Mr Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, has begged Nigerians to be patient with his administration, assuring that the country is about to enter a new dawn.

Tinubu made this appeal on Wednesday, acknowledging the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of fuel subsidy removal.

He also admitted that an avoidable lag between subsidy removal and his good and helpful plans compounded Nigerians’ pains.

“Fellow Nigerians, this period may be hard on us and there’s no doubt that it is tough on us but I urge you all to look beyond the present temporary pains and aim at the larger picture. All our good and helpful plans are in the works. More importantly, I know that they will work. Sadly, there was an avoidable lag between subsidy removal and these plans coming fully online,” he said.

The president assured that the measures his government has taken would get the country out of the lingering economic crisis, urging Nigerians to have faith in his administration.

“I plead with you, please, have faith in our ability to deliver and in our concern for your well-being. We will get out of this turbulence and due to the measures we have taken, Nigeria will be better equipped and able to take advantage of the future that awaits her.

“For example, we shall fulfill our promise to make education more affordable to all and provide loans to higher education students who may need them. No Nigerian students will have to abandon the higher education system because of lack of money.

“Our commitment is to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of our people. On principle, we shall never falter, I assure you, my fellow countrymen and women, that we are exiting the darkness to enter a new and glorious dawn. Now, I must get back to work to make this vision come true," he added

This marks the second time the President would address Nigerians amid the lingering tension in some parts of the country.

Veteran Nollywood actor Patrick Doyle has spoken highly of his ex-wife, Ireti, referring to her as a first-class mother.

In a recent interview with Olumide Iyanda, publisher of QEDNG, he described her as an exceptional mother, providing excellent care for their daughter.

Patrick Doyle clarified that he holds no negative feelings towards Ireti following their divorce.

He acknowledged Ireti’s dedication to their child, highlighting her exemplary mothering abilities.

He said:

“Ireti is a first class mother and provider for her children. She is taking good care of my daughter. How can I wish her ill? As far as mothers go, they don’t come any better. She provides 360 mothering care.”

Patrick also touched on the importance of maintaining a stable and happy home, emphasizing that it is the responsibility of the head of the house to ensure this.

“As a man, it is my duty to say you don’t look happy. Responsibility for the stability of the home is that of the head of the home. So that was a bid to ease whatever the tensions were at the time,” he said.

Recall that few months, Patrick Doyle reportedly tied the knot with his new lover, after his marriage to Ireti hit the rock in 2023.

Ireti affirmed that she and her husband of over two decades are divorced. “we are officially divorced”, she said

Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, also known as Mr. P, has broken his silence amidst the ongoing feud with his twin brother and former music partner, Paul Okoye.

This comes after Rudeboy revealed how Mr P arrested him with EFCC.

After months of maintaining a low profile, Peter took to his Instagram page to share a photo of himself on stage, accompanied by a heartfelt message to his devoted fans.

In the post, Peter, addressing himself as Mr. P, referenced the timeless adage that “diamonds are forever,” symbolizing the enduring nature of his craft and the unwavering support of his fans.

He humbly appealed to his fans to exercise patience, hinting at an upcoming big project or album.

He wrote:

“Diamonds, they say, are forever.??????? Dear Mr P’s fans pls be patient!????‍♂️.”

See the post below:

Well known Ghanaian reality star Efia Odo, has shared her experience of being in a relationship with Afro dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale.

on the ‘Rant, Bants and Confessions‘ podcast, she revealed that their relationship ended two weeks after she got a tattoo of his name.

Sharing details about her relationship with the artiste, Efia Odo talked about how she cooked for Shatta Wale and his group of friends, as well as supporting his family financially.

She reflected on the efforts she had put into the relationship, stating that she is someone who loves deeply and passionately.

In her words:

“He broke up with me 2 weeks after I got his name tattooed on my hubs, he saw me doing the tattoo. When I love, I love hard. That is just who I am.

“With Shatta Wale, I was cooking for him and ten of his friends. Imagine buying groceries for all those people, and I also supported his family — all with my own money. I have always been in love.”

South African actress Connie Chiume, known for her roles in Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, has passed away.

The actress died at the age of 72.

Her family announced her death in a public statement, stating that she passed away on August 6, 2024, at Garden City Hospital.

The family has requested for privacy during this time stating that they will provide further details later.

The statement read:

“Connie, 72, died today on August 6, 2024, at Garden City Hospital. The family will communicate further details and ask for privacy during this difficult period.”

The late actress was well-known for her work in popular TV shows like Mohlolohadi, Zone 14, Yizo Yizo, Rhythm City, Housekeepers, Grassroots, as well as her role in the Marvel movie ‘Black Panther’.

She had most recently appeared in the series ‘Gomora’ and had a role in Beyonce’s film ‘Black Is King.

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria currently spends $600 million on petrol importation monthly. 

Edun spoke on Tuesday during an interview on AIT’s Moneyline programme.

The minister, however, reiterated that there is no petrol subsidy in the 2024 budget.

“The fuel subsidy was removed May 29, 2023, by Mr President, and at that time, the poorest of 40 percent was only getting four percent of the value, and basically, they were not benefitting at all. So it was going to be just a few,” he said.

“Another point that I think is important is that nobody knows the consumption in Nigeria of petroleum. We know we spend $600 million every month on importation but the issue here is that all the neighbouring countries are benefitting. 

“So we are buying not for just for Nigeria, we are buying for countries to the east, almost as far as Central Africa, north and west. 

“And so we have to ask ourselves as Nigerians, how long do we want to do that for and that is the key issue regarding the issue of petroleum pricing.”

Edun said the nation must take a decisive step to tackle the problem as it impedes economic growth.

‘IMPORT DUTIES SUSPENSION WILL NOT UNDERMINE LOCAL FARMERS’

While speaking on the welfare of Nigerians, Edun said the current administration’s key priority is to ensure food availability and affordability, hence the recent suspension of tax and duties on the importation of food commodities.

He assured that the measure will not undermine local farmers, as importation will only be permitted after exhausting local supplies.

“There is a concerted effort to ensure that we have homegrown food available. In the short term, apart from what is being distributed from reserves, there is a window that has been opened for importation because the commitment of Mr. President is to drive down those prices now and make food available now,” he said.

“So, one of the conditions for this importation will be that everything available locally in the markets or with the millers and so forth has been taken up. We will have auditors that will check that.”

Edun said these interventions seek to reduce inflation, stabilise exchange rates, and lower interest rates, thereby creating a conducive environment for investment and job creation.

“With the kind of food production programme we have, inflation will come down as prices come down. When inflation comes down, exchange rate will stabilise. Interest rates will come down and the economy will have a chance,” he said.

“People will have a chance at reasonable rates to invest in various sectors of the economy, increase productivity, grow the economy and create jobs which is the key to reducing poverty.”

On the issue of the N570 billion recently released to state governments, Edun said it was a reimbursement under the COVID financing protocol.

“This actually refers to a reimbursement that they received from December last year onwards and it was a reimbursement I think under the COVID financing protocol,” he said.

“But the point is that the states have received more money. They have received more money. We have to do our research.”

‘WINDFALL TAX WILL REDISTRIBUTE UNEARNED INCOME’

Edun said the introduction of the 70 percent windfall tax in the banking industry will redistribute unearned income.

The minister said the windfall tax was not peculiar to Nigeria alone, adding that it is “done everywhere else in the world where you have, especially the energy sector as well as banking”.

“Where you have unearned income, where you have a section of the society or an industry or a set of companies that earn money through no dint of hard work of their own, the society deserves a chance to share some of that and it’s just a redistribution of that,” he said.

“So I think that takes care of the issue of the windfall levy.”

Speaking on the recent rise in the maximum borrowing percentage in the Ways and Means advances from 5 percent to 10 percent, Edun said the move does not imply that the federal government will rely on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financing.

Edun described the approval by the national assembly as a “fail-safe” measure.

He said the government had rather used market instruments to manage its debts.

“We have not gone to the central bank to say, please lend the government money to pay its debt, to pay its salaries. That’s Ways and Means,” he said.

“We have not gone. In fact, we have used market instruments to pay down what we owed, and that is a very, very germane aspect of having a strong economy.

“Sometimes it just gives that extra flexibility so that if a payment needs to be made and there’s a mistiming, there’s a gap between the time at which the revenue will come in and the expenses needed, you can just draw down briefly.”

The minister said the aim is to act within the law.

Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller general (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says the duty waiver on imported foods would be implemented within the next one week.

Adeniyi spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during a news conference by the heads of security agencies and service chiefs, convened by Christopher Musa, the chief of defence staff (CDS) at the Defence Headquarters.

On July 10, the federal government announced the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of food commodities to reduce inflation.

The CG said the duty waiver has not been implemented because the ministry of finance is still working out the guidelines.

“But I also like to remind Nigerians that we need to be very, very careful in implementation of this and this is why the guidelines for implementation is being meticulously worked out at the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

Adeniyi said there is a need to understand what the intervention means for the local markets as most of the food items that enjoy duty waivers and concessions are also cultivated by Nigerian farmers.

He said the federal government is trying to address the interests of all stakeholders.

“There is the issue of striking a balance between the long-term interest of Nigerian farmers and stakeholders who are involved in the production of these items and the short-term interest of addressing food inflation,” Adeniyi said.

“So the guidelines are being worked out at the Ministry of Finance and I can assure you that within the next one week these guidelines will be ready and Nigeria customs will begin implementation of these particular fiscal policies.”

‘FG MAKING EFFORTS TO MEET PROTESTERS DEMANDS’

Adeniyi said the demands of the protesters, especially those relating to food inflation and cost of living, are being addressed.

“I like to let Nigerians know that there has been a lot that is going on to address these issues that are related to ameliorating this situation.

“This is through a mixture of fiscal policies of government and a number of strategic interventions from the government.

“The federal government’s effort as part of intervention is the distribution of strategic food items which was released from the national grain reserves about a month ago.

“This was released to all states of the federation. We also recall that a number of the food items that are consumed in Nigeria are imported.

“Better parts of the components are imported and importations are not done of the shelf, it takes some time before they are done.

“So, one of the things that the president has done is to reduce the cost, to push on the effects of the cost inflation by suspending customs duties and taxes on imported food items for a period of time.”

Adeniyi said the implementation of the tax waiver will reduce the price of food items in the market.