A former spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar/Ifeanyi Okowa presidential campaign in the 2023 presidential election, Daniel Bwala, says he is no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naija News reports that Bwala made this known on Friday, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The lawyer cum political analyst declared, “I am not a member of the PDP. Yes, I have left the PDP.”

When asked if he is now a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bwala said, “I am very close.”

Recall that Bwala was a member of the APC prior to the 2023 election when he defected to the PDP.

Obidients Are IPOB Members And Apologists
Meanwhile, Daniel Bwala has claimed that most Obidients are members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and also their apologists.

Bwala stated that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has no history or record of democratic credentials throughout his life.

He shared his thoughts while speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday morning.

According to him, he constantly attacks Obi and Obidients on social media platforms as a form of self-defence against alleged bullying by Obidients.

Bwala berated Obidients for always attacking and abusing those who don’t agree with them on issues concerning Peter Obi and the Nigerian Presidency.

The Federal Government has launched a pioneering initiative to enhance the oversight of medical rehabilitation professionals in the country.

According to it, the move became necessary because, with only 170 staff members and limited funding, the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board (MRTB) struggles to monitor the entire country effectively.

To address this challenge and enhance health security for Nigerians, the Federal Government unveiled 200 volunteers from across the country to serve as Surveillance Officers.

The volunteers have undergone rigorous screening, training, and preparation to uphold professional standards and report any misconduct to the Board, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, said yesterday.

While also unveiling the operation manuals of the Surveillance Officers, Alausa said the milestone marks a significant step forward in the fight against healthcare quackery and the enhancement of healthcare governance.

He emphasised the officers’ role in reducing quackery and improving healthcare delivery, saying, “Your job will not be easy, but remember that you are helping to ensure every Nigerian receives meaningful and comprehensive healthcare, as mandated by President Bola Tinubu.”

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has announced that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has scheduled an emergency meeting to review the Supreme Court’s recent decision granting autonomy to Local Government Councils.

Recall the apex court on Thursday, ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds designated for local government administrations.

The landmark judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, emphasized that this practice contravenes the financial autonomy rights of local governments and has persisted for over two decades.

Following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, Soludo praised the court’s ruling as a democratic milestone. He emphasized the importance of respecting the judiciary’s authority and the rule of law.

Soludo stressed the necessity of ensuring resources reach the grassroots level and highlighted the importance of accountability and transparency in public resource utilization. He emphasized that public funds should benefit citizens at all levels—federal, state, and local.

Reacting to the ruling, he said, “That’s great. I mean, the Supreme Court is Supreme because it is the final authority and I am a Democrat. I believe in the rule of law. Once the Supreme Court has spoken it has spoken. I understand, I mean, tonight, I think the Governors Forum is meeting to review this.

“We’re yet to even… I mean, I haven’t seen the document myself. I’ve been extremely, very busy all through the day but I’ve seen snippets of it.

“But at a fundamental level, yes, we need resources to get down to the real grassroot and we need the people’s money to work for them at all levels, whether at the federal or the state and the local government.

“We need to promote accountability. We need to promote transparency in the utilization of public resources at all levels, to be able to lift the burden of the common man.“

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, appealed to organized labour to accept the ₦62,000 figure as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a post via X while sharing details of the meeting between the federal government and organized labour.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Joe Ajaero; his counterpart at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, and other members of their delegation represented labour.

According to Onanuga, President Tinubu also questioned why wages have to be adjusted every five years and not two or three years.

The President, who led the government officials to the meeting, urged labour to accept the negotiated ₦62,000 as the first baby step in resolving the minimum wage issue. He suggested that further reviews can be done if the minimum wage law is reviewed.

‘Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two, why not three years? What is a problem today, can be eased up tomorrow“, he said.

Onanuga also confirmed that delegates for the meeting also received briefings on the state of the economy from the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari during the meeting.

The presidential media aide confirmed that labour is still insisting on a minimum monthly wage of N250,000.

The talks between the Federal Government and the central labour unions over the minimum wage were adjourned till next Thursday.

Ahmed Aliyu, governor of Sokoto, has signed the bill stripping the Sultan of the power to appoint district and village heads in the state.

Speaking on Thursday after signing the bill and five others, Aliyu said the amendment was to ensure all inconsistencies with the country’s constitution were removed.

In recent weeks, the amended Sokoto local government and chieftaincy laws have generated controversies across the nation.

The governor said the state has amended the laws under previous administrations to ensure “peace and development”.

“It is well known that in every society, laws are enacted and amended to suit the needs of the time and the interests of the governed, in line with current circumstances,” NAN quoted Aliyu as saying.

“In Nigeria, we have witnessed a series of constitutional amendments to give the country laws that ensure peace, tranquility, and socio-political development.

“Some reactions were politically motivated, while others were made ignorantly without proper inquiry into the details and intentions of the amendments.

“I appreciate our Ulama for their concern, but remind them that they represent Allah’s Messenger. They should not allow lazy politicians to use them for political gains.”

He said the signing of the amended law shows that his administration is committed to following the rule of law and listening to the problems of the citizens.

“Whenever we encounter any law that does not serve the interests of our people, we will replace it with one that protects their interests,” the governor added.

He expressed appreciation to members of the state house of assembly for their patriotism in dealing with the issue.

The governor added that his administration is willing to collaborate with the traditional rulers and the Sultanate council for the good of the state.

The other amended bills are the Arabic and Islamic Board, Rural Roads and Land Tenancy, the Zakkat and Endowment Agency, the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disability, and the Local Government Consolidated Law 2009.

The Federal Government and crude oil producers in Nigeria have committed to working towards a sustainable supply of crude oil to local refineries under a market-determined pricing system.

Both parties said the aim of the commitment was to ensure that while the operators (crude oil producers) do business optimally, the refineries are not starved of feedstock.

Accordingly, the industry regulator, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has directed oil refiners in the country to provide monthly price quote on crude supply.

This came as the $20bn Dangote Petroleum Refinery is reportedly ramping up the importation of crude from the United States, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Nigeria’s upstream regulator stated that oil producers under the umbrella of the Oil Producers Trade Section of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at a meeting called by NUPRC, agreed to concede to a framework that would be mutually beneficial with the aim of ensuring that local refineries are not strangulated due to off-the-curve prices.

“The focus of the meeting held at the instance of the Commission Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, was on the status review of the Framework for Seamless Operationalisation of Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligation Template.

“It was part of efforts to effectively implement key sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, especially the issue of pricing and crude supply to the domestic refineries,” the commission stated.

In the statement, Komolafe said President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to providing a level playing ground for producers and refiners to do business in the industry.

He expressed the need for a rule of engagement to ensure that the pricing model from the oil producers does not hinder the domestic refineries.

He directed producers and refiners to provide the NUPRC with cargo price quotes on crude supply and delivery for effective monitoring and regulation of transactions among parties. “We need to have the price quotes monthly,” he directed.

The NUPRC boss pointed out a convergence between the Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligation and the nation’s energy security, indicating that his team is re-engineering its regulatory processes to address the challenges.

“We allow all our processes to be transparent. While the Federal Government targets the implementation of the regulation, all parties must submit to the rules of engagement as a guide for operation,” Komolafe stated.

He said NUPRC is committed to driving the willing buyer/willing seller provision.

“We have to discuss pricing, especially as parties have committed to respecting their domestic crude oil obligation. As the regulator, we don’t want the upstream sector to be operated sub-optimally through cost under-recovery.

“So, the regulator is very alive to that. In crude pricing we will never allow price strangulation to disincentivise our domestic refining capacity optimisation. The regulator does not support cost under-recovery in the upstream sector, and we will continue to work to ensure that crude supply profiteering as a negative factor that can strangulate our domestic refining capacity optimisation is disallowed,” Komolafe declared.

Dangote raises alarm

Last month, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, had accused International Oil Companies in Nigeria of plans to frustrate the survival of the new Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Edwin had said the IOCs were deliberately and willfully frustrating the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the United States, with its attendant high costs.

“Recall that the NUPRC recently met with crude oil producers as well as refineries’ owners in Nigeria, in a bid to ensure full adherence to Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligations as enunciated under section 109(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act. It seems that the IOCs’ objective is to ensure that our petroleum refinery fails. It is either they are deliberately asking for a ridiculous/humongous premium or they simply state that crude is not available.

“At some point, we paid $6 over and above the market price. This has forced us to reduce our output as well as import crude from countries as far as the US, increasing our cost of production. It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country which exports crude oil and imports refined petroleum products.

“They (IOCs) are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their Gross Domestic Product, and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria – thus making us to be dependent on imported products. It is the same strategy the multinationals have been adopting in every commodity, making Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa to be facing unemployment and poverty, while they create wealth for themselves at our expense,” Edwin had stated.

But on Thursday NUPRC emphasised the imperative for appropriate pricing to drive willing buyer willing seller referencing guided Fiscal Oil Price published by the commission in line with the provisions of the PIA.

“NUPRC is committed to attracting the needed investments to boost upstream development and optimisation of our hydrocarbon resources just as we want sustainability of domestic energy supply in the midstream and downstream sector.”

Crude importation

Also on Thursday Bloomberg reported that Nigeria’s Dangote mega-refinery was ramping up the importation of crude oil from the United States, stating that the Lagos-based refinery had created a new flow of long-haul crude from the US, as inflows of American feedstock could be about to rise further.

The report stated that the Dangote mega-refinery was lapping up ever more US crude, bringing the barrels thousands of miles across the Atlantic ocean.

It stated that Dangote bought more than 16 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate crude oil so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In August and September, the proportion it will take from the US — as opposed to Nigerian barrels — may be set to rise, based on tenders for new supply seen by Bloomberg.

The Federal Government has announced that Teesside University in the United Kingdom has implemented a more compassionate payment method for Nigerians schooling in its institution.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa stated this on Thursday at a press conference ahead of the National Diaspora Day Celebrations 2024 on July 25, in Abuja.

The financial crisis in Nigeria, exacerbated by a shift from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment plan by the university, left many students struggling to cover their expenses.

On May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were ordered to leave the United Kingdom due to difficulties in paying their tuition fees on time.

The students cited the devaluation of the naira as a significant barrier to meeting their financial obligations, which has led to a breach of their visa sponsorship requirements.

Several students found themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and mandated to leave the UK. The university maintained that strict external regulations necessitate these actions.

The affected students, numbering 60, expressed deep distress and disappointment, accusing the university of being unsupportive and “heartless.”

They banded together to urge the university for assistance after witnessing their peers face severe consequences for late payments.

On May 29, 2024, the Federal Government stepped in to address the deportation orders issued against some Nigerian students at Teesside University.

A delegation led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Amb. Christian Okeke, along with leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, met with the university’s management to seek a resolution.

Giving updates on intervention outcome, Dabiri-Erewa noted that while the students were still required to pay their fees, the new arrangements aimed to make the process more manageable.

For those students who were near completion of their payments and were asked to leave, Dabiri-Erewa stated that an agreement had been reached allowing them to finish their payments and receive their certificates once all fees are settled.

“The Teesside University has come up with a more compassionate payment method. The students are going to pay their fees. It is not charity, but they have devised ways that can be a bit more convenient.

“For those who were almost done with payment and were told to leave, they agreed that they would pay their fees but would not receive their certificate until they complete their payment,” she explained.

The NiDCOM boss also mentioned that Teesside University was not the only institution affected, saying many other universities have Nigerian students facing similar issues.

“We are working closely with the student organisations in the UK and the Nigerian Mission to address these challenges,” she added.

The NiDCOM boss highlighted economic instability, security concerns, and inadequate living standards as the primary drivers behind the increasing migration of Nigerians abroad.

She noted that the theme for this year’s National Diaspora Day, “Japa Phenomena and its Implications for National Development,” reflected growing concerns over the demographic most affected by this migration—Nigeria’s youth.

“Factors such as economic instability, security concerns, and inadequate standard of living are ranked high among reasons for the exodus of Nigerians abroad.

“The consequence of this phenomenon is the decline of strong human resources because most of the Nigerians relocating are the youths,” Dabiri-Erewa noted. “This in turn, makes a downward turn on labour and productivity in the country.”

Despite these challenges, Dabiri-Erewa called for a change in perspective, urging Nigerians to see the positive side of the situation.

“We have to turn our lemons into lemonade. Today, we change the story by celebrating those vibrant Nigerians who are making positive impacts in the Diaspora and making the country very proud.

Also, those who, while abroad, are contributing positively to national development,” NiDCOM Boss noted.

The Yobe State Police Command has begun the probe into the case of a self-proclaimed marabout, Auwalu Haruna, arrested for allegedly abducting and impregnating his wife’s friend.

PUNCH gathered that the 20-year-old girl, after days of disappearance, was found pregnant at Haruna’s custody in Anguwan Arewa, in the Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State.

In a telephone interview, Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesperson for the state police command, revealed to our correspondent that Haruna was accused of hypnotising the victim with a concoction that rendered her unconscious.

Abdulkarim said the case was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department, and a discreet investigation was ongoing.

“The suspect is just like a marabout, he does rituals for people. So, he allegedly forced her to drink a certain medical concoction that made her fall in love with him, then he eloped with her to Anguwan at Kano.

“The abduction case was reported to the Tarmuwa Divisional Police Headquarters by her father, who alleged it was Mallam Haruna who perpetrated it. After thorough research, the command operatives arrested him in Kano with the girl, whom he had already impregnated. It was medically confirmed that she was two months pregnant.

“The case is still under investigation at the Yobe SCID, and you know there are processes. After we are done, we still have to transfer his file to the Yobe State Ministry of Justice. The ministry, which is our counterpart, will now go through the file and vet it.”

If satisfied with the investigation, they can now provide legal assistance to the police, and he will be arraigned in court,” Abdulkarim concluded.

PUNCH Metro reported in June that a 71-year-old landlord, identified simply as Adesina, for allegedly defiling and impregnating his tenant’s 14-year-old girl at Akegbeyale Street in Ifesowapo Akute, Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the residents and other tenants were thrown into a state of shock when the septuagenarian suspect was found on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, having sexual intercourse with the minor at about 10:15 pm in the bathroom.

The Anambra State Police Command said it has identified the officers allegedly fingered in a viral video of telephone theft in a community in Otuocha Local Government Area of the state.

In a video that circulated on social media on Wednesday, a resident of the area narrated how police officers from the Otuocha Police Division invaded their houses and forcefully took away mobile phone sets that people were charging.

The voice, who identified himself as a resident of the community, said the heavily armed police officers invaded the locations in a commando-like style, unplugged the telephones from the sockets, one by one, and carted them away for no reason.

According to the voice in the three-minute video, the police officers invaded their community late on Tuesday and carted an undisclosed number of telephones.

He, therefore begged the police authorities in the state to look into the situation and returned the telephones to the owners.

In the video, the residents blocked a major road in the community and used it to protest the action.

The development generated reactions from different quarters with residents calling for a probe of the police officers’ action.

But while reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command had identified the officers involved in the act.

Ikenga called on the victims whose telephones were forcefully taken to come forward to help facilitate the necessary action involved in the investigation.

He said, “The Anambra State Police Command has intercepted a video of a protest against police action and wishes to state that the police team and the officers mentioned in the video have been identified.

“The command also invites the victims to come forward to help facilitate the necessary action involved in the investigation.

“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, calls for calm and urges citizens to utilise the channels of the complaint against police officers rather than being unruly as seen in the video blocking the express road, thereby infringing on the fundamental rights of others which is the very course citizens want to protect.

“We seek for a police that is civil and professional in discharging their duties. Aggrieved residents should make use of police complaint channels to express any grievances.

“These channels include the CP Monitoring Unit of Command, the Police X-Squad under the State Criminal Investigation Department Police Complaints Bureau or the newly resuscitated Complaint Response Unit under the Police Public Relations Department Awka.

“You can call the Command Control Room at 07039194332 or the Police Public Relations Officer at 08039334002 in the event of any distress. Also download the ‘NPF Rescue Me App’, usable on Android and Apple iOS phones, to make reports. Further details shall be communicated, please.”

President Bola Tinubu says a new minimum wage will be fixed after reviewing the “structure” of the wage bill.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday while addressing the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) during a meeting at the State House, Abuja.

Tinubu told the labour leaders that his administration prioritises the welfare of workers, adding that “society depends on the productivity of happy workers”.

“You have to cut your coat according to the available cloth. Before we can finalise the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure,” Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, quoted Tinubu as saying in a statement.

“Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two? Why not three years? What is a problem today can be eased up tomorrow.

“There is much dynamism to this process if we are not myopic in our approaches.

“We can take a surgical approach that is based on pragmatism and a deep understanding of all factors.”

On his part, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said things are difficult for Nigerian workers, adding that there must be a balance between the living wage and the minimum wage.

Festus Osifo, TUC president, said the rising inflation in the country has eroded the value of the naira.

BACKGROUND

Over the past few months, labour unions, federal and state governments, and the private sector have been deliberating on a new minimum wage.

On June 3, the labor unions grounded the nation’s economy over the minimum wage dispute.

The NLC and TUC had proposed N494,000 as the new national minimum wage, citing inflation and the prevailing economic hardship in the country, while rejecting the federal government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage offer.

On June 7, state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), said a N60,000 minimum wage would prove unsustainable.

At the last meeting of the tripartite committee, organised labour rejected the N62,000 proposed by the government and lowered its demand to N250,000.

The federal government had asked the labour unions to demand a more realistic and sustainable wage.

Tinubu had also directed Wale Edun, minister of finance, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said the presentation would form the basis of further negotiations.