On Thursday, August 8, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, announced to Nigerians that the Port Harcourt Refinery would become operational in four weeks’ time, perhaps to meet the government’s August deadline of producing petroleum products.

The association went further to say that the refinery would equally be supplying between 10 and 12 million litres of petrol to marketers.

The IPMAN’s National Operations Controller, Zarma Mustapha, who let the cat out of the bag in an interview on national television, said the refinery would boost the supply of petroleum products in the country to about 11 to 15 million liters daily, and help ensure energy availability across the board.

According to him, the refinery was set to operate independently and sell at the prevailing market price with little or no government interference.

“There is this understanding that the Port Harcourt Refinery is going to perform independently and sell at whatever prevailing market price for them to recover their cost.

“It is not going to be run like a government entity as it has been before. I believe that the refinery coming up will really boost the demand and supply of PMS to nothing less than 11 to 15 million litres daily.

“I am confident and optimistic that this August deadline is going to be a realistic deadline. It will come on stream and fully produce all the necessary components that the refinery is supposed to produce,” he said.

However, instead of receiving the news with enthusiasm, Nigerians were rather skeptical considering the fact that several of such promises had been made in the past without any of them coming to fruition.

A segment of the society described the development as a harvest of promises with unending deceptions.

Some are of the opinion that the latest promise which is about the fourth in the series could still go the way of the previous ones, even as others have volunteered to give the government the benefit of the doubt.

Recall that earlier, Nigerians were told that the refinery would start operations in December 2023.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, had sounded optimistic about the December 2023 deadline, but at the end of the day, nothing happened, and no apologies were offered.

On Thursday, March 13, 2024, Nigerians were again greeted with the news that the Port Harcourt Refinery would become operational in two weeks’ time.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, assured Nigerians that the rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery would commence operations in two weeks. He made the revelation at an interactive session with the Senate.

He assured Nigerians that the delivery date of the Port Harcourt and other refineries remained sacrosanct.

According to the NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, in a statement, Kyari said: “We will make sure that promises that we made about the rehabilitation of these refineries are kept. We completed the mechanical completion of PHRC in December.

“Now, we have crude oil already stocked in it. It is currently undergoing regulatory compliance tests before we re-stream it. I assure you that this refinery will start in next two weeks

“For the Warri Refinery, we have also done mechanical work on it. It is undergoing regulatory compliance processes that we are doing with our regulators. Kaduna will be ready by December this year, but we have not reached that stage. We believe that it will also be ready on schedule.”

Kyari noted that the Port Harcourt refinery had received 450,000 barrels of crude for processing since the mechanical completion of the plant in December last year.

He called for the cooperation of all stakeholders in the rehabilitation process, saying, “We are all serving this country dutifully and loyally. Nigerians must understand that gradually, we shall get this task done.”

The statement added that the Senate Ad-hoc Committee was expected to visit the three refineries in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt soon for an on-the-spot assessment of work progress.

The two week’s ultimatum ended in April and the refinery did not even produce a litre of petrol. Most Nigerians were not surprised as they never even believed the statement when it was released.

Again, on Monday, May 20, the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, promised Nigerians that the 210,000-barrel-per-day Port-Harcourt Refinery would finally commence operations by the end of July after several postponements.

He stated that the development would stimulate economic activities, reduce the price of petroleum products and ensure adequate supply.

Again, July came and ended without the Refinery working. Nigerians, again, did not give a whimper because they never took the statement seriously in the first instance.

So, the latest news that the PH Refinery would be operational in four weeks’ time did not receive cheers from Nigerians.

To many Nigerians, it has become a festival of promises. In fact, it has become a cliché to hear that the refinery, whether Port Harcourt, Warri or Kaduna, would work. Since 2015, when the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, wrested powers from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which held sway for 16 years, there have been promises of a turnaround maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery and others and their eventual operation, but none has ever come to fruition. It has all been deceptions couched in political statements to hoodwink the Nigerian masses.

So, when the IPMAN’s National Operations Controller, Mustapha announced on Thursday that the PH Refinery would begin operations in four weeks’ time, as an indication of the government’s preparedness to actually end fuel importation, not many were excited, as most people expressed skepticism, considering the past promises.

There are various views about the development. While some dismissed the news outright as mere political talks, others said even though such promises never produced any positive outcome in the past, they were prepared to give the government the benefit of the doubt this time round.

Those who believe that nothing would come out of it and that it was just mere political talks said it was akin to a political campaign promise where politicians promise that they would build bridges even where there is no river.

However, those who want to give the government the benefit of the doubt are of the view that even a liar would have a day when he would decide to be honest. To them, the government might have decided to turn a new leaf and do the right thing this time.

One of the proponents of those pushing that Nigerians should give the government the benefit of the doubt this time round is the president of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima.

He said although he would like to remain optimistic this time round, he cannot blame those who don’t believe the government’s promise considering the previous promises about the same refinery, which ended with no positive result

He told DAILY POST that: “The problem with the promise is just that we have a government that speaks from both sides of the mouth and previous promises have come and gone without fulfillment. So, even if this one is genuine, a lot of people will have a lot of doubts in their minds.

“But, I hope this will not be the same story because you cannot continue to say one thing today, and then tomorrow, you say another thing.

“Doing that will always put you on the defensive because you always want to say something, giving people hope without anything on ground to fulfill such promises.”

He advised the government to be honest and sincere with Nigerians, warning that deliberately lying to the people always would only provoke them to anger, which is not good for the society.

“The more you lie to the people about the refinery, the more you provoke people to anger. So, I am of the view that this time round, the government should try to live up to their promise.

“I am not part of those who don’t believe that things will work because I am always optimistic and I strongly believe that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. So, all they need to do is to re-programme themselves to be more sincere and honest to Nigerians,” he said.

He noted that the situation was so critical that the government just has to do everything possible to make sure that the refinery and other things work in the country.

He also advised that the leaders should not continue to give excuses because they knew exactly what the situation was before they went into office.

“We are in a critical period where people must have to understand that things are not okay and the government must also do something because they knew the problem before they took over the mantle of leadership.

“And to that extent, ours is to support them, and let them be honest to Nigerians, so that all of us will be able to survive this trying period,” he submitted.

But for a journalist and public affairs analyst, Nze Ezeocha, there is nothing cheery about the latest promise.

He noted that last year, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri told Nigerians that it would become operational before Christmas.

“Christmas passed and we reminded them about their promise and they gave Nigerians a fresh date, which also never came to reality.

“Now, we are being fed with another promise about the same refinery. This is the fourth time that the NNPCL and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are telling Nigerians that the PH Refinery would be operational in weeks. And at the end of the day, nothing would come out of it.

“So, as far as I am concerned, I think this latest promise will end up like the previous ones. We have seen the brickbat between the NNPCL and the Dangote Refinery.

“Dangote is still insisting that it has not got enough crude from the NNPCL. Nigerians would like to know the kind of agreement Dangote had with the NNPCL.

“Dangote also demanded that the NNPCL should be mandated to direct the IOCs to be selling their crude to him. Did he not make adequate arrangements on how he will be getting crude before setting up a refinery?

“So, the whole thing about this oil refining in Nigeria is shrouded in secrecy and deception and the earlier the government comes clean on that the better for everybody in this country,” he told DAILY POST.

The president of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Pogu Bitrus, equally agrees with Ezeocha.

He stated that nothing would come out of the promise. He believes that the Nigerian attitude has not changed, and would not want Nigerians to build any hope around the promise to avoid suffering unnecessary heart ache.

“We do propaganda with everything. We politicise everything. The President doesn’t have to tell us that the Port Harcourt Refinery is on course when it is not fully on course. Let this government start to do things differently.

“When things are not right, rather than getting political capital by telling lies to Nigerians, they should come out to tell Nigerians the true situation of things,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “There is no point in deceiving the populace. Let them tell the truth and they will better be appreciated, rather than thinking that by telling lies, they are playing politics. They are instead dishonouring themselves, and Nigerians will lose confidence in them very soon.”

Also speaking, a legal practitioner and public commentator, IK Onodi also did not believe that the refinery would become operational in two weeks time.

He said such promises had been made in the past and none came to fruition, and because of that he would not believe anybody until he has seen that the refinery has actually started refining.

According to him: “It is said that action speaks louder than words. We were told last year when the Dangote Refinery was commissioned that it would start producing by July last year.

“From July last year till now is about nine months, and no drop of crude oil has been refined by the Dangote Refinery.

“We have been told times without numbers that the Port Harcourt Refinery and other refineries would come on stream very soon.

“If I were the government, I will not announce anything until the refinery starts producing and when that happens, I will tell Nigerians that this is from the PH or Warri or Kaduna Refineries. I will not believe it until I see it.”

For an independent petroleum marketer, Chief Dipo Lanre, the refinery might not likely work in four weeks as promised.

He, however, noted that he would not totally dismiss it but expressed strong reservation about the feasibility of the promise considering the past promises which never yielded any positive result.

“I pray that this time, the promise will be fulfilled. It should not go the way of previous promises about the refinery.

“Remember that during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the same Port Harcourt Refinery was sold to Mike Otedola and Aliko Dangote, but the money was later returned to them.

“And since that money was returned to Otedola and Dangote, the refinery has not returned to operation; it has been promises upon promises. It has become a cancer to the Nigeria society.

“I am tired of the politics of that refinery. Politicians have used it to play politics since the Obasanjo era. What is a refinery anyway?

“What is the big deal in building a refinery? Since 1999 when the democratic governance returned, we could have built more than four refineries if we are serious.

“For almost 25 years, we have been playing politics with the refinery. Let it not be another round of deception this time,” he further told DAILY POST.

Sports Minister, John Enoh, Calls Nigeria’s 2024 Olympics Performance ‘Disaster’

Team Nigeria ended their participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, without securing any medals for the country.

The last remaining athlete representing Nigeria, Hannah Reuben, aimed to clinch a medal for the West African Country in the women’s freestyle wrestling 76kg category.

Unfortunately, she was defeated in her second-round fight, losing 5-2 (by points) to Mongolia’s Davaanasan Amar Enkh.

The disappointment came from Tobi Amusan’s inability to advance to the final of the women’s 100m hurdles.

Furthermore, Nigeria’s 4x400m men’s relay team faced disqualification following their semi-final race. This unfortunate outcome marked Nigeria’s poorest performance at the Olympics since the 2012 London Games.

Looking ahead, the next Olympics are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028 which means that the sports ministry in Nigeria has at most four years to prepare for another game.

Sports Minister, John Enoh, Calls Nigeria’s 2024 Olympics Performance ‘Disaster’

The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has expressed his disappointment with Team Nigeria’s performance at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In a statement posted on his X page earlier today, August 10, John Enoh emphasized that the failure to secure any medals reflects underlying issues that require immediate attention.

He highlighted the need for careful consideration in the upcoming sports federation elections to ensure that the most qualified individuals are elected to lead the various sports federations.

John Enoh wrote, “Yesterday, I met with gentlemen of the press at the Nigerian Embassy in Paris for a press briefing following the country’s participation in the 2024 Olympics. As we go back home, we must do everything to prevent future occurrences of the Paris disaster and if this will entail the review of how people are elected to lead our sporting federations, it will be done.

“The elections for the federations are around the corner, and it will be the perfect platform to get only those who are most eligible to lead the various sports federations.

“Team Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the country did not secure any medals does not entail being addressed just by our participation at the Olympics, but it is a product of very many other things that need immediate attention.”

Despite assertions that the ministry adequately supported the athletes both financially and otherwise, Senator Enoh underscored the importance of addressing systemic issues beyond just participation in the Olympics.

“We did everything as a ministry to prepare the athletes adequately and provide them with every financial support, but unfortunately, the performance did not produce any podium finish,” he said.

Looking ahead to the federation elections, he emphasized the need for rigorous scrutiny of the candidates to elevate the standards of leadership within Nigeria’s sports federations.

He wrote: “I am aware that the sports federations elections in Nigeria are even tougher than our national elections. We must set our standards to scrutinize what motivates those vying to run the federations and get only the best hands.

“This call for reform aims to enhance the leadership and effectiveness of Nigeria’s sports federations, paving the way for improved performance on the global stage.”

Top 20 countries of the 2024 Paris Olympics medals table

As of 2:50 p.m. (Nigerian Time), China are sitting at the top of the medals table with a total of 84 medals, which comprises 34 gold, 27 silver, and 23 bronze.

Even though the United States have more medals (113) than China, they are second because they have one gold less than the Asian giants.

Below are the top 20:

Format: Country, Gold, Silver, Bronze, total number of medals

1. China – 34 | 27 | 23 = 84

2. United States – 33 | 41 | 39 = 113

3. Australia – 18 | 16 | 14 = 48

4. Japan – 16 | 8 | 13 = 37

5. France – 15 | 20 | 22 = 57

6. Great Britain – 14 |20 | 23 = 57

7. Korea – 13 8 8 29

8. Netherlands – 13 6 11 30

9. Germany – 12 9 8 29

10. Italy – 11 12 13 36

11. Canada – 8 6 11 25

12. New Zealand – 7 7 2 16

13. Hungary – 5 7 6 18

14. Uzbekistan – 5 1 3 9

15. Spain – 4 3 8 15

16. Ireland – 4 0 3 7

17. Brazil – 3 6 9 18

18. Ukraine – 3 4 4 11

19. Sweden – 3 4 3 10

20. Romania – 3 4 1 8

Note that the 2024 Olympics will officially come to an end on Sunday, August 11.

Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, the Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State, has been reportedly arrested.

Ajayi, who is also a member of the Take It Back Movement, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Saturday in Akure during the ongoing one-milion-man protest against hunger and hardship.

The AAC candidate was, according to the organization, arrested alongside another activist, Patrick Owolabi.

The human rights advocacy organisation, Take It Back Movement, announced the arrest in a post on its official X handle, while demanding their immediate release.

The post reads, “It’s unfortunate that the @PoliceNG is yet to learn.

“The continued clampdown on peaceful #EndBadGovernceInNigeria protesters is a total shame.

“We condemn the unlawful arrest of Ajayi Wizeman & Patrick Owolabi in Ondo state and we demand their immediate and unconditional release!”

However, when contacted by DAILY POST, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odunlami Ibukun said, “I have not been briefed on that report”.

THE 10-day nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests that end today, known by the reduplicative compound “Zanga-Zanga” in Hausaphone northern Nigeria, have ruptured the coalition that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu managed to build with a portion of the northern Muslim political establishment since 2014, which put Muhammadu Buhari in power in 2015 and 2019 and him in 2023. 

But this Zanga-Zanga-inspired rupture also reveals the initial precarity and fragility of the strange-bedfellows coalition. Buhari and Tinubu were previously fierce political adversaries who distrusted each other’s motives and undermined each other. Their alliance was more accurately a political scaffold that papered over their contradictions for a temporary gain, which was the ouster of Goodluck Jonathan from power.

Tinubu’s associates and acolytes in the Southwest, who said they protected Buhari from revolt in their region even when he bungled governance with uncommon ineptitude, are understandably miffed at the rawness, fierce intensity, and undiluted anti-Tinubu fervor of the protests in northern Nigeria.

They are wondering why Buhari, his associates, and even the APC establishment in the North didn’t return the favor. The answers are obvious, but people in power are often blind to the obvious, especially if the obvious is disquieting. 

First, Buhari and his supporters know that the Tinubu group, which had a tight leash on the Southwest political space, didn’t protect Buhari from the consequences of his infernal incompetence out of any high-minded considerations. They did so because they needed power after Buhari’s term in office. It was unvarnished calculative opportunism. 

Since Buhari’s people have no expectation of any kind of requital from Tinubu, like Tinubu did from them, they felt no obligation to protect or explain away Tinubu’s own hard-hearted incompetence. The chase often stops after a conquest. Men who woo women can relate to this sentiment.

Second, the misery that Tinubu’s simultaneous policies of never-before-seen astronomical petrol price increase and devaluation of the naira unleashed on the country are felt more deeply in the North than in any part of the country because of the preexisting multidimensional poverty in the region and the pervading insecurity that makes farming almost impossible. 

Money is now both hard to find and worthless when it is found, and food is both hard to find and unaffordable when it is found. That is an unprecedentedly profound, not to mention unsurvivable, existential torment.

Two days after the #EndBadGovernance protests started, I told someone that many people in the North have been rendered so desolate, so destitute, and so despondent by the economic crunch that they are looking to cash in on the protests to commit suicide by police bullets because Islam forbids suicide.

Islam teaches that committing suicide guarantees an unfettered passage to the hottest depths of hellfire in the hereafter. I said many people who couldn’t survive the pain and humiliation of perpetual hunger might tempt security forces to shoot them so they could end it all and not fear that they would provoke the wrath of their Creator for committing suicide.

Of course, this is twisted thinking because a famous hadith, which every Muslim who took Islamic Studies in secondary school knows, says “Actions shall be judged according to intention.”

Well, my predictions turned out to be accurate. A friend shared a video of scores of protesters in a northern city chanting, “da yunwa ta kashe mu, da ma bullet yakashe mu” (rough translation: “Instead of dying of hunger, we would rather be killed by a bullet”) as they confronted gun-wielding military and police officers.

There is also the viral video of protesters bursting into the Zamfara State Government House in Gusau and defying, even daring, menacing, gun-toting soldiers who tried to stop them. Several such scenes have been replicated throughout the North.

The mistake the government is making is to dismiss the protests as entirely politically motivated. They are not. Even if they wanted, Buhari and his associates couldn’t stop the protests both because the shelf life of Buhari’s “magic” has expired (his own house was besieged in Daura, and he had been pelted with stones while he was in power in cities like Kano and Maiduguri where he had been idolized) and because the extent of anguish people are going through now is unappeasable.

Apart from the usual criminals of opportunity (who exploit every unrest to steal and destroy), the vast majority of protesters think their only hope of living is to risk death and push back at policies that kill them slowly but surely. You can’t persuade people who have nothing to lose by dying.

That was why American author Dan Groat pointed out in his 2014 book titled In Monarchs and Mendicants, “Not interested in scarin’ anybody, but people with good sense are afraid of a man with nothin’ to lose.” Lance Conrad echoed this in his book The Price of Nobility when he said, “Only a fool would underestimate a man with nothing to lose.”

People who weren’t exempt from the rage of protesters can’t stop protesters from protesting.

The self-inflicted attenuation of Tinubu’s political capital in the North plays into the old debate in the Southwest about the best coalitional strategy to attain and retain power for the Yoruba.

The Chief Obafemi Awolowo strategy, which Afenifere still believes in, sees the Muslim North as a competitor and not an ally. The Awo strategy for getting power is to build an alliance between the entire South and Northern Christians.

But the Chief Ladoke Akintola template sees the Muslim North as a strategic partner in light of the deep historical and cultural ties that bind Yoruba people and several linguistic, ethnic and cultural groups in the Muslim North, such as Borgu, Nupe, Igala, and Hausa people. (Read my October 9, 2021, column titled “Arewa and Oduduwa More Alike than Unlike.”) This is hardly surprising because even though Akintola was a Christian, he was from Ogbomoso whose traditional ruler traces ancestral roots to Borgu.

Chief MKO Abiola—and now President Tinubu—subscribe to the Akintola template. Abiola was briefly vindicated when he won the June 12, 1993, presidential election with enormous support from the North, including Kano, his opponent’s home state.

But the revocation of his epochal electoral triumph by a Northern military head of state—and the decidedly ethnic and regional character the fight for and the opposition to his mandate later took—appeared to justify the distrust of the Muslim North by the Awo group, which nonetheless gave full-throated support to Abiola to reclaim his mandate.

Tinubu, undeterred by Abiola’s experience, reinvented the Akintola template. It’s as if he wanted to prove that he could tread the same path and get to the destination that Abiola couldn’t get to. That must be why he called his presidential bid “Renewed Hope.” Abiola’s was “Hope.” Like Abiola, he chose a Muslim running mate. And, like Abiola, his running mate is a Kanuri man from Borno.

With the Muslim North now souring on him only one year into his first term and the unlikelihood of his ever recovering whatever goodwill he had from the region if he continues with his economic policies that push people to the brink of the existential precipice, the Awo/Afenifere group may be having the last laugh.

So, what should he do? The best option is to discard the IMF/World Bank neoliberal policies he’s enamored with (which have never worked anywhere in the world) and embrace Awolowo’s welfarist capitalist template of governance that puts the development and wellbeing of people at the center of policies. That may restore his goodwill with the North—and even earn him more support elsewhere.

The other options are non-starters, but I’ll mention them anyway. Like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who won his first term with the support of the Muslim North, but who later used the Awo/Afenifere template to get a second term, Tinubu can court the Christian North and galvanize the South. Goodluck Jonathan used this template in 2011 and won.

The problem is that if Peter Obi runs in 2027, and I don’t see any reason why he won’t, Tinubu won’t be able to galvanize the South into a unified voting bloc. And, although the worst fears of his Muslim-Muslim ticket among Christians hasn’t materialized, northern Christians are unlikely to embrace him wholeheartedly, however hard he tries to woo them.

In other words, Tinubu is cooked, as Gen Zs say. Anything short of bringing down the cost of petrol, restoring the value of the naira, making everyday things affordable will doom Tinubu’s first term and deny him a second term because he is now effectively a political orphan.

The newly-appointed Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has promised to serve the interest of Nigerians as captured in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Walson-Jack gave the assurance on Friday, after private talks with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“I see it as a divine assignment, and I had the opportunity to assure Mr. President that, by the grace of God, I will not disappoint him,’ she said.

The new HoS, who was led to the Villa by her predecessor, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, also said she will “work together not only with the permanent secretaries but also with the directors and the entire civil service to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

On her part, Yemi-Esan described the handover process as “seamless,” adding that the new civil service chief was “capable” of performing the task before her.

“The President has made the handing over seamless, which is very well appreciated. The incoming Head of Service has had some weeks with me learning the ropes and I am sure by now, she is ready to go and we thank Mr President for this.

“We also had a good time chatting with Mr President, sharing his vision for the country and especially for the civil service with the incoming Head of Service, and that should prepare her and should make her hit the ground running so that she can achieve all that Mr President has discussed with us.

“The newly appointed Head of Service is capable, very intelligent, hardworking, professional and empathic. I have no doubt that she will do the job very well,” said Yemi-Esan.

On July 17, Tinubu approved the appointment of Walson-Jack as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with effect from August 14, 2024.

Her appointment was announced in a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new head of civil service of the federation.’

She succeeds Yemi-Esan who retires from service on August 13, 2024.

Walson-Jack was appointed Federal Permanent Secretary in 2017 and has served in several Ministries.

Tinubu thanked the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship and tasked the incoming Head of Service to “discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation.”

Former Nigeria President, Olusegun Obasanjo, says the attributes and characters needed to build a nation are lacking in many Nigerian leaders.

He stated that many Nigerian politicians and leaders are not fit to occupy public positions and should be languishing in prison or sent to the gallows.

Obasanjo shared this view while addressing six lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Friday.

He expressed discontent at the current state of the country, saying the country would not move forward until leaders changed their mentality.

Obasanjo asserted that in choosing good leaders, characters must be considered and questioned.

“Our main problem is ourselves and until we take care of ourselves, we may have one term of four years, one term of six years, one term of seven years, if it’s the same people and same mentality and way we do things, then it won’t change”

Obasanjo, who argued that the nation needs to rethink democracy and its style of governance, said priority needs to be given to the kind of leaders we select and their track records.

“Yes system, yes democracy, we have to rethink democracy, we have to rethink the form of government, but what is the character of the people in government?

“With all due respect, most of them should be behind bars, some should even be in the gallows and that is the truth.

“Now if these are the people that are ruling us, then what do you expect? So, the point is the character of the people that are coming to the government. Their attributes, the sort of people they truly are.

“We need to really think about how we select leaders, what should be the character of a leader we select? What should be their track record ?

“Where should we find them? Are they role models? And I think those are the first things we have to think about,” he stated.

The lawmakers’ entourage included Abdulmalik Danga from Kogi, Dr Usman Midala from Borno, Matthew Nwogu from Imo, Peter Aniekwe from Anambra, Kama Nkemkanma from Ebonyi and Ugochinyere Ikenga from Imo

The EndBadGovernance protesters have commenced a one-milion-man protest in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja.

DAILY POST reports that the protest against high cost of living which began on August 1 is expected to end today, August 10.

The organizers had vowed to stage a one-milion-man protest in the 36 states and the nation’s capital to mark the grand finale of the hunder protest.

The protesters, who stormed the street early hours of Saturday morning, were seen carrying different placards and chanting “we are hungry”.

A chieftain of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, has charged President Bola Tinubu to disclose the true state of fuel subsidy to Nigerians.

George said Tinubu should tell Nigerians if his administration still pays subsidy on fuel through the back-doors.

Speaking on Arise Television, the former PDP deputy national chairman, knocked Tinubu’s administration for lack of transparency.

There have been reports that the Tinubu government secretly returned the fuel subsidy regime.

Former governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda accused the Federal Government of paying more for fuel subsidy than before.

Amid this claim, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun disclosed that Nigeria currently spends $600m on fuel importation monthly.

Reacting, George said: “I’m so miffed about the goings on about this particular industry. On one side you hear the subsidy is still there, on another side you hear that there is no subsidy, who is telling the truth?

“Let us know the truth for God’s sake, it is our fundamental right and if the people know what the truth is, they will support you to succeed.

“The NNPCL is owned by the Federal government which means it is owned by all Nigerians, we want to know what exactly is going on there.

“I’m not in that field of operation, but I’m educated enough to listen to A and listen to B and then conclude in mind if there is need to support the operations or the policies of the government we will and if there are shortfalls in what they are telling us, we will say.”

Nigeria winger, Samuel Chukwueze has revealed the reason behind his decision to snub a move to Saudi Arabia last summer.

Chukwueze was approached by a number of clubs in the Asian country after the end of the 2022/23 season.

The 25-year-old however decided against accepting the tempting offer despite plea fron his manager.

Instead, the talented winger joined Serie A giants, AC Milan ending his five-year stay with LaLiga club, Villarreal.

“If money were a problem, I would have signed in Saudi Arabia. They wanted me a year ago,” the 25-year-old was quoted by Football Italia.

” My mind was set only on Milan. My agent told me, ‘Hey, look, there’s this money…’ But I said no: ‘I don’t want to go anywhere else.’

“So he gave up. If that money comes, it comes. The most important thing now is to believe in myself; I’m still young, I want to make it, I need to stay in Europe.”

Chukwueze scored once in 24 league appearances for AC Milan last season.

• Massive cops deployment in flashpoints, protest venues nationwide
• Organisers tackle FG on rights violations, demand release of demonstrators

Hundreds of policemen and security operatives have been deployed in major cities across the country as organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest prepare for a one million-man march today, Saturday PUNCH has learned.

The protest, scheduled to last for 10 days and expected to climax today, has been marred by killings and attacks on protesters and journalists.

The nationwide protesters are demanding a reversal of the fuel subsidy removal, an increase in the minimum wage to N250,000, and an end to bad governance, among other issues.

Although the protest appeared to have lost steam in some parts of the country, momentum was sustained in states like Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, and Bauchi.

The organising groups threatened to lock down the entire country today (Saturday) to press home their demands, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday speech was not convincing.

Tinubu had, in a televised statewide broadcast, begged the protesters to end the rallies, asking for patience to fix the country’s problems.

However, the protesters, speaking to Saturday PUNCH, noted that they were mobilising the one-million-man march to climax the 10-day rally.

In a statement on Friday, the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, Sanyaolu Juwon, said the August 10 protest would represent a pivotal moment in the nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign.

He said, “The Take It Back Movement, along with other organisers and organisations, will lead a one-million-man protest in each of the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on August 10.

“This event will mark a critical juncture in our nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign, which began on August 1, 2024.

“It started as a planned 10-day protest but has evolved into a sustained and widespread movement, drawing participants from every corner of Nigeria and the Diaspora.”

Juwon also demanded the release of the protesters and organisers arrested by security agents.

He said, “On the troubling matter of unlawful arrests, we unequivocally condemn the detention of Michael Adaramoye (Lenin), Babatunde Oluajo, and others who were arrested on August 5, and on previous and subsequent days. Their continued imprisonment by the DSS and the police is a gross violation of their rights. We demand their immediate release and call for an end to these unjust detentions.”

Increased surveillance

One of our correspondents, who toured the Business Central District area in the FCT, observed an increased presence of security agencies, who mounted roadblocks, slowing down vehicular movement.

In addition, our correspondent observed that the number of security operatives at Eagles Square had increased.

Speaking with our correspondent on the arrangement by security agents on Friday, Juwon said the increased presence of security agents and the recent clampdown on protesters would not affect the turnout on Saturday.

He said, “It’s a nationwide one-million-man march. Aside from the fact that we are not prophets, Nigerians have also shown resilience in the face of violent state repression. So, I’d say, let’s meet at the barricades.”

Hundreds of policemen in Lagos

In Lagos, policemen were stationed around major bus stops, including Ojota, Ketu, Obalende, Berger, and other locations where it is believed the protest would take place.

Scores of policemen, led by Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade, accompanied the protesters during a candlelight procession organised to mourn demonstrators who died during the rallies nationwide.

Our correspondent also saw soldiers from Operation Mesa, personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other security agencies on the scene.

This is as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee called on President Tinubu to compensate families of slain protesters.

The group claimed that more than 40 people lost their lives during the protest.

Recall that the committee, based at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos, had declared three days of mourning for those killed nationwide during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.

In mourning the deceased protesters, the group held a symposium at the Rights House, Adeniyi Jones area, and a candlelight procession to the ShopRite area in Ikeja, amid heavy security presence.

Addressing the protesters, a member of the committee and National Spokesperson of the Youth Rights Campaign, Mr Hassan Taiwo, called on President Tinubu to compensate the families of the deceased protesters.

He also demanded the dismissal of the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

“We are here in mourning and to honour all the protesters who lost their lives while protesting against the hardship. We blame Tinubu for what has happened and we are calling for the immediate sacking of the Inspector General of Police,” he asserted.

Also, another activist, Akinola Foluso, stated that protest is a fundamental human right and as such, the people must not be intimidated for exercising it.

Earlier, some police officers deployed by the Lagos State Police Command stopped protesters from carrying out a candlelight procession to the Alausa area, as against their initial plan.

Tension in Kano

In Kano, men of the Nigeria Police Force, soldiers and NSCDC officials, take over several roads in preparation for the one-million-man march.

Saturday PUNCH, while monitoring the situation, observed several stern-looking security personnel patrolling some major streets in the commercial city, mostly from the ever-busy Ibrahim Taiwo Road to both BUK new sites.

Besides patrolling popular streets, there was also a huge security presence on France Road, a strategic artery in the Sabon Gari area of the metropolitan city, linking the popular Abubakar Rimi/Singer market.

Following the hunger protest, which degenerated into violence and looting, traders at the Singer/Abubakar Rimi Market, engaged additional services to prevent the place from being looted by angry protesters.

As of the time of filing this report, there were reports of intermittent clashes between law enforcement agents and some protesters who insisted that they would begin the march from Friday.

As the protest raged, the spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, told Saturday PUNCH that his life was being threatened for daring to arrest 322 protesters, who looted shops and the warehouse of the National Identity Management Agency.

Police take over Rivers roads, parks

In Rivers, there was an increased presence of policemen at the Federal Secretariat and the Pleasure Park along Aba Road in Port Harcourt ahead of the one-million-man march.

However, the protesters did not gather on Friday at the two venues, which are the usual meeting points.

As our correspondent observed the area on Friday, scores of armed policemen were seen patrolling the area in their vans.

Saturday PUNCH gathered from several sources in the area that there would be a final showdown at the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the Government House, Pleasure Park, and major areas like Elelewon, Oyigbo, Rumuokoro, Choba, among others.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the development, adding that law-abiding citizens should go about their lawful business.

Iringe-Koko explained that although the deployment had been ongoing, the addition followed credible intelligence that some miscreants were planning to loot and disturb the peace of the state.

She said, “You know before this time we had restricted the protest to the Pleasure Park and Isaac Boro Park. But we got credible intelligence that some individuals are planning a one-million-man march tomorrow. And that some of them are planning to loot and cause security breaches.

“We are saying all genuine protesters should continue to use the two designated places. We will not allow anyone or group to try to loot, steal, or cause any security breach in the name of protest.”

But the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, told Saturday PUNCH that the police were not aware of the one-million-man march.

He said, “We are not aware of any one-million-man march. As we have seen the infiltration of criminally minded elements who have hijacked the protest, if we truly have the interest of the citizens at heart, we should avoid unnecessary gatherings.”

Also speaking, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Buba Edward, said the military would be involved at the invitation of the police. He stated, “The military only gets involved at the invitation of the police. We will remain on standby until invited by the police.”

Group demands release of protesters

Meanwhile, a coalition of 20 civil society organisations has called on security agencies to release all protesters detained since the #EndBadGovernance protest began. At a press conference on Friday in Abuja, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, who also serves as the group’s coordinator, Peter Ameh, alleged that security forces had been secretly arresting protest leaders from different parts of the country.

He disclosed that many individuals connected to the protest were detained by security agents. Ameh expressed concern that the current administration had militarised the civil space because citizens demanded necessities, including an end to hunger, a reduction in the cost of living, and a decrease in wasteful government spending.

He stated, “The 1999 Constitution, as amended, protects our inalienable rights, including the right to protest. According to the constitution, one should not be held without being charged in court for more than 48 hours. Yet, people like Alhaji Khand Aminu remain in detention without charges, languishing in SSS custody in Kaduna.”

“This is unacceptable! Nigeria may be a lawless place, but our fundamental rights will not be taken away from us. We demand that all those detained in connection to the ongoing protest be released with immediate effect; otherwise, President Tinubu should be ready to arrest all of us.”

Opposition urges Tinubu to reevaluate policies

Opposition political parties in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Political Science Association, urged President Bola Tinubu to reevaluate his policies to address the demands of the protesters.

The CUPP National spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, lamented that the presidency mismanaged the #EndBadGovernance and hunger protests due to a lack of proactive ideas and necessary actions to forestall the accompanying carnage.

Adebayo, in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, noted that a truly concerned, patriotic, and competent president would have immediately sprung into action by first addressing the nation.

He stated, “The lives that were lost were a needless tragedy; the property destroyed was avoidable, and the huge economic losses were preventable. But we have a president who is too far removed from the realities of his people’s suffering to care.

“His address after the bloodshed and losses was nondescript, ineffectual, uninspiring, demeaning, and hope-crushing. President Tinubu was prepared to be president but never prepared to govern.”

The NYCN President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe, pointed out that the challenges faced by Nigerians did not originate with the current administration, but there was an expectation for President Tinubu to tackle the issues. Sara-Igbe urged protesters to prioritize the country’s stability and peace, advocating for a move towards dialogue.

The NPSA President, Professor Hassan Saliu, observed that the external factors involved in the protest indicated that the situation was escalating. In an interview with one of our correspondents, Saliu emphasized the need for a careful approach, noting that while the beginning of a conflict could be known, its outcome remained uncertain.

Opposition parties condemn use of live ammunition

Opposition parties in the country have openly denounced the continued use of lethal force to intimidate and disperse civilians during peaceful demonstrations.

The opposition vented their anger and frustrations in separate interviews with our correspondent.

Their fear comes on the heels of the recent killing of a 16-year-old protester in the Samaru community, Zaria, Kaduna State. The teenager was identified as Ismail Mohammed.

The incident occurred when troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call to help disperse some hoodlums who were burning tyres and attacking security personnel in Samaru.

The mob had attempted to attack the troops, an action that led the soldiers to fire a warning shot to scare the hoodlums away. However, the bullet hit Mohammed, leading to his death. No fewer than 17 persons have so far been reported dead in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa during the #EndBadGovernance protest, which was held across the country.

The rally began peacefully but took a violent turn in some cities, leading to violent confrontations between the police and the protesters.

In Abuja, the demonstration also claimed a victim who was shot dead along the Kubwa expressway. Reacting to the high number of casualties recorded at the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, raised the alarm that the country is gradually sliding into dictatorship.

Abdullahi insisted that the bloodletting and intimidation of peaceful protesters could have been averted had Nigerians heeded their warning against voting in the current administration.

He said, “We have been warning that these people, in their desperation to ensure they gag Nigerians through silencing of the voices of dissent and deployment of the instrument of coercion against citizens innocently protesting, are sliding into raw dictatorship.”

Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman of Labour Party presidential flag bearer Peter Obi, shared the same sentiment. Tanko further vented his anger over the killing of the Kaduna teenager, saying he was a familiar face in Samaru.

“That teenager was shot right here in my area, Samaru community. I was there. It was not as if it happened in my presence but I was a distance away from the house where it occurred,” Tanko said.

Operatives may deploy arms if lives are threatened – APC

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress has called for restraint. In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, disclosed that while the introduction of live ammunition at protest grounds is condemnable, life-threatening circumstances might warrant the operatives to introduce them at some points.

He said, “That is wrong. In a peaceful demonstration, the use of lethal force is not allowed. However, the word ‘peaceful’ must be respected. If the protest turns violent and security agents are being attacked, they have a right to protect themselves. The operatives have the right to use reasonable and reciprocal force.

“For instance, if someone attacks you with an AK-47, you can use arms that are equivalent in force to save yourself and others. If the protest is peaceful, lethal weapons have no place. But when they become life-threatening, the narratives will change.”

Hundreds of protesters still in detention – Adeyanju

Meanwhile, lawyer and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has disclosed that hundreds of the scheduled #EndBadGovernance protesters are still being detained across the country by the Nigeria Police Force.

Adeyanju, who serves as legal adviser to the protesters, also added that the police had charged some of the protesters in court but said the legal team was yet to receive the charge sheet since the detained protesters were being charged all over the country, stating that efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the protesters.

Protest over, citizens have embraced dialogue – Lagos

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has dismissed insinuations that the #EndBadGovernance protest would erupt on Saturday (today). The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, stated this during a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.

He pointed out that the Governance Advisory Council had visited Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday and lauded what they called “mature leadership” which has prevented the state from descending into chaos during the protest.

He said, “The protest in Lagos has been peaceful so far, and it is over in Lagos. Lagosians have embraced peace and dialogue, and the governor has opened up engagement channels for protesters to dialogue.”

“The state has provided phone numbers through the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, and the Office of Civic Engagement. We have been receiving calls from citizens and there has been fruitful dialogue, so there is no more protest in Lagos.

“Today, the GAC, led by their chairman, Tajudeen Olusi, paid a solidarity visit to Mr. Governor at the State House and commended the way our governor handled the recent expression of grievances through the protests. He has demonstrated mature leadership. The good people of the state have chosen peace.”