• Caretaker to conduct election  in party offices within 90 days

The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) escalated yesterday, despite a strident attempt to resolve it.

National Chairman, Julius Abure, rejected the 29-member interim committee headed by Senator Esther Nnenadi Usman, former Minister of State for Finance, describing it as illegal.

The committee was set up during the extended stakeholders’ meeting of the party convened by the Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the national leader of the party, Mr. Peter Obi.

Otti is the only governor elected on the platform of the party.

Nnenadi, who accepted to lead the party, promised to embark on a rescue mission.

However, the National Working Committee(NWC), led by Abure, a lawyer, described the committee as  unconstitutional.

Although Abure was contacted about the meeting by the convener, he did not show up.

The caretaker committee is made up of three representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), three representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), three Senators, four House of Representatives members, three House of Assembly members, representatives from six geo-political zones, and four former governorship candidates.

The committee’s term of reference is the conduct of party congresses and the national convention within 90 days.

Otti, who hosted the meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Umuahia, said there was an urgent need to save the party from an impending danger that may lead to its extinction.

The governor, who clarified that he was not interested in whoever becomes the national chairman, said if the party was not rescued, it may jeopardize its participation  in future elections.

Otti said while the Abure-led leadership has the right to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the court, it is better for LP to avoid  any action that may render its actions illegal in the future.

Obi, who described LP as the third largest party in the country, called for unity and support for the caretaker committee.

The NLC National Vice President, Salamatu Aliu, who witnessed the meeting, said the rule of law should be followed in setting up a transition committee.

He said the leadership should be put to rest, adding that previous mistakes should also be avoided.

In a communiqué read  by the 2023 deputy governorship candidate of the party in Plateau State, Edward Pwajok, the stakeholders called on party members in court to withdraw the cases.

They also affirmed their confidence in Obi as the national leader while hailing the setting up of the caretaker committee to fill the leadership vacuum in the party.

The stakeholders commended Otti for his effort to deliver the democratic dividend to the people of Abia State.

Nnenadi Usman, who promised to unite the party, assured that her committee will deliver on the assignment within 90 days.

She said LP should go into future elections as a united front, adding that the party can produce the next president in 2027.

A chieftain, Senator Victor Umeh, said those calling for the resignation of Obi as the national leader are on a white goose chase.

At the meeting were Kelvin Chukwu, Okey Ezea, Victor Lar, Nneji Achonu, Yusuf Datti, Ikechukwu Emetu, Obi Aguocha, Senator Neda Imasuen, Barr. Sunday Umeha, Deputy Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, Austin Okezie Meregini, some LP-NWC members, NEC members; NLC, TUC and other statutory members, former governorship candidates from the six geopolitical zones and Prof. Kenneth Kalu, Secretary to Abia State Government.

Abure rejects caretaker committee

The Julius Abure-led NWC rejected the caretaker committee,  describing it as illegal and unconstitutional.

He said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, that he remained the  legitimate national chairman.

It described the meeting in Umuahia as a “charade, a waste of time and resources of Abia People.”

The statement reads: “As clearly stated in our previous statement, the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and all others who have converged on Umuahia have no power within the Party Constitution, the Electoral Act and even within the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convene any meeting of the Party.

“The combined reading of the two provisions show clearly that the so called meeting in Umuahia is a charade, a waste of time and resources of Abia People.

“The premise on which Governor Alex Otti called the meeting is not only faulty but mischievous. Government business is not transacted verbally but through official communication and correspondences which are done in writing.

“As we speak, there is no communication whatsoever from INEC to the Party as regards any objection to the conduct of the National Convention.

“We challenge Alex Otti to produce the official letter addressed to him from INEC on the subject matter. There is no vacuum in the leadership of the Party.

“Consequently, the so-called caretaker committee set up by the Governor of Abia State is not known to the constitution of the Party and can best be described as a department in Abia State Government House.

“We are shocked to note that the so-called chairman of the caretaker committee is not a registered member of the Party. She surfaced during the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign to assist Peter Obi in his campaign.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says the federal government is more focused on arresting protesters than addressing the worsening insecurity in the country.

In a post on his X Page on Wednesday, Abubakar condemned the terrorist attack in Yobe state on Sunday.

On Sunday, Dungus Abdulkarim, Yobe police spokesperson, said suspected Boko Haram insurgents looted and set shops and houses on fire in Mafa village under Tarmuwa LGA.

Abdulkarim said the gunmen killed an “unspecified number of people and dropped some fliers with Arabic inscriptions”.

Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, also reported that the attack occurred during the Muslims’ Maghrib prayer when the gunmen shot sporadically into the gathering.

Makama said 34 worshippers were killed, adding that the gunmen also laid multiple explosives on the path to the village.

Meanwhile, Nigerians staged a 10-day nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest from August 1, demanding a reduction in governance costs, petrol subsidy reinstatement, food security, and fiscal discipline, among others.

The demonstration turned violent in some parts of the country and was characterised by looting and vandalism.

The police announced the arrest of the alleged perpetrators and secured an order to detain them for 60 days pending the conclusion of investigations.

One hundred and twenty-four protesters are in prison custody in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Ten of the 124 persons in custody took their plea on Monday before a federal high court in Abuja.

However, the former vice-president, while reacting to these developments, said the federal government has “preoccupied itself with stifling dissent and imposing death sentences on protesters”.

Abubakar said the “atrocity in Yobe is a stark testament to the failure of the current security framework, demanding immediate and comprehensive reform”.

“Despite the tragic bloodshed in Yobe, which has claimed scores of lives, and the rampant destruction across numerous villages in Katsina, Sokoto, and other towns within the North-West and North-Central regions, the government seems to remain detached, engrossed in inconsequential affairs,” Atiku wrote.

“The turmoil extends to the South as well, where the disquiet wrought by Boko Haram and the unsettling political discord threatens the nation’s peace.

“Amidst these grave challenges, the Federal Government preoccupies itself with stifling dissent, resorting to draconian measures such as imposing death sentences on protesters.

“The atrocity in Yobe is a stark testament to the failure of the current security framework, demanding immediate and comprehensive reform.

“My heart goes out to the victims of these horrific attacks, and I fervently implore the Tinubu administration to demonstrate a heightened commitment to safeguarding life and property across the nation.”

[TheCable]

Thirty years ago, Nigeria was in severe crisis. In the wake of the previous year’s elections that was annulled and the attendant protests, 1994 was an unpleasant time. General Sani Abacha had rigged his way into power through a coup and was setting the country on edge. Media houses had been shut, and journalists serially harassed and detained. Acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, was in prison along with scores of activists who had protested either the fuel prices inflation or the election annulment. Ken Saro-Wiwa too was in prison. The Niger-Delta region was restless due to the state-induced violence racking the region.

NADECO members were arrested and charged with treason for their audacity to challenge Abacha. Government critics had their homes raided, and some were attacked. That was the year Prof. Wole Soyinka went into exile. Decree after decree expanded the government’s power to punish. They could detain—without charge or trial—anyone suspected of subversive activities. The Senate that had been inaugurated the previous year was disbanded. Six of the lawmakers who had taken a stand against the government were arrested and charged with “treasonable felony and conspiracy.” They were initially granted bail, and five of them re-arrested months later. The sixth person? That was Bola Tinubu.

By now, I am sure you already see where I am going. As you would have read, this week the police arrested and charged 10 people who allegedly participated in the #EndBadGovernance protests last month for the same crime Abacha’s government had once arrested Tinubu: treason. Those 10 people, along with another 700 police said they also arrested, were some of the thousands who responded to the strangulating economic and political conditions the same way Tinubu and his fellow travellers did in 1994.

Tinubu is either forgetful of history or, since he once confessed that he took a major economic policy while under the influence of a “spirit,” has been fully possessed by Abacha’s ghost. It does not matter which is true; the shame is that a severe charge like treason is being trivialised by a government that cannot brook citizens towing the same path that brought him into power. I want to believe that Tinubu’s fellow pro-democracy activists, some of whom were imprisoned on frivolous charges during the dark days of Abacha’s rule, are looking at the unfolding chain of events and terrified at the uncanny repetition of history.

Wherever he is now, Abacha must be exultant. He should rejoice; he is not the only tyrant whose ignominious history would be tossed into the sewers of our national history. By the time their time passes, Tinubu and company would have personified the Orwellian pigs who became indistinguishable from the “man” they kicked out of the animal farm. When we find the mouth with which to tell the story, we will understand how we sought statesmen but were rewarded with executioners.

After reading the police’s press release issued by a fellow called Olumuyiwa Adejobi, I still fail to see how the protests are treasonable. Which “foreign sources” gave “substantial backing” to the #EndBadGovernance protesters? Or was it just that one Briton, Andrew Wynne, who constituted the so-called “foreign sources”? Given that last month, the Department of State Services also arrested about eight Polish nationals who were on an education tour in Kano State while the protests were ongoing, this might just be a case of using white Europeans to create a sensation. DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya said those Polish nationals were arrested “because of where they were found during the protests and for displaying foreign flags.” I am yet to understand the method to the madness of this “foreign-phobia” among our security agencies.

There are several wild accusations in Adejobi’s document that need substantiating. I am not saying Adejobi plagiarised Abacha’s playbook, but the allegations are a frightful recrudescence of the military era. He says, “preliminary findings suggest they orchestrated and funded violent protests…to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow…government.” But what is the pedigree of these individuals that they could organise what is tantamount to a coup? How would their supposed plan to overthrow the government through protests have led them to Aso Rock? Did they have an armoury, or the weapons of their supposed warfare were just placards? What were their plans to take over the National Assembly, for instance?

Adejobi also says they are investigating how these people planned to “orchestrate violence across the country”? I am genuinely curious how this bunch of individuals (including a shop attendant) can have the means to organise the violence that will disrupt the entirety of a complex country like Nigeria. Meanwhile, hear Adejobi on how they established Wynne’s guilt: We went to invade (Wynne’s) bookshop. As we asked questions, he came out. If you have a genuine business, are you not going to ask the police what we went to do in his shop or his office? You read that and you wonder at the quality of investigation that sort of rudimentary extrapolation of evidence can possibly produce. Meanwhile, let us not forget that the “comprehensive investigation” on which they planked their whole case took place in less than a month. If they are that efficient, how come they find it hard to solve kidnapping problems?

Whether they like it or not, protests are a democratic right. You can charge people who committed crimes of looting or violence during protests, but you cannot stifle the right to protest. I never thought the day would come that I would look back and compare Muhammadu Buhari’s government favourably with anyone, but looking wistfully from inside the fire of Tinubu’s government, I am beginning to think we were better off inside Buhari’s frying pan. Even in all his pathological madness, Buhari did not go to the extent of charging the #EndSARS protesters for treason. He did accuse them of trying to topple him, but the ghost of Abacha that had been haunting Aso Rock did not possess him fully. The ghost waited until the perfect person usurped his path into power before completing Abacha’s historic mission of perpetuating himself in power using democratic means.

You listen to the families of those arrested and you realise these people have no new game; they are stuck in historical time. Unfortunately, we are trapped along with them. The Nigeria of 2024 is not that different from that of 1994. There is hardship in the land. Prices of goods and services are skyrocketing; purchasing power is dwindling, and it is getting harder and harder to get by. The marriage of Asiwaju and Shettima of last year has become Àşetì 2023. Nobody’s hope has been renewed, and people are more combustible than the fuel they are expending hours on their lives on extended queues just to purchase. The days ahead are likely to be filled with protests, and the government is preemptively charging protestors with arrests to intimidate.

Meanwhile, this same government faces a million other challenges. There is economic insecurity, a serious threat to the lives and livelihood of Nigerians. Shouts of “ebi ń pa wá” have replaced the “on your mandate we shall stand” anthem in many mouths; hunger is resetting the political loyalties of those whose heads were climbed into power but have now been forgotten. The government appears confused by the complexity of the situation; they have undone several economic knots, and they know not how to re-tie them. Then there is the issue of kidnapping that has become a national epidemic and revealed the police as impotent. Let us not even talk about banditry, plus the one million problems of poor infrastructure that bedevil the country.

Rather than the Tinubu administration concentrating on what it can solve, it compounds its own problems by investing administrative time and energy hounding people for treason. Like the Yoruba door that eventually gets unhinged when endlessly swung back and forth, the Tinubu regime too has found the wàhálà that will wear it down. I almost feel sorry for them.

Three PMS vessels arrive, transport fares jump as major marketers raise fuel price

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has reportedly suspended the sale of Premium Motor Spirit – popularly called petrol – to independent marketers after it hiked the product’s price on Tuesday.

This is even as three vessels berthed at the Apapa, Lagos jetty on Wednesday to discharge imported petrol.

The price hike sparked a protest in Delta State as commercial tricycle operators, also known as ‘keke’ riders, took to the streets of Warri and Effurun metropolis to resist the price hike.

Checks by our correspondents revealed that commuters across the country were either stranded or trekked long distances on Wednesday as fuel queues worsened amid scarcity of the product.

Few commercial motorists came out for business, with most of them lamenting the agonising hike in fuel, barely a month after the hardship protest rocked the nation.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, told The PUNCH that the NNPC stopped selling fuel to independent marketers on Tuesday when it raised the price of a litre of PMS to N855 and above across its retail outlets nationwide.

Independent marketers sold the product for as much as N1,200 and N1,300/litre in some states following the upward review of prices by the NNPC.

Fashola wondered why the national oil firm would suspend the sale of petrol to the marketers take without any official communication, even when the marketers had paid for the product over two months ago.

Asked if it was true that many of the independent marketers did not go to the depot to lift fuel, Fashola responded, “What are they going there to do? They have stopped our loading. All the tickets we have in the kitties of NNPC, they are not treating them; everything has been suspended.”

When our correspondent inquired to know if the suspension was done despite having paid for the product ordered, he replied, “Yes, our tickets were suspended for loading. They have not been attending to us since yesterday (Tuesday), and there is no official communication yet.

“It is a very bad situation for somebody who has paid for the product, maybe like two to three months ago, and all of a sudden, you stopped loading, maybe because you want to change the price. And it’s not the fault of that customer, because it is supposed to be cash-and-carry. So, I think the NNPC should look at that situation critically.”

It was learnt that NNPC usually prioritised major marketers while IPMAN members resorted to private depot owners, who sold at higher prices, leading to a wide gap between the prices offered by both categories of marketers.

“We’re usually forced to go to private depots, it’s not out of our own volition. We were forced to go there because of inadequate supply,” Fashola stressed.

Speaking on the Dangote refinery fuel, which is expected to hit the pumps soon, Fashola said marketers would monitor the situation till Friday.

“We are watching the development. We are monitoring it; we will wait, maybe by Friday we will know where we are going by the time the Federal Government makes a pronouncement as regards the price. There is no official communication yet.”

The IPMAN official added that each filling station sold at their convenient price because NNPC couldn’t fix prices for other operators in the sector.

He stated that the new price announced by the state-owned company is only binding on the NNPC retail outlets.

“You know, NNPC cannot fix the price for us. They fixed the price for their stations; they are now a limited company. They have their retail outlets. That new price is their internal arrangement. So, we are yet to have an ex-depot price or marketer’s price,” he explained.

While believing that the new arrangement will close the price disparity between major and independent marketers, Fashola reiterated that at N855 per litre, the NNPC was still paying subsidy on petrol.

“I believe the price disparity gap will be closed somehow now. That is our belief. The truth is that, with the N855 in Lagos, and the landing cost of petrol, there are still some elements of subsidy. If the NNPC claimed that they are selling at half the cost of the landing price at N568/litre, it means the landing cost should be around N1, 200/litre. If they are selling a litre of petrol at N855/litre, there are still some elements of subsidy,” he added.

He said the association was expecting the details of the arrangement between Dangote and the government on the supply of PMS, especially as Aliko Dangote announced that the NNPC would fix the price.

“For now, we don’t have the details; it’s only Dangote who made the announcement that NNPC would fix the price. So, it’s in two ways. Maybe NNPC wants to act as an off-taker for the Dangote refinery, and they will now start distributing on behalf of Dangote to the marketers. There are a lot of things involved in this Dangote naira-to-naira transaction. There must be something that’s a factor. Maybe that will bring the price to a reasonable level, I don’t know. It may not be called a subsidy, maybe an in-house arrangement.

“If Dangote is buying naira-to-naira, there must be some little difference in terms of cost. It might be so small, but I believe there must be a difference. They know what they are doing, we are waiting for them to come out and we will react,” Fshola noted.

NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, did not reply to calls or messages from our correspondent on the matter.

The PUNCH reports that the fuel crisis that has lingered for two months worsened on Wednesday following the price hike.

Several filling stations seized the opportunity to extort customers who were in dire need of the product for their vehicles, power generators and other machines.

Some of the stations in Lagos and along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway sold petrol around N900 and N1,200/litre as the queues worsened across Nigeria’s commercial capital city.

Residents of Ogun border communities disclosed that they got PMS at N1,600/litre from black marketers, claiming petrol supply had been banned from the areas.

Though the NNPC denied ordering Tuesday price increase, all its retail stations have adjusted to the new price, leaving Nigerians not knowing who to believe.

Commuters were stranded as there were a few commercial buses on the road to convey passengers. The drivers conveyed only commuters who were ready to pay more for transport fares, blaming the rise in fares on the high cost of fuel

Three vessels arrive

The PUNCH gathered that three vessels arrived the Apapa depot in Lagos on Wednesday to discharge petrol.

Multiple sources told our correspondent that loading improved on Wednesday compared to Tuesday, when the marketers stayed away.

“Loading is picking up slowly. It is far better than yesterday (Tuesday),” a source said.

Another depot operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said supply was ramped up by the NNPC, the sole importer of petrol.

“Supply is good today (Wednesday). Three PMS-laden vessels are in Apapa jetty now as we speak. Two of them are already discharging the product,” the depot official said.

It was gathered that the NNPC was making efforts to sell its old stocks before starting its transaction with Dangote refinery.

While unveiling its PMS on Tuesday, Dangote announced that the product would hit the market in 48 hours, adding, however, that this was subject to the readiness of the Federal Government and the NNPC.

Nigerians are eager to know whether or not the Dangote refinery could crash the price of PMS.

TUC slams FG

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on Wednesday expressed shock and dismay over Tuesday’s hike in the pump price of petrol, demanding its immediate reversal by the Federal Government.

TUC in a statement by its president, Festus Osifo, contended that the sudden hike in fuel and electricity costs will exacerbate the poverty level, worsen the suffering and hardships across the country and may trigger social unrest.

The statement read, “TUC received the news of PMS Price hike with great contestation and grave concern. The burden of PMS price increase is huge and percolates all facet of our social-economic life.

“This sudden hike, implemented without consultation with critical stakeholders, represents a blatant disregard for the welfare of the Nigerian people, particularly the working class who bear the brunt of such decisions.

“The disturbing news of the increase in PMS pump price all over the country has sent a wave of apprehension and depression across the length and breadth of the nation.

“This is in the wake of an already existing unprecedented hardship upon citizens.

“In addition, we are deeply troubled by the further hike in electricity tariffs to 250 percent a service that is essential for the survival of the poorest in our society. The timing and magnitude of these increases, in the absence of any meaningful social security measures, demonstrate a lack of empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.”

It added, “Why does it have to be the common Nigerians bearing all the pains of high cost of living while those in power enjoy increased allocation and affluence?

“The government has not made any concerted efforts to reduce the cost of governance or personal effects, nor have they focused on directing resources or effecting policies that would strengthen the naira and improve the standard of living of our citizens.

“The Congress has long posited several strategies that should be activated towards improving the strength of the Naira and give value to every kobo spent by Nigerians as this is one of the root causes of all the economic woes we face as a country today. Yet much hasn’t been done about these recommendations.”

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday responded to the denial by the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, regarding an agreement on minimum wage and fuel price hike.

The union described Abdulaziz’s denial as “amusing” and questioned his credibility, suggesting he might be suffering from “selective amnesia” or “attention span deficit.”

The Presidency on Wednesday accused NLC president, Joe Ajaero, of playing dirty politics following his declaration that the Tinubu administration betrayed the NLC by increasing the price of fuel despite a mutual agreement.

Speaking in a statement signed by Benson Upah, Head, Public Relations, NLC, the union reaffirmed its statement, challenging Abdulaziz to reveal the truth about the presidential meetings with labour leaders. They also criticized his personal attack on Joe Ajaero, stating that Nigerians don’t need Ajaero to recognize the harsh realities of life under the current government.

“The union emphasised that Nigerians deserve a decent life, free from harassment and starvation, and warned that “falsehood does not live forever.” They remain resolute in their stance, despite the government’s attempts to discredit them.

“Whatever the matter is with Abdulaziz, we stand by our statement. And if Abdulaziz was at those meetings as he claimed, he should be courageous enough to let the  world know whether the President gave the labour leaders one hour to meet and resolve  to either  accept and allow increase or accept N62,000.

“Labour leaders instead chose to meet outside the Villa and report in a week. When they came back, they were blunt and rejected the offer.

“As for Abdulaziz’s side-dig, he should stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians as they do not need Comrade Joe Ajaero to know they have been taken for a ride and that life has never been this mean, all due to the policies of government.

“We also find it necessary to let Abdulaziz and those who sent him know that Nigerians are entitled to a decent, respectable life free from harassment, intimidation and starvation.

“Government may have all the ultimate weapons of coercion, true power resides with the people. Finally, we are also acutely conscious of the fact that falsehood does not live forever.”

Protest, lamentations

Commercial tricycle operators in Warri and Effurun metropolis of Delta State, alongside aggrieved women and youths took to the streets on Wednesday in a peaceful protest over the persistent scarcity of fuel amidst the hike in price.

The market women and the cyclists, in their hundreds, marched through the major roads, calling on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and reverse the fuel price hike.

The protesters carried placards and chanted slogans expressing their frustration and anger over the government’s decision to increase fuel price to almost N1100/litre, which they say has worsened their economic struggles.

Some of the placards had inscriptions such as ‘Tinubu, intervene now to alleviate commuters sufferings’, ‘Tinubu, activate Warri, Kaduna refineries without further delay’, and ‘We are suffering in silence, the fuel price hike is a killer.’

One of our correspondents observed that most of the filling stations along the Warri-Sapele road were shut to motorists on Wednesday morning while the few that were open for business sold petrol at above N1,000.

Consequently, the development had adverse effects on commuters within the metropolis as well as inter-state travellers as motorists adjusted their transport fares upwards.

Workers ride bicycles

Following the increase in pump price on Tuesday, more residents and workers, including civil servants in Borno State, have embraced trekking, tricycles and bicycles for mobility.

During the early hours of Wednesday in Maiduguri, the state capital, there were less vehicles and more pedestrians on major roads.

Some residents of Nasarawa State lamented the hike after it forced many of them to resort to trekking as they could not afford the luxury of boarding tricycles and buses.

The product, which used to be sold between N930 and N950/litre in most stations in Lafia and its environs, is now sold between N990 and N1,000/litre.

Our correspondent in Lafia observed on Wednesday that many workers and businessmen trekked short distances to their workplaces to avoid spending outside their budgets.

Tricycles, motorcycles and vehicles operators in the state capital had jacked up their prices for both short and long distances due to the rising cost of fuel.

Tricycle riders in Lafia had fixed N250 for a drop per passenger but with the increase in price, the transporters jacked up their prices to between N350 and N400.

In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, residents stayed indoors following the increase in fuel price.

There was a dearth of vehicles on the streets of Ilorin as a result of the increase in the price of PMS.

Many vehicle owners, who were caught unaware, angrily abandoned their cars at home or parked by the roadside to make use of commercial motorcycles and tricycles to their respective destinations.

A litre of petrol was sold at N870/litre at NNPC stations while independent marketers sold at between N950 and N1,200/litre.

However, commercial vehicle operators in Ilorin complained of low turnout by passengers.

Similarly, one of the leaders of IPMAN in the state, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, tasked the Presidency to halt what he described as “their flamboyant lifestyles” while masses were being pushed deeper into poverty.

The septuagenarian told The PUNCH that it was regrettable that the Presidency was travelling around the globe in needless multi-billion Naira private jets while its citizens lived in penury.

He said, “There has to be a social service that any government must provide for her people but the present government hasn’t done anything in this regard. Instead all of them, the Presidency and National Assembly members, are living flamboyant lifestyles while the masses are suffering more and more.

“The former price of N580/litre was on a very high side, we complained bitterly against it and expected that Dangote product would give us a relief but here we are with another increase and all manner of sabotage stories about Dangote refinery. What kind of a government is this?” “I haven’t sold PMS for over three months now because of the increase because I can’t stand people’s curses on me for what I don’t know anything about.”

The hikealso left hundreds of commuters stranded in Kaduna, with many filing stations closing shop or selling at exorbitant prices.

On Wednesday, residents were forced to trek long distances or opt for expensive alternative transportation.

Journalist Amos Mathew parked his car due to the hike, spending N400 on a tricycle ride instead of the usual N100.

[Punch]

Our movement was fairly routine. We would fly into Katsina Airport from Abuja and drive straight to the presidential lodge. But on this occasion, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua changed the protocol. “Please drive straight to my mother’s place. I came purposely to see her.” Prior to that day, only the ADC, Mustapha Onoyiveta, CSO, Yusuf Tilde, SA Domestic, Hamza Nadada, PLO, Habu Habib, Chief Physician, Salisu Banye and Alhaji Inuwa Baba (the only ‘Senator’ with a global constituency) went with the president whenever he visited his mother. That occasion provided the first opportunity to meet Hajiya Dada, and I noticed something as we took turns to greet her. Though there were a few chairs in the room for visitors, the late president took his seat on the floor beside her mattress. Before we left them alone, I witnessed how the power dynamics in Nigeria had changed as Yar’Adua attended to his mother in awe. When he eventually came out of the room, he held a jug I was told contained fura da nono, a special delicacy she always made for him.

I arrived back to Abuja on Monday from China and was not feeling too well when the news broke that Hajiya Dada had passed. But I was determined to pay her my last respects by attending the burial slated for 1.30PM on Tuesday. I must therefore express my appreciation to the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje who provided a space for me on the aircraft that took him, his former Kebbi counterpart, Senator Adamu Aliero and Professor Modibbo Ahmed to Katsina. And I was impressed that Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election, Mr Peter Obi, as well as former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and many other important dignitaries defied the slight rain to attend the prayers on the football field of Katsina Township stadium.

In every sense, the late Hajiya Dada bore similarities to the late Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy of the United States. Mrs Kennedy died in 1995 at age 104. Hajiya Dada died at age 102. Mrs Kennedy was married to a top politician who chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Hajiya Dada’s husband was also a politician, administrator and Minister of Lagos Affairs during Nigeria’s First Republic. Mrs Kennedy had nine children, including a US President who died in office and two senators who also died in office, all during her lifetime. Hajiya Dada also had nine children, among them a former number two man in Nigeria, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and his younger brother, Umaru who died as president—both in her lifetime. Perhaps because of their longevity, both Mrs Kennedy and Hajia Dada also lost other children while alive. Fortunately for Hajiya Dada, she left behind Hajiya Habi, Malam Sule, Hajiya Hafisatu and Senator Audu Musa Yar’Adua (Audu Soja, as he is fondly called within the family being a retired Lt Colonel). And of course, she is also survived by Murtala Shehu Yar’Adua, a former Minister of State for Defence, among many grandchildren.

But the essential similarity between Mrs Kennedy and Hajiya Dada is that they raised extraordinarily successful children and suffered more than their share of tragedy. Even though both families were privileged, one could see the critical roles played by the matriarchs. This much was captured by Mrs Kennedy in her 1974 autobiography, ‘Times to Remember’, where she explained her role in bringing up her children to be who they were. “I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best I could bring to it,” she wrote as a testimony to her influence in how the children had turned out. “What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?”

Hajiya Dada was noted by many as an exceedingly spiritual woman whose guidance was sought by her sons throughout their lives. But she was also known for her uncommon special attention to detail, especially regarding them. The Director General of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Ms Jacquline Farris once shared a story with me. “When Umaru (the late president) took me to condole with Hajia Dada after Shehu died in December 1997, she went into her room and brought out his school uniform after hearing about my plan for the exhibition hall,” she said. “That she had kept it in her room all those years and knew exactly where she kept it amazed me.” And on the day that Hajia Dada visited the Centre, many people panicked when they couldn’t locate her whereabouts. “We later found her at the exhibition hall, alone”, evidently absorbing the environment while reliving the memories of her departed son.

Hajiya Dada left no memoir, but I believe she could say the same thing about her efforts in raising her children to who they were in Nigeria, just as Mrs Kennedy did. And there could have been no greater testimony than the number of people who gathered in Katsina on Tuesday for her burial. Most of them may never have met Hajiya Dada in person. Even some of us who had met her could not boast of any special relationship with her. We were there in Katsina simply to honour her illustrious children—a worthy legacy to her life.

May God grant her eternal rest.

But Where We Wan Go?

It is not the kind of argument a government official should be making but we live in a country where people say all kinds of things. “If NNPC imports PMS and sells to marketers at perhaps N600 or below, there’s no way that smuggling can stop,” theMinister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri said last week while arguing that the only antidote to fuel smuggling across Nigerian borders is to sell the commodity above the landing cost in a tacit admission of failure of critical institutions. “When smugglers are taking the products outside the country, even if you put all the policemen on the road, they are Nigerians; you and I know the answer.”

When the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) responded on Tuesday by jerking up the pump prices of fuel by about 50 percent, Lokpobiri became angry that Nigerians would hold the federal government to account on the issue. He would not even take responsibility for his own declaration a few days earlier. “We categorically condemn these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent,” he said in response to reports on the pump price. “Such a claim is entirely devoid of truth and should be recognised as an intentional effort to mislead the public. It must be stressed that NNPCL operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, with a fully empowered Board of Directors.”

It is not only Lokpobiri who takes Nigerians for fools on this matter of subsidy.  Several other operatives of the current administration have also decided to adopt the same lie: The federal government has nothing to do with the pump price, it is the NNPCL. But Lokpobiri is adding insult to injury with his CAMA tales. Meanwhile, it is not a secret that I endorse removal of fuel subsidy. It is an argument I have canvassed for more than two decades and my position on it has not changed. But implementing fuel subsidy removal at the same time as floating the Naira has proved to be a dangerous combination for the economy. Now things have gone haywire.

I have read people who blame the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for our woes. The usual argument is that the government is taking their usual pills. But that’s not my reading of the situation in Nigeria today. When Witold Henisz, currently theVice Dean and Faculty Director, ESG Initiative; Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management at the University of Pennsylvania, joined other leading academics to conduct research on market reforms in dozens of Third World countries, they were said to be looking for a link between failed or troubled reform efforts and the presence of the World Bank or the IMF. At the end, they reportedly found one interesting link. “If you see the IMF and World Bank influencing reforms in a country,” says Henisz, “It’s not a seal of approval. It’s a warning flag!”

That remains true of Nigeria today. We are in a serious economic crisis. The situation may have been exacerbated by the arrogance and thoughtlessness with which the Tinubu administration handled critical issues, but the problems preceded them. The challenge is that to get out of the mess, we require short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions. Part of the long-term solutions must include how to tackle the menace of a growing but largely unproductive population. I am aware that some don’t like to hear this but it’s an issue we must deal with. In 1960, the United Kingdom from where we secured our independence had a population of 52.2 million people whereas Nigeria was then inhabited by 45.14 million people. Today, the UK is 69 million, an increase of about 14 percent over a period of 64 years. Meanwhile, the population of Nigeria today is put at 229 million, an increase of about 500 percent! And we are talking of people with little or no access to education, healthcare and other basics of life.

However, that is not the issue for today as we seek to tackle the current challenge. In his 1923 work, ‘The Tract on Monetary Reform’, English economist and philosopher, John Maynard Keynes, made a profound statement though not often referenced in full.“The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead,” Keynes wrote but most people often leave out the next lines. “Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestuous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is past the ocean is flat again.”

It is not that Keynes could not appreciate the benefits of long-term planning. On the contrary, his thesis actually supports that. What he is saying is that you must survive today before you can envision tomorrow. That is a message for those who are formulating policies for this administration. Yesterday, I was listening to a radio call-in programme in the vehicle and many callers were expressing their frustration about the high cost of living which would be compounded by the hike in fuel price. The picture of deprivation painted by many was just too harrowing. One caller summed it up by repeatedly chanting, “Where we wan go? Where we wan go? Where we wan go?”

Most Nigerians are now at their tethers end. And they need solutions to their pressing challenges. Deploying the Sani Abacha tactics of intimidation, coercion and other forms of repression provide no solution. Beyond mismanaging expectations, I hope those in power today are not also poor students of history.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has warned the federal government that the latest increase in the pump price of petroleum products would worsen poverty among workers

The union said the sudden hike allegedly “implemented without consultation with critical stakeholders,” represented a blatant disregard for the welfare of the Nigerian people, particularly the working class who bear the brunt of such decisions.

In a statement by its president, Comrade Festus Osifo, the TUC urged the government to “immediately rescind these decisions, promote policies that will strengthen the naira, and take decisive steps to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.”

According to the statement, the federal government must “act swiftly to restore confidence and prevent further deterioration in the living conditions of its citizens.”

The statement said: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) received the news of the PMS price hike with great contestation and grave concern. The burden of PMS price increase is huge and percolates to all facets of our social-economic life. This sudden hike, implemented without consultation with critical stakeholders, represents a blatant disregard for the welfare of the Nigerian people, particularly the working class who bear the brunt of such decisions.

“The disturbing news of the increase in PMS pump price all over the country has sent a wave of apprehension and depression across the length and breadth of the nation. This is in the wake of an already existing unprecedented hardship upon citizens.

“In addition, we are deeply troubled by the further hike in electricity tariffs to 250%, a service that is essential for the survival of the poorest in our society. The timing and magnitude of these increases, in the absence of any meaningful social security measures, demonstrate a lack of empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.

“Why does it have to be the common Nigerians bearing all the pains of the high cost of living while those in power enjoy increased allocation and affluence? The government has not made any concerted efforts to reduce the cost of governance or personal effects, nor have they focused on directing resources or effecting policies that would strengthen the naira and improve the standard of living of our citizens.

“The Congress has long posited several strategies that should be activated towards improving the strength of the Naira and give value to every kobo spent by Nigerians as this is one of the root causes of all the economic woes we face as a country today. Yet much hasn’t been done about these recommendations.

“Congress stands with the working people of Nigeria who are struggling under the weight of rising inflation, a high cost of living, and a deficient work environment that fails to provide the basic standards of decency and dignity. The sudden hike in fuel and electricity costs will only exacerbate these challenges, leading to further hardship and potential social unrest.

“We urge the government to immediately rescind these decisions, promote policies that will strengthen the naira, and take decisive steps to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians. The government must act swiftly to restore confidence and prevent further deterioration in the living conditions of its citizens.

“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria remains committed to defending the rights and interests of Nigerian workers and will continue to advocate for policies that promote social justice, fair wages, and a decent work environment.”

[TheNation]

A Lagos-based mother of three, Okoye Ogochukwu, has cried out for justice after facing complications from poorly executed surgeries at Faith City Hospital in Ajao Estate.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Ogochukwu said she developed swelling and complications due to particles left inside her when she underwent a C-section in May 2023, to deliver her baby.

Following the delivery, she noted that she began feeling severe pain in her abdomen with swollen legs.

When she complained, she noted that instead of taking it with seriousness, her doctor, Ejim Chibike, made a joke about her pains, saying she was getting fat and needed to exercise.

She stated, “On the 2nd of May 2023, I was at Faith Clinic at Ajao estate. I had been admitted there days before for a caesarean section. On that, I had my baby girl via CS and three days later, I was discharged. The doctor who did the CS and saw me through my antenatal was Dr Ejim Chibike. So, after the childbirth, I noticed that my legs had begun to swell up whereas they didn’t swell up during my pregnancy.

“But after I had the surgery, I noticed my legs were swelling up which I complained about and they said it was normal, I was discharged and I went home. I had a routine appointment with Dr Ejim, a week check-up after I had given birth. I came to the hospital and I complained to him that my stomach was painful to touch, and my legs and whole body were in serious pain.

“So, I complained to him that I didn’t know why I was still feeling like this even though that was my first CS, I’ve had two other pregnancies and my stomach should have gone down but the doctor made a joke about it that I should lose weight that I’m getting fat.”

Only a few days later, her condition took a drastic turn for the worse. She was rushed back to the hospital, where she was told that Chibike was unavailable. Instead, another doctor, Johnson, attended to her and ordered a series of scans and X-rays where the result showed retained products of conception in her womb.

With this, Ogochukwu said she underwent another surgery to remove the object, noting that despite undergoing a second surgery at the same hospital to remove the object, her condition worsened as the surgeon left some stitches unremoved, leaving her with another hopeless as the pain continued.

She said, “I then insisted on seeing Dr Chibike since he carried out the caesarean section after staying in the hospital for days and it got to a point that it was my husband making noise about the whole issue that we needed to see Dr Chibike. Later we noticed that he was practically avoiding us as they kept saying he was busy attending to other patients. Despite being in the hospital for five days, he didn’t come to see me.

“After my husband’s outburst, they came and told us that I needed to go to LASUTH to do a CT scan and we did and came back to the hospital. On getting back, they had gotten a general surgeon because they didn’t have one before. Just a look at me, he asked if I had gone through a CS and replied yes I did. He could not even touch me because I was in severe pain.

“I was then booked in for surgery the next day by 8 am. On the night before the surgery, they brought a bill of almost N1.4m which we paid and they carried out the surgery the next day. When I regained consciousness after the surgery, I noticed pipes connected to my body. When I asked what they were meant for, I was told that when they opened me up, the abscesses had gotten to some delicate parts of my body so they couldn’t reach there to get the abscesses out.

“Eventually, a few days after the surgery, the surgeon came and removed the pipes and I was discharged after asking us to pay a bill of about N800,000. We pleaded with them for a discount but they declined. My husband then paid the bills and I was discharged. Meanwhile, Dr Chibike practically disappeared. They asked me to come a few days later to remove the stitches.”

She added, “We were relieved that everything was over. So, I went back for that and the doctor was pulling the stitches painfully and I was shouting in pain all through the process. So, another doctor you heard my scream came in and saw what was going on. He said the doctor removing the stitches was not doing it well so he took over.

“Unfortunately, the new doctor didn’t remove all the stitches leaving a part of it in my abdomen. So days after, my stomach started swelling again and I was in pain. So, I called my aunty who advised me to rush to a hospital in Oshodi to do another scan for us to know what was wrong.

“Meanwhile, before this, I had started discharging abscesses. So, when I was getting ready to go to the hospital, we discovered a stitch from a hole in my under stomach which was from the initial surgery. The whole busted and the abscesses were just flowing out in large quantity from the whole. It was a mess. I had to use cotton wool to pad it up then we raced it to the hospital.”

In the span of just two months, she said she underwent three traumatic surgeries, each compounding her suffering, adding that doctors eventually informed her that her womb was severely damaged and she would never be able to have more children.

“I wanted to have three children, but now I can’t have any more,” she said, her voice heavy with grief.

As if the physical and emotional toll wasn’t enough, she said the financial strain became unbearable as the family spent over N3 million on medical bills, with no assistance or acknowledgement from Faith Clinic, where the nightmare began, adding that when they sought compensation from the hospital, they were offered a mere N150,000—a sum that felt like an insult to the pain and suffering they endured.

She is demanding full reimbursement of the medical costs and a formal apology from Faith Clinic, which has yet to respond to their demands.

“They caused all this pain and still refused to take responsibility. I want the money they extorted from us returned, and I want a sincere apology for the emotional, financial, and physical agony they put me through,” she demanded.

All efforts to get the reaction of the management of the hospital proved abortive as calls, texts and email messages were not replied to.

[Punch]

Super Eagles and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.

Lookman made the award nomination list after his heroics in the Europa League final where he scored a hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen.

Other nominees in the men’s player of the year nomination list includes Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr, Man City’s midfielder Rodri and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal.

Ademola Lookman only African in full list of Ballon d’Or contenders

Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid

Lautaro Martinez – Inter

Ademola Lookman – Atalanta

Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen

Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid

William Saliba – Arsenal

Lamine Yamal – Barcelona

Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter

Rodri – Man City

Declan Rice- Arsenal

Harry Kane – Bayern Munich

Cole Palmer – Chelsea

Vitinha – PSG

Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid

Martin Odegaard – Arsenal

Dani Olmo – Barcelona

Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen

Mats Hummels – Roma

Erling Haaland – Man City

Nicolas Williams – Athletic Bilbao

Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen

Artem Dovbik – Roma

Toni Kroos – Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

Phil Foden – Man City

Ruben Dias – Man City

Federico Valverde – Real Madrid

Emiliano Martinez – Aston VIlla

Date of ceremony, awards up for grabs

The main award is set to hold on 28 October at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

The following awards will be up for grabs:

The Ballon d’Or – awarded to the best male player

The Ballon d’Or Feminin – awarded to the best female player

The Yashin Trophy – awarded to the best male goalkeeper

The Kopa Trophy – awarded to the best male player under the age of 21

The Gerd Muller Trophy – awarded to the best male striker

The Socrates Award – awarded to one player for their humanitarian work

Men’s club of the year award

Women’s club of the year award

Men’s coach of the year award

Women’s coach of the year award

Vanguard News

Callistus Okafor, factional national chair of Labour Party (LP), says the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee is illegal.

Okafor said this on Wednesday in reaction to the announcement of Usman, a former senator, as chair of a 29-member committee.

The committee was set up following a stakeholders meeting of the party convened by Alex Otti, governor of Abia and the most senior elected government official of the party.

In a statement, Okafor said Otti should provide a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that acknowledged the meeting he convened in Abia.

“Article 11 of the 2009 Constitution which is the only constitution known to the party according to the consent judgment delivered by Hon. Justice G. O Kolawole on the 20th March, 2018 categorically stated the four (4) organizations of the party; ward, local government area, state and national,” he said.

“Both Dr. Alex Otti and Mr. Peter Obi do not have the constitutional authority to convene any meeting of the party.

“We challenge Dr. Alex Otti to produce the official letter addressed to him from the Independent Electoral Commission on the aforementioned subject matter.

“Therefore, the outcome of the Umuahia gathering remains NULL AND VOID.

“We are committed to reconciling all members and groups, mobilize and conduct all inclusive and expansive congresses in wards, local government areas, states and the national convention that will achieve a unified, focused labour party that will redefine: political leadership in Nigeria.”

Julius Abure and Okafor, factional chairs of the party, had rejected calls for the stakeholders meeting, declaring it illegal.

[TheCable]