President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, met with the Implementation Committee on the Naira-based sales of crude oil at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

Naija News reports the meeting was attended by serial businessman and owner of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, as well as other government officials and stakeholders.

During the meeting, President Tinubu charged the committee to resolve any teething problems regarding the implementation of the policy on Naira-based sales of crude oil and refined products.

He also assured that Nigeria would not go back to the old way of doing things in the oil sector.

Sharing details of what transpired at the meeting, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, quoted Tinubu to have said using the Naira for crude oil sale was adopted to remove the exchange rate hurdle.

“Whatever solution we proffer in crude oil and refined products sales in Naira should not take us back to our experience in the last 40 years.

“There can be cost and revenue adjustment in the oil sector, but the issue is that the government will not have to go back to the old way of doing things,’’ the President stated.

President Tinubu said the various players in the oil sector, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd and the Dangote Refinery, should work to improve the economy and the livelihood of Nigerians.

The President urged stakeholders to look inward and consider supplying enough petrol and petroleum products for local consumption to stop the persistent reliance on importation. He said this would enable the channelling of foreign exchange into the development of the real sector.

The President advised stakeholders to use Afreximbank as a settlement bank to resolve the Naira pricing for crude and refined products. Afreximbank is already on board as the financial adviser.

“The market must determine what we are doing. Once you allow the market to determine the profit and loss, independent marketers and the government side can meet on the worksheet. I want the issues resolved without future waste of time,’’ he added.

Tinubu urged the committee to encourage the motivation of Dangote in setting up a refinery.

“We can have energy security, and the motivation for Alhaji Aliko Dangote will not be defeated. It will be more predictable on a medium and long-term basis,’’ the President said.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the administration’s groundbreaking steps to sell crude in Naira would not be reversed, and the government would not be involved in determining the rate of exchange for the oil sector.

The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group told the President that the refinery had more than 500 million litres of fuel in reserve after supplying 400 million to the economy.

He said the refinery could collaborate with the other refineries managed by NNPC Ltd to meet an estimated 32 million litres of local petrol needs.

At the meeting, the Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman, Zach Adedeji, who chairs the technical committee, said importing refined products should end once there is capacity to produce enough to meet domestic needs.

He said: “The vision of Mr President is to turn Nigeria into a hub for refined products to export to the world.”

Other stakeholders at the meeting included Prof. Benedict Oramah, the President and Chairman of the Board of Afrexim Bank, and Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the minister of budget and national planning and Group Managing Director of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari.

The president’s special adviser on energy, Olu Verheijen, and the CEOs of NIMASA and Nigerian Ports Authority also attended, along with Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, head of Upstream Regulator, and Farouk Ahmed, head of Midstream & Downstream Regulator, NMDPRA.

The Imo state police have arrested a 17-year-old student of Imo State University (IMSU) for faking her abduction.

The student, arrested in Owerri, has been identified as Jesse Chidiebere.

Henry Okoye, the Imo police spokesperson, said the command received a distress call from concerned citizens reporting Jesse’s disappearance.

He said a text sent from her instant messaging account claimed she had been abducted and killed.

The text had asked her family to go to Orji police station for confirmation.

Okoye said police operatives launched a search and discovered that the missing girl was alive.

He said the student was found to have fabricated the story as a social media prank.

“On October 26, 2024, at approximately 10:00 pm, police received a distress call from concerned citizens reporting Chidiebere missing,” Okoye said.

“A message sent from her WhatsApp account claimed she had been abducted and killed, urging her family to go to the Orji Police Station for confirmation.

“In response, police operatives launched a search and discovered the following morning, October 27, 2024, that Chidiebere was alive and had fabricated the story as a prank on social media.

“An investigation is ongoing to ascertain her motives for such mischief and would certainly face prosecution.

“The commissioner of police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma has expressed concern over such irresponsible behaviour, which wastes valuable resources and causes public panic.

“He urges parents to caution their children against engaging in dangerous pranks and spreading misinformation.

“The Command remains committed to combating misinformation and ensuring a safe environment for all and sundry in the state.”

John Onaiyekan, a cardinal and former Catholic archbishop of Abuja, says Nigeria’s development will be affected if the northern region is neglected.

The cleric spoke in Abuja on Tuesday when the League of Northern Democrats (LND) paid him a courtesy visit.

The LND has been in consultations with eminent Nigerian leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former defence minister T.Y. Danjuma.

Onaiyekan urged members of the group to engage the political leadership in the north on the need to deliver good governance.

“I think we must face reality that the way the northern Nigeria is today is not what we can be proud of,” he said.

“All the various indices of good governance and standard of living; we have a very poor record. If Nigeria is poor, the epicentre of the poor is the north.

“And when there is a league of northern democrats who are interested in addressing the issues and finding out why is it that things are not moving as they should, I think things will move because a league of elite northern democrats should be able to engage those who call themselves political leaders, especially as some of you have had good experience in government.

“So, you can tell them, listen, and look around you. Are you proud of what you see? Out-of-school children are all over the place, and it is not an excuse to say we are poor because if we continue to cry about being poor, the issue will remain.

“We are in a federal government, and federal resources are being distributed. So, what has happened? Let’s face it, if the north does not move well, Nigeria cannot move well. It’s the same discourse: if Nigeria does move well, Africa cannot move well.”

Onaiyekan said it is important for the entire nation to be interested in the northern region’s development, stressing that there is no room for a section of the country to “lag”.

Ibrahim Shekarau, LND leader and former governor of Kano, said the group is focused on addressing challenges of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity, mutual distrust, and declining political influence in the northern region.

Shekarau noted that the group is not tailored to support any individual or political party.

He added that the concern of LND members is to ensure that political parties are mobilised and made to serve the electorate.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, has called on President Bola Tinubu to implement policies that will nurture economic prosperity in the country.

Speaking at a press briefing in Ikeja on Tuesday, Oluwaseyi Olawumi, chairman of the branch, expressed concerns over economic challenges, including the latest increase in the pump price of petrol and the 250 percent hike in electricity tariffs.

Olawumi noted some of the government’s policies have resulted in increased inflation and spikes in transportation fares, healthcare bills, education, and daily expenditures.

“Inflation is now at its highest, reducing purchasing power and disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income families who are already vulnerable,” the NBA chairman said.

“The combined effects of this fuel price hike and 250 percent power tariff hike have, apart from wiping out the middle class in the economic pyramid, brought unprecedented pain, hardship, and suffering to the generality of the people of this country.

“This trend has equally placed a significant strain on businesses across sectors, such that where businesses are not crippled, acute adaptive strategies are deployed to sustain operations or survival in the face of economic headwinds.

“We urge the government and policymakers to consider a systematic examination of empirical data, theoretical frameworks, and comparative analyses.

“We urge the government to delineate the complicated impacts of fuel price hikes and inflation on individuals, businesses, and socio-economic structures.

“We recommend that the efficacy of existing policies in addressing these adversities be scrutinised and strategies that nurture economic prosperity be proffered.”

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has called on the public with relevant evidence against its pastors accused of homosexuality to present them for investigation.

In a memo dated October 28, 2024, the church announced the indefinite suspension of two youth ministers pending the outcome of the investigations against them.

The memo, signed by Sunday Akande, RCCG’s national overseer, ordered a thorough investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations.

Akande emphasized that the church’s doctrine does not tolerate or allow any act of homosexuality, citing biblical references.

In a statement, according to ChurchTimes, the RCCG urged people with relevant evidence against the pastors to come forward.

The church also provided an email address (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and phone number (09039000700) for submitting information. It emphasized that only substantiated evidence will be reviewed.

Ayorinde AdeBello, one of the accused pastors, earlier denied the allegation of homosexuality.

He said he has never engaged in sodomy with male teenagers.

The pastor said his prolonged silence was misconstrued as an “admission of guilt”, prompting his response.

AdeBello also clarified that a viral WhatsApp screenshot being circulated was misquoted and taken out of context.

He claimed the conversation was actually about male reproductive health and self-esteem within a teenagers’ WhatsApp group.

Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Group, says the Dangote Petroleum Refinery currently has over 500 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, available for sale.

Dangote spoke after a meeting on Tuesday with President Bola Tinubu and his committee on crude oil and refined product sales in local currency.

The billionaire said retailers are not collecting the available products to ease petrol queues, which also results in financial losses for the company.

“With enough supply of crude, we can actually produce much more than 30 million litres every day,” Dangote said.

“At full capacity, we can even supply whatever is being consumed.

“But what I estimated as consumption, which I believe may be about 30, 32 million, we can start producing by next week, so it is not really an issue, because, as we speak today, we have 500 million litres in our tanks.

“500 million litres in our tanks even if there’s no protection from any or no imports, this will take the country more than 12 days, with no imports, with no production, nothing.

“We are more than ready.”

Dangote assured Tinubu that the company would supply at least 30 million litres per day and gradually increase production.

‘DANGOTE REFINERY LOSING MONEY DUE TO UNSOLD PMS’

The businessman explained that keeping unsold PMS in storage is costly, urging retailers to collect the products to reduce petrol queues and the company’s losses.

“On the streets, one thing that you have to understand is that we are producers. I have a refinery. I’m not in the business of retail. If I’m in the business of retail, then you hold me responsible,” Dangote said.

“But what I’m saying is that the retailers should please come forward and pick. If they don’t come forward and pick, what do you want me to do? There is nothing that I can do.

“I am expecting the NNPC or the marketers to stop importing, they should come and pick because we have what they need.

“I don’t know whether you understand what it takes to keep half a billion litres inside our tank.

“It’s costing me money every day. If I will be able to collect the naira, I can actually charge somebody 32 percent in interest.

“So right now, that’s what I’m losing. And we are talking about 500 million, and we don’t print money.

“The issue is that if they come and collect, then you will not see any queues in the filling stations.

“We have what it takes for them to come and collect. We are not retailers. We also don’t have trucks to send. We have a factory, we have where they can load.”

Dangote urged retailers to collect the PMS available, just as they do with imported products.

He questioned why, if retailers are distributing 55 million litres daily, they would not collect and distribute the company’s stock.

Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy announced the refinery would commence the distribution of PMS, on September 15.

On October 10, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to sell petrol to its members at the Dangote refinery rate or refund the oil marketers’ money.

IPMAN said its members’ money has been with NNPC for over three months.

The association said the national oil company collected PMS from the Dangote refinery below N900 per litre, but NNPC wants oil marketers to buy the same product at the rate of N1,010 in Lagos, N1,045 in Calabar, N1,050 in Port Harcourt, and N1,040 in Warri.

The next day, the federal government said oil marketers can now buy petroleum products directly from the Dangote refinery and other local producers — one week after directing the Dangote refinery to sell petrol to only the NNPC.

“Bros how you dey oh”

“Omo, body still dey inside cloth. We dey push am.” 

How for do? Man no die, man no leave one place, all of us just dey.” 

“God works in mysterious ways.”

“But how you come take this their cabinet reshuffle?”

 “Underwhelming. An anti-climax. What is all the noise about? I can’t see it.” 

“Which noise?”

“The President had announced the cabinet reshuffle a month ago. Then he travelled abroad and we were told he didn’t want to be put under pressure by anybody. Then he returns from England and France and he says, he is announcing eight key actions to boost efficiency. I don’t see what he has done that will increase any efficiency.” 

“The Ministry of the Niger Delta is now a Ministry of Regional Development. That is something in case you are looking for something.”

“Just a bloated bureaucracy. The Ministry of Niger Delta caters to the interest of the oil producing states which stretch beyond the South South. It includes states like Imo, Abia and Ondo. How about the people of the North Central. They have HYPADEC but that is a development Commission focusing on hydro power. The North East Development Commission is targeted at banditry. I don’t see a convergence.  What I see is confusion. I can’t see light or sense in the decision.” 

“Maybe you will see sense then in the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.”

“No. I do not either. The Ministry of Tourism is so important. It should stand on its own. We may have had a Minister who could not rise to the occasion, but what is the point, subordinating the Ministry to another Ministry that already has its hands full.”

“Come off it. Tourism is not that strategic.”

“You say? Oh my. Oh my. Can you just listen to yourself? Are you aware that some countries depend on tourism for revenue? People visit countries like France, Spain, United States, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, the UK, Greece, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Japan, China, Maldives, United Arab Emirates because those countries have something to offer. The number of people who visit your country is a measure of how welcoming, attractive, risk-averse your country is.   In Spain, tourism is such a major part of the local economy that the locals in cities like San Sebastian are even protesting that tourists should stay away from their city. They are complaining about over-tourism. The people of Canary Islands are also protesting. They say tourists are pushing up rentals, pricing out locals. Residents in Italy and Greece have also taken to the streets. In a year, about 90 million people visit Spain. Over a 100 million visit France. The potential in that industry is so huge, there was no point merging the Ministry with another one. The President doesn’t get it. I wonder who advised him on that course of action.” 

“The statement that they issued was signed by the Presidency. No name. No date. Who is the Presidency? Too many flip flops.” 

“Imagine that.”

“They have also gone back to the old days of the National Sports Commission by scrapping the Ministry of Sports.”

Now, I don’t get it. I don’t get it because I thought John Enoh was doing a good job as Minister of Sports. He came across as a very enthusiastic man. Now they have demoted him, making him the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment.”

“He would be working with someone that I think knows her subject though. Dr Jumoke Oduwole has a significant and relevant experience having served previously as a Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC, ease of doing business and Investment Law. Her experience and expertise combined with Enoh’s energy and enthusiasm, if they can forge a good working relationship, may help.” 

“But as for the man in the Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, he is basically a football person. We need to grow the sports sector beyond football, and develop other sports. Does he have a broad view of the assignment?  Already his colleagues in Football House are already saying the appointment is for them, not just one man. My view is that there is so much potential in sports that Nigeria can develop, beyond the obsession with football.”

“By the way, your friend Sunday Dare is back. He is now Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation.”  

“Meaning what? They say he is going to be in the Ministry of Information, not the Presidency. To do what exactly in the Ministry? The Ministry already has a Director-General of the National Orientation Agency. There is a Minister. It would have been best to name Dare Minister of State, to give him a leverage instead of hanging him afloat between the Ministry and the Presidency”.

“I want to think the President knows what he is doing. It is his prerogative to hire and fire. The discretion is his. He can delegate as he wishes.” 

“Is that why he has Yorubas all over the place in all the important positions? It is his right to run a government as he deems fit. But it is also our right to talk. Nobody can stop us from talking.”

“Yes. You have been talking and talking. What difference has your talk, talk ever made? Talk. Keep talking. Are you aware that this cabinet reshuffle was based on a review of performance of the Ministers by the Central Delivery Co-ordination Unit led by Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman? The reshuffle is based on empirical facts and findings”

“That is a lie. Have you seen the report by Hadiza Bala-Usman?”

“No.”

“So, why would you or anyone jump to the conclusion that the President followed her recommendations? I don’t think so. The President sacks five Ministers, appoints seven new ones, and redeploys 10 Ministers.  He used to have 45 Ministers, now he has ended up with 48, with four from Ogun State alone!” 

“His prerogative sir!”

“Stop saying it is his prerogative. Is that a new word you just learnt? We are all in this together. This is a democracy, and the last time I checked we have the right to talk. The President removed the Minister of Women Affairs. Okay, I agree, the woman was very controversial, but very loyal. She must be grateful she was made a Minister in the first place. Lola Ade-John, Jamila Bio Ibrahim, and Abdullahi Gwarzo – those ones left the same way they came quietly. But why would the President remove a man like Tahir Mamman, former Vice Chancellor, former DG of the Nigerian Law School and replace him with a medical doctor from Lagos State. I know they say Dr. Alausa is also a university person, but what is Professor Tahir Mamman’s offence” 

“I can only think of two things. He was Vice Chancellor of a university belonging to the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections. He has also been very controversial with all this talk about age eligibility for university admissions. That is one policy that will be scrapped, you will see, because it only hurts people from the South.”

“There are many other Ministers that Nigerians would have preferred to be turned adrift from the cabinet. The Ministers in critical positions should have been sent away. You are talking about controversy. Wike is the most controversial person in that cabinet. The President could have scored a goal by going for the big ones to signal a change of direction. He sacks the easy ones, and tells us about “eight key actions”. I beg.”

“Mr. Bayo Onanuga has said in one television interview that the cabinet reshuffle reflects the feelings and opinions of Nigerians.” 

“That is, again, a lie. I don’t know anybody who thinks this goes far enough or that it is any important message. No. I insist. No”

“I think the President is going somewhere. For all you know, he may be testing waters. If he wakes up two months down the line and he says he wants to change the cabinet again, can anyone query him? The answer is No.”

“The Senate can reject his nominees”

“Which Senate? This 10^th National Assembly will rubber stamp anything President Bola Tinubu brings to them. I can bet on that.”

“There you are!”

“But I am still convinced that this President is going somewhere that we may not know yet. He has just for example said no Minister should go about with more than three official vehicles and five security details.” 

“That is like saying nothing. In 2003, the Obasanjo administration introduced a monetization policy to cover vehicle loans, domestic staff, accommodation – the whole range. I am not aware that the policy has been abrogated. Under President Jonathan, no Minister used more than three cars by the way. How? Why? But today, Ministers use sirens and fly flags in what is clearly a break-down of law and order.” 

“One by one, President Tinubu will get there”

“Oh yes, by the time we have all lost flesh. The government keeps getting fatter, we are asked to make sacrifices and be patient. What stops the President from reducing his cabinet to a team of just 16 persons? I don’t even know the names of most of the Ministers because they have done nothing, said nothing, and yet they enjoy privileges. I even hear that some people are saying a new aircraft should be bought for the Vice President.”

“Poor fellow. I heard he could not go to the Commonwealth Summit because his aircraft had an incident in JFK Airport in New York. The President has bought an aircraft for himself. The Navy has bought a yacht.  They should buy something for the VP too.”

“Now you are talking from both sides of the mouth. And you know I do not like hypocrisy.”

“So, what do you want me to say? The Speaker of the Borno House of Assembly says the life of the VP is at risk, because his aircraft is bad. Why should the VP travel about in a faulty aircraft?” 

“He can travel commercial”

“Hen hen. Just don’t play Ngbati politics with me. Your Yoruba brother can enjoy luxury, but the Borrno man should manage. This is the problem with us in this country.””

“The problem with all Nigerians is that we tend to see everything form an ethnic or personal angle. This is why an Asari Dokubo would have the guts to say that President Tinubu has disappointed him. What does he want? Him too wan be Minister?”

“I am sorry, you are losing me. I don’t want to talk about Asari Dokubo, Bobrisky, Very Dark Man or this musician, what do they call him? Portable.”

“It pains me though that Nigeria was not at the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa. I know we sent the Minister of Environment but the VP would have been a better fit to speak on the key issues of climate change and reparations.” 

“Your Minister of Environment is one of those persons that I think are sleep-walking through this administration. I have seen the Vice President in action before. He is smarter, far more intelligent than most of the Ministers. Well read. Suave. Good choice. But as for the Ministers, I beg” 

“What a world we live in? Who would have thought the subject of reparation would come back on the table? I recall that this was Chief MKO Abiola’s project, he wanted the injustice of the British Empire to be addressed. Now the Caribbean countries are saying yes, this is the way to go.”

“Don’t mind the British. They have forgotten that in 1833, the same Britain paid reparations for the slave trade between the 15^thand 19^th Centuries, but now in 2024, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and King Charles III are now saying we should talk about the past, but we should focus on the future. No reparations. No apologies. And Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, says there is no money to give anybody but Britain can offer reparatory justice. Justice as they would define it.”

“Can you blame them? The Labour Party in Britain is at this moment trying to prevent austerity, by seeking ways to plug a black hole of about 22 billion pounds, cut public sector spending, raise taxes including National Insurance, and reform the NHS.  Not the right time to pay reparations and they won’t. Tomorrow, Rachel Reeves will unveil the Starmer administration’s budget. I miss MKO”

“MKO is our man oh. He fought for reparation. It is good to see that his idea lives. All the former British colonies in the South Pacific, Australia and CARICOM are calling for reparations. Last week in Canberra, Australia, the King was booed at the House of Parliament by Senator Linda Thorpe, an indigenous, First Nation lawmaker who screamed - You are Not my King!”   

“I am sure we will hear more, particularly now that an African is the new Secretary General of the Commonwealth. Shirley Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. She follows in the footsteps of Nigeria’s Chief Emeka Anyaoku.” 

“Great man. Great.  Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration is not grooming or appointing new diplomats. It has been more than a year since Nigeria recalled its ambassadors from all over the world. They are yet to be replaced. Why? A government that says it is interested in global investments should have ambassadors all over the world. Why not? The world is changing, re-aligning, look at BRICS. India, Russia, China. Where is Nigeria?” 

“I think our President will get round to things.” 

“Let him buckle up. Your man should wake up.”

“You know I am more optimistic than you. What if the President wakes up tomorrow and he decides to shake up the Departments and Agencies. These are the real drivers of government. He can shake things up, so radically you would almost apologize for all your critical words.” 

“Forget apology. We are just saying the President should learn to do what is right at the right time, the right way and manner.That is the way forward.”

“I see. I see. I get it. But we will see”.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has officially condemned the actions of Alex Ikwechegh, a member of the House of Representatives for Aba North and South Federal Constituency, following his alleged assault on an e-hailing driver.

The incident, which was captured in a viral video, shows Ikwechegh allegedly assaulting a Bolt driver who had come to deliver an item at his residence.

In a press statement released on Monday, APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, expressed the party’s disapproval of Ikwechegh’s behaviour, stating that it is “condemnable in all ramifications” and does not align with the party’s values and constitution.

The statement read, “The attention of our great party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, has been drawn to a viral video of alleged assault meted out to a citizen by the Honourable member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Alex Ikwechegh.

“As a political party founded on respect for Human Rights, we roundly condemn the action of our said member and Federal Parliamentarian, Alex Ikwechegh, representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, on the platform of our great Party.

“As a party, we are founded on the basic principles of upholding the dignity of all humans, irrespective of class, creed and/or ethnicity. The recent video allegedly showing Ikwechegh assaulting a cab driver is totally unacceptable and runs counter to what our Party – APGA – represents.

“In line with APGA’s constitution, the Leadership of the Party shall set up a disciplinary committee to investigate the act, and if found wanting, appropriate sanctions shall be meted on him in line with the Constitution of APGA.”

According to Opara, all members of APGA and all elected officials on the party’s platform are expected to exhibit the highest standards of decorum, civility and integrity in all public and private engagements.

“Our party shall not tolerate any verifiable conduct that is not in tandem with the ideals of our founding fathers. In APGA, we are our Brother’s and Sister’s keeper and it cannot be any other way,” the statement added.