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If There Is No Nigeria, There Will Be No Place For You To Govern – Ex-DSS Director Warn Politicians
AFOLABI
Former Department of State Services (DSS) Director, Mike Ejiofor has urged Nigerian politicians to put national interests above personal ambitions.
He warned that without a stable Nigeria, there would be no country to govern.
Ejiofor stated this during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday.
“Our politicians should note that if there is no Nigeria, there is no place for them to govern. They must put Nigeria first,” he urged.
Speaking further, Ejiofor addressed President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to reduce VIP security costs and stressed the need for broader security reforms, including establishing state police, especially to address political issues fueling unrest in the South.
In response to President Tinubu’s directives, he said “I will look at it from two angles: the security aspect and cutting down costs. I don’t see how he is going to cut down cost except through the reduction of vehicles.”
“So, I think the president must have looked at the extra vehicles and considered them wasteful. Now, with the increase in fuel prices, putting so many vehicles on the road will increase costs.”
From a security perspective, Ejiofor supported limited personnel for ministers and MDAs but voiced concerns about the abuse of police escorts by individuals with “no means of livelihood.”
He said, “We have cases of people with questionable character being protected by multiple police officers,” and cited a recent incident involving Mascot Ikwechegh.
“He was boasting that he would ‘use the police with him and deal with a driver.’ Such dishonorable actions damage the image of law enforcement.”
Ejiofor noted that past directives to limit police escorts have been inconsistently implemented. “If you recall, the Inspector General of Police directed the withdrawal of these police details.
“Now, over 120,000 officers are deployed for VIP protection, which depletes the police force’s available manpower for general duties.
“A lot of people are using police to abuse innocent citizens, which is very unprofessional.”
•IPMAN, PETROAN eye refinery’s 500m PMS reserves, queues in Abuja after NNPCL’s price hike
Oil marketers have again written a letter to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery expressing their willingness to buy refined petroleum products from the $20bn plant.
They disclosed this on Wednesday following Tuesday’s remarks by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that marketers were not buying products from the Lekki-based facility.
Dangote faulted the continued importation of petrol by oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited despite the fact that the commodity was being produced by his refinery.
He raised the concern in Abuja on Tuesday after he was summoned by President Bola Tinubu, alongside the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
“I have a refinery. I’m not in the business of retail. If I’m in the business of retail then you can hold me responsible. But what I’m saying is that the retailers should please come forward and pick. If they don’t come forward and pick, what do you want me to do?
“So, I am expecting either the NNPCL or the marketers to stop importing; they should come and pick because we have what they need. And as they move, I will be pumping,” Dangote stated after the meeting with the President in Abuja.
Responding to this on Wednesday, oil dealers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria and their counterparts in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said they were willing to buy petrol from Dangote.
They specifically stated that they had approached the refinery a couple of times to express the interest of their members in lifting refined products from the plant.
“We have listened to him (Dangote) and as far as I’m concerned what he said is very strange to my hearing. PETROAN had written to him since 2022, we wanted to have a business meeting with him and understand the business dynamics,” PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, told one of our correspondents.
He added, “I sent the same letter to him (Dangote) today (Wednesday) to ask for a meeting, so, we can determine the modality of business. We cannot drive our tankers into the Dangote refinery to start buying products just like that. We must have a business meeting to determine the modalities, make our inputs and compare notes.
“We are willing to patronise Dangote but cannot do it in the air. We have to sit down and have a productive business meeting with him that is transparent enough. That is the challenge. So, we are willing but we can’t just fly into the plant and start loading products.”
Asked what was the response of the refinery, Gillis-Harry replied, “Up till this moment, there has never been any positive response, rather, all we get from them is that they repeatedly say to us that ‘we will meet.’ But we never met. So, at what point are we going to meet and conclude the business? Let Nigerians know that PETROAN is willing to buy from him.
“If he has 500 million litres, we are willing to be one of the off-takers, for with the size of our membership and retailers scattered across the country, we are a very productive business mix that should be good for him. So, he also has the job to woo us and to get us to work with him.”
Gillis-Harry said petrol retailers were awaiting the plant to fix a date for both parties to meet.
Also, speaking on the matter, the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, raised concerns over difficulties faced by IPMAN members in accessing fuel at the Dangote refinery despite a N40bn payment made through NNPCL.
Maigandi stated that despite NNPCL’s directive that IPMAN members pick up fuel at the Lagos-based refinery, some marketers waited with their trucks for four days without being able to load any product.
He expressed surprise at Dangote’s statement on Tuesday, claiming the refinery had 500 million litres of petrol in stock and ready to supply the nation.
“If the refinery truly has 500 million litres, then there should be no reason our members couldn’t load after four days. We are willing to buy the product directly if the refinery is ready to sell to us, but for now, our members can’t access, it even after paying,” Maigandi said while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
The refinery, touted as Africa’s largest, reportedly can produce over 30 million litres of fuel daily at full capacity.
Dangote, during Tuesday’s visit to Tinubu, reassured that the facility was prepared to meet local demands,emphasising that the stock in reserve could sustain the country for over 12 days without imports.
However, Maigandi countered Dangote’s claims, pointing out that IPMAN members were yet to successfully load fuel from the refinery through the NNPCL arrangement, despite their readiness to purchase directly.
He added, “Instead of routing through NNPCL, Dangote should consider registering independent marketers directly. This would simplify the process and prevent such delays in accessing the product.”
Import licences
Meanwhile, some marketers revealed on Wednesday that Dangote refinery was currently selling its petrol to dealers with import licences.
The marketers told The PUNCH that the refinery, situated at the free trade zone in Lekki, Lagos State, is currently prioritising marketers with valid import licences even as plans were underway to start selling to other marketers soon.
After battling crude shortages for months, the refinery unveiled its petrol in early September and began selling to the NNPCL on September 15 as its sole off-taker.
However, following the Federal Government’s directive that all marketers could approach the refinery for PMS lifting without waiting for the NNPC, willing marketers said they had indicated interest in buying petrol from the $20bn refinery.
Officials of the refinery told one of our correspondents that the direct sale of PMS had begun without recourse to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
This came barely a week after some marketers said their demand to lift fuel was halted by the existing agreement between the refinery and the NNPCL.
Speaking with our correspondent, some operators, who were yet to start business with the refinery, said officials had assured them of their cooperation.
The sources said the supply of PMS was being done in different categories, and those who had licences from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to import petrol were the first set of marketers that were being attended to.
“Dangote refinery is selling to those who have import licences. They are the first set of customers. We don’t know the reason, but it may be because the refinery is in a free trade zone,” a marketer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, stated.
Earlier in an interview with The PUNCH, the National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, said this explained why IPMAN was making efforts to get its import licence from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
He also alluded to the opinion that this might be because the refinery was located in a free trade zone.
“Yes, I heard it too, they (Dangote) have started selling to some marketers. They categorised it. There are some marketers with import licences. Those are the people that they are attending to right now.
“And that’s why we are trying as much as possible to get our import licence too. So, I think very soon they will start dealing with the small ones. I don’t know how they came about that idea. I think it depends on the directive given to them, according to them. And we believe that they will soon start with the other marketers. Maybe it’s because that place is a free trade zone,” he said.
Fashola said he could not confirm whether or not the product was being sold in naira to those with import licences.
“I don’t want to say something that I cannot really confirm or that I’m not sure of,” he added.
Fashola disclosed that the association’s application for an import licence was still being processed by the NMDPRA.
“We are still on the import licence. We are seriously working on that. There is no way that it will not take the official time. There are things that we had to submit. You have to meet some terms and conditions to have it granted. So, we are trying to do that,” he said.
However, Fashola refused to state some of the conditions.
“I don’t need to mention that to the media,” he insisted.
For importation, Fashola said the association had enough storage capacity with tank farms in Calabar and Lagos.
“We have enough storage capacity. You know, I said the other time that I don’t want to discuss our capacity. But all those documents related to capacity have been submitted. And when we get what we want, we will disclose everything to the public,” he stated.
Expert speaks
An energy expert, Professor Emeritus, Wumi Iledare, said though he would not know whether or not the refinery was selling to marketers with import licenses, this could be because of the location of the facility.
However, he advised that the government should give a waiver to Dangote so that the refinery would be able to sell to local marketers without, hindrance if that was the case.
“We recognise Dangote is in a free trade zone. So, if you want to buy something like that, unless there is a waiver, it is going to be like an import. But because of the arrangement with the Federal Government, this may be different. The Petroleum Industry Act allows for willing-buyer, willing-seller arrangements.
“As the marketers are seeking Dangote out, Dangote should be seeking them out too. The marketers know the landing cost and this will allow them to negotiate with Dangote. Import is the alternative, otherwise, Dangote will become a monopoly,” Iledare stated.
The Don maintained that the Dangote refinery was not a domestic refinery but an offshore refinery in the sense that it was located in a free trade zone.
“That is why Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, and others are eager to buy from Dangote. The Nigerian marketers are actually competing with other other countries looking to buy from Dangote. The government has to grant a waiver to Dangote to sell to the domestic market. That is why NNPC should have taken an equity whereby products from Dangote will be for their domestic market, but they didn’t do that.
“Dangote should be granted waivers to sell to the domestic market if that is the issue. The government should look at this from the consumers’ point of view without jeopardising the investors from making money,” he noted.
41.7 million litres
The Nigerian Ports Authority said two vessels carrying a total of 41,705,100 litres of petrol arrived in Lagos through the Tincan Island Ports on Wednesday.
The NPA disclosed this in the Wednesday edition of its ‘Daily Shipping Position’ sighted by The PUNCH.
Earlier, The PUNCH reported that a vessel with 20,115,000 litres of PMS was discharging at the Kirikiri Lighter Ports Phase 2 on Wednesday but a second check at the report showed that another vessel with 21,590,100 litres of the product was discharging at the Kirikiri Phase 3, Tincan Island Port the same day.
The document also showed that a vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of AGO (diesel), discharged at the same terminal on Tuesday.
According to the document, aside from the vessel coming with 250 units of used vehicles on Saturday at Five Star Logistics, another vessel with 500 units of used vehicles would also be berthing at the Tincan Island Container Terminal the same day.
The document showed that a total of 12 vessels carrying different consignments, including butane gas, AGO and containers among others, are expected to berth between Monday, October 28, and Friday, November 8, 2024.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the Dangote refinery was not able to meet its commitment to the NNPC in the supply of PMS.
There were claims in the media that out of the 400 million litres of petrol that the refinery ought to supply in September, only 103 million litres were delivered.
It was also claimed that in October, Dangote supplied 214 million litres to the NNPC instead of 665 million litres, resulting in a shortfall of 78 per cent.
The reports added that from September 15 to October 20, only 317 million litres of PMS had been supplied out of a total commitment of 1.065 billion litres of petrol.
Meanwhile, following the NNPCL’s increase of petrol across the country on Tuesday, long queues were seen at its retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja on Wednesday.
The national oil firm raised the retail price of petrol in Abuja to N1,060 from N1,030 per litre, while in Lagos, it increased the unit price of the commodity from N998 to N1,025 per litre, which received widespread criticisms from the Organised Private Sector, Civil Society Organisations and Nigerians in general.
Experts and key followers of the Nigerian oil and gas sector fear inflation in the country may further skyrocket following the latest hike, after it rose to a 28-year high (34.2 per cent) in June, which could compound the hardship in the country.
[Punch]
Organised Labour said yesterday the latest hike in the pump price of petrol was pushing Nigerians to the limit.
It also warned the Federal Government against what it described as a surprised and unexpected reaction of the people to the frequent hike in the price of the product.
Labour equally advised the government to be wary of the silence of Nigerians in the midst of excruciating hardship and misery being inflicted on them, saying even a goat can bite when pushed to the wall.
This is even as an employer group, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, said the petrol price increases, occasioned by subsidy removal, had led to an increase in transportation/logistics, production costs, the decline in household income and purchasing power.
Labour’s warning came on a day the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said its members wait for days to load petrol from Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite paying N40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
It also said Nigerians can pay less for the product if marketers were allowed to buy directly from the refinery.
One of the labour leaders, who attended the October 16 meeting with the Federal Government at the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SGF, told Vanguard on condition of anonymity that government officials are gradually pushing the masses to revolt against the establishment.
He said: “We had thought that the Federal Government will halt the incessant increase in the pump price of petrol after our October 16 meeting, where we made the government representatives, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation understand the level of frustration, hunger, misery and general restiveness across the country.
‘’Sincerely, we thought the government would give the people a breathing space and suspend the increases. The government is testing the patience of Nigerians. I can tell you that government is pushing the citizens to a boiling point.
“This latest increase yesterday (Tuesday, October 29) is one increase too many and a bitter pill to swallow. The increases are pushing the citizens to the limit.
“Government should not be surprised if the people of Nigeria decide to react in an unexpected way that will shock those in government. The people are really angry, frustrated, hopeless and are moving to a point where they may vent their anger in an unusual way that may be difficult to curtail.
‘’You cannot continue to flog a child and tell him not to cry. Hunger is everywhere, apart from the people in power or their friends and relations.
“The frustration and suffering in the country were also highlighted a few days ago during the meeting of the 19 Northern governors, alongside traditional rulers, among others. Across the country, people are just waiting for something to ignite the fire.
“Increasingly, the government is providing the fuel that will ignite the fire. What is probably left is someone to light the matches. We (Labour) have been urging the government to jettison the anti-people policies and lessen the pain, suffering, hunger, poverty and frustration to no avail.
“We have been cautious, thinking the government will allow common sense, empathy and the reality of the mass suffering of the citizens to drive its actions and inactions. Unfortunately, the reverse has been the case. It is getting to the time when the bubble will burst. Even a goat can bite when pushed to the wall.
Our choices limited
Similarly, addressing the 8th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, yesterday in Abuja, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, said: “Today, the nation’s macro-economic indices are all heading down south without any letting.
Electricity tariffs have gone up, making power almost inaccessible to a greater number of our citizens.
“Petrol prices have gone through the roof and are nearly impossible for an average Nigerian to afford.
Transportation has become difficult, leading to levels of food scarcity and hunger never seen in the country before now.
‘’That unfortunately has become our lot and that has become what majority of Nigerians look up to us to ameliorate.
“We need your unity and your strength if we are to creatively engage these forces and make governance work for the greater number of workers and people. As it is today, our choices are very limited. It is either we find a way to collectively overcome the forces that are bent on keeping us down as a people or we completely surrender to them and wallow in hopelessness.
“The forces of neo-liberalism must be challenged and the trade union movement remains the only viable force in Nigeria and in the world that can creatively engage it and mitigate its stranglehold on our nation.
“We must offer strong counterpoise to their prebendal logic and proffer newer arguments to triumph over their quest for profit at the detriment of the social will. It is only by remaining strong and united that we can hope to achieve that.
‘’It is sad but we cannot afford to keep our public refineries shut while still importing refined petroleum products. We demand a review of our salaries instead of its eroded values. We must together demand the re-commissioning of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries in keeping with the agreement we had with the Federal Government on October 15, 2023.”
Employers’ group laments
Speaking in a similar vein, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, an employer group, said the petrol price increases occasioned by subsidy removal had led to an increase in transportation/logistics and production costs and a decline in household income and purchasing power.
Addressing members and guests at the 45th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of CANMPEF in Lagos yesterday, the President of the employers’ federation, Mr Devakumar Edwin, lamented: “Following the liberalization of the foreign exchange (FX) market, PMS importers are embattled with looming scarcity and sourcing challenges of FX which continues to increase the selling cost of PMS.
‘’The price adjustments led to an increase in transportation/logistics, production costs, decline in household income and purchasing power.
“There is optimism surrounding the possibility of an energy transition that will reduce the industry’s dependence on expensive diesel and PMS. However, significant investments are required to make renewable energy viable for manufacturing operations.’’
According to him, the spillover of the increases in the petrol price, and floating of the naira has worsened the crises facing the manufacturing sector of the nation’s economy.
“For the manufacturing sector to reach its full potential, government’s intervention is critical. If priority attention is given to manufacturing as a strategic value-adding sector, capable of driving economic transformation, then the country can earn its position among industrialized nations.
“To unlock the potential of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, the government must commit to the following investments: History has shown that protectionist policies can have a profound impact on local industries.
‘’A notable example is Nigeria’s 2007 cement policy, which restricted imports by companies without local manufacturing investments.
‘’In just 15 years following the policy, cement production in Nigeria grew from 7 million metric tonnes to over 60 million metric tonnes per annum. Expanding such policies to sectors like agriculture, petrochemicals, basic chemicals, electronics, and tools manufacturing could set Nigeria on the path to becoming an industrial giant.
“Declare a state of emergency in the manufacturing sector: The sector requires immediate attention, and this can be achieved through policies that promote growth, investment, and innovation. A clear declaration of urgency by the government would demonstrate its commitment to revitalizing the sector.
“Subsidise consumption through manufacturing: By offering tax reliefs and removing tariffs on key agricultural and manufacturing inputs, the government can reduce operational costs and encourage growth.
‘’These subsidies will also have a profound impact on job creation, especially for Nigeria’s youth, who will be gainfully employed in productive industries. The social and security benefits of such a move are immeasurable and far reaching.
‘’Create a favorable business environment: Ensuring ease of doing business is essential for long-term sustainability in the manufacturing sector. This requires a combination of administrative and legal reforms to eradicate bureaucratic barriers and other inefficiencies that hinder industrial growth.”
Marketers spend days at Dangote Refinery, buying through NNPCL — IPMAN
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said yesterday the price of petrol could reduce, if its members wwere allowed to buy petrol directly from Dangore Refinery.
IPMAN President, Abubakar Garima, who disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, also said his members could hardly load petrol from Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite paying N40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
He expressed surprise that the owner of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, said marketers are boycotting his refinery to buy imported petrol.
The IPMAN boss said his members are not importing petrol, as claimed by Dangote, adding that rather than get Dangote petrol through the NNPCL, the private refinery should register independent petrol marketers directly for smooth loading of the product.
“If he (Dangote) can be able to sell the product to us directly, we can buy it because we have to pay before we pick. Currently, we have N40 billion with the NNPCL but we cannot source the product.
“Just of recent, there are some of my marketers that NNPCL sent to load in Dangote refinery and those marketers stayed there with their trucks for four days, and they cannot load.”
Recall that Dangote had after at a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday, told reporters that he had over 500 million litres in tanks in his refinery but lamented that marketers are not patronising his facility.
However, Garima said IPMAN, with over 20,000 members in Nigeria, had N 40 billion upfront payment with the NNPCL and still couldn’t load petrol from the refinery.
He said Nigerians will see a reduction in the pump price of petrol if Dangote Refinery allowed independent marketers lift the product directly like NNPCL.
Check your price’
The IPMAN president also urged Dangote to check the price of his commodity if marketers importing petrol are boycotting his product. “Since he (Dangote) says marketers are not buying his product, he should check his price properly. Is it higher than what they are obtaining outside or is it the same rate?
‘’Then if marketers buy this product through him, how long will it take for it to reach their depots? That one too is a factor,” Garima stated.
The IPMAN president said there was nothing wrong if marketers outside his organisation decided to sell imported products but insisted that Dangote should review its price.
‘Nigerians are losing confidence in judiciary’ — Atiku faults order halting financial allocation to Rivers
Admin
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the court order barring financial allocation to Rivers state.
On Wednesday, a federal high court in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from further disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.
Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, ruled that funds from the federation account should not be released to the state pending the passage of a lawful appropriation act by a validly constituted house of assembly.
The suit was filed by Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers state house of assembly.
Abdulmalik held that Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers state governor, erred in presenting the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a “not properly constituted” five-member assembly.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, Abubakar warned that the judiciary’s actions could “destabilise” Rivers state.
He said it was appalling that “elements loyal to the federal government were pulling strings” from behind.
He questioned Abdulmalik’s decision to issue an injunction while Rivers state’s legal challenge was still underway at the court of appeal.
“Last week the Court of Appeal declared that the Rivers State budget was illegal because it was passed by an inchoate assembly,” the statement reads.
“The court ordered Governor Siminalayi Fubara to present the budget afresh — the Rivers State Government has already filed a notice of appeal so that the Supreme Court can hear the matter.
“However, some elements in the Bola Tinubu administration have procured a judgement intended to undermine the Supreme Court.
“Even before the judgment was delivered, legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) had alerted the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho of possible compromise after house gifts had been presented to judges in Abuja. Sadly, Falana’s warning was ignored.”
Atiku said the country has “descended into the theatre of the absurd” since President Bola Tinubu administration took office.
He added that the “courts play a more ignoble role in fostering political crises within political parties and even in states.”
“From the emirship tussle in Kano State to the Rivers imbroglio where courts are going as far as preventing elections from holding, taking Nigeria back to the dark days of June 12, 1993 where polls were annulled,” he said.
“Sadly, under the leadership of those who claim to have fought for Nigeria’s democracy, the country is descending into chaos with conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction flying all over the place while judges are being induced in the name of empowerment and provision of houses.
“The result is that Nigerians are gradually losing confidence in an institution which prides itself as the last hope of the common man.
“Foreign investors will avoid any place where judgments can be bought by the highest bidder.
“Nigeria should not descend to the Hobessian state of nature where life is short, nasty and brutish, where citizens opt for self-help. Rivers State accounts for almost 25% of Nigeria’s oil assets.
“For a country facing an economic crisis worsened by vandalism and banditry, Tinubu should put his 2027 ambition aside and put Nigeria’s interest first.”
Atiku, however, commended Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), for summoning judges handling Rivers state cases.
He asked the CJN to discipline errant judges to restore the judiciary’s integrity.
BACKGROUND
In December 2023, Fubara presented an N800 billion budget estimate to the Edison Ehie-led faction of the house of assembly.
The presentation of the budget titled: ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’, took place at the government house.
In July, the Rivers house of assembly and Amaewhule, the factional speaker, instituted the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24 against the CBN and nine others.
The assembly has been polarised following the rift between Fubara and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
The Amaewhule-led faction of the legislature is loyal to Wike.
The plaintiffs listed the CBN, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, and the accountant-general of the federation (AGF) as first to fourth defendants.
Fubara, accountant-general (AG) of Rivers state, Rivers Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), chief judge (CJ) of Rivers, chairman of RSIEC, and government of Rivers state were listed as fifth to tenth defendants.
The Amaewhule faction of the assembly sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the CBN, the commercial banks, and the AGF from honouring any financial instruction from Fubara.
The court had dismissed all the objections raised by the defendants.
Delivering the verdict, the judge held that Fubara’s decision to implement an “unlawful budget” was a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.
The judge, therefore, restrained CBN, accountant-general of the federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara access money from the consolidated revenue and federation account.
[TheCable]
OAU Student Murder: Appeal Court Reserves Judgement On Hilton Hotels Owner’s Plea To Quash Death Sentence
AFOLABI
The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, has postponed its decision on the appeal submitted by Ramon Adedoyin, the owner of Hilton Hotels in Ile-Ife, Osun State. He is seeking to overturn his death sentence for the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Adedoyin and two of his hotel staff, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, were sentenced to death by an Osun State High Court, while three other staff were acquitted, and a receptionist received a two-year prison term.
Adegoke’s death occurred between November 5 and 7, 2021, during his stay at Adedoyin’s hotel.
The appeal panel, led by Justice Olufemi Akeju, withheld judgment on Tuesday after both parties submitted their arguments, with the court expected to notify them of the judgment date.
Representing Adedoyin, senior lawyer Kehinde Eleja (SAN) argued that the Osun State High Court failed to establish a direct link between Adedoyin and the murder, criticizing the judgment for alleged contradictions.
He questioned the court’s directive for Adedoyin’s estate to fund Adegoke’s children’s education while condemning him to death.
Prosecution lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) countered by presenting evidence, including a forged receipt and testimony that Adedoyin allegedly summoned hotel staff to fabricate alibis.
Falana further pointed to forensic findings, including blood stains in Adegoke’s hotel room, to substantiate claims of foul play. He urged the appellate court to uphold the trial court’s judgment.
Attorneys for the convicted staff also pleaded for acquittal, citing an inconclusive autopsy.
However, Falana argued the forensic evidence and the defendants’ alleged efforts to conceal Adegoke’s death contradicted their innocence.
Victor Osimhen has reacted to reports that he would be leaving Galatasaray for a bigger European club in January.
Osimhen rubbished the claim.
Recall that he joined the Yellow and Reds from Napoli on a season-long loan deal in January.
There are speculations he could leave the Turkish Super Lig champions when the transfer window reopens in January.
The 25-year-old has however said there is no truth he will make his way out of Okan Buruk’s side in the new year.
“Yes, my contract ends at the end of the season,” Osimhen answered when asked by Takvim.
The striker has scored four goals for Galatasaray in the Turkish top-flight this season.
BudgIT, a civic tech organisation has revealed only two states that can survive without Federation Account Allocation Committee.
According to BudgIT, only Lagos and Rivers states can take care of their operating costs without relying on revenue from FAAC.
BudgIT disclosed this in its 2024 State of States Report launched in Abuja on Tuesday.
The report stated that Ogun, Anambra, Cross River, Kwara, Kaduna, and Edo states can generate Internally Generated Revenue, IGR sufficient to cover at least 50 percent of their operating costs.
This comes as the BudgIT’s report revealed that 34 states depend on FAAC receipts for 62 percent of their recurrent expenditures.
Additionally, the report noted that 32 states in Nigeria relied on FAAC receipts for at least 55 percent of their revenue, while 14 states relied on FAAC for 70 percent revenue.
“Rivers and Lagos were the only two states that generated more than enough internally generated revenue (IGR) to cover their operating expenses, with lGR to operating expense ratios of 121.26 percent and 118.39 percent, respectively.
“Several other states, including Ogun, Anambra, Cross River, Kwara, Kaduna, and Edo, managed to generate IGR sufficient to cover at least 50 percent of their operating costs, with the rest relying on federal transfers.
“32 states relied on FAAC receipts for at least 55 percent of their total revenue, while 14 states relied on FAAC receipts for at least 70 percent of their total revenue.
“Furthermore, transfers to states from the federation account comprised at least 62 percent of the recurrent revenue of 34 states, except Lagos and Ogun, while 21 states relied on federal transfers for at least 80 percent of their recurrent revenue,” the report stated.
The report added that in the 2023 fiscal year, the combined revenue of all 36 states in Nigeria increased significantly by 31.2 percent from N6.6 trillion in 2022 to N8.66t trillion.
I Never Listen Or Take Corrections From People – Nkechi Blessing Speaks On Reason For Apologizing Late To TAMPAN
AFOLABI
Nkechi Blessing, the Nollywood actress, has spoken up on the main reason why she waited for three years before apologising to the Theater Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) leaders.
Recall that over the weekend, the thespian had apologized on her knees at the Celebrities Entertainment Awards in Canada, seeking forgiveness and readmission to the association.
Speaking on the reason she took her time to apologise, Nkechi explained that she is trying to change a lot about herself and has decided to reconnect with the industry.
The actress stated that in the past, she never listens to anybody or take corrections but has decided to change that about herself.
In a social media post, she wrote, “I was that Nkechi who doesn’t listen to anybody, who doesn’t take corrections from people.
“Now, in trying to change a lot about myself, I’ve decided to reconnect with the industry that made me who I am.”
She explained the suspension resulted from behaviour deemed rude, uncouth, disrespectful, and abusive towards industry elders.
Captioning the post, she wrote, “CHANGE Comes with a lot of soul searching,sober reflections and most importantly PEACE within yourself,body,mind and soul….The things I know now, I wish I knew earlier I for don pass this level but still I am Thankful to God for Direction and guidance I tender my unreserved apology to the entire Body of the Guild @tampanglobal
“Hoping they find a place in their hearts to forgive me. TAMPAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES National Central working Committee National executive councils. All states,local and stakeholders both in Nigeria and in the diaspora!!!!!! My daddies @mrlatin1510 @princejidekosoko @deleodule_ @adebayo.salami @officialyinkaquadri and every single member of the Association #tampan”.
China has a new richest person and it’s the entrepreneur behind the app TikTok.
Zhang Yiming, 41, co-founder of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, topped the 2024 Hurun China Rich List, released Tuesday, October 29.
His wealth reached $49.3 billion, as assessed by research, media and investment group Hurun Inc, which publishes the ranking of the country’s richest people.
Zhang’s ascendency comes after ByteDance’s global revenue grew 30% last year to $110 billion, Hurun said.
Since its official launch in May 2017, TikTok has been catapulted to mass global popularity as well as becoming an era-defining social media platform beloved by many young people around the world.
Zhang owns 20% of ByteDance, which he co-founded with college roommate Liang Rubo in Beijing in 2012. He stepped down as its CEO 2021 after building ByteDance into one of the biggest names in Chinese tech.
ByteDance also holds China’s popular news app Toutiao and Douyin, TikTok’s sister app in China.
Zhang’s rise to the top of the rich list knocked China’s “bottled water king” Zhong Shanshan out of the lead spot for the first time in three years, though he remained second.
R&B star Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems, has stated that she believes that she’s super famous in Nigeria.
Speaking in a podcast interview with Big Boy TV in the United States, Tems said her celebrity status sometimes complicates her movements in Nigeria.
She recalled almost getting mobbed while driving in Lagos last December.
According to her, she can’t drive in Nigeria without police escorts due to her popularity.
“I used to drive in Nigeria, but now I can’t drive. I almost got mobbed last December. If I want to drive, I must have police escorts at the front and the back,” she said.
Tems said she struggled with fame because she’s an introvert but later adjusted.
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The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, has queried the claim by the President of the Dangote Group, Alike Dangote, that the 650,000 barrels per day refinery currently has 500m litres of premium motor spirit, also known as petrol in stock for onward supply to Nigerians.
Maigandi said this is because its members drafted in by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to pick up products on its behalf, couldn’t load petrol from the Refinery in Lagos for four days.
He also stated that oil marketers have not been able to pick products from the refinery despite having paid N40bn to the NNPCL.
Maigandi said this when he appeared on ChannelsTv Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Dangote urged petroleum marketers, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, to source petrol directly from his refinery to meet local demand.
He stated that the refinery can produce over 30 million litres of fuel daily at full capacity and currently holds 500 million litres in reserve, enough to supply the country for over 12 days without imports.
He confirmed the refinery’s readiness to supply fuel after closed-door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
“We’re more than ready,” Dangote assured State House Correspondents, adding that the refinery’s production capacity could offset Nigeria’s fuel needs significantly.
“It is not an issue because, as we speak today, we have 500 million litres, you know, in our tanks. So 500 million litres in our tanks even if there’s no production from anybody or no imports. This will take the country more than 12 days, you know, with no imports, with no production, nothing,” he added.
The IPMAN leader, reacting to this, expressed surprise that the refinery currently possesses a stock of fuel products sufficient to meet the nation’s needs for a full 12 days.
He also expressed surprise that the owner of the $20bn refinery said marketers were boycotting his refinery to buy imported petrol.
Maigandi said, “If he (Dangote) can be able to sell the product to us directly, we can buy the product because we have to pay before we pick. Presently, we have N40bn under the NNPCL custody but we cannot source the product.
“Just recently, there are some of my marketers that NNPCL sent to load in Dangote refinery, and those marketers stayed with their trucks for four days, and they cannot load. So I was surprised when Dangote said he has over 500 million litres of PMS. We are ready to buy the product from Dangote if he is ready to sell it to us directly.”
The IPMAN leader stated that instead of sourcing Dangote petrol through the NNPCL, the private refinery should directly register independent petrol marketers to facilitate smoother loading of the product.
The Metropolitan Police Service of the United Kingdom has dismissed a Nigerian-British officer, Shola Balogun of Bromley Police Station, for biting a colleague (name withheld) at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent.
This was disclosed in a hearing that was held from October 21-23, 2024, and chaired by a high-ranking officer, Christopher McKay, with IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent, Kirsty Mead as the panel members.
The document of the hearing notice sighted by our correspondent revealed that Balogun, a Police Constable, had attended a 40th birthday party of another police officer with about 70 other persons in attendance at Goals Sports Bar, stressing that he and the officer (victim) were the two police officers present at the event aside from the celebrant.
The document also explained that the incident happened on April 22, 2022, as a result of a light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but with no significant falling out.
It read, “On the 22nd of April 2022 about 70 people attended a 40th birthday party for a police officer at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent. Among those attending were members of her work team, ERT C, who were based at Bromley Police Station. PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld) were two of those police officers who were present at the party. The officers knew each other well as work colleagues, having been based at Bromley Police Station together since June 2018.
“There had been light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but no significant falling out. Both describe a good friendly working relationship. The victim said he arrived at the party at about 9 pm after meeting other officers in a nearby pub. PC Balogun arrived after the victim and he admitted that had been drinking alcohol before his arrival. There is a dispute about the incidents that took place between them during that evening.
“The victim says that at around 23.30 he walked up a flight of stairs from the dancefloor and found PC Balogun in front of him. PC Balogun was about an arms-length away when he reached out and grabbed the victim’s spectacles off his face and dropped them on the floor. This surprised the victim and he claimed to have then approached PC Balogun in a friendly manner whereupon PC Balogun responded by pushing him with his right hand to the victim’s throat area. When the victim then complained about PC Balogun’s actions in a conversation at a time when they were only a foot apart because the music was so loud, PC Balogun is alleged to have leaned forward and bitten the victim on the right side of his face.”
However, Balogun’s account of the event was different from that of the victim as he claimed to have only knocked the victim’s glasses off by accident.
He also denied pushing the victim or biting him in the face as alleged but medical reports and diagnosis revealed that the victim was bitten.
The findings in the document read, “The Regulation 30 Notice alleges that by acting in the way described PC Balogun brought discredit to the police service and undermined public trust in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This is alleged to have been a breach of the standard of Discreditable Conduct.
“Discreditable Conduct is explained in the College of Policing Code of Ethics as not behaving in a manner, whether on or off duty, which brings discredit to the police service or undermines public confidence in policing. This is further explained as being a requirement that police officers must keep in mind at all times that the public expects police officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour. Police officers are instructed to always think about how a member of the public may regard their behaviour, whether on or off duty. The Panel is satisfied that PC Balogun breached this standard by biting the victim. Assaulting a fellow officer is clearly unacceptable and discreditable behaviour.
Meanwhile, the panel claimed to have spoken to people including an inspector who had been his line manager for close to five years about Balogun’s behavioural history and they all spoke highly of him and his qualities as a police officer, adding, “To counter-balance the evidence of his good character the Panel has received evidence of his previous disciplinary history.”
“The Panel bears in mind the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay in the well-known case of Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047 when he said, ”As to personal mitigation, just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually refer to an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, so will a police officer often be able so to do. However, because of the importance of public confidence, the potential of such mitigation is necessarily limited.”
The panel further agreed on dismissal without notice as the outcome of Balogun’s action.
“In the present case, PC Balogun does not have an unblemished past and the previous misconduct proved against him is serious. In the present case, he committed a deliberate assault on a colleague without any explanation or justification. He humiliated PC Final Written Warning is not appropriate in this case. The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice,” the document added
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested Chima Anthony Nwigwe, suspected leader of banks’ hacking syndicate alongside three others: Effiong Victor Emmanuel, Mohammed Bello Mahmud, managing director, Downstone Ultimate Limited and Daminan Ali for alleged conspiracy, unauthorized access to banks’ computer systems and fraudulent withdrawal of depositors’ funds.
A statement released by the anti-graft agency says they were arrested in a sting operation in Abuja following actionable intelligence about their suspected involvement in hacking, compromising databases of commercial banks, thereby causing fraudulent transfers and withdrawals through different digital platforms.
The agency says the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
The Ondo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun has arrested 20-year-old man, Friday Akinmade, for allegedly k!lling a 65-year-old woman in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect was said to have k!lled the deceased with a plank after accusing her of stealing N3000 from him.
Akinmade, who spoke with journalists at the Amotekun headquarters on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in Akure confessed to hitting the woman with a plank twice on the head without knowing that she would later d!e.
The suspect said when he confronted the deceased with the allegation of stealing she ran away from the scene.
The Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye paraded the suspect alongside 26 others who were involved in crimes such as kidnapping, stealing, and burglary.
“Akinmade Friday outrightly killed a 65-year-old woman. This is a 20-year-old boy,” Adeleye said.