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Social media commentator Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan or VDM, has confessed that his recent claim of a ₦180 million theft from his NGO account was fabricated to “teach people a lesson.”
In a video posted on his Instagram page on Tuesday, VDM admitted that the story was a deliberate attempt to highlight the dangers of spreading unverified information.
According to VDM, the entire incident was staged to demonstrate the widespread lack of scrutiny over media reports.
He said, “This whole thing that happened with the N180 million, I deliberately did it to show that you people are stup*d. We are in a country where nobody bothers to check or investigate anything that is said in the media.
“All I did was tell my website guys to shut it down first. Make we use these people take catch cruise, make we teach these people sense because they are d*mb. It is very clear that most of you are stupid, very, very stup*d.”
“It’s time to start asking for proof of things. Did I show you the details of the account when I said my N180 million is missing?’ He questioned.
VDM also pointed out how the Nigerian entertainment industry and social media thrive on controversy, stating, “Now, for musicians to blow, they will have to look for controversy; for movies to blow, they will look for controversy. That is how bad the media is.”
He emphasised the importance of demanding proof and evidence before spreading narratives, saying, “The way you people are excited about bad news, you don’t even wait to analyse anything anymore. It’s a problem, and that is why the media has been corrupted.”
VeryDarkMan also addressed criticism of his actions, refuting claims that he presented a taxi driver as a police officer.
Refuting this, he said, “I never said that guy was a police officer. Go back to my video and tell me where I said police. I said I’m travelling with Officer Sam. An officer can be Air Force, Navy, Civil Defence, or even Task Force.”
He went on to criticise another narrative about France establishing a military base in Nigeria, saying, “Tell me or give me proof where France is establishing a military base in Nigeria. Nobody will be able to prove it.”
VeryDarkMan reiterated his criticism of social media users, urging them to demand proof and evidence before spreading narratives.
“Different narratives will fly because you people don’t use your brains to think. They can easily manipulate you through the media,” he said.
In a separate video, he revealed the bank statement of the NGO account, which he said had a closing balance of N240 million as of December 31 and showed that there was no transaction on the day he posted about the theft.
“Money no lost. The e-bank statement will be provided. The total money in this account is N240 million. Nobody is like me in Nigeria. I’m the only one that can do this,” he said.
PUNCH Online reported last Friday that VDM claimed that over ₦180 million was stolen from his NGO’s account following a hacking incident.
He later revealed on Sunday that ₦78 million of the ₦180 million allegedly stolen from his NGO’s account has been recovered.
On Hearing Of The Death Of President Jimmy Carter, President Barak Obama Pens The Following Tribute....
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For decades, you could walk into Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia on some Sunday mornings and see hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews. And standing in front of them, asking with a wink if there were any visitors that morning, would be President Jimmy Carter – preparing to teach Sunday school, just like he had done for most of his adult life.
Some who came to hear him speak were undoubtedly there because of what President Carter accomplished in his four years in the White House – the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East; the work he did to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench; the environmental reforms he put in place, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change.
Others were likely there because of what President Carter accomplished in the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history – monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.
But I’m willing to bet that many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.
Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image.
Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Carter said, “God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace.” He made that choice again and again over the course of his 100 years, and the world is better for it.
Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.
Barak Obama
Nigerian actor and singer, Adams Kehinde, popularly known as Lege Miami, on Sunday, hosted a ‘Singles Hookup Matchmaking End-of-the-year Party’ at the Raddison Blu Hotel, in the GRA Ikeja area of Lagos State.
The free-entry event saw a large turnout of singles eager to mingle and potentially find a connection as the year came to a close.
The event quickly became a trending topic on social media, with attendees and followers expressing their surprise at the large turnout.
#abdullahayofel in a post on X.com on Monday said, “Lege Miami Single Matchmaking End of the Year Party 2024. See how the ladies are plenty.”
Meanwhile, #Alice_Blondelle tweeted about the event’s success, stating, “Lege Miami recently hosted an exclusive party catering specifically to single individuals, and it seems the event was a resounding success. The guest list was filled with eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, all looking to mingle and potentially find that special someone.”
Others, like #KingDiamondplus, shared their frustration at being unable to enter the venue due to the overwhelming crowd, stating, “Lege Miami show was so hilarious than painful yesterday. After preparing for days and not still yet unable to enter the premise because of crowd.”
#the_lateefah also commented saying, “Lege Miami doesn’t joke with this his matchmaking business. Man even threw an event. The turnup of people at the event wasn’t small too.”
Lege Miami, known for his commitment to matchmaking, expressed his gratitude on Monday for the support he received.
In a post shared on Instagram, he thanked his fans saying, “See crowd. 2024 singles hookup matchmaking end-of-the-year party. Thank you, lovers.”
“Thank you, Nigerians, I’m grateful. I want to thank all the people that supported me for this last event. I thank all the givers that brought out money to support me,” he added in another video post.
He also acknowledged the high turnout and promised improvements for future events.
He revealed that Radisson Blu could not accommodate everyone who came saying, “We got a massive crowd that Radisson hotel couldn’t contain everybody. Next year, I’ll get a bigger place in GRA Ikeja.”
He added in Yoruba, “I apologise to the singles who were present but couldn’t come in. We won’t host the event at Radisson next year, but it’ll be in GRA on the mainland.
In a previous interview with PUNCH, the actor confirmed the seriousness of his matchmaking business, stating that his services go beyond just the public, extending to well-known figures as well.
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— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) December 31, 2024
Nigerian actor and singer, Adams Kehinde, popularly known as Lege Miami, on Sunday, hosted a 'Singles Hookup Matchmaking End-of-the-year Party' at the Raddison Blu… pic.twitter.com/BjO4Xj3Pu5
Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari was a successful leader.
Igbokwe asserted that Buhari created a good foundation for President Bola Tinubu to build upon.
Igbokwe said Nigerians should disregard assertions that Buhari was a failure since his imprints and achievements are obvious to all.
He made this known on his Facebook page: “Let nobody living or dead run away with the thinking that PMB is a failure. Perish the thought.
“He laid the solid foundation for PBAT to build on. We are seeing the footprints and the gains today.”
This comes after former presidential Special Adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, claimed Buhari was not a visionary.
Ojudu claimed that Buhari’s lack of vision led him to oppose former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential bid.
He, however, described Buhari as a patriot and an incorruptible leader.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has again urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu as he grapples to fix the nation’s economy and touch the lives of Nigerians across the ethnic divide.
Akpabio said Nigeria was on life support before Tinubu was elected the president in 2023, adding that despite the ugly situation, the president was determined to fix the battered economy.
Akpabio revealed this at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State during his Constituency Briefing/ Empowerment on Monday.
“President Tinubu met a very bad condition on the ground, nobody envied him, he said he was determined to change the situation, let us encourage him to change the situation. We believe that at the end of the day, we will move the country forward, he did it in Lagos before and he will do it again in Nigeria, just give him time he will take us to our El Dorado.
“I want us to know that Nigeria was on life support when the people voted Tinubu to become the president. One day I asked him, Mr President, after becoming the president and seeing the level of the economy that Emefiele left behind, are you excited? He said, well, I’m determined to change the situation,” Akpabio stated
The Senate president also noted that the president has touched many lives through continuous constituency projects across the country, adding that the regional commissions set up across the country aimed at the development of the regions and empowerment of the people.
He further noted that Tinubu has shown so much love to the South East by giving a key ministry- the Ministry of Works to them and signing the South East Development Commission into an act of parliament even as he explained that every other regional development Commissions would be signed in no distant time.
His words, “The president has shown the South East love, he has signed the South East Development Commission into an act of parliament, in addition, key ministries have been allocated, not on the basis of votes but on the NEEDS basis.
“The South East has a lot of ecological problems, the South East has very poor roads, just like the South South and Mr president decided to give us the Ministry of Works in addition to other key Ministries even the petroleum and gas Ministry.
“Akwa Ibom is sitting on gas, all the way from Utapete down to Ibeno. Above all, the president, allowed our State to produce the No. 3 Citizen, the Senate President, the last time we had such an opportunity was in 1979. President Tinubu deserves all our support.”
While distributing items such as bags of rice, fleets of cars, generating sets, deep freezers, tractors, Tricycle vans, Tricycles and Mini-buses, Motorcycles, sewing machines, Make-up kits, Two Hundred Thousand Naira cash transfers to 2000 undergraduates among others, Akpabio said the gesture was supported by the president to thank the people for their votes and supports.
He commended governor Umo Eno for his peaceful disposition saying he would reciprocate the kind gesture of the governor during Christmas when he sent 1000 bags of rice to APC in the state by sending 1,500 bags of rice to the PDP even as he directed that the PDP Chairman should get the rice immediately for his members
“I want to appreciate the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, without peace, there will not be development, the governor has decided to embrace all Akwa Ibom people irrespective of political lines even during Christmas, the governor sent 1000 bags of rice to APC in the state and because of that, I request that the PDP chairman should come forward and take 1500 bags of rice for his members.
“We are touching all local governments, they will receive Keke Napep, generating set, deep freezers to store their fish and other things, tricycles for those bringing palm produce from the villages, those in fashion we have sewing machines, makeup kits, etc For beneficiaries, use your items well,” he said.
Petrol has become unaffordable to ordinary Nigerians despite the availability of two facilities refining the nation’s crude oil. This has spiked inflation, making life difficult for the citizenry whose hope of cheaper fuels depended heavily on local refineries, DARE OLAWIN reports
Years ago, Nigerians were made to believe that the only road to affordable petroleum products was to have local refineries processing the country’s crude oil. It was argued that the price of premium motor spirits, otherwise known as petrol, would crash if the product were produced in the country, but that seems not to be the reality at this time.
When former President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to remove petrol subsidies in 2012, he faced strict resistance. There was a violent protest tagged ‘Occupy Nigeria.’ Then, the organised labour and members of the opposition rejected the decision, saying Nigerians could not pay N141 for a litre of petrol. One of the requests made by the protesters in 2012 was a revamp of the nation’s refineries and stop the importation of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and others. The anti-subsidy removal protesters, many of whom are in the current government, said the locally refined petroleum products would be cheaper than the imported ones, so subsidy removal would not impact the price as envisaged. Jonathan bowed to pressure over his inability to revamp the refineries immediately, but reduced the price to N97 instead of taking it back to N65 per litre.
In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari took over with a promise to fix the refineries before removing fuel subsidies. Though the prices of PMS went up close to N200 per litre under his watch, Buhari was very reluctant to remove subsidies because of the hardship this could inflict on the masses. The former president secured a $1.5bn loan to revamp the Port Harcourt refinery, which was not ready before he left office. However, the ‘clever’ Buhari shifted the subsidy removal burden to his successor as he made no provision for the same in the budget from June 2023.
When the incumbent Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, he wasted no time declaring that “the fuel subsidy is gone.”
No sooner had Tinubu made the pronouncement than the country’s economic situation began a downward slide, changing for the worse. Filling stations, including the ones owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, raised the pump price of petrol above N500 per litre at the time. Some Nigerians, who had hoped that the new administration would turn around the situation positively, began to feel uneasy, though they were persuaded by the president, who stated that there would be gain after pain.
To the average Nigerian, petrol means more than what it is in other countries. The country’s economy depends almost solely on fuel. Both the rich and the poor need petrol for vehicles or to run engines for commercial activities.
In a country where over 85 million people have no access to electricity, petrol has always been the hope of the people, both the rich and the poor alike, to avoid darkness. Nigeria is also one of the largest markets for power generators in the world. With the current high cost of petrol, access to electricity has been reduced, especially in rural communities. According to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, with the high cost of petrol, an individual would need about N750 to generate 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity.
Similarly, those who don’t have reasons to buy petrol feel the impact of the price hike whenever they intend to use public transport because commercial drivers have repeatedly jerked up transport fares, provoking a rise in the prices of items in the markets.
The masses’ worry was compounded about two weeks after Tinubu’s inauguration when he also floated the naira as the cost of petrol rose again upon the devaluation of the exchange rate. However, the NNPC quickly introduced subsidy payment through the back door. While the landing cost of petrol was around N1,200, the NNPC sold it at half the price, based on the promise of the Federal Government to pay the shortfall. For close to a year, the NNPC sold the product at about N600/litre, denying claims that it was paying subsidies.
Recently, however, the energy firm admitted to selling below the cost price. The national oil company admitted that it owed its suppliers. It stated this when there seemed to be no way out of the lingering fuel queues at filling stations in the third quarter of 2024.
“NNPC Ltd has acknowledged recent reports in national newspapers regarding the company’s significant debt to petrol suppliers. This financial strain has placed considerable pressure on the company, and it poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply,” Soneye said in a statement in September.
Soon after Soneye’s statement in the ninth month of the year, the NNPC raised the PMS pump price from N600 to N855/litre or more, depending on the location. This significant hike coincided with the unveiling of the Dangote refinery’s PMS, fuelling concerns about what the future held for Nigerians who had hoped that the private refinery would crash the price of the product. The price later rose to N1,100/litre, a development that has forced many vehicles off the road, deepening the country’s economic crisis.
Earlier, crude oil refiners had told The PUNCH that local refineries in Nigeria would crash the price of petroleum products.
The Publicity Secretary of the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria, Eche Idoko, explained in June that what happened to the cost of diesel after Dangote started producing it would happen to petrol prices once it is being produced massively in Nigeria. Idoko had opined that PMS would sell at the rate of N300 per litre when the Dangote refinery came on board.
“If we begin to produce PMS today in large volumes, provided there is adequate crude oil supply, I can assure you that we should be able to buy PMS at N300/litre as the pump price.
“Why make Nigerians buy it at almost N700/litre when you know that if you allow refineries to work, the price will come down? Is it because you want to satisfy the global refiners abroad that are making so much from us?” Idoko said.
According to him, the sale of crude to Dangote would crash the prices of diesel and PMS.
“There is every tendency that before December, diesel prices will drop further. The only reason why diesel is not below N1,000/litre is because of our exchange rate. If the exchange rate drops, diesel will drop below the N1,000/litre price. Now the exchange rate concern is because Dangote imports crude. If he is not importing, the exchange rate may not have so much effect, though he is still buying crude in dollars (in Nigeria) anyway.”
When the Dangote refinery began production, it faced serious crude challenges. The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; his vice, Davakumar Edwin; and other officials of the company repeatedly accused international oil companies of refusing to sell crude to the refinery, thereby impacting its ability to produce cheaper fuels for Nigerians.
The company also accused the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission of failing to effectively enforce the domestic crude supply obligation, saying it was allowing the IOCs to sell crude through their foreign agents at a premium. Officials of the 650,000-capacity refinery told our correspondent in June that crude shortage was the main reason why the refinery kept postponing petrol production.
Dangote also slammed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for allegedly granting licenses for the importation of dirty fuel. In an attempt to defend the NMDPRA, the Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, irked Nigerians by saying the fuels produced by Dangote refinery and other local refineries were substandard compared to imported ones. Nigerians took to the media to bash the regulator. To the ordinary man on the street, some saboteurs would not allow them to enjoy cheaper PMS from Dangote. The support they gave to Dangote was because they thought the refinery would be a source of succour for them, but the reverse was the case.
To douse tension, President Tinubu waded in, approving the sale of crude oil to Dangote in naira. The President’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, who made the announcement in July, disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved that the 450,000 barrels meant for domestic consumption be offered in naira to Nigerian refineries, using the Dangote refinery as a pilot.
Onanuga also revealed that the exchange rate would be fixed for the duration of the transaction. Again, Nigerians became optimistic that the pump price of petrol would go down, especially if the Federal Government directed the NNPC to fix the exchange rate for the naira-for-crude deal. Our correspondent gathered that the government did not fix the exchange rate as earlier promised, making Dangote buy Nigeria’s expensive sweet and light crude at the international rate, though in naira.
After much delay, the Dangote refinery started PMS production in September, and the naira-for-crude deal commenced in October. Similarly, the NNPC announced that the Port Harcourt refinery had begun crude processing in November. However, all these have not crashed the price of PMS to N300 or N600 per litre.
PMS expensive in Nigeria—Report
Data released by GlobalPetrolPrices.com recently showed that after the total stoppage of petroleum subsidies, Nigeria now has one of the highest petrol prices on the continent among key oil producers.
GlobalPetrolPrices.com publishes wide-ranging and up-to-date information on retail energy prices around the world. The new information showed that among the top oil-producing countries in Africa, Gabon’s price came highest at $0.952, while Nigeria sold the product for $0.768 as of December.
Libya reportedly has the cheapest petrol price per litre of $0.031 in Africa and second globally. Angola also has cheaper fuel at $0.329. Egypt sells at $0.335 per litre; Algeria was selling for $0.343 per litre, while Sudan’s was $0.700, followed by Ethiopia at $0.718.
The report added that the average price of petrol around the world as of December was $1.24 per litre but with substantial differences in the prices among countries due to different taxes and levies.
“As a general rule, richer countries have higher prices, while poorer countries and the countries that produce and export oil have significantly lower prices. One notable exception is the United States, which is an economically advanced country but has low gas prices.
“The differences in prices across countries are due to the various taxes and subsidies for gasoline (petrol). All countries have access to the same petroleum prices of international markets but then decide to impose different taxes; hence the retail price of gasoline is different,” it added.
Globally, the report showed that Iran has the cheapest petrol price at $0.029, closely followed by other oil-producing countries like Libya, Venezuela, Angola, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, and Turkmenistan, among others, but Nigeria has a higher rate when it comes to petrol pricing.
Meanwhile, countries with the most expensive petrol prices per litre worldwide are Hong Kong at $3.31; Monaco at $2.24; Iceland at $2.20; Denmark at $2.05; Israel at $2.05; and the Netherlands at $2.05.
Dangote, NNPC ‘price war’
Lately, the Dangote Refinery and the NNPC appeared to have engaged in what some stakeholders described as a price war, slashing the ex-depot price of petrol below N1,000 per litre. As of the time of this report, most filling stations sell the product at N1,000, while a few sell above N900. However, this so-called price war did not push the cost to what Nigerians could afford in an oil-producing nation. At the moment, most Nigerians still believe they should not buy petrol above N500/litre.
A senior official of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chris Onyeka, said the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited did not deserve any applause over the recent reduction in the pump price of petrol. Onyeka argued that the current pricing mechanism did not reflect the true cost of the commodity.
“Do you want us to clap for them? How can we be okay with a price of N935/litre of PMS? This is not the right price for PMS. You cannot base the price on imported products when we have refining capacity in Nigeria,” he said.
It could be recalled that some marketers once threatened to import PMS and sell it at a price far below what was being offered by the Dangote refinery and the NNPC. In early November, marketers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria said the association had struck deals with some international fuel suppliers to import PMS at a good price, adding that the product would arrive in Nigeria at a price around N800/litre.
Speaking further on the recent price drop, Onyeka argued that the costs embedded in the current pricing framework—including foreign labour, freight charges, insurance, logistics, and profits accrued abroad—unfairly burden Nigerians.
“Products are refined in Nigeria, yet the price you give Nigerians is based on imported products. Why should we applaud that? It is akin to someone stealing your money and returning only part of it, then expecting you to clap. We cannot applaud this,” he stated.
Chairman, Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said the reduced price of N935/litre was still expensive and unsatisfactory, noting that the government and private businesses could still give out free petrol to citizens.
“We believe that if NNPC and the private sector actually give out PMS for free, they will still not run their business at a loss, because the other derivatives of petroleum products can still serve them and can still make them break even. So, even at that N900 and something, it’s still expensive.
“We expected that PMS prices would drop below N200 when Dangote was to come on stream. So, it’s unfortunate that we are still talking about over N900, and they want us to jump up and rejoice for that. That is not satisfactory. They should just let us see the breakdown of their production cost and why it’s still there. I mean, there are countries like Libya under Gaddafi that gave out PMS for free, and they didn’t run anything at any loss. So, I believe that it can still go further down,” he said.
However, CORAN Publicity Secretary Idoko maintained that the price reductions were a testimony that the refineries were on the right path to bring down fuel prices.
Idoko insisted that the price reduction would continue provided the international price of crude remains stable as well as the exchange rate.
“As a matter of fact, we have started seeing the effect of local refining, at least from the refineries with both Dangote and the NNPC announcing a price reduction recently,” Idoko said, adding that “under the economy of scale, this price reduction would likely continue if the international price for crude remains stable and the naira continues to improve against the dollar.”
Asked if the masses should expect a reduction to N500/litre, Idoko retorted, “Well, we cannot tell yet. If the other variables that also affect the pricing of petroleum products reduce significantly, we would see a significant drop in price.”
Aside from the international price for crude oil and the foreign exchange rate, Idoko mentioned another variable as the continuation of the naira-for-crude arrangement, stating that ensuring crude is made available to local refineries will play a significant role in price rebates.
A professor of energy at the University of Lagos, Dayo Ayoade, expressed optimism that more competition is needed to drive the price down. He maintained that the Dangote refinery is more or less the only one producing optimally at the moment, saying the Port Harcourt refinery is yet to be fully on stream.
The don called for patience, saying the price would take time to experience any significant reduction. He maintained that two refineries are not enough to drive the prices down, asking what has happened to the Warri and Kaduna refineries. Ayoade stressed that investors would come to the downstream sector if the sector promised returns on investments.
“To drive the price down, you need competition, and when the local refineries start coming on stream, prices naturally will be low because it is about demand and supply. That’s the general economics of it. We have Dangote and Port Harcourt. The Port Harcourt refinery is not actually really online. Dangote is the one that is really producing, and the price is still high. It will take time for the price to come down; let’s not be in a hurry. In the long term, deregulation is in the interest of Nigerians to avoid the fraud that has been taking place in the downstream sector and to avoid policy flip-flops that have been destroying investments.
“When the sector is stable, we will attract foreign investments. People will invest in the downstream like in the upstream if they are assured of profit-making. So, there will be good news. BUA refinery will be online maybe next year or the year after. People should not worry; they should let other new refineries come on board. The more the refineries, the better for us. Now we can say we have a duopoly—two refineries. That’s not sufficient to drive prices down. What happens to Warri and Kaduna refineries?” the professor queried.
Meanwhile, as Nigerians lament Tinubu’s decision to suddenly remove subsidies, the president has said he had no regrets taking that decision immediately after he was sworn into office. Today, the president believes that the adoption of compressed natural gas would lessen the burden and give Nigerians cheaper and cleaner fuel, but the cost of converting a vehicle to CNG-compliant and the lack of refuelling stations have been a major hindrance. It appears Nigerians would still continue to buy pricey petroleum products except there is a miracle coming soon.
In their advice to the government, local refiners charged the federal government to peg the dollar at N1,000 for transactions done locally in the oil and gas sector, especially for the naira crude sale arrangement. This they said would enhance energy security and affordability.
Nigeria’s principal opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced its intention to engage the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to encourage his return to the party that played a pivotal role in his political ascent.
In a recent interview with the BBC, PDP acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, addressed the former Kano State Governor’s recent remarks declaring the PDP as “dead” and incapable of achieving future success.
Damagun underscored the PDP’s openness to welcoming back all former members, including Senator Kwankwaso.
He expressed that Kwankwaso’s comments were somewhat unfair, as the NNPP chieftain had previously secured political victories while affiliated with the PDP.
The acting chairman further asserted that the PDP has maintained its strength over 26 years, continuing to operate under the same name and boasting a presence of governors and senators from all regions of Nigeria.
He contended that even if four other parties were to merge, they would still fall short of the PDP’s formidable strength.
“People are entitled to their opinions, but I want to remind him of the past. When they left the PDP in 2015, if the party didn’t die back then, during a time they thought they had weakened it, I don’t see why anyone would claim it is dead now.
“Let’s not forget that the PDP remains the only party capable of winning elections if you exclude the ruling APC,” Damagun said.
In response to Kwankwaso’s assertions regarding his marginalization within the PDP, which led him to reject any intentions of collaborating with the party for the 2027 elections, Damagun acknowledged that several of Kwankwaso’s concerns were indeed legitimate.
He elaborated that during Kwankwaso’s initial attempts to depart from the PDP, he, as the party’s deputy national chairman for the North at the time, made considerable efforts to address the issues but ultimately could not achieve a resolution.
“That said, there is no party better than the PDP for Kwankwaso. The party nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We still hope he will return to work with us to rebuild our party and confront this oppressive government,” Damagun added.
The PDP chairman stated that God willing, the party will soon reach out to Kwankwaso despite knowing he was angry, adding that his aspirations might not be achievable in his current party.
“The PDP has always been a party that welcomes back any of its members who left in anger. Whenever they return, we give them opportunities just like everyone else,” Damagun concluded.
Renowned music executive and CEO of Kennis Music, Kenny Ogungbe, has dismissed rumours that he was responsible for the breakup of the iconic music group, Plantashun Boiz.
Speculations have circulated that the group disbanded after Kennis Music signed 2Face, one of its members.
However, speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast, Ogungbe, popularly known as Baba Keke, clarified that the group had already split before 2Face approached him.
Ogungbe said, “People have been saying l’m the one responsible for the breakup of Plantashun Boiz.
“That’s not true. 2face came to me himself after the group had broken up that he wanted to sign with Kennis music and Eedris Abdulkareem told me to sign him which I did.”
Plantashun Boiz, made up of 2Face, Blackface, and Faze, disbanded in 2004 after releasing their second album, ‘Sold Out.’
The trio briefly reunited in 2007 for their third and final album, ‘Plan B,’ before going their separate ways again.
Meanwhile, famous dancehall singer and ex-member of the defunct Plantashun Boiz, Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, better known as Blackface, had blamed former bandmate, 2Face Idibia, for the agelong rift between them.
Naija News reported that Blackface, during an interview on the latest episode of ‘The Honest Bunch Podcast’, said he and Faze are on good terms, but 2Face’s inferiority complex is responsible for their rift.
He noted it was time to bury the hatchet, stressing he had forgiven 2Face for all he had done to him knowingly and unknowingly.
Blackface also pleaded with the ‘African Queen’ crooner to forgive him for whatever he has done to him.
He said, “I and Faze are cool. Maybe 2face has inferiority complex towards me.
“It is time to bury the hatchet. I forgive 2face for everything he has done to me, knowingly and unknowingly. He should also make space to forgive me for anything I have done.”
They also called on the National Assembly to scrutinise the Appropriation Bill before passing it.
In the new fiscal proposals, the Ministry of Education alone got N3,880,000,000 to purchase computers; followed by the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre with N2,735,000,000.
The scrapped Ministry of Sports Development also got N1.1 billion for purchase of computers; and N263, 391,743 for the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development to buy same.
Also found in the new Appropriation Bill was N525,183,402 for computers’ purchase in the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, N75 million and the Ministry of Transport, N70 million.
The sum of N202 million was set aside for similar items for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); the Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD), N220 million; the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), N836 million; the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), N535 million and the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, N797,483, 350.
Other agencies that received allocations for purchase of computers are the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), N350 million; the National Counter Terrorism Centre, N567,936,580; the National Intelligence Agency Pension Board, N250 million; the Federal Cooperative College Ibadan, N450 million; Civil Defence, Immigration and Prison Service Board (CIPB), N164 million and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, N604,267,087.
Computers’ purchase appears 144 times in 2024 budget
Daily Trust reports that most of these agencies had allocations for “Purchase of Computers” in the 2024 budget wherein the item appeared 144 times.
In the 2024 fiscal document, the Ministry of Education got N9,067,331,533 for computers; the Civil Defence, Immigration and Prison Service Board, N32 million; the Auditor-General Office, N41.8 million; the National Counter Terrorism Centre, N45.5 million; PTAD, N60 million; the Ministry of Transport, N50 million; NIMET, N130 million and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, N300 million.
Criticisms trail annual allocations for computers
A member of the House of Representatives from Kaduna State, Bello Nasir El-Rufai, recently on the floor of the House, called for a shift in budget planning away from always buying computers, vehicles and furniture.
“Since I was a boy, the budget every year comes with new computers, new furniture. These things don’t expire. We should cut them out totally. We can’t be asking Nigerians to tighten their belts, we can’t have a tax reform bill that could shape this country while as leaders, we are not cutting anything. I urge the committee chairmen to look into this. Nigerians are tired of every agency buying forks and knives every year,” the lawmaker said.
In a chat with Daily Trust, a labour leader, Comrade Yusuf Bello, called for prudence, openness and accountability in budget implementation.
He said items that do not require annual replacement should not find their way into the budget.
“We’re at a time that resources are extremely very lean and it’s a time for prudence, openness and accountability. And there are clear assets that do not require replacement on an annual basis. We can repair or upgrade them. Most often, our budgets are padded and loaded with things that end up not getting supplied or purchased at all,” he said.
He urged the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight; and the executive, to be firm in dealing with corruption.
‘It’s scandalous, waste of resources’
Executive Director, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran, in a chat with Daily Trust yesterday, described annual budgetary allocations for computers as a waste of resources.
He said, “Year in and year out, the government has always been purchasing office equipment and other things like furniture and stuffs like that. It is as good as what the president and the vice president want to do with the renovation of their residences.
“It’s unfortunate that the profligacy of our leaders has been going on. The computers that are being purchased are not essential equipment because up till now, those in offices have been using computers and have not told us that they’re no longer functioning. What happened to the maintenance of the same items? Even with that huge amount of money, why can’t they encourage local manufacturers or assemblers of computers in Nigeria so that it would come cheaper?”
Adeniran asked the National Assembly to scrutinise the budget.
He alleged that the lawmakers “don’t look at duplication, genuineness or otherwise of the purchase. They ought to look at what happens to the existing ones. That’s why they’re saddled with oversight functions.”
Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who also spoke to Daily Trust yesterday, charged the National Assembly “to rise to the occasion and uphold sanity on this budget and other legislative mandates on national development.”
He queried, “What happened to those (computers) bought last year, year before and three, four years back. The amount spent on the procurement anomaly in the last couple of years is enough to set up a world-class computer manufacturing company that could be a means of job creation.
“Budgeting for wasteful and needless items at a time the same government is asking the citizens to tighten their belts leaves much to be desired.”
Also commenting, Executive Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere, asked, “How can one justify budgeting for computers by MDAs every year despite the outcry against such? Even the last two years’ budget performances have not been rendered to Nigerians.
“We cannot continue like this as a nation. Those computers and other frivolous items should be removed from the budget. Nigeria and the citizens do not deserve being taken for a ride by those in place of authority.”
[DailyTrust]
Civil rights activist and politician Senator Shehu Sani has urged Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate and honour the freedom fighters who defended the country.
While speaking with Newsmen on Monday, Sani made the call when he visited the tombs of six deposed Emirs in Lokoja, who refused to bow down to British colonialists.
Sani, who was accompanied by his colleague, Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, admonished Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate freedom fighters who defended the country.
“Today, I am on the visit to the tombs of the Emirs from Northern Nigerians who were deposed by the British Colonialists and exiled to Lokoja where they died. Here, particularly, is the tomb of the late Emir of Kano, Mallam Aliyu Abdullahi (Maisango) who died in 1903.
“We have to appreciate the freedom fighters, those who stood in defence of our country. As a Pan-Africanist, someone who has been involved in the struggle for rights for freedom and justice, and someone who appreciates history a lot.
“I am here to appreciate this noble Emirs who stood in the defence of our country. This visit is to also send a clear message to Nigerians and to inspire others, that as we move forward as a country and as a people, we should also look backwards to appreciate those who fought and laid their lives and made sacrifices for us.
“Here, are Emirs who are lying down in their tombs; they were not deposed by their people but by the colonialists who came to enslave our people and take over our country and our resources. The Emirs that refused to bow down to colonialists, the ones who stood for freedom and defended our territorial land; we owe them a lot,” he said.
Sani, who was the Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019, reaffirmed his commitment to continue to appreciate and honour Nigeria’s freedom fighters.
Speaking, the Etsu Lokoja, Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda-Shelika and other Lokoja community leaders who took the Senator and his colleague around the tombs’ sites commended the senator for the visit, describing it as a welcome development.
“The visit of distinguished Senator Shehu Sani and his colleague, Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, is a very welcome development and we appreciate them for the gesture.
“Oftentimes, we hardly remember that certain people contributed to certain measures in the past. So, the visit to Lokoja with particular interest in the tombs of the deposed Emirs, is very laudable.
“As a human rights activist, he could quickly point to the fact that these Emirs fought in defence of their people, and that was what leadership is all about”, Dauda-Shelika said.
[Punch]]
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Lifelong farmer Joe Del Bosque knows that America can’t live without immigrants, but he worries that many of his countrymen think it can’t live with them either.
“When they’re needed, they welcome them. When they don’t need them, they want to kick them out,” the 75-year-old told AFP.
“Well, right now the country doesn’t know that they do need some of these workers.”
Farmers like Del Bosque, who grows cantaloupes and almonds in California, fear they could be at the sharp end of president-elect Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of non-citizens.
Economists agree that a mass expulsion could leave him and others like him without enough workers to harvest food — causing shortages and sending prices skyrocketing.
“He’s talked about deportations. We don’t know yet what that means,” said Del Bosque.
“Does that mean everyone? We certainly hope that doesn’t mean he’s going to raid our farms, because without our people, our farms will come to a stop.”
And it isn’t just arable farmers who are worried.
Rick Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association, warns the sudden disappearance of skilled laborers could be “devastating” to the dairy industry.
“It would only take a couple days of disruption and not being able to feed or milk our cows to where you would damage our industry beyond repair,” he told AFP.
– ‘Essential’ –
Around 2.4 million people work in farming in the United States, 44 percent of whom are undocumented, according to a survey by the Department of Labor.
University of Michigan economist David Ortega said — despite what some politicians say publicly — it is widely acknowledged in official circles that the entire system is heavily dependent on illegal workers.
“These are individuals that perform essential, very labor-intensive tasks like planting and harvesting,” he said.
“Many of them fill critical roles that many US-born workers are either unable or unwilling to perform.”
Farm work is hard, and often done in a difficult environment — summer temperatures in California can top 40 celcius (104 Fahrenheit), while winters in places like Idaho are routinely below freezing.
This reality stands in stark contrast to claims by nationalist politicians like Trump that these immigrants are “stealing” American jobs.
Naerebout, of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association, said it’s a common — and frustrating — fallacy.
To illustrate the point, he says one contractor last year advertised to fill thousands of roles.
“They had fewer than 30 domestic applications for 6,000 jobs,” he said.
“Only 12 of those individuals resulted in an interview, and only two resulted in a hire, and those two that got hired didn’t make it to harvest.
“Americans don’t want these jobs.”
– Posturing –
Such details were absent on the campaign trail, where Trump rallies painted migrants only as a problem for the United States, a source of crime and overcrowding that need to be sent packing.
The rhetoric was popular with voters, especially in rural areas, many of whom cited immigration as a key reason for supporting Trump.
California dairy farmer Tom Barcellos says he is convinced that — despite Trump’s promise to carry out the largest deportation in US history — common sense will prevail when the Republican takes office on January 20.
“I’ve been to (Washington) DC many times. I’ve been to (California state capital) Sacramento many times,” he said.
“Those that have the power know we’re not going to go raid agriculture, because that’s the food source for the American people, and they don’t want to raise the cost any more than it needs to be.”
For Naerebout there is a desperate — and long overdue — need to move past the political posturing of the last few decades and work out a way forward.
“We’ve been frustrated for, you know, 20 years trying to find a pathway forward to reforms at a national level, and both (Democrats and Republicans) are at fault,” he said.
“We as an industry wonder if there’s lack of political will to solve the problem because the problem presents itself as a great political fundraiser and stump speech.”
Del Bosque says he hires around 200 workers during harvest season and finds the process frustrating.
Migrants who try to do things legally get bogged down in a bureaucracy that appears to have no understanding of the needs of the workers or the industries that need to employ them.
“A lot of our fresh fruits and vegetables need to be picked by hand,” he said.
“If Americans value that kind of food in their diet — fresh fruits and vegetables — they need to consider that we have to have a reliable workforce to have a reliable food supply.”
[Vanguard]
A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Nura Ali, a former resident electoral commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ali was REC for Sokoto state during the 2023 general election.
Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), moved an ex-parte motion for the temporary forfeiture of the money.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the applicant, while Ali was the sole respondent in the motion ex-parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024.
The motion, dated December 20 and filed on December 24, was jointly submitted by the ICPC and the Department of State Service (DSS).
The motion sought an order of the court temporarily forfeiting $49,700.00, “recovered from one Dr. Nura Ali during a search operation by the federal government of Nigeria as property suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities”.
The motion also requested an order directing the applicant, through the ICPC and the DSS, to jointly conduct a thorough preliminary investigation into Ali’s alleged unlawful activities concerning the movable property and submit a report to the court within 90 days.
It also sought an order directing the applicant to deposit the $49,700.00 in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and to publish a notice in a national newspaper inviting persons, whether human, juristic, or artificial, with an interest in the money to show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The applicant stated that the victims of the alleged crime were the federal government of Nigeria and taxpayers, including judges across the country.
“The alleged movable property of $49,700.00 was bribe money received by Dr. Nura Ali when he was the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto state,” the motion reads.
“The alleged movable property is not the legitimate earning of Dr. Ali as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“The alleged movable property is suspected to be proceeds of crime.”
The applicant argued that INEC does not pay its staff salaries in US dollars, noting that the purpose of the application was to preserve the property from dissipation.
The applicant added that interested persons, including the alleged owner, would have the opportunity to provide a legitimate explanation for the property.
“Where cogent and verifiable explanations exist as to how the property was acquired, devoid of crime, the alleged owner or any other person with a proprietary interest in the property will be allowed unrestricted possession of the property,” the application stated.
E.O. Akponimisingha, who appeared for the applicant, told the court that the motion ex-parte sought four orders.
He prayed the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.
He said a search was conducted at Ali’s residence in Kano, where $49,700 was retrieved.
He alleged that Ali had disclosed in an extra-judicial statement to the DSS that $150,000 was gifted to him by the former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, and Aliyu Wamakko, a serving senator.
The lawyer stated that Ali had written a letter to the DSS seeking the return of the money.
An affidavit supporting the motion ex-parte, deposed to by Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with the ICPC, said the secret service acted on intelligence reports about alleged bribes received by Ali from stakeholders, including politicians, during his tenure as INEC REC in Sokoto.
He confirmed that the residence was searched pursuant to a warrant, during which $49,700 was recovered.
“A copy of the search warrant is hereby attached and marked as Exhibit DSS 1,” he said.
The affidavit stated that Ali failed to report the alleged $49,700 gift to law enforcement, as required by law, and that he had previously written letters requesting the return of the money.
“Copies of the said letters are hereby attached and marked as Exhibits DSS 3 and 4, respectively,” the affidavit reads.
Markus noted that the investigation is ongoing, necessitating the 90-day application.
Nwite deemed the application meritorious and consequently granted the prayers.
The judge adjourned the matter until January 30 for a compliance report on the publication in the media and until March 31 for a further hearing.
[TheCable]
Nigerian disc jockey DJ Kulet has publicly announced the end of her 8-month marriage to Ohis Emmanuel.
In a Facebook post, she cited several serious allegations as the reasons for their separation.
These allegations include a video confession by Emmanuel, in which he admitted to molesting a 20-year-old cousin and her friend.
DJ Kulet stated that she had initially forgiven Emmanuel for his infidelity but later discovered evidence of more severe offenses.
According to DJ Kulet, Emmanuel’s behavior has shown a pattern of targeting minors, and he continues to engage in infidelity with multiple women.
She also alleged that Emmanuel sexually abused a 13-year-old minor for six months.
DJ Kulet expressed her commitment to exposing people who pose a threat to others, particularly in light of her own experiences as a victim.
In the post, DJ Kulet stated:
“I, DJ KULET, am publicly disassociating myself from my ex-husband, Ohis Emmanuel (aka Benjamin), due to his egregious and reprehensible actions. Despite overwhelming evidence (including chats, photos, videos, and voice notes) of his infidelity, he has refused to change his ways.
“The final straw was the shocking discovery of his prolonged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old minor, which occurred under my roof for six months.
“In our short-lived marriage of less than 8 months, I have treated infections three times. As a VICTIM myself, I feel compelled to expose individuals like him to protect others”.
“Only God can cancel me” – Naira Marley speaks out on being blacklisted a year after Mohbad’s death
AFOLABI
Nigerian musician Naira Marley has addressed the controversy surrounding his career following the tragic death of his former signee, Mohbad.
In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, Naira Marley spoke about being blacklisted by many in the Nigerian music industry and the public, especially after Mohbad’s passing in September 2023.
The Marlian Music boss, once known for having a massive fanbase, has faced significant backlash since Mohbad’s death, with many accusing him of involvement or negligence in the matter.
Despite the intense criticism, Naira Marley wrote on X;
“Only God can cancel me.”
The post quickly went viral, igniting a flurry of reactions from Nigerians across social media.
Some users expressed that Naira Marley’s music no longer resonates with them, with one user, Sir Freddy, claiming that “nobody is listening to Naira’s music anymore.”
Others, like Makana, argued that the singer’s time had passed, while Tobi Akinbo suggested that Mohbad had effectively “cancelled” Naira Marley even before his death.
Netizens Reactions…
kinglytie_ said: “Who else no remember this guy >>>>.”
the_real_watife said: “lol ? Who is this one again?”
Dapeterzstudios said: “Well he’s right only God can cancel a man.”
Lilreelex said; “Mugun who dey hear your music before.”
Tush__tush24 said: “U wey heaven and earth don cancel ?.”
patpat_ugwu said: “Who still dey remember this one just dey sale your drugz cos God don cancel you since.”
An_na_bella11 said: “In as much as I don’t support what he did, but this one he said here, he’s actually right, only God can cancel anybody.” Dunsynn: “We are also gods on earth, created in his image.
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