Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has publicly addressed her recent dismissal from office, stating that “lies were told” against her.

This remark came during her first public statement since her removal by President Bola Tinubu, suggesting her innocence in the alleged fraudulent activities within her former ministry.

Edu shared her sentiments on her official X (formerly Twitter) account while celebrating her 38th birthday on Sunday, October 27.

In her post, she referred to herself as a “daughter of Zion,” expressing that the efforts to tarnish her reputation would not succeed but instead “lead to her elevation.”

She wrote, “Happy birthday to the woman Jesus Loves! Soon the world will see the glory of a great God! “The lies told to destroy a daughter of Zion will lead to her elevation! Ask Joseph!”

Naija News understands that the ministers sacked on Wednesday are Mrs. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye from the Ministry of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John of Tourism; Prof. Tahir Mamman of Education; Abdullahi Mohammed Gwarzo of State for Housing and Urban Development; and Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim of Youth Development.

Additionally, Betta Edu, who handled Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, had been previously suspended and was notably excluded from recent cabinet activities.

Nigerians are now paying around N105,000 for a 50kg bag of locally-produced parboiled rice, surpassing the new minimum wage of N70,000.

This rise follows the removal of the petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira, pushing local rice prices up by 123% over the past year.

Imported rice has also become costly, with a 50kg bag now priced at N130,000, according to a recent BusinessDay market survey.

The steep increase in rice prices highlights the limited capacity of smallholder farmers to meet local demand, due to challenges like insecurity, high input costs, and logistical difficulties.

In Lagos, traders are holding back stock in anticipation of higher prices as the festive season approaches, when demand traditionally spikes.

“The cost of local rice keeps climbing because millers are burdened by high production costs,” said Bose, a trader at Daleko Market in Lagos, attributing the hike in imported rice prices to foreign exchange fluctuations. Bose called for government intervention to ease the impact on Nigerians.

Although the federal government announced in July a suspension of import duties on rice and other essential items to tackle food insecurity, the policy has yet to be implemented, and food prices continue to rise.

“We still don’t grow enough rice to feed our population, and issues like insecurity and kidnappings threaten food security,” said AfricanFarmer Mogaji, CEO of X-Ray Consulting.

Mogaji pointed out that recent flooding and a grain export ban by Nigeria’s northern neighbor, Niger, have further hindered rice production.

“This export ban limits the supply of paddy for local millers, as much of it comes from neighboring countries,” Mogaji explained, adding that insecurity has left many farmlands abandoned.

This sentiment reflects the recent economic data showing a slowdown in the agricultural sector, with second-quarter GDP growth at 1.4%, down from 1.5% in the same quarter last year.

Struggling consumers, like Chioma Okeke, a teacher in Lagos, are feeling the strain. “How can I afford N105,000 for a bag of rice when I only earn N100,000? There’s barely anything left for my family’s needs,” she said. “Prices keep going up, and the subsidy removal has only made things worse,” Okeke added.

The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) is set to launch an indefinite strike starting today, effectively halting all activities in universities across Nigeria.

This action comes after the Federal Government’s failure to address the unions’ demands, which include the payment of four months’ withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreement.

A statement released on Sunday, signed by SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi, highlighted that the ultimatum given to the government expired at midnight on Sunday.

The statement emphasized the importance of compliance, mandating all NASU and SSANU branches in both federal and state universities, along with inter-university centers, to participate.

The government’s “No Work, No Pay” policy, introduced in 2022, led to the withholding of salaries during previous strikes by university unions.

While President Bola Tinubu directed the partial release of these salaries earlier this year, only academic staff received payment, leaving non-teaching staff excluded.

The unions argue this selective approach is unjust and have repeatedly issued ultimatums, staged protests, and held warning strikes—all of which have yet to yield results.

Today’s action follows a series of unresolved protests and ultimatums.

During a peaceful protest in July, the unions warned the government of possible shutdowns if withheld salaries were not paid.

However, despite promises and approvals for payment, including a recent assurance from President Tinubu, no funds have been disbursed.

The unions assert that members, who handle critical campus services such as water, electricity, internet, and security, are essential to university operations.

In light of this deadlock, SSANU and NASU have instructed members to hold joint congresses on campus today to discuss and launch the indefinite strike.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has slammed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), blaming the organisation for the removal of fuel subsidy and other anti-people economic policies by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

In a statement to journalists, the President of NLC, Joel Ajaero, has insisted that the IMF played a role in Nigeria’s economic woes.

The labour union stated that the IMF and its cousin in economic mischief – the World Bank remain the twin forces that have a longstanding pattern of recommending harsh and unworkable economic policies to developing nations.

According to the NLC, the World Bank and IMF must remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe as a nation.

The union stated that it is too late to begin to deny complicity because they warned the government about the consequences of implementing IMF and World Bank-driven policies.

The statement reads: “Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) believes that it is cynical and indeed typical of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) to recently deny responsibility for the Nigerian government’s removal of petroleum subsidy.

“IMF and its cousin in economic mischief – the World Bank remains the twin forces that have longstanding pattern of recommending harsh and unworkable Economic policies to developing nations. In their usual subterfuge, they have continued to present these advisories as growth strategies but which have unfortunately often led to increased socioeconomic hardship and stagnation in Nigeria and other nations that have had the misfortune of drinking their poisoned chalice.

“At a press conference during the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, United States, Abebe Selassie, IMF’s African Region Director, described the decision to remove fuel subsidy by Nigeria’s government as a domestic one.

“IMF’s recent statement is a display of subterfuge and evasion. This denial of involvement in Nigeria’s subsidy removal, coupled with the assertion that it was a “domestic decision,” disregards the extensive influence that the IMF wields in policy formation within many developing countries. Despite this assertion, the IMF’s policy dialogues often suggest subsidy cuts as necessary steps toward fiscal sustainability.

“For Nigeria, where successive governments have frequently yielded to these recommendations, the IMF’s disavowal rings hollow, as it underplays the fund’s direct impact on the nation’s economic policies.

“The NLC has become more worried over this denial at this time which is another signpost of the already disturbing policies by the Nigerian government at the behest of the IMF and World Bank and which IMF is now trying to distance itself.

“It shows that the institution is working very hard to stay away from the blame or the backlash that its policy directions will bring in the future. IMF must know that Nigerians are not fools and we are always aware of the destructive influences its awful policy paths for Nigeria and indeed Africa has been.

“It is pretentious and truly too late to begin to deny complicity because we warned the government about the consequences of implementing IMF and World Bank-driven policies.

“As IMF and World Bank continue to pretend not to know the apparent obviousness of the social costs of its policy recommendations another layer of concern is added to the entire denial.

“While the IMF acknowledges the “significant social costs involved,” it casually suggests that governments can mitigate these hardships through its idea of expanded social protections which is a system that beggars the people forcing them to dwell on handouts in this case RICE that never gets to the people. The reality in Nigeria has continued to reveal a profound disconnect – subsidy removal and price hikes have pushed essential goods beyond the reach of many, with government-provided social safety nets remaining woefully inadequate.

“This gap between IMF recommendations and the lived experiences of Nigerians highlights a fundamental and deliberate oversight in the fund’s approach to economic policy.

“In distancing itself from Nigeria’s subsidy removal, the IMF also demonstrates an unsettling inconsistency in its advice to developing nations. It has repeatedly pressured Nigeria to undertake austerity measures, only to distance itself from the results when these recommendations bring hardship to the populace.

“This shifting narrative not only undermines the IMF’s credibility but also raises questions about the sincerity and reliability of its economic prescriptions for third-world nations. The IMF’s insistence that Nigeria is in full control of its economic policies stands in stark contrast to its historical and continued influence, which has often been accompanied by economic turmoil and hardship.

“NLC emphasizes the need for Nigeria and other developing countries to reclaim their economic sovereignty, resisting externally imposed policies that fail to consider local contexts and the needs of the masses.

“The NLC’s stance reflects a broader frustration with the World Bank and IMF’s recurring interventions, which prioritize fiscal metrics over social welfare. By advocating for policies that genuinely benefit Nigerians, we challenge the IMF’s influence and underscore the importance of economic autonomy in building a just, sustainable future.

“This once again is a powerful reminder to our leaders of the impact of international financial institutions on our people and the need to be circumspect in walking their path.

“The IMF’s denial of involvement in Nigeria’s subsidy removal rings hollow, considering its decades-long history of recommending similar austerity measures.

“We hope that our Economic handlers have learnt or are learning the appropriate lessons to sufficiently know that when “shit hits the fan”, IMF and World Bank will wash its hands off and leave the Government carrying the burden and holding the wrong end of the stick.

“Nigeria must pursue policies that reflect the real needs of our citizens prioritize economic policies that drive growth, social welfare, and equity, not austerity measures that lead to further economic quagmire and social unrest.

“Once again, we call on the World Bank and IMF to remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe as a nation. They have become the major problem we have as a nation and we may be forced to soon demand that they leave Nigeria entirely as their policies have continued to undermine our Economy and sabotage the people and the nation.

“IMF should not worry for we know that the Petrol price hike and the Electricity tariff hikes were domestic decisions but we also know that it is a case of “Esau’s Hands but Jacob’s voice”. IMF should not present itself cowardly but should stand up and own up! That is what is called honesty and transparency which is the bedrock of IMF’s much-vaunted institutional integrity!”

The Delta State Police command has condoled with the family of a 23-year-old lady identified as Precious Yusuf, whose corpse was found along DLA Road opposite Falcon Club Asaba on October 24.

According to the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Bright Edafe, at about 8.40am on the said day, the DPO ‘A’  division Asaba received a distress call that the corpse of a young lady was found at DLA Road. Edafe said the DPO, CSP Rex Abiodun, swiftly mobilized and led police operatives of the division to the scene where the corpse of the lady was found. 

He said preliminary investigation revealed that on October 22, the deceased told her friend that she was going to see a male friend she met on iHappy dating website. She left the house on 22nd October to see the young man at Coka. On the 23rd at about 0730 hours, she called her friend that she was on her way home and that was the last time she made any contact only for her corpse to be found the next day.

Edafe said the corpse has been deposited at the mortuary awaiting autopsy. 

He mentioned that the state Commissioner of Police Delta State CP Olufemi Abaniwonda assured members of the public particularly the family of the deceased that Investigation had commenced and also assured them of justice.

The Commissioner of Police urged young ladies to be mindful of the friends they hang out with and to exercise caution particularly when dealing with people they meet on dating websites and other social media platforms.

The Libyan Football Federation has filed an appeal against the recent decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award Nigeria three points and three goals following a disrupted Africa Cup of Nations qualifier initially scheduled for October 15 in Benina, Libya.

The verdict also imposed a $50,000 fine on Libya, citing breaches of CAF regulations in handling the Nigerian team’s arrival and conditions.

According to reports from Libyan outlet alwasat.ly, Libya has enlisted Tunisian lawyer Ali Abbas to defend its appeal, which challenges the CAF decision as “unfair,”

The Nigerian Football Federation’s complaint led to an investigation by CAF’s disciplinary committee after the Super Eagles endured a reported 20-hour ordeal involving a diverted flight, a lengthy wait at Labraq Airport—300 kilometers from the intended destination in Benghazi—and inadequate facilities, including a lack of food and water. Nigeria’s contingent was eventually forced to abandon the match and return home.

CAF’s disciplinary committee, chaired by Ousmane Kane, ruled in favor of Nigeria, citing violations of Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code. Libya was deemed to have lost the match by forfeit with a 3-0 score awarded to Nigeria.

The ruling, if upheld, places Nigeria within reach of qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, while leaving Libya out of contention with only one point in Group D.

The Nigeria Police Force has cautioned members of the public against the unauthorized and indiscriminate use of its uniform.

The Police Force gave the fresh warning in a statement on Saturday while reacting to the viral video of social media activist, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, in its uniform.

VeryDarkMan in the video, introduced himself as CSP VeryDarkMan and Nigeria’s number one online police. He said he is dedicated to sanitizing the social media space by using his platform to stand against oppressors, especially online vendors.

He vowed to spoil the names of offenders brought before him with evidence.

Reacting, the Police Force condemned the video released by VaryDarkMan. It also dissociated itself from the pronouncements made by the online activist.

The Police Force added that it has opened an investigation into the circulating video and the source of the police gear, as the unauthorized use of its official uniforms and accoutrements undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated.

“The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns the unauthorized use of official uniforms and accoutrements by an online personality, Mr. Martins Otse, popularly known as “VDM,” in a video posted on his social media platforms.

“The Force unequivocally disassociates itself from this unauthorized portrayal and has launched a full investigation to determine the source of the Police gear used, as well as the authority under which he acted.

“It is important to remind the public that the unauthorized use of Police uniforms, insignia, or accoutrements constitutes a criminal offense, as stipulated in Section 251 of the Criminal Code Law and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law, and is subject to strict penalties.

“While the Nigeria Police Force recognizes and supports the creativity of young Nigerians in the content creation space, we strongly caution against the misuse of Police uniforms or symbols. Unauthorized use of these items undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated,” the statement read.

Olayemi Cardoso, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says consultations are ongoing “at the highest levels” for the country to exit the “grey list” – an anti-money laundering watchlist of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF).

The development comes 24 hours after the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) announced that FATF had approved the country’s fourth progress report since Nigeria was placed under watch.

The FATF had included Nigeria and South Africa on its grey list on February 24, 2024.

Countries on the list are often subjected to increased monitoring and need to intensify efforts to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing, according to the task force.

The FATF said the inclusion of a jurisdiction to its grey list means that the country has committed to resolve identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes swiftly.

The organisation is an intergovernmental policy-making body that seeks to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Speaking to journalists in Washington DC on Saturday, Cardoso, said removing Nigeria from the grey list has been critical in his engagement during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

“I would like to emphasise that we are consulting at the highest levels to remove Nigeria from FAFT grey lists, a key topic in our recent engagement,” he said.

‘WE’VE ACHIEVED INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, IMPROVED FX SUPPLY’

Speaking on ongoing monetary policy efforts, Cardoso said since his team assumed office a year ago, there has been a focus on addressing inflation, restoring investor confidence in the financial markets, and stabilising the exchange rate.

He said the apex bank also focused on enhancing financial systems provision, fostering financial inclusion, and enhancing transparency “in our monetary policy decisions and communications”.

“We embarked upon bold and necessary reforms to return to the path of monetary policy orthodoxy, as well as remove observed distortions in the foreign exchange market,” the CBN governor said.

“Our efforts have yielded significant progress as volatility in the foreign exchange market has abated immeasurably, and remittances have also increased significantly.

“We have achieved increased transparency and improved overall supply in the foreign exchange market, leading to reduced arbitrage and speculative activities and eliminated the fund loading of foreign exchange demand.”

On October 8, the CBN reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a stablefinancial system while ensuring the safety of depositors’ funds.

The bank also announced the introduction of an electronic foreign exchange matching system (EFEMS) to reduce speculative activities, eliminate market distortions and “give the CBN improved oversight capabilities to effectively regulate the market”.

The system is expected to be implemented on December 1.

Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has accused President Bola Tinubu of betraying him after the 2023 elections in the country.

Dokubo, in a viral video trending on the internet, said he emptied his bank account and spent all his money to campaign for Tinubu in the 2023 election, but the President has now turned his back on him.

According to him, the current Tinubu is not the Tinubu he used to know.

The former warlord vowed that he and his people would not work with the Yoruba people again but would now form fresh alliances with the north.

“From today, I will work and form an alliance with the North. President Tinubu betrayed me after I spent all my money and emptied my bank account campaigning for him. The Tinubu I know now isn’t the Tinubu I used to know. We will take this message across that only the Northerners can work with the Ijaw people,” Dokubo said in the video.

Meanwhile, Dokubo, has recently declared that the people of Rivers State will not surrender to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Dokubo made the declaration during the local government chairmanship polls conducted in Rivers State.

Dokubo also reiterated his support for the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and warned Wike to avoid political issues in the state.

He stated that Wike is nobody without the paraphernalia of the office, adding that Nigeria cannot surrender to him.