…Says Ajaero’s arrest not connected to police invitation
Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has reacted to the arrest of the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero.
The human right activist on Monday said secret service that arrested Ajaero has not given any reason for his arrest, noting that Ajaero’s arrest had no connection to police invitation.
I spent 24 years in prison for refusing to join in murder, money ritual plot — Ismaila Lasisi0:00 / 0:00
Vanguard had reported how Falana, Maxwell Opara, Deji Adeyanju accompanied Ajaero to Force headquarters for questioning over allegation of terrorism financing among others.
However, reacting to his arrest Falana opined: “The invitation to Comrade Joe Ajaero by the police was rescheduled last week. I have contacted the police authorities. The arrest is not related to the police invitation.
“Comrade Ajaero was on his way to London to attend the ongoing TUC conference when he was arrested at the airport this morning by the SSS. No reason has been provided for the arrest by the SSS.”
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
The arrest was carried out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja this morning.
According to sources, Ajaero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment when he was picked up by the DSS personnel.
The reasons behind his arrest are still unclear, but sources revealed that he has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
The reasons behind his arrest are still unclear, but sources revealed that he has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Recall that Ajaero was scheduled to attend the conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, which is slated to be held today.
More to follow…
[politicsnigeria]
The Faculty of Engineering and Informatics (FoEI) at the University of Bradford has unveiled a substantial scholarship to the tune of £11,645. equivalent to N24,000,000 to support Nigerian, and other international students.
The scholarship for the Applied Artificial Intelligence B.Sc programme represents a significant opportunity for prospective students worldwide.
According to the University of Bradford, international students will be granted a scholarship at 50% of the advertised tuition fee, equivalent to £11,645, meaning that as of the 2024/25 academic year, students will only need to pay £11,645 per year in tuition fees.
The institution announced that the reduced fee of £11,645 represents a significant decrease from the regular tuition cost.
It aims to reassure prospective students of its dedication to improving the accessibility of higher education.
The scholarship is open to students from a wide range of countries, including Nigeria, Afghanistan, Canada, Germany, India, and the United States, among others, and the scholarship automatically applies upon enrolment, so students do not need to submit a separate application.
However, the university expects scholarship recipients to remain engaged with their coursework, including regular attendance and timely submission of assignments.
Failure to meet these expectations could result in the withdrawal of the scholarship and a potential requirement to repay the awarded amount.
Information supplies that the scholarship is available to all new, full-time international students who begin their studies in the Applied Artificial Intelligence BSc program during the 2024/25 academic year.
Furthermore, the opportunity is not restricted by country, as it encompasses a broad list of nations from the Solomon Islands to Zimbabwe, ensuring that a diverse cohort of students can benefit from this initiative.
The Dean of FoEI, Professor Alex Johnson, in the statement, expressed enthusiasm about the new scholarship, stating, “We are thrilled to offer this significant scholarship to our international students.
“It reflects our commitment to attracting global talent and supporting students who are passionate about advancing their knowledge in artificial intelligence. We look forward to welcoming a diverse group of scholars to our programme,” he said.
Additionally, prospective students should note that while the scholarship is automatically applied, they must still complete the necessary enrolment procedures by October 25, 2024.
Interested students need to ensure they meet all academic and administrative requirements to benefit from this opportunity.
For more information on the scholarship and the Applied Artificial Intelligence BSc programme, prospective students are encouraged to visit the University of Bradford’s official website or contact the admissions office directly.
[Leadership]
Oil marketers may begin the importation of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, following the recent declaration by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that it would only fully offtake the product from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery if the market prices of the commodity were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.
NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.
This is, however, contrary to what the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, stated last week. The owner of the $20bn refinery had stated that the refinery was waiting for NNPC, adding that the national oil company would be the only off-taker of its petrol domestically.
Reacting to the slowdown in discussions between Dangote and NNPC, oil marketers stated that they would only source the product from wherever they found it cheaper, as this could be through importation.
Commenting on the price of Dangote petrol, the National Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mustapha Zarma, said, “We have not contacted Dangote for now, but we may contact the refinery’s sales department this week to find out the price.
“If the price is competitive enough for one to buy and get his return on investment and the required margin, then we wouldn’t mind purchasing directly from him to complement what NNPC is bringing in or what NNPC would buy from Dangote.”
Zarma confirmed that since the Federal Government and NNPC had said the Dangote refinery would sell its product at the market price, this implied that the government would not intervene in the pricing of the commodity from the plant through subsidy.
Based on this, he noted that other dealers now had the opportunity to source the product from any producer at a cheaper price, whether locally or internationally.
He noted that some oil marketers currently imported diesel, while others bought the product from Dangote, adding that a similar situation would play out in the purchase of petrol, going by NNPC’s recent position on Dangote petrol.
“I believe that we are going to analyse the price of Dangote petrol and see the advantages of buying from Dangote viz-a-viz importation. Whichever we feel is cheaper will automatically attract everybody, especially if importation is cheaper.
“That will bring about competition and I don’t think the government will allow price monopoly. They would want a competitive market where the laws of demand and supply would determine the local price of refined petroleum products, just like diesel is right now.
“And with that, there is going to be some kind of equilibrium in the pricing and there is going to be guaranteed sustainability of supply,” the IPMAN official stated.
Industry observers say the Federal Government seems not ready to stop fuel importation following the refusal of NNPC to be the off-taker of Dangote’s petrol.
They, however, noted that with the recent hike in the pump prices of petrol, the government was systematically stopping subsidies on the commodity, following the recent revelation by NNPC that it spent over N7.8tn subsidising petrol.
At the presentation of the audited report and accounts of NNPC for the 2023 business year in Abuja last month, NNPC’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, admitted that the oil firm was shouldering a heavy subsidy burden on petrol imports.
He said the government directed NNPC to sell the petrol it imported at a price that is half the landing price. According to him, at times the Federal Government paid the money and it could as well net off for it.
While the official pump price of petrol is about N600/litre, the average landing cost is about N1,200/litre. Ajiya said the company covered about N7.8tn in “shortfall” in the first seven months of this year.
“What has been happening is that we have been importing PMS, landing at a certain price, and the government is telling us to sell it at half price. So, that gap between that landed price and the half price is what we call shortfall or we call it a subsidy,” the CFO had stated.
Foreign producers
Also speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Ukadike Chinedu, said though marketers were ready to buy from Dangote, the revelation from NNPC showed that dealers were free to source their products from any cheaper source.
“From what is happening now, it means that the Petroleum Industry Act is being implemented, the removal of subsidies has come to stay and the price of petrol is to be determined by the economics of demand and supply.
“Now that NNPC has said they are not the sole off-taker of Dangote petrol, it then means that the price of the product would determine where we are going to buy it. If NNPC imports the product and its price is cheaper than that of Dangote, we will buy from NNPC. If Dangote’s price is cheaper than that of NNPC, then we will buy from Dangote. So, right now, competition will set in. Remember that diesel price rose as high as N1,600/litre and Dangote came in with his own at N1,200/litre, and the importers reduced their price to N1,100/litre.
“It further dropped to about N950 and now revolves between N950 and N1,100 for both the imported ones and the ones produced locally. By the time competition sets in, the product will sell cheaper,” Ukadike stated.
On whether marketers had started making plans to import if the imported product would be cheaper, he replied, “Our National President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, has commenced discussions with some investors who are now in the process of securing funds going by the current trend in the business.
“So, we are talking with some foreign partners because you need to understand that independent marketers are the highest buyers of diesel from Dangote refinery because we control about 80 per cent of the filling stations nationwide. So, if Dangote PMS is cheaper we will buy it, but if importation is cheaper, we will go for it.”
President Bola Tinubu recently directed that NNPC should sell crude to Dangote and other domestic refineries in naira.
The President’s Special Adviser on Revenue, Zacch Adedeji, who also serves as Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, explained that the move would mitigate Nigeria’s heavy reliance on foreign exchange for crude oil imports, accounting for roughly 30 to 40 per cent of its forex expenditure.
The revenue chief said that by denominating crude oil transactions in naira, the government expected to significantly lighten its forex burden, with estimated annual savings of $7.3bn. It is also expected to reduce monthly forex expenditure on petroleum products to $50m from approximately $660m.
“Monthly, we spend roughly $660m in these exercises, and if you analyse that, that will give us $7.92bn savings annually,” he stated.
Earlier, the President stated that Nigeria spent N2tn monthly on fuel importation.
The PUNCH reports that while licensed individuals have been importing diesel into Nigeria, NNPC remains the sole importer of petrol under the current administration.
Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa, Nigeria depends on imported petroleum products due to low refining capacity.
In May, Dangote said Nigeria would no longer import fuel the moment his refinery commenced production of petrol.
But unless there is an intervention from the President, Dangote’s plan to end fuel importation may not be achieved anytime soon, even as the $20bn refinery unveiled its PMS last week.
The NNPC, in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said on Saturday that it would not buy Dangote PMS unless it was cheaper than that of the international market.
This is contrary to claims by Dangote that the refinery was waiting for the NNPC to roll out its product.
On Saturday, NNPC stated that it would only fully offtake petrol from the Dangote refinery if the market prices of PMS were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.
The NNPC also declared that Dangote and any other domestic refineries are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, saying it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.
“The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on the DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market,” Soneye stated.
Soneye added that Dangote refinery could lower its price if it felt the new prices were too high.
“We emphasise that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd will only fully off-take PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria,” the NNPC said.
This statement from the NNPC could be an indication that the NNPC was not ready to stop importation, especially as its refineries ere yet to become operational.
Since the unveiling of its PMS, the NNPC appeared to have turned its back against the Dangote refinery.
While unveiling the 650,000-capacity refinery, Dangote stated that the facility would roll out petrol whenever NNPC was ready.
Dangote disclosed that the petrol would get to the filling stations in the next 48 hours (from Tuesday) after all arrangements with NNPC were concluded, saying the queues would be over soon.
He emphasised that the NNPC would sell and distribute the product, under the current naira crude sale arrangement.
“Once the NNPC is ready, we roll,” Dangote said.
But it seems that talks between the two companies have collapsed and this means fuel importation might continue.
In the past few days, the NNPC has in different statements denied that it would fix the price for Dangote or be its sole distributor.
This was after the state-owned energy firm said it was given a September 15 timeline by the refinery to lift its petrol
‘NNPC evading responsibilities’
A reliable source close to Dangote refinery expressed concerns over the turn of events.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to speak on the matter, said NNPC had been the one fixing petrol prices over the years, wondering why it was trying to relinquish that duty now.
The source also denied that Dangote refinery gave NNPC a September 15 deadline to lift its fuel.
She added that those making money from fuel importation were the forces trying to stop the sale of Dangote PMS locally.
“Dangote is not a regulator, those in NNPC are just trying to be clever, they want to shift the blame to somebody else. This is something they have been doing for many years.
“Some people are embittered, this is what they have been doing over the years, embezzling money,” our source said.
On pricing, she added, “I don’t know if there is any price for now. We all know what is going on. These is propaganda from these NNPC people. They know what they have done and they want to cover up. Very soon, everybody will know the actual quantity of fuel we consume in this country.”
IPMAN awaits loading
IPMAN president Abubakar Maigandi told one of our correspondents that the independent marketers were waiting for PMS from NNPC Retail.
“We are still collaborating with NNPC. I’ve called their officials and my marketers are supposed to have started loading. They said they would start loading them. So, we are still waiting.
“According to the information from the NNPC, we learnt that there is enough supply. So, we are waiting for them if they truly have enough supply because we already paid,” Maigandi stated.
The Federal Government, through the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, will today (Monday) arraign 10 suspects for terrorism over their alleged connection with the N4bn illegal firearms and ammunition imported into the country in June.
The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that the arms centre had concluded its investigation into the large cache of arms and ammunition intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service in Port Harcourt in June.
The Nigerian Customs had, during one of its operations in June, intercepted a 40-foot container loaded with 844 rifles and 112,500 live ammunition at the Onne Port in Port Harcourt.
The arms and ammunition were said to have been skillfully concealed within items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings and leather bags.
The intercepted container was also reported to have originated from Turkey and its duty-paid value was put at N4bn.
A top source at the centre told our correspondent that 10 suspects arrested in Abuja in connection with the importation of arms and ammunition would be charged in court today (Monday).
The source added that the matter had been assigned to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The source said, “Investigation has been concluded on the matter. Ten suspects were arrested while others are at large. The suspects will be taken to court on Monday. The case is before Justice Emeka Nwite in Abuja.’’
In the copy of the charge sheet sighted by a correspondent on Sunday, the defendants are Ali Ofoma; Okechukwu Charles; Kingsley Chinasa; Oroghodo Maxwell; Akinkuade Segun; Augustine Elechi; Osumini Kennedy; Ajala Ojo; Faboro Oluwatimilehin and Tolulope Ogundepo.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR /463/ 2024, four charges, bordering on acts of terrorism, illegal importation of prohibited firearms, and forgery, among others, were preferred against the defendants.
The defendants were accused of intentionally conspiring with others at large to illegally import prohibited 844 firearms and 112,500 rounds of cartridges concealed in plumbing materials and other items loaded inside a 1 x 40ft container with Registration Number MAEU- 9165396.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The FG also accused the defendants of altering a bill of lading of the consignment from Ola Gold Maratine Services to read Dan Autos Limited and diverted the movement of the container from the West African Container Terminal to WAX Logistics Limited to cover up their illegal intention to import prohibited arms and ammunitions.
By doing this, the FG said the defendants committed “an act of uttering of the forged document with the intent that it may anyway be used or acted upon as genuine contrary to Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
“That you Ofoma, Charles and others at large on or about June 20, 2024, at Onne Port Terminal and your subsequent arrest in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did, knowingly and intentionally with others now at large, commit an act of terrorism to wit: you transported prohibited weapons and other dangerous substance on board a Maersk Vigo Ship with a bill of lading number 238921355 conveying a container number MAEU-9165396 into the country thereby committing an act prejudicial to national security and in violation of ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons and you thereby committed-an offence punishable under Section 39(1) (a) (i) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022,” the charge sheet added.
Ofoma, Charles and others at large were accused of importing the arms and ammunition into the country without the required license or authority, contrary to Section 18 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under section 27 (a) (iii) of the same Act.
Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory are struggling to locate the sales points for the N40,000 subsidised rice that was officially launched by the Federal Government last week.
The launch, which took place on September 5, 2024, saw the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, flagging off the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Kyari revealed that the initiative was driven by the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to ensuring that “Nigerians do not go to bed hungry.”
He acknowledged the various challenges that contributed to the current high cost of food in the country, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and local economic factors.
“We are all aware that in the recent past, especially after the mass of COVID-19, and due to the Russian-Ukraine war, climate change and other localised factors, challenges food prices, have made it difficult for Nigerians,” Kyari said.
He assured the public that the government has put in place mechanisms to ensure transparency and the smooth sale of the subsidised rice.
He urged citizens to cooperate with government agencies to make the initiative successful, stating, “I, therefore, urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of the government.
“Let us work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to uphold the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is achieved.”
Kyari also stated that to ensure fair distribution, the rice sales would follow a “one person, one bag” policy.
But despite the fanfare around the launch, FCT residents have expressed frustration over their inability to locate designated collection or payment points for the rice. Many say they have not seen any distribution points set up in their local areas.
A resident of Kuje Area Council, Mrs Yunusa Eleojo, shared her disappointment. She recounted buying a bag of rice from a wholesale vendor for N84,000, more than double the price promised by the government.
“I only heard the government is selling rice at N40,000 per bag, I don’t know where the stores are located, not to talk of how to buy,” she said.
“I had to buy a bag of rice for N84,000 on Friday from a wholesaler who even claimed it was a wholesale price,” she added.
Another resident from Bwari Area Council, identified as Mama Twins voiced similar concerns.
“We saw them showing rice on the television saying the government is selling rice for N40,000 but up till now, we are not aware of anywhere to buy the rice here,” she said.
She also raised concerns that middlemen might take advantage of the distribution chain, further complicating access to the subsidised rice.
Another FCT resident, Salami Taiwo expressed skepticism about the entire initiative.
“The day I heard about the N40,000 per bag of rice I knew it would not be realistic because of the way the government has been treating us,” he said.
Efforts to get a response from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security regarding the matter were not successful as of press time.
Officials at the Public Affairs Department of the ministry did not respond to enquiries on the matter.
As the public awaits further clarification from the government on where and how to access the subsidised rice, the frustration among residents continues to grow.
Many hope the distribution issues will be resolved soon so that the subsidised rice can reach those who need it most.
The Dangote refinery may resort to exporting its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) following the refusal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to be the sole buyer of its product.
The NNPC, in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said on Saturday that it would not buy Dangote fuel unless it was cheaper than that of the international market.
This is contrary to claims by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that the refinery was waiting for the NNPC to roll out its product.
On Saturday, the NNPC stated that it would only fully offtake petrol from the refinery if the market prices of PMS were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.
The NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.
The company was reacting to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, which claimed that the Dangote refinery was being undermined by the NNPC.
MURIC stated that recent changes to the pump price of petrol by the NNPC would prevent the refinery from offering lower prices, and that the corporation had become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery.
Responding, the NNPC said, “The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including Dangote Refinery Limited, is determined by global market forces.
“The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.
“Furthermore, we emphasise that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. NNPC Ltd has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole off-taker does not arise.”
Soneye added that the NNPC could not undermine a business in which it held a billion-dollar investment.
Dangote’s wait
While unveiling the 650,000-capacity refinery on Tuesday, Dangote had stated that the facility would roll out petrol whenever the NNPC was ready.
Dangote disclosed that petrol would get to the filling stations in the next 48 hours (from Tuesday) after all arrangements with the NNPC were concluded, adding that the queues would soon be over.
“Our PMS can be in filling stations within the next 48 hours, depending on NNPCL,” he said.
He spoke further, “We are ready. I pray that within the next few days, you won’t see any petroleum queues as soon as we finalise with NNPC. We are ready, we are waiting for them (NNPC) and I hope they will be ready like yesterday.”
Dangote told newsmen that he could not disclose the price of the petrol because the NNPC was in a position to control it.
“On the pricing, I can’t say anything because we don’t control the pricing. At the moment, it is controlled by NNPC, not Dangote. We will wait for them. But, our own for now is to make sure that the product is available and round-tripping is stopped,” he noted.
The businessman emphasised that the NNPC was the company that would sell and distribute the product under the current naira crude sale arrangement.
“Once the NNPC is ready, we roll. We are even ready to load a ship this week,” he added.
Product export
But it seems the talk between the two companies have collapsed, which may result in the company selling its petrol abroad.
The NNPC has issued several statements denying that it will fix the price for Dangote or be its sole off-taker, even as the refinery has yet to roll out its product.
Nigerians have wondered why the NNPC decided to hike the pump price of petrol the same day Dangote refinery unveiled its petrol, after several months of implicit subsidy payment.
The masses, who were hopeful that the Dangote fuel would crash the price of petrol, may be losing hope.
Speaking on the Brekete Family live show on Monday, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said Dangote petrol would be exported if the NNPC and other petroleum dealers in the country refused to patronise it.
Asked if the petrol would be sold locally, Edwin replied, “There has been a kind of a blockade from lifting our products within the country. The traders have been trying to blockade, and so now, we have been exporting our petroleum products. We are ready to pump in PMS as much as possible to the country.
“But if the traders or NNPC are not buying the product, obviously we will end up exporting the PMS as we are doing with the aviation jet and diesel,” he declared.
Edwin expressed surprise that the company started facing challenges it never expected when the refinery was set to commence operations.
He recalled that the philosophy initially was to add value to the raw materials available in the country, regretting that Nigeria was still exporting crude and importing refined petroleum products after over three decades.
Despite having a gantry that can load 2,900 tankers per day, Edwin disclosed that the refinery had not loaded up to five per cent of the gantry’s capacity owing to low local patronage.
In an interview with our correspondent, a professor of Economics at the University of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Economics Society, Adeola Adenikinju, advised that the government and the NNPC should buy PMS from the Dangote refinery instead of importing from another country.
“Dangote refinery is a private business; he will export to where he can make money. He cannot be subsidising our economy. It is still going to be cheaper for the NNPC to buy from Dangote than to import from Europe. Dangote has to run the business and pay his debts, he can’t subsidise us,” Adenikinju noted.
IPMAN ready to buy fuel
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria on Saturday said it would buy PMS from Dangote at any price, even if the NNPC refused to buy.
The National President of the association, Abubakar Maigandi, told our correspondent that the independent marketers were ready to patronise Dangote.
“Whatever the case, if Dangote starts selling his product, we are going to patronise him; if at all he wants to do business with us.
“We are ready to buy at any price because the NNPC is saying that they don’t want to involve themselves in fixing prices. So, at any price that he wants to sell, we are ready to buy and discharge and sell at a good price,” Maigandi stated.
Members of IPMAN own about 80 per cent of the filling stations in Nigeria, especially in rural communities.
On Thursday, the NNPC also said it was waiting for a September 15 timeline given to it by the refinery.
However, the latest comments from the NNPC indicate all is not well with the negotiations between the two companies.
The spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, did not answer calls or reply messages sent to him by our correspondent on Saturday.
Black marketers sell fuel N1,400 in Benue
Meanwhile, black marketers are making brisk business as most filling stations in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, closed for business.
Since the hike in the price of the petroleum product, many filling stations have been shut down while the black market has resurfaced.
Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Makurdi on Saturday, observed that several filling stations were not operating while black marketers were using their frontage to sell the product to motorists.
The product was sold between N1,300 and N1,400 per litre.
This development resulted in few vehicles plying the roads, while transport fares skyrocketed and people resorted to trekking.
Motorists crowd NNPC stations for fuel
Despite the promise made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, that fuel would be available in filling stations by the weekend, the situation in Ondo State has not improved.
A visit to some filling stations in Akure, the state capital, showed that many petrol stations were still under lock and key following unavailability of the product, while NNPC stations with the product had long queues.
Also, some stations of the independent marketers were selling for between N950 and N1,100 per litre.
In Ekiti State, many petrol stations dispensed petrol to customers, while a few did not have the product.
But the price was between N950 and N1,200 per litre at the stations dispensing petrol.
Long queues of vehicles were at the few stations selling the product at between N950 and N960 per litre.
A self-employed man, Mr Abel Olode, who said he bought some litres of petrol for N960 per litre on Friday, said, “I parked the car at home and boarded a motorcycle to my place of work today. Using it daily will drain my finances.”
Filling stations belonging to major marketers in Ogun State sold fuel for between N868 and N890 per litre, while independent marketers sold for between N950 and N1,200 per litre.
The NNPC outlets, however, sold at N865 per litre.
A motorist, Adeolu Bashir, said, “Nothing has changed with the fuel situation. The independent marketers are selling the fuel for N1,200; meanwhile, not many of the filling stations are selling the product.”
As of September 7, 2024, independent marketers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were dispensing fuel at N1,100 and N1,200 per litre. There were no long queues in most of the filling stations in the city
Long queues still persisted in most of the filling stations in Zamfara State, despite the hike in fuel price.
Most of the filling stations, controlled by IPMAN in Gusau town and other parts of the state, were selling a litre of fuel between N1,100 and N1,150.
There was no fuel in all the mega stations visited by Sunday PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.
Despite the scarcity of PMS in some states, the product seemed to be available in most filling stations across the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State.
When our correspondent visited some of the stations in Lafia, the state capital, on Saturday, it was observed that there were no queues.
The prices of PMS in Obi, Awe, Keana, Doma, Toto and Nassarawa Eggon LGAs had skyrocketed to N1,100 per litre.
Filling stations such as Sandaji, Hayattu, Alh Dauda Muhammadu, Nagoda, Rainoil among others, all sold at N990 per litre.
Meanwhile, the product is currently being sold between N1,200 and 1,400 by the black market dealers in several locations across the state.
In an interview with our correspondent, one of the black marketers, Musa Inusa, said getting the product had become “extremely difficult” for him because of the strict restrictions and increase in price.
Workers in the nation’s telecommunications industry under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will Monday begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions among others.
Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
There are fears that strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.
Vanguard gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.
Vanguard was informed that the union had earlier given a seven day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the Union, immediate recognition of the Union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and
immediate remittance of membership dues into the Union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The Union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the Union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in accordance to the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”
![[PRESS RELEASE] POMR makes some changes as Dr Tanko leads the Obidient Movement](/media/k2/items/cache/d0ce83bfb24addb24f5d108e15e26d72_S.jpg)
The Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, wishes to inform members of the public, especially media operatives, of some minor changes in the media reach personnel.
The Spokesman of POMR, who was also the chief Spokesperson of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign, Dr Yunusa Tanko, is leaving his position for another huge challenge.
Dr Tanko has been appointed the interim National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement. A job that will see him coordinate the activities of the Obedient Movement nationally and internationally.
Recall that the Obedient Movement, a quasi-political movement that was created in 2023 during the electioneering, reflects the philosophy and dreams of our Principal, Peter Obi, whose members are drawn from across all political parties and non-politicians as well as from within the country and in Diasporas who are desiring a new Nigeria that is Possible.
Dr Tanko will be replaced in POMR by Mallam Ibrahim Umar another versatile Obidient that is as hungry as Dr Tanko for a new Nigeria.
We, therefore, appeal to members of the public to cooperate with these Nigerians in their new endeavour as we continue the struggle towards dismantling the gang of political criminals holding our dear nation hostage. New Nigeria is Possible.
Signed
Ibrahim Umar.
POMR Spokesman
September 7, 2024
Obi, in a statement via his account on the X platform, said he is pained by the loss of lives caused by the accident.
Recall Naija News had reported that no fewer than thirty (30) people died in a tragic explosion involving a fuel tanker on the Agaie-Bida Road in Niger State on Sunday morning.
The tanker collided with a trailer transporting cattle en route to Lagos State from Wudil, Kano State.
Reacting to the incident, Peter Obi described it as disheartening and unfortunate. He also sent condolences to the families of those involved in the accident as well as a similar one which occurred in Oyo State.
The former Anambra State Governor also appreciated the intervention of the emergency agencies that responded to the accident.
“I have just read the disheartening reports of the deadly tanker explosion which occurred today at Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State where no fewer than 30 human lives were lost and about 50 cattle burnt.
“This unfortunate incident is occurring less than 24 hours after a similar tanker explosion caused serious damages in Ibadan, Oyo state capital on Saturday. I am pained by the loss of human lives, and other means of livelihood in the two tragic events.
“I thank the safety and emergency agencies that arrived the scene for search and rescue operations.
“I sincerely condole with all the affected families who lost their loved ones to this tragedy. I equally commiserate with the government and people of Niger and Oyo States over this tragic occurrence. May God comfort them, and all of us, who share in the pains of this sad incidents in our nation.
“I pray God Almighty to forgive the sins of the dead and grant them eternal rest, and grant quick and full recovery to the injured. -PO”
[NaijaNews]
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Let The Contractors Handling The Rehabilitation Of The Nation's Refineries Speak Out - Femi Falana
Admin
Before the end of his tenure in 2007, former President Olusegun Obasanjo sold two of the nation's four refineries at a paltry sum of $751 million to a local consortium. Many concerned citizens, including the workers in the oil industry, kicked against the illegal privatisation of the two refineries.
President Umaru Yaradua probed the sale and found that the sale was singlehandedly carried out by former President Obasanjo in utter breach of the provisions of the Privatisation and Commercialization Act. Consequently, the sale of the two refineries was cancelled and set aside in the national interest.
Former President Mohammadu Buhari resisted the pressure of neoliberal ideologues in and outside his government to sell the four refineries as scraps. Based on the advice of patriotic forces, the Federal Executive Council approved the rehabilitation of the two refineries in Port Harcourt for the sum of $1.5 billion.
In line with the terms of the contract awarded in March 2021 to an Italian company, Tecnimont SPA, the rehabilitation of the 210,000-barrel capacity refineries was required to be carried out in three phases of 18, 24 and 44 months. In particular, the first phase of the contract was to be completed in 18 months, which would take the refinery to a production of 90 per cent of its nameplate capacity.
Furthermore, on August 6, 2022, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries to the Italian company Saipem for US$1.5bn. The installed capacities of Warri and Kaduna refineries are 125,000 bbl/d and 110,000 bbl/d, respectively. The project was required to be completed in three phases of 21, 23, and 33 months.
The two contractors that are said to be international experts in refinery maintenance and rehabilitation have not been allowed to explain the breach of the $2.9 billion contracts. Instead of calling the contractors to order for embarrassing the Federal Government, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari has been shifting the dates for the completion of the rehabilitation of the four refineries.
Let Tecnimont SPA and Saipem speak out!
Instead of relying solely on the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited to solve the crisis of fuel scarcity and hike in the pump price of PMS, the federal government should ensure that the September date for the completion of the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries of 445,000-barrel capacity is not further shifted. If the contractors fail to honour the new completion date, the federal government should not hesitate to sue them for a serial breach of the contracts.
Let the public refineries and private refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, flood the market with refined petroleum products including PMS.
When that happens, there will be no justification for the incessant hike in the pump price of PMS.
Femi Falana SAN,
The Chair,
Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB)
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to use his "leadership position and good offices to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets".
SERAP urged him to "direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies "to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, including the spending of the reported $300 million 'bailout funds' collected from the Federal Government in August 2024, and the $6 billion debt it owes suppliers, despite allegedly failing to remit oil revenues to the treasury."
SERAP said, "Suspected perpetrators of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any proceeds of corruption should be fully recovered."
In an open letter dated 7 September 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: "The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country's international human rights obligations.
"Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the oil sector."
The letter further reads: "Rather than pursuing public policies to address the growing poverty and inequality in the country, and holding the NNPC to account for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector, your government seems to be punishing the poor.
"The increase in petrol price has rendered already impoverished citizens incapable of satisfying their minimum needs for survival.
"The increase is not inevitable, as it stems from the persistent failure of successive governments to address allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector and the impunity of suspected perpetrators.
"Corruption in the oil sector and the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds to support the operations of the NNPC have resulted in persistent and unlawful hike in petrol prices.
"Holding the NNPC to account for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would serve legitimate public interests.
"The increase is causing immense hardship to those less well-off. We are concerned that as the economic situation in Nigeria deteriorates, the increase in petrol price is pushing people further into poverty.
"We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest."
SERAP noted that the “government has a legal obligation to mobilize the maximum of the country's available resources to ensure people's socio-economic rights and to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Nigerians".
"Your government also has the legal obligations to probe and prosecute allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, and to ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption," it said.
"Investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would be entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution, and the country's international anti-corruption obligations."
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.
SERAP said, "The price of the product increased to N855 per litre, from about N600, and in some instances above N900 per litre. The apparently unlawful increase in petrol price followed a scarcity caused by the reported refusal by suppliers to import petroleum products for the NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.
"The NNPC reportedly failed to remit USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion of oil revenues into the public treasury, as documented in the recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation."
President Bola Tinubu is on the verge of a significant cabinet reshuffle this week, a move aimed at revitalizing his administration with new perspectives and energies.
A high-ranking source close to the presidency disclosed to the Sunday Tribune that this decision is intended to address the stagnant performance issues that have marred the current cabinet’s tenure.
The president, fresh from his trip to China, is reportedly planning to finalize the dissolution before he departs for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
This timing suggests a strategic clearing of the deck, enabling him to engage on the international stage unencumbered by domestic political uncertainties.
Criticism of several ministers’ performances has not gone unnoticed by the presidency.
“President Tinubu is not satisfied with the performances of a number of his ministers and is determined to show them the exit door,” the source revealed, indicating that a new list of candidates is already prepared to take over the soon-to-be-vacant posts.
Speculations about whether the recent resignation of the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, was linked to the impending cabinet overhaul were dismissed by insiders.
The source clarified that Ngelale’s departure was unrelated to the broader administrative changes.
Intriguingly, the reshuffle may see the return of familiar faces, as a former minister from the Buhari administration is rumored to be among those considered for a ministerial role.
Rabiu Kwankwaso, the national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has expressed confidence of winning the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso, who was the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, made the outburst on Saturday when he inaugurated the NNPP Secretariat, along IBB Way, Katsina.
The former Kano State Governor was in Katsina for a condolence visit to the Yar’Adua family over the death of their matriarch, Hajiya Dada.
He said that the party was ready to take over the presidency, states and other positions across the country come 2027.
According to him, the party was heading towards success in the 2027 general elections.
“I wish to remind you that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is already dead, because we were in the party, since they have gone out of the line, we decided to check out,” he stated.
The Kwankwasiyya leader urged Nigerians, particularly women and youths not to allow themselves to be ‘deceived with spaghetti or money during the next elections.’
Kwankwaso also called on the party’s leaders to redouble their commitment towards the success of the party in the state and the country as a whole.
He commended them and other stakeholders in the state for renovating the state secretariat, saying that it is part of preparations towards success.
Also speaking, the NNPP state Chairman, Alhaji Armaya’u Abdulkadir, said the party was doing everything possible to enlighten the electorate on the party’s new logo.
According to him, the new logo is symbolising education for all, which is the most concerned area of the Kwankwasiyya leader.
He said, ”There is the need for the party to embark on grassroots sensitisation to inform the members on the importance of the new logo.”