Data is the new oil, it runs economies, gives sense to policies, and provides the foundation for planning. Data is the mother lode of civilization as we know it. For these and several other reasons, a slap-dap approach to data gathering, preparation, cleaning, storage, and analysis is unacceptable. The recently released headline inflation numbers by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the June 2023 headline inflation rate of 22.79% up from 22.41% in May 2023, smacks of a bold but unusual decoupling of clarity and reality.  While physical blindness is a limitation it does not define success or lack of it, whereas data blindness brings countries, corporations, and people to ruin. 

The inflation figures for June which the NBS in a tweet noted reflected only two weeks of subsidy removal impact have left analysts scratching their heads in confusion as they attempt to comprehend why two consecutive sample data for a month provide a description of the average monthly inflation estimate. Indeed, according to one economist in government circles who requested anonymity because he was not officially permitted to make public comments, ‘We appear to have gotten ourselves in a right old mess. We have chucked credibility out of the window, broadened the fronts for the attack on Nigerian data integrity, and generally made ourselves the butt for drunken pub conversations amongst foreign investors. How do you trust real return adjustments for financial assets, when inflation figures appear to come from somewhere between Pluto and Mars?’, he asked rhetorically. 

According to the public servant, ‘Playing chess with national economic numbers cannot be smart after years of building credibility in our national statistics seen as emblems of institutional integrity, burning all this on the altar of expediency is unacceptable’, he insisted. Indeed, an economist in one of the country’s big four Consulting firms noted that ‘In addition to the conceptual problems associated with two consecutive weeks of no survey data within June, there is a broader problem with the weights assigned to the components of the inflation basket. It was almost completed between 2019 and 2020, but it appears that the review exercise was suspended, and what we see now is Grandma’s shopping list being handed over to her grandchildren.  Few Gen-Zers would be pleased with their grandma’s list of vegetables and fruits, and would be asking, where in heaven’s name is the pizzaz, French fries and chicken?! ‘, the analyst insisted that even a review of the country’s inflation basket at the moment may be inadequate as the country has since had a focus-induced recession which could have changed consumer spending patterns. He argued that the composition of the items in the country’s inflation basket needed to be reviewed every five years. 

Reactions have continued to trail the June CPI Inflation report released by the NBS. Although, according to the Bureau, annual inflation rose to 22.79%, a new 17-year high, analysts have been bothered by the integrity of the June print. The numbers, which unexpectedly came in lower than the 25% earlier forecast by several economists, failed to capture the impact of the removal of the PMS subsidy. This decision President Bola Tinubu announced in his inauguration speech at the end of May. Analysts had pencilled in higher inflation on the back of a 150% increase in PMS prices, a 32.7% y-o-y rise in Broad Money to N65trn and a 45% devaluation of the Naira. 

In this light, the importance of credible data, according to stakeholders, cannot be over-emphasized; the country is at a point where it is courting foreign investors to unlock opportunities in critical sectors, and this becomes difficult where the integrity of official data is in question. Independent estimates of inflation range between 40 and 45%.   But the reason why the recent numbers have been widely criticized is a statement published by NBS through its social media handle on Twitter. The statement, which prompted criticism by economists and statisticians, suggested that ‘the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers may not fully capture the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the exchange rate. According to the Bureau, this is because the data collection for computing the rate for the reference month typically stops around the middle of the month, meaning that the June numbers only reflect approximately two weeks of the policy impact on consumer prices.

While the NBS statement seemed to have been aimed at saving face, it did very little to salvage the institutional reputation. This is because even a two-week survey should have captured the 150% increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS) oil or petrol. While it is understandable that subsequent months would more fully capture the rise, it would typically take between 3 and 6 months for the impact of the price adjustment to be fully absorbed by the economy, the initial impact is expected to be greater than as presented by NBS. Moreso, analysts believe that a 28 basis point increase in headline inflation (Y-O-Y) and a seven basis point decline in monthly core inflation more than underestimate the combined impact of all of the price changes which occurred in June, namely a 40% increase in import duties, Naira devaluation and the PMS subsidy removal.

The choice of the first two weeks in June 2023 is difficult to rationalize. What seems to be a newly introduced approach by the NBS has served by default or design to underestimate inflation. Moreso, it neither captures the increase in the ex-depot price in the final week of June nor grasps the removal of value added tax (VAT) exemption on diesel which kicked in around the same time. The approach distorts the reality of a significant indicator. Inflation numbers not only guide the inflation-adjusted returns expected by investors, but it also meant to paint an accurate life picture of the cost of living of households, the operating cost of businesses, and the project completion cost of the public sector. When inflation numbers are underestimated, reality is altered, and planning is impossible.

The only way inflation rise between May and June 2023 could have been limited to just 38 basis points as contained in the NBS CPI report is if there was a base effect. However, this would not be tenable, as there was no high base effect last year. Moreover, such a base effect would not affect m-o-m figures in such a circumstance. A more substantial base effect last year will also presume that there were factors between May and June 2022 that induced a stronger push than the 200% subsidy removal we saw in June 2023, the like of which is difficult to identify. 

Methodological Mysteries
The composition of the 2003/2004 basket surveyed is outdated and it ought to have been reviewed to reflect the changes in the consumption pattern, likewise, the weights assigned to the 740 items surveyed require a review of reliable sources have it that the process had been initiated two years ago we are unsure of whether this process has been completed. This adjustment becomes even more important given that the country has recorded two recessions in 2016 and 2020. The change in spending patterns and consumption baskets is marked enough to cause a lot of expenditure rationalization. The Bureau’s dysphoric or unhappy estimates may be attributable to its failure to meet global standard practice which requires that the basket ought to be updated each half-decade.

The controversy generated by the NBS estimate of inflation in June is unfortunate but it raises a fundamental question of Data credibility and integrity, a problem which transcends the NBS and extends to all governmental agencies. Credibility is at the heart of proper planning and policy making and when the data is wrong the decisions premised on It would most certainly be erroneous. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets next week for its fourth policy meeting of the year, Analysts believe that inflation has bombed the purpose of the 700bp hike by the MPC since May 2022. The expectation from most analysts is that the absence of a substantive head at the CBN would be a reason why only a cautious rate hike or a hold would be considered at the next meeting.

In the broad scheme of things, June’s inflation numbers still pour rainwater on the MPC’s hopes of moderation of prices and a dovish monetary policy direction. Burying the impact of the depreciation of the naira and subsidy removal on the domestic price index is a lavish indiscretion. 

Awoyemi is the current CEO, Founder and Chairman of Proshare Limited, Nigeria’s foremost financial information hub.

If the recent report on the investigation by the Department of State Security (DSS) into the discharge certificate feud between the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State surprised anyone, it wasn’t me. Even though I was of the view that both parties should be given the opportunity to prove their respective case, NYSC’s story never looked straight to me, especially knowing the ineptitude, underhand practices, endemic corruption, shoddiness, and the poor and analogue record keeping that have become the hallmarks of most of our public institutions.

As a psychologist, my field of study teaches me that there is always a motive for every crime. And I have been wondering what the motivation could be for Mbah. If his profile is anything to go by, then he was already a multimillionaire before heading to the UK to study Law. So, he was never in the unemployment market where he needed the NYSC to secure a job.

Two, it is settled by the courts that one doesn’t need an NYSC discharge certificate to hold a public office. Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) spells out the qualifications for the office of the governor, and NYSC discharge certificate is not one of them. So, I wonder why he would submit a supposedly forged NYSC discharge certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when, in fact, he didn’t need it.

Furthermore, Proverbs 28:1 says the righteous are bold as a lion. The audacity with which Mbah has faced the NYSC and its DG, Brig. Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, does not suggest one who has something to hide. Rather than shop for the proverbial soft landing, Mbah has instead slammed a N20bn lawsuit on the NYSC. In the lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/09/611/2023, he seeks a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme for one calendar year and that NYSC and its Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad “conspired by fraudulent design, suppressed and misrepresented facts in supposition” that his discharge certificate with serial number A808297 is fake. He also seeks a declaration that the predominant purpose is to inflict damages in his legal profession, politics, and business.

One interesting fact about Mbah’s lawsuit is his meticulousness in record keeping, even far better than the NYSC. Mbah kept and filed everything: his call-up letter and deployment to Lagos State, meal tickets in the camp, posting letter to the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), rejection letter by the NPA, reposting letter to Udeh & Associates, his letter to NYSC DG seeking a suspension of his service to go for his Bar Final programme, DG’s approval letter, his handwritten letter seeking to return to complete his service year after the programme, pictures, and letter dated 7th May 2003 (with reference number NYSC/DHQ/CM/27/20) directing the Lagos State Director of the agency to “re-instate the corps member to continue his service year from where he stopped, with effect from May 2003”. To “reinstate” instead of “remobilise” means that his service number remains unchanged.

Curiously, rather than cease the opportunity to nail Mbah, the NYSC resorted to a preliminary objection. It told the court that Mbah should have petitioned thepresidencyy first to seek a resolution before approaching the court. However, Section 20 of the NYSC Act clearly doesn’t apply to Mbah since he is neither a serving Corps member nor an employee of the NYSC. Section 20 is afollow-upp to Section 19, which refers to members of the service and other persons employed or undertaking any project for the NYSC.

Also, NYSC’s evidence at the Enugu State Governorship Petition Tribunal ended in anti-climax because it ended up affirming virtually everything Mbah had said about his national service and discharge certificate. In his Statement on Oath and evidence before the tribunal, the subpoenaed witness and Director of Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, averred the following: “That Mr. Mbah Peter Ndubuisi was actually mobilised and deployed to Lagos State by the NYSC for the compulsory national service vide a call-up letter dated 7th January, 2002, with Serial No. 0134613 and Reference No. NYSC/FRN/2001/890351.

“That in Lagos, Mbah Peter Ndubuisi, upon completion of his orientation course, was initially posted to the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) for his primary assignment, but was rejected.

“That the NYSC Office in Lagos reposted him to the Law Firm of Udeh & Associates, Lagos.

“That by letter dated 20th June, 2002, Mbah Peter Ndubuisi applied to the Director-General of the NYSC for deferment of his service, to enable him attend the Nigerian Law School.

“That after completion of his Law School Programme, Mbah Peter Ndubuisi applied to the DG of NYSC vide letter dated 03/4/2003 for re-mobilisation for national service, to enable him complete his NYSC programme.

“That by letter referenced NYSC/DHQ/CM/M/27/20, dated 7th May, 2003, the DG NYSC wrote to the Lagos Director of the NYSC to reinstate Mbah Peter Ndubuisi to continue his service year from where he had stopped, with effect from May, 2003, to terminate in September, 2003.

“That upon return, Mbah Peter Ndubuisi was posted to the Law Firm of Udeh & Associates, Lagos again, for completion of his primary assignment, with probable date of discharge on 15th September, 2003”.

NYSC’s major point of departure is at paragraph 14 (i) where it states that “there was no record of the completion of Mbah Peter Ndubuisi’s primary assignment, because he stopped attending the compulsory weekly community service in Lagos, which is one of the cardinal programmes of the NYSC”, adding that he “was consequently not cleared as having completed the NYSC programme and therefore no Discharge Certificate was issued to him”.

But, guess what, NYSC didn’t tender any register where other Corps members signed and Mbah failed to sign. Besides, what other record is more reliable than the monthly clearances issued by Mbah’s place of primary assignment, Udeh & Associates that qualified him for his monthly allowances, and which, ironically, were paid by the NYSC?

Some people in Mbah’s shoes would have simply proceeded to the Law School and still come back to pick their discharge certificate without any hassles. But Mbah, in this case, he diligently applied to be excused and applied to be reinstated. It doesn’t make sense to say that he ended up forging a discharge certificate after the who trouble.

It has also emerged at the tribunal that even though he was appointed Chief of Staff to Enugu State Governor in July 2003, he only accepted the offer at the end of his national service on 7th September – just like Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was appointed Chief of Staff to the President while still in office, but only resumed at the end of his tenure.

Meanwhile, any doubts rot in the NYSC were all laid to rest by the Statement on Oath and evidence by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Enugu Tribunal. According its Deputy Director, Operations and Strategy Department, Mr. Yahaya Isa Mohammed, consequent upon Mbah’s petition dated 8th February 2023, the agency diligently investigated the matter, taking statements and documents from both parties.

He said it was found that “there were exchanges of correspondences between Mbah and the NYSC at every stage of their interactions. Mbah did not take any action without the NYSC’s approval; that Mbah’s file with the NYSC got missing at some point in , and NYSC started using temporary file for him. For instance, in NYSC response to his application for deferment, the file number was LA/10/1532, while in their response to his remobilization application, the file number was LA/01/1532/T; that there was a mix up in his record as a result the of missing file; that the difference in Mbah’s certificate number compared to others that were mobilized at the same time, is due to inability of NYSC to trace the initial file where the first certificate A678 was; that from the documents presented by NYSC regarding certificate numbers, about twelve (12) certificate numbers (A808297-A808308), which includes that of Mbah, remained unaccounted for in the eight (8) series by the NYSC; that the law firm, Udeh &Associates where Mbah served, cleared him for his monthly clearance for eleven (11) months covering January-June, 2002 and May to August, 2003 as well as his final clearance in September, 2003 covering the period of his first mobilization and re-instatement indicated that he served, hence no need for him to forge certificate; that NYSC did not do a thorough job before concluding that the certificate Mbah presented is fake; that the Director Corps Certification (Ibrahim Muhammad) failed to exploit all available avenue to ensure that due diligence was done before issuing statement on the matter; and that against NYSC claim that ‘8 Series’ Certificates were not issued in Lagos State, upon insistence by the Service (DSS) for them to check their records properly, certificates in that series were discovered to be issued to some Corps members who served in Lagos State”.

The DSS said it further discovered “that NYSC did not have a proper record. This resulted in the misplacement of Mbah’s initial file by NYSC and the use of temporary file for him as well as its inability to trace whom or which State(s) 12 of its certificates (A808297 to A808308) were issued; that all through Mbah’s service year, from the first mobilization to his service re-instatement after his Bar Final examination, Udeh & Associates where he did his primary assignment, issued him clearance letter on monthly bases; that all certificate series including the ‘8-Series’ were issued in all the States of the federation as against NYSC’s claim that its certificates series are State-based; that the claim by Muhammad (NYSC Director of Corps Certification) that Mbah’s supposed ‘6-Series’ certificate was part of the certificates shredded/destroyed by the NYSC negates the claim that he did not serve, as it is impossible to produce the said shredded certificate for Mbah, if he did not serve; That the failure of the NYSC to maintain a proper record keeping system was the cause of its inability to trace Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s initial certificate; and that it would be wrong for the NYSC to blame Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for its own failure in record keeping”.

Consequently, the DSS recommended that the “the NYSC should retract its initial letter that Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s certificate was not issued by it, as it has failed to trace its records for twelve (12) certificates (A808297-A808308), inclusive of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s”. It also wants the NYSC to be made to explain how twelve (12) certificates with serial numbers (A808297 to A808308) are still unaccounted for and also be made to trace the said certificates. One cannot agree more.

But in addition, all taken, the NYSC represents the shame that most of our public institutions have become. Brig. Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed should not have remained in office a day after the DSS testimony. He should immediately resign or be booted out.

Mefor, PhD, is a  senior fellow of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought – TAS, Abuja; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter; @drlawson

It used to be that, like all normal human beings, ordinary Nigerians chafed at policies that choked and squeezed the life out of them, and leaders feared for and strategized over the anticipated forceful pushback of citizens in response to anti-people policies. That dynamic has died in the last eight years.

Sadomasochism, that is, pleasure in inflicting pain on others and on oneself is the new cool currency in Nigeria. Leaders are unashamed sadists (i.e., people who derive contentment from seeing others writhe in pain) and the followers are unthinking, self-immolating masochists (i.e., they obtain joy from the suffering inflicted on them by leaders, which is encapsulated in the current sterile canard that “it gets worse before it gets better,” which I’ve heard government officials utter in defense of boneheaded policies since the 1980s).

There is nowhere in the world where the destructive forces of sadism and masochism reinforce each and stroke each other’s passions with as much harmony as in today’s Nigeria. To demonize subsidies for the poor (while turning a blind eye to the extortionate subsidies for the rich) has now become intellectually and politically fashionable. It’s irrelevant that it’s wholly senseless, impoverished, illogical, and destructive. What matters is that it’s trendy because it has been repeated by IMF/World Bank-groomed opinion leaders in Nigeria.

I’ve seen otherwise intelligent people regurgitate with pride the utterly contemptible wish-wash about subsidies being bad for the poor. It’s now like an unquestioned, ill-digested religious dogma. The unjustified pride people take in repeating this stupidity flows from the faith they have invested in the thoughts, perspectives, and opinions of the thought leaders that they respect. But these thought leaders are paid poodles of the World Bank and the IMF. 

These racist, neo-imperialist institutions have had tough luck everywhere in the developing world encouraging leaders to embark on programs of mass pauperization of everyday folks. Countries like Kazakhstan, Ecuador, Bolivia, Indonesia, and Brazil have backtracked and re-instituted subsidies that the IMF had forced them to remove because of the deleterious effects of the removal of subsidies on the poor.

The Structural Adjustments Programs (SAPs) that they force-fed countries in the 1980s and early 1990s (removal of subsidies, devaluation of local currencies, mass retrenchment, etc.) led to mass deaths and violent pushbacks, which caused them to pull back temporarily.

They went back to the drawing room and restrategized. They realized that they can more easily hypnotize people into swallowing their deathly pills if they invest in recruiting opinion leaders who are not directly associated with the daily grind of governance—or who have cultivated some sort of reputational capital strong enough to sway a large swath of people. 

That was where people like Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Peter Obi, religious leaders with mass appeal, the institutional mass media, and others came in. In the last eight years, they collectively launched studied, systematic, sustained, and single-minded demonization campaigns against “subsidies.” They were unchallenged because they were strategically stealthy and undetected. 

The result is that for the first time in Nigeria’s history, removal of fuel subsidies not only provoked no hostile response, it was actually met with enthusiastic approval from even people who would be deeply consumed by it.  For the first time in Nigeria’s history, every presidential candidate, except Omoyele Sowore, bragged about removing fuel subsidies, and their audiences rejoiced and acclaimed them as visionary and brave. This is unprecedented mass hypnotism. 

Now there is no credible opposition to the destructive neoliberal orthodoxy that suffocates the masses of our people. Instead, people are falling over each other to be seen to be affirming the smoldering of our people. I read a supposedly critical press statement from the PDP the other day, which said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s only achievement has been the removal of subsidies! 

One Professor Chris Nwokobia who was a member of the Labour Party/Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council lamented to Arise TV on June 29 that “Tinubu is copying Peter Obi’s planned policies, programmes.” Although it’s delusional to say Tinubu has stolen from Obi’s programs (because Obi didn’t even have a manifesto until the last few weeks of the election) Nwokobia is right that Tinubu is ruling as Obi would have ruled.

Obi is an ideologue of the Washington Consensus, a mole of the IMF and the World Bank in Nigeria. He is pro-market and anti-people. As a governor, he “saved” money and starved people. He fired workers for demanding a living minimum wage, caused needless deaths in hospitals when he ignored a one-year-plus doctors’ strike, and so on.

 Plus, on the campaign trail, he popularized a false, illogical dichotomy between “consumption” and “production” where he conceptualized “consumption” to mean the people (read: subsidies for ordinary folks) and production to mean the market (read: profits for domestic and multinational corporations). He was for production and not consumption. That’s a fraudulent World Bank/IMF duality. There won’t be production without consumption, as there won’t be consumption without production. 

That was why the Western financial press supported him. Although Atiku Abubakar vowed to sell everything and take away subsidies, the World Bank didn’t trust his capacity to resist pressure, particularly because he is a northerner whose people would be the most hurt by the World Bank’s death pills.

They also thought Tinubu might be too populist to implement their agenda. Now they're pleasantly surprised that he's compliant to their prescriptions of death for the masses of our people. That's why they're praising him to the skies in their media. International praises are intoxicating for low-self-esteemed, legitimacy-challenged Third World leaders.

 Tinubu thinks he needs the support of the World Bank, the IMF, and other racist Western financial institutions to shore up his legitimacy. He doesn't understand that the most important legitimacy he can have is the happiness of the people he governs.

Of course, the labor movement is dead. Its partisan association with Peter Obi, the most right-wing, anti-labor presidential candidate Nigeria has ever had, has denuded it of the last vestige of credibility it had.

We now have full-blown SAP in new robes. The SAP that Nigerians rejected with their blood because it exterminated their people is now being embraced. There is even opposition to any sort of intervention to cushion the noxiousness of fuel subsidy removal. 

Historied journalist Dan Agbese was apoplectic the other day because President Tinubu had chosen to dilute, through temporary cash transfers, the potency of the toxic cocktail of IMF/World pills he has accepted for Nigerians.

“His decision came as a huge and disturbing shock to those of us who enthusiastically applauded his courage to bite the bullet by letting fuel subsidy become instant history from May 29 when he assumed office,” Agbese wrote in his column in the Daily Trust. “It was a courageous decision that blocked a major leakage in the national economy…. Sadly, he appears to have wilted in the heat of the groaning and given in to the persuasive do-gooders who care less for the poor but more for their pocket.”

That makes zero sense even with the wildest stretch of logic. But Agbese is basically saying that in this new IMF-birthed neoliberal nirvana, even a little compassion is haram. Let the people smolder. Let their bloom wither. Let them squirm in anguish. Let them die. That’s what will “save” them.

Much of Nigeria has now regressed to the stone age. Basic, taken-for-granted luxuries that had been democratized are now once again the preserve of an exclusive, privileged few. The middle class is being wiped out. The streets are empty, bleak, barren, and desolate. Only the rich can afford to drive cars, eat, and exult.

The Daily Trust of July 21 reported that “Millions of private and commercial vehicle owners have parked [their cars] at home even as traders and civil servants who could not afford high fares remained indoors with many of them saying they were waiting for a miracle to happen.” 

That’s the neoliberal paradise the World Bank wants non-Western people to live in and that its witting and unwitting ideologues in Nigeria want you to accept as natural and commonsense. 

There won’t be miracles. Money saved from the removal of subsidies is unlikely to be used for the benefit of the people. It will be stolen and divided among some of the same people who have relentlessly evangelized the gospel of the badness of subsidies. I hope I am wrong because that would make me happy. 

But President Tinubu had pointed out that he had been asked to take his own “share” of the windfall from subsidy removal but that he spurned the offer. Who asked him to take his “share”? That clearly indicates that in the past, when subsidies were removed, people in power shared the proceeds from it but told people subsidies had to be removed because Nigeria was “broke.” When they say Nigeria is broke, they mean there isn’t enough to fund the pleasures and bottomless greed of the elites.

Although the philosophy of “compassion is haram” is now hegemonic in Nigeria, hegemony is always in a state of negotiation and renegotiation because people’s lived experiences always cause them to question assumptions that they had unquestioningly accepted. I hope we don’t get to a point where the poor have nothing left to eat but the rich.

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State disagrees with those who argue that the proposed N8,000 palliative by the Federal Government will not effectively alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.

During his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, he emphasized that the N8,000 assistance is a significant amount for many impoverished families in the country, who typically do not receive such financial support within a month.

Governor Sule recalled that in the past, they were distributing only N5,000 as palliatives, and even that amount had a considerable impact on the lives of numerous people who relied on it each month. In some communities, residents pooled their contributions, leading to substantial improvements within their localities.

He said, “We were sharing only N5,000 and believe me there were so many people that were waiting for that N5,000 every month. Indeed, there were some communities that were able to do some kind of contributions and they were able to do a lot in their various communities.

“So, N8,000 may not be so much money to some people, but it is a lot to so many other people who are from very poor families that don’t see N8,000 every month. So, the only thing is that let us identify those families.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed concern about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration policies that are “inflicting hardship” on Nigerians, calling for immediate relief measures.

Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of CAN, issued a statement on Friday praising the President for some of his policies, including national appointments meant to foster national unity.

Against the backdrop of the recent unprecedented hikes in fuel prices and alarming inflation, the national leadership of the CAN wishes to express its deepest concerns over the prevailing hardships faced by Nigerians, and calls for immediate steps to mitigate the situation.

While Nigerians were trying to adjust to the initial increase in fuel price to N540 and its consequential effect on cost of transportation, food, goods and services, and general cost of living, another hike alluded to market forces took the price to N617. The situation is just unbearable for millions of Nigerians who were already suffering poverty.

It is therefore imperative that economic policies are formulated and implemented with utmost care and consideration for the prevailing hardships experienced by Nigerians, Okoh said.

On appointments, the CAN leader noted that the trajectory which the present administration had set from the onset to provide all-inclusive governance is worthy of commendation.

He said;

The national balance seen in the recent appointment of Service Chiefs is heart-warming and re-assuring that every segment of the Nigerian society is critical and important in the Nigerian project. The CAN therefore commends the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for showing commitment towards building a united, peaceful and progressive Nigeria.

He also urged the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders to explore long-term solutions to the current situation, such as developing comprehensive economic policies that promote inclusive growth, job creation, and social well-being.

Government should take measures to reduce the price of fuel. Such measures should include removal of unnecessary levies and taxes on imported petroleum products, the stabilization of the foreign exchange market and putting back our local refineries to functional and effective use.

We appeal to Nigerians for more patience while urging government to take urgent steps to ameliorate their sufferings. Let us work together to build an economy that is inclusive, resilient, and offers opportunities for every Nigerian to thrive, Okoh said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has responded to the increase in service charges by Point of Sale (PoS) agents.

According to The Guardian, the CBN stated that it is currently in discussions with the POS operators and is actively working to find a resolution to the matter.

The CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Dr. Isah AbdulMumin, who spoke via telephone, said: “Yes, the apex bank is aware of the move by PoS agents to increase transaction charges. We at the CBN understand their plight. We know their challenges but we are engaging with them to find a common ground.”

CBN maintains that it has not approved any service charge increases by Point of Sale (PoS) agents, but the operators argue that the unfavorable business environment has forced them to raise their fees.

The Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) recently announced a new fee structure, effective from July 17, 2023. Withdrawals ranging from N1,000 to N2,400 will incur a charge of N100, while withdrawals from N3,500 to N4,000 will have a N200 charge. The charges continue to increase in increments based on the amount withdrawn, up to N18,000-N20,000, which will attract an N800 charge.

Similarly, deposits are subject to charges based on the amount, starting from N1,000 to N4,900 incurring a N100 charge, and increasing gradually up to N41,000-N50,000, which will be charged N600.

The announcement of these increased charges has caused concern among Nigerians, especially those in rural areas who heavily rely on PoS agents for quick withdrawals and deposits.

Chairman of the Concerned POS Operators in Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Salako, criticized the fee hike as being exorbitant and harmful to many Nigerians already facing financial difficulties.

He said: “While we agree that the new cashless and fuel subsidy removal policies have greatly affected businesses, we think the best thing, for now, is for the association to fight for how to make business easy for agents and the masses by fighting for some preference from the government to at least let the PoS operators have access to cash if it would take the bank to increase their daily withdrawal limit.”

Although the new charges were not yet operational in Abuja, the nation’s capital, and Lagos State, the commercial capital, findings showed that operators in other parts of the country had effected them.

A PoS attendant in Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, Favour Asagwara, confirmed that old service charges were still obtainable in the area.

“It’s still N100 for N5, 000; N200 for N10, 000; N300 for N15, 000 and N400 for N20, 000 and so on. It was only during the new naira policy that the increase was last effected,” she said.

The Kano Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission has engaged the services of human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) as its lead counsel in the alleged dollar video, involving the immediate-past Governor of the state, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

However, a reliable source hinted that Chief Falana flew into Kano on Thursday and collected a comprehensive brief on the case.

The case is ready before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano.

While disclosing this to newsmen on Friday, the Counsel to the Kano anti-graft Commission, Bar. Usman Umar Fari said that the case was adjourned by the presiding judge, Justice A.M Liman.

He said that “Mr Femi Falana SAN has been engaged by the Anti-Graft agency to lead its counsel.

“The case was adjourned because the counsel to the Applicant informed the court that he was not ready. He wanted to respond to the processes served to him, hence it was adjourned to the 25 of July 2023 for hearing.”

It will be recalled that Dr. Ganduje, through his Counsel, Bar. B. Hemba had filed an Ex Parte Motion before the court, seeking the court to restrain the Commission from arresting, investigating and inviting him over the alleged dollar video.

Sadiya Ado is a beggar in Ibadan, Oyo State, she is from Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State. to her, with just about two months into the Bola Tinubu government, “the Buhari administration was better than the present one”.

She told Saturday Tribune during the week that those who commonly gave them alms in the past do not give them again because they are barely getting by themselves.

Ado said: “We can’t compare the past administration to the present one. The past was far better than the present because then when we came out to beg, people gave us alms and we were able to feed but now we are just managing because those who used to give to us do not have again. And if they do not have, what can we do?”

The widow and mother of four explained that she came begging for alms in Ibadan, from Kano because she did not get support from her in-laws after the demise of her husband.

“I came here because of lack. My husband died and left me with the children and I don’t have anything to feed them with. So, I came here to beg for alms. He was sick for a short period and then he passed on five years ago, leaving me with our four children.

“Since my husband died, his family has never brought even a grain of rice for me and the children. I was left alone with the children without any form of support. It was just my siblings that supported me from time to time,” she said.

Sadiya, who is begging alongside her children, said she allowed the young ones beg around, something she said she wouldnt do in the North.

“We are worried about the safety of our children as they go to beg alone but we do not have a choice. However, it is safer here than it is in the North. If we were in the North, we would not have allowed them to roam the streets alone.

“If I had what to feed my children with, I wouldn’t have come here to beg but if I had stayed there, we would just starve. I had to come here with them because I could not leave them at home because they were quite very young when my husband died.” She added that her oldest daughter is ripe for marriage and she is planning on marrying her off.

“Three of them are here with me but the eldest one is back in Kano because I want to marry her off. Why she has not married is because the man she is in love with is different from the person we chose for her; so we are still discussing how we can come to an agreement.

“I don’t know how old she is because I don’t keep the records in my head. I just know that she is ripe for marriage,” she added.

She revealed that she and others like her do not like their condition and would have loved to remain in their home states if they had other sources of income.

She pleaded with the Federal Government to lift the poor out of poverty as they “went through stress to vote them into power.”

“Most of us don’t like it here but we have no other choice. If I had a small business to do in Kano, I would have gladly stayed at home. Why we came here in the first place is to find something to feed on and if I have a business that brings in some income enough to take care of myself and my children, I would have no reason being here.

“I am pleading with the government at all levels to please help us. It was we the poor that went through the stress to vote them into power so they should lift us out of this poverty,” she told Saturday Tribune.

She decried the impact of insecurity on food production and the amount of hunger it has brought to the North.

“The insecurity in the north is overwhelming; people are no longer able to go to their farms because of the insecurity while hunger is killing a lot of people. A measure of maize now goes for as high as N1,300 and guinea corn is now N1,000 and we have not talked about other ingredients.

“A lot of people die in the North because of high blood pressure (hawan jinni). You can imagine someone being responsible for feeding over 20 people and he wakes everyday up without anything to provide for them. Such person will definitely have high BP and that is how a lot of people die in the North,” she said.

Nigerian skit maker, Abdullahi Maruff Adisa, popularly called Trinity Guy, has regained freedom from prison.

TRIBUNE ONLINE reports Trinity was on June 22, was summoned to appear before the Oyo State Police Command following his skit involving a female minor in a sexualised prank.

Subsequently, a Magistrate Court at Iyaganku, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, ruled that Trinity Guy be remanded in prison till August.

Alongside the entertainer, the court also remanded the parents of the minor, Isiaka Ahmed, 40, and his wife, Rofiat Ahmed, 29.

In latest development, Nigerian skit maker, Abdugalfar Abiola, better known as Cute Abiola, in a post on Friday night, announced that his colleague has been released on bail.

“@iamtrinityguy is finally free on Bail. I am wishing you all the best brother. May Almighty Allah keep guiding you to the right path. Amen Welcome back ! Welcome back ! My guy don pray tire ? see him forehead,” Cute Abiola wrote on Instagram.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, has described the proposed cash transfer policy of the Federal Government as a scam.

Sani stated this while speaking in an interview with Arise Television’s News Night on Friday.

The governor said, “My position has always been that, at this critical time, cash transfer should not be something that we should bring up, completely. I think that cash transfer for me, in my opinion, is a scam. Completely is a scam. I can be very certain about that, because who are you transferring the money to?

“Let me give an example, go and check the current statistics. Like I said, as the Chairman, Committee of Banking for four years in Nigeria, I oversight Central Bank, I oversight all the commercial sector of our economy for the last four years and I look at the statistics, I will be very firm on this issue and you can go and check it.

“About 70 to 75 percent of the rural population in North West are financially excluded completely. You will have to go and check, these people we are talking about are important people in the society. They do not even have a bank account so who are you transferring the money to?

“Let’s try and work very hard to make sure that they are financially included, that is the most important thing and I will like to call on our development partners, the World Bank, to put more money towards bringing more people into the financial services and the vulnerable in particular.

“Let’s put more money to ensure that we open accounts for them, get them involved, if we don’t do that, no matter what we do however you do it, money will go to the wrong people, that’s the fact.”

President Bola Tinubu had earlier unveiled his administration’s plan for a monthly N8,000 transfer to 12 million of the poorest households in the country for six months, in a bid to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The plan was contained in a letter read last Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding the $800 million loan request of the previous Muhammadu Buhari administration for a social safety net programme.

But days after the announcement, the Federal Government said it will review the move following the public outcry it generated among Nigerians.

Recall that following the removal of the petrol subsidy and the recent hike in petrol prices to up to N617/litre, the National Executive Council (NEC) agreed on palliative measures for Nigerians.

NEC also considered integrity tests on state social registers, cash transfers would be done via state social registers subject to state peculiarities.

The Federal Government also initiated a six-month cash award policy for public servants.

According to the Federal Government, food items grains and fertilizers are to be distributed by state governments at the rate acquired from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), while states were asked to double down on energy transition plans in the transport sector.