By Chiburoma Glory Nwabueze
On Sunday, September 1st, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited admitted that it owed its petrol suppliers the sum of $6bn, saying it was facing financial strains due to petrol supply costs.
The NNCPL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, indirectly confirmed that the debt was the reason for the fuel queues in filling stations across the country, stating that it is impacting supply sustainability. Raising concern about a possible hike in the price of premium motor spirit.
On Monday, the Nigerian Police declared a British national wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and for terrorism financing. Nigeria Police placed a N20m bounty on his head along with a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, who was described as an accomplice.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, accused the Briton of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. He said, “The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a foreign national and subversive element plotting to undermine the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country.
The British national declared wanted, Andrew Wynne, for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has denied the allegation. Wynne, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday evening from his location in the United Kingdom, said he was not even aware he had been labeled a fugitive.
He said, “I am not aware that I am a fugitive. I am not aware that I am running away from the law. I have been visiting Nigeria for 25 years and have had a bookshop in the NLC office right in the center of Abuja for seven years. All that time, of course, the security forces have paid no interest in me.” He subtly accused the Nigeria Police of not being able to differentiate in the sense of the broad political education work that he did with the bookshop in Nigeria Labour Congress center.
On Tuesday, the Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, charged officers of the Rivers State Police Command to conduct their operations professionally as they have been trained so that they can be effective in the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of people in Rivers State.
He said: “I need to say this so that you will understand. When you (Disu) came to Rivers State, and I had my encounter with you, I requested only one thing: I will never ask you to do what is wrong, so do what is right. Protect the lives and property of Rivers people. Don’t be partisan.
“We have seen those people that were partisan; how they ended. And, I am saying it here, to every one of you that is an officer that is being partisan: you will see how you will end.
“So, work in such a way that when your name is mentioned in this State, or your children come to this State, you won’t be scared. This is important.”
He gave this admonition during the official inauguration and handover of 100 operational vehicles donated to the State Police Command by his administration. Earlier, the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Tunji Disu, expressed gratitude to Governor Fubara for his unwavering support to the state command of the Nigerian Police Force, which he claimed has translated into their dedication to serving the welfare of the state.
Also on Tuesday, the minister of Petroleum Resources (oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, denied ordering the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to inflate petroleum prices to N1000, above the approved pump price, stating that the claims were baseless and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, media, and communication, Nnemaka Okafor, he stressed that NNPCL operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a fully empowered Board of Directors, hence the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not, and will not, interfere in the internal decisions of NNPCL, including pricing matters. This is coming on the same day, Aliko Dangote released official samples of petrol from his refinery, assuring that the local sale of the fuel will help stablise the naira by helping to correct distortions in the value of the local currency compared with the dollar.
Describing the development as historic, Dangote said the refinery located in Lagos will assist in knowing the true consumption of petrol in Nigeria since every loaded truck can be tracked.
On Wednesday, September 4th, the lawmaker representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, asserted that no amount of attacks would remove the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from office.
Ikenga asserted in a statement on Wednesday, while reacting to the recent attack on the secretariat of the Action People’s Party, APP, by unknown gunmen suspected to be political thugs.
He said, “Let it be known that no desperate individual or group can intimidate the opposition in their defense of democracy in Rivers State, and there is nothing that can ever lead to the removal of the Governor even if they detonate a nuclear bomb and set fire on the state as they have publicly declared.
ELANHUB reported that gun-wielding political thugs had attacked a secretariat belonging to the opposition APP in Rivers. The incident occurred a few weeks after a bomb was detonated at the same secretariat, which led to the partial destruction of the building.
On Thursday, the chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, UBEC, Alabo David Briggs, warned headmasters, headmistresses, and principals against collecting money from pupils and students for registration in the new academic session. He reiterated that primary and secondary education in the state is free.
Briggs made this known in a statement on Thursday. According to him, a monitoring team has been set up to move around the schools and ensure that no one is collecting fees from students.
On Friday, the caretaker chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Reginald Ekaa, flagged off the second phase of the LGA empowerment program. The event was held at Government Secondary School, Ngo. Reginald, on behalf of the council, gave out shuttle buses, sewing machines, grinding machines, cars, foodstuffs, and other items to residents of the area.
