Clearing agents at Nigerian Ports have decried the ongoing strike by workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress representing NAFDAC employees, declared an indefinite strike due to unresolved promotion controversies and welfare concerns.

Speaking on the implications of the strike in an interview with PUNCH Online on Sunday, one of the affected clearing agents, Olatoye Otubade, stated that it had disrupted operations across the sector, particularly for those handling shipments of regulated items such as drugs, cosmetics, and chemicals.

He said, “Yes, it has significantly affected most of the clearing groups. There are certain procedures that specific items need to go through with NAFDAC. They are a crucial part of the maritime and clearing logistics sector in this economy.”

Otubade further noted that inspections and examinations must be completed before clearance for goods under NAFDAC’s purview.

He asserted that due to the strike, inspection processes have been halted, leaving many containers stranded at terminals and accumulating charges.

“Containers sitting at the terminal are incurring charges—daily shipping costs, terminal fees, and other expenses. It’s frustrating because these charges continue to accrue, and no one is waiving them, even though the delays are beyond our control. This, in turn, affects manufacturers and the overall economy. The situation is really putting pressure on us,” he added.

Another agent, who gave his name as Seun, said, “Come to the ports. Their offices are all locked, so we cannot carry out any operations. Right now, we are not able to do anything. They should please resolve their issues; the strike is a huge loss for us.”

In a chat with our correspondent, NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, said efforts are ongoing to meet the striking workers’ demands.

He said, “The matter has been taken up at the ministerial level. Their demands have been transferred to the Head of Service. It is not that we are not doing anything. The union should take the agents and Nigerians into consideration. They should know that their absence on duty could allow contraband products to be smuggled into the country. They should be magnanimous in their demands.”

Akintola also noted that there must be a reason for the DG not meeting the union’s executives physically.

The Nigerian Army on Sunday refuted reports circulating that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has passed away.

Several reports, originating from a social media post by a Nigerian journalist, announced the death of the Army chief, which quickly went viral.

The journalist claimed that Lagbaja had died of cancer 48 hours earlier.

The post read: “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has died. Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48 hours ago from stage three cancer, according to a senior government official.

“The death of the Chief of Army Staff has been kept secret due to intense lobbying by some generals who wish to take the position.

“Lagbaja, born on 28 February 1968 in Ilobu, Osun State, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023 as the 27th Chief of Army Staff.”

In response to the post on X, the Nigerian Army labelled it as fake news.

However, sources at the Army Headquarters confirmed to our correspondent that the Army Chief was critically ill.

One source stated, “The COAS is not dead. He is only critically ill at the moment. We should be praying for him at this critical time and not spreading rumours of his death.”

Another source said that he had travelled abroad for medical treatment.

“He is out of the country for treatment. I have not heard of his death from anyone close to him. There is no way such information could be hidden.

The phone number of the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu was switched off, and he had yet to respond to a message sent to him regarding the matter.

The Federal Government and Organised Labour have kept mute on the outcome of their meeting held earlier yesterday.

Though sources said the meeting was centered on the recent increases in petrol price and its socio-economic effects on Nigerian masses, and the minimum wage, among others, none of the parties was ready to divulge the outcomes of the meetings.

However, leaders of organised labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, are currently holding a joint National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at Labour House, Abuja.

It was reliably gathered that the meeting was to look into the fallout of the one held at the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SGF’s office, which centered primarily on the fuel price hike, minimum wage and consequential adjustment, the Compress Natural Gas, CNG, vehicles, and the fueling point, among others

It would be recalled that among governments representatives at the meeting held at the office of the SGF, were Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, NSA; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Labour Minister; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Others were Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Information Minister; Heineken Lokpobiri, Petroleum Minister, State; Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Limited.

Present at the joint Organised Labour meeting are the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero; Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani; General Secretary, Comrade Emma Ugboaja; Deputy President of the TUC, Dr. Tommy Etim Okon; Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and the President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, who is also a deputy President of NLC.

Also present are Benjamin Anthony, Vice President of NLC, and Comrade Deborah Yusuf, Deputy Women leader of NLC.

As at the time of filing this report, the meeting was ongoing.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has said that the increase in Nigeria’s revenue recorded in the 2024 fiscal year is being strategically allocated to various social intervention programmes aimed at improving the living standards of citizens and addressing pressing societal needs.

The minister said the social investment programme is targeted to impact 60 per cent of the poorest, reaching 20 million persons.

He also revealed a comprehensive proposed agenda for economic reform, which aims to reduce inflation, create jobs, and stimulate growth in key sectors of the economy.

At his October 1, 2024 address, President Bola Tinubu announced that the governments revenue for the first half of 2024 (January to June) stood at over N9.1tnmore than double the N4.06tn generated in the same period in 2023.

Speaking at a panel session titled Fiscal Reforms for a More Secure Future during the 30th Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja on Tuesday, Edun said the increased revenue is primarily being used to finance social programmes aimed at mitigating the impact of essential but challenging reforms that have affected the cost of living.

He said, In terms of revenue, the number one place to look was inwards, domestic resource mobilisation. That’s where the government started. By the first half of this year, revenue had doubled.

Aggregate government revenue was more than doubled. And that was achieved by applying technology very robustly.

We have applied technology in a way that essentially reforms the civil service. Rather than waiting for compliance from government ministries, departments and agencies and government companies, we looked at what the rules and regulations were, how much a company was allowed to spend on its revenue, and then how much of its surplus it had to provide to government.

The social investment programme is spearheaded by direct transfers to reach 60 per cent poorest in the population. And right now, 20 million households are being supported directly. And its going to rise to, well, 20 million people, four million households so far, and it will rise to 15 million households who will be paid directly by the government.

That is how President Tinubu’s government is spending the money which is being yielded from better oil production.

Edun also emphasised the governments focus on agriculture, manufacturing, oil, and housing as vital drivers of Nigeria’s economy.

We are looking to food production to help bring down inflation, he explained.

We aim to make food more available, affordable, and to reduce the cost of living for Nigerians.

More than 140 people, including children, were killed and dozens were injured in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames while they were trying to scoop up fuel pouring from the vehicle, emergency services said yesterday.

The accident occurred at midnight in Jigawa state’s Majiya town when the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle while traveling on a highway, police spokesperson, Lawan Adam said. Residents rushed to the scene and were scooping up fuel, sparking a massive inferno, he said.

“Close to 140 people were put in a mass grave apart from people buried in other places,” Nura Abdullahi, head of the National Emergency Management Agency in the region, told The

Residents of Majiya were in mourning yesterday as they held a mass burial for the victims. Most of the bodies were unrecognizable, emergency services said.

Deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where traffic regulations are not strictly enforced in many places and there is a lack of an efficient railway system to transport cargo.

It is also common for people to salvage fuel with cups and buckets to take home after such accidents. The practice has become more common because of soaring fuel prices, which have tripled since the start of last year as the government ended costly gas subsidies.

The driver involved in the accident had traveled about 110 kilometers (68 miles) from neighbouring Kano state, police said.

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency initially put the death toll at 105, including those who died while being treated at hospitals.

Most other victims were burned to ashes at the scene of the accident, said Dr. Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa emergency services.

If they knew (about the danger), they wouldn’t have gone to fetch (the fuel),” Mairiga said.

He said emergency services arrived at the scene several hours after the accident.

Resident Sani Umar said that the fire “spread so quickly that many couldn’t escape.

“People were running in all directions, screaming for help,” Umar said.

This is a heartbreaking moment for us all, said state police Commissioner Ahmadu Abdullahi.

Funmilayo Omishope, managing director, Home Street Kids initiative (HSKi), a Non-Governmental Organisation in Ilorin, Kwara State, has expressed concern about the increasing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing it as worrisome.

Omishope, who quoted the United Nations of Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), of 18.3 million out-of-school statistics, called for proactive measures to arrest the situation.

She spoke at a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of HSKi, a project initiated by her to touch the lives of street children positively.

In her presentation titled, Who will save our children, she said, When it comes to statistics in Nigeria, it used to be 10.5 million out-of-school children but UNESCO 2024 figure now quotes 18.3 million and that could be as result of Covid-19 and economic downturn because the majority of the children going to school then are now on the street begging, scavenging, stealing, and the rest.

She said: Every street child has potential; I have passion for them to be a better version and that brought about the idea of this programme. I am appealing to individuals, corporate bodies, and the government to assist the children and give them a better life.Government should do the needful because until every street child is safe, no child is safe because they are growing with our children and the more they see our children living the life they wish to live there is anger in them and when you believe society doesnt want you; you can do and undo.

I understand the government is trying its best to give free education but what about shelter and other necessities? So, the government should provide incentives for the mothers of those children.They need to empower the poor women. When a mother is been empowered, an average of five children will be off the street. So, if government can assist the women, the problems of hunger will be addressed.

I urge the government to provide incentives to less the privileged. Women should be empowered in an ideal way; if they are empowered; 50 percent of the problems would be resolved and the rates will also be reduced.

Omishope revealed that HSKi has touched the lives of 2,500 street children positively since it was established in October 2014, adding that the children are enrolled in the best private schools in Ilorin.She expressed hope to replicate the gesture in other parts of the country. We are planning to increase the number of children and expand our branches in three locations in Ilorin and as well have our branches in other states. I see a future where these children will finish primary, secondary, and will graduate from university.

I hope to empower and train others to join the initiative by assisting the needy to further reduce the rate of out-of-school children in our society.

The Nigerian Senate has described as fake news, reports on Social media that the National Assembly was invaded yesterday by Operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) to stop the impeachment of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other presiding officers.

The rumour fingered some aggrieved Northern Senators allegedly dissatisfied with President, Bola Tinubu, as masterminds of the plan to remove Akpabio from office.

Decrying the fake news, Akpabio, who presided over yesterdays plenary session of the Red Chamber urged Nigerians to ignore the rumour, which he said is aimed to drive traffic on social media.

He said, It has just been brought to my attention by one of us that there is fake news trending on social media that the DSS has surrounded the national assembly with the possible impeachment of principal officers. There is no limit to social media. We are here sitting down and doing our work very peacefully oblivious of the mischief that is going on behind us.

This is what we pass through daily. Its either they use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inject something to turn it around to drive traffic. I understand that they are being paid by YouTube.

But I hope the public is aware that this is fake news and that the chamber is very stable and the issue of impeachment does not come in.

Meanwhile, the Senate President has directed an immediate investigation into the rumour. He referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Special Duties chaired by Shehu Kaka, to report back its findings within 24 hours.

Sen. Kaka, investigate and report back to us as soon as practicable, he directed.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied arresting a presenter, while on air, or disrupting lawful activities at Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu on Monday.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesman, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Oyewale, contrary to the claim of the radio station, the operatives of the anti-graft agency did not tamper with the equipment of the radio station.

He said that the operatives of the commission comprising four officers had on Monday went to Urban Radio 94.5FM, Enugu to invite one Favour Ekoh, host of Prime Time, a programme running at the station.

Ekoh is being investigated by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC in an alleged N700 million Ponzi scheme fraud involving 50 victims.

According to the victims, he allegedly lured them into investing in a scheme Life Trading in a company, Leverage Index Limited.

They were offered returns on investment of 10 per cent of their capitals after a period of time.

They alleged that after investing their money into the company located at No. 1, Colliery Street, Okpara Avenue, Enugu, the company closed its office with no return on investment or principal returned to them.

Ekoh remained the only link the victims could hold, he said.

He said that operatives of the commission, who approached the radio station, holding a warrant of arrest for Ekoh, identified themselves.

He said that instead of allowing them to carry out their assignment, they were held hostage by the station.

Faced with such hostility, they called for a rescue team, which eventually arrested the Station Manager, Mr Bamikole Owoyomi, Ekoh and the two security guards that locked them within the premises of the station.

Ekoh was neither arrested while on air nor any disruption of the lawful activities of the Radio Station took place.

No equipment of the station was tampered with and she and others have since been released after being allowed to make statements at the EFCC Office in Enugu, he said.

According to him, the EFCC holds the media in high esteem as the fourth estate of the realm.

They are critical stakeholder in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

The members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Other Associated Institutions have threatened to resume their suspended strike over four withheld salaries by the Federal Government.

The General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, gave this hint on the sidelines of the ongoing National Executive Council meeting of the union in Abuja.

Although he declined to give the exact date of the strikes commencement, it is expected that the NEC members will take the decision during their meeting.

According to Adeyemi, members patience has been exhausted, and he declared, We are going to resume the suspended strike.

When speaking with journalists at the NEC meeting venue about the two months salaries that President Bola Tinubu directed to be paid out of the four months withheld salaries, the General Secretary said, What is new is that the Presidents directive has been disobeyed. We used to know that the presidents words can be equated to a command. So, when the President said to do this, his aides quickly dealt with it. But in this case, it seems as if the Minister of Finance has his priorities beyond what he ought to have done.

Adeyemi added, The money has not been paid. Now it is obvious that we are going to resume our suspended strike. We have given the government enough notice. Very recently, we had to prevail on our members to say, look, we think we are making headway, if we start a strike now, it may not be good. But everything that we have done shows clearly that the Finance Ministry and the Minister are unwilling to pay the two months that they said Mr President approved.

Our patience is already exhausted. We are going to resume the suspended strike. I know that when certain elements in a government treat the directive of the president with levity, it could mean that they are exploiting their closeness to the president, and the president will have to readjust.

There is no reason for not paying this money. I think this is a big disrespect for the president and an attempt to provoke an industrial upheaval in an atmosphere that is cool and calm. It works against the presidents resolve to say I dont want strikes in the universities. And everything is being done by this government, at least the Minister, to prevent strikes. The Ministry of Education has done its part, the president has done his part, the Finance Minister is the one sitting on our money.

Tinubu had in October 2023 directed that NASU and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities members be paid two out of the four months withheld salaries by the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022, following a prolonged strike over unresolved disputes.

The Senate has begun a probe into the story that men of the Department of State Services, DSS, have taken over the National Assembly in a move to impeach the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

The President of the Senate who denied the invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS over the alleged impeachment move, has asked Senator Shehu Kaka, APC, Borno Central led Senate Committee to immediately investigate the matter and report back at plenary in the next twenty- four hours.

He said, Sen. Kaka, investigate and report back to us as soon as practicable.

It would be recalled that Order Paper had reported that the precinct of the National Assembly appears like a warzone yesterday as men of DSS have taken over amidst speculations of an impeachment move against Sen. Akpabio.

According to the Paper, operatives of the DSS have taken control of the National Assembly amid allegations of a potential impeachment threat against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, adding, speculations have swirled that some aggrieved Northern Senators,(allegedly dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu, are reportedly reviving an earlier attempt to remove Akpabio from office.

Akpabio who made the refutal yesterday at the plenary, was reacting to an allegation reported in the social media that the DSS had invaded the national assembly.

The President of the Senate said: It has just been brought to my attention by one of us that there is fake news trending on social media that the DSS has surrounded the national assembly with possible impeachment of principal officers.

“There is no limit to social media. We are here sitting down and doing our work very peacefully oblivious of the mischief that is going on behind us.

“This is what we pass through daily. Its either they use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inject something to turn it around to drive traffic. I understand that they are being paid by YouTube.

“But I hope the public is aware that this is fake news and that the chamber is very stable and the issue of impeachment does not come in”, Akpabio said.

Senate to issue arrest warrants for Head of Service, Umahi, Dabiri-Erewa over missed summons

He thereafter referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Special Duties to report back its findings within 24 hours.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to reverse the recent Pump Price hike and take immediate steps to stabilize petrol and cooking gas prices through targeted interventions such as temporary price relief measures, tax reductions, or subsidies on LPG for low-income households.

The House also called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other relevant agencies to expedite the repair/maintenance of domestic refineries and increase local refining capacity as a stop-gap measure to reduce the dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

The lawmakers further urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement monetary policies that will mitigate the adverse effects of fuel price hikes on inflation, particularly with regards to essential goods and services.

These resolutions was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the Urgent need to suspend the increased cost of petrol and cooking gas in the country and provide a stop-gap, moved by the House Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda and 111 other lawmakers.

Debating the motion, the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu Madaki, said that Nigeria, as an oil-producing nation, has historically relied on petroleum products and cooking gas (LPG) as essential sources of energy for both domestic and industrial purposes.

He expressed concern that in recent months, the prices of petrol and cooking gas have skyrocketed and continue to so do, creating an unsustainable financial burden on ordinary Nigerians and exacerbating the cost of living:

According to Madaki, the removal of fuel subsidies, coupled with global oil price volatility and the depreciation of the Naira, has contributed significantly to the rising cost of petrol at the pump and cooking gas for households.

He said worried that the escalating fuel and gas prices are impacting the cost of transportation, food, essential goods and healthcare, further increasing inflation and pushing many families into deeper financial hardship.

Further concerned that businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are struggling to manage their operational costs due to increased fuel prices, threatening economic stability and job security.

Acknowledging that the Federal Government has previously announced plans to repair domestic refineries and boost local refining capacity to address some of these issues but has yet to deliver significant results in this regard;

The rising cost of petrol and cooking gas poses a significant threat to the livelihood of millions of Nigerians and unchecked inflationary pressure caused by the increased prices can lead to social unrest, increased poverty rates, and negative long-term economic effects.

Unless urgent and pragmatic steps are taken to control the rising cost of petrol and cooking gas, the Nation will go into economic crisis leading to negative outcomes like increased crime rate and mortality rate.

The House unanimously adopted the motion urging the Federal Government to explore alternative energy sources and diversify the countrys energy mix to reduce reliance on petrol and gas, promoting renewable energy solutions that are more sustainable and affordable in the long term. The lawmakers also encouraged State Governments to adopt policies that alleviate the financial burden on their citizens, such as waiving taxes or levies on transportation and goods affected by high fuel costs.

The House further mandated its special adhoc committee investigating fuels price increase to investigate and report back within two week for further legislative action.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, paid his final tribute to business tycoon, and late President-General of Ọhanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, describing him as a patriot and a dedicated servant to the growth and progress of not only the Igbo land, but of Nigeria in general.

The governor, speaking at the service of songs and night of tributes to the late Imo State business mogul in Lagos, said every role the late Iwuanyanwu undertook, he embodied excellence and left a lasting legacy.

“As a business icon, Chief Iwuanyanwu built the Iwuanyanwu Group into a powerhouse, an enviable business conglomerate that spans several industries. His contributions to the media space gave birth to what we know today as the Champion newspaper. It amplified the voice of the less privileged and he gave hope to the hopeless, strengthening the voice of the Press in our country, his commitment to youth and youth development is equally inspiring.

“In politics, Chief Emmanuel was a respected elder statesman and a champion of unity. His voice resonated particularly in advocating not only for Igbo but for Nigeria at home and promoting across our nation.

“His message was a message of a diverse ethnic group and appreciating that we could be different, but were all the same.

“His philanthropic efforts are a reflection of his generous spirit. Through his Foundation, countless scholarships were awarded to underprivileged students, and his support for his community touched lives beyond his state of Imo, state and here in Lagos, we felt it and beyond his commitment to improving education and expanding opportunities for the less fortunate and less privileged will forever stand as part of his enduring legacy”

He added that the late Imo business tycoon is worth celebrating courtesy of his tremendous contributions not only in the South East but in the entire nation, stressing that he was indeed a giant of his time as the nation would mourn his passing.

“We are certainly comforted by the great legacy of integrity, the legacy of nation building, compassion and ensuring that no one is left behind, that he has indeed left us behind and therefore, on behalf of the people and government of Lagos state, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to members of the family, to all friends, to all his associates, and to everyone that our father, our leader, an icon of our time, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu names to all of us may his gentle soul, rest in perfect peace”. he averred.

Also speaking, the former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku, said the late Iwuanyanwu was a patriot and a true professional involved in several businesses.

He was a devoted leader of his people in the war and also, at the same time, an unquestionable Nigerian patriot. Only last May, he joined former President Obasanjo and myself in writing letters to the five governors of the South East Zone, inviting them to a meeting with us to discuss the development, our collaboration in the development of the South East Zone.

“Unfortunately, Chief Iwuanyanwu was not able to attend the meeting that former President Obasanjo and I had with the five governors. He was not able to attend the meeting at the last minute because of his ill health.

“And so, finally, I would say that we are saying adieu to a man who was a true icon. His title in the Igbo language is Ahaejagamba, a name which, in a journey, takes you through towns and communities unhindered. That was the name he bore. That was the name his people in Igbo gave him and that was the name that they will remember him for”, he added.

On her part, his first daughter, Nwadiuto Iwuanyanwu, described her father as a man loved by many, saying that he would be missed greatly for his dedication and commitment to excellence and hard work.

The 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, yesterday said the national power grid collapse is a shame and an indication of leadership failure in Nigeria.

Obi, who called for the reform of Nigeria’s power sector, said the latest collapse has exposed the fragility of the country’s electricity infrastructure.

In a post on X, the former presidential candidate said the latest power grid collapse is emblematic of a leadership and government that had failed to prioritize the welfare and economic well-being of the people.

Obi said: For the umpteenth time, the national grid has collapsed, plunging a huge part of the nation into darkness and exposing the fragility of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

“This recurring disaster is a national shame and a glaring testament to the failure of leadership and policy implementation at the highest levels.

“How long must Nigerians endure a system that fails to provide one of the critical necessities for a productive society?

“We all know the immense importance of power supply to the transformation of our economy. Its support to SMEs, which are the engine of job creation and a major contributor to our GDP, is immeasurable.

“Today, we are the fourth largest economy in Africa, having fallen from the number one position due to leadership failure over the years, including the persistent power crisis, which is critical when compared to smaller economies.

“South Africa, which is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $400 billion and 30% of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts of electricity.

“Secondly, Egypt, the second largest economy with a GDP of about $350 billion and half of our population, generates and distributes over 40,000 megawatts.

“Algeria, the third largest economy, with about 300B GDP and 20% of our population, generates and distributes over 50,000 megawatts of electricity.

“Nigeria, with less GDP but with more population than the 3 countries combined, generates and distributes less than 10,000 megawatts, and even that is riddled with frequent collapses and crises of failure.

“This disparity in power generation is a reflection of the deep-rooted governance deficit that continue to hold back our growth and potential.

“It is time for urgent, comprehensive reform. Nigerians deserve a government that prioritizes measurable indices of development”

Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms said that the federal government has proposed that personal income for rich people will increase to 25 percent from 2025.

Oyedele disclosed this in its remarks at the 30th Nigeria Economic Summit.

According to him, the new tax policy contained in the Economic Stabilization Bill currently at the National Assembly will see wealthy Nigerians earning above N1.5 million pay more taxes in the coming months.

Citing a survey by NEGS, he said only 17 percent of Nigerians and 30 percent of businesses pay taxes because of lack trust in the Nigerian government.

He stressed that the country is working to close its about 70-75 percent tax gap to double its revenue by four times.

“The rich people earning N1.5 million above will see their personal income tax rise by up to 25 percent.

“Only 17 percent of Nigerians pay taxes, as well as 30 percent of businesses and one of the reasons is because they dont trust the government.

“Therefore, what we want to do is to have a National portal just like South Africa where tax payment is seamless and transparent because our current tax gap is about 70-75 percent but if we correct that and everyone pays, our revenues will be 4 times.

“Another issue is policy gaps where we grant unnecessary waivers to some people who dont even deserve it. But the main issue remains compliance issue”, he said.

It would be recalled that in the first week of October 2024, Oyedele announced that the Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations, 2024, has been published in the official gazette.

Earlier in September this year, the Federal Executive Council approved the Economic Stabilisation Bills as proposed by Oyedeles committee, aimed at 15 tax, fiscal, and establishment laws in Nigeria.

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has described absolute autonomy for local government areas in Nigeria as an impossibility, insisting that it will be a recipe for chaos.

Soludo made the assertion while signing the Local Government Administration Law in Awka.

According to him, the attendant challenges before the issue of local government autonomy are such that would certainly deepen the fate of the system and spell doom for the expected beneficiaries of the process.

Soludo said, “This is where Section 7 of the Constitution comes handy, and the Anambra State House of Assembly has risen to the occasion. Happily, the Supreme Court did not nullify Section 7 of the Constitution”.

“The new laws by Anambra House of Assembly are therefore consequential to give operational life to the Supreme Court judgment and not to undermine it.

“If the State House of Assembly abdicates this constitutional duty, the Local Government will then have no law on the use and management of its finance which the Constitution has given the State House of Assembly the mandate to legislate on. Indeed, in many states the House of Assemblies retain the power to suspend or remove chairpersons of local governments.

“By the way, isn’t the legislative authority exercised by the State Assemblies under Section 7 of the Constitution similar to the powers granted by the Constitution to the National Assembly over the Federal Capital Territory and its Area Councils?

“Governors are often accused of seeking to control LG funds with insinuations that LG funds are mismanaged. Of course, in a society where public office is seen as dinning table and public trust is low, people judge others by their own standards: by what they would do if they were in the position. I often ask: control for what?

“While I cannot hold brief for every governor, I know that most states are struggling to ensure a solvent local government system. I wish I can be spared the headache, if not for the predictable collateral damage to the system if we abdicate from structured oversight and collective accountability.

“Without active collaboration and coordination between state and local governments, many LGs will end up in a huge financial mess, requiring bailouts by state governments or will FGN directly intervene in every case of insolvency among the 774 LGs?

“The challenge ahead can be daunting given the quantum rise in wage bills because of the new minimum wage, as well as consequential rise in future pension/gratuity payments”.

The governor highlighted some of his achievements in the local government sector since he became governor of Anambra State.

“We inherited a local government system with four-year arrears (2018-2022) of gratuity to retired primary school teachers and other staff of local government.

“We have restructured their finances back to sustainability. Everyone who retired from the local government and State civil service since my tenure is paid gratuity/pension, and we are on course to clear the outstanding arrears soon.

“Three years arrears on counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been cleared, resulting in billions of Naira recently invested in our primary schools.

“Some 326 primary health centres are being constructed or modernized in all the 326 wards in the state as well as employing hundreds of medical personnel to man the primary health centres.

“Most of the local government secretariats have been remodelled and equipped, and the LG system is once again alive. This is not to mention that 3,615 out of the 8,115 new teachers recruited under my administration are for primary schools and they are being paid”, the Governor added.

A high court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, yesterday ordered social media critic, Martins Vincent Otse AKA VeryDarkMan to delete defamatory videos on human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN.

The court also ordered the critic to desist from making any comment about the Falanas again.

This came after Falana revealed he is resisting the temptation to file a criminal complaint against VeryDarkMan, for accusing him of allegedly facilitating pardon for cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky.

It would be recalled that VeryDarkMan, on September 24 2024, leaked a voice call recording of Bobrisky narrating how singer Falz contacted him during his six months jail term.

Responding to the allegations, the Falanas had filed a letter demanding a retraction of the statements and an apology from VeryDarkMan within 24 hours.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has agreed to sell Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria at N995 per litre.

This followed the intervention of the Department of State Services in the controversy between the two parties.

The National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, told our correspondent that the intervention of the DSS solved a lot of problems facing marketers.

Fashola also confirmed that through their intervention, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority agreed to pay the associations outstanding N10bn while resolving issues about the direct purchase of petrol from the Dangote refinery.

“We really appreciate their intervention. They are doing their job. Anywhere they have seen that there may be a crisis, it is their duty to intervene. And their intervention brokered peace and understanding between the parties, and everybody agreed to work together,” Fashola stated.

Asked to disclose how much the NNPC will sell PMS to IPMAN, he replied, “For now, tentatively, I think they are offering us N995 per litre.

“With the N995 ex-depot price, Fashola assured that IPMAN members would no longer sell at prices much higher than that of major marketers, saying, however, that distance is another factor for pricey PMS.

“Our members sell at N1,200 or so and this depends on the location. I think with the N995, there will be a little reduction. Don’t forget that if you transport a product from Lagos to a far distance, you will pay for transportation and other charges.

“We want to work on that because we want to have a common ground. When we sit down and look at the price analysis offered to us, and factor in all our expenses, we want to have a uniform price as much as possible.

“So, I will not be able to tell you the exact price now, but we are working on it, especially in the Lagos axis and other zones. We will look at the transportation cost and all that. At the end of the day, we will fix the price for ourselves”, he stated.

The IPMAN leader emphasised that IPMAN is interested in prices that would be competitive, saying the price disparity has been a disadvantage to independent marketers.

“The price disparity has been a disadvantage between us and the NNPC Retail and major marketers. So, we are trying to look at how to close that gap so that we come back fully into the business. The lack of direct supply has been our problem, and now that we are solving that problem, I don’t think that disparity will be there again”, he stressed.

Fashola explained that the price differential is the reason for the queues in some filling stations in the cities.

“The queues you see are because of that difference in prices, that’s why people are saying there are queues. There are no queues; it is the price disparity that is causing the queues. So, if there is not much difference, we have filling stations everywhere; just drive in, buy fuel, and go. But that so much difference in the price is creating that scenario of queues”, he narrated.

Reacting to the directive that marketers can now buy petrol directly from local refineries, Fashola said the association would meet with Dangote this week.

“For now, we intend to meet with Dangote this week to see how we work out the modalities and all that. The Federal Government has given a directive and we want to take full advantage of that”, he posited.

The IPMAN vice president stressed that the association is not ignoring the NNPC either as it would patronise the best price.

“At the same time too, we are not ignoring NNPC. So, whichever way, we are ready to do business with NNPC. It depends on the price, we go for the best”.

IPMAN had revealed on Thursday that the cost of petrol from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to NNPC was about N898/litre, but noted that NNPC was selling the same product to independent marketers at N1,010/litre in Lagos.

The association, which controls over 70 per cent of filling stations nationwide, kicked against this and threatened to down tools, as it also demanded a refund from NNPC for earlier petrol supply payments made by its members.

The IPMAN national president, Abubakar Maigandi, who spoke during a live television interview on Thursday, argued that the price was higher than what NNPC paid for the product from the Dangote refinery.

He also noted that independent marketers funds had been held by the national oil company for about three months.

According to him, NNPC purchased the product from the refinery at N898/litre but is asking marketers to buy it at N1,010/litre in Lagos; N1,045 in Calabar; N1,050 in Port Harcourt; and N1,040 in Warri.

“Our major challenge now is that independent marketers have an outstanding debt from the NNPC and the company collected products through Dangote at a lower rate, which is not up to N900, but they are telling us now to buy this product from them at the price of N1,010/litre in Lagos; N1,045 in Calabar; N1,050 in Port-Harcourt; and N1,040 in Warri”, Maigandi stated.

In a bid to avert the looming strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the Federal Government has re-established a seven-member renegotiation committee to address the 2009 agreements with university-based unions.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, at the committees inauguration in Abuja on Monday, gave them a three-month deadline to conclude negotiations.

The reports indicated that the committee brings together representatives from ASUU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU.

Others are Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

Mamman stated that President Bola Tinubus government aimed to improve the education system and maintain peace on campuses.

He noted that renegotiations began in 2017 but were delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.

He said that the previous committee, led by Prof. Nimi Briggs, produced a draft report covering significant areas.

The minister urged the reconstituted committee to work diligently and produce realistic agreements addressing the challenges facing the Nigerian University System (NUS).

Committee Chairman, Dr Yayale Ahmed, appealed to the government to support universities in achieving global competitiveness and to consider lecturers salaries as investments.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, thanked the government and expressed hope that the new committee would succeed where previous ones failed.

He emphasised the unions readiness to renegotiate, provided the government worked towards a stable academic calendar.

The Federal Government has said the petition by Yoruba nation agitator, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, calling on the United Kingdom to consider the Yoruba nation was not endorsed by the UK government.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said media reports on the petition were highly misleading.

He explained that Following media reports on the petition submitted at No. 10 Downing Street by Mr Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho, the British High Commissioner in Abuja was invited to shed light on the issue.

During the meeting, the High Commissioner noted with concern that the matter was overblown, indicating that the media reports were highly misleading.

Furthermore, the High Commissioner informed that he was aware of the letter being delivered but added that it was merely an established practice of allowing the delivery of letters and petitions to No. 10.

It was not endorsed by any agency of the UK government nor the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee.

The UK government typically does not concern itself with petitions concerning the sovereign affairs of another country.

He quoted the high commissioner to have informed that such petitions had been rejected by the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee and the UK Government in the past.

He further agreed to continue liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as needed, while reiterating the importance of the bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

It would be recalled Igboho, according to his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, in a post on Sunday via his X handle submitted a petition to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, to consider the creation of a Yoruba nation.

He stated that Igboho submitted the petition on behalf of the leader of the Yoruba Nation movement, Prof. Adebanji Akintoye.

He wrote, At exactly 14:00 hrs Dr. Chief Sunday Igboho delivered a petition to the UK Prime Minister on behalf of Prof. Adebanji Akintoye, leader of the Yoruba Nation movement, and Olayomi Koiki, his spokesman @10DowningStreet.

By Jude Onyenedogha & Obinna Nkwocha

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed delight that all the recommendations it made to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), seeking to entrench value orientation processes were approved by the FEC.

This expression was made by the agency’s Director General,

Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a press briefing on the ongoing nationwide progress of the Agency in Owerri, Imo State, recently.

He disclosed that many of the proposals deal with young age indoctrination, “providing the template for the evaluation of the real Nigerian character”.

Issa-Onilu who was represented by the Executive Director of Public Enlightenment and Mass Mobilization, Mrs Theresa Madueke, listed some of the recommendations to include; Restoration of the dignity and standardization of the national symbols, unveiling of the National Values Charter, Establishment of National Values Brigade and proposal for Citizenship Study to be made compulsory in all schools.

Others according to the NOA DG were; Proposal for an approval to nationalize cartoon contents in Nigeria, to break the dominance of foreign cartoons, proposal for the global implementation of the campaign for national reputation management, proposal for the change of name from the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade, to Citizens Value Brigade.

Further proposals of NOA, which got the approval of FEC, according to the DG included; Proposal for value orientation to be made compulsory component of the one year mandatory National Youth Service and constitution of implementation committee for the National Identity Project.

The NOA DG said the Act that established the agency made its mandate clear, which include; Communicating government policies, programmes and activities; mobilizing support for them and processing feedback to government.

“It also mandates us to promote democracy, as the best model of government and promote values that will ensure peace, orderliness and moral conduct”.

He said, over the years, especially in the last one year, the agency has pursued their mandates with extra vigor.

Earlier in her address, the Imo State Director of NOA, Mrs Stellamaris Damian-Igwe welcomed the DG to Owerri, Imo State capital, while soliciting the support of stakeholders, especially journalists, in promoting and publicizing activities of the Agency, both at National and Imo State levels.