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Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Aliyu Ibrahim, has expressed his dismay over the current economic situation in Nigeria, triggered by the recent increase in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced a fuel price hike from N617 per litre to N897 on Tuesday, causing widespread chaos across the country. The increase has led to a surge in transportation fares and prices of goods and services.

In a viral video, Sheikh Ibrahim vehemently criticized the price hike, describing it as “total madness”. He questioned the wisdom of the advisors who recommended the increase to President Bola Tinubu.

Sheikh Ibrahim further stated that the fuel price hike would have severe political consequences for President Tinubu, predicting that it would cost him his re-election bid in 2027. He emphasized that no reasonable person would support the re-election of a leader who oversaw such a drastic price increase, from N180 to N1,000 per litre.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched a new mobile app and the National Crash Reporting Information System to enhance road safety and address road traffic crashes in Nigeria.

At the launch event in Abuja on Thursday, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, praised the initiative as a significant milestone for the FRSC, reflecting the ongoing digital transformation efforts to improve road safety management.

Akume emphasized that the new tools aim to raise awareness among drivers and passengers about road safety and the causes of accidents, citing alarming statistics on road traffic crashes in Nigeria. He noted that between January and December 2023, road traffic crashes claimed the lives of 5,081 Nigerians, with 31,874 injured during the same period.

Furthermore, Akume highlighted that between January and July 2024, 2,776 people were killed and 16,309 injured due to road traffic crashes, emphasizing the need for concern and urgent action from both government and non-governmental stakeholders to reduce these figures.

Akume expressed hope that the new tools would strengthen the commitment of vehicle users and traffic law enforcement officers to contribute positively to road safety issues, ultimately reducing the number of road traffic crashes and their devastating consequences.

The former minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, has been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Reports had it that Ngige was questioned over his role in some contracts and jobs racketeering which allegedly happened during his tenure at the ministry.

According to the report, he was at the commission to answer questions concerning the awarding of contracts in Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

While it was gathered that Ngige was invited when he was away in the United States for medical check-ups, sources within the ICPC said the commission wanted him to shed more light on the award and abandonment of multi-million naira electronic NSITF.

Ngige had during his time gotten approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under former President Muhammadu Buhari for the e-NSITF.

The source said, “Yes, our detectives had interaction with him. We had since invited him in line with our SOP but he told us he was outside the country.

“So, we had to give him some time to finish what he went to do in the US. So, he honoured our invitation yesterday (Wednesday),” the source said.

However, an associate of Ngige who spoke on the matter debunked earlier claims that the former minister was arrested by the ICPC.

Rather he noted that Ngige was invited by the commission which he honoured and has since left the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja after providing them with the needed information.

Ngige’s associate said, “He wasn’t arrested by anyone; he went on his own, made clarification based on submissions made by staff over ministerial/presidential approval of some issues and he left immediately after that.”

The National Economic Council (NEC) has set a deadline of September 9, 2024, for all states to declare their stance on the establishment of State Police. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.

Acting Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, briefed State House Correspondents after the meeting, revealing that 32 states have already made submissions to NEC, while four states have yet to do so.

NEC has directed the remaining four states to make their position known by Monday, September 9.

Lawal emphasized that any state that fails to make a submission by the deadline will be bound by the ultimate decision reached by NEC.

The call for state police has gained momentum in recent years, with leaders and socio-political groups like Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo advocating for it as a solution to curb kidnapping, banditry, and other crimes.

In mid-February 2024, President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors agreed on the establishment of state police to address the escalating security challenges in the country. Following this agreement, 16 governors submitted their reports to NEC, expressing support for state police and the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate it.

Since then, more states have declared their support for state police, leaving only four states yet to make their position known. However, the proposal has faced criticism from some quarters, with concerns about funding and the potential for state governors to misuse state police for political vendettas.

The Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping, has pledged $50billion for development in Africa, including military aids to the continent.

The Chinese leader also pledged another $280 million in aid to African countries while proposing partnership actions to jointly advance modernization with Africa.

President Xi said China appreciates its ties with African nations and that China and Africa should rally their populations together to become a powerful force and write a new chapter in global peace, prosperity, and progress.

According to President Xi, the 10 actions, to be implemented in the next three years, cover areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, green economic development and common security.

To implement the 10 partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide RMB360 billion yuan of financial support through the next three years.

The Nigerian Government has approved a 50 per cent increase in the feeding allowance for prison inmates in Nigeria, effective from August 2024. This is geared towards addressing rising food costs and improve inmate welfare.

This was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar.

He described it as the “first phase” of a broader review intended to enhance living conditions for inmates.

“The inmate feeding allowance has been increased by 50 per cent, effective from August 2024. This is just the first phase,” Umar said.

He added that further reviews would follow, particularly due to the soaring cost of food.

“The FG will also consider additional reviews. This is just the first phase. Normally, there is a period when inmate feeding allowances are reviewed. Following a presentation during the budget process, the FG deemed it necessary to adjust the allowance due to the rising cost of food. Further adjustments are expected,” Umar explained.

For the 2024 budget year, the NCoS has been allocated over N24.4 billion for catering materials and foodstuffs.

The need for an increase in the feeding allowance has been a public concern, especially after it was revealed in December 2023 by the Controller General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, that N750 was allocated per day for each prisoner, while N800 was spent daily on feeding each of the 900 dogs in the service.

Inmate welfare issues gained further attention recently after a viral video from the Afokang Custodial Centre in Calabar, Cross River State, showed inmates being served poorly cooked meals.

This sparked public outrage and led to an investigation ordered by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, into the conditions at the facility.

The NCoS confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, emphasising that the incident does not reflect the overall standards of care and commitment to inmate welfare across the country.