Ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities, costs of basic food items have skyrocketed, raising apprehension among Nigerians, Daily Trust report.

This is as many civil servants, who spoke to our correspondents in different states of the country, said celebrations would be low-key.

Many of them also that said they were awaiting their December salaries.

Checks by Daily Trust in major markets showed a sharp rise in prices of chickens, turkeys, cows, groundnut oil and other commodities.

This is amidst the cost of living crisis in the country, which is believed to have been triggered by the present administration’s policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.

The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Nigeria’s headline inflation increasing to 34.60 per cent in the month of November.

For food inflation, the NBS said it increased to 39.93 per cent on a year-on-year basis, 7.08 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in November 2023 (32.84 per cent).

Checks by our reporters in markets in parts of the country showed that price of turkey has increased by 30 per cent compared to what it was around this time last year.

At Utako and Wuse markets in Abuja, the price of local turkey ranged from N85, 000 to N130, 000 depending on the size; and that of “agric” turkey, from N110, 000 to N140, 000.

Some of the sellers attributed the hike to high cost of transportation and feeding.

In Plateau State, a seller of chickens and turkeys at the Railway Market, Ibrahim Musa, said: “We have prices ranging from N8, 000 to N25, 000 for chickens; while turkeys cost between N70, 000 and N110,000. The current prices are discouraging people from buying, resulting in low patronage. Even during peak season when we expect a huge market, sales are slow.”

At the New Market, sellers of groundnut oil also confirmed the price increase. One of them, Abba Shehu, said: “A five-litre gallon costs N18, 000. We were informed that the increase in groundnut prices is the reason for the surge in oil prices.”

According to the chairman of the Cattle Market in Jos, Malam Rabiu Muhammad, the price of cows is also very expensive.

He said, “At the moment, we have cows selling for N1.5 million in the market. The price ranges from N700, 000 to N1.5 million, depending on the size. The price is really affecting the market.”

At the Wadata and Modern markets in Makurdi, Benue State, a chicken sells for between N15,000 and N22,000; and turkey, N65,000.

A four-litre bottle of cooking oil is not N19,000 and N22,000, depending on the brand.

A civil servant in the state, Olije Edward, said the thought of celebrating Christmas is bittersweet as her entire salary could barely buy a turkey or three modest chickens.

She asked: “How can we celebrate properly when everything is this expensive? What should be a season of celebration has instead become a period of anxiety for many families like mine in Benue who are forced to stretch their limited resources even further.”

At major markets in Agege and Mushin, Lagos, prices of chickens, turkeys and groundnut oil have equally gone up, with a cow selling for as much as between N1 million and N1.5 million depending on the size; chicken, between N13,000 and N15,000; groundnut oil (King) of 25kg, N100,000 and Golden terra, N95,000.

In Bayelsa, the rising costs of chicken, turkey, groundnut oil, goats and other food items are making residents to consider a low-key Christmas and New Year celebrations.

At Swali Market in Yenagoa, a turkey goes for N65,000; chicken, N25,000, five litres of groundnut oil, N25,000 and goat, between N80,000 and N90,000, depending on the size.

A civil servant in the state, who identified herself as Ebitare, said: “Things are very costly in the market, even the N80, 000 minimum wage promised by the government is not yet paid, we are still expecting it, because the government promised to start paying from this month.

“We don’t even know how to celebrate this Christmas, but anyhow it is, we will adopt low-key celebration, the most important thing is that God has preserved our lives to see another Christmas and we will still continue to celebrate more Christmas.”

Dr, Muda Yusuf, an economist and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), commented on the situation, saying “Energy cost is an issue, transportation cost is an issue.

“Also, there is the issue of insecurity which has affected farming activities. Many of our farmers have been displaced. Many of them have abandoned their farms. The way we also manage our fiscal deficit is important. The level of borrowing is heating up the economy,” he said.

In a landmark moment for Africa’s creative and tech industries, Singapore’s TSC Global and Nigeria’s Del-York Group have signed a $4.5 billion joint venture agreement, marking the largest investment in Africa’s creative sector to date. The signing ceremony, held in Singapore and attended virtually by Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, heralds the development of Lagos Film City (Kebulania), a project poised to position Lagos as a global hub for film, media, and technology.

“Lagos Film City (Kebulania) represents Lagos State’s vision for creative excellence and technological innovation,” remarked Sanwo-Olu. “This investment will transform our creative landscape while creating groundbreaking opportunities for our talented youth. This development demonstrates our commitment to positioning Lagos as Africa’s premier creative capital.” He credited Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and the state’s Creative Industry Policy for facilitating this transformative partnership.

Under the new partnership, TSC Global will bring its expertise in sustainable, high-performance technical infrastructure, an area where the company is known globally. Linus Idahosa, CEO of Del-York Group, serves as the lead developer of the project and is dedicated to building ecosystems that fuel Africa’s creative industry. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Lagos State Government in 2022, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Epe site last year. Architectural work will begin in early 2025, followed by construction in the second quarter.

“Today marks Africa’s emphatic entry into global creative and technological leadership,” said Idahosa at the signing ceremony.

“Kebulania stands as a testament to what is possible when visionary leadership at both national and state levels creates an enabling environment for transformative investments. With the unwavering support of the Lagos State Government, alongside our partners, we are building more than an infrastructure – we are creating a legacy that will empower generations of African creators and innovators.”

Michael Dickerson, CEO of TSC Global, highlighted the strategic significance: ‘Our $4.5 billion Joint Venture bridges Africa and the world, creating unparalleled opportunities for creative and technological collaboration between continents. Together with the Del-York Group, we are creating a new model for creative industry development that will resonate globally.”

The Kebulania project is expected to generate over 10,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect employment opportunities, contributing more than $3.5 billion annually to Nigeria’s creative economy. It will also offer 50,000 training positions and boost foreign exchange earnings through international film and media productions.

A minimum of 10 people, including children, are feared dead, with several others injured following a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, on the morning of Saturday, December 21.

The chaos unfolded as thousands of residents rushed to collect palliatives being distributed by the church.

The event, intended to provide relief to struggling community members, attracted over 3,000 people, mainly from Mpape, Gishiri Village, and surrounding areas.

Padre Mike Nsikak Umoh, the National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, confirmed the tragic incident and announced the suspension of the palliative distribution.

“Yes it’s true but with sketchy details,” Umoh said.

An eyewitness recounted the scene as both chaotic and heartbreaking, with reports indicating that at least seven of the victims were children.

Many attendees had arrived as early as 4:00 AM, eager to secure palliatives.

The stampede took place between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM when the crowd surged uncontrollably.

“10 people have been reported dead, including children. We just received a call that they have passed on.

“Over 3,000 people came out to receive the palliative. It’s unfortunate. Some of them arrived as early as 4:00 AM. Most of those present were residents of Mpape, Gishiri Village, and other nearby settlements.

“The stampede occurred between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM. The distribution of palliatives has been suspended indefinitely, and people are dispersing. May God receive the souls of the departed and protect us from harm,” the eyewitness said.

In an effort to regain control, a joint team of police, military, and DSS officers was swiftly deployed to restore order and disperse the crowd.

As security personnel enforced the suspension of the event, the church premises, once filled with anxious attendees, gradually cleared.

This tragedy echoes a similar one that occurred just days earlier in Ibadan, Oyo State, where a stampede at a children’s funfair claimed the lives of at least 35 children and left six others critically injured.

The incident, which took place at the Islamic High School in Bashorun, Ibadan, unfolded when over 5,000 children rushed to collect food and gifts distributed by the organizers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured an order for the final forfeiture of a warehouse allegedly traced to a former top official of the government facing alleged money laundering charges.

Highly placed sources, who spoke in confidence with New Telegraph, said the order was granted on Thursday by Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

According to our sources, the property, which sits on a landed property measuring 1.925 hectares, is situated along the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, Magboro.

It was further learnt the warehouse contains 54 general-purpose steel containers filled with sewing machines of various shapes.

This development comes a few weeks after the anti-graft agency seized a property with 753 duplexes and other apartments located in the Cadastral Zone area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This newspaper gathered that the judge had, on November 28, ordered the interim forfeiture of the assets upon consideration of the Commission’s application for their forfeiture.

One of the sources said: “Following the directive of the court to the EFCC, which is the lead anti-graft agency in the country, to publish the order in two national dailies for any interested person (s) to show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be made, the Commission later approached the court for the final forfeiture of the assets.

“Interestingly, the court also made another order for the forfeiture of the land holding the warehouse to the government”.

On the proceedings leading to the final forfeiture on Thursday, it was gathered that Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) told the court that the applicant had complied with the court’s directives to publish the assets in two national newspapers.

Placing reliance on Section 44(2) (B) of the constitution, as well as Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, the learned silk prayed the court to grant the final forfeiture of the assets.

“Justice Dipeolu granted the order, making the forfeiture another milestone in the asset recovery drive of the EFCC”, another dependable source disclosed.

Less than one month after the Port Harcourt Refining Company appeared to have resumed production, the facility has stopped working.

Our correspondent, who visited the refinery on Thursday, December 19, 2024, observed that the lifting of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) had stopped.

It was gathered that lifting of petrol actually stopped since December 13, as the 18-arm loading bay of the new Port Harcourt refinery was empty.

While about 18 trucks littered the stretch of the busy road leading to the refinery itself, nine trucks were spotted inside the parking yard, while the loading bay was empty.

The depot, which is usually a beehive of activities where tankers scramble for space at the parking yard, was a shadow of itself with literally no vehicular or human activity relating to operations.

$1.5bn celebration

Recall that the inauguration of the 60,000 barrel per day production capacity plant by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, was met with celebration and fanfare. This was after $1.5bn was approved in March 2021 and spent on the rehabilitation of the facility.

During the re-opening of the facility, there was lifting of petrol to the excitement of the cheering crowd.

However, less than 10 trucks of petrol were lifted that day as against widespread claims that about 200 trucks carried petrol out of the bay.

Our correspondent also reported that no sooner had Kyari returned to Abuja than things returned to the old way, amidst allegations by stakeholders that the petrol lifted during the inauguration was old stock from the storage tank.

When our correspondent first visited the refinery three weeks ago, it was discovered that the loading bay was deserted without the lifting of products.

In response to the discovery, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria said operations were scaled down due to the calibration of meters at the loading bay and de-watering of the old stock, which had to be emptied to pave the way to receiving newly refined products.

A fortnight ago, tanker drivers drove in and started loading once again.

Journalists were also taken on a guided tour of the refinery, led by its Managing Director, Ibrahim Onoja.

Onoja stated, “The plant is running and we are trucking out our products. We have carried out an extensive revamp of this plant and changed most of the equipment.

“The pump and instrumentation, the cables are all brand new. So what we have done here is massive change and upgrade of the plant.”

Afterward, there was marked improvement as about 11 trucks lifted products, even as it was better the next day.

Back to default

However, when Saturday PUNCH visited on Thursday, it was learnt that production activities stopped one week ago.

A handful of drivers were seen sleeping in their trucks while doing nothing.

One of them, who spoke Hausa, said he learned the lifting of PMS would resume next Monday.

He, however, expressed doubt about the information as he counted the number of days with his fingers and muttered, “Three days; they said they would load on Monday.”

The number of workers and visitors could easily be counted as there were more security men clad in black trousers and blue shirts.

The guards were stationed at the entrance of the depot and the loading bay, and inside the loading bay itself. They kept themselves busy as they chatted away.

Speaking to our correspondent, another truck driver said, “It was Friday last week they loaded last. About 15 trucks or so loaded that day. Since then, not even a single truck has been loaded till now.”

Asked if any explanation was given, he replied, “I don’t know. Nobody is giving us any information or telling us anything. Some trucks that were here have left. I’m just here because my director said I should wait a bit.”

Meanwhile, a petroleum product marketer, Dappa Jubobaraye, has decried the state of refineries in the country.

Jubobaraye alleged that since Kyari inaugurated the plant, no production had taken place, pointing out that everything was just a show.

He stated, “It was intended to deceive Nigerians that the refinery is working and that is why they came up with that show. That day, only about four or five trucks loaded products.

“The loading meter was not calibrated before they started operation. Of the 18 loading arms at the bay only three are working and they have leakages. So, they have been trying to load three, four, five trucks, sometimes 10 just to show that they are working while they are not working.

“Since Mele Kyari came and left, the independent marketers have yet to load products from this depot because the NNPC is yet to fix prices for them to buy tickets and start loading products. They are only loading them to their own mega stations.

“The situation right now is that loading of PMS is not taking place because they don’t have the intention to make this place work. It is just to deceive the people.

“If you come into this place (depot), you will see trucks packed and think that loading is on; but the truth is that they are not working. Some tanker drivers have gone because they can’t come and waste time here.”

He continued, “How can you come here with the hope of loading and you stay here with your truck for two weeks, for what? Before the work stopped last week, they were loading up to 10, 15 but below 20.

“Ordinary one of the arms in the loading bay can load up to 20 to 30 trucks in a day. But for now, they are using only three arms out of the 18 loading arms inside the bay and the three are just for PMS alone. They have not started loading DPK (kerosene) and AGO (diesel). And kerosene is what concerns the ordinary more.”

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the NNPC, Femi Soneye, were abortive as he did not take his calls or respond to a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

Zambian police have arrested two men accused of being witch doctors allegedly hired to bewitch President Hakainde Hichilema.

Police arrested the suspects in Lusaka, the capital city, and gave their identities as Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, 42, and Leonard Phiri, 43.

A police statement issued on Friday said “their purported mission was to use charms to harm” Hichilema.

“The suspects were found in possession of assorted charms, including a live chameleon, and are alleged to be practicing witchdoctors,” the statement reads.

The police said the suspects were hired by Nelson Banda, the younger brother of Emmanuel Banda, a member of the parliament.

The MP was reportedly arrested last month in neighbouring Zimbabwe over robbery charges.

Emmanuel denied the charges but has not been seen in public.

He is also accused of having escaped from custody in August while waiting to appear in court.

Police said the suspects were promised K2,000,000 (about $72,166) after the execution of their mission.

The statement added that the suspects would appear in court “soon”.

The court of appeal in Abuja has ordered MTN Nigeria to pay N15 million in damages over the unlawful deduction of a subscriber’s airtime through unsolicited services.

On Friday, the appellate court in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, described as fraudulent, the regular deduction of airtime of customers by the telecommunication giant, for the auto-renewal of services not subscribed to.

According to the court, the sending of unwarranted text messages by the company amounted to a breach of subscribers’ right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as the violation of Regulation 28 of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

The judgement followed an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/137/2022, brought before the court by an aggrieved customer, Ezugwu Anene.

Anene had approached the court, alleging that he received over 244 unsolicited text messages from MTN for ‘weekly guidance and counselling,’ a service he said he did not subscribe to. 

The appealant told the court that from 2016 to 2018, N20 was unlawfully deducted from his airtime balance, each time he received the text message on his mobile telephone line he gave as 08030735301.

Anene alleged that MTN continued to deduct his airtime for ‘caller tune services’ that were imposed on him.

He told the court that the unwanted deductions persisted, even though he protested at the Abuja office of the telecommunication company and also used a code, 2442, which he was told would activate a ‘Do Not Disturb’ service on his line.

Responding, the appeal court agreed that the unsolicited text messages caused the appellant anxiety.

The judge said MTN was likely profiting substantially from the practice, and Nigerians “may not know this”.

“If MTN had sent unsolicited messages to 10 million phones at the time, owned by innocent Nigerians, it would unlawfully enrich itself to over a trillion naira,” the judge said.

The judge, therefore, set aside the N300,000 general damages imposed by the high court.

The court agreed with the high court that the claimant had complained to MTN and made a personal complaint to its customer care team.

It also agreed that the claimant had activated the DND option, but despite the efforts, MTN persisted in sending unsolicited messages.

“In all, I award N15 million in damages in favour of the appellant and against MTN. The appeal succeeds and is allowed,” the judge said.

MTN SAYS ANENE SUBSCRIBED TO SERVICES

On September 22, 2021, at a high court sitting in Abuja, Anene, through his legal team, had sought over N200 million in general damages for the “disturbing unsolicited messages sent to the claimant weekly,” as well as for the “imposition of callertunes on the claimant’s mobile number.”

He told the court that although he subscribed to MTN’s network services, he never signed up for the weekly clarion child guidance, counselling, or caller tune services provided by MTN.

Anene said instead, “the MTN inundated him with a large volume of messages and deducted money from his airtime for unsolicited services from July 2016 to March 21, 2018, at inappropriate hours”.

He added that his refusal to answer calls from certain numbers denied him the opportunity to receive important business calls, while the strange calls were continuously recurring and embarrassing.

On its part, MTN, represented by its staff member Emmanuel Iteade, informed the high court that when a prospective subscriber purchases a SIM starter kit, the prepaid terms and conditions are clearly placed in the kit to allow careful review.

The official said the company did not breach the claimant’s right to privacy or the quiet enjoyment of his airtime and did not make any fraudulent or illegal deductions from his airtime.

“All services complained about by the claimant were subscribed to by him, and the defendant merely debited him for the services,” Iteade said. 

The court awarded N300,000 as general damages but noted that the claimant could not sufficiently prove the assertions about the 88 calls.

Dissatisfied with the N300,000 awarded, the claimant approached the appeal court for redress, arguing that the amount was too low.

MTN’s legal team also cross-appealed, saying the total deductions from the claimant amounted to about N14,000 and that the N300,000 award was generous.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has narrated how former President Goodluck Jonathan’s political calculations influenced his political journey to the National Assembly and eventually his present office.

Speaking at a service of songs in honour of late Madam Ani-Gunn Rhoda Ikiogha, mother of a former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, in Yenagoa, also attended by Jonathan and his wife, Diri recounted how the former president’s decision altered his political ambition at some point but became a blessing in disguise.

He stated that Ikiogha and himself had been political sons of Jonathan even before he became president and worked together until their political interests failed to align.

“I have come a long way with Chief Ikiogha. We worked together at some point when he was Chief of Staff, Government House and I was Deputy Chief of Staff. We have been in politics over this period mostly working together.

“But there was a time he left me because we had a conflict of interest. We were very clear on what we wanted, and then our leader was in Abuja as president. So we plotted our political graph with the former governor, Senator Dickson, who was our boss here.

“We agreed that I should go to the Senate and Chief Ikiogha to the House of Reps. We even bought our party’s nomination forms. But we knew that our boss in Abuja will have his own agenda, which we cannot stop and can only collapse ours into his plan.

“Eventually the former president came with his agenda and it consumed all of us. We had agenda number two and that was when my friend, Ikiogha, disagreed with me and for the very first time we parted ways.

“That agenda was what paved the way for me to be elected as a member of the House of Reps (in 2015) by virtue of the Senate position being zoned to Yenagoa, and Ikiogha could not get the ticket.“

Diri however noted that Ikiogha contributed greatly to his re-election in 2023 to the point of being a target of the opposition, who attacked his residence because he left their camp to work for him.

He stressed that in all that transpired, the late Ma Ikiogha was a rallying point for her son and his political associates, including those in the opposition, noting that she was always accommodating.

He urged the family to take solace in the fact that she left glowing legacies as a devoted Christian and that her life was being celebrated for touching lives in different ways.

In his tribute, Dr. Jonathan said the late nonagenarian was a mother to him and others that were close to her son.

He recalled that when Bayelsa was first created, she accommodated many who usually traveled from Port Harcourt to Yenagoa in her home.

Jonathan described her as a kind and generous woman, who received him and his close associate, King Amalate Turner, like her blood relations and that she lived such exemplary life until her last days on earth.

The former president equally recounted how after losing the presidential election in 2015, she was so saddened by the outcome that she starved herself of food for days.

He thanked God for sparing her life till the age of 91, adding that her little contribution to society will last the test of time.

In a sermon titled: “And She Died,” a cleric with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Amos Tubogbo, said in life, one might have the impression of living right but was not so in the sight of God.

Pastor Tubogbo noted that unless an individual lives according to the word of God, he or she will not be justified in the end.

The chief mourner, Dr. Ikiogha, appreciated those that identified with his family in their moment of grief, particularly the former president, his family, the state government for its support as well as the RCCG family.

He said his mother was being buried according to her wish to have a church crusade organised in her honour at the Kpansia Primary School field in Yenagoa.

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says the country needs to invest $20 billion annually to achieve the government’s economic targets by 2027.

Edun spoke on Friday during the citizens and stakeholders engagement on the implementation of presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, in Abuja.

The minister said the additional $20 billion per year was required to grow the economy by an average of 6.3 percent in the medium term.

“We need significantly more growth, an additional $20 billion is the target we need for social infrastructure to facilitate logistics for agriculture,” he said.

The minister also said the government would rely primarily on increased revenue to meet the ambitious target.

He said there was a need for a robust tax revenue framework to secure the necessary funding, adding that sustainable economic growth hinged on the strategy. 

“To achieve this target and grow the economy, the government can only secure the funds from revenue,” Edun said.

“Tax revenue needs to be increased to reach the desired levels.”

He said controlling the fiscal deficit and ensuring a stable exchange rate would boost investor confidence.

According to Edun, it will lead to more business activity in the country and increased tax revenue from investments.

“Once the deficit and exchange rate are under control, it will encourage investors to come and do business in Nigeria. In turn, they will pay their taxes,” he said.

Edun further said President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda had been a huge success.

On her part, Doris Uzoka-Anite, minister of state for finance, said the federal ministry of finance, just like every other ministry, has a bilateral engagement with departments and agencies under its supervision to report the ministry’s performance quarterly.

“The two major revenue generating agencies under the supervision of the ministry are the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Custom service,” Uzoka-Anite said.

“They performed above their target and this is highly commendable.”

Uzoka-Anite said all the agencies under the ministry have performed well.

N50TRN BUDGET FOR 2025

Edun said the government projects a N50 trillion budget for 2025, with N35 trillion in expected revenue, nearly doubling 2024 levels.

According to the minister, the plan is to focus on strategic investments and robust reforms.

“To achieve this goal, the government has implemented subsidy reforms, which have stabilized the macroeconomic environment, reducing the fiscal deficit to 4.4 percent and debt service-to-revenue ratio from 149 percent in 2023 to 67 percent,” Edun said.

“Foreign reserves have also grown significantly, reaching $42 billion.

“The plan focuses on several key sectors, including energy, agriculture, industry, and social protection.

“Investments in compressed natural gas, LPG, and renewable energy are accelerating, while efforts to achieve food security include large-scale farming programs.

“Nigeria is also leveraging its digital economy, with startups dominating Africa’s unicorn landscape.”

Edun said with the comprehensive plan, Nigeria is poised to achieve sustainable growth and poverty reduction, improving the quality of life for all Nigerians.

Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives, has criticised northern leaders for failing to develop the region despite decades of political dominance.

Speaking at a town hall meeting for Christian leaders in northern Nigeria on Friday, Dogara said the region remains impoverished due to its leaders’ inability to invest in meaningful projects.

At the event, themed “Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising,” Dogara addressed issues surrounding governance and development in the country.

“We are all northerners, and it should be made clear that President Tinubu or the South is not our problem; they have not come to cheat the North,” Dogara said.

“That is out of the question. Some are claiming that Yoruba people are getting appointments, but let’s reflect.

“We ruled this country for over 40 years when northerners were in power. What did we achieve? The North remains the same, impoverished by our own leaders.”

Dogara said the tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu are designed to bring transformation to the country. 

He urged Nigerians to back the initiative, adding that the president should not be blamed for the current state of the north.

The former speaker also criticised northern governors for failing to utilise resources such as value added tax (VAT) revenue and federal allocations for meaningful development.

Dogara pointed to the Ajaokuta Steel Company as an example of the region’s wasted potential, saying the project, which was near completion, has since deteriorated due to neglect.

“We have had so much, but what did our governors do with the resources? They squandered them instead of investing in meaningful development,” he added.

“The (Ajaokuta Steel Company) project was almost finished, yet it was left to rot.”