Ali Bongo Ondimba, the president of Gabon, takes Lionel Messi for a drive |
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Monday, 20 July 2015
Lionel Messi Gets A Drive From President Of Gabon (Photos)
BREAKING: Fresh Bomb Explosion In Damaturu
BREAKING: Fresh Bomb Explosion In Damaturu
Report just reaching our news desk indicates that a fresh bomb attack has occurred in Damaturu, Yobe State.
This is coming barely three days after suicide bomber attacked a Muslim praying ground during the Eid-el-Fritri celebration last Friday.
APC Cannot Win Ekiti Even If Tinubu Becomes INEC Chairman - Fayose
Monday, 20 July 2015
APC cannot win Ekiti even if Tinubu becomes INEC Chairman - Fayose
Fayose
He also took a swipe at the party’s national leader, Bola Tinubu.
“Even if Tinubu becomes the INEC chairman, they will lose in Ekiti, because they are not on ground here”, Fayose said via his Twitter account @GovAyoFayose.
According to him, Ekiti was gone for good from the hands of APC.
In a series of tweet, he re-echoed his preference for former President Goodluck Jonathan to win a second term, saying the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari was “the will of God”.
Excerpts from his tweets: “Elections have come and gone and, as I always say, President Muhammadu Buhari is the president of Nigeria, not by his own grace.
“I wanted Jonathan but God has given it to Buhari and so, we all have to submit to the will of God.
“It is a free society; there is no almighty governor; there is no almighty president. We are all governed by civility and by the constitution”.
PHOTO: FUTO Head Of Department,Dr (Mrs) Felicia Eze Kidnapped
PHOTO: FUTO Head Of Department,Dr (Mrs) Felicia Eze Kidnapped
Nigerian Police In Abakiliki Kill Unarmed Nigerian Man -Viewers Discretion Advised
The mail came in two parts.
The first is an SOS alert that the victim was in Hospital unconscious.Chinedu Uzor lost the battle and died this Morning.
His head was blown open with his brain tissue spilling out..
Please read what happened but please brace yourself for the next pic...
''Hello Stella, something really terrible just happened to one of my tenants, He was driving back home and he saw some guys dressed in mufti flagging him to stop, for fear that might be robbers, he sped off hoping to get to a legal checking point for safety. Only to see a checking point ahead, on getting there, he put off his car engine, and surrendered himself whilst explaining himself, the other team of police came there, met him and shot him on his head and arm at close range, as I speak to you, he is unconscious and on oxygen at Specialist Hospital Abakaliki.
For Goodness sake, why should they shoot at someone who was unarmed and raised his hands. This same man had a similar experience last two December where some guys stopped him and he stopped and they shot at him, luckily for him he survived that by God's Grace and now this. I really won't want this case swept under the carpet, The Nigerian Police has done more harm than good to its Citizens.
THE SECOND MAIL WHICH JUST CAME IN READS...
Attached Here are pictures of the man, his name is Chinedu Uzor. He died early this morning and the policemen are desperately trying to cover up their tracks and even trying to track down the witness who has gone into hiding''.
First Bank Plc Faces Money Laundering Charge
A federal high court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has adjourned till after vacation hearing in a three count criminal charge of money laundering filed against First Bank of Nigeria Plc by Peep ‘N’ Pick Bureau de Change Limited and seven other accused persons.
According to the said criminal charge filed before the court by Mr K.A. Salawu principal state counsel from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, a manager of FirstBank, Juliana Ifeyinwa Ochuka, First Bank Plc, Jenifer Osaseri Anasodo, Titilope Nasir Balogun, Aderonke Adedayo, Joy Ngosi Nnoruka, Caleb Chukwuka Ezeh, Oluwabunmi Afolashade Olujobi, Peep ‘N’ Pick Bureau De Change Ltd and others at large on or about 22nd of May 2014 conspired together to launder the sum of 1.9 million dollars, the source of which was unlawful and thereby committed an offence contrary to and Punishable under sections 15 (3) and 18(a) of Money Laundering (prohibition) Act.
The money whose source was unlawful was alleged to have been laundered through three different accounts open with the bank by one of the senior managers of the bank.
In an affidavit sworn to by Mrs Felicia Des-Dordes, chief Litigation Clerk in the office of the Attorney General of the federation, and filed before the court, the Deponent averred that all investigation into the case had been concluded and Mr K A Salawu in his position as prosecutor alleged that, prima facie case exists against the FirstBank Plc and all the accused persons.
According to the said criminal charge filed before the court by Mr K.A. Salawu principal state counsel from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, a manager of FirstBank, Juliana Ifeyinwa Ochuka, First Bank Plc, Jenifer Osaseri Anasodo, Titilope Nasir Balogun, Aderonke Adedayo, Joy Ngosi Nnoruka, Caleb Chukwuka Ezeh, Oluwabunmi Afolashade Olujobi, Peep ‘N’ Pick Bureau De Change Ltd and others at large on or about 22nd of May 2014 conspired together to launder the sum of 1.9 million dollars, the source of which was unlawful and thereby committed an offence contrary to and Punishable under sections 15 (3) and 18(a) of Money Laundering (prohibition) Act.
The money whose source was unlawful was alleged to have been laundered through three different accounts open with the bank by one of the senior managers of the bank.
In an affidavit sworn to by Mrs Felicia Des-Dordes, chief Litigation Clerk in the office of the Attorney General of the federation, and filed before the court, the Deponent averred that all investigation into the case had been concluded and Mr K A Salawu in his position as prosecutor alleged that, prima facie case exists against the FirstBank Plc and all the accused persons.
Obasanjo Should Let Jonathan Be – Fayose
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has urged former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to stop attacking the immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, saying; “Dr Goodluck Jonathan is no longer the president of Nigeria, he should be allowed to live a private life devoid of mudslinging from elder statesmen like Chief Obasanjo.”
Governor Fayose said he was miffed that former President Obasanjo could choose the 11th Convocation Lecture of Benson Idahosa University (BIU) Benin, Edo State to say that “performance of Jonathan while in office will hunt the people of the South-South region for a long time to come.”
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Monday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said the people of the South South had already demonstrated their approval of Jonathan’s performance while in office by voting overwhelmingly for him on March 28 despite the gang-up orchestrated by Chief Obasanjo and his allies.
“Most importantly, Jonathan’s performance as a democrat has been widely acknowledged locally and internationally, particularly by President Mohammadu Buhari, who on many occasions acknowledged the role he (Jonathan) played in midwifing a peaceful and successful transition programme, thereby averting the feared crisis in the country.
“This is in contrast to Baba Obasanjo, who tried third term when he was about concluding his constitutional two terms. And who knows whether he would have tried fourth term if he had succeeded with his third term agenda?
“The reality is, assuming but not conceding that Jonathan performed below expectation, democratic governance that he established in Nigeria is more important than any other performance that Obasanjo alluded to,” the governor said.
Speaking further, Governor Fayose urged Obasanjo to stop running other Nigerians down, saying; “We are all stakeholders in the country Nigeria. It is wrong for any Nigerian no matter how highly placed to go about carrying himself around as the only honest and lover of the country.”
The governor said; “since Baba Obasanjo has openly destroyed his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card, he is free to go about seeking relevance in the All Progressives Congress (APC) without running anyone down.”
He said people living in glass houses should avoid throwing stones, adding that Nigerians know those involved in the Halliburton scandal and people who are yet to be cleared of their alleged complicity in a scam like Halliburton lacked moral rights to brand other people as corrupt.
Governor Fayose said he was miffed that former President Obasanjo could choose the 11th Convocation Lecture of Benson Idahosa University (BIU) Benin, Edo State to say that “performance of Jonathan while in office will hunt the people of the South-South region for a long time to come.”
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Monday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said the people of the South South had already demonstrated their approval of Jonathan’s performance while in office by voting overwhelmingly for him on March 28 despite the gang-up orchestrated by Chief Obasanjo and his allies.
“Most importantly, Jonathan’s performance as a democrat has been widely acknowledged locally and internationally, particularly by President Mohammadu Buhari, who on many occasions acknowledged the role he (Jonathan) played in midwifing a peaceful and successful transition programme, thereby averting the feared crisis in the country.
“This is in contrast to Baba Obasanjo, who tried third term when he was about concluding his constitutional two terms. And who knows whether he would have tried fourth term if he had succeeded with his third term agenda?
“The reality is, assuming but not conceding that Jonathan performed below expectation, democratic governance that he established in Nigeria is more important than any other performance that Obasanjo alluded to,” the governor said.
Speaking further, Governor Fayose urged Obasanjo to stop running other Nigerians down, saying; “We are all stakeholders in the country Nigeria. It is wrong for any Nigerian no matter how highly placed to go about carrying himself around as the only honest and lover of the country.”
The governor said; “since Baba Obasanjo has openly destroyed his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card, he is free to go about seeking relevance in the All Progressives Congress (APC) without running anyone down.”
He said people living in glass houses should avoid throwing stones, adding that Nigerians know those involved in the Halliburton scandal and people who are yet to be cleared of their alleged complicity in a scam like Halliburton lacked moral rights to brand other people as corrupt.
Wizkid’s All-white Yacht Party In Durban
Four days ago, Wizkid announced on his page that he would be celebrating his birthday with an all- white party on La Vue Luxury boat at the Wilson Wharf in Durban, South Africa and he would be popping 100 bottles of champagne.
The party took place yesterday, and we have collated some of the pictures from the star-studded event here:     |
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Insurgency: Army chief inaugurates Operation Lafiya Dole
Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, on Sunday launched “Operation Lafiya Dole” as a new code name for a fresh impetus by the military to tackle the activities of Boko Haram.
This replaces the former “Operation Zaman Lafiya.”
The new code name was derived from Hausa language, which literally translates “Peace by All Means.”
Buratai announced this while addressing troops of the 103 Battalion in Konduga, headquarters of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno.
He said the objective was to transform the army professionally as well as fast track the war against the Boko Haram terrorists.
“It is the wish of the Federal Government to end this terrorism quickly in this part of the country and indeed some other challenges in the South South and other parts of the country.
“This will make us to have a very peacful country free from any insecurity,” Buratai said.
He lamented that the fight against terrorism had lasted for a very long time without much results.
Burutai said, “Consequently as from today July 19, we are here to bury the ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’ and give birth to what we will henceforth call ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.
“Operation Lafiya Dole is derived from the belief that we must end this insecurity. We must restore peace to all parts of the North East and other parts of the country that are affected by insurgency.
“We are going to carry this as a war and I appeal to all and sundry to give this operaton maximum cooperation.
“We will carry the civil population along, we wil also observe the principle of human rights and respect human dignity. We will not trample on anybody’s right.”
He expressed optimism that the operation will yield dividends in a very short time.
“As the insurgents have refused to understand and come to the right way we must force them to make sure that peace returns to all pa
This replaces the former “Operation Zaman Lafiya.”
The new code name was derived from Hausa language, which literally translates “Peace by All Means.”
Buratai announced this while addressing troops of the 103 Battalion in Konduga, headquarters of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno.
He said the objective was to transform the army professionally as well as fast track the war against the Boko Haram terrorists.
“It is the wish of the Federal Government to end this terrorism quickly in this part of the country and indeed some other challenges in the South South and other parts of the country.
“This will make us to have a very peacful country free from any insecurity,” Buratai said.
He lamented that the fight against terrorism had lasted for a very long time without much results.
Burutai said, “Consequently as from today July 19, we are here to bury the ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’ and give birth to what we will henceforth call ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.
“Operation Lafiya Dole is derived from the belief that we must end this insecurity. We must restore peace to all parts of the North East and other parts of the country that are affected by insurgency.
“We are going to carry this as a war and I appeal to all and sundry to give this operaton maximum cooperation.
“We will carry the civil population along, we wil also observe the principle of human rights and respect human dignity. We will not trample on anybody’s right.”
He expressed optimism that the operation will yield dividends in a very short time.
“As the insurgents have refused to understand and come to the right way we must force them to make sure that peace returns to all pa
US to trace Nigeria’s stolen funds
The United States will offer to help Nigeria’s new leader track down billions of dollars in stolen assets and increase US military assistance to fight Islamic militants, US officials said, as Washington seeks to “reset” ties with Africa’s biggest economy.
The visit to Washington by President Muhammadu Buhari is viewed by the US administration as a chance to set the seal on improving ties since he won a March election, hailed as Nigeria’s first democratic power transition in decades.
US cooperation with Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, had virtually ground to a halt over issues, including his refusal to investigate corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigerian military.
“President (Barack Obama) has long seen Nigeria as arguably the most important strategic country in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The question is: would there be an opportunity to deepen our engagement? That opportunity is now,” US Deputy Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, told Reuters.
The improving ties with Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, came as US relations have cooled with two other traditional African powers – Egypt and South Africa.
US officials have said they were willing to send military trainers to help Nigeria counter a six-year-old northern insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist movement.
Since Buhari’s election, Washington has committed $5m in new support to a multi-national task force set up to fight the group. This is in addition to at least $34m it is providing for Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger for equipment and logistics.
Buhari’s move on July 13 to fire military chiefs appointed by Jonathan cleared the way for more military cooperation, US officials said.
“We’ve made it clear. There are additional things that can be done, especially now that there is a new military leadership in place,” a senior US official said.
Another senior US official said Washington was urging Buhari, a Muslim from the country’s North, to step up regional cooperation against the militants and to provide more aid to afflicted communities to reduce the group’s recruiting power.
Buhari has said his priorities were strengthening Nigeria’s economy, which has been hard-hit by the fall in oil prices, boosting investment and tackling ‘the biggest monster of all’ – corruption.
“Here too, he is looking to deepen collaboration and one of the things he is focused on is asset recovery. He is hopeful we can help them recover some of that,” the official said. “
In 2014, the US took control of more than $480m siphoned away by former Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, and his associates into banks around the world.
Washington has broad powers to track suspicious funds and enforce sanctions against individuals.
The visit to Washington by President Muhammadu Buhari is viewed by the US administration as a chance to set the seal on improving ties since he won a March election, hailed as Nigeria’s first democratic power transition in decades.
US cooperation with Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, had virtually ground to a halt over issues, including his refusal to investigate corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigerian military.
“President (Barack Obama) has long seen Nigeria as arguably the most important strategic country in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The question is: would there be an opportunity to deepen our engagement? That opportunity is now,” US Deputy Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, told Reuters.
The improving ties with Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, came as US relations have cooled with two other traditional African powers – Egypt and South Africa.
US officials have said they were willing to send military trainers to help Nigeria counter a six-year-old northern insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist movement.
Since Buhari’s election, Washington has committed $5m in new support to a multi-national task force set up to fight the group. This is in addition to at least $34m it is providing for Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger for equipment and logistics.
Buhari’s move on July 13 to fire military chiefs appointed by Jonathan cleared the way for more military cooperation, US officials said.
“We’ve made it clear. There are additional things that can be done, especially now that there is a new military leadership in place,” a senior US official said.
Another senior US official said Washington was urging Buhari, a Muslim from the country’s North, to step up regional cooperation against the militants and to provide more aid to afflicted communities to reduce the group’s recruiting power.
Buhari has said his priorities were strengthening Nigeria’s economy, which has been hard-hit by the fall in oil prices, boosting investment and tackling ‘the biggest monster of all’ – corruption.
“Here too, he is looking to deepen collaboration and one of the things he is focused on is asset recovery. He is hopeful we can help them recover some of that,” the official said. “
In 2014, the US took control of more than $480m siphoned away by former Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, and his associates into banks around the world.
Washington has broad powers to track suspicious funds and enforce sanctions against individuals.
Petrol subsidy hits N1.69bn daily
Cars and people queing for petrol, at Oando Filling Station, Berger-Oke, on Lagos Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government now incurs about N1.69bn daily to subsidise petrol consumption, OKECHUKWU NNODIM writes
Nigeria currently spends N1.69bn daily as subsidy on petrol despite the decline in the country’s oil exports and the resultant squeeze on the nation’s revenues.
While industry experts and highly placed politicians canvass the stoppage of the subsidy regime, President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to take a stand on the issue.
Buhari had last Monday explained that he had yet to take a decision on the removal of subsidies on refined petroleum products.
The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, was quoted as saying, “I have received many literature on the need to remove subsidies, but much of it has no depth. When you touch the price of petroleum products, that has the effect of triggering price rise on transportation, food and rents.
“That is for those who earn salaries; but there are many who are jobless and will be affected by it.”
Subsidy is a form of financial aid or support extended to an institution, business, or individual generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy.
But experts told our correspondent that the President was considering the political gains of subsidy, and stressed that this was detrimental to Nigeria’s economy, considering the whopping sum being spent daily subsidising petrol consumption.
Latest figures from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency show that the government is paying N42.35 as subsidy on every litre of petrol consumed in the country.
Specifically, the agency, in its pricing template released on Thursday July 16, 2015, which was based on average Platts prices for a day before, stated that the Expected Open Market Price or total cost of petrol was N129.35 per litre.
This is against a regulated retail price of N87 per litre. The difference between the EOMP and the retail price is, therefore, N42.35.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the country consumes about 40 million litres of Petrol daily.
By multiplying the volume of petrol consumed across the country on a daily basis with the current amount spent on subsidising the product, it means that the government spends about N1.69bn on subsidy daily at N42.35 per litre.
The PPPRA stated that the effective date of the approved pricing template was January 19, 2015, noting that the actual landing cost of the product was N113.86 per litre.
The cost elements that make up the landing cost include the product’s offshore cost of N102.6 per litre; trade margin, N1.47; lightering expenses, N4.18; NPA fee, N0.77; financing, N1.59; jetty depot throughput charge, N0.8; and storage charge, N3.
On the product’s distribution margin, retailers get N4.6; transporters, N2.99; dealers, N1.75; bridging fund, N5.85; marine transport average, N0.15; and admin charge, N0.15; making a subtotal margin of N15.49.
When added to the landing cost of N113.86, the EOMP of N129.35 per litre is arrived at, but the product is sold at filling stations at N87 per litre.
The Director, Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Wumi Iledare, explained that the plunge in crude oil prices and the drop in Nigeria’s oil exports had led to a stiff revenue squeeze and wondered if the Federal Government would be able to sustain the billions of naira being incurred daily as subsidy.
Iledare, who is a former President, International Association for Energy Economics, said, “We cannot continue to subsidise petrol without having functional refineries. Other countries that subsidise petrol like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have refining capacities beyond what they consume. If we refine all we consume and sell excess, nobody will call for subsidy removal. But we don’t.
“It may make political sense and the only thing they are worried about is the political implication. But this is where they have to educate the society that what they are losing as a result of fuel subsidy is enormous. These are monies that can be used to increase Nigeria’s education standard.”
Also speaking on the issue, the Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, an oil and gas field development firm, Mr. Thomas Dada, told our correspondent that the price of crude oil would fall further in the near future, judging by the recent historic deal between Iran and the United States.
Dada said, “I hope the President will be able to assess the issue in detail maybe when he has formed his cabinet. But I think sooner or later, we have to remove subsidy because it has never benefitted this nation but only a few people.
“Let me ask you a question, how many people are buying fuel at N87 per litre right now in this country? If you go to Abia, Niger or Adamawa states, they pay much more than N87 per litre and these are Nigerians paying this much because they need the product. So, who is actually benefitting from subsidy? He (Buhari) may have his reasons but we need to look at the bigger picture.
“Is the telecoms sector being subsidised? No. Is it not functioning? It is functioning! The coffers of the government are empty; so, I don’t know how you are going to sustain subsidy. Oil price is going to drop with Iran and the USA coming to a nuclear agreement. That means if we don’t see a $40 per barrel oil price by next year or two, then we are lucky.
“So, how will Nigeria continue to afford subsidy? We should be encouraging private sector refineries, which will be able to meet our petroleum product needs.”
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, at a function in Abuja last week, urged Nigerians to unite against the continued payment of subsidy, stressing that it was only making a few persons wealthy at the expense of the masses.
He had said, “In 2014, Nigeria was producing on the average about 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day, while importing most of its daily consumption of 43.5 million litres of refined petroleum products. That reliance on imports of refined products has seen unsustainable expenses on questionable subsidy payments exemplified by $8.99bn in the 18 months between January 2012 and June 2013.
“About N971bn was budgeted for subsidy payments in 2014 alone (more than twice that was eventually paid). You all recall how trillions of naira were paid out as oil subsidy in 2011, when only N254bn was appropriated. No one has been successfully prosecuted for this scam.
“I daresay that the oil subsidy regime has neither grown our people nor guaranteed stability of refined product supplies. What subsidy has achieved is create a huge hole in the budget and a new array of overnight billionaires… “It is time to tackle the corruption in the subsidy regime. We can discuss how the resulting subsidy savings will be spent to improve lives, while guaranteeing stability of supply to the domestic market. We have a President with both the integrity to responsibly manage the savings and the experience of managing special interventions based on subsidy savings.”
The Federal Government now incurs about N1.69bn daily to subsidise petrol consumption, OKECHUKWU NNODIM writes
Nigeria currently spends N1.69bn daily as subsidy on petrol despite the decline in the country’s oil exports and the resultant squeeze on the nation’s revenues.
While industry experts and highly placed politicians canvass the stoppage of the subsidy regime, President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to take a stand on the issue.
Buhari had last Monday explained that he had yet to take a decision on the removal of subsidies on refined petroleum products.
The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, was quoted as saying, “I have received many literature on the need to remove subsidies, but much of it has no depth. When you touch the price of petroleum products, that has the effect of triggering price rise on transportation, food and rents.
“That is for those who earn salaries; but there are many who are jobless and will be affected by it.”
Subsidy is a form of financial aid or support extended to an institution, business, or individual generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy.
But experts told our correspondent that the President was considering the political gains of subsidy, and stressed that this was detrimental to Nigeria’s economy, considering the whopping sum being spent daily subsidising petrol consumption.
Latest figures from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency show that the government is paying N42.35 as subsidy on every litre of petrol consumed in the country.
Specifically, the agency, in its pricing template released on Thursday July 16, 2015, which was based on average Platts prices for a day before, stated that the Expected Open Market Price or total cost of petrol was N129.35 per litre.
This is against a regulated retail price of N87 per litre. The difference between the EOMP and the retail price is, therefore, N42.35.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the country consumes about 40 million litres of Petrol daily.
By multiplying the volume of petrol consumed across the country on a daily basis with the current amount spent on subsidising the product, it means that the government spends about N1.69bn on subsidy daily at N42.35 per litre.
The PPPRA stated that the effective date of the approved pricing template was January 19, 2015, noting that the actual landing cost of the product was N113.86 per litre.
The cost elements that make up the landing cost include the product’s offshore cost of N102.6 per litre; trade margin, N1.47; lightering expenses, N4.18; NPA fee, N0.77; financing, N1.59; jetty depot throughput charge, N0.8; and storage charge, N3.
On the product’s distribution margin, retailers get N4.6; transporters, N2.99; dealers, N1.75; bridging fund, N5.85; marine transport average, N0.15; and admin charge, N0.15; making a subtotal margin of N15.49.
When added to the landing cost of N113.86, the EOMP of N129.35 per litre is arrived at, but the product is sold at filling stations at N87 per litre.
The Director, Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Wumi Iledare, explained that the plunge in crude oil prices and the drop in Nigeria’s oil exports had led to a stiff revenue squeeze and wondered if the Federal Government would be able to sustain the billions of naira being incurred daily as subsidy.
Iledare, who is a former President, International Association for Energy Economics, said, “We cannot continue to subsidise petrol without having functional refineries. Other countries that subsidise petrol like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have refining capacities beyond what they consume. If we refine all we consume and sell excess, nobody will call for subsidy removal. But we don’t.
“It may make political sense and the only thing they are worried about is the political implication. But this is where they have to educate the society that what they are losing as a result of fuel subsidy is enormous. These are monies that can be used to increase Nigeria’s education standard.”
Also speaking on the issue, the Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, an oil and gas field development firm, Mr. Thomas Dada, told our correspondent that the price of crude oil would fall further in the near future, judging by the recent historic deal between Iran and the United States.
Dada said, “I hope the President will be able to assess the issue in detail maybe when he has formed his cabinet. But I think sooner or later, we have to remove subsidy because it has never benefitted this nation but only a few people.
“Let me ask you a question, how many people are buying fuel at N87 per litre right now in this country? If you go to Abia, Niger or Adamawa states, they pay much more than N87 per litre and these are Nigerians paying this much because they need the product. So, who is actually benefitting from subsidy? He (Buhari) may have his reasons but we need to look at the bigger picture.
“Is the telecoms sector being subsidised? No. Is it not functioning? It is functioning! The coffers of the government are empty; so, I don’t know how you are going to sustain subsidy. Oil price is going to drop with Iran and the USA coming to a nuclear agreement. That means if we don’t see a $40 per barrel oil price by next year or two, then we are lucky.
“So, how will Nigeria continue to afford subsidy? We should be encouraging private sector refineries, which will be able to meet our petroleum product needs.”
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, at a function in Abuja last week, urged Nigerians to unite against the continued payment of subsidy, stressing that it was only making a few persons wealthy at the expense of the masses.
He had said, “In 2014, Nigeria was producing on the average about 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day, while importing most of its daily consumption of 43.5 million litres of refined petroleum products. That reliance on imports of refined products has seen unsustainable expenses on questionable subsidy payments exemplified by $8.99bn in the 18 months between January 2012 and June 2013.
“About N971bn was budgeted for subsidy payments in 2014 alone (more than twice that was eventually paid). You all recall how trillions of naira were paid out as oil subsidy in 2011, when only N254bn was appropriated. No one has been successfully prosecuted for this scam.
“I daresay that the oil subsidy regime has neither grown our people nor guaranteed stability of refined product supplies. What subsidy has achieved is create a huge hole in the budget and a new array of overnight billionaires… “It is time to tackle the corruption in the subsidy regime. We can discuss how the resulting subsidy savings will be spent to improve lives, while guaranteeing stability of supply to the domestic market. We have a President with both the integrity to responsibly manage the savings and the experience of managing special interventions based on subsidy savings.”
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Akungba stool: Disowned Oba-elect accuses kingmakers of contempt
Regent of Akungba-Akoko, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon | credits: Saharareporters
Prince Oseni Isiaka, who was denounced by the kingmakers of Akungba Akoko in Ondo State as the Oba-elect of the ancient town, has accused the kingmakers of acting against the judgment of the court which purportedly ruled in his favoured to be the Oba-elect
The head of the kingmakers of the town, Chief Akin Osemawe, has announced on behalf of others that one Prince Sunday Adeyeye remained the authentic Oba-elect of the ancient town, calling on Prince Isiaka to stop parading himself as the Oba-elect.
However, Isiaka, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that his denial by Osemawe amounted to a contempt of court because his selection as Oba-elect was validated by a court judgement delivered on 20th December 2013 by Justice Adeyeye of Ondo State High Court sitting in ikare Akoko, Akoko North-East Local Government.
He warned Osemawe against the alleged court contempt, saying “Mr. Akin Osemawe should stop misleading the people of Akungba Akoko and the general public. His action is tantamount to contempt of court which can send him and his sponsors to jail”.
According to him, the kingmakers which include Chief Oluilegbin of Ilegbinn Quarters(Oluilegbin Akomolafe), Chief Opaka Isiaka Musa ,Chief Olubaka Ajakaye Rufus and Chief Alagure (Pa Funmilayo Omoboriota), made their stand on his selection as the Alele-elect of Akungba Akoko known and he was waiting for the state government to present him the staff of office.
However, Osemawe said Isiaka did not have the judgment that would make him the Oba-elect, noting that the court did not compel the kingmakers of the town to select him as the Oba-elect
Speaking in Akure on Friday, the head of the kingmakers of Akungba explained, “The court cannot tell us what to do. What he challenged in court is to make him a member of the Ole Ruling House and he got judgment but the judgment did not stipulate that he is the Oba-elect. The judgment has even been appealed because members of the Ole Ruling House insisted that he is not one of them.
“I am the head of the kingmakers of the town and I am speaking for other kingmakers and we have unanimously selected Prince Sunday Adeyeye as the Oba-elect. So, I don’t know who selected him in the first instance. I don’t know the kingmakers that selected him. He has been going around telling lies to the people.
“They have tried to bribe me to support him. I turned them down because I cannot do anything that is against the tradition of the town. You can come down to Akungba and sample the opinion of people of the town. They will tell you he is not their Oba-elect. “
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Bamiduro Dada, has held a meeting with the two parties and ordered that nobody should parade himself as the Oba-elect of the town until further notice.
Prince Oseni Isiaka, who was denounced by the kingmakers of Akungba Akoko in Ondo State as the Oba-elect of the ancient town, has accused the kingmakers of acting against the judgment of the court which purportedly ruled in his favoured to be the Oba-elect
The head of the kingmakers of the town, Chief Akin Osemawe, has announced on behalf of others that one Prince Sunday Adeyeye remained the authentic Oba-elect of the ancient town, calling on Prince Isiaka to stop parading himself as the Oba-elect.
However, Isiaka, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that his denial by Osemawe amounted to a contempt of court because his selection as Oba-elect was validated by a court judgement delivered on 20th December 2013 by Justice Adeyeye of Ondo State High Court sitting in ikare Akoko, Akoko North-East Local Government.
He warned Osemawe against the alleged court contempt, saying “Mr. Akin Osemawe should stop misleading the people of Akungba Akoko and the general public. His action is tantamount to contempt of court which can send him and his sponsors to jail”.
According to him, the kingmakers which include Chief Oluilegbin of Ilegbinn Quarters(Oluilegbin Akomolafe), Chief Opaka Isiaka Musa ,Chief Olubaka Ajakaye Rufus and Chief Alagure (Pa Funmilayo Omoboriota), made their stand on his selection as the Alele-elect of Akungba Akoko known and he was waiting for the state government to present him the staff of office.
However, Osemawe said Isiaka did not have the judgment that would make him the Oba-elect, noting that the court did not compel the kingmakers of the town to select him as the Oba-elect
Speaking in Akure on Friday, the head of the kingmakers of Akungba explained, “The court cannot tell us what to do. What he challenged in court is to make him a member of the Ole Ruling House and he got judgment but the judgment did not stipulate that he is the Oba-elect. The judgment has even been appealed because members of the Ole Ruling House insisted that he is not one of them.
“I am the head of the kingmakers of the town and I am speaking for other kingmakers and we have unanimously selected Prince Sunday Adeyeye as the Oba-elect. So, I don’t know who selected him in the first instance. I don’t know the kingmakers that selected him. He has been going around telling lies to the people.
“They have tried to bribe me to support him. I turned them down because I cannot do anything that is against the tradition of the town. You can come down to Akungba and sample the opinion of people of the town. They will tell you he is not their Oba-elect. “
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Bamiduro Dada, has held a meeting with the two parties and ordered that nobody should parade himself as the Oba-elect of the town until further notice.
Senate committees to screen service chiefs – Melaye
The non-composition of senate standing committees by the Senator Bukola Saraki-led Senate would not affect the screening of the newly appointed service chiefs when the upper chamber resumes plenary next week.
The senator representing Kogi-West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
According to him, the development would make the senate leadership set up an ad hoc committee that would carry out the work of three committees of Defence and Army, Navy and Air Force.
Melaye said, “I think the senate president will announce the names of standing committees as soon as the Senate resumes plenary next week. However, an ad hoc committee would be set up to screen the service chiefs.”
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to send a letter to the Senate president as from July 28, informing him of the appointment of the new service chiefs and seeking senate’s screening and clearance.
It was also learnt that the screening will not be made public because of the security nature of the offices of the security chiefs.
The senator representing Kogi-West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
According to him, the development would make the senate leadership set up an ad hoc committee that would carry out the work of three committees of Defence and Army, Navy and Air Force.
Melaye said, “I think the senate president will announce the names of standing committees as soon as the Senate resumes plenary next week. However, an ad hoc committee would be set up to screen the service chiefs.”
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to send a letter to the Senate president as from July 28, informing him of the appointment of the new service chiefs and seeking senate’s screening and clearance.
It was also learnt that the screening will not be made public because of the security nature of the offices of the security chiefs.
Ex-finance director accuses NAFDAC DG of corruption
The crisis rocking the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control has taken another twist as the redeployed former Finance Director, Ademola Mogbojuri, on Sunday, accused the NAFDAC’s Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, of corruption.
Mogbojuri accused Orhii of financial recklessness, saying he had evidence of inappropriate financial transactions involving the DG.
He said this while reacting to accusations by the workers’ union in the agency that he had shown disrespect to Orhii on many occasions.
The Medical and Health Workers’ Union of the agency addressed a press conference on Saturday, during which they also accused Mogbojuri of gross misconduct and financial impropriety.
The NAFDAC’s former finance director told one of our correspondents on the phone that he had documents to prove the reckless running of the agency by Orhii, who he alleged, spent money without following due process.
He said, “I am not the one who wrote to Sahara Reporters or even petitioned the Federal Government on the crisis in NAFDAC as widely claimed. The truth of the matter is that the DG is quite reckless with spending.
“Before he joined the agency in 2009, the annual total revenue of NAFDAC was about N2.5bn and he met around N600m in the account. Now, the total internally generated revenue is about N9bn and the agency owes about N5bn in debt.
“Every month, I wrote about the financial position of the agency to the DG and supported it with relevant documents. Part of what we owe are government remittances which are about N1.4bn but he never allowed me to pay because he was scooping the money.
“Some of the companies they use to carry out the deals have collected over N6bn in the last two years. Towards the general election this year, he collected a lot of money and used it to buy vehicles, which he branded and gave to a governorship aspirant in his native Benue State. The financial recklessness of the DG has brought NAFDAC onto its knees.
“The DG swapped me, a trained accountant with a statistician, who used to head the Planning, Research and Statistics section but I never protested. The posting they did on Thursday in which they moved me to Kaduna, I have not received the letter even as we speak, so how do I say I am resuming anywhere? This is the second time I would be redeployed within a month. The impunity in NAFDAC is too much.
“They have moved other five personnel from the finance department in the last one month to cover the mess. Some people from the DG’s village in Benue State, who do not work with NAFDAC, are paid travel allowances and I have the records.”
But the chairman of the NAFDAC’s workers’ union, Isa Ibrahim,at the press conference accused Mogbojuri of demanding bribe before releasing approved monies for projects and the day-to-day running of the agency while also allegedly refusing to pay workers their entitlements on time.
Ibrahim, said, “On numerous occasions the DG would approve funds to carry out some projects but the directorate of finance, rather than honour the approval, would tell us there is no money. The director in question was transferred recently to another section but he refused to go. He does not obey or regard the DG or any constituted authority. Nobody should be bigger than NAFDAC. It is an act of insubordination that we must not allow to continue.
“We have been experiencing anarchy and impunity from that director over the years. He messed up the entire place and we are happy and stand by the DG for finally getting him out of the finance department.”
But Mogbojuri, who has since been moved to the NAFDAC Training Institute in Kaduna, said he was being victimised for refusing to be a part of the massive corruption going on in the agency. He said the corruption was being led by the DG.
Mogbojuri accused Orhii of financial recklessness, saying he had evidence of inappropriate financial transactions involving the DG.
He said this while reacting to accusations by the workers’ union in the agency that he had shown disrespect to Orhii on many occasions.
The Medical and Health Workers’ Union of the agency addressed a press conference on Saturday, during which they also accused Mogbojuri of gross misconduct and financial impropriety.
The NAFDAC’s former finance director told one of our correspondents on the phone that he had documents to prove the reckless running of the agency by Orhii, who he alleged, spent money without following due process.
He said, “I am not the one who wrote to Sahara Reporters or even petitioned the Federal Government on the crisis in NAFDAC as widely claimed. The truth of the matter is that the DG is quite reckless with spending.
“Before he joined the agency in 2009, the annual total revenue of NAFDAC was about N2.5bn and he met around N600m in the account. Now, the total internally generated revenue is about N9bn and the agency owes about N5bn in debt.
“Every month, I wrote about the financial position of the agency to the DG and supported it with relevant documents. Part of what we owe are government remittances which are about N1.4bn but he never allowed me to pay because he was scooping the money.
“Some of the companies they use to carry out the deals have collected over N6bn in the last two years. Towards the general election this year, he collected a lot of money and used it to buy vehicles, which he branded and gave to a governorship aspirant in his native Benue State. The financial recklessness of the DG has brought NAFDAC onto its knees.
“The DG swapped me, a trained accountant with a statistician, who used to head the Planning, Research and Statistics section but I never protested. The posting they did on Thursday in which they moved me to Kaduna, I have not received the letter even as we speak, so how do I say I am resuming anywhere? This is the second time I would be redeployed within a month. The impunity in NAFDAC is too much.
“They have moved other five personnel from the finance department in the last one month to cover the mess. Some people from the DG’s village in Benue State, who do not work with NAFDAC, are paid travel allowances and I have the records.”
But the chairman of the NAFDAC’s workers’ union, Isa Ibrahim,at the press conference accused Mogbojuri of demanding bribe before releasing approved monies for projects and the day-to-day running of the agency while also allegedly refusing to pay workers their entitlements on time.
Ibrahim, said, “On numerous occasions the DG would approve funds to carry out some projects but the directorate of finance, rather than honour the approval, would tell us there is no money. The director in question was transferred recently to another section but he refused to go. He does not obey or regard the DG or any constituted authority. Nobody should be bigger than NAFDAC. It is an act of insubordination that we must not allow to continue.
“We have been experiencing anarchy and impunity from that director over the years. He messed up the entire place and we are happy and stand by the DG for finally getting him out of the finance department.”
But Mogbojuri, who has since been moved to the NAFDAC Training Institute in Kaduna, said he was being victimised for refusing to be a part of the massive corruption going on in the agency. He said the corruption was being led by the DG.
I didn’t send list of corrupt deals by Jonathan govt to Buhari —Okonjo-Iweala
MEDIA Adviser to the immediate past Minister of Finance, Paul C. Nwabuikwu, has described as total ‘falsehood’, the claim by an online news media, Saharareporters.com that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala handed over a “dossier of corrupt deals” perpetrated by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nwabuikwu, in a reaction to Saharareporters’ publication, which was also used by other news media, confirmed that the report was a sponsored attempt to discredit Okonjo-Iweala’s good works while in office.
According to Nwabuikwu, “the recent report by the integrity-challenged website, Saharareporters and some other media that former Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has handed over a “dossier of corrupt deals” perpetrated by the Jonathan-led administration to President Buhari is completely false and without foundation.
“This sponsored lie is part of the political attack by the pay masters of Saharareporters against Dr Okonjo-Iweala. These attacks will continue given that these individuals are bent on a political and personal vendetta against her.
“Why are they angry? It is simply because she tried to bring integrity and transparency to the management of Nigeria’s public finances which obviously did not suit their interests.
Nwabuikwu, in a reaction to Saharareporters’ publication, which was also used by other news media, confirmed that the report was a sponsored attempt to discredit Okonjo-Iweala’s good works while in office.
According to Nwabuikwu, “the recent report by the integrity-challenged website, Saharareporters and some other media that former Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has handed over a “dossier of corrupt deals” perpetrated by the Jonathan-led administration to President Buhari is completely false and without foundation.
“This sponsored lie is part of the political attack by the pay masters of Saharareporters against Dr Okonjo-Iweala. These attacks will continue given that these individuals are bent on a political and personal vendetta against her.
“Why are they angry? It is simply because she tried to bring integrity and transparency to the management of Nigeria’s public finances which obviously did not suit their interests.
Osun residents storm Winners Chapel for Oyedepo’s foodstuffs
Hundreds of public servants, retirees and other categories of residents of Osun State trooped to the Winners Chapel, Osogbo, on Sunday to partake of the foodstuffs sent to the state by the Presiding Bishop of the church, Bishop David Oyedepo.
The Osun State Pastor of the church, Olumuyiwa Emmanuel, had on Wednesday announced during a midweek service that truckloads of foodstuffs had arrived for distribution.
He directed members of the church to invite their friends and neighbours, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Emmanuel said the foodstuffs were sent to assist workers and others cope with the hardship caused by the non-payment of salaries.
The pastor said, “The church has been blessed to be a blessing to others. Irrespective of their religious affiliations, we are blessed to affect the lives of others positively.
“That is the reason the church has been giving to the less privileged ones. We have been distributing food items to members and non-members. The church also distributed foodstuffs last month.
“God does not bless people so that they can be containers, he blesses people so that they can bless others and all of us must be doing that.
“Rather than acquisition of wealth, we should cultivate the habit of giving to those around us, and in return, we would receive more blessings from God.”
Emmanuel announced after the second service that anyone interested in being a partaker of the largesse should wait.
The pastor also announced that there would be free medical treatments for all kinds of ailments next Sunday even as he urged members to invite anyone that needs medical attention to come and benefit from the free services.
Few minutes after the announcement, there was a long queue of intending beneficiaries waiting patiently for the distribution of the foodstuffs.
Those on the queues were given rice, packets of tomato paste and vegetable oil. Some parents and their children queued separately in order to increase their rations.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the church for the largesse, saying the nation would be a better place if religious organisations, corporate organisations and individuals started considering the less privileged ones.
It will be recalled that the church had on June 14, 2015 doled out foodstuffs and financial aid to workers and others in need.
The Chairman, Osun State chapter, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, had advised churches in the state to begin to donate foodstuffs to workers to assist them to cope with the hardship caused by the non-payment of their salaries.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, also said in June that labour unions in the state would soon approach wealthy Nigerians to ask them to donate food to their members.
The Osun State Pastor of the church, Olumuyiwa Emmanuel, had on Wednesday announced during a midweek service that truckloads of foodstuffs had arrived for distribution.
He directed members of the church to invite their friends and neighbours, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Emmanuel said the foodstuffs were sent to assist workers and others cope with the hardship caused by the non-payment of salaries.
The pastor said, “The church has been blessed to be a blessing to others. Irrespective of their religious affiliations, we are blessed to affect the lives of others positively.
“That is the reason the church has been giving to the less privileged ones. We have been distributing food items to members and non-members. The church also distributed foodstuffs last month.
“God does not bless people so that they can be containers, he blesses people so that they can bless others and all of us must be doing that.
“Rather than acquisition of wealth, we should cultivate the habit of giving to those around us, and in return, we would receive more blessings from God.”
Emmanuel announced after the second service that anyone interested in being a partaker of the largesse should wait.
The pastor also announced that there would be free medical treatments for all kinds of ailments next Sunday even as he urged members to invite anyone that needs medical attention to come and benefit from the free services.
Few minutes after the announcement, there was a long queue of intending beneficiaries waiting patiently for the distribution of the foodstuffs.
Those on the queues were given rice, packets of tomato paste and vegetable oil. Some parents and their children queued separately in order to increase their rations.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the church for the largesse, saying the nation would be a better place if religious organisations, corporate organisations and individuals started considering the less privileged ones.
It will be recalled that the church had on June 14, 2015 doled out foodstuffs and financial aid to workers and others in need.
The Chairman, Osun State chapter, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, had advised churches in the state to begin to donate foodstuffs to workers to assist them to cope with the hardship caused by the non-payment of their salaries.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, also said in June that labour unions in the state would soon approach wealthy Nigerians to ask them to donate food to their members.
Striking doctors, CMD exchange words in Ekiti
The Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI) has denied allegations levelled by the striking members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in the hospital, against their Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Majekodunmi Ayodele, describing them as “spurious and an attempt to bring him to disrepute.”
FETHI in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Kunle Adeboyejo, at the weekend, urged the doctors to resume work in the interest of patients and the nation.
Doctors in some institutions including FETHI are on strike over demand for remunerations, accruing from skipping of a grade level and other issues bothering on their welfare.
They had alleged that the Federal Government had approved the payment of the allowance, but that the governor had allegedly refused to pay them. ARD at FETHI had claimed in a statement, last week, by its president Dr Otutoaja Uzoma, and General Secretary, Dr Ekundayo Oladeji that the inability of the hospital management to meet their demands on the alleged financial management style of the CMD.
The hospital management, however said, “The CMD has been managing the financial resources of the hospital prudently,” adding that he had no access to staff salaries and contract funds.
It denied the allegation that the CMD had been using money earmarked for staff salaries and emolument to implement capital projects, saying “staff salaries are paid directly from Abuja to individual accounts. Also, payment for contract is done directly from Abuja for specified projects yearly.”
The hospital management said all FETHI staff including the striking ARD members had been paid May and June salaries as against their allegation of being owed salaries.
It said the additional remuneration accruing from skipping of a full grade level being demanded by the striking doctors, “has not been addressed by the Federal Ministry of Health for now. It is not true that the hospital has received any money either in lieu of payment of skipping of a grade or relativity allowances.”
FETHI in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Kunle Adeboyejo, at the weekend, urged the doctors to resume work in the interest of patients and the nation.
Doctors in some institutions including FETHI are on strike over demand for remunerations, accruing from skipping of a grade level and other issues bothering on their welfare.
They had alleged that the Federal Government had approved the payment of the allowance, but that the governor had allegedly refused to pay them. ARD at FETHI had claimed in a statement, last week, by its president Dr Otutoaja Uzoma, and General Secretary, Dr Ekundayo Oladeji that the inability of the hospital management to meet their demands on the alleged financial management style of the CMD.
The hospital management, however said, “The CMD has been managing the financial resources of the hospital prudently,” adding that he had no access to staff salaries and contract funds.
It denied the allegation that the CMD had been using money earmarked for staff salaries and emolument to implement capital projects, saying “staff salaries are paid directly from Abuja to individual accounts. Also, payment for contract is done directly from Abuja for specified projects yearly.”
The hospital management said all FETHI staff including the striking ARD members had been paid May and June salaries as against their allegation of being owed salaries.
It said the additional remuneration accruing from skipping of a full grade level being demanded by the striking doctors, “has not been addressed by the Federal Ministry of Health for now. It is not true that the hospital has received any money either in lieu of payment of skipping of a grade or relativity allowances.”
Subsidy removal won’t hurt Nigerians — Utomi
Professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, tells TOBI AWORINDE that there are cabals who are benefitting massively from the Federal Government’s subsidy on petroleum products
Is it a must for the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy?
I think fuel subsidy is a source of
enormous haemorrhage from the federal treasury; a haemorrhage that is
benefitting a few people — scam artists. And the marginal delivery of
value to the Nigerian people is questionable because, in most places in
Nigeria, we are not getting people to pay those (official) prices
anyway. In essence, I am not sure we can justify what is going into it,
whereas you could take the same resources to do a lot to transform the
economy, and maybe invest in an environment that would create more jobs,
etc. But if I were to do it, and I could, I would find a way of taking a
portion of that money and paying directly via a cash transfer to the
poorest of the poor so that they can use it to buy their own fuel as
they see fit or subsidise their transport. The big problem is that we
have chosen not to have a proper headcount or biometric data of
citizens, in spite of national identity cards and programmes like that.
Indonesia
just went through a similar process of removing huge subsidies. That
was the first thing that the current president, Joko Widodo, did after
he was elected. And there cannot be a more masses-oriented leader than
him, who is basically a small guy from a small business that rode his
bicycle around and so on. He is a man of the masses, yet he realised
that it was important to remove the subsidy. However, they were able,
with the support of some international aid agencies, to pay money
directly to the poorest of the poor. In our place, a similar strategy
could be thought of. Unfortunately, we still have this challenge of
‘Where are the people? Who are the people?’ before we know it, some
agents will go and share these monies and pocket them like the scammers
in the oil industry are doing.
But it is widely believed that fuel subsidy removal will be an enormous burden on the majority of Nigerians. Is this true?
In many parts of Nigeria, if you make
sure that there is availability of the product and so forth, the
competition can only force prices down. The reason that people are
comfortable with what they (marketers) are doing now is because there is
a quasi-monopoly — an oligopoly of sorts — which is taking advantage of
the ordinary citizen. But if there is competition, as you saw in
telecommunications, we are going to get to a scenario where, in a short
period of time, prices will drop from competition. I do believe that the
net effect over a short period of time will not be higher prices, I am
almost confident of that. In fact, around December last year, when
prices dropped to the upper 40s (in dollars), if we had removed it
(subsidy) and encouraged competition and refused to give licences
without ensuring that the quality was right, prices would have to be
forced down. They would have come down significantly from where they are
now, if the government had given such an order.
I was in the United States last December
on New Year’s Eve, when I was driving to catch a flight from the Midwest
to New York. I remember that my host was shocked, positively, that
petrol prices had fallen below $2 (per gallon). The price used to be
about $5; it suddenly dropped to a mere $2 a gallon (about 4.5 litres).
Basically, the same should happen here in the oil industry, just like it
happened with per-second billing and general pricing of the
telecommunications business.
The Nigeria Labour Congress,
during the fuel scarcity in May that lasted for about two weeks and
nearly crippled the country’s economy, warned that there was a
conspiracy to remove subsidy on fuel and this could plunge the nation
into crisis. What do you think?
That is absolutely incorrect. I think we
like to get ourselves into these strange debates (based on) personal
interests. Those who are benefitting from these subsidies are the ones
pushing all kinds of people to create these kinds of arguments that they
are profiting from; it is not true. People have been paying N150 and
waiting in queues for hours; then you tell the person that if you remove
subsidy, prices would be very high. It is not true. Simple logic shows
that it cannot be that high. But so long as we ensure that there is
competition, it will get lower than today’s prices, if crude (oil)
prices are not going up.
Are you saying the oil marketers are the ones to blame for this disinformation?
There is no question in my mind that they
are a part of it. Not all of them; there are different kinds of players
in every market. You can’t paint everybody with the same brush. But
there is no question that there are people who are making out like
bandits and the first rule of change is that those who profit from the
old order will do everything to prevent a new order from coming about.
Members in both chambers of
the National Assembly had moved motions to remove fuel subsidy during
the recent fuel scarcity, but the motions were voted against. Do you
think the fuel subsidy removal plan can get past the lawmakers, seeing
as they are obviously against it?
I am not sure where the laws of our
country say that the National Assembly has to vote on the price of
Bournvita, and fuel is just as much a product as Bournvita. Why should
the National Assembly get involved in the price of any product, even
petrol? We have had some people during the course of our history who
dabbled into such things and that is part of what has caused some of our
problems today. I don’t know what the National Assembly has to do with
whether or not fuel subsidy should be removed.
Why are fuel scarcity and the consequent hike in prices of petroleum products so common in Nigeria nowadays?
Precisely, it is because it profits some
people. Why is it not common in next-door Benin Republic, which is
poorer and does not produce crude oil? Why do they not have queues (at
fuel stations)?
What do you think the Federal Government should do with the resources, if fuel subsidy is removed?
This business of what it (proceeds from
subsidy removal) will be used for is what is creating all these
problems. The whole country is a basket. There are leakages from
everywhere. Whatever government exists to do for its people, the
government should do it and revenues that come to the government,
whether from taxes or from royalties, should go into serving the people
to improve the quality of their lives. It should go into providing
infrastructure, ensuring that there is adequate regulation to enable
businesses to grow and provide jobs for people. All of those things are
part of what the government should do.
Looking at the inability of
some states to pay the salaries of their workers, what do you think is
the best option for the Federal Government to take?
I think that we need to first review and
rethink our fiscal federalism. I think that the time has come to have
some very clear conditionality attached to the receipt of revenues,
especially debt management revenues. And what we should do in that
regard is ensure better behaviour so that we do not get into this
situation again.
Adelabu ‘Penkelemess’ was my political role model – Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the First Republic Federal Minister of Social Services and Natural Resources, Chief Adegoke Adelabu, popularly called ‘Penkelemesi’, as his political role model.
Obasanjo made this remark on Saturday at his Hilltop residence, Abeokuta, while receiving the family members of the late Ibadan-born politician, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The said they came to intimate the former president with the 100 years posthumous birthday of the politician slated for September 3, 2015 and a foundation to be inaugurated in his name.
Obasanjo said he shared the political philosophy of the late politician, which was devoid of ethnic and tribal considerations but focused on a united Nigeria.
He noted that Nigerians were still struggling to reach the pinnacle Adelabu attained in politics.
Obasanjo, who accepted the offer to be the patron of the posthumous centenary birthday celebration of the politician, described the late Adelabu as a detribalised Nigerian.
Led by an Ibadan High Chief and a former broadcaster, Chief Tunde Alabi, the family members said they were in Obasanjo’s house to solicit his support to give a befitting ceremony to the first African Manager of United African Company.
The former President further noted that Adelabu was years ahead of his political contemporaries, adding that he advocated a United State of West Africa before his demise, which was before the Economic Community of West African States was formed.
He said, “Adelabu was not just a historic figure, he was a reality. He was a phenomenon; he was uniquely Yoruba, uniquely Nigerian, uniquely African and uniquely a member of human race.
“What you are proposing to do, I believe Adelabu deserved it in every facet. Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or the pedestal Adelabu reached in politics, of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional, sectional consideration but by what is best for Nigeria.
“He was years ahead of his contemporaries in politics. In his life time, he was talking of United State of West Africa; ECOWAS came up years after his demise.
“In his life time, he belonged to a political party that has its base outside the Western Region, where he came from. He was not a tribal baron; he was a national politician.
“So, when you asked me to be the patron of Adelabu posthumous centenary birthday celebration, I have no reason to say ‘no’.
“I have no reasons to say ‘no’ because, I share what Adelabu stood for. I share Adelabu’s philosophy of a united Nigeria and believe. I share Adelabu’s view of politics beyond ethnicity, beyond tribe, beyond region and I believe that in our national life, we should extol the virtues like those ones we saw in Adelabu.
“A man of the people, down to earth, absolutely down to earth and yet, a man who believed that his politics must be above ethnicity, must be above tribe, must be to unite the country while, of course, uplifting his own people.
“On behalf of the family who asked me to accept this and having accepted this, I will do my utmost best to contribute to making that day you have chosen to celebrate the birthday a success and also to use it to remind those who may like to forget that there was, even before independent, men and Nigerians like Adelabu, who believed in the unity of this country, who lived for it and indeed died for it.”
Obasanjo made this remark on Saturday at his Hilltop residence, Abeokuta, while receiving the family members of the late Ibadan-born politician, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The said they came to intimate the former president with the 100 years posthumous birthday of the politician slated for September 3, 2015 and a foundation to be inaugurated in his name.
Obasanjo said he shared the political philosophy of the late politician, which was devoid of ethnic and tribal considerations but focused on a united Nigeria.
He noted that Nigerians were still struggling to reach the pinnacle Adelabu attained in politics.
Obasanjo, who accepted the offer to be the patron of the posthumous centenary birthday celebration of the politician, described the late Adelabu as a detribalised Nigerian.
Led by an Ibadan High Chief and a former broadcaster, Chief Tunde Alabi, the family members said they were in Obasanjo’s house to solicit his support to give a befitting ceremony to the first African Manager of United African Company.
The former President further noted that Adelabu was years ahead of his political contemporaries, adding that he advocated a United State of West Africa before his demise, which was before the Economic Community of West African States was formed.
He said, “Adelabu was not just a historic figure, he was a reality. He was a phenomenon; he was uniquely Yoruba, uniquely Nigerian, uniquely African and uniquely a member of human race.
“What you are proposing to do, I believe Adelabu deserved it in every facet. Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or the pedestal Adelabu reached in politics, of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional, sectional consideration but by what is best for Nigeria.
“He was years ahead of his contemporaries in politics. In his life time, he was talking of United State of West Africa; ECOWAS came up years after his demise.
“In his life time, he belonged to a political party that has its base outside the Western Region, where he came from. He was not a tribal baron; he was a national politician.
“So, when you asked me to be the patron of Adelabu posthumous centenary birthday celebration, I have no reason to say ‘no’.
“I have no reasons to say ‘no’ because, I share what Adelabu stood for. I share Adelabu’s philosophy of a united Nigeria and believe. I share Adelabu’s view of politics beyond ethnicity, beyond tribe, beyond region and I believe that in our national life, we should extol the virtues like those ones we saw in Adelabu.
“A man of the people, down to earth, absolutely down to earth and yet, a man who believed that his politics must be above ethnicity, must be above tribe, must be to unite the country while, of course, uplifting his own people.
“On behalf of the family who asked me to accept this and having accepted this, I will do my utmost best to contribute to making that day you have chosen to celebrate the birthday a success and also to use it to remind those who may like to forget that there was, even before independent, men and Nigerians like Adelabu, who believed in the unity of this country, who lived for it and indeed died for it.”
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