Hon Akinremi Jagaban’s death OyO state city boy ambassador pay tribute to Hon Akinremi Jagaban.

Hon Omotosho Muyiwa (Maury) The National financial Secretary of City Boy Ambassador and leader in Oyo state. On behalf of the group, commensurate with the family, friends, APC Party members, the good people of Ibadan North LG and Oyo state, on the death of Hon Akinremi Muslieu Jagaban. 

He described the late Hon.as lover of the people, a dutiful law maker of the national assembly and a philanthropist of great repute. 

He then pray that the Lord will grant late Hon Akinremi Jagaban family the fortitude to bear the lost of the great man.

The House of Representatives has passed for a second reading, a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states from the Southeast geopolitical zone.

The piece of legislation which scaled through the debate stage at plenary on Thursday is titled; “Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Creation Of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States and for Related Matters (HB. 1525).

Sponsored by Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah (Abia), Hon. Miriam Odinaka Onuoha (Imo), Hon. Kama Nkemkama (Ebonyi) Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife (Anambra) and Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu (Enugu), the bill seeks to address a longstanding issue of regional parity and administrative efficiency within the Southeast geopolitical zone.

It proposes an alteration to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to accommodate the creation of Etiti State, thereby increasing the number of states in the Southeast geopolitical zone from five to six.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Hon. Ogah (LP, Abia) said the establishment of Etiti State was not just a matter of administrative convenience but a step towards ensuring balanced regional development and effective governance.

The lawmaker said it responded to the aspirations of the people of a very important region to the country and aligned with the principles of equity and inclusivity enshrined in the country’s democratic ideals.

“Mr Speaker, distinguished colleagues, it is not news that the current structure of the Southeast region with just five states—Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo—as against other regions of the country which have no fewer than six states, has been a subject of debate and advocacy for reconfiguration.

“The creation of Etiti State is a proactive step towards aligning the region with the structural realities of its other 5 sister regions in the country. Suffice it to say that is a long overdue step in the right direction to foster equitable representation, enhance governance efficiency, and promote socio-economic development within the region.

“Let us bear in mind that the Southeast, with its rich cultural heritage and strategic economic potential, deserves a governance framework that optimally serves its diverse communities.

“The creation of Etiti State will facilitate more targeted development initiatives, better resource allocation, and improved service delivery to the people. As we deliberate on this historic Bill, let us remain guided by the imperative of fairness, efficiency, and progress. The creation of Etiti State represents a unique opportunity to strengthen our federal structure, empower our communities, and foster national unity.

“I urge all Honourable Members to support this Bill, which promises to reshape the socio-political landscape of the Southeast for the betterment of all. Mr Speaker, Distinguished Colleagues, I therefore urge us all to thoughtfully consider and swiftly pass this important Constitution Alteration Bill. Let us seize this moment to make history and fulfil our mandate to serve the best interests of the Nigerian people,” he maintained.

A Ugandan court has sentenced Edward Awebwa, 24, a tiktoker to six years in prison for insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a TikTok video.

The charges included hate speech and spreading “misleading and malicious” information against the first family, as reported by BBC.

Awebwa had shared content alleging a rise in taxes under President Museveni’s administration.

Despite pleading guilty and asking for forgiveness, the presiding magistrate, Stella Maris Amabilis, noted Awebwa’s lack of remorse and the vulgar nature of his language.

She emphasized the need for a punitive measure that would teach him to respect the president and his family.

“The accused deserves a punishment which will enable him to learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, the first lady, and the first son,” said Magistrate Amabilis.

Awebwa received a six-year sentence for each of the four charges, to be served concurrently.

This case has drawn attention from rights groups, who frequently criticize Ugandan authorities for human rights violations and curbing freedom of expression.

In a similar case, award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged in 2022 with “offensive communication” after making unflattering remarks about the president and his son on Twitter.

Rukirabashaija fled to Germany after a month in jail, claiming he was tortured.

Activist and writer Stella Nyanzi, who is also in exile, faced imprisonment after publishing a critical poem about President Museveni.

President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, signed a law against hate speech in 2022, which rights groups argue is designed to suppress online freedom of speech.

While the constitutional court later ruled a section of the law penalizing “offensive communication” unconstitutional, Awebwa was charged under the broader law still under challenge.

Ugandan human rights lawyer Michael Aboneka argued that the president and his family should expect criticism from the public.

“Unless they are saying that they are going to arrest every Ugandan for criticizing them at every point,” Aboneka told the BBC Newsday program.

Nollywood actress Joke Silva has celebrated her husband, veteran actor Olu Jacobs, on his 82nd birthday.

In a heartfelt message on her Instagram page, Joke Silva expressed her wishes for the legendary actor.

She said, “82 just like that… Agba ko mi nira l’agbara Jesu… Sir J of life @_olujacobs. Wishing you an amazing year ahead.”

The celebration comes amid recent rumors about Olu Jacobs’ health.

Speculation had surfaced suggesting that the ailing actor had passed away.

These rumors were quickly dispelled by the Jacobs family, reaffirming that the actor is alive.

Joke Silva had previously disclosed that her husband is battling dementia, a revelation that explained his absence from the public eye in recent years.

Despite his health challenges, the couple continues to cherish their moments together, with Silva’s recent tribute highlighting their enduring bond.

Following the Supreme Court decision declaring unlawful the use of the funds meant for local governments by the Nigeria’s 36 governors, Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project has called on the governors and FCT minister to account for and return the funds they have collected, or face legal action. 

Recall that the Supreme Court has barred the 36 governors of the federation from further retaining or utilizing funds that are meant for the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in the country.

The apex court ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive and seize funds allocated to LGAs in their states.

It maintained that the “dubious practice” which has gone on for over two decades, was a clear violation of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court held that no House of Assembly of any state has the power to make laws that could, in any manner, interfere with monies meant for the LGAs.

Stressing that the law mandated that LGAs must be governed by democratically elected officials, the Supreme Court ordered that forthwith, funds meant for the LGAs must be directly paid to them from the federation account.

“Demands of justice require a progressive interpretation of the law. It is the position of this court that the federation can pay LGA allocations to the LGAs directly or pay them through the states.

“In this case, since paying them through states has not worked, justice of this case demands that LGA allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the LGAs,” the apex court held.

It further declared unconstitutional the appointment of caretaker committees by governors to run the affairs of the LGAs.

It held that the 36 states are under obligation to ensure democratic governance at the third tier of government.

The judgement followed a suit the Federal Government filed to secure financial autonomy for the LGAs.

Earlier, the court dismissed preliminary objections the state governors filed to challenge the competence of the suit.

Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, collapsed outside the courtroom on Thursday, moments before his arraignment trial were set to begin.

Mamman, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing a 12-count money laundering charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC alleges that Mamman committed money laundering offenses to the tune of N33bn. As he was about to take a plea, Mamman suddenly collapsed, forcing the court to pause proceedings.

The EFCC’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, informed the court that there was a development outside the courtroom, and Ate confirmed that Mamman collapsed “upon being brought into the court premises and had to be resuscitated by the Federal High Court’s medical personnel”.

Ate requested an adjournment for the arraignment to be done on Monday, but the judge fixed it for September ending due to the court’s workload.

Olumide-Fusika had filed an amended charge earlier in the morning, correcting an error in Mamman’s name, but the judge declined to read the fresh charge to Mamman.

After receiving treatment, Mamman told the court that he was fit to continue with the arraignment despite the health issue, explaining that he collapsed due to taking drugs on an empty stomach, which caused his blood pressure to drop. The judge however acknowledged that such incidents can happen to anyone.

The court has adjourned the case to a later date, pending further developments.

The Federal Government will from July withhold local government allocations to Cross River, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, and 16 other states in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement.

The apex court on Thursday delivered a judgment in the local government autonomy suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on behalf of the Nigerian Government, barring the Federal Government from releasing allocations to local governments governed by unelected officials appointed by the state governors.

In the judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim barred the Federal Government from further paying LG allocations through the state governments, noting that the practice had been abused by the governors.

Justice Agim accused the state governors of retaining allocations and utilising them as they please, to the detriment of the local government councils.

Following the judgment, 20 states that have no elected local government chairmen stand barred from receiving local government allocations from July until they conduct elections.

THE WHISTLER reports that in June, the government of Jigawa State dissolved the elected council chairmen of the 27 local governments after the state house of assembly amended the local government law.

Similarly, the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, appointed caretaker chairmen, dissolving those appointed by his predecessor Nyesom Wike following their political tussle.

In June, Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo, through the state’s House of Assembly, also appointed transition committee chairmen and councillors for the 21 local government areas of the state.

By implication, these states will not receive further allocations per the Supreme Court judgment.

The 36 states and the FCT received N293.82bn from the federal government on behalf of the 774 local government areas in the country for the month of July.

Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, stirred controversy on Thursday after claiming in a series of social media posts that no politician in Nigeria is immune to being voted out of office.

The statement, perceived by many as a veiled criticism of President Bola Tinubu, ignited a heated debate among Nigerians on social media and further revealed deep divisions along political, regional, and ethnic lines, among Nigerians.

Bashir, on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), said: “Nobody is too big to be elected out of office by the people. It will happen & wallahi nothing will happen.”

In the veiled attack on the current administration headed by Tinubu, Bashir urged Nigerians to remain patient and disregard intimidation tactics.

The reactions to Bahir’s statement are mixed. While some welcome the comments as a necessary reminder of democratic principles, others perceive them as politically motivated criticism.

One Facebook user, Joe Joe, accused Bahir of hypocrisy, stating, “Just because your father is not part of the government will not make President Tinubu successful. Your father was the worst tyrant leader.”

This sentiment was echoed by Ikenna Nwachukwu, who questioned the motives behind Bashir’s statement and suggested that it might be driven by personal political interests.

The debate also took on regional dimensions, with some commentators viewing Bashir’s statement through the lens of North-South politics.

Kenneth Ekah, a Facebook user, voiced his displeasure with alleged northern political maneuvering: “The north thinks they can remove people anyhow they want whenever they want to put their own person. Tinubu is not like Jonathan ooooo.”

But supporting Bashir’s stance, one Musa Nurul Adnan said “He is right! Even Tinubu, if he did not amend his incompetency Nigerians will [show him the] way out of the presidency.”

While Bashir did not directly mention Tinubu’s name in his posts, his subsequent comments seemed to target the president’s political stronghold.

“Even IMF & World Bank no go save una that time. Political strategist una. That one na for Lagos [State],” he wrote, in what some have interpreted as a direct challenge to Tinubu’s influence in Lagos, where he served two terms as governor.

“Wallahi, none of you will force anyone to support this utter failure of governance disguised as useless, dangerous ethnocentric political strategy,” the former Kaduna governor’s son added.

Bashir’s comments come amid allegations of betrayals within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Recent events have fueled speculation about a deepening divide between President Tinubu and key northern political figures, including Nasir El-Rufai.

Adding to the intrigue, former Governor El-Rufai recently hosted Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, at his Abuja residence. The meeting followed El-Rufai’s visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, and a meeting in March with the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The events have led to speculation about El-Rufai’s intentions ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Former Senator Shehu Sani had claimed that El-Rufai’s visit to Buhari was part of a plot by prominent northern politicians to unseat President Tinubu in the next election.

Meanwhile, the seeming tension between El-Rufai and the Tinubu administration can be traced back to the former’s failed ministerial nomination. Despite being put forward by President Tinubu, El-Rufai’s appointment was rejected by the Senate under unclear circumstances.

Segun Showunmi, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently accused President Tinubu of betraying key APC leaders who supported his 2023 election bid.

Showunmi pointed to the rejection of El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination by the Senate, and ongoing prosecution of former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Amid this, El-Rufai appears to have distanced himself from the Tinubu administration.

In April, he criticized the Tinubu-led Federal Government for allegedly spending more on petrol subsidy than previous administrations despite announcing an end of the subsidy regime.

“Asiwaju ( President Bola Tinubu) announced the withdrawal of fuel subsidy on 29th May , but believe it or not , fuel subsidy is back , we’re spending more now, about N8 trillion on subsidy than before 29th of May,” El-Rufai had said.

“For example, if you appoint a person to a position and he is not performing to expectations, you should have the humility to say look, I need a better person to do the job perfectly. Leadership is a continuous thing and in a term of four years, you can’t assess a government of nine months.”

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said supplies from Nigerian-based Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals will put pressure on the performance of North West Europe (NWE) Gasoil.

OPEC said this in its monthly Oil Market Report for June 2024.

“Upside potential for higher production levels from Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, coupled with strong flows from the Middle East and new supplies from the Mexican Olmeca refinery, will likely exert pressure on NWE gasoil performance in the mid-term,” OPEC said.

Europe is one of the world’s largest purchasers of refined petroleum products and relied on imports from Asia and the US after the European Union banned the use of Russian diesel in the bloc.

However, the 650,000-capacity refinery which is owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is eyeing the wider European market after International Oil Companies stopped supplying it crude oil

Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin announced the company has exported its first jet fuel cargo to Europe as it rapidly scales production.

The refinery has exported 90 per cent of its 3.5 billion litres of jet fuel and diesel to Europe over alleged lack of support from the government.

“It is good to note that from the start of production, more than 3.5 billion litres, which represents 90 per cent of our production, have been exported,” Edwin said.

BP is currently transporting its first jet fuel cargo to Rotterdam from Dangote, after being awarded part of a 120,000 metric tonnes tender offered for the end of May, according to S&P Global.

OPEC said, “In June, the jet/kerosene crack spread in Rotterdam against Brent showed a slight decline, influenced by supply-side dynamics. Despite signs of improving air travel activities, subdued jet fuel demand from the aviation sector weighed on the product market.

“Going forward, European jet/kerosene demand is expected to see upward pressure as consumption levels from the aviation sector continue to pick up in the coming months.”

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Thursday said market associations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are responsible for the persistent hike in the price of food commodities.

The Acting Executive Vice Chairman (FCCPC) Dr Adamu Abdullahi, stated this in Abuja during a one-day webinar with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Consumer Protection Groups (CPGs) themed “Collaboration for competition and consumer protection.”

Abdullahi said that although insecurity is a major problem in food production, some individuals in the market have become dictators in the supply and distribution chain of food products into the market.

He said, “We are not a price regulatory agency, but there are some sharp practices in the market that we have to ensure they don’t occur. Issues like price gauging and cartel must be addressed.

“Every market now has associations for different products. Farmers who are not members of the association are prevented from entering the market which defeats the essence of a market. These associations have evolved into cartels and they now decide the price of food products.

“But they go beyond price fixing. Now they decide the rate of food supply into the market to create scarcity and inflate the price of available products.

“These are issues we have found out and have taken action against. We have warned the Abuja Market Management and the Chairman of the Local government on the association practices which are against the law.”

Speaking further Abdullahi noted that a market survey done by the commission in collaboration with the National Consumer Advocacy Group discovered that increase in prices of food was caused by faulty vehicles, and diesel prices amongst others.

He added, “Farmers provide incentives above N100,000 for various payments at checkpoint, local government along the way before their product gets to their destination for sale.

“Most of the Vehicles used for transportation are all dilapidated and along the way, they may have breakdowns. For instance, a faulty vehicle transporting perishables like tomatoes if broken down will lead to waste on the product. A farmer transporting the next batch will increase his price to cover up for the earlier loss encountered.

“The issues of the price of fueling and diesel are affecting products. To make matters worse there, are no standard roads leading to farms or small markets. So, farmers have to use a more expensive product which is petrol to transport the goods in smaller vehicles to the small market.

“When they get to the small market, the foods are then moved to diesel trucks, and trailers to transport the products to the urban markets and beyond.”

Speaking on the federal government’s plans to address the cost of transportation, Abdullahi said through the implementation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), traders and farmers would save at least 60 per cent of the cost of fueling these vehicles.

Abdullahi assured of the commission’s commitments to control market politics and price gauging.