Andrew Mailafia

THE Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked state governors to publish the spending details of the N2 billion disbursed by the Federal Government as part of interventions to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The statement as well issued a a seven-day ultimatum.

The organisation disclosed this via its official X handle on Sunday, September 10.

“We’ve given Nigeria’s 36 state governors seven days to publish details on the spending of the N72 billion fuel subsidy palliative disbursed to them by the Federal Government, including the names of beneficiaries and the reliefs provided with the money,” SERAP posted.

A letter signed by the organisation’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare dated September 9, SERAP noted that transparency and accountability in the spending of the palliative funds would check inclinations to corruption, adding that legal steps would be taken if the deadline is not met.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and your state to comply with our request in the public interest.

“The oversight afforded by public access to the details of the spending of the N2 billion palliative and any subsequent disbursement would serve as an important check on the activities of your state and help to prevent abuses of the public trust,” the letter read.

After the recruitment process to fill vacant positions in public secondary schools in the state, Ekiti State Government has recruited 500 successful candidates following the recruitment.

The Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mr Mike Omolayo made this disclosure that the employment letters of the successful candidates were ready for collection by the candidates.

The TESCOM PS made the disclosure on Sunday, September 10 in a ‘public service announcement’ signed on his behalf by the Chief Information Officer, Princess Adejoke Ajayi.

According to the statement, “Following the recent release of the lists of successful candidates recruited into the teaching service by the Ekiti State TESCOM, successful candidates who have completed their documentation processes are hereby directed to collect their letters of appointment at TESCOM, Ado Ekiti on Monday 11th September, 2023 by 10 am.

The new teachers are expected to resume on September 18 when the new academic session begins in the state, Ajayi disclosed.

The qualifying examination was followed by two other stages of oral interview and micro-teaching for successful candidates, which Omolayo said, was “for the purpose of promoting merit and ability over mediocrity.”

President Bola Tinubu has stressed the importance of Ngeria’s strategic as Africa’s largest economy and democracy and its role in shaping a more equitable world to the G-2

Disclosing this on on Saturday, September 9, the special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu to G-20 leaders: As Africa’s largest market, economy and democracy, Nigeria is ready to play vital role in G-2.

“Nigeria is poised, able, and willing to be a major player in this family of the G-20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family will remain incomplete. “

While acknowledging the vital role of the G-20 in shaping a rules-based world order that promotes shared prosperity and security, Tinubu argued that most of today’s pressing issues are “international in character and cannot be addressed without multilateral cooperation.”

Therefore, stronger collaboration, cooperation, and partnerships among diverse regions are the pathways to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for the world, he added.

Tinubu said this explains why the role and contributions of the G-20 in shaping a fair new world order can not be over-emphasized.

“A world that lives as one family, but is divided by staggering income inequalities and uneven access to basic social goods by the vast majority of our people cannot result in a peaceful and secure world where shared prosperity is achieved,” Tinubu observed.

He said such rules and global governance structures of the world’s collective dreams must be collectively designed, owned, and managed

Vice President, Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu had approved the construction of 1,000 houses across Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, and Benue states.

Speaking on Friday September 8, the Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Mr Olusola Abiola in a statement noted that Shettima stated this at the inauguration of projects executed by the Borno State Government in the last 100 days

Revealed that Tinubu approved N50bn to the National Emergency Management Agency to kick-start the Pulaku initiative which was a non-kinetic solution to the crisis confronting the people of the northwest, the vice President explained that the housing projects were part of a broad plan by the Federal Government to address conflicts in the North.

“President Tinubu has approved the construction of 1,000 houses in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, and Benue states with all the ancillary facilities of schools, clinics, veterinary clinics, and ranches for the Fulani community in Kaduna and Benue states

“President Tinubu insisted that all the victims must be carried along,” he said.

The Vice President assured that all parts of the country would benefit from the developmental strides of President Tinubu.

Shettima also stated that the Federal Government was planning to re-ignite wheat production in the country.

He noted that President Tinubu was aware of the challenges confronting Nigerians and would make efforts to address them.

“The issues confronting Nigerians will be addressed. We will use all available vehicles to fix things. President Tinubu means well for this country and he is determined to change the fortunes of the nation for the better.

“Tinubu is a person filled with a lot of empathy for the less privileged in society. Some of the painful decisions taken by the government were products of the circumstances we have found ourselves in.

“Rest assured in the coming weeks and months, this government will unveil a lot of projects and programmes that will touch the lives of many,” Shettima said.

He commended the vision and leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, particularly in his capacity to address the welfare of the people.

“We are extremely lucky to have him as our leader, Governor, and brother at this time. Governor Zulum and I have the best of relationships.

Independent marketers branch of the National Union of Petroleum Marketers and Natural Gas Workers has charged President Bola Tinubu and the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited to expedite action on the turnaround of the nation’s refineries.

The Independent marketers, appealing on Friday, September 8 through its chairman, Comrade Oluleye Olayemi, during a press briefing with reporters.

Notjng that the turn around of the refineries would help to reduce the hardship being faced by the fuel subsidy removal among the citizens, Oluleye rebuffed former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s comment.

The Leadingreporters had earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu chided former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said that the nation’s refineries might never work.

Describing Obasanjo’s statement as appalling, he said although there might be corruption in the system or process involved, with political will and sincerity, the government could see the turnaround of the refineries.

He said: “The branch is in support of the position of the Nigerian Labour and NUPENG National Executive Council on the deregulation policy of the oil and gas industry.

“While the subsidy removal can be said to be the right decision, the timing could have been deferred till the refineries become functional.

“The government should have built refineries in phases across the oil-producing states and gradually remove the subsidy. We are badly affected by deregulation. We appeal to the government that they should expedite action on the refineries’ turnaround and maintenance of our refineries.

“We are badly affected as many marketers are not loading and that affected our members who could not attend. Without renovation of the depot, many people will be jobless.”

Following a move by the faction of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to amend the party’s constitution and logo, the crisis rocking the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party has taken a new twist.

In a interview with Punch, the National Auditor of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson confirmed the decision to amend the constitution.

This development is coming three days after the faction of the party under the leadership of Major Agbo expelled the presidential candidate of NNPP for alleged anti-party activities and misappropriation of party campaign funds.

Leadingreporters earlier reported the expulsion of Kwankwaso’s in a statement released on Tuesday by the NNPP’s factional National Publicity Secretary, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq.

Abdulrasaq affirmed that the decision to expel Kwankwaso with immediate effect was taken after he failed to appear before the disciplinary panel to defend himself over the allegations levelled against him.

The expulsion of the former Kano governor caused disaffection within the party and saw chieftains from opposition camps trading blame.

Eko Electricity Distribution Company has reassured its customers of its preparedness to begin a mass metering initiative for prepaid meters across its service network.

Speaking on Thursday, September 7 during a customer engagement forum in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, EKEDC, Tinuade Sanda, reiterated the company’s assurance and readiness to install over 50,000 prepaid meters before the end of the year.

The Chief Executive Officer represented by the Chief Commercial Officer, Mrs Rekhiat Momoh, Sanda stressed that the company aimed to install over 150,000 meters throughout the year, noting that 475,000 customers had been metered within its network.

Addressing the recently announced 40 per cent increase in meter prices, Sanda explained that customers supported the price increase as it reflected the current economic situation of the country.

She noted that the company had not been able to meter customers recently, but with the new price, they would start rolling out meters promptly.

“It is obvious that the customers are happy based on their responses at today’s customer consultative forum,” she added.

A couple in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria allegedly tried to starve their five-year-old daughter to death after labelling her a witch.

The couple, Michael Wosu, 47, and Blessing, his 23-year-old wife, allegedly carried out the act in Adazi-Ani, a community in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, where they reside.

Disclosing this in a statement on Thursday, September 7, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Ify Obinabo said the couple had been arrested by the commissioner.

The media aide noted the arrest followed a report to the commissioner from the Chairperson of the council area, Ikechukwu Ozoh, and Chinwe Uba, the State Coordinator of a group, Ladies of Good Governance.

Mrs Obinabo, while speaking to the couple in her office, said her primary assignment was to protect the rights of every child in Anambra State, Ms Ikeanyionwu said.

The commissioner applauded a resident, Ikenna Anoliefo, for rescuing the child and drawing the attention of authorities from the council area.

She vowed to prosecute the couple and others who commit such acts in the state.

The couple, according to the statement, released by the commissioner that they were starving their daughter in obedience to their unnamed pastor’s prophecy that the girl was a witch.

They said they felt that there was no need to give the daughter food because, as a witch, she does not deserve to live.

The mother Blessing, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria, claimed that the daughter, through “her witchcraft”, was responsible for the collapse of her father’s business, Adding that she equally forced the daughter to be sleeping on a plank because she frequently urinated and defecated on their bed.

The father, Mr Wosu, who comes from Rivers State, another state in the South-south, claimed he was not aware that his wife was maltreating the daughter.

The child, the statement said, has been taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State is on his way to Nigeria from Germany after over 90 days spent on medical leave.

The wife of the governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu disclosed this via her social media handle, X, on Thursday, September 7, when she posted a picture of him in an aircraft with the caption “Homebound.”

Akeredolu became noticeably ill some months after his mother’s death in September 2022.

There were speculations that the governor was battling a life-threatening ailment, and in January 2023, Akeredolu admitted to being ill.

He stated that he was in recuperation and the illness was not hindering him from carrying out his duties as governor.

“Since the Governor is not a superhuman and the immunity his office enjoys does not extend to physical wellness or otherwise, the health issue is therefore not an unusual one. However, contrary to speculations and insinuations making the round, the Governor, though frail, is discharging his official functions,” a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olabode, read.

Although inspite of the assurance that he was getting better, Akeredolu applied for a three-week medical leave in June, and Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa took over governance in his stead.

He, however, failed to return upon exhaustion of the 21 days, and a letter he addressed to people of the state disclosed that only his doctors could determine when he would be discharged.

Stakeholders in the state, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concerns over the governor’s health and called for his resignation.

A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Mr Kennedy Peretei, said the state should not be grounded because of the governor’s health conditions.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lambasted ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo over his comments on the petroleum refinery in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In an interview with TheCable, the ex-president had stressed his opinion that the nation’s refineries would not be functional and efficient as long as they remained under government ownership.

Obasanjo noted, “Someone told me Tinubu said refineries would work by December. I told the person the refineries would not work. This is based on the information I received from Shell when I was president.”

However, responding to Olusegun Obasanjo’s comment, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Tinubu, Tope Ajayi said Obasanjo is not an engineer, therefore he shouldn’t make such comments.

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with due respect to him, is not an engineer. He’s not the engineer working at the refineries. So, the engineers and the NNPC gave the president a report and they have said that it will work by December this year,” he had said while speaking on Daily Trust space themed: ‘Analysing the First 100 Days of President Tinubu’.

“We still have like four months to go. I will say that with all due respect to the former president, who is an elder statesman and our father, that what he said is his personal opinion and view.

“I will rather rely on the judgment of the engineers who are working at the refinery. So, I think we should wait until December.”

NNPCL had earlier stressed that it is working to revamp the refineries, which were shut down entirely in 2021 and produced little or no fuel over the past decade.