Barring any last minute changes, immediate past Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai may be named the Minister of Power when the Senate unveils the ministerial list THE WHISTLER has gathered.

The list which was billed for unveiling on Wednesday during plenary may now be unveiled on Thursday according to a presidency source.

A source in the office of the Clerk of the Senate hinted this paper that contrary to the revelation on Tuesday by the Clerk of the Senate, Magaji Tambuwal, that the list was up for unveiling on Wednesday, that it is still being awaited.

She however added that “except that they are keeping close tabs on it so as not to make it leak, it has not arrived as of Wednesday morning before plenary.”

The ministerial list which has long been expected would now be presented on Thursday or next week legislative days of Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Any presentation of the list to the Senate beyond these days would be tantamount to illegality as the amended constitution provides the president and governors 60 days window to form cabinet.

Towards the end of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, the national assembly had amended the constitution in order to stop the President and governors from ruling without a cabinet for too long.

Buhari had spent 6 months before naming his cabinet which drew intense criticism.

Although the chief spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, Dele Alake, had said in March that, “I think 60 days is even too much to form a cabinet” and that, “A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after swearing-in.”

But Tinubu has spent 10 days shy of 60 days in office.

Alake however told THE WHISTLER that things have changed, and that “There’s a new 60-day law.”

He declined to explain further.

But this paper gathered from a Presidency source who was privy to those the president would have presented to the Senate for consideration that the list may likely be unveiled on Thursday with El-Rufai headlining the appointments.

He doubled down on his revelation when asked if El-Rufai was in the list and the portfolio, saying, “Yes, he’s there, as the Power Minister.”

Another source confirmed that the list was indeed ready as “all security checks have been conducted and concluded on the 37 names expected.”

He however said the buck stops with the president to tinker with it even in the last minutes.

He further explained that the list has been tinkered with several times owing to disagreement from states and stakeholders and the president’s decision to accommodate input.

On El-Rufai he further revealed that the former Minister of the FCT has begun “to meet some experts he wants to work with to fix the power problem. It’s a take home the Tinubu administration wants,” he said.

He said El-Rufai’s appointment was to enable him bring his managerial skill “like he did in Abuja” to bear on the administration.

Among the much sought after portfolios which have allegedly delayed the submission of the ministerial list are the Ministers of Works, Power, Defense, Justice, Finance, Petroleum and Agriculture.

These are considered “juicy” portfolios on account of the responsibilities and areas ministers that handle them control.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has renewed its call on the Federal Government to urgently pay the four months withheld salaries owed its members in the interest of industrial harmony in the country’s tertiary education sector.

SSANU also placed premium on its call for renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/SSANU agreement, replacement of IPPIS, payment of minimum wage to some federal universities, release of N50 billion for the payment of outstanding earned allowance, reinstatement of the dissolved governing board of federal universities and an end to the infringement on the autonomy of universities by the Office of the Head of Service.

SSANU’s demands are contained in a communiqué signed by its national president, Comrade Mohammed H. Ibrahim, at the end of its 44th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State.

The union also frowned on non-inclusion of SSANU as a critical stakeholder in the decision making and implementation of education-related national policies such as the recent Students Loan.

The communiqué read, “Let it be known to the government that our members are yet to recover from the effect of the hardship caused by the withholding of their four months salaries and may not recover from it unless government does something about it.

“NEC-in-session views the government’s posture and position on the matter as unfair and unfortunate. We are well aware that salaries for those months were prepared and, therefore, call on the government to urgently pay the arrears of our members’ withheld salaries without further delay.

“Acknowledging the demise of the chairman of the government team, Professor Nimi D. Briggs, NEC-in-session calls on the government to, as a matter of urgency, reconstitute a new committee for the renegotiation of the SSANU/FGN 2009 agreement as the issue is long overdue.

“SSANU has earnestly offered itself for the renegotiation process to commence and awaits the invitation of the Federal Government on the issue.

“NEC-in-session is demanding that Federal Government should consider merging the payment platforms developed by JAC of SSANU, NASU (U3PS) and ASUU (UTAS) since it is on record that the platforms are capable of addressing the peculiarities of the university system.

“NEC calls on the government to, as a matter of urgency, commence payment to the following underlisted universities: Federal University Otuoke; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Federal University, Dutsima; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Federal University, Gashua, Yobe; Federal University Kashere; University of Maiduguri, Modibo; Adamawa University, Yola; University of Benin, Benin; College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba and University of Calabar.”

On earned allowances, the union said, “The government had promised to release the sum of N50 billion for payment of outstanding earned allowances to universities and inter-university centres. This agreement is yet to be fulfilled. NEC-in-session urges the government to release funds for payment of the allowances without further delay as this was provided for in the 2023 budget.

“NEC-in-session vehemently condemns the recent arbitrary and blanket dissolution of Governing Councils of federal universities by the Federal Government. This action is illegal, inimical to the growth and proper functioning and management of universities in Nigeria as the appointment of the Governing Councils are tenured in line with the extant laws as gazetted. For the avoidance of doubt, the law also provides that Governing Councils can only be dissolved on proven cases of corruption and incompetence.”

On infringement of the autonomy of federal universities by the Head of Service, the union said, “It should be noted that at no time has the Head of Service been part of the promotion and appointments of staff of universities. Promotion in the system ends with councils of universities, where a representative of the Federal Ministry of Education is also a member. NEC-in-session demands that councils of universities should be allowed to perform their functions devoid of interference by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation or its agents for that matter.”

The communiqué also stated, “SSANU is not averse to the introduction of the Student Loan to deserving students who are desirous of higher education. NEC-in-session however, frowns at the conditions and modalities of accessing the loan. The conditions are too stringent for any civil servant’s child/ward to fulfil. More so, SSANU, as a critical stakeholder in the university system, should be involved in the management of the scheme.

“NEC therefore requests the government to involve all staff unions in tertiary institutions in this critical exercise as stakeholders. In the same vein, the conditions for the acquisition of the loan should be reviewed to enable interested students to access and repay same.”

Strong indication emerged Wednesday evening that President Bola Tinubu is looking towards a former Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje as a suitable replacement for the position of erstwhile national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Consequently, Vanguard gathered that Ganduaje’s name has been dropped from Tinubu’s list of ministerial nominees

Details shortly…

The Supreme Court on Wednesday described as untrue reports that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, had a telephone conversation with President Bola Tinubu and the Director General of the Department of State Services on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

The apex court warned that if the current trend of falsehood and mudslinging continued to be sustained, Nigeria may not make the desired progress.

The Director of Press and Information in the Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande, made the clarification in a statement titled, “No telephone conversations between CJN and anyone concerning the Presidential Election Petition.”

He said, “In view of the rumor currently circulating in the social media space that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola had a telephone conversation with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Director General of the Department of State Service with a view to pressurising the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the likely judgment to give, it is imperative to state clearly that there is no iota of truth in the narrative, as there was no such telephone conversation between the CJN and anyone.

“Nigerians have been following the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with admirable enthusiasm. So, it is advisable we all sustain the tempo and follow it up to the end, instead of relapsing into the realm of speculations and rumor peddling that will not do anyone any good. If this current trend of falsehood and mudslinging is sustained, our nation may not make the desired progress.

“The Courts are statutorily established to serve the best interest of the masses, and we are ever poised to do that to the best of our ability. We wish to plead with everyone to cooperate with the judiciary to serve the country to its full capacity, as no one will ever be favoured against the other in any dispute.

“The rule of law and supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution will always be upheld and applied in every matter that comes before the courts; as the facts presented and the subsisting laws must be applied in determining the merit or otherwise of each matter. The public should rest assured that justice will be done to all matters pending in the various courts across the country, irrespective of who is involved.”

For the past thirty years  when fuel importation began during the Sani Abacha-led  administration, Nigeria has been saddled with very bad leaders who are very myopic and suffer from poverty of ideas. How else can one explain three decades of fuel importation without thinking of the long-term effects on the nation's economy and the citizens as a whole. In an opinion piece published by the Cable online newspaper on March 29,2021, this writer warned against the impending economic catastrophe if fuel subsidy was removed without local production of fuel. Nigeria has abundant crude oil reserves, but unfortunately, the country is unable to refine a litre of fuel. It is indeed a tragic paradox in an oil-driven economy. Nigeria depends absolutely on imported fuel due to several years of  leadership failure, sabotage and official corruption. The price of fuel depends on the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar. Since the abrogation of fuel subsidy regime on May 29,2023 by the present administration and the unification of the exchange rate of the Naira, the price of fuel has jumped from #190 to #617. This is happening at a time when the citizens are already impoverished. Nigeria is regarded as the poverty capital of the world. Nearly the entire 200 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty.

The monolithic economy has always been very fragile and vulnerable to external shocks. The cost of living has risen astronomically while the income level of the vast majority of the people has remained stagnant. There are no social safety nets to cushion the effects of severe economic hardship. The electricity distribution companies are also planning to increase electricity tariff anytime from now. The citizens can no longer breathe due to economic suffocation. Only the parasitic political class is taking care of itself.

Public office holders enjoy free fuel apart fro jumbo emoluments and other perquisites of office. They do not know where the shoe pinches or feel the excruciating pains the people are passing through. There is widespread lamentation across the country as poverty has been weaponized.

For inexplicable reasons, successive administrations have refused to take a concrete decision on the moribund Nigerian National Petroleum Company's refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna. The refineries have been in a state of coma for a very long time, while huge sums of money have gone down the drain under the guise of "Turn Around Maintenance". The best policy option is outright privatization of the refineries to international core investors with track records. The refineries have become wasting assets without any benefit to the country. It is obvious that the NNPC is incapable of running the refineries efficiently and optimally.

Apart from the privatization of the refineries within a well-defined timeframe, other policy options include upward review of transport and housing allowances of workers; empowerment programme for youths in terms of job creation; reduction of custom tariff on imported raw materials for the manufacturing sector; provision of subsidized agricultural inputs especially tractors and fertilizers to boost food production; and provision of mass transit buses for transportation. The Federal and State Governments need to collaborate together to reduce the hardship of the citizens.

In order to curtail rising cost of fuel, the Federal Government has to intervene pending the time local production of fuel will commence. Hiding under the so-called "market forces" to determine the price of fuel is very dangerous and counterproductive. The people cannot be blamed for leadership failure to fix the refineries. Already, the citizens have been pushed to the wall and there is a limit to human endurance. The primary responsibility of government is to ensure the welfare of the people. Nigeria belongs to all citizens not just the privileged few.

Faramade is Programme Director and Editor-in-Chief of Journalists Against Poverty (Twitter.com//@JournalistsAga3)

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) will share N1.959 trillion to the three tiers of government in July 2023.

The Cable reports that this is the highest the government has ever shared, This is nearly triple the N786.161 billion shared in June and more than triple the N655.93 billion in May.

Allocations are usually shared from the preceding month’s revenue — meaning June will be shared in July. According to the report, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) will meet in Abuja on Wednesday, July 19, to allocate the revenue to the tiers of government — federal, state and local — based on the sharing metrics.

Statutory collections make up N1.7 trillion of the federally collected revenues, followed by N293 billion from VAT and N12 billion from electronic money transfer charges. The report believes that the fall in the official exchange of the naira might have contributed to the seemingly unprecedented rise in revenue.

FAAC adopted N436.38/$ as exchange rate for the calculation of the forex component of federally-collected revenues for June 2023 but this has now gone up to at least N750/$.

FAAC is made up of the minister of finance as chairman, all state commissioners of finance, state accountants-general, the accountant-general of the federation and the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of finance.

The House of Representatives has rejected a motion seeking to stop the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as Petrol or fuel.

Naija News reports that the motion also seeks to revert fuel to the old price of N537 per liter.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday announced a new hike in the pump price of petrol.

The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mele Kyari, attributed the recent rise in petrol pump price from N540 to N617 per litre to market forces.

The House on Wednesday resolved to investigate the sudden increase in the price of premium motor spirit and the resultant rise in transport fares across the country.

According to the lower legislative chambers, since it has already resolved to investigate the increase, it will amount to pre-empting the work of the investigative committee by ordering the suspension of the price increase.

In a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the House asked the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, and oil marketers to appear before an ad hoc committee to explain the increase.

The ad hoc committee is also finding ways to ensure the effective distribution of palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has celebrated his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi.

Naija News reports that Peter Obi, a former Anambra State Governor and running mate to Atiku in the 2019 presidential election, today, marked his 62nd birthday.

Taking to his Twitter page, Atiku described Peter Obi as a respected leader, adding that his dedication to service and growth continues to inspire many people.

He wrote: “Happy 62nd birthday to @PeterObi, a respected leader and distinguished former governor of Anambra state and presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“Your dedication to service and growth continues to inspire.

“As you add another year today, I, on behalf of my family and team, wish you many more years in good health and vitality.”

World champion and record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, has been charged with dope violation by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

Amusan announced on her social media handle in the early hours of Wednesday in Nigeria that AIU has charged her for missing three mandatory testing within 12 months, an offence she vehemently protested against.

While pleading for privacy from the media, she promised to defend herself as a clean athlete and be cleared to participate in this year’s World Championships to defend her 100m hurdles title and world record she won at the last Worlds in Oregon, USA.

If found guilty, Amusan may be forced off the track for a minimum of two years depending on the degree of her violation.

[Thisday]

Nigerians were jolted on Tuesday following a further increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol.

DAILY POST reports that anger and condemnations poured in from across the country, with the citizens describing the decision as insensitive.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, announced an end to the fuel subsidy regime.

Even though the subsidy regime covered the month of June, oil marketers swiftly adjusted their metres to N500 and above per litre of petrol.

However, less than two months after that increment, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Limited, NNPCL, has announced another increment, blaming it on market forces.

It is coming at a time the citizens are still battling the effects of the May 29 increment which saw the pump price of petrol jerk up from about N197 per litre to over N500.

Many Nigerians had in the aftermath of the May 29 increment parked their vehicles and resorted to commercial vehicles, which they considered economical. Some others sold their cars.

Prices of transportation, foodstuffs, other goods and essential services have also witnessed an astronomical increase.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST reports that there is no uniform price of the commodity across the country.

In the Nation’s capital, Abuja, it sells for N617 and above, especially NNPC filling stations.

However, that cannot be said of other cities.

In Ogun State for instance, while many filling stations are not dispensing, those who opened for business are selling for N650 per litre.

An angry taxi driver in the state, Usman Adeola,had this to say, “it is not good, Nigerians are just being made to suffer everyday. Our children are in school, we have not paid their tuition, rent has not been completed, even to feed ourselves is a huge challenge.

“I swear to God Almighty, I have never eaten anything today. I am a cab driver, and here on the queue. The car owner is waiting for daily returns.”

An Ondo state civil servant, Yemisi Oladapo, who also expressed his disappointment over the development, said, “We had hoped for a change, a departure from the policies that burdened us under the Buhari administration.

“But now we find ourselves in a similar predicament. This is unacceptable and a clear betrayal of the people’s trust,” he stated.”

Tunde Akinkunmi, a trader, said, “I thought I was in a trance when I got to the filling station, and I heard that petrol is now N617. This is criminal, I must tell you.

“We were not given prior notice of this wicked act. They just woke up and suddenly increased the price.”

In Kwara State, the price hovers between 559 and 617 per litre, while in Niger State, it goes for between N617 and N620.

In Ebonyi State, a litre goes for N620 in the metropolis while those in the rural areas are buying at between N650 to N700 per litre, while in the neighbouring Enugu, a few filling stations dispensed the product at the cost of N550 to N620; many others shut down as soon as the increment was announced.

A resident of Enugu, the Coal City State, Mr Samson Okoro said the government has pushed the citizens into avoidable suffering by putting the cart before the horse.

“What the government ought to have done first is to revive our refineries; this should have come before removal of subsidy.

“You cannot depend on total importation yet you are quick to remove subsidies, you see where it has landed us.

“I advise the government to review the entire process because it will get to a point where the masses will not take it again and they will revolt.

“The suffering is excruciating; something has to be done about it, very quickly too,” he cautioned.

In Damaturu, Yobe State capital, a litre goes for N600; Abia: N595 to N600; Imo: N650; Akwa Ibom: N600 to N620; Rivers: N617 to N640; Kaduna: N610 to N650; Oyo: N580 to N650; Cross River: N620 to N630, while in Lokoja, Kogi state capital, the commodity goes for N617.

The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo was the first to confirm the new price increase to DAILY POST on Tuesday.

According to him, fuel prices will continue fluctuating depending on market forces.

“That is the regime we are in with removing fuel subsidies. The prices will continue to fluctuate based on market forces and the changes in Dollar in the foreign exchange market. That is why we are pushing for an alternative to fuel”, he stated.

Both the NNPCL and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, are unanimous in their stand on the increment.

They maintained that the government was no longer in a position to fix the market price of the commodity.

NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Malam Mele Kyari, after a private meeting with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, at the Presidential Villa, on Tuesday, in Abuja, explained that the increase in the price of PMS has nothing to do with supply issues.

He rather blamed it on market forces.

”I don’t have the details at this moment. You know we have the Marketing Wing of the company, they adjust prices depending on the market realities.

“And this is the meaning of making sure that the market regulates itself so that prices will go up and sometimes they will come down; this is really what we are seeing; in reality, this is how the market works.

“What I know is that the market forces will regulate the market, prices will go down sometimes and sometimes it will go up, but there will be stability of supply,” he said.

On his part, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, said the authority doesn’t set price of the product but the market determines itself.

”As a regulator, you know I told you back in May we are not going to be setting prices, the market will determine itself and as you saw back in early June when prices came out it was based on the cost of importation plus other logistics of distribution and of course the profit margin by the importer.

”This market is deregulated, and is open to all participants. As mentioned also yesterday (Monday) when I was in Lagos, we have about 56 marketing companies that have applied for and obtained licences to import,” he said.

DAILY POST reports that the over N100 increment has attracted nationwide condemnation from the masses, especially with the issue of palliatives yet to be sorted out.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, swiftly rejected the increment, accusing the government of impoverishing the poor masses while the rich get richer.

It also rejected the now suspended N8, 000 palliatives for 12 million households in the country.

Joe Ajaero, the President of NLC, in a statement, described the proposal as robbing the poor to pay the rich.

Ajaero added that it is no longer interested in the federal government’s Committee to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal impact on Nigerians because it failed to set up a National Steering Committee.

“There is no other way to explain the proposal to pay a misery sum of N8,000 Naira to each of the mysterious poorest 12 million Households for six months which amounts to N48,000 and pays just 469 National Legislators N70b or about N149m each, while the Judiciary that has about 72 Appeal Court Judges, 33 National Industrial Court Judges, 75 Federal High Court Judges and 21 Supreme Court Judges and a total of about 201 Judges receives a total of N35b or N174m each.

“If these other two arms are projected to receive this, what members of the Executive Council will receive is better left to the imagination of Nigerians; perhaps, the balance of N150b will go to them.

“NLC would not want to continue to be part of the usual charade of Committees with never implemented outcomes. We would not want to waste the time of Nigerians, especially workers on Committees that have already been programmed to fail and thus ignored”, the statement partly reads.

Similarly, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, also came hard on the Federal Government, lamenting the level of suffering by the citizens.

NUJ, in a statement issued by its National Secretary, Shuainu Usman Leman, said it is alarmed by the just announced increase in the Pump Price of the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS to N617 per litre in Abuja and N568 in Lagos, respectively.

“The development has already triggered an astronomical increase in transportation cost, with prices of food items soaring almost beyond the reach of many citizens even as users of generators to power their homes are already groaning uncontrollably under the present condition.

“While we applaud the decision to remove the costly subsidy on fuel, we, however, caution against a hasty implementation of the policy without putting mitigating measures in place to cushion the excruciating effect.

“We are saddened by the fact that today, most people can hardly commute to work or other places of business without too much stress.

“We believe that this decision is an overkill and urge that the situation should be reversed immediately while adequate measures are considered and put in place to lessen the effect on ordinary Nigerians.”

While appearing on Arise TV news programme, Tuesday night, Mr Mike Osatuyi, National Operations Controller of IPMAN, said Nigerians should expect future fluctuations to be determined by market forces.

“It can also come down,” he said when asked whether there are chances that the price would still go up.

He added that, “What we are using now is the old stock which is getting exhausted; new products are now being discharged, which will affect the new price.

“It may still go down depending on the market forces, the dollar, the forex.

“Like in diesel market, there was a time it was N800, there was a time it came to N500, N600 that is what we are going to be witnessing, but if crude goes today to N120, N110 dollars per barrel, it is to the benefit of Nigeria, because you are going to get more money, but at the same time, we cannot eat our cake and have it.

“That is why I said transparency is very important in this game so that Nigerians can see what they are using the money for, if we have fast trains, we have transport, the food is cheap…”

In an apparent response to the outrage across the country, President Tinubu on Tuesday ordered the immediate review of the proposed N8,000 to 12 million households in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement issued by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy.

Tinubu also ordered that the whole range of the palliative package of the federal government be unveiled to Nigerians.

“That the N8,000 conditional cash transfer programme envisaged to bring succour to most vulnerable households be reviewed immediately. This is in deference to the views expressed by Nigerians against it.

“That the whole gamut of palliative packages of government be unveiled to Nigerians.

“Immediate release of fertilisers and grains to approximately 50 million farmers and households respectively in all the 36 states and the FCT.

“The President further assures Nigerians that the N500 billion approved by parliament to cushion the pain occasioned by the end of subsidy regime will be judiciously utilised. The beneficiaries of the reliefs shall be Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation.

“President Bola Tinubu has promised to always prioritise the wellbeing of Nigerians and he is irrevocably committed to the vow. A number of decisions taken so far by this Administration have buttressed this stance,” the presidential spokesperson said.