Maverick singer, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has vowed to divorce his wife of 47 years if United States Vice President, Kamala Harris, doesn’t win the upcoming presidential election.
DAILY POST reports that President Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic Party candidate on Sunday and endorsed his vice, Kamala Harris, as the party’s flagbearer.

Reacting via his X handle, Charly Boy said after the first Black male President in the person of Barack Obama, America deserves the first Black Female President.

He vowed to divorce his wife if Kamala Harris, who he described as his “crush” doesn’t win the election.

He wrote in Pidgin: “If dis my crush, Kamala Harris no win the USA presidential election, I swear, I go divorce my wife of 47yrs.

“After the first Black Male President, America deserves the first Black Female President.

“Sorry rednecks. Dats how we Roll.”

Kamala Harris is yet to be officially nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate despite Biden’s endorsement.

According to The Hill, she has secured over a quarter of the delegates needed to win the Democratic Presidential nomination so far.

The house of representatives joint committee on petroleum resources (downstream and midstream) has launched a probe into claims that local refineries, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, produce inferior products.

The committee is also investigating the allegations that the international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria are frustrating the survival of the Dangote refinery.

At the inaugural sitting on Monday, Ikenga Ugochinyere, chair of petroleum resources downstream committee, said a “thorough and transparent” probe would be carried out on the claims, including detailed laboratory investigations at all local refineries, marketers and importers facilities, and regulatory agencies.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Dangote refinery have been embroiled in a dispute that began recently.

On July 18, Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of NMDPRA had said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, were producing inferior products compared to the ones imported into the country.

The oil regulator also accused the Dangote of monopoly.

Aliko Dangote, CEO of the Dangote Group, has denied both claims.

Ugochinyere said the committee would further investigate the “indiscriminate” issuance of licences and importation of refined petroleum products, return of PMS price intervention, allegation of product unavailability to marketers from NNPC retail, and endless shifting of timelines for refinery rehabilitation and the nefarious activities at petrol depots.

“The committee will also conduct a legislative forensic investigation into the presence of middlemen in crude trading, alleged unavailability of international standard laboratories to check adulterated products, influx of contaminated products into the country, the allegation of non-domestication of profits realized from crude marketing sales in local banks, abuse of the PFI regime, importation of products already being produced in Nigeria and use of international trading companies to resell fuel stock to local refineries at high mark up prices,” Ugochinyere said.

“The two committees were also mandated to carry out a legislative forensic investigation into the allegation of importation of substandard products and high-sulphur diesel into Nigeria, the alleged production of substandard diesel and other petroleum products by some domestic producers.”

He said the panels will also probe the alleged anomalies in the importation and distribution of PMS by the state oil company, the economic viability of the alleged sale of petroleum products below fair market value and its impact on downstream and local refineries and revenue generation as well as the source of funds for such price interventions, quantity imported, the amount spent and why the products are still high in the retailing market.

In addition, the lawmaker said the committee will investigate the alleged failure of some of the regulators to enforce compliance on standards, the lack of support to local crude refiners, and the issuance of import licences, despite local production.

“Following the investigative order given to the committee by the 10th people’s house, today we are going to officially commence the comprehensive forensic legislative investigation into several critical issues that threaten the stability and trust in our petroleum industry,” he said.

‘WE’LL CONDUCT THOROUGH PROBE’

The lawmaker said the probe will start with addressing allegations concerning the importation of substandard petroleum products and the non-availability of crude oil to domestic refineries, which has raised serious concerns about the quality and safety of fuel in our market.

He said the panel will take a closer look at the integrity of the testing processes for petroleum products in the country, particularly focusing on the capacity and credibility of all the testing labs of all stakeholders in the downstream and midstream value chain, local middlemen and the laboratories they employ.

Ugochinyere said to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation, the committee would undertake detailed laboratory investigations at all local refineries, marketers’ and importers’ facilities, regulatory agencies, state oil companies, and other players in the sector.

“We will visit various filling stations, depots, and tank farms to take samples in line with intl standards, verify the quality of imported products and asses the testing capacities of all refineries and all refined product handling outfits,” he said.

“The collection of samples will be done transparently and in line with global best practices and would be in 4 specimens for independent testing in a different standard, accredited Laboratory including that of all stakeholders involved in refining and importation of refined petroleum products.

“The committee will select different locations, including filling stations, depots and even currently discharging ships. Samples shall be taken in the presence of representatives of NMDPRA, refinery representatives, marketers/importers and the committee.

“After collection, the samples will be tested jointly and also independently by the committee and the stakeholders to ascertain the contents. Component to be tested for as listed as follows: sulfur content, density, distillation, flash point, octane number for gasoline and cetane number for diesel.”

‘STAKEHOLDERS WILL BE INVITED’

Ugochinyere said zonal interaction committees would be set up to ensure “swift movement” to different parts of the country to interact with stakeholders and take samples from stakeholders’ facilities for immediate laboratory analysis.

He said invitations would be dispatched on Monday (today) for submissions of relevant documents and appearances to key stakeholders, regulatory bodies, state oil companies, petroleum products refining companies, IPMAN, PETROAN, independent oil producers, IOCs, importers, marketers, depot owners and other stakeholders too numerous to mention.

“We are committed to transparency, thoroughness, and accountability throughout this process that will help us to identify and resolve the underlying issues plaguing Nigeria’s petroleum sector,” Ugochinyere said.

Therefore, he said the committee resolved that parties in the raging argument — Dangote refinery, other refining companies, NMDPRA, marketers and relevant stakeholders — “should henceforth cease further allegations and counter-allegations pending the conclusion and outcome of the investigation”.

A renowned political economist, Pat Utomi, on Monday, threatened to sue the special adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga.

Recall that Onanuga, in a post on X Platform, formerly (Twitter), accused the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, his supporters and Obidients of planning to stage nationwide protests against hunger, naira devaluation and economic hardship in the country.

In his post he said, “Obi should be held responsible for anarchy. Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.

“The protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020.

“ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness.

“IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda.

“Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today. Two years after ENDSARS, the IPOB and the gullible innocents joined the Labour Party in 2022 to support Peter Obi, a sympathiser of their cause. They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’.

“They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election.

“As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason.

“Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason. I have been on the trail of one of the protest planners, who is nameless but claims to have an internet radio station, PTM100.88 Abuja.”

Utomi, in his reaction to the allegation against Obi and his supporters, advised Onanuga to withdraw his statement or provide evidence of his claims.

He warned that he would sue Onanuga and claim ₦500bn if he fails to provide sophisticated evident.

The full statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to a statement by Mr. Bayo Onauga, a spokesman for the presidency alleging that I have been a key player in demonstrations viewed as insurrection.

“Let me state first and foremost that I have no problem with protests. They are legitimate sources of feedback in a democracy. I have participated in several during military rule alongside some of those now in government. My reaction to Onanuga’s statement has therefore nothing to do with the legitimacy of the demonstrations but with the deliberate and outright falsehood of the statement.

“First, I have been living in the United States for several months now and was actually unaware of threats of demonstrations so I could not have been part of something I did not know was in the works.

“As a student of the State in post-Colonial Africa. I am horrified that agents of the State can fabricate deliberate falsehood.

“As I know phones are bugged there should at least be evidence of some contact between me and these ostensible demonstration planners. They do not even need to produce the conversation to show evidence but just a thread of contacts.

“If no evidence of Mr. Onanuga’s false assertion is shown I will assume it reasonable that the object is to water the ground for false treasonable felony charges that can result in the claim of one’s life. I intend to therefore proceed to the international criminal and other human rights courts if a reasonable explanation is not forth coming.

“I will also have no choice but to institute a claim of ₦500 Billon for of fake news, hate speech and intent to procure State murder of an innocent citizen. If judicial capture makes justice problematic in Nigeria I expect that I can trust extra-national institutions and global human solidarity.

“As one who survived two assassination attempts under Abacha of which there is public court records when some of those now in power were my colleague freedom advocates I am clear they know the consequence of their plotting.

“I have in a reaction on X already indicated that I meant to ignore the false assertion but I have been advised of a more sinister motive of State terror that should not be allowed to go unchallenged. In the plan apparently being instigated by Mr. Onanuga.”

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has raised concern over the lingering economic crisis in Nigeria, recalling that Nigeria had the biggest economy in Africa as of 2014.

Naija News recalls that Nigeria, as of 2014, was being led by former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A year later, in a surprising turn of events, Jonathan, an incumbent president, lost a re-election bid to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that Obi was a former member of the PDP before defecting to the Labour Party in 2023 to pursue his presidential ambition.

Taking to his official account on X on Monday, Peter Obi, a candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, said the country’s economy soon began to drop in 2015.

In his message, Obi drew attention to the stark difference between Nigeria’s economic achievements during its early post-democracy years and its current economic condition.

According to him, upon returning to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria saw an average GDP growth rate of approximately 6.72% over 16 years, 1999-2014.

However, he highlighted a decline in this momentum, with GDP growth dropping to 2.79% in 2015, leading to an economic downturn in 2016.

Obi said: “In 2014, just before the inception of a new administration a year later, Nigeria had the biggest economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product of $568.5 billion and a GDP Per Capita of about $3,200.”

On the other hand, he observed that by 2023, Nigeria had dropped to the 4th position in terms of the largest economies in Africa, boasting a GDP of $375 billion and an average income per person of $1700.

He noted that subsequently, the economic situation deteriorated in 2024, with the GDP expected to fall even further to around $253 billion and the average income per person to decrease to $1087.

This information, according to him, is based on data collected from StatiSense, a company that uses artificial intelligence for analyzing financial reports, examining bank statements, and providing services through AI chatbots.

Subsequently, the former governor expressed alarm at the current state of affairs, saying, “Today, poverty is pervasive and on the increase. Unemployment is rising. Food inflation has skyrocketed to over 43%. Foreign and local investors are losing faith in the future growth of our economy and are leaving in large numbers. Businesses are shutting down.”

Obi urged for immediate measures to stop more economic downturns and shift it from spending to creating as he criticized the present leadership.

He said, “Urgent actions need to be taken to salvage the nation from further economic collapse and move it from consumption to production.

“However, instead of concerning ourselves with all these challenges threatening our collective existence and finding ways to recreate an inclusive and sustainable economy, pull millions of people out of poverty, and return our nearly 20 million out-of-school children to schools, our leaders are more concerned with funding their selfish luxuries and individual lavishness while throwing blames at others who are only committed to solving the nation’s problems.

“In the face of all these challenges, we the leaders, should commit to inclusive and sustainable growth to end the hardship which has continued to burden our fellow Nigerians. Only through that can we achieve a peaceful and secure society.”

Recently, Naija News reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate reached 34.19 per cent in June, even as the food inflation was over 40 per cent.

The 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has charged those attacking him to focus on alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians.

Obi’s comment is coming when President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga accused Obi of planning mayhem in Nigeria.

Onanuga also painted Obi as a failed presidential candidate, stressing that he should be held responsible for whatever crisis that would emanate from the action. 

However, Obi said his attackers should use the energy against him to focus on making Nigeria a great place.

Posting on X, the former Anambra State governor wrote: “I urge you to channel your energy and resources towards helping everyday Nigerians who are struggling to find their next meal, secure education for their children, gain employment, and access adequate healthcare.

“Rather than fabricating lies, you and your paymasters should listen to the cries of the poor, who cannot afford medicine and who are uncertain about their next meal. Pay attention to the voices of reason from individuals and institutions that emphasize the plight of our citizens. Let us unite in building a nation where everyone can thrive-PO”

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has told Nigerians to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Oshiomhole stated this while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

This comes after the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said inflation figures reached 34.19 per cent in June 2024.

DAILY POST reported that the high cost of living was triggered by the floating of the naira and the removal of fuel subsidy by the current administration.

However, Oshiomhole, a former governor and now representing Edo North in the Senate, expressed optimism that Tinubu’s policies would yield results in due course, calling for patience.

“You have to agree that some of the policy initiatives will require more than a year to materialise.

“What would the president gain by resorting to policy choices that are unlikely to deliver comfort in the long run?”

“So, I think for me, it is about having faith that in the long run, these things will work out,” he said.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has dissociated himself from a WhatsApp message currently circulating on all social media platforms regarding the planned nationwide protests.

DAILY POST earlier sighted a screenshot of an alleged WhatsApp message from the IGP discouraging protest in Lagos State.

Part of the message reads, “If you are going to join any protest next week, it’s good but ask yourself these questions: Why is Lagos always their target? How about starting from your state?”

However, the IGP in a statement issued on Sunday night by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the purported message making the rounds on “WhatsApp and other social media platforms, did not originate from the police”.

According to the statement, “the message, which poses several questions and opinions about protests, does not essentially represent the ideals or views of the Nigeria Police Force.

“We urge everyone to disregard this message and other similar contents purportedly from the NPF as the Force makes all communications via its official channels”.

Adejobi assured that the Nigeria Police Force “is committed to maintaining peace and order throughout the country. We do not endorse any message that could incite division, violence, or destruction.

“We encourage all Nigerians to engage in peaceful and constructive activities that would contribute to the progress and unity of our dear country”.

The IGP sternly warned that the “spread of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, or mischievous recycled contents”, are criminal acts and punishable under the Cybercrime law.

DAILY POST reports that Nigerians, particularly the youths, have scheduled a nationwide protest from August 1st to 10th to draw the attention of the government to the prevailing hardship in the country.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit instituted against the federal government by the family of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, challenging the revocation of the property of the former military ruler located in the Maitama District of Abuja.

Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the suit in a judgement on the case filed nine years ago in which the Abacha family members are demanding the return of their father’s mansions located at Osara Close in Maitama and N500M compensation.

In the judgment, Justice Lifu predicated the dismissal on various grounds, among which are that the suit had become statute-barred at the time it was filed in 2015 and that those who initiated the case have no locus standi (legal power) to do so.

The suit was filed by Mohammed Sani Abacha, the eldest surviving son of the former military ruler, and the widow, Hajia Maryam Abacha, on behalf of the executors of the estate of the late military general.

Listed as 1st to 4th Defendants in the suit are the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (MFCT), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Salamed Ventures Limited.

The new dismissal of the suit marked the fourth time the family would lose legal battles on the property in court, having lost twice at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and once at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on grounds of jurisdiction.

Upon shifting the battle to the Federal High Court, the Abacha family, among others, prayed the Court to nullify and set aside the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the property of the late General Abacha.

The grouse of the family was that the Certificate of Occupancy marked FCT/ABUKN 2478 covering Plot 3119 issued on June 25, 1993, was illegally and unlawfully revoked by the defendants on January 16, 2006, in breach of Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 28 of the Land Use Act.

In their statement of claims, the Abacha family said the FCT under Nasir El-Rufai had, between 2004 and 2005, instructed them to submit the Certificate of Occupancy in their possession for re-certification.

They claimed that the 2nd plaintiff, Mohammed Sani Abacha, promptly complied with the directive by delivering the Certificate of Occupancy to the FCDA, and an acknowledgement copy was issued to him.

While waiting for a new Certificate of Occupancy to be issued to them, the plaintiffs asserted that Mohammed Abacha received a letter on February 3, 2006, notifying them that the Certificate of Occupancy had been revoked without any reason adduced in the letter.

Besides the failure to give any reason for the revocation, the Abacha family alleged that adequate compensation was not paid.

The family, therefore, asked Justice Lifu to declare as unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null, and void, the revocation of the property and also sought an order setting aside the revocation and holding that their Certificate of Occupancy is valid and subsisting.

The plaintiffs asked for an order of injunction prohibiting the defendants from taking any further steps on the disputed property and to also compel the defendants to pay them N500M as damages.

However, the defendants, in their separate counter-affidavits and preliminary objections, asked for the outright dismissal of the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/463/2016.

Specifically, the 4th defendant, Salamed Ventures Limited, represented by James Ogwu Onoja SAN, argued that the suit, at the time it was instituted, had become statute-barred, having not been filed within three months of the cause of action allowed by law and thus, robbed the court of jurisdiction.

Onoja SAN submitted that the suit was caught by the provisions of the Public Officers Protection Act and had become a mere academic exercise and asked the Judge to dismiss it for being frivolous and lacking in merit.

The senior lawyer said that Salamed Ventures Limited became the owners of the disputed property upon its purchase from the federal government at N595M and issuance of Certificate of Occupancy number 181dw-3adcz-721r-15a8-10 of May 25, 2011.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu agreed with Onoja SAN that the cause of action arose on February 3, 2006, when the Certificate of Occupancy was revoked, while the case was filed in May 2015, years after the revocation and far more than three months it ought to have been filed.

Besides, the judge held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi to file the case upon their failure to present as exhibits their letters of administration to the estate as required by law and as proof of their claim as the administrators.

Justice Lifu also agreed with Salamed Ventures that the Abacha property was lawfully revoked upon breaches in the covenants in the Right of Occupancy by erecting structures without first obtaining building plans.

The judge then dismissed the suit and ordered the Abacha family to pay Salamed Ventures N500,000 as the cost of litigation.