Nigerian UK-based pastor Tobi Adegboyega has remained in the news amid reports of his alleged deportation.

Speaking in a recent interview, the clergyman explained why Davido, KCee, and others performed at his recent birthday party.

In November 2024, Tobi Adegboyega was berated after videos featuring Davido, KCee, and others performing at his birthday party emerged. Critics queried his reasons for opting for secular artistes instead of gospel singers to perform at his birthday, considering his status as a clergyman.

In the interview, the UK-based pastor explained that he is close to Davido and Zlatan Ibile, whom he jokingly described as gospel artists.

Pastor Tobi Adegboyega stated that he couldn’t force gospel artistes to relate with him since they joined the bandwagon against him. The clergyman also disclosed that Davido and every other artiste who performed at his birthday bash did not receive a dime.

Speaking about Zlatan Ibile, Adegboyega described the Zanku boss as a son to him, stating that his parents were recently at his home in the UK.

The federal government has called on state governors yet to implement the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage to do so as a special New Year gift for workers.

Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made this appeal during a press briefing in Abuja. She noted that the new minimum wage aligns with improving workers’ welfare and promoting industrial harmony nationwide.

Onyejeocha expressed optimism that the New Year would encourage more governors to adopt the wage package.

She highlighted that most states have already committed to its implementation, while those yet to start have not refused but may require more time.

“All we can say to workers is to remain patient. I believe governors will use the New Year to implement the minimum wage as a gesture to their workers,” she said.

In addition, the minister revealed plans for the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP). This initiative, spearheaded by President Bola Tinubu, aims to create 2.5 million jobs annually over the next four years, providing critical employment opportunities across sectors.

Onyejeocha also addressed efforts to ensure industrial peace through the recently launched National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP).

This policy seeks to foster better collaboration between labor unions and employers, reducing the frequency of strikes.

Responding to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’s threat to block allocations to the Ministry of Labour, Onyejeocha apologized on behalf of the ministry. She acknowledged the lawmakers’ constitutional authority to demand accountability and pledged to address the issue promptly.

“It’s unfortunate, and I apologize to the National Assembly. We must respect their oversight responsibilities and ensure compliance in future engagements,” she stated.

The minister assured that the ministry would utilize the remaining budget deliberation window to defend its proposals effectively, reaffirming its commitment to fulfilling its mandates.

The Federal Government has officially declared Wednesday, December 25, Thursday, December 26, 2024, and Wednesday, January 1, 2025, as public holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year celebrations.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, through a statement released on Monday in Abuja by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo extended heartfelt greetings to all Nigerians, encouraging them to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the festive season represents.

He urged citizens to use the holiday period to strengthen family bonds and promote harmony within their communities.

“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” Tunji-Ojo stated.

The minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering peace, security, and prosperity across the nation, calling on Nigerians to remain steadfast in their dedication to national progress.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo expressed optimism about the future, emphasizing the positive impact of President Bola Tinubu‘s Renewed Hope Agenda in ushering in a more prosperous 2025.

The minister concluded by wishing all Nigerians a joyous Christmas and a fulfilling New Year, expressing confidence in a better and thriving economy in the months ahead.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has advised politicians to desist from politicizing the tragic stampedes during food distribution exercises in Ibadan, Abuja, and Okija.

He argued that similar occurrences were recorded during past administrations, stressing it should not be linked to President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

The Minister, however, sympathised with the families of the deceased, adding that the incidents show the importance of proper crowd management during such charitable activities.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by these unfortunate incidents,” the minister said.

While acknowledging the noble intentions of organizers seeking to relieve vulnerable members of society, the minister admonished all individuals and organizations planning similar events to comply with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on liaising with police formations for effective crowd control and security measures.

He emphasized that collaboration with the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is crucial to safeguarding lives and ensuring that such efforts to assist those in need do not inadvertently lead to further distress.

“It is worth noting that similar unfortunate occurrences have been recorded in the past, before the current administration, as such, making any attempt to link these tragedies to the President’s reforms is unfounded and disingenuous,” he said.

Idris said the reforms, while repositioning the Nigerian economy for sustainable growth, are designed to uplift the lives of all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable, without causing distress.

He called for a collective sense of responsibility and urged citizens to unite to ensure that the Yuletide season is marked by peace, goodwill, and joy and free of preventable tragedies.

No fewer than 10 federal ministries and agencies under their purview got over N1tn each as appropriation in the 2025 budget, The PUNCH analysis has shown.

A breakdown of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the ministries include Police Affairs, Interior, Defence, Finance, Power, Works, and Budget and Economic planning.

Others are the ministries of Niger Delta, Education, and Health.

The proposed budget showed that the finance ministry got the highest allocation of N17.52tn. Majority of this is for salary payment. The amount is an increase of 87.78 per cent or N8.19tn from the N9.33tn allocated in 2023.

This was followed by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, which got an increase of N2.33tn or 52.35 per cent to N6.78tn in the 2025 budget.

Third on the list is the Ministry of Defence with an appropriation of N2.92tn, indicating an increase of N1.34tn or 84.81 per cent. The Ministry of Interior got an allocation of N1.13tn from N461bn in 2024.

While the power ministry got a 510.46 per cent increase to N2.1tn from the N344bn in 2024, the works ministry also got a proposal of N1.14tn from N657.23bn.

Similarly, the Niger Delta ministry got an appropriation of N2.23tn, Education got N2.52tn and health got N1.91tn.

The Senate and the House of Representatives, at their separate plenaries last Thursday,  passed for second reading the N49.7tn ‘Restoration’ 2025 budget presented on Wednesday by President Bola Tinubu.

The budget was passed after various deliberations on the bill’s general principles by senators and House of Reps members who applauded the President for his good intentions for the country.

In the Senate, the budget was passed and referred to the Committee on Appropriations after being put to a voice vote by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session.

The budget has a revenue projection of N34.82tn to fund the aggregate expenditure of N47.9tn and a deficit of N13.0tn.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has said that petrol is going to sell at N935 per litre beginning from Monday (today) based on the latest arrangement with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

IPMAN’s National President, Maigandi Garima, said the reduction in Dangote refinery’s ex-depot price for petrol and the uniform arrangement being put in place, would enable marketers to sell at N935 in their outlets nationwide, incurring a cost of N36 on logistics.

“Dangote refinery has brought another new arrangement of loading and pricing by which marketers would pay a fixed ex-depot price of N899.50k.

“The refinery is running a programme whereby it wants the fuel consumption across the country to be at the same rate. We are expecting the new arrangement to kick-start on Monday. Previously, the loading price was N970 per litre, but from Monday, petrol prices will drop to N935,” Garima stated.

The association also stated that over 30,000 of its members are set to commence petrol loading from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Port Harcourt Refining Company following the reduction of the ex-depot price of the product to N899 per litre.

This came as it was observed that the pump price of petrol dropped on Sunday to between N950 and N980 per litre in a few filling stations in Lagos including MRS, BOVAS and NNPC. However, the cost was above N1,000 per litre in many other outlets in the state.

But IPMAN promised on Sunday that the price would drop further, as it said the cost of petrol would reduce to N935 per litre in more filling stations by Monday (today) in view of Dangote refinery’s new arrangement.

Similarly, retail outlet owners under the auspices of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria have begun registration with MRS filling station to lift Dangote petrol at N935 per litre.

The IPMAN National Publicity officer, Chinedu Ukadike, and the PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, disclosed these during separate exclusive interviews with The PUNCH on Sunday.

The development came after intense pricing competition in the nation’s downstream sector, which triggered a price war between NNPCL and Dangote due to a reduction in the ex-depot price to N899 per litre.

On Saturday, the NNPCL, in a surprising development, slashed petrol prices by 12 per cent, to the delight of Nigerians and marketers.

This decision, coming days after the Dangote Refinery reduced its price to N899, was confirmed by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria in a statement on Saturday.

Before now, petrol prices had consistently increased, causing customers to worry that the price hike might be sustained during the festive season.

The reduction in price to N935 in Lagos confirms projections by marketers and was exclusively reported by The PUNCH last Friday.


Providing further updates on the preparations for product lifting, the IPMAN publicity officer stated that marketers are getting ready to start loading petrol at a reduced price, as the national oil company has updated its pricing on the purchase portal.

Ukadike also said that the competition for market share between NNPCL and Dangote is beneficial for Nigerians because, in the end, it will reveal the true cost of PMS production and the expenses incurred in logistics.

According to him, the price war is central to a deregulated oil sector.

He said, “NNPCL has changed their price at their portal. It means that everyone who has access to that portal can be able to request and pay for products. Once you pay, you will called to the depot to pick up your products. Yes, they have changed the price on their portal.”

He continued, “For us, the reduced price remains a welcome development as that is the beauty of a deregulated sector. You know, when there are multiple sources of petroleum products, there will be production and pricing competition. That interplay of pricing has come to the centre stage, and it is now to the advantage of the commuters who wish that this petroleum product will be sold at a lesser price.

“The fight to control market share between NNPCL and Dangote is healthy for Nigerians because, at the end of the day, we would know the actual cost of PMS production and the amount spent on logistics.

“It will also help marketers in our retailing capacity and pick up more volumes. The cost today is very high, and the reduced price will help us pick more volumes. Commuters are no longer taking products the way they used to but with the price decrease, there will be heavy consumption.”

He further noted that marketers will not stick to a single supplier but patronise both refineries based on the location.

Ukadike said, “We would be picking our products from both refineries but the most important thing is the nearness to retail outlets. But Dangote arrangement is via MRS, and NNPCL is helping to load from other depots.”

Regarding a potential price reduction, the IPMAN national officer explained that marketers do not set prices; instead, the factors of demand and supply influence the price, which is why prices vary across the country.

The national officer also assured Nigerians that filling stations owned by its members will be open throughout the festive period and avoid artificial scarcity.

On his part, the PETROAN president said its members are registering with MRS filling to pick up products from its stations as the Dangote and PH refineries haven’t started product disbursement to its members.

He also stressed that a smooth product off-take starting today (Monday) will accelerate the implementation of the price reduction at retail centres nationwide.

He said, “We have not started picking up products from the Port Harcourt refinery, even from the Dangote refinery. But some of our members, out of their magnanimity, are trying to sell at a cheaper price even in Abuja.

“Dangote price mechanism brings value for PETROAN members, and we are partnering with MRS filling station to sell at N935 per litre nationwide. Our members partnering with MRS will do that. The station has opened its valves to accommodate as many members that can work with them. So from this morning (Sunday), we were already up and running on their platform to register our members. It is a wonderful thing that is coming up and we hope NNPCL will also follow suit.

“The economies of scale favour Dangote, but NNPCL is doing its best to flood the country with available products. I think a lot of good things will happen in the sector even till the new year.

“So let’s see how offtake of products will pan out across the country from tomorrow. If the demography of offtake spreads everywhere and we can compute what the logistics costs would be, it will be easy to predict what will happen. But, certainly, when refiners reduce price, and we can buy directly, we will ensure Nigerians benefit, and that is what PETROAN is doing.”

Also, on a potential price drop, the PETROAN official said, “We have mentioned severally that pricing was still going to drop, and that is the trajectory and reality of how this whole thing is going to play out. So gradually, the price will go down and then come down and vary. It’s not going to be static, and that is why I think it’s not right to do an armchair projection.”

Meanwhile, the Dangote Refinery has said it is now operating at 85 per cent capacity and is on course to deliver European-standard products by January.

“We have gone up to 550,000 bpd, that is 85 per cent capacity in crude distillation,” Edwin Devakumar, head of the refinery, said in an interview with CNBC Africa.

The 650,000-bpd Dangote oil refinery built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote in Lagos aims to compete with European refiners when operating at full capacity but has been struggling to secure sufficient crude locally.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that the 2025 budget proposal lacks the structural and fiscal discipline needed to address Nigeria’s multifaceted economic challenges.

The former vice president made this disclosure in a statement on Sunday, reacting to the 2025 budget proposal.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week presented a N49.7 trillion 2025 budget to the National Assembly. The President had based the budget on key economic assumptions, including a N36.36 trillion revenue target, inflation reduction to 15.75 per cent, an exchange rate of N1,500 per dollar, oil production at 2.06 million barrels per day, a crude oil price of $70 per barrel, and a N13.39 trillion budget deficit.

Reacting to the budget, Atiku stated that it reflects a continuation of business-as-usual fiscal practices where budgets fail to impact the lives of citizens.

According to him, the 2025 budget’s ability to foster sustainable economic growth and tackle Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges is questionable.

Atiku also criticised the budget’s reliance on N13 trillion in borrowing to fund the deficit.

“Weak Budgetary Foundations: The 2024 budget’s underperformance signals poor budget execution. By Q3 of the fiscal year, less than 35 per cent of the allocated capital expenditure for MDAs had been disbursed, despite claims of 85 per cent budget execution. This underperformance in capital spending, crucial for fostering economic transformation, raises concerns about the execution of the 2025 budget.

“Disproportionate Debt Servicing: Debt servicing, which accounts for N15.8 trillion (33 per cent of the total expenditure), is nearly equal to the planned capital expenditure (N16 trillion, or 34 per cent). Moreover, debt servicing surpasses spending on key priority sectors such as defence (N4.91 trillion), infrastructure (N4.06 trillion), education (N3.52 trillion), and health (N2.4 trillion). This imbalance will likely crowd out essential investments and perpetuate a cycle of increasing borrowing and debt accumulation, undermining fiscal stability.

“Unsustainable Government Expenditure: The government’s recurrent expenditure remains disproportionately high, with over N14 trillion (30 per cent of the budget) allocated to operating an oversized bureaucracy and supporting inefficient public enterprises. The lack of concrete steps to curb wastage and enhance the efficiency of public spending exacerbates fiscal challenges, leaving limited resources for development.

“Insufficient Capital Investment: After accounting for debt servicing and recurrent expenditure, the remaining allocation for capital spending—ranging from 25 per cent to 34 per cent of the total budget—is insufficient to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and stimulate growth. This amounts to an average capital allocation of approximately N80,000 (US$45) per capita, which is insufficient to meet the demands of a nation grappling with slow growth and infrastructural underdevelopment.

“Regressive Taxation and Economic Strain: The administration’s decision to increase the VAT rate from 7.5 per cent to 10 per cent is a retrogressive measure that will exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis and impede economic growth. By imposing additional tax burdens on an already struggling populace while failing to address governance inefficiencies, the government risks stifling domestic consumption and further deepening economic hardship.

“The 2025 budget lacks the structural reforms and fiscal discipline required to address Nigeria’s multifaceted economic challenges. To enhance the budget’s credibility, the administration must prioritise the reduction of inefficiencies in government operations, tackle contract inflation, and focus on long-term fiscal sustainability rather than perpetuating unsustainable borrowing and recurrent spending patterns. A shift toward a more disciplined and growth-oriented fiscal policy is essential for the nation’s economic recovery,” he stated.

Former Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has attributed the wave of defections from the Labour Party party to its failure to establish a sustainable structure after the 2023 elections.

Recalls that six LP lawmakers recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the House of Representatives.

These lawmakers include Rep. Tochukwu Chinedu Okere (Imo), Rep. Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Rep. Akiba Bassey (Cross River), and Rep. Esosa Iyawe (Edo).

In an interview with journalists in Lagos State on Sunday, Okupe noted that the Labour Party’s current challenges have left elected members seeking political relevance and survival elsewhere.

Okupe explained that the defections were predictable, as many elected officials would not remain in a party with uncertain prospects.

The former Labour Party chieftain also cited Peter Obi’s recent meeting with opposition leaders, including the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in Adamawa as a sign of open-ended options and possible exit from the party.

He said, “The Labour Party has historically been a fallback option for those unable to secure tickets in major parties. That was how we joined initially, and our presence boosted its fortunes.

“National Assembly members elected under the LP banner know their chances of returning in 2027 are slim without strong party structures. To secure their political future, they are aligning with more established parties.

“What does Obi’s meeting with Atiku tell you? It suggests that all options are on the table. Labour Party followers are not blind.”

Okupe further criticised the party leadership and Peter Obi for neglecting to develop a political structure after the election.

He added, “The Labour Party is not building or investing in structures. This failure is driving people away, and it will continue.”