Owerri, carried over 300 passengers on its first day of operations. 

Now that we don’t have a national carrier, Air Peace has conveniently filled that vacuum, in spite of the challenging business environment. Nigerian airlines struggle with multiple taxation, unfavourable government policies, scarce foreign exchange, rising cost of importation, and dilapidated airport infrastructure while regulatory agencies politicise their oversight responsibilities.

Apart from flying many domestic routes and carrying more passengers than any other airline, Air Peace has expanded its regional and international routes and it prioritises passenger safety.

The airline remains resolute and, in my view, it will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the aviation industry in the years ahead.

Braimah is a global public relations and marketing strategist. He is also the publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://ntm.ng) and Lagos Post (https://lagospost.ng), and can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Ogun State Government has joined its counterparts across the world to commemorate the International Day of Cooperatives, applauding the immense contributions of Cooperative Societies to the socio-economic development and prosperity of the State.

The Governor of Ogun state, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the theme of this year’s celebration “Cooperative: Partners for Accelerated Sustainable Development” spoke to the need for all hands to be on deck to fast track the process of reversing the negative effects of fuel subsidy removal on the economy and people’s livelihoods.

The governor stated this at Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, while addressing members of the Cooperative societies in commemorating of their International Day of Cooperative.

He said, “In recognition of the active roles played by Cooperative Societies in our economy, particularly in the area of promoting brotherhood, good neighbourliness, economic freedom and self-realisation, our government has facilitated series of programmes aimed at encouraging more people to imbibe the spirit of cooperation and be active participants in both formal and informal sectors of our economy”.

Abiodun, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Oluwatoyin Taiwo stated that to ease the pains of fuel subsidy removal, the present administration would soon roll out a series of measures to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and palliative to cushion the effect.

He enjoined individuals and societies in the State to embrace best practices in the management of their affairs and deepen collaboration with the State government to take full advantage of opportunities to be provided in the critical sectors, including agriculture.

In his address, the President, Ogun State Cooperative Federation Limited (OGSCOFED), Alhaji Wasiu Olaleye said that the State's Cooperative societies provided credits facilities for more than twenty six percent (26%) of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the State.

He said that International Cooperative Day was aimed at strengthening and improving the cordial relationship between cooperative and other key players in the country, noting that this year's event celebrated branch by branch to create awareness at local base, in oder to send signal to the local administrator for postive contribution.

He said "Cooperative are businesses owned and run by people who share a common goal, and have a global impact and a human touch, they support sustainable development by giving people the opportunity to access financial services and earn a decent income".

In his goodwill message, the President, Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Head of Cooperative Movement in Nigeria, High Chief Tajudeen Adeola said that this day was to appreciate and celebrate the achievement of Cooperatives in Nigeria, saying that it was imperative to advocate for more funds for the cooperators in the country. 

He implore the state government to disburse funds for the cooperatives in the state, so as to make them more active in the comity of Cooperative society in the country.

"Ogun state Cooperative society is second in Nigeria after Lagos, especially in terms of contributions, disbursement and active participation, we are imploring the state government to disburse more funds for the Cooperative societies in Ogun, so as to remain active and encourage more contributors and societies to be involved", Ayeola said.

Also, South-West Cooperative Leader, President Odua Cooperative Conglomerate, Elder Felix Ajibode, appreciated the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his moral and financial support towards the Cooperative society in the state.

He noted that the State's Cooperative societies was always known for the good and best in term of contributions, noting that they should sustain the temple for the growth and development of the entire cooperative societies in the country.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development and Cooperative, Alhaji Kolawole Ogunlana, noted that the Cooperative society contributed immensly, meaningfully to the growth and development of the socio-economic of the country.

He said that the state government would continue to contribute its quota to the growth and development of the Cooperative in order to remain active, noting that Cooperative was engine room to both micro and medium-scale enterprises of any society. 

The removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the first day of assumption of office was ill-timed, out-rightly ill-advised and uncalled for. The president and his team was in a better position to understand that without an enabling environment, a team on ground to drive policies, decisions made without right thoughts are always counter-productive. Nigeria is unfortunately a nation where government does not function as expected even when a team is in place let alone when there is none.

The decision had upon announcement immediately jolted the foundation of the market forces and sent shock waves through the fabrics of the general economy. Consequently, the people exposed to unimaginable hardships. Everyone is sad, pained and disenchanted as cost of goods and services increased exponentially and still increasing. The exchange rate and inflationary trend leaves everyone in awe. Even the rich and politicians are crying!

A nation and its citizens almost asphyxiated under the abysmal performance of the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari should have been allowed a moment to breathe fresh air. The people never got such needed reprieve. As usual, those in government who eat free of charge from our general purse, rarely go to market or fuel stations who took the decision never put into consideration the cumulative ripple effect of the policy on the people and economy. 

Amongst the myriads of problems confronting Nigeria, fuel subsidy was a creation of the political class and can be stopped by any serious minded government without necessarily creating undue hardship for the people. It is still a mystery to note that names of the beneficiaries of this fraudulent process is still shrouded in secrecy. The exact amount spent on subsidy from 1999-2023 is still in the realm of conjectures. Security agencies are only at work to unearth the mystery around subsidy scam when someone in the bad book of government deserves to be punished or humiliated.

Providing palliatives to cushion the effect of harsh policies of government or disasters has become a trend of governance in Nigeria. However, one sore and sour point of announcing and rolling out palliatives is its lack of positive or visible impact on the lives of the people. During the COVID-19 lockdown, hungry and unemployed citizens most especially youths have to break into warehouses almost throughout Nigeria where palliatives donated by international organizations and bodies for the people was stashed away from public knowledge by greedy politicians. The problem with almost all the citizen driven interventions in Nigeria lies not in its announcement or amount of funds approved but the way and manner of implementation. Another issue is the sub-heads under which funds are allocated. 

There are several odds against this N 500bn Palliatives proposed by government. First, there is no long term plan or concrete measures to cushion the effect on the lives of citizens who are already broke and pushed to the wall by the harsh economic realities on ground. The planned implementation period according to government will last for six months only. What happens afterwards? Will the nation attain self-sufficiency in local production of fuel and stop importation after six months? Are there immediate plans to make the moribund refineries working? Second, due diligence was not carried out on what constitutes better measures to take, owing to the way and manner the removal was abruptly carried out and pressure on government to provide succor or needed alternative. 

Third, payment of eight thousand naira to 12 million households is simply cosmetic just like the previous ones. How did government even arrive at the numbers? What could eight thousand naira possibly do for a family in one month? What is the mode of payment? How does government ensure transparency? Fourth, viral documents on social media detailing how monies were allocated to agencies of government like N70bn for the new members of the National Assembly and N35bn for the National Judicial Council (NJC) call for public scrutiny. 

How dolling out such humongous amount to the two bodies above will impact on the general wellbeing of the people is yet to be ascertained. There are strong beliefs in certain quarters that allocating money to the above organs of government especially the NJC has more to do with bribing judicial officers and influencing the outcome of the ongoing Presidential Election Tribunal Court sitting over the disputed 2023 presidential elections currently being challenged by Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidates of Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) respectively.

The government is invited to genuinely embark on long term measures aimed at stemming the tide of hardship instead of towing the same old fashioned cosmetic lines of the previous administration which is open to corrupt enrichment of those in charge. First, the nation should shift more to production and consumption of local goods including patronage of local services as a way of whittling down the high demand of the dollars. The demand for importation of foreign goods and services has to also reduce as a way forward. Second, we are an oil producing nation thus have no business refining our petrol abroad and then pay to bring it back home under any guise. 

Our local refineries should be made to function while more should be built. What does the nation gain from removing fuel subsidy and giving someone who claim to have completed a refinery the sole license to import fuel? Third, government should have thought of injecting the cumulative of N97bn amounting to payment of Eight Thousand Naira per month earmarked for 12 million households into buying transportation buses and hand them over to credible stakeholders or industry operators with a robust ticketing and payment system capable of bringing return on investment within five years.

Fourth, small and medium scale enterprises with the capacity to employ a number people should have been supported with free interest loans as a way of encouraging employment creation. The period of repayment could be spread over ten years. It is better to avail people of nets to catch the fish rather than giving them only fish. Fifth, government should identify poor rural bulk billed communities throughout the country and settle their electricity bills for at least one year to ease their burden. The past administration claimed to have provided palliatives worth trillions of Naira to cushion the effect of COVID-19, flooding and others but it has remained a classic example of failure as peoples' condition remained the same afterwards. This one should be different.

Sunday Onyemaechi Eze a Media and Communications Specialist. He wrote via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and can be reached on 08060901201