Mbah: Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure - ITREALMS

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The Executive Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has attributed the financing of numerous infrastructure projects embarked by the state government to the oil subsidy removal policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

A press statement from the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim and available to ITREALMS, quoted Mbah as declaring at the Government House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of federal government led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of activities lined up for the 2-day Citizens’ Engagement Series in the South East geo-political zone.

Subsidy removal: Makinde unveils economic recovery plans - ITREALMS

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The Oyo State governor, 'Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, has unveiled a short-term plan of his administration to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on residents of the state, saying that his administration will continue to put the interest of the people first.

The governor, who gave this indication in a state-wide broadcast, maintained that food security, transportation and the sectors are among the immediate areas being targeted by the government to alleviate the economic difficulties facing residents of the state.


This was as the governor directed civil servants to resume to their duty posts on Monday, as his government will pay the two months deductions owed the workers with their August salary, while it will also explore further options on dialogue.


He noted that the government remained open to parleying with labour to ensure that the rights of the workers of Oyo State are protected.


He encouraged the union leaders to return to the negotiating table to discuss any increases in salary or possible harmonisation of pension payments.


Governor Makinde had, earlier in June 2023, announced measures to cushion the hardship faced by the people following the removal of fuel subsidy, including increasing the number of Omituntun Buses on various routes in Ibadan, the state capital and reduction of fares for all residents, including senior citizens and students, who were to pay half prices.


The governor, on Saturday, however, stated that in line with his promise to do more, the administration has arrived at decisions, which will benefit a majority of the people in the state, while it continues to explore other measures.


He said: "I am addressing you today to share our short-term plans, which will play a huge role in alleviating the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and the resultant economic difficulties being faced by our people. You will recall that on June 9, 2023, following the removal of fuel subsidy, we announced measures to be taken to cushion the effect of the removal.


"We gave directives that the number of Omituntun Buses on various routes in Ibadan should be increased and that commuters must pay a reduced fare on these buses. Additionally, our senior citizens and students should board the buses at half price. We have received feedback that this immediate action has benefited our people.


"We promised that more will be done. Our plan has always been to roll out sustainable actions in keeping with our promise of sustainable development under Omituntun 2.0. Having been in government for the first four years, we know it is easier to make promises than to keep them.


"After wide consultations, we have arrived at decisions that we believe will be of the most benefit to the good people of Oyo State. In reaching these decisions, we considered the importance of using these economic packages to stimulate our economy and bring about sustainable development."


The governor, who maintained that the short-term plans tagged the Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) will target the poorest of the poor and the vulnerable and ensure a softer landing for them, said the action plans would also ease the burden of transportation for all residents and the civil servants and also address the challenges of food security.


He stated that under the SAfEr package, agropreneurs trained under the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP), who have established agribusinesses will receive enterprise support of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000), while small businesses will benefit from low-interest-rate loans with the provision of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) facility.


He added that the state government is already updating its social register to capture 200,000 of the poorest of the poor, who will be provided with food relief packages and that 100,000 health insurance packages will be rolled out for the vulnerable in the society.


According to the governor, the services of the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses will be extended to cover inter-city routes across all the five zones of the state and that more Buses will be provided for the transportation of civil servants in the state.


"Let me now share details of our SAfER package. Following the pattern of our actions during the COVID-19 pandemic,we are updating our social register to include two hundred thousand (200,000) of the poorest of the poor. These will be provided with immediate food relief packages. As usual, we will ensure transparency in the registration process so that only those who qualify will get this immediate relief.


"We will be providing health insurance for 100,000 of our most vulnerable citizens. We will be paying their one-year health insurance premium under the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) scheme so that they have access to quality healthcare without paying out of pocket.


"The Omituntun Busservice will be extended to cover inter-city routes from Ibadan to all other zones of Oyo State. Details of their routes will be released in the coming weeks. So, we will have buses going from Ibadan to Ibarapa, Ibadan to Ogbomoso, Ibadan to Oke-Ogun and Ibadan to Oyo. The fares will be kept at low rates, while our senior citizens and students will board the buses at half price.


"Our farmers have not been left out. To ensure food security, we will be distributing additional inputs to 10,000 farmers. This is in addition to the input support being provided under the World Bank assisted OYS-CARES programme. Further details will be released through the relevant agencies in the coming weeks.

"Our youth agropreneurs who were trained under the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project (YEAP) and have established businesses will also have an opportunity to contribute to food security and sustainable development as they will receive enterprise support of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) under the SAfER package. They will get further directives on how they will benefit from the relevant agencies.

"We have also resolved to assist small businesses to stay afloat through low-interest-rate loans with the provision of a five hundred million naira (N500,000,000) facility. Our traders, artisans and other small business operators can apply for these loans through designated micro-finance banks. Details of how they may enroll for and access these loans will be announced by the relevant agencies.

"Tertiary institution students in Oyo State will board the Omituntun Buses at half price upon showing their school identity card. We will also be meeting with the student leaders of tertiary institutions in Oyo State to agree on further measures which will be added to the SAfER package for students," he added.

Addressing the protest and blockage of entry points into the Secretariat, the governor stated that his government has been one of the states that are favourably committed to workers' welfare since he assumed office in 2019, saying: "We have paid all civil servants’ salaries and pensions on or before the 25th of every month without fail. And since January 2020, we have paid the minimum wage and consequential adjustments to all cadres of civil servants every month without fail.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju in a press statement available to ITREALMS, also quoted Gov. Makinde as saying, "Presently, the civil servants’ wage bill stands at N7.2 billion monthly. We have continued to pay this despite having a state revenue of just below N10 billion monthly. It is, therefore, clear to understand why any increase in salaries or pensions may not be possible at this time.


He, however, announced that apart from the payment of the cooperatives deduction to be effected and paid with August salaries, the government will increase the number of buses made available for civil servants to commute to and from work from 9 to 12, so that more routes are covered to lessen the transportation burden of workers.


He further stated that the government will pay the health insurance premium for all pensioners under the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) scheme and that any pensioner who already made payment will be refunded.

He equally stated that the government will resume the monthly payment of gratuities to pensioners so as to continue to clear the backlog of gratuity payments inherited by our administration.

PRI supports Tinubu, commends fuel subsidy removal - ITREALMS

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A nongovernmental organisation, Patriotism Renaissance Initiative (PRI), has pledged support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration as well as lauded the removal of fuel subsidies, reports ITREALMS.

National Coordinator, PRI, Sulayman Dawodu, in a press statement, commended the suspension of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele as well as the  assent to Electricity, Student Loan and Data Protection Bills, deregulation of forex, prompt appointment of Chief of Staff, Secretary to Government of Nigeria and Special Advisers among other decisions.

Kyari: NNPC to stop running refineries, removal of subsidy to benefit ordinary Nigerians - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will soon stop its involvement in the management of the nation’s refineries after their rehabilitation, according to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, reports ITREALMS.

He made this disclosure Wednesday during an interview on Arise TV breakfast programme, The Morning Show, saying that upon completion of the ongoing rehabilitation exercise, the services of a company world be procured to manage the plants on an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) basis.

“We are going to get an O&M contract, NNPC won’t run it. We are going to get a firm that will guarantee that this plant would run for some time. We want to try a different model of getting this refinery to run. And we are going to apply this process for the running of the other two refineries”, he stated.

He explained that the plan, ultimately, is to get private partners to invest in the refineries and get them to run on the NLNG model where the shareholders would be free to decide the fate of the refineries going forward.

Mallam Kyari was quoted in a press statement made available to ITREALMS by the NNPC Group Public Affairs Division, Group General Manager, Dr. Kennie Obateru, as saying that this model, which is totally different from previous approach, would guarantee the desired outcome for the refineries.

Equally speaking on a Channels TV breakfast talk show, Sunrise Daily, earlier in the day, the NNPC’s helmsman said the decision to finally end the fuel subsidy regime is in the interest of ordinary Nigerians as it would free up funds for the various tiers of government to develop basic infrastructure in the education, health, transport, and other sectors for their benefit.

"Subsidy is elitist because it is the elites that benefit from it. They are the ones that have SUVs, four, five cars in their garages. The masses should be the ones to benefit. There are many things wrong with the under-recovery because it makes us to supply more than is needed. This makes the under-recovery to be bloated because we unwittingly subsidize fuel for the whole of West Africa. That has to stop," the NNPC boss submitted.

He explained that the removal of subsidy would automatically correct the distortions it created in the market such as products arbitrage and smuggling, stressing that it would also provide the needed impetus for the NNPC to establish retail outlets in neighbouring countries.

On the agitation in some quarters for a reduction in the price of kerosene, he said the corporation’s focus was rather on how to migrate all those who were still using kerosene for domestic cooking to the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) which is popularly referred to as cooking gas.

According to him, apart from LPG being a cheaper fuel than kerosene, it is also safer and more environment-friendly.

He said the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, was championing policies to deepen the adoption of LPG for domestic consumption, adding that widespread adoption of LPG usage was the best solution to kerosene supply challenges in the long term.

On the situation with global crude oil price and supply, the GMD said things were shaping up.

"Crude oil price is improving by the day. Last week, it was $15 per barrel. Today, it is $32.79 per barrel. We believe the ongoing engagements between global oil producers will bring back demand and once that happens, the market will balance and fully recover by year-end”, he said optimistically.

On the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Mallam Kyari who put the current total donations by players in the Oil and Gas Industry at N21billion said the sector was obliged to support the Federal Government in its efforts to bring relief to Nigerians.

He maintained that the donations were in kind and were designed to address three key areas of: provision of hospital consumables (face masks, test kits, etc.); provision of support services and facilities for patients (beds, ventilators, etc.); and provision and upgrade of health infrastructure that will outlive the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Illegal checkpoints: IGP orders immediate removal nationwide @Christmas - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has directed Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ensure removal of all illegal checkpoints nationwide for a stress-free festive seasons, reports ITREALMS.

For him, only checkpoints and nipping points that are operationally expedient for crime prevention and prevention and other forms of key duties must be in place during this seasons.

The Force Public Relations Office (FPRO), Mr. Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who disclosed this in an interview in Abuja, said the IGP ordered the Commissioners of Police to ensure that officers deployed to checkpoints eschew all forms of corruption, ostensibly in reaction to cases of alleged extortion of travellers and motorists, especially on major highways across the country. 

Mba said Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) were also expected to provide round-the-clock supervision of their men, adding that they would be held liable for any excesses of their personnel on the roads, adding: “They have also been directed to send to the headquarters, the designated nipping points on those roads for easy monitoring by the Force Headquarters.”

He explained that the order was issued to enable travellers enjoy safety and comfort on the highways with minimal inconveniences and hassles throughout the Yuletide season, saying: 

“It is important to note that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has also given a very clear-cut directives and issued a standard order for Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders and DPOs, whose jurisdictions straddle those areas covering the highways, to ensure that policemen who are posted on the road during the festive period carry out their duties in strict conformity with the extant rules guiding such activities- the Police Act and the Police Regulations.

“Police officers posted on theses duties are expected to eschew all forms of corruption. In-as-much as they are they are expected to be firm, they are expected to be courteous and polite to citizens. 

“Commissioners of Police are also expected to strike a balance between the need to ensure the security of the travellers and the need to ensure that travellers enjoy maximum comfort and with minimal hassles,” he said. 

The Force spokesman advised the public, especially travellers, to cooperate and support policemen in the lawful discharge of their lawful duties and to report every excess or infraction they notice on the highways to the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). He added that the presence of policemen on the roads are designed to prevent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnappings and other forms of violent crimes on the highways and also help in the detection of crimes that have already been committed, as well as providing a platform for intercepting fleeing felons. He gave the emergency contact details of the Police along the South-South, Southeast highways thus:Selected Contact Details For Southwest, South-South And South-East States.




S/N STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (CP) POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER (PPRO) CONTROL ROOM

1 Lagos CP ODUMOSU H. OLUSEGUN – 08065668179 DSP BALA ELKANA – 07063116303 07055462708, 08035963919

2 Ogun CP KENNETH EBRIMSON – 08033311119 DSP ABIMBOLA OYEYEMI – 08123822910 / 08034241238 08032136765, 08081770416

3 Ondo CP UNDIE ANDIE – 08032905251 DSP FEMI JOSEPH – 08060159998 07034313903

4 Edo CP LAWAN JIMETA – 08033210966 DSP CHIDI NWABUZOR – 08033726625 08037646272, 08077773721, 08067551618

5 Delta CP ADELEKE YINKA – 08033440189, 08024766368 DSP ONOME ONOVWAKPOYEYA – 08130826008 08036684974

6 Anambra CP ABANG B. JOHN – 08033221390 SP HARUNA MOHAMMED – 08060970639 07039194332

7 Imo CP RABIU LADODO – 08037033410 SP IKEOKU GODSON ORLANDO – 07034714499 08034773600, 08037037283

8 Enugu CP ABDULRAHMAD AHMED- 08039671402 SP AMARAIZU EBERE – 08038829086,

08123822894 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202

9 Rivers CP MUSTAPHA DANDAURA- 08037005245 DSP OMONI NNAMDI – 08033396538 08032003514, 08073777717

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Lagos APC denies removal of PDP campaign materials - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos State has denied the alleged removal of campaign materials belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, reports ITREALMS.

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in a press statement made available to ITREALMS, said their attention has been drawn to the claim by PDP Lagos that its Campaign Materials are being pulled down in Lagos by people suspected to be APC Members.

"Our initial reaction when the statement was brought to our notice was to ignore the story because it is not the character of APC members to engage in acts of brigandage and political recklessness. But on a second thought we decided to issue this statement to put the records straight and put lazy politicians in PDP on their toes.

"Lagos APC is made up of committed, disciplined and well behaved followers who do not need to go the way of the rudderless and uncoordinated brunch known as members of PDP in Lagos and that of Nigeria as a whole. We do not need the help of anybody to thrash whatever that is remaining of PDP in Lagos, if at all they still exist. 

"Even though we suspect that miserable PDP followers can deliberately pull down their posters and push it to APC, we passionately appeal to all our members not to take laws into their by tampering with PDP campaign materials in the name of helping our party. You have no right to do so and you cannot do so. We do not need such help from anybody. It is undemocratic, primitive, illegal and unacceptable. Please do not bring shame to our great Party. 

"It is too early for Lagos PDP to start throwing its hands up in total surrender when the game is just about to start. Morbid fear of another crushing defeat is starring them in the face and they think what we call ‘whispering in the dark’ will help the dying party to save its ugly and battered face. While we appeal to millions of Lagos APC members not to play into the hands of the weak and totally decimated political enemies, we are quick to remind Lagos PDP of the events of November 2014 when It worked in tandem with the Police, SURE-P, FERMA, Army, Civil Defense and some other groups to unleash terror on Ikorodu road up to Funsho Williams Avenue and others pulling down APC Campaign materials and Billboards in the full glare of member of the public. We cannot forget this in a hurry.

"Henceforth Lagos APC will ignore the  rumours of the market place and the poor antics of the opposition and concentrate on the real issues-based campaigns ahead of February and March 2019 Presidential and Governorship elections. We will not continue to waste our precious gift of time to talk about a non existing party that is at the crossroads."

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Christian Religious Knowledge removal: FG lied

Commentary@ITRealms:

Nigerian government and lies. They have lied again. The way Nigerian government behaves is like a thief who wants to steal a fowl. He approaches the fowl gradually, watching with sides of his eyes if anyone is looking. If eventually someone shouts, "Who is doing that?" he will stand pretending as if he is just making the fowl give way. If he already has the fowl in his hand, he will tell you that the fowl just flew up and perched on his hand, that he is not trying to steal it.

This is exactly what this Nigerian federal government is doing now with regards to the accusations that they have removed CRK as a distinct subject and merged it with Civic education while Islamic and Arabic studies are left intact as distinct subjects. They are a bunch of liars.

My cousin in Asaba came back from school sometime last year and told me that they were told that if any of them wanted to read law or any of such courses in the University, the person MUST choose Islamic and Arabic studies as subjects in secondary School. I asked him about CRK. He said that they were told that CRK would no longer be studied. I boiled with anger. If anyone doubts this story, go to Asaba and make research on it.

Now that the issue has come up, Nigerian government is denying. Now simple evidence, let them produce CRK question paper in the last Junior WAEC let Nigerians see. CRK appears only as questions in one of subjects and not as "Christian Religious Knowledge" exam paper. What they are doing is that they want to make CRK part of Civic education so that when you talk they will say no, CRK is not removed. Gradually it will disappear even from the Civic education.

We Christians want to see, and we insist on it, that CRK is returned pure and untainted as a distinct subject as it used to be. Just as they left Islamic and Arabic studies, CRK should be left intact with qualified teachers should be employed to handle it. If they are teaching Islamic and Arabic history, cultures and tradition, Christian history, cultures and tradition should also be taught.

Or does someone think that Christianity doesn't have all these? If they remove CRK from school curriculum in primary and secondary schools, very soon CRK as a course of study will disappear in our universities.

I seriously blame our Christian leaders who are lukewarm about defending what they profess. They are like shepherds who are not interested in what happens to the sheep. They eat chicken, drink tea and sleep in the comfort of their water beds. They think only of their overflowing pockets. Some of them thinking only about the tithes members will pay, thinking about their religious business empires.

I  think some of them need to be pushed out and replaced with those who are ready to work. Whenever anything pertaining to religion comes up, see the enthusiasm with which Muslims come out. Our leaders will not even open their mouths. Other ministers will be busy preaching breakthrough. Our leaders will not talk about political issues, advising followers how to choose whom to vote for.

They will tell you church is not for politics while they go back to the church and play internal, dangerous worthless politics. If our Christian leaders were serious, the political structure of this country would have been different. This is a Clarion call on our bishops, church founders and ministers and the entire Christian faithfuls to compel the federal ministry of education to return CRK completely as a distinct subject to primary and secondary school curriculum.

Seasoned Christian Religious scholars should be charged with the responsibility of drawing up topics that will be contained therein. Anything less than this should be protested against.

 

*Courtesy: Rev. Fr. Gabriel Okonkwo is the director, Holy Ghost Haven Mgbidi, Imo State

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