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Group drums support for move to privatise refineries
The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), has expressed support on plans by the government to engage private firms to operate its two refineries when they come on stream.
Mr Niyi Akinsiju, Chairman of IMPI , said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said that removal of subsidy on petroleum products was what was needed at this time to rescue the country’s economy.
He appraled to Nigerians, especially the leadership of the organised labour to beam attention to governance at the state and local governments levels, where more resources are now being allocated.
He said that the group was in support of the plan by government to engage the private sector in the management of the two refineries presently undergoing rehabilitation.
According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), recently invited companies to bid for operations and maintenance deal for the revamped Warri and Kaduna refineries.
In a public notice on its official X handle, the national oil company explained that the move will help ensure reliability and energy security for the country.
Akinsuji said that under the prevailing economic circumference, government has no business in the petroleum refining business.
“The refining business is a highly specialised form of venture. I think about two weeks ago, we saw a publication by the NNPCL requesting companies which has capacity to manage the refineries to apply.
“When those refineries are fully rehabilitated and delivered it will be share naivety for government to still insist that products of the refineries should be sold at subsidised price,”he said.
He said that it was the policy of subsidy that killed the domestic refineries in the past.
According to him,the petroleum refinery produces so many bi-products other than petrol which can help turn around the country’s economy for better.
He said the fact that a poll showed over 73 per cent of Nigerians opposing the policy of deregulation, does not diminish it’s potency as the only viable option to ensure our economic recovery.
“In spite of the common knowledge that fuel subsidies were excluded from the second half of the 2023 budget, about 73 per cent of Nigerians interviewed in an opinion poll said they were dissatisfied with the removal.
“Nonetheless, this does not detract from the fact that fuel subsidies have become Nigeria’s equivalent of an economic weapon of mass destruction,” he said.
On the skyrocketing prices of goods and services in the country, especially food stuff, Akinsuji said that the situation cannot be attributed to a single factor alone.
According to him, a combination of factors such as insecurity, currency floating and low production capacity are responsible for the present food crisis.
He said that the allusion that the removal of fuel subsidy had led to the current food crisis may not be entirely correct.
He said that the group’s findings showed that fuel also known as Premium Motor Spirit, constitutes an insignificant proportion to the cost elements affecting prices of goods in the country.
Akinsuyi said that the depreciation of the country’s currency has made our products cheaper and more attractive to ur neighbours thereby causing scarcity of such products.
“We should understand that no single factor is responsible for the rising cost of products in the country.
“In the case of rice, it is about insecurity, it is as a matter of fact the after effects of the devaluation of the our national currency which has made our products cheaper.
“This has attracted high patronage from our West African neighbours who come to Nigeria to purchase rice,”he said.(NAN)
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)