During a brief meeting between father and son, the late President John Kennedy reportedly asked: “Dad, can you lend me some money?” Seeing the look of disapproval from his father to what had evidently become incessant demand, Kennedy was said to have added: “Don’t worry dad, this time I will pay back.” The late ambassador Joe Kennedy (Sr) laughed and said to his son occupying the White House: “That will be the day!” What I took from the story is that U.S. constitutional constraints and the strength of their institutions, limit what a United States President can do, even for himself when confronted with personal challenges.

We may argue that American public officials, no matter how highly placed, cannot shun accountability without consequences, but many of the assumptions that people around the world have about their democracy have been shattered in recent years. But first, let me congratulate President Donald Trump whose rise, fall and rise (again) is beyond remarkable. Following his defeat in 2020, many publications wrote his political obituary and perhaps only a few incurable optimists believed at the time that Trump would ever return to the White House. He was dragged before many courts. His mug shot was taken like any common felon even before he was eventually convicted. At some point, Trump was also ostracised by social media mogul. Twitter (now X) was the first to de-platform him (ironically, the new owner, Elon Musk became his biggest supporter and financer in this election) before Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitch followed and YouTube removed many of his videos. To cap it all, Parler, the app where most of his supporters were then camped, was yanked off by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Despite all these, Trump took the Republican ticket with ease and has now won the election with larger margins than he did the last time.

In the months and years ahead, there will be books (and movies) not only on how Trump rebuilt the Republic Party in his own image to become an electoral winning machine but also on how he has exploited the weaknesses in the Democratic Party whose majority in American politics was once considered unassailable. Interestingly, last November, John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira released “one of the most influential political books of the 21st century”, according to New York Times but the lessons were ignored. Titled, ‘Where Have the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes’, the authors revealed how the party has alienated its critical constituencies: the industrial working class, the small towns, the newly immigrated, the Christian community etc. The authors—who in 2002 wrote ‘The Emerging Democratic Majority’—also argue that the party has been hijacked by shadowy interests that now call the shots with their Woke agenda. “Controversial views on social issues had begun to surface during Obama’s second term—not so much in Washington, but on college campuses and social media and in the foundations, publications, and groups that were aligned with the Democratic Party,” they wrote. In her review of the book last December, Jessica T. Mathews, an American international affairs expert, wrote that the issues driving most Democratic voters away include “trade policies that led to factory closures; spending bills that seemed to primarily benefit the poor at the price of higher taxes; immigration; and cultural issues such as abortion, guns, and furores over sexual identity.”

The issue of sexual identity is indeed the deal-breaker for some Democrats. There was a hint of that in the social media post by Kamaru Usman (globally renowned as a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist) on Tuesday. Born in Auchi, Edo State to a retired Major in the Nigerian army, Kamaru emigrated with his parents to the United States at age eight. This was the message posted on his X (formerly Twitter) platform with a photo of himself and Trump on election day: “Growing up Democrat and starting to understand the state of politics over the last few decades I know how I want to live and how to raise my family.” Trump responded to the message, viewed by more than 30 million people: “A great honor, from a great fighter. Thank you!”

Since most Americans vote for different reasons, as it should be, Kamaru was only expressing the kind of sentiment that swayed some people against the Democratic Party. The idea that your child can go to school a son and return as daughter, leaving you helpless, is a sore point for this category of voters. But there are other concerns. As Teixeira and Judis wrote in their book, the party has alienated those who see its leadership as supporting “strict gun control” in a country where many love their guns, opposing “measures that might reduce illegal immigration” at a period when nationalism is rising not to mention its “insistence on eliminating fossil fuels” which is taking away jobs, especially from rural America. The situation was not helped by how Vice President Kamala Harris appeared quite unprepared for the office to which she aspired, perhaps due to the way she emerged the presidential candidate in the first place.

Now that Trump is returning to the White House, what should Americans and the world expect? Eight years ago, I was in the United States in the days preceding his first election in November 2016, for a ‘Fellows Alumni Reunion Conference’ of the Harvard University Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs with the theme, “Confronting New Realities in an Uncertain World”. At that period, there was a great deal of apprehension about what could happen should Trump win. I recall Prof. Joseph Nye prefacing his dinner speech with a report in New York Times of that day that Hillary Clinton had 83 percent chance of winning: “That is 5/6 but who is going to feel comfortable if, like Russia Roulette, they put a gun to your head and say you have 1/6 possibility of your head being blown off?”, the former American Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs asked.

As it turned out, most of the fears about what Trump would do as president turned out to be misplaced. But if democracy is about healthy debate, respectful discourse and freedom of choice, Trump remains a threat to the American brand. In June 2020 while Trump was campaigning for re-election which he eventually lost, Wendy R. Sherman, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and former American undersecretary of State for political affairs (2011-15) wrote on the shrinking “moral authority of America”. This assigned role, according to Sherman, who led U.S. negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal, include “calling out human rights abuses, engaging with the world and the institutions of the world to be better; to fight for democratic values, to welcome people fleeing torture and death…to help ensure a better, more just world.”

The interesting thing is that Trump really does not care much about the rest of the world. Since he came on the scene a decade ago, he has shown clearly that he has little or no interest outside the United States which means that playing the role of a global cop is not for him. In his interview with New York Times before the 2016 election which he eventually won, his view was sought about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s order to detain thousands of Turkish citizens. Asked whether he would press Erdogan “to make sure the rule of law applies,” Trump responded: “When it comes to civil liberties, our country has a lot of problems, and I think it’s very hard for us to get involved in other countries when we don’t know what we are doing, and we can’t see straight in our own country.”

It is safe to conclude that Trump will have no time sermonising about civility, rule of law etc. anywhere there are elections in other countries. We saw during this election cycle and the two previous ones he participated in, that Trump was expecting nothing short of victory. Any other outcome would have been because he was ‘rigged out’. Meanwhile, throughout this campaign, as he did for most of his presidency, nobody was too high or low to demonise. He ‘elevated’ his main opponent and Democratic Party candidate from being ‘phony Kamala’ to ‘Radical Left Lunatic’ and he never forgot to throw jabs at others, including ‘Sleepy Creepy Joe’ (Biden), ‘Nasty Nancy’ (Pelosi), ‘Crooked Hillary’ (Clinton), ‘Foul Mouthed (Ilhan) Omar’, ‘Crazy Arnold’ (Schwarzenegger), ‘Brainbird’ Nikki Haley, Gavin ‘Newscum’ Newsom, even though he had ‘Lying Ted’ (Cruz) on his side this time.

He may have contested for, and won a democratic election, Trump uses the template of autocrats. But this ‘end justifies the means’ approach to politics has twice been validated by American voters so who are we to query him? The problem, however, is that in words and deeds, he has jeopardized the ‘moral authority’ that has for decades factored Washington into the calculation of principal actors at every election cycle in numerous countries, most especially in Africa. In the world in which we live, I don’t know whether that is good or bad.

As stated earlier, it is remarkable that Trump is going back to the White House despite everything that has happened in the last four years. But in his piece, ‘We Are, Officially, Doing This Again’, respected American political writer, Jim Newell wrote yesterday that Trump’s victory came as no surprise because “incumbent party had never won in an instance where so many Americans felt things were on the wrong track, and didn’t this time, either.” Democrats, according to Newell, tried for eight years to argue that Trump is a danger to the country and its democracy. “The case was made. And the voters who decided this election either didn’t buy it or concluded that it was worth the risk. Now we all get to find out together.”

No doubt, interesting days are ahead for the United States. And the rest of the world.

Remembering Ngozi Anyaegbunam

When I learnt last weekend that Dr Ngozi Anyaegbunam had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss. About three weeks ago, I just remembered that I had not spoken with her for more than a year (she used to call me occasionally, especially after reading my column) and I made a mental note to call her the next day. It was late at the time. Somehow, I forgot to make the call until I heard about her passage. An accomplished professional and a fantastic human being, Anyaegbunam was at different times a lecturer at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and a respected editor both at Daily Times and Champion newspapers. In her memory, I am republishing my column of 11 January 2007, ‘But the Cactus Survived’, which she provoked.

 ==============================================================

Tugging at my shirt last Monday afternoon, Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbunam said, “eh, Segun, just look at that. You can trust the cactus to survive the fire.” Anyaegbunam and I were at the ruins of what used to be the penthouse of the THISDAY headquarters razed by fire last weekend. Incidentally, I had been there several times with other visitors but for the first time, I noticed that the building was not all ruins, there were ‘survivors’ in the tragedy that consumed everything on the floor that had served as office to our chairman, Mr.Nduka Obaigbena.

While remains of books, computers, films, glasses, even bottles of champagne, littered the ground, you could still see evidence of life in the cactus plant that stood defiantly amid the rubble. Anyaegbunam said she usually looks out for seemingly innocuous things that make meaning after such tragedy, and she gave me a brief lecture on cactus plants which adapt to the desert by holding a lot of water for a long time. In fact, cactus is actually called desert plant by virtue of its capacity to survive in hostile environment.

As Anyaegbunam and I examined the rubbles and looked out for tit bits that may in their own way help explain the tragedy, I could not but reflect on the lesson from that cactus plant. Intense heat, searing sun, and lack of water are just a few of the challenges facing desert plants but the cactus, from what I have read, somehow manages to survive these harsh conditions. How do they do it? First, their leaves are adapted to conserve water because they are extremely tiny.

This is the way it is explained by botanists: In normal plants, small pores in leaves, that is the stomata, take in carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrate in the process called photosynthesis. These stomata also provide an exit route for the water vapour inside the leaf. A plant with many leaves therefore presents a large surface area capable of losing water vapour. In the desert, a leafy plant would quickly exhaust its water reserves. The secret of the cactus plants is that they carry on photosynthesis inside the stem instead of inside leaves. The stem then becomes the plant’s main photosynthetic organ and is used for water storage.

From all that we can see, the cactus is a rugged plant designed essentially to survive however hostile the environment might be. What cactus therefore teaches us is that life is not a bed of roses, and we should be prepared for the changing circumstances. That is the lesson of life anyway. In the last couple of days, we have received several visitors here at THISDAY, men and women who come to commiserate with us on the fire incident and the death, before that, of Mr. Godwin Agbroko, Chairman, editorial board. As usual, almost everyone feels that one needs to ‘be careful’. A good counsel, especially in times like this, but as the irrepressible Vanguard publisher, Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu (Uncle Sam), ever so witty, would say: “something has to kill you”.

So, it really does not matter whether the fire that gutted THISDAY office so soon after the death of Agbroko was an accident or arson. The reality of the situation is that reporters have their job to do and must do it. In any case, every job has its own hazards. Anyaegbunam blessed me last Monday with her observation on the cactus plant which conveys a rather instructive message. I have repeatedly gone back to look at all the plants that braved the intense fire and survived, at least initially. By yesterday afternoon, the conditions of most of the plants had started deteriorating with the leaves turning brown. I noticed that some of the flowers had started withering and the palm fronds too were going. The beauty of the cactus is that it would have little problem with photosynthesis since the stem and not the leaves help for that process. Even if other plants in that rubble eventually die, as they are likely to, the cactus will remain!

The lesson in that is simple. Inability to exercise strength in difficult times is one of the great human failings which means that perseverance is one lesson we can take from cactus plants. If we can reflect on our lives, we would probably recall instances where we felt helpless, vulnerable, and powerless; or otherwise, did not have the strength to meet sometimes harsh realities. In retrospect also, if we are honest, we will realise some of these situations were avoidable if only we had taken time to prepare to face these challenges. The cactus was able to withstand the fire and still stood. Because it has prepared itself for such conditions.

If we take the lesson from cactus plants to reflect on our country, we cannot but realise that we fail essentially because we do not plan ahead. We go for major football tournaments and still expect to win even while we go unprepared. Students take examinations they don’t read for and still expect to pass. We go into critical elections that we know four years ago we would conduct without doing the correct thing and still expect credible results. We hardly prepare for anything except to rely on last-minute miracles. That perhaps explains why, when the fire started raging on our premises last Saturday morning, all the fire fighters that came and could have limited the damage, hadn’t the requisite equipment to fight it. That is not the way of cactus plants.

In Nigeria today, we need the spirit of the cactus to survive the numerous problems that we contend with—even the ones that are self-inflicted. To do that, we need to care about the small details that most often make all the difference. Amid the ruins of the penthouse of our office, I have learnt significant lessons about plants that would serve us well in Nigeria today but one that seems more immediately appropriate is that notwithstanding the problems we contend with as a nation, if we persevere and prepare, we will overcome. If we have not started doing that, we need to begin to prepare like the cactus plants given that the environment, all factors considered, is equally harsh.

For business and politics, the Nigerian terrain is a rather difficult ones for those who would play by the rules. But that is no excuse for failure. If anything, it should toughen us for greater challenges. In my research into cactus plants, I came across this interesting internet story of a man who had four sons and wanted them to learn not to judge things too quickly. To achieve his aim, he sent them each on a quest, in tum, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful and that it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them. He said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. I have to add that you also cannot judge a nation by a season!

He concluded: “If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come.” 

Cactus plants have learnt to adapt to difficult situations to survive and that would serve all our people, especially in times like this. We must persevere. We must be resilient. We must never give up. And we should never forget Nigeria belongs to all of us.

NOTE: I wrote that column almost 18 years ago based on the observation of the late Dr Ngozi Anyaegbunam. And I still find it very instructive as I read it again. May God comfort the family she left behind.

• You can follow me on my X (formerly Twitter) handle, @Olusegunverdict and on www.olusegunadeniyi.com 

On Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, came down hard on the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the prevailing economic hardship in the country was a direct outcome of Tinubu’s incoherent plan, a development he equally attributed to the President’s hasty assumption of power without a clear cut policy direction.

Atiku was responding to the Presidency’s dismissal of his earlier submission on Sunday, regarding what he would have done differently if he had won the 2023 presidential election to keep the economy in a good standing.

He had insisted that the Federal Government cannot tax its way out of the present economic crisis in the country.

In a statement, “What we would have done differently,” Atiku had criticised the way the Federal Government managed the fuel subsidy removal, as well as the fiscal and monetary policies of President Tinubu’s administration, and outlined a set of policies he could have pursued if he were the President.

However, reacting through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency dismissed Atiku’s alternatives, saying it was lacking in detail.

Onanuga noted that had the former Vice President won the 2023 presidential polls, he would have plunged the country into a worse economic situation or overseen a regime of cronyism.

Atiku was quoted to have said: “Like many fellow Nigerians, I firmly believe that we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the current administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan.

“In stark contrast, my team not only devised a comprehensive recovery plan, but also welcomed significant input from Nigerians, ensuring that our approach was inclusive and well-considered.

“Is it not fascinating how the so-called tested Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the National Security Adviser, NSA, just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions? What a bold strategy!”

He mocked the Tinubu’s administration for its failures to address the hardship in the land, saying, “While prayer is a noble path to follow, the scriptures prescribe diligent labour and hard work.”

He maintained that many countries have emerged as strong economies by encouraging economic growth through low taxes, and wondered why Tinubu’s government was fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace.

“We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration.

“Numerous nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Monaco, among many others, have emerged as economic powerhouses by fostering growth through lower taxation.

“One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain.

“Furthermore, let me emphasise that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we found ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.

“It is, therefore, uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remained untested. What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament,” he submitted.

The former vice president went ahead to buttress his argument with what he had done in the past, while in government.

He said: “Let us not forget that under our economic stewardship between 1999 and 2003, Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies, while their administration has relegated us to a disheartening fourth position.

“The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration that I served in was 6.59 percent and peaked at 15 percent in 2002; 7.98 percent under the late Yar’Adua administration and 4.8 percent under Jonathan compared to the dismal 2.8 percent of the so-called “tested” Tinubu era.”

Painting a picture of what Nigeria has become in recent time, a Katsina State-based educationist, Mallam Sabiu Fago said: “The cloud is gathering and becoming darker by the day. Danger lurks around as hunger and starvation bite harder.

“Nigerians are running out of patience with the government, and if urgent steps are not taken to arrest the ugly trend, something disastrous might happen.

“The people are saying that they can no longer bear the pains of the government’s economic policies, which have made life unbearable and hellish for them.

“They said most households can no longer afford to buy food in the market as prices keep rising at an astronomical rate and on a daily basis; a situation they claimed has rendered them less than humans.

“Prices of staple foods like maize, rice, millet, guinea corn, garri and other food items, like beans, have all hit the roof top, such that hunger and starvation have become the order of the day.

“To make matters worse, the people are also under heavy attacks by various armed groups, ranging from Boko Haram Islamists sect to Fulani herdsmen militia, bandits and kidnappers, without any hope in sight. Kidnapping for ransom has become a big business.”

He likened the current realities in Nigeria to an English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes’ picture of a state of nature where life is poor, nasty, short and brutish.

Throwing his weight behind the former vice president, a former lawmaker in Katsina State, Yusuf Shehu agreed that Nigerians were actually passing through hell due to the thoughtless economic policies of the current administration, particularly the removal of subsidy on petrol products, without an alternatives arrangement to cushion its effect on the masses.

“Atiku is right in what he has said. How can the president just announce that the subsidy was gone even when he had not entered the office to even see the books and study them?

“No visionary leader will make a policy pronouncement without first looking through the books to even understand what the problems are.

“If you check very well, you will agree with me that from that very moment when he made that announcement on May 29, 2023, till today, Nigerians have known no peace. It has been suffering all the way and I don’t even see a sign of respite in the nearest future.

“So, Atiku is 100 percent correct in what he has said, and I would advise the Presidency to look inward and see what it can do to change the economic fortunes of Nigerians rather than attacking Atiku or dismissing his suggestions.”

He wondered why Tinubu has not been able to bring the Port Harcourt Refinery to operation since he removed subsidy from petrol.

“One would think that the President, having pronounced that the subsidy was gone, would do everything possible to fix our refineries.

“Recall that since he assumed office, Nigerians have been told, at least four times, that the PH Refinery would be operational at four different times, but none of the promises ever materialised; it has been all politics. We can’t continue like this,” he stated.

He warned that Atiku’s statement should be taken seriously to avert possible danger.

He said: “Imagine the situation before Buhari came to power and the situation today; it is an embarrassment. We are already sitting on a time bomb.

“The protests that happened in countries like Kenya will be a child’s play compared to what will likely come out from the northern part of the country when the people feel they have been pushed to the wall and they can no longer bear the hardship.

“Don’t forget that over time, the north has suffered from poverty, hunger, deprivation and a lot of other ills from our so-called leaders, who never and probably may never look out for the welfare of their people as their paramount responsibilities.

“Under this situation, you don’t expect people to respect the law. People cannot be kept under this atmosphere and you expect things to be good.

“People cannot be in this situation and you expect the crime rate to be low. It is going to be worse because everybody is going to be a victim whether you are rich or poor.

“So, the earlier the government realises the poverty of the situation and brings a short term solution, shoving bureaucracy aside, the better for all of us, otherwise we will wake up one day, and there will be no country called Nigeria.”

President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr Pogu Bitrus, also agreed with Atiku, saying that the current administration’s twin economic policies of subsidy removal from petrol and floating of the Naira were responsible for the hardship in the land.

“I am surprised that the presidency would be attacking Atiku for saying he would have done better with the economy if he were the president.

“I don’t know if he would have done better, anyway, but the truth remains that the current administration’s economic policies are anti-people.

“There is no way things will be the same with the subsidy removal. You can’t just do that without adequate alternative arrangements like fixing the existing refineries in the country, so that at least, importation of fuel will stop, and expect things not to get tough for the masses.

“If we are not importing fuel, that is if we are refining fuel locally, the price would automatically crash and it would also spread to every aspect of the people’s lives,” he told DAILY POST.

Also speaking, Abdullahi Fago, an educationist based in Maiduwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, equally agreed with Atiku’s position.

He advised the presidency to concentrate on providing good governance to the people, instead of tackling people who express honest opinions about the true situation of things in the country.

He lamented that there is acute hunger across Nigeria; a situation he said has been worsened by the growing insecurity in the country.

He, however, warned that if the government does not respond urgently to halt the trend, it would escalate to something more worrisome.

“A stitch in time saves nine. The government should do everything possible to avoid the looming danger.

“They should not allow the situation to degenerate beyond what is currently on ground, otherwise, what would follow is what nobody can imagine accurately,” he warned.

A Lagos-based lawyer and public affairs analyst, Marcellus Onah, equally condemned the Presidency’s reaction to Atiku’s comment, saying “Atiku was just speaking the minds of Nigerians.

“He is just stating the obvious. Who doesn’t know that the current hardship was caused by the fuel subsidy removal and the floating of Naira?

“There was so much hope for this government but unfortunately, this is what we get. People are suffering.

“People are dying of hunger everyday and crime is on the increase due to poverty and lack of legitimate job opportunities, especially for the youth.

“My heart bleeds when I see people roaming to find food unsuccessfully for their families,” he said.

[DailyPost]

At least 22 miners are presumed dead following the collapse of a mining pit at an illegal mining site located within a national game reserve spanning Gashaka Local Government Area in Taraba State and Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa State.

Adamu Jamtare, a miner from Gashaka, explained that many of the deceased were from Jamtare town in Gashaka LGA.

“They were mining gold in an area known as the Buffa zone within the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, covering parts of both Gashaka and Toungo. All 22 miners trapped in the pit are presumed dead,” he said.

Chairman of Toungo LGA, Engineer Suleiman Toungo, confirmed that five miners had been found dead, though he was uncertain of the exact number still buried.

He said the incident, involving miners from various parts of Nigeria, including Zamfara and Adamawa, occurred almost a month ago.

Despite the area being patrolled by rangers, illegal mining activities continued, often conducted covertly at night. “Five bodies have been recovered so far,” he said.

The national game reserve, known for its mineral resources, has seen multiple fatalities over recent years due to unregulated mining activities.

A Tila village resident, speaking anonymously, disclosed that approximately 70 miners lost their lives in similar incidents last year, though these events remain largely unreported.

Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje confirmed two recent reports of fatalities from pit collapses.

He said in one incident, four miners perished, while in another, six miners were involved, with two confirmed dead and four sustaining injuries.

SP Nguroje stated that the police are collaborating with the Gumti National Park authorities to apprehend the illegal miners involved.

 [DailyTrust]

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to wear black bands for a seven-day mourning period in honour of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.

The police boss gave the directive in a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.

Adejobi said the directive is to honour Lagbaja, who showed gallantry, dedication, and passion in the fight against insurgency in the country during his lifetime.

The statement reads, “Following the demise of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to wear black band throughout the 7 day mourning period.

“This directive is to pay tribute and honour the late General who has shown gallantry, dedication, and passion for fighting violent crimes and insurgency in Nigeria. He was a great leader who deserves to be honoured by all means.

“May the soul of the late COAS rest in peace.”

PUNCH Online reports that the late army chief, appointed by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023, died on Tuesday at the age of 56 night after a prolonged illness.

Following his death, the president, on Wednesday, directed that Nigeria’s national flags be flown at half mast for seven days across the country to mourn the passing of the late army chief.

The President’s directive was conveyed through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled “Announcement of the Passing of Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.”

[Punch]

ON Wednesday, November 6, Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. President, pulled off what, to all intents and purposes, is an extraordinary political comeback – an exceptional feat that has catapulted him once again to the enviable position of the president-in-waiting. On January 20, 2025, he will take another oath of office as the 47th U.S. President.

When Americans went to the polls on Tuesday, November 5, to elect President Joe Biden’s successor, the odds weighed against Trump. Here is a president who was impeached twice during his presidency, refused to accept electoral defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol before vacating the White House and was subsequently convicted of felony charges.

But with this victory, Trump has chalked up many firsts: first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election, first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, the oldest person elected to the office.

This is despite the fact that Trump never pretended to be who he is not. He said things no other politician before him dared to say. I doubt if anyone after him will dare play the Trumpian game. But because Trump will always be Trump, he promised to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history, use the Justice Department to punish his enemies and dramatically expand the use of tariffs. Yet, the people rooted for him.

In the course of the campaign, much to the chagrin of his campaign managers who wanted him to be politically correct, Trump acted the political gadfly. Without mincing words, he warned that he would deploy the military to target political opponents he labelled the “enemy from within,” hinted about suspending the Constitution, even as he threatened to take action against some news outlets.

Yet, in spite of all these, Americans preferred him to Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate. And on January 20, 2025, he will return to the White House with powers to do what no other American president could contemplate with the U.S. Supreme Court, early this year, giving judgement that afforded presidents broad immunity from prosecution.

Warts and all, this is what democracy is all about – the people’s choice. It is in this sense that Joseph De Maistre, one of the forefathers of conservatism, once said that: “In a democracy, the people end up with the government and leaders they deserve.”

I have stated here many times that democracy does not guarantee that the best will be elected to govern. But for any system of government to be deemed democratic, the people must be the critical mass that will, at all times, determine what happens.

And that is exactly what one of Trump’s predecessors, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the U.S. meant when he defined democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The beauty of democracy is the fact that though it does not guarantee that the people will always make the right choice, the periodic elections afford them the opportunity to self-correct. So, democracy comes with an in-built guardrail that ensures the people end up with the government and leaders they deserve.

Now, look at it this way. Eight years ago, a certain Donald Trump, a Washington outsider, happened on the political scene, picked up the Republican Party’s ticket and squared up against Hillary Clinton, a Washington insider, former First Lady and powerful Secretary of State under President Barak Obama. Everyone expected that Clinton will win the election easily but when the result was announced, Trump came out tops in the all-important Electoral College votes even when Clinton won the popular votes.

Many reasons were canvassed why Clinton lost. Having had a Democratic President for eight years, some said Americans wanted a change and rooted for the candidate of the Grand Old Party, GOP, who happened to be Donald Trump. There were some others who reasoned that a Clinton Presidency would have been a third term for Obama and, therefore, opted for the outsider not corrupted by Washington. There was also the factor of masculine America not being ready for a female president. Whatever was the case, the fact was that Trump won and became the 45th president of the most powerful country in the world.

But four years thence, when it was time to renew the mandate in 2024, the same electorate snubbed Trump and went back to the Democrats. In just four years, they had had enough of the Washington outsider and his very unorthodox ways.

Biden did his bit and four years after when it was time to either renew or withdraw the mandate, Americans flipped. It all boils down to the all-important question: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Americans said no and this time gave a bigger mandate to the man they rejected four years ago. Unlike in 2016, Trump won both the popular and Electoral College votes.

That is the colour of democracy, a very beautiful colour, indeed. All the attention was on the people. The candidates did all they could to convince the electorate to look their way. Up until the last minute, even as people were voting, the candidates were working the phones, encouraging the undecided to go out and vote.

The stakes in Tuesday’s election were so high and the candidates and their political parties threw everything into the ring to convince the electorate. With a total $15.9 billion contributions, the election is the most expensive in history, surpassing the $15.1 billion spent in 2020 and $6.5 billion in 2016.

Much of this money went into advertisement and sundry logistics. But it was all about the people, to whom power belongs in a democracy. And Americans have spoken loudly and nothing else matters. And because leaders who emerge through this process know that there is always a day of reckoning, they prioritise the welfare and well-being of the people who have the inalienable right to decide their fate in the next election. That is the beauty of democracy.

In his September 19, 1796 farewell address, George Washington, who took office as the first U.S. president in 1789, warned that with obstruction of the government’s integrity, “cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” He also cautioned against “the spirit of encroachment (that) tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism.”

That is the ditch that Nigeria’s democracy has run into; a gully where the people quotient of the democratic equation has been completely thrown overboard. The result is the rule of strong men who believe that they don’t need the people to either win election or remain in power.  

What the U.S. election has demonstrated once again is that democracy is not a rocket science. Even if it were, we are not reinventing the wheels. All that is required is to allow the electoral will of the people determine who gets elected. You may like or hate Donald Trump. But he is the people’s choice. That is the only thing needed to become the 47th U.S. president. That is the true colour of democracy.

Mikel Arteta surveyed the wreckage of Arsenal’s controversial Champions League defeat at Inter Milan and insisted his spluttering side will emerge from the rubble to salvage their troubled season.

The Gunners crashed to a 1-0 loss in the San Siro on Wednesday, adding to the growing sense of turmoil around a team that was expected to mount a strong challenge for European and domestic silverware.

Arsenal dominated for large periods against Inter, but were left to rue a controversial penalty in first-half stoppage time when Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled.

Hakan Calhanoglu converted the spot-kick and Arsenal were unable to muster an equaliser as they fell to a second successive 1-0 defeat after Saturday’s Premier League loss at Newcastle.

The Gunners have won just two of their last six games in all competitions, with those victories hardly impressive against Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe and second-tier Preston in the League Cup.

Arteta’s team are languishing in fifth place in the Premier League, already seven points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s crucial London derby at Chelsea.

Hampered for weeks by the absence of captain Martin Odegaard — who finally returned from injury as a late substitute against Inter — Arsenal have looked a shadow of the vibrant team that took last season’s title race to the final day of the season.

Odegaard’s creativity and tenacious pressing has been sorely missed, while Arteta has also had to deal with injuries to Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, as well as a rash of red cards that cost him the services of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard.

As if their on-pitch travails weren’t concerning enough, Arteta has seen his trusted sporting director Edu make a shock exit from the Emirates Stadium.

Edu, who has a agreed a deal in principle to accept a similar role at Nottingham Forest, resigned at the start of this week after overseeing a major revamp of Arsenal’s squad since joining in 2019.

– ‘Extremely frustrating’ –

The 46-year-old shared a strong bond with Arteta, with whom he has transformed Arsenal into title contenders.

“We have been together on this journey since day one. He was instrumental for me to be where I am and I loved working with him. I enjoyed the journey to have him next to me,” Arteta said of Edu just before kick-off in the San Siro.

Edu scored in Arsenal’s famous 5-1 win at Inter in the Champions League group stage 21 years ago.

But history did not repeat itself on Wednesday as Arsenal attempted 20 shots, their most without scoring in a Champions League game since 2006 against CSKA Moscow.

Arteta launched a staunch defence of his players, claiming they were denied by refereeing mistakes rather than their own failings against Inter.

“The worst thing is the result, because of the performance and attitude we showed against one of the best teams in Europe in their stadium,” he said.

“It’s extremely frustrating because there were two decisions against us. If their one is a penalty then we should have one when Mikel Merino is punched in the head.

“Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this was the best I have seen from my team in the last two years.”

Arsenal cannot afford another setback against Chelsea this weekend if they are to remain in the hunt for a first English title since 2004 after successive runners-up finishes.

Arteta stuck to his upbeat assessment of Arsenal’s unexpected plight, saying: “If we play the way we played tonight, the team has a big chance to win at Chelsea.

“That is the way we have to go. I have told them I am proud of them. We are disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game that is for sure.”

Despite Arteta’s optimism, there are worrying signs that Arsenal’s hopes of finally dethroning Manchester City might be destined to end in disappointment.

[Vanguard]

“How the mighty fallen
Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice…”

2 Samuel 1.17-27

Shebi, I told you Donald Trump would win.

In this US election, the liberal message was that with Trump and Harris, there was no moral equivalence. They defined it clearly: One represents a flawed human, the kind we were familiar with when things were simpler and we were not inundated with information. The other is a despicable human being, a piece of garbage. It is already stinking. And the only humane thing we can do with it is to throw it out. No deodoriser can mask its smell. The Republic will take a long time to recover from the stench it already left behind.

That message did not resonate with most American voters who faced with overwhelming information in a fast-changing world, preferred crawling back into their familiar caves with the bugs they knew rather than being dumped into this new Vegas-like high-flying world they do not know how to navigate inside. As flawed as he is, Trump offered them a wing to hide in and a promise to return to simpler times when Obi was a boy and Ada was a girl.

Those still afraid recalled Saul’s story in the Bible and how he transformed into Paul and became one of the greatest apostles. They trusted God that Trump would become Zrump.

George Bernard Shaw noted that there are two tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it.

The day after the election, Trump supporters and the conservatives will have to deal with the tragedy of getting what they want.

Nobody is leaving America for Donald Trump.

America will survive Trump. The question is whether those he promised to rescue from a world in transition will survive him.

Four years from now, gay people will not disappear in America. The America of the day Trump got reelected will become the world of remote parts of the globe four years from now. If conservatives want to see gays disappear, they will need to work hand in hand with Muslims to establish Sharia Law in America.

Illegal immigrants will not stop coming to America because Trump will be president for an additional four years. The political and economic fundamentals that drive immigrants to America are not going away because Trump is returning to the White House. Not even the deportation of 20 million illegal immigrants will stop it. If conservatives want to prevent immigrants from coming to America, they need to work with Russia to nuke New York City, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Dallas, and Boston. Then, illegal immigrants will dry up at the borders.

China will still be rising four years after Trump’s 2nd presidency. The only way America could have stopped China from rising was to have stopped American companies from moving their production factories to China thirty years ago. However, American capitalists’ greed could not resist cheap labor for a more significant profit. With its inherent transfer of technology, legal and illegal, it is what it is, as we say in America. Unfortunately, it is too late to do a damn thing about it. All that America can do now is to delay China’s rise as an aggressive adversary power. To achieve this, America must embrace China rather than isolate it.

The American working class will still pay more taxes than the rich. Trump’s takeover of the White House and Republicans controlling the Senate, possibly the House, and having a Supreme Court in his pocket, position them to renew Trump’s first-term tax cut for the rich. If conservatives want to stop that, they must grow a heart. It will require indulging in scientific innovation. It will mean embracing science and empirical proof. What will remain of conservatism and trickle-down economics if conservatives do that?

Churches will still close in America, and mosques will open up in their place. Trump’s presence in the White House will not stop it. If conservatives want to stop that, they have to learn one thing or two from Islamic fundamentalists. They must invent something like the Christian version of the Sharia Law, and anyone who does not pick up a Bible and go to church on Sunday will have their hand cut off.

There are genuine problems in America. Politicians are not interested in solving them. Most of the time, they don’t have solutions that won’t ruin their creed and greed. In those cases, they only have concepts.

So, to distract you, they point at other people trying to make their way on this earth and tell you they are your problems. They make you feel that the world you used to know is coming to an end, and they are the only ones who can turn the hand of the clock back. In the past, they used to promise to build a bridge where there was no river. Now, they promise to put AI back into the test tube it came out from.

And like programmed robots, we buy what politicians sell and run with it. It offers us nothing but an illusion of relief.

The good news is that evolution does not care about who the president is. It goes on. And as long as we are on the evolution train, we shall go with it, whether we like it or not. Those who know how to stop the world and jump out are the only ones safe from its forward motion. For others, as the cranking of the wheel continues, we all gradually approach the grinder.

Behold! America, the beautiful, where the daughters of the uncircumcised will one day rejoice. Not just today.

Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo teaches post-colonial African history, Afrodiasporan literature, and African folktales at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is also the host of Dr. Damages Show. His books include “This American Life Sef” and “Children of a Retired God.” among others. His upcoming book is called “Why I’m Disappointed in Jesus.”

The Malaysian government has announced plans to phase out the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles and end the sale of natural gas vehicles (NGV) in the country.

Loke Siew Fook, minister of transport, spoke at a press conference recently, according to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), a local media organisation.

In Malaysia, CNG is referred to as NGV.

Fook said CNG-powered vehicles can no longer be registered or be used in Malaysia from July 1, 2025.

He also said Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), a government-owned oil and gas company, will halt the sale of CNG at its stations in stages, starting on July 1, 2025.

The minister said with only about 44,383 NGVs currently in the country — accounting for 0.2 percent of vehicles in Malaysia, excluding motorcycles — the safety of road users and the public will be restored.

“The NGV tanks of these vehicles are now reaching the end of their service life and need to be replaced and NGV tanks typically have a safe usage period of 15 years,” Fook said.

He further said there are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.

The minister said the vehicles had caused explosions during accidents.

‘WE ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT PACKAGES FOR THE TRANSITION’

Fook said an assistance package aimed at helping owners of CNG-powered vehicles during the coming transition period has been put in place.

“Taxi drivers using NGV vehicles are eligible for a one-off RM3,000 e-voucher through Petronas’s Setel mobile app,” he said.

“They must have been registered with the Land Public Transport Agency before October 1.

“For dual-fuel vehicle owners, they can get their NGV kits removed for free at workshops selected by the transport ministry. Their vehicles must be registered with the road transport department (JPJ) before October 1.

“Lastly, for owners of purely NGV-powered vehicles, they are eligible for a one-off payment based on the current value of their vehicles, which will be determined by an independent appraiser.

“For this package, the vehicles must also have been registered with JPJ before October 1.

“Upon taking up the offer, the vehicles will be sent to an authorised automotive treatment facility to be disposed of and deregistered by JPJ.”

Fook said it is necessary to prevent the misuse of the vehicles or for any illegal modification to be carried out on them as it would endanger the public.

He said payments under the support package will be made within three to seven working days “of receiving a vehicle’s certificate of destruction and deregistration slip”.

Malaysia introduced the use of compressed natural gas in the late 1990s for taxicabs and airport limousines.

In Nigeria, the federal government is pushing for the adoption of CNG as an alternative fuel for transportation.

The initiative, introduced by President Bola Tinubu as a measure to curb the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy on individuals, “attracted over $200 million in investments so far as the government plans to build 1,000 conversion centres” across the country.

[TheCable]

The United States of America (USA) mainstream media played a crucial role in the recent presidential election, which saw Donald J. Trump emerge as the winner. How they chose to use their platform will be a topic of debate for decades to come. The shift in journalism took a radical turn during Trump’s first term, with traditional media portraying him as a racist, fascist dictator—a narrative that gained traction worldwide, especially in developing countries (and yes, I believed it too).

Unbeknownst to the public, who were largely passive consumers of what was once trusted US media, Trump was standing in the way of a deeper socio-cultural agenda. Sadly, this agenda has gained traction worldwide. During the Obama administration, the U.S. government allegedly pressured African leaders to adopt elements of this radical ideology in exchange for economic aid. Although many African leaders resisted, the influence of these ideas has continued to spread, especially among the younger generation. This shift suggests that, while traditional values may still hold in certain regions, global cultural tides are rapidly transforming perspectives and social norms.

Is the media’s portrayal of Trump the first instance of biased reporting by the American press? Certainly not. We have seen this before: the media’s negative framing of Muslims as “terrorists” or the tendency to blame Black people in cases of police violence. The facade fell, however, when former President Joseph Biden’s cognitive decline became undeniable, exposing the mainstream media’s efforts to protect him. Although social media and some independent sources had raised concerns about Biden’s health, the mainstream press largely chose to ignore or cover it up until it was impossible to do so.

Control over the narrative is not limited to traditional media. Those behind mainstream outlets have extended their influence to social media, which is dominated by entities aligned with their ideology. This power was mobilized to promote Vice President Kamala Harris, with support from Hollywood celebrities, religious leaders, and civil rights activists. Even former President Jimmy Carter—whose legacy is fiercely guarded—was invoked as a supposed supporter of Harris. The push for Harris’s candidacy was also led by Barack Obama, who was instrumental in gathering influential figures to support her.

Why would the US media, celebrities, and prominent politicians go to such lengths to promote Harris? Why would Trump be subjected to more than one alleged assassination attempt? The answer lies in the radical gender ideology permeating today’s social fabric. But why would individuals and groups promote an ideology that is evidently divisive? To answer this question, we need to assess the interests of those driving this agenda critically.

It is worth noting that former President Barack Obama initiated this nearly successful social transformation. As the first Black president, with an immigrant father from Africa, his rise symbolized the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. He seemed ideal for the role, and his actions initially garnered widespread support. However, when he steered towards more radical ideologies, some Americans took notice. Under the Biden administration, this ideology has found its way into schools, where children are being exposed to explicit material and gender-related content in an unprecedented manner.

Strict "cancel culture" policies quickly silenced those who raised concerns about children’s safety or who voiced traditional perspectives on gender. Words like “he” and “she” became politically fraught in public discourse. Universities and professional fields were soon flooded with new rules on acceptable language and ideas. Researchers and respected academics were forced to conform or risk being marginalized, "cancelled," and silenced for speaking out.

Why would any rational politician or celebrity push for the normalization of drag shows for children, or support Olympic performances that flaunt radical gender ideologies while ridiculing Christianity? A probable answer lies in the backgrounds of some of those supporting these ideologies—many are reportedly implicated in cases of sexual abuse against minors. Several of their names appear on Epstein's list. Is it possible that they seek to normalize such extreme ideologies to diminish their own reprehensible lifestyles should they be exposed? In my opinion, the answer is yes; that is why it’s their way or the highway.

Why is the media—the supposed voice of the common person—embroiled in this? It is because those promoting these ideologies either control the media directly or have close ties to those who do. As the Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said, “the medium is the message.” Over the past 16 years, influential figures in American society have successfully used the media to push divisive agendas.

Trump has withstood attacks, endured hate speech, and emerged as America's 47th president, an accomplishment that might be seen as his “third election,” one of which he believes was stolen. Now, what will the biased media try to sell to Americans and the world? Are they prepared with new layers of deception we have yet to see? What does a skewed media mean for the future of journalism? These are the questions we should contemplate as US steps back from a volatile social landscape shaped by politicians with polarizing ideologies.

Israel Ayegba Ebije, former Press Secretary, Former lecturer (IBBUL), writes from Canada

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has advised Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited that deregulation should not be used as a justification for the importation of off-spec petroleum products or the undermining of Nigeria’s national interests.

The refinery made this statement in response to remarks by Robert Dickerman, CEO of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, concerning the importation and blending of petroleum products, which he framed within the context of a "deregulated commodity market." Dangote Petroleum Refinery said that his argument for a deregulated market could not obscure the serious implications of his actions, which, it claimed, not only threatened the integrity of Nigeria’s energy sector but also endangered the welfare of its citizens.

While reiterating its support for deregulation and industrialisation, Dangote emphasised that this support is grounded in a commitment to the sustainable growth of the country’s economy and the protection of its people from exploitation. The refinery made it clear that the health and safety of Nigerians should never be compromised in the pursuit of profit.

“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Company has long been an advocate for deregulation and industrialisation in Nigeria, but our support is rooted in a commitment to the sustainable growth of the country's economy and the protection of its people from any exploitation. Unlike Dickerman’s view, deregulation should not be a licence for the importation and distribution of off-spec products or the subversion of national interests,” it said.

The company also noted that, as an American, Dickerman should be well aware of how his own country protects its industries. It pointed to several recent examples from the United States to underline the point. For instance, U.S. President Joe Biden recently opposed the sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel, stressing the importance of maintaining strong American steel companies supported by American workers—an example of protectionism that prioritises national economic interests over short-term profit. Similarly, the U.S. has taken action to restrict the use of Chinese-made cranes in its ports, citing national security concerns. The U.S. has also imposed a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and a 50% duty on medical equipment imported from China, further demonstrating its commitment to safeguarding domestic industries. The United States has also ramped up efforts to boost its own production of computer chips and medical supplies, driven by national security concerns and the need for economic self-sufficiency. Furthermore, during his presidency, George W. Bush used anti-dumping laws to impose tariffs on a range of Chinese goods that were considered to be unfairly priced.

“It is therefore perplexing that Dickerman, with all his experience in the U.S. market, would advocate for the importation and blending of petroleum products to Nigeria under the claim of deregulation and a free market. The fact is that he had deceitfully approached us and pleaded that we extend the pipeline from our refinery to Pinnacle’s tank farms for the purpose of blending our high-quality products with their imported products and selling them to Nigerians. We categorically rejected his request to extend our pipeline to their tank farms for such devious purposes because it would be a betrayal of the Nigerian people’s trust. The health and safety of Nigerians cannot—and should not—be compromised for profit.”

The company also raised concerns over Pinnacle Oil’s decision to lease its tank farms to a company without any retail outlets in Nigeria, questioning the strategic intent behind such actions, particularly given that the farms are located just 500 metres from Dangote’s refinery. It expressed its vigilance regarding the coordinated efforts to undermine the Dangote Refinery, drawing parallels to the fate of refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery called on the government, patriotic Nigerians, and local businesses to remain steadfast in defending the country’s sovereignty and economic independence.

“The choice we face is between fostering industrialisation or allowing Nigeria to remain a dumping ground for inferior products while exporting jobs. For nearly three decades, cartels and their collaborators have sabotaged efforts to develop Nigeria’s refining capacity, keeping the country dependent on imported products. The time has come to end this cycle of exploitation and ensure that Nigeria’s energy sector works for the benefit of its people,” it added.

Reiterating its belief that a strong, self-sufficient energy sector is vital for Nigeria’s economic growth, Dangote affirmed that it will continue to advocate for policies and practices that protect both industries and the well-being of all Nigerians.

The company also expressed its support for healthy competition that drives innovation and quality, and looked forward to the upcoming commissioning of the four state-owned refineries, as promised by the NNPCL.

“At Dangote Petroleum Refinery, we are committed to ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-reliant in petroleum production, and we welcome competition that drives innovation and quality. However, we will never allow the continued importation and blending of petroleum products, nor the deliberate destruction of our national economy. We believe that a strong, self-sufficient energy sector is vital to Nigeria’s economic growth, and we will continue to advocate for policies and practices that protect our industries and the well-being of all Nigerians.”

“We eagerly anticipate the coming on stream of the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries before the end of this year, as promised by the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Mele Kyari. This milestone will not only end all baseless rumours of monopoly but also position Nigeria as a refining hub for petroleum products in Africa,” it concluded.