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BREAKING: Presidency Speaks on Moves to Reduce Fuel Prices Amid NNPC, Local Refinery Dispute

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has distanced itself from the ongoing controversy between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Refinery over petrol pricing.

Leading reporters understands that there are expectations from some quarters that involvement by the government would lead to a reduced price of the commodity.

President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the fresh declaration while briefing State House correspondents in Abuja.

Onanuga clarified that since the petroleum market has been deregulated, both Dangote and NNPCL, as oil refiners and marketers, are free to set their market prices.

“The PMS price regime has been deregulated. Dangote is a private company. NNPCL, you should not forget, is a limited liability company,” Onanuga stated. “Whatever controversy both of them are having is their own problem.”

The controversy began when NNPCL announced that Dangote Refinery sold petrol to them at N898 per litre. However, Dangote countered that the price was misleading and that his refinery sold petrol to NNPCL at a lower rate than the cost of imported fuel.

Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Refinery eventually added recently that the removal of subsidy is totally dependent on the government, not on his company.

The lowest pump price of petrol currently stands at N895 per litre.

Onanuga reiterated that the government will not interfere in the dispute, allowing both parties to operate according to market forces. “You can see that the private marketers have said that they find the NNPC or Dangote price too much for them, and they may resort to importing fuel.”

“If NNPC fuel is too much, the public market can go to the market and bring in their own fuel and sell at the price that they think is very reasonable and profitable for them,” Onanuga noted.

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BREAKING: “He Was Fired” – Report Reveals How Ajuri Ngelale Was Removed from Tinubu’s Gov’t [DETAILS]

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Details have emerged about the sudden exit of Ajuri Ngelale, former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity.

Contrary to his claim of resigning due to a “vexatious medical situation” in his family, a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) has exposed that Ngelale was actually fired by the presidency.

According to highly-placed sources within the presidency, Ngelale’s departure was a result of a long-standing power tussle with Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

The feud between the two officials had been ongoing since Tinubu’s election in 2023, with Ngelale reportedly considering himself superior due to his prior experience in government.

“Ngelale considered himself untouchable because he had the backing of the president’s son Seyi and Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff,” one source disclosed.

“He was fired; I became aware of this on Tuesday, but I won’t rule out the possibility that it happened earlier. When he got the letter, he started to plead to be allowed to resign as a soft landing. He was eventually given a soft landing, which is understandable. News of his sacking in public would have thoroughly embarrassed not just Ngelale but the presidency too.”

The source went on to disclose that there were interventions made with the aim of settling the issue but Ngalale was bent at reconciliation.

“The Ngelale-Onanuga feud was no secret in the villa, so several top appointees and cabinet members attempted to intervene at separate times; and while Onanuga was open to peace talks, Ngelale wasn’t,” the source said.

“For example, Mohammed Idris Malagi, the minister of information and national orientation, called for talks four times. Onanuga was willing to attend but Ngelale snubbed them all, always claiming he was busy.”

The report reveals that Ngelale’s relationship with Onanuga was strained, and he even blocked Onanuga from having an office of his own until recently.

A source close to the presidency said Onanuga, despite being formally appointed in October 2023 “was a squatter in the presidency and did not have an office of his own until just a few months ago”.

“When Onanuga was appointed, he had no office. He was squatting in Tunde Rahman’s office,” said one of the sources. “It was just recently that he eventually got an office that belonged to either Wale Edun or Zacheus Adedeji when they were still advisers.

Rahman is the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Zacheus Adedeji is the special adviser on revenue while Wale Edun is special adviser on monetary policy. All three advisers were appointed months before Onanuga’s appointment.

Sources also revealed that Ngelale’s appointment was facilitated by his connection to Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son, and Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff.

The sources said his backings gave him the entitlement in the presidency. According to a source, “It was about how he got the job.”

How Ajuri ingratiated himself with Tinubu
“During the 2023 presidential electioneering, Jumoke Oduwole, the special adviser on Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), introduced Ngelale to Gbajabiamila,” said the source.

“When Ngelale got there, he met Seyi. He told Seyi he would facilitate a CNN interview during which Tinubu’s presidential ambition would be discussed. Seyi thought it was impossible, but Ngelale did it. He secured the interview on CNN. He then told Seyi the time and date it would air. Seyi promised Ngelale that Tinubu would phone him if he pulled it off. Immediately after the interview was aired, Tinubu called Ngelale.

“When Tinubu won the election, Ngelale was abroad. People told him to return home but he said no; he insisted he would get his own appointment once he arrived in the country. And that was exactly what happened: Ngelale’s appointment by Tinubu was announced days after his return to Nigeria.

“Conversely, Gbajabiamila delayed the announcement of Onanuga’s appointment for at least two months. It required Chief Bisi Akande, who originally made the case for Onanuga’s appointment, to return to Tinubu for follow-up conversations. That was when Tinubu ordered that Onanuga’s appointment should be made, and that was how Onanuga came to the villa.”

It is also understood that staff at the presidential villa and civil servants involved in the president’s communication strategy were aware of the strained relationship between Ngelale and Onanuga. As a result, they felt caught in the middle, believing that collaborating with one individual would lead the other to perceive them as adversary.

“This meant thework of publicising the president’s progressive policies was derailed,” said the source.

“By the way, Ngelale instructed civil servants that no statement from Onanuga could go out if he had not personally cleared it. If you speak with sources across divides, they would tell you Onanuga was the more peace-seeking of the duo. But this particular order from Ngelale to civil servants annoyed Onanuga.”

“He did not have a good relationship with journalists. Ask the reporters; ask the state house correspondents. And also ask editors,” the source added.

“Many people consider him disrespectful and arrogant, even the editors. You can hardly find any important editor in Nigeria who likes or regards Ngelale.”

It can be recalled that Ngalale in his letter of resignation said, “On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family,” Ngelale wrote.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonising decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.”

He added that he looked “forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit”, and respectfully asked “for some privacy for my family and I [sic] during this time”.

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Train Attack: Rotimi Amaechi heaps blame on the presidency; claims he forewarned FG

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of transportation has said that the terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train would have been avoided if the Federal Government had hearkened to his warning on same.  The Minister, following the attack said that he has severally warned of possible attack on the train and rail facilities, but for the insincerity of his colleagues in government who misconstrued his genuine demand for more money.

“When you come with sincerity to government and your colleagues and people are stopping you, it is annoying.”

The minister said that it was imperative to have necessary digital security and crime prevention equipment that could forestall event as was witnessed few days ago where many Nigerians lost their lives and others kidnapped by terrorists.

Addressing journalists after visiting the scene of the incident on Tuesday, the expressed dissatisfaction over the incident, which he claimed, could have been averted with relevant digital security equipment in place.

“We knew what the problem would be. We knew we needed to have digital security equipment. We applied for it. But it was not granted us”.

“Because if we had those equipment, you will see nobody on that track. And I warned that lives will be lost. Now, lives are lost. Eight persons dead, 25 persons in the hospital.

“We don’t know how many persons have been kidnapped. And the cost of that equipment is just N3 billion. The cost of what we’ve lost is more than N3 billion.

The Minister said that to fix it would cost Nigeria more now to get the destroyed facilities fixed, and even to get the digital security instruments, going by the rising cost of dollar.

“All the things on that track now, will cost us more than N3 billion. And now even the things we said give us approval to buy – at the time we asked for it, dollar was N400, now it is N500.

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2023: Senator Hope Uzodimma Join Presidential Race?

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Following the rumour that the governor of Imo state governor Senator Hope Uzodinma joined the presidential race the commissioner for information and strategy, Declan Emelumba has reacted. Emelumba in a statement made vailable to us opened up to the public the ambition of Governor Hope Uzodinma on the 2023 contest.

The commissioner said Uzodimma has neither contemplated contesting for the presidency nor informed anyone of such intention.

He maintained that Uzodinma is committed to serving out his tenure satisfactory, adding that he is preoccupied with the delivering of democracy dividends to the people and making their lives meaningful.

Imo people and all political associates of the governor nationwide should disregard the malicious rumours as a vain attempt to smear the name of Uzodinma. We’ve restored democracy in Imo, says Governor Hope Uzodimma In a previous report, Uzodimma declared that his government has succeeded in restoring democracy in Imo state.

The governor made the declaration during the 6th stakeholders meeting involving leaders drawn from across the state which was monitored by LR. According to Uzodimma his government was founded on the democratic principles of open, transparent, accountable, and inclusive governance.

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HeadlinesOpinion

The cost of toying with insecurity.

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

Security or the lack of it is a very serious issue. In Nigeria, neither the government nor the people are doing anything about the bourgeoning insecurity beyond the usual condemnation.

The National Assembly is making permutations for the next round of elections in 2023. Remi Tinubu for instance, is already seeing herself in the seat of the first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Her desperate ambition would make her dismiss anyone who dares speak against the chaos in the land as a wailing opposition member. Her husband is no better either.

Tinubu of the ‘where are the cows’ fame sees the presidency as his legal right, and whatever hurdle in his way must be removed, even if it is the entire south west. If he has to rule over the ashes of a burned down Nigeria, so be it.

Muhammadu Buhari, the president of Nigeria is laid back. He watches as the conflagration continues to consume the country. One cannot tell whether he is incapable or unwilling to arrest the situation. He is just there, managed by abusive, ambitious and arrogant sycophants such as Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu. These two unprofessionally dish out statements that ought to be heard at peppersoup joints as ‘presidential’ position on sensitive issues of security.

The People’s Democratic Party,  Nigeria’s main opposition party is still trying to reconcile itself to the fact that it is not a non-government organisation but a political party whose major concern ought to be putting the monstrously chaotic APC on its toes. The PDP is still weeping from behind its secretary’s keypad, typing absolutely boring press statements that ordinary Nigerians are too hungry to read.

The people are more likely to be worse that all the political stakeholders mentioned above. They sit in the market, in the buses, in beer parlours, church fellowships, jumaat services and their village meetings talking in hushed tones about the unfolding carnage but none has the balls to join Sowore, Adeyanju and Aisha Yesufu in protesting.

So, we allow the marauders to go on rampage unabated. They kill, maim, rape, close down schools, destroy economies, scare people from the farms and do as they please. To make matters worse, the fear of the kidnappers and killers has caused schools to close down.

Recently, we heard that the horde of killers are converging on Abuja. And the army had taken steps to form a ring around the Villa, NNPC and the barracks. This sends only one signal to the vulnerable people: you are on your own. Veritas University and other schools around Abuja hurriedly closed down and students sent home.

No one is taking time to analyse the implications of these now until we appear in other countries after ten years from now and being to act like people from the stone age. The implications are too far reaching to be over emphasized. One of the results of this enchanted complacency and docility is that we are going to have to triple our efforts to catch up, if we ever will, with other countries in terms of technology and development, after Buhari’s reign of anachronism. Forget the joke about a certain Digital Economy. We know that we are opposite of being digital.

Microsoft and the Federal Government have decided to partner in the interest of the masses. According to reports, the partnership is to create thousands of direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of downline jobs. This is a very good initiative. It is quite commendable that the government is this thoughtful. But would Microsoft set up their office in a country where the president begs terrorists to release their victims? Would they endanger the lives of their staff to send them here only to be kidnapped? Would they take the most unreasonable risk of setting up an office with multimillion dollar equipment only to be bombed to ashes by a bad of pampered terrorists who would be arrested and rewarded?

Already, we have a very archaic educational system that churns out misfits for the evolving manpower demand. Then we are closing schools. In a decade from now, there would be a yawning human resources gap in Nigeria. We would have to import expertise and even mid level know how to man sensitive positions, leading to huge financial haemorrhage from an already pauperised economy.

Unless the next administration is manned by a learned, committed, patriotic and technocratic leader, the country is going to be so broke that citizens would migrate to hitherto poorer countries.

Another major consequence would be the already glaring famine. Given that bandits, herdsmen and Boko Haram have combined to kill farmers and farming in Nigeria, food supply has declined internally. Then the government has decided to block food importation. The only option left is to scramble for the little that’s within the country at very exorbitant prices. This is inflation. Now, the government is pronouncing itself broke. It is going to cut salaries but not that of the legislature and executive. Theirs is sacrosanct. The masses who form the bulk of everyday transactions are being rendered powerless. It can only mean one thing. Increased prices and inadequate purchasing power. A trader can’t sell below his cost price, and the buyer cannot buy at his new price. That’s a dilemma.

Another foreseeable problem is brain drain. We must not kid ourselves,  many people are running out of this country daily. Forget Lai Mohammed’s tantrums. The country is emptying its best into other countries. Doctors, engineers and other professionals are all running away from a collapsing Nigeria. After spending decades studying in Nigeria’s excruciating education climate, no one would wait for an unlettered member of a rag tag army of Boko Haram to waste him. The best is to run away.

The next president of Nigeria has a lot of work on his hands in an attempt to lift Nigeria out of the current abyss it has found itself in. And we all have a job on our hands before we begin to look up to Benin republic for regional leadership.

The time to salvage our country is now. We must all stand up to be counted.

To be continued.

Alex Agbo,

Writer, researcher and public policy analyst writes from Lagos.

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Aso Villa: Religious, political leaders working with external forces to overthrow Buhari

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The presidency says some “disgruntled religious and past political leaders” are working with “external forces” to overthrow the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The presidency said it has “unimpeachable evidence” of a plan to recruit leaders of some ethnic groups and politicians to pass a vote of no confidence in Buhari and “throw the land into further turmoil”.

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, on Tuesday, said “agent provocateurs” are planning to cause havoc.

He said the presidency’s statement is a follow-up to the warning by the Department of State Services (DSS) of plans to “throw the country into anarchy”.

“Championed by some disgruntled religious and past political leaders, the intention is to eventually throw the country into a tailspin, which would compel a forceful and undemocratic change of leadership,” the statement read.

“Further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are now recruiting the leadership of some ethnic groups and politicians round the country, with the intention of convening some sort of conference, where a vote of no confidence would be passed on the president, thus throwing the land into further turmoil.

“The agent provocateurs hope to achieve through artifice and sleight of hands, what they failed to do through the ballot box in the 2019 elections.

“Nigerians have opted for democratic rule, and the only accepted way to change a democratically elected government is through elections, which hold at prescribed times in the country. Any other way is patently illegal, and even treasonable. Of course, such would attract the necessary consequences.

“These discredited individuals and groups are also in cahoots with external forces to cause maximum damage in their own country. But the presidency, already vested with mandate and authority by Nigerians till 2023, pledges to keep the country together, even if some unruly feathers would be ruffled in the process.”

The DSS had on Sunday warned “misguided elements” threatening Nigeria’s unity and peaceful co-existence to desist from doing so.

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Constitution constraint Gov’s from protecting her citizens – Fayemi

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Governor Kayode Fayemi said limitations in the Nigerian Constitution and practical challenges were hindering governors from protecting residents in their states.

Fayemi said this while delivering his address at 2021 ‘The Platform’ organised by The Covenant Nation with the theme, ‘Is devolution of powers the solution to Nigeria’s problem’ held in Iganmu, Lagos State, on Saturday.

According to Fayemi, all governors in Nigeria were committed to protecting the lives of residents of their states, saying, however, that they were theoretically chief security officers of their states.

He said although they had the power to engage with all heads of security formations operating in their states, the governors’ directives were often not adhered to until they were cleared by ‘higher authorities.’

“…What would probably not surprise you because you’ve heard this before now is that sometimes that commissioner of police may not necessarily take your directive until he has cleared it with higher authorities,” Fayemi said.

When asked if he meant that governors could not secure their states, Fayemi noted that they could do so but beyond the reliance on federally-controlled policing arrangement.

Speaking on the political structure of Nigeria, the NGF chairman said there was no federation in the world with a unitary policing system except Nigeria.

In Nigeria, due to the rising state of insecurity, some regions have established regional security outfits to protect lives and properties in selected areas. In some northern states, there is Hisbah; South-West has the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) codenamed Operation Amotekun, while  South-East has Ebube Agu security network.

Over the years, many Nigerians, including lawmakers, ethnic groups and religious heads, have called for ‘true federalism’ and restructuring of the country.

However, the Presidency has replied that “such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted” as the government would not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure.

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No note to the Senate as Buhari plans extension of his medical stay in UK

by Leading Reporters
written by Leading Reporters

The Presidency is planning to extend the stay of President Muhamadu Buhari who has been in the United Kingdom since March 30 on a routine medical check-up, as protests continue at the Nigerian Mission House in London.

SaharaReporters learnt that although Buhari failed to hand over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President has been told to keep himself in acting capacity, as the extension is being worked out.

While not giving a particular date, Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had said that the President would be back in the second week of April 2021.

Buhari had spent over 193 days on medical leave in the United Kingdom since he assumed office in 2015.

The president’s trips have attracted a lot of backlash on social media as the announcement of his ongoing trip came around the time the National Association of Resident Doctors announced that its members would be going on strike over government’s failure to meet its demands, including non-payment of allowances.

As at the April 1 had examined a timeline of the president’s trips abroad for medical treatment since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.

  1. February 5, 2016 to February 10, 2016: Buhari took a six-day vacation in the United Kingdom, saying that his doctors lived in England.
  2. June 6 to June 19, 2016: Buhari spent nearly two weeks in Britain where he had treatment for an ear infection and a holiday.

He reportedly flew to London on June 6 to see an ear, nose and throat specialist after two doctors in Nigeria recommended further evaluation “as a precaution,” his team said.

He extended his trip by three days to rest.

  1. January 19 to March 10, 2017: Buhari went to London again on a medical vacation on January 19. He wrote the National Assembly on February 5 seeking extension of his London medical leave. The president didn’t return until March 10 but didn’t resume work immediately at Aso Villa. The Presidency said “he’s working from home.” Buhari spent a total of 51 days outside the country.
  2. May 7, 2017: Buhari embarked on a trip to London for another medical vacation. He returned after 104 days on August 19 but could not resume work because rats had reportedly damaged furniture in his office.

The Presidency announced he would be working from home.

  1. May 8, 2018: Buhari went to London for a four-day “medical review.” The president returned on May 11, 2018.
  2. April 25 to May 5, 2019: The president again embarked on a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom.
  3. March 30: The president embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.

For the current trip, he has already spent ten days away, with a few more days to go.

In 2019, the president embarked on a 10-day private trip to the UK suspected to be for medical reasons.

In 2020, the president could not make his trip due to the coronavirus pandemic which caused a halt in flight operations.

News: naija247news.com

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