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Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has appealed to those whose properties were demolished as a result of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project to show understanding with the Bola Tinubu administration.
Umahi said his properties have been demolished for some road projects in parts of the country.
He spoke on Sunday when he held a public engagement in the Victoria Island area of Lagos with stakeholders and homeowners whose properties were affected by the project.
The minister was accompanied by federal lawmakers inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects across the nation.
Umahi said, “While the case is going on, we plead for your cooperation so that whatever the court says, we will obey. But please, let nobody take laws into his or her hands.
“I plead with you if you are offended by me or the ministry, please accept our apology. The coast highway must be on land and where there are issues like cables, we will do a flyover or refinery, we will do a flyover.
“In Port Harcourt, my property was also involved in the construction of East-West Road, totally demolished. In Aba, my property was also involved.
“Please, bear with me and know that we have nothing to benefit or hide.”
The minister said the final designs would be produced, insisting that the shoreline belongs to the Federal Government. “The beachside is not your land, the beachside belongs to the Federal Government,” he said.
The minister also said compensations would be paid to those whose houses were brought down.
The Lagos-Calabar Superhighway, estimated to cost about N15 trillion, is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states, before culminating in Cross River.
The project, which has caused some buildings to be demolished, has attracted a barrage of intense criticisms from many Nigerians who strongly felt that the timing of the project was wrong but Umahi said the project is in the best interest of Nigerians.
Dangote Refinery has disclosed the price of its petrol, saying that it sells at N990 per litre in trucks and N960 per litre into ships.
The disclosure follows the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) claim of importing the products at cheaper rates compared to that of Dangote.
The marketers had in an earlier interview claimed that they are buying at cheaper rates abroad while calling on Dangote Refinery to engage stakeholders.
But in its reaction, the refinery said that it is only substandard products that can be imported at cheaper rates than its own products.
In a statement released Sunday night and signed by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Refinery noted that it followed the pricing benchmark by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), adding that it went lower in pricing for selling into ships.
It reads, “Both organisations claim that they can import PMS at lower prices than what is being sold by the Dangote Refinery. We benchmark our prices against international prices and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports.
“If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low-quality products into the country, without concern for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles. Unfortunately, the regulator (NMDPRA) does not even have laboratory facilities which can be used to detect substandard products when imported into the country.
“Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks. This set the benchmark for our pricing and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks.
“In good faith, and in the interest of the country, we commenced sales at these prices without clarity on the exchange rate that we will use to pay for the crude purchased.
“At the same time, an international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote Refinery, to use it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote Refinery’s higher quality production.
“This is detrimental to the growth of domestic refining in Nigeria. We should point out that it is not unusual for countries to protect their domestic industries to provide jobs and grow the economy. For example, the US and Europe have had to impose high tariffs on EVs and microchips to protect their domestic industries.
“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum products in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer for us to continue to export jobs and import poverty.”
The two focal candidates for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State on Sunday locked horns at the governorship debate in Akure, the state capital.
Though the electoral umpire published the names of 17 parties to produce candidates for the poll, analysts have narrowed the battle royale to a two-horse race.
The two candidates — Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) — both have a common history as deputies to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
While Ajayi deputised the late Akeredolu during his first term, Aiyedatiwa was the late governor’s righthand man during his aborted second term.
The debate which started at 7 pm on Sunday is organised by Channels Television in partnership with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the UK International Development.
According to the latest data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2.053 million registered voters will participate in the election.
The electoral umpire also said 64,273 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) were collected by voters in the state out of the 89,777 cards delivered to the state.
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![What We Would Have Done Differently If I Were President – Atiku Abubakar [Full Text]](/media/k2/items/cache/77749820ff464e9902d3de4c84be4df4_M.jpg)
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed what he would have done differently if he had emerged victorious.
Naija News reports that he disclosed what his administration would have done to help Nigerians in a statement he personally signed on Sunday.
Atiku said he has been inundated with inquiries of what he would have done differently if he were at the helm of affairs of the country.
He, however, said Tinubu is President and the focus should be on him and not on any other person.
The former Vice President said he believes that such inquiries distract from the critical questions of what President Bola Tinubu needs to do to save Nigerians from the excruciating pains arising from his trial-and-error economic policies.
Atiku said he hopes Tinubu and members of his administration are humble enough to borrow one or two things from his team’s ideas in the interest of the Nigerian people.
Read what Atiku would have done if he was President below:
IN GENERAL
We would have planned better and more robustly: My journey of reforms would have benefited from more adequate preparations; more sufficient diagnostic assessment of the country’s conditions; more consultations with key stakeholders; and better ideas for the final destination.
We would have been guided by my robust reform agenda as encapsulated in ‘My Covenant With Nigerians’, my policy document that sought to, among others, protect our fragile economy against much deeper crisis by preventing business collapse; our document had spelt out policies that were consistent and coherent.
We would have sequenced my reforms to achieve fiscal and monetary congruence. Unleashing reforms to determine an appropriate exchange rate, cost-reflective electricity tariff, and PMS price at one and the same time is certainly an overkill. Add CBN’s bullish money tightening spree. As importer of PMS and other petroleum products, removing subsidy on these products without a stable exchange rate would be counterproductive.
We would have been more strategic in our response to reform fallout. We would not over-estimate the efficacy of the reform measures or underestimate the potential costs of reforms. I would recognise that reforms could sometimes fail. I would not underestimate the numerous delivery challenges, including the weaknesses of our institutions, and would work assiduously to correct the same. I would, as a responsible leader, pause, reflect, and where necessary, review implementation.
I would have led by example. Any fiscal reform to improve liquidity and the management of our fiscal resources must first eliminate revenue leakages arising from governance, including the cost of running the government and the government procurement process. I (and members of my team) would not have lived in luxury while the citizens wallow in misery.
We would have communicated more effectively with the people, with civility, tact, and diplomacy.
Transparent communication with the public is essential to build public trust, which in turn is important to ensure that the public understands what the government is doing.
We would have consulted more with all stakeholders to learn, negotiate, adapt, and modify, among other policy goals.
We would have demonstrated more empathy. My Reforms would wear a human face.
We would have been more strategic in the design and implementation of reform fallout mitigating measures. I would not run a ‘palliative economy’ yet, we would have a robust social protection programme that will offer genuine support to the poor and vulnerable and provide immediate comfort and security to enable them to navigate the stormy seas.
SPECIFIC MEASURES
We would have undertaken extensive reforms of the public sector institutions to maximize reform impact.
We would have placed special focus on security viz
• Commenced on day one, the reform of security institutions with improved funding, and enhanced welfare. My Policy Document had spelt out a Special Presidential Welfare Initiative for security personnel that we would implement
• Adopted alternative approaches to conflict resolution such as diplomacy, intelligence, improved border control, deploying traditional institutions, and good neighbourliness.
We would have launched an Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF), with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$10 billion to support MSMEs across all economic sectors.
How would this have been funded?
Details are in my Policy Document.
Alongside the ESF, we would have launched a uniquely designed skills-to-job programme that targets all categories of youth, including graduates, early school leavers as well as the massive numbers of uneducated youth who are currently not in education, employment, or training.
To underscore our commitment to the development of infrastructure, an Infrastructure Development Unit (IDU) directly under the President’s watch would have come into operation. The IDU will have a coordinating function and a specific mandate of working with the MDAs to fast track the implementation of the infrastructure reform agenda within the framework provided herein. The IDU will hit the ground running in putting the building blocks for our private sector driven Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) of approximately US$25 billion.
To engender fiscal efficiency and promote accountability and transparency in public financial management, we would have committed to a review of the current fiscal support to ailing State-Owned enterprises. We would’ve also begun a process review of government procurement processes to ensure value-for-money and eliminate all leakages.
We would have initiated a review of the current utilization of all borrowed funds and ensured that they were deployed more judiciously.
SUBSIDY REMOVAL
Yes, I have always advocated for the removal of subsidy on PMS because its administration has been mildly put, opaque with so much scope for arbitrariness and corruption. Mind boggling rent profit from oil subsidy accrued to the cabals in public institutions and the private sector.
I would have prioritized the following:
First, tackling corruption. Fighting corruption should have commenced with the repositioning of the NNPCL, which is a huge beneficiary of the status quo. Its commitment to reform and capacity to implement and enforce reforms is suspect. The subsidy regime has provided an avenue for rent seeking, and the NNPCL and its guardians will be threatened by reforms.
Second, paying particular attention to Nigeria’s poor refining infrastructure. We are by far the most inefficient OPEC member country in terms of both the percentage of installed refining capacity that works and the percentage of crude refined. We would’ve commenced the privatization of all state-owned refineries and ensure that Nigeria starts to refine at least 50% of its current crude oil output. Nigeria should aspire to export 50% of that capacity to ECOWAS member states.
Third, adopt a gradualist approach in the implementation of the subsidy reforms. Subsidies would not have been removed suddenly and completely. It is instructive that when I was Vice President, we adopted a gradualist approach and had completed phases 1 and 2 of the reform before our tenure ended. The incoming administration in 2007 abandoned the reforms, unfortunately. The majority of the countries that review or rationalize subsidy payments adopt a gradualist approach by phasing price increases or shifting from universal to targeted approach (Malaysia, 2022 and Indonesia, 2022 -2023). In many EU economies, complete withdrawal often takes 5 years to effect. The gradualist approach allows for adjustments, adaptation and minimizes disruptions and vulnerability.
Fourth, implement a robust social protection programme that will support the poor in navigating the cost-of-living challenges arising largely from reform implementation. We would’ve invested the savings from subsidy withdrawal to strengthen the productive base of the economy through infrastructure maintenance and development; to improve outcomes in education and healthcare delivery; to improve rural infrastructure and support livelihood expansion in agriculture; and develop the skills and entrepreneurial capacity of our youth in order to enhance their access to better economic opportunities.
ON FOREIGN EXCHANGE REFORMS
I also made a commitment to reform the operation of the foreign exchange market. Specifically, there was a commitment to eliminate multiple exchange rate windows. The system only served to enrich opportunists, rent-seekers, middlemen, arbitrageurs, and fraudsters.
What would I have done?
A fixed exchange rate system was out of the question because it would not be in line with our philosophy of running an open, private sector friendly economy. On the other hand, given Nigeria’s underlying economic conditions, adopting a floating exchange rate system would be an overkill. We would have encouraged our Central Bank to adopt a gradualist approach to FX management. A managed-floating system would have been a preferred option.
Arrest, Prosecute Those Responsible For Detention, Mistreatment Of Minors Over #EndBadGovernance Protests - Northern Forum Tells FG
AFOLABI
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners' Forum expressed its shock and outrage, echoing the sentiments of Nigerians, after witnessing visibly traumatized and malnourished youths—some of them minors—paraded before an Abuja court on charges of high treason against the Nigerian state.
The organisation described the action of the police as an “irresponsible act of inhumanity” that has “attracted national and international outrage”, and “will forever be a stain on our national consciousness as a so-called democratic country”.
In a statement issued by its Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa (Ajiyan Yauri) on Sunday, the group “condemned in strongest terms this inhuman treatment meted on fellow Nigerians, whose only crime was exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to protest”.
It said, “The revelation by the government that it had uncovered the identity of the sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest, made the prosecution of these boys, who probably attended the protests out of childish curiosity, laughable, though tragic.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable for the detention and mistreatment of these children.
“It's becoming increasingly clear that Nigeria under President Tinubu is fast becoming a police state where the rights of the citizens are daily being trampled upon.
“Critical national institutions like the judiciary, police and other security services, designed for the protection of the rights of the citizens, have been turned into mere tools for the oppression of the masses.
“As observed recently by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria, BON, even the press has not been spared, with journalists being regularly arrested for no just reason.”
‘For the avoidance of doubt, the causes of the social upheaval being witnessed in the country are directly attributable to the destabilizing and debilitating effects of the policies of the President,” it said.
The organisation lamented that Nigerians have been pauperised beyond measure, with people daily dying of hunger.
According to Yelwa, this means that people will therefore continue to protest, “especially as the government appears to be insensitive to their plight”.
He said, “We therefore join other Nigerians in calling on President (Bola) Tinubu to order the immediate release of these protesters and arrest and prosecute the real sponsors of the protest if there are any. These physical tormented terrorized boys, scavenging for food in the temple of justice, to any right-thinking mind, are not capable of high treason against Nigeria.
“The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1984, clearly states that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
“Unfortunately, Nigeria has failed to uphold this convention, and the recent arraignment of youth and juveniles is a stark reminder of this failure.”
The organisaton called on President Tinubu, security forces, and the judiciary to among others steps, release the 76 detainees and ensure their safety and well-being. It added that the four juveniles who collapsed in the court should immediately be flown to Paris or London for treatment.
It also called for the investigation and prosecution of the real sponsors of the protest the police claimed to have uncovered.
Yelwa called on the government to “address the root causes of the agitation and ensure that the rights of all citizens are protected” and “uphold the rule of law and ensure that the judiciary is independent and impartial”.
It also asked the government to “reverse some of the anti-people programmes of the Tinubu administration that have brought untold hardship to the nation”.
“The Government must offer unreserved apology to the victims and offer them adequate compensation. We urge all Nigerians to stand firm and fight against any injustice and violation of human rights,” it added.
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has emphasized that the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu, though challenging, are necessary to address Nigeria’s pressing issues.
Speaking on Sunday at the flag-off of relief material distribution for flood victims in Akure, Momoh assured that these “painful but necessary” measures are in the country’s best interest and would yield benefits in the near future.
Momoh was in Akure to oversee the distribution of palliatives and relief items, worth millions of naira, intended to aid residents in the nine Niger Delta states affected by recent floods.
He emphasized that Tinubu’s reforms reflect his commitment to Nigeria’s development and a genuine desire to improve citizens’ lives.
Momoh said, “The decisions being taken are painful, but that is the only way by which we can address the problems that have been facing this country. If you want Nigeria to thrive, you must take far-reaching decisions that will initially inflict pains on the people of our country.
“In a very short time, you will begin to see the effects of the decision or the policies of the federal government that have been taken so far.
“I want us to continue to pray for our president because the president means very well for Nigeria. If Nigeria is not better during this administration, it means we are cursed.”
Flagging off the distribution, Momoh said the relief items by the federal government were designed to cushion the effects of the flood on the beneficiaries.
The minister revealed that President Tinubu, in his concern and love for the people of the Niger Delta region, recently approved the relief materials and palliatives to the flood victims in the region to alleviate their challenges.
He listed some of the distributed items to include rice, grains, spaghettis, beans, motorcycles, sewing machines, grinding machines, cooking stoves, and smokeless stoves, among others.
He added, “There was a time there was flood in this part of the country, that is the entire Niger Delta region, and recently too there was another flood. He (Tinubu) said, ‘Minister, you have to go there and take care of your people by making sure that you send enough palliatives because when there is flood, there is always a problem.’
“People are displaced. They don’t have means of livelihood. So he gave approval, and we are doing the symbolic presentation here today. This will take place in the entire state of the Niger Delta region.
“We are handing over to the stakeholders of these very states, which of course include primarily the governor, the traditional rulers, and the members from the ministry.”
The demise of the filmmaker behind the ‘Shanty Town’ series, was made known in an Instagram post by actor, Bolanle Ninalowo.
He wrote, “I love you brother and I will miss you @dimejiajibola May God heal your family and loved ones. Till we meet again dido vox. Rest on Champ.”
Nollywood actor, Samuel Olatunji, also confirmed Ajibola’s demise to Tribune.
Olatunji said the producer died today after battling an undisclosed illness.
Ajibola was celebrated as a creative force and a visionary in the Nollywood industry, blending traditional and digital art forms in groundbreaking ways.
His work spanned film, animation, VFX, virtual worlds, and interactive media.
He held a diverse educational background, having studied filmmaking and cinematography at the New York Film Academy in Universal Studios, advanced character animation at Animation Mentor in San Francisco, and visual effects at VFXLearning.
As the CEO and Technical Director of Flipsyde Studios Ltd., Ajibola built a reputation for excellence and innovation. His work on Hoodrush in 2012 marked Nigeria’s first urban musical film, showcasing his ability to bridge narrative storytelling with rich musical elements.
The film won multiple awards, including Best Movie at the 2012 Green Me Film Festival in Germany, Best Actor and Soundtrack at the Nollywood Movies Awards, and Best Supporting Actor at the AMAA Awards.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has revealed why believers should stop praying against their enemies.
Naija News reports that Adeboye while speaking at the church’s monthly Thanksgiving Service held at the church’s national headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, said only those with great destiny are being envied.
While questioning believers on who will be around to celebrate their wins, the clergy said praying against one’s enemies does not make sense, citing Psalms 23 verse 5.
Speaking on the theme:” ‘Divine Wings,’ Adeboye said: “It does not make sense praying against one’s enemy. If you pray against your enemy, who will be around to celebrate you? The Bible says he will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemy.
“We should not pray against them. Rather, we should pray that God will make them repent. When people are envious of you and speak evil against you don’t be bothered. You have to be great to be envied. If you pray for your enemy’s death who will be around to celebrate you?”
Sharing his experience, Adeboye said he had often wondered how God lifted and showed him mercy despite his extremely poor background, stressing that God is the only burden bearer who can make a man fly in life.
Pastor Adeboye also recounted how the president of an African country cherished his meeting with him, adding that at the end of the meeting, he was amazed at how God had given him so much privilege.
In his words: “I went to an African country for a crusade and wanted to see the president of the country. I was told I could not see him. But when the president knew I was around he offered to see me. I was with him and we kept talking. When it was two hours of meeting, I told him people were already waiting at the crusade ground for me. He said let them wait. They have people they can talk with. Me I don’t have. We ended up spending five hours.”
Numerous residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) report struggling to afford food due to soaring prices of essential items.
The residents also lamented further increase in transportation fares following the hike in the petrol pump price.
They spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Sunday in Abuja.
According to them, the increased fuel price had left residents grappling with the harsh realities of rising living costs.
The residents said their once manageable budget had spiralled into a daily struggle, primarily due to soaring food prices and transportation fares.
They appealed to the Federal Government and relevant authorities to take immediate action in addressing these issues.
Mrs Maryam Abu, a mother of three, said she often sat at her kitchen table these days with frustration, staring at an empty pot.
“Last year, I could buy a bag of rice for N50,000 and now, it is more than N100,000. How can I feed my children?
“With my husband’s salary barely keeping pace with inflation, I often have to choose between meals and essential household items,’’ she said.
For Mrs Ekaite Obot, a civil servant and a mother of four, the situation is no any better as she said she had not been able to drive to work or church for the past five months.
“For over five months now, I have not moved my car from the garage because I can no longer afford to fuel or maintain the vehicle.
“The times are really tough for my family. All the family expenses have been on me since my husband was relieved of his job as a sales representative.
“I struggle to pay school fees, get household items and feed the family and with this increasing cost of items , I do not think we can continue to survive on my mini income,’’ Obot said.
Another civil servant, Mrs Mary Umeh, while decrying the increased cost of living, said her saving grace was the contribution (adashi) she was doing at work with some colleagues.
“We have several platforms where we contribute money monthly and at the end of the year, we use the money to buy various household items.
“It is almost Christmas now and I do not have any savings, but I am not worried because I know that we will soon use our adashi money to buy some household items.
“I am sure my family will be able to manage the items and I will just need little money to buy other things for the Christmas celebration,’’ she said.
Similarly, Mr Albert Nwakama, a trader, decried his inability to fend for his family due to low sales of his fairly-used clothing business, popularly known as “okrika” or second hand wears.
Nwakama said he used to open new bail of wears every two to three weeks, but in the past six months, he could barely sell a bail of womens’ wears.
“I have not witnessed anything like this since I began this okrika business nine years ago. Many customers who used to buy my goods have stopped coming to my shop.
“Even some of those who used to give me money in advance to enable me open new bails now come to me to borrow money so they can feed their families.
“People are struggling to eat and care for their families and buying of new clothing is no longer a priority for families, thus, leaving people like me at a dilemma ,’’he said.
Mrs Nneka Azubuike, a teacher, said the increased cost of living in the country had turned her into a corporate beggar.
According to Azubuike, every kid from a well to do family in the class that I teach has become my friend because of my selfish reasons.
She said she paid more attention to pupils from wealthy homes because at the end of the day, their parents tend to appreciate her for her good deeds every now and then.
“I am aware this is unprofessional, but I have to take care of my child because I am a single mom. My salary is not enough to care for our needs.
“Also, I taught that with the Dangote refinery, fuel price will reduce and transportation will become affordable in the country, but the reverse is obviously the case.
“The government really needs to find a way to address this transportation issue because it is affecting every sector of the economy, especially food prices,’’ she said.
For a commuter like Ibrahim Idris, the surge in transportation fares was eating eating deep into his budget for other household necessities.
“I used to spend about N400 for commuting to the office every day, but now I pay between N900 and N1,000.
“I am finding it extremely difficult to keep up. I have cut down on most things, yet it is always difficult for me to get to work five times in a week,’’ he said.
Mr Sule Adams, a vendor, said his formerly booming business had now slowed as many families were now tightening their belts.
“We are having a noticeable decline in customers, and some who come to patronise us always want discounts, which we normally oblige them because we want to make sales.
“Most customers, who used to buy goods in large quantities and store in their homes, now buy less quantity. because of the increased cost.
“It is hard for us too; we have to pay for our supplies, and if people are not buying from us, we suffer because we have families also to take care of,’’ Adams said.
Also, Ms Christabel Nicholas, a small business owner, said she was facing an uphill battle as she had to choose between raising prices, displeasing customers, or absorbing the high costs.
“I have had to increase my prices due to the high cost of the items in the market, but my regulars are complaining. It is really a tough decision.
“We need government intervention to overcome this situation because Nigerians are sick, hungry, suffering and dying,’’ she said.
A police officer attached to the Otuocha Area Command in Anambra East Local Government Area, Anambra State, has reportedly shot and killed a youth in the area.
It was gathered that the youth had a disagreement with the policemen at a checkpoint over N100, during which one of them quickly pulled the trigger and shot him dead.
A source from Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, who brought this to the attention of our reporter with a gory video of the youth’s dead body, said the police squad involved was led by one Onyebuchi.
The incident happened on Saturday and has greatly unsettled the area as youths protested the action of the police.
It was however not clear if the argument that led to the killing of the youth was payment of N100 bribe or collection of balance for bribe already paid, but police authorities confirmed the incident.
Reacting to inquiries from Daily Post, the state police command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the command was aware of it and had taken control.
He said: “The Police Officer involved has been identified as Inspector Sani Suleiman.
“He has been disarmed and detained for further investigations and internal disciplinarian procedures.”
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Afeez Adegbola, a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, truck driver, has been arrested by the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
He was arrested for allegedly diverting 10,000 litres of petrol belonging to the company.
The state commandant of the corps, Mr Igbalawole Sotiyo, disclosed this while parading the suspect and his two motor boys on Saturday in Osogbo.
Sotiyo explained that the suspects were arrested on Friday at about 8:21 pm with the NNPCL truck.
The commandant said that the suspect loaded 40,000 litres of petrol at Pinnacle Distribution Depot in Eleko, Lagos State.
He said that the waybill indicated that the product was meant to be delivered at NNPCL Mega Station in Osogbo.
Sotiyo said that following a tip-off, officers of the command trailed the truck with registration number AGG 959 XA and discovered that only 30, 000 litres of fuel were delivered at the NNPCL filling station.
He said that the driver was arrested while discharging the remaining 10, 000 litres at the TEMPOLA filling station in Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government area of the state.
The corps commandant said that the suspects had made a confessional statement that the content of 40,000 litres was meant for NNPCL mega station in Osogbo but was directed by his company to deliver only 30,000, while the remaining 10,000 should be taken to a private filling station in Ikirun.
Sotiyo described the act as economic sabotage and stealing.
“It is an act of sabotage and stealing against the state. They are saboteurs and anti-state. NSCDC is using this medium to warn all the stakeholders involved in the distribution of petroleum products nationwide that anyone caught sabotaging the government would be apprehended and prosecuted.
“NSCDC uses this medium to request NNPCL managers/supervisors nationwide to work with the NSCDC to ensure saboteurs are brought to justice,” he said.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God has given the reason for investigating the allegations of sodomy against two of its youth pastors.
The National Overseer of the church, Pastor Sunday Akande, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH, said the case was unprecedented, hence the church was ready to give it the necessary attention.
Akande said a panel had been set up to investigate the allegations against the pastors, adding that appropriate action would be taken.
He said, “The reason for the suspension is to also allow persons who were said to have been molested or harassed to come forward and testify against the pastors. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has come forward yet as a victim of harassment.
“This is the first time an allegation like this has been raised against the church. If we see anything like this, the church will investigate it and see how we can address it. As far as the church is concerned, we don’t condone this kind of thing.”
A controversial news blog, Gistlovers, had last week called out two youth pastors of the church for allegedly luring teenage boys into homosexuality.
The blog also accused them of negatively influencing teenagers under their mentorship.
According to the blog, a 20-year-old boy, who requested anonymity, claimed the youth pastors “influenced many into being gay.”
“This gist is not complete without naming, a very close friend of (the youth pastor) and also a former coordinator in the teens’ church at RCCG Region 2 (they were both coordinators). He was raising young boys in his former house at U-turn and he slept with all these boys, and they were even holding fake Bible study just to create a meeting point for this brostitution,” a post by the blog read.
One of the accused, in a statement, said he had never sodomised or had sex with any male teenager.
“I have never demanded sex from any male as payment or gratification in order to give them assistance, platforms, or positions. God is the only kingmaker, the only one who can raise and erase kings, give positions, and platforms,” he stated.
On alleged screenshots of a conversation with an alleged victim, he said he asked questions “during a conversation in a male teenagers’ WhatsApp group where discussions regarding male reproductive health and self-esteem took place.”
According to him, the teenagers were taught about proper hygiene for reproductive health, the right kind of underwear to buy, and that the girth and length determine the underwear size.
“I also explained that their sizes should not affect their self-esteem and that they are perfectly and uniquely created by God.”
However, the church suspended the two men at the centre of the drama.
In a letter dated Monday, October 28, the church said the suspension was by its commitment to uphold the teachings of the Bible.
Meanwhile, the family of one of the pastors has filed a petition to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, against Gistlover for defamation of character.
The family in the petition signed by their counsel, Adekunle Adeyinka; called for the investigation of the blog, insisting that the allegations were unfounded and had caused their son “emotional trauma and has put their security at risk from attacks by these faceless individuals.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, on bail.
The embattled cross-dresser was stopped and removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos late Thursday night while attempting to leave the country for London, the United Kingdom.
He quickly alerted his followers on social media about the arrest, stating that he sustained injuries during the process.
Bobrisky wrote, “Nigerians, help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”
He was subsequently flown to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, where he was interrogated on his bribery allegations against the commission.
In a voice note shared by a controversial social critic, Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky allegedly said he bribed EFCC officers with N15m to drop money laundering charges against him.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that Bobrisky perfected his bail late Friday night and was subsequently released.
The EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale confirmed Bobrisky’s release on Saturday but declined further comments.
However, a source familiar with the matter said the cross-dresser denied bribing the EFCC in his confessional statement made at the commission’s headquarters.
The source added that the cross-dresser challenged the person who posted the voice note to defend it.
“He denied everything about releasing money to any official as a bribe to drop the money laundering charges against him. He denied it in his statement. He said the fellow who posted the voice note should come over to justify it. He said nobody requested money from him in the EFCC and he didn’t give anyone anything”, said the source.
Leading gynaecologists have said aside from issues with a woman’s reproductive organs and non-viable sperm, sexual positions can’t impact conception.
While they acknowledged that there were claims that specific sexual positions could make conception easier and faster, the maternal health experts confirmed that there was no scientific basis for such.
Online checks by PUNCH Healthwise revealed claims that sex positions such as missionary, dog style and spoon, among others could increase conception rates.
Their argument was based on the premise that such styles brought the penis closer to the cervix, creating easy access for the sperm to flow directly into the fallopian tubes, leading to pregnancy.
However, the gynaecologists noted that all things being equal, once a healthy sperm reaches the vagina and could swim to the cervix, a woman would conceive regardless of the sex position.
The physicians further asserted that a sex position was only medically considered during sex selection.
Providing expert advice on the issue, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state, Ernest Orji, stated that although the myth exists, there was no scientific basis for it.
He said, “There is no sexual position that a woman takes that she won’t get pregnant. None is easier or faster than the other one. Sometimes, the man can ejaculate on the woman’s thigh and she will still get pregnant. Once sperm enters into the vagina, anyhow, the woman can get pregnant.
“We know that the womb can sometimes be introverted but sperm moves freely. Unless the cervix is blocked and prevents the sperm from entering, no position makes getting pregnant better or faster. If every other thing is normal with the sperm and the woman, once the sperm enters into the vagina, the woman can get pregnant.”
The researcher on Reproductive and Feto-maternal Health further clarified that on the other hand, no sexual position could reduce the chances of getting pregnant.
The don added, “A lot of time, some people would think that since there was no deep penetration during sex, there wouldn’t be pregnancy. But if there was ejaculation, the woman would get pregnant.”
Also, a Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Stanley Egbogu, stated that sex position was only significant during sex or gender selection of a child.
He also affirmed that the position assumed during sex had no impact on the possibility of conception.
“Anytime there is difficulty in conceiving, we don’t look at the position. Position does not mean anything,” Egbogu said.
He further reaffirmed his position, mentioning that even those who relied on the withdrawal method as a means of contraception could still get pregnant because the pre-ejaculatory fluid, which would have been released before withdrawal, has been tested to contain some sperm.
“Position will play less or no part because if you have good quality sperm and eggs, whether it’s missionary, lateral or dog style, they can get pregnant. So, we don’t bother about positioning when we talk about people trying to conceive. It is when we want to talk about sex formation that is when we talk about the positioning, that is the posterior side, meeting the woman on the day of her release of egg and alkalinisation,” the gynaecologist said.
He further clarified that no sex position could reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or serve as an effective method of avoiding it.
“In a fertile person, even the pre-ejaculation fluid can make the person pregnant, much less the semen. If you don’t want to get pregnant, there are laid down rules, we have our guidelines, which is family planning. We have emergency contraception, the normal family planning method of contraception that we use- we have condoms, cervical caps, oral contraceptive pills that a woman can swallow once every day for 30 days, we have Progesterone-only contraceptive pills, injectables, implants and intrauterine contraceptive device.
“We methods of preventing pregnancy and sexual position are not methods. Withdrawal method is a method of family planning but it has a high failure rate. So, there is no sexual position that is used as a family planning method,” the gynaecologist said.